Fated Marriage - Chapter 8.2

Chapter Eight (Part 2)

In the middle of the night Han Ting Ting rolled around her bed but couldn’t sleep. She went into the kitchen to grab a cup of water then went into the living room to read Dong Dong’s letter written to her.

Dong Dong and Han Ting Ting used to be close. The letter was long and Dong Dong talked about secrets that could only be shared between girls. At the end of the letter was always the same sentence –‘In my heart you are my mum.’

Han Ting Ting’s eyes were slightly teary. If she read the letter a year ago she’d be sobbing. But in that moment the past seemed long ago in a faraway place.

Suddenly Han Ting Ting felt there was something strange that stood behind her back. She turned around and it was a dark figure and she yelled out. ‘Song Song! You scared me to death!’

‘If you didn’t have anything to hide then you wouldn’t have been scared!’ Qin Song said coldly. ‘Chen Yi Feng’s daughter sees you as her step-mum already, congratulations!’

Han Ting Ting put the letter away. ‘Why did you read my letter?’

Qin Song pursed his lips. ‘I’m hungry!’

Han Ting Ting went into the kitchen and half an hour later she made a bowl of beef noodles for Song Song. He ate a few mouthfuls and looked up to look at her up and down coldly. It made her uncomfortable so she went to her bedroom to hide.

Inside Han Ting Ting’s room she found Putt Putt and Dong Dong’s letter were both missing. She went back into the kitchen to confront the prime thief suspect.

‘Song Song!’ Han Ting Ting said and put out her hand. ‘Give them to me!’

Qin Song leisurely finish his bowl of beef noodles then put the bowl onto the table. ‘I threw them out.’

‘Why did you do that?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘What are you going to do?’ Qin Song asked. ‘You’re living under my roof and you keep your love tokens from your old love. Do you think I’m that easy to bully?’

Han Ting Ting’s eyes stung full of bottled tears of disappointment. How could Song Song be that cruel to her?

‘Where are you going?’ Qin Song asked.

Qin Song saw Ting Ting running away, he stood up and chased after her.

‘Back to my room to sleep!’ Han Ting Ting said and did her best to hold her tears back. ‘Tomorrow I’m going home. I’m not going to live in your house anymore!’

‘Don’t think that I’ll let you leave!’ Qin Song said. He grabbed hold of Han Ting Ting’s shoulders. ‘Don’t think just because he’s Chen Yi Feng that I’ll be scared of him. Han Ting Ting I’m letting you know I’m never divorcing you! I’ll never let you go to be with him! It doesn’t matter if he’s Chen Yi Feng. Don’t even dream about leaving me!’

When Song Song really lost his temper he was completely unreasonable. Han Ting Ting was both disappointed and heartbroken over him. The tears she saved for her room suddenly burst out in front of him.

Ting Ting’s silent tears startled Qin Song. He slowly loosened his hold on her. A while later he released her, he stared at the sadness in her eyes then turned away and went upstairs.

***

Han Ting Ting returned to her room but stayed awake all night.

The following morning Han Ting Ting woke up earlier than usual. She washed her face, brushed her teeth then went to make breakfast. In the kitchen she saw the empty bowl of beef noodles from last night and it made her remember what happened. It was the most depressing start of a day she experienced.

Han Ting Ting wasn’t in the mood to cook in the kitchen that made her sad. Instead she went into the living room to clean. She saw Putt Putt on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She ran to pick up Putt Putt and hugged her Putt Putt. A letter was left behind on the coffee table. It was Dong Dong’s letter.

Song Song misunderstood why she kept Putt Putt.

Han Ting Ting saw Putt Putt as a childhood friend. It didn’t matter if everyone around her misunderstood her. She could tell Putt Putt anything and Putt Putt never laughed at her. It had nothing to do with Chen Yi Feng. Putt Putt wasn’t a love token, Putt Putt was a friend for her to confide to over the years.

Han Ting Ting picked up Dong Dong’s letter. Sunlight streamed into a room and she saw something sparkle beneath the sofa. She reached under the sofa and took out a ring.

