A kid...?

Wasn't this what he had waited for so long? Getting rid of that shameless woman who forced her way into the Liang family. So then, when Luo Ruolan had signed those papers without any hesitation, what was the pang of guilt that coursed through his body? 

Why did he feel so uneasy? 

"...the court shall, on being satisfied, after hearing the parties and after making such inquiry as it thinks fit…that the averments in the petition are true, pass a decree of divorce declaring the marriage to be dissolved with effect from the date of the decree..." 

The judge had announced earlier and the court was adjourned soon afterwards.

Liang Fang had feared that his 'unstable' wife would end up stirring trouble at the court, trying to humiliate him or ruin his reputation or something at least, since she had readily agreed to sign those divorce papers, that she refused to even look at when he first mentioned them. But everything went on pretty smoothly. In fact, too smooth to be true. Was it just a hunch? 

Anyways, choosing to ignore those weird 'hunches', Liang Fang had reserved a table in one of the most impeccable of all restaurants in the district, for quite possibly the last meal with Luo Ruolan. 

As for his 'ex-wife', she had also agreed for this 'parting gift slash lunch slash date' with her ex-husband; and currently they were seated right next to the window inside the luxurious dine-in. 

"I wasn't expecting you to- " Liang Fang started, but was immediately interrupted by Luo Ruolan.

"To behave myself? To keep all the tortures you've inflicted on me to myself? To preserve your reputation like a good and obedient little puppy?" 

"...to accept the divorce..." Liang Fang corrected. He was shocked to hear Luo Ruolan say those harsh words, they stung actually, but he was somewhat displeased by how his ex-wife's attitude did a complete 180. "Are you still going to be like this, even when this is the last- " 

He stopped once again, not continuing the sentence. He wasn't interrupted this time though, instead, he felt a sudden throb in his chest that he just couldn't bring himself to continue that sentence. 'W-What...what is wrong with me...?' 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Liang. I've caused you enough problems already, so I won't make things harder now. Since this is our 'last time eating together' I'll not agitate you anymore."

'No wait, that's not...' 

"Lianggg Fangggggg ~ I was worried about you, you were here all along? I missed youuuuu ~" a hellishly loud and sultry voice greeted the entire restaurant, turning many heads towards the owner of the voice. 

The lady who had just arrived, being completely unbothered to the other people dining out and the calm ambience of the place, rushed towards the young master of the Liang group, her sister's ex husband. 

"Luo Lifen..." Liang Fang didn't understand why, but he wasn't happy to see her right now; not when this was going to be the last- 

Another throb!

"Oh, I didn't see you, sister..." Luo Lifen looked at Luo Ruolan who remained unfazed with her 'grand entrance'. 

"Luo Lifen, I told you to stay back. I wanted to have a chat with your sister first, didn't I?" It was Liang Fang who broke in the conversation, since Luo Ruolan didn't look like she was going to answer. 

"Waaaaaahh ~ But, I missed you love ~ Can't you guys squeeze me in, after all- " 

"That's all right, Mr. Liang, we've already done talking, haven't we? I'm already done eating, so I'll be showing myself out." Luo Ruolan had abruptly gotten up from her seat, carrying a firm look. 

"But- " Liang Fang couldn't find his words. What on earth was wrong with him. There was nothing unusual about the situation. In fact, this was the situation he had dreamed of for more than hundreds of times, but the way Luo Ruolan sounded... why did he feel like he was the villain...? Was it guilt? But guilt for what? 

"Oh, you're leaving already, sister? ~ I though we could catch up again..." 

And that did it. Luo Ruolan, who had been gritting her teeth for the last few minutes, gave one of the most 'disgusted' glares she could've mustered to Luo Lifen, as she threatened, "Stay away from me and my fuckin' life. If I ever see you acting all sweet and pitiful in front of me, ever again, no matter the consequences, I'll kill you myself. Even if I had to go to hell for it." 

She didn't yell out loud, neither did she curse at her loudly; rather her tone was pretty normal to when she usually spoke, yet those few words were enough to freeze the two of them, Liang Fang and Luo Lifen, to their places. The hint of hatred was so obvious that her sister dared not move, and only stared at her in pure horror. 

And as for, Liang Fang, he was... 

She had left the restaurant, holding her head high, with all the respect she could've gathered in that short amount of time; but once she was out of that miserable block, she walked into an empty ally and resting her back against the wall, she dropped to her knees. 

She had finally done it. She walked out of the marriage that had been hurting her for so long. But the love she had carried for Liang Fang, was it that easy to just letting it go. Her heart was in shambles. 

Not only she had lost her husband, but also the child that would've been the sole representation of their connection, if not love. And not to mention, she was pushed towards this bitter end by none other than her own sister. If only her mother had been alive... 

"M-Mom... I really need you... " 

With how her mental state was, she didn't even notice when it had started pouring. Drenched in rain, she wept out her heart. 

