Disclaimer: 1/2 Prince belongs to Yu Wo.

A/N: Hey all. I'm really kind of super bummed right now because my boyfriend of 2 yrs broke up with me yesterday in preparation for his moving to China in the fall. I wrote this chapter before it happened, so don't fret. It's still more lighthearted than the last. But...yeah...I'm going to take a short break before finishing chapter 12. The last thing I want is for my own emotions to infiltrate the story.

I'm also temporarily relocating this summer to do anthropological fieldwork and will be in the process of packing and moving next week anyway. All I can really say is no updates next week. But the week after that looks promising!

Once again, thank you for all the lovely reviews. They always make me smile. :)

Special thanks to my beta-reader Astroelvengoddess. She is actually one of my best friends from school and I'm looking forward to seeing her again really soon. :D

Chapter Eleven

Prince knew he had made a huge mistake. A mistake that could affect his reputation; though he wasn't entirely sure if it worked in his favor or against it.

Everyone was talking about it. Ok, maybe not everyone, but Prince heard the hushed and hurried whispers of his constituents as he walked the hallways of his castle. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to correct them, but at this point he was just too tired to even care.

"Prince and Gui were hugging in the hallway?"

"But I heard Prince was with Wicked?"

"Why do you think he's not logging in?"

"Rejected love!"

"Gyaaahh! Why are all the super-hot, amazing bishies never interested in women?"

Prince wanted to punch something. How had the news of his situation traveled so quickly? He wanted the rumors to stop. Gui walked beside him, strangely silent. It probably just made things look worse.

"My lord…" He looked at the elf as if afraid the boy would burst into tears at any moment.

"I'm fine," Prince muttered. "I promise you won't have to see me cry again."

The comment did not stop Gui from looking troubled. "Your highness…"

"It's weird for a man to cry anyways, right?" Prince spoke, voicing his inner thoughts aloud. "Men don't cry. It's embarrassing."

"Prince," Gui turned to face Prince's delicate form. He tilted the latter's chin up to look directly into his eyes, causing the elf to blush the slightest at the intimate gesture. "Everyone cries."

Prince gazed at the bard's face realizing just how emotionally vulnerable he was at that instant. He'd lost one of his best friends in game and in real life. Not permanently, but Prince knew that he wouldn't be seeing Zhuo-gege anytime soon. That was the thing about Zhuo Ling Bin. He always kept his word. When Feng Lan was twelve she'd stupidly declared she would marry Ling Bin. She thought it was all fun but he'd taken her words to heart. He never stopped loving her.

Gui tenderly ruffled the top of Prince's hair to break him out of his melancholic state. Prince stared at the bard with wide eyes. Gui's eyes—Prince noted—were a different color than Professor Min's. He'd never really looked at them closely before, not the way he'd noticed the professor's brilliant blue ones. The demon bard's eyes were calmer, more serene, which was ironic considering the way Gui acted in-game. Professor Min's eyes were so expressive. Gui's eyes were a soulful purple.

Gui blushed from Prince's intense scrutiny. "Prince…"

Prince's face lit up. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize—"

"Keep looking, it's ok." Gui held Prince's face on either side so that the boy couldn't turn away. Prince turned beet red as he began to struggle.

"Gui, what are you doing?" Prince looked beyond terrified.

"Making you forget your sadness." He placed the faintest kiss on the elf's forehead. Then he closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable beating that was due to follow. There was nothing that cured Prince more than turning Gui into a bloody mess. Gui winced in anticipation, but when nothing happened he let his eyes flutter open in confusion to the sight of Prince's blushing face. The elf's eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he appeared to be holding his breath.

"Prince?"

"Don't confuse me!" Prince yelled and suddenly gave Gui an uppercut to the jaw. Gui stumbled backward as Prince took flight and began running rapidly down the hall. As Prince whipped around the corner Gui chuckled as the elf's last words trailed after him. "You stupid bard! Find someone else to tease!"

Gui smiled. Oh Prince, he thought. But there's no one else like you.

Except that wasn't true. Was it?

Feng Lan.

Gui's smile faded. Teasing Feng Lan and inciting the girl's anger gave him almost as much amusement and joy as teasing Prince.

