Daoming Si dithered uncharacteristically as he lingered uncertainly on the doorstep to Shancai's home. He had been driving himself crazy as he sat in the darkened bridge room alone, his mind chittering with all the ways Shancai could currently be affected after her fainting spell. She could be suffering from a concussion from banging her head during the fall, or she could be afflicted with something worse than a fever - what if she had meningitis?! What if she had a bleed on her brain and she ended up being taken away from him forever, just like his pa?! He was dizzy with anxiety, and the only way he would be able to relax that night would be to go see for himself how the tiny girl was doing. This was how he found himself standing outside the faded wooden door, questioning his sanity - he had never felt this concern for anyone before, and the sheer depth of how much he worried for Shancai was overwhelming him. How was it that the tiny girl could make him feel this way? He was struggling to become acquainted with the onslaught of emotions; the Daoming heir wasn't sure if he loved Dong Shancai, but he definitely felt something for her. He abhorred the thought of her being harmed, detested it with a passion actually. However, although the door currently separating them was only flimsy physically, it may as well have been an impenetrable iron fortress, what with the emotional gap that separated the pair. I have to know how she is he reflected internally as he steeled himself for the confrontation that would likely follow.
Ah Si was no fool; he knew that after their last altercation, Shancai would not be feeling very amicable towards him. He hitched the huge fruit basket he had procured higher in his arms as he considered his options; he could run, his tail between his legs and be driven mad with stress until Shancai reappeared at Mingde, or he could man up, bang on the door that kept him from Shancai and reassure himself that she was okay. Yes, he wouldn't be able to sleep that night if he didn't see her, so what other choice did he have really? He wiped the nervous sweat that had suddenly gathered on his brow hurriedly away, took a deep, calming breath, and rang the bell swiftly and loudly, the sounds echoing all around him as he waited anxiously. He didn't have to agonise for too long about his decision; the door swung open almost immediately, and Ah Si was greeted by the friendly, round face of a short woman who could only be Shancai's mother.
The woman's eyes lit up as she assessed his form; she evaluated the tall young man on her doorstep carefully, her smile bright as she requested "hello, young man, how can I help you?" Ah Si swallowed nervously and pasted his winning smile onto his face. "Hello ma'am," he said as politely as he could manage, "I'm here to see Shancai. I'm a senior of hers at university and I heard she fainted today. I just wanted to drop these off to help her get well again." Ah Si was pleased to see her mother's bright smile; if anything was seriously wrong with Shancai, surely she wouldn't be beaming like that? He held out the fancy basket as an offering and the woman gasped in delight; he had spared no expense, and the gift contained lots of fruit that weren't easily available in most grocery stores. "Oh, this is wonderfully generous!" The older woman gushed as she struggled under its weight, "why don't you come in to greet Shancai after coming all this way? I'm sure she will be thrilled to see you!" Ah Si had to force his smile to stay intact at her words; he was sure the tiny girl would rather drink dirty puddle water than see his face at the moment. However, the fruit basket had gained him the entry he was so desperate to achieve and he nodded gratefully, deftly ducking his head to avoid smacking it on the lintel as he crossed the threshold.
"Shancai!" Mrs. Dong yelled, her voice high with excitement, "your classmate is here to see you!" Ah Si peered about curiously as he entered, his eyes scanning the entire apartment in one sweep. So this was where Shancai lived; it was much smaller than he had anticipated. In fact, he was convinced his bedroom at home was bigger than the entire apartment. However, the place was clean, cheerful, and bursting with life; everywhere he looked, there were knick knacks or photographs, books strewn about haphazardly on the shelves and candles or lamps on all the surfaces. It was so unlike his own home, which sometimes had all the signs of life of a mausoleum. They were obviously a happy, close knit family, and Ah Si couldn't help but be cheered by the fact that Shancai was so clearly loved by her parents; she was undoubtedly being taken care of in her illness. He was torn out of his own thoughts with a burst of irrational jealousy when he heard Shancai answer sluggishly, "who is it? Qinghe?" Why was she always thinking about the idiotic annoyance? Was Qinghe really the only person she thought she would be concerned about her wellbeing? Did she ever even think of him, Ah Si, at all outside of school? Daoming Si was only slightly mollified when her mother dismissed her question without a second thought, shouting gleefully "no, it's a tall and handsome boy!" At least her mama didn't think The Annoyance was special or good looking.
