Before she could make a sound of pain, his lips descended on hers. He ravaged her completely, biting until she would cry out against his lips. And then, he slowly licked at the wounds, soothing them slowly.

  When he finally pulled away, he massaged the back of her neck, feeling a little guilty. Her eyes were a little red from the pain and she looked livid.

  "What was that for?" she asked as she smacked his chest.

  "Punishment. For being an idiot," he said after a while. His fingers brushed against the corner of her mouth and he stared at her swollen lips for a while. "You will remember the lesson for a few days… at least." He frowned.

  Qian Meng groaned. "Caveman," she grunted as she pushed him away. "Now I have to look Uncle Bai in the face. He will know what you did!" She waved her finger in front of his face threateningly.

  Mo Qingchen shrugged. "Just showing off my good relationship with my fiancé." Why should he feel ashamed?

  She let out a loud huff before looking around her. The parking lot was somewhat desolate so no one had seen them. Hopefully. She scrambled to the car and heard the click of the doors being unlocked.

  She slid in and burrowed into the seat, hoping that it was a good hiding spot. She didn't speak to him for the rest of the ride to the hospital.

  She walked into Mr. Bai's room and found the lawyer chatting idly with the man in question. They looked up when they heard the door open and smiled.

  "Qian Meng, come and sit. Your wedding gift is here," Uncle Bai said with a warm smile. He looked a lot better than before. His voice was not hoarse any longer and the doctors seemed to have checked him over and given him permission to sit up and take visitors.

  "You really bought gifts for the wedding?" she asked.

  "Did you think I was joking? As an elder, it's my duty to give you a gift with meaning." He looked at her meaningfully and she couldn't help but smile bitterly.

  None of her family acted as elders, but this unrelated older gentleman took it upon himself to give a wedding gift. And the blessings of an elder from her side.

  "Ah, I didn't think I would get wedding gifts without inviting anyone," she snickered. "Now you are making me feel guilty, Uncle."

  Uncle Bai only smiled. "Once you have settled into married life, invite me to a grand meal and give me some wedding candy."

  Qian Meng nodded. "Now, tell me. What wedding gift did you get me?" she asked.

  "Nothing expensive. I heard of it a while ago and was meaning to let it go, but you seemed perfect for this." Qian Meng eyed the lawyer curiously.

  "The curator already placed the gift in my care. I have the transfer papers here," the lawyer said.

  She looked at the paper and blinked in surprise. "Where do I need to sign?" she said immediately. A gift from an elder could not be turned back. Though it didn't sound like much, but whatever Uncle Bai had bought for her would have a deep meaning.

  The papers were signed and finally, the lawyer went over and produced a box.

  Qian Meng turned to Mo Qingchen with delight.

  "What is it?" he whispered.

  "A chessboard," Bai Yu responded in her stead. "It's a chess set made in India during the nineteenth century," he added after a while.

  Qian Meng caressed the display case. It was a big oak box with a hinged lid. She opened it slowly and peered inside. She couldn't help but gasp. The interior was lined with black plush but the pieces inside were what caught her eye the most.

  "It's made from a rare type of ivory," Uncle Bai commented, satisfied with her expression. "Do you like it?" he asked finally.

  "I do!" Qian Meng exclaimed. He picked up the king and turned it in the light.

  One side of the board was stained green while the other retained its natural ivory color. The king and queens came with extensive foliate carvings. The bishops were flaming mitres, knights as horses heads, rooks as turrets with flags, pawns with more foliate decoration. All the pieces had elaborate leaf decoration at the bases.

  The craftsmanship was exquisite, to say the least.

  "It's beautiful," Qian Meng remarked. "I will have to display it!"

  Uncle Bai shook his head. "Even if you display it, you must play with it often. Such things only have value when used for their true purpose. No matter the age or how beautiful they look on the outside," he explained. He looked between Mo Qingchen and Qian Meng. "Do you understand?"

  Maybe both of them did, maybe neither figured it out.

  "Isn't it because you want to play a hand with me on this chessboard?" Qian Meng joked.

  "You've caught me," Uncle Bai replied.

  Mo Qingchen kept his eyes on the pieces and held up the queen. Indeed, it was exquisite. But then he turned to Bai Yu.

  "Didn't you say you had something for me, too?" he asked shamelessly.

  Bai Yu chortled in surprise. "Oh yes," he finally said. "A schoolmate of mine was from a family of imperial chefs dating back to the early thirteen hundreds. His family invites a couple of people a year to taste the authentic cuisine. Usually, money won't get you in. But I know that you like food, so I called my friend."

  Mo Qingchen didn't react verbally but his eyes sparkled.

  "Oh," Qian Meng gasped. "So, authentic as the days of the Kings? No recipes changed?" she asked.

  Bai Yu nodded. "They grow their own produce, too. So, the taste remains untainted by modern times." He smiled.

  "Sounds good," Mo Qingchen said after a while.

  "Well, I have given you two the gifts you want. You'll have a taste of royal food and an infinite number of games to accompany you in your life together."