Cecilia Gu pressed her hand to her chest, feeling stifled and suffocated.
Yes, it was all just wishful thinking on my part.
Why am I so foolish?
I knew his heart wasn't with me, so why did I still throw myself into it?
I knew you can't force feelings, so why did I still hope he might fall for me?
I knew he was only good to me because of the baby, so why did I still fantasize that he'd love me just because of that?
Heh... Cecilia, you're so stupid!
Is it because of what happened with Lydia Lin that you've become arrogant?
Did you think Charles Yin punished Lydia Lin so harshly for you? Did you think you mattered more to him than Lydia Lin?
Heh, you were wrong.
It's just that the child in your belly is more important than Lydia Lin.
Charles Yin never loved Lydia Lin, so he could sacrifice her without hesitation.
Similarly, he doesn't love you either! He could just as easily sacrifice you for Sylvia Ran!
Heh... so that's the real truth!
Cecilia, Cecilia, wake up.
Take your heart back, and let your paths never cross again.
Cecilia gently closed her eyes.
Two streams of tears slowly slid down her cheeks.
"Cici, are you okay?" Rona Muir regretted her words a little.
Those words would be hard for anyone to accept.
Not to mention, Cecilia is pregnant right now!!
Cecilia gently shook her head, her lips parted slightly, but she realized she had lost even the courage to speak.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's get some rest, okay?" Rona Muir quickly straightened the covers, helped Cecilia lie down, and grasped her cold hand. "Why are your hands so cold?"
Cecilia didn't answer that question.
She remembered the last time her hands were this cold—it was at her own wedding.
When Zhao Zegang sold her off, her hands and feet were just as icy.
She never expected the cycle to repeat so quickly.
It's only been two months, and she's already lost again.
No, she never had it in the first place, so how could she lose it?
It was all just a self-deceiving illusion.
Early the next morning, Cecilia and Rona Muir got up.
Both of them had heavy dark circles under their eyes—they hadn't slept well at all last night.
Cecilia needed closure, to completely erase Charles Yin from her heart.
Rona Muir was full of guilt, regretting that she'd blurted out the truth to Cecilia in a moment of anger.
Cecilia asked her assistant Wendy to put on a layer of foundation for her. Today was Qiaoqi's wedding, and she didn't want to look too haggard.
Wendy was startled when she saw Cecilia.
She hadn't expected Cecilia to look so worn out!
What on earth happened last night?
When Mrs. Yin asked her for her phone last night, she looked pale but still normal.
How did she go out for a bit, then come back after one night looking so drained?
Cecilia didn't explain anything to Wendy, she just asked her for a light makeup look to hide her tired face.
Rona Muir wanted to speak several times, but didn't dare to.
Last night, she knew very well how long Cecilia cried silently under the covers.
"Alright, no need for complicated jewelry. Just pick some simple earrings." Cecilia grew impatient seeing Wendy try on accessories for her.
They say women dress up for those they love.
But if there's no one left to love, what's the point of dressing up?
Beautiful or ugly, what does it matter?
Wendy was stunned. All this jewelry had been personally ordered by the CEO for Mrs. Yin to choose from! But now Mrs. Yin...
She didn't dare disobey Cecilia's orders, so she picked out a pair of understated, elegant earrings for her.
Cecilia didn't even look at how the earrings looked on her.
If not wearing jewelry would seem disrespectful to the wedding, she wouldn't have worn anything at all.
A maid came in pushing two racks of dresses, letting Cecilia choose her outfit for today.
Cecilia glanced casually, then picked out a pale pink tulle dress and handed it to Wendy.
"Mrs. Yin, isn't this dress a bit too plain?" Wendy hesitated—why did Mrs. Yin seem so distracted today?
"Plain? I think it's fine. I'm just attending the wedding, not being a bridesmaid," Cecilia replied casually. "This one will do."
Rona Muir had already finished her makeup and chose a magenta deep-V gown.
The dress made Rona look like a total enchantress—absolutely stunning.
But standing next to Cecilia, she still couldn't overshadow Cecilia's elegance.
Cecilia wore her long hair loose, with a few braids at the back—delicate and fresh.
The pale pink tulle dress, paired with lace wrist cuffs, not only hid her newly rounded belly but made her look ethereal, almost fairy-like.
Rona Muir stared at Cecilia, momentarily dazed.
This... this resemblance is uncanny.
Why does heartbroken Cecilia look almost exactly like Nora Yun right now?
