Six.

Birthdays were different. I’d always look forward to them. Nana would ask the cooks to make me a special birthday feast. And I along with my family would enjoy it. My mother wouldn’t say anything but she’d refrain from her usual nagging. My sister would keep to herself and not bully me like she usually did. And my father, he’d give me a small amount of money to spend.

It was one day that made me feel special. And it was certainly a day I cherished every year.

I would persuade Nana to take me to the market and we’d go wandering on the streets, buying everything that would catch my eye. When we were to return from our trip, Nana would stop by a small stall to purchase my favorite steamed buns. And my day would be complete.

After Nana left, birthdays were never the same. Sure, I had Luhan and Liling to keep me company but it wasn’t comparable to spending time wandering around the markets with Nana.

Since then I had only wished for one thing, for Nana to come back in my life. It had been a decade since then and there were no signs of Nana. And I stopped believing in wishes.

Michelle trod down the stairs in the morning; the breakfast table had been empty. One of the maids informed her that her parents and her sister were busy with the wedding preparations and had decided to start their day early. Michelle sighed and settled on the dining table, she somehow preferred eating alone than with her family. At least she didn’t have to face her sister’s scrutinizing looks and her mother’s constant nagging.

The cook, who had been with their family since Michelle was young, stepped out of the kitchen to greet her. Michelle although slightly confused as to why he had suddenly decided to greet her, smiled slightly and nodded in return. It was when her eyes fell onto the cloche he held in hands she realized what was happening. She was pleasantly surprised that the old man managed to remember.

It had been long since she stopped caring. Birthdays weren’t a big deal anymore. She spent it alone anyway and it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Happy Birthday, Young Miss.” The chef smiled and placed the dish on the table. She didn’t have to wait for him to open the cloche to reveal what was in it, she already knew. It was one of her favorite dishes. She felt thankful; at least someone was trying to make her day special.

She smiled genuinely at the old man. “Thank you, Mr. Han. I’ll savor it.”

She was about to dig in to the bowl when she footsteps shuffled to where she had been sitting. Michelle turned slightly to find the secretary bowing down at her. She shook her head slightly; she wondered how long he could remain so courteous. She was certain her actions would put him off soon. She knew how he judged her for being so ill-mannered.

Her eyes shifted back to the bowl. She cleared slightly. “My father isn’t around and I plan to head out for a while…so you may go home.”

“Then I shall accompany you, Young Miss,” Yixing replied instantly, as if he had been trained to answer her in a certain manner.

“Very well then,” Michelle sighed. At least she wouldn’t be alone, she thought.

                                                                                                                        ∻∻∻

Michelle couldn’t remember the last time she visited the market for her birthday. She knew Luhan or Liling would have definitely agreed to accompany her if she asked but it somehow didn’t feel right to go with them.

However, she had made up her mind to visit the marketplace now and it didn’t bother her that Yixing was following her.

The secretary trailed behind the girl silently, wondering what she had wanted to do here. He saw her looking at a couple of things at the stall; she would glance at the stalls with a small smile on her face but would make no attempts to buy anything. Perhaps everything was too tacky for her taste, he thought. But that didn’t explain what she was doing here in the first place.

“Young Miss, what are we doing here?” he finally asked her, trying his best to mask his growing irritation.

“I just wanted to roam about,” Michelle replied. Her eyes suddenly gleamed in delight when she found the stall she had been looking for. Before the secretary could protest, Michelle had grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the stall that sold her favorite steamed buns.

Yixing was puzzled. He couldn’t understand how she could be so excited about something so trivial. Somehow it amused him, it was the first time he had seen this side of hers and it made him think that maybe, maybe Michelle wasn’t the person he thought she was.

When he saw the girl pulling out a few notes out of her purse, he immediately grabbed a few bills from his pocket and handed it to the stall owner. The girl looked at him questioningly but Yixing chose to ignore the looks she gave and handed her the steamed buns.

The girl immediately grabbed one of them and started relishing it. It had been so long since she had one of these. Her mother never allowed her to consume any kind of street-food deeming it quite shameful. The only time she got to eat them was when Nana would discreetly sneak her out of the house. She would always hand Nana the money her father gave but Nana would refuse the girl flatly and pull her chubby cheeks.

"Consider this as my treat, child."

Nana would say and Michelle would happily chew on the steamed buns and offer some to Nana, forcing her to take it whenever she hesitated. Sometimes, she would even shove a piece in if she refused.