Song Liu was completely terrified to go back to school after the rejection. He felt like his stomach was twisting itself into a tight knot every single morning. He knew Liang Xu was furious, and he figured the psycho bully would start punching him right away. But that's not what the rich bastard did. Liang Xu was smarter, and way more sadistic than that, seriously. He started with the mind games, which was somehow way worse than just a simple black eye, damn it.
When Song Liu showed up for class, trying to look invisible, he immediately felt eyes on his back. Liang Xu wasn't even touching him yet, but his whole posse of rich-kid cronies started doing this annoying, constant stalking. They'd just stand around in groups and stare at Song Liu whenever he walked past. They'd whisper and then laugh, but they never said anything loud enough for a teacher to hear. It was just a constant, slow reminder that he was being watched, and it made him feel completely trapped.
Song Liu tried to eat his lunch in the empty hallways to avoid the stares, but one day, one of Liang Xu's friends, a jock named Mike, found him. Mike didn't say anything; he just walked up real close and spat right onto the floor next to Song Liu's feet. Then he just walked off, laughing. It was such a childish, disgusting move, but it made Song Liu feel like actual dirt. He hated feeling so helpless against these powerful jerks.
The fear was making him totally lose his mind. He couldn't focus in class anymore because all he could think about was where Liang Xu might be lurking. He started getting terrible grades, and his mom was getting really sad about his report card, which just made Song Liu feel even guiltier. He wanted to tell her what was happening, but he was too ashamed to admit how completely terrified he was of the school king.
Then Liang Xu himself got involved in the mind games. He started pulling up in his expensive sports car right when Song Liu was walking to his bus stop. Liang Xu would just slowly follow the bus for a block or two, looking over with this cold, empty stare. He wouldn't even shout an insult, but that terrifying silence and the sight of that expensive car following him was a clear, chilling warning: "I know where you live, Pauper."
Song Liu started having massive trouble sleeping. He'd wake up in a cold sweat every night, seeing Liang Xu's cruel face in his nightmares. His eyes were constantly shadowed, and he looked like a total zombie now. He was scared to even look at his own reflection because he just saw a pathetic, tired victim staring back at him.
The feeling inside him started changing from pure fear into something hard and dark: hatred. He hated Liang Xu's guts. He hated his stupid money, his looks, and his casual cruelty. He desperately wished he had the power to make that rich bastard feel just a fraction of the misery he was feeling right now, just to wipe that smug look off his handsome face.
He knew this was just the beginning. The constant, silent threats were a terrifying buildup, and Song Liu knew the physical part of the bullying was going to start any damn day now. He just didn't know if he could survive it, but he had to keep showing up for his sister, even if he felt like a dead man walking.