“Are you sure this is the place?” TangShi wandered around the beautiful scenic courtyard of the traditional building, looking like something out of a historical drama with a curved tiled roof. It framed with billowing cherry blossom, draped over the eaves, lit by the sun of the day in an almost magical scene and she pulled out her phone to take a picture. It was too pretty not to.
“Mmm hmmm” Linlin was already glued to her own cell, oblivious to this breathtaking view, checking the address and pulling up the details of the teacher she had been corresponding with. “We’re lucky he is going to meet with us. He rejects ninety percent of applications right off, but when I told him your name, he jumped to meet you. Seems you have a fan.” Linlin raised a brow but not her focus.
“He’s a teacher, a well-known one. Why would he want to meet me?” TangShi was dubious. She hadn’t been sure about this when Linli
"Here, take my hand and relax. Lift your chin up, you look pretty, stop fidgeting." YuZhi gently scolded TangShi as he helped her out of his black Lotus Emira. His boy toy that he rarely got to drive nowadays due to needing his blacked-out chauffer driven SUV to avoid the press. It was low and hard to slide out of when wearing heels and a satin dress, so he had to tug her up and catch her to set her upright. Being the attentive date tonight.TangShi inhaled heavily, her nerves frayed about this dinner and tugged at her dress to make it longer, aware it was showing more leg than she was used to. It was one that Rhea picked out for her in a recent shopping outing, seeing as they were still making a point to hang out once a week for the lingering nosey reporters.A fitted navy shift dress that clung to her curves and brought out her nice figur
“Selfies!!!” Linlin pushed in behind YuZhi and TangShi on the dancefloor, holding her phone up high to capture while on tiptoes above the three of them as they huddled in then waved frantically at ZhengLi to come over. She was picture happy tonight, more so the drunker she got because she wanted to document TangShi’s first night partying with her. It was a long time dream of hers to have TangShi live a normal life of a twenty odd year old girl in Shanghai and she never for a moment thought a contract marriage would be the key to achieving it.“Stop taking so many.” TangShi giggled but still smiled and posed as YuZhi pulled her in beside him with an arm around her shoulders to ger in on screen, sticking his two-fingers up in a V sign as the three of them were caught for all time on Linlin’s cell. He was an old hand at selfies and having pictures taken and seemed to have no bad angles. ZhengLi wandered over with his tray in hand and a new rou
“You two look so cute together, you know?” Linlin cooed at YuZhi who was casually lounging in the corner of the booth, his arm stretched out along the back of the chair while dangling his beer bottle from it. TangShi was tucked into him under it, her head on his shoulder and completely out cold from far too much alcohol consumption and the late hour. It was almost two am and all four of them had gone far beyond the tipsy stage of drunk.“That’s because I’m handsome, and she’s pretty.” YuZhi smiled, confident in his own attractiveness, still not slurring anywhere near like Linlin was as he had higher tolerance and still had his wits about him. He dipped his chin to check on TangShi, watched her breath slowly and deeply for a moment and then went back to drinking his beer, comfy like this and not too bothered about being used as her cushion. She was peacefully and blissfully unaware of the noisy club carrying on around her.They
“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
“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