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Chapter Text

“Did you see Colonel Hua today? Khan should really do something about that hair.”

“I know! For her to style it just like the men! It’s a shame. And she has such beautiful hair.”

“She would be prettier if she didn’t bind her breasts.”

“She’ll never find a husband looking like that.”

“She’ll never find a husband period! What man would want to marry a woman so intimidating?”

Mulan rolled her eyes as she heard the maids gossiping. This was nothing new, Mulan was used to hearing the mutterings of her fellow imperial guards, she learned to brush off their comments. At first, she knew they were just disgruntled and jealous that while she and her comrades fought off the Rouran, they were caught and ambushed in the center of the palace. She continued on to her room, it was large but she would have been satisfied with anything, just thankful that they gave her her own space. It was no secret that the emperor favored her and her situation and while Mulan was grateful, she also knew it was just another reason the other soldiers resented her. She still remembered her first day as an officer at the palace, just 1 year ago…

***

Day one.

“Colonel Hua Mulan, you will be commanding 175 men, with First Lieutenant Mushu as your second in command. You and your men will be residing in the eastern barracks.”

“Yes General Tung Sir!” Commander Tung had been promoted to general as a reward for his triumphs in the siege of the palace.

She left to acquaint herself with the soldiers she would be leading, aware that the rest of her comrades who were appointed officers had already settled into their roles weeks prior. She wondered where they might be as she was on her way to the eastern barracks, but it didn’t take long for her to find her answer.

“Colonel Hua Mulan! When I said I’d see you again, I didn’t realize it would be so soon. Not that I’m complaining.” Honghui greeted her with a smirk.

“Hi, um…” She said awkwardly, not sure what to call him but grateful when he laughed it off.

“Colonel Chen Honghui, but who cares about titles.” He said grinning, and she found it easier to grin back.

“It’s good to see you Honghui. Um, do you know where the eastern barracks are?”

“Yeah, I’m headed there myself, it’s where me and my men stay.”

She heaved a sigh of relief, glad she’d have a familiar face there, and he began to lead her to the building “So will I. Where are the others stationed?”

“We were the only 2 promoted as Colonels, the others were promoted as regular imperial guards and dispersed among the northern and southern barracks. Yet somehow they always find themselves wandering over here at night, trying to convince me to drink with them.” He chuckled with an eye roll.

She laughed with him “I expect nothing less, though they should watch themselves, that might have been fine at the training camp, but something tells me the Imperial City is much different.”

“Let’s just say there’s a reason we were the only two promoted to colonels…ah, here we are. Home sweet home.”

They had reached the eastern barracks and Mulan had to admit, it was much more extravagant than she was expecting. She had to remind herself that she was now part of the imperial guard, and they were treated much better than the rest of the country’s army, especially at the training camp. Honghui showed her around, they were the only two colonels assigned to the Eastern Barracks so their rooms were next to each other towards the front of the building. Even though the room was mostly spare, Mulan couldn’t help but think about how exquisite it was, there was a full sized bed in one corner with an ornate night stand which matched the wardrobe and drawers on the other side of the room. Additionally there was a desk and chair which had matching elaborate carvings as decorations, and a bookshelf as well. Finally, there was a small table with two chairs, and a door that led to her own washroom. Mulan felt overjoyed, but also guilty, knowing her family back home never had anything so lavish.

After she put her things down and put on her officer’s uniform, Honghui insisted on showing her more of the castle-like building, showing her where their men would reside, the kitchens, the dining room, the sitting rooms, offices for officials…etc.

“I didn’t realize…” Mulan trailed off, not even knowing how to finish her sentence. Living in such extravagance, as a soldier she never expected she’d be treated with luxury.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. But we’re part of the Imperial Guard now, China’s greatest warriors and the Emperor’s prized possessions.”

She nodded, for the people who pledge loyalty to the emperor with their lives, of course he’d reward them.

“Where are the soldiers?”

“Training with the captains. Usually our presence is required there, however I was called for an officers meeting which just ended. Let’s go join them, shall we?” He replied cheekily.

“I suppose.” She smirked back, happy to be able to keep up with his jests.

They headed towards the courtyard where trainings were held, but passed by houses on their way there.

“Who lives there?”

“The families of officers.” He answered and she found herself taken aback.

“Families? Then why-“

“If the officer’s are married, we move out of the barracks and into the homes with our families. The emperor wants to keep his warriors close, so he offers this option to officers already with families. The guards are not so lucky, but they are granted 2 weeks leave every year.”

“That’s very kind of the emperor…when are-“ she cut off when she realized Honghui was laughing, and she found herself getting embarrassed “I’m asking a lot of questions aren’t I?”

He laughed again, amusement in his eyes “truthfully yes, but don’t worry about it. Ask me whatever you need to.”

They arrived at the training courtyard but the soldiers were taking one of their few breaks. Mulan followed Honghui to where the captains stood, but on their way they overheard some of the soldiers speaking.

“That’s her, isn’t it? The female colonel.”

“Look at her, how is she supposed to lead us?”

“Who knows, she was named the army’s greatest warrior.”

“Greatest warrior my ass, she couldn’t beat me in a fist fight.”

“Ha, you’re probably right.”

“Ridiculous, to promote farmers with pitch forks as officers in the imperial guard.”

“They were soldiers-“

“They were new recruits who only just began training not a year ago!”

“They rescued his majesty from Bori Khan, they deserve our respect.”

“They deserve nothing. They will earn my respect when they prove themselves worthy of it. And don’t get me started on that woman.”

Honghui looked at Mulan “ignore them for now. You’ll soon get your opportunity to prove to them how wrong they are.”

His words eased her tension and she felt relief flood through her. She had known him for less than a year, but she relied on his support more than she realized, she knew she could always count on him. And he was right of course, that very day they led a sparring demonstration and she was able to showcase just how qualified she was for the position. Unfortunately that didn’t squash all of the resentment, but while she could still hear their whispers behind closed doors, at least she didn’t have to work about the disrespect of their comments to her face.

***

Mulan had to admit that things were getting better from when she arrived a year ago, but hearing the maids gossip about her behind her back put her in a sour mood as she got ready for bed in her room. Just as she finished putting on her night robe, she heard a knock on the door.

“Colonel Hua, is there anything I may assist you with tonight?”

“Thank you Khan, I am fine. And, for the hundredth time, please call me Mulan.”

Khan blushed “it is improper for a maid to refer to-“

“Then do not think of me as an officer, but as a friend.”

“…yes, Mulan.”

Before either could say another word the door opened, without a knock.

“First Lieutenant Mushu.” Khan greeted with a bow.

“Hiya Khan, Mulan.”

Mulan rolled her eyes as he plopped ungracefully onto one of her chairs.

“Khan, can you please bring us some tea?” Khan left and Mulan went to join Mushu, placing herself gracefully on the chair.

“I hope she brings ginseng, don’t you, Mulan?”

She raised an eyebrow at him “that’s colonel to you.”

“Please, you’ll let Khan call you Mulan but not me?”

She shook her head “You’re lucky I like you, Mushu.”

He smirked and waggled his eyebrows “you don’t like me, you like Honghui.”

Mulan blushed “Oh shut it, now what do you want?”

No matter how much Mulan denied she had any feelings for Honghui, Mushu would repeatedly call her out on it. She resisted, always stating that they were just friends, best friends really, the only person she spoke to more than her second in command and her maid was him.

He laughed “I come bearing news, but if you’re going to be a grumpy pants, maybe I won’t tell you.”

“How are you so confident I’d care to know?”

“Because it’s about your little pretty boy.”

She blushed again “stop calling him that…what’s the news anyway?”

Khan came in and served the tea. Mulan was incredibly grateful to her personal maid whom she saw as a friend more than anything. She was her faithful confidant and companion, so even though it was late and it was improper to have a man in her quarters with her while she was only in her pajamas and night robe, she knew Khan wouldn’t bat an eye, nor tell anyone. And so even though Mushu was clearly going to gossip, she didn’t send Khan away as most officials would, and by now Mushu knew the same. Mulan had grown close with her second in command over the past year, and these night time conversations weren’t rare. So although she could never quite get used to his eccentric ways, at the very least she felt comfortable with him and knew he would be loyal.

Mushu continued speaking, although he grew somber in a way that was very unlike him “You know General Tung’s daughter, right? Qingyuan? Well he had been looking for a match for her for a while now, and he’s chosen him.”

Mulan grimaced at the mention of General Tung’s daughter, there was a time when he had suggested Mulan be matched to her, before the army found out her secret. She was happy to hear that the General found another candidate, that is, until Mushu’s earlier words registered in her head and she realized what he was implying.

“No!” Jumping in her seat she exclaimed, although she quickly covered her own mouth remembering the time and the fact that Honghui’s room was right next to hers. In her reaction she accidentally upset a tea cup. She bent to clean it up but Khan beat her to it.

Mushu winced “well, that’s the rumors anyway, but I overheard it from Lieutenant General Qiang, so I figured it was a reliable source.”

Mulan felt a squeezing pressure in her chest and tears spring to her eyes, though she had no idea why. It didn’t matter to her whether or not her friend should choose be engaged to someone else, everyone had free will after all. But then why did it feel like her heart was sinking into a deep pit in her stomach?

After a moment Mulan schooled her features and responded “don’t know why you think I’d care for that information.”

Mushu tsked at her “deny all you want, but if you keep that up, then he will get married sooner or later, and you’ll be forced to watch from the pews.”

Mulan sighed “He can marry whomever he wants.”

Mushu stood up “if you say so. After all, I hear she’s beautiful, refined and all that jazz, not that you would know anything about that. Anyway, I’m sure they’ll make a great match. It’s getting late, I should head to bed.”

Mulan flinched, feeling his jabs. No one knew how to push her buttons as well as he did. Khan got up as well to clean up the tea set and left the room quickly after a quick bow and a whispered ‘good night’. Mulan got up as well, intended to slip into bed as soon as he left, but when Mushu went to open the door he was greeted by none other than Honghui with a fist raised, intending to knock. The two men stood there, staring at each other stunned until Honghui cleared his throat.

*ahem* “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude or interrupt, but I thought I heard a crash.” Honghui said.

“You’re not interrupting at all, we were just finishing up.” Mushu said casually.

“Sorry Honghui, I accidentally knocked over a tea cup, didn’t mean to rouse you.”

Mushu grinned “got a little too excited, didn’t we Colonel Hua.”

If looks could kill, Mushu would be a puddle on the floor with how Mulan was shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s about time you returned to your post, goodnight, First Lieutenant Mushu.” Mulan quipped in her no nonsense tone that she reserved for their soldiers.

“Good night Colonel Hua, Colonel Chen.” Mushu replied with mock salutes.

After he had gone Honghui looked at her with an eyebrow raised “what are we going to do with him?”

Mulan smirked “100 laps tomorrow morning?”

Honghui smirked back “I was thinking more 20 sets of knuckle pushups…seriously, is everything alright?” His smirk melted as he asked, concern lacing his eyes.

She desperately wanted to ask if what Mushu heard was true, was he really getting matched with General Tung’s daughter? But she bit her tongue, knowing now wasn’t the time. “Yes, everything is fine.”

He smiled his adorably charming smile “good. Well then, good night, Mulan.”

She smiled back, her cheeks tinged pink, it’s not fair how ridiculously good looking he is, though she quickly scolded herself for that thought “good night, Honghui.”

Chapter Text

*DING DING*

“Alright men, you are all dismissed for lunch!”

Honghui made his way to the officer’s dining room where Mulan and some of the other officers were already waiting for him. He took his seat as the maids came out with their food on platters and the officer’s passed the plates around, helping themselves to the fresh food.

“Hmmm the soup’s good today, did you make it yourself Colonel Hua?” One of the officers joked.

Mulan rolled her eyes and smirked “You’d better hope not, it’d be a great opportunity to finally slip you some poison.”

The other officers laughed as he grumbled to himself.

Honghui chuckled “be nice.”

“Aw c’mon, you know I’m playing. Hua’s basically a man anyway.”

Mulan huffed, she didn’t know what was worse, receiving misogynistic comments because she was seen solely as a subservient woman, or being treated as one of the men, with no feminine qualities whatsoever. Before she would have preferred the latter without question, but after last night’s conversation with Mushu, she was beginning to feel self-conscious about her lack of femininity.

Mushu came to her rescue “yeah, and she can beat your ass like one too.”

They all laughed and one piped up “seriously, even Colonel Chen can speak to her. We all know how tongue tied he gets when he’s in the presence of a real woman.”

Honghui’s laughter died as he pouted “Hey!”

“Honestly Honghui, how are you ever going to get matched if you can’t even talk to a girl!”

Honghui turned beat red as he mumbled “I’m getting matched already…”

There was a moment of silence, until all the men started cheering and asking questions.

“Our colonel is finally becoming a man!”

“When is the wedding ceremony?”

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“You should have told us sooner, we need to plan the bachelor party!”

Through all the ruckus, Mulan kept her head down, but the moment she glanced up at Honghui, their eyes met, and she realized that he had been watching her for her reaction. He looked…apologetic. She smiled half-heartedly at him, he’s supported me through so much, I should return the favor.

“It’s a recent development, and nothing is set in stone yet. Now then, I’m finished with my meal, so if you’ll excuse me.”

Honghui got up from his seat and gave Mulan a look that only she knew how to decipher, it said ‘follow me, please’. Mulan repeated his sentiments and stood from the table, following his direction until they met at a bench in an outside garden.

“I swear I’d only heard about it yesterday, you know I would have told you sooner.” He said, that apologetic look in his eyes again.

Mulan kept her eyes downcast “I believe you.”

“It’s to General Tung’s daughter. But like I said, it’s not official yet, we still need to meet with the matchmaker, or, I do, at least.”

Mulan finally looked up and into his eyes “are you happy?”

He looked pained as he raked a hand through his hair “I don’t know. I know that I want to get married, eventually. I’d like to have a family. But to a woman I’ve never met? The guys are right, I can barely talk to women without stumbling over my words.”

“You talk to me just fine.”

“You’re different Mulan, you know that.”

She raised an eyebrow “oh, because I’m basically a man?”

He chuckled “no, because you’re my best friend. You’re not like other women, you’re easy to talk to. I enjoy your presence.”

Mulan smiled “and I’m sure she’d like yours as well. She’d be a fool not to, you’re a great man after all.”

“Thank you, Mulan. You always know what to say.”

Mulan laughed “do I? I’m an awkward mess.”

“Not as awkward as me. God, what am I going to do? I’m supposed to go to their village in a few days.”

Mulan paled “A few days? The wedding is that soon?!”

“No! No, just to meet the matchmaker. Even though the General’s family now resides in the Imperial City, the family matchmaker is back by their old village, she’s who I have to meet with to make sure we’re an appropriate match. But if we are…well you know how things go. I can’t really say no to the General.”

“I suppose not…well, before you leave, you could always, uh, practice…with me…talking.”

“Isn’t that what we always do?”

Mulan stammered “I mean…like…practice what you’d say to your future bride. Then maybe you could learn to be more comfortable around her.”

Honghui lit up “that’s not a bad idea! Mulan, could I ask you for a huge favor? Could you come with me to their village? That’s where I’m going to meet her for the first time and having you there would make me feel so much better. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please consider it.”

Mulan hesitated, on the one hand, she swore to always have his back no matter what. On the other hand, the thought of seeing him with another woman made her feel nauseas. She wasn’t sure which she would rather do, disappoint him or disappoint herself, but as she looked into his eyes and saw the hope they held there, she knew she couldn’t say no.

“If you can convince General Tung to grant both of us leave for the meeting with the matchmaker…then of course I will come with you.”

He grabbed her hands “thank you Mulan, you’re a great friend.”

***

The words tasted bitter in his mouth as he said them ‘you’re a great friend’. He knew they were best friends, but he yearned for them to be so much more. He knew she had an awful experience with a matchmaker years ago, that she didn’t perceive herself as the marrying type, but he couldn’t help but hope that maybe one day she’d change her mind, that maybe one day he could convince her. He always knew she was special from the first day he met her, but it wasn’t until it was revealed that she was a woman that he really began to understand that really meant. Through everything they had gone through together, he realized he was in love with her, and even though he knew it could take a long time for him to take root in her heart, he was willing to wait since he knew she was a girl worth fighting for. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the one he had to worry about, it was his own future that ended up being his worst enemy.

General Tung had come up to him the day prior saying he had a great honor in store for him, his daughter’s hand in marriage. Honghui knew he was in no position to decline the offer, but panic immediately settled into his heart as Mulan’s face flashed into his mind. The countdown started, his days were numbered, he had to confess his love for her before he tied the knot, he knew that if she reciprocated, the General would respect their wishes, but if she didn’t…well he would be doomed to an unhappy marriage. When she offered to help him with becoming more comfortable with women, he found it would be the perfect opportunity to get her comfortable with him. He felt that she only saw him as a friend, he could use this ruse to have her see him as a man and potential suitor, and if that failed, the travel to the village would give him time as well. Which brought him to General Tung.

“I don’t see why it would be necessary to have 2 colonels in the caravan.” General Tung answered.

“Well, you see, it would be improper for me to see your daughter before the matchmaker, and it would also be improper for any guard to reside in her carriage, which is why Colonel Hua would be the best candidate. I just want to ensure that your family is safe on the entire voyage, especially as we’ll be travelling through bandit country.” Honghui said.

“Perhaps you have a point.”

Honghui sighed of relief “thank you sir.”

The General continued “in fact, perhaps we should increase security all around.”

Honghui swallowed, quickly feeling his plan backfiring “oh? I mean, I don’t think it’s that necessary, with 2 colonels and-“

“You’re absolutely right, it’s not nearly enough. I have to stay here with the troops, I will not be able to protect them myself, so we should increase the guards. Let’s call on the other members of the 5^th battalion.”

Honghui’s heart sank “who did you have in mind?”

***

“Hahahahahaha! Are you serious?!” Mulan couldn’t contain her laughter.

“Ha, ha, laugh it up Mulan.” Honghui pouted.

“Oh man, I’m actually looking forward to this trip now! I cannot wait to see what ways they come up with to ruin your matchmaking ceremony. Have you told them yet?” Mulan said between cackles.

