°•Quiet Love¹•°
°•Chapter 1: Silence Between the Lines•°
Zoey had always believed that love would come wrapped in grand gestures and stolen glances—like in the romance novels tucked beneath her pillow or the films she watched under the comfort of soft blankets and rainy nights. But real life had other plans.
Marriage, for her, had not begun with love. It began with a signature on an agreement between two families, a shy smile exchanged across a crowded living room, and the silent nod of acceptance to a man named Li Yunrui.
Yunrui—tall, quietly poised, and reserved. He wasn’t cold, no, but he wasn’t warm either. He lived in the in-between. He was polite, responsible, and gentle in his own withdrawn way. He didn’t speak much, and when he did, his words were measured and practical, like he weighed each syllable before offering it.
The first few weeks were formal. Zoey often spoke into the quietness, trying to fill their home with stories about her childhood, her love for baking, and her passion for painting.
Yunrui listened, occasionally offering a comment that was so precise and observant that it startled her. It wasn’t that he didn’t pay attention. He did. He just didn’t know how to show it.
By the end of the first month, something changed.
She noticed it in small things—the way he always filled her water bottle and placed it by the bed without a word. How he made sure her favourite snacks never ran out in the kitchen, even if he never asked. When she worked late into the night on her online art commissions, he'd quietly place a warm cup of tea beside her. No questions, no comments, just... there.
Those gestures, quiet and unnoticed by most, slowly became loud to Zoey.
He never said he cared. But she saw it in the way he unplugged the iron she always forgot. The way he closed the window when it got too cold in the evenings. The way he made sure the hallway lights were on when she got up for water at night.
And just like that, she fell.
It wasn’t sudden. It was like slowly waking up to the sun after a night of dreams. It crept into her heart gently and made a home there.
Six months passed. And she was in love with her husband.
The problem? He didn’t know.
She tried to bridge the gap with words, touches, and smiles. Sometimes, he returned them with a small nod, sometimes with silence, and once or twice, with a look that made her breath hitch—but that was it. No declarations. No confessions.
It wasn’t enough. Not for someone like Zoey, who longed to be relied upon. Who wanted to be someone Yunrui could lean on, not just share a roof with.
But she waited, hopeful, patient because that was what love was—believing, even in silence.
The rain hit the windows that evening with a gentle rhythm. The apartment was unusually still.
Yunrui stepped into the living room, hanging his coat by the door. The lights were dim, and there was no smell of dinner, no soft music playing from Zoey's little speaker, no movement from the kitchen.
Li Yunrui
“Zoey?” (he called softly, walking in, getting no answer.)
A small frown creased his brow. He removed his shoes, setting them neatly by the door, and walked toward the bedroom.
He paused at the door.
There, bundled under the blanket, was Zoey—curled into herself, hair spread over the pillow in a messy halo, one arm draped over her stomach.
Her face was pale, lips slightly parted as she breathed through her mouth, damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead.
Li Yunrui
“Zoey,” (he murmured, crouching beside her.)
She stirred, blinking at him slowly. Her voice was barely a whisper.
Li Yunrui
“I’m here,” (he said softly)
Li Yunrui
“What happened?”
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“I dont know, maybe a fever,” (she whispered)
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“And... my stomach hurts a lot because of this... um, period.” (says a little bashfully)
Yunrui straightened immediately, eyes scanning her like she was made of glass. Fever. Cramps. No dinner. No energy.
Without a word, he moved to the kitchen, filled a glass of water, returned, and helped her sit up. Zoey winced at the effort but leaned against him.
Li Yunrui
“You didn’t call,” (he said, voice quiet)
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“You were working,” (she murmured, head resting on his shoulder).
“Didn’t want to disturb you…”
His jaw clenched. He hated that. That she thought she couldn’t ask. That she was hurting and didn’t feel she could rely on him.
He helped her lie down gently and disappeared again. When he returned, he had a wet cloth and medicine. He placed the cloth on her forehead, hands gentle, then handed her the pills.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
(Smiles faintly) “You’re good at this.”
Li Yunrui
“I googled it,” (he said simply)
Despite everything, a soft laugh escaped her.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“Of course you did.”
Yunrui stood awkwardly beside the bed, unsure what to do next. Zoey noticed the hesitation.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“You can sit,” (she offered, patting the edge of the bed.)
They sat in silence for a moment. Then, she spoke, her voice fragile.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“Yun… sometimes I feel like I don’t know what’s in your heart.”
Li Yunrui
(He looked at her, startled) “What do you mean?”
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“I mean… you care. I see it. I feel it. But you never say it. And I don’t want to be the only one falling.”
Yunrui was quiet, as he didn't know what to say at the moment, feeling conflicted.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
(She sighed)
“I know this was an arranged marriage. I know we’re learning each other. But sometimes, I just… wish you’d let me in.”
Li Yunrui
(He stared at the floor, jaw clenching)
“It’s not easy for me.”
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“I know,” (she said gently)
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“But I want to be someone you can talk to. Someone you trust.”
Li Yunrui
(Then, softly, barely audible, he said,)
“I do trust you.”
Zoey’s eyes widened, hearing him let out his emotions for the first time.
Li Yunrui
“I’ve just… always kept things in. Feelings. Thoughts. I never knew how to say them. But I notice you, Zoey. Every day. Your laugh. The way you hum when you’re painting. How you always burn toast but try again anyway. I notice everything.”
Zoey's heart beat fastened as she heard him speak.
Li Yunrui
“I never said anything because I thought maybe you deserved someone more... open. Someone who can tell you everything you want to hear. But I’m trying. I’ve been trying.”
Zoey reached for his hand, and to her surprise, he didn’t pull away.
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“I don’t need grand speeches,” (speaks softly)
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“Just... moments like this.”
Yunrui looked at their hands, then at her, feeling the moments in himself.
Li Yunrui
“I’ll get better at this.” (says while gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles)
Li Ziyi (Zoey)
“I know,” (she whispered)
Outside, the rain softened. And in that small, quiet bedroom, something shifted—like a door cracked open between two hearts.
Author
It might be boring, but that's what I am writing for the start😗 Ignore the mistakes, if any😅
Author
Again, the characters I use have nothing to do with real-life people's, so yeah, don't jinx it up
Author
ThankYou for reading😄
Comments
shiruu...lish♡♡
Hey girl why did you make this man dumb?😶
I mean is he even serious?
What does he mean by deserve someone better?!
Do you want your wife to cheat on you with that someone better or divorce you to he with that someone better..?!
2025-06-18
1
𝓽𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓴𝓴𝓲𝓮 🫐
come on dude, you are already her husband so just be that someone who you think she deserves (٥↼_↼)
2025-06-18
2
𝓽𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓴𝓴𝓲𝓮 🫐
I want to write as boring as this, dk when it'll happen 🙂↔️🫠
2025-06-18
2