Author's Note: We go back into the past again. This time, we see how Hen-to and Bik first met. The beginning was strong, but the ending kind of fizzled out. Most of all, it's done really well. I don't know what I am doing next week. For now, enjoy this cute little love story.

Match Fourteen: Peony Boy Meets Plucky Girl:

-Hen-to-

Khai had his own motives for finding Fei and I brides. His scheme was a smart one too: hire his rivals to work for him, marry them off, and get the princess for himself.

(The rivals being Fei and I and the princess being Daiyu.)

Sneaky bastard, don't you think? Granted it, he was a benevolent boss. I do love my Bik and do have a great marriage. But it was still a selfish thing to do. I'm grateful for my life now, but it didn't change what his motives were.

Anyway, back to the story before I end up repeating myself.

So, Fei and I ended up moving onto the Liao property. This really was just decided for us; we didn't have much of a say in this. Somehow, Daiyu made it all that much better. She came out to see me the day I moved in. She leapt forward and hugged me.

"I'm so glad we're going to be neighbors!" Daiyu said. I had no choice but to smile. At least I would get to see her more often again.

"Is there anything that you need?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks for asking," I said. "I am thinking about having a small house party this weekend. It'll just be you, Fei, Khai, and I."

"I would love to join you," she said. I had a smile up to my ears.

"Great!" I said. "I'll see you at three on Saturday."

Things were going great in our new homes. We all lived in the quieter part of Beijing. The houses our boss, it was strange to call him our boss at the time, hooked us up with at the time were nice. My living room windows over looked a road that led into the woods. However, the house felt too big for me. Fei had the same problem I did and Daiyu always felt so lonely being in that big main house with just Khai all the time.

Boss man decided that he would fix the problems himself. I ended up being his first objective.

If this was in modern days, Khai would shoot me text and tell him to meet up at Yao Ji Chao Gan. However, this was 1989. Cell phones? What were those? Instead, I had one of those old-time phones by my bed and down in the kitchen in Khai needed to call me. I think it was in October when phase two of his plan was set into motion.

It was my day-off that morning. I was woken up by that damn phone by my bed. Cursing under my breath, I reached for the receiver.

"Hello?" I asked half-asleep.

"Hen-to, friend!" Khai said on the other line. "What are you up to today?" I narrowed my eyes, confused.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's a nice day outside!"

"So?"

"Come out to Yao Ji Chao Gan today! We'll just spend the day together like friends."

I sat up, looking even more confused. "Why? I don't even have the money to go."

"My treat."

"You won't give up on this, will you?"

"Please?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Fine. Give my thirty minutes." I hung up rather annoyed. He better have a damn good reason for calling me up this early on my day-off, I thought.

Yao Ji Chao Gan. This place… whew! One look at this trendy café reminded that I am poor country bumpkin in the city. I looked down at my own clothes and felt inadequate with my causal wear.

Maybe I could turn around and go back home. I could just say to the boss that I got lost, gave up, and went home. He probably wouldn't even notice me looking in…

It was then something inside caught my attention.

Khai was sitting at the counter talking to some woman. They appeared to be looking so cozy as the woman smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. I raised my eyebrow confused. Wait a second, he's married to Daiyu. Why is he flirting with some other woman? I pushed open the door and walked inside. Khai and that woman looked up when I approached the bar.

"Hen-to," he said. I pointed between him and the woman now staring at me.

"What's going on here?" I asked. Khai's expression became serious.

"She already knows that I am married," she said. "I told her when I introduced myself." I looked at the woman sitting next to the boss. The first thing I noticed about her was her eyes. I could never decide if they were brown or red.

Suddenly my cheeks felt warm.

"Hi, I'm…" I said.

"Chang Hen-to?" the woman asked. I felt my head flying away.

"Yes," I said quietly. Khai smacked me on the back, grinning.

"Come on," he said. "Tell the nice lady about yourself." Those red-brown eyes of hers wouldn't let me speak.

"He's my boss," I said, pointing to Khai.

"Care to join us?" the boss asked. I closed my mouth as I sat down next to the woman. She had her black hair pinned back in a bun with the rest of it flowing down to her shoulders. Her bangs made her face look smaller.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Joo Bik," she said. Her voice threw me for a loop. Why did such a beautiful girl have a voice like a raven? It almost felt jarring to me.

"I see," I said. Khai suddenly stood up.

"Well now," he said. "I just remembered, I have to get back home a do a little paperwork today." I looked at him with a blank stare on my face.

"Wait… what?" I asked. "I'll come with you!"

"Don't worry about it," Khai said. "Fei will help me out. I already paid for your drinks and whatever you buy. You just sit there and enjoy your date. Goodbye." He rushed out the door before I could say a word.

"Date?!" I shouted as the door closed behind that bastard. All eyes were locked on me as I lowered my head. I didn't know whether to scream or want to disappear into the floor. I turned to Bik eyeing me.

"Now what?" I mumbled to myself.

"I have no idea," Bik said back. It was then she had on the tangerine lipstick I would soon come to love in later years.

Our first date turned out rather decent for a clumsy start. Bik and I didn't know what to say initially. We were just tossed into this random date and Khai just took off. I had a clue of what he was doing. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well…" I said. "It's nice to meet you, I guess."

"Yeah…" she said.

"So… what do you do?"

"I'm a medical student."

"You are?"

Bik raised her eyebrow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

I about jumped and waved my hands back and forth. "No, no! I think it's great! In fact, a friend of mine is the only one to go to college out of our village."

"You didn't go to college?"

"Too poor to. My friend's husband hired me and a buddy of mine and moved us onto his property."

"Wow."

I kept Khai's suspected motives to myself. Why would this woman need to hear about all of that? Instead, I asked, "Hey, are you doing anything for the rest of the day?"

"No," she said.

"Since we're out here, do you just want to do whatever in the city? I mean, we don't have much else to do anyway."

"Alright, but after I get my cake."

I looked up at the menu. "What did you order?"

"White sugar sponge cake."

"I think I'll get that too."

"It's good, you should try it."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it."

The rest of that day is kind of a blur to me. We didn't really do much on that date. Just walked around the city, talking. Bik had these cute little gold dragon earrings that day too. She still wears them to this day. Bik came from a big family. They weren't as rich as Khai, but they were will-off. Her mother wanted her to be a homemaker, but her father wanted her to become a doctor just like him. (I think I might have thrown a kink in her plans when we entered into a relationship, but that's not relevant for this story.) It rained in the middle of our walk and I ended up staying the night in her dorm until morning. I stayed on the couch, but I had dinner and tea with her and roommate. Said roommate was nice, but she kept looking at me funny the whole time.

That's all that happened on our impromptu first date. Bik did kiss me before I went home the next morning. I am grateful for Khai for introducing me to my now-wife, but it was still a selfish thing for him to do given his motives.

Khai would do the same thing for Fei and Cai just so he could have Daiyu all to himself.

-Present Day-

Meanwhile, phone calls rocked the nations further into the Wasteland's awaiting jaws.

"Hello?" Wang Ja asked on the morning of August first.

"Hello?" Lydia asked that same morning.

Meanwhile, Ludwig made a phone call of his own.