Chapter 29 Morning with Honesty.
The morning seems coming so quickly. TanTan opens her eyes and seeing a little hand on her face. She removes the hand slowly and wakes up,
’O yeah right! FangFang has sleepover last night’
She observes FangFang who still in deep sleep, hugging her doll, xiaomei. TanTan smiles, she uses her finger to touch FangFang’s cheeks over and over, ’So cute...’
Then she gets up slowly from the bed. When she stands, she just realizes something. She stomps her feet many times and feels so happy coz not having pain anymore.
’Wow, that medicine is really good. Maybe that silver mask isn’t bad guy who after all’
In the same time, XiaoRue enters the room with a new basin of water. She surprises to see TanTan standing,
"XiaoCie...be careful...your ankle...?!"
TanTan smiles, she answers XiaoRue by showing that she even can jump now.
"Waah, XiaoCie....your ankle is healed, XiaoRue is so glad..." Although she feels a little bit confused for its quite recover fast.
The noise of their voices has awaken FangFang,
"mm...Mommy?" she looks to TanTan in her half sleep.
"Good morning sweet girl, do you have good sleep?" TanTan approaches FangFang and stroke her hairs.
FangFang stroke her eyes and now in full awake, she smiles and hugs TanTan
"YangMu...Good morning...", she sees XiaoRue and greets her too.
"XiaoRue Cie...good morning"
XiaoRue smiles to see the view which so rare to see in the past, ’XiaoCie and FangFang now are really looks like mother and daughter...who thought they can be like that before?’
"Good morning, FangFang XiaoCie"
"Well, if you already wake up, why don’t we clean up ourselves and have a breakfast together outside..." TanTan
"Emm" FangFang nods firmly and then she jumps from the bed, washes her face and hands immediately. And then TanTan helps her to clean up. XiaoRue prepares their clothes too.
When they are ready, they come out from the room. FangFang doesn’t forget to bring her xiaomei with her. Then they meet Aunt Tong who actually comes to check FangFang.
"Good Morning Aunt Tong" TanTan greets her happily,
"...eh..good morning, Madam..." Aunt Tong clearly not get used to be greeted friendly by HuaMuTan, she continues
"I come to take FangFang XiaoCie for a breakfast..."
"I want to have breakfast with YangMu,..."
"But FangFang, last night your YiFu has instructed me to pick you back after you wake up...so you won’t bother Madam furthermore.."
’That Prince again...How deep is the trauma HuaMuTan gives to him till he so not trust me hah?!’
"FangFang doesn’t bother me at all, Aunt Tong. We plan to have breakfast in the garden together...bring the food there...and why don’t you come join with us?"
Aunt Tong surprises with the offer, she bows a little bit, gesturing her apologize,
"I will bring the breakfast to the garden"
TanTan holds FangFang’s hand and with XiaoRue, they direct to the inner garden where FangFang ever fell down there before. When the breakfast arrived, in a few minutes, they already enjoying to eat a simple hot chicken porridge as the menu. Aunt Tong just observes them silently.
Not too long after FangFang finishing her food, she plays with her xiaomei to wait for TanTan but then she feels bore.
"Can we play something YangMu?"
"What do you want to play?" TanTan just finishes her food and now enjoying drinking her tea,
"What can you play, YangMu?"
"Well..." TanTan tries to think, but she doesn’t know any child games, especially ancient child games. She looks around the garden, she sees a wooden swing.
"Do you want to play swing?"
FangFang shakes her head, "Not today..."
She then got an idea,
"I want to hear YangMu play guzheng again..."
"Guzheng?" TanTan thinks, for today she can’t think to do anything else to find the clue.
’The silver mask said I will get the clue in the palace later....maybe I better to practice guzheng as well...’
"Very well, lets play guzheng in pavilion"
TanTan then asks XiaoRue to take out the guzheng and they prepare to go to the pavilion.
In pavilion, there still have the tracks of some empty cups and couple of wine bottle. Beside the table, Prince Li is also still in his deep sleep...he even in dreaming,
He is chasing a woman who looks like ShuangAi but he only can see her back,
even though he calls ShuangAi many times but the woman doesn’t give any reaction.
At the same moment, TanTan and FangFang who just arrive at the pavilion, surprise to find Prince Li sleep alone there. Seeing the condition of the place, TanTan guessing that last night Prince Li must have a drink with someone, maybe with Prince FengEr?
FangFang wants to wake Prince Li,
"Yi..." but TanTan shoos her, coz she can see from Prince Li’s face...’It looks like he is having a bad dream...’
