Milady's Fine Gentleman 230 WORTH SAVING

His mobile phone beeped as it received a message.
'We've landed.'
'I'm in the car. Butler Lee will pick you up.'
Xue Guangxi sent the message and went back to gaming with his mobile phone. As was his message, he was inside his car, seated comfortably at the passenger seat. Two other cars containing his security team were parked in front and at the back of where he was.
'As if I will dare to go anywhere.' He was annoyed at the maximum level, but it was reasonable.
They were at the airport.
The passenger door of his car opened. "I thought you're grounded." The youthful Kang Sola entered the car. She had returned from her internship in Indonesia.
After all the ruckus, the two made up and decided to keep their friendship. Eventually, even at a distance, they were able to return to where the friendship was before everything got messy between them.
"I've got my ways."
"Tell me."
"You don't believe me, do you? It's legal." He motioned his head towards the security cars surrounding them.
"Your parents allowed you?" Full of skepticism, Kang Sola incredulously probed. She gawked at him with unimpressed eyes.
"I told you I have my ways."
"I don't want to get into trouble, Guangxi. It's too early for that. I've just set foot again in Beijing." Tired, she rebuked.
Xue Guangxi looked away from his mobile game and faced Kang Sola. "The parents gave permission. I told them I'm picking up Xu-jie's guest from the airport. Xu-jie kindly backed me up. We're indebted to her."
"We're indebted to her? It's only you, Guangxi. I've expressed my apprehension in your intent to pick me up from the airport. I can go home alone."
"But here we are, aren't we?" Xue Guangxi insisted and was winning this argument. After everything that's been said and done, he made it in time and fulfilled his promise to pick her up.
He raised his hand for a high-five.
"Tss." Kang Sola smiled defeatedly and gave a satisfying, crackling high-five.
"Speaking of which, Xu-jie is already waiting for us at the restaurant. She said she owes you a meal – something you both discussed in Indonesia."
Kang Sola giggled a little, her arch eyes showing. "Yes. That's right."
'Why do I get a feeling that it's about me?' He shook his head, trying to eliminate the unhealthy suspicion.
The car drove in silence. Butler Lee drove for them.
It was akin to the first time they met each other, albeit the negativity and animosity between them were completely gone.
"So…" Xue Guangxi tentatively started the conversation. "How have you been, Sola?"
He didn't want to be awkward, but he's the one feeling awkward. The girl seemed fine.
'I missed you.' He didn't voice it out. There was a weird churning in his chest area but he ignored it. If he succumbed into it, then he's weak.
"You're pretty much updated, aren't you?" She taunted in response. "We've been texting. That's it. It's in the vlogs too."

He shrugged. "Just a welcome habit, I guess. You just arrived. I would want to hear stories of adventure from our Kang Sola."
"Latest, since I'm hardworking, I finished my internship ahead of time." She felt proud.
Xue Guangxi clapped in slow motion exaggeratingly. Kang Sola pretended to curtsy and bow. "Thank you, thank you, everyone!" In truth, there were only two of them at the backseat.
"You've had your fair share of adventures, too." Kang Sola bantered, albeit tentatively, knowing that that area was sensitive in nature. "Let's catch up."
Over the past months, something changed with Xue Guangxi as well. He became more obedient, tolerant, and somewhat mature. He tried to listen to reason and exerted an active attempt to go back the cheerful, hard-working, optimistic kid that he was before Su Jingjing reappeared. The truth was that her return inflicted severe damages to him, added to the pressure at work and from his family brought about by the banishment of his sister.
But he's coping. And from everything shameful, injurious and unacceptable incidents that had happened because of him when he went down the spiral path, he was trying so hard to lift himself up again and restore the lost dignity that he sacrificed in the name of selfishness, and muddleheadedness.
At some point in our lives, we commit irreversible mistakes. What's more important is the action taken afterward.
Xue Guangxi was determined to correct everything he had done wrong and compensate everyone and everything that were inflicted – starting with his family, his friends, his work and studies.
He swallowed his pride and accepted the punishment of being grounded indefinitely including being stripped of his worldly possessions – his car, his flat and all his credit cards. He was only given a monthly budget for all his expenses, and he was forced to return home to the Xue Mansion every single day. Without saying, he had to forego partying at night. He couldn't afford to attend at all because of his living arrangements. As for the transportation, Butler Lee or the family's chauffeur drove him around under the surveillance of his security team.
In the meantime, he's also not allowed to participate in Xue Shipping. He was stripped bare of privileges, but not banished.
In a sense, he lost his freedom, but he's cool with it.
Admittedly, he had been arrogant and too full of himself, too.
He had hurt even his family members in the process – even his beloved sister, Xu-jie.
Up to the present, he still carried the burden of guilt and shame of being a bad, despicable brother, although for Xue Jinxu, it's all in the past.
Better for the culprit to remember, for the memory will forever cause torment to the soul, an effective reminder of how to be humane and to never forget the obligation a person has towards another human soul.
Butler Lee pulled over at the side of the restaurant where Xue Jinxu was waiting. Soon the two alighted from the car and joined the host.
"Xu-jie!!!" Kang Sola rushed towards the lady with the jet-black hair, and without hesitations whatsoever, hugged her tight. She was sniffing. "Xu-jie!!! Huhuhu. I'm so happy to see you so alive and well again, Xu-jie!!!" The girl with purple highlights hugged her again.
"Well, I'm glad to see you again too, Sola. Have a seat. You, too, Guangxi."
Whenever someone approached Xue Jinxu and told her how sorrowful they were about the accident, Xue Guangxi felt so small. He could never be apologetic enough no matter how many sorry's he muttered under his breath, openly, or in his mind.
Xue Jinxu sighed a happy and contented sigh. "My heart swells from seeing you both just like how you used to be. Glad you somehow found common ground."
"En. Our friendship is strong, Xu-jie."
"Thanks to you, Xu-jie." Xue Guangxi's ears burned from humiliation.
"It's difficult to find gems of a friend in this cruel and corrupt world. When you find one, make sure to treasure them forever. It's rare to chance with one, mind you."
"At the face of faults, it's better to weigh a million times first whether your friendship matters over the magnitude of the fault. It's subjective, but once discarded, a shattered friendship and trust could not easily be restored."
The two looked at each other, both embarrassed, but nodded in acknowledgment of the older sister's words of wisdom.
Shortly after, the pre-ordered food was served hot, which they consumed immediately to satiate the hunger of the two growing kids. Xue Jinxu admiringly watched over them while they ate, while picking up her own chopsticks.
She heaved a sigh of relief and secretly hoped for them not to encounter anything more that would mar their cherished friendship.

Chapter end

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