13 As Long As She Is Happy, I Am Happy

As a girl, Ria had no problem telling everything in a long story short. This thing only took some of the minutes.

Sofia was stupefied. She did not know her best friend who was only eighteen was in that deep.

Deep enough to think of settling with only one person.

She never took a man seriously. The thought of only a single man bored her.

"As long as you're up for it." Jessica patted Zaria's shoulder stiffly. She often got awkward real quick when cheering for and comforting people.

"Are you guys done?"

"Yes." Zaria nodded with ecstasy. The tense atmosphere between her and Elian had diminished a little and now she did not feel much of a stuttering person.

Elian was easy-going and he made things easy-going. According to her friends, they could be like an ideal couple.

Elian was calm and indulgent, and Zaria was impulsive and the definition of demanding.

So different, yet the perfect couple.

Lisa's wise words came into Ria's mind right at the moment.

She once said that when two people understood each other deeply, then they would be understanding of each other for the whole life and the knot between them would never be broken.

They would be able to overcome all the adversities thrown onto them.

This made Ria feel like she was over the moon because she knew Elian the best and she believed he knew her the best, too.

And they understood each other very well!

"I'll see you later, guys." She smiled brightly looking at everyone, but when it came to Alec, her smile stiffened and became reserved.

She did not know but there was always a strain between her and Alec.

Zaria did not like this at all.

"Here, Zaria. I have checked your assignment. It was excellent." Zaria and her four friends stiffened. Today was full of wonders.

Did the sunrise from the west?

Ria's smile froze. This was the first time she was praised by this woman who was her physics teacher.

She glanced at Elian who seemed proud looking at her, so she also felt some sense of accomplishment. Her Elian was proud of her.

Then, she felt something else or more like a saw.

A realisation hit her like a truck. Was this even possible?

She saw her teacher, Josephine Steward who was twenty-four as well, preying on her Elian with her eyes like a wolf. Like she could devour him whole without leaving any bone.

How dare she had eyes on someone who belonged to Zaria Smith!

Josephine sensed someone looking at her and she smiled gently.

She gasped when she saw Elian. Of course, that was an act. It was all done to get his attention.

She earlier saw Elian from the classroom's window.

When she was a student, she met with Elian.

They were classmates who had never talked to each other. Elian was a low-key person, so he never showed off his wealth in front of everyone and took a bus for the school and home almost every day.

It was how his father had trained him, so he could be prepared for drastic situations one day.

Young Josephine felt Elian was very handsome.

But beauty was not enough.

Wealth was.

She was an ambitious person who wanted to climb higher in the world of riches, so she stopped paying attention to Elian.

Instead, she pivoted all her attention on his best friend, Jasper Arison, a person from a wealthy family.

On the day of the graduation, who knew Elian was the son of the biggest billionaire in their city. John Anderson.

D*mn.

She dreaded the day when she chose not to pay attention to Elian Anderson. She was a fool then.

She thought that she had lost the chance of getting him.

There's a saying that an opportunity knocks on the door but once, so how could she just let it go?

"Elian? Elian Anderson?" Josephine acted like she was having some hesitation in remembering a person.

"Yes?" Elian finally looked at her. Good.

Now was her chance.

"So, you are really Elian Anderson! Do you remember me?" Josephine questioned with excitement, her eyes shimmering.

What Zaria, Sofia or either Jessica? Even Alec and Mason had never seen their teacher this stimulated. The group cringed.

Mason felt threatened somehow. He was the most cutest here!

Was this man a lady magnet? He took a glance in his surroundings and saw girls giggling and whispering in inaudible tones, secretly pointing out at Elian again.

"Who are you?" Zaria bit back a smile including her two girls best friends.

Hehehe.

Elian did not remember her. He had met a lot of people but there were only a few who were worth being remembered.

Josephine felt humiliated. He did not remember her. She was the prettiest girl in their class. How could anyone not remember her?

Never mind. She would make him remember her.

"I'm Josephine Steward. We were classmates in school." That was a desperate attempt. Seeing Zaria laughing at her quietly, Josephine hid the resentment deep in her heart and smiled gently like a mature woman at Elian.

She knew men admired gentle and patient women.

Once she became the wife of the young master Anderson, she would teach this girl a lesson for life.

