Unexpected Second Chance at Love

As the people of Imperial carried on with their day, a tiny cafe sat in the heart of Imperial. Compared to the bustling noise outside, the inside was calm, with soft music playing in the background.

Sitting at a table in front of the window was a woman with wavy red hair. In front of her was a warm cup of coffee, and every few seconds, she would lift the cup to take a sip.

*ding

The door to the cafe suddenly chimes as it opens, and a man drenched from the rain enters the place. In his right hand was his black motorcycle helmet.

”Hi, welcome to Espresso Love.”

A young man greeted with a smile from behind the counter when he saw the new customer.

”Ah… I’m here to meet someone.”

The man responds as he looks around the place for a specific person.

”Lin Hui.”

Just when Lin Hui turned his head to the left, he heard his name and looked around to the right. He sees the red hair woman and walks over to her table.

”Good afternoon, Miss Qin. Sorry for coming late.”

He takes a seat across from the woman while placing his helmet on the empty chair next to him.

Qin Xue stares at the man’s every move. Until he was comfortably seated, she passed him the cafe menu at the side of the table.

”Don’t worry. I arrived not too long ago. I already ordered myself a drink, so take your time.”

Lin Hui takes the menu but doesn’t look at it. He places it down in front of him and stares back at the woman.

”Why did you suddenly ask to meet?”

He didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. He had been at home with the Liu siblings when he suddenly received a message from Qin Xue asking to meet.

A part of him wanted to reject the chance to meet because he had a hunch about the meaning behind it. However, he is a gentleman, so he decided to accept the invitation.

He glances at the clock on the wall in the cafe then looks at the woman seated across from him.

”I have to get back, so let’s cut to the chase.”

Qin Xue blinked in surprise at Lin Hui’s behavior. Compared to the first time they met, he seemed distant and cold this time. However, considering what happened that day, she could understand his reasoning for behaving this way.

She held the cup of coffee with her hands and showed a faint unexplainable smile.

”I wanted to apologize for my mother’s behavior. She was rude and irrelevant towards you.”

She was so angry when she found out that her mother had caused trouble at the police station and was disrespectful to Lin Hui. 

She told her mother that Lin Hui was only trying to help her from Chen Xincheng and if Lin Hui had not stepped in to save her, who knows what Chen Xinfeng would have done to her already.

However, no matter what she said, her mother ignored her words.

In the end, she was slapped for defying her mother.

She closes her eyes, recalling what happened between her and her mother. Once she was able to steady her mind, she opened her eyes and looked up at Lin Hui.

”I’m really sorry for what happened.”

The man sitting across from her is a good person. Her mother may say Lin Hui is a person who pretends to be good just to get a reward, but she can tell that he is not like that at all.

Even if this is only their second meeting, she knows when a person has a good heart or not.

”I want to ask for your forgiveness. I know you are a good person, and my mother is wrong for treating you the way she did.”

Lin Hui stares at Qin Xue with no emotions on his face. He knew this was the reason why she asked to meet, but a part of him hoped that it wasn’t.

He didn’t want her to apologize for something she did not cause.

”Miss Qin, you shouldn’t apologize for something you didn’t do, nor do you need my forgiveness.”

He finally spoke after a long silence, and his eyes never moved from her. 

”I don’t hold you accountable for what happened that day. It was normal for your mother to blame people like me when it comes to situations like this.”

Knowing that the longer he stays here, she will only continue to apologize, he gets up from his seat.

”Thank you for the invitation. I hope you enjoy the rest of your coffee.”

He reaches for his helmet, and without saying another word, he leaves the cafe. He shouldn’t get involved with Qin Xue. 

He knows that she is different from Madam Qin but it was for the best. He can’t cause any troubles for her even if they are only at the early stages of being friends.

She is from a world beyond his reach.

Qin Xue was stunned by his words. She could only stare blankly at the now empty sat in front of her. However, unable to accept the situation, she stands up from her seat and grabs her handbag.

She runs out of the cafe and searches for Lin Hui in the pouring rain.

She doesn’t want Lin Hui to think so little of himself. If anything, he is the warmest person she has ever met. 

”Lin-”

She calls in search of him amongst the crowd but stops when she spots him near his motorcycle. His back was to her, but she knew it was him.

