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The morning sunlight spilled across the campus courtyard, soft and golden, brushing against the white uniforms of students hurrying to classes. Wang Meilin hugged her camera bag a little tighter, feeling the familiar weight of invisibility settle around her. Another day, another series of unnoticed footsteps trailing behind her step-sister’s dazzling shadow.

“Meilin! Don’t forget breakfast,” her step-sister’s voice floated from the apartment across the street. Wang Yuxi always sounded like she was singing—even when she was ordering Meilin around. Perfect, fragile, untouchable… always the center of attention.

Meilin sighed, adjusting her hair and slipping into the dormitory gates. Today was just another ordinary day, or at least that’s what she told herself. The campus buzzed with chatter, and somewhere in the crowd, the popular students strode past—effortless, magnetic, untouchable in their own way. One of them was Feng Yichen. Calm, composed, almost untouchable, yet he had this uncanny ability to notice small things… like her lost gloves last week, or the crooked strap of her camera bag.

She froze for a moment as their eyes met—well, his eyes briefly scanned the crowd, lingering slightly longer on her than on anyone else. She ducked behind a tree, cheeks burning, telling herself he was probably just looking at… something else.

And then, laughter—loud, infectious, impossible to ignore. Tang Haoran. He was practicing a little jog through the courtyard, headphones dangling, bouncing with energy that could light up a room. Handsome in that casual, effortless way, the kind that made people stare and whisper. And of course, he noticed her. Somehow. Always.

“Hey! You there, with the camera!” he called, flashing a grin that made Meilin want to sink into the ground. “You taking pictures again? You know, the world’s not all shadows—you should step out into the light!”

Meilin blinked. “I-I… I’m just… capturing moments,” she stammered, tucking her camera closer. Her heart pounded in her chest. Why was she so nervous around these two boys? One calm and unreadable, the other bright and impossible to ignore.

Haoran tilted his head, smirk widening. “Moments, huh? Make sure you don’t miss the important ones,” he said, tossing a playful wink before jogging off toward the club building. Meilin’s cheeks burned again, but she couldn’t help smiling. Even from behind her camera lens, she felt… seen.

And then, a familiar shadow fell over her. Wang Yuxi. Perfectly dressed, hair flawless, eyes sparkling with mock concern. “Oh, Meilin, are you taking photos again? That’s… cute,” she said, voice sweet, but sharp enough to cut through any confidence Meilin had mustered.

Meilin stiffened. “I—I just like capturing things,” she said softly, carefully avoiding Yuxi’s gaze.

Yuxi tilted her head, the practiced fragile pose in place. “You’re always behind the scenes, aren’t you? Not like me…” She laughed lightly, the kind that made everyone around her notice her brilliance, her charm, and… Meilin shrink a little further.

Meilin adjusted the strap on her camera, feeling the weight of the lens almost like armor. Behind Yuxi, though, Meilin noticed the flutter of movement—Haoran and Yichen had stopped nearby, both glancing her way, though unaware of each other’s presence. She felt an odd twist of panic and… something else.

Her day continued in quiet bursts of observation: club members setting up the photo studio, her friends Zhang Rui and Sun Xiaotong waving at her, a small smile from Li Na. Each wave, each hello, felt like a lifeline. And still, the two boys lingered at the edges of her world—one calm, one energetic—both leaving her heart racing in very different ways.

As the morning faded into afternoon, Meilin snapped a photo of a stray cat curling up on the courtyard bench. For a moment, she forgot about shadows, step-sisters, and crushes. She was alone with the lens and the soft light—her own little sanctuary.

Until a familiar, infuriating voice broke the peace. “Wow… what a pretty shot! Did you take this?” Wang Yuxi held her own phone up, pretending to examine the camera. Meilin’s heart sank. Of course, Yuxi had to notice everything Meilin did.

Meilin’s hand tightened around her camera. She smiled politely, careful not to show frustration. This was only day one, but already, the rules of her life were clear: shadows, glances, and the slow, unpredictable pull of hearts around her.

She didn’t yet know that her world was about to get even more complicated.

The camera clicked. And Meilin smiled.

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