But one evening, her mother called.
Mei smiled. It wasn't full acceptance. But it was the first real bloom.
Mei knelt, gently dotting the girl's lips with pink gloss. In that small moment, something shifted. Her mother watched, and for the first time, she didn't look away.
That night, Mei walked to the night flower market. Among orchids and lilies, she found an old woman selling silver rings. The woman looked up, her eyes crinkling. "You are searching for something to match your soul, child."
