How To Polish A Pearl

Chapter 46 - Asking

"Nu Zhuren, do you need anything else tonight?" Her voice soft as her eyes track his gaze trying to figure out what he is staring at every day.

"Can you get me two more bottles of wine?", both his eyes and voice are distant as he absentmindedly nibbles on some cut fruit, not really touching any of the hot dishes.

"Are you not hungry? The kitchen can make you something else if you don't like the dumpling soup."

"No, that is quite alright, just the wine. Thank you Daiyu."

"I will be a quick as lightning."

He does notice her lingering a little too long before she leaves, heading for the kitchen and the wine cellar, but choses to ignore it. Somehow, he finds himself in front of the back table, looking through the booklet as he continues to nibble on the fruit, too distracted to even know if it is melon or apples he is eating.

The style of the poems evolve with the handwriting, from young and innocent, to more mature and emotional. Though, he must admit, he has never come across either of these poems before but then again, there was a lot that had been removed from his mind.

Noticing that only two thirds have been completed, with still empty pages at the back. Reading the very last poem in the book out loud, his eyes widen as his heart skips a few beats. "I promise to the God. I am going to be your soulmate. My love will last forever. Until the mountains were disappeared. Until the rivers run dry. Until the thunderstorm happened in the winter. Until the summer snowed. Until the sky and ground were closed together. Then I dare to end the relationship with you." (1)

These... these are his wedding vows.

(O.O)

Wen Ke Xing had been in a horrid mood all day after Zhou Xu had left. Not even Ah‑Xiang had dared go near him, only approaching when it was time for him to eat. Not that he had eaten anything anyway. He had polished off all the wine and then asked for more, spending most of the day brooding in front of the windows in Kuai He (2).

The more he had drunk, the more agitated he had become. Instead of making him either numb or carefree, like it normally did, the alcohol only stripped him of his defense against the vivid memories of his dream. The day had turned into night and the surrounding valley had been thrown into darkness.

Images of that radiant smile appears before him as he looks out the window opening and stares into nothingness. The feeling of how Zhou Xu's hands had grabbed on to his, as real as if he was holding on to them right here and now. Those helping hands trying to pull him out of the water but slipping and falling in himself. How Zhou Xu had sunken and no matter how much he had tried to hold on, he had drifted further away. In fact, the more he had tried to hold on to Zhou Xu's hands, almost to the point of crushing them, the further he had drifted until finally disappearing.

He didn't dream that often. In fact, he could only remember very few dreams from when he was a child. Ever since he had arrived in Ghost Valley, his sleep had been dreamless. This was the first in many, many years.

The dream had felt so real, too real, and he just couldn't shake it. Zhou Xu's smile had felt like the sun itself was embracing him. Without it, he felt so cold he would shiver. The cold had never bothered him before, he was used to it, until now. Now he knew what he was missing. The loss he had felt waking up had almost made him go crazy. In his frenzy he had search through the water for a long time until he had finally accepted the fact that it had only been a dream. The loss wasn't real. But that smile had felt real. I know I have seen it before. I need to see it again!

Ah-Xiang, who has been standing outside the tearoom debating with herself on how to explain to him that the last of his favorite liquor had just been snatched by Daiyu for Zhou Xu, hears a ruffle. Peaking inside she sees the back of Wen Ke Xing as he takes off through the window. Again?! Why does he keep doing that every night? What is it about this man that makes him stay the night?

This time Wen Ke Xing doesn't bother with formalities, touching down at the top of the steps he orders the guards to leave and to not come back until morning. Turning towards the door that has long been fixed, he wonders if what he is feeling can be described as insecurity. Whatever it was it does not feel good at all. But the feeling of loss far outweighs whatever this feeling is, so he just has to bite the bullet.

Opening the door, the room is empty. Stepping over the threshold, he hears approaching footsteps from somewhere in the back.

"Daiyu, you really are faster than lightning!" Zhou Xu comes gliding into the room with a soft smile on his face. A smile that falters for a split second when he instead sees Wen Ke Xing in the middle of the room. "Lao Wen?"

Daiyu? Frozen in place, like someone threw water on him, his mind races before he can stop himself. Instantly a blur of emotions Wen Ke Xing almost vibrates where he stands. "Who is Daiyu?!"

"..." Not really sure how to compute that the man he is currently angry at, the same man that apparently has a thing for soulful love poems and bloody pearls, is standing in the middle of the room being jealous again.

His voice hoarse and his eyes not the usual cold black ones, but rather like they are on fire, Wen Ke Xing repeats, "Who is Daiyu and why are you waiting for her this late at night?"

"Why are you here?"

Frustrated, Wen Ke Xing takes a few steps towards Zhou Xu, "You! I am here for You! I am always here for you! Now tell me, who is Daiyu?"

"I thought I told you to not come near me again."

Feeling like he was just dosed with another cold bucket of water, his arms ache to hold on to his man, to not let him disappear. "Ah-Xu."

Standing firm in the same location, his eyes steady and his face marble, he responds, "No."

His voice a bit broken and with his hands hanging limp to the sides, "Ah-Xu, I won't touch you. Just tell me who she is..."

Not really sure why he is picking a fight again when all he wants to do is drink another bottle of wine and sleep so that tomorrow can arrive, Zhou Xu still responds, "Why?"

"I... I just..." Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, to steady his voice. What the hell is wrong with me? "You're my husband."

"And? Am I not allowed to have concubines? You have concubines. Don't think I didn't notice your 'washers' when I was up in Jianchan for those days."

"..."

It is at this moment that Daiyu skips in through the doorway with two bottles of wine, her voice cheerful and her smile bright, "Nu Zhuren, I got you the last two bottles!"

(..＞◡＜..)

Author's Mini Theatre:

Author: "Daiyu, are you trying to get yourself killed? The readers are worried about your safety."

Daiyu: "Nu Zhuren will protect me."

Author: "Are you sure?"

Daiyu: "Yes, I have seen him try to protect us before. He will protect me."

Author: "Don't you think you should at least stop flirting with him in front of his husband - you know - The Guzhu?"

Daiyu: "I can't help myself. You've seen him! I am surprised you don't write yourself into this story."

Author: "How do you know that you're not me?"

Daiyu: "..."

Author's Notes:

So I have changed Wen Ke Xing's wedding vows. I had originally planned for the first poem to be the one, but when I found this, I fell for this one even more and to me this works better with the backstory of Wen Ke Xing and Zhou Xu (that you guys still don't know about).

(1) This is the poem 上邪, English title is The Pledge. More on this poem is in the chapter Bowing.

(2) Recap - Kuai He is the tearoom in Jianchan.