Beauty is not what you see when you attend elegant soirees and see women fluttering about, embellished in jewels, painted with the most luxurious make-up, and dressed to the nines. It also is not what you see when you open your monthly subscription of your favorite posh magazine and their latest fashion spread jumps right at you begging for you to salivate over it. It isn't what you see when you watch shampoo commercials and hair cascades down the television set like lavish silk.
That is exquisiteness. That is glamour. That is resplendency.
Beauty, in its highest form, is what you see when you wake up in the morning and find a pair of sleepy eyes greeting you good morning even though they haven't gotten enough rest. Beauty is what you see in the pair of hands helping you up and down a flight of stairs as they carry all of your weight with them, smiling and joking as though they aren't the ones who suffer more from having carried you. Beauty is what you see in the sheen of sweat being wiped from the forehead of that person who walks with you as you struggle with all your might to bring strength back to your legs and just take a step... even just one tiny step.
Shen Yue, looking at her therapist and taking one deep breath so she can push to the end of the parallel bars, reminded herself of this.
She reminded herself of the beauty she will continue to see in the simplest and most commonplace moments because in seeing that beauty, she feels her heart race and her blood run.
She knows how much she should not take for granted and her struggle at this very moment is beautiful.
"Let's go Yue!", Sun Qian, her therapist, told her with a smile, "Last leg!"
She nods at the other woman and with all the strength she could muster, she took another step.
How many people get a second chance at life?
And how many people do the best they can to make sure they do not waste that second chance?
She will push through this.
She won't think of the pain or of anything else.
"GO SHEN YUE!!!!", Wu Yi Fan screamed enthusiastically.
"YOU CAN DO THIS!", Wu Xi Ze shouted along.
"If you guys stop shouting, this could actually go faster", Gao Xin (formerly Dong Xin) scolded them, shaking her head at the pompoms both men held on to and waved vigorously.
Yue doesn't know whether to laugh or get mad at the three of them.
Every time they came with her on her therapy sessions, they are always sure to create scenes.
Li Xi Zi and Yi Fan always cheer for her so enthusiastically, the others in therapy sometimes cannot help but laugh. They've also resorted to bringing pompoms with them everytime. Tang Xiao Tian, probably being the most reserved, brought his glasses with him and read books in a corner (which utterly distracts any woman who passes by). Yue and Qian have seen Nurses and Assistants trip over themselves trying to take a look at him whenever he is present. Kido and Zi Wei, who often came together would exchange stories and sometimes, she and Qian get so distracted, they take longer in finishing their session. Xin and Zhi Ting often stuff her and Qian with so much food that Qian already created a reminder for the couple that Yue cannot be eating an hour and a half before and even an hour after her therapy. She can drink tons of water but she has to take it easy in eating. Wu Xi Ze... well... he flirts with ANY living thing in the gym. Qian told her that soon enough, a fangroup for him will be formed in the clinic.
He can charm the pants right off anyone.
"Xin... come now. Don't be angry", Xi Ze responded, as though he could read Yue's mind and just had to prove it, "You get too pretty when your angry and your not helping me fight off the temptation to steal you away from your husband. I already told myself I won't be doing that."
Yue managed to flick the guy's forehead as she reached them. "Xi Ze, do you really want me to tie you against one of the poles?"
Instead of getting angry, the man grinned like a Cheshire cat.
"That was effective in making you walk faster towards me, wasn't it?", Xi Ze told her cheekily.
Yi Fan shook his head at this. "I'm sorry Yue. I really wasn't supposed to bring him along but he beat me to my car. I don't even know where he came from."
"You think I will let you have Sun Qian all to yourself today? You've been coming here daily since last week. Don't you have your business to tend to???"
Xin flicked both men's foreheads. "Are you both five year olds?!?! Stop being childish you idiots."
Qian, as quietly as ever, is already by Yue's side helping her with the cool down exercise.
"You are progressing really fast now", the therapist told her, smiling at the bickering guests and continued, "Soon enough, you won't even need your crutches."
"I promise I won't stop until that happens", Yue answered.
Qian nodded with determination. "I will be with you and I won't ever let you give up!"
They have an agreement.
Yue will walk without assistance in a month's time. They will make it possible.
"I could hear you as soon as the elevator opened", Wang He Di piped up and they all looked at the doorway.
Yue felt the same lurch in her stomach at the sight of his face that she always feels every time she sees him and smiled brightly at him.
"How is Zuer?", she immediately asked.
"She's better now" he answered, picking up her crutches from the side table and kissing her on the forehead in greeting.
"DiDi....", Yue's brows furrowed, "You could be more detailed with your answer."
Her boyfriend and Yi Fan assisted her to stand on her crutches. "I'll tell you everything while we're having dinner."
"Give her at least an hour before the full meal please", Sun Qian reminded.
DiDi nodded. "Thank you Qian. And I'm sorry about these idiots too."
The good-natured therapist just brushed it off. "It's actually fun having them around because Yue gets so annoyed, she walks faster."
DiDi shook his head at this. "Qian, you are far too nice to our friends. I feel like you're someone who gets scammed a lot."
