Instead, of leaving the house, Xin Zhenyi went to her room. She was too tired to walk. She took a deep breath and placed the palm of her hand around the heart-shaped silver necklace.

Her mom’s necklace. Her father said her mom gave her the necklace because she was the heart of the family. Sadly, she did not even remember her. If her father had not told her of her mother’s stories, she would have known nothing about her.

She heard someone knocking on her door and she reckoned it was her father. “Come in,” she said. The door opened and in walked her father with a plate full of food. He smiled as he kept the plate on the table nearby and sat on the bed beside her.

“Princess,” he said. He usually didn’t call her princess. But when he did, she couldn’t reveal her anger.

“You didn’t have lunch yet. Eat something, it’s not good for you to be empty stomach for long” he chided her.

He was right she couldn’t afford to be hungry longer. She took the plate and started devouring the food that he brought her . She offered him some but he declined.

“Zini forgive Sam. He respects father so much that he could not go against his words” he said. Sam respected her grandfather more than he respected his own grandfather. He kept such important information hidden from her for her grandfather’s sake.

She nodded at her father.

“There is something I need to tell you”

“Hmmm”

“Let’s prepone your wedding. Your yèyè wants you to see your wedding kiddo. Two days later, you are meeting long Jie,” he said.

“Bà-“

” I know you don’t love him yet. But give your marriage an honest chance. Who knows you might love each other.” he explained.

She shut my eyes. “Bà, I don’t want to fall in love. Ever.”

Love.

The advent and climax of every journey.

The emotion that made people both soar and crash. The feeling lit people up and burned their hearts.

“You might think Zini that love burned me. I love your mother with all I have, even though she is not with me today. But she gave me you and Ryuu, the most beautiful gift I can ever ask for. If one day, you realize you are in love with your husband, don’t deny it, child. Accept it and treasure it. True love is hard to find but harder to keep” he told her.

She wanted to refute his words and tell him that she would never fall for someone like Long Jie. He was a wicked devil and she could never give up the control she built for marriage. The marriage was thoroughly unwanted and undesirable.

She finished the food and her father left the room. She lied on the bed thinking about her soon-to-be husband. It was true that he was an attractive man with high intellect but his philosophy of life was completely different from hers. He treated women as an inferior gender. She couldn’t stay married to a man she detested the most.

Her train of thoughts broke when someone knocked on her door again. Assuming it was her father, she yelled to come in. The door open and in came her soon-to-be ex-best friend.

He sat on the other side of the bed without speaking. A few moments passed, she could not resist anymore.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

Silence.

“What the fuck are you doing, Sam?” She asked again.

Again silence.

She yanked him off the bed and threw him on the floor.

“Shit” He banged his head on the floor. “Jesus Zhenyi. Are you fucking serious?” He stood up and rubbed the back of his head.

Serves you right, bastard!

“Oops! Sorry, but What are you doing here? Don’t you have anymore promises to keep, that is more important than your best friend” She said referring to the promise he made with her grandfather.

“Are you done zhenyi?” He asked in annoyance.

She glared at him and kicked his leg. But he did not even bulge this time.

“Jesus, Zhenzhen. You can’t even control your organs. Remind me again, why am I friends with a violent woman like you. “

“You deserve it. ” She fired back.

He rolled his eyes at her.

“Zhenyi try to understand I promised grandpa Xin that I will tell no soul about his illness. I gave my words to him and a real man never breaks his promises” he told her but she was too angry to comprehend his words.

“But promises are meant to be broken, Sam. It is an unspoken rule”

“Zhenzhen, hear me out first, then you can scream at me or beat me as much as you want. Grandpa Xin’s cancer is incurable. He knew about it for 3 years. Even your father knew about it. I just overheard my grandfather’s conversation with grandpa Xin and when I confronted him, he forbade me to inform you” he tried to explain his reason but he was doing a very worst job at it.

“But if you had told me I would have come to him sooner. He doesn’t have to stay here alone. “

“That’s why he did not tell you, Zhenzhen. Please now forgive me”

“Hmph! Never.”