Spending the day with Wang and Grandma felt like stepping into a different world. The living room, now furnished with a new TV, couch, and an air conditioner, was a stark contrast to the modest setup we had before. Wang's ease and comfort in this environment made me wonder about his upbringing.
"Are you an only child?" I asked, trying to understand him better.
He laughed, a genuine, carefree sound. "I wish," he said. "I have four sisters. They're mean and lovely at the same time. I don't know how they do it."
As I listened to Wang talk about his sisters, I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Growing up as an only child, I often wondered what it would be like to have siblings, to share experiences, to have someone to confide in, to have that built-in support system. Wang's stories painted a picture of a lively, sometimes chaotic, but always supportive family environment.
Later, as we sat together, watching TV and enjoying the new setup, I realized how much Wang had changed the atmosphere of our home. His presence brought a new energy, a sense of warmth and connection that had been missing. It was as if his arrival had filled a void, bringing with it the promise of new experiences and relationships.
In that moment, I felt a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the unexpected turns life had taken, for the new connections I was making, and for the lessons I was learning about family, relationships, and myself.
Grandma made dinner, and we all sat together at the dining table in the sitting room. Mia joined us briefly before she had to leave for work, her usual rush evident as she said goodbye. It was a peaceful evening, the room filled with the smell of Grandma's cooking and the soft murmur of the TV in the background.
As we finished eating, Wang looked over at me and said, "You can share my bed." His words slipped out awkwardly, and I could see the slight flush on his cheeks. I understood what he meant, though, he was just offering a place to sleep comfortably since I didn't have my own bed.
"I'll put my duvet here and sleep on the couch, watch a little TV since I'm off tonight," I replied, trying to brush off the odd tension in his offer.
"Okay," Wang said, nodding. "But the room is open if you change your mind."
I smiled, thankful for his kindness. "Thank you, Wang."
We both settled onto the couch. Grandma was engrossed in a drama on TV, oblivious to our quiet conversation. It felt strange, but in a good way, like things were slowly starting to fall into place.
The soft creak of the door pulled me from sleep. My eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim light from the TV screen.
Mia walked in quietly, not sparing a glance as she went straight to her room. That was odd. She usually stayed out longer, and she wasn't the type to come home before her shift ended.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and looked around. Grandma was still on the long couch, sleeping upright like she always did when she dozed off in her chair. Wang was lying on the couch, but his head had somehow ended up resting on Grandma's lap.
I exhaled softly, my body stiff from sleeping on the floor. My duvet was tangled around my legs. The TV was still on, playing some late-night infomercial, so I reached for the remote and turned it off.
The silence settled in, thick and peaceful.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told me it was 4 AM.
Mia never came home this early.
Something wasn't right.
Sleep didn't come easily after that. I kept staring at the ceiling, listening to the faint sounds of the night, the ticking of the clock, Grandma's slow, steady breathing, the occasional creak of the building settling. But my mind was on Mia.
She never came home before 5 AM. Never.
Something was wrong.
After a few minutes of debating with myself, I got up as quietly as possible and walked to her door. I knocked lightly. "Mia?"
No answer.
I knocked again. "Are you okay?"
Still nothing.
My stomach twisted. I reached for the handle and hesitated before turning it slightly. The door wasn't locked. Pushing it open just a crack, I peered inside.
Mia was sitting on her bed, still in her work clothes, her heels kicked off carelessly. She had her head down, hands gripping her knees so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Mia?" I stepped inside, keeping my voice low.
She didn't look up. "I'm fine," she muttered, but her voice was off, tight, shaky.
I frowned. "You're home early."
She let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, lucky me."
Something had happened. And I had a feeling it wasn't something good.
Mia sighed, still staring at the floor, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt. I stepped closer, waiting for her to say something, but she just shook her head.
"Mia, talk to me," I urged.
She finally looked up, and under the dim light, I saw it, the exhaustion, the frustration, but most of all, the anger buried deep beneath her eyes.
"It's diamond," she muttered. "He won't leave me alone."
I felt my jaw tighten. Diamond was one of the club's high-rolling regulars, always surrounded by girls, always acting like he owned the place. I'd seen him around but never paid much attention to him until now.
"What did he do?" I asked, keeping my voice calm even though my hands clenched into fists.
Mia scoffed, rubbing her arms like she was trying to get rid of something dirty. "Same as always. Bullying, teasing, touching when he thinks no one's looking." She swallowed hard. "But tonight was worse. He cornered me in the back hallway and said I should be 'grateful' for his attention."
My stomach turned. "Did the manager do anything?"
Mia laughed, but it was bitter. "Do anything? The manager saw it and looked the other way. Diamond's a VIP. We're nothing but entertainment."
Rage burned in my chest. I knew how places like that worked, money spoke louder than anything else. But this? This was personal.
Mia must've seen the fire in my eyes because she grabbed my wrist. "Zhan, don't do anything stupid," she warned. "I just need to deal with it. It's how things work."
I shook my head. "No. It's not."
She let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping. "I just needed to come home early. I couldn't take it tonight."
I sat beside her and took her hand, squeezing it lightly. "You're not alone in this."
Mia gave me a tired smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Neither of us spoke after that.
