Eww.
A chorus of appreciative murmurs came from the women around me. I gaped at the lingerie. As Qina tipped her finger inconspicuously against her temple.
"This is for your wedding night," Lady Rara said with a calculating glint in her eyes.
"I bet Fu Shao will love unwrapping you, sweetie. We need to please our husbands. Fu Shao will certainly expect something this sexy."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
Had Fu Shao maybe set his stepmother up to give this to me? I wouldn't put it past him.
NO way. Not after he'd gotten birth control for me. My stomach twisted with worry, and it got only worse when the woman started talking about their wedding nights.
"I was so embarrassed when it was time for the presentation of the sheets!" Fu Shao cousin Lifei stage-whispered.
"The presentation of the sheets?" I asked.
Lady Rara smile was patronizing when she said,
"Didn't your mother explain it to you?"
I glanced at my mother who pressed her lips together, two red blotches appearing on her cheeks.
"It's a Marquise Fu tradition that the Fu family has proudly upheld for generations," Sheexplained, eyes fixed on my face.
"After the wedding night, the ladies of the groom's family come to the bridal pair to collect the sheets they spent the night on. Then those sheets are presented to the fathers of the bride and the groom and whoever else wants to see proof that the marriage has been consummated and that the bride was pure and virginity."
Lifei giggled.
"It's also called tradition of the bloody sheets for that reason."
My face was frozen.
"That's a shameless tradition!" Qina hissed.
"Mother, you can't allow it."
"It's not up to me," Mother said.
"That's right. We won't abandon our traditions."
Lady Rara turned to me.
"And from what I know you've been well protected from men attention so there's nothing for you to fear. The sheets will prove your honour, sweetie."
Qina lips curled, but all I could think about was that this tradition meant I definitely had to sleep with him.
The afternoon before the wedding day, my family moved out of the Troika hotel and headed for the Great Hall Black mansion in the B restricted city.
That's was a huge building inspired by antique pavilion and surrounded by almost three acres of gardens grounds.
The driveway was long and winding, and led past four double garages and two guesthouses until it ended in front of the real great mansion with its black gold front and red shingled roof.
Black and white marble statues stood at the base of the double staircase leading up to the front door.
Inside, coffered ceilings, gold columns and floors, and a view of the ocean and the long pool through the panoramic windows took my breath away.
Just then, the master Fu, his father and stepmother led us toward the second floor of the left wing where our bedrooms were situated.
As Qina and I insisted on sharing a room. I didn't care if that made us look childish but I needed my sister to be at my side. From the window we could watch how the maid and servants began setting up the huge pavilion that would serve as a wedding vow take place tomorrow.
Beyond it the ocean churned.