Disclaimer: I do not own MG/HYD, but can't I just borrow F4 for a few
hours?
To readers of this story: I really don't know what the hell I was thinking when I started this fic on a whim. There's just something about it that keeps making me come back and write more in between finishing up EADLF. I get some freakish adrenaline rush from this, the uncertainty of where it's going. Maybe it was that mocha chiller I had earlier, but my heart is racing. Gotta stop going into sugar and caffeine induced stupors when coming up with ideas. Well, the long awaited freaky chasing the girl thing is over for now, but after seeing F4's thoughts on her I am just writing myself into another pitfall. What does she want?
Chapter 6: Dreams into reality
In annoyance Hua Ze Lei rolled over in his bed once more trying to find a comfortable position. In the silent room, only the gentle rustling of the sheets beneath him broke the peaceful stillness he surrounded himself in. Generally, he wouldn't have much trouble falling asleep, but tonight he just couldn't do it. He sat up in bed to stare at the shadows cast against the walls prancing from one wall to the next in their own mocking dance. Glancing out towards the window, branches of the trees swaying in the night wind scratching against the glass. In frustration, he picked up his pillow and chucked it towards the dancing shadows. One again, he pulled the sheets over his head and closed his eyes trying to find his way to a peaceful slumber.
Out of all the F4, Hua Ze Lei probably led the dullest lifestyle basking in his own indolent bliss. Mei Zhou had his parties. Ximen his women. Ah Si even had Xiao Zi and his red tagging to keep him occupied. Lei? Well, let's just say that out of 24 hours of the day 15 were spent sleeping and 2 playing the violin. The other miniscule 7 hours of the day were left for hanging out with F4, school, and eating. Of course, F3 was disgusted by his lifestyle wondering how he managed to stay so thin and lanky by staying in his restful sedentary position for so long. They did try to force him to see the world bombarding his room once in awhile to drag him out of bed, but sadly within a few minutes of being in the car he would be fast asleep again. It was exhausting work to get Lei out, and even after managing to get him out of his mansion he was never the greatest conversationalist either. The most you could get out of him was a slight thumbs up/down. If he did say something it was usually in his monotone barely audible voice. He was pretty damn boring actually, but considering the dynamics of their little group Lei's calm composure did bring some balance to them. Ah Si was loud enough for two people.
Lei just didn't find any point in words. He found much more enjoyment in absorbing his surroundings studying everyone's actions. Since childhood, he had always preferred to be the spectator rather than participant. It was a certain detachment in his personality that drove people away, all except for F4. Heartless. Cold. Loneliness. These were the only emotions he knew how to feel. They say that true genius may only exist in madness, which was probably the truth when it came to Lei. Music was his most polished skill being able to compose private symphonies in his head. He would never share them with the world, though. They were all his own. His violin was the only thing he ever showed any tender affection for. Ximen and Mei Zhou jokingly referred to it as his mistress. In a way, it was a cruel joke. He had loved a woman once, but she had disappeared leaving him behind to face the world alone.
"Fifteen hours, that's all I'm asking for," he grumbled to himself. He slammed his face against the mattress hoping to suffocate himself to the point of passing out. That could work.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Shit."
Normally, Lei would have ignored his cell phone, but this caller was damn persistent letting the phone continue to ring for fifteen minutes. A certain anger was rising in his veins wanting to punish the bastard that dared intrude upon his sacred sleep. It was a blasphemous act. Whoever it was would feel his cold, icy wrath. He snatched the phone off the nightstand and pulled the receiver to his ear. He waited for them to speak first.
"Lei, are you there?" a shaky, hoarse voice asked on the other line.
The burning hatred that pulsed through is body quickly drained away.
"Yeah. What is it Ah Si?" He sat up and leaned his back against the backboard. He was more than a little surprised to be receiving a call from his friend at such a late hour, but the tone in his voice was unmistakable. Something was wrong. From the other end, the sound of deep hurried breaths rushed into Lei's ear.
"I'm not even sure if I should be talking to you about this. That night on the beach. The girl."
Lei quickly cut him off before he could continue. His voice turned grave. "You know I would never say anything to the others about you talking to me about this, but you've got to stop. It's been three years. Get over it. The rest of us have. I've been patient enough having you call me like this in the middle of the night to talk about her, but there's no use in analyzing it anymore. We were drunk. That's it. I'm hanging up now and don't call me again about this." He pulled the phone away from his face and was about to slam the phone down, but something made him hesitate.
"I saw her today. I think she's alive!"
Shivers went up his spine tingling the hairs on his neck. For a moment, in the confines in his own room witnessed by the barren walls Hua Ze Lei's mask was broken. On instinct he gathered his thoughts with a prepared response.
"I don't care."
Like that he hung the phone on a clearly distraught Ah Si. The phone rung once more, but hung up after two rings realizing Lei was not in the mood to talk. He lay back down and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, his eyelids fluttered open.
