Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Slave for a Week ❯ Day 2: Reluctant Babysitters ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

-- Day 2 --

Babysitters for a Day

Monday, 6:49 PM

“GET OFF ME, PERVERTED FREAK!!!”

“OKAY, OKAY, NO NEED TO YELL ON MY EARS, BABE!”

A navy blue-haired guy was standing casually beside the doorframe, an amused look playing on his equally-navy blue eyes as Syaoran and Sakura both struggled to untangle their bodies from each other.

He was probably as tall as Syaoran, and his eyeglasses perfectly highlight his bright-colored eyes. Sakura concluded that it suited him perfectly, if truth be told. His hair is messy like his, too, but surely it wasn't as unruly.

“Hey.” He leaned on one side of the door, his hands inside his pockets, toying with his keys that jingle with his hands. “Okay dudes, `fess up. Did I really interrupt something here or I just need to buy myself a new pair of glasses?”

Syaoran grinned from ear to ear like an enthusiastic little boy who just got his hands on his newly-bought toy robot. He nonchalantly placed an arm around Sakura's shoulders, making her quickly flame up with anger.

“Sadly, nope. But it's just getting to it.”

Sakura quickly seized the big hand off and disgustedly pushed it away—and maybe with one more ounce of strength, his hand could most probably be torn off from his arm.

“Yep, it's just getting to it.” She smiled sweetly at Syaoran. She shrugged afterwards, offering a friendly look at the blue-eyed boy. “Your glasses are perfect,” she added, intending two meanings at the same time.

“Told ya!” Syaoran beamed, placing his arm on top of Sakura's shoulders again, this time pulling her much nearer to him. “Sakura's just too adorable, I can't help it.”

“Oh yeah. In fact, I was just about to kill him when you got in.” She glared at the man beside her. “Oh honey, I thought you locked the door! That way, we—I mean, I would never be disturbed in killing you.” She smiled all-so-sweetly again that Syaoran's heart would definitely melt—but fangs quickly replaced the sugary smile. If there would be blood dripping from them, she would be easily mistaken as a bloodthirsty vampire.

But the slayer (a.k.a. player) Syaoran ignored the continuously morphing vampire. He pulled out his stake that usually conquers in killing the big bad vampire—his silly smile that always makes Sakura's blood pressure skyrocket that poof!, she could dissolve into dust right then and there.

“Hon,” he returned the word with puppy-dog-eyes. “I'm sure I locked the door. Eriol, how did you open that damn door?”

Hiiragizawa Eriol shot an `isn't it obvious?!' look and jingled the keys inside his pocket louder. “Oooh, someone's lost his head over someone….” he faked a childish tone and then lifted up the sleeves of his black sweatshirt from his wrist, taking a short glance at his watch.

“Anyway, I think you two are both too busy to notice that it's already 6:54, so if you don't want to be late for dinner, better arrange yourselves and go down in six minutes. The elders are already here.”

“OK,” Syaoran replied, running his hand through his messy hair, never fixing it, like usual. With his casual shirt and jeans, he looked like a typical ordinary guy—nothing like a rich and powerful member of the Li clan, Sakura decided. And he isn't fully that serious and boring, as the classic businessman would always be, after all that happened that day.

She exhaled with such relief as he finally stood up and created distance between them. “We'll be there in a minute,” Syaoran called from the other side of the room while getting a fresh blue shirt. “We're just going to fix these clothes.”

“Better be. And as for you, Sakura,” Eriol shot an amused look at her, “be sure you have your panties on before going down, okay?” He laughed.

Syaoran snickered with him and continued to arrange Sakura's things inside the closet. “Uhm, I think I have it right here, though….” He goofily held up a pair of Sakura's underwear taken from her bag.

“Hmmm… white....” Eriol pretended to consider.

She blushed furiously. What in the world are they doing, talking about her UNDERWEAR?? She stomped her way towards Syaoran and then grabbed the thing from his hand. “Fuck off.”

“Now don't be shy.”

“Shy? Pfssh.”

Eriol laughed at the two, turning back. “Now just continue that later OK? We have a dinner to enjoy.”

