(Ten years ago, in the biggest school in the capital.)
Twelve years old Zhong Guiying was sewing her embroidery for the teacher's assessment when she heard Long Shao Yan talk about her father's love and how he had brought her a brand new set of an ink stone and writing brushes. The girls had been gathered in a group gossiping while the boys were out playing archery in the courtyard of the school.
"My father just came from his southern expenditure," by saying this, all the other girls were surprised. At least she had a future to travel all around the kingdom when she had finished school, being an only child of course she bore such luck. Most of them there had stepmothers who treated them harshly without the presence of their mothers so they envied her. Of course Zhong Guiying was no exception, she also envied her. She was the first daughter who got all her father's attention but since he had married another wife, Zhong Kexin's mother, he never cared for her anymore. Her never checked her grades and never attended meetings anymore, no more candy, treats, baozi and even love. It was like he has forgotten all about her.
Everyday and night she wished that Zhong Kexin's mother would just go and leave their mansion in peace like she had found it. Everyday and night her mother always lamented. She had even told her to work hard and get married to the royal family so that she would avoid any problems. Recalling her words, Zhong Guiying vowed to eliminate all that would hinder her success and work towards her goal. She even forgot how her own birth mother had burned her with hot tea just because her husband had refused it. Zhong Guiying had just come into the room and started nagging her mother about a new pair of shoes when he mother had poured hot tea on her hand.
Looking at her, her mother called her useless for not being able to attract her father's attention before she exited the room leaving Zhong Guiying to weep bitterly as her nanny helped her and catered to her wounds. So, looking at the girl, Long Shao Yan, Zhong Guiying gritted her teeth as she did her embroidery.
"He bought me a brand new set of an ink stone and writing brushes, They are of high quality." She added as the girls told her of how lucky she was. Looking at them, Long Shao Yan smiled thinking of how lucky she was and vowed to take care of her parents before they heard Zhong Guiying yelp in pain, out of anger and jealousy, she had accidentally hurt her finger and her blood was spilling over her protect. Out of worry, the girls helped her immediately to the teacher who took care of her wound. Looking at the other girl who was left alone as all the attention was diverted to her, Zhong Guiying actually felt pleased with that. She really liked that feeling and that was why till now she was snatching everything that anyone else had that she didn't have.
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At the market, twelve years old Zhong Guiying ran to the candied hawthorns berries vender only to find that Long Shao Yan had actually bought all of them. She got very angry because that had been her favourite snack since a child. It reminded her of when her father would carry her on his shoulders and buy her some together with her mother's company, that had been true happiness. If anyone had told her back then that her father would no longer love her like he used to, she would have laughed herself upside down, but at that time, reality finally dawned on her, nobody loved her.
Clenching the silver tael in her hand, Zhong Guiying's chest heaved up and down as she painfully watched Long Shao Yan walking away with her friends. Actually, she had no friends as she was not that talkative like others. So she lived a quite secluded life with her worries.
The next day, Zhong Guiying slowly approached Long Shao Yan as she walked into the school compound, she had been tired of hearing her own birth mother actually praise her asking her why she couldn't be like her and save her the trouble? Looking at her in her eyes, she pulled her hair causing a ruckus. All the girls tried to separate them as the boys tried to protect Long Shao Yan including her own crush, the son of the duke, Zhao Lun Ying, looking at him protecting her, that made her more angry and she actually pushed her into a well with water.