[CONTENTID1]10[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]Snow In China[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]
Irene waved at the Chinese man and he ran to her. "Hello Miss!" He said, out of breath. 

She titled her head and smiled thinly. "Hi... where are we going?"

"Our destination is Yu Garden," He led her to his car. "It is really beautiful... you'll love it."

She nodded and looked at the black car. "Wow... this is yours?"

"Yes," He opened the door for her. "Please..."

She ran her fingers through her hair and got into the car. The photo in his car took his attention. Zhang Yixing and a girl some years younger. "She is beautiful..."

The racer got into the car. "What are you staring at?" He asked. "Oh, she is my little Tigress..."

"Tigress?"

He looked at her. "I thought you know Kung fu panda. That female tiger's name is Tigress."

"Oh... you are right. My son loves that animation, but I'm too busy with my job that I don't pay attention..." She trailed away. "Even when I'm watching something with him, I don't understand a word."

"Well, you have to watch it more carefully," He smiled, starting the engine. "These things are needed, even in adult life."

Irene nodded slowly and leaned her head agian the window, looking at the colorful city. "You live in Shanghai?"

"No, but my family do. I come to visit them regularly," He replied while driving. "I live in Monza."

"And your girlfriend? Is she with you or... here?"

He chuckled. "Who is my girlfriend? A girl must have lost her mind to date me..."

Her eyes widened. "Isn't she your girlfriend?" She pointed at the photo.

"No," He smiled, glancing at the photo. "She is my little sister, Zhang Yifan... she is a rising idol here in China."

"Oh..." She looked at her more carefully. "Gee, she is pretty..."

"She participated in a talent show and ended up debuting in a girl group..." He explained. "I didn't agree with this choice, but at the end... this is her life. She has the right to decide. I might be able to give advice, though no one can force her."

"Yeah... that's right."

■■■

"Everything's ok?" Ryujin who had been watching Lucas for thirty minutes silently, asked.

"Yes. You may ask why? Because I know my job," She chuckled. After more than two mouths, she had gotten used to his weird way of speaking. 

Glancing at Baekhyun's Bambi, her smile faded away. "Lucas, can I ask a question?"

"If I can answer, yes. Why do I say so? Because I don't like sharing opinions about things I don't know."

"Do our desires lead us when we are drunk?" She asked.

Hearing that question, Lucas looked up at her. "Well," He took off his gloves. "Once, I was really mad at my boss. Why? Because he didn't fulfill his promise to me. What promise? He told me he would lend me some money for my mother's hospital fee..."

She smiled and took a seat on the closest chair. "Then?"

"I got drunk one day... why? Because my brain was close to explosion. What happened? I called my boss."

"What did you say?"

"Not so nice things... and just guess when?! In the middle of the night! He was really mad! He-"

"What did he do?"

Lucas sighed. "Threw me out of his company... why? Because I disturbed his sleep with a drunk call and swore at him," He gazed at a place on the ground. "Though Ryujin, he deserved it. He deserved every single word I told him."

"I'm, I'm sorry about that..."

He smiled. "But now I am here. Where? The place he has to dream about!" He laughed. "So yeah. It can be what we desire. Like... what we won't do while sober. Why? Because of fear, pride or shyness... though you'll lose it all once you are drunk."

"But-"

"And that's bad!" He cut her sentence. "Why? Because every human should have a little modesty, pride and fear! If not, then ninety percent of our relationships with other humans will be destroyed."

"Right..." She bit her lower lip. 

"Lucas!" A voice made Ryujin jump. "Are you done with Bambi?"

"Yes, sir!" He replied. 

Baekhyun nodded, walking to them. "Oh, Ryujin-ah! You are here-"

"Sorry, I got to go somewhere," She said without making any eye contact and left. 

"Ryu! Ryujin!" The racer sighed. "Why should she..."

"What has happened between you?"

"Nothing..."

"You are lying. Just tell me you don't want me to know," He said. "Why? Because I will feel more comfortable if you say that."

He sighed. "Well," Baekhyun walked closer to him. "I am telling you this because I trust you. So don't tell anyone, ok?"

"Yes, sir."

"We... we slept together."

"YOU HAD ?!" The racer covered his mouth immediately.

"Shh... quiet!" He removed his hand. "Yes, we had."

"But... the last time I checked, you two weren't dating."

"We are not, and that is the point!" He sighed. "It... it was just a drunk , none of us were sober and now," He pressed her lips together. "She is angry with me... because it was her first time."

Lucas nodded. "As much as this is your fault, it is hers too. So, she can't blame you only..."

"But she's mad, maybe not only at me, but at herself too. Though... this whole thing is bothersome, specially now that she is single."

"Single?"

He grinned. "Ryu broke up with her boyfriend in Australia. Exactly the day I slept with her. Actually, it was after the breakup," He giggled. "This means, my luck isn't that bad."

"Yeah... your luck is too bad!" He shouted. "You slept with her exactly the day she broke up with her boyfriend? Crazy!"

He pouted. "What should I do?"

