The days after his second encounter with the woman in the park passed in a haze, each one bleeding into the next, as if time itself was beginning to lose meaning. Liang Zhi found himself thinking about her constantly—about the way her words had seemed to hold a deeper significance, a hidden truth that he couldn't quite reach.
He hadn't expected answers from her; she had made that clear. But the fact that she knew his name, that she had spoken to him as though they had shared some unspoken bond, was something he couldn't shake. You are not alone, she had said. And those words had haunted him, drifting in and out of his mind like the softest whisper, urging him to look beyond the surface of his grief.
It had been a week since he last saw her, but her presence still lingered, like a shadow in the corners of his life. The uncertainty and confusion were unbearable at times, but there was something else there, something that pulled him forward. A sense that something, perhaps even fate, was trying to lead him toward a truth he wasn't yet ready to understand.
Despite the weight of his questions, Liang Zhi couldn't bring himself to go back to the park. It felt almost foolish to search for someone who had already left without a trace, without any explanation. But the more he tried to ignore her, the more his thoughts returned to her. He couldn't stop thinking about what she had said: One day, you'll understand everything.
There was a pull in those words, a promise of something waiting just beyond his reach. And so, despite the doubts that clung to him like cobwebs, Liang Zhi decided he couldn't wait any longer. He had to understand. He had to know who she was.
Two Weeks Later:
It was a cold morning when Liang Zhi found himself walking through the familiar streets of the city again. The hustle of the crowds around him did little to ease the ache in his chest. Everything felt so distant, so unreachable. The world had continued on its merry way while he had been frozen in place, suspended in a sea of grief.
He had spent countless days buried in his thoughts, replaying conversations with Xia Lian in his head, watching their old videos, reading their messages. But no amount of time spent in the past had brought him closer to understanding the present. No matter how hard he tried to hold on, the truth was simple: Xia Lian was gone. And yet, this woman—the one from the park—seemed to hold the key to a mystery that might just shatter everything he thought he knew.
He passed by the park again, almost without thinking. His footsteps faltered as he saw the familiar path that led to the bench. The urge to go back was overpowering, but the last thing he wanted was to appear desperate. He turned away, but something made him stop. It was a fleeting sensation, almost like a whisper in the air.
And then, as if drawn by an invisible force, he turned around and walked back toward the bench.
This time, the park was completely empty. The benches sat abandoned in the early morning light, the air crisp and quiet. There was no one around, no joggers or tourists, just the rustling of leaves in the trees. And there, sitting at the same bench, was the woman.
Her back was to him, but there was no mistaking it. The familiar dark hair, the delicate posture—everything about her felt so familiar, so out of place in a way that seemed impossible. Liang Zhi hesitated for a moment, his pulse quickening, before he took a step forward.
She turned her head at the sound of his footsteps, and for a moment, their eyes met across the distance. That same unspoken connection flared between them, a bond so deep and inexplicable that it left him breathless. He could feel it—her presence. It was as if she was waiting for him, as if she had known he would come.
"Are you here to ask me more questions?" she asked softly, her voice still the same gentle tone that lingered in his mind from their last conversation. There was something almost playful in her voice, though her eyes remained distant, as though she were lost in thought.
Liang Zhi stood there, uncertain of how to proceed. "I don't know what to ask," he admitted quietly. "But I can't stop thinking about you. You said I wasn't ready to understand, but... I have to know. Please."
Her eyes softened, and she looked away for a moment, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The wind stirred her hair, and for a fleeting second, Liang Zhi thought he saw a faint smile tugging at her lips. It was bittersweet, like she knew something he didn't—a secret that she was unwilling to share just yet.
"There are some things you can't rush," she said quietly. "Some things... you can only understand when the time is right."
Liang Zhi took a step closer, his heart pounding in his chest. "I can't wait anymore," he said, his voice cracking with frustration. "Every day that I don't understand feels like it's killing me. Please, just tell me what's going on."
She turned to face him fully now, her expression serious. Her eyes were dark, almost sorrowful, but there was also something in them—a depth of emotion that made his heart ache. She reached out, gently placing her hand on his arm, as though grounding him.
"Sometimes, the heart remembers things before the mind does," she said softly, her fingers brushing against his skin. "It remembers love, pain, loss... all of it. But what if that love never truly left? What if the heart remembers more than it should?"
Liang Zhi swallowed, his throat tightening. He stared at her, trying to make sense of the words, but they only left him more confused. What was she talking about?
"You said you weren't ready to understand," he said slowly, the weight of her words pressing against his chest. "But... I need to know. I need to know what's happening."
The woman paused, looking into his eyes as if deciding whether to share the truth. Then, with a deep breath, she spoke again.
"You will understand, Liang Zhi," she said. "But not yet. The pieces are still coming together. And when the time is right, you'll see everything. You'll remember everything."
Before he could ask her another question, she pulled her hand away and stood up. Her gaze lingered on him for a long moment, and then, without another word, she began to walk away.
"Wait!" Liang Zhi called after her, but she didn't stop. She didn't even look back. The woman disappeared into the mist of the park, leaving him standing there, feeling more lost than ever.
For the rest of the day, Liang Zhi couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. He could feel it in the air, in his bones. He didn't know how or why, but the woman's words had planted a seed in his heart, one that grew with every passing hour.
You'll remember everything.
What did that mean? What could he possibly remember that was hidden from him?
But as he walked back to his apartment that evening, something within him felt... different. The grief that had weighed him down for so long was still there, but there was also something new—something small, fragile, yet undeniable. A sense of anticipation, a sense that he was finally on the brink of understanding.
And for the first time in a long time, Liang Zhi allowed himself to hope. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as lost as he had thought.