Gui suddenly felt queasy again. Before, his mind used to be filled only with images of Prince. The elf had invaded his every thought. Now, Gui realized uneasily, Feng Lan was beginning to replace that. She didn't make his breath catch in the same way Prince did but she amplified his emotions; be it anger, annoyance, embarrassment, or guilt. He wouldn't have looked twice at her if he hadn't started comparing her to Prince.

Gui began to wonder…why was it that Prince looked so hurt when Gui confessed to him? Underneath Prince's annoyance at the bard's attention lay the smallest hint of sadness. If Gui was making Prince confused, then Prince's reactions were making Gui even more so.

One thing was certain however. Gui needed to find out Prince's identity once and for all.

~o~0~o~

Feng Lan arrived to school early, semi-hoping that she'd "accidentally" run into Zhuo-gege. She knew the prospects were unlikely. Yang Ming had glared at her over breakfast, accusing her for Wicked's absence in-game.

"Sis, why couldn't you have just liked him?"

She'd thrown a piece of bacon at his face and stormed off. Insensitive brother. He tried to be such a playboy in Second Life. He wouldn't know the first thing about dealing with issues of love!

After Yang Ming, it had been Jing's and Yun's turn to question her incessantly. "What are all these crazy rumors we've been hearing about you and Gui?"

"Why didn't Wicked log in last night?"

"Ling Bin didn't show up to his recitation yesterday. What's going on?"

Feng Lan was sick of it. She wanted to be alone. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and instead fled to a rarely used corner of the library.

She sighed heavily finally thankful for a moment of quiet reprieve.

"Ms. Lan!" a voice greeted her in surprise.

She stared up into the blue eyes she'd come to both love and hate. Oh no.

"Professor!" she squeaked. After yesterday's detention and the past couple night's events, he was the very last person she wanted to see.

"I didn't know you studied postmodern theory," he glanced at the books shelved behind her. Feng Lan snuck a quick look. She didn't recognize a single title.

"Eheh…that is to say…"

"I'm sorry about last night," Professor Min's shoulders drooped. He sounded so dejected. "I feel like all I've done the past couple days is apologize to you."

Her mind filled with images of Professor Min yelling at Ling Bin in the office. The argument scared her. His anger was terrifying. Yet Gui had still comforted Prince in-game afterward and now Professor Min was standing before her entirely apologetic and looking at her so sincerely.

It was almost heart-stopping. Almost.

"I should be the one apologizing," Feng Lan muttered guiltily. "I should have known better than to have asked Ling Bin to pick me up after school." After all, she was the reason for the tension between Gui and Wicked in the first place and therefore Professor Min and Ling Bin, right? If only she had been more careful in Second Life, everything could have been avoided. Wicked's attack on Gui, Prince's rejection of the bard, Gui's amazing drunken kiss…

She forced herself to stop thinking.

"You should have known?" Professor Min repeated, eyes flashing. His blue eyes danced in suspicion. "Whatever do you mean by that, Feng Lan?"

Feng Lan's mouth dropped. No. He couldn't possibly suspect!

"Ehhh, I meant your rivalry with Ling Bin in-game! My brother's mentioned it to me before," she stated quickly. She bit her lip and looked up at him anxiously. Please believe me. Please believe me.

Gui seemed to relax the slightest. "That makes sense…" he murmured quietly to himself. He appeared lost in thought for a moment until Feng Lan interrupted him.

"Erm, Professor?"

"Hmm?"

"I meant what I said earlier, about working extra hard for you. It's my own silly way of apologizing for blurting out what I did last week." Feng Lan shifted her feet nervously from side to side.

Gui had to pause for a moment to remember why he'd put her in detention in the first place. Last week seemed so long ago. As he recalled the reason he began to turn sullen. "Oh…"

"Because Prince would never look twice at someone as idiotic and perverse as you!"

Feng Lan had her hands behind her back, gazing despondently up at him with large doleful eyes. It was similar to the look Prince had thrown him when apologizing to Gui right before he had confessed.

Professor Min's heart began to race unexpectedly.

"Feng Lan…"

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "It's time for my next lecture. See you after school!"

