CH 11

For example, when the two of them were talking on the phone, Song Yi Ran suddenly said: “Wey, Ke Song, what is the size of your feet?”

“35. Do you have a problem?”

“Of course I do ah. You have to buy all your shoes here, whatever summer clothes, autumn clothing and winter wear. Otherwise by the time you get there, you can only buy children’s clothes. HA HA HA!”

“Laugh your head ah.”

“Ai, do you want to bring rice cookers over ah? It seems like many who go over to study also bring rice cookers!”

“I’m not even going to study overseas. And my uncle provides food and water, why would I need a rice cooker?”

“Then I’m going over to study, do you think I need to bring a rice cooker over?” Song Yi Ran’s tone was as if he were really seriously thinking about it.

“Then you bring it over ba.”

She doesn’t believe that he will really ship one over.

“Ai, do you want to bring chilli sauce over?” Song Yi Ran solemnly asked.

Lin Ke Song twisted her lips, she knows this chap is trying to kid her. If she really brought chilli sauce in her luggage she’d then have a real problem getting through customs. And can’t she find the sauces in Chinatown or Chinese supermarket!

“Oh, I have too many things, can’t fit any more things, you bring a few bottles over then. Put them in your rice cooker, how space conserving ah!” Lin Ke Song also seriously answered him.

Song Yi Ran knew that he did not manage to trick Lin Ke Song, laughed in ripples over the conversation.

Three months later, the visas were settled, the tickets were booked, and Lin Ke Song bid farewell to her parents and boarded the plane to New York.

Even though Lin Ke Song and Song Yi Ran booked tickets for the same flight, their seats were far apart.

Lin Ke Song was in the economy class while Song Yi Ran was in first class.

Just as Song Yi Ran was getting comfortable, lying in the spacious seat, Lin Ke Song had a feeling of dread.

The plane ride was too long, and she wasn’t considered tall, both her legs were hanging off the seats, her knees were sad to death. The space was so cramped, there was no way she could even stretch her legs.

So sad till she couldn’t fall asleep ah!

At this time, an air stewardess carried a pillow and went to the Lin Ke Song, lowered her head and politely asked: “Excuse me, are you Ms Lin?”

“Ah? I am.”

“I was asked by Mr Song who is in first class to bring this to you.”

Lin Ke Song puzzledly rubbed her head.

“For you to support your legs.”

The surrounding passengers looked over, and at the same time slanted their eyes to try to see clearly just how short her pair of legs were.

“Thank you ah.”

Lin Ke Song put the pillow at her feet with a peace of mind, imagining the pillow as Song Yi Ran’s brains and stepped on it with her might. Isn’t she a bro! What’s the point of providing a pillow! If he had the ability, provide a first class ticket ah! Burn money away daily, why don’t you burn some of the money on me! You bastard! Watch me step your shell to bits!

Throughout the ten hours of flight not a proper wink of sleep was caught, when the plane landed, Lin Ke Song only had a feeling of relief.

Her legs were to the point of inability to walk. After reaching JFK airport, Song Yi Ran was as relaxed as always, wearing a Burberry windbreaker, hands in his pocket, watching the soulless Lin Ke Song walk out.

“Let’s go, get the luggage!”

Lin Ke Song didn’t feel like talking, she only wanted a bed that would allow her to lie flat on so that she could sleep.

The Song Yi Ran who used to like to instruct her to do this and that actually became gentlemanly, and not only didn’t throw a young master’s tantrum, but found a trolley and even brought out Lin Ke Song’s luggage.

Lin Ke Song then realised Song Yi Ran really did not have many luggage, instead, she herself had exaggeratedly more luggage than him. She definitely didn’t bring the rice cooker, needlessly to say about the chilli sauces.

Lin Ke Song followed behind Song Yi Ran. This chap is tall and has a pair of long legs, when he pushes the trolley it’s so laid back like he’s shooting a movie.

While Lin Ke Song was obviously one of the masses in the movie.

People of different skin colours walk by speaking languages Lin Ke Song doesn’t frequently hear, the wide and bright hall of the airport, with broadcast after broadcast, made Lin Ke Song feel like she has really come to a place totally unfamiliar to her, a place that once only belonged to her imaginations.