Prince Li is murmuring something in his dream, TanTan walk closer to hear him, but suddenly...
Continue in his dream, Prince Li is getting closer with the woman, but suddenly there occurs another shadow who then stabs that woman from the front. Prince Li just can shout out from his dream,
"Nooo..." He opens his eyes and with instinct grabs hand who nearby him.
He is surprise that he is grabbing TanTan’s hand. He takes off her hand immediately, with a little harsh and its unpleasing TanTan.
"YiFu, are you okay?" FangFang also looks to him worrily.
Prince Li now has fully awake, XiaoRue has come and put the guzheng, make it ready to be played. Confusing to see the Guzheng, he looks to TanTan, demanding explanation.
"FangFang want to hear me playing guzheng...so I thought why not practicing also for the performance later here...Do we bothering you, Prince Li?"
TanTan knows that he doesn’t have any reason to cast them away.
"No..." Prince Li answers shortly. He just awake from his drunk so his head is pain with a hangover effect. He stands to left but FangFang grabs his hand,
"YiFu...don’t go...let we hear YangMu play together..."
"I am sorry, FangFang...but YiFu is now so thirsty...I want to go to find water to drink..."
"Let me take water to YiFu..."
"No..no need...Fangfang??!" Without listening his words, FangFang is already run to fetch water...
Worry if FangFang can fell down again, TanTan right away send XiaoRue to go,
"XiaoRue, go follow FangFang...make sure she doesn’t fall down..."
"Yes, XiaoCie....FangFang...!!"
And then XiaoRue chases FangFang away, leaving TanTan alone with Prince Li.
Prince Li starts to walk away...
"Is it so hard for you to stay just for a while, waiting for FangFang back? She is taking water for you..." Although TanTan also doesn’t want to be with Prince Li alone, but she feels at least Prince Li can appreciating what FangFang is doing to please Prince Li.
Prince Li looks back to TanTan, sighed...
He also doesn’t want to disappointing FangFang, so he agrees to wait. But together with this woman, he doesn’t know what to say... everytime he with HuaMuTan alone, there were only argues and quarrels.
TanTan feels the same, but then she realizes its a good chance to clear about their relationship now...
"Look, I like to say something..."
Prince Li doesn’t respond it,
"Fine, you don’t need to say anything, just listen to me okay..."
’What does this woman want this time?!’ Prince Li looks to her without saying anything.
"I think after these days, I understand how much you hate me because the past me who force you into this marriage..."
"...." , ’Its true, but why you bring it up something that so clear?’ Prince Li still doesn’t speak out his mind, he just stared to TanTan sharply.
"And I know you actually has strong feeling toward ShuangAiMei not to me..."
Prince Li is really puzzled with TanTan’s words, but he becomes unplease when TanTan mentions about ShuangAi,
"Ok, stop this non-senses! What do you want to say, HuaMuTan?!"
Then TanTan boldly answers,
"I want to fix it! I have changed...If you so hate with this marriage, lets finish it...Let us divorce...! I ’ll let you free, you can be with ShuangAiMei as you want..."
"..." Prince Li widens his eyes and even let his mouth open like a fish, for long times, he is expecting those words comes from HuaMuTan but right now he doesn’t prepare himself to hear those words, it seems unreal but then he laughs...harshly...and becomes angry. He approaches TanTan angrily,
"Don’t mock me, HuaMuTan!! You want to divorce? How can you do it Hah?! Our marriage is the granted decree from the king...and you know so well, having divorce without the King’s approval means death punishment!"
TanTan widens her eyes as well,
’I don’t know that!! Is it really difficult to divorce in this era?’
"I...don’t know...but I mean what I said...
I’ll do something about it, don’t worry....maybe I can ask the King himself and explaining that we are not the right couple and get their approval..."
Prince Li squints his eyes,
"What is your plan, HuaMuTan? Suddenly you close with ShuangAi, with FangFang and now you want to divorce... what is your real purpose?!" Prince Li hits the guzheng out of his anger.
TanTan doesn’t like it, she pushes Prince Li at her front, to take his hand off from the guzheng. Prince Li lost his balance and fell sit on the floor, feels dumbed.
"I already say it! I want to fix my mistakes! Now I realize that this marriage is wrong, you should marriage with ShuangAi Mei and be happy. Don’t worry, I won’t be in between you and ShuangAiMei anymore...Isn’t that what you always want?!"
At the same moment, FangFang and XiaoRue has return with the water. FangFang confused to see her YiFu sit n the floor of pavilion in front of TanTan,
"YiFu, Why do you sit there?"
