The Beginning

In the midst of the busy streets of Beijing and under the scorching heat of the sun, stands a girl.

A girl that lives her extravagant life with all those golden spoons and sparkling jewelries. She already had her life set for her future but little did she know that fate's going to turn the tables and let her experience a life that she never dreamed of having.

"Huang Jia!" I groaned and lazily slouched on my chair when I heard my best friend's annoying voice.

"What is it this time, Yu Yan?" I asked her, almost ready to sleep in my desk. Our professor for our last subjects is now ten minutes late, what's taking him so long?! I want to get this done so I could now rest on my precious bed.

Yu Yan chuckled as she prevented my head from falling onto the desk. "You're still a lazy girl even if it's the start of summer break tomorrow?!" She exclaimed.

"Tss. Get out, Yu Yan! You're delaying my sleep. I'm getting irritated at Professor Zhao for wasting my time," I said and closed my eyes.

"Oh no, you don't, Huang! Just be patient now! We're hours away from summer break!" She pushed my head up, keeping it away from my table.

Then, I heard the door of the stadium I'm in open. I immediately opened my eyes to check if it was our professor and luckily, I was right! I sat properly knowing I will be scolded by this old man even if I was just breathing!

I'm now here in Beijing University as a college freshman and a nineteen year-old Li Huang Jia. I'm not exactly a studious person. In fact, I am way opposite of that! I'm more into worldly things and I have no time for studying. I actually didn't want to attend college anymore but my parents threatened to cut all my funds so I had no choice.

But then I met Yu Yan at my history and math class. Although she's a nerd, she's fun to be with and because of her, I am able to survive each passing day in school.

And Professor Zhao's every day, senseless rant about me.

"Good afternoon class!" I watched him walk his short legs towards his desk. He surveyed the now quiet stadium until his eyes landed on me.

I rolled my eyes when his expression clearly changed from a happy disposition to an irritated one.

"Good afternoon to you too, Ms. Li," he said mockingly.

"Tch," I ignored him. Seriously, what's his problem with me? I'm pretty sure I did nothing wrong to him rather than sleep in his boring history lecture.

"Well I am happy to say that this is your last day of classes and I won't be seeing anymore of your sleepy faces in my class," he made it sound bitter as he said that.

Who would enjoy history anyway? Why bring up and study the things that have happened already?

"I think he's talking about you," Yu Yan beside me whispered teasingly.

"Shut up," I said, pissed. I rested my chin in my palm as I anticipated the old, annoying professor's next words.

"And for that, I would like to dismiss you early since we have nothing to do anymore," he said and everyone inside the stadium screamed in joy and even jumped and threw papers everywhere.

"Such kids," I mumbled as I stood up and collected my things.

"Well I feel like you're close to rejoicing as them," Yu Yan continued to tease me.

I turned to her, now more annoyed. "Would you stop it already? I just wanted to go home and sleep. Perhaps go shopping on the next days," I opened the door and went out of the suffocating place as Yu Yan trailed behind me.

"Well knowing you, you'd spend millions if you shop for a day and you just literally shopped last Sunday so you better not follow your plan for the next days,"

"Ahhhh finally, some fresh air!" I smiled indulgingly as I spread my arms to feel the cold breeze touch my skin.

"You just haven't felt fresh air for just like fifteen minutes," Yu Yan kept on commenting.

"Tsk," I complained. ���Would you stop nagging me and just zip your nerdy mouth?" I said irritatingly.

She just shrugged her shoulders and motioned her hands, as if closing a zipper in her mouth.

I gave her a disgust look but my eyes widened when my vision trailed behind her.

"Lana!" I ran towards the senior high school girl and hugged her. She chuckled at my reaction and hugged me back.

"Jiejie!" (Mandarin word for Older Sister) She said.

"Where's Zhen?" I asked her, talking about my little brother. Lana is his girlfriend, by the way.

She looked behind her, looking for Zhen. I trailed her vision and from afar, I saw my handsome brother walking towards us.

I flashed a wide smile as I waited him to near us. I even watched the girls who walk passes him almost drooling.

"Stop that smile. It's creepy," Yu Yan seemed to unzip her mouth to just say that.

