Hidden Love
Han Yu Pin Yin: Cang Ai
Author: Jennifer
Source: AAE Village
Translators: Jules

XZ attended a conference in the morning, and had lunch with a client afterwards.  By the time he arrived at the office, it was already 2 o’clock.  In the lift lobby, he met Assistant Director Jin, and cordially greeted him.

“Have you just got back?”  asked Jin.
“Yes”  XZ nodded.
“The Managing Director is here this afternoon”
“Really?”  XZ was a little surprised.  His father usually came on Wednesdays, but today is Friday.

The two of them followed each other into the lift.  The lift stopped on Level 4, where the cultural gallery and public relations departments were situated.
“Good afternoon, Director Yin, Assistant Director Jin”,  Staff from the cultural department greeted them as they stepped into the lift.
As XZ moved further into the lift to make way for them, he caught sight of SM, just as the lift doors were about to close.  There was no time to react.  Before he knew it, the doors had shut.
What was SM doing here?
The minute XZ got to his office, he summoned his secretary to find out.
It appears that the company was in the final stages of selecting a design for their new cultural gallery, and SM’s company, Yang Shen, was one of the three finalists vying for the contract.  She had not mentioned this to him before.

Recently, SM started to ask him about his work, especially about the history of MBS.  A few days ago while they were having a meal together, she had even asked him about his position and his responsibilities in the company.
“Xue Zhang, what do you do in the company?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m interested!”
“Well, it’s mainly to do with program planning, design and implementation”
“Oh!”
At the time, her serious demeanor and earnest questions bored.  So! The little imp has deliberately kept it a secret from me!

Presentations were being held in the 10th floor auditorium, and the Yang Shen company was last on the list of presentations.
XZ arrived at the auditorium at half past two, and found that his father was also there.  It was probably due to the Managing Director’s presence that the large auditorium was filled to capacity.  Every manager and head of department made it a point to attend.

“Hello Dad, you’re here!”  XZ greeted his father as he approached the front of the auditorium.
“I didn’t have much going on this afternoon, so I decided to come and listen to the presentations”
XZ sat in his reserved seat at the front of the auditorium, the third seat in the front row.  His presence at the presentation would be hard to miss.  He wondered what SM’s reaction would be when she saw him there.  Would she smile?  Or would she frown and glare at him?  As he thought about it, XZ almost laughed out loud.  He had neglected to tell her that the Planning department was also in charge of a lot of other things.

At 4pm, the presentation co-ordinator lead SM’s team into the auditorium.  The minute she arrived, SM busied herself with setting up the equipment.  She was wearing a navy suit with a light blue blouse.  Her hair was neatly tied up in a chignon at the back of her head.  Elegant, yet professional.  XZ looked at her lovingly.  Did she know that her every movement, every smile entranced him?  He loved each and every facet of her image.

She did not seem to be familiar with the equipment on hand.  It was the most up to date on the market, only purchased recently.  She frowned slightly.  XZ could not help himself.  Ignoring the speculation in the eyes of the audience, he approached to offer help.

She was completely taken aback when she saw him.
“You?  What are you doing here?”  She whsipered shyly, looking a little embarrassed.
“The planning department is in charge of a lot of things……”  he stated with a smile.
Just as XZ was about to explain the use of the equipment to her, a technician rushed up to assist.  They could not allow the Planning Director to take on such a menial task on their behalf!
“Go, Miss Shan Mei!”  he cheered with a smile before going back to his seat.

The head of the Public Relations department took the stage to introduce Yang Shen company, and outlined the reasons for selecting them as one of the finalists to the contract.  Apparently, the company was highly recommended for this project because of the stellar work they had done on the Taegu Cultural Centre on behalf of the government.  It appears that SM’s work on the Cultural Centre was a huge success.  She always brushed off questions on her work with the project when he had asked her about it.

SM took to the stage with a smile, and respectfully greeted the audience.  As she straightened up after her bow, she turned around deliberately and gave him a meaningful look.  XZ winked and response, and she smiled.
“Isn’t she a little too young?”  Someone nearby whispered.  “Surely she doesn’t have enough experience..”

Her design blueprint made use of beige and natural wood as the theme, complemented by colourful highlights.  It gave a bright, and airy feel to the place.  In addition to the plans, she also presented artists’ impressions and gave clear and distinct explanations for each aspect of the design blueprint.  Her presentation was professional and confident.  XZ saw his father listening carefully, occasionally nodding in agreement to something she had said.

“Perhaps some of you at MBS may think my choice of such high gloss effects and colours are too modern, and would clash with the image of MBS.  When my boss looked at my design blueprint, he also had the same thoughts.  However, I feel that that MBS should consider changing its image a little, in line with current trends.  After all, the media and communications industry is often at the forefront of emerging trends.  I also spent a little time researching your company, and found that your programming changes over the last two years have been targeted more towards the young and trendy, so this slight change would also be in line with your current strategy.”  SM said with a wide smile.
XZ rubbed his chin and chuckled.  These changes were only made after he had taken over the reins in the company.  She had indeed done her research well.

