It has been such a long time since Zi Wei last saw her but she could not be wrong.
The woman pushing a child's trolly with her, while looking through the menu outside Rima is no other than her brother's former fiancée, Zuer.
She seemed to be debating whether to eat inside the restaurant or not and when her face showed that she decided not to, something inside Zi Wei propelled her to stand up and go after her.
"Song Zuer!" the woman's name sounded so foreign against her lips.
It has been years.
Zuer turned back and her eyes widened into the size of saucers as soon as recognition set in.
"Wang Zi Wei?"
She nodded and then slowly walked towards mother and child. "I saw you pass by and I thought I should say hi to you."
The other woman's eyes widened further. "You did?"
She nodded, smiling, diffusing tension in the air before it could even build up. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
The other woman turned red.
The allusion to the last time they saw each other would most probably embarrass her, Zi Wei understood, because that was when Feiyu declared to everyone in the dining table that he was in love with Zuer and then he took her hand and they escaped on his car.
Everyone had been too stunned to stop them except for Zi Wei.
She ran after them and before they disappeared into the night, she managed to ask them "Why?"
She had not asked whether it was true and how long since it happened because Zi Wei already had an idea weeks before.
"It just happened, Zi Wei", Feiyu had answered, "I'm sorry."
He did look sorry that she had to get hurt but Zi Wei remembers seeing in his eyes that he was not sorry for falling in love with another man's fiancée.
She then willed her eyes towards Zuer, who looked so torn between being happy and crying but Zi Wei could not understand it then.
The only thing she knew was that her whole world had crumbled and the reason for it was the woman she had considered a friend... and loved like an older sister.
"How could you do this?", the question was laced with poison.
"Zi Wei... I'm... I'm sorry", Zuer had whispered in response.
"No your not."
And that had been the last.
The next time she and Zuer talked was over the phone and she had told the other woman to truly let go of her brother.
The other woman had asked for her forgiveness once again that time.
Their last conversations both ended in Song Zuer saying sorry. Hopefully, today, that isn't how it is going to end.
"Uhmmmm... I really do not know what to say Zi Wei."
She continues to smile. She was happy to see the other woman. "Well, you could start by saying you'll have lunch with me."
Zuer looked confused.
"Please...", Zi Wei threw in, "I think it would be great to catch up."
Zuer took a deep breath then. "I guess you're right. It would be great to catch up after all these years."
"It's my treat then", Zi Wei told her, doing more than what was needed as she held out an olive branch to a woman she once thought of as an enemy.
***
There was a lightness to Zi Wei that Zuer could not place until the youngest Wang finally told her that she was getting married in a few months' time.
Love.
How had she not recognized it immediately?
"Congratulations."
"Thank you", Zi Wei accepted graciously, "I am actually waiting for him right now because we need to see our florist."
"Is he late?"
"No. I really came early because I bought a few books."
Zuer felt her heart stop at the mention of a book. It trigerred the memory of another book, the one that was written about all of them. She had to mention it, now.
"Zi Wei... about the book..."
"Ah... yes. Uhmmmm... the truth is there is something I wanted to talk to you about other than all that happened before which, I believe, we already put behind us."
"Did you want to talk about the book?", Zuer ventured nervously.
After all these years and despite how wonderfully Shen Yue had written that book, she still knows that what she and Feiyu did, hurt a lot of people – two of them she had loved deeply once before.
Her husband's anger may continue to burn for the Wang Family (especially for Wang He Di) but Zuer would always think of them with a twinge of guilt because she knows that she was the one who put everything in motion.
It was her carelessness and her thoughtlessness that caused so many people an immeasurable amount of pain.
"I do", Zi Wei responded, "I read that book actually."
She felt beads of sweat start to build up on her temple even though it was pretty cold inside the restaurant. She didn't know what to say next but Zi Wei, it seemed, was not done speaking.
"I just want you to know that whatever happened in the past, I am sorry for the pain I may have caused you."
"You're...", she could not believe it, "You're sorry?"
Zi Wei moved her head in the affirmative. "I've been trying to look for either you or Feiyu so I could talk to you and let you know this."
"Wha... Why are you sorry? You shouldn't be Zi Wei. Feiyu and I were more at fault."
Out of everyone who was swept up by that storm years ago, Zi Wei was the most innocent.
She had not even done anything to spite Zuer or hurt her when she had all the reasons to do so – just like her older brother.
She isn't the one who should be saying sorry.
"We were all at fault back then", the other woman told her, "We caused each other pain and for that, I apologize. That book made me understand a lot of things I was blind to when all of this happened."
"Still, I should be the one apologizing to you – "
The Wang Heiress raised a hand to stop her from continuing. "There is no need for that Zuer. The last time the both of us talked, you have already told me how sorry you are."
