A week passed in a blur of quiet moments and small steps forward. Meiying and Yuhan spent every spare minute together cooking meals at her house, helping Yutang with his homework, walking by the river where they'd shared their truth. For the first time in months, Meiying felt like she could breathe again. Like she'd finally found her footing.
But she knew it couldn't stay this peaceful forever. Yuhan hadn't told his family about them yet, and they both knew that when he did, things would get complicated.
It happened on a Tuesday evening. Meiying was in the kitchen packing Yutang's lunch for the next day when Yuhan's phone rang. He'd been sitting at the table, helping Yutang with math problems, and his face tightened the moment he saw the caller ID.
"It's my father," he said quietly, standing up and walking out to the porch to take the call.
Meiying tried to focus on packing the lunch, but her hands were shaking. She could hear Yuhan's voice through the screen door low, tense, trying to stay calm. Then his voice rose sharply, and she knew something was wrong.
A few minutes later, he came back inside, his face like a storm cloud.
"What happened?" Meiying asked immediately, setting down the sandwich she was making.
Yuhan ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated and angry. "He knows," he said simply. "Someone told him about us. About you and me. About how you were engaged to someone else."
Meiying's heart sank. "Who would have told him?"
"My aunt," Yuhan said grimly. "She saw us in town last week when we were picking up groceries. She's always been close to my father she probably thought she was doing the right thing."
He sat down heavily at the table. "He's furious, Meiying. He said I've disgraced the family. That I'm throwing away my future for a girl from the countryside who couldn't even stay faithful to her own fiancé."
Meiying felt her cheeks burn with shame. Even though she knew she'd made the right choice, hearing those words from Yuhan's father still hurt.
"What did you say to him?" she asked softly.
"I told him he was wrong," Yuhan said firmly. "I told him you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and that I don't care what he thinks. But he didn't want to listen. He said if I don't end things with you immediately, he'll cut me off completely. No money, no position at Yue Hua Group nothing."
Yutang looked up from his homework, his eyes wide. "He can't do that!"
"He can," Yuhan said quietly. "It's his company. His money. He built it from nothing, and he thinks he has the right to decide who I marry, who I love."
Meiying felt a wave of guilt wash over her. "Yuhan… maybe he's right. Maybe I'm holding you back. You've worked so hard for everything you have. You shouldn't throw it all away for me."
"Don't you dare say that," Yuhan said, standing up and taking her hands in his. "My father can take away my money and my job, but he can't take away how I feel about you. I'd rather start over from nothing than live a life without you."
"But-"
"No 'buts,'" he repeated, just like he had before. "We knew this would be hard. We knew his family wouldn't understand. But we'll get through it together. I promise you that."
Just then, there was a loud knock at the door. Meiying's heart leaped into her throat. She looked at Yuhan, who looked just as surprised as she felt.
"I wasn't expecting anyone," she said quietly, walking to the door and pulling it open.
Standing on the porch was a man she'd never seen before tall, with gray streaks in his black hair, wearing an expensive suit. His face was cold and hard, and his eyes narrowed when he looked at her.
"Lin Meiying?" he asked, his voice sharp and commanding.
"Yes," Meiying said, her voice barely a whisper. She already knew who he was.
"I'm Li Zhenhua," he said, stepping past her and walking into the house like he owned it. "Yuhan's father."
Yuhan stood up immediately, his jaw tightening. "Father, what are you doing here? I told you I'd come to see you this weekend."
"I didn't want to wait," Li Zhenhua said, looking around the small house with a look of disdain. "I wanted to see for myself what my son is so willing to throw his life away for."
He turned his cold eyes on Meiying. "You're even younger than I thought. And naive, it seems. Do you have any idea what you're doing to my family? To my company?"
"Sir, I-"
"Save it," he cut her off sharply. "I don't want to hear your excuses. I know all about you, your father's gambling debts, your arranged marriage, how you left your fiancé for my son. You're nothing but trouble. And I won't let you destroy my son's future."
"Father, that's enough!" Yuhan said loudly, stepping between Meiying and his father. "She's done nothing wrong. I'm the one who pursued her. I'm the one who fell in love with her. This has nothing to do with her."
"Nothing to do with her?" Li Zhenhua laughed bitterly. "You're willing to give up everything for her. That's not nothing. That's foolishness. And I won't let you throw your life away like this."
He turned back to Meiying, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to end things with my son. Immediately. If you don't, I'll make sure your family loses everything your house, your land, everything your father left you. I have connections in this town. I can make things very difficult for you and your brother."
Meiying felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. She looked at Yuhan, then at Yutang, who was staring at Li Zhenhua with wide, scared eyes.
She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let Yuhan's father take away the little bit her family had left.
"Okay," she said quietly, her voice breaking. "I'll do it. I'll end things with Yuhan."