・・・☆・Forty Nine・・・☆・

Yingyue woke for the first time in ages in her old room at her parents. No this wasn't because the last few months was some sort of fever dream. No it wasn't because she had an argument and gone to escape for the night. She wasn't like that no one argument would cause her to leave the house. She might have slept in one of the spare rooms but not leave the house. Not that the couple ever really properly argued. And when they did it was normally over very ridiculous fickle and they were over it within a matter of minutes after the argument had concluded. No today was the actual day. Like the day she had been dreaming of since she was 12. Like holy mother of pearl it was finally on her. The months of planning, the countless appointments, the number of alterations to the guest list. Finally all done with leading up to this morning. 

In fact Yingyue was so nervous that she was going to trip during the day that she had been awake since like 4am. Okay so more like quarter to four. She had spent most of her morning scrolling through her photos saved on her phone. Knowing that as soon as one of her bridal party arrived that her phone would be taken away. But that wasnt really why she was on her phone. No she just really wanted to see his face. 

It might sound pathetic, but Yingyue had grown so used to just being around him constantly that sleeping at night without him in the same bed was actually so difficult. Like it was one of the worst nights sleep she had gotten in forever, turning over in bed and not feeling him there was horrible. Like painstainkingly horrible. Like this just one night, god forbid she ever had to go without him for the rest of her life. 

Yan Ximen was her whole life. He was her best friend, the love of her life and the man she was going to marry. The man she was going to marry today. Like today. It was happening and she was so happy that it was finally happening. She was finally going to be able to call herself his wife. And that was some of the best news she had heard in months. 

She felt like Bella Swan from Twilight, almost like dependent on him. But like not in a bad way, well she hoped not in a bad way. They were able to get along just fine without each other constantly by their sides, but it didn't mean that they wanted it to be like that. Like now she was looking through her photos and he was basically in every single one of them. Her photos were more of a phonebook of him then they were a casual collection of ones she had taken. There were photos where he had not noticed she was taking them but he still looked like her own little angel. Like he had been sent down from heaven just for her, just to protect and to love her and make her feel special. And he did, he did his job so well. That was why she was so giddy to finally be marrying him. 

It was just past 9 am when her bedroom door opened. The first face Yingyue was greeted with on her wedding day was that of the women who had cared for her since she was a baby. Auntie E and Auntie X had almost charged into the room with the biggest gleeful faces she had ever seen the pair muster. They had even brought a tiny little cake with a singular candle on in like it was her birthday but better. 

"Happy wedding day Yeye." They chimed out in unison and Yingyue had to ponder if they had rehearsed it to get the phrase so in sync. She immediately sat herself up properly a smile as wide as their own sent right back. 

"It's here, its finally here. I'm finally going to be fully happy." Most people would think Yingyue's words were over the top how could she really be that happy. But she was this was the start of her family properly. The family she was craving, the one where she would be so involved with her own children they would come before her job way before her job. She wanted to be a better parent a more involved parent than her own had been. And she had the perfect guy to do it with. 

"You're so grown up. You're getting married, you're settling down. Soon you'll be telling us you're going to be a mother. And I'm so proud of you." Auntie E gushed as she held the cake out in front of Yingyue to blow the candle out. 

"Thank you both, for everything. You have made me into the woman I am today." Yingyue could have cried with these words but she tried to not, not really wanting to cry so early on in the day knowing she was going to later on. Like there was no way she wasn't going to cry later on. 

"Come on we've got a long day in front of us if you want to be ready to leave here at 1." Auntie X encouraged as she motioned for the girl to stand up taking away her phone and her distractions. 

By the time Chang-Xiao and Meizuo had turned up Yingyue was washed and sat in her robe just chilling. Technically they were supposed to be doing her hair right about now, but also Yingyue was currently enjoying the playlist they were blasting around the room way too much currently the bride was having a little boogie to 'They don't know about us' one of her favourite One Direction songs. Chang-xiou from the second she had entered the room was also singing along to the song. 

Yingyue had spun on her chair and stood to dance with Chang-xiou around the room, completely oblivious to Meizuo filming the two girls. The boy wanted to record it for blackmail use later but also so he could send it to a very anxious Ximen who was worried his bride was not okay. 

