'My dear Shancai,
How are you? How do you like Madrid after leaving Barcelona? Spain must be a beautiful country for you and A Si to decide to stay there a while longer. We've received the photographs and postcards you sent from all those places you went to, and we are glad to see you both are happy.
We're sorry we were not able to write sooner, but we have been busy, what with Papa having to work twice as hard to meet the quota. The director was kind enough to give him another chance. But do not worry, you are always on our minds.
It has been three months since you left for Barcelona and now we really miss you terribly. We always worry about you but when we remember that Dao Ming Si is with you, we feel a bit better.
We know you have been kept abreast with what's been going on here, but I will tell you anyway.
Two weeks after you and A Si left for Barcelona, Master Hua Ze Lei went to Japan and has not come back to Taipei since. But occasionally he calls and checks up on us. Such a thoughtful young man! He has been busy helping his father with their family business, especially now that they decided to make Japan their center for operations.
Master Xi Men, on the other hand, we rarely see him anymore. Eversince his father retired and got back with his mother, the Xi Men Corporation was left in his hands for him to run. Everyone is proud of him, Shancai. He runs the company so well that their stocks have reached an all-time high in the market! His face is always featured on business magazines and publications! He's like a celebrity now!
It's the same thing with Master Mei Zuo who joined his company just last month. But the best part is: He is getting engaged to that beautiful cello player Xiao Qiao! Everyone thinks it is a good match and I foresee a great future for them. Of course it has not been formally announced yet, but Qing He has been resourceful. He has kept Mama and Papa up to date.
You must have heard about me and Shage starting the eatery business together. It's true! He is a good cook but he admits to not knowing the first thing about running a business and he asked for my charm and wit to help him. Of course, Mama agreed! I am not selfish not to lend my talents to a good man like him!
We miss you, Shancai. When are you and A Si coming home? I know you are both enjoying your life there, and your jobs at the travel agency, but are you ever planning on coming back to Taipei? Don't you miss us at all?
Give A Si our love, and tell him he should take very good care of you or we'll swim across the seas and beat him up!
Take care, dear daughter. Remember, Mama loves you very much.
Love,
Mama'
======================================
Shancai stared at her Mama's signature at the bottom of the page, feeling tearful all of a sudden. Blinking back the tears, she smiled in spite of herself. Oh, how she misses them!
She almost screamed with surprise as, out of nowhere, A Si, plopped down beside her on the couch.
"Dau Ming Si!" she scolded, ignoring his sheepish grin. "You should not sneak up on people like that!"
"You scare so easily," he teased, plucking under her chin. Spotting the piece of paper in her hand, he asked, "What did your mother say?" and reached for it. Shancai slapped his hand away and folded the letter.
"It is not proper to read other people's mail, even if it's your girlfriend's."
A Si looked petulant. "I just wanted to know what she wrote about."
Regretting rebuking him, Shancai said, "Nothing we do not already know. About Lei, Xi Men, Mei Zuo...they are all doing fine."
When he did not reply and remained pouting like a little boy, Shancai leaned over and whispered playfully, "They also said you should take care of me or they will swim their way to Spain and beat you into a pulp!"
She gave out a yelp when, in one swift move, A Si had her on her back on the couch with him leaning over her. Her laughter died upon seeing the grave look on his face.
"Oh?" she said nervously. "Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"
When A Si spoke, his voice wavered, emotions clogging his throat as the words came out one by one with much intensity.
"I will take good care of you, Shancai. Never, ever, again will I stray."
Looking deep up into his eyes, Shancai knew in her heart she believed him. Slowly she smiled up at him. "I know," she whispered, and met his kiss with as much fervor, tenderness and love rivaling his own.
When their lips parted, A Si did not move away. Instead his head remained lodged on her shoulder. Lovingly Shancai stroked his hair, loving the feel of it against her fingers. A Si had a hair cut a couple of weeks ago and now his new look reminded her of when they were still back at Ying De...It seemed like ages ago...
