It took a few long and tiring days before Wen Xiulan found time to meet up with An Ni off work. It was Sunday, the only day of the week when the filming proceeded only if necessary. Such necessity wasn’t usually needed the first month so Xiulan decided to spend his free day with the only person he was close with – An Ni. 

“Did you wait long?” She asked when she entered the café near Wen Xiulan’s home he frequently went to. It was within his walking distance, therefore he could avoid all other forms of transportation. 

“Only a bit, don’t worry about it. Traffic?” Wen Xiulan asked with a small smile when his manager sat across from him. He already ordered their drinks, An Ni’s favorite iced caramel macchiato was placed in front of her. 

“Not really. You know how it is… overtimes.” She bit her lip, not wanting to elaborate further. Xiulan didn’t ask, he really knew how it was. Leave of absence was required to be compensated appropriately. He only nodded and sipped from his boba tea. 

The café was quiet, with only one customer hanging out around the counter. Wen Xiulan lifted his eyes from the table after bracing himself and looked at the woman in front of him closely. He knew she’s not gonna look good and he was right. 

The dark circles were more visible than a few days ago, her usually pale skin was so white he felt it could become transparent any second. An Ni’s appearance was always neat, she took good care of how she looked like so her current self was such a red flag even Xiulan couldn’t ignore it. 

“I’m here for you, as a friend.” Wen Xiulan jumped right into it. He could prolong the sweet talk but it only felt like a waste of time, a waste of his precious free time. Once he’s seen how bad An Ni’s shape was, he had to unfold the topic which was hanging in the air. 

“Wen Xiulan, dear…” She gave him a worried look. Worried in a sense as if asking, ‘Are you sure you about this?’. He nodded. 

An Ni let out a long sigh and let her head rest in her palms. 

“My father is ill.” She said at last, with a voice that sounded like it didn’t belong to her. Wen Xiulan remained silent. 

The silence continued, disturbed only by minimal chattering from the bartenders. 

Questions like ‘How bad is it?’ or ‘Will he get better?’ emerged in his mind but he pushed them back, giving An Ni time to fight with her inner struggles. It seemed like saying that one sentence took a lot of strength. 

“I’ve known for a while but then I got a call from my mother, pleading for me to come home. It was then I realized I knew nothing.” She sighed and went for a long sip from her drink, getting under the control of the emotions which were bolting to the surface. 

Wen Xiulan reached out and took her hand. He knew it was a risky move, someone could have taken a picture of them like this and it would be difficult to explain, but at that very moment, he didn’t care. There were few other values in life he held onto more than his image. 

An Ni gave him a faint smile, glassy eyes were threatening to spill. 

“He didn’t recognize me.” She breathed out slowly, letting her lids fall, tears running down her cheeks 

Xiulan nodded, to give a response. There was nothing he could say nor do, just listen. 

“I thought I was ready, I saw it coming but… with all the work piling up, I buried myself in it, in hope to forget, in hope to distract myself… to make it all disappear, just for a moment.” She squeezed Wen Xiulan’s hand tightly as if all the pressure has fallen on her. A quiet sob escaped her mouth before she bent down and took another sip through a paper straw. 

“You’re doing it again though. Overworking yourself to forget, I mean.” Wen Xiulan said finally. It was An Ni’s turn to look him in the eye and remain silent. 

“You know… once it’s too late, you will wish to remember as much as possible. No matter what you do now, you’ll later wish you would have done more. My only advice is to take a break from work again and return home, be with your parents.” Xiulan’s voice was deadly serious. 

There was not much that could have said. His friend did not need words of comfort, not that there were any to offer. Wen Xiulan knew that better than anyone else. He just did something he rarely thought of - sympathized with a person and put himself in An Ni’s situation. 

“I cannot leave my job that easily. I also cannot just leave you on your own.” She pointed out with the tiniest smile hanging around her lips. That made Xiulan raise one of his eyebrows in pure confusion. 

“You speak as if I am a child incapable of surviving in the forbidden woods.” He frowned when his manager’s smile widened, but deep down it made him relieved. An Ni was still able to change her expressions and moods. The emotional numbness was the worst stage Wen Xiulan experienced after his parents’ death but she wasn’t there yet. 

“Maybe if you didn’t behave like one I wouldn’t be so worried.” An Ni snapped back, but the playful tone didn’t ease the urgency of her words. 

There was a brief pause during which both of the pair sunk into their thoughts.

“Bao An Ni.” She jumped slightly at hearing her full name so suddenly. Wen Xiulan’s expression was dead serious as he spoke. “I know you bear an unreasonable amount of responsibility on your shoulders. I’m not so oblivious to realize that I am a big part of that burden you carry. What I’m trying to say is, that it is okay. I know we were arranged to marry at one point but that’s all in the past, I’m your friend, not a husband. I’m not a child either, no matter how I act sometimes. Family comes first in these kinds of situations and you’ve already done so much for me. It’s only natural to take a rest.” 

Wen Xiulan truly tried to put everything into words. An Ni was his anchor, a safe place to return to when he was at his lowest. She helped him stand up after the accident, both literally and metaphorically. He knew he could never return everything she had given him, but this was his chance to help, to switch their roles even the slightest.   

An Ni’s eyes were filled with tears, her gaze softened. This was what she needed to hear, the reassurance that she can leave and the world she built over the years wouldn’t collapse. Now that she knew, a warm feeling of relief spread through her body, and at that moment, she made up her mind about re-setting her priorities. Running away from responsibility would only cause her guilt in a long run and both, An Ni and Wen Xiulan, knew it. 

“Ohhh, you know I’m the worst when it comes to crying.” Wen Xiulan gave her a hopeless look and stood up, extending one hand towards An Ni and pulling her into an awkward hug. 

“Save the tears for later, now it’s time to enjoy those moments you have left with your family.” He whispered to her ear. He felt a slight nod against his shoulder and that was enough. 

His free Sunday ended smoothly.