Chapter 4: Let The Game Begin
He can't sleep that night. He was thinking about Ah Si's plan. For two whole days, he has to listened to Ah Si's, Xi Men's and Mei Zuo's plot to get Shan Chai. He cannot take it any more. He felt like a loser, unable to stop the bet and prevent the mess that will drag Shan Chai in it. But, one thing good about this whole bet is that he now knows more about her than before. With Ah Si's influence at Ying De, every detail about Shan Chai came to Ah Si's possession.
She was three years younger than he was, taking business administration course and lived with her parents in a single storey terrace house. He even knows where she works. Working part time at a cake house near her house, she was a kind, friendly girl, and only has two best friends, Qing He; her friend since primary school and Xiao You; her co-worker and also a friend during her secondary years. The only one thing common with the both of them, excluding the rooftop, was that she was also the only child.
"I just hope Ah Si will give up." He sighed and shift to his right side. Blinking in the dark, he got up and walked to the balcony. He stared at the garden in front of him. After a while, he realized that the night was quite clear, not as dark as usual. He looked up and saw the full moon, shining brightly.
'It has already been a month since I first saw her. She must've gone to the rooftop tonight. I can't believe I could care for a girl this fast. Just right after I lost Jing. Am I just using her to hold back my sorrow for losing Jing? Am I really just using her? Or I really did care for her?' He gave a long thought. He still can't figure out his true feelings towards the girl.
~~
'He didn't show up last night. Must've something important to do. Wait a minute. Why am I expecting him to be there? Not that we've promised to meet or anything. Why would I concern about him? He probably didn't even think about me. He really is mysterious, very hard to understand. His action always surprises me,' she told herself, blushing when she remembered back the day he hold her hand and kissed it.
Arriving at Ying De, she was shocked to find that the person she hates was waiting for her at the parking lot, since she was the only person who went to Ying De by motorcycle. She parked her scooter and got down, heading straight to the person who was smiling at her. "Get lost! What do you want? You want to fight some more? Not satisfied?" she scolded him.
"You! Can't you be gentle like a woman? Act just like a boy! So rough!" yelled back the boy, putting his hand on his waist, the smile faded.
"Gentle or not is none of your business. Stand a side!" She pushed the boy aside and walked past him.
"I'm sorry."
She stopped. Turning around she looked at him. "What did you just say?"
"I said, 'I'm sorry'. I should've helped you up that day."
"About time you agreed it was your fault. Sure does take a long time to understand that," she sneered and headed back to her destination.
"It wasn't my fault! You're the one running in the hallway! I'm just trying to be polite. I am, however, a man with 'size'."
She turned back and glared at him. "You're despicable! Arrogant, stupid and a pervert! Aaahhh!!" Turning back towards her class, she was furious. 'That jerk made me so mad! Ruining my mood early in the morning. Not just he is an arrogant, hardheaded, intolerant person, he also a pervert! 'Size'? He has some nerve!!' she grumbled angrily to herself.
~~
He watched the whole incident from behind the wall and smiled. She walked past him without noticing him at the side. 'She does look angry. Well, she sure can take care of herself.' He looked back at Ah Si. Xi Men and Mei Zhuo had just approached him from their hiding place, laughing at Ah Si's face. He knows that Ah Si has lost his temper. For the first time he met his match. There was no other person able to scold him like that other than his sister. According to Shan Chai's timetable that Ah Si has, she will have a break at about 10. He'll wait for her at the rooftop. He had a feeling she'll be there.
"Nice work Ah Si. You really are smooth with your words. Hahahahahaha." laughed Xi Men, followed by Mei Zhuo. "Shut up! She is too rough and egoistic. But I'll get her, just wait and see."
Xi Men stopped laughing but kept on grinning. "Yeah, sure. Okay, I believe you, for now." Mei Zhuo nodded, still giggling. "Nonetheless, she reminds me of someone I knew.ehmm.," said Xi Men.
"She's like Dao Ming Zhuang," he announced. Xi Men turned to look at him. "That's right! She acts just like Zhuang Che."
"No, she is not! She was more intolerable than Zhuang," shouted Ah Si, disagree. "Just like you, Ah Si," exclaimed Mei Zhuo, laughing. They all laughed at Ah Si. With a sour expression, Ah Si walked away. They followed from behind, still laughing.
At the café, Ah Si still put on his annoyed face. "Oh, come on now Ah Si. Lighten up, okay," said Mei Zhuo, nudging Ah Si's arm. "I'm thinking of how to get that girl. What's her name again?"
"Shan Chai," he said without noticing it.
