Fan Fiction |
by Naomi
F4, Shan Cai and Xiao You sat in a lounge bar at the airport, waiting for their first-class flight to Sapporo. Shan Cai sipped her cappuccino quietly while Dao Ming Si held her close, constantly checking that she was comfortable. Xiao You sat on the other side of Shan Cai, her large, round eyes darting around with growing excitement. Mei Zuo and Xi Men were occupied in a card game, occasionally glancing up and grinning at Dao Ming Si. Hua Ze Lei was staring out the glass windows, watching planes take off and land, while his mind filled with thoughts of Jing.
“Shan Cai, are you cold?” asked Dao Ming Si for the third time, “I think you need another jacket.”
“No, I’m fine,” replied Shan Cai with another reassuring smile, “Really, I am. The cappuccino is keeping me warm.”
Mei Zuo glanced up at Dao Ming Si and pried, “Shouldn’t you be asking her to ‘take off’ rather than ‘put on’?”
“Did I ask for your opinion?!” retorted Dao Ming Si, his expression revealing a hint of embarrassment. After all, his friends were still not used to such a gentle and caring Dao Ming Si. Even he could not understand how he managed to change so much.
Before long, they boarded the plane and were directed to the first-class compartment. They had a small private area to themselves, with three double sofa-like chairs arranged before a large television screen. Mei Zuo took a seat and bellowed out with a grin, “Lei, sit with me. We’ll let the ones in love be with their beloveds!”
Shan Cai stuck her tongue out at Mei Zuo before settling onto the chair with Dao Ming Si. Xi Men looked awkwardly at Xiao You who was making desperate faces at Shan Cai and starting to blush. The remaining two had no choice but to sit down and spend the next few hours next to each other. Then they soared into the sky.
“Dao Ming Si,” Shan Cai whispered, “Why did Jing decide to come back to Taiwan?”
Hua Ze Lei closed his eyes at the sound of her name.
“Because she finished her law degree in France,” replied Dao Ming Si.
“But didn’t she say that she wants to spend the rest of her life serving the poor and the needy?”
Dao Ming Si sighed and explained quietly, “Shan Cai, sometimes people say things but that’s not really what they’ll do. Jing is always in the media so she has to say things to keep a good reputation. Later, that would be the same with us four too.”
Shan Cai thought for a moment, then her expression turned serious, “Are you telling me that you won’t always mean what you say?”
Dao Ming Si’s dimpled smile appeared. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “Stupid woman, every word I say to you comes from my heart.”
Shan Cai’s eyes widened and she faced him with a warning smile. “Then why do you keep calling me a stupid woman?!”
“Umm, that comes from my heart too.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jing sat on a sofa in the lobby of the Hokkaido Maple Hotel. Holding a warm cup of tea in her hands, she surveyed the pile of magazines on the table before her. On the front cover of one particular magazine was a young woman who possessed the most divine facial features on earth, a perfection which words could not express. Jing picked up the magazine and her lips curved into an amused smile.
“Former Miss Teen of France calls off her eight-month engagement,” she read. Of course, the breathtakingly beautiful young woman on the magazine cover was undeniably herself. All the people in the lobby were showering gazes of awe and admiration at her. Her small, peony lips gave them a smile.
Jing’s hair had grown a few inches past her shoulders and each delicate curl entwined perfectly with the next. She wore a white knee-length dress with a long white coat, matching a pair of white knee-high stiletto boots. They were all the most exquisite French brands for the most affluent and glamorous members of the human genus. Her lips, her cheeks, her eyebrows, and even each strand of eyelash was pampered and polished to stylish perfection. As she ran her hand gracefully through her curled tresses, each manicured fingernail glistened under the crystal chandeliers above her. Jing’s flawless beauty and wealthy aura only fitted too perfectly with the exquisite furnishings of the six-star Maple Hotel.
“You are so beautiful, I almost couldn’t recognise you!” exclaimed Mei Zuo as he took Jing’s hand, planting a friendly kiss on her white velvet skin. She returned his gesture with a confident laugh and looked behind him to see four more smiling faces and a deadpan face.
“I miss you all so much!” cried Jing. She planted her butterfly kisses on F4’s cheeks and flung her arms around Shan Cai. Then she looked at Xiao You with a welcoming smile. “And you must be –”
“This is my friend Xiao You,” explained Shan Cai, “You might not remember, but she went to your twenty-fourth birthday party too.”
