Chapter 一
*When Chinese is being spoken the words with be in brackets like this: [ ]
The girl sat propped up against the wall overlooking the Mingde school courtyard. Her short black hair stuck out from under the beanie she was wearing. Even though the weather was getting warmer in Shenghai, a long sleeve shirt and flannel covered her upper body. The jeans she wore hung off her petite frame and her pant legs were rolled up several inches, a sign they weren't the correct length for her.
As Hua Ze Lei approached her, he saw that she had earbuds in. He slowed his approach so he wouldn't startle her.
She was not someone he recognized from the school. It was definitely not one of his students. But as he got closer, he began to wonder why she wasn't. As the music she listened to continued, she raised her arms up until they were even with her shoulders. She tilted her head down so it appeared her chin was resting on something. Her left arm reached out as if holding on to something as her right arm moved back and forth over the invisible object. The fingers on her left hand would periodically move as if she were holding down various strings on an instrument. Lei could tell exactly what instrument she was invisibly playing because he played the same one. The violin.
He stopped walking and stood, watching the grace and ease at which she played. Englufed in the music, the girl's eyes were closed and she swayed as she heard the music come from the invisible violin she now played.
As she finished, Lei smiled and applauded. "Hen Hao." (Very good). She jumped in fright noticing him for the first time. Pulling her earbuds out, she stood up and bowed apologetically. "Bàoqiàn. Bàoqiàn." (sorry). Gathering up all her things as she spoke, she quickly made her way off of the roof.
Lei stood by, confused. His gaze followed her as she left the area. He chuckled to himself and stepped up on the bench, lay down and closed his eyes.
A knock on the door drew the attention of Ming De University's dean. [Come in.] He waved his arm at the younger man he saw through the window. "Iaoshi (teacher) Hua Ze Lei." He motioned for him to sit down. Lei gave a small bow as he opened the door, but politely declined to sit. [What can I help you with?]
[Have we had any new transfer students lately?]
[Let me check.] The man ruffled through stacks of papers on his desk. After looking through several dozen he shook his head. [I'm sorry I don't see any. But as you can tell I am overwhelmed with paperwork. If something turns up I will let you know.]
Lei thanked him and turned to leave.
[Why do you ask?] The Dean asked without looking up from his computer.
Lei shrugged and left the room.
[Shencai made pancakes this morning with pineapple syrup. See, I'm still inspiring her cooking.] Dao Ming Si picked up his cup proudly and took a sip. He smiled broadly as the cup left his lips
Ximen Yan, Feng Mei Zuo and Hua Ze Lei all looked at each other and chuckled. Even though at times Si's gushing over his wife Dong Shencai was annoying, the men of F4 were more than overjoyed that the two had made it to where they were now. Before they married over two years ago, it seemed like Si and Shencai would never be together. They had to face so many perils in their relationship. So many trials. But through it all their love for each other grew stronger and their support for and faith in each other was something that could never be broken despite all that was thrown at them.
[We can taste the Si syrup when we come from breakfast on Saturday.] Mei Zuo leaned forward in his chair and grabbed the bao from the plate that was on the table in front of him. Before taking a bite he looked at both Lei and Ximen and asked, [How are you spending the day? Are you up for a little basketball later?]
Ximen took his glasses off and wiped them with the handkerchief he kept in his shirt pocket. He slipped them back on before he answered. [ I can play after 8pm. Lei?]
Deep in thought, Lei continued to stare out the window. [Hua Ze Lei?] Mei Zuo waved his hand in front of Lei's face.
Snapping out of his daze Lei smiled. [Do you ever play pretend?]
The three other guys looked at him, confused expressions on their faces.
[You should try it.] Lei stood up, grabbed the pastry off Ximen's plate and headed out of the coffee shop.
Lei prided himself on his patience. Today he was close to reaching his limit. He needed to relax before continuing his classes for the day.
The roof of the school was a place he cherished. Not only had it been the spot where he and Shencai became the closest of friends, but there was something about it that helped him take his mind off things.
But there was another reason he wanted to go up on the roof today. While he did need to take some time to relax, he was hoping to run into "her" again. There was something about the girl he encountered on the roof a few days ago. He didn't know why but he had a strong desire to see her again.
