444 Shifu (1/2)

”I can help you if you want me to,” came Darren's voice as he noticed the way both Xiu and Dylan had been going back and forth with their completely petty argument but weren't coming to any conclusion.

”Can you play the piano?” asked Dylan 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 Dylan, alone.

Even thinking about it made Darren shudder.

”Wait, you want me to teach you how to play the piano?” Xiu looked at Dylan weirdly. ”Why?”

Dylan 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?”

Dylan 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 Dylan and went on, ”But I still mess with you.”

”Indeed, you do.” Xiu contemplated it silently while Dylan 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 Dylan'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 Dylan, ”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 nonchalantly, ”Then forget about it.”

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

”You're really enjoying this, aren't you?” inquired Dylan.

”Oh, I'm loving it.” Xiu didn't even bother hiding her grin of victory. Poor Dylan was being played 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 Dylan in reply.

”You don't even know how to play then why do you have it?”

”When I bought the house, my interior designer said it'd look classy.”

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