He sighed “Not yet, but I will eventually. Of all the people General Tung could have suggested, he wants to entrust his daughter’s safety to Ling, Chien Po, Yao and Cricket?”

“Don’t forget Mushu.” Mulan smirked and Honghui grimaced, it was no secret they didn’t really get along, although he would never admit it was because he was jealous.

“I’m glad you’re finding this so amusing.”

“I’m glad you’re glad. It’s your own fault anyway.” She found it easier to joke and poke fun at his expense, it helped her ignore the clenching of her heart and the butterflies in her stomach.

He groaned but seemed to get over it after a minute “we leave in a few days, when are you going to help me with talking to women?”

It was Mulan’s turn to grimace “well, it’s the soldiers’ downtime, so we can do it now.”

He shrugged “sure, so what do you have in mind?”

“What is your ideal woman?”

He laughed “easy, a woman who is courageous, has a sense of humor and is smart.”

Mulan blushed and mumbled “stealing my lines” which only made him laugh harder.
“It’s true though.” He said a little more seriously.

“If it’s true, then you should get to know her personality, ask her questions about herself.”

He looked skeptical “like what?”

“I don’t know, what would you ask me if you wanted to get to know me better?”

“Hmmmm…what was it like binding your breasts?”

She wacked him repeatedly as he cackled.

“I’m joking, I’m joking! I surrender!”

Mulan stopped, shaking her head with a slight smile on her lips “…I still bind my breasts, you know. It’s not like we have female armor, so binding them makes the armor fit better.”

Any trace of humor left his face as he studied her “I’m sorry, it must not be very comfortable…okay, real question, how do you feel as the only woman in an army?”

Mulan gave the question a lot of thought “It’s…difficult. I try my best to be true to myself, but…its complicated. I am a woman, but many of the men in the army see women as lesser, and as an officer, that’s not an ideal position to be in. So I tone down my femininity and try to be more like the men, but I find it…confusing when I’m treated as another man. I like being seen as an equal, but…sorry, I feel like I’m talking in circles.”

“No, I like hearing you talk, especially about this. I can only imagine how difficult your position is, but if I may, I think you’re doing an amazing job. I know you hear the gossip, but that’s only a small minority, you’ve won the majority of your soldier’s respect, I know how loyal they are to you. You should be proud. As for your femininity…I’m not really sure I can help you there.”

She smiled, and decided to try and move on from the topic that left her feeling so vulnerable.

“Nice response, you’re getting better at conversation already.” She mumbled.

“Oh, right” he had forgotten all about their little exercise “what’s your ideal husband?”

Mulan almost choked on her tea “what?!”

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant “well I already know your ideal woman, and I agree with your sentiments. So what’s your ideal man?”

Mulan had to think about it, she never really considered what she’d want, in her village, it wasn’t really a woman’s place to be picky “…a man that treats me as an equal. Who never tries to control me, who values my knowledge and skills, who acknowledges that we are a team, partners in life.”

Honghui looked at her in awe “well I hope you can find such a man, you deserve only the best.”

She blushed “who knows if he’s out there…and even if he was, it’s not like I intend to get matched.”

He couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face, though it went unnoticed by Mulan “oh?”

She sighed “I’ve told you before, I was matched, but then it didn’t really work out…let’s just say the matchmaker didn’t see much value in me. It was kind of a traumatizing experience…anyway, a woman is supposed to bring honor to her family by striking a good match and then bearing sons. I’ve found my family honor through the army, shouldn’t my role be done?”

He looked at her, shocked by her answer “you think the only merit in a woman getting married is her family’s honor?”

“…is that not the case?”

He looked deeply into her eyes “I want to marry because I crave companionship. That thrill of moving through life with another person, to have a life partner, as you put it. To raise children, both boys and girls, and I’d teach the girls to have proper role models, like you.”

She giggled out of shock “Me? A role model for young girls?! Growing up, I was an outsider in my own village because I was too eccentric!”

His disbelief grew “you are the perfect role model for young girls! The first woman to join the army and be promote to a colonel of the imperial guard! The strongest warrior in the emperor’s army. What’s not to like?”

“Uh, the fact that I’m a mess?”

He laughed “you’re not a mess, you’re delightful.”

It was at this point that they realized in their excitement of the conversation, their faces were very close together. Mulan was lost in his eyes, until she heard a throat being cleared.

*ahem*

“Mushu! What are you doing here?” She exclaimed to hide her embarrassment.

“What am I doing here? In this very public common area that many of us frequent?” Mushu asked sarcastically. He sat down right next to them into a reclined position with his hands behind his head, as if watching something very entertaining going on between them.

“Do you need something?” Honghui asked impatiently, annoyance clear in his voice.

Mushu grinned “nope, just enjoying the atmosphere.”

Mulan rolled her eyes at him, and then turned her attention on Honghui “anyway, I think that if you talk to her the way you just talked to me, then you’ll be fine.”

“It’s just…you’re different, you know?”

She squinted at him, showing he was skirting a dangerous line “why, because I’m not really a woman? I’m just one of the guys?”

He answered without humor, showing her he was just as serious “No, because you’re my best friend. Someone I know and trust above all others.”

Mulan sighed, knowing he was right but wishing he wasn’t. The truth was that she wanted him to see her as a woman, even as she denied any feelings she might hold for him. Her vanity took a hit every time she was reminded that she wasn’t seen as a woman, and even though she could care less about other people’s opinions, she cared about his. She knew she didn’t need anyone’s approval, but she always sought his, mostly because she held him in such high esteem, she wanted the same from him. She wished she were as beautiful as other women, desired by men, or seen as worthy of marriage, but she knew no matchmaker in their right mind would match her with a proper young man, so she had to let that dream go.

“Anyway, thank you Mulan.”

“Of course, anytime, Honghui.” She responded automatically, but she could hear the emptiness in her voice.

Chapter Text

“Like an oak, you must stand firm, but at the same time, you must be like bamboo and bend in the wind.”

Today’s schedule had Mulan training the soldiers in the Imperial Guard. Honghui was right, she had earned a lot of respect in her role as colonel over the past year, to the point where many of the soldiers enjoyed her lessons. She challenged them to use their brains while fighting, not just their brute strength. She lectured them on strategy and thinking outside the box, and using this method she had bested each soldier who had challenged her to a match, of which there were many.

“Look around, what do you see? I see many firm oaks, but no supple bamboos. That should be your focus today, we will be doing exercises to increase your flexibility during battle. Read the wind, read your opponent, wait for your moment, then strike.”

Honghui stood off to the side of Mulan, watching her instruct their soldiers. He couldn’t help but be in awe of her whenever he witnessed her command, she was one of the most charismatic people he knew, able to rouse a crowd faster than he had ever seen. Yet it frustrated him how humble she was sometimes, denying she was better than anyone else, but he knew she herself could become emperor one day, though he’d never state it aloud, knowing the penalty would be death. She was a natural born leader, and though he knew she had been holding back for most of her life, he was immensely pleased that she was able to shine brightly now.

“I believe you’re supposed to be watching the soldiers, Colonel.”

Honghui scowled at Mushu’s words “And you should be at the back, doing the same, Lieutenant.”

“Zhao had it covered, besides, it’s Colonel Hua’s training day, we both know it’s much more enjoyable to be able to watch her work from the front.” Mushu waggled his eyebrows.

“Get back to your post.” Honghui responded, cheeks pink from annoyance and embarrassment.

“No can do, I was actually on my way to General Tung, he called for me for some mission. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Honghui narrowed his eyes “Why don’t you hurry on to General Tung and find out for yourself?”

Even Mushu found himself intimidated by those eyes, but he didn’t back down “I will, I will…but just remember, I’m loyal to my commanding officer, so if anything were to hurt her-“

“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply, but I have no intention of ever hurting Mulan in any way. Believe it or not, you and I share the same sentiments.”

Mushu scoffed “doubt it.” Then after a mock salute he turned to leave.

Honghui fumed, and turned his attention back to Mulan to find that she was no longer standing at the forefront of the soldiers, but walking towards him. He shot her a half-hearted smile.

“Great instruction, Colonel. The soldiers are sure to find it valuable.”

She smirked “Really? How would you know, I didn’t see you watching them.”

He blushed and stammered “I, er, I mean,-“

“Just kidding.” She laughed and playfully punched his arm.

He exhaled with a chuckle, noting how when it came from Mushu’s mouth it enraged him but when Mulan joked about his attention on her he found it exhilarating “I know I should be watching them, but you’re just so captivating. You’re a great leader Mulan.”

She beamed at his praise “You’re not so bad yourself, that is, when you pay attention to them. Anyway, what were you and Mushu talking about?”

His mood soured “nothing. I think he’s going to General Tung for instruction on the mission.”

“Mission?”

“To Tung’s home village.”

She deflated “oh, right. We leave tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I have already alerted Ling, Chien Po, Yao and Cricket. They’re…excited to put it lightly.”

Mulan laughed at that “oh you are so going to regret asking me to come as ‘extra protection’.”

His heart soared at the sound of her laugh, he couldn’t help but smile “Oh, I already do.”

***

They were set to leave in the morning, and she knew she needed her sleep, but she felt restless. She packed, and unpacked, and repacked her duffel bag, she read through the map 3 times to make sure she memorized their route, but no matter what she did, sleep didn’t come to her. Resigned to her fate, she sat at her desk and pulled out some stationary, deciding she’d better write home as it had been a couple weeks since her last letter. As she stared at the paper, she had no idea what to write. She didn’t want to tell them about her mission with Honghui, but she didn’t really have any updates, so she pulled out the last letter she received from her mother for inspiration but quickly remembered why it took her so long to reply.

‘The matchmaker has been asking about you, have you given any thought to getting married? I know you didn’t have the best experience before, but things are different now, I’m sure we can find a suitable husband for you. Unless, of course, you have found one for yourself.’

Mulan cringed at the prospect of meeting with her village matchmaker again as she pondered her mother’s words. Would she really be okay if I found a husband for myself? What am I saying, as if I could find a man who would want a woman like me. I’m not quiet and demure or graceful and delicate. I’m not refined or poised. And I don’t want to change just for a man.

She tried putting that into words in her letter, but found that she couldn’t properly express her conflicting emotions. Honghui wouldn’t ask me to change who I am, she thought, shocking herself. Why am I thinking of him at a time like this? She wondered as his image popped into her head, and in the silent quiet of her room, she let her mind wander. He has a charming smile, and his eyes are so expressive. His build is impressive too, just the right amount of muscle, but lean at the same time, and when our hands touch they feel so strong, I wonder how they’d feel…gah! I can’t believe I just thought that! She shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking about his body, no matter how attractive she found it. There were plenty of attractive soldiers under her command, what makes him so special?...well there’s his genuine kindness, how he has always supported me and treated me as an equal, whether I was Hua Jun or Hua Mulan. We have the same sense of humor, either that or he really does have my back at all times as he laughs at all of my jokes. He’s a great leader, the soldiers respect him, and it was because of his respect for me that they were finally able to get over the whole ‘me being a woman’ thing, I owe a lot of my success to him…and when I’m with him…I feel…exhilarated. It’s like being on the battlefield, but without the danger, in fact it’s the opposite, I feel completely safe when he’s beside me, like I can do anything. I want to share everything with him, my victories, my struggles, my life…I want to share my life with him…

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. This is ridiculous, he’s my best friend, and he’s going to be matched. I admire him because he’s my friend and comrade, and no other reason.

***

Honghui knew he should sleep, tomorrow would be exhausting in more ways than one, but when he laid down, he found that he could barely sleep. All he could think about was how the hell he was going to get himself out of this situation, or how he needed to tell Mulan how he felt. And once his mind was on Mulan, it never stopped racing, along with his heart. Today she was stunning, I know she wears the same uniform as me, but really, how does she make it look so good. I’ve heard what the other maids say about her, but god she’s beautiful even without all the makeup. And then the way she was leading the soldiers today? She’s incredible. He continued his musings, practically a daily tradition by now. I can barely talk to women, but with her, its completely different. I’m so drawn to her, every word she says I want to etch it into my brain, and I find myself wanting to make the same impression on her. I’m able to talk because I want to see what she’ll think, or how she’ll react to my words, my thoughts, my ideas…I want to make her laugh, make her smile, ugh, when she smiles my heart soars… Frustrated, he got up from bed. These thoughts bring me nowhere, I need to act, but how?

 He left his room to get tea from the kitchens and saw a candle lit from within Mulan’s room and after an internal battle with himself, he gathered the courage to knock on her door.

“Honghui, is something wrong?”

“Not really, just couldn’t sleep.” He responded sheepishly.

“Come inside, I have some chamomile tea that might help.”

He looked at her gratefully and followed her inside, settling down in one of the chairs as she prepared the tea.

“Why are you still awake?” He asked.

“…I couldn’t sleep either, so I decided to write a letter to my parents.” She was glad he could only see her back as she bit her lip, she didn’t want to admit that she couldn’t sleep because she was thinking about him.

“Hmmm, what about?”

“About how a hopeless young Colonel needs me to accompany him to meet his wife.” She meant it to sound like a joke but she could hear some bitterness seep through.

If Honghui heard, he ignored it and playfully smacked her arm “hey, be nice.”

She chuckled then turned somber “nervous about tomorrow?”

“…yeah.”

She took a deep breath “you’ll be fine. I’ll scope her out during the carriage ride, make sure she’s really worthy of you.” She said light heartedly.

“…thanks. I mean, I’m more worried I won’t be worthy of her, she’s the general’s daughter after all.”

“You’re a great man, Honghui. You deserve the world, there’s not a woman alive you’re not worthy of.”

He looked at her seriously and opened his mouth to say something. Even you? Am I worthy enough for you? Would you consider me for a husband? But he quickly shut his mouth, figuring it wasn’t the right time for it. Instead he decided to change the conversation, looking up for any inspiration.

“Your bookcase is almost full now. I remember when you first came and I showed you to this room. At the time, that bookcase was empty.”

Mulan smiled “yeah, the emperor was so kind as to allow me free reign in his private library. That, and I have been buying books whenever I make it into the market.”

“Privileges of being the emperor’s favorite.” He mused with mock jealousy, though really he was happy for his friend, she had faced so much adversity in her life, he was glad she was receiving special treatment for all her hard work.
She shoved him playfully “I’ll miss that snide humor.”

“What do you mean miss? If I get married it’s not like I’ll leave the Imperial Guard.”

“Yeah but you’ll move out into one of the officers’ villas. No more midnight rendezvous.”

“…yeah. I guess you’re right…so let’s make it count.”

He swiftly got up from his seat, not providing an explanation to Mulan, and went to his room. He came back a moment later with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

“How about some baijiu?”

Mulan grinned “I’ll grab some glasses.”

They spent the rest of the night, drinking and talking, joking and laughing, doing anything they could to forget the journey they were going to embark on starting tomorrow. But just for the night, they were best friends, partners in crime with no worries for the future.

***

They gathered in the morning and got ready according to the plan. They would take two envoys, the first would have Mulan and Qingyuan in the carriage, with Khan driving, and Mushu and Honghui on horseback flanking them. Next would be the general’s wife riding in a carriage with another maid, Cricket driving, and Ling, Chien Po and Yao on horseback. They picked up Qingyuan first in the carriage, and then Mushu and Honghui came to escort them, an hour before the second envoy was set to leave.

The voyage would take about the whole day, which is why they had to leave so early in the morning, so for the first couple hours of the trip the two women in the carriage were relatively quiet as Mulan recovered from a hangover. Qingyuan seemed to be resting as well, her eyes closed, so once Mulan’s headache subsided she pulled out a book to keep herself occupied. Another hour passed before a word was uttered.

“What book are you reading?”

Mulan looked up “Oh, it’s a book on battle strategy. Would you like a book to read? I brought a few, I have one on chi theory, as well as creative uses for weapons. Sorry, I realize they sound kind of boring.”

“I find it fascinating that you are so well read. I rarely get the chance for reading, though I’m grateful my father let me learn.”

Mulan studied her, seeing no trace of mockery “thank you. I used to be a fan of novels, however when I was new to the post, I switched to these types of books to help strengthen my intellect in more useful ways.”

Mulan cringed internally, she felt like her words sounded pompous or pretentious. As if she was trying to impress or intimidate this poor girl. Shame flooded through her, but Qingyuan continued as if nothing was wrong.

“Amazing, I truly admire that.”

There was an awkward pause, neither knowing what to say so Mulan filled the void “are you excited to meet with the matchmaker?”

Mulan thought she saw Qingyuan grimace, but if she did it was gone in a flash as she answered “I am excited to be given the chance to bring my family honor. I hear he is a great man, I am truly lucky to have a father so invested in my future as to find me a remarkable man.”

“He truly is, you won’t find a man finer than Colonel Chen.” Mulan said, her heart sinking further with every word.

“Yes…I have no doubt about that.”

Mulan rushed to change the subject “so, what do you like to do?”

Qingyuan smiled “I enjoy fishing! As well as needlepoint work.”

Mulan’s eyebrows raised in surprise “fishing? I enjoy fishing myself, but I didn’t think I’d find another woman who shares the same sentiments, and the general’s daughter no less.”

She blushed “I have a childhood friend who is a fisherman, I would sometimes join him when we were younger.”

Mulan smiled, I guess there’s more than meets the eye. They spent the rest of their voyage speaking casually, as if they were friends, and by the end of it, they really were. They chatted about books, fishing, their families, everything. Selfishly, Mulan went into this mission wanting to hate her, but after talking to her for hours, she knew she could never find fault with this woman. The more they spoke, the more Mulan was sure, Honghui will have a fine wife…one better suited for him than myself. She’s delicate, but with a sharp intellect, beautiful but down to earth…a woman any man would want to marry…

***

They arrived at the village and dropped off Qingyuan at her grandmother’s home while the rest of the entourage went to stay at a boarding house. The second envoy arrived an hour later, as planned, and after dropping off the general’s wife and her maid, they joined the others. Mulan and Khan would be staying in one room, while Ling and Cricket, Yao and Chien Po shared rooms as well, which left Mushu and Honghui. Even though it was just after sundown, they immediately took turns bathing in the baths at the basement of the boarding house, washing up after a long trip and heading to bed. Mulan was drifting off to sleep when she heard a soft knock on her door, opening it to find Honghui on the other side. She gestured him to keep quiet since Khan was fast asleep, but exited the room to join him. They walked to the end of the hallway, sitting side by side on a cushioned windowsill.