“Anyway, let’s settle into our rooms and have a rest first,” said Dao Ming Si, “We can catch up at dinner.” He signalled the hotel staff and they understood his orders, handing him a handful of key tags. “Go to the reception and check in for us,” he added.
“Yes, young master.”
Shan Cai covered her giggle with a hand.
“What’s so funny?” asked Dao Ming Si confusedly.
“I still can’t get used to the way your workers address you. I mean, who still gets called ‘young master’ in the twenty-first century? I’ve never heard it until meeting you guys.”
“Our families still have these traditions,” explained Hua Ze Lei, “In fact, quite a few wealthy Chinese families still do.”
“Come on, Shan Cai. Let’s go.” Dao Ming Si gave Shan Cai a charming smile before sliding an arm around her waist and guiding her towards the lift.
Jing gasped and her eyes widened like a child watching a magic trick as she stared at the most unlikely couple infront of her. Mei Zuo began grinning wildly as he noticed her expression of utter shock and confusion. “Jing, it looks like we’ve really got a LOT of catching up to do.” Then the rest of them headed towards the lift after Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Our rooms are all on this floor and all next to each other,” explained Dao Ming Si, “It’s the top floor so the view should be really nice. All your luggage are in the rooms already. We’ll meet at the lobby in half an hour for dinner.” He handed out a key tag to everyone except Shan Cai. Jing was still staring at them like her eyes could fall out of their sockets any moment. Shan Cai watched the others disappear into their respective rooms, receiving a mischievous grin from Mei Zuo before he closed his door.
“Dao Ming Si, what about my room?” asked Shan Cai, still unaware of his intentions.
“Oh no,” said Dao Ming Si, trying to keep a straight face, “I think I’ve miscounted how many people we have.”
“WHAT?! You forgot about me?!”
He smiled adoringly down at her cute, innocent face. “Just kidding! It’s over here.” He took her hand and they walked further down the hallway. Taking out his last key tag from his pocket, he swiped it against the identification device on the door. It was the last room on that floor and Xiao You was next-door. Dao Ming Si opened the door and Shan Cai let out a loud gasp, exclaiming enthusiastically, “Oh my goodness! Am I dreaming?!” She felt her legs beginning to numb and held on to him for support.
“This is the chief executive room,” Dao Ming Si explained calmly, “It’s the biggest and most elegant and deluxe room in the whole hotel. This whole floor has executive rooms but this one is supposed to be the most exquisite. It’s for important people like –”
“It’s like a room in a palace!” Shan Cai exclaimed cheerfully. She quickly made her way in and pranced onto the king-sized bed, bouncing up and down like a child receiving an enormous birthday present. She looked around excitedly, breathing rapidly and trying to take in all the overly luxurious facilities of a single hotel room. Everything looked like money.
Dao Ming Si closed the door and sat down beside her on the bed, smiling endearingly at his hysterical girlfriend. “Calm down, it’s not THAT amazing. Every high-class hotel has a chief executive room.” He drew her into arms and smiled as he felt her leaning deeper into his soothing embrace.
Suddenly, Shan Cai retreated with full force and bounced onto her feet, waking from her dream-like state. “Where’s...where’s your room?” she stuttered nervously. Dao Ming Si revealed his adorable dimpled smile and pulled Shan Cai back down. His arms encircled her from behind, and once again, he had her locked in his loving embrace. With a naughty smile, he whispered softly into her ear, “Where do you think?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
F4 and the three girls met together in the lobby and decided to have dinner at the hotel’s Japanese buffet restaurant. After bringing back their plates of exclusive Japanese cuisine and resuming their positions, Jing immediately voiced her curiosity.
“Alright, Ah Si and Shan Cai,” she grinned, “You two better tell me EVERYTHING that has happened in the past eight months!”
“It’s a long, long story,” said Dao Ming Si, “And not all of it is pleasant enough to bring up now.”
“Oh, come on!” Jing insisted, “The last thing I remember about you two was the ‘accidental first kiss’ on the cruise. But I thought it didn’t mean anything because –”
“Yeah, well they kind of blossomed from there,” Mei Zuo interjected, “With a lot of ups and downs in the process. As you know, Ah Si’s mum obviously won’t welcome Shan Cai with opened arms. She thinks Shan Cai is a poor and dirty low-class slut who only wants Ah Si’s money.”
