The next morning, Meiying woke up with puffy eyes and a heavy heart. She'd cried herself to sleep last night, and now she felt like she'd been hit by a truck tired, sore, and just empty.
She lay in bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling, replaying the fight with Weiliang over and over again. "Maybe I'm not!" she'd blurted out. Those words kept echoing in her head. She hadn't meant them, not really. But they'd slipped out, and now they were out there, hanging between them like a dark cloud.
She knew she'd hurt him. She could see it in his eyes, the way he'd looked at her like she was a stranger. And the worst part was, she couldn't even blame him. She had been distant. She had been keeping secrets. She had been somewhere else, even when she was right there with him.
But what was she supposed to do? Tell him the truth? That she'd kissed another man? That she'd liked it? That she couldn't stop thinking about him? She couldn't do that to Weiliang. It would break him. And it would break everything they'd built together.
She got out of bed and went to the kitchen, trying to act normal for Yutang's sake. She made breakfast porridge and fried dough sticks, just like he liked but she could barely eat a bite.
"You okay, Meiying?" Yutang asked, looking at her over his bowl. "You look terrible. Did you not sleep well?"
"Yeah, I slept fine," Meiying lied, forcing a smile. "Just a little tired, that's all."
Yutang didn't look convinced, but he didn't push it. He just nodded and went back to eating. Meiying was grateful for that. She didn't think she could handle another conversation about what was wrong with her.
After Yutang left for school, Meiying sat at the kitchen table, staring at her phone. She hadn't heard from Weiliang all morning. No texts, no calls. Part of her was relieved she didn't know what she'd say to him if he called. But another part of her was worried. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he thinking about ending things between them?
She picked up her phone, thinking about texting him. I'm sorry, she wanted to say. I didn't mean what I said. Please talk to me. But she couldn't bring herself to type the words. Because even if she said she was sorry, she couldn't fix the real problem. The problem was Li Yuhan. The problem was the kiss. The problem was the way she felt.
Just then, her phone buzzed. Her heart jumped was it Weiliang? But when she looked at the screen, it was a name she hadn't expected to see so soon.
Li Yuhan.
She stared at it for a second, then tapped to open the message.
"Meiying, I was thinking about the land transfer papers. I need you to sign one more copy for the legal team at Yue Hua Group. Can you send it over when you have a chance? Or if it's easier, I can send someone to pick it up."
She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It was just about the paperwork. Nothing more.
She typed back: "Oh right, I forgot about that. I'll sign it today and send it to you by courier. You don't need to send anyone, it's fine."
She hit send and put the phone down, but almost immediately, it buzzed again.
"Thanks. Hey, while I have you here… I was thinking, since the land deal is mostly done, maybe we could meet up sometime? Just as friends, maybe? I'd like to get to know you better, Meiying. If you're okay with that."
Meiying's heart started racing. Just as friends? She knew that wasn't true. Not after what had happened between them. Not after he'd said he didn't regret the kiss.
She didn't know what to do. If she said yes, she'd be seeing him again, and she knew what that could lead to. She knew she'd be putting herself in a position where she could hurt Weiliang even more. But if she said no… she didn't know if she could stand it. Because part of her stupid, selfish part of her wanted to see him. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to be near him.
She typed back: "I don't know if that's a good idea, Yuhan. I have a boyfriend, and… and I don't think it's right for us to be friends like that."
She hit send and waited. Her hands were shaking. She hoped he'd understand. She hoped he'd just leave her alone. But deep down, she knew he wouldn't. He wasn't the type to give up that easily.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
"I know you have a boyfriend, Meiying. But I also know what I felt when I kissed you. And I know you felt it too. You can try to ignore it, you can try to pretend it didn't happen, but it's there. And I don't want to pretend anymore. I want to be with you. I want to see where this goes. Just… think about it, okay? Don't say no right away. Just think about it."
Meiying read the words over and over again, and she felt tears stinging her eyes. He was right. He was so right, and it scared her to death. She had felt it. She did feel it. And she didn't know how to stop it.
She put her phone down on the table and buried her face in her hands. What was she going to do? She loved Weiliang. She did. He was kind, he was reliable, he was the one who'd been there for her through everything. But Yuhan… Yuhan was something else. He was exciting, he was mysterious, he made her feel things she'd never felt before.
She was stuck. Stuck between two men, between two lives, between two versions of herself. And she didn't know which way to go.
Just then, the door opened, and Weiliang walked in. Meiying looked up, surprised. She hadn't expected him to come over so soon.
He stood there in the doorway, looking at her. His eyes were red, like he'd been crying too. His face was pale, and he looked tired.
"Weiliang," she said, standing up. "I… I didn't know you were coming."
"I needed to talk to you," he said, his voice quiet. "I couldn't just sit at home and wait. I needed to know what's going on."
Meiying's heart sank. She knew this was it. She knew she couldn't avoid it anymore. She had to tell him something. She had to make a choice.
"Weiliang," she said, taking a step towards him. "I'm sorry about last night. I really am. I didn't mean what I said. I was just… I was just upset."
Weiliang shook his head. "It's not just about last night, Meiying. It's about everything. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep wondering where you are, who you're thinking about, what you're hiding from me. I love you, but I can't be with someone who doesn't want to be with me. Not really."
Meiying felt tears running down her face. "Weiliang, no. Please. I do want to be with you. You know I do."
"Do you?" he asked, looking at her. "Because right now, I don't know. I don't know what you want. And I don't know if I can wait around for you to figure it out."
He paused for a second, then took a deep breath. "I think… I think we need some time apart. Maybe a lot of time. I need to think, and you need to think. We need to figure out if this is really what we want. If we're really meant to be together."
Meiying stared at him, her heart breaking into a million pieces. "You mean… you mean break up?"
"I don't know," Weiliang said, his voice breaking. "I don't want to break up. But I don't know what else to do. I just… I need space, Meiying. I need time."
He turned around and walked out the door, leaving Meiying standing there, alone in the kitchen, crying. She watched him go, watched him get into his car and drive away, and she knew she knew that things would never be the same again. She had made her choice, in a way. By not choosing, she had pushed him away. And now, she was left with nothing but the silence and the weight of her own confusion.