Hua Rong walked down the street, her blue jacket swaying gently over a crisp white skirt that fluttered just above her knees. For once, her hair wasn't tied up in her usual pigtails—it fell freely down her shoulders, catching the moonlight as if it had been waiting for this moment to shine.
Xu Lingwei spotted her from across the road. His steps slowed unconsciously, the soft breeze catching his shirt just as she ran up to him with a sudden burst of energy, flinging her arms around his neck before he could even blink.
"What happened? Why did you call me?" she asked, her smile radiant, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
His heart stuttered—damn it. She had that effect on him. With a cough, he gently unwrapped her arms from around his neck and cleared his throat. "Did you see the new date for the archery competition selection?"
She blinked. "No?" Her hands flew to her phone like it was a grenade she'd forgotten to check. A few taps later, her expression dropped. "Oh, shit."
"Yeah." His tone was dry. "Now what do we do?"
"I—I don't know!" she muttered, now gripping her left arm tightly, her nails digging into the sleeve like the answer might pop out if she pressed hard enough. "What do we do… what do we do…"
Xu Lingwei watched her spiral. It wasn't often that Hua Rong panicked. But when she did, it was kind of... adorable.
"I want to compete in the dance competition," he admitted quietly, "but if Yueming finds out, he'll tell my parents."
Hua Rong straightened. "Why are your parents so against your passion?"
"They're not... exactly against it," he muttered. "They just think I'm not good enough."
She frowned, stepping closer and taking his hand. "That's ridiculous. You're amazing at it."
"I want to prove them wrong," he said, his voice softer now. "Not just to them, but to myself."
For a moment, she didn't say anything. Her brain was trying to come up with a brilliant idea, but all it could do was look at him—his hazel brown eyes, calm yet stormy, the slight slant of his almond-shaped eyes, the way his dark hair framed his sharp features. He was wearing a simple shirt and pants, but somehow, he still looked like he'd walked out of a magazine cover.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Xu Lingwei asked, looking away awkwardly as his cheeks turned an unmistakable shade of pink.
"What do you expect me to do?" she groaned dramatically, throwing her arms around his neck again. "You're so beautiful, I can't think of anything because of your face!"
He flushed deeper, this time pushing her away and placing a hand over her eyes. "Now think, genius."
"I can't think with my eyes closed either!" she protested, voice muffled.
Still, he held his hand there for a second longer, feeling like an absolute idiot, and then finally removed it.
"I have an idea!" she gasped.
He leaned forward. "What?"
"You go to the archery institution like you're going to the selection—just enough to be seen. Then, when no one's paying attention, you sneak out and head to the dance competition. After that, you return before Yueming comes to check up on you. That way, everyone will think you were at the archery selection the whole time!"
He blinked. "That's... actually a good idea."
"Of course it is. I came up with it," she said, puffing up proudly, hands on hips.
Xu Lingwei looked at her—really looked at her. The way the wind toyed with the strands of her hair, the stubborn brightness in her eyes, the way she always managed to throw him off balance and then pull him back in like nothing happened. There was something he wanted to say, something lingering at the edge of his thoughts. Maybe a thank you… maybe more.
But before the words could leave his lips, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He glanced at the screen—and felt his chest tighten.
Yueming.
Again.
He sighed under his breath and answered the call, turning slightly away from Hua Rong. "Yeah… I'm on my way."
Of course Yueming had found out where he was. He always did. It didn't matter how careful Xu Lingwei was—Yueming had this uncanny ability to track him down, like a shadow that never let go.
He hung up and turned back to her, disappointment flickering in his eyes. "I've gotta go."
Hua Rong tilted her head. "Yueming?"
He nodded.
A short silence stretched between them before he gave her a lopsided smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. Then he lifted his hand in a small wave, quiet, almost apologetic.
"Thanks… for today," he said, voice low.
And just like that, he turned around and walked away, the heels of his shoes echoing against the pavement.
She stood there watching him, her smile fading as the distance between them grew. She didn't move, didn't speak—just watched until he disappeared around the corner.
He always had to go. And yet, she kind of wished, just once, he'd choose to stay.
Just as Xu Lingwei turned the corner, walking away from Hua Rong with a mix of thoughts swirling in his head, a blur of movement rushed past him.
A boy—probably younger—came sprinting out of nowhere, nearly crashing into him. Xu stumbled a step back, startled, just barely keeping his balance. The boy didn't stop, didn't apologize—he just kept running, eyes wide and desperate, like a deer being hunted.
Moments later, a group of boys appeared behind him, shouting, laughing—chasing.
Instinct kicked in.
Xu Lingwei didn't think, didn't hesitate. He reached out, grabbed one of the boys by the collar as he passed, yanking him backward with a sharp jerk.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, voice low and cutting as the boy stumbled, almost falling.
His grip tightened for a moment—not hard, but firm enough to hold him still.
He wasn't sure why he did it. Maybe it was the look on that first kid's face. Maybe it was because he knew the feeling—being ganged up on, cornered, watched. Or maybe… maybe he just didn't like the idea of people chasing someone like that, like it was a game.
"Let go of me!" the boy yelled, struggling in Xu Lingwei's grip. "If I don't go now, they'll beat my brother too much!"
Xu's hand loosened in shock, instinctively letting go. The boy didn't wait another second—he took off, sprinting into the street and disappearing into the chaos ahead.
"Wait—what's going on?!" Hua Rong came running, breathless, her eyes darting between Xu and the boy who vanished.
Xu Lingwei ran a hand through his hair, confused. "I grabbed one of them… but he said his brother's getting beaten up. I think he's trying to help him or something…"
For a brief moment, Xu felt it—an emptiness, like this whole thing had nothing to do with them. Just someone else's mess in a city full of people. He could walk away.
But then Hua Rong turned to him, her voice sharp and furious. "So what? Are you just going to leave him?!"
He blinked at her, stunned by her anger. "I mean, we don't even know what this is about…"
But she wasn't listening anymore. She had already turned on her heel and bolted after the boys, her white skirt swaying and hair flying behind her.
Xu Lingwei stared after her for a beat. Then he cursed under his breath.
"Shit."
And he ran after her.