After that phone call with Yuhan, Meiying was a mess. She told Weiliang about the offer how Yuhan wanted to buy the land for the full price she was asking. Weiliang thought it sounded like a good deal, honestly. He said it would take all the weight off her shoulders, and why not take it?
But Meiying? She didn't know what to think. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Yuhan's face. She heard his voice on the phone, saying he wanted to help her. It felt too good to be true, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted something more than just the land.
A couple of days later, she got a message from Yuhan. He said if she was ready to talk about the deal, he could come down to her town that weekend. Or, if she preferred, she could come to Shanghai again. Either way, he wanted to get it sorted out quickly so she wouldn't have to worry anymore.
Meiying stared at the message for a long time. Part of her wanted to just say yes and get it over with. But another part was scared. Scared of seeing him again. Scared of what might happen if she did.
In the end, she decided to go back to Shanghai. She told herself it was just business. She needed to get this done, and doing it in person would be faster. She told Weiliang she was going up to sign the papers, and he was fine with it he even offered to go with her, but she said no. She said she could handle it alone. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to do this by herself.
So, she took the train again. The whole ride up, her stomach was in knots. She kept going over what she wanted to say. I'll sell you the land, we'll sign the papers, and then I'll go home and we won't have to see each other again. That was the plan, anyway.
When she got to Yuhan's office, it felt like deja vu. The same fancy building, the same quiet lobby, the same elevator ride up to the top floor. Ms. Zhang saw her and smiled, telling her Yuhan was waiting.
She walked into his office, and there he was. He was sitting behind that big desk, looking all serious and business-like, just like before. But when he saw her, his face softened a little.
"Meiying," he said, standing up. "Thanks for coming. I know this isn't easy for you."
"It's fine," she said, trying to sound cool, even though her heart was beating fast. "I just want to get this done."
"Okay," he said, walking around the desk to stand closer to her. "I have all the papers ready. It's pretty straightforward. I pay you the full amount, the land is mine, and you use the money to clear the debt. Everyone walks away happy."
He handed her the papers, and she looked them over. It all seemed legit. The numbers were right. Everything was written down clearly. She picked up the pen he offered her, but she hesitated.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, looking up at him. "This land is just a small thing for you. You really don't need it. So why are you doing this?"
Yuhan looked at her, and his eyes were so intense it made her breath catch. "I told you, Meiying. I want to help you. And maybe… maybe I also wanted an excuse to see you again."
Oh wow. She wasn't expecting that. Her mind went blank for a second. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
Before she could even think, Yuhan stepped closer. He was right in front of her now, so close she could feel the warmth coming off him.
"Meiying," he said, his voice low. "I can't stop thinking about you. I've tried, but I can't. And I don't think you've forgotten about that day either, have you?"
She should have stepped back. She should have said no, told him she was engaged, and told him this wasn't right. But she didn't. She just stood there, frozen, looking up at him.
And then, he kissed her.
It wasn't like a little peck or something. It was deep and passionate, like he'd been holding it back for ages. His arms came around her, pulling her tight against him, and for a second just a second she forgot everything. She forgot Weiliang. She forgot the land. She forgot all the reasons why this was wrong.
Her body seemed to have a mind of its own. She felt herself leaning into him, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. She could feel his heart beating fast, just like hers. It felt… it felt amazing. It felt like something she'd been missing without even knowing it.
But then, reality hit her like a bucket of cold water.
She pulled away suddenly, gasping for breath. Her hands were shaking as she took a step back, putting space between them.
"No," she said, her voice trembling. "We can't do this. Yuhan, we can't. I'm with Weiliang. I love him. This is wrong."
Yuhan looked at her, his eyes dark and full of emotion. He didn't try to touch her again, but he didn't look away either.
"Do you really love him?" he asked quietly. "Or do you just love the life you have with him? Because when I kiss you, Meiying… I don't feel like you're thinking about him. I feel like you're thinking about us."
"That's not true!" she said, but her voice didn't sound very sure. Even she could hear it. "I have to go. I can't do this."
She turned around and practically ran to the door. She couldn't stay there another second. If she did, she was afraid she'd do something stupid, like kissing him again.
"Meiying, wait!" Yuhan called out, but she didn't stop. She opened the door and rushed out past Ms. Zhang who looked up in surprise and got into the elevator as fast as she could.
She pressed the button for the lobby, leaning against the wall as the doors closed. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. And her mind was racing a million miles an hour.
What had she done? She'd kissed him back. She knew she had. And that meant something, didn't it? It meant that maybe Yuhan was right maybe she wasn't as happy with her life as she thought she was.
She got out of the elevator and walked through the lobby, her head down, trying not to cry. She just wanted to get out of there. She wanted to get on the train and go home, back to safety, back to Weiliang.
But as she walked out into the busy street of Shanghai, she knew one thing for sure: that kiss had changed everything. She couldn't just pretend it never happened. It was there, in the back of her mind, burning bright. And no matter how hard she tried, she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget it.