Sakura still glared at Syaoran. “And no panties to talk about.”

6:57 PM

“Is this the whole Li clan here?” Sakura grimaced, mentally scanning the fancy dining room of the Lis. She nervously eyed almost thirty people one-by-one settling down their seats. The long, polished wooden table was decorated with candles in between the lavishly served meals. It was in the middle of the large room, where maids nervously scurry in and out like afraid mice, carefully carrying golden trays and huge bowls with their hands.

“Do I have to shake all of their hands for a formal introduction?” she joked, but found that she couldn't laugh herself. The surroundings were no appropriate place for a joke, she concluded with a tense sigh.

“No, not really,” Syaoran responded and guided her towards the table. “But I think you should introduce yourself though.”

Sakura's frown grew bigger as she scanned the place once more, this time in detail. There were four old gentlemen, with the really long, native Chinese braid and a really long beard. There were women and men in about their forties or fifties, some about twenty and in her age, and little children who were still running around but were caught by their parents eventually.

One thing common with all of them: They're too serious-looking, whether what generation they're in.

She almost wanted to faint again when she thought about introducing herself in front of all those scary-looking people.

“Hey, should I really do?”

She saw Syaoran's shoulders go up and down. “You're not a Li, remember? Better be glad you could share the dinner with us.” He joked back, heading towards the other end, Sakura's eyes still scrutinizing each individual.

“Xiaolang.”

Sakura turned her head to the other end at the far left, where an elegant woman probably in her forties, with long dark hair and perfect flawless skin, was peacefully sitting down in her own place. She looked too serene; it's as if she's all into silence and peacefulness.

With the sound of her voice, all heads quickly turned to Syaoran, who was about to sit down himself.

“Yes, Ma?”

“I believe you were out for the day.” She was smiling in a gentle way, as a mother would when she talks with her child. Syaoran smiled back at her as he sat down his own special seat at the very end part of the table. “I see that you had a great time.”

Sakura quickly flushed at this, and she found herself looking shyly at her feet. “Of course I did,” Syaoran said in reply. She could feel his eyes on her.

“Anyway.” The woman's tone of voice changed. Just a slight change, but its mysterious intensity is shocking Sakura all the more than the whole scene. “Who is this beautiful girl?”

Silenced enveloped the whole room as if time had been stopped by powerful magic. The room seemed to swirl fast for Sakura, and some dizziness came up with an accompanied pain in her head. Her knees threatened to buckle as she weakly tried to stand up straight. But all eyes stared at her skeptically. All eyes of the Lis—so questioningly that her voice seems to get stuck in her throat.

She gulped nervously. “Uhm… I-I'm—“

Syaoran tried to cut her off as he stood up again. “She's my—“

Another voice cut him off instead, “Girlfriend?”

Sakura turned to Syaoran's nearest right side, to the amused male voice. There was the blue-haired Hiiragizawa Eriol again, grinning evilly like a wicked fox even though he doesn't really look like one. “Am I not right, cuz?”

“NOT!” Sakura contradicted.

After a short pause, Syaoran nodded with agreement. “Right.”

There. In one word of the son of the Li, everyone was staring at and eyeing Sakura once again with seemingly utter surprise at his mention of just one very short word.

Hell, no! I'm not his girlfriend! Sakura's mind screamed with pure angst and furiousness, but her voice seems powerless that her mouth can't even move at her will. She sighed in defeat and shot a heated glare at Syaoran, who was again in the `what can I do?!' mode.

“Ojouchan, anata no namae wa…?”

Sakura's lips were rounded in a wide O with admiration with what Syaoran's mother spoke. The Chinese lady can speak Japanese! She thought happily. “Kinomoto Sakura desu, Li-san.” She answered politely with a small bow.

“Pleased to meet you, Sakura-san. You can sit there in front of Eriol beside Xiaolang. And welcome to the Li family's dinner.” She smiled approvingly.

“Arigatou gozaimasu.” Sakura pulled out the chair and sat down in the same time with Syaoran, exactly the second when Syaoran's mother announced the start of dinner.

