Zhan's Pov.
"I hate that you're cute, and I like you!" Meng Ziyi shouted at me, her voice bouncing off the walls of the empty gym.
I stood there, dumbfounded, unable to grasp how or why Meng Ziyi would ever say something like that. Before I could respond, a loud, "Yo!" rang through the gym.
Wen Xu swaggered in, trailed by Xue Yang, Jin Zixuan, Wen Chao, and Yu Bin. "Zhan, you outdid yourself again," Wen Xu grinned. "We all scored a perfect 10 on our homework!"
"Ten?!" Meng Ziyi's voice shot up again, this time more annoyed than surprised. "Why did I only score 8?" she hissed, storming toward me and grabbing my jaw as if it would help her make sense of her lower score.
I tried to explain, although the words stuck in my throat. "I told you... I don't know anything about chemistry. But I'll study harder next time."
Her eyes glinted with frustration. "I'm angry," Meng muttered. "And I want to blow off steam."
I took a step back as she reached into her purse, pulling out a cigarette. She lit one, then another, the smoke curling through the air as she sucked in deep breaths. I had never seen her this agitated before. After her second cigarette, something shifted. A smirk appeared on her face, sharp and cold.
"Zhan, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, closing the distance between us again.
Her question caught me off guard. "No, I don't," I answered, my voice barely steady. "Who would want to be with a loser like me?"
"I thought as much." She stepped even closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. "How about a boyfriend?"
My breath hitched. "I... I don't have either," I stammered, unsure where this conversation was going or why I was suddenly the target of whatever game Meng was playing.
"He's a virgin," Meng declared loudly, her voice filled with mockery, causing the other guys to burst into laughter.
"He can't be this handsome and still be a virgin," Xue Yang commented, twirling a lollipop in his mouth, always the picture of casual indifference.
"I know he's a virgin." Jin Zixuan chimed in, joining the teasing, much to my dismay.
I clenched my fists at my sides, wishing the ground would swallow me whole. But the taunting didn't stop there.
"Yu Bin, what's the name of that girl in your class who likes you?" Meng asked her brother, her tone suddenly shifting, but the malicious undertone was still there.
Yu Bin, who had been watching quietly until now, looked confused. "Uh, Mian Mian?"
Meng smiled darkly, and a chill ran down my spine. "Xue Yang, go get Mian Mian," Wen Chao instructed with a grin, clearly in on the plot.
I had no idea what was happening or what these guys were trying to pull, but I knew it wasn't going to end well for me. Meng Ziyi's twisted smile confirmed that much. Whatever game they were playing, I was the unwilling pawn.
The door slammed shut behind Xue Yang, and the gym felt suddenly suffocating. I braced myself for whatever nightmare they had planned next.
The atmosphere in the room shifted as soon as Xue Yang entered, dragging Mian Mian behind him like she was nothing more than a doll. Her eyes were wide with terror, her lips trembling as if she wanted to scream but didn't dare. My stomach twisted in knots. I had never seen her look like that before-so vulnerable, so helpless. I felt a pang of pity for her, but it wasn't enough to stop what was about to happen.
Meng sat casually at the edge of a desk, her posture relaxed, yet her gaze predatory. Her dad owned the school, so she was untouchable and feared by everyone. And she knew it. The Wen boys had wealth backing them, just like Jin Zixuan. And then there was Xue Yang, whose mother worked for Meng's family. He was just a lackey, bound to Meng's whims. It was no secret that Xue Yang would never say no to Meng, no matter how twisted the request.
"Strip," Meng ordered the moment Xue Yang pushed Mian Mian forward. Her voice was as calm as if she were asking her to hand over her homework, but there was a wicked gleam in her eyes. She enjoyed this.
"What?" Mian Mian stammered, her voice barely a whisper. She looked from face to face, hoping someone would intervene, that someone would stop this. But no move. No one dares to move.
"I can help with that," Wen Chao said, a cruel smile on his lips as he reached out and ripped her uniform down the middle. The sound of the fabric tearing seemed to echo in the room, making my heart race. In seconds, she was standing there, bare and trembling.
Yu Bin, Meng's brother, was the only one who reacted. His face was tight with anger as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. But before Mian Mian could clutch it to herself, Jin Zixuan yanked it away, throwing it to the floor like it was trash. Yu Bin clenched his fists but said nothing. Even he knew better than to challenge Meng or her group openly.
"Entertain me," Meng said, lighting a cigarette, her eyes never leaving Mian Mian. One by one, the other boys followed her lead, lighting their own cigarettes, the room filling with smoke. All except Yu Bin, who turned his back and walked away, his jaw set tight, his body rigid with frustration and guilt. He couldn't protect her. Not here. Not from them.
I felt sick. My legs were rooted to the ground, and my mind raced, trying to understand how things had escalated this far. This was more than just a joke or a prank. Mian Mian stood there, exposed, humiliated, and I could see her desperation in every shiver that wracked her body.
