Miss Your Kiss And Sweetness

'I fell in love with the person I shouldn't have. It was a kind of forbidden love. I knew it was a mistake, but it was a mistake I couldn't rectify even if I tried. He was like a deep sea. I knew plunging into it meant death, but I was willing to stake everything, including my life, ' thought Shirley Ning.

It was 8 a.m. in the morning. Outside, the weather was glorious, the whole landscape bathing in the warm glow of the rising sun. But the lady sleeping in Room 3104, Green Bud Apartment, USA, was oblivious to anything. With the quilt covering her face, she was sleeping peacefully.

"Shirley, when are you going to get up? You are going to be late for work!" This was the third time Hannah Gu had roared like a lion. But her screams fell on deaf ears. With her hands covering her ears, Shirley Ning continued to sleep.

Furious, Hannah Gu decided she had to do something. If Shirley Ning still insisted on sleeping, she had no choice but to drag her out of bed and bring her to the table. Determined to put her thoughts into action, she made her way towards Shirley's bedroom.

Suddenly, she came to a halt. Shirley Ning had finally woken up. Her tousled hair and sleepy eyes made her look like a mess. Without saying anything, she sat on the chair.

Hannah Gu was used to seeing her like this. Yet she couldn't but give her a disdainful glance. She picked up a piece of bread and added jam to it. While handing it over to Shirley, she asked, "Are you a pig? You sure act like one!"

Shirley Ning brushed away the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. Taking the bread, she smiled at the lovely woman in front of her and explained, "I stayed up till 3 a.m. working. My creative juices flow during those hours."

Hannah Gu glanced at her coldly and said, "Okay, whatever. You have always been good at making excuses." She then picked up the newspaper on the table and began to read it. The news on the front page caught her by surprise. Seeing this, Shirley Ning asked, "What's wrong? You look shocked." Putting the paper down, Hannah Gu explained, "I thought your newspaper only engaged in financial affairs. I didn't know it covered the entertainment area. Turns out it even covers domestic news!"

Shirley Ning sipped her milk and ate a piece of her bread. Smiling, she explained, "Well, in that case, you don't know anything. Let me tell you, most of the shareholders of our newspaper are Chinese. We got quite a lot of people, indulging in a variety of different fields."

"This is interesting," Hannah Gu said and once again took the newspaper in her hands. The article she came across was quite interesting. Pointing at the photo on the front page, she commented, "The CEO of this company is a handsome hunk. If he was a star, I bet he would have lots of fans, myself included. It is a pity I am reading about his marriage!"

"Come on, hand me the paper. Let me see who is the man who has made a stone-cold person like you drool." Hearing Hannah Gu's comment, Shirley Ning, who had never bothered to read the entertainment gossip, became curious. She smiled playfully and grabbed the newspaper.

The man in the photo was clad in a black suit. From his deep-set eyes to sharp nose, everything reeked of power. Even from a photo, one could tell what kind of a person he was. He was indifferent and intimidating. However, there was another photo of him with a girl. In this shot, he was gazing at the petite beauty who stood next to him. His eyes were brimming with affection.

Shirley Ning was too occupied with the photos that she didn't bother reading the headline. It said, "The CEO of Triumph Group, Mr. Edmund Su, is going to tie the knot with his fiancee. After three years of engagement, Vivian Sheng's wish is finally being granted."

Shirley Ning's gaze remained glued to the newspaper. In the blink of an eye, all the sleepiness was swept away. Instead, an insatiable fire burnt in her heart, leaving her listless and empty. The sudden blow made it hard for her to breathe.

Putting down the newspaper, she pretended to smile. She couldn't let her friend see her sorrow. "He is indeed a very handsome man," she agreed.

"It's nearly impossible to find a man who is handsome, rich and affectionate. This woman is quite lucky since she got it all," Hannah Gu said, oblivious of the pain her words would inflict on Shirley Ning. She folded the newspaper and walked towards the sofa. Slouching on it, she murmured, "I can put it under the leg of the table to make it steady."

Lowering her head, Shirley Ning continued to eat her food. The second she saw the newspaper, she had lost her appetite.

Hannah Gu grabbed the remote control and turned on the TV. "Do you still remember the number of the channel in which I watched the talk show two days ago?"

"I think it is number 35. Give it a try," Shirley Ning said indifferently. With some difficulty, she had managed to finish her breakfast. She got up to get a tissue.

Hannah Gu, on the other hand, was frowning. It turned Channel 35 wasn't the one she was looking for. "Look, Shirley! This is not the one I want. This one is showing the news we just read on the newspaper."

