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BastardAbout thirty months (two and half years) into her career at GIBI, Mei Lin has helped six people, including Mrs. Wu, who suffered from ALS. If only I can cure liver cancer. Mei Lin is never satisfied. However, at the moment, she has every reason to not be satisfied because her boss just got the call that Mrs. Wu is no longer responding to treatment. “Sir?”
“I’m going to be fine, Mei,” Yi Fan says, his voice surprisingly even and calm. “It was only a matter of time anyway.”
Future tense. “Sir…”
“Don’t waste your time on something that can’t be saved, work towards what can be salvaged,” Yi Fan says, looking straight ahead rather than up to meet Mei Lin’s eyes. “I don’t want to keep you from doing what you do best.”
“I surely hope that this is not what I do best, sir,” Mei Lin says in attempt to sound casual. “If that’s the case—”
“Then you should be fired,” Yi Fan finishes with a weak smile.
This has become a running joke now between the two. Yi Fan would never fire Mei Lin and Mei Lin would never quit but the two constantly tease the idea as a testament to how far their relationship has come since the first day Mei Lin arrived and the last time Yi Fan had a new secretary.
“Will you be coming to this year’s Gala?” Mei Lin asks, which earns her some raised eyebrows on an unchanging face. “Even if someone can’t make it to the party, it’s still polite to invite them.”
“It’s not that I can’t make it, Mei,” Yi Fan corrects her.
“It’s because you ‘don’t go to those sort of things.’” She can help but roll her eyes with a bit of a laughing sigh. “I don’t see why you don’t though. There’s no one that you need to impress there—”
“Exactly,” Yi Fan says. “If I don’t have to be there, then why go? Waste of my time really.”
“You could’ve just said you were going to visit your mother, sir,” Mei Lin says, shaking her head because she can see right through him now. “Would you like me to join—”
“You planned this thing,” Yi Fan says. “You have to be there and you actually have a right be there.”
“It’s still under your Department,” Mei Lin says.
“Yeah,” Yi Fan says softly. “You don’t have to keep on—”
“Like you said, you don’t go to these sort of things, so why make you plan an event you won’t attend?”
“I don’t see why you still insist on doing my job for me,” Yi Fan frowns (it’s fake, of course).
“This is the one and only thing that I do for you.”
If you only knew how wrong that is. “Go run your Departments,” Yi Fan says, waving her away.
“So does that mean I should have lunch be brought up onto the roof today, sir?” Mei Lin asks before leaving.
Yi Fan simply nods, having gotten used to how well Mei Lin can read between his lines now. But when he finishes his work and makes his way to the roof, it does surprise him when he finds that Mei Lin is already there. It’s not even close to lunchtime, which would explain the lack of food with Mei Lin, but something, just an inkling, tells Yi Fan that time is not the reason why Mei Lin is up here. “Mei?”
Mei Lin doesn’t move because Yi Fan’s voice doesn’t reach Mei Lin even though she “hears” him. She wipes her eyes when Yi Fan’s leather shoes indicate his decreasing distance from Mei Lin. She quickly sniffs and wipes her eyes one more time before Yi Fan cranes his body to see why Mei Lin won’t face him. Her eyes are red like her nose and her face is flushed with tearstains and blotches of pink beneath her skin. Her phone is still clutched shakingly in her right hand. “He’s dead,” Mei Lin chokes, but the tears refused to spill over in the face of her superior.
“Who’s dead?” Yi Fan asks slowly. I just walked past Lau when coming up here—her father? Would she cry for her father?
“My latest patient,” Mei Lin says softly. “The treatment didn’t work… he died and—”
Mei Lin had cut herself off with , knowing that should she say anymore, she would cry and something inside her wouldn't allow her to cry in front of Yi Fan. “It’s not your fault,” Yi Fan finds himself saying, even though he knows that it would mean nothing to her. You would think that by now, I would know what to say to this girl.
