No tears

Lei Nuwa had been found by the police the next day, and brought back to the Yang household.

"You insolent bitch! How could you embarrass this family so horribly?" Yang Mao had slapped the girl multiple times until she fell to the floor. He continued to kick her with each word he spoke. "I should have listened to your mother when she said she wanted an abortion. Then my Sui would be engaged, and you could not shame me like this! What do you have to say for yourself?!" He roared as he kicked her a final time, causing her to cough up blood.

She stayed silent because she knew that any words she said would just anger him more. Yang Mao was usually calm and docile– he had never felt love for his second daughter, but out of duty he had given her what she needed to survive. Lei Nuwa knew that the lunch would be the beginning of his mean streak– a newer, more violent version of her father that terrorized her alone.

Her mother had always hated Lei Nuwa. Despite the fact that she was her only biological daughter, Yang Lianqi had wholeheartedly thrown herself into the role of mother for Yang Sui instead. She gave Lei Nuwa her maternal name, and decidedly left her as soon as she could walk to fend for herself. Lei Nuwa did not know what she had done; and in her fifth life, she didn't particularly care. She hated her family– because she had grown up without love or comfort, she had become clingy and annoying in her first life. She had believed any nice thing someone said to her. So naive and trusting, the result was her first and most painful death. She could not forget that death even with amnesia.

So she took the beating with a blank look on her face.

***

After her father had gotten all of his anger out, the rest of the family besides Lei Nuwa left the house for a picnic in order to calm down. Lei Nuwa laid sprawled out on the hardwood floors. As she looked at the chandelier above her, the familiar feeling of helplessness began to take root within her chest. She would not be able to change the outcome of her life, she would never know the peace of death, she would never be able to escape.

Lei Nuwa curled up into the fetal position, but wouldn't let herself truly cry. In her first life, she always cried. Liu Yichen had always hated when she cried– it would only earn more wrath. Even if he wasn't there, she could not help but see his figure towering over her body, yelling and screaming.

A knock on the door broke her out of her scared reverie. Usually, an attendant would answer the door, but Yang Mao had sent them all away in order to dole out his punishment to Lei Nuwa. Nuwa had decided to pretend she wasn't there, but the one behind the door was persistent. She stood up and opened the door.

She, unfortunately, forgot the state of injury she was in. The young man in front of her jumped back after she opened the door, his eyes wide. He stared at the number on the house, and then his phone.

"Um, is this the Yang household?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, the Yangs are currently not home, so you should come again later today." Lei Nuwa made a move to close the door, but the boy had stopped it from closing with his foot.

"Are you okay? Did someone break in? I can call the police." Lei Nuwa laughed at the boy's earnest nature.

"No, I'm fine. I just fell down the stairs. Please do not worry about me, I will let the Yangs know that you visited. Can I get a name?" She was ready to just pretend the man never visited, but his kindness had changed her mind. Even if it meant helping her horrid family, she could not help but feel guilt at the thought of deceiving the young man.

'Ai. Just as weak as ever, Lei Nuwa.' She had thought to herself.

"I will give you my name, but on two conditions." He was still earnest, but Lei Nuwa had not realized the height difference. He towered over her, and his face held something more than what she had initially seen. Her mind was screaming for her to close the door, but she did not.

"Hm." She said, as she moved to motion for the boy to come in.

"I will tell you my name if first, you tell me yours. And second, you let me help you with whatever or whoever put you in this state." He smirked at her surprised face. She stared curiously at the boy– he was handsome, he was built strong, and his clothes looked expensive. She had never seen this man in any of her lives.

"I'm Lei Nuwa. The aid kit is in the laundry room."

"I'm Zhang Fengge. I'm not a stalker I promise– I was here on request of your father, but it seems he forgot." Lei Nuwa paused.

"How did you know he was my father?" Lei Nuwa had learned to fight in her third life, and began to ready herself to take the man out. The calm nature that had charmed her at the door now seemed suspicious, and she inwardly cursed herself for being foolish again. "I do not know any Zhangs. Perhaps you would care to tell me your business here?"

Zhang Fengge laughed. "Ah, in my efforts to put you at ease, I seem to have made it worse. I'm sorry, really." He pointed to his own eyes. "It's not often you see someone with purple eyes– besides, the news of your fight with the Liu family has already made its rounds. You're famous!"

Lei Nuwa cringed. The rumors about what happened at the lunch would only grow more ridiculous. She had tried countless brands of colored contacts in order to make herself less recognizable– her purple eyes had shown through each and every one. She felt as if the heavens laughed at her existence. Fengge, on seeing her reaction, quickly moved on.

"Anyways, I'm here because your dad wants me to marry your sister."

Lei Nuwa choked on air. "Are you sure you haven't arrived at the wrong Yang house?"

"Oh I'm sure. Your father has sent me his address only a billion times. I wasn't planning on ever going, but now I'm glad I did." He smiled at Lei Nuwa. She blushed and hid her face in her hands, forgetting about her facial injuries. She winced and quickly removed her hands.

"Anyways." She coughed. "Feel free to wait in the kitchen or living room while I fix myself. I'll be out in a second." Fengge ignored her words as he swiped the kit from her hands, and picked her up. Lei Nuwa screeched in surprise, her arms flying up to hold him by the neck so she wouldn't fall.

"What are you doing?? I- I can walk, my legs aren't hurt."

He ignored her still, until he arrived at the kitchen entrance. He hoisted her up and sat her on the counter, so that he was between her legs. Lei Nuwa's blush got worse.