The classroom was eerily quiet after school. The only sounds were the occasional scratch of a pen and the ticking of the old wall clock. Su Jie sat in the front row, an empty answer sheet before him, and Ms. Lin at her desk, watching silently.
Su Jie took a deep breath. This wasn't just an essay—it was a verdict. His fingers twitched slightly, then steadied as he began.
Word by word, thought by thought, he poured himself into the paper. No copying. No secondhand lines. Just him—his emotions, his memories, and the voice he had buried for far too long.
When the final sentence curled onto the page like a signature, Su Jie put the pen down and looked up.
Ms. Lin picked up the sheet and read it silently.
Minutes passed.
Finally, she looked up with a faint smile. "That… was powerful. Raw, but honest. You've cleared all doubts."
Su Jie exhaled. The tightness in his chest loosened.
"Thank you," he whispered.
By the next week, the accusations faded, and Su Jie's accessory business picked up momentum. Students who once whispered behind his back now slipped him folded cash between classes.
"Got any of those LED phone charms?""Can you restock those BTS keychains?""How much for one of those sound-reactive bracelets?"
Using his mother's connections through her old factory friends, he sourced trending items at factory rates. Tang Rui helped with the packaging design—elegant, clean, minimalistic with pops of color that caught the eye.
They even gave the side hustle a name.
"PulsePop" — small accessories that popped with personality.
But PulsePop was just step one.
During lunch breaks and after school hours, Su Jie and Tang Rui could be found in the computer lab, surrounded by sketches, UI mockups, and layout wireframes pinned on the wall like a startup office.
They were building a website for the school fest: a portal where students could register, vote for their favorite events, and track scores live.
Su Jie handled the logic, linking each section like pieces of a puzzle. Tang Rui, surprisingly artistic and sharp with detail, created the flow—navigation bars, animation placements, button styles, font themes.
They went with a clean flat UI style—vibrant colors, large icons, and interactive hover effects.
The landing page had a responsive hero banner, showcasing all the upcoming competitions, while the event list had card-style grids with quick view buttons.
As they worked, they grew closer—not just as partners in a project, but as friends.
Sometimes Tang Rui would catch him staring at the screen too long and flick a pencil at his forehead. "Focus, CEO."
Sometimes he'd quietly adjust her chair height and smirk. "Now we're at eye-level. Balance in the team."
The school fest arrived with blaring music and confetti. The crowd was buzzing, and the digital leaderboard Su Jie built flickered on the big screen in the assembly hall.
"This is so cool!""You can register from your phone?""Wait—it even tracks the quiz scores live?"
When the principal gave a speech at the closing ceremony, he said:
"This year, we had not only participation but innovation. The student-led web portal built by Class 12's Su Jie and Tang Rui has redefined how we celebrate this festival. It's youth and brilliance in motion."
The crowd erupted into applause.
Su Jie looked at Tang Rui.
She didn't say anything—just raised her palm silently.
He high-fived her with a quiet smile. Their little world had changed.
Back in his room that night, Su Jie opened a blank page in his notebook and scribbled a title.
Project: Fragments of Regret
His dream game isn't about flashy speeds or neon lights—it's a 2D pixel RPG that weaves emotional storytelling with engaging mechanics. In this game, players take on the role of a "Collector" who gathers soul fragments by resolving NPCs' hidden regrets, unlocking new abilities as they restore broken lives.
Visual Style: Retro pixel art with a modern twist—clean, minimalist UI elements that evoke nostalgia yet offer intuitive navigation.Main Menu Design: An atmospheric, animated splash screen that fades into an interactive menu where players choose their path, set in a muted, emotional backdrop.Character Profiles: Detailed avatars, reputation indicators, and relationship stats that evolve as the player makes impactful choices.In-Game HUD: A streamlined display featuring a simple energy bar, a minimalistic speedometer (for movement and combat), and contextual mission prompts that guide the player's journey.Progression Flow: Structured around completing regret arcs—Missions lead to earned cash, which can be reinvested into upgrades, new tournaments, and branching storyline routes that impact future outcomes.Achievement System: Unlockable character skins, badges that represent key emotional milestones, and an in-game social feed where the impact of each resolved regret is displayed in real time.
He didn't need the code yet. He needed the soul of the game.
And maybe… a designer.
Su Jie: "Hey, got a second?"Tang Rui: "Always. What's up?"Su Jie: "Wanna help me build a game?"Tang Rui: "If I get to design the garage UI, I'm in."
He smiled.
System 007: Progress Report
✔ Misunderstanding Cleared: Trust Restored✔ School Fest: Victory Achieved✔ Side Business: PulsePop Growing★ Bond Deepened: Tang Rui - Trust Level (↑↑)★ Personal Project Started: Game Design Initiated★ Hidden Affection: Unlocked (Tang Rui - Curiosity Activated)
Mission Completion: 71%
The world was finally noticing him—not the old Xu Jie who was ignored, but Su Jie, the boy rewriting his future.And this time, someone was walking beside him.