Fan Fiction |
by Naomi
“Really? I had so much fun!” Shan Cai held up another photograph. “Your smile is really cute…for a pig.” She pressed a button on the remote-controller and their video began playing on the plasma television. “We were so dramatic though. I mean, Prince Charming and Cinderella, the carriage and the horses! We practically made a movie!”
“You looked so beautiful in that dress, especially when you came down the stairs. Look! Your face was all red when I kissed you!”
“Pighead! You were redder!”
“Were you really nervous?”
“Dao Ming Si! Just look at yourself doing that crazy dance!”
“It’s not that bad! Quite original, actually.”
Shan Cai held up two photographs and sighed. “I look a bit fat in these two. Can we get rid of them?”
“No!” Dao Ming Si shook his head vigorously. “I like all of them! Shan Cai, every photo is a priceless memory because you can never have that moment again. Each one witnesses a very special moment I’ve spent with you.”
“But I look so fat! Can we get rid of just these two?”
“No! It’s not a bad thing for you to look a bit fatter. At least, you’ll have a bigger chest.” SMACK! “Oww! My head! What was that that for?!”
Shan Cai glared at him warningly. “I’m not as small as you think!”
“I didn’t say you were small!” Then a naughty grin appeared on Dao Ming Si’s face as he recalled another one of their fantastic memories. “Besides, I’ve seen you in a bikini. You weren’t small at all.” SMACK! “Stupid woman!”
She frowned.
“Okay, okay. I’ll shut up.”
She frowned.
“Smile for me, pleeeeeeeease!”
She frowned.
“I’ll take that as an upside down smile.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was early afternoon and Xiao Qing was in her bedroom, sitting at her desk. She was surrounded by a few small piles of different coloured paper, a few balls of scrunched up paper, some of her completed works of art, as well as a pair of scissors, a ruler and a gluestick. For two hours, she had been browsing through an Origami book, learning to fold many different animals, flowers, stars and boxes. Origami was one of her many hobbies, and certainly one of her favourites.
Suddenly, her mobile phone rang. Surprised that someone was calling her, for she seldom received phone calls, she fumbled for her phone excitedly. “Hello?”
“Qing Qing, it’s me,” said the voice of an older man, “How is the penthouse?”
“It’s really wonderful,” she replied in a polite tone, “Very comfortable and convenient. Thankyou so much for lending it to me. How is everything in Hong Kong?”
“Very busy and hectic, as you should know. Have you received our letter yet?”
She paused briefly. “Yes, I received it this morning.”
“Have you considered carefully about it?”
“Yes, I have.”
“You know that this is exceedingly beneficial to our business, don’t you?”
“Of course. And to both countries.”
“But you also know that this is entirely your decision, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know.”
“I’ve been told that he goes to the same university as you in Taiwan.”
“We’re becoming friends. And I’ve met some of his friends too.”
“Qing Qing, you are in no way obliged to please us. But if this offer has your favour, then don’t be shy to let us know as soon as possible. I know that you have just turned nineteen and it is very sudden and obviously too early. But at least, you two could get engaged first and leave the marriage for later.”
She was silent for a few moments. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
The man sighed. “I believe your answer is ‘no’ then. I had a feeling it would be.”
“He is already in love with another girl,” she explained gently, “I don’t want to come between them. They are my friends.”
“Qing Qing, I understand. And because of your definite answer, Hong Kong and Taiwan will have to wait.”
Xiao Qing laughed half-heartedly. “I know your business would prosper to new heights with this project. However, leaving money out of the issue, I think both countries currently have a sufficient power supply already. I’m sorry that I will not marry for the sake of better electricity.”
The man sighed again. “You make it sound so money-minded but we are actually planning our last project. Anyway, I’ll ring them now and tell them that we won’t take the offer.”
“I hope everything goes well.”
“I already said that you are in no way obliged to please us. In fact, we only wish your family would understand that too, especially your mother. She is still very angry with me, isn’t she?”
“I’m sure mum will forgive you one day,” she assured him gently, “We’re a family. We want it to be complete.”
“You know I regret what I’ve done,” the man said quickly. “Qing Qing, I’m off. Take good care of yourself.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dao Ming mansion, New York.
“THIS IS RIDICULOUS!” Dao Ming Cheng yelled fiercely, throwing his arms into the air. “ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!”