“Did I wake you?”

Mulan mock yawned “yes, I was in a deep rem cycle.”

He nudged her “sorry.”

“I’m kidding, you know I’m always hear to listen.”

He chuckled “yeah, well, it’s more that I couldn’t sleep because Mushu snores like a pig.”

She laughed “You can’t blame him, it was a long journey. How are you holding up?”

“You remember what it was like to ride all day on horseback.” He complained.

“Big baby.”

“Easy for you to say, you were cozy inside a carriage all day.”

She laughed “not my fault.”

He hesitated before asking “what’s she like?”

“…she’s very nice. Genuine. Once she opened up, I found that she can be bold. She’s curious, likes to read…so courageous and intelligent, check.” Mulan said, recalling their conversation on his ideal woman.

“I also heard you laughing quite a bit.”

“Well, you know I crack myself up with my own jokes…but she does have a sense of humor. Sounds like your perfect girl.”

Honghui remained silent.

“Well, I guess you can judge for yourself. You’re meeting her tomorrow after all, for dinner, after your meeting with the matchmaker.”

He nodded “yeah…I trust your judge of character, but I do need to see for myself if we’re truly compatible.”

“Only after you see if you’re an appropriate match.”

“…yeah…”

Mulan felt words at the tip of her tongue, don’t go tomorrow, maybe we’re an appropriate match, I want you for myself, but she stopped herself, knowing it wouldn’t do any good “…you should get some sleep. Need all the beauty rest you can get before seeing the matchmaker.”

“…yeah, you’re right. My meeting with her isn’t until later in the afternoon, since she needs to meet with Qingyuan first, would you want to explore the town with me a little? I think I saw a bookshop on the ride in.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good, then it’s a date.”

They both blushed at his words, but neither rushed to correct him. Reflecting later, they would probably say that their actions were inappropriate for their situation, but they didn’t care, just wanting to maintain their comfortable friendship for as long as possible.

Chapter Text

“…you’re fussing.”

“Am not.”

Khan tutted “have it your way. I was going to help with your hair but if you insist…”

Mulan sighed “Alright, maybe I am fussing. Can you please help me with my hair Khan?”

Khan smiled but set to work anyway.

“Nervous for your date?”

Mulan scoffed “…a date with a man who is engaged to be engaged.”

***

“Where are you going so early in the morning?” Mushu asked groggily.

“Mulan and I are heading into town.” Honghui answered as he fixed his hair.

“You look fine, pretty boy.” Mushu grumbled.

“What did you just call me?”

Mushu smirked “relax, relax, it’s a compliment. Enjoy your date.”

Rolling his eyes, Honghui left, wondering if he could swap roommates with Cricket.

***

“Is the town far?”

“No, about half a mile away, are you fine with walking?”

“Yeah!”

The two walked side by side, taking in the fresh morning air. They chatted as they normally did, about anything and everything, how their families were doing, the soldier’s progress, sparring techniques, the farms they passed by, making jokes about Mushu…no matter how long they spoke for, they could always find another topic to occupy themselves.

“Look, there’s a lake!”

“Hey, where are you going?”

Mulan gestured with a come here motion “I want to see if there are any fishermen!”

“Why would you care to see fishermen?” He asked.

“Something Qingyuan said yesterday…a childhood friend or something…oh there’s a boat with a fisherman on it! Oh actually there are a few, this is a very large lake…Hmmmm…”

After a few moments Honghui suggested they continue and Mulan agreed, the lake was about the halfway point to the town, so they continued their chat until they came to the market. They went to the bookshop he suggested and Mulan started browsing, glad to see a different selection in books than what was held in the palace library, although most of the books available were romance novels.

“I didn’t know you read novels like these.” He commented.

“I am a woman after all, it’s a form of entertainment.” Mulan said, a little embarrassed.

“Ah, yes, yes of course. Please, don’t let me stop you from indulging in your guilty pleasure.”

She nudged him playfully but continued to browse, a blush on her cheeks. After they finish their shopping, they decide to have lunch at a hand pulled noodle shop at the market. They ate on picnic benches and she couldn’t help but think this really does feel like a date…a server came out to attend to them.

“Is there anything I can get for the lovely couple?”

Honghui almost spit out his soup “um, we’re not a couple.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! You both just seem so well suited for each other, my mistake.”

Mulan cleared her throat “it’s fine, thank you. We were just getting ready to leave.”

They got up and started for the village, it wasn’t a lie, Honghui needed to get ready for his afternoon meeting with the matchmaker. Although lucky for him his preparation didn’t include getting his face painted or his ribcage tightened. They started down the path.

“Weird, right? What she said, I mean. About us being well suited for each other.”

Mulan shrugged, ignoring the pang in her heart “we are best friends after all, its no surprise since we get along well.”

“Yes, but…I think most people find it peculiar for a woman and a man to be as close as we are.” Honghui hoped she would understand what feelings he was trying to convey, that men and women usually aren’t this close unless one feels an attraction for the other.

She frowned “that’s because most people are small minded. Of course its possible for a woman and a man to be close friends, just as it is possible for a woman to become a colonel in the Imperial Guard.”

Honghui’s heart fell, but he didn’t seem to mind, not when her words were sincere and true “if anyone can change people’s minds, it’s you.”

She grinned “your damn right. But only with you by my side.”

He beamed back as they reached the lake, and once again Mulan stared out to it.

“What are you going to do while I get ready for the meeting?”

Mulan considered for a moment, she wanted to hang out with him more, but the later it got, the more her stomach got tied up in knots as she thought about his visit with the matchmaker. Wanting to escape, she came up with an excuse “…I’m going to hang out by the lake.”

“Oh, alright.” He answered disappointed, he was hoping she’d volunteer to help him get ready, or practice with him again, or even come with him to the matchmaker, but he didn’t push.

“See you later, and good luck!” Mulan exclaimed, but she was already halfway down the path to the lake’s dock.

***

When she got down to the dock, most of the fishermen were on boats, spread out throughout the lake, although there were a few on land as well. It was hard to see what they looked like, so she couldn’t tell who might be the same age as Qingyuan. She decided to just enjoy being by the lake so she found a flat rock and took a seat, staring out into the lake, counting 6 boats.

“Enjoying the view?” A voice startled Mulan.

She looked up and saw a man with a fisherman’s hat on, he was facing away from the sun and it made it harder for her to make out his features.

“Yes, I’m visiting a nearby village and thought I’d check out this lake.”

The man nodded and sat down near her, but not too close. At this angle, she could see his face more clearly, and he did seem younger, or at least around her age. He’s handsome, although not as handsome as Honghui… She quickly banished the thought from her mind.

“What made you want to swing by?” He asked.

“I have a, uh, friend who lives nearby. She said she liked to go fishing with a fisherman friend of hers, so I wanted to check out the fishermen who would dare let a woman fish.”

The man sounded defensive as he said “oh? You don’t think women can fish?”

Mulan chuckled “that’s not it at all, in fact, I myself know how to fish.”

He looked at her in shock, then appreciation “Then we’ll get along just fine. I’m Yu Bojing.”

She smiled “I’m Hua Mulan.”

“Where are you from Hua Mulan?”

“I’m from a small village south of here, but I’m living in the Imperial City.”

He looked shocked again “really? How did you manage to get there?”

She hesitated, wanting to be honest, but also humble. On top of that, she never knew what kind of backlash she would get when admitting to strangers about her status. But looking at Bojing and judging his character from their conversation, she had a feeling he’d be understanding.

“I’m a colonel in his majesty’s Imperial Guard.”

He was dumbfounded “No way! That is amazing, I had no idea they let women be in the Imperial Guard, and as an officer no less!”

“They don’t really, I mean, I’m the only one.”

“Wow, you must have some amazing achievements.”

Mulan blushed at the praise “you could say that…”

They ended up talking for over an hour and Mulan came to find that Bojing was a charming young man with a lot of charisma. He came from a family of fishermen and lived his whole life in their village, rarely venturing outside of it. In return, and after much questioning, Mulan revealed how she had saved the emperor from the leader of the Rouran, leaving Bojing completely stunned.

“And so you left your village to live in the Imperial City?! Amazing. I don’t think I would ever be able to leave this village.”

Mulan looked at him sympathetically “I felt the same way, but ultimately my family encouraged me to take on the opportunity.”

He nodded “And it’s great that you could do that!...Honestly I’m quite content where I am in life. I love being a fisherman, I love my village and I love my family.”

Mulan smiled and responded sincerely “I think that’s a very noble notion, having such devotion to your family. Are you married?”

He blushed and Mulan immediately realized her slip up, for a woman to ask a man if he were married was a forward way of showing interest.

“Sorry, I only ask because you speak so highly of your family! I had no intention-“

He laughed “It’s fine, I understand. Um, no, I have not been matched. I actually came close to it, well, sort of. I asked someone for her hand…She was my best friend growing up, so we were very close, but she refused.”

Mulan gasped “oh, I’m so sorry Yu Bojing!”

“It’s fine, it was a while ago. She said her father would never accept me as a son in law, since I’m just a fisherman, he wanted her to marry a military man like himself. I would have tried to change his mind, but at the time she and her family moved to the Forbbiden City as well. I guess it’s for the best, we were going to be separated anyway.”

They were silent for a few moments “I’m sure you will be matched with a wonderful woman. You’re a good man, you deserve as much.”

“Thank you Hua Mulan, we’ve only just met but I feel like we are kindred spirits.”

She beamed “likewise.”

***

Honghui dodged Yao’s pestering questions about how the meeting went, instead asking Cricket where Mulan was. He replied that he didn’t know, so Honghui went out looking for her, convincing himself he was a fool to be worried. He walked around the village and asked a few people if they had seen her, but when no one had he decided to see if she had returned to the town. On his way there, he passed by the lake, there’s no way she’d stay by this lake for this long…but as he looked he saw her, over by the dock…next to a man. He made his way down the path and as he approached them he could hear them laughing and see them smiling at each other. He felt his heart clench.

“Mulan.”

She looked up at hearing the familiar voice “Honghui! Done with your meeting already?”

“Yes, I came looking for you.”

She smiled and glanced at her companion “Oh, this is Yu Bojing, by the way. Yu Bojing, this is Chen Honghui.”

Honghui bowed slightly to him “pleasure to meet you.”

Bojing stood and bowed back “likewise.”

Honghui turned back to Mulan “we should get back, we need to get ready for dinner.”

“We?” She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

He turned pink “yes, I…I was hoping you’d join us for dinner. It’s my first meeting with her and…I’m awkward.” He finished lamely but Mulan laughed.

“Alright, alright, I’ll join.” She turned to Bojing “It was wonderful meeting you. We’ll be around for the next few days, I hope to see you again.”

“Yes, me too. It was refreshing having another woman to speak to, I haven’t had a chance to since my friend left.”

Mulan smiled “I’m not sure what our schedule is, but I’ll try to come back in the mornings, maybe you can teach me a thing or two about fishing.”

“Schedule?”

Mulan nudged Honghui playfully, but realized that he had been stoic for this entire conversation, what is he thinking? “This guy here is getting matched to a woman in a nearby village.”

Honghui corrected her “potentially matched, nothing is set in stone.”

Mulan realized Bojing had stiffened, but before she could ask if he was alright, he was waving her away “sounds important, you should be going. I look forward to seeing you in the morning, Hua Mulan.”

And then he turned away. Feeling awkward, Mulan said goodbye and led Honghui back to the path to the village.

***

Honghui had only just met Bojing, but he didn’t like him. Mulan rarely expressed herself so casually like that unless she were talking to him or Mushu. Is this someone else I have to worry about? How does Mulan really feel about this guy? He silently fumed on their walk to the village as Mulan tried to make conversation.

“So, who else is joining us for dinner?”

“It’ll be just us, and her family.” He answered curtly.

“No Yao, Chien Po or Ling? Not Cricket?”

“Yeah, because I’d really want them at an event like this.” He said sarcastically.

Mulan laughed “well, it’d make the whole thing a lot more amusing, at the very least.”

She looked at him curiously and then asked “is everything okay? You seem tense.”

He took a deep breath “yeah, everything is fine…just…who was that Yu Bojing guy?”

Mulan was taken aback, that was the last thing she thought he’d bring up “just some fisherman I met today. We got talking, he was a nice guy.”

“Just be careful, we don’t know what the locals here are like.”

She looked at him incredulously “well if they’re anything like the General’s family then I think I’ll be fine. Are you sure you’re okay?”

He sighed “yeah…yeah.”

“How did everything go with the matchmaker?”

He hesitated and ran a hand through his hair “it went well…she deemed us a good match.”

Mulan felt the disappointment rush through her as her heart clenched “oh…”

The rest of their walk back to the boarding house was quiet, a rare occurrence between the two best friends.

***

“I cannot believe you’re not letting us come with you!” Mushu complained.

“Come on Honghui, a first meeting always has good food!” Chien Po lamented.

Yao scoffed “It’s because I’m too good looking, isn’t it? You don’t want your betrothed leaving you for me. I get it.”

“Shut up Yao, who in their right mind would choose you over Honghui?” Ling said, before dodging a fist.

“Listen, it’s not that I don’t trust you all to behave…oh wait, that’s exactly it. Be good, don’t get into trouble. That’s an order.” Honghui said with a smirk, he loved messing with his old comrades.

***

When Mulan and Honghui entered the house they were taken into a parlor room by one of the maids. They didn’t wait long before the general’s wife, their son, his wife, and Qingyuan, entered the room as well. Honghui smiled politely at them, trying his best to hide his nerves. They exchanged greetings and pleasantries until an awkward silence descended upon the room. It didn’t last long, as a maid came to announce that dinner was ready, so they all filed into the dining room. Honghui sat across from Qingyuan, who had her family members on either side, with Mulan next to him. They started passing dishes around until everyone’s plates were full. Sensing Honghui’s discomfort, Mulan spoke, trying to diffuse the tension.

“How does it feel returning to your village, Qingyuan?”

Qingyuan looked just as relieved as Honghui “wonderful, thank you. Even after a year, it still feels like home. I hope you both have been enjoying your stay.”

Mulan elbowed Honghui to speak “oof, um, yes, it’s a very, uh, nice village. We took a trip into the town as well, um…they have a very nice hand pulled noodle shop.”

Qingyuan lit up “was it Mr. Yang’s noodle shop?!”

Honghui grinned “yes! That’s the one. It was delicious.”

“Father used to take us there whenever he came home on leave, it was his favorite place.”

He laughed “It’s funny, thinking of General Tung as a family man, but I guess it’s not that strange, he’s a great mentor and father figure to many soldiers.”

Qingyuan beamed, glad to hear praise for her father. They continued their banter, and Mulan had no idea why he was ever nervous in the first place. It seemed like their conversation flowed easy, and soon they were even joking with each other. Mulan was happy for Honghui, truly, especially when she knew how he normally was around women, but then why do I feel so uncomfortable? Why does my chest feel like it’s in pain?

“lan?”

“I’m sorry what was that?” Mulan realized she wasn’t paying attention and they were asking her a question.

“I was wondering if you found something to entertain yourself with today.” Qingyuan repeated.

“Oh, other than going into town with Honghui, I went down by the lake and met one of the fishermen there. He was very friendly, I ended up chatting with him for quite a bit.”

Qingyuan’s mother jumped in “oh, which fisherman? Perhaps we know him.”

“Yu Bojing, he seemed to be on the younger side, compared to the other fishermen at least.”

Qingyuan stiffened at hearing the name as her mother continued “Oh Bojing! He and Qingyuan were close friends growing up!”

Qingyuan forced herself to relax “did he say anything about me?” she questioned.

Mulan grimaced “sorry, I didn’t think to ask if he knew you. Was he the one you told me about in the carriage? Who taught you to fish?”

Qingyuan nodded but before she could say more her mother interrupted her, addressing Honghui “it’s just a hobby of course, it isn’t very proper for a woman to fish.”

Honghui smiled charmingly “I think it’s wonderful when a woman has many talents. The art of fishing is difficult to master, it requires a lot of patience and inner tranquility.”

Mulan had to hide her snort, it wasn’t very often that he showed this side of him, and it was always a gamble whether he was actually being serious or if he was joking around, pretending to be pompous. When she realized he was being serious the smirk slid off her face.

“Such wise words.” The mother praised and Honghui blushed, embarrassed.

Qingyuan beamed “yes, I think fishing is a very respectable profession. Men do not always need to be ambitious, sometimes a simple village life as a fisherman with a family can be very satisfying and full of contentment.”

Her words reminded Mulan of her conversation with Bojing earlier that day. Is Qingyuan the one Bojing was talking about? The one he proposed to but then rejected him? It would make sense, and their stories fit…I wonder if she still has any feelings for him…

“So, now that it has been decided you two are compatible, we should start the wedding preparations. I think 3 days is long enough, don’t you?”

Qingyuan gasped as Honghui choked on a piece of fish. Mulan felt herself go still, trying to process the mother’s words.

Honghui drank water to clear his throat “Don’t you think that’s too soon?! Normally the preparations would take months-“

“I had my husband gather your information ahead of time, the monks have already chosen auspicious days for you both, and the closest one happens to be in 3 days time.”

Qingyuan looked distressed “but mother, what about the customs? There are so many steps we need to prepare for-“

“We can reuse many of the ceremonial items from your brother’s wedding. Your grandparents are very old already, and they fear they may not make it in the next few weeks, you know it was always their wish to see you wed.” The mother spoke kindly, but all Mulan could think about was how insane she really must be.

“I understand that but is this really wise? This is a big decision to make.” Qingyuan pleaded.

“The decisions already been made, hasn’t it?”

Honghui nodded awkwardly, grimacing “Yes, but I didn’t realize you intended to have the wedding so immediately. I would have…done some things differently”

Mulan finally spoke up, her mind a jumble of thoughts “what about Honghui’s family?”

“My husband mentioned your family wouldn’t be able to come anyway, correct?”

