The room was bathed in a soft, warm glow, a stark contrast to the heaviness in Li Miao's heart. She sat curled up on the couch, eyes fixed on a single thread of sunlight-catching dust motes. They danced, weightless, while a knot of dread tightened in her chest. The sound of the door opening and closing barely registered, and a gentle touch startled her. She blinked, Wei Lin's concerned face slowly coming into focus.

 

"Maomao..." Wei Lin's voice was soft, filled with understanding. She settled beside Li Miao, her presence a comforting warmth.

 

Li Miao looked up, her eyes meeting Wei Lin's. At that moment, the floodgates opened.

 

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she threw herself into Wei Lin's arms, her body shaking with sobs.

 

"Sister Wei Lin, I... I don't know what to do. I try so hard to do the right thing, but it just... makes everything worse. Everything's falling apart, and I think it's my fault." The words tumbled out between gasps, a torrent of pent-up emotions.

 

Wei Lin held her close, her hand stroking Li Miao's hair with a gentleness that soothed the ragged edge of her hysteria. "Shh, it's okay, Maomao. I'm here. Take your time."

 

Minutes ticked by, and Li Miao's sobs slowly subsided. She pulled back, fingers tracing tear tracks on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I..."

 

"Don't apologize, my dear Maomao," Wei Lin said firmly. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Now, tell big sis what's bothering you."

 

Li Miao took a shaky breath. "It's Xu Yue. She's been so distant, and I don't know why. She won't talk to me, won't let me in.” She pressed a fist to her aching chest.  "And I can't help but think... what if it's because of me?"

 

“Because… I changed the story…” She choked out softly. 

 

Li Miao took a deep breath. Wei Lin waited, the quiet contrasting against the torrent of words Li Miao felt rising.

 

Wei Lin’s eyes furrowed. "Changed the story? What do you mean?"

 

“Big sister… if I told you that you were just a character in a story, what would you do?” Li Miao stared at her, eyes wide and pleading.

 

Surprisingly, Wei Lin just let out a soft laugh. Li Miao’s head snapped up to look at her face. Wei Lin looked straight ahead, as if she were looking into the distance.

 

"...Then wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing?” Wei Lin's voice held a hint of amusement mixed with a warmth that eased the tightness in Li Miao's chest.

 

"W-what?" Li Miao stammered, thrown by Wei Lin's unexpected response.

 

Wei Lin turned, her gaze filled with a softness that seemed to pierce through Li Miao's confusion. Wei Lin curled closer, mirroring Li Miao's posture. 

 

"Think about it, Maomao," she began, her voice a soothing melody, "The world is but a canvas, and stories are the colors we paint upon it. If I, as you say, am a character... that would mean my story is one worth telling."

 

A smile spread across her face, a mix of serenity and wisdom. "It would mean that somewhere, someone cared enough about Wei Lin to imagine her, to breathe life into her... Isn't that incredible?"

 

Li Miao stared, her brow furrowed in contemplation. Wei Lin wasn't dismissing her fear but flipping the perspective entirely.

 

"And what would you do?" Li Miao's question hung in the air, tinged with curiosity and uncertainty.

 

Wei Lin's eyes sparkled. "Why, Maomao," she chuckled, "I'd make sure my story is the most thrilling, heart-wrenching, and ultimately joy-filled one it could be!"

 

A playful grin spread across her face. "Every twist and turn, an adventure! Every trial, a proof of strength! And by the time the final page turns... oh, the ending would be so dazzling, so full of warmth, that the mere memory of it would bring a smile."

 

Li Miao blinked, absorbing the infectious enthusiasm. Yet, a sliver of doubt remained. "And... what if someone else writes you that ending? A happy one, laid out for you... would you follow that path?"

 

Wei Lin's smile took on a mischievous glint. "That, my dear Maomao, would be terribly boring~ Where's the challenge, the wonder, in knowing the destination before the journey unfolds? True happiness, true love... those are earned through the choices we make!” 

 

She continued, turning and winking at Li Miao. “I don’t need someone to write a future for me, they can walk beside me and record my journey instead."

 

Li Miao sat there in silence, taking in Wei Lin’s words. 

 

Is it really okay? Isn’t it better to take what’s guaranteed? 

 

Her eyes looked downwards, “If… Xu Yue would be happier without me… should I leave?” 

 

Wei Lin tilted her head, not with pity, but with thoughtful curiosity. "Silly Maomao, have you ever asked her?"

 

Li Miao sat up straight. It was a simple question, yet it cut through her muddled thoughts. How could she assume Xu Yue's feelings when she'd never dared to ask? How could she ask? If there were one thing in the world that she was the most afraid of, it would be for Xu Yue to return to that cold attitude towards her.

 

Her mind flashed to Xu Yue's coldness. But that was before... before everything had changed. 

 

“All that matters is the Maomao I love is the Maomao right here, right now.”

 

Confusion bloomed inside Li Miao’s heart. When did she start to care so deeply about Xu Yue's smile, her presence? Had it always been there, unnoticed, or...?

 

“How about some desert? Not what your other self craves," Wei Lin's voice held a hint of playful defiance, "but what you like. Let's start there.” It wasn't an answer, but the offered sweetness, the shared moment, was comfort enough in the face of the questions swirling in Li Miao's heart.

 

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