Prince Li feels shy and gets up immediately, he then just walks away without saying anything.
"But ...YiFu....you don’t drink the water yet..." FangFanh shouts, expecting Prince Li to come back but he doesn’t.
XiaoRue comes closer to TanTan, almost whispering,
"XiaoCie...what happened? Does XiaoCie make Prince Li angry again?"
"He is the one that makes me angry! I kindly want to give what he wants...why he must mad to me?!"
"What is that you want to give to him, XiaoCie?"
"A divorce" TanTan answers lightly.
"XiaoCie! You can’t divorce with Prince Li...its its..forbidden.." XiaoRue shocks to hear the answer, while FangFang has approaches them and hears the word,
"YangMu, what is a divorce means?"
TanTan suddenly feels guilty to FangFang, ’oh right, if i divorce with Prince Li later, I won’t be able to be FangFang’s mother anymore...its too bad..’
"XiaoCieee..." And seeing XiaoRue so worry makes TanTan feels a little regret has mentioned that word to them.
"Alright...alright...I just say it, I am not really do it right now..."
"You should be careful to say that word next time, MuTanMei." Prince FengEr suddenly walks entering the pavilion... He seems also hear the word.
XiaoRue and FangFang like usual greet him politely.
"FangFang, Shushu want to talk with your YangMu, can you play with XiaoRue for a while?"
"Yes, SanWangShuShu" FangFang obeys and XiaoRue is also looks to XiaoCie. Seeing TanTan nods, she takes Fang Fang playing around the pavilion.
Prince FengEr comes closer to TanTan, smiles...
"Just now I wonder why Wei Di passes through me with anger face...now I understand why" He sits beside TanTan, plucking the guzheng a little bit,.."You know, Its not easy to get divorce from a marriage which be granted by the King himself..."
"Is it really impossible?" TanTan asks, she feels maybe Prince FengEr can help her about it.
"Well, its not impossible only are you sure want to do it, MuTanMei? Don’t you care about your reputation? A divorce can be the most humiliating thing happen in a woman’s life. People will mock you for entire your life..."
’Really? That bad? Do I too rush taking a decision...but I really don’t want to live in this status anymore...I want to be free...’
TanTan sighed, she then speaks out her mind.
"Maybe its better than have to live with a husband who doesn’t love you"
"But as I know you love WeiDi so much?"
"Well, not anymore right now..."
Prince FengEr smiles hearing that answer,
"Then if that so, perhaps I can help you..."
"You have the way?"
"Yeah...there is a way....if your performance is success and please the Queen GrandMother so much. Every year she always granted one wish of the person who gives the best present she likes most."
"I can try that...Thanks for the idea"
"Hmm...what’s your plan if you successfully divorced from your husband, MuTan Mei?"
"I don’t think until that yet...maybe I will return to my old house and live peacefully there?" TanTan wonders will her GrandMa accepting her later?
"And how about your killers? Don’t you want to look for them anymore?"
TanTan sighed again,
"I do...but what can I do? they are in a darkness and I have no clue at all...I just can let them come to me, to get the more clues?"
"Or.., maybe...you can stay in my house until you find your killers before you can return to your old house..."
"Really ? Ah...wait...no, I can’t do it"
Sudden TanTan remembers someone in her mind,
"Why?"
"Your sister hates me, remember? I don’t want to argue with her all the time"
"Maybe she won’t hate you anymore after you divorce Prince Li..coz the reason she hates you is also this marriage"
"Yeah maybe you right!"
"So will you come to my house in the future?"
"Okay, I will..."
A promise has made and it please Prince FengEr so much,
"Now may I accompany you to practice guzheng?"
"Okay...but don’t you busy with your job?"
"I still have time...come, let me hear your playing..."
"...okay...please don’t laugh with my bad playing"
"Hahaha, I doubt it very much"
TanTan glads to have a companion like Prince FengEr. He is a good listener and also fun to talk with. Then TanTan starts playing the guzheng.
In other side, Prince Li stops walking in the hallway when he hears the guzheng sound. He turns around and see the pavilion from far. Seeing TanTan so close and friendly with Prince FengEr makes his heart feels uncomfort.
’That woman!! Is she planning to divorce him so she can manipulate SanWangGe? Is that why she change? Because I am no longer her prey? But SanWangGe? No...I must protect SanWangGe from that evil woman! HuaMuTan, don’t you think you can always get what you want! You had destroy my life but I won’t let you did the same thing to my brother!!!’