Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“What happened to you?” Wang Yang, Rachel, and the rest of the gang were shocked to see Joshua lying on the floor.
“Oh, my God! The DV camcorder!” Rachel took a deep gasp, and they shifted their gaze to where her eyes pointed. And there it was—the camcorder—lying haphazardly on the floor just like Joshua. Wang Yang had a sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He rushed over to the DV camcorder and picked it up. As he began to inspect it for damage, his face darkened.
Upon seeing Wang Yang’s grim expression, Jessica’s heart sank. “Joshua, you didn’t drop the DV camcorder on the floor, did you?” Jessica asked, hoping that somehow things weren’t as bad as she thought.
“I’m so sorry, I did drop the DV camcorder…” Joshua picked himself up in front of everybody’s anxious gaze, rubbed his forehead, and uttered regretfully. “I didn’t mean to! I was just minding my own business when a rat appeared out of nowhere, scurried in front of me, and tripped me over. D*mn that stupid rat…”
“A rat? Are there any rats here?” Zachary Levi sounded skeptical. “How come I’ve never seen one before?”
Jessica looked at Joshua, obviously suspicious of him. “A rat? Jeez, what kind of rat could trip a big ape such as yourself?” Then, suddenly, she raised her voice. “Please Joshua, if you want to lie to us, at least come up with a better story!”
Rachel cast a look at Zachary before consoling Jessica. “The DV camcorder might not be broken. Let Yang take a look at it, first.”
“But…” Jessica was still spearing Joshua with her eyes.
“Quiet, d*mn it!” In the heat of the moment, Wang Yang lost his patience, lifted his head, and let out a yell. Then, he apologized and continued to examine his DV camcorder.
Jessica was stunned. D*mn it? She looked at Wang Yang, not saying a thing. Each time she replayed those words in her mind, it felt as if a razor was slicing through her heart. Was Yang mad at her? Was she supposed to feel offended? She bit her lips and turned her face away. She thought it best not to reveal her negativity and acted as nonchalant as possible.
The DV camcorder in Wang Yang’s hands was a Sony DCR-TRV900, a high definition 3CCD camcorder released by Sony that year. It was widely considered to be the best DV camcorder for home use on the market at the time, and its price tag reflected that. A crack in the lens or a nick in the display would’ve likely resulted in the forfeiture of his 1000-dollar deposit, not to mention a hefty fine.
To Wang Yang’s relief, the case, the lens, and the display of the DV camcorder were all fine. However, as soon as he pressed the “on” button, he realized that it wouldn’t turn on. Even taking out the battery, putting it back, and pressing the button again didn’t help. It remained ominously unresponsive. He shook the contraption in frustration. He thought, “Please don’t be broken. If you’re broken, how am I supposed to afford to rent another DV camcorder?””D*mn it… please be fine, please!” he cursed.
“Yang, stop it.” Rachel walked up to him and grabbed his hand. She gave him a gentle, reassuring smile and said, “There’s always a way, isn’t there?” Wang Yang took a deep breath to calm himself down, then nodded and said, “Yes, you’re right.”
Jessica felt an urge to interrupt when she saw Rachel patting Wang Yang’s arm and consoling him, but her lips failed. She wanted desperately to soothe him, yet an invisible force in her heart was holding her back…
Wang Yang fiddled with the camcorder a few more times, but to no avail. He smiled resignedly and shook his head. “It won’t turn on. There must be a problem with the internals. I need to take it back to the video equipment store and let the owner look at it.” Then, he extracted the MiniDV cassette, held it to his eyes, and let out a sigh of relief. “The good news is, the cassette is fine. We still have all the footage we shot today.”
Wang Yang tried to remain optimistic and think on the bright side. Perhaps the DV camcorder only had a small bug that could be easily fixed. At the same time, being no stranger to video equipment, he also knew it could be a sign of a major complication. Hence, despite his carefree exterior, he was extremely troubled inside.
Wang Yang clapped his hands together and said to Rachel and Zachary, “All right guys, I guess that’s it for today’s shooting session. I’m going to take the DV camcorder to the video equipment store for a check-up and let you guys know the result as soon as I hear from the owner.” With that, he retreated to his bedroom and turned off his computer.