He had a smile on his face as he took the last step to the roof. Rounding the corner to the part of the roof that overlooked the school, he expected to see her sitting up against the wall. Instead there was no one. His brows furrowed as he walked around, looking for her. After a few minutes he decided to do what he needed to do, lay down and take a quick nap. So with a twinge of disappointment, he climbed up on the bench and lay down, covering his eyes with his arm.
The girl let a sigh of relief escape her lips as she stepped out onto the roof. She had a small skip in her step because she was finally able to relax and be herself. While she loved the chance to be at this school, she constantly felt stressed and overwhelmed. Add to that all the changes that had recently happened in her life. There was rarely a time she found that she felt like herself. So she looked forward to the times, however short they were, where she could have some time alone. Some time to clear her mind.
Taking a deep breath, taking in the crisp refreshing morning air, she headed to the wall on the edge of the roof. She closed her eyes, pushing herself up on her tiptoes, and reached her arms out to her side. Opening her eyes for a moment, she looked down to make sure no one was around. When she confirmed there wasn't, she took the beanie off her head, placing it on the backpack that lay at her feet and ruffled her choppy short hair, allowing the breeze to blow through it.
"Ugh, my life is a bloody mess." She muttered as she stepped back from the wall.
"Much like your Chinese pronunciation." Lei slowly sat up on the bench he had been sleeping on.
Startled, she turned around and bowed, a confused look on her face "You only heard me say one word in Chinese."
"That was enough to know." Shrugging his shoulders he stepped down off the bench and started to slowly walk towards her. "When did you enroll here?"
"Uh, about a month ago." The girl answered quickly, as if her answer was rehearsed.
"And you transferred here from which school in England?"
"I am not from England." She tried her best to sound as convincing as possible.
"Hmm. Are you sure?" Lei crossed his arms over his chest. "Your accent sounds like you came from the Kensington area. So, The Royal College of Music?"
The girl's face turned red and she quickly started gathering up her things to leave. As she reached down to grab her beanie off her bag, a small gust of wind caught it. She scrambled to grab it, only for it to blow a few inches beyond her reach. Concentrating on it, she reached out for it again, taking a step or two closer to it, only for the wind to move it away once again.
The beanie landed on Lei's shoes. He reached down and picked it up, pretending to examine it thoroughly. She stood up and put her hand out to reach for the hat. Lei pulled his arm back so it was out of her reach. "I'm Lei. And you are?"
Biting her lip, the girl tried to reach for the hat again.
"Your hat for a name." Lei smirked at her.
"Terry." She whispered, trying hard not to be heard.
Lei took a step forward and placed the beanie on her head, being careful not to pull her hair as he pulled it down over her head. "Terry. You are an interesting girl." With that he rocked back on his heels placing his hands in his pockets, turned around and walked off the roof.
Just as Hua Ze Lei picked up a piece of pancake on his fork, he heard a clink sound. He rose his head to see Si hitting his champagne flute with a fork.
[We have an announcement!] Dao Ming Si raised his glass and everyone else followed suit.
[This isn't about you changing your hair again is it?] Ximen Yan raised his eyebrow suspiciously, inviting a soft jab in his side from Jiang Xiaoyou.
Si glared at Ximen before pulling Shencai closer to him. [I'm pregnant!] He looked down at Shencai, a goofy smile covering his face. She shook her head. Realizing what he had just said he rose his glass again. [I mean we're pregnant.]
As Lei sat at the table, raising his glass for the happy news, sudden realization hit him. He wanted this. The joy that radiated from Shencai and Si, the look of pride in Si's eyes as he lovingly looked at his wife, these feelings were missing from Lei's life and he had never felt it as much as he did right at this moment.
Never before had he wanted something so much for himself. He was so use to helping others, feeling contentment when he knew his friends were happy. But as he sat and watched Si feeling Shencai's stomach, her slapping his hand away shyly, he realized what he finally wanted for himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by loud clapping and cheers of "Gongxi ni" coming from both sides of him. He joined in the clapping before silently getting up to leave.
