Crossword

eleven | 爱情

AT TWENTY-THREE, YEN THINKS SHE KNOWS LOVE.

It's the feeling engulfing her as she sits with her family in the Summer Pavilion. They're here to celebrate Jia-Le's birthday - he's finally eighteen, going to university next year. Platters of steaming soon hock, Peking duck, a selection of cured meats (chashao and shaorou, both Yen's favourites) and leafy kailan are spread out in the centre of the table, accompanied by bowls of fluffy white rice.

Yen's in her final year of university now, and as she glances at her siblings, she can't help but feel old. She passes a bowl of rice to Lixue, a timid girl with bright, laughing eyes that Jia-Le's glancing at periodically, as if he can't believe she's real.

She knows the feeling.

To her left, the waitress bows and pulls the door to their room shut. The chandelier in the middle of the room winks in the colours of the rainbow.

Over a steadily-satisfied belly, Yen turns to the girl next to her. "Where are you going for university?"

Lixue hastily puts down the bowl of rice she's been holding. "NUS, with Le-ge. I'm planning to study Communications." There's excitement in her voice, threaded through the quiet thrill of a secure future with people you love.

Yen grins. She knows perfectly well that Jia-Le's nickname isn't something that everyone knows - it's something he only shares with the people he's closest to, like her, Yue, Jun. She nods. "My friend does Communications, too. She says it's fun. The professors are good."

"What about you?"

"I'm studying sports science at NTU. Graduating this year."

The girl's eyes widen. "Congratulations!"

"It's been a long four years," she admits as they pick up their chopsticks again. "But thank you."

As she watches their interactions, though, the four years are worth it. Jia-Le piles so much food into Lixue's bowl, Yen is surprised it doesn't topple. It reminds her of breakfasts at Jiaxiang, back when it was still a hawker centre and they'd spend almost every meal eating there.

It's easier, now. A soft smile graces her lips at the memory, but it's no longer associated with pain.

The rest of the meal is punctuated by laughter. The air that wafts through the room isn't just accompanied by the fragrance of the food but a feeling of home. Yue - long since out of hospital - and Yen share embarrassing stories about Jia-Le, who sits back in his chair, like he's so used to the teasing that it doesn't affect him anymore. Their mother presides over the dinner, occasionally adding details to the stories they've forgotten. Yen can feel Lixue settle in, getting used to their family. It's a wonderful feeling.

When dinner is over, Jia-Le throws an arm around Lixue and announces he'll walk her home. Pretending they don't see her pink-dusted cheeks, Yen's mother and Yue leave for the train, leaving Yen to get back to university alone.

Nanyang Technological University is on the other side of the city, but the night is still young, and Yen's pace is leisurely. It's been such a long time since she's come to Marina Bay, with its spectacular buildings, iridescent lights and refusal to go to sleep.

At night, the station is filled with incessant chatter and lights that guide tired office workers home. The escalators ferry visitors upward to continue their visit to the Lion City and workers downward to the basement, where trains whizz off into the distance.

Her feet take her out of the chaos and into the yawning night air. In the distance, the famed Merlion shoots jets of water into the sea, its body glowing neon blue. Complemented by the buildings, the lights stand out in the dark, painting a cityscape of luminous yellow against midnight black. Her hands rest on the waterfront railing, and she stares outwards, remembering another view of this same landscape.