“I should have been able to—we should have been able to construct a cure. We did so for half a dozen patients already so why couldn’t we save this one?” Mei Lin is now angry with herself. “I gave him and his family false hope and I hate myself for that. I just—the thought of—I’m the reason why they’re going to be even more sad and miserable now.”
“Mei…” Yi Fan knows she’s no longer just talking about the man’s family now. Mei Lin wishes for something she could punch right now as she’s shaking with anger. “At least you tried,” Yi Fan says, trying to sound sincere. “I’m sure that’s more than what they had hoped for. You gave him more time with his family, didn’t you? He was expected to die two months ago and it’s not like you promised them anything. You said that you would do your best and you did.” Mei Lin only nods slowly, though it’s an unconscious motion as she attempts to keep her composure, just like her rapid blinking. The fact that Yi Fan remembers all of these details about this case is enough to distract Mei Lin for just the moment. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.”
Sometimes your best isn’t good enough.
“Mei, look at me,” Yi Fan says. Mei Lin doesn’t move. “Mei Lin, look at me,” Yi Fan says sternly, emphasizing every word. When she doesn’t move, Yi Fan places his hands firmly on her shoulders to turn her around by force. They lock eye and a flurry of guilt, grief and self-resentment dance in her eyes while Yi Fan’s demand to be yielded to. “It’s not your fault. They don’t hate you. I don’t hate you.” How could I? If anything, I—
“Thanks,” Mei Lin says dryly. “Sir?”
“Yes?” Yi Fan asks, still staring intensely at Mei Lin’s bloodshot eyes.
“My shoulders hurt…”
“Oh, right, sorry.”
When Yi Fan unhands her, she can’t help but ask, “Did you just apologize to me, sir? My, you must be pretty upset.”
Mei Lin’s tone was teasing but there’s a note of seriousness in her voice due to the truth behind it as well. Yi Fan can only afford to look away and nod slightly while rocking on his feet with his hands in his pockets. “You shouldn’t stay up here for too long,” he says out of the blue. “You’ll catch a cold dressed like that.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, sir, remember?” Mei Lin asks.
Then I’ll choose to.
“I’ll bring up your lunch,” she says.
“I’m not hungry,” Yi Fan says honestly.
“You sill have to eat, sir,” Mei Lin says, frowning a bit.
Yi Fan makes no further protest, so Mei Lin leaves to get him something. She settles for some hot tea in a thermos and she brings up his overcoat as well. Winters in Guangzhou never reach freezing but with skyscraper winds, it still feels like ice razors. Yi Fan looks at the thermos with a questioning look and it deepens when he takes a sip because he had expected it to be a thick soup of some sort.
“You said you weren’t hungry,” Mei Lin says. “You didn’t say anything about being thirsty.” Yi Fan chuckles to himself and notices that Mei Lin has his coat. “‘You’ll catch a cold dressed like that.’”
“A three piece suit is different than the blazer and thin pants you have on,” Yi Fan points out, but Mei Lin already holding the coat up so that it’s waiting for his arms. Yi Fan rolls his eyes and complies.
“Would you like anything else?”
A chair, I’m going to be up here for a while. “No,” Yi Fan says, but Mei Lin could sense that that was not the whole truth, so she doesn’t move. “If it’s not too much to ask, Mei…” Mei Lin waits. “I’d like to hear you sing.”
Up until now, Yi Fan has only heard Mei Lin sing through walls or from a distance. Once, he walked past Henry’s office and heard the sound of violin strings accompanied by Mei Lin’s vocals. If he’s lucky, Yi Fan catches Mei Lin singing softly to herself in the car or cleaning his office. Every other time that he had asked, she would deny her ability or say that she doesn’t want to or they will be interrupted before Mei Lin could even start.
She has never sung for him and this is hardly the time, but Mei Lin simply looks away out of embarrassment that her boss would even ask such a thing. Yi Fan waits as Mei Lin starts to drown out and ignore everything around her: her boss, the wind, the current events, everything. She sings the first thing that comes to mind. “Hello darling I don’t believe/ That you understand just how much you mean to me/ Whenever you feel as though you’re gonna fall apart/ Please remember you’re safe here in my heart.” The instrumental plays in Mei Lin’s head before she starts the chorus. “Because you are not alone/ Even if we part/ I may not always be there/ But I’ve been there from the very start.” Mei Lin takes in the cold air in a deep breath, “So go on! Go on! / Smile for the world to see/ No matter what the world says/ never forget you deserve…to be happy…”
The violin is missing.
