Late but Deep Love

I am a canary kept by Neal Yukio, a powerful figure in the B City circle.

After the act, I struggled to swallow the pill.

When he came out of the shower, he saw me taking the pill and unexpectedly spoke.

"I'm getting engaged."

The pill, wet on the outside and dry on the inside, stuck in my throat, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Five years—it's time to wake up from this dream.

I've awakened and started to forget the man in my dream.

But why is this man, Neal, crying and begging me to come back?

1

A night of passion.

Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, I suddenly remembered and dug out the birth control pills from the depths of a drawer.

I tilted my head back and swallowed the pill without noticing that the water had stopped.

Neal appeared in front of me without me knowing and picked up the pill box scattered on the bedside table.

His face darkened as he read the label.

I felt a little uneasy.

My memory isn't great. Neal had previously told me to remember to take my pills, but I sometimes forgot.

Had he discovered that I had forgotten to take them before?

He stared at me and suddenly said, "I'm getting engaged."

My breath caught, and the pill stuck in my throat. The coating melted, and bitterness spread from my throat to my heart.

I nodded in response, using the excuse of drinking water to flee the room.

As I tilted my head to drink, a tear slipped from the corner of my eye and fell silently onto the carpet.

The thing I feared the most had finally happened.

But I didn't expect it to come so soon.

After that, the atmosphere between Neal and me fell to an all-time low.

For the past five years, he had almost always stayed at Grand Building, but now he hardly ever came back.

Looking at the table full of dishes I had prepared, I hesitated for a long time before putting down the phone.

I suddenly lost my appetite and went back to my room to pack my things.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound outside the door.

My eyes brightened slightly, and I ran to the door, only to stop in my tracks.

Standing at the door was a stranger, a woman in a white dress, with long hair flowing down to her waist, exuding a cool, lily-like fragrance.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

The only person who knew the code here was Neal.

"I came to get some clothes for Neal," the woman paused.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Grace Green. I'm Neal's fiancée."

Hearing this, I silently stepped aside to let her in.

"I know you. Your name is Maria White, right?" Grace walked in and gave me a knowing smile.

"I've seen many women like you—selling their bodies because they're young and beautiful, but in the end, they get nothing."

Her words made my face flush with embarrassment.

But if I had to do it again, I would still make the same choice.

Because my mother's life is more important than anything else.

More important than my own.

2

From the beginning, my relationship with Neal was unequal.

I was with him for money.

Now that Neal is getting engaged, it's time for me to bow out.

In this house where I've lived for five years, I realized how little I actually owned.

After packing my things, I was ready to leave.

Just then, I ran into Neal, who had just come home, carrying the bag of clothes Grace had delivered the day before.

When Neal saw the suitcase in my hand, his expression turned grim.

"Where are you going?"

"Back... home."

"If I remember correctly, your mother no longer allows you to go home," Neal mercilessly exposed me.

Hearing this, my shoulders slumped, and the perennial smile in my eyes dimmed.

Seeing this, Neal was about to say something, but a sudden ringing interrupted him.

"Miss Green, I will change the password, so please don't disturb her again."

I sneaked a glance at him, only to be caught in the act by Neal.

I awkwardly lowered my head. Did Grace come here without his permission?

A small sense of delight rose in my heart.

Neal didn't let me leave, and with nowhere else to go, I stayed.

The good news was that Neal had returned home, but the bad news was that things between us had changed.

Since that day, Grace seemed like a virus, spreading everywhere.

At first, Neal was cold towards her, but later, he couldn't be without her.

The handcrafted glass cup Grace brought back from abroad was placed in the most prominent spot in the house.

He wore the tie Grace gave him every day.

The painting Grace sent him was hung in the entrance hall, the first thing I saw when I walked in.

I didn't like it.

The painting's colors were so vivid that it scared me whenever I passed by it at night.

One day, while Neal was away, I found myself standing in front of that painting and noticed a small line of cursive in the bottom right corner.

"Spend a pleasant evening."

It seemed they had a wonderful night together.

That night, I sat on the sofa, waiting in vain.

That night, Neal did not come home.

I thought, perhaps Neal had truly fallen for his fiancée.

And it was time for me to leave.

3

Later, Neal often stayed out late.

I didn't ask any questions, continuing my daily routine of work and earning money.

One day, my phone buzzed with an important reminder.

Today was Neal's birthday. In the past, I would prepare a table full of dishes and wait for him to come home to celebrate.

But this year, it seemed I wasn't needed.

To my surprise, the screen lit up with a message from Neal, saying he would be home for dinner tonight.

I hurriedly asked for leave from my team leader, went to the market to buy groceries, and prepared a table full of his favorite dishes.

But even after the food had gone cold, Neal didn't come back.

I threw the untouched dishes into the trash.

After washing up, I went to bed.

But I slept fitfully, and when my phone screen lit up slightly, I was immediately awakened.

It was a message from Neal.

"Seven Stars, Peony Hall."

I tossed the phone aside and turned over to continue sleeping.

But I couldn't fall back asleep. I suddenly got up, dressed, and took a taxi to Seven Stars.

The waiter led me to the Peony Hall, where voices could be heard from inside. Through the door, I could vaguely make out the conversation.

"Grace, you and Mr. Neal are a perfect match. That woman before, what was her name, Maria? She's not even worth mentioning."

"Exactly, Mr. Neal never brought her out to meet us, probably because he was ashamed of her."

"After you two get married..."

Hearing this, I couldn't listen any longer.

I turned and left, tears streaming down my face.

My head throbbed with pain, and I collapsed to the ground.

The waiter quickly helped me up, hesitating when he saw my distressed appearance.

"Miss, are you okay?"

I shook my head.