Hearing that, Shirley Ning paused what she was doing. Her gaze shifted to the TV. Her disguise vanished in seconds. She couldn't pretend anymore. Seeing the scene on TV, wet hot tears filled up her eyes.

Her true emotions were on display now. She tried to wipe them away, but to no avail.

"Don't you think he looks even more handsome in the video?" Hannah Gu asked, struck by his looks. Since Shirley Ning didn't respond immediately, she turned her head and looked at her. In an instant, she understood something was wrong. Her eyes were red and swollen.

"Shirley, what's the matter with you?" Hannah Gu noticed that Shirley's eyes were on the screen. It was obvious the scene on the TV had something to do with her mood. Getting up, Hannah Gu went near Shirley Ning and poked her in the arm. "Do you know him?" she asked.

Once Shirley Ning regained her senses, she nodded her head. In a low voice, she answered, "Yeah, this is my uncle."

More tears were waiting to flow. But blinking her eyes, she controlled them.

Hannah Gu knew Shirley Ning was a strong woman. And from the look of it, she was in pain right now. 'Why does she look so miserable?' she wondered.

"Shirley, be good!"

"Shirley, if you create more mischief, I will tell your mother your monthly examination result."

"Shirley, you are a girl!"

"Shirley, come here."

"Shirley, I will always be with you on your birthdays."

"I will always be with you. Don't be afraid. Don't panic. I'm here by your side."

"Shirley, let's go."

"Shirley..."

Voices from the past rang in her ears, making her pain even more unbearable. Hannah Gu reached out and held Shirley Ning's hand. "Shirley, are you okay?"

'Yeah, I'm okay. In fact, I have to be okay. It's not like I have a choice. I thought I could get you out of my mind once I left. But I forgot that you are still my uncle.'

Ten years ago

September embarked a new semester. It was the first semester of Shirley's new school year. It also signified that she had completed nine years of compulsory education. Now she was a big girl, stepping into senior high school.

Shirley had spent the past few months studying diligently and her hard work had finally paid off. For the entrance exam, she had scored high marks and ended up getting admission in one of the best schools of the city. According to the parents in the city, everything would be fine as long as one studied in No. 2 Middle School. Her future would be secure and she could easily join a prestigious university. Almost every student who studied in No. 2 middle school ended up studying in top universities.

Shirley didn't work hard to get admitted in No. 2 Middle School because scores mattered to her. It was because of what her mother had said. Yvonne Su once said, "If you can get into No. 2 Middle School, I promise to grant your wishes."

Shirley was a girl who had too many wishes. In order to make her mother fulfill that promise, Shirley tried her best, studying day and night. She was the kind of girl who could do anything if she set her mind on it. And to her mother's delight, her efforts were not in vain. When the result was announced, Shirley shrieked with excitement.

Hugging her report card, Shirley sat on her school bus. She had already decided what she would ask for. Thinking that her wishes would be fulfilled soon, she couldn't wait to rush home.

Firstly, she wanted her mother to buy her a dog. Secondly, she wanted to go on a trip.

On hearing out these requests, Yvonne Su seemed a little hesitant. She agreed with her second wish. "About the dog, I want you to reconsider. It's not as easy as you think. Raising a dog requires time and commitment. Are you sure you won't put the responsibility of it on my shoulder? I already have a lot going," she said, hoping her daughter understood what she was asking for. Raising Shirley was in itself a big task. She could only imagine how troublesome a dog would be!

While the mother and daughter were on the trip, Shirley coaxed and pestered her mother until she finally got her consent to raising a dog.

Shirley was giddy with excitement. She had an urge to run, to shout and to tell everyone she was getting a dog! But knowing this could compel her mother to change her mind, she remained calm. When the dog finally appeared in her life, Shirley spent the whole day wondering the name she would give him. She wanted him to have a pleasant and funny name. In the end, she resorted to calling him "Rice."

When Charlie Xia, who lived next door, heard the name, he burst out laughing. After composing himself, he asked, "Are you going to call your next dog 'Meat'?"

Suddenly, Shirley's face was etched with surprise. Widening her eyes, she looked at Charlie Xia, who was still laughing, and asked him, "How did you know that? I haven't told anyone about it!"

Hearing her response, Charlie Xia broke into a fit of laughter. His tummy hurt from all the laughing. 'She is trying to tell the whole world she is a foodie, ' he thought and continued laughing.

