As before, I don't own Koei or Dynasty Warriors



Chapter 3: Lu Xun gives a clue

"Hi Ning, what's up?"

Gan Ning looked up from where he sat at his table to see Sun Shang Xiang standing next to him. She took a seat next to him.

"Hey Shang- why aren't you dancing?"

"I need your help! Someone gave me this-" she showed him the rose, "and I need to know who. You know all the generals and officers…so what do you say?"

"Alright then- we'll see which one of these miserable saps gave you the flower!" He then paused for a minute, before turning to Lu Xun, who was avoiding being dragged to the dance floor by a cheery Xiao Qiao. "Xun?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know anything about roses?"

Lu Xun just glanced at the ex-pirate. Since when was Gan Ning interested in flowers? "Well yeah of course I do. Funny you should ask, because a certain someone asked me about roses earlier today…wanted a perfect one…"

Shang Xiang's ears pricked up, and she thrust the rose in front of Lu Xun's face. "This one?"

Lu Xun took the rose from her and examined it. Yes, he could remember it well. He had been asked to select it from the rose garden, under strict instructions that it had to be perfect, or else… "Yeah, it was this one! It took me all afternoon to find!"

"So…who asked you to find it?"

"Really Sun Shang Xiang, I can't tell you! Please don't make me!"

"Don't make me get my chakrams! Please tell me! I have to know." She gave him her puppy dog eyes look, and he sighed. He hated it when she acted all sweetly…

"Alright then." He leaned closer to Shang Xiang and Gan Ning, and whispered something so only they could hear. After, Shang's jaw dropped.

"No way!"

"I'm serious! Don't say anything!"

Shang Xiang looked at Gan Ning, and he looked as if he was about to burst in a fit of laughter. She didn't know how to react. Surely something was up. Him? No, it couldn't be. It was just, well, wrong! Lu Xun simply sat in his seat looking at the rose.

"Do you think he, erm, likes you?" Xun asked as he gave it back to her.

"……………………………..." was her response.

Gan Ning, after managing to control himself, had a turn at admiring the rose. Sure, it was pretty, but would that man seriously give it to Shang Xiang?

"Can you come with me to find him Ning?" asked Shang Xiang. Her tone of voice was quite worrying.

"Sure! You'll need all the support you can get!" Finishing his sentence, he stood up, and the followed Shang Xiang to the library to find the 'mystery man'.

Lu Meng sat with Zhou Tai in the library, where some of the 'quieter' generals and officers sat enjoying a quiet drink. They weren't that interested in the Valentines Day festivities that much, and the library was one of those places that the Qiaos didn't visit much. Meng took a sip of his wine and leant back in his chair, closing his eyes. He was trying to relax after a hard day, and just wanted to rest. He felt another presence next to him, and opened his eyes to see Sun Shang Xiang standing in front of him.

"Lady Sun, did you want something?" he asked as he sat back up.

"Lu Meng, why didn't you say anything?"

Lu Meng was confused. Say anything about what? He noticed Gan Ning was standing next to her, about to laugh his head off. "I don't understand…"

"I know you're a hard working general, and you concentrate very hard on your work. It's just that, well…"

"Well…?"

"I didn't know you felt that way about me."

There was a few seconds silence, until Gan Ning started laughing. Even Zhou Tai couldn't help but chuckle at this. Lu Meng liking the princess? What was the world coming to?

"Shang Xiang, what are you on about?"

"You did give me this rose, right?" She showed him the flower, and judging by the look on his face, it certainly looked familiar.

"Oh this! Listen Shang, I contributed to the giving of the rose, but I was told to go and get it by someone. You're a nice girl, but I don't feel that way about you, so don't worry!"

He smiled as Shang Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the last thing she wanted was an older general like himself having the hots for her!

"I can't believe I've just embarrassed myself in front of you!"

Ning gave a little laugh. Imitating her, he said "Oh Lu Meng, I didn't know you felt that way about me!" Zhou Tai chuckled even more in his deep voice, and seeing that they were making fun of her, Shang Xiang playfully hit Ning on the arm.

"So who asked you to get it from Lu Xun?"


The 'mystery' continues... (my guess is that most people already know!) R&R please as usual:)