Ten years ago
Luo Xieshan was walking towards the swimming pool when she passed by a row of empty classrooms in school, until she heard Luo Jicheng's voice coming from one of the rooms. When Shanshan opened the door, Lai Xuting's face was covered with several bruises, evidence that Luo Jicheng had physically assaulted him. Despite looking composed and not saying anything, the baseball bat he was holding was clear evidence along with his defiant expression.
While her brother stood tall and confident in the room, Lai Xuting remained curled up in a corner, visibly scared and trying to shield himself from the others. Shanshan couldn't understand Jicheng's actions towards Xuting, who sometimes randomly chooses his prey without any clear motive. Usually, Shanshan would stay quiet and not intervene at all, but this time it was different. Lai Xuting was her classmate who often lent Shanshan notes for the classes she missed due to swim practice.
On top of that, the man had helped her to graduate with good grades in spite of her mediocre performance in some subjects, which was a stark contrast to Lai Xuting who was always a top performer in school. Regardless of his nerdy and introverted appearance, Lai Xuting commanded respect here due to his academic achievements, even though he has a solitary nature with no close friends or romantic relationships.
Since she was also about to enter the athlete's dormitory soon and leave the Luo family home, Shanshan mustered up some courage. At least in her last moments, she could repay Lai Xuting, other than just saying thank you for all of his help before their paths diverged.
"Let him go, Jicheng. He's not a prey that you can treat however you want." Shanshan pleaded with her brother who should have graduated several years ago, but ended up repeating a class and graduating with them this year. "He's someone with a bright future, don't take anything away from him."
In the last word, Shanshan had a special meaning because she knew that Jicheng would not let anyone leave his killing area intact. At least one of Lai Xuting's fingers would definitely be a victim of his ferocity, while Shanshan is aware that he has been awarded a scholarship to study medicine at a university abroad. If Lai Xuting becomes crippled before her eyes, Shanshan may never forgive herself for not being able to intercede.
"He has done nothing to you, just leave him this once." Shanshan asked in a calm voice, as if what was happening in front of her was a normal thing. Having lived with Luo family for most of her life, witnessing violence like this was nothing new or scary to her, even now Shanshan could still sleep soundly even though she heard her foster mother's screams at night when she was upset about something.
But, it was different with Lai Xuting who came from an upper-class family that prioritized morals and manners. "Come here," Shanshan said to the man. "Don't be afraid, just come to me." While extending her hand forward.
Just as Lai Xuting was about to move towards Shanshan, a baseball bat appeared to block him from moving any further. "If you want it, you have to take it." Jicheng held the hard aluminum object and turned to Shanshan with a sneer. "Why? Are you afraid?"
Shanshan cautiously withdrew her hand, not wanting to provoke Jicheng. She knew she needed to act quickly and save Xuting so they could escape from this place. But before Shanshan could take a single step towards him, Jicheng had already lifted his stick and aimed it at Xuting who was in front of him.
"I'll let him go, but let me hit him just this once."
Seeing Jicheng's determined expression and smile, Shanshan realized that there was no way to stop him. Moreover, there was no other way to protect Lai Xuting without sacrificing herself, which is why she decided to go through with the difficult decision at that time.
The woman wrapped her arms around Lai Xuting's taller frame and gave him a gentle push. Shanshan had believed that Jicheng would only hit her once, but he broke his promise and retaliated multiple times with force. After the third strike, she noticed something was off with her body. As Jicheng delivered one final blow with all his strength, Xuting collapsed under Shanshan's weight, confirming her worst fear - the threat in her mind had become a reality.
"Your nerve injury is already severe, how could this happen?" The male doctor asked as he read the results of Shanshan's back examination with a worried expression, "I even told you to be careful last time, because your last injury a year ago seems to have gotten worse."
She had been prepared for the bad news, but it still felt surreal to hear it from the doctor right in front of her. Shanshan also never expected it to come this far, when she saved someone but she ended up being the one who disabled instead. "Does that mean I can't swim anymore?" Shanshan asked with a faint smile on her lips, but anyone would know that the smile was just a mask to cover the deep sadness she felt.
"Yes," The doctor said in a desperate tone. "We also have to do surgery right away, because you could be completely paralyzed if something happened to your back again."
The verdict shattered Shanshan's hopes, as she realized that her dream had now dissipated and would never come back. The promises she made to those who had supported her all this time were now just empty words, including her aspirations for a better future and her promise to herself to live happily after this would also remain unfulfilled in this lifetime.
"Also, there is something I want to tell you." The male doctor said in a more cautious tone. "It looks like you are a few weeks pregnant."
Compared to the fact that she could no longer swim, this was more like a death sentence for Shanshan. Confusion enveloped her and she didn't know what to say or even what to do. "What did you say?"
The doctor took a deep breath, "I've checked it many times but the results are still the same." Then his voice changed to worry. "In this case, you have to choose one of these two options, either you want to have back surgery or give birth to the child. Each choice has its own consequences."
A heavy silence filled the room as everyone retreated into their own minds. However, it turned out that not only the two people there were shocked and depressed, but also the young man who had been standing outside beside the open door who also heard the conversation that was going on inside.
