Le Graff Shopping Mall was the largest shopping mall in City M. It housed both local and international brands, ranging from fashion and accessories, foods and beverages, beauty and health, mobile and IT and a lot more.
People not only come to the mall to shop, there were also entertainment, sport facilities and spa, for people to hang out, relax and pamper themselves or indulge in activities other than shopping.
Other than that, there was also a park with trees and flower gardens surrounding the mall with a man-made lake at the centre, to let visitors experienced the beauty of nature.
Phoenix was walking around the park basking in the warm evening sun after visiting the Intan Jewellery store. She had dismissed her assistant sometime ago since it was already the end of office hours.
'The weather is nice today. Just nice for a walk.'
She had been very busy since she arrived in City M; she didn't have the time to appreciate what City M had to offer yet.
Her boss back at Country B had told her many times to live her life, and took this chances to enjoy her life.
'Whatever that means,' said Phoenix in her mind.
'I did meet new people, isn't that one of the things that everyone kept advising me to do? I deserve a pat on the back.'
Phoenix walked around the park, savouring the nice weather and the beautiful landscape of the park. She saw the architectural bridge that crosses the lake and walked towards it to get to the other side.
The lake was quite big, so the bridge was a long one. Therefore, it would take a few minutes to cross to the other side. Phoenix was not in a hurry, so she leisurely walked on the bridge, watching the lotus flowers blooming and fishes swimming in the water.
While walking on the bridge, her eyes caught the sight of Mia leaning on the wooden panel of the bridge, staring at the swimming turtle in the lake.
'Is this city too small? I've met two of them in one day already.'
Same as Ethan that she just met earlier, Phoenix called Mia's name to get her attention. They also could be considered acquaintances, right? She had met Mia several times, even more times than she had met Ethan.
"Ms Qin."
Mia heard someone call her name, and it broke her reverie from the things that were currently playing in her mind.
Things that she heard at her friend's apartment just now.
Mia, who was in a panic worrying about her friends, was at the door of Katie's and Lola's apartment when she heard they talked about her.
The window was opened, and she heard everything that they were arguing about.
She befriended Katie and Lola in University. Katie was the first one to approach her, and Lola naturally became her friend, as the latter was Katie's roommate. Mia considered them as her close friends, that was why she didn't mind spending her money on them and invited them to her family events. All these times, she thought she was being a good friend, but when she heard how Katie viewed her, she felt devastated.
She continued to listen and heard of what Katie and Lola had done to her. It surprised her greatly. She never thought that what happened to her that night was planned by her friends. She might not know the full story of it, but what she heard is enough to shake her core, and before she was caught by them eavesdropping outside the door, she stealthily ran away from there, holding her tears so as not to fall.
She got into her car and drove aimlessly without a destination with a messed up mind and ended up at the park of Le Graff Shopping Mall.
When she heard someone call her name, she turned to the caller and saw Phoenix.
Mia looked at Phoenix with shimmering eyes. It startled Phoenix seeing that. Phoenix didn't expect that Mia was holding on to her tears.
"Ms Qin. Are you okay?" Phoenix asked worriedly.
With that one question, like a dam had been broken, Mia's tears flow down like a river. She staggered towards Phoenix and put her head on Phoenix's shoulder and hugged Phoenix tightly while crying her heart out, flustering the clueless Phoenix.
'This girl. Why do I always see her in a devastated state? What happened this time?' wondered Phoenix.
Phoenix, who didn't like being touched, had resigned to her fate and let herself be hugged. Her hands that were hanging in the air slowly patted Mia's back to soothe Mia.
'Only this time,' Phoenix silently said.
Two ladies were hugging each other, attracting some passerby, giving them weird looks, but Phoenix just ignored their wandering eyes and let Mia cry her eyes out on her shoulder.
She didn't know what else she should do or say in this situation, so she asked herself.
'What would sis do?
Closing her eyes, she searches for her memories of her sister.
She remembered the soothing words that her sister would say whenever she felt like the world was cruel to her.
So she patted Mia's back and said, "I don't know what happened. But 'everything will be fine', Ms Qin".
When Mia was done crying, she had become a wrecking mess, with snot and swollen eyes.
She released her hold on Phoenix, while still quietly sobbing, "Thank you."
Phoenix looked at Mia worriedly and guided her to the end of the bridge and made her seat on one of the benches in the park.
"Wait here a minute, I'll get you a bottle of water, or you'll get dehydrated." Phoenix walked away to buy a bottle of water for Mia and came back.
She uncapped the bottle and gave it to Mia to drink, she also passed a packet of tissue for Mia to used to clean herself. Phoenix then sat next to Mia on the bench to keep Mia's company and both of them just sat there silently looking at the people in the park.
After a long silence, Mia spoke, "I'm sorry for ruining your clothes." Mia looks at the wet spot on Phoenix's shoulder, "It seems like you always caught me in a bad situation," Mia said while released a self- deprecating chuckle.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Phoenix gave Mia an assured smile, she didn't know what she should say or do now.
Phoenix was not a busybody, so it was not her place to ask Mia anything, she knew everyone had their own battle, even someone like Mia, who had everything in the palms of her hand, had their own struggle in life. Looking at Mia, she didn't feel right to let Mia be on her own in this condition.
Phoenix didn't understand herself, but she felt a prick in her heart seeing Mia wallowing in sadness. The girl, who always had a blinding smile on her face, was now looking dejected and in pain. She didn't like to see that and somehow she felt obligated to take that sadness away and replace it with the usual cheerfulness that suited Mia so well. But what can she do? What should she do?
'What would sis do?' She asked this question again to herself.
After thinking for a while, she came out with something. She didn't know if it would work or not, but she was just going to go with it.
Phoenix then stood up and looked at Mia.
"Come on. Let's go, Ms Qin." She gestured to Mia to stand up and follow her.
Mia looked at her in puzzlement, but still she stood up and came after Phoenix.
"Where are we going?" Mia asked.
Phoenix turned to look at Mia hesitantly.
'I hate to say this, but..'
"You'll see." Phoenix said 'It's better to show than tell.'
Phoenix didn't explain further, therefore Mia just continues to follow Phoenix without question.