Just then, everything and everyone was still and quiet. No single word was spoken, and the only sound one can hear is the sound of the utensils and the plates. Oh, and Sakura's nervous, raspy breathing, too. Even the children are dead silent. If there would be just some candles to light the whole place, it'll be a sacred ceremony.

A sacred eating ceremony.

Sakura silently giggled and began to eat.

So far, the dinner's been great. And peaceful. She happily chewed down the steak in her plate, gobbled down every single bit of food served to her. Luscious chicken, steak, vegetable salad, crabmeat, and every Chinese food you can imagine are present in the long table. If only Sakura could stand up and get from every plate, she would.

Well, she was happily eating and drooling over the huge amount of food, but not until she felt a tug on the beige-colored table napkin she had spread on her lap.

“Hoe?”

Then yet another stronger pull was made. Probably just my imagination. She shrugged with the thought and continued on eating.

But she felt another strong jerk. No, not the imagination. It was real. Curiosity overcame her, and Sakura inquisitively and slowly bent down.

“Boooo!”

“Hoooeeee!”

BANG!

“Nyah nyah! I hate Sa…ku! Sha…ku…wa!”

“Hoooeeee!”

“Sakura!” Syaoran worriedly ran to Sakura's side and helped her sit up. Her chair had heavily fallen back after a small girl of about five, with braided raven hair, jumped onto her from under the table. Sakura immediately stood up, rubbing her head with a hand as she noticed the complicated stares of the whole Li.

“I'm so sorry!”

Syaoran stood up protectively with her. “Dui bu qi, Ma. Sakura didn't mean it, Mei Xin—“

“Xiaolang! Sakura-san! Sit down and continue eating! Xiaolang, didn't you tell her about our rules in eating here?”

Syaoran looked down and remained silent.

“Yelan, calm down,” one of the four old men then whispered, and she quieted herself as the two quietly sat down.

Minutes of sweating and nervous breathing passed. Sakura was still rubbing her aching head, which she had smacked hard on the floor. The girl who surprised her was gone from under the table. She searched with her eyes and never found her.

After several more minutes of the tiring erect posture, everyone was finished eating. Everyone stood up and quietly left the room, except Syaoran and Sakura. And Yelan.

“Sakura-san, we should talk about what happened,” Li Yelan said calmly, getting Sakura's hand and leading her out to the hallway with Syaoran. “I suppose my son hasn't told you this yet, but we have rules here in our house.”

Sakura nodded solemnly to match the equally formal tone.

“One of those rules is to respect the food. No other unnecessary sounds and unimportant talking, especially commotions while eating.”

“Ma, she didn't know all of those—”

“Xiaolang, I'm talking to her, not to you.”

Syaoran quietly nodded and stepped back.

“Everyone has experienced this, Sakura. Punishment awaits,” Yelan stated in a low voice. “But before that, Xiaolang, do you have anything else to say?”

“Ma, I saw everything. Mei Xin—“

Sakura cut him off. “Li-san, that's my fault. Please continue with the punishment,” she assured with a smile. “It's nobody else's fault.”

Yelan ignored her and arched an eyebrow to Syaoran. “Xiaolang, what's with Mei Xin?”

“She jumped out from under the table onto Sakura. That's why she fell. Sakura's not to be blamed.” Syaoran was for the very first time being dead serious about something. His amber eyes burned with determination, and Sakura didn't exactly understand why.

“Okay. I understand,” Yelan finally agreed with a nod. “But since this still happened, and Sakura-san is still no exception, the punishment continues.”

“I accept it.” Sakura smiled.

Yelan nodded. “Sakura-san, you will baby-sit Mei Xin for the whole day tomorrow.”

8:45 PM

“Now I have to be a babysitter for naughty little Mei Xin tomorrow!” Sakura complained when she reached the couch inside Syaoran's room. She had been frowning, and it did nothing to conserve some energy.

Sitting down, she pulled off the white-and-pink ribbon that held her auburn hair in place. Her layered hair tediously fell down on her slumping shoulders; short bangs fell just on the sides of her forehead, accentuating the color of her eyes that looks brighter with her hair color.

