Lee delivered for us. The engagement photos turned out beautiful. I asked for the blow out version of two of them so I can hang one on our room and one on the walk in closet.
The photoshoot happened in the our kitchen. The concept was the "The Day After". It featured me and Qing in comfy sleep tops, Qing in a light grey tank top while I wore a white v neck shirt, and pajama bottoms. Against the backdrop of our blue, light green, white and grey kitchen and dining room, it works. We played with natural lights as well as some lighting equipments from Lee's studio.
The whole concept is about what we felt the day after we got engaged. The serenity, the peace of it all and sharing that moment together...just me and Qing.
The photo that hangs on our bedroom wall now was me and Qing sitting and facing each other with him kissing my left hand where my engagement ring nestled. The one on the closet was me and Qing with cups on our hands, about to drink but suddenly decided to smile at each other first before taking a sip. I was holding the cup with my left hand to, of course, showcase the ring on my finger.
There are other photos that I liked, but I decided to hang only those two. Because those two photos spoke about what Qing and I are building: a peaceful life together. With a kiss and a smile while having our morning drinks.
I asked Lee for all the pictures he took that day. He gave me a copy on a USB. I printed some and made an album. Also framed some to grace the sidetables on our room and shelves on our little library corner.
I am happy with those photos and I have many reasons to love them. They are beautiful, shot by a newly found friend and they don't cost much. Lee didn't ask for a photographer's fee and was happy to lend us his studio equipments for the photoshoot.
Me: (to Qing) We should treat Lee to a meal again.
Qing: (nodding) I will arrange it.
Me: Thank you.
Now, if I am happy with those photos...Qing and I have friends who are not happy with us. Mainly Jin, ZhiMing and LiPin.
We asked them to sign NDAs or non-disclosure agreements. They are the people who knows about what happened on Qing's first proposal...and they also know about the ring now gracing my finger. We asked them to keep it all quiet. Formally with contracts.
Jin and ZhiMing went to our condo to sign the NDAs we prepared for them. We gathered on our dining table to use it as a desk where our friends can sign the NDAs.
ZhiMing: Is this truly necessary? You could just trust us to be quiet about this. I am feeling a little insulted with this.
He pinched the stapled papers of his contract between his thumb and forefinger before lifting and dangling it in front of our faces like it's something that should offend all of us.
Qing: We trust you. We will just trust you MORE if you will sign the NDAs.
Jin: (pointing at the contract in front of him) And what will happen if I won't sign this ridiculous thing?
Qing: (smiling) Dayu will happen to you.
I grinned happily at Jin. Totally nonthreatening. And I also reminded him of something.
Me: LiPin was an ex and a dear dear friend of mine. I could make this painful for you.
Jin: (grimacing) Where do I sign?
We watched in satisfaction as Jin signed his NDA contract without further complaints. After that, we all eyed ZhiMing.
ZhiMing: (smirking) You don't have any leverage to blackmail me to sign this thing.
He is wrong about that.
Me: (turning to Qing) Remember that French guy you met during one of your birthday dinners last year?
Qing: (snickering at ZhiMing) Why yes, Love. Why are you asking about him?
Me: (shrugging nonchalantly) Nothing much. I think I would love to go to France on our next vacation together. Maybe tour some winery and sip French wines while learning some French words...
ZhiMing: (glowering at me) Okay, enough already! Enough with the French already! Jesus...
Jin: (curiously looking at ZhiMing) You are dating again?
ZhiMing: No!
Me: (at the same time) Yes.
ZhiMing positively glared at me this time.
ZhiMing: So much for trust.
Me: So much for ending your entanglement with that dude. I thought you will end that after the New Year?
ZhiMing: Did I say what New Year? I was talking about the Lunar New Year. And I also didn't specifically said what year I will end it...
We all gazed at him like he is full of shit.
ZhiMing: (sighing) I'm still enjoying myself with fucking him. And getting fucked by him.
Jin: (groaning) Alright, I didn't need to hear that.
Qing: (frowning) Is it getting serious?
ZhiMing: (scoffing) What I do with him is none of your business, Wang Qing.
Qing: On the contrary, we have business dealings with him. You don't fuck people you deal with involving money, ZhiMing. That's why I don't invest Dayu's money in the same business I invest my money to. I don't want our money mixing that way.
ZhiMing: Good for you. But I can handle this...stay out of it, Wang Qing.
Jin: (frowning now as well) Is this guy richer than you? Or was that a stupid question?
ZhiMing looked at Jin like Jin is stupid, not the question he asked.
ZhiMing: (losing his cool) He is not with me for money! He has money of his own. By the gods...
Qing: But not as much as yours. And your family status...
ZhiMing: (raising one finger) Don't go there. Don't you dare go there, Qing...
Qing: (sighing) I'm just looking after you. You are my friend...
