"Guys, guys hear me out, please!" He raised his hand, grinning. He turned and faced each side.

The three girls who bullied Kang Sola had left the restroom and were also waiting to hear his announcement.

"Thank you, thank you!"

"Well, it's nothing much, really. I just want to tell you guys that whoever lay a finger on my people will have to answer to me." He said to everyone, still grinning, trying to make eye contact to as much students as possible.

If no one had heard his statement, if it's muted and was purely visual, it would have been mistaken as a well-intended speech simply because of his bright and grinning façade. However, there seemed to be an underlying threat in his tone and words.

"See, my friend here, Miss Kang Sola, is in fact, one of my most trusted people." He said slowly, making emphasis on every word. He stopped his gaze on the three girls who bullied Kang Sola.

"Just now, I caught some people bullying my people. You, you and you." He pointed at them.

"Your names."

The three girls paled at being singled out. It's similar to being declared an outcast. Once they say their names for everybody's reference, the spectators would have completed the torment in Xue Guangxi's behalf.

"Names!" He ordered.

"Li Baozhai."

"Fang Bingqing."

The leader hesitated, but still declared her name. "Ming Caihong."

"Roger that! These girls are partic.i.p.ative enough. Thank you." He grinned at them and even laughed a little, it was unnerving.

He fetched his phone from his pocket and called the head of his security hidden somewhere near. "Got their names?" He asked.

The head security replied. "Yes, Second Young Master." He hung up the phone.

"Now, now, we're all friendly here! I simply want to make myself clear here. Just don't touch my people. That's it, and we're all good. Easy right?"

He nodded his head towards each direction, trying to communicate effectively to his audience.

"Thanks for your time! I'm gonna throw an amazing party tonight at Larry's, everyone. Overflowing booze is on me! That's to seal our understanding! Spread the word! Thanks, thanks! See you later!" He raised his hand again then made a slight bow, and off he went from the bench. He seated on it, and glared at Kang Sola, unsmiling.

Kang Sola glared back at him. She was not pleased with his actions.

"Why did you do that?" Kang Sola's crumpled funny face was showing. At another circ.u.mstance, he would have laughed at her face, but now was not a good time for a laugh.

"Why not?" Xue Guangxi retorted, headstrong. "Can't I?"

"Can't you just thank me? I did it for you."

"I didn't ask for it." Kang Sola irritatedly said.

"They treated you that way because of me. Can't I be responsible for once? How long have they been treating you that way? You seemed not surprised at all."

"None of your business."

Xue Guangxi closed his eyes trying to control himself.

He sighed. "Kang Sola, how many times do I have to repeat? They treated you like that because of me. You don't need to endure it alone. I would have solved it for you!"

"It's nothing. It's done. Let's drop it."

"I can't understand you. You know, and I know that you're one tough girl. You aren't that fragile. Why are you enduring it?"

Kang Sola remained silent.

Just when he thought she wouldn't answer, she said, "We both have our images to think about. It might not be as high and mighty as yours, but still, I have mine to protect."

Xue Guangxi was getting more infuriated. "f.u.c.k that image. That's bulls.h.i.+t, Kang Sola. Whatever happened to our talk about maintaining authenticity?"

Kang Sola was keeping her gaze lowered. She bit her lower lip. "Stop." She said. "I… I hate confrontations."

"I don't want to implicate you or anyone. I had been so used to being independent." She admitted.

"So you're trying to run away from your issues? Instead of facing them, you chose to reprimand me for being openly close to you? That's absurd."

"Yeah, I remembered. The first time we met, was that the reason you ran away from us when you got annoyed? You couldn't even stay in the car until we drop you off at the infirmary."

"You have a twisted way of dealing with things." Xue Guangxi voiced out his newest realization. He was honestly maddened by Kang Sola and her choices, but he was also feeling extremely guilty because it was his fault.

It had been a sensitive issue for Xue Guangxi – others getting the shorter end of the stick because of him. He viewed himself as the weakest link in their family, and a source of trouble to the people close to him. He was utterly displeased that even in the university, he still inflicts others some sort of suffering.

Kang Sola did nothing wrong. In truth she had been helping him to the best of her abilities. The videos that they created together featuring the Sea Carnival had boosted the ticket sales for that particular type of cruise s.h.i.+p, and even helped Xue s.h.i.+pping regain their footing in the market, and the market's trust from the recent capsizing incident. Her video clip of the Captain ordering the crew to drop the anchor of The Great Adventurer at anchorage causing it to keel over served as a strong evidence against the Captain.

She only did good things to him and to their company. What did she get in return? She was faced with ill treatment from others who did not even have a say in their lives – those who did not understand or know a thing about them.

Xue Guangxi was highly provoked and infuriated with the realization that Kang Sola, no matter how tough she looked, readily folds in front of interpersonal conflicts. She would, most probably, simply rest her case or try to escape away from it.

"Kang Sola, I'm genuinely sorry for the mistreatment that you got from our schoolmates. I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner, I had been always away at work. It's good timing that I'm here today."

Kang Sola bit her lower lip. "It's nothing. Come on, it's two in the afternoon. Let's head to the next cla.s.s. Anyhow, thanks." For the first time during this whole commotion, she glanced up at him and looked him in the eyes. Xue Guangxi knew that she was sincere.

Shortly after they separated in their paths and went to their respective cla.s.ses. However, even when not together, Kang Sola felt protected and safe. Their schoolmates had been kinder to her after that epsiode.

Most probably so, Xue Guangxi had a.s.signed one of his bodyguards to follow her around secretly, lurking in the shadows away from people's attention.