Wang Da Dong ran into Xiao Yu's flat and into his living room. He dropped down onto his sofa and sighed happily, "Xiao Yu, let’s all have a sleepover at yours!"
"No," Xiao Yu instantly replied, "There's no space here and it's a school night. You guys should leave soon," he said as he looked at the clock that struck 10pm.
"Egomaniac, don't you have a 9pm curfew?" Ya Se asked as he sat at Xiao Yu's table.
"I told my parents I'll be home late today," he replied as he spread his arms over the sofa and closed his eyes.

Yu Yan kicked off her shoes and walked into the room, yawning. She sat down beside Da Dong and shut her eyes. "You guys should leave," she muttered.
"Egomaniac, get up. I'll drop the two of you home," Ya Se said as he stood up.
"Fine," Da Dong groaned as he got to his feet.
"Yu Yan?" Ya Se turned to her.
"But I'm liv-" Yu Yan was interrupted.
"Yu Yan, I remember you said you wanted to borrow my bagel gift card," Xiao Yu said quickly, "Let me go get it for you!"

"Oh, then we'll wait for you Yu Yan," Ya Se said.
"No!" Xiao Yu burst out before he chuckled awkwardly, "I mean, no you don't have to wait for her. I've actually forgotten where I put it so I'll take a while. You guys go alone, I'll call her a cab." he explained.
"Oh okay, see you tomorrow!" Da Dong beamed as he walked out.
"Bye," Ya Se added and the two were gone.

"You're not telling them that I'm staying here?" Yu Yan asked and Xiao Yu shook his head.
"They'll misunderstand and start making jokes about it," he explained, "and I've had enough of their jokes."
Yu Yan nodded in understanding, "Well then I'm going to bed. Night," she muttered before she disappeared into Xiao Yu's room.

Xiao Yu sighed as he lay down on the sofa in the now dark room. Now that he was alone, he couldn't stop thinking about the fortune teller and the fortune cookie. Me and her in love? That's not possible, he thought as he stared up at his ceiling. "What exactly do I feel for her?" he muttered quietly, "Don't I just see her as a good friend?"
He thought quietly, Isn't Yu Yan just a friend? Why wouldn't she be? How can I be in love with her when I haven't even known her that long? It's probably just been over a month, but does love need to be restricted with time? He then thought of An Qi, I fell in love with An Qi in a short time so I can't use time as an excuse. But do I still like An Qi or is she just a friend in my heart?

Xiao Yu sighed as he shut his eyes, wanting to sleep. The fortune teller gave us 10 years, didn't she? If she was correct then I don't have to get so worked up over it now when I have ten years. Anything can happen in ten years so there's no rush in us falling in love. But if she is right, what dangerous road is there? And what secret is Jiang Yu Yan hiding? He shifted over and stared at the rays of moonlight that swept in through the gap between the curtains. If we reveal our secrets, then wouldn't that mean we have to go down that dangerous road? Isn't it better if we keep our secrets hidden then? I might end up leaving Zhong Ji Yi Ban if I can't win that 500,000NT$ and after that, I probably won't see her again. If I tell her, then then fate will have us walk down that rocky road together.

He sighed loudly, Fortunes are really a pain. If I hadn't known of mine, I wouldn't be here thinking about it all day. If I hadn't known, would I have fallen in love with Jiang Yu Yan without knowing it like the fortune teller said I would? Xiao Yu grabbed his hair in frustration, I don't know, I don't know. I wish I didn't know! He rolled over so that he was laying flat on his back, I don't want to look at Yu Yan knowing that I'll fall in love with her - that'll just make me uncomfortable. I wish we didn't meet that fortune teller - all my thoughts and emotions are a mess and I don't know what I feel anymore!

He covered his face with his pillow ...Do I want that fortune to be true? Do I want to fall in love with Yu Yan...? Have I already fallen for her...? Before he could cram anymore thoughts into his head, the door to his living room slowly opened. He moved the pillow away from his face to see Yu Yan walk in quietly. He silently watched her walk over to his small balcony and feel around for the handle on the door. Once she found it, she pushed it down and the door opened with a small click. As the door opened, a draught of wind blew in and she walked out. He sat up and watched her from inside. He heard her sigh. He watched her quietly although her back was to him. He remained still, wanting to not alert her, and just watched her for a few minutes. She didn't move around, all she did was just stand there in the wintry breeze.

"I wonder... what father is doing...." he heard her mutter. "Will he take me back...?" He then heard her sigh again before she turned around facing his direction. He could now see her sad expression, her frown was deep and she looked almost fragile compared to her normal confident and proud self. Her face was softened and her short black hair danced in the night breeze as it circled around her. He watched the moonlight illuminate her face and the stars sparkle behind her and he felt something in his throat. He swallowed it down as he continued to stare at her, mesmerised. Have I.... really fallen for her...? He took in a deep breath but he inhaled loud enough for Yu Yan to pick up on.

