9 The Rabbit

'Follow the flower path. <3'

"Hah," Ren Dong chuckled as she reread Wen Tu's note that A-Kuai had handed her. "Where does he get these silly ideas."

Ren Dong followed the flower petal trail as round lanterns hung on the branches of the surrounding trees, guiding her through the darkened forest.

Soon enough, at the end of the path was a bright light. Shielding her eyes, Ren Dong walked through the light.

"Wow," Ren Dong gasped as she took in the view.

Seated crossed legged under a large tree; Wen Tu anxiously waited for Ren Dong to arrive. "I hope she likes it," Wen Tu mumbled as she stared up at the white rabbit lanterns that she hung up on the vibrant tree branches. The paper rabbits seemed to be dancing around the treetops and peeking out every so often.

"I wonder when she gets here," Wen Tu sighed as she patted the basket of food she had prepared for the surprise date.

"You did all of this?" Ren Dong asked, still in awe at Wen Tu's efforts.

"Ah!" Wen Tu shouted in surprise. She stared wide-eyed as a fairy in green came her way. "You're here already?" How did she get here so fast, Wen Tu thought in a panic. 'I'm not prepared at all!'

"Yes, I am," Ren Dong smiled.

"Wait! Turn around first!"

"Huh," Ren Dong quirked a brow at the hyperactive rabbit. "Why?"

"J-just turnaround," Wen Tu mumbled as a faint blush came over her face. 'Ah, this will be so embarrassing.' "Please."

"Hah, alright, alright," Ren Dong raised her hands in surrender and slowly turned around.

"And no, peeping!" Wen Tu added. "Well, not until I say so."

"Okay, okay, I will be obedient," Ren Dong said half-heartedly. 'What is this rabbit planning?'

Ren Dong heard some shuffling before hearing a muffled 'okay.'

"Bwah haha!" Bursting in laughter, Ren Dong felt her stomach hurt as she continued to chuckle at the sights.

Laying on their side and facing towards her, Wen Tu propped their head up with their arm. Scattered around them were more flower petals as well as food on display.

However, the best part was the red rose between Wen Tu's small teeth. "Hewoo, there," Wen Tu greeted to her best ability with a flower between her teeth and trying to maintain her 'sexy' face without dying of embarrassment right there and then.

"Bwah, ha, hah," Ren Dong gasped as she tried to catch her breath. Wiping the tears from her eyes, a bright smile remained on Ren Dong's face as she walked to closer to Wen Tu. "What is all of this for?"

"W-well," Wen Tu mumbled as her face burned a deep crimson. She still couldn't believe that she did that!

It was her idea, but still!

"It's our one-month anniversary since we met," Wen Tu blushed as she sheepishly looked down at her hands. She couldn't bring herself to look at the amused smile on Ren Dong's face.

"Hmm," Ren Dong hummed. "Has it been that long?" Now that she thought about it, it hasn't been long since they met. However, something about the youth made her feel like she knew them for a long time.

She didn't know why.

"Yes," Wen Tu nodded slowly, finding the courage to look up again.

"Wow, I'm surprised you had managed to keep track of how long we were together," Ren Dong complemented. "I'm touched."

"Well, you know the thing about love," Wen Tu shrugged. It was A-Kuai who had to remind her of these things. Helping her plan and prepare all of their activities. It made her feel a little bad as she thought she wasn't doing her part in their partnership. However, her brother just shrugged it off and said, 'If you want to pay me back, then make sure you two marry at the end!'

What did she do in her past life to deserve such a thoughtful brother?

"What do you mean?"

"Huh?" Snapping out of her small trance, Wen Tu looked up at Ren Dong with confused eyes. "What was that?"

Smiling at the clueless bunny, Ren Dong repeated, "I asked, what you mean when you said, 'you know the thing about love?'"

"O-oh!" Wen Tu stuttered. 'Did I say that out loud!' "Um, I, uh," Wen Tu struggled to find the right words to say. 'Would Wifey get turned off if I said I liked her just straight up?'

"Yes?" Ren Dong asked as a playful smile danced along her lips.

"W-well, I was referring to how people may do certain things, crazy things, even, for love," Wen Tu answered as a nervous sweat slid down her brow. 'Ahhh! Why am I such a mess!'

