CHAPTER 55

Beijing 8:00 PM / Seoul 9:00 PM

Ring. Ring. Gasp. Hana quickly wraps her wet self in a towel, fresh from the shower and runs to her bedroom at the sound of her phone ringing

“Hello?” her heart skips a beat as she answers; eager to hear the voice of the person on the other line.

The first thing she hears is a chuckle and she smiles “Miss me?” Kris asks. She nods her head “How is China?” she gives a question in return not realizing that she had given an action and not a verbal answer.

“Same as I remember it. Are you busy?”

“No, I just got out of the shower” she picks up another towel from her closet to dry her hair with “Sounds suggestive, the things I'd give to be standing in the same room as you right now” the way he sensually utters the words brings heat to her cheeks. “Kris Wu!”

“What?” he laughs in amusement at her embarrassed tone of voice.

“Hold on a sec” she places down her phone for a moment and quickly changes into clothes before picking up the device again and pressed it back to her ear “So, how's your dad?” she sits down on her bed, drying off her wet hair with a towel with her free hand.

A puff of air was heard on the other line “Still breathing, thankfully... how are things there? No one's bothering you, right?” She smiles and shakes her head “No one at all, everything is fine here... hey, Kris”

“Hm?”

“Don't come back until everything's okay there” she smiles

“Are you ordering me around?” he raises a brow “No, but I want you to be okay with your dad before you come back... you know, spend enough time with him”

Silence.

“Hey can I tell you something?”

“What is it?”

Kris.

I swallowed hard.

I closed the door to my room. My old room. “What is it?” I sense a hit of worry yet overflowing curiosity in her voice. For the first time since I left Seoul, I called her.

My room was still the same as I had left it; even my clothes back then were still in the closet, some of them didn't fit me anymore and it just shows how long I've actually been gone. I sat down on the soft bed, glancing to the side where photo frames still stood by the night stand.

Family photographs and ofcourse, Mom's photo with me.

“I don't feel angry at him anymore” I mumble and with my free hand, picked up the family picture from the night stand. Smiling as I saw the curve on my mom's face aswell as the baby version of mine sat on her lap. “Who?”

“Dad...”

She was quiet on the other line after I said those words. I was feeling... light. Yeah, that's the word for it. I've never felt this light until I said those things. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Sigh. I put the frame back to its original position and lie back.

“I'm proud of you” I cover my eyes with my arm, closing the pair and pictured that smile on her face as she said those words. “I owe you a lot, Hana”

“Owe me what?”

“I think it's best you know that your efforts of pushing me closer to my dad are not wasted... take credit” I tell her.

In all honesty, I don't think I would ever be here had it not been for her and besides, she's always been pesky about my relationship with my Dad and insisted that I patch things up even though I didn't originally intend to do so. Trust me, I never wanted to patch up things with him.

But here I am now. Reconciling.

“Tsk.” I then hear a light laugh on the other line “I am not gonna take credit for anything... by the way, when are you coming home?”

Smirk. “I thought you said I should spend as much time as possible here? You do miss me”

“Kris, technically you still run things here in Wu Enterprise” she obviously just ignored my last remark. Seriously though, it wouldn't hurt to admit that she misses me. Tsk. Women. “In two days maybe?”

“Ah, I see... well, I miss you” Finally! Now that wasn't so hard, was it? I chuckle at her confession “There's something I wanted to hear, I don't miss you at all” I tell her and she laughs on the other line. I have to give it to her though, what other girls find offensive she just let's them pass through her like air. “You don't? Hm, Kai misses me everyday, you know and we're not even in a relationship”

I frown; did I also mention that she knows how to press buttons? No, well she does. “Since when have you become such a tease?”

“Since when were you so cold –oh, wait... ” Ha! A failed comeback “You tried yet you failed; don't worry, I miss you too especially the way you sound in bed” I chuckle, intentionally lowering my tone and I could just picture her shiver as the words left my sinful lips.

“Y-yah!” I smile at her response. As expected. “Have you heard of phone ?”

“Kris Wu!” how adorable she sounded

“It could relieve ual frustrations you know” I hold back a snigger

“Yah! I'm gonna hang up on you!”

“I'll punish you when I get back if you do that”

“Báichī!” Wait, what? “Did you just call me an 'idiot' in Chinese?”

“Ofcourse not, wo ai ni” I couldn't help but smile. She really is serious about the whole Chinese lessons thing.

Although I still think her coming along with me and ditch the six month deal is better; I also can't help but be amused by her own insistence. I guess, that in a way I also find it something to be proud of because come on, who the insists their bosses on working hard enough before accepting a position offered to them?

“I love you too”

And you know what's funny? We never say it often. No wonder it sounds special even though it's the most abused sentence.

