After a sleepless night, Erina looked haggard. Crawling to the desk, she pressed the power button to turn on the phone. As soon as the phone started up, Clement immediately called.
Looking at the familiar phone number displayed for a long time, she decided to ignore it. She pursed her lips, tears falling one after another.
She was both angry with him and loved him, but she felt so pitiful that she didn't want to talk to him yet.
The familiar ringtone continued to hum, this time it was Fayre calling. A suspicion immediately arose in Erina's mind, perhaps because Clement couldn't contact her, he asked Fayre. Thinking so, she quickly probed her friend.
“I'm listening, Fayre. How did you know I was back?”
“This is a random call. I miss you so much that I'm going crazy. Get ready, I'll take you out to drink coffee and then go shopping. When I start the new school year, I won't have time to serve you.”
Fayre said a long sentence that made Erina laugh, agree and quickly prepare. In the nearly two months in the high mountains, she had been wearing modest dresses, so now she chose a slightly sexy dress. After all, she would go with Fayre, a true fashionista.
As soon as Erina stepped down the stairs, she saw the maid waiting, politely inviting her into the dining room to eat with Hubert and Henry. As soon as Hubert saw her, he kindly pointed at the chair.
“Sit down and eat. This afternoon, I have to go abroad for work, you two stay home and don't argue anymore.”
“Yes.” Both Henry and Erina replied in unison.
Looking at her red lips, rosy cheeks, and off-shoulder dress, he guessed that she was about to go out.
From the day his father forbade him to interfere in her life and control her, she was like a fish with extra fins, free to fly and jump, only stopping when she went up the mountain. Now she continued to abandon him.
“Are you going out? Who are you going with?”
As soon as Henry finished asking, four eyes simultaneously focused on his handsome face. Hubert cleared his throat loudly. Seeing that, Erina quickly answered.
“I'll go for a walk and go shopping with Fayre. I'll probably return in the evening.”
“Just go. When the new school year starts, you won't have time.”
After speaking, Hubert finished his glass of juice and went back to his room to prepare to go to the company. Erina secretly glanced at Henry's expression. Catching her gaze, he smiled slightly. She quickly lowered her head and quickly ate her sandwich.
She had just finished swallowing the last bite of the sandwich when the phone suddenly rang. Knowing that Fayre had arrived, she hurriedly left the table.
“I'll eat out today.” Henry turned to Lucia and lowered his voice.
After saying that, he stood up and went back to his room. Even though he tried to tell himself not to think too much, he was still upset. Since yesterday afternoon, his classmates kept asking him to go out but he refused because he wanted to stay home with her, but now he was alone.
Erina quickly stepped out of the gate and got into Fayre's car. The two friends greeted each other and quickly moved to the main road.
The soft music slowly drifted through the space of the classic European-style coffee shop in the heart of the bustling city. This was also the place where Fayre and Erina often dated.
The slightly fragrant smoke rose from the coffee cup, mixing with Erina's breath. She took a sip, dreamily looking out the glass window. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed this warm taste.
Fayre placed the cup of coffee on the table, and leaned back in the chair, her eyes blinking as she observed the person opposite her.
“What's going on with you two? Why don't you let me call him?”
“When girls go out, why do men follow?” Erina replied briefly.
“Come on, miss, tell me quickly, what happened? Who is angry with who?” Fayre looked impatient and asked.
Knowing that it would be difficult to hide it from her best friend, Erina had to explain the whole story in frustration.
She said she was about to stop by the farm to give Nelly wild vegetables when she accidentally saw Clement coming out of Mabel's car and chatting happily, so happily that he laughed loudly and showed his upper teeth.
After Erina finished telling the story, Fayre burst out laughing. She thought that because Clement hugged and kissed Mabel, Erina was angry. She didn't expect that he was just having a small talk, but Erina was jealous.
“Erina, it's not me defending Mr. Clement. Look, you've lived with Henry for so many years but he still trusts you, never once doubted you, and you're angry when he just stands there talking and hasn't done anything.”
“He's never been like that before.” Erina tried to defend herself.
“Oh my god, my friend, he has to change slowly, he's about to go to work, and he has to socialize and create relationships, not to mention she's Brian's daughter.”
