No Time

I was wrong!

This kid, Yang Xioshen wasn't bad at all!

What a polite kid!

I was never that polite when I was a kid.

I was more unruly, sarcastic, and stubborn.

Only nice to people I liked.

Yang Xiaoshen was a really nice guy.

He explained the laws and basic rules that I should know in the base.

He also talked about different abilities.

It was disappointing that I couldn't go through the zombie trial, but I immediately thought about another way.

I could go find a zombie and bite it!

Then with a bit of luck, I'd get to have some more abilities.

And then I could get some animal abilities!

I didn't expect for a kid to know much about love. Kids only had puppy love and it went away quickly.

I kept it a secret that I came to the base searching for Shui Jing.

When I talked about how we met and how the Shui family rescued me from a slave auction, Yang Xiaoshen looked even more pitifully at me.

He was feeling very sorry for me as I listed the events that happened while I stayed with the Shui siblings.

Yang Xiaoshen even brought me inside to have some refreshments with him.

I was getting thirsty from talking too much, so I agreed.

The butler- I reckon he's the butler, he had on a suit and everything- seemed surprised to see us in the kitchen, eating delicately made cookies and drinking tea.

I mean, even if it was me, I'd be surprised seeing a small kid and a huge man talking delightfully over tea.

...Even imagining gives me goosebumps for some reason.

Far into our conversation, I felt guilty all of a sudden.

I was supposed to be playing with him, but here we were chatting away.

I knew that kids liked playing outside and were unruly.

If nothing, my experience today in the nursery seriously taught me that.

"Xiaoshen, do you have anything you want to do? I was supposed to be playing with you, but now I'm just talking and you're listening."

"Then can we watch Zuan's show? I want to watch it all over again!"

The butler cut in, "Young Master, you've watched it 24 times already..."

"It's ok. Just in time before Episode 14 to come out! This will refresh my memory!"

I was fine with it, I wanted to see some tv, I hadn't in a long time.

We went to the movie room where they had a huge screen.

With popcorn and drink in hand, we sat back comfortably in the recliner chairs.

[Episode 1: The Start of the Grand Elimination]

...

After a run of all the current episodes, more than 4 and a half hours had passed.

The show really was fun, as I much preferred variety shows to dramas.

While we were watching, Xiaoshen gave small tidbits of info.

"That guy's a subordinate of my father's branch company's manager. He's not very good at his work."

"Oh, that girl's my mom's friend's daughter's friend. She has huge tattoos on her back, and her mom beat the heck out of her for concealing it from her. She didn't care about the tattoos, but the girl used up a lot of the family savings. She's not reliable."

"He's actually balding. I heard from my mom's hairdresser, he goes for appointments to her friend's salon to add wig attachments. It's really well done, isn't it?"

"He's a senior at a nearby college. He's the top student in engineering. There are no bad rumors about him, but that's the suspicious part."

"She's not going by her real name. I heard from her little brother that her real name was so manly, that she hides it and bribes teachers into not saying it. But she doesn't want to change her name because she got tricked by a fortune teller years ago that if she changes her name, she'll have really bad luck."

"Ah, that young looking girl... she's actually in her late 30s. She's really good at using her water abilities, and she's got Aloe abilities. I don't even know why she came here. She's a cougar!"

I don't know where he got all this information, I'd be interested to find out.

Xiaoshen also had a lot to say about who he thought wasn't good enough or was too weak for the show.

"That guy... his abilities are so weak! Not his elemental and animal abilities, but the control over his abilities!"

"Haizz, every time I see this episode, that girl irks me. She's doesn't even know how to use her animal abilities. Rabbit are supposed to be fast, but why is she just using it to have rabbit ears as decorations?!"

Almost every contestant was ridiculed or their black history was pulled out.

There were only a few that Xiaoshen didn't know of.

"Xia Jiayi. He's an outsider, but with his intelligence that's above many, he was able to deal with all the trials except for when ability using trials occurred."

"He's an outsider? How did he even join?"

"Hmph, he got in because Zuan saw that he was a genius. Right now, he's even living in Zuan's home!"

"He does seem really smart."

"Hmph!"

When we got out of the movie room, it was dark.

Shui Yu had sent some people to pick me up and send me home.

"Bye, Calix. When you come over next time, we'll watch Episode 14!"

"Ok, go back in, good night!"

I watched Xiaoshen go back in and walked away with the guards to go back home.

But before we could get past the gates, Xiaoshen's voice yelled out, "Wait!"

He looked panicked. What could be wrong?

"What's wrong?"

"I... I think you should know this," he said hesitantly and handed me a picture.

"Be sure to ask about it!" Yang Xiaoshen yelled as he ran back in.

I turned the picture over and saw a familiar face.

Shui Jing!

But... who was that next to him?

And they were wearing... wedding clothing?

Haha, surely it couldn't be, but was...

Was Shui Jing already married?

On the way back home, I couldn't think of anything but the horrible possibility.

What if Shui Jing was already married?

No way.

No way, right?

It couldn't be.

No, it wasn't true.

There was no way it was real.

If it was...

What would I do?

I came all the way here.

Just to see him.

Just to ask him out.

Just to become his one and only.

Because to me, he had always been my one and only.

But if he was already someone else's, married, and happy...

I couldn't take him away.

I wouldn't.

I wanted to see him happy.

I loved his smiles.

...

I laid in bed thinking and arrived at a conclusion.

If Shui Jing was single, then I'll earnestly ask him out.

If he's married, wish him happiness and fortune and get out.

I had no faith in myself to be just a friend.

I had to forget, move on, do something else.

Argh, I really wanted to know what his status was!

...

Next morning, I was tired from not being able to sleep.

I wasn't the type to get dark circles, but an annoying pimple had sprouted up right next to my nose and it hurt.

Even without the guards urging me to Shui Yu's office, I walked quickly.

First thing I said to him: "Shui Jing's married."

What he said back: "Oh? You found out pretty quick, bummer."

More than shock at the truth, I felt intense fear and anger towards Shui Yu.

What an evil being!

He wasn't human.

He was inhumane.

How could humans be so horrid to have such humor?

Shui Yu was much more terrible than I thought.

Much more terrifying.

I really was wrong to try to think of Shui Yu as a better person.

I thought it was just me who was bratty in the past, but no.

Shui Yu was evil.

I wish I wasn't.

But.

I was wrong.