Now, call it a miracle, but it was exactly at that moment, when Luo Ruolan heard a voice that was about to change her life forever. Obviously, it wasn't the voice of God or something, it seemed like a kid's voice. And judging from how loud the noise was, the kid  was definitely the obnoxious type. 

And it was a girl. A girl's voice. 

"So what, huh!? You think you're better than me! I'll teach you guys a good lesson!!" was what this 'supposedly obnoxious' kid had yelled out. 

She didn't understand why, but upon hearing that loud voice, Luo Ruolan was reminded of her childhood days when she used to be just as loud as this girl. Beating people up, getting into unnecessary fights and causing trouble, really, those were the best days of her life and how she wished to go back to those days. 

But wait. 

Beating people up and causing trouble...getting into unnecessary fights...

Whoever this girl was, her yelling out and all, made Luo Ruolan extremely aware of the similarities between the former and her own childhood. 

So, did that mean, there was going to be a fight? Was this girl going to beat the crap out of people!? 

"Oh God, this isn't good. Kids shouldn't fight like that, at least not in the rain...!" Luo Ruolan immediately stood up and walked out of the ally. 

Like she had already guessed, right across the street there was a children's par where kids from different age groups would come out and play. The voice definitely came from in there. 

She hurried across the road to finally reach the entrance to the park. 

A young girl, with gorgeously luscious blond hair stood tall, her back facing Luo Ruolan, and a bunch of other kids standing opposite to her, with smirking faces. 

Luo Ruolan didn't know which girl that voice had belonged to, so she decided to verify the situation at first, before she barged in and did something uncanny. 

One of the taller guys spoke up, "So what are you even gonna do!?"

"Big brother is right. It's so good to have your life... no one ever scolds you..." another voice, not the one she heard. 

"G-Good... what is good about it! I'll beat you all right now!!" 

Ah-hah! This was the voice. So, this blond girl is the owner of the voice. How old is she? Probably 7? Or 8, maybe? 

"You indeed are a bully! My mom was right! We shouldn't have played with you!!" 

"I'm not a bully... I just... you guys are wrong!!" the blond defended. 

"I know, right. My mom also told me the same. Said that you're uncultured. You lack manners." 

"Yes, yes, and my mom even mentioned that if she gets angry she can have her dad wipe out the entire family of the person who pissed her off. It's dangerous to play with her!!" 

"B-But..." 

Was it the other way round? Instead of bullying the kids, was this blond child the one getting bullied? Luo Ruolan wondered, when what some other kid casually mentioned next, froze her to her spot.

"I totally agree with you, besides, what do you even expect from a child who doesn't even have a mother!!" 

It was like Luo Ruolan couldn't even a move a muscle. She had stiffened up in her spot as she felt her fingers tremble ever so slightly. 

The pain of growing up without a mother, was not something Luo Ruolan was unfamiliar to. She knew it very well and to have some snotty brat rub it on you, she couldn't even bear to imagine what the blond must be going through.

"W-Who says...huh.....? E-Even I have a m-mother... I definitely have o- " the blond girl had started speaking, when she was hit by a roll of newspaper, on the back of her head. "Oww...." 

She immediately turned back to see who it was and that's when, her crystal blue eyes met the hazel orbs of Luo Ruolan. 

"Just what on earth are you doing? Getting drenched in the rain like this...! And what were you saying about having a mother...!? You dare not insult me in front of your friends, brat!" Luo Ruolan scolded the girl in front of her, and then turned to look at her 'friends', "I'm extremely sorry if my daughter had caused you any problem...she's just a naughty child..." 

The girl was definitely speechless and didn't even know what to respond with. Who was this lady? Why was she claiming to be her mother?

"Um... are you really her mom...?" the taller boy from earlier asked, not quite believing the stranger's voice, "why haven't we seen you before, then?" 

"Oh, you see, I've been really engrossed in a project that my company had assigned to me, so I was staying overseas. So, I rarely had any time to visit here... but, I really am her mother. So, if you all don't mind... please take good care of my little bun, okay?" 

Honestly, even Luo Ruolan couldn't believe that she could act like that. 

'This lady... she is definitely not my mom. I've already seen how my mom looks like. But right now, what this lady is saying seem to be a good thing... maybe, I'll finally get some friends...I should just play along for now.' thought the little blond girl, before tears welled up in her eyes. 

"Mommyyyyy..... where were you.....? I missed you so much..." and who would've thought, the girl was also great at acting. 

And with how amazingly the two 'fake actors' played out the parts of a loving mother and a lovable daughter, could there have been anyone who'd have guessed otherwise. 

All her 'friends' had already believed that she did have a mother, but because of her work she rarely stayed here, making it okay for them to associate with their blond friend again. 

The little girl was elated to see how her friends' way of talking changed immediately when they started believing this stranger's words; while Luo Ruolan was overjoyed upon hearing the word 'mommy' from a child. Oh, how she had always wanted to be one...

But little did she know, that they weren't the only ones occupying the scene. Another blond man, with a perfectly tailored suit on and a high-end car behind him, stood far away from the park, watching the two with utter satisfaction.