A Friendly Visit

Hua Zhao wanted to visit Chan Lee today. Or rather he decided to pay for the elixirs immediately instead of waiting for some other time. It was much safer to do it today than any other day. That was what he was doing today—he chose to do this—he stepped out from the shower and slung his towel on his shoulder.

He needed a shirt.

"Why are you so up early?" Bo Ling yawned at him, rolling around in bed like a kid. It never helped that the guy was a hawk when it came to gossip. 

"I have errands to do today." Hua Zhao answered with a careless shrug. The window allowed the sunlight to lazily filter inside their dorm room but the other people inside were still asleep, they were used to sleeping until the late morning. He moved towards the closet and began to look at the available shirts for him.

Bo Ling's voice rose up. "Errands, huh? What kind?"

"It's nothing…" Hua Zhao really didn't need his friend poking into his business right now. Should he wear something more formal like a collared shirt? Something cool colored like white or light colors? He could ask Bo Ling for advice, he turned towards the man.

Bo Ling had crawled over to the edge of his bed, his hands tucked underneath his face. "I thought you were taking a break from your job?" 

"I am taking some time off. Something else came up." He shrugged, deciding he would shut his mouth next time. Or at least think twice before telling his friend anything. "Hey, what would be a good color to wear today?"

The young man simply grinned at him. "Don't tell me you're going on a date with Chan Lee or something, spill it dude."

"No." Hua Zhao frowned at him. "I'm not going on a date with her."

"But you and her talked last night and she even waved goodbye at you—and yes, I noticed it too."

"Ugh, can you two shut up? Some people are still trying to sleep." One of their roommates groaned, shifting over. "We don't need you guys romancing one another."

Bo Ling pouted and chucked a pillow at their roommate. "We love each other in the most manly way possible!"

"I think you're ruining our reputation." Hua Zhao shook his head, finally deciding on his shirt on his own. His friend would have made him wear a suit and tie if the guy knew he was meeting with Chan Lee, date or not. He settled and changed in a black shirt as always.

They were always less of a hassle to clean up.

"I'll see you later." Hua Zhao pulled his hair and fixed it into a ponytail, then finally bidded his friend goodbye.

"Tell me how the date went!"

Hua Zhao rubbed his face. "It's not a date!"

"But you're still meeting up with Chan Lee, got it!" Bo Ling laughed.

And thanks to his clear hearing, he managed to hear his friend keep laughing even until the end of the corridor.

Or maybe the guy was just loud.

That was probably it. It was truly something else when someone was free and unburdened like his friend. Carefree and unconcerned with the world around him. He wanted that life, but it seemed to be a mirage that soon dispersed. Hua Zhao decided to get some money from his family's account, specifically his grandfather's. He really didn't need Shen sticking up his ass into his business if he loaned from them.

Nor did it seem like the wisest thing to borrow from Bo Ling or his family.

He already owed them a lot.

And so he went to Chan Lee's house.

He felt his foot tap uncontrollably for a moment, he was coming unannounced. He fixed his hair for a moment, brushing his fingers through his hair. Maybe he should have brought over fruits or something? He was technically paying her a visit so a house gift would have been appropriate. The sight of her drooling over the peaches at the market was somewhat of an endearing memory to him.

He rapped on her door. "Chan Lee?"

No answer.

He did it once more and received no response.

Did he annoy her again? Is that why she wouldn't open the door? He could never guess what was on a girl's mind. Sometimes it felt like that the two of them were starting to get along but sometimes the two of them were at odds. Who sent mixed signals like that? Nevertheless, there was still another occupant. "Xue?"

The door reluctantly opened, the Moon Rabbit stood over to him. "Hua Zhao?" They didn't sound happy either. 

Thankfully, he wasn't that concerned with pleasing the spirit. "Where's Chan Lee?" He tried peeking behind the man but they were an obtrusive block in the way.

"What are you doing here?" The man's lips formed into a smile though his tone was icy and biting. "I can give the message for her." 

He sighed, somehow he had the ability to make even the kindest of people to spite him. What a talent that was, wasn't it? "Well...since you're the maker of the elixir, I guess I can actually leave the money to you. Could you at least let me in?"

The man stared at him for a moment, their initial icy exterior now melting away. "Do you plan on staying long? I'm not really allowed to let strangers in." They were now simply pouting, like a child still holding on to their tantrums.

"It's safer if we do this inside the room." He replied.

Xue let him in after that.

It was a bit troublesome as he pulled out the case from his spatial ring and placed it in front of Xue. "Chan Lee had requested that each flask of the Body Tempering Elixir would be at a price of $1000...and I'm not actually sure how much the ingredients are truly worth. So I have a decent sum here." He tried not to wince or anything, he couldn't show any hint of displeasure.

"Is this a lot of money?" Xue asked as he opened the case.

His grandfather was going to kill him for this, that stingy old man. "Of course it is!"

"Can Chan Lee stop attending university with this amount of money?" They continued, a thoughtful expression on their face.

"...what? Is she planning to drop? Why would she give up studying?" Hua Zhao frowned.

Xue closed the case, turning to him with an unfazed expression. "It's money for a rainy day? I don't want her getting too pressured with working for my sake."

He eyed the Moon Rabbit. They seemed to be telling the truth yet he still felt a nagging suspicion in his gut. "I see your friend left you with a gift, didn't he?"

"I suppose he did." Xue assented.

That conversation seemed to be going nowhere, the other unwilling to say anything else. The least he could do is make the spirit understand things from a human's viewpoint. "You know, it'd be nice to ask her about her studies."

"I don't think she finds them interesting, she's always tired when she gets back here."

"Why they matter to her or something." Hua Zhao scratched his head. "I mean, if it's a burden to her… then I guess she can shift. But wholly relying on you is a bad idea."

Xue sighed. "And relying on you is not a bad idea?"

"...I'm just trying to keep the peace. With her and you together, I'm afraid that the very fragile harmony this city we live in could burn into flames. I'm doing my best to hide traces without garnering any suspicion. You were the one who arrived during that celestial storm didn't you?" 

Would they deny or confirm it? It honestly didn't matter to him, what mattered was letting him know that it wasn't simply because of Chan Lee that he was intervening on this.

There were bigger matters at stake.

"Hua Zhao, if the harmony between the involved groups here were weak to begin with, then it'll be purged and refined or it'll turn into ashes." Xue tilted a head at him.

That was… Hua Zhao frowned. "Then you're willing to endanger her life and for her to get caught in the crossfire." He was trying to prevent that, but he could only do so much.

"Of course not!" Xue frowned back at him, before a sigh escaped their lips. "I want her to have a peaceful life, and I'm trying to provide it in my own way..."

Hua Zhao tried not to sigh as well. It was actually a bit hard trying to decipher this 'person' in front of him. Sometimes he acted childish but then he'd become somber like this or spout about immortality pills to his friend. Switching back and forth from naive innocence to ancient pride and attitude. Hua Zhao wanted to say that the former was a ruse but he couldn't tell. 

What he could tell however, was that Xue's weakness had been exposed far too easily, he didn't even try to hide it at this point. "You should have left with your friend, if he's still around here—I'm still urging you to leave."