Bound By Fate, Set Free By Love

The golden rays of the late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled light across Yunhai Academy's sprawling courtyard. The rhythmic hum of conversation filled the air, as students moved between classes, enjoying the brief pause in their hectic schedules. Mei Lin, however, moved with a purpose that set her apart. Her slender fingers clutched her stack of law textbooks tightly, her gaze focused ahead. Every step she took was deliberate, driven by the weight of her ambition—and the burdens of her past.

She had no time for the petty dramas that filled the lives of most students here. Her goal was clear: to become a lawyer, to fight for justice, and to right the wrongs that had shaped her life since she was a child. The memories of her parents, taken from her too soon, still haunted her every decision, pushing her forward.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed the figure walking toward her until it was too late.

Thud.

The impact was sharp, jarring. Her books scattered across the ground, and she stumbled back, blinking in surprise. Reflexively, she looked up, her mouth half-open to apologize—until she saw who stood in front of her.

Li Wei.

The notorious heir to Li Corporation stood tall and aloof, his posture perfectly poised. His face, however, was an expressionless mask. His sharp, angular features might have been handsome to some, but to Mei Lin, they seemed as cold and impersonal as marble. His piercing green eyes flickered down at her dispassionately, as though she were an inconvenience, no more important than the fallen leaves beneath his expensive leather shoes.

She immediately bristled, her initial shock giving way to anger. Of all people to run into.

Li Wei's gaze shifted to the books scattered at his feet, but he made no move to help. His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and measured, dripping with indifference. "Watch where you're going."

Mei Lin's breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening. The way he spoke—so calm, so detached, as if he couldn't be bothered to truly see her. Her fingers tightened into fists at her sides. How could someone stand there so unaffected, so untouched by the world, while she was still reeling?

"I could say the same to you," she shot back, her voice laced with barely restrained fury.

Li Wei raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting ever so slightly—a flicker of something unreadable passing through his cold green eyes. Was that amusement? Annoyance? It was gone before Mei Lin could decipher it. He bent down, as though the act itself was beneath him, and picked up one of her books. He didn't hand it to her immediately, holding it between them for a heartbeat longer than necessary.

Their eyes locked. For a brief, inexplicable moment, the world around them seemed to fade into the background, the distant chatter of students and the rustling of the trees dulling to a murmur. In that silence, something unspoken passed between them. Mei Lin's heart thudded against her chest, though she refused to acknowledge why. This man—this arrogant, cold stranger—was the last person who should affect her.

She snatched the book from his hand, her fingers brushing his in the exchange. The brief contact sent an unexpected shiver down her spine, which only fueled her irritation.

Li Wei stood up slowly, his expression unreadable once more. "You're in the way," he said, as though dismissing her entirely.

That was it. Mei Lin felt her frustration boil over. "And you're full of yourself," she snapped, her voice carrying more venom than she'd intended.

She waited for some kind of reaction, half-expecting him to fire back or, at the very least, acknowledge her anger. But Li Wei merely stood there, his gaze cool and detached, as if her words had been nothing more than a mild breeze passing through.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, his stride unhurried, unbothered.

Mei Lin watched him go, her hands trembling with a mixture of anger and something she couldn't quite place. Who did he think he was? She had encountered entitled, arrogant students before—Yunhai Academy was full of them—but Li Wei was something else entirely. There was a distance about him, a coldness that made him seem untouchable, as if the world around him barely registered in his mind.

And yet…

That brief flicker in his eyes. That tiny hesitation when he handed her the book. It unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. There was no time for this, no room in her life for distractions like him. She had exams to focus on, and her dream of becoming a lawyer was far more important than any petty schoolyard drama.

Still, as she bent down to gather the rest of her scattered books, she couldn't shake the strange feeling lingering in the pit of her stomach. It was as if their collision—this insignificant moment—had been the first spark of something far bigger, something neither of them could yet see.

And despite herself, Mei Lin knew that she had just met someone who would not be so easily forgotten.

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End of Chapter 1

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