The Buddhists say, if you meet somebody and your heart pounds, your hands shake and your knees go weak, that’s not the one.

When you meet your soulmate, you’ll feel calm.

No anxiety, no agitation.

4^th January 2000

 “Young Master!”

“Young Master!!”

A late 30s man dressed in a butler uniform ran down the steps of Lu’s mansion quickly, making a beeline to the backyard with 2 other maids behind him.

“Young Master!”

“Young Master Luhan!!” He called him urgently but the 10-year old boy showed no signs of responding. Instead, he continued to dribble the ball between his feet skillfully as he mumbled to himself.

“No. 7 Luhan is making his way to the goal and he dodged No. 10 on the opposite team!” With that, the boy made a sharp turn without losing his ball as he continued moving forward, getting away from the man who was screaming for him. “And he is nearing the goalpost.. will he make it? Will he score again??”

“Young Master!!” The 30 year old man stepped into the backyard and went after the boy.

“He is unbeatable!! Look at the way he dodged the defenders!!” Luhan continued narrating as he lifted his right leg, channeling all his energy to kick the ball as hard as he could, making it fly over the walls of his backyard. “And he…”

“GOALLLL!” Sliding himself forward, Luhan landed on his knees and ed his pelvis out, sending a kiss to his imaginary fans that were chanting his names in the stadium. He opened his arms, ready to embrace his team members congratulatory hug but someone pulled him up on his feet.

“Young Mas.. Master!”

“Aish!” Luhan opened his eyes when his butler interrupted his fantasy, bringing him back to reality when he was experiencing his most glorious moment. “Chen-bo! Of all times why must you come now!”

“Young Master…” Chen Jun Yan, whom Luhan calls as Chen-bo, was his all-time favourite butler. Well, he was the only butler in Lu’s mansion anyway. “Old.. Master is home!”

“W..what?!”

“Hurry get back to your room! Hurry!”

“Oh my god!”

Chen-bo ran behind the 10-year old boy as they avoided the main hallways and corridoors. He prayed hard that the old master Lu would head back to his study room to buy him some time to get his young master back in his room.

“He is not supposed to be home till Tuesday!” Luhan hissed as he ran. “Why is he home?!”

“Because I know you would definitely be up to no good!”  A familiar voice answered him as Luhan and Chen-bo froze in the hallway.

“P..Pa…” Luhan straightened his back from his crouching position and scratched the back of his neck as Chen-bo bowed at his boss. From the way his father was gritting his teeth, he knew that he was doomed.

For the next few minutes, nobody said a thing and droplets of water could be heard hitting on the white marble floor. Luhan looked down and saw how the polished floor had clear stains of mud and he shut his eyes, awaiting for his father’s scream.

“Soccer again!”

“Well.. just for a while.” Smiling sheepishly at his father, Luhan shifted his feet awkwardly as he stole a look at Chen-bo. He pouted at the older man before looking at his father again with an embarrassed smile. “Heh.”

“Heh? Heh?!” Old Master Lu shook his head, “You are already 10 years old Luhan!! When are you going to stop behaving like a kid? It’s about time you learn some politics!”

“I did!” Luhan nodded his head, “I read the newspaper!”

“When??”

“Last week.” Luhan mumbled, causing Chen-bo to shut his eyes. He knew his old master would definitely rage.

Compared to his father, the young master of the Lu family was the exact opposite. His father was strict and uptight, he had never seen him smile ever since he started working here 10 years ago. As for the young Lu, he was always smiling despite growing up in a strict military household. His happy-go-lucky character could be the death of his father someday because the older couldn’t stand any joke in the Lu household.

“Oh? You’re back?” Instead of the loud defeaning scream, Mrs Lu walked down from the opposite end of the corridoor. From her quickened footsteps, Luhan heaved a sigh of relief. “What happen?”

“Your son! Just look at your son!!” Mr Lu complained.

Mrs Lu stole a look at her son and pretended to sigh. “Luhan, go washup now. We have guests coming over for dinner.”

“Okay! I will go now!” Pivoting on his heels, Luhan make a U-turn and ran down the corridoor to his room. Before disappearing down the corner, he turned back to his parents who were still staring at him. With his bright smile, he shouted loudly before making a dash up the stairs.

“See you all later!”

-

“Does that family has a kid?” Luhan asked as he buttoned his shirt.

“Yes they do.” Chen-bo answered him and helped him comb his hair neatly. Upon hearing the yes, his eyes lit up immediately. He was so going to convince him to play soccer and there was nothing his father could do, it was the guest’s wish.

Before he could ask any question, Chen-bo replied. “I don’t think that girl likes to play soccer.”

“Ayee.” The spark in his eyes disappeared and a pout could be seen from his face. “Girls are boring.”

“Hahaha. Why?”

“Because they only play board games and I will have to keep after that. How troublesome.”

“I will help you Young Master.”

“To ask her to play soccer with me?” He smiled widely.

“To help you pack up the board games Young Master.” Chen-bo hoaxed the boy and brought him down to the dining area as per instructed.

Sitting at the dining area, Luhan’s eyes scanned the girl right away. He still hadn’t give up on the hope that she might agree to play soccer with her.

“Luhan, this is Uncle Zhang’s daughter. Bi Xue.”

“Bi Xue, this is my son, Luhan. Both of you are the same age.”

