《The Whirlwind Marriage Of A Vengeful Empress》 Chapter -1 - Authors Note HELLO WONDERFUL READERS, Please bear with me as this is my first time writing an historical novel. This book took an intense amount of research into Chinese history as well as other historical novels to come to life; but i would appreciate feedbacks and commentaries for overlooked mistakes. I tried my hands at writing a fictional/ sci-fi story before but i had too many blocks along the line. When i tried to delve the problem i discovered that i went into writing without proper research. So the book is on pause until i have finished my research and readjust my plot so as to give you guys a better story. This book starts off as an historical story from her first lifetime, so please be patient and read through. It is actually a modern book. Please i welcome comments and feedbacks on errors as much as possible so i can improve as a better author. Also please support my book by voting for it and adding it to your library~ You can message me on discord at Maiyme#2881. P. S Enjoy and thank you for reading~ Chapter 2 - A vengeful woman Her pool of tears started overflowing and slowly spilling down her cheeks with every word she uttered; it resembled a river whose mouth opened suddenly. Her trust and heart had been shattered into a million pieces. There was no one she could turn to anymore. She was all alone. "Was this all your revenge, Empress?!" Emperor Jingli questioned, throwing her a cold and sharp stare as he clenched his fist in anger. But he only received silence to his question. Empress Yunqing just remained silently on her knees as her tears continued to flow endlessly. ''Revenge? So that''s what he thinks of me'' she cringed, a strong wave of disappointment and regret washed over her. She felt disgusted that the same people she trusted wholeheartedly were the ones who stabbed her in the back. For some reason, an overwhelming, nauseating feeling built up in her as her stomach churned with irregular rhythms. She felt like retching up her guts. She further slumped ungracefully to the floor. She felt severe aches all over her body; her heart, her stomach, her head She was tired of everything, no matter what, he would never believe her words. If that was what he really thought of her after all these times, ''a vengeful woman?'' Then, there was no need to clear his misunderstanding. "Then, as the empress, you should have known the consequences of your dealings. Your excuses are sheer nonsense. We cannot condone your actions," Emperor Jingli said with an unfazed facade even though he was a bit fazed by the memories he had shared with her. "From now on, you are not the empress any more. You have been demoted and is no more than just a lowly abandoned concubine," Emperor Jingli gave his decree while facing Yunqing. "The Cold Palace is going to be your new home from now onwards. You will spend the rest of your life in the Cold Palace without any special treatment. No palace maid shall accompany her. You shall live like a commoner in the Cold Palace for the rest of her life," the emperor ordained coldly. ''Empress! It was just a position anyway,'' Yunqing huffed in her mind. It never did her any good. It didn''t help her one bit. She wasn''t even able to keep her family alive with such a position. Not to mention the toxic fights in the emperor''s harem. Noble Consort Jinghua immediately kowtowed before the emperor in a pretence to ?ssuage his anger, "Please calm your anger, your majesty, t-the empress... The empress... Sister Yunqing has always had a frail body. She can''t possibly survive in the Cold Palace all alone." Hmph! She would have preferred if the emperor had immediately ordered the execution of Empress Yunqing. That way, she can get the empress''s position forthwith. With her father''s help, she could pressure the emperor to get a new empress with the excuse of warding off the previous empress''s (Yunqing''s) evil spirit. ''Why would his majesty still keep this woman around,'' she thought, having a dark look that was only concealed because she was faced down while kowtowing. ''No matter what, her remaining alive would be a stain on the seat of the empress. Though she has lost her position, I still have to think of another way to permanently get rid of her.'' Not even leaving the empress alone after she had already received such harsh punishment, how wicked could the Noble Consort Jinghua be? The emperor hollered, "Enough! Such a cruel person does not need your pity." Emperor Jingli didn''t even spare Yunqing a glance before walking out of her chambers. ''Pity... Pity... Pity'' was the only thing going through Empress Yunqing''s head. Her tears continued flowing without end. She broke out into a muckle of gagging while the unceasing aches in her head continued on like drums being played forcefully in an un-rhythmic manner. She felt dizzy with the waves of the word ''Pity'' twirling in her head. When everything she was going through became too much for her to bear, only then did she finally lose her consciousness. "Your majesty!!!" "Empress!!!" "Sister Yunqing!!" The emperor had b?r?ly left Yunqing''s chambers when the commotion behind him broke out and reached his ears. He became alerted that she had fainted and sent for the Imperial Physician Wang to find out what was wrong with her. Yunqing was promptly moved to her bed in her chamber. The Imperial Physician Wang arrived shortly after. When he was told to check on the Yunqing''s health, Nui, the head palace maid of empress, led him into Yunqing''s bed chambers. In there, he placed Yunqing''s wrist on a small and soft oblong red cushion by the bed to check her pulse and her entire Ti-Zhi* (ti means body, Zhi means quality or substance). Though he found her pulse weird, he wasn''t quite sure if that was why she had fainted. So, he asked Nui, "When last did her majesty see her monthly visit, and has she been suffering from any other thing recently." Nui thought for a few seconds before answering back, unsurely, "Her highness has not seen it for some time now. But her highness has been having a poor thirst for food, and she''s been dispirited often." Getting a confirmatory response to his line of thoughts, Imperial Physician Wang immediately went further to check Yunqing''s entire constitution. After a little while, the Imperial Physician Wang was done with diagnosing what was wrong with her, so he stood and came out to meet Emperor Jingli. He kowtowed to the emperor congratulating him on the good news, "Congratulations to your majesty, the Empress has been blessed with a child." ''What? Pregnant?!!'' the emperor could not believe it, so he asked for reconfirmation from the Imperial Physician, "Are you sure about this?" "I can bet my life on it, your majesty. The empress is definitely with child," Imperial Physician Wang reaffirmed as he kowtowed to the Emperor Jingli. "But," the Imperial Physician Wang dawdled. "BUT WHAT?!" the emperor spat out furiously as he became too impatient, waiting for the response the Imperial Physician Wang was to say. Chapter 3 - Congratulations your highness "BUT WHAT?!" the emperor spat out furiously as he became too impatient, waiting for the response the Imperial Physician Wang was to say. "T-The Empress''s constitution is unbalanced," the Imperial Physician said quickly, not wasting any more time. "Unbalanced?!" Emperor Jingli asked. "Yes, your majesty. Her majesty''s pulse is floating and tight. Although her Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit) are weak, it is not severe and can be taken care of with proper care. Though what is most worrisome would be her Yang deficiency, if not properly taken care of, I fear it would lead to ." the Imperial Physician trailed off, not daring to say that it could lead to a miscarriage out loud. "Your majesty, please abjure your words. I fear the harshness of the Cold palace may not be good for her highness," Nui couldn''t stop herself, so she knelt and pleaded with Emperor Jingli after she heard what the Imperial Physician said. "Have I fallen so low that a mere servant would dare to challenge me," Emperor Jingli said with a cold demeanour while giving off a deathly aura towards Nui''s direction. "No No, your majesty. P-Please have mercy; forgive my insolence, your majesty. This humble servant dares not to challenge his majesty. B-but I only fear for the health of my lady and her child," Nui immediately said, stuttering through her words as she was frightful of what the emperor can do to her. Emperor Jingli silently pondered for a bit on what to do before finally clenching his fists as he was ready to say his last decree. "Then she may no longer be sent to the Cold Palace instead will be confined to her palace till the birth of the royal child," Emperor Jingli said another decree before leaving the Empress''s palace, the Flowery Jade Palace. "We thank your majesty for your kindness," Nui, the head palace maid of Empress Yunqing and the rest of the Flowery Jade Palace maids present chorused after hearing the emperor''s final decree. After Emperor Jingli left the Flowery Jade Palace, the Imperial Physician Wang said a few words to Nui advising her on the necessary things to take note of during pregnancy. He told her he would be sending herbal tonics every day for the empress, which she needed to make sure the empress took. The herbal tonics were to restore and balance the empress''s constitution and address her Yang deficiency problem. When he was done with all that needed to be said, he gathered up his things and left. After a while, Empress Yunqing finally regained consciousness, a bit surprised at her environment. To her surprise, she was still in her palace, even on her own bed and not in the Cold Palace. Wasn''t she supposed to be sent to the Cold Palace? ''Wait?! Why am I still here?'' she wondered before deciding to call for her handmaid, Nui. She needed to clear her current confusion as to what was happening. "Nui... Nui Nui!" she called out in a weak and hoarse voice. Not long after, Nui came rushing into the room, "Your highness, you are awake~" Nui said with a tear-stained face. "Urggg! W-What happened?" Yunqing weakly inquired from Nui while holding her head as she was feeling a slight ache. "Congratulations your highness, you have a little prince in your stomach now. So So his majesty didn''t send you to the Cold Palace anymore and only confined you to your quarters," Nui explained with soft sobs. "What?! I-I am pregnant?!" Yunqing spat out as her face became ashen, she reflexively moved her hands to touch her stomach. She rubbed her stomach while she had an expression of disbelief. Nui noticing the disbelief on the face of the empress, she gathered herself. She smiled before she continued speaking, "Your highness, his majesty, also let you remain here, but. without leaving this palace." She had said the last bit with a solemn expression. Her ladyship will no longer have her freedom. Her position as the empress still remained, but she was now just an empress in name only. She watched as the Empress''s face change from disbelief to surprise at the piece of information she just revealed. Then she continued with a serious look, "Your highness, we have to use this opportunity to prove your innocence. We cannot let those schemers get away with this, if not... I''m afraid your majesty will still end up going to the Cold Palace or even worse," refusing to complete her statement. She said the last bit with a pool of tears gathering by the side of her eyes. She didn''t want to imagine a worse punishment, and she also knows for sure that her lady is innocent of the allegations laid out on her. Yunqing pondered on what Nui said, and for one, she knew she was right. Still, then again, the so-called schemers Nui spoke of was someone she trusted wholeheartedly, Noble Consort Jinghua. She had helped her gain favour with the emperor due to the relationship she had with her late sister, Jiaying. How ungrateful! To actually bite the hands that feed you. After all, ''Not do not die''* (This is Chinese wisdom saying which means "if you don''t do stupid things you won''t end up in tragedy"). She was only plundered into this state because she had been stupid enough to even trust the wrong person, who was covetous of the empress''s position. At a corner was a figure hiding away from sight in the dark, trying to get as much information as she could so she could relay it to her mistress. She had to leave with her mistress earlier when Yunqing fainted, so they could not find out what was wrong with the empress. She wished the empress was actually dying; that way, her lady would not have to expend so much effort to deal with her anymore and could finally gain the empress''s position. That way, she can finally become the head palace maid to the empress. It would be a win-win for them. But if only She happened at the right time when Yunqing had just woken up and was calling for Nui. She waited to hear their conversation and was struck with dread upon hearing it. ''What?! The Empress is pregnant.'' Her face had horror written all over it when Nui mentioned that the Yunqing was pregnant. The person hiding in the dark hurriedly left to inform her mistress. She only hoped that her mistress''s plans would not be exposed now that the emperor was merciful towards the empress because of the pregnancy. Chapter 4 - Why cant I get pregnant? "Your highness''s pulse is weak and choppy. Your body are still Yin imbalance, and you have stagnant blood and Qi, especially in your stomach. So your body would not be able to hold or even nourish a baby," Doctor Han explained after checking Noble Consort Jinghua''s body. "W-What?!! You You re realise how grave your words are, Doctor Han?!! If you are lying" Noble Consort Jinghua stuttered with an aghast look. "Your highness, I have been working with your family for years so I can never betray you or your family," Doctor Han curtly pleaded, not even letting her finish with her words. "But I''ve been taking fertility medicine for a long time, so why is it still so bad? Shouldn''t it have improved by now? Doctor Han, you are the one who prescribed the medicine for me, do you have anything to say?" Noble Consort Jinghua fumed. "T-To answer to your majesty, there is nothing wrong with the prescription. It''s it''s either something else was mixed with herbal medicine or your body reacted to the herbal medicine to create a toxin in your body," Doctor Han managed to quake out. "Are you still guessing?!!" she snapped at him. "No! No, your highness. It is obvious something was mixed in with the herbal medicine you drank, and it has caused damage to your body. Just I-I fear" Doctor Han reported, a bit hesitant as he felt uneasy about continuing. "Fear?" Noble Consort Jinghua thundered impatiently. ''I fear it has cause permanent damage, your highness," Doctor Han continued while gulping intermittently. "What?!" Noble Consort Jinghua screamed in anguish. ''Mixed in?! It couldn''t have been the empress, who else then? Concubine Shu!!! Yes, she is the only one who is suspicious of me and would dare to still make a move even though I had the empress in my palm. After all, she is the Prime Minister''s daughter. She fears nothing and no one other than his majesty,'' Noble Consort Jinghua pondered for a while trying to think of the perpetrator behind the act. Upon realising the possible perpetrator, her face held a bit of shocked and dark look before she covered it up in pretence as she waved her hand in dismissal towards Doctor Han after warning him, "No one is to know about this! You''re dismissed." "Tha Thank you, your majesty," Doctor Han quickly left after saying his thanks. ''I''ll have to find a way to deal with her now?'' she thought. Noble Consort Jinghua paced around in her garden while biting her lower lip for some time. She couldn''t rest easy because of her anxiety. She kept thinking of how to deal with her present predicament. She was also waiting for some information from her maidservant, Hongguo, who had gone to find out what was wrong with the empress. A palace maid had come to serve her some dishes, and she dismissed the maid without even as much as a glance at her or the food. Hearing hurried footsteps, she turned towards the sound and saw her head maid, Hongguo approaching her in haste. She quickly asked Hongguo when she was close enough to hear her, "W-What What is wrong with that b***h?!" Hongguo, her maidservant, had a troubled look on her face as she told her master what she had found out. "The Empress is pregnant, my lady," she said, almost breathless. "What?!! That b***h!" Noble Consort Jinghua hissed as she clenched her fists. She was trying as much as possible to calm down, but when she remembered her recent conversation with her family doctor, she got much more furious. ''How can that bitch be pregnant? Why? Why am I the only one who has to suffer? First Jiaying and now her?'' she thought as she burst out in a fury, gnashing her teeth. She swept away the dishes that had been served previously on the table in anger. ''Why can''t I get pregnant? Why has this stupid stomach refuse to bear any child?'' she pondered as she raised her hand to touch her stomach before clenching it. She had a sour look on her face, but after thinking for a while, she gathered herself before saying, "I guess there''s one more thing to get rid of. Now I can completely get rid of her for good this time. She definitely won''t escape a second time. I''ll make sure the Emperor executes her." She thought about the perpetrator of her illness and thought to herself while having a slight smirk on her face, ''I could also use this means to get rid of Concubine Shu.'' "My lady, what do you want me to do," Hongguo asked Noble Consort Jinghua when she saw the look on her face, thereby disturbing the Consorts train of thoughts. "For now, nothing. Let her enjoy a few days. After all, we can''t let anyone be suspicious of us. After that, no one can stop me from getting the position of the empress," Noble Consort Jinghua said with a sneer as she clenched her fist when she said the last line. She whispered her next set of plans to Hongguo in her ears furtively, and they both chortled. She decided to leave the empress alone for a few days while they set up the next phase of their plan so that they would let them let their guards down. It would only be a matter of time now! Empress Yunqing had tried to find out the truth behind her framing but didn''t get anywhere. What was Noble Consort Jinghua playing at? She had to admit Noble Consort Jinghua was exceptionally thorough and crude with her schemes. Consort Jiaying had been a good friend of hers, although she had died all of a sudden b?r?ly a year after she had given birth to Prince Jun, the second prince of BeiMing State. As her thoughts drifted to the past, she recalled that coincidentally, Jiaying had died a month after she had brought her younger sister, Jinghua, into the Imperial Palace. She had helped Jiaying in bringing Jinghua into the Imperial Palace due to her being ill, but instead, she got worse during that period until she gave up the ghost. ''But was the heart of Jinghua so black that she could harm her own sister? Why would she even want to harm me? To become the Empress?'' her mind was in disarray as she was lost in thoughts. Chapter 5 - I can’t lose you! She summoned her personal guard, Mo Lan. He and Nui were the only ones she could trust now in the Imperial Palace. Both of them had followed her from the general''s household until she entered the Palace. She sent him out to investigate the death of Consort Jiaying and was waiting for a message from him. She has been having a peaceful rest these past days because she was having a royal baby. Though she wondered if Noble Consort Jinghua couldn''t plot against her again or she just wanted to let her lower her guard. Her stomach was starting to show, considering her pregnancy was now a little over 3 months old. Also, the morning greetings have been stopped by the emperor, so luckily, she didn''t have to deal with the emperor''s harem matters again, nor did she have to listen to the snag commentary from the emperor''s concubines. All her rights in the matters of the harem have already been conferred to Noble Consort Jinghua. After all, she was the one behind the plots that befell her. It would be weird if she didn''t benefit from her humiliation. She just didn''t particularly know who was behind her (i.e., the person that''s scheming against her and wanted her life to end so badly). Was it really only Noble Consort Jinghua, or was there somebody else pulling strings behind her? ''So this is what mother meant when she said ''with the truth on your side, you can go anywhere; without truth, you can''t take a single step'' but what of if that truth is false. Now I don''t even have the chance or courage to listen to her words anymore,'' she thought to herself, wallowing in self-guilt as she remembered her family. She couldn''t help but blame herself for what happened to her family. If only she had not married the emperor, then maybe they would still be alive. Still, all these remain wishful thinking. She sighed for the nth time now. She was able to live freely, though only within her quarters, since she was confined there. Still, she very much preferred being confined in her Palace to dealing with the bunch of scheming concubines. She only hoped that it will melt the emperor a bit when she gives birth, for her not to be sent to the Cold Palace. At least not before she can prove her innocence. Though the emperor had never once come to see her since he gave the order for her to be confined in her Palace. She heaved another deep breathe again. She has been feeling troubled for some time and decided to rest in the garden within her Palace grounds. But the creeping unrest in her heart didn''t seem to calm down. She sighed heavily once again and heard steady footsteps coming in her direction. "Your highness, Imperial Physician Wang sent your medicine over," Nui said, coming in with a tray having a bowl of concocted herbal medicine on it in her hands. She set the tray down and carried the bowl of medicine towards Empress Yunqing. Since she was found to be of an unbalanced constitution and weak, she has been taking a decoction of medicinal herbs every day to stabilize the foetus and her body. Sitting upright, Empress Yunqing received the bowl from Nui and made a sour face while peering into the bowl, ''Urgh!'' Nui seeing her expression smiled before reminding her, "Your highness, you need to take your medicine. Physician Wang sends the medicine over for the good of your health and that of the little prince too." Nui''s word made her think about her baby and herself, so she started drinking from the bowl of medicine. Seeing Yunqing drink the medicine, Nui added, "Your highness, let me quickly get your coat. It is too cold nowadays in the garden. Besides, Physician Wang mentioned that you need to keep warm when outside." Nui hurried to bring her a coat to keep herself and her stomach warm. After taking a few sips from the tonic, Yunqing felt a little queasy but attributed it to her pregnancy and her dislike for the smell of the medicine. For a while now, she kept having the nauseous feeling, and it kept getting stronger. She has been told that it was all just because of her pregnancy, but Was it really normal to feel a searing rush and weakness with it? Thinking the feeling had gone, she finished the last bit of medicine in the bowl. Not long after, she felt a searing pain in her stomach before gradually losing consciousness while holding onto her stomach. Nui was on her way back when she heard the bowl, which previously held the empress''s medicine breaking as it landed on the floor. So she quickly rushed to the empress''s side. Before Yunqing fainted, the last thing she heard was Nui''s frightened voice calling out to her, "Your Majesty!!!" Yunqing''s vision was enshrouded in total darkness like she was in another realm devoid of light. She heard a faint cry and tried to grasps what made the sound. She froze, her face ashen as a white sheet as soon as she realised that the cries she heard were that of a baby. Was she going to lose her baby? The faint cries became louder and louder, tormenting her ears all the way until she saw something floating in mid-air. It loomed closer to her until she was able to get a definite picture of what it was, which was that of a baby floating in mid-air. She stared at it lost for a split second in a daze before she tried several times to reach for the baby, but all her attempts seemed futile. ''My baby! No No No!! Am I going to lose you too?'' she felt her world crashing down as she remembered the searing and sizzling feeling that crept up in her stomach previously. Her tears already soaking her eyelids as she trembled in dread. She had suffered tremendous loss in just one lifetime. The baby was the only blood-related kin she had left in this world. Losing it would completely shatter her both physically and mentally. ''No, please. No! I can''t lose you! Please, mother is here Please come back,'' she cried out as she continued reaching for the baby with one of her hands while her other hand clenched tightly on her stomach. She kept hoping that she could reach the baby.. Maybe if she could, she wouldn''t lose her pregnancy then. Chapter 6 - Your highness, you are awake! Nui ?ssisted Imperial Physician Wang. He tried to ascertain what exactly happened to Empress Yunqing and attempted to revive her. She noticed a tear roll down the cheek of the empress and wiped it with a cloth. She only prayed that Imperial Physician Wang would be able to wake her mistress up soon. Imperial Physician Wang was having a hard time figuring out the problem. So he asked Nui some questions concerning the empress''s health, like her food, medicine, and generally on how she has been feeling. "Her Highness only takes medicine sent from the kitchen by you, Physician Wang, and I''m always at her side, so she doesn''t eat or drink anything I have not first tasted," Nui replied to his questions feeling troubled. From the questions Imperial Physician Wang asked, it seemed that Empress Yunqing must have been poisoned. Who could possibly have poisoned her? And how did they achieve it? Also, who could be so brazen to throw away their lives in doing so? Imperial Physician Wang requested the bowl of medicine she had drunk from, which Nui said was broken in the garden. So he went quickly went there to check it out before the broken pieces were swept away. Though he was the one who prescribed and sometimes prepared the medicine, he was not entirely there for the preparation at all times. To find out if it was according to his prescription or something was mixed in with the prescribed herbs. When he tested out the residue from the shards, he could smell a distinct odour of an herb that was not in his prescription. So he requested that the remnants of the medicine be brought from the kitchen to him. With that, he was able to confirm that there was another herb mixed in with his prescribed herbs. The herb mixed in with the Imperial Physician''s prescription was Cao Wu [Aconiti kusnezoffi Radix (AKR), the root of Aconitum kusnezoffi Reichb. (Commonly known as Wolf''s bane, Aconite, Autumn Monkshood, etc.) Contains fast-acting poison that causes severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, or inability to move, breathing problems, heart problems, and even death in very severe cases of poisoning.] Though it is a plant that can restore Yang, improve fire, and disperse cold, it is not utilized due to the amount of poison it has. Due to Yunqing''s Yang deficiency and the little amounts of the poison, it didn''t do much to her body. And luckily, it didn''t affect the child. Imperial Physician Wang immediately reported his findings to the emperor. They needed to get to the bottom of this incident. Imperial Physician Wang went ahead to prepare a remedy that could neutralize the herb''s effects in the empress''s body. After two (2) days of being unconscious, Empress Yunqing gradually regained consciousness. She noticed that she had been moved to her bed-chamber. "Mmmm!" she croaked out. She saw the Imperial Physician Wang as well as other palace physicians and helpers rallying about her bed-chamber. She asked in a hoarse voice, "W-what happened?" She felt tired and weak; after all, she''s been lying down for two (2) days now. She moved her hand to her aching head as she tried to sit upright on her bed. Nui uttered with a tearful face while seeing Empress Yunqing had woken up, "Y-Your..... Your highness, you are awake!" "Thank goodness you woke up," Nui said, sniffling as she helped Yunqing sit up on her bed. ''Woke up? Have I been asleep all this time? What exactly was going on?'' Yunqing thought while remembering her dream. Or could it even be termed as a dream? But it felt so real to her. The Imperial Physician attending to the empress, immediately told someone to inform the emperor that Yunqing had woken up. Not long after that, the emperor''s personal eunuch announced the arrival of the emperor. There seemed to be someone who had evoked the wrath of Emperor Jingli. He seemed like he could shred a person into bits with just his anger. Emperor Jingli roared furiously immediately he entered the chambers, "ALL OF YOU GET OUT!!!" Nui immediately Kowtowed in front of his majesty. She stammered while Kowtowing, "Your majesty, please keep calm. Her highness just woke up and and she is not fully recovered yet. Please, you have to find out the truth. Her highness could never do something like that." Emperor Jingli turned a bit to his side, where Nui was kneeling on the floor, on hearing her speak. He raised an eyebrow and retorted, "HOW DARING!! HAS BEIMING BECOME A STATE WHERE THE SERVANTS ORDER THE EMPEROR ON WHAT TO DO?!!" Nui immediately pleaded frantically, "This... This servant would never dare to do that, your majesty. Please forgive this servant from speaking out of line." Emperor Jingli spat out in a fury, "GET OUT!! LEAVE NOW!!" All, including Nui and Imperial Physician Wang, immediately rushed out, not daring to stay any longer for fear of the emperor unleashing his anger on them. Nui had tried her best. She only silently prayed her highness would be okay. Though Empress Yunqing was lost and confused, it couldn''t mask the scared look on her face at the same time. Her countenance seemed to be like a little rabbit curled up in its hole. She couldn''t fathom why the emperor was in so much rage. His raging aura was like that of a lion that had been starved for years that finally found a prey (her). She could even detect the killing intent in his eyes with the menacing gaze he directed at her. His eyes flashed with immense anger and resentment.. She wished so much that his anger and resentment were not directed at her, but no matter how you look at the situation, that seemed to not be the case. Chapter 7 - Her mental state was beyond salvaging She was so paralyzed with fear that she couldn''t even mutter a word, not to mention greeting the emperor on his arrival. Did Jinghua scheme against her again? Was her baby alright? Her hand reflexively moved to touch her stomach. Emperor Jingli, with a few menacing steps, got to her bed and roughly grabbed Yunqing''s jaws before she could even have time to react. Clenching it hard so she would be in pain. He was only satisfied when she hissed out in agony. "YOU DARE TO COMMIT SUCH CRIME AGAIN AND AGAIN! YOU MUST BE QUITE BRAZEN NOW FOR YOU TO MAKE SUCH BOLD MOVES, RIGHT?! ANSWER ME NOW EMPRESS?!" Emperor Jingli thundered in rage. "If you intend on joining your family, I will gladly oblige you, but troubles last for a thousand years! So you need to live for as long as possible and pay for your sins; only then can you grasp the true meaning of being lonely and helpless. You cannot end your life without my permission," Emperor Jingli said in rage as his hand clenched onto the empress''s jaw moved to clutch her neck. He held onto her neck as tight as his hand could allow, choking her, and even lightly lifting her off the bed in the process. Yunqing''s eyes and cheeks became red from suffocating, and the tears that welled up in her eyes had slowly begun rolling down her cheeks like rivulets. She grasps onto the emperor''s hand that was holding her neck in a bid to loosen his grip. She could feel his strength crushing her breathing pipe, preventing any form of air from going in. She tried to plead for him to release her but could only use her weak and feeble hands to attempt a futile struggle. Her despairing cries seemed to be of no end recently. Maybe she should just give up. After all, she was up against a strong contender a very cunning and deceitful one at that. She really let down her guard, thinking Jinghua will not dare to act now that she was under the watchful eyes of the emperor due to her pregnancy, but she must have been daydreaming. "Not long ago, you caused the death of my son, and now you also want to end the life of a child who had b?r?ly seen the light of the day. Your viciousness astounds me every time!" Emperor Jingli said, wondering how someone can be so cruel and heartless to even poison herself to get rid of her own child. Though he furiously wanted to throw this ''filthy trash of a woman'' away. He needed her to feel the pain he felt when he found out that she tried to harm the child. When Noble Consort Jinghua brought a palace maid to him, who had confessed to everything. How she was told to mix the herb into the medicine when it was being prepared to gradually kill the child. The maid told him she worked on the instructions of Concubine Shu and the empress. And the evidence of remnants of the herbs was found in Concubine Shu''s Palace, due to which fact she was sent to the Cold Palace earlier on. But then, knowing that she was still pregnant with his child, he decided against it. Instead, he only lightly shoved her off back onto the bed before saying, "If you must leave this world, you must first give birth to my child. At least pay for the life you took; only then can you have my permission to die. Since your wicked ways know no bound, then so does my wrath!" Those were the last words Emperor Jingli left with Empress Yunqing. When he said ''pay for the life you took,'' he was talking about the life of his first son, Crown Prince Yuan Kei (whom she was previously accused of poisoning). Cough Cough Cough she started a fit of cough as soon as he released her from his tight grip. Her hands were on her neck, and her hair and dress now looked like a total mess. Her ?h?st heaving up and down as she gasped for air as she watched his disappearing back while he left her chambers. As she watched on, the gleam of light gradually faded out of her eyes until they looked lifeless. She remained in the same position that he tossed her in earlier, not moving as much as an inch. Muffled voices could be heard from outside as the emperor gave orders for the empress to be watched closely at all times. Nui had never seen or heard the emperor so furious before. She couldn''t fathom what her mistress would have gone through while she was alone with him. As soon as she saw the emperor leaving, she rushed back into the room only to find the empress lying down in the same position she was when the