OSL – Chapter Fifteen
Gu Tian Tian used to think An Yin Zhu is worldlier than her because he’s older. But now she knows he can cunningly corner someone into a dead end. She can’t escape out of the dead end unless she cries like a little girl.
‘Chi Si Zhu, are you playing me for your amus.e.m.e.nt, because you can’t find a girlfriend?’ Gu Tian Tian asks. ‘No matter how acquainted we are, I’m not going be played by you.’
‘Are we close acquaintances?’ An Yin Zhu asks, and elegantly bites a bun like it’s a gourmet dish.
Gu Tian Tian feels like An Yin Zhu is throwing her words back at her.
‘True, we’re not close,’ Gu Tian Tian says. ‘We only slept together on the same bed the other night.’
‘It’s good you remember,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian fails to throw An Yin Zhu’s words back at him. It must be the difference between their wittiness. If they get… no, she doesn’t want to do that with him because she’ll be mocked for the rest of her life.
Lam Cheng’s a better choice since he’ll be on the mocking end instead of Gu Tian Tian.
After breakfast, Gu Tian Tian decides to distance herself from An Yin Zhu.
Nothing happens as planned in Gu Tian Tian’s life. An Yin Zhu walks her to cla.s.s, and takes out a familiar small box. She freaks out, and is in disbelief at what he’s doing in public.
An Yin Zhu takes pleasure in putting a diamond ring on Gu Tian Tian’s ring finger.
‘If you scream, I’ll propose to you in front of everyone,’ An Yin Zhu says, and Gu Tian Tian stops shaking her left hand. ‘In the future, every time you take off your engagement ring, I’ll propose to you again.’
Gu Tian Tian says nothing.
Gu Tia Tian attends cla.s.s, but doesn’t take off the diamond ring.
After cla.s.s, Hao Ting congratulates Gu Tian Tian.
‘When are you and Mr. An getting married?’ Hao Ting asks.
‘Hao Ting, this isn’t an engagement, this is blackmailing a good girl into marriage,’ Gu Tian Tian says.
‘Tian Tian, remember you need to hold onto a good man,’ Hao Ting says, and pa.s.ses a novel to Gu Tian Tian. ‘Read it. See if it’ll help you accept your situation.’
Gu Tian Tian reads the novel Lion At Home by Jia Qu Tian Cheng.
‘Is it too late for me to learn Taekwondo?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
‘It’s too late for you to learn Taekwondo,’ Hao Ting says. ‘It’s not too late for you to become a better actor. When you can’t win a verbal fight with Mr. An, you can pull faces like you’re in pain for him to see.’
At lunch time, An Yin Zhu takes a walk with Gu Tian Tian. She looks at the sceneries, and acts like he’s invisible.
‘What’s wrong?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
Gu Tian Tian looks at the ground. She lets An Yin Zhu hold her hand since it’s better than him groping her chest in public. She can’t win against him, but as long as he blackmails her into marriage, she will act like he’s invisible.
An Yin Zhu holds Gu Tian Tian’s face close to his face.
‘Is your step-aunt visiting you?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
Gu Tian Tian coughs like she’s choking on her saliva.
An Yin Zhu holds Gu Tian Tian’s hand, and walks with her to the cafeteria. She sits at a table, and waits for him to bring a tray of food for them to eat lunch.
An Yin Zhu returns to the table with a bowl of pork congee and apple dates.
Gu Tian Tian accepts the bowl from An Yin Zhu. It’s one of her least favorite dishes, but it’s a considerate gesture from him to buy her a healthy meal when he thinks she has her period.
‘Is your stomach hurting?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
‘My step-aunt hasn’t arrived,’ Gu Tian Tian says.
‘I know,’ An Yin Zhu says.
‘Then why did you buy me pork congee and apple dates?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
‘Because I know you won’t keep ignoring me, and glare at me,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian can’t fight against An Yin Zhu’s wits. She chooses silence, and eats the pork congee and apple dates.
An Yin Zhu wishes he can easily read Gu Tian Tian’s thoughts like he used to before their relationship progressed. He looks at her using chopsticks to poke a pork blood sausage. He wonders whether she has feelings toward him after knowing each other for more than ten years. Perhaps, his proposal is too sudden, and she needs time to accept his feelings. What matters is that they belong together.
After lunch, Gu Tian Tian practices a duet performance with Lam Cheng, and she ignores An Yin Zhu’s phone calls.
An Yin Zhu calls the landline, and Hao Ting picks up.
‘Where is she?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
‘Tian Tian is having a practice session with Lam Cheng,’ Hao Ting says.
An Yin Zhu walks to a music room where Gu Tian Tian is sitting opposite Lam Cheng. She’s chatting, smiling warmly at Lam Cheng and ignoring An Yin Zhu.
An Yin Zhu puts his hands into his pants pockets, and commends Gu Tian Tian’s courage. She dares act like he’s dead.
Lam Cheng notices An Yin Zhu first. Gu Tian Tian follows Lam Cheng’s gaze, and finally sees An Yin Zhu. An Yin Zhu looks at her left hand that is missing a diamond ring, and her smile disappears.
An Yin Zhu smiles at Gu Tian Tian. He takes out another familiar box, and she’s worried he’ll use the identical diamond ring to propose to her in front of Lam Cheng.
‘Come here,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian wonders what happens if An Yin Zhu proposes, and she rejects him. He won’t be embarra.s.sed, but she’ll be embarra.s.sed.
Gu Tian Tian walks to An Yin Zhu. The difference in their wits is as visible as their height difference.
An Yin Zhu puts the box back in his pants pocket, holds Gu Tian Tian’s hand and smiles at her.
‘Let’s go home and eat dinner,’ An Yin Zhu says. ‘My mum said she wants to go shopping with you after dinner.’
Gu Tian Tian looks back at Lam Cheng, and she knows her chance to date Lam Cheng is gone.
End of Chapter Fifteen