"A long time..." she blurted unknowingly, staring at the ceiling, feeling A Si's heart beating against hers. "Mama asked when we are going back to Taipei."
His reply was muffled against her shoulder. "I don't want to go back. Not yet."
"I miss them."
A Si slowly lifted his head and looked at her. "Do you want to go back?"
"I don't know. I miss Mama and Papa, our friends...everyone. Don't you? Don't you want to go back?"
Thoughtfully A Si caught her hand in his, stopping her from stroking his hair. He stared at it, the meteor ring on her finger seemingly glowing.
"Eventually, yes. But not for a little while yet."
Shancai nodded. "I understand."
His next words confused her. "Let's get married."
Shancai smiled, not understanding. "Of course we are. We are engaged, remember?"
"No. I mean, let's get married. Soon. The soonest." His hand tightened around hers. "Here in Madrid."
"Dao Ming Si..."
"I know we agreed before not to rush things but...why wait?" He leaned his face closer to hers, so close that she could smell his breath. "It is clear to me," he went on, "from the start that there is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with...Only you."
"A Si..."
He shook his head vehemently, intent on making her see his point. "We don't need Taipe, we don't need anyone, anything! We have each other. That's all I care about."
Shancai found herself brimming with happiness as she seemed to drown in his gaze. "Yes," she breathed. "Let us get married."
A Si's face brightened with the happiest smile, and when he held her tightly in his arms, she became oblivious to everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hua Ze Lei stared at the postcard, flipping it once, twice. Madrid. Only three weeks ago it was Malaga. Now Madrid.
He laid the postcard on top of his desk and leaned back on his chair. Three months. It seemed a lifetime ago when A Si and Shancai reunited. He half- expected, half-dreaded it; they love each other, and there's nothing stronger than that, not even his own feelings for Shancai.
The door to the office opened and Hua Ze Wang came in.
Looking at the esteemed head of Hua Ze Industries walk towards his son's desk, one would not wonder where Lei took from. He was tall, lean and, no doubt, a very handsome man.
Wang's eyes strayed on the postcard, and he quirked a brow. "Madrid, is it?" He picked it up and read aloud. "'Wish you were here'." He laid it back down. "They seem content, happy."
"They are," Lei said quietly.
"Such things are not meant to last," the old man stated matter-of-factly.
Lei regarded his father intently. "How so?"
Wang looked out the window. "They love each other too much, and too much love...well, it could hurt. Even destroy."
Lei heard himself argue with Wang. "It was their love that sustained them."
Wang noticed the slight trace of vehemence in his son's voice. He sighed and smiled slightly. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they will be happy yet."
Silence reigned between father and son. It was Lei who broke it.
"Papa, let me ask a question." Lei lifted his gaze to meet his father's eyes, so much like his own. "If it were not A Si...if it was me...what would you have done?"
Without wavering, Wang said, "Exactly what Dao Ming Feng did; only I would have done it long before the problem grew bigger. You are my only son, Lei, and you deserve better. Surely you know that." He paused. "I do not say this because I do not like that girl Shancai. From what I hear from Xi Men and Mei Zuo she's quite a character. Still..." His eyes held his son's gaze. "You are meant for the likes of Jing ---"
Lei abruptly broke him off by standing and reaching for his coat. "I will be late for the presentation."
For a moment Wang seemed to say something, but shook his head instead and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "I trust you with this, son," he said.
Lei nodded and walked out of the office and out of the building, barely acknowledging the people in the hallways. Jumping into his gray convertible he eased out of the parking lot and into the Tokyo traffic.
Hua Ze Industries' latest venture is a recording company, taking advantage of the sudden boom of the Asian music industry. The next couple of weeks they will launch Artiste Records - his brainchild, his baby. Today he is to go to a theme park to check out a potential official dance group for Artiste.
