In a flash, a total of six months had passed since Qiao Ruo had not seen Cree. To numb the pain of her loneliness, she immersed herself in studying and joined Xinyuan in socializing with the wealthy. After her classes at the university the Xias had enrolled her in, she would indulge in having tea with Mengchen at the cafe located within university grounds.
"Mengchen, when will you be getting married?" she asked her.
"I still have a few months to go, and his family would have paid my mother's bills in full. We agreed that we would not have the marriage until then."
She couldn't understand how it was like to go through an arranged marriage, and she hoped that if Cree had married Xu Bing the same way, he would be living a blissful married life with her. The news of Cree and Xu Bing on the internet had marvellously ended with Xu Bing's pregnancy; she didn't know how they had both ended up afterwards. She wasn't sure if Cree had married Xu Bing as nobody had discussed it on the forum.
At the same time, a person with the online nickname waitingforyou1314 was earnest to know about her, and she wondered if that was how impressive the wealthy people appeared on the internet. Gone were the days she was the sad, unwanted Qiao Ruo, and she was the appealing and charming socialite Xia Xinyue now. She found it surprisingly fast how she had adapted to such a comfortable and luxurious life. Perhaps it was all for the better, but who would heal the gaping wound in her heart? She acknowledged that her life still felt empty without that particular person.
For the sake of her new identity, Qiao Ruo learned makeup skills from Mengchen, and these skills were incredibly advanced that probably even her aunt and her former boss would not have recognized her. She decked herself in the finest of clothes. Also, she now knew how the wealthy lived and why they had flawless skin. Every few weeks, she would go for facials and skin treatment to enhance her beauty and confidence, all at the cost of the Xias. What more could she ask for from the Xias?
Mengchen seemed to be contented too, only that she was lonely due to the love that she had lost.
One night, during her sleepover, Qiao Ruo was determined to ask Mengchen about the person she had left behind. They started by talking about their newest adventures at the posh places they could now afford, and then the latest designer wear and accessories, including cosmetics. While Qiao Ruo was pursuing a bachelor in arts, a different journey from her previous degree in journalism, Mengchen had studied management instead. She said that this would allow her to assist her impotent fiance in handling his businesses.
"It appears that you care a lot about your fiance as well," Qiao Ruo commented. "Do you still think about the man you left behind?"
Qiao Ruo knew she was asking the obvious, but she asked anyway because she was curious.
Mengchen lay back on Qiao Ruo's bed and hugged the bolster tighter to her.
"I do, but it isn't important anymore. But my fiance is family to me. After we get married, I've decided that I want to adopt. Perhaps it will cure my loneliness."
Qiao Ruo responded by widening her eyes. "Is there no possibility for you to return to the man you loved? How was he like?"
"His name is Ye An."
She almost choked upon hearing her friend mention the name of Cree's assistant.
"Doesn't he work at Qing Tian Group?"
Mengchen gave the affirmative.
"Then isn't he highly paid? Would he not be able to afford the hospital bills?"
"You don't know the story between Ye An and me, Xiaoyue. He has given up a lot for my sake, and I refuse to allow him to be tied down because of me. Months ago, I was told that he had offended someone in Qing Tian, and they would have fired him, if not for Cree Ye's intervention."