“Walk by my side with me/ let me show you the birds and the trees/ Even when it gets dark/ you’re safe here in my heart.”
Lau must have written this song for her. Yi Fan doesn’t make a sound, letting Mei Lin drown herself in whatever world she’s created. Who are you singing to? Are you trying to remind yourself?
“Sir?”
Yi Fan had not realized that Mei Lin had finished the song moments ago. “You should get back to work,” he finally blurts out. “Lau will have my head if you catch a cold because of me.”
“Nah,” Mei Lin says. “I wouldn’t let him do that.”
“Oh?” Yi Fan asks, already knowing where this is going, but he wants to hear her say it again anyways. “And why is that?”
“I always have to choose you over him, remember?” Mei Lin snickers. Both of them know that a good cup of salt has to be taken with this statement, but it still amuses them both for different reasons.
“That must make him pretty upset.”
Mei Lin shrugs and looks away. I’m good at apologizing. “He’ll get over it.”
“It’s been over two years, Mei,” Yi Fan points out. “If he’s not over it by now—”
“I’m not going to leave him,” Mei Lin says, rolling his eyes. “Just like how I’m not going to leave you.”
“Don’t compare me to him,” Yi Fan scoffs, though he’s secretly glad to be seen at the same level as Mei Lin’s beloved boyfriend. “I’m clearly superior.”
“Pretentious much?”
“You choose me over him, therefore I am better.”
Mei Lin giggles and turns to walk towards the door, the crisp wind gathering her hair as she does so, revealing her profile. “Whatever helps you sleep better at night, sir.” However, when Mei Lin reaches the thirty-eighth floor, her mood is anything but playful and though it is not plainly obvious, Henry suspects something the moment he gets off the elevator. “I’m fine.”
Henry keeps Mei Lin from getting on the elevator. “Mei, I heard…”
“I’m fine,” Mei Lin repeats. “Though,” she bites her lip, “I wouldn’t mind if you came over for the night.”
Normally, Henry would suggest that someone would pick up Mei Lin and that she could spend the night (his bed is bigger anyways) but given the current situation, he made no protest and agreed to her subtle need for company. And it’s not as if Henry doesn’t have a drawer at Mei Lin’s apartment. It’s just that he feels that Mei Lin deserves better than what she has now.
Mei Lin’s apartment is cozy and realistic. It reminds Henry of the house that Mei Lin grew up in to an extent and he can’t help but wonder if it’s because she associates those times with good feelings and memories, because that was back before things started to get complicated and emotional between their parents. Henry can’t help but draw parallels to their relationship then and now. Mei Lin makes Henry feel not only wanted, but also needed; as if she gave him some sort of purpose in life. Even as an ignorant six year old, Henry thought that Mei Lin was perfect in every which way and loved her unconditionally. The joy that washed over Henry when Mei Lin first learned how to walk was overshadowed by the fact that Mei Lin, even at one year old, walked towards Henry instead of her parents.
Henry comes by shortly after work with a bag of groceries and his violin. “I thought you would like to hear something that I’ve been working on.”
“You’ve been working on a lot of things lately,” Mei Lin points out. “Making good use of that notebook, I hope.”
“It’s almost full,” Henry admits.
“Then it’s a good thing I had another one made,” Mei Lin says, referring to Henry’s birthday present from a few months ago. “You look so happy when you’re composing and performing your compositions.”
“I have a good muse,” Henry smiles. “I prefer writing instrumentals.”
“Then how come there are so many lyrics scribbled everywhere?”
“I want you to have something to sing,” Henry says plainly. “I want to be able to sing to you.”
“Playing for me is more than enough,” Mei Lin says. “As if composing wasn’t enough.”
