Li An stood in the dimly lit room, her thoughts racing faster than she could process them. The shadows seemed to stretch and grow around her, as if they were alive, reaching out to claim her once again. She was no longer running, no longer hiding behind her guilt or her fears. But that didn't mean she knew what to do next.
The truth, so long buried, was now on the table. It was a cold and harsh thing, more real than anything she had ever imagined. And yet, despite the shock, there was a strange sense of clarity beginning to form in her mind.
She glanced at Zhang Xian, who stood at the other side of the room, his gaze unwavering. He had been the one to drag her out of the darkness, to force her to confront her own demons. And yet, now, it felt as though he were both a part of the puzzle and the one holding the final piece. There was something unresolved between them, something neither of them had fully acknowledged. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a storm on the horizon.
"Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tumult in her chest. She had to know. The question had been gnawing at her for what seemed like an eternity. What had happened to them? What had driven him to this place, to this moment?
Zhang Xian turned, his face as unreadable as ever. He looked at her, and for a brief second, there was something vulnerable in his eyes. But it was gone before she could fully comprehend it. Instead, his expression hardened, and he took a slow step forward.
"Do you think I wanted any of this?" His voice was low, almost a growl, filled with a mix of anger and sorrow. "Do you think I wanted to drag you into this mess? You think I wanted you to be a part of the nightmare I've been living?"
Li An felt her heart tighten at the rawness in his tone, but she didn't flinch. She had come too far to turn back now. She had to hear the truth, even if it shattered her. Even if it tore everything apart.
"Then why?" Her voice cracked, but she steadied herself. "Why did you pull me into this? Why couldn't you let me go? Why couldn't you just let me be?"
Zhang Xian's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Li An thought he might explode. But instead, he seemed to deflate, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had suddenly settled on him. He looked at her, not with the coldness that had marked his earlier demeanor, but with something that might have been regret—or was it despair?
"Because I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving me," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I couldn't bear the idea that you would forget me, that I would disappear into the nothingness I came from. And I dragged you in because I thought, maybe… maybe you could be my way out. Maybe you could be the one who could save me."
Li An's breath caught in her throat. The words hit her like a physical blow. She had always believed it was her who needed saving, that her presence in his life was a form of redemption. But hearing him speak like this, hearing the vulnerability in his voice, made her realize how wrong she had been.
She had been so caught up in her own narrative, in the idea that she was the one who could fix everything. She had never stopped to think about his side of the story, about the pain he had endured.
"I never wanted to hurt you," Zhang Xian continued, his voice thick with emotion. "But I didn't know how else to survive. I didn't know how to keep going. And when I saw you, when I saw you fight for me, I thought I could maybe, just maybe, find a way out of the darkness."
Li An closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. She had never known the depth of his suffering, the pain he had been hiding beneath his cold exterior. She had thought he was beyond saving, that he was the one dragging her down. But now she realized that they had both been trapped in the same web of guilt, fear, and regret. Neither of them had known how to break free.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice choked. "I'm so sorry."
Zhang Xian didn't say anything. He simply stood there, his eyes focused on her as though he were waiting for something, something that had yet to materialize.
For a moment, there was silence between them. The kind of silence that spoke volumes, the kind that no words could fill. The air felt thick, heavy with the weight of their shared pain and unspoken truths.
Finally, Zhang Xian stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. His face was drawn, tired, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that made her heart ache.
"We can't change what's happened," he said quietly. "But maybe, just maybe, we can still find a way forward. Together."
Li An didn't know what to say. The offer was more than she had ever dared to hope for, but it also terrified her. She had spent so long running from the truth, so long hiding behind her own fear, that the idea of facing it head-on felt almost impossible. But as she looked at Zhang Xian, at the raw sincerity in his eyes, she realized that maybe this was the only way forward.
Maybe they could find a way out of the darkness, together.
But the question still lingered in her mind: Was it too late?
She didn't know the answer. But one thing was certain—whatever happened next, she would no longer run from the truth. She would face it, no matter how painful it was.
For the first time, she felt like she could breathe again.