Tuesday,Oct 12 2004, 02:40:19 AMLiu Xing Hua Yuan 3 Chapter 4 Later At their...

Liu Xing Hua Yuan 3

Chapter 4

Later
At their pub, F4 was having their usual friday night drink in one of the VIP rooms.

MZ: Hey Xi Men, you have been working with Xiao You for a few weeks now. You two must have gotten real close, right?

Xi Men didn’t answer. He just kept a straight face as he drank his wine.

DMS: Why are you so gloomy?

Xi men sighed and said: Xiao Gen is back.

DMS: Xiao Gen? You mean the girl who always followed you around back then?

Xi men just nodded.

MZ: When?

XM: not sure. But I saw her the other night when I attended a corporate party with Xiao You.

MZ: Xiao You saw her too?!

Lei: Do you know why she’s back?

XM: how would I know? I don’t even fully understand why xiao you is back, then now….

DMS: Are you an idiot? It’s obvious they came back for you!
[yeah, this coming from they guy who not so long ago had a stickier predicament choosing between ye sha & shan cai]

XM: That’s bull.

Mei Zhou tried to make light of the situation & joked, “Two girls chasing you? You’re living every guy’s fantasy, bro! well, we are used to having girls chase us all the time. But now, Ah Si & I, we are off the market. Lei never really put himself out there. So now you’re the only one living it up for F4! Sigh, even though debonair Xi Men has become a workaholic, his charm to the ladies never fades!”

Xi Men: You’re boring.
[then he stood up and grabbed his jacket. ]

Lei: you’re leaving already?

XM: I’m meeting a client early morning.

DMS: tomorrow’s Saturday.

XM: I’m meeting him at the country club for a game of golf. We need their company for our next project. I’m going now.

After Xi Men left, Shan Cai came in.

SC: I saw Xi Men outside, why did he leave early?

MZ: problem with girls.

SC: Xi Men? Has a problem with girls? That’s news.

MZ: do you know, Xiao Gen is back. Xi Men & Xiao You saw her the other night.

SC: Xiao Gen?! Isn’t she the only girl Xi Men ever loved?

DMS: Didn’t he like all the girls he had been with?

LEI: I think he didn’t really have true feelings for his week-long girls.

MZ: What do you think Xi Men will do?

Shan cai wonders how Xia you is.

Saturday, Shan Cai & Ah Si were on a date. They were walking outside Mcdonald’s. Shan Cai was in deep thought & not paying much attention to Ah Si until he called her out.

Ah si: hey, pighead! You’re not listening to me! What are you thinking about?

Shan Cai: sorry, I’m just worried about Xiao You.

Ah Si: She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.

SC: Hey, mind what you say! I tried calling her last night and this morning, but I can’t reach her. I left her a message but she hasn’t returned my call.

Ah Si: you worry too much about other people. You should think about us too.

SC: What do you mean?

Ah Si: you go to school early morning & then work in the afternoon. Me, I have to be in the pub from afternoon to past midnight. We barely get to see each other during the weekdays. Weekends are all we have and you’re absent-minded.

SC: ok, my bad. We’re going to have fun today.

Ah Si: where do you want to go?

SC: umm, how about we have ice-cream at P.S. Bubu [the ice-cream parlor with cars]?

AH Si: I don’t want! That place is so corny and the Ice-cream is so sweet!

SC: it’s ice-cream, it’s suppose to be sweet! I thought we’re going to have fun today? How about going to the amusement park?

Ah Si: you drive me crazy, you know that? [ah si then walks ahead of shan cai]

SC: hey, come on, you aren’t afraid of the roller coaster, are you?

SC was following Ah Si with her gaze, so she accidentally bumped into someone. Ah si heard her apologizing to the person she bumped into and turned around.

Ah Si: idiot, you’re embarrassing, you know that? Can’t even walk properly. Here, take my hand. [he stretches his hand to shan cai]

SC: Why should I take your hand? I don’t want my hands to rot!

Ah Si: hey miss, I was being nice!

Shan cai fumed, rolled her eyes and walked away. Then she stopped abruptly when she realized that what just happened was exactly the way she imagined it before when she had her date with Hua Ze Lei. Shan Cai laughed at that and went back to Dao Ming si & took his arm.

SC: Let’s go already!

Ah SI: you were going to hand my hand yet you still had such big talk…idiot!



Monday at Xi Men’s office.

Xiao Gen came again around noon.

XG: good afternoon, I’m have some documents for Xi Men to sign. is he here?

XY: I’m sorry Ms. Qian, manager Xi Men is out with a client.

XG: don’t call me Ms. Qian. Xiao Gen’s fine….I should really set up appointments first. [sighs] That Xi Men, he such a busy man now, can hardly catch him around. When we were young, I’d just go over to his house to see him…. A lot of things have happened and changed since then, hasn’t it? --Hey Xiao You, it’s your lunch break already, right? Come have lunch with me. Please! You’re Xi Men’s present friend; you can tell me all about what he is like now.

