After it had taken forever to finish eating, like a bird in the cage, Xiulan was released to soar high above freely. She fled away from the Tang family's mansion as quickly as she could.
On her way home, the thought of Jianyu saddened her unconditionally. He was not a free man and had a cute and clever daughter too. The deceased woman whom he loved might be the birth mother of Yaoyao.
Xiulan empathized with how hard the time the father and daughter went through when they encountered the death of the most important person in their life who was the wife and at the same time the mother.
Judging by the words Jianyu mentioned at the river bank, one could clearly witness how precious their existence was in his life.
Xiulan felt lost. When she was young and immature, she thought she could go after whoever she loved in any situation. But now, her encouragement was gone before she had properly pursued him.
Whenever she felt depressed, she would let it all out to Hualing and this time was not an exception since she was on her way to her best friend. And she also wanted to divulge her secret interest in Jianyu which she hadn't disclosed a bit yet. Last but not least, she still got a parcel to pass on.
After she got out of her car, Xiulan was lost in her mind completely even though she was strolling toward a certain apartment from a parking lot. Frowning unconsciously in deep contemplation, she didn't notice a girl suddenly loomed out.
The girl tagged along with her to the elevator. When it dinged, they entered together. A perplexed expression was evident on that girl's face. Her index finger jumped up to tap on Xiulan's arm. She didn't respond back.
The elevator rang again at the desired floor and they got out in unison. While strolling side by side, the girl waved her palm in front of Xiulan's face to test whether she was sleepwalking with her eyes open.
Finally, Xiulan captured the suspicious movements in her view and took a step back in defense to prepare for danger which came without warning.
The girl beside her was startled and jolted by her sudden change of temperament.
"Hi. It's me!" The girl gave a silly smile while putting her palm high in the air beside her head to introduce herself.
"Hualing?" Xiulan shouted in surprise.
"I trailed you starting from the parking lot. What happened? You look pale and something is off." She could not pinpoint what was wrong with her friend's expression.
"Wait. You look like you're about to go somewhere. Where are you heading?"
"Ah, I am about to go shopping to look for a suitable suit for … a job interview." Actually, it was for the welcome feast for her new job. She felt uncomfortable lying to her best friend and changed the topic to avoid further questions. "But since you seem to have a lot to talk about, I will gladly stay here. It's not urgent after all."
'Go shopping?' She pondered and a mischievous smirk surfaced on her face. "Nah, it's nothing. I was thinking about how rude Zhang Shaiming is." She chuckled loudly.
"Are you really alright?"
"Good as hell!" She assured her.
Hualing noticed she regained her composure and sighed feeling relieved. She thought she had a bad day because whenever she had undesirable events she would come up to her to pour her heart out.
"You wanna come along?"
"I won't. You should go alone. I mean this way you can choose your style without my influence. And…" Xiulan raised a pink package in her hand. She opened it quickly and saw a set of jewelry which were adorned with extravagant pink crystals.
Xiulan took out a necklace. There was a square-shaped locket that was occupied completely with a transparent pink gemstone on the simple platinum chain. She put it on Hualing's neck while saying, "Wow, it suits you so well. Even compatible with what you're wearing now."
Hualing was in a navy-blue crop top with a square neck. She matched it with light-pink high-waist wide-leg trousers. She completed the look with a loose bun on her head and jean sneakers on her feet.
"Wait. What's that?"
"Accessories." She replied while proceeding to put earrings and bracelets on Hualing.
"Xiulan, next time don't buy me expensive things anymore. I know your benevolence but you have already given me more than you should."
"They are not from me. Grandma Tang gave them to you."
Hualing frowned slightly, "Huh, why?"
"She was sorry for Grandpa's behavior."
"It's alright. Xiulan, I don't want to accept this. Please give it back to her for me." Hualing proceeded to shake them off.
"I promised her you would take it. A promise has been made! I can't break it." Xiulan disturbed her attempt.
"No. I don't want this." She vigorously tried to take off the necklace.
"Hualing, if you love me, please don't turn it down." Xiulan protruded her lower lip.
Hualing was at a loss for words. It took a minute before a helpless sigh was released. She had no choice but to let her friend dress her up.
"Don't take it off in my absence. You get it?"
"Okay." Hualing nodded, exhausted.
After Xiulan had sent her off, she simpered playfully, 'It's time to be the best wingman of the year!'
