Redeeming The Golden Ticket To Life

"Boss!" Ming Li exclaimed by my side.

I kept my eyes on her. 

The model walked out to the stage, as she moved her dress that had many drapes and long wide sleeves inspired by the element of wind that flew in the air with her motion. The colour was mostly a light shade of blue on a glittery mix of silver and white colour.

As the lights fell on her, she looked ethereal and divine.

"Close your mouth, Mr Hu, you are practically drooling here. Someone said a while back that he only admires the dress and designs, not the model...I almost believed you. Hai… my mistake," Ms Kingsman taunted me from the side.

"Trust me, Ms Kingsman, I have complete legal as well as moral rights to admire the model on stage at the moment. And more so than any other person who is present here in this venue, as the person on stage is my legally wedded and beloved wife".

"HUH!"

"Ming Li"

"Here boss"

"Arrange for a flower bouquet, the special one."

"Are we going face to face?"

"For once, do as much you are told with no added questions."

I did not move my eyes from the stage once as I kept looking at her in all her glory. She walked to the tip of the 'T-stage' and then faced the cameras, which were placed there and people from all over the world will see her the next day.

She held her chin up and looked at an angle towards the camera. The dress blew up in layers from the fan placed under the stage.

The whole ensemble looked amazing. Bai Chang looked amazing.

I was screaming in my head, 'That's my Wife! That's My Wife!'

I felt so happy for her while I was jealous people got to see my treasure. I surprisingly felt lost too.

After that moment, whatever happened was a blur, I tuned out Ms Kingsman words. I completely ignored everything else.

And finally, the show came to an end.

"As the night draws to a close, we are pleased to present all models from all the designers tonight. Here they are again! Take it again Azila Cara, Nazirul Mubin and Alana Ilham! We now have come to the close of tonight's event and once again wish to thank all of you for your presence and support in making the event a success. We sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the elegance and glamour of tonight's fashion show by all the designers. 

As for questions and dedicated interviews please head towards the designated areas. There would be no access to the backstage and we request all our media friends to respect the arrangements made.

Thank you for supporting the work of our designers. Good night, God bless."

"Ms Kingsman, please excuse me, I have someplace to be, if you do not mind for the rest of the night Matt will accompany you. Have a good time Good night Ms Kingsman. Take care, we will catch up later."

I walked out of the place fast. Ming Li joined me.

*****

The interview place-

The media houses were interviewing various designers. As the highlight of the entire show, Bai Chang's turn for the interview was kept for last.

Even the media was trying their best to keep the interviews respectfully short.

Ming Li handed me the bouquet, as I waited with bated breath.

Finally, it was her turn. 

She walked out wearing a different dress. She had put on a simple evening gown where only the stitches and the folds of the fabric itself formed beautiful contours in the dress. Even off the stage, she looked amazing.

[Click! Click! Click! Click!]

The camera shutters went crazy, the media houses will go big with this story, I had a feeling about it.

I felt conflicted in my head. I was happy for her but jealous of her future admirers and suitors. I was envious of the people around me who admired her. I wanted to keep her away from all this attention. 

I am sure that if Bai Chang got to know what I was thinking, instead of seven days of exile I will receive the notice to divorce from her.

So I can't say a word aloud about this to anyone other than myself.

As she walked in after the impromptu photoshoot, both Lucy and Pierro were hovering around her like a mother hen protecting her eggs.

"Ladies and gentlemano-a, I ave a few worrrds to speak to you al-l-a. So let me speak brrriefly and den I would answoi yourrr questions-a," Sir Pierro called out.

The place turned quiet.

"Grazie," he said and continued, "Today I am-a ere to intrrrodooce my prrrotegee to de worrrld-a. I feel she is-a rrready to walk out of my shadows to walk er own path-a. Please poot yourrr ands together forrr Ms Shooi Bai Chang," he motioned towards her and continued, "she is-a de prrrotegee tat I am-a talking about as wel-l as today's exhibition's sole designoi-a.

I won't borrre you with tis old mano's rrrant-a, you may dirrrect yourrr questions to er," and he steps aside from the podium.

She walked to the podium.

[Click! Click! Click!]

Several camera shutters worked together at the same time to capture her beauty and immortalise her within the folds of their papers and magazines.

"Good evening, Ladies and gentlemen who are present here as well as all those around the world. Please do take care of me from now on," her delicate voice like a chime bell enchanted the audience and me alike.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank Sir Pierro for providing me with this opportunity as well as his guidance. I am humbled by his utmost trust in my works. For tonight's interview, we will only take ten questions in total, and we prefer questions related to the designs. Any personal interviews will be addressed at a later date, for which you may reach out to the Bellissima." she paused and looked around the people and into the crowd gathered around her.

There was an unexplained charm to her words and body language, people will desire her but would not dare to breach her sanctity.

"Thank you for your consideration, you may direct your questions one by one," she chimed.

"Ms Shui, why did you choose this theme of five elements?" a reporter asked her.

"I truly felt connected to the theme at that time I conceived this idea, while I was contemplating the essence of life, I chose to look into the basics and what I understood was depicted in my designs," she answered with great poise and charm.

While to others her answer may sound vague but I knew the reason behind it. As I thought through the whole array of her thought process I realised something, I clenched my fist and cursed myself mentally to be such an idiot.

"The second question," Lucy asked out loud from her side.

"Ms Shui, what is the driving principle behind each design? If you may elaborate briefly?" another reporter asked her.

"I thought fire to be a path of rebirth just like a phoenix while also getting purified of all my sins and weakness. Water as the healer and the constant source of flow underlining the very essence of life that is movement. 

For earth, I could find myself gravitated to the beauty of flowers and nature hence the leaf motifs. As for metal, I could find no better representation of the minerals and ores we dig from the heart of the earth. 

As for space, I relate more to its chaos than to its order and hence the style I looked for was Avant-garde.

As for wind, it is life after all without oxygen, will we still survive?

So there you have it the principles behind the designs".

As I listened more to the interview I was losing my confidence to even appear before her. All this time I ignored a major fact about Bai Chang, that is, according to her she died and came back from hell. 

She is not only amnesic but walked straight out of the doors of death. It will have a major impact on her. She was sane all this time as she put most of her thoughts into design.

It turned into her form of release and escape from her dark reality.

As I realised my mistakes, I felt like punching myself in the gut for the mess I made with our relationship. 

"Ms Shui, if we may ask, are you single?"

My heart sped up at the same moment. I had the same question too, will she accept me or deny our relationship.

I felt more at the edge than ever, as on her answer depended, the rest of my life.

"Well I have to apologise as I am a happily married woman with a very cute family, by asking me such a question, you are making my husband standing behind you all have a mild heart attack.

Are you ready to come out of your shadows hubby dear?" She looked me straight in the eyes as she said so.