Shancai's eyes widened, and she was astounded. The little girl – not so little with her 5'4 ft – burst into laughter. "I've got a big sister, and she's as old as you, Shancai. Do you really think I never saw her getting ready for a date with a boy she likes?"
Shancai wanted to answer that she was wrong, but she met Mett's innocent blue eyes, and she realized it was vain. It was useless to lie. She liked Daoming Si and, even if she knew she couldn't do that, she wanted to show off in front of him and to see his eyes filled with admiration on her.
She closed her eyes, the fear invading her again.
It was impossible to solve this problem. Shancai knew she had to reject Daoming Si again, but she was unable to do that. She didn't have the courage anymore, the one she found on this particular rainy night when she walked away from him with her suitcases.
When she turned again toward Mette, the child was giving her the velvet skirt and the black pullover.
Shancai sighed but smiled at her before taking the clothes. Mette smiled gladly at her, and Shancai couldn't help but melt for her. She was the only daughter in her family, and, for long, she dreamt of having a brother or a sister with whom she could play, and she would have protected. The little Danish girl was immediately the object of her affection.
Then, she looked in the mirror, thoughtful, and she met Mette's admiring stare. "You're perfect!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
Shancai thanked her with a smile, trying to suppress this feeling that her stomach was going into knots. She feared to see Daoming Si again today, but she couldn't help to be eager at the same time.
She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, then took her coat, her bonnet, her gloves, and her scarf. It was only when she was outside she realized she wore a lot of clothes offered by Daoming Si.
***
Daoming Si was afraid. He came all the way to win back Shancai, the woman he loved. He knew she was the only one for whom he could have such a feeling, and it terrified him. He was terrorized with the mere idea he could fail and could lose her forever.
What would be a life without her? He feared an existence without seeing her laughing eyes, her defiant stare, without hearing her acerbic remarks and her annoying lesson in morality. He wanted to be able to taste her meals every day, bicker with her, kiss her, and more, so much more.
He had an insight into what could be his daily life without that, and it was a real nightmare. He couldn't live without her, and if he imagined her with another man, he became crazy. Shancai belonged to him; he knew it; he was sure of it. That certitude was the only thing that helped him to get over every kind of fear.
All night long, he thought about the day he spent with her, analyzing every stare of her, every move she made, and every smile of her. He still saw her cornered against that wall, shaking, but with her pupils dilated as well. She seemed to desire that kiss as much as him, but something prevented her from doing that, restraining her all day long. It might be the same reason that made her run away at first.
Daoming Si closed his eyes and swore softly, cursing his mother. He was mad at Shancai when she gave up, but he knew that Feng could be very persuasive and could do a lot of damages in the life of the people she wanted to destroy.
Shancai was loyal and generous, so it was clear she couldn't bear that his mother hurt the people she loved like her family and her friends. She preferred to sacrifice herself instead of hurting everybody because of her selfishness.
"Are you sure it was a sacrifice?" a little voice hissed perfidiously in his head. "Do you seriously think she loves you?"
Daoming Si closed his eyes painfully, remembering the young woman, in the rain, telling him that no, if she really liked him, she would never leave him. However, he had that feeling that her doe eyes said the contrary, staring at him with despair and regret while she turned her back to him and ran away from him.
The Mermaid of Copenhagen - part 3
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