A Couple (Or Maybe Not)
The soft chime of the elevator echoed through the lobby as Ning An drew in a slow, steady breath. She stepped inside with the warm food container cradled carefully in her arms. The familiar scent of grilled pork filled the space, oddly out of place against the pristine silence of the elevator.
It was her first time delivering to a building like this, it was elegant in a way that felt almost artificial. so far removed from her everyday world. Floor 51. Just seeing their number made her fingers tighten slightly around the strap of the delivery bag.
When the doors opened, she was met with white marble floors and walls of shimmering glass. Everything gleamed, sterile and perfect. Ning An walked forward with steps quieter than usual, doing her best to look composed even as her heart raced.
A young man in a crisp white shirt rushed out to receive the order. The look in his eyes told her he hadn't eaten all day.
"Thanks," he said, offering her the money with a tired smile, his eyes betraying his hunger.
"Thank you," Ning An said, bowing her head just slightly before turning to leave. Her heart raced with unease. This place felt too distant, too foreign.
On the way back, her reflection caught in the glass hallway made her chuckle under her breath.
Who would've thought Chuan Jie's grilled pork skewers would ever make it this far up?
***
By the time she reached the main road, the sky had already darkened. Raindrops began to fall, light and uncertain at first, then steadily thickening. The wind carried the scent of wet earth, cool, crisp, and tinged with the changing season. Autumn was slipping into winter.
She pulled over beneath the awning of a small coffee shop tucked beside the street and stepped inside without hesitation.
"One hot cocoa, please," she ordered.
The café was quiet, save for the gentle patter of rain on the roof. Warmth seeped in from every direction, cocoa in the air, soft jazz in the background, wooden tables worn by time. She chose a seat by the window without thinking.
Across the narrow two-lane street, a fine-dining restaurant stood quietly under natural light. Its glass walls stretched from floor to ceiling, offering a perfect view of the interior.
Seated near the window were a man and a woman. The man wore a perfectly fitted black suit. His expression unreadable, posture exact, Opposite him, the woman in an elegant white dress sat with effortless grace. Her poise, the calm curve of her smile, and the quiet confidence in her expression made them seem perfectly matched.
Stillness hung between them, not cold, not warm. Just something intense.
Ning An couldn't look away.
They look so perfect together and must be a couple, she thought
She didn't know who they were, but something about the scene stirred a quiet ache in her chest. Not envy, exactly. Just something nameless.
***
A sharp buzz from her phone broke the moment. She blinked. The cocoa in her hands had cooled.
The rain had stopped. Light now filtered through the clouds, pale and fragile. She stood up, brushing the creases from her jeans, and took one last look through the café window.
The table across the street was empty. She hadn't even noticed them leave.
***
Elsewhere, the city moved slowly beneath a sky still damp from the rain.
A black car cruised through the downtown traffic. In the back seat, Wei Chen sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the shifting world outside. His expression was calm, too calm.
Beside him, Shen Shen sat with perfect posture, her designer handbag resting lightly on her lap.
"This weekend, my family's hosting a dinner for my sister. She just got back from France, I'd like you to come. It'll be small. Just family." Shen Shen said, voice even and pleasant.
Wei Chen didn't answer right away.
"It's just dinner," she added. But her tone hinted at something more.
"Alright," he said finally, the word hollow as it left his lips.
Shen Shen looked at him from the corner of her eye but said nothing else.
At the next intersection, his gaze briefly caught something through the window, a girl on a scooter riding past, her white helmet speckled with rain, a light blue T-shirt peeking out from under her jacket.
His gaze brushed past her, unbothered, uninterested, just another passerby. He saw her. Briefly. No reaction. He had more important things to think about. Or so he thought.
***
Evening had begun to settle over Chuan Jie Restaurant, the little family run grill shop nestled in its usual corner of the city. The glow of early evening light blended gently with the soft bulbs now lit above each table. From the open kitchen came the gentle hiss of meat sizzling over charcoal, mixing with the occasional laughter of regulars who always knew which seat was theirs.
The air smelled of grilled pork, soy glaze, and a touch of nostalgia the kind that came from doing the same thing every day, in the same place, with the same people and still finding comfort in it.
"You're back already? Did you get caught in the rain?" her father called from the kitchen, voice raised over the sizzle of pork on the grill.
"I'm fine," Ning An called back with a smile, running a hand through her damp hair. She leaned against the kitchen counter and hesitated before saying,
"Someone called again today. Asking to buy the restaurant."
The sound of the cleaver didn't pause. Her father chuckled.
"Again? Who this time?"
"I don't know. A man. He sounded calm. Businesslike."
"If we sell, what would your mom and I do with ourselves? ...This place, it's not just a business."" he said.
"I told him no." Ning An nodded.
There was no need for applause. No dramatic reaction. Just the simple, steady rhythm of the kitchen.
Then the phone rang again. This time, the ring was different, slow, deliberate, and persistent. Ning An glanced toward the sound without thinking. She didn't answer. Didn't even reach for it. Just another call, she told herself. Probably like all the others.
She didn't know that this one wasn't like the others. She didn't think much of it. Just another call. She had no idea that ignoring it would set things in motion.