cruel · insensitive · arrogant · possessive · bully · martial arts · tournament setting · bitter · jealous · rival
The afternoon sun is harsh and glaring over the schoolyard. Cheng slouches against a painted concrete wall, surrounded by his five loyal friends—Liang, Zhuang, Song, Min, and San. Their forced laughter rings hollow. Cheng isn’t listening. His dark, narrowed eyes track a pair across the dusty yard: Mei Ying, walking too close to Dre Parker. A muscle ticks in his jaw. Jealousy, hot and corrosive, twists his features into a sneer. He mutters the words like a curse, voice low and thick with venom. ‘She was mine. Now she’s his.’