XXI

A week has gone by.

She hasn’t unpacked her boxes yet. There wasn’t much to unpack but she was hesitant in opening up the boxes. She left what she didn’t want to bring with her but even if the things weren’t with her, these things would still bring tears. So the boxes remained sealed, unopened and there was no desire in her to open them. 

Her room was still the same, she left and came back to the same room. Her soft bed was nicely folded, waiting for her to jump in so that there would be folds. Her desk, the pictures, the folders and papers were organized. The chiffon-like curtain material gently lift itself of the ground, illuminating the entire room, flying past her in the most gentlest breeze. Something she hasn't felt for a long time.

“Miss, it’s time.”

Gui double checked herself in the mirror, checking her appearance before she made her way out the door. She walked through the corridor with her assistant behind her, she knew where everything was. It felt like a dream. With each step she took, her memories spent with everyone felt like a distant dream. One she wished could’ve been longer. 

By the time she made it to the front doors, the butler simply smiled over to her before opening the doors, the wind finally pushed through and she closed her eyes, feeling more of that gentle breeze on her skin. 

“This is ridiculous, why do I have to listen to this? You haven’t even met him! How can you be quick to judge him?”

Gui turned around to see Reen and Rainie coming down the steps, Reen with a scowl on her pretty face while Rainie was as usual, her calm and collected self. 

“Good morning—”

The butler started but Reen had little patience. “I’m sick of hearing this from you! What do you think, if I found someone I want to be with, should I go with it or should I listen to someone who hasn’t even met him, telling me not to be with him?”

Gui looks over to Rainie who was silently pleading for her to stay quiet. Reen is confused, she doesn’t know what will happen if she pursues it whereas Gui is puzzled, wondering how she should respond to Reen.

“Tell me, should I go for him?”

“You have been known to jump into things faster than a heartbeat, think it over Reen before you confess to him.”

“So you say I should follow my heart?”

“Think it over Reen, is he worth it?”

Without getting an answer, Reen turns to the butler and smiles brightly. She was up to something.

“I’m going off first!”

“Very well.”

The butler nods as Rainie rolls her eyes, how can such a beautiful morning be blown away? She only warned her about Aaron, it was nothing major. Raine looks over to Gui and sighs. She wasn’t sure if Reen knew about Aaron and Gui’s relationship, if anything, maybe she had a speculation, nothing more. If Reen knew about it, how would she react to it?

“Who’s the guy Reen is crushing on?”

Should she tell her?

How would she react if it was him?

“Just this guy.” 

Gui slowly nods, she got the feeling Rainie doesn’t want to talk about it so she left the subject alone. When the car came forward, they both walked in and settled themselves in and the car drove past the estate. As usual, the grass is always greener here, the fountain, the flowers, the pathways, everything surrounding the estate was very european. Kept in a orderly fashion, like always. 

They were quiet to in the car. It was silence throughout the car ride. When she came back to the estate and became an heiress, everyone around her knew who she was. The school board knows her identity and the dynamic changed. They were a lot more chatty than usual, greeting her and offering her with privileges like extensions on assignments, seat placements, or class selections and many more to come. Deep down, everything changed. The boy’s could only glance at her and girls are fearlessly trying to inch close. The ones who built themselves to talk to her was… well who else does she have left? Welcome to the life of Wu Ying Jie, Heiress of the Wu Estate. 

Her school was coming up, Rainie looks back and forth between the students making their way to the school ground and Gui. She questions why her mom doesn’t transfer her back to her designated school. Why does she stay at this school? The academy Rainie and Reen attends is prestige, anyone with status flocks over. Question on top of question, left unanswered.

“Excuse me miss’s, Reen is here as well.”

That statement brought forward Rainie’s attention. What did you say? What could she possibly be here for—damnit, all of this for one guy?

Her intuition told her to step out of the car, to find Reen and to bring her to school with her. Gui followed her out and greeted Sheng Yi and Mei Mei. 

“If Rainie was a cartoon character, she would have steam blowing from her ears.”

Mei Mei smiles, nodding at the statement, imagining it happen as they continue to joke around.

It has been a week since Gui left. It has been a long damn week, their path would cross when she walks past him. Every time it does, he balls his hands to keep himself from lashing out. Why did she have to do this? Why did she left him with a note? What is she hoping to achieve by doing this? All these questions left him with more. Desire to know, yearning for her touch and the feelings he still has for her. This long week is slowly killing him.

To say that his buddies don’t notice the killer inside Aaron is a understatement. They kept it themselves, knowing one day, he will break out of this shell. It was a lot to take in, Gui’s new profound identity and status, everyone’s attitude change and the social scale is tipped. Some are lost at the new balance, some are trying to get close and some are trying to gain distance. Where Aaron falls in this new spectrum is probably the later with the faintest hope that he gets close. 