"You don't look well. Would you like me to take you to the hospital?"

I thanked him for his kindness and got into a taxi.

"Miss, where to?"

The driver's question left me stunned, my mind blank.

I patted my head. "Take me to Grand Building... No, to New Village."

The driver took me to New Village.

I got out of the car and stood alone in the cold wind.

Instinctively, I made my way to the door of my home.

But I couldn't bring myself to go inside.

4

It was close to 2 AM.

I sat huddled on the steps outside the door, leaning against a wall plastered with advertisements, and somehow, I dozed off.

As dawn broke, the iron gate creaked open, a sound that grated on the nerves.

Someone inside the house pushed the door open, startled by the shadowy figure huddled outside. When she focused, her heart settled.

A kick woke me up.

I groggily opened my eyes to see my mother's deeply furrowed face.

"Mom..."

"Don't call me that. I don't have a daughter like you."

My mother's voice was cold, her hair half gray, sparsely covering her head, but her temper was as hard as a rock.

I suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.

In my memory, I could scarcely recall a time when my mother's face bore a smile.

"What? Did your benefactor dump you?"

I hung my head in silence.

Seeing me not respond, my mother snorted and walked out.

Whether intentionally or not, she didn't fully close the iron gate behind her, and I took the chance to slip inside.

The house was just as I remembered it, except the corners were now slightly moldy, and the air was thick with the bitter scent of herbal medicine.

My mother kept the house spotless. I walked to my room and found it just as it had been years ago, with the blanket still carrying the warm scent of the sun.

I collapsed on the bed, fully clothed, and quickly fell asleep.

When I woke up, I found my mother sitting at my desk, unclear for how long.

"He called."

I was startled, and just then, the phone by the bedside began flashing, displaying a familiar name.

I picked it up, and before I could speak, Neal's voice demanded to know where I was.

"I-I'm at my mom's."

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Finish up and come back soon."

I nodded in agreement.

"Your benefactor is looking for you. Why don't you get out of here?"

I was chased out.

Standing in the dimly lit, dusty hallway, I felt a wave of confusion.

Why am I here?

I shook my head, as if someone had erased parts of my memory with a rubber eraser.

A sudden panic gripped my heart, plunging me into an icy abyss.

No, no, it's okay, I reassured myself.

I'm still young. It's just that my memory fails me sometimes.

5

When I returned to Grand Building, Neal happened to be out.

I wasn't sure if I should breathe a sigh of relief or feel disappointed.

Either way, it felt like fate had decided that I should quietly leave his world.

I picked up my suitcase and left Grand Building.

Stepping out of the complex, I looked around in a daze, unsure of where to go.

My mother had already made it clear that she didn't recognize me as her daughter, so going back would only cause her more grief.

I had no choice but to stay in a cheap hotel while looking for a suitable place to rent.

This was another expense.

I sighed softly, but at least I had a place to stay.

That night, I was half-asleep when my phone rang, waking me up.

It was Neal. He sounded different, perhaps drunk, with a touch of laziness in his voice.

"My stomach hurts. It's really bad."

My eyes stung with tears, but I said nothing.

"Come over quickly. I'm at home, waiting for you."

One call from Neal completely disrupted my night.

I hastily threw on some clothes and rushed back to Grand Building in a cab.

When I arrived at the top floor and opened the door with my fingerprint, I noticed a pair of nude-colored high heels lying by the entrance.

I hesitated, suddenly wanting to turn and flee, but the person inside called out to me.

"Maria, why are you here?"

Grace was holding a bowl of oatmeal, heading toward the sofa where Neal was resting with his eyes closed. She heard the noise from the door and looked up.

I curled my toes, stammering.

In moments like this, I hated how my tongue turned to wood, unable to come up with even the simplest excuse.

"Because I called her over."

Neal got up from the sofa, his face a bit pale.

I felt a wave of relief, while Grace's expression darkened.

"Sorry, I must've dialed the wrong number. You came all this way for nothing. I'll reimburse your cab fare later."

Grace's face brightened, her brows smoothing out.

"I..."

I wanted to say I didn't need your money.

But in the end, I couldn't utter a single word.

The atmosphere in the room plummeted to freezing.

Grace broke the silence, offering the bowl of thick oatmeal she was holding.

"Drink it while it's hot. It's good for your stomach."

I opened my mouth, knowing that Neal, despite his cold exterior, was extremely picky about food.

He wouldn't touch something as bland and thick as oatmeal.

The next moment, my face stung with embarrassment.

Neal picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Grace smiled with satisfaction.

I suddenly felt completely unnecessary.

"Sorry, I've got something to do. I'll leave now."

I practically fled.

6

Since that day, my headaches have become more frequent.

Thankfully, they didn't interfere much with work. I still completed everything my boss assigned with diligence.

Our company is a leader in the industry, specializing in event planning for major occasions.

I still don't know how I got so lucky, landing this job straight out of an ordinary university.

Recently, the company's biggest project was organizing a business banquet.

I was assigned to the event site, running wherever I was needed.

The event began, the room filled with the clinking of glasses, every attendee a business mogul who could grace the covers of financial magazines.

I kept to the edges, but even so, I spotted two familiar figures.

Grace, in a satin mermaid gown, gracefully entered the room, with Neal, tall and handsome, by her side.

They were the perfect match, a pair of beauties.

Instinctively, I backed away. I couldn't afford to provoke them, so I tried to avoid them.

But as fate would have it, the more you try to hide, the more certain things seem to find you.

Late-coming affection is worth less than a dog's.

My boss sent me to check the dessert table, but I ended up running into the two people I least wanted to see.

"Maria?"

The sound of that familiar voice sent a chill down my spine.

I never imagined I'd run into him in a place like this