Honghui looked unwell “Um, well that’s because they weren’t exactly notified-”

The mother nodded absently “you two will visit them afterwards, for the honeymoon. You can have your tea ceremony there.”

Qingyuan looked panicked “mother, don’t you think it’s too hasty? Father isn’t even here.”

“He’s on his way, we already planned for his arrival, he just had to take care of a few things before leaving the Forbbiden City.”

Honghui was dumbfounded, suddenly his tongue tied problem came back as he found he couldn’t utter a single word. He wanted to kick and scream, refuse her hand, tell them he wasn’t ready for marriage unless it was to the courageous woman who sat next to him. But he couldn’t even open his mouth. He looked at Qingyuan and when they made eye contact, he could see the same panic in her eyes, and he knew she didn’t want this wedding to happen just as much as he didn’t.

***

The walk back to the boarding house was stiff and awkward. Mulan had seen the newly engaged couple talking during dinner, they seemed to get along really well. At the time Mulan was confused as to what she was feeling, but now that she reflected on it, she realized she was jealous. It was an ugly feeling but she had no idea how to get rid of it. And the way they looked at each other when their wedding date was announced? Mulan didn’t know how to read it other than as longing. But the worst part was right now, this awkward, tension filled silence that filled the air around them as they walked home. It made Mulan feel sick, this wasn’t them.

Chapter Text

“So…how are you holding up?”

“What do you mean?”

“You can play the denial game with Mushu all you want, but don’t try to play it with me.”

Mulan was grateful for Khan, in a world filled with men, she was the one female companion she could count on. Even though she was technically Mulan’s maid, they had grown into close friends, and this trip only deepened their bond, since they were sharing a room. Every night Mulan would fill her in on the day’s events as Khan tried to help her sort through her feelings. It took a while, but Khan finally opened up and was more comfortable with being casual around Mulan, at Mulan’s steady insistence. She was grateful for her close relationship with Khan, but not right now.

“Khan, I don’t know what you’re-“

Khan rolled her eyes “just admit that you’re in love with Honghui.”

Mulan was silent for a few moments “whether I am or not, it doesn’t matter. He’s engaged.”

“To a woman he just met! If he knew how you felt I’m sure he’d leave her in a heartbeat.”

Mulan shook her head “it’s not that simple. She’s the general’s daughter.”

“And the general adores you as a daughter as well, you cannot deny that.”

She groaned in frustration “I’m not even confident that he feels the same way Khan, and I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship, or our working relationship just because I may or may not have feelings for him.”

“You’re so stubborn! Of course he’s in love with you, anyone with eyes can see it!”

Mulan sighed “Even…even if you were right, he’d figure it out soon enough. He deserves a wife who can bring him honor. No man would want a woman like me as a wife, I do not know how to be beautiful or poised. I have a muscles from years of use, I am tanned from training in the sun, I never know what to say or how to be mannerful…Qingyuan has all of that and more. She’s better suited for him.”

Khan chuckled softly “You’re not poised, you’re not mannerly or refined, but do you honestly think Honghui cares about any of that? You’re courageous, intelligent and you have a witty sense of humor, you and I both know he values that above anything else.”

“…I…I don’t know. I gotta go get some air.”

Mulan grabbed her cloak to keep out the brisk morning air as Khan called after her.

“Where are you going?”

“Down to the lake.”

***

“Morning lover boy.”

“Can it, Yao.” Honghui grumbled.

They were eating breakfast in the dining room of the boarding house, Honghui, Yao, Ling, Chien Po, Cricket and Mushu. Today was another free day as the General’s wife started getting wedding preparations in order.

“What? Not happy about getting married?” Yao taunted.

“Why wouldn’t he want to get married?” Cricket asked.

“Don’t listen to him Cricket, Yao’s just jealous because no one wants to marry him.” Mushu laughed, grabbing the roll Yao threw at him.

“I might be more excited about the notion if my family would be there. This is so rushed, I feel like I’m being strong-armed into it…which I kind of am.” Honghui replied honestly.

“Well, once you’re married, she becomes your family. Anyway, being married is wonderful. You gain so much insight into the world of women.” Ling sighed dreamily.

Honghui sighed “there’s nothing I need more than that right now. It feels like women will forever remain a mystery to me.”

Mushu threw an arm around his shoulders “don’t sweat it so much, not everyone can be as blessed with the ladies as myself.”

Honghui tossed his arm off “not everyone wants to be a player Mushu. Some of us prefer being faithful to one partner only.”

“Who said I’m unfaithful? Just ask Mulan who her most loyal subordinate it.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Honghui tsked “Right, so loyal, that’s why I see you constantly flirting with other women.”

“Excuse me? What other women?” Mushu said, anger rising.

“The maids, palace concubines, any women who’d give you the time.”

Mushu scoffed “you have no idea what you’re talking about, pretty boy.”

“Pretty Boy?!?!”

Yao stepped in “Come on guys, it’s too early for this kind of crap, relax.”

The two men settled down, agreeing to a truce for the moment.

“You both need a drink. Speaking of which, you’re free tonight, right Honghui?”

He grit his teeth “yeah, I suppose.”

Yao smirked, which set off a warning in Honghui’s mind “good, because we’re throwing you a bachelor party.”

He groaned “You guys really don’t have to do that, I’m not much in a partying mood.”

“Why? Because Mulan is off with that fisherman guy?” Ling asked.

“What?!” Honghui exclaimed.

“Yeah, I saw her heading out this morning, she said she was going down to the lake to hang out with some fisherman.”

Honghui sat back in his seat not knowing how to respond, finally he settled on “don’t know why you’d think I’d feel some type of way…”

“Because you have feelings for her.” Ling continued.

Everyone looked at Ling with a mix of astonishment and amusement. Ling looked around him, stating “what? It was obvious.”

“Uh, not really. Dude if you have feelings for Mulan why are you marrying someone else?” Cricket asked.

Honghui spluttered, not knowing what to say.

“It’s not that simple Cricket.” Mushu said, holding back a snicker.

Frustrated Honghui got up “you’re right, I need a drink. Bachelor’s party is on for tonight. I’m going out into the field to train, don’t bother me unless there’s an emergency, and even then, handle it yourself.”

After he left Yao chuckled “what’s his problem?”

***

“Isn’t that Colonel Hua down there?” Qingyuan’s mother asked.

They were on their way into town and passing by the lake. It was just Qingyuan, her mother and their maid, they planned on going to the seamstress to have a gown custom made for the wedding. Qingyuan looked up at her mother’s words and indeed she saw Mulan, and to her dismay she recognized the man next to her.

“Mother, can we go invite her to come with us?” Qingyuan asked.

Qingyuan had to admit, she liked Mulan a lot, she was a strong individual and Qingyuan admired her for all of her accomplishments. At first she was intimidated, but after speaking with her she realized they had a lot more in common than they first thought. However last night her feelings became a little more complicated, and now seeing her with Bojing…

“If you want dear.” Her mother replied.

Qingyuan hastened down to the lake, her heartbeat growing faster and faster as she approached the couple. She could hear them laughing and her heart clenched painfully.

“Colonel Hua Mulan.” She interrupted them, Mulan and Bojing stood, the latter flushing red.

“Qingyuan, hi.”

“Hi Bojing.”

“Hi” he muttered, as if in awe of the sight in front of him.

“H-how are you? It’s been a while.” She asked shyly.

“Y-yeah, I mean, I’ve been good.”

“And your mother?”

“Still suffers from headaches everyone once in a while, but she’s getting better.”

Qingyuan nodded “good, good…”

He hesitated “…I hear congratulations are in order. So…congratulations on your…engagement…”

“T-thank you. The ceremony will be in 3 days, I hope you’ll come…”

Bojing looked pain, as if each word she uttered sent a dagger through his heart “I-I’ll try…”

They looked into each other’s eyes and Mulan couldn’t help but feel like she was intruding on an intimate moment. There was so much emotion in their eyes, pain, regret, longing, despair…the emotions were so strong but Mulan couldn’t help but feel like they were familiar. It was how she felt whenever she thought about Honghui.

“Um, we should get going. It was good seeing you again, Bojing.” Qingyuan whispered.

“Y-yes. It was good seeing you too…good luck, with everything.”

All Mulan could do was bow to Bojing and give him the best consoling look she could manage.

***

They reached the seamstress’s shop and were immediately brought to the bridal fabrics to browse. Mulan tried to be helpful with offering suggestions of which fabrics to use, but she wasn’t very good at it, she wasn’t used to participating in such feminine activities.

“Colonel Hua Mulan, you should pick out something nice for yourself as well.” Her mother urged.

“Oh, I couldn’t. I’m merely here to be of service to you-“

“Nonsense! Please I insist. Think of it as a gift from my family for all the excellent work you do. And you can wear it to the wedding!”

Mulan found that she couldn’t reject the offer, so she began to peruse the fabrics for herself as well.

“Try this one, I think it will compliment your complexion very well.” Qingyuan offered her a sample of fabric with a smile.

“Thank you. You’re much better at this than I am.” Mulan admitted.

“Oh, I guess I have a knack for it. It’s useful for when I’m doing my needlepoint. Here, match it with this ribbon.”

“Wow, that’s beautiful.”

Qingyuan nodded and held it up to Mulan’s face “a beautiful ribbon for a beautiful woman.”

Mulan blushed “I don’t know about that, but thank you.”

“…Colonel-“

“Please, call me Mulan.”

Qingyuan smiled “Mulan, are you married?”

“…no, I am not.”

“Really? A woman such as yourself would have no problem getting matched.”

Mulan laughed “you’d be surprised.”

Qingyuan hesitated before asking “is there any man who catches your eye?”

“…I am not sure.” She answered guiltily.

“Hmmm…it is hard sometimes, when you first meet someone. Trying to gauge if there is chemistry…”

Mulan grimaced but forced her face into a polite expression, wanting to be a good friend “Honghui is a wonderful man, he is easy to get along with-“

Qingyuan interrupted her “I was not speaking of Honghui.”

Mulan looked up at her, taking a minute to understand what she meant.

“…Do you mean Yu Bojing?!”

Qingyuan’s cheeks turned pink “Yes, you’ve been spending a lot of time with him when you’ve only just met him, surely you feel a great deal of attraction towards him-“

“No! Not at all! My interest in him was only because of our conversation in the carriage. I can see why you were such close friends, he’s a good man.”

Qingyuan scoffed “don’t say it like you’re surprised, even fishermen can be honorable. Of course he’s a good man, one of the best I’ve ever met.”

That’s when Mulan realized Qingyuan might harbor feelings for him! Her mind started racing a mile a minute, if she still has feelings for Bojing, then what about her and Honghui?! Bojing never explicitly said that the girl he proposed to was her, but based on how their interaction earlier went, I’d bet my money on it. He clearly still harbors feelings for her, and if she still feels the same way, then they shouldn’t let what General Tung thinks get in the way of their love!...or maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, maybe I’m being selfish and I just want them to get together because I want Honghui to myself…no, I think everyone should be true to themselves, including Qingyuan and Bojing. If I’m going to help them, it’ll be for them and them only…but what if Honghui wants to marry Qingyuan? Then I’d be sabotaging his chance at happiness…ugh! Okay, first things first, let’s gather more information.

“Yes, absolutely. To be honest though, I didn’t really feel a spark with him, you know?” Mulan said gently.

Qingyuan seemed satisfied with her response “…well it can’t be helped, if you don’t feel it then you don’t feel it.”

“…have you felt it? A spark I mean, with a potential suitor?”

Qingyuan looked away, avoiding Mulan’s eyes “…I have felt a spark before…”

“Before, like, last night?”

She sighed “You were honest with me, so I tell you this in confidence. I like Honghui, I think we get along well, but no, I didn’t feel a spark. He is attractive, I’ll admit that, but when we speak…let’s just say I can see a clear difference between the way he interacts with me versus how he interacts with you.”

Mulan almost dropped the fabric she was holding “me?!”

“Yes, you two are clearly close, and the chemistry between you is palpable. Yesterday all I could find myself thinking was ‘why aren’t these two the ones getting matched?’”

Mulan spluttered “w-well, I-I mean it’s not for everyone, y-you know. A-and I mean we work together, s-so it would be inappropriate to, to, uh…”

Qingyuan’s mother came and politely interrupted the women “are you ladies ready to get your measurements taken? We need to give the seamstress as much time as possible to cut and sew the fabric.”

“Yes mother.” Qingyuan’s response was immediate.

“Yes ma’am, thank you again.”

“Of course dear.”

***

The rest of the day passed by in a blur with the seamstress measuring the women and Mulan being urged to pick up fabric for more than one dress. She and Qingyuan weren’t given another chance at being alone so Mulan was left to ponder what the other girl meant. She followed them along to other shops, fulfilling errands and assisting with wedding preparations, wondering how she got roped into this mess. By the time she returned to the boarding house, it was dinnertime and she found the rest of her comrades in the dining room. She couldn’t decipher the look on Honghui’s face, but it was definitely not happy, despite his upcoming nuptials.

“Mulan! We were wondering when you’d get here!!” Yao exclaimed, clearly already inebriated.

She smirked “maybe I should have stayed out longer then.”

He pouted as Chien Po chimed in “come and eat, we were planning on heading to the village tavern shortly, but we’ll wait for you to finish your dinner.”

“What’s at the village tavern?” She asked as she filled her plate.

“Honghui’s bachelor party.” Cricket grinned.

“I thought bachelor parties were just for men?” Ling asked.

“Yeah, and Mulan is practically a man herself.” Yao was met with a chorus of laughter.

“Hey, Mulan is better than any man you’ll ever meet!” Mushu’s statement was met with cheers.

Mulan and Honghui didn’t join in. Mulan looked at his face and for once, it seemed like he didn’t want her to come. She started to eat a little quicker, feeling awkward as the guys discussed their plans around her, prompting her again to come with them.

“I don’t know guys…” Mulan said awkwardly.

“What do you mean? You have to come!” Ling insisted.
“Well…it’s up to the groom.” She replied.

Everyone looked at Honghui and he froze for a moment before locking eyes with Mulan. She felt her heart stop, her breath catch, loving how his gaze made her feel warm. It didn’t matter whether he was upset with her, she loved being in his presence regardless and while she didn’t want to celebrate his wedding with a bachelor party, she also didn’t want to leave his side just yet. To her relief, his face broke out into one of his signature grins, the charming, mischievous kind that left Mulan feeling exhilarated.

“Well, I can’t exactly party without my best friend, can I?” he said and Mulan felt her heart start up again.

She stuffed the last bite of her pork bun into her mouth, swallowing quickly and saying “then what are we waiting for gentlemen?”

***

They were at the tavern for hours, much later than they intended, but the rounds of alcohol seemed never ending, and none of them were slowing down.

“So, Honghui, how do you feel about getting married?”

“Pretty awful.” He said bitterly and was met with a chorus of ‘why’s. “I’m getting married and my family won’t even be there.”

The men nodded in agreement, then changed the subject “you haven’t told us much about your woman!” Yao slurred.

“What’s there to tell?” Honghui took another large swig of his drink.

“What’s she like?” Cricket giggled.

“Is she pretty?” Ling asked, his drink sloshing around in his hand.

“Can she cook well?”

“Uh…she’s, erm, nice? And yeah, she’s pretty…I don’t know if she can cook, but probably?”

Mushu threw an unsteady arm around him “Come on Honghui, give us the real details! Were you struck by cupid’s arrow? Did you feel any chemistry?”

Honghui was silent for a moment, looking into his drink. When he looked up his eyes met Mulan’s briefly but he looked away quickly. Mulan didn’t know what she was doing there, she didn’t want to be a part of this conversation, but she also wasn’t confident she’d make it back to the boarding house in one piece, she wasn’t the best at holding her liquor and she had drank a lot, especially after Yao challenged her. All she knew was that the more she listened to their ‘guy talk’ the more pained she felt.

“…how…how does one really know, you know? I mean, we only met yesterday…” Honghui gestured vaguely.

None of the guys knew how to answer, so Mulan did, speaking from her heart.

“Do you find her interesting? Interesting enough to want to spend all of your days with her, just to hear her talk?”

Cricket chimed in “do you find yourself subconsciously smiling when you’re around her? Does it feel comfortable, natural, but exhilarating at the same time?”

“What do you know about love?” Yao asked Cricket gruffly and they diverged into an argument with Chien Po defending Cricket.

“You never answered the question.” Ling asked, bringing the attention back to Honghui.

“You didn’t give me a good enough explanation.” He countered.

Mushu grinned mischievously, mumbling low so that only Honghui could hear “that’s what you think, you’re just confused because what we described is how you feel about Mulan.”

“Shut up.” Honghui responded menacingly but Mushu brushed it off.

“Deny all you want, I know how you really feel.”

Their quarrel went unnoticed as Cricket in his drunken state grew bored and turned to Mulan.

“Why haven’t you gotten married, Colonel?”

The men all looked at Mulan, including Honghui and Mushu who came to an unspoken agreement. Mushu respected Honghui enough to keep his feelings for Mulan a secret, it didn’t stop him from taunting Honghui endlessly though.

She blushed “oh, come on Cricket, I’m not the marrying type.”

“Yeah, who’d want a woman who could beat you up.” Yao snickered until Mulan punched him in the arm, to which he rubbed the spot and complained “see? My point proven.”

“I think any man would be lucky to have Mulan for a wife.” Cricket hiccupped.

“Thank you Cricket, too bad that’ll never happen.” Mulan said forlornly into her drink.

“And why not?!” Ling slurred.

“I’ve tried to get matched once, never again. It was not an experience I’d like to repeat. I’m just not the marrying kind.”

“How could anyone think you’re not the marrying kind?” Chien Po asked. In their culture, an unmarried woman was looked down upon, it was hard for them to understand how someone as accomplished as Mulan could be left in that category.

She sighed, lamenting “It’s not them, it’s me. I mean, think about it. Men want girls with good taste, who are calm and obedient.”

“Quiet and demure!” Ling hiccupped “like my Li Li!”

“Graceful!”

“Polite and delicate.”

“Punctual!” That gathered a chorus of laughter from the group.

“Exactly! Have you ever heard a description so unlike me? I’m not soft and pale like some lotus blossom, I’m rough and tan from training, coarse and unrefined. I’m not a perfect porcelain doll.”

