The words earlier still echoed in Li Wei's head. It wasn't like he could forget them. After all, things had happened so fast.
Just this morning, he was sweeping floors and arranging books in the small study. Now, somehow, he was walking beside Miss Mei –his new boss as her Personal Assistant through the middle of the street, with her hand gently wrapped around his. And not just any street. This was one of the busiest, brightest places he had ever been to.
He couldn't understand it. She held his hand as if it was something normal. Like they had done it a thousand times. And for a brief moment, Li Wei felt like he wasn't just a poor boy from the back end of the town. He felt seen, Chosen and Important.
He stole a quick glance at her. Miss Mei didn't look back, but she was smiling a little. Not the kind of smile people give you when they're pretending to be polite, no. This was something else. Warm. Real.
The carriage they had come in was still behind them, but no one was rushing. They walked slowly, calmly, like two people enjoying a peaceful day.
People passing by looked at them–some out of curiosity, some out of surprise. A few even whispered things. To the outside world, it might've looked like a rich young woman had fallen in love with a village boy.
But to Li Wei, it felt more confusing than romantic.
"Why me?" he thought. "Just a mere assistant. A nobody."
Still, her hand didn't let go. And deep down, part of him didn't want her to.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a huge, beautiful building. It had golden signs and glass doors, with the smell of fresh food floating out before they even stepped inside.
"This place…" Li Wei murmured. "Is this where we're going?"
Miss Mei turned to him and nodded.
"You look nervous " she said, giggling lightly. "Relax, Come on, let's sit"
Inside, the place looked like something from a dream. There were large tables, shining floors, rich smells of meat and sweet soup, and people dressed in fine clothes laughing and chatting like they had no worries in life.
Li Wei didn't feel like he belonged. He kept his head down, followed behind her closely, and only looked up when they reached a private table tucked near a large window.
The waiter pulled out the chair for her, and then for him. Li Wei paused for a second.
"Should I even sit here? Like this?"
But he sat anyway.
The silence between them wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was like the silence of two people who didn't know where to start. He kept his eyes on the table until Miss Mei finally spoke.
"From today, you'll be walking with me to a lot of places," she said simply. "You don't have to do anything difficult. Just walk beside me; That's all."
He looked up at her now, more confused than before. His voice came out softer than he expected.
"Miss… with all respect, I don't get it. Why me? I mean, I just started
working a few days ago; and you just saw me just a day or two ago . You barely know me. You don't even know if I'm good at this job or not."
Miss Mei smiled again. This time, she looked him straight in the eyes.
"That's true. But sometimes, you don't need to know someone for years to see what you're looking for. You were just real. That's all."
Li Wei didn't know what to say. He stared at her, blinked a few times, then looked back down. Maybe she really did see something in him. Or maybe it was just fate playing games.
The food finally arrived, and Li Wei glanced at the dishes in awe. He had never seen such rich meals up close, let alone been served like this before.
Still, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly, not even tasting the food properly. His mind was elsewhere ;still trying to catch up with everything happening around him.
Was this real? Was he really sitting across from Miss Mei?
She watched him for a while. She could tell he was nervous, like he was trying hard not to mess up anything. So she gently paused her eating and leaned back a little, just observing him with a soft expression.
Li Wei noticed the silence. He looked up carefully, his eyes meeting hers, unsure of what he was doing wrong. Maybe he was supposed to wait for her before eating? Or maybe he'd done something awkward without knowing? He swallowed quickly and asked, "Miss, is everything okay?"
Miss Mei smiled warmly. "Oh, don't worry, everything's fine. I just wanted to know more about you, that's all."
That caught him off guard. Him? He wasn't used to people asking about his life, especially not someone like her.
He lowered his head a bit, then slowly began to talk. He shared a little about himself ;how things had been tough for a long time. The struggles he'd faced. Growing up with almost nothing. Working odd jobs. How sometimes he had to go without food for days.
And then he mentioned something that surprised her.
"There was this one time… back then, someone from your estate… I think they gave me food " he said softly, looking down at his bowl "That was the first time I saw a lady that looked just like you. I don't know, it felt familiar"
Miss Mei froze for a second. That rang a bell. A strong one.
She blinked, her lips slightly parted as she searched her memory. She had seen a boy a week ago standing by the outer gate, dirty and tired, looking at the food basket one of the maids was carrying. She remembered sneaking something out to him that day. Could it be… him?
But she didn't show it. She just smiled gently and said, "Oh? That's interesting. Maybe you do look familiar to me too."
She wasn't ready to say anything more yet. Not until she was sure.
But inside, something clicked.
Li Wei looked at her again, and though the moment passed quietly, something had shifted between them.
It was no longer just Miss Mei and her assistant. There was a quiet connection growing;something warm, unspoken, but real.
They returned to eating, but this time, the silence between them didn't feel heavy. It felt calm, like the beginning of something they didn't fully understand yet… but were willing to explore.
They're beginning to sparking something....