5 [ii] First Move

"Goodbye, for now, Chao-Xing," I said as I loaded the back of the carriage with all of our bags.

Chao-Xing hurriedly walks towards me and gives me a bone-crushing hug, making the rest of the servants laugh. She squealed, "I'll miss you little Li Jun. Take good care of Mei Zhen, okay?"

I nod, returning the embrace warmly. "I will. Take care too."

Chao-Xing is one of the oldest servants in my family. She helped Mother raise me and almost all of my life, she was there. So she was almost like a second mother, who cares for me.

No surprise, she got along quickly with Mei Zhen on her first day.

Before I got in, I heard her embracing Mei Zhen. She pulls her close and whispers something in her, causing her to giggle. She glances at me and winks and I know she probably told Mei Zhen something embarrassing for me. Mei Zhen hops in and before I could Chao-Xing pulls me away from the carriage.

She pulls out a small hair clip from her pocket. It had diamond flowers on top. "Do you find this familiar, Little Li Jun?"

I nod, recognizing the piece of jewelry, "That's Mother's hairpin."

Chao-Xing nods, "Do you know what this pin really is?"

I shook my head.

"This pin," she explained, "is a Wang ancestral object, passed down to every Wang woman in your family's line. Your father had this and gave it to your mother when he finally professed his love to her."

She takes my hand and puts the clip on my palm, closing my fingers afterward. "When you finally told Mei Zhen that you love her, clip this on her hair. It is a symbol of your promise to protect her and love her all throughout your days."

I gazed at the object, amazed at the beauty of the diamond and how it looked really nice on Mother's hair. Now, it was sort of my mission to give it to Mei Zhen.

Do I even have these kinds of feelings towards Mei Zhen already? I certainly don't know. But somehow, I feel butterflies in my stomach once I see her pass by. I still can't confirm it yet.

I sighed and looked back at Chao-Xing, "Why can't you come with me and help me?"

She chuckles and gives me a slap on my arm, "You must do this alone with Mei Zhen. What was that term? Oh yeah, 'third-wheel'. I would be a third-wheel, Li Jun. Besides, I heard some stories going around the fish market about some affair going on among the princes. I need to know."

I laughed, "Okay, Chao-Xing. I'll see you soon."

I hopped in the carriage and sat down beside Mei Zhen, a servant shutting the door beside me.

Mei Zhen's hair was braided again but not as tightly as it was before this morning. She glances at my clenched fist and raises an eyebrow, "Did Chao-Xing give you something?"

I smile and tuck the hairpin in my pocket, hoping to make Mei Zhen even more curious. Then, she pouts, which immediately hits me. I found it...adorable. All of a sudden, she laughs.

"Li Jun, your ears are red."

I turn away to face the window, my face probably turning completely red by now as Mei Zhen continues to laugh. The coachman clears his throat from the throat and asks, "Ready to go, Master?"

I nod, "Ready. Take us to the port."

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"I promise it's sturdy," I say from the other side of the bridge. Mei Zhen nervously gazed at the wooden bridge before her. It connected from the port to the boat we were going to ride. Her fingers began to tangle among the strings on her clothes and she bites her lips.

"A-Are you sure, Li Jun?" she asks ever so nervously, eyes examining the wet floorboard covered in seaweed and sand.

I wiped my hands and walked down the bridge and to her. I hop down in front of her and lift my arm, "Here, I'll walk you through."

With a shaky grab, she takes my arm. She was slightly cold and her fingers trembled. The bridge was quite short but all of the creaky sounds it made scared Mei Zhen. I took a step forward and she slowly followed. My foot touches the wood and it makes a small squeak. I felt her finger squeeze my skin in alert and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, I'm here," I assure her gently as we placed both of our feet on the bridge. She began to walk, carefully following my footsteps. With Mei Zhen, it felt like the bridge was longer than before. But I didn't mind. We were at the edge of the bridge, one more step and we could make it in the boat safely. Suddenly, Mei Zhen trips and slides off the board. Quick as light, I grab her by the waist, preventing her from touching the wet ground. She looks up at me, eyes locked and my heart skipping a beat.

It was her brown eyes again. A trap I can't resist.

She blinks, fading my gaze away. She blushes madly and quickly stands upright, letting go of my arm. "T-Thank you, Li Jun," she says softly, almost like a whisper. I smile, trying to shake off the strange moment our eyes had.

"Safe and sound," I say.

I hear the crew shouting their last orders and we began to feel the boat move. I walk forward, only to find someone tugging me. I look back and find Mei Zhen's hand pinching my coat sleeve. She opens her mouth to speak but shuts it embarrassingly, letting go of the fabric. I immediately take her hand and say, "I don't want you being nervous on our trip. I want you to have fun, Mei Zhen."

She lowers her head, "Sorry--"

I raise a finger, "No apologizing. I want you to fully enjoy this vacation. And to ensure your safety, I want you by my side all throughout the ride."

I decided to take the reigns. I will be the first to act.

Whether I was imagining or not, before I turned around to walk forward, I caught a glimpse of Mei Zhen smiling. As a confirmation, she squeezes my hand and follows along in a much more confident manner, no longer afraid of the boat.

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