Fan Series #1; Choosing Her

48; Trending Photo

JUNHAO

I stood at the threshold, my heart pounding against my chest as I whispered her name, "Zhubao..."

The room fell into an uneasy silence, a stark contrast to the lively chatter that had filled it moments before.

"Junhao." Zhubao's voice quivered as she rose from her seat, her eyes locking onto mine with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "What are you doing here?"

Guanyu's sharp voice pierced through the tension, "Asking why he's here, shouldn't he be here?"

Enzai's usually jovial tone was replaced with a somber one, "Yeah, he should be here..."

But before I could answer, Zhubao fled to her room, her footsteps echoing in the hallway like the pounding of my own heart.

"Zhubao..." I called out, desperation seeping into my voice as I chased after her.

But she slammed the door shut, cutting me off from her.

"Please, just talk to me," I pleaded, my voice muffled by the barrier between us.

Suddenly, a hand gripped mine, pulling me back from the closed door. It was Hang, his expression a mix of sympathy and admonishment. "Give her some space, Junhao. She doesn't want to talk to you right now, and you need to respect that."

I shook my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. "You don't understand, Hang. You don't know what happened."

But Hang just stared at me, his gaze unwavering. "I don't need to know. All I see is that she's hurting and pushing her won't help."

Defeated, I turned away, retreating to my own solitude in our shared room. I collapsed onto the bed, rain-soaked and exhausted, but sleep evaded me.

Through the haze of my feverish dreams, I heard Zhubao's voice, distant yet urgent. And then, the gentle touch of Enzi's hand on my forehead, the concern in his voice as he declared my illness. "He has a fever, ge Azhi."

As consciousness slipped away, I couldn't help but wonder if my presence had only brought more pain to the ones I cared about most.

YU ZEYU

Lying in bed, the soft glow of my phone illuminating my face, I absentmindedly scrolled through Weibo. It is currently Saturday, usually a day for relaxation, felt heavy under the weight of relentless raindrops pattering against my window. Yet, even the downpour couldn't dampen the allure of social media.

With a sigh, I navigated to the trending posts section, my curiosity piqued by the promise of new gossip and viral content. And there, amidst a sea of faces and hashtags, a familiar image caught my eye.

I sat up, the anticipation building as I zoomed in on the photo, disbelief knotting my stomach. Could it be true?

I couldn't mistake Shashou's distinctive features, and there she was, unmistakably her.

"Zhubao, and Junhao?" the sudden sound of my door creaking open startled me, snapping me out of my reverie.

It was Shuyang, his expression a mix of concern and urgency. "Have you seen the trending photo?"

I stumbled over my words, caught off guard by his directness. "W-What?"

He sighed; his tone tinged with frustration. "I know you've seen it. Look, it's blowing up with millions of views, likes, and unfortunately, plenty of hate comments. What should we do?"