The café was quiet, tucked into a corner of Country C's art district, all muted tones and hanging ivy. Rain tapped lightly on the glass windows as Lu Jingyan stirred her tea, eyes trained on the delicate ripples forming in the cup. She hadn't expected Leng Yumo to reach out. And yet, here they were — across the table, for the first time since the storm tore through both their lives.
Yumo sat stiffly, fingers curled tightly around her own cup, untouched. Her gaze flicked to Jingyan's face, then quickly away.
"Thank you for coming," she said, almost too softly to hear.
Jingyan didn't smile, but her voice was calm. "You said it was important."
A beat of silence stretched.
"It was about months ago," Yumo began, her voice tentative. "Before everything. Before the fall."
Jingyan didn't speak — only waited.
"I wanted to tell you what really happened… the day I went to my brother in tears."
Jingyan's gaze finally lifted, cool but not cruel. "You never told him who it was, did you?"
"No," Yumo said quickly. "Because it wasn't you. It never was. But he assumed. And I… I didn't correct him."
Jingyan's jaw tensed.
"I was at school," Yumo continued. "Some of the girls in my circle… they were talking about the fashion week in Country F. The Lu family heiress had just made another major appearance—people were praising you everywhere."
"It was a good season," Jingyan said, eyes unreadable.
"They mocked me," Yumo said, voice cracking slightly. "They said the Leng family was fading. That all the magazines cared about now was the Lu name. That no matter how hard we tried, we'd never shine the way you did."
Jingyan blinked, slowly. "So… schoolyard gossip."
Yumo flinched but nodded. "It hurt. More than I expected. I'd always been proud of who I was, of my family. But that day… I felt small. Insignificant."
"And so you cried to your brother."
"I told him I was being mocked, but I didn't give him names. Just that I was tired of feeling like I didn't matter. He got angry. I thought he'd scold them. Maybe pull some favors at the school. I didn't know…"
"That he'd destroy my family?" Jingyan asked softly.
Yumo closed her eyes, guilt washing over her face. "If I'd known what he planned, I would've stopped it. I swear."
Silence again. Only the sound of rain outside.
"I didn't even know what happened until weeks later," Yumo said, eyes glistening. "When things came crashing down for you… and I put the pieces together. By then, it was too late."
Jingyan studied her for a long time. "Why tell me this now?"
"Because it's the truth. And I never meant for any of this to happen. Not to you. Not your family."
"You were silent when the world watched me fall."
"I was scared," Yumo whispered. "I thought if I spoke, it would make things worse. For everyone."
Jingyan looked away, her expression unreadable.
"You don't have to forgive me," Yumo said, voice trembling. "But I wanted you to know it didn't come from hate. Just… insecurity. A moment of weakness that spiraled into something monstrous."
"And you think truth heals everything?"
"No," she said. "But maybe it can stop the rot from growing."
Jingyan finally met her eyes. "It wasn't just about a rumor, Yumo. It was about the weight your family name carried. What one order from your brother meant. What silence could cost."
"I know," Yumo whispered. "And I hate what it cost you."
Jingyan looked at her — really looked at her — and for the first time, Yumo saw no anger. Just exhaustion. And a quiet, buried ache.
After a long pause, Jingyan said, "I don't hate you. But I don't know what to do with this."
"You don't have to do anything," Yumo replied. "I just… didn't want to lie anymore."
Jingyan nodded slowly and stood. "Thank you. For telling me."
Yumo stayed seated, her eyes glistening. "Will you ever come back?"
Jingyan gave a faint smile. "I never left myself behind."
And with that, she walked out — into the gray drizzle, leaving behind truth, regret… and a small, tentative crack in the wall between them.