Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

TangShi had had enough. A night of noise, invasive people around her, dancing on a crowded floor while surrounded by drunk women she barely knew, and Rhea was clinging to her and pulling her around like a puppy dog. Rhea was so drunk she had begun to behave like a needy child and TangShi seemed to be her anchor. It was suffocating and she longed to leave and go back to the peace of home.

Her head was aching, her body hurt, and her stomach was cramping like crazy due to having her time of the month at the worst moment. She was tired, fed up, and emotional about being bombarded all night with questions, interrogative stares, and constant alcohol pushed her way which she tried to dodge. In the end she had drunk maybe three red wine tops all night and was feeling woozy and unsteady on her feet, but she was sober enough to still have her senses. It didn’t taste good, and she didn’t like the sensation of dizziness or dreaminess.

YuZhi had stayed mostly with the men at the table, throwing back beers and seemingly having a good time. Oblivious to this hell she was being subjected to, or that he really didn’t care. He barely looked her way in the last hours and she had the urge to go over and ask him to take her home. She was so over this play, and she was sure many pictures had been taken all night of her and Rhea cuddled up dancing, whereas none of YuZhi, given his distance. That had been the whole point of this!

TangShi wasn’t happy. She didn’t care if he got mad at her saying she wanted to go. She had cash on her and a credit card and would leave alone if he was difficult. Worst case scenario, she could call a cab or phone Linlin to come get her. She lived in this region of Shanghai and would drop everything even if it was getting to the early AM’s.

TangShi managed to uncurl a very intoxicated Rhea from around her, with a guise of going to the bathroom again. She had been possessive of her all night and seemed like she didn’t want TangShi straying back to YuZhi’s side, the drunker she got. TangShi knew in her heart it wasn’t Rhea’s fault. That level of insecurity and growing jealousy was only natural, especially as she was drinking and losing her sense of reality where emotions were bubbling up uncontrolled. TangShi was to monopolize and play at love with her soul mate, and nothing could be done about it. TangShi felt for her and understood and had tried all night to pacify her, but it wasn’t easing her heartache. Being obedient and staying over here wasn’t helping TangShi any.

YuZhi looked up just as TangShi pulled out of the heaving crowd and made her way towards him on shaking legs, visibly exhausted and he noticed she seemed paler than before. His attention was pulled her way despite himself, distracted by how she looked, and when she slid up and into the booth to get closer to him, he became aware of eyes turning his way from nearby club customers. Stiffening up because he knew he had to continue with the loving boyfriend act.

“Hey, baby.” YuZhi laid it on as naturally as he could and reached up to catch her by the wrist and waist to guide her to sit beside him as she closed the gap. She was like a newborn deer on fragile legs and he managed her weight with zero resistance. TangShi wasn’t expecting the sudden affection or help but was too tired to react and flopped down against him. Her weight pulling her so she couldn’t stop the way she collapsed against his shoulder like a filled sack of rocks. She didn’t care anymore about this fake concern or intimacy, she wanted to sleep, and he was a warm and safe harbor.

“I want to go home. I’m drained and my feet hurt.” She barely managed a whisper, but he heard her, and slid an arm around her back and hauled her up against him in a hug. So her head was tipped to his upper arm, and she ended up leaning in cozily looking to all eyes like a couple who were comfy with touching one another. It wasn’t entirely untrue. TangShi was used to YuZhi’s presence after the last two months of sharing a bed most nights meant she trusted he would never do anything inappropriate to her and she was acclimatized to his presence, even if it usually came with a bad attitude.

“Hey, TangShi. Finally, I get a chance to say hello properly. I have a feeling we’ve met before. Do you remember me?” ZhengLi wasted no time in leaning over YuZhi to get her attention, now she was within range. It had been on his mind all night, how much he got that inkling of familiar, and his gut was still holding onto some connection to Alice of eight years ago. She had something about her that brought that girl to mind, and he wanted to know if he was right.

“I don’t remember if we have. It’s possible.” TangShi deflected, not willing to rekindle those memories. Sighing and keeping her chin tilted down so he wasn’t seeing her full face.

“I can’t place you but you’re so familiar to me. Maybe a few years back….”

