Chapter 3

TangShi tried not to fiddle with the thin belt of her simple white dress and stood upright and poised for fear of her father’s anger this morning. They had been waiting around seven minutes in the bright, sunny hallway for the arrival of the Leng grandfather, master of the family Leng, and his entourage.

She had already experienced so many harsh words. Just by being present, it seemed she irritated his mood. Her stepmother glared her way, not bothering to conceal her dislike when in the presence of her husband, her sister sneered at her for her chosen outfit.

“You couldn’t have dressed up and made an effort? Are you trying to make us look poor?” her nasty tone fell over TangShi, igniting no response because she refused to engage.

She bit her lower lip and turned her chin down as she looked over her clean and pressed dress. She had learned never to talk back over the years, never defend herself. It would pass quickly if she submitted to silence and let them say whatever they wanted without looking their way.

Her dress was a basic and long classic style. One of her favorites. She had never been given any allowance by her father to indulge in personal things, so all she owned she had to buy for herself. Clothes of decent quality were not cheap, and she tried to spend a little more to buy things that would last. The dress wasn’t that bad. A stark contrast to her designer-clad sister, who was blinged out and looked ready to walk a runway.

She had been selling her art in prints for several years online, which afforded her small luxuries. This dress was not the cheapest. It was made of good quality fabric in a nice timeless cut, but she looked like a poor relative compared to her female kin. It was not flashy, provocative, or gave the impression of being a daughter of Lei. It wasn’t this season’s style or a named brand and it wasn’t even a trending color.

Today, her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail with delicate dark brown curled tendrils framing her face. Revealing a pure expression with bare hints of makeup and rosy lips. TangShi always liked to stay natural, as she felt it was when she looked her best, but it only seemed to anger her father, who turned his attention to her—pulled by his daughter’s criticism as he appraised her outfit. He barely gave two glances when she came down here, so he hadn’t noticed.

“You should have told me you needed a dress for this. I can’t have you mocking our family by dressing this way. It’s too late to change but get a shawl or something to cover up. Juefeng, find her something of yours, quickly.”

He clapped his hands together, urging Juefeng to jump to it, and she knew better than to argue with him. He was an evil-mooded man, quick to flash tempers, and even Juefeng was wary despite being often indulged by him. TangShi’s father had no qualms about hitting the women in his life.

Juefeng rolled her eyes, huffed at being ordered about, and ran off quickly for fear of further igniting their fathers’ rage. TangShi ignored the sizzling atmosphere, and the angry tension aimed her way and focused on the marble floor instead. She was counting down the minutes until this torture would be over.

The hallway was grand, wide, and well-lit by the large south-facing windows across the front of the entranceway. If it weren’t for all her bad memories in this place, it would be a beautiful place to live. Grand and opulent with classy décor. Her family was rich enough to be important anyway.

Her nerves were already frayed as they stood there watching the clock tick slowly on. Their guests were due at any second, and her heart was thundering behind her rib cage in anticipation. Waiting for the first moments of meeting her fate and tying herself to the Leng family for the near future.

After returning here, she had spent last night by herself, browsing the internet for more confirmation that YuZhi might be Yoonie after all, and gave up. She could no longer take the pain in her heart by stoking embers of unwanted memories. She had to forget what his kiss and words had done to her soul that night.

It was all a lie, and maybe he just resembled him, and it was just a coincidence that he was so like him—fate taunting her with her old scars. The chances of him being Yoonie in a population the size of China were slim. Yoonie hadn’t even met her in Shanghai but in Beijing instead. Thirteen hundred kilometers away from here.

She often wondered what she did wrong in a previous life to attract so many bad things in her short years on this planet, and it had created a quiet personality who endured far more than any other would have.

TangShi had been suppressed for so long that she no longer knew how to fight back or stand up for herself. She had become an accepting and empty shell who never spoke up about the mistreatment she received and graciously accepted it with little emotion. It was said she had been ground into a sense of nothingness, and her heart no longer knew how to soar.

Like right now, waiting patiently to be sold off in the name of business. She had no thoughts of refusing because she knew her father would only make her living life worse than before. There was no real obvious reaction to it on the surface, as her feelings didn’t matter. She always knew she was a prisoner in the family Lei, an object they would cash in on one day. What could she do if not obey?

She had nothing and nowhere to go that her father would not chase her down and punish her. Over the years, he had no qualms about beating her, locking her in her room, or taking his anger out on her when he deemed it necessary. She was the family punching bag so many times, in so many ways.

The doorbell rang loudly, and everyone jumped to attention, instantly nervous. Straightening postures, smoothing clothes, and plastering smiles on their faces as Juefeng came skidding back with empty hands. A look of disdain on her annoyingly pretty face. Her dark eyes glowing with mischief.,

“I had nothing.” She sneered TangShi’s way and shrugged to her father as way of an apology. A clear lie. She wanted TangShi to stand out and be embarrassed by her lack of showiness. Her simple outfit that Juefeng deemed unworthy.

She smirked that she was dressed far more proactively and eye-catching than her older sister. She wondered if the young master would fall in love with her on sight and beg to switch the two, although she had no intention of being tied down so young. She had her choice of men, but she still liked to have them chase her.