“I'm so tired… my back hurts… I… wanna sleep….” Her exhausted emerald eyes threatened to close as she slouched on the couch and stretched her legs. “I can't believe I'm already sleepy at just 9 o'clock… I haven't even showered…!”

“No, not yet, baby….”

She made tiny mumbles that cannot even be understood clearly. “'M… tired… lemme… sleeeep…”

“You should change your clothes. You can't possibly sleep comfortably with that…” Syaoran whispered, taking off his own shirt.

“Shut… up… Wanna… sleep…”

“If you don't change by yourself, I'll do it,” Syaoran whispered more firmly, walking over to her life and energy-less body drooped on the couch and kneeling down beside her feet.

“Whatever…”

“You said that…” he trailed off, slowly and carefully unbuttoning the rest of the buttons in Sakura's blouse. He remained silent as he felt the touch of his fingers against her bare skin.

And suddenly, he was lost.

Sakura's eyes were peacefully closed. Her pink lips were partly open, and he found them so tempting. He even found it hard to rethink about the situation—the world suddenly seems to be perfect.

He listened to her light breathing, while he gently slipped the blouse from her shoulders. Slowly, he neared her lips.

He was about to remove the clothing from her arms when the emerald-eyed came back to life, her eyes wide. “WHAT… THE… HELL… ARE YOU DOING?!?!”

Syaoran almost jumped back with surprise. He sighed as he regained composure. “Well, I'm changing your clothes for you. Seems you've come back to life again, huh?”

Sakura's eyes flared with anger, gasping for breath, as the red color crept to her cheeks fast. “Who the hell told you to undress me, Li?!”

“You did.”

“I did NOT.”

“Did too.”

“No, I didn't!!”

“Yes, you did.”

“I did NOT!”

“Fine, whatever you say. Now suit yourself and change quickly. And get to sleep. You have Mei Xin to baby-sit tomorrow.” Syaoran walked off to a corner of the room with a cotton white shirt and shorts in his hands. “I'm going to change, so don't peek, okay?”

“Me? Yuck. Better tell yourself not to go to the bathroom as I change, moron.” Sakura meanwhile headed to the bathroom, carrying her own clothes. She opened the door and stepped inside, and before shutting it close, flashed a glare to Syaoran, who was already finished changing.

“Straight to the bed afterwards, `kay? Night night!”

Sakura rolled her eyes with the sweetness in his voice.

Minutes later, she stepped out, wearing purple pajamas with a matching top, her hair still hanging loose. Syaoran was already asleep at the couch beside the bed, a big blanket up just to his stomach. He was breathing lightly in a steady rhythm, more like a little kid.

So he made me have the whole bed…. Sakura thought, walking to him. “Silly.” She gently pulled the blanket securely to his chin and smiled.

She hopped on the bed, pulled the soft covers to cover her shoulders, closed her eyes tight…

And Syaoran opened one eye, took one good look at her sleeping figure, smiled to himself, and finally slept.

Tuesday, 7:46 AM

“Xiaolang… wake up… Xiaolang!!!”

“Whoooaaaa!!! Mei Xin!!!”

KABLAG!

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them sleepily before sitting up. “Li—what's that noise—Whaaa?? What are you doing down there?!”

Syaoran rubbed his neck, sitting on the carpeted floor. “Isn't it still obvious?! Anyway, what time is it? The alarm didn't go off.”

She looked at the alarm clock beside the bed. “7:47,” she replied, getting up and rearranging her pajama top.

“That makes sense. We weren't supposed to get up before 8… Hey—yeooowchh!” he yelped in pain as a raven-haired girl squeezed and pulled on his cheek tight, giggling wildly.

Sakura sweatdropped and stood up, arranging her pajama top into place. “Uhm… Hi Mei Xin!”

“Ni hao!”

Sakura smiled. “Say, what do you want to do for today? Well… I suppose you know that I'll be your babysitter for this day, right?”

