18 If I Know I Can't Live Without Her

"Yeah. Partner." Ren Zhi scrunches his eyebrow when seeing Xue Mei start to blush. Sighing and he shakes his head after a moment.

He raises his finger and flicking her on her forehead.

"What are you blushing for? I mean, we're a partner for the spring festival exhibition." He said makes Xue Mei immediately squint her eyes to him.

"Huh?"

"You heard me." He glances at her before he diverts his eyes to the side.

"Oh…but why? Why you eagerly want me to be your partner?" She returns back to her poker face.

"Well, let just say...I am someone with a solid background. If you be my partner, you'll gain an advantage. Your name and grade will be acknowledged by the jury and maybe you'll get a full scholarship in the future. What do you say?" he lifts up his eyebrow a little.

Touch her chin, she looks at him with a full of questions in her mind. "Why did you suddenly want to help me?"

"Well…you're not from our circle, right? Until when do you want to keep clinging on your friend's name and background?"

"Hm, I can show them my talent. And I don't plan on using my friend's name, alright?"

"Well Xue Mei, let me tell you how our system is work here. First, all of us, coming from a good background family. Most of the family will pay a good sum of money to the jury to give their daughter or son a good point during that day. If you're not someone who can pay them, do you think they will help you to get a good grade? You need to struggling so hard to get to the top. Think about it. And, if you want to pay them, do you think with your body is enough to satisfy them? Are you sure you can handle that so your body would not break until you grad?"

"Eeuuww..why would you think that I will sleep with the jury? It so gross."

"Well, that's a normal situation if you want to get a good grade when you're don't have any other method in here. This is Imperial City, Xue Mei. Wake up. You're not living in your country when you're an innocent girl."

"Hmmm…" She rubs her forehead harder.

"Then, what about you? What do you want from me? To offer me something like this, there's must be something that you want, right?"

Smirking a bit, he says. "What a stupid girl like you can give me?"

"You!" She throws him the paint brush.

Dodge her attack, he smiling after that. "Nothing. I just want to see your drawing. So, draw me. Let just say..I'm helping you because somehow I think, I knew you…from the past. It feels like I've done something bad to you. I don't know." he shrugged his shoulder.

Xue Mei lowered her head. "Speaking of that, I also think that I know you. But I couldn't remember precisely when and where. I just had a glimpse of memory that I don't know." her voice sounded serious.

"Hmm..that is another reason why I think I should help you. After all, I just have another one year before I grad. So use this opportunity to gain more jury to like your artwork."

Smiling, she lifts up her head and stares at him with a thankful expression on her face. "Well, thank you. I shall use you all I want."

"Hmm…like you can. Now, draw."

"Yes yes.." She picks one charcoal pencil and A3 paper size. Before she started, she focuses her eyes to his face and every angle of it. While Ren Zhi sits statically, looking at her serious face.

Somehow, deep down inside his heart, he feels at ease and calms when seeing her calm face. She's a quite positive person. No matter how much he says a harsh thing to her, she just accepts it and treats it as a joke. Her carefree attitude makes him feels comfortable with her. A weird feeling starts to rose from inside his deep down heart which already shut one year ago.

After almost two hours, she finally finishes her drawing.

She wipes her bead sweat on her forehead after she was done.

"Fuhhh…done."

"Hmm..need to lessen your drawing time next time." Ren Zhi looks at his watch before he looks at her again.

"Okay boss." She salutes him and handed the drawing paper to him.

Took the paper, he flips it.

1 second 2 second 3 second…

"Mm. Did you really draw this?" he asks like he didn't believe his eyes.

Xue Mei turns to look at her behind before she turns to look at both of her sides.

"Did you see anybody other than me here?"

".…no…"

Smile, she says again. "Then, it is me who draw that."

He did not reply to her. He keeps observing her drawing.

'She really is talented.'

Xue Mei manages to draw his face to look like a 3D drawing. Her lines are smooth and she manages to make the painting look alive.

"So, actually you really can draw huh?"

"If not then, why would I enter the Art University?" She smirks to him provoking.

Scrunch his eyebrow, he also giggles. "True."

"Okay, Xue Mei..you are now my partner. I want you to always stay beside me." he stretches his hand wants to handshake with her.

Grab his hand, she says. "Oh, I will. Use. You. All. I. Wanted." She grinning.

…

"Slurp!"

Xui Li slurping his drink while watching a boring action movie. But to make sure Risa does not feel uncomfortable, he endures the sleepy feel by drink his soft drink.

"Hic...Hic.." Risa starts sobbing a little. This story is so interesting to her. The guy that heroin likes is her enemy and they fall in love with each other. However, because they have been given a task to kill a target, they had to break up and go their own way. The target is her boyfriend. Same goes with the hero in this movie, the target for him to complete his task is to kill his own girlfriend.

Because he loves her too much, he let her kill him by purpose. She was so distress and decide to finally jump off from the cliff. That is what makes Risa goes sobbing.

Xui Li take out his handkerchief and give it to her when he sees that Risa try to find her tissue inside her handbag.

Take his handkerchief, she says. "Thank you."

"No problem." The light turns on and when he looks around him, he noticed most of the girl inside the theater are crying and their eyes a bit bloodshot. Some of the men also look a bit gloomy. Maybe affected by the ending.

'Why would they sad? Its just fiction, right?'

"Senpai."

"Huh?" he turns to look at her with a questioning look.

"Let's go. It's finished."

"Oh.." feeling a bit embarrassed, he smiles to her.

They walk out of the theater and went to the mall area.

"It's sad, right?"

"Hmm."

"I mean, they both love each other. But because of duty, she had to kill her lover and ended her life."

"Hmm."

"If it were you, what would you do, senpai?"

"Ermm.." he scratches his head a little.

"I don't think in real life, we'll encounter something like that. But, if it were me…why would I need to listen to someone else if I know I can't live without her?"

Risa nods her head. "Ermm..you had a point."

"Rather than kill each other, I would go and wipe the one who gives the instruction."

"Haha..you cool, senpai."