Damn it. Now I really can't sleep.
He thrust the sheets off his body and sat up on the side of the bed staring around the room to find something to do to occupy his time. To his right, stood his music sheet stand and violin case on the floor beside it. Other than that the room was basically barren. No couch. No television. No radio. The few articles of furniture in the room consisted of his bed, a nightstand, and his violin. He looked towards the locked drawer of his nightstand hesitating whether or not to open it.
Just this once. Just this once and I'll never look at it again.
He picked up his wallet from his pants he had tossed onto the floor and pulled out a small key he tucked in once of the secret compartments. He closed his eyes, and jammed the key in hearing a loud click of the lock being opened. Inside his secret drawer rested an old used handkerchief. With a certain glint of tenderness he picked it up and inspected the dirty item in his had. Next, he took out a piece of paper with a sketch on it. The resemblance was uncanny. For a few minutes, as he clutched the handkerchief in one hand and the charcoal sketch in the other, the walls were privy once again to a miraculous sight. Hua Ze Lei smiled.
Mei Zhou and Ximen may have forgotten her, but I haven't. We all know that Ah Si was obsessed at one point in finding her, but we were the ones to finally persuade him into telling his men to stop looking. They may have forgotten her, but not me. I know it was real. It had to be. Gingerly he traced his fingers alone the sketch he had made the second he returned home after the incident. Her face was permanently engraved in his mind. Down to the most minute details he had struggled to perfect them-the luminous glint in her eyes, the way her lips curved into that perfect smile, every stray strand of hair that fell over her face. Why can't you stop haunting me?
He snapped out of his faraway gaze. Overcome with a growing restlessness, he pulled on the clothes that had been aimlessly ripped off earlier and tossed onto the ground. He grabbed his keys from the table and strode out of his room headed for the same place he always found himself wandering off to on nights like this.
A few minutes later after recklessly speeding through the empty streets of Taipei in his silver BMW he came to a screeching halt. He was now a man possessed searching for the truth. Like all the other times he always turned up with the same thing-nothing. The cool sea breeze hit his face burning in his nostrils. As he walked along the shore, a solitary figure, he stared up at the large moon above basking in its comfort. It wasn't in complete vain that he had come to this place. The gentle lapping of the water against his bare feet and the lull of the waves crashing against the rocks did quell that agitation in his soul. For now, he would settle for this.
He sat down playfully wriggling his feet under the warm sand. It was quite a warm night for the end of the summer. Soon, autumn would come and it would be too cold to come to such a place to cool off. He curled up his body pulling his knees into his chest and rested his chin on them. The melody of the waves hitting the shore was enough of a lullaby to draw him to sleep. His eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Finally he succumbed to his body's desires and drifted off.
Come back.
Come back.
Return to me love, return to the sea.
Instantly Lei's eyes popped open. That voice. Could it be possible?
From the distance, he saw a faint figure of a woman emerge from the water. The wind was instantly knocked out of him at the sight of an angel emerging from the depths of the ocean. Drops of water trickled down her face and body. Her long black hair cloaked her shoulders sticking onto her arms. She walked closer and closer with a certain target in mind. She came to a stop and leaned her face down a few inches away from his. The dull glazed over look in her eyes was replaced by a playful yearning. The long white dress plastered itself onto her skin accentuating every curve and ripple of her well toned body. She brushed away the dripping strands of hair that hung forward hiding her eyes from his. Now her eyes met his gaze. It was an equal match between the two to see who would break first. Lei struggled to maintain his cool, uncaring gaze, but those mesmerizing eyes. Damn those eyes. There was a lovingness in them that he couldn't quite understand. It seemed unconditional without any reason behind it. Her final assault overwhelmed him. Slowly her lips curved into a small smile. Lei couldn't take it any longer. He broke away from her gaze and turned his head away not wanting to look anymore. She cupped his chin in her cold hands. He could feel his skin tingle at the very touch of her hand against his skin. She pulled his face back towards hers forcing him to face her. Cocking her head to one side, her kind face fell to disappointment at his reaction. She let go and began to walk away back towards the water. Her feet left a trail in the warm sand.
Realization that he had somehow chased her away jolted him back into reality. It was out of character to do this, but all the restraint he had trained himself with was thrown out the window. His body lifted itself off the ground and he ran after her.
Oddly enough, her light laughter filled the air. The harder he ran after her the faster she ran until finally he grabbed her from behind wrapping his arms around her waist not wanting to let her go again. He closed his eyes and gripped her even tighter pressing her cold, frail body into his. Slowly, he felt the salty sea water seep from her body soaking his clothes. Her body slightly trembled in his. She turned around and looked up into his face. An air of mischief glimmered in her eyes. Lei looked down realizing that he was immersed up o his knees in water having chased her into the ocean. She somehow managed to wriggle out of his arms like a snake and slid behind him. With one mighty shove he was propelled into the water face first.
