With a blue colored file-folder tucked under her arm, Ru pressed the doorbell of the apartment. The door was pulled open to reveal a teenager with a disheveled look. His black eyes abruptly brightened up looking at Ru.
"Oniisan, come inside," Xiao Zhi-Yuan put on an admiring look as he kept smiling up to Ru while making a 'please' gesture with his hand.
"What's with this look? Is being untidy a new trend or something?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan looked down at his rumpled clothes and tried to fix his hair with his fingers.
"Not sure about the trend... I was cleaning my room and that led to this look." He answered with his boyish charms. Ru nodded not finding it odd that he cleaned his own room. She reckoned that Xiao Zhi-Ren didn't want his brother to get too dependent on attendants. "Should I bring something for you to drink?"
"Nope... Thank you very much but I just took an elevator ride to get here. It wasn't tiring enough." Ru replied indifferently and Xiao Zhi-Yuan couldn't help but shake his head at her retort. "I asked you to write two essays as your last assignment."
"I did. Isn't my essay in that file you're carrying?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan beamed as he went on, "Don't want to be narcissistic but didn't I do well in just a week?"
Ru lifted her hand and flicked the space between his brows making him grimace. "Ouch! Oniisan, what's that for?" He was rubbing the spot where she flicked. It was painful.
"The essay on 'The influence of Confucianism on Chinese Culture' was average but acceptable," she started, pulling out the papers out of the folder in her hand. "But what's up with the other essay?"
"What's wrong with it?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan was pouting even now clearly not happy with the 'Average' comment. He was always admired for being a genius, this 'average' comment was not in the history of his life until today.
"The topic was, 'Eastern Mythologies: The Chinese Dragon' and what the bloody hell did you write?" Hearing Ru swearing in her British accent made Xiao Zhi-Yuan smile involuntarily. Seeing him grin like a lunatic, Ru gave an open-handed slap on the back of his head saying, "You little squirrel!"
'Huh? Squirrel?' Xiao Zhi-Yuan was stuck with this in his mind while Ru went on, "You have written that dragon is an embodiment of lust, greed, violence, evil and most of all death."
"Isn't that right?" Xiao Zhi-Yuan knitted his brows in confusion since that's what he learned in his years in America.
"Better use your senses and some internet for research before typing such nonsense." Her words were sharp but she spoke so calmly that even Xiao Zhi-Yuan was surprised. "What you wrote is true but in Western mythology. In Eastern mythology, the dragon is a common motif representing its heavenly background. A dragon is a legend in Chinese culture which definitely doesn't bring despair."
"Oh..." Realization dawned on Xiao Zhi-Yuan but he still believed that it wasn't his fault for not knowing it. He wasn't familiar with Chinese Culture.
"Write it again!" Xiao Zhi-Yuan nodded his head and Ru was about to turn to leave when she heard Xiao Zhi-Ren's voice.
"Yuan, get ready. I'll take you to KTV tonight."
Both Ru and Xiao Zhi-Yuan whipped to look at Xiao Zhi-Ren and asked simultaneously, "What's KTV?"
Xiao Zhi-Ren darted his eyes between both his little brother and Ru. He found their identical expressions quite amusing. "It's Chinese word for karaoke." Both listeners nodded their head in understanding.
"Okay, I'll be back in a minute before changing." Xiao Zhi-Yuan ran up the stairs to his room.
"Would you like to join us, Mr. Xie?" Ru pondered for a moment about his offer and since she had nothing else planned, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
After an hour, they parked the car before a high-class KTV club. Xiao Zhi-Ren led them to the lobby where he asked for a specific private room which was already reserved for them.
A pretty young lady took it upon herself to guide them to their room with a polite smile on her face. Seeing the young lady's innocent look, Ru couldn't stop herself from saying, "Hey, pretty lady, I think I've seen you somewhere." Seeing a mischievous lopsided grin on Ru's face, Xiao Zhi-Ren had an inkling that she was up to no good.
Sure enough, the young lady who was guiding them smiled bashfully since such a handsome 'man' was actually talking to her. She was screaming in her head like a fangirl as she asked breathily, "Where?"
