"Zhong Ji Yi Ban, you have 2 hours you may begin." Tian Xin announced as she wrote the start and finish time for a test she had given her class on the chalk board. As soon as she said so, the students of Zhong Ji Yi Ban reluctantly opened their test papers. The only students who were not taking the test were Jiang Yu Yan - she was blind so had verbal tests that tested her memory, and Huang An Qi - a temporary student who was visiting so had no need to sit an examination.

Yu Yan sat against one of the brick pillars outside alone as she did not want to be in the classroom. She sat on the ground with her eyes closed, listening to the other students of Guava High School in their lessons. She sighed as she felt a cold breeze roam around.

"Jiang Yu Yan, can I sit with you?" she heard An Qi's voice enter her ears as she approached her.
Yu Yan snorted, "Why would you want to sit next to me?"
"I don't want to be alone in the classroom, it's boring," she replied.

“But I want to be alone,” Yu Yan replied.

“Please accompany me?” she replied.
Yu Yan exhaled, "Do whatever, I don't care."
An Qi smiled and sat down next to her. "Can we talk?" she asked in a warm voice.
"About?" Yu Yan questioned, "I have nothing to say to you."
"About Xiao Yu," An Qi stated before Yu Yan cut her off.
"Little Fish? Why do you want to talk about him? He's annoying."
"You're close to him right?" An Qi inquired.
"Am I? I don't know and I don't care," Yu Yan replied bluntly in a bored tone as she yawned.

"Please take care of him," An Qi requested, "I'm leaving Taiwan in a few days and I don't want Xiao Yu's pain to be left unknown to his friends."
With a spark of interest, Yu Yan lifted a brow and turned her head to face her, "His pain? Aren't you all from happy families?"
"That's what I thought so too when I joined Zhong Ji Yi Ban in the beginning." An Qi looked ahead as she remembered the night Xiao Yu had opened up to her about his past, "I know I shouldn't tell others about his private life but I just want you to know because I feel like you're the one who can watch over him-"
"Watch over him?" Yu Ya laughed, "I can't even see and watch over myself, how am I supposed to look after him? Don't make me laugh," she mocked. "And his business is none of mine."

"Hear me out," An Qi told her seriously, "You mean a lot to Xiao Yu. He talks about you a lot and he cares for you - if you're not friends then what are you?" she questioned, knowing that the only way to make Yu Yan listen was to talk to her forcefully.
Yu Yan remained quiet. "Classmates," she uttered, "Just classmates."
"If you're just classmates then you must have the same type of relationship with Sha Jie right? With Jin Bao San? With me? If that were so then you and Xiao Yu wouldn't be on good terms." she continued.
"What is your point?" Yu Yan snapped at her, "Just what do you want me to say?!"
"Do you care about Ding Xiao Yu?" An Qi turned to look at her.
"No I don't," Yu Yan seethed, irritated. "Huang An Qi, if you came here just to pester me with stupid questions, leave right now." she snarled.

“Really, you don’t?” she asked.

“Have you forgotten all your Chinese in America?” Yu Yan asked, “I said I don’t care about him, why don’t you understand that?”

Despite her answer, An Qi continued. "Do you really mean that?”

“I do, now shut up and go away.” Yu Yan hissed.

“Can you whole heartedly say with your hand on your heart that Ding Xiao Yu means nothing to you? That you wouldn't care if he was harmed? If he was in danger? If he was upset? If he was in pain? Can you really say that you wouldn't do anything to help him? That you feel nothing for him?" she challenged with a fiery passion.
"You-" Yu Yan fell silent.

"It won't be fair if he is wrong accused because of me"
"Little Fish, get ready to run"
"...but what if my father has something to do with his disappearance...?"
"I'm listening to him play"

She blinked as her mind went back to the moments when she had spoken those words. “Huang An Qi…” she growled, irritated. She then thought about Yu Ting's words:

"I thought he was important to you."
"You personally helped him and defied father, something you would never think about doing. And... the Yan Yan Jie I know wouldn't have gotten annoyed so easily at the arrival of just a girl."


