One Night in a Storm by daydee
(Translated from Indonesian)

Edited by All-About-AAE


PART 2

One Night in a Storm by daydee

Chapter 5

During dinner San Mei was more silent than usual, trying to be a good listener when Xiang Zhe told of his business trip to Beijing. But her odd behavior got Xiang Zhe's attention, and so after they finished eating and cleaning all the dishes, Xiang Zhe guided San Mei's hands to sit on the sofa, patted the back of her hand and asked, "Now, tell me what is bothering you. Do not say because of the storm, because the storm is now easing a little."

The storm outside had lessened, but that did not mean that it was improving because this lull was only temporary, a respite before the arrival of a truly greater storm.

San Mei was at her wit's end on how to dodge the question. "I'm thinking about why the name of the storm always uses a woman's name. Sarah, Isobel, Thelma, Elaine."

"Not all, but most are like that because the storm is hard to guess like a woman's feelings. Like the woman in front of me right now," Xiang Zhe looked into San Mei's eyes sharply.

San Mei tried to avoid eye contact, pulling her hand from Xiang Zhe's grip and twisting her own fingers. Maybe if there was a flower in front of her, she could pluck the flower petals for whether she should ask or not Xiang Zhe's feelings toward Yong Xi.

"There's a message from Senior Yung Xi, why don't you answer it?" The question finally blurted out of her mouth.

"Is it important to you if I answer the message or not?"

San Mei took a deep breath. "Yes." The answer was no more than a whisper.

Xiang Zhe reached for San Mei's hand again, holding tight the delicate fingers, as if channeling strength through his touch.

"You have lots of thoughts in your mind don't you? Come on, did you find anything? Hear something?"

The alarm in San Mei's head was immediately clanging. Her eyes widened at Xiang Zhe. "Is there something -- any secrets -- I shouldn't know?"

"No," Xiang Zhe answered firmly.

San Mei's eyes revealed her uncertainty, doubts whether he will tell her the deepest truths that she feared.

"Come on, San Mei, today I am an open book," he urged. "You can ask anything ... In less than three weeks we will get married. I don't want any secrets between us."


Since San Mei was still having trouble speaking, Xiang Zhe began to tell her stories. About his childhood, his parents, their quarrel, his unhappy mother. Their separation, the pain of his mother that made little Xiang Zhe feel isolated in his own family. His family relations with Yung Xi's family. How he left for London early in his teenage years and what San Mei wanted to hear the most -- his relationship with Liu Yung Xi.

San Mei listened with glassy eyes. So far she had only guessed about Xiang Zhe's childhood. Guessing why at the beginning of their relationship Xiang Zhe said he would never get married. Will never have a family. Now she knows why.

"I do not regret being born but I just lived this life as it was, without ambition, until one day without warning I bumped into a girl who was daydreaming at a crossing. She turned my life around. All my beliefs and what I don't believe in changed because of that one girl."

San Mei smiled wryly, knowing who the girl he mentioned was.

"Xue Zhang, you and Senior Yung Xi, why didn't your relationship go well?"

Xiang Zhe was starting to guess what was weighing on San Mei's mind.

"Your question is wrong. We have never had a relationship. Yung Xi is a smart and modern minded woman. She knows her own feelings, and also knows my feelings. I also knew she expected me to change but that never happened. When I finally changed, it was because of you. She also knew it. Therefore she opened her heart to another and Sun Da was there. She has found her happiness. And our story ends up living happily ever after with different partners," Xiang Zhe ended.

San Mei was silent, digesting everything that Xiang Zhe had said. When she finally spoke, her words stunned Xiang Zhe...

"Are Senior Yung Xi and you ... like me and Yu Cen? ..."

Now Xiang Zhe was silent. Talking about Yu Cen was a topic that they have been avoiding. Xiang Zhe doesn't like it. Very much disliked it! There were times when heretical thoughts arose in his mind: If Yu Cen did not die, would San Mei accept him, agree to his proposal? Will he always be the second man in San Mei's life? How important is Yu Cen's position in San Mei's heart right now? Will it continue like that?

