"It's a date?"

"D… d… d… d… d… d… date!?" Song Jian stood up before her whole body became completely frozen.

"Song Jian? Are you alright?" Yun Hao's eyes widened as he too stood up from his seat and stopped eating. But before he could do anything, Huang Yi also stood up and rushed towards Song Jian.

"It's her uh… condition, I'll take her to her car and get her home. You go and finish up without us," Huang Yi said before throwing a set of keys to Yun Hao, "Don't leave a scratch on her, okay? Or I will hunt you down."

"What?" Yun Hao could only blink a couple of times as he caught the keys to Huang Yi's motorcycle. He didn't even get a chance to say anything before Huang Yi pushed Song Jian and suddenly ran away, towing her.

"Move, move!" Huang Yi waved her hands as she asked the other diners to move as she went straight towards the exit. It wasn't until they got inside the car that Song Jian was finally able to move again.

"D… date?"

"He's gone," Huang Yi could not help but let out a sigh as she stared at her friend.

"...Oh," Song Jian blinked a couple of times as she realized that they were now inside her car, with Huang Yi and her driver staring at her, "...Thanks for getting me out."

"Don't mention it," Huang Yi once again let out a sigh, "But to think you're still catatonic whenever you're extremely stressed, I thought you already cured that?"

"I think it's forever," Song Jian shook her head.

"...I am sorry too, Jiji," Huang Yi then held Song Jian's hand, "I… went behind your back and talked to Yun Hao… I even went with him on a date. My family will cancel the arranged marriage if I can invite Yun Hao to the family, you see."

"So it was like that?" Song Jian could not help but also hold onto her friend's hand, "Maybe I can talk to uncle and auntie? Let them see the error of their ways?"

Huang Yi quickly shook her head, "It's fine, just focus on your date with Yun Hao tomorrow."

"Is… is it really happening?"

"Of course, but don't thank me yet."

"...Why?"

"Because this is the last time I am giving way for you, Jiji," Huang Yi then looked Song Jian straight in the eyes, "Because I think I am starting to like him too."

Although Song Jian could not help but furrow her eyebrows from Huang Yi's words, in the end, she still nodded her head, "Whatever happens…

...you are my friend."

As the two were sincerely talking to each other outside, Yun Hao was left all alone staring at the air inside the restaurant.

Yun Hao then sat back down, looking at the two seats that Song Jian and Huang Yi left. The truth is, Song Jian's feelings for him were quite obvious to see. Yun Hao was well aware of what would happen if he continued… this path.

But he already had his heart broken once, and whether or not he was ready to be in a relationship again… was something that he could not answer, whether it was Huang Yi, Song Jian, or the other women that suddenly started appearing in his life.

"..." Come to think of it, besides Sun Fang and Jia Ning's brother, every number in his phone was from a female. "...Damn."

With that thought, Yun Hao quickly finished every meal before thanking the staff and taking Huang Yi's motorcycle home to the scrapyard, he was careful not to ride it inside, as there might be people watching him.

But this would be the last day, as tomorrow morning, he would deposit all of the remaining coins inside his house and rent his own apartment, it shouldn't take that long, Yun Hao thought as he looked at the barrel of coins beside his bed.

This is the last night… the last night he would spend in this shit hole. The official start of his new life… but first--

Yun Hao then grabbed a pouch from his pocket, shaking the two low-class Beast Cores it contained; one given to him by Hannah as a token for interviewing him, and the other… a duplicate.

Yun Hao then took in a long and deep breath as he put one of the Beast Cores back into the pouch, and held onto the remaining Beast Core tight. There was a sort of frustration growing inside of him, and his furrowed eyebrows showed it. But after a few more heavy breaths, he nodded and hit himself in the face.

"You can do this, Yun Hao. You can do this," he motivated himself as lifted the Beast Core to the air,

"...Duplicate."

Yun Hao's vision quickly blurred as he felt his whole body drop to the bed. He could feel his chest tighten as a sudden torrent of fatigue crawled throughout his whole body, but still, it wasn't enough for Yun Hao not to feel and hear the slight cling that whispered into the air.

"Ho," Yun Hao's hands violently trembled as he moved it near him, and with his face trembling to produce a smile, Yun Hao opened his hand.

And in it, were two Beast Cores.

"Y… yes, yes!" Yun Hao could not help but murmur in excitement. Although he truly did feel like shit, at least this time, he did not faint.

Well…

...at least not immediately.

***

"Is this the place?"

Yun Hao revved Huang Yi's motorcycle a couple of times before turning it off as he confirmed the address that was given to him by Song Jian. He had just finished distributing the last of his coins, and with the help of Huang Yi's motorcycle, it truly did not take that long.

And so now, he was in front of their school… or at least he should be. Yun Hao got off the motorcycle as he once again looked at his phone, and no matter how long he stared at it, he was at the right address.

"...Should I knock?" Yun Hao said as he looked at the colossal wooden gate that towered over him. The fence, if he could even call it that, was also as tall as a 5-story building. Was there really a school beyond this?

But before Yun Hao could knock, a familiar voice called for him from behind.

"What the? Yun Hao? You again?"

"The fuck you doing here?" Yun Hao quickly said as he saw who it was.

"What do you mean? I'm enrolled here now, the fuck you doing here?"

"Why? Lots of girls to hit inside?"

"What!? Want to fight!?"

Of course, it was none other than Sun Fang.