Mei Xin strangely looked at her, her wide ruby eyes staring at Sakura, as if examining every part of her meticulously.

Sakura's eyes turned like little anime dots. “Hoe?”

“I don't like you.”

“Whatever… I don't like you too…” Sakura replied in a faint whisper.

“Did you say anything, Saku?”

“Nah, I didn't! I just said you're so cute! Want a hug?”

“I want a hug!” Syaoran called out, still sitting on the floor, crossed legged. He laughed. “Can you give me one biiiig good morning hug?”

Sakura smiled sweetly. “You wish. I would prefer hugging Mei Xin than you!”

“Better take that back… I don't know…” Syaoran trailed off.

Sakura shrugged and opened her arms to the little girl for a hug. Mei Xin smiled and hugged tight.

Tighter.

And tighter.

“Owww!”

“Hahahahaha! I still hate you Saku!”

“Li… heeellp…”

“I told you, you should've just hugged me instead!” He snickered, pulling Mei Xin the human leech apart from Sakura. “Mei Xin, don't do that,” he shushed her.

“Xiaolang, you baby-sit me instead!” the little girl pleaded to Syaoran, flashing those irresistible puppy dog eyes for extra effect. “Can you? Can you?”

Syaoran hesitated. “Well… I think I've got work…”

“Can you? Can you?”

He thought of an excuse. Babysitting the stubborn, boyish Mei Xin? Nuh-uh. “Uhm… we have an important meeting today at the office, Mei Xin…”

“Then take me to your office!” Mei Xin obstinately stomped her foot. “I don't want to stay with Saku!”

“So do I…” Sakura added in a hoarse whisper. “I mean, that's so mean!” she said as Mei Xin looked at her with the fierce, angry ruby-colored eyes.

“Okay. But here's a deal.” Mei Xin nodded with enthusiasm as Syaoran started his little `speech' in front of his little audience. “I'll go with you if you become nice to Sakura.”

The little girl shot another `I hate you' look at Sakura, who flinched. “Oh… okay… as long as you're there…”

Syaoran nodded. “Good girl. Now where do we go?”

Mei Xin seems to know where from the start. “Amusement park!”

10:15 AM

“Dizzy… sooo dizzy… ugh…”

“Yay! We go to the bumper cars next, Xiaolang!”

“You go, we'll stay here. Have a great time!”

Sakura sighed, wiping off beads of sweat quickly forming on her forehead. “Looks like I won't stand a chance to you two… I easily get dizzy….” She smiled, taking her time to get the air she lost. “Especially that horrible roller coaster… I thought I'd throw up right then and there…”

Syaoran chuckled. “Do you want anything? A drink perhaps? I'll buy.”

“No, thanks.”

“Oh c'mon! Juice? Coke?”

Sakura pretended to think childishly. “Oniichaaan, I don't want a drink… I want ice cream… make it triple as big okay? I want a three-level cone!”

“Flavor, little miss bratty?”

“Chocolate with caramel and vanilla and please with cherry on top!”

Syaoran laughed, standing up. “Demanding, huh? You're going to torture me into searching for cherries on top, you know that? Well, you're lucky you're not well. You're my slave and I should've been letting you buy me the ice cream.”

“Oh, sorry `bout that!” Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest. “But you're the one who asked me if I want anything!”

“Yep, I know that.” He started walking towards the ice cream parlor at the other side of the road.

Sakura began to relax while she smoothed her pink sleeveless top and wrinkled jeans. Closing her eyes for a minute, she felt calmness and serenity overcoming her…

“SAKU!”

…Not.

“Hooee!” she almost fell from the bench when the energetic Mei Xin jumped to her from the back, pulling her pigtails. “Mei Xin! Stop… that!” she shrieked as the girl's pulls became stronger that Sakura feared that her hair would be torn off from her scalp.

“Mei Xin!” Syaoran called out, carrying two ice cream cones. “I'm so glad I bought two.” He handed her one ice cream cone, which she gladly took from his hand. “Mei Xin, don't fight with Sakura anymore, will you?”

