"I feel terrible..." Xiong Miao probably drank too much.
She stumbled her way into the hotel room.
Just as she lay down, she was abruptly seized by a large hand.
"Woman, you brought this on yourself!" The low, powerful voice of a man echoed in the room.
Xiong Miao felt her world turn upside down.
In an instant, the scene turned chaotic.
The next morning, Xiong Miao jolted awake to see a handsome face. Thick eyebrows like a sword, features so finely crafted they seemed to be the work of God. He was devastatingly handsome, eliciting envy and resentment.
The sunlight fell, casting a shadow beneath the man's long eyelashes, akin to the chill in his eyes.
Wait a minute, who was he?
Recognizing the face before her, Xiong Miao sat up in alarm. Her heart was pounding as she scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, a hotel room.
What happened last night?
She had celebrated her twentieth birthday with a party at a bar, organized by her half-sister, Xiong Jingxi. She drank a bit, her head was spinning and she felt hot. Her sister suggested she rest in a hotel.
But she hadn't expected this to happen.
While the man was still asleep, Xiong Miao quickly dressed and left.
Just as she reached the elevator, the door opened to reveal Xiong Jingxi and a horde of reporters.
Xiong Jingxi looked surprised, having not expected to run into Xiong Miao so early. But after a moment, her eyes became shrewd.
Xiong Miao was dragged into the elevator by Xiong Jingxi before she could figure out the situation.
The elevator doors closed, leaving her no escape. Next, Xiong Jingxi tugged at her shirt collar, purposely embarrassing Xiong Miao and revealing her neck.
"Everyone, look at this! She's leaving the hotel early in the morning, isn't this an attempt to hide her sins? Report the truth in your news articles. Once the news is out, everyone will see what the Xiong family's young mistress is really like!" Xiong Jingxi exclaimed, gripping her firmly, reciting lines she had rehearsed beforehand.
Xiong Jingxi had intended to catch them in the act, but she was a step too late. However, the man from last night had left visible traces on Xiong Miao, enough to serve her purpose.
The small space of the elevator was filled with blinding camera flashes, leaving Xiong Miao feeling as though she was trapped in a dim room, threatened and uneasy.
Xiong Miao struggled to break free from Xiong Jingxi's grip. "Stop filming, I didn't..."
"Do you see this, Brother Su? Even now, she's still denying it. She was with you only for the Su family's wealth. She doesn't love you. She is so reckless, not considering you at all."
Only then did Xiong Miao realize that Xiong Jingxi was recording a video. Her embarrassed reaction had been broadcast to Su Hongyi through the phone.
Panicked, Xiong Miao tried to explain, "Hongyi, it's not like that..."
"Enough! Xiong Miao, I was wrong about you! You were the one who betrayed me first. We're over! The shares your mother invested in the Su Corporation belong to the Su Corporation. You won't get a cent, this was your promise to me!" Su Hongyi's face appeared on the phone screen, cold and ruthless, not giving Xiong Miao a chance to explain.
Once Su Hongyi finished speaking, Xiong Jingxi promptly ended the video call. The reporters captured everything clearly.
Xiong Miao was left speechless.
"You truly have no shame. If I were you, I would distance myself far away. Once this news airs, your reputation will stink and everyone will want a piece of you. The Xiong family will never allow a woman who tarnishes their reputation to enter the family. Be wise about your actions!" Xiong Jingxi said bitterly.
As the elevator reached the first floor, Xiong Jingxi, followed by a horde of reporters, hastily exited.
Xiong Miao stood on the spot, her face pale, Su Hongyi's determined words repeating in her head.
She loved Su Hongyi for three years, and all she got in return was an end to their relationship!
He wasn't even willing to listen to her explanation.
Her heart ached as if it had been stabbed.
"Miss, this is your ID card that you left here yesterday," said the receptionist, handing her the document.
It was Xiong Jingxi's ID!
Yesterday, Xiong Jingxi had booked the room for her. Today, she brought reporters to catch her in the act.
Recalling all these, Xiong Miao snapped out of her painful daze.
The drink she had last night must have been spiked. It was Xiong Jingxi who had plotted against her, causing her to lose everything!
The 10% shares that she invested in the Su Corporation were the only thing her mother had left her.
In order to give her some clout in front of the Su family, her mother had invested everything into the Su Corporation because she once told her mother that she loved Su Hongyi.
Later, Su Hongyi was always suspicious of her, not believing her verbal promises, which made her agree to a clause stating that if she cheated, she would forfeit her shares.
Little did she know, this was all part of their scheme to strip her of everything and kick her out of the game.
Anger and pain intertwined as Xiong Miao clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, and her body trembled.
Her father had always favored Xiong Jingxi and his daughter.
Initially, to bring Xiong Jingxi and her mom into the Xiong family, her father had driven Xiong Miao and her mother out. Only when her mother passed away did her father allow her back into the Xiong family.
Now, even if she suffered greatly, she had no one to rely on.
..
Four years later.
The first floor of the international mall was bustling, especially in the stage area.
There were little superstars shooting a commercial.
Six uniformed little tots were on display, striking adorable poses as the director instructed.
The photographer was going crazy, capturing their moments.
In his entire career, he had never seen children as cute and exquisite as these. Even more impressive was that there were six of these perfectly crafted, doll-like children.
They were dressed in bright red clothes, pursing their little lips, making adorable kissing poses. Their festive and adorable antics attracted a lot of attention from the mall's shoppers.
When the shooting ended, a woman dressed in sweet, fresh clothing walked over with a warm smile, carrying six bottles of milk.
The six little tots saw her, started waving their little legs, and rushed toward her as if in competition.
"Mommy, milk."
"Mommy, milk."
"Mommy, nana."
"Mommy, drink milk."
"Mommy, wuwu."
"Mommy…"
"Slow down, you guys." Xiong Miao squatted down, handing out the milk bottles to each of them.
Once the little tots got their milk bottles.
The eldest, Qianqian, was standing like a little adult, one hand on her waist, the other gripping the milk bottle, sipping milk.
The second child, Junjun, wasn't calm while drinking milk, wiggling his little butt all the while.
The third child, Wanwan, stood obediently beside his mother.
The fourth child, Mama, lay directly on the ground, clutching his bottle and happily sucking on it.
The fifth, Lele, with his chubby little face puffed up, had a dazed expression as if wondering who he was and where he was, staring blankly at his milk bottle.
After glancing at each child's reactions, Xiong Miao grinned, only to find there was one milk bottle left.
She anxiously looked around, noticing a bundle of red on a temporary bed next to the photo booth.
Who else could it be if not her youngest daughter?