Love Began with the First Meeting

'Molly, I'm sorry for telling you all this now. I don't mean to make you sad. I'm telling you all this because I know that one day you will know who your biological father is and, on that day, you will understand that every effect has its cause.

sake, I have wronged your mother and you, and even Daniel. I have also been a great burden on Mr. Brian Long.

Your birth might have been completely unexpected, but I hope that you can wave goodbye to the past at the end of all this. Your worst days are behind you. I was finally able to bring my comrades back to where they belong and now they rest easy in our soil. For their Please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. I just don't have the courage to face you. I cannot face you, not because I once hated you because you're Justin's daughter, but because I love you as my own.

In the end, all I can do is apologize for everything that I have put you through.

Molly, take good care of yourself. Enjoy your life now, because Brian has built the strongest wall for your protection. Nothing and no one can ever harm you anymore. With him by your side, you can say goodbye to your tragic past. I wish you the brightest and happiest future.

Your Papa, Steven Xia.'

Molly covered her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from crying out loud. Tears spilled from her eyes ceaselessly. But she didn't make a sound, because she didn't want to wake her son. A feeling of exhaustion and sadness spread throughout her body, not only because of Steven's past, but also because of his wishes for her in the end.

Everybody knew what Brian had done for her. Except her. She could not understand why she had never tried to see his goodness.

Despite biting her lower lip hard and covering her mouth shut, her sobs spilled out and her muffled cries filled the empty room. Burying her face into the dusty quilt, Molly cried out. She couldn't bear the pain anymore. Maybe this way, she could relieve the sorrow which was trying to burst out from her heart.

A pair of clear eyes looked at her hunched figure without blinking through the gap between the door and its frame. Mark's little mouth pressed into a tight line as he watched his mom crumble onto the floor, crying.

He covered his mouth with his tiny hands. Seeing his trembling mother, the little boy burst into tears too.

The darkness of the night suited lonely people best. In the cover of the darkness, they could expose themselves without the fear of being seen by others.

"Mr. Brian Long, I'll be leaving in the morning," Ling said, leaning against the door frame lazily, her hands crossed over her chest. She gazed at Brian, who was standing still in front of the window. She asked, "Do you have any message for Prince Victor?" "Tell him to keep his big mouth shut," Brian said in an irritated tone. He seemed to be in an awful mood.

Ling shrugged and said, "I think you should worry about Mrs. Molly Long rather than worrying about Prince Victor."

The answer she received was silence-deathly still silence.

She felt pity for this man. A moment ago, she had made a call to Golden Flower No. 1, the eldest one in their team, a woman who had a past. She told her a lot about love. Since then, Ling had been feeling sorry for him.

"You don't have to give me a ride tomorrow. I can go to the airport by myself," Ling said. She was going to leave without saying anything else, but she got the urge to tell him one last thing. "Mr. Brian Long, please don't regret what you've done. I don't know anything about love, but I have seen many who have fallen into its deepest abyss. Let me give you a piece of advice. It is wiser to end a fruitless relationship than to let both of you sink deeper and deeper into the mire.'

Saying that much, she turned around and opened the door to leave. Before leaving, she took one last look at Brian. His back looked lonely and cold, like the relentless snow outside the window.

When the door finally closed, Brian closed his eyes slowly.

He told himself that everything was over. It was his own choice. It was the choice he had made for her, though it wasn't something she desired.

Dark grief wouldn't disappear with time; it would only sink if it was hit by the brightest lights of the dawn.

'Ladies and gentlemen, Flight XXX from A City to T City is now boarding. Please check in all your luggage and get your boarding passes at the counter, 'a sweet female voice came through the broadcast.

It was a busy morning at the airport and passengers were rushing to find their boarding gates.

The cafe on the first floor of the Smile Hotel was silent. Tony peeped at his watch and then at his boss. Brian's coffee had gone cold long ago. He said, "Mr. Brian Long, should we..."

"I don't want to know where she's going," Brian said, looking outside at the snow clad city. "I don't want anybody to know where she's going."

His words killed the last thought in Tony's mind. He was anxious and didn't know what to do anymore.

"Tony," Brian's voice was hoarse and his face was gloomy, "Now that I have decided to let her go, I'm not planning to interfere in her life any longer. No matter what kind of life she lives-poor or rich, at least it would be something she wanted of her own accord." "Yes, Mr. Brian Long," Tony answered, feeling heavy in his heart. He could understand what Brian meant, but he just could not bear seeing his pained face.

*

Molly pulled along the trolley case, while Mark walked by her side. Before they were about to enter the waiting hall of the airport, they simultaneously turned their heads back to look at the city. It was so far away that it looked like a tiny ink dot. Unlike the last time she had left, Molly was reluctant this time and she was filled with regret, to an extent not known by anybody else. Staring at the snow covered city, a feeling of dreariness washed over her.

She didn't ask anybody to see them off, and she didn't tell anyone where she was going. 'Farewell, A City; farewell to everyone who ever cared about me. Farewell, my love,' she thought as she looked at the city which had given her so much pain and also many happy memories.

Turning around, she gently took Mark's hand in hers and walked into the waiting hall. She tried hard to restrain her impulse to go back to Brian. She told herself that if this was her fate, then she was willing to accept this punishment, even though it was terribly painful. Maybe one day, he would remember everything. He would remember Mark and her.

She scoffed at her own stupidity. 'Looks like I haven't learned my lesson yet,' she smiled bitterly.

She was about to pick up the boarding pass when her cellphone rang.

She jerked in surprise at the sudden sound of her ringtone. She fished her phone out of her pocket in a panic and looked at the screen. There was no phone number displayed on it. Frowning in confusion, she picked it up, "Hello? Who's this?" "You don't need to know who I am. I'm calling to ask you a question,"

the male voice on the other end said. His voice sounded vile and evil, and there was a mocking ring to his words. Molly frowned again. As she pondered whether it was a prank call, she heard the man say, "Molly, you have to understand that I'm only trying to help you." "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. I have only one question for you-

do you want to get back together with Brian?"0000