Man, the courtyard was straight chaos—the kind that only makes sense if you've ever been trapped in a school at 7:45 in the morning. Kids everywhere, energy bouncing off the walls even before homeroom. Teachers trying to wrangle everyone into place, barking orders with these desperate "please help me" eyes. I swear, if you put a couple goats in there, no one would've noticed.
So there's Li Wei and Zhang Jie, champions of last-minute entrances, doing their usual sidelong shuffle into the back of their class's line. I mean, their commitment to blending in was almost Olympic-level. Zhang Jie's tie looked like it'd survived a wrestling match—he tried to flatten it, but honestly, it had no chance. He leaned in, stage-whispered, "See? Perfect. We are ghosts, man."
Li Wei just snorted, jerking his lopsided shirt a bit straighter. "You wish. Invisible except to the one guy with laser vision. Why's it always me, huh? Never you."
And right on cue—like fate had a mean sense of humor—a shadow landed over both of them. You could almost hear the boss-battle music. Chen Guang walked over, looking like he'd just stepped out of an ad for "How To Intimidate Without Even Smiling." Uniform crisp enough to slice bread. Shoes so shiny you could use 'em as a backup mirror. His little gang flanked him, all trying too hard to look tough. Honestly, they looked more like lost puppies.
Chen's voice cut through the chatter, nice and extra: "Well, well. Li Wei finally shows. I was taking bets you wouldn't make it. Maybe you dropped out?"
Everyone heard, because of course he made sure they would. Some students genuinely laughed—others definitely fake-laughed, the nervous kind you do when you don't wanna get on the wrong side of someone who could ruin your week with a word.
Li Wei took it in stride, pulling a smirk. "Dropped out? And leave you to headline without an audience? My heart would just shatter."
Zhang Jie snickered, then nearly choked it down when Chen's eyes whipped over. Kid's got survival instincts.
Now Chen narrowed his gaze. "Still hiding behind those jokes, huh? One day, your mouth's gonna dig your grave, Li Wei."
Li Wei just shrugged, like nothing could touch him. "Maybe. But hey, it's gotten me over the line pretty often so far."
At this point, the chatter spiked—a couple teachers noticed, but let's be real, nobody's about to cross Chen Guang. Rumor is, his dad practically bankrolls the school. You don't mess with that. Li Wei though? He's just got that in-his-bones urge to poke the biggest bear in the room.
Chen stepped closer and kept his voice low—real mob movie vibes. "Laugh it up. Next time, you'll get hit so hard not even your mom will recognize you." Ouch, low blow.
For a flicker, Li Wei's grin slipped. He squeezed his fists. But then he forced the lazy smile back. "Easy there, Young Master Chen. That one's so old, even your crew's bored of it."
Zhang Jie hopped in, whisper-shouting, "Bro, quit while you're ahead—"
Then the whistle blasted, blaring over the drama. Saved by the bell, literally. Chen scowled and stalked off, flanked by his sniggering followers.
Li Wei let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and shook out his tension. He caught Zhang Jie looking like he'd seen a ghost. "Still standing," Li Wei whispered.
Zhang Jie half-grinned, half-wheezed. "Barely, man. Barely."
If you think anyone was paying attention during assembly after that, you're kidding yourself. Boring announcements, pep talks about sports and exams, the usual speech about "values" (no one's ever explained what that actually means)—Li Wei's mind was somewhere else. He couldn't help but notice Chen up front, looking smug as ever, like he was plotting his next scene. It was classic Chen: the kind of guy who thinks he owns every room he walks into. And, honestly, he's not totally wrong. If you break the unspoken rules around here, you better be ready to handle the storm.
Anyway, then—a small kindness showed up out of nowhere. "Good morning, Li Wei." Soft, calm, hits like a glass of cold water after sprinting laps. He turned and there she was: Lin Xinya. Her hair was catching the sun, and she just smiled at him. Not a "look at me, I'm cool" smile, but a real, genuine one.
That moment? For Li Wei, it was like everything else vanished—even the memory of Chen Guang's threats. His face probably went ten shades of red. He could barely nod back.
Zhang Jie elbowed him, grinning like an idiot. "You okay? You looked like you saw a ghost—maybe the nice kind."
"Shut up, dude," Li Wei hissed, but his half-smile gave him away.
After that, everything blurred together. Assembly, bell, whatever. Maybe there was a math quiz announcement? Didn't register. Lin Xinya's "good morning" was on repeat—like a little shield against all the garbage.
Finally, they were dismissed and trudging toward class—but, naturally, there was Chen Guang again, standing in their path like some bargain-brand villain, posse blocking every exit.
"You think you're so clever," Chen sneered. He always did this—tried to control every room, to prove that just being in his way was a mistake.
Li Wei held his ground. "Yeah, I do. Haven't you figured it out?"
Around them, everyone slowed down, sneaking glances, acting busy while waiting for the show.
Chen smirked, eyes narrowed. "Meet me after class. Behind the gym. Let's see if those words are worth anything when you're bleeding."
Li Wei felt his heart hammering, but didn't let it show. "Fine. Just don't whine if you scuff those overpriced shoes."
People suck in their breaths, waiting to see what happens next. The drama was thick enough to choke on. Chen finally barge-passed them, brushing his shoulder against Li Wei like a warning shot. His crowd followed, glaring like sidekicks in a cheesy movie.
Li Wei and Zhang Jie watched them go, both pretending to be calm but fully aware that things had just escalated. And even with the showdown looming, a tiny smile lingered on Li Wei's lips. Weird how something as simple as a good morning could make all the difference in the middle of a storm, huh? That's school for you—one second you're dodging bullies, the next you're knocked sideways by a smile. Cliché? Maybe. Still true.