| Fan Fiction |
by Melanie
THE FOLLOWING MORNING
LAM MANSION
LAM YIK LUN'S CHAMBER
Lam Yik Lun sits crossed-legged on his bed with fifteen assorted hairpins spread out on the bed in front of him. He picks one up, holds it up toward the ceiling, and examines it with one eye squeezed shut. He then repeats the procedure with the other fourteen pins. Finally, he puts the last hairpin down and sighs. He gets off the bed and starts to pace around the room as a hundred thoughts race through his mind.
Lun mutters to himself. "Which one should I give her? Maybe she would like the one with the rubies." He shakes his head. "No. No. That one looks too bloody red. How about the one with the silver flowers? No. That one is so bulky it will hurt her head. Maybe she would like the one that the vendor recommended. But what if she does not like wearing a hairpin that is a replica of something once worn by a dead person? What if she does not want any hairpins at all?" He suddenly stops in his tracks as a horrifying thought pops into his mind. "What if she LAUGHS at me when I show her the hairpins?"
Finally, after wearing out the rug with his pacing, he drops down into a chair, his head slumped forward gloomily. A soft knock on his door has him springing up from his seat in surprise.
Lun shouts. "Who is it?"
Sui Han stands outside his closed bedroom door balancing a heavy tray of rice soup. "First Young Master, it is I, Sui Han. Third Young Mistress wanted me to bring you some breakfast."
Lun, with a panicked look at the hairpins scattered all over his bed, stutters. "Ummm…hold on, Sui Han." He rushes over to his bed and frantically collects the hairpins into a black velvet pouch. However, in his haste to put them away, the dangling chains on several of the pins become tangled together. On the other side of the door, Sui Han knocks again. Lun glances at the door worriedly. "Wait just a few more minutes, Sui Han."
Sui Han, having a difficult time balancing the heavy tray, calls out, "First Young Master, please hurry up. This tray is very heavy!"
Not wanting Sui Han to drop the tray and hurt herself, Lun gives up trying to hide the hairpins and opens the door. "Sui Han, here, let me help you with that tray."
He takes the tray from her and walks over to place it on the table. The sunlight shining into his room through the opened window reflects off the gold and silver hairpins lying on his bed, attracting Sui Han's attention. She curiously wanders over to the bed and stares at the hairpins with awe.
Eyes wide, Sui Han gasps in awe. "They are so beautiful! Why do you have so many hairpins, First Young Master?"
Lun turns around and notices Sui Han's wistful look. "Do you like them?" He comes to stand behind her.
Sui Han nods slowly as she reverently touches a dangling chain on one of the hairpins. Overjoyed at Sui Han's interest, Lun reaches from behind her and picks up the pin she has just touched.
He turns Sui Han around to face him, and with the hairpin in hand, he reaches up and inserts the pin into her hair. "It looks even more beautiful now that you are wearing it."
Sui Han shakes her vigorously as she reaches up in an attempt to remove the hairpin. "I cannot accept it, First Young Master! You must already have a young lady in mind to give this to. I cannot take this away from her."
Lun clasps her hands in his to prevent her from removing the hairpin. "Leave it on, Sui Han. I bought it for you."
Sui Han, eyes round with wonder, looks at Lun questioningly. "You bought this for me?" She looks down at the floor demurely. Then, suddenly remembering that her hands are still enveloped in his big warm ones, she quickly jerks her hands away and hides them behind her back, a warm blush creeping up her neck.
Lun smiles at Sui Han's charming shyness. "I bought all these hairpins for you." He gestures to the hair accessories scattered on his bed. "Do you want to try on a different one?"
Sui Han shakes her head and looks down on the floor bashfully, while Lun stares at her, completely mesmerized by her ethereal beauty, which is accentuated by her comely blush. After several long moments of silence, Sui Han glances up and notices Lun's steady gaze. Embarrassed, she hurriedly leaves the room.
As Sui Han rushes from Lun's room, Grandmother Fa, who has stationed herself on the rooftop of Lam Mansion overlooking Lun's room, smiles slyly and follows Sui Han's departure with calculating eyes…
CITY OF LAM ON
KOO YAT KEUNG'S INN ROOM
Koo Yat Keung returns to his inn room, after a long fruitless search for the young woman he saw at Sky Dragon Restaurant yesterday. He walked around the marketplace, showing the townspeople her drawing. Unfortunately, no one knew who she was. He even waited at the restaurant for two hours this morning, hoping she would reappear. Mildly dejected, he shuffles listlessly into his room.
Sitting at the table enjoying tea, Koo Yat Fei glances at his younger brother, who has just stepped over the threshold. "Where have you been, Keung?"
Keung looks up in surprise. "Elder Brother, what are you doing here? I thought you were back at headquarters."
Fei puts down his cup of tea. "I want to be here to witness and enjoy the Lams' defeat."
Keung smiles challengingly. "Did you come to check up on me? Do you doubt my ability to handle them?"
Fei chuckles. "Wow, you are in a nasty mood this morning!" Then he speaks in a more serious tone of voice. "How are the plans coming along?"