She hurriedly ran away, completely oblivious to Professor Min's look of astonishment. As she entered her next lecture hall and set her things down, she smiled softly to herself. She'd been able to have another decent conversation with Professor Min. And this time, she didn't even get overly flustered by thinking too much about Gui's actions in-game. Perhaps she was finally starting to master the art of separating Second Life and real life. Ugly Wolf would be proud.

Despite Zhuo-gege no longer being her main moral support, she decided that Operation Remain Normal would remain in effect. She only had two more detentions counting today. She could survive that, right? By tomorrow evening, she'd be flying free and never have to worry about how she acted in front of the professor again.

~o~0~o~

Detention Six.

Professor Min was sweating slightly as he pushed open the door to his office to find Feng Lan already in place organizing his second bookshelf. She smiled brightly as he entered. "Hello, Professor Min-" she halted at the look on his face. "Er, Professor, is something wrong?" She thought the conversation in library had left them on good terms. Was she mistaken?

Gui, on the other hand, knew that his suspicions couldn't wait any longer. The more he thought about it, the more Feng Lan seemed like Prince. But the way she treated him in real life just didn't quite match up with the way Prince dealt with Gui. Then again, Prince had always been keen on hiding his true identity…

It's just a theory, Gui thought to himself shakily. It doesn't mean she's Prince. "Feng Lan," he chose his next words carefully as he decided to tread into dangerous territory. "Do you by chance play Second Life?"

She froze for a moment. That was…unexpected. Gui mentally noted that she paled just the slightest. She bit her lip nervously as she finally replied. "Maybe…why do you ask, Professor?"

Feng Lan's heart was beating rapidly. She knew it. She just knew it. He was starting to figure it out. But how? She thought she had been exceedingly careful to go about routine as normal. And Wolf-dage had sworn to her that he wouldn't reveal her true identity. Had she carelessly slipped up at some point? What had she done? He'd seemed suspicious of her in the library as well.

"I don't know…" Professor Min drawled slowly as he tried thinking of a way to make her slip up. It's not like he could just outright ask her. If she was Prince, she would deny it for sure. He had to do this in a roundabout way, a way to trick her in unexpectedly admitting it. "I thought it might be something fun we have in common. You've mentioned on several occasions talking to your brother about recent events in Second Life. Your character should look like Wu Qing, but I've never seen a female character like him yet. It seems odd since your brother and both your parents live in the Infinite City."

"Oh?" Feng Lan suddenly smiled. She could easily dodge this one. "For one, my character looks nothing like my brother." That part was semi-true. "And two, I wanted to leave the nest in more ways than one. I'm on the Southern Continent." She lied smoothly.

Professor Min smirked and crossed his arms. "Really? What's your screen name? I have to admit I'm a bit surprised," he commented. "Most girls these days are flocking in hoards to live in the Infinite City just for the chance of seeing Prince with their own eyes. I'm curious as to why, despite your brother's connections, you haven't once traveled to view Prince in real life as well?"

Feng Lan blinked, surprised at the bold route the professor had suddenly taken. Or maybe she was overanalyzing and he really was just making small talk? She forced herself to act like it was the latter. Remain calm. Think of something.

She took a moment to reply. She loved bishies. And he'd raised a good point. The same one her friends had used to figure out her identity in-game. If she knew Wu Qing, who knew Prince, why wouldn't she go visit him? She smiled as she came up with the most plausible answer she could think of. "Prince isn't real, Professor. He's just an avatar. And from the way my brother talks about him, I'd rather see him on paper than ruin my mental image of his personality."

Her answer shook Professor Min momentarily in more ways than one. First, he immediately wanted to defend Prince's charming personality. How could anyone not like him? Stupid Wu Qing. Secondly, Prince…just an avatar? Yes…but…

"Did I ever tell you I used to think Yang Ming was Prince? They certainly look very similar."

Feng Lan visibly paled at this. "Did you now?" she attempted a weak laugh. "You shouldn't tell him that. He'll get a big head thinking he's all handsome and stuff."

"Prince isn't just handsome," Professor Min shot her a heated look. "He's beautiful."

