Chapter 5

So Yi was clearly enjoying himself. A gentle smile brightened his eyes as he put a piece of sweet-and-sour ribs in my bowl.

“Try it. See if you like it.”

Dinner was warm and satisfying.

We told each other the interesting things that had happened during the day, laughing all the while.

After dinner, we sat on the sofa and watched TV.

Neither of us said anything. We just enjoyed the quiet closeness.

I tilted my head up to look at his handsome jawline, then couldn’t resist leaning over to kiss it gently.

So Yi lowered his eyes. They immediately darkened, carrying a hint of danger.

The arm around my waist tightened, pulling me closer. Then he kissed me, tenderly but deeply.

Unlike our first kiss, which had been gentle, tentative, and careful, this one was full of possessiveness and longing.

He kissed me until I was dizzy. I could only respond instinctively, my hands gripping his shoulders as I felt the heat of his firm muscles beneath his shirt.

We were lost in our own little world. Neither of us noticed the faint beep from the front door—the sound of the keypad lock opening.

“Bestie! I’m home!”

“Wow, it smells so good. What did you make? The food overseas is inedible. I’ve missed you so much…”

So Ying’s voice suddenly cut off.

So Yi and I froze as if someone had pressed a pause button, then immediately pulled apart.

My face was still flushed. My lips were a little swollen, and I stared at her blankly.

So Yi was a little calmer than I was, but his arm was still around my waist. The tips of his ears were visibly red, too.

So Ying stood frozen in the doorway, still holding the handle of her suitcase.

Time seemed to stop.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, So Ying shakily took out her phone…

I said, “So Ying, what are you doing?”

“Calling the police. I’m having them arrest the pervert.”

The “pervert” stopped So Ying and snatched her phone away.

So Ying sat in the living room while So Yi went into the kitchen to make her another whole meal.

I sat straight across from her, afraid to even breathe too loudly.

“I worked my tail off and stayed up for several nights so I could surprise you both. I finished my assignment ten days early and came home, and this is the huge shock you give me?”

So Ying sprang to her feet angrily, hands on her hips in the middle of the living room.

She paced around several times, then couldn’t help laughing in frustration.

“Ha! So I’m the outsider here.”

Her eyes were red with anger, but she was still trying to control herself. My heart ached as if pricked by needles.

I stood up, walked over to her, and carefully took her hand.

“So Ying, I’m sorry.”

I apologized sincerely. “I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

So Ying pulled her hand away and turned her face. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

“I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

I took a deep breath and decided to tell her everything I’d been thinking.

“I’ve liked So Yi for a long time. So long that… maybe even I don’t know when it started.”

So Ying abruptly turned around. Her eyes were red as she looked at me.

“How long?”

“Maybe… since middle school, when he carried me to the nurse’s office.”

I smiled bitterly. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was like a seed got planted without me realizing it. It wasn’t until college that I really understood I liked him.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?!”

Her voice was full of hurt and tears.

“Le Qian! We’re best friends! You’ve secretly liked my brother for all these years, and you never said a word to me! What do you take me for?”

“Because you’re my best friend, I didn’t dare tell you!”

My eyes stung, too.

“He’s your brother. I was afraid… I was afraid that if I told you, we wouldn’t even be able to stay friends.”

“I was afraid you’d feel awkward, afraid you’d think I had some ulterior motive, afraid our friendship would never be as pure as before.”

I took a tissue and handed it to her. Then I went on.

“When I moved in, at first I really only wanted to be a little closer to him. I never thought I’d actually end up with him.”

“After that… everything that happened was a surprise to me, too.”

“I originally planned to wait until you came back from your trip, then find the right time to confess.”

So Ying looked at me and immediately got angry.

“You always try to carry everything by yourself! When you were little and got bullied, you endured it alone. Now you like someone, and you endure that alone, too!”

“Why don’t you lean on me a little? I’m your best friend! You know I’d help with anything you wanted, as long as I could!”

She grew more and more worked up.

“So what if he’s my brother? If you’d told me earlier that you liked him, I would’ve helped you!”

