Fan Fiction |
by Naomi
On the other side of the Earth, Shan Cai sat comfortably on her sofa, gazing out the window and admiring the stars in the sky. She breathed in the compelling beauty of each tiny diamond that was floating in the distant black ocean above. Surrounding her was the gentle twinkling of tiny light bulbs which Dao Ming Si had arranged into a magnificent meteor rain pattern. It was his beautiful way of showing his love to her.
“Xiao You, are you alright?” Shan Cai asked worriedly, her heart beginning to ache at the helplessness of the situation.
“I really miss you and F4. I miss Taiwan. I don’t want to live here,” Xiao You answered, her tears choking her words as she spoke.
“Have you talked to your parents about this?” Shan Cai asked, “Maybe you can come back by yourself.”
“They aren’t going to let me,” replied Xiao You, “My parents can’t afford to let me live overseas. My aunty is going to help them set up their business here. My brother has already enrolled in a high school and I’m finding a university here too.”
“And where are you living right now?”
“At my aunty’s house. My parents will start looking for a house soon.” Xiao You began crying again, frightened at the thought of spending the rest of her life so far away from her homeland and all her friends.
“Xiao You, please don’t cry like that,” begged Shan Cai, almost on the verge of tears herself, “I’m really sorry. It’s because of me that Dao Ming Si’s mum put your parents' company in so much danger that you had to move to Canada. It’s my fault.”
“Shan Cai, it’s not,” said Xiao You sadly, “My parents wanted to leave Taiwan ages ago.”
“That doesn’t mean YOU can’t stay in Taiwan!” Shan Cai cried, “And what about Xi Men? Are you just going to give up like that?”
Xiao You was silent. Her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name.
“You can’t give up,” Shan Cai continued, “ You need to come back. No matter what, I’m going to help you to come back to Taiwan!”
“But how?” asked Xiao You doubtfully, “It’s impossible.”
“No it’s not,” replied Shan Cai, her smile subtly reflected in her voice, “Nothing is impossible to F4.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
F4, as usual, were in the Ying De cafeteria eating their overly large breakfast while girls on the surrounding tables were quietly admiring their every movement.
“Lei, have you heard anymore from Jing?” asked Mei Zuo, sipping a cup of cappuccino as he retrieved the unresolved matter from the previous night.
“Yes, I have,” Hua Ze Lei replied uneasily, “I told her about our holiday. She’s going to join us at the Maple Hotel in Hokkaido.”
“Do you know why she’s coming back to Taiwan?” asked Xi Men, noticing Hua Ze Lei’s apprehensive tone of voice.
“I think it’s because she finished her law degree in France,” Hua Ze Lei muttered, trying to sound uninterested. His face remained starkly expressionless.
“Shan Cai!” Dao Ming Si called out as he saw her enter the Ying De cafeteria. Shan Cai walked over to F4’s table and was greeted by their affectionate smiles. She was unaware of the burning jealousy and contempt which the other girls felt towards her, particularly Qian Hui and Bai He. Little did they know that only simple and innocent ‘weeds’ like Shan Cai were truly beautiful enough to win F4’s hearts.
“Hi everyone!” Shan Cai returned their smiles, taking her usual reserved position next to Dao Ming Si.
“Shan Cai, Jing is joining us in Hokkaido,” said Dao Ming Si, “Then she’s coming back to Taiwan.”
“Jing?!” Shan Cai gasped, “I thought she won’t be back anytime in the near future!” Her eyes landed on the silent Hua Ze Lei, who returned her gaze with a nonchalant smile. Dao Ming Si handed an enormous tray of food to her and she took it with another gasp. “So much food again! Dao Ming Si, you never change.”
“Come on, just eat it,” he insisted, picking up some food with a fork and holding it up to her mouth, “You need to eat more. Look at you, you’re still so skinny.”
Shan Cai opened her mouth and took it in quickly, blushing as she saw the other three faces grinning at her. Mei Zuo winked at Xi Men and they began a ridiculous imitation of the lovebirds before them.
“Shan Cai darling,” Mei Zuo said playfully, picking up another fork and feeding food into Xi Men’s mouth, “You’re so skinny, how can I hug you? Come on dear, eat some more.” Then he collapsed back on his chair with laughter.
“Thankyou Dao Ming Si,” Xi Men replied, fluttering his eyelids at the hysterical Mei Zuo, “You’re so nice to me. You should eat some too, honey.”
Hua Ze Lei could hold his deadpan face no longer and exploded with laughter along with Mei Zuo and Xi Men. The three of them were almost rolling off their chairs. Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai remained faced down in silence, concentrating on eating their food while a crimson shade appeared on their cheeks. At the same time, they stopped and looked up to see each other’s reactions. As their eyes met, they immediately looked back down at their food again, trying to hide their smiles from each other.