Xi Men looked at him intensely. "What? He has been babbling on how to get her for three days now," he tried to cover up his mistake. Xi Men just nodded but he could see the unsatisfied look on his face. 'I better be careful of what I say next time,' he made a note to himself.
"Xi Men, Mei Zhuo, Lei, what should I do now? Every time I saw her, we quarrel. How can I win her heart if we keep on arguing?" asked Ah Si. He glanced at his watch. He has another hour to 10. "How about flower and chocolates? Girls are crazy for those two. Always work for me," suggested Mei Zhuo.
"Ah Si, this is supposed to be a bet between you and us, you know. Helping you is not beneficial for us," claimed Xi Men, looking straight at Ah Si. "This is no longer about the bet. I want to get that girl. This is revenge. I want her to fall for me and then I'll just break her heart. Not only that, I would announce to the whole of Ying De all about her secrets when we are together."
He can't stand it anymore. Ah Si's idea of payback at Shan Chai has gone a bit too far. "You are being childish. Just apologize to her and let go. You did bump into her." Ah Si glared at him. Mei Zhuo made a 'Oh! You'll be in trouble' look and Xi Men looked at him curiously.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you on her side? You know her, didn't you?" questioned Ah Si, raising his voice. He kept quite. Finishing his drink, he stood and left. "Fine! If you don't want to join in, you can walk out. But, I'm warning you. Do not interfere! You hear me, Lei?" Ignoring Ah Si, he walked away.
"What's his problem? He never cares about others before," asked Ah Si. Mei Zhuo and Xi Men exchanged looks, and then shrugged. "We have no idea. You know how Lei are. He's very mysterious and keeps everything to himself. He must have his own reasons. Forget about him," said Xi Men, backing up Lei. Mei Zhuo nodded, agreeing with Xi Men's speculation.
~~
'What a messed up morning! Can't understand what the lecturer taught, have tons of work to do, and not to forget the argument with that stupid jerk. He's at fault! Spoiled my mood early in the morning.' she said to herself while walking towards the rooftop. Every time she's on break or troubled, she'll absolutely find her way to the rooftop.
Opening the door, she noticed someone on the railing with two cans of drink. Knowing who it was, she quietly crept towards the person. She wants to surprise him as he always did to her. "Take a drink and sit." She stopped. 'How did he know it's me without turning?' she asked herself, puzzled. "Why do you still standing there? Come," he said, turning around to face her and held up a can for her. Smiling, she walked over to him. She took the drink and climbed onto the railing.
The both of them sat in silent, enjoying the scenery and drink. "How did you know it was me?" she asked, staring at him, waiting for his answer. "Instinct," he answered without taking his eyes off his view.
"Shan Chai, have you finished?" he asked, after a while. She turned to face him. "Emm. why?" He smiled and took the can from her hand. "Can you wait here for another 10 minutes and then come down to the music room?"
"What's at the music room?"
"Just come okay. I'll wait for you there." He winked at her and climbed down.
'He's in a good mood today. What is it that he wants to show me at the music room? Oh well! Just wait and see then,' she thought. She took out her notebook and read the previous lecture.
~~
10 minutes afterwards she started to head down to the music room as Lei had wanted. In her mind, a lot of questions and speculations came up. She reached the music room minutes later. Standing near the door, she tried to listen to what was going on in the room. Nothing. Not a single sound was heard. She took a deep breath and opened the door. On the stage, stood Lei, waiting for her. He motioned her to come in and sit at the front row. 'Is he going to sing for me?' she wondered.
She sat on the seat that is opposite of him. He smiled at her and took out a violin from his back. "This is for you. Happy first month anniversary of our first meet. Sorry for not being at the rooftop yesterday. Hope this will make it up to you," he announced, before playing the violin. 'He remembered! This is so surprisingly wonderful. Oh my! He really can play the violin. What a beautiful sound!' Just then, she stopped thinking at once and focused on listening to his music.
~~
He closed his eyes and played the music that came to him yesterday night. Mixing the music with his mood right now, felt so refreshing and intriguing. He could feel his whole body corresponding with the rhythm.
Violin was his infatuation ever since he was 12. Ever since he heard the first violin played at a violin recital, he was curious how such a small instrument could give out such a melodious sound. That has sparked his interest to learn to play the violin. Even though there were times when he felt like giving up because of the pain and cuts on his fingers, he kept going. It was all because of one simple explanation, he was in love with the violin. Playing the violin made him calmed and free to be himself. He doesn't have to think about what was going on around him or even his problems. It was just the two of them, his violin and him.
