"He isn't my friend... I have only one friend in my life..." He declared boldly and Mia looked at him in awe.
'He really knows how to fiddle with words...' When she was thinking this, Yongzhi excused himself and ran out.
He somewhere felt hurt but, was glad that his boss cleared everything.
"Let's go. Come on." He held her hand and took her out.
In the car.
He looked at her calm face and said,
"I know you don't remember anything but I also know you don't like your mom."
His words confused her to the core.
'What the hell??? Sunny said they both had a good connection. Ohh, means they were faking to be good in front of the world.'
She was immersed in her thoughts and was brought back when he held her hand.
"Don't worry, we won't stay for long. We are going there just for formality."
She nodded and thought to herself,
'Plan changed. Now I should act like a loathing woman. Mia change your posture once you reach there.'
...
At the mansion.
As soon as they entered, a woman came down running from the stairs.
She looked around to be in the early forties but her beauty disguised her age completely.
'Hmm, so it is her genes which passed through Yunxi.'
She thought and when the woman tried to hug her, she perfectly acted like she didn't like her by taking a step back and bowing deeply.
A tragic expression could be seen on her face. Mia somehow felt bad because she always had a soft corner for mothers as she knew what it is like to live without maternal love and care.
"Come in. Come in." She said and Xian was the one who spoke this time,
"Mother-in-Law, I have a meeting this evening so,"
"Not a problem. Everything is ready, come." Jiling said with a happy yet a sad smile and took them to the dining table.
"Yunxi, I asked maids to prepare all your favourite dishes."
She said while trying to put some food on her plate.
Mia just nodded and every inch of her soul ached for trying to ignore that pity mother's care.
'Yunxi, God gave you such a caring mother and you didn't like her... Sigh, all don't get a chance to enjoy this care and the one who gets just ignores it... This world is really weird...'
She was brought back from her opinions when the lady spoke sweetly.
"Yunxi, I know you don't like me but still I did everything for your own good. I know, I should have informed you that this marriage was a deal but I didn't agree to it just because of the contract but because I knew Yang Xian is a perfect match for you."
'Ohh, this is the reason she hates her. Sorry aunty but I am also a Lil angry about this deal. You should have found someone else, why the hell did it have to be this man. I would have been happy if it was someone else but this one is really annoying.'
She thought to herself while glancing at Xian who just smiled at her.
"Yunxi, take care... I heard you have psychotic Insomnia, my heart aches seeing you suffer so much and I know I am the reason for this condition of yours. I should have made you strong from the starting to endure the truth of you not having a father rather than protecting you from the evil world."
With that, tears started to flow from Zhang Jiling's eyes and it agonized her heart heavily.
She wanted to hug this lady and confirm that everything was alright. But her hands were tied so was her heart.
She just nodded and both left the place.
...
In the car.
Mia was just staring out of the window as the bizarre memories came to her mind.
Her mom never touched her nor never did she look at her from the time she was born. She heard from others that she had depression and she also never disturbed her. It was her father who always took care of her but when she was around 4 years, she died. She committed suicide.
"Hahaha, did you think your mother gave up on her life. We made her commit suicide with our words."
Those words streamed through her mind from her first aunt's mouth during her murder.
"How could we allow a foreigner to continue our ancestral family?"
"My brother was too foolish to fall for her and marry her... But I am glad we killed her and removed her from our family and now it's your time sweety..."
Those words somehow boiled her blood but that last look of her mother's face... That posture of seeing her hanging there and at that time, she couldn't do anything than wailing out loud.
But now she seemed helpless, very very helpless.
Tears started to come out even though she aimed to control them. That suicide stance of her mom, that funeral time, that sad face of her mom every time she peeked in her room, that fights with her father. All these broadened her sorrows.
Suddenly she was pulled into a hug.
She didn't budge as she needed it the most.
He didn't speak much nor did she but just allowed those long-held tears to flow...
"Everything will be fine." He patted her head and she just nodded.
...
She just locked herself in her room and didn't come out as she needed time to calm herself.
Xian like yesterday came with a trolley of food and sat in front of her.
She didn't say much but with her eyes, it looked like she had cried her heart out.
He just sat there without having anything to say.
This time, her brain was inactivated and only her heart was working.
She looked at him and said,
"Why can't you leave me alone??"
"Because I feel apathetic when I am not around you."
His words were not the ones which her dumb brain could understand.
"I want to be alone."
"That doesn't make you happy, so you can't be alone."
She didn't want to argue much as she needed to rest.
"Open your mouth." He commanded.
She looked at him and then at the spoon in a daze.
"You can think only when you have the energy to run your brain." He said with a serious look to which she smiled.
He was surprised but was also glad that she was coming out of that awful world.
"I will eat it by myself."
Mia was Mia, even though she was broken she still knew who and what her work was... She still didn't trust his care and thought it was just a play.
He didn't argue ane just gave her the plate.
Once she was done, there was a trace of food on her lower lip which he wiped with his thumb...
She first wanted to scold but didn't have that heart as the only thing which was running in her mind was her mother.
He kissed her forehead and left the place.
If her mother was still alive, she would have shown the same care. She would have fed her daily. She would have slept with her when she was anxious or stressed. She would have loved her to an extent which no one could beat.
"Mom, I miss you..." She said and went into a deep sleep...
...
"Look at her eyes... I feel like taking them out..."
Michael, the one who wanted to fu*k her said while standing behind her first aunt Liu Lihua, commented.
A woman who was in her twenties came with a bucket of water...
She put the bucket in front of her and looked at her worriedly.
"Ahh, my sister is really suffering a lot."
She turned around and glared at everyone,
"You all, hmph. How could you hurt her like this???"
Mia was surprised at her first aunt daughter Liu Mei's words but she knew it was just another play.
"How could you enjoy without involving me???" Mia smirked at her words as she was right. These weren't her family, her people.
"Bitch, stop acting. Do whatever you want. It's better if I take my last breath soon as I don't want to see these bunch odd assholes and bitches again..."
Someone tugged her hair hard and she didn't flinch.
"How can you talk like that, my little sister??? MeiMei just wants to treat you well, that's all..." The boy who was holding her hair tightened his grip...
"Leave her, Xiang." Liu Mei commented and Mia was left on the floor with a thud.
Mei took her peeled hand and put it in the bucket.
She wanted to scream as the pain passed through every inch of her body due to that hot water. There wasn't any skin which was left to burn as it was completely peeled. Her hypodermis was burning and it was more than hell but she didn't shriek nor flinch. She glared at her so-called cousin.
"My dear, yell out loud. Maybe, God will take you up soon hearing your cries."
"I won't..." Mia's fierce answer echoed through the room and Liu Mei just pushed Mia's hand hard inside in the bucket...
Mia tightly closed her eyes enduring the pain.
"Scream, Mia." Her brother Liu Xiang pulled her hair tightly again.
"No, I won't..." She yelled.
"No, No...."
"Shhh, calm down... It's just a dream... Calm down, Mia..."
She slowly loosened her grip around the sheets and held the hand which was beside her.
Another hand was patting her forehead. She slowly hugged the figure beside her and went into sleep when a kiss landed on her cheek.
...
In the morning.
Mia woke up snuggling in someone's arms and she sat upright.
It was again the same man. She checked herself and everything was tit and tat.
She recalled what happened yesterday and her eyes grew wide.
'I clearly remember someone saying, Calm down Mia'
She tried to wake him up and he woke up in the dazed state rubbing his eyes.
"How did you come here??? What did you say last night???"
She wanted to confirm whether what she heard was really what he said or was she just mixing up again.
But he just sat there in no mood to answer her questions.
...