After the almost-confession (and the ghost warning), Meilin barely slept that night.
She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, repeating Li Wei's last words:
"I like spending time with you."
Her heart did a backflip every time she remembered it.
By morning, she was convinced it was either the start of something beautiful…
…or another plot twist waiting to strike her life like a drama script.
---
Saturday Surprise
At 10 AM, Meilin heard her doorbell ring.
She shuffled to the door wearing pajama shorts and a cartoon T-shirt—
—and nearly fainted.
Li Wei stood there.
In casual clothes.
With a paper bag in his hand.
"Good morning," he said gently. "I brought breakfast."
Meilin panicked like a squirrel on caffeine.
"W-Wait! I look terrible!"
Li Wei smiled.
"You look fine."
"No I don't! Give me two minutes—no, five—no, actually ten—"
She shut the door on his face before she embarrassed herself further.
In a flurry, she changed clothes, washed her face, and tied her hair into a messy bun that she hoped looked "effortless."
It actually looked like a confused coconut.
She opened the door again, breathless.
Li Wei blinked.
"You changed clothes."
She wanted to disappear.
"Yes. Because I'm a human."
He laughed softly.
And somehow that made her heart melt even more.
---
Breakfast Chaos
Inside her small apartment, Li Wei looked surprisingly comfortable.
He placed the breakfast on the table.
"I wasn't sure what you liked," he said. "So I bought… everything."
Meilin opened the bag—
And saw:
steamed buns
dumplings
soy milk
pancakes
fruit
snacks
snacks
more snacks
"Li Wei… This could feed an entire village."
He looked genuinely unsure.
"…Is that too much?"
Meilin burst out laughing.
This made him smile, warm and soft.
They ate together, and for the first time, the silence between them wasn't nervous.
It was… peaceful.
Until the cup of soy milk slipped from Meilin's hand and spilled across the table.
Meilin gasped.
Li Wei calmly wiped it with tissues.
"It's okay," he said.
"I like messy things."
She froze.
He blinked.
"I meant—messy situations. Not people."
She stared.
He panicked slightly.
"I'm not calling you messy."
Meilin deadpanned,
"Too late."
They both burst into laughter.
---
A Walk That Felt Like a Date
After breakfast, Li Wei asked,
"Are you free today?"
Meilin nodded, surprised.
"Why?"
His voice turned softer.
"I want to spend time with you."
Her heart did three cartwheels.
They walked through a nearby park, talking about random things—
from food, to childhood stories, to their worst embarrassing moments.
Li Wei admitted something unexpected.
"I wasn't good with people growing up."
Meilin tilted her head.
"Really? You seem confident."
"Not always. But I'm… comfortable with you."
She felt warmth spread through her chest.
At that exact moment, a toddler ran past them chasing soap bubbles—
then tripped—
and grabbed Li Wei's leg for balance.
Li Wei lost his footing.
Which made Meilin lose her balance.
Which made the both of them fall onto the grass in the most dramatic, slow-motion, romantic-comedy way possible.
They landed face-to-face.
Very close.
Too close.
Meilin's breath caught.
Li Wei's eyes softened.
For a second—
just a second—
it felt like they might actually kiss.
Then the toddler shouted,
"UNCLE! YOU'RE SO HEAVY!"
The moment shattered.
Li Wei sat up quickly, sighing.
Meilin covered her face, laughing helplessly.
---
A Small But Real Step Forward
On the walk back, the air grew quieter—but not in a bad way.
Meilin walked a little closer than usual.
Li Wei didn't move away.
Finally, he whispered,
"Can we… continue seeing each other like this?"
Her steps halted.
She looked up at him.
"I'd like that."
He smiled—a soft, relieved smile that reached his eyes.
For the first time,
this wasn't just a crush.
It was something growing, gently, slowly…
and undeniably real.
But fate was not done with them yet—
the sweetest twist was still waiting.