Vedika_Tiwari

Li Mei returns to her childhood home in the picturesque riverside town of Lushan, drawn by a haunting sense of familiarity and longing she can’t quite explain. Her memories of the place are fragmented, blurred like ink washed by rain. Yet, within those faded recollections, she senses the echo of a promise and the shadow of a love that once meant everything to her.

As she navigates the winding streets and misty hills of Lushan, Mei encounters Jun, the boy she had loved but cannot fully remember. Their reunion is filled with tension and unspoken questions, his eyes holding a pain she doesn’t understand. Determined to piece together her past, Mei explores the town, revisiting places that feel both foreign and familiar.

Through old letters, whispered stories from neighbors, and flashes of memory, Mei uncovers the truth: she and Jun were inseparable as children, their bond growing into first love beneath the blooming cherry tree on Moon Bridge. But tragedy struck when Mei’s family moved away suddenly, her parents desperate to protect her from painful memories after a terrible accident. In an attempt to shield her heart, they took her far away and encouraged her to forget.

But some promises are too powerful to fade. Mei had vowed to return to Jun beneath that cherry tree, and though her mind had forgotten, her heart never did.

As the cherry blossoms bloom once more, Mei must decide whether to rebuild the bridge to her past and the love she left behind or to walk away and let the memories fade forever.

whispers of a Faded Spring

Back in her room, Mei stared at her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed the number. The line rang once, twice, before her mother's familiar voice answered. "Mei? Is everything alright?"

Mei's throat tightened, her words catching. "Mama… why did we leave Lushan?"

Silence. A heavy, suffocating silence.

Her mother's voice wavered. "I… Mei, we've already talked about this. Your father's work—"

"Don't lie to me." Mei's voice was sharp, the pain raw in her chest. "Why did you make me forget Jun?"

A broken sob came through the line. Her mother's voice was trembling, filled with grief. "Because you were hurting. You were hurting so much, and we didn't know how to help you."

Mei's blood ran cold. "Hurting? Why?"

Her mother's words came out in a whisper. "Because of the accident. The accident that took Jun away from you… forever."

The phone slipped from Mei's fingers, clattering to the floor. Her vision spun as the past surged back, memories crashing over her like a tidal wave.

Jun was gone. And she had promised to come back.

Even if he could never be there to meet her.

Chapter 5: The Forgotten Truth