Chapter 12 - Apologize

"Shi? Shi!" a voice pierce into her ear making her wake from her past. She is standing near the staircase for a while, thinking about antiquity. Reality kicks when she sees Hu Meng Yao in front of her, smiling all brightly.

"Come here" her mother calls her, giving her signs to not freak or do anything reckless. Shi Lian does as she is said; by coming down and sit beside her mother.

"You are a lot prettier now Shi" Hu Meng Yao compliments her with a smile but Shi Lian is feeling disgusted. She is the same woman who humiliated her years ago and she is all nice and sweet? Shi Lian used to love her as her second mother before the disaster happened. She spent time with her and Atian like a happy family but little did she know that happiness does not last long.

"Yeah," Shi Lian says nonchalantly, coming back to the reality from her thoughts. Shi Lian avoids looking at her and tries to look around other than her.

"How was your life there in America?" Hu Meng Yao asks her with an awkward smile. She asked Shi Lian without any mocking but Shi Lian thinks she is taunting her.

"Pretty good actually. Much better than I thought" she answers, unsmiling. Hu Meng Yao smiles an awkward smile and returns to sip her tea. The atmosphere is excessively much awkward between them; it is, as the air is getting heavier and there is no place to breathe.

"Yao, do you know our Shi has graduated," Mo Sha Sha says proudly, breaking the silence.

"That's great news!" Meng Yao exclaims, turning to Shi who is still indifferent towards her. Shi Lian ignores her, which makes Meng Yao uncomfortable and upset. Hu Meng Yao knows her mistakes and she feels very sorry for hurting the feelings of Shi Lian.

After she heard that Shi Lian had flown to America, she felt relieved. She wanted her son to be cured without any harm around him so she thought it would be the best for him. Even if he remembers her, somehow, she will convince him anyhow and the chapter will be closed forever but thinking more deeper she does not want that at all.

"Shi, say something" her mother indicates with a tight smile. Shi Lian rolls her eyes.

"Thank you, madam Hu" Shi Lian shows her gratitude even though she does not want to. Meng Yao is surprised to hear her say 'madam Hu' because she has never used the words; Shi Lian used to call her 'Yao aunt' or 'mother Hu', her heart clenches seeing the cold and indifferent Shi Lian. Hu Meng Yao never hated her, not even after that accident, she could never hate her. It was the anger that took over her which made her uttered such vile and harsh words to Shi Lian.

"I am sorry Shi….for everything..." Meng Yao whimpers. Before coming here, she decided to apologize to Shi Lian and persuade her to be together with Atian again but seeing how changed and different Shi Lian is now, she does not know what to do to make her forgive herself.

"Excuse me?" Shi Lian says coldly, her voice sharp and clear. She is not the same girl who cried for months, praying every night for her boyfriend to be healed even though she was in America, she still prayed for him every day. She was the most gullible, sweet, and pure girl but time changes everything, time heals everything; she had healed herself and has made a barrier around her where she will not be affected by anyone, anymore.

"I know I have wronged you before. I have said many terrible things to you and I am genuinely sorry for that. You don't like me now, I get it but please don't ever call me Madam Hu," she begs. Shi Lian frowns, pretending to be unaffected by her words.

"So what should I call you then?" she ridicules the woman who is weeping in front of her. Watching that the situation is getting messier, Mo Sha Sha tries to make her daughter calm and forgive Meng Yao for good.

"Shi, your aunt is regretting and blaming herself that has happened to you. She is genuinely sorry" she defends her friend, Meng Yao. Mo Sha Sha is a kind-hearted woman with no ill intentions towards anybody. After what happened earlier she still chose to defend her; she can't just neglect her friendship.

"Oh really? How come I don't know about that?" Shi Lian scoffs. She hates acting like this but she cannot be the same fragile girl and get hurt again.

"Shi Lian….you still love my Atian right?" Meng Yao asks meekly. Mo Sha Sha gasps and Shi Lian is glaring at her with disbelief. Shi Lian does not respond and stays silent.