To the other end of the Dream

4

It was the next day Shen Jin went to the director's office that she got the heart-stopping news.

She went to Director Wu as scheduled, expecting to see Chu Xiuming in his dashingly handsome formal attire, next to him. She had spent the whole night overthinking how to face him again after her failed date. What should she say? How should she react? It was a working place for both of them, so they needed to be formal. But what about outside the office. Now that the script has been finalised, she would be needed more and more. That means more meetings, workshops, etc etc. How to talk to him like a normal colleague?

All these tensions were rising within her until she reached Director Wu's office. The expected seat next to him was empty. Chu Xiuming was not there. Shen Jin sighed, relieved. Or was it sadness? She didn't know. All she knew was that she did not get to see him today. She was saved for at least one day. 

She attended the meeting as expected and made her way out of the office. She was just starting to exit through the main gate when the conversation between the receptionist and a staff stopped her on her tracks.

"...Chu Xiuming? The director's assistant? Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. He met with a car accident last night and is hospitalised now. You have to find assistant Xinyuan for now."

Shen Jin gulped two times, her heart pounding against her chest, and made her way to the reception. The receptionist smiled at her and said, "Hello ma'am. How can I help you?"

"I..I just want to know....what happened to assistant Chu."

The receptionist's smile faded and she stared at Shen Jin for a brief moment before answering.

"I heard he met with a car accident while going somewhere the day before yesterday. He is now hospitalised and cannot join work for a few days." 

"Do you know if he is okay?"

"Umm...no ma'am. I don't have any more details."

"Do you know in which hospital he is in?" Shen Jin asked hastily.

"No ma'am."

"Shit!" Shen Jin cursed under her breath. She did not have his number, don't know his friends, actually don't know anything about him. What was she supposed to do now than to stand there and let guilt consume her? She was the one who asked him out and that caused the accident. 

"No wait, Shen Jin." She thought to herself. "You still do not know whether he was coming to the cafe or not. You can't go on cursing yourself without knowing the truth. You have to know the truth first. But...how?"

"Umm..ma'am."

Shen Jin got startled and turned to face the receptionist. 

"Yes."

"I don't want to intrude but...do you know assistant Chu by any means?"

Shen Jin smiled. "For the longest time possible."

"Ah!?" A confused look passed over the receptionist's face.

"He is my friend." Shen Jin smiled again.

"Oh!" It was the receptionist's turn to muse. "I didn't know he had friends."

"What?"

"Uh..nothing ma'am. I was just wondering how he had a friend when he is the quietest staff in our production who has no family and friends other than his cousin brother."

"Brother?" Wait. Brother. Chu Xiuming's brother.

"CHU XINYUAN!" Shen Jin gasped in surprise. "Is..is his brother Chu Xinyuan?"

"Yes ma'am."

Shen Jin hastily said, "May..may I get any of their contacts? Xiuming or Xinyuan, anybody?"

"I'm sorry, but..."

"Please! Please understand, this is very important. He is in danger. I..I have to see him. Pleeaaase!!"

"Ma'am, please calm down. I can't give you their contacts. But fortunately, Chu Xinyuan is in the office today. You can contact him directly if you want. He is in the 2nd floor, 3rd room to the left of the elevator."

"Th..thank you so much!" Her eyes traveled to the nameplate. "YiYi."

"You are welcome ma'am." She smiled.

Shen Jin ran towards the elevator. In less than 2 minutes, she found herself knocking the door of assistant Chu Xinyuan, panting.

"Come in."

This voice was different, but familiar. She quickly pushed open the door to see Xinyuan busy in his laptop.

"Yes, what do you want?"

He said, without looking up from his laptop.

If the situation was not tense with Chu Xiuming's life in danger, Shen Jin would have smiled at him. This Xinyuan. He was all the same as she remembered. Hard-working, strict, yet caring.

"I want to know if Chu Xiuming is okay."

He now looked at her and was stunned for a moment. His eyes widened soon after.

Shen Jin smiled, even with the anxiety that was consuming her heart.

The palm print in the hand

It messes with the thoughts

The endless gaze

Is in every morning and evening

Finding peace amidst the chaos

Happiness and sadness, even it's only for a moment

Leave it to the moon to tell the story.