Hidden Love
Han Yu Pin Yin: Cang Ai
Author: Jennifer
Source: AAE Village
Translators: TS~*

After work, Xiang Zhe went to the supermarket. He needed to stock up his empty fridge.

At the fresh produce corner, he saw her.

Shan Mei was wearing a black suit and she looks like she’s just came off from work

Standing at the counter and starring at each other, both laughed at their chance encounter.

“Such a coincidence!” Xiang Zhe smiled and said

He hasn’t seen her in days

Her sweet smile bring him a sense of joy

Since that day were they when to watch the shooting stars, they haven’t met up after he sent her home. They have only talked over the phone twice these past few days. He’s got a feeling that she’s trying to avoid him. Even just now when he called her, she told him that she had some important errands to run and couldn’t met up with him.

Xiang Zhe wondered if he’s done or said something to offend her

“So… Your important business was shopping.” He teased her

“Food, clothing and shelter are vital for human survival, of course it’s important” Smiling slightly, she replied

“You got scolded that night after I sent you home?” Looking at her carefully, he said. He missed her these few days

“Of course not!” She avoided looking at him

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re avoiding me?” He asked, straight to the point

“Who avoided you? I was really busy these few days.”

She felt guilty and her ears are starting to turn read and warm. She bent down to pick apples from the counter, not wanting him to see her face. She really do not know how to tell lies

“You come here often to buy groceries? How come I’ve never seen you here before?” He changed the topic

This supermarket is near where he stays and every week he would make a trip here to buy groceries.

She smiled and shook her head. “No. I don’t come here often but this place imports the tastiest beefsteak around. I’ll come here to buy them whenever I feel like eating it.”

“You’re such a glutton” He teased her. From small alleys to the main street, she likes to go around hunting for exotic food to eat.

“Well, you get to share the tasty food with me sometimes too” she protested and pouted her lips

“I’ll send you home later then”

As long as he can see her, even if its for a short while, he would feel happiness.

“Thank you then!” She smiled and nodded her head.

Since someone volunteered to be her driver, she decided to get all the groceries she needed, saving herself the trouble to make another trip to the supermarket during the weekends. She happily helped him pile up his shopping cart too.

“Zhen Shan Mei, How am I to finish all these stuffs alone?” He looked at his cart full of groceries and crossed his eyebrows

“It’s aren’t a lot. They’re all daily necessities” She smiled happily and told him

On the way to back her house, Shan Mei started telling Xiang Zhe about her plans for the coming Saturday. She’s going for a BBQ trip with her father and his friends.

Whenever she speaks of her father, her eyes would reflect love and happiness for the person she admire most

“My dad’s friends always praise me for being very good at barbequing” Shan Mei told him proudly

“So… can I come along as well?” Xiang Zhe started teasing her again. He already know that she’ll never agree to that suggestion

“Erm…this…..” She crossed her eyebrows, thinking; if she was to let him tag along, she’s sure to suffer all teases and jokes that her father and his friends are going to heap on her.

“I’m only kidding and it made you so uptight about it” He said

“Ah! Whoever’s going to be your boyfriend is sure to be very tired/stressed out” He gave her a smile

“What do you mean by that?” She asked, lifting her hands planning to hit him

“You’re always so shy, I am sure if you all were to walk together, you’ll have to look for places to hide, like playing hide and seek.”

“Xue Zhang!” She called out his name angrily, pouting

“Oh! Didn’t your father’s friends try to introduce any boyfriends to you?” He smiled and asked

“Who said that they didn’t? It’s so frustrating.” She shook her head furiously

“In that case, shouldn’t you bring me along?”

“Why?”

“So that I can be your shield, form all the pestering. I’ll just sacrifice myself to be your temporary boyfriend!”
She laughed out loud

“My expectations………….. are very high okay!” She told him playfully

“It’s okay, I’ll just lower mine, guess it should be alright.”

He made her laughed

“Xue Zhang, what are you planning to do this weekend?” She had a hard time controlling her laughter and asked him

“Me! I’m planning to spend it on sleeping.”

