Luna's sight returned fully one evening, and for the first time in months, she was able to see the faces of those around her. Xiao Li was there, as always, smiling softly as he adjusted her pillow. He was kind and gentle, but Luna couldn't ignore the sense of something darker beneath his touch. She needed answers.
"Xiao Li," she said quietly, "Where is Xiao He?"
The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Xiao Li's face shifted. His calm demeanor faltered, and a shadow crossed his eyes. "He's... been coming to see you," Xiao Li replied carefully, his voice low. "But he hasn't been able to face you."
Luna's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"
Xiao Li's eyes darkened, his smile slipping just slightly. "Because he's afraid of what he's lost. He didn't fight for you, Luna. He let you go. But I... I never stopped caring."
Luna, now fully aware of the complex emotions at play, knew she had to make a choice. Her heart still ached for Xiao He, but Xiao Li's persistence had worn her down. The tension was thick between them - between the man she had loved, the man she thought she had lost, and the man who had always been waiting in the shadows.