"Xiuying!" Meiling said happily as she linked her arm with her friend.
"Morning Meiling. Well you are doing a lot better." Xiuying said smiling.
"I do. My brother is talking again with me. And the problem with the rumor got solved." Meiling said smiling.
"That's good to hear then." Xiuying said.
"Xiuying..." Meiling stopped and her friend looked at her confused. "You don't feel like my accessory right?" Meiling asked concerned.
"What do you mean?" Xiuying asked confused.
"You don't feel like living in my shadow, right? Like you get to Jing's party just because you are my friend and you don't matter? Do you feel like that?" Meiling asked and Xiuying started to laugh. "Hey! Why are you laughing at me!?" Meiling asked frustrated and confused.
"Meili...I was grateful you took me to Jing's party. And I don't feel like I am living in your shadow. I don't feel like that one bit." Xiuying said smiling.
"So we are ok?" Meiling asked and Xiuying nodded. Meiling smiled wide and hugged her friend. "I don't know what I did in my past life to deserve someone like you, but I am glad I met you Xixi." Meiling said smiling.
"Alright alright. Enough with all these feelings. I am getting emotional." Xiuying said smiling.
"What lesson do you have?" Meiling asked curious.
"I have a free period. I don't have what to do tho." Xiuying said sighing.
"I have dancing lessons. Maybe you want to come and watch?" Meiling suggested and Xiuying nodded.
"I like the idea." Xiuying said smiling as the two walked out of the building. When they were around the campus they saw the group of boys.
"They bicker more in a day than we do in a year." Ximen said and Meiling giggled.
"Are we talking about how Si and Shancai are fighting over anything, again?" Meiling asked as she and Xiuying arrived in front of them
"Meiling! Look who is back!" Meizuo said with enthusiasm as Lei came into her vision. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw him.
"Hey, I am back." Lei said smiling. Meiling stayed still as Xiuying walked towards the boy and the two hugged.
"Welcome back Huaze Lei." Xiuying said smiling and then Lei turned to Meiling. He then walked to her, now she was looking at him with curious eyes.
"Meiling...I am back." Lei said smiling and then he wrapped his arms around her. Meiling stayed still, her arms still wrapped around her books in front of her body. "I missed you." Lei continued hoping he will get a reaction from her, but nothing happened. When he pulled from the hug, he put his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her, a serious expression present along her features. "Did you missed me too?" Lei asked giving her a small smile as his eyes were searching for something in her now cold eyes. Happiness, relief, sadness, anything. But he couldn't. He couldn't see any emotion in her eyes.
Meiling looked at him and put his hands away from her body. "I have practice." Meiling said as she walked to Xiuying. They were about to walk away when the boys stopped them.
"Meiling!" Ximen said and the girl stopped and looked at him. "We were thinking, now that Lei is back, maybe we should hang out tonight." Ximen said smiling.
"Alright, have fun." Meiling said and was about to walk but got stopped again.
"We meant for you and Xiuying to join too. Or at least you." Meizuo said and Meiling turned to them. She looked at her brother, Ximen and Meizuo with a what-the-heck-are-you-up-to look. Then she turned to Lei seeing him with an hopeful smile and then she turned to Xiuying that was looking at her with pleading eyes. The girl then sighed. "I can't. I'm busy with my dance presentation. It's not too far. But I bet Xixi will be more than honored to join you four." Meiling said smiling towards the two boys that suggested.
"Come on Meiling. Can't you just take a bre-"Meizuo was about to ask when Meiling looked at him with a serious expression.
"Meizuo...I said what I had to say. Now, if there is no other things to discuss I will take my leave. Come on Xixi." Meiling said as she and her friend started to walk to the music building.
"Don't mind her Lei...she is just...stressed." Ximen tried to find the right words.
"Right! Now that her ballet presentation is coming up ad we will watch she is trying to do her best." Meizuo continued as Lei sighed and put a fake smile on.
"I know...Meiling used to get so nervous when we were watching her dance. She is cute." Lei said smiling.
The other two boys smiled at each other when they heard their friend say that , but Si got in his overprotective brother mode.
"Cut it out. Let's go to class." Si said as he gave Shancai the new phone and walked with his friends in the class.
