Chapter 269 - Henna.

"Do you need my help?" Aunt Lin asked with a calm smile.

"No don't worry, I will settle it myself," The man said.

"Do you have any ideas?" Aunt Lin asked with raised brows.

"Not yet, but am sure I'll come up with one," The man said as he slipped into deep thought.

Back at Chen Lihua and Liu Longwei's home.

Chen Lihua was currently sitting beside the pool in the backyard while getting her henna done, as she listened to a traditional Indian song from the Bluetooth speaker.

Henna is also known as mehndi. Mehndi is a form of body art originating in Ancient India, in which decorative designs are created on a person's body. The designs are done using a paste, made from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis).

There are many variations and designs for mehndi.

Women usually apply mehndi designs to their hands and feet, though some, including cancer patients and women with Alopecia, occasionally decorate their scalps. The standard colour of henna is brown, but other design colours such as white, red, black, and gold are sometimes employed.

But the colour Chen Lihua chose was brown, for she felt that it would look gorgeous on her.

Mehndi in Indian tradition is typically applied during Hindu weddings, Brahman weddings, Namboodiri weddings, and Hindu festivals like Karva Chauth, Diwali, Navratri Pooja, and Teej. Muslims in the Indian subcontinent also apply Mehndi during Muslim weddings, festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.

In Hindu festivals, many women have Henna applied to their hands and feet and sometimes on the back of their shoulders too; while men have it applied on their arms, legs, back, and chest.

For women, it is usually drawn on the palm, back of the hand, and on feet, where the design will be clearest due to contrast with the lighter skin on these surfaces, which naturally contain less of the pigment melanin.

After choosing the design she wanted, the henna artist began to work on her palms.

"Madam, do you want me to write a name on your palm?" The henna artist asked politely.

"Can you do that?" Chen Lihua asked in surprise.

"Of course, I can write a name if you want me to," The henna artist confirmed with a smile.

"Ok. Then I want you to write my husband's name on it," Chen Lihua said excitedly.

The henna artist smiled and continued to work after Chen Lihua gave her the name to imprint on her palms.

"Madam, do you want the henna in any other part of your body, like your feet?" The henna artist asked.

"No... No... No. I will ruin the henna if I apply it to my feet. Wait..... You just said that it can be applied in another part of the body right?" Chen Lihua asked as a mischievous light shone brightly in her eyes.

The henna artist nodded in confirmation while wondering what Chen Lihua was getting riled up for.

Chen Lihua immediately sent one of the servants that were waiting upon her to get Liu Longwei for her.

In a few minutes, Liu Longwei was seen with sunshades over his eyes while walking towards his wife in a black polo and jean.

"What are you listening to?" Liu Longwei asked as he lowered his face to kiss Chen Lihua on the cheek.

"It's an Indian song," Chen Lihua replied happily.

Liu Longwei nodded and sat beside Chen Lihua, on the seat the servant brought for him.

"How do you see it?" Chen Lihua asked him, as she showed him her palms excitedly.

Liu Longwei saw how she looked like an excited little girl, and so didn't disappoint her with his answer.

"It's beautiful," He said while staring at her palms.

"Thank you," Chen Lihua said with a beautiful smile. She seems to like the compliment a lot.

"Are your eyes alright?" Liu Longwei asked concernedly as he looked at the sunny sky, and back to his wife.

"It's kind of ok for now since am under the shade. But I know they will start burning up soon," Chen Lihua replied, while staring at her palms.

Liu Longwei removed the sunglasses from his eyes, and immediately placed them over Chen Lihua's eyes, before asking, "You sent for me?"

"That's right. I want you to get henna done," Chen Lihua said with a smile.

Liu Longwei poked her dimples with a finger as he replied, "You want me to get henna done? You can't be serious. Is it not just for women?"

Liu Longwei asked at the thought of applying henna on his palms.

"It's not only for women. Men do apply it. And am not asking you to apply it on your palms. You can apply it on any other part of your body, like your chest or arms," Chen Lihua explained immediately, having found out that his thoughts were going in a different direction.

"What if I don't want it?" Liu Longwei asked, while staring at her.

Chen Lihua stared back at him with a serious expression on her face.

Those that watched these two from the side would think that they were doing a staring competition.

After some seconds, Chen Lihua said domineeringly, "I want you to apply the henna, so you don't have a choice."

"Really?" Liu Longwei asked with a smile.

"Yes, Really!" Chen Lihua confirmed, before turning to look at the woman that was working on her palms to say, "Immediately you are done, work on his chest." 

"What if I want you to do it yourself?" Liu Longwei asked.

"Sweet little boy, you can't be pulling my legs right now. I've got henna on my palms, which hand do you want me to use?" Chen Lihua asked.

"Did you just call me, sweet little boy?" Liu Longwei asked in surprise, not sure if he heard clearly. Or maybe it's was not actually his wife that said that to him with her mouth because the wife he married didn't look like she would one day call him that.