<h4>444 Shifu</h4>


    "I can help you if you want me to," came Darren''s voice as he noticed the way both Xiu and Dn had been going back and forth with theirpletely petty argument but weren''ting to any conclusion.


    "Can you y the piano?" asked Dn and Darren shook his head. "Then go back to your work. You''re of no help to me right now."


    Darren also wanted to concentrate on work but how was he supposed to do so with these two around? And oddly, both of them weren''t even stepping out to talk. Not like Darren wanted to leave his best friend alone with his girlfriend. That was usually a recipe of a disaster; Xiu and Dn, alone.


    Even thinking about it made Darren shudder.


    "Wait, you want me to teach you how to y the piano?" Xiu looked at Dn weirdly. "Why?"


    Dn leaned close and whispered in her ear while Xiu nodded her head in understanding.


    "Good idea, right?"


    Xiu nodded her head again, "It''s good and romantic but isn''t it too troublesome?"


    Dn shook his head in reply. "It''s not called trouble. It''s my way of showing sincerity."


    "Makes sense," agreed Xiu. "But why me? Shouldn''t you hire an expert as a teacher? You can''t afford me as your piano instructor."


    "I can''t afford to mess with you either," replied Dn and went on, "But I still mess with you."


    "Indeed, you do." Xiu contemted it silently while Dn almost dropped on his knees pleading to her with his eyes. She was obviously gonna say yes, but it was amusing to see him doing this. So, she just enjoyed herself and took her sweet time before saying, "Fine. I''ll reluctantly take in a stupid student like you but I have a condition."


    "I agree with anything. Whatever you want I''m willing to give," was Dn''s abrupt reply which got Xiu even more amused.


    She looked at Darren who was giving her an inquisitive look, she smiled brightly in reply and winked at her boyfriend before telling her one and only condition to Dn, "I don''t want anything. I''ll help you because I''m a good person. But you''ll have to call me Shifu."


    *Important note: "Shifu" in Mandarin is written with different characters and it can mean, ''skilled person'', ''teacher'', ''tutor'', or even ''father''. The meaning depends on the strokes you used to write the characters. Additionally, there is a saying, ''A teacher for a day is father for life'', that''s why one of the meanings is ''father''.


    "Never!"


    Xiu got up shrugging her shoulders nonchntly, "Then forget about it."


    Dn held her wrist to stop her, "Can''t wee to another agreement?" Xiu shook her head in response, solemnly. Dn hesitated for a long while before agreeing, "Fine! I ept you as my..." Xiu widened her eyes urging him toplete that sentence. Dn''s reluctance was visible on his face as he muttered, "Shifu."


    Xiu patted his head, "Aww... That''s like a good student! You''re a fast learner. Your future might be bleak, this Shifu will brighten it up for you."


    "You''re really enjoying this, aren''t you?" inquired Dn.


    "Oh, I''m loving it." Xiu didn''t even bother hiding her grin of victory. Poor Dn was being yed on her fingers and he had no idea at all. "So, where are we practicing? I don''t have a piano."


    "But I do," said Dn in reply.


    "You don''t even know how to y then why do you have it?"


    "When I bought the house, my interior designer said it''d look ssy."


    "So, just because it looked good, you wasted money on it? There really is no limit of dumbness."


    "Stop insulting me for once."


    "I try but you end up doing something so dumb that I can''t help it."


    *Ring*


    Both Xiu and Dn stopped bickering when they heard Darren''s phone ringing and turn to look at him simultaneously.


    When Darren got busy on the phone, Dn slid close to Xiu and whispered, "Did he tell you that he''s going on a business trip?"


    "What? When? For how long?" was Xiu''s reaction which Dn had actually expected.


    "Keep your voice down!" Dn shushed her and went on, "This was decided a week ago but he had been trying to avoid it. I guess he doesn''t want to leave you. But it''s an important exhibit and he needs to be there himself."


    "He''s been avoiding it because of me? Why?"


    "And then you say that I''m dumb. You''re no better,"ined Dn. "Of course because he doesn''t want to part from you. He didn''t see you for one day, and before you came, his face was like a wilted flower. But as soon as he saw you, he bloomed up again." He poked her head as he went on, "You have no idea how much you control not only his emotions but him as well."


    "But I never try toe between him and his work," mumbled Xiu.


    "I know silly but he already knows he isn''t able to give you more time because of his work. That bothers him a lot."


    Xiu shook her head as she looked at Darren''s back and sighed, "He really is..."


    "Strange? Weird? Crazy?" Dn offered some words from his limited vocabry which earned him a smack on his head from Xiu.


    "None of these. He''s the best life partner one can ask for."


    Dn rubbed his head as he said, "Why do I feel like you just need excuses to praise your boyfriend?"


    "Why can''t I do that? If my boyfriend is the best, I''ll call him the best. Where''s the lie?" She took a pause before adding, "Besides if you have a boyfriend like mine, anybody would be showing him off all the time. I don''t think I''m doing anything wrong."


    "Well, to me it seems like you''re being a nuisance and you''re even making others feel self-conscious. Also, don''t forget with your praises will make girls'' expectations of ideal men go higher how will normal men like me survive after that?"


    "Don''t ask girls to lower their standard, you better raise your worth instead!"


    Dn gaped at her for a minute in silence and finally sighed in defeat, "I''ll see you tomorrow for our piano lesson. You better be on time."


    "I''m always on time," said Xiu as she waved him goodbye.


    "Tomorrow is Sunday. I highly doubt that you''d be on time," retorted Dn knowingly.


    "Wanna bet?"


    Dn stuck his tongue at her and left the room.