The next day Luhan and Mei went to a Xi’an sightseeing trip. Xi’an was the capital of Shaanxi and known as Chang’an before the Ming dynasty. It was one of the oldest cities in China with more than 3000 years of history. It was one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization in the Yellow River Basin area. It was the starting point of the Silk Road, a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East, extending 4000 miles. The city was now one of the most populous built-up areas in China with over 7 million inhabitants, re-emerged as an important industrial, cultural and educational centre of the northwest-region.

Visitors marveled at the numerous historical sites and cultural relics in and around the city. As known as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Xi’an was home of the famous Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang which attracted visitors from all over the world – and to go see the Terracotta warriors was what Luhan and Mei had planned for that day.

The Terracotta Army was discovered on March 29, 1974 towards the east of Xi‘an in the Shaanxi province by a group of farmers when they were digging a water well around one mile east of the Qin Emperor's tomb mound at Mount Li. It was a collection of Terracotta sculptures that contained the armies of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. It was supposed to protect the emperor in his afterlife as a form of funerary art which was buried with Qin Shi Huang. The sculptures varied in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures included warriors, chariots and horses. There were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which were still buried in the pits.

Luhan was in heaven (and not only because Mei was with him), but because he was a er for old cultural places like these which was why he was anticipating Xi’an so much. For once, he didn’t care much about Mei’s preferences, following his own likings – but Mei didn’t mind at all.

Ever since the start of their road trip  Luhan had always kept an eye on her, looking out for her preferences as well, always putting her likings above his own (but he didn’t regret it at all). With her, he had learned so many new beautiful things; things of which he would have thought he wouldn't be interested in at all (especially flowers). Therefore, Mei allowed him to be selfish for once. No, she wanted him to be selfish.

Mei didn’t want to put Luhan in a cage, tying him down to her – so she followed him throughout the place like he always had been following her, listened to him like he listened to her, asking him about something she was interested in like he was asking her. Like Mei had shown Luhan the things she was fond of, Luhan did the same to her now.

His eyes were sparkling, his smile was blissful and he spoke with such a dedication that Mei couldn’t help, but to be infected by his excitement as well. She had never been interested in these kinds of things, but seeing how Luhan was so eager to tell her everything, she absorbed his words like a song - like he was singing to her again.

Mei just loved listening to Luhan’s soothing voice. He could have told her anything and she would have still listened.

“I bored you, didn’t I?” Luhan asked insecurely on their way back. “I’m so sorry, I was so—“

“No,” Mei replied and shook her head, a fond smile playing around her lips, “You didn’t.”

Mei was examining her reflection in the mirror, running her fingers through her hair and inspecting her appearance again, looking into her own eyes very skeptically. She didn’t feel uncomfortable dressed like this – she just didn’t do it that often. But she somehow liked it.

For that night, Luhan had asked her out – but not that kind of “out”. He just asked “Hey, shall we go in a club tonight?” and he had almost taken his request back when Mei hesitated with her answer for a few seconds – but not because she didn’t want to, but because she truly did.

Mei couldn’t remember when she had been out with her friends the last time. It was probably one of the rare birthdays they had spent in a club, but never had she ever enjoyed it. While her friends were all occupied with their own boyfriends, she would usually just sit in a corner and watch the others because Ren avoided clubs. In his eyes, they were noisy and too crowded and he couldn’t imagine how one could have fun in there. (But Mei was sure that he just couldn’t dance and didn’t want to admit it).

Mei was never adverse to clubs – she just never had someone to enjoy it with. Truthfully, the thought of going clubbing was intriguing (mostly because it was Luhan who would accompany her).

“Hey, can I come in?”

Mei had almost forgotten the time, so she practically stormed to the door to open it just to find a breathtakingly attractive Luhan in front of her. In her eyes, Luhan was always handsome, but with his blonde hair pushed pack, his dark jeans and his shirt where the first two buttons were open, he set the level for attractiveness a little higher tonight.

For Luhan, it wasn’t different. In his eyes, Mei had never been outstanding, but she was always beautiful. Yet tonight, she was outstandingly beautiful. Whether it was because of her knee-length strapless, blue dress, or because of her hair which she had curled at the tips or because of the slight makeup she had put on. First, Luhan had thought that she was not really anticipating the evening and he wanted to cancel it already, but seeing how much effort she put into her looks now… Luhan couldn’t push aside the thought that she also wanted to impress him which made him smug (and he was totally right).

Neither of them complimented the other one with words, instead, they shared lovingly looks, full with anticipation. (There were no words needed anyways.)

The two of them went to 1+1 nightclub, one of the well-known and biggest disco dance clubs and bar in Xi’an. Luhan and Mei approached the bar first, taking a seat beside each other to take the drinks he had ordered. Luhan didn’t want to push Mei by drinking much just because he did – in the end, he was very sure that his alcohol level was much higher than Mei’s in regard to her confession before that she wasn’t that much of a drinker and that she hadn’t stepped into a club for probably a whole year already – that wasn’t very surprising for Luhan anyways.

He didn’t want to fill her up. He didn’t want her to do things she would feel uncomfortable with. What Luhan wanted to do was just show Mei that there were a bunch of things waiting for her out there: Things she didn’t discover yet, things she would probably enjoy, and things so intoxicating which would lure other sides out of her, making her forget her strong priorities in life, heading towards an easier and funnier path i the future.

Luhan thought that sometimes, Mei set herself under so much pressure that she forgot how to have fun. And he would show it to her tonight.

Mei watched from the corner of her eyes how Luhan brought the glass with the drink towards his mouth, tilting his head and exposing his bare neck. His adam apple bobbed as he downed the liquor, the sweetness away from his lips. She had watched him in awe and when he caught her gazing at him, she immediately turned away, appreciating the dimmed lights which were hiding her redness now. Luhan had looked absolutely… Delicious? She couldn’t seem to find a more fitting word.

With her index finger curling towards the bartender, Mei ordered something she hadn't done before: two shots. Luhan raised a brow, facing her with a surprised look, but he didn’t question her intention in any ways, because it was her own decision.

After the first drinks, she seemed to warm up which he liked very much. Her laughter was higher, lighter and jauntily, drawing Luhan into it until their conversation became that easygoing and the topics so senseless that later on, their minds became a little dizzier.

Mei felt so lighthearted