(!!!) DOUBLE UPDATE

(+) Er ni zai zheli shi yinwei …? - You're here because ...?

(+) Wei manzu Mrs. Lu. Shi ta shenbian, xiansheng? - I'm here to meet Mrs. Lu. Is she inside, sir?

(+) Luchen, zou dao yibian. Rang wo an kan shiu yijing daolai. - Luchen, move aside. I have come here to see what's going on.

(+) Nai Nai - Grandmother

(+) Ah, jinlai! Jinlai! Nin bixu shi Alana de Luhan zong shi tanlun! - Ah, come in! Come in! You must be the Alana that Luhan is always talking about!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Public Exams are just weeks away. As the princess of this country, a big load of expectations weighed on her shoulders as many would think that their country’s princess would be born smart. Well they’re wrong. Absolutely wrong. No one was born smart into the world. Everyone works hard to be where they’re at now. Including Alana herself.

She didn’t buy her way up, --- she earned it.

She sighs as she writes on her history textbook. Just a few more weeks then its freedom. Wiping a bead of sweat that has formed, she glances at the clock in worry seeing how Luhan wasn’t in her home yet. He left the palace earlier stating that the General aka Luhan’s father needed his help, --- and that could only mean one thing, --- the Japanese has attack.

She also had her senior prom to worry about; --- She didn’t have a date, at least not yet. The EXO boys that attended her school decided it would be too much of a hassle to get a partner for each self and thus concluded that they would go solo with their gang. How original. Alana snorted in her mind. Alana on the other hand, had a small girly dream like every girl her age would have, which was to have a night to remember because hey, we only go to school for once in our lifetime. She wanted the perfect date for her perfect night, and Luhan seemed eligible. She had tried to ask him many times, but yet again, what kind of girl would ask a guy out for a senior prom? That would be bizarre because the guy is supposed to do the asking.

A rough series of knocking on her bedroom window woke up her senses, and almost immediately she pushes the chair behind her back to see who it was. And to her surprise, it was a dirtied looking Luhan in his army uniform, ---- complete with his very own camouflaging hat. He threw himself on Alana the moment she slides the glass open and she catches him by the arm.

“Luhan, are you alright?” Calmly, Alana says, slinging his arm around her neck to direct him to her bed. “We’ve won…” He chocked. She peers over Luhan and asks, “What was that?” With the biggest smile he could ever muster upon that moment, Luhan lifts his head to say, “Malaya has won, we are now free from the Japanese!”

Alana gasped in excitement, too stunned to even mutter words. Luhan, seeing this as an opportunity, grab her by the waist and spins her around the room. “Why, that’s wonderful!” Alana exclaims and covers once she lands the ground. Pulling Luhan into a hug, she kisses her brave soldier on the forehead and rests her head onto his chest, with his arm still around her waist.

Luhan bends on one knee and holds pulls out a long box from his jacket. Surprised, Alana stood still, with a brow raised. Luhan clears his throat and takes a hold onto her hands. “Alana Azhar.” He started, intently staring at Alana. “Will you go to your senior prom with me?” Her jaws dropped. “Luhan…” She muttered and drops onto the ground to hug him. “I do.” Nuzzling her nose against his neck, she pulls him closer to her, only to receive a knock on the head.

“Ow!” She whines and rubs the sore spot. “Your present.” Luhan quickly shoves the box into her arms. “I know you have plenty, but you always use that only one to paint. And it looked like it was going to die any moment. So I hope you’ll use this one instead.” He blabbers, Alana not knowing of what, until she opened the box. Tracing her fingers over the wood softly, she smiles to herself and hugs Luhan once more, this time planting a kiss on his cheek.

He had gotten her a paintbrush. One that looked similar as the one she always used that was handed down by her late mother. It had a white handle, and light brown brush, exactly like her old one. And on the handle carved in cursive was her name. 

Alana closes her eyes tightly and stayed there on the floor with Luhan hugging her back. Today has been great, I finally have a date for the senior prom and now my country’s free from being colonized!

But little did they know, the real war was just about to begin.