Henry smiles and rests the violin between his shoulder and chin before letting Ode to Joy ring throughout Mei Lin’s apartment. After a stellar performance, cooking dinner together and teasingly eating, the two wind down by sharing a shower. Mei Lin comes out in basketball shorts and a camisole while Henry has a wife-beater and loose pajama pants. They sit curled up on Mei Lin’s couch and Henry’s hand traces lines up and down Mei Lin’s legs as they watch the news.
“Hey Mei,” Henry says. “How come you never wear skirts or shorts in public?”
“I do,” Mei Lin points out.
“Only once in a blue moon,” Henry says.
“I don’t like exposing my legs,” Mei Lin says simply.
“Then I must be very special,” Henry concludes. Mei Lin remains silent to show no protest to Henry’s statement. His fingers stop mid-way up Mei Lin’s right calf and start to trace around a particular spot. He waits for Mei Lin to realize what he is doing before asking, “Is it because of this?” Mei Lin nods. “You can hardly see it.”
“Wearing pants is easier than putting on make up to cover it and worrying about whether or not it’s going to rub off,” Mei Lin says with a bit of a frown.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Henry says. “If anything, it’s a conversation starter.”
“I should’ve listened to you,” Mei Lin says, still referring to the cause of the scars on Mei Lin’s legs. “I got too close to the tall grass and—”
“I’m the one who threw the ball,” Henry reminds her.
“I wonder if that ball is still there,” Mei Lin says half-heartedly.
“I forgot about it the moment you screamed.”
“I’d rather not have people ask me how I got two perfectly circular scars and then have to explain to them that I was bitten by a snake and—”
“I get it.” You sobbed so hysterically out of pain…it had me so scared. “I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast in my life.”
“I don’t even remember that,” Mei Lin admits. “I just knew that my leg was eating away at itself and that it burned. Sorry for the holes in your shirt. I didn’t realize how tightly I was clinging onto you.”
“You have a habit of ruining my shirts,” Henry says. “In more ways than one.”
“You’re not wearing a shirt right now,” Mei Lin points out as the news starts reporting on the death of Mei Lin’s patient. “This is going to put a damper on our stock value.”
The frame pans over to an interview with the new widow. “We are suing Chen Mei Lin and GIBI for false promises.”
And that’s when it strikes Mei Lin the hardest. “They can’t,” Henry says reassuringly. “You knew that there was a chance that this wouldn’t work. They signed the paperwork that prevents them from suing should anything go wrong.” Tear still spill over from the strain of the situation. “They would be breaking their contract if they sued.” Mei Lin nods as she lets the frustrated tears roll down her cheeks. Henry kisses her cheeks and Mei Lin complies by resting her head against his shoulder. “You did nothing wrong.”
“Hin Wah,” Mei Lin says softly. “I’m tired.”
Henry smiles a bit and scoops Mei Lin to his arms so that he can carry her to bed. Mei Lin telling Henry that she’s tired or sleepy has always been his cue because it’s her way of telling him that she wants to be babied and Henry enjoys providing what her parents never gave her. Henry sets Mei Lin down on her bed under her comforter but doesn’t break contact by crawling over her to get to the other side of the bed before sliding in himself. He holds her close to let her know that she’s not alone before they both slip into the peace that is sleep.
A rapping on Mei Lin’s front door rudely interrupts that peace. It’s slow but distinct and loud. Mei Lin shifts out of Henry’s arm and Henry cracks his eyes open, but Mei Lin motions that she can answer it alone and that she’ll be back soon. Who the hell could it be at three in the morning? She almost stumbles to her front door from not being fully awake yet but that changes quickly when she sees who’s leaning heavily on her doorframe. “Sir?”
“Mei…” Yi Fan practically collapses onto Mei Lin.
“Oh goodness.”
Mei Lin was not expecting a sudden weight to be dropped on her and was not prepared for this. She struggles to get Yi Fan inside and decides that it’s best to place him on the couch. Henry had gotten out of bed to see why Mei Lin was taking so long to get back into bed. He’s somewhat confused as to what’s happening, but he helps Mei Lin get Yi Fan settled properly on Mei Lin’s small loveseat, which he is practically spilling over.