“Xiaolang, I wanna go to the merry go round!” she changed the topic and pointed to a big merry go round at the far side. Syaoran smiled as Mei Xin tugged on his shirt.

“We'll stay here. Enjoy yourself!” He grinned and she ran off.

Sakura sighed a breath of relief. “I thought she was going to kill me… evil little girl…” She accepted the other ice cream from Syaoran, who sat next to her.

“Sorry about Mei Xin… she's always like that… especially to the girls I'm with. Even my clients she almost killed.” Syaoran laughed.

Sakura nodded in agreement. “Anyway, seems like she shows no respect at all… like… she calls you Xiaolang and me Saku… knowing we're older… wait, how are you related to her?”

“Guess how.”

She thought. “Cousin?”

Syaoran shook his head. “Nope.”

“Sister?”

“No, I have four older ones. I'm the youngest and the only boy.”

“I see…” Sakura nodded. “How about second or third cousin?” she guessed.

Wrong. Syaoran shook his head again.

“Well, believe it or not, she's my aunt.” He grinned.

Sakura almost swallowed wholly the bite of ice cream in her mouth. “What was that?! Mei Xin's your aunt?”

“Yup, and she has the whole right to torture me. Well, she's my grandfather's daughter from another woman he married when he was in his late fifties. Summing it up, my mother's the sole legitimate child and she has two stepsisters, Mei Xin and Meiling. And Meiling's another wicked brat. Wow… it's like a Cinderella story.”

Sakura sighed. “That explains well. Anyway, so where's Meiling now?”

“Office. She's working in the Li Corporation with me.”

“So she's in our age?”

“Yup. Makes it even harder.” Syaoran sighed. “To top it off, Meiling's another aunt of mine so she's bossy around me—although I'm in a higher position than her.”

“Complicated family… very complicated… Don't tell me you have a stepsister or stepbrother too…”

Syaoran laughed. “Yeah, I do have a stepbrother. You're psychic.”

“Let me guess… your father has another wife who has three other stupid sons with her.” Sakura collected her guesses.

Syaoran seemed disappointed. “To tell you the truth, you're perfectly correct.” He heaved another sigh. “But I'm the one who's born first so I get the position in our family. It's very complicated—well, you know Chinese people. They're all like that. Multiple wives, tremendous amount of children… Makes me think of what might happen to me in the future.”

Sakura grinned. “Who knows? Just be sure you keep your count on the number of your wives, okay?”

“I'll keep an address book,” he joked.

“Oh, I'm just curious. Where's your father?”

“He already died. Two years ago.”

She was silenced with the dreaded word. “I'm sorry….”

“That's perfectly fine. I don't have any good memories with him. He's out most of the time. I never even experienced his fatherhood.” Syaoran forced a laugh.

“But still, you got a mom and a dad. My… my mom died when I was born, and I absolutely don't have any good or bad memories with her…. Anyway,” Sakura smiled as she saw his concerned expression, “you still have one heck of a clan. You can't feel lonely with them.”

Syaoran chose to stay silent. He was never used to revealing everything about him. “Yeah, but never mind that, it's never a huge problem! Our problem now is how to tame Mei Xin.” He chuckled.

“Speaking of her, where is she? Usually she takes just a few minutes…” Sakura agitatedly looked around. “I'm worried….”

“Should we go find her?” Syaoran asked.

Sakura nodded as she trashed the tissue in her hand. “I really think we should.”

“The jumpy girl with raven hair?” the merry go round operator thought for a minute before he shook his head. “Yes, I saw her, but she didn't take a second ride. She got off and I didn't know where she went….”

Sakura quickly ran off without even letting the man finish his sentence. She looked around, trying her best to get sight of her responsibility, Mei Xin.

Syaoran calmly nodded to the operator. “Well, we lost her. Can we use some of your help in finding her?”

“Surely, sir.”

“Thanks.” He ran off with Sakura, who was leaning on the wall as she gasped for breath.

“Li… what if we can't find her? What if…?”

Syaoran placed his hands on top of her shoulders. “We will. She's a Li. She can take care of herself.”

