The balcony remained immersed in the night's cold, yet Yuyan hardly felt it. The kiss still burned on her skin as if a sun had been lit inside her. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They simply stayed there, close, breathing in the same rhythm, as though the entire universe had stepped back not to interrupt.
Wen adjusted his glasses, but the gesture did not hide the emotion in his eyes. He held her hand firmly, and Yuyan did not pull away. On the contrary, she intertwined her fingers slowly, as if sealing a silent pact.
— Thank you… — he murmured, almost voiceless. — For not walking away.
She smiled with discreet tears.— I never wanted to leave.
They stayed like that for long minutes, until the cold nudged them back inside. The living room seemed different now, warmed not only by the amber glow of the lamp but by what they had just shared.
They sat on the sofa, still holding hands. At first, words hesitated to return, but soon came small confessions, light as footsteps on wood.
— When you brought me that chrysanthemum tea at the canteen, I thought… — Yuyan laughed softly at herself — I thought it might have been just courtesy. But I kept that gesture as if it were rare.
Wen observed her in silence, his gaze solemn, yet lit.— I kept everything too. Since the tray. Every detail. As if they were maps leading here.
She rested her head on his shoulder, and his heart raced. No music, no stars were needed. The delicate weight of that trust was enough.
Time moved slowly. Dinner already felt far away, but the taste of sharing lingered. When they stood up, the night was even colder. Wen took the scarf he had been wearing and wrapped it around her neck, adjusting it carefully.
— You'll need it more than I will.
Yuyan pressed the fabric against her face, breathing in the soft scent she already knew. She did not protest. She only nodded with a shy smile.
In the car, the silence was sweet. The city slid by in reflections of light on the windows, but to her, what mattered was the presence beside her. At every turn, she felt as if she were being carried not just home, but to a place where she could finally rest.
At the building entrance, Wen stepped out first and opened the door for her. The gesture was simple, but carried a care that made her tremble.
— Good night, Yuyan. — he said, his voice low but steady.
She looked at him for a moment. Then, without hesitation, she embraced him. It was not a quick gesture. It was long, firm, full of everything they still could not say. Wen closed his eyes, letting the entire world vanish in that moment.
— I don't know how I lived so long without this. — he confessed, almost a whisper against her hair.
Yuyan shut her eyes, holding back tears, and answered only by resting her face against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was the answer she needed.
When they parted, silence was no longer a barrier, but a bridge. She climbed the steps slowly, carrying the flowers and the scarf. Looking back, she saw him still standing by the car, watching.
And she thought:Some promises do not need to be spoken. They already live in the warmth that remained.
At lunchtime, the cafeteria was full of voices and clattering cutlery, but Yuyan tugged Xiaoqing by the arm, with a look too serious to ignore.
— Can we… sit just the two of us? — she asked softly.
Xiaoqing widened her eyes but agreed without hesitation. They went to a table in the corner, near the window, where the daylight filtered in gently, gilding the steaming bowls of rice. Yuyan fidgeted with her chopsticks, too nervous to begin.
— You're making me nervous, Yuyan. — said Xiaoqing, resting her chin on her hands. — What happened?
The blush rose to Yuyan's cheeks immediately. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling:— Yesterday… I went with Professor Wen to a special place.
Xiaoqing's smile spread slowly, as if she already sensed the revelation.— Oh no… don't tell me…
Yuyan lowered her eyes, but went on:— He took me to the orphanage where he grew up. I met the children… I met the lady who raised him. It was so moving, Xiaoqing. I never thought he would open that side of himself to me.
Her friend bit her lip, struggling to contain her excitement.— My God… and you weren't going to tell me?
— That wasn't all. — Yuyan blushed even deeper. — Afterward… we went to the movies. And then… he invited me to dinner at his apartment.
Xiaoqing almost dropped her chopsticks.— You're kidding me?!
Yuyan shook her head, laughing nervously.— He cooked himself. Noodles. I just sat there watching… it was like even the pan obeyed him.
— Of course, the monk of biochemistry probably lectures frying pans too! — Xiaoqing laughed, then leaned closer, eager. — And then?
Yuyan breathed deeply, her eyes filling.— Then… he took me to the balcony. There was a telescope. I saw the moon, the stars… And he told me… that I was the sun of his universe.
Tears slid quietly down her cheeks, but the smile never left her face.— And then… he kissed me.
The shock on Xiaoqing's face lasted only a heartbeat. Then a wide, emotional smile bloomed, lighting her features.— I knew it! — she exclaimed, almost crying with her. — I knew this day would come!
Without caring about the crowded cafeteria, she hugged Yuyan tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.— You deserve this so much, my friend. After everything… you deserve to be loved like this.
Yuyan returned the embrace, hiding her face in her friend's shoulder.— I'm still afraid, Xiaoqing. But for the first time… I don't want to run.
Her friend held her even tighter.— Then don't. Live. The rest… leave to me, I'll hold up the world if I have to.
The two laughed through their tears, and in that quiet corner, they celebrated not only the beginning of a love, but also the strength of a friendship that knew how to guard secrets and share joys.
While Yuyan shared secrets with Xiaoqing, elsewhere in the city Wen was having lunch with Li Cheng in the faculty cafeteria. Their table by the window was the usual one, but Li's mood was louder than ever.
— So finally! — he exclaimed, drumming his chopsticks on the table like announcing victory. — The great monk of the lab has surrendered to the heart. I should open a bottle of sake just to celebrate.
Wen adjusted his glasses, trying to remain calm before his friend's enthusiasm.— There's no need to exaggerate, Li.
— Exaggerate? — Li leaned across the table, eyes shining. — You confessed! You kissed! That's not exaggeration, that's material for a romance novel, my friend.
Wen lowered his eyes to his bowl of rice, stirring it in silence. Li noticed the hesitation and narrowed his gaze.— Wait a second… you didn't actually ask her to be your girlfriend, did you?
Wen's silence was answer enough.
— I knew it! — Li raised his hand theatrically. — Classic! You think a confession plus a kiss solves everything, but no, my friend. Women need the question. The formal gesture. The "will you go out with me?" spelled out.
Wen drew a long breath, thoughtful.— I didn't think… it was necessary. I thought it was implied.
— Implied is the favorite word of cowards, Zhaonan. — Li poked his bowl with his chopsticks. — And you're no coward. You just need to realize that sometimes, her heart deserves to hear what yours has already decided.
The words lingered. Wen gazed out the window, his mind returning to Yuyan's shy smile on the balcony, the tears in her eyes, the long embrace that seemed endless.
Maybe Li was right.
He took his phone from his pocket, hesitated a few seconds, then typed slowly:
"I'll come pick you up after work. If that's not a problem."
He stared at the glowing screen, the cursor blinking as if it too awaited a reply.
Li, across the table, grinned mischievously.— Good. Start simple. The rest… the universe will take care of.