Keung walks over to the table to pour himself a cup of tea. "Everything will go off like clockwork. You just relax and sit back to enjoy the show."
The brothers smile craftily as they discuss their upcoming plans for the Lam family tonight.
LAM MANSION
IN THE SERVANTS' QUARTERS
Sui Han sits on her cot folding laundry, as Sung Ling, who has just returned from visiting her mother, unpacks her travel bag. Suddenly the door to the servants' quarters slams open, and Mok Yee San stomps in and flops down angrily on her cot.
Ling goes to Yee San with a concerned expression. "Why are you so mad, Yee San?"
Sui Han sidles up to the other two servants curiously. Yee San picks up her pillow and throws it across the room in a fit of rage.
Yee San whines. "Second Young Master ignored me again this morning."
Ling sighs and shakes her head. "I told you to stop wishing for the impossible!"
Confused, Sui Han asks, "What are you two talking about?"
Ling turns to Sui Han to explain. "Yee San likes Second Young Master, but I told her that her dream is impossible! We are servants. Why would the master's son want to marry one of us when he has plenty of ladies from rich families fluttering around him?"
Sui Han slowly sits down on Yee San's cot, mulling Ling's words over in her mind.
Yee San looks up from her snit and sees the expensive hairpin on Sui Han's head. She reaches up to gently touch the pin. "This is exquisite. Where did you find the money to purchase this?"
Suddenly remembering the hairpin, Sui Han reaches up to touch the shimmering hair accessory. "First Young Master gave it to me as a gift."
Yee San looks at her suspiciously. "Really? Why would he do that?" After a few minutes, she smiles with a knowing look on her face. "Oh, I see. How many nights did you have to spend with him in order to persuade him to buy you that hairpin?"
Ling yanks on Yee San's arm, admonishing her to be quiet. "Yee San!"
Furious at Yee San's implication, Sui Han leaps up from the cot. "WHAT!!! I did no such thing! Unlike you, I have morals!" She stomps to the door and flings it open to reveal Lun on the other side, who is just about to knock on the door.
Lun smiles. "Sui Han, I want to…" He trails off as he notices Ling and Yee San in the room listening closely to his words. Awkwardly, Lun stands at the entrance. An uncomfortable silence descends on the room.
Yee San gives Sui Han a sly wink as she drags Ling with her out of the room. "We'll leave you two alone."
Sui Han pouts and glares after them and then shifts her look of displeasure to Lun. "What do you want now, First Young Master?" She crosses her arms and turns her back to him.
Lun clears his throat nervously. "Sui Han, I am wondering if you would…"
Still indignant about Yee San's accusations and in no mood to deal with Lun, Sui Han interrupts him. "Honestly, First Young Master, you should get your own servant. I am Fourth Young Mistress' personal maid, not yours." Sui Han huffily walks out, leaving a confused and stunned Lun behind.
Staring at Sui Han's retreating figure with bewilderment, Lun speaks to the empty room. "What did I do?"
LATER THAT AFTERNOON
IN THE MARKETPLACE
Mok Yee San walks along the marketplace, a woven basket containing lettuce and fruits hanging from her arm. She envies Sui Han. If only Second Young Master would look at her the way First Young Master looks at Sui Han! Deep in thought, she strolls by a fortune-telling stand.
As Yee San walks by the booth, the fortune-teller calls after her. "Miss! Miss! Congratulations! I could not help but notice the good luck blooming on your face. According to my years of fortune-telling experience, I can guarantee that you will marry a wealthy husband by the end of this week!"
Yee San stares at the elderly woman curiously. "Really?" Her interest piqued, she sits down on the stool at the fortune-telling stand. "Do you know who my future husband is?"
The fortune-teller takes Yee San's palm and scrutinizes it. "Hmmm…I see you marrying a handsome man. He is the second son of a powerful and wealthy family. Hmmm…It appears that you already know this person…"
Yee San's face lights up excitedly. "Yes! Yes! I think I know whom you are talking about!" She claps her hands together in glee, but then glumly slumps down on her seat as she remembers that it would be impossible for Second Young Master to change his mind that quickly. "It is an impossible dream. He doesn't even like me. How will I get him to marry me?"
The fortune-teller smiles knowingly. "I have a little something to help you, Miss." She takes out a small bottle and hands it over to Yee San. "This is a love potion that my teacher has passed along to me. All you have to do is put a few drops into his drink, and he will have eyes only for you."
Yee San studies the bottle and then looks up. "Will it really work?"
The fortune-teller smiles reassuringly. "I guarantee that you will be married by the end of the week. As a show of good faith, I will not collect any money now. You may come back at the end of the week with your payment."
Yee San smiles happily. "Thank you, Grandmother! I will put the potion in his drink tonight!"
As Yee San walks off, her mind filled with thoughts of which bridal outfit to wear, the fortune-teller looks at her retreating figure with a crafty smile.
Grandmother Fa, who is disguised as the fortune-teller, chuckles evilly to herself. "Yes, little girl. You will be surprised at what that potion can do…"
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If you enjoy this story, please also read my other story, Legendary Book of Sun-Moon Swordplay - The Prequel. Thank you.
http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/legendprequel/