Chapter Six (Part 1)
Han Ting Ting didn’t expect that Qin Song who was meant to be fearless, arrogant and domineering, not afraid of heaven or earth was afraid of crabs.
When she was picking crabs at the supermarkets, she picked up a crab to see if it was fat or skinny and turned to see Qin Song had quietly stepped back away from the crab.
At home, Han Ting Ting went to look for a brush to clean the crabs, she called Qin Song to stand next to her and pa.s.s her each crab but he adamantly refused.
Han Ting Ting from a kid was downright honest and she treated her friends warmly. So teasing another person was the first time, Qin Song’s embarra.s.sed and awkward face gave her a fresh sense of happiness.
Qin Song saw ‘little country bun’ laughed to the point her eyes narrowed in a line, his hot blood rose and his masculine pride surfaced. He strode to open a bag of crabs, closed his eyes and picked up a crab. Its claws were bared and he pa.s.sed it to Han Ting Ting.
Han Ting Ting gently took the crab, dipped it in water and scrubbed the crab skilfully. As for Qin Song after he retreated his hand, his arms and legs still trembled.
‘Oh!’ Qin Song said and rubbed a hand on Han Ting Ting’s shirt. ‘Your cooking skills are usually ordinary but your handling of the crabs is skilful.’
Han Ting Ting pa.s.sed Qin Song a clean towel to wipe his hands and smiled. ‘My grandpa loves to eat crabs. As a kid I’d follow him around and watch him clean and cook crabs. Then slowly I learned how to handle crabs from watching him.’
Qin Song wiped his hands. Then he used the towel to tease the crabs that were still in the water. ‘When I was a kid I met your grandpa.’
Han Ting Ting widened her eyes.
‘One year there was an old man who came to visit my granddad… your grandpa was tall and had a gentle smile, right?’ Qin Song said teasingly.
Han Ting Ting heard Qin Song’s impression of her grandpa and laughed loudly. ‘My grandpa is not gentle. When my grandpa and dad fight they could make the roof collapse. But my grandpa loves me. When I was a kid and lost all my baby teeth, I couldn’t eat solid food. My grandpa used a knife to break apart crab sh.e.l.ls. He’d peel the soft crab meat off and feed it to me to eat.’
Han Ting Ting’s face shone with happiness as she was sharing her good childhood memories with Qin Song.
Han Ting Ting felt that each person during the years of carefree innocence had that one person or a few people who gave them joyful memories. She couldn’t go back to the past to relive those carefree years but those joyful memories that couldn’t be replicated, stayed warm and buried deep in her heart like precious treasures.
Qin Song felt that Han Ting Ting was an ordinary person who was easy to bully. He didn’t realise she was also a person who had someone who looked after her meticulously, protected her until she grew up and that she was someone’s precious jewel sheltered in the palm of their hand. But he’d always been finding opportunities to cause her grief. His eyes were finally opened and he realised it wasn’t right for him to treat her that way.
‘Ah! A a a!’ Qin Song cried out.
Qin Song was in a daze staring at Han Ting Ting’s beautiful innocence that he didn’t notice a fat crab had crawled up the towel in his hand. The crab clamped his hand with a fat claw that Han Ting Ting loved to eat, he jumped up and down and waved his clamped hand in the air.
Han Ting Ting didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of Qin Song jumping around. She quickly held his clamped hand and dipped it into water. The fat crab let go of him and crawled happily. She wanted to scold him for being careless but when she turned around he was closer to her than she thought, their faces met and her lips gently touched his cheek.
Han Ting Ting panicked and was about to fall back but Qin Song had quick reflexes. He was relieved he braced her fall. She laid on top of him and his arms were wrapped around her waist. The crabs were crawling about obliviously to the rare night scenery of Qin Song and Han Ting Ting holding onto each other tightly.
It was the middle of the night, the world around them was tranquil and Han Ting Ting could clearly hear her heart pounding.
Living with Qin Song for a period, Han Ting Ting was still not used to his handsome face that always dazzled her, especially under the shimmering lights that made his looks appear dreamlike and more hypnotising. From the first day she met him she knew he was too handsome. But tonight he held her close enough for her to feel his hot breath on her face, she didn’t know why she felt he was the most handsome man in the world… it was a naive notion but her heart kept pounding that it was the truth.
