Prompt Me

Respect: The Beach

Shancai sat with her knees drawn up, watching as the waves slowly rolled in and lapped gently over the darkened sand before drifting away again back to sea. Her eyes blurred and for a second, she couldn't see anything in front of her; then her vision gradually cleared as the tears building up behind her eyelids finally gave way as they slid down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away – they were a just punishment for her careless actions and she more than deserved them.

What have I done?

She didn't even know how long she had been sitting there on the beach. All she knew was that Daoming Si had left her there some hours ago, his body slackened with pained resignation, his eyes full of anguished betrayal, his voice filled with bitter disdain; he hadn't even bothered to give her a backwards glance as he coldly denounced her attempt at an apology.

"Don't ever speak to me again."

That was all he managed to say to her before abruptly disappearing. She buried her head into her arms as she felt a renewed sense of agonizing regret flood through her once more.

Why, oh why did she follow Lei to the beach earlier tonight?

Why did she leave the comfort of her room with Daoming Si? She could still remember how breathless she had been when he sauntered out from the shower, looking more handsome than any male had the right to be - he had been dressed for bed in a black t-shirt with some unknown band on it and black sweatpants, his long, soft locks blown dry and naturally wavy as opposed to his normal pineapple head. A playful smile had touched his lips as he gazed at her lounging on the bed; just when she thought he might try something funny, he had surprisingly challenged her to a game of chess. When she told him that she didn't know how to play, he patiently spent an hour explaining the game to her. He gave silly names to each piece so that she would remember which was which and granted her special handicaps so that she would have an advantage as they played practice games. He teased her when she made illegal moves and they had laughed uproariously when they began mock fighting with the chess pieces instead of actually playing chess.

Why, oh why did she beg off early? It was obvious that they were enjoying each other's company. He had eagerly asked her to play another game but she had claimed that she was exhausted from the day's activities. The truth was that she was loath to end their night just then; however, she was afraid of what would happen if she gave in to his request. Several times she had felt his warm eyes on her as she contemplated her next chess moves; more than once she was tempted to return his intimate gaze. What if he had kissed her? Would she have stopped him? She scoffed sarcastically to herself; if they had continued, it may very well have been her that leaned in first.

Something had changed between them and it was futile for her to deny it.

She had thought she wanted Hua Ze Lei. But when Lei had followed Jing to Paris, she was left in Shanghai with Daoming Si. And she had hated Daoming Si. He was arrogant, he was pompous, and he was overbearing; he treated her like his own personal plaything and completely ignored what she said and what she wanted. He was the bane of her existence - he broke her phone and bullied her, he got jealous and cornered her, he was everywhere when what she wanted most was for him to disappear.

But then he had come to visit her when she was sick, and her heart had softened when he was nothing but polite to her parents during dinner. It only got worse when she felt a jolt of electricity as he raised his hand and rested it upon her forehead, his face full of genuine concern as he tested her temperature. She had been annoyed when he followed her to Sanya, but by the end of the trip, she was grateful that he was there to make her laugh when her heart was breaking over Lei and Jing. There were ups and downs but then there was the elevator. She had spent a whole night with him locked in that confined space, and it had been the most romantic moment of her life so far even if she had been deprived of the kiss she knew was coming before they were interrupted.