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

It almost 9pm already but Xiang Zhe is still stuck in the traffic jam at the city centre.
He speeds up heading toward her house.

Not sure how is she now...feeling better already? When he spoke to her this morning from
Tokyo over the phone, she sounds very sick and having sore throat too.
He left to Japan for a few days due to work, and coincidentally her company trip to Jeju Island is on the same week too.
"Why like this lar? Didn’t you go to Jeju Island for holiday? How did you fall sick until like this?
"the temperature between day and night is changes very fasto people caught cold la…”
"Look at you! You are an adult already but yet, you still don know how to take care of yourself
He is really heartache to see her sick but at the same time angry too at her for not knowing how to take a good care of her while he is away.

"What time is your flight? Il go to the airport to pick you up…” She sounded really sick.
"No need, you better take more rest!
"Oh! So you don miss me at all…” She pretended to be angry.
"I just to see a healthy San Mei! You just be good and stay at home. I'll come over to your place tonight to see you, ok?
She smiled and will do what he said.

Arrived in front of her house, the living room lights are all up, Xiang Zhe pressed the door bell.
The one that came out was San Mei dad.
"It's you Xiang Zhe, come in." Gui Zheng is not surprised at all to see him.
"This is some small gift from Japan."He brought some Sake back from Japan for Gui Zheng.
"Hmm..You don have to buy things over whenever you come. You are always welcome here."
"Oh no, I must... don't worry."
"So how's your trip to Japan? Everything goes well? "Gui Zheng invited him to the living room, and got him a cup of tea.
"Yup! Everything goes quite well.

He looks around, but couldn find her at anywhere in the house.
Wanted to ask Gui Zheng yet, yet feel shy to ask.
Gui Zheng smiled and asked: "Looking for San Mei?"

Xiang Zhe smile somehow embarrassedly.
She was waiting for you just now, and seeing her not feeling well, I told her to go upstairs and sleep for a while first.
"How is she?"Xiang Zhe asked anxiously.
"According to her, just a slight fever, headaches and took half day off to come home."
"Seen doctor already?"
"I had to nag at her for a long time, before she finally went to see a doctor today. But she refuse to eat the medicines. Don't know what to do with her already!"
"I see…”
Both men wrinkled the brow as if by prior agreement.
"Xiang Zhe, why don't you try to talk to her? Probably she might will listen to you."
"Ok..will give it a try."
"You know, since young San Mei has already very scared to go to doctor and medicines too. Grown up already still like this, like a small child only."Gui Zheng shook his head helplessly. He just simply doesn't know what to do with her already.

"Yeah.... sometimes she is kind of stubborn".Xiang Zhe smiled.
"Stubborn? I think she is more towards unreasonable! But come to think of itit is my fault too pampered her too much already....When she is young...."

Whenever Gui Zheng start talking about his princess, he is un-stoppable. Started from her childhood
Xiang Zhe enjoys every little bit of the stories of her childhood and at the same time, trying to imagine how she looks like when she is a small girl; Both men chats away about her and almost forgotten how late is the time already.
"Uncle, I think I better get going now. Late already. Rest earlier.Xiang Zhe took a look at his watch and it almost 10pm already.
"Oh my gosh....everytime I start chatting away, always forgotten about how fast time flies...
Xiang Zhe, you wait for a while. Let me go upstairs to take a look. Just now San Mei reminded me many times to wake her up when you are here."
"Uncle! it's ok...Pls don't wake her up. Let her rest". Xiang Zhe quickly stopped Gui Zheng.
"Emm...All right then ....But if tomorrow she gets angry, you got to solved it yourself then!
Gui Zheng teasing Xiang Zhe.
"I know. Even if I get scolded from her, l'll just have to bear with it then...." he laughed at himself.

The next day Gui Zheng gave Xiang Zhe a call early in the morning. Something went wrong over at his office there and he have to go outstation thus, he told Xiang Zhe to take care of San Mei.

"Xiang Zhe, I told San Mei to take 2 days off to rest at home. Whenever you have time, please drop by to check on her ok? I'll leave the keys in the 2nd flower pot at the right side of the house door."
"San Mei, how is she? Still sleeping?He asked.
"Emm...you hold on for a while. Let me check…”

Not for a while, it was her on the phone, "Hello…”
Her voice sounded much better already.

