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The soft rays of morning sunlight filtered through the gauzy curtains as Lin Yue sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her damp hair.
The shower had helped clear her groggy mind, but not the restless butterflies fluttering in her chest.
After Ah Yan left for work, his gentle smile still lingering in her mind, she busied herself with tidying up the house.
She hummed softly to distract herself, dusting the shelves, straightening the cushions, and wiping the small kitchen counters.
When she was finally done, she plopped down on the sofa, picked up her phone, and began mindlessly scrolling.
Suddenly, her thumb froze mid-swipe. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat.
"No way...!" she gasped, bolting upright.
Her scream echoed in the quiet room as she stared at the screen. There it was—a post.
Someone was looking for a custom painting as a birthday gift for their grandfather—something warm and personal.
The post mentioned they were looking for something with nature or nostalgic themes and were willing to pay generously for the right piece.
Her hands trembled slightly as she reread the post, her heart racing.
This was it.
A miracle from the heavens.
Her chance.
Without wasting another second, she quickly sent in an application along with photos of two of her old paintings she had stored left—carefully stored in the bottom drawer of her wardrobe, wrapped in brown paper.
She clicked send and stared at the screen, nervously.
To her utter disbelief, the buyer replied within the hour, impressed with her work and eager to see more.
"Hello. Your artwork is beautiful. Can we meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Blue Forest Café? I'll send the location shortly."
She couldn't contain her joy. Her heart was thudding wildly with hope.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she whispered excitedly, jumping up.
She rushed into her tiny room, pulled out her paints and brushes with trembling hands, and began working on a new piece.
She wanted to give the buyer more options, more reasons to choose her work.
The scent of paint filled the room as brush met canvas in passionate, focused strokes.
That day, time felt like it was crawling.
She painted, glanced at the clock, painted some more, paced, and then painted again.
Her eyes kept darting to the door, waiting for the sound of keys jingling.
---
Finally, around sunset, the door creaked open.
"Ah Yan!" she exclaimed, standing up as he entered.
He looked exhausted but somehow different today—lighter, more relaxed.
His usual furrowed brows were smoother, and his lips were curved ever so slightly.
"Hey," he said, his voice soft. "You seem happy."
She smiled, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "You have no idea. Let me serve you dinner first."
They sat at the table, quietly eating their meal.
A rare moment of peace settled over them.
Halfway through the meal, Ah Yan put down his chopsticks. "Yueyue... I have something to tell you."
She looked up, sensing the seriousness in his tone.
"What is it?"
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke firmly. "I've decided to sell the watch."
She froze. Her spoon stopped halfway to her lips.
"What...?"
He nodded. "It could fetch a good price. We could use that money to get through the next few months. Rent, food, bills. It's just a watch. I don't even remember where it came from."
She stared at him, disbelief written all over her face.
Then, slowly, she shook her head. "No. We're not selling it."
He blinked. "Why not?"
"Because it's the only thing you have left of who you were. It might be your only clue. Don't you want to know who you were before you lost your memories?"
His brows knit together. "I don't care about the past anymore. I care about now. About you. About surviving."
She stood up suddenly. "We're still not selling it. Come, let me show you something."
Confused, he followed her into her room.
She bent down and pulled out a collection of rolled-up canvases, gently laying them on the bed.
She began to unfold them one by one.
He looked at them, stunned. "You painted these?"
She nodded. "I used to paint all the time. When things got too hard, I'd escape into my paintings. It was the only place I felt like I could breathe."
He walked closer, touching the edge of a canvas gently.
The colors, the emotion—it was beautiful.
Calming.
Almost too real.
"A buyer wants to see them tomorrow," she continued, trying to control the happiness in her voice. "They want to buy a painting as a birthday gift. If it sells well, we'll have enough money for a while. And I can keep painting, keep selling. We'll figure it out from there."
He looked at her, his eyes softening. "Yueyue... I didn't know you were this talented."
She smiled shyly. "It's just something I've always done."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you."
That night, they didn't speak much more.
But there was a warmth between them, silent and comforting.
After cleaning up, they retired to their separate rooms.
---
Lin Yue hardly slept.
Her nerves were tingling, her mind rehearsing the meeting again and again.
What would she say?
What if they didn't like the new piece?
What if she messed up?
But morning came fast, dragging her from bed before the sun had fully risen.
She dressed simply but neatly in a beige blouse and a black skirt, tying her hair into a low ponytail and placing the paintings carefully in a protective folder.
Ah Yan had woken up early too.
They ate breakfast together, quiet but encouraging.
Then he drove her to the nearest bus stop.
Before she got off, he turned to her. "Good luck. You're going to do great."
She smiled, grateful and nervous. "Thank you. I'll text you once I'm done."
He watched until the bus disappeared around the corner before he drove off.
---
Lin Yue clutched the painting folder to her chest as the bus moved through the bustling streets.
Her stomach twisted with excitement and fear.
---
Finally, the bus stopped, and she stepped out.
She followed the directions on her phone and walked a few blocks.
Then she stopped dead in her tracks.
Her mouth fell open.
In front of her was a tall glass building, sleek and modern, with a luxury café at the base.
The Blue Forest Café wasn't just any place—it was known as a popular meet-up spot for celebrities, CEOs, and influencers.
She suddenly felt very small.
Was this a mistake? Did she misunderstand the buyer?
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