I made a couple more voice actor decisions. Though she is no longer in the story, I chose Masako Katsuki to play Suo (she played the Kiishimu in Tsubasa Chronicles eps 9-10). At the suggestion of a friend, I chose Sanae Kobayashi to play Rong, who also played Nyu/Lucy in Elfen Lied, Xing Huo in Tsubasa Chronicles, and Lady Bat in Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure. I chose Tomokazu Seki to play Yi. He was Jun in both versions of Kanon, Shuichi in Gravitation, Sosuke in Full Metal Panic and Kyo in Fruits Basket (haha, I just saw all of your eyes light up – ZOMG KYO!).
Notes: Again, I'm messing with the wedding customs and adding some Western customs too since that's what I know most about.
I never told you this before (and I probably should have), but Xue's name is pronounced "Shoo-EH".
Since it's a wedding, some lines will be repeated.
In Chinese weddings, it's not unusual for the bride to change clothes as many as five times throughout the course of the ceremony and reception.
Lyrics from Coco Lee's "Moonlight Lover" appear in this chapter. (Also known as "A Love Before Time")
Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Shaman King. The story and its characters were created by Hiroyuki Takei. All original characters made specifically for this fanfiction and any tie-in/spinoff pieces were created by Jezebel Parks.
A Gift of Love – Chapter Sixty-two: Wo Yong Yuan...Ai Ni (I Love You...Forever...)
A half hour later, Ren, fully refreshed and dried off, sat down on a velvet couch to wait for Pin-Mei to emerge from the 'cock loft'. He was still in a little bit of pain, but…
It's worth it…She's worth it…
He became alert when he heard a giggle. As he looked to the doorway, he saw a tall woman with long wavy light pink hair and buns on the top of her head. She was dressed in a dark blue and gold hanfu that seemed to be made to display certain favorable features. Ren eyed her suspiciously as she walked over to sit next him.
"You must be Lord Ren," she said in a light tone.
"Yes…"
"Congratulations on your marriage...No one could have asked for a more handsome groom." She giggled again.
"…What do you want?"
She pretended to be embarrassed. "Oh my, you've found me out." She smiled. "I've come to help you."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Help me?"
She nodded. "We both know what sort of state Lady Pin-Mei is in right now. She's so fragile…almost too fragile for love making…"
He didn't let his eyes leave her. "Maybe so."
"You seem so deprived," she said in a sultry tone. "A man of your stature…the scion of such an illustrious family…" She reached out to touch him. He jerked away slightly. "...such a handsome face, such a perfect body...you deserve only the best…whatever you want whenever you want it…"
"Yeah?" He sounded interested.
She leaned toward him slightly.
"To be pleasured how you want..."
The concubine leaned closer to him, allowing him to see the titillating cleavage that seemed to be aching to be fully revealed. He could smell the intoxicating cherry blossoms from her perfume.
"I can give you all of that…and so much more…" she whispered in an arousing voice. "Lady Pin-Mei won't be ready for at least another hour. We would have enough time for at least one or two sessions…and even a few months from now, when her body can no longer bring you pleasure, I can…" She leaned even closer. "And she would never have to know…What do you desire, Lord Ren? Will you let me pleasure you?"
Ren remained still as she placed her left hand on his right thigh and began leaning closer to him. As her lips were about to touch his, he grabbed her from under her chin and thrust her away from him and onto the floor. She looked up at him, astonished.
"Lord Ren…I…I don't understand…"
He stood and glared down at her, his eyes full of rage. "I was fooled by harlots like you in the past, but I won't make that mistake again. Especially not on my wedding day, not when I have someone who more than satisfies my needs. She's my wife, and the woman who's going to bear my children. She's been sacrificing so much these last few months. I could never tire of her. In fact, recently I've become more and more attracted to her. Someone as depraved as you could never understand. Someone with no morals or discrimination of who she gives her body to doesn't turn me on in the least."
"But...But I can do so much more for you than she can! All the things she can't do for you, the things you desire, the things you want to do, that you want to try, I can! I can-"
Ren grabbed her by the throat and lifted her to his level.
"I. Said. No. What part of that doesn't a brainless trollop like you understand?" He started closing the hand wrapped around her throat. "You're better off dead. Then you won't have the chance to ruin anyone's life or relationship."
