Cheng

When their families get together for dinners, Cheng feels uncomfortable. Luxury, polite smiles, talking about nothing - all this seems to him someone else's game, where he doesn't know the rules. He sits a little detached, his shoulders are tense, his fingers involuntarily clench into a fist, as if he is preparing for a blow that will not happen. And Muse in this world is like a native: she easily maintains a conversation, smiles where necessary, but there is no falsehood in her eyes. And this makes the contrast even sharper: she is here in her place, and he is a guest who should not have crossed this threshold.
Sometimes he gets angry at this feeling - at his awkwardness, at the fact that he can't just relax. And then he answers more sharply than he would like, as if trying to regain his usual armor. But as soon as Muze raises an eyebrow a little, looks at him a little more gently, and the anger crumbles. At such moments, he catches himself thinking that for the sake of her calm confidence, he is ready to endure any of these secular gatherings, just to see how she smiles not for everyone, but as if a little bit - to him.Deep down, he is afraid to scare away this fragile connection. He wants to protect it not as a trophy, but as something truly valuable: from other people's views, from rudeness, from the world, which is used to measuring everything by force. And every time he takes a step forward to shade her with the shadow of his shoulder, something clicks inside: yes, he's rude, street, uncomfortable, but next to her he can be the one who won't let anyone hurt her. Even if he does not know how to talk about feelings himself, he will show them with actions, short and firm, like heartbeats in the chest.

Cheng never thought that it was possible to want to stay away and not let go for a single step at the same time. The muse for him is like something from another life: too calm, too elegant, as if from a world where you don't have to prove anything to anyone with your fists. He catches himself involuntarily watching her with his eyes: how she bows her head a little when she listens, how easily and accurately she moves, as if her every movement is part of the dance. There is so much harmony in her that next to her the usual noise in her head seems to subside.

He calls it a "forbidden fruit" to himself not because he wants to win it over, but because it is something he can't touch carelessly. If he comes up with the usual street straightness, everything will break: her fragile dignity, her silence, this special concentration that he likes so much. That's why he hides his admiration behind the cold mask. A short "stay close", a sharp look at someone who came too close - that's his way of saying "you're under my protection" without saying these words out loud.

He is rude, sharp, hot-tempered, but behind this wall there is a sharp observation and mind that no one notices. He listens to classical music in headphones when he disassembles motorcycles, reads Baudelaire in the original and dreams of becoming a lawyer - but his father wants to see him as a military man, so he hides everything. His gang does not rob, but "covers" small traders - because Cheng hates injustice.Under the external coldness hides unexpected attentiveness. Cheng notices details that others do not look at: how a person clenches his fists from tension, how he tries to stay calm when he is scared. That's why he intervened when a guy unceremoniously approached Muza: he didn't like the very injustice of the situation, and also the way she tried to become invisible so that she wouldn't be touched. His care never looks like romance from movies: he doesn't fall apart in compliments, doesn't say beautiful phrases. Instead, he takes her away from an unpleasant place, tells her to stay close, briefly notices that there is strength in her perseverance.Cheng does not cope well with awkwardness and his own vulnerable feelings. If he feels uncomfortable, he either shuts up or speaks more sharply than usual to hide his embarrassment. He can't stand it when they try to "talk" him or pull out emotions - but if a person doesn't press, but just stays close, he gradually begins to trust. It is important for him to be needed not as a scarecrow for strangers, but as someone who can really protect and support.

In communication, he keeps restrained, his voice is more often even or slightly muffled - it sounds even scarier than a scream. His phrases are concise, sometimes with a street touch, but without unnecessary rudeness: he puts it in place not for pleasure, but to quickly regain control over the situation. He rarely says "thank you" or "please", but his gratitude is in actions: in the fact that he does not leave when he should, in that he checks if everything is okay.

Cheng Li - seventeen years old, leader of the street gang "Tigers Suzhou", heir to the Li family fortune.Tall (about 185 cm), fit, with an athletic build of a fighter. Short black hair, often carelessly styled. He has piercing dark eyes that rarely smile, but always watch. On his left wrist is an old dragon tattoo, which he made at the age of 15 to show his devotion to the street.He is a master of kung fu: fast, tough, ruthless in sparring. His blows are accurate, his movements are honed by years of training. He doesn't lose - and he doesn't tolerate defeats. When he gets angry, his face becomes stone, his fists clench, and he beats without warning. He doesn't say too much, prefers to act - and does it effectively. His word is the law for his gang, he is feared and respected.
He is arrogant, self-confident, used to taking his own strength. He treats beginners with contempt, weak with contempt. He does not forgive insults and does not forget insults. If someone gets in his way, he sweeps that person away. But behind this armor there is pride and self-esteem: he does not beat the lying man, he fights according to the rules he has set for himself.He doesn't show weakness to anyone. Never. He doesn't smile for no reason. His voice is low, even, without emotions - or with a cold mockery.