He was there, but there was no sign of Kang Sola. He sent a WeChat message. "I'm here. Where are you?"

From behind the tree, she appeared, rather looking anxious, her hands at her back.

She extended her hands, which were holding a nicely wrapped package. Her face was crumpled in a scowl, but she's blus.h.i.+ng slightly.

"For you." She said while giving it to Xue Guangxi. She couldn't even look, and all this while she had maintained her eyes on the ground. She was deeply embarra.s.sed.

"Sola…" Xue Guangxi grinned from ear-to-ear, wide-eyed. He took the nicely wrapped parcel from her hands.

"Is this a confession? I didn't realize…"

The girl's countenance changed, leaning more into panic. "NO!!!!"

"No, no, no. You got it wrong."

"This is not a… a… confession." She blushed harder and shook her head in utter embarra.s.sment, while waving her both hands vigorously, frantically, supporting her words with body language.

Xue Guangxi's face and spirits fell. Strangely, he was tremendously disappointed. His eyes fell dark as well.

"Is the idea too repulsive to you? You're strongly against it." He said, irritated. "Then what is it?" He was losing his cool.

Recently he found his temper getting shorter and he got more and more irritable. His increasing workload side-by-side with his academics had a contribution to it, but there might be some other factors, even unknown to him.

"It's a token of grat.i.tude. For standing up for me the other day." Kang Sola explained, a scowl still prominent on her face. "If you don't want it, you don't have to accept it."

She reached for it on Xue Guangxi's hand.

He rubbed her face with his other free hand, the other still holding Sola's gift. He held it up high, beyond her reach. "Why give it if you're going to take it away again?" He said, immensely annoyed.

Those were his words, but it sounded a bit differently, a bit harshly, as if he's talking about another concern. Probably he was talking about hope, rather false hope, of something else he had subconsciously expected in mind. In truth, he had mistaken it for a girl's confession – Sola's confession – of her true feelings for him. He had come here excited, expectant, only to be disappointed from it. Of course, he had not realized it himself, and would never admit to it.

"Why are you angry again?" Kang Sola pressed. "Whatever's your problem, you're always taking it on me."

"You weren't in the university much, but when you do, and every time we meet, you always get angry at me! What have I done wrong?" She demanded, rather rhethorically.

"I'm sorry for always displeasing you, Second Young Master." Kang Sola went away running hard, slightly sobbing.

'He's returned to being a jerk.'

Recently, Kang Sola was having a hard time trying to figure out how to possibly act accordingly around him. They were friends, and these past months, they had grown rather close. However, Xue Guangxi's mood had been fickle lately, and had even ranted it to Butler Lee the last time he asked about Xue Guangxi. "At one point, he's easy-going and cheerful, but there are things that seems to trigger him and he becomes irritable, annoyed. But, he wouldn't tell what." She had told Butler Lee. In which Butler Lee replied, "Most probably he's tired from work, Miss. His workload is constantly increasing lately, piling up to a considerable amount. He's experiencing extreme pressure from his peers, higher-ups, subordinates, and even from his family."

And so, Kang Sola had been understanding of him. 'Maybe he has lots of problems at work, and on his mind. Still, can he be kinder? Well, n.o.body's perfect. He needs the support of friends now.' She had sighed.

Going back to present, she had ran towards where her bike was parked. She rode it away from the university, and headed towards a nearby field beside a lake.

She parked her bike, then lied down on the gra.s.s. She wanted to clear her mind until it's blank again.

What Kang Sola didn't know was one of Guangxi's guard had been following her, tasked to keep her safe at all times. Xue Guangxi called this guard. "Where is she?"

A few minutes more, a young lad came to sit himself on the gra.s.s, at certain distance from her. He started picking up stones, then threw it into the lake.

"Vlogger Kang."

"Kang Sola."

The girl was ignoring him. He continued in throwing more stones on the lake.

He glanced at her. She was sleeping. 'She fell asleep from crying. How pitiful.' He said, while noticing her tear-stained face. He studied her face closely.

Little did he know that he was beginning to come closer, bit… by bit… until his face was no more than a few inches from her sleeping face.

The girl moved slightly, and the usual scowl slowly forming on her sleeping face. Then her eyes abruptly opened. She gasped.

She hurriedly sat upright as reflex upon seeing someone's face too close to hers. However, Xue Guangxi was head was on the way. Naturally, Kang Sola's forehead collided onto Xue Guangxi's nose.

"Ouch!"

"What the h.e.l.l!"

"Hey, Second Young Master! What are you doing just now?!" Kang Sola exclaimed, completely surprised.

"Just checking on you if you're still alive! Apparently you are!" Xue Guangxi was so red in the ears. He was ma.s.saging his nose bridge. "You sure have a hard head. You're literally hard-headed. Pftt." Despite his aching nose bridge, he wanted to laugh at his own joke. "Hahahaha!"

Kang Sola was infuriated even more than she already was. She stood up, ready to leave.

Xue Guangxi grabbed her wrist. "Hey, sorry, alright?" He pleaded. "Sit down."

Kang Sola tried to break free from his grip. "Sorry for what?" She sat down.

'She's being difficult.' He sighed.

"Sorry for getting angry at you when you only wanted to relay your thanks."

"Is that all?" Kang Sola asked.

"What else? Is there more? Ahh, sorry for disturbing you while you were sleeping." He said.

"…"

"Kang Sola. Why are you being like this?"

"You're not sincere with your apology, are you?"

"You're not accepting my apology? Then forget it." He said, getting irritated again, and standing up.

"Why are you saying it, only to take it back?" Kang Sola said, mocking him, using his own words at him. She laughed at him in return. It's called retribution.

"Whatever. Are we good now?" Xue Guangxi asked while throwing a stone he picked up earlier onto the lake. It bounced on the lake's surface around three times before going into the waters.

"All good." Kang Sola said, but asked. "Can I make a request, Second Young Master?"

"Second Young Master again. We're back at that?" He protested, scoffing. "What is it?"

"Can you at least control your temper? You're returning to being a jerk again. Maybe we're becoming too comfortable around each other that we are forgetting our differences… Second Young Master…" She said, a little sarcastically.

"Sorry." Xue Guangxi sighed. The weight on his shoulder suddenly became apparent.

"But, if you have anything to talk about, we can talk about it. You can rant or complain about anything – just let it all out. I heard from Butler Lee that your workload is increasing."

He sat down again.

"Well, yeah. My sister was banished. All the responsibilities were left with me. Of course, for now they're managing it because I'm still young, and still studying, but I'm my family's only hope and future. The pressure is overbearing."

She tapped him on the shoulder. "I didn't know it was to that extent. You can count on me, Second Young Master."

She fetched her phone, and wore one of the earpiece in her left ear. Then, she offered the other earpiece to Xue Guangxi.

Xue Guangxi took it and placed it in his right ear.

Kang Sola played a song. It went…

---

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea [1],

I'll sail the world to find you

If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,

I'll be the light to guide you

Find out what we're made of

When we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one two three

I'll be there

And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two

You'll be there

'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah

---

The two occasionally bobbed their heads slightly together with the music, while also exchanging knowing looks at each other, sharing their smiles of support on their faces.

[1] The song was "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars