Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a little while updating. Got busy with work and life again. Anyways, here's another chapter for you! Enjoy!

-Chapter Four-

Getting up the next morning for school, Xie Lian slipped outside while his mother was still sleeping and headed towards the woods. He looked for the red ribbon on the tree and found the container still sitting at the base of it.

"What's this?" He gave a blink as the paper with Hua Cheng's name on it had been replaced with his name, albeit somewhat messily written.

Blinking in surprise, he picked up the container, finding it had some weight to it and was a little warm. He gave a puzzled look before opening it to find four meat dumplings inside, still warm. It was just like that night and the next morning in the cave. A glance around had no one there. He gave a small smile though as he picked one up, blew on it a little, then took a bite. It was just as delicious as the ones he'd been given before.

"Thank you for the dumplings, Hua Cheng," he spoke to the trees before turning and heading back to the house to finish getting ready for school. He was heading outside with the last dumpling in hand when he heard his name being called.

"Xie Lian!"

Turning, he saw San Lang heading towards him. He gave a small blink since he was wearing the school's uniform today, unlike yesterday when he'd had his red outfit on. But his hair was still pulled up into the ponytail and tied with the red hair string.

"San Lang," Xie Lian said with a smile as his new friend came up and stopped beside him.

"I hoped I'd catch you on the way to school." The golden hazel eyed boy gave a smile as they turned and started walking again. He looked at the dumpling in Xie Lian's hand. "Breakfast?"

"Oh this?" The brown eyed boy gave a smile before splitting it in half and held it out to San Lang. "Here, it's really good."

Taking it, San Lang took a bite and smiled. "It is good."

"Hua Cheng left it for me." San Lang looked at him. "I left the picture for him last night out at the edge of the woods like you suggested in a container. When I went to check it this morning, there were four of these dumplings inside still warm." He popped his half in his mouth, chewed, then swallowed. "It must have been his way of saying thanks for the picture."

"It sounds like it," San Lang grinned before eating the rest of the dumpling.

"Who knew a Ghost King could make something so delicious?" Xie Lian gave a small sigh. "I wish I could cook half as good. If I'd been a woman back in the old days, I'd have been a lame bride, being unable to cook." He gave an embarrassed laugh. "I know times are different now but still, I wish I could cook better. I started to learn when I was younger from my mother. But when my father left…." He trailed off for a moment; San Lang giving a small furrow of his brow to him. "She changed. It wasn't all at once but still….she just stopped doing certain things with me. And if I even mentioned anything about my father, she got upset."

"Can I ask what happened? Why did he leave?"

Xie Lian gave a blink as he looked at his new friend before looking back down the way they were headed to school. "He left for another woman." San Lang gave a blink. "I was almost eight when it happened. It hurt my mother a lot, especially since he didn't even want to come visit me. He was too wrapped up with the other woman." He gave a small pause. "Even to this day I haven't spoken to him nor even know where he lives. I don't even know if I have any half siblings either."

"That sounds rough." San Lang gave a sorrowful look at the other boy, who had pulled his lips into a thin line.

"I guess I just didn't understand why he had to leave like that," Xie Lian sighed softly. "When I was younger, I remember seeing them so happy and in love. I wish I knew what changed my father's mind." He gave a small shake of his head. "I see others happy with each other all the time, so why did my parents become unhappy?"

"I suppose only he could give you that answer," San Lang said, getting Xie Lian to look over at him. "I would never do something like that though." Brown eyes gave a blink at him. "If I were married, I'd treat my partner with the utmost respect and dedication. There wouldn't be anything I wouldn't do for them. And I'd love them until the day I was destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Xie Lian gave a blink in confusion. "You mean die?"

"Same difference I suppose, but yes." San Lang brought his hand up to point at his right eye. "I'd even gouge out my eye to create a sword to protect my beloved."

"But humans can't make swords with magic like ghosts, can they?"

"Well, no."

"And it would hurt a lot to do that too. I'm sure even Hua Cheng was hurt after doing that."

"Yeah, I guess so. The pain would be pretty excruciating," San Lang commented. "But to protect my beloved, I'd endure anything."

Xie Lian gave a blink at the other boy's sincerity and loyalty. "I guess, I'd want to do the same in return." He gave a small pause. "I'd want to make sure my partner was happy and taken care of, even if I can't cook worth anything." He gave a small laugh.

San Lang looked at him with a curious look. "So, is there anyone you like at all?"

"L-like?" Xie Lian felt his cheeks flush slightly as the other boy gave a curious smile. "Well I have gotten a few girls to confess they liked me and try giving me chocolates for Valentine's Day."

"Oh?" The golden hazel eyed boy raised an eyebrow.

"But I turned them all down." Xie Lian gave a small shake of his head. "I've never really felt any attraction to anyone before like that. Maybe it's just me." He gave a shrug.

"Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet." Brown eyes looked towards him and blinked.

"I don't know. Maybe." He gave a pause then looked at the other boy. "So do you have someone you like?"

"Me?" San Lang looked over at him as Xie Lian nodded. "Well, there was someone a long time ago I liked, but their feelings were different. And they were quite a bit older than me. But I looked up and respected them a lot. However, they died and I never had the chance to say anything to them about how I felt."

"I-I'm sorry." Golden hazel eyes looked towards the boy as he gave a saddened look. "That must have been hard to deal with. Unrequited love sounds so sad."

"It was out of my control." San Lang gave a small shake of his head. "But I know they wouldn't have wanted me to remain sad forever."

"I guess not." Xie Lian gave a small smile towards his friend. "I'm sure you'll find that special someone in the future too."

San Lang gave a smile towards the lighter haired boy. What he couldn't say was he'd already found him.

"Xie Lian! San Lang!"

Both looked up to see Fu Yao and Nan Feng at the entrance of the school waving at them.

"You better hurry up!" Nan Feng called.

"Otherwise you're going to be late!" Fu Yao added.

Looking at each other and chuckling, both boys started running for the gates just before the bell rang to signal they'd be late if they didn't hurry.

Well that's the chapter. Xie Lian gets a little bonding time with San Lang on the way to school. *smiles*
Anyways, thanks again for reading! *hands out pocky*