To Be Husband and Wife

And there he was. Back faced to her, staring at the crescent blue lake.

Yu Mei had been nervously trying to come up with what to say to him in the last few days but nothing. Even if she had thought of words, seeing him in person made her speechless.

Yu Mei could only continue to stare at him from the far distance.

[Just do it! You got this.] She tried to pump herself up. Her feet slowly lifted off the ground. She was going to do it.

"Miss, you've been staring at his highness for so long already. Just go. I'm cheering for you."

Someone creepily whispered behind her ear.

Ahhhhh! She jumped.

It was a young soldier no more than 17 in a brown uniform. He smiled at her. "I'm assuming you are the reason his highness has been in a foul mood ever since he got here?"

"Me? I didn't do anything." She pretended.

Judging by her expression, he could tell she was lying. Then he randomly grabbed her hand in a friendly gesture. "Please pretty lady, save us all and take his highness back. I don't want to go through that torturous training again. If you take him, I will worship you for the rest of my life." He pleaded with her.

"Go away you weirdo." She pushed him away and turned back to Pei Nan. Did he hear?

He was staring right at her.

She turned back to the young soldier but he was gone. She cursed him.

Step by step, she slowly made her way down to the lakeshore.

The two of them awkwardly stood side by side looking at the lake's view.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" Her first words.

"My burdens are my own. I refuse to let another person shoulder the weight for me."

"If you had just told me someone wanted to dethrone your father, I would have understood. If you had just told me about Prime Minister Ning's treason against your father, I also would have understood your actions. Instead you kept me in the dark. Did you never think for once that if I knew, I would have been able to lessen your burden?" The anger showed through her voice as she spoke. Things might have been different if he had trusted her to begin with. If he had been honest to the real Consort Pan, maybe she would still be alive today.

"I am Crown Prince Lin Pei Nan, the future emperor. It is my duty to protect my people. Not the other way around. If I was to allow my people to carry my burdens for me, then I do not deserve the throne." He paused. "Yu Mei, you do not understand because you have never stood in my shoes."

And that set off the bomb in her.

She turned to look at him. The fury and hurt in her eyes. This man was clearly as stubborn and senseless as she remembered.

"Then let me. Your highness, you are only human. You are not a deity. So why must you keep everything to yourself. I believe if you had spoken some truths to Consort Pan and not hide everything from her, she would still be here. Maybe even standing right here, right now. I don't want you to make the same mistake with me. I've already misunderstood you once, don't let it happen again. Because I will not be here the second time."

Even as she spoke to him, he did not seem to comprehend a single word.

His mind was dead set on the way he had always been taught. Never trust anybody.

"The things you did for Consort Pan, I saw them through her. I know that you've tried your best but if you had just told her how you felt about Fei Ning, maybe she would have been able to endure all the unjust." Yu Mei told him.

Pei Nan closed his eyes. "I knew to some extent that I was favoring Fei Ning but I did not know Consort Pan was being brainwashed by that woman. But I can't blame anyone but myself for her death. I should have paid more attention to her. Consider her feelings and protect her."

"Pei Nan, it's not your fault. There was no way you could have predicted such events." She tried hard to console him but he refused to believe her.

Then he did the one thing she hated the most. He pushed her away.

"You should leave."

This time, Yu Mei angrily took a step closer and pushed his chest with full force. "Lin Pei Nan! Why must you blame yourself for everything that goes wrong. I don't care if you don't want to share your troubles with anyone but you sure as heck will not hide it from me. Do you know what it means to be husband and wife?" She poked his chest angrily.

"To become one. A husband's burden is his wife's. Her sorrow is his sorrow and her pain is his pain." She again poked his chest.

"Do you understand me?" She wanted to poke him one more time but he grabbed her hand. "That hurts." He quietly complained.

She didn't care. She only rolled her eyes at him. "Then you shouldn't have made me mad. Just exactly how stubborn are you going to be? And why didn't you come back for me?"

As if something had dawned on him, he looked into her eyes. "I didn't know you wanted me back?"

"Of course I did. Are you a blockhead? Which man just has a fight and leaves like you do?"

"I…I…I had done you so many wrongs and yet you want me back? Why?" He looked at her startled. Was this woman crazy, he thought. He was never a good man to her yet she waited for him. He knew he didn't have the rights to be happy but he was. Deep down he was.

"Why else. Because you're Lin Pei Nan. The most petty man in the world. And the only man who can tolerate me." She sniffled.

He reached his hand out to wipe the tear on her cheek. "You are mistaken Ju Ming."

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"It is not because I tolerate you, it is because I like everything you do."

She cruelly hit his chest once again. "How can you lie to my face?"

Pei Nan pulled her into his embrace. She allowed herself to be consumed in his warm presence. "Do you know how afraid I was when I thought I had lost you?" He told her.

She nodded her head.

"You're truly not going to regret remarrying me?" His voice was filled of amusement and content.

"As long as you promise to never hide anything from me, I will continue to be by your side. But no more second chances." She warned him.

Pei Nan clenched his jaw as he thought long and hard on her request.

"Fine! I'll start with this then." He hesitated for a second. "For the last week, I've only had dumpling soup because it reminds me of you. And I'm only here at the borderline to try to forget about you. And I want to go home."

She backed away and looked up at him.

"Home? Didn't your highness promise to help Prince Shao settle in? You can't break your promise."

Pei Nan didn't say anything as he took her hand.

"One more confession. I've been giving the soldiers quite a training ever since morning. I'm sure they hate me by now. It's probably best for the both of us to go home. I'm sure everyone is ready for me to leave. Gu Shao will understand."

"You petty man." She scolded.

"I know..." He looked at her with those dark brown eyes of his. "It is this petty man's blessing to have a naughty wife like you."

And just like that, the two of them walked hand in hand.

The end!