"What the?!" Lei yelled coughing up salty water for his mouth in spurts. His entire body trembled in the chilly waters. He ran a hand through his wet hair and glared at the girl who now cupped her mouth with her hand giggling. "I see how it is? You messed with the wrong person." He lunged forward and picked her up in the air and leapt into the waves holding her underwater with him.
Somewhere in chaos of kicking legs and flailing arms he lost a old of her. Beneath the water it was complete darkness. He waved his arms around him hoping to find her. His lungs begging for oxygen propelled him above water. Lei opened his mouth gasping for precious air. The moon sent a glimmering glow on the surface of the now still waters that surrounded him. Where did she go? A few minutes passed and a newfound sense of worry hit him Why isn't she coming up? No one can hold their breath for that long? Was she drowning? He took a deep breath and dove down into the watery depths in search of his mystery girl, but once again the need for oxygen was too great forcing him to surface. A growing fear was eating away at him.
"Where are you?!"
He felt a slight tug at the waist of his pants. Startled he spun around and came face to face with her. An uncontrollable smile grew on his face upon knowing she was okay. He reached out a hand to her face hoping to god she was real. She placed her delicate long fingers over his lips staring at the unusual smile he now showed her. She innocently smiled at him not comprehending the short lived hell she put him through and pulled away from him lowering her head with a sudden shyness. Her movement only made Lei swim closer to her. The smile dropped from his face and his expression became solemn. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms.
He whispered into her ear, "Don't do that ever again. Don't leave me." There was as an odd yearning in his voice that surprised even himself.Never in his life had he begged someone to. Generally he could care less if people left him, but this time it was different The thought of losing her again was almost unbearable like his heart was squeezing itself so tightly to the point of bursting. It was such an intense feeling.
They silently stared at each other not making a sudden movement. The screeching of tired broke the tranquility. Bright flashed of lights were sent in their direction. Her eyes widened and she fervently pushed him away diving into the water. Lei tried to grab onto her leg as it quickly tread through the water, but she was already out of his grasp.
"Damn,'' he muttered to himself. He felt a sudden sinking in his heart. As he swam towards shore he caught a glimpse of the vile intruders who dared encroach interrupt his time with her. To his surprise three figures stood out on the beach ignoring the others that stood only a few feet away. Lei dragged himself out of the water and approached his three childhood friends.
"What are you doing, Lei?" Ah Si asked with a bewildered expression.
Lei walked right past him and turned around scanning the ocean for any signs of her. He stood there for the next ten minutes in silence with a hope I his eyes that she would reemerge, but she didn't. Doubts loomed over him. She did jump off that cliff. It has been known for spirits to dwell in the place where they had left their corporeal states haunting the area with unresolved issues. No, she is alive. I felt her in my arms. I could touch and feel her. She's back. I know it.
"What are you two dong here, too?" Ah Si turned to Mei Zhou and Ximen who had remained quiet the entire time.
Mei Zhou only hugged his jacket tighter around his body lost in his own world. For a moment he turned to look at Ah Si in acknowledgement of his presence only to just shrug his shoulders.
"Ximen?"
Ximen stared out towards the ocean with a longing in is face. "I don't know. I was driving in my car and somehow I got here." With those few words Ximen returned to his thoughts.
"And you Lei. You never answered my question. You're soaking wet. What the hell possessed you to swim alone in the middle of the night?"
Lei just ignored Ah Si's questions and proceeded to walk away. The other three instinctively followed him along the all to familiar path they had tread on so long ago. Now they stood tall near the edge of the cliff looking out towards the infinite sea stretching for miles and miles. From the horizon, a small blaring red orange haze began to rise. It was already sunrise.
"I'm going home," Lei mumbled leaving his three companions alone to witness the dawning of a new day. They didn't eve seem to care or notice that he left. They were all lost in tier own private thoughts trying to sort out the strange night wondering whether their dreams were reality or vice versa.
In solitude Lei drove home and entered hi mansion surprising the maids who backed away from their master n shock. A long trail of water followed him ending at where the door slammed shut. Not caring about being soaked to the bone he laid down on the bed. He threw his arms out to his sides feeling something crumple under the weight of his hand. He picked up the charcoal drawing he had been looking at earlier and held it up to his face.
He smiled to himself. "I do care."
Not wanting to sleep anymore he peeled off his wet clothing and changed into some dry ones. That morning behind closed doors, the maids cleaned to the sound of the violin seeping out of his room.
******Later that day*******
It was noon already and the Ying De's café was already abuzz with students milling about meeting up with friends for lunch. F4 in the corner at their usual table ignoring all the chaos around they normally did. However, there seemed to be something amiss with the tone of their company. Ah Si was not his usual boisterous self cursing under his breath making note of his next red tag target. For once, Mei Zhou wasn't engrossed by his PDA making arrangements for what party to go to that night. Ximen wasn't on the phone setting up his next one week conquest. Even Lei, who was normally quiet and reserved seemed a little off today. None of them noticed this, though. They all just seemed to stare at different parts of the room pondering quietly to themselves.
