Hearing her alarm clock break the silence of her room, Qiao Ruo yawned and woke up from her sleep. She glanced at the date on her phone. Finally, the date of the event was here! She got down from the bed and did a few warming-up exercises to prepare herself for the morning. Usually, being the pampered princess she was, she would not have to wake up early in the morning, but it was a long car ride to the venue of the event, the Hotel Mandarin.
Qiao Ruo hopped over to the corner of her spacious room where the dress she would be wearing to the event lay, hanging on her chair. Just several days ago, she had Mengchen accompany her for a shopping spree. It took them hours for her to decide on a dress she liked. This indecisiveness was because the designer of that particular season of the dresses had been Ye Qi, Head Designer of Qing Tian. According to the saleslady present, Ye Qi had been absent in the fashion design world for some time. Still, he had a massive collection of unpublished designs, which his assistant eventually released. Instead of going for another designer's work, she suggested Mengchen pick out a dress for her.
Finally, after numerous tries, Mengchen picked out a light blue shimmering dress with not many, but a few embedded gems, saying the simplicity of the dress brought out the natural beauty of Qiao Ruo. The name of the dress startled her precipitously, as it was named 'If Only I Could Fall With You All Over Again'. She realised the series of dresses released had the name 'If Only She Knew'. Her first name Ruo had meant 'if', which caused her to reflect if Cree had named the dresses after a message he wished to pass to her.
In the end, Mengchen could not accompany her for the event, as she had a prior appointment. She was delighted to hear that her friend had plans for adopting a child soon. Perhaps, it would be a happy ever after for them after all.
Since it was already nine in the morning, she had about an hour to get herself washed up. Then she would head downstairs for brunch with Xinyuan before setting out for the event location in the limousine. During the road trip, they would have a few stopovers as Xinyuan had a few items to collect from a few vendors on the way. They anticipated the entire journey to take three hours, given the distance and the traffic conditions on a Saturday. The event would officially begin around four-thirty in the afternoon. Still, in between, Xinyuan would find opportunities for them to gratify themselves in the high tea experience of the hotel. At that rate of indulging in sinful delights, she might as well give up being an actress and go for working full time at Xia Group instead, she sighed.
She leaned back in the luxurious bathtub and scrubbed herself dreamily, wondering about the dresses named by Cree. Was he thinking of reuniting with her? She brushed off her irrational thoughts and reminded herself that two years had passed and he was already twenty-eight. He should have moved on fast. In what way would he still be in 2014?
The clock hanging on the wall reminded her that it was time for her to get out of the bath as soon as possible before she lost all count of time. She climbed out of the tub and dried herself vigorously with a towel, again feeling the emptiness of being single. Xinyuan had wished for her to meet her match during the event, but how possible was that?
She heard a brief knock. "Brunch is ready," the maid called out.
"Please let Xinyuan know I will be downstairs soon," she replied, taking the set of tee and shorts that she usually wore at home and putting it on hurriedly.
When she arrived at the dining room downstairs, Xinyuan was already helping himself to a serving of milk and cereal. Her brunch was a platter of eggs and beans, along with a few sausages, prepared in the most healthy way possible, and it reminded her of how Cree would attempt to prepare food for her. She would fuss about how unhealthy the meals were, and he had nagged at her for drinking too much coffee. She missed the squabbling and how he would care about her. Although the Xias and Xinyuan did care about her, it wasn't the same having someone she loved with all her heart in contrast to her family members.
Being single felt so lonely to her, but she knew it was the absence of Cree that made her heart grow fonder of him. Two years was such a torment.
"Chef Alberto's cooking has got better," she complimented as she cleared her plate slowly, remembering her etiquette.
"I prepared it for you," Xinyuan said proudly.
"Oh? What's the occasion, for Young Master Xia to personally attempt to such a strenuous task in the kitchen?" she teased her godbrother.
"Why can't I?" Xinyuan asked. Over the last two years, he had worked to get himself more tanned and muscular, proving to be a heartthrob among the single and wealthy young female socialites. When Qiao Ruo attended parties with Xinyuan, she was accustomed to having her new female friends plead an introduction to her hot brother. Sometimes, having such a brother would make her feel envious, as she didn't receive the same amount of attention like Xinyuan during those events.
In terms of relationships, her first and last attempt in such had ended very badly, when she bailed out from the date with Hui Yi. But that was partially due to her not being ready, and not being over Cree. Plus, the fact that nobody knew how Hui Yi's appearance was like, proved an actual problem.
Would there be a day, where she would be finally over Cree? She didn't know, but the pain would continue to choke her gradually. She had not expected loving someone to be that painful.
"Chef Alberto has his off day today," Xinyuan explained. "Don't forget, after all, I graduated with a major in Culinary Arts at university!"
She pouted childishly. "I want pancakes the next time! Those juicy mouth-watering hotcakes you prepared for Mengchen the other time, and never even saved one for your sister!"
"Ha, you know that's my trick for chasing a beauty!"
"But it didn't work with Mengchen, did it?" she taunted him in a festive mood. "So you might as well save them for me!"
"Sigh, Ruo Ruo, I guess I have no choice, do I?" Xinyuan groaned as he finished the rest of his cereal.
As they were still on schedule, Xinyuan seized the opportunity to switch on the television to take a quick peek at the eleven o'clock news and to their surprise, Cree was on television. Qiao Ruo's heart almost leapt out of her chest, and she gawked with bewilderment.
"Again, another one hits the dust," Xinyuan laughed. The announcer read out audibly, how Qing Tian had again won another accolade for performance in the design sector, eliminating Yuan Fang, a player in the industry that had failed to perform as well as Qing Tian.
"He's back," she murmured and flopped on the sofa. She didn't know what to expect now that the CEO and most significant stakeholder of Qing Tian was back, and occupied with his career. Would he have the time for her at all? She was unsure if he would even turn up for the event.
Qiao Ruo felt anxious now that she was doubtful if she would even pose an option given his hectic lifestyle. She missed the old Cree, who was a nobody due to his adoptive parents being in power. One part of her wanted to blame him for putting his career above searching for her, but she recalled it was her who had sent him the message she was with someone else, and her decision to move away from him.
Xinyuan patted her gently on her shoulders to relieve her anxiety. "It will get better, Ruo Ruo. Maybe now you will have an answer to your questions? Or even, perhaps he still loves you."
She knew Xinyuan was being positive and trying to encourage her, but she wished he wouldn't be putting false hopes in her mind.
"I hope you are right, Xinyuan," she said. "I don't want to get hurt twice."
"I'll never let him hurt you twice," Xinyuan promised. He held her hand and squeezed it tight. "He'll be dead meat if he did."
"Are you sure?" Qiao Ruo asked him.
"Yes, I am!" Xinyuan insisted.
"I mean, do you think you can defeat him with your slow moves?"
Xinyuan glowered. "Are you giving me low esteem now, my sister?"
She poked him. "No, not at all."
"I suppose you should go get changed, as we will be heading out in twenty minutes," Xinyuan said, and she got up laughingly.
"Alright, I'll see you back here in twenty." She quickly rushed up the stairs, trying to clear her mind of any residue of any thoughts of Cree.
