a/n: chapters henceforth are subject to editing. a note like this will be posted if that does happen. thanks for reading and please leave a review. enjoy!
Chapter 10: What's Normal Anyway?
"Ah-Si she's been back at Ying-de for weeks now. When are you going to stop clamming up at the sight of her? She's not as violent as you are, on second thought, nevermind. Although I have no idea how you're going to woo her."
"Ximen, Did I ASK FOR YOUR COMMENTS?! I'm not afraid of her! I'm DAO MING SI! I only agreed to this idea because it shuts up my witch of a mother. It could be worse. This way I don't have to meet the throng of aristocrat bimbos she's got picked out in case this one doesn't work out. To be honest I'm surprised she picked the stupid woman. I bet my sister had a part in this. Only she could've picked such an explosive, stubborn..." Dao Ming Si and Ximen rounded the corner to find San Chai sitting on a bench nearby. Her head was bowed in concentration as she studied.
"Happy. So nice to be happy. Everybody should be happy. Sha la la." San Chai sang to herself softly, twirling a pencil in her right hand. The boys should learn to talk more quietly. Having heard enough insults, she sent the pencil flying and leapt up from her seat.
"OW YOU STUPID WOMAN. What if you put my eye out?!" Dao Ming Si massaged the sore spot on his forehead.
"Drat. I missed. Well, I promise it won't happen again. I must be losing my touch." San Chai grabbed her books and with a toss of her hair headed down the breezeway. Ah-Si resisted the urge to shout after her, left the hysterical Ximen, and headed home. He sat in the hot tub for hours thinking. He rose from the waters with a headache and grabbed a bottle of Scotch on his way to bed. The truth is that woman baffled him.
"Yo. I seriously think I've figured it out. You ever see the way he looks at her??"
"Like a stupid animal blinded by a car's headlights! But you must be misinterpreting something. They don't do anything but yell at each other."
"That's because he likes her!! It's like when we used to pick on girls we liked in grade school! Ah-Si is just several years behind on the maturity scale."
"You know who she reminds me of? Da Jie. Only Ah-Si's older sister could whip him like that."
"Now that you mention it, they are a lot alike." Mei Zuo and Ximen debated the topic in their booth for almost an hour. "We should help him then. He's got no chance without our tactics. Four months is a really short time. Don't forget that. She agreed to one month for each of the F4. Damn. We'll work it out tomorrow. I'm at the Ritz tonight." Ximen left the club with his arm around the waist of his latest conquest. She had 2 days left before he would move on. He firmly believed a woman's charms expired in a week.
He woke up fairly early and stealthily slid himself out of bed without waking the girl next to him. "Damn it. Claire? Clarissa? O well better get dressed." Ximen strolled aimlessly through the city. He chanced upon Divine Desserts and went in to see if San Chai was working this morning. He never understood why an upper class girl like her insisted on actually working, but it was a quality about her that stood out. "Welcome! Can I help you?" Xiao Yo greeted him with a brilliant smile. This guy is soo handsome! San Chai's so lucky she hangs around these princes all day. Xiao Yo kept smiling to restrain the butterflies flittering around inside her.
"Have we met before? I doubt it. I'm sure I could never forget a face like yours." Ximen planted a soft kiss on her hand. Xiao Yo flushed crimson and giggled. Her girlish manner, brown doe eyes, and sincerity impressed him. At this point, Ximen desperately needed someone to confide in, and the kind of comfort his usual girls provided wasn't enough. Something about Xiao Yo was refreshing and irresistible to him.
"Would you be interested in buying a cake?"
"Hmm… yeah, give me that one. Xiao Yo, is it? Did San Chai tell you about her arranged marriage to Ah-Si?"
"Yes she did. She's not happy about it but she said she will try dating him."
"That's good. At the rate they are going, it will take a lifetime to get those two together. Actually, Xiao Yo, are you busy tomorrow?"
Xiao Yo looked puzzled. "Um… no I'm free tomorrow."
"Would you want to try dating me?"
"Yes. I'd like that." Feeling as if the sound of her pounding heart could be heard over the counter, Xiao Yo managed to respond in a quiet voice.
"Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow at 10." Ximen said as he jotted down her cell number.
Turning towards the door, Ximen sees San Chai with hands on her hips. She had heard the conversation, walked towards the counter and said "Oh hell no! You're not going out with him tomorrow. What are you thinking?! Why did you agree to go on a date with that walking hormone?!"
"San Chai… it's okay, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. Trust me. Okay?"
"Why should I? You could get pregnant just from talking to him. Xiao Yo promise me that you won't go with him. Please!" she pleaded.
"San Chai, I'm deeply offended… I happen to like your friend here… and…"
"AHHH! Shut up, you jackass! I am not going to let you get near her!"
"San Chai, just trust me on this okay?"
"Xiao Yo… I don't feel safe about letting you near him… but… promise me if anything happens… you have to call me…"
"Of course, San Chai."
"Humph, fine. But if anything happens I'll hunt him down and cut him into pieces." Xiao Yo giggled.
"Hey! I'm still here you know," blurted Ximen. San Chai and Xiao Yo were off talking in their little world, ignoring a frustrated Ximen. "Sigh, Women! I'm leaving now. Thanks for your blessing Madam San Chai and see you tomorrow Xiao Yo," he winked. "Bye Bye!"
"He's so dreamy and charming! I can't wait for tomorrow."
"Xiao Yo…" San Chai visibly cringed.
"Okay, okay. Well, enough about me. When are you and Dao Ming Si going on your first date? Soon I hope?" A flabbergasted San Chai replied, "What date? I don't know about all this! Why couldn't we all just be..friends?!"
"Well, the engagement for one."
"I'm just doing this because I promised Lei that I would give it a try. But things were fine as they were and I don't know how ideal this "change" will be." San Chai thought.
