Legend of Fei

12. Xie Yun Makes A'Fei A Flower Crown

"To the right, if you take this road and take the right fork ahead, it leads straight to Nanping city."

"Do you think Madam Nichang would be there?" A'Fei asked, a bit excited. They had been walking for some time now, looking at all the shops, hanging pretty decorations over their doors.

"Maybe. That is the Troupe's home city. Though if we go to her, she might wonder if something is wrong, seeing how much trouble we always give her." Xie Yun was already pulling her towards a stall that lined the road, already onto the next topic.

"I can't believe we never went on a date. First, Disha, then this."

"We did. Right before the wedding."

"No. Any date that turns into a spying mission is not a date." Xie Yun turned around with his hands on his waist, brows frowned and lips pressed together firmly. A'Fei smiled and nodded. That time, they came back with the information that the village was flooded with a leaderless Disha planning to attack Stronghold.

"But we also had one at Penglai where you took me around the island."

"And we found and dealt with Haigui. No, not considering it either." Xie Yun refused.

"How about the time we were in Jiangkang and went to your favorite restaurant. The wine was really good."

They reached the stall and he turned around, looking at the ornaments, "What are you looking for?"

"Something for the handle of your shorthand sabre." She too peered at the ornaments at that answer. Silently, they found a bright green carved marble with white lines.

"What flower is this?" A'Fei liked it and matched it with the white and silver hilt of her sabre. She threaded it into the pommel and saw Xie Yun paying already.

"Let's get something for your sword too."

"Like couple ornaments?" Xie Yun sounded excited for some reason. A'Fei didn't understand why but nodded anyway.

"See? Now, this is a couple-thing to do. Jiangkang was not a Date because we did not do couple-things."

"We couldn't," because you were dying, was left unsaid. The two were silent as they picked another ornament with the shopkeeper's help, to match hers.

"Thank you for being with me through all that. It must have been tough on you." Xie Yun laced their fingers together and she hit his sides with her elbow, softly, before they were back in the crowd.

"There you go talking nonsense again. We should have gone to the inn at this rate." A'Fei smiled teasingly and they turned to other stalls to buy souvenirs for her family. 

"How about this?" About two stalls down Xie Yun picked up a jade pin, decorated with a golden flower at its back and a small golden thread going around the white point. A'Fei nodded, "A'Yan would like it. Chuchu even more so."

Xie Yun's face scrunched and he placed it back. After a bit more browsing he picked up a very small broach, the size of the third of his finger. Many concentric, colorful rings on a white marble background. It looked lovely and A'Fei's eyes lit up, "Beautiful. Let's take this one for Chuchu and the other one for A'Yan."

Once again, he made a disagreeable face and turned to put it back but A'Fei snatched the item from his hands, asked them to be packed and paid for them. Xie Yun wasn't by her side now. He had moved on to the next stall that sold many types of wine, peered and sniffed but moved on to the next stall by the time A'Fei came to him. He was now looking at gloves.

He picked up a blue pair and shook at her. She took them from him and placed them on his hand, measuring the length. A little small, "a bigger size?"