“I could’ve given you advice. I could’ve found out how he felt! If you begged me enough, maybe I’d even knock him out and stuff him under your blanket!”

I stared at her in shock.

Why did the way she put it make me regret not telling her sooner?

So Ying looked at me.

“So you don’t trust me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you!”

I hurriedly took her hand.

“It’s because I trust you too much and care about you too much that I didn’t want to bother you with everything. Sometimes a friendship gets worn down little by little by things like this!”

I looked into her eyes and finally told her what I’d been worrying about most.

“So Ying, after you graduated, you went to work at your family’s company. I know how much pressure you’re under.”

“Those colleagues say behind your back that you only rely on connections. To earn recognition for your achievements and ability, you have to work several times harder than an ordinary person.”

“This overseas trip is for negotiations on a cross-border project. What a good opportunity to prove yourself! I didn’t want to distract you, and I didn’t want you to have even more to worry about because of my little love life…”

Before I could finish, So Ying let out a sob and threw her arms around my neck.

“You’re such a jerk!”

Tears and snot smeared onto my shoulder.

“Who told you to be so sensible? Aren’t friends supposed to bother each other?”

I hugged her tightly, too. All the secrets I’d kept hidden for years, my guilt, my gratitude, and a flood of emotion came together in that moment. We clung to each other and cried.

“That stupid brother of mine… if he ever treats you badly, I’m the first one who won’t forgive him!”

“Mm…”

While So Ying and I were still hugging and crying as if the world were ending, completely absorbed in our feelings, a hesitant voice came from the kitchen. It held a trace of helplessness.

“Um… dinner’s ready. Maybe you could… eat something first?”

So Ying and I both lifted our heads. Our eyes were red and swollen from crying as we looked toward the voice and shouted through our sobs,

“Shut up!”

So Yi: “…”

He rubbed his nose, then silently and very sensibly backed into the kitchen one step at a time.

He even thoughtfully closed the glass door, isolating himself inside.

Seeing how he didn’t dare complain, So Ying and I looked at each other. Suddenly, it was kind of funny.

Tears were still on our faces, but she couldn’t help snorting with laughter.

So Ying sniffled and wiped her face carelessly with her sleeve.

“Fine. Since you like my brother so much… no, since my brother likes you so much…”

She paused, as if she’d finally made up her mind. With a hint of reluctance and pride, as though she’d just set down a heavy burden, she solemnly declared,

“I reluctantly… approve of you two being together.”

She went over to the dining table and sat down. The next second, she started eating like she was starving.

That kid really must have been hungry.

After the meal, she wiped her mouth.

“Go wash the dishes, So Yi. Then come into the study. We need to talk.”

So Yi: “…”

While So Yi washed the dishes, So Ying sent me a message.

“That was amazing!!!! I’m the boss today!!!”

I wanted to laugh, but I also felt sorry for So Yi.

Through the glass kitchen door, So Yi happened to turn around. Our eyes met.

He smiled at me helplessly and mouthed, “It’s fine.”

I quietly cracked the glass door open, held up my phone, and showed him So Ying’s message.

So Yi read it, paused for a moment, then couldn’t help laughing.

I pressed my palms together in a prayerful gesture and whispered, “Good luck, boyfriend.”

A gentle smile filled his eyes. He quickly leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips.

“Wait for me.”

Then he took a deep breath as if preparing for battle and headed into the study.

The door closed behind him.

So Ying’s voice came faintly through the door as she lectured him in a deliberately low tone. I couldn’t make out her exact words, but her sheer intensity was enough to make anyone nervous.

I sat in the living room, half-distractedly scrolling through my phone while keeping an ear on the other room. In my heart, I lit a candle and prayed for So Yi.

I moved back to my own home.

So Yi’s vacation ended, and he soon returned to City B.

The architecture firm he’d started with his friends wasn’t large, but thanks to their outstanding ideas and professional skill, it soon began to establish itself in the industry. Project after project came in, leaving him incredibly busy.

We started a long-distance relationship.

The distance didn’t make our feelings fade. If anything, every phone call and video chat became precious.

