*Luo Xiao Zhao POV*

After Jiang Shi Fu had rattled off the list of names for each master, he watched as students flocked to the teacher they wanted to study under. Mo Ran saw Cao Xin walk to his left. He wants to become a government official? Glancing to his right, he saw Xiao Zhao stride toward Gu Shi Fu. Hmmm...Who should I follow? Cao Xin or Xiao Zhao? Xiao Zhao started to talk to Gu Shi Fu and Mo Ran looked back in Cao Xin's direction. He was standing in the back of a group of students who crowded the master. I can find out more about Cao Xin. Afterall, we are roommates. Xiao Zhao on the other hand...Plus, if I caught a glimpse of Dan Wen, then other people might have seen it too. Better keep an eye on him. Mo Ran walked stiffly to Xiao Zhao's side.

Gu Shi Fu turned to Mo Ran. "What is your name?"

Mo Ran brought his hands before his chest and bowed his head slightly to show respect. "Gu Shi Fu, my name is Li Qing."

"Li Qing?

"Lǐ zhí qì zhuàng,qíng bù zì jīn. Hǎo míng zì." Justice is on your side and you cannot refrain from it. Good name.

Mo Ran, with his hands still cupped in front of his chest bowed his head humbly and respectfully. "Thank you for your compliment, Shi Fu."

Xiao Zhao slowly turned to Mo Ran. "Why are you here?"

Mo Ran merely stared at him with unblinking eyes through his mask.

"Fine. Don't answer me," Xiao Zhao huffed.

"Alright, alright. Since you two are here to learn, it is best to put your differences aside and learn to work together," Gu Shi Fu interrupted as he tried to diffuse Xiao Zhao's anger.

Xiao Zhao crossed his arms and turned away with another huff.

Gu Shi Fu glanced between Xiao Zhao and Mo Ran before continuing, "As you know, I am Gu Shi Fu. I love medicine because I believe helping people is a duty. If you don't want to help people, don't study under me. You know, when I was your age..."

He went on and on about his experience. Mo Ran's mind wandered as the scenes around him started to fade. I wonder if Rui Ming is alright? Is she in pain? Is she being taken care of? The innocent face of Rui Ming floated into his mind. As soon as this mission is over, we will be free. You will see freedom Rui Ming, and you can mary whoever you want. You just wait. His hand felt for the wooden figure tucked under his robe. And Ru Xiang...Are they treating her well?Is she eating well? Sleeping well? Her pale face, small nose, small red lips, and long eyelashes appeared in front of him. Her shining brown eyes were as bright as the stars and he remembered the night of their wedding...

They had eaten food deep into the night and Ru Xiang was nodding off as she struggled to stay awake. Mo Ran had just told her he would get something, but when he returned, he found Ru Xiang sleeping on her arm and her arm was resting on the table, filled with food. Her eyes were closed. The elaborate golden pins in her head glittered in the fire light and hung down her head. He slid his arms under her legs and using his other arm, supported her back as he brought her close to his chest. He gently carried her to bed...

"Why are you smiling?"

Mo Ran's eyes focused on the voice. Xiao Zhao, He was carefully searching Mo Ran's face.

"Childish," Mo Ran muttered. "When did I smile? You are being ridiculous."

"But you clearly did," XIao Zhoa insisted.

Mo Ran glared at Xiao Zhao who smiled and turned away.

"Li Qing, what are you talking about? Don't interrupt me. Stand over there!" Gu Shi Fu ordered as he pointed to an area a distance away.

Mo Ran shot Xiao Zhao a glare as he obeyed. Not even one class and I am already in trouble. Why is fate so cruel to me?

When class had finally ended, Mo Ran started to stride away. Xiao Zhao trailed behind Mo Ran, not knowing what to do. Before Mo Ran could get far, he was intercepted by Han Jun who faced him. "Hello! How was your class? Where are you going?"

