Chapter 12 : Second Time

Meng Yu strolled back along the path, the aroma of the stranger still fresh in his thoughts. His pace was slow, his heart pounding with a strange blend of intrigue and discomfort. He couldn't quite grasp why he felt this way—this draw toward someone he hardly knew, someone so mysterious, so. . . unique. The night air around him seemed to retain a heavy silence, intensifying the disturbance within him.

As he continued walking, his thoughts kept replaying the meeting. The stranger's stare had been both disconcerting and fascinating, like golden eyes that could penetrate right through him. The sensation had been nearly suffocating, yet also. . . oddly reassuring. Meng Yu struggled to articulate it. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and that only added to the confusion.

Was it infatuation? No, that didn't quite feel accurate. It wasn't affection either. It was something else—something deeper, something that made him feel exposed and fragile, yet peculiarly alive.

His pace slowed as he neared the open space close to the river. The moonlight filtered through the branches above, casting elongated shadows on the ground. The cherry blossoms, their petals swirling in the air, seemed to glow with a surreal light. Meng Yu had always sensed tranquility here, but tonight, even the soft rustling of the leaves felt alien to him. There was a tension in the atmosphere, like a storm preparing to unleash.

The stranger's visage, with its defined features and golden eyes, flashed through his mind once more. Meng Yu wished to avoid thinking about him—it only caused his chest to hurt in a way he couldn't comprehend. His heart fluttered with doubt, a knot of feeling tightening deep inside him.

By the time he arrived at the small cottage he shared with Lin Mei, the discomfort had only intensified. He entered and was welcomed by the warm illumination of the lanterns. Lin Mei was sitting by the window, her shape lit by the soft glow, her eyes glued to the pages of the book in her lap. She glanced up as Meng Yu came in, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Back so soon? " Lin Mei inquired, putting the book aside and rising to greet him. "I thought you'd be out longer. "

Meng Yu paused, uncertain of how to convey the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings swirling within him. He settled down next to her, releasing a deep sigh. Lin Mei raised an eyebrow, her expression kind yet anticipatory. She could always discern when something was troubling him.

"I saw him again," Meng Yu murmured, his voice nearly swallowed by the rustling leaves outside. "The stranger. By the river. "

Lin Mei's eyes lit up, a playful glimmer emerging in them. "I assumed as much. You've seemed a bit. . . preoccupied. " She nudged his shoulder gently. "So, what occurred this time? Did you speak to him more? "

Meng Yu shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together as he replayed the conversation in his head. "I can't even figure out how to express it," he said, massaging his temples. "It's as if every time I encounter him, time comes to a halt. I have no idea what he is, but there's something. . . unusual about him. He isn't like anyone I've ever known. "

Lin Mei's teasing smile diminished somewhat, substituted with a contemplative look. She understood Meng Yu well enough to realize that when he indicated something was unusual, it signified he was experiencing something beyond mere casual interest. "What do you refer to as 'unusual'? " she inquired gently, her tone both curious and accommodating.

Meng Yu's mouth opened, but he found it challenging to articulate the right phrases. "It's like. . . I'm not sure, he possesses this aura, as if he's not truly present, like he doesn't fit in. Yet simultaneously, it seems like he does belong, as if the entire environment around him merely. . . shifts. " He hesitated, searching for an explanation that made sense, but nothing surfaced. "I can't even determine if that sounds coherent. It's just. . . bizarre. "

Lin Mei listened carefully, her expression reflective. She had never witnessed Meng Yu so disturbed before. "And what about your feelings? How do you feel when you're near him? "

Meng Yu opened his mouth to react but discovered the words eluding him. He didn't even know how to reply. "I'm not sure," he murmured at last. "I just. . . feel attracted to him. Like something is drawing me toward him, and I can't resist it. But it's not love. I don't believe it's love. "

Lin Mei nodded slowly, her eyes showing a blend of empathy and comprehension. "Occasionally, people can have that sort of influence on you without you even being aware of the reason. It's not invariably love, but it could be something different. Perhaps it's simply. . . curiosity? Or maybe there's something about him that feels known. "

"Known? " Meng Yu echoed, the term resonating with him in a manner he couldn't completely clarify. "But I've never encountered him before. I don't even know his name. "

"Perhaps not," Lin Mei concurred, "but you're not always attracted to individuals you are familiar with. Sometimes, people seem. . . known in ways that are inexplicable. It might be the way they gaze at you or how they make you feel as though you're perceiving the world through a fresh perspective. " She paused, her expression contemplative. "Or maybe, on a deeper level, he's someone you're destined to meet. Maybe he isn't a stranger at all. "

Meng Yu grimaced, his thoughts racing. "I'm not sure. He seems like a stranger to me. But on the other hand, perhaps. . . you're right. There's something about him that feels somewhat familiar. Yet I still can't grasp what that might be. "

Lin Mei reclined, her demeanor softening. "You don't need to comprehend everything immediately. Occasionally, it requires time for things to become clear. It's okay to feel puzzled. This doesn't mean you must act on it or resolve everything right away. "

Meng Yu remained quiet for a long moment, the significance of Lin Mei's words sinking in. He had never been someone who hurried into decisions. However, the sensation within him—this peculiar attraction to the stranger, this feeling that he was meant to know him—was difficult to overlook. Nonetheless, despite that, he couldn't dismiss the sense that there was something perilous about the entire situation. Something that warned him to stay back.

Yet something deeper within him urged him to remain, to discover more.

"I suppose I'm just afraid," Meng Yu confessed softly, his voice hardly above a murmur. "I'm unsure what to do with these emotions. I don't even know if I should act on them. "

Lin Mei placed her hand on his shoulder, her contact warm and comforting. "You don't need to act on them immediately. Take your time, Meng Yu. Whatever you're feeling, it's perfectly fine to just. . . experience it. Allow it to linger with you. The answers will arrive when they are ready. "

Meng Yu gazed at her, appreciative of her support. Her calm aura was a soothing relief to his racing mind. He didn't have to have everything resolved. Not just yet.

"I'll make an effort," he replied softly, his tone reflecting a blend of hesitation and resolve. "But I can't help but wonder if I'll ever encounter him again. "

Lin Mei beamed gently, her eyes glinting with the same playful warmth as before. "You may. But if you don't, perhaps that's for the best. You don't need someone like him to understand who you are. You are already yourself, and that's sufficient. "

Meng Yu let out a quiet laugh, thankful for Lin Mei's anchoring words. He wasn't certain if he believed it yet, but for the moment, he'd find solace in the notion that maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to unravel everything all at once.

For now, he'd bide his time. And perhaps, if their paths aligned again, he would possess the answers he was seeking.