Consolation

About an hour ago, Qiao Ruo had officially met Xinyuan's adoptive parents. As Xinyuan had described, they were people of a few words. Mr Xia Xing appeared to be tall and sturdy like an oak tree but hardly spoke. Mrs Xia, nee Hua Manyue, was slender and of mediocre height. However, it had been Mrs Xia who did most of the talking. None of them appeared to be strict, and this allowed Qiao Ruo to be at ease with them. They dressed casually in the latest trendy clothing.

Through Xinyuan, Qiao Ruo learned that the Xia couple had an older daughter studying in a university abroad in Malaysia named Xia Yixue. The couple missed their daughter vehemently and were keen to take Qiao Ruo as not their adoptive daughter, but their goddaughter. Observing her hesitance, Xinyuan suggested that they put her up at a five-star hotel in the meantime, while she contemplated the offer.

A part of her had wanted to accept, but she had too much on her mind. Cree's disappearance, followed by the imminent threat of his mother was incredibly suffocating to her. Xinyuan sufficiently convinced them that Qiao Ruo was the person they were looking for and a talent.

All of a sudden, she recalled what Xinyuan had said about them 'owing' her, and she piqued her curiosity by asking the trio what the statement meant.

"It's a long story," Xinyuan explained. "But it has something to do with your parents and the legacy they had left for you."

All of a sudden, her mind turned clear, and she wasted not a single second to ask boldly, "Auntie and Uncle Xia, how is it possible that you knew my parents?"

Her boldness was admirable. "Qiao Ruo dear, I don't think this can be explained in a few words. Qiao Yunting and Yan Li, we are forever in your debt," Mrs Xia sighed tearfully. Mr Xia also exhibited his sorrow and gratitude for the deceased couple with his emotions. Watching the expressions on the couple's faces, Qiao Ruo was uncertain whether to believe their words, but Mrs Xia soon returned with a dog-eared envelope, which she willingly offered with both hands.

She understood that this was a letter from her parents that they had kept from her. Everything felt so coincidental at that point. How could it be so unplanned that this couple had adopted Xinyuan as a child, and left her to suffer from Yan Ning's greed then? But even then, she didn't want to appear rude, so she instead asked Xinyuan to take her out for some fresh air so that she could make up her mind.

"Dear, take all the time you want. We will be waiting for you," Mrs Xia said with a genuine smile. The more Qiao Ruo looked at them, the more compelled she was to trust them, but having faced insecurities all her life due to someone she called family, she felt choked by all the feelings and confusion lingering in her.

The flower garden outside the castle was equally as majestic. The gentle breeze caught strands of Qiao Ruo's hair affectionately, cheering her up lightly, but that wasn't enough. She was miserable, and the serenity of the garden just made her feel even sadder.

"Is there somewhere we could go without having to face Li Yao or Ye Nantian's lackeys again?" was the first words that had come from her after being silent for the minutes that they were strolling in the garden.

"We can leave the city," Xinyuan said.

Qiao Ruo looked down at the wallpaper of her smartphone, which she had clenched tightly in her hand without realising it. "But Cree..."

"He's their son. They have use for him."

He was right. Cree would never come to harm as long as she was far from him. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears dripping down the sides of her face. She couldn't help it that she was vulnerable at that fragile moment, and her emotions were very evident to Xinyuan. He stretched his arms to take her in a brotherly embrace and brought her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Cry, Ruo Ruo. You'll feel a lot better. If you need, I'll be your mountain."

Xinyuan's voice was soothing, making her forget herself. Her heart hurt so much that she just needed a shoulder to cry on, and someone she could rely on in her current situation. She remembered that she had said the exact words to Xinyuan. She had wanted a mountain. But her heart had only space for Cree, and she could only see Xinyuan as a brother, like how she did when they were children.

"Thank you, Xinyuan." She had trouble calling him by his new name, mainly because she had spent their childhood with her calling him brother and him calling her little sister. She had to remind herself this was the city, and they were only about a year apart in age.

"Anything for my little sister," he said. Up to now, he was having difficulty believing that the girl he had seen all his life as his sister, was Cree Ye's lover. Furthermore, his adoptive parents and Cree's adoptive parents were not on good terms. Whatever it was, the feud his adoptive parents had for the Ye family was between the older generation. The younger generation was merely innocent. If there were anyone who deserved retribution, it would have been Li Yao or Ye Nantian.

Cree and Qiao Ruo were innocent, as was himself. He wished he could make Cree's parents disappear with a single tap of a magical wand, and then his sister would be living a happy life with her prince. But right now, she didn't need to know about the feud between the families. He would take care of her first and ensure she was in the right state of mind before divulging anything to her. He needed to know she was alright, and she could take what she needed to know.

"I just want to close my eyes and enter my dreamland," Qiao Ruo stated. "I don't want to think of the painful thoughts any more. I want to go to sleep and wake up with all the problems gone."

He knew she couldn't run from her issues, but she could leave and begin a new life elsewhere. Calmly he took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.

"My dear sister, you're doing extremely well. You are strong, and you can do this. But as strong as you are, this little princess needs a rest."

