29^th January 2013

Luhan hopped onto the midnight flight to Beijing quietly and stealthily. No one managed to recognize as he breezed past the custom and immigration. It had been more than 24hour since he last slept. The idol championship was the last schedule he had before he could return to Beijing for a month and a half. It was a physically draining schedule because the filming was long and they could not rest properly. Nonetheless, he was glad that it was over. He would catch up on his sleep on the flight back home. When he opened his eyes, he would be a step nearer to Bixue and he could not wait to spend a month and a half with her.

He carefully avoided eye contacts as he wheezed pass the crowd and boarded Laogao’s car. Everything was smooth and he managed to make it to Bixue’s house within 2hours. Although he was drained, he downed his Ice Americano that Laogao bought for him, hoping that he would not look so tired.

When he was in the arms of Bixue, he knew he was finally home.

The couple spent their days like newly wed. Bixue would let Luhan sleep in while she went to the market to do some grocery shopping. She would then return home around noon to make lunch for Luhan so that he would wake up to a table full of food. Then they would spend the afternoon lazing around. Sometimes they would watch a movie together, sometimes she would be in her art room drawing while Luhan played his video games in the living room. They would always end the day in each other’s arms. It was simple yet blessed.

Luhan knows that he is deeply in love with Bixue because when he wakes up next to her, comfortable despite his breath smelling, he is terribly excited to see her, to talk to her again, having missed them after all that sleep. After a week of rest, he could now wake up earlier than her to watch her sleep.

“Sleep a while more.” He told her softly as Bixue struggled to open her eyes.

Shaking her head, she yawned and snuggled deeper into his chest. She simply love waking up like this. “I need to do grocery shopping.”

“I will go.” Luhan offered. He had went to the supermarket a few times with mask and cap but Bixue still did not like the idea of him risking himself like that.

“I’m going to the main market today. Chinese New Year is coming and a lot of stores are closing. I need to stock up some food.”

“Then all the more I am coming with you.” Luhan smiled and hugged her tighter. She had been more than amazing. For the sake of spending more time with him, she had been working from home and also cooking all kinds of tonic soup for him. Now that Chinese New Year was coming, Luhan was determined to make even more memories with her. “We can go for a walk in the night market too. Its been so long since I last went there.”

“But what if someone recognizes you?”

“It’s winter. I don’t think anyone can recognize me if I wrapped myself up.”

With a scarf around his neck, a mask that covers his face and a cap, Luhan braced himself as he stepped onto the steets of Beijing that were crowded with people buying Chinese New Year goodies. Initially, Bixue did not want to have any contact with him. She walked beside him but refused to hold his hand. Luhan had to keep trying to catch her hand and even fished her hand out from her pockets as they walked down the nightmarket together. He could not stop smiling because he was really happy to be with Bixue back in his homeland.

“Shall we buy that for our house?” Luhan pointed to a couplet. Bixue nodded her head and they went inside a store to pick out a few other Chinese New Year decorations together. They even bought Willows and a new vase in preparation for the coming New Year.

During the eve of Chinese New Year, the couple woke up early and began spring cleaning and decorating the house. Bixue was in charge of cleaning while Luhan was in charge of hanging the decorations. By noon time, the couple was done and was sitting around the dining table to wrap dumplings.

Luhan carefully folded the dumplings into shapes of a coin. Memories of him folding his dumplings with his mother when he was young flashed before him. He could vividly still remember how his mother would hide a dollar coin among those dumpling. The person who eats it would have a prosperous year that year and he would always cheat by making a mark on the dumpling so he could recognize it later.

He sighed inwardly at how time had flown. It had been years since he last went home, let alone eat his mother’s dumplings. As much as he was sad, he was glad that at least, he could spend it with Bixue this year. He was no longer alone in a foreign country.

Although he did not tell about his feelings, Bixue knew what Luhan was thinking. She kept quiet and let him immersed in his memories as she prepare their reunion dinner – steamboat.  When dinner was finally ready, the couple sat opposite one another in their new outfits, ready to welcome a new year.

“Let’s eat!” Luhan declared as he took a spoonful of the broth from the steamboat. The familiar taste caused him to freeze.

Upon seeing his actions, Bixue smiled to herself and continued eating her food.

“How did you…” Luhan blinked his eyes furiously as he looked at Bixue in disbelief. “It.. it tastes the same as my mother’s!”

“Your mother taught me of course.”

“When did you… go back? How come I didn’t know?”

“It’s a secret.” Bixue put her index finger to her lips and scooped a few more dumplings for Luhan. She knew that Luhan missed home but there was nothing they could do. The only thing she could do for him was to cook a reunion dinner for him that tasted like home so she called his mother while he was bathing. She hinted his mother that Luhan was with her and she told her about the stuff he likes to eat and even the recipe for the home-made broth.

“Ayeee.” Luhan pinched Bixue’s nose playfully with a bittersweet smile. No matter what, he was still very thankful towards her. She had allowed him to enjoy the food that he missed the most. Even when Tao spammed Exo M’s group chat to show off the luxurious food he was having, Luhan did not even salivate at the pictures. He was more than contented with what Bixue gave him.

As the clock moves closer to 12 midnight, Luhan and Bixue spent their first Chinese New Year in each other’s arms, watching Beijing’s Chinese New Year variety show and heading to bed together. They woke up the next morning without being too far apart from one another and for the first time, they could wished one another Happy New Year face to face.

“What do you wish for this year?” Bixue asked Luhan lightly as he leaned in for their first New Year kiss.

“I wished that everyone will be in good health, Exo’s album to be a hit and we would be together forever.” Luhan smiled blissfully. “What about you?”

“Me? Hmmm..” Bixue thought for a while. “I hope for good health too. And that everything we do would be smooth for us this year.”

Luhan nodded his head, showing agreement in Bixue’s wish. The couple continued to lay in bed with their arms around each other and time seemed to stop while they lay on that bed, just kissing, whispering and crushing their bodies together as though simple wishing, force and desire were enough to prevent them from ever being separated. Compared to other Chinese families, they had no one to visit on the first day of New Year. Luhan could not return home and Bixue had already walked out of her home. They only had each other.

“Laogao is coming over.” Luhan told Bixue when he checked his phone.

“Xu Feng and Guo Jing too.” Bixue added when she checked hers. “I think we should get up and prepare then.”

“You use the toilet first. Let me laze around for a while more.” Luhan pulled the sheets over him but Bixue stopped him.

“No. Lazy deer, get up now.” Bixue dragged him out of bed and into the bathroom. The couple freshened themselves before taking turns to change into their new clothes to prepare for the arrival of their guests.

“Happy New Year!” Xu Feng, Guo Jing and Lao Gao appeared at their doorstep at the same time coincidentally. After exchanging greetings, the ice between the group of them was quickly broken as they joked and hung out together. Laughters could be heard as Bixue and Luhan occassionally stole glances at each other before breaking into laughters themselves; their hands intertwined.

I would not be able to update till next week. There would be Korean students from Kyunghee University coming over and my friends and I would have to bring them around. Hopefully my back pain wouldn't act up then. *prays*

Enjoy the sweet moments of Luxue. *coughs*