"Feeling much already?"He asked.
"How come never wake me up yesterday night?"
"I want you to have a good rest." Xiang Zhe replied her with a smile on his face.
"I waited for you for a long time, you know?"
"The traffic was really bad on the way to your place last night."
"I was....." Before she could finish up her sentence, she started coughing really badly.
"Took you medicine already?"he asked.
"Why you and my dad are the same! He kept forcing to see doctor and you! Keep forcing me to take medicine."She complained at him.
"Hey..If I have someone so caring to me when I am sick, I think I'll be overjoyed."
"But do you know how bad the medicine taste?"
"Hmm! In that case, do you how worried sick am I when I know that you were sick? Do you how worried, am I?"
"Yes....." She answered softly
"If you don want me to worry about you, please take your medicine on time, drink lots of water and rest!"
"Ok lah! I know lah!"She answered him very reluctantly.

Although he is missing and worrying about her, he didn’t call her until afternoon.
Phone has been ringing for quite sometimes but still no ones picked up.
Probably she must be still asleep, so decided to leave her message.
Sleeping beauty, how are you? Feeling better already? Have you
iShe quickly answered the phone.
Feeling much better already?He asked.
m! Much better already have been sleeping for the whole afternoon…”
ahoes sound much better already. This morning your voice sounded really horrible like duck quaking…”
Is it that bad?
No actually you sound very sexy…”
What? She was laughing at him. Almost coughed again, she try to hold it, otherwise he will be worrying about her again.
Have you taken your lunch? Do you want me to ask someone to deliver some food over to you?
No...it's ok, I’Il just cook some noodles to eat later.
Don’t be lazy bums again ok?
Why you said it as though that I am really such a big lazy bum. She mumbles.
Anyway, how is your trip to Japan? How did the the joint venture discussion with NHK go? Is everything ok?
It went smoothly, two companies' personnel will exchange plans during July or August and then it can be officially operated.
then you will be much busy than now!She sighed.
All right, you don think so much now! Il come over right after work. Do you want anything that wants me to bring over? What do you felt like eating for dinner?
Don’t need to bring anything overtroublesome only…”
like to be troubled by you Miss Zhen, you must remember……..
She continued, remember to take medicine, drink more water and rest
all right thenou have to do it then, don just empty talk only...He smiles while saying it.

Later, she went back to bed and by the time, she woke up it is 7pm already.
And then she heard some noises at downstairsprobably it is Gui Zheng back at home already.
At the staircases, she could smell a strong liquor aroma.

ey Dad! Didn you say that tonight you won be back already? Missing me right?
She walks straight into the kitchen in her pyjamas but the one in there isn her dadIt is Xiang Zhe.
She was very surprised to see him. ow comeit you? Where my dad?
Remembered that her hair is in the mess, busily has gathered together her hair with hand, straighten her pyjamas, and then wondering what he is doing at her place
our dad had entrusted you to me.
ow did you get in to my house?
h have learned the skills to unlock door before. You didn know?
eriously…” She glared at him.
our dad left the house keys to me…”
his is your lunch?He pointed at the half finished bowl of instant noodles on the table.
Didn say anything at all, all she did is just gave him a very sweet smile.
hat are you doing?
am cooking something for you to eat!
Looking into the pot, took a deep breath…“Very strong liquor smell, what is it?
ater you will know…”
hat do you feel like eating for dinner?
ren you cooking dinner already?
hat your desert onlyHe smiled and continue…”What about porridge?
an I have abalone porridge?
f course, but probably not as nice as the one you cook.He gave her a kiss at forehead.
eed my help?
Xiang Zhe shook his head and said: o need, you just give me some advice will do. And if you really want to help, arrange the flowers then. That one I really don know.
He pointed at the bouquet of flowers he bought especially for her.
t is so beautiful! Thank you very much, Xue Zhang…”
She gave him a wide smile looking at her favorite roses and water lilies
Got a vase and arrange them nicely.
ow is it? Not bad right?!She smiled proudly at him.
Smiling and nodding agreeing with her.
They have been talking to him for a while already yet, she did not cough at all. She is really feeling much better than this morning and he can stop worrying so much already.
am going upstairs to change my clothes first. Later will come down to help you.
She turns over and walks towards the staircases. She felt kind of awkward wearing only pyjamas in front of him.
an Mei…” Xiang Zhe stopped her.
es?She stopped and looks over at him.
mmNothing.Xiang Zhe smiled. Actually he wanted to tell her that she looks reallycute in her pyjamas.
Se quickly turns over and run upstairs.