She informed Weimin about her friend's mall visit with a caption, 'Take it or leave it.' It jogged his memory, Jianyu asking about his iffy feelings for Hualing. He should take action to figure it out. To make amends, he had been making calls to her. She didn't take it. Thus, he sent gifts to her which she returned back. It wasn't so gentlemanly to show up at her house's entrance out of the blue either. This was the perfect opportunity to seize.
When Hualing was exploring in a shop, Weimin came up to her. He didn't even bother to pretend it was a coincidence. "Can we talk?"
After taking seats in a quiet cafe, Hualing excused herself and moved to a corner. She found it quite odd for Xiulan to not tag along with her in the first place. She massaged her temple lightly with her fingers and sent a text suspiciously, "Did you send Mr.Tang here?"
"Yes, enjoy your quality time together!" Hualing felt a sudden headache rushing throughout her whole head.
When Xiulan got back home, she was welcomed by her mother's temper.
She was under the impression that she would be faced with a malicious rage. But her assumption was proven wrong when her mother softly ordered her to take a seat beside her.
"Mom, can't we discuss what you want to talk about later? I haven't taken a shower yet."
Her mother's resolute face depicted that she would not accept any bargain.
Xiulan boringly slouched on a couch and waited for her mother's words.
"Sit straight! When you talk with the elders, you need to keep an appropriate posture."
She followed her command like a clever puppy.
"Lan'er." When Cai Roumei called her like that she felt goosebumps on her skin as her mother rarely titled her endearingly. She looked at her curiously.
"How old are you?" Cai Roumei gently spoke.
She blinked in confusion. She was prepared for a serious conversation, but her mother asked her age. Still she replied innocently, "Mom, don't tell me you forgot my age."
The normal Cai Roumei would smack her already if she somehow misbehaved. However this time, she didn't lose her temper like in the past. She had never seen her mother so serious like this. In the end, she answered. "Twenty-six."
Cai Roumei nonchalantly asked, "For your whole twenty six years, what have you achieved till now?"
Xiulan was lost for words.
"Lan'er, do you think I always go against your idleness because I cannot bear the sight of you having a tireless life?" She posed another question softly.
Her daughter didn't respond.
Cai Roumei slowly uttered, "Whenever I reprimand you, your father and your big brother will always shield you. Would they be with you for the rest of your life like now?"
She paused for a second to take a breath, "Your father is right. No one dares not bully the daughter of Zhang Guangxi. But Lan'er, consider it yourself. Do you want people to be servile because of your father or you get it because you deserve their respect?"
"Do you prefer to be complacent in a comfort zone? You choose. Mom won't meddle in your decision. You can go now." Her eyes stung and Cai Roumei tilted her head towards the other direction to avoid eye-contact with her daughter.
Xiulan listened to her silently the whole time before she walked up to her and tightly embraced her while resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "Mom, I am sorry."
The mother sternly said, "What I want to hear is not your apology."
"I promise I will try harder from now on to be a daughter whom Mom and Dad can be proud of."
Cai Roumei patted her daughter's hand which was wrapping her and spoke, "You know what? You are right. You seriously need to take a bath."
Xiulan chortled noisily and retracted from the warm hug. When she reached her room, she took time to go to the bathroom and sprawled on her soft bed. Her mother's words were like the needles pricking her heart. She realized she had been focusing on the wrong things the whole time. Jianyu inspired her and gave her motivation. But he shouldn't be her main goal.
She held her phone in her palm and saw Li Jianyu's contact on the phone screen. She gazed at the nickname, "Generous Li" and was in a daze for a while before she swiftly deleted his phone number decisively. If she continued to procrastinate, she knew that she would not be able to cut him down.
Her first love which no one ever realized about it except her, had ended with a click. She smiled bitterly at her own tragic story and her eyes beamed with tears threatening to leak out. There were still three paintings that held his presence among her belongings. It was kept in a secure place and she had no energy to grab and burn them.
Her mother's speech rang in her ears which enforced her tears to flow out nonstop. She felt useless and her life was utterly fruitless, in turmoil. Her existence in the past was meaningless to everyone. She wept. Her whole body trembled with her mouth open to catch a breath or two.
Subsequently, she wiped the tears on her face clumsily and sprinted to a hand basin before drenching her face with plenty of cool water. Her chest heaved up and down. Her lips were ajar to support her ventilation.
Xiulan raised her head and straightened her back. She could see her own reflection in the mirror in front. Her eyes were red and her face flushed, down to the good cry she had earlier. Her dishelved hair was dampened together with the skin of her whole face.
She cooled herself down and stared at her image for a while before letting out a heavy sigh, "A bit messy but still beautiful!"