After talking to Lei, I headed for the big stairs in front of the fountain. Lei had to leave for music class so I was left alone with my thoughts. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I took in my surroundings.

"Hey." I heard from behind me and turned my head to see Meizuo standing there.

"You disrupted my peace Feng Meizuo." I teased as I pouted at him. He laughed and sat down beside me.

"Sorry Shui but it's lunchtime and I'm starving. So let's go eat?" He said as he looked at his watch. I nodded and got up.

"Where's Ximen?" I asked as I looked around.

"He has a lunch date with one of the girls we met at the bar." He smugly said as I rolled my eyes and walked away.

"Hey wait for me!" He said as he jogged to catch up with me. I laughed and walked faster.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We were at this restaurant we found when Meizuo and I were in high school. It was this gorgeous little place with vintage collections of old vinyl discs and movie memorabilia. Framed in glass frames on the walls were posters of old movies like 'Star Wars', 'Casablanca','The Shining' etc.

"Auntie Mei!" I called out as a chubby elderly woman came around the counter and smiled at me.

"If it isn't little Shuijing! My my, you've gotten so prettier!" She said as she cupped my face as I smiled. She looked behind me where Meizuo stood.

"And Meizuo! Well, I haven't seen you since you started college." She said as Meizuo gave her a hug. She turned back to me.

"And you dear! I haven't seen you since you left for Paris with your sister. That was 3 years ago wasn't it dear?" She asked kindly and I nodded my head.

"Well, sit down and I'll bring out your favorite dishes okay?" She said as she guided as to a table. We both nodded and sat down as she went back to the kitchen.

"This place hasn't changed a bit," I said as I looked around and smiled.

"Yeah. It really hasn't." Meizuo answered as he gave me a smile.

"So what's been going on with you? You okay?" he asked as he moved closer to me. My eyebrows raised in confusion.

"What do you mean Zuo?" I asked.

"Well, the media hasn't been entirely lenient when it comes to making up headlines for your family." He said as I let out a sigh.

"Yeah well, I talked to Jie about it and she isn't pregnant. My parents on the other hand have a hard time believing her so now they're doing everything they can to find my so-called 'secret boyfriend' which is ridiculous considering I'm not in a relationship." I said as I closed my eyes and massaged my temples in frustration. Meizuo laughed and I opened one eye to glare at him.

"You sure you don't have one Shui? Come on, I'm your BFF you can tell me anything." He said as he playfully batted his eyelashes at me. I giggled and said in all seriousness.

"I.Don't. Have. A. Boyfriend!" I answered, pulling his ear harder with each word. He yelped in pain.

"Hey! I was just asking!" He defended as Auntie Mei brought our food out. My mouth watered as my eyes feasted on the plates of food.

"Here you are dears. All your favorite dishes!" She said as she referred to the feast in front of us. There was a plate of fried calamari, a platter of sweet and sour pork, hotpot, a bowl of mashed potatoes, some stuffed duck, a bowl of spicy seafood noodles, and rice.

"Thanks, Auntie Mei!" We both said as we started to chow down. She laughed at her enthusiasm and sat across from us.

"I remember the first time you two came here. You were 15, Shuijing and you were 16, Meizuo. You were having a hard time lugging around your backpack Shuijing so Meizuo grabbed it and carried it for you. I used to think that you two were a couple." She joked which made me blush and Meizuo choke on his food. I laughed and patted his back.

"Auntie Mei, that's ridiculous! We're just friends. Best friends. Right Shuijing?" Meizuo nudged me and I nodded hesitantly as I continued to eat my food.

"All right, all right but since we're on the topic of couples, do you two have any girlfriends or boyfriends I should know about? Because if you want a romantic restaurant date, you could do it here! I'd be happy to help you set the mood." She said which made us laugh.

"Well, I have a date every week so I'll bring someone new every week." Meizuo joked which earned him a slap on the back of the head from Auntie Mei which made me laugh.

"No! I will not allow you to bring different girls here!" She scolded as Meizuo rubbed the back of his head.

"Auntie Mei, I was just kidding! I'm not that spineless." Meizuo defended. Auntie Mei then turned to me.

"What about you Shuijing? Any boyfriend?" She asked as I scooped up some mashed potato.