__________

The Public Exams are now only just a week away, but that crossed no one’s mind as they rushed off the school compound. Alana groaned as she closes her accounts book. The senior prom was tonight, and she had absolutely nothing to wear! And to top it off, her father, --- the King won’t be here, because he claims to have royal duties to attend to. How annoying!

Huffing away from the school, she stomps her way to the only place she could have thought of at that moment, --- The Lu’s Manor.

She waits by the door after ringing the bell. To her surprise, she was greeted by a stern-looking face in a General’s suit. Immediately straightening out her posture she thought, Must be Luhan’s father. Same hair, same forehead, same cute button nose …

“And you are?” Squinting an eye at the lady, he examines her top to bottom, a scowl forming on his face. “Alana Azhar, sir.” She answers, prim and proper. “Er ni zai zheli shi yinwei …?” General Lu purposely questions in mandarin, hoping the scare the child away. Smirking, Alana confidently answers back as if mandarin was her mother tongue. “Wei manzu Mrs. Lu. Shi ta shenbian, xiansheng?”

And obviously, his jaws dropped, seeing a mere Malay girl speaking in his language with such grace and confidence. “Luchen, zou dao yibian. Rang wo an kan shiu yijing daolai.” An elderly voice said. A woman in her early 80’s appeared with her walking stick, and Alana immediately knew that this was Luhan’s granma. It was the nose, I tell you. “Nai nai!” Alana exclaimed and bowed graciously.

Luhan’s grandmother lit up with happiness. “Ah, jinlai! Jinlai! Nin bixu shi Alana de Luhan zong shi tanlun!” Stepping inside the manor, Alana respectfully bows at the still stunned General Lu before following Luhan’s grandmother into the living room. “Mrs. Lu!” Alana says with a bright smile and hugs her.

“Alana, what brings you here today? And oh, have you met Luhan’s nai nai?” Mrs. Lu stands up from knitting and nodded towards Lu nai nai’s direction before returning the hug. “Mmm! I have met the girl, she’s one polite one. Got your husband’s jaw dropped onto the ground by her mandarin!” Nai nai joked and patted her on the back. Alana just blushes and rubs her neck.

Mrs. Lu giggles and said, “Goodbye honey! Come back safe.” A loud slam from the front door followed, and Luhan’s mother winced. “Uh… we’ll deal with that later, but now! What is it, child?” She holds both of Alana’s hands and stares down at her.

“Well, uhm. Luhan, well he asked me out for the senior prom that’s tonight …”

“And you don’t have a dress?” Nai nai laughs, and so did Luhan’s mom.

“Oh dear, you need to stop studying too much. Play around a little, live a lot.” Mrs. Lu said with a kind smile.

“That problem can be fixed.” She places a hand onto Alana’s face and winks.

“Jing Han, show her my dress.” Nai nai said from the back and nodded towards the stairs. Hooking their arms together, Mrs. Lu, nai nai and Alana made their ways up the stairs, laughing at the jokes nai nai would make about her own son.

They came to the master bedroom and while Mrs. Lu dove through her giant walk-in closet, nai nai and Alana had some time to have a heart-to-heart woman talk.

“So Alana.” Nai nai starts.

“Yes, Mrs. Lu?”

“Oh child please, just call me nai nai.”

“Okay nai nai.” She giggles.

“You really like Luhan, huh?” Nai nai smiles, the smile reaching her eyes that wrinkles a bit. “Yes I do, nai nai. In fact, I like him a lot.” I answer. Nai nai smoothed my hair and cups my face in her hands. “Luhan … Luhan is unlike his father. He is very kind. He would do anything for his loved ones, even sacrifice his own life. So Alana, I would appreciate if you don’t take advantage of him.”

I gasped. “I would never.”

Nai nai lets go of her hands and smiles. “I know. My time in this world won’t be long anymore and my one wish is to see my grandson happily married to the one he loves, and I am one hundred percent that it’s you. But with Luhan’s father, you see, it’s difficult.”

Alana’s smile dropped.

Nai nai cheekily grins and nudged Alana. “But he would have to accept it sooner or later. Gosh, we are not in the 1920’s anymore!” She joked.