“Cheng, please,” Dao Ming Feng said desperately, “Please calm down. There are many more offers we can make and take.”
He shook his head indignantly. “THIS is the man we have been trying to cooperate with for many years! THIS power plant development project is the most important deal we’ve ever tried to negotiate! It was only last week that he said he would consider the offer! And now he says that he won’t take it at all!”
“What are the reasons?” she asked carefully.
“Feng, don’t you remember?” he continued angrily, “We’ve made him this offer so many times but he kept saying that she is too young and we must, at least, wait for her to start university. Now, he says there is no way he can take it. And NO more negotiations because SHE refused.”
“Cheng,” she said quietly, “Even if she accepted, Ah Si will definitely refuse.”
“You know it’s not up to him to decide his marriage!” Dao Ming Cheng turned away and shook his head in disbelief. “Maybe they are not satisfied with the deal. Maybe the girl’s refusal was just an excuse.”
“Maybe you should come to Taiwan with me,” Dao Ming Feng suggested with a hopeful smile, “To meet Ah Si’s girlfriend. She’s a very lovely girl.”
In a state of such vexation, whether he heard his wife or not, he persisted with his own plans. “I’m going to ring him again and alter parts of the deal to increase their benefit. I just can’t believe it. Feng, we have never been refused before. It is always us refusing others. Why would any girl in this world not want to marry into our family?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At morning tea the next day, Xiao Qing wandered around the university campus, trying to find Hua Ze Lei. He was not at the rooftop. She walked to the main lawn and looked around.
“Girl, stop.”
Xiao Qing felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun around, facing two girls who were almost a head taller than her. “Umm, hi. I don’t know you two.”
One girl stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips. “I’m Qian Hui. She’s Bai He. You know us now.”
Bai He stepped forward as well. “And you are Xia Xiao Qing, right?”
Xiao Qing nodded. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, of course,” Bai He replied sarcastically, “Would you mind to tell us why YOU are sticking around with OUR men?”
“F4?” Xiao Qing asked with a confused look.
“Well, Dao Ming Si is obviously taken,” said Qian Hui, rolling her eyes, “And apparently Xi Men is too. So that leaves Mei Zuo and Hua Ze Lei for us. Sorry, girl, none left for you.”
“They’re just my friends,” Xiao Qing explained quickly, “I’m not taking them from anyone. But Hua Ze Lei already –”
At that moment, the three girls saw Hua Ze Lei meeting Jing on the lawn and placing a kiss on her cheek. Qian Hui and Bai He left immediately, expecting Dao Ming Si to appear next. But F3, Shan Cai and Xiao You were not around. Xiao Qing watched curiously as Hua Ze Lei and Jing sat down on one of the benches and began talking and laughing. She shifted behind a nearby tree and waited, hoping that she would still have time to talk to Hua Ze Lei before her next lesson.
“Lei, tell me what you called me to come here for,” Jing said with a pleasant smile, “Otherwise, let’s join Ah Si and the others. I have to go back to the office soon.”
Hua Ze Lei lifted his backpack off the ground and brought it up to his lap. “Remember what you once told me?” he asked cheerily, pulling the contents out of the backpack.
Jing gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. “Fireworks?! It’s not even midday yet and you called me to watch you set off some fireworks?!”
“Jing, I’m not setting them off now,” he explained with a grin, amused by her reaction.
“Good. You scared me.” She relaxed and looked at him curiously.
“Many years ago, you told me that just before the sun shines, angels would gather together to praise God. And at that time, if you light fireworks, you would get the angels’ attention and your wishes would easily come true.”
Jing laughed loudly. “Lei! I told you that when you were five years old!”
Hua Ze Lei scowled at her for finding him funny. “I believed it.”
“I only told you that because you cried when we were watching the fireworks.”
“I believed it,” he repeated. “At the beginning of last year, I lit some fireworks before dawn and made a wish.”
Jing sighed. “Lei, you’re a man now. Why do you still believe these childish things?”
He looked at her dejectedly, feeling hurt by her words. “I don’t know if I believe it anymore. It depends if my wish gets granted or not.”
Jing understood. “Listen to me, Lei,” she said firmly, “Don’t believe it. Your wish won’t come true. I’ve told you many times…please don’t love me anymore.” She stood up and walked off abruptly.
