It was late evening, and I was working overtime with a mountain of files yet to be sorted. Around 9 p.m., I finally stretched and decided to take a break.
I reached for my phone and started scrolling. Suddenly, the photo I took with Xiang on the bus popped up.
A smile crept onto my face. I quickly shut off the screen and headed down to the café to grab a coffee.
As I entered, I noticed Xiang sitting alone by the window.
Curious, I picked up my drink and walked over.
> "Mr. Xiang, what are you doing here? Why don't you go home?" I asked.
He looked up and smiled faintly.
> "Oh, it's you. What about you? Why are you here?"
I laughed.
> "I asked you first. Why are you always zoning out, Mr. Xiang?"
I teased him lightly—but then I noticed the way he was looking at me.
His eyes locked onto mine, not with his usual annoyance or confusion—but with a softness I hadn't seen before.
It froze me.
It was like time paused.
I thought to myself, Even if I end up heartbroken, maybe heaven sent him to piece me back together.
Trying to ignore my racing heartbeat, I quickly asked,
> "Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Xiang?"
He answered quietly,
> "Because I fell in love with you."
My heart skipped a beat.
I choked on my breath. His confession hit like a surprise final exam result.
> "W-what are you saying, Mr. Xiang? Are you… feeling alright?"
I stammered, turning around, clearly about to escape the scene.
But he stood up and blocked my way with one arm, trapping me in a gentle corner.
"Do you really have no idea what I'm talking about? Or are you just playing hard to get?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
For a second, I panicked. Does he know he's my crush?
But no, he didn't.
I mustered a defense. "Why would I play hard to get with you, Mr. Xiang?"
He tilted his head. "Then why are you panicking?"
His raised eyebrow made me want to crawl under the table.
I bent slightly, hoping to slip away, but he closed the distance between us until there was barely an inch left. My heart was thudding wildly.
"Just answer the question when I ask you, okay?" he said, like some arrogant CEO in a drama.
I nodded nervously. "Y-yes."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I fell for you when you called me crazy while drunk."
Panicking, I blurted, "If you like me calling you crazy, I'll call you every day! But why do you have to be this close?!"
Just when I thought he might kiss me, I slipped under his arm—but he caught my wrist and gently pulled me back.
With his other hand, he touched my head, cornering me against the wall.
"Don't try to change the subject, Miss Ye," he said with a smirk.
So I decided to play along. I leaned in, my lips close to his ear, and whispered,
"Mr. Xiang, how can you fall for me? You've done so many things you don't even remember.
You'll need to try harder if you want me to fall for you."
His heart was pounding—I could practically hear it—and his face turned.the color of the evening sun.
I leaned back with a smirk and winked.
Seeing him blush like that… he looked cuter than I'd ever seen him. Like a shy girl.
I couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Come to think of it, every time I stood near him, he would grab the bus handle just to block me from falling.
Hmph… does he really think I'll fall for him just because he acts like this~?