Secretly cannot hide

Six Years Later

The rain had finally stopped, leaving the streets of Shanghai glistening under the soft glow of streetlights.

Zixuan adjusted her scarf, pulling it tighter around her neck as she walked briskly toward the café. It had been a long day at the hospital-twelve hours on her feet, attending to patients, filling out charts, and running between wards. She was exhausted, but the thought of returning to her empty apartment held little appeal.

The café was a small, cozy place tucked between a bookstore and a florist. Zixuan had discovered it during her first year of university, and it had quickly become her sanctuary.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and the faint hum of jazz music always seemed to soothe her frayed

nerves.

As she pushed open the door, a bell chimed softly overhead.

The warmth of the café enveloped her, and she sighed. in relief. She scanned the room, looking for her usual spot by the window, when her eyes landed on a familiar figure.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was him.

Hua Jing sat at a corner table, his head bent over a book, a half-empty cup of coffee in front of him. He looked older - more refined, perhaps-but unmistakably the same. His dark hair was slightly tousled,

and his sharp features were softened by the warm light of the café. For a moment, Zixuan felt as though she'd stepped back in time.

Her heart raced as memories flooded her mind: the way he used to smile at her in the hallways of Nuwan High, the quiet conversations they'd shared during lunch breaks, the way her chest had ached every time he walked

away.

Six years had passed, but the sight of him still stirred something deep within her.

She hesitated, unsure whether to approach him.

What would she even say?

*Hi, remember me? The girl who used to blush every time you looked at her?

* She shook her head, chiding herself for being so nervous. She wasn't that shy, awkward teenager anymore. She was a grown woman, a medical intern with a bright future ahead of her.

She could handle this.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to his table.

"Hua Jing?"

He looked up, his eyes widening in surprise before a warm smile spread across his face. "Zixuan? Is that really you?"

She nodded, feeling a rush of relief at his friendly tone. "It's been a while."

"Too long," he said, gesturing to the seat across from him.

"Please, join me."

She sat down, her hands trembling slightly as she placed her bag on the floor.

Up close, she could see the faint lines of exhaustion on his face, the shadows under his eyes. He looked tired, but there was still that same quiet strength in his gaze that had always drawn her to him.

"How have you been?" he asked, closing his book and setting it aside.

"Good," she replied, forcing a smile.

"Busy, but good. I'm interning at Shanghai General now."

"A doctor? That's impressive," he said, his tone genuine.

"What about you?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light. "Still ruling the world?"

He chuckled, a sound that sent a familiar warmth through her chest.

"Not quite.

I've been helping with the family business. It's...

demanding, to say the least."

They fell into an easy rhythm, catching up on the years they'd missed. Zixuan told him about medical school, the challenges of her internship, and her dreams of specializing in cardiology. Hua Jing shared stories of his travels, the pressures of taking on more responsibility within the Jing empire, and his love for literature, which explained the book he'd been reading.

But as the conversation flowed, Zixuan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Hua Jing was as charming as ever, but there was a distance in his eyes, a guardedness that hadn't been there before. He spoke to her like an old friend-polite, kind, but nothing more.

As the evening wore on, the café grew quieter, the hum of conversation fading into the background. Zixuan stirred her tea absently, the steam rising in delicate swirls. She glanced at Hua Jing, who was now leaning back in his chair, his expression relaxed but distant.

"Do you remember Nuwan High?" she asked suddenly, the words

slipping out before she could stop them.

He raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Of course. How could I forget?"

"I was just thinking about how different things were back then," she said, her voice soft.

"We were so young."

"We were," he agreed, his gaze drifting to the window.

"But I think we've both come a long way since then."

Zixuan nodded, though her heart ached at the casual way he spoke about their past. To him, it seemed, those years were nothing more than a distant memory. But to her, they were everything-the foundation of who she was, the source of her deepest hopes and regrets.

"Do you ever miss it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He turned to look at her, his

expression unreadable. "Miss what?"

"High school. The simplicity of it.

The... people."

For a moment, he didn't respond.

Then he shrugged, his tone light. "I suppose I do, sometimes. But life moves forward, doesn't it? There's no use dwelling on the past." His words felt like a dagger to her chest. She wanted to tell him that the past wasn't just something to be forgotten-that it had shaped her, defined her in ways he couldn't possibly understand.

But she bit her tongue, afraid of saying too much, of revealing the depth of her feelings.

Instead, she forced a smile.

"You're right. It's just strange, seeing you again after all these years."

"It is," he admitted, his gaze softening slightly. "But I'm glad we ran into each other.

It's good to see you, Zixuan." The way he said her name-so casually, so effortlessly-made her heart skip a beat.

She wondered if he had any idea how much those words meant to her, how much she had longed to hear them.

"It's good to see you too," she replied, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.

They lapsed into silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between them.

Zixuan stared at her tea, her mind racing. She wanted to ask him so many things-if he ever thought about her, if he remembered the moments they'd shared, if he felt even a fraction of what she felt. But she couldn't bring herself to say any of it.

Hua Jing broke the silence first. "So, what's next for you?

Once your internship is over, I mean."

"I'm not sure," she admitted.

"I've been thinking about applying for a fellowship abroad. Maybe in the States or Europe. But it's a big decision.

"

"It is," he said, nodding. "But I think you'd do well anywhere.

You've always been driven."

His compliment caught her off guard, and she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. "Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you."

He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm just stating the obvious."

As the clock struck nine, Hua Jing glanced at his watch and sighed. "I should probably head out. Early meeting tomorrow."

"Of course," Zixuan said, trying to hide her disappointment. "It was nice catching up."

"It was," he agreed, standing up and grabbing his coat. "We should do this again sometime."

Her heart leapt at his words, though she knew they were likely just a polite gesture. "I'd like that."

He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, but then he simply nodded. "Take care, Zixuan."

"You too, Hua Jing."

She watched as he walked away, his figure disappearing into the night.

The café felt emptier without him, the warmth of their conversation.

But no matter how much she thought about it, the answer was always the same: he saw her as a friend, nothing more.