He shrugged. "Just a welcome habit, I guess. You just arrived. I would want to hear stories of adventure from our Kang Sola."

"Latest, since I'm hardworking, I finished my interns.h.i.+p ahead of time." She felt proud.

Xue Guangxi clapped in slow motion exaggeratingly. Kang Sola pretended to curtsy and bow. "Thank you, thank you, everyone!" In truth, there were only two of them at the backseat.

"You've had your fair share of adventures, too." Kang Sola bantered, albeit tentatively, knowing that that area was sensitive in nature. "Let's catch up."

Over the past months, something changed with Xue Guangxi as well. He became more obedient, tolerant, and somewhat mature. He tried to listen to reason and exerted an active attempt to go back the cheerful, hard-working, optimistic kid that he was before Su Jingjing reappeared. The truth was that her return inflicted severe damages to him, added to the pressure at work and from his family brought about by the banishment of his sister.

But he's coping. And from everything shameful, injurious and unacceptable incidents that had happened because of him when he went down the spiral path, he was trying so hard to lift himself up again and restore the lost dignity that he sacrificed in the name of selfishness, and muddleheadedness.

At some point in our lives, we commit irreversible mistakes. What's more important is the action taken afterward.

Xue Guangxi was determined to correct everything he had done wrong and compensate everyone and everything that were inflicted – starting with his family, his friends, his work and studies.

He swallowed his pride and accepted the punishment of being grounded indefinitely including being stripped of his worldly possessions – his car, his flat and all his credit cards. He was only given a monthly budget for all his expenses, and he was forced to return home to the Xue Mansion every single day. Without saying, he had to forego partying at night. He couldn't afford to attend at all because of his living arrangements. As for the transportation, Butler Lee or the family's chauffeur drove him around under the surveillance of his security team.

In the meantime, he's also not allowed to partic.i.p.ate in Xue s.h.i.+pping. He was stripped bare of privileges, but not banished.

In a sense, he lost his freedom, but he's cool with it.

Admittedly, he had been arrogant and too full of himself, too.

He had hurt even his family members in the process – even his beloved sister, Xu-jie.

Up to the present, he still carried the burden of guilt and shame of being a bad, despicable brother, although for Xue Jinxu, it's all in the past.

Better for the culprit to remember, for the memory will forever cause torment to the soul, an effective reminder of how to be humane and to never forget the obligation a person has towards another human soul.

Butler Lee pulled over at the side of the restaurant where Xue Jinxu was waiting. Soon the two alighted from the car and joined the host.

"Xu-jie!!!" Kang Sola rushed towards the lady with the jet-black hair, and without hesitations whatsoever, hugged her tight. She was sniffing. "Xu-jie!!! Huhuhu. I'm so happy to see you so alive and well again, Xu-jie!!!" The girl with purple highlights hugged her again.

"Well, I'm glad to see you again too, Sola. Have a seat. You, too, Guangxi."

Whenever someone approached Xue Jinxu and told her how sorrowful they were about the accident, Xue Guangxi felt so small. He could never be apologetic enough no matter how many sorry's he muttered under his breath, openly, or in his mind.

Xue Jinxu sighed a happy and contented sigh. "My heart swells from seeing you both just like how you used to be. Glad you somehow found common ground."

"En. Our friends.h.i.+p is strong, Xu-jie."

"Thanks to you, Xu-jie." Xue Guangxi's ears burned from humiliation.

"It's difficult to find gems of a friend in this cruel and corrupt world. When you find one, make sure to treasure them forever. It's rare to chance with one, mind you."

"At the face of faults, it's better to weigh a million times first whether your friends.h.i.+p matters over the magnitude of the fault. It's subjective, but once discarded, a shattered friends.h.i.+p and trust could not easily be restored."

The two looked at each other, both embarra.s.sed, but nodded in acknowledgment of the older sister's words of wisdom.

Shortly after, the pre-ordered food was served hot, which they consumed immediately to satiate the hunger of the two growing kids. Xue Jinxu admiringly watched over them while they ate, while picking up her own chopsticks.

She heaved a sigh of relief and secretly hoped for them not to encounter anything more that would mar their cherished friends.h.i.+p.