Alana laughs whole heartedly.

“I found it!” Luhan’s mother appears out of nowhere with a big with box with her. Dusting away the dust, she places the white box onto her bed and smiles at Alana. “Ready?”

“When you are.” Alana replies.

“Here we go.” Mrs. Lu opens the box and there lies a beautiful white dress, its beauty too great for Alana to describe. All she could have said was that it made her heart moved and her eyes twinkle and it has been a long time since that has happened, well except when she met Luhan of course but that’s besides the point.

“I got it tailored for me when I was nineteen. Gave it to Luhan’s mama when I was forty-one. Guess now it’s your turn!” Nai nai laughs, Mrs. Lu following shortly after. With a heavy heart, Alana looks at them and utters, “I can’t accept this.”

“Sure you do, and then you’ll give it to someone who needs it, your child maybe, and then your child will give this to her child and it goes on and on. Just like the circle of life.” Luhan’s mother said.

“But I-I can’t. It’s too out of this world.” Alana stubbornly shakes her head.

Grasping onto her shoulders, nai nai pushes her towards the dress and said, “Sure you will, and hey, I heard from Luhan that you’re a fantastic artist, draw me someday, will you?”

Alana laughs at nai nai’s suddenness. She finds it oddly cute. This eighty year old granma is … indeed cute.

Sighing, she touches the fabric of the dress and smiles. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

“Oh my, look at the time! Let’s get you dolled up Alana we have 2 hours till the senior prom!” Luhan’s mother urges her to the vanity while nai nai tries to help with anything she could help with.

_________

“AMMA!” Luhan hollers from downstairs, his feet not wanting to stay still as he walks back and forth the living room like a mad man. He needed his mother to give him the green light before he leaves for Alana’s place.

“Aiyah, what are you doing walking around the living room and screaming like an old man? You sound like your father.” Nai nai walks down the stairs and rubs her ears. “Hey, I’m right over here you know, ma?” Luchen whines at his mother.

Luhan laughs at his father and grandmother, still feeling really worried. “MAMA! Where is this woman, aiyah?” “Ish, keep quiet. She’ll come down with someone soon.” Giggling, nai nai makes her way to sit on the sofa. Luhan looks at her as if she’s gone loco.

“What-“ Luhan’s eyes widen when he sees the figure at the top of the staircase. His eyes turns to her, then his mother that was smirking behind, then to his grandmother that was sitting on the sofa with an evil look plastered on.

“NAI NAI, MAMA, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?” Flustered, he looks for anything that would hide his red face from her, ---- which happens to be a bouquet of flowers that he was supposed to give Alana and God, only God knew how ridiculous he looked right at that moment.

He watches her cascade down the stairs with poise and grace and was awed by her existence. “Uh, do I look weird and why do you have flowers in your face that’s not really manly you know.” Alana shakes her head with a laugh.

Luhan’s heart flutters. “Good evening, b-b-beautiful.” He stutters, presenting her with the flowers.

“Oh God, I’m watching my own son flirt this is disgusting.” Luchen cringes but receives a slap on the head from Mrs. Lu. “Yah.” He scoffs.

“Oh come on grandson, we all know you want to do more than that!” Nai nai urges, feeling impatient.

“Nai nai!” Luhan pouts. He had received enough embarrassment for the night, please.

Kissing her on the forehead, Mrs. Lu snaps a picture with a land polaroid to save it in an album of Luhan she had been working on since forever. “AMMA!!!!” Luhan screams and this time Luchen snickers, amused by his son’s acts.

“Oh, just one more picture please, this time look at the camera!” Mrs. Lu says, and makes a countdown.

Luhan and Alana smiles for the picture and then walks towards to the front door, feeling rather awkward with each other. “Don’t come back home!” Nai nai hollers, followed by General Lu’s screams, “LUHAN YOU BETTER COME BACK OR I WILL DISOWN YOU!”

“LUCHEN!!!” Nai nai and Mrs. Lu both shouts.

Giggling, Luhan and Alana made a run for it to the limo, their hands still entwined with each other even after they got in the vehicle.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________