The morning had been perfect — laughter, sunlight, and the scent of blooming cherry petals in the air. But by afternoon, a strange heaviness settled over the house, as if the wind carried whispers of something forgotten.
Meilin was folding laundry in the living room when the doorbell rang.
She glanced toward the hallway. "Rui? Are you expecting anyone?"
"No," came his voice from the study, calm but distant.
Curious, Meilin walked to the door and opened it — only to freeze.
Standing before her was Li Chen, the man who had once been her everything. The man for whom she had thrown away her marriage, her child, and her life.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
"Meilin," he said softly, a faint smile on his lips. "It's been a long time."
Her fingers tightened on the doorknob. "Why are you here?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes full of that same old charm — the kind that once made her heart race. "I heard you were alive. I had to see for myself."
Every word felt like a shadow crawling back from the grave.
Before she could answer, Rui appeared behind her, his presence steady and cold. "You've seen enough," he said sharply. "Leave."
Li Chen chuckled. "Still as protective as ever, I see. But don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble."
"Then go," Rui said, his tone quiet but dangerous.
Meilin stepped back, her heart pounding. "You shouldn't have come," she whispered. "Whatever we had… it's over."
Li Chen's expression faltered for the first time. "Is it really over, Meilin? Even after everything?"
She swallowed hard. The old her — the selfish, broken woman — would have hesitated. But not anymore.
"Yes," she said firmly. "I've made my choice."
Behind her, Rui's hand brushed hers — a silent reassurance. But before Li Chen turned to leave, he said something that froze her blood.
"Be careful, Meilin. Some mistakes don't forgive so easily."
Then he smiled — a dark, knowing smile — and walked away.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Rui looked at her. "You don't owe him anything. Don't let him drag you back."
"I know," she whispered, though her hands trembled. "But why does it feel like he didn't come just to see me?"
Rui's gaze hardened. "Because he didn't."
That night, after Xiaoya was asleep, Meilin sat by the window, watching the street below. The world looked peaceful, yet her heart was uneasy.
Rui came up behind her and draped a blanket over her shoulders. "He's gone."
"For now," she murmured. "But you saw the look in his eyes. He's planning something."
He sighed and touched her cheek gently. "Let him try. This time, we'll face it together."
She looked up at him — the man who had once loved her through silence, who still stood by her even after everything. "Promise me, Rui," she whispered. "No matter what happens, don't let the past take us away from the future."
He pressed his forehead to hers. "I promise."
Outside, thunder rolled in the distance — a quiet warning of storms to come.
And though the night fell soft and calm, Meilin
knew the peace they'd built was about to be tested once again.