"I don't understand what you want," I said, breaking the silence, my voice shaky. My eyes were on Mian Mian, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I was terrified for her.
Meng turned her gaze on me, her smirk widening. "Do you want me to spell it out for you?" she hissed, her eyes darkening with something far more sinister than amusement.
I froze.
The room felt suffocating with fear and smoke. Wen Xu, without saying a word, walked over to Mian Mian. His expression was cold, indifferent, as he pressed the lit cigarette into her skin. The sizzle of burning flesh echoed in the air, quickly followed by the dull thud of his fist connecting with her face.
She winced in pain, but not a single sound escaped her lips.
I watched, frozen in place. My heart hammered in my chest, my body trembling, not out of fear for myself, but for her. I had been through this before, but Mian Mian? She didn't deserve it. But what could I do? I have scars that had already marred my life, one that would never fade, but Mian Mian—she was still untouched by the darkness that had consumed them.
"I'm sorry," I mouthed the words, but they felt hollow. Mian Mian's trembling body seemed to understand, though. She shook her head, refusing to let me take the blame for this nightmare. It's not your fault, she said, though her eyes were filled with silent terror.
Meng, who had been lounging at the desk, hissed in irritation, jumping down. "You still have a mouth to talk?" she sneered, her voice like a whip in the air.
Her eyes flicked to Xue Yang, her favorite tool of cruelty. "Your belt will be useful now," Meng said, approaching me. A dark smirk played on her lips, and I knew what that meant. The belt wasn't for me. It was for Mian Mian.
Xue Yang, ever obedient to Meng, stepped forward, unbuckling the leather strap. I had seen this too many times to pretend ignorance. He beat her without hesitation, without remorse. The belt cracked across her body, and Mian Mian cried out, falling to the ground. The sight of her in pain twisted something deep inside me, and I wanted to scream, to stop it, but my voice stayed trapped in my throat.
"Just do what she wants," Mian Mian gasped through her tears. "Please." Her voice was so broken that it felt like a punch in my gut. She begged, not for herself, but for me to end it all by giving in to Meng's twisted desires. But how could I?
"I don't know what to do," I muttered, fidgeting, my hands shaking.
Wen Xu stepped closer, his lips curling into a smile that chilled me to the bone. "I'll teach you," he said, his voice devoid of any warmth. He grabbed me roughly and forced me to strip, pushing me onto Mian Mian, his fists and belt finding my back until I did exactly as he wanted. Each lash stung, but it wasn't just physical pain, it was the pain of knowing I had no control, that I was being used to hurt someone else.
The door creaked open suddenly, and a figure appeared. Yu Bin walked in, flanked by his father and security. For a brief moment, I thought salvation had arrived. Surely Meng's games would end with the presence of her father.
"Enough, Meng," her father commanded, his voice steady and cold.
Meng flashed a laugh, pretending it was all in fun. "Father, we were just playing around."
But her father wasn't amused. "You, stand up," he ordered, and I gratefully obeyed, expecting a reprieve. But I was wrong.
"Take her to the hospital," he said, nodding toward Mian Mian, now a crumpled mess on the floor. Then, his gaze turned to the boys. "I'll be reporting this to your fathers," he added sternly before leaving.
As soon as he was out of sight, Meng's calm façade crumbled. She turned on Yu Bin and slapped him hard across the face. "Get out," she screamed, her voice shrill with fury. Yu Bin, clearly shaken, left without another word, though his eyes darted toward Mian Mian one last time. His attempt to help her had only made things worse.
Once Yu Bin was gone, Meng turned to the security. "Mr. Kang, let Zhan handle it. We can't risk her going home and telling her father. I don't want my dad scolding me again," she hissed, her eyes dark with malice.
Mian Mian, barely able to speak, whimpered, "Please, I won't tell, I promise."
But Meng's cruel smirk only deepened. "Take her to the swamp," she instructed, "and let Zhan push her inside himself. Make sure you send me a video."
Mian Mian was dragged away, her sobs fading into the distance. My heart sank as the security guards followed Meng's orders, knowing all too well what awaited her. This was just another sick game for Meng.
I scream awake from sleep, sweat dripping from my forehead. My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath. I curl up in bed, pulling the covers tightly around me, but the images from the dream won't fade. Tears fill my eyes, spilling over as I sob quietly into my pillow.
"Zhan," I hear my grandmother's voice, soft but steady. Her presence fills the room even before she steps inside. She comes to sit beside me, her weight causing the mattress to dip slightly. Her hand moves gently to rub my back, a calming gesture that feels as old as time itself.
"Another dream?" she mumbles, more to herself than to me. Her voice is tired, but not from lack of sleep, it's a weariness that runs deep.
"Yes," I manage between sniffles, my voice trembling. "I could still see their faces, Grandmother. I pushed them... I pushed them myself."
She pauses, then sighs, her hand never stopping its soothing motion. "That's not on you," she whispers, her voice firm. "That's on them." Her words linger in the air, soft yet resolute. But they don't erase the guilt that claws at my heart.