Chapter Eleven- "Thank you, Li Jun"

Back in Taiwan, Li Na found herself consumed with the thought of Li Jun and in a slightly better state as she checked her mailbox in the department. Yes, it was as if she was flying on cloud nine as the thought of seeing Li jun prevailed over her worries and nightmares. The thought of him had made her forget to try and call home. It was true that she felt anxious and was painfully nervous because of the non-fraternization regulation in the school.

But Li Na was determined. She was tenacious. And she wanted very much to be cherished by a man she was attracted to, and if that meant keeping the relationship secret, she was willing to do so.

Smiling at her thought, Li Na heard the shrill sound of her phone, as she went and pick it up from her bag.

"Li Na, How are you?" Mrs. Chen, the lovely and elderly Nanny who took care of Li Na as her daughter called, sounding sad.

Li Na answered, "I'm fine NaNa, what happened you sound sad".she was felt concerned.

"Have you had some sort of issue with your mother recently?"

"I, um, you know how she gets angry any time she thought of me being single since I broke up with Him." She flushed and began to bite viciously on the inside of her cheek.

"therefore, have been calling and my mother but she has been giving me the silent treatment."

"I'd probably get fired for calling you if anyone found out, but I thought you should know. Your father's had a ghastly accident when he was coming back from his office. He was admitted to the family's hospital yesterday afternoon.

Feeling troubled and anxious, Li Na slapped her hand over her mouth before lowering it to demand, "How bad is it? What hospital? I think I can make it there by tomorrow. Are they letting in visitors?"

Mrs. Chen sounded distraught. "No, no. Please don't come. If you show up, they'll know I called you. You know your mother will take it out on you, I might lose my job, and it will not help with the situation on the ground."

Li Na closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Her instincts were screaming at her to hop into her car and see how her father was. But she didn't want Mrs. Chen loses her job.

She'd always been the mother she'd wished she had. She'd been kind, or at least as kind as she could be without risking her own neck in the process. She had slipped her food when they'd locked her in her room for too long, but that was as far as she'd go. She'd been widowed with two children of her own to take care of. She couldn't put too much effort into caring for her. And she understood that. "I'll let you know if anything changes and updates you on how his health improves." Mrs. Chen's quiet voice filled her ear before the line clicked, going dead. Li Na nodded but didn't lower her phone as she stood there in her office.

What if her father died before she ever saw him again? What if he died before telling her he loved her? What if he didn't love her? She thought. She longs for either of her parent's love, their love when she was growing up, and their trust and guidance when she was going through the most painful experience of her life.

Though she knew it was a fruitless effort, she called the hospital. They could tell her nothing, except that Xu Boqin was indeed checked in as a patient and was battling some crisis due to the accident.

Li Na debated calling her mother, but she'd probably catch on that she knew, and Mrs. Chen would get into trouble, feeling agitated and consumed by her sad thought Li Na closed her office and walked towards her car.

Getting into the car she tried to kick up her car but the car won't start, feeling pissed off Li Na decides to park the car at the school and decides to call a taxi to take her to her house.

She dragged herself out of the car, still dazed, and picked up her bag. She cradled it to her chest, somewhat distractedly, and slowly exited the parking lot, looking very much like a robot.

As she departed the parking lot and crossed to the other side of the college pathway, Li Na believed the universe must've thought she hadn't had enough to worry about as she noticed that her car has chosen the wrong day to misbehave for she didn't have an umbrella with her.

The temperature had dropped, the sky has turned gloomy, and the heavens opened.

Li Na thin, long-sleeved blouse was soaked only some steps away from the college. She hadn't thought to bring an umbrella since she thought she has a car, so she faced the prospect of walking four long blocks in wind and cold and rain to wait for the taxi she called, to get her to her apartment.

As she walked, Li Na took some comfort in the realization that her ridiculously ambiguous handbag was currently serving the very proper purpose of covering her wet and possibly see-through Blouse and cotton bra.

She felt as if the world does not want her to be happy but want her to wallow in her grief, because a little moment of happiness has brought her a series of problems. Her father's heath, Lu jin, and her dead car were giving her unnecessary anxiety.

She felt nervous, angry, and terribly hungry. Rainwater seeped through her sandals as she looked down at the destroyed and now soaked bag as if the bag was her lifeline, she hugged it tightly to her chest.

Standing distractedly by the wayside Li Na tried to wait for theTaxi company to send a car to pick her up.

Li Na's long, black hair was plastered to her head in thin sheets. Her sandals were squished-squashed with every step. Rain poured off of her as if she were beneath an out-of-control shower.

Cars and buses whizzed by, and she didn't even bother trying to get out of the way as splashes of dirty water spilled over her from the busy road. Like life's frustrations, she simply accepted it. At that moment another car approached, this one slowing down appropriately so that she wouldn't be soaked by its splash. It was a new-looking, black Aston Martin Vantage. The Aston Martin car slowed down even more and came to a stop. As Li Na walked by, she saw the passenger door open and a masculine voice called out, "Li Na, Get in."

She hesitated; surely the driver wasn't calling to her. She looked around to see if another person called Li Na was with her, but she realized that she was the only one irrational enough to be walking in a torrential downpour.

Curious, she took a step closer. She knew better than to get into a car with a stranger, even in a Taipei city but the person seems to know her. As she looked into the driver's seat and saw two intense brown eyes stare back at her, she walked slowly toward him.

"Why are you walking in such weather? You'll catch a cold. Get in. I'll drive you home." His voice was indulgent and restrained.

This was the voice that she remembered and missed when she had traveled. So for the sake of memory and how her emotions became calmed when she heard his voice, she climbed into the passenger's seat and pulled the door closed.

Noticing how wet her clothes were, she silently apologized to the gods of Aston Martin cars for making her wet clothes destroy their clean black leather interior and immaculate car mats.

She sat down as the calming scent of Lavender assaulted her nose and the tune of Strawberry Swing (Coldplay) filled her ears, she smiled to herself and felt incredibly relaxed as if she was at home. She had always liked the scent and that tune. She turned to face the man sitting beside her. "Thank you, Li Jun".