Thursday morning rolled in with a chill in the air and a rumour buzzing louder than the school bell.
"Did you hear? Liang Meiyu walked home with Zhao Yichen yesterday!"
"No way. She’s the type to report gum on the floor."
"Maybe she’s his punishment buddy. You know, community service for annoying faces."
Meiyu kept her head down, clutching her notebook as she slipped into her seat. Zhao Yichen was already there, leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head, and an unreadable smirk dancing on his lips.
She sat down without looking at him.
"So now you're famous," he said lazily.
"No thanks to you," she muttered.
"You’re welcome."
She turned to him with a glare. “People are saying I’m—” She hesitated. “Involved. With you.”
His smirk widened. “A scandal already? What a rebel you’ve become.”
She groaned and dropped her forehead onto the desk. He laughed — a quiet sound, amused but not cruel.
---
At lunch, she escaped to the rooftop — her secret place to breathe, read, and sip her jasmine tea. It was usually empty, the breeze carrying petals and peace.
Today, however, someone was already there.
Not Zhao Yichen.
It was Lin Haoran — the class vice-representative, top student, and owner of the brightest smile Meiyu had ever seen. He wore his blazer properly and even carried an extra thermos for tea. She’d only spoken to him once when he’d returned her dropped notebook.
He smiled when he saw her. “Looking for quiet too?”
Meiyu nodded shyly. “Didn’t know anyone else came up here.”
He moved aside and gestured to the spot beside him. “Want to share some oolong?”
Surprised but pleased, Meiyu sat. For a few minutes, they talked about poetry, favourite authors, and why their physics teacher sounded like a sleepy panda.
She laughed more than she had all week.
---
Later, back in class, Zhao Yichen stared at her as she sat down. His pen stopped moving.
She glanced at him. “What?”
“Nothing.”
But his voice was clipped.
His jaw ticked when Lin Haoran waved at her from across the room.
And when Haoran offered her his extra pen, Zhao snapped his own in half.
"You're acting weird," she whispered.
He shrugged, pretending to be unaffected. “You’re imagining things.”
But his knee bounced the entire period.
---
When the final bell rang, Zhao Yichen walked ahead of her in silence — no teasing, no nicknames, not even an eye-roll.
She caught up beside him, confused. “Are you... mad?”
He scoffed. “Why would I be mad?”
"Because of Lin Haoran?" she asked quietly.
He looked at her, expression unreadable. Then, he leaned in just enough to say:
"If you like polite smiles and oolong tea, be my guest. But don’t come to me when you get bored of boring."
Meiyu’s breath caught.
Before she could respond, he was already walking away, hoodie pulled over his head, leaving her stunned in the hallway — heart tangled and unsure why it hurt.
---
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