Mei Lin lets out a sigh after that’s complete and Henry wraps his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder before asking, “So now what?”
He half expects Mei Lin to stay awake to take care of whyever Yi Fan is doing here but Mei Lin says, “Let’s go back to bed.”
“Really?” Henry asks, not that he’s complaining.
“I’ll deal with him in the morning,” she sighs. “Besides, he’s out cold.”
Henry pulls on Mei Lin lightly as he drags his feet back into the bedroom. He falls asleep easily; content that Mei Lin has chosen him (and in turn, herself) over Yi Fan’s needs for once. However, Mei Lin is kept drowsily awake for quite some bit as the question as to why Yi Fan is here nags at her. But what truly bothers her the most is how Yi Fan felt lighter for some reason. She could have been mistaken but it still pesters her from unconsciousness. The only comforting thing that finally allows her to settle into sleep is the fact that Mei Lin smelled no alcohol on Yi Fan.
Henry wakes before Mei Lin due to this and lets her sleep as he makes breakfast. When he opens his eyes after rubbing them while walking to the small kitchen, he makes a note to himself that he should make enough for three because he is reminded that Yi Fan is here after seeing him sprawled out awkwardly on Mei Lin’s couch.
Yi Fan is woken up by the sound of pots and pans being taken out from cupboards, but he doesn’t open his eyes until he smells Henry cooking. He sits up and looks around because he is unsure of where he is or even how he got here. Yi Fan knows where Mei Lin lives (more specifically, her exact address) but has never been inside the building. When he sees Henry, he is confused because surely Henry does not live in such a meager place and his casual clothing only deepens Yi Fan’s confusion.
“The panjandrum is awake,” Henry states plainly while turning on the stove.
“Where am I?” Yi Fan asks, still half asleep.
“My girlfriend’s apartment,” Henry says, still not looking up from the counters.
“Why am I here?” Yi Fan asks, stretching a bit.
“That’s what we want to know,” Henry says, finally throwing him a glare. “The hell were you doing wandering around at three a.m.?”
“What?”
“You knocked on her door about six hours ago looking half dead—you still look half dead.”
“Oh…”
Both of their attentions turn to the hall when they hear Mei Lin’s soft steps. She appears before them unchanged and rubbing her eyes with a yawn still lingering in the back of . “Morning,” she mumbles, chewing on her words a bit. She scans the room and is suddenly more aware when she sees her boss and remembers the events of the night. “How are you doing?”
Yi Fan simply stares at Mei Lin whose hair is down, rather than pulled back or up like she’s usually seen fashioning (you can’t have loose hair in a lab) and is barely clad. He’s seen her without makeup before but Yi Fan can’t help but stare at the woman before him who now just seems so real.
“Kevin?”
“I’ve been better,” Yi Fan finally says, trying to swallow but his mouth is suddenly really dry.
Mei Lin walks over to the kitchen to help by setting the table. She grabs a third setting and asks, “Will you be joining us for breakfast?”
“He better,” Henry says. “We can’t eat all of this.”
Yi Fan stays quiet and watches with his body twisted on the couch to see Henry and Mei Lin getting breakfast ready for the three of them. They work well together. It reminds Yi Fan of a scene you would often see in the background of some family show, where mom and dad would be cooking together. “Sorry for dropping in like this,” Yi Fan says once he realize how out of place he really is here. I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment.
Did he just apologize? “You want to tell us what happened?” Henry asks. “Or at least what you remember?”
Mei Lin looks up with concern and hopes that Yi Fan did not drink himself senseless again. No, I would have smelled it on him.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Yi Fan says. “So I went for a walk.”
“You walked all the way here?” Mei Lin asks, nearly dropping the plate of food.
“I guess I did,” Yi Fan says, after examining the soreness that’s tingling his legs and feet.
