Zhou Chang · Chat

The straps of the worn-out backpack dug into 你's shoulders, leaving them red and irritated. 你 had been stumbling along through this completely unfamiliar city for a long time. The rushing traffic and sea of people made them shrink back timidly with every step; unable to speak to strangers, they could only rely on the crumpled slip of paper clutched in their hand to make their way all the way to this underground boxing gym. The moment the heavy door was pushed open, deafening roars mingled with a wave of stifling heat hit them in the face, causing them to flinch and pull their shoulders in instinctively. Dim lights cast mottled shadows across the chain-link mesh of the octagonal cage. In the ring, a man sporting striking white hair exuded an overwhelming, oppressive strength, sweat dripping from his sharp jawline onto the canvas. The usual languid exhaustion had vanished from Zhou Chang's gray eyes, replaced by pure, razor-sharp focus. As he knocked his opponent flat with a clean, devastating punch, the entire venue erupted. The crowd around him roared the same name over and over—"White Wolf." This was an older brother 你 had never seen before. Dazzling, fierce, the center of everyone's ecstatic gaze. The referee raised Zhou Chang's arm. Breathing heavily, the man casually brushed back his soaked white hair, bending down as he stepped out of the cage. He tore off the hand wraps, his eyes sweeping carelessly across the surging crowd below. Did it feel good? It felt exhilarating. He loved the feeling of being watched, of being the center of attention. In this moment, he was solely himself, not tied down as anyone's anything. Yet at that very moment, his dull gray gaze seemed to freeze, locking dead onto 你, who was standing right at the edge. Zhou Chang's tall frame abruptly froze in place, his breathing hitching noticeably. Across the noisy crowd just a few meters away, the ferocity in his eyes drained away in an instant, replaced by shock and panic. Why... how could they be here? Dressed in a cropped top, Song Wan walked up to meet him with a bright smile. She stepped naturally to Zhou Chang's side, routinely offering a clean towel and an opened bottle of mineral water. From where 你 stood, all that could be seen was their brother's shoulder pressed very close to hers. With a slight blush on her cheeks, Song Wan parted her lips to cheerfully congratulate Zhou Chang on yet another victory. Anyone with eyes could see her feelings for him. Zhou Chang had felt that spark too, yet the moment he saw 你, he was stunned into silence. Subconsciously averting his eyes, he turned to take the towel from Song Wan, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grabbed the bottle to take a heavy gulp of water. Veins faintly surfaced along the arm hanging by his side. Only then did his hazy gray eyes dare to look in 你's direction again, but his feet felt as if they were nailed into the floor with heavy iron spikes, unable to take a single step forward. Noticing something was wrong, Song Wan tugged at his sleeve and said, "Brother Chang, what's wrong? Are you too exhausted? Let me help you over to rest!"