The streets of the city were alive with chatter, the evening lanterns glowing softly against the early night. Inside the dumpling shop, Yulan was carefully stacking leftover trays when Li Wei walked in, looking unusually serious.
"Li Wei, everything okay?" Yulan asked, noticing the slight tension in his shoulders.
Li Wei shook his head, but with a faint smile. "Rumors." He let the word hang.
Yulan blinked. "…Rumors?"
"About me… getting married," Li Wei said casually, but his eyes met Yulan's with a calm intensity. "It's not true. Don't believe everything you hear."
Yulan felt a flutter in his chest — jealousy, relief, and a strange warmth all at once. "…You… you mean it?"
Li Wei leaned against the counter, arms crossed but relaxed. "Of course. I don't plan to marry anyone I don't care about." He smirked slightly, teasing. "And I'm not interested in spreading false rumors either."
Yulan's cheeks heated. "…Right."
Chen Hao, who had been cleaning a corner, peeked up with a grin. "Rumors, huh? Must be serious if even Yulan's blushing."
Li Wei rolled his eyes. "Hao, stop talking."
But Yulan couldn't help noticing the way Li Wei's eyes softened when he laughed. When Chen Hao left the room for a moment, Li Wei stepped closer.
"You're blushing," he said softly, tilting his head. "…I like it."
Yulan swallowed, heart racing. "I… I'm not."
Li Wei's smirk deepened. "…You are. And I like noticing."
Their shoulders brushed as they moved around the small shop, the contact lingering just enough to make Yulan aware of every movement Li Wei made.
Later, when the shop was quiet and the lanterns cast long shadows across the wooden floor, Li Wei stopped Yulan from leaving.
"Yulan," he said, his voice low and steady, "there's something I need to say."
Yulan's heart skipped. "…What is it?"
Li Wei took a deep breath, eyes locked on Yulan's. "…I've liked you for a long time. More than I probably should. And… I don't plan on hiding it anymore."
Yulan's chest tightened. He could feel the warmth of Li Wei's gaze, the sincerity in every word. "…I… I like you too," he admitted softly, voice barely above a whisper.
Li Wei's lips curved into a rare, gentle smile. "…Good. I wanted to hear you say it."
They stood there for a long moment, the world outside fading, the rumors and chatter meaningless. Just the two of them, the tension, the warmth, and a quiet understanding that something new — and real — had begun.