"Boom!" Thunder roared, the rain poured down, and the dark clouds that filled the sky seemed to shroud the entire world.
"Drip! Drip!" A pair of high heels soaking wet clacked against the puddles. That woman, her face pale as ghost, standing underneath a lamppost, looked like she was consumed by fear. The dim light overhead flickered on and off, and the tears that fell from her eyes seamlessly blended with the rain on her face.
She was panting, forcing her heavy body to stay upright, tilting her face upward to receive the downpour. Holding a silver handgun with the speed of a shooting star, she aimed it at her temple. With no desire left to live, she decided to end it all right here, in a place where no one was around.
A finger adorned with a platinum diamond ring gently moved to the trigger. The hopeless woman slowly closed her eyes, committed to the act of suicide when...
"Bang!" A firm hand suddenly grabbed the woman's slender wrist, catching her off guard, swiftly removing her gun and pocketing it. The woman stared intently with her eyes filled with desperation at the man in front of her. He had a cold and aloof gaze that seemed unfocused, his deep eyes ringed with anger. He had short, black, wet hair that was draped over his shoulders, with blue glowing earrings catching the light. He was undeniably handsome, yet he always exuded a chill, sending out a sense of danger from afar.
"Listen, Li Xiaozhu, you don't even qualify to die," a cold hand tightly gripped her chin as a deep rough voice sounded from above her. She had been tormented enough, and now does she need his permission even to die?
"What use is a loveless marriage?"
"You willingly signed the marriage contract with me. Now, the money has been transferred into your father's account. What now? Are you planning to go back on your word?"
Given another chance by heavens, she would refuse to sign the marriage contract with the man in front of her, even at the cost of death. At the moment, she clearly understood that marriages without love were just a waste of time and life...
Three months ago:
"Xiaozhu, help me photocopy this document. Thank you."
"Xiaozhu, help me get a cup of coffee from the shop downstairs, remember, with sugar and cream. Thanks!"
"Xiaozhu, help me manage the files on my desk."
Xiaozhu, Xiaozhu, Xiaozhu... The name was endlessly repeated in her ears.
Li Xiaozhu, only twenty-two and a graduate from a business university, stunningly beautiful with an unmistakable charisma had clear, luminous eyes, slender eyebrows and trembling eyelashes. Her flawless white skin had a slight blush, and her lips were as tender as rose petals. She was gentle and sensitive, talented, and intelligent. But …
Since being hired by the Dragon Group, it seems she has never really been utilized. Like a crystal ball, she's transparent. Clearly highly capable, yet unable to put her skills to use. Instead, she is ordered around by her colleagues, doing this, doing that, even doing the tasks of janitors.
"Ms. Mei, your files," Li Xiaozhu, panting with exhaustion, hands the copied documents to her coworker, all the while wearing a sweet smile. "Ms. Sun, your coffee!" Here again, another radiant smile. She says, "By the way, Ms. Lan, I have dealt with all the files on your desk. You can now work at ease."
It's noon and the sun lights up Li Xiaozhu standing on the company's rooftop holding a milk tea, looking at the sky, and sighing, "Half a year in the company, why haven't the leaders assigned a project to me?" Graduating from a highly reputable finance university was the dream of so many, but now, with a monthly salary just topping two thousand, how is she supposed to repay her father's loans? "Mom, in heaven, please bless your daughter."
The night sky gradually deepens, countless stars breach through the darkness. The night's moisture slowly permeating the air, spreading a sorrowful atmosphere. Li Xiaozhu, weary from her day, walks along the road, looking up at the stars. They are shimmering brightly, like tiny teardrops.
Walking into the alley and reaching her house, Li Xiaozhu is shocked to find her familiar furniture being moved out one by one. Grasping the man's arm in panic, she asks, "Excuse me, isn’t this our furniture? Where are you moving it?" She can hardly see his face in the darkness, only hearing a strange voice affirming he's from the movers.
"You're no longer the owner here, move aside, don't block the way!" An irritable man pushes Li Xiaozhu away, hauling a heavy sofa onto the van, "We warned you before we loaned to Li Dong, if he can’t pay back the money, we would take back his house and everything. Now, since Li Dong has disappeared, we’re obviously going to repossess his stuff."
These men aren’t movers? Li Xiaozhu steps forward angrily, grabbing the man’s arm, "No, you can’t take my things away! If... If you take away my home, where will I and my father live?" Having worked all day, she feels completely broken upon hearing this dreadful news.
