The next few days passed in a blur for Mei Lin. Every time she saw Li Wei across the school grounds, her heart ached with the weight of their unfinished conversation. He kept his distance, the same cold aloofness that had always shielded him now an even more impenetrable barrier. And despite her resolve, Mei Lin felt herself hesitating every time she thought of approaching him again.
The frustration grew within her, a mixture of anger at his stubborn silence and the deep sadness of being shut out. She hadn't expected their conversation to go perfectly, but she never imagined it would end with him walking away without an explanation.
She was sitting at her usual spot in the art room, staring blankly at a half-finished canvas, her brush hovering in midair. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on her work. Her thoughts kept circling back to Li Wei, to the way his voice had cracked when he said he didn't want to hurt her. What did he mean? Why couldn't he just open up?
A knock on the door jolted her out of her reverie. Mei Lin glanced up to see Li Na standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.
"You've been in here for hours," Li Na said, walking in and sitting on the stool next to her. "You haven't even touched your lunch."
Mei Lin sighed, setting down her brush. "I'm not hungry."
Li Na raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "This is about Li Wei, isn't it?"
Mei Lin didn't respond immediately, but the look on her face said it all. Li Na sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms.
"Why do you let him get to you like this?" she asked softly. "I know you care about him, but if he's not willing to talk, what can you do?"
Mei Lin shook her head, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I don't know, Li Na. I just… I thought I could reach him, you know? I thought maybe if I gave him the chance, he'd finally open up. But he just keeps pushing me away."
Li Na placed a hand on her shoulder, her expression sympathetic. "Maybe he's dealing with something bigger than you realize. You can't force him to talk if he's not ready."
"I know," Mei Lin whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But it hurts, Li Na. It hurts so much."
Li Na didn't say anything for a moment, letting the silence stretch between them. Then, in a softer voice, she said, "You know, you don't have to carry this on your own. I'm here for you, whatever happens."
Mei Lin looked up at her friend, grateful for her presence. Li Na had always been her rock, ever since they had first become friends in their freshman year. It had been during a particularly difficult time in Mei Lin's life, when she was still grappling with the loss of her parents and the weight of her responsibilities.
She remembered that day vividly—a day when everything had felt like too much to bear. Mei Lin had been sitting alone in the library, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the pile of textbooks in front of her. She hadn't known what to do, how to keep going when everything felt so overwhelming.
Li Na had approached her then, offering a tissue and a kind smile. "It's okay," she had said, sitting down beside her. "You don't have to do this alone."
From that moment on, they had been inseparable. Li Na had been the first person Mei Lin had confided in about her dream of becoming an artist, and in turn, Li Na had shared her own struggles with balancing her academic expectations with her desire to live life on her own terms.
Their friendship had been a lifeline for Mei Lin, and in this moment, she realized just how much she needed that support now.
"Thank you, Li Na," Mei Lin said quietly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Li Na smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Mei Lin. You'll get through this."
But despite her friend's reassuring words, Mei Lin couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was going on with Li Wei—something that went beyond his aloof exterior and his inability to express his emotions.
---
The following week, a rumor began circulating around the school that only added to Mei Lin's unease. Whispers about Li Wei's family surfaced—something about a financial scandal involving his father's company. It was all vague, half-formed gossip that Mei Lin couldn't make sense of, but it was enough to make her wonder if this was what had been troubling him all along.
The news reached her in fragments as she passed groups of students in the hallways, their voices hushed but curious.
"Did you hear? His father's company is under investigation…"
"I heard it's really serious. That's why he's been acting so strange lately."
Mei Lin's heart sank. Could this be why Li Wei had been so distant? Why he had refused to talk to her? If his family was going through something like this, it would explain so much about his behavior.
She wanted to reach out to him again, to offer her support, but every time she saw him in the hallways, he seemed more unreachable than ever. The cold mask he wore was more solid, more impenetrable, and it made her doubt whether she could even get through to him at all.
But as the days passed, Mei Lin couldn't help but feel a growing sense of regret. She regretted not pushing harder, not finding the right words to say when she had the chance. She regretted letting him walk away that day in the garden without telling him how much she cared.
What if he never comes back? the thought haunted her, gnawing at the edges of her mind.
---
It was late one afternoon, a week after the rumors had started spreading, when Mei Lin finally found herself face to face with Li Wei again.
She had been walking through the courtyard on her way to the art room when she spotted him, standing alone by the fountain. He looked… different. The usual confidence in his posture was gone, replaced by a heaviness that made him seem smaller, more vulnerable.
Without thinking, Mei Lin walked over to him, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the way his shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him.
"Li Wei," she called softly.
He looked up, and for the first time in days, there was no coldness in his gaze. Instead, there was something else—something raw and broken that made Mei Lin's heart ache.
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer. "I heard about… your family. I'm sorry."
Li Wei's jaw tightened, but he didn't pull away. For a moment, it seemed like he might retreat into his usual silence, but then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "It's a mess, Mei Lin. Everything is falling apart."
Her breath caught in her throat. She had never seen him like this before—so open, so vulnerable. She wanted to say something, anything, to take away his pain, but no words came.
Instead, she reached out, gently taking his hand in hers. It was a small gesture, but in that moment, it felt like the most important thing she could do.
Li Wei didn't pull away. He didn't say anything. But for the first time in what felt like forever, the distance between them seemed to disappear.
---
End of Chapter 20
---