Days of Wind and Whispers

chapter5

After the pair had retreated entirely from view, Xia Manni shifted her weight, flexing her ankles.

"Yi Yang’s gone completely round the bend, hasn’t he? Such a drama king."

Yan Yan’s laughter chimed in response. "Two years steeped in British culture and that’s the result? Hardly a renaissance man."

Xia Manni conceded the point. After all, hip-hop was the American uniform, wasn't it? Anyone stateside sporting a shirt and slacks was automatically pegged as…well, you know.

"Those two are playing some serious game. Summoning us here and then not having the guts to say anything worthwhile. They’re probably buzzing about how shocked we looked right now."

Yan Yan kept her mouth shut. If she were in Zhang Jia's shoes, she wouldn't invite her rival over either. It was as if a fox would pay his respects to a hen and then give him a fat chick as a gift. She also hated the look Yi Yang gave her, hated how he messed with her head and dug up all those bad feelings.

Before they even met, Yi Yang was already famous - a rich kid with a lot of money in his pocket.

Back then, everyone hadn't kept up with the Joneses, and their generation faced a different kind of divide. While she rocked her new Nokia N95 and Manny Xia flaunted her Samsung S, Yang Yi was flashing his Apple 3, a constant reminder of how rich he was.

As the psychology of the wealth gap emerges, the full extent of Yi Yang's opulence became chillingly clear. An eight-thousand-square-foot mansion, a chauffeured Maybach, a private vineyard nestled in the Beijing suburbs, equestrian lessons commencing at the tender age of four – each revelation landed like a blow, leaving Yan Yan reeling.

She suddenly pondered, did Yi Yang not care at all about the huge difference between them? Or maybe she was just far out of her league, like a frog with a crush on a swan.

"It's fine, what's mine is yours, like all yours."

Yi Yang as a teen, always so sweet and innocent, like he'd give Yan Yan anything.

What a sweet kid ...... Too bad, when he handed over the knife, he was still smiling.

That year Yan Yan was only fifteen, Yi Yang sixteen. Young and full of beans, even stabbing someone was, like, intense.

She can't remember what was in those diaries, her QQ space is ancient history, the logs are long gone, only the recent visitors still shows Yi Yang checking in back in 2011.

Later, she always thought about that time. The teen diary everyone snooped on, the gossiping and pointing, the teacher turning everyone against her, the age group leader badmouthing her, Jian Ronghua's slap, the wet hair, Zhang Jia's teasing, and Yi Yang's poker face.

Yan Yan was lost in thought.

Well, she's doing okay now, right? So why the guilt? Why did he have to feel so damn guilty about her?

Manni bumped into some old friends from her time overseas, giving YanYan an excuse to slip away. She drifted towards the drinks, unsure if the bubbly liquid in the flutes was champagne or something else entirely. These get-togethers always made her feel weird, like she had butterflies in her stomach. All she wanted was a chill spot to catch her breath. A quick text to Manni, she grabbed her coat, and she was outta there.

From seventy-nine stories up, Beijing sprawled below her, split in two by her gaze. Yan Yan felt a little cynical; even the hotel screamed "rich kid." It was her first time seeing the city from so high up, and Beijing at night had a weird pull, a raw, kinda sleazy beauty. She pictured it like a young girl, totally bold and out there, somehow both vulnerable and glam.

This city had always felt like another planet, its inhabitants predators, perpetually circling, searching for weakness. Predatory, yes, that was the word. And here, altitude equated to dominance. She, however, had lived her life shielded by Yan Tianwei and Jian Ronghua, insulated from the struggle for over a decade, her trajectory undisturbed.

At least, until Zhang Jia showed up, she hadn't gotten how different she and Yi Yang were, hadn't felt that sting of "I'm not good enough."

One evening, Manni was trimming her toenails with one hand and biting into an apple with the other when she said, "honey,"with mild reproach in her voice, "pessimism is a very improper disposition. Are you envious of their wealth? This sentiment is entirely unnecessary! You are afraid of living alone in a big house, can't drive a car, and hate drinking even more. You say horseback riding is a barbaric act. My dear, your heart is too tender for this world. So tell me, why do you feel unbalanced by him? Comparisons? oh baby, are the death of joy…Now, my perrty girl, dispose of this apple core, okay? My hands, you see, are rather occupied…"

"Honestly," she said playfully, "this worldly stuff bores the heck outta me. I'm all about the finer things in life, honey, bags and champagne, ya feel me? I'm a straight-up indulgence, and deep thoughts? Nah, not my jam. But you, my dear, your face...It's a knockout! Does Zhang Jia even have one? So chill, don't sweat the small stuff. Spill the tea—what kinda miracle mask you usin'? Your skin's glowin', it's criminal. I swear, God made you just to mess with me. I shoulda tossed you to Qian Jin as a payback to the heavens."