"Gǔn kāi,"Leave. Mo Ran said in a cool anger. He glared into Han Jun's eyes, daring him to disobey. Unfortunately, Han Jun seemed either oblivious to Mo Ran's  anger, or he did not care. Seeing Han Jun was not planning on moving, he tried to step around Han Jun but without success.

Han Jun moved in the direction he moved, blocking Mo Ran from any escape.

By now, Xiao Zhao had caught up. "Han Jun, guess what?"

"What?"

"Li Qing finally smiled!"

"No way! When does Li Qing ever smile?"

"Zhù kǒu." Shut up.

Han Jun merely snickered. "I bet it's your lover! Only a lover can make someone like you smile!"

"What?" Mo Ran muttered. "Bié hús huō!" Don't speak nonsense. Mo Ran dug his fingernails into his palm and felt heat rise to his face.

"His ears are red! He must be blushing!" Han Jun hollered. He wrapped his arm around Mo Ran's neck in a brotherly hug.

"Let go," Mo Ran ordered.

Han Jun ignored him.

I am not dealing with this. He slid from under Han Jun's arm and in a flash, Mo Ran's sword rested on Han Jun's shoulder.

"Ay, Li Qing, if you kill me, you can't live either," Han Jun replied coolly.

"I'm not afraid of death. But you..."

Han Jun's eyes bulged. "Li Qing! We are friends! What's this mean?!"

"Step. Aside."

"But—"

Mo Ran moved the blade closer to Han Jun's neck, making him shut up immediately.

"You–" Han Jun stopped as his eyes met Mo Ran's.

"Step. Aside."

Han Jun glanced down at the blade that was touching his neck. He held up his hand in surrenderment. "Alright! Alright! Just...put the sword down."

Mo Ran held the sword a bit longer. Then with one smooth motion, slid his sword back into the sheath. It resounded with a clang. He then proceeded to stride past Han Jun indifferently.

"Li Qing! Wait!" Han Jun cried as he tried to catch up.

Mo Ran picked up his pace. He felt a tug at his sleeve and he immediately snatched it away. He whirled around. "Don't. Follow. Me," Mo Ran gritted his teeth.

"No!"

"What do you want?"

Han Jun searched Mo Ran's eyes before saying, " I am going to First Prince's mansion. I need you to protect me."

Mo Ran regarded Han Jun and finally replied, "Zhī dào le." I am aware. He turned and marched away. Finally I got rid of that pest.

He was crossing a courtyard full of trees and flowers when a group of men approached him.

"Well well. Look who we have here. If it isn't the mysterious masked man."

Mo Ran glanced up sharply.

The man who had just spoken had a round stomach and was short. He wore red silk clothing. There was an evil glint in his eyes as he smiled cunningly. He wore red silk clothing with patterns of blue flowers embroidered on it. He held a white fan with a painting of blue mountains, white clouds, and green mountains. At present, he was fanning himself.

Mo Ran said nothing. Instead, he tried to walk past them, but the leader of the group shot out his hand so as to block his way.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Mo Ran slowly shifted his eyes to meet the man's gaze. "You are?"

"You don't know who I am?" The man asked hottily as he raised his voice. Turning to one of his companions, he ordered, "You tell him."

A man who was very tall and rough looking replied, " His name is Chang Li Jue. His father is the man in charge of the national treasury and is highly favored by the emperor. Watch out! You might not be able to deal with the consequences if you make him unhappy!"

The group of men laughed. Once the laughter had died down, Chang Li Jue said, "Now you know who I am. I will teach you dog who's the boss." Motioning to his group, he ordered, "Hit him!"

Mo Ran, who's hand was already clutching the sword hilt and was about to pull his sword out when a reassuring hand stopped him. He looked up.

"Don't worry. I got this," Han Jun said with a serious face. Turning to the group of men, he smiled cordially and faced them saying, " If my guess is correct, you are Chang Li Jue. Greetings." He bowed to show respect and straightened. "Bù zhī nǐ men wèi shé me lán zhù zhè wèi xiōng dì？" Why did you stop this brother?

"Who are you?" Chang Li Jue asked in disdain.

"My name is Fang Han Jun."