Once Jing was out of sight, Xiao Qing ran over to Hua Ze Lei and threw her arms around him. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, stunned by her sudden and unexpected appearance. “Xiao Qing, you heard everything, didn’t you?”
She nodded and slowly withdrew herself. She was crying. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind that you’ve heard our conversation,” he said gently as they sat down on the bench. Hua Ze Lei failed to put on his deadpan face; his feign of indifference.
“How could she say something like that?!” she cried indignantly, “How could she be so cold and heartless?!”
He shook his head sadly. “She’s not cold and heartless. It’s my fault. I should have given up many years ago when –”
“Lei, you can’t give up!” she cut him off, “If you truly love her, you can’t give up!”
“You don’t understand,” he said softly, “I’ve loved her since I was in kindergarten.”
Xiao Qing placed her hand over his and looked at him intently, her eyes reddening. “I’m listening.”
Hua Ze Lei’s eyes drifted across the lawn as he recalled some distant memories from his childhood. “I was autistic. When Ah Si, Xi Men and Mei Zuo would be running around the playground at lunchtime, I would be sitting by myself in a corner. Whenever they pulled me up and tried to get me to play with them, I would vomit and start crying. Jing is three years older than us but we were all family friends. She would take me over to the primary school and bring me into their music room. Then I would play the violin while she played the piano. It always made me smile again and I would run back over to the playground to join Ah Si and the rest. I know it sounds ridiculous, but Jing is my first love.”
“She sounds so different,” Xiao Qing choked between her tears, “She was so nice to you. Lei, is that why you’re so quiet? Because you used to be autistic?”
Hua Ze Lei nodded slowly. He took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. “Qing Qing, boys don’t cry.”
She paused for a moment then responded with a giggle. “A handkerchief?”
He gave her an assuring smile. “It’s clean.”
“No, no, I don’t mean that,” she said hurriedly, “It’s just weird that you carry a handkerchief with you.”
“Keep it.”
She quickly wiped the tears from her face, feeling amazed that she was crying for Hua Ze Lei. He was even more amazed that she was crying for him. “You are such a girl, you know?” he said teasingly, “I really should give you a permanent makeover. Why do you wear such boyish clothes anyway?”
Xiao Qing shrugged. “More comfortable this way.” She pulled out a rosy pink sheet of paper from her bag and tore it into two equal pieces. Then she folded them separately, carefully perfecting each fold before she continued with the next. Hua Ze Lei watched her curiously, wondering what she was trying to make; it looked very complicated. When she was finished, she gently placed the completed work in his hands. It was a very small box with a cute little flower on the top of the lid. “It’s for you,” she explained, “Put a photo of the person you love in this box. Whenever you have time, you should write down your thoughts and prayers for her and put them inside as well. God will see how much you love her and will always look after her for you.”
Hua Ze Lei studied the pretty little box for a while then smiled at her. “Thankyou.”
Xiao Qing returned his smile sweetly. “There’s no magic or anything. It’s just something you can silently do for the person you love.” Then she added softly, “Because to love Jing is to give her happiness.”
Together, they stood up and made their way across the lawn, heading to their lessons. It was the last day of winter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Shan Cai, do you know why dogs are better than men?” Xiao You asked with a grin. F4, Shan Cai, Xiao You and Xiao Qing were eating lunch at the Ying De cafeteria.
Shan Cai scratched her head and made a wild guess. “Umm, because they’re...hairier?”
Xi Men roared with laughter. “Ah Si, I’m sorry. But I’m the hairiest of the four of us!” He nudged Xiao You with his elbow. “Aren’t I?”
Xiao You nodded and said jokingly, “Yeah, you are very hairy and sexy.”
“Are there any other reasons?” asked Hua Ze Lei.
“Yeah, I’ve got some more. Gorgeous dogs don’t know they’re gorgeous. Dogs mean it when they kiss you. And you can force a dog to take a bath.”
Shan Cai smirked. “Dao Ming Si always thinks he’s gorgeous.”
Dao Ming Si reciprocated her smirk. “Did I ask for your opinion?! I AM gorgeous! But Xiao You, I always mean it when I kiss Shan Cai.”
“And we don’t take baths because we take showers,” Mei Zuo added.
“But I know you guys all think you’re gorgeous,” Xiao Qing chipped in. “To be honest, I like cats much more than dogs. In fact, cats are my favourite animal.”
Shan Cai grinned. “Cats are hairy too.”
