The bedroom was quiet,a vacuum left by the evening's confrontation. The single lamp, a small beacon against the urban darkness, outside, cast a warm, soft glow that failed to penetrate the cold.
Li Na was perched on the edge of the bed, her body rigid. Her hands were clasped so tightly that her knuckles were white, a gesture that contained all her anxiety and depression.
Guo Yu stood behind her;his form a large, solid presence—a wall of comfort against the world, yet the tension still hummed between them like a vibrating string.
(Her voice was barely a breath, low, strained, and ragged with angst.)
We hurt her tonight. We broke her. I saw it in her eyes. The dumplings ; she took hours to cook them. Mama's famous jiaozi. They were perfect. And we just… ate away at the peace. We left her with nothing but worry.
(He knelt, the action slow and reverent, pulling her rigid hands into his. He spoke with a calculated calmness—a man suppressing his own fear to manage her crisis.)
We protected our choice. And we protected her heart, in a way that matters now. If we had let the argument escalate, you would have collapsed entirely. And seeing you suffer, Li Na... that would be a worse destruction for Mei than any words we spoke. That is the truth.She pulled her hands away gently, the need for motion overwhelming the need for contact. (She stood to pace the small area by the window, the guilt a sharp, painful edge in her chest.)
You know she's RIGHT. She gave up everything. Her own dreams. Her entire life's comfort... her home. All so I could be free. And what is my repayment? I use that freedom to choose a life that makes her feel abandoned. It is a betrayal. A cold, selfish betrayal.
(He rose, moving quickly to embrace her from behind, wrapping her in his overwhelming tenderness. This fierce, quiet love was the only thing holding her up against the wave of depressing guilt.)
She sacrificed so you could have happiness, Li Na. Not so you could have her happiness. She gave you the seed . You chose the ground where it flourishes. It flourishes here . Look at me.
(Li Na turned in his arms. Her eyes were heavy, reflecting the soft lamplight like pooling water.
Their love was palpable—a shared sanctuary against the world's demands, their only real comfort.)
I love this life. But when she talks about home... I feel that little girl inside me. I feel her pain, Guo Yu. I don't want to be the reason her sacrifice, her whole life, feels meaningless.
His voice dropped, becoming conspiratorial and intensely serious— to soothe her guilt and solidify their path.)
We have one week. If we show any doubt, she won't leave alone. She'll stay here, sacrificing her own peace, watching us, WORRYING. And how will that affect your father? Think about him. (Her heavy heart felt a new, immediate pain. The guilt shifted its focus, momentarily alleviating her self-loathing.)
Father? What do you mean?
(A small, mournful sigh, his concern sounding utterly sincere, designed to leverage her deepest family care.)
He is alone right now, Li Na. He is entirely dependent on her presence, her calm.
If Mei breaks her heart here, trying to 'save' you from a "temporary life," according to her, it's not just our future that suffers. It will crush your father's spirit. He needs her to be safe, to be happy, to be home. That is the sacrifice we must demand of her, for his sake. We have to be strong, for the people we love most.
Li Na clung to his shirt, her own pain momentarily superseded by worry for her father and mother's well-being. The heavy atmosphere was still there, but now focused on a shared, necessary burden.)
(Whispering, the angst settling into grim determination and duty)
You're right. We have to be united. We have to convince her that her greatest duty now is to return to her own home. For Father. We have to be better than her sorrow.
(Kissing her forehead)
Yes. We will show her that you are loved, safe, and thriving. We will show her that her greatest gift was giving you the strength to choose this path. We will do this together.
TOGETHER.