"Wǒ dàng zuò shì shéi ne yuán lái shì yī gè wú míng de fèi wù. Kàn lái wǒ men xū yào gěi tā yīgè jiào xùn." I expected someone greater but it turns out that it's another nameless piece of trash. Looks like we need to teach him a lesson.  The man stepped back. The whole group moved toward him, fists clenched, ready for attack.

"Hold on," Han Jun held up his fan and with a flick of his wrist, it opened smoothly. He started to fan himself. "Hold on, let's talk reasonably before–"

Wam!

His head snapped sideways and he stumbled back. Mo Ran quickly retreated away from the group, leaving Han Jun to fend for himself. In no time, the group had Han Jun surrounded and their bodies blocked Mo Ran's view of Han Jun. Mo Ran watched the backs of Chang Li Jue's followers as he heard Han Jun groan from inside. Feet kicked him and fists flew into the air. The constant thud that emitted from the group was not a sound Mo Ran was a stranger to.

At length, Chang Li Jue barked, "Stop!"

Immediately everyone stopped and stepped away, creating a path to let Chang Li Jue through.

Han Jun was covered in bruises and his face was swollen. His left eye was shut tightly and blood was gushing out of his nose as he lay on the ground, covering his head with his arms.

Chang Li Jue gloated as he stared at his victim. "This is what happens to anyone who dares stop me! Let's go!" With that, the group moved away, their laughter ringing in the still air.

Mo Ran stared, not knowing what to do.

"Li...Qing...h-help m-me," Han Jun called weakly. He lay on his right arm and  stretched his left arm toward Mo Ran. He lurched and blood squirted from his lips.

Mo Ran hesitated before finally walking toward him. Once he had arrived in front of Han Jun, he squatted down to Han Jun;s eye level and asked in a very serious tone, "How?"

"G-grab...my...arm...and..." his voice trailed off.

Mo Ran leaned closer to Han Jun. "What?"

"And...give...me...a...lift," Han Jun whispered.

Mo Ran nodded and grabbed Han Jun's left arm. Slinging Han Jun's arm around his shoulder, he used his other hand to support Han Jun's body. They hobbled to Gu Shi Fu's living quarters.

"Sit here," Mo Ran said as he gently lowered Han Jun onto one of the steps. He strode up the rest of the steps and knocked on the door.

There was no answer. He knocked again.

Still no answer.

He was about to knock a third time when the door opened. It was a short young man. "Who are you?" he asked, squinting.

"Help," Mo Ran said as he stepped aside to let the young man see Han Jun,

"Unfortunately, Gu Shi Fu just went out. I will see what I can do. Bring him in," the young man gestured.

Mo Ran lifted Han Jun up and carried him to the bed that awaited him inside.

"Get a bucket of water," the young man ordered as he knelt beside the bed and felt for Han Jun's pulse.

Mo Ran did as he was told and brought a bucket to Han Jun's bedside.

The young man grabbed the rag from the bucket and laid it on Han Jun's head. He then used both hands to feel Han Jun's body.

"He has a broken bone in the ribs," the young man said as he continued to feel for Han Jun. "He also has a fever but he will be fine after some rest. Let me bandage him."

After everything was done, the young man took the rag off Han Jun's forehead and said, "You can lift him back to his room."

Mo Ran merely nodded in acknowledgement. The assistant turned away from Mo Ran and left.

Mo Ran glanced down at Han Jun's pale face. His eyes were closed and his lips were quivering. Suddenly, compassion filled Mo Ran. He is just like her. His shoulder sagged and he bent down and said gently, "Come." He slung Han Jun's left arm around the back of his neck and used his other arm to hold Han Jun's waist, supporting him.

As they started to hobble back to the room, Han Jun's eyes slowly opened. "Li...Qing."

Mo Ran glanced at Han Jun's face and questions filled his mind. "Why?"

"Why what?" Han Jun asked weakly.

"Why did you step in for me?"

"Because...we...are...friends," a fit of coughing racked his body.

