The classroom buzzed with morning chatter, but Liang Meiyu barely heard any of it. Her pencil scratched faintly against her notebook, but her thoughts were a tangled mess.
Every time she looked up, she could feel them.
Zhao Yichen, sprawled casually in his seat, his chin resting on his palm. His eyes—sharp, unreadable—kept flicking to her. He didn't speak, but his presence weighed heavy, like a storm cloud threatening to break.
Wen Haoran, sitting one row behind, his quiet sighs and restless pen-tapping betraying the emotions he tried to hide. His eyes lingered too, softer, full of questions he never asked.
Meiyu's chest tightened. She could still hear their voices from the night before—the sharp clash of anger, the raw edges of jealousy, the heavy silence when she'd walked away.
She had spoken her truth in front of the whole school. But in front of them? She was still lost.
"Meiyu," a voice whispered.
She flinched. One of her classmates, a girl from the front row, leaned closer, her expression hesitant. "That was… really brave yesterday. What you said."
Meiyu blinked, caught off guard. "Ah… thank you."
The girl smiled awkwardly. "People talk too much, but… I think most of us know Lin Qian's the one stirring everything."
Her throat tightened. It was a small comfort, but it was something.
"See?" Yichen's low voice drawled from across the aisle. "Even the sheep are finally learning who the wolf is."
The girl's cheeks reddened, and she scurried back to her seat.
Meiyu shot him a glare. "Did you have to say that?"
Yichen smirked lazily, but his eyes lingered on her longer than they should have. "What? I was complimenting you."
"That was not a compliment," she muttered under her breath.
Behind her, Haoran's voice joined quietly, soft enough only she could hear. "Don't let him get to you."
Her chest warmed. Haoran's voice had always been her anchor—gentle, steady, like a calm tide after a storm.
But when she glanced back, his eyes weren't calm. They were conflicted.
The triangle pulled tighter.
---
By lunch, whispers followed her again. Some curious, some supportive, some still mocking. But the cruelest ones didn't sting the same way anymore.
Until—
"Well, well."
Lin Qian's voice sliced through the hallway like glass. She stood at the center of a small crowd, arms crossed, her smile sharp enough to cut.
Meiyu froze.
"You think one little speech makes you untouchable?" Lin Qian stepped closer, her heels clicking against the tiles. "Pathetic. People clapped because they were bored. Tomorrow, they'll forget you even exist."
Meiyu's throat tightened. The courage she'd held yesterday trembled now under Lin Qian's cold gaze.
But before she could speak, a tall figure slid between them.
Yichen.
His voice was low, dangerous. "Funny. You sound more scared than she does."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Lin Qian's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me… you actually believe her?"
Yichen tilted his head lazily, but his gaze was sharp as a blade. "I don't believe in rumors. I believe in what I see. And I've seen enough to know you're the snake here."
A hush fell.
Lin Qian's mask cracked, just for a second, before she let out a laugh. "So what? You're her knight now? How adorable."
Meiyu's cheeks burned. "Yichen, stop—"
But then another voice joined.
"Enough."
Haoran pushed through the crowd, his tone calm but firm. His eyes flicked to Meiyu, then to Lin Qian. "We're not doing this in the hallway like children. Lin Qian, if you have proof, show it. Otherwise, stop humiliating yourself."
Lin Qian's smile faltered. The crowd murmured, restless.
Her nails dug into her palms, but she forced a laugh. "Fine. Play your little game. But when the truth comes out, don't say I didn't warn you."
She spun on her heel and walked off, the crowd parting for her.
Meiyu's knees felt weak. Relief and fear tangled in her chest. Lin Qian wasn't backing down—she was preparing something worse.
---
That night, Meiyu sat on her bed, hugging her pillow. The silence of her room felt heavier than the crowd's stares.
Her phone buzzed.
This time, only one message.
[Unknown Number]: Enjoy your little victory. Tomorrow, I'll make sure you lose everything.
Meiyu's hands shook.
She didn't know if it was a threat or a promise. But one thing was certain—Lin Qian wasn't finished.
And with Yichen and Haoran caught in her orbit, neither was she.
---