Chapter 10

Getting to Know You (Shan Cai & Xiao You's View)

Music: White Love Song – RaRa

*Shan Cai*

It's been three days since I was introduced to Xiao You. She and I get along great. She voluntarily makes dinner, clean up the apartment and gathers groceries. I told her, er insisted, that she didn't need to do all those. But she simply replied back, "since I live here too, I should at least help out." After that, I decided to let her do what she wanted.

I learned a lot about Xiao You in just three days. Xiao You is the heir to the fifth largest hotel branch in Taiwan. She and Hua Zhe Lei visited each other often during the childhood whenever their parents were too busy. Xiao You has told me some things about Hua Zhe Lei. He plays the violin, but rather not play it in front of people; he is the next heir to his father's company located in Japan. He can speak four other languages; Japanese, English, Italian and French. His father is a strict man, who never takes "no" for an answer. His mother is kind, but also strict. "They're very traditional though." Xiao You added.

During the day Xiao You goes to school elsewhere, while I work or go to class at Ying De. I've seen Hua Zhe Lei during lunch, or in between breaks. He brings me home every day from school, unless I have to work after school, then he'd usually drive me to work. "Hey, guess what?" Hua Zhe Lei suddenly asked me.

"What is it?"

"Tomorrow is Xiao You's birthday!"

"Really? Wow! Oh, I need to get her something…"

"What about one of your cakes?" Hua Zhe Lei asked me. My cakes? Maybe one of my cakes that I've made would be good…

"You have to tell me what she likes…" I told him shyly.

"Of course…" he smiled at me. On my way to work, Hua Zhe Lei and I have been talking about plans for Xiao You's birthday. "What about a surprise party?" Hua Zhe Lei suggested.

"That would be fun. Xiao You doesn't usually come home until seven in the evening. Maybe we can set it up at our apartment?" I suggested to him.

"That's a great idea. We'll pick out a cake when we reach the shop."

We arrived at the cake shop shortly after our plan. I changed into my uniform in the back, and came out finding Hua Zhe Lei staring at his cakes.

"See any you like?" I asked him as I came out. He looked up at me, and nodded. "Which one?"

"I think this one here is cute." He pointed to a small cake on the second shelf. "I think Xiao You would like this one."

"Okay, I'll write 'Happy Birthday Xiao You' right now." I took the cake out of the display and brought it to the back to start writing.

"Can you fit in all on there?" Hua Zhe Lei called out.

"I'll make it fit!" I called back to him.

*Xiao You*

Learning about Shan Cai, and some of her painful past, I knew I had to help Shan Cai overcome her past. Shan Cai and I became great friends after I moved in. Before I came home from my classes, I'd stop by a grocery store to buy some groceries. Sometimes I would arrive home before her, so I would clean up the apartment, and prepare dinner for both of us. Shan Cai usually arrives home at six-thirty. I know she would be hungry from her long day.

As I set the table, I heard the door open up. I looked at the clock and noticed that it's a quarter to six. "Shan Cai?" I called out.

"Xiao You? You're home early…"

"Yes, well I didn't have classes this afternoon, so I did some grocery shopping and cleaned the apartment a little… I even made dinner."

"Oh, well, that's very nice of you, but you really don't need to do all of that…"

"I insist Shan Cai."

*Shan Cai*

Xiao You arrived home early… how was I going to get her out of the house so I could get everything set up for her surprise party? I remembered Lei, was waiting for me from outside. I went back outside to ask him to take Xiao you out. "Of course. I'll take her out for about half an hour and you can get everything set." Lei proposed. He gestured me to go back inside as he 'pretended' to just arrive at my doorstep.

"Uh, Xiao You, Hua Zhe Lei is here." I called out to her. Xiao You came out from the kitchen and saw Hua Zhe Lei stepping in.

"Lei! Hi! What are you doing here?"

"Just came over to see how you two are doing here."

"We're doing fine Lei, you don't need to worry. Shan Cai and I were about to have dinner, why don't you join us?"

"Actually I also came down to take you out." He turned to me as sign that he'll distract Xiao You so I can set up.

"Oh… but… what about dinner?" Xiao You looked at me seeing if it was alright if she left.

"Don't worry about me Xiao You. You go ahead. We have plenty other opportunities to eat dinner together. You go and have fun."

"Are you sure, Shan Cai?"

"I'm sure. You and Hua Zhe Lei must have a lot to catch up with."

Minutes later, Xiao You and Hua Zhe Lei left, and I began setting the apartment up with decorations.