"Ah... Baekhyun Byun, you ed up," The mechanic sighed. "Buddy, there are things people find valuable. And for sure one of them for girls is the person they have with for the first time."

Baekhyun ran his fingers through his hair. "What should I do now?"

"Oh God, you are troublesome Baekhyun... now listen."

■■■

Irene was sitting on a bench in Yu Garden. The place looked like those old Chinese movies about Ming Dynasty. She enjoyed the atmosphere. It made her feel free and happy, forgetting all about Felix like he didn't happen at all. 

"Here!" Yixing held a red thing in front of her face. "This is yours, Ms. Andrews."

She took it in her hand and smiled. "What is this?"

"Chinese knot. It is one of the most famous souvenirs of China," He sat next to her. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Yes, thanks," She held it tightly. "I'll give it to my son."

"No, no!" He said, grabbing her hand. "I bought this for you. I'll buy one for your son too."

"Oh," She pressed her lips together. "So I'll buy one for my son-"

He tightened his grip. "They'll sell it expensive when they see a tourist, I'll buy it." 

Irene nodded automatically and put the knot in her bag. She grinned when she saw her phone's lockscreen and took it out. "This is Andy..."

He looked at her phone screen. "Your son?"

"Yeah... here he is seven," She smiled wider, remembering the memories. "His first day of school."

"He is cute," He whispered. "What has happened to her father?"

"Ah..." She hesitated. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I was just curious," He bowed his head as a sign of apology. "I'm sorry. You can-"

"No. It's ok," She bit her lower lip. "I was... eighteen when I met him... we went to the same university," She said. "He... asked me out and we started dating."

"And?" 

"I got pregnant when I was twenty," Her eyes got tearful. "He said he wanted to go abroad for his studies and... asked me to go with him..."

"You didn't?" He tilted his head. 

"No, at the time... my father was sick and I, as the only child of the family, had to be with him. So I didn't agree and he asked me to break up with him," She touched her son's photo. "I told him that I was pregnant, though he said he didn't want the baby," Her tears fell on her phone. "He asked me to abort my baby."

"Why?"

"I don't know... maybe he was scared that I'll try to get money from him," She chuckled, wiping her eyes. "But I have always been an independent woman. I have raised Andy up to now, so I can do it even after this."

Yixing pressed his lips together. "You are so fabulous, Irene..."

She looked at him, shocked. "You think so?" He nodded, smiling. She looked at her son's photo again. "He wants to become a lawyer... and I think he will, cause he is really smart."

"So you are," She looked away immediately. The racer felt the uncomfortable atmosphere, he shouldn't have said that. "Would you like to have dinner at my place?"

■■■

"Why is the driver late?" Ryujin closed her eyes when she heard her senior talking. She was waiting for taxi in front of the hotel that she heard Baekhyun. "Oh Ryu!"

"Leave me alone..." She crossed her arms.

He sighed. "I have been apologizing since that day..." 

"Just leave, will you? I feel bad about it, about myself..." She whispered. "I feel bad around you!"

Baekhyun covered his face with both hands. "I know that was important to you. Your first time I mean, that you wanted to do it with the person you love, but it is now me," He lowered his head. "The man you hate the most."

She turned to him and tilted her head. That was never the case, she didn't hate him. "But I don't hate you."

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," She said, crossing her arms. "Yes, we biker, we shout and we swear... when I understood that we have slept together, I was so scared and angry that I wanted to inform the police. I wanted to tell them that you me."

"What?! But we were both drunk, you can't say that I -"

"In cases, the court mostly listens to the victim," She pointed out with a smirk, making his face turn white as a sheet. "I even contacted with my best friend, Jennie, who is studying law," The girl said. "But when I thought about it twice, I understood that I don't want to give you a hard time by doing that..."

He smiled. "Thank you..."

"This made me realize that I don't really hate you," A white cold thing touched her cheek and made her rub her cheek and looked up, watching the first snow of that year. "But I need to be alone... I, I need to pull myself together."

"F-fine..." The taxi stopped in front of them. "Here it is..." They both moved towards it. "What?"

"That taxi is mine." She growled. 

"No, mine."

"Shut up..." She rolled her eyes. "Where are you going?"

"A friend's house."

"Same..." She whispered and her eyes widened. "Who's your friend?"

"Yixing...?" He titled his head. 

"God..." She whined. 

■■■

The old woman opened the door. "Yixing!"

"Mom!" He hugged her tightly. "I missed you..."

The woman pulled out and cupped his face. "Oh no... my baby son has become thinner... what has happened to you? Don't you eat enough?"

"I do mom, please..." He lowered his body and whispered in her ear. "I have a guest with me."

"Who? Is Baekhyun here?" She asked. 

He shook his head. "He will arrive soon. I am with a really special guest," He looked to his right and gestured to his special guest. 

Irene walked to him and turned to the old woman. "Hello Ms. Zhang, I am Irene Andrews. Nice to meet you," She held her hand towards her for a handshake. 

"You've gotten a girlfriend, Yixing? How adorable she is! Oh my my, she is beautiful!" She took her hand and pulled her inside the house. "How cute! You are s