"Yaaaahhhhh!"

Sylvia kicked the dummy, and then punched it. She did it over and over, until the dummy fell on the floor. As she let out a deep breath, she dropped on the floor to rest. 

She is fuming mad at Wes for what he said a while ago. "I can protect myself." she told herself. Then, she looked at the helpless dummy before her. "I don't need you! I don't need a big brother following me around! I can protect myself from danger!" she told herself aloud.

--

It was late in the afternoon when Sylvia got out of school. She walked through her usual route going home. However, she felt somebody following her again. She looked back, and saw no one behind her. She let out a sigh of relief as she went on her way. 

She walked a block from school, when she felt someone watching her. She sped up her steps once again, and she could here footsteps behind her, following her way. "OK, now, I'm scared!"she thought. Then, she ran. As she went to the corner going to her house, she bumped into someone, making her fall on the ground.

"Sylvia?"

Sylvia looked in front of her, and saw Chun sitting on the ground. "Chun ge! I'm sorry!" she said as she stood up. She helped Chun pick up his groceries that fell on the ground. "What happened to you? You seem scared." Chun asked. Sylvia looked up at him, then looked behind her. 

"I... I think  someone's following me!" she said with fear in her voice. Chun furrowed his brow as he tried to understand the younger  girl. "I... I think a ert is following me!" she told him. 

--

Ella folded her arms as she looked at Chun. "We can't let this girl go to school or walk home alone." she told her husband. "Her parents entrusted her to me. If something happened to Fei Fei, it will be my fault." 

Chun nodded his head. "Where's Zheng anyway? Doesn't he always walk Fei Fei to school or even going home?" she asked Chun. "Don't worry, I'll talk to Zheng about this." Chun told his wife. Sylvia looked at them with her eyes wide. "No!" she shouted at the two, making them confused. "Please don't tell Zheng about this..." she said in a low voice.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to tell Zheng what happened today." Chun told her. She looked at them with puppy eyes. "Please, don't..." she said. Chun let out a sigh as he placed his hands on his waist as he looked at his wife again. "OK, how about this. I'll drive you to school every morning, then  I'll pick you up every afternoon." Ella said. Sylvia lowered her head. She had no choice but to agree to Ella. "OK... but until the ert gets arrested, all right?" Sylvia asked. Ella nodded her head. 

"Now, that's settled. Go and change. We'll have dinner shortly." Ella told her. Sylvia ran up to her room, living the couple behind. As soon as Sylvia left, Ella gave her husband a suspicious look. "What?" he asked. "Do you know what's happening to those two? Are they fighting, or what?" she asked. Chun shrugged his shoulders. "All I know is that lately, Wes is spending some time with a girl..."

He looked at Ella and saw her in a frown. "A girl?" she asked. Chun nodded his head. "Uh-oh... but what will happen to my Wes-Sylvia love team?" Ella thought. "It's just an old friend, you don't have to worry." Chun assured her. "But I have to get to the bottom of this because it seems Team Zheng Loves Fei Fei Forever won't get it's forever." he thought. 

Chun let out a sigh. "Wes, please don't tell me you no longer like Sylvia? I'm rooting for both of you!" he thought. "I'm not leaving Taipei until Sylvia and Wes profess their love for each other." Ella thought. Then, Chun let out an awkward laugh. "You know what, I think I'll start preparing dinner for Wes." Chun said. "So I can drill him down." he added in his thoughts. "All right. Good night." Ella said before kissing him on the lips.

-- 

Chun watched Wes as he ate his dinner. He folded his arm as he looked sternly at the younger guy. Wes felt awkward being watched by him. "Chun ge, with you watching me like that, it made me feel more awkward..." Wes said. Chun let out a sigh. "Is there something you want to say?" Wes asked. "What happened to you and Sylvia?" Chun finally asked him. 

Wes shook his head. "Nothing." he said. "Don't you think I didn't notice? Lately, you don't go to school together. And, you don't walk her home." Chun said. "Should I always do that?"

"I thought you two are best friends."

"Yeah..."

"I thought you like her."

Wes let out a smile. "Did you confess to her?" Chun asked. Wes nodded his head. He let out a smile. "And?" he asked, prying for more answers. "She rejected me." he said. "Oh... that's why..." Chun said as he nodded his head. "So this new girl you're seeing..."

"Chun ge, Pei Ci is an old friend. We've been friends even before I met Sylvia. Her family moved to Canada when we were young, and we have kept in touch until middle school."

"So, this Pei Ci... is she cute?"

Wes nodded his head. Chun folded his arms, and leaned on the chair. "This can't be! I need to find a way so Fei Fei and Zheng can be together." Chun thought. "Is she cuter than Sylvia?" Chun asked again. "I think they're both cute. It's just that Pei Ci's a little bit refined. More girly than Sylvia."

