Bie Zai Rang Ai Bai Gei Shi Jian, Bie Zai Rang Ai Shu Gei Yong Yuan, Wo Men Dao Di He Shi Neng Hui Dao Yuan Dian? Wo Shen Me Dou Bu Xiang, Wo Zhi Shi Xiang Yao Ni Na Rang Wo Xing Fu Yi Bei Zi De Ai…

Chapter 34


“…ni dong bu dong?” The train screeched to a halt, drowning his heartfelt words. Wei Lian panicked. Did she hear it? Did she? Or has she gone and boarded the train? His heart pounded furiously. He was at a loss for words yet again. A feeling of helplessness washed over him. He clutched tightly to the bear, as if trying to muster his courage again.

Suddenly, familiar footsteps entered his ears. It sounds like friction of footsteps against the train flooring. Huh? She really entered the train?! She didn’t see him? He was very sure he heard her footsteps. He recognized her walking patterns. Wei Lian decided he had better not take any chances. Clutching the bear in one hand and putting the other hand outstretched to feel the empty space ahead with slight uncertainty, he pushes his way into the almost full train cabin.

“Fang Qi. I love you. I love you, ni dong bu dong?” He said it aloud, ignoring gasps of surprises that rang around his ears. He couldn’t care less. He doesn’t want to ask them if she was in the train cabin. What if she heard him asking and she went to other cabins or out of the train?

Fang Qi was standing on the empty platform, staring at the train tracks. She was stepping into the train cabin when Wei Lian’s voice entered her ears, amidst the noise. He had said something. With slight hesitation, she turned back and stared in disbelief at Wei Lian who was pushing through the crowd. She wasn’t sure if she heard what he said correctly. Then, she saw him being squeezed and got pushed out. She panicked as she watched him struggling with unstable steps.

She grabbed his arm in time and pulled him out of the train just as the train door closed. Both of them staggered backwards but Fang Qi gripped onto Wei Lian’s arm tightly, afraid that he will fall. Slowly they steadied themselves. She could feel his heavy breathing. She dare not think what would happen if she breathe. Then she held her breath and pulls apart their distance. Till she was sure she couldn’t hear his breathing by her ears. Silence fell for a moment. Suddenly the train platform was bustling with activities again as the passengers alighted from the opposite train that just arrived. People were walking hurriedly past, babies were crying, kids were screaming. She wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly.

“I love you.” She heard it again. Loud and clear. Looking at the little bear in his outstretched hand, and the ring on the necklace around the bear’s neck, Fang Qi wept. But the decisiveness in his words rang in her mind again.

"Wah, you finally back from your hot date ah?"

"Eh, why? So hot until you cannot talk issit?" she taunted him.

"What la?" He had answered unwillingly.

"What, what? Your hot date with your Cherie mah! People ask you out you agree immediately, I ask you to help me with something small, I have to beg you until I go on my knees!!" Fang Qi shrieked at the top of her voice, unable to control herself.

"Who are you la? You think you are really my girlfriend meh?!!"

“Eh ask you. If one day you like me how ah?” She had asked him during one of their earlier conversations, way before Ah Ma came.

“Ah? Like you? You not the kind of style I like la. You go change lor. Change liao maybe I see how lor.”

“Eh! I am serious la!” She screamed at him.

“I am also serious la. Don’t keep asking such questions lay.”

“So you mean you will never like me lor? A tiny weeny bit also won’t ah?” She pressed for an answer.

Wei Lian shook his head and replied her decisively. “Won’t la.”

Hearing no response, Wei Lian didn’t give up and asked loudly “I love you, ni dong bu dong?” Fang Qi’s couldn’t control herself upon hearing that. Her tears just kept flowing quietly. He loves me. He really loves me. He just said it….

“Eh. I say it liao, how come no response one?” He was still holding out the bear towards her.

Hmph! Why must he spoil the romantic mood ah? Cannot, I must not give in so easily. Fang Qi thought playfully to herself. She walked towards him, quickly wiping the tears off her face.

“Hah? You sure anot? You love me, then Cherie how? Hah? Your precious Cherie how?” Fang Qi just blurted out. She didn’t mean to say it. Looking at his face, which finally showed some expression - a pleading look - she wanted so much to just go over and hug him. But she didn’t want to let him off so easily. Suddenly, she spotted Cherie smiling widely at her. She knew she had the license to go ahead.

“You forgot what you say before?” She just didn’t want him to have an easy time.

“What did I say before?” Wei Lian heard her question and went stunned for a second. Then he recalled…

“Eh ask you. If one day you like me how ah?” She had asked him during one of their earlier conversations, way before Ah Ma came.

“Ah? Like you? You not the kind of style I like la. You go change lor. Change liao maybe I see how lor.” She nothing better to do, choose this kind of topic to talk is it? He loves Cherie.
“Eh! I am serious la!” She screamed at him.