We shared every little detail of our lives. He complained about difficult clients, and I told him about all the annoying work that kept piling up.

When I worked late into the night, he’d send me a photo of City B, quiet after dark, along with a message: “I miss you.”

Whenever something good happened, I’d be the first to call and tell him.

The days passed quietly between work and longing. In the blink of an eye, we reached the second year of our long-distance relationship.

One ordinary workday, my supervisor called me into the office. She told me that the company was expanding and needed a key employee at its headquarters in City B. After a comprehensive review, the company had decided I was the best fit.

It meant an important promotion.

I accepted the transfer almost without hesitation.

The move to City B went unbelievably smoothly.

So Yi had arranged everything in advance. I moved straight into his spacious, bright apartment with its large balcony.

We went shopping for household items together and planned how to arrange the space, slowly filling the home with a feeling that belonged to the two of us.

Our daily routines gradually fell into sync.

He was still busy, but he always tried to turn down unnecessary social events so he could come home and have dinner with me.

Once our relationship had settled into something steady, it was only natural that we met each other’s parents.

So Yi’s parents were open-minded and gentle. His mother in particular held my hand and told me lots of embarrassing stories from So Yi’s childhood. She didn’t hide how much she loved me.

I had no family left, but So Ying thumped her chest and declared, “My parents are your parents now!”

It seemed I… had a family.

A warm, loving family, the kind I’d only ever been able to dream about.

One Saturday afternoon, the sunset dyed the sky a warm orange-red.

So Yi and I walked hand in hand along a tree-lined path near our neighborhood, chatting about everyday things and making plans for a trip together in the not-too-distant future.

My phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number from another place.

I hesitated for a moment, then answered.

“May I speak with Miss Le Qian? This is the Chengxi District police station.”

The voice on the other end sounded mechanical and calm.

My heart sank. Instinctively, I tightened my grip on So Yi’s hand.

He immediately noticed and stopped walking, turning to look at me.

“This is she. What’s the matter?”

“I’m calling to inform you that your father, Le Gang, completed his prison sentence and was released in October last year. Not long after his release, however, he was wanted by the police on suspicion of multiple thefts. This afternoon, while fleeing from our pursuit, he ran in panic and was involved in a serious traffic accident. He was pronounced dead an hour ago after resuscitation efforts failed. Under the regulations, a family member needs to come in to handle the remaining procedures…”

I couldn’t hear the rest.

My ears were ringing.

Le Gang… was dead?

The nightmare that had haunted me for over twenty years had ended so suddenly and so tragically.

I didn’t feel grief. I only felt an awful emptiness, confusion, and disbelief.

But at the same time, there was a complicated feeling, as if a burden had been lifted.

My body began trembling slightly without my control. My fingertips went cold.

So Yi held my hand tightly. His palm was warm and steady.

He didn’t ask many questions.

He’d heard part of the call and seen my rigid expression and broken sentences. He could guess what had happened.

I ended the call, looked up, and tried to give him an “I’m fine” smile.

But I realized I couldn’t even lift the corners of my mouth.

“He…”

My voice was dry.

“He’s dead. A car accident.”

So Yi said nothing. He simply gathered me into his arms.

His chin rested on the crown of my head. His arms tightened around me.

“It’s all right now, Le Qian.”

His low voice sounded beside my ear, carrying a strength that made me feel safe.

“It’s over.”

I rested in his arms in silence for a while, feeling his heartbeat. Its steady rhythm slowly soothed the turmoil in my heart.

I looked up at him.

“The police station asked me to go handle what’s left.”

“I’ll go with you.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll go with you. We’ll say goodbye to everything that came before, together.”

I looked at him. The support and compassion in his eyes were unmistakable, and the last of my unease dissolved.

I nodded and squeezed his hand.

“Okay.”

This time, I wouldn’t have to face the storm alone.

Someone would hold an umbrella over me. Someone would walk beside me.

The shadow called “Father” had finally disappeared completely.

And my future was clear and bright.

Someone loves me.

The End.

Enjoyed this story? Discover more completed short romance stories at NovelPotato.asia.