Mo Ran said nothing as they continued on their way.

When they arrived in front of Han jun;s dorm, Hu Tiao Xia was just coming out. When he saw Han Jun's sorry state, he asked in alarm, "What happened?"

Mo Ran just shook his head.

"I'll take it from here," Hu Tiao Xia said as he stopped in front of Mo Ran and held his arms out, Mo Ran gently handed Han Jun to Hu Tiao Xia who helped Han Jun hobble up the steps and closed the door gently.

Just then, a raven caught his sight. It was that time again...

****************************************************************************************

*Xiao Zhao's POV*

    After Li QIng left for his dorm and Han Jun chased after him, Xiao Zhao was left to himself. Not knowing what to do, he opted to wander around.

    He stopped in front of a stone pathway that had a roof over it. On both sides of the path was a railing that had seats facing inward. If people got tired, they could sit on the seats sheltered by the roof. Once in a while, there were large gaps between the railing and those gaps allowed a person to descend the pathway and step into or through a little garden.

    Xiao Zhao was admiring the view as he walked. It was summer here all year long. Though Xiao Zhao's whole clothing was dampened by sweat, he didn't feel a tinge of annoyance. Winter was brutal and he hoped he would never have to see it again. He shivered thinking about the past. What's past is past. He can never hurt me again. Xiao Zhao pushed the unwelcoming thoughts away.

    He looked into the garden to his left and caught a glimpse of something moving behind a rock. Curious, he descended the stair that led into the garden. Walking slowly, he tried his best not to make a noise. As he tip-toed past the huge sculpted boulder with lots of holes, he saw a young man stepping on the rock. He was on his tip toes and his neck was strained. His left hand was on the boulder and his right hand reached upward desperately.

    Wanting to see what he was reaching for, Xiao Zhao took a step forward. Snap! He looked down to see a broken twig.

    "Aaaahhhh!"

    Xiao Zhao looked up to see the man on the ground. A basket of berries lay on its side. Its contents spilled everywhere. The man got up hurriedly and bowed, saying, "I-I w-was d-doing n-nothing."

    "What were you doing?"

    The man lifted his head slowly. "D-don't t-tell a-anyone w-what I w-was d-doing." He glanced around nervously as he bit his lower lip. Xiao Zhao recognized him as Li Qing's roommate: Cao Xin.

    "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," Xiao Zhao replied.

    "R-really?"

    "Yeah."

    "A-alright. I-I w-was j-just p-picking f-fruits," he said, shoulders still tense.

    "Ah. Why's that a big deal?"

    The man glanced around quickly and upon seeing no one, he leaned forward and cupped his hand to his mouth. Xiao Zhao also leaned forward.

    "Y-you r-really w-want t-to k-know?" He lowered his voice.

    Xiao Zhao nodded.

His eyes shined as he whispered, "T-these f-fruits c-can g-give y-you b-better v-vision."

Xiao Zhao looked at the fruits. They were small purple round fruits with smooth skin. Xiao Zhao laughed. "These are grapes! What do you mean they can give you better vision? You want to trick me? Nice try! Blind man!'

"It's not a trick! You idiot!"

Xiao Zhao stopped laughing, shocked. "Wait...you...can speak without stuttering?"

"I-" he hesitated. Sighing he replied, "I'll tell you the truth since I can tell you are a good person at heart."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because no one ever stopped to talk to me like you have. Everyone tries to ignore me as much as they can."

"Why are you pretending to stutter?"

Cao Xin sighed again. "It was the only way."

"Only way for what?"

"For them to leave me alone."

"How?"

"I can tell you are not from Jing Du. Everyone known that hanging around people who stutter a lot is bad luck."

"So that's why they avoid you."

Cao Xin nodded.

There was a short pause.

Cao Xin broke the silence by saying, "I forgot to ask your name."

Xiao Zhao replied, "Full name is Luo Xiao Zhao. You are Cao Xin?"

"Nice to meet you, Xiao Zhao. I am Cao Xin. Science I feel like we hit it off, I can tell we will be good friends. Do you want to go to my dorm to drink?"