"I continue to be sorry Zi Wei."
"I know... believe me I know more than you think I do."
That peaked her interest. "What do you mean?"
She then found her hand wrapped in the other woman's hands. "I am sure Shen Yue would have wanted to be the one to tell you but since you are here and we are already talking, I want you to know that I have met Yue and we've become friends."
There it was.
"Since when?"
"For a few weeks now, I guess."
She thought back to the most recent time that she and Yue hang out. The other woman had not mentioned anything at all nor did she give any hints.
She also remembers the conversation that she and Feiyu had when they saw the society article talking about Wang He Di taking Shen Yue to the most prestigious gala for Entrepreneurs in the country.
Up to now she continues to wait for Yue to talk to her about it.
Feiyu was saying that something is amiss if the author has not talked to them about it but Zuer knows the woman and believes there is a perfectly acceptable explanation for it.
"We haven't been able to talk about it yet."
Zi Wei nodded. "She wanted to tell you the last time you saw each other but she said you were pre-occupied with something."
That was true.
She had been so caught up with worry about Feiyu during that time.
Could it be possible that Yue didn't tell her about it because she, herself, did not give her friend a chance?
After all, how could the writer suddenly mention to her that she had met her former fiance's sister and that they were now friends when she had ben ranting about Feiyu's lack of time for his family?
Que Horror. She suddenly remembered the comparison she made between her husband and DiDi.
Did Yue tell Zi Wei about that too?
"Uhmmmm... yes. She hasn't been able to tell me anything yet."
"I think I would have to call her and let her know that we met and managed to catch up. She has been feeling guilty that she has not told you about it."
She felt uncomfortable asking about it but she wanted to really know because a lot of things were not adding up perfectly in her head. "So... did you guys become friends because your Gege is dating her now?"
Zi Wei laughed aloud, which surprised her.
"Of course! You would have seen the article already!"
She was sure Zi Wei was describing the same thing she thought of. "Yes. And we wanted to ask her about it but we haven't been able to see each other for a while now."
"Well... they're not dating Zuer but..."
Her brows furrowed. "But?"
Zi Wei took a deep breath. "To be honest, Di-Ge is still not over what happened years ago. And when he found out that I had become friends with the author who wrote your book, he became quite angry. It's... it's quite complicated but they are not dating."
"Then why did – "
The woman in front of her laughed aloud again, cutting of the question she was about to ask. "I cannot believe that out of everyone I could possibly talk to about this, it will be you. Do you have time or are you rushing? I still have an hour to kill and maybe I can tell you everything."
Zi Wei's tone sounded so much like the way it had years ago when they looked at each other as friends that Zuer felt something in her heart dislodge.
And the promise of finally knowing what had become a mystery to her was so beguiling, she knew she could not say no.
"I'm in no rush", she answered.
"GREAT!" the other woman enthused "So, I think Di-Ge likes her!"
"DiDi likes Yue?!?!?!?!"
Zi Wei waved her hands, as if trying to take back what she said, and then steadied them "I'm getting ahead of myself", she declared, "Hold on! Hold on! I will do my best to tell you everything I know so that you understand it."
"Yes please", Zuer told her.
This past hour felt like something out of a dream with Zi Wei seeking her out, apologizing to her, and now telling her that DiDi seems to have finally began moving on and falling in love with Shen Yue.
If somebody screamed outside that Zombies were attacking them, Zuer just might believe that to be true too.
***
"Ge is stubborn but you know him –"
"He really likes her", Zuer finished, her eyes dilated in disbelief but her smile lighting up her whole face in wonder.
"I know."
"So... DiDi is still trying to deny his feelings for her?"
"It seems so", Zi Wei muttered in frustration.
"Do you have any idea whether Yue feels the same?"
"We have not talked about it yet because after she walked out the other day, we haven't been able to talk yet. I was only able to tell her how sorry I am for what Di-Ge did. She hasn't replied yet and I tried calling her too but I do understand that... she may not be able to answer me yet. Whatever happened that night seems pretty intense."
"If your brother can stop putting his pride first, I hope he realizes how much of a catch she is. Shen Yue is one of the kindest and most beautiful people I know."
"Let us both hope that he DOES realize it."
"I really hope so. DiDi deserves to be happy after... after everything that happened."
In the past, Zi Wei and Zuer became friends, not only because she was her brother's girlfriend but also because they had the same temperament and spirit.
It felt good to be able to talk to her again.
"He will be, Zuer. He will be happy the same way that you are... that I am."
Her brother's ex-girlfriend smiled and somehow, it felt like things had come full circle. "There is nothing I would want more Zi Wei."