the blind encounter

Xiao Fei stepped out of the café, the aroma of coffee lingering around her as she held the steaming cup in her hand. The city buzzed around her, a symphony of honking horns, screeching brakes, and the hurried chatter of pedestrians. Holding the steaming cup of coffee in one hand, she glanced at her watch.

Time to head to the office. 

When she reached the crosswalk, waiting for the signal to change, her gaze drifted towards the man standing beside her

He stood out like a statue among the flowing crowd, waiting for the traffic light to change. He was tall, easily six feet, with a face that could be described as both ruggedly handsome and utterly captivating. Dark hair, neatly combed back, framed sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline. A tailored tang suit hugged his broad frame, the fabric a deep emerald that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Black sunglasses, perched on his nose, hid his eyes.

He was undeniably handsome, yet even the most beautiful things in the world had their flaws. This man was blind. In his hand, he held a leash attached to the collar of a German shepherd. 

The dog, unlike its owner, wasn't a statue. Its gaze was fixed across the street, a low whine rumbling in its chest. Intrigued, Xiao Fei eyes followed it's sight and landed on a middle-aged man in a rumpled suit. He puffed on his cigarette, his gaze fixed on the blind man beside her. He dropped the spent butt to the ground, grinding it beneath his heel. He then took out something from his pocket and placed it between his lips.

A moment later, Xiao Fei heard a low but shrill whistle, barely audible over the traffic.

Immediately, the dog stood up, attempting to cross the busy road. The blind man, unaware of what was happening, began to follow his dog's lead. 

Xiao Fei's body reacted before her mind could fully process the situation and her hand reached out. She grasped his wrist, the sudden contact startling him. With all her strength, she yanked him backward.

The force of her pull, combined with the man's momentum sent them both off balance. They stumbled backward and landed on the ground. The spilled coffee forgetten on the ground nearby.

"Humph," Xiao Fei gasped at the sudden weight pressing her down.The impact knocked the air from her lungs, and she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

The crowd gasped around them, some even stopping to watch.

Xiao Fei's eyes flickered upward, widening slightly as she found his face mere inches from her own. His sunglasses had been knocked askew in the fall, revealing eyes of deep chocolate brown. They were strikingly beautiful, but unfocused—a hazy emptiness that confirmed his blindness.

Luo Hao Tian was acutely conscious of the woman beneath him. Disoriented by the sudden fall and the sharp glare of the sun, he could only make out a blurry figure below him.

A scent wafted up to him—lavender, but not the artificial kind found in perfumes. This was subtler, more natural, as if she'd spent countless hours among the flowers until their essence had seeped into her very being.

For a moment, they remained frozen, each hyper-aware of the other. Xiao Fei blinked, suddenly snapping back to reality.

"Are you going to get up or what?" she asked, her tone cold and impatient.

Luo Hao Tian didn't respond verbally. Instead, he pushed himself off the ground. Xiao Fei stood up quickly, brushing off her clothes with quick, irritated movements. A smear of blood on her palm caught her eye, but she ignored it. She looked at the man, who was turning in place as if he was searching for something.

"If you are looking for the dog, then I would hate to disappoint you but it's gone," Xiao Fei said, her gaze flickered across the road where the dog was walking away, led by the very man who had blown the whistle earlier. The dog moved calmly beside him, as if this stranger was its rightful owner.

Realization dawned on Luo Hao Tian's face, quickly replaced by a look of annoyance. He took out his phone from his pocket, dialing a number on speed dial. The call connected almost instantly.

"Get here within five minutes," Luo Hao Tian ordered, his voice clipped and authoritative. He ended the call abruptly, not waiting for a response.

Xiao Fei raised an eyebrow at his brusque manner. It was clear this man was used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. This was exactly the type of man she had grown to despise.

"What's your name?" Luo Hao Tian asked as he pocketed his phone.

"Why are you asking?" Xiao Fei questioned.

"So I can check whether you being here was a pure coincidence or not," he retorted, his tone matter-of-fact.

Xiao Fei scoffed, disbelief and irritation coloring her response. Rather than gratitude for her impulsive act of kindness, she was met with suspicion. It confirmed her initial assessment of him - privileged, entitled, and apparently, paranoid.

She picked up her purse that had fallen on the ground, her gaze flickering towards her spilled coffee. Great! Now she had to start her day without coffee.

"You didn't answer my question," Luo Hao Tian probed when he didn't get any reply from him.

"I'm just a random random who stopped you from getting flattened by the cars, that's all." With that said, she shouldered past him and crossed the road.

Luo Hao Tian stood there for a moment, the scent of lavender lingering in the air. 

"Boss," Gao Peng walked up to Luo Hao Tian, a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead when he noticed his appearance.

Luo Hao Tian, usually impeccably dressed, was now a mess. His suit was dusty, his sunglasses lay cracked on the pavement, and a smear of blood marred his knuckles.

"What happened?"

"One job, Gao Peng. I gave you one simple task," Luo Hao Tian said, his voice a low growl. He rummaged in his inner jacket pocket and pulled out another pair of sunglasses, "To procure a reliable guide dog. Apparently, even that was beyond your capabilities." 

He slipped on the glasses, the world around him shifting into a semblance of focus. He could now see shapes and outlines, the bustling crosswalk a blurry tapestry of pedestrians and vehicles. It wasn't a perfect vision, far from it, but with hemeralopia¹, even this limited clarity was a godsend.

His gaze swept across the crowd, searching for the woman who had just walked away but could not find her. How could he when he did not even know what she looked like? 

Gao Peng shifted uncomfortably in his position, "I... I apologize, Mr. Luo. I'll get you a new dog immediately. The breeder assured me-"

"Just get the car here," Luo Hao Tian snapped, cutting him off.

[1] hemeralopia: also known as day blindness. It is a visual condition where a person has difficulty seeing in bright light. It makes it difficult to see clearly in bright light, but it doesn't completely eliminate sight. People with hemeralopia might experience blurry vision, needing to squint, or having trouble distinguishing details.