“Thank you, Managing Director and thank you all for your patience during my presentation.  I would also like to thank my boss for his support and suggestions.  I hope Yang Shen company can have this opportunity to work with Korea’s most popular TV station, MBS”

“Miss Zhen, your presentation was excellent.  If I was part of the selection committee, I would definitely vote for you.  Heh! Heh!”  XZ’s father said with a laugh.  It was unusual for him to be so candid at events like this.

“Thank you, Managing Director”  SM hurriedly bowed her thanks to the Managing Director.
“Mr Zhang!”  XZ’s father turned towards SM’s boss and said “Miss Zhen is not only very pretty, she’s also highly persuasive and a very lively presenter… On behalf of MBS, I would like to hire her as a broadcaster.  What do you think?”  He said jokingly.
The auditorium buzzed with excitement.
SM looked at him in surprise.
XZ secretly looked her way, and gave her the “thumbs up”.  She had really done well.  When we meet up for dinner tonight, I’ll give her a really big hug to celebrate, XZ thought to himself.

“Miss Zhen Shan Mei, you were spectacular today”
When he got back to his office, he couldn’t resist ringing her.
“Easy for you to say!  When you appeared so suddenly, I almost lost it”  she chided.
“Hey, somebody said you are not only pretty, but also highly persuasive and very lively on stage.  A job as a presenter!  Do you want to come and work with me?”
“Stop pulling my leg!”
“Are you heading back to the office soon?”
“Yep, I’m going back to pack up and then I’ll be leaving.  What time do you think you’ll finish?” she asked.
“I’ve still got a bit to get through tonight.  It may take me until 7 o’clock. Why don’t you go shopping for a while, and I’ll pick you up later?”
“No.  I’m pretty tired”
“In that case, why don’t you wait for me at my place?”
“Ummm….” She was hesitant.
“I bought your favourite ice cream!”
“OK then, since you’ve got the ice cream there….” She laughed in reply.
“Wah!  You’re so easily swayed!”  he said smugly.
“Says who?  Hey, you’d better not be too late, or I may decide not to wait….” She threatened as she hung up on him.  In her heart, she knew he was the only who could sway her.

******

She took her time, stopping at a fruit shop to buy some apples and pears.  He had already given her the keys to his apartment some time ago, but she had never used them.

The minute she got in, she took out the fruit bowl she bought him last month, and rinsed it.  She thought about the time she appeared on his doorstep with the fruit bowl filled with so much fruit, she could not be seen behind it.  He was startled by her appearance, and looked at her as if she was the eighth wonder of the world.  She chuckled at the thought.
“You silly little miss!  Why didn’t you just get me to pick you up?”  he felt sorry for her as she fell in heap onto the sofa after the effort.
“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it?”  she reasoned.
“Surprise?  You mean shock!  My demure girlfriend has suddenly turned into a female Tarzan”  he remarked.
For a few days after that, he kept calling her “Tarzaness”.  It was only after she stopped talking to him for a whole day that he gave up on the nickname.

She went through the apartment, intending to tidy up for him, only to find that everything was spick and span.  She began to feel hungry and decided to get the ice cream out of the kitchen.  Before she knew it, she had finished half the tub.  He would probably tell her off for being such a glut when he finds out….

She turned on the music and lay on the couch, waiting for him.  After the stress and bustle of preparing for the presentation over the last few days, she could finally relax.  Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

When she opened her eyes, it was already eight o’clock.  She had been asleep for almost two hours.  The lounge was in darkness.  Hasn’t XZ come home yet?

She sat up, then realised that there was a light under the kitchen door, and the fragrance of garlic and olive oil in the air.  Barefoot, she padded silently to the kitchen.  He was busy grilling beef, mushrooms and tomatoes, preparing spaghetti.

She stood silently by the door, observing as he prepared the huge bowl of pasta.  She felt so … so very blessed (xing fu).  Walking up behind him, she reached out and hugged him tightly from behind, her body plastered against his.  This is the first time, she has initiated any physical contact with him.

“Awake now, Sleeping Beauty?”  he asked.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”  She rubbed her face contentedly against his back, sending his heart pounding.
“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t have the heart to wake you”.  As she was sleeping, he stole a kiss from her lips, and she had smiled in return.

“You were smiling away in your sleep.  What were you dreaming of?”  He probed deliberately.
She was startled, and blushed.  Thank goodness he can’t read minds.
He had kissed her in her dreams, but it had felt so real…

XZ loosened her hold, turned around and pulled her back into his arms, raining soft kisses over her hair and her forehead.  She raised her head and looked at him intently, her heart overflowing with love for him.  She caught his chin, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
“What is it?” his voice was hoarse with emotion, his breath quickened.
She smiled in response.
He could see the love in her eyes.  He could feel every cell of his body come alive.  His heart, his very soul was burning with love for her.

He lowered his head and kissed her, his kiss hesitant and hypnotic.  His burning lips captured her sweet, sensual mouth, unwilling to let go.  The warmth of his body infused hers.  Her arms held on to him ever so tightly.  She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to think – she wanted this indescribable feeling of sensual pleasure to go on forever.  As his lips slowly made their way down her neck, she suddenly realised what was happening.

