The school corridors buzzed louder than usual the next morning. Laughter, footsteps, and chatter filled the air—but beneath it all was the low hum of gossip, like the static of an untuned radio.
Meiyu felt it as soon as she stepped through the gate. The shift in glances, the way conversations faltered when she walked by, the way her name seemed to float in half-hidden whispers.
Her fingers curled around the straps of her schoolbag. Just ignore it. Keep walking.
But it was impossible to ignore. Every corner she turned, there was another murmur. Every classroom she entered, heads turned just a little too quickly.
By second period, she knew the rumors had reached a fever pitch.
"Did you see the forum? Someone posted another picture—Yichen was on the rooftop with her yesterday."
"Haoran too, right? This is definitely a triangle."
"Unbelievable. She's just playing both of them."
The words stung more than she wanted to admit. Her classmates didn't even bother lowering their voices anymore. Some looked at her with curiosity, some with envy, and some with plain cruelty.
When she sat down at her desk, Mingxia leaned close, whispering fiercely, "Don't listen to them, Meiyu. They're all just bored and jealous."
Meiyu forced a smile, but her chest tightened. Jealous. Was that what people thought? That she wanted this attention, that she was enjoying it?
If only they knew how much it tore her apart.
---
By lunchtime, things only worsened.
She had just stepped into the cafeteria when a group of girls blocked her path. Their leader, Lin Yuwei, crossed her arms, her eyes sharp with disdain.
"So, Liang Meiyu," she said loudly, drawing attention from nearby tables, "which one are you going to pick? Zhao Yichen or Xu Haoran?"
Laughter rippled across the room.
Meiyu froze, her throat tightening.
Yuwei smirked. "Or maybe you want both? Keeping them wrapped around your finger while you play innocent?"
A few gasps. More laughter. The whispers rose like a wave, crashing down on Meiyu.
Her cheeks burned. Her nails dug into her palms. She wanted to sink into the floor, to disappear. But then she caught sight of Yichen, standing by the cafeteria doors, his eyes narrowed dangerously. And across the room, Haoran had stood halfway up from his seat, concern etched across his face.
Both ready to step in, both ready to defend her.
And suddenly—something inside Meiyu snapped.
---
"Enough!"
Her voice rang out louder than she intended, echoing across the cafeteria. Conversations halted. Dozens of eyes turned toward her.
Her heart pounded, but she didn't falter. She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and stared directly at Lin Yuwei.
"I'm sick of this," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "I'm sick of the whispers, the stares, the rumors. You think you know me? You don't. You think this is fun for me? That I enjoy being caught between two friends? It's not. It's exhausting. It's painful. And it's none of your business."
The cafeteria went silent.
Yuwei blinked, momentarily thrown off, before scoffing. "Oh please. If you didn't want attention, you wouldn't be stringing them along."
Meiyu's fists clenched. "I'm not stringing anyone along! Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I wanted confessions and fights and rumors? No! I just wanted a normal school life. But somehow, that's too much to ask, isn't it?"
Her voice cracked, but the fire in her eyes burned brighter.
"You want to call me plain? Call me boring? Fine. I don't care. But don't you dare act like I'm some manipulator just because two people happen to like me. That's on them. Not me."
A ripple went through the crowd. Shock, murmurs, even a few nods of agreement.
Meiyu's breath came fast, but she forced herself to continue. Her gaze swept across the room, landing briefly on Yichen, then Haoran.
"I don't know who I'll choose. I don't even know if I can choose. But that's my decision. Not yours. Not anyone else's. So stop treating me like I'm a story for your entertainment. I'm a person. And I deserve better than this."
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the cafeteria. Then, slowly, someone started clapping.
It was Mingxia, tears in her eyes, clapping fiercely. A few others joined in hesitantly, then more, until the room filled with applause.
Lin Yuwei's face flushed red with humiliation. With a huff, she spun on her heel and stalked out, her entourage scrambling after her.
Meiyu stood frozen, her chest heaving, her face hot.
She had done it. She had finally spoken up.
---
The rest of lunch passed in a daze. People gave her space, their whispers now tinged with something different—respect, maybe, or at least hesitation.
When the bell rang, she slipped into the hallway, hoping for a moment alone. But she didn't get far before a familiar figure leaned against the lockers, arms crossed, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Not bad, Liang Meiyu," Zhao Yichen said, his eyes gleaming with something like pride. "Didn't know you had that fire in you."
She glared at him weakly. "Don't tease me. My legs are still shaking."
He chuckled softly, pushing off the locker. "Doesn't matter. You said what you needed to say. And you shut them all up. That's more than most people could've done."
Her heart fluttered despite herself.
Before she could reply, another voice called her name.
"Meiyu."
Haoran approached, his expression gentle but firm. "That was brave. You didn't have to carry all that alone, though. You could've let me—"
"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "I needed to do it myself. If I keep relying on you or Yichen to fight for me, people will always say I'm hiding behind you. This time… it had to be me."
Haoran studied her for a moment, then nodded slowly, admiration softening his features. "You're stronger than you think."
The way he looked at her made her chest ache again, in that complicated, overwhelming way she still didn't know how to handle.
Yichen snorted lightly from the side. "Of course she's strong. She wouldn't have survived dealing with you this long if she wasn't."
Haoran shot him a look, but before they could fall into another argument, Meiyu sighed.
"Please," she said quietly. "Not now. I… I just want some peace."
For once, both boys fell silent.
---
That evening, lying in bed, Meiyu replayed the day in her mind. The whispers, the confrontation, the applause. The way Yichen's eyes lit up with pride, the way Haoran's gaze softened with admiration.
For the first time in days, she didn't feel like a cornered animal. She felt… free.
But freedom didn't erase the choice she still had to make.
Two hearts waited for her. And hers… was still undecided.
She hugged her pillow to her chest, a bittersweet smile on her lips.
Maybe, just maybe, she was stronger than she thought.
---