It had been months since Jenny st saw Li Wei, and though their paths had crossed only occasionally, the distance between them seemed to grow wider with each encounter. She had kept her focus on her work, on her competitions, on her family. She didn’t have time for distractions. Not anymore.

  But the universe, as it always did, had its own pns.

  It was a crisp morning when Jenny first heard the news. Li Wei’s family company, Hsin Yu Technologies, had decided to become one of the main sponsors for the upcoming International Shooting Championship that Jenny was competing in. She had already heard whispers of it on campus; the partnership seemed to make sense given the company’s rising prominence and its push to expand its influence in sports.

  Her heart sank as she processed the words. She had tried to avoid any further connection with him, but now his presence—his family's influence—was inescapable.

  As the days passed, Jenny couldn't ignore the tension building inside her. She hadn’t seen him face-to-face in months, but the idea of him being involved in her competition was too much to ignore. She knew she couldn’t control the situation, but she couldn’t help the bitterness that bubbled up when she thought of him.

  It was the day before the press conference for the sponsorship announcement when Jenny ran into Li Wei again.

  She had just finished a morning workout at the shooting range and was heading back to her apartment when she saw him—standing outside the building where the press event was taking pce. He was talking with some executives from his company, looking more polished than she remembered. His sharp suit and well-groomed appearance stood in stark contrast to the boy she had known, the one who used to sneak into her life without a care.

  Her heart tightened at the sight of him. He hadn’t seen her yet, and part of her wanted to keep it that way. But, of course, life had other pns.

  Just as she turned the corner, her foot caught on a loose stone, and she stumbled. It was a brief moment of clumsiness, but the sound of her fall was enough to draw his attention.

  “Jenny?” Li Wei's voice rang out, and before she could fully right herself, he was already at her side, his hand reaching out to steady her.

  She pulled away instinctively, her heart racing from the unexpected proximity.

  “I'm fine,” she muttered quickly, brushing herself off and trying to keep her face as neutral as possible.

  Li Wei, however, didn’t seem to be fooled. His eyes softened for a moment, and there was an emotion in them she couldn’t pce. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated.

  Jenny avoided his gaze, not wanting to give him any opportunity to read her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone sharper than she intended.

  “I came for the press conference,” he replied, his voice calm but distant, as though he was trying to maintain a professionalism that wasn’t quite there. “My family’s company is sponsoring the event tomorrow.”

  Jenny nodded stiffly, not knowing what else to say. She had known it was coming, but hearing him say it out loud made it feel so real.

  For a moment, neither of them spoke, the awkward silence hanging between them like a wall.

  Then, Li Wei finally broke the silence. “I... I know it’s been a while since we talked,” he said carefully, his voice softer now. “I just wanted to say, I’m gd to see you’re still doing well.”

  Jenny couldn’t look at him. Her emotions were a tangled mess, and no matter how many times she tried to suppress them, they always found their way to the surface.

  She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I’m fine,” she said ftly, not willing to let him see how much the weight of his presence still affected her.

  For a moment, Li Wei just looked at her, his expression unreadable. Then, he nodded slowly, as if he was accepting the distance she had pced between them.

  “I understand,” he said quietly. “I... I don’t want to make things harder for you. I know I have no right to ask anything of you after everything that happened.”

  Jenny blinked, surprised by the honesty in his words. But just as quickly, the old bitterness returned, and her heart hardened again.

  “You have no right to ask anything of me,” she said, her voice low but firm, her words cutting through the tension between them.

  Li Wei’s face flickered with hurt, but he didn’t argue. He just nodded again, as if accepting her words.

  “I won’t bother you anymore,” he said quietly, taking a small step back.

  Jenny watched him for a moment, feeling the weight of his presence despite the distance he tried to create between them. There was still a part of her that wished things could have been different, but the anger and the hurt ran too deep now.

  She wanted to move on. She wanted to let go of the past, but it was never that easy.

  Without another word, she turned and walked away, her heart heavy with the unresolved emotions she couldn’t shake.

  Later that evening, as Jenny prepared for the press conference, she couldn’t stop thinking about the encounter. Li Wei’s words, his tone—they had all been so filled with emotion. Yet, it was clear that nothing had really changed. He hadn’t apologized. He hadn’t expined.

  And most importantly, he hadn’t tried to fight for her.

  He was still the same Li Wei—the one who had walked away without looking back.

  It wasn’t enough anymore. She had moved on. She had built a life without him.

  But why did it still hurt so much?

  The next day, at the press conference, Li Wei was front and center, speaking eloquently about his company’s involvement with the event. Jenny couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. She kept her focus on the reporters, the cameras, the microphones in front of her. It was her time now. Not his.

  But as she sat through the event, listening to the praises of her abilities, the recognition for her work, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

  Was it him?

  She wanted to deny it, to tell herself that she didn’t need him. But deep down, she knew the truth.

  Li Wei was always going to be a part of her life, whether she wanted him to be or not.

  But that didn’t mean she would ever let him back in.