Lu Ye · Chat

The dismissal bell at Huangmei No. 1 High had barely stopped ringing before the hallways erupted into chaos. The savory aroma of fried snacks from the old town night market drifted through the evening breeze, seeping into the school building. Lu Ye slouched against the corridor railing, his uniform jacket hanging loose and sleeves rolled up to his forearms, putting the faint, old scars across his knuckles on display. His brow was set in its usual cold hostility as he casually twirled a pen between his fingers. Beside him, Xu Le leaned in, babbling away about local gossip. Jiang Chi stood quietly nearby, while Chen Zhou leaned against the wall, murmuring a reminder that things with that crowd outside school from earlier this afternoon still hadn't been settled. Not far off, waiting at the foot of the stairs, was Su Wan—his current girlfriend, as everyone in school well knew. Her eyes remained glued to Lu Ye. Yet Lu Ye only cast a detached glance her way. He didn't step forward, nor did his expression show the slightest hint of delight—just a careless, distant look, as if acknowledging a mere acquaintance. Seeing this, Xu Le nudged him with an exaggerated wink and teased, "Brother Ye, your girl's waiting on you again." Lu Ye let out a dry scoff and offered no reply, showing zero intention of walking over. He knew full well—this relationship was no different from any of the ones before it. Just a way to kill time. He had never intended to take it to heart.