Qin Song was also hypnotised by Han Ting Ting. He was craving for the soft and sweet scented treasure held to his chest. The moist pink lips that touched his cheek imprinted an invisible scorch mark. Those lips… on the night of his birthday in the bathroom, he pretended he was drunk to ‘accidently’ taste those lips… how were those lips too adorable, too soft and too sweet?
Qin Song’s adam apple moved up and down. He was overwhelmed by Han Ting Ting’s clear innocent eyes and felt disappointed when her moist lips left his cheek. He reluctantly lifted himself up and then gently pulled her up too.
‘Ahem…’ Qin Song coughed.
After Qin Song and Han Ting Ting’s bodies separated, they both avoided eye contact with each other and their faces flushed red with embarra.s.sment.
‘That…’ Han Ting Ting whispered and patted Qin Song’s arm. ‘Qin Song, your hand’s bleeding. I’ll apply medicine on your hand for you.’
Qin Song had long forgotten about his wounded hand until he heard Han Ting Ting mentioned it. He brushed off the fresh damp blood and waved his wounded hand in a manly manner. ‘It’s nothing.’
Qin Song was deprived of Han Ting Ting’s concerned face but he was treated with the sight of the back of her long and white neck. He was preoccupied with her tantalizing neck that he took no notice of the stinging on his wounded hand when the disinfectant was applied.
Qin Song was confused, he didn’t know what was wrong with him. Why was he increasingly more aware of ‘little country bun’s’ existence day by day?
‘All done!’ Han Ting Ting said after she bandaged his hand. She looked at his bandaged hand and was satisfied with her handiwork. ‘Later when you take a shower, remember to wear a plastic glove over your wounded hand. Don’t let it get wet and by tomorrow it’ll get better.’
Qin Song m.u.f.fled a promise.
The mention of gloves prompted Han Ting Ting. ‘Oh yeah, I bought the gloves you wanted.’
Qin Song was still pondering over his mysterious heart but his eyes lit up after he heard Han Ting Ting had gloves for him. He quickly hid his excitement and acted like he didn’t care. ‘Oh?’
Han Ting Ting on the other hand didn’t hide her excitement. She spent a long time to find the perfect pair of gloves for Qin Song. He’d definitely fall in love with the gloves!
‘After dinner I’ll give the gloves to you,’ Han Ting Ting said.
Qin Song felt his wounded hand was a blessing from the heavens. During dinner, Han Ting Ting served him whole heartedly. She carefully peeled off the sh.e.l.ls and fed the crab meat to him. It was the most delicious crab meat he tasted! And he didn’t have to lift a finger, he felt like a satisfied cat that was doted on.
After dinner, Han Ting Ting rolled up her shirt sleeves and cleaned inside kitchen. Whilst cleaning she noticed that Qin Song kept dawdling in the living room instead of going upstairs to sleep. Her initial thought was that he was exercising to digest dinner then she had a light bulb moment. He must be waiting for her to give him the gloves!
Han Ting Ting immediately ran to her room then went to the living room smiling as she gave Qin Song a small box. ‘Your gloves!’
Qin Song felt half-dead waiting for Han Ting Ting to give him the gloves. He was secretly excited as his hand reached into the box. After he pulled out the pair of gloves… his face turned green.
‘Han Ting Ting!’ Qin Song boomed and in a fit of anger threw the gloves onto the sofa.
‘What… what’s wrong with it?’ Han Ting Ting asked.
Han Ting Ting tensed. Why was it every time she gave Qin Song a gift, he never liked them?
Qin Song gritted his teeth. ‘Have-you-ever-seen-a-man-wear-pink-gloves?’
Han Ting Ting felt framed. ‘You said you liked pink…’
Han Ting Ting especially looked for gloves the exact same colour as her new phone. The same phone that Qin Song gave her and he said that it used to be his phone. The phone and the gloves were the identical shades of pink! ‘The coral pink is a beautiful colour and the online shop commented that it was suitable for both men and women to wear.’
Qin Song was choked, he couldn’t swallow the injustice. He was speechless, felt powerless and his heart ached. He walked angrily back and forth continuously.
‘If you don’t like it, it’s ok. Why be angry for? Not loveable at all!’ Han Ting Ting’s heart telepathically scolded Qin Song.
Han Ting Ting picked up the gloves that were more loveable than the sulky Qin Song. Suddenly he s.n.a.t.c.hed the gloves and glared at her.
