Yu Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The light in the room had vanished, replaced by the darkness of night blanketing the library.
The atmosphere was silent, broken only by the distant ticking of a clock.
He turned his head to the side.
Ruo Lan was gone.
Only his uniform blazer remained, now draped over his own body. Yu Chen could only assume that Ruo Lan had covered him before she left.
He didn't bother thinking too much about it. With lazy movements, Yu Chen rose from his seat. His muscles felt stiff, and his neck ached slightly from the uncomfortable sleeping position.
He stretched briefly, took a deep breath, and began walking out of the library. His footsteps carried him back toward his classroom. The school was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the night wind brushing against the window panes.
When he arrived, his gaze immediately fell on something unusual—a folded letter neatly placed on his desk.
Yu Chen picked it up without haste. He slowly unfolded the paper.
Inside was a short message, unsigned:
Come to the abandoned park on the xx street. Alone.
He stared at the words for a few seconds, raising an eyebrow.
To him, this wasn't surprising. His life was already accustomed to strange and suspicious situations.
Without showing any particular concern, he folded the note back and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Then, he grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the classroom—
stepping into the night that held new secrets.
-----
At the abandoned park, Mo Yi Tian was standing with his four gang members, laughing and chatting under the broken streetlights. They formed a tight circle, like predators surrounding prey. In the middle, a figure sat bound hand and foot, silent and unmoving. Her long hair fell across half his face. She showed no fear, no panic—only cold stillness.
"Oooh, our special guest finally arrives~," Yi Tian sneered as Liang Yu Chen approached. "Heh, I knew you'd come. How was the trip? Did you get lost?"
"No," Yu chen replied flatly.
"Heh. Good, good. A model student like you would never get lost," Yi Tian said in an overly friendly tone, patting Yu chen's back.
Then he draped an arm around Yu chen's shoulders, his grin twisting into something darker. "But wouldn't it be perfect if you weren't cheating on Ying Yue? She's already perfect for you. You two are the school's golden couple. Isn't that right, guys?"
"Yeah, totally!" his gang members echoed.
"You dragged me here just to spout nonsense?" Yu chen's voice was cold.
"Of course not~," Yi Tian said with a cruel grin. "I'm here to help you apologize to Ying Yue. You know, she saw you sleeping next to another girl. She was sooo heartbroken. So… to make it easier for you, I'll show you something."
He snapped his fingers. "Boys, show him."
Yu Chen's eyes narrowed when he saw who was tied up—Shen Ruo Lan. Her uniform was deliberately torn open, exposing her slender chest and revealing the truth:
Ruo Lan was a boy.
A boy with a soft, delicate frame that could easily be mistaken for a girl's. Yu Chen didn't feel surprise. He felt pure rage.
"Shocked?" Yi Tian laughed. "I was too! At first glance, I thought he was a girl. But nope, he's a real boy—a boy with a body like a girl's. So, you'd better stay away from him. If you keep seeing him… people will think you're a disgusting gay. Even Ying Yue will think so."
Yu Chen stayed silent, but his eyes full of raged.
"Now you know his dirty little secret," Yi Tian continued, patting Yu Chen's shoulder with fake familiarity. "Don't worry, I'll vouch for you with Ying Yue. I'll tell her everything… as long as you and Ying Yue keep this quiet. Because if people find out Ruo Lan and I were… together, I'll blame the two of you." siad Yi Tian
He crouched in front of Ruo Lan, grinning wickedly as if savoring his humiliation.
Without warning, Yu chen seized Yi Tian by the shoulder, spun him around, and clamped a hand around his throat. His grip tightened mercilessly, lifting Yi Tian slightly off the ground.
"If you want to live… let him go," Yu Chen said, voice like steel.
Yi Tian's eyes bulged. The cold light in Yu Chen's gaze made his blood run cold—it was the look of a killer, not a student. Panic rippled through the gang. None dared to move. Yi Tian's face flushed red as his breath choked off, and finally, he forced a shaky nod.
