A Billion Dollar Exchange

 Jin Yue and Xin Yong went back down stairs after a while. Xin Yong sat beside him on one of the large comfy couch in the parlor as they waited for Liling to come down.

They were quiet, each in their own world, not knowing what to do about the present situation__ actually; there was nothing they could do. They just sat there waiting for a miracle to happen.

After some time, Jin Yue picked up the remote controller and put on the television, seeing that the room was too quiet.

Xin Yong drew closer and placed her head on his lap as he scrolled through the channels.

His hand paused at a news channel with a very catchy headline.

CHINA AIRLINE AIRBUS FLIGHT 560 CRASHES INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA. 203 DEAD

''… The incident took place this morning, at exactly 10:12 am as the China eastern airline plane made its way over the East China Sea.''

Xin Yong who was lying on Jin Yue's lap jumped up immediately as she heard what the news reporter said, the woman was still talking, so they had to listen attentively to the news.

'A plane carrying 203 people including flight attendants crashed into the East China Sea after the aircraft developed technical problems shortly after it's takeoff by 9:00am. The plane crash took the lives of the 203 passengers on board leaving no survivors.

''The bodies of the passengers on board are yet to be discovered as the plane sank to the depth of the sea…''

As soon as the words left the female news reporter's mouth, Jin Yue put off the television.

There was pin drop silence in the parlor for a

whole minute as they both tried to comprehend what has just happened.

Xin Yong was shaking slightly as her sweat stuck to her face. After sometime she forced her lips to speak.

''What… what… time did you say was Liu Wei's flight?''

Jin Yue's throat dried up when he heard that question. He wanted it to be a lie; he could not bring himself to say the truth although it was written all over his face.

He was already feeling the stings of tears in his eyes. Blinking severally, he tried to hold it in.

''He … he was not in that plane, right?''

Xin Yong could not control the tears as it was already falling from her eyes.

Jin Yue dropped the remote controller on the table and pulled Xin Yong into his arms.

''No! No, it's not true!''

Xin Yong held her mouth to stifle her scream as she cried in his arms.

This was not happening. It was not really happening. How were they going to tell Liling?

''Don't cry, she must not know now…''

''I must not know what?''

The couple jumped up from the couch when they heard Liling's voice. Xin Yong immediately wiped her eyes and feigned a big smile but Liling caught the tears before she wiped it off, her brows creased into a frown.

''What's going on here? What should I not know and why are you crying?''

Liling walked closer to the two people who were watching her like she was a ghost. Her eyes looked over to the television screen and then back to them.

''I thought I heard some noise from the TV, why is it switched off now?''

 ''No, you didn't. It was my phone, we were watching a… a sad movie on my phone, so I was crying…''

 Jin Yue hearing her lies nodded immediately.

''Yeah, that's what happened, why else would she cry, you know how emotional your friend can be, right?''

Liling watched them intently. Jin Yue tried to fake a laugh but she was not buying it at all. She looked at the two of them for some time then looked down at the couch.

''So where is the phone?''

Xin Yong and Jin Yue looked at themselves surprisingly as they were not expecting her to ask the question all of a sudden.

Xin Yong looked around, only to realize that her phone was not with her, it was inside her bag which she forgot in the car when she speedily ran into the house.

They were both speechless as they tried to come up with a better lie, but before they could say something, Liling had picked up the remote controller and put the television back on.

''No!!!''

''No!!!''

The both of them screamed at the same time but it was too late as Liling had already seen the news headlines.

CHINA AIRLINE AIRBUS FLIGHT 560 CRASHES INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA. 203 DEAD

Jin Yue immediately took the remote controller from her and switched off the television but it was too late. She had already seen it.

The room grew pin drop silent as the television screen went off.

Liling did not move she was still staring at the blank screen, unwaveringly. She was so quiet that Xin Yong and Jin Yue could not tell if she was okay.

They wanted to call her, but they were afraid that something worse might happen, so they stood there staring at her sorrowfully.

Liling was not talking and she was not moving. She was in denial.

No, it was not possible. He could not… no, no, I won't say the word. My Liu Wei cannot leave me, he promised to come back to me and he's coming back to me. I'm sure. He cannot leave me in this world, alone.

Her tears started welling up without her knowing it. Drops of sweat fell from her face as she turned pale slowly.

After about five minutes of standing at a place, Liling blinked her eyes, she turned to walk back upstairs but her legs could not move.

"Liling…''

Xin Yong could not stop herself from calling her this time. She wanted to walk over to her and hug her tightly but she could not.

She imagined what it felt like and she knew that it was not the best thing to do at that moment.

Jin Yue was speechless, he could not speak, he could not comfort. He was still in denial.

No, his friend could not possibly be in that plane. It was not possible. Liu Wei could not die just like that! .

Liling stopped for a few seconds then tried to walk again. She took a few steps then paused.

The next action took Xin Ying and Jin Yue unawares.

''Liling!!!''

She fainted.