“So you decided to do a road trip because you’re not sure where you’re heading to in the future?”

“Yes,” Luhan answered. “I think travelling around and getting my mind free will help me find out what I really want.”

Luhan and Mei were sitting at the table for breakfast together with Mei’s mother. It was still quite early, but the woman wanted them to eat with her before she’d go to work since she couldn’t take them both anywhere to show them Shanghai on a weekday. She put a lot of effort in the breakfast, trying to fulfill  both of their wishes. There were bowls with rice soup for everyone and other bowls and plates filled with Baozi, Shenjianbao, Xiaolangbao and Shaomai, the typical dishes for breakfast in the region around Shanghai.

Luhan and Mei appreciated every single dish in front of them. Since both were college students, they’d rather pick up something from the mobile little bicycle shops in the morning. Even if Mei would cook for her and her father, she was sure that she was far away from her mother’s level, which was why this breakfast was a bliss for her. But one could tell that Luhan hadn’t seen such good self-made dishes in a long time, mainly because he lived alone and refused to cook. (He thought it would take too much time.) He tasted every dish, being watched by Mei and her mother amusedly.

“Ah, I know that phase!” Mei’s mother exclaimed as she was done with chewing and put another Shaomai on her plate. “I went through this too and it was such a hard time for me. I was almost going crazy.”

Luhan’s eyes widened. “How did you find out what you wanted to do?”

The woman cleared and shot a glare to her daughter who looked at her surprisingly. “I met Mei’s father.” Everyone paused their movements and stared at her who continued. “Maybe it had nothing to do with my future plans, but when you meet someone you love, you’ll just get along with everything your relationship leads you into. As long as I could be with him, I was happy. I don’t know whether it was the bliss of the relationship making me begin the job I’m doing now, but back then, I was really satisfied with it. And although Mei’s father and I aren’t together anymore, I’m still pleased with my life. I think I just needed someone who brought a little happiness and light into my confused and dark mind. I started to look at some things from a different point of view than before.”

Luhan looked at his plate, unsure what to do and Mei shifted in her seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Neither of them knew why. (And neither of them knew what effect this story would have on their own lives.)

“What you’re doing now doesn’t certainly have to be wrong. Maybe you’re just seeking for some happiness as well. Fortune comes with time. The future is never set in stone, remember that.” Her voice sad a soft and warm undertone that made Luhan grow comfort.

“But if you were so happy…” He glanced at Mei and she looked back at him, “wasn’t it a disappointment that you still decided to go separate ways?”

“It indeed was,” the woman admitted, “but I don’t regret it at all. We’re still on good terms with each other.” The woman gained an encouraging look from her daughter. “And I’m still happy now, because otherwise, who knows where I would be now.”

Luhan nodded understandingly and dug his spoon in his lukewarm rice soup now. Not every story was the same, but what if he, himself, was just seeking for some fortune like Mei’s mother as well? Admittedly, looking back, Luhan truly hasn’t been very happy for quite a long time. Being burdened with a boring part-time shop and an exhausting girlfriend to take care of, not to mention the amount of time he needed to spend studying, he barely had time for himself. (Maybe everything Luhan needed was indeed just happiness.)

“But I don’t want to scare you,” Mei’s mother added. “Not every relationship is doomed to end. But not every relationship is guaranteed to last long. Sometimes, not every kind of love is meant to last forever. Though, there are relationships which bond people until the end of their lifetime. Everything you need is just to meet that special person.”

Luhan felt his heart tighten, avoided every kind of eye contact and put the spoon in his mouth, trying to find some distraction. It was strange how Mei’s mother’s words were exact the same as her daughter’s. He thought he found the person he wanted to be with until the end. But it turned out to be a disappointment. How was he supposed to find someone who would bring bliss and happiness to him? (And why was he denying the fact that the person was nearer than he thought?)

“Well, as for me, I am very different from Mei, as you can see.” Mei’s mother let out a quiet chuckle as she placed another Shaomai in , chewing it deliciously before continuing, “She knows what she wants.”

Luhan furrowed his brows. He thought he had heard a sarcastic undertone in her sentence, but when he looked at her, she was smiling at Mei who returned the look.

“What are you studying, Luhan?” The woman then questioned.

“Law.”

“Mei as well! And you have never met before?” She raised a brow and looked at the kids suspiciously, who shook their heads. “That’s odd. Anyways… is it fun for you, Luhan? Why did you choose to major in law?”

Luhan puckered his lips and looked around in the room in search for the correct answer. “Admittedly, I was always into crime series. It fascinated me. But I never wanted to work for the police or something like that. I was always interested what came after they found the murderer. There were times I was so angry that I just wanted to take the culprit by the shoulders and shake them violently. Sure, it was an episode of a series, but I really felt it. And I thought that those people needed to be slapped some sense into and be told what they did wrong. Not to mention that I always wanted to give them the amount of years in jail they deserve.”

“Luhan is very good in telling people what’s right and what’s wrong,” Mei added and smiled at him delicately. She knew that because she spent so many hours with him in the car, getting to know him better by just being beside him; she saw him wanting to give her advice, wanting to tell her what he found wrong in his opinion without being demanding… She could totally imagine how passionate he would be once he was into some cases. Luhan would be a good lawyer, Mei was sure about that.

(And it was her own sentence which made Mei doubt whether she was studying the right thing, because she could never pull off such a passion as Luhan when he talked about his major, yet she pushed the thought aside.)

Mei’s mother smiled at him as well. “Shall I be honest, Luhan?” He inquired her with his eyes. “I don’t think college is your problem.” She stood up.

Luhan tilted his head. “Really not? What then?” (As if he didn’t know the answer already.)

But he didn’t get an answer, just another smile before the woman turned around. “I need to go to work now. Can you please clean the table? I’ll make a special dinner tonight. And since tomorrow is Sunday, I’ll take you two to show you some special spots in Shanghai!”

“Don’t you want me to go with you?”

Luhan sighed sadly and turned around, before his hand even touched the door knob. Mei stood a few meters away in the hallway, obviously being disappointed that he rejected her offer accompanying him three times already. Yet, Luhan found it very cute, because the Mei he met before wouldn’t be like that. Back then, she would have withdraw and spend the day alone. (He felt that something in their relationship slightly began to change.)

“Mei, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he answered quietly.

“Do you think she wouldn’t like me?” She asked insecurely.

“What? No. She would definitely like you. A lot.” He was so sure about that. Luhan’