Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

TangShi was nestled between YuZhi’s legs on the couch, with her back against his chest as they cuddled up together to work. Him with a document in hand leaning up on the back of the rest so he could read it, while she had a sketch pad on her lap to work on her class assignment for the coming week. Soft music playing on the surround sound, the digital fire on, and warm and cozy while it rained outside and added to the feeling of a blissful home. Her head nestled against his throat while his chin lightly sat on top of her head. Lost in a world of happy contentment as they relaxed together.

This morning he had woken her up and made love to her for a longer session, showing her how good sex could be, all over again. No longer worried he would regret it and solidified the fact this was real, and they were now properly together. YuZhi had fully immersed himself into this new dynamic and was happy.

He then introduced her to the embarrassment of sharing a shower, laughing at her mortified expression and shyness, having to coax her to stop hiding herself before they cooked breakfast together. They had discovered domestic bliss in finding a way to cohabit while being touchy feely doing every day tasks. He had decided to work from home to savor their first day of official coupledom. He didn’t want to leave her home alone in case this was all a dream, and he would wake up from it.

YuZhi was now stone cold sober and any fears that he would wake up and go back to confusion and doubts about his feelings for TangShi had lost weight. The first thing that popped into his head when he woke up in the morning was her, he blinked his eyes open in anticipation to see her sleeping soundly in his arms. Causing a huge grin to spread across his face. He had intended to leave her asleep, but he couldn’t contain himself and had kissed her awake, unable to keep his hands to himself.

TangShi was tired today, mildly hungover, and a little tender down below, but she had never known this kind of extreme happiness or contentment. If she thought she had found joy in living with YuZhi as friends, then this was a whole other level of euphoria and she wanted to glue herself to him twenty-four seven. Addicted to his touch and kisses. His affections had increased a hundred-fold. Stroking her hair, hugging her, even taking her hand to walk her from the bedroom to the kitchen. Throughout prepping food he had kept wrapping his arms around her from behind, so they worked together while cuddling. It felt like a honeymoon.

“You hungry?” YuZhi leaned down, resting his cheek on top of her head and slid his arm around her shoulders to give her a squeeze. It was nearing lunch time already since they had both been engrossed in work.

“A little.” TangShi yawned, admiring her sketches of the view outside their penthouse windows and wriggled back against him, flopping her arms down and abandoning her pad on her lap. “Too tired to get up and move though. I’m comfy here.” She slid one hand up to cover his and wiggled her fingers in between his.

“I can order something in. What do you fancy?” YuZhi was in agreement about not moving from this spot. He didn’t want to let her get up unless he desperately needed to go to the bathroom. Enjoying having to no longer find reasons to touch her.

“Hotpot!” TangShi blurted out with glee, craving it lately and then faltered when she remembered Rhea had once said he refused to eat it with her because he didn’t like it. “Oh, wait. You don’t eat it, how about Sashimi then?” She tried to think of an alternative.

“Hotpot’s fine. Who said I don’t eat it?” YuZhi chuckled, unaware of whoever gave her that wrong info as it was one thing they had eaten together eight years ago at a street vendor in Beijing.

“Rhea said…” TangShi hesitated, cursing herself for bringing her up and flushed all over. YuZhi frowned and thought for a second before nodding and shrugging.

“I wasn’t aware I had refused to eat it with her all these years, but I guess she’s right. I always said no and then she stopped asking. It’s been years though. Weird she remembered.” He smirked to himself and tried to think back to when and how often he refused and the only thing he could think of was seven years prior as the last time. When his heart still ached for that missing girl, and he couldn’t bear to eat hotpot without it bringing up those memories of his most perfect night.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“So we can order it?” TangShi brimmed with renewed happiness and beamed when he nodded and slid out his cell to place an order.

“Sure.” It somehow felt weirdly sentimental to him now she had highlighted its importance. “You’ll be the only woman I ever eat it with.” He joked. Brushing a hand over her hair, tugging her head in so he could plant a kiss on her crown.

“How romantic.” TangShi laughed but was interrupted with YuZhi’s phone ringing on the coffee table beside them, breaking into their calm atmosphere with it’s harsh buzzing. He glanced over and stiffened at the sight of a name that had left him alone for over a week and exhaled heavily, reaching out to scoop it up and held it in front of TangShi so she could see it. Not wanting to hide anything from her that might make her doubt him.

“I was dreading this coming. I can’t avoid it forever.” He pointed out and TangShi’s eyes slid to Rhea’s name and face as it flashed in front of her. Her heart sinking and a sense of guilt and jealousy rising together to make her uneasy. “I should answer it and clarify things. It’s different now and she’s going to find out sooner or later.” He tensed, his own mood dipping.

YuZhi slid out from under TangShi carefully, trailing his hand across her head gently to reassure her before getting up and bracing himself for dramatics. Answering his cell and walking to the window overlooking their view of the Huangpu river. Needing space to deal with this.

“Hello, Rhea. How can I help you?” He tried to sound casual and friendly even though it had been a week of refusing to take her calls and then a wall of silence for a few days. His chest tightening with knowing he was going to have to admit to something that would break her heart and confirm her suspicions. He knew she would assume this was what had gone on all along and probably flip out like she did that night.

“YuZhi…… Hey. I’m in London, which you probably know as I told ZhengLi. I just wanted to reach out and clear things between us. I know I was stupid and crazy the last time I saw you and I’m sorry.” Rhea bit on her lip, picking at her nails where she was sat in her hotel suite. Nervous about trying to make amends now she had so long to sit and think everything through. She had been sober since coming here and it had helped her clear her head. Returned some sense to her.

“Look, I’m kind of glad you called because there is something we need to talk about. I just don’t know if it should wait until I see you face to face.” YuZhi cast a glance back at TangShi to see how she was reacting, but she had pulled her sketch pad up and was furiously drawing in a bid to try and ignore all her crazy emotions and give him space. She looked uneasy and he knew this was probably bothering her.

“Just tell me. Whatever it is I would rather you just came out with it and got it over with. I know you and that tone, and I feel like this isn’t good.” Rhea’s heart raced but she couldn’t deny that this past week or so it had finally sunk in that they were truly over. She had felt it coming a long time ago, knew what she did was wrong, and it had contributed to her spiraling out of control and drinking almost daily. He had been slipping through her fingers long before Grandfather Leng announced a wedding and she had broken down and turned into someone she no longer recognized. Ashamed now with a clear mind and a heart full of sorrow.

YuZhi closed his eyes and let out a long slow breath to cool his own nerves. Despite everything that had gone on he still cared about her. Was weighed down by this situation and felt like an absolute asshole for how things had turned out between them. She had been his friend since infancy and hurting her this way pained him deeply. He knew he held the blame, and all of this happened because of his own inability to understand love or really feel it before now.

“TangShi and I, we’re together now. It only happened yesterday but I guess you were right, and feelings were growing from the start. I’m sorry. I don’t want to lie to you or hide it. I’m really, really sorry, rhea. I never intended things to go this way.” He swallowed hard, hands trembling and heart heavy as the silence stretched out, but he could make out a slight change in her breathing. He knew she heard him.

Rhea sat motionless and stared blankly at nothing, her heart stopping for a second as it filtered through, but it felt like she already knew. There was no shock at his confession, no instant anger or hate, only a quiet painful nod because she had felt it long ago. Tears began to fall but yet also somehow it felt like relief. A weight lifted from on top of her and all those suspicions and questions and gnawing thoughts were set free with the admission that she had been right. She couldn’t do anything about it anymore, except accept it and yet it didn’t hurt as much as she expected it too. Maybe because she had been preparing herself for months to face this reality. Maybe even years.