Xiali's POV....

"What are you doing?" ask Winwin as he stares at me with a puzzled look.

"I was just about to get some water when I happened to saw your door was open," I say as I try my best to hide how awkward I actually feel. "Sorry if I disturb you. Have a good night," I say before walking away and going downstairs.

I walk inside the kitchen to get a glass of water. I turn around to exit the kitchen when I see Winwin standing in front of me. I move away and let him enter the kitchen before I walk out of the kitchen.

I turn around one last time and see him getting some bottles of beer from the fridge. Looks like he's gonna drink again tonight, well hopefully he won't get too drunk. I turn away and start heading upstairs.

The next day....

I woke up earlier than usual today, literally because I want to put some air in my bike's tires, since I didn't want Ten to pick me up today. Though I love his attention towards me, sometimes it just makes me feel uncomfortable that he's being too kind, and not to mention that I hate when people treat me as a kid when I'm literally an adult. Today I want to ride my bike, and not to mention I also want to ride my bike to Retro Red Bar. I tried to call Ten earlier but his phone is off, so I just texted him saying that I'll be taking my bike to college today.

After having a quick breakfast, I pump my bike tires. After pumping the tires, I walk back inside the house to grab my backpack. I see that Winwin is still having breakfast along with my mom.

"I'll be going now," I say as I smile at the two who are still in the middle of finishing their breakfast.

"Stay safe, Xiali," says my mom. Meanwhile, Winwin just continue with his meal in silence.

I nod and say "bye bye" at the two before walking out of the door to ride my bike to college.

At Ming University...

I arrive at college to see Ten is already standing near my locker with his arms crossed. Looks like he had been waiting for me. I walk to my locker to approach him.

"Good morning, Ten!" I say with a small smile.

"Morning, Sister!" he says with a mesmerizing smile. Man, I could stare at his smile forever every time I get the chance.

"Did you get here safely?" he ask.

"Yes. I took my bike today. I told you to not worry about me so much," I say as I open my locker to get a pen I had left there yesterday.

"Somehow, I can't seem to stop worrying about you," he says as he watch me going through my locker.

"Well, just find another person to worry about," I say before closing my locker and turn my head to face him.

"You know that I promised Yangyang, right? I can't possibly break a promise," says Ten as he looks at me in the eyes.

"I understand, Ten," I say.

The two of us starts walking through the crowded hallway. I could see some girls whispering when we walk past them. Chances are they are talking about me and Ten.

"I think we've become a hot topic around here," says Ten as he notice a lot of girls are now staring at us from a distance.

"Yeah right," I say. "I don't care about what they have to say about us. I don't have time to deal with gossips."

Ten turns his head and gives me a bright smile. "Zhang Xia Li, I love the way you think."

I could feel my heart racing after hearing his words. I try to stay calm as the two of us continue to walk through the crowded hallway. This guy always know how to get my heart racing like crazy.

Meanwhile, at Jiang University...

Winwin hasn't been able to focus on the lecture as he didn't get much sleep last night, even after the little hangover he had. In fact, he hadn't been getting much sleep lately.

"Ge, you ok?" ask his friend, Renjun, who is sitting next to him in class. "You look sleepy," Renjun adds.

"I'm ok. I just didn't get much sleep last night," says Winwin with a tired tone.

After class...

At the cafeteria...

Winwin decides to have lunch alone since he didn't want to be bother by anyone. Today has been exactly one week since he started to distance himself from people, after a certain incident that shocked him and changed his behavior ever since.

"Winwin?"

Winwin looks up to see a familiar girl with long black hair standing in front of his table while holding a tray.

"What?" Winwin ask.

"I noticed that you were sitting alone and that a lot of tables are already full. Is it ok if I sit with you?" the girl ask.

Though Winwin didn't want anyone to bother him these days, he couldn't possibly reject a young girl's request to have a seat with him during lunch, especially since the girl is a friend of him.

"Sure, Yiren," Winwin says before he continues with his lunch.

"Thanks," says Yiren with a smile as she takes a seat across Winwin.

As Winwin continue with his lunch, Yiren couldn't help to take little glances at him every now and then. She notice that Winwin has dark circles around his eyes, and that he look like he hadn't been getting any sleep.

"So...how are you these days?" ask Yiren.

"I'm ok," says Winwin with a dull tone.

"You look really tired. Have you not been getting any sleep lately?" ask Yiren as she tries to sound more serious this time.

"Sometimes," says Winwin. He finish his lunch and takes the empty tray before walking away, leaving Yiren sitting alone with confusion, and disappointment.

"What the hell?" Yiren says to herself. She turns her head to see the tall guy with black hair walking out of the cafeteria. She lets out a small sigh.

A few hours later...

At Ming University...

The final class of the day has come to an end and all the students start to depart. Xiali had told Ten earlier that she'll be going home with Ningning today, so he doesn't have to drive her home.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Ten ask Xiali.

"Yes, Ten," says Xiali as the two of them walk out of the college building. "Don't worry about me too much."

"Then can I worry about you a little?" Ten ask with a smirk as he stares at Xiali, making her cheeks blush a little.

