Asher's steps echoed against the stone as he moved deeper into the girl's area. The air was cool and fresh, a contrast to the stifling and crowded halls he had just left. He needed some time for himself, to clear his mind and prepare for his meeting with Xinyue.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the faint sound of a shout. 

Looking around, only the deserted path greeted him. Keeping still, he strained his ears, trying to hear anything. Another shout. It seemed to come from the left, where a narrow path led to a secluded spot. 

He decided to investigate, curious and cautious. Moving quietly, using his thief skills to blend in with the shadows. 

He reached the end of the path, a small clearing surrounded by bushes and trees. 

There, he saw a boy and a girl standing close to each other. Standing close with their face almost touching, they looked like they were about to kiss. He couldn't make out their faces due to the angle.

Asher turned to leave, thinking the shout was from somewhere else. But as he did, he heard a loud slap and a cry of pain. 

He looked back and saw the girl's hand raised, her palm red from the impact. The boy's cheek started glowing red with a clear handprint, staring at the girl with widened eyes in shock.

The girl was blurting something at him, but Asher couldn't hear the words. He realized he had stumbled upon a fight, not a romance.

His eyes dangerously narrowed when he saw a guy grab the girl's arm. 

Asher could already feel that the boy was boiling in anger. Pushing his skills, he moved quickly and arrived by the girl's side as the boy also raised his hand.

Now that he was close by, he watched as the girl continued to yell at the boy, her voice full of anger and hurt not recognizing the situation she had put herself in. He recognized her as one of Alissa's friends. 

'Can't she slap him in front of others,' Asher thought, 'That boy doesn't seem the type to take a slap passively'

He wondered what the boy had done to make her so mad. Looking at the boy more closely, he tried to remember him from the memories. 

A name surfaced in his mind. Ravi. One of the rising boy in the orphanage. More due to his brains than brawns. He was one of the best at business and the most arrogant. 

"You were going to slap her back, weren't you?" He coldly asked and noticed both jumping a little in surprise. 

Ravi turned to him with anger in his eyes, but Asher also saw shame reflected for a moment. "What does that have to do with you? Don't interfere. This is none of your business!" Ravi snapped, trying to sound confident as if he didn't have a red mark across his face. 

Asher stared at him without a word and after a tense moment, Ravi let go of the girl's arm and glared at Asher. "You don't know anything about us, so just get lost!"

The girl, who Asher remembered was Clara, looked at him with gratitude and fear. She was trembling, and Asher noticed the realization had dawned on her. She seemed to want to say something but couldn't find her voice.

Asher felt a surge of anger and pity for her. Doesn't she know not to hit the arrogant boy in a secluded space? 

"Well, I don't care anything about what you guys are talking about," Asher said and then turned toward the girl as he scolded her, "But you shouldn't have slapped him like that. You're lucky he didn't hit you back. You don't know what kind of trouble you could have gotten into. You should be more careful"

The gratitude on her face decreased with each word he spoke at the end, Clara looked at him with shock and anger. She felt Asher was blaming her for what Ravi had done as her emotions overwhelmed her again. 

She finally found her voice, and said in an angry tone, "How dare you? How dare you say that to me? You don't know anything about me, him, or what he did. He's the one who should apologize and leave me alone. He's the one who hurt me and betrayed me. He's the one who deserves to be slapped, and more. And you, you have no right to judge me or lecture me. You're just a nosy, arrogant, and rude jerk. You should mind your own business and stay out of mine."

She pushed past him and ran away from the clearing. Didn't look back or care about what he or Ravi would do. 

Asher watched her go, feeling confused and annoyed. He didn't understand why she was so angry at him when he was trying to help her. 

He didn't know what Ravi had done to her, but he didn't think it justified her scolding. He thought she was being irrational, and ungrateful. He shrugged and decided to forget about her. 

He had more important things to worry about, like his meeting with Xinyue. He hoped she would be more reasonable, than Clara.

Asher shrugged and stopped Ravi with a fake smile. "I don't know what the problem is or if the fault is yours or hers, but don't make it physically violent. That's not cool, man. You should calm down and talk things out."

Ravi looked at him with contempt and frustration. He realized he couldn't follow the girl without getting into a fight with Asher and didn't want to risk that. "Mind your own business, you jerk. You don't know anything about us or what we have. Just a meddler, a troublemaker. Stay out of our lives, and focus on your own. You have enough problems with Jolan."

He turned his back on Asher and walked away, leaving him alone in the clearing.

'Ungrateful brats' Asher thought as he walked back toward his destination.

After walking a fair bit, he came up to the courtyard assigned to Xinyue.

Elder Su was there, just as he expected, standing guard at the entrance. 

He had already felt the familiar brush of her spiritual sense swept over him as he drew closer.

'The original always was intrigued that Elder Su was always present whenever he got here.' Asher thought with a smirk remembering the act Elder Su sometimes pulls trying to scare the original, 'These powerful people sure likes to act mysteries'

"Elder Su," Asher greeted, not surprised as he didn't see Xinyue where he expected her to be. 

Elder Su gave him a nod, her gaze scrutinizing but not without warmth. "Back so soon, Asher? Looking for Xinyue?" she asked.

"Yes, I was hoping to pick up where we left off," Asher said, his eyes briefly meeting Elder Su's before drifting toward where Xinyue would be. 

Elder Su's expression shifted subtly. "Xinyue's resting, but I'll inform her that you have returned," she informed him, signaling him to wait.

"I understand. I'll wait, then. Thanks, Elder Su," Asher replied, nodding in appreciation.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't thanked her for her timely assistance. As Elder Su began to step away, Asher felt a sudden urge to express his gratitude for the past favor. 'And getting on her good side.' he thought as it would be good to set a favorable tone earlier. 

"Elder Su, wait, please," he called out, causing her to pause and look back over her shoulder.

Elder Su turned, curiosity in her eyes. "Yes, Asher?"

Taking a moment, Asher found the words he wanted to say. "I just wanted to say thank you. For your help in the Infirmary... calling the nurse at the right time," he said.

A spark of amusement appeared in Elder Su's eyes. "Oh, was that not part of your elaborate plan to cleanse yourself? I doubt you were in real danger. Your thanks might be unnecessary," she teased lightly.

"But you didn't know about the plan. Your help mattered," Asher countered, holding her gaze.

Elder Su smiled softly, acknowledging his thanks with a nod. "Well then, you're welcome. Just try not to scare us like that again," she advised.

Asher could only shrug, a playful glint in his eye. "It's not planned, but you never know."

Elder Su nodded, her advice gentle yet firm. "True, but always walk cautiously," she said. "I'll get you something to eat while you wait for Xinyue."