She started choking. "Pl—Please forgive me, Lord Ren! Please! I—I don't want...to die!"
But the hand was still closing off her windpipe. Tears ran down her face as it started turning a shade of blue.
"Ren! That's enough! You'll kill her!"
Rong grabbed his wrist, trying to loosen his grasp.
"You pass! You pass, okay? Now let her go!"
Ren's eyes widened. He dropped the girl to the ground, then looked at his hand in horror.
I almost killed another innocent person...
Rong tended to the girl, who was shaking with wide, horrified eyes. Her face, which had been a shade of blue only moment before , was now chalk white.
"I...I almost died, JieJie...I almost died..."
Rong looked guilty as she held her sister close. "I'm sorry. You were good enough to do this for me, and now this happened...I didn't plan on him reacting that strongly."
Ren stared down at them. "You mean...This was..."
She nodded. "This was a trial to test your fidelity. I asked my younger sister here, Yu-lan, to pose as a concubine and try to seduce you. You exceeded my expectations. I just didn't plan on you becoming violent."
He looked at the ground in shame. Then he knelt down in front of them.
"I...I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I just...In my past I..."
"It's...It's alright, Lord Ren," Yu-lan whispered back, still quivering. She gave a shaky smile. "I'm jealous...Lady Pin-Mei gets a groom who is handsome, kind, and loyal...If only I could..."
Her sister patted her. "It's hard, I know...But you'll find that someone just for you. Someone's missing you right now. They may not have met you yet, but a part of them is missing. That part is you."
"JieJie..."
"You don't have any duties, so you would be allowed to marry. Be patient. You'll find him. Or maybe he'll come find you, like Horokeu did for me."
"And how Pin-Mei came to me..." Ren said in a distant voice. He was remembering that fateful night almost six years ago. The night she had come to him as a present. His little gift of love. He looked up. "Where is she?"
Rong smiled. "Ah, yes. Let me go get her." She stood and quickly walked out of the room and up a flight of stairs.
He and Yu-lan looked at each other. She had a baby face. 'Adorable'. That was what she was. She hadn't yet made the transformation from 'adorable' to 'beautiful'. She looked to be about Pin-Mei's age. She blushed as her eyes drifted to his mouth, and then his thighs.
"I'm so embarrassed...Saying and doing those things..."
"It's alright. You were just doing what Rong told you to do."
She nodded slowly. "I...I must go..." She stood and quickly ran out of the room. Ren sighed and sat down on the velvet couch again.
That's when the thought hit him. He had been with Pin-Mei as she grew up, as her body should have showed signs of maturity. But he had spent every day with her, so he never really noticed her transformation. Had there been one? He couldn't remember.
How could I miss something like that?
He cursed himself for not paying enough attention. The next time he saw her, he would make sure to look at her more. Maybe even compliment her if he felt like it. She would probably die; Compliments weren't something that he dished out daily.
The next time I see her...She'll be in her bridal robes... He smiled weakly to himself. It's been so long...It's finally happening...After today, there will be no doubt whatsoever that she'll be with me forever...I'll never have to be afraid of being alone again...
He heard Rong clear her throat. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, smiling. She stepped to the side, then looked down the hall that was hidden by the wall of the room he was in.
"Come, Milady. Lord Ren's been waiting a very long time to see you again. Not to mention he passed every trial with flying colors." She suddenly put her hand up to stop her. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT! I almost forgot!" She walked up to Ren and held out her hand. "You must pay me before you can have her."
Ren sighed as he took out a small red envelope. "How much do you want?"
"Eight thousand, five hundred yen."
"No, Rong! I'm not worth that much!" Pin-Mei's voice came from the hall.
Ren stared at the doorway almost hungrily. He hadn't seen her for more than two weeks. At this point, just the sound of her voice was enough to ignite a flame of desire deep within him.
Rong smirked. "You're right, Milady," she said in a loud voice. "You're worth so much more!" She looked him in the eye. "Forty-two thousand yen." (AN: More than $550)
"No, Rong! That's too much!" the voice came again, but it was quickly hushed by Ran and Dúo.
"A good bride stays silent," they whispered.
Ren shrugged and handed her a packet with the requested amount in it.
"I had actually brought over one hundred thousand, but that works too." He smirked. "But if I were you, I wouldn't have sold her for all the milk in China."
