・・・☆・Thirty Six ・・・☆・

It had been about two days since Si had announced that in order for Shancai to gain his mother's approval he wanted her to participate in his mother's cooking competition. The only problem was that it was a very elite competition which only occurred once every three years. This meant that only the best of the best would be able to actually get through the preliminary rounds until they met his mother and were judged by her. And Shancai had very little professional experience other than her current part time job and working for her family business, which was only a small local restaurant with not the highest rating around. Yingyue felt for the girl knowing just how much pressure would be upon her to do well in this competition if it was what was needed to impress the matriarch of the Daoming family. She just didn't know how they could help her get ready for the competition. 

Apparently the way to do so was to research her opponents so Shancai at least had some prior knowledge to what she was going up against. Therefore, the members of F4, after a lot of persuading in some of their cases, were gathered at Yingyue and Ximen's house. The group having collated around the dining room table with Ximen, Meizuo and Lei crowded around a laptop doing research. Yingyue sat opposite them on the table painting her nails. She was currently sat in a black turtleneck, paired with a brown and black tartan print skirt and a pair of black tights. She was currently painting her nails red waiting for the group of three to announce anything they had found regarding the situation. Si sat off at the other end of the table seeming rather disinterested in the whole researching scheme. He seemed to be formulating his own plan and Yingyue was happy enough to allow him to do so. 

"Zhou Caina is probably Shancai's most formidable opponent." Meizuo announced as if he had come across the holy grail. 

"They're all her opponents." Ximen added being really useful in the whole researching department. Yingyue wanted to roll her eyes at him but the problem was that he lifted his fcae so that their eyes met just as she was about to do so. So she smiled at him instead not wanting to annoy him considering they had a very important appointment to go to later that afternoon. 

"Junior champion of Chinese Delicacies Competition, finalist of Le Cordon Bleu Girls competition." Lei seemed to be reading off the accomplishments of Zhou Caina and Yingyue had to admit if someone probably deserved to win this competition it would be her, she had worked hard and proved she deserved a place in the competition. 

"Even without all those titles, Shancai is nothing compared to her." Ximen commented and Yingyue rose an eyebrow, what did he mean about being nothing compared to this other girl. She had yet to see a picture of this girl and could feel the jealousy rise within her. This better not be an incredibly pretty and talented girl. Yingyue would admit she was pretty but she was not talented. Meizuo took one look at the only female in the room's face and decided not to continue that conversation on rather turning it to Si. Si who sat at the other end of the table drinking the glass of milk he had requested upon entering the house. 

"You're still drinking milk?" He had commented. "Are you even listening to us?" He added when he got no reply. 

"If you want some ask, I'm sure Yingyue has plenty." Si replied not answering the second question. 

"Is that supposed to be funny? If Shancai loses don't come complaining to us." Meizuo bit back obviously frustrated by the one member of the group who was sitting around idly. Considering he was the one who wanted to go through with this whole plot Yingyue did roll her eyes at this one. Si suddenly moved himself closer to the group going to stand beside Yingyue who had put her nail polish brush down for a moment. 

"Have you forgotten? She's the only girl that dare stands up to F4. What can't she do" Si spoke as if this was the answer to every question they could ever give him. 

"Hey what about me?" Yingyue whined in response she was a girl and she sure did stand up to them. 

"You don't count, Ximen is basically wrapped around your pinky finger you just look at him and he caves. That doesn't count because he's a wimp." Si replied back and Yingyue had to agree with him in one status, none of the boys really did try to fight against her especially not her fiancé. 

"I believe she can do it. Just wait and see Shancai surprises everyone." Si added leaning forward so that he was perched on the dining table and pushed the laptop down slightly. Eventually the group of five moved the conversation onwards to other things which were going on in their lives. Yingyue listened slightly to what everyone was saying trying to join in the conversation however her phone dinged to signal she had gotten a message. She peered down to her phone to see a contact she was not expecting to reach out to her. It had been over a month and a half now that she had last heard from Jing, having assumed that the older girl no longer wanted her in her life. This sucked by Yingyue worked out that she would just get over it at some point used to whatever life she would live without the girl she considered her older sister in it. 

Jing:

I'm Sorry

Yingyue had to pinch herself for a moment. Had this message really just come through? She locked her phone and unlocked it, repeating this action two more times. Just to see if the message would disappear on her. It didn't, it remained and she was confused. Why was Jing suddenly messaging her with an apology, what had happened which meant she suddenly wanted the girl back in her life. Yingyue for the first time surrounding her relationship with the older girl, was sceptic. She didn't know where they stood anymore how was she supposed to reply. She had changed the girls contact name a couple weeks back now and staring at the plain name just put her in more of a state of confusion as to what to do. How did she reply? Did she reply? Or was she just to leave it and see what happened later on. 