~~~
That night Meiling was dragged out of the house by her brother and Xiuying. She was brought to the restaurant where Si gave a call and Shancai was brought too.
"Are you a turtle? What took you so long?" Si said as he stood up when Shancai arrived.
Meiling looked at the group and noticed something. They were in pairs. Ximen was talking to a girl and having drinks together, Meizuo was talking with Xiuying, and now Shancai came and her brother was talking to her. The only one that hasn't arrived yet was Lei, and she was without a pair. So with no doubt, she was forced to be paired with the guy and have to talk.
"How dare you say that? Let me get this straight. Why should I show up whenever you want me to?" Shancai asked frustrated.
"Because I want to see you." Si said and Meiling smirked as she sipped from her water. Yeah, water. In case she gets too frustrated she will just take her brother's keys and drive home.
"Hey Shancai." Lei greeted as he walked in the restaurant with a girl, holding hands.
"You got...to be kidding me." Meiling said through gritted teeth as Lei approached them.
"This is Kiki." Lei introduced the girl.
"Hello." The girl said smiling as she waved to everyone while Lei smiled at Si and Si was asking his friend about the girl with the eyes. "I am so glad to finally meet the F4. When can I play Bridge with you?" The girl asked with enthusiasm.
"Sorry honey, but to play Bridge with the guys you have to be someone special." Meiling said looking in her glass filled with water bored before anyone answer. Everybody looked at her in shock as she looked at the boys and in the end her eyes landed on Lei. "Did I say something wrong?" Meiling asked smirking.
"Umm...if you want to play Lei could bring you here anytime you want." Meizuo suggested not wanting to be disrespectful.
"Really? That's great!" The girl said smiling wide. Lei then took her to a table as the girl smirked towards Meiling. Unfortunately for Meiling, Lei and the girl found a girl found a table right in front of Meiling, so she was able to see everything that was going on. Everybody then sit down.
"Well guys, seems like your plan back fired." Meiling said looking at Meizuo and Xiuying that for sure were the ones to come with the plan.
"W-what do you mean Meiling?" Meizuo asked worried as he saw the glare the younger girl was throwing him. While they were talking Lei was able to see Meiling talking with the others, with a frown on her face.
"Did she wanted me to stay with them? Did she wants to talk with me? Is she still mad at me? are we still friends?" Lei thought as he looked at her. He was soon woke up from his thoughts because of the girl he was siting with.
"Strawberry?" Kiki asked with a smile as she was holding a strawberry in chocolate between her lips. Lei knew what the girl wanted so to not make her feel like he didn't want to do anything he leaned in and took a bite. Suddenly he heard coughing and when he looked he saw both Shancai and Meiling coughing.
"Meiling...you alright?" Xiuying asked worried as she gave her a napkin.
"Yeah...better than ever." Meiling said and then she made eye contact with Lei who was looking at her with surprised eyes. She throwed him a glare and turned to her friend. "Is it just me, or Lei is really changed?" Meiling asked.
"You notice this just now? I noticed he was changed since he entered....with a GIRL!" Si said and Meiling sighed.
"I noticed he has changed since this morning we met. His smile is different. The way he talks is different. And now he is going on dates with girls that he wouldn't even date or take the next step with them." Meiling said looking at her brother.
"I don't know about you, but from what I see...I think they are moving pretty fast." Xiuying said and when Meiling looked the table to see the couple kissing hungrily.
"You got to be kidding me." Meiling groaned as she leaned back. She tried to calm herself as the others started to talk until she had enough. She stood up ready to walk from the table when someone grabbed her hand.
"Meili...whatever you are doing...don't go crazy on them." Meizuo warned and MEiling chuckled.
"Relax....you wanted me and Lei to talk...so I am going to do it." Meiling said as she pulled her hand and started to walk towards the table.
"Should we worry?" Shancai asked.
"Xiuying prepare the phone. From Meiling's expression I can only say that somebody will end up in the hospital." Meizuo said.
Meiling arrived at the table, but the couple didn't mind her. She sit down in front of them as she waited for them to acknowledge her presence but that wasn't the case. She cleared her throat but nothing.
"Excuse me." She said but nothing. She decided that she was having enough so she pinched the girl's arm.
"Ouch!" The girl whined.
"Oh great. You finally stopped. Now please give me and my friend some privacy." Meiling said smiling.