This was the first time he shared his passion with someone else. He opened his eyes when it came to the last verse. In front of him, the girl he dedicate the music to was closing her eyes and anticipate with the music he played. 'She never looked so beautiful than now,' he thought. He finished his music with a high note. Holding on to his violin, he watched Shan Chai intensely. She was smiling and it took her some time before opening her eyes again. "That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me," she said, softly but loud enough for him to hear. That was enough said. Her compliment made him utterly happy. It made him want to hold her in his arms. But, instead, he put down his violin in its case and walked down slowly from the stage towards her.
"I made it just for you. I'm glad you like it," he confessed after he sat down next to her. "Like it? I LOVE it! You made it yourself? Wow! You're so talented. You could perform in an orchestra or even put on a solo performance. I would surely come to hear you play," she exclaimed.
The look on her face at that exact time was so adorable and cute. "Kawaii," he said, as he leaned forward and gave a quick kiss on her forehead. He could see her blushed in an instant and she quickly looked down to cover her face from him. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you," he whispered. She stayed still, gave out no response. 'Was she offended to the kiss? I couldn't help it. She was too cute. It just happened. Please don't let her be mad at me,' he thought, guilty and scared of offending her.
"Shan Chai, please look at me. I'm sorry if I have offended you. I'll leave if you don't want me here, but believe me that I never meant to hurt you or offended you. You're just too cute and adorable, just like a little girl. I couldn't help it to want to give you a kiss," he apologized.
Seeing that she remained the same, static, he sighed. He got up from his seat and walked away, unwillingly. Walking past her towards the stage to take his violin, his shirt jerked. He turned his head to the side and saw Shan Chai's hand at his shirttail, tugging it. Looking up, he met Shan Chai's gaze. "Don't go. I'm not mad at you. Just, just a bit shocked. Please sit down again," pleaded Shan Chai. Letting go of his shirt, Shan Chai gave out a slight smile, her cheeks reddened. He felt relieved after hearing what she had just said. Smiling, he sat back again at his previous sit.
The two of them kept quiet. None have any idea to start a conversation. 'I better not touched on the kiss issue again. Have to get rid of this awkwardness. Emm.' he considered. "You have a class at noon right? Two more hours to go. Let's go someplace for branch, okay?"
"What? Oh, yea! At noon. Branch? But, I've promised my friend to eat out with him."
"Qing He, right? Does he have a mobile phone? You could use mine to cancel it," he suggested. She looked shocked when he mentioned her friend's name. He can't help but to grin. "I have my ways."
~~
'How did he had known all of this? My timetable and Qing He? He even knows what my thoughts are. It is so hard to understand him, but I guess that's what fascinates me about him. I can never know his next move.just like today,' she thought, remembering his performance and the kiss. She touched her forehead secretly and smiled.
"Shan Chai, what are you doing? Here, call up Qing He." His voice startled her. She nodded and took the phone.
"Hello, Qing He. I can't go out with you today. I have another appointment with a friend. We'll go out after class, okay. Thanks Qing He. Take care now, bye." She handed back his phone. "Come, we have to hurry," he said, grabbing her hand and lead her out of the room.
She noticed that some of the students stared at Lei and her. Some even whispered and looked surprised. 'What's going on? Why do they looked so shocked? Is there anything wrong that I didn't know?' she thought uneasily.
Lei lead her straight to the main entrance where she saw 4 expensive cars parked. Lei let go of her hand and took out his key. He went straight to the black Porsche on the far left side of the 4 cars. Opening up the passenger's door, he said, "Hop in."
She kept changing looks between the other 3 cars and Lei. 'Who is Lei? Who are the owners of these other 3 cars? Why are they so special, permitted to park here?' she wondered. She walked slowly towards him. Stepping into his car, she looked around. "Wow! Nice car," she cried out, astonished. Lei got in and smiled at her, then drove off.
~~
She was walking to her class after Lei dropped her off at the back entrance as she has requested, when she realized that everyone was staring at her and whispered behind her back. 'What's going on? Did I have something on my face?' She rubbed her face gently, while still looking at the people around her.
"Shan Chai, Shan Chai." Hearing her name being shouted, she turned around. "What is it, Qing He?" Qing He grinned. "You never told me you knew F4." She looked Qing He straight in the eye. She was dumbfounded. She doesn't understand why Qing He asked her to this question. "What? I don't know any F4."
"Don't lie to me Shan Chai. I'm your friend.anyway, you are not good at lying. Rumors has spread that you went out with Hua Zhe Lei." She still don't understand. 'I don't know any Hua Zhe Lei. Why does Qing He asking me these questions?' Qing He stared at her quizzically. "You really don't know them do you? Come with me Shan Chai. I'll show you who F4 is." Qing He took her hand and pulled her along. They stopped in front of Ying De's field, opposite the main entrance.