"Ah Si!" a cheerful voice boomed from the other side of the room.
"Oh god," Ah Si grumbled to himself upon seeing Xiao Zi running towards their table. She stopped in front of them trying to catch her breath. "I was looking all over for you." She smiled at the other three receiving no acknowledgement in their behalf. She suspiciously eyes all of them. "What's wrong with all you today?"
"Not feeling well today," Mei Zhou muttered before slipping into his daze once again.
"What do you want?" Ximen asked with a tone of that showed utter lack of care in her response.
"I'm not in the mood for you today?" Ah Si growled.
A look of hurt spread across Xiao Zi's face wondering what she did wrong t make Ah Si so hostile towards her. Without any invitation she took a seat next to Ah Si. "I wanted you to meet a new friend of mine. She just transferred to Ying De and I wanted to introduce her to you all. There she is now!" She stood up and waved to a girl who was now walking towards them.
As she came closer and closer, the room suddenly seemed to turn deathly silent. All eyes followed her every movement. F4's gasps echoed through the room. She wore a cream colored knee length skirt with a pale yellow silk halter top showing off her naked shoulders. With each step she took there was a certain bounce in it. Her long black hair was swept to the side draped over one shoulder. She came to a stop and smiled. "Hello. My name is Mu Ye Shan Cai."
It was an odd sight to see F4 taken aback by some strange girl. Xiao Zi over at the normally arrogant and suave men who now seemed like shy adolescent boys afraid to talk to a girl. "Shan Cai, sit down."
"Yeah, sit down," Mei Zhou sputtered out.
"Please," Ximen motioned.
Lei left his eyes transfixed on the girl practically gawking at her every movement.
"You?!" Ah Si uttered quickly before closing his mouth trying to take in the shock. Shan Cai stood in front of them shifting uneasily feeling awkward at having these men stare at them.
"Please excuse them, Shan Cai. I don't know what's gotten into them today. This is the famous F4 I was telling you all about today. This curly haired normally loud mouthed man beside me is my fiancé, Dao Ming Si. That's Mei Zhou Ling. Ximen Zhong Er Lang. And finally the quiet one to your left is Hua Ze Lei."
Shan Cai bowed her head down a little. "Nice to meet you."
The next few minutes were spent in a very awkward silence. Xiao Zi tried to start some sort of polite conversation to lighten the mood, but all F4 did was stare at her new friend. It was rather rude actually the way they stared at her as if she had two heads.
Abruptly Shan Cai stood up from the table startling F4 to all stand up at once. She nervously picked up her purse and looked towards Xiao Zi with a pleading look to let her leave. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel very comfortable here Xiao Zi. I think I should go. I have an appointment I should be getting to." She pushed her chair back into the table and waved a goodbye. "Thank you for letting me sit with you today being new here and all."
Xiao Zi stood up and approached Shan Cai giving her a little apologetic hug. "I really don't know what's gotten into them today. They normally aren't like this," she whispered into her ear.
"Their staring kind of freaks me out. I don't think it's a good idea if I sit with you during lunch," she accidentally whispered a little too loudly that F4 could hear. She released herself form Xiao Zi's embrace and walked out the door.
F4 slumped back down in their seats still in shock.
Xiao Zi spun around. She couldn't take their weird behavior anymore. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?!"
"We've gotta go," Mei Zhou broke in ignoring the girl's screaming.
"Yeah. Let's go." Ximen stood up and pulled Ah Si up rousing him from his stupor.
Lei nodded his head in agreement and was already headed out the door.
They all sauntered out of the café leaving a very flustered and confused Xiao Zi behind.
"Jackasses," she muttered o herself as sat down at the now empty table.
Finally after spending the rest of the afternoon filling out paperwork finalizing her transfer to Ying De, Shan Cai was free to go home. It had been a truly tiring day meeting hundreds of new people struggling to learn new names and adapt to her surroundings. She settled into the drivers' seat of her new convertible listening to the light beat of the jazz music playing over her radio. Upon reaching her high rise apartment complex, she Cheerily greeted her doorman and proceeded into the elevator pressing 40. The elevator doors creaked opened leading her to the door of her penthouse. Wearily she unlocked the door and tossed her purse onto the table. She slipped off her heels and now walked barefoot on the soft cushy carpet. Lackadaisically she flipped through the mail she picked up on her way up. She let out a heavy sigh and walked over to the bar pouring herself a strong drink-whiskey would hit the spot right about now. She plopped herself down onto the couch and sipped her drink thinking about all she had accomplished today. Downing the rest of her glass, she raised her head in satisfaction. She glanced over at the white dress laid out on the arm of the other side of the couch. A small smile spread across her lips. Alone in the darkness of her luxurious penthouse her slight chuckle echoed in the still air.
