The hospital lights buzzed faintly above them. Meilin sat quietly on the bench outside the emergency room, her arms crossed, the torn edges of her handkerchief stained with blood resting in her lap.
It wasn't her plan to get involved. She hated detours. But something about that man—the way he fought, the look in his eyes—forced her to step in.
A nurse stepped out and called, "Ryu Xian?"
He emerged from the room moments later, his arm now neatly bandaged, his white shirt changed to a hospital tee. His hair was still messy, a cut near his brow barely stitched, but he walked with that same confident stride.
"Didn't think you'd wait," he said, stopping in front of her.
"I didn't," she replied, standing up. "I just wanted my handkerchief back."
He let out a short laugh, handing it over. "Not many would've jumped into a gang fight like that. Especially not someone in a school uniform."
Meilin took the cloth. "You needed help. That's all."
"Still," he said, his tone shifting, "I want to know your name."
She looked up at him, her eyes unreadable. "Xueyin."
He raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't suit you."
"Excuse me?" Her voice sharpened.
He smiled faintly. "You don't seem like a 'Xueyin.' That name sounds... softer."
Her heartbeat skipped.
Damn it.
"I'll take that as a compliment or an insult—depending on your mood," she muttered, walking past him.
He followed.
"I'm not trying to offend. Just being honest. You seem more like... fire than snow."
Meilin didn't answer. She kept walking.
But Ryu Xian, for once in his chaotic, blood-stained life, felt his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with injury. It wasn't love. Not yet.
But curiosity?
Yes. Intense.
"Can I walk you home?" he asked.
She stopped and turned slightly. "No."
Ryu tilted his head. "You just saved my life. That makes us... allies?"
Meilin narrowed her eyes. "That makes us even."
And with that, she disappeared into the streetlights, her shadow swallowed by the dark.
Ryu stood there, wind brushing through his hair, still staring at where she vanished.
"Xueyin," he repeated under his breath.
No... she's hiding something.
And that only made him want to know her more.