Chapter 18.0: Give Up?
Lei kept on tossing around on his bed. He can't shut his eyes. Whenever he tried to shut it and fall asleep, the dream he had before came rushing back to his mind. The tears running down on her sweet face before saying her goodbyes was unbearable. Knowing that he probably wouldn't get any sleep, he finally settled down by lying on his back on the bed, his left arm rested on his forehead, his face facing straight at the ceiling and a pillow settled on his chest.
'She's with Ah Si? Could it be true? But, they've never showed any signs of having a relationship. The look on her eyes when she looked at me was still the same caring, loving sight. That would mean she still likes me. Why would she look at me that way if she were having a relationship with Ah Si? Why would she still come up to the rooftop to be with me? Why would she hug me in front of Ying De that night? She was so happy to see me. That could not be an act. The both of them can't be lying about their relationship, could they? If they were, they are extremely good. Even I, an observer, aren't able to detect the difference.'
There were so many questions in his head. Giving out a sigh, he sat up and got out of bed. He went straight to the balcony and stood by the railing.
'Shan Chai.what should I do now? I was so sure of myself that you would be mine, Shan Chai. Have I not shown you enough signs or the affection I felt for you, that you, out of the blue, accept Ah Si instead of me? I just can't let you go.I can't. I would be nothing without you, Shan Chai.'
He put his arms on the railing and rest his head on them. He was in that condition for sometime before he looked up again. His face brightened a bit as if he was struck by an idea. He finally realized something.
'I've been thinking this all wrong! They said they are in a relationship, but what type of relationship? Why does every time when someone proclaimed they were having a relationship, we would assume it was love? Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe Ah Si was purposely planning for this? Probably because of that bet! He wanted us to presume they were now a couple. That was why, Shan Chai was shocked to learn that Xi Men and Mei Zhuo didn't know about her relationship with Ah Si. I would not give up that easily, unless I am very certain they really are a couple. Tomorrow.'
Feeling a lot better than before, he walked back to his room, set the alarm clock and climbed back to his bed. Ever since he got close to Shan Chai, he had been using his alarm clock to wake him up in the morning so that he would be at the rooftop when she was there during her free period.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Waking up early in the morning, at about fifteen minutes after seven, she hummed a happy tune while making up her bed. She then went to the toilet to wash up and brushed her teeth. The tune was still heard coming out from her. After dabbing her face with a towel, she looked around her house.
"Well, where should I start first?" She asked herself, eyeing from one corner of the house to the other.
'It has been awhile since I have spent my time in this house. Usually I have to hang out with F4 or just sleep in during the weekdays since my time was full with classes and work.'
After sometime, she figured she would dust off the ceiling from spider webs. Taking out the long cobweb broom from the store, Shan Chai tied up a towel over her nose to keep out from inhaling dusts. She has just finished cleaning two corners of the house when the doorbell rang. Putting down the broom, she went to open the door. To her surprise, Hua Zhe Lei was standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked while pulling down the towel.
Lei smiled. Taking out his handkerchief, he covered his nose with it, tying it up at the back. Still not answering her question, he allowed himself in the house and went over to the broom, passing the shocked Shan Chai.
"Wait! Lei, what are you doing?"
Looking at her, he winked and continued her work before, brushing off cobwebs. Seeing that she wouldn't get an answer from him, and that his action was obvious, he's going to help her with the house cleaning; she placed the towel back over her nose and went to the store again.
She came out with a towel and a bucket filled with a quarter of water. Taking a glance at Lei, she dipped the towel in the water, squeezed it to drench the excess water and started to wipe off dust from the side table.
'I wonder why he showed up in front of my house this early in the morning. I thought Xi Men said that he have to have his 15 hours sleep everyday. About yesterday,.should I ask him? Maybe later.'
At about 3 hours later, they stopped cleaning and Shan Chai took out two bottles of cold green tea. Sitting down on the tatami at the living room, side by side with the bottles between them, each of them faced the window in silence.