“If you wanted to come over, why didn’t you just call Zi Tao to drive you?” Mei Lin asks with a frown. How could you walk ten miles at that hour?
“My phone died about an hour after I left; forgot to charge it,” Yi Fan shrugs. “I wasn’t tired so I kept walking. Somehow I ended up here.”
“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Henry asks.
The same reason why I haven’t been hungry. “Don’t know.”
Mei Lin turns away from Henry to place the last plate of food on the table but Yi Fan can still see that she’s frowning. “Well don’t just sit there,” Mei Lin says without looking at him. “Come and sit down.”
Yi Fan sits up and feels the effects of his actions from the night before. He cringes a bit as he walks over to the nearest seat. He eats slowly, glancing every now and again at the couple in front of him. They exchange silent looks and messages and Yi Fan wonders if this is how they are when he’s not around. They would likely be the same, only they would talk. They seem very comfortable in each other’s presence. Am I even here to them?
“Not hungry, Kevin?”
Yi Fan looks down at his bowl of rice, which barely has a dent in it. “I guess not,” Yi Fan says, tempted to set his chopsticks down. Sorry.
“You still need to eat,” Mei Lin says, having to mentally remind herself to not attach a “sir” at the end out of habit and respect.
Yi Fan chews a small bite before forcing himself to eat more. Mei Lin gets up to do the dishes as she always does if Henry is the one who cooks. “Let me help you with that,” Yi Fan says.
Henry and Mei Lin exchange a look to ensure that they both heard correctly. Has he ever washed dishes before?
“I’m going to get my things,” Henry says, leaving the two hovering over the sink.
“So,” Mei Lin says once she’s sure that Henry is out of earshot. “This is your definition of 'fine?'” Yi Fan says nothing and holds his hand out for another bowl to rinse and dry. “Starving yourself is still self-destructive, you know.” You might as well go back to drinking; granted, this isn’t as bad… I guess.
“I’m just not hungry, Mei,” Yi Fan says. I ate all of my rice though.
“Bull,” Mei Lin says, look at her boss. Her pause in cleaning forces Yi Fan to take notice. “Playing basketball isn’t enough, is it?”
Yi Fan thinks about this and thinks some more about whether or not to tell Mei Lin. She’ll find out the truth one way or another—she always does. So Yi Fan simply nods in agreement. He hears Mei Lin sigh—it sounded disappointing to him—but he can’t bring himself to look at her. I’m sorry. I’m trying, I really am.
Mei Lin ponders what Yi Fan could do to deal with his issues in a healthy manner, but nothing comes to mind. I can construct treatments for ALS that are tailored for a particular individual, but I can’t come up with a solution for a problem that many people may have. Mei Lin sighs again, this time with a definite disappointing undertone. “You need something that releases endorphins.” But basketball no longer has an effect.
“He needs a girlfriend, that’s what he needs,” Henry says, coming out dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. “Too bad the best one is mine.” He walks behind Mei Lin and pecks her on the cheek, which blushes in the face of her boss. “See you tonight?”
“Sure,” Mei Lin says, even though the two didn’t make plans. Henry leaves with a wave to Yi Fan and the atmosphere changes at the sound of the closed door. “How much time does she have?”
“Six months, maybe.” Yi Fan sees Mei Lin open from the corner of his eye but he cuts her off, “Don’t apologize, Mei. She would’ve been dead two years ago if it weren’t for you.”
“So I extended her suffering,” Mei Lin concludes. Not to mention yours.
Yi Fan sighs, knowing that there’s no way to convince Mei Lin to not beat herself up over this. “I should be the one apologizing.”
“For what?” Mei Lin asks casually. She hands him the last dish and dries her hands on a towel. “What could you possibly have to apologize for?” Honestly, I think I’m flattered that you subconsciously wandered to my place.
“Well, for making the first few months back in China a living hell,” Yi Fan says, taking Mei Lin off guard.
“If that was hell, then what do you call what your father did to me last year when—” Mei Lin was about to stop herself to prevent Yi Fan for feeling any more guilt but Yi Fan had cut her off again at the same time.
