She had made her way down the ground floor without much of a problem. That was until she bumped into someone. "S-Sorry." She began to walk away but felt a grasp on her elbow, a soft and small hand on her. She glanced back to see a familiar face.

"Chan Lee? Are you alright?" Mei stared at her in concern, a frown on her lips. "Come here with me for a moment."

She turned away from her friend. "You don't have to do anything...I'm fine." She didn't want to trouble anyone and especially for them to know about something like this.

"Please," Mei huffed at her, moving closer. "I can see the snot dripping down your nose."

"I'm alright, just got something in my eye." She tried to keep her head down, brushing her nose. "Allergies. Hay season." Chan Lee was glad that people mostly kept to their business, passing right past them.

"Chan Lee, can you please come with me?"

It didn't take much convincing and dragging for Chan Lee to end up in the women's bathroom. "S-So, um, can I ask what happened? Do you need someone to rant to? Did someone make you cry? Was it Hua Zhao?" Mei asked, leaning against one of the bathroom's sinks. "I can get my club to beat him up."

Chan Lee bit back a snort, "No it wasn't Zhao. I'm just being emotional...it might be my time of the month soon." She wiped her snotty nose.Yeah, she was overreacting and needed to get herself together. If it was for the good of Xue, then it made sense that she should support him instead of crying over it like a little girl.

"Here," Mei handed her a handkerchief from her pocket. "It's a bit unhygienic to see you do that."

Chan Lee took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. "My bad, it's a bit disgusting… I'll wash it before I return it to you, Mei."

"You can keep it." Mei gave her a grin, pushing up her glasses.

"That's so mean of you." Chan Lee choked a bit. "But thank you, it really means a lot to me...that you're doing this for me."

"Hey, we're friends aren't we?" Mei gave her a small smile. "This is the least I could do."

Chan Lee simply nodded her head, not really having the energy to muster up a smile. What had she walked in to really? If Xue left with Kit then things would surely return to the way they used to be. Wasn't that the best for her too? Less complicated? More safe?

. . .

It may have been too arrogant of him to declare it, but at least he got away from the fox. Xue descended down the stairs in large leaps, skipping a few steps as he rushed down. She couldn't have gone too far away right? His heart twinged at the fresh memory of the tears on her face. It was his fault wasn't it?

He didn't exactly know why, but who else could have made her cry?

"Chan Lee!" Even her name made his heart ache, as he called it out. There were several people in the hallways but none of them were her. He inwardly sighed and looked around, the large hallway had stemmed into different corridors—which one did she go to? It was such a large place that it felt like the palace on the moon.

"Oi, you're not a student around here." A voice shouted behind him.

He turned around to see a group of five men, the largest one of them had been the one who had shouted into his ear. Even without his usual long ears, it hurt...but—

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"Hello there, do you happen to know Miss Chan Lee? I'm looking for her." He could try.

"Who's that?" One of them asked, but was quickly shot down with a glare from their companions.

Out of the five, one of them stepped out, the one who looked like the Young Master with a group of servants. He had a well-practiced smile on his face, approaching slowly. "Brother, I don't know how you got inside—but this place is for university students, and you don't look like someone who's here on an official trip." His gaze stared at him from head to foot. "Though that is a lovely set of turquoise beads? Where'd you get that from?"

"Er…" Xue sighed inwardly, hiding his hands behind him. He eyed for any open pathways he could escape from. "It feels odd that you're complimenting me. I came here with a friend to visit someone, but I really have to get going—"

They blocked his path. "Where are you going, Whitey?" One of them asked with a gruff tone.

"Why don't you answer some of my questions first and I can help you find your friend, Miss Chan Lee, right?" The Young Master stretched out a hand towards him, another smile on his face. "I'm Liu Guiren, a pleasure to meet you, Brother."

"Xue." Reluctantly, he shook the man's hand though he kept his attention for any sight of Chan Lee. "It's uh, a pleasure to meet you too, Liu Guiren."

"I wouldn't exactly say it'd be a pleasure to meet him." A familiar voice sounded, Hua Zhao appearing with the young woman he was with earlier. They came in from a different corridor than the one he'd come from. Xue also caught the sight of his old friend walking away from them. He felt guilt trickle his chest, he should talk with him later.

An amused chuckle left Liu Guiren's lips. "Ah, Hua Zhao, it's been awhile—I should have known that it'd be you who'd sneak in strangers."

"It'd be better if you minded your own business." Hua Zhao snickered. "Much better if you don't have any at all."

The man raised a brow, fixing his shirt's collar, "It can't be helped with my role as the university's council president. So this incident naturally aligns with my business. Especially if you keep up with this delinquent behavior of yours."

Xue inwardly sighed at the banter, it was obvious that they had some friction going on. "I know that I've trespassed here, but can I leave you guys to talk it out?" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I really need to find Miss Chan Lee then I'll leave afterwards."

"Pfft...your friend is amusing, Zhao." Lui Guiren chuckled. "Though I do wonder what business he has with this… Miss Chan Lee?"

Hua Zhao stayed silent for a few moments. "...It's just some lover's quarrel or something."

Xue blinked at the term. Lover's quarrel? All Chan Lee did was cry for some reason—something he felt was because of him. There was certainly a misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up, but he didn't think they quarrelled or anything.

"I didn't peg you as a romantic, don't you agree, Ning Bi?"

Ning Bi grunted. "Can we quit loitering around the hallway."

"Ah, cold as always." Liu Guiren shook his head.

Xue scratched his head and looked around, he could look for her by himself can't he? Though it made much more sense that he should ask assistance from Hua Zhao or even this Liu Guiren. He didn't think this out too much did he? Would calling out her name be enough? Would that make her even less unlikely to reveal herself?

"W-Woah, what's with the tension in the air? You two fighting again?" A young man ran towards them. "Yo, it's your favorite man!"

"Bo Ling." Ning Bi grumbled.

"You betcha, what happened—who's this guy?" Bo Ling looked over at him, rubbing his chin. "Why does it feel like you two are fighting over some guy?" His attention turned to the group without even skipping a beat. "It's breaking Ning Bi's heart over here."

"Your observation is unwanted." Ning Bi sighed.

"Um, I'm looking for Miss Chan Lee." Xue could place a little bit of hope on this guy right? He reminded him of Han Jing, and that guy was reliable. "Have you happened to see her?"

"Oof, I think I saw her with that cute nerdy girl head to the bathroom in the next corridor." Bo Ling shrugged. "I don't get it why women have to go there in groups, weird." He chuckled and looked at Hua Zhao and the other men with Liu Guiren. "I mean I don't ask to go with you guys, right?"

Xue wordlessly thanked him and left after that, shaking his head to himself. It would have been easier if that guy had been there earlier. Was Chan Lee still there? She was with someone right now… and he couldn't exactly go inside the lavatory for women but he could wait outside right?

Shortly after, he stopped right outside the bathroom door with a scribble of a female. This was it.

'I'm sorry I made you cry.' He thought silently to himself, mentally bracing himself when she walked out. 'It's better if she cries right now than in the future.' That old fox's words replayed in his mind, he tried to ignore it. 'You know how much you'd endanger her right?'

The door began to open.