Words I was Afraid to Hear 26 Empress

Despite having an interesting morning, they managed to arrive on time to harvest Longjing tea leaves with the locals in the wide green plantation. Their guides were also kind enough to demonstrate roasting and brewing. They also packed tea leaves and buds for them to take home.

Midori and Dan were drinking tea from a glass cup, sticking to tradition, while enjoying local fruits and pastries. Their first activity was accomplished in half a day.

"So, you feel like the empress now?" Dan asked.

Midori smiled faintly. She recalled how their guide told the legend wherein during the Qing dynasty, Emperor Qianlong visited the West Lake, and he personally plucked a number of tea leaves and granted imperial status to 18 Longjing bushes in the Village. It is said that these bushes still exists in this century.

"I will only be empress if I marry the emperor." she said, then took another sip on her tea.

"I guess I need to be emperor then." He flashed his pearly whites.

However, Midori's smile was a bit forced as her mind still wanders off to the message she received from the unknown number.

"You better watch out...better not cry.

You think your guy is nice but he might be naughty inside...

Or maybe because you give less than St. Nick and it was not enough?"

The message came with 4 photos. In them were Dan and a familiar girl. The first one was near the vending machine, wherein he was holding out his hand to hers. The next was she was smiling towards him while holding an iced drink. The third photo was Dan kneeling to tie her shoe laces, and the last one was taken with them holding a box together, with his hand holding onto her arm.

"Dori?" Dan can sense it but he cannot quite put his finger on it.

Snapping from her trance, she glanced up at him. "Yes?"

"Let's go have lunch."

In the afternoon, they went to the forest-like zoo, located south of the lake.

First stop was the reptile house, having iguanas, turtles, alligators and snakes.

As they went near the snakes enclosures, he noted that her hand holding his tightened her grip.

"Are you perhaps...afraid of snakes?" He looked at her facial expression.

Her furrowed brows and pursed lips says it all.

Dan laughed and wrapped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her body towards his chest.

"Let's visit the large cat!" His smile became brighter as he pulled her out of the viewing corridor.

The tiger hill lifted her spirits up as she found the animals there as fluffy.

"Let's take photos!" she initiated.

Afterwhich, they headed for the giant panda house. On the way was the monkey hill wherein one can watch these creatures interact and play with one another.

The couple was amused by them, resulting to bickering.

"Hey, that one looks so much like you! Hahahahaha!" Midori teased Dan.

"Then you look like that one!" He retaliated while pointing randomnly on another monkey.

"How dare you?!" She pinched his nose hard while grinning.

"Ah! Ow, ow, ow! Dori!" He rubbed his nose and tickled her on her sides.

She squealed as she laughed. "Dan! Stop it! Hahahaha! Dan!" She was trying to pull his hands off her waist.

She finally captured his wrists and placed them on this back using her arms. This made her embrace him, with their faces few inches away from each other.

Dan used the opportunity to kiss her cute nose. "Gotcha!" he said, chuckled, then pulled her to continue their steps.

Midori's eyes shone brightly upon seeing the giant pandas. If the tiger seemed fluffy for her, this sight took her to cloud nine.

"Picture! Take pictures!" she commanded Dan.

Dan slowly shook his head, smiled, then complied using his camera.

After much photos were taken, she was finally persuaded to head back before the zoo closes.

After dinner, they decided to dip into the indoor pool. Midori found it amusing that aside from them, it was vacant. The staff served them some wine.

Dan was in a black and blue swimming trunks, topless and revealing his firm chest and abdominal muscles with hints of being toned.

She was in a retro-styled blue and white horizontal striped one piece, which she decided against the bandeau 2-piece suit her personal maid packed for her. Though her bosoms were not that large, her chest was not flat and were complemented by the attire, while highlighting her buttocks. The blue ribbon tied to her nape forms the halter neckline of the suit. She has a white shawl on her until the reached the pool area.

Dan noticed that she was still clutching the white cloth when they were about to enter the pool.

He frowned. "You are not swimming with this, are you?" He took the shawl from her grasp and threw it on the sofa by the wall. He held out his hand to her. "Let's go."

Midori was absolutely outside her comfort zone. She had never exposed herself as much as this to people aside from her family. She is also insecure when it comes to her breasts so she was covering them with the shawl which he took away. Nevertheless, she took his hand as he led her into the pool as she gulped.

"Do you know how to swim?" Dan asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "A bit."

"Okay." He let go of her hand as he went to swim away in backstrokes.

She stared at her now empty hand. Then she looked back at him swimming away. Her eyes watered as she recalled the photos sent to her. She went towards the filled wine glasses and took a sip from one.

He came back to her in butterfly strokes. "You okay?" he asked as he reached her spot.

"Uhuhm..." she nodded as she forced a smile. "Why is Shaoting the only one in the swimming team?"

Dan understood that she was asking why he did not join. "I can do it, but I'm not fast." He smiled.

Midori took another sip of wine. Dan took his glass and drank.

"You said you can swim. Why are you staying in the corner?"

Before Midori could answer, she was splashed with water on the face, drenching away her brewing doubts.

She retaliated the water splash and eventually chased him across the pool.

After swimming for some time and laughing together, they eventually rested on a side of the pool.

Dan looked at her intently. "Shall we head back to our room?"

She froze and glanced at him. The statement 'our room' was ringing in her ears.

Chapter end