After leaving Qinghe, Charles Chase drove straight towards the old family house.
It felt like a fire was burning in his chest—a knot of tangled emotions he couldn’t name, suffocating his breath.
Caught at a red light, the black Rolls-Royce idled in the middle of the road. Charles Chase irritably loosened his collar, his defined fingers rapping impatiently on the steering wheel.
As he turned his head, his gaze landed on the small red velvet box in the passenger seat. The sight calmed him.
Inside the box was the diamond ring Xiao Lin had just picked up today—a ring he’d ordered from a famous overseas designer more than a month ago, after much time and trouble.
Stubborn girl. Did she really think they could break up just because she said so?
Charles Chase was still angry, but every time he remembered how Mia Moore looked today, he couldn’t help but worry.
Pulling over to the curb, he glanced at the time—just after six. Still early.
He took out his phone and called Cecilia.
She picked up almost instantly, her voice light and cheerful. “Brother, what’s up?”
Cecilia was standing outside her art studio. Fu Zhiyan had just finished work and come to pick her up. The baby was already home with Aunt Xu and Lao San, so the two of them planned to grab dinner together before heading back.
Charles Chase frowned. “Cecilia, Yao Yao’s not doing well today. Can you give her a call and check in? I’m a little worried.”
“What happened? Did you two argue?”
Hearing his tone, Cecilia got a little anxious herself, her voice turning serious.
“Not really... just a bit of a spat.”
If she asked more, she doubted she'd get any answers—he probably didn’t even know what he’d done wrong.
“I’ll call Yao Yao now. Don’t stress.”
She hung up and dialed Mia Moore’s number.
Fu Zhiyan happened to pull up, rolling down the window. “What’s wrong?”
Cecilia frowned; there was no answer. “Zhiyan, wait for me a sec.”
She tried again. This time, Mia Moore finally picked up.
“Cecilia.”
Mia Moore’s voice was tinged with a stuffy nose—none of her usual cheer.
“Mm, Yao Yao, I’m going out for dinner with Zhiyan tonight. Want to join us—and my brother?”
Mia Moore had just cried her heart out on the couch. Forcing down her feelings, she shook her head—then, realizing Cecilia couldn’t see her, added, “No, I’m tired... I just want to sleep.”
“Yao Yao, what’s wrong? Are you upset? Want me to come keep you company?”
Cecilia’s gentle coaxing made Mia Moore break down crying.
“Wuwu, I fought with Charles Chase. He wants to break up with me!”
......
Cecilia blinked, stunned.
From the way her brother acted, breaking up was the last thing on his mind. In fact, he’d just been asking her about Yao Yao’s favorite things, favorite flowers—saying he couldn’t wait to marry her.
How had things gotten to this point?
A chilly wind gusted off Donghu Lake. Cecilia’s face was clouded with worry. Fu Zhiyan got out, standing beside her to shield her from the cold.
“Don’t cry, Yao Yao. Be good—I’m coming over now, okay?”
“Mm...”
Cecilia hung up and looked apologetically at Fu Zhiyan. “I need to check on Yao Yao. I’m a bit worried about her.”
Fu Zhiyan had already overheard. He cared about Cecilia’s friends too.
“Don’t worry, let’s go now.”
He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and opened the passenger door for her.
Her hand felt cold in his palm, so Fu Zhiyan turned on the car’s heater before pulling out.
Cecilia couldn’t help frowning. Yao Yao was always so cheerful—she rarely got this upset. Her brother had better not be bullying her.
In no time, the car reached Qinghe Community. The two girls were easy to talk to—Fu Zhiyan saw Cecilia upstairs, then left to wait downstairs without intruding.
Cecilia rang the doorbell. Hearing footsteps inside, Mia Moore opened the door.
Her little face was pale, eyes swollen and red from crying, cheeks still streaked with tears.
“Wuwuwu, Cecilia...”
The whole afternoon of anxiety and fear, the sadness after arguing with Charles Chase—all those feelings wrapped around her as she finally found someone she could talk to.
Cecilia hurried over, enveloping her in a hug and patting her back. “What’s wrong? Why’s our Yao Yao so sad?”
Buried against Cecilia’s neck, warm tears slid down into her collar. Mia Moore just cried quietly, unable to speak.
“Yao Yao, let’s go inside, okay? It’s too cold out here.”
Seeing she only had a thin layer on, Cecilia gently pulled her inside by the hand.
She settled Mia Moore onto the sofa, poured her a cup of warm water and placed it in her hands. “Warm up—it’s freezing.”
She dabbed Mia Moore’s face with tissues, tucked a small blanket over her, and finally sat down to face her with a gentle look.
“So, what happened? Tell me. If my brother did something wrong, I’ll go set him straight.”
Mia Moore shook her head, eyes red. “It’s not him... I’m the one at fault. He waited downstairs for me all afternoon. I ignored him, but... wuwu...”
She choked up, unable to finish. Cecilia pulled her close.
“Then why did you ignore him?”
“Cecilia, he was so mean—and then he said we should break up!”
Mia Moore pouted, half-whining, half-complaining about Charles Chase’s temper.
......
“My brother would never break up with you. He likes you so, so much.”
“So why didn’t you want to see him today?”
Cecilia gently wiped away her tears, patiently waiting. Mia Moore was rarely so hesitant to speak her mind.
“Cecilia... back then, why did you agree to marry Fu Zhiyan?”
Resting her head on Cecilia’s shoulder, Mia Moore spoke softly.
In her world, marriage was daunting—a lifelong bond, facing one person every day. It sounded wonderful yet utterly unknown.
She had imagined spending her whole life with Charles Chase. She wanted to... someday. Just not yet. Maybe someday, after they knew each other even better—when they could accept each other’s little flaws and truly understand each other.
She worried—worried she wasn’t mature or good enough, that Charles Chase’s love was just a passing impulse...
Growing up without her parents had always left her feeling inferior, as if something essential was missing.
Cecilia ruffled her hair reassuringly. Yao Yao seemed strong on the outside, but she was really soft and sensitive deep down—much like Cecilia herself.
“Because I loved Fu Zhiyan—so much that I wanted to be with him, even if he didn’t love me back at the time...”
Mia Moore realized her questioning was a bit much and looked up apologetically.
Cecilia smiled. “Looking back now, I’m grateful for that fearless, naive courage I had then.”
“Yao Yao, my brother really likes you. I may not have known him as long as you have, but I know he’s responsible and dependable. His feelings for you aren’t just talk.”
“But... he never proposed, never mentioned marriage or anything...”
Mia Moore’s voice grew softer, her cheeks tinged with pink.
Cecilia suddenly understood, grinning as she leaned closer. “So... do you want to get married?”
“Hmph, he’s the one who said we should break up today!”
Mia Moore puffed up with indignation, turning away. How could he say ‘break up’ so easily? Just hearing it hurt so much.
Cecilia pinched her cheek. “Break up, break up—my brother’s mouth is quicker than his brain, probably. Ha!”
After some teasing and heart-to-hearts under the cozy lamplight, Mia Moore’s mood began to lift.
“Cecilia... was it hard for you—having Xiao Niangao? Was it very painful?”
“Huh?” Cecilia blinked, surprised by the sudden change of subject.
“It was painful, yes. Pregnancy was tough, too. But the moment he was born, I forgot about all the pain—just felt joyful and warm, like he was the world’s most precious little thing.”