For the past one week he was so busy that he hasn’t had any proper sleep. He was planning to spend the weekend to do some catch up on the much needed beauty sleep

“Aiyo! You’re so lazy. Such a good weekend and you want to spend it in sleeping. Just like a kid. “ She laughed at him

“You’re right! Ever since I’ve met you, I’m becoming/acting more like a kid already”

“What!” She gave him a big stare


That Saturday, when he woke up, it was already 10 o’clock. He made a simple sandwich to satisfy his hunger. During the weekends, he would only eat 2 meal instead of 3. (‘cos he take brunch mah~!) :P

Shifting thru a magazine, he switched on the television. There would always be F1 races on Saturday mornings; it’s been a while since he’s watched any for he had been very busy

Surfing through the sports channel, he was just in time to catch the commercials. The commercial was promoting some family BBQ equipment. He suddenly thought about her and lifting up the phone, he gave her a call

“Hello” She answered the phone lazily

“My dear girl, what happen to you? Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying yourself at the BBQ? How come you sound so dejected?” He asked, concerned. Isn’t she supposed to be happily enjoying herself, spending a great weekend with her father, barbequing away?

“Oh! Something came up at the worksite and my dad has to go back there to supervise. He left early this morning” She signed

“I see! Don’t worry, you can always go next time” He tried to console her

“Yeah…..” She sounded like a deflated ball, dejected, without any energy

“In that case………. Why don’t I accompany you for BBQ?” He told her without second thought

“No need lah! You get some rest!” She smiled and rejected his offer

She knew that he was trying to be nice but she wanted to have a good rest

“Let go! Anyways, I don’t have anything much to do also. And I want to try your tasty BBQ”

He drove and following her directions, they arrived at a recreation area
Her father is a member at this club, she always accompany her dad to come here for fishing trips.
She lead the way excitedly; following a path and along the way; introduces the different sights and buildings to him.
She tied her hair into a ponytail, wearing a pale yellow T-shirt, matched with dark blue jeans, she looked like a doll.


She brought him to a quite and peaceful stream. Other than the chirping of the birds and creaking of the insects, there were only the sounds of the rushing stream.
She put down all the stuffs and took a deep breath

“Xue Zhang, This is a nice place isn’t it!” She told him happily

He took a look at his surroundings and nodded his head, with a teasing look on his face he commented “ This is a good place for an afternoon nap”

She smiled and gave him a stare

She wanted him to take a walk around the place while she start the fire for the BBQ

“Don’t worry, I can handle all these little things myself.”

Since he can’t manage to win her in the argument, he took a walk and returned after 20 minutes

He saw her busy trying to light up the BBQ pit, her face all covered with sweat and smudged with soot form the charcoal

She looked at him and smiled helplessly

“Yo! I thought you said that you’re a BBQ expert!” He smiled and said

“I only said that I’m very good that barbequing. I didn’t say that I’m good at starting the fire!” she pouted her lips and replied.

Whenever they have a BBQ, it’s always her dad who lights the pit. It looked easy last time but how is she to know that starting a fire could be so difficult. However she tried, she can’t seem to get the charcoals to light up

“Let me do it then!” he bent down and took over all the tools from her.

It only took a moment for the fire to start.

“Okay barbeque expert, your turn now-to show off your skills, need my help?” He smiled and asked her

She returned his smile. It’s really embarrassing

“Up to you”

He made her sit down and started barbequing. The last time he went for a barbeque was like 3 years ago, he recalled

She started mixing the ingredients for the barbeque but did not forget to remind him to turn the chicken wings, making sure that it’s not overcooked.
Although she’s not very good at starting the fire, her barbeque skills were indeed good. Not only was the chicken wings well cooked, the taste was also splendid.
Xiang Ze ate lots of it and praised her for being such a good ‘barbeque expert’.

“Xue Zhang, drink some tea!”

Se poured hot water from the thermal flask to make tea for him. It’ll help in digestion.
After they’ve finish eating and packed up, both went to rest under a shady tree.

“Xue Zhang, do you want to fish? I’ll go and rent a fishing rod for you”

“No need! I don’t quite like fishing.”

“Why?”

“I don’t like the feeling for waiting for something”

“But… Don’t you think that all the good things in life is worth our patience to wait a while for it?”

“Oh really?” He prefer to take the initiative to peruse the things he wants in life, not letting it go till he achieve his gaol

“Oh…, like if you want to eat tasty barbequed chicken wings, you’ll need patience and cannot rush for it to cook faster.” As she said, Shan Mei started laughing

He laughed out loud. Turning his head to take a look at her, Shan Mei turned away from his searching eyes. What’s wrong with her, why is her heart fluttering away everytime he looked at her?

