The Media

The ride to the hospital was slow the following morning as Shun's driver manoeuvred his way through peak-hour traffic. And the tension in the car could cut through a block of ice. Mei sat quietly next to Shun and stared vacantly out of the window. She hadn't talked to him since she walked away from dinner and her silence was unsettling.

Shun had spent the entire night thinking about everything Mei had said. Was it really all his fault? Had he really misunderstood her? He racked his brain over and over again to the memories of that day, when he found her in his brothers' arms. And every time he thought of that moment, his blood boiled with anger, blocking all rational thought. Shun had to try with all his might to push that anger aside, and focus on what else he saw that day. And when he finally did, he remembered her cries for him to stop and listen to her. He realised then that she wasn't crying because he had just punched his brother. Her entire face was wet, her nose red and her voice was hoarse, as if she had been crying for a while.

Guilt riddled Shun's conscience. Why was she so upset? And what did she mean by he would've helped her? Helped her with what?

Everything Mei had said last night was true. She had laid it out bluntly in front of him. Shun had indeed refused her. He had hidden away from her and he had used the people around him to create a wall through which she could not get through. A wall designed to protect himself from getting hurt. And it was only now, that he was starting to realise that perhaps Mei was also hurting on the other side.

Shun looked towards Mei. She was no longer that young girl he had met all those years ago. The cruelties of life had taken its toll on her. The light in her eyes had disappeared, and she was fragile, both physically and emotionally. How much of it could he blame himself for? He had thought that simply giving her his name would protect her. As long as she was a Li, she would be okay. But if she was okay, then why did she stop being a Li?

"We're here Sir", the driver interrupted Shun's thoughts, as the car pulled into the underground car-park of the hospital. "But it looks like the media is also here", he added.

Shun cursed under his breath as he spotted the crowd of reporters waiting by the entrance. He had managed to keep his grandmother's illness out of the news these past few days, but it seemed his luck was up. He looked towards Mei again with concern before instructing his driver. "Go around the block and ask my men to clear them out", he ordered.

"There's no need for that. We'll get off now", Mei said. "It's not like you can keep me a secret for long in this city … and I don't want to wait any longer to see Grandma Li".

The driver hesitated and looked at Shun through the rear-view mirror.

"Listen to Madam Ren", Shun changed his order.

As the car slowed down and pulled up to the entrance, Mei took a deep breath. It had been a while since she had last fronted the media, and it was under very different circumstances. She was a Li then and now she was simply a Ren, so the old rule of keeping the media guessing no longer applied to her and she wasn't about to stick to it.

"Mr. Li! Mr. Li!", the yelling began as soon as Shun stepped out of the car. "Mr. Li is it true that the Li's and Yang's are planning a marriage alliance?" someone yelled out as Mei reached out and grabbed Shun's hand from behind. She could read the surprise his eyes, as he turned around to look at her, before recovering smoothly and helping her out next to him.

The media went silent for a moment, before they recognised her. "It's Ren Mei! The ex-Mrs. Li!", someone pointed out and an onset of camera flashes blinded her, followed by a barrage of questions. "Is it true that you cheated with Mr. Li's brother? Are you ashamed of breaking the family apart? Why have you come back now? Are you after money from old Madam Li's will? Are you here to stop Mr. Li's engagement?" came some of the more pointed questions.

Mei took a deep breath and simply raised up her right hand to silence everyone. "I know I have never spoken directly to the media before", she said. "But today I would like to take the time to clear up a few misconceptions. Firstly, I have never had an affair with Mr. Li's brother. Mr. Li and I separated for other reasons, but as you can see, we are still on friendly terms", Mei looked up at Shun and gave him her best smile. "Secondly, if Mr. Li wishes to remarry, then I will be the first to congratulate him and whomever the lucky woman may be", she said diplomatically. "And lastly I am here to see Grandma Li, because I care for her deeply and still consider her as my family", she finished, indicating to Shun's men, who had just arrived next to them that she would now like to enter the building.

"Ren Mei! Ren Mei! One more question Ren Mei!", she could still hear the media yelling out behind her as they escorted her and Shun through the entrance and into the elevator.

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