A PROMISE REMEMBERED

"Taipei?" Hua Ze Lei echoed, turning his gaze on Aisha. "You used to live in Taipei...No wonder you know Mandarin, although you sound funny when you speak the language," he added in jest.

The two of them were strolling by the street, ice cream in hand, oblivious of the appreciative glances being thrown their way by the people they meet. Aisha has become increasingly known in Japan, but she had been lucky. People seemed to respect her privacy enough to let her go around freely for a walk around town with her friend, Artiste owner and the Hua Ze empire'S sole heir.

For sure the press is going to have a field day tomorrow discussing the casual stroll taken by Aisha and the aloof Hua Ze Lei. But Lei didn't mind, and this knowledge surprised even him.

After all, he would be lying if he said he isn't even remotely interested in Aisha.

Aisha, licking the ice cream cone, nodded. "I stayed there for about three months, looking for my grandmother. I stayed with my friend Ma-Yi."

"Looking for your grandmother...What happened?"

"Long story. She left for Taipei when I was just a little girl and when things weren't going so well between my and my mother I ran off to Taipei to look for her. I spent almost a couple of months trying to locate her."

"Did you find her?"

After a moment's thought, she nodded. "Yes, but not without the help of a wonderful man." She smiled in remembrance. "I met him when I picked his pocket."

Hua Ze Lei laughed, amazed. "You meet guys in weird ways."

"Yes, well, it turns out he was a nice guy. He was very rich, and so he had people look for my grandma. As it turned out, she already passed away. I never saw her."

They walked in silence, him with his hands in his pockets, her still licking the ice cream. Then he said, "The guy that helped you...what happened to him?"

A reminiscent look crossed her features as her mind harked back to the time she spent in Taiwan in Mei Zuo's company. "He's my first love," she said, instantly regretting it. She turned at Hua Ze Lei, and said, "I'm sorry."

He smiled gently. "What are you sorry for?" He shrugged and went on, "Have you kept in touch?"

Aisha shook her head. "No. I went back to Japan with my mother and said goodbye to him. I could have kept in touch but...he just doesn't seem like the type to keep in touch, you know? He's rich, handsome, very nice, and quite funny, too. A little moody at times, especially when he becomes impatient."

She paused, then chuckled. "Wait a second...I think I just described you!"

A goofy grin on his face, Lei turned to her. "So you think I'm funny, huh?" He advanced towards her menacingly and she backed off, a smile forming on her face. "And a little moody?"

Aisha yelped and almost dropped her ice cream as she stepped aside to elude his grasp. "Lei! I was only joking! Besides you are quite moody!"

But he was in a playful mood and, along the street, with the pedestrians giving them amused looks, they chased each other playfully. From the distance a few paparazzi cameras clicked nonstop.

The next day it was all over the papers and tabloids. RISING STAR AND YOUNG TYCOON, IN LOVE. HUA ZE LEI AND AISHA SPEND DAY TOGETHER. OVER ICE CREAM AND HIDE-&-SEEK: HUA ZE LEI AND AISHA FROLIC.

Accompanying each of the articles were stolen shots of the two of them striding through the sidewalks with smiles on their faces.

Hua Ze Lei was not surprised when Aisha burst into his office, looking all harried and agitated.

"Lei!" she exclaimed when she saw him seated behind his large desk. He merely sat there, noting the copies of the tabloids in her hand. "Have you seen these?"

His reply was calm. "Yes, I have. Sachiko sent them in when I arrived earlier."

Aisha's face fell. "I'm so sorry your name was dragged into this, Lei. I had no idea it would be blown out of proportion! I'm really very sorry!"

He smiled at her kindly. "Do you see me getting red-faced with anger?"

But She shook her head, getting more and more confused about Hua Ze Lei and his unpredictable reactions. "I figured you wouldn't like this."

"It's not something I'd like, but its not something I abhor, either. I only do the things I want; not what other people want." Its easier that way, he thought. In the end, if all goes wrong, he'd have no one else to blame but himself.

Quite like what happened with Shancai and A Si. No one is to blame for the heartache he sustained. No one but himself.

