21 Secret Eavesdropping      

Against his better judgment, Xin found himself waiting outside the gates of Fate Academy, driven by his emotions and a strong desire to see Meilyn.

The journey to this place had taken him thirty minutes by bus from Meilyn's house since it wasn't rush hour yet.

He still had enough time, so he decided to wait for her. If he went home, he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her, so he might as well wait for her in her school.

Leaning against the wall, Xin patiently waited as the students began to pour out from the gate, their voices filling the air.

"Hey, isn't that boy cute?" one of the girls nudged her friend, pointing at Xin.

The other girl agreed and giggled. "Do you think he's waiting for his girlfriend?"

"Maybe, but I feel sorry for her," another girl chimed in.

"Why do you say that?"

"His shoes are so old, and his clothes are not branded."

"Now that you mention it . . ."

"Such a shame. He's quite attractive."

"Well, I wouldn't mind. I'm rich, so he could become my man."

"You mean to become your pet, right?"

The girls burst into laughter as they walked away.

Lost in his search for Meilyn, Xin remained focused and oblivious to the conversations around him.

As his eyes scanned the sea of students, he suddenly caught sight of Meilyn among the crowd. His heart skipped a beat, and his body moved on its own accord, drawing him closer to her. With each step, his anticipation grew, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

Meilyn, engrossed in conversation with her friends, was taken aback when she noticed Xin approaching. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her words caught in her throat.

"X-Xin?" she stammered, her voice filled with shock.

Xin couldn't help but break into a smile as he stood before her. "Yes, it's me, Meilyn."

"Y-you . . ." Meilyn's eyes shook with tears. "You woke up?"

The world around them seemed to fade away as they locked eyes.

Meilyn's friends watched in curiosity, their gazes shifting between the two, but Xin and Meilyn were lost in their own world, momentarily oblivious to everything else.

"It really is you . . . ," Meilyn whispered, her voice barely audible. A mixture of relief and happiness washed over her.

Xin nodded. "Yes. It's me."

=======

"It's four in the afternoon. Should we go to the karaoke first?" Scarlet asked. Her fiery red long hair exuded a captivating aura wherever she went. Her strong personality matched her vibrant appearance, as she possessed a fierce determination, an unwavering confidence, and a sharp tongue to match.

"Karaoke?" Xiaxia rolled her eyes. "Does anyone do that nowadays now that Guildbane is the new trend?"

Maria laughed. Her adorable short black hair bounced as she did. "It looks like that everyone just wanted to play the game."

Maria had a sweet voice and innocent charm. Her meek and gentle personality made her incredibly approachable and easy to talk to. Her soft-spoken nature and gentle smile were enough to put anyone at ease.

The two of them had been Xiaxia's longtime friends since they were in high school.

Maria looked over at the sky and muttered, "Besides, it's going to rain."

Scarlet let out a groan of boredom, expressing her desire to do something else. "Can we do other things than playing that game?"

Marry pondered for a moment, her eyes scanning the sky as she thought of alternative activities. "Maybe we can work on our projects?" she suggested.

Scarlet's shoulders slumped at the suggestion, clearly not enthused by the idea. "That sounds even worse," she lamented.

Meanwhile, Xiaxia's attention was drawn to a familiar figure in the distance. Her eyes widened with surprise and recognition –– It was Xin, her brother, with his distinctive white hair, standing out even from a distance.

Xiaxia couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and anticipation.

Was Xin here to pick her up from school?

As they approached the school gate, Xiaxia wrestled with her thoughts, uncertain of how to react.

She wanted to ask Xin what he was doing there, but she didn't want to sound distant or appear too happy about seeing him. Her inner thoughts swirled with conflicting emotions.

'What are you doing here?' Xiaxia silently questioned herself, finding the interrogation too distant.

'Are you here to pick me up?' she contemplated, grumbling inwardly as it sounded like she was overly delighted at the idea.

Just as Xiaxia was trying to decide on her approach, her plans were interrupted when she witnessed Xin abruptly running in a different direction. To her surprise, he was chasing after Meilyn!

Xiaxia stood there in shock, her mind racing to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.

It finally dawned on her that Meilyn was also a student at Fate Academy. She realized that it wasn't her that Xin was waiting for; it was Meilyn all along!

Frustration and annoyance welled up inside Xiaxia, causing her teeth to grit in frustration.

"Xiaxia, are you okay?" Scarlet called out, concerned for her friend.

Ignoring Scarlet's question, Xiaxia quickly replied, "Sorry! I just remembered that I have somewhere else to go!" She swiftly made her way toward Xin and Meilyn, determined to catch up to them.

"Xiaxia!" Scarlet and Maria could only exchange confused glances at each other when Xiaxia zoomed away without looking back.

While Xin and Meilyn were engrossed in their conversation, Xiaxia trailed behind with a mixture of worry and anger etched on her face.

Biting her thumb in frustration, she watched as Xin smiled and talked with Meilyn, radiating happiness like a fool in love.

"Stupid brother," Xiaxia muttered under her breath, her irritation evident. "What's so good about that girl? Mom and I were the ones by your side every day during your coma."

Her anger flared, and Xiaxia kicked a nearby metal pole in her frustration. Instantly, regret washed over her as the pain shot through her foot, spreading throughout her body.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth and seeking refuge behind a trash bin, fearing that Xin might have noticed her presence. She held her breath, relieved when Xin and Meilyn continued their walk without turning back.

Despite his lethargic expression, Xin could really be perceptive if he wanted to. But Xiaxia guessed that he was too engrossed with Meilyn that he didn't notice her.

Stupid Xin! Idiot! Stupid! Stupid! What's so good about her other than her enormous breasts?!

Xiaxia cursed as she cautiously followed them. Her eyes burned with anger and frustration.

When the pair entered a café, Xiaxia discreetly entered as well, carefully choosing a table that allowed her to remain hidden while still enabling her to listen in on their conversation.