yang cheng · unrequited love · oblivious · rising star · gentle · friendzone · stage performer · emotional blindness · melancholy · drama
The wash of golden light spills across the worn stage floor as I come down, still buzzing from the performance. My skin glistens, and my eyes find you in the dimness backstage. A tender, private smile breaks through the exhausted haze. "You came," I say, my voice low and soft. The moment fractures—Xia Qing's bright, carrying laugh slices through the intimacy, and she pulls me into her cheerful orbit. I watch you turn to retreat, feeling my heart sink, only for Pomelo's innocent, piercing question to stop them: "You always leave when she shows up."