Chapter 3 – Starting Rumors
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼), are you sure this is okay?" Ya Tou (丫頭) asked as she help to set up the elaborate dinner table. Her best friend had gone all out for this. It was practically a banquet.
"Of course," Gui Gui (鬼鬼) set the lighter by the candles and spray the roses with water to give it that fresh look. "What could go wrong?" covering the dishes she had ordered and looking about for any details she may have missed. Everything had to be perfect for the perfect set up.
"Don't you think Young Master Wang Zi (王子少爺) and Xiao Xun (小薰) will be angry at you for doing this?" Ya Tou (丫頭) wrung her hands anxiously as she watched her go over the plan meticulously. She's never seen Gui Gui (鬼鬼) so intent before – unless you count the many pranks she's pulled over the years; it was only then Gui Gui (鬼鬼) applied her energy and boundless imagination to showed off that bright mind mind of hers. "Maybe we shouldn't do this (我們還是 不要好了)."
"This will work," Gui Gui (鬼鬼) grinned and shut the lights. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. No one will ever know you were involved."
Ya Tou (丫頭) made a face and sighed. There was no talking Gui Gui (鬼鬼) out of something once she's made up her mind. It was as simple as that. She just hoped Gui Gui (鬼鬼) doesn't end up hurting herself in the process. And that Wang Zi (王子少爺) won't hurt Gui Gui (鬼鬼) in the end.
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[Insert the beginning scene from Episode 11 where Gui Gui (鬼鬼) locks Wang Zi (王子) and Xiao Xun (小薰) in the storage room for a romantic dinner then gets caught when they tricked her into unlocking the door. – I'm not going to write about it… just watch the episode.]
Clinching her teeth and staring back in frustrated disbelief as being so easily tricked, Gui Gui (鬼鬼) picked up the fog machine she had set up just in case of such an occurrence – she always has a plan B – and covered her tracks as she made a run for the exit. Now would not be a good time to get caught by an annoyed Wang Zi (王子) and Xiao Xun (小薰), there's a chance they weren't going to appreciate her work especially since they had so little time to enjoy it. While she was pretty certain Xiao Xun (小薰) would understand her intent, plus her sisterly affections would lessen her annoyance at being locked in a storage room, Wang Zi (王子) was a whole other story. He looked pissed enough to kill.
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼)!" Wang Zi (王子) shouted as he chased after her. "Come back here (給我回來)!"
No way in hell was Gui Gui (鬼鬼) going to be stopping now, not when he was yelling at her like that. Good thing she was the fastest sprinter in their class… all the better to run away when her pranks find their marks.
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼)!" but it was too late, she was gone.
Lu Ting Wei (陸廷威) leaned back against the stone bench and watched the comical scene across the courtyard as Gui Gui (鬼鬼) made a mad dash around the building and disappeared in less than three seconds around another corner across the way. One of the guys from her class came chasing after but was too late to even catch a glimpse of where she had vanished to – the little girl had quite a pair of fast legs on her. Another girl came up behind panting, stopping to catch up with the boy. The two conferred a moment before shaking their heads and heading to the classroom, both of them obviously exasperated by something.
He could only hazard a guess as to what Gui Gui (鬼鬼) could have been up to. But from what little he knew of her, he was certain it was only in good clean fun. She wasn't vicious, just mischievous.
"What are you grinning at now?" Xiao Gui (小鬼) asked as he sat down next to his friend and hand over a bottle of juice.
"Nothing," amusement still dancing in his eyes. Somewhere close by, a pair of girls sighed in appreciation.
"If it's nothing then there's ghosts, (沒有則有鬼哪)," he rolled his eyes in annoyance, at his friend and at the girls.
"You got it (就是)," Ting Wei (廷威) grinned a little wider in delight and refused to elaborate on that cryptic answer. Nearly by, those same two girls fainted in delight.
Xiao Gui (小鬼) glanced behind them at the two prone figures with distaste and wonder if Ting Wei (廷威) even realized what had happened. But his normally observant friend was obtusely oblivious to the effect he had on the female population, much to the equal parts disgust and amusement of their friends. Though Xiao Gui (小鬼) should be thankful for that odd quirk in Ting Wei's (廷威的) personality, the guy's ego hardly needs any more stroking.
Ignoring the two fainting girls, Xiao Gui (小鬼) turned back and asked, "Seriously, what's gotten into you lately? You've been in a disgustingly good mood and the others are starting to …" his friend straightened suddenly in his seat. Something obviously caught Ting Wei's (廷威的) attention. Following his line of sight, Xiao Gui (小鬼) observed a younger student sneaking around the corner of the school's main building, trying to see around her. "Do you know that…" but he stopped when he saw that Ting Wei (廷威) wasn't paying him any attention but was watching the girl with apparent delight, a grin plastered across his face. Turning back, Xiao Gui (小鬼) continued to watch the girl as she tiptoed her way across the courtyard unobserved by anyone but the two of them, then escaped into another building.
