The airport bustled with the chaos of afternoon departures—families saying goodbye, business travelers rushing past, announcements echoing through the terminal. But in the middle of it all, Zayne and Nana stood in their own quiet bubble, reluctant to let go.
"I should—" Nana gestured toward security. "My flight boards in thirty minutes."
"I know." But Zayne didn't release her hand.Couldn't.
Three days. He'd only had her in his world for three days, and already the thought of his apartment without her felt unbearable.
The silence waiting for him. The empty guest room. The kitchen that would return to takeout containers and efficiency instead of her laughter.
"I'll call you tonight," he said. "When you land. And every night after."
"I know." She smiled, but her eyes were wet. "And I'll text you boring updates about work and my siblings and—
"not boring." His voice was fierce. "I want every detail. Every customer story, every Lili drawing, everything."
She nodded, tears spilling over despite her smile.
Zayne pulled her close then, wrapping his arms around her small frame, holding her like he could somehow keep her here through sheer force of will. His chest ached. His throat burned. And to his horror, he felt moisture gathering in his own eyes.
Not here, he told himself. Not in public. You're Dr. Li. You don't cry in airports.
But apparently, his eyes didn't get the memo. A tear escaped, and then another, and he ducked his head, hiding his face in her hair, desperately trying to maintain composure.
"Zayne?" Her voice was soft, understanding. "Are you—"
"I'm fine." He cleared his throat, not moving. "Just—just give me a moment."
She didn't tease him. Didn't laugh or point out that the stoic surgeon was crying in the middle of an airport. Instead, she held him tighter, one hand rubbing gentle circles on his back.
"It's only two weeks," she whispered. "You said you'd visit in two weeks."
"Two weeks is too long."
"I know. But we can do this. We can do the distance."
He pulled back finally, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes, but she'd already seen. Of course she'd seen. She saw everything about him.
"Bend down," she said suddenly.
"What?"
"Bend down. Lower. I want to do something."
He obeyed, expecting—hoping?—for a kiss. But instead, she reached up and gently brushed his hair back from his forehead, her touch feather-light and tender.
Then she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, right at his hairline, her lips warm against his skin.
Zayne froze.
Completely froze.
His brain stuttered, stopped, rebooted.
His heart did something complicated in his chest. His entire body locked up like a malfunctioning computer.
Because that—that simple gesture—
His grandmother used to do that. When he was small, when he'd cry about his parents leaving, when nightmares woke him up. She'd kiss his forehead and say "I'm keeping you safe. Right here. In this kiss."
And Nana—Nana who'd never met his grandmother, who couldn't possibly know—had just done the exact same thing.Her voice was concerned now.
"Are you okay? You're just—standing there—"
He rebooted slowly, blinking, trying to make his mouth work. "I—you—"
"Was that weird? I'm sorry, I just wanted—you looked sad and I thought maybe—"
"No." His voice came out rough, wrecked. "Not weird. Perfect. Just—perfect."
He pulled her close one more time, pressing his own kiss to the top of her head, breathing her in, memorizing this feeling.
"Go," he said finally, forcing himself to step back. "Before I do something dramatic like buy a ticket and follow you home."
She laughed through her tears. "Would that be so bad?"
"I have surgeries scheduled. Patients who need me."
She picked up her small bag—he'd tried to buy her luggage, but she'd insisted she didn't need it for a three-day trip.
"Two weeks. I'll count every day."
"So will I."
She turned toward security, and he watched her go, this small woman who'd crashed into his perfectly controlled life and turned everything upside down in the best possible way.
Halfway to the security line, she turned back, waving enthusiastically, her smile bright despite the tears on her cheeks.
Around them, people noticed. Of course they did. Some recognized him—the famous cardiac surgeon from the news—and started whispering:
"Is that Dr. Li?"
"With a girl? I thought he was single—"
"She's pretty! In a simple way—
"She tamed the ice prince!"
"Did you see him crying? Dr. Li was actually crying!"
"That must be serious—"
Zayne ignored them all. Let them whisper. Let them gossip. None of it mattered.
What mattered was Nana, still waving, mouthing "I love you" across the crowded terminal.
He mouthed it back: "I love you too."
Then she disappeared through security, and Zayne stood there like an idiot, staring at the spot where she'd been, feeling the ghost of her forehead kiss still warm on his skin.