"Does that happen to you, Qian?", Xi Ze asked
The therapist just smiled back. "I will see you in two days. You guys take care."
Yi Fan laughed out loud. "This is what I always wait for when Xi Ze's here. Qian't swift and efficient let downs."
Xi Ze elbowed the other man. "You say that as though you don't get the same let downs."
"Qian, don't mind these idiots ok? And don't forget the curry I packed for you and your Mom. Make sure you enjoy that."
"Thank you Xin. You are spoiling me and my Mom too much."
"See you on Wednesday, Qian. Thank you for today", Yue smiled brightly.
Qian pumped her fist up the air. "See you on Wednesday! I'm already excited to countdown!"
***
"Countdown to Zi Wei's wedding?", DiDi asked her as they drove out of the parking lot.
Yue nodded. "Your sister shouldn't have moved her wedding just for me but because she already did that, I promised myself that I will make sure that by that time, I will already be walking."
She strongly opposed Zi Wei and Kido's decision, but the engaged couple said that they want the family to be complete and "HEALTHY" when they tie the knot.
Her heart burst with that announcement.
In retrospect, she can count with her fingers how many times she has allowed herself to cry over the past month because she doesn't want those around her to cry anymore. Tears have flooded their lives since the unfortunate accident, so she promised herself... no more.
However, for those moments that she does allow herself to cry, they have always been moments of happiness – intense, immense, and quite unbelievable.
Being called "family" by Zi Wei is one of them.
It moved her so deeply, especially after learning what the Wangs have already done just for her that she could not stop herself from allowing her tears.
DiDi, the very root cause of that, smiled at her now from the driver's seat. "Don't push yourself too hard, promise?"
"Don't worry. Sun Qian told me we can really do it. I just have to make sure I follow my exercise routine."
"My bad", her boyfriend commented, "I should have told you to kill yourself trying to walk and make sure you are wearing high heels on Zi Wei's wedding. You would most probably go against me if that's what I said."
She punched his shoulder lightly.
DiDi raised a brow at her and smirked.
He knows her all too well.
She bit her lip. "You're there anyway."
"But I'm sure you'll fight with me."
"I promise I won't fight with you!"
He laughed at that. "You always fight with me."
"ALWAYS?!?!?!"
He laughed louder. "See? You're even raising your voice now."
Yue's eyes bugged out.
REALLY.
The man is an expert in being exasperating.
She bit the insides of her cheek. If the time comes, she might just bite his dashboard too from frustration. "You're the one who always picks fights with me."
Her boyfriend just laughed again.
She really is going to bite that dashboard now.
"Qian told me that she will make sure this goes well and that if anything happens, we won't push it."
He glanced at her as though he did not believe a word of it but... he sighed quite deeply and told her, "You know that whatever you decide to do, I will be here for you. But I don't want you to over-exert yourself. Promise me."
She understands his concerns. In fact, she understands everyone's concerns.
She really shouldn't continue to always worry them
"I will promise you the same promise I gave to Sun Qian. I promise to be patient. I promise to do this as she advises. And I promise I won't ever give up on it."
DiDi squeezed her hand. "I will help you be patient. I will help you do as Qian advises. And I won't ever allow you to give up so you can wear heels on Zi Wei's wedding."
She pinched her hand.
"I won't wear heels!"
He exploded in laughter at how irritated she looks. "I'm just trying to make you laugh."
"Well you are not doing a very good job of it. I'm already ugly and you're just making me uglier by frowning.
DiDi shrugged his shoulders. "I'm pregnant."
Yue's brows almost hit the car ceiling. "WHAT?!?!?!"
HOW IN SEVEN HELLS DID WHAT HE JUST SAY CONNECT TO WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?!?
The man raised a brow himself. "Weren't you saying something impossible?"
"HUH?!?!"
"I said I'm pregnant. That's impossible right?"
"Of course it is", she answered, "But I didn't say anything impossible!"
"You said you're ugly", he nonchalantly told her and focused back on driving, "That's impossible."
Seriously.
Being with him is just like being in a roller coaster.
She doesn't know anyone else who can make her furious one second and then happy as a nutter the next.
He pulls out emotions from her as deftly as a violinist would pluck the strings of a dearly beloved instrument to create new melodies.
She punched his arm again.
"What was that for?!?!", DiDi feigned.
She shouldn't have been blushing as hard as she is blushing after months of being with him but she cannot help the rush of blood to her cheeks.
"Idiot!", she told him, turning her face towards the window to avoid seeing his "surely" smug face and trying her hardest NOT to smile.
Shen Yue's jaw has had quite the work-out during their ride but as soon as they arrived at the restaurant, she greeted their friends with the most radiant grin in the world.
Wang He Di winked at her, grinning as brightly as the sun too.
***
Author's Note:
I worked on this from a place of anxiety and frustration over what's going on in the world right now.
However, I trudged on thinking that if these updates can bring you, my dearest friends, even a small amount of comfort, I would like to share them.
Again, please keep safe. Keep healthy. And keep focusing on the things that bring you strength in these trying times.
I send you hugs and love.
See you tomorrow!
- Mai