“Just what are you trying to do?”  she asked breathlessly as she tried to bury her turbulence by hiding her face against his chest.
Hmm!  She’s now blaming me for this.  He stroked her hair, and clawed back his control “I’m not sure I’m the one who started this….”

He finished preparing dinner, and set the table with candles and red wine before she finally re-appeared.  She had untied the messy chignon, leaving her hair splayed over her shoulders, a vision of loveliness.

“Wow! A candlelit dinner”, she smiled happily.
He always surprised her with the little things that he did.  She was so easy to please.
“To you, Zhen Shan Mei.  You really gave a wonderful performance today”  he smiled as he raised his glass.
“What performance?  Can you please clarify?”  She held on to her glass, unwilling to drink.  The smile in his face and the heat in his eyes were implying more than just the presentation.
“Your presentation this afternoon, of course!  What else were you thinking?” he hid a smile as he replied with a straight face.  He didn’t want to scare her off even before they had dinner.

In the sanctuary of the apartment, they could shut out the rest of the world as they settled down to their meal.
“MMmmmm, you make great pasta”, she complimented after tasting it.
“It’s only because you’re hungry”
“No, it’s really good.  You must teach me next time.”
“I charge a training fee, you know…”

The doorbell rang.  XZ got up to answer the door.  She heard him talking.  It sounded like he had visitors.  She felt inexplicably nervous.  It was XZ’s father.  SM could feel the heat rush to her face.

“Dad, this is Shan Mei.  You met her this afternoon”
“Managing Director, how do you do?”  SM’s face had turned a deep shade of pink.
“Shan Mei is my….Xue Mei (junior in school)”
She really envied his ability to keep a straight face.
“Xiang Zhe, you little rascal, why didn’t you introduce us before today?”
XZ just smiled and scratched his head.
“Oh! Are you still having your dinner?”
“We’ve just got off work and made ourselves something quick” he lied fluently.
“Why don’t you join us, Dad?  Shan Mei makes really good pasta”
“Alright!”  Yin ZC smiled as he looked at the two of them. “I was just passing through, and decided to drop in.  I didn’t expect to have the pleasure of tasting Mss Zhen’s cooking.  I won’t refuse, then.”
“Managing Director, why don’t you start on the pasta while I heat up some soup for you?”  she jumped at the first excuse to retreat into the kitchen.  XZ followed her in.
“Why are you so flustered?  We haven’t done anything wrong!”  he laughed at her unease.
“Why did you say the pasta was prepared by me?  And to say that it’s really good as well!  It makes it sound like I come over here regularly to cook for you.” She took a quick swipe at his chest.
“What did you expect me to say?  That I’m the one who rushed home to cook for you?”
She thought about it for a moment “Well….You could have said it was takeout food.  That way, there wouldn’t have been any implications…..”, she suddenly realised what she was saying and laughed even as the words left her mouth.
“Alright, the soup’s warm enough. Are you going to keep hiding in here?”
XZ picked up the clam chowder and headed out of the kitchen.
Her face was still hot and she still hadn’t calmed down yet.
Decisively, she headed towards the fridge, took out the fruit that she had bought, and started to cut it up.  She gave them enough time to finish their meal, before she picking up the fruit platter and leaving the sanctity of the kitchen.

XZ pulled a funny face at her.  She pretended not to notice.
“Xiang Zhe tells me you two met in while you were in England”, XZ’s father said, smiling.
“Yes, we bumped into each other in school”, SM replied, offering him some fruit.
“Miss Zhen, you’re a very capable lady.  You must be the star in your company.  Xiang Zhe says you’re always giving him great suggestions.  He’s lucky to have met you.”
“Oh no, he often helps me out, too”.  She looked over at him, wondering how many other half-truths he had fed his father.
“Miss Zhen…”
“Managing Director, please just call me Shan Mei”

XZ’s father was very warm and frank.  He questioned her about her work, and entertained her with stories about his youth.  It was already past ten when he left, asking her for another opportunity to taste her pasta.

“Your father is really nice”, she said as they were on the way to her home.
“I think it’s probably because you were there.  He’s usually very serious”.  XZ looked at her and laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” she asked.
“Your face earlier tonight.  It looked as red as a cooked lobster”
“How can you laugh?  Who knows what your father must have been thinking!” she punched him unhappily.
“What do you think he thought?  Stop speculating!  All he saw was two people having dinner together.  What’s wrong with that?”
“Hrrmh!  You’ll have to teach me to make pasta now”, she looked at him earnestly.
“In that case, what are you going to pay me in training fees?”
“Training fees?  It’s all your fault that I now have to learn to make pasta!  If only you hadn’t said anything…”
“In that case, maybe I should publish a public apology for having said the wrong thing tonight…?”
“YIN XIANG ZHE!!!!”  she glared at him.
He laughed heartily. She had taken his father’s passing remark so seriously!  It was probably because of him - because she loved him; because she cared for him….