epilogue|| DAOMINGSI and SHANCAI

bonus part. 1 - hangover

2 years before Xiao He

Ah Si can hardly peel open his eyelids. His head pounds. Eyebrows furrowed frustratedly, a groan wretches from his throat as he turns onto his side. His hair is all over the place, tickling his face, bothering his eyelashes. He growls, tossing over again. The bed shifts with the shifting of his weight. He turns again, unsatisfied.

"Hey," he hears Shancai murmur from his side; a warning. She is groggy too. "Quit tossing and turning all over the place. I'm here too. I feel like throwing up."

"It aches," Ah Si whines.

"What aches?"

"My head."

He hears her sigh, "You shouldn't have drank so much." She is definitely irritable. Recognising this, Ah Si grows irritable himself—or, more irritable. "Troublemaker... you sister nearly kicked you in the face again last night. Do you even remember that?"

"Well, why didn't you just let her then?" Ah Si shoots, bitter. He seals his eyes shut in utter anguish. "Idiot.. if you had let her kick me in the face, then you wouldn't be yelling at me now, would you?"

"Idiot," she fumes. "I will then! Next time, I'll let her kick you in the face. I'll let her beat you until your look like a mangled rice-cake."

Ah Si's frown deepens at this. He opens his eyes turns to glare at his wife, arms flying in an exasperated gesture.

"Oh, come on," he snaps. "What is wrong with you? Can't you see I'm in pain." He eases and closes his eyes again, but he's still uncomfortable. "I'm so hungover right now..."

"Serves you right."

"Hey, what kind of a wife are you?"

"Can you imagine what kind of person our child is going to be if he takes after you? Idiot," Shancai scoffs faintly. "If we ever have a son, he'll be stupid and whiney."

"Well—maybe I shouldn't have married you, either!" Ah Si scowls. "If we have a daughter, she'll be a loudmouth, and she'll be ungraceful and stupid."

Shancai gasps an incredulous, dramatic laugh. Ah Si can't help a triumphant sneer as it dawns on him how his words have affected her.

Good...

"You stupid man—take that back right now!" she shouts.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—do you know how early it is? Crazy..." Ah Si rolls onto his side away from Shancai. He snuggles to be comfortable, his head suddenly no longer aching. He even grins. "Be quiet, I'm trying to sleep."

"You just cursed our child, how can I sleep?"

"Our unborn child, idiot! What—you think I'll actually have a child with you? How could I have a child with you..."

"Yeah," she scoffs loudly. "You're right. How could I have a child with you?"

He listens as she mutters and sputters the words idiot and asshole, loudly readjusting into a comfortable position, reclining into the cocoon of the sheets.

Ah Si smiles.

She's so cute.

"Let's see who's leaves who first," she whispers, their backs facing each other.

"Hey, come on now. You sound so serious," Ah Si sews his lips into an innocent pout, which he know she senses even with her furious back of smooth raven hair turned to him. His voice softens. "Or else I'll really be hurt."

She sneers, "Go ahead, then! See if I care."

"Shancai."

"How dare you curse our unborn child. There's no way you'll be the father of my child—no way..."

•••

Shancai is lying on her side facing the wall (away from Daoming Si), buried deep in her blankets, when she suddenly feels an arm wrap around her from behind. It's strong and tanned, and falls snug around her waist. She feels the weight of his clothed chest press against her back, his warm lips and nose drawing faint lines on her bare nape. He breathes a sigh through his nose against her skin.

For a moment Shancai is still. The truth is she calmed down a long time ago, but she's still mad at him. She was already exhausted after last night's reunion with Daoming Zhuang. He didn't have to make her mood worse.

Daoming Si releases another sigh against Shancai's nape, drawing her attention.

"Shancai," he whines, dragging out the syllables like he is annoyed. But he sounds rather cute. In a very annoying way. "Don't be mad at me anymore, okay? Of course our daughter won't be loudmouth and stupid."

Shancai huffs a faint scoff, rolling her eyes. But when she's done she relaxes back into his hold.

"Don't say things like that again," she whispers. "Idiot—I won't say another word to you until you apologise."

"Wasn't that an apology?"

"Daoming Si."

She can just sense him rolling his eyes—so aggravated about nothing. It takes him forever to apologise about anything; for crying out loud, it's just one word... sorry.

"If apologies work, why do we have the police?"

"Daoming Si," Shancai complains, unsettled. His arm is still around her and she starts to shrug it off.

"Okay, okay, okay!" He blurts, annoyed. He readjusts his arm around her, tightening his hold. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... sorry..." he trails off, like he's falling asleep. His cheek presses against the gentle curve between her neck and shoulder. Shancai listens to him breathing.

She is relaxed again.

She closes her eyes, the breath of a smile gracing her lips, "Okay..."

She hears him scoff quietly. He mumbles, "Why do you like to annoy me so much?" He presses a kiss onto her skin. It's soft and tingles. His lips are dry because all he drank was wine last night—but it doesn't matter. Shancai doesn't care. "How are we supposed to stay married if we continue like this?"

Her eyes are closed, but a laugh threatens to escape from her lips.

"I have no idea," she whispers. But she feels an indescribable passion and joy bursting in her chest, overwhelming her with all the warmth of the stars.