Sheng Xiao Legends: The Green Dragon

五 / 5. Two Halves

PART II: FORTUNE & FATE

"Fate brings together those that are a thousand miles apart."

~ Chinese Proverb

"I just booked a flight to Beijing," Cheng announces. "I'll be leaving within the hour."

"What about me?"

After tossing a few more shirts into his suitcase, he finally says, "Stay here."

That isn't the answer I was looking for.

"I won't be gone forever," he says, trying to placate me. "If you get lonely, then you can stay with your parents until I come back."

"Fine," I sigh, sinking back onto my pillow. While he goes into the bathroom to collect his toiletries, I stare at the luggage sitting on the bed.

He may not admit it, but he's going to need some emotional support to get through this.

While he walks back into the bedroom holding a toothbrush, I make a split-second decision and dive on top of the suitcase.

"What are you doing?" he asks--even though he already knows. Rubbing his eyebrows, he says, "No more games, Jade. Not this time."

"I'm not playing games; I am completely serious," I retort. "Unless you want to travel all the way to China without any clothes, then you'd better buy a plane ticket for me too."

He looks down at his boxers and sighs.

"You asked me to marry you for a reason," I say, holding up my ring finger, "and I said 'yes' for a reason. We're a team. No matter what, we're supposed to be there for each other."

This seems to strike the right chord. He remains silent while he considers my request, but his eyes soon wander over to the closet. Some of his old clothes are stuffed in the back. Before he makes a desperate move, I try one more time to reason with him. "You don't need to do this alone."

"I'll order another ticket." Either he's too tired to argue, or he's come to his senses. "Can I have my pants now?"

"Yes," I reply, tossing him a pair. "I'll get my passport."

Since we were previously planning to visit China, I already applied for a visa. It is a shame that we have to travel for such a sad reason, but my foresight paid off. With all of the proper documentation set to go, our expedition starts off smoothly.

If it wasn't for the fact that I've never been on a plane before, then the flight would be more tolerable. Every little bump of turbulence makes me white knuckle the arm rest. Apprehension replaces my bravery, and I am plagued with vicious nausea for the duration of the trip. I fight the urge to run into the tiny bathroom until, finally, we land in Beijing.

I'm happy to have my feet back on the ground, but the walk through the airport is just as dizzying. Hundreds of people buzz past us, and I can only understand a fraction of their words. Cheng does most of the talking as we navigate through the checkpoints. My stomach isn't entirely settled, but I risk chugging a cup of coffee in order to stave off the jet lag. Along the way, I pick up an English to Mandarin dictionary at one of the shops.

After a brief reprieve, we meet a driver outside of the airport. It takes almost two hours to reach the the Fu Estate, which is located in a secluded district outside of the city. As we pull onto the driveway, I peek out of the window and lose all of the breath that I've been holding in.

He told me that his house was big--not the size of a palace.

After exiting the vehicle, I adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. The structure rests along a crystal blue river dotted by miniature islands. Gold columns hold up several levels of curved roofing, and flower gardens line each wall in a neat, orderly pattern.