Xiang Zhe doesn't like it. This thought bothered him, "I don't know. What do you think?"

"Senior Yung Xi is so beautiful, intelligent, also from a distinguished family. I'm nothing compared to her."

Xiang Zhe let go of San Mei's fingers that he held in his hand. Instead, his two big hands cupped San Mei's face, raising it so he could look closely into San Mei's eyes.

"You compare yourself to Yung Xi. Then how do I compare with Yu Cen?"

The choice of words sounded cynical. But Xiang Zhe really wanted to know.

This time, San Mei's eyes did not dodge ... her eyes looked straight into Xiang Zhe's beautiful eyes, as if to move his entire heart through eye contact.

She took a deep breath, hesitating before she began...

"I have never been alone in a storm. I also don't know why I'm so scared by the sound of strong winds, bright thunder and lightning that strikes. If daddy wasn't around, I'd go to my aunt's house. But Brother Yu Cen never comforted me. He always laughed at me, scolded me and even scared me until I was more scared and crying. I would only stop crying when my aunt scolded him. Only then would he comfort me. In a storm like this, he would never be the person I'm looking for. Even if there isn't you, I might look for Sau Di or Senior Ching Xi..."

"A long time ago, when I got a lunch at the office. It never once occurred to me that Yu Cen sent it."

"Also when I woke up in the middle of the night or early morning and found a rose tucked in the fence of my house I imagined a knight in a white horse in a form like you who was all night waiting for me."

"When I'm the happiest, I think of you and want to share with you. When I'm most sad I also think of you because I know you will be able to lift my burden. I don't know what that is, but that's how I feel about you."

San Mei stopped there. She took a deep breath and now averted her eyes from Xiang Zhe. "With Yu Cen, everything is different. I have known him all my life. Boys who like to pull on my hair make me not want to have long hair. Laughing at me when I'm scared. But he has always been my brother when there are other children who bothered me, accompanying me to play when I'm lonely."

San Mei's voice was getting smaller until now in the form of a small whisper "When his life lost its direction due to Yin Mei, I felt that it was time for me to repay him, to accompany him in that difficult time. My unforgivable stupidity was when I asked you to no longer wait for me. And when I heard from Yin Mei that you broke up with me, I felt my world turned upside down. I wanted to cry and say goodbye like I once did by the lake in the past. But I really couldn't ... My tears somewhere ..." San Mei is now sobbing. "It felt like this soul had left my body. I just walked and walked in no direction, without being tired because that's how I felt."

"Stt ... stt ... Already, I understand what you mean," Xiang Zhe reached to pull San Mei into his arms. He had heard enough. "Never cry again."

Xiang Zhe gently stroked San Mei's hair to relieve her sobs. "I once promised never to make you cry again, don't make me break my own promises."

He kissed San Mei on the forehead while continuing to calm her down. "Shhh, shhh, I have been by your side, we will never be separated again..."

"I promise..."


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One Night in a Storm by daydee

Chapter 6

Xiang Zhe embraced San Mei until he felt her tension ease and her heart beat return to normal, but on the contrary now his own heart beat became fast and irregular. Hugging his lover like this was really a hard ordeal, the temptations too strong...

He kissed the outer tip of San Mei's eyes and felt the rest of the tears hanging there. He kissed her forehead, her eyebrows and felt San Mei's eyes close. And when his lips touched San Mei's lips, the kiss was as light as cotton, as soft as a cloud, as if San Mei's mouth was a rare fragile flower.

San Mei's breathing quickened and her heart was racing in her chest. The intimate kiss had awakened all of her senses, all the cells of her body. When the second kiss came, San Mei opened her mouth, surrendering herself to Xiang Zhe.

Xiang Zhe relaxed his arms, his eyes fixed on San Mei's face. San Mei's eyes opened, looking back at Xiang Zhe and seeing the emotion in his eyes. A look that promised peace of heart, life and eternal love.

Instead, there was a confused expression behind San Mei's eyes and suddenly it was hard for her to look at Xiang Zhe. She only felt the magnetic proximity of Xiang Zhe which made her want to get closer, so close that the heat burning inside would fuse them together. She could feel Xiang Zhe's heartbeat pounding in his broad chest, too, racing against her abysmal heartbeat, creating strange rhythms and sensations that were foreign to both of them. A sensation that she didn't even know existed until this moment.

