---
Liang Yexuan didn't spare Su Meilin a single glance.
He stood tall behind his sleek glass desk, his back straight and posture cold as ever, exuding a quiet power that made the temperature in the room seem to drop.
His face, as emotionless as a carved statue, remained buried in the screen of his tablet.
Su Meilin stood there, awkward and trembling, clutching the small gift box in her hands.
Her eyes shimmered with hope, but that fragile glow flickered like a candle in the wind.
The tension in the air was sharp, like invisible wires stretching taut, ready to snap.
Standing to the side, Liang Qianyu noticed everything.
Her lips twitched ever so slightly, and for a brief moment, a cruel smirk broke through her carefully composed face.
Her dark eyes glittered with an emotion that flickered too fast to name—jealousy? Triumph? Satisfaction?
No one saw her expression. Not Liang Yexuan. Not Su Meilin.
In a blink, the mask returned. Liang Qianyu stepped closer to her brother, tilting her head slightly as she pouted looking innocent and sweet.
"Brother," she said in a soft voice, like a pampered child asking for candy, "why don't you like Sister Meilin? She picked out that tie for you herself. She spent a long time choosing it... just for you."
Su Meilin felt her heart stutter. Her eyes flicked toward Liang Yexuan, hoping to see some softening in his expression.
Instead, he became even colder. His jaw tightened, and a chill settled into his features as he reached for his phone from the desk.
He simply said, "I have a meeting."
Liang Qianyu's eyes gleamed again, but she quickly nodded. "Okay then, we won't disturb you. Let's go, Sister Meilin."
She gently took Su Meilin's hand, which was cold as ice, and led her toward the door.
Su Meilin followed, her heart aching as her fingers gripped the small box tighter.
Just as they reached the entrance, the sound of the intercom buzzed from Liang Yexuan's desk.
"Secretary Zhao," Liang Yexuan's cold voice came through the speaker, "replace the carpet in my office before I return."
Click.
The line went dead.
The door hadn't even shut yet.
Su Meilin's steps froze.
Her eyes widened as her throat tightened. Her fingers dug into her palm as she stood, rooted in place.
Change the carpet?
Why?
Was it because she stepped on it?
Did he find her presence so repulsive that he didn't even want a trace of her left behind?
A thousand sharp needles stabbed her chest. Her face burned with shame.
Her knees weakened beneath her, but she forced herself to stay upright as they entered the elevator. Her face flushed with humiliation.
Liang Qianyu didn't say a word. But the smirk returned to her lips as the elevator doors closed in front of them.
"Don't worry, Sister Meilin," she said, patting her hand. "My brother will like you soon. You just have to be patient. He's like that with everyone at first."
Su Meilin nodded slowly.
But inside, she felt like she was breaking.
Her mind kept replaying Liang Yexuan's expressionless face, the way he stepped back slightly, the distance in his eyes. The way he told someone to change the carpet after she left—as if she had contaminated his world.
She'd never felt so humiliated.
And yet, it wasn't the first time. Liang Yexuan had humiliated her again and again.
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet part of town, in a small cozy home filled with warm sunlight and soft cushions, Lin Yue was curled up on her couch with Ah Yan beside her.
The world outside felt distant. Time seemed to slow when she was with him.
Ah Yan leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against her lips, and whispered, "I feel happy with you."
Lin Yue's cheeks turned pink. Her heart fluttered, and her eyes twinkled. "Even though you don't remember who you are?"
He nodded, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "I don't care about the past. I only know that I love you now."
Her eyes widened slightly at his bold confession. A small laugh escaped her lips before she playfully asked, "What if you already have a wife somewhere?"
Ah Yan chuckled, brushing his fingers along her jaw. "Then she must've lost her chance. Because I only belong to you now."
Lin Yue's heart melted. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just want you to stay... always."
"I will," he promised, sealing it with a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Yueyue. For saving me. For taking care of me when I was nothing but a stranger with no name. I don't care who I used to be. I only care about being someone worthy of your love from now on."
Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Then... stay with me forever," she whispered.
He didn't answer with words.
He leaned down and kissed her again, more passionately this time.
The warmth between them grew, hearts pounding in sync, as emotions long held back finally flowed freely.
But then... something changed.
Ah Yan suddenly gasped.
Lin Yue opened her eyes, startled. "Ah Yan?"
He clutched his chest, as though something was tightening inside him.
His breathing became erratic. A faint shimmer of light began to ripple across his skin.
"Ah Yan?! What's happening?!"
His body flickered.
Lin Yue grabbed his arm, but her fingers passed through air.
"No! No no no! Don't do this! Don't leave me!"
"Yueyue!" he called, his voice shaking. "I don't know what's happening!"
"No! No, no, no…!" she cried, trying to hold onto him. "Ah Yan, don't leave! Please! Stay!"
She grabbed at his shoulders, but her hands slipped through air. He was disappearing.
Like mist in the wind.
His form was disappearing in pieces—his legs already fading, his hands flickering between solid and transparent.
"Ah Yan?!"
Lin Yue screamed and tried to hold him, but she couldn't grasp anything anymore.
"Ah Yan?! Don't!? Ah Yan?!"
Tears streamed down her face as she shouted his name over and over.
"Yueyue?!"
He tried to touch her cheek but couldn't.
"Yueyue... I love you."
"NO! Please! Don't go! Stay!"
And then, he vanished completely.
Gone.
"AH YAN!" she cried, her voice breaking.
"AH YAN!!!"
Lin Yue's scream echoed through the small house.
Her hand shot up into the air, reaching for a presence that was no longer there.
---