Ying Sheng nodded with a simple, “sure” that revealed her unbelief

”I’ve never lied to you” he returned with a soft smile

”I know, I’m just worried”

”Why are you so worried?”

”They are your parents and I want to make a good impression.” Liam smiled wider at her declaration and just shook his head before turning the car into the driveway.

The first view of the automatic gates opening up to reveal a mansion that had her gasping out loud.

”Liam,” she called out in shock

”I know it’s a bit much but I hope you don’t mind” was his reply as if he was apologizing for the house.

She got out of the car and turned circles in her confusion trying to take it all in at once. Liam caught her hand as they walked up the pathway, past the fountain, the landscape dotted with perfectly cut bushes and a lawn that stretched into the distance.

”Liam”

”I know it’s a bit much”

”That’s an understatement, you should have said something,”

”And have you more worried?” He retorted gently with eyebrows raised

Ying Sheng never had time to retort before the door in front of them opened wide and a blur tackled Liam to the ground, she gaped at the two people on the floor before looking up to find a beautiful woman looking out of the door in fond exasperation at the two.

”Hello Ying Sheng! Nice to meet you again” Liam’s mother said excitedly as she pulled Ying Sheng for a hug.

”How are you?”

Ying Sheng smiled and nodded, “I’m fine…”

She paused as she saw a man who looked exactly like Liam. Mrs Xiao followed her gaze.

”Oh that’s Lucas, Liam’s twin brother” she gestured at the two wrestling I’m the vestibule casually

Ying Sheng reeled, “he’s a twin?”

”Liam didn’t tell you anything did he?” The older woman asked with soft concern in her eyes

Ying Sheng shook her head vigorously, pitching her voice above the din of two grappling boys, ” I don’t think that would have helped much but I’d have loved to not look so shocked”

”Just like him,” Mrs. Xiao sighed before waving her in “come and meet my husband “

”What about…” She gestured at the two men still grappling on the floor

”They’ll find their way in, eventually”

Ying Sheng nodded curtly and followed the older woman into the house.

”Hello” she greeted an older man who bore a strong resemblance to Liam, except with silver hairs at his temples and more laugh lines

”Honey this is Ying Sheng , Liam’s girlfriend” Mrs. Xiao introduced them

”So Liam finally came to visit, it’s nice to have you bring him home. I thought he hasn’t been able to win you yet. I was about to plan his marriage” he replied jocularly

Don’t be rude” Mrs. Xiao jostled her husband with a long-suffering sigh

”You know I’m right”

”Hush you” Mrs. Xiao jostled her husband again as the boys walked in

”Hey Dad”

”How’s my favorite software developer?” Liam’s father exclaimed with a wide smile. “How’re the updates going on your game”

Ying Sheng blanched at those words, she tried to get her expression under control but Mrs. Xiao caught a look at her face.

”Liam, you didn’t tell Ying Sheng about your family, I can understand you waiting to have this conversation”

”I can’t” Liam’s brother piped in

”Hush you” Mrs. Xiao glared at him before pinning her eldest son with a glare, “she’s been with you for six months, how do you not tell her these things?”

”I’m sorry?”

”So she doesn’t know you created Battle Mage: Songs and Spells.” His twin asked, looking between the two of them

Liam blushed hotly as he said “No”

Mrs. Xiao groaned, “how much had my son told you?”

”Virtually nothing” Ying Sheng felt like sinking into the ground after admitting that. She couldn’t believe that he was the developer of her favorite game. All this while she thought he was just an employee at the company that develops her favorite game but he is the owner and developer?! Ying Sheng turned to Liam and glared at him. Her eyes promising his punishment.

”I’m telling all your secrets today” she replied with a glare aimed at her boyfriend

”Mom”

”You should have done this if you wanted to avoid this” Mrs. Xiao replied airily before tucking Ying Sheng’s hand into hers and walking father into their beautiful home.

The rest of the day passed in cheerful camaraderie, it wasn’t until they were on the way home after a fun day followed by early dinner she recalled how nervous she had been on arriving, she couldn’t wait to come to visit again.

***************

The doorbell chimed again as someone walked into the store behind her, Ying Sheng glared at the barely moving line and wondered how long before she would get a shot of coffee into her system. She had thought that getting a cup of coffee on the road had been the best idea when she had gotten into the car without this morning, now she was not so sure.

