Hua Rong hurriedly ate the last piece of bread, chewing quickly as she slung her backpack over one shoulder. "Mama, I'm leaving!" she called out.
Before she could rush out the door, her mother grabbed the strap of her backpack, stopping her in place. "Wait." With a gentle smile, she slipped a tiffin box into her bag. "I packed extra for that friend of yours," she added knowingly.
Hua Rong blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Thanks, Mama!" she said before dashing out the door, her feet pounding against the dirt path as she raced down the hill toward the bus stop.
As she ran, something caught her eye—a bright poster pinned to a notice board at the side of the street. Her breath hitched in excitement as she stepped closer, eyes scanning the bold letters. A dance tournament! Anyone under eighteen could participate.
A wide smile spread across her face. Without wasting a second, she pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and hurried onto the bus just as it arrived.
Fifteen minutes later, Hua Rong hopped off at her stop, her heart still bubbling with excitement. She sprinted across the institution's training grounds, weaving through students practicing archery until her eyes locked onto Xu Lingwei.
Without hesitation, she ran straight toward him.
"Xu Lingwei—!" she called out, her momentum too strong to stop in time.
Before he could react, she crashed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. She ended up on top of him, straddling his waist as she shoved her phone in his face.
"Look!" she said breathlessly, grinning as she showed him the picture of the poster. "A dance tournament! Anyone under eighteen can participate!"
Xu Lingwei, still lying beneath her, stared at the phone, then at her. His brows furrowed. "Why are you showing me this?"
She gasped as if offended. "Why? Because you are going to participate, of course!"
His gaze shifted away as he sighed. "First, get off me."
Hua Rong huffed but obeyed, rolling off him as he sat up and dusted himself off. He grabbed his bow and arrow, standing back up as if their little collision had never happened.
"I can't," he said simply, adjusting his grip on the bow.
She frowned. "Why not?"
Before he could answer, their instructor's sharp voice cut through the field. "Hua Rong!"
She winced, realizing she'd been making too much noise, distracting the others. With a sheepish nod, she quickly grabbed her own archery set and positioned herself next to Xu Lingwei.
But she wasn't done with this conversation.
Lowering her voice so the teacher wouldn't hear, she whispered, "Why can't you join?"
Xu Lingwei let out a soft sigh. "If my parents find out, I'll be in trouble."
Hua Rong scoffed. "Oh, come on! If you win this tournament, you can prove to them that it's not just some petty hobby—it's your dedication."
"They won't understand," he muttered, focusing on his target.
She groaned. "How can you say that without even trying?"
This time, her voice was too loud.
"Hua Rong!" the teacher called again, separating her from Xu Lingwei with a stern look.
Hua Rong pursed her lips and turned back to her bow, but her mind was already spinning with ways to get Xu Lingwei to enter that competition—whether he liked it or not.
.....
"Oh, come on, just agree already!" Hua Rong groaned, walking backward in front of Xu Linwei, arms outstretched in exasperation.
"You're not understanding," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"What am I not understanding?" She stepped closer, searching his face.
"It's not that simple," he sighed. "Even if I agree, where will I even practice? How will I submit the form to participate? And then there's Yueming—he always picks me up on time. If he finds out, he'll tell my parents, and I'll be in trouble before I even get the chance to compete."
Hua Rong grabbed his wrist and squeezed it. "Idiot! You're worried about that old-fashioned driver who always shows up late? Look at us—we're still waiting for him! Where's his so-called punctuality now, huh? Leaving his 'young master' alone on the street like this."
Xu Linwei sighed, shaking his head. "He's just following tradition. His grandparents served my family too, and now he carries on their way of doing things."
Her eyes sparked with curiosity. "Wait, even his grandparents worked for your family?"
"Yeah. We pay them well, which is why they never quit. Over the years, they've become people we trust."
Hua Rong scoffed. "All these years of loyalty, and yet he can't even help his 'young master' achieve his dreams? What's the point of serving for so long if he can't cover for you even once?"
With that, she plopped down on the edge of the sidewalk, her arms resting on her knees.
Xu Linwei immediately pulled her up by the arm. "Hua Rong, get up. You look like a lost child sitting there."
She grinned up at him. "Xu Linwei, I'll help you. I'll submit the form, I'll handle everything—and if that driver gets in the way, I'll personally knock him out so he never finds out where you're going."
His eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "You—you what?"
She looked away, kicking a pebble. "I mean, if it comes to that."
Xu Linwei sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll think about it," he mumbled, then quickly added before she could get too excited, "But don't do anything yet."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? You'll think about it?"
"Yeah," he said, rolling his eyes. "I said I'll think about it."
Just then, they spotted a car approaching from the distance. Xu Linwei straightened up, giving her a small wave. "See you."
Hua Rong grinned, watching as he walked toward the car. "You better not just think about it," she muttered under her breath.