Ten minutes later Lei arrived at the park where a crowd had gathered to watch. Sachiko, his Japanese executive assistant glared at him when he sat down beside her. "You're late."
Lei ignored her comment, craning his neck towards the makeshift stage where a group of young men and women were resting. "How are they?"
"Amazing!" Sachiko gushed. "You'd be crazy to turn down this group, sir. The crowd loves them, and their lead, Miss Mimura, is perfect!"
"We'll see," Lei said and sat back to watch the group do their next routines.
He does not know much about dancing, but minutes later he was transfixed, unable to tear his gaze away from the limber movements of the lead dancer. Petite and quite pretty, she has a vibrance and energy that seemingly set the stage on fire.
After the showcase, he had no doubt they're it. Their movements are well- coordinated; the routines are not very easy to do but they carried it off very well. Sachiko is right. Miss Mimura is perfect for Artiste.
Lei leaned over and whispered to Sachiko. "We found them."
Sachiko nodded, smiling. "I'll round them up."
No sooner had the crowd began to disperse and Sachiko was talking to the group that Lei approached the stage. Weaving his way through the crowd, a teenage guy roughly bumped into Lei. Immediately, the guy bowed and apologized profusely. Lei merely nodded and moved on.
Suddenly he noticed something was wrong. He felt for his pocket. His wallet was gone!
Lei spun around to see the teenager who bumped into him striding casually away. Before he could give chase, a blur swept past him chasing the teenager.
Confused, Lei recognized it was Miss Mimura, the lead dancer. He watched in growing fascination as she collided with the teenager, apologizing afterwards. The teenager glared at her suspiciously then scampered away.
Miss Mimura turned around and walked towards Lei. When she finally stood before him, she slowly retrieved something from her back and handed it to him. His wallet.
Without a word, but a small smile beginning to form on his lips, Lei took the wallet.
"I believe...that's yours...sir." She spoke haltingly and she could not seem to meet his gaze. Her head was bent, and she did not notice Lei's amusement.
For some reason, Lei found himself even more intrigued. "You stole it back."
Miss Mimura seemed to notice the amused tone of his voice. She looked up slowly to see him smiling.
"He didn't even seem to notice what you did." Lei shook his head, amazed at her skills, at the same time, wondering how she acquired it. "What's your name?" he heard himself ask her.
She gave a slight bow of the head. “Aisha. Aisha Mimura."
Lei shook her hand. "Aisha," he repeated, letting the name roll of his tongue. "Beautiful name. I'm Lei."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mei Zuo hung up, smiling and shaking his head. He gave out a hoot of laughter, ignoring the curious stares of the employees through the glass panel. Standing up, he pumped his arm into the air, knowing he looked silly but not caring anyway.
Mei Zuo couldn't be any happier. This was exactly what they had all been hoping for!
He reached for his mobile but it rang just as he was about to dial. "Man, that was quick," he spoke to himself and answered it.
"Xi Men!" he exclaimed, dropping back down into his seat. "You heard?"
Xi Men's excited voice came on the line. "Shancai just rang. Let me guess...A Si called you?"
"Yeah." Mei Zuo chuckled again. "Finally!" he exclaimed.
Xi Men laughed. "Listen, I am not too busy tomorrow night. Why don't we drop by Shancai's parents? Let's celebrate! I'll ask them myself."
"Sure," he replied, mentally ticking off a prior engagement he has with a business acquaintance. Business could wait, he thought. "You think Lei knows?"
"Shancai said she's having trouble getting through his cellphone. He must be tied up with work."
"Alright, I'll try to call him," Mei Zuo promised. "See you tomorrow night." He hung up and immediately dialed Lei's number.
"You better not be busy, Lei," he murmured and waited for the patch to go through. It was Lei's recorded voice message that came on. "Damn!" he cursed and ended the call.