“But didn’t Shan Cai have feelings for Lei?” asked Jing, oblivious to her insensitivity, “What happened when Lei came back from France?”
Hua Ze Lei frowned. “Jing, that’s not a good thing to talk about now,” he said quickly, “Besides, that was ages ago. Ah Si and Shan Cai are inseparable now.”
Mei Zuo agreed sincerely, “Shan Cai is the first thing in his life that he wanted but couldn’t get with his money. But he still got her.”
“I’m not a thing!” Shan Cai protested.
“Yeah, that’s why Ah Si couldn’t just buy you with money. He had to buy you with his heart. And the fact that he did is something we all admire. Honestly.”
Dao Ming Si returned his friend’s tribute with his infamous shy, dimpled smile. Xi Men and Xiao You still had not said a single word. They ate their food quietly as they listened to the conversations over the table, avoiding each other’s eyes assiduously. There were still a thousand unspoken words between them.
Mei Zuo continued with a grin, “Ah Si, you’re sharing a room with the hardworking virgin, right? You better not disappoint us. You being the leader of F4 –”
“Did I ask for your opinion?!” Dao Ming Si cut him short. “Enough about us. What about you, Jing? What brings you back to Taiwan so soon?”
“I’ve finished my law degree. There’s just no reason to stay in France,” she replied simply.
“So all that stuff about spending your life serving the poor and needy was really just media talk?”
“Ah Si, you should know that’s expected of me...and my image.”
“What about that French guy?” asked Mei Zuo, “And the engagement?”
“I broke up with him when I decided to come back to Taiwan.”
“So it wasn’t serious?”
“No. At least I didn’t take it seriously.”
Mei Zuo’s smile disappeared. Even with his fickle and frivolous playboy reputation, he knew it was wrong to play around with serious relationships and marriage. “Then why did you two get engaged?”
“Actually, I never really agreed. I just didn’t object. But the media went crazy anyway.”
Xi Men shook his head and Hua Ze Lei sighed quietly, trying to suppress his disappointment. Jing was always so unpredictable. Not only did she change her mind too often, but she never stopped to consider how her impulsive actions affected those who cared about her. She was intoxicatingly beautiful. She was extraordinarily talented. Countless girls’ hearts have sunk with jealousy and defeat from just hearing about her. However, with her parents’ wealth and being the only child, there was no reason why she would not be so marvellous. Jing was even a genuinely kind person, as Shan Cai would readily agree. But despite her elegance and intelligence, she also developed a slight coldness, and that was exactly what frustrated F4 at this moment.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After dinner, Xiao You was alone in her hotel room when she heard a knock on her door. Without thinking, she went to open it straight away, expecting to see Shan Cai.
“Xi...Xi Men?” Xiao You stuttered, “Um, er...come in.”
Xi Men walked into her room awkwardly, closing the door behind him. He wore a serious expression on his face with a hint of sadness which Xiao You noticed immediately. She gestured to the sofa and asked him to take a seat. Feeling extremely uneasy being alone with the man she dreamt about every night, she sat on her bed to face him, fidgeting her fingers nervously.
Xi Men took a deep breath before exhaling fruitlessly due to a loss of words. He gazed intently at the sweet, innocent face before him and could not help but feel a strong pain in his heart. It was guilt. This man possessed a confident and composed personality, and an infamous playboy character that had been shattered completely by the pure and warm-hearted girl sitting in front of him.
“Xiao You,” he said finally, breaking the silence, “I want to know how you are feeling right now. About me.”
“The same as always,” she replied miserably, trying to hide her nervousness.
Xi Men managed a small smile. “Then everything will be fine.”
“What difference does it make?”
“It makes all the difference.”
Xiao You frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“You’ve changed me,” Xi Men said softly, “That’s the difference.”
Xiao You looked away, biting her lower lip. Shan Cai’s words repeated clearly in her mind: “He’s Xi Men the famous heartbreaker.” She recalled the time Xi Men confronted her ex-boyfriend for cheating on her. She recalled their ‘sample date’ for Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai. She recalled the times Xi Men had frustrated her, disappointed her and rejected her. She recalled the whole night she spent weeping in his arms before flying to Canada...