Absently she wondered if she should just get a muffin here and her coffee in a drive-thru, it would mean something that tasted like crap but what she really needed was a jolt of caffeine, not gourmet coffee. Decision made she backed off the line and immediately crashed into someone behind her, spilling water on their jacket

”Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

The person she had knocked into replied as she frantically tried to grab tissues from her handbag, “, It’s alright. No harm was done…Ying Sheng ?”

Ying Sheng looked up at the person she had jostled and received a shock of her own, Han Xi?”

The towering stranger in front of her transformed into a familiar smiling face with eyes she could have recognized in her dreams. At a point in her life, she had entertained a few terrible memories caused by him. Her unrequited love of some ten months back just stood there smiling at him as he fumbled to cover his water bottle.

”It’s good to see you. You’re looking good” he complimented with an even wider smile

”I’m good, thanks, I fancy meeting you here.” She returned with a hard-won smile. It was strange to actually meet him since it had been such a feat to manage when they were together, that had been the main reason their relationship had collapsed, Han Xi was fond of making plans and not showing up or agreeing to go somewhere with her and canceling those plans last minute. She had spent many a night crying herself to sleep in the past, it was almost a miracle that his presence didn’t even have a twinge of an effect on her.

”I live around here,” Han Xi admitted sheepishly, he was aware of the undertones between them

Oh, wow nice” Ying Sheng floundered

At her reaction, his eyes shuttered, the last of his smiles melting away. “Ying Sheng, I want to apologize”

”Oh” her voice was tinged with confusion and surprise

”I was an idiot and I shouldn’t have done the things I did. I don’t even have an excuse” he admitted softly

”Where is this coming from?” Ying Sheng queried, the Han Xi she knew was unapologetic to the core. She looked around them tone sure they didn’t have a hidden audience before she turned back to look at him

”I’ve grown up and realized being mean is not a flex” he admitted with a sad smile that spoke volumes

”That should do it” Ying Sheng nodded sagely

He smirked at that “I want you to forgive me, I hope you can”

”Han Xi , I don’t have any hard feelings about the past, in fact, I’ve forgotten all about it until I met you here today.” She pointed out with a smile of her own

Her words drove the lingering smile in his eyes off. He paused for one short moment with a faraway look in his eyes before returning to the moment with a soft plea. “I don’t want meeting me to bring bad memories either”

Ying Sheng nodded at him. “I forgive you, from the bottom of my heart”

”That’s generous” he replied just a tad skeptical

”I can afford to be, I met my current boyfriend on one of those dates you canceled” she replied

Han Xi winced

She continued as if she did not see his reaction, “and I’ve long since moved on because if I never knew you I wouldn’t have been sitting in that place waiting for you to show up and I don’t even want to think about my life without him in it.”

”Well, you do have that look” he replied as he took a long look at her

Ying Sheng couldn’t help her smile, she knew the look he was talking about, she saw it in her eyes every day. “Yes I love him, and he loves me too and I’m happy with my life now. So I forgive you,Han Xi , I hope you have a nice life”

”Yeah you too” he nodded

Umm, I gotta go and I hope you have a nice day” she answered, as she hiked her bag up and turned to walk out of the coffee shop

”Not waiting for your coffee? Don’t tell me I’m running you off” he teased with a smile

”It’s taking too long” she gestured at the line that had remained stationary for a while, ” I don’t think I will be getting it here”

He chuckled at that “it was really nice meeting you Ying Sheng , I’m very happy to get that off my mind and fear the air. Being forgiven for being a jackass is everything”

”Happy to be able to do that. See you around Han Xi ” she offered even if she was sure their paths would likely never cross again. This chance encounter had been a one in million chance of happening in the first place.

”Sure” he nodded and waved her goodbye

She waved at him one more time and walked out of the door, through the clear glass, Han Xi watched her walk all the way to someone who was sitting patiently in the parking lot. The man in the car got out before she was halfway there and met her with a kiss, her small laugh filtered through the wind to him and he couldn’t help the feeling of nostalgia as he watched the two of them standing in each other’s arms in the afternoon sun.

He wondered if he had been a better man, could he have been a part of her story, especially this chapter. The thought niggled him insistently as they got into the car and drove away and he turned back to the hellish line that had not moved a single inch