Learning to Love Again

Four Years Earlier.

In her bedroom, Su Lian sits at her desk while reading a book she just bought. It's a new novel by her favourite author.

She's nineteen-years-old, at the prime of her youth, yet completely idle.

Even though she just got her Masters degree in Economics and is several years ahead of the rest of the population her age, she doesn't know what to do with her life.

All her awards and academic achievements feel meaningless to her.

She has no motivation, no goals, no aspirations. So how exactly does she move on?

She once had a dream, a very big one. She and her mom had planned that to open a jewelry store together after she finishes school. Tang Xiu loved to draw and design jewelry. In her spare time, she would sketch a piece and get it custom made. A few times, the manufacturers would be so blown away by her designs that they ask to buy them so they could sell them at their own stores.

Su Lian had been looking forward to their goal and studied hard towards it. Her mother would be the artists and she would be the brains behind it all.

It was the perfect plan, one that she thought would bring her happiness.

Even after her mother died, she felt devastated but didn't stop. She believed that if she worked hard enough, she would be able to accomplish their dream and give her late mother peace.

But reality hit her hard.

Tang Xiu's death took a bigger toll on her than she could have ever imagined.

Her funeral made it sink in that she was gone and never coming back. Not only was it done shabbily, but she didn't even get to see her body. The chapter of an entire woman's life ended just like that.

The only family her mom had in China was her older sister and that was not enough to get Su Feng to honour his late wife properly. There was no one to question his actions or fight Tang Xiu's behalf.

To make things worse, only two days after the funeral, Qin Rong moved in.

And that was the end.

No one spoke about her anymore.

The woman she loved and admired became ancient history. A thing of the past.

On her graduation day, only her fourteen-year-old brother stood by her side with a bouquet of flowers.

She loved her brother but still felt disappointed.

Was she wrong for that?