Your feet will take you where your heart is.

12^th September 2000

 “Young Mistress, do you want to go to school today?”

Bao-ma watched the girl who was on the bed shake her head with a blank expression. She sighed inwardly and walked up to her slowly, till she reached the edge of the bed then she asked her again.

“Are you sure young mistress? It had been a week since you last went to school.”

Bixue nodded her head firmly, refusing to speak a word. That action made Bao-ma frowned right away. Not only did her young mistress stopped attending school, she had also stopped talking to her. During this period of time, young master Luhan had also stopped visiting. She asked her if they had quarrelled but the young girl refused to tell her anything and it made her worry.

“Young master Luhan will be worried if you keep skipping school.”

Upon hearing her words, Bixue turned her back on her right away. Bao-ma recalled that her young mistress’s eyes would light up whenever she talked about Young Master Luhan or heard his name. And she always had this genuine smile when she was with him. Now, her eyes don’t light up anymore and she hadn’t seen her smile in a week.

Glancing at the unfinished drawing that had an empty space beside Young Master Luhan, she could guess that something happened between the children and it must have really hurt her Young Mistress. 

She slowly retreated out of the door, closing the door quietly as she wanted to make her Young Mistress her favourite dumpling soup to cheer her up when someone tapped her from the back.

“Madam instructed you to pack some clothes for Young Mistress.” The other servant passed her a suitcase which she accepted unwillingly. “And also a few things that she likes.”

“Do it by afternoon.”

Nodding her head, Bao-ma held onto the handle of the suitcase tightly. She turned around to steal a look at the door that was tightly shut, her nose turning sour right away. The thought of the girl behind the door leaving pained her. She couldn’t bear to let her go but there was nothing she could do.

She was just a helpless servant in the Zhang’s household.

-

Looking at the rearview mirror, Chen-bo saw his young master staring out of the window quietly. It was unusal for his bright personality young master to be this quiet and it was even more strange for him to see his young master not playing soccer for the past week. It wasn’t hard for him to piece the information up together. From the rumours he heard from the other maids on how Luhan got angry when his art pieces were wet to his Young Master stopped visiting the Zhang’s house, he knew better that the kids quarrelled. And that a part of his Young Master still treasures the friendship between them or he wouldn’t be this sad.

“Young Master, Old Master and Madam will be going to Zhang’s house for dinner tonight.” Chen-bo told him, “And I overheard from them that the Liutenant Zhang and his wife had decided to send Young Mistress Bixue to the special school.”

“Today will be her farewell party.”

Luhan’s nose turned sour the moment he heard the news from Chen-bo. He knew that she was due to leave this week but he hadn’t expect to be tomorrow. A part of him was wishing that her parents changed their mind but looks like his wish didn’t came true afterall.

“Do you want to go with them tonight?” Chen-bo asked when he saw no reaction from the 10-year old boy sitting on the passenger’s seat behind.

“No.” Luhan replied angrily. Why should he visit her when she refused to speak to him. He still couldn’t believe that she just didn’t turn up for school for a week and that she really gave up their friendship.

“Are you sure?” Chen-bo questioned him because he knew the boy would definitely want to go.

“Yeah.”

“You are not even going to say goodbye to Young Mistress Bixue for the last time?”

“I said no Chen-bo.”

Closing his mouth, Chen-bo decided not to push him further. He knew his Young Master can be very stubborn once he made up his mind. However, Chen-bo’s words refused to stop haunting Luhan as he sat in his room watching the clock ticked by. His mind was filled with Bixue and how he would never get to see her again. As the hour hand approached 6, he could no longer sit still.

“Wait for me! I’m coming!!”

Chen-bo turned around after opening the car door for his boss and his wife to see their child running down the stairs all dressed up. A smile spread across his face as he opened the car door again.

“Just in time Young Master.” He lifted the 10 year-old boy into the car and hurried to the driver seat.

Throughout the journey, Luhan kept peering out of the window, unable to keep still. He was afraid that Bixue’s parents would send her off before they arrived. When they finally arrived, he saw the 10 year-old girl wearing her favourite dress with her hair neatly pinned standing by the living room waiting for them.

Heaving a sigh of relief, it didn’t take long for him to realize that this was probably the last time he would see her dressed up so nicely and his nose turned sour immediately. Throughout the dinner, they ate quietly, with Bixue refusing to look at him. Even when their parents dismissed them up to play, she went ahead to her bedroom without waiting for Luhan.

As Luhan slowly walked up the stairs, he could hear the adults conversation clearly.

“Does Luhan knows that Bixue is leaving tomorrow morning?” Mrs Zhang asked Mrs Lu.

“No, he doesn’t know.” Mrs Lu replied.

“Good. He will forget Bixue after some time.”

 “No I won’t. I’m not as heartless as you guys.” Biting his lower lips, Luhan muttered angrily under his breadth as he opened the door to her room to be greeted by Bixue sitting in front of her desk, sketching a new piece of drawing.

She knew that Luhan wouldn’t want to talk to her so she had been trying to avoid his eyes since he stepped foot into her house. She pushed him away not because she was mad or that she hated him but she found herself foolish for spilling her heart out to Luhan when he gave her the slightest bit of attention. Silly her, thinking that he actually cares when he did not. Now, it hurts more if she sees him and talks to him. There was a difference between being angry and being hurt.