A ring… a ring! Han Ting Ting had a light bulb moment. She remembered when Song Song was performing the magic trick she saw the same sparkle coming from his hands. He kept mumbling something about a magic prop. She asked him what he lost so she could help him find it. But he adamantly refused to tell her. The magic prop was… a ring?

The magic trick Song Song wanted to show Han Ting Ting, broke his arm to show her that night… a ring for her?

‘Ahem…’ Qin Song coughed.

Qin Song walked downstairs in his pyjamas. He saw Ting Ting standing silently in the living room. He was beyond happy to see her still home. He pretended to get a glass of water in the kitchen.

Han Ting Ting followed Qin Song into the kitchen.

‘Did you see them yet?’ Qin Song said coldly. He put his glass of water on the table. ‘I didn’t throw those raggy things out! Did you see the way you over reacted last night?’

Han Ting Ting listened to him quietly.

Qin Song saw Ting Ting looking at him strangely and felt awkward. ‘What?’

‘Last night… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so sensitive. Song Song, it doesn’t matter who gave Putt Putt to me. Putt Putt has been with me for more than ten years. Putt Putt is important to me. Thank you for returning Putt Putt to me,’ Han Ting Ting said.

Qin Song wasn’t happy to hear Putt Putt was important to Ting Ting. But last night she said – ‘I’m not going to live in your house anymore,’ he was worried all night and didn’t sleep. He didn’t expect to receive an apology from her early in the morning and was quick to accept it before she changed her mind. ‘I forgive you.’

Qin Song didn’t know why Ting Ting was smiling and took out her left hand that she was hiding behind her back. She opened her palm. ‘Your magic prop, I found it.’

Qin Song saw the ring he got for Ting Ting and was surprised then he pursed his lips. ‘If you found it then keep it. It was yours all along.’

‘Why did you get me a ring?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘Your wedding ring was chosen by my assistant. I wanted you to wear a ring I chose myself,’ Qin Song said.

‘Do you like the ring I chose?’ Qin Song asked.

Han Ting Ting nodded her head.

A few hours ago Qin Song’s heart broke because he thought Ting Ting didn’t have any room in her heart for him. But he saw her nodded that she liked the ring and her blushing made his heart whole again and filled with joy.

Qin Song was too scared to ask, did it mean Ting Ting liked him?

‘Last night I regretted those hurtful things I said to you. Whatever I said to you out of anger is not true,’ Qin Song said. Then he remembered the things that were true whilst he was angry. ‘Um, except I’m never divorcing you was true! One thousand times a thousand true!’

Song Song took the ring from Han Ting Ting and his shaky fingers put the ring through her ring finger above her wedding ring. He interlocked their fingers. He held her hand tight enough for her to feel pain but she didn’t struggle. She looked up at him lovingly.

Qin Song saw Ting Ting’s misty eyes and pulled her into his chest.

‘Have you forgiven me?’ Qin Song whispered.

‘Um,’ Han Ting Ting said.

‘Do you like me?’ Qin Song said softer than a whisper.

Ting Ting didn’t answer Qin Song. He held onto her shoulders and pulled her back a little bit. ‘Quickly tell me.’

Song Song held her tight and wouldn’t let her go. She knew she had to let go of her embarrassment. ‘I… like you.’

‘Do you mean it?’ Qin Song asked.

Han Ting Ting saw Song Song’s cheeks were pink, bit her lips and nodded her head.

Qin Song coughed and let go of Ting Ting.

‘I’ll go make breakfast,’ Han Ting Ting said.

Qin Song pulled Ting Ting back into his chest. He didn’t know where to start except that he wanted to hug her tight.

The scent of Ting Ting’s hair made Qin Song’s throat dry. ‘That day at the hospital I wasn’t drunk. I meant what I said. I want to us to be together. In the past I had a lot of girlfriends. I even thought I loved a few of them… but that was before I met you. After I met you I realised I never loved any of them in the past. You’re not like them at all, you’re different to them. I feel safe when you’re next to me. There’s never been anyone like you, you never did anything for me to hate you. You might think what I’m about to tell you is something easy to do. But for me that’s something hard to do. I’ve never met anyone like you that made me want to be with you for twenty-four hours.’

***

End of Chapter Eight (Part 2)