Looking at Lei slowly, she tried to form up sentences for opening a conversation. But, before she could manage to voice out, Lei beat her to it.
"I was sleepy yesterday. I went back home to sleep."
"How did you know I wanted to ask you about yesterday?" asked Shan Chai, amazed with his sudden statement.
"Would you go to Jing's fashion show with me?" Lei asked, avoiding her question.
He turned his head towards her, smiling and hoping. Shan Chai, looked into his eyes.
'His dreamy eyes looked so hopeful. I wanted to go with him. I really do. Ah Si. how about him? I've made a promise with him yesterday.'
He obviously could see the hesitation in her because of what he spoke next hit the bulls eye.
"You've promised Ah Si."
She couldn't help but to nod. There's no way she could lie to him. He could read her like the back of his hand.
"If you hadn't, who would you rather go with?"
She looked at his face. Shan Chai really doesn't understand why he would ask her that question or where it would lead to but she answered him with the truth.
"You. It always will be you, Lei."
She could see his smile formed. His face lit up.
"Let's tell Ah Si, you're going with me. Would you mine?"
"YOU better tell him. I don't want to hear his fit! You know how he is."
Nodding slightly, he took out his phone and dialed Ah Si's number.
"Hello, Ah Si. I'm at Shan Chai's. She's going to tonight's show with me. See you there."
After saying those few sentences, he hung up. Shan Chai looked at him, disbelieved.
"Did you really talk to him? Or was it the voicemail?"
"It's him."
"What? You just told him and hung up? Do you know how he'll react? He would call me up, or outburst his anger at us tonight!" exclaimed Shan Chai.
"Do you really care about his feelings?" inquired Lei with an interest look on his face.
"Mochiron! Of course I care! If not, we are both going to be in big trouble with him! Furthermore, he's my niichan!"
Smiling even broader, Lei said, "As I had expected. Renounce I shall not."
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P/S: Well, what do you think? I hope you won't be mad at me anymore for the previous chapter. Does this chapter up to all of your taste and standard? Do drop a line @ comment.
Lei kept on tossing around on his bed. He can't shut his eyes. Whenever he tried to shut it and fall asleep, the dream he had before came rushing back to his mind. The tears running down on her sweet face before saying her goodbyes was unbearable. Knowing that he probably wouldn't get any sleep, he finally settled down by lying on his back on the bed, his left arm rested on his forehead, his face facing straight at the ceiling and a pillow settled on his chest.
'She's with Ah Si? Could it be true? But, they've never showed any signs of having a relationship. The look on her eyes when she looked at me was still the same caring, loving sight. That would mean she still likes me. Why would she look at me that way if she were having a relationship with Ah Si? Why would she still come up to the rooftop to be with me? Why would she hug me in front of Ying De that night? She was so happy to see me. That could not be an act. The both of them can't be lying about their relationship, could they? If they were, they are extremely good. Even I, an observer, aren't able to detect the difference.'
There were so many questions in his head. Giving out a sigh, he sat up and got out of bed. He went straight to the balcony and stood by the railing.
'Shan Chai.what should I do now? I was so sure of myself that you would be mine, Shan Chai. Have I not shown you enough signs or the affection I felt for you, that you, out of the blue, accept Ah Si instead of me? I just can't let you go.I can't. I would be nothing without you, Shan Chai.'
He put his arms on the railing and rest his head on them. He was in that condition for sometime before he looked up again. His face brightened a bit as if he was struck by an idea. He finally realized something.
'I've been thinking this all wrong! They said they are in a relationship, but what type of relationship? Why does every time when someone proclaimed they were having a relationship, we would assume it was love? Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe Ah Si was purposely planning for this? Probably because of that bet! He wanted us to presume they were now a couple. That was why, Shan Chai was shocked to learn that Xi Men and Mei Zhuo didn't know about her relationship with Ah Si. I would not give up that easily, unless I am very certain they really are a couple. Tomorrow.'
Feeling a lot better than before, he walked back to his room, set the alarm clock and climbed back to his bed. Ever since he got close to Shan Chai, he had been using his alarm clock to wake him up in the morning so that he would be at the rooftop when she was there during her free period.
