Thanks to Xi Luhan. Because of a glass of hot milk and pills he gave me, I felt so much better. It was 3 p.m. and I was bored to death, so after browsed some portal in the internet—looking for places I could go to, around the town, to kill my boredom. Also, I think that would be great if I could spend my time with joys. That was my first point why did I fly out from Korea. Screw Mandarin, I didn’t have to speak that language I just need to take a walk and sightseeing only, I whispered to myself.

I let out a deep sigh.

Beijing was all similar with Seoul. It was a crowded capital city. There were a lot of people passing by, both walking and by cars—and also motorcycle. Traffic jam almost in every spot of the street, I could tell there were some drivers cursing and swearing because of it. I checked my wristwatch, and nodded in agreement. It was a rush hour; when the school dismissed, the workers went back from office, and the road was getting more and more crowded.

I wasn’t that sure about my destination places, but I just checked the bus route and since taking cab would cost a lot, so I walked to the bus stop and wait. A bus came and without hesitation, I jumped in and took a seat near the window.

“Do you see that?”

“What?” Minjoo asked with blinked eyes.

“Three o’clock from your eyesight.”

“Ah, I see, grandfather and his wife? Why?”

He smiled, “I want to be like them. I want to grow old with you, to call you beautiful even your hair turned white, to smile to you every day even though you are started to go blind, to say I love you to you even though you are started to deaf, and to love you until the last day of my life.”

“Minseok..”

“I promise I won’t get tired of you,”

I bit my upper lip. The promises were only promises, I said to myself. It was disappointing since he couldn’t keep his promises, but I would never blame the condition between us. Maybe a farewell was the best way, maybe break up was the right thing we decided on our relationship. That was hurt, but nothing we could do since Minseok was the only son—which means to be the only heir of the family company.

“Dad asked me to run the company. No, I mean, I have to.”

Lunch that day was supposed to be a nice lunch in a sunny day. But words he spilled out changed the facial expressions of both of them—the girl stopped chewing, gulped some water and held her breath. They had discussed this topic before, for many times, and ended with a cold fight between them. Minseok loved her, she knew it.

“What’s your plan?”

Minseok shrugged, “Do you know Hwang’s Corporation?”

Minjoo nodded, who didn’t know that big company anyway. She hesitated to ask but Minseok’s face was like explaining everything Minjoo wanted to ask. The answers were all there; he looked so down yet didn’t know how to start.

“Company merge doesn’t always come with an engagement with the daughter of the company, Minseok,” Minjoo whispered. She looked down and her hands were on fist, trying to give her strength.

“Look, Minjoo, I love you, this engagement means nothing, okay? The one I love is you, and the engagement won’t shake us, I will try to tell Dad that—”

“Means nothing? So do you think that an engagement is nothing? Is my feeling also nothing for you? What’s the point of telling your Dad that you have a girlfriend, a girl that you love, if in the end you still have to engage to another girl?” she cried her words out.

Minseok gasped.

“I know your Dad doesn’t like me, he never will. I know he has a high expectation of you and your future. I know I am only a girl who has no great family background, and your Dad wants a perfect daughter-in-law. But Minseok, do you ever, even just once, think about me first before your Dad and his so called company?”

“Would you… like to wait?”

Minjoo glued.

She didn’t have any idea of Minseok’s question. He got up from his seat, grabbed her hands and holding them. “I will try my best to get Dad’s company in a good position, even if I have to engage with Hwang’s daughter, but once I saved Dad’s company and made it a great success, I will back to you. I will find you. I will save our love. Would you wait for me until that day?”

I awakened from my thoughts when the bus stopped all of sudden, my head hit the window. I moaned in pain, caressing the part which hurt the most and looking around. I blinked, the sky already turned into dark. I looked up on her wristwatch, cursed myself. There was no one in the bus; I was the only one who left.

The driver jumped off shock when he saw me. He started speaking in Mandarin. Maybe he asked me why I still there, maybe he asked my name, maybe he asked about the destination I was going to, maybe he asked other things, I could tell it from his eyes but I could reply him. I couldn’t speak his language.

“I came from Korea,” I finally spoke in my own language. I hoped he would understand, but seeing his facial expression, I guessed he didn’t.

I swore a lot, to myself practically. It was the last bus station and he helped me to get out from the bus. He was still speaking—probably he gave me some advices about A to Z but what did I know about Mandarin except xiexie. .

= = =

It was a table for two. Luhan smiled to someone who silently sat in front of him. The restaurant Lin reserved for him was perfect, as well as Luhan wanted. Luhan helped her to cook the beef and cut them into smaller pieces, put them to another plate. He poured another juice to her glass, “Drink well, okay? This is your favorite.”

The woman just nodded her head.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for this time. Sitting in the same table with you; talking about lot of stuffs. Ah, the apartment runs well. You can come, anytime. I designed the coffee corner just like what you want. Brown walls, round tables with puffy chairs and sofas, vending machine in the corner, cakes and ice cream spot, everything. You should come and I’ll take you to a short tour around the apartment.”

Luhan didn’t mind even if she have him no respond but smile.

He added, “Ah, Papa is doing okay, if you curious. He is now in Japan, attending an event held by Avex.