I hurried toward Yilin, who stood frozen near the doorway, her eyes flicking anxiously between Han Rui and Liyu.
> "Yilin," I asked softly, "what's going on?"
She looked startled, her voice tight with worry.
> "I… I don't know. I just saw Liyu and Han Rui fighting. It was already intense when I got here."
I turned to Liyu next, my tone firm.
> "Tell me what happened."
Her face was flushed, jaw tight, eyes burning with frustration.
> "Master, don't ask me. Ask this idiot Han Rui!" Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with anger barely held back.
Han Rui's face flushed as well, but with a different kind of heat—his pride wounded. He was just about to snap back when I cut him off.
> "Han Rui," I said sharply, "I want to hear your side. Speak."
He glared, lips curling.
> "Miss Liu, you should ask your stupid friend instead."
I exhaled hard and threw up my hands.
> "Have you all lost your minds? Why is everyone speaking in riddles? Just tell me what happened. I'm not playing games."
The room fell quiet.
The tension in the air shifted. No one dared speak for a few heartbeats. Finally, Liyu stepped forward, her voice softer now, hesitant.
> "Master, please don't be angry. I'll explain—"
> "No," Han Rui cut in, voice rising. "Let me speak, Miss Liu."
Before it could escalate again, Yilin stepped forward quickly, trying to be helpful.
> "Master, should I bring tea for everyone? Maybe we can calm down and talk properly."
We all turned to her, stunned. Tea? Now?
Still, I appreciated her intent. I raised my hand.
> "Enough. You two—speak one at a time." But the moment I said it, both Liyu and Han Rui began talking over each other.
> "Stop," I snapped. "One at a time, or no one talks at all."
> "Yilin," I asked quietly, "how long has this been going on?"
> "About… about an hour," she said nervously.
> "What?!" I could hardly believe it.
Apparently, it began when Liyu had been working in the shop. Han Rui had arrived suddenly. Their eyes met—and something in the air had shifted.
> "You're ignoring me?" Han Rui had asked with a mocking smile.
> "Shut up. Don't talk to me," Liyu had replied without looking up.
> "Fine, I didn't want to talk to you either," Han Rui had snapped. "I only came here to check the shop—and to meet Mengxia Liu."
That made Liyu freeze. She straightened and met his eyes.
> "What do you want to meet Master for? She doesn't want to meet someone as shameless as you."
That one word cut deep.
> "Shameless?" Han Rui repeated, his temper sparking. "Do you have any proof that I'm shameless?"
Liyu's hands had tightened around the cloth she was folding. Her voice broke as she yelled—
> "You kissed me, Han Rui! Don't you remember? You were drunk, but I wasn't. I remember everything!"
The room had gone still. Even Liyu looked stunned at her own words. A silence had followed, thick and heavy.
Han Rui's expression shifted. The fire drained from his face.
> "Is it true?" he asked quietly. "I… kissed you?"
> "You idiot!" Liyu spat, trying to regain her defense. "Don't you have any manners? I… I don't want to talk to you."
She turned, ready to walk away—but Han Rui reached out and caught her wrist.
That was the breaking point.
With her free hand, Liyu slapped him across the face. The sound echoed across the shop.
Han Rui stood frozen for a moment, his cheek red.
Then his voice dropped cold.
> "This shop will pay for your mistake. I'll make sure it's shut down."
> "You can't do that!" Liyu yelled.
He smirked darkly.
> "Yes. I can."
And with that, he had grabbed a tray of jewelry from the counter and thrown it to the ground. Stones scattered. Gold clattered. Liyu stood frozen, horrified—and then the shouting began again.
That was the moment I had entered.
Now, hearing the entire story from both, I stood silent.
They looked at me expectantly.
> "This is what happened," I finally said aloud, almost in disbelief.
Both nodded.
> "Then tell us, Miss Liu," Han Rui said stiffly. "Who is at fault here?"
I looked between them.
Both were hurting. Both were justified. Both were wrong.
> "You're both right… and both wrong," I said firmly. "So stop fighting."
Han Rui's jaw clenched.
> "Your decision is wrong," he said, turning. "I'm leaving."
> "You're from a noble house," Liyu called after him. "Don't you know basic manners? How can you leave without Miss Liu's permission?"
Han Rui froze mid-step, spun around.
> "Manners?" he scoffed. "Maybe that's why you don't have any—because you're from a poor family."
The words dropped like poison.
Liyu went silent, lips quivering. The hurt in her eyes struck deeper than anything else.
> "Enough," I said, my voice sharp. "That's enough."
I turned to Liyu.
> "Why did you stop him?"
Her voice cracked.
> "Because… because he said he'd shut the shop down. I didn't want to bring up his family, but you know me, Master—I say stupid things without thinking. I'm sorry…" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm such a fool."
Han Rui looked down, ashamed.
I walked over to him.
> "If you want to close the shop," I said, voice raised, "then go ahead. But don't you ever speak about Liyu's background like that again. You have no right."
He stood silent… then left without another word.
I went back to Liyu, who had turned away, shoulders trembling. I gently pulled her into a hug.
> "Cry, if you need to," I whispered. "I'm here."
She clung to me.
> "I'm sorry, Master… I'm so sorry…"
Yilin walked over and knelt beside us.
> "It's not your fault, Miss Liyu," she said gently. She wrapped her arms around both of us.
We stayed there like that for a while—Liyu trembling in my arms, Yilin's presence calm and steady, my hand gently stroking Liyu's hair.
> "It's okay," I said again. "It's going to be okay."
Yilin nodded beside me.
And for a moment, even in the chaos, we found stillness.