15 Now Youve Done It, Joshua (1/2)

Wife… Wife Cake?

Joshua, Jessica, and Rachel looked at Wang Yang with their mouths agape. Then, as he nodded unashamedly, they let out a chorus of ”oh's”. There was a quizzical look on Jessica's face as she twirled her hair anxiously. Rachel smiled, seemingly intrigued. Whereas Joshua, who brought up the topic, screwed his eyebrows into a cynical expression before bursting out in laughter. ”Dude, are you kidding me? Wife Cake? I bet you made that up!”

”You jerk! You're the one who asked me!” Wang Yang muttered in his heart. Nevertheless, he didn't feel there was anything wrong with the name when he said it. After all, it was just the name of a cake, wasn't it? He smiled and explained patiently, ”No, it's not a joke. The name of the cake is literally Wife Cake. Interesting, isn't it?”

At that moment, Zachary Levi, who was still cleaning up the kitchen, peered into the living room. ”There's a cake called Wife Cake? Interesting. Does the name have any significance? Why is it called that?” he asked loudly and curiously.

Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. ”I don't know. Maybe there's a story behind it, but I'm not sure.” Then, he told them what little he knew about Wife Cake. ”It's a type of wedding confectionery, like wedding sweets or chocolates. When people get married, they'd give them to their friends and family.” When he saw Jessica fidgeting uncomfortably, he thought he'd said something wrong…

”A wedding confectionery? Given to the wife?” Zachary said inquisitively from the kitchen. In a sudden moment of realization, he asked with a grin, ”Hey, is there such a thing as Husband Cake?”

A cake for a wife? Joshua's heart skipped a beat. The tides have turned. Now he was the one with the sinking feeling. His gaze then turned toward his sister, Jessica, only to see her staring at the ceiling, acting nonchalant. But, having grown up with her and knowing her his whole life, Joshua saw through her pretense—that subtle yet unmistakable quirk in the corners of the mouth. She was faking it. Deep down, she was probably very pleased!

In fact, Jessica wasn't just very happy. Her heart was pumping heavily like pistons on a locomotive, fuelling her imagination with strange, exciting, and surprising thoughts. Wife Cake? Why did Yang choose such a gift for her birthday? Was there a special meaning behind it? In that instant, all her memories that had been repressed, but never fully erased, came gushing out like a mighty river.

It happened during the same time of year, April, on her birthday. And, just like today, she'd pulled out all the stops on her appearance before coming to school: a new, pearly white dress, and even a makeover from her mother. She couldn't wait to get to school, for she'd hinted to Wang Yang that her birthday was coming, and she'd been looking forward to a present.

Wang Yang was the only student in her class who knew about her birthday. Although she was wearing a new dress, no one took notice of her. She sat in her chair and waited for Wang Yang to come, feeling slightly anxious and slightly hopeful. Then, Wang Yang showed up.

Suddenly, it all became crystal clear. Every detail of Wang Yang's expression and movement surfaced vividly in her mind. He was smiling and holding a bag, which made a clanging sound as he waved it at her. Then, he took out a paper box and opened it up, revealing rows and rows of cakes. He said, ”Jessica, here's your birthday present. I made these cakes especially for you! What do you think? Aren't you thrilled?”

She was very thrilled, indeed. That was the first birthday gift she'd ever received from a classmate. And it was handmade! Filled with joy and gratitude, she nodded and said, ”Thanks.” Then, Wang Yang said, ”Try one.” So she grabbed one from the box and took a bite. It had a sweet taste and a smooth texture. ”It's very tasty,” she said with a smile.

Wang Yang sat at his desk with his head leaning on his hand. He looked at her gleefully and boasted, ”Of course they're tasty. I made them myself! Don't be shy. This is the first time I've ever made a present for someone else.” As he said that, he picked up a piece himself and began to eat it. ”These were originally called Wife Cakes. But, since I'm the one who made them, I get to name them. I'm going to call them Jessica Cakes,” he said cheerily.

”Wife Cakes?” Jessica muttered under the breath. And before she knew it, she could feel hotness spreading from her cheeks to her ears as shyness overtook her. It was a familiar feeling. Except back then, she was much less confident and way more bashful.

At that point, Wang Yang put on a serious face and said, ”That's right. They're called Wife Cakes because they're meant to be given to a wife. Will you be my wife?” Lost for words, Jessica stared at him with her eyes wide open. Then, he burst out in laughter. ”Look at you, Jessica. You're like a statue! I'm not proposing, okay? I'm just joking.”

”Oh.” Jessica breathed a sigh of relief, at the same time feeling somewhat disappointed.

”What's the matter? Do you want to be my wife?” Wang Yang could see that she was disappointed. He threw his hands up and said, ”Please, we're too young for a relationship. They wouldn't even let Toto and Elena be together in Cinema Paradiso, and they're so old. You and I should take it easy. We're friends, aren't we?” Then, he laughed merrily and said, ”If you want to be my girlfriend, you'll have to wait until we've grown up. Once I've become a director and you've become an actress, no one can come between us.”

Jessica shook her head shyly. ”No, I don't.”

”Good.” Suddenly, Wang Yang made a ”shh” sound and whispered, ”By the way, did you finish the weather observation assignment for our science class this week? I might need to copy it.” She frowned and looked hesitant. Seeing her reaction, he quickly hushed her and said, ”Shh! Don't let anyone know, or I'll get into trouble. Jessica, I know what I'm doing is wrong, but it's just weather observation. Oh, it is sunny or raining? How many degrees is it? Come on, I've been so busy all week making cakes for you that I didn't have the time to record the weather. Hurry, hurry!”

So, out of fear and gratitude, Jessica had given Wang Yang her science class assignment.

Ever since that day, the picture that Wang Yang had painted of them as grownups became stuck in her mind. When the day came for her to move to Los Angeles, she left him a farewell letter. In it, she confessed her feelings and promised she'd work as hard as him to achieve her dream, so that one day they may meet again in Los Angeles as actress and director.

She wasn't sure if Wang Yang still remembered the things he said to her when they were little. Perhaps he was just teasing her, but cake never tasted sweeter!

Although those memories had only flashed through her mind, they evoked a strong emotion in Jessica. Trying her best to keep a calm voice, she said, ”Wow, Wife Cakes. What a cool name. Well, I'm going to try my best to learn how to make it…”

Joshua realized then he'd made a big mistake. He quickly cleared his throat in an effort to break the awkward atmosphere. ”Oh, so that's what they're called. Okay, great. Now, let's watch some television!” He walked to the edge of the sofa to grab the remote control and pressed the volume-increase button frantically. Suddenly, the television was booming, and the entire apartment was filled with noise.