Hua Rong was eating her lunch peacefully, enjoying the rare day off. She wasn't sure why they had one, but she wasn't about to complain. A quiet day was a blessing in Blackthorn Academy.
However, peace never lasted long here.
With a loud crash, a boy ca flying onto her table, knocking over her lunch tray and nearly toppling her chair. It was the third fight in just two days. What was she expecting? This school was practically a war zone.
She sighed, getting up without much fuss.
"Hey, are you okay?" the boy who had crashed onto her table asked, his voice full of concern.
Hua Rong blinked at him. He was the one who got thrown, and he was asking if she was okay?
Still, she gave a small nod, offering a polite smile despite her ruined al.
Before she could step away, a new voice interrupted.
"How can she be okay?"
A tall figure approached, hands stuffed lazily into his pockets, his expression utterly unconcerned. Xu Wenhan.
Hua Rong had heard of him—everyone had. He was one of the most well-known students in Blackthorn Academy, partly because of his status and partly because of his reckless behavior.
"Look at that," he added, tilting his head slightly as he ca closer. "Because of you, her lunchti got ruined."
Hua Rong remained quiet, watching as he studied her with sharp, unreadable eyes.
Then, his lips curled into a smirk. "Hua Rong," he said, smoothly rolling her na off his tongue.
She stiffened slightly. He knows my na?
Well, it wasn't too surprising. Xu Wenhan seed to know everyone sohow.
"I've heard you were the top student in your class," he continued, bending slightly so they were at eye level. His tone turned mocking. "Don't tell you're planning to do the sa thing here. Because you can't."
His friends behind him snickered.
Hua Rong's fingers twitched. And what's his problem, exactly?
She exhaled slowly, fighting the urge to respond. But then, out of pure instinct, her face made that expression—her signature expression that annoyed people the most.
Her upper lip lifted slightly on the left side, her eyes half-open, radiating the ultimate 'I don't care' energy.
Xu Wenhan's smirk faltered.
Ah. She did it again.
Realizing too late, she quickly covered her mouth and turned on her heel, bolting away before the situation escalated further.
She rushed back to the dormitory, her heart pounding. Great. Just great. The last thing she wanted was unnecessary trouble. Not with the academy's strict surveillance system.
CCTV caras monitored their behavior at all tis, and the electronic watch strapped to her wrist tracked their actions, awarding or deducting points based on conduct. To graduate with a 'sincere student' reputation, every student needed to collect at least fifty thousand points.
What if they didn't?
Their graduation certificate would reflect negative behavior and discipline, which would be a major problem for further studies.
Of course, so students didn't care. Many of them ca from wealthy families, so the consequences ant little to them. Just like Xu Wenhan.
As she neared her dorm, Lin Zeyan ca running up to her.
"Hey! Are you okay?" he asked, slightly breathless.
Hua Rong nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you heading back to your room?"
"Yeah. My roommate still hasn't arrived, so it's more peaceful there."
Lin Zeyan hesitated for a mont before glancing toward the door. His eyes landed on the naplate outside her room.
"Xu Lingwei?" he read aloud.
Then, sothing clicked in his mind. His eyebrows raised slightly.
"Oh. He arrived."
Hua Rong paused. "He did?"
Lin Zeyan nodded. "Yeah. Wanna go see it? He's a dancer, so he's probably at the auditorium."
Hua Rong hadn't been there yet. She looked toward the hallway leading to the academy's right-side building to the studio.
"...Alright," she said
Hua Rong and Lin Zeyan walked down the long hallway, their footsteps echoing against the polished floors of Blackthorn Academy. The overhead lights flickered slightly, casting faint shadows as they made their way toward the staircase. The studio for dancers was located on the second floor, and with each step upward, the distant sound of music and rhythmic movent beca clearer.
As they reached the second-floor landing, they stopped by the railing overlooking the studio below. Hua Rong peered through the gaps in the tal bars, her eyes scanning the vast, dimly lit space.
Down on the polished wooden floor, a lone figure moved with fluid precision. His ssy dark hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat. Each motion was effortless—controlled yet free, like he belonged in the rhythm. The loose black full-sleeve t-shirt and matching pants only made his movents appear sharper. He was the only one practicing at this hour, completely absorbed in his routine.
"He wasn't coming before because he broke his leg," Lin Zeyan murmured beside her. "But now that he's recovered, he's finally here."
Hua Rong's gaze remained fixed on the boy below. The way he danced—so familiar, yet unexpected. Sothing about the way he carried himself tugged at a long-buried mory.
Then, as if sensing her presence, the boy stopped. His breath was heavy, his chest rising and falling, but despite the exhaustion, he looked up toward the railing where she stood.
Their eyes t.
Hua Rong's breath caught in her throat.
His hazel-brown eyes. The na tumbled from her lips before she could stop it.
"Xu Lingwei..."
The mont she spoke, recognition flashed across his face. His expression shifted from surprise to sothing unreadable, but in that instant, he knew.
"Hua Rong!"
Lin Zeyan, watching their exchange, frowned in confusion.
"Wait... you two know each other?"
Hua Rong didn't answer imdiately. She could barely process it herself. Xu Lingwei... is my roommate?
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