HAPPYENDING -THERAPEUTIC – SWEETANDCOOL Lin Jiao and Gu Quan have been in a relationship for two years. For his sake, she played the good and obedient little lady, willing to be as humble as possible. She thought that Gu Quan loved her as much as she did.But at a party, she heard him say to someone, “Lin Jiao is very nice, but she’s not her.”It was only then that Lin Jiao realized how ridiculous she must seem to others. She left behind all the resentment and obsession and sadly exited the stage as he had a sweetheart he could not forget.-Later, Gu Quan was remorseful, and managed to find Lin Jiao. He grabbed her hand tightly and said in a hoarse, pained voice, “Jiaojiao, forgive me, okay?” He was hoping that she would forgive him easily as she had always done. However, he was alarmed when a certain figure walked into his line of sight.“Darling,” he said as he pulled Lin Jiao backward, giving Gu Quan a smug look. He leaned over to Lin Jiao, touching her face softly. “Let’s continue?”

......***************......

Young and Beautiful

By LANA DEL REY

I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now

Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel Air now

Hot summer nights, mid-July

When you and I were forever wild

The crazy days, city lights

The way you'd play with me like a child

Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?

Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?

I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will

Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now

Channeling angels in the new age now

Hot summer days, rock and roll

The way you'd play for me at your show

And all the ways I got to know

Your pretty face and electric soul

Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?

Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?

I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will

Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

Dear Lord, when I get to Heaven

Please let me bring my man

When he comes, tell me that you'll let him in

Father, tell me if you can

All that grace, all that body

All that face makes me wanna party

He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds

Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?

Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?

I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will

Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

Will you still love me when I'm not young and beautiful?

Rain continued to fall in Lin City in July.

Silver lightning flashed across the dark clouds, and with a thunderclap, bean-sized raindrops hit the car parked at the roadside.

Lin Jiao wiped her shoulder that was wet from the rain and listened quietly to Gu Quan having a phone call in the driver’s seat.

From what he said over the phone, she knew that their date today would be canceled.

“Jiaojiao, I’m sorry.”

As expected…

Gu Quan hung up the phone and rubbed his eyebrows. “There’s something urgent at the company. I have to go over.”

“Ok.” Lin Jiao restrained from showing her emotions.

She had been in love with Gu Quan for two years.

Ever since he entered the Gu Corp, he spent less and less time with her. Even if they lived under the same roof, the chances of them meeting were rare.

She understood that he was busy, but understanding did not mean that she would not be disappointed and sad.

“Are you angry?” Gu Quan rubbed the top of her head, his handsome face filled with gentleness.

“No.”

“Do you want me to drive you home?”

Lin Jiao shook her head. “No need.” She looked at the mall not far away and opened WeChat. “Yilan is available. I’ll get her to keep me company.”

“Alright.” Gu Quan did not stop her and stuffed a card into her hand. “Buy anything you like. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“I have money.” Lin Jiao held the cold bank card and felt even sadder.

Gu Quan thought she was angry with him. He said, “Jiaojiao, can you be more understanding?”

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Lin Jiao was about to retort when she saw the exhausted look on his face and she swallowed back down her words.

She reached out to touch his cheek and leaned forward to hug him.

“Be a good girl.” Her obedience melted Gu Quan’s heart. He couldn’t help but promise again, “I’ll take you to the exhibition this weekend.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the project I’m working on is almost over.”

Lin Jiao was looking forward to the weekend.

She moved away from his arms and smiled. “Then go. Don’t forget to eat no matter how busy you are.”

Gu Quan replied softly, “Take the card.”

He was too stubborn, so Lin Jiao could only accept it.

She opened her umbrella and walked towards the mall. As she walked, the mud that splashed up left stains at the corner of her dress.

Lin Jiao had always been a clean freak. She stopped in front of the glass door and wiped the stains off her dress gently with a tissue. Just as she was about to get up, she was enveloped by a shadow.

“Jiaojiao!” A familiar voice sounded. Lin Jiao was taken aback and looked up to see a smiling face.

Pei Yilan held her forearm and pinched her left cheek with her other hand. “It’s rare to see you shopping. What do you want to buy?”

“A pair of business suits, I think.”

“You found a job?”

“I just received two offers yesterday.” Lin Jiao threw the dirty tissue into the trash can. “I haven’t thought of which I should accept.”

“Which two? I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Sheng Heng and Tian Hua.”

“Sheng Heng?” Pei Yilan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “That’s my uncle’s company. I’m going over next Monday too.”

“Pei Zhi?” Lin Jiao did not expect such a coincidence.

“That’s right.” Pei Yilan blinked. “Choose Sheng Heng. I won’t feel so bored working there with you around.”

Lin Jiao was silent for a moment before replying, “Okay.” She stepped onto the escalator and chatted with her along the way.