Ting Wei (廷威) was still watching the door where the girl had disappeared into.
"Okay, who was that?" Xiao Gui (小鬼) demanded.
"No one," he answered causally. He did not want rumors started about the delightful kid.
"Bull (屁啦)," Xiao Gui (小鬼) looked at him with annoyance. "Try again."
Grinning because he was suddenly feeling very lighthearted, besides this was his best friend he was talking to, "She's the girl I met the other day."
Surprised, "The interesting one?"
"Yeah."
"The one like your sis…" he couldn't stop himself in time to not bring up the sore subject.
For once, Ting Wei (廷威) didn't feel the darkness when he thought of Xiao Xing (小星), his precious little sister. "Yeah, that's her."
Raising a brow, Xiao Gui (小鬼) observed that his friend was quite at peace suddenly. Whoever the girl was, she certainly had a good affect on Ting Wei (廷威); and that was worth something. "What's her name?"
He grinned. "You'll like it. It's Gui Gui (鬼鬼)."
Laughing, "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope," and shared the delight with his friend. "It suits her too."
"You like her." Xiao Gui (小鬼) couldn't remember a time when Ting Wei (廷威) had been this intrigued by a girl and he's known Ting Wei (廷威) since they were in preschool: it's been a long time.
"Not like that (不是那樣)," he assured him.
"Okay," Xiao Gui (小鬼) rolled his eyes and whacked his friend in the arm good naturedly. "But you like her… like a kid sister."
"I do," not the least surprised by his own admission. "She's a ray of sunshine."
Nodding his head, Xiao Gui (小鬼) made a quick mental note to find out more about that kid. For his friend's sake.
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"Classmate Rong Jia (容嘉同學), wait up! (等一等)"
Turning about, Rong Jia (容嘉) was surprised to find a senior classmate from a different class running up to her. Huang Hong Sheng (黃鴻升) wasn't someone that usually talked to her, in fact he didn't talk to most people. Better known as Xiao Gui (小鬼), he was the head of the school's sports committees and best friends of the illusive Lu Ting Wei (陸廷威); also known as the Prince of the School. They weren't people that would usually notice her. They were the elites, the rich kids in school that everyone wanted to be friends with and to be associated with. While she knew that they weren't snobbish or anything of the sort, they also tended to hang about with their own and hardly ever opened up to others.
In fact, she was surprised Huang Hong Sheng (黃鴻升) even knew her name.
"Something I can do for you, fellow classmate? (有事嗎 同學?)" Rong Jia (容嘉) eyed him carefully, wondering what could have brought this about.
Xiao Gui (小鬼) nodded slowly, "Can I trouble you a minute? (能打擾妳一下嗎)"
She nodded and indicated a side wall where they can talk in semi-privacy. She needed to be at the auto shop soon but she still had a little time.
Leaning against a pillar, "You and the kids of class 206 seem pretty close. (妳和二零六班的同學 好像步的很近.)"
"I suppose (還好)," she shrugged, confused. "My cousin is in the class."
"Do you know a student in there named Gui Gui (鬼鬼)?"
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼)?" now she was seriously confused and a little uneasy. "Did she do something to you (她惹到你了嗎)?"
"No, (沒有啦)" waving away her concerns with an undisturbed air. "Just trying to find out more about her. (只是想多了解她而已)"
"Why? (為什麼?)"
Huang Hong Sheng (黃鴻升) grinned, "Not what you think."
"Really (真的嗎)?" looking at him doubtfully.
"Really (真的)," he assured her with a grin. "Just tell me about her."
"What's there to tell?" she shrugged and saw no real harm in talking about Gui Gui (鬼鬼). "She's a sweet kid. A little bit of a prankster but pretty harmless."
"Is she dating anyone?"
"I thought you said…"
"Not for me," he clarified.
"Not as far as I know," she answer honestly though she had heard Mei Mei say something about Gui Gui's (鬼鬼) unusual interest in Wang Zi (王子).
Seemingly satisfied, Xiao Gui (小鬼) got up and nodded. "Thank classmate. (謝了同學) See you around."
Frowning at his back, Rong Jia (容嘉) wondered what Gui Gui (鬼鬼) may have done to catch the attention of one of their school's elites. And she hope it wasn't going to be come back to haunt her.
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"Mei Mei," Rong Jia (容嘉) caught up with her cousin on her way to the shop a few days later.
"Hi Rong Jia Jie (容嘉姐)," Mei Mei grinned and shifted her book bag to her other shoulder. "Something wrong?"
"Let me ask you, (我問妳)" Rong Jia (容嘉) frowned and looked at her cousin in the eye. "Has Gui Gui (鬼鬼) been up to her old tricks lately." She wanted to make sure Mei Mei wouldn't lie for one of the ten sisters in the class. Those girls were fiercely loyal to one another.