His phone buzzed. A text from Nana:
already through security! That was scary. So many rules. Did you know you can't bring liquids? I almost lost my face cream. Also there's a coffee shop here and I'm thinking about you because they have seventeen types of coffee and it's ridiculous. Miss you already. —N
He smiled despite the ache in his chest, typing back:
Seventeen types is actually on the low end for airport coffee shops. Miss you more. Text me when you board. And when you land. And when you get home. Actually just text me constantly. —Z
Zayne forced himself to leave then, to walk back to his car, to return to his empty apartment and his full schedule. But his forehead still tingled where she'd kissed it.
And somehow, that tiny gesture carried him through the rest of the day.
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The village welcomed Nana home like a returning hero.
She'd barely stepped off the bus when the neighborhood aunties descended, asking a million questions:
"How was the city?"
"Is it true there are buildings that touch the sky?"
"Did you try fancy food?"
"Was Dr. Li a perfect gentleman?"
"When's the wedding?"
Nana laughed, blushing, deflecting as she hurried home with her bags. Zayne had insisted—practically forced—her to bring gifts for everyone. She'd protested, said it was too much, but he'd been adamant:
"Let me do this. Let me make your family happy. Please."
And now she staggered under the weight of shopping bags filled with snacks, clothes, books, toys—everything he thought might bring joy to her siblings.
"NANA'S HOME!" Lili's shriek was audible from three houses away.
Her siblings poured out of the house like a flood—Lili first, crashing into Nana's legs, nearly toppling her. The twins close behind, already trying to peek into the bags. Xiaohua and Meimei more composed but equally excited.
"Did you bring presents?"
"What's in the bags?"
"Is that chocolate? Real chocolate?"
"Tell us everything!"
Nana laughed, overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, shepherding them all inside where her mother waited with a knowing smile."welcome home, daughter. How was the city?"
"Amazing. Overwhelming. Different." Nana set down the bags. "And Zayne sent gifts for everyone."
The chaos that followed was beautiful. Lili found the new dress—pink and sparkly, almost identical to the princess dress Zayne had bought before but in a different style—and immediately changed, twirling and declaring herself the prettiest princess in the village.
The twins discovered manga they'd been wanting for months, gasping and immediately fighting over who got to read first.
Xiaohua found art supplies—professional grade colored pencils, thick sketchbooks, watercolors that made her eyes go wide.
Meimei received a leather-bound planner and a set of fountain pens, elegant and mature, perfect for someone about to graduate.
"He remembered," Meimei said softly, running her fingers over the smooth leather.
"I mentioned once that I wanted to journal more. He remembered."
"He remembers everything," Nana said, her heart warm. "That's just—that's who he is."
Her mother opened the last bag—high-quality tea, specialty cooking ingredients, things from the city that were hard to find in the village. "This man is either very generous or very in love."
"Both," the twins said in unison, grinning.
That evening, after the gifts were distributed and dinner eaten, Nana gathered her siblings in the living room. They crowded around her—Lili in her lap, the twins on either side, Meimei and Xiaohua cross-legged on the floor, her mother listening from the kitchen doorway.
"Tell us everything," Meimei demanded. "What's his world really like?"
So Nana told them. About the airplane ride above the clouds. About skyscrapers so tall they seemed impossible. About his massive hospital where thousands of people worked to save lives. About his apartment—beautiful but lonely, successful but empty. About fancy coffee and macarons that looked like art. About drones and technology and crowds that moved like rivers.
"But was it scary?" Xiaohua asked. "All those people? All that... bigness?"
"A little," Nana admitted. "At first. But Zayne—he made it safe. He held my hand through all of it. Explained things. Made sure I knew I belonged there, even when I felt so small."
"His mother came here," one of the twins said quietly. "We heard from the aunties. She was mean to you."
Nana's smile faltered. "She was—she's protective of him. She wants what she thinks is best."
"But you ARE what's best!" Lili insisted, hugging Nana tighter. "You're the best person ever! Why can't she see that?"
"Some people can't see what matters," Nana's mother said gently. "They're too busy looking at what's shiny and missing what's real."
"But Zayne sees it," Meimei observed.
"He came all the way here when his mother upset you. He brought you to his world to prove you belonged. He—" She gestured at the gifts. "He takes care of all of us because we're important to you."
"He loves you," the twins said together.
"Like, really loves you. Not just 'I think you're pretty' love but 'I want to build a life with you' love."
"He does," Nana whispered, tears gathering. "And I love him too. So much. Even when I'm scared I'm not good enough, even when his world seems too big and complicated, even when I'm terrified I'll fail him—I love him."
