The Promise [Xu Kai]

Wedding Ceremony

"I understood I cannot lose you,"

"Because you were my hope!!!!"

" Now you are the reason I live for."

When she finished that a  warm tear rolled down Munako's cheeks. He realized she was a beauty inside out.

"Yuyan, thank you for coming to my life.  Thank you for saving my life.Not once but twice. You have always been selfless. I promise you I will take care of you till I take my last breath."

She accepted that with a smile. Then she wiped her tears.

"Why am I in tears this auspicious day? Must be something with the wind."

They both smiled to her dry joke.

"Here. This is my gift for you. Happy spring day!"

Yuyan handed the gift she had bought.

They were a set of gloves ,which he could wear when bladesmithing.

"You don't have to smash your fingers this way."

She said, teasing him.

"Very thoughtful. " He accepted that with a smile.

Then they shared a smile with each other.

After staying there another half an hour they decided to go home. They stepped ahead along the moonlit foot path with relaxed hearts. Munako asked her about her dreams on the way.

"I don't know exactly. I didn't think of them for a long time."

Then she thought for a moment and awakened her voice again.

"I know what's my dream is? I want everyone to be happy and light minded."

Munako gave her a knowing look.

"Everyone???" He asked thinking she made another joke.

"Hm....everyone." She confirmed it.

"Even the royals.?" He purposely asked to defeat her.

"Yes, even king LuFeng."

Munako was not ready for that. He couldn't digest what she just said.

"No.Everyone can be happy,but he cannot. How can you forgive him so easily? How can you be so perfect? I don't trust you Yuyan."

She shot her with arrows like words.

"I am not perfect. Once I also kept hatred in my heart for long years. But when I learnt my stepfather had died it vanished right away. And I felt so light and so peaceful. Hatered is like rotten potatoes.  When you keep them longer they stink. So I am telling you to let go."

She never wanted to be perfect. She just wanted him to be happy.

"Then I will let it go, when he is dead. Not now."

To that she gave him a look as to say"really!!!"

"You backstabbed me didn't you?"

Next she playfully asked making a face. She felt they have grown closer again,and she feared the same thing would happen and she would be heart broken.

"No, it's better to keep the distance." She muttered herself.

So she kept herself few steps away from him and walked ahead keeping the distance.

On the way they were confronted by some hooligans who were celebrating the festival with vine. A tipsy guy made a comment on Yuyan and was coming towards her waddling.

"Hello, beauty!"

She knew she should avoid him. When she was about to do so, suddenly  a hand encircled her from waist and pulled her towards him, while calling........ "LaoPo(wife)"

Of course it was Munako.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"LaoPo are you okay?" He asked her with concern. She embarrassingly nodded her head ,realizing his favour.

Then the drunkard went away mouthing a sorry to them.

"Sorry brother.....sorry ...
Okay?"

He said in a tipsy voice and moved away with his gang.

Yuyan was suddenly feeling hot with their closeness. Her face had been flushed. She waited till the men go out of sight. As soon as they did she freed herself from his embrace uttering a thank.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing" He said to Yuyan who was few steps ahead if him even then.

But it was something for her. Suddenly she felt she had become a weak woman who prefers company of a man. Not to say felt safe in his arms like any other girl,but she was never supposed to be a fragile girl.

She aborted her girly feelings rightaway and took quick steps ahead under the sneaky moon light who was witnessing their little secret.

Munako didn't disturb her freedom ,he followed her from a close distance.

Their bond had been strengthen after the spring festival, yet she never called him by his name,neither called him Prince.

She had learnt her lesson well. Also Munako had no gut to ask her to call him by his name for he himself asked her not to. Atleast for now he couldn't.

Unlike the other days he had become so helpful her in the kitchen as well. He was responsible for providing water, firewood, and meat.

Another week passed. It was the very first day of a new month and Yuyan was given a huge responsibility of supplying some valuable and rare medicinal seeds and roots to a wedding banquet. Not just gold,silver,clothes and sweets , but medicinal seeds and roots were also cinsidered as dowry those days.

She wore that pink linen dress and adorned herself with earings and hair ornament,as she was attending a wedding whatsoever.

Mr.Zumo had send a labourer to pull the cart filled with rare medicine. She was supposed to hand over them to the landlord after going through numbers. After dealing with that matter she also helped arranging them neatly.

It was the first time she attended a wedding after a long time. She was in high spirits. She even gave her helping hand carrying heavy trunks.

Then she took her leave and was at the last step when someone shouted out from the bottom of his lungs.

"She is a Min!###%//#🤬. I saw it my self. She has the scar."

The man was pointing directly at Yuyan. Her eyes widened in terror.

Within mere seconds some men rushed through the crowd and grabbed Yuyan from hands and forcefully untied her wrapped palm.  She had already recieved a great audience. The poor Yuyan tried to free her self knowing her ill fate.

When the cheeky men untied her palm they showed it to the audience making the audience go mute.

Then the maddened people started throwing things at her with reach. Some kids following their elders hit her with stones and boulders giving her bruises.

"You little wenc# why did you come here to spoil the wedding?"
"She should go to hell"

And they said things which cannot be turned into words. A river of tears flowed down her cheeks helplessly.

Suddenly a hand reached out through the crowd,and pulled her in. And then she was lifted above ground by him.

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