Night of Reflections

That night, in his room, Wang Zi lay on his bed quietly flipping through pages of the newly-cleaned book. Apparently what he was gazing at was not at all the focus of his attention. The printed words did not register at all in his mind as he was very much into recalling what happened earlier that day in the store. What chance encounter was it that he would bump into her for the second time? He shook his head, finding fate incomprehensible and hard to grasp. Now, he was holding something long gotten rid of, yet through her ingenuity, ended up spotless and wondrously perfected in his hands. Each touch and brush sure counted for something.

He closed the book and placed it back onto the table. Then, a reminder struck him. Pulling out his bag, he dug inside it and managed to find his notepad. He heaved a sigh of relief before hastily flipping it open. He got to check the right page. Not long, he did so and feeling over his work completed the day before outside the library, he was intriguingly astonished momentarily. The sketch strikingly resembled the girl, or 'Gui Gui' as he last heard so. Baffled, he recognised her pair of soulful-looking eyes, wide cheeks and full lips in this work, which also masked a great deal of one's own deep-felt enthusiasm and liking. How could he ever draw her in such realistic style even before seeing her for the first time? Coincidence seemed only half the answer. After so many instances of failing in his Art class, he finally came up with an impressive creation.

Just while he was still engrossed in his thoughts, the door bell sounded. Wang Zi moaned and reluctantly got out of bed. He stuffed his notepad into the bedside drawer.

Opening the door, he was even more let down to see her.

"Oh Wang Zi! Finally I got to see you," the girl, who had earlier accused Gui Gui in the library squealed excitedly.

"Oh, what brings you here?" he silently cursed his luck.

She quickly uttered a reasonable excuse, "I'm on my way to a shopping centre in the same neighbourhood so thought of dropping by."

He looked at the clock, "This late for shopping??"

She merely dismissed his question and hurried into the apartment, "Come on, you're not welcoming me here?"

Wang Zi headed into the kitchen to grab some drink from the fridge.

Wandering around, the girl happened to passed by his room with the door left ajar. As a result, she caught sight of the book she had given him on the table. She quickly went inside and have a look at it. "Still here, so what about that similar copy in the library??" she wondered.

Wang Zi scanned around the house only to find her already in his bedroom. He caught up with her and called out, "Tong Tong!! How many times have I told you not to enter my room?"

She gave him a doubful look and held up the book, "But this one??"

He sighed and handed her the drink, "It's with me afterall, right? So don't overuse your imaginations and say that I had donated it away, okay??"

She only stared back at him submissively, nodding to respond but deep in her heart, there were still some reservations.