As the deadline for the Physics Olympiad loomed, the basement lab at the research center became our only sanctuary. Here, there were no suffocating phone calls from my mother and no cold "palaces" belonging to Lu Shaodong's father. There were only dancing currents, complex mechanical formulas, and a magnetic field between us that was becoming impossible to ignore.

On Sunday afternoon, the sun filtered through the tall ginkgo trees, casting dappled shadows across the lab bench. Lu Shaodong was focused on adjusting a laser interferometer, his long fingers moving through the precision instruments with an effortless, mesmerizing grace.

"Ling Yin, come hold this bracket for me. If we can keep the error under 0.3 microns, we've won," he said without looking up, his voice tinged with a streak of obsessive ambition.

I walked over and rested my hand firmly on the metal support. Our fingertips brushed accidentally against the cold alloy surface. For a split second, visible static seemed to crackle in the air. I started to pull away, but he caught my wrist in a swift, reverse grip.

"Don't move," he said, finally looking up. His eyes were no longer filled with their usual mockery; they held a piercing, almost reverent seriousness. "Your hands are steady, just like you. Sometimes I wonder... beneath that 'perfect student' shell, how much gunpowder are you actually hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything. I just want to get into a good university and leave this place for good," I answered honestly.

Lu gave a short laugh and slowly released my hand. He reached under the lab bench and slid a silver metal box across the table toward me.

"A gift. If you're going to rebel, you might as well have professional gear."

Confused, I opened the box. It wasn't jewelry or an expensive gadget. Inside was a pair of ultra-thin, titanium alloy eyeglass frames with lenses that shimmered with a pale blue anti-reflective coating.

"This is..."

"Those black-rimmed things are too heavy. They force your gaze downward," Lu leaned against the desk, a trace of tenderness surfacing in his eyes that he tried desperately to hide. "Wear these. When you look up at the world, I want you to see more than just formulas. I want you to see me."

I picked up the frames—they were light as a feather—and felt the cool touch of the metal.

"Lu Shaodong, why are you being so good to me?"

He was silent for a breath before he suddenly leaned in, trapping me between his body and the lab bench. That crisp scent of peppermint instantly enveloped me.

"Because in a world full of noise and interest, you're the only person who can hear the frequency of my soul," he whispered, his voice a low vibration that made my heart race. "Stop hiding, Owl. If you're unhappy, break something. Fight for something. And if you're afraid to do it alone, I'll do it with you."

Just as the tension between us reached a breaking point, the lab door was shoved open with brutal force. A middle-aged man in a tailored suit and cold, predatory eyes walked in, followed by two bodyguards. The temperature in the room plummeted.

It was Lu Shaodong's father, Lu Zhengyuan.

"Shaodong, are you done playing house?" Lu Zhengyuan didn't even glance at me; I was merely a speck of dust in the room. "I've arranged your interview at MIT. Stop wasting your time on these meaningless school competitions and... people like this."

Lu Shaodong's body went rigid, the warmth of a moment ago replaced by a volatile, simmering rage. He stepped in front of me, shielding me like a young lion defending its territory.

"That's your arrangement, not mine. And her name is Ling Yin. She's my partner. Show some respect."

"Respect?" Lu Zhengyuan sneered. "Talk to me about respect when you aren't living off my money. Let's go."

Lu Shaodong clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. I knew he was holding back.

"If he leaves, the project is dead," I said suddenly, my voice clear and defiant. I put on the new glasses Lu had given me. The world had never looked sharper. I looked Lu Zhengyuan straight in the eye, unafraid.

Lu Zhengyuan finally looked at me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

"Let's go," Lu Shaodong said abruptly. He grabbed my hand and pulled me right past his father and the guards, charging out of the lab. "Screw the interview. Screw the elite plan. Ling Yin, today we're playing truant."

He pulled me through the quiet hallways and across the sun-drenched lawn. I realized then that from this moment on, we weren't just rivals or partners—we were deserters, betraying the world together.