The photograph stayed in Li Wei's mind.
Even though he hadn't seen it himself—
He could feel it.
The shift.
The moment things stopped being hidden.
Morning Tension
The next morning, the shop opened as usual.
Customers came.
Steam filled the air.
The city moved on like nothing had changed.
But upstairs—
No one felt normal anymore.
Chen Hao sat at the table with papers scattered everywhere, looking exhausted already.
"…I miss when my biggest problem was unpaid noodles," he muttered.
Lin Meiyu glanced at him.
"You complain constantly for someone still helping."
Chen Hao pointed at her immediately.
"That's because I'm loyal. Not stable."
For the first time in days—
Yulan almost smiled.
Almost.
Li Wei Pulls Away Again
Li Wei had barely spoken since morning.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Just thinking too much.
Yulan noticed every second of it.
"…You didn't sleep," Yulan said quietly.
Li Wei adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.
"I slept enough."
"That means no."
Li Wei looked at him briefly—
Then away again.
That hurt more than if he'd ignored him completely.
The Plan
Lin Meiyu unfolded another document carefully.
"There's another private meeting tomorrow night."
Li Wei's expression sharpened immediately.
"With who?"
"My father couldn't confirm names," she replied. "But your uncle will be there."
Silence.
Chen Hao leaned forward.
"So this is our chance."
"No," Li Wei said immediately.
Everyone looked at him.
"No one else is getting involved."
Yulan's jaw tightened.
Here we go again.
The Argument Changes
"This affects all of us now," Yulan said firmly.
Li Wei looked at him.
"And I said I'll handle it."
"You keep saying that," Yulan shot back, "but things keep getting worse."
The room went quiet instantly.
Because he was right.
Cracks in Control
Li Wei stood slowly.
The tension around him felt different now.
Less controlled.
More tired.
"You think I don't know that?" he asked quietly.
Yulan froze slightly.
Li Wei rarely raised his voice—
But this was worse.
Because he sounded exhausted.
Not angry.
The Real Fear
Li Wei looked directly at him now.
"…Do you know what happens if they realize how important you are to me?"
Yulan didn't answer immediately.
Because suddenly—
He understood.
Not emotionally.
Strategically.
Yulan wasn't just leverage anymore.
He was the weak point.
Silence That Hurts
"…So what?" Yulan asked softly.
Li Wei's expression tightened.
"So I need distance."
That word again.
Distance.
Like a knife slowly returning.
Chen Hao Interrupts Before It Breaks
"Okay. Nope."
Chen Hao stood immediately.
"You two are not doing this dramatic suffering thing again."
Neither answered.
Chen Hao pointed at Li Wei.
"You pushing him away isn't solving anything."
Then pointed at Yulan.
"And you staring at him like a kicked puppy isn't helping either."
"…That's a terrible comparison," Yulan muttered quietly.
"Thank you," Chen Hao replied proudly.
Lin Meiyu rubbed her forehead slightly.
"…How are you the most functional person here?"
"I'm not," Chen Hao answered instantly. "I'm just loud."
A New Discovery
Lin Meiyu suddenly stopped reading.
Her expression changed.
"…Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
She slowly turned one paper toward Li Wei.
"This location."
Li Wei's eyes narrowed immediately.
"…That warehouse should be abandoned."
Chen Hao frowned.
"So why is your uncle holding meetings there?"
No one answered.
But the tension in the room shifted instantly.
Because now—
They finally had somewhere real to look.
Nightfall – Quiet Before Something Bigger
Later that evening, the shop closed early again.
The atmosphere felt wrong.
Heavy.
Like the city itself knew something bad was coming.
Yulan stood outside briefly for air.
Li Wei followed a minute later.
Neither spoke immediately.
Streetlights flickered softly around them.
The Vulnerability Returns
"…You really mean it," Yulan said quietly.
Li Wei looked at him.
"The distance?"
A pause.
"…Yes."
Yulan nodded slowly.
Like he expected it.
But that didn't make it hurt less.
The Most Intimate Scene Yet
Li Wei stepped closer anyway.
Contradicting his own words instantly.
"…But I don't know how to stop wanting you close."
That honesty hit harder than anything else.
Yulan's breath caught slightly.
"…Then stop pretending you can."
Li Wei's composure finally cracked completely.
He grabbed Yulan's waist suddenly and pulled him flush against him.
The kiss that followed felt almost dangerous.
Deep.
Hungry.
Not careless—
But intense enough to blur thought.
Yulan's hands tightened against Li Wei's chest as Li Wei kissed him harder, slower, like he was trying to memorize him through touch alone.
The world disappeared again.
No conspiracies.
No family.
No fear.
Just heat and breath and the terrible feeling that this moment wouldn't last forever.
Li Wei pressed his forehead against Yulan's afterward, breathing uneven.
"…You make leaving impossible."
Yulan whispered back softly:
"…Then don't leave."
And for one painful second—
Li Wei looked like he might actually listen.
Final Scene – The Warehouse
Across the city—
Inside the abandoned warehouse—
Li Wei's uncle stood beside several men in silence.
One of them placed another photograph on the table.
Yulan.
Alone outside the shop earlier that evening.
Li Wei's uncle stared at it calmly.
Then said:
"…Use him if necessary."