“Yi Fan”

Huh? He turns his head, his eyes open and he almost screams but try as he had, his mouth would not open and his voice was nowhere to be found. Nowhere at all. “Yi Fan, my precious Yi Fan” the angelic face paired with such angelic voice reached out her hands towards him and he felt such softness brush against the skin of his flawless face.

“I'm so proud of you, Yi Fan”

He stops struggling, his eyes soften at the words. In her eyes, he saw adoration and the face did look proud indeed. Kris couldn't feel anything at all, he couldn't feel his legs, his arms, not even his fingers.

Mom.

“I always was proud and I always will be, Yi Fan”

“Mom...”

His eyes slowly open as the words left his mouth.

He looks around the room, little rays of sunshine peeking through the cracks of the heavy curtains that still covered the windows. Just as he sat up, his phone's alarm went off and he reaches over to the night stand to turn it off. Sigh. He ran a hand through his disheveled morning hair and looks forward, his eyes setting on the stuffed alpaca that sat on top of the oak table beside the large television

Kris gets out of bed and walks towards it then picked it up in his arms before waltzing back to bed; he lies back down and sets the alpaca on his tummy

“Ace” he calls, looking at the said alpaca “Papa dreamed about his mom...” he lets out a sigh and closes his eyes “It was a very good dream”

Knock. Knock. Gasp. .

Quickly, he buries Ace under the thick white sheets and sits up as the door opens and his aunt enters, prepped and ready, her hair tied in a neat up-do, an expensive straight cut dress clothing her and heels to match with fine jewelry around her wrists and neck.

“Oh, good, you're up” she smiles at him. He breathes out quietly in relief as he looks away “Go get ready, breakfast is almost ready downstairs”

“Yeah, sure” he mumbles, hauling himself out of bed and turns his back onto her as he busies himself with his phone “Kris” she calls out to him. He quietly sighs. “What?”

“Have you appointed a new CEO to take charge in Seoul?”

He turns around, eyes glued onto the phone in his hand as he continuously types a message. He nods his head “I appointed Suho; unanimous decision by the board” a frown makes its way onto her flawless but still aging face “Kim Joonmyeon? Did you consult your father about this --”

He sighs loudly “Last time I checked, I run things now... if you're gonna suggest Chun to be CEO then you can forget about it because he refuses to let go of his position under Sonya's father” he tosses his phone on his bed and turns to his aunt, a serious and annoyed look on his face “Now if you'll be so kind, I have to get ready for the day”

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she leaves, closing the door behind her. He locks the door before rushing towards his bed and fishes his precious Ace out of the thick sheets, he hugs the alpaca

“Oh my god, forgive Papa!” he animatedly cries out; he pulls the alpaca to arms' length “Son, can you still breathe? Omona, I will never bury you under thick sheets again!”

Knock. Knock. Oh .

He clears his throat. Eherm. “Who is it?”

“It's me” he hears his father's voice. He sets down the stuffed animal on top of the bed and unlocks the door, he opens it “Yes?”

The old man smiles at him “After breakfast, we're going somewhere so get ready, okay?” Kris swallows hard and forces a small smile onto his face. “Yeah, sure dad”

Mr. Wu peers over his son's shoulder and notices a familiar stuffed animal sitting on top of his bed “You still have it?” he asks. Kris looks over his shoulder and sees the item, he turns back to his father with a blank look “It's sentimental, so yes...” amused, Mr. Wu chuckles and steps inside the room, walking towards the alpaca and looks at it, hands in his pocket.

“It's still the same as I remembered back then... you take very good care of things, huh?”

Kris doesn't say anything, he just looks at his old man. And he asks himself; Can someone really change this much? Can they genuinely go back to the way they were before? Dad... what's with you? Swallowing hard, he breaks his mouth open to speak

“Mom gave it for my birthday”

Mr. Wu smiles and turns to him “I know... I was there when she bought it”

Hana.

Two hands landed on my shoulder.

“Omo!” I jump in surprise and turned around upon hearing a chuckle “Kai! You scared me” I breathe out, placing a hand over my rapidly beating heart. He smiles brightly at me “Sorry, just wanted to ask if you want to get lunch”

Lunch? Already? I check my watch. Sigh. Not again.

I've been losing track of time today, I don't even know why. Here I was in the Sports Department's floor, waiting for some files I requested about a proposal –being Head of the Finance Department has kept me busy again since Kris left- and came Kai. Hm, I haven't seen him often. Gosh, I must be really busy. Sigh.

“Lunch?” I blink my eyes and he gives me a nod. An employee arrives and hands me the folders, I thank him and turn back to Kai after the employee leaves “Uhm, I have work to do” I raise the folders in my hands.

“Hana, it won't take long, I promise” he smiles. Please don't do that. “I'll just order delivery, I really want to get these done”

He gives me a pout “You're rejecting me again, it still hurts you know”

No, it's not like that! I swallow hard, trying to look for words to say. It's not rejection, that's an overstatement because technically and in all honesty, I just really want to finish my work. “Maybe next time, Kai” I smile at him. He sighs.

