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All was still in old Haixing as a thick blanket of snow cushioned the floor and fluffed up the bare branches overhead. Shen Wei’s footfalls were muffled by the white flakes that came up to his ankles, giving Haixing a wonderfully quiet atmosphere. It had been a long time since Shen Wei had heard the sounds of clanging swords and screaming men as they attacked one another. Instead, his ears were blessed with silence and his eyes took in the welcomed sight of pure whites and greens instead of the reds and browns of war.
When midwinter rolled around, Shen Wei didn’t think much of it and focused on polishing his weapons and sewing his garbs where they had been damaged. In ancient Haixing, there was a midwinter tradition during which young men and women left their homes and made their way for the clearing in the woods wearing their best robes with their hair styled in elaborate patterns of braids, beads, and cords. Once there, humans, Yashou, and even a few Dixingren gathered around a large bonfire and celebrated the new season by singing, dancing, and drinking together as one. For the elders, this was an occasion to follow traditions and honour the past year, but for the young, it was a chance to let go of their worries and forget about the war if only for a night.
Ma Gui had been preparing for midwinter for a while now, having brought in fresh bundles of pine and holly into the cave and decorated its walls, while Fu You had worked hard on preparing food to feed all their soldiers. When Kunlun waltzed in on the morning of the holiday, carrying firewood to warm the cave, Ma Gui hurried to relieve him of his burden and excitedly told him about the upcoming festivities.
“Kunlun, will you be attending tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“Yes, it’s finally midwinter! Everyone will be going—please say you’ll come?”
“I…” Zhao Yunlan hesitated.
Truth be told, Zhao Yunlan-disguised-as-Kunlun didn’t know anything about the customs and traditions of ancient Haixing. He was afraid of committing a faux pas and revealing his identity—how could the great Kunlun not know what midwinter was?
Sensing the cause of his worry, Ma Gui gave Zhao Yunlan a warm smile and a pat on the back.
“It’s okay, I’ll teach you everything I know ahead of tonight’s celebrations. Besides, I was hoping you would help me…”
“You mean with Fu You? You still haven’t told her how you feel?”
“…”
“Aiya… you ancient people are so weird. How will she know if you don’t tell her?” prompted Zhao Yunlan with his signature good humour and glee.
“That’s why I need you. Tonight, everyone will go out and enjoy themselves around the bonfire and… I want to tell her then,” replied Ma Gui with the expression of a shy school boy stamped all over his face.
Zhao Yunlan laughed and agreed to help on the condition that Ma Gui find him nicer clothes than the tattered blue robes he wore all year round. After Ma Gui had placed a few new outfits on Zhao Yunlan’s bedroll in preparation for that evening, the latter settled down in the long room to receive his lesson about the customs of the midwinter festival.
“So you see, after everyone has danced around the fire three times, and sung the winter song while carrying decorated pine branches, they then move to different parts of the clearing and mingle with one another. That’s when people declare their feelings for one another and, hopefully, reciprocate.”
“… this seems awfully complicated for nothing,” replied Zhao Yunlan. “If you like someone, why should you go through all that trouble? Can’t you just tell them straight out?”
“Ah, but, where’s the romanticism in that? Is that how you do it in the future?”
“Erm… well, maybe you have a point there,” admitted Zhao Yunlan sheepishly.
“You’ll see tonight how nice it is to do it the old-fashioned way,” replied Ma Gui with a smile and a wink, throwing Zhao Yunlan off guard.
“Wha—it’s not like I’ll be participating!” said Zhao Yunlan as an uncharacteristic blush coloured his cheeks.
“We’ll see,” mused Ma Gui before diving into explaining the next set of rituals for that evening.
*****
Shen Wei wasn’t one to adorn himself with silver and gold and, even though it was time for the long awaited midwinter festival to take place, he opted for a different set of black robes than his usual ones. However, these new ones were subtly ornate with complicated embroidery along its sleeves and down Shen Wei’s front. An old seamstress in town had gasped in horror when he had walked in earlier that week wearing his usual midnight black clothes, and had rushed to dress him in an upgraded version.
“There’s really no need…” had protested Shen Wei when the woman had fussed with his collar, placing it so that the gold-coloured undershirt peeked through.
“Nonsense. It goes without saying that our great hero should be dressed appropriately for the celebrations.”
“…”
“Will you be approaching a lucky lady after the bonfire dance?” asked the old woman with a faraway look in her eyes, no doubt remembering her own youth and past midwinters.
“I…”
“Or maybe a fine lady will approach you instead!” she mused. “Besides, all you young people these days don’t follow the old rules—which is fine. Times are changing, after all.”
Shen Wei pressed his lips tightly and bowed to the lady when she ushered him out of her shop with his new clothes bundled neatly with paper and string. He hadn’t intended on getting a new outfit, but the seamstress had been so adamant about “dressing the great Black Envoy,” and how much of an honour it was for her to do so, that Shen Wei hadn’t been able to refuse the gift.