"No Auntie Mei. I don't have one." I said truthfully as I slurped up the noodles on my plate.

"Why is that dear? I would have expected you to have one by now." She asked kindly and I just shrugged.

"I just haven't found the right guy yet. I mean, guys have tried asking me out but I always declined. They just didn't seem like my type." I said as I sipped on my iced tea.

"What is your type?" Meizuo asked as I looked at him. 'You're my type' I thought as I stared into his eyes but I shook it off.

" I want someone who's loyal and sweet. Someone who can make me laugh and be silly with me. Someone's who is crazy in love with me and always has my best interest at heart..." I said dreamily which made Meizuo snort.

"Sure sure Shui but what about appearance-wise?" he said as I glared at him while I pondered on my answer.

"Hmm... Probably someone who looks good in horn-rimmed glasses, a white shirt, jeans, and black hair and has their own distinct fragrance." I answered and finished up the last of the calamari. Meizuo scoffed.

"That's way too specific Shui." He complained which earned him a hit on the back of the head.

"Well, you were the one who asked!" I said as he groaned in pain.

"That's very interesting dear.." Aunt Mei said as she gave me a warm smile.

"Yeah. I'd be even nicer if I meet someone like that.." I said as I drank my iced tea.

"You will dear, he's probably closer than you think." She said as she winked and gave me a knowing look. My eyes widened slightly as I gave her a small smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After lunch, I drove us back to Mingde since Meizuo still had one more class for the day.

"Hey, Zuo." I asked as I walked alongside him towards the school building.

"Yeah?" he asked as he looked at me.

"Do you think Ah Si and Lei will make up soon?" I said and he sighed in response.

"I don't know Shui, it's different this time. It would be easier for them to talk this out if Shancai wasn't involved. You've seen how Ah Si reacts when you mention Shancai or even imply anything related to her. He loves her so much even if he doesn't show it properly. So Lei kissing her really broke him." He said as I frowned.

"You've all been friends for so long. I just hope F4 doesn't end because of this." I said worriedly.

"It won't Shui." He firmly said.

"Don't be so sure Zuo and I'm not saying this to be pessimistic. Ah Si isn't thinking straight. He might say or do things he'll regret later on." I said as he turned to me.

"I know." He said as he frowned. I put my hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"It'll be okay Zuo." I reassured him as I turned to leave. When suddenly, I felt him wrap his arms around me and hug me from behind. My eyes widened in shock as my face turned red. He snuggled his head onto my shoulder and sighed.

"Thank Shui. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you." He said as he held me tighter. I cracked a small smile and nodded in response.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night, I was just rolling around on my bed when my phone suddenly rang. I checked the caller ID.

Ah Si.

"Hello? Ah Si?" I answered.

"Where are you?" He asked urgently.

"I'm at home. Why?" I asked, confused.

"Meet me at the library in 10 minutes." He said as he hung up. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion but I got up to change into something warmer.

I got dressed in a black long-sleeved button-up shirt tucked into black skinny jeans, a dark brown oversized blazer, and black suede zip-up boots. I grabbed my phone and my car keys before heading out.

It was a 30-minute drive and when I got there, the library was closed down for some reason. 'Ah Si must have closed down the place for tonight.' I thought as the security guard let me in.

"Ah Si." I called out as his head perked up from the book he was reading. I sighed as I sat across from him.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you at home?" I asked as he continued to read.

"Shancai's at my house." He answered and I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean she's at your house? What's she doing there?" I pressed as I grabbed a book from one of the shelves.

"Zhuang Jie's back. She brought Shancai home with her." Ah Si said which made me smile.

"Zhuang jie's back?" I asked excitedly which made Ah Si glare at me. I laughed.

"Okay okay sorry we were talking about Shancai. Why did Zhuang jie bring her home? Did something happen?" I asked.

"I don't know but that stupid girl got into some trouble again. Her hand was bleeding." He said as he stopped turning the pages on the book he was reading.

"Bleeding? Why? What happened to Shancai?" I asked worriedly.

"I don't know. I don't want to see her right now Shui." He said sadly and I nodded.

"Ah Si. This can't go on forever. You're gonna have to talk to her and Lei sooner or later." I said.

