Every Lifetime I Fall {COMPLETED but undergoing revisions}

Chapter 156: WYH

The first time we met I was enamored by her.

Amazed at how a noble man's daughter could be so... irreverent.

Bright like the sun, as stunning as a sky full of carefree stars, I found myself resisting her foolish charms.

That year I turned ten. My father brought me to visit his childhood friend, Uncle Chen. I had met Uncle Chen on multiple occasions but never his family. They lived in a small town, and Uncle Chen was of low political status.

My father warned me that they weren't always such feeble people. Their families were powerful allies to royalty of the previous dynasty. With the overturn of a new emperor, the Chen family were spared by the Empress Dowager but was heavily crippled and lost political power.

Raised by the Chen family, my father did not waste his opportunity to rise in government. Although only a court official, my father assisted the current Emperor to ascension. Big things have been planned for our family.

My father and Uncle Chen were talking about political matters in Uncle Chen's study. Since I have been betrothed to his daughter before we were born, Uncle Chen was excited for me to meet her.

I had no interest.

My parents were aware of this. I did not want to marry Uncle Chen's daughter. They were not too keen either. A better connection could be made with my future marriage, and they did not want to waste it on the Chens.

As my father talked with Uncle Chen, I avoided meeting his daughter and slipped out to take a walk in the garden. Apparently she was in her room receiving lessons. Perhaps on sewing and maybe even art or poetry.

Green shrubs stood neatly organized on either side of the stone path. Admiring the clear blue sky, I tripped over a thick log lying in front.

"Oh, sorry!" A light girlish tone surprised me.

I looked back and saw that the log I tripped over was not a log at all but a young girl, probably as old as eight or nine.

"What the-- What are you doing lying on the ground like that?" This girl was someone with such impolite manners...

"I always lie in this spot. The sunlight is best here."

"What are you? Some sort of plant?"

"I'm Mu Dan! I need the sun and water, so I can grow up to be beautiful."

Mu Dan? She can't be Uncle Chen's daughter, Chen Mu Dan?

She stood and pat the dirt away from her red dress, tossing her long hair behind her back. Walking toward me, she was not shy at all.

"Are you my husband?" Almost touching my face, she leaned in to examine me closely.

I stepped back. "I am not."

About to walk away, I stopped when she asked, "Aren't you Wu Yi Huai?"

Over my shoulders, I replied, "I am not."

"Oh? My father said that Uncle Wu and his son will be visiting today. Who are you then?"

I didn't bother to answer.

"Young Miss! Young Miss, where are you?" I heard an older woman calling for her.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me in between shrubs. I tried to break away, but she strongly held on. She forced me to hide deep in the garden. Pulling me down on my knees, she put a finger over her lips and shushed me.

The older woman ran through the path we were just on and didn't notice us hiding. She went looking for her Young Miss elsewhere.

Letting out a breath of relief, she said, "She's gone."

I stared at her, completely annoyed at her childish antics.

She saw that I was staring and a warm smile spread across her face. "Hey, you're really pretty."

I stood after hearing her blunt compliment. "I am not."

"I hope Wu Yi Huai looks something like you. If not I'll probably have to call the whole wedding off."

"What makes you think he doesn't want to call it off?" I scoffed.

"He hasn't met me yet. Everyone who has ever met me has always liked me."

"You-- How can you be so sure?" I grumbled. "Why are you hiding anyway?"

"I'm the only child, so my parents spoil me with many lessons in a day. I must learn poetry, art, government affairs, sewing, dancing, music. It's too much, my brain can't handle the stress!"

In a sense, I understood how she felt. I was also the only child and my parents had a lot of expectations. Day after day, I was also studying and having tutors come to my home for continuous studying.

"You still have to do it. It is your duty. Your parents are only thinking of what's best for you," I said sternly.

"What's best for me?" She held her hands behind her back and skipped past me. "What's best for me is to grow up and be a good person, pursuing my own happiness!"

"You think all that is not going to help you be a good person?"

"Maybe it might, maybe it won't. There's many people in the world who don't have expensive lessons and they turn out fine."

"But since you are from a wealthy family that can afford to give you such luxuries as education, you will never have to worry about starving, worry if you'll have a warm shelter for the night, don't you think you should be grateful for what you have and others don't?"

She pouted and seemed to be in thought. "I guess you're right."

Of course.

"I'm just taking a break for the day. Since you're here, let's play house! I don't have many playmates, so I'm glad you're here!"

Play house? She is so uncivilized.

"No--"

She interrupted me. "Oh, husband! You're home! Come, come. I made you dinner!"

She forced balls of mud on a piece of leaf in my face. I pushed her hands away and the dirt dish fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed.

"Hey! You may not like my cooking, but you shouldn't mistreat me!" She pretended to cry out.

Grabbing me by the collars, she shakes me as she started to absurdly accuse me. "Who is it?! Who is it that you have been stepping out on me with?! You like their cooking better than mine? You share a warm bed with them and leave me to a cold one all alone?!"

I forced her hands off. "You-- Why do you play like this?! I don't like it!"

With hands on her hips, she shrugged. "I don't know. It's drama. That's what makes it fun. Haven't you seen the plays at the theater house? Or read the latest novels?"

"How can you absorb such crappy material..."

"They're fun. I like them better than teachings from boring old men who thinks boys are better than girls. Fine, if you don't like playing house, what do you want to play?"

"I... I don't want to play husband and wife."

"Okay! Okay!" She nodded quickly. "You can be anything!"

"I..."

"There you are!"

A woman erupted through the bushes, causing both Mu Dan and I to jump.

"You scared me!" Mu Dan shouted.

"Greetings, Young Lord Wu." The woman bowed. Turning to Mu Dan, her tone became admonish. "Mu Dan, you cannot skip out on your lessons. If you need to rest, you can do that once lessons are over."

Mu Dan's eyes were filled with mistrust. "You are Wu Yi Huai, aren't you?"

"I-- I'll get going now. My father is probably looking for me."

When my father and I left the Chen Manor, I was too embarrassed to tell him I had ran into Chen Mu Dan, the most boorish, irritating character I'd ever come across.