Xiao you was hesitant but Xiao Gen has tagged her along already.

On their way to the restaurant, they ran into Xi Men’s mother and invited them to have lunch at the Xi Men mansion instead [she got the mansion in the divorce settlement].

Meanwhile, Ah Si was waiting for Shan Cai at the stairs in front of the Chang Fine Arts Center in Ying De. Shan Cai came and sat beside him.

SC: Dao Ming Si, what are you doing here?

DMS handed her one of the lunch boxes he brought with him.

DMS: I figured I come here and bring lunch, so that we can eat together. This way, we can still spend time together during weekdays.

SC: That’s a good idea. But I should be the one making our lunch boxes.

DMS: tomorrow, it’s your turn to make them then.

Shan cai nodded in agreement and they started to eat.

DMS: do you have a class after this?

SC: not today. My prof cancelled. I’m heading to the pastry shop afterwards.

DMS: Why don’t you quit your job already? Then you wouldn’t be busy. I told you I’d take care of you.

SC: I insist on working. And I can’t depend all my financial needs to you. Besides, F4 pub had just started, you still need to recover your overhead.

DMS: ok, whatever suits you fine. Finish eating; I’d take you to your work before I head to the pub.

While waiting for the bus or a cab, a car stopped in front of them. The car window rolled down & they saw it was Xi Men. He asked where they were going. Ah Si answered and Xi Men offered them a ride.

In the car, Xi Men decided to check his voice mails. One voicemail was from Xiao You. She said that his uncle needed a certain file and she can’t find it in his office. Xi Men remembered bringing the file home & forgot to bring it with him this morning.

Xi Men: Do you mind passing by my house for a while? There’s something I need to get.

When they had arrived at Xi Men’s house, they saw Xi Men’s mom in the living room having coffee with Xiao Gen & Xiao You. For some reason, Xi men got angry and headed straight to the study without even greeting them.

When he got the file and exited the study, he overheard Xiao Gen saying goodbye to his mom. Ah Si & Shan Cai also said they were going to wait for Xi Men outside. Xiao You was walking behind them when Xi Men called her and told her off.

XM: I’d appreciate it if you stay out of my private life and don’t interfere with my personal matters by bringing Xiao Gen here! I hate scheming girls like you!

Xiao You apologized quietly.

Shan Cai realized that xiao you’s not behind them so they went back. Xiao Gen heard what Xi Men said to Xiao You.

XG: Why should Xiao You apologize? It’s not her fault! I was the one who invited her to come with me. If you don’t want me in your house, just say so, and I won’t come here again!

Xiao gen stormed off. Xi Men watched her go and then looked at Xiao You.

XY: go after her.

Xi Men did. Shan cai went up to xiao you worried about her. Xiao You just forced a smile.

SC: are you ok?

XY: Xi Men went after Xiao Gen, the girl he first loved, he only loved, ‘coz maybe he still does....Second chances are hard to come by. It’s only right he’d go after her.

Shan Cai thought how xiao you was being brave about all this.


Xi Men caught up with Xiao Gen and they decided to go to park where they used to play. They sat on a park bench and watched the children playing.

XG: I can’t believe we are back here again.

XM: Xiao Gen, I’m sorry about earlier. It’s not that I don’t want you coming to my house.

XG: you shouldn’t be apologizing to me, but to Xiao You. She must be feeling very hurt right now.

Xiao gen recollected one of their childhood memories there in the park.

XG: … Actually, the person who broke the balance between us is me. I really regret, I was so afraid I would never get to see you again. I don’t know why I said goodbye. I was worried about you, alone in that house.

Things got quiet between them until Xi men spoke, “ let’s go to the top of that building again.”



In the office, Xi Men & Xiao You kept it about work. Xiao You has only a couple days left as his assistant. Secretary Shu will be back the following week and she’d be transferred to the marketing department then.

Around noon, Xi Men invited Xiao You for lunch. As they were walking, they passed by a store & something in the display-window caught Xi Men’s eye. He stopped to look at it.

XY: Xi men, why did we stop?

XM: When I was a kid, we had a glass bottle with a boat inside of it just like this one. I wanted badly to touch the boat & play with it. I tried different ways, but still wasn’t able to. Finally, I decided to break the bottle open. But in doing so, I also broke the boat…..That’s when I realized some things shouldn’t be touched.

Xiao You realized that he was referring to Xiao Gen.

In the restaurant, while they were already having coffee, Xi Men apologized for what happened in his house.

XY: It’s ok. It doesn’t matter.

An awkward moment of silence. Then,

XM: I invited xiao gen to go to the top of that building.

XY: you’re going to see the sign? [xiao you forced a little smile] that-that’s great. Wh-when?

XM: tomorrow night.

