CHAPTER 2

Last night was a mess.

Mom got me angry, and sleep refused to come.

I stayed awake thinking about summer until four in the morning.

Now I was late.

I rushed into the bathroom and came out twenty minutes later, barely having time for skincare before digging through my closet. In the end, I grabbed a white tank top and black leather leggings.

I stared at my reflection.

"Ugh."

My eyes dropped to my chest.

Barely noticeable.

Other than that-and my short hair-I was what old Chinese novels would call

A beauty worthy of causing cities downfall

Monolid brown eyes. Calm. Observant.

A symmetrical face. Soft red lips.

A straight nose.

Pretty enough to be noticed.

Not bold enough to be left alone.

I threw on a black leather jacket, grabbed my bag, and rushed out.

Breakfast didn't cross my mind.

Mom didn't call after me either.

That was new.

With a frustrated sigh, I stepped onto the main road and tried to hail a taxi.

Ten minutes passed.

No taxi.

My irritation climbed steadily.

So did the stares.

Men. Women.

Everyone looked.

A group of boys finally approached.

"Hi."

I ignored them, staring at my phone like five idiots weren't standing in front of me.

One stepped closer. Tall. Blue-eyed.

Intimidation tactic?

Cute

They didn't know I spent sixteen years in China with a grandfather who believed girls should know how to fight.

Five seconds passed.

They didn't move.

Persistent

I looked up slowly and smiled.

Then, in Chinese, I said calmly

"Wǒ rènshi nǐ" ma?"

( Do I know you?)

Confusion.

Good.

Still smiling, I added,

"Nǐ yīnggāi zǒu, zài wǒ bù zài kèqì zhīqián."

(You should leave, before I stop being polite)

They froze like I'd spoken alien.

I almost laughed.

Just as my patience thinned to nothing, I heard my name.

"Vel?"

My body went still.

That voice.

Low. Calm. Familiar.

I turned.

And there he was.

Zephyr

Of course.

Today just had to get worse.

• • • • •



Zephyr pov

I wasn't in a hurry to be anywhere.

The car moved smoothly down the road, engine low, steady.

Then I saw her.

Even in a crowd, she was impossible to miss.

Short dark hair.

Pale skin.

All black clothes, like always.

And five boys standing too close around her.

A frown tugged at my face.

Wasn't she supposed to be in class?

So those are the type now.

I should've driven off.

There was no reason to stop.

No reason to care.

But that familiar irritation settled in my chest - the same one that always showed up when it came to her.

I slowed the car.

"vel" I called.

She froze for half a second before turning toward me.

And there it was.

Relief.

It flashed through her eyes so quickly most people would've missed it.

I didn't.

I stepped out of the car.

"What are you doing here this early?" I asked casually.

"Don't you have classes?"

My gaze shifted to the boys, flat and uninterested.

"Standing around talking to random men now?"

I didn't wait for an answer.

I grabbed her wrist lightly and pulled her along.

The boys didn't move.

They just stared.

Good. Let them.

We got into the car. I started the engine.

"You couldn't find anyone," I said lazily, "so you decided to advertise in public?"

She turned to me slowly, lips curling.

"And you've got nothing better to do than interrupt my good time?"

Goodtime?

I let out a quiet scoff.

"From what I saw, that looked more like a cry for help."

Her jaw tightened.

"Stop that," she snapped.

"You bitch."

Her accent thickened when she was angry.

It always had.

I almost smiled.

"Still hate me?" I asked, staring into the rearview mirror, my eyes fixed on her reflection.

"I never stopped," she said, clearly annoyed.

"Good," I muttered.

As I kept driving, my eyes drifted back to her for a second - just long enough to notice she still did that same thing she used to do. A small gesture: pinching the side of her hand whenever she was angry or frustrated. Tiny. Barely noticeable.

But I noticed. I always noticed.

I'd spent years watching her, waiting for the best opportunity to tease her.

We were already close to the school gate, maybe ten steps away. I stopped the car. She got out, muttering something in Chinese.

No doubt it was an insult.

When she turned to get her bag

I paused, letting my eyes flick over her. "You seem to have grown a little on the chest side."

She froze mid-step, then turned slowly and raised her middle finger at me.

I grinned and returned the gesture with absolute joy before driving off.

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