My smile faded and turned to her with wide eyes. She seemed to get my message so she nodded and motioned her hands to zip her mouth again.

I turned to my brother again with my smiling face. When he neared us, his arms immediately trailed to Lana's waist but I still hugged him anyways.

"Long time no see, brother!" I said as I continued to hug him.

"What's with you, sis? We just saw each other this morning," he said as he tried to get out of my hold.

"Weird, right?" Yu Yan commented.

I let go of him and faced the three, a little annoyed. "Well, it felt like years inside the old man's stadium so," I shrugged my shoulders.

Yu Yan and Lana laughed while my usual serious and stoic brother just shook his head. He's like that since birth despite his handsome and attractive features. That's why I was shocked that he got himself a girlfriend when he introduced Lana to my family.

Like Yu Yan, he's also into studying and barely has friends. I really salute Lana that she managed to get into his nerves like that!

"Is Meimei not here yet?" Zhen looked around, looking for our youngest sister. Us three usually go home altogether since our dismissal time all ends at four in the afternoon. But since it seems like they were all dismissed early too, Zhen and Lana is here now beside me.

Dad gets us picked up with the driver in his Range Rover at this hour.

"Obviously, because she's not around. Anyways, just text her hurry up because my bed's waiting for me." I said.

Then a black SUV parked in front of us all of a sudden. I took a step back since I'm not familiar with it. The windows from its front seat opened and from the driver's, I saw a fine looking man, enough for me to be dazed at him.

"I guess my brother's here now," Yu Yan suddenly spoke behind me. My eyes widened. She has a brother?!

"Y-yu Yan!" I tried to prevent her from getting inside the SUV but she ignored me.

"Wait, you wretch! You didn't told me you have a handsome brother!" I shamelessly shouted when the SUV started moving and left us behind.

I saw her just waved her from the inside and it made me more pissed.

Then looking at it, in almost a year of knowing her, I never knew anything about her but her personality she shows in school and to me. I never knew her family, her acquaintances, her inner thoughts, her problems, while Yu Yan knows everything about me.

"Well, you're shameless," Zhen behind me, nagged.

I shrugged my thoughts and faced him. See? He's just like Yu Yan!

"What did Dad want to walk about?!" I asked our driver, frustrated as he drove across the city to our father's office.

"I have no idea, Ms. Li. He just ordered me to bring you three there!" he said, his voice being shaky by the moment.

"Then you should've asked him what about it!" I shouted as I slapped his head rest.

"Stop it, sis. You're scaring Mr. Yang," Meimei, my sister said.

"Oh shut up, you! After making me stand and wait for you for an entire hour and you still had the audacity to tell me that?!" I groaned.

"I told you, our teacher still conducted her last lecture!" she defended. I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Now I missed my beauty sleep!" I said instead.

Zhen chuckled. "Is that what you're worrying about? C'mon sis, father's words might be important," he said.

I just groaned again and chose to just wait until I get home.

A fifteen minute drive from the university, stands our Phoenix Moon Hotel, main branch. It is one of China's finest five-star hotels and it was nominated as Asia's number one hotel from the past three years under our father, Li Zhong's supervision.

Father wanted me to inherit this chain of hotels someday but I didn't want it. He insisted, though, and tried to make me want it but in the end, he just gave up.

Growing up in this household with two younger siblings and dominating them, I had the perfect plan so I could continue living the luxurious lifestyle provided by them.

I told him that Zhen could do it because I know he's capable of being a CEO, but because I could indulge myself and make him and Mei provide for my needs when we graduate.

The car stopped at the grand rotunda and guards flooded on the Range Rover, ready to escort us inside.

"Good afternoon Ms. And Mr. Li," the employees greeted us as we went inside. Zhen and Me was beside me as we walked. Mei, being the cheerful fifteen year-old she is, greeted everyone back.

I glared at her then my eyes met a girl's one. My brows furrowed when my system started to feel like I've met her or something.

Wearing a fine looking dress, with her black hair flowing behind her, and a bellboy tailing her, I assume she's a guest here.

She wasn't looking at me but I was certain I haven't met her.

Strange.