Tigress had been experiencing unexplainable fatigue for the past two weeks. She couldn't even run the full course in the Training Hall, which was very unlike her, and this got Shifu worried. Despite her disagreement that she just needed a bit of rest, he called the healer.
"Your daughter suffered from too-much-work syndrome," the healer, Mr. Jing, explained. "It is very common among high achievers and those who work very hard to experience this. Symptoms can include insomnia, lack of appetite, negativity, isolative and self-punishing inclination."
"Is that really such... disease? Sound like laziness to me," Tigress muttered.
Shifu tapped his chin, thinking deeply. He was as skeptical as Tigress. However, Tigress' symptoms are quite symmetrical with what Mr. Jing expounded. Because her difficulty to fall asleep, Tigress had been reading twice as many scrolls as the rest of the Five combined, she had only been eating tofu, and for every minuscule mistake she made during training, she punished herself by training harder during lunch break and weekends. And for a fifteen-year-old girl, she was incredibly reclusive, preferring to spend her free time in her bedroom or training hall.
It was borderline abnormal.
No. It was abnormal.
"Is there any cure for this... disease?" Shifu prompted, ignoring Tigress who grumbled disapprovingly next to him.
"Thankfully this condition is easily treatable," Mr. Jing said positively. "She should participate in non-Kung-Fu related activity. Such diversion will hopefully break the habit and cure the syndrome in no time."
"But...-"
"There is no but, Tigress," Shifu cut her in. "As much as I love a hardworking student like you, I hate to see you waste yourself. I know you love Kung Fu and have devoted your entire life to the art, but you must learn to get the balance."
Tigress swallowed her protest and groaned. "So, what you suggest here, Master?"
"I have an idea," he said mysteriously. "Follow me."
Po had been working in his dad restaurant as soon as he could walk. He was well known among the neighbors and the community (let say because he often distributed coupons and free samples of his father's latest culinary experiment.) But above all, everyone liked him because he was friendly and pleasant to just about anyone.
One day, Mrs. Xia, one of the restaurant regulars told him about Mrs. Ching's new assistant.
"She is very pretty," the rabbit gushed, waggling her bushy brows teasingly. "I know Shifu has a daughter, but I didn't expect her to look...remotely different from him."
Po knew Mrs. Xia was referring to both Shifu's physical attributes and personality. The old red panda could be crotchety at times, especially when he had to wait for his food longer than usual.
Three days had passed and Po hadn't really had any reason to step foot into Mrs. Ching's flower shop. He wasn't seeing anyone, and so didn't really need to buy any flowers. Add a stressful job and slave driver father into the mix, and it turned into something he kept meaning to do but never got around to. (Ok... this was just an excuse!)
He'd seen her around when Shifu took her to the village market - auburn fur with dark stripes, slender waist, long legs, walking with graceful gait that made his mouth water.
She was always dressed pragmatically, a pair of plain trousers and simple sleeveless top that exposed her toned arms and enhanced the length of her legs. And despite the inviting facade with big 'welcome' plastered on the front of the shop, despite the scent of cherry blossom carrying up through the street-facing window in the humidity of the late June evenings, despite Tigress sounded like someone he really, really wanted to get to know, he kept putting it off.
Po told his neighbor's boy, Jun, it was because he was busy. Jun said it was because he was an idiot (or Po didn't have a set of good working eyes).
Fine.
But part of him didn't want to be an idiot, so he accepted when Jun placed a bet of a massive bowl of dumpling that he would not dare to step into the flower shop. It was the challenge that had brought Po to finally step foot into "The Lucky Bunch" for the first time.
The shop was small but cozy. There really wasn't any other word for it. Painted tin buckets hanging in rows lined one wall, filled with flowers of every kind, organized by color. Pre-arranged bouquets were displayed on artfully stacked wooden crates in the center, and on the opposite wall were potted plants and flowers, extra pots, decorative garden pieces and vases.
The bell on the door tinkled as he walked in, and when the door shut, the cool, damp air surrounded him and the noise from outside disappeared, throwing him into a completely different world.
Suddenly, his nose began to itch.
"Can I help you?" said a velvety voice. Po rubbed his nose profusely to abate the surge of mounting pressure from his lung. Tigress poised in front of him, wearing a silk qipao. Po had never seen her in anything but training outfit. But the change was definitely welcome. She looked adorable in them.
"I, uh..." He cleared his throat. "Hi, I'm Po Ping," he bowed politely and she returned the gesture.