“This breeze is awesome.” Jiro calls out as he leans back, head on his arm and closes his eyes. Calvin smiles, joining him shortly after. Wu Chun lightly chuckles as he leans against the fence, it has been a busy week and it felt like the school ground was more chaotic than the outside world. 

“There he is, not a minute later.” 

Aaron’s ears perks up as he turns around to see Sheng Yi and Gui together. His heart jumped a beat and there was nothing he can do about it; other than to silently watch the two. Wu Chun raised his brow and sighs, turning his eyes away to stare at the beautiful sky. He opened his mouth to speak but sometimes, silence is the best remedy for a heartache. 

Reen has never felt so alive before. Her heart sprinted and before she knew it, she was dancing all the way up the stairs. It was no secret who she came for, the students all knew and Reen could only dream how this can go.

“Have you seen Aaron?”

“He’s on the roof, with his friends.”

“Thanks!”

She gave him a quick fly kiss as she made her way through the flight of stairs. 

Not for the faint hearted, Sheng Yi has been debating whether or not to tell Gui. He takes a deep breath and reaches out for her hand. She stops, surprised to feel someone hold her hand. She slightly squeezed it, remembering the feeling of someone holding her hand. That thought vanished when he handed her a folder. 

“What is this?”

“I found out not to long ago, I didn’t know if I should show you but i decided to.” 

He signalled her to look in and she did. Pulling out the papers and her eyes widen in surprise and shock that such papers exist. She was holding her engagement papers… but when she moved out of the estate, she renounced her title and everything that came with it. This… she is no longer involved but the idea of an arranged engagement is absurd. And it’s not because she doesn’t like Sheng Yi but it’s the fact that this happened behind her back, makes her furious.

“… Sheng Yi…”

“Thought you should know.”

“… Sheng Yi… what are you thinking of?”

“I know who I am betrothed to.”

“And?”

This mysterious feeling lingering inside of Gui was enough to send her flying. What was he trying to say? She was usually good at catching hints but she hoped, really hard, that it’s not what she predicts. 

“And nothing. There’s nothing more.”

“Oh, okay!”

Gui brushed off the feeling and smiles at Sheng Yi who bit his lips. Tempted to say what has been haunting his mind for the past days. 

Step after step, Reen has finally made it to the rooftop. She pauses for a moment, recollecting herself and patting herself down before opening the doors excitedly. 

“I LIKE YOU AARON YAN!!!!!!!!”

Calvin and Jiro woke and stood up reflexively, shocked to see someone who doesn’t go to this school stand before them, declaring her love. 

“She’s brave!” Calvin hissed as Jiro nods. Wu Chun eyes widen as he turns to see Aaron have the exact same reaction.

“I REALLY REALLLY LIKE YOU AARON YANNN!!!!!!” She madly blushes and cups her cheeks, slightly proud and embarrassed that she announced it. She finally did it, she FINALLY did it! 

“You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you this, well… now… I’ll leave now! I’ll see you soon Aaron!”

Like the wind, Reen was in and out. Aaron’s buddies got up and nudged him, teasing him here and there. It has been a long time since anyone has gotten a confession and to hear it again, it felt like ages but it brightened their faces. 

“What was her name again?”

“Wasn’t she Rainie’s sister?”

“Wait.. doesn’t that mean that she’s Gui’s sister as well?”

“Isn’t she a step-sister then?”

“OH man, this is getting messy.” All three of them nods while Aaron remained expressionless, he has no idea how to respond or act.

“Her name is Reen, Reen Wu.” Wu Chun said as he put his arms around Aaron and Cal. “Let’s go in, time is almost out.” Jiro nods, putting his arm around Cal as they make their way in. Unaware that another storm is brewing just below them.

Gui hands the folder back to Sheng Yi. “Let’s head in Sheng Yi!”

Gui made her way but she stops to see Rainie looking up. Curious, she looks up as well to see people on the rooftop. Is Reen up there? With the boy she has been crushing on? Meanwhile Rainie has been biting her lips, telepathically telling her sister not to do something she would regret. She wouldn't right?

“And nothing… There’s nothing more…”

Gui slowly brings her attention back down to Sheng Yi, turning around to see his eyes fixated on hers. 

Thump, Thump, Thump. Her heartbeat is running, endlessly and running.

“… Sheng Yi…”

“There shouldn’t be anything more but I can’t help it, I like you and this feeling… feels like it’s going to be big.”

Sheng Yi smiles and walks over to her. 

“I just thought you should know.”

He whispers over to her before walking through the front door with the biggest smile he has ever shown to anyone. Some are surprised at the confessions while some are stuck in wonder. Two left feeling accomplished, playfully getting teased by their close ones at their newly profound courage while two hopesless souls are blank. School just gone from chaotic to exciting.