Yixing was bothered, there was no denying that. He had returned home with a foul mood, which didn't go unseen by his mother. She was about to ask him about it, when he walked in to his room and slammed the door shut. She knew something was wrong, usually he would greet her cheerfully or plant a kiss on her cheeks every now and then, when he felt extremely elated. But, never once had he ignored her, like he had today.

That was the thing about Yixing; no matter what it was he refused to share his problems with anyone. No amount of probing would get him to confess what was bothering him. Sometimes, his mother wished he were more open and candid, at least that way she could console him. But, Yixing had been exactly like his father- he was very cryptic with his thoughts. She sighed loudly as she heard the door to his room slam, he hadn’t even eaten dinner.

She found herself thinking about his father, he would never tell what was going on in his mind. Would things have been different if he did? Would she have been able to stop him from testifying against the corrupt entrepreneur, which had eventually cost his life? She never knew what her husband had been up to. Neither did she know about the dangerous game he was playing by going against these powerful men. He had told her about only after everything had been done, it was too late by then.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and set her sewing kit aside. She would get Yixing to talk about what was in his mind.

“Yixing,” she called out, knocking on his door violently. “It’s rude to ignore your mother this way, son.”

Yixing had been lying on his bed, an arm propped below his head, while his other hand held on to his mother’s ring securely, twirling it around as he thought about what had happened. He wasn’t in the mood to speak to his mother, especially about what had been bothering him.

Did Michelle really wish to get married to Luhan? Was he even capable of keeping her happy? But what was it to him? The girl would eventually have to be wedded to someone in the future and it would never be him.

She had managed to stir his heart in these few days they had spent together. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted her to be happy; he wanted her to smile willingly. And he wanted to be the one to make her smile, because he was certain that he had developed an attachment towards the girl. He loved her.

He had fallen in love with her and she didn’t have to do anything. He hadn’t even realized how it had happened; she had gradually found her way in to his heart. It may have the way her eyes gleamed when she spoke about her friends or it may have been her set determination in finding Nana. Perhaps, it was her frank nature or how she never paid heed to what others might have thought. It could have been the way her eyes lit up when he gave her the bracelet or the way she hugged him after that. He wasn’t certain what it was or when it was, he had simply fallen in love with her.  He had never seen anyone like her before, Michelle Yang was unique in her own way. And that singularity of hers had bewitched him.

He knew his feelings towards her would never bear any fruits. There were plenty of things dividing them. He didn’t have to be reminded again and again that he was merely a secretary who worked for her father; it was etched in his mind and every time he got carried away, it warned him that he was over-stepping the line. But, even if they did overcome that barrier, what good was it? At the end of the day, she had been hopelessly in love with Luhan.

“Yixing!” His mother knocked on his door again. “I’ll break down the door if you don’t open.”

Yixing knew not to ignore his mother’s threats; the plump lady was more than capable of doing so. He remembered the time a thief had broken in to the neighbor’s house, the lady in the household had screamed for help. His mother had managed to knock him down single-handedly with a rolling pin.

Groaning softly, he got up from his bed to un-latch the door; his mother had grown livid waiting for him to open. She glared at him, one of her hands resting on her hips, scrutinizing him in a disapproving manner.

Yixing let out a small yelp when his mother caught hold of his ear to twist it harshly, he didn’t even know how the short lady had managed to reach up to his height.

“Mother,” he protested, “I’m a grown man now.”

“Then stop acting like a child and listen to your mother,” she huffed, but softened on seeing Yixing’s dismal features.

“What is bothering you, son?” She urged him to sit down as she settled on his bed.

“Nothing, mother... please don’t worry about it,” he answered ruefully.

His mother’s eyes then caught sight of the ring he had been playing with. “Does this have anything to do with that young lady?” She narrowed her eyes warily. “The children these days,” she huffed, “get upset over a mere lovers’ quarrel.”

“Mother,” Yixing said defensively. “This isn’t any lovers’ quarrel! I’m merely an acquaintance to her…actually no, I’m just her father’s secretary.”

“Oh.” His mother hadn’t known who she was. Yixing hadn’t mentioned much about his job, except that he worked as a wealthy businessman’s secretary. “So, that’s the problem, isn’t it?” she asked as she immediately understood what had happened. She knew it was nearly impossible for these wealthy families to associate with other families out of their circles.

Yixing nodded solemnly. “It’s alright, mother,” he replied. “It was just a passing infatuation, I’ll be fine.” 

Yixing smiled softly to reassure his mother he was fine, although he wasn’t. He still didn’t know what to make of his feelings.

“Have you at least told her about it?” his mother asked, caressing his creased forehead with her calloused palm.

“I don’t wish to burden her.”

“Oh, Yixing,” his mother pulled him in to a warm embrace to console him, patting his back gently, “any girl would be lucky to have you, my son."

“And every mother probably says the same thing to her son,” he chuckled, resting his head on his mother’s snug shoulder as she comforted him.

∻∻∻

Liling could sense the palpable tension between everyone. Mr. Lu had been immersed in his own world; he chewed on to his food slowly, taking occasional sips of wine. Mrs. Lu would spew insults at Michelle, every now and then, to which the girl would retort with an equally witty reply. But, Michelle’s icy stare never once left Luhan. Luhan, on the other hand, chose to pretend that everything was going well.

“Liling, dear, the stew tastes wonderful,” Luhan’s mother exclaimed. “It was so humble of you to cook for us.”

“Oh, please, Mrs. Lu, it was nothing. I’ve always been interested in lending at hand in the kitchen.”

“Is that so? Oh, how wonderful, dear. A woman must always have a thorough set of culinary skills, even if you’re perfectly capable of affording a cook.

Do you cook M