Yu Yan swallowed down something thick in as she recalled all the moments spent with Xiao Yu in her head. She remembered when they first met and she caught him staring at her. She remembered the time he gave her a bagel and when he played the piano for her. She remembered the time when she had beaten up the Blue Pickle students to protect Da Dong, Ya Se and Xiao Yu. She remembered when she helped Xiao Yu out of prison and got punished by her father as a result. She remembered the time where they worked together on their camping trip. She remembered when he tried to save her from falling into the river but fell instead fell in with her. She remembered his tight grasp on her when they plunged into the icy waters and how he saved them both from drowning. She remembered when he tore his own clothes to wrap around her injured ankle. She remembered when he gave her his jacket. She remembered the moment where she was about to return his jacket to him when she found out he was sick but decided against it. She remembered the song they sang together. She remembered the time where she saved him from getting beaten up by Su Jia Li's friends. She remembered the time she lent her shoulder to Xiao Yu. She remembered all the bagels that they had exchanged. She remembered the sudden shock she felt when she found out Xiao Yu was at the top of her father's kill list. She remembered when she had gotten annoyed that Xiao Yu spent more time with An Qi than her.

Yu Yan felt her heart beat faster.

An Qi smiled at Yu Yan's long pause of silence, "You do care about him. Even if you don't admit it, you can't ignore what your heart says."

Yu Yan scowled as she touched her heart - another layer of ice around her heart was beginning to melt. What is this?! I don't care about him, everything between us is fake - there was no sincerity in anything I did. It was all an act! Yu Yan felt confliction in her heart; did she actually care for that little fish? She couldn't allow herself to - she wouldn't allow it! If her father was to find out, she would be severely punished. She felt her heart warm up, Am I getting sick again?

An Qi giggled. Yu Yan clicked her tongue in frustration, "Okay what do you want to say?!" she huffed.
"Will you listen to his story of pain?" An Qi asked.
"Even if I say no you'll still tell me anyway." Yu Yan replied.
An Qi was glad that she was able to talk to Yu Yan who no longer had a hostile aura towards her. "If you listen to his pain, you'll understand him more. I won't go into much detail though, when he's ready he'll tell you." she said.
"I'm listening." Yu Yan replied as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the pillar.

"You know Xiao Yu lived in a tent before it was destroyed right?" An Qi asked and Yu Yan nodded. "He has no place he can call home. After his father died, his mother disappeared and then his aunt took him in. But recently, she kicked him out onto the streets because she didn't like him playing the piano which was something his father taught him as he was a musician."
She looked at Yu Yan who listened quietly, "He's gone through a lot and the only family he has left are his friends so he cherishes them all. I don't want Xiao Yu to be by himself and shoulder his problems alone - I know he's going through a lot right now because of the way he's been acting but he's not saying anything. When he didn't come into school, I was really worried and when I saw his injuries on his face it made me feel worse." she explained before she took Yu Yan's hands into her own, "He's going through tough times right now so please don't let him be alone. Even if he chooses to remain quiet, please remain by his side," she pleaded as her eyes became glazed with tears.

How can I selfishly stay by his side when my father is the one who took his father away from him? How can I truly care for him when I know my family will kill him soon, how can I bear that guilt? How will I face him when I'm playing everyone in Zhong Ji Yi Ban? Yu Yan pulled her hands back and stood up to leave. "I can see why he likes you," she said, "You have a pure heart." And I don't.
An Qi quickly stood up, "Jiang Yu Yan..."
"I'll think about what you said," Yu Yan replied as she began taking steps forward.

Relieved, An Qi smiled before calling after her, "Let's be friends!"
Yu Yan stopped in her tracks as An Qi extended her hand out towards her. She turned to face her and scoffed before she continued to walk away, "Whatever," she replied. What Little Fish needs by his side is someone like An Qi, not me. If I dare get close to him, I'll end up hurting him.

An Qi chuckled, relieved that she was able to get through to Yu Yan.