Still, Shen Wei had no intention of partaking in the celebrations. He would go and observe for a little while as was required of him, but then he would retire to his camp and prepare his belongings for the days ahead—after all, war didn’t take any breaks.
That night, Shen Wei dressed in his new outfit mechanically and, after a few minutes of thinking, he decided to re-braid his long hair into a different pattern than usual, making sure to include decorative beads in amongst the silky woven strands. Shen Wei felt silly for having given in to the customs of his people and decided to undo his hair just as Fu You walked into his tent, gasping loudly when she saw him with his hands still on his head.
“Shen Wei!”
“…”
“Are you coming this evening? You look so handsome! Wait till Ma Gui and Kunlun see you,” she gushed as she spun Shen Wei around to see his outfit in full.
“…!!!”
“This is the work of Old Ma, right? I’d recognize that embroidery work anywhere.”
“Yes, she insisted…”
“She did well! You look stunning.”
Fu You smiled widely as Shen Wei fidgeted with his sleeve, avoiding her eyes and blushing a deep red all the way down to his neck.
“K-Kunlun is coming tonight?” asked Shen Wei while Fu You worked on adding more decorations to Shen Wei’s beautiful long hair.
“Uh-huh, Ma Gui convinced him to participate. He’s been taking lessons since this morning.”
“Wait… Kunlun has never been to a midwinter festival?”
“No…” replied Fu You, suddenly remembering that Zhao Yunlan’s ignorance about the festival should remain secret. “He said they celebrate things differently where he comes from,” she lied, but was relieved to find Shen Wei nodding along as though it made perfect sense.
“I see… that’s good, then.”
“…why?”
Shen Wei couldn’t admit to Fu You that he was feeling incredibly nervous for the night ahead. For the first time in his life, Shen Wei was going to participate in the midwinter festival with a different set of mind. Year after year, Shen Wei would go to the clearing in the woods, his face obscured by his mask and hood, and say a few words to kick off the festival. Then, once everyone had started to dance, he would vanish into the darkness and leave the revellers to their activities. This year, however, was different. This year, Kunlun had suddenly appeared and walked into his life, and the midwinter celebrations suddenly took on a whole new meaning for him.
*****
The blaze of the bonfire burned bright and hot, casting a soft golden glow on all who were present and warming them despite the cold wind that swept through the clearing. Zhao Yunlan found himself being half-dragged by Ma Gui to stand with the other dancers around the fire. Thanks to Ma Gui, Zhao Yunlan had been outfitted with a brand new set of robes—green like the colour of young moss and embroidered with silver thread that shone in the fire’s light. The town’s people oh-ed and ah-ed at the sight of the warlord, and Zhao Yunlan’s friends and fellow soldiers cheered at his arrival, jeering and elbowing him good-naturedly.
“Kunlun! Glad you could make it!” called out one of the foot soldiers from his platoon.
“You know, my sister is looking awfully pretty tonight…” called out another with a loud hoot.
“Ah, thank you, but I’m only here to help out Ma Gui,” tried Zhao Yunlan, already regretting his decision to join the party. The last thing he wanted was to be partnered with a blushing maiden.
Thankfully, Ma Gui pulled him away from the already inebriated young men and brought him to meet Fu You who had been standing a few meters away with a group of girls. The group giggled when the two men approached, one even shoving Fu You towards Zhao Yunlan with a hushed ‘go for it!’ whispered in the night air.
“Erm, Fu You,” started Zhao Yunlan after receiving a nudge from Ma Gui by his side. “There’s something—someone—who would like to see you after the dance.”
Fu You’s eyes went wide as a pretty rosy blush formed on her cheeks.
“R-really?”
“Yes. Will you go meet him?”
“A-alright,” conceded Fu You demurely. “Where can I meet this someone?”
Zhao Yunlan sighed with relief from Fu You’s response, shifting his earlier nervous stance to a wide friendly smile.
“You’ll find him by the large pine tree right on the edge of the clearing—the one that has a red ribbon tied to its lowest branch.”
Fu You nodded happily and Zhao Yunlan could feel the warmth and excitement radiating from Ma Gui as he stood by silently. After Fu You agreed to the arrangement, Zhao Yunlan excused himself from the crowd and left the warm circle of light in favour of the dark cover of the trees.
Zhao Yunlan leaned against a snow covered tree and laughed softly, congratulating himself on a successful mission when a slight movement from nearby caught his attention. An ambush? thought Zhao Yunlan as the branches rustled around him. Focusing on the dark underbrush all around him, Zhao Yunlan pulled out his gun from inside his robe just in case the person hiding out of sight posed a threat to the people celebrating.
“Who goes there? Show yourself!” he commanded, training his gun on the source of the sound.
Then, to Zhao Yunlan’s surprise, a familiar face peeked out from behind the branches.
“Shen Wei?”
“Kunlun…”
“Goodness, you scared me. I thought you might be an evil Dixingren or a mountain bandit,” replied Zhao Yunlan as he stowed his gun back into its hidden holster.
