The next morning—
Xu Ming sat by the window of An Xin Noodle House (安心面馆), a place he had visited countless times.
The shop was simple, quiet, and warm.
Just like he remembered.
A bowl of plain noodles sat in front of him, steam rising gently. But he didn't eat immediately.
His thoughts weren't on the food.
They were somewhere else.
Lin Ya…
At the same time—
"I'm going out to eat," Lin Ya said while grabbing her bag. "What do you guys want?"
Zhu Lu looked up immediately. "River snail noodles!"
"Just normal noodles for me," Tao Ling added.
Lin Ya nodded. "Got it."
She stepped out, the cool air brushing against her face as she walked down the street.
On the way, something caught her eye.
A small florist shop.
She paused.
Inside, neatly arranged flowers filled the space with soft colors. But one bouquet stood out—
Lotus flowers, wrapped in vintage paper.
Her eyes softened.
She stepped inside.
"Boss, I want this bouquet."
The shop owner smiled and handed it to her. After paying, she carefully held the flowers and left.
When she pushed open the door of the noodle shop—
She froze.
Xu Ming was already there.
Sitting by the window.
Eating.
He looked up.
Their eyes met again.
A brief pause.
Then—
"What a coincidence," he said.
Lin Ya blinked, clearly surprised. "You… remember me?"
Xu Ming's lips curved slightly. "Of course. The little tripper fan."
Her cheeks flushed faintly.
"Oh…"
He gestured toward the seat across from him. "Here for breakfast? Come, sit."
She hesitated for a second… then nodded.
After placing an order for plain egg noodles, she returned and sat opposite him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then his gaze shifted to the flowers in her hands.
"If you came to eat… what's with the lotus bouquet?"
Lin Ya looked down at it and smiled lightly. "I like these flowers."
"Oh? Really?" he asked.
She nodded.
After a brief pause, she extended the bouquet toward him.
"For you."
Xu Ming was slightly taken aback. "For me?"
She nodded again.
"…Thank you."
There was something unreadable in his eyes as he accepted it.
Her noodles arrived.
The two began eating quietly.
Somewhere in between—
She accidentally got a bit of sauce on her face.
Xu Ming noticed.
"You're always clumsy," he said casually, reaching out and wiping it away.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Her cheeks warmed.
"Always?" she repeated.
He paused.
Then looked away.
"I mean… the other day, you tripped. And now this."
"Oh…" she murmured softly.
But something about his words lingered.
After a while, she spoke again.
"In one of your interviews… you said you like this place. That you come here often."
She looked around.
"Why?"
Xu Ming's chopsticks slowed.
Then stopped.
"…Because of her."
Lin Ya blinked.
"She used to come here with me," he continued quietly. "Back in high school."
His gaze lifted—
And landed on her.
"She said this place was calm. That eating here made all her stress and sadness disappear."
Lin Ya's fingers tightened slightly around her chopsticks.
"…She also liked plain noodles."
Silence settled between them.
For some reason—
Every word felt strangely familiar.
Because she liked this place too.
Because she came here when she felt down.
Because plain noodles… were also her favorite.
Xu Ming looked away slightly.
"At first, I came here because of her."
A faint pause.
"Now… I still come here because it's comforting."
Lin Ya nodded slowly.
"…I understand."
After finishing their meal, she stood up.
"I should go—"
"Wait."
Xu Ming reached out and gently held her wrist.
She froze.
"Thank you," he said. "For the company… and the flowers."
She nodded quickly. "It's nothing."
Then he asked—
"Why did you become my fan?"
She blinked, surprised.
"Well… the first drama I watched of yours…"
She smiled softly.
"I really liked your acting. The way you express emotions—it felt real."
She hesitated slightly, then continued.
"After that, I watched your other dramas… your interviews… your opinions."
She looked at him.
"They felt similar to mine. So… I started admiring you."
Xu Ming smiled faintly.
"…Thank you."
She nodded once more before turning and leaving.
Xu Ming remained seated.
His gaze lowered to the bouquet in his hands.
His grip tightened slightly.
"…Little fool."
Later that day —
Lin Ya returned home with the takeout.
The moment she stepped inside—
"What took you so long?" Zhu Lu asked.
Lin Ya placed the food on the table.
"…I met Xu Ming."
Tao Ling's eyes widened instantly. "What?! You met him again? Woowh—okay, that explains it!"
Lin Ya handed them their food.
"Eat first," she said, trying to sound normal.
But her mind was still elsewhere.
later that day —
Lin Ya sat in a meeting room at X-Games.
Her boss stood at the front.
"Lin Ya, your female-oriented game has received an excellent response from users."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"We'll be holding a party for our funders on the third day of next month."
A folder was passed around.
"Take a look."
Lin Ya opened it casually—
Then froze.
At the very top of the list—
Xu Ming.
Her eyes widened.
Him…?
"Lin Ya," her boss continued, "you'll be giving a speech at the event. Prepare well."
She nodded, still slightly dazed.
The meeting ended soon after.
Back home—
"You're serious?!" Zhu Lu exclaimed.
"So he was a funder from the beginning and you didn't know?" Tao Ling added.
Lin Ya shook her head. "The company doesn't reveal that information. Privacy rules…"
"Ohhh…" both nodded.
Then Zhu Lu suddenly leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
"Wait—"
"You met him once… then again…"
She gasped dramatically.
"Woowh! You met him not once, not twice—but thrice?!"
Tao Ling laughed. "That's crazy!"
Lin Ya smiled faintly.
"There's going to be a party for them," she said. "You both can come."
They nodded excitedly.
That night—
Lin Ya lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her thoughts drifted back to him.
To the noodle shop.
To his words.
To that strange, familiar feeling.
She turned to her side, closing her eyes.
But sleep didn't come easily.
Somewhere else—
Xu Ming placed the lotus bouquet carefully beside his window.
His gaze lingered on it.
Soft.
Unmoving.
Two people.
Walking the same path again.
One step closer—
Without knowing why.