The guys shot her sympathetic glances but Mushu grinned up at her “and you don’t need to be. Mulan, you’re perfect the way you are.”

She smiled at him softly “Thanks Mushu, you’re a great friend.”

Honghui felt his heart clench and his blood boil all at the same time. He knew he should be the one consoling Mulan, convincing her she was perfect as she was, because she was. He wanted to claim her, insist to every man in China that he wanted her because she wasn’t a perfect porcelain doll, he wanted to tell them that their standards were bullshit. There was no other woman he would ever want more by his side, to be his wife and life partner. But she would never be his, especially not now that he’s sealed his own fate. So all he can do is watch as his playboy comrade talked her up and stole her affections right in front of him.

***

It was well past midnight by the time they left the tavern and started stumbling their way to the boarding house. Chien Po ended up having to support both Yao and Ling, who had drank too much, and Mushu was supporting Cricket who was the worst lightweight, which left Honghui to help Mulan. Although helping drunk people get home can be tiresome, Honghui found himself enjoying the task, as his normally confident and assertive friend was completely and ridiculously delirious.

“Shouldn’t you be the one carrying me home? Considering it’s my bachelor party and all.” He joked.

“Nuh-uh, this isn’t your bachelor party, Hongy-hui.”

“Hongy-hui? Is that my new nickname?” He smirked.

Mulan giggled uncontrollably “sorry, did you prefer pretty boy?”

“Ha, don’t think I ever deserved that title.”

Mulan suddenly lurched and he was afraid she was attempting to throw up, but then she looked up at him pouting and he couldn’t hold in his laugh. She’s so adorable. Her pout melted at his laugh and she started giggling too.

“Maybe you’re right, you don’t deserve the title. You deserve sexy boy-no, sexy man!”

Honghui almost tripped over his own feet “What?!”

“Mmmmhmmm. I mean, your face’s still pretty, with your charming smile, don’t think I don’t know you do it on purpose, that smile is leeeeeethal.” She drawled.

Honghui couldn’t wrap his head around what she was saying “what?!”

“Mmhmm, the way you make me feel is sinful when you look at me with that smile…but, what’s sexy is the rest of you.”

He blushed “Mulan I don’t think-“

“Perfectly muscular yet toned body, broad shoulders…so much lithe strength. I’m sure you would know exactly how to please a woman.” She looked at him seductively.

“I-I, h-how would I know how t-to do that? I’ve never been with a woman. You’re not making any sense Mulan, we need to get you to bed-“

“Hmmm will you join me?” She said, her eyes half lidded.

He swallowed “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She pouted “is it because of your bride.”

“Well, I mean that’s partially-“

“You should be marrying me.” Mulan said resolutely “I know you better, I can make you happier, I can make you laugh and share your wit, don’t marry her, marry meee instead, and then you can take me to bed. Ha! That rhymed.”

He groaned “you’re torturing me, Mulan.”

“Not as much as you torture me with how much I want you.”

He sighed, they had reached the boarding house and he carried her up the stairs so she wouldn’t stumble and fall “…you’re not in your right mind, Mulan. Tomorrow, when you can think clearly, we can talk about this.”

He waited for her response but when he heard none, he looked at her in his arms and found that she was fast asleep. What am I to do with you? He thought as he gazed at her face, illuminated only by moonlight. It cast an eerie glow on her face, paling it until it glowed white, and he couldn’t help but think that it looked like a porcelain doll’s face, and while many people would have praised her beauty in that moment, he knew he preferred her face when she was awake and animated. He carried her into her shared room with Khan and gently laid her on the bed, bringing the covers up to her chin. With a last longing look at her, he bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead before leaving.

Chapter Text

The next morning everyone slept in, nursing their own hangovers. Honghui was in better shape than most of them, ironic considering he was the one who was supposed to get sloshed. Still, knowing his friends were all down for the count, he wasn’t in a rush to get up from bed himself, so he ended up lying awake thinking over the conversations of the previous night, specifically that conversation. Does Mulan really think all of that about me, or was she just rambling like a drunk lunatic? Maybe she does want me just as much as I want her…god she thinks I’m sexy! She had to have been out of her mind. How am I even going to approach her about this?

Figuring that lying in bed wouldn’t solve anything, he finally got up around lunchtime, the same time Mushu got up from bed. One the one hand, he needed a second opinion, on the other hand, there was no way he was going to ask Mushu for help, especially not when it came to this. He left the room, intending to head downstairs for lunch but upon seeing Mulan’s closed door he knew he had to face her sooner or later, so he knocked…and knocked again…but there was no answer. Wondering where she was, he went down the stairs to the dining room but he saw Khan outside and decided to make a detour.

“Good morning Khan.”

“Good morning Colonel Chen.” She answered with a bow.

“Do you know where Mulan is?”

She looked at him perplexed “she wasn’t in the room?”

“No one answered when I knocked.”

“Hmmm, maybe she went down by the lake again. I know that she had told Bojing she’d visit him in the mornings while she was here.”

Honghui gave Khan a curt “thanks” abruptly turning and heading straight for the tavern.

Can’t believe she’d say all of those things to me last night, confusing me and making me hope, just to go off to another man in the morning…

***

By the time Mulan emerged from her room, it was well past lunchtime. She had taken the longest to get up, sleeping through her hangover. She wasn’t usually a heavy sleeper, but alcohol tends to do that to her. She was able to scrounge up some food from the kitchens and sat alone in the dining room, wondering where everyone else had scampered off to. She didn’t have to wait long as Mushu entered the room, sitting down next to her.

“Hey Mushu, where is everyone?”

“Some local challenged Yao to a wrestling competition, the other guys went to cheer him on.”

“What?! Honghui condoned that?!” She winced at her own tone of voice.

“Ha, no. He didn’t go with them, we actually don’t really know where he went. Probably taking care of wedding things with Qingyuan.”

“Oh.” Mulan shuddered, hated hearing the disappointment in her voice.

“Yeah, well it sounds like you didn’t do a good enough job of convincing him otherwise.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about last night when you told him not to marry her.”

“I SAID WHAT NOW?!”

Mushu had to hold in his laugh, knowing Mulan would not appreciate it right now “You seriously don’t remember? Makes sense, he was practically carrying you home.”

She put her head in her hands “god, why? What did I say exactly?”

“I don’t know, my arms were full with Cricket and his belligerent moaning, I couldn’t hear your conversation all that well. And Honghui wouldn’t tell me either.” He scowled, he was a gossip lover at heart.

“Ugh, should I ask him? Do I even want to know?” She groaned and Mushu wrapped an arm around her to console her.

“Probably not, to be honest.”

Of course that was the moment Honghui walked in. He took one look at their positioning, how close they were sitting, how Mushu’s arm rested around her shoulders…

“Classic Mushu, never able to keep his hands to himself.” He said bitterly.

Mulan looked up, first feeling shameful at having to face Honghui, but then annoyed at his tone of voice. Why does he always have to be so nasty to Mushu? He walked closer and she could smell the alcohol off him, it made her head spin and not in the romantic way.

“Did you go back to the tavern?” She asked incredulously.

He shrugged “decided I wanted a drink with my lunch. It’s not like it was too early, definitely not too early for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He scoffed “different people like to recover from their hangovers in different ways. Some chase it away with another drink, others chase it away in the arms of a lover.”

Mulan suddenly felt suffocated and shoved off Mushu’s arm, needing her freedom. Or was she just ashamed that he found them in that position? It was innocent, they’re just friends, but Honghui didn’t seem to think so.

“Relax, you know Mushu and I are just friends.” She said, exasperated.

“Does he know that?”

Mushu laughed harshly and without humor “really man? I know I like to play jokes on you a lot, but I never actually thought you’d take me seriously.”

Honghui scoffed “whatever, you’re not who I’m talking about anyway.”

“Then why don’t you just say what you mean, Honghui. My head hurts enough as it is without having to follow along with your mental gymnastics.” Mulan grit out.

“I’m talking about your little rendezvous with Bojing.”

She gave him a look “Okay now I know you’ve lost your mind, what the hell are you talking about?”

“I know you met with him this morning!”

“I haven’t left this damn boarding house all day!” She screamed.

Honghui shrunk back, physically feeling the force of her words. His anger dissipated in a second as he realized he just crossed into dangerous territory. He didn’t need to hear more to know he was in the wrong, but trying to save face he asked anyway.

“What? I knocked on your door-“

“I was asleep!”

He had the decency to look sheepish “yeah, well-“

“Well what? Just because I didn’t answer my door you thought that gave you the liberty to come and accuse me of being a loose woman, first with my subordinate and then with a man I literally just met? I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this isn’t the Honghui I know.”

She got up despite his attempts to try to explain himself as she pushed past him to leave the boarding house. Honghui and Mushu stood in stunned silence.

“That went well.” Mushu commented sarcastically.

“Fuck.”

***

Mulan was fuming, she wasn’t even sure where she was walking to, all she knew was that she had to get as far away from him as she could. Ridiculous! Yes, Mushu is a flirt, but we all knew that. As if I couldn’t handle myself around him, I can handle myself just fine around any man! Besides, we all know Mushu’s just joking, he doesn’t actually have any feelings towards me, he’d sooner fall in love with Khan! And then he had the audacity to accuse me and Bojing of being lovers! Such a ludicrous notion, I only just met the man! Not to mention he’s in love with Qingyuan. Ugh!!!

Subconsciously Mulan found her feet leading her to the lake, but she found that she didn’t mind. If anything, she wanted to see Bojing if just to rub it in Honghui’s face. Not that it’s any of his business. She was about to walk down the path but a movement in the bushes notified her of someone else’s presence. Looking closely Mulan realized she recognized the figure crouching in the reeds, and so creeping slow Mulan grabbed a long, thick stick from the ground and jabbed the bush hard.

“Ouch!!” Qingyuan exclaimed, then quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Mulan laughed quietly, not wanting to blow up her spot “I thought it was you, what are you doing here?”

“N-nothing, just…enjoying the lake?”

Mulan smirked “kind of hard to do from all the way over here…you’re spying on Bojing, aren’t you?”

Qingyuan squeaked “h-how did you…”

“Woman’s intuition. Why don’t you just go talk to him?”

Her eyes were drowning in misery “…I can’t. I’m getting married in a couple days…its better if I don’t…it’ll just make things harder…”

Mulan could see how uncertain Qingyuan looked, the pain in her eyes.

“You love him.” Mulan muttered.

Qingyuan looked up in panic, but seeing Mulan’s expression, she knew she would never believe her if she denied it “…yes, I do.”

“Then why aren’t you with him?”

“My father would never accept a fisherman for a son in law. You know him, he values military men above all else, he would never give Bojing the time of day as a suitor.”

“Did you at least try?” Mulan asked.

“No, it was too late, father had been promoted to general and we were moving to the Imperial City…He always liked Bojing, but only ever as my close friend.”

“But will you really be happy marrying someone else? Will you be happy with…with Honghui?”

Qingyuan grimaced “…no, no I won’t. Especially when I know that I’d be taking him from you.”

Mulan faltered “What? He’s not-“

“Oh no you don’t, I admitted my feelings for Bojing to you, you owe it to me to be honest too.”

Mulan pouted, closed her eyes and took a deep breath “Maybe I do have some…feelings for him.”

Qingyuan quirked an eyebrow at her, not satisfied with her response.

“Alright fine, I’m in love with him.”

Qingyuan smiled “listen, it may be a lost cause for me, but it isn’t for you! You love Honghui and trust me when I say, he loves you too. If you tell my father, he will have no choice but to let you two be together, he favors you both far more than me, he’ll respect your wishes.”

Mulan looked hopeful “and then you’ll be with Bojing?”

She shook her head “no, my father will likely just find me another military man…but at least you get your happy ending.”

“Qingyuan, no. You deserve to be with someone you love. If you got married to another man, it wouldn’t be fair to him, or to you, if your heart belongs to another. You must be true to your heart.”

Tears filled Qingyuan’s eyes “it’s not that simple, Hua Mulan. I am not as brave as you, I cannot stand up to my father as you have.”

Mulan put her arms around her, trying to console her, wiping away her tears with the clean edge of her sleeve. Meanwhile, she tried to bite back her own emotions, oh Qingyuan, I’m not brave at all.

“I believe you have it in you to try.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

Qingyuan sniffled “then you need to try as well. Tell my father about your feelings for Honghui.”

Mulan shook her head, remembering the huge fight they just had “…I think you are mistaken, my feelings for him are not reciprocated, he is too disgusted by me to ever harbor anything other than feelings of friendship, if he even has that.”

“No, that’s not true, surely he-“

“I will not go to your father, I do not want to break your union for selfish reasons. If the engagement is broken, it should be by you on the basis of your true feelings for Bojing.”

Qingyuan’s tears began flowing again, but this time she was not alone as Mulan felt her own eyes gather wetness. The two women sat there on the grass, consoling each other for their broken hearts for hours, up until the time the fishermen started packing up their catches for the day. Continuing to avoid Bojing, the two slipped out of the area, holding on to each other all the way back to the village.

***

The rest of the day passed somewhat uneventfully, Qingyuan invited Mulan to have dinner with her family, including General Tung who had arrived that day. Mulan was anxious that the dinner may be awkward, but General Tung always treated her as another daughter so she hadn’t needed to worry. That is, until he brought up Honghui.

“So, Qingyuan, how do you feel about your fiancé?”

Mulan cringed and Qingyuan flinched, tensing as if bracing herself, but then looking resigned “…he is a fine man, father.”

“Excellent, I knew you two would get along. And what about you, Colonel Hua?”

Mulan almost spat out her drink, is he asking me how I feel about Honghui? “I’m sorry?”

“When are you going to get matched?”

“Oh, well, um, it’s complicated-“

He guffawed “Nonsense! You’re a fine young woman, anyone would be lucky to be matched to you. There was a time I had wanted Qingyuan to be matched to you! Of course, that was before I knew you were a woman. No matter, I still hold you in high esteem, just name the man and I shall do everything in my power to make it happen.”

Qingyuan almost choked on her food, shooting Mulan a look that said ‘I told you so’ but Mulan ignored her “thank you for your generosity, General, but I am content devoting my life to serving his majesty, I would have nothing left to give, to serve my husband.”

General Tung looked pensive “Hmmm, well, there is a solution, find yourself a man of similar rank in the Imperial Guard! Your shared devotion for his Majesty should be enough to fulfill your duties as a wife. In fact, there was a time I thought you and Colonel Chen would get along well, but when I mentioned it before you said it wasn’t your time, and now he’s spoken for.”

Mulan paled and Qingyuan grimaced, this dinner was not going well.

“I appreciate your support and encouragement General, but I’m afraid I am just not cut out to be anyone’s wife.”

He nodded kindly “Hmmm, if that is how you feel, I’ll respect your wishes. You have brought great honor to your family on your own merit, it shouldn’t matter whether you get married or not.”

From there they moved on to a lighter conversation topic as they ate, but Mulan found it harder and harder to swallow. She glanced at Qingyuan and saw she had lost her appetite as well.

***

Once dinner was finished, Qingyuan took Mulan into her room, revealing beautiful dresses made from the fabrics they had picked out with the tailor.

“They are gorgeous! But I don’t remember ordering this many dresses!” Mulan exclaimed.

“It was my mother, she noticed how all you wore were soldiers’ uniforms, she wanted to make sure you had pretty women’s clothes as well.”

Mulan giggled “well she’s not wrong. These dresses are prettier than anything I’ve ever owned, I don’t think I can accept a gift this generous-“

“Please, take them. They are already tailored to fit you perfectly, they would just go to waste if you refuse them. Take them as an apology for the havoc my father and I had wreaked upon you by arranging this union.”

“Qingyuan, I could never blame you for any of this.”

She nodded “I…I’ve thought about what you said, and I wanted to stand up to my father. I wanted to refuse the engagement, tell him who I really want to marry, but at today’s dinner…I just couldn’t.”

“It is a lot for anyone to attempt to stand up to their parents, who we are expected to honor always. I asked a lot of you, and I myself could have done more. If I admitted my feelings for Honghui, I’m sure the general would have…I don’t know. We’ll share the blame, after all it’s our own stubbornness that will ultimately be our downfall.”

Qingyuan sniffled “is it fair that the stubbornness of 2 women would lead to so much unhappiness?”

“No, but there’s only one thing we can do.”

Resigned to their fate, the two women instead turned their attention to the beautiful robes in front of them.

“You should wear this one tomorrow.” Qingyuan announced.

“Tomorrow?”

“We’re having a celebration in the afternoon, it’s a custom in our village. Everyone is invited, of course, I’m surprised Honghui didn’t mention it before, but then again everything is happening so fast…”

Mulan grimaced, remembering she never told her about the fight she had with him earlier “No, no, it’s fine, of course I’ll come. And I’ll come wearing this.”

“Thank you, it means a lot to me that you’ll be there.”

Even though she only just met this girl, Mulan couldn’t help but feel a kinship with her, like they were destined to be friends. And so even though she was getting married to the man Mulan loved, she couldn’t find it in her to resent her. Mulan swore to support her, because she of all people knew how hard it was to be something you’re not, and how it can be even harder to be true to yourself. Even though it pained her, she would stand by her friend, no matter the outcome.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Qingyuan smiled at her “it’s dark outside, you shouldn’t go out when its so late. Why don’t you stay the night here? You can sleep with me in my room.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! Let me go grab some blankets, you can change into one of my pajamas over there.”

***

Honghui wanted to go after Mulan as soon as she left the dining room, but Mushu held him back, insisting she needed time. He tried to keep his mind off of everything by training in the field, but by the late afternoon his mind was racing with worst case scenarios and he couldn’t take it. He tore himself up trying to find her, intending to beg for her forgiveness even when he knew he didn’t deserve it. I can’t believe I blew up at her like that. I guess…after last night, I had so much hope that she might actually return my feelings, but then this morning when I thought she went to see him…I’m so stupid. How can I get mad at her? She doesn’t owe me anything, I shouldn’t expect her to wait for me when I’m the one who’s engaged. I need to find her. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find her, unaware that she was at General Tung’s house. Desperate, he sat resolutely outside her door at the boarding house, determined to speak with her before the day’s end.