"So," Ren Dong smiled as she reached out to take Wen Tu's fidgeting hands, "are you saying you did all of this," and gestured to the large tree of lanterns and the surrounding meadow, "to show me that you like me?"

'Busted!' Wen Tu froze as her already red complexion turned into an even darker shade. 'Yes," she whispered out meekly.

"Hmm, interesting," Ren Dong smiled as she used her thumbs to stroke the top surface of Wen Tu's hands. "So, what made you attracted to me?"

"W-well," Wen Tu started. "I know it sounds bad, but it was your face that initially attracted me to you."

"Oh?" Ren Dong mused.

"B-but, but, later it was your personality," Wen Tu frantically continued. "I loved how you were kind yet firm at times and that you an overall good person. After that, it had grown to just more than admiration and lust," Wen Tu took a deep breath of air as she squeezed Ren Dong's hands. "I just knew that I liked you. Something in me told me that you were the one. And that's when I knew that I had fallen for you."

Wen Tu meekly peeked up from their clenched hands to see what Ren Dong's expression was. 'I just don't when to stop talking, ah!'

Ren Dong continued to stare at their continued hands for a bit as she tried to process

'He likes me.'

A warm and fuzzy feeling had begun to spread from the depths of her chest. As if a bunny had hopped in and decided to take residence within her heart.

Looking up, she gave a joyful, teary-eyed smile to Wen Tu. "That's good that you like me," she sniffed and leaned into Wen Tu's ear. "Because I have something to tell you, as well."

"What is it," Wen Tu whispered as she tilted her head slightly to give Ren Dong better access.

"I like you too," she whispered and then kissed the side of Wen Tu's face. Pulling away, she watched as all of the blood in Wen Tu's body flow to her face.

"Y-you," Wen Tu couldn't even form proper sentences as she tried to recover from the shock.

"I like you," Ren Dong repeated.

"Ahh!" Wen Tu buried her face into Ren Dong's shoulder. "If you keep doing that, then I will surely die of blood loss."

"Haha," Ren Dong chuckled as she patted Wen Tu head. "Don't worry; I'm a doctor. I should be able to revive you in no time."

Looking over to the basket of food, she reached out to her best ability without disturbing the bunny to grab it. "Here, chew on this gancao[1], it's good for blood circulation."

Without looking up, Wen Tu reached out for the herb and began to chew on it. "It's not tasty."

Ren Dong chuckled as she looked at the 'depressed' rabbit. "Here, have some candy," and gently pushed a small candied kumquat between Wen Tu's lips.

Wen Tu ate the candy and teased Ren Dong a bit by licking the fingertip of Ren Dong's finger "Sweet."

A faint zip of electricity coursed Ren Dong's spine from Wen Tu's tongue. 'What was that?'

The pair continued to feed each other food, mainly Ren Dong, to Wen Tu. However, both parties felt satisfied at the end of their meal.

By nightfall, Ren Dong's head was resting on Wen Tu's lap as they looked up and admired the stars and hanging lanterns.

"You know, it's kinda funny that you picked rabbit lanterns," Ren Dong complemented as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Wen Tu's fingers combing through her inky locks as they spilled over her lap.

"Hmm," Wen Tu hummed. "Why's that?"

"Hah, well, one of the gifts you've given me was a rabbit lantern," Ren Dong replied. "And the other is because of a story I remember my father telling me."

"What story?"

"Well," Ren Dong took a deep and relaxed breath, "according to my father, there once was a man by the name of Hu Tian Bao, who had fallen in love with a very handsome imperial inspector of Fujian Province."

"And what happened?"

"Well, one day, he was caught peeping on the inspector through a bathroom wall," Ren Dong answer. "When caught, Hu Tian Bao confessed his reluctant confessions to the inspector. However, it didn't end well for Hu Tian Bao, as the inspector had he sentenced to death by beating."

"Oh…" 'So does that mean it's impossible?'

"Don't be sad, the story isn't over yet," Ren Dong reassured. "One month after his death, Hu Tian Bao appeared in a dream of a man from his hometown. Claiming that since his death was one of love, the underworld officials decided to the right the wrong by appointing him as a god."

"And what god did he become?"

"He became Tu'er Shen, god and safe holder of homosexual affections. Also known as the rabbit god."

[1] Gancao - licorice. A herb, according to ancient Chinese medicine, it suitable for heart yang deficiency with coldness. It's supposed to help with recirculating the blood when the heart gets too cold.