At that moment, Mei Zuo’s mobile phone rang. “Hello? Oh, hey! Sure, I’d love to! I’ll pop over after uni. No worries. Bye.” He shoved his phone back into his pocket and sat through the rest of lunch with a dreamy smile plastered across his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Qing Qing!” Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai came running towards her, looking confused and slightly worried. It was the end of the day and they found her walking out of the Ying De gates.
Xiao Qing turned around and smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to talk to you,” said Shan Cai hurriedly, “Come into our car.”
They climbed into Dao Ming Si’s Ferrari and he drove off to Italian Tomato. F3 were there too and Xiao You was working already. Shan Cai quickly changed into her uniform before sitting at a table with the rest of them.
“Qing Qing, we need you to be really honest with us,” Mei Zuo began in a serious tone, “Ah Si got a call from his butler after lunch. Butler Liu usually reports to him any news from his family in New York. He said that Ah Si’s dad has tried to arrange an engagement between you two. Luckily, the negotiation was unsuccessful because you refused. What’s going on? Excuse me for being blunt, but we all thought you’re just a commoner.”
Xiao Qing gave them a warm smile; she had expected them to question her today. “I’m not hiding anything from you all. There is no secret. Put it this way, I can say that I come from quite a wealthy family in Hong Kong. But due to some personal problems, our family has broken apart.”
“I thought I’ve heard your name from somewhere before,” Shan Cai said reflectively, “I guess it’s nothing unusual if you’re actually from a rich family with such a high standing in business.”
“Well, it’s good that you refused the engagement,” Xiao You commented, “Or there would be a LOT of trouble.”
“Of course I would refuse!” cried Xiao Qing, “Firstly, Dao Ming Si already has Shan Cai and that’s the most important reason. Secondly, it was just a kind request and I would never be forced to get engaged. Thirdly...”
They waited but she seemed to have stopped. “Thirdly?” Xiao You prompted.
Xiao Qing blushed and pulled Xiao You and Shan Cai into the kitchen area behind the curtains. “Thirdly,” she said with a shy smile, “I like Hua Ze Lei.”
“I KNEW IT!” Shan Cai and Xiao You yelled in unison.
“Shh! How did you all know?” asked Xiao Qing, squirming with embarrassment, “Is it really that obvious?”
Xiao You shook her head and laughed. “Lei’s first love is Jing,” she whispered, “Then for a while, he loved Shan Cai. It might be you next.”
“Qing Qing, it’s great that you’re actually from such a rich and respectable family,” Shan Cai added encouragingly, “I’m sure there’ll be no problems with Lei’s parents.”
The three girls walked back out into the eating area and F4 looked at them suspiciously. “Knew what?” asked the nosey Mei Zuo, “What was that yelling for?”
Three girly grins were all he got.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aisha tossed a bottle of Pepsi to Mei Zuo as he entered the hairdressing boutique. “Here’s your drink.”
“Thanks.” He took a few swigs then pulled her outside to his Porsche. “Get in. Let’s go to my house.”
Aisha paused and her eyes widened. “Is...is this really your car?”
Mei Zuo opened the door for her. “Aisha, you were in this car when we went to the ball.”
“I thought you rented it for the occasion!”
“I’ve got a few other cars if you don’t like Porsches.”
When they arrived at his mansion, it took Aisha ten minutes to get out of the car. At first, she was frozen on the front seat, staring at the mansion like she had never seen anything so fascinating before. When she finally managed to move again, she held out her hand to Mei Zuo. “Give me your wallet.”
Mei Zuo looked at her in confusion. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and placed it in her outstretched hand. “Why do you want it?”
“To check your ID,” she replied as if it was the most normal thing to at the time.
He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”
Aisha answered with a dreamy smile. “To make sure you’re not Prince William in disguise.” When she was satisfied, she tossed his wallet back to him and climbed out of the car, racing him to the doorsteps. “Your house is like a castle! Are you some crazy billionaire or what?!”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Mei Zuo asked casually as they entered the mansion, “F4 belongs to the four wealthiest families in Taiwan. Ah Si’s family is currently the wealthiest.”
Aisha grinned wildly and ran into the living room, jumping around to look at all the exquisite furnishings and dainty ornaments. “This is crazy!”
Mei Zuo smiled and shrugged. “Mum likes all that fancy stuff. You can touch them if you want to. They’re not precious or anything.”