When she back to the kitchen Xiang Zhe is slowly stirring the pot of abalone porridge.
He pulled the high chair from the bar and asked her to sit next to him.
Looking at the chair, smiled and asked him: ren you not afraid of me passing the flu to you?
hen, it will be your turn to take care of me then, all right? Furthermore, you can make me the ginger soup again. he smiled at him.
hat are you smiling at? I was thinking and worrying about you for the whole day.

an I eat the desert?She takes a look at the pot.
think so.Xiang Zhe took out a bowl of yellow thing from the pot.
hat is it? It looks like steam egg, but it looks like pudding too…”
t is steamed white liquor egg, very good for coughs, and you must finish it up ok?
She leans forward to smell it. ah.very strong liquor smell!
Tried a little of it: Wahhh! Taste really bad.She frowned and looks at him.
know it is not that nice to eat, but it is really good for cough.
eally?She doesn really believe him.
here one time when I was studying in England that I had been coughing for a month. No matter what I eat, I just couldn get well. Luckily, the landlady was very kind to me and she cooked this for me to eat too. I had to eat this egg for more than a week.
h.She knits the brows, took a deep breath, and did not utter a single word; bit by bit she finished the whole bowl of that steamed white liquor egg.
ow come today you never fight with me?He did not expect that she will be so co-operative.
have someone care about me so much when I am sick, I must listen to his word then.She acted like a good little girl.
He smiled and pat at her head, hat my girl.
She smiled back ahlthough that I have listened to you this time and finished up the whole bowl already, pleaseeee don make me eat this for a week!
l just write down the recipe, you decide yourself, ok?
She nodded agreeing to him.

But in his mind, he is planning how to trick her to eat it for a least two more times!

Xiang Zhe smiled, looking at her enjoying her food so much….
”What are you smiling at?”
“Looking at you eating is a form of enjoyment….”
”……” She knitted her brows, not understanding what he meant.
“All the food looks so delicious when you are eating it.”
She laughed after listening to him, “Since when?”
After finishing a bowl, she asked for another small bowl of porridge.
“Wow, your appetite is quite big..”
“It is because the porridge is delicious!”
”Is it?” Xiang Zhe tried some himself, really quite delicious.
After dinner, both of them were chatting in the living room.
”Oh… I almost forgot this. These are some VCD that I requested Ms. Li to rent it for me. You can watch if you are bored tomorrow.”
“What type of movies?”
“Hmmm… I am not very sure too. I told Ms. Li to rent some warm-hearted stories type.”

He took a look at what Ms. Li rented, and there are only 2 romance movies. The rest are all those soapy dramas that will make her cry.
“Forget about it, you better don’t watch it”. He said to her.
“Why?”
”No, you will be sick at heart and body too”.
“Just what are you talking about?” She is totally lost with what he is saying.
”It’s A.I, Artificial Intelligent. About a robot child and his relationship with his adopted family. Definitely you will end up crying very badly after watching it.”
She smiled and gave him a slight punched at his arm.

In the end, she chose to watch Notting Hill with him. She rested her head on Xiang Zhe’s shoulder, watching Notting Hill that Ms. Li rented too. It was the one acted by Julie Roberts and Hugh Grant. This might be an old movie already, yet she doesn’t mind watching it again because he is by her side and she felt so blissful having him around her like that. There were a few times that she took a peep at him instead of watching the TV.

”Have you finished with the staring yet?” Xiang Zhe pulled her into his arms. He found out already.

She smiled and buried her blushed face at his chest. Looking at her like that, Xiang Zhe lowered his head and wanted to give her a kiss. But, she managed to “dodge” away from him.

”I am sick ok? It won’t be fun if you fall sick too”. She said.
”Love can conquer everything.”
”Who said so?! In that case, most of the clinic will have to close down already.” She pushed him away. “Can you stop “disturbing” me? I am trying to watch a movie here.”
”Were you? I wonder what were you watching just now.” He is saying it while laughing away.

After the movie finished, it is almost 9pm already.
“Xue Zhang, you better go home now.
”Ok. But I want to see you take your medicine first.” He said.
“My medicine is in my room.”

He slowly walked behind her, heading towards her room; he stopped in front of her room.
“Can I go in?”

She took a look at him, and nodded to him. This is the first time for him to see her room.
”Kind of messy… ” She said.
”Very nice…” The music box he bought for her, … she placed it next to her bed. Xiang Zhe took a look at her and gave her a sweet smile, took up the music box and then, winded the music box…very soft music playing while the ballerina danced to the music. She smiled back. Every night, she will watch the ballerina finished one dance first before going to bed.

Xiang Zhe looks around, suddenly something on her dressing table caught his attention..

“You really bought the Ms. Rabbit home?”

It was the one that she bought in London. Actually she wanted to give him, to pair up with his Peter Rabbit…

“You didn’t want her, so no choice…I have to take care of her myself.”

But if he really placed this pair of rabbits at his desk, definitely, will be very amusing.

“Ah! What’s that? …. Looks really familiar!” Xiang Zhe pointed towards the neatly folded blue-checkered handkerchief inside the basket container. She quickly took it away.

