The school trip had basically whisked Li Wei and his classmates out to the edge of civilization, I swear—some chill hillside where the grass was so tall it practically swallowed your ankles, and the wind never shut up, just kept whispering through the trees. Honestly, it was a total 180 from the usual—none of that city noise, no basketballs thumping against cracked pavement, no dumb little fights over nothing. For once, Li Wei could actually breathe. He let himself relax, even though the pendant under his shirt kept pulsing—a tiny, annoying reminder that, hey, he had some wild, mysterious power riding shotgun with him. Responsibility, too, but who needs that on a school trip, right?
The sun slipped away behind the hills, leaving the sky all lit up in wild stripes of orange, pink, and purple—like someone went nuts with a box of crayons. All around, kids clustered near campfires, swapping stories, laughing way too loud, and roasting whatever snacks they smuggled past the teachers. Li Wei, though, he hung back a bit, hands behind him in the grass, just watching the stars blink on one by one. Stuff like this? You don't get it in the city.
Suddenly, someone touched his shoulder—soft, not startling. He looked up and, surprise, there was Lin Xinya. She smiled, and not the fake kind, either. Just warm and real.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked, voice barely above the breeze.
Li Wei gave a little head shake. "Nope. I was just… you know, thinking." Which, let's be honest, was kind of an understatement.
She sat down close, not quite touching, but close enough he could feel her there. The silence between them was the good kind, filled with the sound of wind, far-off giggles, and the occasional sizzle of a marshmallow biting the dust. He glanced over—her eyes picked up the starlight, all soft and thoughtful. Made her look almost magical.
"Wei…" Xinya started, and he could tell she was nervous. "I've been wanting to tell you something." She took a breath like she was about to jump into a cold lake. "I'm scared. I really am. My family… I know they'll pull me away someday. I don't know when, but it's coming. They've got these plans, these expectations, and I can't just ignore them. And honestly, I don't know if I can fight it."
Li Wei turned to her, and his heart did this weird clenchy thing. There was something about seeing someone so honest—he respected it. "Xinya, I hear you. I won't pretend I know exactly how you feel, but I can promise you this much: whatever happens, I'm here. I'll do whatever it takes. No one's dragging you away from the life you want—not if I can help it."
She looked at him, searching his face, her eyes wide and a little shiny. "Even if it's dangerous?" she asked, like she didn't quite believe anyone would go that far for her.
Li Wei's hand went to the pendant under his shirt, feeling its steady, warm pulse. "Especially if it's dangerous. That's when it matters most, right?"
They sat there for a while, just soaking up the quiet. For once, Li Wei felt the world slow down. The fights, the rivalry with Chen Guang, all the drama—it felt far off, like it belonged to someone else. The pendant's rhythm was almost comforting, like it was telling him, "You're not alone, bud."
Xinya shifted, scooting a tiny bit closer so their hands brushed. "Wei… you've changed too, you know. Since I met you. You're stronger. Braver. I… I really admire that." Her voice was so soft he almost missed it.
His heart stuttered. How do you even respond to that? "I'm just… I'm just trying my best. Trying to be ready for whatever's coming. For you, for my mom, for everyone who needs me."
A breeze rolled through, carrying pine and the smell of fresh grass—kinda grounding, honestly. The pendant under his shirt pulsed a little harder, like it was in tune with how he felt right then.
"I wish we could just stay like this," Xinya murmured, her gaze glued to the horizon where the stars were fighting to be seen. "No pressure. No family breathing down your neck. No school, no drama. Just… free to be ourselves."
Li Wei turned, voice gentle but stubborn. "Maybe we can't dodge all that stuff. But we can face it together. Makes it less scary, you know? Step by step."
She leaned into him, trusting, like she was finally letting some of those worries go. Li Wei felt warmth spread through him, way bigger than the pendant's magic. Maybe this was what real strength was—just being there for someone. Giving them a reason to believe.
The conversation wandered. They swapped funny stories from when they were little, talked about what they missed, what they wished for. Xinya opened up about the pressure at home, all the things she was supposed to be. Li Wei didn't have any magic fixes, but he listened—really listened. Sometimes, that's enough.
Night crept in. The fires died down, the teachers started herding kids toward tents. Most people disappeared, but Li Wei and Xinya stayed on the hillside, wrapped up in this little bubble of starlight and quiet. His pendant's pulse matched his heartbeat, steady and strong.
Xinya turned to him, her voice barely a whisper. "Wei… promise me something?"
He looked at her, totally serious. "Anything. Name it."
She smiled, small but real. "Promise me… no matter what happens, you won't give up. On yourself, on me… on everything we—"
And right there, under the stars, something unspoken passed between them. Not just a promise, but a kind of hope—like maybe, just maybe, together they could take on whatever the world threw at them.