Mistakenly Yours

Papers rustled, voices murmured – the classroom was the quiet hum of a beehive before sunrise.  From their spot at the head of the room, Li Miao and Xu Yue surveyed the organized chaos – makeshift stages here, costume piles there.

 

Li Miao tapped a finger against her lips, her gaze flicking to Xu Yue with a playful accusation. "Hey, tell me, Xu Yue, how did a complete proposal suddenly materialize into your hands?" Arms folded, her frown was more pout than true displeasure.

 

Xu Yue blinked, the picture of mild confusion. "It… appeared in my hands last night? Is there a problem?"

 

"We were supposed to work on it together!" Li Miao sighed.

 

Chuckling, Xu Yue reached out, brushing Li Miao's cheek lightly. "I’m sorry. It’s a bad habit."  It was more than that, she knew – a familiar urge to take everything on herself, to shield others from burdens. It was something she still needed to work on.

 

In the future, I must remember to coax the little cat before I do it. 

 

The panicked shout shattered the comfortable hum. "Xu Yue! There’s a problem!" One of the groups wore the pinched expression of people on the verge of a collective meltdown. Notebooks were scattered franticly, and brows were knotted tight.

 

Xu Yue and Li Miao hurried over, joining the circle of worried faces. "Hit a roadblock?" Xu Yue asked, her voice calm against the rising tide of frustration.

 

"It's this whole show-workshop idea," a girl gestured helplessly. "How do we...do them at the same time?"

 

Xu Yue sank onto the edge of a desk, mirroring their worried frowns. Just as doubt began to creep in, Li Miao's clear voice sliced through the gloom.

 

“Why don’t we tell stories? Lantern myths – with the characters between the tables as people make their lanterns..." Her words tumbled out, each one fueling the spark of an idea. “We could have a show go on while the other actors go help the guests!” 

 

A murmur of excitement replaced the frantic silence. Suddenly inspired, Li Miao snatched a forgotten roll of paper from beneath a stack of props. Shapes blossomed upon it: moons, suns, a grinning fox.

 

Xu Yue's eyebrows shot upwards, her surprise barely concealed.

 

I didn’t know she was so skilled at this. 

 

This whirlwind of creativity was a side of the little cat she had never seen. A warmth flooded her chest, a swell of pride as if she'd accomplished the feat herself.

 

Li Miao tossed back her hair, the playful flourish barely masking the flicker of triumph in her eyes. "Honestly, it's nothing," she laughed, the words light but unable to hide the undercurrent of satisfaction.

 

Xu Yue couldn't resist a teasing smile. "Truly, your hidden talents know no bounds."

 

Li Miao, feigning offense, retorted, “Hmph, I’ll have you know, this young miss can do much more! A beautiful girl can do anything, after all!”

 

Xu Yue chuckled, playfully ruffling Li Miao's hair. The pout was now an act, and Li Miao broke into a genuine smile before settling back into mock offense.

 

---

 

Zhang Wei was so bored in the committee meeting that the rhythmic tap of his pen against the desk echoed the dull thud of his heartbeat. 

 

No one volunteered in his class for this position, so the teacher forced it on him with a backhanded compliment: "Well, you’re responsible, right?"

 

Zhang Wei was shocked his reputation had backfired into this self-inflicted boredom, begrudgingly accepting the role.

 

The biggest surprise was that Xu Yue and Li Miao were both class representatives, seemingly getting along like old friends. He'd almost grown numb to that sight after witnessing Xu Yue’s gentle kindness at Li Miao’s place before.

 

But as Xu Yue pulled out elaborate lanterns and costume designs, his chin lifted off his palm.  

 

“Classmate Li Miao drew these designs for our show, I hope they'll be considered for approval.”

 

The sketches seemed to leap off the page, their detail so intricate they might take flight. A jolt of surprise hit him harder than any caffeine jolt could.

 

I didn’t know she could do that. 

 

His phone buzzed; the shock must have loosened his usually guarded fingers.

 

[Zhang Wei]: “Is it true that Li Miao made the designs for your class?”

 

[Ying Lian]: “Don’t text me.”

 

[Zhang Wei]: “Just answer the question.”

 

He pictured Ying Lian's scoff and heard it in her clipped response: 

 

[Ying Lian]: “Yeah? What about it?”

 

So she really made those… 

 

The meeting room, while productive, now felt stifling. He stood, stretching his tired muscles. He excused himself, and with a final glance at the impressive sketches, he pushed the door open to the hallway.

 

Lost in thought in the hallway, his mind was jolted back by the sight of Ying Lian's twin tails bouncing towards him, with bags piled high in her arms.

 

“Ah! Is that you Captain Zhang?” Her voice dripped with exaggerated sweetness. The unknowing might find her energy infectious, but he saw right through it.

 

Zhang Wei didn't even bother with a retort, opting for a dismissive, “What are you doing here?”

 

Ying Lian tiptoed closer, a mischievous glint in her sharp eyes. “Mmm, Ying Lian is running errands for her class! But it’s sooo heavy~ Can I bother Captain Zhang to help me out?”

 

T-this shitty brat… 

 

His jaw set into a hard line. “Of course… I’ll help out.”

 

“Thank you!” The word exploded from her as she dumped the bags with a thud, making him stagger. She skipped away while he struggled to recover, her snicker cutting through the air.

 

Locking eyes, a silent battle sparked between them.

 

I’ll remember this, Ying Lian. 

 

Yeah? Try me.