“We’re going.” YuZhi cut in coolly, killing the interaction dead. Knowing exactly what ZhengLi was going to ask her and didn’t want to deal with this. ZhengLi was like a dog with a bone sometimes. He had already told him the subject of Alice was mute, and TangShi was not her. He knew what he was doing and didn’t want it to continue. Some things were better left in the past.

“So early? Or are you taking your girl home for extracurricular activities?” A male from further along the seating leaned forward to wink at them both, a welcome interruption, and YuZhi batted his face away.

“None of your business. ZhengLi take Cheng back to his own club and get him away from unsuspecting patrons. He’s starting to turn feral.”

Cheng gave him a thumbs up with a goofy smile and laughed at YuZhi’s weirdly blank reaction. Normally they could banter and joke about most things, but tonight YuZhi had seemed tense and distracted and barely drunk anything by his normal standards. The laid-back seasoned drinker and regular to his club, had spent the night acting like he didn’t want to be here.

He had noticed YuZhi had kept one eye on the dancefloor all night and at first wondered if it was regret at breaking up with Rhea. Maybe his emotional state wasn’t good, and he had longing to get back together with his girlfriend of three years. That was until he saw his focus had followed TangShi always, without deviating to Rhea once, and he was wondering if his buddy was really falling hard for this new girl. That maybe it was more a matter of being hyperaware and watching over her, feeling nervous someone may charm her away from him in their early dating days. He had never been the possessive or overly watchful type with Rhea and always so confident in their relationship. It was a weird contrast.

“Come on.” YuZhi moved and pulled TangShi with him, knowing they should go without a show. It was almost as though she weighed nothing as he slid his arm around her waist to pull her up and keep her pinned to his side. Her feet didn’t really have any impact on her moving. She covered her mouth with a balled fist as she yawned and nodded but never responded verbally. Going with the flow and relieved he was taking her out of this place. He could feel her lack of resistance and the sluggish way she moved and ducked down to see if she was even conscious.

He could smell the slight scent of wine from her, and as her eyes were heavy and her cheeks rosy from an alcohol reaction, he realized she was close to falling asleep. He cursed her under his breath at the fact she drunk and now she was barely awake so he would have to cradle and baby her out of the club. He wasn’t in the mood to be a nanny for a drunk girl, but he no other option.

TangShi had given up and the levels of fatigue at being out so late had taken over. That and this hazy weirdness which was getting worse now she had stopped moving around and dancing. She allowed him to haul her with him and move her out of the booth while being stuck in his embrace. He stopped her for a moment while he slid off his leather jacket and hung it around her shoulders before taking her further, aware it was late out now and would be colder than when they arrived. An unusual motion of consideration on his part that wasn’t motivated by onlookers but because he used to do this for Rhea any time they went out.

TangShi caught a flash or two from the far left but was slow to see where it came from and assumed it was lights from camera flashing. Even now, late into the night people were still keeping tabs on them and it depressed her. Knowing this would be her life for the near future. To eternally be of interest to strangers.

She stumbled as they headed onward, YuZhi turned momentarily to wave at his friends and motioned a call sign at someone to the right while TangShi looked around to see if Rhea was waving. Rhea came into view, her eyes wide and tearful, clearly upset with the view of YuZhi holding TangShi so tightly, before Lu Jeng pulled her aside and gave her a hug, drawing attention to them from onlookers. Lu Jeng was fully aware of the situation and his part in this story and thankfully acted before Rhea reacted in a way that people noticed. TangShi caught the look of sadness and felt terrible, immediately moving to push YuZhi away in reaction but he caught her in his arms and tugged her back into his chest.

“We’re leaving and now more eyes are on us than earlier. Stop resisting.” YuZhi leaned down, rasping into her ear before sliding his arm around her waist and moving her in front of him so he was cradling her behind instead. His chin over the top of her hair. He had seen Rhea’s face and it felt like a sucker punch to his heart but there was nothing he could do about it, they had to get used to this. Walking TangShi forward a little awkwardly but holding his jacket around her as if his only concern was keeping her warm as they made it into the breezy entrance hall. Pushing aside all thoughts except getting this drunk pain in his ass home.

