Reunion of Lovers
Fangsu listened to the story from beginning to end, "Gui Ying Jie Jie, you know that even though Cheng Fu and you separated, He waited five years for you." Fangsu adjusted herself to a more comfortable position, "Doesn't that show how much he loves you?"
Gui Ying shook her head, "I was a dirty beggar before and now that I'm a highly influential person," Gui Ying bended her head downwards in shame, "He would think I sleep my way up to the position I now am in."
Fangsu held Gui Ying's hand, "If he did think that he wouldn't have searched for you."
Gui Ying hadn't thought of that, she could only assume the worst possible outcome since this society was not so forgiving to females if they dismissed the norms that everyone in society follows. Fangsu's words struck a chord in Gui Ying's heart as a tear began falling, "I'm still too ashamed to face him." Gui Ying wailed, still afraid to face the possible outcome of being shamed by her first love.
Fangsu wiped away the tears from Gui Ying's cheek, "Gui Ying Jie Jie, men like Cheng Fu don't come very often." Fangsu gave Gui Ying a tissue to blow her nose, which cleared up her airways. "So what if Cheng Fu shames you? You have Blossoming Fragrance Tea house to back you up." Fangsu reminded Gui Ying of the power that was support her from behind.
"Fangsu..." Gui Ying wiped the last of her tears. Gui Ying slapped her cheeks to get her out of misery, "Ok, I will go!" Gui Ying went to her makeup table to fix her appearance however the edges of eyes and nose were red from the rubbing. There was no way for her to reduce the redness in such a short time.
Fangsu ran out of the room, searching through the study room to find a plant that near the window. Fangsu broke a piece of a succulent, which secreted a slimy substance with some yellow sap. Fangsu quickly ran outside the tea house to clean the plant of the yellow sap and any possible dirt, after it was clean Fangsu returned to the tea house with a small knife and a bowl. When Fangsu entered Gui Ying's room again, removing the comestics that was doing a poor job at covering the redness.
Fangsu cut the plant using the knife revealing a clear jelly-like flesh, using the knife to cut out the clear flesh. Gui Ying was stunned, "What is that?" Seeing a plant that Gui Ying was not familiar with.
"Something that can help with calming the skin and reducing redness." Fangsu answer ambiguously as she cut up the pieces into pieces. Applying the slimy flesh of the plant on Gui Ying's face while massaging her face to help de puff Gui Ying's face. After them short facial massage, Fangsu allowed the plant's properties to calm the skin, which was then was washed off. Gui Ying applied some light cosmetics to cover up any remaining redness which was barely visible. As the light hit her skin it caused her skin glowed from the plant properties giving her a more youthful appearance.
Gui Ying came out of her room to entered the room where Fangsu's grandpa where Cheng Fu stood up to hug Gui Ying. His embrace wrapped the entirety of Gui Ying, But Gui Ying was still awkward around Cheng Fu. Nonetheless, Gui Ying returned the hug. Both Fangsu and her grandpa excused themselves out of the room, entering the study room.
Fangsu's Grandpa walked over to the plant that sat at the windowsill, grabbing the broken part of the succulent. "Fangsu did you break a piece of the Aloe Vera?" Her grandpa turned to face Fangsu who stared down at the floor, fiddling with her sleeve. Fangsu slowly nodded, her grandpa gently patted her head, "You're not in trouble, I just wanted to know."
Fangsu lips slightly lifted, slowing a small smile. "You told me Aloe Vera was good for calming the skin and reducing redness of the skin," Fangsu explained while her grandpa began healing the Aloe Vera restoring it to its original state. The Aloe Vera was more plump and revitalised than before, it was as if the plant was given too much water and it would burst any moment. Fangsu was fascinated by her grandpa using his Qi to help restore the plant, but was sure she wouldn't be able to use Qi in such a way since her body's constitution was damaged since birth and she was unable to cultivate.
"Fangsu, tomorrow there is a national cultivation test for individuals under the age of 18," Her grandpa mentioned as her began watering the other plants in the room moving from one plant to another, "It's compulsory for everyone whether they are poor or rich since the government is always in a need for a new generation of cultivators."
Fangsu sighed heavily, "You know that my constitution doesn't allow me to cultivate." Fangsu hate having to talk about cultivation since she was unable to cultivate herself, at most she could learn self-defense but she would still need to use the protection of others in case of any other cultivator would come after her.
"I know but the government doesn't know." Her grandpa could predict the future that Fangsu would face in the future, constantly being shamed for being unable to cultivate but most importantly she would feel frustrated to have to rely on others.
A knock resounded in the room. Her grandpa coughed to indicate the person on the other side was allowed to enter the room. Both Gui Ying and Cheng Fu entered the room, "Master Chen," both of the individual bowed towards Fangsu's grandpa, both smiling happily with each other. Gui Ying especially was beaming with euphoria.
"Master Chen, I ask for your permission to take Gui Ying's hand in marriage again." Cheng Fu kowtowed to the ground, which Gui Ying also kowtowed to the ground showing their earnest feeling for each other.
Fangsu's grandpa heartily chuckled at the two individuals bring them both up from their knees. "You have no need for my permission to ask for Gui Ying's hand, she is able to choose the man she marries." Both people were overjoyed.
Gui Ying kowtowed once more, "Master I am indebted to you, " Gui Ying's tears began falling again, not out of embarrassment but out of pure happiness, "You are a father figure to everyone in this teahouse without you we are nothing." Those moved Fangsu's grandpa as he had never heard those words been spoken to him before.