Chapter Text

“That can’t be comfortable.” Mulan smirked.

She wanted to stay mad at him, but seeing him asleep sitting outside her door, clearly waiting all night just to speak with her, her anger melted. How could she stay mad when he looked adorably uncomfortable. He startled awake at hearing her words and looked up at her, a tired and vulnerable expression on his face. Unable to stop herself from messing with him further, she nudged him aside with her boot so that she could get to the door. Just because I’m not mad at him anymore doesn’t mean I can’t mess with him. Plus, I haven’t exactly forgiven him yet. She pushed past him into her room and tried to close the door while he scrambled up from his spot on the floor.

“Mulan, wait-“ He exclaimed as he shoved his arm in the doorway to keep it open.

“What?!” She snapped a little too harshly.

“I-“ he cleared his throat “I want to talk, to apologize…”

She looked him up and down and saw that he was still in his training clothes from the day prior. Honestly, he looked like a mess, and she decided to take pity on him as an idea emerged in her head.

“Give me one minute.”

She went into her room and put down her things, including ornate boxes which held her new dresses. She changed into her own training gear and grabbed a couple apples from a basket on her table. She left the room and saw him still standing in the hallway and she threw him an apple as she took a bite of hers. She wanted to make sure they both had something for breakfast if they were going to do what she had planned.

“Let’s go.”

***

“So you plan on taking your anger out like this?”

“You’re surprised?”

“…I guess not.

They were standing in a field, facing each other only a few feet apart. She lead him there without a word, silently plotting her revenge, and he followed her willingly like a lamb to the shearers. Even though her anger had waned this morning, she had felt the dregs of anger rise up in her again as she remembered all the things he had said to her.

“Don’t you dare go easy on me.” She said.

“How else am I supposed to get back to your good graces?”

She smirked “you’ll see.”

They bowed to each other, and commenced the match. Mulan stared at him, feeling the usual pang in her heart, feeling the attraction she had for him. She wanted to squash it. She attacked first, and because it was so unlike her, Honghui was caught off guard, almost missing his block. She was faster than usual, had more power behind her strikes, and he was struggling to keep up as he blocked while looking for an opening. Once he saw one, he aimed but before he could launch his attack Mulan yelled.

“What do you have against Bojing?”

He was taken aback at her question, now of all times “Wha-“

He took a punch to the gut, after which she backed off to give him a chance to catch his breath.

“Answer me.”

He spluttered but then gained his bearing, deciding he’d better answer or face the consequences “…I don’t trust him, you only just met him.”

“You trust me, don’t you? Trust me when I say he’s a good guy.”

“It’s not the same.”

Unsatisfied with his answer, she launched another attack and then they were sparing again. She started with a high kick which he dodged and countered with a kick of his own which she caught, sending an elbow into his thigh.

“Why do you care if I’m friends with him?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Bullshit, I can handle myself!”

Honestly it was bullshit and he knew it. The only one who’d get hurt from her relationship with Bojing was Honghui himself, but he kept that truth inside. Their dance continued, kick, block, punch, dodge, hook, punch, kick, dodge…

“What about Mushu? We’ve known him for a long time, but you don’t trust him either.”

Honghui was at a loss for words.

“Well?”

“I do trust him.” He grumbled.

“Funny way of showing it.”

He yelled in frustration “I was jealous, okay?! I was always jealous of Mushu, and now I got jealous of Bojing.”

After one last kick to his face, Mulan finally stopped her attacks, lowering her fists, facing him fully. He was left sitting on the ground.

“What could you possibly be jealous of them for?”

“…how close they are to you.”

Mulan looked at him incredulously “Honghui, you know you’re my best friend, I’m closer to you than I am to anyone else.”

He sighed “I know that, but…it’s different…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you, you can be close to whoever you wish. And I trust your judgement of people.”

She hesitated, considering him. He seemed sincere in his apology, embarrassment painting his cheeks pink “Apology accepted.”

She extended her hand out to him to help him up and once they were both back on their feet, they began walking back to the village, walking hand in hand. She slipped her hand out of his, her own heart falling at the action.

“You know, things are going to change once you get married.” She murmured.

He grabbed her hand again and wrapped it around his arm “not if I can help it.”

Mulan looked at him meaningfully, she knew it would be inevitable, but she relished in his assurance anyway.

“Come on, we need to go get ready for the celebration tonight and to be honest Honghui, you stink.”

Honghui scratched the back of his head “that bad, huh? I was planning on bathing last night after talking to you, but someone never came home.” He smirked.

“Yeah, well I didn’t plan on staying the night at Qingyuan’s, I wasn’t able to bathe either.”

“I call first bath.” He said sticking his tongue out at her.

“Fine, fine, but let’s hurry.”

***

They made it to the boarding house and realized it was later than they thought. They went their separate ways, and when Mulan reached the room she saw her dress all pressed and laid out on her bed for her. She thanked Khan before heading down to the baths in the boarding house. There were only 5 rooms in the boarding house so though each room had it’s own bathroom with sink and toilet, there was only one bathing facility near the laundry. It was more efficient for a building in a small village such as this one, and the bath was large enough to accommodate 4 people at a time, different genders usually took turns. She passed by the living room and saw everyone settled down there, except for Honghui who she assumed finished his bath and was getting dressed in his room already. She got to the little changing room by the baths, undressed and put her things on a bench, wrapping a towel loosely around herself. She turned the corner.

“AHH!”

“AHH!”

“You said I could go first-“

“You should have been done by now!“

“Cricket started talking to me so I got a late start-“

“Well finish up already!”

“I haven’t done my hair yet-“

“You’re a guy who cares-“

“I’m the guest of honor-“

“Alright, alright, just…here, wrap this around your waist.” She said, handing him a towel and then turning around.

“But it’ll get wet.”

“There are extras, it’ll be fine.”

“…alright, it’s in place.”

Mulan turned around and entered the bath with her towel still wrapped tightly around her. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, not knowing what to do. Eventually Honghui picked up a bar of soap and passed it to her which she took gratefully as she began to scrub herself. He picked up some shampoo and began to wash his hair, but he heard her giggling.

“Yes?” He asked, amusement in his tone.

“Men really don’t know how to wash themselves.” She smirked.

“You’re saying there’s a wrong way to wash hair?”

“Yes, you’re not getting the roots!”

“Well if you’re such a hair care professional then come over here and wash it for me.” He taunted.

“Fine.” She took the bait.

She moved through the water closer to him, stepping in between his legs to get close enough to run her hands through his hair. She grabbed the shampoo and began working it through his hair, only stopping when she heard him clear his throat.

*ahem* “Uh, Mulan?”

She looked down to see what was wrong, and realized the problem. With their stance as it was, she was incredibly close and his head was on eye level with her breasts.

“Turn around!” She yelled, and he abruptly turned, his leg knocking into hers, toppling her over so that she fell under the water, feeling the suds getting into her eyes and up her nose as the towel that was covering her body slipped away. She felt an arm wrap around her biceps and pull her body until it was above water again.

“Are you alright?” He asked as she spluttered, spitting soapy water out of her mouth.

“My eyes.” She complained weakly and Honghui moved to get a bucket filled with fresh water, offering it to her so she could wash out her eyes properly. Once she could see again, she looked at Honghui and saw him with his eyes closed, realizing he closed his eyes once her towel was dislodged. Her heart melted at his respectful chivalry. After she flushed out her eyes and the stinging when away, as well as rinsed out her mouth, she called out to him.

“Turn around, I’ll finish doing your hair.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

She went back to her task, her bare chest inches from his back as she finished lathering his hair. In this position, he was reminded of their conversation a couple nights prior, when he had walked her home drunk. She can see my full torso…I mean this isn’t the first time I’ve ever been shirtless in front of her but…does she really think I’m sexy? He settled into his seat, enjoying the sensation of her fingers carding through his hair, scratching his scalp. He couldn’t help but ponder on how intimate this was, how mischievous it felt, but also how pleasurable.

“Hmmmmmmmmmm” He let out a low moan, though it was involuntary.

“That good huh?” She asked, though there was a waver in her voice.

“Yeah, but if you feel uncomfortable you can stop.” Please don’t stop.

She cleared her throat a little “I’m not uncomfortable…is there a reason I should be?”

He squeaked “No, nope, not at all.”

There was silence, not awkward, but tense, as if the whole room was filled with their palpable sexual tension. Finally Mulan spoke as she started rinsing his hair with a bucket of clean water.

“Mushu said something to me the other day and I’ve been meaning to ask, did I say something…weird the night of your bachelor party?”

He stuttered “W-what? Uh, depends on what you mean by weird…do you not remember anything?”

“Yeah, I guess I drank too much…what did I say?”

“You know, it doesn’t really matter, you were drunk so I didn’t really…”

She sighed “It was embarrassing, wasn’t it?”

She took a step back, having finished rinsing his hair, and found her towel, wrapping it firmly around herself.

“…yeah, it kind of was.”

“I’m sorry Honghui, I don’t know what came over me-“

He exhaled “It’s fine. I said some...not so great stuff I’m kind of embarrassed about earlier today too so…we’re even.”

She nodded, and then realized his back was still turned to her.

“You can turn around now.”

“Thanks.”

He turned and settled back into the bath and she did the same, sitting across from him.

“Alright, now that that’s past us…I need to do my hair now…are you going to go?” Mulan asked.

In all honestly, Honghui didn’t want to go. Now that the air was cleared between them he just wanted to stay in her company. Talk with her more, make sure they really were back to being them. He also had to admit, he reeaally liked being in this bath with her, it was intimate, close to crossing the line, and boy did he want to cross it. It was like a sweet torture that he never wanted to end. He wanted to ask to stay, but their friendship was already on thin ice, would it change things between them?

When he hesitated she answered “…or, you could stay. Doesn’t matter to me.” She lied.

Truth was she wanted him to stay just as much as he did. Everything will change once he gets married, she wanted to make the most of what little time they still had together. Here in this steamy bath, it’s easy to imagine we were in a very different scenario, she thought. We have always been comfortable around each other, but this is a new type of intimacy…and I like it, I like it a lot…So, they spent the next half hour, soaking in the bath and chatting, poking fun here and there, as Mulan lathered her hair and body.

“So, I don’t know if I ever got a straight answer out of you…what do you think of Qingyuan?”

He sighed “I said it before. She’s nice, and pretty…”

Mulan shot him a look “really? That’s all you got?”

“Honestly? Yeah. She’s a nice girl but I don’t feel any real chemistry with her.”

If he isn’t in to her, then I won’t feel guilty if Qingyuan breaks things off to be with Bojing! Mulan felt hope swell in her heart, but she tried to play it cool “I thought you guys hit it off. How do you know that wasn’t chemistry?”

“I mean, I get along with her, sure, but just as a friend. I just know there’s a difference.”

“You do? How?” Is there another girl I don’t know about? Or could he possibly be referring…to me?

“Well, I…um…I just…there’s no warm feeling, you know? And it’s nice talking to her, but its not like I’m eager to spend all my time with her, not the way I do when…” when I’m with you.

Mulan nodded mutely, not sure where to go with this conversation. She wanted to pry more, does he love me back? Should I tell him? But what if he actually isn’t talking about me, what if he doesn’t reciprocate and I’ve been reading everything wrong? But what about Qingyuan and Bojing, they deserve to be together too, should I tell him that? But then if he finds out I love him he’ll think I sabotaged his wedding on purpose…and it’s not my place, Qingyuan should stand up for herself…

“Well…I think you should be honest with Qingyuan, before it’s too late. You should talk to her, tonight.”

He considered “…yeah. You’re right…Honestly, I’ve always wanted to marry for love, but right now that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is the fact that my family won’t be there. I can’t believe this is happening at all, not to mention without them.”

“I’m so sorry Honghui, I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

“It’s fine, I know you tried to reason with them, but Qingyuan’s mother is…very head strong.”

“Hmmm.”

He looked into her eyes “you know, even though this whole situation kinda sucks…I’m glad you’re here with me. Our relationship had a rocky start, but…we’ve grown so much over the years and…with you by my side, I know I can take on anything.”

She felt herself getting choked up “I’ve always felt the same way. You mean the world to me, Honghui.”

He smiled softly at her, then gently announced that he should get going. He rinsed off quickly while Mulan averted her eyes, and she left not long after, heading to her room so that she could get dressed with Khan’s help. Khan did her hair and makeup, saying that with a dress this fine, she should play up her beauty as well, and for once, Mulan didn’t try to put up a fight.

***

Everyone met in the lobby of the boarding house, intending to leave for the celebration together. The guys surprisingly cleaned up pretty nicely and Honghui was actually touched that they would take this so seriously. At least, that is until he found out they were only putting so much effort into it in the hopes that they might impress some ladies themselves. Mulan was the last to join the cohort, but when she reached the top of the stairs they could see why. Everyone went silent, gawking at their commanding officer who they always saw as one of the men, shine radiantly as a goddess. They were all speechless, but Mushu, being the first to react, met Mulan at the bottom of the stairs. He bowed low and offered his hand and when she took it he wrapped it around his arm. The men whined, realizing they had missed their opportunity of being Mulan’s escort for the night but Mulan just laughed.

“Have you all seen my soldiers? Because all I see are some fine gentlemen here.”

They all laughed and Mushu urged them on “alright, alright, let’s get this show on the road. Cricket, get the bags.”

They began walking to the venue and Honghui came up next to her.

“You look stunning, even the bride will be jealous.” He muttered to her.

“You haven’t even seen your bride yet.”

“I don’t have to, to know. You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

She let out a little inaudible gasp, not used to receiving such compliments from him. Sure, he’s complimented her on her skills, on her strategic ability or even her humor, but never before on her appearance, and while she normally would prefer compliments on the former anyway, she couldn’t help but enjoy the comments about the latter. Still, she felt a tinge bitterness, the only way I can get him to see me as a woman is to dress pretty. She turned her head to look at him, sure that she’d see his smirking face showing that he’s just joking, but instead she was greeted by a serious gaze. He was staring intently in front of him, right at the entrance to the celebration, no hint of jest or any form of excitement. In fact he looked like a lamb before the slaughter.

Chapter Text

They arrived at the rehearsal dinner and if they didn’t know any better, they would have thought it was the wedding ceremony itself. Lanterns were strung together, appearing to float above the partygoers’ heads, there were long tables filled with food, flower decorations everywhere and many families had gathered together. Honghui was immediately carted off to the head table where he met with Qingyuan and her family. Mulan watched them forlornly, seeing a matching miserable expression on Qingyuan’s face. Guess she couldn’t stand up to her father…and I couldn’t either. I should have told Honghui today…this is all my fault. Distressed, Mulan and the other men decided to mingle with the other guests, and she spotted Bojing.

“Hey, I didn’t realize you would be here tonight.” She said.

“Yeah well...she was my childhood friend. After everything…I owe it to her to support her.”

“…you know it’s not too late.” Mulan said, chastising herself over her own hypocrisy.

Bojing didn’t answer her, instead looking forlornly at the head table before excusing himself. Mulan started wandering around again until Mushu found her and struck up a conversation, though Mulan quickly found herself regretting it.

“So, I take it you did not sort things out with Honghui.” He sighed.

She looked at him confused “We did, we were able to talk it out and-“

“Nope, if you truly did none of us would be here because this sham of a wedding wouldn’t be taking place!” Mushu hush yelled at her.

“Mushu! Do not-“

“Do not what? You are throwing away your chance at happiness-“

“I am already happy! I’m living my life as an officer in the Imperial Guard, what could make me happier?” She spat out. She knew it was a lie, she knew she was being a coward, but she had no idea what to do about it, she just felt so lost, and the one person who she would rely on to help her find herself, is the one person causing all of this.

“Really? This is you happy?! Looking pained every time you see him with her?! Frowning and pouting if I so much as mention them?! You saved all of China but you can’t even save yourself.”

“Get out of my face Mushu.” She answered threateningly.

“Only when you’re done being a hypocrite Mulan.”

“HYPOCRITE!? In what ways am I a hypocrite?” She asked, her voice raising in volume. She knew just a few minutes before she was calling herself a hypocrite, but somehow hearing it being validated struck her wrong.

“You spew out that propaganda about being true to yourself, but you’re not being true to your heart!”

“I’m being as true to myself as I can be! I made my choice to never get married, and now I’m living with those consequences, what more can you ask of me?!”

Mushu was in her face now “It’s not about what I’m asking of you, but you owe it to yourself!”

As their arguments started getting more and more heated, they drew in the attention of the other people at the party. Mulan felt a hand on her arm and turned to see it was Bojing trying to calm her down. She knew she should be grateful and appreciate his gesture, but right now all she could feel was a swirl of emotions, anger, heartbreak, confusion…and they all culminated into rage. She turned on him, trying to remain calm but felt herself slipping.

“Let go Bojing.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea-“ He tried to speak evenly, but then a hand appeared on his shoulder, pulling him back, his hand coming off Mulan’s arm.

“Get your hands off of her.” Honghui’s confident, authoritative voice rung out clear.

Mushu, realizing his mistake in instigating an argument, tried to intervene “Hey, let’s all just relax-“

Before Mushu could finish Honghui shot him a death glare that silenced him on the spot.

“Stop it Honghui, Bojing was just trying to help.” Mulan complained.

“Yeah? Well you don’t need help, you can handle yourself.”

Mulan scoffed, acknowledging that he was right, but she didn’t like his attitude. Still, it was Bojing who spoke. “Not very chivalrous of you, colonel.”

“Excuse me?” Honghui responded, voice lowering to a menacing pitch.

“Hua Mulan said you were a good man, and I wanted to believe her, but seeing you up close I realize you’re nothing more than a brute. Qingyuan deserves better than you.”

“Why, you pompous-“ Honghui yelled, grabbing onto Bojing’s shirt, raising his fist to hit him but Mulan blocked it.

“That’s enough Honghui.” She said forcefully.

“Mulan, move.”

“No.” She wouldn’t let go of his arm, and though he could have easily broke her hold, he knew she wouldn’t back down, and the results could be dangerous for the guests.

Qingyuan ran towards the skirmish, despite her mother’s pleas, her father on her tails. She ran to Bojing, putting her hands on Bojing, checking his face to make sure he was alright. General Tung made it to their sides as well and took in the scene.