"I know who you are," Tigress responded, smiling. He had never seen her smile. If it weren't genuine, she did a great job faking it. "There are not that many large mammals in the valley."
Yes, reasonable.
"Right, of course, you do. I mean, I – uh… I live around the corner, in the noodle shop," he blurted. "Not that... not that I want to tell you where I live but...-"
Tigress nodded, her movement and expression were entirely controlled and calm. "Yes, you do. What finally brings you down here?"
Of course, he couldn't say he came here to win a free lunch because that would be bad... and very unromantic.
"I was looking for a bouquet," he said, lying through his teeth. Then Po realized she'd probably assume it was for another woman, and for some reason, he really didn't want her to think he was unavailable. "For my mother," he amended. Bigger lie. He didn't even have a mother. Because if he had, he would like to know whether she was a goose or a panda.
"Okay," Tigress said immediately. Po released a breath that he was unconsciously holding and thanking his geese ancestor for not telling Tigress he didn't come from an egg. "What kind of flowers does she like?"
He didn't even know? Ok, nevermind. Time to improvise.
"Um, red ones? Wait... pink! Yes, pink."
His impromptu answer pulled the edge of her lips. She was smiling broadly and he felt his heart skip a few beats.
"Pink ones?" she asked, eyebrow raised, half amused, half skeptical.
Po felt a sneeze coming on. He held a finger up, turning his head away and catching a glimpse of the sunlight pouring through the front windows. With an explosion of sound, he sneezed, screwing his eyes shut.
"Bless you," she said, still grinning.
"You know what?" he asked. Sneeze. "I think these should be just fine," he said, grabbing the first bouquet he could reach on the display behind him. Sneeze.
"But those aren't even pi-"
Sneeze.
"No these are great! She'll love them!" Sneeze. He pulled out a coin and tossed it on the counter. "Here, keep the change!" Sneeze. "Nice to meet you!" Sneeze.
He ran out with the sound of the bell and Tigress' smile still tattooed on his brain.
Jun laughed so hard he cried when Po told him about it later on. He gladly paid his due and told Po that he should visit the flower shop again tomorrow. Po refused until Jun graciously placed another dumpling bet on the table.
This time, he took a laundry peg to pinch his nose, and he perused the loose flowers, looking at the ones he knew for a fact weren't in the last bouquet, thinking perhaps he was allergic to one of them.
"More flowers for your mother?" Tigress said as a means of greeting. He whirled around and he could see her lips twitched when she saw the peg perched on his nose. He took it away swiftly and said, "No, this one's for my dentist…" he trailed off at the end. "Yes, my dentist... Mr...Mr. Wen," he made up.
What the hell.
The tiger folded her lips together. It was so very clear she was trying not to laugh. "The only Mr. Wen I know is a vegetable seller."
Hell, why she has to be freaking clever and observant?
"Oh, he sells bamboo too. I love bamboo. I mean, all panda love bamboo. Wait, is bamboo a type of vegetable?" For goodness sake, stop saying bamboo. "And he sometimes offers to check my teeth."
That was remotely convincing, but... nevermind.
"Okay, sure," she said, decided not to question him further. "What kind of flowers does he like? Also pink ones?" she asked teasingly.
Po cleared his throat. "No, actually. Mr. Wen likes white flowers."
"There is no white one available on the shop floor. They are only available by preorder for funerals. I'm sure you're aware of that?" It was not a question, more like a statement. Tigress snorted softly, and Po was finally forced to shake his head and smile. He reached back to rub his neck, laughing self-deprecatingly.
"I can help you to choose another one if you like," she offered.
Great! a good chance to get to know her.
But before Po could voice his approval, a sudden itchy sensation was tickling his nose, followed by a loud explosion. Thankfully he managed to rush out of the shop before the explosive impact of his mega sneeze blowing the entire store layout.
So he was back down there the next day, and the next. Each time with a different request. Po realized soon his visit became less of winning the bet, more to see Tigress in her cute outfit.
"I don't get it," Jun told him, looking around at the now six different bouquets scattered around Po's messy bedroom. The first one had started to wilt but he couldn't bring himself to throw it away. "Why don't you just tell her? And perhaps... ask her out?"
Po didn't answer. He honestly didn't know himself.
On day eleven, he was just getting ready to head downstairs when he heard his dad frantically knocking on his door.
