The next few days was filled with trips with the whole family to various places. Liong who already retired from his job as a senior staff at the United Nation made Chinwei took a couple of day off from his work place just so they can spend more time with their best friend who was considered as their own family. It was not the perfect timing for the Wu’s to visit China in winter because a lot of tourist attractions are not open in winter, but Mei laughed it off saying that she’s not a tourist. They came to China in winter in purpose. They missed the cold weather, they missed the snow since there’s none in Bali. But it was no big deal. In a big group, Wangfujing on the first day. The males and females of the group then split up as the girls went to find make ups and beauty products for Mei, also looking for coats and winter outfit for her in the women fashion stores, while the guys went to look for jackets, suits, and shoes for Yifan and his father—also for Luhan who has been wanting this sneakers from Bean Pole that he saw a couple of days ago. They meet again at lunch at a pecking duck restaurant they always visit a long time ago. The owner was Liong’s old friend so they always get big discount whenever they eat there. They walked around until it was almost time for dinner, then they went home to eat Ling’s home made dinner. Mei misses her best friend’s cooking so much that she insists that they have to eat dinner at home everyday, no eating out, no take outs.

               On the second until the fifth day, they went around Beijing—buying ethnical stuff, buying gifts for the Wu’s aquintance in Indonesia, seeing the night-life of today’s Beijing, visiting some old friends at, even visiting one of Mei’s cousin in Tianjin together. At their fifth night in Beijing, just when they had finished dinner at the Lu’s, Yifan gave them a surprise. He already bought 8 return tickets to Macau for 3 days and 2 nights. All of them hugged him and thanked him, except Luhan who said with a sad expression that he had to work the next day so he couldn’t come with them. Yifan, who won’t listen to none of Luhan’s excuse, begged the other guy to go with them, but Luhan still said no, he didn’t want to get fired from his job.

               On the day they were supposed to go to Macau, Yifan gave a surprise visit to Luhan’s office. He came to Luhan’s work room and told him they’re going, the boss had already gave him the permission after Yifan assure him that Luhan will come back in three days and he won’t be neglecting his report. He will fax it, or email it, because technology are pretty modern now.

               “You said that to him??” Luhan gasped when he heard how Yifan got permission from his boss to take Luhan for vacation. “Seriously Yifan?? You said that to him? That technology are pretty modern now and it’s a pity he didn’t know that??”

               “That’s the best part. You should’ve saw his face when he heard me said that,” Yifan impersonate Luhan’s boss shocked face. This made the younger male giggle so hard until he had to bend his body because his stomach hurts from laughing. “It was priceless.” Just like yours right now.

               Luhan was still laughing hard. After a while, he let out a cough and panted, too tired after laughing so hard for a long time. Yifan patted his back, scolding him gently for laughing like that. “Aigoooo~, seriously Kris,” Luhan finally was able to talk properly, “If I don’t get fired when I get back to work, that means my boss is totally in love with you. Oh my gosh, you’re crazy~”

               Yifan unconciously smile fondly at the nickname. It was a name Luhan used to call him with when they were little, he had no idea where Luhan got that nickname from, but he liked it. He even used it as his international name. Everyone calls him Kris in Indonesia. His smile widened seeing Luhan leaned back beside him, the cab driver looking curiously at them through the rearview mirror  Luhan’s hands are still on top of his aching stomach, his breathing had slowed down, but the petite man still had a smile on his face.

               “Why are you forcing me to come, Yifan? I mean, you all could’ve just go and leave me. It’s not like I’m not used being alone. You know my parents like to travel a lot since Papa retired, so.. I’m fine being by myself.”

               “Really? They like to leave you alone at home?”

               “Yeah,” Luhan was a little confused. “You know this, I told you so many times through the let—oh,” Luhan raised a hand to cover his mouth. He almost spill his secrets to Yifan. but Yifan didn’t seem to notice this. He was oblivious to Luhan’s panic face—afraid that Yifan would realize what he said—and he was oblivious to Luhan’s disappointed sigh when he said that in her letters, Qian told him her father also left her alone so much.

               “So that means you really spend a lot of time together with Qian, huh? I mean, Uncle Chinwei is nice, but how could he? Qian only got him, he can’t just leave her alone at home like that for days. I can’t imagine how lonely she was.”

Unfocused, Luhan only nod weakly. Of course, of course Yifan had to talk about Qian, that’s just how much the other male loves Qian. He can’t stop talking about her. Luhan was almost at his limits, the past few days was torture for him. he had to see Yifan and Qian feed each other most of the time, he had to witness the look Yifan gave to Qian everytime she look at her. Luhan would give anything for Yifan to look at him like that. And just now, Yifan didn’t even react to the fact that Luhan gets lonely too everytime his parents leave him.

               “You.. you really love Qian, huh?”

               Yifan didn’t like the sad tone in Luhan’s voice, but he can’t help but smile at the question. “It’s weird, Luhan-ah,” Yifan turned to his side, away from Luhan. He gazed the road while remembering Qian’s beautiful face, that made him smile. But that made Luhan felt like someone had just stepped on his heart. “It’s weird how.. I feel like I know everything about her through the letters she sent me. And you can see how we clicked immediately when we meet. It’s all because of the letters.”

               Yeah, because of the letters.

               Yifan heard the man beside him let out a sigh. He turned to face Luhan again, startling the smaller male by touching his hand he had on his lap. “Hey, Xiao Lu..”

               Luhan’s breath hitched when he heard the nickname. Yifan was the only one who call him Xiao Lu.  It has been years since Luhan heard Yifan calling him as his little deer. There was a warm feeling fluttering from his tummy raising to his chest when he heard Yifan called him that way. He tried so hard to keep his tears from falling, turning away from Yifan was the only way he could hide it.

               “Lu?”

               “Why did you