The rain didn't stop.
And neither did the feeling.
Standing under the same umbrella—
Close, but not close enough—
Lian Hua realized something she hadn't been ready to admit.
Not everything had changed.
Some things—
Hadn't faded at all.
"You're still working late," she said softly.
Zhen Wei glanced ahead.
"It keeps things… structured."
A small pause.
"Busy helps."
She understood what he meant.
Because she had been doing the same thing.
"…yeah," she murmured.
Silence followed again.
But now—
It wasn't empty.
It was filled with things they weren't saying.
"I heard your shop is doing better," he said.
She looked at him, slightly surprised.
"…you heard?"
A faint pause.
"I keep track of things that matter."
Her heart tightened.
Because even now—
He was still paying attention.
"Yeah," she said quietly.
"It's improving."
"That's good."
Simple words.
But they carried something deeper.
They walked slowly now.
Not in a hurry.
Not trying to separate.
Just… moving forward.
Together.
But not quite together.
Across the city—
Chen Kai stood outside the shop.
Looking at his phone.
No message yet.
He frowned slightly.
Because she usually texted by now.
"…maybe she's just taking her time," he muttered.
But something about the silence—
Didn't feel normal.
Back on the street—
Lian Hua and Zhen Wei reached a quiet corner.
The rain softened slightly.
"This is where I turn," she said.
He nodded.
"I know."
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Because leaving—
Felt harder than it should.
"…it was nice seeing you," she said.
Zhen Wei looked at her.
And for a moment—
That controlled distance—
Slipped.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
"It was."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Because neither of them moved.
And that—
That said everything.
Lian Hua felt her chest tighten.
Because this moment—
Felt like a choice.
Not a big one.
Not dramatic.
But still important.
"…we should go," she said softly.
Zhen Wei nodded.
"…yeah."
But even as they said it—
Neither of them stepped away immediately.
Because the truth was—
The feelings hadn't faded.
They had just been waiting.