Glimpses

The Photo

Ximen and Meizuo had done everything in their capacity not to allow their best friend, the green-eyed monster Daoming Si, to see that photo. They knew of his insanely jealous streak, especially when it came to Shancai, and it would not bode well for her if he ever saw it.

Their plan had succeeded for close to 24 hours when they had drowned Si's phone in the swimming pool the day before . He had arisen from the pool after swimming laps, like an aquaphilic demigod, the water glistening on his chiselled torso. He had instinctively reached for his phone, scrolling through it while flicking his hair dry with a towel, when Ximen and Meizuo had pushed him back into the pool and his phone together with him. It had sunk to the very depths of the pool, ruined beyond repair.

But now they were caught, their eyes shifting guiltily away from Si's hardened glare.

"Liars, you weren't watching any romantic action movie, give me that laptop!"

He snatched it away from them unceremoniously and opened it. Then he saw it. The photo that the whole school had been talking about. His nostrils flared with rage and the blood in his body grew hotter and hotter until it reached boiling point. He had been played like a fool! Shancai knew that foreigner, he wasn't a stranger asking for directions! More than anger, he felt the sting of betrayal and he was hurt to his very core. He had been nothing but devoted to her (admittedly stifling at times), and she had thrown all his affections (and his pride) down the drain by this fiasco. He couldn't bear the thought that she had been in bed with anyone else! It was his greatest desire that someday he would be able to have that privilege.

He slammed down the laptop and stormed out of the bridge room, with a very concerned Ximen and Meizuo hurrying after him. Si hunted the whole school for the tiny girl, he demanded an explanation from her! Finally he found her. From a distance, he could see that she had been the subject of nasty words by two of her classmates, but at that point, he really couldn't care less. His eyes black and steely, he glared at her as he started walking towards her, like a predator to its prey, and stopped right in front of her. Shancai could not bring herself to look at him.

"That foreigner wasn't asking for directions, was he?"

"You two went to a hotel, didn't you?"

Si spat out his questions, never taking his steely gaze off her.

Shancai looked him in the eye. "Nothing happened between me and him. The photo was all a misunderstanding."

"THEN WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME??" The hurt was evident in his voice, betrayal colouring his whole face as he screamed the words at her.

Shancai could feel the tears start to sting the corners of her eyes, but she tried to keep her voice calm.

"I admit that I lied about who he was, but nothing happened! I'm innocent! And I don't care if the whole world wants to believe the rumours, I'm fine so long as you believe me..." her voice started cracking at this point.

Si just scoffed at her, before turning on his heels to walk away.

He had barely walked 10 steps when he heard her call out to him, "Daoming Si!" And despite his best efforts to continue walking, he just had to stop. Somehow she had that effect on him. No matter the circumstance, he would always stop whenever she called his name. It was as if the gravitational pull towards her was just too strong for him to resist.

He stopped but did not turn around. "Daoming Si!!" she yelled after him again. He slowly turned around to look at her, his rage had somewhat simmered by now. And then he could see that she was crying, tears streaming down her beautiful face, wetting her long eyelashes. Her despair struck him painfully, but he refused to give in, not yet.  He stood his ground, however his eyes had lost their angry blaze. Only disappointment was evident on his handsome face.

He then took one step forward and that was all it took for Shancai to run towards him like a small hurricane, throwing her arms around him. "I'm sorry I was so stupid", she sobbed. "And I'm sorry I lied. But nothing happened with that foreigner, why can't you believe me?" she pleaded her case. Si felt his defences begin to crumble when he felt her small arms around his waist. He sank to the ground, his feet giving way beneath him, and she tumbled down together with him. He hugged her tightly to him, and whispered, "Why can't you believe that I love you so much and something like this would totally crush me?"

Shancai hid her face in his broad chest, and she mumbled something. He bent down closer, and then he heard her say, "I love you, Daoming Si." If not for the emotional rollercoaster he had that day, those words would have sent him to cloud nine. But as circumstances would have it, he just pulled her closer to him and told her in a hoarse voice, "I realise now I've been treating you the same as everyone else, ostracising you and believing the rumours. I'm no better than them and I'm sorry I didn't trust you before. If you said nothing happened, then I believe you. I love you so I trust you."

The long-haired boy Thomas had been watching this scene silently for some time but now he went up to the couple who were still locked in their teary embrace. He then spoke in a language all of them could understand.

"She's speaking the truth. I took her to the hotel and I left after making sure she was okay. I indeed took that photo but I only sent it to her friend as her friend had requested for it to make sure that she was alright. I certainly did not spread it around. Shancai is a nice girl, I would never take advantage of her that way."

Seeing that Si was still too distraught to speak, Ximen demanded from Thomas, "Who was her friend?"

"I didn't get her name. But she had long hair, quite plain-looking, average height. She just left me her number and asked me to text her."

Ximen and Meizuo exchanged looks. They knew exactly who Thomas was referring to. "Come on," Meizuo told Ximen. "I think we have a house call to make."

Shancai and Si has been listening to this conversation, wide-eyed. "What are they going to do?" she gasped. "Don't worry about it," Si replied her. "I trust the both of them with my life. They'll take care of it and make sure that your name is cleared."

He helped her up on her feet. "Um, so we're okay now?" he asked her shyly.

"Daoming Si," she looked at him seriously. Do you really think I would have said something that I don't mean? But if that is not good enough for you, how about this?"

She lifted her face to him and touched her lips to his in a sweet searing kiss. Si encircled both his arms around her and whispered against her mouth, "So, do you think anyone is going to take a photo of this? I don't mind if they spread it around this time."

Shancai playfully smacked him in the arm, not tearing her mouth away from his. "You know what, I don't really mind either. Now shut up and kiss me," she said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tighter against her to deepen their kiss. "Yes ma'am," he murmured. "With pleasure."