“S-sorry…”
Shen Wei stepped out from the brush to stand in the gentle light from the fire. Zhao Yunlan’s breath caught when Shen Wei revealed himself in his princely outfit, his long hair adorned with baubles and trinkets galore. Zhao Yunlan hadn’t expected to meet Shen Wei at the party, and he certainly hadn’t expected to meet him all decked out. With a sharp twist in his heart, Zhao Yunlan realized that Shen Wei was probably there to meet someone… like everyone else for that matter.
Zhao Yunlan couldn’t blame him; after all, Shen Wei was a young, vivacious man—it was normal for him to want to find comfort in the arms of another human, especially during these uncertain times.
“You look lovely,” declared Zhao Yunlan, meaning his words despite the clenching in his chest.
“I… thank you. I don’t usually participate in these things…”
“Oh…”
“…”
Zhao Yunlan slapped himself mentally for the suddenly awkward and stilted conversation. Nearby, the celebrations continued as laughed filled the air and songs rose all around them, ringing in the new season and announcing the start of the courting phase of the night.
“I should let you go meet… whomever,” said Zhao Yunlan awkwardly.
“I… yes, and you should go to Fu You. She’s probably waiting already—“
“Wait, did you say ‘Fu You’?”
Shen Wei ducked his head shyly, letting his heavily beaded hair fall over his shoulders and obscure his features.
“Sorry, I overheard. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Shen Wei… you misunderstood,” said Zhao Yunlan as understanding dawned on him. Shen Wei thought that he was planning on courting Fu You!
“…”
“I was helping Ma Gui,” said Zhao Yunlan with a fond sigh. “He’s so hopeless that he asked me to invite Fu You in his place. He’s the one who is going to meet her beneath the tree.”
“Then… you’re not…?”
Zhao Yunlan gave the young soldier a quizzical look followed by a knowing smirk. “What, you thought I liked Fu You? How silly of you, you know that I like—“
Shen Wei looked up from his feet to meet Zhao Yunlan’s eyes in earnest. From this distance, Zhao Yunlan could see that Shen Wei was simultaneously afraid and curious to hear the rest of his sentence.
“…you,” he trailed softly, catching the shift in Shen Wei’s eyes.
“No…” said Shen Wei in disbelief, shaking his head and sending his tresses flying all around him.
“Surely you know this,” pressed Zhao Yunlan, “surely you’re aware…?”
“I…. no” repeated Shen Wei a bit helplessly. “How could I know? I-I’m not very good with things like this… I’ve always lived alone and isolated. I don’t—“
Zhao Yunlan stepped forward in one swift movement and shushed Shen Wei’s awkward reply with a kiss, conveying his feelings with actions instead of words. To his delight, Zhao Yunlan felt Shen Wei’s arms snake around his back to hold him close, reciprocating his kiss by deepening it. When the pair broke apart, their breaths mingling and their eyes shining with love, Zhao Yunlan laughed at how dumb the whole thing was—not his sappy declaration, but the fact that he had fallen for Ma Gui’s trick and given in to ancient traditions.
“What’s wrong?” asked Shen Wei as Zhao Yunlan’s laughter died down.
“Nothing, I’m just surprised at myself sometimes,” replied Zhao Yunlan, running a free hand through Shen Wei’s hair and down his back. “I didn’t expect to fall prey to the festivities, but I guess there’s some magic in the air tonight.”
“Fu You said you’ve never celebrated midwinter before…”
“That’s right. Where I come from, we call it ‘Christmas’. People exchange gifts and spend time with their loved ones, but there’s no bonfire nor singing and dancing like this,” explained Zhao Yunlan as he rested his forehead against Shen Wei’s.
“And… do you usually kiss people on ‘Christmas’ too?” asked Shen Wei with genuine curiosity.
“Actually, yes,” admitted the other and, pulling out a short bundle of leaves and berries from his pocket, held it aloft above their heads.
“What’s that?”
“It’s what we call mistletoe. It’s traditional to kiss your loved one beneath it—it’s like a good luck charm for the year to come.”
Shen Wei peered up at the strange plant pinched tightly between Zhao Yunlan’s fingers.
“Then, if it’s traditional for you, we shouldn’t disregard it…”
Zhao Yunlan smiled widely at Shen Wei’s subtle demand for a second kiss and happily obliged by pressing his lips to his once more beneath the mistletoe.
"Merry Christmas, Xiao Wei."
"Happy Midwinter, Kunlun."
Nearby, the revellers started to move away from the festivities to retire to their homes—some now coupled with their heart’s targets, others heartbroken, but all agreed that the midwinter festival had been a success once again. Somewhere in the crowd, Ma Gui could be seen smiling happily from next to Fu You, the pair having been united thanks to ‘Kunlun’s’ efforts.
As for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, the two remained in their spot beneath the fir trees and the soft twinkling snow for a long time after the fire had died out completely, forgetting the outside world in favour of their own little universe.
The End.
~ Have a Merry Weilan Christmas everybody! ~