OSL – Chapter Sixteen
An Yin Zhu walks with Gu Tian Tian outside the music room. He’s like a paparazzi’s main attraction, whenever he’s out in public, eyes will follow him. She didn’t pull her hand away from him because she didn’t want to embarra.s.s him in public out of consideration they’re childhood friends.
Gu Tian Tian waits until she and An Yin Zhu are in a secluded place on campus, and pulls her hand away from his hand. He holds her hand, and takes her to the car.
Gu Tian Tian remembers feeling guilty briefly when she practiced with Lam Cheng in the music room. But her guiltiness past quickly, and she practiced the duet without a hitch.
Gu Tian Tian hesitates getting in the car.
‘Call my mum if you don’t want to come home with me,’ An Yin Zhu says.
An Yin Zhu drives off without Gu Tian Tian. She waves the exhaust smoke away from her face. Is he angry? Call Mrs. An? Of course she can’t disappoint Mrs. An. She walks to the bus stop because her free ride is gone.
Gu Tian Tian watches seven full buses leave, and curses the petty An Yin Zhu. She reads on her phone to kill time while waiting for the next free bus.
Gu Tian Tian’s lost free ride returns.
‘Get in,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian has pride too. She pretends she can’t see or hear An Yin Zhu.
‘Gu Xiao Zhu,’ An Yin Zhu calls.
Gu Tian Tian doesn’t want An Yin Zhu to embarra.s.s her at the bus stop. She grudgingly gets in the car.
Gu Tian Tian doesn’t understand why she and An Yin Zhu are only three years apart, they grew up eating the same food and have similar hobbies but they’re total opposites.
‘Where’s your engagement ring?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
‘I took it off when I was washing my clothes,’ Gu Tian Tian says.
An Yin Zhu takes out the box, and gives it to Gu Tian Tian.
‘Wear your engagement ring,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian wonders how many identical diamond rings An Yin Zhu bought. She hasn’t accepted An Yin Zhu’s proposal, which means they’re not engaged and there’s no reason for her to feel guilty practicing a duet with Lam Cheng.
Gu Tian Tian thinks she lost her mind because she wears the diamond ring on her ring finger.
Gu Tian Tian looks at An Yin Zhu’s hands on the steering wheel. She notices on his ring finger is a masculine engagement ring similar to the diamond ring she’s wearing.
Gu Tian Tian’s body burns up, and she looks outside the window. Why is her relationship with An Yin Zhu still unclear?
Gu Tian Tian feels like it’s not long ago when An Yin Zhu chased her around and teased her until she cried. He told her that her parents don’t want to take care of her, which was why he babysat her and she needs to repay him when she’s an adult because he took care of her for years.
An Yin Zhu parks the car in the residential underground parking. Gu Tian Tian waits for him on the ground floor like how she waited in front of his cla.s.sroom after school when they were in primary school.
Gu Tian Tian and An Yin Zhu enters the An family condo, and Mrs. An takes Gu Tian Tian hostage in the kitchen.
‘Xiao Tian, are you used to college life yet?’ Mrs. An asks.
‘Yes mummy An,’ Gu Tian Tian says.
Mrs. An looks at Gu Tian Tian’s diamond ring, and smiles.
‘The little boy knows how to work fast,’ Mrs. Gu says. ‘Xiao Tian, do you and Yin Zhu want to be engaged first? I’ll call your parents to make plans.’
Mrs. An washes her hands, and excitedly calls Mrs. Gu.
Gu Tian Tian has no chance to clear the misunderstanding, and walks resentfully out of the kitchen. Gu Tian Tian fell into An Yin Zhu’s trap again.
Gu Tian Tian grits her teeth in the living room, and hears Mrs. An laughing merrily with Mrs. Gu over Gu Tian Tian and An Yin Zhu’s engagement news.
An Yin Zhu sits on the sofa, smiles at Gu Tian Tian and she glares back at him while eavesdropping on Mrs. An and Mrs. Gu’s conversation over the phone.
‘Yes, the little boy hasn’t changed,’ Mrs. An says. ‘Little sister Gu, you and little brother Gu should visit soon, and we can sit together to plan.’
Gu Tian Tian has fallen deep into An Yin Zhu’s trap, and can’t escape.
‘Chi Si Zhu, did you tell your mum?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
‘All I said to our parents is that I plan to propose to you tonight,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian wants to take off the diamond ring and use it to scratch An Yin Zhu’s face. What proposal? He proposed to her nights ago, but fooled their parents. He forced her to wear the identical diamond rings he bought her, and has the nerve to say to their parents he plans to propose to her tonight. He even prepared another bouquet of flowers.
Gu Tian Tian understands why Mrs. An took one look at the diamond ring, and Mrs. An knew An Yin Zhu popped the question.
‘Little sister Gu, should we plan a western style wedding or a traditional wedding for Xiao Tian and Yin Zhu?’ Mrs. An asks.
Gu Tian Tian feels utterly trapped.
An Yin Zhu pulls Gu Tian Tian on the sofa next to him. He holds her face and rea.s.sures her.
‘You don’t need to worry about us getting married,’ An Yin Zhu says.
End of Chapter Sixteen