A Billion Dollar Exchange

"What? " Xin Yong exclaimed and turned to look at Liling. Now that they weren't discussing her, she was more vibrant.

"We met him while returning from the grocery, we were very surprised. After all these months!. When we drew nearer, I got a clearer view of him. Tsk Tsk, his quite handsome but Jin Yue is definitely more handsome than he is!."

Xiao Ran explained. Liling knew that she'll surely bring back the incident that happened that morning. She just kept quiet and allowed her to tell the whole story.

"When we drew nearer, he said 'Hi' to us, but his eyes were on Liling the whole time! . He didn't even acknowledge our presence! It was as though we were invisible. I had wanted to just leave, but Richen said Hi to him, that was when he finally removed his gaze from her to look at us.

Immediately he greeted us, he returned back to Liling and asked if he could speak to her privately, I couldn't take it anymore, I quickly dragged Richen along back to the room" Turning to look at Liling she scolded sternly. "Liling, don't ever be with that Chang Ming. I hate his guts. hmph!"

Xiao Ran had been complaining about Chang Ming up until Xin Yong came back. She really hated the first impression she had gotten of him.

"So why did he come in the first place?" Xin Yong asked as she shifted her gaze from Xin Yong to Liling.

"Haha, firstly, he came to apologize for not being in touch for so long, that he had been working on a project bla bla bla, none of my business actually; and secondly he came to see me, haha"

Liling explained, half laughing. The rest of the girls laughed too. Richen smiled bitterly. She wished he had even smiled at her the least, but no!, he chose Liling who was right in front of her laughing at his thoughtful gestures.

She couldn't bring herself to laugh at him. She wished she could just switch places with Liling. She just smiled, a smile obviously very bitter.

"Liling, how could he leave his work this busy morning and come all the way to Gahll poly just to see you?, haha, this is love speaking!. Liling give him a chan...."

"Hey!, you hold it there, because you are with an Adonis right?, don't come confusing my Liling. See, anything I don't approve of is not a good thing. So I don't approve of Chang Ming. Hell no! "

Xiao Ran exclaimed cutting Xin Yong off. They talked and talked till they became hungry. Xin Yong was told to prepare something for them to eat, since she had annoyed everyone.

....

Two Weeks Later...

"Where is my graduation gown?, I told you to get it! Oh, you all have to wait for me, let me rush back quickly " Xin Yong complained. She had told Richen to bring her Grad gown along, but Richen had forgotten.

After some time, she ran back to her friends hugging the gown tightly.

That morning was obviously their happy day. Finally, they were leaving school. Their joy obviously knew no bounds. Everything they had worked for, toiled and skipped sleep for, were going to yield it's fruits that fateful morning.

The bed they had all made for themselves, they were soon going to lie on it. Even though they were happy, it didn't stop their hearts from beating rapidly.

They were going to receive their results that day. Their parents, friends, well wishers even enemies where going to be present to watch them.

That was even the more reason why they had prayed to all the gods and goddesses they knew for a good result. No child wants to be a disgrace.

Richen knew her parents would come for her graduation, she was obviously the apple of their eyes. They couldn't bear to miss something as important as that.

As for Xiao Ran, her parents weren't even in China at the moment, they told her that her brother would be coming, but she wasn't even hoping on that promise.

Xin Yong parents were coming obviously. But that was not even what made her excited, it was that Jin Yue was coming too. They had been keeping in touch almost every hour of the day. He was either calling, texting or video chatting.

Even at work, during meetings, sometimes she would say something funny and he would laugh all of a sudden. The members of staff had already started wondering if he was still okay.

They had grown so close, Xin Yong knew she had started to like him, and sometimes when she thought back to how her life was without him. She realized the boring life she had been living.

Liling, she only had her poor mom, who could sacrifice anything the world could offer for her, and she knew she was going to come. When she informed her, her mom was very happy. Though she promised to tell her dad, Liling knew he was not going to come.

.....

The graduating students were all seated in the hall before nine o'clock. Their parents had started coming in, Richen spotted her parents walking into the hall and ran to hug them. Her parents were quite young, her mom very pretty. She resembled her mom so much that they could be mistaken for sisters. They talked for a while and Richen returned to her seat beside her friends. She was visibly happy.

Xin Yong's parents arrived later on, but Xiao Ran's brother hadn't come, Liling's mom too.

The graduation ceremony started in earnest as the rowdy hall became quiet again, the Chancellor walked up to the podium to address the graduating students.

Xiao Ran's still looked out for her brother. Since the ceremony had started, late comers where ushered in through the back doors.

Liling scanned through the parents seating area for her mom, but she couldn't find her. So once in a while, she would turn to look at the back doors.