"Isn't that not allowed?"

"Don't worry! We'll only be in trouble if we're caught. Besides, no one will bother us. Come," he said as he slung his arm around Xiao Zhao and guided him to his dorm.

Once they had arrived in front of Cao Xin's dorm, they ascended the steps. Cao Xin pushed open the doors and sauntered in. "Come in,. Make yourself at home."

Xiao Zhao entered and gently closed both doors with both hands.

Xiao Zhao strode to the middle of the room where a table sat. On top of the table were two ceramic cups. Xiao Zhao flipped the cup right side up and grabbing the teapot proceeded to pour himself a glass. When it was filled, he quickly lifted it to his lips and drank the sweet warm liquid quickly. After he was done, he set the cup down hard.

He looked up and saw Ca Xin caressing a large brown jug. The jug was covered by a piece of red cloth that was tied over the mouth of the jar.

"Zěn me, shě bu dé?" What, it's too precious?

Cao Xin looked up. "Oh no, I was just thinking about my father..."

Cao Xin looked at the jug again.

"What about him?" Xiao Zhao asked as he looked into the bottom of the cup and started to tip the cup this way and that as he played with the remnants of tea at the bottom. Cao Xin didn't answer and Xiao Zhao glanced up.

Cao Xin's shoulder sagged and he sighed. "My father was a wine devil. We made this wine together and buried it in the back of the courtyard. He loved breaking rules as much as I did.He promised that when I turned eighteen, we could dig it up and taste it. It's too late now..."

"Oh, I'm sorry...we don't have to open it..." XIao Zhao's voice trailed off.

Cao Xin sighed and turned to Xiao Zhao. "It's fine. I'm sure that if my father were here, he'd be happy that I have a friend like you, XIao Zhao."

He brought the jar to the table and set it down. Taking the cloth off, he said, "Let's drink! Bù zuì bù guī!" We won't return home until we're drunk.

Xiao Zhao grabbed the jar and was about to pour the wine into the cups when Cao Xin put his hand on Xiao Zhao's hand, stopping him. Xiao Zhao glanced up.

"Don't use these cups. Use these," Cao Xin said as he presented two small white jade goblets. "My father made these. He would be really happy if he saw you use it."

Xiao Zhao nodded. THey poured wine into their cups . Cao Xin brought the cup high into the air and proclaimed, "May our friendship blossom and may we all live happily. I drink this in your honor, Xiao Zhao."

Xiao Zhao likewise brought his cup up. "May this friendship last until the end of the ages. I drink this in your honor, Cao Xin!"

"Cheers!" Xiao Zhao exclaimed.

The glasses clinked together and they gulped the liquid down.

They drank all night long. Cup after cup they drank. It was getting very dark outside when Xiao Zhao asked,in a slurred voice, "Why...did...you come...here?"

"I..." Cao Xin clutched his head, "Will... tell you..." His head moved side to side. "A-actually.. I just...wanted to know..." He paused.

"Hm?"

"Why...does e-everyone want...this piece?" Cao Xin asked unfocused.

"W-what piece?" Xiao Zhao asked, smiling crazily. His face was red.

"This..." Cao Xin replied as he fumbled with the button of his clothing. He pulled out a piece of curved glass. It was a piece of glass with green vines and pink flowers.

"O-oh...nice...I h-have one too," Xiao Zhao proceeded to pull out the Dan Wen.

"Wow. Yours is yellow with...crythansimum petals," Cao Xin mumbled.

"Mhm. Let's s-see if...they fit," Xiao Zhao suggested.

They put the semi circular pieces side by side and connected one end to each other. The two pieces fit perfectly. The yellow and green jade colors shimmered in the candle light.

"Wow...It's soo pretty!" Xiao Zhao said in childlike excitement.

"Pretty!" Cao Xin agreed, his eyes shimmered as they were fixed on the pieces.

Suddenly, Xiao Zhao heard the door open and moonlight flooded through the door. A shadow of a figure fell upon them.