His smile became even more tender. "So you see, Aisha, there's nothing you should be worried about. Unless of course its you who doesn't like the idea of being associated with me?"

A relieved smile replaced the anxious expression on her face and she shook her head at him.

"Master Hua Ze Lei," she mimicked the way his servants at home call him, "You are impossible!"

Theirs was the easiest camaraderie Lei ever had with anyone outside of F4, and with a woman no less. Aisha was easy to talk to, having that childlike quality that makes Lei want to protect her, quite a different reason why he wanted to protect Shancai. As strong as Shancai was, her weakness was her heart, and Lei had to protect her mainly from getting her heart broken.

Of course a few times he failed, so he just settled on protecting her from solitude, staying with her in her darkest moments. Meanwhile Aisha...

Streetsmart, Aisha obviously had the heavier load, having experienced being on the streets and making her way in means that are other than lawful. Yet she retained that naivete about her, that sense of innocence. She has been around, but still hasn't fully grasped human nature in its entirety.

And for that he wanted to shield her. Be with her.

"Aisha," he said and she looked up, those wide eyes of her questioning. She reminded him so much of those manga characters when she has her hair tied up in that high ponytail and looks at him wide-eyed that he smiled.

"I will be leaving for a few days. My Uncle and Aunt are going to have a renewal of their vows, and I have to be there. I would have loved for you to come with me in Taipei but I checked with Yuki and your schedule is quite filled for the next couple of weeks."

Regret filled her as it was obvious she also wanted to come along, so he smiled again. "No matter. In another couple of weeks, my friend would be throwing a bash for his engagement, and Dao Ming Si and Shancai will be coming back from New York. I've talked to Yuki and he's ok with you taking a few weeks off. I'll be coming back here and take you with me."

"Take me...with you? To Taipei?" Thrilled at the prospect of going back to Taipei, Aisha stood up.

"You've been driven to work quite hard by the company I am feeling guilty so..I thought you would be thrilled."

She gave out a whoop of delight and rushed around the table, giving him a hug. As though waking up, Aisha suddenly stepped back and looked at him, shocked.

"I'm sorry," she rushed to apologize. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Lei was surprised, yes. But he would be lying if he said it didn't please him. He tried to make light of the situation.

"Imagine what the papers would say had they seen what you just did."

Aisha slapped him lightly on the shoulder, pouting.

Lei changed the subject. "For a moment there I thought you would not want to go to Taiwan. Afraid of seeing your first love again?" he teased.

Ignoring his teasing, Aisha merely smiled. Then she sighed.

Taipei.

It has been a long while...She smiled. She began wondering how he is doing right now. Maybe he's already married. That is likely to happen. After all, he is a wonderful man.

Prince Charming. Yes, that's what she thought of him initially. And he was.

Does he remember her still?

He almost forgot all about the photograph. He does not know what brought this on. Like a flash of lightning he remembered about the photograph taken at the arcade.

In the middle of the night Mei Zuo got up and looked for it, trying to recall where he put the wallet.

It lay at the bottom of the drawer, and Mei Zuo felt relief flood him as he reached for it.

Looking at it now, he could not keep from chuckling to himself, remembering how he'd first met Aisha, and how this photograph was taken. It was a whirlwind, at least for him.

So unexpectedly she entered his life, messed it up as much as she made it more colorful. And, just when he was falling really hard for her, she left.

Why did he not keep in touch? Many times he had the urge to fly to Japan and look for her; he even had to talk to Ma-Yi several times. Then he stopped.

He believes in fate. In destiny. If Aisha was meant for him, he figured it would happen eventually.

But destiny gave him another gift. Xiao Qiao.

He smiled as Xiao Qiao's beautiful face sprang before him in his thoughts.

Mei Zuo stretched back on his bed, the photograph still in his hand, his mind drifting once more.

Why think of her now? She had remained buried in his thoughts for the longest time. Aisha had become part of the happiest memories of his younger days; she was just that: a memory.

She promised shed always remember her when she is in Japan.

Does that promise still hold?