23 Chapter Twenty Three

At the central park, a girl stood under an umbrella with skin as pale as the snow at her feet wearing an undiscerning expression. Each snowflake that fell hid parts of the girl's features from passersby who were too busy with their lives and their own outings to pay her much mind. Occasionally one or two passersby who were lucky enough to see her face turn in place and watched the girl pass them by with startled and awed looks. Though she was followed by a person who struggled to protect her from others getting too close, the girl herself seems carefree. Her aura was not as warm and fluffy as her appearance but noble and temper prone.

Although she was only around ten years of age they could see from her clothes and idiosyncrasy that she was from a rich family and not someone they could provoke so some people even took the initiative to go around her. She had already been walking around aimlessly for half an hour under driver Yang's careful watch and was bored with the park already. The doll gave a huff of warm air and counted the days and time in her head. Although originally she did not recall this time and day, now that her grandfather was absent and she had nothing else to do.

She could not help the itch in her heart that told her to go and see exactly what had happened to Huang Gou Heng on this day. Although she hated Huang Gou Heng in the past, because so much of her attention and dissatisfaction had to do with him in her past life she still recalls a lot of instances in her life about what days Huang Gou Heng went missing and when or where he had gone. Now that she thought more about it, she probably knew more about Huang Gou Heng's comings and goings in her past life than was appropriate...Especially for someone who claims that she hated him. Zhou Hua Fan scowls at the skip in her heartbeat when thinking of the past again feeling a tad bit nervous for no reason. Don't think nonsense he has nothing to do with me now! It's only because whenever he showed up I became unhappy so I made note of where he went to avoid him! 

Her gaze rose from the snow at her feet towards the streets that were full of cars speeding across the sleet-covered roads. Her eyes followed a familiar car she used to take every day to different places in her childhood with a contemplative expression. Her fingernails dig into her palms though her face gave nothing away. Back then...I never questioned why Huang Gou Heng went missing for a whole day and night that day. I only felt relief and sneered at the fact that the house was once more empty without an additional irritable person in the house. I even felt happy when I woke up the next day and didn't see him show up for school the next day.

The car slowed down across the street from the park and stopped at a men's clothing store. That store was well known for its brand of clothing, custom suits, and designs which were befitting of rich people who had nothing better to do than spend money. Hua Fan obviously did not pay attention to the opposite gender back then or now but this store was special because of a few events in the past that were uncovered due to Huang Gou Heng's involvement. She felt a numbing pain in her chest when she recalls the past blankly staring at her as that car stops directly in front of the store before her. I never even thought of what would happen to a teenager who was abducted by the Zhou family competitors...I never thought about what Huang Gou Heng suffered because of our family. Following her gaze driver Yang's eyes widen with surprise, he changes the direction of his gaze down to the girl beside him saying hastily in hopes she wouldn't have any dangerous thoughts.

  "Miss Zhou perhaps it's-" "Perhaps these past few days have been too easy on you if you can still find the time to tell me what to do." Hua Fan smiles coldly at him shutting the man up, her tone biting and frosty. Driver Yang could sense the girl's foul mood rising and cleverly zipped his lips, he then wordlessly stood like a statue under her sharp glare no longer speaking his thoughts. Seeing he was being smart for once Hua Fan turns her dangerous glare back to the store. They could see a teen with black hair walk in with four bodyguards at attention. Just like Hua Fan, the boy had transformed during the time they spent apart. His hair which was thin and brittle was now lush and healthy.

His once hunched-over posture was now upright and authoritative sending her into a musing daze. If one looked closely, one could see a hint of disorientated fascination despite her repudiate expression in that dark stare of hers that was firmly aimed at the back of the teen. Hua Fan was amazed by how fast he had adapted, but then again when recalling that man in her past life she also felt it was suiting of someone like him to acclimate so speedily. She purses her lips unable to appreciate her disturbing ability to recognize Huang Gou Heng even with his back to her. I really am a pathetic person. His back was straight and perfect as if he was born in the clothes he currently wore, it was like he was not raised in the slums at all but a person of true high status like her. So at home, so excellent, so natural...

