I'm Leng Shishi, living in a family of five is hard. Especially when you are their breadwinner.
Leng Shishi's mother look at her disgustingly. "Your father just left me to raise you. Since you are already grown up, at least look for a job and feed your siblings. Don't be baby!"
Leng Shishi lowered her head. "I'm out."
All my life, freedom and love was all I've yearned off. Growing up with a toxic environment, I was force to be the same.
At day, I work as a normal delivery woman and at night, a dancer in a well known club.
Being a two faced every day makes me sick. I wanted a normal life and wanted on achieving my dream, to become an actress.
"Actress?" Leng Shishi's mother laugh at her. "Don't even think about it! A disgusting creature like you doesn't deserve it. Stop your day dream and make some money."
My mother hated me the most. She was once a stripper too and one day got pregnant with me. She have many client that she didn't even know my father.
At the age of 8, she married again and got pregnant with the triplets.
However, after the triplets were born, their father died saving me. That's why all of them hated and rotted me.
"Shishi. Don't listen to your mom. You're precious." Leng Shishi's stepfather said to her. She woke up crying as she remember it.
My stepfather was the only one who treated me nicely. Sometimes, I wondered... What was special to me? Why did he sacrafice his life saving an unwanted child like me? Why didn't I just died instead of him?
I wanted to end my life. But then, Brother Jing came to me. He was like a sunshine that lit my whole life.
He helped me achieve my dreams. He was my ray of sunshine. My world. I thought I can live like that. But it came crushing down...
"Miss Leng. You have stomach cancer. You only have 3 months and 5 days of life span. I advise you to stop your career and focus on your health first..." What the doctor said gives me nothing but despair.
I thought at least I have time to be acting with Brother Jing. But then again... Another car accident happen.
"My dear daughter. Since you're dying I can make it shorter. You should thanks me for what I've done. It wasn't painful now right?" After my mother knows about my illness she planned on killing me.
So when the drama who was suppose to be me was taken, I knew I have to do something. But what was the point? My life only has months.
I thought Manager Tang was a threat. But now I realized it was me, myself was the one. I just hope they can live together as their drama but with different ending.
Present: 5 days later
Anna Tang look down at Leng Shishi's tombstone and put down a bouquet of white roses.
[Rest in peace, Ms Leng. You fought well.]
She said in her mind as she learned about Leng Shishi's past.
"You know what..." Anna Tang took a deep breath and smile at herself. "I admire you. How you don't complain about your life. I really do want to thank you."
[I wanted to thank you for waking me up. My whole life, I thought mine was worse than hell. I thought of how my parents compared me to others, how they didn't spend time with me... I thought that was the worst.]
[But I realise yours are far more worst.]
Being born into a wealthy family you may think is heaven right? In that case hear Anna Tang's backstory.
Anna Tang was the middle child of the Tangs, who grew up in America. At the age of 11, she yearn for her parents love.
Anna Tang's POV
"Sorry, Anna. I need to work." "I'm busy, later." That word was always what my parents always says whenever I ask for them to play.
Since then at my 12th birthday, I don't want to celebrate it. When I refused on going out of my room, they took all my gadgets. Yeah. To them I always play and watch.
They think I don't have a future and always spoiled my two siblings.
They didn't even ask what I wanted to be. What was on their mind are always, "Xavier and Lily would be a great doctor and boss one day."
I thought nobody actually cares about me but my sister from aunt side knock on my door.
"Anna. Can I speak to you?"
She asked me anything what I think my parents would ask. What I wanted to become? Happy Birthday. And most importantly... Are you okay?
One day after my birthday, in the middle of the night I felt sharp pain in my left eye. As I told my mother about it, she said it may be just a migraine. Yes. My mother was a doctor, I was suppose to trust her.
But something inside me wanted to dig deeper. However, I ignored it once again.
The pain continued to past for 16 days, so by myself, I go on my own. To not alarmed my mother, I goes in a public one.
When going back to my room, I fell into my bed sighing sadly. What the doctor said echoed in my mind. "You are the daughter of Mrs. Tang? The world most famous doctor?"
"Sorry. I'm just surprise how you got this illness. Since you came from a well known family it is impossible as your house may as clean as shiny pearls."
The doctor said I have cavernous sinus trumbousis. What was that you asked? It was a deadly illness that if you ignore you might die.
She even said it's rare for me to have one. Since I grew up in a clean environment and didn't pass out whenever I hit my head. I'm not sad about it nor was I happy. I once thought.
[What if I just ignore it and not tell anyone about it? As if somebody actually cares about me.] Suddenly my head began spinning losing my consciousness.
I woke up hearing my sister Feng (my aunt's daughter) arguing with my parents through the phone.
"Uncle! How could you?! I respect you as the brother of my mother but you've gone to far! Your daughter is fighting for her life while you are telling me to keep my mouth shut?"
Hearing my father's response, Sister Feng got even more angrier.
"That's it! Focus on making damn money, I don't care! I'm taking Anna with me back to China. Don't try and stop me if you want your business to stay as it is."
As I thought, my parents didn't even bid me farewell. My siblings? Well, my parents send them to vacation just yesterday.
Pretty funny, huh?
Well... My life here ends. New place, new fresh start, and... Freedom.
Going back to China isn't that bad as I continue my treatment there. Sister Feng always thought me martial arts at the age of 13. As I turned 19, I graduated in Harvard with a bachelor degree of acting, online.
At 20, I become the youngest manager in R Entertainment, and took Jing Xupei as my fifth client.
When I turned 24, Sister Feng died. She was diagnosed with cancer but she didn't tell me about it. She even refused to do what the doctors advise her to do.
"My dear Anna. Growing up with no parental loves must've hurt. As I didn't experience something like that. I'd like to thank you. Thank you for giving me warmth."