Lei must be really busy. From what he's been told, Lei is starting a recording company in Japan and in the next few weeks it will be launched. That must be what's keeping him occupied. Master Hua Ze Lei, - the eternal sleeper - now a busy businessman, and a budding music mogul no less! Xi Men - the womanizer - now Xi Men Corporation's President, the youngest in Taiwan to ever hold such a position. Of course he still indulges his passion for the beautiful women, but he seemed to sober a bi...and A Si...Mei Zuo shook his head with a wistful smile.
The A Si now is miles away from the Dao Ming Si he grew up with, and for the better, he thinks. Meanwhile, he's still the same Mei Zuo. Only this time he has a girlfriend he has proposed to, and soon they will announce to the world of their engagement.
All's good. Later he'll pick Xiao Qiao from the music studio she has put up and have dinner together. Tomorrow they'll swing by Shancai's parents, something he looks forward to. When was the last time they got together? Quite a while, and that last time Lei joined them before leaving for Japan. He has to contact Lei.
Maybe later, he decided and, with renewed vigor, faced the papers on his desk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lei could not remember how many handshakes he's done for the past hour since he arrived at the grand ballroom of Hilton Tokyo for the press conference. Everything had been a whirl since he picked Miss Mimura's dance group and had them sign a contract.
That was two days ago, and he badly needs sleep, but it doesn't look like he's going to have any of that any time soon.
The ballroom is packed with people from the press, and also agents checking out a potential music label for their talents. The others are friends and business connections of Hua Ze Industries and also a few celebrities could be spotted here and there.
A gossip columnist kept talking in front of him, and Lei merely kept smiling and nodding, pretending to listen. For the nth time that evening he reminded himself why he is here: he has to, if he wants to make Artiste big. He is getting tired of all these, he wants to get away. He even had to turn his cellphone off to ward off all calls but still...
Impatiently he glanced at his wristwatch. The group had just performed several sets a while ago and, in less than thirty minutes, the press will be given their time to probe further into Artiste's dancers.
Lei spotted the editor of a major music magazine making his way towards them. With something akin to desperation, Lei looked around and spotted the open door of the balcony. Politely he excused himself and quickly walked towards it.
Away from the stifling air and noise of the ballroom, Lei finally let out a gush of breath as he held on to the rail and looked down at the city lights glimmering all around him. He closed his eyes, remembering a not-too- distant time when he was on the rooftop of Ying De ---
A shuffling noise came from behind him and when Lei turned he found Aisha standing there, looking all apologetic.
"I'm sorry," she said in a rush. "I didn't mean to disturb you, sir."
Relieved to see her instead of one of the reporters, Lei smiled. "Aisha. You didn't disturb me. And did I not tell you to call me Lei?"
A reluctant smile surfaced and he found himself warming up to her more and more. She is so cute in her tattered jeans and blue shirt, her hair in a high ponytail.
"I own the label, but not the hotel, so you can join me." He gazed back out into the Tokyo skyline and felt her stand beside him. "How are you holding up?" he asked.
"This is all new to me, sir...Lei."
He smiled at her obvious hesitation to use his name, but did not comment on it. "Me, too. In a few more days you'll be a celebrity," he reminded her.
Aisha sighed. "My group has dreamed of this for so long...thank you for the chance you gave us."
"You earned it." He turned his head to look at her profile as she looked out into the city. "You said 'your group'. What about you? Didn't you want this, too?"
Aisha shook her head. "I only wanted to earn money...the clean way."
Thoughtfully Lei regarded her, remembering her skill with the pickpocket days before. But instead of asking, he chuckled softly. "You will, Aisha. No doubt you will."
When she looked up at him, she returned his smile. They both turned as Sachiko appeared at the door.
"Aisha! We start in two minutes!" Sachiko said and disappeared from view again. Lei sighed.
"Time's up," he said jokingly. "You go ahead, I'll come in later."
Aisha nodded and walked away, Lei's eyes following her progress. When she was out of sight, Lei turned his gaze back to the lights, deep in thought.