"Qian Jin "is Charmaine's German Shepherd and he has a strange fascination with Yan Yan, a mania that is like a drug-induced mania.

People always compared Yan Yan to a diamond—gorgeous, kinda fragile-looking, but tough as nails inside. But she harbored no desire to be a diamond. The simplicity of a common stone appealed to her far more.

Was this the reason? Was this why she inadequate, unworthy of standing beside Yi Yang? Yan Yan shook her head, rejecting the thought.

Two suited waiters zipped by. A couple got all cozy and were laying down the sweet talk. Yan Yan's phone buzzed. She peeped at it, a flicker of something in her eyes before she went back to her usual self. "Well, well," she said, all playful, "if it isn't the Young Master himself. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Si Wang wasn't buying her sass but played along. "You've always been my muse, my absolute fave."

Yan Yan scoffed. "Spare me the sweet nothings, Romeo. I'm immune to your charms.So, which girl who can't resist your charms do you need me to save you from this time?"

He faked a cough and put on a show of being offended.

"My dear girl, give my rep a break. Sure, I've got some game, but I am not entirely without scruples."

"Scruples? "Yan Yan asked rhetorically." You have as many scruples as a camel has about a sandstorm."

Though diggin' Yan Yan, Si Wang felt a vein throbbing in his temple at her tone. The couple nearby had vamoosed, and a chill wind stirred through the Beijing air.

"Looks like being a bro ain't worth squat. You couldn't even show up for Yi Yang's engagement, man." Yan Yan flicked her blinged-out nails with a careless air, then her expression sharpened. "Don't tell me you were off getting your kidney jacked…"

Si Wang was nearly bowled over by her absurdity.

"Look who's talking! Whatever you're trippin' on, it's some strong stuff. Calling you a dummy would be putting it mildly. You went crawling to them, begging for humiliation, flaunting your messed-up life. Aren't you ashamed, Yan Yan?"

Yan Yan's lips curled into a sneer.

"You underestimate me, dear brother. Today, I'm the top dog. Those two will bow and scrape, call me 'mommy'."

"Your self-awareness is remarkably acute…" Si Wang thought, before clearing his throat and putting on a serious face. "No kidding. This is huge. I'm transferring to TM."

Yan Yan stared, totally bewildered.

"What the heck are you talkin' about? Transferring? To TM? Your TM? You mean my TM – Third Middle?"

"Happy? You're really touched right now, aren't ya! You don't gotta say it, I know."

Yan Yan rubbed her forehead.

"Maybe last night's party has messed with my head, 'cause your words sound like total BS......."

"Hey!!!” Si Wang blew up, his voice sharp and indignant. "I thought I'd surprise ya, and this is the thanks I get??"

Yan Yan finally lost it. "You're not yankin' my chain….right?"

"Omg, Am I outta my mind?! If I hadn't put up such a fight, well, you'd only find me chilling in the Sahara from now on… This whole 'trip' was a total setup. Two days into a sweet Red Sea swim, Mom drops the bomb: Dad's got some random branch office here, suggesting I go to school, learn the lingo, and head back to China a hotshot grad. I almost freaked! Dad and I are like oil and water, we'd blow up in days! And English? Total torture!"

Si Wang's voice dropped, getting serious, "I begged them, the thought of you being all alone in China was killing me. I had to stay with you."

Yan Yan saw right through him, firing back quickly.

"I heard you got kicked out of school for messing around with some chick a while back?"

Si Wang almost choked, spluttering, "You know, sometimes I wish you'd zip it. Can't you ever say anything nice?"

Yan Yan raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. A cool night breeze swept past.

"Catch you later," she said to Si Wang.

"Okay…Okay..just hang on! Love ya!”

"Get lost."

She slammed her phone shut.

The wind brushed against Yan Yan's face. She gazed into the distance and closed her eyes, letting the stress melt away.