Mei Lin's best friend was Xiao Lei, who was always there for her with her bright, bubbly personality. She saw the quiet intensity that lay beneath Mei Lin's cheerful exterior a lot. She saw how hard her friend worked on her studies and her growing business as an ethical hacker. But lately, a nagging worry had started to eat at her; Mei Lin seemed to be pushing herself past what was good for her.
"Seriously, Mei Lin, when was the last time you really slept more than five hours?" One night, Xiao Lei asked Mei Lin, who was still hunched over her laptop with lines of code glowing in the dim light. She spoke softly, but her brow was furrowed with worry. "You always work and study." You know that even a genius needs to breathe. She watched her friend drink cup after cup of tea, her eyes never leaving her friend, even though dark circles were starting to form under her eyes.
When Xiao Lei was worried, Mei Lin would often laugh or wave her hand in a way that made it clear she didn't care. "I'm okay, Lei. Just a busy time. "I have to keep going if I want to reach my goals." But Xiao Lei wasn't easy to trick. She noticed the slight tremor in Mei Lin's hand as she reached for her mug and how her shoulders always seemed tense. She knew that Mei Lin wanted to be the best hacker in competitions, but she was worried that her friend was putting her health at risk by going after that goal so hard.
Mei Lin's life was always affected by Xiao Lei's worry. She didn't fully understand how complicated the digital wars Mei Lin fought were or how ambitious she was. But she knew the signs of being tired and how important it is to find a balance. She was worried that Mei Lin, who was very independent and determined, might not realize how limited her body really is. She silently begged Mei Lin to slow down and take a break before her burning desire for success took over her completely.