Perhaps because of the rain, there were not many customers in the women’s section. Even the high-end luxury brands that always had a long queue in the past only had a shopping guide standing at the door. This allowed them to shop in peace.

Pei Yilan wanted to take Lin Jiao to buy suits first, but as she walked, her attention was attracted by the evening gown in the window.

She told the shop assistant to bring over the evening gown. While waiting, Pei Yilan said to Lin Jiao, “Jiaojiao, that evening gown suits you!”

Lin Jiao was a dropping-dead-gorgeous.

However, in order to meet Gu Quan’s taste, she always dressed extremely plainly.

“Me?” Lin Jiao looked at the evening gown brought over by the shop assistant and said calmly, “I already have three gowns like this.”

“It’s different. Go and try it first.”

“I don’t usually attend banquets. It’ll just be a waste of money. Forget it.”

“Jiaojiao…”

“I want this one.” A delicate-looking woman walked over arrogantly and pointed at the gown in their hands.

“I’m sorry, these two ladies are still shopping. Please wait at the side.”

He Jia was immediately pissed off, but she could not snatch the gown from them.

She secretly sized up the two girls who were dressed simply. On instinct, she felt that they could not afford it.

Therefore, she suggested, “I like this gown very much. Why don’t you choose another one and I’ll pay for it?”

“No, thank you.”

“You can choose one and sell it afterwards to earn as much as 50,000 to 60,000 yuan. Are you sure you don’t want it?”

Lin Jiao caught the disdain in her eyes and did not intend to argue with her. She turned to ask the shop assistant, “Is there a limited edition?”

“Yes.” The shop assistant took out two gowns and placed them on the table with an extremely good attitude. “These two gowns are both made by hand. After measuring your body, the headquarters will send someone over to tailor it. It will be ready for pick-up in about 15 days.”

These two limited-edition gowns had a cute style and suited Pei Yilan. Lin Jiao picked up the champagne-colored fishtail gown and said, “Yilan, do you like it?”

“I like it.” She lifted the hem of her dress and glanced at He Jia in disdain. “You have good taste.”

“Then go to measure your body.”

Seeing her leave with the shop assistant, He Jia could only swallow her anger. She looked at Lin Jiao and said, “Aren’t you going to ask about the price of that gown?”

“Does it matter?”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to afford it.”

Lin Jiao chuckled. “Whether I can afford it or not is my business.” As she spoke, she walked straight to the cashier to pay.

He Jia still did not want to believe that her judgment about Lin Jiao was wrong.

She went to the cashier and reminded Lin Jiao ‘kindly’, “Don’t force yourself. Credit card is an endless hole.”

“Really?” Lin Jiao opened her wallet and brushed her fingertips across the card slot. She took out a platinum savings card. “I haven’t used this one yet.”

He Jia was speechless.

She watched as Lin Jiao swiped 170,000 without even batting an eye. She felt like her face had been slapped by someone. It was painful and embarrassing.

When it was her turn to pay, she was too embarrassed to touch the credit card.

“Jiaojiao, I’m done measuring my body.” Pei Yilan jogged over from the fitting room and glanced at He Jia. “How much is that gown?”

Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Eighty thousand, perhaps?”

“No wonder you don’t like it. It’s too cheap.”

He Jia was gritting her teeth with anger.

She took the shopping bag handed over by the shop assistant and left in embarrassment.

“What took you so long?” He Qi, who was waiting for her in the smoking area, saw her coming and stood up impatiently. “They’re all rushing us.”

“I met two annoying people.”

“Did you quarrel with someone?”

“No.” He Jia told him what happened and did not mention anything about what she had done wrong.

He Qi frowned. “This is Lin City. Think twice before you do something. Don’t offend anyone and get me into trouble.”

“Yes, I know.”

“It better be so.”

He Jia followed him out. Coincidentally, she met Lin Jiao and the other girl on the escalator again.

She stopped in her tracks, not wanting to face them.

He Qi sensed something abnormal and followed her gaze. “Are they the people who quarreled with you?”

“You know them?”

“The one on the left is my friend’s girlfriend.”

He Jia widened her eyes and said sourly, “Is her family very rich? I think she’s quite generous. She bought a super expensive gown for her friend.”

“Rich? She’s dead broke, but she is patronized by a rich man.”

“What? If I knew it, I would have given her a slap on the face.”

He Qi retracted his gaze and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you give her a lesson.”

“How?” He Jia restrained from showing excitement and said worriedly, “Don’t go out of your way to do it. After all, you know each other.”

“It won’t be hard. Just a phone call will do.”

Although he did not like He Jia, his vain cousin, he hated Lin Jiao more.

Since she wanted to be so high-profile, he would take this chance to let Gu Quan see what kind of a person she really was.

*

At nearly ten o’clock, half the lights in the mall went out.

