Spring Winds

"Wow! Ah Mei, this view is fantastic!

We could see the entire valley from here," Wan Li smiled as she overlooked the vast forest border between their two kingdoms. "How did you even find this place?

You can even see the lights of the two cities from here!"

"A-aha, I just happened to find this place while scouting the area," Yao Mei laughed as she scratched her head, sheepishly.

"Lies, Yao Mei! Lies! ヽ(`A´;)/

You've been planning this night for a month; how could you play it off as a coincidence," Zhu Na Ran grumbled as she munched on a bag of roasted chestnuts.

"Aiyah! This girl!" (#｀ε´)

However, as much as she detested Yao Mei skirting around the truth as well as her feelings, Zhu Na Ran knew that the show was about to get real interesting soon.

She could practically feel it in her bones! ( ✧V✧)

'Ah well, I suppose I can't hate on Yao Mei too much. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

She didn't even know she had feelings for Wan Li until her buddies explicitly pointed it out. And thank goodness for that too!

If this denseness dragged on for any longer, I don't know what I'd do. (- _ -)

This girl is just too hopeless, ah.' （￣^￣）

Shaking her head, Zhu Na Ran took a swig of cold tea as she continued to watch.

The night air was frigid and fresh as fluffy white puffs of snow floated down from the sky.

Holding an umbrella over Wan Li's head, Yao Mei helped her into a tent that she had set up. As she did so, she patted her pockets to make sure that the small wooden box was still there.

Entering the tent, there weren't as few furs, and tarps served as the tent's floor. In the center was a small charcoal burner. The space was a little small and crude. However, it gave off a warm and cozy feel.

"When did you even have time to set this up?"

"Uhh, I just had some time lying around…"

"Hah, really?" Wan Li rose a brow at Yao Mei's blatant lie. "So Xiao Qiang just lets their soldiers run around willy-nilly?"

"Haha, well," Yao Mei shrugged. "I suppose I'm an exception."

"Hmm, I see."The pair continued their exchange of pleasantries, much to Zhu Na Ran's frustration and disappointment.

"Enough already! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Just confess your feelings and finally feel happy! You keep beating and belittling yourself, Yao Mei! Go for it! ＼`•̀益•́´／

And you," Zhu Na Ran pointed at Wan Li.

"You keep doing what you do, but try to drop more hints! (◡‿◡✿)

That oblivious girl is too caught up in her own self-pity and insecurity to see what else is there! ಠ_ಠ

Aiyah," she sighed as she threw a few more pieces of her nutty snack into her mouth, annoyed. "Sometimes I don't even know why I try, tch." ( - 3-)

Although the pair's awkward interaction annoyed her to no end, she could see why Yao Mei was cautious in moving into a more intimate relationship.

'Ah, the poor girl had it rough.'

Yao Mei learned not to let anyone too close to her heart from an early age.

As a coping mechanism, Yao Mei completely cut off the idea of love or romance to the point that she doesn't even remember what it looks like unless it smacks her right in the face.

And ever since Wan Li came into the picture, all of Yao Mei's walls were constantly tested, as Wan Li attempted to break through them.

Part of her, for once, wanted to see those high walls tumble down.

She wanted to show Wan Li, the one she loved, her true self, and share her burden with her. Tell her everything that made her smile and cry. The things that had her petrified with fear and the things that made her so joyous that she could feel herself fly into the air.

However, perhaps the most terrifying aspect was that there was no ground that she could fall upon once she was in the air.

Yao Mei had lived her whole life behind those walls and had grown accustomed to her ignorance and loneliness.

And for some time, she had relished in the freedom that they had given her.

But loneliness is far colder once one has tasted warmth.

'Aiyah, Yao Mei,' Zhu Na Ran shook her head once more as the faceless waiter poured her a cup of fresh tea. Picking up the cup, she took a sip of the warm liquid. 'You're such a complicated character.

And such an indecisive one at that.

But you must act now! (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)✧

Girls like Wan Li are in high demand!

You better act now, or you're gonna lose her! I'm cheering for you!' (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

As if hearing Zhu Na Ran's complaints, the scene started to change.

'Oh! Finally, some action!' ( ✧A✧) YES!!

The scene had shifted away from the quiet conversation, to a peaceful silence between them, with only the slight cracking of the heater filling the silence in the tiny tent.

The couple didn't sit too far, yet they weren't too far apart either.

"Are you cold?" Yao Mei suddenly broke the peaceful quiet as she watched Wan Li rub her arms and shiver ever so slightly.

"Ah, a little," Wan Li let out a sheepish smile, as small puffs of air came out of her mouth. "But don't worry, I'm fine."

"What are you saying," Yao Mei suddenly grabbed hold of Wan Li's pale hand. "Your hands are as cold as ice!

Come sit closer to the burner."

"A-ah, okay," face dusting pink, Wan Li scooted over slightly closer to the burner and Yao Mei.

"What are you doing?

Come closer."

To say that Wan Li was surprised was an understatement. However, she didn't question it, as there were plenty of actions that Yao Mei had done in the past that projected themselves as platonic.

Much to her chagrin.

Now, shoulder to shoulder, the couple overlooked a quiet valley, as the soft and vibrant red glow of the two cities complemented the white view.

"It's nice," Yao Mei started again. "It's nice when it's quiet. No wars, no deaths, just quiet."

"Eh," Wan Li nodded as she tightened her cloak tighter around her neck. "But, then again, such a thing is impossible.

There will always be greed in the hearts of mortals.

