“Kong Qi Zhong Fang Fu Gan Jue Dao Ni De Hu Xi, Que Gan Jue Bu Dao Ni Zhen Shi De Chun Zai...”
Chapter 16
Back at the beach house, Wei Lian laid lifelessly on the sofa, switching channels aimlessly. Since Fang Qi ran out of the beach house that evening, the whole place had been strangely quiet.
One week. The shrill laughter that often rang out, the loud voice that loves to argue with him, the sound of endlessly flowing water from the bathroom when she takes a bath. All gone. Suddenly he does not need to fend against her kicks. Suddenly there is no one to quarrel with him. Her name never appeared in his hand phone’s inbox messages again since that evening.
“Why? Cannot is it?” A loud voice shrieked in his head.
“Cannot.” The voice said again.
That is her. Her loud and barbaric ways. It just baffles and stuns him somehow.
He didn’t call her at all. And she didn’t call as she always did when she wanted him to help her run some errands while on his way back. He didn’t know if she has gone home. But he assumed she is fine. After all, no one else would have dared to challenge her fiery temper unless they are asking for trouble.
9 p.m. Fang Qi stared at Jake, her hands crushing the can of coke she held in her hands. He has been pestering her after she left the beach house. He had come by to check with her brother Fang Tong if she is at home when he was unable to find her at the beach house.
“She left.” That were the only words Wei Lian had given him. He would not speak of why she had left. “Where did she go?” He asked. “Huh? You ask me how I know lor?” Wei Lian sucked all the prune juice in the cup with his straw. “You want you call her lor.” He added expressionlessly.
“Kerry...can I talk to you for a while?” Jake looked at her helplessly. She has been glaring at him since he stepped into her apartment.
“You didn’t talk enough meh? Just now you already talked to my brother already what.” Fang Qi flinched at the thought of him calling her English name. Only Jake called her Kerry. She had loved the way he called her Kerry. But now, suddenly it sounded somewhat repulsive coming from him.
“Not that Kerry, not that. I…..just wanted to discuss if we……….can work things out……?”
Fang Qi looked at him with query on her face. The thought of him walking out of her life and now trying to walk back in now irks her. She doesn’t feel good about what she has heard. At least not now.
She is still trying to figure out the feelings she has towards Wei Lian. “Who are you la? You think you are really my girlfriend meh?!! You think I really want to help you? If you are not Fang Tong’s sister, I can’t be bothered about you man. You think you really very attractive meh? No wonder Jake dumped you last time! You think I like you to stay here meh? I pity you only!” Wei Lian’s hurtful words began to drown her thoughts. She shook her head as if trying to shake all the thoughts out of her head. She shot Jake a look. “Got things to discuss meh? No common topic lor.” She said curtly.
Common topic? Jake looked at her as if she was speaking some alien language. Of course there is… “Can we……”
“Cannot.” She finally showed her impatience and walked over to shove Jake out of her apartment, leaving a shouting Jake outside knocking furiously on the door. “Kerry. Kerry!!” Fang Qi bolted the door with frustration and walked back into her room and slammed the bedroom door. Jake’s voice trailed off behind the closed door. “I SAY CANNOT LA.” She screamed with all her might from inside the house, startling Fang Tong who ran out quickly from the kitchen.
The next morning.
Fang Qi rolled the newspaper in her hands with displeasure. The newspaper under her tight clutch was not spared. “Wah, can’t stand it man,” she thought. Such persistence! If only he showed his persistence four years ago and continued staying by her despite his family’s objections.
“Why are you standing here? Go away can?” She pushes him aside and bent down to retrieve the bottle of milk at the doorstep.
“I bought soy bean milk and crispy fried dough. Your favorite.” Jake looked at her pleadingly, his hand rose with a bag of food.
“Four years leh. Change taste liao la. Long ago liao la. I drink milk now lor.” Fang Qi retorted, purposely smirking to herself to piss Jake off.
“But you hated milk……” Jake knew she is trying to irritate and shake him off. Well….he knew it’s his fault. So he had to accept her attitude.
“I say in Chinese you don’t understand, I say in English you also don’t understand is it? How? You need me to speak in Tamil or not? You come back next year la. I will go and learn Tamil and talk to you in Tamil la!” Telling him she drinks milk now, is it that difficult to understand? “Iya I not free la, breakfast time. Bye bye!” With that she shoves Jake out of the door, leaving him staring helplessly at the door once again.
