Some nights, alone, he thinks of her. And some nights alone, she thinks of him.

Some nights these thoughts, separated by miles and time zones, occur at the same time and they are connected without ever knowing it.

7^th October 2009

Bixue stared at her own reflection. In the mirror stood a girl in a light pink dress, with her black hair cascading down her back in big curls. Her pale looking face looks a little more radiant than usual, contradicting her empty looking eyes.

“Young Mistress, Old Master asked you to put on this necklace as well.” Bao-ma told the girl softly and she simply nodded, complying everything that her father had arranged. From the dress to the dinner later, the girl’s father gave her no chance reject. Looking at her standing so still in front of the mirror, Bao-ma couldn’t help but to feel sad that she was going to marry someone she had never met and the one she loves doesn’t even know that she loves him.

How irony it was for her to follow after her father’s footsteps; to fall in love with someone who doesn’t love them back.

“You’re ready Young Mistress.” Bao-ma stepped away from her and the girl nodded her head once again before walking out of her room, towards the car that her father had prepared for her.

“Young Mistress... Are you sure you want to do this?” Right before she entered the car, Bao-ma held her hand tightly in hers.

“Everything will be okay Bao-ma.” Bixue patted the woman’s hand and entered the car. Her eyes closing painfully as she leaned against the headrest. She didn’t know if everything would be fine. She didn’t know if everything would go as she had planned and she didn’t know if complying to her father was the right thing she should be doing now. All she could do was leave her future to fate. If Luhan and her are meant to be, then everything would work out somehow somewhat.

“Young Mistress…” Bao-ma choked out as she watched the car pull out of her vision. Shaking her head, she returned back to the mansion just in time to hear the phone ring.

“Hello?”

“Bao-ma? Is Xue around?” Luhan’s chirpy voice was a total opposite from Bao-ma’s. However, upon hearing his voice, her voice lit up.

“Young Master Lu!”

“Yes, it’s me. Can you get Bixue on the phone please?”

“Erm.. Young Mistress is not at home.”

“Not.. at home?” Luhan asked in surprised. Bixue is always at home and every year, she would be back home to eat Bao-ma’s mian xian for dinner at this time. There was no way he would remember wrongly. “Is she still in school then? Had she been so busy with school recently?”

“No, she’s not.”

“Then where is she??”

“She’s…” Bao-ma blurted out the first word but swallowed the rest immediately. As a servant in the Zhang mansion, she was not allowed to gossip or spread any news about the family that would affect their reputation. Plus, she was not in a position to tell Luhan about Bixue’s fiance. “She’s out celebrating with her friend.”

“Friend?” Upon hearing the word, he lowered his head dejectedly. Bixue had a new friend, just like what he wanted her to do. But now that she finally has, he didn’t know why but he couldn’t bring himself to be happy. The sour feeling that was spreading in his chest didn’t feel good.

“Nevermind then I guess.” Luhan mumbled softly. “I will call tomorrow or something.”

Hanging up the phone, Luhan walked out of the public phone booth with heavy footsteps. As he kicked the stones on the sidewalk, he wondered what kind of friend did Bixue make. Was that person like him? Would that friend bring her to the art supply store to choose her present? Is he or she more fun than him?

When he finally reached his dormitary, he instinctively pulled out the picture that they took together when they were younger. It was one of the few things he had brought unknowingly with him when he came. Running his fingers over the picture of the 2 children, he mumbled to the young Bixue.

“Please do not forget about me.”

-

4 people sat in one of the most luxurious restaurant in Beijing. 2 men in their mid 40s were chatting happily while the other 2 teenager sat quietly across one another, both wearing a solemn expression.

Bixue simply sat where she was, listening to the adults talk and laughed over dinner. They discussed about their wedding like it was the most natural thing to do and she barely had the mood to touch any of her birthday meal that was served. She was just physically there like how her father wanted her to.

“Feng, bring Xiao Xue out for a walk. You guys must be bored.” Uncle Xu told the teenagers and the boy nodded his head obediently.

“Behave yourselves and not do anything rush.” Bixue’s father told them as Bixue pulled her chair back, following the boy out of the door.

“Aye, why are you stopping them? If they do anything.. wouldn’t it be better for us? The ties between the Zhang and the Xu will be stronger than before!”

“Right! I forgot! Hahahah.”

Closing the door behind them, the teenagers walked down the hotel’s corridoor that led them to the poolside. Both of them feeling disgusted by what their father had said so none of they spoke a word till they took a seat by the pool. It made Bixue glad because she had made up her mind to keep quiet. She was going to be her old self, to let the boy think that she was dumb so he would reject the marriage. It was the only way she could get out of this arranged marriage.

“I… have something to say.” The boy opposite her spoke up and the seriousness in his tone caused Bixue to lift her eyes to look at him for the first time in the evening. His features are not as soft as Luhan’s, it was manly and sharp for a 19 year old boy. But there was something behind those eyes of his that made her unable to look away for that moment.

“I wont accept the marriage.”

Instinctively, Bixue’s eyes widened and he quickly explained.

“It’s not that you are not good. I’m sorry but it’s.. It’s just that I.. can’t marry someone I don’t love.”

Taking a deep breath, Xu Feng continued. “Moreover, I already have someone I like. She’s innocent and I don’t want her to be caught in between this. We both know that this marriage is more than just us. It’s about our families.”

