Battle Scar

Liling stirred and groggily opened her eyes. She could feel the sunlight filtering through the curtains bouncing off her face.

She stayed unmoving for a few minutes staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.

Her sleep had been anything but peaceful the previous night and she already anticipated the eyebags that would adorn her face.

With a gentle groan, she reluctantly rose from her bed, glancing at the bedside clock which read 04:25. Despite being a Saturday morning, she knew tasks were awaiting her.

She slipped out of her pyjamas and tightly wrapped a soft white towel around her body.

As she made her way into the ensuite bathroom, she couldn't help but admire its sophisticated design and luxurious layout. The marble floors gleamed under the lights' warm glow, reflecting off the gold accents and ornate fixtures. Every detail seemed meticulously planned, exuding a sense of opulence and luxury.

She stepped out in front of the mirror and observed herself, to her relief there were no eyebags.

She stared at her hair, gently touching it and releasing it from the nest-looking bun on her head. It cascaded down her back in waves. It was almost waist-length and felt silky to the touch.

The deep rich colour of her hair framed her face perfectly, but she couldn't help but feel like it was a mask, hiding the truth of her past within its delicate tendrils.

With a gentle touch, she traced the faded lines of a scar on her pale skin- a testament to her survival. A battle scar.

There were more littered on her back, faded now, but still visible.

As she shut her eyes, she pushed away the haunting memories that threatened to resurface. Memories of dark days filled with torture, longing for death's sweet release.

As she stepped into the steamy shower, she relished the sensation of warm water cascading over her body, cleansing away the remnants of her past. The gentle spray massaged her skin and soothed her mind, leaving behind a sense of lightness.

Quickly getting ready, she slipped into a cosy beige turtleneck sweater, paired with brown pants and a warm matching coat. Carefully pulling her hair back into its signature ponytail, she glanced in the mirror one last time before stepping out of her new abode. 

***********************************

~Club Velvet

She walked in briskly clutching her chequebook. Li Hao had fulfilled his premise of their agreement and sent her their agreed sum of money the previous evening.

It was more than enough for the payment of everything she owed him, he could no longer control her life.

A smile threatened to spill at the corner of her lips then, her life was finally going to be hers again.

The club had only started filling up and was still sparsely populated as she got in. Manoeuvring her way effortlessly to the back, she made her way to the Assassin's lounge and Zhang Wei's office.

His secretary was positioned there and expressed her surprise at Liling's arrival, Liling obviously knew Zhan Wei wouldn't be in yet, so why was she here now?

"I just have something I need to drop off, can I go in?", she spared no politeness with unnecessary greetings, and went straight to the point, she desired to leave there as soon as possible, there was no need to drag it out.

"But Mr Zhang isn't around yet, I can't just let…"

"He's expecting something before he gets in", she cut her off mid-sentence, this was a blatant lie, if she needed to play dirty, she would. 

"I can contact him if it's proof you need ", she spoke again, bringing out her phone as she pretended to search for his number.

"N-No need for that", she said looking very flustered, she knew how much he hated being disturbed in the mornings and she would most definitely face his wrath if Liling did.

"Um, I-I guess you can go in", he wouldn't mind right, she was one of the closest people to him, so it was most likely going to be okay, she comforted herself and relaxed significantly,

She let Liling through and closed the door.

Liling then placed a cheque sum of five billion yuan on his table.

It would most definitely be the first thing he saw once he walked in. 

She grabbed a placeholder and moved to place it on top of the cheque.

"Oh, look who came back" 

Liling froze in fear. The last person she wished to see that day was now standing behind her.

What an unfortunate twist of fate.