“What is the meaning of this?!” He boomed.

Honghui bowed immediately, but Bojing spoke up before he could, shocking everyone.

“I cannot stand in silence as this union takes place. I’m in love with Qingyuan, and I will not let her be married off to anyone less than worthy.”

The crowd went silent, Qingyuan melted, and Mulan beamed. General Tung was the first to react.

“in tribute to our families’ long standing relationship, I will take no further action upon you Bojing, however I will ask you to exit the premises immediately.”

Honghui was stunned. This whole time he was aggravated by this man, thinking he had feelings for Mulan, meanwhile Honghui was betrothed to the woman he was actually in love with! He felt pity for the man, especially when he was the one who started the fight due to his jealousy over Mulan.

“Sir, I mean no disrespect, but if I may-“ Honghui tried to intervene, but Qingyuan interrupted him.

“Father no.” She spoke with a firm voice.

Her mother, who had caught up to the crowd tried to pull her back “Qingyuan, what are you doing?”

“Something I should have a long time ago. Father, Honghui is a great man but I do not wish to marry him, I do not wish to marry a military man, or any man for that matter, not as long as it isn’t Bojing. I love him father, and I can only have a long, happy marriage if I am wed to him.”

Her father looked taken aback “Qingyuan, I’ve worked hard to have our family relocated to the Imperial City, if you marry a mere fisherman you would never be able to leave this village.”

“That’s fine with me. All I’ve ever wanted as a simple, quiet life in the village I grew up in, married to the boy from my childhood. Please father.”

Bojing stepped forward, at first bowing to General Tung, but then getting on his knees and bending forward so that his face was close to the ground “Sir, I swear to always cherish your daughter, and to treat her with respect. Please trust in me to keep her safe and well provided for.”

Qingyuan followed suit “Please father, bless our union.”

General Tung was at a loss for words, but after considering their position, he turned to look at Honghui, who smiled and nodded, letting him know it was fine by him. Next to him, Mulan smiled and nodded as well. General Tung felt his confusion calm at their actions. At first he was angered at his daughter’s outburst, but it was exactly this quality of staying true to oneself that he truly admired in Mulan, and wouldn’t I be a hypocrite for striking my daughter down when she did what I rewarded Mulan for? Mind made up, he reached down and gently lifted Qingyuan and then Bojing up from their crouched positions on the ground.

“My dear, you put so much effort into your appearance today, it’d be a shame to dirty it.” He said gently.

He turned to Bojing “while I may not agree with the events that have transpired here tonight, what kind of father would willingly stand in the way of his daughter’s happiness? However it is not up to me.”

Honghui stepped forward “Sir, I appreciate everything you have done for me, and while it would be my honor to be joined with your family, I cannot in good conscience marry your daughter when her heart belongs to another, and in truth, so does mine.”

The General smiled “thank you Colonel Chen, that does put my mind at ease, I would never want to disrespect one of my greatest officers. And whoever has your heart, I hope she is a worthy woman, and I have a hunch that she is.” His eyes glanced at Mulan for a moment.

Qingyuan bowed again “Thank you father! I-“

“Don’t thank me yet, there is still one more obstacle before I can give my blessing. Where is the matchmaker?”

Everyone looked around, but luckily the matchmaker was at the front of the crowd, watching the events transpire. She was an older woman, honored as an elder among the village. She had seen Qingyuan and Bojing grow together as children, and she had always kept an eye on them. She had originally felt disappointment when she was told to match Qingyuan with Honghui, but she had faith that things would right themselves, and here was her moment. She answered her summons and stood in front of Qingyuan and Bojing, hands raised out, eyes to the heavens.

“I have watched you two grow, in life and in love, I have seen how your stubbornness makes way when calmed by the sea. I have seen how you have bonded through waves, like fish, and I already know that you will live in happiness so long as you are together. I deem this a perfect match!”

Everyone cheered as Qingyuan and Bojing embraced each other, their families granting their blessing and heaping praises upon them. Even with the awkward intermission, the rest of the celebration continued even more lively than before as both families agreed not to waste the decorations they had already put together. It was quickly decided that the wedding should also take place as scheduled, the only difference being the groom.

“You are all invited to stay, of course!” Qingyuan exclaimed to Mulan and the gang, Bojin glued to her side.

“Are you sure? We’ve caused enough problems as it is.”

“What are you talking about?! It is thanks to you that we were able to finally be together.”

“I insist, please stay for the wedding tomorrow, we are in your debt.” Bojing pleaded.

Honghui clapped him on the shoulder “if staying for your wedding will make us even, then we shall. I have faults of my own from the past few days, at least tomorrow I can present a gift to make up for it.”

“Any fault you may have had are forgiven. And I hope you forgive me for cursing your name.” Bojing said with a laugh.

Mulan felt warm, likely from the wine she was drinking but also from watching the two men being chummy with each other, she had a feeling it was the beginning of a bromance. She turned to Qingyuan.

“I’m glad you were able to stand up for yourself, and everything turned out great!” Mulan beamed.

“Almost everything, I’m still waiting on you.” Qingyuan replied knowingly.

Mulan faltered “…maybe it’s just better if we leave things the way we are.”

“Mulan, he’s not getting married tomorrow, but it’s only a matter of time before he will be.”

Mulan shook her head and grinned “hey, you’re getting married tomorrow to the man of your dreams! Don’t let my inability to commit drag you down, celebrate!”

Right on queue, a family had come to speak to the bride and groom, pulling Qingyuan and Bojing away from them as she shouted.

“Alright, but I can only be happy and cheery if I know you are as well, so don’t keep me waiting Mulan!”

Mulan could only chuckle at her friend’s antics as Honghui came to her side.

“Well that was an unexpected turn of events.” He chuckled.

“Maybe for you, I had complete faith in them.” She smirked as he looked at her flabbergasted.

“You knew that they had feelings for each other?!” He exclaimed.

“I mean it wasn’t too hard getting them to admit it to me, it was admitting it to each other that was the hard part.”

“So you knew this whole time that Bojing was in love with her?”

“Yeah, I pretty much figured it out the first day we got here.” She shrugged.

“So I was jealous for nothing.” He grumbled under his breath, Mulan strained to hear.

“What was that?”

He quickly changed gears “You were going to let me get married to her knowing full well that she loved someone else, and that he loved her back?”

“Well it wasn’t really my place to stand up to General Tung on their behalf, they had to stick up for themselves.”

“…I understand you had honorable intentions, but you realize you took a gamble on my future as well?”

Mulan looked guilty “I guess I didn’t really think about that…but you didn’t want your union either and you didn’t do anything about it. You couldn’t stand up to the General yourself!”

He deflated, conceding “fair, fair…well now that I’m not the center of attention…want to get wasted?”

She grinned back “it would be my honor.”

***

The next day Mulan was thankful that the wedding was in the late afternoon, because she slept through the whole morning, simply because she was tired. Despite what they had said the night before, they didn’t get too drunk, knowing they had a whole other night of drinking at the wedding, but they did dance and mingle. Who could blame them, they were thrilled, knowing Honghui was no longer the groom for the wedding, their smiles didn’t leave their faces the entire night. And after Mulan scolded Honghui for starting a fight with Bojing, they were finally able to go back to normal, being best friends.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, as opulent as it gets for a village of this size. The decorations followed the same vein as the night before, but Qingyuan’s dress was a hundred times more elaborate, as well as her makeup. Bojing’s outfit was a little outdated as he used his father’s old wedding garb, but you couldn’t tell he looked anything other than radiate from how broad his grin was. There were tears in his eyes when he first saw his bride, his face flushing as he saw how stunning she truly was. It was a tender moment and Mulan couldn’t help but think, will a man ever look at me the same way? Will I ever get to walk down the aisle? She was happy for her new friends, they were embarking on a new journey today, starting their own family. Will I ever have children? Do I want children? They have their whole future basically mapped out for themselves…but what do I have? Can I be happy as an officer in the Imperial Guard for the rest of my days? Probably. But is that it? Do I have nothing else to live for? I’ll just live in that sparse room, alone, for the rest of my life, training men in the morning, but sleeping alone every night…I don’t want that.

It came time to exchange vows and while everyone’s attention was on the bride and groom, Mulan’s gaze was trained on Honghui. I don’t want to be alone anymore, I want someone to share my life with. Someone I can talk to always, someone I can just be myself with…not just someone, I need Honghui. It was an epiphany, a moment of clarity in Mulan’s eyes as she gazed at his profile, until she was looking straight into his eyes. He had turned his attention from the couple to Mulan as well, surprised to see her staring at him, but it also filled him with pleasant warmth, and so he smiled at her, his eyes growing soft, and she returned his smile easily.

The wedding continued with the tea ceremony, and then a long 12 course meal, with heavy drinking in between each course. And as much as Mulan wanted to get Honghui alone, there never seemed to be the right moment.

“Cheers! To Honghui! May you always evade matrimony!” Yao slurred.

“That’s a terrible toast Yao.” Ling chastised him.

“I have a better one, cheers to Honghui! Without him, we wouldn’t be able to partake in such wondrous food!” Chien Po’s words were met with applause.

“Please, it’s all thanks to Mulan, really. She was the one who convinced the two of them to come clean.” Honghui deflected.

“Hey, it’s your fault we’re here in the first place. We still would have gotten the food even if you were the groom.” Mushu pointed out.

“How about, cheers to all the single people, that we may one day find love!” Cricket praised.

Yao laughed “I’ll cheers to that!”

After everyone drank, Mushu looked straight at Mulan, saying “and cheers to those who have already found love, that they may find the courage to grasp it, and never let it go.”

“Here, here!”

Chapter Text

“Remind me never to drink again.”

“Honghui, never drink again.”

“Ha, ha. Soooo funny.”

It was the day after the wedding and no one was more hungover than Honghui, who drank twice as much as he did at his own bachelor party. To his defense, he had the most to celebrate out of everyone, being able to avoid a loveless marriage. Still, they had to return to the Imperial City, so in his hungover state, they allowed Honghui to ride in the carriage with Mulan, with Khan driving and Mushu and Cricket guarding on horseback. The others would return with General Tung and his wife the next day.

“Well I’m glad you were able to have a good time.” Mulan chuckled.

“It’s only fair, you guys had your fun at my bachelor party, yesterday was my turn.”

“That happy, huh?”

“Oooooh yeah. I don’t want to think about marriage for a looooong time.”

“Hmmm.” Mulan’s face fell.

Ever since the exchanging of vows, Mulan couldn’t stop thinking about how she wanted to confess her feelings to Honghui, tell him she changed her mind, she would love to get married so long as it was with him. But considering their situation, she didn’t exactly want to confess to him at a wedding, and after the celebration he was wasted…this was the first opportunity she had to speak with him alone, but even this didn’t feel right. He was hungover, and clearly not in the mood to talk about love, and on top of that, they were talking like they usually did, casually, like best friends, and Mulan couldn’t help but think when was the last time we were like this? It’s nice being back to normal, without all that…tension. I shouldn’t tell him just yet, it could ruin what we have.

“I’m just glad that nightmare is over.” He sighed.

“Nightmare? It wasn’t ideal, but Qingyuan wasn’t that bad.” Mulan countered, why am I pushing this? It really was a nightmare!

“She was a sweet girl, but the way they were doing this…I didn’t think General Tung’s family would be so…untraditional. They were going to hold the wedding without my family present!”

“Something tells me that was more of his wife’s influence than him…” Mulan grimaced, his wife was a piece of work.

“True…”

It was silent for a moment, before Mulan asked “If things would have gone your way, what would have been different?”

“For one, I’d be marrying her for love.” Mulan’s heart warmed as he continued “I’ve never been much of a traditionalist, but I need to have my family there. I would want to do the whole meeting of families ceremony, I know my mother has many gifts she stored through the years that she has planned on presenting to my future bride, I felt awful thinking I was going to rob her of that opportunity.”

“I never even thought of that.” Mulan commented, realizing that Honghui really had put a lot of thought into this.

“Yeah…and the proposal would have been different too. Here I was basically forced into it, but if I couldn’t have planned it myself…”

Mulan perked up “Yeah?”

He hesitated, should I tell her? “…well…I don’t have it completely planned, you know, and I’d have to tailor it to my bride’s tastes, but…there’s this rare jade bangle that has been in our family for generations. The carvings are quite intricate and ornate, it’s my mother’s prized possession ever since my father used it to propose to her, and she told me that I should use it to propose to my future wife as well.”

Mulan was in awe at how reverently Honghui spoke of his mother “That sounds beautiful…your future bride is a very lucky woman. And not just for the gifts, but because she’d be gaining you as a husband.”

There was a sadness in Honghui’s eyes as he looked at her, as he thought, how badly I wish for her to be you. The rest of the journey continued without much excitement, Mulan and Honghui took naps here and there, talking and chatting in between like normal. It was a peaceful ride, but when they got back to the Imperial City gates they were tired nonetheless. They got back to their rooms and called it a night, both too tired to say anything other than goodnight. Mulan laid in bed and although it didn’t take her long to fall asleep, one thought flashed in her mind and left her feeling bitter. After everything that happened…nothing has changed.

***

The next week continued as normal, even Honghui and Mulan’s relationship was back to normal, and while she should be rejoicing that they weren’t being awkward, she felt frustrated that no real progress was made. Her breath still caught when she saw him smile, her heart still skipped a beat when they brushed hands, she still felt butterflies in her stomach when they spoke, but…that was it. They chatted like normal, their witty, flirty banter, but…no hints of love confessions, no signs of something more. She kept looking for opportunities to tell him how she felt, like she promised herself she would, but no such opportunities arose. It always felt unnatural, forced, and that was the last thing she wanted for her relationship with him. Frustrated and disappointed, she decided she needed to get away.

“I had hoped the trip to my village would have served as a little get away for yourself, I thought of it as a reward, but I apologize if I was mistaken.” General Tung pondered.

“Not at all! It was nice getting a change of scenery, it did feel like a vacation of itself in that it was a break from regular Imperial Guard duties. But…seeing your family together…I suppose it made me miss my own.”

“Hmmm, I see. Well, either way, your request for leave is approved, you get 2 weeks to do as you please.”

“Thank you General Tung, I’ll probably return within 1 week-“

“Then use the second week to explore more of the Imperial City! Enjoy your time off, Colonel Hua, you deserve it.”

Mulan bowed low “Thank you, General Tung.”

General Tung waved her off “safe travels!”

***

Mulan was finishing packing her bags when she heard her door open without a knock.

“Mushu.” She said without even turning around.

“Hey girl.” He replied before taking a seat.

“I’d love to chat, but I need to finish-“ she turned to look at him at the words died on her lips.

He held up a duffel bag and was clearly dressed for travel.

“Explain.” She said sternly.

“What can I say, my village is close to yours. It’s about time I pay my family a visit too.”

“Mushu.”

“Alright, alright, and I may have wanted to accompany you on your trip. You’ve been out of it lately, and it’s a long journey, I wanted to make sure you’d get home safely.”

Mulan smiled sadly “that’s really sweet of you Mushu, but I’m fine, really.”

He shook his head, not taking no for an answer “I wasn’t lying, my village really is close to yours, and if I don’t visit soon I’m sure my parents will pray to the ancestors to disown me so…think of me as a travel companion.”

“…fine.” She said resignedly, but with a smile nonetheless.

“Let’s get this show on the road!”

***

Mulan went to the stables to bring the horses to the gate as Mushu went back into their building to grab the food for their journey. On his way back from the kitchens, he passed by Cricket as he thought perfect, just the man I wanted to see for the last step of my plan.

“First Lieutenant Mushu! Where are you off to?” Cricket saluted.

Perfect indeed “I’m actually travelling with Mulan back to her home village.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’ll probably meet her parents, and my village is close by too, so she’ll likely meet mine.”

“Wow, that sounds pretty serious.” Cricket said, falling into Mushu’s trap.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll come to some kind of arrangement, if you know what I mean. Parent’s meeting and all that.”

“You don’t mean…really? You two?”

“Mushu! Come on!” Mulan called from the end of the hallway.

Cricket’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Mulan, and he turned back to Mushu “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a secret. If anyone asks of our whereabouts, feel free to fill them in.”

“Mushu, we need to go now if we want to get there in time!” She yelled down the hall again.

Mushu shot Cricket a wink and a sloppy salute before heading down the hall himself, joining Mulan.

“What was that about?” She asked.

“Oh that? Nothing, just Cricket asking where we were going.”

“And what did you say?”

“The truth of course! Mulan, what do you take me for?”

She rolled her eyes “Come on, it’s getting late.”

***

Honghui’s head was spinning, the entire morning he couldn’t find Mulan anywhere. The other officer’s didn’t know where she was either, although they had heard she had requested her annual leave. Honghui started for General Tung’s office, intent on confirming the suspicions when he ran into Cricket.

“Colonel Chen.” Cricket greeted with a salute.

“Hey there Cricket.”

“Where are you off to?”

Honghui grimaced “General Tung’s office. I haven’t seen Mulan and I wanted to make sure she was alright.”

“Oh, I saw her not too long ago, she just left for her annual leave to her village.”

Honghui breathed a sigh of relief, glad the rumors were right and she wasn’t missing, but still his heart sank that she didn’t think to inform him. She doesn’t need to inform me of anything, he thought disappointedly.

“Is that right? Alright, well at least she’s not missing.” Honghui said.

“Oh, definitely not, she’s completely safe. Mushu’s with her after all.”

Honghui almost choked “what?!”

“Yeah, Mushu is visiting her village with her. Something about their parents meeting, and I think an arrangement with the matchmaker, something like that.”

Honghui couldn’t speak for a moment, he looked like a fish out of water as his mouth opened and closed.

“…I need to go.”

Before Cricket could say another word Honghui was dashing off towards General Tung’s office, intent on asking for his own personal leave.

Chapter Text

“It has been far too long, Mulan.”

Mulan and her family were gathered around their dining table, enjoying their lunch. Mulan had arrived the night before, where she parted with Mushu so that he could get to his village as well. She was glad she decided to visit home, her parents were overjoyed to see her after so long and her sister Xiu revealed to everyone that she was pregnant! Everyone congratulated her and her husband, and it became the topic of conversation for the rest of the night. This morning Mulan took part in the chores and helped her mother with the cooking, normal activities that she hadn’t taken a part of in so long. It filled her with nostalgia, and she resolved to request leave more frequently, she hadn’t realized just how much she missed her family.