Rong stared at him, then smiled. She took the packet. "That's why I'm selling her to you." She walked back to the hall. "Alright, Milady, you can come out now."
"I'm so nervous..."
"Don't be. You look beautiful."
"O-Okay..."
He heard her inhale, then begin to walk towards the door. His eyes widened. Rong had just made the biggest understatement imaginable.
She was wearing long red and gold robes that trailed on the floor. The bust hugged her tightly, but from the hips down, it was free-sized so that she could feel more comfortable. The sleeves covered her hands, but it didn't stop her from holding a fan in them to shield her face.
Rong snatched it away from her. "Milady, you're wearing a red veil, he can't see your face anyhow."
Pin-Mei nodded, remembering that she had to be silent. She met Ren in the center of the room and bowed to him.
"You don't have to do that,"
She nodded furiously. He sighed.
"When is she allowed to talk?"
"After you lift her veil," his mother replied.
He raised his eyebrows. "Well, that's easy enough." He reached for the bottom of the veil.
"HEY!" Rong slapped his hand like he was a child reaching across the table for a cookie. "Hands off. You can't see her face until the ceremony starts."
Ren fumed, then grasped Pin-Mei's hand and began pulling her out of the house. "Let's go. I want the ceremony to start."
Under her veil, Pin-Mei had looked confused at first, but then smiled at his last sentence. I do too...I want my dream to come true...
Rong called after them. "REN STOP! YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH HER!" she yelled.
He immediately slowed down, remembering her condition. Pin-Mei brought her other hand over to his and held it. He looked down at her.
"Can you not see that well?" She shook her head. He gave a small smirk. "I'm always taking care of you, aren't I?" She nodded shyly.
They got into the carriage. Before they could shut the door, Rong hopped in and sat across from them. Ren glared at her.
"What the hell are you doing in here?"
"Making sure you won't lift her veil."
He grumbled and looked out the window. He felt something land on his arm, and looked down to see that Pin-Mei had taken to leaning on him, her head on his shoulder. Her breathing told him that she was sleeping.
"Don't worry about her. She's just tired," Rong said, seeming lethargic herself. "As you would expect, she was up late worrying about today, going through the whole cold feet thing." She saw his nervous expression. "It's not that she didn't want to marry you, she was just scared about taking on the role as the wife of the scion and eventual head of the Tao family. You know her, she has almost no confidence. Her emotions are a little whack, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Just do what I said and make her feel desired. Especially today and tonight. Don't be a hardass. Little girls dream about this day, and Pin-Mei's no different." She smiled. "Strangely, neither was I. Just enjoy today. It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life."
Ren nodded as he looked at his sleeping bride. He wanted to yank that veil off and see if she really had changed...Stupid tradition.
Rong looked out at the crowd that had congregated at the lake. Jasmine petals were scattered around the altar where the priest stood, and small archways were on the far left and right. It was almost time.
She looked down at Xue. "You ready, sweetheart?"
"Yeah-huh!" her daughter cried excitedly.
"You remember what to do, right?"
She nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy," she said. "Xue's 'sperienced at this!"
Rong smiled and tapped her back. "Go on, then."
Xue giggled and skipped down the aisle throwing the petals of cherry blossoms she had brought from home. The crowd watched her, exchanging giggles and coos of endearment. Rong looked at HoroHoro.
"Shall we?"
He smiled and nodded. They walked down the aisle together, separating at the altar. He stood at the priest's right, and she went toward the archway at his left to help the bride with the final preparations.
"This is very modern for a Chinese wedding," Yoh observed from his seat.
"Of course. It's 2007; hardly anyone goes through all the traditions anymore," Anna said. "It's a wonder they even carried out as many of the customs as they did."
Xue twirled in front of her father, who then pointed over to where the Asakura family sat, telling her to join them. She nodded and ran over to them. Still giggling, she plopped herself down next to Hana.
He gave her a wave. "Hey, Xue!"
Her smile faded and she took to staring at her shoes, her face pink. "H-Hi, Hana..."
But everyone quieted down as Ren walked up to the small stage and stood in front of HoroHoro and the master of ceremonies. His friend couldn't help but notice that he was a little pale.
"Oi, Ren, you okay?"
The groom practically tossed his head. "Of course I am. Who do you think you're talk to?" But his eyes weren't as convincing. It was apparent that pre-marital jitters could affect even the strongest of men.