“And even if we get married, my heart will never be yours. I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to hurt her.”

That moment, Bixue knew why she couldn’t look away. Because behind those eyes of his, it had a flame that was so similar to hers. It was the sense of familiarity.

With a smile, Bixue opened slowly. “Me too.”

Unable to believe what he had heard, Xu Feng looked up at the girl in shock. He was being forced into this arranged marriage and no matter how he had objected, it was of no use. His father had even resorted to locking him up prior to this dinner. No matter how he tried to run away, it was of no use so he knew the only way out was for the Zhang to pull out from the marriage and that was when he thought of telling the girl truthfully. He was sure no women was able to withstand a marriage with no love from her husband but he hadn’t expect the girl to agree to whatever he had said.

“My heart belongs to someone too.” Bixue laughed slightly, causing Xu Feng to smile along with her. The initial worry was replaced by relief.

“Really? Then I guess it’s a relieve then.” Xu Feng leaned into his arm chair comfortably, the inner corners of his lips hooked up as he continued. “I knew Guo Jing since we were 5. She was always accompanying me to all the different classes and she is always better than me at everything. I used to hate her so much but then as I grew older, I realize that learning new things wasn’t fun without her.”

“And life without her was just… boring.”

“But she is my butler’s daughter. My father wouldn’t allow us to be together. I really love her you know. She is my best friend, my partner in crime and my soul-mate.”

“I promised her that I would marry her and the thought of being married someday is going to be so cool. Like I get to come home to my best friend every single day and just do life together..”

Nodding her head, Bixue couldn’t agree more to what Xu Feng had said. It would be cool to be able to do life with Luhan too. And the thought of it just makes her lips tune up higher and higher.

“What about you?” Xu Feng asked her as the couple sat opposite one another, basking in their own happiness.

“Me?” Bixue squinted her eyes and smiled as she recalled about the memories she had with Luhan. Those that she had stored away for rainy days, those that she had stored away so she could take them out when she misses him. Although the memories makes her feel sad and happy at the same time, it still warms her heart to be able to remember it.

“I like my best friend but he is in another part of this world chasing after his dreams.”

“You guys are not together yet?” Xu Feng asked curiously.

Shaking her head, she wished she was as lucky as Han and Xu Feng. It must have been nice to be in love with their best friends and most importantly, to have the person he loves to love him back.

“Does he know?”

Once again, Bixue shook her head. “You risk your entire friendship for that 1% chance that he also feels the same. It’s not worth it.”

“Well, the risk is definitely worth the reward.” Noticing the sadness in her eyes, Xu Feng quickly changed the topic, not wanting to upset his new friend further. “It’s your birthday, we shouldn’t be sitting here. Let’s do something.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s my birthday in any way.”

“Hmmm, then at least do something that you want to do today. Or something that you can’t do?”

Thinking hard, Bixue finally thought of somewhere she wanted to go. “Do you think we can get out of here?”

“Why not?” Xu Feng shrugged his shoulders coolly. “Our fathers want us to go out anyway. We are obeying their instructions.”

The next thing Bixue knew was she boarded Xu Feng’s car and with her instruction, they drove to a familiar looking mansion that she hadn’t visited for quite some time.

“I will wait for you here.” Xu Feng told her kindly, knowing where she was heading to.

“I’m sorry for making you wait. I will be back fast.”

“Actually you can take your time.” He smiled and picked up his phone, “Then I can talk to Jing a little longer.”

Nodding her head at him, she ran up the steps and into the mansion and the maids welcomed her right away.

“Bixue??” Mrs Lu made her way down the stairs quickly. She was surprised when the Chen-bo informed her that Bixue was here.

“Hi Lu-yi, how are you?” Bixue asked Mrs Lu warmly and the elder gave her a hug right away.

“I’m good silly girl. It’s your birthday today and you’re here to see me?” Mrs Lu held her hands tightly. She had lost a son but the girl before her had lost her mother before she even learnt how to walk. She knows that every year without fail, Luhan would accompany her the entire day but now that Luhan wasn’t around, she must feel as sad as her. “What do you want for your birthday? Lu-yi will buy it for you.”

“I don’t want anything Lu-yi. I just wanted to see how you are doing.” Bixue smiled sweetly at the lady. She promised Luhan to take care of his parents and she made it a point to check on their well-being by visiting them once in a while.

Before Mrs Lu could gave any reply, a loud growl could be heard in the empty living room and she broke into laughter right away. “I guess I will cook for you then?”

As Bixue slurped on the Mian Xian that Mrs Lu personally cooked for her on her birthday, they talked about the past that has Luhan in it and it brings back memories that made the two of them happy.

And it warmed their hearts on the cold Autumn night. 

Hi guys!! I'm sorry I went on a hiatus without informing. Exams was just too much and I really couldn't afford to write.

I wrote half of this chapter before my exams but I only managed to finish it yesterday after I ended my paper.

Yes my exams are over buttttt I have a few more assignments that are due. And I have a performance coming up as well. I will try to update as much as I can! Thank you for being so patient!

Hope you will enjoy this long chapter! I know there is no Luhan but let's take some time to enjoy Bixue and Lulu's mother.

Anw, Lu-yi actually meant Aunt and Mian Xian is something the Chinese eats during their birthday!

Yupp, enjoy!