Chapter 25: Conversations Under the Surface

The next morning, Mei Lin found herself standing in front of her mirror, scrutinizing her reflection as though it held the answer to the swirling uncertainty inside her. Li Wei's message from the previous night had kept her up until the early hours, turning over the possibilities of what he wanted to talk about. Her emotions were tangled—part hope, part fear.

She let out a soft sigh, pulling her hair into a neat ponytail before heading out the door. She didn't know what she was preparing herself for—was it a confrontation, a confession, or something entirely different? She only knew that something between them was about to change, and she had no idea which direction it would take.

When she arrived at the small café where they had agreed to meet, Li Wei was already there, seated at a table in the far corner, his back to the door. His presence, as always, was magnetic—sharp jawline, dark eyes focused on the coffee cup in front of him as if it held all the answers to life's questions.

Taking a deep breath, Mei Lin crossed the room, her steps slow but steady. As she sat down, Li Wei finally looked up, his gaze locking with hers. For a moment, the noise of the café seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them in a bubble of tense silence.

"You look tired," Li Wei said quietly, his voice low but soft in its concern.

Mei Lin managed a small smile. "You're one to talk. You look like you haven't slept in days."

Li Wei let out a faint chuckle, though it lacked its usual coldness. "Touché."

Another beat of silence passed between them before Mei Lin finally spoke again, her voice hesitant but determined. "You said you wanted to talk. What's going on, Li Wei?"

Li Wei's expression darkened, and for a moment, he looked down at his coffee as though searching for the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was strained, the usual confidence stripped away. "There's something I need to tell you, Mei Lin. Something I've been keeping from you."

Her heart skipped a beat, and Mei Lin leaned forward slightly, her pulse quickening. "What is it?"

Li Wei's gaze met hers again, and this time there was no hint of aloofness—only raw, vulnerable honesty. "My family... they've been pressuring me to return to the company. To take over my father's position. They're not happy with me spending so much time away from my responsibilities."

Mei Lin blinked, trying to process the weight of his words. She had known that Li Wei came from a wealthy, powerful family, but this was the first time he had opened up about the pressure he was under. "What does that mean for you?"

"It means..." Li Wei hesitated, his jaw tightening. "It means they want me to move back to the capital. Permanently."

The words hit Mei Lin like a punch to the gut. She stared at him, her mind reeling. "Move? But... when?"

Li Wei's gaze flickered with guilt as he answered. "At the end of this semester."

Mei Lin's heart sank. The end of the semester was only a few months away. It wasn't enough time—not nearly enough. "Li Wei, I... I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't know how," Li Wei admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I didn't want to burden you with it. And honestly, I didn't want to face it myself. But I can't avoid it any longer. My family's made it clear that they won't accept anything less."

Mei Lin felt a lump forming in her throat, and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. "So what happens now? Are you... are you just going to leave?"

Li Wei's eyes darkened with frustration, his hands clenching around his cup. "I don't want to. But I don't know what other choice I have."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Mei Lin's mind raced, torn between the anger that Li Wei had kept this from her and the heartbreak of realizing how little time they had left. She had just started to open her heart to him, to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could work things out. But now, it felt like fate was pulling them apart again.

"I care about you, Mei Lin," Li Wei said suddenly, his voice rough with emotion. "More than I ever thought possible. But this... this is out of my control. My family's expectations are suffocating, and I don't know how to balance that with what I want."

Mei Lin bit her lip, her mind spinning. She wanted to tell him that they could figure it out, that they didn't have to be pulled apart by circumstances beyond their control. But she also knew that Li Wei's family held immense power over him, and the weight of their expectations wasn't something that could easily be ignored.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Mei Lin asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Li Wei's jaw tightened again, his frustration boiling just beneath the surface. "I don't know. I wish I had an answer for you. But right now, I'm trapped between my family's demands and my own feelings. I don't want to leave you, but I also can't abandon everything my family has worked for."

Mei Lin stared at him, her heart aching for both of them. This wasn't fair. They had just started to find their way toward each other, only for life to throw yet another obstacle in their path. She wanted to scream at the injustice of it, but instead, she forced herself to stay calm, to think.

"Maybe..." Mei Lin started, her voice shaky. "Maybe we don't have to figure everything out right now. Maybe we just... take it one day at a time, like Li Na said. We don't have to have all the answers today."

Li Wei looked at her, his expression softening slightly. "One day at a time?"

Mei Lin nodded, though her heart still ached with uncertainty. "Yeah. I mean, it's not ideal, but... maybe we can just enjoy the time we have left, without putting too much pressure on what comes next."

Li Wei stared at her for a long moment, and then, to her surprise, he reached across the table and took her hand. His grip was firm, but there was a gentleness in his touch that made Mei Lin's heart flutter. "I don't deserve you, Mei Lin," he said quietly. "You're too good for me."

Mei Lin shook her head, squeezing his hand. "Don't say that. This isn't about deserving. It's about figuring out what's right for both of us."

Li Wei's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes were still shadowed with uncertainty. "You always know how to make me feel better."

Mei Lin smiled back, though the sadness in her heart lingered. "I don't know about that. But I do know that we'll figure this out—together."

For the first time since their conversation had begun, Li Wei looked at her with something like hope in his eyes. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was a start. And for now, that was enough.

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As they left the café, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the sidewalk, Mei Lin felt a strange sense of peace settle over her. The road ahead was still uncertain, but at least she and Li Wei were walking it together, even if only for a little while longer.

And no matter what happened, Mei Lin knew one thing for sure: she wasn't ready to give up on them. Not yet.

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End of Chapter 25

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