"Little Fish?" she said, "You're awake?" she asked as she walked back indoors.
"Yeah," he replied, "Can't sleep either?"
She walked up to him and sat down beside him, "I'm just not used to it," she muttered.
"Staying away from home?" Xiao Yu asked and she shrugged.
"I guess," she sighed.
"Do you want to go back?" he asked.
"I doubt I'll be let back in so easily," she replied, "But it's none of your concern so don't stick your nose into it."
Xiao Yu nodded, "Sure."
"So why can't you sleep?" she asked.
"I was thinking too much," Xiao Yu answered as he looked up at the ceiling.

She snorted as a result. She picked a pillow and it into his face, "What is keeping the almighty King of Endurance up at night?"
Xiao Yu felt the pillow knock the wind out of him as it came so unexpectedly. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he picked up his own pillow. He threw it at her and it hit her right on the head.
"You barely laugh or even smile, you just stay quiet all day thinking - do you need to think even more at night?" she questioned as she stood up and hit him with a cushion.
He put out his arm to block it, "I smile more than you do," he retorted as he stood up to hit her back.
She shrugged and she dodged, "That's also true, but that's just how I am."
"But, why are you so concerned?" Xiao Yu asked as he hit her with two pillows.

She cracked a small smile, "We're friends aren't we? Let me play the role of one... before I leave," she trailed off.
"Before you leave?" Xiao Yu repeated as his eyes widened, "Why are you leaving?"

She sighed and put down the pillow, "I never intended to stay at Zhong Ji Yi Ban until graduation, it was only temporary," she began, "And it's really not fit for a blind person like me especially in terms of education," she continued before looking away to avoid his gaze, "...My father will probably withdraw me from Guava High School soon." And you won't see me ever again...
"I guess that makes two of us," Xiao Yu muttered.
Yu Yan sighed; "Your aunt right?" and he nodded before he got whacked in the face with a pillow.

"Why are you always dampening the mood?" she exclaimed, jumping on him and throwing cushions at him.
"Me?!" Xiao Yu laughed as they hit each other with pillows and cushions, chasing each other around the room, "You're the one- mFFFFFFFsss!"
He was interrupted when Yu Yan covered his mouth with his blanket and pushed him to the ground.
"You were saying?" she smirked as she hovered above him.
He smiled and uncovered his mouth. He threw the blanket over her head, making her retreat which opened up a path for him to escape. He slipped out of her grasp and picked up two fallen pillows which he at her.

Yu Yan was knocked to the sofa and fell into a sitting position. She stood up on the sofa and grabbed an end of the blanket. Xiao Yu grabbed the other and it became a tug of war. The two pulled at the blanket and Xiao Yu, being the stronger one, managed to pull it hard enough which freed it from Yu Yan's hands. But as he pulled it forwards, Yu Yan's foot slipped and she also fell forwards. Quickly, Xiao Yu dropped the blanket and wrapped his arm around her waist before she could hit the floor. The two then fell over together, with Yu Yan on top of him. Xiao Yu fell onto his back and was pinned beneath Yu Yan. [A/N: kinda like that scene in Refresh Man where they fall on the bed together]

Both their eyes widened as it happened so fast and suddenly their faces were inches apart. Xiao Yu stared at Yu Yan's face, feeling his heart race and his cheeks warm up. The pain in his head from the fall was numbed by the rapid beating of his heart and the warm sensation that tingled through every part of his body. He felt the world around them fade away and all he could see was Jiang Yu Yan and all he could hear was his heart beat and her soft breathing. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her as he looked into her eyes. Suddenly he felt dizzy and light headed, I think... I've really fallen for Jiang Yu Yan...

He blinked several times and his blush deepened. He then flipped them over so that he was above her before he attacked her with tickles. "Hey!" Jiang Yu Yan exclaimed as she tried to suppress her giggles. "Stop!" she laughed as Xiao Yu found all her weak spots.
She thrashed about as he continued to tickle her but all he could hear were her giggles. "Little Fish, you're going to pay!" she barked as she pushed him backwards and attacked him with tickles.

Yu Ting watched the two as she stood in Xiao Yu's balcony. She frowned at her sister and shook her head, "Yan Yan Jie, I hope you enjoy yourself before father disposes of you," she spat angrily. Her face then turned dark as she turned around to leave.
 

~*~*~

Yu Yan's father sat at his desk, reading through some accounts he had written after receiving the information Yu Yan had given him. He looked through it and brushed his fingers over the words and sighed.

[Flashback]

"Wang Da Dong, Wang Ya Se and Ding Xiao Yu are ma guas so don't have much to do. After school they usually go to Duan Chang Ren's stall for dinner and then spend at least an hour at the gym together before they go home. On Fridays, however, they spend evenings with other classmates from Zhong Ji Yi Ban and play sports like basketball-" Yu Yan explained before her father slammed his hand down on the table.
"Did I ask for their schedule or information on their weaknesses and any threats they may pose?" he snapped angrily at her.
Yu Yan shrunk back in fear, "I apologise father... I just thought you might like to know their locations at all times..." she trailed off.
"You thought? Well you were wrong!" he bellowed, "I have thousands of spies I can send to go out looking for them, I don't need you to do that!"
Yu Yan bowed, "I'm sorry, Father."