As soon as they got out into the foyer, he let her loose with one hand and pulled his cell phone out to book a cab on his app, stopping to look over his shoulder for a moment to see if Rhea was still staring after them through the glass fronted hall exit, but they had disappeared back into the crowd. He sighed heavily, knowing how awful this must feel for her, but they had gone over this a million times. This is why he had told her they should spend less time in contact and try to separate their schedules for the duration. Really break up and try to not interfere in each other’s lives for their own sanity. She had been clinging on and making demands and putting him in an awkward situation and pushing their relationship onto rocky ground the longer this went on. He worried at this rate they would cause so much damage that they wouldn’t be able to back peddle when this was over.

TangShi was worse with the hit of fresh air and her eyes began to swim, blurring everything around her so she clung to his hands. As did all sense of reason and maturity and she giggled at the predicament she found herself in as he halted her on the curb to wait on their ride. She felt lighter, freer as though all those self-imposed rules and needs to behave in a certain way, all went out the window.

“Who knew……. Yoonie, Yoonie, would be cuddling me again and finding me a cab? Deja vu!” She murmured under her breath, caught in memory and finding amusement in how human YuZhi was acting towards her for once.

“Huh?” YuZhi was distracted from his phone by her words and leaned to the side of her head to glance at her face from his taller height. “What did you say?”

“Shhhhhh!” TangShi turned awkwardly, and flat palmed his mouth, swaying and wriggling out of his embrace and then giggling at his frown and poking him between the brows with her other fingers. Finding him irresistible and cute when this close and uncaring about her behavior. He truly never lost his sexy appeal in all these years.

YuZhi pulled back, annoyed, and caught her wrist before pushing it down and shaking his head at her in irritation. His mood was already sensitive, and he wasn’t drunk enough for nay weird crap form her either. Exhaling heavily because he really didn’t have the patience for this tonight of all nights.

“Great, now you’re worse. Don’t make me carry you. Can you please stand still and behave?” He threatened but TangShi only beamed at him and threw her arms around his neck in a dramatic fashion, pulling him close in a conspirational huddle. Her nose almost touching his and he had to turn sideways a little to avoid a full-on face collision. He hesitated at how close she was coming willingly and had to relinquish his phone to his pocket to use both arms to keep her upright.

“I won’t tell anyone that you used to be sweet to me. It’s our little secret, Yoonie, boonie. Can’t ruin your street cred!” She was talking nonsense, so intoxicated by the wine and air that her brain was scrambled. Finding fun in this and unaware of his widening stare, or the intense changes to his expression. YuZhi heard her properly this time and his furrowed brow deepened as he appraised her face for a moment. Sobering completely as his heart started hammering through his chest.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Why are you calling me that, and what are you talking about? When was I ever nice to you?” he swallowed nervously, something clawing at the back of his brain and refusing to acknowledge it. They had only met on the day of their marriage, not before, so he was never nice to her.

TangShi sighed somewhat sadly, losing her fun burst oof energy and playful and rested her cheek against the hollow of his throat as her body began to sag. The effects wearing off fast and that extreme tiredness kicking in. Her heart finding melancholy as those happy memories fizzled away and reminded her that YuZhi wasn’t Yoonie anymore.

“Why didn’t you come to the bridge like you said you would? I waited until I got soaked through….” Her voice trailed off as her words died on her lips, hints of genuine sadness and TangShi finally passed out. It was sudden, mid words and YuZhi had to catch her.

Her body crumpled and he had to grapple to keep her upright, finding her like a deadweight in an instant before leaning down and lifting her into his arms to stop her meeting the concrete sidewalk. It was easier than attempting to keep a sagging body straight and upright. He stared at her for a long silent moment as he cradled her up close and bounced her into a better position, his head crazy with thoughts and his heart pounding like a war drum. She was peaceful and dead to the world, sleeping like a baby in his arms and all he could do was stare at her.

He couldn’t deny what he heard, and he couldn’t really keep denying his gut feeling when she laid out there so clearly, he couldn’t mistake what she said. They met before, she knew he was once called Yoonie, and she said she waited on a bridge for him. In all the experiences of his life, there was only one time that those details matched up and had haunted him ever since.

He didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to see it. Every part of him wanted to dump her ass down and walk off to get some much needed breathing space to figure this out. There’s no way in hell that TangShi could really be Alice.