~~~*~~~*~~~
Waking up early in the morning, at about fifteen minutes after seven, she hummed a happy tune while making up her bed. She then went to the toilet to wash up and brushed her teeth. The tune was still heard coming out from her. After dabbing her face with a towel, she looked around her house.
"Well, where should I start first?" She asked herself, eyeing from one corner of the house to the other.
'It has been awhile since I have spent my time in this house. Usually I have to hang out with F4 or just sleep in during the weekdays since my time was full with classes and work.'
After sometime, she figured she would dust off the ceiling from spider webs. Taking out the long cobweb broom from the store, Shan Chai tied up a towel over her nose to keep out from inhaling dusts. She has just finished cleaning two corners of the house when the doorbell rang. Putting down the broom, she went to open the door. To her surprise, Hua Zhe Lei was standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked while pulling down the towel.
Lei smiled. Taking out his handkerchief, he covered his nose with it, tying it up at the back. Still not answering her question, he allowed himself in the house and went over to the broom, passing the shocked Shan Chai.
"Wait! Lei, what are you doing?"
Looking at her, he winked and continued her work before, brushing off cobwebs. Seeing that she wouldn't get an answer from him, and that his action was obvious, he's going to help her with the house cleaning; she placed the towel back over her nose and went to the store again.
She came out with a towel and a bucket filled with a quarter of water. Taking a glance at Lei, she dipped the towel in the water, squeezed it to drench the excess water and started to wipe off dust from the side table.
'I wonder why he showed up in front of my house this early in the morning. I thought Xi Men said that he have to have his 15 hours sleep everyday. About yesterday,.should I ask him? Maybe later.'
At about 3 hours later, they stopped cleaning and Shan Chai took out two bottles of cold green tea. Sitting down on the tatami at the living room, side by side with the bottles between them, each of them faced the window in silence.
Looking at Lei slowly, she tried to form up sentences for opening a conversation. But, before she could manage to voice out, Lei beat her to it.
"I was sleepy yesterday. I went back home to sleep."
"How did you know I wanted to ask you about yesterday?" asked Shan Chai, amazed with his sudden statement.
"Would you go to Jing's fashion show with me?" Lei asked, avoiding her question.
He turned his head towards her, smiling and hoping. Shan Chai, looked into his eyes.
'His dreamy eyes looked so hopeful. I wanted to go with him. I really do. Ah Si. how about him? I've made a promise with him yesterday.'
He obviously could see the hesitation in her because of what he spoke next hit the bulls eye.
"You've promised Ah Si."
She couldn't help but to nod. There's no way she could lie to him. He could read her like the back of his hand.
"If you hadn't, who would you rather go with?"
She looked at his face. Shan Chai really doesn't understand why he would ask her that question or where it would lead to but she answered him with the truth.
"You. It always will be you, Lei."
She could see his smile formed. His face lit up.
"Let's tell Ah Si, you're going with me. Would you mine?"
"YOU better tell him. I don't want to hear his fit! You know how he is."
Nodding slightly, he took out his phone and dialed Ah Si's number.
"Hello, Ah Si. I'm at Shan Chai's. She's going to tonight's show with me. See you there."
After saying those few sentences, he hung up. Shan Chai looked at him, disbelieved.
"Did you really talk to him? Or was it the voicemail?"
"It's him."
"What? You just told him and hung up? Do you know how he'll react? He would call me up, or outburst his anger at us tonight!" exclaimed Shan Chai.
"Do you really care about his feelings?" inquired Lei with an interest look on his face.
"Mochiron! Of course I care! If not, we are both going to be in big trouble with him! Furthermore, he's my niichan!"
Smiling even broader, Lei said, "As I had expected. Renounce I shall not."
------------------------------------------------------------
P/S: Well, what do you think? I hope you won't be mad at me anymore for the previous chapter. Does this chapter up to all of your taste and standard? Do drop a line @ comment.