Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.-Chapter 65: PREPARATIONS.

The night had settled quietly over the football ground, blanketing the empty field in soft silver under the moonlight. The faint hum of cicadas filled the still air, and distant windows of the dormitory buildings glowed like scattered fireflies.

Hua Rong sat on the bench beside Xu Lingwei, her arms loosely crossed, her eyes fixed on the dark field. After a long stretch of silence, she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you think he's going to let us go?"

Xu Lingwei didn't answer immediately. His hazel-brown eyes reflected the soft shimmer of the night, unreadable but calm. Then, slowly, he leaned back, his hands stuffed lazily in his pockets.

"I think he's already forgotten," he said, his tone casual, almost amused.

"Why?" she pressed, standing up to face him, her silhouette outlined by the dim stadium lights.

Instead of replying, Xu Lingwei reached out and caught her wrist, tugging her effortlessly down onto his lap. Hua Rong let out a soft gasp, her palms landing against his chest.The faint scent of him hit her immediately — fresh soap mixed with the coolness of the night air, and something warmer underneath, something that made her stomach knot.

"Because," he said, his breath brushing against the side of her face, "something bigger must've happened. Bigger than us, causing a scene. That's why Teacher Jiayi came looking like she was holding in a storm."

His hand settled lightly against her waist, firm but easy, and Hua Rong, without thinking, looped her arms around his neck. She could feel the steady beat of his heart under her fingers, grounding and reckless all at once.

"It was you who caused the problem," she muttered, glaring half-heartedly. "We just got dragged into it."

Xu Lingwei only gave her that slow, infuriating smile — the one that made him look both dangerous and heartbreakingly easy to trust. The faint curve of a dimple appeared near his lips.

"And yet here you are," he teased, voice low, "still sticking to me."

"You're impossible," she muttered under her breath, trying to look away.

But the way the moonlight hit him made it hard not to notice everything — the messy fall of his dark hair, the sharp cut of his jaw, the warmth of his skin under her hands. His hazel eyes watched her with a quiet, devastating focus.

"You're really..." She paused, the words slipping out before she could stop them, "...pretty."

Xu Lingwei raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "Pretty's not a word you use for a guy."

"Then what should I say?" she challenged, tightening her arms around his neck slightly.

Instead of answering, he slid his hand beneath her shirt, fingers tracing up the bare skin of her lower back. The sudden coldness made her shiver, but it quickly gave way to a burning heat that climbed her spine.

Her breath caught, and for a second, the world seemed to blur — just his touch, his smirk, the low hum of the night between them.

Realizing what he was doing, Hua Rong jerked back with a startled gasp, standing up so fast she nearly stumbled. She tugged her t-shirt down, her face blazing.

"You're playing a dangerous game," she snapped, shooting him a glare. "This is still the football ground!"

Xu Lingwei only chuckled, stretching lazily like a cat, his long legs sprawling in front of him.

"So..." he drawled, tilting his head, "can we continue somewhere more private?"

Hua Rong's cheeks burned hotter. "No!" she barked, turning away before he could see the way her lips betrayed a smile.

As she stalked off, she heard him call after her in a low, teasing voice that wrapped itself around her like velvet.

"Don't run too far, Hua Rong... I'll come find you."

And somehow, under the quiet, endless night, the words didn't sound like a joke at all.

.....

Hua Rong stood at the front of Section C's classroom, arms crossed, her patience wearing dangerously thin.

"So, for the students who weren't present yesterday at the hall," she began loudly, voice echoing off the grimy walls, "let me explain—"

But before she could even finish, a lazy voice from the back shouted, "Not interested! Go away, teacher's dog!"

A ripple of snickers broke through the room. A few boys leaned back in their chairs, smirking, while others whispered behind their hands.

Hua Rong didn't even flinch. Instead, she turned her head slightly toward Bai Xinchen, who had come along with her today — clearly expecting this kind of circus.

In perfect silent agreement, the two moved at once.

Bai Xinchen grabbed the troublemaker by the collar while Hua Rong seized him by the arm. Together, they marched him to the open window at the side of the classroom, ignoring his startled protests.

With zero hesitation, they dangled him halfway out. His legs flailed in the air, sneakers squeaking against the window frame.

"Should we let go?" Hua Rong asked calmly, casting a glance at Bai Xinchen.

"Yeah, we should. He's been talking too much," Bai Xinchen answered, his face dead serious.

"No, no, please! Don't let me go!" the boy shrieked, gripping the frame with desperate strength, his face pale.

Hua Rong leaned in, feigning sympathy. "Aw, look. He's pleading now."

The classroom, once loud, had gone dead silent. A few boys near the front rows stiffened in their seats. Some exchanged nervous glances, scooting subtly further away from the windows — just in case.

"I'll listen! I'll listen to everything! Please, just pull me back inside!" the boy cried, almost in tears.

Finally, Bai Xinchen hauled him back in and dropped him onto the floor like a sack of laundry. He scrambled to his feet, panting.

"Good," Hua Rong said sweetly, brushing off imaginary dust from her sleeves. "Now sit down, shut up, and open your ears."

No one else dared to interrupt.

A few boys even sat up straighter, their previous bravado crumbling like sand. One kid gulped audibly, another hastily zipped his jacket up like it might shield him from being next. Even the class's self-proclaimed troublemakers decided it was wiser to behave — for now.

Hua Rong smiled slightly to herself. Blackthorn Academy's Section C might be known for its chaos, but today, at least, she was winning.

.....

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Hua Rong adjusted the mic stand carefully at the front of the stage, giving it a small tap to check if it was stable.

"Is it okay here?" she asked, turning her head toward Teacher Gaoshun and Teacher Jiayi, who were standing by the side, watching her set things up.

"Yes! It's perfect!" Gaoshun gave her a thumbs-up, his voice lively, while Jiayi nodded approvingly.

Earlier that afternoon, before Headmaster Jian's big announcement, Hua Rong had helped the teachers organize everything — lining up chairs neatly in rows across the hall, checking the sound system with the technical team, and even taping small direction signs near the hall entrance so students would know where to sit based on their sections. She made sure the banners were hung straight and the podium was dusted clean.

While the teachers handled the official paperwork and checked the lists of students participating in the upcoming competition, Hua Rong moved across the stage and floor like a whirlwind, making sure not even a single cable was left loose to trip over.

Even now, after most of the setup was done, she was adjusting little things here and there — fixing the tablecloth on the side desk where the trophies were displayed, making sure the announcement schedule was pinned properly to the board, and straightening out the corners of the flags placed behind the stage.

Watching her, Jiayi whispered to Gaoshun, "She's really taking this seriously, isn't she?"

Gaoshun chuckled. "She's been working harder than half the teachers here. Blackthorn's first prefect doing justice to her title."

Hua Rong didn't hear their words, but from their smiles, she could feel it — a rare warmth of being genuinely acknowledged.

And soon, when everything was set, the heavy doors of the hall opened wider — the students beginning to shuffle inside, their voices echoing through the grand space — ready for the announcement that could change the course of their time at Blackthorn Academy.