Love in a Shanghai Summer

3: White, Rich, & Beautiful（白富美）

Sighing, he observed the Sunday crowd. People ebbed and flowed, waves of anonymous bodies. Zi'an navigated the sea of indistinguishable faces, not knowing what exactly he was looking for. He only knew that a speck of loneliness obstructed his usually bright view. In this vast city, everyone swept forward, uncaring of who they left behind and trampled along the way. These days, he felt more and more like the ones lagging in the race. When most of his peers were quickly going forward about to reach the pinnacle of success, he was still here with nothing to show for the work he was doing. And work, he did. He labored every day, from Monday to Sunday. It wasn't enough. Still, he was poor. 

Just as he was about to turn away, his eyes anchored on a familiar figure across the street. Zi'an pressed his face against the window to get a better look. A woman, wearing a pink t-shirt and bright blue sweatpants, was tapping away at her phone as she waited for the pedestrian light to turn green.

"Wang Yiwen?" 

He shook his head. 

There was one in a million chance it was her. It was probably just the product of his imagination. She had been running around in his mind too often these last two days. Her in that little black dress, dropping by every little thought. The remnants of the kiss they shared stayed at the edge of his consciousness, teasing him with the impression of it. And the sadness on her face, the one he put there when he told her he only came because he was doing his friend a favor. That glimpse of loneliness lingered in his head the most. It marked the moment when things fell apart. Up until then, he had mistakenly thought the two of them were getting along. 

Another one in a million probability.

"Food is here," Jisen said.  

He was carrying a tray that held two servings of wok-fried, soup-filled pork dumplings, two bowls of hot and sour rice noodles, and two bottles of water.

"Finally," Zi'an said, happy to get a break from his morose thoughts. 

Once Jisen served the food and settled in his seat, Zi'an snapped his chopsticks apart and ate a dumpling. The flavorful broth exploded in his mouth.

"So, Jisen said, pausing to slurp some noodles into his mouth, "are you really not going to tell me about your date?"

"God, you're persistent."

"I have to be. As the youngest in my family, how else am I supposed to get anything?"

"Aren't the youngest children supposed to be spoiled?"

"Not when your elder sister is your parents' little princess. So please, put me out of my misery and tell me something." 

Zi'an scoffed, then shoved some more food into his mouth. "Fine. I met her at the restaurant like you told me to. We had dinner, then we went our separate ways." 

"That's it? Nothing exciting happened?" 

Wang Yiwen's face before she pulled him in for a kiss came to mind. The fire in her gaze, the determined set to her lips, it was probably the most exciting thing he'd experienced in years. But he couldn't share that with Jisen. That moment was too private, something that belonged only to him and her. 

"Nothing."

"What? So you didn't like her then? She can be a little intimidating. I think that's why she and my sister are good friends. Birds of the same feather and all that. But she's all right when you get to know her." 

"It's not that I don't like her. It's more like we're not on the same level."

"What do you mean? Is it because she's older?"

"No, I don't care about that."

"What then?" 

"She's bái fù měi, so of course, she expects a gāo fù shuài."

"Oh, that's it? You're tall and handsome. Once we get our business going, you'll be rich, too."

Zi'an chuckled. "It's not like I'll get rich overnight. That'll take time."

"True..." Jisen chewed on his food, momentarily discouraged. Then, he brightened again. "Nevermind. You're a good man. Some other nice girl who doesn't care about money will come along."

"Yeah, maybe. But that's not my focus at the moment. Right now, you're the most important person in my life." 

"Me?"Jisen looked at him askance. "Why me?"

Zi'an grinned. "Because you, my friend, are my ticket to a wealthy life."

"Aha! So money is the most important thing for you, too?"

"Money makes the world go round."

Jisen pretended to pout. "And here I was thinking it's because I'm an awesome friend."

"You're that, too."

"But my money is more important."

"Right."

"What a capitalistic world we live in."

Zi'an laughed. "Shut up and finish your food. I need to get back to the office."

They finished the rest of their meal in silence, then set out of the restaurant. The noon sun blazed high in the sky on their way back to the office. After only a few minutes of walking, bullets of sweat dampened the back of Zi'an's shirt.

"This heat is killing me. How about we take the path through the park?" Jisen strode towards the shade provided by Gingko trees lining the street. 

Wiping a hand across his forehead, Zian nodded and headed towards the park entrance. The Lujiazui Central Green Space was a large oasis at the heart of Shanghai's financial district. Acres of green were enclosed by gigantic buildings - nature and modernity struggling to find harmony.

On days when Zi'an needed inspiration, he would often walk there to sketch. He found inspiration in the profusion of wildflowers splashing the ground with shades of yellow, pink, red, and violet. While watching willow trees grazing the surface of the man-made lake with their slender leaves, he'd flesh out design ideas.

The squeals of children as they splashed around a fountain brought Zi'an's attention back to the moment. When he shifted his gaze towards them, he stopped in his tracks. Just a few steps away, the woman he saw at the intersection sat on a wooden bench underneath a white canopy. She was sipping from a cup of bubble milk tea. He recognized her mismatched sportswear. Though now he was closer, he could also see her face, completely deprived of any makeup. 

"Wang Yiwen," Jisen shouted beside him.

Zi'an watched as his friend covered the ground that separated them from her.

"Wang Yiwen," Zi'an repeated under his breath.

He knew the exact moment her eyes landed on him because the milk tea she was holding fell from her grasp, splattering brown liquid on the gray pavement.

*******

Author's note:

They met so soon. Is this fate? Lol

What's your first impression of Gao Jisen?

Do you like the word of the day? It's very useful, I think. :))