Days passed, and Xueyao's presence became a constant in Ming's life. She always seemed to be there—at the office, at his home, in their old familiar spaces that Hua had just begun to fill. It was as if Xueyao had slipped back into Ming's life seamlessly, reclaiming the role she once had.
Hua tried to focus on her work, burying herself in the tasks that lay ahead of her as the company continued its transition. But every time she saw Ming and Xueyao together, her heart tightened. She had never seen Ming look so comfortable, so at ease around someone.
At first, Hua brushed it off, telling herself that Xueyao was just an old friend, someone from his past. But slowly, it became clear that their bond ran deeper than just friendship. They shared inside jokes, quiet smiles, and moments of unspoken understanding that Hua couldn't penetrate. Ming's attention, which once had been firmly on Hua, seemed to drift back to Xueyao.
And Hua could do nothing but watch.
One evening, Hua walked by the company's private lounge and stopped in her tracks. There, inside, she saw Ming and Xueyao sitting close, their heads tilted toward each other. They were talking in hushed voices, laughing at something Hua couldn't hear.
Her heart sank.
The sight of them together, so intimate, so connected, made Hua feel invisible. She had thought that she and Ming were building something real, something special. But it seemed like Xueyao's return had erased all of that.
Ming barely noticed Hua anymore, and when he did, his attention quickly shifted back to Xueyao. Hua was left feeling like an outsider in the very relationship she thought was hers. Every time she tried to approach Ming, Xueyao was there—either by his side or in his thoughts.
It became unbearable.
---
One night, Hua decided to leave work early. She couldn't stand being around them anymore, not when it felt like her heart was being torn apart every time she saw them together. But as she walked through the lobby, something made her stop.
Through the large glass window that looked out onto the garden terrace, she saw them.
Ming and Xueyao.
Standing close. Too close.
Hua's chest tightened as she watched them, their bodies turned toward each other, Xueyao's hand resting lightly on Ming's arm. And then, before Hua could even process what was happening, Xueyao leaned in and kissed him.
Hua felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her.
She stood frozen, watching as the kiss lingered—longer than it should have. And what hurt the most wasn't that Xueyao had kissed him. It was that Ming didn't pull away.
He kissed her back.
Tears stung Hua's eyes, but she forced herself to stay still. To watch. She couldn't look away even though every part of her screamed to run.
When the kiss finally broke, Xueyao smiled up at Ming, and Hua saw the way his eyes softened as he looked at her. The way he used to look at her.
A quiet sob escaped Hua's throat, and she quickly turned away before they could see her. She couldn't bear to watch anymore. It felt like her heart had been shattered into a million pieces.
---
Hua didn't know how long she had walked before she finally stopped, finding herself in the quiet park not far from the company. She sat down on a bench, staring at the ground, feeling the full weight of her loneliness.
Anger, sadness, and betrayal swirled inside her, but more than anything, she felt disappointment. Not just in Ming, but in herself. For letting her guard down. For believing that she could be important to someone like him.
"I should've known better," she whispered to herself, her voice shaking. "I should've never let myself fall for him."
But it was too late. The damage had been done. And now, Hua was left picking up the pieces of her broken heart.
---
Back at the terrace, Ming pulled away from the kiss, his mind spinning. The kiss had been unexpected, and yet, in that moment, it had felt familiar. Like slipping into something comfortable and safe.
But as he stood there with Xueyao, something in the back of his mind nagged at him. A quiet voice that whispered Hua's name. Ming frowned, stepping back slightly, his thoughts a mess.
Xueyao tilted her head, sensing his hesitation. "What's wrong?" she asked softly, her voice laced with concern.
Ming shook his head, trying to clear the fog that had settled in his mind. "Nothing," he muttered, but even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true.
Something was wrong.
But he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
As Xueyao smiled and took his hand, Ming's thoughts drifted back to Hua, and for the first time since Xueyao's return, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
---
Hua sat alone in the park, her tears falling silently as the weight of everything crashed down around her. She had never felt so alone, so betrayed. Ming had kissed someone else, and not just anyone—Xueyao, the woman from his past who had somehow managed to steal him away.
Hua's heart ached, but as she wiped her tears, a new feeling began to take root.
Determination.
She couldn't change what had happened, and she couldn't force Ming to love her. But she wouldn't let this break her. She had come too far, worked too hard to let this defeat her.
With a deep breath, Hua stood up, wiping her face one last time. She had her own path to follow, and if Ming wasn't going to be part of it, then she would move forward without him.
She had always been strong, and she would find that strength again.
No matter what.