Ku Lo poked Dai Meifen’s side. “I should get going.”

“No.” She hugged him harder. 

“I need to find a bathhouse and buy a new set of clothes before class.” He smelt like, well, sex to be honest and his clothes weren’t any different. “If you don’t have those, I need to leave.” 

“Fine.” 

Ku Lo watched her turn away before hugging a pillow. “Remember, we both have our own independent goals. We aren’t together.” He deemed that letting her go full crazy over him like Rin Tin Tin had was a bad idea. Now was the time to create boundaries in their business centred relationship. I don’t want her too close. At least for now, since who knew the future? Maybe she would be his wife? Unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibilities. 

He got off the bed, beginning to dress. “Keep this secret or?” 

Those words gained her attention, for she spun around with the pillow. “There’s no rule against us being together,” she said first with a clear tone. “But as long as I’m your teacher… people could regard our relationship as blatant favouritism from my part. And it isn’t like I don’t have any grudges with a handful of figures around the outer sect who'd love to hear about us.”

“So a secret till I gain enough strength or you gain more strength?” Again, it came down to personal power. 

“If we don’t want a scene, yes.” 

“I cast my vote on being lowkey.” 

“I cast my vote in compliance with yours,” she said. 

After agreeing on this, they chatted a while longer. At the end of their chat, Ku Lo kissed her on the lips as she had demanded before taking off. Still, the mature woman grumbled till the door separating them closed.

Outside her house, Ku Lo could still sense his high rate of heartbeat. It had beaten so hard from the second he left the training yard with Dai Meifen, and only now did it decrease. What a night to remember.

He glanced at the building now behind him. I hope this alliance doesn’t come to an end.

…

“Teach must've been rough on you, Ku Lo,” Bo said as the three of them waited for class. “We didn’t see you return before going to sleep.”

“Did she hurt you?” Feng Huling inquired with concern plastered on her face.

“Nah,” Ko Lo denied, shaking his head. “There was no physical pain involved. The punishment just took like a lifetime to finish.”

Bo and Feng Huling laughed, which was to his confusion. “What are you laughing about?”

“It took a lifetime,” Bo answered with a chuckle. “You have a unique way with words.”

Right, humour isn’t a thing here. The worst of yo mama and dad jokes from earth would be comedy gold here.

“What’s brown and sticky?” he asked them, and although the words hurt, he tried to stay emotionless and let them think about it for a second.

A second or two later, both of them showed a disgusted expression on their faces.

“A stick!” Ku Lo exclaimed with a piercing pain in his chest.

Bo’s jaw dropped.

Feng Huling had a stunned expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“More like: what do you want?” he countered, and instead of looking at the newcomer he kept his eyes on his friend and Fairy Feng, who let out a chuckle.

Rin Tin Tin moved around him, doing so at such a close distance they came into contact. “Is this how you greet your teacher?”

“Last I checked, you aren’t my teacher. And yes, I will greet you this way.” His irritation towards her had only increased. No matter what, she’s always on my mind.

“Rin Tin Tin, why do you pester him so much?” Feng Huling asked, trying to get between Rin Tin Tin and him. “Whatever you feel is one-sided.”

“One-sided?” Rin Tin Tin chuckled.

Feng Huling glanced at Ku Lo. “Isn’t it clear as day he doesn’t have any feelings for you?”

…

There goes the young miss again… Bo performed a figurative sigh in his head as he wouldn’t dare to do so publicly. Why do you try? Ku Lo’s mind isn’t on you, young miss.

Bo watched from the sidelines as Feng Huling continued to bicker with the sect master’s granddaughter. This information he revealed to me makes this scene all the more painful to watch, he thought, glancing at Ku Lo who somehow knew Rin Tin Tin’s true identity.

I should intervene before this farce goes on any longer. Bo, now convinced to take action, stepped forward.

“Girls, take this somewhere else,” he said as his hands formed a solid wall of black skin between the two.