He led Qiao Ruo carefully into the castle and had a maid escort her to the bedroom he had prepared. He had it specially decorated for her, and painted the walls in her favourite colours. The room had all the items he could think of that she had loved as a child. He knew she would appreciate the decor of the room, and feel comfortable and protected in it.

In ten minutes, she had fallen asleep.

.........................

For the next three days, she refused to leave the room, and Xinyuan arranged for the kind and gentle maid Daisy to cater to each of her needs. She was not picky in her demands, but she had her guard on at all times, and he could not blame her for that, since she did have a harsh childhood.

She numbed her pain by listening to Tuneify and watching Showflix all day long and had even asked Daisy to teach her how to play mobile games on her smartphone. He heard her chuckle, and he was relieved.

But just when he was thinking she was doing fine, Xinyuan heard a loud cracking sound from the room above him and rushed in. The door was left unlocked, and Qiao Ruo was weeping, Her smartphone lay on the cold floor, with its screen severely cracked.

"Ruo Ruo, what happened? I'm here. You don't have to worry anymore."

"He... he was seen on a date with Xu Bing."

Xinyuan gave her a bear hug. "It's only a date, Ruo Ruo."

"But it's also announced that Qing Tian has clinched a deal with the Xu Group. It doesn't sound that simple. And, he sent me a message this morning that he no longer loves me. He said that Xu Bing was the person for him."

"Did you call him?"

She nodded sheepishly. "He wouldn't answer my call."

"Ruo Ruo, what if it's a ploy by Li Yao? You do know that he has no choice."

But even then, she wished he could not have got into what his parents planned for him so quickly, and at least allowed her to have a few more days' grace.

She shrugged. "Xinyuan, I don't know! Help me forget everything. I'm scared, Xinyuan."

He consoled her. "If only you were my sister, then everything would be different. We could leave City B, and begin a new life elsewhere."

She calmed down, but an unsettled feeling persisted within her. "Xinyuan, do you think I could begin a new life? Will your parents like me?"

"They will, Ruo Ruo."

"I have a question. Why did they take only you, and not me then?"

"At that time, their wealth was not as stable as what it is right now," Xinyuan said. "Back then, they did not know who you were, either. But everything has changed now. They now know who you are, and it's your birthright. It's their job to keep you safe and treat you like their daughter. I'm not asking that you trust them immediately, but it's time you received what you deserved, Ruo Ruo. Li Yao is dangerous, and I want you to be safe always."

She glanced at his gold Rolex, and his classy outfit, followed by the surroundings.

"Does it mean that I will no longer have to be despised by society?"

Xinyuan gave her an affirmative response. "Consider it that you've been reborn. As long as you're willing, you can become the second daughter of the Xia family and my younger sister. As your brother, how can I ever let you come to harm?"

She smiled meekly and made her decision. "I want to leave my old life behind."

In her heart, she was crying, and her words had meant 'Cree, you must be happy. Please be safe, and I wish you the best of luck. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain. I love you'.

BONUS CHAPTER "CREE'S DECISION"

Cree's POV:

I silently admitted to myself as I put away what she had left in the mansion of her belongings, secured in a heavy metal lockbox that only I knew the password for its contents.

She was gone, and I knew I had hurt her deep inside. A part of me seemed to have died with her departure from my life.

I never heard of her for months again after that.

What happened that day had been a lie. It was Sensei who I had implored to send out the message to Xiaoruo with my smartphone. He mimicked my language and my words. It worked. She believed it was me who had sent the message.

He was right, and letting go was a form of love. I let go, for her safety. Without her protection, there would be no Cree and Qiao Ruo, no future between us.

My only companion right now was my diary.

I told myself to persevere for the bigger picture. One day, I would be right before her again, kneeling before her with roses and a diamond ring, begging for her forgiveness and for a chance to give her happiness. And if she chose to accept my apology, I would never let her go again.

Because in my mind, she will be the only bride for me. My forever missus.

...................

Current day, three months after Qiao Ruo leaves with Xia Xinyuan.

Sha Qing accompanied Cree at the sauna while Xu Bing and Cree's mother had their facial.

"Sensei, how long has it been?" Cree asked.

"Eighty days, Young Master Cree," Sha Qing replied flatly.

Cree closed his eyes and pressed his palms together as if he was making a prayer. How much longer could he go on with the act? One day, the truth would come to light that he and Xu Bing were only acting.

He couldn't bring himself to think whether Qiao Ruo was currently with the other man who she called her brother, but at the same time, he had no right to be jealous. He had let her down first, but this was the best way he could keep her safe without any suspicion from Li Yao, who could easily claim her life with a flick of her finger. It was for love that he chose to make his sacrifice. Fortunately, Xu Bing had also required his help to pretend to be her partner, as she had further plans.

Xu Bing promised him three months of pretence, following that, everything would be too obvious. While they were in university, she had already been in a relationship with her boyfriend. It was just a matter of time before they would get married. Her parents had actively opposed her relationship for three years. And now she wanted to continue being with her boyfriend in secret.

