Chapter 15
"Hey there!" Xi Men called out to his friends. After helping himself to the wine that was already on their table, he said apologetically, "Sorry I'm late. Got caught up with something at the office. Did I miss anything?'
"We thought you weren't going to come after all. I was just going to give you a call in a second," Mei Zhuo replied and raised his glass, "Anyway let's start with a toast. To our friendship!" he said. "Friendship!" the other two chorused and touched their glasses gently together.
"So how's everything?" Xi Men asked Dao Ming Si after draining his glass of wine and proceeded to pour himself another and topping up for his friends as well. "You must be extremely excited Mr Father-to-be. I can imagine you must be driving San Chai up the wall already with your anticipation," he continued while laughing at his friend with Mei Zhuo joining in the laughter. "Yeah I bet you are probably more excited and anxious about the pregnancy than her," Mei Zhuo added.
"Hey what is this? It is only natural for me to be excited. You guys and San Chai should be worried if I am not acting this way ok," Dao Ming Si replied indignantly and adding on to Mei Zhuo, "Don't speak too soon ok. Wait till Xiao Qiao gets pregnant. Then we'll see who will be the one getting all paranoid and agitated. You probably would forbid her to even play her cello or something stupid like that."
Mei Zhuo couldn't come up with a good come back to that because in actual fact, he knew he would also be just like Dao Ming Si if his Xiao Qiao is pregnant with his baby, so he just smiled, kept quiet and drank his wine. He also tried to change the topic, "So Xi Men, what's up with you lately? What have you been busy with?"
All of them laughed at that poor attempt to divert that attention away from himself, but Xi Men decided to extend his friend a lifeline by replying to his question later, "Nothing new. Busy with work as usual. I had just completed a deal with a Swedish company a couple of days ago, so a bit of load off my shoulders at the moment. That deal was particularly difficult to negotiate because of all the red tape involved."
Although it was a major coup for Xi Men's company to get that deal, he no longer feels the euphoria that usually comes after the completion of a job well done. In fact, he feels indifferent. Dao Ming Si was thinking of the same thing looking at Xi Men's facial expression while he was talking. "He doesn't even look happy or satisfied or... anything," Dao Ming Si thought to himself. "He looks tired in fact. and worn out, he no longer looks happy or excited about anything anymore. No more the old carefree Xi Men that I knew back at Ying De," he sighed softly and taking a sip of his wine.
The 3 guys continued talking and laughing throughout the night, reminiscing about their old days. During one of their moments of silence, with each of them occupied with their own thoughts, Dao Ming Si suddenly blurted out, "She's back."
"Huh? Who's back? What are you talking about Ah Si? Are you drunk?" Mei Zhuo asked with a puzzled look on his face. Xi Men was thinking of the same thing when he heard Dao Ming Si suddenly blurting out. "Yeah man, who is back?" he asked.
Turning his head to look directly towards Xi Men, so that he knows that he is not joking he answered with a serious look on his face, "Xiao You. Xiao You is back."
Xi Men and Mei Zhuo were both silenced by the revelation. Dao Ming Si continued, "She came back to Taiwan today. I've met her. San Chai had her over for dinner tonight. She's back Xi Men, Xiao You is back."
"Hey there!" Xi Men called out to his friends. After helping himself to the wine that was already on their table, he said apologetically, "Sorry I'm late. Got caught up with something at the office. Did I miss anything?'
"We thought you weren't going to come after all. I was just going to give you a call in a second," Mei Zhuo replied and raised his glass, "Anyway let's start with a toast. To our friendship!" he said. "Friendship!" the other two chorused and touched their glasses gently together.
"So how's everything?" Xi Men asked Dao Ming Si after draining his glass of wine and proceeded to pour himself another and topping up for his friends as well. "You must be extremely excited Mr Father-to-be. I can imagine you must be driving San Chai up the wall already with your anticipation," he continued while laughing at his friend with Mei Zhuo joining in the laughter. "Yeah I bet you are probably more excited and anxious about the pregnancy than her," Mei Zhuo added.
"Hey what is this? It is only natural for me to be excited. You guys and San Chai should be worried if I am not acting this way ok," Dao Ming Si replied indignantly and adding on to Mei Zhuo, "Don't speak too soon ok. Wait till Xiao Qiao gets pregnant. Then we'll see who will be the one getting all paranoid and agitated. You probably would forbid her to even play her cello or something stupid like that."
Mei Zhuo couldn't come up with a good come back to that because in actual fact, he knew he would also be just like Dao Ming Si if his Xiao Qiao is pregnant with his baby, so he just smiled, kept quiet and drank his wine. He also tried to change the topic, "So Xi Men, what's up with you lately? What have you been busy with?"
All of them laughed at that poor attempt to divert that attention away from himself, but Xi Men decided to extend his friend a lifeline by replying to his question later, "Nothing new. Busy with work as usual. I had just completed a deal with a Swedish company a couple of days ago, so a bit of load off my shoulders at the moment. That deal was particularly difficult to negotiate because of all the red tape involved."
Although it was a major coup for Xi Men's company to get that deal, he no longer feels the euphoria that usually comes after the completion of a job well done. In fact, he feels indifferent. Dao Ming Si was thinking of the same thing looking at Xi Men's facial expression while he was talking. "He doesn't even look happy or satisfied or... anything," Dao Ming Si thought to himself. "He looks tired in fact. and worn out, he no longer looks happy or excited about anything anymore. No more the old carefree Xi Men that I knew back at Ying De," he sighed softly and taking a sip of his wine.
The 3 guys continued talking and laughing throughout the night, reminiscing about their old days. During one of their moments of silence, with each of them occupied with their own thoughts, Dao Ming Si suddenly blurted out, "She's back."
"Huh? Who's back? What are you talking about Ah Si? Are you drunk?" Mei Zhuo asked with a puzzled look on his face. Xi Men was thinking of the same thing when he heard Dao Ming Si suddenly blurting out. "Yeah man, who is back?" he asked.
Turning his head to look directly towards Xi Men, so that he knows that he is not joking he answered with a serious look on his face, "Xiao You. Xiao You is back."
Xi Men and Mei Zhuo were both silenced by the revelation. Dao Ming Si continued, "She came back to Taiwan today. I've met her. San Chai had her over for dinner tonight. She's back Xi Men, Xiao You is back."