Extra 1 - QiXi Festival (I)

A little celebration for reaching 10 episodes!

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Li YueYing opened his eyes. He sat up on his velvet bed, blinking hazily. Glancing around the room, head heavy, YueYing found a date circled on his calendar.

7/7…

QiXi Festival?

In China, rather than Valentine's Day, the people celebrated QiXi Festival. YueYing recalled a folktale: Two lovers separated by fate would meet on this auspicious day.

YueYing had never once had any interest in festivities such as this… he had no one to spend them with. So who could have circled it?

A brisk knock on his door brushed away the last of YueYing's sleepiness. He pushed his blankets aside, draped his legs over, and gently rose from the bed. He hadn't given anyone his house keys… except for that one person!

"Mr. Librarian!" YueYing threw open the door to his bedroom, his head tilting up to meet the man's loving gaze.

"I told you not to call me that. It makes me sound old." The librarian sighed and brought a hand to YueYing's head, brushing his messy hairs. "Call me by my name, you're not that much younger than me."

"Mm, it'll still take a bit of getting used to…" YueYing shyly smiled.

"You just woke up?"

"Yeah! It's only…" YueYing looked at the clock. "Noon?! It's already noon?!"

Chuckling, the librarian pushed YueYing back to the bed. "I don't mind if you sleep more."

"But isn't today an important day? One you spend with the people you love? QiXi Festival…" YueYing sat and patted the space next to him, motioning for the librarian to sit next to him.

YueYing still had some misconceptions about the world, but he was learning. So when the librarian beamed and told him QiXi Festival was a day for lovers to spend with each other, he lit up like a matchstick. He'd always thought that, since the two separated lovers in the folktale could meet, they'd gather their mutual friends and family to celebrate together.

When he explained this to the librarian, the man nearly choked from laughing.

"Do you want to invite FengXin? I doubt he has a lover of his own."

YueYing shook his head. "Maybe next time…"

"Alright. Then today will be just for us." The librarian smiled. "Do you want to go out with me?"

YueYing's already-red face turned even more cherry-ish. The first time he heard those words was shocking enough… he wondered if the librarian was just teasing him.

But he did want to go outside.

Nodding, YueYing stood from the bed and selected some clothes from his wardrobe. Since today was a festival, he wanted to dress appropriately. But what did lovers wear? What even was a lover? The more YueYing thought, the more muddle-headed he became, picking out all sorts of strangely coloured tops and pants.

The librarian watched YueYing from the side, slightly confused. Reading YueYing's face gave him some clues as to what the senior was thinking, and he quietly laughed to himself. He heaved himself off of the bed, strolling to where YueYing was struggling, and chose a simple white button-up shirt and a knitted brown vest.

"You don't need to worry too much. Anything is fine." He handed the clothes to YueYing, who looked like he'd been saved.

"Alright…" YueYing glanced at the librarian's navy tuxedo and sighed. If only he could have just a sliver of the man's charm and maturity….

Minutes passed, and the two were out on the streets. LuoYang was energetic and traditional as always, with women wearing beautiful hanfus of red, orange, and blue and carrying decorative fans and bags while their boyfriends and friends snapped pictures. YueYing watched them amble about, wondering if their heads hurt from how ornamented their wigs were.

The librarian followed YueYing's gaze.

"Do you want to try one on?"

Immediately, an image of himself tripping over the long folds of a tang-dynasty hanfu entered YueYing's mind, and he started coughing violently.

"YueYing?!" The librarian supported YueYing's shoulder, confused.

"But don't women usually wear those types of things… I, I've never tried one…" YueYing leaned on the librarian, catching his breath. He realized he'd misunderstood, and shame overcame him again.

"Look over there." The librarian raised a hand, directing towards a group of boys wearing cool black hanfus and carrying wooden swords. "Gender doesn't matter when it comes to having fun."

YueYing looked up at the librarian, who became god for just a second in his eyes.

"Then… but what about the hair?" He glanced at the group of costumed boys. One of them had voluminous black hair tied up into a high ponytail, and he flipped it in his friend's face. It looked heavy.

"You don't need to wear a wig or do makeup. You're beautiful as you are." Answering YueYing's troubles, the librarian patted his head again.

"Alright then…"