The Royal Marriage

A Reason

(LAO)

I was washing my hands up on the bathroom sink when Chong came back. He holds paper bags with a brand of a famous restaurant on it.

Chong got food for us.

I don't have any appetite for food though. All I can think about is Chong meeting that Tan Zhou and those thoughts are making my stomach squeamish.

What did they talk about? Did that Tan Zhou got close to Chong? Did any part of them touched? What?

Chong went to the kitchen to put the bags on the counter while I went to his bedroom.

"Lao, let's eat first. I doubt if you had your dinner..."

"I am not hungry," I said coldly as I sat on the foot of the bed. I heard Chong sighing as he came near me.

He stopped to sit beside me. "Then I guess we can talk if you are not hungry..."

"I am sleepy," I said stubbornly before crawling on the bed to lay down under the cover. I pulled it over my head to hide myself completely.

"Lao, come on..." Chong pulled the cover hard to get it away from me. I sat up and suddenly Chong and I are playing tug of war with the cover between us.

"Lao!" Chong's eyes narrowed with impatience. "Let the cover go and let's talk."

"What is there to talk about?!" I snapped at him before letting the cover go. I even pushed it away from me as I slid backwards until I felt the cold metal headboard meeting my back. "I told you to stay here and not meet that guy! But you did it anyway!"

"Because..." Chong sighed as he mellowed down. He nodded. "You are right. It was stupid of me to meet Zhou. I just wasted my time. I should have just called him to tell him..."

"Don't call him either!" I shouted at Chong. His eyes widened in surprise. "What is happening to you?" He stood up to stand before the bed and regard me with narrowed eyes. Chong's hand went to his sides of his waist. "You have been acting so strange, Lao. Shouting and snarling like a baited bear. I don't like it. What is happening?"

"Nothing if you don't like it!" I said. Sounding petulant, bratty and irrational.

Chong's hand flew to his face to rub his eyes and one cheek. Then it snaked back at his nape. "Okay, first thing first, stop shouting. Huh? No more shouting, do you understand me? If you shout again..."

"What will you do?" I moved to the kneel on the bed and regard him with challenge in my tone.

Chong's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I will gag and tie you. Then I will personally deliver you to your Uncle ShouWei like that. Do you want that?" He said.

That...mellowed me down. One, because Chong looks like someone who meant what he said. Two, because that will be so humiliating for me that I won't be able to live it down. Three, because Chong is already mentioning my Uncle.

I bowed my head. Chong sighed again and sat back on the bed. He pulled my left arm gently to slid me closer to him.

"Why are you so angry? I should be the one snarling. You met Zhou behind my back. Even conspiring with Dayu to do it." Chong moaned. "Really, Lao? With the Consort? I understand. I know that it's all Dayu's idea that you meet Zhou..."

"It was my idea," I cut in to his words. I look up to see Chong's mouth slacking at what he heard. So I repeated it. "It was my idea to meet that guy. And can you please stop uttering his name?" I feel irritated whenever Chong is mentioning that guy's name.

He gave me another amazed look. "This is...it's not making any sense. Why are you this mad? You are not acting like Lao. Who are you and what did you do to Lao? Bring him back to me. You are..." Chong waved his hand to gesture me.