章 25: Wedding Planning
Shao Lin was able to work again since Long Xia had been driving her to and from work to ensure her safety until she officially tied the knot with Long Yat-sen.
Whenever she was at the apartment, her soon-to-be sister-in-law would help her plan the wedding by contacting the best connections she had to select the venue, the food, and the flowers. Shao Lin enjoyed making decisions with Long Xia, choosing between the colours, the invitations and the décor, but she wished Long Yat-sen had joined them, but instead, he had been avoiding her.
Shao Lin began to feel like she had enough disappointment. If Long Yat-sen would not come to her, then she would go to him. She faced Long Xia, who was cutting up some pictures for the wedding scrapbook and said, "Do you know where I can find your brother?"
"It's late, but he should still be at work," Long Xia replied casually. "He always works hard even when I tell him to relax sometimes. But he's stubborn..."
"I need to borrow your car," Shao Lin said.
Long Xia gaped at her. "I can drive you."
"No," Shao Lin affirmed. "I need to go alone. Besides, I'll be safe once I get there since I will be seeing him."
Long Xia's expression crossed between something like amusement and anxiety. "Oh, he's going to kill me," she told her as she grabbed her keys and tossed them to her. She then pulled a lanyard with a security card and said, "This is my access pass to the building. You'll need it."
Shao Lin thanked Long Xia before she left with some of her things and went straight to the Head Office of Long Group.
It was a tower. And way bigger than she expected.
Shao Lin looked up, and her eyes hurt from squinting, trying to see where it ended. Long Xia told her that Long Yat-sen should be on the second level from the top right before she left. Their father would be at the top.
Shao Lin used the access pass to get inside. It was nearly empty, save for the receptionist working at the front. The receptionist said nothing as she used the access pass to step into the elevator and clicked on the second-last level of the building.
She took a deep breath, glancing at the mirror behind her, suddenly feeling self-conscience. What if he didn't want to see her? But they were to be married soon, and she figured that they'd have to see each other or talk eventually, especially since it will be soon that they have to share a space and possibly a bed.
Shao Lin fixed her brown hair in front of the mirror and tucked a strand behind her ear. She straightened, trying to look like the proper lady she was even when her confidence kept slipping from her hold.
When she reached the second-top level, Shao Lin stepped out of the elevator and was met with silence. The conference rooms were empty, and only a couple of the cubicles were occupied. For the most part, it seemed like the majority of staff had gone home.
Shao Lin felt lost, and she did not want to bother anyone for directions. She looked at the doors of the rooms, one by one, until she found it—Long Yat-sen's office.
She knocked on the door. Once. Twice. There was no answer.
She chewed on her lower lip, wondering what to do next. After fighting an internal battle with herself, she realized she would be this man's wife soon, so she swiped Long Xia's access pass and unlocked his door.
She entered slowly and carefully. The office was bigger than she expected. There was a lounge, a kitchen, and a bathroom, even a small bedroom for naps. She stalked down the long room, finding a dark oak-wood desk and the man who sat on the other side of it with his head resting on top.
He was resting so peacefully that Shao Lin had to resist the urge to smooth out his hair and his brows. She watched as his long lashes fluttered over his cheeks. His chest rose and fell lightly. She had never seen him look so unguarded and so…cute. Shao Lin took out her phone and snapped a picture, admiring it.
Shao Lin then took the seat across from him. She decided to wait for him, so she sat patiently, but watching Long Yat-sen made the sleepiness feel contagious.
She did not know when she dozed off, but not long after, she felt a hand brush the side of her face. Shao Lin stilled beneath the gentle caress, her head resting atop the oak desk. She wanted to lean against the fingers that brushed her skin with such tenderness. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she watched as Long Yat-sen sat against the desk right next to her. Her eyes widened.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and thick.
She rose from her seat, cheeks flushed, realizing she had dozed when she waited for him. She then spoke softly, "Sorry. I had come because I wanted to include you in some of the wedding planning…"
Shao Lin's blush deepened as Long Yat-sen's heavy-lidded gaze darkened. He leaned forward, and her breath hitched. He then peered down at the bag she held with some wedding things and reached for it. Shao Lin did not know why she thought he'd reach down to kiss her when he neared. Instead, he took the card from her bag and looked at it. The card was designed with a blue dragon with red flowers wrapped around the creature.
"You designed this?" he questioned.
Shao Lin nodded, her face red and warm.
He looked at it astonishingly. "Why the blue dragon?" he questioned.
"The Azure Dragon is one of the four symbols of the constellation. I contacted your father, asking more about the Dragon Syndicate. He told me that there's a myth that the Dragon blessed your ancestors and that someone from each generation of the Long family was born with crystal blue eyes, which represented the coldest winters or the hottest flames. Long means Dragon, which is why the Azure Dragon is such an important symbol to your family. The red flowers are meant to be me."
"They're roses," Long Yat-sen observed as he stared at the card. "Which represents love and secrecy."
Shao Lin's eyes widened as she looked at him, surprised that he even knew the meaning behind those flowers.
"They're my favourites," she told him.
Long Yat-sen gave her a look that suggested that he knew she was lying. "They're one of my favourites," she corrected herself. She felt like she wanted to bury herself and disappear from the room. How he figured out the meaning made her feel embarrassed.
"It's beautiful," he said, staring at it, then at her.
Shao Lin tore away from his gaze. "Thank you," she began. "I made others too, but the ones you're holding is my favourite one. They're going to be our wedding thank you cards."
Long Yat-sen grinned at her. "Show me more."
Shao Lin nodded. She then went over some ideas with him, such as what to put in the gift baskets for their guests, what colour the ribbons would be for the seats, and what plates and cutlery they would use. Long Yat-sen agreed to go cake taste-testing with her the next day, and it made her happy.
It was way past midnight when they finished talking about their arrangements. Long Yat-sen called it a night, leading her out of the office building with a hand to her back the entire way.
When they arrived at the apartment, Long Yat-sen walked her inside. He gave her a look as if he wanted to say something, but instead, he gave her a small smile before they parted ways.
Shao Lin went back into Long Xia's apartment, feeling optimistic and better about their future together.
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