"There, under the tree. Can you see the four figures? They are the famous F4. The one standing is Dao Ming Si, the one sitting in front of him is Xi Men, the other one laughing and holding the can of drink at Xi Men's side is Mei Zhuo, and the last one behind Xi Men is Hua Zhe Lei. You can't see his face clearly because he is facing the other way." Shan Chai watched the four of them closely.
'Oh my! That Dao Ming Si is that jerk Ah Si. Those are his friends that came to his aid that day. That would mean.the last person there would be.' She clasped her mouth. She can't believed her eyes. So the four car parked at the front entrance are theirs. No wonder that jerk acted as if he owned the college and why Lei knew so much about her. He had been snooping on her. Feeling betrayed and ashamed, she turned around and ran off.
Not sure where to go, she went straight to the restroom. Washing her hand and splashed some water on her face, she stared straight to the mirror. 'I can't believe I let myself being played by those boys, especially Lei. I . I . I thought he was for real. Wait! I can't be like this: sad, pathetic, a softy. Come on Shan Chai! Wake up! Are you going to let them go just like that? Are going to show them that they've won? NO! Now, walk out of here and just ignore the others, you still have one more class to attend. The revenge can wait,' she said to herself, trying to lift up her spirit and pulled herself together.
Entering her class, she put on a straight face and walked towards her seat. 'Keep a clear mind. Ignore them.ignore them,' she kept repeating it to calm herself, aware of the stares from the other students. Just then, she realized of the bouquet of yellow and white roses on top of her table. She picked it up, looked around the classroom but nobody said anything. Noticed a card on the bouquet, she opened it up and read.
"Shan Chai, I'm really, truly sorry. The white roses means, I surrender and ask for your forgiveness while the yellow roses represent my wish to start again, from the beginning. If you have the heart to forgive me, meet me after class at the main entrance. Sincerely, Dao Ming Si."
"What's so special about her? She got a bouquet of flower from Dao Ming Si, asking for forgiveness and start over. Start what, eh? What do they have before?"
"I even heard rumors that she went out with Hua Zhe Lei. She is so plain and yet, two of the F4 members, the richest and the cutest one went out for her. Maybe she bewitched them to fall for her."
The conversations around her were annoying. She glared at the whole classroom. "SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE ME!" Silent swept in the classroom instantly. Everybody stared at her, disbelieved and some disgusted. Annoyed, frustrated and angry, she barged out of the classroom, holding on to the bouquet and went straight on to the field she last saw the F4's.
From afar, she saw the four of them still laughing and drinking happily. Anger dwelled up inside her. She can't wait any longer. Running straight to them, she called out Ah Si's name. Ah Si looked around, saw her and smiled. His smiling face made her more furious. When she was a step distance from Ah Si, she hit him with the flowers.
"Owww! What the." Ah Si yelped.
"What is the meaning of, this? Just because you're rich does not mean that you can play other people around! So stop bothering me! Let me be! Stay away from my life! LEAVE ME ALONE!! ALL OF YOU! I MEAN IT! ALL...OF.YOU!" she screamed, glared sideways towards Lei at the end of the sentence. She huffed and walked away. Other students are looking at her but she doesn't care.
Behind her, Ah Si glared at Mei Zhuo. "You said girls like flowers?"
"Well, they do! She must have been a freak. Must because of something you did. Well, go after her and find out or apologize," said Mei Zhuo, lifted his shoulder, unable to understand the scene before him just now.
"Shan Chai, wait up."
Ignoring the call, she walked faster, even ran a few paces. Of a sudden, someone grabbed her arm. "LET GO! I don't want to hear anything from you no more."
"Shan Chai, look at me! I'm not going to let go of your arm unless you look at me and tell me what I do wrong!" commanded Ah Si.
"Fine! Now, can you let go?" she hissed. Letting her arm free, Ah Si stared at her as she does him back.
"Which part of the whole thing you don't understand? I want you and your groupies to leave me alone. I know, I am not even 1% as wealthy when compared to yours but I'm still a person with feelings. Don't intrude into my life and make fun of me. If you do, I won't keep silent about it. I will surely fight you and the other F4's for my pride, because for me, that is the most important thing in life. You won't see me collapsed, never! Okay?" She made it clear and left, knowing Lei was just near by and heard the whole thing.
She knows she'll regret losing her temper like that one day, but today, she felt quite good letting it all go.
Ah Si stood there unmoved. He's still trying to cope to the whole incident.
"That is one hot, blazing chick. Not in the sexual manner but at..ti..tude. Wow! What a temper," said Xi Men, patting Ah Si's back. "Good luck, dude," Mei Zhuo added. Ignoring the others, Lei's gaze follows Shan Chai's direction, wondering what is wrong.