Feng Lan's breath caught in her throat. She dropped one of the books she'd been holding in surprise. The soft 'thunk' it made upon hitting the carpet brought her back to her senses. She bent down quickly to grab it but the professor beat her to it.

"Thank you," she whispered, as he handed the battered tome back to her. Her eyes were unable to break free of his burning stare and as she straightened back up, she realized how much closer he had moved towards her. She could almost feel his breath on her face. The situation reminded her of Gui's teasing from the night before. She backed up a bit, feeling her shoulders hit the front of the bookcase. His arms resting against the bookshelves entrapped her on either side. "Professor?"

"You never told me your screen name, Feng Lan."

Both stared wide-eyed at each other. The silence was broken only by the sound of the clock ticking above the Professor Min's desk.

"Princ-" Professor Min heard her begin to squeak. His eyes widened. Really? She was really going to admit it just like that. "-ess Xiao Xiao." Feng Lan could hardly believe she'd managed to make sound come out of her mouth. She shut her eyes and repeated the fake name again. "Princess Xiao Xiao."

Professor Min raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth twitched up in amusement and he burst into raucous laughter. "Princess Xiao Xiao? That's the stupidest name I've ever heard."

Feng Lan scowled, slightly hurt. It wasn't that ridiculous, was it? Her name in The World had been Xiao Xiao Lan after all. "It's not any stupider-sounding than Guilliastes!" she retorted angrily, turning her head away and crossing her arms.

Professor Min's eyes narrowed. "I thought talking back to your teacher was what got you into this mess in the first place," he remarked coolly. He could see Feng Lan begin to flush. Her cheeks and the tips of her ears turned an adorable shade of pink. She cast her eyes downward in the same manner Prince did when he was embarrassed.

His heart skipped a beat.

Professor Min abruptly pulled away from her at the feeling. "Finish your task," he turned away from her before the situation could progress any further. He was confused. His head hurt. If he stayed around her too much longer, he was going to admit to thinking she was Prince. "I've got errands to run." He excused himself quickly and ran out the door.

Feng Lan stayed frozen in place until she heard the soft click of the office door closing. Her heart continued racing and her breathing was shallow. She placed a hand to her heated forehead and slowly slid down the bookcase to the floor, willing her body to calm down. How was Professor Min having this effect on her? Why was she unable to control herself around him?

He was Gui. She wasn't supposed to like him! And Gui only loved Prince! He'd told her that when Jing had tricked them both into going on that silly date ages ago. But here he was in real life—throwing her compliments, looking at her in the same heated way he looked at Prince—and her heart pattered rapidly in confusion.

Feng Lan took a shaky breath when she realized she couldn't deny it to herself any longer. She'd completely fallen head over heels for the professor.

~o~0~o~

Outside the door, Gui wasn't doing so well either. "Feng Lan is Prince," he muttered repeatedly. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end. "How can that be? Is that even possible?"

No. It's not, a small voice reasoned in the back of his mind. Second Life doesn't allow you to switch genders. It's impossible. You've read the rules on the website.

"But…then how?" If Feng Lan was Prince, then everything he'd figured out so far would make sense. Prince and Feng Lan both referred to Ling Bin as Zhuo-gege. That was the first clue. On top of that, Ling Bin was overly protective of both individuals. Not to mention the two had strikingly similar mannerisms and shared the same unusual personality traits. Lastly—Professor Min paled, why hadn't he thought of this before?—Prince physically resembled Yang Ming. But Yang Ming was Wu Qing so Feng Lan was logically the next suspect as his twin. The only thing marring his conclusion was her gender. "Feng Lan is a girl, right?"

It was time to pay a visit to the school physician's office. Maybe this time he'd receive some real answers from his dear, old friend doctor Li Tian Lang.

~o~0~o~

The doctor looked up to the sight of Gui nearly breaking down the infirmary door in his haste to get in. The younger man wheezed something out.

"Come again?" Tiang Lang appeared vaguely amused.

"Feng Lan," Gui panted again. "I need to see her medical records."

Tiang Lang frowned. "That is restricted and confidential information. Did something happen? Where is Ms. Lan? Isn't she supposed to be serving detention with you right now?"

"This is a life or death situation, Wolf-ge! I need to see those records!" Gui pleaded.

