Chapter 5: Where Is My Old Friend?

The clinic looked the same except for the sign. He Yi who had been through a period of suffering had a bad feeling about this.

Indeed, the clinic changed its owner and Wang Han’s whereabouts were unknown.

The new owner described that the previous owner of the property was not Wang Han, too, which meant the clinic had switched owners multiple times.

No wonder Wang Han lost contact with her in these five years. She left!

‘Where is she? Is she doing well?’ He Yi was bugged by unanswered questions because her friend who she was going to rely on had gone missing.

Wei Jiameng was the only one left!

He Yi did not have high expectations of Wei Jiameng because she was a little unreliable if compared to Wang Han.

She was a spoiled girl from a rich family who was good at nothing but cling to someone.

She was like a clingy kitten from her memory. He Yi remembered how Wei Jiameng used to cling to Wang Han and her. She would either be eating or ordering them to do stuff every time they were talking.

She acted like a princess who was used to the world spoiling her without limits. Many female students disliked her during their university times but He Yi and Wang Han accepted her. They then became good friends and housemates because they were staying in the same hostel.

He Yi’s scalp felt tight when she thought that Wei Jiameng was the final person she could rely on in Yun City.

　　*

Things went on smoother than she expected.

Wei Jiameng was still staying in the same house, a quiet double-story villa with a small garden. The fresh yellow jasmines on the walls were blooming beautifully.

The rain stopped. He Yi kept the umbrella and pushed open the gate to enter.

Instead of security guards and maids, a young girl was seen playing with a paper boat near the fountain in the garden. Noticing He Yi, she raised her chubby cheeks and looked at her with curiosity.

He Yi could guess the girl’s identity because of her tiny and delicate features that were somewhat familiar. She walked to her and bent over to caress the girl’s shiny braids before asking her in a trembling tone, “Where is your mother?”

‘This must be Wei Jiameng’s daughter!’ He Yi could not help but thought of her own daughter when she saw her. Her nose became stuffy and she felt a lump in her throat.

“Mommy’s there!” The girl extended her chubby little hands to poke He Yi’s back.

He Yi turned around and saw Wei Jiameng.

She was holding a glass of warm orange juice prepared for the girl. She dropped the glass onto the ground when she noticed He Yi.

“He Yi!” a loud shriek erupted from Wei Jiameng as she charged over for a big hug. She twisted in circles with her, rubbed her, pinched her, and even bit her out of excitement. Like a puppy who found its owner, she burst into joyful tears, “He Yi, you’re finally out! Finally! I didn’t think that I’d see you again!”

He Yi sighed internally as Wei Jiameng was still the same after five years. She did not become mature at all although she became a mother.

　　*

He Yi took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. She sat in the living room on the first floor with a cup of hot coffee in her hands. She finally got out of her messy just-out-of-prison state and returned to her Young Lady He’s elegant self.

He Yi was blessed with beauty and she possessed an elegant aura from all the quality education she had since young. She lost her ex-convict look by just gussying up a little.

However, her mental scars would never be recovered just because she dressed up physically.

Ge Ge hid behind her mother as she stared at the unfamiliar guest in the living room silently. She was four, just a year younger than Wan Wan, He Yi’s daughter. She was a little shy of a stranger. Although her mother asked her to address He Yi as Aunt, she refused and hid.

He Yi noticed something was wrong but she could not believe it. She put down the coffee and looked around before asking, “Where are the rest of your family?”

She remembered how grand the Wei family was but something was different.

The house and the furniture were the same but there were obvious signs of disarray and age which must be caused by lack of maintenance and care in the last five years.

The paintwork for the dining table and chairs was falling off and there were cracks and stains on the ceiling. The furniture was old and dusty, even the cutlery looked chipped and dirty. The beautiful teak flooring in her memory was now covered with dirt and many of them were warped.

Those were clear indications that the house owner was not doing well financially and could not afford to maintain the past luxurious lifestyle by hiring maids to tidy up the house.

Wei Jiameng was never a person who did housework so how could she clean up or do house chores? Both Ge Ge and her were wearing plain clothing and there were no signs that she was a previous rich lady at all.

Looking at He Yi’s frown and confusion, Wei Jiameng withdrew her shoulders and she wrinkled her nose before she shed a sorrowful tear.

“My dad passed away two years ago and the business went to Jiang Peng. He isn’t savvy with it so we’ve been losing more than we earn…” Wei Jiameng’s voice became softer as she spoke and there was unprecedented melancholy in her delicate eyes.

It was clear that she did not have a great two years.

Jiang Peng was Wei Jiameng’s boyfriend, he was also He Yi’s friend during university. As an art student, he was good at music and he won the heart of Wei Jiameng who was a hopeless romantic with his rich artistic sense. The couple then relived the cliche love story of a rich girl marrying a poor guy in reality.

They proved that an artist would not be suitable for business. The fall of the Wei family’s house was clear proof of Jiang Peng’s performance in the last two years. It was no joke to cause the grand Wei family’s house to fall into the current state when Wei Jiameng’s father only passed away two years ago.

“I can accept that he couldn’t earn any money and even lost some. However, he had been drinking a lot because of his failure and he would cause a ruckus whenever he drinks…” Fear emerged within Wei Jiameng’s teary eyes when she mentioned her husband. She was clearly traumatized from staying in fear for a long term. She paused and turned around, “I’ve been miserable but I had no one to tell as Wang Han is missing and I lost contact with her. I wanted to visit you at the prison but the warden didn’t allow it because you committed a serious offense…”

He Yi listened in silence, things were exactly like she expected. She wanted to ask Wei Jiameng about Wang Han but to no avail.

Wei Jiameng did look for Wang Han to discuss ways to save He Yi years ago but the clinic was closed and her number was unreachable. The clinic resumed operating after some time but the owner was a different person and Wang Han disappeared completely after that.

He Yi had many questions after listening to Wei Jiameng. Wang Han’s disappearance was indeed incomprehensible.

‘What happened to Wang Han when I was locked up? Where did she go? Why is there no news of her at all in these five years?’

The two discussed for a while without an answer. Ge Ge shrieked suddenly when the two were still discussing, “Daddy’s back!”

The girl hid in her mother’s arms like a frightened kitten and her mother also started shaking. The two of them hugged each other for warmth, their eyes filled with fear and terror were fixed toward the door.

The lovebirds in the past became a tragedy in the present. Spouses can be either close to each other, or distant like the sun and the moon.

A dry smile was formed on He Yi’s face. She rose and stared at Jiang Peng coldly. He stumbled his way in, smelling of alcohol. She could tell that this man who terrorized Wei Jiameng and their daughter to the core must be even more of an *ss than Chu Tianyi!