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“I’m just saying. If I was married to the savior of China, I wouldn’t cheat on her. And certainly not with a man.”
The rumor mill has run wild since Fa Mulan has returned back to her town, for many reasons.
One: the girl that the matchmaker deemed hopeless returning home with a gorgeous man at her side.
Two: the girl that the village deemed hopeless saving China and bringing the highest of honors to her family.
Three: the girl’s husband and his… odd side suitor.
There’s a man that Li Shang is seen with sometimes, dueling with him, sweaty and familiar. They clearly fought in the war together and they knew each other’s bodies well, evident from their dance of combat and the way when one was pinned to the ground, they’d start to passionately kiss.
So yeah. It’s not like they were keeping it much of a secret.
They all wondered if Mulan knew. She must know. But no one wants to be the one to tell the her that her husband is unfaithful. So they don’t say anything, just gawk at their audacity.
Today, the mysterious man and Shang finish their spar with Shang massaging intimately, hands low on his back and hips and waist.
The neighbors continue to gawk and whisper while Shang and ‘Ping’ are oblivious.
“Your back is still bothering you?” Shang asks Mulan.
“When is it not?” Mulan groans, leaning her head against his shoulder as he massages deeply at her aching muscles.
“I didn’t push you too hard, did I?”
“Oh,” Mulan says, “I was going easy on you.”
His gentle fingers begin to tickle her sides and she squeals away with a laugh. “Shang!”
“They look happy,” the nosy neighbors say amongst themselves. “As happy as Mulan and Shang.”
“Maybe it’s the three of them? I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one man were after Mulan’s heart.”
And as they continue to speculate, Mulan and Shang head inside for a bath and a cup of tea. Shang makes it best, never oversteeps, his hand steady as he pours.
“I don’t know why you let them continue to gossip about you like that,” Mulan says.
“Who cares what they think?” Shang says. “They’re blind fools if they can’t tell that it’s you.”
“That makes you a blind fool too.”
“Hey! We were in a war where only men were drafted. How was I supposed to assume you were anything but one? They’ve known you all your life. They see you everyday!”
“People see what they want to see,” Mulan shrugs. “They’ve said whatever they’ve wanted to say about me for as long as I could remember. Always a disappointment. Always bringing dishonor. But their opinions don’t matter. The only ones that matter are the people who know me, every part of me.”