Lost in her thoughts, Qian Meigui recomposed herself and began guiding him to the car.
Song Sheng followed her; his sand-coloured long coat swayed against the wind in sync with his ink-black hair. She kept her head up high, avoiding to look at him directly.
They got into her Audi and made their way to his apartment, and the two did not speak to each other on their way to the Wake complex.
When they arrived in his apartment building, they both silently entered.
Qian Meigui placed the backpack she carried on the couch before she took a seat. Song Sheng put his coat in the closet. As he straightened his collared s.h.i.+rt, he asked her, "Did you eat anything before you came to set?"
Qian Meigui shook her head, "No," she answered.
"All right, let"s go then."
"Where?" she asked puzzled, "We just got here."
Song Sheng smiled, "we need to get some groceries."
"You"re going to cook?" she questioned.
"Mhm," he said.
Qian Meigui nodded, surprised. Growing up, she was the one who cooked for Song Sheng. He would forget meals since he would focus on studying. Therefore, she would bring it to him, and he smiled each time she did.
Qian Meigui followed Song Sheng to a grocery store within the neighbourhood. He drove a cart around the store as she paced beside him. She had to take bigger steps since he was a whole foot taller.
"Pick whatever you want," he said quietly, interrupting her thoughts.
"Anything?" she asked, holding her hands behind her back.
"Anything."
Qian Meigui tilted her head at him and shot Song Sheng a genuine grin. She then began to walk faster than him to pick up items from the shelves. Within a few minutes, she held a bunch of items in her arms, outlining her tiny frame.
Song Sheng smiled at her gently. They both roamed around the aisles when Song Sheng noticed an older woman having trouble reaching one of the shelves. Instinctively, Song Sheng reached up to grab a small tin of herbal seasoning for her. The woman looked over at him with her mouth slightly parted, surprise flas.h.i.+ng across her face.
"Well, thank you, handsome young man."
Song Sheng offered her a bright smile with gleaming teeth. "It"s no worries," he said.
The older woman glanced at Qian Meigui, and she covered her gaping mouth. "Oh my? What a handsome couple."
Qian Meigui awkwardly smiled after hearing the older woman"s words. "It"s not like that—" she began.
"Well, why not? Do you not like him?" she pried.
"It"s the other way around," Qian Meigui thought, puffing up her cheeks. "It"s not that," she answered.
The older woman looked at her with a disappointing look, and Qian Meigui felt helpless.
She then reached up to Song Sheng and whispered something in his ear, changing his smiling expression into something serious. Qian Meigui wondered what the woman said, but she had already walked away when she revealed her piece to him.
Song Sheng looked at the older woman slightly dazed as if he someone told him the gravest of news. Quickly, his expression changed, revealing no emotion.
"What did she say?" Qian Meigui asked him curiously.
"Nothing," he said, and his face softened. "Let"s go to the counter."
The cart was full of groceries after they purchased all their items. Qian Meigui and Song Sheng placed all of them in the back of her Audi.
When they got back to the apartment, Song Sheng said, "You"re such a glutton. How can we get that upstairs?" he asked.
"..." Qian Meigui felt a loss for words. She had not realized it. After a moment of thinking, she slapped her forehead, feeling foolish. Why did I make him buy so much food? She thought.
Song Sheng smiled at her. He then swiftly captured her nose, "I was only teasing," he began, "I can ask the service desk to help us."
"Oh," she emphasized, making the face of an "O."
At the receptionist, two bell boys approached and helped them carry the groceries up the elevator. When they reached the apartment, they dropped them off onto the floor and promptly went back down. No one was allowed on his level except for Song Sheng and his guests.
Song Sheng b.u.t.toned his sleeves over his elbows and took out the pots from the oven. He placed them over the stove, and he began cooking various dishes.
Qian Meigui took out her doc.u.ments from her bag and read them over. Occasionally she stole glances of him, by peaking over her pages. It"s been how long since they"ve met? Eleven years. And though they were friends in earlier years, she never expected her feelings to flourish for him. But she realized, how can anyone not fall for him?
Song Sheng was a man who valued his family, the prospects of a business, and he juggled everything without thinking about himself. It was no mistake that those women confused her for a fan. It would not take him too long to admire him.
"No," she thought for herself, "Don"t think about it."
She crossed him off her heart, and she would ensure that it stayed that way. He was someone she could not have, even if it hurt her to accept the fact.
"I am Song Mei," she reminded herself, "Daughter of Song Rui." She then boldly stopped looking at him and continued to do her work.