"What? No." Kiki said in defence.
"I wasn't asking." Meiling said serious eyeing the girl.
"Who do you think you are?" Kiki asked folding her arms.
Meiling chuckled and then she hit the table with her hands and she stood up towering over the girl. "Do you really want to find out?" Meiling asked, but that didn't sound like a question. And more like a threat.
Kiki looked at Lei for some back up but the boy just sighed and nodded. "Go home Kiki." Lei said. The girl wanted to protest but after seeing the expression on the boy's face she decided against it. She took her purse and started to walk away.
"Don't let the door hit you on your way out." Meiling said and smirked.
"What do you want Meiling?" Lei asked with a blank expression.
"I want to know what happened to you." Meiling said as she put her elbows on the table.
"You want to talk with me? Wow." Lei said smirking. "Should I be honored or in danger while talking with you knowing you are pissed?" Lei asked putting his elbows on the table mirroring Meiling.
"I never said I won't talk with you. And you are changing the subject, which is not working with me." Meiling said and Lei rolled his eyes.
"Nothing happened to me." Lei said as Meiling looking at him.
"Why did you came back then? Wasn't life in Paris such a bliss wit Jing there?" Meiling asked raising an eyebrow.
"Can't I come back to my hometown? Or to my friends? My family?" Lei asked as Meiling continued to look him in the eyes.
"You didn't find what you wanted next to Jing, right?" Meiling asked. Lei opened to say something but then he closed it. "Seems I was right." Meiling said sighing.
"It doesn't matter if you were right or not. I am here now." Lei said in defence.
"Yeah, you are right. You are here. With your feelings hurt, because Jing did that to you. And because of her and because you were alone you don't know how to deal with your emotions. So you think changing yourself is the best solution, which is not." Meiling said serious
"How could you know? What if I am not changed at all and it's all in your head?" Lei asked frustrated.
"Really? Do you know how do I know you changed? Because the Lei I know wouldn't act like a complete opposite of himself. He would go on dates only with the girl he truly loves. He will kiss only the girl he loves." Meiling explained frustrated.
"How do you know I don't love her? Maybe I love her, did you think about that?" Lei asked still not backing down.
Meiling gave him an 'really-dude-?' look as she sighed. "I bet you didn't even knew about Kiki's existence until this morning, when she asked you to hang out this morning."
"I did know about her." Lei fought back
"Really? What subject is she studying?" Meiling asked smirking.
"Umm...computers." Lei said unsure.
"Wrong. Literature." Meiling said shaking her head at his answer.
At her words, Lei's eyes widened. "How did you know that?" Lei asked surprised.
"I didn't. But you weren't sure either, were you?" Meiling said smirking and Lei sighed and leaned back.
"You are really a pain in the ass, you know that right, Meiling." Lei said and the girl chuckled.
"I think it has been my super power since I was little." Meiling said smirking and Lei chuckled.
"You're not wrong about that." Lei said as he put his hands on the table. "I missed you, and I mean it." Lei said as he took one of her hands in his.
"I...missed you too." Meiling said looking in another way.
"Do you hate me that much that you can't say it to my face?" Lei asked and Meiling sighed.
"Look Lei, I get it, you came back. Good for you, but I warned you about what will happen, yet you still didn't listen to me. You went after Jing. I was once again ignored because Jing was more important, that you couldn't stay and not put me or the guys through this. And now you came back telling me you missed me and expect me to act the same way with you. I can't Lei...I have to respect myself too. I need time." Meiling said and pulled her hand as she stood up. "See ya' "Meiling said as she walked out of the restaurant.
~~~
The next day Meiling was having a free period and was searching for a quiet place. She walked the stairs to the rooftop and there was met with the one and only Huaze-Lei. She looked at him as he looked up at the sky like a curious kid. She approached him slowly.
"What are you looking at?" Meiling asked curious.
"A plane just flew by." Lei said pointing to the sky and Meiling looked in the direction. She saw the line on the bright clear blue sky and hummed. As she looked at the sky Lei looked at her and smiled.
"I heard you were really busy these days." Lei said smiling.
"I still am..." Meiling said as she sighed and sit down on the floor while resting her back against the bridge.
"Is Si and Shancai really dating?" Lei asked curious as he looked at Meiling. The girl sighed.