“You didn’t come back because of me, did you?” Xi Men asked, interrupting her chain of thoughts.
“I came back for all of you,” Xiao You replied, refusing to look at him, “And for myself.”
“Xiao You, I’ve been trying really hard to forget you. I tried going out with more girls and doing what I usually do. But it didn’t work. I kept thinking about you.”
“Do you think I should believe you? Trust you?”
“Do you hate me?”
“Xi Men, I would never hate you.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Then we at least need to be friends before –” Xi Men hesitated as he noticed Xiao You turning away from him completely. He sat down beside her on the bed, and it was when their faces were only inches apart that he released there were tears in her eyes. Xi Men lowered his head and touched her face gently, claiming her lips with a soft, unexpected kiss. Before she could respond, he stood up quickly and left the room, leaving Xiao You in a bittersweet daze.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shan Cai walked out of the en suite after changing into a pale pink nightie Dao Ming Si had brought with him and told her to wear. Dao Ming Si was sitting on the bed in his navy blue men’s nightrobe, reading a travel brochure. “Shan Cai, it fits well and you look really cute,” he said with a teasing smile, “What are you wearing underneath?”
“Nothing,” Shan Cai replied sarcastically, “What about you?”
“Are you serious?!” Dao Ming Si’s eyeballs bulged.
“Pig-head,” she thought out loud, rolling her eyes.
“I heard that!”
Ignoring him, Shan Cai quickly moved over to the sofa and made a temporary bed with a spare pillow and blanket.
“Shan Cai, come over here. You’re sleeping on the BED,” said Dao Ming Si.
“No, I’m not,” she said firmly.
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Who’s being ridiculous?!”
“Who else?!”
“No one asked you the share a room with me!”
“What’s wrong with sharing a room? It’s not even our first time!”
“You never gave me a choice!”
“You’re my girlfriend!”
“I’m sleeping on the sofa!”
“You can’t sleep on the sofa!”
“Why not?! No one’s asking YOU to sleep on the sofa!”
“Just sleep on the bed!”
“I’m NOT sleeping on the bed!”
“NO ONE’S ASKING YOU TO SLEEP WITH ME!”
Almost instantly, Shan Cai’s scowl turned into an amused smile and she stopped arguing with her crazy boyfriend.
“I’m sleeping on the sofa!” Dao Ming Si shouted for the last time. He got up and dragged Shan Cai onto the bed, covering her with the blankets which had been warmed by his body.
“I can’t let my young master sleep on the sofa,” she said jokingly, feeling immensely touched inside. Dao Ming Si lowered himself and kissed her gently on the forehead. He crawled onto the sofa two metres away from her and whispered, “Good night.”
Shan Cai watched him close his eyes before muttering beneath her breath, “Dao Ming Si, why are you so nice to me?” She switched off the lamp and slowly fell into her dreams, not knowing that he actually heard her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hokkaido's city of Sapporo was layered with fluffy white sheets of snow while tiny snowflakes were sprinkled over the trees like blossoms in springtime. As if it were a castle, the Maple Hotel stood with all its majesty and grandeur amidst the whitewashed landscape, surrounded by numerous fountains and hot springs. The scene looked like a page torn out from a children’s picture storybook; enchanted, dream-like and beautiful.
After a wholesome breakfast, F4 and the three girls occupied a private outdoor area where they bathed in one of the natural hot springs surrounding the hotel. F4 were on one side and the three girls were on another, separated by a rocky bridge and a large fountain. Being several metres apart with the bridge and the noise of the fountain between them, they were able to carry out their separate conversations. They were sheltered from the morning snow by a wooden roof supported by four logs at the corners. It almost looked like a private Jacuzzi, except everything was so natural and simple, yet stylish.
Xi Men told F3 about his bizarre episode with Xiao You last night. F3 exchanged confused glances, clearly bewildered from hearing Xi Men’s unexpected news. They all knew that Xiao You had feelings for him for a long time, which was why Mei Zuo asked him to invite her to join their vacation. But the thought of Xi Men considering Xiao You for a potential ‘girlfriend’, let alone a stable relationship, struck their minds for the first time.
