Xue Guangxi stood up from the low stone wall-fence around their school premises where he was sitting and waiting patiently for someone to arrive one morning.

The recipient of the call, and the owner of the name, upon acknowledging her name and Xue Guangxi, abruptly took two steps backward.

Without having said anything, she turned around, and ran away, far far away from the school.

It was such a chase.

Xue Guangxi ran as fast as he could to catch up on her.  The only disadvantage was that he was wrongly wearing leather shoes, and she was fittingly wearing her sneakers.

But any chase would somehow come to an end.  With longer legs, came longer strides, and in no time, Xue Guangxi who was heaps taller than Kang Sola overtook her and blocked her path. 

At this point, they had reached the lawn near the lake where they usually spend their leisure time in or whenever they would want to partake with nature.

The two juveniles both leaned forward, panting hard.  Kang Sola supported her diaphragm with one hand, while the other hand was propped on her knee.  Xue Guangxi, on the other hand, lifted his sweaty head and face up the air and inhaled the freshness of the air and the morning dew on his face.

"Why did you run?" The boy inquired wearily in between breaths.

"I don't know!  No reason." Kang Sola retorted cluelessly.  "You startled me." She was in between gasps, too.  "Why were you there?"

"I was waiting for you, you dummy!  And then, when you finally showed yourself, you tried to escape again!  How dare you.  I hate exercise in dress s.h.i.+rts, geez.  My s.h.i.+rt is already drenched in sweat all over!"

"Who told you to run after me, huh?" The girl returned the banter. 

"Who told you to hide from us?" Xue Guangxi accusingly threw a worried glance at her.  "Where have you been in the past few days?  Did you know we were all worried sick."

"You mean ALL of you?  How about Linyun-ge?"

The two youths propped themselves on the gra.s.s.  'Forget about our first cla.s.s in History.  It's all in the past, anyway.  I'll just research it later.' Xue Guangxi thought, prioritizing this girl beside him whom he had not seen in the past days.

"Of course, he's worried about you.  Why would you think he doesn't care?" Xue Guangxi stretched his tired legs, tired from all the running.  'Try to run in slacks and leather shoes, let's see if anyone can be comfortable afterward.' He thought while flexing.

Kang Sola pursed her lips as she distorted her face.

"Ugly."

"What the h.e.l.l?"

"You're making that ugly face again.  Come on, tell me, what's up with you lately?  Where have you been?  Who would jump out of the window at night?"

"But I left a letter, right?"

"Yeah, who would still leave a letter – so old school.  I know your number, you know mine.  We all share our mobile numbers at home.  Why would you leave a letter and not answer our calls after the deed?  Call yourself stupid."

"Hey!" Kang Sola spanked him on his arm.  "You're crossing the line." She warned.

"It's me trying to scold you for being so irresponsible." Xue Guangxi lied down on the gra.s.s and stared at the moving clouds and blue sky.  "If you have any problems, you can share it with me, you know.  You don't have to lift your world on your shoulders, on your own.  Knowing you, you must have thought of a solution not involving anyone's help, right?  You hate being a burden to anyone, even to your close friends.  So where are you staying now?"

"Uhm…"

"I rented a place near the university.  It has a coffee shop on the ground floor so I work there part-time.  I also earn some funds from my videos.  Some companies offered collaborations to feature their products on my vlogs.  I'm doing tutoring, too… And some menial jobs."

"That's a lot, Sola.  Why don't you just stay at Brother-in-law's house?  You don't have to do any of those things.  You don't have to suffer a miserable life alone.  You have a family."

"Family, huh?  Do I?" She scoffed, and lied down on her back, as well.

"Yes… We are…" Xue Guangxi staggered as he responded.  He felt his cheeks heat up.  His statement made him embarra.s.sed.

"Since when?"

"Oh, come on, Sola!" Xue Guangxi whined like a kid.  He stomped his outstretched legs and feet too.

"HAHAHAHA." After a while, Kang Sola added when her laughs subsided, "This is so nice."

"What is?"

"This – just lying on our backs and staring into s.p.a.ce.  I have to let you know that my time is precious, but lying here with you and doing nothing is somewhat even more priceless."

"He. Hehe. Hehehe." Xue Guangxi laughed nervously, but the girl's every word successfully tugged into his heartstrings.

"It's great to be lazy, and it's a good excuse knowing that it's because you're here; otherwise, I wouldn't tolerate even the thought of lying by myself like this."

Xue Guangxi sighed.  "You're pus.h.i.+ng yourself so hard unnecessarily.  But I understand.  You want to prove yourself, right?" In his thoughts, he added,   'In a few months, I would have to do the same, I guess.'

"Mhmm…" 

Those were Kang Sola's words before she succ.u.mbed into a deep slumber.

Xue Guangxi just let her sleep in.  She appeared exhausted.  'It must have been really difficult to start an independent life.  If I were her, can I do it?'

Just a few days ago, Kang Sola surprised everyone with a note left on of her made-up bed saying that she's grateful for the Chen couple's help and shelter, but she would prefer to return to the life she had before. 

Chen Linyun scowled at it when he saw it, then left Kang Sola's room in a hurry, and out of the house.

 Since then, Xue Guangxi and his Jie-Jie at home had been trying to reach Kang Sola through calls and texts, and WeChat messages, but she ignored all of them.  At school, he patiently tried to reach her, still, but she's too d.a.m.n elusive.

'So that's why.  She has been busy with lots of part-time jobs just to support herself.  I wonder why she did not ask help from her 'father'.  That man should look after her and prove to her that he truly cares for her.  It's the perfect time to be fatherly… Hmmm…'

Xue Guangxi got lost in his thoughts as well, and not long after, he also was defeated by sleep.  For hours the two took their healthy nap under the calm, pleasant blue sky, surrounded by gra.s.s and breeze and nature.