Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.

For a moment, Hua Rong couldn't believe her eyes. Seeing him after so long—it felt surreal. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up, her feet moving swiftly down the staircase toward him.

"Hey, Xu Lingwei!" she called out, reaching his side and patting his arm.

He had changed. The boy she once knew had grown—not just in height but in presence. His features had sharpened over time; his thin lips curved into something between amusement and indifference, and his hazel-brown eyes, once bright with warmth, now carried an edge. His shadow stretched over her as he stood tall, exuding a confidence she didn't remember him having before.

"I didn't know you were my roommate!" Hua Rong said, her voice laced with genuine surprise. "I kept thinking your name sounded familiar, but I just couldn't remember…"

Xu Lingwei didn't respond right away. He simply studied her, his expression unreadable. Then, just as the silence began to stretch, a smirk tugged at his lips.

"You're acting really friendly," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Did you forget what you said to me?"

Hua Rong blinked, confusion flickering in her mind—until it hit her.

'Liking? Someone like you? Forget it, I'm not into weak boys.'

Her eyes widened slightly as the memory resurfaced. Their last meeting. His confession. Her rejection.

"Oh," she exhaled, a little awkward chuckle escaping her lips. "Come on, forget it!" She waved it off, forcing a casual tone. "We were young. There's no way you still hold a grudge over that, right?"

But Xu Lingwei didn't look amused.

"I do."

Hua Rong's smile faltered. "What?"

He stepped closer, his gaze locked onto hers. "I do hold a grudge," he repeated, his voice slower this time, more deliberate. "It was my first confession, and you crushed my heart." His fingers lightly pressed against the left side of his chest as if reliving the pain. Then, blinking twice, he added dramatically, "You know, I really got hurt. It was a deep wound, Hua Rong. So deep that I lost the capability to ever confess to anyone again. Your rejection has haunted me all these years."

Hua Rong stared at him, unimpressed. "Oh, please," she scoffed. "You're being overdramatic."

Before Xu Lingwei could retort, Lin Zeyan suddenly appeared beside them, an amused grin on his face.

"Oh? Is this a past-lovers' reunion?" he teased.

Hua Rong turned to glare at him. "Absolutely not."

She then looked back at Xu Lingwei, who was still smirking as if enjoying her frustration. That's when it hit her—she was stuck with this guy as her roommate. A guy who still held a grudge over something that happened ages ago.

Great. Just great.

She let out a sigh. "You know what? You're a jerk."

Xu Lingwei simply shrugged, his smirk deepening.

"And you're still as infuriating as ever.

Just as Hua Rong was about to throw another retort at Xu Lingwei, a voice echoed through the speakers—a firm, commanding tone that belonged to none other than the head teacher.

"All students, gather in the hall."

The announcement cut through the air, breaking the moment between them.

Lin Zeyan turned toward Hua Rong with a casual shrug. "Well, guess that's our cue. Let's go."

 ...

The grand hall was packed with students—around 150 of them—all gathered for what was an important announcement. For the first time, Hua Rong got a good look at her fellow students. The school was divided into three sections, each occupying a separate floor. The only places where students from different sections could cross paths were the dormitory, auditorium, or class hall.

A sharp voice cut through the murmurs.

"Well, well, here's my little troublemakers."

A middle-aged man with neatly combed dark hair and equally dark eyes stepped onto the stage. His presence alone was enough to command attention. Hua Rong recognized him instantly—Headmaster Jian, the man infamous for running this academy.

With an exaggerated sigh, he continued, "Each year, the number of students coming here keeps dropping. Truly heartbreaking."

There was a slight pause before he added with a smirk, "But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my duty to turn all of you into fine, disciplined students."

A few students exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke. Even the teachers standing along the walls remained silent, their eyes scanning the crowd.

The headmaster clapped his hands together. "Now, let's move on. This year, we have students from twenty-two different schools across the country—" He paused briefly before tilting his head. "Or maybe twenty-three. We do have an interesting case this year—a student from an all-girls school."

Hua Rong immediately felt the shift.

As expected, all eyes turned to her. A few whispers rippled through the crowd, but she had long since grown used to them.

From across the hall, Xu Lingwei gave her a teasing wave, smirking like he was enjoying the attention she was getting. Hua Rong rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him.

The headmaster, still smirking, turned toward the massive screen behind him. "Now, let's get to the real reason you're all here."

A large tab appeared on the screen, displaying the names of different schools. "As you know, there's a reason students don't exactly look forward to coming here."

The screen changed again, this time showing three sections, each represented by a different color.

"Blackthorn Academy is divided into three sections. These sections will compete against one another, and the winning section will get the honor of representing our academy."

That didn't sound too bad—until he added, "As representatives, you'll be sent back to your original schools to compete against their top students."

The hall fell silent.

Hua Rong blinked. Oh. That's... a choice.

Sending them back to the schools that had expelled them? Making them face the very students who had probably looked down on them? Yeah, that didn't seem like an honor at all.

The headmaster's smile remained in place, as if he was enjoying the realization dawning on everyone. "And, of course, the section with the lowest points will be the first to compete—in one week."

That was it? No explanation? No preparation?

Hua Rong could tell from the stiff posture of the students around her that they were all thinking the same thing. But no one spoke up. Because asking unnecessary questions meant breaking discipline. And breaking discipline? That meant losing points.

Hua Rong let out a slow breath.

So that's how this place works.

Keep quiet. Follow the rules. Earn enough points to get out.

And if you didn't?

Well... that was something she'd rather not find out

As the headmaster walked away, the tension in the hall eased, and the students began dispersing. Now it made sense to Hua Rong why today had been a day off—so they could all process the announcement.

She was about to leave when a familiar voice called out.

"Oh, we're in different sections!"

Xu Lingwei appeared beside her, his tone playful, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Let's see who ends up representing their school, hmm?"

Hua Rong glanced at him, ready to throw back a remark, but before she could, another voice interrupted.

"Oh, you're here!"

A tall figure approached—Xu Wenhan. His presence was calm but confident, as if he was used to commanding attention.

"Yeah, I recovered, so I came back," Xu Lingwei replied casually.

Hua Rong raised a brow. So they know each other?

As the two got caught up in their conversation, exchanging remarks like old friends, Hua Rong realized she was no longer part of it.

Taking that as her cue, she turned on her heel and walked away. There were more important things to think about—like figuring out how to survive this so-called "competition" without making a fool of herself.

  ...

Hua Rong entered her room, shutting the door behind her. The sudden stillness wrapped around her like a heavy blanket, a stark contrast to the chatter-filled hallways. The only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional creak of the old wooden furniture.

She sat on her bed, stretching her legs as she pulled out her phone. The screen lit up with a notification—a message from Feng Xue.

She's coming tomorrow to meet me.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she typed back a quick response, sending him the visiting hours. Outsiders were only allowed to visit once a week, between 8 AM and 11 AM.

With that done, she pulled herself under the blanket, letting its warmth envelop her.