The next morning, XinYue tried to keep her head down in class.
Yihan was already there, leaning casually against the wall, eyes sharp.
Li Hanyan noticed her too, tensing just slightly.
Before Yihan could start, Zhao Xia slid into XinYue's side.
"Hey," Zhao Xia said lightly, looping her arm around XinYue's shoulder. "Come on, we're getting snacks. You're too tense already."
XinYue blinked, then let herself be pulled along.
Yihan frowned but didn't push further. Zhao Xia's timing was impeccable, smooth, protective.
---
The following day, the cafeteria buzzed with whispers, but Li Hanyan sat with a determined edge in his expression.
Yihan approached him, a smirk playing at her lips.
"Li Hanyan," she said, voice low but deliberate, "I think it's time you know everything about XinYue."
Li Hanyan's jaw tightened. "Go on."
Zhao Xia appeared behind XinYue, arms crossed. "Don't start drama in the cafeteria," she said sharply, giving Yihan a warning glance.
Yihan ignored her, clearly enjoying the tension. "You'll want to know the full story anyway," she said.
Li Hanyan nodded once, urging her to continue.
She leaned in, lowering her voice, like she was narrating a scandalous novel.
"Everybody hated XinYue back at her old school—except Xu Fei. She was the topic of gossip constantly. She… wrote a diary that got caught. And yes… she liked that idol you've probably never heard of. She still does. Seniors… some proposed to her. She accepted one at a time… for reasons. Some of it's messy. Some of it's true. Some of it's embellished."
Li Hanyan's eyes flicked to XinYue. She was quiet, calm, listening but letting Yihan speak. Zhao Xia stayed right next to her, protective yet relaxed.
"She's… human," Yihan finished. "Complex. You probably didn't expect all of this."
Li Hanyan's hands tightened around his tray. He glanced at XinYue, then Zhao Xia. "XinYue… is that true?"
XinYue lifted her eyes slowly. Calm. "Yes. Some of it. The rest… it doesn't matter anymore. That's the past."
Zhao Xia chimed in, playful but firm: "And the past isn't getting in the way of lunch, right? Now eat before it gets cold."
Li Hanyan exhaled slowly, tension easing. His eyes softened on XinYue, seeing her strength, her honesty.
"You didn't tell me," he said quietly.
"I didn't need to," she said. "You know me now. That's what counts."
He studied her, a slow realization settling. Everything Yihan had said… none of it changed what he felt.
And Zhao Xia, as usual, gave a small triumphant smile. Mission accomplished.