The blur that was rushing towards me finally materialized. Before I could properly prepare myself, a couple of arms wrapped around me, and I stepped back by a space, ruining the risk of tripping over.
"Lihua!"
The voice, familiar to me, echoed in my ears. Relief swept over me as I glanced up and saw Wu Yating, her hair swinging with each bounce of mine as she clung to me so tightly. Her eyes glittered with joy as if it had been years since we'd seen one another, though only a weekend had passed.
"You almost killed me!" I growled, hitting her on the back as I struggled to get my balance back. "Were we going to exchange punches in front of everyone at school?"
Yating giggled, happily oblivious to the looks we were receiving from the students around us. "I just missed you, okay? You didn't respond to my messages, and Jiahao and I were worried."
I opened my mouth to respond, but another voice—smooth, soft, and slightly scolding—interrupted me.
"Yating, you'll make her fall down someday."
Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Lin Jiahao strolling toward us with that effortless walk of his. His school blazer slung over the shoulder of one arm, and the same combination of amusement and quiet concern I'd learned to anticipate from him.
"See? Even Jiahao thinks you're careless," I teased Yating, but my own heart pounded much faster than it should. Being around them made me feel safe… dreamlike. The softness of their smiles anchored me, but simultaneously, I couldn't help but have the gnawing feeling that this wasn't really my own life.
"You okay, Lihua?" Jiahao's eyes landed on me, keen enough to make me squirm awkwardly. "You look… a little different today."
I forced a smile and picked up my bag. "Just tired. That's all."
He cast me a look for another second but didn't pursue it. Instead, he fell into step beside me as we walked together towards the main building. Students who passed along the way greeted us—waves, nods, and friendly hellos aimed mainly at me. I reacted reflexively, though my thoughts were elsewhere already.
I had always been invisible in my previous life. Now, in this body, every smile and every glance seemed exaggerated, as if the entire world was waiting with bated breath for me to do something that I wasn't quite sure if I would do.
"By the way," Yating chattered, slipping her arm through mine, "have you given any thought to the gala your mother spoke of? Everyone's already abuzz. They say the Zhang family is inviting half of the city's elite to their party this year."
I shifted uncomfortably. The gala. Another obligation that made no sense but could not be evaded.
"I'll figure it out," I said lightly, though inside, uneaseness rose. The thought of pretending through an event filled with powerful strangers made my stomach twist.
The breakfast bell rang, shattering my daydreaming. The three of us looked at each other and then scurried to our classroom. We entered to find that I could not shake the feeling of curious looks following me. Whispers swept through the class, and for a moment, I wondered whether somehow they had sensed that I was not this Zhang Lihua they thought they knew so well.
But a smile and a gesture took over, and the instant vanished.
However, as I walked into my seat, I couldn't help but think:
This life might look perfect on the outside, but it's already getting dangerously exposing and any silly mistake might cost me a lot.