The graduation ceremony a couple of weeks later went much smoother than Liu Suya could have imagined. But she still found herself leaving the reception early, just missing Mo Ting, who was waiting to congratulate her. Not that Liu Suya would ever know this.
Her father was currently outside the country on a quick business trip. It had been a necessary venture as the plans with the Zhou family had fallen through. She didn't blame him for it.
Liu Suya walks into the silence of her apartment. The tension in her body was difficult to bear. It was getting more difficult to live, even her apartment - she had been avoiding the main house for weeks out of fear - was getting more difficult to stand. The silence made a great backdrop for her more intrusive thoughts lately. Regardless she peeled off her clothes and carelessly put on something more comfortable. She dropped onto the couch after popping on the kettle, her mind blank as her head inclined towards her bedroom.
With energy she hadn't known she'd had, Liu Suya found herself in front of her bedside table, the sound of her kettle going off in the background. The photo felt slightly cold in her hands as she looked over the address on the back.
***
Liu Suya felt the summer sun on her skin, as she left her apartment building. "Get in loser, we're going shopping!" Liu Suya sees An Meiyu waving at her from her pastel yellow Tesla. Liu Suya noted that her English had improved recently but chalked it up to her recent obsession with American high school movies.
"You're too much, I swear you've got to have that movie memorised by now." An Meiyu just laughed in response.
"Of course. It's a masterpiece. Best piece of film media to have ever graced mankind. And I've only watched it 8 times."
"Only 8? That's relatively tame for you." Liu Suya chuckled.
"Yeah, I know. I just haven't had the chance with exams and stuff." An Meiyu started her car and set the route for the main shopping district.
"Fair enough."
"Anywho, let's not talk about that. We have to get to Hermès as soon as possible. They've brought out some new stuff. There's a baby blue one and I need to own it."
Liu Suya perked up at the mention of Hermès. Perhaps it was a little stereotypical of her to enjoy shopping as her pastime. Memories of Zhou Wei comparing her 'vanity' with Mo Ting's 'humbleness' were quickly put under lock and key before they could materialise. She really didn't need to open up that can of worms.
As of right now, however, Liu Suya felt like she needed this. She craved comfort, something that brought her back to a year and a half ago. And a new Hermès bag wouldn't hurt after all.
***
Sometime later, the two girls were in a boba tea shop. They had been shopping all morning nonstop but felt energised rather than fatigued.
Liu Suya's thoughts came to a certain idea that she'd been tossing around in her head for the last couple of days before a complicated expression made itself present on her pale face. An Meiyu caught a glimpse of this and tilted her head to one side.
She took a deep breath. "I want...to go to England." An Meiyu broke the silence first.
"Huh? That's it?" She said slightly confused but not particularly shocked. Liu Suya looked up.
"I mean, we've never been but it shouldn't be that big a- " She stopped dead in her tracks, staring straight into Liu Suya's eyes. Realisation lit up her smoky brown eyes and Liu Suya now averted hers.
"You wanna meet your maternal family..." She knew that Liu Suya had recently received her mother's possessions and also remembers her mentioning that her mother's side of the family was English. So, it wasn't too difficult for her to put 2 and 2 together.
Liu Suya bit her lip out of anxiousness. This action didn't escape An Meiyu, who just smiled. "So... what date are we booking the tickets for?"
Liu Suya let out a breathy laugh and smiled, tension instantly leaving her body. "I was thinking of leaving in a couple of days actually."
"Oh right, short notice. Very spontaneous though. I like it." She added playfully.
"So I guess I'd better get my English dialect down. Pip pip, cheerio."
"Mei please, that was so cringeworthy, it feels borderline offensive." She laughed at her friend's antics. "Not to mention, that I think you're in the wrong century."
"How so? Ooh ooh! What about 'Let's slip a shrimp on the barbie."
"Wrong continent- scratch that actually, you're in the wrong hemisphere altogether."
***
Liu Suya procrastinates telling her father over the next few days, until the night before her trip. She closed her laptop down and then laid back in her bed. She sighed. Better now than tomorrow morning.
Her father had always been a very prompt man. He may have been absent from her childhood, but he was never forgetful. Even if he didn't have the time to answer her call now, he would almost always get back to her. She let go of the breath she held when he didn't pick up, more relieved than she would have like to admit. That is until her phone rings a second after she'd put it down.
"Suya, what is it?" She resolves to get it over and done with.
"Dad, I'm leaving for England."
Her father is silent over the phone for a couple of seconds and Liu Suya can hear her heartbeat in her chest. She knew her mother had always been a sore spot for him, and she didn't think that him giving her her mother's possession had done anything to change that. She thought that it would be understandable if he didn't want her to go. She wouldn't hold it against him.
"When are you leaving?" Liu Suya, fully expecting to have to persuade her father, is shocked by the blunt reply. She quickly regains her bearings.
"Tomorrow."
Liu Suya could almost see his brow raise on the other side of the phone. He let out an audible sigh. "Make sure to text me when you get there. Also, Liu Chen is getting married this coming September. So, try to be back in time."