"No. Why should I be the one to talk to them? They were the ones who betrayed me." He spat angrily and I sighed.

"Ah Si. I know you're hurting and I know how important they both are to you. But don't you think you should give them a chance to make things right with you?" I suggested and Ah Si sighed.

"I don't know Shui. I like her so much. She's the only girl I've ever liked. And Lei.. Lei's my best friend. Losing her to him just makes it hurt even more." He admitted in a somber voice. I smiled.

"Why I never thought I'd see the day where I'd see the almighty Daoming Si look so defeated." I joked which earned a small smile from him.

"Ah Si. Lei would never do anything to intentionally hurt you or ruin your friendship. Even Shancai. She may act as if she hates you but I know she cares about you Ah Si." I said which made Ah Si's eyes twinkle with hope.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes. Now come on, I'll drive you home. It's getting late and I don't think you'd want Zhuang jie to beat you up." I teased as he got up and left with me.

After I dropped off Ah Si, I headed home and pondered on what would happen tomorrow. I just hoped it would all work out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I had texted Shancai the night before, saying that I had to talk to her and she agreed. I was already at Mingde, waiting for her. I was wearing a white button-up long-sleeved collar top decorated with black and red flowers tucked into black and white striped trousers. I carried on a small red handbag and had on some black block heeled suede lace-up boots. I had just parked the car when I ran into Qinghe.

"Qinghe!" I said cheerfully as he gave me a smile.

"Shuijing! Hi! You look extra pretty today." He complimented shyly as I thanked him.

"Qinghe? Have you seen Shancai?" I asked looking around for the girl but Qinghe shook his head.

"No. I think she's with Huaze Lei. They went on a date yesterday so they're probably together now." He said and I nodded as I turned to leave.

I walked towards the big steps, hoping to find Shancai but instead found Ximen,Meizuo, and Ah Si. Ah Si sat a few steps above Ximen and Meizuo who sat beside each other.

"Shuijing!" Ximen greeted me as I went to sit beside Meizuo.

"I was looking for Shancai. Have any of you seen her?" I asked and they both shook their heads.

"Lei." Meizuo suddenly said and we turned to the direction where he was looking at. There was Lei and standing beside him was Shancai. I glanced at Ah Si who looked at the two. I sighed, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"Who said you could talk to him?" Ah, Si asked annoyed as he glared at Meizuo.

"Ah Si. How long are you going to keep this up?" Ximen asked him.

"Yeah, Ah Si. Stop with the grudge. We can't just disband F4 like this." Meizuo added.

"Shancai!" We turned our heads to Qinghe who was walking down the stairs, carrying a small paper bag. He walked closer to Shancai and Lei.

"Shancai, I brought some bananas from home." He cheerfully before looking at all of us, obviously feeling the tense atmosphere.

"What's wrong? I didn't bring extra for you guys." Qinghe added.

"Who said the F4 is disbanding? He'll be the new F4 member." Ah Si said as he pointed to Qinghe while looking straight at Lei. We looked at Ah Si in shock.

"What?" Meizuo asked in disbelief.

"Shancai. Did you hear what Ah Si just said? I'm going to be part of F4." Qinghe bragged.

"Also, you're forbidden to talk to them." Ah Si said.

"That's impossible. Shancai is my best friend. She's a friend of F4 too, right?" Qinghe asked. Ah Si glared at him which made him look away. He then stood up and walked towards Lei.

"Ah Si. How could you be so heartless?" Ximen said as we stood up as well.

"What? I'm going to do everything I can to make them suffer. That's what they get for hurting me." Ah Si said as he continued to glare at Lei and Shancai.

"Ah Si, if you go on like this, our friendship will go up in smoke," Meizuo added.

"Ah Si, don't do something you'll regret. Please." I said as I frowned.

"I couldn't care less. What kind of friendship is this? Since no one cares, let's just disband." Ah Si spat as he turned to look at us.

" Ah Si. Are you done? I'm disappointed in you." Ximen said.

"You people have made me more disappointed." Ah Si spat. I marched over to him.

"Daoming Si. Are you serious? We've been friends since we were kids and you're just gonna throw it all away? What kind of a friend or better yet, what kind of man are you?" I retorted as I angrily looked up at him. Ah Si glared back and I slowly raised my hand to slap him but Ximen grabbed my arm and pulled me towards Meizuo who held my arm.

