CLOSED MINDS

Shancai wanted nothing right now but to go home, curl in bed and try to forget everything that had happened that day. She felt so tired, mostly from work…and when Xiao Qiao came, the day became darker.

Despising Aisha is not something she wanted to do, but at the rate things are going, the possibility of her disliking the girl is high.

After doing everything she could to calm Xiao Qiao and making sure she got home safely, Shancai wanted to go straight home, but remembered she agreed to meet Dao Ming Si at Meteors so they could go on home together.

The place was still packed when she let herself in through the backdoor, nodding at the guard assigned to make sure no one unauthorized goes through it.

Walking straight into Dao Ming Si's office, she was surprised when she found her husband alone, seated on the sofa, staring off into space. He looked up, as though shaken from a trance, when she came in.

He smiled and got to his feet lazily, taking her into his arms and kissing her fully on the lips.

"How was your day?" he asked afterwards.

"Alright," she lied. Looking at the worry strains on his weary face right now, she knew telling him about her difficulties today would not make him feel any better. "Yours?" she asked, silently wondering how his conversation with Mei Zuo had gone.

He sighed and released her, sinking back down on the couch. "I've had better days. How is Xiao Qiao?"

She sat down beside him, leaning back against his shoulder. "I dropped her off at their house before I came here."

"Thank you for doing this."

"Xiao Qiao's also my friend." Finally she asked him, "What happened? With you and Mei Zuo, I meant."

"We didn't come to blows, if that's what you were worried about." He smiled bitterly. "Although I would have loved to give him a punch or two, but I saw the misery he was in and changed my mind."

"What did you talk about?" she asked, silently thanking the heavens the two friends did not resort to violence.

"I asked him what he's doing, and he doesn't seem to know it himself. I've never seen Mei Zuo this way, Shancai. He has always been the one who was so sure of himself, cocky…the happy-go-lucky type." He shook his head in amazement. "Amazing how much a person could change in so short a time."

"Did you ask about Aisha?"

Dao Ming Si gave a sharp glance at her flat tone at the mention of Aisha's name. "Yes," he said carefully, giving his wife an assessing look. "I did."

Shancai ignored his curious look. "And...?"

"And...nothing." He really did not know how to explain to Shancai what Mei Zuo told him though, as he thought of it right now, Mei Zuo did not say anything clear to him.

Shancai sighed. "She is to blame."

Dao Ming Si's breath was heavy. "I don't know...maybe I judged her too harshly."

Her head turned abruptly to look at him in surprise. "What did you say?" she asked, shaking her head, aghast. "Did you see how Xiao Qiao was earlier? She was miserable, and all because of Aisha coming back to muddle Mei Zuo's brain!"

Dao Ming Si stared at the heated Shancai. What a sudden reversal, he thought, remembering their past conversations. It was Shancai then who was hesitant to pass out quick judgment on Aisha while he all too readily concluded she is not to be trusted. But now…

Quietly, he said, "I spoke with Hua Ze Lei earlier. He told me he knew about Aisha's past all along."

Shancai stared at him uncomprehendingly.

He continued. "He also told me he doesn't care. He never cared that she used to be a thief."

Unwilling to believe this was true, she shook her head. "You can't believe that! You know Hua Ze Lei. Maybe he did find out about her, but only recently, and now he's doing what he could to spare her embarrassment! That's how he is!"

He was shaking his head. "I don't know, Shancai. I also know Hua Ze Lei does not lie."

Adamantly she got to her feet. "I don't know why, but you seem to be taken in by Aisha as well." She shook her head, calming herself. "Dao Ming Si, all I know is this: Xiao Qiao is hurting. And it's because of Aisha."

His brows furrowed, amazed that suddenly it was Shancai who was seeing no sense in all these. Maybe it's her instinct to protect her friends that is coming to the fore.

"Shancai, don't you think Mei Zuo is to blame in all these as well?"

This made her stop and think for a while. But then she shook her head. "Of course he is to blame, too. But all of these started since Aisha came back."

He pressed his point. "Aisha came back, because Hua Ze Lei brought her back. Are you ready to pin the blame on Lei, too?"

Shancai shut her mouth. She's too exhausted; her whole body is sore, her head is beginning to throb, she just does not want to think anymore.

Wearily she sat down beside Dao Ming Si and spoke in a low whisper.

"Look, all I want right now is to go home and go to sleep. I don't want to think anymore."

Sympathy overtook Dao Ming Si and he reached out to slightly massage her neck. "I'm sorry," he said softly, knowing it was unfair of him to open this discussion when she was obviously beat. Skylark Tours must be giving her a hard time.

He reached for her purse and gently pulled her to her feet. "Let's go home," he whispered to her ear and led her out of the office.

