39 Chapter 39- Orchids, Lillies and Chrysanthemums (1/2)

The ceremony probably would have been sweet, had anyone other than Ban Shan officiated. As it was, not only did he insist on going off script (the Art Department had printed out transcripts of the ceremony in the game and were trying to video the event so they could work on timing and atmosphere- Ban Shan's adlibbing kept throwing their timing off) but it seemed as though he and Qui Yong Hou had a running competition for most amount of bad jokes in a short amount of time. KO looked at Mei, who nodded. With steely determination they advanced on a grinning Ban Shan, who only realised what they had planned when it was too late.

After a brief scuffle, the ceremony continued with a slight change- the official was bound and gagged while A Shuang was unwillingly dragged into the mix, standing behind Ban Shan and reading the script like a ventriloquist with a human puppet. When the ceremony concluded and the in-game script called for an exchange of gifts, Ban Shan finally succeed in spitting out the gag.

”You may now kiss the bride!”

Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out with a chorus of ”Yeas” and ”Kiss E-Mei”...

Mei eyed them all.

”Don't let the dress fool you- I'm still all man.”

Jeers and catcalls echoed off the office walls. He scowled at his peers: so rowdy and no one had been drinking!

”Okay, okay,” he leaned towards KO but a shout made the pair freeze.

”No!” Wei Wei rushed forward. ”Not like that- do it like it's a wedding photo shoot. Look, Wang Wei will take the photos but he's only so talented- he can't make a weed look like a flower.”

When Mei and KO (and every other male in the room) simply looked at her blankly, she pulled Xiao Nai into the spotlight. When she stepped into him, his arms automatically wrapped around her waist and his hands rested at the small of her back. She leaned into him before arching her back, creating a graceful line, while looking in to her lover's eyes. When Xiao Nai lowered his head her eyes widened and she froze. With a small smile, he kissed the tip of her nose and only Mei and KO were close enough to hear him murmur ”if only you were this bold without the audience.”

Mei coughed and KO smoothed his face as best he could.

”Okay?”

”Let's just do it. Then they can feed us and we go home.”

”Work?”

”Look at these monkeys- Do any of them look like they're getting any work done at all today?”

KO looked at their laughing, jeering, teasing peers and decided that his E-Mei had a point. An extremely valid one.

”Kiss the bride! Kiss the bride! Kiss the bride!”

It wasn't clear who started the chant, but Mei was going to kill Ban Shan for it anyway. With a sigh, he swept the robes back and stepped up to KO. As with the costume, they may as well call the shots as best they could.

The groom's arms went around the bride's waist, fingers splayed over silk clad hips. The bride leaned towards the groom, thigh to thigh, then arching back to lock eyes. A camera flash went unheeded by the pair as they stared at each other for a moment. With a sharp tug, the groom pulled the bride off balance, one hand heavy at the small of the bride's back while the other gently stroked the smooth cheek, traced the jawline then tipped the delicate face up to meet his kiss. The bride's arms lifted to wind around the groom's neck, pressing their bodies tightly together. The kiss went for forever and not long enough and when they pulled away there was a moment of silence before applause and whistling broke out.

”They did it!”

”Woohoo!”

”Go E-Mei. Go KO!”

With a secret smile, the groom leaned forward to whisper in his bride's ear... ”You're mine now.”

The bride pushed the groom away. ”Shit. Who's whose? You're mine.”

A traditional Chinese wedding banquet comprises of nine courses and Qui Yong Hou, in charge of the food, had done his best to accomodate that. Not long after the mock ceremony had concluded, a parade of deliveries began. As each arrived, people eagerly helped spread the options out on the makeshift banquet table. It was impossible to cater for nine courses at such short notice, so Yong Hou had compromised; ordering meals from nine different restaurants in the area. Any other day, Mei would have been happy to get stuck in to the food on offer, but there was something niggling at him, distracting him from eating. He side-eyed the man sitting next to him.

”How much did you know?”

”Not everything.”

”What? What do you mean, 'not everything?' How much did you know?”