How are you? How do you like Madrid after leaving Barcelona? Spain must be a beautiful country for you and A Si to decide to stay there a while longer. We've received the photographs and postcards you sent from all those places you went to, and we are glad to see you both are happy.
We're sorry we were not able to write sooner, but we have been busy, what with Papa having to work twice as hard to meet the quota. The director was kind enough to give him another chance. But do not worry, you are always on our minds.
It has been three months since you left for Barcelona and now we really miss you terribly. We always worry about you but when we remember that Dao Ming Si is with you, we feel a bit better.
We know you have been kept abreast with what's been going on here, but I will tell you anyway.
Two weeks after you and A Si left for Barcelona, Master Hua Ze Lei went to Japan and has not come back to Taipei since. But occasionally he calls and checks up on us. Such a thoughtful young man! He has been busy helping his father with their family business, especially now that they decided to make Japan their center for operations.
Master Xi Men, on the other hand, we rarely see him anymore. Eversince his father retired and got back with his mother, the Xi Men Corporation was left in his hands for him to run. Everyone is proud of him, Shancai. He runs the company so well that their stocks have reached an all-time high in the market! His face is always featured on business magazines and publications! He's like a celebrity now!
It's the same thing with Master Mei Zuo who joined his company just last month. But the best part is: He is getting engaged to that beautiful cello player Xiao Qiao! Everyone thinks it is a good match and I foresee a great future for them. Of course it has not been formally announced yet, but Qing He has been resourceful. He has kept Mama and Papa up to date.
You must have heard about me and Shage starting the eatery business together. It's true! He is a good cook but he admits to not knowing the first thing about running a business and he asked for my charm and wit to help him. Of course, Mama agreed! I am not selfish not to lend my talents to a good man like him!
We miss you, Shancai. When are you and A Si coming home? I know you are both enjoying your life there, and your jobs at the travel agency, but are you ever planning on coming back to Taipei? Don't you miss us at all?
Give A Si our love, and tell him he should take very good care of you or we'll swim across the seas and beat him up!
Take care, dear daughter. Remember, Mama loves you very much.
Love,
Mama'
======================================
Shancai stared at her Mama's signature at the bottom of the page, feeling tearful all of a sudden. Blinking back the tears, she smiled in spite of herself. Oh, how she misses them!
She almost screamed with surprise as, out of nowhere, A Si, plopped down beside her on the couch.
"Dau Ming Si!" she scolded, ignoring his sheepish grin. "You should not sneak up on people like that!"
"You scare so easily," he teased, plucking under her chin. Spotting the piece of paper in her hand, he asked, "What did your mother say?" and reached for it. Shancai slapped his hand away and folded the letter.
"It is not proper to read other people's mail, even if it's your girlfriend's."
A Si looked petulant. "I just wanted to know what she wrote about."
Regretting rebuking him, Shancai said, "Nothing we do not already know. About Lei, Xi Men, Mei Zuo...they are all doing fine."
When he did not reply and remained pouting like a little boy, Shancai leaned over and whispered playfully, "They also said you should take care of me or they will swim their way to Spain and beat you into a pulp!"
She gave out a yelp when, in one swift move, A Si had her on her back on the couch with him leaning over her. Her laughter died upon seeing the grave look on his face.
"Oh?" she said nervously. "Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"
When A Si spoke, his voice wavered, emotions clogging his throat as the words came out one by one with much intensity.
"I will take good care of you, Shancai. Never, ever, again will I stray."
Looking deep up into his eyes, Shancai knew in her heart she believed him. Slowly she smiled up at him. "I know," she whispered, and met his kiss with as much fervor, tenderness and love rivaling his own.
When their lips parted, A Si did not move away. Instead his head remained lodged on her shoulder. Lovingly Shancai stroked his hair, loving the feel of it against her fingers. A Si had a hair cut a couple of weeks ago and now his new look reminded her of when they were still back at Ying De...It seemed like ages ago...