He can't sleep that night. He was thinking about Ah Si's plan. For two whole days, he has to listened to Ah Si's, Xi Men's and Mei Zuo's plot to get Shan Chai. He cannot take it any more. He felt like a loser, unable to stop the bet and prevent the mess that will drag Shan Chai in it. But, one thing good about this whole bet is that he now knows more about her than before. With Ah Si's influence at Ying De, every detail about Shan Chai came to Ah Si's possession.
She was three years younger than he was, taking business administration course and lived with her parents in a single storey terrace house. He even knows where she works. Working part time at a cake house near her house, she was a kind, friendly girl, and only has two best friends, Qing He; her friend since primary school and Xiao You; her co-worker and also a friend during her secondary years. The only one thing common with the both of them, excluding the rooftop, was that she was also the only child.
"I just hope Ah Si will give up." He sighed and shift to his right side. Blinking in the dark, he got up and walked to the balcony. He stared at the garden in front of him. After a while, he realized that the night was quite clear, not as dark as usual. He looked up and saw the full moon, shining brightly.
'It has already been a month since I first saw her. She must've gone to the rooftop tonight. I can't believe I could care for a girl this fast. Just right after I lost Jing. Am I just using her to hold back my sorrow for losing Jing? Am I really just using her? Or I really did care for her?' He gave a long thought. He still can't figure out his true feelings towards the girl.
~~
'He didn't show up last night. Must've something important to do. Wait a minute. Why am I expecting him to be there? Not that we've promised to meet or anything. Why would I concern about him? He probably didn't even think about me. He really is mysterious, very hard to understand. His action always surprises me,' she told herself, blushing when she remembered back the day he hold her hand and kissed it.
Arriving at Ying De, she was shocked to find that the person she hates was waiting for her at the parking lot, since she was the only person who went to Ying De by motorcycle. She parked her scooter and got down, heading straight to the person who was smiling at her. "Get lost! What do you want? You want to fight some more? Not satisfied?" she scolded him.
"You! Can't you be gentle like a woman? Act just like a boy! So rough!" yelled back the boy, putting his hand on his waist, the smile faded.
"Gentle or not is none of your business. Stand a side!" She pushed the boy aside and walked past him.
"I'm sorry."
She stopped. Turning around she looked at him. "What did you just say?"
"I said, 'I'm sorry'. I should've helped you up that day."
"About time you agreed it was your fault. Sure does take a long time to understand that," she sneered and headed back to her destination.
"It wasn't my fault! You're the one running in the hallway! I'm just trying to be polite. I am, however, a man with 'size'."
She turned back and glared at him. "You're despicable! Arrogant, stupid and a pervert! Aaahhh!!" Turning back towards her class, she was furious. 'That jerk made me so mad! Ruining my mood early in the morning. Not just he is an arrogant, hardheaded, intolerant person, he also a pervert! 'Size'? He has some nerve!!' she grumbled angrily to herself.
~~
He watched the whole incident from behind the wall and smiled. She walked past him without noticing him at the side. 'She does look angry. Well, she sure can take care of herself.' He looked back at Ah Si. Xi Men and Mei Zhuo had just approached him from their hiding place, laughing at Ah Si's face. He knows that Ah Si has lost his temper. For the first time he met his match. There was no other person able to scold him like that other than his sister. According to Shan Chai's timetable that Ah Si has, she will have a break at about 10. He'll wait for her at the rooftop. He had a feeling she'll be there.
"Nice work Ah Si. You really are smooth with your words. Hahahahahaha." laughed Xi Men, followed by Mei Zhuo. "Shut up! She is too rough and egoistic. But I'll get her, just wait and see."
Xi Men stopped laughing but kept on grinning. "Yeah, sure. Okay, I believe you, for now." Mei Zhuo nodded, still giggling. "Nonetheless, she reminds me of someone I knew.ehmm.," said Xi Men.
"She's like Dao Ming Zhuang," he announced. Xi Men turned to look at him. "That's right! She acts just like Zhuang Che."
"No, she is not! She was more intolerable than Zhuang," shouted Ah Si, disagree. "Just like you, Ah Si," exclaimed Mei Zhuo, laughing. They all laughed at Ah Si. With a sour expression, Ah Si walked away. They followed from behind, still laughing.
At the café, Ah Si still put on his annoyed face. "Oh, come on now Ah Si. Lighten up, okay," said Mei Zhuo, nudging Ah Si's arm. "I'm thinking of how to get that girl. What's her name again?"
"Shan Chai," he said without noticing it.
Xi Men looked at him intensely. "What? He has been babbling on how to get her for three days now," he tried to cover up his mistake. Xi Men just nodded but he could see the unsatisfied look on his face. 'I better be careful of what I say next time,' he made a note to himself.
