Chapter 1: I don't want to get married!
After three years of studying abroad and being away from her family, Xiaoqi's finally able to get back in her home town. After arriving at the airport, she smelt the warm breeze of her country. She arrived earlier than expected to surprise her father about her arrival. However, this happened…
"Father, as I told you before, I am not getting married!" Xiaoqi exclaimed after hearing her father talk about another marriage he had arranged without her permission.
"I'm telling you, I'd rather live alone than marry somebody I don't even love." She asserted.
"Xiaoqi, can't you just hear me out? It—"
"Not another word father, we've been through this. If you still want to insist on that engagement then I will say to it that you will never see me again."
"Oh, really? Quite persistent aren't you?"
"Yes, if you still insist on that marriage I will leave this house at once and never come back."
("Huh, I know my dad, he won't let such thing happen. He loves me, his daughter way too much he'll definitely give in to me and cancel the marriage in no time")
She thought proudly.
"Well then, I guess you have made up your mind. You're a grown up now you don't listen to your father anymore. It's breaking my lonely heart."
("Is he kidding me? What's he gonna do now?")
"Your mother isn't always around, and your brother is now with her helping her with her business. And now my only daughter that just came back wants to leave too… How much sadder could it get? Sniffle~ sniffle~"
"Nanny Hong, please get young lady's luggage,"
("Wait, what about cancelling the marriage? Is he serious? Does he really want me to leave that badly? Something's definitely fishy here…")
"Yes," the maid curtsied and walked away.
Mr. Xue sobbed secretly glancing at her daughter's stunned appearance. On the other hand, Xiaoqi still couldn't believe her father's decision. After a while, nanny Hong came back with Xiaoqi's luggage.
"Young lady's luggage is ready Mr. Xue," the maid said.
"Fine, I'll go! Do you think I was kidding?" She said anxiously, "Watch me!" she snatched the luggage away and turned her back irritated for being taken aback.
"Wait," she heard her father said in a calm but serious voice. "You can leave this house and cancel the marriage under three conditions." He added.
Xiaoqi stopped and turned around to listen, "Say it,"
"First, you shall NOT take any money from this family; second, you shall NOT reveal your identity under any circumstances, I forbid you to rely on your reputation whatever reason it might be; and lastly, you are to earn 1 MILLION CNY within a year which starting today. Broke any of this conditions and I believe you know clearly what will happen."
"Fine, I accept your challenge. Not only that, I will also find my true love, and I will say to it that you'll eat your words." Xiaoqi rebelled and turned away from her father.
"Oh, and one more thing," Xiaoqi paused for a moment, expecting for her father to take back what he said and ask her to stay. "…you left your phone," he added pointing at the top of the table beside him.
Xiaoqi turned looking utterly dismayed for what he said. She took the phone and stomped her way out. The anger she felt made her head ache, as she walked farther and farther away from home.
(Humph, stupid father... you'd rather let your daughter live on streets than cancel the marriage. How could he kick me out with nothing but my luggage and phone? It's so annoying! He even wants me to earn a million yuan from dirt within one year without getting my identity exposed to the public. What a heartwarming present… and here I was hoping to surprise him ending up being the one surprised. Ugh! Maybe I went a little too far?)
Her mind was filled with thoughts as she wandered down the streets,
("Now that I think of it, it's too late to take back what I said. Ugh, me and my temper really! It's not like I can turn back time; 'what's done is done' I should just think of what I can do now…")
The sun was high and the weather was exceptionally hot making her sweat drip down from her forehead. She fanned her face with her hand as she looked at the pedestrian lane in front of her as she sat down palely waiting for the traffic light to go red.
("My feet hurts with these heels from walking for hours, not to mention being tired, and hungry, and thirsty from all that's happened, I haven't even rested for a bit. It's so damn hot in the afternoon, I feel like walking in a dessert")
She glanced at her sore feet, "Ah~ it stings…" she moaned in pain as she took off her heel seeing her swollen bruised foot.
People passed by her, she looked back at the traffic light. It was already red and people are in a hurry crossing already, so she also stood up and walked limply enduring the pain she's feeling. As she was about to reach the other side of the lane, she couldn't help but faint in front of a blue Maserati that stopped just in time before almost hitting her. Feeling pain, hunger, and being dehydrated, she felt tired and weak; she couldn't find the strength to stand up.
("Water, I need… water")
Not even being able to utter another word she reached out to a man who she couldn't quite see weakly. But even still, all she heard were words uttered by a man's voice as she collapsed on the ground barely seeing anything.
"Hey, miss, you don't need to act. Please get up. Even if you need money you shouldn't frame people. Hey come on, please get up. I haven't even hit you yet, the gap is still about two feet, it's still far from hitting you—" he sighed, "I don't know, anyway. I haven't hit you so I'm going."
Xiaoqi saw the man's footsteps as he turned around and went back in his car. That was the last thing she remembered before waking up in another place.
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So it turned out to be like this. Coming back from abroad after being away for three years, and this is what happened. Now I'm kicked out just like that?
I'm hungry, thirsty, and tired. Now, it's getting late and I don't have anywhere to spend the night in. *sigh*