Lian Hua's hands trembled as she held the bouquet she had been arranging.
Her eyes met Zhen Wei's, steady and intense, waiting for an answer she wasn't sure she was ready to give.
Am I the one you want? His words echoed in her mind.
"I…" she began, but her voice faltered.
He stepped closer, his presence filling the small shop.
"You don't have to say it yet," he said quietly.
"I know," she whispered, "but I need to… be honest—with myself."
Chen Kai's words from earlier in the week surfaced in her mind.
I'm not like him. I won't pressure you.
He had been kind, patient, gentle—everything that Zhen Wei wasn't, in a way.
But Zhen Wei… Zhen Wei had her heart.
And deep down, she realized she had known it all along.
Her breath caught.
"Zhen Wei," she said softly.
"Yes?" His eyes softened.
She took a shaky step forward.
"I… choose you."
Zhen Wei's gaze darkened with a mix of relief and something fiercer, more protective.
"That's all I needed to hear," he said, his voice low and steady.
He reached out slowly, gently brushing her cheek.
"You're mine," he whispered.
She felt the warmth of his hand, the intensity of his presence, and her heart raced.
"Yes," she said softly. "I'm yours."
Chen Kai, who had quietly been near the counter, saw the exchange.
He understood immediately.
He nodded once, almost imperceptibly, then turned and walked toward the door.
"This isn't over," he murmured quietly, more to himself than to anyone else.
The shop was quiet again.
But this time, it was different.
Zhen Wei reached for her hand, holding it gently but firmly.
"You don't have to worry about anything else," he said.
She looked into his eyes, seeing the promise there.
"I know," she whispered.
And for the first time in weeks, the tension, the fear, the uncertainty—it all felt gone.
Because she had made her choice.
And he had made his.
Together, they would face whatever came next.