The next day began like any other.
Soft sunlight filtered through the flower shop windows, and the scent of fresh blooms filled the air. Lian Hua tried to focus on her work, but her thoughts kept returning to Zhen Wei's words.
My family… they're asking about you.
Something about it didn't sit right with her.
The bell above the door rang.
Lian Hua looked up, expecting a regular customer.
Instead—
A woman stepped inside.
Elegant.
Composed.
Dressed in a way that immediately set her apart from everyone else who usually walked into the shop.
Her presence alone felt… powerful.
"Good morning," Lian Hua said politely.
The woman's sharp eyes scanned the shop slowly before settling on her.
"So," she said calmly,
"You're Lian Hua."
Something in her tone made Lian Hua straighten slightly.
"Yes… I am. How can I help you?"
The woman stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
"I'm not here for flowers."
A pause.
"I'm here because of Zhen Wei."
Lian Hua's heart skipped.
"I see…"
The woman studied her carefully.
"You're not what I expected."
Lian Hua held her composure.
"And what were you expecting?"
"Someone more… suitable."
The words were polite.
But the meaning behind them wasn't.
Lian Hua felt the sting—but she didn't show it.
"I don't think suitability is something you can measure that easily," she replied calmly.
The woman's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Interesting."
She walked around the shop slowly, observing everything—the flowers, the simplicity, the warmth.
"This place," she said, "is very different from his world."
"Yes," Lian Hua said.
"It is."
The woman stopped and turned to face her.
"That difference is exactly the problem."
Silence fell between them.
Lian Hua felt the pressure now.
Clear.
Direct.
"You care about him," the woman continued.
"Yes," Lian Hua answered honestly.
"And he cares about you," the woman said, almost thoughtfully.
"That's why I'm here."
Lian Hua's fingers tightened slightly around the counter.
"Then say what you came to say."
The woman didn't hesitate.
"Leave him."
The words were simple.
Cold.
Final.
Lian Hua's heart skipped—but she didn't step back.
"I don't think that's your decision to make," she said quietly.
The woman's gaze sharpened.
"You think this is about choice?"
"It is to me."
"No," the woman said calmly.
"This is about reality."
She stepped closer.
"Zhen Wei has responsibilities. Expectations. A future that doesn't include someone like you."
The words were cutting.
But Lian Hua stood still.
"And yet," she said softly,
"he's the one who chose to come into my life."
The woman paused.
For the first time, there was a flicker of something in her expression.
Not anger.
Not disappointment.
But calculation.
"You're stronger than you look," she said.
"I've heard that before."
A faint, almost amused smile touched the woman's lips.
"But strength alone won't protect you from what's coming."
Lian Hua felt a chill.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see," the woman said simply.
She turned and walked toward the door.
But before leaving, she stopped.
"One more thing."
Lian Hua looked at her.
"If you truly care about him…"
A pause.
"…you'll walk away before this becomes something you regret."
The bell chimed as she left.
The shop fell silent.
Lian Hua stood there, her heart beating faster than before.
For the first time—
She felt the weight of Zhen Wei's world.
Not just his feelings.
Not just his presence.
But everything that came with him.
And she realized something clearly.
This wasn't going to be easy.