"Why, isn't Fei Fei girly enough?"

"Sometimes she can be boyish and tough."

"So, you like the more girly type?"

"Maybe."

"Do you like this Pei Ci?"

Wes choked upon hearing Chun's question. Chun couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Chun ge! Why are you questioning my lovelife?" he asked. "I just want to ask." he said. Wes let out a sigh. "I love Sylvia. But she only wants to be friends. But, I want to silently love her. Pei Ci, she's a good friend. She needs me right now because she's new here. So, is it clear?" Wes said. "OK, just to reiterate. You still love Sylvia, am I right?" Chun asked. Wes nodded his head. "Good, then we're clear about that." Chun told him. Then, he let out a sigh of relief. 

--

Ella stopped the car in front of Sylvia's school. "Thanks for the driving me to school, Ella jie!" Sylvia said as she took off her seat belt. "Oh, and Ella jie, you don't need to pick me up later. I need to practice judo after school." she said. Ella let out a sigh. "Sylvia, we talked about this, right?" Ella said. Sylvia gave her puppy eyes as she clasped her hand. "Please, Ella jie, please?" she pleaded. 

Ella could only sigh at her. "All right. But you if something happened to you..."

"Nothing will happen to me, Ella jie. I'm as strong as Da Dong!" 

Ella smiled. "I actually prefer that you're as strong as the Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren, but..." Ella said as she sighed. Sylvia let out a laugh. "If I don't practice my judo, I won't be as strong like Xia Tian, right?" she said. "Promise me you'll be home early, all right?" Ella asked. Sylvia nodded her head. Then, she got out of her car, and walking inside the school. 

"Is that Ella jie?" 

She heard someone ask. She looked back, and she saw Wes and Pei Ci walking up to her. Sylvia raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you care?" she asked. Wes let out a laugh. "Are you that scared of the ert so you asked Ella jie to drive you to school?" Wes asked her. An angry tick formed on her forehead. "Luo Hong Zheng, you don't know what happened to me that's why it had come to a point that Ella jie had to drive me all the way here. And since you don't know anything, just shut up." she told him off. Without batting an eye, she turned her back on him, and left. 

Pei Ci looked at Wes, and pouted at him. "You're so mean!" she told him.  Wes gave him a puzzled look as he pointed at him. "Me? Mean?" he asked. Pei Ci nodded her head. "You shouldn't e like that. Look, she's already in a bad mood." Pei Ci said. Wes let out a smile. "Don't worry about her. She know I'm just kidding." he said. Then, he put his arm around her neck. "Let's go!" he said as they walked towards their classroom. 

--

A figure stood by the rooftop. From where he stood, he could see the whole school ground. A smile escaped from his lips with the thought of finally coming back. Then, he heard the door open before him. 

Sylvia came to the rooftop that lunch break to get away from Wes. She doesn't want to see him or talk to him. "How could he tease me at this very crucial moment?!" she said out loud. Then, she let out a sigh. "Well, he doesn't know the ert had been targeting me, right?" she asked herself. 

Then, she folded her arms. "How would he know, he's always with that Pei Ci. Stupid Zheng, suddenly forgetting me because of her..." she said again. Then, she lowered her head. "But it was my fault anyway..." she said sadly. 

Maybe if she didn't reject him, he wouldn't treat her this way. Maybe she shouldn't ask him to stop liking her. Who is she to control his feelings anyway? But she knew in heart, she was scared to try again. She's scared to be hurt, or even hurt Wes, but she knew she already did that. 

And now, she also felt hurt. Because since the day Pei Ci came, he started to ignore her. "Maybe he realized he likes Pei Ci more than he likes me? If that's true, then I should be happy for him, right? Why do I feel jealous whenever I see them together?" she asked in her thoughts.  

From the hidden corner of the rooftop, the figure watched her secretly. He let out a smile as he watched her. "You're so near, yet so far..." he thought. He let out a sigh as he watched her leave. "But soon... I know I can get near you..." 

--

"Thank you for walking me home today, Xiao Zheng!" Pei Ci said as she smiled at him. "You're welcome." Wes told her. Then, her smile turned into a frown. "But how about Fei Fei? is she going to be fine?" Pei Ci asked worriedly. "Of course, she is. Don't worry about her. She can take care of herself." 

Pei Ci let out a sigh. "I don't know. It's just that a while ago, I saw her and Wayne talking. She was talking about not telling you about the ert following her?" she said. Wes was surprised at what she said. "Really?" he asked. Pei Ci nodded her head. "I don't know, maybe I heard it wrong." she said. 

