A Royal Engagement

All-Nighters

(QING)

40 hours before the wedding

Three of us, Lao, Chong and I, came back to the Palace together after watching the police and Palace personnels collect the evidences on that house where Shunu held Dayu.

I went straight to the Prince's Pavilion to get a drink. But Lao stopped me. "This is not the time for you to drink." He told me in grave tone.

"I need it so I can think Lao," I said.

"Here," Chong passed me a bottle of water. "Drink that and then this..." he held a packet of gum for me. "Chew it so you can focus."

I stared at the two of them. They are serious. They want me to drink water and chew some gum to focus myself.

"No bourbon?" I let go of the liquor decanter. Lao nodded. "Dayu will be pissed if he learned that I let you drink while he was gone. Come to your senses and chew some gum,"

I sighed and took the items from Chong. I finished the bottle and pop two gums on my mouth and started working my jaws like I am a goat pasturing on the grassy field.

"She will never surrender Dayu," I said to Lao and Chong. "She will keep Dayu. She..."

"She is obssessed with your Consort," Lao agreed. "What should we do now?" He looked lost. "Shunu had moved Dayu. We have to find him. Even if you marry her, she will never give Dayu up,"

"But if I didn't marry her, she will likely kill Dayu to spite me," I countered frustratedly. My hands are tied. As long as Shunu got Dayu, she got the upper hand.

Chong clucked his tongue on me, "You sure knows how to pick them. Crazy people. First that crazy bitch. Then Dayu. You like them a little unscrewed in the head, right?"

Lao and I were gobsmacked at what he said.

Lao gave Chong an insulted look, "Dayu is not crazy. He is just...funny that way. That Shunu bitch is a lost cause."

"I agree," Chong said. "That is why we have to find Dayu at all cause. They are just around here. Somewhere..."

"Study the video." I said. "That's our last clue. Maybe they relocated Dayu because they have to put him in that compartment. Clues can be found in that video and I..."

We all stopped when Dayu's father entered the Pavilion. "You found a place where they held my son?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir." The three of us bowed to him. Mr.Feng waved his hand. "Dayu was in that house..."

"I want to talk to you alone," Mr.Feng said while looking at me. I nodded and gave Lao and Chong a signal that they can leave.

"We will study that video," Lao said before leaving with Chong.

I sighed when I got left alone with Dayu's father.

Mr.Feng looked at me, "I never blame you, Qing. I will never blame you for this," He said before walking to stand a few feet away in front of me. "I can see how you worked yourself to ragged just to get my Dayu back. I am not blaming you. I know you don't want to marry that woman, but if it's the only solution,"

"I will not reneged in my word. I will marry her to save Dayu," I said. I just didn't say that Shunu might double cross us. That even if I married her, she will not hand down Dayu.

"Good," Mr.Feng pats my shoulder. "I know it's not an easy decision and I thank you for doing this for my son. Just keep making sure he is alive, everytime that woman calls..."