I love it when you look at someone with a smile on your face, and they break into a smile back not because they know why you’re smiling, but because you’re happy, and that’s enough to make them happy.

12^th August 2000

“I will go play soccer with Luhan. Tell us when Chen-bo comes.”

“Yes Young Mistress.” Bao-ma nodded her head before being pulled down by her owner again, “Don’t let Chen-bo know Luhan is playing soccer okay?”

“Yes Young Mistress.”

Luhan watched the girl whispered into her nanny ear’s softly, wondering what she said and it also made him wonder how does she sounds like. 6 months into their friendship, the girl had yet to speak a single word to him. Chen-bo told him that Bixue will talk to him when she is ready and it made him wonder, when will she be ready to talk to him?

Let’s go.

“Where to?” Luhan looked up from the notebook to the girl before her who opened her cupboard and threw him something that he caught it instinctively. “Soccer?”

Nodding her head, Bixue pointed to the direction of the field in her house and Luhan broke into a smile immediately. He loves it when someone remembers something he told them. Bixue remembers that he couldn’t play soccer at home so she would invite him to his house after school to do homework together everyday. But, most importantly, it was so he could play comfortably without worrying about getting caught. It touched him that she had specially purchase a soccer ball and keep it inside her own cupboard just for him.

“Hold on.” Luhan turned around and picked up the canvas bag beside her studying table, swiftly putting her sketchbook and pencils in it before grabbing her hand and they made their way to the spatious backyard just like every other day for the past 6 months.

Bixue shook Luhan’s hand and pointed to the stone bench and Luhan nodded his head, understanding what she meant right away. She would always sit by him whenever he plays. If he ever gets caught by Chen-bo or her father, she would always insist that it was her who wanted to draw him playing so she forced him to play and he would be let off the hook right away.

As Luhan kicked the ball around the small field, he would instinctively turn to look at Bixue every now and then. It had become his habit unknowingly. And sometimes when he looked at her, and she was looking back at him, he could see something. The hint of of something more, something she was feeling but couldn’t say.

When their eyes meet, it is like they are instantly connected. He knows no one catches it but just Bixue and him, but he likes it that way. It’s their own little secret. Her eyes are so gorgeous and it holds a million words. Like now, he could be looking at her and feel her encouragement for him.

It’s when they are looking at each other in silence that they up saying the most.

“Bixue!” Luhan shouted and the girl looked up again. He pointed to the other side of field where his ball flew to. “I will go and pick up the ball.”

With a smile, Bixue nodded her head and continued her drawing. On her sketchpad, it was a little boy running around a field with a ball beneath his feet. Behind him was a building house that complimented his sharp features. Although she was not done with her drawing, the girl was satisfied with her potrait of Luhan. She managed to pen the twinkle behind his eyes whenever he plays soccer and that was the reason why she wanted to help him to whatever that could keep him warm inside. For her, it was sketching and for Luhan, it was none other than soccer. Even if he was running away from her, she would be happy just by being near him and it could be completely silent.

“Aish.” Luhan searched high and low for the ball to find it deep beneath the trees. He crouched his small body and forced his way between the huge trees to pick up his favourite soccer ball. His hand running over them lightly to get rid of the mud before preparing to make his way out when he heard noises from the window from above. As a guest, it was rude for him to eavedrop but a familiar name in the conversation made him stop in his tracks. Pressing his back to the wall, he remained careful to not get caught as he peeped through the window to see Bixue’s parents in the studying room.

“It’s been a month and Bixue is still not talking, I don’t think the school is of much help to her dear.” Mrs Zhang commented with her arms folded.

Rubbing his forehead, Mr Zhang looked up from his documents. “Give her more time. She’s warming up to the Lu’s family son. Maybe she will talk to us soon.”

“But.. do you know how others are commenting about us having a mute kid now? The rumours outside are so strong that I don’t even dare to have tea with the other mothers!”

“We should really put her into a special needs school! Maybe they can help her!”

“I wouldn’t do anything to harm Bixue. Dear, you have to trust me.” Walking behind Mr Zhang, Mrs Zhang put her arms around him.“I only want the best for Bixue.”

Luhan’s eyebrows cringed at the woman’s words. The best for Bixue was to keep her in this school, he replied her mentally. Ever since he overheard the conversation about Bixue’s parents wanting to send her to a special needs school and his parents frantically persuading them not to, he had been bugging Chen-bo to tell him more about it. He could sense that there was something more to that special needs school.

And when he finally knew, he couldn’t believe his ears. The special needs school wasn’t a school for the disabled, it was an orphanage for the the parents to abandon their special needs kids. Not only was the evironment bad, there was barely enough food for everyone there. According to Chen-bo, there would be many of them who would not be able to make it during winter. With that, he bit his lower lips worriedly.

“I don’t mean that.” Mr Zhang held his wife’s hands and patted them gently before pulling her into his lap. “I know you are concern about Bixue.”

“I.. just can’t bear to send her somewhere so far away. I promised her mother to take care of her before she passed away.”

“But…” Mrs Zhang pouted sadly and Mr Zhang interrupted her.

“1 month. Give her one more month.”

“If she still doesn’t talk by then, I will definitely send her there okay?”

Luhan had to cover his mouth with his hands to prevent himself from exclaiming. He ran away quickly from the spot that he had stayed for the past 5 minute as he tried to process what he had just heard. When he reached the open field again, Bixue looked up from her sketchbook to wave at him with a wide smile on her face which Luhan forced out a smile and lifted up his heavy hands to wave back.

He couldn’t believe how the people she treasures the most would be giving her the biggest scars and she had no idea of it. The words by her parents kept ringing in his 10 year-old head. A month later and Bixue would be going to the horrible place. He didn’t want her to go to a place so far away all by herself and most importantly, he didn’t want her to die. She was scared of the cold and she would definitely not make it during the winter.

With that, his tiny hands instinctively curled into a fist.

He has one more month to make her speak.

One month.

Sorry for the long delay. I ended my exams last week but I have new work training and assignments to attend and do.

I will try to update TLP by the end of this week. Enjoy!