This Family Was Too Crazy

"Hey Wang, Rosanna is trying you use your pickup line," Ben shouted with a loud laugh, pointing at the horrified Changying and apologetic Rosanna.

"I'm fine it wasn't hot," Changying held up her hand as both Jack and Wang rose to their feet. "I'll just go change and be right back. It's okay no harm done. It didn't have any sauce on it."

"I'll come and rinse that out straight away, it would be a shame to ruin such a beautiful dress," Rosanna said in a matronly way. "Just agree with me," she whispered, and Changying nodded dumbly.

The women walked inside together and up to Changying's room. "It was just pasta and water, it won't harm your dress," Rosanna said as they entered the room. "I thought you might like to change into something sexy and practice that song."

"You have no idea how much we all would like to see one of Ang's mean jokes backfire on him," Bianca said walking into Changying's room after them.

"You did this on purpose?" Changying asked wide eyed.

"I promise the dress is only wet it will be fine," Rosanna tried to placate her.

"I am not like Baozhai, I don't have a whole wardrobe full of beautiful dresses," Changying despaired and slipped her dress off wrapping a robe around her as she went to her closet pulling out the other two formal dress she had brought with her and holding them up.

"That one," they both pointed to a toga style red dress though it was Bianca who spoke. "I have just the right accessories," she held up a finger to her and picked up her phone. "Go and change, chop chop."

"Carmen, don't worry about the cloak, bring my CZ necklace and earrings," She paused and listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. "Yeah those are the ones, hurry over." She closed her phone. "Carmen will be here in a minute or two."

Changying pulled on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror. This family was too crazy, how on earth was she in this situation. She should just refuse and tell them all to go to hell including Joseph. She could go back to the city and forget it ever happened. The idea of what that would mean for her and Wang stopped her thoughts, and she tried to keep him pictured in her mind as she drew a deep breath and walked back into the bedroom.

"I am starting to understand why girls run away from here crying," she said quietly as they inspected her. "Are you always this crazy?"

"Mostly," Carmen said entering the room. "It's nice being home and doing day to day things, but here it's like a big game all the time. Ang loves having everyone home for the holidays and torments them all non-stop. We're used to it, whereas this is your first holiday here and we don't want you to run away crying."

"It's all in good fun," Rosanna explained. "It's how they are. He who has the last laugh laughs hardest. This year with Wang taking the family name and wanting to get married, Ang has targeted him and, in turn, you. This would have been his opening shot and the rest of the holidays would have been one prank after another as they tried to one-up each other."

"He took my son one year," Carmen said with a hint of anger colouring her voice. "Held him for ransom," she shook her head.

"If he is so clever how did you find out about tonight? Maybe it was like a red herring, and he didn't plan to do anything like this," Changying said.

"I trust my source, but just for arguments sake, if it's a red herring, there's no harm done, and you look spectacular. If it's true though isn't it better to get one up on him?" Rosanna said slyly. "I heard what happened when you met Carlo. He's not used to quick-wit like that. I think he is still stinging from the jibe," she laughed with genuine humour.

"The point is you aren't typical of the girls who come here, you're smart and sassy and infinitely braver than most, and you hide it behind this quiet, demure exterior. They won't be expecting you to take up the challenge, and they think Wang will get mad and declare war and the pranks can begin. He has a bad temper you know," Carmen looked at her seriously.

"He calms down quickly if you reason with him," Changying defended Wang immediately.

"The point is that if he can't start it, then there will be no war," Bianca said.

"It will also be the first time anyone has managed to foil one of his big plans," Rosanna said happily. "He's impossible to live with when he's gloating. Now do you know your song?"

"I think so, but I am not a good singer," She said quietly. "I don't think this is going to go as well as you think."

Voices sounded in the corridor and looking alarmed, Rosanna took Changying's hand and pulled her out into the corridor as if they were returning to the festival.

"Told you they were fine, she looks even better than before if you ask me," Dante said as he and Wang saw the two women approaching.

"You're not hurt?" Wang asked seeking reassurance.

"Oh I'm fine it wasn't hot at all just messy, it took me longer than I thought to get it all out of my bra," she laughed easily.

"See I told you I should have come sooner, you ruined all my fun helping her with that," Wang accused his brother.

"If I had known that was a problem I would have come and helped her earlier myself," Dante laughed and grunted as Wang elbowed him and stepped forward to pull her into a hug.

"Ang wants to start," he said to Rosanna "can you find Bianca and Carmen?"

"Sure, D. can help it will be faster," she replied. "Carmen is probably just fussing with the kids, she still hasn't forgiven Ang for the kidnapping of her oldest when he was a baby," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah he's a bastard around the holidays, any idea what he is planning this year?" Wang asked.

"As if he tells me," she laughed louder and began to walk down the corridor to the other wing of the house. "Tell him we will be there in ten minutes max."

"You do look spectacular," Wang murmured in Changying's ear as they descended the stairs to the first floor.

"You don't think it's too much, I didn't bring many formal dresses with me, and I thought it might be a bit much for the festival," she said seriously.

"You look perfect," he stopped her on the porch before descending the stairs down into the festival again and kissed her deeply. "I love you, and you could wear a paper bag, and I would be happy, but you look spectacular tonight."

"I love you too," she whispered realising he had drunk quite a bit of wine and while not drunk was more relaxed than his usual in control self.

They walked back down through the food court which had been emptied of the tables and chairs which now sat in small clusters in front of the stage.