By the time they had actually convinced Yingyue to sit still for long enough to get her hair done, Changxiou was dressed in her bridesmaid dress, classically it was red, and now she was trying to distract the bride ready for their next surprise. It was working well, Yingyue was easy enough to distract all it took Chang-xiou to do was to ask her to rate the latest competitors on the bachelor, the girl was way too into the show. 

The next surprise was one the bridal party had been working on for weeks now. From way before the group had gone to Canada, actually they had been working on it since said surprise had gone to Paris. Though Yingyue had not caught on, she hadn't picked up on any of the clues the others had hinted at her. Maybe she was too stressed about something or maybe she was just a little bit oblivious. But the surprise walked her way in trying to make as little sound as possible. In fact she made no sound at all as she took over doing the girls hair from Auntie E. 

No sound was made as she finished the section of hair curling it and pinning it in place. She was really good at keeping quiet when she wanted to surprise someone. Which wasn't really in her normal character. But it was going to make some amazing memories. Especially today. Securing the last pin, the surprise decided it was time to make her presence known. 

"I think we're done with your hair. Do you like it or do you want something changed?" She hoped the girl was able to clue who she was from her voice but knowing the younger girl she wouldn't be surprised if it took a little longer than expected. In fact it took Yingyue until she looked in the mirror and made eye contact with the younger girl that she saw her surprise. 

"No way, no actual way. What is going on? I... Jesus guys this. My god!" Yingyue exclaimed as she turned around on her seat to give the older girl a hug. 

"You actually made it, I... I didn't think you were coming. Jing I heard nothing from you for months, I didn't even think you got the invite. I tried to chase your mother to see if she had told you if you were coming and she refused to tell me. I guess I know why now." Yingyue officially cried for the first time that day as she tackled Jing in the biggest hug she could possibly do. It was as if the months of kinda not knowing what was going on in terms of their friendship really meant nothing. It was like Jing had never left for France. 

"I couldn't miss this, I could never miss your big day. I made you a promise I would be here, and I plan to fulfill that promise until the very end. I was going to be here even if you banned me I would still make my way in." Both girls were crying at this point, but they weren't necessarily tears of sadness but more of tears of reuniting with a lost family member after so long. 

"Your real maid of honour is here now Yeye, it's okay I always knew I was just the place holder. Who do you think organised Jing's dress fitting." Meizuo announced and Yingyue turned to look at him confused she still kinda wanted him in that role, he was a great maid of honour, he never let her get stressed about the wedding, he planned a great night last week for her Hen do and he deserved the spot.

"But I want both of you as my maid of honour, I know it's not traditional. But Jing she's my sister, but your my brother and I want you both to be a big part of my wedding day." Yingyue tried to protest as she watched the two maids of honour look each other in the eye almost having a silent conversation between the pair. 

"I guess we'll just share." Jing announced before going back to fiddling around with the makeup as that was the last thing they had to do.

Another hour later, and the only thing left to do was get into the actual dress. This was the part that Yingyue was the most worried about. What if her dress no longer fitted, what if she tripped in it. There were so many questions but she just knew that it was time. Considering the couple had taken their pre wedding photos in the traditional wedding clothes this one was more westernised. Meaning Yingyue was wearing the most classical white dress she could find, wanting to appear timeless and not easily aged by what she was wearing. Just like the same illusion the traditional garments gave. 

Auntie X was the one to lace the back of the dress for Yingyue and seeing herself in for the first time properly was a completely new feeling. Yingyue felt like a woman, she felt like she could take on the world in this dress. She felt ready. And she was ready. 

Well until she got nervous at the bottom of the stairs. Her relationship with her parents was strained. They had only wanted the best for her but by trying so hard to ensure they could provide for her, they had resulted in not really spending any time with the girl whilst she was growing up. And now she was getting married and she didn't even have the confidence in their relationship to call her father 'dad'. He was about to walk her down the isle and she only felt as though she could push to call him 'father' yet the urge to just refer to him as 'Mr Jiang' was almighty. But she tried to bury this at the back of her conscious. She didn't want to think about it, not really, she wanted to focus on the positive. Like the fact that she knew her father would never let her trip on her way down the isle. That would bring embarrassment to the whole family yet alone the budding bride who's nerves suddenly ignited themselves as she thought about how she was most likely going to forget her own vows when it came to it. 

But she was here now, they were at the chapel, stood right outside. Her bridal party had gone ahead and the key for her entrance to the room was played.

It was time to get married.