That morning, Yulan didn't go to the counter.
He stood instead at the back of the shop, watching the street through the narrow gap in the curtain.
He wasn't waiting for customers.
He was looking for something else.
Or someone.
Something Changes
Chen Hao noticed first.
"You've been doing that for ten minutes," he said.
Yulan didn't turn.
"…Doing what?"
"Looking like you're about to fight the air."
Yulan exhaled slightly.
"…I'm just thinking."
Chen Hao leaned on the counter.
"That's worse."
Li Wei Doesn't Come
Li Wei didn't appear.
Not late.
Not at all.
That alone changed the mood of the shop.
Yulan tried not to notice.
He failed.
A Different Kind of Visitor
Around noon, Lin Meiyu returned.
But this time—
She didn't smile politely.
She looked around first.
Carefully.
Like she was reading the room instead of entering it.
"I need to speak with you," she said.
Not to Li Wei.
To Yulan.
Unexpected Focus
Yulan froze slightly.
"…Me?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Chen Hao immediately straightened.
"…Uh. I feel like I should leave for this."
"No," Lin Meiyu said calmly. "Stay."
That made Chen Hao stop.
Even he wasn't used to being included in things like this.
The Shift in Power
Lin Meiyu placed something on the counter.
A small document.
Folded.
Not dramatic.
Not flashy.
Just… real.
"I checked something," she said.
Yulan didn't touch it yet.
"…About what?"
She looked at him directly.
"About Li Wei."
Silence.
Chen Hao frowned.
"…What kind of 'checked'?"
Lin Meiyu ignored him.
"You are not the only one being watched."
That line changed the air completely.
New Truth
Yulan finally opened the document.
Inside—
Photos.
Not of romance.
Not of rumors.
But of movement.
Li Wei.
Meeting places.
Unknown men.
One repeated pattern.
Yulan's hand tightened slightly.
"…What is this?"
Lin Meiyu answered calmly:
"Someone is tracking him. Not for marriage."
A pause.
"For control."
Outside Pressure Becomes Real Threat
Chen Hao stepped closer now.
"…You're saying this isn't family politics anymore?"
Lin Meiyu shook her head slightly.
"No."
She looked at Yulan again.
"This is bigger than your relationship."
That was the first time it felt like the romance wasn't the center anymore.
Something else was.
Li Wei Finally Arrives
The door opened.
But this time—
The energy was different.
Li Wei walked in fast.
Focused.
Eyes immediately scanning the room.
He stopped when he saw Lin Meiyu.
Then Yulan.
Then the document.
"…Where did you get that?" he asked quietly.
Tension Without Romance
No one moved.
No one spoke quickly.
This wasn't emotional distance anymore.
This was alignment shifting.
Lin Meiyu replied:
"You're being followed."
Li Wei didn't deny it.
That was worse.
Yulan Steps Into Something Bigger
Yulan finally spoke.
"…So all of this—me, you, her—"
He paused.
Then looked at Li Wei directly.
"…It's not just family pressure anymore."
Li Wei didn't answer immediately.
Then quietly:
"No."
A beat.
"…It isn't."
Chen Hao Breaks the Silence
"…Okay," Chen Hao said slowly.
"This just got way less romantic and way more 'we might all be in danger.'"
No one argued.
End of Chapter 29