Yu Chen released him.
Yi Tian collapsed to his knees, coughing violently, terror etched into his face. For the first time, the son of the principal realized he was truly afraid… of Yu Chen.
"Give him a shirt," Yu Chen ordered sharply. One gang member hurried to take off his uniform shirt, hands trembling, and handed it over.
Ruo Lan glanced at the boy, then at Yu Chen, before slipping the shirt over his shoulders to hide his torn uniform.
"Give him his bag." said Yu Chen coldly still.
Another gang member immediately fetched Ruo Lan's bag and held it out.
"Come here, Ruo Lan. Stand behind me." said Yu Chen
Ruo Lan moved carefully, his steps cautious, and stopped behind Yu Chen like seeking the safest place in the world.
Yu Chen's dark eyes swept over the gang, his aura suffocating. "This is the last time I see Ruo Lan humiliated. One scratch on him… and I'll take your lives as payment."
The words were terrifyingly believable. They weren't hearing the threat of a high schooler—they were hearing the promise of a killer who had killed before.
"Get lost," Yu Chen commanded coldly.
Mo Yi Tian and his gang fled into the night, fear chasing them harder than any predator. For the first time in his life, Yi Tian couldn't believe that the principal's son—the untouchable bully—had just been broken by Liang Yu Chen
Yu Chen stood still for a moment, making sure Yi Tian and his gang were really gone. The empty park grew quiet again, with only the rustling leaves and the faint hum of the city in the distance. He finally turned to Ruo Lan, who was standing behind him.
For a second, he froze. The sight of the boy under the moonlight made his chest tighten in a strange way. His black hair was messy, his face pale under the dim glow, and then Yu Chen noticed something odd.
"Hey… your eyes," he said.
"Huh? What about my eyes?" Ruo Lan blinked.
"One of them… it's blue?"
"Oh crap!" Ruo Lan quickly dug into his bag, pulling out a small mirror.
His voice went up in panic. "Ahhh! Since when did my contact fall out? Ugh, where is it? Ha.... I have to buy another one again...." He sighed dramatically and just removed the other lens, deciding it was better than walking around with mismatched eyes.
Yu Chen stared, unable to hide the way he felt. Those blue eyes weren't rare, but on Ruo Lan, they looked… unreal. The full moon made them shine like crystal. He cant forced himself to look away.
"Oi! Yu Chen! Hellooo!" Ruo Lan waved his hand right in front of his face.
Yu Chen coughed lightly. "Huh? Yeah."
"I said thanks for saving me. Twice now," Ruo Lan said, smile so brightly.
"Don't go near him again," said Yu Chen, "There are plenty of better guys out there."
"Hehe, okay," Ruo Lan replied, his grin widening. "By the way… you're not grossed out by me? I like guys, you know."
"Liking someone doesn't have to mean liking women," Yu Chen said simply.
"Wow, so open-minded," Ruo Lan teased, putting one hand on his hip. "Anyway, thanks again. I really owe you. See you at school!" He waved and started walking off.
Yu Chen watched his back, small and light under the moonlight. He wanted to ask why he dressed as a girl, whether the school knew, but they weren't close enough for that yet.
Suddenly, Ruo Lan turned around with a cheeky smile. "Oh, right! My real name is Lin Xu Yang. But don't call me that, okay? I want only you to know."
Yu Chen's thoughts froze for a moment.
Lin… isn't that a royal family name?
He stayed silent as Ruo Lan gave him a big smile. Yu Chen stared at his eyes… that brilliant blue under the moonlight, like shards of frozen lake water. For a brief moment, he almost forgot the world around them.
Then, Ruo Lan's phone rang.
"Hello, Shen Ruo Lan here—" he answered lightly, but his expression shifted in an instant. First surprise, then unmistakable panic.
Without another word, he ended the call and bolted, his footsteps echoing through the empty park.
Yu Chen's instincts kicked in before his mind could process. He ran after him.