Unconsciously, San Mei brought her lips closer to Xiang Zhe's lips, then seized his mouth with a lingering, deep kiss.

Her initiative shocked Xiang Zhe, making him dare to demand more. In return he kissed San Mei repeatedly, moving from her lips, to her nose, to her eyes, her ear lobes, to her neck, making San Mei forget everything but her growing, aching hunger for more.

She was no longer aware of her surroundings. Not aware of the storm that was raging with great ferocity outside, she also did not realize when Xiang Zhe lifted her body and laid her down on the large bed in his bedroom. The world has only her and Xiang Zhe.


He laid beside her on the bed, as if in a trance himself, totally immersed in his steaming passions for the woman he had waited so many years. Locked into the deep pools of her eyes, he can see nothing but the passion she is sending back to him, the invitation of her full lips, parted as if parched with thirst, beckoning to him for satisfaction.

Their kiss, long and deep, fanned the flames of mutual ardor, driving them to seek fulfillment of their fervent needs. Blindly his fingers found the buttons of her top, pausing as each came open for a protest that didn't materialize. His hands explored her supple feminine curves, his gentle touch tingling across her smooth, soft skin. Leaving the pleasures of her mouth, his lips rained featherly light kisses over her pristine decolletage.

A faint moaning escaped from deep in San Mei's throat, an involuntary response to the sensations he was arousing within her, nascent murmurs of her own instinctive, rising desires.

As if with a mind of their own, her arms encircled his neck, urging his mouth back to hers, then pulling him down, bringing his body against hers. Skin to skin, lips to lips, heart to heart, they came together with a crackling of ecstatic electricity ...

Coincidentily, an extraordinarily powerful lightening strike burst outside, the searingly bright flash jolting Xiang Zhe back to reality with a shock. Instantly he was aware of their precarious situation and backed off, lambasting his lack of self-control.

The house-shaking peal of thunder that immediately followed likewise roused San Mei from her entranced state, returning her to the conscious world, too. Shocked at finding herself in such a compromised position, a cry of admonishment, addressed to herself, sprang from her lips. Instantly she sat up on the edge of the bed, turning away from Xiang Zhe, hastily buttoning up.

As the rolling thunder faded, the lights flickered several times, then were extinguished by a complete outage of electricity, plunging the room into total darkness.


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One Night in a Storm by daydee

Chapter 7

But as they sat apart in the blackness, unable even to see each other, grappling with the consequences of their actions, the steady warmth that she felt in her heart made San Mei confused. "Xue Zhang ..."

Xiang Zhe had needed a few moments himself to calm down and cool his senses. "Yes?"

"Xue Zhang, what happened?"

"Nothing, San Mei ... I'm sorry, I ..."

The first time in his life Xiang Zhe was lost for words. But his few words were enough to make San Mei aware of his close proximity behind her. Feeling the heat flushing her face, she reflexively moved farther away from Xiang Zhe, to the foot of the bed.

New feelings now replaced her previous feelings, moving between shame and yearning and bewilderment, not knowing what she should do, but realizing something was wrong ...

"Xue Zhang ..." San Mei's voice was still unsettled. "What happened to me?"

Confusion was in her voice as she continued, "I don't seem to be myself. As if there is a flame in me that is burning and continues to grow, a burning that makes me nervous and at the same time very excited, and ... and ... when you kiss me, I want more. I want to get closer, closer until we..."

"Ohmigod!" San Mei's cry exploded as she realized where her feelings were taking her. "Xie Zhang, am I so cheap? Now you are certainly laughing at me, right? ... Feeling disgusted with me ..."

"No San Mei, absolutely not," Xiang Zhe denied. He didn't want San Mei to think that. He felt very touched by the words of San Mei. "That sensation is what is felt by those who love each other. I feel it too. Because I really love you."

"But, but ..."