Some faint music played and Ren turned to see Rong slowly leading Pin-Mei toward them. She was holding lilies in her hands, so her guide put her hand on her back in order to direct her. When she was in front of him, Rong nodded, signaling that, at last, he could remove her veil and look at her face.
"Just be careful," she whispered. "She's really shy about how she looks."
Ren looked at Pin-Mei again. Her head was bowed, but more out of embarrassment than respect. He smirked, then gently lifted the veil over her head.
Before he could get the slightest glimpse of her, she grabbed a fan, opened it, and put it in front of her face, not even allowing her eyes to see over it. A few giggles and chuckles came from the crowd. He stared at it for a few moments, surprised, then gently took it from her and closed it. She lowered her head in an effort to hide her face. When he lifted her chin, however, she gave no resistance. His eyes widened slightly.
How in the world did I miss this?
Her face wasn't the least bit round anymore. Even her eyes were less wide and full of innocence, but had still retained their warmth. The girl whose looks he had decided weren't all that special nearly six years ago had grown up, and now had a mature face to match.
She blushed as he continued staring at her, making it hard to tell if he had lifted the veil at all.
"Do I...look okay?"
He smiled at her softly. "Of course." He paused, getting ready for her reaction. "You look beautiful."
The surprise in her eyes was priceless. Her face became even redder as her eyes began shifting nervously, trying her best not to look him in the eye.
"Th-Th-Thank you..." She dipped her head toward the ground, her eyes peeking up at him. "Y-You look very handsome..."
Ren blinked, then tried to turn his face away to hide it.
"Thanks..."
Rong and HoroHoro smiled at each other, then went to go sit in the audience. Ren helped Pin-Mei sit on a small cushioned stool that stood at the altar. Then he held her hands as the priest began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered..."
"I hate this part," Rong grumbled as she an HoroHoro sat down. "Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, they love each other. We know that. Let's just get to the 'I do's and get to the reception."
Finally, the elder turned to the couple, and Pin-Mei removed a red fan from her sleeve.
"What's with the fan?" HoroHoro whispered.
"She's supposed to give it to her parents to symbolize her leaving them to go live with Ren...But since neither of her parents are here, I don't know what they're..."
"Will Usui Rong please approach the altar,"
Rong's eyes widened. She looked at her husband, who just smiled at her.
"Seems like they want you up there. You better go." She nodded dumbly and stood, then walked to stand in front of the couple.
"I...I don't understand..." she whispered.
Pin-Mei smiled at her. "You took care of me for over twelve years...when I had no other adults to lean on, to teach me right from wrong, to take care of me when I was sick, to help me with homework... Xu Hua may have given birth to me, and while I love her, and I thank her for sacrificing herself so that I could live, Rong, you're the only mother I've ever known"
A tear reluctantly fell down Rong's cheek. "Pin-Mei..."
The bride held out the fan as her groom put his hand over hers.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Rong," he said. "I'll take over now."
Rong smiled weakly. "You've been doing that for the past six years."
"Just take the fan and go back to your seat before Pin-Mei starts crying," he said with fake anger.
"Heh. Fine." She looked at Pin-Mei once more, who smiled, before gently taking the fan and going back to sit with her husband. "That wasn't at the rehearsal," she said looking down at the fan wistfully.
"Now we will have the vows." The couple held hands as the priest turned to Pin-Mei.
"Do you, Pin-Mei, take Ren to be your lawfully wedded husband..."
Rong let out a quiet coo. Her husband looked at her.
"What?"
"Look at Pin-Mei,"
He looked up and saw that she was desperately biting her lip to keep herself from crying.
"Why doesn't she just let it all out like she usually does?"
Rong tilted her head. "I'm not quite sure. But I think it might have something to do with trying to prove herself to her new in-laws."
"Prove something?"
"The Tao family has an immense amount of pride, you know that from being around Ren. Now Pin-Mei, who's been like a scared puppy her whole life, is joining that family. I think she feels like she has to prove that she can carry that amount of pride. To her, if she cries now, even on a day when most women cry tears happiness, it will be a sign of weakness."
"Jeez...She's taking a lot more seriously than she has to. She's just getting married."
"It just shows how important it is to her to keep Ren's honor."
He sighed. "You Chinese and your honor."
"You'll bring honor to us all!" Xue sang.