Rachel and Zachary nodded in agreement and began to pack their things. Zachary collected his belongings and left before anyone else, while Rachel had to go to the bathroom and change out her pajamas for normal clothes, leaving Jessica and Joshua alone in the living room.
“Joshua, are you happy now?” Jessica finally snapped. Her lips trembled, and she clenched her jaw and stared at Joshua. “I’ll deal with you when we go home. I want you out of here, right now!” she said in a menacing voice.
Joshua threw up his hands innocently and swore, “Trust me, I really saw a rat, and a very big one too. It tripped me!”
Jessica rolled her eyes. She’d about had it with Joshua. She threw herself on the sofa, stewing in her own anger without saying a word. Who did he think he was kidding? What an absurd story!
“Okay, I’m going, I’m going.” Joshua knew she was in no mood to listen to his explanation. Not wanting to aggravate her any further, he turned and left.
Once Joshua was gone, Jessica had no one to vent her anger on. She glanced at the bedroom and sighed.
At that moment, Rachel came out of the bathroom, having just changed her clothes. She entered Wang Yang’s bedroom and tapped on his shoulder. He was sitting in his chair with his eyes glued to the computer screen. A sequence of her walking around the house was playing. She smiled and said, “I like that shot; it has a great feel to it.” Then, she consoled him. “Yang, it’ll be fine. If there’s any trouble, you can always hold my paycheck.”
“Thank you, Rachel.” Her comment made Wang Yang feel warm inside. He shrugged his shoulders and said genially, “But I prefer not to owe my actors money.”
“I shall await your good news back at the hotel, then. See you, bye!” Rachel smiled and gave Wang Yang one final pat on his shoulder. As she exited the bedroom, she saw Jessica laying on the sofa. “Jessica, want to go together?” she asked.
Jessica looked at her and smiled. “Oh, you go first. I need to talk to Yang.” Rachel nodded and took her leave.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Wang Yang continued to pour over his work on the computer. At last, the room was peaceful and quiet. As he watched the videos, his mind gradually drifted into blissful respite. It wasn’t as if there was only one DV camcorder in the whole world. There must be a way!
After reviewing his videos, he turned off the computer, put on a windbreaker, and packed his damaged DV camcorder, ready to head out to the video equipment store. But when he stepped into the living room, he saw Jessica sitting on the sofa all by herself, seemingly deep in thought. Wang Yang couldn’t help but feel surprised. “Jessica? You’re still here?”
“Oh!” Jessica sprang up from the sofa, startled. She looked at Wang Yang and said calmly, “Yeah, I’m still here. I wanted to ask if you’d like me to come along with you? I brought my car.”
“Good idea.” Wang Yang nodded.
In America, people typically got their driver’s licenses when they turned 16, and Jessica and Wang Yang were no exception. They reached the apartment’s parking lot and made their way toward Jessica’s silver Ford Focus. She gave her car keys to Wang Yang and installed herself in the front passenger seat. Then, Wang Yang got into the car, inserted the car key, revved up the engine, and began to drive.
Wang Yang drove the car out of the parking lot and exited the apartment complex without saying a word. Jessica kept turning her head and glancing at him, distraught at his silence. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Yang, are you still mad?”
“What? No. I’m just thinking about something!” Wang Yang shook his head with a smile. As he turned the steering wheel, he said, “Jessica, I was quite frustrated before, but now I’m fine. It was just an accident. No one wanted it to happen, and I’m not mad at anyone.”
Even though Joshua broke the DV camcorder, Wang Yang didn’t think he did it on purpose. Sure, Joshua might be a little childish. He may have taunted and insulted him in the past, but nothing more than that. In fact, he’d say he was quite considerate. He remembered the day he leased the furniture, and how, despite his constant whining, Joshua spent the whole day helping him move them to the apartment.
“Thank you.” Jessica nodded, then apologized. “But, still, I want to apologize to you. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought him to your apartment in the first place. He’s always so abrasive toward you, I couldn’t even tell if he did it on purpose or not.”
The car came to a halt at the traffic light. Wang Yang looked to his side, at Jessica, and said in a serious tone, “No, Jessica. I don’t think Joshua would do such a thing. I trust him. I know what it’s like to be wronged and to be doubted by other people. That’s why I choose to believe him. He doesn’t like me because he believes in USC’s judgment. It’s perfectly understandable. He doesn’t know me as you do.”
Astonished, Jessica asked, “He knew you were expelled? How did he know?”
