Glimpses

Tai Tai

A/N: Tai tai (太太) is a Chinese colloquial term for a wealthy married woman who does not work (Source: Urban Dictionary)
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Shancai fell back against her pillows with a thud, sinking into her soft Egyptian cotton sheets, as she burst into giggles.

She was as conscious as she could be of 183 cm of lean, handsome male hovering above her, his body barely touching her, except for his hands which were tickling any bare spot on her skin that he could find.

"Stop! Daoming Si!" she sputtered between giggles. "Have mercy!"

He stopped, and sank into the bed next to her, his tickling hands now pulling her into an embrace as he wrapped his arms securely around her.

Her breath was still coming in quick, restless pants as she tried to even her breathing from his tickle onslaught on her.

When she had calmed down, he rose and rested the top half of his body on hers, one hand brushing away the stray strands of hair from her forehead.

He suddenly bent and kissed the top of her head, his other hand caressing her cheek. Shancai closed her eyes in bliss, So this is what it means to love and to be loved, she thought to herself. Even though it had been over a year since they were married, it still felt like they were newlyweds.

She opened her eyes to see her husband's dark ones staring intensely into hers, and she caught her breath. It was a look she knew only too well.

She closed her eyes again, expecting what was to come next. But after a few seconds, she felt nothing so she opened them, puzzled.

Si had reached over her head to grab something off her nightstand and he was holding it in his hand, grinning down at her.

"What are you doing with that marker?" she squeaked at him.

He quickly uncapped the marker and proceeded to write something on both her cheeks, despite her weak protests to push him away.

When he was done, he sat back and smiled, happy with his accomplishment. Shancai grabbed a mirror and looked at her reflection, letting out a horrified squeal.

"DAOMING SI!! Why did you brand me??"

Si looked at his wife nonchalantly. "I'm not wrong, though, am I?" he grinned. "Isn't that what you are - tai tai?"

Shancai scowled at him. "The whole of China, wait, the whole world, already knows it! And I don't want to be just a tai tai! I want to have my own career too!" She pouted at him.

"Pleaseeeee, just let me take a photo and put it up on Weibo and Instagram, pleaseeeee? he cajoled her. "It would be so cute, the two of us in our matching pyjamas. You can do your pouty face while I kiss your cheek."

Shancai looked at his beseeching face and sighed. However, she suddenly had a thought, and looked suspiciously at him.

"I know what this is about! You're jealous that Thomas posted our photo, aren't you?"

"Who, that foreigner? Why would I be jealous of him?" Si looked at her innocently.

Flashback:
It was no secret that Daoming Si was one of China's wealthiest tycoons, and he was also one of the youngest. He kept a low profile however, as did his wife who did not like to be in the public spotlight. However when a top Italian designer who had collaborated with them to design the interior of one of the Daoming group's hotels in Italy had invited them to be present at his runway show for Paris Fashion Week, it was hard to refuse. Si could not make it due to work commitments so Shancai was to attend on behalf of both of them. She was nervous, as she did not speak French (unlike her husband), and her English was conversational, at best.