“A five-year old? Though she's supposed to be brave, I don't think she can…”

“She can, I know it,” Syaoran reassured her. “She's old enough to think of what to do when she's lost.”

Sakura took a deep breath. “I hope.”

The two ran again, looking for every place for the little girl. Sakura was nervously sweating. What if they can't find her? Punishment awaits them again? What if kidnappers got her and would ask for ransom? Little Chinese girls are perfect for a huge billion dollar ransom… Sakura shook her head in angst. She should find Mei Xin… She would.

“Mei Xin, where are you?” she whispered to herself, hoping she would see again how the girl smiles and tortures them, the way her braided raven hair bounces as she jumps on to her… the way she keeps her alive…

“Mei Xin!” she almost shrieked as she found the little girl with ruby eyes sitting on a bench near the huge fountain, hugging a brown stuffed teddy bear. Hearing her name, she looked up to her babysitter, eyes filled with tears.

“Saku… Sakura!” she jumped up from the bench and ran towards her, crying in her chest.

“Sssh… don't cry…”

“My nephew told me that if I get lost, especially if I'm with a neglectful babysitter, I stay in one place and wait because he would definitely find me…” she sobbed, and Sakura eyed Syaoran, who was grinning again.

4:30 PM

“Awww… how cute she sleeps…” Sakura smiled at Mei Xin, who was sleeping peacefully on Syaoran's back. She held the teddy bear the girl gave her tightly. “She's just good when she sleeps! If she's awake, it'll be a total mess!”

Syaoran laughed. “And I can't believe I'm carrying my aunt!” He smiled at Sakura, who was excitedly watching the ruby-eyed. “Well, I think I should let her sister scold her when we go back… `Don't ever walk to booths without your neglectful babysitter.'” He snickered again.

“I didn't think she would play by herself just to get a teddy bear….”

“She told me that that teddy bear was supposed to be a peace offering so you two could get along,” Syaoran explained. “She wants you to be surprised, that's why she went off by herself.”

Sakura sighed and fixed her gaze at the setting sun in the middle of the ocean, slowly going down with the orange-violet skies. “I think I'm going to like her sooner or later.” She smiled.

Syaoran slowly took Sakura's hand and as they quietly walked towards the exit gate of the amusement park. “Li—”

“Such a nice young couple…” a man suddenly commented, and Sakura took her hand away.

“No, we're not!”

Syaoran just laughed as he heard Sakura cry out the words with frustration. “Hey, aren't you babysitting me for one whole week? Ah, I'm going to love this week.”

Sakura tsk-tsked. “There's no way I would be babysitting two very naughty Lis!” She didn't notice that they were left alone, to their peaceful company.

“Saakuuraa, I want a kiss!” Syaoran asked in a child's voice, pretending to be one. He flashed such irresistible amber-colored puppy dog eyes that are almost impossible to argue against.

“What? You want ice cream?” Sakura countered with a smile. “Give me the money and I'll buy one for you.”

“No, a kiss!”

She cupped a hand over her ear and said in a sing-song voice, “I-can't-hear-you!”

Syaoran grinned childishly, with all his wit. “I-want-to-kiss-you.”

Sakura stopped for a minute as his humor faded, and an intense stare was fixed on her eyes, gluing them together and not tearing them apart for, what she thought, will be forever.

Li Syaoran was getting at it again, she bitterly thought as another reflection on what kind of escape will she be using now came quick through her mind.

She had thought of laughing, or anything at all just to break the silence, but then, to her amazement, he suddenly snickered. Sighing, she giggled with the absurdity and brought up the teddy bear to him.

“Let this cute teddy bear do the job! Don't you want to be kissed by such a cute and cuddly… bear? Mwaaah!”

And they both laughed.

Ojouchan, anata no namae wa…? - Young lady, your name is…?

Kinomoto Sakura desu, Li-san. - I'm Sakura Kinomoto, Mrs. Li.

Arigatou gozaimasu. - Thank you.

Dui bu qi (Chinese) - I'm sorry

Ni hao! (Chinese) - Hello!

Oniichan - Older brother