Luhan watched the girl nodded at her father’s words before nodding her head at him. She didn’t acknowledged her father or mother, she just quietly ate her food, occassionally nodding or shaking her head when the question was directed to her.

“Luhan, bring Bi Xue up to play.” Mr Lu instructed.

“Yes Pa.”

“What do you want to play?” Like a host, he led the girl away from the dining area and up to his room. Luhan knew better not to joke around when his father’s guests were present. The last thing he wanted was to get punished by him. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t make use of his father’s instruction to do something he likes.

However, the girl gave him no reply. She just blinked her big round eyes at him.

“What do you like to play?” He asked again, afraid that she had not heard him. However, he still received no reply when they had reached his room, which was a distance away from the dining area.

“Did you hear what I say?” Luhan turned around and asked the 10-year old girl. She was slightly shorter than him, her hair landed on her shoulders neatly. Her white dress contrasted her black hair and eyes and complemented her milky skin.

Bi Xue nodded her head before pointing to the corner beside his room. Luhan watched the girl sat down and laid out the things in her backpack, a sketchbook and a pencil. Then, she started drawing all by herself, without speaking a word to the boy who was still staring at her.

“Do you like to play soccer?” Luhan broke the silence after half an hour as he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling in boredom. But the girl shook her head without looking up at him.

“Do you want to play board games then?” He asked and the girl shook her head again.

After a series of questions, the 10-year old Luhan gave up. Picking up his ball from the ground, he opened the door quietly and stealthily made his way to the field. He would rather get punished than to stay in that boring room. For once he was willing to play board games but the girl simply wouldn’t talk to him.

“Young Master, please don’t.” Chen-bo frowned at him as he blocked his way. “Master will cane you for sure!”

“I’m bored Chen-bo!” Luhan retorted softly, “The girl doesn’t even open . I think she’s mute!”

“Sssssh!” Chen-bo instinctively covered the boy’s mouth but he struggled free. Just then a loud banging could be heard from downstairs and Luhan went over to the corner that overlooked the dining area. Hiding in the dark, Luhan swore he wouldn’t forget the words and looks the parents used and wore that night.

“Bi Xue still doesn’t talk to strangers!” Uncle Zhang complained as he sipped a mouthful of red wine, “It’s atrocious! I told her that if she doesn’t open and speak to any of you today, I will send her to a mute school!”

“I’m sure she just doesn’t like to talk to strangers. Give her some time.” The kind Mrs Lu tried to ease the guest’s anger.

“She’s already 10 years old Mrs Lu. She only speaks to her nanny. Not even her father or me. Her home school teachers gave up on her.” Mrs Zhang complained with a look of disgust on her face, “I think sending her to a school with special needs will be a better choice.”

“Please don’t.” Mrs Lu frowned, “Why not try sending her to the school Luhan is in? The kids there are very nice. I’m sure she will open up.”

“It’s an embarrassment to have a kid in special need school, Zhang.” Mr Lu poured a little wine, “Transfer her to Luhan’s school. I know the principal there, I’m sure he will be more than willing to help you.”

“Yeah, what Lieutanent Lu said is true.” Mrs Zhang agreed, “Throw her into the normal school and she will have no choice but to open up.”

Luhan blinked his doe eyes, unable to believe the things he had just heard. Was that Bi Xue’s parents? The Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang that he saw during dinner time didn’t seem to be that cruel to put their own child into a mute school just because she doesn’t like to talk to strangers.

“She’s not mute Young Master. She just doesn’t talk to strangers.” Chen-bo brought the boy away from their hiding spot and walked him to his room. He hadn’t expect this to happen and from the way his young master was walking quietly beside him, he knew he was as shocked. Before sending him in, he patted his head. “Please don’t be like her parents Young Master.”

“Please be patient with her.”

Nodding his head, Luhan opened his room door to see the girl still drawing quietly at the same spot where he left her. He hopped onto his bed and crawled to the edge so he could oversee what she was drawing. It was a house, a really beautiful mansion.

“It’s beautiful.” Luhan praised and Bi Xue looked up at him. When he stared into those black orbs of hers, he knew instantly that there was a story behind her big, round and innocent eyes.

Bi Xue smiled slightly and nodded her head which Luhan understood as her form of gratitude. She then went back to her drawing while Luhan pulled a book from his bed stand and started reading it.

However, when Luhan opened his eyes after realizing that he had fallen asleep, it was already the next morning. The spot that girl occupied the night before was empty. Pushing himself up from the bed, he saw his book neatly placed beside his bedstand and beside it was a sheet of white paper.

When he turned it over, a smile hooked up the inner corner of his lips. It was a sketch of his sleeping face with her name written at the bottom. It really was beautiful, like how she drew the mansion last night. They had something magical in them that Luhan could stare at it all day,

“Thank you.” Luhan pinned his first potrait on his noticeboard as his eyes drifted to the two words at the bottom.

“Bi Xue.”

Just some clarification because I used some chinese terms here. So for the sake of the non-chinese, these are what it means:

Chen-bo = Uncle Chen (Not our chen chen. but the surname Chen in China is pretty common.)

Pa = Father

I really liked this chapter, especially the part where Luhan is narrating a goal himself. It feels real to me somehow. Well, this story is written based on what my proofreader and I think, which we firmly believe that it may be true. So I will try to make this fic as realistic as possible but please do correct me if I get any Luhan facts wrong. I'm a Jongin fan, Luhan is my third bias but I just want to dedicate this fic to him.

Enjoy!