บท 18: Unexplainable Happiness from Mystery
"Go on, wear it." the man spoke up again, this time his voice urging her to do as he said. Although still confused Hou Wei Yan followed what she was asked to do. The man felt quite authoritative and based on her father and grandfather's treatment of him, he's someone she shouldn't try to offend.
While Hou Wei Yan wore her coat, Ji Li Zhao began walking closer to the middle. He was now at one of the pathway entrances of the center of the maze, gazing at Hou Wei Yan and yet still hiding himself.
"Why are you out?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking why you're here?" she asked as a matter of fact. This was her home and it was so late for him to be merely visiting.
Ji Li Zhao stayed silent at her question and she found this as an opportunity to track him down. By the source of his voice, she had already pinpointed where he stood and she was inching closer to him.
Of course, Ji Li Zhao noticed this even before she made a move. "You know you can't see me."
"Why?" she asked as she stopped getting any closer to where he hid.
A sigh escaped from him as he could already picture his wife's confused face. "It's a secret."
Hou Wei Yan's brows automatically arched high as he said such words. "What is it?"
Soon a chuckle can be heard in the place. [ Oh, wife. ]
"It won't be a secret any longer if I tell you,"
[ Silly. ]
It was indeed a silly question but she still tried nonetheless. Hou Wei Yan didn't want to be constantly kept in the dark, it somehow made her paranoid. But she knew that this evening, what she said was the end of the line regarding the issue of his identity. "I won't ask more about that. But why are you here? Are you staying at my house?"
Ji Li Zhao did not speak, but instead, he showed his hands and signaled her to come closer. "I have something for you."
Curious, Hou Wei Yan walked towards his hand but did not dare peek at him. She just remained on the other side of the bush. The bush served as a wall dividing them and protecting her husband's identity.
"What?" she asked after staying quiet for a while.
"This,"
Hou Wei Yan was caught off guard as her husband's hands offered her a red small box. She looked at his hands for a long time before deciding to accept them.
As she held it in her hand, a look of surprise was itched on her face. It wasn't an ordinary box. It had small diamonds decorating its surface. She touched each of them and was awestruck by the garnet that donned the big ribbon of the box. It was her birthstone and it had her initials written in gold on the side making her smile. He made it—especially for her. His actions made it hard for her not to get curious at all.
"I was planning on handing it to your father when I saw you," he spoke up all of a sudden. Hou Wei Yan looked at the bush as though looking at her husband.
[ So he was indeed a guest at the house! ]
Hou Wei Yan finally decided to open the box and the content stunned her more than the outer cover. Inside was a ring that made her cry out in happiness. There was no big diamond to make her cry but a circle and inside was heraldry. The design of the ring was so intricate that it must have taken a long time to finish it.
There were only small carats of diamonds on the ring that encircled the heraldry. Inside were two mermaids which she had always loved since childhood. Both of them are holding an emblem with the initials W and L entwined together creating harmonic branches. There are roses on the vines making her smile as roses are equivalent to her mother in her heart. One thing that was of note was the two little cupids on the top of the sirens. All of the things on the ring were everything she ever loved.
She looked at it very carefully once more and smiled as the first hint of her husband surfaced. So his name has the initial L on it. Though it was just a small and somehow useless clue, Hou Wei Yan still felt very thankful that he was willing to reveal it. Somehow it made her eyes swell in happiness.
To be honest, she had received many accessories but nothing could compare to what her husband had offered. It was full of consideration and it made her appreciate the gift and the man behind the bushes.
"You followed me here to give me this?" she asked as she took out the ring from its box.
"I didn't want to worsen your disappointment towards me," Ji Li Zhao answered with all honesty. It's already unacceptable that he wasn't there at their wedding.
She was lost for words. So he must have wanted to be there at their wedding but because of his situation, he decided to step back. She looked at the ring with softness and admiration. "I wasn't disappointed."
"Somehow I find this hiding thing...honestly entertaining," she added with an honest smile donning her face.
Hou Wei Yan handed down the ring to Ji Li Zhao and gave him her hands. She said nothing but Ji Li Zhao understood what she wanted. His smile was comparable to that of the Nile River as he wore the ring in her hands. He was holding her hands so gently and lovingly. Her small hands looked too cute against his but he found it fitting for his hands.
The ring reached the end of her fingers very slowly as though they were in the church making a vow. Even with no word said, Ji Li Zhao was already promising the whole world to her.
