has come back from a print shop with five copies of a comic he made about a girl who likes pandas. The panda is the best character in this--
--thing really.
is slightly curious in this comic. Pandas?
holds his comics close. "Oh hello xian sheng." He will ignore Yao's curious gaze.
smiles, "Ni hao, how are you aru?" His eyes graze the comics.
holds the comics tighter. They have pandas printed all over them and a girl holding one on the cover. "Ah... well I suppose and yourself."
sees them and wants to wibble and take a comic, "I'm good aru." He points to the comic, "May I see?"
holds them even tighter against himself. "Glad to hear... and well.." He looks off to the side. "This is important work that I have yet to--
--complete."
blinks, "Aa, I didn't know you drew LiXiang!"
still doesn't look at China. "It is really nothing special.*
gets a little closer, "It looks special aru. Let me see?"
sighs. "Xian sheng. This is not for children." He says with a nod, not to say China was a child.
sighs too, "What exactly are you drawing aru!?" Did Arthur corrupt him that badly?
looks at China. "...some pandas... mostly." He takes a step back. "So..."
doesn't see why that isn't for children... and he's not even a child. He steps forward, "Aiya, can't I see?"
turns away. "I think it is best if you did not for your sake and mine."
blinks, "W-why not?" If it's just pandas then it shouldn't be bad.
looks serious, but that is how he usually looks. "It is not for xian sheng. Definitely not."
is starting to think LiXiang is drawing panda porn. Oh what did those Europeans do to him, "Just a peek aru?"
"By a peek you mean only the first page or are you trying to get a look at the whole thing? That is not for free."
is appalled that LiXiang would even think about charging family, "Just the first page..."
has to treat everyone equally with prices, of course his favorite customers get stellar treatment. "Okay..." He shows him the first page. --
--it only has the title. 'Girl who likes panda a lot.'
wishes things were simpler like they were in the past. He blinks at the page, feeling cheated, "Aiya, I wanted to see your drawings!"
shakes his head. "We had an agreement. The first page only."
frowns, but it was true, "Okay aru, I won't pry."
is glad because there was definitely something not for children in his little comic.
wonders if he can somehow talk LiXiang into showing him another page, "Aa, are you hungry?"
thinks damn it. He does look uninterested though. "Not particularly. I mean... I suppose I could eat."
flashes him a big smile, "What are you craving?" He could make him whatever he wanted.
knows this but there had to be a catch. "You seem awfully friendly today."
frowns, "I can't treat my family kindly?" He just wanted to feed him... and look at a drawing.
has learned from Taiwan not to accept a meal from China, specially one offered exclusively to him lightly. But it was food. "Aa... okay I --
--will go with you and have something to eat."
smiles, "Okay aru!" He walks over to his kitchen, "What will you be having?"
"Oh. I want some steam buns and spring rolls and some jasmine tea." He almost feels like he is in a restaurant.
nods and gets some ingredients out, "Since you won't show me pictures, tell me what your comic is about aru." It had to be more in depth-
a girl who likes pandas.
sighs. He knew it. "It is about a girl who collect panda items and likes pandas a lot. So she ...umm gets a lot of panda items and goes --
--to Ocean Park."
listens intently while he cooks, still not seeing why this isn't for children, "You never told me you could draw."
places the comics down next to him. "I am not as talented in all honesty. So I would be ashamed if you saw my work." But really because--
--it was very naughty. And he did not want to get scolded.
eyes the comics for a split second and continues cooking. He still wanted to see his drawings; he'd never be ashamed! -
"You're just being modest aru. I'm sure you're as talented as Yong Soo."
looks down at his comics. "...Korea. No, this is not like his. It is my own. If you start saying things like that he may come claim my art--
--as his own."
serves the food and the tea, taking the dishes to the table, "Aiya, sorry." He hadn't meant it that way, but Yong Soo would claim it either-
way. He sets a plate in front of LiXiang and then places one where he is going to sit. That is, if he doesn't snatch the comics and run -
first. He's tempted since he wants to see LiXiang's cute panda drawings. He's sure they're cute.
does not think China will snatch anything. He is being a bit trusting now, mostly because he is blinded by the thoughts of delicious--
--foods. Go figure his weakness was something China was very good at. He would have to work on this. He knows it not that he is thinking--
--about it at this very moment. In fact he is getting ready to eat. Of course China does snatch one and runs, then Hong Kong will run in --
--the other direction fearing repercussions for his art.
finishes setting the tea down on the table and lets out a soft sigh. Okay, here goes. He was going to see those pandas no matter what, -
"Enjoy your meal aru!" And there, as fast as he can he snatches a comic. Damn it, he's acting like a child, but there were -
pandas in this! He's running down the hall now, flipping the comic open, hoping LiXiang will forgive him.
will not forgive him of course. Forgiveness does not come easy! He watches him go and drops his chopsticks. Okay, he was out of here. He--
--picks up the rest of his comics and leaves. Because that is a smart decision. Specially because he is sure China is getting past the--
--pictures of pandas and the girl looking at the pandas to the very explicit scene of the girl and her special friend.
stops and almost crashes into the wall. He could feel his eye twitch a little. W-what? "LIXIANG!" Oh no! He *has* been corrupted by the -
Europeans! What did Arthur teach him anyway?! He drops the comic and laughs at himself. This is what he gets.
can still hear China call him but he knows he needs to keep going! He had to admit at least it was a work of art of its own kind. A rather--
--beautiful piece. It had to be his best work yet. He does hope now China never realized who he modeled the girl after.