Just as Lin Ke Song was at a loss, the Song Yi Ran who was walking in front suddenly scooped her up.

The feeling of soaring through air made her scream in surprise, Song Yi Ran put her in top of the luggage.

“We’re off!”

Song Yi Ran lifted his face and smiled at her. Under the clear, bright lights, giving off a moving feeling.

Lin Ke Song had a sudden urge to grab his face and kiss him hard.

“I thought it’s only the female lead of the drama that will get this kind of treatment.” Lin Ke Song said.

“Even though you can’t be the female lead of a drama, at least in Song Yi Ran’s life, you’ll forever be the male lead.”

“Did you think your words were very romantic?” Lin Ke Song turned around, crossed her legs and propped her chin.

This chap was ridiculing her about being like a man!

“I thought it was pretty romantic. ‘forever’ itself is a romantic word ah.”

Pei (T/N: onomatopoeia of spitting), if I were to say that in my heart you’ll forever be a moron, would you think it was romantic?

Lin Ke Song turned her head and ignored the other party.

Song Yi Ran pushed Lin Ke Song and the luggage out of the arrival hall.

There were many people carrying flowers, pets, and even balloons, waiting for their family and friends.

Lin Ke Song looked across the crowd and started looking for a face familiar to her.

A plump middle age man was holding onto a block of board, looking at every tourist that was with a luggage.

“Ke Song! Ke Song! Over here!”

“Uncle! (T/N: Dad’s younger brother.)” Lin Ke Song noticed her uncle and almost plunged to the ground from on top the luggage.

Good thing Song Yi Ran fished her back up.

“Be careful.” Song Yi Ran lowered his body, glaring at Lin Ke Song. His arms were steady and strong with strength, she felt like she weighed nothing in his arms.

It was rare that his eyebrows would corrugate, Lin Ke Song knew that when she had almost fallen off, this chap was really worried.

Lin Ke Song consciously looked away.

“My uncle’s there!”

“I see him I see him! Your whole family has the exact same eyes and eyebrows! Just by looking at your uncle, I can already tell how you’d look when you get fat in your middle age!”

“Tsk!”

Lin Ke Song didn’t even care about the luggage anymore, and gave her uncle a full hug.

Actually she still had a feeling of unease, but after seeing her uncle waiting for her in the crowd, she felt totally at ease now.

Lin Ke Song shared pleasantries with her uncle and looked towards Song Yi Ran’s direction.

“Hey, do you want my uncle to give you a lift?” Lin Ke Song knows that before Song Yi Ran arrived, he had already rented an apartment.

“It’s alright, I’ve a friend here.”

Song Yi Ran pushed the luggage towards the opposite direction.

A person with a high forehead and deep set eyes ran towards Song Yi Ran: “Sorry! I got here late!”

He looked like a mixed blood, and warmly fist bumped with Song Yi Ran, it looked like they’d known each other for a long time.

Lin Ke Song curiously surveyed the other party, Song Yi Ran had only these few friends, and she knew all of them. But this friend, she has never seen before.

And the uncle beside Lin Ke Song also looked across, and revealed a puzzled expression: “That…… looks like……”

“Looks like who?” Lin Ke Song looked suspiciously at her uncle, “You know Song Yi Ran?”

“Ah…… no, the one who came to pick him up…… Looks like someone I know. Most probably seen wrongly!”

Song Yi Ran looked back towards Lin Ke Song and waved at her, making a “don’t forget to call” action, turned around and left.

Lin Ke Song laughed in her heart. This chap, no matter which corner of the world he’s in, can always enjoy a wonder that only belongs to him.

Her uncle drove a minivan (T/N: lit. bread car) to pick her up, the van had smells of all sorts of sauces and foods.

“Girl, don’t mind it ah! This van is used to deliver food and deliver people, the smell is a little strong!”

“It’s alright! For uncle to be able to fetch me, I’m already very happy! Furthermore, I like this kind of strong smell!”

Lin Ke Song leaned on the windowsill, looking out of the window at the distinctly different streetscape and pedestrians, full of curiosity.