"You won't fail him," her mother said firmly. "You're exactly what he needs. A good heart, a strong spirit, and enough love to share with everyone around you. That's worth more than all the city sophistication in the world."
Lili yawned, sleep starting to claim her.
"Will you marry him, Nana? Will he be our brother?"
Nana's breath caught. "I—I don't know. Maybe. Someday."
"I hope so," Lili mumbled, already half-asleep. "I like having a prince in the family."
One by one, her siblings drifted off to their own rooms, clutching their gifts, full of stories about the city their sister had visited. Meimei lingered, helping Nana clean up.
"He's good for you," Meimei said quietly. "I've never seen you this happy. This hopeful about the future."
"He makes me believe I can be more than I am," Nana admitted. "That I can go to university, build a career, have dreams bigger than just surviving."
"You can." Meimei hugged her sister. "You always could. You just needed someone to believe in you first."
After everyone else had gone to bed, Nana sat in the dark living room, looking at her phone. Midnight. Zayne was probably asleep—he'd mentioned early rounds tomorrow.
But she needed to tell him. Needed him to know.
She typed carefully:
Everyone's asleep now. They loved their gifts. Lili wore her dress to bed. The twins are already arguing about the manga. Meimei cried over the journal. You made them so happy. You made ME so happy.
I keep thinking about something. About how meeting you changed everything. Before you, I was just—existing. Surviving. Working to feed my family, trying to make it through each day. I had no dreams, no hope for something bigger. I thought this was all my life would ever be.
then you appeared. This brilliant, lonely man who saw me—really saw me—when I felt invisible. Who believed I was worth something when I thought I was nothing. Who showed me that my small world wasn't a limitation but a foundation.
That I could build something bigger without losing what matters.
I want you to know: meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life. You didn't just fall in love with me. You taught me to believe I was worthy of being loved. You gave me permission to dream. To want more. To believe I could be more.
I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if I'll pass the university entrance exam or if I can really fit in your world or if we can make this work across the distance.
But I know this: I want to try. I want to love you for as long as you'll let me. Until my last breath, if you'll have me that long.
Thank you for everything. For seeing me. For choosing me. For being exactly who you are.
I love you. More than words can say.Sweet dreams, Zayne. —N
She hit send before she could overthink it, then curled up in bed, exhausted but happy, surrounded by the sounds of her family sleeping peacefully.
Her phone buzzed almost immediately. Despite the late hour, despite his early rounds—he was awake. Had been waiting.
Nana. I wasn't asleep. I was lying here, thinking about you, about how empty this apartment feels without you.
Reading your message just—I don't have words. You say I taught you to believe in yourself, but you've taught me something even more important: how to be human. How to feel. How to let someone in. How to want something more than just achievement and success.
You think meeting me was your blessing? Meeting you saved me. From a life of cold efficiency and emotional emptiness. From becoming my parents. From living a perfectly successful, completely hollow existence.say you don't know if you can fit in my world. Let me be clear: you don't need to fit.
You IMPROVE it. You make it warmer, kinder, more real. My colleagues, my work, my life—it all means more because I have you to share it with.
And about loving me until your last breath? Nana, I plan to make sure we take that last breath together, many, many years from now, surrounded by family and grandchildren and a life so full of love that people write stories about it.
I'm going to marry you. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next month. But someday soon, I'm going to ask you to be my wife. And when I do, I need you to believe something: you're not becoming part of my world. We're building a new world together. One that has your warmth and my resources. Your family and my career. Your village and my city. The best of everything we are.
Sleep now. Dream of our future. And know that two weeks from now, I'm coming home to you. Because that's what you are—home. Wherever you are, that's where I belong.
I love you ou. Beyond measure. Beyond words. Beyond anything I thought I was capable of feeling.
Until I see you again. —Z
Nana read the message three times, crying and smiling in equal measure.
Marry you?
The word hung in her mind, terrifying and beautiful and impossible and—
—maybe not impossible after all.
Maybe, just maybe, fairy tales really did come true.
Even for village girls and emotionally constipated surgeons.
Even for two people who weren't supposed to fit but somehow completed each other perfectly.
"Goodnight, my love" she whispered.
Nana fell asleep with her phone clutched to her chest, a smile on her face, and dreams of a future that felt—for the first time in her life—not just possible, but inevitable.
Two weeks.
She could wait two weeks.
And then—
And then they'd keep building this impossible, beautiful thing they'd started.
One day, one moment, one forehead kiss at a time.
Together.
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To be continued __