"Dad, what's up? Is there a bandit? A misbehaving customer who refuses to pay?"
Mr. Ping shook his head. After he regulated his breath, he said. "A girl is looking for you. A pretty one, with tight waist and nice muscle."
Oh dang! There was no time for him to get ready. He cursed his luck as he licked his palms and applied them to the fur on his head. "Dad...dad...dad, h-how do I look?"
"You look fine, Son," Mr. Ping replied, grinning broadly. "Now go and invite her for dinner!"
"Daddd..."
Po regretted to even ask.
After mustering his courage, he swinging the kitchen door open.
"Yeah?" he asked, finding Tigress waiting on the other side with a bouquet of lilies.
"Hi."
Po froze for a moment. Then – "Um, hi?"
For the first time since he'd met her, Tigress seemed unsure of herself. She was wearing that qipao again, this time with a slit running on both sides. She was beautiful like her lilies, but she also looked worried.
"I, uh… I figured I'd save you the trouble of coming to the shop today and just come up with a bouquet for your…?"
It took Po a moment to realize what she was asking, but then he couldn't help his smile as he responded, "My assistant."
And there was her sweet smile again. "Your assistant?"
Po nodded. "Yup," he supplied confidently.
Tigress tilted her head. "You don't have an assistant," she said in a stage whisper. "In fact, you are the assistant. Zheng told me after Shifu got despicably ill because your dad wasn't here...and the assistant in charge cooked him the food. Perhaps you forgot to wash your hand?"
The episode from the time he heard Shifu was untimely ill when the Boar struck havoc in the valley surfaced in his mind.
"Ok... fine," he sighed and decided to admit. "I... I just want to see you."
"Seeing me?" Tigress repeated, putting the lilies down on the kitchen counter. "Why not just tell me?" She echoed Jun's question from several days ago. This time, Po had an answer.
He cleared his throat. "I was going to, but… I like coming to your shop. I...like you."
He cringed right after the sentence fell from his mouth. He bit his lips and braced for impact. He had heard boys who lost their teeth for messing with her. It's a bad idea to say a wrong thing to a Kung Fu master.
After a few seconds lapsed, Tigress didn't seem going to punch his face, so Po continued. "Can I...Can I order another bouquet?"
Tigress frowned. "Yeah, why-?"
"I want to ask a girl out, but I don't know what her favorite flower is. What flower would you give to someone who works in a flower shop?"
It was a beautiful thing to see, the way Tigress' smile seemed to start out from posture as she relaxed...and extended its way up to her lips and crinkled her eyes. She glanced down at the lilies on the kitchen counter.
"Orange ones, peppered with dark speckles. Those smell heavenly," she said, smiling. And Po honestly should have known, Shifu had named her Tigress after all, obviously tiger lily would be her favorite.
"Is that a yes?" he asked.
Tigress returned home that evening. She had been on two weeks break from all sort of training and working in the flower shop instead. At first, she was skeptical the approach would work - until the day Po stepped into the shop.
"You look happy," remarked Viper when she heard Tigress hummed a song as she went past.
"I'm always happy," the tiger returned.
"Yes, sure. When you obliterate the training hall you can repeat that to me again," the serpent slithered closer. "Something must've happened in the flower shop. Tell me."
"No. Nothing," Tigress replied with her usual cool mask of nonchalance. "Just you know... regular customer."
Viper narrowed her eyes. Even though they only had been friends for a couple of months, Viper had learned to decode Tigress' unusual antics when it came to replying a question.
"I got a strange feeling about this regular customer of yours," she grinned and whispered. "Is he handsome?"
She noticed her friend's jerked slightly at the question. Bingo. "Oh god, did he ask you out?"
"Shhh... It's next week. He told me he would take me out for lunch."
Viper shrieked happily, but something dawned on her. "But how will you escape training? Isn't your work in the flower shop is supposed to stop tomorrow?"
"I told Shifu that I need another two weeks recuperating from 'too-much-work syndrome,' so he'll let me work there for another week. I don't mean to brag... but, my training and assignment are years ahead of you. I'm sure Shifu won't mind."
Viper scoffed, but she knew what Tigress said was true. The tiger had been putting extra hours and she was well ahead of everyone else. Two weeks of slacking of...no, relaxing won't hurt.
"Tigress," called Viper right before her friend about to make her exit. "Can you tell me again the symptom of the syndrome?"
"Why?"
"I'll tell Shifu that may have suffered from one. See you in the flower shop."