The parents sighed and looked back up at the ceremony.
"...until death do you part?"
Pin-Mei took a quick, yet deep, breath to keep her tears in.
"I do."
The curate smiled and turned to the groom.
"And do you, Ren, take Pin-Mei to be your lawfully wedded wife in a state of holy matrimony? Do you promise that you will love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live until death do you part?"
Ren looked across him at Pin-Mei, whose lip was almost bleeding. His mouth turned up.
"I do."
"May the tokens of your love be brought forth."
HoroHoro jumped up, and looked like he was just going to toss Ren the small ring box when Rong pinched his waist. He relented and walked up to them, ignoring the pain in his side.
"Here you go," he said, putting the box on a pedestal that stood to the right of them. Ren nodded at him and he went back to his seat.
The cleric placed his hand on the box. "May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, may they always return to one another. May these two find in each other the love for which all men and women yearn. May they grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home which they establish together be such a place that many will find there a friend. May these rings on their fingers symbolize the touch of the spirit of love in their hearts."
Everyone watched as he opened the box and took out a large gold wedding band, and then handed it to Pin-Mei. She blinked, obviously confused that it was being given to her first.
"Rong, aren't the men supposed to put the ring on first? That's how we did it."
She smirked. "Yeah. Just watch."
"Pin-Mei, in placing this ring on Ren's finger, repeat after me; Ren, you are now consecrate to me as my husband from this day forward,"
"Ren, you are now consecrate to me as my husband from this day forward..."
He just watched her, a seemingly amused look on his face. Though she was still confused, she kept repeating the words she was fed. She only faltered once as she took a deep breath to keep herself under control.
"...as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring...I thee wed."
She smiled at him, still trying to hide her fluster at the uncharacteristic smile on his face. True, it was their wedding day, and she wanted him to be just as happy as she was that this was finally happening, but that smile seemed to be telling her something. Though she tried her hardest to decipher it, nothing seemed to come to light
The chaplain nodded to Ren and gave him the other ring. "Ren, in placing this ring on Pin-Mei's finger, repeat after me; Pin-Mei, you are now consecrate to me as my wife from this day forward."
Ren slipped the ring on her finger and held it there.
"Pin-Mei, you are now consecrate to me as my wife from this day forward."
"And I give you this ring,"
"And I give you this ring,"
Pin-Mei tried to calm herself as she listened to him. As much as he loved her, and she knew how much he did, to go off on romantic ramblings wasn't like him; it wasn't his style. He would rather be subtle about saying sweet words to her, almost as if he were embarrassed to say such things out loud. That, or he would simply attack her and show her how much he loved her rather than say it. All the same, her face was turning slightly redder than it had been. She dipped her head slightly to look at her hands, even to get momentary relief from his gaze.
"As the pledge of my love,"
"As the pledge of my eternal and undying love..."
Her eyes widened and she snapped her head up to look at him. He was smiling warmly at her as he squeezed her hands. Knowing that he couldn't touch her more, he leaned in slightly.
"I mean it," he whispered into her ear.
He pulled back to look into her eyes, but found that they had quickly filled up with tears. Some sounds of adoration of the scene came from the onlookers as Pin-Mei tried to discreetly hide her face.
HoroHoro chuckled. "Well, so much for not crying."
Rong looked at him rather wistfully. "It's hard to keep your composure up there. Everyone's staring at you, and you're happy you could burst. I'm amazed she made it this far."
"Yeah, you were crying during the 'I do's."
He smiled at her. "Hey, don't cry. You're making me feel like I'm doing something wrong."
She smiled and held his hand. "If only Pin-Mei had been alive enough to see it."
She was referring to the year-and-a-half-long depression Pin-Mei had had less than a year before. Their wedding had taken place that May, and Pin-Mei hadn't been in a state where Jiuhuo had felt that it was safe for her to go out and be amongst so many people. Ren had gone alone, knowing that he had to support his friend in his new marriage, even though he had fleeting thoughts of doubt that he would ever have the chance to enjoy such a ceremony himself.
Yet here he was, standing opposite of her, with her silently bawling her eyes out just because he had added three words to the vow.
"And as the symbol of our unity...and with this ring...I thee wed."
He stroked her hand with his thumb as she tried not to let herself shake from her tears.
"Why are you crying?" he whispered. A soft smile was still on his face.