Now it was Liu Suya's turn to raise a brow. She hadn't known that her oldest brother was seeing anyone. Then again, they rarely communicated in general, never mind about anyone he may have been seeing. The call ended after Liu Suya told him that she would be there. It had gone so smoothly that Liu Suya felt pretty dumb for making such a big deal out of it. She only tells her father about her trip though.
***
When Liu Feng was invited to lunch by his mother the next day, he'd already known that it was likely to do with the less than true rumour that had been floating around the family the past few weeks. It doesn't take him much time to figure this out at all, but he decides to humour her anyway. This was his mother after all. This is also why he isn't surprised to see the former Mrs Liu sitting down beside her.
"Liu Feng" his mother stands up to meet him, before both sitting back down at the table. He greets the two of them as well as his younger sister, Liu Liling. The first ten minutes consist of his mother asking more perfunctory questions about the company and her grandchildren, Rong Nuan talking about her family's most recent Rong company exploits and the Rong family's younger generation. It was to be expected given the Rong and Liu family's close relationship despite their gap in prestige and wealth. The Liu Family being more influential than the Rongs that is.
Liu Liling on the other hand briefly mentions something about her son, joining her husband for an important business meeting that week. But as with most of the time he's spent with his mother in the last 20 years or so, the topic of remarriage is breached.
"I still don't understand why you'd divorce such a perfect woman like Nuan'er."
"Mother-"
"No, this time I'm putting my foot down." His mother glowers. "You even went and married that…"
Liu Feng narrows his eyes at his mother, which prevents her from finishing her sentence. She clears her throat.
"Anyhow, it's not too late to remarry, it isn't right for a man at your age to not have a wife. Not to mention that she's even already brought you three beautiful sons"
"Mother, it's fine honestly." Rong Nuan smiles at her former mother in law. "You shouldn't pressure him."
Pei Ming relents at her daughter-in-law's request, but before letting out an indignant 'humph'. All those years ago she was the one to set up Liu Feng's and Rong Nuan's engagement and was more than just slightly upset when he had chosen to divorce her. She had always seen Rong Nuan as the perfect daughter in law, so much so that despite having not been Mrs Liu for the last 20 years she was still a frequenter of the Liu household. The latter fact being much to Liu Feng's dismay.
Rong Nuan takes this opportunity to speak with him. "Liu Feng, I see that Xiao Su has just graduated. Does she have any plans to enter the Liu company?" Rong Nuan's question causes Pei Ming to frown, obviously unhappy at the mention of that granddaughter of hers. Not that she would admit to it, after all the child of that woman was to be considered no granddaughter of hers.
Liu Feng calmly takes a sip of the chamomile tea in front of him. He relishes in the scent of it before glancing back up at his ex-wife. "Not to my knowledge at the moment."
Rong Nuan purses her lips, looking contemplative. "If it's not any trouble she could join the Rong company as an intern starting next week if she has no other plans that is. We would love to have her." She smiles.
"Rong'er there's no need to hassle yourself in such a way. That girl would only cause problems for you in the long run and..."
Liu Feng interrupts Pei Ming's little tirade. "I'm afraid, I'll have to decline your offer. She won't be able to attend."
"Oh. Well, that's alright. Could you tell me a reason for this?" He looks at the light smile on Rong Nuan's face before letting out a mental sigh. He very much disliked dealing with this ex-wife of his. "She's left the country, to go on a trip. She shouldn't be back until September."
"*Humph* To think that whilst her cousins and brothers are working hard, she's gone off to play abroad. Ridiculous."
"Now, mother don't be like that. After all, losing her fiancé has likely affected her..."
"And it hasn't affected the rest of the family too? Is she the only one having to pay for her inadequacy?"
"That's enough, mother." Liu Feng interrupts putting his foot down. The conversation moves to some other more surface-level chatter.
***
Liu Liling glances at her oldest brother from across the table, wondering how it was exactly he put up with their mother all these years. Her husband had also been one chosen by their mother and the only choice she'd had was to accept her fate and marry the man. She didn't blame Liu Suya for wanting to get as far away as possible. Personally, if she could she would have left this damned family a long time ago.
Her mother had - stupidly - archaic views on marriage and on life in general, which showed itself in her favouritism for her male descendants. That's not to say that she ignored the girls and in fact, she probably held the girls to a much stricter standard. One way she did this was to ensure that no one picked a 'male degree' course. This in particular was something that had always left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Perhaps this was why when she saw that her mother's dearest son - Liu Feng was always her favourite - had effectively ignored her pleads in objection to his divorce, it didn't bother her very much. In fact, she took pleasure in watching the memory back like it was only yesterday. It reminded her of the days she had spent begging her mother to allow her to pursue a Chemistry degree course all those years ago - her one only passion - only to be met with cold hard rejection.
In all honesty, Liu Liling couldn't place when it was exactly that she started to resent this mother of hers. But if she had to, she would probably place it sometime after she'd been made to marry the man who raped her.