"I know I can't have a child, so I consider you as one. Try to forget about me and lead a normal, alright? Continue on making other actors dream came true. Just by doing what you love can I look down on you smiling."
"And don't you dare cry. I'll haunt you if you did. Always be happy, my dear."
As I watched and listen to what sister Feng said in her laptop. I took a deep breath and smile at it happily yet sad.
Present
Anna Tang ignored the raindrops, dropping on her head and sat there, crying. [I shouldn't have scolded you. I'm sorry.]
As she continue on sobbing, a man's voice sounded and an umbrella shielding her from the rain behind.
"Mourning to someone's death is great. But if you continue on crying over her, she won't be happy."
She tilted her head to see a man the same age as her, smiling.
"Hi, there! I'm Chu Zheng! Nice to meet you."
Chu Zheng said extending his arm. Anna Tang stood up and walk pass him, hoping for him to ignore her, but he didn't. Instead, Chu Zheng followed her, with an umbrella.
"Although you are cold. You should accept this. You might catch a cold."
Anna Tang stop and raise her eyebrow at him. "I already did." She said, emphasizing to the word cold earlier.
"Hays. Why're you gonna be so rude? I just wanted to get to know you." Chu Zheng said desperately. "Well, you should back off pestering me. Cause I'm not interested."
"Um, no. Because if you're uninterested, I am. Once I did, nobody can stop me." When Anna Tang didn't reply, Chu Zheng lowered his head and say.
"I've witness every death of people. But this is the first time, I saw you who was so sad about someone who you didn't know."
"I don't have a family nor do I have friends. So I didn't know how it feels, to lose a person you loved. But every person I witness seems to really heartbroken. I just wanted to be your friend."
Anna Tang then said. "Alright. Let us talk somewhere."
Street Stalls
"By the way, you mean you don't have a friend. But why are you so energetic and friendly?"
Anna Tang asked as she watched Chu Zheng eat gracefully. "... Even how you eat is well behaved." This question made Chu Zheng flustered.
"Oh. I don't know... They don't seems to like me, I guess."
"You guess?"
Chu Zheng stop eating and took a huge gulp of water. "Well, yeah. They all think I'm weird cause every funeral, I visited them."
Anna Tang nodded, urging him to continue. "Actually. I came here for a reason. Do you perhaps know..." He was cut off short, when Anna Tang sneeze. "Sorry."
She said as Chu Zheng push a tissue box to her politely, then sneeze again. Chu Zheng waited patiently as she blow her last mucus. "Sorry, what was that?" Chu Zheng look totally unaffected and asked again.
"Do you know anyone called Jing Xupei?"
Anna Tang went alert and carefully asked back. "Jing Xupei? The king of film? Yeah. Why'd you ask?"
"Oh. Is he that popular?"
Before Anna can reply, Jing Xupei came rushing in, staring at him intensely. "What are you doing here?" Chu Zheng waved at him casually and answered normally.
"Oh, cause I miss you...'re brother of course." Jing Xupei roll his eyes.
"Well, don't bother me cause he is not here. Also, he doesn't want to see you." With that, he took Anna Tang's wrist and drag her out.
"You know each other?" Anna Tang asked as they where in Jing Xupei's car. "Yes with a slight bit of no. Whatever. Don't bother with him anymore. He just wanted an information about my brother. He is well... Obsess."
"Since when does it start? You may ask. Well, before... I give my brother my position. (before Jing Xupei's position was strip off.)"
"Chu Zheng and he become friends. (Thousand years ago.) I heard after my father got killed, they just... Went on their own."
As she listened, she face palmed herself embarrass. [Uhh. How can I just showed my soft side to someone who is obsess?]
30 years ago: After the promising vow
"What made you choose me over your loyal dog?" : Referring to Chu Zheng. When Jing Xupei wipe his blood with cloth, he asked sarcastically.
Jing Liwei who was drinking wine, stopped. His grip on the wine cup tightened. "Don't mention him." Jing Xupei ignored his warning and continued.
"Oh yeah. How come you fall for the crown prince of Vampire Clan, when both of your ties cut off?"
Jing Liwei's lips were trembling, but he master his courage and spoke again. "Our matter have been past thousand years ago. This has nothing to do with you."
"Somone! Bring the prince to his chambers to rest."
As he finish ordering, he got up and excused. "I wanted to continue on chatting, but I suddenly feel unwell. You should be ready for tomorrow." He said to Jing Xupei and flee to his room.
Present
Jing Xupei shook his head and asked normally. "Anyways. Why are you drenched? You should at least wear blanket. I heard catching cold makes you older."
Anna Tang smirked. "Nice try."
"Huh? You think I'm lying?" Jing Xupei asked naively and pass Anna Tang the warm blanket on his back seat.
Anna Tang immediately took it and began on drying herself.
Jing Xupei smirked as he saw how panicked she become. [Of course I was lying. But how can I let you catch a cold? You're my manager after all.]
What Jing Xupei meant was. Anna Tang was his income after all. If your manager got sick, he/she's schedule would be delay first.
If an actor or actress' schedule or filming got delayed, no money for until, a manager recovered for them to arrange one again.
~~~~~
Chu Zheng sighed defeatedly and took a bill out of his wallet and put it down on the table, when he watched earlier how Jing Xupei didn't want his presence.
And why couldn't they be?
After all of what he did. Did he even expect on receiving Jing Liwei's forgiving side?
Walking to an dark alley with only one light on, he was taken aback by a punch on his cheek.
As he wipe off the blood on his lips, he tilted his head only to see a stray cat there. When he was about to walk forward, Jing Liwei came from behind, with sword pointing at Chu Zheng's adam apple.
"Don't move."