Chapter 10: What's Normal Anyway?
"Ah-Si she's been back at Ying-de for weeks now. When are you going to stop clamming up at the sight of her? She's not as violent as you are, on second thought, nevermind. Although I have no idea how you're going to woo her."
"Ximen, Did I ASK FOR YOUR COMMENTS?! I'm not afraid of her! I'm DAO MING SI! I only agreed to this idea because it shuts up my witch of a mother. It could be worse. This way I don't have to meet the throng of aristocrat bimbos she's got picked out in case this one doesn't work out. To be honest I'm surprised she picked the stupid woman. I bet my sister had a part in this. Only she could've picked such an explosive, stubborn..." Dao Ming Si and Ximen rounded the corner to find San Chai sitting on a bench nearby. Her head was bowed in concentration as she studied.
"Happy. So nice to be happy. Everybody should be happy. Sha la la." San Chai sang to herself softly, twirling a pencil in her right hand. The boys should learn to talk more quietly. Having heard enough insults, she sent the pencil flying and leapt up from her seat.
"OW YOU STUPID WOMAN. What if you put my eye out?!" Dao Ming Si massaged the sore spot on his forehead.
"Drat. I missed. Well, I promise it won't happen again. I must be losing my touch." San Chai grabbed her books and with a toss of her hair headed down the breezeway. Ah-Si resisted the urge to shout after her, left the hysterical Ximen, and headed home. He sat in the hot tub for hours thinking. He rose from the waters with a headache and grabbed a bottle of Scotch on his way to bed. The truth is that woman baffled him.
"Yo. I seriously think I've figured it out. You ever see the way he looks at her??"
"Like a stupid animal blinded by a car's headlights! But you must be misinterpreting something. They don't do anything but yell at each other."
"That's because he likes her!! It's like when we used to pick on girls we liked in grade school! Ah-Si is just several years behind on the maturity scale."
"You know who she reminds me of? Da Jie. Only Ah-Si's older sister could whip him like that."
"Now that you mention it, they are a lot alike." Mei Zuo and Ximen debated the topic in their booth for almost an hour. "We should help him then. He's got no chance without our tactics. Four months is a really short time. Don't forget that. She agreed to one month for each of the F4. Damn. We'll work it out tomorrow. I'm at the Ritz tonight." Ximen left the club with his arm around the waist of his latest conquest. She had 2 days left before he would move on. He firmly believed a woman's charms expired in a week.
He woke up fairly early and stealthily slid himself out of bed without waking the girl next to him. "Damn it. Claire? Clarissa? O well better get dressed." Ximen strolled aimlessly through the city. He chanced upon Divine Desserts and went in to see if San Chai was working this morning. He never understood why an upper class girl like her insisted on actually working, but it was a quality about her that stood out. "Welcome! Can I help you?" Xiao Yo greeted him with a brilliant smile. This guy is soo handsome! San Chai's so lucky she hangs around these princes all day. Xiao Yo kept smiling to restrain the butterflies flittering around inside her.
"Have we met before? I doubt it. I'm sure I could never forget a face like yours." Ximen planted a soft kiss on her hand. Xiao Yo flushed crimson and giggled. Her girlish manner, brown doe eyes, and sincerity impressed him. At this point, Ximen desperately needed someone to confide in, and the kind of comfort his usual girls provided wasn't enough. Something about Xiao Yo was refreshing and irresistible to him.
"Would you be interested in buying a cake?"
"Hmm… yeah, give me that one. Xiao Yo, is it? Did San Chai tell you about her arranged marriage to Ah-Si?"
"Yes she did. She's not happy about it but she said she will try dating him."
"That's good. At the rate they are going, it will take a lifetime to get those two together. Actually, Xiao Yo, are you busy tomorrow?"
Xiao Yo looked puzzled. "Um… no I'm free tomorrow."
"Would you want to try dating me?"
"Yes. I'd like that." Feeling as if the sound of her pounding heart could be heard over the counter, Xiao Yo managed to respond in a quiet voice.
"Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow at 10." Ximen said as he jotted down her cell number.
Turning towards the door, Ximen sees San Chai with hands on her hips. She had heard the conversation, walked towards the counter and said "Oh hell no! You're not going out with him tomorrow. What are you thinking?! Why did you agree to go on a date with that walking hormone?!"
"San Chai… it's okay, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. Trust me. Okay?"
"Why should I? You could get pregnant just from talking to him. Xiao Yo promise me that you won't go with him. Please!" she pleaded.
"San Chai, I'm deeply offended… I happen to like your friend here… and…"
"AHHH! Shut up, you jackass! I am not going to let you get near her!"
"San Chai, just trust me on this okay?"
"Xiao Yo… I don't feel safe about letting you near him… but… promise me if anything happens… you have to call me…"
"Of course, San Chai."
"Humph, fine. But if anything happens I'll hunt him down and cut him into pieces." Xiao Yo giggled.
"Hey! I'm still here you know," blurted Ximen. San Chai and Xiao Yo were off talking in their little world, ignoring a frustrated Ximen. "Sigh, Women! I'm leaving now. Thanks for your blessing Madam San Chai and see you tomorrow Xiao Yo," he winked. "Bye Bye!"
"He's so dreamy and charming! I can't wait for tomorrow."
"Xiao Yo…" San Chai visibly cringed.
"Okay, okay. Well, enough about me. When are you and Dao Ming Si going on your first date? Soon I hope?" A flabbergasted San Chai replied, "What date? I don't know about all this! Why couldn't we all just be..friends?!"
"Well, the engagement for one."
"I'm just doing this because I promised Lei that I would give it a try. But things were fine as they were and I don't know how ideal this "change" will be." San Chai thought.
