Haunting Presence

"Miss NianNian!" 

The girl who was sitting in front of the head dresser jumped out of her daze and turned her head toward the maid who had called up to her name. She immediately frowned and glared at the maid for daring to raise her voice, "What is it?" She snapped her tone, making the maid to regret raising her voice with a pursed lip. 

"Young Master MengYao is waiting for you outside your bedroom. He wishes to tell you happy birthday before your party tonight," the maid schooled her tone.

"My brother is here?" She immediately pushed the maids who had donned her makeup and rushed away. Without forgetting, she had made sure to step her sharp end of heels over the maid who had raised her voice earlier. She stomped on her feet slow and twisted her ankle to contort the maid's face in pain. Seeing the maid crying out in panic as blood began to drip from her heel, Jiang NianNian finally let out a smirk. "Know the tone to use to your mistress, servant. There are many who would kill to be in your position now." 

The maid could only bow in apology even though her feet had been stabbed by NianNian.

NianNian scoffed before rushing toward the door. When she saw the handsome young man with the black swept hair, NianNian's face lit up in a wider smile, "Brother you are here! You must have taken a break from your busy schedule for me. I'm sorry." 

MengYao pulled a gentle smile as he patted NianNian's head, "Don't be sorry NianNian. My singing career can be pushed aside easily if it is for you." NianNian broke into a smile and MengYao's dark eyes studied her face. "Your eyes seemed puffy, did you not sleep well enough?" 

NianNian jumped upon hearing the comment. She had pressed her hand on her eyes and gulped, "I.. actually.. I didn't feel well after we heard 'that' news... about AiLin."

MengYao's hand stopped rubbing his sister's head. A look of gloom surrounded his face at once. He patted her gently again and muttered, "Don't worry yourself about her anymore, NianNian. I know you must still feel terrorized by her but she is nothing against us now." 

"Right.. you're right," NianNian couldn't tell MengYao of the dreams she had where she saw a woman running after her with a knife while holding a ghastly child. She didn't want to say it as it could point her into her true nature in front of her family. 

MengYao quickly pulled her forward and brought her down the staircase, "Today is your biggest day NianNian! Forget about all your sadness won't you? Look father and mother is also here to celebrate with you. This day will never be ruined by anyone else. It's a day solely made for your happiness." 

NianNian smiled as she lifted her face and hugged her parents. Her brother is right. AiLin, that foxy woman couldn't touch her ever again. Those nightmares are merely a dream, she is now the only daughter of the Jiang Family. Yes.. a ghost will never be able to touch her! 

That evening, a large party was held as a part of a celebration. The Jiang Family known for their luxury celebrations had held the largest party for their children twenty fifth birthday. Jiang NianNian was held as the most beautiful girl in the entire Beijing whose birthday was like a fairy's party filled with flowers all over the city. Her faces were posted on the billboard, making sure that everyone in Beijing knew of her birthday and could feel the extent of love she was cherished by her family. 

Staring at one of those billboards was AiLin. Dressed in a black jacket and pants, she had stared at the face of Jiang NianNian while holding to the duffel bag she had gotten from when she had left the prison. 

Her dark eyes were illuminated by the bright light shedded from the large billboard but her expression was as dark as the stormy sky that had suddenly surrounded Beijing. 

"Young miss, it would be better for you to have this," AiLin heard the sound of a grandmother that had spoke on her left. 

She turned her face to look at the old woman, for a moment her expression had caused the grandmother to find her frightening but when she immediately smiled, the grandmother almost thought she had imagined that expression as a figment of her imagination. 

Looking downward, she found the umbrella that the grandmother had given to her. 

"Thank you but what about you?" She asked the grandma gently. 

"I have a lot of them, see there is one more for me," the grandma lifted her other umbrella. "I'm sorry to say this young lady. But I hope you wouldn't do anything that you will regret." 

AiLin's eyebrows raised slightly, "What I will regret? Why do you say so grandma?" 

"Your face," the grandma said with an unsettled expression. 

AiLin wondered if her murderous mien had caused the grandma to shiver and find her frightening. 

"Aiya, it's nothing," answered the grandma, "Listen to me. Eat something really good tonight and have a great sleep as well. If you fulfill these two I know you will feel better." 

AiLin chuckled as she accepted the umbrella to her hands, "Trust me grandma. Tonight I will be eating a feast." She stared at the billboard again, "I have been invited to a party after all." 

After she had finished talking to the grandma, AiLin continued her walk through the empty road of Beijing's corner side. The grandma sighed and slowly walked over to the black foreign car and the man who had lighted up a cigarette while having one of his men shielding his face with a black umbrella as rain began to dribble from the sky. 

"I have given her the umbrella young master," said the grandma and the man flicked his finger, ordering his men to bring a thick load of money to his hand which he then passed over to the grandma's hand. 

The grandma shuddered again upon seeing the snake tattoo that had adorned the man's hand. The mouth of the black inked snake slithered around his ring finger and was snapped open as if it was in rage or having a certain hunger for something.

"Good job," said the man. "You can go home now." 

The grandma was stopped by this man on her way back home after selling her umbrella. He promised to buy all her umbrellas only if she would give one of the umbrella to the young lady who was staring at the billboard for a long time. At first she hesitated but the money was a good offer she didn't want to refuse as well as the man in front of her right now seemed to have came from an association she couldn't afford to anger. 

"I have also told her to eat well and sleep well," the grandma said as it was what the man had ordered her to say. "But... if you know that young lady I think you should be careful sir." 

The man's face was covered by the umbrella but the grandma could feel his intimidating stare. 

"Why?" His tone was curt. 

"She seemed like..." the grandma didn't know what to say and added in a drawl, "Like she wish to leave this world." 

A sudden smash could be heard that startled the grandmother. She found the same man had smashed his snake tattooed hand over his car. He then released his cigarette and stomped the fire with his leather shoes. 

"I know," he said coldly before ordering his men to open the door and entered inside, leaving the grandma to fear for her own safety as that man's face was the most horrifying one she had ever seen in her seventy years of lifespan. She could only pray to the God above that the man wouldn't do anything bad to the young lady as it seemed she was threading a thin will of staying alive. However the grandma couldn't say much as it wasn't her business to care for. She could only pray and leave it to the god's hands.