Hua Rong rubbed her eyes, convinced she was hallucinating. Xu Wenhan… smiling? Taking a stand for someone? This was the same selfish bastard she always thought only cared about himself.
She leaned closer to Bai Xinchen and whispered, "Hey, did something get in my eyes? Because I swear I'm seeing things."
She knew he and Xu Lingwei were familiar with each other, but this level of closeness was unexpected.
Shaking off her disbelief, she straightened her posture and smirked. "Fine, then. Bai Xinchen, you take care of Xu Lingwei. I'll make sure Xu Wenhan doesn't get in the way." She stepped in front of Wenhan, arms crossed in defiance.
Bai Xinchen grinned, raising a fist. "Okay, big sister!" He swung at Xu Lingwei, who effortlessly dodged with a quick sidestep.
Xu Lingwei's brow twitched in annoyance. "Why the hell are you calling her big sister?"
Bai Xinchen shrugged. "Because she acts reliable. What, you don't like it?" Then, with a teasing smirk, he added, "Or should I call her sister-in-law instead?"
Xu Lingwei smirked. "I'd prefer that."
Hua Rong rolled her eyes. "Oh great, so now you two are teaming up?"
"No!" Bai Xinchen yelled immediately, offended by the accusation.
Meanwhile, Xu Wenhan stepped forward, towering over her with an air of nonchalance. "Move aside, girl," he said dismissively. "I'm not interested in fighting with girls."
She let out a dry laugh, tilting her head. "Oh? Then try getting past me."
Xu Wenhan raised an eyebrow, amused by her confidence. "You're serious?"
Without another word, he made a move to casually step past her—only for Hua Rong to shift her weight, grab his arm, and twist. In one swift motion, she hooked her foot behind his leg and pulled.
A sharp thud echoed through the room as Xu Wenhan hit the ground.
A beat of stunned silence.
Bai Xinchen's punch was caught mid-air by Xu Lingwei, but both their attention snapped toward the fallen Wenhan.
"Whoa." Bai Xinchen blinked. "Did you just—?"
Xu Wenhan lay sprawled on the floor, groaning in disbelief. His pride was wounded more than his body. As Bai Xinchen and Hua Rong stepped toward him, he shot a glare at Xu Lingwei.
"Xu Lingwei, you idiot! You never told me she was this strong!" he yelled, still unable to believe he had been taken down so effortlessly.
Xu Lingwei folded his arms, looking thoroughly amused. "What? I did tell you," he said matter-of-factly. "I get scared whenever she gets angry."
Bai Xinchen laughed, stepping closer to Hua Rong. Without a word, they clasped their hands together in silent victory. Their expressions were smug, relishing the rare moment of triumph.
Xu Lingwei, watching the two of them, suddenly smiled—softly, almost nostalgically.
Hua Rong caught the shift in his expression and frowned. "Why are you smiling?"
Xu Lingwei met her gaze, his maroon eyes calm but filled with something unreadable. "Because," he said, gripping Xu Wenhan's arm and pulling him back onto his feet, "you're showing what you're feeling—just like back then."
Hua Rong's eyes widened slightly at Xu Lingwei's words. Her grip tightened at her sides, but she forced herself to scoff.
"Idiot, I'm still the same Hua Rong you knew back then," she said sharply, but then, with a much quieter voice, almost as if confessing to herself, "It's just… a lot of things changed. So I had to change too."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and stormed off, frustration evident in every step.
Xu Wenhan watched her disappear and frowned. "What was that about?" he asked, clearly confused.
Xu Lingwei sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know."
Bai Xinchen, who had been watching the exchange with narrowed eyes, muttered, "She looked hurt."
Xu Lingwei clenched his fists but kept his expression neutral. "I know… I just don't know why."
Bai Xinchen suddenly snapped his fingers. "Hey! We can ask Lin Zeyan. He's the closest one to her. If anyone knows, it's him!"
Xu Lingwei's expression darkened. "That jerk?" he muttered under his breath. "He doesn't even look at me properly, let alone talk to me."
Bai Xinchen grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Xu Lingwei. I got this. Me and Lin Zeyan? We're already buddies, you know."
Xu Lingwei gave him a doubtful look. "That's nice. Then go ahead and try asking him."
Bai Xinchen saluted playfully. "Leave it to me."
As he walked off with an air of confidence, Xu Lingwei exhaled, staring at the space where Hua Rong had just been. The weight of unspoken words sat heavy on his chest.
.....
Hua Rong walked through the library, pulling books from the shelves with little thought. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by memories she had tried so hard to bury. Yet, no matter how much she pushed them away, they always found a way back—surfacing at the most unexpected moments.
She had let her mask slip today, and that alone unsettled her. It reminded her of how unreliable she used to be, how many mistakes her old self had made. No, she couldn't afford to let her fate fall into her own hands. She wasn't trustworthy—not with something as important as that.
With a frustrated sigh, she slammed the books onto the table, almost knocking over the stack as her untied hair fell over her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
She turned her head and found Wuhao Li standing beside her. His brown hair was as tousled as ever, his sharp features annoyingly perfect despite the laziness that defined him. She almost laughed—how was it that someone who barely put in any effort still looked put together, while she, despite doing everything she could to hold herself together, shattered so easily?
"Wuhao Li," she said, tilting her head slightly. Then, as if testing the weight of her words, she asked, "If I killed someone in front of you, would you run away?"
His expression stiffened. The slight shift in his stance, the way his hands twitched just a little, told her he wasn't expecting that.
"It seems like you'd cry," she mused, letting her cheek fall against the books.
Wuhao Li didn't respond immediately. Then, after a pause, he said, "I don't know. But if you killed someone, there must be a reason." His voice was calm, thoughtful. "If it were about me… I've never seen someone die in front of me before, so I'd probably be scared. But not because of you—because of the body."
Hua Rong stared at him for a second before a small, unexpected smile curved her lips.
"You're funny," she murmured.
Wuhao Li smirked. "Then please, come and see the masterpiece I've made of you."
"Get lost," she muttered, rolling her eyes, but her lips still carried the trace of a smile.