C3

During those times, Xia Yuli had come to admire the mature and handsome He Yao’an. How could she not? With his staggering beauty and his eloquent words, he was a testament to behold–one that wasn’t just meant for her eyes alone. And that was one of the downsides of being with such a great man.

Of all the weeks when she had squealed at how lucky she was, her mind also reigned with doubt and uncertainty for the man she had come to love. Happiness, she realized, wasn't meant to last long. And her luck...could soon run out.

The man wouldn't have any problem finding someone prettier than her, kinder than her, and especially richer than her. That thought alone had caused her to concede every single time, burying the short fuse she had in the back of her mind. "I'll follow him to the ends of the earth," she told herself again and again. If he said jump, she'd jump. If he said heel, she'd heel. As long as he was happy, she was, too. However, this small arrangement could only last so long till it would finally snap.

Whenever he was out 'socializing' or whatever he'd call it, Xia Yuli would deprive herself of eating as well. "Maybe he'd be lonely if he eats by himself." She waited at the dining table, glancing at her phone from time to time, only to not receive even a single text from him.

He Yao'an was popular with the ladies, she noticed after months of being together. Scanning through her social media page, she'd see articles of him being captured next to a woman and how their open gestures left much for the imagination. A part of her wanted to clench the phone and throw it at him, but the insecurity bit her right back every time she tried.

Xia Yuli was like a bird trapped in the cage he had created–an animal meant to be admired and played with from time to time, but never someone he could commit to. Whenever he was bored, they'd talk, but most of the time, he'd leave her to herself.

It was those quiet hours that had pushed her to draw and to further expand her creativity. However, these days, the shadows were far more exemplified than the color. And the beauty she had once seen in him and the grand household had turned bitter. A sarcastic smile slipped into her lips as she drew a line over another one of her canvases, only to suddenly draw back in pain. "Shit!" She breathed out, clutching her wrist.

"The least you can do is take better care of yourself," He Yao'an had snapped when he took her to the hospital. His jaw was clenched in anger as he noted her swollen palm.

"I...I..." Her bottom lip trembled, and she bowed her head, trying to hide her watery eyes. As soon as he saw her pitiful figure, he held her in his arms, but that still didn't seem to quell the disappointment in her heart.

"Luckily, you didn't hurt your wrists." The doctor clapped his hands together, much to their relief. "Just don't overwork yourself too much, okay?"

However, it was also through this little hospital trip did He Yao'an notice how much weight she had lost and how calloused her nails had become from drawing. "Come, I'll take you somewhere before we head home," he murmured, pulling her to the closest museum he could find. It became a habit from that point on to bring her out every once in a while to connect with the outside world.

He'd bring her to meet directors, art critics, and fellow artists. He'd introduce her to some of his friends who had later helped her out in creating her own art exhibition. "You've done all the work," he praised her from time to time. "You deserved it."

With Xia Yuli's beauty and intelligence, he didn't really have to call in too many favors. Her talent shone itself from the very first day others had seen her canvases. "The world should come to appreciate it," they'd say, and from then on, she suddenly had her own little fanbase.

Her paintings had become renowned around the city for their love for detail and color. Some might say that her canvases were too colorful and sometimes even too child-like, but there was a certain life to her drawings, one that had made everyone remember their own carefree pasts. During that time, they were happy–ecstatic even–but a bandaid solution could never really heal a recurring bruise...only hide it till it had gotten worse.

It had been three years since the two had gotten together, and Xia Yuli became a well-known painter. That meant that wherever she went, rumors floated around her corner. "The only reason she's here is because of He Yao'an. Once he's bored of her, I'm sure her popularity would fade soon enough," they whispered, uncaring that she was only just a few feet away from them.

Her hands clenched into fists.

He Yao'an had treated her well in the past few years, but that still didn't change the fact that he still hadn't pronounced her as his girlfriend.

In the public's eye, she was merely one of his many lovers–never the girlfriend, never the woman he had loved, but merely someone who could please his physical desires. That night, she went home with a thought in mind.

"Hey." She poked He Yao'an while they were lying on the bed. "The charity auction's tomorrow. I've never really been to one, and I was thinking it would be fun if you'd bring me there."

"And what's so fun about that?" His voice was cold, enough to get a hundred horses to heel.

However, that wasn't enough to restrain her. "Why don't you just take me there?"

"Just go to sleep, Yuli."

As soon as he had finished speaking, he switched off the lights and held her in his arms. There was something warm about the way his arms cradled around her waist. However, what once had brought comfort for her now brought dread. Was her luck already running out?

The next day, she realized why he had refused to bring her to the charity auction. It turned out that he had been with another woman, according to the trending topics on her Weibo page.

Fu Wanqing–the successor of the Fu family. Not only was she beautiful, but her abilities weren't short of being brilliant. Some might even say that it was through her that their company had achieved such high revenues in the last year alone.

Obviously, their presence must've been the gossip for the night. They were quite well-matched, she noticed bitterly as she scrolled down the pictures. Even the way they smiled at each other made such a simple gesture look so elegant and sweet at the same time.

Unknown to the reporters and Xia Yuli, the 'couple' had a different idea in mind. In the ball, Fu Wanqing cocked up an eyebrow as she hesitantly held onto his arm. "Aren't you close?" she commented. "Aren't you afraid that your girlfriend would be jealous of us?"

"She's quite obedient."

"Hm." The two shared a smile as they turned to the press, understanding their true intentions of using one another.

Although she was capable, Fu Wanqing had been met with a lot of resistance regarding her promotion. That was the only reason why she had reached out to He Yao An, pushing him to follow suit.

Obviously, a partnership with the Fu Family under Fu Wanqing's conditions might grant him more stability than her brother. That was the only reason why he had accepted her offer. "You'll be sure to get promoted," he murmured as they walk around the ballroom. "You shouldn't be trying too hard."

"What can I say? I'd like to be certain." What he didn't expect was for her to get them on the trending list.

However, as He Yao'an thought of the products his company would be released into the market, he leaned back against his seat. Perhaps, Fu Wanqing was really on to something good for the both of them.