The morning mist had barely lifted when the whispers began.
"Did you hear? She went looking for trouble again."
"They say Zhao Yichen nearly fell trying to save her."
"She's a curse. Everyone who gets close to her ends up in danger."
The words flowed through the campsite like poisoned streams. No matter where Meiyu walked, she felt them brushing against her skin, cold and cutting.
She kept her eyes down as she carried a tray from the meal tent. But just as she reached the table, a girl "accidentally" bumped her shoulder. The tray wobbled, nearly spilling.
"Oops," the girl said with a smirk. "Maybe you should stay away from cliffs and trays, Liang Meiyu."
Laughter rippled around.
Meiyu froze, her fingers gripping the tray. The old her would have swallowed the insult, walked away with tears burning her eyes. But the memory of the slope, the ribbon, and Yichen's furious shout came back to her.
Not this time.
She straightened, her voice trembling but audible. "If you're so brave, why don't you say it without laughing behind my back? Or does picking on me in front of your friends make you feel powerful?"
The laughter cut short.
The girl's smirk faltered, her cheeks flushing as eyes turned toward her.
Meiyu's heart pounded, but she held her ground. "I'm tired of being your joke. If you have a problem with me, say it straight. Otherwise—leave me alone."
For a heartbeat, silence. Then, unexpectedly, a few students shifted uncomfortably, looking away.
The girl muttered something and stalked off.
Meiyu exhaled shakily, her tray trembling in her hands—but inside, a spark had ignited.
---
From a few steps away, Yichen had seen everything. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles whitened. When he saw Meiyu standing her ground, his chest tightened in a way he couldn't name.
He strode over, grabbing the tray from her hands before she dropped it. "Idiot," he muttered, but his voice was softer than his words. "Don't waste your energy on trash like them."
Her lips curved faintly. "If I don't speak up now, I'll never stop being their target."
Something in his chest twisted. She wasn't the timid girl who always bowed her head anymore. She was changing. And he—he didn't know how to deal with the way it made his heart pound harder.
---
Haoran, too, had been watching. He didn't rush in, didn't interfere. Instead, he lingered near the edge of the crowd, a faint smile ghosting across his lips.
So she's finally lifting her head.
When she glanced his way, their eyes met. His steady gaze seemed to say: I knew you had it in you.
Her pulse quickened, not from fear, but from the warmth in his silent encouragement.
---
That night, the campsite came alive with a festival-like atmosphere. Lanterns hung from tree branches, swaying gently in the mountain breeze. A fire burned bright in the center, students gathered for games and songs.
It was tradition: each student would light a paper lantern, write a wish, and send it into the sky.
Meiyu held her lantern carefully, her brush hovering over the blank paper. She thought of everything—the lies, the whispers, the fall, the hands that had pulled her back. Slowly, she wrote: I wish for courage.
Beside her, Yichen leaned against the table, scrawling quickly and carelessly. When she peeked, she saw only three bold characters: Protect what's mine.
Her chest fluttered.
On her other side, Haoran wrote with quiet deliberation. His characters were elegant, precise: May the truth shine through the dark.
The three lanterns rose into the night, joining the dozens of others. Against the velvet sky, they glowed like fragile stars.
Meiyu watched them float higher, a lump in her throat. She didn't know what the future would hold, but for the first time, she felt like maybe—just maybe—she had the strength to face it.
---
But in the shadows, Lin Qian watched with narrowed eyes. Her lantern remained unlit, her wish unwritten.
She didn't need the stars. She had her own plan.
And soon, Liang Meiyu's fragile spark of courage would be snuffed out.
---
❓️❓️❓️❓️
Now that Meiyu has finally lit her spark of courage, will it grow into a fire strong enough to fight Lin Qian's schemes—or will her enemies snuff it out before it can burn brighter?