"Sure, but only a little," says Xiali as she tries to form her best smile in hopes he won't notice how he had made her blush.

Ten looks into Xiali's eyes with concerns. Xiali stares back deeply into his eyes, before Ten turns his head and let out a small sigh. "I think I've kinda failed in being your guardian angel," says Ten with disappointment in his voice. "I'm not doing a good job at it."

"You're doing just fine, Ten," says Xiali as she gives him a small smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got to catch up with Ningning," says Xiali. "Bye, Ten!" She adds before running off to meet Ningning.

Ten slowly forms a small smile as he watches Xiali runs off.

That girl is a different one. He thought.

A few hours later...

At the boys' house...

"Wonton is served!" says Kun after he finished cooking some dishes for dinner along with Xiaojun.

"The smell is already temptating," says Xiaojun as he puts a plate of stir fried vegetables on the dining table.

Just then, the door bell rang and Xiaojun decides to walk and open the door. Ten walks in with bags full of groeceries in his hands.

"Ge, you're back," Xiaojun says.

"Yeah, these are the groceries," says Ten as he walks to the kitchen area to put down the groceries.

Ten puts down the groceries in the kitchen as he starts to sort them out. He had put aside a bag of vegetables since he knew Kun wanted to cook stir fry vegetables as well for tonight. After putting the groceries away, Ten wash his hands and walks back to the living room. He notice that Yangyang is not in sight, though it's almost dinner time.

"Where's Yangyang?" ask Ten with curiousity.

"Oh, he went out to pick up Xiali," says Xiaojun.

"What? But she told me she's going home with her friend, Ningning," says Ten as he still sound surprised.

"He told us he's gonna pick her up at her work place," says Xiaojun as he sits down on the couch.

"I thought she already quit her job," says Ten as he sounds more and more confuse at the situation.

"Yangyang said that she told him that she got a new job at Retro Red Bar with her friend," Xiaojun says.

Ten sits down on the couch next to Xiaojun as he is still surprised at what Xiaojun just told him. Xiali didn't say anything to him about her new job at Retro Red Bar, and he was starting to wonder why didn't she tell him before knowing that it's his duty to protect her. Knowing that Yangyang was the first to know before him, made him feel like he missed out on something.

"Dinner's ready!" says Kun as he walks out of the kitchen with a plate of stir fried vegetables.

Xiaojun and Ten walks to the dining table as they have dinner together with Kun. Through out the whole dinner, for some reasons that even Ten couldn't understand, somehow he couldn't keep his mind off Xiali.

Meanwhile, at Retro Red Bar...

"Here's your drink, Sir," says Xiali as she hands a glass of whisky to the tall man standing across the counter.

"Thank you, Beautiful Girl," says the guy before he walks away with a wink.

Xiali turns around and roll her eyes at the thought of the flirty guys at the bar. This was actually the third time a guy  tried to flirt her while ordering some drinks.

"Another flirty dude?" ask Ningning as she and Xiali continue to make more drinks.

"Yeah. That's the third time tonight," says Xiali with an annoyed tone.

"Well that's annoying," says Ningning.

"You bet," says Xiali.

"Hang in there, Xiali! Our shift will end soon," says Ningning as she pats Xiali's shoulder.

Their shift soon comes to an end and Xiali and Ningning starts to prepare to go home.

"I'll be going back. And you?" ask Ningning as she hops on her bike.

"My friend actually called and said he'll pick me up," says Xiali.

"Ah ok. Well, I gotta go home now. Bye, Xiali!" says Ningning.

"Bye, Ningning! Stay safe!" says Xiali as she watch as Ningning rides through the streets.

Xiali waits outside the bar for Yangyang to pick her up. He had called her saying that he will arrive in a few minutes. Xiali starts to observe the streets, looking for any signs of her childhood friend in a car.

A few minutes later, a gray car comes passing by and stops in front of the bar where Xiali is waiting. The car opens to reveal Yangyang coming out of the car.
He walks over to help her put her bike in the back of his car, before opening the car door for me. He enters the car and gives Xiali a smile.

"So how long have you been waiting?" ask Yangyang as he starts to drive.

"About 10 minutes," says Xiali.

"Man, I'm the late one tonight and it's our first playdate after 12 years," says Yangyang as he lets out a small sigh. "I need to learn to be on time."

"Hey, stop worrying. If you forgot, I was also late for our last playdate 12 years ago," says Xiali.

Hearing Xiali's words makes Yangyang's slowly smile at the memories they had 12 years ago. They were the best of friends and unseperable, and would often play and help each other in everything. For a few years of their childhood, it felt like they had everything in their hands with each other.

"So where are we going?" ask Xiali with curiousity.

"Let's have dinner and I'll show you a surprise at the end," says Yangyang with a bright smile.

Xiali turns her head to Yangyang with a puzzled look. "What surprise?"

"For now, that is still a secret," says Yangyang with a small smile.

Xiali lets out a small laugh. "You always love giving surprises."

"And you always love getting surprises," Yangyang says, which makes Xiali slowly forms a small smile.

To be continue...