A Tangled Web

The warm, ambient light of Brother Ching's restaurant flickered as Liu Wei sat at the table, her fingers tapping impatiently against her glass of water. She had arrived early, hoping to get a moment to herself before everyone else arrived. Her thoughts were still tangled with the events of the morning — Zhang Yan's strange behavior, Chen Wei's teasing, and that blasted kiss she couldn't stop thinking about.

She scoffed softly under her breath. "Kissing someone when they're drunk… what was he even thinking?"

The door swung open, and in walked Chen Wei, his face breaking into a broad smile as he spotted her. "Liu Wei!" he called out, waving as he approached the table. "I'm glad you made it."

Liu Wei forced a smile. "Of course. It's been a while. How could I say no to catching up with old friends?"

Chen Wei nodded, taking a seat across from her. "Exactly! And Lin Mei should be here any minute." He paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And… Zhang Yan too."

Liu Wei's smile faltered slightly. "Right… Zhang Yan," she muttered, taking a sip of her water to mask her discomfort.

Moments later, the door opened again, and Zhang Yan stepped in, scanning the room until his eyes met hers. He hesitated for a split second, then walked over to the table, trying to act casual. "Hey," he greeted, taking a seat beside Chen Wei, directly across from Liu Wei.

Chen Wei grinned, sensing the tension in the air. "So, Zhang Yan," he began, "you've got to tell us more about this mysterious kiss." He laughed, clearly enjoying the drama.

Zhang Yan shot him a look, then glanced at Liu Wei, noticing her cold gaze. "It was… a misunderstanding," he said quickly, looking away.

Liu Wei scoffed, crossing her arms. "A misunderstanding?" she echoed. "You kissed someone and don't even know who it was? How convenient."

Zhang Yan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, it was a mistake, okay? I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't even know—"

Before he could finish, the door opened again, and Lin Mei walked in, her cheerful voice cutting through the tension. "Hey, everyone! Am I late?"

Chen Wei waved her over, smiling. "Perfect timing, Lin Mei! Come, join us. We were just talking about Zhang Yan's little… adventure."

Lin Mei's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Oh? What adventure?"

Zhang Yan groaned inwardly as Chen Wei launched into the story, embellishing every detail. Liu Wei, however, stayed silent, her eyes fixed on Zhang Yan, trying to decipher his intentions.

Zhang Yan glanced back at her, his heart racing, knowing he had to clear the air — but unsure of how to even begin.

Lin Mei took her seat, her eyes flicking between Zhang Yan and Liu Wei, sensing the palpable tension. "Come on, fill me in!" she urged, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Chen Wei, clearly enjoying the spotlight, leaned forward with a grin. "Well, our dear Zhang Yan here apparently kissed someone last night… and it seems like he can't remember who!" He laughed, but the laughter faded slightly when he saw the look on Liu Wei's face.

Lin Mei's smile widened. "Oh wow, Zhang Yan! That's so unlike you." She gave him a playful nudge. "Who knew you had it in you?"

Zhang Yan let out a small, uncomfortable laugh. "Yeah, I know, right?" He could feel Liu Wei's eyes boring into him, and he decided he needed to try and smooth things over. "Look, I really just… I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."

Liu Wei raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. "Why are you apologizing to us? Shouldn't you be apologizing to the person you kissed?"

The table went quiet, and Zhang Yan swallowed hard. He had a sinking feeling that she knew more than she was letting on. "I would… if I knew who it was," he muttered.

Chen Wei jumped in, sensing the awkwardness. "Hey, enough about all that. Let's just enjoy dinner! We're here to have fun, right?"

Liu Wei nodded, her expression still icy. "Sure. Fun." She glanced away, trying to focus on the menu, but her mind was racing. Why was this bothering her so much? Was it because he kissed her, or because he didn't even realize it was her?

Lin Mei, sensing the discomfort, quickly changed the subject. "So, Liu Wei, how's your new project going? I heard it's a big one."

Liu Wei forced a smile, grateful for the change in topic. "It's going well, actually. A bit challenging, but I like it that way."

As the conversation shifted to work, Zhang Yan remained quiet, stealing glances at Liu Wei. He couldn't help but notice how she seemed distracted, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. He knew he needed to talk to her alone, to figure out what had really happened.

After a while, the food arrived, and they ate in a slightly strained silence. Finally, Zhang Yan took a deep breath and leaned closer to Liu Wei. "Hey, can we… talk? Alone?"

Liu Wei looked at him, surprised. For a moment, she seemed to consider saying no, but then she nodded. "Fine," she said, pushing back her chair and standing up. "Let's get this over with."

They walked out to the small courtyard outside the restaurant, where the cool evening air felt refreshing. Zhang Yan turned to face her, trying to find the right words. "Look, Liu Wei… I think it was you, wasn't it?"

Liu Wei's eyes widened slightly, and she crossed her arms defensively. "So, you finally figured it out," she said, her voice cool.

Zhang Yan sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"To what?" Liu Wei cut him off. "To kiss me or to not remember it?"

Zhang Yan hesitated, caught off guard by her bluntness. "Both," he admitted softly. "I just… I wasn't thinking. I've never done anything like that before."

Liu Wei's expression softened for a moment, then she quickly masked it with a smirk. "Well, you're right about one thing, Zhang Yan. You really don't know how to handle your feelings, do you?"

Zhang Yan felt a mix of frustration and guilt. "Maybe I don't," he admitted, "but I know one thing… I think I might actually… like you. And I don't know what to do about it."

Liu Wei blinked, caught completely off guard. For a moment, she was silent, trying to process his words. Then she took a step closer to him, her eyes searching his. "Then maybe," she said softly, "you should start by remembering who you're kissing."

Zhang Yan's heart raced as he stared into her eyes, realizing this was more complicated than he'd ever imagined. But maybe… just maybe, it was worth figuring out.