The off-duty employees walked in groups of two or three, dragging their tired bodies out and saying goodbye at the door.

Pei Yilan held Lin Jiao’s hand and asked, “Is Gu Quan not coming? If not, I’ll send you back.”

“He’s on his way.”

“He said he would pick you up at eight, but he has already been late for two hours. You’re really good-tempered. If I were you, I would have gone into a rage long ago.”

“He just accepted a project and is very busy.” Lin Jiao looked at the WeChat box on the screen, deep in thought.

“If he’s so busy, why is he dating you? Why doesn’t he just date his work?”

Lin Jiao said nothing.

She had made excuses for Gu Quan’s unconcern for her too many times, to the point where she was tired of it.

“Sit here for a while.” Pei Yilan nudged her elbow and changed the topic. “Are you free tomorrow? Let’s go for a drink.”

Lin Jiao shook her head. “I have a birthday party tomorrow.”

“Whose birthday?”

“Song Zhen.”

Hearing that it was someone from Gu Quan’s circle, Pei Yilan lost interest and clicked her tongue. “I thought it was some handsome guy.”

“You want to fall in love?”

“No, I just want to find a man to have fun with.”

“Are you still in contact with that painter called Ze something?”

“No, he’s too straight.” Pei Yilan felt uncomfortable at the thought of those awkward conversations. “We just don’t click.”

“Then…”

“Jiaojiao.” A BMW came into view, and Gu Quan’s voice came from inside.

“He’s finally here.” Pei Yilan rolled her eyes and took out her car keys from her bag. “Jiaojiao, let’s hang out another day.”

“Alright, send me a message when you get home.”

“Sure.”

Lin Jiao watched her leave before getting into the car.

She placed the shopping bag in the back seat and was stunned to find Gu Quan absent-minded.

“Gu Quan?” She waved her hand in front of his eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Gu Quan returned to his senses, but what He Qi said was still ringing in his ears.

He looked at the back seat. “Did you have a good time shopping today?”

“Not bad.”

“Did you get into any trouble?”

“No.” Lin Jiao did not hear the questioning tone in his voice and thought that he was concerned about her.

She leaned over and looked at him gently. “With you around, who dares to cause me trouble?”

Little did she know that this joke would be taken as a confirmation that she indeed snatched a gown from someone else.

Gu Quan’s expression turned even uglier.

He stepped on the accelerator. Lin Jiao, who had yet to put on her seatbelt, fell back uncontrollably and hit the back of her head on the window.

“Jiaojiao, I hate people who like to compare.” Gu Quan’s angry tone filled with disgust made Lin Jiao, who was rubbing the back of her head, confused.

She closed her eyes and was in too much pain to think about what he meant by saying that. “Who offended you?” She asked.

Hearing that her voice sounded weak, Gu Quan tilted his head to look at her and asked with concern, “Are you alright? ”

“I hit my head.”

He suddenly braked. Caught off guard, Lin Jiao leaned forward again. Fortunately, he held her waist to prevent her from hitting the window.

“Let me see.” He leaned over and brushed away her hair, touching the spot where she’d been hit. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“It’s alright.” Lin Jiao gestured for him to continue driving.

She put on her seatbelt and waited for the car to drive into Lufu Bay before the pain disappeared. “Did you quarrel with He Qi?”

Gu Quan stopped in his tracks. “Yes.” He opened the door of the villa and did not want to talk about it anymore. “It’s nothing serious. Don’t think too much about it.”

Lin Jiao nodded and pressed the switch to turn on the ceiling light.

She changed into a pair of slippers and was about to talk to him when he went upstairs without looking back. “Jiaojiao, help me cook a bowl of noodles.”

“What kind of noodles do you want?”

“...”

It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Without getting a reply, Lin Jiao walked into the kitchen listlessly.

Ten minutes later, she stood in front of Gu Quan’s door with a tray and knocked twice.

“Put it on the table for me.” The sound of rushing water was heard, mixed with his voice.

Lin Jiao pushed open the door and her gaze landed on the sofa filled with documents. She put down the bowl and chopsticks and started helping him tidy up.

She rarely entered Gu Quan’s bedroom. To outsiders, they were cohabitating. But in fact, they were more like two roommates living under the same roof.

If it wasn’t necessary, they wouldn’t talk and interfere with each other. The relationship had been pure and no one ever thought about crossing the line.

“Jiaojiao?” Gu Quan did not hear any footsteps outside and asked, “Are you still there?”

“Yeah.” Lin Jiao turned around. An old photo floated to the ground from inside a stack of documents.

She lowered her eyes and caught sight of a young man and a girl.

Gu Quan wiped the water off his forehead and said gently, “It’s late. Rest early.”

“Okay.” Lin Jiao picked up the photo and put it back without thinking much.

She glanced at the vapor coming out from the bathroom and stood up to leave.