“Originally, wanted to bring you around, but the restaurant is just too busy! When it’s free, let your cousin (T/N: younger cousin sister who has the same surname) Claire bring you around. Whatever statue of liberty ah! Whatever Wall Street! The empire state building, central park, and that whatever Times Square! ”

“Thank you uncle!” she hasn’t seen her cousin Lin Xiao Xue for a long time. Claire is her English name.

Uncle’s restaurant is located at a place where Chinese gather, there are signboards with Chinese characters everywhere, the people coming to and fro are mainly yellow skinned people, it’s busy, and the mandarin mixed with Cantonese, lets Lin Ke Song feel like she has teleported, giving her a feeling that she is back at home.

Her uncle’s restaurant is located under the living quarters.

He brought Lin Ke Song up, found a few people to help her move her luggage upstairs and opened a door to a room for her.

“This room is a little small, but it’s clean. You stay here first, if you really don’t like it, then we’ll talk about it again!”

“No no! I really like it! There’s a bed, a desk and even a wardrobe! There’s even the view of the street! I really like it!”

“That’s good, you get unpacking!”

“When do I start learning the ropes?” Lin Ke Song did not forget what she had come here to do.

“No hurry, take your time. You’ve just landed, rest well, get over the jet lag then we’ll talk about it again!”

After Lin Ke Song thanked her uncle, she unpacked her luggage. Spread the bed, took a shower, and sweetly slept till it was dark.

At dinnertime, she finally met her cousin Lin Xiao Xue.

She had a head of beautiful waves, wore trendy earrings. At dinner, there were only the two of them, her uncle was already getting busy at the restaurant.

The spread was sumptuous, there was a plate of Kung Pao chicken, a portion of fried beef, baby cabbage chicken soup, just looking at it made your appetite increase.

But Lin Xiao Xue didn’t have an inkling of interest in the cousin whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, and instead had her head bowed and was playing with her phone. After having a couple of mouths of dinner, she went back to her own room.

Lin Ke Song didn’t even know how to start talking to her.

Shortly after Lin Xiao Xue entered the house, she suddenly quickly walked out, with a tone that couldn’t be considered polite, but was cold.

“Elder cousin, in the future, after showering, remember to clear the hair strands. I’m not very used to having other people’s things be left in our bathroom.”

Which is to say, in her heart, she did not think of her elder cousin as family.

Lin Ke Song didn’t know what to say in that moment.

Maybe it’s because she had slept too much during the day, now that its night, Lin Ke Song had no intention to sleep.

Until 11 at night, her uncle was then done being busy at the restaurant.

And although the volume of Lin Xiao Xue and uncle’s conversation wasn’t considered loud, but Lin Ke Song could hear clearly.

“Dad, must she stay at our house ah? I’m not used to having other people stay with us.”

“She’s your elder cousin, not other people. You go to school in the day, and at night the both of you are in your different rooms, no one will impede on the other right?”

“I still have to share a bathroom with her!”

“What about that? Don’t you have to share a bathroom with your father anyway?”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore!” Lin Xiao Xue shut the door.

Can hear that she is simmering with anger.

Lin Ke Song sighed. She is also a female, and can understand the feeling of having her privacy being invaded by others.

But there’s no use thinking about all these. She hasn’t even earned a penny, and the money her parents gave her can’t be spent on a wimp, she’s also unfamiliar with her surroundings and she can only stay here at the moment. If after a while she has gotten used to the area, and Lin Xiao Xue is still not used to the presence of her elder cousin, moving out then wouldn’t be too late either.

At this time, Lin Ke Song’s phone vibrated, she has received a WeChat message. Song Yi Ran’s selfie of him sitting on his sofa in his apartment, with the statue of liberty faintly visible from his window.

This chap is burning money away again.

Lin Ke Song also sat at the head of her bed, and sent a selfie to him.

The other party quickly replied: You are such a cute little birdy.

Lin Ke Song looked up down left right and everywhere, not understanding which part made the other party think about birds. So she replied: Why is it birdy?

Song Yi Ran: because you are in a bird’s cage.

Lin Ke Song again had a sudden urge to hit her phone to smithereens.