TWINKLE LOVE

CHAPTER FIVE

The people who were at home were sitting together and chatting. Ahzhuo sat beside me, strumming his ukulele, while the girls beside me admired the drawing Bobo and Ajie had made during their date. It depicted everyone in the house and the drawing had two pairs holding hands. 

Hui Hui asked Bobo which couple represented him, to which Bobo replied, "Which one do you think you are?" Meng Meng exclaimed, "The ones holding hands are you and Yaya. Do you need to ask?" Yaya chimed in, "Wait, there are two couples holding hands. Who are the other pair?" Bobo playfully replied, "Do I have to tell? One is you and Hui Hui, and the other is my brother and his future girlfriend." I glanced at Bobo while the girls laughed at his remark. 

Ahzhuo came over to look at the drawing, joking, "I am not that ugly." Yaya teased back, "Bobo never said it's you." Meng Meng added, "Ahzhuo, if that's you, then who is the girl?" I pretended to be preoccupied with my world, but I heard Ahzhuo say, "Do I have to say? Everyone knows who." The others reacted with an "ohhhh," teasing both Ahzhuo and me. 

Ahzhuo then turned to me, asking, "Yiyi, are you cold? Do you need a blanket?" I smiled at him and replied, "No, I'm fine." Nevertheless, Ahzhuo returned with a thin blanket and gave it to me, insisting, "You recently got cold. Just to be careful." I accepted it with a nod. Ajie remarked, "Ohh, Ahzhuo is already taking care of Yiyi." Ahzhuo smiled at her comment, and I pretended not to hear it. He then sat beside me, and I covered him up with the blanket. Ahzhuo protested, "I don't need it," but I insisted, "You were the one who got it for me, or else I will give it to the girls." Eventually, he relented, sitting and playing his ukulele. 

After a while, Ahzhuo asked, "Yiyi, do you want to sing a song?" Yaya chimed in, "Sing a song, Yiyi!" I asked, "Should I play it myself?" Ahzhuo offered, "I will play it for you." Looking at him, I asked, "What should I sing then?" Ahzhuo suggested, "How about 'Perfect Two' from this morning? I liked it." Meng Meng yelled, "Don't just talk with each other. Tell us as well." Ahzhuo assured them, "She sang a song for me today. It was perfect." Konglong added, "Don't show off," but Ahzhuo insisted, "No. Yiyi, how about you sing it again?" I agreed, "Okay then, you play, and I will sing." I sang "Perfect Two" again, this time with everyone listening. Whispers and giggles followed, probably because of us. 

After we finished, Yaya teased, "Wow, Yiyi, did you sing that specifically for Ahzhuo?" I smiled at her and replied, "I did say I would sing it for him." Everyone playfully teased us with an "ohhh" before Ajie suggested, "I think we should go and listen to the messages now." We all agreed and moved to another room to listen to the messages.

As I settled onto the floor, Ahzhuo took his place behind me, mirroring yesterday's arrangement, and I instinctively leaned back against his legs, just as I had before. "Let's start happily," Ahzhuo declared, placing his hands on Hui Hui, who then stepped forward to listen to his message. As Hui Hui settled in and adjusted his earphones, he glanced over at Bobo with a puzzled expression. "She didn't leave a message for you, did she?" Hui Hui inquired. Bobo looked perplexed by the question, prompting Yaya to laugh and quip, "I joked that I left a message for you."

After listening to the message, Hui Hui remarked, "I thought it'd be tough." Yaya responded with a playful tone, "I am not as evil as you." Hui Hui then shared his thoughts, saying, "If you don't go overboard, I can talk with you. Except for my parents, no one should be tolerant of me. No matter between friends, strangers, or lovers. If it doesn't break your principles, we should try to understand each other. We should put ourselves in each other's shoes. I hope we can solve problems together."

Yaya went next, and she certainly received a message from Hui Hui. After listening, Yaya expressed, "It's really difficult because it's been very wonderful recently. It's like being in a dream, you know? I am really happy." Feier jokingly interjected, "We don't know," eliciting laughter. Meng Meng chimed in, "We don't understand." It was then Meng Meng's turn, and it seemed she also received a message. She struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about trying to maintain her happiness due to the fear of being left out. Meng Meng expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to meet everyone. By the end of her speech, the girls were visibly trying hard not to cry. Reflecting on her late arrival to the show, I also felt a sense of gratitude as everyone warmly welcomed me. I thank Yaya and Bobo for their help in approaching Ahzhuo.