“The other day, when we were renovating the apartment, he accidentally saw my expulsion letter.” Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and smiled as if it was all a funny memory. “Ever since then, he’s been treating me like a racist scum, a pothead, and a monster. He’s worried I might lie to you or hurt you.”
“Is that why he’s been such a jerk to you?” Jessica finally understood. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Did Joshua even know about her relationship with Wang Yang when they were little? “He doesn’t even know a thing, yet he acts as he does. He’s wrong about you, that arrogant little twerp!”
Wang Yang gave her a carefree smile. “It’s fine. I’m not mad at all. Let’s listen to some music,” he said as he reached for the center console. A song was playing on the radio, filling the cabin with music. It was an upbeat country song, and the two of them were so drawn to the tune, they stopped talking.
Their song-filled joyride came to an end as they reached their destination—a video equipment store called “The Perfect Shot”. The store, located downtown near USC, sold and rented all kinds of video and film equipment, including the latest gadgets. It was the go-to place for Wang Yang and his classmates when they needed to lease equipment. The owner was a portly, bearded, middle-aged, white gentleman named Frank Sibole. He and Wang Yang knew each other, albeit not on a close, personal level.
The owner’s chubby face twisted into a frown as he scrutinized, almost obsessively, the DV camcorder that Wang Yang had leased behind a glass counter, all the while grumbling incessantly. “D*mn it, Yang! I told you not to break it when I leased it to you! It’s a TRV900, the latest DV camcorder from Sony. This thing costs a fortune! How could you drop it on the floor? D*mn it! If the lens is damaged, not even your thousand-dollar deposit can cover it!”
Jessica and Wang Yang stood in front of the counter, listening to Frank Sibole’s rants. Fed up with his attitude, Jessica frowned and said, “Sir, can’t we work something out?”
Frank lifted his head, darted her a look, and said indignantly, “Look, sweet cheeks, the DV cam ain’t yours. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m the one who has to pay if the thing breaks!”
Wang Yang scowled and said reproachfully, “Frank, there’s no need to get testy.” He pointed at the DV camcorder and said, “I’ve checked it. The casing, the lens, and the display all seem to be fine. The problem’s probably on the inside.”
“Hmmm…” After a few minutes of tinkering, Frank Sibole inserted the battery back into the DV camcorder and pressed the “on” button, but nothing happened. He put down the DV camcorder, looked at Wang Yang and Jessica, and threw his hands up. “Maybe the battery connector broke, or maybe it was some other parts. Who knows?! I need to send this little devil back to the manufacturer for repairs. It’s going to take a while.” Then, he said to Wang Yang, “Of course, the repair fees will be deducted from the deposit. You’d better pray to God it won’t cost too much.”
What a bummer… Sending it back to the manufacturer and getting it back would take at least half a month. Wang Yang’s main concern wasn’t the cost of repair anymore, but the fact that he wouldn’t be able to finish filming without a DV camcorder.
Wang Yang sighed with profound deference and said, “Fine. I guess I have no choice. So, Frank, can you lend me another DV camcorder in the meantime?” Frank pushed back immediately. “No, no, no. Perish the thought!” Wang Yang held up three fingers and said, “Frank, I only need it for three days!”
However, Frank was resolute in his refusal. “Nope. No way. I won’t lease it to you even if you pay me. You should try your luck somewhere else.”
“Okay.” Not wanting to bargain with the fat man anymore, Wang Yang told Jessica, “Come, let’s go.”
“Okay.” Jessica nodded, feeling terrible inside. Would Wang Yang have suffered like this if it weren’t for the broken DV camcorder? Should she forgive Joshua just because Wang Yang did?
At that moment, a group of people came into the store. There were four of them. Two guys and two girls. A young, white couple and a young, black couple. They noticed Wang Yang, and one of them—a bald, burly black male—suddenly hollered, “Yo, yo.” He pushed aside his girlfriend and walked toward Wang Yang with a malicious grin. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t Chinaman Yang!”
The voice made Wang Yang’s eyebrows tightened unconsciously. As he turned around, he immediately recognized the two guys standing at the doorway. They were USC students. The white guy was Matthew, and the black guy…
“That’s Terrance Ben…” Wang Yang muttered quietly to Jessica, who was standing beside him. Slowly, his fists clenched.