“Are your parents at home?”
“No, they work in Los Angeles. I don’t see them much.” He gathered a few CDs from the rack and laid them out over the carpet. “Aisha, choose your music.”
She quickly put down the porcelain doll which she had been admiring and walked over to Mei Zuo, remembering her whole purpose of meeting up with him. She had asked him to give her some dancing lessons, after witnessing his expertise at the ball. She picked up Vanness Wu’s ‘Body Will Sing’ and handed it to him. “He looks like you. I’ll choose him.”
“I dance better than him!” he exclaimed and pinched her on the nose. Before long, the living room was filled with lively dance music and Mei Zuo began improvising some moves. “Aisha, start following when you’re ready!”
Aisha stood still, her already enormous eyes widening as she watched him with awe. His moves were so smooth, fluent and rhythmic that it was hard to believe he was improvising. He was a truly stunning dancer. Seeing her hesitate, Mei Zuo’s cheeky grin appeared. He grabbed her arms and pulled her along with him, moving her around like a stiff puppet. “Relax, Aisha! I’ll teach you some proper moves later. Just let your body flow with the music. Let your body sing!”
She gave him her own cheeky grin and began jumping around like a constipated monkey. “Like this?!”
“No! Can’t you hear the beat of the music? Listen and follow the beat!”
She grabbed his shirt and smacked her ear against his chest. “I’m listening! Thump! Thump! I’m following the beat! Thump! Thump! Thump! Your heart is beating so fast! Are you really nervous?”
As Aisha pulled away and began her chicken impersonation, the impossible happened; Mei Zuo blushed. “NEVER tell ANYONE that I’m teaching you how to dance!”
“I can’t hear you!” she shouted over the loud chorus, “Did you say I need to tell everyone that you’re teaching me how to dance?!”
“NO! That was NOT what I said!”
“Huh? You’re really hot and what?!”
That did it. Mei Zuo scooped Aisha into his arms and threw her onto the sofa. “You’re in trouble now,” he said with an evil smile. Then he climbed over her, held her down and tickled her mercilessly from head to toe. The whole mansion was shuddering from Aisha’s hysterical screams, sending the maids fleeing as far as possible from the two crazy kids.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
F4 and the four girls spent their evening at VS, enjoying some drinks and a few games of pool. It was very late when they left, but Xi Men decided to take Xiao You for a hand-in-hand stroll around the city to view the beautiful night scenes. The city was always very bright and colourful, the skyscrapers always dotted with tiny lights, and even hours past midnight, the streets were always still noisy, restless and full of people. The young couple stopped when they reached the middle of a bridge overlooking a busy highway. Several metres below their feet, there were six lanes of cars flying past them and heading in different directions, each car containing different people of different sexes and ages, each person with a different past and different experiences, and all with different dreams and different futures. Every human had their own story, their own thoughts, their own feelings, their own relationships and their own role once they enter this Earth. As thousands of cars zoomed under the raised walkway, it was no doubt that only a mere few would have noticed the two figures above them, and certainly none would have cared at all.
Xiao You gazed up at the black night sky, wallowing in the beauty of the brilliant, coruscating stars scattered across the great dark expanse. Xi Men remained silent and joined her in stargazing, sharing a few moments of stillness and wonder at the majesty of Creation. It was their first time to view the stars together, and even being surrounded by the noises and movements of the sleepless city, they felt peaceful.
Xiao You’s lips curved into a dreamy smile. “Xi Men, I’m star-struck.”
Xi Men squeezed her hand gently. “I’m love-struck.”
She giggled. “That was really lame.”
“O, speak again, bright angel!” he cried with mock poetic accentuation, “For thou art as glorious to this night, being o’er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven!”
She raised her hand and gave him a whack on the head. “Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers. They were never meant to be together. Even though it’s very sweet and romantic, I don’t like that story.”
He whacked her back. “You just don’t like sad stories!”
“Xi Men, don’t be mean to your girlfriend!”
“You know what? I’m still quite amazed that you’re my girlfriend...my first true girlfriend.”
“Do you regret it?” she asked, looking at him worriedly, “Do you regret choosing someone who is so inferior to what you deserve, whether by appearance, intelligence or wealth?”
“I don’t allow you to say that about yourself!” he cried, holding her face with his hands. “I don’t deserve you, Xiao You. If you talk about being inferior, then I am. You are so caring, gentle and so...pure. I’ve been unfaithful to you before I’ve even met you.”