Tiang Lang looked alarmed. "What's going on? Is she hurt? Do I need to call an ambulance?"

"No! I…I…" Gui couldn't seem to catch his breath. Tian Lang waited patiently while Gui collapsed into a chair and his breathing slowed. He suddenly realized something and glanced at the doctor suspiciously. "Wolf-ge, were you lying when you said Feng Lan was late for class because of her period?"

Tian Lang was surprised. Was Gui finally not being dense? Or was he just looking for another reason to punish Feng Lan? "Why should it matter?" he eyed the professor dubiously. "She was here in my office for personal matters. That's all you really need to know."

Professor Min gritted his teeth and stood up to lean menacingly over the seated doctor. "Wolf-ge, you are hiding something from me."

Tian Lang smirked. Oh? So Gui was finally starting to put two and two together?

"Gui, why the sudden interest in Feng Lan? This is unusual." Tian Lang continued to play the oblivious card as he leaned farther back into his chair. "Did something happen recently?"

"Why are you dodging my questions?" Gui slammed his hands down on the table that divided them.

Tian Lang considered his friend for a moment. Gui had been through a whirlwind of emotions lately and was likely reaching his wits end. As much as he wanted to continue teasing the professor, he felt now was not the time. "Fine. You're correct. I was lying," he came clean. "She didn't have her period."

Gui's jaw dropped. Did that mean…

"But she's come into the office for it before. And for her birth control pills," the doctor clarified with immense satisfaction.

Gui blanched. Tiang Lang had just given him far more information than he ever needed to know about his student.

"So Feng Lan is…"

"A fully matured woman?" Tian Lang finished for him. "Physically, yes."

"Ah…I see. Er…no! That's not what I was asking." Why did Tian Lang seem to derive so much satisfaction from making him uncomfortable? He saw that damned twinkle in the doctor's eyes at his uneasiness at the turn in the conversation. "Right," Gui cleared his throat awkwardly. "I forgot why I was here. I guess I'll be going then."

Tian Lang smiled. "Did you still need to see her records?"

"Nope," he managed to squeak out. "I'm good." He turned to leave but just as his foot crossed the door's threshold the doctor threw in his final comment.

"Oh, and Gui?" The man in question turned around. "You're overanalyzing things."

Tian Lang smirked as he closed the door in Gui's face.

Gui stood in shock for a moment before he began pounding on the door furiously. "Wolf-ge, just how much do you actually know?" he hollered through the closed door.

"Enough to know that Feng Lan's leaving from detention soon and you'll have to hurry if you want to catch her in time."

The professor cursed as he glanced at his watch and took off running. Leave it to Wolf-ge to sidestep that conversation. He made a mental note to track down Ugly Wolf in-game and force him to spill all his deepest, darkest secrets and find out what exactly he knew about Prince. Some friend he was! But now was not the time to think about such things. He needed to get to his office quickly. He had to catch Feng Lan before she left.

He slowed as he neared his office door and burst through it to find an empty room. "Feng Lan," he called rapidly. "Where are—"

He paused as he spied a note on his desk. It was addressed to him in delicate, looping handwriting. He unfolded the letter and read it with baited breath.

Dear Professor Min—

I apologize for leaving before you returned. I wasn't sure how long you would be. I waited a couple extra minutes but as detention already cuts into my study time I couldn't wait longer than necessary. I hope you understand.

I lied about my screen name so please don't try looking for me online. Second Life began as a way for me to be self-sufficient on my own and away from everyone else that I knew in real life. It's a bit more complicated now, but that was my original desire.

I know it's rude to request this but please don't ask me anymore about Second Life. See you tomorrow~

-Lan

~0~o~0~

A/N: There are only 1-2 more chapters after this! :O (At least that's the current plan, who knows what will happen when I finally write everything out!)

The 100th reviewer for this story (LarkasBlessing122291) finally received their bonus story earlier in the week and gave me permission to post it publicly so be on the lookout for it soon. Should this story somehow hit 200 reviews before completion I will also write a special request story for the 200th reviewer.

No preview for the next chapter yet. I won't say too much, other than my favorite NPC makes an appearance. :)

Thanks so much for reading!