"Where you choose to stay is none of my business!" 'Bang!' The man jumps onto the truck, slamming the door shut. The large blue truck quickly departs the alley, leaving Li Xiaozhu standing there, dust-covered and dispirited. Her father has ruined her, she thinks! Why can't he find a stable job, why did he have to take out loans!
"Dad! Stop hiding! I've already seen you! Come out!" Li Xiaozhu snarls lowly. The middle-aged man cautiously steps out from behind a concrete pillar. Under the dim streetlight, he cannot clearly see his daughter's expression, only vaguely sensing the anger emanating from her.
"Xiaozhu, your father, actually…"
"Dad!" Li Xiaozhu spins around, hands on hips, shouting, "We are now homeless, you've seen it yourself. Because of your reckless loans, your daughter and you are out on the street!"
"That's not it, Xiaozhu, those high-interest lenders trap us common people. It’s a never-ending pit. You know my situation…mmm repaying all the loans is simply too difficult." Li Dong, dressed neatly in a black suit, approaches Li Xiaozhu, head down, murmuring complaints.
"Since you knew they lend at high interest rates, why did you take the loans! Dad, do you understand the gravity of the situation!" Having such a father is heartbreaking for Li Xiaozhu.
"I know I was wrong. That’s why I’ve decided to pay back all the money at once. Then, the house would belong to us again." Pay back the entire sum at once? That's an astronomical figure of five million! When did her father become so ambitious? "Xiaozhu, do you know Bai Mochen from Bai Group?" Li Xiaozhu shakes her head in response. "At least you must have heard his name, right?" Li Xiaozhu again shakes her head. "Oh! My daughter, How could you not know Bai Mochen?"
"Why must I know this 'Bai...whatever'?"
"Only Mr. Bai can save us from our desperate circumstances," Li Dong spoke in a serious low voice, "I heard that recently, Bai Mochen of Bai Group is looking for a fiancee. If you could become his wife, wouldn't we have a home to live in?" Did he seriously suggest that she become the wife of Bai Group's president?
"Dad! How could you even consider such an absurd idea! Are you selling your own daughter?" Li Xiao Zhu roared in anger, "With our house taken away, we are temporarily living at my aunt's house. Dad, to pay off the loan, we should find a stable job and earn money with our own hands. Stop dreaming about taking shortcuts to pay off the debt, hmph!"
"Xiaozhu, sigh! Xiaozhu!" Li Dong moved forward and held onto his daughter, "Xiao Zhu, look at your dad now. I am already fifty, what kind of job can I do? If we don't take a shortcut, I won't pay off this loan in my entire life. Do you want us to live at your aunt's house forever?"
"Are you planning to sell your own daughter then?" Li Xiao Zhu's big eyes had captivated countless men. Even the young master of Bai Group would undoubtedly fall for her charm.
"What do you mean by selling? As long as Bai Mochen notices you and is willing to sign a marriage contract with me, you will become the young mistress of Bai Group. Isn't that good?" So dad was planning this all along, yet claiming it's not selling. How is it different from business transaction?!
"No, it's not good at all. You doing this will only disrupt my original plans. I want to marry the man I love, not someone I have never met, not even seen, let alone love. Dad, I'll figure out the loan issue myself, but you can't act on your own and find this Bai whoever to sign the marriage contract." After speaking, Li Xiao Zhu walked into the empty house, packed her belongings, and prepared to head to her aunt's house.
However, how could Li Dong give up such a good opportunity...
Bai Group was situated in the top-tier area of the Central-South region. The building towered higher and mightier than a seven-star hotel at the roadside. The grand, soaring hall looked incredibly grandiose under the sunlight. A few revolving doors moved slowly back and forth. Standing outside the Bai Group building, Li Dong swallowed hard and took heavy steps inside.
"Good day, sir, do you have an appointment?" The woman at the front desk, wearing a rose-red suit, asked politely with a smile.
"No, I am looking for your company's young master."
"Do you mean Mr. Bai?" The receptionist counted on with a smile.
"Yes! Mr. Bai."
"I am sorry, sir. Our Mr. Bai is currently on a business trip overseas and it will take some time for him to come back. Also, if you want to meet our Mr. Bai, an appointment needs to be scheduled a week in advance."