As long as they desire something, wars will continue, and lives will be lost. Such is the way of life."

"What do you want?"

"Huh?

W-why, are you asking this question," Wan Li sputtered out as she unconsciously tightened her grip on her cloak. Yao Mei didn't answer her, as Yao Mei continued to stare at her with a look that she had never seen before.

"I-is something wrong, Ah Mei," Wan Li questioned as she reached out to touch Yao Mei's face. However, before she could do so, Yao Mei suddenly turned away and hid her face.

'Aiyah! What is this! !?(･_･;?

It was finally getting good, and you do this to me, Yao Mei? (ʘ言ʘ╬)

Huh?! How could you just brush off Wan Li like that!' ʰᵘʰ (ꐦ○_○）✧

However, she didn't need to wait long for her answer.

"Ah, um," Yao Mei coughed awkwardly as she pulled out the small wooden box.

"Ah Mei, this is…" Wan Li didn't know what to make of the sudden shift. However, she was curious as to why her normally go-lucky companion had suddenly transformed into a blushing youth.

"Um, you've mentioned that you uh… wanted my thumb ring…"

Wan Li was surprised that Yao Mei had remembered her request from some time ago. At the time, she wanted a piece of Yao Mei to carry with her, and since that thumb ring was always on her, she wondered if she could have it. "A-ah, yes.

I'm surprised that you still recall such a thing."

Yao Mei didn't say much as she fiddled with the box's latch for a bit before handing it over to her.

"Open it."

Wan Li looked up at the nervous girl with a questioning look but returned her gaze to the small box. The box was simple on the outside; however, at a glance, she knew that it wasn't something that most people could acquire easily.

Carefully, lifting the metal latch, Wan Li gasped at its contents. "Oh, Ah Mei," Wan Li looked at Yao Mei as if to affirm herself that what she was looking at was real.

Sparking in the flame's warm glow, a pair of green thumb rings sat side by side.

"I, uh, thought that you might want one of your own, so I, uh…

I bought one…

For you…"

Wan Li didn't say anything as she continued to look between the rings and Yao Mei in shock.

'I know, I know, Wan Li.

This is really the dense girl that you fell in love with?'

"I-I, I don't know what to say…"

"Here, let me put it on for you." Grabbing Wan Li's dainty left hand, she took one of the rings and slid it onto her thumb.

"Sh*t." Unfortunately for Yao Mei, she had tremendously overestimated Wan Li's ring size, as the chunky ring easily hung off her thumb, with much space left to fill. "Ah, I'm sorry, I messed up. I-"

"Pfft! Hahaha!"

"Eh?" Yao Mei looked on with wide eyes as Wan Li burst into a fit of laughter, each laugh ringings like a silver bell. "Uhh, did I do something?"

"Haha," calming down slightly, Wan Li wiped her eyes as tears started to pearl up from her laughing fit. "No, haha, you're just so silly, Ah Mei."

"Eh? Silly?"

"Yes," Wan Li exclaimed. "That's what I love about you."

"Yes!" Zhu Na Ran cheered as she nearly jumped up from her seat. "Finally! (๑•̀v•́)و✧

Way to go, Wan Li!" Without tearing her eyes away from the stage, Zhu Na Ran stuffed a celebratory cake into her mouth.

"L-love!?"

Wan Li burst into another laughing fit at Yao Mei's shell shocked expression. As she did so, she removed the ill-fitting ring and held it in her palm.

Taking out a piece of string that she conveniently had in her pocket, she threaded it through the ring's hole before handing it to the dumbfounded Yao Mei.

"Will you help me put this on?" Turning away from her, Wan Li lifted her hair, showing off her pale and slender neck,

"U-uh, okay." In rigid movements, Yao Mei blushed furiously as she clumsily tried to the two ends together. Once she finished, Wan Li dropped her hair back down and turned around to show off her necklace.

"Does it look good?"

"Uhh," Yao Mei's eyes slowly descended from Wan Li's smile, down her neck and delicate collarbones, and finally on the jade ring that hung from a thin string.

The ring sat just above Wan Li's soft cleavage that peaked above her dress. "Yeah," grabbing hold of her mouth, Yao Mei forced herself to look elsewhere, for fear that she would do something that she'd regret. "I-it looks good.

R-really good."

Wan Li's melodious laughter rang through the tent once more. Grabbing hold of her face, Wan Li forced Yao Mei to look at her. "You asked me earlier what I want, remember?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Eh," a soft smile found its way on Wan Li's lips. "I know what I desire most in this world."

"A-and what is that?"

Wan Li smiled but didn't answer as she leaned in.

'Oh, my gods!' ( ✧A✧) OMG!!

Slapping her hand over her mouth, Zhu Na Ran tried to prevent her jaw from dropping to the floor as she watched with wide eyes as Wan Li leaned in for a kiss!

Consequently, the new year's fireworks from the two cities simultaneously went off!

'Wow, talk about perfect timing!' (@°o°@)

Wan Li's movements were soft and slow, and it wasn't long until the dense girl caught on.

Wrapping her arms around Wan Li's waist, Yao Mei pulled the fair lady deeper into her embrace as she deepened the kiss, eventually forcing Wan Li to pull back to breathe.

"Hah, wow," Wan Li heaved as her face burned red from her boldness.

"Yeah, wow," Yao Mei nodded as she watched Wan Li attempt to regain her composure. Brushing the stray hairs away from Wan Li's rosy-colored face, Yao Mei smiled, "You know, Ah Li, I think I know what I want, too."

"Hah, and what's that?"

"You."