42. Lost it

Li Zhilan wanted to touch the locket around her neck when she reminisced about the past but she her hand didn't touch anything.

Shocked, she fumbled around her neck but failed to find anything. She held on to the last straw of hope thinking that it might be the clothes which blocked her from touching her locket. Though she knew it wasn't possible, she still wanted to hold onto that hope and so she slid her hand to touch her neck directly but there wasn't anything. NOTHING!

Within a split second, her heartbeat had increased drastically and her breathing had quickened. Fear arose within her.

She quickly got on her knees to search the ground for the locket with her hands because the tears streaming down her face made it impossible for her to see clearly.

She felt anger and frustration all at once at herself for loosing her locket at first then her anger shifted towards her tears as it obstructed her vision and made it difficult to search.

When Ashton heard her rough breathing from the other end, panic rose inside him. Fearing something terrible might have happened he could not longer sit calmly on his bed like he did.

He stood up from his bed like a frightened cat and shouted frantically into the phone.

''Lili? Lili? Lili what's going on? Lili? Are you okay? God damn it Lili, just answer me? Lil-"

''Ash...'' Li Zhilan's weak voice sounded through the phone.

''Thank God you answered. What happened? Is something wro-"

''I lost it Ash. I lost it. What should I do?'' Li Zhilan was crying so hard that her normally cool voice had cracked.

Ashton understood what happened without her having to go into any detail. After all, one thing Li Zhilan cherished the most was that locket given by her first love. She had kept it with her since the day she got and hadn't took it off ever, not even for shower.

It was an inseparable part of her and now that she lost it Ashton feared about her health. He knew she wouldn't eat and all her mood will be down as well.

''Lili, don't worry. I'm coming right now, got it. We will search for it together, hmm? Don't cry. Shh... Come on, be the brave girl you are.''

''I-I can't. I ha-have to s-sear-search f-for i-it. I I d-d-don't w-wa-want to l-l-loose i-it.''

Li Zhilan stammered and her voice broke due to crying.

The group who had been previously eating, glanced at Li Zhilan so as to tease her later but what they saw wasn't that happy go lucky Orchid they saw every time.

This time, the girl was on her knees with her hands fumbling on the ground as if to search for something.

Thinking she lost something, the group came to help her but what they saw left them shocked. The usually smiling face had tears running down it. Those bright eyes had become pools, the source of never ending streams.

Her face was flushed red and her breathing was so fast as if it was that of a dying person who couldn't grasp enough oxygen.

Shocked everyone rushed towards her side and hugged her while patting her back.