"A long time..." she blurted unknowingly, staring at the ceiling, feeling A Si's heart beating against hers. "Mama asked when we are going back to Taipei."
His reply was muffled against her shoulder. "I don't want to go back. Not yet."
"I miss them."
A Si slowly lifted his head and looked at her. "Do you want to go back?"
"I don't know. I miss Mama and Papa, our friends...everyone. Don't you? Don't you want to go back?"
Thoughtfully A Si caught her hand in his, stopping her from stroking his hair. He stared at it, the meteor ring on her finger seemingly glowing.
"Eventually, yes. But not for a little while yet."
Shancai nodded. "I understand."
His next words confused her. "Let's get married."
Shancai smiled, not understanding. "Of course we are. We are engaged, remember?"
"No. I mean, let's get married. Soon. The soonest." His hand tightened around hers. "Here in Madrid."
"Dao Ming Si..."
"I know we agreed before not to rush things but...why wait?" He leaned his face closer to hers, so close that she could smell his breath. "It is clear to me," he went on, "from the start that there is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with...Only you."
"A Si..."
He shook his head vehemently, intent on making her see his point. "We don't need Taipe, we don't need anyone, anything! We have each other. That's all I care about."
Shancai found herself brimming with happiness as she seemed to drown in his gaze. "Yes," she breathed. "Let us get married."
A Si's face brightened with the happiest smile, and when he held her tightly in his arms, she became oblivious to everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hua Ze Lei stared at the postcard, flipping it once, twice. Madrid. Only three weeks ago it was Malaga. Now Madrid.
He laid the postcard on top of his desk and leaned back on his chair. Three months. It seemed a lifetime ago when A Si and Shancai reunited. He half- expected, half-dreaded it; they love each other, and there's nothing stronger than that, not even his own feelings for Shancai.
The door to the office opened and Hua Ze Wang came in.
Looking at the esteemed head of Hua Ze Industries walk towards his son's desk, one would not wonder where Lei took from. He was tall, lean and, no doubt, a very handsome man.
Wang's eyes strayed on the postcard, and he quirked a brow. "Madrid, is it?" He picked it up and read aloud. "'Wish you were here'." He laid it back down. "They seem content, happy."
"They are," Lei said quietly.
"Such things are not meant to last," the old man stated matter-of-factly.
Lei regarded his father intently. "How so?"
Wang looked out the window. "They love each other too much, and too much love...well, it could hurt. Even destroy."
Lei heard himself argue with Wang. "It was their love that sustained them."
Wang noticed the slight trace of vehemence in his son's voice. He sighed and smiled slightly. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they will be happy yet."
Silence reigned between father and son. It was Lei who broke it.
"Papa, let me ask a question." Lei lifted his gaze to meet his father's eyes, so much like his own. "If it were not A Si...if it was me...what would you have done?"
Without wavering, Wang said, "Exactly what Dao Ming Feng did; only I would have done it long before the problem grew bigger. You are my only son, Lei, and you deserve better. Surely you know that." He paused. "I do not say this because I do not like that girl Shancai. From what I hear from Xi Men and Mei Zuo she's quite a character. Still..." His eyes held his son's gaze. "You are meant for the likes of Jing ---"
Lei abruptly broke him off by standing and reaching for his coat. "I will be late for the presentation."
For a moment Wang seemed to say something, but shook his head instead and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "I trust you with this, son," he said.
Lei nodded and walked out of the office and out of the building, barely acknowledging the people in the hallways. Jumping into his gray convertible he eased out of the parking lot and into the Tokyo traffic.
Hua Ze Industries' latest venture is a recording company, taking advantage of the sudden boom of the Asian music industry. The next couple of weeks they will launch Artiste Records - his brainchild, his baby. Today he is to go to a theme park to check out a potential official dance group for Artiste.