"F4, I'm going to make your lives fucking hell."
To readers of this story: I really don't know what the hell I was thinking when I started this fic on a whim. There's just something about it that keeps making me come back and write more in between finishing up EADLF. I get some freakish adrenaline rush from this, the uncertainty of where it's going. Maybe it was that mocha chiller I had earlier, but my heart is racing. Gotta stop going into sugar and caffeine induced stupors when coming up with ideas. Well, the long awaited freaky chasing the girl thing is over for now, but after seeing F4's thoughts on her I am just writing myself into another pitfall. What does she want?
Chapter 6: Dreams into reality
In annoyance Hua Ze Lei rolled over in his bed once more trying to find a comfortable position. In the silent room, only the gentle rustling of the sheets beneath him broke the peaceful stillness he surrounded himself in. Generally, he wouldn't have much trouble falling asleep, but tonight he just couldn't do it. He sat up in bed to stare at the shadows cast against the walls prancing from one wall to the next in their own mocking dance. Glancing out towards the window, branches of the trees swaying in the night wind scratching against the glass. In frustration, he picked up his pillow and chucked it towards the dancing shadows. One again, he pulled the sheets over his head and closed his eyes trying to find his way to a peaceful slumber.
Out of all the F4, Hua Ze Lei probably led the dullest lifestyle basking in his own indolent bliss. Mei Zhou had his parties. Ximen his women. Ah Si even had Xiao Zi and his red tagging to keep him occupied. Lei? Well, let's just say that out of 24 hours of the day 15 were spent sleeping and 2 playing the violin. The other miniscule 7 hours of the day were left for hanging out with F4, school, and eating. Of course, F3 was disgusted by his lifestyle wondering how he managed to stay so thin and lanky by staying in his restful sedentary position for so long. They did try to force him to see the world bombarding his room once in awhile to drag him out of bed, but sadly within a few minutes of being in the car he would be fast asleep again. It was exhausting work to get Lei out, and even after managing to get him out of his mansion he was never the greatest conversationalist either. The most you could get out of him was a slight thumbs up/down. If he did say something it was usually in his monotone barely audible voice. He was pretty damn boring actually, but considering the dynamics of their little group Lei's calm composure did bring some balance to them. Ah Si was loud enough for two people.
Lei just didn't find any point in words. He found much more enjoyment in absorbing his surroundings studying everyone's actions. Since childhood, he had always preferred to be the spectator rather than participant. It was a certain detachment in his personality that drove people away, all except for F4. Heartless. Cold. Loneliness. These were the only emotions he knew how to feel. They say that true genius may only exist in madness, which was probably the truth when it came to Lei. Music was his most polished skill being able to compose private symphonies in his head. He would never share them with the world, though. They were all his own. His violin was the only thing he ever showed any tender affection for. Ximen and Mei Zhou jokingly referred to it as his mistress. In a way, it was a cruel joke. He had loved a woman once, but she had disappeared leaving him behind to face the world alone.
"Fifteen hours, that's all I'm asking for," he grumbled to himself. He slammed his face against the mattress hoping to suffocate himself to the point of passing out. That could work.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Shit."
Normally, Lei would have ignored his cell phone, but this caller was damn persistent letting the phone continue to ring for fifteen minutes. A certain anger was rising in his veins wanting to punish the bastard that dared intrude upon his sacred sleep. It was a blasphemous act. Whoever it was would feel his cold, icy wrath. He snatched the phone off the nightstand and pulled the receiver to his ear. He waited for them to speak first.
"Lei, are you there?" a shaky, hoarse voice asked on the other line.
The burning hatred that pulsed through is body quickly drained away.
"Yeah. What is it Ah Si?" He sat up and leaned his back against the backboard. He was more than a little surprised to be receiving a call from his friend at such a late hour, but the tone in his voice was unmistakable. Something was wrong. From the other end, the sound of deep hurried breaths rushed into Lei's ear.
"I'm not even sure if I should be talking to you about this. That night on the beach. The girl."
Lei quickly cut him off before he could continue. His voice turned grave. "You know I would never say anything to the others about you talking to me about this, but you've got to stop. It's been three years. Get over it. The rest of us have. I've been patient enough having you call me like this in the middle of the night to talk about her, but there's no use in analyzing it anymore. We were drunk. That's it. I'm hanging up now and don't call me again about this." He pulled the phone away from his face and was about to slam the phone down, but something made him hesitate.
"I saw her today. I think she's alive!"
Shivers went up his spine tingling the hairs on his neck. For a moment, in the confines in his own room witnessed by the barren walls Hua Ze Lei's mask was broken. On instinct he gathered his thoughts with a prepared response.
"I don't care."
Like that he hung the phone on a clearly distraught Ah Si. The phone rung once more, but hung up after two rings realizing Lei was not in the mood to talk. He lay back down and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, his eyelids fluttered open.
Damn it. Now I really can't sleep.