"Xi Men, Mei Zhuo, Lei, what should I do now? Every time I saw her, we quarrel. How can I win her heart if we keep on arguing?" asked Ah Si. He glanced at his watch. He has another hour to 10. "How about flower and chocolates? Girls are crazy for those two. Always work for me," suggested Mei Zhuo.
"Ah Si, this is supposed to be a bet between you and us, you know. Helping you is not beneficial for us," claimed Xi Men, looking straight at Ah Si. "This is no longer about the bet. I want to get that girl. This is revenge. I want her to fall for me and then I'll just break her heart. Not only that, I would announce to the whole of Ying De all about her secrets when we are together."
He can't stand it anymore. Ah Si's idea of payback at Shan Chai has gone a bit too far. "You are being childish. Just apologize to her and let go. You did bump into her." Ah Si glared at him. Mei Zhuo made a 'Oh! You'll be in trouble' look and Xi Men looked at him curiously.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you on her side? You know her, didn't you?" questioned Ah Si, raising his voice. He kept quite. Finishing his drink, he stood and left. "Fine! If you don't want to join in, you can walk out. But, I'm warning you. Do not interfere! You hear me, Lei?" Ignoring Ah Si, he walked away.
"What's his problem? He never cares about others before," asked Ah Si. Mei Zhuo and Xi Men exchanged looks, and then shrugged. "We have no idea. You know how Lei are. He's very mysterious and keeps everything to himself. He must have his own reasons. Forget about him," said Xi Men, backing up Lei. Mei Zhuo nodded, agreeing with Xi Men's speculation.
~~
'What a messed up morning! Can't understand what the lecturer taught, have tons of work to do, and not to forget the argument with that stupid jerk. He's at fault! Spoiled my mood early in the morning.' she said to herself while walking towards the rooftop. Every time she's on break or troubled, she'll absolutely find her way to the rooftop.
Opening the door, she noticed someone on the railing with two cans of drink. Knowing who it was, she quietly crept towards the person. She wants to surprise him as he always did to her. "Take a drink and sit." She stopped. 'How did he know it's me without turning?' she asked herself, puzzled. "Why do you still standing there? Come," he said, turning around to face her and held up a can for her. Smiling, she walked over to him. She took the drink and climbed onto the railing.
The both of them sat in silent, enjoying the scenery and drink. "How did you know it was me?" she asked, staring at him, waiting for his answer. "Instinct," he answered without taking his eyes off his view.
"Shan Chai, have you finished?" he asked, after a while. She turned to face him. "Emm. why?" He smiled and took the can from her hand. "Can you wait here for another 10 minutes and then come down to the music room?"
"What's at the music room?"
"Just come okay. I'll wait for you there." He winked at her and climbed down.
'He's in a good mood today. What is it that he wants to show me at the music room? Oh well! Just wait and see then,' she thought. She took out her notebook and read the previous lecture.
~~
10 minutes afterwards she started to head down to the music room as Lei had wanted. In her mind, a lot of questions and speculations came up. She reached the music room minutes later. Standing near the door, she tried to listen to what was going on in the room. Nothing. Not a single sound was heard. She took a deep breath and opened the door. On the stage, stood Lei, waiting for her. He motioned her to come in and sit at the front row. 'Is he going to sing for me?' she wondered.
She sat on the seat that is opposite of him. He smiled at her and took out a violin from his back. "This is for you. Happy first month anniversary of our first meet. Sorry for not being at the rooftop yesterday. Hope this will make it up to you," he announced, before playing the violin. 'He remembered! This is so surprisingly wonderful. Oh my! He really can play the violin. What a beautiful sound!' Just then, she stopped thinking at once and focused on listening to his music.
~~
He closed his eyes and played the music that came to him yesterday night. Mixing the music with his mood right now, felt so refreshing and intriguing. He could feel his whole body corresponding with the rhythm.
Violin was his infatuation ever since he was 12. Ever since he heard the first violin played at a violin recital, he was curious how such a small instrument could give out such a melodious sound. That has sparked his interest to learn to play the violin. Even though there were times when he felt like giving up because of the pain and cuts on his fingers, he kept going. It was all because of one simple explanation, he was in love with the violin. Playing the violin made him calmed and free to be himself. He doesn't have to think about what was going on around him or even his problems. It was just the two of them, his violin and him.
