Ang mga text message sa phone (28)

"I encouraged him to go to work. Through my husband, he was able to take part

in a Hollywood picture. In fact, he personally wanted to take the leading male

role for the movie. Despite me having caught him staring at your photo in a

daze or standing in bewilderment, not knowing what to do with himself, at times,

he gradually was able to feel less hurt by you.

"However, forgetting someone isn't something that happens overnight. Though

he drank and smoked, didn't speak much, and was a little bit of a loner, at the

very least, he was able to live like a normal person again. So much so that he

didn't come to see me for as long as a month. At the time, I was really happy. I

thought he'd finally stepped out of the darkness and pain. But then, you

reappeared... yet, he didn't have the courage to continue your story together...

Eventually, he still wanted to work things out with you and re-immersed himself

in that state of suffering and unease..."

Sa sobrang sakit ng mga katotohanang inilatag ni Lucy, biglang may pumatak

na luha mula sa kanang mata ni Qiao Anhao, na dumiretso sa hawak niyang

tasa.

"Actually... Qiao, I really don't understand you. At first, you clearly rejected him

by saying he was unworthy of you. You rejected him that heartlessly, so why did

you come to find him after..."

Gulat na gulat na tumingin si Qiao Anhao kay Lucy at sinabi, "I never rejected

him."

"How could that be? Nian wouldn't lie to me. If you hadn't rejected him,why

would he had thought that death was better than life... How would've his heart

turned to ashes?" Biglang tumaas ang isang kilay ni Lucy na para bang

pinagbibintangan niyang nagsisinungaling si Qiao Anhao. "All in all, Nian

probably didn't want to touch on the matter, but he told me everything in detail.

From what he said, I understood that he waited a really long time for you, then

confessed, but you rejected him..."

"I didn't." Habang umiiling si Qiao Anhao, unti-unting nanlisik ang kanyang mga

mata na para bang may biglang pumasok sa isip niya. Bigla siyang tumayo at

nanggigigil na sinabi, "Siguradong si Han Ruchu ang may gawa ng lahat!"

Sa sobrang galit na naramdaman ni Qiao Anhao, hindi niya namalayan na

nakapag-Chinese siya. Hindi siya maintindihan ni Lucy kaya gulat na gulat itong

tumingin sakanya. "Qiao? I don't quite understand."

Samantalang si Qiao Anhao ay parang walang narinig at nagpatuloy lang siya

sa pagbulong sakanyang sarili. Gigil na gigil niyang sinabi, "Sigurado akong

may ginawa siya... pagbabayarin ko siya... sisiguraduhin kong magbabayad

siya!"

"Qiao? Qiao?" Hindi talaga maintindihan ni Lucy kung bakit biglang nagbago

ang awra ni Qiao Anhao kaya bigla siyang tumayo at hinila ang braso nito.

Nang maramdaman ni Qiao Anhao ang kamay ni Lucy, doon lang siya

nahimasmsan.

"Qiao, are you alright?"

Dali-daling pinilit ni Qiao Anhao na magmukhang kalmado at ngumiti kay Lucy.

Sumagit siya sa wikang Ingles, "I'm good. Thank you, Lucy."

-

Marami pang ikinwento si Lucy kay Qiao Anhao tungkol sa mga nangyari kay Lu

Jinnian noong nasa America ito, pero hindi kagaya noong una, nakatulala lang

at hindi na siya umiimik dahil hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili niyang magisip ng

mga posibleng ginawa ni Han Ruchu para umalis si Lu Jinnian ng China.

Pagkahatid niya kay Lucy sa labas, galit na galit niyang binuksan ang pintuan

at tumakbo paakyat. Kinuha niya ang susi ng kanyang sasakyan at hindi niya

inalintana na nakapantulog pa siya dahil nagmamadali siyang lumabas ng

bahay para sugurin si Han Ruchu sa mansyon ito.

Pero noong magmamani-obra na siya, bigla niyang naalala ang naging

paguusap nila ni Xu Jiamu noong gabi ng kasal nila ni Lu Jinnian. Tandang-

tanda niya na niyaya siya nito sa isang charity event na gaganapin sa Beijing.