The fireworks thundered above, but Liang Meiyu barely noticed their brilliance. Her phone still felt heavy in her hand, the anonymous message seared into her thoughts.
"Do you really think either of them likes you for who you are? Or are you just their game?"
Her chest tightened. It wasn't the first time someone had accused her of being unworthy. Whispers followed her since her first day here—about her family background, about her quietness, about how someone like Zhao Yichen or Wen Haoran could never truly mean it if they treated her kindly.
But seeing those words appear now, when both boys stood so close, made the air around her suffocating.
"Meiyu?" Haoran's voice broke her trance. He leaned a little closer, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the fireworks. "You're trembling. Are you cold?"
She blinked. "I'm fine." Her voice was too quick, too sharp.
Yichen's eyes narrowed. "You're lying again."
Her throat tightened. He was always like this—cutting straight through her flimsy shields, forcing her to confront things she didn't want to face.
"Why would I lie about something so small?" she muttered, clutching the bunny in her arms tighter.
"Because you always do," Yichen replied flatly. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, but his gaze never left her. "Every time you say you're fine, you're not. You just don't want anyone to see."
The words stung. Maybe because they were true.
Haoran frowned, stepping between them like he always did when Yichen's bluntness grew too sharp. "Not everyone wants to be interrogated, Yichen. Sometimes people just need space."
"And sometimes space is just an excuse to push everyone away," Yichen shot back. His tone was cold, but his jaw was tight.
The tension between the two was palpable, sharp enough to slice through the night. Students nearby glanced at them, sensing the atmosphere turning strange.
Meiyu felt her chest twist. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene. She forced a laugh, though it came out shaky. "Don't fight. It's… it's the festival. We should just enjoy it."
But even as she said it, another firework cracked above, showering the river with golden light—and her phone buzzed again.
Her heart dropped. She looked down, almost too afraid to read.
[Anonymous]: Smile all you want, but soon they'll see. The real you. The girl who doesn't deserve any of this.]
The words blurred. She blinked rapidly, but her throat burned, and tears pricked her eyes.
Don't cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
"Meiyu?" Haoran's voice was gentle, but it only made her tears harder to hold back.
Yichen took a step forward. His sharp eyes caught the shimmer in her lashes. "Who sent you something?"
Her breath caught. "W-What?"
"You looked at your phone, then your whole expression changed," Yichen said, his tone low, dangerously precise. "Show me."
She shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Meiyu." His voice was firm. "Show. Me."
Haoran stepped closer, his hand brushing hers softly. "If it's bothering you, you can tell us. You don't have to carry it alone."
Her chest ached. The way Haoran's kindness wrapped around her, the way Yichen's intensity pinned her down—it was too much. Too suffocating.
And then, like fate playing a cruel trick, a group of girls nearby whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
"Of course both of them are with her. She's playing innocent, but look at her, clinging to them."
"Disgusting. She's leading them on."
"No wonder someone wants to put her in her place."
Her knees wobbled. She wanted to scream, to tell them they were wrong, but the words stuck in her throat.
Instead, she whispered, "I… I need some air."
Before either boy could stop her, she turned and slipped into the crowd, weaving between students and lantern stalls until the music and laughter blurred into a distant hum.
She didn't stop until she reached the edge of the school grounds, where the festival lights gave way to shadow. Her breaths came in ragged gasps.
Why me? Why now?
Her phone buzzed again. Her trembling hands unlocked it.
[Anonymous]: Running away again? Don't worry. You won't have to run much longer.]
Her blood ran cold.
Behind her, footsteps echoed. Slow. Measured.
She turned, her breath hitching. A figure stepped out from the shadows, face obscured by the dim light.
"Finally alone," the voice drawled. "I was wondering how long you'd keep hiding behind them."
Meiyu's heart stopped.
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