“Fine. I was just thinking since Kris isn't around you know... I mean” he rubs the back of his neck and chuckles “He never lets you eat lunch with other people when he's here, he sends me daggers when he sees me near you, you know” He does? Considering he has, a few times mentioned about how he doesn't like Kai being around me, I find it believable.

“You know how Kris is” I cast him an apologetic look.

“Yeah, damn... you really hit him hard, Hana” he pockets his hands and gives me a wry look “I wonder how much of a storm you will be when you both hit rock bottom?”

I give him a frown “Yah, don't joke about that”

Okay, Hana... sensitive much? Kai chuckles “Sorry, just playing with you... well, my offer stands until Kris arrives” he gives me a wink before walking past me. Sigh. What a weird guy. Maybe Kyungsoo's right... maybe he is a casanova. Tsk.

“By the way Hana” I turn around and meet his gaze once more as he also had stopped and turned to me with a bright smile “Yes, sir?” Technically, he's still my boss.

“Baekhyun requests your presence in his office by three o'clock”

I nod my head and he walks away. Now what could Baekhyun need? Hm. Probably some file reports.

Once again, as I have said: Wu Enterprise is different without Kris around and now Tao's question struck my thoughts: how am I gonna cope? Why did I even bother with that de –oh right. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to work hard enough for this, it's only six months...

Right?

Kris doesn't know where his father is taking him but it was just and only the two of them for the day.

Right after breakfast, they both had set off and Kris has no idea whatsoever where they were going because he never asked and he knew his Dad would never answer the question anyway. All he knows is that they had taken a train then when they got off, they just got into a car.

It was a quiet drive, Mr. Wu on the wheel and Kris strapped in the passenger's seat.

It was lightly snowing today in China and he couldn't help but be reminded of how it was Seoul.

Kris tries to familiarize himself with the route, perhaps he could find answers as to where he was being taken to but try as he was doing, he was coming to no avail. He had simply been gone for too long that the only thing he could remember was the route to his home.

“I've been gone for too long” he mumbles.

“You have... I noticed you always sent someone to represent you whenever there are summits and meetings here”

“I'm busy in Seoul...”

“Ah... that's good to know, I thought you were personally avoiding coming here”

A pang of guilt hits him but he merely shrugs it off of his shoulders and just keeps quiet. Slowly, the modern buildings began to fade off like water hitting paint and traditional ones came into view.

He doesn't remember the last time his Dad and him had taken a drive like this. It all seemed to have disappeared when his parents have begun to argue. He was still young back then. “Hey Dad...” he calls out to the old man but kept his eyes out of the window.

“Hm?”

Kris falls quiet for a while.

“What is it?” Mr. Wu asks, getting curious after his son's silence. The young Wu turns to him, finally “Did you... really love Mom?”

It was quiet again but it was much shorter than the first silence Kris had impaled. Mr. Wu smiled as his eyes looked forward, focusing on the road. He nods his head.

“Any man would love a woman like your mother”

Kris frowns “Then why did you hurt her?”

“Because we are all subject to screwing up in our lives, in my case... I had made that certain mistake. Yours is different from mine as theirs is also”

Kris sighed.

“You don't hurt those whom you love” he mumbles. Mr. Wu takes a quick glance at Kris –who had now turned to look out of the window again “Intentionally, no. accidentally, we do”

Mr. Wu takes a turn “People are people, Yi Fan. Some of us tend to act before we think, it's an undeniable reality; If you tell me that you have never made Kim Hana cry, I will take back my words” and Kris is in silence once again.

Defeated, he sighs. Point taken, old man. Point taken.

The car slows down and eventually comes to a stop.

“We're here” Mr. Wu announces as he unbuckles his seat belt. The two got out of the car and Kris takes in his surroundings, his heart seemed to have stopped for a moment when the scene hits him like a cold bucket of water.

No way.

Finally updated! Thank Krissus ~

Well, seems like I'm getting busy this semester so delayed updates, five more chappies! :'D

I miss Chen's trolling, I hope to squish everyone together in the sequel, are you all ready? KEKEKE ~

Anyway, thanks for all of those who followed me on WeChat, LINE, Instagram and also those who followed @HanaStrawberrie and @KrisEffingWu on Twitter! It's really nice to meet all of you and you are all so freaking cute that if we were to meet in real life, I swear I would hug you all to death even though I'm probably gonna be an awkward turtle D:

I hope you'll all be patient for the enxt chappie and I read all your comments, I'm sorry if I cannot reply one by one :( Anywho, you guys are awesome but now, I have to say good night

and also before I forget, though it's two hours past already still...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARK CHANYEOL :D

P.S.

Kamsahamnida for all the comments, the on-going subbies, the rising views and ofcourse the still rising upvotes! /hugs you all/ <3