He thrust the sheets off his body and sat up on the side of the bed staring around the room to find something to do to occupy his time. To his right, stood his music sheet stand and violin case on the floor beside it. Other than that the room was basically barren. No couch. No television. No radio. The few articles of furniture in the room consisted of his bed, a nightstand, and his violin. He looked towards the locked drawer of his nightstand hesitating whether or not to open it.
Just this once. Just this once and I'll never look at it again.
He picked up his wallet from his pants he had tossed onto the floor and pulled out a small key he tucked in once of the secret compartments. He closed his eyes, and jammed the key in hearing a loud click of the lock being opened. Inside his secret drawer rested an old used handkerchief. With a certain glint of tenderness he picked it up and inspected the dirty item in his had. Next, he took out a piece of paper with a sketch on it. The resemblance was uncanny. For a few minutes, as he clutched the handkerchief in one hand and the charcoal sketch in the other, the walls were privy once again to a miraculous sight. Hua Ze Lei smiled.
Mei Zhou and Ximen may have forgotten her, but I haven't. We all know that Ah Si was obsessed at one point in finding her, but we were the ones to finally persuade him into telling his men to stop looking. They may have forgotten her, but not me. I know it was real. It had to be. Gingerly he traced his fingers alone the sketch he had made the second he returned home after the incident. Her face was permanently engraved in his mind. Down to the most minute details he had struggled to perfect them-the luminous glint in her eyes, the way her lips curved into that perfect smile, every stray strand of hair that fell over her face. Why can't you stop haunting me?
He snapped out of his faraway gaze. Overcome with a growing restlessness, he pulled on the clothes that had been aimlessly ripped off earlier and tossed onto the ground. He grabbed his keys from the table and strode out of his room headed for the same place he always found himself wandering off to on nights like this.
A few minutes later after recklessly speeding through the empty streets of Taipei in his silver BMW he came to a screeching halt. He was now a man possessed searching for the truth. Like all the other times he always turned up with the same thing-nothing. The cool sea breeze hit his face burning in his nostrils. As he walked along the shore, a solitary figure, he stared up at the large moon above basking in its comfort. It wasn't in complete vain that he had come to this place. The gentle lapping of the water against his bare feet and the lull of the waves crashing against the rocks did quell that agitation in his soul. For now, he would settle for this.
He sat down playfully wriggling his feet under the warm sand. It was quite a warm night for the end of the summer. Soon, autumn would come and it would be too cold to come to such a place to cool off. He curled up his body pulling his knees into his chest and rested his chin on them. The melody of the waves hitting the shore was enough of a lullaby to draw him to sleep. His eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Finally he succumbed to his body's desires and drifted off.
Come back.
Come back.
Return to me love, return to the sea.
Instantly Lei's eyes popped open. That voice. Could it be possible?
From the distance, he saw a faint figure of a woman emerge from the water. The wind was instantly knocked out of him at the sight of an angel emerging from the depths of the ocean. Drops of water trickled down her face and body. Her long black hair cloaked her shoulders sticking onto her arms. She walked closer and closer with a certain target in mind. She came to a stop and leaned her face down a few inches away from his. The dull glazed over look in her eyes was replaced by a playful yearning. The long white dress plastered itself onto her skin accentuating every curve and ripple of her well toned body. She brushed away the dripping strands of hair that hung forward hiding her eyes from his. Now her eyes met his gaze. It was an equal match between the two to see who would break first. Lei struggled to maintain his cool, uncaring gaze, but those mesmerizing eyes. Damn those eyes. There was a lovingness in them that he couldn't quite understand. It seemed unconditional without any reason behind it. Her final assault overwhelmed him. Slowly her lips curved into a small smile. Lei couldn't take it any longer. He broke away from her gaze and turned his head away not wanting to look anymore. She cupped his chin in her cold hands. He could feel his skin tingle at the very touch of her hand against his skin. She pulled his face back towards hers forcing him to face her. Cocking her head to one side, her kind face fell to disappointment at his reaction. She let go and began to walk away back towards the water. Her feet left a trail in the warm sand.
Realization that he had somehow chased her away jolted him back into reality. It was out of character to do this, but all the restraint he had trained himself with was thrown out the window. His body lifted itself off the ground and he ran after her.
Oddly enough, her light laughter filled the air. The harder he ran after her the faster she ran until finally he grabbed her from behind wrapping his arms around her waist not wanting to let her go again. He closed his eyes and gripped her even tighter pressing her cold, frail body into his. Slowly, he felt the salty sea water seep from her body soaking his clothes. Her body slightly trembled in his. She turned around and looked up into his face. An air of mischief glimmered in her eyes. Lei looked down realizing that he was immersed up o his knees in water having chased her into the ocean. She somehow managed to wriggle out of his arms like a snake and slid behind him. With one mighty shove he was propelled into the water face first.
