Yuyin squinted at Mingze, her mouth full of apples, a suspicious glint in her eyes.
"So… wait," she said, pointing the half-eaten slice at him. "Why exactly are you here?"
Mingze blinked. "Huh?"
"In her house," she added, jerking her thumb toward Yinyin. "You know, all… early morning mysterious fine boy energy?"
Mingze almost choked. "I—I just came to check on Yinyin—"
"Ohhh," Yuyin nodded, looking between the two of them. "Are you guys… dating?"
Yinyin froze, her coffee cup halfway to her lips. "What?"
"I mean, it makes sense," Yuyin said matter-of-factly, settling deeper into the couch. "You're hot, she's hot. You're both like, what, rich and mysterious and secretly soft? It's giving lowkey romance vibes."
Mingze's face went red.
Yinyin slowly set the mug down. "Yuyin."
"Yes?"
"We're not dating."
"…Yet?"
"Yuyin," Yinyin said, tone flat.
Yuyin grinned like a devil. "Fine, fine. But I'm watching this ship."
She made a heart shape with her fingers and winked.
Mingze rubbed his temples. "She hasn't changed at all."
Yinyin smiled tightly, even as her heart twisted.
Yes, she hadn't changed—but she also wasn't the same.
Because she didn't remember the one person who mattered most.
"Anyway," Yuyin said brightly, standing and stretching like a cat, "I'm off to snoop through your fridge and maybe steal your hoodies. As tradition demands."
"Please don't touch my matcha yogurt again," Yinyin muttered.
"No promises!" Yuyin yelled, already skipping to the kitchen.
Mingze sighed, dropping onto the couch beside Yinyin.
They sat in silence for a moment, both watching her through the doorway as she tried to climb onto the counter for snacks.
"She really doesn't remember him," Mingze said quietly.
Yinyin nodded.
"And she thinks you and I are the thing."
Yinyin groaned.
Mingze chuckled under his breath. "This is gonna be wild."
---
> Meanwhile – Lu Chen's Penthouse Office
Lu Chen's POV
The sun had barely risen, but Lu Chen was already dressed in crisp grey. Not black today. Today called for softness. Not for her—but for his own sanity.
He poured himself coffee in silence.
The bitter taste helped. A little.
His assistant, Tao, stepped in quietly. "Sir, the Paris branch sent in the files you requested."
"Leave them there," Lu Chen said, not even glancing.
"Yes, sir."
Tao hesitated.
"What is it?" Lu Chen asked.
"…She's checked into Shen Yinyin's place."
Lu Chen didn't answer.
"Do you… want to see her?"
Still silence.
Tao braved one more step. "Sir. With respect. Pretending she never existed in your life isn't going to make her remember. She's in this country. She's in your city. Sooner or later—"
"She looked me in the eye and smiled," Lu Chen said, voice dangerously quiet. "Like a fan meeting her idol. Do you know what that felt like, Tao?"
Tao swallowed. "Sir…"
"She said I was inspiring." Lu Chen's tone was hollow. "That she 'admired my company.' Like we didn't build our dreams together from the ground up."
Tao had no words.
Lu Chen looked down at the photo frame on his desk. It was turned face down now. But the memory in it? Still burned.
Yuyin, wearing his hoodie, asleep on the office couch with snack wrappers around her and a flash drive clenched in one hand. His absolute chaos. His everything.
Now? She thought he was a role model. A stranger.
"I'm not ready to see her again," he said finally.
Tao nodded slowly. "Understood."
But even as the door shut behind his assistant, Lu Chen couldn't help the ache in his chest.
Because she was back.
She was here.
But she wasn't his anymore.
Not yet.
---
> Later That Day – Private Gym Basement, Lu Group HQ
Lu Chen gripped the punching bag like it owed him answers.
His fists slammed into it over and over—methodical, fast, brutal.
Every blow echoed.
Every breath was tight.
He'd waited years for her return.
Years.
He had imagined it a thousand ways.
A surprise at the gala.
A quiet moment on a rainy street.
Even a coincidence on a project.
But not this. Not her eyes wide with admiration. Not her laughter—the same laugh—but with no trace of love in it.
It was like watching a rerun of your favorite show where the characters never meet.
He stopped, sweat clinging to his brow, chest heaving.
"She forgot me," he whispered.
The punching bag swung gently. Taunting.
Then his phone buzzed.
📱 Incoming Message: Shen Yinyin
"She just asked if Mingze and I were dating 💀💀💀"
Lu Chen stared at the screen.
Then a second message came through.
📱
"Don't worry. I'm not telling her. I'll wait. Just like you're doing."
He stared at those words for a long time.
Then typed only one word.
"Thanks."
-