“Where are you going Bixue?” Luhan asked. His fists curling into a ball as his eyes continued scanning the almost empty room. When his eyes landed on the luggages that were packed neatly at the side of the room, it finally hit him that she was really leaving.

Turning her head slowly at the voice of the owner, Bixue couldn’t believe that Luhan was actually talking to her. Her heart softened right away as she wrote on a piece of paper and showing it to him.

My parents are bringing me to another city to study for a few months.

Snatching the paper from Bixue, Luhan crushed it angrily and tossed it to the other corner of the room, giving the girl quite a shock. This was the second time she saw him being this angry.

“Bixue! Talk to me! Please just talk to me!!” Luhan raised his voice angrily. He knew she would not be coming back anymore and he was afraid, she wouldn’t make it pass the next winter.

But Bixue continued to stare at him blankly, refusing to speak a word. Tears were b up Luhan’s eyes as he held onto her shoulders, “Bixue..”

“They are not sending you to another city to study for a few months! They lied!”

“Your parents lied!”

“They are sending you to a mute school!”

Shaking her head, Bixue refused to believe a thing Luhan just told her. Her father wouldn’t lie to her. They told her that the school there have teachers who would be patient with her condition so she agreed. Bixue grabbed the notebook and wrote a note to him quickly.

You liar.

“I overheard everything they said Bixue..” 10 year-old Luhan was crying as he recalled the conversation he heard a month ago, “They gave you a month to speak but you still wouldn’t speak so they are sending you there tomorrow.”

“Please.. Bixue.. just speak to me. I’ve been trying the past month but I have no more time to try anymore.”

“Please just speak to me now.. At least I can go down and tell your parents that you spoke to me and they won’t send you there.”

“I don’t want you to die.. I don’t want you to be cold..” Luhan choked out. Their first fight broke his heart not because of the words they said, but because for the first time ever, he was afraid to lose something he likes.

Bixue sniffed hard. Right now, she was like a patient who cannot tell the doctor where it hurts, only that it does. She was unsure if knowing the fact that her father bluffed her hurt her so much that she was crying or was Luhan’s tears that triggered her own. However, she still couldn’t find the courage to open .

“Sorry to disturb. Young Master, its time we should go.” Chen-bo was taken aback by the 2 children who were crying but he just watched how they kept looking at one another with tears flowing out of their eyes. As much as he wanted to give them a bit more time, he couldn’t.

“Young Master. We really need to go. Old Master is waiting.”

“Okay.” Luhan nodded his head at his butler but his eyes were kept on Bixue’s. Taking a step forward, he wrapped his arms around the little girl. Her eyes said more than words could say. He could see the pain, the panic and the sadness and he wasn’t going to force her to speak to him anymore.

“Please survive the winter.”

Scribbling on the notebook, Luhan put the piece of paper that consist of his house address and notebook into Bixue’s pocket. “If you are cold, call me. I will bring you more clothes and heat pack okay?”

With a last hug, Luhan slowly turned around to leave. His tears dripping down his face. But Luhan wasn’t the only one who was crying. Bixue watched him walk out with sobs. He didn’t even say goodbye, he didn’t even look back. It scared her, how easy it was for him to do that.

That moment, she reached out to grab his jacket. Her voice broke the silence that engulfed the heavy atmosphere in the room that stunned Chen-bo and Luhan.

“Don’t leave me behind Luhan.”

“You heard that Chen-bo?” Luhan exclaimed, his lips hooking up into a bright smile immediately as he turned to look at the girl.

Wiping his tears from the corner of his eyes, Chen-bo nodded his head. “I heard. You have a very sweet voice Young Mistress Bixue.”

“She talked! She talked to me!!” Luhan couldn’t contain his excitement. Grabbing Bixue’s hand, he ran out of her room towards the living room.

10 year-old Luhan stood in front of Mr and Mrs Zhang with Bixue behind him confidently with a wide smile spread across his face. Their hands interlocked tightly.

“She talked to me. Bixue talked to me! There is technically a few more hours before the clock strikes 12. So it’s not a month yet!”

“She doesn’t need to go to the mute school!”

“Luhan-dear, I know you are close with Bixue but what you are doing is not good for her.” Mrs Zhang frowned at the young boy. “Please don’t lie on her behalf.”

“I’m not lying!” Luhan raised his voice slightly.

“Luhan! Its enough!” Mr Lu interfered right away.

“Pa! Bixue really talked to me!” Luhan argued.

“I can vouch for that Old Master.” Chen-bo voiced out, “I heard it myself earlier too.”

“If you all don’t believe I can show you all!” Luhan boasted.

“How are you going to show us?” Mr Zhang asked.

Right at that moment, Bixue tiptoed and whispered into Luhan’s ears, causing the boy to break into laughter immediately.

“What’s so funny Luhan!” Mr Lu scolded him angrily.

Tightening his grip on his hand, he swore, he just heard the most melodic voice in his life. Because today he learnt, she was capable of making him happy too.

“Well…” Luhan had to suppress his laughter in order to finish the sentence.

“Bixue asked me to tell Mrs Zhang that that her dress is very ugly today.”

I'm glad that I have no 5am shift tomorrow. That means I can squeeze some time to write tonight and tomorrow night.

Wheeheet!

Enjoy!