The rain didn't stop for two days.
By the third morning, it wasn't even noticed anymore.
It just existed in the background of everything—like breathing.
Back at the Shop
Yulan opened the shop earlier than usual.
Not because he was ready.
Because staying in bed didn't change anything either.
Chen Hao was already there when he arrived.
Leaning on the counter.
Watching him like he had been waiting for hours.
"You look worse than yesterday," Chen Hao said.
Yulan didn't respond.
He just tied his apron.
Chen Hao studied him for a moment.
"…Did you sleep at all?"
"I did."
"That's a lie."
Yulan finally exhaled slightly.
"…A little."
Chen Hao nodded like that was enough honesty for now.
A Normal Day That Isn't Normal
The shop opened.
Customers came.
Orders were taken.
Money changed hands.
Everything looked normal from the outside.
But nothing felt normal.
Not anymore.
Yulan reached for bowls without thinking.
His movements were clean.
Automatic.
But every time the bell above the door rang—
He looked up a second too fast.
Then realized it wasn't him.
Every time.
Chen Hao Notices the Pattern
"You're waiting," Chen Hao said quietly.
Yulan paused.
"…No."
Chen Hao tilted his head slightly.
"Yeah. You are."
A short silence.
Then Chen Hao added:
"But not for food orders."
That made Yulan stop for a second.
Just a second.
Then he continued washing the same bowl he had already cleaned.
A Different Kind of Arrival
Near midday, Lin Meiyu appeared again.
Not inside immediately.
She stood outside the shop first.
Watching.
Like she was deciding whether to enter a place that didn't belong to her world.
Then she stepped in.
Chen Hao straightened immediately.
"…I feel like I should be paid for these emotional interruptions."
No one laughed.
Even he didn't try twice.
Lin Meiyu looked at Yulan.
Then spoke directly.
"Li Wei won't be coming here for a while."
The words were simple.
But they didn't land simply.
Yulan stopped moving.
Just for a moment.
Then continued placing bowls down.
"…I see."
His voice was even.
Too even.
Chen Hao frowned slightly.
"Define 'a while'," he said.
Lin Meiyu didn't look at him.
"Not his decision."
That was all she said.
What That Actually Means
Silence stretched.
The shop suddenly felt too small again.
Yulan wiped the counter even though it was already clean.
"…So he's been pulled back in," he said quietly.
Lin Meiyu nodded once.
"Yes."
Then she added something softer:
"And watched more closely than before."
That changed the air again.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to feel it in the shoulders.
A Quiet Realization
Chen Hao leaned on the counter.
"…So this is the part where everything gets harder."
No one corrected him.
Because he was right.
Yulan finally looked up.
"Did he say anything?"
Lin Meiyu hesitated.
A rare pause.
Then:
"He said not to come near him."
That line didn't create noise.
It didn't need to.
It just sat there.
Heavy.
Simple.
Something Missing
Yulan nodded once.
"…Alright."
That was it.
No argument.
No reaction.
Just acceptance that didn't feel like acceptance.
Chen Hao watched him carefully.
"…You're not okay with that."
Yulan kept his gaze on the counter.
"I didn't say I was."
End of Chapter 37
That evening, after the shop closed, Yulan stayed behind longer than usual.
Not cleaning.
Not working.
Just sitting.
As if waiting for something that wasn't coming.
Or refusing to admit it wasn't