Memories flashed through his eyes. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

Words couldn’ explain what he was feeling at the moment—a different mix of emotions spread across Leng Shao’s face.

Happiness, relief, anger, sadness, self-blame all these emotions rushed through his veins. He was happy that Yan Mei has finally acknowledged him, but his heart clenched, imagining all the things she might have gone through.

”Feng Mei.” Leng Shao muttered, swallowing the lump of emotions in his throat.

”God…. it’s really you! I—I…..oh my.” Leng Shao became a blabbering mess as he raked his fingers through his hair. A smile of relief made it”s way on his lips. He felt he finally could breathe, now that his search was over.

”You don’t know. I had been searching for you for years now. Then I finally found, but you treated me so coldly; I couldn’t sleep for days because I thought you were angry with me, so you were pretending not to know me.” Leng Shao complained.

Yan Mei stared at him with her eyes scrunched, but she said nothing.

”Where have you been? Are you alright? How did you become the young miss of the Yan family?” Leng Shao asked endless questions, but Yan Mei just stared at him.

Yan Mei has never seen Leng Shao this riled up before. He was always calm and always had his signature smile that would pop those dimples at the corners of his cheeks out on his face.

”It’s nice to see you lose your cool for the first time.” Yan Mei chuckled as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Leng Shao nearly vomited blood when he heard her. He was going crazy looking for her for years, and the only thing she could say to him is this?

”You..”

Yan Mei pointed at the chair in front of her, “I don’t think you would want to stand all day. Take a seat.”

Leng Shao heaved a sigh and strode towards the chair. Once seated, Yan Mei asked him, “How are you, Leng Shao?”

Leng Shao stared at the woman in front of him. She looked so familiar at the same time, different.

”Seeing that you’re still alive, I’m good.”

Yan Mei smiled, “I can’t die yet. Some people still owe me.”

Leng Shao just stared at her for a couple of seconds, “You have changed Feng Mei. I don’t know if I should be happy that you can now protect yourself or be sad because I have lost my cute and shy friend I could tease all day.”

Yan Mei rolled her eyes, “Feng Mei is dead, Leng Shao. She died the night her husband threw her on the streets with no proper explanation.”

Leng Shao’s heart clenched, and he darted his gaze around the office.

”Sorry.” He muttered.

Yan Mei squinted her eyes, “Sorry? What for?”

Leng Shao balled his hands into a fist.

”I’m sorry. I-it’s all because of me. If I-“

Yan Mei chuckled mirthlessly.

”Don’t blame yourself. Its-“

”No, you don’t understand. He…” Taking a deep breath, he continued.

”He thinks you cheated on him with me.”

”Oh, that.” Yan Mei retorted perfunctorily.

”You know?” Leng Shao’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Does this mean she knows that he has been secretly in love with her for years?’

”Yes. I met him a few days ago and let’s say we had a delightful conversation.”

Hurt flickered in Yan Mei’s eyes.

”What did- he say?” he queried nervously.

Yan Mei shrugged.

”Nothing I haven’t heard before. Let’s stop talking about irrelevant people.”

Yan Mei said flatly. Leng Shao heard the indifference in Yan Mei’s tone. ‘Does this mean she really has no feelings for Wang Lu again?’

Leng Shao smiled and nodded.

”So, do you know the person responsible for all of this?” Leng Shao asked since he was finding it difficult to investigate this case.

Yan Mei shook her head.

”How would investigating this change what has already happened?”

After Yan Mei woke up from the coma, her father wanted to investigate the person responsible for all of this, but… so much had already been destroyed, and the truth hardly mattered anymore.

Pain flashed through Leng Shao’s eyes. He didn’t want her name to be tainted. He knows how much society frowns on women who cheat on their husbands. If the news gets leaked that she had cheated on her husband before, her reputation would be destroyed. So he tried to convince her.

”I know you have gone through a lot, but we can prove you…”

Yan Mei laughed manically when she heard him.

”Prove?!” Yan Mei leaned on the desk and stared into Leng Shao’s eyes. Leng Shao’s breath hitched when he saw the emotions swelling in her eyes.

”Can’t you see it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing will change the —-sleepless nights, the suicide attempts—”

Breaking the eye contact, she looked at the ceilings, “Nothing will bring back… my dead child…..Absolutely nothing!” Her icy tone was undercut with a choking heaviness that forced her to pause several times.

Saying these words made her recall the night her father had given the callous news that her child wasn’t anymore. A single tear spilled from her eyes. But thinking about the promise she made to Lei Zhao to not cry again, she quickly wiped it away.

Leng Shao’s heart stopped as he found himself rooted in his seat. His stomach twisted as time seemed to slow.

He couldn’t comprehend what he has heard.

’Suicide….child. She was pregnant!’

The sound of someone opening the door snapped both of them out of their daze.

Su Bei squinted her eyes. She could see something was wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

”Sorry, I knocked, but nobody answered. I thought he was doing something to you.” Su Bei explained as she glared at Leng Shao. Even though he was handsome and had a crush on him, she wouldn’t let him hurt her friend.

Clearing her throat. Yan Mei asked, “It’s okay. What is it?”

Hearing the crack in Yan Mei’s voice. Su Bei turned to look at Leng Shao, who had an indescribable emotion on his face.

”What did you do to her?!” Su Bei bellowed.

Leng Shao looked up at Su Bei and shook his head. He doesn’t think he could speak now. He was afraid he might break down if he did.

”He did nothing, Su Bei. Mr. Leng and I are good friends.” Yan Mei defended him.

”Oh, sorry. I thought he was bullying you.”

Warmth coursed through Yan Mei. What would she do without her friend?

”So, what were you going to say?”

Su Bei scratched her nose.

”You have a meeting with the executives in five minutes.”

Yan Mei nodded.

”Alright.” Su Bei glared at Leng Shao before leaving them alone.

”Feng-Yan Mei…” Leng Shao called her when Su Bei left.

”Just go, Leng Shao. I have a meeting.” She said, shaking her head.

”But-“

”Just…go,” Yan Mei’s voice was so fragile as if it would break any moment.

”I will, but I will prove both of us innocent. Feng Mei. I will let him beg for your forgiveness and destroyed those who planned all of this. Wang Lu will reget not trusting you. I promise you, Muffin.”

Leng Shao stood up helplessly as he left the office. Unbeknownst to him, some promises are not meant to be fulfilled because we might lose ourselves achieving it.