Next, Fayre advised Erina to tell Clement directly so he could explain, but she firmly maintained her point of view.
Fayre had no choice but to text Clement, telling him to go to the park near the university and wait for her to lure Erina there.
“Okay, forget it, I'll take you for a walk around the park later.”
Hearing her friend's invitation, Erina nodded slightly.
The cup of coffee gradually dries up. Ten minutes passed quickly, guessing that Clement was already at the meeting place, Fayre raised her hand to call the waiter to pay. She felt that he was miserable because he had to follow her and Erina from this morning until now.
While waiting to get change, Fayre saw the skinny policeman she met a few months ago walking in the crowd of fat people passing by, so she stood up and shouted.
“Skull policeman.”
As soon as Fayre finished speaking, both Vincent and the others turned their heads to look. Realizing that she had said something wrong, she smiled and waved.
Recognizing that the person next to her was Erina, Vincent quickly ran over.
“Sister-in-law, Henry isn't coming with you? What did he do that I couldn't contact him for months?”
“Oh. We were in the mountains the whole time so our phones lost signal.” Erina replied timidly.
“Hey man, don't you see me?” Fayre crossed her arms, looking annoyed.
“Of course, I saw you. But... why did you say I was a skull?” He widened his eyes and asked aggressively.
“Because all your flesh has disappeared. You look like a fossil skeleton.”
After finishing speaking, Fayre calmly took the change, grabbed Erina's hand, and pulled her away. Vincent stared at them with his eyes wide open, his mouth wide open but unable to say a word.
The friends beside him laughed freely. Just now, they were admiring him because a beautiful girl was warmly calling him, but after a few seconds, he was criticized to the point of no longer being human.
Fayre's nature is still the same, it's okay for her to speak loudly to others, but anyone who raises their voice to her will receive disastrous results.
At first, she intended to call him to thank him for the previous incident, but unexpectedly, things turned out like this.
“Fayre, you're so mean to him.” Erina fastened her seat belt and turned to look at her friend.
“I didn't mean to say that, I didn't know his name but I was in a hurry so I blurted it out.”  Fayre pouted and replied.
“He is Vincent, the son of the police station chief, Raymond. Honestly, the first time I met him, I thought he looked like a skull.”
Erina couldn't help but burst out laughing as soon as she finished speaking. Raymond looked quite tall and plump on the news, but he gave birth to a shriveled son. If Vincent were to be compared to a skeleton, they would probably be on par with each other.
The fresh and cool space of the park, known as the green space in the heart of the city, always makes Erina feel extremely comfortable every time she sets foot here. This place attracts many couples and lovers to come and capture beautiful moments together.
Seeing the bride and groom posing for photos ahead, the two girls walked to another path.
When they stopped by the lake, Erina was stunned when she saw a very familiar figure standing silently under the willow trees. She was about to turn away when Fayre grabbed her.
“Stop being a child. That's all I can help you with.”
After glaring at Erina, Fayre quickly left. Finally, she finished what Clement asked her to do, now she just wanted to go home and continue sleeping. The charity trip that ended yesterday afternoon had exhausted her. If it weren't for them, no one would be able to take her away from home.
At this moment, there were only Erina and Clement left by the lake. He gently walked closer to her. As soon as their hands touched, she quickly stepped back, anger and resentment clearly showing on her delicate face.
“What are you upset about, Erina? Do you know how much I miss you?”
Clement reached out to hold her thin shoulders, his voice filled with reproach, his eyes deep and sad, so pitiful. Seeing him like that, she burst into tears, her voice interrupted by sobs.
“You... you... with her...”
Before she could finish her sentence, his warm lips stopped her. The endless kiss was enough for Erina to feel all the longing and deep love he gave her.
Time seemed to stop, the wind stopped blowing the weeping willows by the lake. After a long while, he slowly let go of her lips, whispering between gasps.
“Erina, remember, to me you are the only one.”
She looked up at Clement with watery eyes, nodded slightly, leaned into his chest, and buried herself in his familiar scent. His arms gradually tightened around her thin body, and his kisses continued to caress her black hair to satisfy his longing for her.
Last night, Clement couldn't sleep at all. The sad face of his lover on the day they met again made him toss and turn. Fortunately, everything was fine. If he couldn't reconcile with her today, his heart would break.