Li Honglie

Li Honglie felt miserable: the way everyone looked at her when she went to school, the way every the nurse stare when one side of her face was bloated, the mumbling when she left the school in a mess, and the way her father gave her a cold look like as if she was a piece of filth.

Her reputation was steadily decreasing after Li Feifei came into her life: she's always known as the opposite and how people often compared them. Now her reputation is rock bottom.

"And it's all because of that leech!" She clutches her fist, wanting to scream on the top of her lungs.

Everyone used to say how Long Jinglou and her are destined to be together, always babble how perfect they are.

But when Li Feifei came to the picture, everyone around her pretended as if they've never encouraged her to chase after Long Jinglou. People who once admired her and followed her orders walked away as if she never existed, except Xie Feihao, who always believed in her. Until recently, as if he was a different person.

Out of frustration, Li Honglie decided to call him. What she expected was a welcoming hello and a heartwarming conversation.

What came out was a cold sentence of annoyance, "What do you want?"

The smile on her face dropped. What was she expecting?

"I want to talk."

"Make it quick." Was the short reply.

The conversation holding on the phone wasn't working. No matter how hard Li Honglie is trying to receive sympathy, all of Xie Feihao's replies were cold and stiff.

"Let's meet at the cafe." She ended.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What did I do wrong!?" Li Honglie slams the table, it caught everyone's attention in the cafe.

[She looks like a girlfriend who just faced an unexpected breakup.]

"Are you drunk on caffeine?" I took a sip, steam covered my glasses.

I'm familiar with her, but unfamiliar with her.

I only know Li Honglie according to the previous Xie Feihao's memory but I've never gotten familiar with her myself, but who expected her to call me after I slapped her on the face, and in front of her sister too!

"Why me?" I took off the glasses and wipe off the steam with my sleeves, "Can't you ask anyone else?"

She rested her head on the table, "I can't talk to anyone else, everyone's ignoring me..." Her voice was low, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Now you're acting more like a normal girl without that selfish attitude." I put my glasses back on.

"What am I going to do!?" She lifted her face as if she's done complaining, but continue to panic.

She was getting on my nerves. She called me over, just to complain, and I expected some kind of entertainment. [You disappointed me deeply, Li Honglie...]

"Now you're just acting like that flamingo." (Referring to Zhang Yie)

Li Honglie took a long pause, then grabbed the collar of my jacket, "How did you do it? How are you acting so calm and casual even though you're in a similar situation to me!?"

"Jeez! Calm down!" Now she's acting like Yang Li who just lost a boss fight in his video game, "Stop acting like a drama queen."

Li Honglie quickly stopped what she was doing and dropped while the people around them are giggling and mumbling.

"How did you change your character so quickly?" She quietly asked after calming down.

[I was expecting this question, but not this early.]

"Let's just say, I stopped pretending."

"What kind of answer is that?" She's confused.

"You're smart Li Honglie, I'll give you that." I took my glasses off again and put it on the table, change the topic, "But haven't you realize? The smarter and the high authority you are, the more likely you'll be targetted by the envious."

[Should I make her spit it out?]

"I know you aren't the real culprit behind these plans, and these seemed so childish. Since the beginning of high school, you never acted like yourself around others. As if someone's behind you pulling all the strings." I smiled at her.

Li Honglie stared at me blankly, "What's wrong with you? All dark and creepy, it's making me depressed." Her comment made me stiff.

[I wasn't expecting that kind of answer.]

"You always smile at the worst time, it's like you a villain or something, and you always put on a casual face when you're having a nice conversation, you're ruining the mood of everyone around you."

"Well, thank you for the compliment." I grabbed my glasses and put them back on.

There was a silent pause between us.

"And I don't know." She crossed her arms as if she was hugging herself, "A girl made me told me a way to catch Long Jinglou's interest. It did, but a negative effect. Not only caught his attention but others too. They all started to admiring me, look at me like an important person giving a speech, and I can't bring my heart to tell them it was a lie: now, it's like it's part of me..."

I shrugged and took a long sigh, "The life we're living in is like a costume party for royalty, continue to hide behind the masks, preventing us from falling because of lies and betrayal." I continue, "Li Feifei is different: he doesn't wear a mask, she's stupid and ignorant, too naive for her own good. Everyone around her felt the need to protect her, like a newly bored child in a corrupted world. Because she never met any danger of betrayal or loneliness, there's always someone around her willing to give her a helping hand. But for you? You're treated differently from the moment you're born: treated as a mistake, ignored, and created an image for yourself while the character that's under the mask is, slowly but surely, crumbling."

"But you're not a person who has nothing." I've gotten up from the chair, ready to leave, "You should be thankful for the things you have now, or you'll regret it when they disappear."