Ru's grin broadened as she leaned closer to her saying, "In my dream of a lifetime." Xiao Zhi-Ren facepalmed himself, thinking why did he invite this playful master to come along? The pretty young lady's cheeks were tainted red and she kept looking downwards to hide her blush.
"Here is your room, Sir! If you need anything just ring the bell." The young lady gestured towards the room and stood at the side respectfully.
"If I ring the bell, would you be the one to come, my beautiful lady?" Ru asked again making her voice sound coyish.
The young lady bit her lower lip and said, "Yes, sir!"
"Really?" Ru feigned surprise as she went on in a low voice, "I'll surely ring this bell tonight. I hope you come, m'lady."
The young lady bowed her head and turned to leave instantly afraid that her blush might embarrass her before these VVIP guests. Ru's green eyes followed her disappearing silhouette with a satisfied smile on her thin lips.
She shifted her eyes to see both brothers giving her odd looks. The elder one had the look of displeasure while the younger one was awe-inspired.
"What?" Ru asked feigning ignorance while looking at Xiao Zhi-Ren.
"What's up with this flirting mode?" Xiao Zhi-Ren raised his brow inquiringly.
"What flirting? I wasn't flirting with her." She plainly refused to accept this insinuation.
"Oh, really? Then what really were you doing?" He crossed his arms before his chest seemingly very interested in her reply.
"I was trying to make her smile," she answered honestly and Xiao Zhi-Ren's brows snapped together. "Oho! look, Mr. Xiao, you might have not noticed but she was looking quite sad with her puffy eyes which she tried to hide with make-up. And I assume it has something to do with a break-up. So, I just gifted her with a smile by just saying some sweet words. Now, for the rest of the night or even for the week to come, her mind will keep thinking about this handsome young master who called her beautiful." Saying 'handsome young master' she even shamelessly pointed at her own self.
"And why are you trying to spread smiles? You don't even like girls," Xiao Zhi-Ren made a trenchant remark.
"Aiyoh! Mr. Xiao, I don't like girls, that's a different story. As for spreading the smiles, my grandfather taught me, 'Although it's true that a single smile hides the scariest scars, that doesn't mean we should stop smiling. Always put on a smile, even if it's fake. If it won't help you, it might encourage someone to get through the tough times.'" Xiao Zhi-Ren listened to her attentively without disturbing her as she continued, "And in my journey of life, I've learned that I'm the worst kind of person but even I feel good about myself when a stranger smile because of me."
"People fake smiles to hide their feelings, so that no-one judges them. " Xiao Zhi-Yuan joined the conversation and Ru smiled gently at him as she tousled his hair.
"My little squirrel, then we should learn to smile just to spite others."
Xiao Zhi-Ren was feeling like this young 'man' was quite sensible until Ru made the last comment making him roll his eyes at her. "Can't you teach something nice to my little brother?"
"I always tell him what's right. Am I wrong, Xan?" Ru argued.
"Big Bear, don't be mean. Oniisan always teaches me the best things." Xiao Zhi-Ren gaped at both of them since his own brother was taking another person's side.
"That's like my little squirrel," her voice sounded like wind chimes to Xiao Zhi-Yuan who felt happy about himself.
"Shall we finally enter the room?" Xiao Zhi-Ren interrupted their admiring moment.
"Okay..." Ru answered and was intending on opening the door when they heard a loud girlish voice calling out.
"Xiao Zhi-Yuan!" The three of them turned their bodies to look at a teenage girl in a pretty A-Line short dress in blue color with a beautiful butterfly embroidered on the waistline. She sprinted towards them in her high heels and went straight into Xiao Zhi-Yuan's embrace.
Xiao Zhi-Yuan staggered a bit because of the impact which came out of the blue while his eyes were wide opened. As for the other two standing on each side of his, they were staring amusingly at this scene playing before them.
Both Ru and Xiao Zhi-Ren bent a bit backward and shared a look of reverence for Xiao Zhi-Yuan.