"I…"
Liang Meiyu's voice broke in the silence of the committee room. Her fists trembled on her lap, but she forced herself to keep her head up.
If she ran now, if she kept hiding, Lin Qian would win. And worse—Yichen and Haoran would never know the truth.
"I was accused," she said finally, her voice low but steady. "At my last school."
The teachers murmured among themselves. Yichen stiffened beside her, his jaw tightening. Haoran's hand twitched slightly at his side, as though he wanted to reach out, but held back.
Meiyu's chest ached, but she continued. "There was a fight. I wasn't the one who started it, but I… I didn't walk away, either."
Her mind filled with the memory: the corner of the schoolyard, the shouts, the slap that came before she even understood what was happening. And her—the girl who had been her closest friend—turning everyone against her.
"They said I hurt someone badly," Meiyu whispered. "That I was dangerous. That I didn't deserve to stay there."
Her lips trembled. "So I left. My parents transferred me here, hoping… hoping I could start again."
The room went quiet.
For a moment, all she could hear was the thundering of her own heartbeat.
Then Professor Liu's sharp voice cut in. "You admit there was an incident. Yet you claim you were not at fault?"
Meiyu's throat tightened. "I defended myself. But no one believed me."
Lin Qian's smile widened, the picture of innocence. "How convenient, isn't it? Always the victim. Always misunderstood."
Her words slid like knives through the air. "Tell me, Liang Meiyu—if that was really the truth, why did your best friend testify against you?"
The blood drained from Meiyu's face.
Yichen's chair screeched against the floor as he stood abruptly. "Enough!" His voice roared through the room, sharp and furious. "You think repeating lies makes them true? She already told you—she was framed."
Haoran, for once, didn't hold back either. His voice was colder than the winter wind. "Lin Qian, you're exploiting something you know nothing about. This isn't about justice. This is about your jealousy."
Lin Qian's expression flickered for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure. "Jealousy? Please. I'm only telling the truth. Shouldn't everyone here value that?"
Professor Liu cleared his throat, silencing the rising voices. "Enough. We will deliberate further. For now, Liang Meiyu, you may go."
---
Outside the committee room, the air felt heavier than before.
Meiyu leaned against the wall, her strength nearly gone. The weight of her confession still pressed on her chest. She'd wanted freedom, but instead she felt exposed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yichen's voice was raw, low. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
Meiyu shook her head, her voice cracking. "Because… I didn't want you to see me like that. Someone everyone hated. Someone who…" Her words broke. "Someone who caused trouble, again and again."
Yichen's eyes softened, though his anger didn't fade. "Idiot. Do you really think that would change how I see you?"
Her lips parted, but before she could answer, Haoran spoke.
"Meiyu." His voice was quiet but heavy with emotion. "You don't have to erase your past to deserve happiness. You're allowed to have scars."
The kindness in his eyes almost undid her.
But Lin Qian's laughter echoed down the hall.
"How touching," she said smoothly, stepping past them with a smug smile. "But tell me—how long before everyone else believes that sweet little story of yours? Secrets have a way of staining, you know. And I'll make sure this one spreads."
She left without waiting for a response, her heels clicking like victory drums.
Meiyu's knees gave way, and she sank slowly onto the bench. Yichen knelt in front of her immediately, his eyes burning with anger she knew wasn't directed at her.
"Don't you dare believe her," he growled. "We'll prove it. Whatever it takes, we'll prove you were telling the truth."
Haoran's voice was steadier, but his hand rested gently on her shoulder. "Even if the world doubts you… we don't."
Her tears finally fell, hot and unrelenting. For the first time since she came here, she wasn't crying alone.
But the whispers in the hall, the looks of suspicion from passing students, told her Lin Qian's words had already begun to spread.
Her past was no longer a secret.
And now, her future at this school—and with the two boys who stood beside her—was more fragile than ever.
---
❓️❓️❓️❓️
Now that Meiyu's secret is exposed, will Yichen and Haoran's loyalty be enough to protect her—or will the weight of rumors crush her new beginning?