"What the?!" Lei yelled coughing up salty water for his mouth in spurts. His entire body trembled in the chilly waters. He ran a hand through his wet hair and glared at the girl who now cupped her mouth with her hand giggling. "I see how it is? You messed with the wrong person." He lunged forward and picked her up in the air and leapt into the waves holding her underwater with him.
Somewhere in chaos of kicking legs and flailing arms he lost a old of her. Beneath the water it was complete darkness. He waved his arms around him hoping to find her. His lungs begging for oxygen propelled him above water. Lei opened his mouth gasping for precious air. The moon sent a glimmering glow on the surface of the now still waters that surrounded him. Where did she go? A few minutes passed and a newfound sense of worry hit him Why isn't she coming up? No one can hold their breath for that long? Was she drowning? He took a deep breath and dove down into the watery depths in search of his mystery girl, but once again the need for oxygen was too great forcing him to surface. A growing fear was eating away at him.
"Where are you?!"
He felt a slight tug at the waist of his pants. Startled he spun around and came face to face with her. An uncontrollable smile grew on his face upon knowing she was okay. He reached out a hand to her face hoping to god she was real. She placed her delicate long fingers over his lips staring at the unusual smile he now showed her. She innocently smiled at him not comprehending the short lived hell she put him through and pulled away from him lowering her head with a sudden shyness. Her movement only made Lei swim closer to her. The smile dropped from his face and his expression became solemn. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms.
He whispered into her ear, "Don't do that ever again. Don't leave me." There was as an odd yearning in his voice that surprised even himself.Never in his life had he begged someone to. Generally he could care less if people left him, but this time it was different The thought of losing her again was almost unbearable like his heart was squeezing itself so tightly to the point of bursting. It was such an intense feeling.
They silently stared at each other not making a sudden movement. The screeching of tired broke the tranquility. Bright flashed of lights were sent in their direction. Her eyes widened and she fervently pushed him away diving into the water. Lei tried to grab onto her leg as it quickly tread through the water, but she was already out of his grasp.
"Damn,'' he muttered to himself. He felt a sudden sinking in his heart. As he swam towards shore he caught a glimpse of the vile intruders who dared encroach interrupt his time with her. To his surprise three figures stood out on the beach ignoring the others that stood only a few feet away. Lei dragged himself out of the water and approached his three childhood friends.
"What are you doing, Lei?" Ah Si asked with a bewildered expression.
Lei walked right past him and turned around scanning the ocean for any signs of her. He stood there for the next ten minutes in silence with a hope I his eyes that she would reemerge, but she didn't. Doubts loomed over him. She did jump off that cliff. It has been known for spirits to dwell in the place where they had left their corporeal states haunting the area with unresolved issues. No, she is alive. I felt her in my arms. I could touch and feel her. She's back. I know it.
"What are you two dong here, too?" Ah Si turned to Mei Zhou and Ximen who had remained quiet the entire time.
Mei Zhou only hugged his jacket tighter around his body lost in his own world. For a moment he turned to look at Ah Si in acknowledgement of his presence only to just shrug his shoulders.
"Ximen?"
Ximen stared out towards the ocean with a longing in is face. "I don't know. I was driving in my car and somehow I got here." With those few words Ximen returned to his thoughts.
"And you Lei. You never answered my question. You're soaking wet. What the hell possessed you to swim alone in the middle of the night?"
Lei just ignored Ah Si's questions and proceeded to walk away. The other three instinctively followed him along the all to familiar path they had tread on so long ago. Now they stood tall near the edge of the cliff looking out towards the infinite sea stretching for miles and miles. From the horizon, a small blaring red orange haze began to rise. It was already sunrise.
"I'm going home," Lei mumbled leaving his three companions alone to witness the dawning of a new day. They didn't eve seem to care or notice that he left. They were all lost in tier own private thoughts trying to sort out the strange night wondering whether their dreams were reality or vice versa.
In solitude Lei drove home and entered hi mansion surprising the maids who backed away from their master n shock. A long trail of water followed him ending at where the door slammed shut. Not caring about being soaked to the bone he laid down on the bed. He threw his arms out to his sides feeling something crumple under the weight of his hand. He picked up the charcoal drawing he had been looking at earlier and held it up to his face.
He smiled to himself. "I do care."
Not wanting to sleep anymore he peeled off his wet clothing and changed into some dry ones. That morning behind closed doors, the maids cleaned to the sound of the violin seeping out of his room.
******Later that day*******
It was noon already and the Ying De's café was already abuzz with students milling about meeting up with friends for lunch. F4 in the corner at their usual table ignoring all the chaos around they normally did. However, there seemed to be something amiss with the tone of their company. Ah Si was not his usual boisterous self cursing under his breath making note of his next red tag target. For once, Mei Zhou wasn't engrossed by his PDA making arrangements for what party to go to that night. Ximen wasn't on the phone setting up his next one week conquest. Even Lei, who was normally quiet and reserved seemed a little off today. None of them noticed this, though. They all just seemed to stare at different parts of the room pondering quietly to themselves.