This was the first time he shared his passion with someone else. He opened his eyes when it came to the last verse. In front of him, the girl he dedicate the music to was closing her eyes and anticipate with the music he played. 'She never looked so beautiful than now,' he thought. He finished his music with a high note. Holding on to his violin, he watched Shan Chai intensely. She was smiling and it took her some time before opening her eyes again. "That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me," she said, softly but loud enough for him to hear. That was enough said. Her compliment made him utterly happy. It made him want to hold her in his arms. But, instead, he put down his violin in its case and walked down slowly from the stage towards her.
"I made it just for you. I'm glad you like it," he confessed after he sat down next to her. "Like it? I LOVE it! You made it yourself? Wow! You're so talented. You could perform in an orchestra or even put on a solo performance. I would surely come to hear you play," she exclaimed.
The look on her face at that exact time was so adorable and cute. "Kawaii," he said, as he leaned forward and gave a quick kiss on her forehead. He could see her blushed in an instant and she quickly looked down to cover her face from him. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you," he whispered. She stayed still, gave out no response. 'Was she offended to the kiss? I couldn't help it. She was too cute. It just happened. Please don't let her be mad at me,' he thought, guilty and scared of offending her.
"Shan Chai, please look at me. I'm sorry if I have offended you. I'll leave if you don't want me here, but believe me that I never meant to hurt you or offended you. You're just too cute and adorable, just like a little girl. I couldn't help it to want to give you a kiss," he apologized.
Seeing that she remained the same, static, he sighed. He got up from his seat and walked away, unwillingly. Walking past her towards the stage to take his violin, his shirt jerked. He turned his head to the side and saw Shan Chai's hand at his shirttail, tugging it. Looking up, he met Shan Chai's gaze. "Don't go. I'm not mad at you. Just, just a bit shocked. Please sit down again," pleaded Shan Chai. Letting go of his shirt, Shan Chai gave out a slight smile, her cheeks reddened. He felt relieved after hearing what she had just said. Smiling, he sat back again at his previous sit.
The two of them kept quiet. None have any idea to start a conversation. 'I better not touched on the kiss issue again. Have to get rid of this awkwardness. Emm.' he considered. "You have a class at noon right? Two more hours to go. Let's go someplace for branch, okay?"
"What? Oh, yea! At noon. Branch? But, I've promised my friend to eat out with him."
"Qing He, right? Does he have a mobile phone? You could use mine to cancel it," he suggested. She looked shocked when he mentioned her friend's name. He can't help but to grin. "I have my ways."
~~
'How did he had known all of this? My timetable and Qing He? He even knows what my thoughts are. It is so hard to understand him, but I guess that's what fascinates me about him. I can never know his next move.just like today,' she thought, remembering his performance and the kiss. She touched her forehead secretly and smiled.
"Shan Chai, what are you doing? Here, call up Qing He." His voice startled her. She nodded and took the phone.
"Hello, Qing He. I can't go out with you today. I have another appointment with a friend. We'll go out after class, okay. Thanks Qing He. Take care now, bye." She handed back his phone. "Come, we have to hurry," he said, grabbing her hand and lead her out of the room.
She noticed that some of the students stared at Lei and her. Some even whispered and looked surprised. 'What's going on? Why do they looked so shocked? Is there anything wrong that I didn't know?' she thought uneasily.
Lei lead her straight to the main entrance where she saw 4 expensive cars parked. Lei let go of her hand and took out his key. He went straight to the black Porsche on the far left side of the 4 cars. Opening up the passenger's door, he said, "Hop in."
She kept changing looks between the other 3 cars and Lei. 'Who is Lei? Who are the owners of these other 3 cars? Why are they so special, permitted to park here?' she wondered. She walked slowly towards him. Stepping into his car, she looked around. "Wow! Nice car," she cried out, astonished. Lei got in and smiled at her, then drove off.
~~
She was walking to her class after Lei dropped her off at the back entrance as she has requested, when she realized that everyone was staring at her and whispered behind her back. 'What's going on? Did I have something on my face?' She rubbed her face gently, while still looking at the people around her.
"Shan Chai, Shan Chai." Hearing her name being shouted, she turned around. "What is it, Qing He?" Qing He grinned. "You never told me you knew F4." She looked Qing He straight in the eye. She was dumbfounded. She doesn't understand why Qing He asked her to this question. "What? I don't know any F4."
"Don't lie to me Shan Chai. I'm your friend.anyway, you are not good at lying. Rumors has spread that you went out with Hua Zhe Lei." She still don't understand. 'I don't know any Hua Zhe Lei. Why does Qing He asking me these questions?' Qing He stared at her quizzically. "You really don't know them do you? Come with me Shan Chai. I'll show you who F4 is." Qing He took her hand and pulled her along. They stopped in front of Ying De's field, opposite the main entrance.
