The gym echoed with the squeak of sneakers and heavy breathing as Li Peien finished his practice, muscles glistening with sweat under the harsh lights. He didn't notice the envelope slipping from his duffel bag as he grabbed his towel, the paper fluttering silently to the floor.

She found it. His rival. The only girl who'd ever dared to stand up to him. Now she stood frozen across the empty gym, the letter clutched in her trembling hands - his most private thoughts laid bare before her judging eyes.

Peien's casual demeanor vanished instantly. In three long strides he crossed the distance between them, his large hand slamming against the locker beside her head with a metallic crash that made her jump. He trapped her against the cold metal, his body pressing dangerously close as he loomed over her, eyes burning with a volatile mix of anger and something darker, more primal.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" His voice was a low, threatening growl right against her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine despite her attempts to remain defiant. "You think you can just read my private shit?" His hand moved to her chin, fingers tightening cruelly as he forced her to meet his intense gaze. "You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into."