At that moment, someone knocked on the door, inviting Cecilia and Rona to the dining room.
Cecilia and Rona left hand in hand.
They had to walk some distance from their rooms to the dining hall.
To save time, they decided to cut through the garden and take the shortcut.
Charles Yin had just showered and was getting ready to head out.
His room's window faced the small garden.
He looked up and saw Cecilia in her pale pink dress walking gracefully.
A breeze stirred, lifting her long hair and swirling her dress.
Cecilia brushed aside the bangs that the wind had blown into her eyes, her lace wrist cuffs fluttering with her dress.
Her face no longer showed yesterday's emotions; her eyes were cool and her expression serene.
In that instant, she looked like a fairy.
Completely untouched by the mundane world.
Charles Yin's hand, still drying his hair, suddenly froze.
His gaze locked onto Cecilia.
He'd never realized his little mole could be so beautiful...
Turns out his little mole could be so ethereal...
Turns out his little mole was just as captivating as any other beautiful woman...
There was another person who was just as stunned.
Max Mo stood up ahead, staring blankly at the woman walking toward him.
For a moment, he thought Nora Yun had come back!
Yes, that familiar face, those cool eyes...
Nora always had that same cool, serene gaze.
If Rona Muir weren't standing beside her, he would have been sure it was Nora Yun!
Cecilia looked up and saw Max Mo.
She gave Max Mo a gentle smile.
In that instant, Max Mo's heart fell hard, bursting with sparks.
He could clearly hear his own heartbeat pounding like a drum.
He knew, without a doubt, he was done for.
No matter what Cecilia's connection to the Yun family was, he was finished.
He had fallen for her.
Rona Muir caught the look in Max Mo's eyes and sighed inwardly, unable to explain her feelings.
Cici, oh Cici, what kind of fate do you have?
Why is it that the one you love doesn't love you, and the one who loves you is...
Cecilia herself was the most clueless of all.
She still had no idea how Max Mo felt about her.
She just thought that yesterday Max Mo joined her and Rona for cards, for sightseeing, for dinner, and even escorted her home.
Seeing him now, she naturally greeted him, never realizing that her smile had just stolen his heart.
Max Mo quickly composed himself and walked over. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"I slept okay." Cecilia's cool eyes still held a smile as she answered.
At this moment, Cecilia was no longer the same person as yesterday.
She had spent the whole night sealing away all her emotions.
Watching Cecilia overlap more and more with Nora Yun, Max Mo suddenly grew anxious.
Soon, people from the Yun family would arrive...
If the Yun family saw Cecilia...
The three of them soon arrived at the dining hall.
Because there were so many people, breakfast was served buffet-style.
Everyone picked what they liked and found a quiet spot to eat.
After breakfast, they would all take the bus to the church for the ceremony.
Cecilia actually had little appetite today, but for the baby's sake, she made herself eat something.
As soon as Rona Muir entered the dining hall, Shawn Ke pulled her away.
Max Mo, being a groomsman, barely had time to eat before he was called away.
Cecilia didn't mind being left alone.
She had just set down her food and was about to eat when someone suddenly sat down across from her.
Cecilia looked up to see Xiwei Ran gazing at her apologetically.
"Miss Ran, do you need something?" Cecilia asked, lowering her eyes.
"Cecilia, I'm here to apologize to you!" Xiwei Ran said.
Apologize? What was there to apologize for?
Cecilia smiled indifferently.
"I'm serious! Cecilia, I'm so sorry!" Xiwei Ran suddenly said, sounding aggrieved. "I'm sorry, it was my fault that Charles Yin was with me last night. I dragged him into it—please don't be mad at him, okay? He still cares about the baby you're carrying!"
Aggrieved? Wasn't she the one who should feel aggrieved? What was Xiwei Ran upset about?
She'd waited so long last night and hadn't even complained to anyone, yet Xiwei Ran was already here, acting pitiful.
"Oh." Cecilia nodded expressionlessly, unwilling to respond further.
"You won't forgive me, will you? Cecilia—no, Miss Yin—I really didn't mean to come between you and your husband. Last night I suddenly felt unwell and had no one else to call, so I asked Charles Yin to take me to the hospital. Please don't misunderstand our relationship, okay? If you do, it will make things difficult for us! I don't want Charles Yin to be unhappy because of this, and I don't want him troubled because of me."
Cecilia looked up at Xiwei Ran.
What was with this woman?
She'd already made it clear she didn't care, so why was Xiwei Ran still going on?