Dao Ming Si wanted to celebrate his victory over gaining Alar, but this is hardly the time for any merry-making. Mei Zuo called his wedding off, Xiao Qiao is heartbroken, Xi Men has his hands full, Hua Ze Lei, too. And Aisha is also probably feeling wretched right now after that scene with Mei Zuo's mother.

That's another thing. The look on Aisha's face as the old woman taunted and openly insulted her made Dao Ming Si's blood run cold. Before his very eyes, Aisha seemed to have reverted to an inner self that her face froze into a cold mask, such that he could not tell what she was feeling or thinking.

Then she left.

Silently, as he let Shancai into the car and walked around to the driver's seat, he hoped Hua Ze Lei is fixing things right now, at least for Aisha.

Hua Ze Lei asked the very first maid he saw when he entered the house.

"Where is Aisha?"

The maid looked blankly at him. "I'm sorry, young master, but I did not notice if she got in."

He nodded and ran up the stairs to her room. He knocked on her door and called out her name repeatedly, but there was no answer. He turned the knob in his hand but it was locked.

Hasn't she come home yet?

Worry now plagued him, and all sorts of images of what could have happened to her when she left Meteors began to play in his mind.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he rushed through the corridors until he reached the music room, almost colliding with another maid.

"Sorry," he apologized abruptly.

The maid smiled at him warmly. "Young master, are you looking for Miss Aisha?"

Hua Ze Lei looked at the maid dumbly and nodded.

She smiled and pointed at the music room. "I think she's there. I heard it open a while ago and heard some music coming from inside."

Thanking her he moved to the door and hesitated.

What will he see once he opens this door? What will he tell her to make her feel better?

Heaving a deep breath he pushed open the door.

But it was he who got the shock of his life when he saw something he did not expect to see once he opened the door.

Shancai was seated at one of the couches, the Stradivarius in her hand. She looked up at his entrance and greeted him with the brightest smile.

"Hua Ze Lei!" she exclaimed. "You're back so soon!"

Cautiously Hua Ze Lei walked inside and closed the door behind him, noting she had not yet changed from the clothes she wore when they went to Meteors earlier. His eyes fell on the violin in her hand.

She saw what he was looking at and said, "I hope you don't mind, I just wanted to try playing it."

"I didn't know you play the violin," he said carefully.

She smiled. "When I was younger, my father used to teach me how to play the violin. I was only two courses short of completing my Advanced Level, then I had to stop."

"Why?" he asked. "Why did you stop?"

She looked down and replied in a low voice. "My dad left."

The sad look was gone and she beamed cheerily at him. In fact, in his eyes, she acted as though nothing untoward happened to her earlier. Nothing at all.

"You don't mind, do you? I know it is expensive, but – "

"I don't mind," he assured her. "If you want, you can have it."

Surprise was written all over her face as she gaped at him. "You are giving it to me?"

He shrugged. "It's just a violin. I can easily get another."

"But this is a Stradivarius!" she exclaimed.

"I told you," he reiterated, "I can easily get another."

Aisha was about to argue more but when she saw the determined look on Hua Ze Lei's face, she nodded simply. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

Silence reigned between them, only to be broken when Hua Ze Lei asked,

"Aisha, are you OK?"

She smiled uncertainly at him. "Of course."

"But at the bar, what happened - "

She shook her head, still with that smile on her pretty face. "Don't mind it, Lei. I don't."

He stared at her, confounded. "You don't?"

Somehow her simple answer managed to send a chill down his spine. "Because I'm used to people not liking me, or rejecting me."

A feeling of protectiveness surged within him. He moved towards her. "Aisha..."

But she spoke, making him stop in his tracks. This time her voice was subdued, and her smile was sad.

"After I left the bar, I went to Mei Zuo's house."

Hua Ze Lei waited, but when she did not seem to have any intention of continuing, he prodded.

"Did you talk to him?"

Aisha shook her head, laughing slightly.

"I did not get as far as the gates...neither did I get as far as two meters away from the cab that brought me there." She looked up and met his eyes. "It occurred to me, if I did go in and faced him, what would I say?" She shook her head. "I have nothing more to say to him."

A hundred questions swirled in his mind, and he wanted to ask them all. But he could see that underneath her happy and tough exterior, she was dead on her feet. Of course, anyone who had to go through what she just did this evening would probably be begging for some rest.

And he did not want to add to that burden that she is carrying, fully aware that somehow she is guilt, feeling somewhat responsible for the news of Mei Zuo calling off the wedding.

He gave her a slow smile. "It's late. Get some rest."

Gratefully she looked up at him, then said softly, almost tearfully, "You, too."

When he took her in his arms she did not resist. And when he lifted her in his arms after gently laying the violin aside, she did not complain either. When he laid her gently on the bed and tucked the soft blanket around her neck, she did not have to thank him.

Her eyes said it all.

