For the first time in a long while—
There was silence.
Not the peaceful kind Lian Hua used to love.
But a strange, uncertain quiet.
The flower shop returned to normal on the outside.
Customers came.
Flowers bloomed.
Orders were filled.
But underneath—
Everything felt different.
No more constant messages.
No more sudden appearances.
No more intense presence filling the space.
Zhen Wei kept his distance.
Just like he said he would.
And somehow—
That made it harder.
Lian Hua found herself glancing at the door more often than she wanted to admit.
Waiting.
Without realizing she was waiting.
"You're doing it again."
Chen Kai's voice pulled her back.
"Doing what?" she asked.
"Looking at the door like it owes you something."
She sighed softly.
"I'm not."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You are."
She didn't argue this time.
Because it was true.
"He said he'd give me space," she murmured.
"And he is," Chen Kai replied.
"That's the problem."
Chen Kai smiled faintly.
"You really don't like extremes, do you?"
She shook her head slightly.
"No."
"You don't like him too close…"
"And I don't like him too far either," she finished.
"Yeah," Chen Kai said.
"That sounds like you."
A small silence settled between them.
"Do you miss him?" he asked.
The question was simple.
But it lingered.
Lian Hua didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…yes."
The word was soft.
But honest.
Chen Kai looked away briefly.
"I figured."
But before the moment could settle—
The bell rang.
Both of them turned.
A man in a formal suit stepped inside.
Not a customer.
Not a casual visitor.
"Miss Lian Hua," he said politely.
Her heart skipped slightly.
"Yes?"
"I have something for you."
He handed her a sealed envelope.
"This was requested to be delivered personally."
She hesitated.
Then took it.
"Thank you."
The man nodded and left.
The shop fell quiet again.
Chen Kai glanced at the envelope.
"That looks serious."
"It feels serious," she admitted.
Slowly—
She opened it.
Inside—
A single card.
Simple.
Clean.
Direct.
She read it.
And her heart dropped.
"Lian Hua," Chen Kai said, noticing her expression.
"What is it?"
She looked up.
"…it's from his father."
Silence.
"What does it say?"
She swallowed slightly.
"He wants to meet me."
Chen Kai's expression hardened.
"Alone."
The word hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
Because this—
This wasn't casual.
This wasn't a warning anymore.
This was something else.
Something planned.
Something serious.
Lian Hua looked down at the card again.
And for the first time since things went quiet—
She felt it.
The storm that had been building.
Finally about to break.