Confused, Mei Mei shook her head. "Other than locking Xiao Xun (小薰) and Wang Zi (王子) in the storage closet the other day, there's been nothing. And that was harmless anyways. I heard Wang Zi (王子) trapped her in a net later on and yelled at her. Neither one of them are talking to each other right now and Xiao Xun (小薰) has already forgiven Gui Gui (鬼鬼). But other than that, I haven't heard anything."
"No other tricks?"
"No."
Rong Jia (容嘉) frowned.
"Rong Jia Jie (容嘉姐), is something the matter? (怎麼了嗎?)" Mei Mei asked with concern.
"One of the senior classmates (學長) was asking about her recently. I just wanted to make sure she didn't do something to him."
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼) isn't completely brain dead. She knows not to play tricks on the seniors."
"Especially not this one," Rong Jia (容嘉) warned in all seriousness.
"Who asked about her?" Mei Mei asked out of sheer curiosity.
"Huang Hong Sheng (黃鴻升)."
Mei Mei repeated the name to herself but couldn't put a face to the name. She thought herself pretty informed on the ins and outs of the school. "Who is he? (他是誰?)"
"He is better known as Xiao Gui (小鬼)," Rong Jia (容嘉) explained.
"Xiao Gui (小鬼)!" Mei Mei may not have known of Huang Hong Sheng (黃鴻升) but she's definitely heard of Xiao Gui (小鬼). "Isn't his best friend Lu Ting Wei (陸廷威)? The hottest guy in the school?"
"That's him, (就是他)," she confirmed with a grim expression.
"Lu Ting Wei is so handsome (陸廷威超帥的)," Mei Mei gushed. Her heart may belong to Xiao Yu (小煜) but it doesn't mean she can't admire the perfect beauty that is Lu Ting Wei (陸廷威). Everything about the senior was cool: his looks, his car, the number of devoted followers, the way he played ball, competed in taekwondo… even his grades were cool.
"Hey (喂), stop daydreaming," Rong Jia (容嘉) gently tapped Mei Mei's head with annoyance. "I was telling you about Xiao Gui (小鬼) asking around about Gui Gui (鬼鬼)."
"Why would he be asking about Gui Gui (鬼鬼)? How does he even know her?"
"I don't know," Rong Jia (容嘉) replied with a sigh. It's so beyond strange. "It's probably nothing. I just wanted to make sure Gui Gui (鬼鬼) isn't in any trouble."
Mei Mei shook her head.
"Alright," shrugging her shoulder since there was nothing she could do, "I better get to work. Talk to you later."
"Bye Bye Rong Jia Jie (容嘉姐)," Mei Mei waved and frowned in question. "Why would anyone from the senior class be asking about Gui Gui (鬼鬼)?"
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"Tong Tong (彤彤)," Mei Mei caught up with her best friend at a brisk walk.
"Hi Mei Mei," Tong Tong smiled and linked arms with her as they crossed the parking lot to get to school.
The two girls chatted happily together until two car suddenly screeched to a halt some ten feet from them, perfectly parked into spaces designated for students. Two guys exited the vehicles, comfortably silent in their friendship. They greeted each other and students that greeted them with an easy nod and a careless smile (which cause more than a few sighs from the females) and headed to class as cool and collect as the beautiful car they drove.
Mei Mei and Tong Tong (彤彤) hadn't even realized that they were holding their breaths until the two guys had disappeared into the school building.
Fanning herself mockingly, Tong Tong (彤彤) sighed with dreamy delight. "If the guy I dated drove a car like that…"
"That was Lu Ting Wei (陸廷威) and Xiao Gui (小鬼)," Mei Mei breathed excitedly.
"They're so cool (他們好酷喔)," Tong Tong (彤彤) squealed like a little schoolgirl. "Even Xiao Ma (小馬) isn't that cool." She grinned just thinking of their new classmate.
Suddenly remembering, "Hey, Rong Jia Jie (容嘉姐) was telling me the other day that Senior Xiao Gui (小鬼學長) was asking about Gui Gui (鬼鬼)."
Caught off guard, "Gui Gui? (鬼鬼?) Why? (為什麼?)"
"We don't know. (不知道)"
"Gui Gui (鬼鬼) didn't pull a prank on the seniors did she?" horrified by the thought. Even (彤彤) couldn't imagine her friend being that reckless. It was social suicide to do something that stupid.
Shaking her head, Mei Mei replied, "I haven't heard anything. Actually, she's been pretty quiet lately; ever since that prank she pulled on Wang Zi (王子) and Xiao Xun (小薰)."
Tong Tong (彤彤) frowned. "Then why would Senior Xiao Gui (小鬼學長) be asking about Gui Gui (鬼鬼)?"
Neither of the girls had an answer to that.
Thoughts? Comments?