He doesn't know why, but Wayne's words the day before lingered in him. "What if the ert does something to Fei Fei, in a way that she can't fight and help herself? What if something bad happened  to her?" he remembered Wayne scolding him. 

He dismissed that thought, and smiled at Pei Ci. "Don't worry, all right. Sylvia's my neighbor. I would know if something bad happened to her." Wes said. Pei Ci simply nodded her head. She said goodbye to him, and went inside her house. And as he was about to walk home, when his phone rang. 

Wes answered the call. "Hello?" he said. "Zheng! Finally. Please tell me Fei Fei is with you?" he heard Ella ask him. "No, she isn't..." he said. "What? Where could she be? She promised me to go home early today! And she isn't answering her phone!" Ella panicked. 

Wes let out a sigh. "Don't worry that much about Fei Fei, Ella jie."

"You don't understand, Zheng. Yesterday, she was being followed by the ert. And the day before that too. That's why I drove her to school today so that she would be safe." 

He felt like someone poured cold water on his back. "Fei Fei was being stalked?" he asked again. "Yes." Ella answered. "Don't worry, Ella jie. I'll find Fei Fei and bring her home." he told her. Then, he ended the call. 

"Where could Fei Fei be at this time?" he thought. His couldn't think straight, as he got very worried about Sylvia. "School. I think she must still be in school." he thought. And that was the first place we went to find Sylvia. 

--

It was almost night time when Sylvia finished her practice. When she looked at her phone, she had a lot of missed calls from Ella. "Oh, shoot! I'm dead!" she thought as she dialed Ella's number. After a few rings, Ella answered her call. "Fei Fei! Where are you?" Ella asked her. "I'm still at school, Ella jie. I'm sorry. I'm going home now." she apologized. "Don't go anywhere, I'll have Chun pick you up."

"No need, Ella jie. I can go home on my own. Don't worry about me."

"But it's already night time!"

"I'm OK, Ella. I'll be there before you know it."

She ended the call, and readied herself to go home. As she walked outside the school, she felt someone was behind her, tailing her. She took a deep breath as she slowed down. "Don't be scared, Yu Fei. Have a presence of mind! If he corners you, you have to kick him in the groin." she thought. 

--

A figure stood by the corner, and saw Sylvia went out of the school gate. He let out a smile, and began to tail her. He made careful steps as she slowed down. He doesn't want her to know he's following her. He followed the speed of her steps, careful for his presence not to be felt. 

Then, Sylvia paused, and looked back. He was able to hide at the nearest corner. He watched her, looking if she's still looking behind her. When he was about come out of hiding, when guy came running towards her. Realizing who it was, he decided not to follow her anymore. 

--

"Fei Fei, where are you?" Wes thought as he ran through the streets. Then, he spotted her, walking alone from school. He immediately ran towards her. When he got nearer her, he touched her shoulder. 

Sylvia felt someone touching her. She readied herself, and pulled the hand the touched her. Wes was surprised at what she did. She gripped his arms, and threw him on the ground. "Ouch!" Wes flinched as he fell on the concrete ground.

She gasped, seeing that she attached Wes. "Zheng?" she called. She could see him flinching in pain because of what she did. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to attack you!" she said as she helped him stand up. Wes could only smile at her. "Congratulations, you're as strong as Da Dong. That really hurts." he said as he nursed his sprained arm. Sylvia couldn't help but laugh at him. 

--

Wes was able to bring her home safe that night. He stayed for a while so that Sylvia could help him with his sprain. As she was bandaging his sprain, he couldn't help but smile at her. "There you go! It's done." Sylvia said once she was done. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Wes asked her. Sylvia gave him a confused look. "Tell you what?"

"Tell me that the ert is stalking you. I could have protected you..." 

Sylvia let out a smile. "That's not what I heard you tell the whole class yesterday. I can protect myself, right? I can take care of myself, right?"

"You're so stubborn."

Sylvia stuck her tongue out at him. "Things this big, you should always tell me, all right?" Wes said in a serious tone. "How can I tell you anyway? You're always with Pei Ci. And lately, we always argue. It felt like you're starting to ignore me because of her."

"I wasn't ignoring you. You're the one who's always staying away from me."

"Because it felt like you'd rather be with Pei Ci than with me. 

Wes smiled at her. Then, he held her hand, and looked into her eyes. "Fei Fei, you're my best friend, but Xiao Ci is also my friend. I know you need me. But, Xiao Ci needs me right now, because I'm her only friend here. So, please don't take it to heart if I seem to ignore you. If you need me, you know that I'm always here for you." he told her.

She gazed at him. At that moment, she realized how much she missed him. She missed everything about him - his sweet smile, his baritone voice, and the warmth of his hand. "I missed you..." she said in a low voice. 

Then, he pulled her into a hug.