When everyone had finally finished laughing, Shan Cai decided to bring Xiao You’s problem to their attention. “I need to talk to you guys about something serious now,” she said, directing her eyes towards Xi Men, “I talked to Xiao You on the phone last night.”
Xi men’s smile disappeared immediately and a hint of sadness was reflected in his eyes. No one had mentioned that name to him for a few days and he thought he would forget Xiao You after a while. However, her sweet, innocent face appeared in his mind again and he began to feel a sense of guilt and discomfort.
“She couldn’t stop crying,” Shan Cai continued, her eyes still fixed on Xi Men, “As you all know, her family is going to settle down in Canada. But I think we can help her come back and live in Taiwan by herself.”
“Is it really that bad? What do you think we should do?” asked Mei Zuo, aware of Xi Men’s discomfort with the matter.
“I know what to do,” Dao Ming Si said suddenly, “Leave it to me.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hua Ze Lei sat alone on the rooftop of Ying De University, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. A chilling breeze blew softly against his peaceful face and he instantly felt refreshed and relaxed. It had been a while since he came up here, and during that time, F4 experienced many changes that have turned their lives around completely. Only Mei Zuo seemed to be unaffected by everything that had happened during the year.
Although Hua Ze Lei’s face often seemed cold and expressionless, it was always his lovely pair of eyes which betrayed him. His eyes were deep and enchanting, with a gentle and mesmerising effect on anyone fortunate enough to be in his gaze. His eyes mysteriously reflected the warmth and sincerity in his heart, despite his efforts to conceal his loving and affectionate character. Even Shan Cai could not resist this pair of fresh and beautiful eyes. But that was history already.
Because Hua Ze Lei seldom talked to anyone about his thoughts and feelings, no one truly knew his mind and heart. Throughout his childhood, Teng Tang Jing had slowly reached beyond his feign of indifference and helped him out of his darkness. She never forced him to speak or act as other people did, but told him she valued him the way he was. And since Hua Ze Lei met Shan Cai, he realised that he simply could not avoid being involved in other people’s business. As much as he wanted to isolate himself from the rest of the world to avoid trouble, he learnt that avoiding troubles did not solve them, but rather complicated them.
Hua Ze Lei thought back to the times when Shan Cai sat beside him here at the rooftop. They usually remained silent as they felt the wind blow past them, carrying their thoughts and troubles far away. He remembered the night they spent here together, when he lit the fireworks and they each made a wish. He had wished for Jing because he only had eyes for her. He knew Shan Cai once loved him, and his feelings for her afterwards were even more complicated. But that was also history. He became her guardian angel.
Although Hua Ze Lei appeared indifferent to the news of Jing’s return, his heart was silently and secretly throbbing with anticipation. Her place in his heart was guarded ever so carefully.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was the end of another long and tiring day at Ying De University. Shan Cai and Qing He were walking through a deserted hallway to their lockers to get ready to leave. Qing He walked slightly behind Shan Cai, his face downcast and depressed, occasionally glancing up dejectedly at his dream girl. He pouted and continued sulking silently to himself, accepting the fact that he simply had no chance.
“Ahhhh!” yelled Shan Cai when she reached her locker. She grabbed Qing He’s arm and pulled him over. “Look at that!”
Qing He looked up and froze, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. On Shan Cai’s locker was a sheet of paper with the word ‘slut’ written with a thick black pen. Shan Cai felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find herself before the towering Qian Hui and Bai He. They smirked at her and pushed the hopeless Qing He aside.
“I know you two wrote that!” Shan Cai shouted angrily, “Why are you two constantly against me?!”
“Just look at yourself!” Qian Hui sneered, eyeing Shan Cai up and down, “You’re short, you’re ugly, you’ve got no figure, your hair stinks of cheap shampoo –”
“And yet you act like you’re a supermodel!” Bai He interjected, poking Shan Cai’s shoulder, “You flirt at F4 day and night and live off Dao Ming Si’s money. Who do you think you are? You are no match for him so stop hanging around him!”
“And that’s not all,” Qian Hui continued, giving Shan Cai no chance to speak, “Do you really think Dao Ming Si would be attracted to a poor little cake store worker like you? He’s just playing around with you, stupid! You’re nothing but a SLUT!”
“Slut!” echoed Bai He, faking a pitiful smile. She pushed Shan Cai forcefully against her locker.
Shan Cai was breathing heavily, mustering any confidence she had left to defend herself. She bit her lip and struggled to fight back her tears, realising that she was not as strong as she used to be.