"Oh, Jasper's ex-girl." Elian nodded solemnly.

Although he had no impression of her, he did remember his best friend's infatuation with a girl named Josephine Steward.

He was heartbroken when his girlfriend broke up with him for some rich man. He then stopped believing in love and became distant from everyone. Very reserved, very silent.

Josephine flinched. He did not remember her, but he remembered her relationship with his best friend.

Did her old classmates not say that these two had a fallout some years ago? Why did it seem so unlikely?

"Yeah. We were just not suitable for each other." Josephine smiled faintly. Inside, she was feeling nervous and anxious which she had never been before.

She underestimated Elian Anderson's smartness.

"Yes." Elian did not have a blank face, nor did he have those friendly vibes.

It was hard to distinguish what he was thinking.

Oh my! Her Elian was so cool. Zaria wanted to do some victory dance.

Heh. Dared to covet her knight? Dream on.

"Is she your sister? She is a great student. This little girl has never disappointed me." Josephine eventually smiled at Ria. One could tell how fake it was.

Zaria Smith narrowed her eyes. It was a woman's instinct.

Her teacher specifically stressed the words 'sister' and 'little girl'. Was she saying that Elian was too old for her and that she was not suited to be his match and was just like his sister?

This was certainly a provocation between women!

Was her teacher now her rival?

She despised this girl for her beauty and her performance.

Josephine knew very well that this girl despised her as much as she did her, but still managed to get good grades in her subject every time. The least marks Zaria received were 93 out of 100. Her reason was her illness.

She was sick and could not study properly.

She was envious.

She was just some girl adopted by a rich family. How could a sparrow be a phoenix?

"Glad to know." Elian finally smiled. This little lady was sharp in her studies. Good.

Looking at his watch, he informed Zaria, "Mom must be waiting for us."

She also nodded eagerly, but not that hastily. She wanted to make an impression of her well-behaved character on Elian, not wanting to let Josephine say anything more.

Ria quickly got her assignment back from her now rival slash teacher.

She finally bade her friends goodbye.

"Do come here sometimes, Elian. We could hang out someday." Josephine called out cheerfully.

Elian never once looked back.

Offering a smile back, the group waved at her and saw her interacting with Elian Anderson a little in the middle of walking.

When she went away, Josephine Steward glared at Zaria's back aggressively and bit her fingernail with anxiety.

Was this hubristic bratty lass really important to him? But she was always rude to this little girl.

There went her chances to become a pair with Elian Anderson.

No! She had to do something. She had to treat her right or she would not be able to become the future young madam of the Anderson family.

She huffed and went her way.

She had to come up with a different strategy.

Alec, Mason, Jessica, and Sofia all rolled their eyes at her retreating back. They knew how much of a cunning fox their teacher was.

Alec saw her getting in the car with his role model's son, Elian Anderson.

He was clear about one thing.

Sofia and Jessica peeked at Alec's face secretly. He was silent, his eyes staring at the long unknown distance.

He tilted his face at the girls and smiled gently, light falling on his face, "He wasn't just some friend, right?"

The girls looked away awkwardly. How could they bear to see their friend getting heartbroken?

'So, he was her said knight who she was waiting for.'

Seeing them averting their eyes, Alec smiled again. This time, bitterly.

He was late.

She already had someone in her heart.

Perhaps, from a very long time when they did not even know the true meaning of the word 'love.'

Mason rested a hand on his buddy's shoulder. Alec sighed faintly, but his heart hurt.

"As long as she is happy, I am happy."

In the car.

Elian was sitting with Ria when he suddenly asked, "You don't like her?"

Ria puffed her cheeks and looked out of the window. Why was Elian talking about that manipulative and double-faced woman?

"I don't like her, either." He winked at her.

Zaria was amazed. He was dazzling.

They shared the same views!

When she thought about what he said, she felt immense contentment.

Hehehe.

Elian did not like that woman. She had a chance to impress him now.

Thinking about how that woman's face was turning pale when Elian did not once look at her properly.

Was so satisfying!

With this thought in her mind, she burst out laughing. Elian joined her along. It seemed like they had already caught up to their past childhood friendship.

A long time ago, young Elian and young Ria were identically laughing without a care in a world like this.