Her eyes widened – did he hear all she said?
When Mo Xin Er walked into the penthouse, Lu Yichen was sitting up the stairs in the library. He glanced at the laptop placed on the desk in front of him, a tiny smile gracing his lips.
The scanner placed at the foyer was undetectable, however, it had managed to catch onto something he found interesting. He had always known she was different from others but he wasn't expecting her to bring an electric whip. From where, did she even get it?
He shook his head and got up his seat to meet with her. But the very words he heard made him halt his steps.
"… the penthouse is around the school…" Was she even telling someone where she was? So cautious!
He dipped his hands in his knickers pockets and made his way down the stairs. He could see a little figure donned in black seated on one of the sofas in his study. Her phone was placed to her ear. She was still making that call and didn't seem to notice him standing on the stairs.
She seemed to finally notice him, lifting up her head to look at the stairs. Her eyes flew open and he couldn't help but grin inwardly. After all, the wasn't at all expecting such a reaction from her. She had always been calm and stoic all the times he had met her that he had once wonder if she would ever be shocked by anything.
He made his way down the stairs, his eyes fixated on hers as her face slowly morphed into indifference once again.
"Miss Mo."
Her reply was flat. "Young Master Lu."
"It seems Miss Mo doesn't wish to be here."
Her brows crease. Mo Xin Er looked at the young man sitting across her with a smile on his lips. But she knew better than to think it was a genuine smile. Especially not after she witnessed how he always acted like a scholar in front of everyone. He was being blatantly pretentious.
"I don't think there is any reason for me to start basking in joy because I visited your apartment."
He nodded with understanding making her cringe. So two faced. She could swear if he was probably in the historical era, probably in a dignified as a sect leader, she could swear he would totally fit in.
He reclined back into his chair and said, "We ought to get started."
"Okay."
She scrolled on her phone for a few seconds before turning to look at him. She said, "Our project is to make detailed research and compilation of historical festivals all around the world." She had no idea why they were meant to do that anyway. She couldn't even find any meaning to it.
But he replied with a smile as he pulled out two stacks of blank notes. "We have a lot to do then. I can get someone to do it for us if you do not want to."
She raised her head to look at him with furrowed brows. Her eyes held a complicated gaze which made him aware of the several thoughts that could be running in her mind.
"Why would you do that? I mean, what is the essence of the group work then, if we are not even doing it ourselves."
"I never said it was a must. Just an opinion."
"Well, I don't want your opinion," she rebuked.
"Okay."
She pulled out her laptop from her backpack and waited for him to get his. He walked over to the study desk, retrieving his laptop and took his seat again. She watched as his fingers danced nimbly on the keypads. The next minute, he turned the screen to face her and she gaped at the interface.
There was an image of Chinese people celebrating the Chinese New Year. Of course, he would place his country first.
"How about you compile the projects while I do the research. We aren't supposed to be taking advantage of Wikipedia but we can always restructure the words," he said looking at her eyes searchingly. Probably thinking she would object. But, she nodded positively.
"Okay."
He began, "The Chinese New Year otherwise known as Lunar New Year is the most celebrated among the historical Chinese Festivals there are. It dates thousands of years back, evolving from one dynasty to the other." He looked over to her, relishing a little in the way she seemed so serious about the project before continuing, "Originating from the Shang Dynasty, the festival is celebrated in winter by sacrificing to the gods and in honor of the ancestors of China. Its exact beginning is impossible to estimate. Some Chinese folks believe that the Lunar New Year originated in 1600 – 1046 BC when people held sacrificial ceremonies at the beginning or the end of each year."
He paused for a moment before looking up at her. "How does that sound?"
She smiled. "Good. After all, we are both goofing off Wikipedia."
"Not exactly. I was fixing and editing some things as I read. So, this is our own manuscript. Anyway, it's not like we won't be including references," he replied while fixing his collar with a frown.
"Alright. Let's go on."
He nodded. "As the years went by, the culture also evolved with it. During the Zhou Dynasty, about 1046 – 256 BC, the term 'Nian' appeared in history. Although the custom of offering sacrifices still went on, there were also some things done during the festival."
"Houses are adorned with red couplets and paintings. It us said that when Nian[1] also known as 'nyen' appeared, a myth began to circulate. It was said that the Nian was mystical beast who feeds on livestocks, crops and even people on the eve of the new year. Thus, to prevent Nian from raining attack on them, people put food at their doors for it to feed on.
"It is also said that a sage deducted that the Nian was scared of loud noises and the red color. People began to put red lanterns and red scrolls hanging on their windows and doors to stop Nian from coming inside.
[1] Nian also known as yearly beast is a myth that evolved during the Zhou dynasty. It is rumored to feed on humans and animals.
Reference:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-history.htm