“Bo, step back.”

“Young miss, I can’t do that.” To him, retreating Feng Huling before she might insult Rin Tin Tin was utmost priority. As even if the Feng Family was a top outer sect power, the Fengs’ would not survive if the Rin Family came asking questions about why their princess was insulted.

“Fairy Feng, I can handle her.”

Bo took a glance at Ku Lo, who had offered to help him. About time.

“But,” Feng Huling interjected. “But she will pester you as long as no one puts her in her place.” She kept on shoving Bo’s hands away to no success.

Rin Tin Tin laughed. “How are you going to do it? Wasn’t your loss enough to see it isn’t possible?”

“You…” Feng Huling muttered.

Not good! Bo, having known Feng Huling since they were children, foresaw what was coming. Ku Lo think of something. Use your words! There was nothing he could do anymore. Help me this once!

…

“Fairy Feng, don’t stoop to her level,” Ku Lo said while thinking why Feng Huling would act with no reason. This needs to stop or Fairy Feng will burn.

“Why are you taking her side?” Rin Tin Tin asked. “What has she ever done to you?”

“She hasn’t done anything to me. That’s the point,” he snapped back.

The longer this bickering went on, the worse its quality became as it devolved into a mindless exchange of words with no end in sight.

“Students.”

Ku Lo spun a full one-eighty when his ears caught Dai Meifen. Her in his sights, he had a certain notion to approach and kiss her. But knowing their plans he didn’t.

“Drop the argument, now,” Dai Meifen spoke to them from the open door to their classroom. “Class is starting.”

Bo dropped his hands, allowing the girls to see each other’s faces again. However, the two girls didn’t resume arguing in front of their teacher, though they didn’t try to enter the classroom either.

Everyone stood there still, except for Ku Lo who entered the classroom after Dai Meifen didn’t block the door anymore. As he passed her standing by the door, he had a look at her smile before walking towards the front row this time.

Ku Lo took the spot right in front of the teacher’s table.

Rin Tin Tin, coming right after him, seized a spot beside him.

Feng Huling, entering shoulder to shoulder with her, took the other side.

After them rushing in, the flow of students continued at a normal pace. And during the scene of people coming in, the students who had been occupying these seats for the past days entered too. Sure they seemed miffed by their seats having been taken by others, yet they didn’t even open their mouths to retake them. Neither did the three of them acknowledge their presence.

They should know Fairy Feng’s background and understand not to mess with her for this, Ku Lo thought. Hey! I’m adapting!

As Ku Lo had his happy realisation, Rin Tin Tin whispered to him, “psst. Ku Lo.”

“Shh.” Responding to her wasn’t him. “I remind: the class is about to start.” It was Dai Meifen, who sat two meters before them on a raised platform from which she could control the class.

Ku Lo turned his head to Rin Tin Tin and smiled. “What are you going to do now?”

Well, Rin Tin Tin tried to point out he had spoken; however, his remark flew straight past Dai Meifen, who kept her brown eyes on the trouble starter.

Then, as Dai Meifen didn’t help her, she stared at Ku Lo.

“You aren’t going to do anything?” He spoke louder than last time.

Still, Dai Meifen didn’t intervene.

“What have—”

“I said,” Dai Meifen cut Rin Tin Tin. “Keep it quiet. Last warning.”

Ku Lo, snickering alone in his head, thought, It’s so nice when plans pan out exactly how you want them. While turning to face Feng Huling. “She’s such a troublemaker.” Again, speaking out loud without receiving a warning.

“Right, she—”

“Same to you.” Dai Meifen’s authoritative voice cut her down. “No talking. And I mean everyone.” The same way she had done with Rin Tin Tin.

Ku Lo took a look at Dai Meifen.

Dai Meifen shrugged her bare shoulders, which were outside her usual dress.

I didn’t think she would be so possessive. Again, Ku Lo noticed the actual intentions behind her actions.