After all the guests left, only the Lu family and Zhuang father and son duo stayed behind. They had left the ballroom and made their way to the living room of the Ji Mansion.
Grandfather Ji was in a rather good mood, he ordered the servants to put up the paintings given by the Lu family. That way, every morning he can look at it.
"Uncle Ji, if you do not mind, I wish to speak with Yue Ling in private."
Madam Lu spoke from the side as they enter in the living room. She couldn't wait for the event to end so she could talk to the girl.
Hearing this, Grandfather Ji turned to look at his precious granddaughter, who was walking at his side.
Although he wished to spend more time with her, he already knew what Madam Lu wanted to talk about.
He nods a smile to the middle-aged woman then to Yue Ling.
"A promise is a promise."
Saying this, he turn to look at Lu Tian.
"Lu Tian, I would also like to speak with you in my study room."
Following the group in the back, Lu Tian looks at his wife then to Grandfather Ji. He does not say a word but nod his head.
He had many questions he wanted to ask his wife but ask her later when they go home.
As Yue Ling turn to follow Madam Lu, she looks at Lu Tian in silence. Meeting his dark eyes, she smiles to him and proceed in her steps.
Lu Tian stares at his wife's departing figure. The further she went, a faint smile curl on his lip as an image flash in his mind.
Like time had turned back to the day they were little kids.
To the day he followed the little girl who lost her parents and promised to protect her.
It had been her all this time...
Until she was no longer in sight, did he finally look away to Grandfather Ji and follow the man in the direction of the study room.
Madam Lu and Yue Ling slowly made their way to back of the Ji Mansion where the garden room is.
Stepping inside, the usual pot of flowers that used to fill the place were no where in sight.
As the weather had turned cold, Grandfather Ji ordered the servants to move all plants until the warm season.
Madam Lu walks up to the long chaise and sat down. She smiles to Yue Ling and pat the seat next to her.
"Yue Ling, sit down with me."
Hearing the woman, Yue Ling followed as instructed and takes a seat. She returns a smile to Madam Lu.
"Aunty Lu, what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?"
Staring at the young and beautiful girl seated next to her, Madam Lu couldn't help but sigh.
Both her hands reach for Yue Ling's and she held her hands.
"I just wanted to look at you."
Yue Ling's brows slightly furrow at her words. She does not move her hands away from Madam Lu's and decides to ask.
"Look at me?"
"Mm."
Madam Lu faintly smile. Her hand that was on top of Yue Ling's gently pat the softness of her hand.
"I am very happy to finally meet you."
Staring at the young girl's face, she sighs inside at how much Yue Ling resembles her deceased friends.
"I have met you as the supermodel Han Yue Ling and the designer of De L'amour but…"
Pausing in her words, her eyes slowly begin to turn moist.
"You really resemble them… so much alike."
Hearing her sudden words, Yue Ling's brows furrow more. She part her lips to say something, but before she could utter a sound, Madam Lu's words continued.
"You look so much like your mother…"
Madam Lu smiles a smile that held happiness, but the look in her eyes held only grief. Her hand slowly raise, and she gently caress the side of Yue Ling's head.
"You have your father's eyes."
At first, Yue Ling was surprised and confused about Madam Lu's words and sudden motherly touch, but hearing her words, Yue Ling's eyes shook.
"You… know who my parents are?"
"I not only know them, but we grew up together."
Madam Lu answers her right away. She lowers her hand and gently place it over Yue Ling's again.
"Your mother and I were best friends while Old Lu and your father were best friends."
A smile curls on her lip and she takes a deep breath.
"You have grown so beautifully. If your mother and father saw you today, they would be so proud of the woman you have become."
Yue Ling felt her entire being soften hearing the way Madam Lu addressed her parents. It was genuine feelings with no hate in her voice.
However, she slightly tilt her head and blink her eyes at Madam Lu.
"You have met me before?"
Madam Lu chuckles at her words and her smile widens.
"Mm. When you were still a little girl, your mother and father often brought you here. Every chance my husband and I had, we would bring Tian and Han to come play with you."
Listening to her explanation, Yue Ling tried to remember the past that involved the Lu family, but no matter how much she tried, it was only a blank page.
If she had met Lu Tian when she was younger, how could she not remember?
Even when she saw his photos when he was younger, why didn't she feel he was familiar at all?
Madam Lu stares at Yue Ling and she could see the confused look in the girl's face. She sighs a smile and pat Yue Ling's hand again.
"It has been many years and you were so much younger, it's normal to forget."
Hearing these words, Yue Ling smiles apologetically at Madam Lu. It is not that she is purposely doing this. She really does not remember ever meeting the Lu family.
If she did met them before, she is sure she would have remembered.
Madam Lu sighs a chuckle and reach a hand to caress Yue Ling's cheek.
"The past is the past, there is no need to remember. I am glad to know that you have grown up to be great and ambitious young woman."
However, saying this as she was trying to fight back her tears, a faint sob escapes her lip as her hand holding Yue Ling's tighten a little.
A tear slid down her cheek and a heart-aching smile curls on her face.
"You must have gone through so much by yourself."
Yue Ling stares at Madam Lu with slightly furrow brows. She did not understand why Madam Lu would say something like this and suddenly cry.
Knowing that Yue Ling is confused as to why she is this way, Madam Lu's hand on the girl's cheek moves away as she wipes away her tears.
"You are only one person and yet, you had to shoulder so much all these years. If I had met you sooner again, I would have not let you be alone in this world."
Another tear falls, but she quickly wipes it away and trembles a smile to Yue Ling.
"Now that you are a part of my Lu family, do not worry on your own anymore. Every burden you are carrying, my Lu family will help you carry them."
Staring at the middle-aged woman whose tears would not stop falling, Yue Ling eye's slightly shook.
She felt like the air around her had turned so thick that it was hard to breathe.
Hesitation washed inside her as she thought of something, however, she couldn't help but ask.
"You… Do you know?"
Madam Lu struggles a smile and wipes her tears at the question. She stares directly into Yue Ling's bluish green eyes and nods her head.
"Aiya, my Zhao and Lu family have been close with your Han and Ji family for so many years. How can I not know?"
She tries to force her tears back from falling, but to no avail, one after another, her tears continues to fall.
Her hand slowly raise to touch the top Yue Ling's head like a mother to her daughter.
"To leave such a big company and Fate in your hands, it must have been very hard for you."
In gentle strokes, she pats Yue Ling's head.
"Everything will be okay now, Mami."
Like time had stopped, Yue Ling felt all the hair on her body stand at the mention of the name she was familiar with more than anyone.
It was a Japanese nickname her mother had given her as a child. The Ma Kanji meaning true and the Mi Kanji meaning beauty.
A name she had thrown away when she came to Imperial.
Her eyes slowly turned moist as only a few people in the world know this name of hers.
She had thought Madam Lu was only a friend of her mother on the surface, but never would she have imagined that both Madam Lu and Old Lu know about her paternal family's background.
As she stares into the woman's eyes, her lower lip began to tremble.
Before she could remember to blink her eyes, a tear slowly sought its way down her cheek.
It brought a burning sensation into her heart as another tear falls.
Seeing these pearl size tears, Madam Lu's heart aches even more for her.
She quickly wraps her arms around Yue Ling as one hand gently stroke the back of her head.
"Aiya, my child… you have suffered so much."