“What are you looking at?” Sham Mei asked softly

‘There’s soot on your face” He pointed

As she came out in a rush, she did not bring along any mirror. She took out a handkerchief and cleaned her face randomly

“It’s not there…”

Smiling and taking the handkerchief from her, he cleaned her face

“Okay, Now you look like the Swan princess again”

“Agrh! I hate you! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” She said

He smiled again

“Xue Zhang, What are you laughing at?” She sounds irritated

“Zhen Shan Mei… You’ve changed recently” His face is full of smiles

“How different”

“Now you like to bicker with me more often and you love to pester me like a kid, wanting me to coax you.” He looked at her and gave her a slight smile (Dunno how to translate Sha Jiao, can’t find a suitable word for it… haha…so have to make do. Meaning a little wrong. really sorry… I can’t think of a proper English word to use)”

“Did I?” She protested, face turning red

“Okay… whatever you say”

He smiled his heart gave a flicker of sweetness

He reached over and took away her straw hat; using it to cover his face lay under the shady tree
The straw-hat smell of her fragrant hair, sweet and lovely, just like the feelings she gives him


He did not say it for the sake of it. Recently, no matter if it’s over the phone or if they met up, the number of times she would bicker with him or pester him has increased. He likes that kind of feeling.
Earlier today, when he heard her sad and listless voice over the phone, he wanted to rush to her side immediately, not wanting her to suffer one bit of sadness.

Looking at a still Xiang Ze, Shan Mei assumed that he’s fallen asleep

She got up and walked to the small stream. Finding a rock to sit on, she took off the sandals, folding up her long jeans, she submerged her legs into the rushing water. The cool water gave a sense of peacefulness but her heart was not able to be at peace.

He was right. She didn’t from when it started that she’s has learnt to pester him and seek his care and concern. The feeling was different from that with her father, it was more like what she would act in front of brother You Zhen, what is going on with her?

It’s been quite a while since they met in London until now, their relationship is becoming closer and closer
He seems to be always by her side

Whenever she’s happy, he would laugh with her; whenever she’s upset, he would be by her side, consoling her; whenever she felt being wronged or misunderstood, he would be there to advice her, when she’s bored, he would be there to tell her dry jokes to make her laugh; when she’s hungry, he would even be willing to accompany her to hunt for food high and low.

He has given her understanding and concern like that of a peer, he motivated her like a friend; she treated him like an elder brother, a good friend. But along the way in this relationship, the way she feels for him seemed to have changed.
She isn’t sure what she wants out of this relationship and how to treat him. His eyes; his voice always make her heart flutter, she would look forward to his phone calls out of habit and even late into the night, she would think of him.


That night when they part after watching the shooting stars, she saw the deep and burning emotions in his eyes. It made her restless for the entire night, unable to sleep; she avoided him for a few days. What is she running away/escaping from, even she herself cannot identify the feelings.

She gave a soft sigh, picking up a small pebble casually; she skipped it thru the water. The clam water surface rippled with tiny waves. One poet once commented: The water surface is like a piece of mirror, don’t make her laugh for once she did, she’ll never stop.

Why is it that her once clam heart now resembles the water surface; is so full of ripples?
So is he the warm summer wind that blew across the water surface, making it laugh?

“Hey! What are you starring at and day-dreaming about?” She didn’t know when but he’s already standing beside her.

“Xue Zhang, do you want to play with the water?” She clamed her troubled heart and said playfully

Before he could answer, she’s already jumped into the stream; holding water in her hands, she splashed water at him. He was too slow to react so the water stained half of his shirt

“Great! Zhen Shan Mei, since you like to play, I’ll play with you.”

He entered the stream and started a water war with her

She was too engrossed trying to defend herself and not being alert, she slipped on a pebble and lunged into the stream. He rushed over and pulled her into his arms.
Her face landed right before his eyes; he starred into her beautiful eyes.
At that very second, he felt a current flash thru him
She blushed and moved herself away from his embrace
Both of they stood there, not knowing what to do
The time seems to have stopped at that moment

“You’ve gone overboard in your play and see… you immediately suffer from retribution” it’s him who killed the silence first

“……..”

“Xue Zhang, you shirt is all wet. I’ll go get a towel for you.” She said

At that moment, she just needed an excuse to get away from him

“No need…” He shook his hand

“You’ll catch a cold” She turned and ran away. Her red face looked lovely

Xiang Ze starred at her retreating back, the feelings of happiness overwhelming him
So the feelings of loving someone could be so wonderful

What she said was right, all the lovely things in this world is worth our patience to wait for it to happen.