“That’s the *sshole who accused you?” Jessica took a deep breath and turned her head around. When she saw Terrance Ben walking toward them, her face froze.
Terrance Ben had the typical build of a quarterback. His musclebound arms, combined with his beefy, protruding chest, lent him an air of invincibility. All that muscle popped conspicuously under a red t-shirt with a skull on it that was a size too taut. He approached them with a cocky look on his face and sneered, “Chinaman Yang, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back in San Francisco?”
Matthew, who was standing behind Terrance the whole time, came forward with a smirk. In his arms was his girlfriend—a generic white girl with a plain face and an unremarkable figure. Terrance Ben’s girlfriend, who sported a curly hairstyle, thick lips, and two big earrings, stood at the back, waiting eagerly for the confrontation to unfold.
“So I’m still here. What’s it to you?” Wang Yang wasn’t afraid of him at all. Terrance may have been built like an ox, but he was nothing but talk. He never could hold his own in a real fight. Wang Yang smiled coldly and said, “Didn’t you have enough last time?”
Terrance Ben, who’d had his eyes on Wang Yang since he came into the store, suddenly noticed Jessica. His eyes lit up brightly as he ogled at her angelic face and devilishly sexy body. “Oh, my God, what a beauty!” he said admiringly.
Mathew stood beside Terrance Ben, equally dumbstruck. Terrance looked at Wang Yang in false awe and disbelief and said, “Are you two dating?” Adding to the sarcasm, Matthew said, “Don’t tell me she’s Wang Yang’s girlfriend!” Then, the whole group broke out in wild, cynical laughter. They thought Jessica was just a random customer who had nothing to do with Wang Yang.
They were certain that the gorgeous girl in front of them would shrug her shoulders and say “no”. But, to their surprise and disappointment, the contrary happened. The girl smiled, wrapped her hands around Wang Yang’s arm, and huddled close to him.
“That’s right, I’m Wang Yang’s girlfriend,” said Jessica with a dazzling smile. She held Wang Yang’s arm tightly and leaned in affectionately with her head against his shoulder. Despite her calm and relaxed demeanor, her heart was racing. Hotness coursed through her body. Her palms became intensely warm as her chest pounded ever faster. She told herself repeatedly that it was just a show, a charade, a play…
Wang Yang stood stunned for a minute, then realized Jessica’s intent. She was trying to help him. So, he went along with it, put on a faint smile, and answered casually, “Yep, she’s my girlfriend, Jessica.” Wang Yang strained to keep his face straight amid the overwhelming sensations. The softness of her body against his, the sweetness of her scent so close against his nose he could almost taste it. Perhaps it was the smell of her hair or the smell of her body. Whatever it was, it was slowly wearing away at his faculties, edging him closer to frenzy.
“Are you kidding me?” Terrance Ben and Matthew both stood with their faces aghast. They took another look at Jessica—her cute and alluring face, her svelte and sexy figure, accentuated by her black leather pants and top… There was no doubt about it. She was hot. And she was Wang Yang’s girlfriend? D*mn it, how could this be? They cursed in their hearts, feeling jealous and secretly somewhat impressed.
Terrance Ben said doubtfully, “No way.” He looked at Jessica and spoke in a tone reminiscent of someone trying to save a lost girl, “Don’t you know? That guy’s a racist. He hates black people! He’s scum!”
Wang Yang tried to shrug it off with a “whatever” and leave, but Jessica wasn’t quite done yet. Signs of anger began to creep up on her face like spiderwebs, and her grip around Wang Yang’s arm tightened. She smiled coldly and said, “Please, you’re the scum! I know the truth. And I know it’s not over yet. One day, the truth will come out, and God will punish you!”
Seeing as she knew the truth, Terrance Ben dropped all pretense. He cackled haughtily, threw his hands up, and said, “Oh, but God didn’t punish me. He punished Yang! Look who got expelled?” As he said that, Matthew and the two girls laughed out loud.
Jessica bit her teeth together angrily. She could feel her anger reaching its breaking point as she looked at them. Terrance was the type of scum who used to bully her back in school; the type of person who just wouldn’t stop hurting others and gloating about it…
Jessica couldn’t stand seeing their irksome faces and listening to their obnoxious laughter anymore. She burst out, “I know your type. You’re all a bunch of garbage! Always picking on those who are weaker than you, shamelessly spreading lies, and playing up to those in power. You’re nothing but a bunch of gutless, ball-less, little p*ssies!” No sooner had she unleashed the tirade of profanities than she realized what she’d done. She’d completely lost it and lashed out at them. For the first time in her life, she was shouting abuses in the public like a punk. It felt a little wrong but strangely satisfying.