Her holidays would end soon and senior high school would begin. Just the thought of it made her furious. She wished she could spend all her time at home, playing with her dog. Her mother kept reminding her that she would have to study more since she was going to become a member of the senior high school. On the very first day of school, her teacher made her the vice monitor. Before this, she had only once been selected to become an assistant to the biology teacher, who had only two classes in a month.

Being selected as the vice monitor was a great support and inspiration for Shirley. It brought a sense of leadership and inspired her to study hard.

However, the novelty faded as her responsibilities got bigger. Once again, she found herself lagging behind in studies. The workload was too much for her and she couldn't manage to keep up with it. Dark circles appeared under her eyes.

During the weekend, Shirley decided to give herself some rest. 'I will do nothing but spend my weekend sleeping!' She had stayed up late finishing her assignments. Due to all this, she managed to get very little sleep.

On Saturday morning, sun disturbed Shirley from her deep slumber. Instinctively, her hands fell on her eyes, covering them. She rolled out of the bed, helplessly sat up, swayed towards the window like a ghost, and closed the curtains to make the room dark once again. Then she went back to her bed and fell asleep.

Not long after she closed her eyes, she heard the door open. Seeing that Shirley was still asleep, her mother opened the curtains that had just been drawn. Feeling the strong light hit her eyelids, she was overcome by an urge to close them. However, she didn't have the strength to get up. Instead, she resorted to covering her face with the quilt. In a matter of seconds, she was sound asleep.

Shirley's mother patted her and mumbled something. Shirley was so sleepy that she barely heard a word. Furious at being ignored, her mother pulled the quilt and asked, "Did you hear what I just said to you?"

"Yeah, I did." Shirley nodded, feigning to have heard everything. Then she turned around and continued to sleep.

Her mother shook her head helplessly. "You have to get up soon. It isn't good for your health to be sleeping day and night." With a sigh, she left the room and closed the door gently.

Shirley's peace was restored and she slept happily.

If someone asked Shirley how she had finally woken up, she would have told them it was hunger pangs that forced her to get out of the bed. She tried several times to sleep but her empty stomach couldn't take it any longer. Half-heartedly, she opened her eyes and got up.

When she sat up and saw the alarm clock at the head of the bed, she realized it was eleven o'clock. Stretching her hands with satisfaction, she put on her slippers and got ready to brush her teeth.

She waddled across the room with her unkempt hair. Once she reached the bathroom, she didn't know what to do. She looked like a drunk girl. Reminding herself why she was here, she muttered, "Brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth..."

Standing by the sink, she picked up her toothbrush, squeezed some toothpaste and lazily attempted to brush. Suddenly, it occurred to her she hadn't seen her puppy. She walked toward the living room while she brushed her teeth.

As she neared the hall, she caught sight of a young man. He was sitting calmly in a suit and reading a magazine. Shirley was frightened seeing this intruder. She took a step back. Her waist clashed with a chair, giving her an excruciating pain. The pain was so intense, she let out a yelp.

The man sitting on the sofa set the magazine aside. He raised his head and looked at Shirley.

Seeing that, Shirley was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out. She pointed at the person on the sofa with the toothbrush and retreated. It was not until she hid behind the table that she dared to make a sound. "Ahhh!" she screamed out of both fear and pain.

The man on the sofa frowned and became impatient. Her behavior was quite annoying. Taking a step towards her, he asked in a low voice, "What is the matter with you?"

Shirley spat out the bubbles in his mouth, stared at him and asked, "Who are you? Why are you in my house?"

Now, his expression softened. He finally understood why she was yelling. Flashing her a smile, he said, "You must be Shirley."

Shirley was taken off-guard once again. 'How does the thief know my name?' she couldn't help but wonder. Perhaps he had investigated carefully before he came here. "Who the hell are you? You broke into someone else's house in broad daylight! I will scream and gather people," she said. Even though she tried to sound confident, one could tell she was afraid. Shirley looked around but realized her mother was nowhere to be found. "Where is my mom? Did you do something to her? I'll call the police if you don't leave!" she wailed.

"Your mother went to the supermarket to buy some seasonings," the man explained. "Don't you know me?"

Shirley stared at him for a while. He had a pair of deep eyes and his eyebrows were of the perfect shape. His firm nose made him look even more handsome. She detected some familiarity, but she couldn't tell who he was. "Who are you? I..."

Before she finished her words, she heard the front door opening. With a bag in her hand, Yvonne Su walked in and saw Shirley standing in the living room. Then she put down the key in her hand, changed into slippers and walked forward. "Shirley, what are you and your uncle talking about?"

