Qian Meigui had extra time on her hands, so she decided to walk to an old book store. She admired the photographs and portraits that hung on the walls. The store was full of antiques but cla.s.sic pieces of furniture. It was her favourite place. She sat on a rustic sofa and picked up a fantasy novel.
After an hour of reading, she was interrupted when she received a phone call from an unknown number. She quickly answered, antic.i.p.ating who it may be.
"h.e.l.lo."
"Xiao Mei," a deep voice said. A voice that she knew well.
"Sheng," she called out.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"At the book store a couple of streets from home."
"All right. I will pick you up in 20 minutes," he said.
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
"Eat," he said.
"All right, see you in a bit." Qian Meigui hung up the call.
Qian Meigui purchased the book, and she waited for Song Sheng outside the store. He came within fifteen rather than twenty. A black Mercedes-Maybach pulled up, and she opened the door to go in. Song Sheng wore a pair of black sungla.s.ses and drove away as soon as she entered.
"Where are we going?" Qian Meigui asked.
Song Sheng was always once to be reserved and stoic, but the distance between them grew because of the distance from the last two years, and she was afraid that it wasn"t going to mend. She wanted to know everything about the places he"d gone and things he"d seen.
"We are going to Ladders and Latte," he said.
Qian Meigui"s lips parted in shock. Ladders and lattes was a place full of booths to play games and drink coffee. She felt excited as it was the very spot where they would spend nights looking for leads in regard"s to her parents, but it was also a great opportunity to spend time with him.
They exited the car when they arrived, and Qian Meigui was able to get a better look at him. He wore a sand-coloured sweater over a white-collared s.h.i.+rt and casual navy-blue pants. He removed his black sungla.s.ses and her eyes connected with his golden-brown eyes.
Qian Meigui quickly looked away, and they walked into the café. The employees immediately recognized them. They bowed their heads and said, "Young Master; Young Mistress."
One of the employees sent them to their usual private booth. It was bigger than she remembered empty.
They both sat down, and Song Sheng requested for a game of Draughts, despite knowing she was not good at the game, but he liked to make things difficult for her as a joke.
Qian Meigui ordered a green-tea latte whereas Song Sheng ordered a plain black coffee. He poured some milk and some sugar, and he drank it elegantly. He barely spoke a word to her in the car and even now.
After a moment of silence,
"Xiao Mei," he called. Qian Meigui looked at him. His black hair was slightly tousled, and his jaw was hard and sharp.
"Yes?" she answered.
"How have you been?" he asked, tonelessly.
Qian Meigui was surprised. She clenched her fingers together and said, "as good as it can be."
"that"s good to hear," he responded gravely.
Song Sheng proceeded to set the pieces for Draughts. Impatiently, she asked, "why did you call me out here?"
He took a deep breathe, "to catch up," he said.
"Is this your way of catching up?"
Song Sheng glanced at her, a bit of surprise flashed across his eyes, wide and astonished. It was rare that she would speak up for herself, but she spent so much time with Song Ren; it practically embedded in her mind.
"You barely kept in contact for the last two years and now that you"ve returned, you act as if it meant nothing to you."
She continued, "I mean, you came back and won"t even visit."
"I told you—" he began.
"Song Ren does not hate you. And neither do the others," she spoke confidently.
Song Sheng frowned. "Jinyi and Jun miss you terribly, and you will miss out unless you straighten up," she said breathlessly, choked up from her words and emotions.
Qian Meigui felt like crying but she held back her hot tears. "Otherwise, you will lose me; you will lose everyone," she claimed.
Even after holding back, some of her salty tears escaped. Qian Meigui did not notice Song Sheng rising to sit next to her. He hesitated, but he pulled her into a tight embrace. He used soothing words to calm her down, but she cried relentlessly.
"I"m sorry," he began. His heart ached. "I"ll visit; I"ll come home more often," he said, promised.
Qian Meigui valued family and did not want them to grow apart. She had lost one and would not lose another.
After she calmed down, Song Sheng used his thumb to wipe her tears away. He continued to use soothing words that would rea.s.sure her.
"Don"t leave like that again," she said.
"I won"t," he a.s.sured her with a soothing voice. Their faces were close together. She almost got lost from his magnetic touch. But she quickly looked away once their breathing deepened.
They decided to end the night early so Song Sheng dropped off her off home. He told her that he would visit them tomorrow morning since it was already late in the evening.
Song Sheng drove to a dark and simple apartment. He did not have much furniture because he lived alone. Song Sheng walked towards the balcony and took a drag from his new pack of cigarettes. It had been two years, and he had to see her again.
When he left the country, he hoped that he would forget about the things he felt towards her.
Song Sheng took more drags of smoke. He felt like something was wrong with him. Qian Meigui had grown to be more dignified and independent. She also was more beautiful, but he did not like to think about it.
Song Sheng blew the smoke into the fresh air and wondered what the h.e.l.l he was doing.