"Please don't tell Grandma," Mia sighed, popping open a can of beer and handing it to me.
I took it without a word, watching as she opened another for herself. She took a long sip, her shoulders finally relaxing a little.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes, letting the quiet hum of the night settle between us. Eventually, we started chatting, small things, easy things. Work gossip, the latest drama in the neighborhood, silly things that made us forget, even if just for a little while.
Then Mia turned to me, her lips curled into a small smirk. "So... you've met Wang."
I laughed. "Yeah. He's... energetic."
Mia chuckled, nodding. "That's one way to put it. He's like a human golden retriever."
I smiled, taking a sip of my beer before telling her about my day with Wang and Grandma. The way he brought in new furniture like it was nothing, how he immediately made himself at home, how he already considered us family.
Mia listened, laughing at some parts, nodding at others. But as I spoke, my mind drifted.
Should I tell her about the other Wang?
The one with Yu Bin. The one who made me feel like I was being watched. The one who left a strange weight in my chest.
I hesitated, staring down at the drink in my hands.
Did I even want to talk about it?
I took another sip of my beer, feeling the cool bitterness coat my tongue. Mia kept talking about Wang, how he was the type to bring life into a room without even trying.
But my mind was somewhere else, on the other Wang.
I hadn't told Mia about him yet. Maybe because I didn't even understand how I felt about it myself.
Meeting him that night at the party had been... unsettling.
The way he looked at me, his stare was sharp, unreadable. Not outright cruel, but judgy, like he was peeling back layers and deciding whether or not I was worth his time.
And it wasn't just once. He'd looked at me twice. The first time, it was just a glance, but the second time? It lingered. Long enough to make my chest tighten in a way I couldn't explain.
It wasn't attraction. It wasn't fear.
It was something else.
I shook the thought away, refocusing on Mia as she reached for another can.
"Hey," she nudged me, squinting. "Where'd you go just now?"
I forced a chuckle. "Nowhere. Just tired."
Mia gave me a knowing look but didn't push.
I exhaled, staring at the ceiling.
Something told me my life had just gotten a lot more complicated.
"I met someone, and I'm confused about what I feel," I finally admitted, my voice quieter than I intended.
Mia, who had just taken a sip of her beer, perked up instantly. "Ooooh," she beamed. "What's her name?"
I hesitated for half a second before answering, "Wang."
Mia blinked. "Oh."
She tried to hide it, but I caught the flicker of surprise on her face. She hadn't expected that. And honestly, neither had I.
But then, instead of asking a hundred questions about my preferences, she just nodded, letting it sink in.
Wait—her eyes widened suddenly, and she turned to point toward the living room. "Wang? As in our Wang?"
I chuckled. "No, not him."
Mia let out a dramatic breath. "Good, because that would've been messy." Then she squinted. "Wait. Which Wang?"
I shifted on the bed. "I met him at that party I went to with Dre."
Mia's jaw dropped. "No way. You know Dre?"
"Yeah," I muttered, suddenly feeling like I'd said too much. "He... hired me to follow him that night."
Mia stared.
"And... we had sex," I added, my voice barely above a whisper. The shame crawled up my spine before I even finished speaking.
For a second, Mia was silent.
Then—
"Omg, you naughty!" She burst out laughing.
I blinked at her, surprised.
No judgment. No weirdness. Just Mia, being Mia.
And wang? Mia asked.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. "I don't know why I let him get on my nerves," I admitted, swirling the beer in my can. "It's like... he just looks at me, and I feel small. Like I don't belong."
Mia frowned, leaning forward. "What do you mean?"
I shook my head. "It's hard to explain. He's not doing anything directly, but it's the way he looks at me. Like he's judging me. And the worst part? I care. I shouldn't, but I do."
Mia studied me for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Sounds like he's under your skin," she said finally.
I scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'd like him to get out."
Mia hummed, considering my words. "So why'd you do it?"
I shrugged. "Needed the money. And maybe I just wanted to feel something. Anything."
She nodded slowly, like she understood. "And Wang?"
The shift in conversation made my stomach twist.
"I don't know," I admitted. "When I met him, he looked at me like he already knew everything about me. And not in a good way."
Mia's playful expression faded. "You think he knows about Dre?"
"I don't know," I repeated, running a hand through my hair. "But when he saw Dre give me money, it felt like... I was caught cheating on a relationship I never even had."
Mia stared at me, then burst out laughing.
"Wow. You're screwed."
She laughed at that, but her amusement faded when she saw the tension in my shoulders. "And Dre? Was it just a distraction?"
I swallowed. "Dre was... easy. There were no expectations, no judgment. Just escape."
She hummed, sipping her beer. "So, you slept with Dre because you were frustrated with Wang?"
I nodded.
"And now you're sitting here, thinking about Wang instead of Dre," she pointed out, smirking.
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "You make it sound ridiculous."
"It is ridiculous," she laughed, nudging me. "But that doesn't mean it's not real."
I let out a long breath. "I don't even know Wang. He's just some guy I saw twice, and yet..." I trailed off, unable to explain the knot in my chest.
Mia studied me for a moment, then shrugged. "Maybe it's not about knowing him. Maybe it's about how he makes you feel."
That thought lingered in my mind long after our conversation ended.