She still kept her head down. "You...You just don't usually say things like that...unless something bad is happening...like when I died...or...when I was depressed...or...or..."
"Nothing bad is going to happen," he reassured her. "Aren't I allowed to say things like that? Especially today?"
"I...I guess so...It's not like I could ever stop you from doing anything else..."
The cleric had been looking back and forth between them, and finally decided to move on with the ceremony, whether they were ready or not.
"May you always share with each other the gifts of love, be one in heart and in mind; may you always create a home together that puts in your hearts' love, generosity, and kindness. In as much as Ren and Pin-Mei have consented together in marriage before this company of friends and family and have pledged their faith – and declared their unity by giving and receiving a ring – are now joined. You have pronounced yourselves husband and wife but remember to always be each other's best friend."
She finally looked up at him. Best friend...Rong, Ling, and Shu were the only friends I had until I met him...I never thought of it before...I guess I never considered having children with my best friend. She smiled. Ren's my best friend...
Ren had similar thoughts. A wife as a best friend... He could hear Yoh and HoroHoro giggling to one another at the sappy sight before them. Yes, definitely better than those two imbeciles.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife – and may your days be good and long upon the earth...You may now kiss the bride."
Ren wasted no time leaning over and capturing her lips with his own. After being without it for over two weeks, nothing was going to get between him and that sensation he had been longing for – not even the eyes of over one hundred people.
Pin-Mei knew that she should savor the behavior her husband was exhibiting today. Who knew when it would happen again.
Maybe I should disappear every once in a while, if he's going to act like this.
They got into the carriage and began the ride to the banquet hall, which was back on the other side of the Tao estate. With no Rong to watch his every move, Ren was finally able to alone with his bride.
He gently placed his hand on her stomach. "How are you feeling?"
She sighed and leaned against him. "Happy. Loved... Tired."
"They took care of you?"
"Of course they did. Duo and your mom really know what they're talking about."
"I would hope so."
Silence.
He leaned over and kissed her; lips first, then her neck.
"I love you."
She smiled. "I love you too."
He kissed her again as he slipped his left hand into her robes.
"D-Don't! They'll hear us!"
He retracted the hand. "You're right. It'll spoil tonight." He brought his face close to hers. "Tonight I'll show you why virgins are always in a rush to get married."
Her face bright red, she turned away. He just smirked to himself. After all this time together, he could still make her blush like the first time they met. She leaned against him moments later.
"We're going to be there soon. This is no time for you to sleep."
Her eyes were still closed. "After all these sleepless nights I've been having lately, I'm sleeping whenever my body lets me."
"Alright. Just make sure you can wake up. You still need to change."
"Mmmhmm..."
"I'm surprised they found a dress that could fit you."
"...That was mean..."
Leaning over, he could see that there was a slightly hurt look on her face. "...Sorry."
"...Whatever..." She fell asleep.
Ren rubbed her shoulder as he thought about what was to come. The reception. The thought of what he had to do was making him sick. Even with Rong's help, he would feel better just skipping the whole thing.
Rong kicked him into the banquet hall, a boom box slung over her shoulder. She locked the door behind her and stuffed the key in her bra.
Ren looked up at her angrily. "What the hell is this?" She smirked as she set the boom box on the floor and turned it on.
"Milord, I'm teaching you how to waltz."
He looked at her like she had three heads. "What?"
She sighed and shook her head. "For a groom you really are dense." She walked up to him, her hands on her hips. "Are you even aware of what Pin-Mei's favorite part of a reception is?"
He just stared at her. She sighed again.
"It's the first dance between the bride and groom. She thinks it's so romantic and sappy stuff like that. So..." Her eyes narrowed. "You have to make her enjoy that dance, and I'm going to show you how."
"Hell no. No way. I'm no fruit. I'm not dancing like that."
"In case you're unaware of this fact, she's not going to get married again, so this is the only chance she has to dance with you."
"Will she even be able to?"
"Oh, trust me, she's been practicing ever since she was four."
Ren groaned and looked at the floor. The wedding was less than a week away. He had five days to learn how to dance like he drank tea with his pinky out.
"So, are you going to swallow your pride and dance with me..." She leaned in, speaking in a tone to make him feel horrible. "Or are you going to be responsible for causing Pin-Mei's dream of dancing with her 'prince' to go unfulfilled?"
