She spoke too soon, as instead of opening the correct door to exit into the living room, she opened the door to their linked bathroom instead! And the worst was when Nan Xi was doing his big business in the toilet, and the stench had engulfed the whole bathroom!

Nan Xi yelled in shock, but his shouting came to a halt as he realized in his excitement, that Rufeng was in Shaojun's bedroom! A mischievous grin spread across his face, and he hastily concluded his business and flushed the toilet, pulling up his pants and emerging from the bathroom.

A look towards the bed informed him that Shaojun was still fast asleep, and he whispered to Rufeng, "What are you doing in Jun's room?"

She looked dismayed as she pointed grudgingly towards the open window.

Nan Xi looked more curious. Energetically he inquired, "You climbed into his room through the window? Why did you have to do that?"

She was at a loss of words, and so with a few finger gestures, she beckoned for him to come with her, leading him towards the doorknob in Shaojun's bedroom. Nan Xi immediately understood, with his intelligence, that she had broken off one side of the doorknob.

"I'll get it fixed first thing in the morning," he told her. "So how are you going back in there to sleep, then?"

She shrugged, and he heard a rumbling sound.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Nan Xi was known to have a kind heart and was often thoughtful towards others. For this reason, he garnered much female attention and was popular among university students of the opposite sex. "I'll take you to a place for late supper, then."

The beauty immediately forgot her discomfort earlier, and readily followed Nan Xi out of the flat. Again, she had to deal with her perceived 'stuffiness' of using the elevators to descend from their floor to the ground level. Were they going to use the box again?

As if he could read her mind, Nan Xi answered, "We will be taking a different mode of transport. The place won't be far, and there are a lot of options to select from."

He then began wheeling a strange object out from the parking lot and handed her a helmet.

"This is what we call a motorcycle," he explained. "You sit at the back, and I sit at the front. It's like riding a horse in those olden days. Hold tight to me when we are on the road."

She nodded compliantly and did as she was told. In a flash, the motorcycle was on the road, and she realized that it took significantly less time to start up compared to the car. They came to an abrupt halt at the place where Nan Xi called 'the secret hideout'. It was a night market which would go on past midnight, and as it was already one in the morning, it was probable that this was the only place that would accommodate offerings for their stomachs.

With all the amazement on her mind, Rufeng just kept quiet. She was apprehensive that if she said a word, she would snap out of her 'hallucinations' and wake up. Nan Xi secured the motorcycle at the small parking space meant for bicycles and motorcycles and led the beauty to procure something for them to eat.

In no time, Rufeng was holding on to a plate filled with skewered meat and sausages, nuggets, satay, chicken wings and a dozen other offerings. Of course, she would have no difficulty finishing all of those, Nan Xi recalled.

She took a hearty bite into one of the pieces of meat on her plate and indulged in the sumptuous taste of the food. The food tasted even better than what she had eaten in the mall the other day.

"Is it good?" Nan Xi asked thoughtfully. "If it's not, we can always go to get more."

Rufeng was taught since young to be respectful and appreciative of others' kindness, so she thanked him instead. In time, she would have to repay this young benefactor's debt of kindness, but she reminded herself that she already had someone on her mind. That person had been Lu Jing. This Lu Jing, whom she often called Brother Jing, was a man she had grown up watching from a distance, but she could not help admiring from the heart. As she flourished, she gradually realized she liked him. They were students of the same master and practised the same sword art techniques. Only later, she returned to Tuyi as its protector.

Lu Jing was dashing, from a prestigious family and independent. On the other hand, she was the young and inexperienced martial sister, and the only similarities they had were the fact that both of them were third-generation demon-slayers. Demon-slayers' skills were innate, and to protect themselves, they had to learn a secondary skill, which was mostly in magic or melee art. She had no option but to learn from their master since the Tuyi shaman had sworn an oath not to take any students.

However, in later years, she had become more known in the martial world and happened to run into Lu Jing time after time when she visited her master. Lu Jing stayed by the master's side as his most senior disciple and had been said to serve him till his death. It had been most unfortunate, during one such visit she was framed with the theft of Lu Jing's lucky charm, and he had taken others' words for it. From that day onwards, Lu Jing's attitude towards her changed, and he would often avert her, deserting events whenever she attended and departing the roos whenever she entered. Yet, he had turned out to be her nemesis when they met again two years later while competing for the exorcism of a minister's abode.

She had liked him for four years, and she had suffered from pain and misery when he had forsaken her. Nothing good would ever come out of love. Moreover, demon-slayers had a bizarre fate, and it was unexplainable. If they chose to marry and have children, they were doomed as their 'curse' would be broken, and they would lose their special abilities to some extent.

The only exception was that if the other party was just as ill-fated as the demon-slayer, and that was her only chance of ever having a destiny with anyone. Such people were called the 'Destined Ones', and they could be demon-slayers or people with some special abilities since they negated the curse each demon-slayer was born with. Rufeng was no exception, and the shaman's gipsy wife had warned her of how perilous it would be if she were to have a relationship with any normal person. She would most likely end up single, as the psychic lady had not detected the presence of anyone compatible with her in this world. She bore the gipsy's words in mind, reminding herself that she might end up celibate.

Nevertheless, she had chosen to retain her heartfelt longing for Lu Jing, and she was determined to keep her feelings buried deep in her heart. Since she could not be with anyone, it was most appropriate for her to bring her feelings to the grave.

Nan Xi sensed her displeasure and offered her a sweet drink to alleviate her mood.

"Try this. It's that stall's top drink, fried banana milkshake."

She lifted the glass to her lips, but Nan Xi directed her to take the drink from its accompanying straw instead. He gestured to her with his own glass and straw, allowing her to mimic his actions. The liquid tasted sweet in her mouth, and a heavenly sensation engulfed her. "It's good," she heard herself say. "Thank you, Nan Xi." Her smile was sweet, but Nan Xi hoped that she would not get the wrong idea. Though he had a big crush on Xin Li, Clares was the person who had his heart, and he didn't want her to misunderstand his good intentions.

"Anything for a beauty like you, sister." Nan Xi smiled back at her. He put much emphasis on the word sister, praying that it would send the right message to her.

She peered into the dark sky above them and counted the stars.

Brother Lu Jing, I will be home soon, I promise, she said in her heart. Wait for me.