"Stop it, you guys. The friendship between us should outweigh everything. Why has it come to this?" Meizuo asked.

"Why? Is it my fault? It's your fault, Lei." Ah Si blamed as he looked at Lei.

"Ah Si. Just deal with me alone." Lei calmly said.

"Very well. I will." Ah Si said before turning to leave.

"Wait," Shancai called out which made Ah Si stop as she walked and stood in front of him.

"I'll say two things and then I'll go." She said.

"You have one left." Ah Si said which made me frown.

"What happened is my fault. It's fine if you won't forgive me but I will still apologize." She said as bowed to Ah Si whose eyes widened in shock. I guess he wasn't expecting that.

"I'll take responsibility but you and Lei have been friends since childhood. I hope you won't give up on your friendship because of me." She continued as she lifted her head to look at Ah Si.

"You were bullied many times but you never backed down. Yet you're apologizing to me because of him. Do you care that much about him?" Ah Si frustratingly asked as he glared at Shancai. I moved to help but Meizuo held me back.

"Fine. You want to take responsibility?" Ah Si asked.

"Yes. As long as you let Lei go." Shancai said.

"Daoming Si. If you want to punish someone, punish me." Lei said which caught Ah Si's attention.

"Huaze Lei." Shancai called out as Ah Si walked over to Lei.

"If you say so. I'll give you what you want. Let's play for it." Ah Si proposed as he walked away and flung a Joker card at Lei. Meizuo and Ximen followed suite with Qinghe following close behind them.

"You coming Shui?" Meizuo asked as he turned to look at me.

"I'll catch up," I said as he nodded and turned to leave.

"Lei. Can I talk to Shancai for a minute?" I asked as I gave Lei a pitiful smile. He nodded and gave one back as he sat one of the steps above us. Shancai turned to me and I gestured to the steps.

"Are you mad at me?" Shancai asked worriedly. I held her hand.

"I'm not Shancai. I know you wouldn't do that intentionally but I do want to ask you something." I said as she listened intently.

"What is it Shuijing?" She said.

"Do you like Ah Si?" I asked worriedly.

"N-no! Of course not! I was just worried about ruining Lei's friendship with him." She answered.

"Shancai. I know you think you don't like Ah Si but going out of your way or even worrying about what Ah Si would think of you indicates that you care for him. No matter how much you try to cover it up with your annoyance of him." I said and she looked down.

"Whatever happens Shancai, I just hope you don't of Ah Si as a bad person okay?" I said as she just stared at me as I stood up.

"Lei. Take care of her kay?" I teased as Lei walked closer to hug me.

I left them alone to talk and headed for the Bridge Club Room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I ran into Ah Si before going in. He looked at me and turned to walk away.

"Ah Si." I called out which made him stop.

"You do know what you're doing could potentially hurt Shancai and Lei right? Are you sure you won't regret it later on?" I challenged as he turned his head to look at me then at the other 3 who were at the bottom of the stairs, listening.

"Whatever." He said as he left. I sighed and continued to walk downstairs.

"So, what happens now?" I asked as I looked over at Ximen and Meizuo who sighed. Qinghe looked lost and a little uncomfortable.

"Ah Si thinks that Lei is using Shancai to get over Jing," Ximen said as he moved to sit down on the couch.

"He's hell-bent on making them suffer," Meizuo added as he sat down across from Ximen. Qinghe moved to sit in Lei's spot but Ximen stopped him.

"Daoming Si said I'm a part of F4 now. This is my seat." He triumphantly said as Meizuo and Ximen glared at him. Ximen grabbed his arm and pulled him to sit beside him while I sat in Lei's chair.

"Shancai seems clueless too. I think she's too taken with Lei but I think Lei's confused too." I said as I looked at Ximen and Meizuo.

"I don't think he would lose feelings for Jie that easily... He's only been in love with her." I said sadly as Meizuo grabbed my hand, tracing circles on it to comfort me. I smiled at him as a sign of thanks.

"Are you saying that Lei is playing with Shancai? Is that it? Is it?" Qinghe asked which earned him a glare from Meizuo as he looked down.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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