emperor had shoved her off. She just remained listless and motionless. Her previously beautiful eyes that were the envy of many had lost their spark and appeared dull. It broke Nui''s heart to see Empress Yunqing in such a dispirited state. They had always been together right from the General''s household. Yunqing appeared inanimate, unmoving, and also not willing to be moved. If not for the fact that she could still move on her own, she could have been mistaken for a doll. She expended so much effort as she tried to bring back Empress Yunqing''s spirit, but nothing seemed to work. It was as if the empress was lost in limbo, and she did not even want to return. Days went by. Months went by, gradually approaching her delivery day, and there was still no improvement. Nui tried as much as possible, but she still could not brighten up the void in Yunqing''s heart that was already filled with melancholy and despondency. Yunqing spent the rest of her pregnancy days in her downhearted state. Though it was not good for her baby, but every attempt to make her feel better seemed abortive. Like she had finally given up on everything even on life itself. Her mental state was beyond salvaging. The final arrow was when she was accused by the emperor of trying to kill the only blood-related kin she had left in the world. All the allegations and accusations summed up had finally wrecked lasting damage to her mind. To the extent of being nicknamed ''the crazy empress.'' Throughout this whole time, only one person was saturated with happiness at the unfolding events, the mastermind behind all atrocities. Chapter 8 - I’ll give you anything Aah Urgh! Huff Arghhh Ahhhh! The screams of Empress Yunqing could be heard from miles away as she struggled to bring forth life. She pushed for several hours, unending as a palace maid was by her side, wiping away her sweat from time to time. Wuah! Waah! Waah! Finally, the cries of a newborn baby echo through the night. Empress Yunqing had finally given birth and that too to a healthy young prince. The midwife who helped deliver the little prince cleaned him up and wrapped him in clean sheets before placing him on the bed beside his mother (Yunqing). Then she left, leaving the mother and child pair to rest. Yunqing gave a weak glance at the little prince, a bit lost in thought as she wondered what her fate would be from now on. As she was out in a daze, she didn''t realise that a pair of hands had reached for the little prince by her side. Wuah! Waah! Waah! The little prince felt discomfort from the sudden movement and cried out. The cry of the little prince broke Yunqing out of her daze. Only then did she realize that her son was no longer lying beside her. She looked toward the sound of the cry and saw Hongguo handing the newborn little prince to Noble Consort Jinghua. Yunqing abruptly sprung up from the bed, ignoring the pains she felt in her body, but she only fell to the floor with a thud sound. "Give me my son back, please, Jinghua," she cried out pleadingly. This is what she has been reduced to, an empress who had to beg for her own son from a lower-ranking consort. "You should not use that filthy mouth of yours to say my name," Noble Consort Jinghua before snickering at her plea. Then she mimicked the empress with a smirk plastered on her face before she said, "This little prince is now my son. I should give him back to you. Tsk! Why would I do that? You are nothing more than a lowly crazy empress, hmm no, more like a lowly crazy concubine... or just a regular old crazy b***h. Hmm, I am not picky, so I will let you chose." Then she clicked her tongue before attempting to leave. Yunqing froze up when she heard Noble Consort Jinghua say that the little prince was now her son. So she cried out again, "No! No please, Jinghua, I will do anything you want. I''ll give you anything, just just give me my son back. Please." Her tear rolled down her checks in a steady rhythm like they were programmed to follow her current state of emotions. It seemed no amount of begging would get her son back as Noble Consort Jinghua swerved around glaring at her ferociously as she insisted, "He is not your son! He is my son. Mine!" Then she gave a lopsided evil grin as she bent over low enough to whisper to Yunqing while staring at her face, "Anything? (Scoffs) You were just an empress in name. Everything you own now belongs to me. And now I''m also going to take away your son as well as that so-called position you were so proud of." "No No No! You can have everything else but not my son!" Yunqing said as he reached out towards her trying to take back her son but was pushed away from Noble Consort Jinghua by Hongguo. So she tried reaching for her son again. This time around, Noble Consort Jinghua had noticed that the emperor was coming. So, she quickly signalled Hongguo not to make any move. Then, when the empress attempted to take back her son again, she quickly fell back before Yunqing could even touch her, making it seem like she was pushed by her. Noble Consort Jinghua landed directly onto the emperor''s arms with the little prince wrapped up in her arms. At the same time, Yunqing was ruthlessly shoved away by the emperor. "Sister Yunqing, why did you push me? I was only trying to save the young prince from y-you. Boohoo! I can understand your grievance with the emperor and myself, but the little prince is innocent. Why were you trying to strangle him? Boo-hoo!!" Noble Consort Jinghua quickly feigned tears as she spoke in a subtle and aggrieved tone. She spoke with a soft and weak demeanour, quite the opposite of the previous act she had just pulled. From the emperor''s point of view earlier, Jinghua''s back was faced towards him. Since he saw a bit of Yunqing''s hand outstretched, he could only think that she pushed Jinghua. That got him even more furious with Yunqing. He was already angered that Yunqing still did not give her evil acts a rest even at such a state. Not knowing that he was being hoodwinked by Noble Consort Jinghua all along. "You still will not end your wicked ways, empress," the emperor snapped. He threw a voodoo doll at her before continuing, "Nui has already confessed to the crime. You must have made her do it. She''s imprisoned and will be executed by dawn tomorrow. Look at yourself now. You not only dragged yourself down but also dragged down others with you." He said all that with a snide expression not leaving his face. Yunqing was about to attempt reaching for her son again, but upon hearing everything, the emperor said she slumped back down to a kneeling position. But Nui could never do something like that, and she was so sure of it. After all, they grew up together. And she was right to believe so. Nui only confessed to committing the crime on her own resentments that she had against Noble Consort Jinghua just to save Yunqing. She knew it was a grave offence and knew that Yunqing would not be able to defend herself, so she took the blame on herself to spare Yunqing''s life. But unfortunately, that was what Jinghua was banking on when she plotted such a scheme. She used the closeness of the two to bring doom to them. The voodoo doll was another one of Noble Consort Jinghua''s wicked schemes. She had planted a voodoo doll in her courtyard and made it seem like it was Nui who had it buried there on Yunqing''s instructions. Though Nui had never wronged her, but she still needed to get rid of her as well; after all, Nui was Yunqing''s most trusted servant. She needed to get rid of all the servants that worked for the empress''s Palace (Yunqing''s Courtyard). She had already shut Mo Lan up when tried to snooping around earlier for information. From all the servants who worked for the empress''s palace, she had bribed those she could and got rid of the rest who did not accept the bribe. She could not risk anyone exposing her evil deeds or the emperor finding out the truth. With all her planning, she had always wondered why the emperor still left Yunqing alive. ''If he still let her be this time, then I might have to take matters into my hand,'' Jinghua thought with an unsettled look. Emperor Jingli was beyond angry now, so he commanded ruthlessly, "Guards! Get her out of here. Take her to the Cold Palace, and I never want to see her again! If I do, I would have your heads for it." Immediately he said that the two guards behind him came forward and grabbed hold of the dazed Yunqing and took her out of there. Noble Consort Jinghua had successfully pulled the wool over everyone''s eyes, and the only person that seemed to realize that was her, but what can she actually do in that sorry state of hers.. Her bag of tricks seemed to be as vast as an ocean. Chapter 9 - More like poison Bang! The doors to the Cold Palace was slammed open by Hongguo. She and her mistress, Noble Consort Jinghua, strolled inside while throwing their weight around. They had already achieved their aim; Yunqing had been reduced to nothing, so why were they still looking for her. What more did they want? Yunqing, who was lying on the cold and b?r? bed of the Cold Palace, just gave them a quick glance before turning away. Not even bothering to give them face. This got Noble Consort Jinghua angry, but she did well not to show it; after all, she would soon be the empress. "Sister Yunqing~" Noble Consort Jinghua called out in a shrill voice. She sounded riotous, but it only sounded like an ear-splitting tone to Yunqing to the extent that she felt repulsed by it. ''What does she want now? Could she not just leave me alone? My life has already been ruined by her,'' Yunqing thought. Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Noble Consort Jinghua sneered and said, "Sister Yunqing, I brought you some food. Don''t you want to know what it is?" ''Food, Ptui! More like poison,'' Yunqing scoffed, thinking to herself. And she was right to believe so, as Noble Consort Jinghua had indeed brought poison for her. The container that a maid who followed behind Hongguo and Noble Consort Jinghua brought in did hold food, but it also had a bowl of soup that contained refined poison. The food they carried was just a cover to not be suspected of anything when it happens. The bowl of soup was just hidden amongst the rest of the food. Although there was really no need for Jinghua to be there since she could just have the food delivered by a maid and then either take care of the maid or pin the blame on someone else. She decided to be there just because her evil mind wanted to directly see Yunqing as she struggled for her last breath. The poison she chose was a fast-acting poison. It could kill a person within a short period depending on the amount of poison taken. Though it would sip slowly in the body, attacking each of the organs until it gets to the heart. She wanted to see Yunqing suffer and at all cost at that. "Tsk! Tsk! Since you will not cooperate, then don''t blame me for being ruthless," Noble Consort Jinghua said with a contemptuous and scornful look as her upper lip curled. Then she signalled for Hongguo and the other maid, who brought in the food earlier, to proceed with their arrangement. Immediately, they began using a forceful method. The maid went ahead and held the empress up. She didn''t expend so much energy to even force Yunqing''s mouth open as Yunqing was already weak and feeble. As soon as the maid held Yunqing up, Hongguo, who had retrieved the soup bowl, went forward and forcefully fed the bowl to her. Yunqing clenched her teeth and tried to close her mouth to prevent being force-fed the soup. She could smell the distinct odour of the particular poison Noble Consort Jinghua used as the poison was in very high concentration. Apart from being from the generals'' household, she was also from a family of physicians from her mothers'' side. Though, not properly trained, that is why she was not able to detect the poison from the precious poisoning incident while she was pregnant as it was in very little concentration. Noble Consort Jinghua actually did not intend to kill her or her baby by that time. She just wanted to use that incident to deal with a certain someone who crossed her. Yunqing was b?r?ly given food daily since she was sent to the Cold Palace and, as such, did not have enough energy to resist them. Bit by bit, the bowl of soup was fed to her with some spilling on her face and clothes. Yunqing immediately felt the searing rush of a foreign substance in her body. Hongguo proceeded to clean up her face and body to remove all evidence while the other maid quickly left, disappearing with the empty bowl when they were done with their deed. When Hongguo was done clearing up all other evidence and setting up the stage (i.e., she put the powder of the poison under her head bed and arranged the empress properly on the bed). Noble Consort Jinghua, who had been watching while sniggering all along, finally stepped up when Hongguo was done. She leaned forward, reaching towards the ears of Yunqing. "Guess what s.i.s.t.e.r Y.u.n.q.i.n.g~," Noble Consort Jinghua said tauntingly, emphasizing on how she called her. "Your little bug will never be able to find out what happened to Jiaying because I k-i-l-l-e-d her and your bug as well," Noble Consort Jinghua said with ridicule in her tone. Yunqing''s eyes widened at the confession as she stared at Noble Consort Jinghua with blank amazement and dread. The little bug she was referring to was Mo Lan, whom Yunqing had sent to inquire into the activities of Noble Consort Jinghua. ''So she actually did kill her own sister,'' Yunqing thought soberly as the poison gradually churned with the blood in her veins, slowly numbing her sense with pain. Scornfully, Noble Consort Jinghua continued, "She was always prancing around like a princess on her high horse just because she was the born from the legal wife of my father. I might not be able to use the same method as I did for the crown prince, but now her son will not even be recognized as a prince of BeiMing State. I am the only one who can be the empress of BeiMing State." She laughed sardonically after saying her piece. Noble Consort Jinghua just stood there laughing in a sardonic manner while she watched Yunqing struggling. She clicked her tongue while shaking her head before finally saying after a while, "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! No one would come here until they hear me shout for help, so you better save your strength for the afterlife. I always get what I want" She trailed on and on about all her schemes like she was in a confession room. Noble Consort Jinghua''s voice slowly became distant, gradually reducing her rambunctious chattering confessions to Yunqing as the life drained out of her eyes, leaving them b?r? and blank. Her eyes slowly dropping to a close. The poison had reached its final stop (her heart), and it kicked in successfully. Ahhhhhh! At this point, an ear-deafening scream of Noble Consort Jinghua could be heard distinctly. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was now ready to alert an audience. She then smiled smugly as she gazed at Yunqing''s lifeless form. After a little while, the emperor arrived, and Noble Consort Jinghua started another round of acting, "Boohoo! Your majesty, Sister Yunqing... Sister Yunqing is dead. Shshe drank poison. She killed herself." She threw herself into the emperor''s embrace as if seeking solace for the demise of a dear friend. Her demeanour was now that of someone who was kind-hearted and harmless. Like the typical white lotus that she was.. Huff! What a two-faced b***h. Chapter 10 - I am sorry "Since she had the guts to take her own life, no one will pay any respect to her. The lowly concubine Zhao Yunqing is dead, and she is to be given a traitor''s burial just like her dead family," emperor Jingli commanded, not bothered about how ruthless he was being. "Come, my consort, you should not see such unsightly appearance," the emperor said as he took away the sobbing Noble Consort Jinghua from there. ''No No. No... I-I did not. Please help me, please. I did not do it. I don''t want to die. Please. I did not kill myself. It was her. Please, believe me... Please'' these were the words Yunqing tried to say multiple times but couldn''t. She could only await her fate as she approached her end bit by bit. Her eyes had long closed before the emperor arrived, and she was already declared dead by the physician who came in to check her. The physician was obviously bribed by Noble Consort Jinghua as she was not dead as at the declaration''s time. She could still hear everything being said around her but could not react or move any part of her body. She just laid there like a comatose person. She was wholly paralyzed now with the poison fully taken over her body. Was there really any use in her trying to say anything? Would anyone ever believe her words? Was she the cause of everything? Were her actions the reason why all these events happened? Had she not accepted the late empress dowager''s imperial command to marry the then Crowned Prince Jingli, would her family still be alive? Would she had lived a more peaceful life than now? Also, would her son be by her side? The several slew of questions racing through her mind seemed to be unending. But all those ruthless words she heard from the emperor and Noble Consort Jinghua seemed to have the answers to all the questions she was asked herself. Yes!!! Yes Yes. She was the cause of everythingthe bane of her own self-destruction. Her naivety... Her blind trust and faith in the wrong set of people were what led her this far. All her goodness was used up in a bid to destroy her. She regretted it all. She regretted her stupid actions... Her tomfoolery..... But what exactly was she regretful of? If she had never helped bring Jinghua into the Imperial Palace or put her trust in the wrong person (Jinghua and the emperor), none of these would have happened. No! A scheming and cunning person like Jinghua would have found her way into the Palace either way. So, where exactly was the loophole? What exactly did she do wrong? Ah! Yes, if she had never fallen in love yes, if she had never fallen in love or married with the emperor, her life would not have turned out badly. She should have never obeyed the imperial command at any cost. After all, the price she had to pay was far more costly. That seemed to be it! The main problem! The most important life-changing decision she has ever regretted making the most. Even though he was being deceived, the emperor never made an attempt to trust her or her words. All he knew was that she was a Vengeful Vicious. Wicked woman, who would even go to the extent of killing her own son. To him, her heart was blacker than coal. He never stopped to think of whether she was capable of committing such atrocities. So, her love and trust for him was all just a waste of time and was trampled on like a piece of dirty rag. She gave so much until she was drained physically, emotionally, psychologically. Her spirit and heart seemed to now be consist of broken shards. And yet, she was still treated unjustly. Her mother always advised her to be ''A befitting empress to the emperor and the nation.'' But what a joke she had become instead. And she also brought the catastrophe on the people she loved. She regretted everything wishing she could turn back the hand of time. If only she could redo it all again. If she could, she would get as far away as possible from the emperor. Not even allowing him to catch as much as a glimpse of her. Not letting him know of her existence. It would even be better if they could leave BeiMing State as a whole. Maybe that way, her family would still be alive. Maybe she would not have lost her life in such a pitiful manner. She would never be as naive as she had been, and she would definitely protect herself and her family at all costs. But it was all too late now. I am sorry, grandmother.. I am sorry, father.. I am sorry, mother.. I am sorry, brother.. I couldn''t protect your son. I couldn''t fulfil my promise to you. I am sorry, everyone! I let you down! I let you all down! How could she face them in the afterlife? She was not even able to avenge their death, and now she was to join them in the most pitiable manner. She had amounted to nothing. What would they think of her? Do they even deserve a daughter like her? A weak and useless child. Yes, that is what she was. Too weak to protect herself. Too weak to protect her family. Too weak and foolish. Her life force ebbed out as she hopes that she could finally end her suffering and join her family as her last strength waned out of her body, leaving it cold and empty. "Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe," William Shakespeare. "Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets," Arthur Miller. Chapter 11 - Who is calling me? Death, they say, is the ultimate boundary of human matterswise words from Horace. "Every exit is an entry somewhere else," Tom Stoppard. ... Knock! Knock! Knock! The sound awoke a certain someone from her sedated state. ''What''s that noise'' she thought drowsily. "Yunqing Yunqing Yunqing, hon Are you all alright? Sweetheart~~ honey, please open up. You can tell me what''s wrong," a soft and tender voice endearingly called out. ''Urgh. Who is calling me? Why is my body so weak? Wait! Am I still alive? Did the poison not kill me?'' Zhao Yunqing''s* head was filled with various thoughts as she heard the stranger''s voice calling out to her again. "Sweetheart, please open up dear~ Yunqing. Is anything the matter? Talk to me please just say anything," the same tender voice called out to her again, and this time her tone was louder and sounded worried. Li Qingling was worried about her daughter, Zhu Yunqing. She did not know what was wrong. Her daughter had run past her in tears and locked herself up in her room, not responding to anyone. She''s been by the door knocking and calling out to her now for almost an hour, and yet, her daughter had still not responded to her. "Ughhh!" Yunqing squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a brief second before opening them. The moment her eyes opened, they were met with the unfamiliar setting of a bathroom. ''What is this box? Where am I? What are all these?'' Yunqing looked at her new environment, confused as her unfocused gaze swept across the room, trying to figure out where she was. When she looked back at what she was inside, she noticed it looked weird. She seemed to be immersed in water, but ''What a strange colour?!'' she thought, still trying to understand everything. ''What is that!'' her gaze had finally reached the floor, and she observed the red blotch of stain on it. ''Wait!! Is that not blood?'' she thought. She should be able to recognize blood; after all, she had seen it a couple of times when she ?ssisted her mother at their family clinic before getting married to the emperor. ''This is definitely blood,'' she thought to herself. She tried tracing from where the blood came from and realized it came from her hand, which was stretched out outside the ''weirdly shaped white box''. Only then did she see the slit on her wrist, which looked like it was still bleeding. ''I was poisoned, so I should not have any injury on my body so how did this wound come about?'' she looked puzzled. She could not understand anything and was beginning to get worried. Was she hallucinating? Or was she dreaming? Arghhhhh! Arghh.. Urfff.. It was like she was seeing the memories of someone else. Are those things real? Did they really happen to her? What really is going on here? She had never seen these things or people in her entire life, but she felt this awful and hurt feeling when some images flashed in her head. She was feeling an overwhelming ache in her head and heart as those foreign images invaded her mind. The direful pain reminded her of her horrific experience. She remembered her mother often spoke about a soul being reborn. Is that what happened to her? Did she become reborn? She was sure those memories were not hers. But if she really was reborn, what happened to the previous owner of the body. Did she die? What really happened to her, and where was she? ''What is going on here? Am I going to lose my life once again? No! No, I cannot let that happen,'' she thought as she struggled to reply to the voice that has been calling out to her now, thinking maybe they could help her. After saying a few words, she realized nothing came out of her mouth. She was too weak, and her throat was parched. She had lost too much blood, but whatever the case, maybe she had gotten a second chance and so would not waste it. She needed to find another way to ask for help. She remembered the voice asking her to open the door. Maybe the person on the other side could not enter. So she struggled out of the ''white box*'' she was in. Thud! "Ufff!" as her body slammed onto the floor with a loud noise, she had fallen out of the ''white box*'' when she tried to come out. It alerted the person on the opposite side of the door, which made them call out once again, "Yunqing hon, are you alright? Sweetheart?" Yunqing could not talk, so she just struggled as she crawled her way towards what seemed like a door (the bathroom door) from the new memories she just gained. When she got to the door, she had to hold onto a few things just so she could reach to unlatch the door. Though unfamiliar with the door, she had seen a few things in her fuzzy memory and therefore recognized how to open it. She opened it to see another unfamiliar room, but she did not waste any time trying to figure out anything. She held onto various things for support as she struggled to cover the distance from the room she just came out from to what looked like another door. Click! Clack! She unlatched the door after briefly searching her memories on how to do so. The door opened, and the person who had been calling out to her burst in early enough for her to see her daughter falling to the floor. "Aah! Oh my god!" she screamed, horrified at the scene that greeted her. Her daughter, Zhu Yunqing, looked as pale as a corpse. Her clothes were her completely drenched with red stains on it. By this time, Yunqing felt relieved that help had come and the little strength she had left waned out. ... NOTE: Zhao Yunqing is the name of the empress of BeiMing State. Zhao Yunqing died, and her soul transmigrated. She has been reborn into the body of Zhu Yunqing, who had killed herself after she caught her cheating boyfriend. Hence the first mention of Zhao Yunqing.. Hopefully, no one is confused about the name after this. Chapter 12 - How is she? Li Qingling was shocked at her daughter''s appearance. She noticed she was about to fall. She quickly stretched her hands out to grab onto Yunqing, which resulted in both of them ending up on the floor. Li Qingling immediately called their housekeeper for help. "Zhang!" "Aunty Zhang!" "Oh my goodness, Yunqing, hon, what''s wrong with you," she cried out, frightened. "Aunty Zhang!" Soon enough, a middle-aged woman came rushing into the room. As soon as she entered, Li Qingling screamed, "Get Mr Ling! Tell him to get the car ready! Hurry!" She did not waste any time to ask about the problem as she saw her madam sitting on the floor while holding her young miss who was unconscious in her arms. She dashed out the door to call Mr Ling; he was the Butler of the Zhu Family Mansion. Not long after, an elderly man walked into the room with a younger man. The elderly man was Mr Ling. It seemed Aunty Zhang had informed him of the situation as he quickly gave orders to the young man to help carry the young miss. The young man immediately lifted Yunqing up as he rushed out of the room. The young man walked in large strides as he headed out of the Zhu Family Mansion with the others following behind. Li Qingling had panic written all over her face. This was her only child. If something untoward happens to Yunqing, how could she possibly continue living? The driver had already gotten the car ready at the front of the house. So the young man gently placed Yunqing at the back seat. Meanwhile, Li Qingling also sat at the back seat as she helped secure her daughter in her arms. She kept on rubbing the hands of Yunqing, trying to give her almost lifeless form some warmth, hoping it could make some impact. Luckily, the drive to the hospital did not take much time. The doctors and nurses attended to her immediately. They wheeled her to an unoccupied operating room that they rushed to prep. Li Qingling''s whole body trembled with fear. Was she going to lose her daughter? She paced back and forth continuously. She couldn''t be at ease until she hears that her daughter is fine. She became even more scared as a nurse rushed out of the operating room. The nurse was so fast on her feet that she couldn''t even question her about what was happening. The nurse went back inside after retrieving two (2) bags of blood for the second time. It was a good thing that Yunqing was not of a rare blood type and that they also had a stock of her blood type in the hospital''s blood bank. Otherwise, it would have been difficult because her mother could not donate to her since she was an immediate relative. Doctors only use blood donated by the patient''s close relatives as a last resort for fear of complications. Since a blood transfusion from a blood-related family member can increase the risk of complications. After a short while, a bespectacled middle-aged man came striding in with his long and fast strides. "Qingling," Zhu Yusheng called out. Li Qingling turned around and, upon hearing her name to see her husband striding towards her. The tears she has been holding in for a long time were finally let out like a dam spilling over. "YuYusheng, Qingqing is. Qingqing she. She is," she hiccupped through her speech. She was not even able to form a coherent speech. Zhu Yusheng just hugged his wife, who was now a sobbing mess. "Qingqing is going to be alright. She''s strong. She will be fine," Zhu Yusheng said, patting his wife''s back as she cried. He kept reassuring her that their daughter was going to be okay. A while later, the light indication an ongoing operation in the operating room went out. The surgery was done. A tired-looking doctor in scrubs came out. Zhu Yusheng and his wife, Li Qingling, immediately approached the doctor. "Doctor! How is she?" Zhu Yusheng and his wife asked simultaneously with worry etched on their faces. "Is my baby girl alright?" Li Qingling added with soft sobs. "The surgery was successful. The patient is out of the first wave of the critical phase. Only when she wakes up can her life be really out of danger," Doctor Qian Ming said, looking worn out from the surgery. Yunqing''s parents were a bit relieved when they heard the words of Doctor Qian. Doctor Qian Ming has been on call for several hours now, so he was already annoyed, but the report he got about the patient worsened his countenance. This was the second case of a suicide attempt he had received today, and he wasn''t looking happy about it. As Dr Qian Ming was briefing them on the successful operation, his pager beeped, indicating he had a message. So, he left the rest of Yunqing''s parents'' briefing to the ?ssistant doctor and the head nurse. ''Hmph! If the person wants to harm themselves, then the families of such people should stop troubling us with saving their lives,'' Doctor Qian Ming snorted under his breath as he was leaving. Though he was a doctor, he really hated it when he had to treat a suicide patient. He usually thought of them as people who treated their life as trash. To him, such people were selfish as they did not care about how their loved ones would feel. Like if they were so tired of living their lives and eager to die, why do their families still bother to force them to continue living such lives? What if the person attempted suicide again and succeeded at the next trial? Wouldn''t the effort used in saving them be wasted? He got to his office and checked his phone for the message. "Good! Just what I needed to let loose," he sighed before sending a reply back. The reply he sent was: Be there soon! He checked the time and saw that he was supposed to get off work 10 minutes ago. So, he was free to go, and he had 30 minutes to get there.. So he quickly freshened up and then changed into a clean set of clothes before leaving to meet up with his friends. Chapter 13 - Get another one! As soon as Dr Qian Ming stepped out of his white Lamborghini Reventon, he saw that his friends had all arrived. It seems he is the late one for today''s gathering, looking at the other cars parked securely at their private parking space. Even the cold tycoon of Shen International Conglomerate, who usually arrives late to all their meeting, was already there. He knew his friends were definitely going to make him drink some shots for being late. It''s not as if he would find an excuse not to drink anyway as he needed the drinks to help drown his annoyance from earlier. He strolled into the bar like he owned the place. Well, technically, his friend, Lin Yan, was the owner of the bar so. Not even bothering to ask for directions as he was overly familiar with the bar. After all, the group of friends casually meet there from time to time. Immediately he entered their exclusive private room; the booming sound from the bar had died down quite a lot. "And he finally shows up," Lin Yan said upon Qian Ming''s arrival. He gestured with his hand like he was bowing to welcome a king. "You look pissed. Did someone crash your car?" Feng Mingli smirked. "Hello to you guys too," Qian Ming said with a hint of annoyance as he grabbed the nearest glass of wine. "Hey! That''s mine!" Fu Yanlin cried out like he was being bullied. "Get another one!" Qian Ming spat out furiously. "Okay! Okay, calm down. I didn''t steal your girlfriend. Not that you had one, by the way," Fu Yanlin with a smirk. Clearly mocking Qian Ming with the last sentence, he said as he grabbed an empty glass of wine for himself. He was not really pissed because Qian Ming took his drink, though. "Well, at least I was not the one who got dumped for a caf boy," Qian Ming retorted back, emphasizing the ''caf boy''. "You are the only one who calls him that!" Fu Yanlin replied. "Well, his family owns a caf, and he runs it himself," Qian Ming said. "Yeah yeah says the one who would not run his family business," Fu Yanlin replied. "! How does that even fit in the argument?" Qian Ming said. His expression quickly switching from a perplexed look to a questioning gaze. And that was how Qian Ming and Fu Yanlin started another round of bickering. More like childish bickering because they were actually the closest amongst them. There was never a gathering amongst them where these two were present, and they didn''t bicker. "Sometimes, I wonder if they are gay, but they just don''t realize it yet," Lin Yan whispered to Feng Mingli, who was seated by him. It wasn''t really a whisper, but the ones he talked about didn''t seem to hear him a word he said as they were in the middle of their childish bickering. "I think I would support their relationship. But speaking of gay...," Feng Mingli smirked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. He trailed off with his speech as his gaze landed on the person who had b?r?ly spoken a word since he arrived. He had only graced them with