Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.-Chapter 60: PAST-EIGHTEEN.

The hallway outside the studio was crowded with quiet conversations, the shuffling of feet, the buzz of vending machines. Parents and friends milled about, waiting for their kids, their classmates, their loved ones. Amidst it all sat Hua Rong on a bench, arms crossed, her foot tapping restlessly against the tile floor.

"How long do we have to wait?" Jiang Zemin asked for the third time, sprawled beside her like a bored child at the dentist's office.

"You can leave if you want," Hua Rong replied flatly, eyes still glued to the studio door.

Jiang raised an eyebrow. "And let you bike home alone in the dark with your sad little mood swings? Pass."

Without a word, she held up her hand and mimed two fingers walking across her palm. "I have legs."

"And the stamina of a wounded squirrel," he muttered under his breath, earning a glare.

Before she could come up with a retort, the door opened—and Xu Lingwei stepped out.

His hair was slightly damp from the effort, sticking to his forehead in soft waves, and his cheeks were flushed from the performance. But it was his smile—broad, bright, utterly unguarded—that made Hua Rong turn fully toward him.

He didn't stop walking. He jogged.

And then, without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace, arms locking around her like he feared she might disappear. Her eyes widened, stiff as a board in his hold.

"I'm really happy," he whispered near her ear, his voice a shaky breath against her skin.

She flinched at the ticklish sensation, wriggling her face away. "Okay—okay! Too close!" she huffed, lightly shoving his chest.

He finally released her, beaming like the sun. "That's good!" she said, trying to sound casual, but her voice came out too high-pitched, too awkward.

"Do you need a ride back?" she offered quickly, just to fill the silence.

Jiang Zemin shot her a look. The we-literally-came-here-by-bicycle-together-you-clown look.

Xu Lingwei shook his head, undeterred. "No, Yueming will come."

"Ohhh, he will come," she echoed dramatically, placing a hand to her chest like she'd just been hit by betrayal. "And here I thought he will come."

Xu Lingwei laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "He got held up."

"Fine then," she said, stepping back, hands raised in mock defeat.

But before she could turn away, he grabbed her wrist gently. "Wait."

She paused, brows raised, half a sarcastic remark forming on her tongue—until he pulled a small box from behind his back.

"What's this?" she asked, tilting her head.

"It's your birthday gift," he said simply, placing it in her hands. "We couldn't meet yesterday, so... I've been holding onto it."

Her fingers curled around the box. The wrapping was slightly wrinkled, clearly done in a hurry, but carefully taped at the corners. Her chest tightened. Her eyes softened.

"Thanks..." she murmured, voice barely audible.

Xu Lingwei's joy, however, was hard to contain. He looked like a boy who had just scored a hundred on a test and couldn't wait to show his mom.

"Hua Rong," he said, stepping closer, his hazel-brown eyes locked onto hers. "I want to do better. So much better than today. I want to become great—a real dancer, someone who can stand on stage and mean something."

She stared, unsure where he was going with this.

"So..." he said, reaching for her hand again. "Will you stay by my side? Always?"

Jiang Zemin, who had clearly tuned back in at the perfect moment, raised his brows with a faint smirk. He muttered to himself, "Finally, some entertainment."

"What are you talking about?" Hua Rong said, trying to laugh it off, but her voice cracked a little. "Why me?"

"Because I like you," he said softly.

She blinked.

"I really like you," he repeated, firmer this time.

Her heart stuttered. Her chest ached in a way that had nothing to do with joy. Something squeezed, twisted. She took a step back.

"I..." she hesitated, then shook her head quickly. "I don't like you."

His smile faded, just a fraction.

"I can never like you," she added, voice sharp now, trying to build a wall before he came any closer.

He reached out, eyes confused. "Hua Rong—"

She yanked her hand away as if his touch burned. "Stay away from me!"

Her own words rang too loud in her ears, bitter and cruel. But she pressed on, determined to say what had to be said—no matter how much it hurt.

"How did you even imagine I'd accept you? You're just... a weak person who always wants someone to hold him up," she said, each word sinking like stones. "And I'm not your babysitter."

The silence that followed was the kind that didn't breathe.

Xu Lingwei stood frozen, her rejection hanging in the space between them like shattered glass suspended midair.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Jiang Zemin looked down awkwardly.

Hua Rong didn't wait for a reply. She turned, clutching the gift box like it was the only thing keeping her together, and walked away—fast. Her footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway.

She didn't look back.

If she had... she would've seen him still standing there.

Still reaching.

Still smiling—just a little—but it was no longer the kind of smile that came from happiness.

It was the kind that held on to hope, even as it bled

Hua Rong didn't make it far.

The cool air outside the hall stung her face, and she didn't know if it was from the night breeze or the way her eyes burned. She walked fast, like she could escape what she'd just said—what she didn't mean.

But the patter of hurried footsteps caught up with her.

"Hua Rong!" Jiang Zemin's voice called out. Then came the sound of sneakers scuffing against pavement, and a hand grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

"Why did you say that!?" he snapped, not angry, just confused—hurt on someone else's behalf.