But Hou Wei Yan was yet not on that level. As she watched how his hands placed the ring in her hands, Hou Wei Yan decided to let him know of her feelings. "Listen, I am not yet in love with you and I'm not sure when to reach that point but I devote myself to becoming your wife and your woman."
"Even if there is yet no love, my admiration, loyalty, and respect are all yours," she said strongly. This is her feelings.
Love is not easy to come by. Even though she had already accepted the marriage and his arrangements, and vowed her heart to her husband, loving him is still a step she still needs to take.
[ It was fine, I'll make sure you fall in love with me. ] he thought as he watched her hands squeezing his as she spoke.
To ease her, Ji Li Zhao brought up her hands to his lips. He poured his love on the kiss and made sure she knew she was loved by her husband. He immediately parted his lips from her hands. Hou Wei Yan had no time to react.
A huge smile was plastered on his face as he watched her flush red. She was so cute at that moment that he could no longer stop himself from speaking his mind. "It's my job to make you love me and I promise to do it diligently."
Hou Wei Yan was speechless. [ His job? Do it diligently? ]
No one told her that her mystery husband is good at flattery and it's working against her really well. The words he said repeatedly occupied her mind and it made her silent. But inside her mind is chaos she never expected.
Her husband is quite adorable.
[ No, scratch that. He is adorable! ]
"What occupies your mind?" he asked upon noticing her silence.
Hou Wei Yan coughed at his sudden question. [ Is he teasing me?! ]
After saying such heart-fluttering words he follows it up with such questions. [ Oh dear, how is he good at this? Isn't the answer obvious? I'm thinking about him! Yes him! ]
"My father and siblings," she blurted out while looking away. She can't bring herself to answer with her heart.
Ji Li Zhao remained silent for a while before nodding his head. She evaded his trap. "When it comes to family matters, one shouldn't be hasty with their decisions."
Hou Wei Yan remained silent as well. Now it's time to plunge back into her quandary. "I know. That's why I'm trying to figure something out."
"Well, if you don't have a solution then perhaps it's not yet time," he boldly said making Hou Wei Yan look at the bush. "I know your quandary, and perhaps it's better to let your siblings prove themselves first."
"Prove themselves?" she repeated which Ji Li Zhao instantly replied.
"Your siblings are intelligent, if they want to separate from the Hous they could have done that with your and Hou Jun Shen's identity. The fact that they didn't can only mean they still have unfinished business in the family."
Noticing her willingness to listen, Ji Li Zhao continued with his suggestion. "With your father looking down on them, the only way to make him acknowledge them is by proving they are the better choices."
"Your siblings deserve that chance," he finished which was replied with silence.
After a short time, Hou Wei Yan pulled herself together. "I don't know. Isn't it dangerous?"
"Trials make one stronger," he said seriously. "Besides, you have me. They won't dare do anything malicious."
Hou Wei Yan didn't speak so Ji Li Zhao did not dare continue because he knew she understood what he wanted her to do. However, his main concern wasn't this, but rather her health. "You can think of it inside, not here. Your day with your siblings has ended and as you promised you'll follow my arrangements."
Hou Wei Yan looked at her watch and saw it was already 2 in the morning. Her time had long been over. "That's right,"
"Then I want you to get inside and sleep. You can't solve anything by punishing yourself in this cold weather," he said seriously and Hou Wei Yan found herself nodding.
He was set on this order and she knew better not to offend someone she is yet to truly know. She began walking away from him, her mind quarreling about whether to say good night or not.
But with the big help he made, the words he said, and the gift he gave, what is there to hesitate about?
She looked back at where he was hiding and smiled. "Good night,"
Ji Li Zhao did not expect this, so he was tongue-tied, unable to refute it. Hou Wei Yan thought he was already gone so she left in a hurry with a blush on her face.
However, before she could fully exit the center, Ji Li Zhao finally spoke up. "You sleep tight,"
A big smile occupied her face. She felt unexpectedly happy. She felt unexplainable happiness on such a day, but she can't accurately pinpoint why. Perhaps it's because she had a semi-solution to her problem or mainly because she met her mystery husband and what he did was foreign to her.
The latter seems like the real answer and she knew with everything that happened and the partings he said, she was bound to have a good night indeed. So the big smile she had when she ran out of the maze was still with her as she drifted to sleep.
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