his signature nod, which seemed to be the highest form of acknowledgment he knew. Smack! As soon as Lin Yan realized the direction of Feng Mingli''s thoughts, he smacked him at the back of his head. "Aw! Hey! What was that for?" Feng Mingli cried out in an aggrieved tone, rubbing the back of his head. ''Damn! That hurts!'' "Would you rather he does it?" Lin Yan stated plainly. Knowing who the ''he'' in Lin Yan''s statement was, Feng Mingli turned towards him to check if he heard him. He was greeted with the scowling expression on Shen Zihao''s face, meaning he heard him. ''Crap!'' was all Feng Mingli could think of. "Well, now we know he can make another expression," Feng Mingli said as he scratched his head while laughing stupidly at himself. What Feng Mingli said earned him another smack at the back of his head from Lin Yan. "Hey!" Feng Mingli cried out with an expression that read, ''Could it be that you are just obsessed with smacking me,'' as he looked at Lin Yan. Lin Yan really seemed to enjoy bullying him as he was the youngest amongst them. The private room seemed a bit lively as the group of friends interacted with each other, well, most of them. Shen Zihao just sat there with one of his long legs crossed over the other. Apart from the expression he made at Feng Mingli''s comment, he could have as well not been there. He had one hand slung over the headrest of the chair he sat on while the other held a glass of wine, which he twirled around and drank from once in a while. One glance at this full-figured hunk, and you could see the superior and attractive aura emanating from him. He was the epitome of handsomeness, with his dark obsidian black eyes that only seemed to hold a cold gaze. Though his stoic expression never seemed to leave his perfectly chiselled face with his s?xy lips arranging in a thin line, he could still have a long stretch of women from all social status reeling after him. He had a powerful presence like a medieval emperor who owned the whole world. In a real sense, he actually was known as the ''emperor'' of the business world. He had the entire business world wrapped around in his hands. He was basically the crme de la crme of the elites. And Feng Mingli''s statement of him being ''gay'' was really not unfounded. Though he wasn''t gay, the s?xu?? orientation of the mysterious President of Shen International Conglomerate was the talk in H City. Once, the press had a sighting of him with a female companion but were later disappointed after finding out that she was his sister. He was one of the most d?s?r?d bachelors. That''s ?ssuming he wasn''t topping the ranks. Although he could have any woman, he d?s?r?d. Still, he never had any presence of a female companion around him except for his relatives. He seemed to drive women crazy with just his gorgeous looks and status but never allowing them to come close to him. Hence stemmed the talks of him being gay. After a while, Fu Yanlin finally asked Qian Ming the question everyone wanted to know the answer to. "So, what got you riled up earlier anyway?" Fu Yanlin asked. "Just a patient," Qian Ming answered. It seemed like he didn''t want to say more than that. But the ever slow-witted Fu Yanlin questioned, "The patient you told me about earlier?" Qian Ming sighed. Fu Yanlin had already said a part of the cause. He could no longer leave it hanging as his friends now had their ears perked up, waiting for his response. He had called up Fu Yanlin when he was done with the first case of suicide attempt patient, so Fu Yanlin only knew about that patient. Since Qian Ming just finished working on Yunqing before he left for their gathering, Fu Yanlin wasn''t aware. "Not that one. I had another surgery before coming here, nothing major, though. A family brought in a girl slit her own wrist and had already lost a lot of blood before she was brought in." Qian Ming said. "I mean, why do they even do that when they have loved ones who cared about them?" Qian Ming asked. He sounded a bit solemn. Though Fu Yanlin could be slow sometimes but after listening to Qian Ming, Fu Yanlin pat Qian Ming on his shoulder as he offered him a glass of wine. They all knew how the word ''suicide'' or something in semblance affected Qian Ming. From the description alone, they were able to grasp the situation. Though, he didn''t seem to place much significance on a suicide attempted patient rescued by a random person. But when it came to families bringing in a loved one who attempted to kill themselves, it always seemed to prick him hard. It made him think of himself. There was now a slightly awkward silence in the private room. No one said anything. They all just sipped from their wine glasses. They didn''t want to make Qian Ming sadder than he already is by bringing up the past. The man who had not spoken before finally said a few words, "When do you plan on taking over the Qian Hospital." Trying to break the silence and restore the previous ambiance of the room. "Not any time soon, I guess," Qian Ming replied. "Come on, bro, you need to do that soon. I''m tired of always paying for my check-ups," Fu Yanlin replied cheekily while tugging at Qian Ming''s shoulders. "Yeah! Me too!" Feng Mingli said, joining in on the fun. Lin Yan just smiled and shook his head at the shameless acts of his friends. The pleasant environment had been restored. With the way they spoke, one would think they couldn''t afford to pay for the check-ups. Meanwhile, each of them could pay for at least half of the people in H City''s check-up for a month and still not be broke. Well, one of them could pay for the whole city but who''s comparing? After several minutes of chatting, the group of friends disbanded as they all left to their various destinations. Chapter 14 - Desire to live Total darkness enshrouded Yunqing''s sight in the semblance of a voida dark void. A never-ending dark void that consumes each and everything in its path. Yet, there she was, laid down amidst the void like an object in a black hole. Her eyes shut tightly as if something would go wrong if she opened them. ''My dear....'' ''My dear....'' ''My dear~ it is time to open your eyes. Wake up, my dear. You have been given a second chance. This time live your life. Always remember...,'' she heard a semi-distinct serene voice calling out to her. She recognized that voice. That was her mother''s voice. Was her mother there with her? ''Mother..'' ''Mother! Mother, no, don''t leave me! Please! I''m sorry.. I''m sorry.. Please. Come back!'' she cried out, not seeming to hear the last words of her mother. She could feel as hot tears escaped her closed eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. She finally forced open her eyes only to be met with the darkness of the void. She stood up and ran in any direction, trying to find her mother. She kept on struggling in the dark as she searched for her mother until she stumbled and fell. She couldn''t see nor find her mother anywhere in the darkness. More like there was no way she could do that in this darkness. This made her question whether her mother was really in the darkness with her. She tried remaining silent to locate the place where the sound of her mother''s voice came from. But the only thing she heard was the fleeting voice of her mother saying, ''Goodbye, my dear~ live well.'' Her head was clouded in pain. ''Was she going to be completely alone even in the new world too?'' Emotional pain flowed out of every pore every bone of her body as she let out acutely miserable sobs that were racked with sorrow. The last words of her mother telling her goodbye had triggered another wave of sorrow. She felt clogged with pain and anger, hurt, and fear. Angry that her foolish actions had brought her to such a state, hurt from the betrayal, and frightful of what was in store for her. No! She was never like this before. Love had indeed made her weak and foolish. It made her into this sobbing mess. No stone would come rolling or turning in her favour if she didn''t put it in motion. She needed to live, even if not for herself, at least for her deceased family. Her mother also told her to live her life, and that was what she was going to do. And to live a damn good life at that! No matter where or in which body, she made a resolve to live well, damning all consequences. She had suffered far too much and was not going to let that happen again. She would stop waiting for fate to play out; instead, she would create her own destinyher own path in life. It seemed she had finally developed a strong d?s?r? to live. Arghhhhhh! Like a great rush of water, memories came back to her. As if the memories were waiting for her to want to live, and now knew that she had a penchant for life. Though these new memories were not hers, she could feel the joys, happiness, heartaches, sadness, and the anguish of the original owner of the body, Zhu Yunqing, as she journeyed through her life till her demise. The first walk that Zhu Yunqing remembered. The joyous moment Zhu Yunqing had. The heartaches. The deceit and lies enshrouded in her life. Most especially the ache she felt when she saw her boyfriend on the bed as he bonked her own cousin. Those harsh words being dished out, which Zhao Yunqing could relate to. The so-called boyfriend of Zhu Yunqing even still abused her with his harsh words of betrayal rather than cherishing the love she gave to him. He even dared to threaten her with hateful things as if he was ordering food from a waitress at a bar. How shameless could he be? That he didn''t even find anything wrong with what it seemed he had been doing a long time ago. The black-bellied treacherous cousin was equally as shameless as Zhu Yunqing''s boyfriend and her family, aiming to take over the Zhu Corporation. Zhao Yunqing seemed to be indulging in the past life of Zhu Yunqing, ignoring her unverified future. It was like she was viewing Zhu Yunqing''s entire life on a monitoring device. The original owner of the body was just like hera soft and emotional person. One who wears her heart for all to see and not knowing that it takes strength to do that, some people treated her like dirt. She was just as pitiful as her. But why was the person bearing the same name as her so pitiful? Because she was betrayed. Hmm! That seems to be a norm amongst those who you trust. But that wasn''t why she pitied Zhu Yunqing. Zhao Yunqing pitied Zhu Yunqing because she was foolish enough to waste her life on such scums in her life. Especially when her family was still alive and loved her dearly. She had wasted her life and let it amount to nothing with her own b?r? hands, and that seems to be the major common ground between them. Well, apart from their names. Still, her killing herself was not the answer. Since her life was not taken away by them, she should have made them regret letting her live then. But instead, she gave them the winning trophy over her life. Still, if she was really reborn as Zhu Yunqing, should she waste the second chance to live, or should she fight to live? She was no longer determined to be defined by her moments of weakness and fear but was going to muster up the courage and strength to rise above every downfall rise above even great feats. Even to the extent of achieving more than her limits could attain. She made a promise that she would make those who hurt Zhu Yunqing pay with everything she''s got. That was the payment she would give to Zhu Yunqing for giving her the chance to live again. Those scums don''t know what''s coming for them. Now her life has only begun. She would live for both of them. Even if she might not be able to exert her own revenge, she will definitely make it so that anyone who had hurt Zhu Yunqing would pay for it. ''It''s time we wake up now, Yunqing,'' she thought to herself resolutely. Chapter 15 - She’s awake 1 Aunty Zhang said after observing Li Qingling for a while now, "Madam, you should rest. Let me take over from here. You have b?r?ly rested for these past few days." Li Qingling was diligently and gently wiping her daughter''s body. She had taken to the task since Yunqing was brought to the hospital. Aunty Zhang had tried many times to ?ssist her but always got a sigh, and this reply, "It''s okay I''ll only be ?ssured if I do this myself." Li Qingling had visibly lost weight from worrying over her daughter. After a while, she asked Aunty Zhang, "Did you bring the food?" Li Qingling always made Aunty Zhang bring over a set of dishes every day. Her reasoning was that she didn''t want her daughter to wake up, and there was nothing for her to eat. So, as each day went by, freshly cooked dishes were always brought, three times a day. And this time was no different. "Yes, Ma," Aunty Zhang answered. "Umm... Urghhhhhh..." Yunqing muffled out. Her throat was as dry as a dessert. Before Aunty Zhang could finish with her reply, they both heard a mumbling sound croak out from Zhu Yunqing. Li Qingling''s heart raced. Was her daughter finally awake? "Qingqing! Qingqing, can you hear me? Qingqing, are you alright? Qingqing" Li Qingling called out to her daughter several times. Li Qingling could not help but ask herself, did her daughter really wake up just now, or was she just hearing things? "Aunty Zhang, You heard heard that, right?" Li Qingling asked, unsure of if she heard right. "Yes, Madam! It seems the young miss is finally going to wake up," Aunty Zhang replied with a smile. "Quick! Get Doctor Qian!" Li Qingling instructed Aunty Zhang immediately she confirmed that she didn''t hear wrongly. Not wasting any time, Aunty Zhang rushed out of the room to call Qian Ming. "Qingqing~ can you hear me?" she kept calling out to her daughter again and again. She was hoping for another response with her anxious eyes fixed on her daughter''s face in a soft stare. Zhu Yunqing''s eyes fluttered a bit but still remained closed. This made Li Qingling very sure that her daughter would wake up now. Only God had known how she survived the past week, seeing her daughter in such a state. For now, she wouldn''t quarrel with her on why she chose to take such drastic measures. She just wanted her daughter to wake up and be alright. A few minutes later, Qian Ming walked briskly into the room with long strides. A nurse and Aunty Zhang followed behind him. Qian Ming began with the check-ups. He checked her eyes to know if there was any damage to her brain, and luckily there wasn''t. The sudden light touches and movements during the check-up further awoken Zhu Yunqing''s senses. So, after a slight shake of her eyelids, her eyes slowly fluttered once more before finally, they opened groggily. Her eyes kept shutting and opening, trying to clear her blurry vision. She had now woken up to this new world where she would live from now on. After she woke up, Qian Ming conducted a few more checks on her. All her vitals seemed to be perfectly fine. Then he said to Li Qingling, "Now that she had woken up, she is completely out of danger. Though we will still need to monitor her for a few more nights before she can be discharged." "Thank you, Dr Qian. Thank you so much," Li Qingling said with soft sobs. Her tears did not stop flowing, no matter how elated she was upon hearing the news. Her boundless happiness could be heard from her speech as she thanked Qian Ming. Aunty Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. Her young miss was okay now. While on his way out, Qian Ming gave instructions to the nurse who followed him before leaving to complete his rounds of checks for his other patients. Li Qingling saw Qian Ming out of the room before returning to Yunqing''s side. Yunqing was only able to slightly move her limbs. It was understandable that she was weak. After all, she had lost a lot of blood before, and she had been asleep for almost two weeks. So her body felt weak and tired. "Qingqing~ do you need anything? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor back? What do you need? Do you want water?" Li Qingling worriedly asked Yunqing. The lot of questions Yunqing''s mother from memory asked her seemed to be too much to handle, especially with how fast she asked them. Only when she mentioned ''water'' did Yunqing have a little reaction. Her throat was really parched. "Water?" Li Qingling asked again to confirm. Yunqing immediately nodded while Aunty Zhang went to pour a glass of water for her. Aunty Zhang handed the glass of water to Li Qingling as soon as she was done raising the bed to help Yunqing sit up. Li Qingling fed the water to Yunqing by herself. While she was doing that, the nurse who had followed Qian Ming out earlier came back holding a tray. "Ma''am, I came to administer her painkillers," the nurse said. Li Qingling just nodded to her to let her know to go ahead with her work. So the nurse placed the tray down and went ahead to take the injection. The pain reliever she was going to administer was a fluid form. Yunqing understood that the nurse wanted to give her something to numb the pain she was feeling, but she did not want it. Her body was bedsore from being bed-ridden for such a long time. Although her body was racked with pain, she refused to take any painkillers. She wanted to still feel the pain. She had too much emotional pains than she even could remember. So, apart from her aching heart, she wanted to feel the numbing pains. To feel something more physical. Only when the pain quaked through her bones would she feel everything that had happened to her was real. So she immediately rejected the nurse who was bringing a needle towards her. "No.. I- I don''t need it!" Zhu Yunqing croaked out while shaking her head. Chapter 16 - Shes awake 2 "No. I- I don''t need it!" Zhu Yunqing croaked out while shaking her head. Though she ached all over, she still didn''t want to take a painkiller. The pain was a reminder to her, after all. "But miss you need it. I am sure you must be in pain now. You''ve been lying down for days now. Besides, Dr Qian said to administer it to you," the nurse tried to reason with Yunqing. But Yunqing would have none of it, so she rejected it once more. "No! I am fine!" Yunqing insisted. Her sweet mellifluous voice resonating as she spoke. It was now much clearer. Probably because her throat was not so dry anymore. The nurse wanted to try convincing her again, but Li Qingling raised her hands to stop her. "It''s okay if she doesn''t want it," Li Qingling said. If Yunqing did not want it, there was probably a reason why. "But Ma''am Dr Qian" the nurse could not finish what she was about to say before Li Qingling interrupted her. Li Qingling sighed and said, "I will inform Dr Qian myself. Is that okay with you now?" "Yes, Ma''am," the nurse reluctantly agreed. At the very least, she will not lose her job since they insisted on it. So, she just changes her IV, which was finished before leaving. As soon as the nurse left, Li Qingling asked her daughter, "Aren''t you in pain? Why did you refuse the injection?" She could not bear to see her daughter in pain, and now Yunqing seemed like she wanted to bear the pain. "Mom, I am sorry. I should have trusted you and dad when you say Tang Chonglin wasn''t good enough for me. I am sorry I didn''t listen to you before. I don''t want it because I want to remember how hurt I was by him," Yunqing said with a solemn tone and expression. Li Qingling immediately hugged her daughter. It broke her heart to see her like this. Now she couldn''t even tell her she warned her because of everything that had happened, nor could she dare to ask her daughter what happened. Her heart would writhe in pain if she asked her daughter to tell her about what transpired to make her take such a drastic measure. She didn''t want her to relive the pain again, and Yunqing did not even seem like she was ready to say anything. So she just hugged and consoled her, "It''s okay, honey." "But don''t you ever do anything foolish like this again! Okay," Li Qingling sternly cautioned her daughter, breaking away from the hug. Zhu Yunqing slowly nodded, but Li Qingling wasn''t satisfied, so she said, "Promise me! Promise me that you wouldn''t do anything this stupid again!" "I-I promise," Yunqing said almost inaudible to the ears. She was staring at the sheets on the hospital bed as if she wanted to bore a hole in them. Her hands were clenched on the sheets as well. ''Yes, I promise I will never do anything like this; instead, I''ll make those scheming dogs pay with everything they''ve got!'' Yunqing vowed to herself. Li Qingling could not bear to see her daughter in such a state. Though her daughter was initially a timid person, she was never this timid as if she was afraid of losing the world. She sighed and shook her head helplessly. "Come here~," Li Qingling said, pulling Yunqing into a tight hug. "You should rest. I''ll get Aunty Zhang to prepare something for you to eat when you wake up," Li Qingling said as she pulled away from the hug. She helped Yunqing lay on the bed properly. "What would you like to eat, dear?" Li Qingling asked her daughter. "Anything, mom~" Yunqing replied, snuggling into the bed. Although it was not so comfy, it was slightly better than the one she had in her past life. It felt good to be able to call someone'' mom'' and have them care for her like this. She lost hers quite early. So the only memories she had of her mother was basically childhood memories as she had entered the palace at an early age. After she lost her entire family, the closest she had to a family was Nui. But unfortunately, she was also implicated in the schemes of Noble Consort Jinghua. When she remembered Nui, her face visibly showed a sad look, but she quickly changed her expression before Li Qingling could see it. "Okay~ I''ll let her prepare your favourites then," Li Qingling said, smiling at her daughter and patted her head until Yunqing slept. It was only when she saw Yunqing''s ?h?st silently heaving up and down that she stopped patting her head. She sighed after staring at Yunqing''s sleeping face for a few seconds. Then, she got up from the bed and planted a loving kiss on her Yunqing''s forehead. After Yunqing slept, Li Qingling immediately instructed Aunty Zhang on what to prepare. "Aunty Zhang, please prepare hot and sour soup, abalone congee, sweet red bean soup, and lightly fried egg foo young. Although she loves hotpot, she can''t eat it now, so there will be no need for it. She would probably wake up soon, so please bring them as fast as possible," Li Qingling instructed. "Yes, Madam," Aunty Zhang replied. "Add some almond jelly too. Oh! And add some fruit too. Some apples, she loves apples. And some red dates as well. It would be good for her blood. Also, some oranges and....." Li Qingling kept on rambling on and on. Smiling, Aunty Zhang said after Li Qingling stopped rambling, "Okay, Madam. Would that be all?" A mother would always be a mother. That single phrase seemed to be the right words for this moment. "Just make a few dished that Yunqing likes and bring them over. You can leave out those she can''t eat now," "Okay, Madam, but what about you?" Aunty Zhang asked. Li Qingling sighed before saying, "I''m okay. I''ll just take the food you brought earlier. It should still be warm." She said that as she gestured to the food, Aunty Zhang brought earlier for Yunqing. "You should take some rest, Madam," Aunty Zhang said before leaving the room. She was genuinely worried for Li Qingling as she had b?r?ly rested since Yunqing was hospitalized. ''Take some rest, huh!'' Li Qingling sighed before she whipped out her phone and gave her husband a call to tell him the good news.. She was yet to inform him that Yunqing had woken up. Chapter 17 - Yunqing has changed! 1 The aroma of the delicious scent filled the air in Yunqing''s room, and it seemed to be the norm at every mealtime ever since she woke up. For the past few days that she had spent at the hospital, her mother, Li Qingling, always made sure that she had a wide array of dishes set out in front of her once she was awake. Yunqing was happy to have someone fuss over her like this. After her family in her past life were killed, she had almost forgotten what it was like for someone to care for her like that. Though Nui was there, she could only do so much since she wasn''t her mother. When Yunqing was done eating, she sighed and laid on the bed properly while a maid cleared out the plates. Li Qingling had gone to have a final talk with the ''yellow-haired doctor'' since she would be discharged the next day. Yes, weirdly enough, ''yellow-haired doctor'' was the name Yunqing called Qian Ming by. They always seemed to bicker whenever she calls him that. ''No drama, huh!'' Yunqing sighed. Not that she wanted a drama-filled life, but her so-called cousin and the family had pretty much disappointed her. They were so surprisingly quiet. She was expecting her to come a long time ago to gloat in her face after everything that has happened. Due to her past life, she should have been quite used to idle days, but she has been feeling bored for some reason. Maybe it was because she was itching to face those scheming dogs. "Sister Qingling! Yunqing! Your Aunt Qiuyue is here to see you!" Suddenly a shrill, ear-piercing voice sounded from outside her room. The door swung open in a swing making a bang on the wall. An overly dressed woman of around the same age as Li Qingling waltz into the room with a younger version of her tagging behind. ''Speak of the devil, and they will appear. Heh! I guess these hypocrites could not bear to stay away then,'' Yunqing thought. With the way they walked in, it only seemed like a line-up of hypocrites to her. But the line wasn''t complete yet; a few more and it would be. The people she called hypocrites that just strolled in were her Aunt Sun Qiuyue, the wife of her father''s brother, Zhu Fang, and their daughter, Zhu Yanyu. "Hello, Second Madam. Hello, Second Young Miss," Aunty Zhang and the other maid greeted before stepping out of the room. Zhu Yanyu''s face visibly darkened immediately they referred to her as ''second young miss''. Meanwhile, her mother seemed to be more composed, probably from her years of acting. ''Cheh! If you wear your expression like that already, then it''s going to be easy for me to bully you! At least, you should learn a thing or two from your mother,'' Yunqing thought as she quirked a fleeting smile. She saw the way Zhu Yanyu''s face darkened and wanted to bully her some more. ''You are giving me a reason to bully you, so don''t blame me if I am ruthless,'' Yunqing thought to herself. "Second Aunty! Second Cousin! You are here!" Yunqing greeted them with a broad smile on her face. She purposely dawdled on the word second during her greeting. Zhu Yanyu could not help but feel that Yunqing''s smile was mocking her. She clenched her fists behind her back in anger and tried to muster up a smile on her face. The original Zhu Yunqing was too trusting to not see that Zhu Yanyu was covetous of her position as the first young miss of the Zhu family. Such a shame that even Zhao Yunqing suffered such too. But she was definitely not going to end up as pitiful as her previous life. Now that she was around, Zhu Yanyu should keep dreaming if she thinks she can take away her position as the Zhu Family''s first miss. After all, she did not become the empress in her previous life with her family''s help alone. She might not have been ruthless in getting the position, but she was definitely smart and talented. Zhu Yanyu had always had the tag of the second young miss of the Zhu family, and she never liked it. In fact, she hated it so much. Zhu Yanyu obviously couldn''t hide her anger anymore. So, she tugged at her mother''s clothes, signalling her to do something. Sun Qiuyue understood what her daughter meant and quickly got into her act. "Qingqing! What happened? You have never called me like that before. And isn''t Yu''er your sister anymore. Although you both are cousins, she had always treated you like a sister. Why do you sound so distant now?" Sun Qiuyue said. "Mother, maybe Sister Yunqing hit her head when she tried to kill herself. Sister Yunqing, are you alright?" Zhu Yanyu chimed in tauntingly. She hoped that was true because that would mean Yunqing would not remember that she found out about Tang Chonglin and her. That way, she could still make use of her. Not knowing that Yunqing was no longer as gullible as she was before. Tsk! Tsk! What an idiot! Since Zhu Yanyu had an inferiority complex, it''s better to use it now before she can get a handle on things. Yunqing scoffed internally immediately Zhu Yanyu called her ''Sister Yunqing''. The name was like a lousy ring tone to her. "Forgive my manners Aunty but isn''t Yu''er my S.e.c.o.n.d C.o.u.s.i.n*. I do remember having an elder cousin from my mother''s side, Cousin Mei. So I don''t think it''s appropriate to keep calling her like she''s my oldest cousin. It would be rude to Cousin Mei. Don''t you think so, Aunty? Besides, my dear cousin wouldn''t be so petty over name-calling, now would she? Hmm but this wouldn''t be the first time she being jealous, right?" Yunqing replied with a small sneer look on her face as her lips curled upwards. For a brief moment there, Sun Qiuyue and her daughter seemed to be robbed of their speech. ''Was this the same shy girl who used to follow my daughter around? Why do her eyes seem to have a threatening look in them, or am I not seeing right? Is she aware of our plans?'' Sun Qiuyue pondered. NOTE: When Yunqing said second cousin there, she meant that she had another older cousin than Zhu Yanyu.. The older cousin is her first cousin when it comes to age. Chapter 18 - Yunqing has changed! 2 Zhu Yanyu''s face became pale as panic took over her face as soon as Yunqing mentioned about her being jealous. Her face was almost as white as a sheet of paper as all colours drained out of her face. "What are you saying? Yu''er is not like that. You should know her best. You two have always been together," Sun Qiuyue asked, obviously a bit perplexed. It seemed she was not fully aware of all her daughter''s affairs. ''Yes, and that was precisely why Zhu Yanyu was able to deceive her* (the original Zhu Yunqing),'' Yunqing thought. "If cousin no longer welcomes me, I guess there is no need for me to stay here anymore," Zhu Yanyu said quickly as she attempted to make her way for the door. She was trying to escape. She did not want to be asked anything by her mother. She knew quite well what Yunqing was driving at. Sun Qiuyue disliked Tang Chonglin from the very start ever since he started going out with Yunqing. Though she was never against Yunqing dating him, after all, she never really cared about her. But when it comes to her daughter, she would never approve of such a relationship. Although Tang Chonglin is also from a wealthy family, but to Sun Qiuyue, he was not the best choice. Her Sun Family could easily suppress Tang Group and would not even have to stress themselves, not to talk of the Zhu Corporation. So she felt that he would not be a good match. "Ooh~ why are you leaving in a rush, sister?" Yunqing inquired tauntingly, emphasizing on sister. "You should stay. After all, I still have a question for you!" she said, looking innocent even with the mysterious and witty smile on her face. Yunqing knew quite well that Sun Qiuyue didn''t like Tang Chonglin since she never hid her dislike for him. And she also knew for a fact that Sun Qiuyue was not aware of the underhanded affair between Zhu Yanyu and Tang Chonglin. Sun Qiuyue was not aware that her very own good daughter was busy bonking Zhu Yunqing''s boyfriend behind her back. So, Yunqing wanted to slowly reveal the ''good news'' to Sun Qiuyue. Though it''s not much but at least that should buy her some time before she can properly deal with the two-faced bi*ch. Zhu Yanyu halted in her steps as soon as she heard Zhu Yunqing speak. "Ah! W-what do you want t-to know?!" Zhu Yanyu asked hesitantly after facing her. Zhu Yanyu could have sworn she saw a threatening look flash in Yunqing''s eyes. ''Is this bi*ch trying to reveal her relationship with Tang Chonglin? If she does, will she reveal that too? No! Calm down! Let''s hear what she has to say first,'' Zhu Yanyu pondered. She needed to calm her nerves down so as not to give away anything. She clenched her jaws in anger and nervousness. "Nothing much~ just wanted to know where Tang Chonglin was?" Zhu Yunqing asked. The smile on her face didn''t seem to falter or fade in the least bit. But her eyes held an incredulous look at how stupid Zhu Yanyu was to have fallen for her trick. She couldn''t help but internally shake her head for Zhu Yanyu with the thought, ''Being stupid is a disease'' in her mind. She really overestimated Zhu Yanyu, thinking she was going smart enough to avoid her asking anything. Since Zhu Yanyu wanted to keep that truth away from her mother, then Zhu Yunqing was going to do her a favour and reveal the truth to her. "Ah! Brother Chonglin is your b-boyfriend! So, how would I know his whereabouts?!" Zhu Yanyu instantly replied tensely as she clenched onto her knee-length gown. Rumpling it in the process. Uh-oh! She didn''t want her mother to find out, at least not now and maybe not ever. If she finds someone better than Tang Chonglin that she could hook-up with, then that would actually be for the better. Sun Qiuyue had noticed her daughter''s countenance wasn''t right anymore. ''Why was she looking nervous? Don''t tell me!'' Sun Qiuyue thought as she listened to the conversation between her daughter and Zhu Yunqing. Sun Qiuyue gave her daughter a piercing gaze trying to discern what was going on. With the way, Sun Qiuyue stared at Zhu Yanyu. It was obvious that she was becoming suspicious of her. ''Damn it! We came here to taunt her so, how can this bi*ch turn the tables around on me. I better find a way to deal with this before she reveals that. How could this bitch have changed so much?'' Zhu Yanyu cursed under her breathe. She was becoming much more panicked-stricken by the minute. She was internally biting off her nails. Zhu Yunqing just gawked at Zhu Yanyu as if she was stupid. Well, she was stupid enough to think her cheap tricks would still work on her again. Zhu Yunqing''s question could easily be misunderstood. And Zhu Yanyu''s answer and her flustered state made it difficult for one to not discern the truth. She even dared to call him ''brother Chonglin'' now there was no way her mother could figure out the underlying fact. ''Don''t worry, I won''t reveal your big secret yet! I still need to keep a trump card, after all. But I''ll definitely reveal it on a big stage for you and congratulate you with lots of gifts too,'' Yunqing thought with a sweet innocent smile etched on her lips. Outside of the hospital room, Li Qingling stood there listening to their conversation. She had arrived there when Zhu Yanyu started taunting her daughter. Her face had a darkened expression. She had wanted to go in but stopped because she wanted to know what was up with Yunqing. Since she woke up, she had refused to tell her anything. She could not even share in her husband''s burden over the company, and now her daughter was side-lining her too. She would have never guessed in her many years that Sun Qiuyue and her Zhu Yanyu was two-faced. Although she and Sun Qiuyue could not be regarded as friends, they had never had any form of grievance between them. And as for Zhu Yanyu, she was very disappointed in her.. She had always treated her as her own daughter, not knowing that this was how they treated Yunqing. Chapter 19 - I can handle them Qian Ming stood behind Li Qingling. He had followed her because he needed to give Yunqing a final check-up before she''s discharged the next day. He did not move an inch immediately Li Qingling stopped by the door to Yunqing''s room. ''Hum! So that was why she did it,'' he thought. Even though he knew her reason now. His impression of her had only increased by 1 from 0 points in his 100-grade point system. ''Wait! Since when did I become so gossipy about my patients,'' he internally questioned himself, wondering about his odd behaviour. Shaking the thoughts away, he tapped Li Qingling and said, "I think we should go in now, ma''am." "Hmm" Li Qingling just hummed before walking into the room. As they walked in, Sun Qiuyue, who had noticed them, immediately greeted Li Qingling. "Ah! Sister Qingling, You''re here," Sun Qiuyue said. Her actions stopped Zhu Yanyu, who was about to flare up as a cover to prevent Zhu Yunqing from revealing anything. Zhu Yanyu immediately had an innocent expression and said, "Hello, Aunty!" As soon as her mother entered the room, Zhu Yunqing''s expression brightened up with a playful smile etched on her face as an idea formed in her head. "Mom, the air here has a foul smell. I want a change of room. Can the yellowed-haired doctor help with that?" she said without even sparing a glance at Sun Qiuyue and her daughter. She said her last statement while facing Qian Ming. Li Qingling didn''t pay any attention to the greetings of Sun Qiuyue or Zhu Yanyu. Instead, she knew her daughter was acting and followed her act. She turned and spoke to Qian Ming, "Isn''t a toxic environment bad for the patients'' health, Dr Qian?" She glanced to the side where Qian Ming stood waiting for the family drama to end so he could do his work. ''Well, since they want to include me in the act, then no problem, after all, she is my patient,'' Qian Ming thought before responding, "Yes ma''am! A toxic environment will definitely hinder the speedy recovery of the patient. So, I apologize but unfortunately, I will have to ask you to leave." After answering Li Qingling''s question, he turned to Sun Qiuyue before saying the last statement. Sun Qiuyue and Zhu Yanyu''s faces were blackened after the humiliation. "Sister Qingling, I, and Yu''er need to go now. Sorry, we can''t chat today. We''ll make sure to visit when Yunqing gets discharged," Sun Qiuyue tried to save their faces. As they scurried out of the room. