The city glimmered beneath a pale afternoon sun, the kind that painted everything in soft gold and quiet warmth. It had been two days since that tense encounter on East Garden Street — two days of silence, of unanswered messages, of space that felt colder than any argument.
Shen Xuer hadn't blocked him. She hadn't refused to see him either. But she hadn't said yes to anything, and that silence spoke louder than words.
Still, Ye Fen refused to give up. This time, he wasn't going to hide behind excuses or let fear dictate his choices. If he was going to win her back — truly win her heart — it would be with truth. Honest, unpolished truth.
That was why he'd reserved the private room at Lanting Pavilion, a quiet restaurant tucked away in one of the city's older districts. The place had soft lighting, polished wood interiors, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden of maple trees. It was the same place they'd celebrated her acceptance into university all those years ago. Back then, he had been just her childhood friend. Now, the stakes were so much higher.
Ye Fen checked his watch for the fifth time. 9:56pm. She'd said she might come. Not yes. Not no. Just might.
And then, just as doubt began to creep in, the door slid open.
Shen Xuer stepped in.
She was wearing a simple cream dress, her hair tied loosely behind her, but to Ye Fen she looked breathtaking. Her expression, however, was unreadable — calm, distant, and maybe a little guarded.
"You wanted to talk," she said softly.
"Thank you for coming," he replied.
She took the seat across from him, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "I don't have a lot of time, Ye Fen. So say what you need to say."
He nodded, inhaling deeply. This was it — no lies, no hiding. Just truth.
"I hurt you," he began, his voice steady. "And not just once. I hurt you when I didn't tell you about my marriage. I hurt you when I pushed you away without explaining why. And I hurt you again by letting my past walk into our present without warning."
Shen Xuer's eyes flickered, but she didn't interrupt.
"I need to be honest about something," he continued, his voice growing quieter. "The truth is…."
He swallowed hard, his chest tightening. "The truth is, I took your feelings for granted. I thought they would always be there. I thought that because we grew up together, because we were childhood friends, what you felt for me wasn't serious. I treated your heart like it was something small — something that would always wait for me no matter what I did. I even laughed it off at times, thinking it was just a silly crush you'd eventually grow out of."
His voice dropped to a whisper, every word heavy with regret. "I was wrong. So wrong. What you felt for me was real — deeper and stronger than I ever deserved. And instead of cherishing it, I dismissed it. I made you feel like your love was a joke, and I hate myself for that."
The silence that followed was heavy, but Ye Fen didn't stop.
"I should've held on to you back then. But instead, I let my pride and stupidity guide me, and I hurt the one person who always cared about me without asking for anything in return."
His voice softened, trembling with shame. "I don't expect you to forgive me for that. I don't even know if I deserve forgiveness. But I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that I understand now — and that I will never, ever take your heart for granted again."
For a long moment, Shen Xuer didn't speak. She simply stared at him, her eyes searching his face for something — maybe sincerity, maybe regret.
Finally, she exhaled slowly. "You're right," she said softly. "You hurt me. You hurt me more than anyone ever has."
He lowered his gaze. "I know."
"And part of me still hates you for it," she continued. "For the lies, for the distance, for making me feel like I was never enough."
Each word was a blade, but Ye Fen didn't flinch. He deserved them.
"But…" she said after a moment, her voice softening. "Another part of me… never stopped hoping you'd come back."
His head lifted slowly, hope flickering in his chest. "Xuer…"
"I don't know if I can trust you completely," she admitted. "Not yet. But hearing you say all this — honestly, without excuses — it's a start."
A start. It wasn't forgiveness. It wasn't love rekindled. But it was a door — a small, fragile door that hadn't been there before.
Ye Fen nodded. "Then I'll take it. And I'll prove to you, every single day, that you're not making a mistake by giving me that chance."
She looked down, her lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. "You always were stubborn."
He chuckled softly. "You used to call it determination."
"Maybe it still is," she said, standing up. "I have to go. But… thank you. For saying all of this."
He rose too, resisting the urge to reach for her hand. "Thank you for listening."
As she walked toward the door, Shen Xuer paused and turned back to him. Her eyes met his — not filled with anger anymore, but something gentler.
"Don't make me regret this," she said quietly.
"I won't," Ye Fen promised