Chapter 16
Back at the beach house, Wei Lian laid lifelessly on the sofa, switching channels aimlessly. Since Fang Qi ran out of the beach house that evening, the whole place had been strangely quiet.
One week. The shrill laughter that often rang out, the loud voice that loves to argue with him, the sound of endlessly flowing water from the bathroom when she takes a bath. All gone. Suddenly he does not need to fend against her kicks. Suddenly there is no one to quarrel with him. Her name never appeared in his hand phone’s inbox messages again since that evening.
“Why? Cannot is it?” A loud voice shrieked in his head.
“Cannot.” The voice said again.
That is her. Her loud and barbaric ways. It just baffles and stuns him somehow.
He didn’t call her at all. And she didn’t call as she always did when she wanted him to help her run some errands while on his way back. He didn’t know if she has gone home. But he assumed she is fine. After all, no one else would have dared to challenge her fiery temper unless they are asking for trouble.
9 p.m. Fang Qi stared at Jake, her hands crushing the can of coke she held in her hands. He has been pestering her after she left the beach house. He had come by to check with her brother Fang Tong if she is at home when he was unable to find her at the beach house.
“She left.” That were the only words Wei Lian had given him. He would not speak of why she had left. “Where did she go?” He asked. “Huh? You ask me how I know lor?” Wei Lian sucked all the prune juice in the cup with his straw. “You want you call her lor.” He added expressionlessly.
“Kerry...can I talk to you for a while?” Jake looked at her helplessly. She has been glaring at him since he stepped into her apartment.
“You didn’t talk enough meh? Just now you already talked to my brother already what.” Fang Qi flinched at the thought of him calling her English name. Only Jake called her Kerry. She had loved the way he called her Kerry. But now, suddenly it sounded somewhat repulsive coming from him.
“Not that Kerry, not that. I…..just wanted to discuss if we……….can work things out……?”
Fang Qi looked at him with query on her face. The thought of him walking out of her life and now trying to walk back in now irks her. She doesn’t feel good about what she has heard. At least not now.
She is still trying to figure out the feelings she has towards Wei Lian. “Who are you la? You think you are really my girlfriend meh?!! You think I really want to help you? If you are not Fang Tong’s sister, I can’t be bothered about you man. You think you really very attractive meh? No wonder Jake dumped you last time! You think I like you to stay here meh? I pity you only!” Wei Lian’s hurtful words began to drown her thoughts. She shook her head as if trying to shake all the thoughts out of her head. She shot Jake a look. “Got things to discuss meh? No common topic lor.” She said curtly.
Common topic? Jake looked at her as if she was speaking some alien language. Of course there is… “Can we……”
“Cannot.” She finally showed her impatience and walked over to shove Jake out of her apartment, leaving a shouting Jake outside knocking furiously on the door. “Kerry. Kerry!!” Fang Qi bolted the door with frustration and walked back into her room and slammed the bedroom door. Jake’s voice trailed off behind the closed door. “I SAY CANNOT LA.” She screamed with all her might from inside the house, startling Fang Tong who ran out quickly from the kitchen.
The next morning.
Fang Qi rolled the newspaper in her hands with displeasure. The newspaper under her tight clutch was not spared. “Wah, can’t stand it man,” she thought. Such persistence! If only he showed his persistence four years ago and continued staying by her despite his family’s objections.
“Why are you standing here? Go away can?” She pushes him aside and bent down to retrieve the bottle of milk at the doorstep.
“I bought soy bean milk and crispy fried dough. Your favorite.” Jake looked at her pleadingly, his hand rose with a bag of food.
“Four years leh. Change taste liao la. Long ago liao la. I drink milk now lor.” Fang Qi retorted, purposely smirking to herself to piss Jake off.
“But you hated milk……” Jake knew she is trying to irritate and shake him off. Well….he knew it’s his fault. So he had to accept her attitude.
“I say in Chinese you don’t understand, I say in English you also don’t understand is it? How? You need me to speak in Tamil or not? You come back next year la. I will go and learn Tamil and talk to you in Tamil la!” Telling him she drinks milk now, is it that difficult to understand? “Iya I not free la, breakfast time. Bye bye!” With that she shoves Jake out of the door, leaving him staring helplessly at the door once again.