“I’m sorry for that too,” Yi Fan blurts out. “You shouldn’t—”
“It wasn’t a matter of whether or not I should have done it, sir, I chose to do it,” Mei Lin reminds him. “I don’t remember you telling me to risk my job for you. If memory serves me right, and it usually does, you had no idea on the matter. If my boyfriend had kept his damn mouth shut—”
“I would have continued to—”
“Be yourself,” Mei Lin says for him, not wanting to hear whatever it was that Yi Fan had to say.
Taken you for granted… “Am I not myself?”
“Sir, you’re apologizing,” Mei Lin points out.
Though harsh, Yi Fan has to admit that it’s the truth. “I’m sorry.”
Mei Lin lets out a laugh. “You’re apologizing for apologizing…” Yi Fan laughs along awkwardly as they both now stand in the kitchen alone. “Should I call Zi Tao for you? You’re more than welcome to stay—”
“Thanks but I should get back to the office.”
Mei Lin goes into her room to get her phone. She scrolls through her contacts while saying, “It’s a Saturday.”
“You use to go to work on Saturdays as well,” Yi Fan points out. Before you got a better handle on how to manage your work and got comfortable with your boyfriend.
“I’ve been busy,” Mei Lin says with a bit of a guilty smile. “Morning,” she says into the phone. “He’s at my place. Would you mind bringing him a fresh set of work clothes? Thanks.”
“I heard about the lawsuit,” Yi Fan says, not liking the silence between them.
Mei Lin simply nods. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
You don’t sound very convincing. “My father won’t shut down the Treatment Department,” Yi Fan ensures. It’s making the company way too much money. “The bad press won’t even put a dent in our stock value and we have some of the best lawyers—”
“Wu Yi Fan,” Mei Lin finds herself saying. Yi Fan stops his vomiting of words; this being one of the few (if not, the first) times that Mei Lin has addressed him by his name. “Thank you,” she says, knowing that that was his attempt at making her feel better, and she does. You’re kinda cute when you get worked up. “Is it true that there’s a demand for the expansion of the Department though?”
“You’d be surprised how many rich people are desperate to save themselves or the ones that they love,” Yi Fan sighs. “Not just ALS though. There have been requests for all types of cancer, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s…You name it.”
“I can’t cure cancer,” Mei Lin frowns. I’ve tried. “No one can. That’s why it’s cancer.”
I know, Mei.
“Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s though…” Yi Fan could practically see the wheels turning in Mei Lin’s head. She absentmindedly goes into her room and grabs her tablet before she pulls up a new screen and starts to scribble on it with a stylist. “I wonder if anyone else has thought up of this…” She sits herself down on the couch.
Yi Fan sits next to her and looks over the tablet but there are symbols and words that he can’t compute. “You would think that a world of doctors and scientists would be creative enough,” Yi Fan accidentally thinks aloud.
Was that a complement? “I guess they just don’t have the resources that your father has,” Mei Lin points out. “I’m going to need a hell of a lot more experts on this though.”
“Whatever you need,” Yi Fan says.
“With Huntington’s, it doesn’t have to be tailored to the individual,” Mei Lin says. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that. I can do something similar and create a serum that will practically rewrite their DNA so that they no longer have the gene. Then treatment will have to be created to make up for—”
“Mei, I’m a business man, not an engineer,” Yi Fan says. She looks so excited. “There’s no point in explaining it to me.” There’s a knock on the door and Mei Lin gets up to answer. “You should talk to Lau.”
“Why is that?” Mei Lin opens the door, “Hello Zi Tao.”
“Because these demands are not just coming from China. There are a lot of rich Americans who would like your help.” Yi Fan gets up and walks towards the door. “You would think he would tell you that all of his representatives are getting spammed with e-mails and letters concerning your services.”
Maybe he didn’t want to stress me out or overwork me. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight.”
“See you Monday, Mei.”
“So my boss tells me that there are possible international clients who are more than willing to pay a pretty penny for a possible treatment or cure,” Mei Lin says casually as the two make dinner together.
