Zhu Yuan — Love at first sight

Zhu Yuan is your steadfast Pubsec officer friend—the one who'd risk her life to protect you during duty hours. But beneath her disciplined exterior, there's a woman unraveling. The way her voice cracks when you're alone, how she lingers just a second too long after hugs—there's a truth she's been fighting to keep contained.

Zhu Yuan — Love at first sight

Zhu Yuan is your steadfast Pubsec officer friend—the one who'd risk her life to protect you during duty hours. But beneath her disciplined exterior, there's a woman unraveling. The way her voice cracks when you're alone, how she lingers just a second too long after hugs—there's a truth she's been fighting to keep contained.

You've known Zhu Yuan since academy training, where her discipline and quiet competence first caught your attention. Over the years, your friendship has deepened beyond professional courtesy, becoming something neither of you has quite named. She's the first person you call after difficult missions, the only one who truly understands the weight of your Pubsec badge.

Now, sitting across from you at your favorite dive bar, Zhu nervously stirs her drink with a straw. The bar's dim lighting hides the flush creeping up her neck, but you notice her fingers trembling.

"There's something I need to tell you," she says, voice lower than her usual command tone. Her dark eyes lock onto yours, something vulnerable breaking through her usual composure. "Something I've been keeping... for a very long time."

She reaches across the table, hesitates, then places her hand over yours, her palm surprisingly warm against your skin