Jessica… Wang Yang gasped. Did she say ball-less, little p*ssies? Wow! When did she become so outspoken? He remembered how shy and timid Jessica was when she was a little girl. To him, it seemed like only yesterday. How fast she’s grown!
“If you think I don’t have the balls, try me!” said Terrance as he made a taunting face and thrust his hips.
Before Wang Yang could say anything, Jessica had cast aside all reservations and begun screaming at him. “I know, you must be wondering why you can’t get a hot girlfriend like me. No sh*t! It’s because you’re an *sshole! You don’t hold a candle to Yang! I wouldn’t even look at someone like you!”
“What the hell, you little b*tch?! What did you just say?” Veins were bulging on Terrance Ben’s temples. He’d just been berated by a beautiful girl, in front of his own girlfriend no less. He wasn’t going to take it sitting down.
Meanwhile, the black girl was grimacing in anger. She didn’t take kindly to Jessica’s insults about her boyfriend either. Discomfited, she yelled, “Hey, you think you’re so hot?”
“Am I hot?” Jessica laughed, looked at Terrance condescendingly, and said, “Did you see your boyfriend’s disgusting reaction just now?” Seeing as Terrance Ben was on the verge of losing his cool, she decided to add insult to injury. “Gosh, look at his shirt, it’s so funny! Did he seriously think sizing down would make him look more buff and manly?” she said mockingly.
Jessica rolled her eyes and said, “Give me a break. I know you got your a*s kicked by Yang!” Then, she looked at the black girl and said with a sigh, “Little girl, I feel so sorry for you for having a boyfriend like him. He doesn’t seem like much of a man!”
“You little hoe! You want to fight?” Terrance Ben’s breaths quickened as he cracked his knuckles.
Wang Yang’s blood boiled when he heard Terrance Ben disrespect Jessica. However, Jessica just was just getting started. She’d never felt so alive, standing up for herself and her friend. “I’m a punk girl!” she screamed in her head. Then, she took a quick step forward, planted her foot on Terrance Ben’s, and said, “Go to hell!”
“Ouch!” Caught by surprise, Terrance Ben couldn’t move his foot away in time. He jumped up in pain and roared, “F*ck, she’s a crazy b*tch! I’m going to call the police! She just assaulted me!”
Jessica felt an exhilarating rush when she stepped on his foot. Finally, she was able to avenge Yang in her own little way! When she heard he was going to call the police, she cracked up in laughter and said, “You want revenge? And what exactly will the charges be? Racial discrimination? Murder? ‘Oh, that girl stepped on my foot; she’s trying to kill me!’ Please! By the way, I’m not even 17 yet. At worst, I’ll pay you a few thousand dollars or do some silly community service. Do you think I’m scared?”
Terrance Ben’s eyes popped out like two big saucers. He was so angry that he didn’t know what to say.
Wang grabbed hold of Jessica’s hand and pulled her behind him, wary that Terrance Ben might hit her in the heat of the moment. He looked at Terrance and smiled as if he was itching for a fight. “Terrance, if you want to fight, be my guest!” Jessica sneered from behind him, “Yang, do you think he’s got the balls to do it? I don’t think he does. He can’t even fight me! He only knows how to complain to teachers and policemen, like a little kid.”
“Hey, if you guys want to fight, take it outside!” At that point, the store owner, Frank Sibole, who’d been watching them the whole time, felt that things were getting out of hand. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of kids fighting in his store. “Get out! Scram!” he shouted from behind the counter.
However, no one paid any attention to him. Terrance Ben gritted his teeth. Though he was humiliated and enraged, he didn’t dare to hit anyone. For one thing, he knew he couldn’t beat Yang even if he tried. Second, in America, if someone initiated a fight—be it a punch or a shove—the other party could hit him back without any legal repercussions. It didn’t matter how badly the instigator was wounded, or how good his lawyer was.