“I don’t care what you think,” Shan Cai began slowly, “But I’m not a slut. I’m not flirting at F4 and I’m definitely not trying to live off Dao Ming Si’s money.”
Qian Hui and Bai He rolled their eyes. Qing He kept quiet.
“I know I’m plain and poor and nothing like you too,” Shan Cai continued, “You are both tall and beautiful, clothed in expensive dress from head to toe. But I wasn’t born into a wealthy family like you. I don’t have the money to cover myself with expensive make-up or wear branded clothes. I know I’m no match for Dao Ming Si,” Shan Cai paused for a moment, desperately on the verge of tears, “But I’m only with him because I love him!”
Shan Cai immediately ran out of the building, ignoring Qing He who was chasing after her. Qian Hui and Bai He looked at each other, unsure of how to react, then began laughing hysterically at their ridiculous success in upsetting Shan Cai. Someone was standing around the corner of the hallway and had watched the whole scene.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shan Cai ran to the back of the building and collapsed against the brick wall, sinking down onto the perfectly manicured grass. She checked that there was no one around, then beads of tears began trickling down her cheeks. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face in her arms. As she cried, she felt more and more ashamed of her weakness: how could Shan Cai the ‘weed’ be hurt by Qian Hui and Bai He? Suddenly, she felt something gentle and warm against her forehead. It was Dao Ming Si’s kiss.
Dao Ming Si moved her arms away from her face and Shan Cai saw that he was kneeling infront of her. He wiped her tears with his sleeve and placed his hand under her chin, gently lifting up her face. Dao Ming Si gazed endearingly at her and brought his lovely kiss to her cheek, then slowly down to her lips. He slid his arms around her petite body and gently pulled her up onto her feet, her lips still sealed in his sweet, comforting kiss.
After some time, Shan Cai withdrew from the kiss and wrapped her arms tightly around Dao Ming Si’s waist, resting her head on his chest. “Dao Ming Si, how did you know I’m here?” she asked softly. He always managed to appear at the times she most needed him.
“I know what happened,” he explained, running his fingers down her smooth, long hair, “I was going to find you at your locker when I saw Qian Hui and Bai He approach you. I heard what they said to you but I didn’t come out because I knew you would be strong enough to defend yourself.”
“Does that mean...you heard what I said?!” Shan Cai gasped, shooting her eyes up at him. His arms were still wrapped firmly around her, keeping her locked in his irresistible embrace.
“Of course,” replied Dao Ming Si. He smiled adoringly down at her and teased, “You said you love me.”
Shan Cai began beating him gently on his chest, keeping her face down to avoid his eyes. A crimson shade appeared on her cheeks and she tried to laugh off her embarrassment. She could not believe that she had confessed her feelings to him without even knowing.
“Don’t laugh,” said Dao Ming Si, his dimpled smile only an inch from her face, “I want to hear it again. Say it to me properly.”
“You wish!” Shan Cai exclaimed, poking her finger at his gorgeous dimple, “Anyway, I’m hungry, let’s go and eat something.”
“Alright, but you still owe me those three words!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two days passed. It was a beautiful Saturday morning.
A taxi stopped at the side of a quiet, empty road and a young girl climbed out. The delicate rays of the early morning sun shone lightly upon her face, bringing a gentle glow from her flawless skin. She squinted her eyes and smiled as she watched the taxi driver retrieve three large suitcases from the boot of the vehicle. Picking up her suitcases from the ground, she made her way towards the small, cosy house before her. She rang the doorbell and her heart began throbbing wildly with excitement.
“Xiao You!” Shan Cai screamed with delight as she emerged from behind the door. She flung her arms around her best friend while shock and happiness splashed across her face. “How did you come back?!” she panted with disbelief, “I was only talking to you on the phone a few nights ago!”
“I just arrived and I took a taxi here,” Xiao You replied with equal astonishment, “You’re right, nothing is impossible to F4!”
Shan Cai paused for a moment then smiled sheepishly to herself, recognising her own line. They pulled the suitcases into the house and settled on the sofa to continue their conversation.
“Anyway,” Xiao You continued cheerfully, “I think your young master Dao Ming Si is behind all this. Yesterday, I received a phone call from a ‘Mr Liu’ in the name of the ‘Dao Ming Corporation’. I don’t know how they got my number in Canada though.”
Shan Cai laughed, “They can get anything! Anyway, what happened? What did he say?”
“Mr Liu wanted to speak to my mum,” explained Xiao You, “They spoke for almost an hour! Then mum told me that I’ve been granted a scholarship into Ying De University! Mum and dad were really happy because Ying De is one of the most prestigious universities in Taiwan. Mr Liu also said that accommodation will be arranged for me once I arrive. I haven’t told him I’ve arrived yet!”
