Chapter Text
Wu Suo Wei was the type of man who gave his heart completely. He didn't ask for much, he just wanted the small things. A quick phone call, a tired good night before bed, or a simple message to show that Chi Cheng still thought of him while he was away.
Lately, however, that connection had started to fade. The silence between them grew longer every day. Messages were brief, calls went unanswered, and Wu Suo Wei spent his evenings watching his phone, waiting for a reply that never came.
Wu Suo Wei tried his best to keep his distance. He hated the idea of being a burden or acting desperate, but the longing for Chi Cheng had become a dull, constant ache in his chest. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He dialed the number, telling himself he'd only call once, just to hear the sound of Chi Cheng's voice.
"Hey," he said when the line picked up. He forced his voice to stay steady, hiding the fact that he felt like he was falling apart. "I know you've got a lot going on. I just... I miss you."
Silence followed. It stretched out until the air felt heavy. When Chi Cheng finally spoke, his voice was sharp and exhausted.
"You know I'm busy, so why are you calling?" Chi Cheng snapped. "I don't have time for this right now, Wei."
Wu Suo Wei sat up straight, his heart sinking. He stared at nothing, trying to make sense of what he had just heard. "I'm not asking for much," he said. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"I'm tired and stressed," Chi Cheng snapped back. "Maybe we shouldn't even be doing this."
The words hurt, but then something else broke through the line. It was a sound that cut deeper than any argument. In the background, he heard a woman's voice. She sounded relaxed and soft
"Cheng, are you coming back to the bar?" she called out. "Everyone is waiting for you."
Wu Suo Wei went completely still.
On the other end of the line, Chi Cheng didn't offer an explanation. He didn't tell her to wait, and he didn't tell Wu Suo Wei who she was. He just let the silence sit there.
Wu Suo Wei felt the air leave his lungs. It took everything he had to find his voice, and when he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "Let's break up."
The irritation in Chi Cheng's voice vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp gasp of panic. "Wei...wait, no. That's not what it sounds like...she's not..."
But Wu Suo Wei wasn't listening anymore. He lowered the phone from his ear, the sudden rush of Chi Cheng's excuses fading into the room.
He didn't want to hear it. Not the excuses and certainly not the sudden realization that Chi Cheng only cared now that he was losing him.
He ended the call quickly, cutting the line before Chi Cheng could hear the sound of his voice cracking. He couldn't let him hear how much this was hurting.
Across town, Chi Cheng stood frozen, staring at his darkened phone screen. His heart hammered against his ribs, his mouth still open to finish a sentence that no longer had a listener. The words he wanted to say were useless now, they would never reach the person who needed to hear them most.
That night, Wu Suo Wei curled up under the covers, holding tight to the hoodie Chi Cheng had left behind. There was no loud sobbing or screaming, he just let the tears fall until the fabric, which still smelled like Chi Cheng, was damp. He stayed away from his phone. He wouldn't call, and he wouldn't beg. If Chi Cheng didn't want him, he would accept that.
But Chi Cheng did want him. He just hadn't realized how much until the line went dead.
The moment the call ended, Chi Cheng felt a heavy sense of regret. He hadn't meant what he said, not to Wei. The stress of the trip had caught up to him, and he'd taken it out on the one person who had always been there for him. He tried to call back immediately, but it went straight to voicemail. He sent text after text, but the bubbles stayed gray. Wu Suo Wei wasn't looking.
Two weeks went by. As soon as the project was finished, Chi Cheng skipped the celebration dinner and booked the first flight home. His heart raced the entire way. He just wanted to fix things. He needed to see Wu Suo Wei and find a way to make everything right again.
He arrived at the apartment out of breath and full of hope. But when the door finally opened, it wasn't Wu Suo Wei standing there.
It was Wu Suo Wei's friend, Jiang Xiaoshuai.
"Oh," Xiaoshuai said, raising an eyebrow. "Look who finally showed up."
Chi Cheng frowned, trying to look past him. "Where's Wei?"
Xiaoshuai didn't move. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "He's out."
"With who?"
Xiaoshuai let out a cold little smile. "With someone who actually pays attention when he says he misses them."
Chi Cheng's jaw tightened. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Xiaoshuai said, shifting his weight to keep the doorway blocked, "that you broke his heart, and someone else is busy picking up the pieces."
Chi Cheng couldn't find the words to answer. His mind was racing, filled with images of Wu Suo Wei smiling at a stranger or being held by someone else. He didn't try to force his way in. Instead, he turned and walked away, but he didn't leave the building. He sat on the steps outside and waited, unable to move.
Hours went by as the sun began to set. Finally, he saw Wu Suo Wei walking toward the entrance.
Wu Suo Wei stopped dead when he saw Chi Cheng. His expression was hard to read, but he looked different, colder and more distant. It was as if the pain of the last two weeks had changed him.
"What are you doing here?" Wu Suo Wei asked. He sounded exhausted.
Chi Cheng stood up quickly and straightened his clothes, trying to pull himself together. He was terrified to even step closer. In his mind, they were still together, but looking at Wu Suo Wei now, he realized just how much damage he had done.
"Weiwei, please, I..." Chi Cheng started, but Wu Suo Wei held up a hand to stop him.
"You don't get to just show up," Wu Suo Wei said, his voice surprisingly calm. "You don't get to fix this with a simple apology."
Chi Cheng stepped forward, his desperation showing. "I didn't mean any of it. I was just so stressed. I..."
"So you decided to take that stress out on me?" Wu Suo Wei interrupted. "You even let me hear her voice on the phone."
Chi Cheng flinched as if he'd been hit. "No! Please, it wasn't like that. She isn't anyone...."
"I don't care who she was," Wu Suo Wei cut him off again. "I care that you didn't bother to explain. I care that you stayed silent and let me think I was being replaced."
Chi Cheng stepped closer, his eyes filled with desperation. "She was just a coworker. Nothing happened, Wei. I swear. I will never do that to you baby."
Wu Suo Wei didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just stared at Chi Cheng, as if he were weighing the truth against the pain he had been feeling for weeks.
Finally, he gave a slow nod. It wasn't a sign that everything was okay or that he had forgiven him. It was just an acknowledgment of the words.
"I believe you," he said softly.
A rush of relief hit Chi Cheng, and his breath hitched. "Then..."
"But I don't trust you."
Wu Suo Wei's voice remained steady, but his eyes gave him away. They were bright with all the things he was keeping inside, the nights spent crying, the way he had clung to that old hoodie, and how he had replayed that woman's voice in his head until it felt like a physical wound.
"You should go home," he said.
Chi Cheng went still. "Wei..."
"Go home, Chi Cheng," Wu Suo Wei repeated, his tone final.
The words weren't shouted or fueled by anger. They were quiet, but they felt final.
Chi Cheng stood frozen on the steps. His heart hammered against his chest, and he struggled to find anything else to say. He wanted to beg for another chance. He wanted to tell Wei that he hadn't slept a wink, that he hated himself for what he'd done, and that he still loved him more than anything.
But the chance had passed. Wu Suo Wei had already turned his back and walked away.
_____
Every day after that, Chi Cheng showed up. He brought coffee, flowers, and apologies. He didn't demand to be let back in instead, he worked to earn his place again. It was a slow, difficult process, built on being honest and actually showing up.
Wu Suo Wei, the man who had always given so much of himself and waited so patiently, finally allowed himself to be loved in return. This time, however, there were boundaries. He held onto his self-respect and set conditions, but he also held onto hope.
They learned that a breaking point doesn't always have to be the end. Sometimes, it's just the moment where you learn how to love each other the right way.