"There, under the tree. Can you see the four figures? They are the famous F4. The one standing is Dao Ming Si, the one sitting in front of him is Xi Men, the other one laughing and holding the can of drink at Xi Men's side is Mei Zhuo, and the last one behind Xi Men is Hua Zhe Lei. You can't see his face clearly because he is facing the other way." Shan Chai watched the four of them closely.
'Oh my! That Dao Ming Si is that jerk Ah Si. Those are his friends that came to his aid that day. That would mean.the last person there would be.' She clasped her mouth. She can't believed her eyes. So the four car parked at the front entrance are theirs. No wonder that jerk acted as if he owned the college and why Lei knew so much about her. He had been snooping on her. Feeling betrayed and ashamed, she turned around and ran off.
Not sure where to go, she went straight to the restroom. Washing her hand and splashed some water on her face, she stared straight to the mirror. 'I can't believe I let myself being played by those boys, especially Lei. I . I . I thought he was for real. Wait! I can't be like this: sad, pathetic, a softy. Come on Shan Chai! Wake up! Are you going to let them go just like that? Are going to show them that they've won? NO! Now, walk out of here and just ignore the others, you still have one more class to attend. The revenge can wait,' she said to herself, trying to lift up her spirit and pulled herself together.
Entering her class, she put on a straight face and walked towards her seat. 'Keep a clear mind. Ignore them.ignore them,' she kept repeating it to calm herself, aware of the stares from the other students. Just then, she realized of the bouquet of yellow and white roses on top of her table. She picked it up, looked around the classroom but nobody said anything. Noticed a card on the bouquet, she opened it up and read.
"Shan Chai, I'm really, truly sorry. The white roses means, I surrender and ask for your forgiveness while the yellow roses represent my wish to start again, from the beginning. If you have the heart to forgive me, meet me after class at the main entrance. Sincerely, Dao Ming Si."
"What's so special about her? She got a bouquet of flower from Dao Ming Si, asking for forgiveness and start over. Start what, eh? What do they have before?"
"I even heard rumors that she went out with Hua Zhe Lei. She is so plain and yet, two of the F4 members, the richest and the cutest one went out for her. Maybe she bewitched them to fall for her."
The conversations around her were annoying. She glared at the whole classroom. "SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE ME!" Silent swept in the classroom instantly. Everybody stared at her, disbelieved and some disgusted. Annoyed, frustrated and angry, she barged out of the classroom, holding on to the bouquet and went straight on to the field she last saw the F4's.
From afar, she saw the four of them still laughing and drinking happily. Anger dwelled up inside her. She can't wait any longer. Running straight to them, she called out Ah Si's name. Ah Si looked around, saw her and smiled. His smiling face made her more furious. When she was a step distance from Ah Si, she hit him with the flowers.
"Owww! What the." Ah Si yelped.
"What is the meaning of, this? Just because you're rich does not mean that you can play other people around! So stop bothering me! Let me be! Stay away from my life! LEAVE ME ALONE!! ALL OF YOU! I MEAN IT! ALL...OF.YOU!" she screamed, glared sideways towards Lei at the end of the sentence. She huffed and walked away. Other students are looking at her but she doesn't care.
Behind her, Ah Si glared at Mei Zhuo. "You said girls like flowers?"
"Well, they do! She must have been a freak. Must because of something you did. Well, go after her and find out or apologize," said Mei Zhuo, lifted his shoulder, unable to understand the scene before him just now.
"Shan Chai, wait up."
Ignoring the call, she walked faster, even ran a few paces. Of a sudden, someone grabbed her arm. "LET GO! I don't want to hear anything from you no more."
"Shan Chai, look at me! I'm not going to let go of your arm unless you look at me and tell me what I do wrong!" commanded Ah Si.
"Fine! Now, can you let go?" she hissed. Letting her arm free, Ah Si stared at her as she does him back.
"Which part of the whole thing you don't understand? I want you and your groupies to leave me alone. I know, I am not even 1% as wealthy when compared to yours but I'm still a person with feelings. Don't intrude into my life and make fun of me. If you do, I won't keep silent about it. I will surely fight you and the other F4's for my pride, because for me, that is the most important thing in life. You won't see me collapsed, never! Okay?" She made it clear and left, knowing Lei was just near by and heard the whole thing.
She knows she'll regret losing her temper like that one day, but today, she felt quite good letting it all go.
Ah Si stood there unmoved. He's still trying to cope to the whole incident.
"That is one hot, blazing chick. Not in the sexual manner but at..ti..tude. Wow! What a temper," said Xi Men, patting Ah Si's back. "Good luck, dude," Mei Zhuo added. Ignoring the others, Lei's gaze follows Shan Chai's direction, wondering what is wrong.