WAITING FOR THE BEGINNING

9. Opposites Attract Chaos

With the next phase of the competition, Ping Ping spends all of her spare time in the studio at the Shanghai Institute of Fashion. In Ping Ping's absence, De Ai hangs with Chen Hua who involves her in the branding design. 

Much to De Yi's distress, Chen Hua begins to drop by his office unannounced, with De Ai in tow. There are legitimate meetings where they discuss the expansion plan and the designs; then there are those numerous lunches where she insists he must give an opinion about furniture or pattern or color.

One late afternoon, the siblings sit down to try out different teas for the tea houses. The two of them watch the people bustling down the street, pulling their coats in the chilly winter breeze.

"I miss Ping." De Ai laments over a cup of hot tea.

"Me too." De Yi absent-mindedly agrees.

"Really?"  De Ai gives her brother a quizzical look.

"Sure." De Yi recovers, nonchalantly. "I've come to think of her like another sister. Your twin. The good one."

"Ha. Funny." De Ai sees Chen Hua entering the cafe. "What about Chen Hua. Do you think of her as a sister too?"

"Sure." De Yi replies. "The annoying one."

"Maybe it's attraction." De Ai suggests, helpfully.

"Absolutely not. She grates my nerves." De Yi flicks his sister's forehead. "Don't get any ideas."

"Maybe," De Ai smiles into her tea and then loudly. "We should tell Chen Hua your feelings."

"What feelings." Chen Hua, right on cue, steps up to their table.

De Yi stiffens visibly and then glares at De Ai.

"That I'm exhausted from fighting with you every step of the way on this project." De Yi stands up and gulps down his tea. "You gals have fun shopping."

Instead of walking back to the office, he detours towards the fashion institute.  He spends the next hour, standing across the hall, observing Ping Ping squinting at the computer CAD program to produce patterns, and then cutting, pinning, sewing the muslin and adjusting them on the mannequins. As she puts away her work, he calls for his car and then drives around the block. On the third try, he catches her walking toward the bus.

"Ping." He pulls up to her and rolls down the window. "I thought it was you."

"De Yi Ge (big brother De Yi)." She flashes him a genuine smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home."

"What a coincidence."

"Indeed. Lucky for you." He gets out of the car and opens the door. "Get in. I'll give you a ride."

She nods.

"How's De Ai." Ping Ping buckles herself. "I have been a bad friend. Just so focused on the competition."

"Good I guess." De Yi checks the mirrors and pulls out. "Chen Hua has her on a shopping schedule."

"What do you mean?"

"The two of them have different taste in clothes." De Yi chuckles to himself. "So Chen Hua made a schedule - Monday, Wednesday, Friday - they shop where she says. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - they shop where De Ai wants."

"And Sunday?"

"They rest."

The two of them break into an easy laugh and then a comfortable silence.

Her stomach growls.

"Let's get something to eat." De Yi suggests.

"Thank you." Ping Ping picks up the phone and then sets it down.

"Who were you going to call?"

"De Ai."

"And."

"I'm just too tired. I don't know if I have the energy for a long conversation." Ping Ping picks up the phone again. "But then again, I do miss her."

"It will be quieter without her." What he really wants is to be alone with Ping Ping. "We can get thru dinner faster. And get you home."

As they sit across each other at the Hot Pot Palace, Ping Ping can feel the difference in the way De Yi relates to her. He is more mindful of her.

"How's the competition going?" He puts some food onto her plate.

"More difficult than I thought. There were a lot of things that I didn't know."

"Such as."

"Using a computer to create patterns. Designing a whole collection. I've been only focused on trains."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing."

"It is if I want to win the Bridal competition."

"Have you heard of Starbucks." De Yi spoons more food for the two of them and replenishes the pot.

"Of course."

"Have you heard of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf."

Ping Ping shakes her head.

"They both are coffee specialty companies that started around the same time." De Yi shifts his glasses, like a professor. "But Starbucks at the very beginning decided to focus only on coffee, and only gourmet small batch roasted coffee. And more specifically, they built their business on one invention - the frappuccino."

"I see." Ping Ping chews thoughtfully.

"When I look to buy a company." De Yi continues. "I don't look just at the numbers; I look for something that makes that company unique. Something that would make them special in the marketplace - something I can put behind to market as bait to create interest and then brand loyalty."

"Oh." Ping Ping catches on. "Thank you for encouraging me."