Ten minutes later Lei arrived at the park where a crowd had gathered to watch. Sachiko, his Japanese executive assistant glared at him when he sat down beside her. "You're late."
Lei ignored her comment, craning his neck towards the makeshift stage where a group of young men and women were resting. "How are they?"
"Amazing!" Sachiko gushed. "You'd be crazy to turn down this group, sir. The crowd loves them, and their lead, Miss Mimura, is perfect!"
"We'll see," Lei said and sat back to watch the group do their next routines.
He does not know much about dancing, but minutes later he was transfixed, unable to tear his gaze away from the limber movements of the lead dancer. Petite and quite pretty, she has a vibrance and energy that seemingly set the stage on fire.
After the showcase, he had no doubt they're it. Their movements are well- coordinated; the routines are not very easy to do but they carried it off very well. Sachiko is right. Miss Mimura is perfect for Artiste.
Lei leaned over and whispered to Sachiko. "We found them."
Sachiko nodded, smiling. "I'll round them up."
No sooner had the crowd began to disperse and Sachiko was talking to the group that Lei approached the stage. Weaving his way through the crowd, a teenage guy roughly bumped into Lei. Immediately, the guy bowed and apologized profusely. Lei merely nodded and moved on.
Suddenly he noticed something was wrong. He felt for his pocket. His wallet was gone!
Lei spun around to see the teenager who bumped into him striding casually away. Before he could give chase, a blur swept past him chasing the teenager.
Confused, Lei recognized it was Miss Mimura, the lead dancer. He watched in growing fascination as she collided with the teenager, apologizing afterwards. The teenager glared at her suspiciously then scampered away.
Miss Mimura turned around and walked towards Lei. When she finally stood before him, she slowly retrieved something from her back and handed it to him. His wallet.
Without a word, but a small smile beginning to form on his lips, Lei took the wallet.
"I believe...that's yours...sir." She spoke haltingly and she could not seem to meet his gaze. Her head was bent, and she did not notice Lei's amusement.
For some reason, Lei found himself even more intrigued. "You stole it back."
Miss Mimura seemed to notice the amused tone of his voice. She looked up slowly to see him smiling.
"He didn't even seem to notice what you did." Lei shook his head, amazed at her skills, at the same time, wondering how she acquired it. "What's your name?" he heard himself ask her.
She gave a slight bow of the head. “Aisha. Aisha Mimura."
Lei shook her hand. "Aisha," he repeated, letting the name roll of his tongue. "Beautiful name. I'm Lei."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mei Zuo hung up, smiling and shaking his head. He gave out a hoot of laughter, ignoring the curious stares of the employees through the glass panel. Standing up, he pumped his arm into the air, knowing he looked silly but not caring anyway.
Mei Zuo couldn't be any happier. This was exactly what they had all been hoping for!
He reached for his mobile but it rang just as he was about to dial. "Man, that was quick," he spoke to himself and answered it.
"Xi Men!" he exclaimed, dropping back down into his seat. "You heard?"
Xi Men's excited voice came on the line. "Shancai just rang. Let me guess...A Si called you?"
"Yeah." Mei Zuo chuckled again. "Finally!" he exclaimed.
Xi Men laughed. "Listen, I am not too busy tomorrow night. Why don't we drop by Shancai's parents? Let's celebrate! I'll ask them myself."
"Sure," he replied, mentally ticking off a prior engagement he has with a business acquaintance. Business could wait, he thought. "You think Lei knows?"
"Shancai said she's having trouble getting through his cellphone. He must be tied up with work."
"Alright, I'll try to call him," Mei Zuo promised. "See you tomorrow night." He hung up and immediately dialed Lei's number.
"You better not be busy, Lei," he murmured and waited for the patch to go through. It was Lei's recorded voice message that came on. "Damn!" he cursed and ended the call.