Everyone began preparing for Gui Ying and Cheng Fu's wedding, the teahouse were closed early for the months that they were preparing for the wedding. Cheng Fu had already purchase a decently sized house, which was decorated red for the grand auspicious event. Bulbous lanterns were hung around the house, luscious red fabrics embroidered with golden threads were hung on the ceiling of the house, red curtains replaced the normal curtains and a centre piece at the reception hall was embroidered with a pair of mandarin duck sitting on a lotus flower to symbolise their eternal love for one another and the wishes to have a child every year.
Gui Ying was preparing her wedding garments which included the dress, shoes and headpiece. Bao Ming and Da Fu were buying gifts for the wedding while Fangsu was preparing a supply of lotus aromatic dew, rose facial and hand cream, sweet osmanthus perfume and a simple jade hairpin. As the date for the wedding began approached, everyone was scrambling to work on the loose end of the wedding.
The day of the wedding finally approached as the wedding proceed with Gui Ying being settled in a decorative red sedan that was carried by the men from the teahouse and a long line of gifts followed behind. Chest were filled with a massive amount money, presents from the teahouse including Fangsu's and a few maids. As soon as Gui Ying arrived at Cheng Fu's house that was extensively decorated with red, she had to jump over a bowl of fire to initiate her into the house. Cheng Fu received Gui Ying lovingly and entered the reception hall where Fangsu's grandpa acted as Gui Ying's father. Both of them kowtowed to him, offering him the tea and they both to bow as a sign of respect. Eventually, the wedding reception was finish and the partying began.
Everyone was enjoying the festivities of the wedding as such an occasion was rare and they plan to enjoy the day until the day was over. As everyone was gathered in the main hall celebrating the wedding, Fangsu entered another courtyard that was away from the large crowd, holding two wine jar with two cups and settled herself on a table. "You never seem to like huge crowds much do you?" Her grandpa entered the courtyard sitting at the opposite side to Fangsu was sitting.
"Large crowds were never my thing," Fangsu poured a cup of wine into a cup and handed to her grandpa was accepted the drink, while pouring herself a cup, "Jie Jie would have been married also." Draining the cup of wine, the wine proved to slide down her throat with ease.
Her grandpa heavily sighed, "She would already have been married by now," drinking his own cup.
Fangsu stared up at the moon, "I'm sorry grandpa, I just want to be alone right now," apologising to her grandpa which he hesitant at first but eventually gave into her request, leaving her alone. The courtyard she was in was illuminated with the moonlight, Fangsu's eyes adjusted to the dark and she could clearly see in the dark. She began pouring cup after cup with wine, draining the first jar of wine. She began feeling tipsy and decide to stop drinking anymore wine otherwise she would get intoxicated, so she told her grandpa that she walk back to the teahouse. The tea house was empty and dark since everyone was at the wedding.
Fangsu entered the study room, opening the windows to overview the city lights seeing that everyone light represented a life. A memory of her mother singing a song to her when she was younger flooded in her head. Fangsu being tipsy began to sing uncaringly.
「 Falling from the celestial heights to the very bottom of the ocean
Swirling bubbles are my every breath
You stand, far away,
Like a lone island
When I raise my head, I see the starry skies above,
Filled with the glittering brilliance of the Milky Way
And yet all this does not compare
To the endless worlds within your eyes.
The wind sometimes stops here and rest,
Kissing your cheek and your hair.
The rain sometimes falls into your palm,
Watering the dense, thick forest all around you
All this makes me drown,
I am but a fish, drowning in the depths of the sea
Your voice enraptures me
So I spread apart the brambles growing thickly on the seabed
Yearning to touch your shadow
Until the light disappears completely,
Until I lose the strength to shake my tail.
The wind sometimes stops here and rest,
Kissing your cheek and your hair.
The rain sometimes falls into your palm,
Watering the dense, thick forest all around you
All this makes me drown,
And I know it is but a futile hope.
I am but a fish, drowning in the depths of the sea
Your voice enraptures me
So I spread apart the brambles growing thickly on the seabed
Yearning to touch your shadow
Until the light disappears completely,
Until I lose the strength to shake my tail.
It is my final fate to be darkness's kin
Yet for the rendezvous tomorrow
My heart is deeply moved.
When that time comes, I will gift the purest, whitest sea-foam
To you
This is all the beauty that I possess.
If you like it,
Why not give it all to you.
If you like it,
Why not give it all to you. 」
(This song belongs to 西瓜Jun)
Fangsu being in a building taller than most, her hauntingly beautiful voice resonanced through the city. The wind carried her voice through the city. People who were wandering in the city were stunned by the singing. They tried to find the source of the sound to see who was the songstress behind the moving song, however, they couldn't pinpoint the exact location. People began enjoying the singing while enjoying the calm night with the moon watching over them.
—————
As the quiet environment was disturbed, Li Qiang paused his work as he listened to the singing. The lyrics of the song was familiar to him, too familiar. An old memory from when he was three, a woman was singing in the Palace, holding an osmanthus branch while dancing. Her dress swayed after her after every spin, her graceful hands accentuates her movement and her clear voice enchanted every listener.
The song was the same but the voices were different, the emotions that weaved through the song between the two singers were vastly different. Li Qiang ditched the paperwork to find the songstress. Li Qiang used qigong to travel on top of the rooves to locate the sound, but before he could even search through the city. The song had already ended, leaving Li Qiang to hear the late night creaks of insects. "I'm sorry," Li Qiang apologies to the songstress he had yet to meet, before returning back to the palace.