Henry hesitates for a moment before saying, “The national ones take priority.”
“If Mr. Wu found out that you have been keeping—”
“My excuse was that it’s hard to determine what can be attended to when there’s only a select number of representatives from every branch in the building,” Henry says.
“Oh, is that why my floor has been getting some renovations?” Mei Lin asks, not enjoying how the construction is distracting both of her Departments from doing their jobs.
Henry nods, “One office is being redone on the thirty-seventh while the rest will have to settle for the thirty-sixth. There’s not enough room on the thirty-eighth.”
“Is it wise to have everyone from your Department so scattered?” Mei Lin asks.
“Probably not, but that’s not my decision considering that’s not my building.”
“I see.”
“At least one representative from every branch should arrive by Monday,” Henry says. “In the mean time, while this cooks…”
“Hm?”
“Since we’re talking about renovations,” Henry smiles. “I have something to show you.” Henry leads Mei Lin to the guest room downstairs. “Open the door.”
There’s no way that this could be my room when everything that’s mine in this house is in his. Mei Lin opens the door in spite of the fact that she can’t figure out what Henry is up to. Suspended linear fluorescent luminaires and mini speakers line the ceiling and large sheets of mirrors cover two of the four walls. The flooring below them is of hardwood and Mei Lin walks in with caution. “Hin Wah…”
“Do you like it?” Henry says. “I was hoping that this would encourage you to come over more often.” Henry watched Mei Lin gentle glide her finger over the sound system. “I had the walls sound-proofed so…Now that you have a bit more free time on your hands…”
I won’t have much of that anymore once the international cases start pouring in, but… “Thank you.” Mei Lin walks over and gives Henry a shallow kiss.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I don’t think you understand just how much I love to dance. It’s a great stress reliever for Mei Lin. Sort of what basketball is to Yi Fan and what music is to Henry. “I love it.”
“So you’ll consider moving in?” Henry asks with cautious but bright eyes.
“I’ve been considering,” Mei Lin admits. “But considering the company and our families, we might want to save that until after we’re married. We’re westernized but we can’t have too much of that here.”
Henry rubs Mei Lin’s wrist and in turn, her watch. “I can wait,” he smiles.
“I would hope so.” Mei Lin pecks Henry’s lips again. “Come on, we wouldn’t want the roast to burn.”
The building is buzzing even though Mei Lin arrives fifteen minutes before she’s expected to be there. “Did you hear?” “Did you see them?” “He’s single.”
Mei Lin rolls her eyes mentally at her fellow secretaries. Of course that’s what they’ll be focused on. Even though Mei Lin has no interest in the new arrivals, she is however, curious as to what kind of people they are. I hope they don’t give Henry too much grief.
Mei Lin gets off the elevator and Victoria is whispering to Krystal. “You’re so lucky,” Victoria says.
“It’s not luck, it’s more work,” Krystal pouts.
“What’s going on?” Mei Lin asks, settling into the ring of desks.
“Krystal gets to be the temporary secretary for the representative that will be officing on this floor,” Victoria says. “She got the memo this morning.”
“And which country will be hosting?” Mei Lin asks, keeping her tone playful like Victoria’s.
“Why, your country,” Victoria says.
“Really?” Mei Lin says out of pure surprise. I thought we had a representative from the States already…guess not. “I use work at that branch.”
“Ooh, then you might know who he is,” Victoria says, getting giddy now at the possibility of knowing more about the new coworker.
“What’s his name?”
“Victor Chang.”
Translations/Author's Notes:
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The song that Mei Lin sings on the roof is called In My Heart and was written by me. But in relation to the story, Henry did indeed compose the song for Mei Lin.
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Huntington's disease = "an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain."
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Alzheimer's disease = "a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions."
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"Suspended linear fluorescent luminaires" {In case it was unclear, Henry renovated the guest room into a small dance practice room for Mei Lin}
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Krystal is Krystal Jung from f(x).
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"Why, your country" = Mei Lin is still an American citizen in the People's Republic of China on a work visa.
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