“Who are you going to visit in Shanghai, Luhan?“

It was just a few minutes ago when they departed from the little motel, the sun burning mercilessly from the sky like the day before. They kept the windows down and the air conditioner to escape from the heat for a while. The weather was almost unendurable once people step outside which was why most of them stay in their houses or cooler places.

Mei was anticipating their stay in Shanghai, because she finally would get to see her mother again. Ever since their parents got divorced, she was barely able to meet her mom as often as she wished for due to the high costs and the long rides. It was one of the main points why Mei decided to accompany Luhan; she just missed her mother like every daughter did, although she decided to leave the main family.

“My grandmother,” Luhan said without looking at her.

“For how long haven’t you seen her?”

“About a few years.”

Mei furrowed her brows, because suddenly, Luhan sounded so embittered and kind of sad that she was questioning whether he was glad that they were heading to Shanghai. Where she was happy and full of anticipation, her companion gave off the vibes like he was going to his execution.

“You must have missed her a lot,” she then tried and suddenly, his voice became soft and the bitterness was replaced by pure sadness.

“Yeah, I miss her a lot.”

“So you’re glad to see her again.” Mei didn’t know whether she would cross the line by asking so much, but she couldn’t hold herself back either, because she didn’t want Luhan to be so sad and silent where he had been happy and talkative most of the time. It was obvious that he didn’t really want to have a conversation about this, but she didn’t want his problems slipping through her fingers that easily either (because he was that important to her).

It took Luhan a while to reply. Mei was questioning why his answers and his reactions were so contradictory. Wouldn’t someone who hadn’t seen his grandmother for almost a year anticipate the reunion? But he didn’t sound like that at all. He sounded sad and melancholy, embittered at some points.

“Yeah, I am.” His voice was quiet.

“So you’re going to stay at her place, right?”

“No. I’m going to a hotel.”

“What?” Mei turned her head aside and looked at him inquiringly. “You’re not going to sleep at her place? Why?”

Luhan shook his head. A sign that it was a very sensitive point he didn’t like to speak about it and Mei got to know it. “It’s complicated.”

“Alright,” she gave in, now being aware that she would hit against a barrier when she’d continue questioning him. Maybe his grandmother was terribly sick or she was in the hospital. All she could do was just jump to assumptions. Yet Mei was a little disappointed, because she thought that they had somehow grew so close that he’d tell her. (She wanted him to trust her.) But apparently, she was just a bit disenchanted. Of course… they knew each other for only 11 days now. (Yet for her, it seems to be much, much longer.)

“But I insist that you’ll sleep at my place.”

“What?” Luhan’s eyes widen and he shot a confused look at Mei.

“I insist that you’ll sleep at my mother’s house. And I know that she’d insist on that as well. You don’t have to spend your money to sleep in hotel rooms for four days when you can sleep at my place. And I don’t accept any excuses!” She was scolding him, but it was a jokingly one with a smile on her lips which should cheer him up.

“I don’t want to be a burden,” Luhan answered shyly, “I can sleep at a hotel, that’s no problem.”

“No excuses Luhan!” Mei was lifting up a finger like a teacher scolding his student and immediately he began to laugh. “My mother would want to get to know you as well.”

“You think?” The corners of his lips tilted up to a smirk.

“Definitely.”

“So you think she’s going to like me?”

Mei chuckled in response, shifting her sight to look out of the window again. “Definitely.” Luhan would be the first male friend her mother would get to know. Back in middle school and even in high school, her friend groups only consisted of girls and just through college, when her mother was long gone, she got to befriend some male ones.

Actually, Mei always wanted her mother to get to know Ren, but due to the costs and the lack of time, they were never being able to visit her. She had told her a lot about Ren, her soon-to-be fiancée, and her mother had always been very fond of her boyfriend, but talking about a person and meeting him in real life were two different pair of shoes. Her mother was also the first person Mei called after she received the engagement ring, besides from her grandmother and father. And although it should be Ren that Mei should bring to meet her for the first time, in the end it was his best friend. (But she didn’t mind, because she liked Luhan and she was sure her mother would be very fond of him as well.)

“Seems like I can’t decline your request.”

“No, you can’t.”

And with that, it was set that Luhan would stay at Mei’s house. And Luhan was nervous as hell to meet Mei’s mother (and he didn’t even know why).

They had their first break on the countryside road to Shanghai. Mainly, the landscape consisted of lots and lots of plants; high trees stringing together on either side of the street which were broken by green fields sometimes, where an uncountable amount of color flowers were blooming. Mei was staring out of the window the whole time, enjoying the view and the colorful land mixing together to a perfect picture; the ones who would always be shown in art galleries.

Luhan stopped the car at the service area when they were halfway through the ride to their destination. Mei found it odd, because they never took breaks that early, considering that it was not even midday yet.

“I want to show you something,” were Luhan’s words when he led her through the little forest behind the restaurant. It was a rather rough path where they needed to pay attention at where they stepping on since the ground was covered with broken branches.

“Ah, wait…” Mei held onto a tree trunk when she got stuck between branches with her right food. Clumsily, she tried to free herself when she felt someone supporting her by grabbing her left arm. Mei’s eyes met Luhan’s who was incredibly near (again), just a few centimeters away (again). (She felt like holding her breath for a second.)

“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly and brought her up a little, looking down at her feet.

“Yes.” Mei cleared and finally freed her foot with a jerk.

“We’ll be there soon.” Luhan nodded and this time, he stayed right by her