“I am also serious la. Don’t keep asking such questions lay.” He had answered. Bo liao la this woman.

“So you mean you will never like me lor? A tiny weeny bit also won’t ah?” She pressed for an answer.

Wei Lian shook his head and replied her decisively. “Won’t la.” Who dared to like her ah?

Wei Lian really wanted to kick himself. He replied sheepishly. “Err, my feelings for Cherie is already past la. Now I… ,” Fang Qi didn’t give him a chance to talk.

“Now you what? How? You tell me how lo. How I know when you will go crazy and scold me and tell me to get lost again just because you’re upset that I came between you and Cherie? And why must I tell you l love you first before you can tell me ah?” Fang Qi chided him, trying to mask her mischievous tone. Then she turned and pretended to walk away. She stopped and turned back to face him after a short distance.

Cherie wanted to burst out laughing but controlled herself. She could see that Wei Lian was very lost for words. These two are really made for each other.

“Why must you always bully me ah? From the day I knew you until now, you are always mean to me!! Why why why?? ” Suddenly, Fang Qi started getting emotional again as she thought of all the things they had gone through, all the time they had wasted.

Moving his legs slowly and step by step, Wei Lian started to walk forward towards Fang Qi. He could hear where she was standing exactly. She was only about six steps away from him. As he moved slowly towards her, he nearly lost his footing. Fang Qi’s heart lurched. Just one more step and he will fall off the platform, onto the train tracks! She quickly grabbed hold of him by the arm. He stopped and balanced himself when his outstretched hand brushed against her arm. He felt for her hand rapidly and pushed the bear into it. Fang Qi stared closely at the bear and the ring necklace that hung around its neck.

“I am not a romantic person. I don’t know how to express my concerns and feelings. I am not like the other guys who will keep the “love” word by their mouths constantly. I know I put up a barrier around myself, so it is hard for people to get in and to know the real me…..I, err….. this contains my feelings for you.” He began saying in his gentlest voice. I ya what is he saying la. “I ya, you know I don’t know how to talk one la, but this bear reminded me of you when you were gone. This ring, you bought it earlier on but didn’t collect so I kept it for you lor. And I also wrote a song for you. Eh, you can don’t be so fussy or not?”

Despite the way he spoke, there was not a hint of impatience or sarcasm in his voice. All Fang Qi heard was a shy and loving tone. He was speaking in a loving tone. She was ready to melt. As she felt him standing so close to her, his hands on her arms, her tears started trickling down her cheeks again. It was tears of joy. She knew he really meant it this time. She knew it took a lot of his courage and pride to say it out.

Then, she lifted the bear and took a look at the ring. It was the ring she had ordered from the accessories shop near the beach house. She had forgotten to collect it as she had left Singapore in a huff. Suddenly she thought she saw some words on the inner side of the ring. She squint her eyes and brought the ring up for a closer look. When she saw the words “Fang Qi” engraved there, her tears flowed freely. Her heart felt a happiness that she has never felt before. It was warm, sweet and many indescribable feelings all rolled into one.

“You got them to engrave my name ah?” She asked softly, speaking to him in a gentler tone for once.

“Yah, I…” he answered in his deep voice. Before he could continue, Fang Qi flung her arms around him and hugged him. This time he was not taken aback. It seemed so natural. He instinctively wrapped his arms round her and hugged her tightly, as if he was never going to let go. Fang Qi melted in the warmth of his hug and buried her tear-stained face into the crook of his neck. Amidst the occasionally busy train platform, they felt like they were in a world of their own. Their new found world.

After what seemed like eternity, Fang Qi looked up and thought aloud, “Eh, how come got another ring?” She gave the ring that hung on the chain he wore around his neck a tug. It looks…familiar…

Wei Lian felt her fingers on his neck. He pulled her away in an awkward manner. “I ya, the two rings are actually magnetic one la, can stick together la. You don’t know the rings are a pair one meh?” He asked casually. He had stopped by the accessories shop for a short chit chat some time back and the owner showed him the other part of the magnetic rings. “Don’t know lay. The shop owner didn’t tell me what.” She replied, fiddling with the bigger sized ring he was wearing on his neck. “Eh, how come your ring didn’t engrave your name one?” She was displeased to find no name on the inner surface of the ring. Wei Lian heard her displeasure and laughed softly. “Waiting for you to come back and engrave for me lor. Can or not?”

“You said you wrote a song for me? What song? Was it the one you sang just now at the café?” She ignored his question and went on to ask him about the song he mentioned, feeling all exhilarated inside her. He wrote her a song!

“Huh? You were there meh? So nice or not?” Wei Lian was surprised that Fang Qi was actually at the café just now.

