Beneath the calm surface, shadows had begun to stir.
Somewhere, behind a glowing screen, a pair of eyes burned with jealousy as they scrolled through trending university forum posts photos of Chi Cheng falling over Wu Suo Wei to save him from a basketball, affectionate gifs looped endlessly, hashtags like #CampusCP, #ChiSuo, and... #ReturnOfShuoCheng.
The final one made him scoff.
Wang Shuo.
He had seen enough.
They thought they could forget him?
[The Campus Buzz]
It began with whispers.
Then, came the photos.
Someone dug up old yearbook snapshots from their high school days Chi Cheng with his arm around Wang Shuo at a school festival, Wang Shuo smiling smugly beside him during graduation. The captions? Merciless.
"Chi Cheng and Wang Shuo—High School's Golden Couple returns?! 😱🔥"
"Okay but are we ready to talk about how perfect they looked together?"
"Forget Suo Wei. The tension between Chi Cheng and Wang Shuo is ✨REAL✨."
"I'd ship ShuoCheng over anything. Period."
Suo Wei read it all.
He tried not to. He tried to focus on his class notes, but his hands kept shaking, his mind kept drifting. His heart thudded like a drum that wouldn't stop.
People were so loud online… and yet Chi Cheng hadn't said anything.
High School – Two Years Ago
"You're always hovering around him," Wang Shuo's voice had been sharp, laced with venomous jealousy. "If you don't want people like me approaching him, then you keep him safe."
Chi Cheng had clenched his fists. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you date me. Make it official. That way, no one comes near him. I back off... and you get to protect your little Da Bao from the world."
It was a cruel, calculated offer.
But Chi Cheng was desperate.
So he agreed.
They posed. Smiled in photos. Held hands in hallways.
But when the crowds disappeared, Chi Cheng would turn away. Silent. Miserable.
Only Wang Shuo ever smiled genuinely.
When high school ended, so did the deal. They parted ways without another word.
***
Back in their shared dorm, Suo Wei sat curled on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped around his knees. He hadn't said a word in hours. Chi Cheng sat across the room, rubbing the back of his neck, frustrated by the silence.
"Da Bao…"
No answer.
"Are you mad at me?"
Silence.
Chi Cheng sighed and stood up, walking over. He crouched beside him, voice soft. "You read the forum again, didn't you?"
Suo Wei's voice finally cracked through the tension. "...Do you still like him?"
"What?"
"Him. Wang Shuo."
Chi Cheng blinked, stunned. "Of course not."
"You've never told me you loved me, not even once. But you dated him."
The words hit like a punch.
Chi Cheng grabbed his hand gently. "That wasn't real. I swear."
"But I didn't know that. I kept seeing your photos with him everywhere. Everyone's saying you two are perfect."
"You're the only one I ever wanted to be perfect with."
He paused, voice trembling. "I've never told you I love you… because I wanted to wait until I could say it without hiding."
Suo Wei stared at him, eyes wide. The ache in his chest lingered, but a small part of him believed.
~
It was Jiang Xiao Shuai who noticed first.
"You're not eating. You look like you cried in the bathroom. Spill it, Wei."
Later that day, in an empty classroom, Suo Wei took a deep breath and told the truth.
"I'm engaged to Chi Cheng. We've lived together since high school."
For a long moment, silence reigned.
Then Jiang Xiao Shuai shouted, "I knew it!"
Guo Cheng Yu smirked beside him. "Took you long enough."
"You guys aren't mad?" Suo Wei blinked.
"Mad?" Cheng Yu leaned closer with a grin. "Wei Wei, I flirted with you to piss off your fiancé. I should be thanking you for being so adorably easy to tease."
"I support you, no matter what," Xiao Shuai said seriously. "You've always had Chi Cheng's attention. We just wanted you to be honest with us."
Suo Wei nodded slowly, a tear slipping down his cheek. Not from sadness, but relief.