The Red Veil

Xuxian closed the door and stood there for a moment, composing himself. He smiled to himself and shook his head incredulously. It still felt like a dream, realizing that he had actually married Bai Suzhen. He could barely imagine that she was sitting behind him on the bed, waiting to be unveiled, hands folded demurely on her lap, with the gold bridal jewellery glittering in her hair. After the whole day of being surrounded by riotous well-wishers, the noise of the firecrackers and the beating of gongs, constantly being directed to do this and do that by Madame Zhao, the peace and quiet fell heavily, but pleasantly, on his ears.

So this was it. Their first night together as a married couple. His heart beat quickly.

He turned--and jumped with a gasp as he saw Suzhen standing right behind him. The red veil dangled from one hand.

"It is so peaceful now. The whole day, I could not take off this silly thing, and it was so noisy. Madame Zhao kept scolding me too, and made me feel so stupid. I am so happy it is just the two of us now." she said happily, leaning against him with a sigh.

Scandalized, Xuxian snatched the veil from her and draped it back over her head. "Susu, you silly girl, I'm supposed to take this off, you shouldn't touch it! Go back and sit over there, we must do this properly." he stammered, feeling as if Madame Zhao might pop out at any moment from under the bed, or behind the curtain. He took her hand and marched her back towards the bed.

"But you're going to take it off anyway, what's the difference?" Suzhen protested. "I was tired of having it on my head. One can't see anything, and it gets stuffy under that after so long. Who's to know if I take it off, or you take it off?" She blew out an exasperated breath and the veil ballooned out ungracefully.

Xuxian smiled. Cutting her short, he lifted the edge of the veil to reveal the lower half of her face and kissed her on the lips softly, lingeringly. Under the veil, Suzhen closed her eyes and leaned towards him, feeling his fingers trace the smooth curve of her jaw and chin.

"My wife is so wise," he murmured against her lips. "Henceforth I will always listen to her."

Suzhen laughed. "You must not forget what you said, now." she said teasingly, and impatiently snatched off the veil, leaving it to fall noiselessly to the floor. The red cloth rippled in the air, framing her face for a moment so it bloomed like a white peony against the scarlet silk.

She caught his face in her hands and kissed him back, passionately. When she finally let him go she rested her forehead against his, eyes cast down over flushed cheeks.

"Xuxian," she said abruptly. "What did you call me just now?"

"Silly girl?" A smile glimmered on his face.

Suzhen hit him on the chest reproachfully. "Not that, of course. After that."

He took up the hand on his chest and folded it against his mouth, pressing his lips against the soft skin of the wrist. "Susu? Why, do you not like it?" he mumbled.

She leaned her cheek against his as if suddenly too shy to meet his gaze. "I like it very much. In fact, you must call me that from now on. Susu."

"I should like to call you Madame Xu, just for the thrill it gives me, but I shall humbly obey; Susu--Susu..."

Xuxian turned his head sideways in a quick, fluid gesture and arrested her with a kiss. She leaned against him, content to lie against him with her head falling back over his shoulder, and smiled as she closed her eyes, feeling her eyelashes brush against his cheek.

Together they sank onto the bed with Suzhen's arms wrapped around his neck, Xuxian's hands making havoc of the elaborate hairdo Madame Zhao had agonized over for hours, and scattering gold hairpins everywhere. The embroidered robes glittered as he fumbled with the sash of her gown, the brilliant folds splayed across the bed carelessly. Like swimmers coming up for air, they let go of each other only to be irresistibly drawn back, lost in the rippling waves of red and gold embroidery. Suzhen spared a hand to push impatiently at the headdress which had fallen forward, finally plucking it out with a wrench, and tossed it aside with a carelessness that very likely left several dents in it. Unexpectedly she laughed and reached out to help him as he struggled clumsily with the knot. "Don't worry, I won't be wearing this troublesome gown ever again."

"I just need practice. Plenty of practice." he replied reproachfully, with a mischievous glint in his eye, and swooped down on her, silencing her effectively, but almost getting stabbed by the golden hairpins strewn on the bed.

There was a shuffling sound outside and muffled giggles, whispering. Rattling at the door and faint tapping sounds, followed by more giggling and shuffling.

"Have fun, Physician Xu! Here's hoping you're not as clumsy as you usually are!"

There were hoots of laughter. Someone called out something vulgar and there was more laughter. The doors creaked dangerously as if someone was leaning heavily on them; the shadows on the floor showed several heads bobbing up and down outside.

"What's that?" Suzhen breathed, frowning. "There are people outside." Pulling away, she put out one hand to raise herself up from the bed, momentarily distracted. Not for nothing had she lived eight thousand years; even in the mountains, one always had to be on guard.

"They must be coming to disturb us, as customary. I told them not to, but I knew they would anyway," he said in her ear, drawing back a fold of hair to plant a kiss on the side of her neck.

"How rude of them," Suzhen said reproachfully. "Can't they leave us alone after following us around the whole day?" She frowned. "What a stupid custom."

Xuxian laughed softly. "Ah, don't frown, my love, or I'll have to kiss those frown lines away for you. I agree with you, Madame. But what can we do? Shall I go out and drive them away with the broom? Or throw some water on them, like we do for wailing cats?"

She had to smile. "No," she replied, running a finger down his nose and then tweaking it affectionately. "I can't spare you. Never mind."

Suzhen let go of him with one hand to release a carefully controlled burst of energy behind his back, towards the doors. A tremor passed through the very walls and there were thudding sounds as the people outside fell over backwards from the shock wave that hit them through the ground.

"That should teach them a lesson." she thought with satisfaction. She paused, waiting to see if another bolt was needed.

There was nervous exclamations and some repeating of "Earthquake!" More shuffling noises, but no more muffled laughter. Footsteps and finally, silence.

"Ah. Finally." Xuxian looked up to see the floor clear of shadows, leaving only moonlight.

Suzhen withdrew her hand and caught Xuxian's head back down to hers with a little sigh of satisfaction.