The corridors of Yunhai Academy were abuzz with whispers that seemed to follow Mei Lin wherever she went. It felt as though every step she took was under scrutiny, as though her life had become some twisted form of entertainment for her classmates. The rumors had spun out of control, fueled by a single moment—a brief, accidental collision between her and Li Wei, now blown up into a grand tale of romantic intrigue.
"Did you hear? I heard she rejected Li Wei." "Li Wei? Rejected? Impossible." "They're saying she's doing it for attention. Trying to get closer to him."
Mei Lin clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white as she walked swiftly down the hallway. She had spent years keeping her head down, focused on her studies, not letting anyone in—yet now she was the subject of gossip, not for any fault of her own, but because people were desperate to create drama where there was none.
It was frustrating. No, it was infuriating.
She entered the library, hoping the quiet sanctuary of books would calm her racing thoughts. But as soon as she stepped inside, she felt a familiar weight pressing down on her chest. The rumors were there, too, lingering in the air like a heavy fog, impossible to escape.
Sitting down at her usual table by the window, Mei Lin opened her textbook, forcing herself to focus on her notes. She had a test in just a few days, and she couldn't afford any distractions, especially not now. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept wandering back to the one person she least wanted to think about—Li Wei.
His words from their last encounter echoed in her mind: "Don't believe everything you hear. And don't assume you know me." The cryptic tone of his voice had unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. What had he meant? Why had he said it with such conviction? Was he trying to manipulate her, or had she really misjudged him?
She didn't have time for these thoughts. She couldn't afford to get caught up in the tangled mess of school gossip and whatever game Li Wei was playing.
"Mei Lin?"
Startled, Mei Lin looked up to see Xiao Rui, her closest friend, standing beside her. Xiao Rui's usual bright smile was gone, replaced by a look of concern.
"Can I sit?" Xiao Rui asked.
Mei Lin nodded, moving her bag to make room. Xiao Rui sat down and glanced around the library before leaning in closer.
"I've been hearing some things," she began cautiously, her voice low. "Things about you and Li Wei."
Mei Lin sighed. "I know. It's ridiculous."
"They're saying you rejected him," Xiao Rui continued, her brows furrowing. "That you did it publicly to embarrass him."
Mei Lin's mouth fell open in disbelief. "That's not true! I never—"
"I know it's not true," Xiao Rui interrupted gently, placing a hand on Mei Lin's arm. "But people love drama, and they're running with it. You have to do something, or this will get worse."
"What am I supposed to do? Confront everyone and tell them it's all a lie?" Mei Lin's frustration was evident in her tone. She didn't want to care about what people were saying, but the constant whispering was starting to wear her down.
"You need to talk to Li Wei," Xiao Rui said firmly.
Mei Lin's eyes widened in surprise. "Talk to him? Are you serious?"
Xiao Rui nodded. "Look, I know you don't want to, but the longer you two avoid each other, the more people are going to speculate. If you talk to him, clear things up, maybe it'll help put an end to all this."
Mei Lin leaned back in her chair, exhaling heavily. The thought of talking to Li Wei made her stomach churn. He was the last person she wanted to confront. But Xiao Rui was right—if she didn't take control of the situation, the rumors would only continue to spread.
Before Mei Lin could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. Her heart sank when she saw who it was.
Li Wei.
He walked into the library with his usual calm, detached demeanor, his presence commanding attention despite his silence. Mei Lin stiffened, hoping he wouldn't notice her, but it was too late. Their eyes met across the room, and she could see a flicker of something in his gaze—recognition, maybe even annoyance.
Li Wei didn't break eye contact as he made his way toward her table. Mei Lin's pulse quickened, her mind racing. What was he doing? Why was he coming over here?
Xiao Rui leaned in closer, her voice a whisper. "Now's your chance. Talk to him."
Before Mei Lin could respond, Li Wei reached their table, his expression as unreadable as ever. He looked between Mei Lin and Xiao Rui for a moment before speaking.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice low but firm.
Mei Lin stared at him, her heart pounding. The last thing she wanted was to have this conversation in front of half the school, but she couldn't deny the intensity in his gaze.
Reluctantly, she stood up. "Fine. Let's talk."
They walked to a quieter corner of the library, away from prying eyes and ears. Mei Lin crossed her arms, staring at Li Wei expectantly.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
Li Wei raised an eyebrow, his expression as cool as ever. "You're not exactly making this easy."
"Making what easy?" Mei Lin shot back. "I didn't ask for any of this."
Li Wei's jaw tightened slightly, and for a moment, Mei Lin thought she saw a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Neither did I. But here we are."
Mei Lin bit her lip, struggling to maintain her composure. "So what's your point?"
"My point," Li Wei said slowly, "is that these rumors are getting out of control. And unless we do something, they're only going to get worse."
Mei Lin blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. She had expected him to deny everything, to brush it off like it didn't matter. But here he was, acknowledging the mess they were in, as if he cared about how it affected her.
"You actually care?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Li Wei's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that made her heart skip a beat. "I care about being misunderstood."
The weight of his words hung between them, and for the first time, Mei Lin found herself at a loss for what to say. She had assumed so much about him—his wealth, his arrogance, his coldness—but now, standing in front of him, she realized she might not know him at all.
"We should put an end to this," Li Wei said quietly. "Before it gets worse."
Mei Lin nodded slowly, her mind still reeling from the unexpected turn in their conversation. "Agreed."
As they stood there in the quiet of the library, Mei Lin couldn't help but feel the tension between them shift, ever so slightly. It wasn't gone—not by a long shot—but for the first time, it felt like they were on the same side. If only for a moment.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and students began filing out of the library. Mei Lin watched as Li Wei turned to leave, his usual aloofness slipping back into place like a shield.
Just before he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder, meeting her eyes one last time. "I'll see you around, Mei Lin."
And then he was gone, leaving her standing there, her thoughts swirling, the weight of their conversation lingering in the air.
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End of Chapter 3