"Shhh ... Shhh ... It's ok," Xiang Zhe doesn't want San Mei to continue whatever she wanted to say. Her words he'd heard were more than enough.

"Do you know that this is the first time you have told me your true feelings? Did you know that I had given up, I no longer expected to hear your feelings verbally? Although you always showed with your face, with your actions, that I am an important person for you, but not with words ..."

The phrase sounded like a beautiful musical wave to San Mei. Moving back to him, in Xiang Zhe's arms she broke into tears.

Slowly her sobs died down. The shame was not entirely gone. She took a deep breath, filled her body with the scent of Xiang Zhe's body that was so familiar to her.

"I love you Xue Zhang," her voice was a whisper of breath. "Love you so much."

The whisper was very subtle. But for Xiang Zhe the sound was far stronger than the thunderstorm lurking outside. This is the first time San Mei has expressed love, stated that she loved him and not just liked him. His emotions flying sky high, he did not know what to say. So he stayed quiet, embracing San Mei and enjoying every second of the happy moment.


After a while Xiang Zhe returned to his senses.

"You've forgiven me, haven't you?"

"There's nothing to forgive. This was not your fault. It is mine, for not..."

Xiang Zhe cut her off...

"Of course this is not my fault, or yours. This is Zhen Gui Chen's fault, for fathering a very beautiful and desirable daughter!"

Xiang Zhe was kidding, one method that he knew was definitely able to restore San Mei's laughter.

His efforts succeeded. While holding back her laughter, San Mei hit Xiang Zhe's chest with her fist. A very light punch, however...

"Auch!! It really hurts," he pretended injury. "I have to exercise diligently to keep my chest strong so that I can always be your punching bag! I haven't become your husband, yet my fate is already like this! How will it be after we marry?"

San Mei's hand raised to hit again but stopped in the air.

Xiang Zhe laughed affectionately. He kissed San Mei's forehead but then immediately stretched his arms wide, not trusting himself to embrace her. Instead he gently stroked San Mei's face.

"What shall we do now, like this?" San Mei asked, referring to their intimate situation, with total darkness enveloping them. Even as her mind urged caution, her heart was prodding for more, kindling fresh desires to again experience his touch, his kisses, the sensations of their bodies pressed together...

But Xiang Zhe, resisting his own similar urges, knew that in the morning, once cold reason again prevailed, they would have to face their regrets -- and her father's judgement.

"It looks like the electricity will not recover until tomorrow," he replied, redirecting the intent of her question. "Let's light a candle."


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One Night in a Storm by daydee

Chapter 8

Heavy rain was still falling. The lightning still occasionally snapped and the sound of the wind roared. But San Mei was no longer aware of it. Her fear had disappeared somewhere because she was in the safest place in the world.

With the subsiding of the tempest outside, the storm of passion inside had also lulled into a comfortable, joyful state for both of them. They lit a candle, like two children playing with fire for the first time, then lit more, filling the room with a soft radiance that matched the fullness of their hearts. They opened a bottle of wine, laughing, joking, bickering, teasing. Freed for the first time to share the depths of their hearts and souls, they talked late into the night, and on into the wee hours of the mornng.

It was almost dawn when San Mei, surrendering to exhaustion, fell into a blissful slumber in Xiang Zhe's arms on the couch.

Xiang Zhe gently lifted his lover's body.

"Xue Zhang ..." Floating between being conscious and not, San Mei stirred, looking at him with heavily lidded eyes.

"Sleep ..."


For the second time Xiang Zhe laid San Mei on the large bed in his room. Looking down on her, she appeared so innocent, so beautiful, so perfect, that he praised the heavens that he had finally won her trust, and her heart.

He covered San Mei's body with a blanket and kissed San Mei's lips lightly. He had no courage to sleep by her side or stay there long. On his way out, he extinguished the candles that lit the room, all but one safely secured in a glass holder on the bedside stand.

When he reached the door, he turned around. Bathed in the warm glow of flickering candle light, San Mei's face was like an angel's -- an angel who had brought happiness and love into his life.

A soft smile decorated his lips. All doubts in his heart were erased. Now he knew for certain that Zhen San Mei was his ...

Forever.

The End.