XY: oh. Then, Jia You, xi men. I wish you luck.

The next night, Xi Men was in F4 pub with F3 for their usual Friday night drink.

MZ: Xi Men, what are you doing later?

XM: by later, do you mean the past or the future?

Mei Zhou gave Xi Men a puzzled look. Xi Men just raised his glass & gave a toast to Mei Zhou.

Meanwhile, Xiao Gen was at her house looking at a picture of her & Xi Men when they were young.

She recalled the times she had been with xi men since they saw each other again; when he first saw him with xiao you at the party, at his house and in the park.

XG: for everyone to be happy, I think that’s impossible.

Hours later, Xi Men & Xiao Gen met at the building. Xiao gen was the one who arrived first.

XM: Why are you here so early?

XG: I couldn’t sleep. What about you?

XM: I was in the pub with friends.

XG: oh, then you didn’t get to sleep too.

They start climbing up the stairs to reach the rooftop. Xi Men noticed Xiao Gen was far behind.

XM: Are you ok?

XG: after having no sleep, walking up the stairs is such a task.

XM: right. Just like when you were little, you were always weak. I thought you wouldn’t get tired no matter how long we played. But in the end, you were like battery used up and would sleep immediately on the floor.

XG: yeah, when I was little. I did things by instinct. When I want to play, I played. When I’m hungry, I eat. When I’m tired, I’d sleep.

XM: you were like an animal. But to me, it was really an escape. You being there for me really helped me back then. I was really grateful to you, with all my heart. ------- Come on, the sun will rise soon.

XG: Xi men, did you know I have always liked you?

XM: Yeah, because you were so transparent. You were easy to figure out.

XG: To me, you were really hard to figure out. That morning when it’s the first time we were suppose to see the sign, I felt that these stairs symbolized our history together. I was thinking after we climbed and reached the top, then where will it take us next. ------ Did you notice that ever since we met again, we can only…..

XM: only what?

XG: nothing. Never mind. Oh look, it’s almost time.

XM: yeah, let’s hurry.

As Xi men opened the door to the rooftop, he thought, “ What shall we do next? Where do we go from here?”


♫Who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
only time
And who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
only time
Who can say
why your heart sighs
as your love flies
only time
And who can say
why your heart cries
when your love lies
only time

Who can say
when the roads meet
that love might be
in your heart
And who can say
when the day sleeps
if the night keeps
all your heart

Night keeps all your heart

Who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
only time
And who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
only time

Who knows – only time
Who knows – only time…. ♫



Shan Cai was working at the pastry shop & Xiao You joined her behind the counter.

SC [in a worried tone]: Xiao You, how are you doing?

XY: I’m doing great. Why, shouldn’t I be? [Pretends to be ok]

SC: I’m worried about you. You haven’t told me anything about you and Xi Men since the last time we were at his house.

XY: what’s there to talk about? Xi Men & Xiao Gen belong together. I can only be his friend, just like you & lei are friends.

Shan Cai was still worried for Xiao You.

XY smiled and said: Stop worrying about me. I’m a plastic boat, I won’t break no matter how many times I’m thrown.

SC: but don’t plastic boats get overturned too?

XY: don’t worry about me already. I’m going to be just fine. I’d go to the restroom for a while.

SC thinking: I’m really impressed with Xiao You. All throughout this, she hadn’t shed a single tear. She has become so brave. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel pain in her heart.

Ah Si entered the pastry shop.

DMS: your shift’s over?

SC: almost. Shouldn’t you be at the pub already?

DMS: they can do without me for an hour.

SC: Dao Ming Si, what is your friend Xi Men up to? [this is when xiao you was about to come out but heard them talking, so she decided not to show herself yet] I can’t bear to see my friend Xiao You like this. She’s putting up a brave front, but I know she is hurting inside.

DMS: I’ve known Xi Men for years, there’s no way predicting what he chooses to care about.

SC: All four of you are like that. ------ I don’t know if Xiao You did the right thing, letting Xi Men go.

DMS: nobody knows what the right thing to do is.

SC: what do you mean?

DMS: from childhood up to now, I do things the way I want to, that’s the only way I know how. Grandma [the one who owns the apartment he & ye sha stayed in] told me, if you don’t like yourself, then change. If you don’t like certain things, change it. That way, we can avoid regret. All things change, and we can change them.

SC: I didn’t know you can be profound.
DMS: well, now you know.

Xiao you thought what Dao Ming Si said was really profound & it stuck in her mind.

♫ I guess I’m trying to feel nonchalant about it,
I’m going through extremes to prove I’m fine without you,
But in reality I’m slowly losing my mind
Underneath the disguise gradually I’m dying inside.

Friends ask me how I feel,But I lie to them convincingly,
‘coz I don’t want to reveal the fact I’m suffering;
so when I go home at night and turn off the lights,
I breakdown and cry…..
[breakdown-mariah carey] ♫

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