The black girl couldn’t bear to watch any longer. With no choice but to swallow her pride, she tugged on Terrance’s shirt and said, “Let’s get out of here!” Meanwhile, Matthew and his girlfriend stood on the sidelines, not daring to make a sound.
Terrance looked at Wang Yang and back at Jessica, then burst out in rage. “F*ck you!” Unable to deal with his pent-up anger, he swung his arms wildly in the air.
Wang Yang’s eyes lit up. That was his window of opportunity! He quickly stepped in the way of his flying fist, and, with a loud smack, Terrance’s knuckles landed right on his body.
“Damn you!” Wang Yang cursed. Then, he wound up his arm and launched a punch straight at Terrance’s midsection. His lightning speed caught Terrance by surprise. Before he even knew it, Wang Yang’s fist had landed hard on his abdomen! The sheer momentum of his punch drove his knuckles deep into his belly.
“Oh, my God… Oh…” Terrance let out a horrible shriek and clutched his belly with both his hands reflexively. Then, he stumbled back and fell to the ground. The black girl held her hand to her mouth in sudden consternation, while Matthew and his girlfriend were petrified.
What a man! Wang Yang’s swift and sturdy punch had left Jessica amazed. As she looked at the quarterback-bodied Terrance cowering on the ground, a strange feeling came over her. Then, she snapped out of it, and, in hotblooded fury, she rushed up and sank her foot into Terrance’s body. “Go to hell, you jerk! Go to hell!” She ranted away as she kicked him.
Terrance curled up into a ball with his hands over his head, and shouted, “Oh, God, stop it! Are you all nuts? Hey, stop it!” He staggered to his feet. “Why don’t you lie down?” Wang Yang yelled before bringing him to the ground again with one kick. As he hit Terrance, he darted a look at Matthew, and said with a chilling smile, “Do you want to play?” Matthew smiled sheepishly and said, “N-No thanks…”
At that point, the black girl, scared out of her wits, began screaming, “Help! Help!” mindlessly.
“Get out! Everybody, out! No fights allowed in here!” Frank Sibole hollered, “Beat it or I’ll call 911!”
Although it was Terrance Ben who started the fight, Wang Yang didn’t feel like dealing with the police. For all he knew, he might even have to take a trip down to the police station. So he gave Terrance one last kick, seized Jessica in the middle of her thrashing, and said, “Jessica, that’s enough. We’ve got to go now.”
Jessica yielded and followed him out of the store, but not before turning back and yelling at Terrance and his gang, “You’re all a bunch of idiots!” Then, she shifted her gaze toward the black girl and Matthew’s girlfriend and said, “You should get a new boyfriend!”
As soon as they were out on the street, they picked up their pace and ran for it. After a few blocks, they stopped to catch their breath. They gave each other a look, then went into a fit of laughter.
After regaining their composure, they resumed their walk toward a nearby parking lot. As they walked alongside each other, Wang Yang kept glancing at Jessica as if he was seeing her for the first time. He said in disbelief, “Wow, Jessica! What… what was up with you then? Was that really you?” Over the last hour or so, she’d taunted, cursed at, and beat up a man. That wild girl wasn’t at all like the Jessica he knew.
Jessica took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and smiled. “Yep, that’s me.” She paused and said confidently, “Yang, I’m no longer the Jessica who’s meek and always screams ‘help me’. In fact, I hate being the type of girl who needs other people to protect her and take care of her.” She waved her fist and said with a smile, “I’m very strong now. I have what it takes to protect myself now. No one can bully me anymore!”
Yes. The new Jessica was loud and proud. Fearless and independent. She was going to make it as an actress on her merits. The meek, timid Jessica was a thing of the past. Wang Yang nodded and said smilingly, “Congratulations, I’m very happy for you.” Switching to a flippant tone, he exaggerated, “You know, you reminded me of a lioness just now. You’re so fierce!”
Jessica rolled her eyes and gave Wang Yang’s arm a punch. “Like this?” she chuckled. Then, she explained, “I’m not always like that, you know… Just now, I was really angry. They’re the real offenders, yet they go unpunished. They even had the nerve to rub it in our faces! I couldn’t stand it, so I told myself that I shouldn’t go easy on jerks like them. And the rest is history.” With that, she kicked her leg in the air.
“But,” Jessica looked at him with a slight curl in her lips, “I’m no lioness. I’m just an ordinary girl.”
