Chapter 5 Marry Me

The living room was just as sleek as the rest of the house-glass walls on one side opening to a quiet courtyard, low furniture in neutral colors, not a speck of clutter anywhere. Everything in this place felt like it had been selected with intention.

Meiyu sat quietly on the couch, both hands wrapped around the mug of warm water Zeyan had offered. She hadn't asked for anything else. She hadn't spoken much at all.

Zeyan stood a few feet away, his own coffee untouched on the table. He studied her carefully-not in a way that pried, but with the composed curiosity of someone who noticed everything without needing to ask.

"You can take a shower and rest a bit more," he said, setting his cup down. "Your bag is in the room. If you'd prefer to leave afterward, I'll have my driver ready."

His tone was even, but it lingered in the air.

Meiyu looked up. "You're saying I should go?"

Zeyan met her gaze, expression unchanged. "I'm saying you have options."

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked toward the window. The sunlight outside was getting stronger, spilling long beams across the wooden floor.

"Can I stay?" she asked quietly, surprising herself.

"For how long?"

"I don't know," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "A day. Maybe two. I won't be a bother. I just... I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

Zeyan didn't press. He simply nodded once. "The house is quiet. You'll have space."

She watched him leave, his steps steady and unhurried.

The hours crawled by slowly after he left. Meiyu wandered into the guest bathroom, took a long bath, and changed into one of the oversized T-shirts a house staff member had brought to her room. It felt strange being in someone else's space, even stranger that everything felt more comforting than her own apartment ever did.

She lay on the bed afterward, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything in her head.

The betrayal. The silence. The way no one tried to stop her as she walked away.

Her phone was still off. No messages had come in. No missed calls. And she wasn't sure whether to feel relief or heartbreak over that.

By late afternoon, she stood barefoot on the cold wooden floor, a glass of water in her hand, watching the garden outside through the large windows.

She heard the front door open. Footsteps followed-confident, quiet, controlled.

She turned just as Zeyan walked into the living room, dressed in charcoal gray, a black coat folded over one arm.

He paused when he saw her,placed his coat on the backrest of a nearby chair, and sat on the chair directly across her, crossed legged.

"So," he asked, voice steady, "what's your plan now?"

Meiyu blinked. The words hit harder than expected.

"My plan?" she echoed.

Zeyan nodded, eyes still on her. "You've stayed. You haven't contacted anyone. Not even your best friend. Doesn't seem like something temporary."

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. "How do you know I haven't contacted anyone?"

He didn't answer immediately. He stepped toward the liquor cart near the wall and poured himself a glass of water.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost casual. "Because I'd know. I always know what I want to know."

Her heart skipped. He said it so plainly, without arrogance. Not as a threat, but as a fact.

She looked down at her fingers, gripping the glass a little too tightly. "Did you know what happened yesterday?"

He was quiet for a beat.

"I knew you went to see Jinyuan. I knew you left upset. I didn't need more details."

She swallowed hard, her lips dry. "And yet you didn't ask."

"I don't need to. Some things are clear without being said."

Meiyu looked up slowly. Their eyes met, and something settled between them-not tension, not comfort, but understanding.

"I just wanted to disappear," she admitted.

He didn't blink. "And you came to the right place."

The silence between them stretched. Outside, the sky dimmed slightly, a shadow of evening falling over the house.

Zeyan finally said, "Stay as long as you want. But don't confuse disappearing with healing."

She stared at him, unsure how to respond.

Then he looked her dead in the eye and added, "If you are really looking for a way to heal I have an option for you .

She look at him both confused and curious.

Marry me" he said face straight like he was just stating a matter of fact.

The words landed like thunder in the middle of calm.

Meiyu froze. "What?"

Zeyan didn't flinch. "I'm serious."

"But why-"

He took a step forward, voice even. "You need to start over. I'm offering you a clean break, a new beginning. You don't owe anyone an explanation-not even me. But if you want to get up from this, really get up... sometimes the fastest way forward is to take the most unexpected step."

She didn't move. She couldn't.

Zeyan looked down at the untouched glass in her hand. "Think about it."

And then he turned and walked away leaving her stunned.