In return, Cree gave her his word that he would make a comeback with their business dealings, and they could work together to pretend to have fallen for each other with time. While they were supposedly on dates, she was seeing her boyfriend, and he had arranged for Ye An, who had a slim figure like a girl's, to switch places and clothes with Xu Bing. With a surgical mask, a hoodie and sunglasses, Ye An was mistakable for Xu Bing, since they were of a similar height and build. After the period was over, they would part ways amicably, and Cree would be free to pursue whoever he wanted, and she would escape the clutches of her parents, eloping with her boyfriend to live a life that was exclusive to them.

Cree envied her decision and wished he could be free of his parents like how she would be, but he knew that was never going to happen with parents like Ye Nantian and Li Yao. They were bloodsucking vampires and would make use of him until the date they died.

He recalled his conversation with Ye An two months ago. To avoid Li Yao's eyes and ears, they had met in a highway tunnel, which was a peculiar place for a meetup, but it would work. With their vehicles parked at the side of the road, he and Ye An had entered the tunnel where it was least unexpected that anyone could eavesdrop on them.

"Cree, what happened last month?" Ye An had asked. "You were missing, and I witnessed the men taking you away. I even lodged a police report, but it was treated as a cold case since your family told the authorities that you went back for vacation and had proven it."

Cree remained cold, and just looked at the photograph of him and Qiao Ruo in his smartphone, secretly hidden in a password-locked gallery. "I'm fine. I just needed the Xus' help financially."

"Are you going to be engaged to Xu Bing? You know the girl, and she has a lover she would never break up with."

"Exactly," Cree said confidently. "I am just helping her to revive her father's companies, and after that, once both sides have each other's trust, we plan to have a 'break up' and decide we are not for each other. Then she will leave with her boyfriend, and I will go on with my life, and look for Xiaoruo. She has strict parents, but they are no Ye Nantian and Li Yao. They will forgive her and move on."

The reason why he had not told Qiao Ruo was due to the possibilities of his plan leaking out. Qiao Ruo was too trusting of most people, and especially if she knew the secret, Li Yao might have wind of his plans, and it would have gone to waste. For the sake of the bigger picture, he firmly decided not to let Qiao Ruo know before he had a high chance of it succeeding, which was after two months.

But she had already departed City B, and she had even written him a letter in her handwriting that enclosed photographs of her hugging a man intimately. The man was not her 'brother', Xia Xinyuan. The melancholy in her eyes gave her away, causing him to realise that the man was just an actor. But the fact that she scantily clad herself while taking her photographs aroused a sense of discomfort and jealousy in his heart. He wasn't ready to accept that what he was possessive for in the past, might end up belonging to someone else shortly.

So, before the three-month mark, he decided to make the trip himself to the Yan family back in the countryside where Qiao Ruo had grown up in, and talk with her family members. If he were able to get them on his side, everything would fare better for him.

After a few days of travelling that seemed endless, he arrived at his destination. What startled him was how his love had lived in such horrific conditions, and yet remain pure and untainted, like a lotus. He almost flared up knowing of her tragic childhood and how her aunt appeared to milk her of whatever she earned during her summer breaks and part-time jobs while treating her like a horse.

It turned out that ever since arriving at City B, Qiao Ruo had fallen out with her family, except Xiazhi who she would occasionally send money to with a pseudonym. Xiazhi wasn't very sharp to realise this, but he did. Now that her aunt had remarried and had a new husband and a newborn, she had not even bothered to check up on Qiao Ruo's well-being, prioritising her new family. She was fortunate to even have a daughter who cared about her, given her heartlessness.

To protect her, he worked with Ye An to ensure no news of Qiao Ruo ever got out. He attempted not to know her whereabouts, fearing that his mother would never let her off.

Not long after, at three months exactly after Xu Bing had made her promise to him, her tummy started showing. As agreed, she terminated their relationship, and they parted ways amicably, while still maintaining good business ties.

With the Xus' support, Cree gained more popularity and prevailed in all his endeavours, allowing Qing Tian to go from on the verge of winding up to making more money than Ye Nantian had ever achieved all his life. The stakeholders of Qing Tian collaborated to appoint Cree the CEO of Qing Tian, forcing Ye Nantian to retire. At the same time, he led Qing Tian Publisher to become the leader in media and publicity, often featuring strategic leaders and celebrities on the covers of their issues, endorsing their products efficiently through promotion. His great ideas to create more exposure to promote companies through outdoor events just gained more appreciation from business owners who sought the publisher to promote their products.

Out of the blue, Li Yao had been stabbed and found to have a degenerative spinal disease. Though everything had happened in merely six months after Qiao Ruo's disappearance, it was too late for their relationship. She had moved on quick and was content with her new life. She changed her phone number, took on a new identity and moved to a different city. Xia Xinyuan and his adoptive parents had presences in each town, so it was hard to pinpoint where would be their next destination. The waiting and the emptiness broke Cree, and he gradually fell into a state of depression, suffering from sleeplessness almost every night.

Cree decided against therapy. He wanted to carry his love for Qiao Ruo in his heart, no matter how long he had to wait.

First love was the best love he could ever have, and he would remember these feelings of love all his life.