“Are you sure this is everything? We could check out the new store over there.” Linlin offered but TangShi shook her head without looking to see what the store was and finished putting the shopping bags into the boot of Linlin’s orange car. Glad to have finally finished ticking off her list.
“I already have so many supplies and don’t need much. It’s an art school, not a college for scholars, and I’m sure I can pick up anything later I may have forgotten.” TangShi was excited about her starting date in only a few days and was eagerly counting them down. It seemed like it was coming so fast, and she was more than ready to start. To have something to fill her days with.
“Clothes?” Linlin offered with a small smile. “I’m sure you need some fashionable and arty overalls or something!”
“You
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“Thank you Mr Kamamoto. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” YuZhi shook the man’s hand, bowing to him and his wife as they made their parting greetings and TangShi stood obediently beside him and waited for the polite goodbyes too. She was stylish in a long navy wool shift dress, and flat pumps. Her hair wavy and sat prettily around her naturally made-up face, free of jewelry apart from one dainty necklace and she exuded an air of elegance. Many of the male diners had been enamored with YuZhi’s date and it had been a pleasant and friendly evening.They worked through all the dinner companions as they made their way out of the dining area, after a two-hour long dinner, and YuZhi took her hand in his which was now becoming an automatic maneuver whenever he was with her. Finally free and heading for the carpark.“You did really good. They seemed impressed with my girlfriend.” He smiled, knowing she knew he was joking about the t
YuZhi drove them to a secluded area on the far end of the bund, where many private buildings had their own parking and navigated through a gated entrance using a keypad. The landscaping for this particular park was slightly raised compared to the road in and they got as close to the waterfront as possible before he parked his car, facing towards the display area in the distance. It was a perfect sightseeing spot for the bund from here and they could still hear the music from the bands.TangShi was regretting eating her candy floss so fast and was sporting a stomachache now, curled up in the passenger seat, being quiet and pale faced but still eager to see the show. They hadn’t driven far but this area was darker than the surroundings and had some trees concealing the private parking lot, so it seemed secluded. It felt like they were out in the woods if it wasn’t for the high-rise buildings peeking all around them and the glow of the city lights all around. There w
“Where you at, buddy? I need to come see you.” YuZhi called ZhengLi once he dropped TangShi off at the house on his hands free as he drove back towards the center of Shanghai, making way to his friend’s apartment. Squinting at the windscreen as tiny drops of rain started to fall and added to the melancholy of his mood.“I’m at Dream in Changning district with Linlin, What’s up?” ZhengLi was standing at the bar of a popular nightclub while getting his table a fresh round of drinks. It was quiet given it was a Wednesday night, so the volume was low. He was a seasoned party animal who often hit clubs on a weekday and still managed to work the next day. He turned to watch Linlin sashaying across the dancefloor with two girls in tow, giggling merrily and unaware of his watching them. Amused by his date for the night, her wildcat antics and dirty dancing she had been doing minutes ago that had held him standing there longer than required.
TangShi stretched out and rotated her shoulders to ease their stiffness as she put down her mixing bowl and spatula, pleased with the natural paint they had been learning to make all day. She now had several soft colors and some ground dried plants and herbs laid out before her to use in tomorrow’s class. This was the most enjoyable and unexpected lesson she had ever had and bode well for her days here after this. A first success, and she was thrilled to be here under the watchful but also gentle care of Master. Cai.He was exactly how Linlin had imagined him. An old man with soft grey hair that was kept neat and trim around his head, but his beard was long and tapered into a point midway down his chest. He was on the older side in age, but utterly adorable. He was wrinkled and tanned but a smiley fellow who loved to spend his days wearing the traditional Manchu style of clothing that compromised of a long-fitted cotton coat that buttoned high to the neck, over loose pa
TangShi walked out of her bedroom and into the open plan living room to finish getting ready before leaving for school. The apartment was eerily quiet and felt empty although she hadn’t heard YuZhi depart for work yet. It was early though, maybe too early for him. The sun was barely up but today she planned on going to breakfast with Linlin before class started.Dinner last night hadn’t helped her sort out her confusion over YuZhi’s behavior and as he took off after getting home and didn’t return till late, she didn’t see him again. She was feeling all kinds of listless and uptight and unable to relax over this and Linlin was a good mood leveler any day of the week.TangShi padded into the kitchen in her house slippers and outfit of the day to get a bottle of water and froze when the click of his bedroom door e
Rhea flicked her hair back off her face, trying to control her inner temper and hit redial on her cell for the fifth time. Pacing the empty corridor of the runway hall for the event tonight and aggravated more as seconds ticked by and he still didn’t pick up.She had been trying to call YuZhi for the last two days, after he agreed they would sit down, the three of them, and talk things out. Since she slapped TangShi in the face she had avoided her, raged about the whole situation, cried, hated, and then relented and contacted YuZhi. She knew she had been wrong and even ZhengLi confirmed the whole incident had been innocent and drunken antics and mixed-up phones.She had no idea why now after agreeing, he had gone off the radar again and was blanking her once more. YuZhi was getting too good at doing it. Since this whole stupid arrangement, he had been trying to distance them, keep them apart, and was continuously reminding her the breakup had to be real. She neve
“I’m so full. We ate too much.” TangShi flopped back on the couch, nursing her food baby belly and groaning as Linlin picked up the takeout containers from the coffee table and dumped them in the kitchen.“You could use a little extra fat; you’re so thin lately.” Linlin appraised her with a critical eye. Glad that since moving here to YuZhi’s apartment she seemed less stressed out and unhappy in life and was back to being her fun and sunny friend. The diet that nasty Aunt had forced on her had made her lose weight and it was her job to fatten TangShi back up again. Feeding her anyway she could.The girls had met up after TangShi was finished with school and had gone shopping, before heading here for take out and relaxing with a movie. YuZhi and ZhengLi had been MIA these past few days, something to do with an entertainment center being built in Shanghai and it was causing them endless issues with funding.“What sha
“Thank you, Master Cai. Today’s lesson was enjoyable, and I really learned a lot.” TangShi bowed to her teacher, holding her bag as she was readying to leave and thanked him again for today. Time was passing so fast being in this school and her daily schedule here was a highlight of her life. She had found her love of painting again and her days were passing in relative happiness, compared to before. “You are a good student. Rong was right about your talent and dedication, and I am enjoying seeing your skills grow, Miss. Lei.” “That means a lot, thank you. I am so happy here, that words cannot express it. I bid you a good evening and shall see you bright and early.” TangShi bowed once more, full of the joy of having her respected tutor praise her and carried the rolled-up watercolor with her from yesterday. It was a practice piece while studying light on water, but she was incredibly proud of it and wanted to show YuZhi the piece. He was supportive of her time here a