Her pondering as she continued to stare at the message brought the attention of the four boys at the table. They turned in some strange synchronised fashion to look at Yingyue who's eyes were fixated on her phone a conversation open in front of her.

"Yingyue are you alright there?" It was Lei who was the first to question the girl. 

"I think so, Jing just messaged me." She replied almost robotically as she continued to try and process why the older girl would suddenly be messaging her. Ximen wasted no time in rushing around the table to be by her side. He was suddenly behind her his hands resting on the top of her arms ready to offer any support she needed. 

"What did she say Yeye?" Ximen's voice was soft as he asked Yingyue the question.

"She just said 'I'm Sorry'. How am I... what am I supposed to say back?" Yingyue questioned a look of confusion marring her face. 

"You don't have to if you don't want to right now. Maybe you can call her when we get back this evening." Ximen offered as he gently rubbed the top of her arms in a calming fashion. Yingyue looked up to meet three looks of understanding for the other boys too understood that she was overwhelmed by this sudden message. Deciding to heed by that idea she locked her phone a final time. After all she wanted to speak to Ximen privately about the older girl, as despite their recent differences Yingyue still desperately wanted her to be a big part of their wedding, she was almost desperate for Jing to be her maid of honour even if they were both not really on speaking terms at the moment. She hated herself for thinking this way but every time she had imagined her wedding ever since she was young, that was the role the older girl had and she couldn't think of a situation where that wouldn't occur. 

Eventually the three members of F4 who did not live in the house headed out. It was in a good nick of time as well as Yingyue checked the clock to see that there was 20 minutes until their appointment. Trying not to seem as though she was pushing them out Yingyue stood at the door waving frantically at the group watching them pull away from her house with a beam of a smile on her face. Once noting they were all gone she nipped to the master bedroom. Once inside she picked up the pair of black dainty heels she was going to wear and her black jacket before making her way back to the front door. 

"Come on Xi otherwise we'll be late." She called out only to be shocked at the sudden appearance of him around the corner.

"Already on it." With a smirk he had her hand in his own and was pulling her out of the front door. Locking the door with his free hand, they then walked over to his car which they would be using to get to their destination. 

The drive was mainly quiet on the way there the pair listening to the radio not really making much of an effort to start a conversation. There was no need to they both were running through the possible outcomes of this appointment, with different opinions in their heads. It could go one of two ways but they were both hoping for the best. 

"Are you excited?" Yingyue's voice broke the comfortable silence. 

"You bet I am, I know we've started preparations some time back but I've been waiting for the update for what feels like forever." Ximen replied as he reached out to grab Yingyue's hand with the one he had been using to shift gear. 

"I'm so excited to see the overall progress." Yingyue added as they pulled up in the parking spaces outside the building. She waited a second before moving to let herself out of the car. She was actually beaten to it as her door was opened and a hand was offered to her.

"Oh my what a gentleman." She complimented taking the outstretched hand and allowing Ximen to assist her out of the car. 

"Only the best treatment for my queen." Was his response as he kept their hands interlocked before placing them inside his jacket pocket. The pair walked up to the doors of the building as Yingyue once again caught the sign above the door. It was a pristine white lettered sign which spelt out the words 'Ming's family wedding services'. The couple had been coming here for the last three or so months and were hoping to get an overall status update regarding the plans. It didn't feel as though they had been engaged for that long but the time seemed to tick by faster than they realised considering they had gotten engaged in the new year and it was very quickly approaching spring and summer. 

"Mr Yan, Miss Jiang." How lovely to see you Ms Ming their normal consultant/ wedding planner greeted. 

"Ms Ming how great it is to see you again." Ximen took the lead as he lead the pair into her office and into the two seats opposite her desk. 

"I've got some good news it does look like we will be ready in the next three months, I got an update regarding the dress saying it will be ready in about 8 weeks time. We just need to finalise the wedding party and the final guest list. You've got about two weeks to do that, but that will be our deadline for invitations and so we can start on a seating plan." Ms Ming noted and Yingyue turned to Ximen with the brightest smile she could muster, things were finally coming together and that was all that she needed. 

Things were looking up and she couldn't wait to marry the love of her life. As bits continued to fall into place the reality of the situation improved. Three months. 12 weeks. That was it, 12 weeks and she would officially be Mrs Yan. 

12 weeks.