Lei must be really busy. From what he's been told, Lei is starting a recording company in Japan and in the next few weeks it will be launched. That must be what's keeping him occupied. Master Hua Ze Lei, - the eternal sleeper - now a busy businessman, and a budding music mogul no less! Xi Men - the womanizer - now Xi Men Corporation's President, the youngest in Taiwan to ever hold such a position. Of course he still indulges his passion for the beautiful women, but he seemed to sober a bi...and A Si...Mei Zuo shook his head with a wistful smile.
The A Si now is miles away from the Dao Ming Si he grew up with, and for the better, he thinks. Meanwhile, he's still the same Mei Zuo. Only this time he has a girlfriend he has proposed to, and soon they will announce to the world of their engagement.
All's good. Later he'll pick Xiao Qiao from the music studio she has put up and have dinner together. Tomorrow they'll swing by Shancai's parents, something he looks forward to. When was the last time they got together? Quite a while, and that last time Lei joined them before leaving for Japan. He has to contact Lei.
Maybe later, he decided and, with renewed vigor, faced the papers on his desk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lei could not remember how many handshakes he's done for the past hour since he arrived at the grand ballroom of Hilton Tokyo for the press conference. Everything had been a whirl since he picked Miss Mimura's dance group and had them sign a contract.
That was two days ago, and he badly needs sleep, but it doesn't look like he's going to have any of that any time soon.
The ballroom is packed with people from the press, and also agents checking out a potential music label for their talents. The others are friends and business connections of Hua Ze Industries and also a few celebrities could be spotted here and there.
A gossip columnist kept talking in front of him, and Lei merely kept smiling and nodding, pretending to listen. For the nth time that evening he reminded himself why he is here: he has to, if he wants to make Artiste big. He is getting tired of all these, he wants to get away. He even had to turn his cellphone off to ward off all calls but still...
Impatiently he glanced at his wristwatch. The group had just performed several sets a while ago and, in less than thirty minutes, the press will be given their time to probe further into Artiste's dancers.
Lei spotted the editor of a major music magazine making his way towards them. With something akin to desperation, Lei looked around and spotted the open door of the balcony. Politely he excused himself and quickly walked towards it.
Away from the stifling air and noise of the ballroom, Lei finally let out a gush of breath as he held on to the rail and looked down at the city lights glimmering all around him. He closed his eyes, remembering a not-too- distant time when he was on the rooftop of Ying De ---
A shuffling noise came from behind him and when Lei turned he found Aisha standing there, looking all apologetic.
"I'm sorry," she said in a rush. "I didn't mean to disturb you, sir."
Relieved to see her instead of one of the reporters, Lei smiled. "Aisha. You didn't disturb me. And did I not tell you to call me Lei?"
A reluctant smile surfaced and he found himself warming up to her more and more. She is so cute in her tattered jeans and blue shirt, her hair in a high ponytail.
"I own the label, but not the hotel, so you can join me." He gazed back out into the Tokyo skyline and felt her stand beside him. "How are you holding up?" he asked.
"This is all new to me, sir...Lei."
He smiled at her obvious hesitation to use his name, but did not comment on it. "Me, too. In a few more days you'll be a celebrity," he reminded her.
Aisha sighed. "My group has dreamed of this for so long...thank you for the chance you gave us."
"You earned it." He turned his head to look at her profile as she looked out into the city. "You said 'your group'. What about you? Didn't you want this, too?"
Aisha shook her head. "I only wanted to earn money...the clean way."
Thoughtfully Lei regarded her, remembering her skill with the pickpocket days before. But instead of asking, he chuckled softly. "You will, Aisha. No doubt you will."
When she looked up at him, she returned his smile. They both turned as Sachiko appeared at the door.
"Aisha! We start in two minutes!" Sachiko said and disappeared from view again. Lei sighed.
"Time's up," he said jokingly. "You go ahead, I'll come in later."
Aisha nodded and walked away, Lei's eyes following her progress. When she was out of sight, Lei turned his gaze back to the lights, deep in thought.