She laughs bitterly and stops her own wondering thoughts from finishing that train of thought, it was a slow and low laugh that sent chills down driver Yang's back. Right...Even now, even now you mock me without knowing. Huang Gou Heng are you even aware of the misery you bring me by existing? Who are you to make me feel guilt and awe? A hint of sadness flashes past her expression and glassy gaze on the teen who disappeared behind the rows of mannequins and clothes racks. By the time she recovered, he was already out of sight and driver Yang was staring down at her with a concerned look without daring to disturb her thoughts. "Have ye ye's men retrieve the car." Her voice gave nothing away but Driver Yang suddenly had a bad feeling. However, even if he wanted to ask her what she planned to do and protest the girl was already making her way to the clothes store. He could only follow the arrogant girl and stick close by to avoid anyone having any thoughts about the pretty child glumly while phoning the old master's people.

In the black car, the driver sat still with the engine on. It was always ready and warm for the young master to return when he was done with his fitting. Although at first, the man was doubtful he would get this position after being chosen and meeting the boy's father and getting to personally talk to him. The driver was already so happy and excited he felt faint because of the position he was chosen to work in. Being chosen as a rich young master's driver was the best job he could have ever hoped for, not only would he get paid well for just driving around.

His employer was filthy rich and favored this son of his a lot! He had heard plenty of rumors of the Zhou Family but after meeting the head of the household. He slowly started tossing away his suspicions as not only were the parents of the boy kind and patient but they were very generous. What rumors? What scandals? This was clearly a harmonious family! Although the boy he was charged with driving around was quiet and did not like talking. He was not overbearing nor arrogant like he thought he would be, he could even be called kind compared to the other rude teens he had encountered in the past.

At first, he was suspicious of the good pay and conditions but after staying around for the past few weeks he was willing to kiss the feet of the people who gave up this opportunity and presented him with this glorious job. Although there were still quite a few people who gave him strange looks and avoided him for some reason. After considering the pros of his job he forgets their behavior and dismisses it all as envy and jealousy. Who wouldn't want an easy and generous paying job like his?

He was in a very good mood and even if he needed to wait in a car all day he would still feel happy thinking of his next paycheck. Fiddling around on his phone to text his wife and ask her what she wanted after he received his next check his attention was drawn towards something white resembling a bundle of white fur strolling past the front of the car followed by a larger shadow. Looking up from his phone the driver was almost blinded by what he saw, a girl of merely eleven or twelve wearing a simple white fur jacket and white mittens.

The flash which caught his attention was a pair of pretty droplet earrings that dangled from her ears. Her aura screamed rich and spoiled but her eyes were unnaturally calm and aloof in contrast to her almost childish outerwear. He gawks at the girl whose long lashes collect snowflakes with each blink and fails to hide those large chocolate-colored eyes that could capture the souls of those who had weak wills. The girl's lips were soft and pink exaggerating her doll features and her cheeks were pale, not flushed like it should have been on this cold day. A cold beauty. Although he had seen his share of rich pampered misses after being assigned as the young master's driver. This girl was by far the most elite of them all leaving him staring in a befuddled silence, he couldn't even register the phone in his hands which buzzed with his wife's replies to his question. The girls who met with the young master were all coy and did their best to put on makeup and act shy around him. But this girl gave off a mature and distant vibe that was unfitting for a child.

Following along after the girl disappeared into the store was an older man who held a useless umbrella since the girl had already left him in the dust long ago. The man rushed into the men's clothing store which his own young master had entered to follow her seeming to be a chaperon of the girl who could care less if he followed or not. He did not question why such a young girl was going into a men's clothing store as instead, he was bewildered and wondered exactly who this girl was. He was in a daze for a while, and if not for the man following behind the walking doll he would have thought he was hallucinating. He quickly calls his wife in his excitement almost reverting to a naive country bumpkin who knew nothing of the city full of the rich and influential so when she picked up he did not say hello before blurting out excitedly. "Wife! You will not believe me but just now I saw a walking porcelain doll posing as a rich miss! Wife this job is truly the biggest pie to have ever dropped from the sky! The world of the rich is truly novel!" 

Startled by her husband's enthusiasm, the woman scolds him helplessly. "Can you take your job seriously?! What if your boss hears you speaking in such an embarrassing manner?! If you lose this job don't even think about coming back home and directly go back to your father's farm back in the village!" They had worked hard to save up and move to the city, barely able to afford an apartment in the poorer neighborhoods. Now that her husband found such a good job, they already had plans to buy a bigger apartment before their son grew up and needed his own bedroom. If he lost this job their plans would be ruined. The man being scolded by his wife finally knew shame and rubs the back of his neck quickly to lower his head and pacify her meekly. "You're right I'm sorry... I won't do it again."