As he reached for the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Si grinning. [You're already leaving?] He asked. [Is the thought of our baby looking like Shencai making you run? Don't worry my handsomeness will make up for it.]
Lei wanted to smile but he found it impossible to make the corners of his mouth turn upward. Si glanced at his friend, his joyful expression melted into one of concern when he saw Lei's solemn demeanor. [Is everything alright?]
Lei looked up at the ceiling. [You are very fortunate. I'm happy for the two of you. I hope that I can have something like this someday.]
[Don't worry you will.] Si exclaimed loudly. [You're F4 after all!]
[True.] Lei mustered a sly grin. [Maybe it's not too late to steal Shencai from you.] he teased. Putting his hand on Si's shoulder he gave him a genuine smile and left the house.
Lei sat cross legged and stared pensively at the sky. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't get yesterday's breakfast off his mind and the reality that hit him amidst his friend's joyful news. Usually Lei could keep the emotion he was feeling from showing on his face, but no matter how hard he tried, he knew he still looked sad.
As Terry took the last step up to the roof, she pulled her backpack off her shoulder. She opened the small pocket on the outside and pulled her ear buds out before reaching the wall at the edge of the roof. As she turned around, her breath caught in her throat as she noticed him there, sitting against the wall opposite her and staring at the sky.
There was a softness to Lei's face that was comforting, yet the look Terry saw in his eyes every time they met was one of unpredictability. And while she knew that should make her want to stay away from him, especially considering the current circumstances she found herself in, she couldn't help herself. She was curious about him. And that made her nervous.
Choosing to pretend she didn't notice him, Terry placed both earbuds in, turned up the volume on her phone and closed her eyes. After a second her mind drifted away from the music and onto the look she had just seen on Lei's face. She opened her eyes to look at him. While she didn't know him well, she could tell he was someone who normally hid his emotions. Terry could always tell when someone possessed that trait because it was one that she envied. So, she could tell by glancing at him now that whatever was on his mind was weighing heavily on him.
The look on his face pulled at her heart. She knew that look, because she had been wearing it a lot lately. Against her better judgement, she got up and walked over to him. Doing the only thing she could think of at the moment, she took the bud out of her left hear and held it out to him.
Seeming to notice her for the first time since she got up on the roof, he looked a little startled until he realized what she was doing. Remaining silent, he took the bud from her and put it in his ear as she sat down next to him, leaving only a few inches between them. They both leaned back against the wall and closed their eyes, losing themselves in the music.
"Iaoshi (teacher) Hua Ze Lei!" The dean ran down the hall brushing past a number of students, focused on getting to his target quickly.
Hearing his name being called, Lei stopped in his tracks, He didn't bother to turn around because he knew the man trying to get his attention would catch up to him in a few seconds. As the man came and stood in front of Lei, he leaned over and grabbed his knees, breathing heavily. Before he could speak, he held a single piece of paper above his head.
"Iaoshi (teacher) Hua Ze Lei." The dean took one last big breath and stood up straight. [After finally going through all my papers,] he rolled his eyes to show his irritation. [I found that we had one recent transfer. Here is her file.] He handed Lei the single piece of paper he held in his hand. [Oh and shes enrolled in the accounting program here.]
Lei nodded at him as he excused himself. Looking down at the paper, he examined it thoroughly. Usually transfer students had a file folder full of papers about them including not only the school they had transferred from but also classes they had taken, grades and any other notes prior teachers or professors would put in. So to have only a single piece of paper on a student was highly unusual.
The first thing Lei saw on the page was the students name Terry Lee, age 21. Even though the paper had her age, her birthdate was listed as unknown. Below her name was her address, but no phone number. And the last thing listed on the paperwork was the school she transferred from which was listed as Ashford College located in Kent and the courses she took there which included information technology and business.
Lei was confused. He would have bet money that Terry attended a college that specialized in art and music, or at least he would have expected to see music major or courses listed at her previous school. But there was nothing.
She was quite like the first piece of sheet music Lei had ever seen; confusing and difficult to decipher, yet mesmerizing. And just like that sheet music, Lei knew that he had to understand her.