“Oh my goodness!” Shan Cai exclaimed, “I told F4 about you only a few days ago and Dao Ming Si said to leave it to him. I can’t believe he sorted everything out so quickly! Xiao You, don’t worry about accommodation. You can live here with me!”
“Oh, thankyou so much! I’ll share the rent. And I’m going to start working at Italian Tomato again.”
“That’s great! I was so lonely without you!” Shan Cai beamed. She paused for a moment then continued, “I just don’t understand why Dao Ming Si did this. He doesn’t even know you very well. Or maybe he did it for Xi Men.”
“Oh, don’t talk about Xi Men,” Xiao You mumbled. “I think it just shows that Dao Ming Si takes what you say very seriously,” she added teasingly, “And it shows how important you are to him! I forgot to say, you’ve been granted a scholarship as well!”
“WHAT?!”
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?”
“Goodness,” Shan Cai muttered beneath her breath, “Dao Ming Si...”
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Shan Cai jumped up and pranced over to the door, looking through the peephole to identify her visitors. She quickly opened the door and made way for the four overly handsome young men.
“Good morning, hardworking virgin!” F4 voiced in unison, their smiles stretching from ear to ear. Then Xi Men’s smile disappeared.
“Hey, welcome back!” exclaimed Mei Zuo as he noticed Xiao You on the sofa, “Dao Ming Si has once again done something meaningful.” He pulled Xi Men down next to Xiao You before sitting down as well. Dao Ming Si and Hua Ze Lei sat opposite them on another sofa.
Xiao You smiled appreciatively at Dao Ming Si, “Thankyou for helping me come back. And thankyou for our scholarships too.”
“Yeah, thanks for helping Xiao You,” said Shan Cai as she brought out some drinks for them, “But as for the scholarship, I’m not taking it. I can pay my own university fees.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Dao Ming Si, pulling her onto his lap like she was a child, “You’ve been working yourself like crazy and I never get to spend much time with you. If I got Ying De to grant Xiao You a scholarship, then of course I would get one for you too. In fact, I should have done this ages ago.”
“What has a scholarship got to do with me spending time with you?” asked Shan Cai, blushing as she felt Dao Ming Si’s arms sliding around her waist.
“Well, I figured out that there’s no way to make you stop working at that cake shop,” replied Dao Ming Si, “So now that the school fees are out of the way, you can work less hours and spend more time with me.”
“And us,” Mei Zuo added with a grin. He turned to Xi Men who had been awkwardly silent ever since he was pulled down next to Xiao You. “Well? Are you going to ask her?”
“Yeah, whatever,” Xi Men mumbled. Then he turned to Xiao You and stated as-a-matter-of-factly, “Xiao You, you’re coming to Hokkaido with us next week.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, Shan Cai and Xiao You worked together at Italian Tomato. They were both extremely happy to continue their hearty and carefree conversations. The two girls spent all night discussing their trip to Hokkaido with F4 and their plans for the new year.
“I know that I can’t stop you from liking him,” said Shan Cai, “But I just want to warn you, he’s Xi Men the famous heartbreaker. And I don’t want him to break your heart.”
“Don’t worry about me,” said Xiao You with a reassuring smile, “I knew that before I fell for him, and I still fell for him.”
“Just be careful in Hokkaido,” Shan Cai persisted, “I’ve been on holidays with F4 before so I know what it’s like. You become much closer to them than you think you would.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Just don’t let him do anything to hurt you, alright?”
Meanwhile, a man with a sturdy build and wide, frowning mouth entered Italian Tomato. The two girls watched his frown turn into a hideous grin and they began frowning instead.
“Good evening, Shan Cai. And who’s this cute girl working with you tonight?” said Ya Men.
“Just go away,” replied Shan Cai. She pulled Xiao You behind her protectively.
“Is that how you treat a customer?”
“I know you’re not here to buy cakes.”
“Why are you so rude to me now? You weren’t like that before.”
“Then why are you acting so strangely? You weren’t like that before either.”
Ya Men appeared somewhat amused. “That’s because I had to pretend to be Dao Ming Si’s cousin. Now I’m myself and you know I like you.”
Xiao You gasped, “Shan Cai, so he’s the fake cousin!”
“You’ve been talking about me, Shan Cai?” he teased, putting on his hideous grin again.
“Ya Men, just accept it. I don’t like you,” Shan Cai stated bluntly.
Ya Men laughed and turned around to leave. “You don’t now. But sooner or later, you’ll be mine.”
10-Aug-2004