“I ya, I didn’t listen to the whole song la, how I know nice or not?” She wasn’t going to explain why she had left halfway. She felt so silly jumping to conclusions. Anyway it wasn’t important now. They already know how they both felt about each other. “Why didn’t you finish listening lay?” Since she was at the café, why didn’t she finish listening?

“I ya, stop asking la! Never listen finish never listen finish lor. Cannot ah? I don’t care! I want to hear you sing it to me.” She said coyly, and stamped her feet in a child-like manner. “I want to hear it now!” She demanded teasingly.

“Come with me.” Wei Lian grabbed her hand, gave her a tug and started walking towards the exit of the train station. He had been here umpteen times he could memorise the layout of the train station. For once, he was leading Fang Qi out and not the other way around. He felt a strong wave of newfound confidence wash over him and gained a new spring to his steps. He found himself smiling from ear to ear. He was in love.

As they walked out of the train station, Cherie stood there with her arms folded and a wide grin on her face. They had forgotten that she was still there. The lovebirds, she thought with a chuckle, and followed quietly after them.

Wei Lian led Fang Qi to the table where Jason, Jake, Jace and her boyfriend were sitting. Jason let out a cheeky whistle when he saw them approaching, hand in hand. “Woo hoo! Look who’s here!” Wei Lian and Fang Qi both blushed and he gave her hand a tight squeeze. She squeezed his hand back. They felt a little embarrassed with the teasing, but neither of them was going to let go. Not now. Not ever.

“Eh, you sit down first lor? I’ll go get my guitar.” Wei Lian said in an awkward yet gentle manner to Fang Qi. There are too many people around. He only wanted to show his gentle side to her.

“Don’t worry la, we will take care of your darling la.” Cherie laughed as she walked towards the table. She had come in after them.

“Oi oi oi!” Wei Lian chided her mischievously, while Fang Qi gave Cherie a playful poke at her waist. Laughter broke out at the table, adding to the festive mood all around in the café. Suddenly she thought of something. She turned towards Cherie who’s snuggling up in Jason’s arms. Oh…she was still thinking how come Cherie actually volunteered to give Wei Lian up. So she was testing her. “Eh why?” Cherie looked up at her in surprise. “If I don’t test you, you might still misunderstand that we are a couple leh!” She laughed. Fang Qi crackled softly and gestured a nod of thanks.

Wei Lian settled himself down on the high stool on the stage, strapped his guitar around him and tapped on the microphone to test for sound. “Good evening everyone. Tonight is a very special night. Not only is it Christmas eve, it is a very special night to me.” Knowing cheers came from the table below the stage. Wei Lian let out an embarrassed laugh.

“To start off tonight’s performance, I would like to bring you this song which I had specially written for a special someone.” He turned his head towards the table where his friends were seated. “My special someone. Her name is Fang Qi.” Everyone in the café clapped and cheered him on. Fang Qi blushed furiously in her seat, her heart overflowing with happiness. She has never expected him to so openly express his feelings for her. Silly boy la, she thought.

“And the title of the song is “Wo Zhi Shi Xiang Yao”,” Strumming the guitar introduction, Wei Lian launched into the song.

“Zhao xun yi ge mei you ji mo de di fang
Yi ge ni he wo de tian tang
Jiu suan shi mian qiang
Ceng jing zou guo de mei yi ge huang tang
Jin wo zhe ni de shou zai duo kun nan
Wo men dou jian qiang

Zhao xun yi ge mei you fang xiang de di fang
Zhi you ni he wo neng fei xiang
Ai qing de qian fang
You xie mo hu ye you yi xie pang huang
Jin wo zhe ni de shou dai ni liu lang
Yi qi yao wang

Wo zhi shi xiang yao yi xie feng kuang
He yong bao ni de xi wang
Huo xu yu hui zhan zhuan wan ban jian nan
Zhi yong xin de jiang ni qian ban

Wo zhen de xiang yao yi xie feng kuang
He qin wen ni de li liang
Yong bao ni ku qi pei ni shang xin
Jue bu hui rang ni shou wei qu

Wo yong xiang nian de ju li hua zuo yi ke xin
Wo pin ming shan yao wei ni zhao liang
Hei an zhong de yin ying

Wo yong zui hou de sheng ming chi xu zhe hu xi
Zhi wei le deng dai yong bao ni….”

Fang Qi felt tears in her eyes again. Idiot Wei Lian! The words that he mentioned to her earlier ran through her thoughts.

“I am not a romantic person. I don’t know how to express my concerns and feelings….”

He not romantic? No what....She smiled as her gaze fell upon the guy she deeply loved. He has his way of being romantic without needing to try too hard like what some guys nowadays do. She doesn’t need him to buy her gifts and bring her roses everyday. All she wants from him is….it doesn’t matter what. As long as he loves her with his heart, everything else doesn’t matter anymore.

Her song. Wei Lian penned a song for her. Looking at him on stage, smiling in her direction, she was overcome with a sense of pride and emotions.