He gritted his teeth and released a frustrated sigh, "Tell me, do you have anything useful? I've trained your memory from a young age so you should know every small detail about them - I want every important thing you know!"
Yu Yan remaimed quiet before she spoke up, "Wang Da Dong's father, Wang Tian Yang, was a powerful assassin known as 'Dao Feng' and his wife, Ceng Mei Hao, also used to be a powerful assassin and she owns the weapon station. She was known as 'Dao Gui' - I think Wang Da Dong's parents are a threat as well as Ya Se Wang's father who used to be one of the 7 dragons and now is the leader of a gang," she explained.
Her father raised an eyebrow, "And?"
"And Duan Chang Ren, although a ma gua, must know a lot of things that may be useful to us. After all, he used to be one of the dragons as well," she continued nervously.
"Anything else? Something on the three I asked you to investigate?" he demanded, impatiently.
"Uh..." Yu Yan stuttered, "I don't know very much about it, but they have a friend from the iron dimension who is looking for their alternate counterparts so that they can regain their yi neng."
"Oh? And do you know this friend's name?" he asked her.
"Xiu," she replied, "I think he's also training someone to become Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren or whatever that is," she added.
"Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren?" he repeated before smirk found its way onto his face, "That may be a problem.”

[End of Flashback]

A knock came from the door and Yu Yan's father quickly turned around. His face was exposed so he turned the lights off, "Come in," he called out with his back to the door.
Yu Ting entered, "Father, I've come to report on Yan Yan Jie."
He turned around after pulling a cap over his eyes, "Yan Yan Jie?" he repeated before laughing, "A traitor doesn't deserve such a nickname," he spat.
"I'm sorry," Yu Ting bowed, "Jiang Yu Yan-"
"A traitor doesn't deserve a name," he interrupted and Yu Ting apologised with another bow.

" JY1988.0113.6 has been living with Ding Xiao Yu," she reported.
"What have they been doing?" he asked.
"They've been going out a lot and meeting up with Wang Da Dong and Wang Ya Se," she replied.
"Any progress of their personal relationship?" he questioned.
Yu Ting blinked as she remembered when Xiao Yu had fed Yu Yan, when they had held hands, when they had met the fortune teller, when Xiao Yu had given her a gift, when they had a pillow fight. She gulped before slowly shaking her head, "They... they act how they usually do in school... it's just that Yan Ya- JY1988.0113.6, I mean, has been less reluctant to follow behind them. I-I think... she's trying to-"
"Enough, I don't want to know!" he snapped, "I'll reward her for all her hard work with this week of freedom before I discard and replace her. You're dismissed Yu Ting, you may leave."

Yu Ting bowed before quietly leaving. He sighed again as he took off his cap and slumped down into his seat. He looked over at a large globe that was glowing behind a glass wall, "Just a bit more yi neng and I'll see you again Yu Er," he muttered.

Suddenly a figure emerged from behind a black curtain at the other end of the room. A man (Joe Cheng) approached him. "Do you regret sending Yu Yan to school?" he asked him as he sat on his desk.
"I've kept her away from human interaction all her life but I hadn't expected that the first time she came into contact with other humans would be the first time she develops her own thoughts," he admitted with a stressed sigh. "Even Yu Ru has had many secret relationships behind my back but she had never went against me, so how did Yu Yan - the one who I have personally raised and trained be the first to break away from my ideology?"
"I don't think she's broken away from your ideology, I would say she's still very loyal to you. After watching her day and night, I would say the problem lies with Ding Xiao Yu and his two brothers," he explained, "She's genuinely become friends with them and can't bring herself to harm them."

He watched Yu Yan's father clench his fist. "The very thing I told her not to do, she did!" he growled, angrily. "I even altered her DNA to decrease the production of the hormones that makes one happy and feel good when in love but she's overcome that and still went against me!"
"Do you think it's because Ding Xiao Yu is your-"
"Nonsense! Ye Zi don't even think about saying such rubbish to me! That boy has no relation to me whatsoever - it's merely a coincidence!" he barked before he stood up.
Ye Zi nodded, "I apologise," he bowed his head.

He looked at Ye Zi before pulling on a long black cloak, "I'm going on a trip to the iron dimension. When I return, I'll deal with Yu Yan. For the meantime, I'm leaving the girls and the clone factory to you, Ye Zi - I'm leaving you in charge. I trust you - you're the only one who knows my true identity after all."
Ye Zi nodded, "Understood. You can leave it all to me. But about Yu Yan, should I-"
"Let her be. Let her enjoy her calm before the storm," he cut him off before he looked over at the large globe, "Try and fill that up before I return."
Ye Zi nodded.
"And be careful of that weapon I gave you, make sure you control it and don't let it destroy you."
Ye Zi nodded. And then he was gone, leaving Ye Zi alone in the lab.