"Close to it, yet so far. Si is trying to make Shancai see he truly cares and loves her. however the girl is so stubborn, just as him. They are not officially dating, but Si is saying that so other boys can be kept away from her." Meiling explained as she closed her eyes.
"I see." Lei said and then jumped off the bridge and looked at Meiling. "So...that means I can date Shancai?" Lei asked and in a second Meiling opened his eyes and looked at him with a shocked expression.
"You want to do what now?!" Meiling asked shocked.
"Come on Ming...don't you think we would look cute together?" Lei asked smiling.
"Did you woke up this morning and craved a punch in the face from me or my brother?" Meiling asked and Lei laughed.
"Alright, alright. I won't go after Shancai." Lei said and Meiling sighed.
"Smart move." Meiling said.
"How about you Ming?" Lei asked and Meiling looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Meiling asked confused.
"You don't have a boyfriend, don't you?" Lei asked smiling as he crunched to be at the same level as her.
"None I should know about." Meiling answered.
"Then let's date!" Lei said with enthusiasm and Meiling's eyes widened at his words.
"What?!" Meiling asked shocked.
"Why are you so surprise? You used to flirt with me when we were little. Why so flustered?" Lei asked confused and innocently.
"We were kids Lei! K-I-D-S. I was twelve or something like that." Meiling said flustered.
"But seriously...am I not better than any guy?" Lei asked and Meiling looked at him.
"Are you.....Are you truly Huaze Lei?" Meiling asked confused. Lei would never compare himself to other boys, especially when it comes to dating. She knew after being hurt by Jing, Lei will act differently, but she never expected him to be like this.
"I'm just kidding! Did you really believe me?" Lei asked laughing but Meiling kept looking at him with worried, yet confused eyes.
"Kidding?" Meiling asked wanting him to explain.
"I can't date Si's little sister. He's my brother, which makes you my little sister too Meiling." Lei explained and when the girl heard those words she felt like somebody grabbed her heart and punched it several times. Meiling looked down away from Lei and bit her lip not wanting to say another word. "Are you disappointed?" Lei asked curious and then leaned closer to her face, Meiling looking at him. "How about....we date behind Si's back? Wouldn't that be exciting?" Lei asked with enthusiasm and Meiling was more confused than ever. A few seconds ago he was calling her his little sister and now he was asking her to date him behind her brother's back? Who was this man? "Did you believe that again?" Lei asked laughing and Meiling sighed and got up starting to walk away.
"Ming! Where are you going?" Lei asked curious.
"To class." Meiling said.
"You have a free period. Why don't we spend time together?" Lei asked walking to her with a smile. Meiling stayed quiet and just looked at him. "Are you going to say something?" Lei asked confused.
"I was waiting to see if you were kidding or not." Meiling said and Lei got a little surprised.
"I see you got upset over my jokes." Lei noticed.
"Jokes are suppose to be funny. Do you see me laughing?" Meiling asked while folding her arms.
"No." Lei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just feel like our relationship got so cold Ming. I want to talk with you, but lately it feels so hard. I feel like I am loosing you." Lei said looking down.
Meiling looked at him and sighed. "If you promise to get me a cheesecake with strawberries, I think I can spare you some of my time." Meiling said and Lei looked at her surpirsed.
"Are you playing with me now?" Lei asked surprised.
"Lei...we are tallking about strawberry cheeecake." Meiling said smirking and raising an eyebrow. Lei smiled wide.
"Let's go then!" Lei said happy as he grabbed Meiling's hand and pulled her with him as they run through the hallways. Lei was smiling and laughing, as Meiling was saying sorrys to the ones they were bumping into. People were cooeing and smiling at the two. Lei was smiling wide pulling Meiling after him, and Meiling...well she was still a little mad with Lei...but before being her crush, Lei is one of her childhood bestfriends and she coudn't stay angry with one of her so called 'brothers'. But hey, they were making progress.
Feel free to comment your opinion about the story or the characters. Means a lot to me and helps me!
Hi everybody! I am back after so much time away from my books. I am sorry for the delay, but here it is chapter 15. I have a really busy schedule and a lot of work to do for school and I don't know when the next chapter will come out so please bare with me. Thank you all for understanding and hope you are all healthy.