“Mulan, you’re going to be an aunt! But when will you give the little baby a cousin?!”

Mulan almost spit out her tea “Mama!”

Xiu took Mulan’s side “Mama, please stop pressuring Mulan to get married, it’s her choice.”

“I’m just saying, she’s spending so much time around such strong, capable men, I find it hard to believe she isn’t taken with any of them!”

Mulan rolled her eyes “well maybe I’m not into men, mama.”

Her mother gasped and Xiu burst out laughing. Even their father began chuckling.

“Relax mama, Mulan is just kidding.”

“Heavens child, don’t give your poor mother a heart attack.” Her father said with amusement.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being into women.” Mulan said defiantly.

Her mother tsked “you’re deflecting. Dear, the longer you wait, the harder it’ll be to match you!”

“Then I’ll be single for the rest of my life and dote on my nieces and nephews.” Mulan responded cheekily.

“Mulan!”

Her father stepped in “Mulan has brought our family great honor already, and she continues to do so. If she does not wish to be married, then we should respect her wishes.”

“But Zhou-“

“No buts. She is perfect the way she is.”

“Baba!” Mulan got up to embrace her father, glad that he accepts her as she is.

Her mother smiled fondly at the sight, and finally let go of the issue altogether.

“Mulan, let’s go into the other village today. There’s a shop there that specializes in baby things.”

Mulan grinned “then I’ll buy you the whole store.”

***

“So, do you really plan on not getting married ever? No judgement, of course.” Xiu asked as she and Mulan walked arm in arm through the shop.

“…don’t tell mama, but there is someone…”

“WHAT?! What’s his name? Or her name! In case you actually were serious-“

“His name is Chen Honghui. He’s a fellow officer in the Imperial Guard.”

“You’ve told me about him before, but I thought you were just friends.”

“Its…a long story.”

Mulan filled Xiu in on the events of the past few weeks, ecstatic to finally have her sister again. Growing up she was her only confidant, and after everything with Honghui, she was bursting to talk about it and try to sort out her feelings with another’s help. Qingyuan was helpful, but this was different, Xiu knew Mulan better than anyone else. Normally she’d confide in Honghui, but in this case, that was definitely not an option.

“Oh my goodness! Mulan! You’re in love!! You have to tell him!”

“Were you not listening! I’ve tried, and I want to, but…I have so many doubts and it never feels like the right time-“

“You have to make it the right time! Mulan, be true to your heart! You may have doubts or insecurities, but focus on what you know. You are a hero of China, you have brought great honor to your family and the emperor. You are smart and witty, you’re the funniest person I know! You are devoted to your family, loyal to those you care about, and brave enough to stand your ground against armies and witches. You are patient, kind, humble, generous…you’re the most amazing woman I know, any man would be a fool not to marry you.”

Tears sprung to Mulan’s eyes “when did my younger sister become so wise?”

“When did my older sister become so foolish as to think she wasn’t worthy enough to be a bride.”

The women laughed and hugged each other. A group of ladies had come into the shop as well, gossiping loudly and Mulan and Xiu could not help but over hear. They giggled to themselves, this was an activity they would do all the time when they were little.

“Did you hear about the visitor in the next village over?”

“Yes! I got a good look at him too, he’s very handsome.”

“I’m jealous! I heard he had broad shoulders and a toned body!”

“How could you have heard that, he was wearing a travelling cloak!”

“He took it off when he dismounted his horse.”

“I heard he came from the Imperial City.”

“No way! He must be rich.”

“I heard he was an Imperial Guard.”

“Not just any Imperial Guard, a Colonel!”

Xiu gasped and Mulan covered her mouth, not wanting to blow their cover but wanting to hear more.

“What is a Colonel of the Imperial Guard doing here?”

“Well you heard the news about Hua Mulan, right? She’s visiting her family.”

“Really? I hadn’t heard, she’s a colonel in the Imperial Guard as well, right?”

“Yes, I heard he came to this village to search for her!”

At that Mulan grabbed Xiu’s arm and half ran to the shop’s entrance before remembering her sister was with child and would not be able to keep up with Mulan’s superior speed. Xiu tried to tell Mulan to go on without her, but there was no way Mulan would leave her sister. They set a leisurely pace getting back to their village, and it was agonizing for Mulan. There are 8 Colonels in the Imperial Guard, could it really be Honghui? Well, I can’t see why any of the other Colonels would visit me here while I’m on my leave…but why is Honghui here?! Her stomach filled her butterflies their entire journey and as they reached the gate of their village her heart started pounding. The entire walk to her parent’s home, all of the villagers were flashing Mulan knowing looks, hootin and hollering and telling her to hasten home. It did nothing for her racing heart. As they made it to the doorway, she could hear laughter, or more specifically, one booming laugh that made her knees go weak.

***

“Hello, I am Colonel Chen Honghui of the Imperial Guard, is this the Hua residence?”

The villagers had made such a ruckus at having a newcomer visiting the town, that Hua Zhou and Hua Li came outside their house to investigate. And standing there, right in front of their steps, was Honghui, soldier’s uniform gleaming in the light. In truth, he had raced out of the Imperial City so fast he had forgotten to change out of his armor. He forgot many things as he packed, but he didn’t want to be late and he did have a pit stop to make before arriving at Mulan’s village.

“Hello, Colonel Chen. Yes, I am Hua Zhou, is there something I can do for you? Would you like to come in?”

Honghui bowed low “it would be my honor.”

***

Hua Li began preparing the tea and tidying the dining table so that the two men could take a seat.

“My apologies for disturbing you without prior notice.”

“Not at all Colonel Chen.”

“Please, call me Honghui.”

Zhou smiled “alright, Honghui. I hope it’s alright in assuming you came here to visit Mulan. She’s out with her sister, but they should be returning soon.”

Honghui blushed “partly, yes, but I also had intentions of meeting with you, sir.”

“Oh?”

“I’m aware you may have already made promises to another family, but if I am not too late, I would like to beg for you to reconsider.”

Zhou looked at him curiously “I’m sorry Honghui, but I’m not sure what you mean.”

He grimaced “I had heard that there would be a meeting of families for an arrangement with a matchmaker.”

Hua Li almost dropped the tea, needing to clarify what she thought he was implying “What? Which families?”

Honghui hesitated, maybe I’m not too late, maybe the meeting hadn’t happened yet “I had thought that the Mushu family and the Hua family were going to be joined through marriage.”

Zhou scoffed, but quickly apologized for his impudent behavior in front of a guest “Mushu? That must be the man we met last night. He was only a travel companion for Mulan, then he went to his own village to meet with his family.”

“Yes, did you not make plans to meet with them as well?”

Zhou scoffed again “certainly not! He was kind, but sort of a cheeky fellow.”

Hua Li cut in “I asked Mulan if she had any intentions with that man, but she ascertained that she in no way would ever consider him as a husband, much to my disappointment…”

Honghui felt his heart soar, I’m going to punch Cricket next time I see him!

“So Mulan is not spoken for?”

Hua Li shook her head “no, she is not. In fact she made it quite clear this morning she would be perfectly content to remain single for the rest of her life.” She said delicately, still coming to terms with her daughter’s choices.

“Our Mulan, she’s a stubborn one.” Zhou chuckled.

Honghui grinned “Don’t I know it. But strangely enough, it’s one of the traits I find endearing about her.”

Her parents looked at him, hope in their eyes.

“Son, what are your intentions exactly? You wanted us to reconsider if we were going to meet with the Mushu family, but now we’ve established we have no plans to do so. So what now?”

“Sir, I know this may not be very traditional, but before coming here, I dropped by my village last night to speak with my family, and they have given me their blessing. And as soon as I send word for them, they will leave immediately to meet us here.”

Zhou beamed, knowing where he was going with this.

“Sir, your daughter is the most brilliant woman I have ever met. I love her, and if you’d give me your blessing, I’d like to ask her to marry me.”

Hua Li gasped and grabbed onto Zhou’s hand, feeling like she’d float up to the ceiling if she didn’t have something to anchor her to the ground. Zhou felt tears spring to his eyes.

“You seem like a good man, Honghui. And our daughter has spoken much about you and your virtue. We have no objections to your union, I know you will honor and respect our daughter as she deserves.”

“Thank you sir, I promise-“

“But,” Zhou interrupted him “our daughter has always been head strong. We give you our blessing, but ultimately the decision is up to her.”

Honghui’s grin softened into a soft smile, heart sinking at his words. He knew there was always a chance, a big chance, that Mulan would refuse him. That she still doesn’t want to ever get married, or that she doesn’t love him as he loves her…but as he raced to get here, when he thought she was going to be betrothed to Mushu, he knew he didn’t care. All that mattered was that he would try, that he would make sure his feelings were known, because he can’t live not knowing anymore, not giving it a shot. He loved her, and he needed her to know.

“I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”

As they waited for Mulan and Xiu to get back, Honghui spoke with Mulan’s parents, getting to know them better and talking about himself as well. They found that they got along very well, and the Hua’s felt their joy growing, hoping that Mulan would say yes to this remarkable man.

***

Mulan and Xiu walked into the house, and the sight warmed her heart. Honghui was there, looking every bit as handsome as she remembered, his mouth curved into his charming smile that made her melt, as he laughed at a joke her father said. She couldn’t believe he was really here.

“Mulan! Don’t just stand in the doorway, come greet our guest!” Hua Li beckoned to her.

Honghui turned around and at seeing her he immediately stood, bowing slightly to her. He realized afterwards that it was kind of awkward, he never bowed to her before, really, at least not in greeting. But he didn’t exactly know what to do in this situation, to have your comrade walk in while you’re chatting with their family unannounced. Not only that, but he felt painfully aware of all her relative’s eyes on them, watching their every move.

“Honghui, I didn’t realize you were coming.” Mulan said shyly.

“Yes, um, sorry, I should have informed you earlier.”

“That’s fine, you’re welcome anytime. Oh, this is my sister, Hua Xiu, or actually, Fa Xiu now, since she’s married. Xiu, this is Chen Honghui.” Mulan bit her lip, aware that she was rambling out of nerves.

“Nice to meet you.”

There were a few awkward moments as silence descended upon the house. Her father came to the rescue, clearing his throat.

“Mulan, Honghui has journeyed a far distance, we should show him something worth looking at. Why don’t you take him to the cherry blossom garden?”

Mulan looked at her father gratefully as Honghui responded “that sounds wonderful.”

“Agreed, come with me.” She beckoned and they slipped out of the house, away from prying eyes.

***

Walking through the village the two were mostly silent…although it was in large part due to Mulan’s neighbors pretty obviously eavesdropping. What was worse was when they’d ‘whisper’ to each other, loud enough for Mulan and Honghui to hear, gossiping about how Mulan came just yesterday with a man, and now here she is with another. Mulan rolled her eyes and gave him a look, to which he smirked and the ice was broken, they were back to themselves. Still, the two didn’t start talking until they were out of the village and walking the path that led to the cherry blossoms garden.

“Sorry about all of this, visitors are a big deal here.”

Honghui chuckled “it’s fine, my village is the same. It’s not too far from here actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I stopped by there and stayed the night last night, before riding here in the morning.”

Mulan took a deep breath “speaking of which, why are you here?”

He looked guilty “…to be honest, it’s because I heard a rumor.”

“What rumor could possibly compel you to travel all the way here, when you could have waited a week for me to come back?”

He sighed “well at the time I was afraid that would be too late…I heard that you and Mushu were getting matched.”

She gasped, wide-eyed “WHAT?!? WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!? We are most certainly, NOT getting matched, nor would we EVER get matched.”

He laughed “it was Cricket. We’ll have to think up a means of revenge.”

“I’ll hold him, and you punch.” She fumed.

“Agreed.”

Her grimace melted into a giggle “really, even if I were to get married, you think I wouldn’t tell you? I would want you there.” Preferably as the groom.

They had made it to the cherry blossoms and spotted a bench across the stream. Resolving to make it there, they headed towards the small bridge to take them across. On their way Honghui stopped down to grab a fallen blossom, fiddling with the blossom until he started plucking them off the stem.

“Yeah…but at the same time, I don’t know…ever since we got back from Tung’s village…I mean we were normal at first, but then things got kind of awkward and I thought…maybe I did something wrong, or maybe you were hiding something from me…and then I heard this news and I…panicked.” He dropped the barren stem, picking up a twig with a few more blossoms on it.

“…why does it matter if I were getting married?” She asked tentatively.

He avoided her eyes, as well as her question “a while ago, you told me you never wanted to get married. Is that still the case?”

She was momentarily stunned from the quick change in topic, but answered nonetheless “…no…or at least…like you, I would only want to marry if it were for love. I have no need to get married for advantage, I’d much rather live alone for the rest of my life than have a marriage of convenience.”

Honghui nodded, feeling a mix of elation and disappointment. At least now she is more open to the idea of getting married, but if she doesn’t love me now, she’ll almost certainly say no. And I have no idea if she loves me or not, all I really know is that she thinks I’m attractive, which is helpful, but not by much.

“And what about you, after this whole fiasco, do you still want to get married?”

He chuckled “I must be a mad man, but yes, I do.” A mad man who’s madly in love.

They walked in companionable silence as he averted her gaze, instead inspecting the twig in his hand. He plucked the prettiest cherry blossom on it and turned to her, looking into her eyes as he wedged the flower in the crook of her ear, asking “…have you ever been in love?”

Her heart raced at his action as her breath caught at his words “have you?”

He didn’t want to beat around the bush anymore “Yes.”

Mulan blushed “well then she’s a lucky lady…”

They were on the bridge now, and Honghui took a moment to stepped towards the edge, looking out into the flowing stream. It wasn’t a very wide stream, so the bridge wasn’t long, giving Mulan no option but to slide right beside Honghui.

“What made you change your mind?” He asked, changing the subject again.

She breathed in deeply “I guess…I met someone…well, no…I didn’t meet them. I mean I did, a long time ago…argh I’m not making any sense.”

Honghui chuckled and Mulan nudged him with her shoulder playfully, echoing his chuckles. She took another deep breath, reminding herself that he would never judge her, even when she was awkward. She steeled herself for the rest of this conversation, very aware of where it was heading, and that it will end with her finally revealing her feelings. There was no way she would let this opportunity pass her, they were already talking about love and marriage, she’d officially be a pathetic coward if she lets him leave before she can tell him. Her heart was pounding painfully at the thought.

He brought her back to focus “well, it’s hard to make any sense when you don’t finish any sentences.”

“…I guess I just…realized that I never craved romantic companionship before because…because I already had you. You’re my best friend, and you’ve always been there for me, my biggest support system while I’m away from my family. I can always rely on you, I guess I took that for granted, and I didn’t even realize it until something threatened to take you away from me.”

He sighed deeply, feeling disappointment flood his veins “so that’s all I am to you? Your best friend who provides you support? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that, and I feel the same about you…but I also feel so much more.”

She looked up at him hopefully “you do?”

He stepped away from the edge of the bridge and once again started walking towards the bench, needing to take a seat if he wanted to accept his rejection with grace.

“Yeah, I do. That’s why I came rushing here, I couldn’t let you get married, not without knowing how I felt.”

She could feel her heart pounding “And how do you feel?”

He was silent for a few moments as they sat down on the bench. He took the opportunity to stall by looking out at the scenery. It truly was beautiful, and he tried to imagine what it would have been like for Mulan to grow up here, play around the blossoms as a child, likely with her sister. He thought about the happy, loving family she came from…he thought about how he’d love to grow a happy loving family with her. He turned to her and examined her profile, again taken aback at how beautiful she was, and his doubts reared their faces. How could I ever deserve her? I could live my whole life and never come close to deserving a woman like Mulan…but I know I can treasure her better than any other man could. I just need to make sure I try my damn best to become a man worthy of her.

“Mulan.”

She turned to him “yes?”

“Your father called me a good man, but I’m not. I haven’t been loyal, brave or true. I have not been loyal to my comrade, whom I’ve been thinking about more and more, in…ways that I shouldn’t. I have not been brave, as I’ve been harboring these feelings for so long, but never once was able to admit them and confess to her. And I haven’t been true, not when I constantly hide my feelings to my best friend. But if there’s anyone who makes me want to be better, it’s you. So I promise, to become a better man, one worthy of you, one always loyal, brave, true, and always devoted to my family. Mulan, I love you, and if you’ll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Honghui reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple wooden box with a design carved into the top. He opened it, revealing a rare jade bangle with intricate and ornate carvings all around it.

“This was my mother’s most prized possession, she gave it to me yesterday, with her and my father’s blessing. Today, I received the blessing from your parents as well.”

He took her hand in his, holding the box with the other.

“Hua Mulan, will you marry me?”

She jumped into his arms, tears flowing down her face as she whispered in his ear “I love you Honghui, I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

And finally, their lips met in a fierce, bruising kiss. They broke apart, giggling with giddiness, before going in for a softer kiss, that grew in passion. The last thought she had before being swept into oblivion, not even the emperor could stop me from marrying this man.

***

When they returned to the Hua home, they were congratulated profusely, and they immediately sent word to Honghui’s family of the good news. The next day his family was there, happy to welcome a new daughter into their family. They took advantage of the week of leave they requested, and started wedding planning, as well as spending a lot of needed alone time, strengthening their relationship. Unlike Honghui’s first experience, they took their time with their engagement, making sure to fulfill each custom, and enjoy their time as an engaged couple.

The wedding was held a few months later. When the news of their engagement reached the Emperor, he wasted no time in offering the palace shrine for their official wedding ceremony, and the palace banquet hall for their reception, it was a high honor, as usually only those born from royalty were allowed to wed in the palace. It was the event of the year, everything lavish and ornate, but truthfully, Mulan was fine without all of the opulence. In fact, their favorite part of the ceremonies was when everything ended, and they were left alone in their secluded villa selected for them, the one for officers and their families. In the comfort of their new home, they were eager to revel in the comfort of each other’s arms, as they whispered sweet nothings to each other, vowing to always remain loyal, brave and true to each other as they began their devotion to their new little family.