He looked at the floor some more. "Fine. For her sake, I'll do it."
Rong smiled and patted his shoulder. "There's a good groom. Always thinking of his bride."
"Let's just do it, okay? I want to get this over with."
She grinned again. "Alright."
She took his right hand and placed it on her waist, then placed her left on his forearm. He pushed her away.
"I didn't say you could touch me."
"Ren, seriously. During a waltz you touch the person you're dancing with. It's going to be something you have to deal with if you want to be able to dance for Pin-Mei."
He folded his arms and looked away. "I bet I can dance fine without your help."
She cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Prove it."
He glared at her. "No."
She snickered. "That's what I thought."
After some coaxing, she got him to resume their position as she began to teach him.
"You're way too tense. Loosen up, or it'll look like she's dancing with a cardboard cutout."
"I still don't like touching you."
"I'm not asking you to."
"And I definitely don't like you touching me."
"Apparently not. Now just cooperate so I can teach you and go back to getting Pin-Mei ready for the wedding." They started moving again. "Dancing is a lot like fighting."
He frowned at her. "How so?"
"Well, you have to move in response to your opponent. In this case, Pin-Mei is your opponent and you have to respond to her in a way so that you can move in harmony."
"Whatever."
A few hours passed, and finally, Rong turned off the boom box.
"Believe it or not, that was pretty good."
Ren scoffed at her. "Of course. Who do you think you were dancing with?"
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. "I'll be back tomorrow. You better retain all that you learned today, or I'll have to kick your ass again."
I did...but it's still going to be so embarrassing...Dancing like a fruitcake...
He waited in a small room next to banquet hall for Pin-Mei to appear. Finally, the door cracked open and she peered out sheepishly. Rong seemingly kicked it fully open and gently pushed her out. Pin-Mei was now clad in a red satin dress that was free around the hips and waist to accommodate her. She looked over shoulder, defeated, at Rong, who was holding a fan. It was obvious that she had taken it from the blushing bride.
Sensing how self-conscious she was, he smiled at her. "You look nice."
She snapped her head back to look at him, then at the floor, blushing. Rong took her friend's hand and gave it to Ren.
"Go on, before she runs away."
He smirked. "Come on." Pin-Mei nodded and followed him.
As they entered the ballroom, cheers came from every corner. When Ren looked over his shoulder, he found that his new wife was practically hiding behind him. He gently pulled her out and lead her to the table where they would be sitting at the front of the room. The other guests sat at tables that were assembled just along the walls, leaving the center spacious. Once drinks had been poured, HoroHoro stood, glass in hand.
"Well, I guess this is where I get to say my bit," he said. He glanced at his hand, obviously consulting notes, then looked up.
"One of the first times I met Ren, he was sitting across from me, sipping his milk like he always does. Then he insulted me, telling me that I had the face of a stupid person. I gotta say, I thought he was a bastard. He acted like he was better than me. I hated that. We fought a lot." He smiled as he looked down for a moment. "Kinda like brothers." He looked up again. "I guess I never thought of him as a friend. Just this dude who had forced me to be on his team- which he named after himself. But..."
He looked over at Ren, who had a slightly miffed expression on his face. The groom didn't like the rather insulting things his best man was saying about him.
""But...then Ren did something for me that nearly cost him his life. It was reckless and stupid...but it was by far the most that anyone had ever done for me up to that point. At that moment, I knew that, to him, I wasn't just some punk for him to beat up on. He cared about me as a friend. As much as it surprised me, I felt happy...But there was also another time down the road that I became happy because of something he did."
As everyone waited for him to go on, he simply sat down. An awkward round of applause came from the crowd. When it was silent, Rong stood up.
"When I met Pin-Mei, she was a person who was feared, scorned, and loathed. The servants around Xu-Fan Castle kept saying that, because of her birth, she was cursed; that anyone who associated with her would have bad luck. She was someone so angry at the world, that there was no doubt in my mind that she would someday be responsible for the deaths of many. As I got to know her, I understood why she was the way she was. Her father's depression prevented her from having a loving relationship with him, and her grandmother only served to make the wounds in her heart deeper. Children at school harassed her for something she couldn't control. She had no friends except for the stuffed animals that she clutched as she cried alone in her room. Worst of all, she thought that no one cared about her, or what happened to her. She thought that no one loved her. I began to feel as if she had been dealt a bad hand by the dealer of life, and that it would continue until she finally left this world..." A small smile crossed her face. "...But then she met Ren.