"Ah Si!" a cheerful voice boomed from the other side of the room.
"Oh god," Ah Si grumbled to himself upon seeing Xiao Zi running towards their table. She stopped in front of them trying to catch her breath. "I was looking all over for you." She smiled at the other three receiving no acknowledgement in their behalf. She suspiciously eyes all of them. "What's wrong with all you today?"
"Not feeling well today," Mei Zhou muttered before slipping into his daze once again.
"What do you want?" Ximen asked with a tone of that showed utter lack of care in her response.
"I'm not in the mood for you today?" Ah Si growled.
A look of hurt spread across Xiao Zi's face wondering what she did wrong t make Ah Si so hostile towards her. Without any invitation she took a seat next to Ah Si. "I wanted you to meet a new friend of mine. She just transferred to Ying De and I wanted to introduce her to you all. There she is now!" She stood up and waved to a girl who was now walking towards them.
As she came closer and closer, the room suddenly seemed to turn deathly silent. All eyes followed her every movement. F4's gasps echoed through the room. She wore a cream colored knee length skirt with a pale yellow silk halter top showing off her naked shoulders. With each step she took there was a certain bounce in it. Her long black hair was swept to the side draped over one shoulder. She came to a stop and smiled. "Hello. My name is Mu Ye Shan Cai."
It was an odd sight to see F4 taken aback by some strange girl. Xiao Zi over at the normally arrogant and suave men who now seemed like shy adolescent boys afraid to talk to a girl. "Shan Cai, sit down."
"Yeah, sit down," Mei Zhou sputtered out.
"Please," Ximen motioned.
Lei left his eyes transfixed on the girl practically gawking at her every movement.
"You?!" Ah Si uttered quickly before closing his mouth trying to take in the shock. Shan Cai stood in front of them shifting uneasily feeling awkward at having these men stare at them.
"Please excuse them, Shan Cai. I don't know what's gotten into them today. This is the famous F4 I was telling you all about today. This curly haired normally loud mouthed man beside me is my fiancé, Dao Ming Si. That's Mei Zhou Ling. Ximen Zhong Er Lang. And finally the quiet one to your left is Hua Ze Lei."
Shan Cai bowed her head down a little. "Nice to meet you."
The next few minutes were spent in a very awkward silence. Xiao Zi tried to start some sort of polite conversation to lighten the mood, but all F4 did was stare at her new friend. It was rather rude actually the way they stared at her as if she had two heads.
Abruptly Shan Cai stood up from the table startling F4 to all stand up at once. She nervously picked up her purse and looked towards Xiao Zi with a pleading look to let her leave. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel very comfortable here Xiao Zi. I think I should go. I have an appointment I should be getting to." She pushed her chair back into the table and waved a goodbye. "Thank you for letting me sit with you today being new here and all."
Xiao Zi stood up and approached Shan Cai giving her a little apologetic hug. "I really don't know what's gotten into them today. They normally aren't like this," she whispered into her ear.
"Their staring kind of freaks me out. I don't think it's a good idea if I sit with you during lunch," she accidentally whispered a little too loudly that F4 could hear. She released herself form Xiao Zi's embrace and walked out the door.
F4 slumped back down in their seats still in shock.
Xiao Zi spun around. She couldn't take their weird behavior anymore. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?!"
"We've gotta go," Mei Zhou broke in ignoring the girl's screaming.
"Yeah. Let's go." Ximen stood up and pulled Ah Si up rousing him from his stupor.
Lei nodded his head in agreement and was already headed out the door.
They all sauntered out of the café leaving a very flustered and confused Xiao Zi behind.
"Jackasses," she muttered o herself as sat down at the now empty table.
Finally after spending the rest of the afternoon filling out paperwork finalizing her transfer to Ying De, Shan Cai was free to go home. It had been a truly tiring day meeting hundreds of new people struggling to learn new names and adapt to her surroundings. She settled into the drivers' seat of her new convertible listening to the light beat of the jazz music playing over her radio. Upon reaching her high rise apartment complex, she Cheerily greeted her doorman and proceeded into the elevator pressing 40. The elevator doors creaked opened leading her to the door of her penthouse. Wearily she unlocked the door and tossed her purse onto the table. She slipped off her heels and now walked barefoot on the soft cushy carpet. Lackadaisically she flipped through the mail she picked up on her way up. She let out a heavy sigh and walked over to the bar pouring herself a strong drink-whiskey would hit the spot right about now. She plopped herself down onto the couch and sipped her drink thinking about all she had accomplished today. Downing the rest of her glass, she raised her head in satisfaction. She glanced over at the white dress laid out on the arm of the other side of the couch. A small smile spread across her lips. Alone in the darkness of her luxurious penthouse her slight chuckle echoed in the still air.
"F4, I'm going to make your lives fucking hell."
