The words didn't disappear after he said them.
"I like you."
They stayed.
Between them.
Soft.
But impossible to ignore.
Lian Hua didn't respond immediately.
Because she couldn't.
Not yet.
Her heart was already full—
Of memories.
Of feelings.
Of something that hadn't fully faded.
"…Chen Kai," she said finally.
Her voice gentle.
Careful.
"I didn't say it to pressure you," he added quickly.
"I know."
"I just didn't want to keep pretending."
She nodded slowly.
Because she understood that.
More than he realized.
"You've been there for me," she said.
"Through everything."
A small pause.
"And that matters to me."
Chen Kai didn't smile.
Didn't expect reassurance.
"I'm not asking you to feel the same right now," he said.
"Or even at all."
That made it harder.
Not easier.
Because he wasn't forcing anything.
He was just… being honest.
"I just needed you to know," he finished.
Silence followed.
But it wasn't uncomfortable.
Just… real.
Lian Hua took a slow breath.
"I don't want to hurt you."
He nodded.
"I know."
"And I'm not ready," she admitted.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"Not yet."
A pause.
Because that answer—
Carried more than one meaning.
Chen Kai accepted it.
Without hesitation.
"Then I'll wait," he said simply.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Chen Kai…"
"I'm not waiting for an answer," he clarified.
"I'm just not walking away."
That—
That felt different.
Not pressure.
Not expectation.
Just… presence.
And for the first time—
Lian Hua felt something new.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something gentle.
Something possible.
That night—
She walked home alone.
Her thoughts quieter than before.
Because for the first time in a long while—
Her heart wasn't only holding onto the past.
It was starting—
Very slowly—
To open to something else.
Across the city—
Zhen Wei stood in his office once again.
The lights dim.
The room silent.
He hadn't thought about her all day.
Not consciously.
But as he reached for his phone—
His hand paused.
Just for a moment.
Then—
He put it down.
Because even now—
Some distance was still necessary.
But distance—
Didn't mean absence.