"When I came here to mind her after she had been here for a few weeks, she had already taken a liking to him. To this day, I still can't see why she took to him so easily. He was abrasive, to say the least. All the same, whenever I saw them together, she was smiling. Even though it was faint, I saw that, in small ways, that he must have cared for her as well. He took care of her, mending wounds much like his own...Wounds that I could never understand. I...I was jealous of the attention he received from her. When we had to leave, I was overjoyed. I thought 'I have her all to myself again!' But that wasn't how she wanted it."
She looked up at them.
"When we left, all those smiles disappeared. It was like she had been taken off of life support. The days after that were a struggle for her. It's only now that I see how much it meant for her to be with him.
"Even when they met again nearly six years ago, I still hated him. I wanted nothing to do with him...But when they both needed help, I rushed to give mine to her. Still...I wasn't alone..."
HoroHoro stood up. "I, with my friends, went to help as well. It was after everything was peaceful again that I realized the second monumental thing he had done for me. If it wasn't for Ren and Pin-Mei..." He put his arm around Rong's waist. "I never would have met my wife."
Rong smiled, a few tears in her eyes. "I never would have met my husband...or have such a beautiful daughter..." She looked to Xue, who was sitting next to her at the table.
The toddler raised her hand and waved as she smiled brightly. "-Xue!" She looked around at all the faces that were now staring at her. She smiled even more. "Hi, everybody!"
Her parents smiled at her, remembering how it was because of their friends that they had such a blessing with them today.
"So, as the two of you get ready to start a family of your own, we give you our best wishes," Rong continued.
"And I thank you for tolerating Rong long enough for me to meet her." She frowned and pinched him. "OW! I mean, thank you for allowing us to meet each other."
They both sat down as the clapping came loud and strong. As expected, Pin-Mei was crying up at the bride/groom table, while Ren just smiled faintly and held her hand. Then he stood up.
"Come on."
"What?"
"The dance, remember?"
"...No! I can't! I don't want to put you through that!"
"You're going to let those hours I spent practicing go to waste?"
Her eyes widened, telling him that she had been unaware of the lessons that Rong had been giving him.
As the music started, he took the jacket of his robes off and handed it to Li, who went to go hang it up. He stood before her in a red and gold silk shirt, his hand held out in a prince-like manner. "Don't make me say something stupid like 'May I have this dance?'"
She cracked a smile, then put her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the center of the room. She leaned forward as much as she could in a bow, while he only nodded his head slightly. He took her right hand in his left and held it as he put the other on her hip. Her left rest on his right forearm, taking a moment to trace the muscle with her finger. Once he knew she was ready, he began leading her as they danced across the floor.
Rong sighed. "It's just like Beauty and the Beast..." She took a sip of wine.
HoroHoro glared at her. "Are you calling Ren ugly?"
She blinked. "Of COURSE not!" she cried, but as she turned away, she snickered into her glass. He poked her and she looked up. "What is it?"
"You gotta translate the song for me. I don't know what they're saying."
Rong smirked. It was in Mandarin, and he had failed her "classes" when she had tried to teach him. "Alright." She listened for a few moments. "They're singing about how love comes from the moon, and how the singer thinks about her lover when she looks at it."
They watched Ren twirl Pin-Mei and let her fall, catching her gracefully. After spinning a few times, she uncurled from him, but he pulled her back, looking at her with dominant eyes, as if to tell her not to leave him like that again.
"She's afraid that if she looks away, he'll disappear. She wants the stars to lead her to him. She will cry for him under the moonlight, and, without regret, she will fall into an eternal sleep beneath the moonlight. And for the sake of her love for him, her heart will shatter, and she will die."
"Shi...I mean Gods...That's so deep."
"And..."
As the last lines of the final chorus came, Ren spun Pin-Mei around, then took her into his arms, cradling her.
"A night in my dreaming sleep/Is also a year in my memory,"
She looked up at him, her eyes full of stars.
"Shou ni ai wo..." she whispered along with the song.
"Tell me you love me,"
He looked down at her and smiled.
"Wo ai ni," he whispered in her ear before kissing her.
"For love's sake, I wish to sink deep in sleep...forever...,"