Anya suddenly realized that her bag was missing. Her heart raced. She turned around anxiously, just as a familiar figure appeared before her, holding her bag in his hands.
"Miss, your bag."
Anya looked up, surprised, then smiled softly.
"Thank you."
He returned her smile, his eyes sparkling with recognition.
"Anya… have you forgotten me?" he said, running a hand through his hair. "How could you possibly forget me?"
Anya let out a soft laugh, warmed by his playful smile.
"I'm Daichen… your old school friend."
Anya's eyes widened.
"Oh… now I remember! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you, Daichen! You've changed so much… even more handsome than before, and your physique has improved too. That's why I didn't recognize you."
Daichen smiled.
"And you… you've become even more beautiful. Still wearing glasses, I see."
Anya chuckled lightly.
"Yes… I still do."
Gently, he took her glasses and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to clean them.
"You haven't changed at all. You've never liked cleaning your glasses yourself—back in school, you always made me do it."
Anya blushed slightly.
"Thank you…"
As he placed the glasses back on her face, he said,
"I've been watching you and your friends for some time now. None of you have changed—you're just like you were in school and college."
Anya smiled.
"Yes, I didn't even notice."
He studied her face for a moment, smiling.
"You didn't go abroad for a better future?"
"I did," she said softly. "But now I'm back. I'm here looking for a good job."
Anya smiled warmly.
"I hope you get a good job, Daichen."
Daichen grinned.
"Thank you. And if I do get one, I'll treat you to dinner."
Anya laughed softly and nodded.
"Alright."
He noticed her shivering slightly in the cold and instinctively moved to drape his coat over her shoulders, but Anya quickly stepped back.
"No need. I'm fine."
Just then, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her bag and saw it was Zain—his voice cold and impatient.
Anya's heart sank. She answered.
"Where are you? You're not home yet? I'm back… and there's no dinner. I'm hungry."
Anya stammered,
"I… I'm at Moonstar Café… waiting for a taxi."
Daichen stepped closer to her and said softly,
"If you like, I can give you a ride home."
On the phone, Zain's voice rang sharply, "Who are you with?" His blood boiled, though he tried to control his tone.
Anya panicked.
"No one… there are a lot of people here, I'm just waiting for a taxi."
She quickly hung up and put her phone back in her bag.
Daichen looked at her, concern in his eyes.
"Whose call was that? Why are you so nervous?"
"That… that was my boss. I didn't finish some work, so he's angry," Anya made up an excuse. "Anyway, I have to go now. Bye! Take care, Daichen."
Daichen smiled.
"Bye! You take care too." He turned toward his car.
There was a deep, mysterious gleam in his eyes. "After all these years… we finally meet. And it seems your relationship isn't as happy as it looks. I've come to win you back, Anya. This time, I won't let you go."
---
Meanwhile, at Zain's house…
After the call ended, Zain's anger was at its peak. He threw his phone forcefully onto the sofa. The stranger's voice still echoed in his ears: "If you like, I can give you a ride home."
He paced restlessly across his room. Who was that boy? Who was Anya with? A strange jealousy gripped him. The thought that she was with someone else made his blood boil.
Then he heard the key in the door. Zain immediately sat on the sofa, trying to appear calm. His eyes fixed on the door, his face composed, but inside, a storm raged.
Anya walked inside and saw Zain sitting on the sofa, watching a drama on TV. A thought crossed her mind—since when does he enjoy dramas? He always found them boring.
Zain looked up at her. "You're here, Mrs. Yan? Why did it take you so long?" His voice still carried a hint of coldness.
"I told you I was meeting my friends. And the taxi wasn't coming quickly, so I got late," Anya replied.
"I'll quickly make dinner," she added.
Zain interrupted, "Don't bother. I brought food from a restaurant on my way from the office. Just put it on plates."
Anya went to the kitchen and set the food on the dining table. As she looked at it, her eyes lit up—it was from her favorite restaurant! How did he know? She smiled.
Zain watched her, a small satisfaction hidden inside, as if he had just won a trophy.
"Boss, I've set the table," Anya said.
"I just got here," Zain replied, washing his hands before sitting down at the table.
Anya asked curiously, "This is my favorite restaurant's food. How did you know? You've never liked small restaurants."
Zain cleared his throat. "I just felt like it today."
Before Anya could respond, he took a bite.
After swallowing, he asked, "So… how was it with your friends?"
"It was great," Anya smiled. "Huan Jing, Kaya, and I… we talked a lot."
She looked so happy while eating that Zain felt a strange warmth. She looks really good today, he thought.
He watched her for a moment, then turned his face slightly away, thinking, Wow, she looks so cute while eating. Then he turned back to serious mode.
Zain noticed a grain of rice stuck near her lips. Without thinking, he reached out and picked it off with his fingers. Anya's chopstick slipped from her hand. They stared at each other for a moment.
Anya's heart raced. Why is my heart beating so fast? And what's going on with him today?
Zain quickly withdrew his hand, feeling nervous. What will she think of me now?
His own heart was pounding. He quickly stood up and headed to his room.
Anya watched him leave, surprised. After cleaning the table and washing the dishes, she went to her room, her mind spinning with Zain's strange behavior.
What did he just do? Why is he acting so… she thought.