“Sure. Even Superman’s an ordinary guy most of the time,” said Wang Yang jokingly. Then, he shrugged and swept the hair from his sweat-drenched forehead.
“Huh?” Suddenly, Jessica stopped. There was a look of concern on her face. She looked at him and said, “Yang, your hand looks wounded. Let me see.” She grabbed Wang Yang’s right hand, only to see a few bloody scars on the joints of his fingers. Unconcerned, Wang Yang smiled lightly and said, “It’s all right. I must’ve struck a decorative chain on Terrance’s pants when I hit him.”
Jessica blew gently on his blood-red scars before looking up at him and asking, “Does it hurt?”
As Wang Yang saw her tender, nurturing side, he felt a slight, involuntary flutter in his heart. He shook his head and said jovially, “No, it feels very cool now.” He thought, “Good old Jessica. She’s not a lioness. She might turn into one when dealing with bad guys. At other times, however, she’s just an ordinary girl.”
“Good. Think of it as a badge of honor!” Jessica patted Wang Yang’s hand, smiling.
It was already dark. The stores on either side of the street had begun to light up in all colors, outshining the stars above. Suddenly, as the two of them talked and made their way to the parking lot, a voice came from behind them. “Hey, Jessica, Yang, wait… Wait for me!” The voice stopped them in their tracks. They turned around and saw, to their astonishment, Joshua running toward them.
Joshua sprinted nonstop until he’d caught up with them. He stopped in front of them, out of breath. Sweat dripped down from his face as he bent forward with his hands on his knees. Wang Yang and Jessica were shocked to see him like that. Jessica was curious. “Joshua, why did you come here?” Panting like a dog, Joshua said, “Oh… Actually, I didn’t go home. I’ve been waiting at the apartment’s parking lot. Since you guys left the apartment, I’ve been following you everywhere, including the video equipment store.”
Jessica knitted her eyebrows abruptly. She said in an incredulous tone, “You’ve been following us?” In his panic to explain himself, Joshua stammered, “No, no, no, I’m just concerned about the DV camcorder!” Then, catching his breath, he smiled and said, “But I saw everything that happened in the store just now.” He waved his fist, looked at Wang Yang, and said admiringly, “Wow, Yang, that was a sick punch! Was that Chinese kungfu?”
Wang Yang shook his head and said, “No, it was just a normal punch.”
Suddenly, Joshua looked at Wang Yang with a rather weighty expression and said, “Dude, I saw everything just now. I’ve heard everything. I think USC might be wrong about you. So I’ve changed my mind!” He smiled and continued, “I don’t believe you’re a racist or a pothead. You’re probably an okay guy.” Wang Yang shrugged and said, “Probably? I most definitely am.”
“Anyway, check this out.” Joshua rattled the bag in his hand and mysteriously produced a box from it. On the box, it said, “DCR-TRV900” in black print. It turned out to be a brand new DV camcorder! He saw Jessica and Wang Yang’s stunned faces and felt pleased with himself. He said gleefully, “I just bought this DV camcorder and I’m going to lend it to you. Dude, please don’t refuse! I owe you one.”
At that moment, Jessica was deeply touched and overjoyed. She looked at Wang Yang expectantly and said, “Yang…”
Wang Yang saw the sincerity in Joshua’s face and felt slightly moved. That little brat! He punched Joshua in his chest and said, “Why would I refuse? But… you shouldn’t have bought it from Frank’s shop. You’re being too kind to the fat guy!”
Joshua rubbed his chest in pain and pulled his face into a sloppy grimace. He said slyly, “I’ve spent all my savings on this. That damned rat. I’m going to kill it!” Then, he transitioned to a more serious tone. “Dude, promise me you’ll make the best film you can. Prove those idiots wrong and show them what you’re made of. I know you can do it!” After a handshake and a shoulder bump, he leaned close to Wang Yang’s ear, and whispered in a friendly manner, “But, as I’ve told you, if I ever find out that you hurt my family, I won’t forgive you.”
“Relax, I’d never do that!” Wang Yang squeezed his hand firmly, causing Joshua to suddenly squeal in pain.
Seeing the two guys embracing each other, Jessica smiled happily. She smoothed her hair in the blowing wind, never feeling better.
Note: Historically speaking, Sony introduced the DCR-TRV900 camcorder in September 1998. However, the story was set in an earlier time.