Shirley was stunned. It suddenly occurred to her that she had an uncle, Edmund Su, who had been abroad for a long time. Then her face flushed red with embarrassed. She opened her mouth and smiled awkwardly. "Of course, yes. You are my uncle." Then she looked at Yvonne and added, "Yeah, we were just exchanging pleasantries." Just now, she had spoken to her uncle in the most disrespectful manner. And now, she was trying to hide it.

Shirley's mother didn't notice anything wrong. Instead, her focus was on Shirley's condition. "What's wrong with you? You have got bubbles all on your mouth. Why are you standing here with a toothbrush?"

Shirley wiped the bubbles from her face and didn't dare to meet her uncle's eye. She rushed to the bathroom and washed her face. Once she was done, she came out and changed her clothes.

Even though she was ready, she was afraid to leave her room. After mustering up some courage, she made her way to the kitchen. As expected, her mother was done preparing the dishes. Shirley casually asked, "Mom, wasn't my uncle abroad? Why did he come back all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden? Your uncle came back in the beginning of this year. He had been in B City all this time. He arrived in S City two days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me? If you had informed me beforehand, I would have been prepared." Shirley recalled the awkward incident that had happened just a few minutes ago. If her uncle told her mother about it, she would be in trouble.

"I told you!" Shirley's mother put a bowl of rice aside.

"When did you tell me? How come I don't remember?" Shirley asked, wondering when exactly her mother had mentioned it.

"I told you a few hours ago! I came to your bedroom and informed you he was coming. In fact, you nodded your head and said you had heard it all!" Yvonne Su said in an admonishing tone.

Oh God! It was not until now that Shirley remembered what her mother had told this morning. 'Yes, she had mentioned his arrival, ' she thought. However, she was so sleepy, she barely paid attention to her mother's words. 'If only I had listened carefully!'

"Well, we don't have time to waste. Take the food to the dining table," Yvonne Su ordered as she handed a bowl of rice to her.

Taking over the bowl, Shirley made her way to the dining room. She put the bowl in front of Edmund Su and said with a flattering smile, "Uncle, let's have lunch." 'Please don't mention what happened earlier today, ' she prayed.

Edmund Su raised his head to take a look at her. He noticed she was smiling and her expression of fear which he had seen earlier was gone. Instead of giving her a reply, he simply lowered his eyes and looked at the rice in front of him.

Shirley understood he was unhappy with the way she had behaved. Rubbing her nose, she sat down awkwardly.

Shirley's mother brought three bowls full of soup and they began to have lunch. Yvonne Su kept looking at her younger brother endearingly. She hadn't seen him for a long time, and they had endless topics to discuss about. Shirley let them talk and focused on her food. Most of the topics they discussed had nothing to do with her.

"I haven't seen Shirley for a long time."

Hearing her own name, Shirley suddenly looked up at him. She guessed what he would say next. Deep down, she wondered if she should confess her mistake.

But to her utter shock, he didn't mention what had happened earlier. "I have heard you have joined high school this year. Which school are you studying in?"

"No. 2 Middle School," Shirley answered quickly. She put down her chopsticks and sat straight, letting him know she respected him.

"Good," said Edmund, nodding with satisfaction. "No. 2 Middle School is a good school. Study hard and make us proud."

"Yes, I am doing my best to get good grades." In the next few minutes, he asked her some questions regarding her school.

Shirley enthusiastically answered all his questions. There was a subtle smile in Edmund's eyes which went unnoticed by them. He coughed slightly and turned his attention back to Yvonne Su.

Seeing that Edmund Su no longer looked at her, Shirley took a deep breath. She lowered her head and grabbed the food in her bowl, trying to finish it as soon as possible. If she stayed longer, she feared he might bring up today's encounter. It felt like there was a time bomb in the dining room, waiting to blow. She couldn't take any risk.

Shirley finished her soup and put down her chopsticks with satisfaction. She gently interrupted the two people in front of her and said in a low voice, "I'm finished." After thinking for a while, she added, "I'm going to read books." She glanced at Edmund Su casually, as if to tell him she was going to study. If he believed she was a smart girl, perhaps he would forgive her.

After collecting her bowl and chopsticks, she put them in the kitchen sink. Not bothering to wash them, Shirley walked to her room. She closed the door gently, sat at the desk, picked up a comic book and flipped through it. At the same time, she muttered to herself, "Comic books are also considered books. I didn't lie." A smiled played on her lips.