THE REAL PROTEGE

"Whao! Cool! A unicorn!"

Enfield and Chatty exchanged wide-eyed glances "...."

"No way! That's not a unicorn! Unicorns are horses!" Mia jumped in with enthusiasm.

"You're absolutely right!" Chatty chimed in. "It's not a unicorn at all — it's an Enfield! A tiny, adorable fox!" Chatty explained, keeping it fun and simple for the kids.

"Yes! I want one so badly!"

"Me too! I'm going to ask my Grandpa to get me one! How awesome would that be?!"

The Enfield let out a gentle rumble, something between a purr and a chuckle. The children gasped.

"He just laughed!" Basti shouted. "Do it again! Say something funny!"

"Tell him your worst joke," Chatty encouraged.

Mia leaned close to the Enfield's velvety ear. "What do you call a sleepy dinosaur?" She paused for dramatic effect. "A dino-snore!"

The Enfield blinked slowly, then gave a faint sneeze that ruffled Mia's bangs.

"I think that means he's allergic to bad jokes!" Linh burst into giggles.

The children erupted in laughter, climbing over pillows and each other to get closer to the stage.

Nearby, parents smiled as the joyous cacophony echoed through the pavilion. Some regretted not bringing their children or grandchildren with them.

Ling Li, dressed in a high-collared red silk gown embroidered with rolling platinum clouds, sat beside a column wrapped in blooming wisteria. Her posture was elegant, her head slightly tilted as she watched her daughters, her lips gently curved in a way that suggested serenity, but her gaze shimmered with something else.

Something earned.

The kind of peace that only blooms after battle.

Her hands were clasped softly in her lap.

Chu Yan, standing nearby with a half-smile, watched her watch them — one hand resting loosely in his pocket, the other carrying a small velvet box he hadn't yet given her. His gaze softened every time one of the girls looked his way.

The Twins, hand in hand, followed by Lily, assisted by Chatty and Shun, gave away their birthday souvenir to their guests. Despite being in a wheelchair, Fatty follows behind them.

Ren, in a soft emerald evening gown, leaned over to Pharsa, whispering behind a fan, "Tell me again why our family celebrations always feel like mini state ceremonies?"

Pharsa blinked once, deadpan. "Because if we don't go big, we might go extinct."

"...."

Laughter.

The spell of the evening had not only held — it had begun to heal.

One whispered wish at a time.

As the birthday celebrations gently dimmed into the soft golden hours of twilight, a subtle transformation swept over the estate. A delicate chime sounded, and ushers in embroidered sashes began guiding guests — political dignitaries, business titans, and family elders — through a colonnade of floating lanterns toward the adjacent Phoenix Courtyard, now bathed in a warm, amber glow.

The scent of sandalwood and osmanthus floated through the air of the garden as guests stepped into a space untouched by time.

At the center stood a moon gate, haloed in jade branches and crimson silk, its arch wrapped with flowering wisteria that swayed with a breathless kind of reverence. Beneath its embrace was an open-air altar, canopied in white plum blossoms, their falling petals catching moonlight like snow suspended mid-fall.

In front of it, a ceremonial platform lay prepared with:

Twin crimson silk floor cushions, stitched with phoenixes in flight.

A bronze incense burner, smoke spiraling into the sky like prayers made visible.

Bowls of fruits, wine, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice cakes.

Two ornate tea trays, each engraved with ancestral characters and inlaid with jade handles.

Then, silence deepened.

Ling Li stepped into the courtyard, radiant not in opulence, but in authority and grace.

Ling Li wore a form-fitting crimson Qun Kwa, hand-embroidered with golden thread: phoenixes rising from flame, pearls dotting the cuffs like starlight, and tiny stitched clouds winding over her shoulders. Her hair was swept into a celestial knot, held in place by a white jade comb that her mother had gifted to her.

Chu Yan walked beside her, no longer merely the groom, but her equal in spirit. He wore ceremonial robes of imperial cinnabar, the wide cuffs lined in midnight brocade, his shoulders unarmed and unadorned — his strength stripped of arrogance, steeped in humility.

Together, they knelt.

The Three Bows (三拜之礼)

El Padre, standing beside the incense altar in a long scholar's robe of navy and bronze, raised a bamboo scroll and proclaimed in a clear, unwavering voice:

"First bow — to Heaven and Earth!"

In unison, Ling Li and Chu Yan turned toward the open sky. Their hands pressed together in front of their chests, heads bowed low until their foreheads nearly touched the floor — an offering of submission to the cosmos, and a plea for guidance beyond the veil of fate.

"Second bow — to the parents and elders!"

They pivoted, now facing two thrones on each side:

Old Master Li and his wife, dressed in traditional brocade, sat with measured pride — their expressions softening into something almost vulnerable as they watched their daughter kneel before them for the first time in a decade.

Mr. and Mrs. Xu, poised and weeping silently, received their son's reverence with awe.

The couple bowed deeply and remained in the kneeling position as both mothers stepped forward, sprinkling rice wine and red flower petals over their heads — a gesture steeped in history, meant to anoint them with prosperity, purity, and fertility.

"Third bow, to each other — husband and wife, bound by the stars!"

Ling Li and Chu Yan turned to face one another.

And this bow was different.

Their eyes met, and they did not break the gaze. They bowed slowly, deliberately, smiling through tears and fire, their foreheads tipping like two blades surrendering in peace.

The Tea Ceremony (敬茶)

Two attendants approached with jade-inlaid tea trays. Ling Li and Chu Yan shifted forward, still kneeling, and began the most intimate of rites.

They served in this order:

To Mr. Xu, Chu Yan offered the tea first, bowing his head low with trembling hands. His father accepted the cup, drank with both hands, and said only:

"Stand tall. You carry our name… but today, you begin carrying hers too."

To Mrs. Xu, Ling Li served with a calm smile. Mrs. Xu gripped her hands tightly after drinking, whispering blessings between tears.