And for Hua Ze Lei, that was enough. For now, at least.

She did not want to admit that she underestimated what her son could do. But then again, why not?

After all, he is her son. And Dao Ming Cheng's as well.

While her daughter Dao Ming Zhuang took after her temper, it was Dao Ming Si who seemed to have taken after her cunning...and Dao Ming Cheng's wily charms.

Yes. She underestimated her son. And to great loss to her.

Alar would have been the key for her to break into the courier service field. She had great plans for it. She would have taken Alar and used it to get a seat at the FedEx board of directors. She could hardly care what happened to it. She just wanted to use it as a leverage to get to FedEx, and probably to USPS.

But Dao Ming Si, her own son, took that away from her.

She is really getting impatient now.

She pressed the intercom on her table and called out. "Tell Roger to come in."

When Roger came in, he bowed almost reverently to Dao Ming Feng. "You called, Madame?"

"Yes," she said imperiously. "I want you to work on something. I heard about this small restaurant owned by Shancai's mother."

Roger nodded. "It is hardly small, Madame. Sombrero has grown to become one of the most popular restaurants in Taipei."

She became contemplative. "Really?" she said softly. "Very well, then. Here's what I want you to do..."

Shage peered from the kitchen to look at Mrs. Dong on the counter. "What did Table 41 order again?"

Rolling her eyes, Mrs. Dong snatched the piece of paper where Table 41's order was written and strode into the kitchen, despite Shage's protestations.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't want anybody coming into my kitchen!" Shage shook his head in frustration.

"What do you want me to do? Scream out the orders to you from out there? You want the customers to bolt out of this place?" Mrs. Dong rounded his eyes at Shage, who finally cowered. Then she read out the orders.

Shage nodded. "OK, OK, I got it. Now will you please leave my kitchen?"

Flipping her head, Mrs. Dong waltzed out of the kitchen.

She noted the restaurant is already full, the time finally clocking in at lunch. Satisfied that everything was going well, she moved to go to the inner office to go over yesterday's disbursements.

Suddenly something caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks.

Outside, in full view of anyone at the restaurant, stood Mr. Li, the owner of the entire block where Sombrero is located, speaking with someone...

Someone who looked vaguely like one of Dao Ming Feng's men.

The two were standing at the parking lot, and Mrs. Dong noted Mr. Li nodding his head, as though agreeing to something the other man was saying.

For some reason, fear crept up her, smelling something fishy here. Quickly she ran into the kitchen again. "Shage, Shage!"

Shage glared at her. "I told you to stay out of my kitchen!"

Mrs. Dong ignored Shage's outburst and pulled Shage's arm. "Come, quick! There is something I want to show you!"

"What is it?" Shage demanded, letting himself be pulled along by Mrs. Dong. "Sis, I just left something cooking in there!"

"This will only take a while!" She stopped and pointed at Mr. Li and his companion. "That's Mr. Li, right?"

Shage peered at the two men, and said, "Why, yes!" He frowned. "He must be looking for free lunch again."

"The guy with him, do you recognize him?"

Shage's eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to place the man speaking with the landlord. Then his face brightened.

"Why...I think that's Roger! Dao Ming Feng's assistant! Yes, that's him! I remember him so well, after living at the Dao Ming mansion for a while!" Then his forehead crinkled in thought. "What is he doing here, speaking with Mr. Li?"

Shage and Mrs. Dong's gazes slowly met, and both were thinking the same thing.

"Call Shancai," was all Shage said, and Mrs. Dong went instantly inside her office, dialing her daughter's number.

Answers.

That is what Xiao Qiao wants right now.

She had come to Mei Zuo's house to demand an answer, to know once and for all what brought this sudden change of heart in him.

But as she was driving up to the gates, she saw the huge iron railings open and his car wheel out. She stopped her car and watched as it drove away.

Xiao Qiao could have opted to go right into the house and wait for him to return, but she could not be sure how long he will be gone, so she decided to just tail him and corner him when she finds a window of opportunity.

Whatever happens, she is going to get answers before this day ends.

Aisha gleefully fed Blackie and his companions. Funny, but she just realized how much she missed these mutts, and she also wondered why she had not come to visit them sooner when she first got here in Taipei.

But they still recognized her, and they still welcomed her with as much warm as they always did.

They were the first friends she had when she first came here. And now it felt good to see them again.

She looked into the bucket and exclaimed, "Well, aren't you hearty eaters! Everything's gone! And you did not even leave any for me!" She laughed light-heartedly as Blackie wagged his tail, obviously wanting more.

Aisha shook her head at him and tried to look stern, but for the smile on her face. "That's enough," she said. "For today, at least. I'll try to come again tomorrow, and I will bring more!"

She jumped to her feet and turned around.

And there he stood, staring at her.

"Mei Zuo!" she whispered in surprise.