‘Mine!’ Qin Song said coldly to ‘little country bun.’
Unfortunately for Qin Song, Han Ting Ting had long ago lost the curiosity about his erratic hot and cold temperament and she only stared back helplessly.
The moody Qin Song bypa.s.sed ‘little country bun’ and went upstairs.
Han Ting Ting returned to her room and used her p-i-n-k phone to chat online with Tu Tu through the QQ server.
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Qin Song doesn’t like the colour pink. You exchange for me a different colour pair of gloves.’
Tu Tu Is Not Called Mao Mao: ‘Sorry, shop goods once sold, no return.’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Your shop advertised a return policy – seven days unconditional return!’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘I’m not exchanging. What are you going to do? Come here and hit me? :p hee hee hee.’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘That’s right! >_< mao="" mao,="" you="" better="" exchange="" it="" for="">
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘(View flipped table CGI) Do not call me Mao Mao! Han Ting Ting you dare mock me? Next time no discount, no free shipping!’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Forget it… no need for exchange…’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘You and Qin Song… is the relationship between the two of you getting better?’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Um, yes. Qin Song’s personality is good. He’s a responsible person and he helped me a lot. Except sometimes… he’s a bit childish.’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Don’t you mean most of the time?’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘It’s strange, you always think the worst of him. Why do you dislike him that much? Has he done something to provoke you?’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Forget it… even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. Is your home internet still not working?’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Um, yes. The home phone’s not working either, it’s strange!’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Oh? I’m not surprised, it’s not strange at all!’
Unbeknownst to Han Ting Ting, Tu Tu was secretly chuckling at Han Ting Ting’s childish husband. Tu Tu had saved the message – ‘evidence your head!’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘(view lol CGI) If he dared to let you talk to me, that would be strange.’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘(view confused CGI) I’m going to bed. I have work tomorrow. Goodnight my dearest Tu Tu!’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Goodnight… ah, wait! Ting Ting, did you know that person is back?’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Um, yes.’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Are you ok about it?’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘I’m fine. I’m married to someone else. Nothing will happen between me and that person.’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘He came to ask me… he asked me if you’re living a good life.’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘I don’t want to hear anything else about him!’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Those days of hoping something would happen between me and him, it was a hard life for me. I don’t want to continue living those days.’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Ok, I know what to do now. Goodnight, have a good rest! xoxo’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Um, goodnight!’
Han Ting Ting exit out of QQ. She rolled over and hugged Putt Putt. Her calm heart suddenly overwhelmed by turbulent waves. The night was dark and bleak as her heart and it was hard for her to sleep.
A one sided love was deadly. That person didn’t know anything, whilst Han Ting Ting loved deeply and was hurt deeply.
Han Ting Ting felt suffering in the dark was hopeless and could only bear fruit to a murky future. She thought for the rest of her life, she didn’t have the courage left to taste love.
Well, Han Ting Ting felt at least she loved one person in her life. That person didn’t know anything, but it turned out to be a luxurious blessing and she was content to be the only one who understood her unrequited love.
The quiet night was disturbed by a ‘bang.’ Han Ting Ting was startled and sat up on her bed. ‘Qin Song!’
‘It’s me,’ Qin Song said from outside the door.
Han Ting Ting felt unfamiliar with the unspeakable painful tone of Qin Song’s voice.
Han Ting Ting jumped down her bed. She opened the door and saw Qin Song half sitting and half kneeling at the bottom of the stairs and she realised the ‘bang’ she heard was him falling down the stairs.
Han Ting Ting rushed over to Qin Song, his face was bleached white and there was panic in his eyes.
‘What happened? Where are you hurt?’ Han Ting Ting asked.
‘Ting Ting!’ Qin Song called. His voice was weak and full of despair. ‘My dad is in a coma, he’d just been taken to the hospital.’
‘Song Song, stand up first,’ Han Ting Ting said and supported Qin Song up.
Han Ting Ting was scared Qin Song’s fall was serious because he stretched his legs in an unnatural way and his lips were pursed. She carefully touched his whole body and let out a deep breath of relief when she didn’t find any broken bones.
‘Take me to the hospital,’ Qin Song said weakly and he held Han Ting Ting’s hand.
Han Ting Ting nodded her head. ‘Let’s go.’
End of Chapter Six (Part 1)