Chapter 25 - Just An Act

Backing up to the wall, Mei squinted her hazel eyes at him, her hands held out in response.

"What do you think you're doing? Get out."

Strolling around her room, Jian grazed his fingers over her bed,

"You must have been sleeping well."

Grimacing, she demanded, "I said get out."

Turning a deaf ear to her remarks, he sat down, patting by his side,

"Take a seat, Mei."

"If you don't leave then I will," placing her hand on the doorknob to turn it around, she instantly heard Jian's booming voice as he clamored out,

"SIT THE F##K DOWN."

Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Mei blinked back in shock.

Reminded of her family and the consequences she had to go through by not obliging, she lowered her head out of habit and sat on the other corner of the bed, trying to stay as far from him as possible.

Pursing his lips, Jian tapped his finger by his side, indicating her to come

closer.

Her mind void of any thought, Mei scooched beside him, expressionless, looking down at her feet.

Realizing the sudden change in her behavior, Jian lowered his voice, speaking in a calmer tone, "Do you want to tell me where you were till now?"

Gazing in the distance, her vision started blurring out as he probed her again, "Why were you this late Mei?"

"I just wanted to take a breath of fresh air after such a long day," she mumbled slowly.

"Where were you?"

"Somewhere, I don't remember," biting her lips, she felt a sharp pain in her palm. Glancing down, she saw that her nails were pressing hard enough to break her skin.

Noticing this, Jian scoffed out, "So this is how you ended up with bloodied hands at the party."

Her gaze shifting towards him, she muttered, "What?" with a tired face, her eyes blinking slowly.

"You haven't answered my question Mei, where were you? Don't you dare give me the bullshit about not remembering anything," reprimanding her, he stood up, towering before her.

Her voice soft, she hesitated, "I'm...I'm sorry, I don't remember. I can't think of anything right now. I'm sorry."

Grasping her chin tightly with his fingers, Jian glared down at her, "Do you think I'm stupid? I'm going to ask you one last time Mei, don't disappoint me again. Where did you go?"

"I DON'T REMEMBER JIAN, I DON'T," she screamed at him, pushing him off, her hands on her head, she felt her entire body trembling.

Dumbfounded at Mei, he felt himself losing control.

Yanking her wrist roughly, he looked at her blood-stained palms as she winced in pain.

Covering her mouth, he gritted his teeth in anger, shoving her on the floor violently,

"You think I would pity someone like you? What do you want? Sympathy? Attention? Well, congrats Ling, you achieved what you wanted."

Staring at her torso and knees, Mei couldn't hear anything he said.

A voice inside her head kept repeating

'It's your fault, It's your fault.'

Whispering softly, she inched her hands near her arms, her vision blacking out, "I deserve this, Don't I? I do, I really do."

"What the f##k are you doi..." alarmed by her actions, Jian stood frozen in place as he gaped at her in shock.

Yelling out loudly, Mei started scratching herself vigorously, over and over again, her arms red, while murmuring, "I deserve it, I deserve it, I deserve it."

Not knowing what to do, Jian kneeled down, gently placing his hand on her, trying to stop her.

Realizing that she wasn't alone, Mei immediately regained her composure and got up.

Pulling down the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she chuckled, "Oh, look at the time now, it's already three am. We both have to wake up early tomorrow and I'm pretty tired so I think I should go to sleep now."

Scowling, he looked back at her in disbelief, "You really are a born actress, aren't you?"

Avoiding his gaze, she changed the topic, tidying up her bed, "How would I get debuted if I wasn't? I haven't practiced for so many years to let everything go to waste."

His concern gone, Jian ran his fingers through his hair, laughing in repulsion, "To think I would care about someone like you for even a second. You disgust me, Mei Ling."

Pausing for a moment when she heard that, she smiled and continued to fold the blankets, ignoring him standing behind her.

Enraged, Jian jerked her hand away, snapping, "No wonder even your friend left you to rot in Group C."

Her smile fading, she turned back to face him.

"What friend?"

"You think I don't know how you and Daiyu used to be close friends? Everyone in the Academy knew what you did to her. You're lucky we hadn't ki..."

Suddenly, Mei slapped him across his face, infuriated at what he said.

"Did you just..."

"Shut up," her voice whimpering, she stepped forward, placing her hands on the dressing table, her breath shaky.

"You have no idea about what you're saying. Don't interfere in my life, Jian."

Scorning, he remarked, sarcastically, "Sure, I don't have a clue even the new trainees know about you and her."

"Can you leave? P... Please?" choking back on her words, Mei started coughing uncontrollably.

"There you go again, back to attention-seeking now, are we?"

Shuffling through the drawers, she felt herself wheezing, desperately trying to find something.

"Stop ignoring me, Mei," Jian said in a commanding tone while she continued to look through all the shelves and drawers.

Annoyed, he stepped in front of her, grabbing her shoulder, "Look at me when I'm talking, Ling."

"DON'T TOUCH ME," weakly shouting, Mei fell to the ground, unable to breathe, her hand on her chest.

"G...get o....out," she sputtered, holding on to the desk, trying to pick herself up.

"You... you are still committed to this act huh?" his voice wavering, Jian continued, "Aren't you done?"

Her hand slipping from the shelf, she tripped back down, her breath worsening.

"J....just l...leave." she whimpered, slowly losing her consciousness before hearing Jian panicking, kneeling down by her side as he placed her head on his lap.

"Mei? MEI! WHAT THE F##K? WHAT HAPPENED? MEI!"