Lai Xuting couldn't have imagined that he would one day be responsible for taking away Shanshan's future, all of which happened because of his cowardice. From that moment on, his life's purpose shifted from himself to repaying everything that Shanshan had lost because of him. Lai Xuting would also apologize to Shanshan for the struggles she had to endure later in life.
***
"Are you okay?" Janice asked with a worried look at Nicole's right arm which was wrapped in a white bandage due to the injury from the accident at the Go-Kart arena earlier.
Miss Rong, who heard the question turned to Nicole for a moment, then lowered her head again to several billiard tables filled with players below, in one of the pubs on the cruise ship that looked quite crowded. "Actually, you don't have to do that," She commented.
"I don't have much time." Nicole was wearing a sleeveless gray turtleneck and glanced at the wound on her arm that the two women had been talking about, before looking down at the table where two men and a blonde woman were playing. "Besides, it's not as bad as you think."
Miss Rong sighed softly at Nicole's explanation, "Don't try to stay strong, while we know for sure the wound is quite deep." She opposed it, "It might also leave a scar on your skin."
Still in the middle between the two women, Janice turned to Nicole with concern when she heard Miss Rong's statement. "I wish there was a medicine that could fade the scar. It's such a shame for a woman to have such an ugly scar on her body, especially in a place that people can easily see." Somehow without realizing it, Janice began to appreciate Nicole's sacrifice, the same feeling she had a few years ago as someone who had always admired the woman.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the medicine will be right at our doorstep tonight." Miss Rong exclaimed in a casual tone, "At least Miss Nicole's effort was not in vain, because Director Wu and Director Lai's performances have gotten much better. Even if you look closely, it seems like the two of them are starting to work together to attract Kylie Howe's attention."
The trio of women's gazes are fixed on the table in the corner, where Wu Zhaoyi and Lai Xuting were exchanging jokes with Kylie, the blonde woman they had their sights set on. Just like when watching the Go-Kart match earlier, the three of them were positioned one level above their target, giving it a strategic vantage point to watch everyone's actions below.
"But, I am quite fascinated by you, Miss Nicole. You have the power to drive both of these men mad because of what happened this afternoon," Miss Rong said with a playful grin. "While for a businessman, they are expected to remain composed at all times, even in difficult circumstances. Yet, today, it was all thrown out the window thanks to one woman."
Nicole knew exactly what Miss Rong was referring to, about Lai Xuting trying to break down their bedroom door after the game ended, when he found out that Nicole was the driver in the car accident. Although she had not met Lai Xuting in person, Nicole could envision the worry and distress on his face, based on the loud voice he used while talking to Miss Rong outside the room, while she was receiving medical treatment.
Nicole could also hear Miss Rong's voice from inside, deliberately exaggerating the issue by giving unclear and hanging information regarding her injuries, thus misleading the two men standing there and causing commotion at the place. In the end, the two of them were still not allowed to enter and see Nicole's condition by the woman who was guarding at the door.
However, perhaps because Lai Xuting's roaring voice was clearly audible, Nicole did not have to worry too much about the man. But, she was more curious about Wu Zhaoyi whose voice was completely not audible, while Nicole knew clearly that the man felt guilty and was very surprised by her actions which he might have considered reckless.
"I'll go out for a while," Nicole said, feeling her chest tighten and needing more air to fill her lungs. She subconsciously imagined the fear Zhaoyi might have felt earlier, although now the man seemed to be enjoying himself and playing with good tactics there.
Stepping out of the pub without looking back at all, Nicole left the two women who kept glancing at her until her silhouette disappeared behind the glass door that separated the outside area from the inside.
"I really wonder which one she will choose later." Miss Rong muttered to herself but in a voice loud enough for Janice to hear.
"She will choose neither," Janice answered immediately in a confident and emotionless voice. "Because, nothing is more important to her than the person she loves now."
From the corner of Wu Zhaoyi's eye peeking at Nicole, he managed to detect that the woman had left the room and was now heading somewhere else. It turned out that their game at the table had also ended, with the blonde Kylie as the winner, just as he and Lai Xuting had predicted.
"Good game," Lai Xuting raised his hand to toss a high-five at Kylie with a smile.
"That means you guys have to buy me a drink." She reminded them of the promise they had made before the game started.
"Of course," The man replied while putting his hand on Wu Zhaoyi's shoulder, "My brother and I are now serving you."
As per their previous plan, Lai Xuting introduced Wu Zhaoyi as his older brother to the woman in order to approach her with two powers at once. This was done because of what happened to Nicole at the Go-Kart arena today, which solidified their decision to work together on this mission, they couldn't bear to see her get hurt again or take any more risks for such a frivolous task.
Kylie was about to say something to Wu Zhaoyi, when the man suddenly put the stick on the table and said, "I'll get the drink." Then turned around and disappeared among the crowd.
Despite being slightly cornered, Kylie had a clear view of where the man was headed. To her surprise, he didn't head to the indoor bar area for quick and easy drinks, but rather outside the pub. This piqued Kylie's curiosity and she became more interested in getting to know Wu Zhaoyi, who seemed reserved and attractive. The thought crossed Kylie's mind, did this man have a girlfriend? She couldn't help but feel that even if he did, she would still steal him away from any woman who came close to him.
***