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunqing was all smiles when her little act was continued by her mother and Qian Ming. She even gave them a condescending look as she gazed at their fleeing figures with their embarrassed faces. "Humph!" Li Qingling harrumphed haughtily, refusing to give them face. Then she turned to Qian Ming and apologized for what he witnessed and asked him to continue with his work. "Sorry Doctor Qian, please go ahead." "It''s fine ma''am," he replied before going about with his duties. But before he could even ask Zhu Yunqing about how she was doing, she said, "Oh~ I never knew that yellow-haired doctor knew how to act! You could make a lot with your acting if you ever got tired of being a physic- I mean a doctor." Qian Ming was angry, but he did well hiding it. He had never seen a more pestering patient that Zhu Yunqing. ''Why can''t she just stop calling me that? (Sigh) Thank goodness she''s leaving tomorrow,'' he thought. He felt the best course of action now was to ignore her words so, he just continued with the check-up. "Do you have any pain anywhere? Or Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" he asked completely ignoring her previous comment. "Tch! I am fine. Never been better," Zhu Yunqing replied with a grave expression. Well, she only annoyed him because she was stuck in the hospital with nothing else to do other than to eat and sleep. She sort of blamed him for it as her mother seemed to listen to whatever he said concerning her health. Hence, why she also started annoying him and calling him yellow-haired doctor. But since she was getting discharged the next day, she might as well let him off the hook. So she did not hinder his work anymore by pestering him. So, when Doctor Qian Ming finished the final check-up, he left. Meanwhile, the mother and daughter pair who just left the room were fuming mad. Sun Qiuyue was only able to calm her daughter down saying, "Don''t worry, she won''t be so arrogant for too long." After Doctor Qian Ming left Zhu Yunqing''s room. Li Qingling went and sat on the bed beside Yunqing and started questioning her, "Yunqing, since when did you start being so naughty? Why didn''t you tell me anything about them? They may be your aunt and cousin, but they cannot be treating you like that. And what is really up between you and Yanyu?" "Mom it''s fine. Don''t worry! I can handle them," Zhu Yunqing said trying to reassure her mother. She had come to see Li Qingling as a mother figure. Li Qingling might not be able to replace her mother, but no one said she was a substitute. After all, she was the mother of the original Zhu Yunqing, and she did not cause her any harm; so, there was no need to disrespect her. Instead, she regarded her as her second mother, most especially after Li Qingling took care of her since she woke up. Although she felt guilty, she will just have to treat her well from then on. Since she was blessed to have lived two (2) lifetimes and had two (2) mothers, she would make sure she appreciates this one more to make sure she has no regrets about it. "That does not stop the fact that you should have told me what happened," Li Qingling said sternly.. Even if she was being sidelined, she should at least have the right to care about her daughter. Chapter 20 - Discharged from hospital Sigh! She heaved a deep sigh before she spoke. "Tang Chonglin and I broke up. More like I caught him cheating on me with Zhu Yanyu. And it seems they''ve been at it for a while now," Zhu Yunqing said with a melancholic smile, after sighing deeply. ''I can only tell her this to stop her from inquiring further,'' Zhu Yunqing thought. "Ooh~ my daughter. You''ve suffered a lot. He was never good enough for you, anyway. How could Yanyu do such a shameless thing?" Li Qingling lamented and quickly wrapped her hands around her daughter in a warm hug. She had a wistful and sad look on her face as she comforted her daughter. She was almost on the brink of tears. ''You are right, he is not worthy of even a strand of this empress''s hair.'' That seemed to be the empress in her talking. "It''s fine. I am alright. I''ve learnt from my mistakes. I won''t fall for her innocent act again!" she beamed cheerfully. She was also trying to not worry Li Qingling. She did not like to dwell on sorrowful experiences anyway. Zhu Yunqing had it easy to some extent; she was just too naive to see the real faces of those around her. "Hmm! Yes, my darling is going to be fine~," Li Qingling said. The room became filled with solemn silence. The pair of mother and daughter spent the rest of their time wrapped around tightly in each other''s embrace as if something would go wrong if they didn''t. The next day, Zhu Yunqing was discharged very early that morning. ''Ahhhhhhh! Finally!'' Zhu Yunqing sighed, standing in front of the hospital with her arms stretched out, inhaling the non-antiseptic air. The freshness of the air made her feel more relaxed. She had to admit it was quite peaceful in the hospital except for the previous day when Sun Qiuyue and her daughter came looking for trouble. Well, she had to face those scheming dogs anyway. The drive back to the Zhu Family Mansion was a short ride. Her thing was taken into the house by the maids. Looking at the things that were being unpacked, one would think Zhu Yunqing went on a vacation. Li Qingling could be quite excessive when it came to her daughter. As soon as the maids were done arranging her things and left, she roamed around her room. Trying to familiarize herself with the things that were unfamiliar to her yet were familiar through the memories she gained. She ran her hands through across anything she could touch as if she was trying to feel for the presence of the original Zhu Yunqing. With her flowery bed and comforter, her white dressing table and a full-length mirror on the side, the soft and woolly couch at a corner, and the small woolly ottoman found close to the bedthe room sparkled with simple vibes. Though from a wealthy family but Zhu Yunqing seemed to be an epitome of simplicity. Though each furniture that could be found in the room was expensive, they were not showy. It was obvious she did not have a gaudy personality. She was quite simple at heart. Zhu Yunqing moved around the room like she was on an inspection, after all, this was where she was going to live now. She moved toward the closet. The closet was an array of colours. The closet had an air of extravagance, most likely as a result of Li Qingling''s excessiveness. It was filled with various items that she could never have imagined were realbeautiful dresses, shoes, bags and purses, and whatnot. She could hardly believe that some could be made even after seeing them. Her original fashion craze side seems to be poking its head out at the marvellous sight. Looking at the items, she thought, ''I probably would not be able to wear all these things if I did not have her memories.'' A sweet and tender smile crept up on her cute and full puffy lips, making her round-shaped face more pronounced. At least she didn''t lose her green-hued eyes, but these eyes were much more fascinating than hers. The eyes were so lovely like the reviving grass after a cold and long winter. They reminded her of the greenery of her courtyard after it rains. It''s a pity they had become a bit dull. Her hair, on the other hand, had totally changed. Her midnight black long hair, which was a beauty to behold, was now a soft smoky grey ombre coloured one. Although the length could not be compared to her previous one, this was also okayit was almost reaching her waist. Though, it gave her a subtle, mysterious, and attractive vibe. She had the body of a stunner, a perfect hour-glass figure. She even felt that her former self, who was considered a top beauty in BeiMing State, could not even be compared to this. After carefully inspecting her body, she sauntered towards the bed and flung her body onto it. Ahh~ so much better,'' she sighed internally as soon as her body sunk into the softness of her bed. It was so much comfier when compared to the hospital bed. Her eyes shut as she breathed deeply. Her ?h?st heaving up and down with every breath she took. After a few minutes, her rest was disturbed. She could hear a distinct voice and knocks in her head. Knock! Knock! "Young Miss! Young Miss!" a maid called out. "Young Miss!" ''Young Miss! Huh! Who is calling someone? Who is she calling? Oh, wait! That''s me!'' her eyes immediately snapped open upon realization. She quickly sat up on the bed before responding to the calls. "Yes! What is it?" her mellifluous voice sounded out. Hearing the response, the maid replied, "Young Miss, Miss Wei is here to see you. She''s waiting in the living room for you." ''Miss Wei?! Who is? Ah! Right!'' suddenly realising who that was. She sighed heavily before replying to the maid, "Let her come up." She was too tired and lazy to go down the flight of stairs after just coming up. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to fix the messy strands. Her hair had become messy when she flung her body onto the bed. "Okay, Young Miss." Chapter 21 - Wei Chujiu After a while, the clacking sound of heels against the cold floor could be heard as it drew nearer. The door swung open in one push. And a dainty figure dressed in a plaid turquoise short gown strolled in. "Humph! It''s good you are not dead yet," Wei Chujiu said haughtily as soon as she saw Zhu Yunqing. Wei Chujiu was once very good friends with Zhu Yunqing, but their friendship was strained due to the crafted web of lies Zhu Yanyu told her. Wei Chujiu had Caught Tang Chonglin and Zhu Yanyu having an affair. When she tried to tell Zhu Yunqing about it, they twisted the plot and made it seem like she tried to seduce Tang Chonglin. So before she could tell Zhu Yunqing the truth, they had already made Zhu Yunqing believe the twisted lies they made up. So when Wei Chujiu tried to approach Zhu Yunqing with the truth, she flared up at her. Zhu Yunqing humiliated her and accused her of tainting her cousin''s name as well as trying to steal her boyfriend. That had stopped them from being friends, but it obviously didn''t stop Wei Chujiu from still caring about Zhu Yunqing. "I''m happy you are okay too!" Zhu Yunqing replied with a soft smile. ''True friends really will never leave you, huh!'' ''I should at least fix the only good friendship I have right now,'' she sighed. For her to still come and check up on her means she still cared about their friendship. The other friend of Zhu Yunqing was merely a minion Zhu Yanyu had placed close to her. "Humph! I''ve seen what I wanted. You seem fine. Don''t forget, you still have to go to school!" Wei Chujiu said before she turned to leave. Rising to her feet, Zhu Yunqing blurted out, "I am sorry!" Her face held a tense look. Her words seem to halt Wei Chujiu''s steps. "And I should accept your apology, why?" Wei Chujiu retorted angrily. She glowered at the door as if that was who she was angry at. Zhu Yunqing felt a jab of pain when she heard Wei Chujiu''s words. She could feel the regret and sadness of the original Zhu Yunqing. "Humph! This empress is apologizing, and you are being arrogant. Well, whatever, I have to fix this anyway.'' Then with a rueful expression, Zhu Yunqing said, "I know there is no reason for you to forgive me. And I will not force you either. I am only asking you to just hear me out. I have my own grievances too, but I had to pay dearly for it." Her expression turning bitter at the end, her mind had wandered off to her past life. An inaudible sigh left her tight lips before she continued, "But even if you won''t listen, I still have to say this to you. I am sorry. I can say it a couple more times if you want." "I am sorry, I shouldn''t have doubted you and broken our friendship. After all, we have been friends for so many years now. I am sorry, I should have believed you when you said you didn''t betray me." When she was done saying her piece, she tried to gauge Wei Chujiu''s reaction but couldn''t as Wei Chujiu had her back to her. "Humph! I wouldn''t have fallen for the lure of such scum. I have high specks, you know!" Wei Chujiu grumbled out after a brief awkward moment of silence. She felt wronged that her best friend had accused her of trying to seduce that scum. He was quite an ?sshole. She could not even fathom what Zhu Yunqing saw in him. "Hmm! I know!" Zhu Yunqing admitted. "And you shouldn''t have trusted their words so easily." "I know!" "You should have trusted me." "I know!" "You were too na?ve." "Alright! Alright, I am! But I won''t be anymore!" Zhu Yunqing said, accepting everything she threw at her. The original Zhu Yunqing was really at fault, and since she was now her, that meant she was the one at fault. So she just agreed to whatever Wei Chujiu said. "Y you.," Wei Chujiu obviously had nothing else to say anymore. Her tears were already gathering by the side of her eyes in wait to flow down. Her shoulder''s trembled a bit. She had missed her best friend all this while, and she was really not happy with the strain in their friendship. "Can I have my friend back now?" "Humph! You want only your friend back!" Wei Chujiu said through puffed her cheeks as if she was still angry. She finally turned around to face Zhu Yunqing. For some reason, she felt that Wei Chujiu was no longer angry with her. So, she smiled before saying, "Can I have my best friend back now?" "Wuuh! I am not perfect, okay, but I''ll never betray you. You should always remember that! Why did you take so long?" Wei Chujiu snivelled as she hugged Zhu Yunqing. She finally let go of her tears, and it came pouring down like a dam that had just been released. "I missed you~~" She cried out, embracing Zhu Yunqing even more tightly. "Me too!" Zhu Yunqing''s smile widened. She now had another supporter against Zhu Yanyu. She knew she could not solely rely on her family. So it was a good thing that she fixed her relationship with Wei Chujiu. The pair of friends had finally reunited. Their friendship bond was like a never-ending flowing river with flowers that bloomed all year round blooming along the river bank. "I heard you''ve been at the hospital.. What happened? Did those scums do anything to you?" she asked with furrowed brows. Chapter 22 - A message Zhu Yunqing contemplated silently for a while. Should she tell her or not? Was the question. But if she wanted Wei Chujiu to completely forgive and trust her once again, then she had to lay everything out. So, she outstretched her hand and showed Wei Chujiu her wrist with the cut mark. Wei Chujiu''s face darkened with anger. "Those bastards!!" she spat out furiously. "They didn''t do it," Zhu Yunqing faltered in her speech. "I... I did," she said. Her voice was almost inaudible, and her face downcast. "What?!! How could you do that? Why would you do such a thing? Why would you want to throw your life away because of those scums? How can you be so stupid, Yunqing?!" Wei Chujiu berated her. She was utterly ticked off at how her best friend could do such a cowardly act. "You need to calm down!" Zhu Yunqing said. Wei Chujiu didn''t seem to care anymore and just snapped, "Calm down! Don''t tell me to calm down! How could you do such a thing?! Did you even think of Uncle and Aunty when you did that? Did you even think of how they would feel if they had lost you? And what about me? We won''t have been able to make up! And how" she blared off as she continued scolding Zhu Yunqing. Zhu Yunqing seemed to have been robbed her of speech for a while. ''W-What have I gotten myself into? Where does she keep all that stored? Wait! That''s not the point! I wasn''t the one who tried to take her own life. I am the empress; why am I the one getting scolded?'' she thought. From memory, she ?ssumed that Wei Chujiu was a calm and collected young lady, but this was totally the opposite. Although she could be bratty sometimes, but who doesn''t have a friend like that. Zhu Yunqing pressed her temples with her right palm. Then she motioned a stop with her palms facing Wei Chujiu to stop her from continuously barraging her with her scolding. Then she said, "Hold on, Okay! I won''t ever do something like this again!! I know it was cowardly of me, okay. So just calm down! I.." Zhu Yunqing was about to continue when a phone (Yunqing''s phone) loudly chimed, interrupting their conversation. They both turned towards the sound and saw the light of the phone dim before going off. Zhu Yunqing had to admit the means of a distant communication now was by far better than it used to be in her era. It was so much more advanced and faster than in her original timeline. Zhu Yunqing quickly went to get the phone. She had learnt a lot of things from the memories she gained, and how to operate this gadget was one of them. So, using her fingerprints, she was able to unlock the phone to see a message. Yu An Qiao: Let''s meet! We need to talk! A visible dark expression brewed over Zhu Yunqing''s face. ''Hmph! Now she''s getting her minion on my tail!'' Wei Chujiu could see the evident darkened expression on Zhu Yunqing''s face. So she asked while walking to her, "What is wrong?" Zhu Yunqing didn''t reply to her question. Instead, she just turned the phone to her and showed her the message on her phone. Wei Chujiu immediately scoffed upon seeing the message. What a friend indeed. "Oh~~ did she really think that after you found out the truth, you won''t realize she has been helping that bitch all along," Wei Chujiu sneered. After a quick pause, she asked Zhu Yunqing, "You do know that, right?" Her eyes narrowed with a skeptical look etched on her face as she spoke. "Of course," Zhu Yunqing replied. She had understood so much from just the memories alone. "Good!" Wei Chujiu nodded with approval. "So how are we going to deal with these two-faced slimy sons of bitches?!" Wei Chujiu asked. "Are you going to meet with her? I don''t think you should. She is probably going to come up with a bunch of lies again, anyway," Wei Chujiu suggested. Since after Wei Chujiu''s friendship with Zhu Yunqing was destroyed by them, she never saw eye to eye with either of them. To Wei Chujiu, Tang Chonglin was a bastard! Zhu Yanyu was a total bitch! While Yu An Qiao, on the other hand, was a mere birdbrain, a complete airhead, who didn''t even realize that she was being used by Zhu Yanyu. "Heheh~ she should keep on dreaming if she thinks she can still continue to ride on your coattails. Someone as dumb as her who doesn''t even realize that she is just an unimportant extra doesn''t deserve to be even regarded as a person," Wei Chujiu continued. It was as clear as day that she really hated Yu An Qiao. And her hatred was not baseless, especially as she found out that it was Yu An Qiao who suggested lying to Yunqing that she tried to seduce Tang Chonglin. When she found how the truth, she kept on wondering how the mechanism of Yu An Qiao''s brain worked that she was able to devise such a dubious scheme. Zhu Yunqing, who was silently listening to Wei Chujiu all this while, suddenly had a mischievous glint in her eyes with her puffy and plump lips curving to form a dubious smile. The glint in her eyes and her smile definitely did not escape Wei Chujiu, so she asked, "What are you planning, dear friend?" "Oh, ~~ nothing much. Just a way to ruin someone''s plan. Or maybe two people," Zhu Yunqing replied slowly. "Oooh Tell me... tell me... tell me. I want to know everything! Can I help with anything?" Wei Chujiu squealed. She was obviously in support without even know the plans of Zhu Yunqing. She seemed to enjoy this new side of her best friend. She very much preferred it to her wimpy side. Zhu Yunqing whispered her plan to Wei Chujiu, who had an indescribable expression on her face after listening to her friend. "But are you sure she would really do that? Are you sure it will work out?" Wei Chujiu asked skeptically. "Of course! She is quite a follower of Yanyu, and I''m pretty sure I made her very mad yesterday. So this outing is definitely a way to deal with me. It''s quite simple, but it would work!" Zhu Yunqing said confidently, smiling.. She was quite sure she had no loopholes in her plan. Chapter 23 - Meet me at LinX bar ''I really shouldn''t have taken that dubious smile for granted,'' Wei Chujiu thought while weirdly staring at her friend who was still smiling. If she was not aware of all the things they have done, she would probably be feeling sorry for them right now. But unfortunately, she knew and didn''t care about what would happen to them. After all, they were meeting their Waterloo. "Then I think it would be better if you use my cousin''s place," Wei Chujiu suggested. "Your cousin??" Zhu Yunqing tilted her head a bit as she asked Wei Chujiu. "Yes, My Cousin Brother Yan. The workers know me there so, she can''t even try anything, and it will also be good to get a pair of eyes on her movements. Plus, I''ve got a private room there, where we can have a good time once we are done," Wei Chujiu said while breaking into a smile at her last sentence. "Even better. I''ll text her back now." Zhu Yunqing said. Then she unlocked her phone before asking, "What is the name of your cousin''s place?" "LinX bar," Wei Chujiu answered. Zhu Yunqing then sent a reply: Okay! Meet me at the LinX bar tomorrow. 6 pm. As she texted, she felt that the ''phone'' was quite a useful instrument. Messages can be sent over a long distance, and it seemed fast because it was only a few minutes and she got a reply back. Miles from there, a young lady seemed to be happy when she received the text message. Then she quickly searched for a contact and dialled it. "She accepted the invite. I can''t believe that she is still this foolish! You are so smart!" she beamed over the phone. The person on the other end replied with her chin held high, "of course~~ she can never outsmart me." "Alright, bye~ I''ll keep you posted~," the young lady said. "Hmm don''t forget stick to the plan," was the only response she got from the person on the other end before the call was terminated. With an evil grin on her face, she sent a text back to Zhu Yunqing: Okay. Don??t be late~ After Yunqing got a reply back, she smiled. Seeing the smile on her face, Wei Chujiu asked with her expectant eyes glimmering, "She accepted??" "Hmm~" Zhu Yunqing answered with a nod with her smile extended more till it reached her eyes. "That''s great! Now that that is settled, onto a more important matter," Wei Chujiu beamed. ''Huh! What is she talking about?'' Zhu Yunqing had a puzzled look on her face. "What you will be wearing silly~~" Wei Chujiu continued when she saw the expression of Zhu Yunqing. "You need to be the best dressed amongst you two tomorrow. And since we are going to a bar, it has to be s?xy too. You never know something good might happen there too." Wei Chujiu said, winking at her last statement before she made a beeline for Zhu Yunqing''s closet. Zhu Yunqing could not help but shake her head at Wei Chujiu''s antics. ''You have quite an eccentric friend. Well, of course, a good show is definitely going to be seen tomorrow so, maybe it is not so bad to dress to kill,'' Zhu Yunqing thought with a grim look appearing on her face at her last thought. Then she sauntered to her closet, which Wei Chujiu was turning upside down. Noticing her arrival, Wei Chujiu turned and lamented with puffed cheeks, "Hmph! Aunty put good stuff in here, but not the gooood~ stuff." She had an aggrieved expression on her face. "Well, never mind about that! We will just have to go shopping later. We haven''t done that in a long time~~~ Ahh~ feels good to have my friend back~~ Hmm but not tomorrow though so we''ll just have to make use of what we have for now," Wei Chujiu contemplated before diving back into her search for a s?xy outfit for Zhu Yunqing. Zhu Yunqing''s eyes bulged out when she heard Wei Chujiu mention shopping. From what she remembered, this friend of hers was also excessive as her mother when it comes to shopping. It was always easy for her to shop during her time as she just requested the best items from stores to be brought to her. It also helped her in avoiding such crowded spaces. Her friend did not seem to be one who would just shop in one store and leave. From her memories, the last time this friend of hers took the original Zhu Yunqing shopping, they went to at least 12 stores and she bought a lot of things back then. Zhu Yunqing even had to help her in carrying some to her house in her car. Zhu Yunqing didn''t seem to buy much that time, though. Wei Chujiu was still busy rummaging through Zhu Yunqing''s clothes. While Zhu Yunqing was lost in thoughts, Wei Chujiu suddenly came out with a few sets of clothes on her hand which she dumped into Zhu Yunqing''s hands. "Try these~ let''s see! My choices are always the best," Wei Chujiu said with a proud look on her face. "What this many!" Zhu Yunqing asked. She wasn''t really in the mood to play dress-up but looking at Wei Chujiu''s face. It was obvious she could not refuse her. "Tch! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" Wei Chujiu urged Zhu Yunqing, pushing her further into the closet. Then she walked out of the closet and sat on Zhu Yunqing''s bed. "Fine! I''m going," Zhu Yunqing finally conceded with a helpless smile. Then she walked over to a table piece place at the centre of her closet and placed the clothes. She was able to easily wear most of them, but the comments from Wei Chujiu was always, "No!" "Next!" "Urgh! Why did I even pick this out?!" She only said a ''maybe'' for one of the outfits. Then she just kept waving Zhu Yunqing back to change when she was tired of talking. Chapter 24 - Where is the rest of the dress? "Why can''t you just look s?xy in any of the clothes?!" Wei Chujiu blubbered out. Zhu Yunqing just looked like a peerless and innocent beauty in every outfit she tried on, even in the red empire top and short black skirt. That was the only outfit that Wei Chujiu even felt a little s?xy vibe from when Zhu Yunqing wore it. The only response she received from Zhu Yunqing was a bland look as she said, "This is the last one." She held up a maroon dress. But upon inspecting the dress, she asked, "Where is the rest of the dress?" "What do you mean?" Wei Chujiu replied with a question. "Well, it looks like it is supposed to be worn with something else!" Zhu Yunqing answered. "Huh! Ah ah! Very funny Qingqing. Hurry up and change! Hopefully, with this, you should look s?xy," Wei Chujiu rolled her eyes as she replied. She seemed tired from trying to dress Yunqing up to look s?xy. She had the right figure but didn''t have the right clothes. ''We really need to go shopping,'' she thought. "If this dress doesn''t work, I''ll just have to rely on the makeup tomorrow. Smokey eyes should work, right?" Wei Chujiu contemplated. A few minutes later, Zhu Yunqing came out wearing the maroon gown. "Ahhhh! Oh gosh! This is perfect! You look gorgeous!" Wei Chujiu yelled, with excitement written all over her face as she circled Zhu Yunqing to properly see the dress on her. Zhu Yunqing felt uncomfortable and kept on pulling at the dress. "What are you doing?" Wei Chujiu asked after noticing her actions. "The dress is too exposed! It is short and tight!" Zhu Yunqing complained. ''Humph! I have always worn a complete dress, this looks like I am only in my inner garments.'' Wei Chujiu just rolled her eyes at her and said, "Okay okay look I know you are quite conservative, but this is needed for tomorrow''s show, Okay! So, just bear with it!" "Now that we have settled on the dress, tomorrow is going to be a grand showdown!" Wei Chujiu said with a playful smile on her face. "Well, I better get going now. I have to get some things ready. I''ll come by early tomorrow, Okay! I''ll help you get ready~ see you tomorrow~" Wei Chujiu said, making her way to the door. ''Now that we are back being friends, I guess I''ll have to hurry the arrangements. It is tomorrow, after all.'' "Hmm bye~" she replied at the fleeing image of Wei Chujiu. Then she removed the dress and kept it aside before going downstairs. She and Wei Chujiu had spent the entire afternoon together, and it was now evening time. So, she was quite hungry now, especially after the dress-up session they just had. As she was coming down the stairs, she heard Wei Chujiu and Li Qingling''s distant voices as they conversed. "Ah! Jiu''er, you are leaving? I thought you would stay for dinner?" Li Qingling asked. "Oh no, Aunt, maybe next time. I have a couple of things I want to take care of before it''s too late," Wei Chujiu explained. "Oh! Alright, send my regards to your parents," Li Qingling replied. "Will do, Aunt," Wei Chujiu replied before dashing out the door. When she was finally down the stairs, she ran into her mother, Li Qingling. "Ah Qingqing, you are down! I am sure you must be hungry, you didn''t have anything for lunch. Why don''t you have a rest in the living room? I''ll have Aunty Zhang prepare our meal now. Let''s have an early dinner, huh!" Li Qingling said to her daughter. "Okay Mum~" Zhu Yunqing replied with a smile before making her way to the living room. "Alright let me tell her to prepare some fruits then," Li Qingling said. Then she walked toward the kitchen. When Yunqing entered the room, she just sat with crossed legs on one of the fluffy couch. Since she did not carry her phone with her, she became bored and had to ask one of the maids to switch on the TV for her. At first, she stared at it in awe, fascinated that plays could be shown and watched at your convenience. Back then, the various entertainments they had were usually performed by people in front of them, and the performers might have to be booked or requested before the said date of the performance. Though she was amazed at the new experience, she soon lost interest in what she was watching as soon as the wheels of her brain started turning. She just remained seated in a crossed legged manner with her body slumped backward as she became lost in thought. She had not seen her father, Zhu Yusheng, ever since she woke up in this body. ''Are they trying to use underhanded means to steal the company? I would have to find a way to help out, but how?'' she pondered, furrowing her brows. Though she had the memories of the original Zhu Yunqing, there was very little to her understanding of this timeline. A few minutes later, Li Qingling entered the living room holding a platter containing fresh fruit salad. The salad was made with various fruitswatermelon, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, and Kiwis. The fruits were sliced up nicely except the smaller fruits; and they were all neatly arranged on the platter. When Li Qingling came in, she saw her daughter looking at the show on the TV with disinterest as if she was thinking of something. "Why do you look so absent-minded? Is there a problem?" she asked, placing the platter down before taking a seat beside Zhu Yunqing. "Nothing, I was Just wondering when father would come back," Zhu Yunqing replied with a sweet smile etched on her face. She broke out of her thoughts when she heard Li Qingling''s voice. Upon hearing her, Li Qingling heaved a deep sigh, before her gaze held an affectionate look as she said, "He will come back later. It''s just you might not see him as he might arrive late. It is okay. I''ll make sure to get a video of him checking up on you at night." Her last statement made Zhu Yunqing''s smile widen. Since she was in the hospital, Li Qingling had told her that her father always came around to see her. Though he always came when she was either sleeping or during her test, and he never stayed for so long. That was why she had not seen him since she woke up. After staring at her daughter for a few seconds, Li Qingling pulled her into a warm hug. She would never have believed it if someone had told her that she would come close to losing her daughter. The mother and daughter pair just remained there confined in each other''s side embrace as they picked fruits to eat from time to time. After about thirty (30) minutes, Aunty Zhang came to inform them that dinner was ready. They both moved to the dining room.. They ate an early dinner, and Li Qingling asked her daughter to rest early, as she was still recovering, which Zhu Yunqing gladly complied with. Chapter 25 - The meeting 1 The next day, Wei Chujiu was true to her words as she arrived early. They talked for a long timefinalizing the plans. Wei Chujiu also spoke about the surprise she had prepared for Zhu Yunqing when they were done later in the evening. When it was approaching the time, they set for the meet up. Wei Chujiu helped Zhu Yunqing get ready. She needed Zhu Yunqing to look perfect for the confrontation. She also changed into a red halter necked mini dress. When they were both ready, they set off but not before Li Qingling warned them to be back early and to be careful as Yunqing was still recovering. Immediately they arrived at LinX bar; they had to split up. Reason being that they did not want Zhu Yanyu and Yu An Qiao to know that they have mended their relationship yet. Plus, Zhu Yunqing had a lot of things she needed help with confirming before going ahead with her plans. Loud music was blaring off in the bar. Zhu Yunqing majestically made her way into the bar. She easily had eyes trailing after her immediately she entered the bar. She looked so stunningly s?xy in her dress that both males and females at the bar could not help but keep their eyes on her. Though she had grabbed the attention of most people in the bar, but no one dared to come close because she had an unapproachable aura surrounding her. A lot of side comments were flying around from every direction as they watched her. "Wow!! Who is she?" "Damn! She''s hot!" "OMG!" "Gee! I wish she could be my girlfriend." "I wish I had that look and body!" "Whoa!" "Humph! Another vixen has shown up." "It is probably all just makeup." "Yeah! She is probably ugly if she removes her makeup." "Stop looking at her!" She garnered a lot of comments, though a few were negative from some girls who came with their boyfriends and were feeling insecure, and those who just felt insecure about their looks. Zhu Yunqing couldn''t care less about those snide commentaries. She just continued strolling without care. Her h?ps swaying from side to side, further accentuating her hourglass figure with every step she took. With her amble gait, one would think that she was a model on a runway. As she walked, her phone vibrated, so she stopped to check it and saw a message from Wei Chujiu. Wei Chujiu: She really dared to bribe the bartenders, but don''t worry. I made preparations. I told them to help you out in switching the drinks. She will definitely be the one drinking it. I also asked my cousin brother for help in dealing with the two idiots she contracted. The rest is up to you now. Be careful! Just don''t get drunk yet. I still have my surprise waiting. When you finish, ask them to give you the number card for my room. I already informed them. When she saw the text message, a dark look loomed over her face before a small smile crept onto her lips, making her look more ravishing. She had easily predicted their plans, and they were not even aware of it. ''How foolish could they be? This sort of cheap scheme definitely won''t work on me,'' she shook her head at the thought. Then, she sashayed her way to the bar stand where two bartenders were. One stayed serving drinks to others while the other one was busy displaying his drink-mixing skills. By the time she got to the bar stand. She saw a young lady in a short strapless blue gown sitting comfortably on one of the bar stools. With the memories she gained, she could easily recognize this so-called friend of hers even from the back. "An Qiao," Zhu Yunqing called out, stopping a few inches from Yu An Qiao''s seat. ''Did that bitch stand me up? Was that why she agreed to meet with me so easily? Humph! I will definitely not spare her,'' Yu An Qiao was busy thinking Zhu Yunqing stood her up. Yu An Qiao who was already fuming mad when suddenly heard her name. So, she turned to see who was calling out to her. When she turned around, she was surprised to see a ravishingly stunning beauty looking right back at her. So, she just gawked at her with her mouth agape in awe. After all, Yu An Qiao was just average when it comes to her looks. "Done staring?!" Zhu Yunqing asked, raising one eyebrow with a nonchalant look etched on her face while she gazed at the stupefied expression on Yu An Qiao''s face. Her tone sounded sarcastic as she spoke. She couldn''t exactly tell who this person was, and to make matters worse this person was being sassy with her. "I-I-I am sorry, you ar.....?" Yu An Qiao asked. Her tone sounded visibly annoyed as she spoke.. ''Humph! She might be beautiful, but it doesn''t mean she can take that tone with me.'' Chapter 26 - The meeting 2 Knowing that she did not recognize her, Zhu Yunqing immediately interrupted her as she knew what she wanted to ask. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. You wanted to meet with me?" Zhu Yunqing said, without any hint of being sorry in her tone. Yu An Qiao''s eyes flew wide open upon realizing who this young lady was. She had an indescribably shocked look on her face. She stared at Zhu Yunqing completely robbed of her speech, with her eyes wide and her eyebrows raised. The person she was looking at was so much more different than she used to be. ''Since when did this vixen start dressing up like this,'' she thought. Zhu Yunqing was glammed in a deep maroon coloured bodycon, knee-high fitted gown, as well as a pair of maroon D''orsay heels with ankle straps. The gown had a slight slit at one of the sides revealing more of her fleshy hot slim legs. She held a small clutch in one of her hands while the other held onto her slim waist as she struck a pose. In her simple yet s?xy outfit, she looked like a seductive goddess who had just descended to earth. Her waist-long smokey grey hair was put in curls and cascaded down her back with some strands loosely placed in front to frame her face. Zhu Yunqing was originally a beauty, to begin with, and when she put on makeup, no matter how little it was, it always made her look ethereal. That was why Zhu Yanyu and Yu An Qiao were so jealous of her. If not for Li Qingling, who had always filled up Yunqing''s closet with the latest clothes, they would have probably forced her to wear shabby clothes. Still, because of Zhu Yanyu''s wicked advice, Zhu Yunqing never really dressed up in the clothes her mother bought for her but she didn''t dress so shabbily either. Wei Chujiu had really outdone herself this time. Zhu Yunqing looked so s?xy in the deep maroon coloured bodycon gown to the extent that she grabbed almost all the attention as soon as she stepped into the bar. Zhu Yunqing easily pulled off a seductive temptress in an elegant manner. Yu An Qiao''s dumfounded state did not last for long before she quickly retracted her gaze. "You are late!" Yu An Qiao announced sharply. "Not a big deal. It is not like I was meeting anyone important," Zhu Yunqing said, pursing her seductively painted lips in disapproval. Her face still holding a nonchalant look. Yu An Qiao froze for a split second when she heard Zhu Yunqing''s tone. ''Does she suspect anything?'' She locked her ankles in tight apprehension. "Yunqing, why are you acting like this? Aren''t we friends anymore?" Yu An Qiao asked, feigning an aggrieved tone. "You should have thought about that before you and Yanyu did all that!" Zhu Yunqing spat out furiously. Heh! She is so thick-skinned. "It It wasn''t my fault Yunqing. I swear! Yanyu made me do all of those things. She threatened me. She said if I didn''t do them, she said she would post nude pictures of me online. Yunqing, please, forgive me. I won''t do it again. I promise!" Yu An Qiao had an innocent aggrieved look plastered on her face as she spoke. Her fake tears beginning to form in her eyes. ''Wow! You are even a better actress than that so-called cousin of mine. Someone who sees your act would think I harmed you. Such a pity wasting such good acting skills. I definitely won''t believe your bullshit!'' Zhu Yunqing scoffed internally. ''Let''s play along, shall we?'' Zhu Yunqing had a fleeting smirk on her lips before it disappeared. "How could Yanyu do such a thing? I thought she was my cousin my friend. Why? Why is she being so mean to us? She obviously has no conscience!" Zhu Yunqing cried out. ''Hehe! This bitch is still so na?ve! This should be easier than I thought,'' Yu An Qiao jeered happily in her heart, releasing her breathe which she didn''t know she held. "It is okay. I-I will deal with her ssomehow. I will handle my matter with her myself. You shouldn''t get so worked up. I ordered for you already. I hope it''s fine by you?" she thought that she had successfully hoodwinked Zhu Yunqing. "Sure," Zhu Yunqing replied with a slight smile. When they were served, Yu An Qiao quickly grabbed her own while she offered the one the bartender signalled to her about to Zhu Yunqing. Then, she held her glass up to her lips, taking a small sip before smirking. Her expression seemed to be covered by her actions. She looked so smug at her deeds. She could not help feeling giddy when she thought of the empty bottle of aphrodisiac in her purse.. But because she was in her world of delusion, she did not notice the glances the bartender and Zhu Yunqing exchanged as well as the satisfied look on her face. Chapter 27 - Red Wine Spritzer Wei Chujiu had previously shown the picture of Zhu Yunqing to the bartenders, telling them what to do when she found out about the schemes of Yu An Qiao. So they could easily recognize her, and the one who served the drinks had already switched it. Zhu Yunqing held her glass to her mouth with a satisfying smile etched on her face, but she only did that after she double-checked the drink. She was one with an extremely s?ns?t?v? nose and especially after she trained under her physician mother in her past life. She could easily detect if there was anything wrong with the drink. So, the counter plans Wei Chujiu arranged were not really necessary, but it was easier for Zhu Yunqing. Well, at least one of the plans was very useful; it gave Zhu Yunqing a much better plan. Since Wei Chujiu had helped in dealing with the two lowlifes Yu An Qiao hired to do her bidding. Zhu Yunqing had a better plan which she felt would deal a heavier blow to Zhu Yanyu other than just ruining her evil plans. ''Humph! A cheater would always be a cheater. You just have to hand the treasure to them in their hands, and that''s all it takes,'' Zhu Yunqing sneered internally, finally taking a sip of the drink. The minute Zhu Yunqing tasted the drink, it tingled her taste buds to the extent that she wondered what sort of drink it was. It teased her palates with softness as the cold bubbly drink rushed down her throat. The drink Yu An Qiao had ordered for them was a Red Wine Spritzer. A dark fruity and bubbly refreshing drink. It was an easy to drink ???ktail with a subtle finesse and a lingering fruity aftertaste that could make one''s taste buds run mad on ecstasy. Its rich and bubbly flavours vibrated in her mouth with each sip she took letting the aroma of the drink waft her nostrils. ''This tastes so much better than Rice Wine!'' Zhu Yunqing couldn''t help compare the drink to Mijiu (Chinese Rice Wine). The first time she tasted Mijiu in her past life, she almost puked as the taste was too strong for her, so she resulted to drinking different teas just like her mother. She so much loved the drink that she ordered another one. While drinking, Zhu Yunqing tried to indulge Yu An Qiao, who was busy bringing up memories of the past. Zhu Yunqing was halfway done with her second glass when she remembered Wei Chujiu warned her not to get drunk. Although, she wasn''t feeling the least bit intoxicated. ''Focus, Yunqing! You came here for a purpose,'' Zhu Yunqing internally cautioned herself. She could no longer let herself drown in the pleasuring and tasteful feeling she was getting from the drink. After all, she still had time to enjoy it later. Although Zhu Yunqing was self-indulging in the taste of the ???ktail drink, the slightly uncomfortable movements Yu An Qiao made did not escape her eyes. Immediately she noticed them, she noted mentally, ''Time for action, I guess.'' A smug look gathered on her lips before disappearing. "I better go home now. My mom would be worried as I am still recovering, so I can''t stay out for too long," Zhu Yunqing said with a soft tone trying to sound every bit intoxicated and uncomfortable as she possibly could. "Ah-h! Can''t you stay for even a bit! I was so happy that we have finally cleared the air between us. It was hanging over me and disturbing me for a long time," Yu An Qiao wh?n?d. Her tone sounding more intoxicated than before. "No, I am feeling quite uncomfortable now. I should go," Zhu Yunqing said in a casual tone. "Oh! Okay then. Can you please help me to my room? I think I am too drunk to go home in a taxi," Yu An Qiao said in a hoarse tone. She raised her hand to her head to make it seem like she was woozy as she stood up. A sudden slight heated sensation took over her body the minute she stood up. ''I guess I must be pretty drunk, huh!'' she thought. "Why don''t I tell my driver to drop you off?" Zhu Yunqing asked casually. "Oh no need it will take too much time as my new place is in the opposite direction of your house, and I am quite tired now for that kind of journey. Just help me to my room. I always book one whenever I come out with Yanyu, so I booked one out of habit today. I will just stay and then leave tomorrow!" Yu An Qiao uttered frantically. "A alright! What are friends for~~" Zhu Yunqing said with a controlled smile. She laughed internally as she thought of Yu An Qiao, who seemed to have fallen for her own trap. ''Now, I am wondering how dumb my body''s original was. Well, as they say, birds of the same feathers flock together.'' ''Yes! This was a piece of cake! I wonder why Yanyu was being so cautious.. She''s still obviously the same dumb Yunqing,'' Yu An Qiao thought, giving herself a mental high-five for a job well done. Chapter 28 - Meet me at Room 288 The hotel Yu An Qiao booked was also owned by Lin Yan. He initially wanted to convert LinX bar to a hotel and bar but thought against it and just built the hotel close by. So, it didn''t take much time for them to leave the bar and get to the hotel reception. After getting the key to the room, they headed straight for the elevator. While they were in the elevator, Yu An Qiao was gradually losing her mind from the effects of the drug. It wasn''t until she noticed that Zhu Yunqing still seemed perfectly okay that it dawned on her that something was wrong. ''Did I buy a fake one? Or was the dose not strong enough? Has it not taken effect yet? But I poured the whole content in the drink. Is this plan going to flop?'' She had various thoughts running in her head, but never did she think that the reason why Zhu Yunqing was okay was because the drinks had been swapped. And that she was the one who drank the drug instead. The enclosed space in the elevator was making her feel very hot and uncomfortable. By the time they got to the room, Yu An Qiao had already become delirious from the hot sensation wrapping around her body. With the way she was the one rely on Zhu Yunqing for support to move, it seemed to have finally dawned on her that something was definitely wrong. Zhu Yunqing opened the room and held Yu An Qiao, leading her to the well-decorated bed. Light tears streamed down Yu An Qiao''s face as she finally realized that she had been drugged. "Why are you doing this Qingqing? Why are you being this ruthless?" Yu An Qiao asked with a shaky voice as her tears streamed down from the immense displeasure she was suffering. "I didn''t do anything. You did this to yourself! I don''t take well to schemes," Zhu Yunqing said in a gloomy and wry tone. "Enjoy your night~~" a stony and condescending smile bloomed on Zhu Yunqing''s face as she spoke. She really looked down on Yu An Qiao at this very moment. Paralyzed from the hot sensation she was feeling and the fear of what Zhu Yunqing had planned for her, she could not command her body to move not to talk of her legs to run. She could not as much as get up from the bed. She tossed and turned, wriggling her body as if she was dancing to a seductive song. Like she had learnt the famous snake dance. She was trembling and snaking her body around from the displeasure she felt. "Hmm" "Hn" "Hmm" Yu An Qiao was busy m??ning and biting her fingers with discomfort. Her hair and dress in a tangled mess because of the movements she was making. She was so hot and delirious that she didn''t realize that she had removed her clothes. Zhu Yunqing felt so disgusted with the sight of the m??ning Yu An Qiao, who was now in her und?rw??r. She felt sickened and almost puked, looking at such a sight. If she had not been smart enough to think that they were scheming something against her, she would have fallen prey to their evil plans. She would have been the one to suffer from their despicable and vile plans. She would have been in this sorry and ugly state, probably begging not to defile her. Zhu Yunqing turned her back to leave, but a small red light caught her eyes and halted her steps. She sashayed her way to where she saw the beam of red light to check what it was. When she finally brought out the small metallic gadget from the cupboard, she grimaced. The small metallic gadget was a camera. They had hidden a camera to capture everything that would happen in the room. Her actions were being labelled as ''ruthless'' by the same set of people who schemed to destroy her and her reputation. ''Hehe! Don''t mind me if I am ruthless then! You started this, but I will finish this game for you.'' She had a dark and fierce look on her face when she had that thought. Then, she went and grabbed Yu An Qiao''s phone and texted her cousin with it: The plan was successful! You will get the video in the morning. She received a quick reply: Good. She switched off the phone and put it away. Then she placed the camera back in its hiding place before walking out of the room. When she got out of the room, she whipped out her phone and typed a text message. The text was: We need to talk! Meet me at Room 288, LinBay Hotel. I prepared a surprise for you. I''ll be waiting~. When she finished typing, she sent the text to a certain number before silencing her phone. She couldn''t care less about what was going to happen in this room, but it was definitely going to be a grand finale tomorrow. She quickly made her way towards the elevator. She still had to meet with Wei Chujiu. She has wasted so much time on those sleazy dirt bags. The person who Zhu Yunqing texted was all smiles as he hurried to get to LinBay Hotel. He couldn''t get the dirty thoughts out of his head after seeing the message that Zhu Yunqing sent him.. Her message seemed to insinuate dirty things, and he would gladly oblige her if that was what she wanted. Chapter 29 - Surprise or not? Zhu Yunqing quickly went back to the bar. Since the distance from the bar was not long, it only took two minutes for her to walk back. She quickly made her way to the bartender and asked for the room of Wei Chujiu. Then, the bartender called for one of the workers to take her there. The worker, who was called on immediately, took the number card of the private room before saying to Zhu Yunqing, "Please follow me, Miss." "Thank you," Zhu Yunqing said with a graceful smile. While they were walking in the corridor, the worker''s pager beeped, she was needed urgently by her boss, so she had to leave. She immediately apologized to Zhu Yunqing. "I am sorry for the inconvenience, Miss. My boss needs me for something urgent. I will have to go and attend to him." "It is okay, you may go," Zhu Yunqing replied with a faint smile. She sincerely did not want to make things difficult for the young worker as it wasn''t her fault that she was being called at that very moment. "Thank you so much, Miss. The room is just after the turn, by the end of the corridor," the young worker made a bow to Zhu Yunqing. Then she directed her before handing over the number card of the room to Zhu Yunqing so she could use it to locate the room. Zhu Yunqing just responded with a nod and a smile while accepting the number card before the young worker scurried off. Then she walked to the end of the corridor and turned. The first room she came across was room number 9. ''This seems to be it,'' she thought, looking at the number card in her hand. Then she opened the door and walked into the room. The room was somewhat dark, but you could still see a bit. Most customers usually like darker shades of lightning in their rooms, and this was no different. When Zhu Yunqing entered the room, she could only see a figure sitting majestically on the farthest seat. She couldn''t clearly see the face because the person was sitting at the darkest corner in the room. So she couldn''t make out who that was exactly, but from the build, she could tell that the person was male and definitely not Wei Chujiu. Suddenly she remembered Wei Chujiu''s message earlier and internally face-palmed herself. Was this the surprise her dear friend spoke about? Was she setting her up with someone? If that was it, why hasn''t he spoken yet? Zhu Yunqing just stood at an awkward angle in front of the door. After a while, his expression suddenly changed as he stared at her. A deep frown appeared on his gorgeous face. He was disturbed by something. More like frustrated at the certain strange annoying pent up emotion he was feeling. Her clear green eyes that were glistering like the forest at sunset seemed to be the cause of his displeasure. Never before had he seen eyes that held such mysteriousness and beauty all at once. She seemed like a fiery wild flame: reckless, untamed, yet undeniably captivating. Those pair of eyes seemed like a weapon that could revive the world after an unforgiving cold and darkness but could also bring the world crumbling down. For some reason, he found those churning, passionate green eyes breaking through his winter-long gaze as they observed him. Even the shiniest emerald didn''t seem to hold a candle to those enchanting yet soulful eyes. A sudden weird thought flash through his mind, to see those eyes in a pool of tears. But he didn''t know why. That caused him to feel a tinge of ache in his heart at that thought. He had never really cared for any woman outside his family. Yet his thoughts were going awry at the sight of this small figure standing in the brightest corner of the room. He wasn''t stupefied by alcohol as he hadn''t taken a sip from his wine glass since he came as he was waiting for his friends. So, what was the reason for his sudden behaviour change? Usually, he would have immediately sent her out with a ''Scram or get out!'' but instead, he was lost in a daze as if he was under a spell. His gaze didn''t seem to leave the ravishingly stunning beauty in front of him. Amongst all her lovely features, the ones he found most enthralling were those her magnificent almond-shaped green-hued eyes of hers. He couldn''t help think whether his abstinence was the cause of his sudden change in behaviour. In a bid to end the awkward silence, Zhu Yunqing moved to sit down. She chose the closest seat to the door. She was feeling strange as the other person had only been staring at her since she walked in. She would have ?ssumed that the motionless bloke was sleeping or something like that if she couldn''t feel his dark burning gaze on her. The clacking sound of her heels against the cold floor seemed to break him out of his daze. But her next actions made him gulp. Zhu Yunqing had elegantly taken a seat, exposing her hot alluring slim legs in the process. She didn''t seem to know that her every action was beguiling to a certain someone.. She exuded a graceful charm that could melt even the stormiest winter yet also cause it to freeze over. Chapter 30 - Entered the wrong room Zhu Yunqing raised her hand and flipped the few hair strands that were framing her face back. "H-hi.. Did Wei Chujiu ask you to meet me here?" she finally opened her mouth to speak. On hearing her words, Shen Zihao couldn''t help but think, ''Is this another way of flirting with me?'' He thought that this was a new strategy girls used to trap the rich now. Yet, even though Shen Zihao thought like that, he still could not fathom why he waited patiently for her to speak or why he actually wished that she wasn''t like those girls who chased after the rich for money. Not receiving an immediate response, Zhu Yunqing opened her mouth to speak again but swallowed her words back as this time, she was harshly cut off. "You are in the wrong room!" Shen Zihao''s deep voice boomed as he spoke. His voice didn''t seem to have any hint of his usual harshness in it. He was finally able to rein in his control and stop being in a daze to speak. This was the first time his self-restraint was being tested so much that he wanted to really break it. "What?!" Zhu Yunqing asked, a bit surprised at the deep voice that just spoke out. After a brief moment pondering on his words, she realized the meaning behind them. Upon realization, her eyes widen in shock. She froze for a short while before blinking her eyes. Then, a small tinge of blush crept on her cheeks due to her embarrassment, making her round face look like an almost ripened tomato. The awkward brief silence that followed also made her feel even worse. She lowered her gaze downwards as she looked at the number card properly. As she looked downwards, she noticed her phone light dim before the screen became black. She had silenced her phone earlier because she didn''t want to receive the call from a certain someone, but it seemed if she had not done that, it would have saved her from this awkward mess. So, she quickly turned the phone back on, only to see several (12) missed calls from Wei Chujiu, five from her mother, two from the number she had sent a text to earlier, and a few messages from Wei Chujiu asking about her whereabouts. Then, she raised the room number card that was given to her by the worker earlier and turned it upside down. Only then did she figure out that the number could have been a six and not a nine. ''Urgh!'' she felt so embarrassed that she literally wanted to find a hole to sink herself into. She closed her eyes for a split second before opening them as the blush on her cheeks darkened. Her eyes darted around the room though she did not dare glance towards where Shen Zihao was seated. The changes in her expression did not escape the keen eyes of Shen Zihao. Shen Zihao just stared at her in blank amazement before letting out an inaudible chuckle. How can someone''s face form so many expressions within such a short period of time? She awkwardly stood up from where she sat, clenching the things (her clutch, phone, and the room number card) in her hands tightly. "I I am s sorry. I-I entered the wrong room!" she quickly stuttered an apology with a ninety-degree bow before scurrying off out of the room like she was being chased. Shen Zihao chuckled at her fleeing back, and the smile remained on his face for some time. A few minutes later, Fu Yanlin and Qian Ming entered the room with Feng Mingli and Lin Yan tagging along. "We really need to mark this day, after all, this is the first time that third brother has come before any of us!" Fu Yanlin commented as soon as he came in. Hearing the words of Fu Yanlin, Shen Zihao''s mind could not help but wander back to what happened a few minutes ago. He couldn''t help but want to come early every day if that could repeat itself. He thought that Zhu Yunqing looked like a little rabbit who was scared of the big bad wolf with how she fled from the room. This caused an amused smile to appear on his thin lips. Shen Zihao''s smiling face caused Feng Mingli, who was about to sit down close to him, to jolt back to an upright position. The others were a bit surprised by Feng Mingli''s action, but Qian Ming was the first to question him. "What''s wrong?" Qian Ming asked. "I-it''s amazing, Third Brother is ssmiling," Feng Mingli stuttered his answer. His response caused everyone else to have an indescribable look on their faces except Shen Zihao, who sent him a stony glare while Lin Yan shook his head internally before smacking Feng Mingli at the back of his head. "Ouch!" Feng Mingli cried out in an aggrieved tone. Lin Yan seemed to be really obsessed with smacking him. Well, Feng Mingli''s reaction was normal though a bit overdramatic as usual, but it was definitely a great feat to see a smile bloom on the face of the ever so indifferent and overbearing young Master Shen. Fu Yanlin suddenly remembered something and said, trying to change the subject of discussion, "Ah! Brother Zihao must have sent away that beauty we saw earlier. He broke the heart of yet another pretty flower again." ??That doesn''t explain why he is smiling! Besides, how could you even tell that she was a beauty? You didn''t see her face!" Qian Ming commented, giving a sharp look at Fu Yanlin. Although the figure looked familiar, he couldn''t pinpoint where he had seen that person as he didn''t see her face. "Well, if you know much about women. You would know that with that figure alone, she could be recognized as a beauty," Fu Yanlin retorted. "Ah! What would a player like you know about women? One day you will end up dating a horse-faced girl," Qian Ming asked. Fu Yanlin just raised his hand and used his index and middle finger to gesture a salute with a cheeky smile on his face as he said in a casual tone, "Hey! No discrimination. By the way, thanks for the compliment. But at least I don''t date unconscious patients." "I don''t date my patients!" Qian Ming uttered angrily. "Yeah! Yeah, whatever," Fu Yanlin couldn''t care less about Qian Ming''s response. Literally, anything could bring up the childish banter between these two. Even an abstract matter that didn''t seem to concern either one of them could easily become a topic of themselves. Lin Yan and Feng Mingli just sighed heavily as they watched the two bicker once again.. Meanwhile, Shen Zihao just completely ignored them as his mind once again drifted back to the fleeing scared little rabbit who left the room earlier. Chapter 31 - Surprise 1 The little scared rabbit who had fled to the hallway from room nine earlier quickly located room six and entered. Zhu Yunqing could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when she saw Wei Chujiu. She didn''t know what she would have done if she had entered another wrong room. Zhu Yunqing immediately relaxed as her body drooped onto the soft couch nearby. Her hands moved to her heart as she further sunk her body into the comfort of the chair. Her ?h?st heaving up and down rhythmically. "What''s up with you? Are you okay? Are you drunk? Did that Qiao bitch try to do something to you? And why are you panting?" Wei Chujiu asked quizzically, seeing her friend in such a state. "I The I entered... I almost slipped as I was walking, and there were a bunch of kids in the hall way," Zhu Yunqing stuttered, almost biting her tongue because of her silly lie. She wanted to tell the truth but figured she would get teased by her friend. "Huh?! Kids in the hallway?" Wei Chujiu asked, quirking an eyebrow and throwing a perplexed gaze at her best friend. "Did I say hallway? I-I meant the hall outside," Zhu Yunqing jumbled her incoherent words with a silly smile appearing on her face. "O-okay! Well, I have been trying to reach you for a long time! Why weren''t you answering my call? Did everything go well?" Wei Chujiu continued with her inquires. "Yeah! Everything went well. I put my phone on silence or something, so I didn''t hear it ring," Zhu Yunqing said after calming down. Wei Chujiu had a doubtful look on her face as if she did not believe what Zhu Yunqing just said. And why would she? Especially after seeing her best friend act weirdly. She noticed the faint blush that was still on Zhu Yunqing''s face as she answered earlier, so, she asked, with her eyes narrowed on Zhu Yunqing''s face, "Then why are you acting so weird?" Suddenly a thought popped into Wei Chujiu''s head. Then with a knowing smile etched on her face as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down, Wei Chujiu asked, "Or~ did something goooood happen?" Zhu Yunqing was lost for a brief moment as she thought, ''Can what just happened be regarded as ''something good''?'' Then she shrugged before casually responding, "Does me embarrassing myself count as ''something goooood''?" "Embarrassing yourself? Well, it depends on what happened?" Wei Chujiu asked. "Nothing much. I told you I almost slipped while walking, and there were some guys around," Zhu Yunqing said, continuing with her ridiculous excuse. She had somehow fine-tuned within a split second. ''I''m definitely not going to tell her about that!'' Zhu Yunqing thought. Wei Chujiu rolled her eyes immediately she heard Zhu Yunqing''s response. ''Does she really think I''ll believe that? Hmm'' "Really!! Are we still sticking with that? Fine... Fine I won''t ask anymore. So that''s what made you run in like that earlier? You looked like something was chasing you. Okay! Look, I''ve been sitting here all this time playing on my phone, and you know how bored I get easily when I sit in one place. So, you have to tell me what really happened," Wei Chujiu probe further as her face brightened with burgeoning excitement. Her eyes were beginning to sparkle, thinking she would get some juicy information after being bored for almost two hours. She looked like a reporter who was about getting her first big scoop. "I already told you. Don''t even think about poking any further!!" Zhu Yunqing said sharply as a line appeared between her brows. She was not going to let Wei Chujiu tease her, and she was definitely not going to tell her that she had thought she set her up with someone also. Zhu Yunqing''s words seemed to stamp out the gossipy mode of Wei Chujiu. "Fine" Wei Chujiu said in a sad tone since she was not able to get anything out of her. "So where is the surprise you planned?" Zhu Yunqing asked, trying to change the topic. Zhu Yunqing''s question immediately reminded Wei Chujiu of her plans. So, she stood up from her seat and pulled Zhu Yunqing to where she was sitting. "Oh, right! Tada! Wait no, surprise~~" Wei Chujiu announced happily. Her voice was laced with excitement while her hands gestured towards the table filled with various refreshments. She didn''t look one bit like her sad self a few seconds ago. One would even think it''s two people. Or she had multiple personalities with the way her expression switched between her sad look to the beaming smile. "So this is the surprise?!" Zhu Yunqing wondered. Her tone sounded bland, and there was not much of a surprised look on her face. "What do you mean by that? What else do you think would be the surprise?" Wei Chujiu asked. "Wait!! Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten just because we didn''t celebrate for the last two years.. You haven''t forgotten, right?" Wei Chujiu said, squinting her eyes narrowly at Zhu Yunqing. Chapter 32 - Surprise 2 "Forgotten?!" Zhu Yunqing mumbled to only her hearing. ''Well, I probably shouldn''t tell her that I thought she set me up to meet someone.'' "Oh! Nothing. No, I haven''t. Why would you think I forgot? I thought you wouldn''t remember," Zhu Yunqing said with an awkward but polite smile. The image of something had flashed in her mind, so she was able to think of what to say. It seems the original Zhu Yunqing and Wei Chujiu celebrated the day they first met. They would always find time to spend together, doing things they loved on such days as it only came once for them. The one thing they had wanted to try out was what Wei Chujiu had organized as a surprise for her. They had always wanted to go to a bar to have drinks, but because they were underage and could not enter; so they decided to do it later. Unfortunately, they had their falling out. Wei Chujiu planned a simple get together for both of them today. It was the day they had both met, and she wanted to use the chance to celebrate the fact that they were back being friends. Zhu Yunqing''s eyes flickered before a softened smile appeared across her lips, then she said, "Thank you!" with a hint of glazed sadness hidden in her eyes. She was truly grateful for the gesture even though she felt that it was meant for the original Zhu Yunqing. It seemed she was blessed to have a true friend in her second life, yet she couldn''t help but remember her past grievances. She remembered that she never got to spend time with her true friends in her previous life without having to look over her shoulders for a scheming consort or concubine or without looking for new ways to get the emperor''s favours. Yet, all those time she spent being cautious was wasted since she still wasn''t even able to figure out about the most cunning one, who was right under her nose. Zhu Yunqing batted her long lashes, trying to blink away the tears glistening in her eyes at the thought of her past life. She went ahead to give a warm hug to Wei Chujiu. "Oh, come on~ stop being all mushy on me," Wei Chujiu said, returning the hug. After a while, Wei Chujiu broke away from the hug. "Whew! I need a drink," she said, wiping away the little tears that had gathered in her eyes before reaching for a ???ktail glass on the table. "I''m glad we did this," Wei Chujiu said with a sweet smile. "Me too," Zhu Yunqing replied, also smiling sweetly. "To our friendship," Wei Chujiu cheered, urging Zhu Yunqing to reach for a drink on the table. Zhu Yunqing initially wanted to take a glass having the same red colour as the drink she tasted earlier but thought against it as she wanted to try another one. Though she had vowed to help the original Zhu Yunqing with her revenge. She wasn''t going to pass on the opportunity to try and learn new things. So, she picked up another glass and clinked it with the drink Wei Chujiu held in her hand before saying, "To our friendship." So, the two friends chattered on into the night before they both left for their homes. Meanwhile, Yu An Qiao was a m??ning mess, tangling herself in the sheets in her delirious state. Suddenly the doorknob of room 288 turned. The door opened, and a young man entered the room. The man walked in and stopped his tracks close to the bed, where he saw Yu An Qiao''s n?k?d body in full display. She had removed her und?rw??r and was no longer wearing any piece of clothing. She writhed in discomfort, snaking her body on the bed. The rose petals previously used to decorate the bed had long been scattered and crumpled on the floor, on the bed, and the icky body of Yu An Qiao. The man who had walked in did not seem to care about not seeing Zhu Yunqing there. He did not care that it was another person on the bed waiting for him. His shameless character had come out in full bloom now. He stuck his long and hot tongue out and licked his dry lips with an ugly smile etched on his face as he watched her body curl around with the sheets. It didn''t take long before he dove into the sheets to satisfy the delectable hot dish served before him. Or more like satisfy his horny fantasies. In a few minutes, the room had become hot and steamy with the activity that was happening on the bed. Throaty groans and shrill m??ns from the entwined bodies could be heard from the bedroom as the young man pummelled his hot rod into Yu An Qiao again and again. Taking her in each and every position he could think of as the bed jerked and creaked beneath them.. He spent the whole night banging the senses out of Yu An Qiao. Chapter 33 - What went wrong with the plan? 1 The next morning, Zhu Yanyu had already set out to humiliate Zhu Yunqing. She paid off some reporters and charged to the room, ready to uncover a scandal. The reporters she paid off also rallied several other reporters of various newspapers and news outlets. They were told that they could uncover the secret scandal of the eldest miss of the Zhu Family with two men in the hotel. Arriving in the hallway to room 288, Zhu Yanyu, who has been in hiding from the reporters, smirked before immediately charging into action. "Don''t go in there! What do you people want to do? M... My cousin is innocent! She would never do this sort of thing... Why are you all tainting the name and reputation of my Zhu family," Zhu Yanyu screamed at the top of her lungs as she cried pitifully. She struggled and finally reached the door of the room. "Then Miss Zhu, why are you guarding the door so much?" "Is it really true that your cousin is not the one in there?" "Are you just trying to protect your cousin?" "Is the eldest Miss Zhu really the one inside?" "Is the eldest Miss Zhu with her lover in there?" "Does the eldest Miss Zhu always meet with her lovers for a rendezvous in hotels?" Various questions were asked by the reporters as they tried to break into the room. "My cousin is not in there, you people should leave. There is no show here. You won''t see anything if you go in. You cannot go in there," Zhu Yanyu cried out loudly. Her cries became even louder as she slipped and landed her bu?? on the floor, making it seem like she was pushed to the ground giving the reporters a leeway to enter the room. "Oh really~" a sweet mellifluous voice boomed from behind the chaotic reporters trying to force their way into the room. Zhu Yunqing and Wei Chujiu had just arrived to witness the drama unfold. The horde of reporters immediately stopped in their actions and turned toward the direction of the voice. The moment Zhu Yanyu heard Zhu Yunqing''s voice, she froze in her actions. She dared not move or say a word. There was no way she would not recognize Zhu Yunqing''s voice. "Qingqing, why did you not tell me that Yanyu could act so well? I would have kept thinking that the only thing she could do best was be a pretentious b**ch. Oh! A loose one at that," Wei Chujiu said, stepping out from behind Zhu Yunqing. Zhu Yunqing clicked her tongue before saying in her smooth and soft mellifluous voice, "I would have never known myself if I did not just witness her trailer. Tsk! Tsk! Dear cousin~ are you sure that there is no show in there?" Zhu Yanyu''s face had an inexplicable aghast look. When she heard Zhu Yunqing speak, her face was ashen like a white sheet of paper. She couldn''t begin to think of what countermeasures Zhu Yunqing had planned in retaliation. "What? Nothing to say, or cat caught your tongue," Wei Chujiu sneered after not hearing any response from Zhu Yanyu. ''What is she doing outside? Is she not supposed to be inside the room? How come this b**ch is not inside? What is going on? Did that An Qiao b**ch trick me? No, that is not possible! How the heck did she escape again? Does she (Zhu Yunqing) know about the plan?'' various thoughts kept flying around in Zhu Yanyu''s head. She couldn''t believe that her cousin had escaped from her evil schemes once again. She clenched her fist with a dark expression on her face. Standing up to her feet, Zhu Yanyu immediately said, "Ah... Cousin, it''s good that you are not inside. I don''t know why they thought that you were the one inside! I clearly told them that it wasn''t you inside there, but they did not believe me. Boohoo!" Zhu Yanyu cried out. She could not let her cover be exposed. She had to act quickly so no one would suspect her of foul play here. "It''s okay, but now I''m curious to know who is in there! I wonder why so many reporters thought I was the one in there. It makes me feel like someone is trying to ruin my reputation," Zhu Yunqing gave a half-smile as she said tauntingly in a calm and casual tone. "Well, if the eldest Miss Zhu is not the one in there, I still need news for my company." "Me too. I can''t leave here without any news for my column." "We might still get some juicy headlines if we go in!" "Yeah! I will definitely get fired if I don''t bring in any juicy scoop." Zhu Yanyu was not sure of what changed in her plan. Plus, there seemed to be no way to restore the mind-set of these reporters and journalists who were hungry for a topic for their articles. So she tried to escape but was blocked off by Zhu Yunqing. "Ah! Cousin, where are you going? Aren''t you curious about who is in there? Why don''t we find out together?" Zhu Yunqing said as she grabbed her cousin''s hand and pulled her back towards the room. With one solid push from two of the reporters, the door swung open with a bang, making the couple in bed to be jolted awake. The unclean and foul smell of their ?ustful and sensual night permeated the air in the room. The two who had just woken up were shocked by the hordes of people streaming into the room and the flashes of cameras on their n?k?d bodies. They were even more horrified when they glanced at each other''s n?k?d bodies and the contorted expression on Zhu Yanyu''s face. Zhu Yanyu''s face was twisted in anger as she glared at the couple in bed who were trying to cover themselves from the camera flashing at them. ''How can this be possible? It was obviously supposed to be Yunqing and those lowlifes! How did it become An Q... and Tang....'' Zhu Yanyu pondered as she stared daggers at the two people on the bed. Chapter 34 - What went wrong with the plan? 2 ''How can this be possible? It was obviously supposed to be Yunqing and those lowlifes! How did it become An Q... and Tang...?'' Zhu Yanyu pondered as she stared with her mouth opened at the two people on the bed. Her face held a shocked and horrified look. While everyone was focusing on the two on the bed, Zhu Yunqing had told Wei Chujiu about the hidden camera. Wei Chujiu stealthily went and removed the memory card and kept the camera back in its hiding place. ''There might be a good use of this later,'' she thought to herself. Then Zhu Yunqing walked up to Zhu Yanyu and leaned in close to her ear. "Oh~ my dear cousin~ did you like my show so much that you became speechless. Well, I did think that the stunt you pulled earlier needed a little bit more acting. How does it feel? The one you stole using your body is sleeping with another girl. And everything worked out very well with the help of your plan~" Zhu Yunqing whispered into Zhu Yanyu''s ear from behind her. The taunts of Zhu Yunqing provoked Zhu Yanyu so much that they made veins to pop out on her neck. Zhu Yanyu''s face had become reddened and contorted in rage. Still, she did well to hide it from the horde of reporters who had finished taking their pictures for their headlines and were leaving the room. After holding her anger for such a long time, as soon as all the reporters were out of sight, Zhu Yanyu, who was now beyond being reasonable, immediately raised her hand to smack Zhu Yunqing. "YOU B**CH! THIS IS ALL YOUR DOING!" Zhu Yanyu screamed at the top of her lungs while her hands moved in synchrony, as her ?h?st pumped up in anger. She had only successfully convinced her mother to let her date Tang Chonglin and now this. How was she going to explain it to her mother, and her pregnancy was also another thing? "Oh~ showing our true colours now, are we? Besides, my doing?! Tch! Tch! You are really overestimating yourself. I certainly do not have the p???sur? of wasting my time on you lowlifes," Zhu Yunqing sneered. Zhu Yunqing immediately avoided Zhu Yanyu''s flying hand and easily clasped it before giving Zhu Yanyu a hard slap on her face. Kpak! ''Humph! This is refreshing!'' "That''s for everything you have ever done to me! Everything you have ever done to this body''s original," Zhu Yunqing said after slapping Zhu Yanyu. She said the last sentence in her mind. Kpak! Another sizzling hot slap landed on Zhu Yanyu''s face again, not even leaving her a chance to retaliate. "This is for what you still dared to try," Zhu Yunqing bossed as her domineering aura was beginning to show. She had a cold condescending look on her face as she sent another slap flying in Zhu Yanyu''s direction. "Oh~ this last one.. It''s interest~ don''t think I wouldn''t dare to make you pay just because you are my cousin. Try your dastardly acts again, and I will make you pay with everything I have got. Oh~ and you better tell that sleaze bag of a father you have to watch his back! I''ll take back everything you ''and your family'' took ''from Zhu Yunqing'' So, you had better watch your back," Zhu Yunqing said fiercely with a smug smile appearing on her face. She didn''t say ''and your family'' and ''from Zhu Yunqing'' out as she did not want to alert Zhu Yanyu that she was aware of their schemes yet. She was still thinking of a way to handle it. After Zhu Yunqing had said what she wanted to say, she started walking out like the empress she wasin a grand majestic and elegant style. Suddenly, Zhu Yunqing halted in her steps when she had gotten to the doorway and without turning back she said scornfully, "Oh~ before I forget, you can keep that piece of trash. After all, garbage belongs in the dump." Then she walked out. "Guess what? Your karma coin has just flipped sides," Wei Chujiu uttered before following behind Zhu Yunqing. The last slap she gave had made Zhu Yanyu land on the floor. She was so frightened and stupefied by the domineering aura that it was because Zhu Yunqing held her hand that was holding her up. The minute Zhu Yunqing released her hand and the last slap had landed on her face, her limbs grew weaker, and she dropped to the floor. The shock from the events that just occurred made her face twisted, like a horrible painting that had smear stains on it. For a moment, she was completely robbed of her speech that she couldn''t even find her voice to retort back at Zhu Yunqing, so she could only watch their back as they left her sight. Zhu Yanyu''s cheeks had turned red from all the slaps she received, and a deeper red showed the palm of Zhu Yunqing''s handprint on her face. Her face brimmed with a wave of pain-stricken anger and tears which were on the verge of falling.. She turned and fiercely glared at the two n?k?d people on the bed. Chapter 35 - Puked on someone 1 After a few minutes of calming herself down, she laughed sardonically in anger like someone who had just become mad. Well, she was quite crazy, considering what just happened. What Zhu Yunqing had said was right. She was really laughable because the person she wasted so much, both her body and soul to seduce and steal from her cousin was here sleeping with her friend. The situation was quite laughable. All these were planned by her, and yet her plan backfired on her to this devastating extent. Yu An Qiao''s tears were flowing like a dam that had just been released. Her body shivered with anger from the humiliation she suffered. Hearing the light sobs coming out of Yu An Qiao''s mouth, Zhu Yanyu became hysterical. The reporters are long gone. So, she couldn''t care less about her behaviour. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she swiftly moved towards the crying Yu An Qiao, "YOU B**CH! THIS WAS ALL YOUR DOING. HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME?! HUH! IF YOU WANTED TO SELL YOUR DIRTY BODY. WHY DID YOU NOT FIND SOMEONE ELSE?" Zhu Yanyu grabbed onto Yu An Qiao''s hair tightly and pulled at it as hard as she could, dragging Yu An Qiao''s n?k?d body off the bed. "Ahhhh!" Yu An Qiao screamed in pain. She felt as if some strands of her hair came off with how tightly it was being held by Zhu Yanyu. "Ahh! Yu''er, I''m sorry. I did not mean to do this. I-I. I don''t know w-what happened. I swear I did bring Yunqing to this room yesterday. I.... I don''t know... h-how," Yu An Qiao pleaded as she tried to pull at Zhu Yanyu''s tight grasp to release her hair. "If you brought her here, then why are you the one on the bed n?k?d and more so with Brother Chonglin. You think I would believe your lies. You can''t deceive me. You shameless Vixen! You think I will not know about you trying to seduce Brother Chonglin," Zhu Yanyu yelled at her. Then, she abruptly raised her hand and landed a fast and inescapable slap on Yu An Qiao''s face. Kpak! The sound of her slap resonated in the room, but Zhu Yanyu did not feel satisfied. She did not have the strength to keep slapping her as she had used all her remaining energy in that slap. After all, she had received three hot slaps from Zhu Yunqing, which had left its mark. She was completely drained now. So she just dropped to the floor again. Meanwhile, Yu An Qiao remained on the floor without even trying to cover up her n?k?d and trembling body as she continued sobbing. Meanwhile, the ?ustful testosterone, Tang Chonglin, had worn his clothes and gone to the side of Zhu Yanyu to try and convince her that he wasn''t at fault. "I am sorry, Yu''er. It wasn''t my fault. I came here to explain about us to Yunqing, but I did not know that they had done something in the room. I blank out after entering, and I woke up after hearing the sounds from earlier. You know it''s you I love. I would never think of doing anything with anyone else but you, yu''er, please believe me," Tang Chonglin explained. He kept patting her and trying to bu??er her up. He wasn''t going to lose his s?x partner all because of a mere one nightstand. Zhu Yanyu listened to his rubbish for sometime before flinging his hand on her body away. Then she stood up and walked out of the room while gnashing her teeth in rage. She didn''t want to be touched by him, at least not until he cleans up the filth he had on him. ''I will not let you off Yunqing!'' Zhu Yanyu made a promise to herself as she left the room. When Zhu Yunqing and Wei Chujiu left the room, Wei Chujiu dragged her off to her car and told her chauffeur to drive with Zhu Yunqing''s chauffeur behind them. She wanted to drive to the mall herself. They had already planned to go shopping, or more like, Wei Chujiu said, they would go shopping. "Fasten up!" Wei Chujiu said excitedly. She looked like a young girl who had just been given her favourite candy with the broad smile she had on her lips. "What?!" Zhu Yunqing asked a bit puzzled at what she meant. Then, she followed Wei Chujiu''s movement with her eyes and understood what she meant. Seeing that, she copied what Wei Chujiu did and was able to fasten her seatbelt. Wei Chujiu already had her hands on the steering after she was done with her seatbelt and igniting the car. So, when she noticed that Zhu Yunqing already had her seatbelt on, she immediately stepped on the gas and sped off. The speed at which the car was moving was so high that it affected Zhu Yunqing. She had to hold onto something in the car for extra support. Wei Chujiu always liked driving fast. That was why her family never allowed her to ride by herself in fear of her having an accident. She had learnt how to drive using her cousin Lin Yan''s sports car. So, she drives every other car like it''s a sports car. Screechhh.... Within a few minutes, Wei Chujiu slammed hard on the brakes bring the black car to a stop in front of one of the most luxurious and largest shopping mall in H City. Wei Chujiu stepped turned the engine off and stepped out of the car in her black peep-toe heels and a simple mulberry off-shoulder gown. She quickly took out her sunglasses from her black clutch and wore them. Zhu Yunqing had a problem with how fast Wei Chujiu drove. She struggled to remove her seatbelt. When she was finally able to pull it off her body, she opened the door and ran out of the car with unsteady movements as if she was being chased. Bleurgh! Was that really just a surface? Chapter 36 - Puked on someone 2 Wei Chujiu''s mouth widened in shock when she saw the actions of her best friend. There was no way she wouldn''t recognize who that person was. After all, she knew all the friends of her cousin brother and their various personalities. Though, she did not have a very close relationship with the group of friends. ''Am I no longer going to have a best friend anymore? Wait! Why do I feel this is my fault?'' Wei Chujiu thought to herself. A sense of dread overtook her when she thought about the turn of events that were about to happen. Zhu Yunqing, on the other hand, was not aware of what she had just done until she had finished spewing out all her guts on a certain someone who seemed like a block of unmoving ice. She had never suffered motion sickness during her time as an empress since she always rode in a palanquin. Wei Chujiu drove so fast that Zhu Yunqing starting feeling her breakfast at her throat, ready to burst out. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. That was when she finally saw the pair of legs clothed in black trousers in her view. One of the person''s shoes and a portion of his trousers were covered in her breakfast that she had just spewed out while the other leg had splashes of it. Zhu Yunqing couldn''t help but want to dig her way into the ground and bury herself in it. Oh No! Was she really that clumsy? Shen Zihao''s stoic expression became as dark as his midnight black hair as soon as Zhu Yunqing spewed her breakfast on him. Wasn''t she too daring to do that? Does she have a death wish? These were the thoughts going through Shen Zihao''s ?ssistant, Wang Li, and the group of bodyguards'' minds. Without saying a word, Shen Zihao took a step back as he gave the petite woman who still had her head lowered in his way a cold and dangerous glare. Zhu Yunqing was so afraid and anxious when Shen Zihao took a step back. So, she frantically lifted her head. Immediately her gaze met the intimidating and cold glare of Shen Zihao. She felt chills run down her spine. But within a split second, Shen Zihao''s cold look had changed and had a look of recognition on it. His facial features had softened. Zhu Yunqing was a bit dumbfounded at the quick change of expression, but she didn''t dwell much on that as she had to apologize to the handsome man right away. Zhu Yunqing had to admit his level of handsomeness could easily beat anyone from her past life. Including a certain someone, she would rather not mention and regretted meeting in her past life. Shen Zihao had recognized her from that night. She was not able to recognize him because she never saw his face at that time. Shen Zihao was never one to forget a face even if he had only seen it once. Those passionate green eyes that seemed like they could twirl the world with one blink also did not make it easy for him to forget her ever since he saw her. Someone once told him that he was someone that was incapable of feeling and that he had a cold heart. Some even wondered if he had a heart. If that were true. Then, what were this twirling and light feeling he felt in his ?h?st whenever he saw this young lady (Zhu Yunqing). At some point, he accepted everything and grew indifferent over time. He felt that was the only way he could gain total dominance in the business world. Yet, the dainty lady in front of him made him feel what even he felt he was incapable of feeling. Though he was disturbed with how their second meeting seemed quite awkward as his gaze left her face to his leg. Zhu Yunqing stood up abruptly when she finally realized that she was rudely staring at Shen Zihao. "I did not mean to do that. I-I am so so sorry!" Zhu Yunqing stuttered what seemed like an apology. Her face had a sweet smile as she apologized. Her smile was like a sudden beam of sunlight lighting up the darkest corners of Shen Zihao''s heart. Suddenly a weak lopsided smile flickered across Shen Zihao''s face like a hologram when the thought of her fleeing figure from the previous night flashed in his mind. "Are you alright?" Shen Zihao calmly asked. Zhu Yunqing felt a strong sense of familiarity when she heard his deep voice, but she couldn''t point out where she had heard it. So her answer was a bit late as she was a bit dazed while trying to figure out where she heard the voice. "Ye yes! I am fine," she answered. "Water?" Shen Zihao asked as he outstretched his hand toward his ?ssistant, Wang Li. Though Wang Li was shocked as he watched what was happening, he immediately understood what Shen Zihao meant and carried it out. After all, he wouldn''t have lasted as President Shen''s ?ssistant for so long if he was not a very intuitive and attentive person. He quickly handed a bottle of water he retrieved from the car to his boss. Then, Shen Zihao offered the bottled water to Zhu Yunqing. Zhu Yunqing received the bottle and immediately thanked him before running off to where Wei Chujiu stood like a statue. Wei Chujiu''s eyes were almost bulging out as she watched everything that was happening. Wei Chujiu: O_O Chapter 37 - Do you believe in fate?” Wei Chujiu did not respond for a brief moment. Not even after Zhu Yunqing had waved her hand in front of her. She only responded when Zhu Yunqing tugged at her and pulled her towards the shopping mall. Who wouldn''t be shocked after seeing what just happened? Anyone who witnessed what happened would think that the young lady wouldn''t be able to leave with her head still attached to her body, or at the very least, not without any bruises. Even Shen Zihao''s bodyguards had turned to statues after watching their demon-like boss act in such a strange manner. So much so that they did not know what to do or how to behave. Shen Zihao''s lips curved into an amused smile as he watched Zhu Yunqing flee once again from his sight while pulling her friend along. ''Was it really true that you meet your fated partner if you meet the person coincidentally three times?'' he wondered. If that were true, then he sure was looking forward to their next meeting. Hopefully, it will not be as weird as the first and second time they met. "Do you believe in fate?" "Huh?! Boss?!" Even though Wang Li knew very well that his boss never liked to repeat himself. He couldn''t help but ask as he was surprised by what he heard and the previous scene. Or did they perhaps just meet their future lady boss? Shen Zihao did not bother asking him again. He was never one to repeat himself, and that was never going to change. Well, maybe, but we never know. After watching Zhu Yunqing''s back disappear into the shopping mall, Shen Zihao suddenly turned to his left, where Wang Li stood, and spoke in an authoritative voice, "Suit!" His voice and expression had returned to their original cold and stoic state, and he spoke in his usual cold tone of few word counts. Now, this seemed to be the boss they knew. So, immediately they heard him speak, his bodyguards, who were dumbstruck started moving again. Then, two bodyguards hurriedly came forward and started cleaning his shoe and suit pants. Wang Li quickly made a brief call requesting for another suit for his boss. Since they were already at the mall, it would easy for him to change in one of the VIP rooms inside one of the stores. After the two bodyguards finished cleaning his clothes with a hanky, Shen Zihao''s cold voice sounded out again, "Let''s go." ***** After Wei Chujiu showed her the direction, they both moved towards the restroom. When they entered the restroom, Zhu Yunqing went directly to one of the taps but could not put it on even after a few tries. Although it looked similar to the one she had in her bathroom at home. But it had a different mechanism for putting it on and a more complex one at that. So she was having a difficult time trying to turn it on. Wei Chujiu, who was about to start off with the various questions racing through her mind, immediately noticed her weird behaviour and asked quizzically, "What are you doing?" "I need to wash my face," Zhu Yunqing muttered. "Uh-um!" Wei Chujiu''s face had an expression that said, ''Why are you playing with the tap then?'' But after seeing that Zhu Yunqing was genuinely struggling to put on the tap, she strode forward and turned it on. Although Wei Chujiu found Zhu Yunqing''s actions weird, she still had to help her.h "Thank you!" Wei Chujiu pondered for a while before speaking up again, "Wait! Were you trying to distract me so I won''t ask you anything just now?" Zhu Yunqing turned towards her and asked, "What are you talking about?" She was confused as to what her friend was asking. "Oh~ come on, don''t play that game with me," Wei Chujiu rolled her eyes. "I don''t think what just happened outside just now was love at first sight. So spill! When did you two meet? Where was that? Was it before or after you broke up with Tang Chonglin? How did you guys meet anyway? Was it love at first sight? Was he the first to talk to you, or did you speak to him first? How did he act when you two met? Did he ask you out?" Wei Chujiu probed. Her gossipy nature had flared up, and there was no way it was going to go out without any juicy information. Her slew of questions barrelled out of her mouth like they had been trapped for years and finally found an escape route. "Huh! What are you talking about? When did who meet?" Zhu Yunqing questioned.. Now she was beyond confused as to whatever was going on inside Wei Chujiu''s head. Chapter 38 - Do you have any idea who he is? "I don''t know whether you are just playing dumb or you are trying to avoid my questions, but come on... Just answer one, at least. Or maybe two, but if you want to answer all of them~ you are free~~ please just one or all," Wei Chujiu pleaded. She was already in her full puppy-eyed cute mode. She was winking and pleading at Zhu Yunqing to speak. "Huh?! I don''t understand what you are saying," Zhu Yunqing said before turning back and washing her hands. "You do realise that I can see the blush on your face, right?!" Wei Chujiu said as she arched a brow. ''Am I really not getting anything?'' Wei Chujiu sulked. "What?!" Zhu Yunqing creased her brows. Then, she abruptly raised her head and looked at her face in the mirror in front of her. Lo, and behold on her cheeks was a light blush that had crept its way there only god knows when. Was this caused by the man she met earlier? Well, he was quite handsome, but why would she be gushing over someone she just met? Was it because he was handsome? It''s not like she hadn''t seen a handsome man before, and she was quite sure she did not feel anything for someone she just met once. The man she saw earlier had a dangerous charm to his handsomeness compared to his majesty... ''I should stop thinking about him,'' Zhu Yunqing thought with a gloomy look. She let out a sigh of irritation and tilted her head slightly downwards. The past was the past. She needed to learn to live well in this second chance that she got. After all, it is not like she could go back and change what happened in the past. Also, a second chance in life does not come by that easily. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so she needed to utilize it to the max. Zhu Yunqing bent towards the tap, scooped an amount of water in her hands before washing her face with it. Then, she rinsed her mouth several times. She washed her face once again before collecting the towel Wei Chujiu offered her to dry her face and hands. Wei Chujiu noticed the gloomy mood Zhu Yunqing was in, so she patted her on her shoulder. It was not her intention to make Zhu Yunqing remember such a waste of male sp?rm like Tang Chonglin. However, because Wei Chujiu couldn''t completely quell her hunger for gossip, she still ended up asking, "Do you have any idea who he is?" She sounded curious when she spoke. Since Shen Zihao was cruel to other ladies, but it only meant that he would be faithful and treat the one he liked well, unlike Tang Chonglin. Shen Zihao''s earlier actions gave Wei Chujiu an inkling that he was interested in Zhu Yunqing. Then wouldn''t it be a good idea to match them together? Maybe he would even be able to make her forget that trash. (And she is not so far from the truth.) "No, am I supposed to," Zhu Yunqing said with a quizzical look. ...! "Gasp! No way!" Wei Chujiu blurted out a big gasp of amazement. he knew that Zhu Yunqing has never been interested in any other man ever since she had foolishly fallen in love with Tang Chonglin, but she never knew it was as bad as this extent. She didn''t even know one of the four richest and most powerful Young Master of H City. "H-he is. Oh my goodness! Qingqing did your brain get fried while you were unconscious! He is like." Wei Chujiu was about to speak up when she suddenly paused. ''Wait! What is he like again?'' Wei Chujiu wondered. She knew Shen Zihao as her Cousin''s friend, but she was not close enough to know him well. She only knew who he was because she had seen him a couple of times with Lin Yan. Also, everyone in H City knew very well about the mysterious young President of Shen International Conglomerate. "Well, he is like the king of the business world. One of the most d?s?r?d bachelors because of his gorgeous looks. He has so much money and power that four of his generations do not have to work, but they can still live a comfortable life for a long time. Plus, because of his status, he is the ultimate ladder to riches. He has women from every social status reeling to even get as much as a glance from him," Wei Chujiu remarked in one breathe. With the way Wei Chujiu spoke about Shen Zihao, you would probably think she had done proper research on him, but she didn''t. Everyone knew at least this much about him. Well, at least almost everyone. "Well, do you like him?" Zhu Yunqing suddenly asked out of curiosity. She seemed totally uninterested in everything Wei Chujiu just told her. "What?!! No! Why would you even think that?" Wei Chujiu snapped. "He is cold, and I detest his crudeness! Humph!" Wei Chujiu pointed out. She had witnessed how cruelly Shen Zihao treated a young miss from an average family before. Well, the young miss deserved what she got for throwing herself at him like that, but she wasn''t going to be the judge of that. When Zhu Yunqing heard Wei Chujiu''s response, a light sense of relief overtook her heart, and she let out an inaudible sigh. ''Wait! Why did I feel relieved?'' Zhu Yunqing pondered to herself. The feeling of relief she felt was so strange that she could not understand why she felt that way. Maybe it was because of her experiences in her past life, and how the emotions of the heart caused her downfall. Maybe she didn''t want her friend to experience the turmoil of the heart. Or maybe she didn''t want her friend to like someone of unrefined manners like that. But whatever it was, she couldn''t be bothered to think about it again.. At this point, she really needed a way to distract Wei Chujiu from this particular topic. Chapter 39 - Su Ke Xin 1 But whatever it was, Zhu Yunqing couldn''t be bothered to think about it again. At this point, she really needed a way to distract Wei Chujiu from this particular topic. Suddenly Zhu Yunqing thought of something. ''Since she likes shopping so much.'' "Ah~ I guess maybe we should just skip shopping for today, huh?" Zhu Yunqing said in a casual tone. As soon as Wei Chujiu heard what Zhu Yunqing said, her eyes went round. "What?! No way. Let''s go~ we have so many things we need to buy," she yelled without sounding pushy. "We have to show those shameless people that they can''t mess with us. You have to look extremely stunning at school tomorrow. So, come on~" Wei Chujiu urged Zhu Yunqing. Her voice was laced with excitement as she strolled off and pulled Zhu Yunqing along behind her. ''There are definitely a lot of things that I still need to learn. The originals memories will not be enough if I have to deal with them using so many underhanded means. So going to this school would probably be the best choice,'' Zhu Yunqing thought with a faint smile on her face while taking one last glance at the tap as Wei Chujiu was pulling her along. **** Shen walked into one of the stores in the shopping mall wearing a brand new and clean tailored suit with Wang li and his bodyguards following behind him. He was on his way to meet up with his mother and younger sister earlier on before that incident happened. So, he had to clean up and change into a new suit before meeting them since he needed to return to the office. When Shen Zihao was close to them, he could hear indistinct voices talking and laughing amongst themselves. Two of them he recognized to be his mother and sister but there was still another delicate voice he couldn''t recognize. His expression darkened a bit as a thought crossed his mind. Nevertheless, he continued walking in the direction of their voices. As soon as Xia Liqin saw Shen Zihao, she immediately called out to her son, "Ah! Zihao, you are here! We''ve been waiting for you for a while now. What took you so long?" "Hmm! There was an incident I had to take care of." Shen Zihao hummed before replying to his mother. "Oh, alright, then. It''s good you are here now," Madam Shen responded, smiling affectionately. "Hello, Madam Shen," Wang Li greeted Xia Liqin from behind Shen Zihao with a gentle smile on his face. "Ah! Wang Li, it''s good to see you. I hope Zihao does not have you totally buried with work. How is Old Man Wang, by the way?" Xia Liqin inquired with a fond look. "Not at all, Madam Shen. It is just a little busy at the company right now. My grandfather is doing fine. He still has enough strength to chase my sister round the entire city," Wang Li chimed. "Hehe! I am sure your old man will soon find a way to make her stay put. Maybe he might find a suitable match for her soon," Xia Liqin joked lightly. "And you! Zihao, you should learn to free up some of your time. I know that you are a workaholic but don''t just bury yourself in your work!" Xia Liqin softly scolded her son. An excited young lady popped out from somewhere with some clothes in her hands. "Oh~ Brother, you''re here! Brother Li too," she politely greeted. "Hello, Young Miss Shen," Wang Li greeted with a friendly smile. "Brother Li, I have always told you that you don''t have to refer to me like that," Shen Zihao''s sister wh?n?d. Without waiting for a response, she continued as she was too excited to tell her brother the good news. "Never mind that. Brother, you would never guess who just came back? Sister Xin!" Shen Zihao''s sister beamed. Xia Liqin gently tapped her temple before saying, "Oh, right! Xin''er just came back. She had grown into a beautiful young girl since the last time we saw her." As they spoke, a dainty looking young girl wearing a simple turquoise flowery off-shoulder gown stepped out from behind them. She walked with grace and elegance. Her face almost split into two with how broadly she was smiling. "Hello, Brother Zihao. It''s been a long time. It is good to see you again," Su Ke Xin spoke in a softened coquettish tone. She greeted Shen Zihao with a gentle yet dazzling smile on her face. Her eyes twinkled like a young maiden, who was seeing her first love after a long time. Xia Liqin is the name of Madam Shen, who is the mother of Shen Zihao. While as for Shen Zihao''s younger sister, her name will remain a mystery as for now. But in a few more chapters, everyone will know why I did not mention her name yet. Please bear with me.. A little bit of suspense would be good. Don''t you think? Chapter 40 - Su Ke Xin 2 "Hello, Brother Zihao. It''s been a long time. It is good to see you again," Su Ke Xin spoke in a softened coquettish tone. She greeted Shen Zihao with a gentle yet dazzling smile on her face. Her eyes twinkled like a young maiden, who was seeing her first love after a long time. "Hmmm" Shen Zihao graced her with his usual courteous but cold nod response. "Your grandmother would be so happy that Xin''er was able to make it back before her birthday this time. Xin''er, you must apologize to grandmother for not coming for her birthday all these years," Xia Liqin happily remarked. Her last statement was said to Su Ke Xin. "Aunty, you don''t need to worry about that. I will definitely get grandma a big gift as my apology," Su Ke Xin promised in a courteous manner. She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her right ear. "Good girl~" Xia Liqin praised as she patted Su Ke Xin on her head. "Aunty, what do you think about this dress? I think the colour suits your eyes," Su Ke Xin spoke softly, gesturing to a gown held by the store worker who was accompanying them. The store worker quickly stepped forward with the dress sprawled in her hand when Su Ke Xin gestured in her direction. The gown they were talking about was a deep blue full-length formal dress. The long sleeveless A-line gown was made from soft, satiny fabric and had a soft overlaying lace array with embellished glittering stones delicately arranged in a semblance of the star constellations. Xia Liqin smiled as she looked at the gown. Then she said while gazing lovingly at Su Ke Xin, "You are still as filial as always, Xin''er. But unfortunately, this type of gown does not suit this old lady. They will be more suitable for you or Hua''er." "Ah! Why don''t Brother and Sister Xin go in together? It would be perfect! You will wear this dress while Brother will wear a complimenting suit or tie. Anyways, I can always accompany Second Brother instead," Shen Zihao''s sister spoke out all of a sudden. Hearing her daughter''s words, Xia Liqin smiled happily, knowing that her daughter had just helped her with her plan. She was so happy that she wanted to give her daughter a mental high five. A light blush crept up on Su Ke Xin''s cheeks as she heard Shen Zihao''s sister''s suggestion. "What are you saying, Hua''er? You have always been Brother Zihao''s partner for every event. I cannot possibly accompany him during grandma''s birthday," Su Ke Xin spoke out shyly. Her cheeks had turned crimson now as she thought of the idea of accompanying him. "What Hua''er said is correct. You just came back. So why don''t you let Zihao accompany you during the banquet since you might not really know your way around yet? You have been in a foreign country so long. We even thought you might have forgotten about us. Besides, you are like family to us, so it doesn''t matter whether it''s you or Hua''er that accompanies Zihao," Xia Liqin tried to persuade her. Su Ke Xin stole a glance at Shen Zihao. Only to be disappointed as she met with his rigid and cold expression. She pressed her lips together and gave a half-hearted smile as she nodded in response to Xia Liqin''s request. "If Brother Zihao is okay with it. Then okay, Aunty," Su Ke Xin Said. "Son, you are fine with it, right?" Xia Liqin asked. With the way, their conversation has been going. It seemed like they had already decided as to what they wanted to do and happen. So, Shen Zihao couldn''t care less about the conclusion they arrived at. "Do whatever pleases you, mother. If that is all, I left some documents unattended to at the company," Shen Zihao curtly replied. Then he turned back to leave. "Wait! We haven''t settled on your outfits yet?" Xia Liqin said. Shen Zihao initially halted in his steps. Without turning back, he replied, "Wang Li will send my measurements." Then he quickly left. "Have a good day, Madam, Misses," Wang Li said in a courteous manner before following after his boss. Xia Liqin heaved a deep sigh before shaking her head. "This kid. He is still as cold as always." "Aunty, we shouldn''t force Brother Zihao to do what he doesn''t want to," Su Ke Xin commented. "Mom, Sister Xin, come on~ let''s forget about brother for now. We still need to pick out the perfect outfit for them," Shen Zihao''s sister beamed. She was overly excited as her brother had told them to do as they liked. So she wasn''t going to let this chance go to pair her brother with Su Ke Xin. What she said made sense, so the three ladies distracted themselves with their shopping, trying to get the perfect gowns for themselves and a suit matching with Su Ke Xin''s gown for Shen Zihao. Shen Zihao was never one to spend time on such trivialities.. He had quickly left the shopping mall and went back to his company without wasting time, but if only he had stayed in the store for a little while longer. Chapter 41 - Dreamy Night Sky Wei Chujiu pulled Zhu Yunqing out of the restroom and directly to the second floor of the shopping mall. When the two of them got to the second floor, Zhu Yunqing had the time to get a glimpse of how magnificent the shopping mall looked. Since Wei Chujiu was no longer pulling her along. It really deserved to be on the list of the most luxurious shopping mall in H City. The grandeur architecture of the mall was like seeing perfection at its very peak. The whole mall was enveloped in a certain warm and calm ambience that made one feel that there were good things within every store. The shopping mall seemed like it was built to make someone spend even their entire life''s fortune to buy a few luxury items from the stores. Exquisite sculptures strategically placed at the entrance of each store. It was as if they contained a magical spell to bewitch a shopper to venture into a new world (the store). As one look at any item from the various stores could seduce a shoppers'' eyes. Gluing their eyes till they would max out their credit cards on purchases. For a brief moment, Zhu Yunqing could not help but be captivated by how grand the shopping mall was. She lagged behind a few steps while she was lost, admiring her surroundings. She had only visited a store once in her previous life due to the fact that she was never really one who liked shopping. Most of the things she needed were always bought for her. Occasionally she would get gifts from her family and friends too. Plus, since she was already engaged to the then crown prince at a very young age, she always lived, trained, and breathed like a crown princess. She also received various gifts from people who were trying to get into her favour. Wei Chujiu, who had disappeared into one of the stores, suddenly realised that Zhu Yunqing was not following behind her. So she went back and urged her, "Come on~ we have to shop to our heart''s content today," Her voice was laced with excitement as she strolled off once again, pulling Zhu Yunqing by the hand. Entering the store, Zhu Yunqing was almost blinded by the dazzling and beautiful things held within the store. Immediately, Wei Chujiu pulled her in. She disappeared further into the store. She really meant to shop to her heart''s content. Although often, some of her purchases were returned by her mother whenever she was excessive. The original Zhu Yunqing would definitely not be shocked by Wei Chujiu''s behaviour. As Wei Chujiu disappeared, Zhu Yunqing just kept wandering around the shop. Although the clothes from the era looked different, she couldn''t quite dismiss they looked beautiful in their own way. One dress particularly captured her gaze. The designs on the dress reminded her of the night sky she often gazed at after her parents'' death. That starry night sky was the only piece of solace she had when everything was going downhill for her. She always felt that her family was watching her from there whenever she looked up in the sky. As soon as one of the store workers saw Zhu Yunqing absentmindedly stare at the blue gown while her hands ??r?ssed it. She came forward with a professional smile on her lips and said, "Miss, you have such great taste. It''s a good thing I did not put it back. This dress is called the dreamy night sky. This dress is an international limited edition. We had another customer who liked it earlier, but it did not suit her skin. So, she had to go for something else. But I am sure it will suit you very well. You have such lovely and flawless skin and body. You will be delighted when you try it on." The store worker heaped praises on both Zhu Yunqing and the dress, trying to persuade her to try the dress on just once. With the way, she spoke, it was obvious she just wanted to get a big fat check bonus from these two misses who just entered the store. Hearing the store worker speak startled Zhu Yunqing out of her dazed state. A small smile crept onto her lips as she nodded, "Okay." The store worker had on a pleasing, professional smile when she heard Zhu Yunqing''s reply. "Let me remove it for you, Miss." "The changing room is this way," the store worker added as she carried the dress and led Zhu Yunqing in the direction of the store''s changing rooms. When they got to the first changing room, the store worker handed the gown over, and Zhu Yunqing thanked her before entering to try it on. Chapter 42 - Try these on too! Zhu Yunqing changed into the Dreamy Night Sky dress. It was a bit difficult to change into at first. In the end, she was able to put it on. Outside the door of the changing room, she heard Wei Chujiu and the store worker voices. Wei Chujiu was asking for her whereabouts, which the store worker told her. Zhu Yunqing heard the sounds of shoes clicking on the floor until it got closer to the changing room she was in. Knock! Knock! "Qingqing, are you done changing. Come on ~ come out~ I want to see how you look," Wei Chujiu excitedly said. Click-clack! The door to the changing room opened and revealed Zhu Yunqing with the deep blue gown subtly resting on her body like it was made just for her. The soft fabrics of the sleeveless dress gently hugged her upper body, accentuating her thin waist. The glittering stones on it further pronounced her fair skin. Her eyes which always seemed to add a unique and mysterious vibe to anything she wears were not left out. She looked like a stunning delicate flower that just bloomed. "Oh my goodness~ Qingqing. You look beautiful~ why don''t you get it?" Wei Chujiu squealed in excitement. Even the store worker was so captivated by how stunning Zhu Yunqing looked that she couldn''t even utter a word. She just silently mouthed ''Wow!'' for a long time. Zhu Yunqing just stood there thinking whether she should believe what they were saying because she wasn''t able to see herself fully in the changing room. There was only a small mirror in there. With it, she could b?r?ly even see the top of the dress fully. Zhu Yunqing ran her hands across her b?r? shoulders. Her actions did not escape the eyes of Wei Chujiu, who suddenly had a glint in her eyes. She remembered seeing a piece of clothing earlier. "Ah! I think I saw something perfect for this," Wei Chujiu said before disappearing into another section of the store. After a few minutes, Wei Chujiu came out carrying a soft woolly white shawl in her hands. She walked behind Zhu Yunqing and draped the piece of clothing over her b?r? shoulders. "Now, this looks perfect!" Wei Chujiu said with a smug smile. She was really happy that Zhu Yunqing had personally picked out such a stunning dress for herself. Unlike before, when Zhu Yanyu made all those horrible choices of clothes for Zhu Yunqing. Zhu Yanyu had successfully nearly made Zhu Yunqing into a shadow of herself. She was glad that Zhu Yanyu was no longer able to control Zhu Yunqing ever since Zhu Yunqing found out the truth. Then Wei Chujiu pulled Zhu Yunqing to a nearby full-length mirror, "See~." Zhu Yunqing could not believe that she could look this gorgeous, even to the extent that she could not compare her real looks to this one. ''Clothes really do make a person, huh!'' While Zhu Yunqing was admiring her looks in the mirror, Wei Chujiu instructed another store worker who had accompanied her to pick out clothes earlier to bring them forward. Then she shoved the entire bundle of clothes into Zhu Yunqing''s hands and told her, "Try these on too!" "All of them?!" Zhu Yunqing asked with widened eyes. "Hmmm," Wei Chujiu nodded. Zhu Yunqing immediately had a tortured look on her face before dragging herself into the changing room. After changing into all the outfits, Wei Chujiu selected for her. They picked out a few suitable clothes for Zhu Yunqing and continued their shopping in the other stores. The next store they entered was a jewellery store. Immediately they entered the store, one of the store workers came forward to welcome them. Wei Chujiu had a few words with her before the store worker led her into one of their private rooms. As Zhu Yunqing looked around, she was quite impressed with how much more beautiful jewellery had come to be. Some were even more beautiful in their simple and unique designs, unlike the gaudy and heavy jewellery she had worn in her past life. Though she wasn''t too eager to always dress up in them, yet she was always made to dress up in them as part of her ceremonial robe. If she had not been the Empress of BeiMing State, she was definitely not short on talents that could earn her a living. She looked around a bit while longer until a piece of certain jewellery piqued her interest. It was an elegant interwoven platinum necklace attached to a tear-shaped black cherry amber pendant. It also came with a nice pair of teardrop earrings in the same colour as the necklace. The jewellery was made of simplicity and fine craftsmanship. The Jewellery set only piqued her interest because it had the same shade of amber colour as Wei Chujiu''s eyes. The jewellery set was a few paces from her. So, she moved closer to the display box to check it out. As she was about to signal the store worker to bring out the jewellery for her, a cool and calm voice sounded from behind her with an outstretched hand pointing at the exact Jewellery Zhu Yunqing had set her eyes on, "Wrap this up for me, please." The store worker replied to the man behind Zhu Yunqing. Chapter 43 - News scandal Zhu Yunqing abruptly turned towards the voice and came face to face with Qian Ming. Qian Ming eyes were red from the lack of sleep and working overtime in the hospital. His tired and indifferent look made him look intimidating to just about anyone but Zhu Yunqing. She couldn''t care less about his intimidating aura. "Ah! If it isn''t the yellow-haired doctor! Fancy meeting you here," Zhu Yunqing uttered, feeling a tinge of regret that she might not be getting the piece of jewellery. She thought it would be a good gift for Wei Chujiu as it matched with her eyes. As an Empress, she always gave lots of gifts to her friends and close acquaintances and to some extent she regarded Wei Chujiu as a friend. From her gained memories of the past life from the original Zhu Yunqing, she knew Wei Chujiu would never do her any harm. It was such a shame that the original Zhu Yunqing never realized that fact until the end. Immediately, Qian Ming recognized her. She was quite a troublesome patient. So, there was definitely no way he would mistake her identity. Weirdly enough, she was also the only one who has ever called him like that because of his blond hair. Usually, Qian Ming never mixes his private life with his work as a doctor, so most people don''t even know him as a renowned doctor if he were to walk out on the streets. Just the same way his colleagues at the hospital don''t know anything about his background. He would have chosen to ignore her if she wasn''t standing so close to him. He didn''t want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. So, since the circumstances did not allow him to ignore her. He sighed before responding with a sarcastic hint to his tone, "My day must have to be blessed, seeing that I had to meet you here today." Zhu Yunqing had tormented his life so much in the hospital to the extent that he couldn''t wait for the day she would be discharged. On the day that she was finally discharged, one could say that he was the happiest person at the hospital. Hearing him speak, Zhu Yunqing couldn''t help but laugh. She could easily detect the sarcasm in his tone. "Well said! I can always give you the honour every day, but then that would be torture to my eyes," Zhu Yunqing retorted with an even more sarcastic tone. "Then I guess saying my thanks would be the right thing to do now!" Qian Ming said. Before Zhu Yunqing could respond, the store worker who had diligently packed the jewellery set alerted them, "Sir, your order is ready." "Thank you," Qian Ming whipped out a gold card to pay for his purchase. "Oh my! Who do we have here? If it isn''t the eldest Miss Zhu!" a shrill voice called out suddenly. The person spoke with a hint of mock astonishment. Zhu Yunqing turned to look at who spoke out while Qian Ming didn''t bother to know who. He only felt he should have just ignored Zhu Yunqing earlier because he did not want to be caught in any form of girly squabbles. From the tone the person spoke with, it was obvious that she wasn''t a fan of Zhu Yunqing. "Mengmeng, can you believe it? She still dared to play around even after what happened. The whole internet is going crazy over the hot new, yet, you are here still playing a couple," the lady to the right said. She said the last statement to Zhu Yunqing with disdain in her tone. The hot news she spoke about was the viral nude pictures of Young Master of Tang Group, Tang Chonglin, and Yu An Qiao. Some keyboard warriors had also gotten several pictures of him entering various hotels with different girls, with a few small-time celebrities included. So the blazing news of the playboy''s secret life with various girls was bustling on the net. Various scandalous pictures were swirling here and there. In light of the news becoming public, it had drastically affected most of the celebrities he had an affair with. Even dropped the stock share price of Tang Group by a few percentages. Luckily for Zhu Yunqing, she never had any personal picture with Tang Chonglin. Also, whenever they went out, Zhu Yanyu was always in their midst. That was the only reason why she was not a hot topic in the news as well. It was just a pity that she never knew of his various affairs because Tang Chonglin was very good at hiding them. "Shouldn''t you be holed up somewhere crying your eyes out?!" the other lady asked in disdain. Chapter 44 - Friend or Foe ''Hmm! Friend or Foe. They are obviously taunting me. I don''t think I recall seeing these faces... Ah! They must be side characters of the originals life,'' Zhu Yunqing pondered to herself as she sized all three ladies up. The three ladies were Qi Meng, who spoke first; Mu Liu Yue, the next girl who spoke before Xia Jia. The original Zhu Yunqing was not really familiar with them. They had only met twice before, and both times, they found trouble with her. The original Zhu Yunqing always wondered how she offended them. Zhu Yanyu was there to defend her both times, but now at least Zhu Yunqing realized that she was only beside her for her own selfish gains. "Tch! You always try to act like you are better than your cousin, but you two are exactly the same. So who is this now? Your new boyfriend or one of your many lovers?" Qi Meng said scornfully. "Tsk! Tsk! totally shameless!" Xia Jia clicked her tongue. "She is obviously like that bitchy cousin of hers. After all, they are related," Mu Liu Yue commented. Zhu Yunqing had remained silent for too long only because she wanted to get a complete understanding of the situation. But, she was already feeling irritated by how the three ladies approached her and started cussing at her. What crime had she committed exactly? Knowing a scum?! Everyone knows one or two right? And she was being persecuted for that. She was definitely not going to stand for it. After listening to their non-sense, Zhu Yunqing scoffed and said, "Let''s get some things straight." Then she took a few brisk but confident paces closer to the three ladies and stood in front of them. "What did you say? Hot news? Heh! I created it," Zhu Yunqing had a smug look on her face as she uttered each word. Hearing what she said, the three ladies could not help but be shocked. "W-what?! Y.... you released it?" Qi Meng asked in shock while her other friends just stared blankly at Zhu Yunqing as if she had grown two heads. "Released? No, don''t get me wrong! I only realized how terrifying rumours could be, especially when real facts get mixed up with it. What?! Was it not hot enough, or .... should I have made it more intense? Tch! Tch! Sorry to disappoint, but I only had a limited time to make their sinister plan fall through. Else, I wouldn''t spare a single hair on their head. Oh, but don''t worry, I''ll handle them as I see fit, so you better not cross me also. I have to say I hold a grudge. Besides, you should learn to pick the bone with the right person," her face held a wry smile as she started talking, but it quickly changed to a piercing and threatening gaze as she warned them. Zhu Yunqing was never one who tolerated injustice, and now when it came to herself, she would fight tooth and nail to deal with it. Form what she could remember and hearing them speak, Zhu Yunqing realized that this group of girls did not have anything against her. It was her sleazy cousin, Zhu Yanyu they were after. While the girls were shocked speechlessly after being told off and warned by Zhu Yunqing, someone came in-between Zhu Yunqing and the girls at lightning speed. Wei Chujiu, who had come back and was looking for Zhu Yunqing, saw them standing there as so she rushed towards them to help Zhu Yunqing. She could not believe that aside from Zhu Yanyu, others would still dare to find trouble with Zhu Yunqing. "What do you think you are doing? How dare you try to bully Qingqing on my watch?! Why don''t you go look for Yanyu? Whatever that bitch does has nothing to do with Qingqing!" Wei Chujiu angrily glared at them. She was like a lioness protecting her cub from predators, ready to bite at anyone who approaches. Wei Chujiu had good resources, especially since she had a cousin like Lin Yan. So, when she witnessed Zhu Yunqing and Zhu Yanyu being bullied in the past, she quickly investigated what happened. That was how she found out that Qi Meng and her friends only bullied Zhu Yunqing because of what Zhu Yanyu was doing in secret. Zhu Yanyu secretly coveted Zhu Yunqing''s boyfriend, but he was not the only one. Everyone knew that Qi Meng, who was the only daughter of the Qi Family was engaged to Si Muchen, son of the Si Family. Though, it was an arrangement by the families. However, after spending most of their childhood together, Qi Meng and Si Muchen naturally became childhood sweethearts. Wei Chujiu had found out that Zhu Yanyu had her sights on Si Muchen. His family was not as wealthy as the other three most powerful families but compared to the Tang family they were of a higher class. Tang Chonglin couldn''t even hold a candle to Si Muchen. Wei Chujiu knew that was why they were also after Zhu Yunqing, but she couldn''t care less about Qi Meng''s real motives. All she knew was that she wouldn''t let them bully Zhu Yunqing, no matter what. After regaining her composure, Qi Meng said haughtily, as she wasn''t ready to deal with the Little Miss of the Wei Family, "Humph! Let''s go." Wei Chujiu turned to Zhu Yunqing and flared up, "Qingqing, why didn''t you call me? I could have taught them a lesson or two. They should know who to mess with and who not to mess with! Who do they think they are? Humph! They were lucky......" Chapter 45 - Acting like a little bunny Wei Chujiu puffed up her cheeks in anger, ready to continue reprimanding her friend, stopped when she noticed a familiar face. "Ah Brother Ming, You are here," Wei Chujiu said with a charming and dazzling smile spread across her face. "" Zhu Yunqing, who thought she was going to get an earful became speechless after witnessing the drastic change in the attitude of Wei Chujiu. Wei Chujiu seemed so composed and lady-like compared to when she was reprimanding Zhu Yunqing. Well, except for the wide smile on her face and glazed eyes that she strained on Qian Ming. Wei Chujiu was grinning from ear to ear like a little fool as she spoke to Qian Ming. ''Oho! Who knew this little fool could smile so widely. I feel like her mouth would rip apart from her smile,'' Zhu Yunqing thought. Qian Ming had already seen Wei Chujiu when she fled earlier to rescue her friend. Plus, since the other girls were gone, he felt that this was the perfect chance for him to leave since he had finished with his business. "It''s been a while, Chujiu. How have you been? How are Uncle and Aunt?" Qian Ming asked. "Everyone is fine, Brother Ming. You must have had a busy day so, I won''t hold you for too long," Wei Chujiu said after noticing Qian Ming''s tired look. "Alright, I better get going then. It was nice meeting you here," Qian Ming said. "Bye-bye, Brother Ming," Wei Chujiu bade him goodbye with an enthusiastic smile which Qian Ming waved his hand in response to as he walked to the door. "Oh, least I forget Miss Zhu, No Thanks!" Qian Ming turned back one last time to say before leaving the store, not even giving a chance for Zhu Yunqing to respond. Puff! Zhu Yunqing blew out a puff of hair in annoyance. It seemed like she had only been getting annoyed since she came to this timeline. "Huh! What was that all about? You know Brother Ming?!" Wei Chujiu blinked as she half asked herself as Zhu Yunqing, who was supposed to answer the question, had already started walking away. "Hmm!" Zhu Yunqing hummed. "Really?" Wei Chujiu asked with a controlled smile while straining her eyes on Zhu Yunqing, who was busy looking at the pieces of jewellery in the store. Wei Chujiu pursed her lips as a slight frown grazed her forehead. Zhu Yunqing could detect the slight change in her tone, so she turned and answered her properly, "Hmm! He was my attending doctor when you know what happened." "Oh! Alright," Wei Chujiu''s brooding look immediately dissipated after hearing Zhu Yunqing''s reply. "Why do I feel like you are trying to dress me up?" Zhu Yunqing asked with a raised eyebrow. She focused her gaze on Wei Chujiu, whose excited cheery smile had turned cheeky after being discovered. "A-ah what do you mean?" Wei Chujiu smiled sheepishly, as she feigned ignorance, to which Zhu Yunqing only intensified her stare. Her stare finally made Wei Chujiu cave in. "Fine. I have a banquet to attend, and I didn''t want to go alone. You know how those occasions are~ and I don''t want to be alone there. Come with me, okay~ please~ hmmm~" Wei Chujiu wh?n?d and pleaded. She even went to the extent of stirring up a little moisture in her eyes. Her expression seemed to say, ''if you don''t go with me, I''ll cry''. Zhu Yunqing rolled her eyes, ''So now we are acting like a little bunny. Urgh! Banquets can be quite a headache.'' But because Wei Chujiu kept on pestering her to go with her was a much worse headache, Zhu Yunqing finally agreed, "Fine, I''ll go with you." Immediately she agreed, Wei Chujiu''s eyes flashed with excitement. She thought that at least now she wouldn''t be the only one listening to the boring talks at the banquet. Looking at how excited that she was, Zhu Yunqing felt like teasing her. "So, when were you planning on telling me or were you planning on kidnaping me and taking me there?" Zhu Yunqing asked in a chiding tone. Zhu Yunqing lifted an eyebrow as she gave Wei Chujiu a questioning stare. Zhu Yunqing''s question immediately dampened Wei Chujiu''s mood as she tried to find an excuse. "I-I wasn''t," she quickly responded. ''But it doesn''t mean that thought never crossed my mind,'' Wei Chujiu thought to herself. "Well, at least you didn''t think of it, Right?" Zhu Yunqing asked, peering at Wei Chujiu, who just continued laughing cheekily. Wei Chujiu quickly pulled Zhu Yunqing along to try and distract her, "Let''s go~ let''s go." After getting the pieces of jewellery they wanted, the two of them spent the rest of the day shopping happily. They entered almost every store in the Mall. They bought a lot of items from the various stores. Wei Chujiu only allowed a short break when the grumbling of their stomach could no longer let them continue shopping. "Welcome back, Young Miss," Aunty Zhang greeted. "Hmmm! Where is my mother?" Zhu Yunqing asked after responding to Aunty Zhang''s greeting. "Madam sent a few things over to Sir in the office because Sir is working today and Madam said she would accompany him," Aunty Zhang answered. "Hmm!" Zhu Yunqing hummed. "Would the Little Miss be having dinner now? Should I ask the Kitchen to serve your meal?" Aunty Zhang asked. "I am fine, Aunty Zhang. I don''t need anything. I already ate dinner with my friend," Zhu Yunqing replied before walking up the stairs.. She was too tired, so even if she wanted to have a midnight snack, she wouldn''t even be able to have it. Chapter 46 - Feeling lonely at breakfast At the Zhu Residence, Breakfast was served by the maids. Zhu Yunqing sat down and slowly started eating as she dressed to set out. She glanced at the empty seats beside her and in front of her. She felt like she had been living in a fantasy for too long and was finally back to reality. For the past few days being able to dine with Li Qingling had been a wonderful experience, one that she once forgot she had experience in her past life. Having to eat happily with her family was not something she was privileged to have after becoming the empress. So, she thought this was a second chance to experience that. But looking at the situation now, it seemed her actualizing that dream would be farfetched. Zhu Yunqing swept her gaze across the empty seats once again. She could feel a bit of loneliness as it sets in. She clenched her fists and made a resolve to find a means to help Zhu Yusheng as soon as possible. She was insecure about the closure of her family. She once had it but her being the empress took everything away from her. She couldn''t help but wonder if it was all worth it back then. After all, all she got back was pain, loneliness, and regret. She was going to make sure that all the bad things that happened to her during her life as an empress was not going to taint this new life. She was going to create a harmonious and happy environment for her and this family. They might not be her real family but now that she was their daughter she was going to take them as her real family. She kept sighing in between meals and the various thoughts popping up in her head. The maids behind her were busy worried that she did not like the meal as she was sighing and sparsely eating. One of them finally voiced out their thoughts. "Miss, is the meal not to your liking? Shall we get a different meal for you?" one of the maids asked. "No, it''s fine. I don''t have much of an appetite," Zhu Yunqing answered with a smile. Suddenly she heard Wei Chujiu''s voice from the door inquiring about Zhu Yunqing being ready or not from Aunty Zhang. "I am full! I will be heading to school now!" Zhu Yunqing said, dropping her cutlery and picking up her bag, which she had brought with her earlier. She walked towards Wei Chujiu''s voice. "Good morning! Thought you were going to wake up late like always!" Wei Chujiu cheerfully said as soon as she saw Zhu Yunqing coming out with her bag. "Good morning! Let''s go!" Zhu Yunqing didn''t want to comment on what Wei Chujiu said, as she knew that the original Zhu Yunqing had never been a morning person. Most times it was Wei Chujiu who had to come over early to wake her up or Li Qingling who had to force her to wake up early in the mornings. Just as Zhu Yunqing was about to follow Wei Chujiu, who was heading to her car, she turned back and informed, "Aunty Zhang, I''ll also be coming back with Chujiu later on. So, there will be no need to send the car." "Okay, Little Miss," Aunty Zhang responded. After she had said her piece, she walked towards the car and sat at the back seat with Chujiu. This time around, Wei Chujiu was not driving. So with an average speed, it took them forty-five minutes to get from the Zhu Residence to their destination, Zhi Shi University. Zhi Shi University was a renowned school known for its high standards in teaching. It was one of the most popular and highly enrolled University in H City. Zhu Yunqing had initially been good at studying but her grades began to lag a few paces behind when she started dating Tang Chonglin. Not that she ever came last, but she never spent her time to study anymore. Her young teenage heart was misled by Tang Chonglin and deceived by Zhu Yanyu and Yu An Qiao. Since she and Wei Chujiu were in their first year of University, she felt she would be able to cope. She only needed to adjust well to her new environment and study hard for the rest of her University years. It seems she has a lot of work cut out for her.. This new life was definitely not going to be a smooth sailing journey with her scheming cousin and her dirt bag family lurking around. Chapter 47 - Have they made up? Stepping out of the car, she placed her feet onto the familiar yet unfamiliar grounds of Zhi Shi University. It only felt familiar to her due to her newly acquired memories. The same old trees that she had never seen in her life seemed to be welcoming her as the wind gently shook its leaves. A few rows of glass buildings interlinked with some other smaller structures by their sides. The neatly paved pathway linked from a wide parking area to the glass buildings. A long trail of short bush hedges surrounded the fence of the school. A few flowerbeds intricately positioned in some areas of the neatly crisp lawn grass to add a beautiful and fascinating look to the school environment. The flowerbeds made up of beautiful flowers that seemed to release their aroma into the air filling it with freshness and a flowery fragrance. Students were in groups in various areas of the school grounds. Some were on the pathway happily chatting as they walked to class, while some sat on benches. Others were seated or standing on the grass lawn. For a brief moment, Zhu Yunqing became engrossed as she checked out the University. With everything that had happened and what she had seen so far, she would easily believe if someone told her that she was in a dream. Things were indeed beautiful in the past, but the modern versions seem to be even more enthralling. After Wei Chujiu got out of the car and finished giving a few instructions to her driver, she hurried to where Zhu Yunqing stood and pulled her towards one of the buildings. "Let''s go!" Her pull broke Zhu Yunqing from her engrossed state. Only then did she notice the quick side glances and stares of the students. As Wei Chujiu pulled her along, Zhu Yunqing gave herself some cheering up in her mind. ''Fighting!'' Wei Chujiu has been used to it for a long time now. When she was the only one coming, she would just ignore the stares and plaster on an indifferent look on her face and walked on. But this time around, it was different. Wei Chujiu interlocked her hands with Zhu Yunqing''s. She had a bright and cheerful smile on her face as they walked towards their class. It was like she wanted to show the entire school or even the whole world that they were back being friends. And this time around, their relationship would be unbreakable. Entering their class, Wei Chujiu chose to seat in the second row. A few of their classmates were around and chattering away in the classroom. "Whoa! Who is that with Young Miss Wei?" "Wait! Isn''t that Zhu Yunqing." A girl who went to the same high school as them was able to recognize Zhu Yunqing. "Wow! She looks so much different now!" "She even looks beautiful now!" "Damn! If I had known she was this hot, I would have gone after her," one of the boys said after checking out Zhu Yunqing. Some, who were in the same high school with them knew about how sour their relationship had gotten for some years now found it weird to see them together. It was still strange even for those who didn''t know that they were best of friends initially to see them being chummy now. "Whoa! Have they made up?" a girl uttered as she pulled her glasses away from her eyes, cleaned them and wore them again to make sure that she was seeing right. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. The girl was one of their classmates ever since high school, and she knew when they started acting like the north and south poles. "Were they friends before? I thought they never liked each other," her friend asked. "Zhu Yunqing''s style seems to have changed," another girl joined their conversation. "Yeah! Her dressing has always been weird. And she never made it for class this early before," the first girl said. "Damn! Her clothes were really ugly previously," her friend added. "Yeah, she always skips classes too and follows Young Master Tang around." Another student interrupted, upon hearing them mentioning Young Master Tang, "Speaking of Young Master Tang, did you guys see the news? I doubt he will still be able to show his face around here anymore." "But don''t you think he must have had his way with Zhu Yunqing also?" "And the relationship between him, Zhu Yunqing, Zhu Yanyu is weird also!" "Yeah! Maybe he was messing around with both girls." "Who knew that Yu An Qiao would be so cheap that she would even go to the extent of sleeping with her friend''s boyfriend?" "So the news is true! Do you think that''s why Zhu Yunqing did not come to school all this while?" "I heard that she was sick!" "Do you believe that?" "Maybe she was too heartbroken to come to school!" Gossip was something that seemed to easily fly around and the entrance of Wei Chujiu and Zhu Yunqing into the classroom had stimulated the students'' thirst for gossip. From where they sat, Zhu Yunqing heard the whispers and noticed the strange looks directed at them. Her most especially, but she couldn''t care less about their nonsense talks. Suddenly the classroom became quiet. So much so that if a pin dropped, the sound could be heard.. The only sound that penetrated the air was the clacking of someone shoes. Chapter 48 - Gossip! Zhu Yunqing, who was seating close to the edge of the bench did not bother to check who just came into the classroom. The sound stopped close to where she sat. Thinking it was another student who wanted to seat down inside, she glanced up only to see the face of Zhu Yanyu. Seeing the disgusting face of this scheming so-called cousin of hers, Zhu Yunqing became irritated. "Ah~ Qingqing~ you came early~ why didn''t you wait for me at home? I went to your house to look for you but Aunty said you had left~ you must have come with Chujiu''er," Zhu Yanyu said in a sweet and soft tone. She had a fond look on her face as she spoke. Hearing Zhu Yanyu''s annoying voice as she spoke increased the annoyance Zhu Yunqing felt. Her face was glazed over with an indifferent and cold look as she completely ignored Zhu Yanyu as if no one had just spoken. Seeing that Zhu Yunqing was not even ready to acknowledge the presence of Zhu Yanyu who was beside her, Wei Chujiu sneered, "Oh! But Aunty was not at home when we left, so how come you met her," Wei Chujiu could not help taunting her since she dared to mention her name from her disgusting mouth. "I-I. I." Zhu Yanyu stuttered. She couldn''t find the right excuse. "Ah! You must have gone to look for us at the wrong house," Wei Chujiu was never one to let go of a perfect opportunity to do anything. "H-how is that possible. Of course I know my own cousin''s house," Zhu Yanyu immediately covered up. Zhu Yanyu clenched her fist tightly when she heard Wei Chujiu''s snide comment. It was obvious what Wei Chujiu was trying to do. "Never mind! Maybe we can come to school together another time. I better go seat down. Class would start soon." She walked away quietly after using all her efforts to hide her anger. ''How could she mistake her own cousin''s house if they were really that close? Or the fact that she was a liar'' that was the message Wei Chujiu wanted to get across to everyone. At the very least with that, everyone would start doubting Zhu Yanyu. "Is it possible that she really went to the wrong house?" "That doesn''t make sense! Haven''t they always come together?" "It always Zhu Yunqing''s driver that drops them though!" "Then was she really lying?" "Why did they not come together today? Is it because of Wei Chujiu?" "There is no reason for her to be lying, right?" "You saw that too right? She definitely ignored her cousin!" "Yeah! Zhu Yanyu must have done something wrong for sure!" "Could Zhu Yanyu have had an affair with Young Master Tang as well?" "They are cousins. She wouldn''t have done that! She knows quite well how much her cousin liked Young Master Tang." "Yeah! She even helped to introduce them!" "Her introducing them makes it all the more suspicious!" "That''s true!" "Whoa! I would never had tagged her to be that kind of person!" "You can''t really tell how thick somebody''s skin is underneath!" "I''ve never trusted her! She always acts like she is better than everyone else." "She acts like she is the real First Miss of the Zhu family most times. She is just from the branch family." True to what Wei Chujiu was thinking, it didn''t take too long before everyone started whispering and wondering about what was going on between them. Though some started seeing Wei Chujiu in a bad light because some felt it was Wei Chujiu who broke the cousin''s closeness. Wei Chujiu listened to the circulating gossip with keen interest. She did not care about how they saw her, she only needed others to start doubting Zhu Yanyu. If some people already doubted her character, it would be easier for them to reveal her ugly face. All Wei Chujiu planned to do anyway was stir up a little doubt in everyone''s mind and she was satisfied that her plan was successful. She really needed to thank Zhu Yanyu for stirring up trouble for herself with her own mouth. With the careless words that came out from her mouth, she did not realize that she was digging her own grave. When Zhu Yanyu went to her seat, she could no longer control her emotions anymore. So her face twisted in anger. After a few minutes, a lecturer came in and their first lecture started interrupting the flow of gossip for those that were hungry for it. Chapter 49 - The Painting 1 By mid-day, they had finished three lectures. Zhu Yunqing was quite lucky she wasn''t called upon during the course of any of the lectures so far. Else she would not have known what to say. According to their class schedule for today, there were a total of five classes to attend in the routine. Two general classes for language (both foreign language and English), one class for history and one class for painting. The last one for the day was for those who had chosen their major in theatre studies which was further divided into dance, music and film/ drama. So Zhu Yunqing and Wei Chujiu had a total of four classes together while Wei Chujiu had one last lecture to attend after that; making hers a total of five classes for the day. Soon enough it was time for their last class together so they both packed up their things and went to the painting room. The painting classroom was on the third floor. Zhu Yunqing and Wei Chujiu chatted happily as they walked to their next class, completely ignoring Zhu Yanyu who attempted to talk to Zhu Yunqing at intervals. Being ignored did not seat well with Zhu Yanyu. Due to her anger from being overlooked and the fact that there were other students around them, her face kept changing between a twisted frown and her usual fake white lotus smile. She was still trying to salvage her last bit of reputation, even though side glances and sniggers were being thrown at her from those who were close enough to observe what was going on. So, Zhu Yanyu had to walk on awkwardly. Within 30 minutes, they arrived at the painting classroom. The class was arranged according to the best. Wei Chujiu was seated amongst the first row while Zhu Yanyu was seated two rows behind Wei Chujiu. Zhu Yanyu was not very good at painting but she could be regarded as an average painter. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunqing who either drew a caricature or submitted a blank sheet was seated at the back. Mr Yang, a middle-aged well-built man with his pair of glasses hanging with the suspender on his neck, who was seated in front of the students noticed that all the students were seated. Mr Yang was their painting teacher. He stood up and informed the students about the painting carnival to be held soon which made the students to be excited. The painting carnival was more of an art exhibition. The event was held yearly. Every school choses its best three paintings based on the theme they are given and they are put on exhibition for auctioning. The yearly painting carnival was also a well-rounded means of the schools raising funds for various other projects. The school whose paintings gets the highest bid also gets a fat cheque with it. This year the theme for every school happened to be ''Ancient China''. Soon after the briefing by Mr Yang on the painting carnival and what to expect by the students. Each student commenced their sketching and painting except Zhu Yunqing. Upon noticing that Zhu Yunqing hadn''t picked up a pen or a brush to start working. Instead he saw her staring at her watercolour paper on the drawing board. Mr Yang walked to her and questioned her in a wry tone, "What is this useless girl up to now? Why are you not working, Miss Zhu? Are you planning on submitting another blank paper again? Are you waiting for me to come paint for you or do you need an invite?" Mr Yang has never liked Zhu Yunqing. Her submitting a blank watercolour paper and painting caricatures of him had simply made it worse. He completely dislike this unserious kind of people who were from rich families. Seeing his least favourite student once again made him want to tuant her a bit. Hearing Mr Yang speak caught the attention of most of the students. "Mr Yang is at it again!" a student murmured. "Why must he always troubled Zhu Yunqing?" a boy muttered. "Since when did you became her spokesperson?" another whispered. "Well, she is much more prettier now. Maybe i might have a chance if i help her out," the first boy who spoke mumbled. "Better focus on your work, else you won''t get your piece selected," his friend adviced. Though Zhu Yanyu did not like the direction the whispers were taking, she was happy that Zhu Yunqing was being embarrassed again. Hearing the harsh words from Mr Yang, Zhu Yunqing did not respond. Her unresponsive behaviour further aggravated Mr Yang''s anger causing him to criticize Zhu Yunqing. "This useless child, do you think everyone would bow down to you just because your family is rich. Do you still think you can use your connections for everything here? Let me tell you, your family cannot help you if you fail my class. I don''t mind seeing you back here next session but your repugnant behaviour will be too repulsion." Mr Yang was extremely angered by her attitude and dished out offensive words. Zhu Yunqing just acted as if there was nobody talking beside her. Seeing that Zhu Yunqing was not going to respond to him, Mr Yang grumbled off angrily and swear under his breath to deal with Zhu Yunqing as he stalked back to his seat. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunqing was not really staring at her blank paper as Mr Yang thought earlier.. Although her head never turned she was watching the other students in front of her as they painted. Chapter 50 - The Painting 2 After a while she picked up the different brushes close to her, one by one and felt the texture of the bristles. It was just as soft as she thought, maybe even softer. It reminded her of her past life. She had always enjoyed drawing and designing, but being the Empress of BeiMing state deprived her of enjoying her talents. To the point that the only things she ever designed were three hair ornaments, one for her mother, one for her sister and one for the Empress Dowager before she was wedded to the then Crown Prince Jingli. In the Imperial harem, having such talents were indeed praise worthy but at some point it just became a means of showing off by the other concubines. Their talents and skills simply became a means of fueling their competition against each other just to gain favour from the Emperor, and she being the Empress was not even given the room for showing off. Although painting was a bit more technical than just drawing designs, but she was sure she could pull it off. Plus, she vowed to herself to make Mr Yang beg for her work later on. ''This Empress will make you gravel for my work.'' she breamed with confidence. Since the theme was about ancient China , a thought came to mind and she decided to work on it. Zhu Yunqing began work on the idea that came to mind. Her hand movement was smooth and fluid as she moved the brush across the watercolour paper while painting. As an Empress, she was multi-talented, no other consort of the Emperor could match up her in skills and Wisdom. After a few minutes, something caught the eyes of a few students who had finished painting. They glanced around the class saw a very different turn of events from someone at the very back of the class. Something they would had never imagined they would witness. A very serious Zhu Yunqing with a brush in her hand. It was totally unexpected and they wondered what she was doing. This was the first time they had ever seen her holding a painting brush in this class. Her manner in which she held her brush, swinging across the watercolour paper with an air of elegance and her seriousness suddenly became a spectacle for the class. They became murmuring, wondering what she was actually doing. Her hand movement made her seem like that of a professional. All these while she was drawing caricatures, she only used a pencil and shaded most parts. She never once lifted the brush in an attempt to even paint the caricatures. Some who knew how to paint very well were surprised at how smoothly her hand movements were as she moved the brush across the watercolour paper. Some sniggered as they felt she was finally painting the caricature this time around. Others just felt she would end up producing nothing but rubbish once again. Her hand movement with the brush was so fluid that she could be mistaken for someone who was writing writing a poem using calligraphy. Every brush stoke she made was gently yet with a flow that appeared to have a sense of where it was going. After about 30 minutes, Zhu Yunqing was done with most part of her painting. So she took a smaller brush from the set of brushes and continued. She kept on changing her brushes as was required at intervals to add a few more finishing touches to the detailing of her artwork. Meanwhile, a certain someone was quite pleased that Zhu Yunqing wanted to embarrass herself again and she did not need to lift a finger to do anything. Not able to take the whole suspense anymore, Mr Yang stook up from his seat, his lips curved in a sardonic smile. Obviously criticizing Zhu Yunqing''s work before he saw it. He felt that she was busy doing nonsense once again but still wanted to confirm it with his eyes. When he finally reach where Zhu Yunqing was seated, he turned to gaze at her artwork. His jaws dropped the minute his eyes got a glance at her art piece. His eyes almost popped out of the sockets. ''Was this the same girl that always either drew caricatures or submitted an empty paper?'' he was puzzled. He could not believe his eyes for even a moment. If he was told that she had painted such a work, he would have slapped the previous papers Zhu Yunqing had submitted all this time across the face of the person who told him that.. But now that he was the one who was seeing it first hand, he still could not believe it; it was like a huge slap on his own face. Chapter 51 - The Painting 3 He had mixed feelings swirling within him. Though he felt happy to have a student of his paint such a magnificent art piece but he still could not believe that his worse student was the one who had produced it. He was deeply torn between being excited that he had a reputable artwork to be presented for the auction at the carnival and finding a fault with Zhu Yunqing. Even to the extent that he felt she had cheated somehow. She could have gotten the picture from someone or somewhere, but she had only come in with her small bag. He glance around the seat and the closest window or door seemed so far away that even if Zhu Yunqing would not have been able to get someone help from outside. Even if she tried to, it would have been very difficult. Plus, the fact that she has been under his watchful gaze as soon as he noticed her odd behaviour in class. None of the students was aware of this year''s carnival theme beforehand. Even if she had found out somehow and gotten someone to paint it outside the class, the watercolour paper had no wrinkles on it and Zhu Yunqing''s bag was far too small to fit in that size of painting without it getting crinkled in the bag. The saying of never judging a book by its cover seem to be applicable here. It was as if Zhu Yunqing had been hiding her true skills all along. Some students noticed Mr Yang walking to Zhu Yunqing earlier smirked and thought that Mr Yang was going to lash out at Zhu Yunqing once again. Perhaps everyone expected Zhu Yunqing to had painted rubbish. Unfortunately, they did not witness any of that. Instead they saw the interchanging expressions on Mr Yang''s face like he couldn''t utter a word for a while as he gazed at Zhu Yunqing''s work. "Look Zhu Yunqing''s artwork gave Mr Yang so much shock to make him speechless!" one student said. "Her shamelessness baffles me! Could she not have dropped out of the class long ago?"another student spoke. "Yeah! That would have been better than being embarrassed in every class," a girl sitting close to Zhu Yanyu murmured. "Is she not ashamed? She is definitely going to repeat this class!" one boy commented. "Maybe she is too proud to quit, after i don''t think she would like to be the first quitter in her family." "Silence!" Mr Yang barked. The whispers and gossips were becoming too noisy and had gotten to his ears. Soon the class became extremely silent. If a pin had dropped on the floor it would have been heard. Mr Yang was still a bit fascinated but most of all he wanted to confirm Zhu Yunqing''s talent with his own eyes. So, he took an empty chair nearby and sat sat behind Zhu Yunqing. If she really was npt the one who painted the piece, under his watchful eyes, he would be able to discern it. Zhu Yunqing was completely unfazed by everything that was going on. She couldn''t even care less about being under the discerning look of Mr Yang. She just continued with her painting. After a few more minutes, she was done with her painting. Mr Yang noticed it and immediately stood up. He really was not expecting Zhu Yunqing''s painting to be that good. He had to admit he was very impressed with her work. It was even on par with the best artists in the world. He fixed his glasses on the rim of his nose properly as he quietly inspected every inch of the painting. Not a single brush stroke was out of place. Even the best student in his class would not be able to paint this remarkable art piece. Mr Yang was so excited that he could not stop a wide grin from spreading across his lips. He felt like he was on cloud nine. Never has the school been able to take first or second position in the art carnival competition. The closest they had been was third position and that was only when one of the top three paintings was disqualified due to cheating. Now, he felt with this painting there was finally a glimmer of hope that they would come out on top. He could not hide his excitement and as soon as he noticed that the painting was dry, he picked up Zhu Yunqing''s board with her art piece and left the class. He headed straight to the head of the art departments office, Mr Liu''s office. The whole class found his behaviour to be strange. Some thought he was finally going to report Zhu Yunqing to the school principal on her rude caricature paintings of him. Some felt her suspension or expulsion letter was much closer to being official now. "Zhu Yunqing is definitely done for now!" "She should start groveling at his feet now so he would spare her." Zhu Yunqing, on the other hand just calmly crossed one of her long slim legs over the other and relaxed in her seat. She had an air of confidence around her as her lips slightly curved upwards. She was not going to give anyone the chances to ride over her like in her first life. This was the perfect opportunity to show her talent and use them to achieve what she wanted. Revenge and a peaceful life. Chapter 52 - The Painting 4 Wei Chujiu immediately came to Zhu Yunqing after Mr Yang left the class abruptly, to ask about what happened. "Don''t worry. He probably found it too amazing and decided to show it off!" Zhu Yunqing said without a hint of worry in her tone. Those that were close enough to hear what she said, burst into laughter. When the others in front asked, they told them what she said. Soon the whole class was aware of what Zhu Yunqing had said and was erupted in laughter. "Does she not know her own talent!" "Tsk! You call that talent!" "Yeah, don''t you think being useless takes some skills," a student joked. "I wonder where she gets her confidence from?" a girl asked. "Probably the same place she got her useless talents from," someone answered while sneakily sneering at Zhu Yunqing. "I pity her though!" "Why?! She brought it upon herself. She should have just quit when she knew she didn''t have the talent." "Her arrogance is going to cause her such a huge embarrassment." After hearing the snide comments on Zhu Yunqing, Wei Chujiu worry and fears about her friend grew more. Even though Zhu Yunqing''s aura seemed so confident that it would make one feel that everything would be okay. Wei Chujiu''s worry was understandable. She didn''t want her best friend to be embarrassed and did not want Zhu Yanyu to use this opportunity to gloat about how better she was. Wei Chujiu seemed like a mother eagle as she was watching her baby eaglet take the first flight. Her face was enshrouded in worry about what was going to happen. True to her fear, Zhu Yunqing''s name was suddenly announced on the public telecom of the school. She was told to come to the Head of the department''s office. "Haha are they finally giving her an expulsion letter. After all it is not only this class that she has flunked." "She is in serious trouble now!" Zhu Yunqing simply stood up gracefully, patted Wei Chujiu on her shoulders as if reassuring her and started walking out of the class. ''Humph! I don''t need flies like you to acknowledge how good i am!'' she arrogantly harrumphed. She was not going to exchanges words with these blind bats in her class. If they were a bunch of classless zombies who were only moved by rumours, it would be better to give them a tight face slap. And she wasn''t going to expend her energy on such trashes in her class. Before Zhu Yunqing could take the final steps out of the class, a certain someone could not help herself. So she decided to fuel the situation a bit more. She wanted the festered wound to keep bleeding. "Qingqing ~ don''t go!" Zhu Yanyu cried out affectionately. "You don''t need to go. Mr Yang only wants to further humiliate you, otherwise he would have never called for you with that low skill of yours. But don''t worry, I''ll talk to my father, maybe he can help with something." Zhu Yanyu continued in a soft tone. Her tone sounded as if she really cared for her cousin. Zhu Yunqing angrily clenched her fists and thought, ''What a very kind Cousin you are!'' before leaving without a care. Zhu Yanyu''s words might seem like it was of no harm, but she obviously stabbed at where it would hurt Zhu Yunqing. Simply stating that she would ask her father for help, she was hinting to Zhu Yunqing the state her family was in now. That her father would not be able to help her and if she was wise enough to beg her so she could ask her father for help else she would suffer. Zhu Yanyu also made sure to tell her her level. No one could understand the hidden meaning in her words better than Zhu Yunqing. "Jiu''er, talk to her. Stop her from going! Mr Yang is only causing trouble for he. If she goes now she would most likely get into trouble," Zhu Yanyu immediately went and grabbed Wei Chujiu on her arm, pleading with her to stop Zhu Yunqing. "Since when did we become so closer. And don''t call me like we are friends, it''s disgusting," Wei Chujiu snapped, throwing Zhu Yanyu''s hand off her arm. She knew Zhu Yanyu was up to no good. Besides stopping Zhu Yunqing from going now was only going to cause more problems for her. Since Zhu Yunqing was so confident, then she was going to put her trust in her. She has been fighting back lately so it only means there was a big show coming soon. She just hoped nothing bad would happen. After a few minutes, Zhu Yunqing arrived at Mr Liu''s office. After knocking, she was told to come in. When she walked in, the expression on the faces of everyone present in the room was serious. Mr Yang, Mr Liu and two other lecturers from the art department, Mrs Park and Mr Long Hui, were all seated.. They seemed to be in the middle of a deliberation. Chapter 53 - Best Piece! The Head of Department and other lecturers present could not help but voice out multiple lines of praises. "Impressive!" "This is a great piece!!" "This is definitely the best piece I''ve seen in a long while!" "It is unbelievable that it was a student in their first year who painted this!" Zhu Yunqing entered the office and greeted everyone inside with a charming smile on her face. She was met with surprise and disbelieving looks on the faces of all present there. Yet, they also could not seem to hide their subtle gazes of awe directed at her. Mrs Park, who did not know her by name was even more shocked as she recognized Zhu Yunqing. She had met her once in the staff room when she overheard one of the other lecturer was reprimanding her about her failing grades. She knew about how poorly she was as a student. Almost every lecturer in their department knew how much trouble Zhu Yunqing was for Mr Yang. Not a day of class went by that Mr Yang did not return from class grumbling about a certain student. They never expected that same student had just produced what seemed to be a master piece. Who would have thought? The person who always came in the last position in class, never attended most lectures and was always a trouble magnet could paint so well? And that such a magnificent art piece would one day come from the worst student in the art class. How could they have had such great talent hiding right under their noses? And they knew nothing of them. If she had such talent, what could be the reason for hiding it all these while and why reveal it now? Those were the crippling thoughts running through all their minds. Those were the questions that everyone present in the room before Zhu Yunqing came in, could only ask themselves. After all, being an artist was not even something a person could learn in one day. Art, itself was an embodiment of stories. Stories of how one feels, speaks, moves or even thinks. Stories an artist wants to express in all the different languages of emotions. Artist have to express the innermost and deepest feelings through their arts. Being able to understand and portray that feeling was the biggest obstacle an artist had to overcome in order for the painting to have value. Artists learn to carry beauty and put down pain in the most beautiful and eccentric forms. Artist speak in the language of woven metaphors and visual puns. Expressing them in lingering dreams and hopes of life becoming dreamy and as such creating the greatest meaning and healing powers of their art. Seeing Zhu Yunqing''s clean appearance also added more to their disbelief. If she really painted that art work shouldn''t she be dishevelled or have her body or hands smeared with colours. They could not dismiss her creativity though. One could really feel the deep emotions she had imbibed in the painting. She was even able to focus on portraying trivial details of the painting. When their minds was still clouded by doubt, Mr Yang had to even vouch that he had seen her through and through as she completed the painting. Mr Yang might be a lot of things but a liar was not one of them. Besides, what would he gain from sprouting such an outrageous lie? They still spoke words of praise as they told Zhu Yunqing how exceptional her painting was. Suddenly, Mr Liu asked her, "What made you paint this?" Zhu Yunqing simply smiled and replied calmly, "The ironic farce of power. A tool that could consume even our souls but also help us survive. Something we all sort for but never realize that it is nothing but an entrapment to those that have it." Listening to her reply, most could not believe that someone this young could come up with such a concept for the painting. After a few minutes digesting what Zhu Yunqing said, Mr Long Hui, who was in charge of the Painting Carnival suddenly spoke, "I believe we have one of the works for this year''s exhibition at the carnival." "We will definitely bag a good position with such a marvellous piece," Mrs Park added. "Then we won''t be needing three more entries for the carnival exhibition," The Head of Art Department, Mr Liu seemed to agree with their suggestions. Zhu Yunqing respectfully returned to class with Mr Yang coming back a few minutes after her. The students noticed that Zhu Yunqing only came back with her drawing board while the painting was nowhere in sight. So, they started murmuring again about how she would soon be expelled from the school. By now the class was over and Mr Yang asked them to all turn in their paintings after making the announcement that there they only needed two paintings for the art carnival. The announcement got the student a bit rowdy. Some actually suspected that Zhu Yunqing''s painting was selected seeing how strangely Mr Yang had acted up until now. Yet, looking back at Zhu Yunqing''s past "achievements" were clear indications that it was impossible for hers to be selected. Her previous acts and arts definitely made them doubt themselves and why they even initially thought about it in the first place. Some thought maybe the carnival organization had been too disappointed with the art pieces from their school that they only gave two slots to Zhi Shi College. So, every other student turned in their own painting hoping for their work to be selected as the final two and moved on from what happened.. They all went ahead to their next engagements.