Her lips trembled, but she kept her head down.

"I know you like him," Jiang Zemin said, eyes searching her face. "I'm not stupid."

She didn't respond, but her silence spoke for her. And then he saw it—her eyes, glassy with unshed tears, lashes clumped together from the ones that had already fallen.

"Why?" he asked softly this time, voice cracking under its weight. "Why would you lie like that?"

She looked away, biting her lower lip. "Let's go," she whispered.

"Hua Rong—" he began again.

But she shook her head, not ready to unravel. "Please. Just... don't ask me anything right now."

She tried to walk again, but Jiang Zemin fell into the step beside her, and his usual snark quieted.

He didn't speak after that.

He just walked with her.

And in the heavy quiet between them, under the flickering light of a broken streetlamp, he realized that sometimes people break the hearts they care about... just to protect the pieces they never learned how to hold.

.....

Yueming's message had arrived like a soft command: "Come outside." Xu Lingwei, with a mind clouded by restless thoughts, obeyed without question. He stepped outside the building, his shoes tapping softly against the pavement, and was greeted by the sleek black car parked at the curb. Without a word, he slid into the passenger seat, the car's door closing behind him with a quiet thud.

Yueming was already in the driver's seat, his posture relaxed yet controlled. He turned the key, and the engine hummed to life, filling the space with a low, steady rhythm. Xu Lingwei sank into the seat, his eyes focused on the passing streetlights, avoiding any attempt at conversation. The stillness between them seemed to stretch endlessly, thick and oppressive.

Yueming glanced over at him, breaking the silence with his usual casual tone. "How was your performance?" His gaze flickered to Xu Lingwei, a faint curiosity hidden beneath the surface.

"Okay," Xu Lingwei replied softly, his voice distant. He didn't meet Yueming's eyes, keeping his gaze fixed on the passing streets. His response, short and emotionless, seemed to reflect the storm of thoughts inside his head.

"Oh," Yueming murmured, as if expecting something more, but he didn't press further. The car sped down the darkened road, and Yueming's grip tightened on the wheel. He glanced again at Xu Lingwei. "Where's that girl? I didn't see her." There was no accusation in his voice—only genuine curiosity.

Xu Lingwei flinched, a sharp pang of discomfort stabbing through him. He had hoped the subject wouldn't come up. The girl, the one who had always been there, seemed so distant now, a fleeting presence he couldn't reach. Yueming continued, oblivious to the storm brewing within him. "I thought she'd be with you."

The words landed like a blow, and Xu Lingwei's chest tightened. His throat constricted as he tried to hold the emotions at bay, but they were too overwhelming. With a quiet sob, he turned away from Yueming, burying his face in his hands. The tears came unexpectedly, hot and painful, slipping through his fingers and streaking down his face.

Yueming's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in alarm, and the car veered suddenly to the side of the road with a sharp screech of tires, coming to a jerking halt. He stared at Xu Lingwei, unsure of what to do, the silence between them deafening.

"What happened?" Yueming's voice trembled slightly as he glanced at the younger man, his worry turning to confusion. "Did I say something wrong, young master?"

But Xu Lingwei didn't answer. His sobs grew louder, echoing like a child's cry in the still night. Yueming felt helpless, his mind racing as he quickly opened his door and stepped outside. He rushed around the car, his heart pounding in his chest. Crouching beside the passenger side, he hesitated for only a moment before gently calling out, "Young master?"

Xu Lingwei's sobs didn't subside. Yueming reached for the car door handle, pulling it open carefully. His eyes softened as he saw the younger man, his face buried in his hands, trembling with every breath. He knelt down, uncertainty and concern etched across his face.

"Xu Lingwei..." Yueming spoke softly, but the words seemed to carry a weight of their own. He reached out, his hands trembling, unsure of what to do but desperate to comfort him.

Xu Lingwei's eyes lifted, red-rimmed and filled with unshed tears. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, in one fluid motion, Xu Lingwei collapsed into Yueming's embrace, his body shaking violently. His sobs were raw, desperate, as though every suppressed emotion had finally found its release.

Yueming froze for a moment, taken aback by the sudden closeness. But then, instinct took over. His arms wrapped around Xu Lingwei, pulling him closer. "It's okay," he murmured softly, his voice low and soothing. "You don't have to hide it anymore." He held him tightly, not sure if he was comforting Xu Lingwei or trying to comfort himself.

Xu Lingwei's cries slowed, but his body still trembled in Yueming's arms. The night air felt colder now, but the warmth between them, fragile as it was, seemed to fill the space, offering something neither of them had known they needed.

"I'm sorry..." Xu Lingwei whispered hoarsely, his voice breaking. He pulled back slightly, his face a mixture of sorrow and shame. "I don't know what to do..."

Yueming stayed silent for a moment, his hands gently cupping Xu Lingwei's face. "It's not about knowing what to do," he said softly. "It's about being here. You don't have to go through this alone."

For a long moment, the world outside the car felt like it didn't matter.