Li Mei's heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces as she ran through the dimly lit streets. Her tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see where she was going. In her distress, she crashed into someone. They both stumbled, and she looked up, startled to find herself face-to-face with a tall, ruggedly handsome man.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gentle and filled with genuine concern.
The kindness in his tone only made her cry harder. She struggled to explain her pain through her sobs, but her words were lost in the overwhelming emotion. Passersby started to take notice, and the man appeared at a loss for what to do. He had been out for a leisurely evening walk, hoping to clear his head before a postponed meeting with the king. He had left his guards behind, craving some solitude but now that seems like a wishful thought.
Seeing her distress, he gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Just breathe. I'm here. Let's get somewhere more private where you can talk."
His soothing words and touch helped her calm down a bit. After like an hour, she took a shaky breath and finally managed to speak, though her voice was still quivering. "I had an argument with someone influential. And someone I trusted and loved, turned out to be a scumbag... not who I thought ."
The man listened intently, nodding. "You don't have to go into details if you're not ready. But, at least you didn't end up marrying that jerk. That would have been much worse."
Her tears paused momentarily at his words. They reminded her of her mother's unhappy first marriage, which had always been a painful topic. The thought of being in a similar situation was indeed a relief to avoid.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking as she tried to smile. "It's just... I thought everything would be okay, but it turned out so wrong."
He offered a reassuring smile. "Sometimes, things seem bad, but there's always a silver lining. If you ever need to let off some steam, I can show you a few moves to help you channel that anger. Imagine how great it would feel to let out a little frustration."
Li Mei's eyes widened in surprise, then she laughed despite herself. "Are you serious? You want to teach me how to fight?"
He grinned playfully. "Why not? Better than holding it all in."
As she laughed, she felt a strange sense of relief. Just moments ago, she was engulfed in despair, and now she found herself smiling, thanks to this stranger's unexpected kindness. She didn't ask for his name or any more details. She felt it was better to keep this brief but meaningful encounter as a simple, anonymous gesture of kindness.
Before she could say a proper thank you or goodbye, the man turned and walked away. Li Mei watched him disappear into the night, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and sadness. She was left with a sense of warmth from the unexpected comfort he had offered her.
Unbeknownst to her, the man she had met was Han Cheng, the general whose path would cross with hers in ways she could never have imagined. Their chance meeting was a small but significant moment, a brief encounter that would leave an imprint on both their lives as their stories began to intertwine.