Xiao You stood up on tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “You know that I love you for who you are.”
Xi Men wrapped his arms around her and felt her body weaken so willingly into his embrace. The warmth she brought to his heart overwhelmed him; he never felt warm with any other girl. Xiao You truly made him feel loved for who he was, not for his money or good looks. He finally understood why Dao Ming Si had fallen for such a simple and innocent girl as Shan Cai. Xi Men believed that Xiao You has humbled him so that he could appreciate the little things that are done with a big heart. Before long, they were both gazing up at the stars again, admiring the most precious treasures of nature.
“I’m not the biggest fan of Physics,” said Xi Men, “But I always find astronomy just amazing. We live on a little blue planet called Earth, which is just one of nine planets orbiting around a small star called the Sun. The Sun is just one of one hundred billion stars that make up our galaxy called the Milky Way. And the Milky Way is just one of one hundred billion galaxies in the universe. The universe is estimated to have began forming fourteen billion years ago. And the great distances of outer space are measured by thousands of millions of light years. This just completely underlines our insignificance in the vastness of time and space.”
Xiao You could not help but laugh at his random recall of such scientific information. She gave him an adoring smile. “It does make us humans seem so insignificant. We are less important than even a single grain of sand. But it amazes me in another way too...that you and I are found in the same galaxy, orbit the same star and live on the same planet at the same time. It can’t be just coincidence, can it? It is just coincidence that my boyfriend is Xi Men, my best friend is Shan Cai and my closest friends are Ah Si, Lei and Mei Zuo?”
Xi Men pondered for long time; she seemed to have added greatly to his contemplative mood. After a long silence, he finally asked, “Do you believe in God? Do you believe that He really created everything and planned everything that will happen?”
“I don’t know,” Xiao You replied softly, snuggling into his chest, “But if I find out that God does exist, then the first thing I’ll do is thank Him.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hua Ze Lei grinned and threw himself into his favourite place; his bed. As he reached his hand out to switch off the lamp, his fingers brushed over the little pink box which he had placed next to the lamp. Smiling to himself, he picked it up gently and placed it on top of his pillow. Then he reached his hand down to his bedside cupboard and pulled out a shelf, lifting out a large photo album. He sat up on his bed and placed the album on his lap, flicking slowly through the pages. There were hundreds of photographs, all taken on the evening of Jing’s ball. Everyone looked so happy with their partners; Dao Ming Si, Xi Men, Mei Zuo and even himself.
He looked at a photograph of Shan Cai dancing with Dao Ming Si and remembered how they kept stepping on each other’s feet and knocking into other couples. They are such a funny couple, he thought with a smile, but everyone could tell that they love each other so much.
He looked at Xiao You’s delightful expression when Xi Men pulled her onto the dance floor. Xiao You is a very sweet girl, he thought, and she waited so patiently when Xi Men was crowded by other girls at the ball. Hua Ze Lei hoped with all his heart that Xi Men would really treasure her.
He looked at Mei Zuo dancing with his ‘hairdresser’ and recalled how crazy and wild they were all night. They were chasing each other around the whole Maple hotel. They are a perfect match, he thought, it takes two crazy persons to keep each other sane and insane.
He looked at Xiao Qing and could not help but laugh at her angelic appearance. A silly little girl, he thought, or boy. They danced for the longest at Jing’s ball. He studied the photograph carefully and realised that Xiao Qing was smiling when she rested onto his shoulder during a slow dance.
Then he looked at a photograph of Jing in her long, pale blue dress while she was speaking on stage with her parents. Hua Ze Lei’s smile disappeared. Why did she cancel her engagement? Why did she come back to Taiwan? Why did she take the position as CEO?
He flipped through a few more pages then stopped when he found the photograph he wanted. He carefully slid it out from the album, picked up a pair of scissors and trimmed it to a smaller size. Then he took the lid off the little pink box and dropped the photograph inside.
Hua Ze Lei lifted out a pink sheet of paper from his drawer and cut out a small heart-shaped piece from it. Clutching a pen in his other hand, he thought for a moment, before bringing his thoughts down onto the paper. Then he folded up the little piece of paper and dropped it into the box along with the photograph.
With a hopeful smile, he picked up the lid and closed the box. Sleep.
28-Jan-2005