“So what happened after you kissed her?” Mei Zuo asked finally, trying to lean back on the smooth rock to relax. Knowing his friend’s playboy character so well, he was the most dumbstruck of them all.
“I left her room straight away,” Xi Men replied uneasily, running his fingers over the steamy water surface. He did not feel half as relaxed as he should in such a peaceful surrounding.
“Why didn’t you stay to see her reaction?” asked Mei Zuo. “Or you know, do something,” he added with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.
“I didn’t want to. I thought it’ll be best to let her think through things by herself.”
“Do you think she would trust you?” asked Dao Ming Si.
“The problem is,” Xi Men said worriedly, “I don’t even know if I can trust myself.”
Hua Ze Lei shook his head and said firmly, “Then Xiao You shouldn’t trust you.”
Dao Ming Si nodded. “Besides, how much do you like her?”
“This is the first time I considered actually being serious with a girl. I don’t want to hurt her. I’d never forgive myself if I do.”
Dao Ming Si furrowed his eyebrows and finally asked the question in everyone’s mind. “Why do you like her?”
“Well, why do you like Shan Cai?”
“You see, that’s the difference. I don’t like Shan Cai. I love her.”
Seeing Dao Ming Si being a love counsellor to Xi Men, Mei Zuo struggled to hold back a giggle. Why were all his friends becoming such hopeless romantics?
“I argue with her all the time,” Dao Ming Si continued, “and there’s so much I don’t like about her. But the important thing is I truly love her.”
Mei Zuo shuddered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“ So was your young master Dao Ming Si snoring last night?” asked Xiao You teasingly.
“No, he wasn’t,” replied Shan Cai, splashing some water at Xiao You’s grinning face.
“Did you two even sleep together?” asked Jing.
“Jing!” cried Shan Cai, “Of course not! I was on the bed and he was on the sofa!”
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” said Xiao You dreamily, “Your young master –”
“Oh, stop calling him that!” Shan Cai cut her off. “So how’s you and Xi Men?”
Jing’s eyes widened from another shock. “What? Is something going on between Xi Men and Mei Zuo too?”
“No, that’s not it,” Xiao You explained quickly, “It’s just me.” Then she told them about what had happened last night.
“So what are you planning to do?” asked Shan Cai. “I’m not going to let him do anything to hurt you,” she added protectively.
Xiao You returned her a confident smile. “I don’t know, but don’t worry. I’ll see what he’s planning to do next.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“This is getting boring!” Dao Ming Si complained loudly, beating his fists in the water. His face was like that of a child who had just been refused a big, fat chocolate biscuit.
Mei Zuo frowned. “You’re meant to relax and enjoy the...boredom.”
Indeed, it was very boring. They had lingered and loitered around in the hot spring for two hours and it was almost midday. Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei and Xi Men were all thinking about their beloveds who were only several metres from them, with a huge bridge and fountain decorating that distance.
“This is stupid,” Dao Ming Si continued irritably, “I thought we needed a holiday so we can get away from everyone else and spend some good time together.”
Xi Men made an accusing face. “Mei Zuo was the one who suggested Japan!”
Mei Zuo held up his hands in defence. “Yeah, but Ah Si was the one who suggested the hot springs!”
“Did I ask for your opinion?!” Dao Ming Si blared.
Hua Ze Lei’s infamous deadpan face slowly revealed a cunning smile. “Ah Si, if you’re so bored, why don’t you go and find Shan Cai?”
Mei Zuo shook his head and grinned wildly. “Lei, what has gotten into you? You do realise Shan Cai and the girls are all naked over the other side?!”
Hua Ze Lei laughed and nudged Dao Ming Si playfully. “Isn’t that the whole point?”
Dao Ming Si managed to smile but his whole face morphed into a gigantic tomato. Before Hua Ze Lei could move away, he was already victim to Dao Ming Si’s punch.
“You’re just jealous, Ah Si!” Hua Ze Lei wailed, rubbing his sore arm, “Because I rescued Shan Cai from the hot spring at Xiao Zi’s –”
“WHAT?!” Xi Men and Mei Zuo shouted in unison, shock and confusion splashed across their faces. Mei Zuo thought for a moment, then a glint of mischief flashed across his eyes, followed by his infamous cheeky grin. He reached for his mobile phone and quickly dialled a number.
12-Dec-2004