Me: (shaking my head) Ah no...he is MY friend. ZhiMing is your ex fling. You know, your ex fling that you cut your ties with once you are done sleeping with them.
ZhiMing: (nodding at me) Thank you, Dayu! (to Qing) There, you see Wang Qing? We are exes. Past and over. We don't care for each other anymore. The only reasons we are still in contact are the facts that we invest in things together and that Dayu and I are friends now. Weird as it is, Dayu and I are friends.
Qing: (smiling at me) I love Dayu's friends. You can ask Meng and Xiao, they love me as well.
Me: (scrunching my nose) (disgruntled tone) They do. They love him. They think Qing is the best.
Jin and Qing laughed at my grumpy tone.
Qing: That being said, even if you are not my friend...you are Dayu's friend. And since Dayu and I are a package deal, if you get him...you get me as well. Consider this as me being your friend through Dayu.
ZhiMing: I hate you and your long ass explanation of why you can now butt into my business.
Qing: (pushing the NDA to ZhiMing) I don't care if you hate me. Sign this NDA now before Dayu and I extend an invitation to the French guy. We could make that a double date.
Jin and ZhiMing gasped at what Qing said. I was just happy. Qing hates double dates with our friends. He tolerates it with family like our double dates with our parents, JiJi and her husband and with Wang Zhu and Pau.
But now, Qing is dangling the idea of double dates with ZhiMing and his French lover.
Oh...that's a clear threat if I ever hear one. ZhiMing will be stupid to not take that seriously.
And ZhiMing is not stupid. With an extremely annoyed grunt, he pulled the NDA papers close and signed it with an angry flair on his fingers holding the pen.
I gingerly collected the papers to store them on our safe later on. I am happy.
Qing: (feeling satisfied as well) Remember, not a word about our engagement. Dayu and I are careful in hiding his ring from our social media posts. And even while video chatting with our parents, we were careful. If we are doing all of that precautions and our secrets got spilt because one of you got clumsy, I will be pissed. Like really pissed...
Jin: (rolling his eyes) Stop it already. We get it, you want this to be a secret.
ZhiMing: (skeptical) But how long do you think you two can keep this a secret?
Me: (sighing) Long enough to get accustomed to being engaged. Don't worry, Qing and I are making a solid plan on how we will announce this to our families.
Qing: Quick. Painless. No drama. That's our motto when it comes to breaking this engagement to anyone who we agreed that needs to know.
Me: Right! Right!
Jin and ZhiMing looked at each other. They don't seem impressed with our plan.
Jin: What about LiPin?
Me: We already sent her a PDF of this contract. She can print that, sign it all and then send it back to me via quick mail.
ZhiMing: Wow, you guys have thought this through.
Me: We are just happy to keep this to ourselves for the time being.
Jin: But aren't you being unfair to the people who loves you two? They deserve to know about this important milestone.
Qing: We will tell them...eventually. And we have valid reasons to keep this down low.
Jin: (curious) What reason?
Qing and I sighed together and explained to them about my latest mental medical development.
ZhiMing: (looking worried) My god...are you okay Dayu ah?
Me: Feeling a lot better. Doing my best to avoid stress and pressure.
Jin: Panic attacks are no joke. Does anyone else know?
Qing and I shook our heads together.
Qing: Aside from our doctors, no one but you two...so keep it shut. Don't tell anyone. (looking at Jin) Not even LiPin.
Me: Oh most definitely not her. She is majoring in psychology. She will took interest.
Jin: (nodding) I won't tell. And it's a good idea to keep Dayu's panic attacks low profile. His burden will be less that way. Imagine the pressure it will put on him and on others if we will all dance around the fact that we cannot put pressure on Dayu anymore.
Qing: (nodding) They will mean well but they will start handling Dayu like a fragile glass and that will just pressure him some more.
ZhiMing: That will be bad.
They all looked at me with worried stares. I rolled my eyes on them.
Me: So much for not making me feel fragile. I'm handling it. I swear.
Qing smiled before kissing my cheek.
Qing: Of course you are. I'm proud of you. I love you so much.
Me: (touched by his words) I love you too.
We kissed. Sweet, deep and with lots of tongue. Forgetting that we have guests. Forgetting the world around us.
Jin: (sighing tiredly at ZhiMing) I think we should leave.
ZhiMing: (waving his hand gracefully in the air) You go alone. I want to watch them have sex in front of me. In. This. Very. Table.
Qing and I stopped lapping at each others' lips when ZhiMing said that. Then we laughed together. All four of us.
We had coffee and pastry with Jin and ZhiMing before they left. I put the NDAs they signed on the safe vault and then stared at the ring on my left hand.
Qing and I are protecting this ring and the symbol it represents. Our promise to one day be married to each other. And we might be going the extra length to protect that promise but that makes me feel more secured and happy.
I smiled.