“Isn’t that my handkerchief? Why is it in your possession?” He managed to recall eventually.

”That was…you lend me to wipe away my sweat the day you were leaving London, I forgot to return it to you, and later…” Her face reddened as she stammered in her reply.

“And you decided to keep it as a souvenir afterwards, unwilling to part with it?” He asked with a knowing smile.

She compressed her lips in a smile, and exclaimed with pouting lips, “I haven’t seen a guest like you who nose around the hostess’s room.” Xiang Zhe couldn’t repress a grin, watching her shy and embarrassed facial expressions.

He glanced at the remaining medicine pouch and bottle she had left at her bedside table. She had indeed taken her medication in obedience.

“At least I am able to answer to your father now.” He said.
“Answering what?”
“He confided in me that you have this phobia visiting the doctors. You fear taking medication, just like a child. And he asked me to talk some sense into you. Mine, you were so righteous when you persuaded me to see a doctor the last time, I have been fooled by you.”

“Alright, my papa conspired with an outsider. He confided in you all my weaknesses. What else did he say?” She questioned with a smile.

“He said,” he arched his brows before continuing, “that when you were little, you skipped your lunch to save some money in order to get him a birthday present, and nearly fainted in school; he also mentioned that in order to go for art class, you saved up the money meant for you to take public transport, and instead took more than an hour to walk home, so that he didn’t need to work so hard. And he said that except for refusing to listen to him in the matter of seeing a doctor, you are the most caring daughter….”

“It was very tough on papa to manage alone.” She said.

She went downstairs to refill the water as the hot water bottle was empty. The phone rang after a while; the call was from Gui Cheng. She picked up the phone downstairs. Xiang Zhe moved towards her working desk, the desk was full of fine little cute stationeries. She loved collecting those fashionably innovative little things. Even his car was filled with quite a number victorious purchases gathered from her shopping expeditions. She said constantly that life would be more interesting this way. In truth, his life began to take meaning and was filled with panoramic colors from the day they met.

Xiang Zhe’s gaze rested on an unfinished pencil art drawing, it was the scenic view of Hanjiang River. In his curiosity, he lifted the sketch block that had turned a little yellowish, and realized it was an old sketch block. It contained the art she had drawn since high school; the majority of them are landscape drawings. He looked on from page to page. Her earlier works are mostly drawings comprising of local places of interests, from the grand city of Sui Yuen, Nan Yi Island of the Province of Chun Chuan, the rain forest of Wu Tai mountain, to the sea cloud stage (???) of Fu San. Her later works contained the various landscapes of Cambridge. Based on the dates indicated on the drawings, he guessed them to be during the period she was on the student exchange program in England.

As he looked and thought of Cambridge, he recalled the wonderful memories of the past. He smiled delightedly. Both of them had loved Cambridge. He flicked to the next page with a smile, and as his gaze fell on the page, his heart lifted with joy. It contained the side profile of a young man, that expression and smile were familiar, wasn’t that a sketch of him? When did she … sketch him? He noted the date at the bottom right hand corner of the page, it was … the time after they had gone barbecuing at stream valley. A raging wave of happiness flooded him. It dawned on him that she had taken notice of him such a long time back and he had a place in her heart. She had concealed her feelings from him for an agonizingly long period of time.

He heard her footsteps and hurriedly lay the sketch block back where it was originally placed.

“Papa would like to have a word with you.” She handed him the receiver with a smile.
“Uncle…yes, okay, don’t worry…” Xiang Zhe smilingly threw her a glance, “she is very obedient.”
“I know, goodbye uncle.”
“Look at the way you are smiling, what did my papa say?” Curiosity was written all over her face.
“You papa said…” Xiang Zhe laughed before speaking.
“What did he say?”
“He said, the female gender looks outward (???), you listen only to your boyfriend nowadays…”
“What?” Her cheeks reddened, she glared at him.

Xiang Zhe laughed heartily. His heart was overflowing with happiness at that moment. He drew her towards the edge of the bed and both of them sat down.

“I chatted with your papa for a long time last night. I am envious of you.”
“Is that so?”
“Both of you, father and daughter, supported and cared for one another, I am overwhelmed with envy, for although I have been blessed with material wealth, I cannot recall having felt like this before.”
“Perhaps…you parents showed their love for you in another way.” She said gently.
“There is no parents in this world who do not love their children.”
“Maybe …”
“Do you have any regrets?” She looked at him searchingly.
“No, God has indeed blessed me.” He smiled, drawing her into his embrace.

With her by his side, he would not have any regrets in his life, she would beat all the numerous pleasures this world could offer.