”Lin Hui!”

She yelled his name, but the rain and crowd overlapped her voice. However, she doesn’t stop and squeeze through the many people to get to him.

”Lin Hui, wait. I— ah!”

Just as she was about to reach him, she bumped into a passerby and stumbled forward.

Her eyes widened, knowing she was falling but seeing that Lin Hui wasn’t too far from her, she stretched out her arms.

She was already falling. What is there to lose other than to try and stop him from leaving?

Lin Hui was about to wear his helmet when he heard a woman’s yelp from behind. He frowned and thought the voice sounded familiar but shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to put on his helmet.

”What the—”

Before he could put on his helmet, he exclaimed in shock. Someone had yanked the back collar of his jacket from behind. He chokes a cough, and his body is pulled backward, dropping his helmet.

As his body fell back, he could see whoever pulled him from the corner of his eyes and glance to see who had dared to do such a thing.

His hands curled into tight fists, and he was ready to strike the person down. However, when he saw that it was Qin Xue, his eyes widened in surprise.

He was falling backward, and she was falling forward.

As the thought flashed in his mind, his eyes widened more when he realized something. 

She was going to fall on his motorcycle. 

Whether he was worried about her getting hurt or his motorcycle, he turns his body to the side and wraps one arm around her. He swiftly pulls her back, thinking he had caught her fall. However, to his surprise, he slips from the rain and falls onto the ground, bringing her along with him.

He stares as Qin Xue lands on top of him, but his eyes widen when he sees her face coming closer and closer until he feels something soft press against his lips.

His mind turned blank, and his eyes could see that Qin Xue’s expression was no different from his.

It was like time had slowed down, and the rain falling in all directions seemed to have disappeared.

The people walking by witnessed the scene and gasped in surprise as whispers sounded. 

It was only then that Lin Hui came to his senses. Although he couldn’t believe that this caused his first kiss, he quickly pulled himself together and pushed her off of him. Of course, he made sure not to hurt her in the process.

”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Qin Xue frantically apologizes when she too comes to her senses. She stood up with his help, but her blushing cheeks were visible for all to see.

Hearing her apologize again, Lin Hui couldn’t help but sigh. He was going to tell her to stop with the apology but seeing that people were looking at them, he frowned.

He takes a step to block her from the many eyes and scowl at the uninvited audience.

”Enough with the staring. There’s no show for you to see here.”

Coming face to face with his murderous stare, everyone scrambles away. As much as they were curious about what happened, it was best for them to go on with their day.

Qin Xue was in a daze while trying to process what had just happened. One moment she was looking for him, then grabbed him while she was falling, and before she knew it, she was already on top of him with their lips touching.

She slowly raised her left hand and touched her lips. She could still feel the touch of his lips on her.

”Miss Qin.”

Lin Hui’s voice suddenly brought her back from her daze. She looks at him, but her eyes are glued to his lips, and she swallows a gulp.

”I…”

She utters one word before swallowing the remaining words. Her brain seemed to have stopped working.

”It’s alright.”

Lin Hui thought that what happened had shocked her to the core. He decides to be calm and walks to pick up his dropped helmet.

”Don’t worry. What happened was an accident. I won’t tell anyone about it.”

He holds his helmet up and inspects it. However, seeing a small crack on the face shield, he sighs inside.

His helmet is not good to wear anymore.

He places it on the seat of his motorcycle and opens the little storage compartment at the front. He takes out a black umbrella and walks to where Qin Xue was standing.

He opens it and hands the umbrella to her.

”Take this. Go home and change, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Qin Xue watched his every move and saw the different expressions he made until he was in front of her again. She looks at his hand holding the umbrella then takes it from him.

However, instead of holding the handle, she places her hand over his and looks up at his eyes.

Her expression turned soft, and a faint smile curled on her lips.

”My mother is wrong. You are not like other people.”

Lin Hui was confused by her gesture but to hear her words, he was even more confused. He parts his lips to ask what she meant, but before he could make a sound, her following words muddled him beyond anything in his life.

”I’ll take full responsibility for kissing you.”

She looks at him with a severe expression.

”I really mean it.”

”…”