***** 

Shan Cai meets Xiao Zi on her way home. The latter happily hugs Shan Cai and tells her that Ah Si had asked her out. Apparently, on her way home that day, she met Ah Si at the alley. He told her he will try to like her and thus will date her. While Xiao Zi is elated, Shan Cai is shocked. She tries to be happy for Xiao Zi and congratulates her. 

***** 

The next day, Xi Men and Mei Zuo express their surprise that Ah Si is going to date Xiao Zi. Qing He hears the news that Ah Si has a fiancée and is excited. He confirms with Ah Si that he is going to give up on Shan Cai. He gleefully congratulates Ah Si but Xi Men and Mei Zuo push him away. Ah Si walks away sadly, realizing that he and Shan Cai can never have a future together.

Ah Si and Xiao Zi have their first date together. They meet for coffee. Xiao Zi gives him a small first-date gift. While Xiao Zi keeps chatting non-stop, Ah Si hardly says anything. She asks if he is interested in knowing anything about her, for instance, her horoscope and blood type, so as to see if they are compatible. However, Ah Si does not believe in such things and feels that one does not need such things to see a couple’s compatibility. Bored and frustrated, he makes Xiao Zi leave the café with him without drinking much. He even forgets to take the gift Xiao Zi had given him. Upset, she grabs the gift and goes after him. 

On the streets, Ah Si walks very fast, not bothering to wait for Xiao Zi. She shouts at him. He stops and yells at her for walking so slowly. However, she voices her disappointment in him. She had been very excited about their date and woke up early in order to dress up and get him a present. Yet Ah Si did not look at her straight in the eye or say much to her, and even left the gift in the café. She did not expect the date to turn out this way at all.

Feeling sorry that he treated her that way in the café, Ah Si lets Xiao Zi hold his hand reluctantly. She tells him that ever since he told her that he would try to like her, she had been very happy. However, she wants it to be fast but Ah Si tells her that its not something that will happen in just a day or two.  

Back at the mansion, Feng’s assistant reports to Feng about Ah Si and Xiao Zi’s growing relationship. He also reports the Shan Cai has not been very close to Ah Si lately but Xiao Zi has been looking up Shan Cai rather often. Feng is worried when she hears this. 

***** 

The next day, Xiao Zi calls Shan Cai out as usual. In the café, Xiao Zi tells her all about Ah Si and her. However, Shan Cai is not really listening. She does not want to listen to Xiao Zi’s problems with Ah Si but does not have a choice. Then, Xiao Zi tells Shan Cai that Ah Si did not kiss her despite the fact that they were at a romantic quiet park together. She asks Shan Cai if she ever kissed Ah Si but Shan Cai does not answer. Xiao Zi thinks that he still likes Shan Cai. However, Shan Cai assures her that it is not possible.  

***** 

At the balcony, Shan Cai tells Lei that Xiao Zi had been confiding in her almost every night. She tries to get Lei to ask Ah Si to be nicer to Xiao Zi but Lei declines. He does not want to get involve in their affairs and also warns Shan Cai not to get involved. Knowing that the Lei-Shan Cai-Ah Si relationship is as complicated as the Xiao Zi-Ah Si-Shan Cai relationship, he feels that both him and Shan Cai have no right to comment on Xiao Zi and Ah Si’s relationship. If Lei is to encourage Ah Si to be nicer to Xiao Zi, people may think that he has ulterior motives (i.e. to get close to Shan Cai). Upon hearing Lei’s words, Shan Cai realizes that she really shouldn’t get involved in Ah Si and Xiao Zi’s relationship anymore. Her involvement will only complicate matters. 

On their way to class, they hear Xiao Zi and Ah Si’s voice. They peep at the two of them. (Xiao Zi had came to look for Ah Si in school but he tells her to leave) Looking at them, Lei tells Shan Cai that they do not behave like a couple at all. She expresses her uneasiness for peeping at them and turns to leave. Suddenly, she hears Xiao Zi asking Ah Si to kiss her there and then. She turns back to peep at them. (Xiao Zi tells Ah Si that kissing her will assure that he does not like Shan Cai anymore. She is upset that whenever they go out, he always seems to have a lot on his mind. She is insecure and feels that if Ah Si does not like Shan Cai anymore, he should be able to kiss her. Ah Si has no choice but to kiss Xiao Zi)  

Shan Cai sees them kissing and turns away. Lei tells her that she should be happy now that Ah Si is treating Xiao Zi better. However, she does not say a word. Lei thinks that she has been dealt a heavy blow. Shan Cai suddenly rattles off that she is exhilarated that the two of them has finally advanced in their relationship. From her rattling, Lei knows that she is upset. Shan Cai runs off. 

Upset, Shan Cai sits in a corner by herself. Qing He approaches her and shows his concern for her. Shan Cai rattles off again and tells Qing He that she feels extremely stupid. She feels she always assumes something but yet in the end, things are not really what they seem (e.g. Li Zhen and Xiao Shun). However, Qing He tells her that it is because she is kind and believes that people are basically good. He unwittingly confesses to Shan Cai that he likes her because of that. But Shan Cai does not hear him. She decides that she will start all over again now that Ah Si is out of her life. Things will be back to normal for her. 

Shan Cai leaves school but meets Lei on the streets. They chat happily over coffee. Xiao Zi and Ah Si run into them at the café. Shan Cai glances uneasily at Ah Si. Xiao Zi thinks that Shan Cai and Lei are dating and makes them sit together. She pulls Ah Si to sit with them.  

Once seated, Xiao Zi is the only chatting non-stop. Shan Cai tries to make small talk and comments that Ah Si and Xiao Zi seem to be getting along very well. Ah Si shuts Shan Cai up. Xiao Zi happily tells them that she had wanted to pull Ah Si to the hotel but Ah Si refused. Lei is shocked at how Xiao Zi is trying to make the relationship progress but she does not see anything wrong with it. Xiao Zi invites them to her private chalet which is up on a hill. Shan Cai declines and hopes that Lei will reject the offer too. However, Lei agrees and Shan Cai is uneasy. 

***** 

Feng’s assistant reports that Xiao Zi and Ah Si had entered the chalet together and will spend the night there. Feng is pleased. However, when she finds out that Shan Cai also went to the chalet, she thinks that Shan Cai is up to no good. She hopes that Shan Cai will rekindle her love for Lei and forget Ah Si. 

At the chalet, Shan Cai and Xiao Zi are relaxing at the hot spring. Shan Cai tells Xiao Zi that she is happy for her and Ah Si. However, Shan Cai has been hurting inside ever since she saw them kiss in school. She is heartbroken.

Xiao Zi tells Shan Cai that although she does not know how other couples behave, and whether a couple should behave the way Ah Si and her are behaving, she has decided that she is not going to compare as Ah Si is not like other guys. Although she is upset when Ah Si never takes the initiative, she is happy that he will do the things she asks him to do.

In the meantime, Shan Cai remembers Ah Si telling her that he will chase her whenever she goes. She had thought that with Xiao Zi around, she would be able to forget Ah Si and end everything. However, she feels that she is getting more and more involved in the whole affair and is getting extremely hurt in the process. 

Suddenly, Xiao Zi realizes that Shan Cai’s head has disappeared into the hot spring. She starts screaming for help. She rushes out to Ah Si, who is sitting alone outside the spring. Before she could finish her sentence, Ah Si dashes off to the spring. (Xiao Zi realizes that Ah Si is still in love with Shan Cai.) Before Ah Si could reach the spring however, Lei walks out with Shan Cai in his arms. Xiao Zi leads them to the room. 

To Be Continued...

In Episode 11(ii)

---