“Take it easy, watch the step.” YuZhi slid his arms around TangShi and guided her down the steps from the back patio into the decorated garden. Carefully holding her weight and concentrating on getting her down safely.
“I’m pregnant, not disabled.” TangShi smiled at him wistfully, more in love with him every single day as he seemed to become more and more attentive to her needs and never failed to anticipate them. Taking his arm and obediently walking slowly down the steps into the sunshine, enjoying the gentle breeze on her skin of a pleasant day.
“Come on you two, I was starting to worry. You were an age!” Linlin appeared, smiling brightly but with a tern stone of an unimpressed mother hen. She was looking ethereal in white today, a flowy sheer gown over a mini dress that was much like TangShi’s, although tang’s wasn’t a short underlayer but a long flowy skirt. “With you being this close you can&
TangShi Lei stared hopelessly at the paper in her trembling hands, a tear escaping with silent despair. Sliding across her delicate pale cheek as she stifled the sob which caught in her throat, burning painfully. Her heart and soul shredding as though a million sharp blades were piercing every inch of her body and she knew that her new life was about to end before it had even begun. She'd finally managed to escape the cold and miserable existence back home in Shanghai. From her cruel father, and hateful stepmother and sister, and now here she was, being summoned home like an object who had no will of her own. To fulfil the role her father placed on her as the family prize, to be sold to the highest bidder. A marriage alliance for the benefit of Lei Enterprise, her family’s conglomerate. Her body gave out as her knees weakened, shivering, and slumping down onto the sofa behind her which saved her from a full fall as her tears began to drip in quick s
TangShi tried not to fiddle with the thin belt of her simple white dress and stood upright and poised for fear of her father's anger this morning. They had been waiting around seven minutes in the bright, sunny hallway, for the arrival of the Leng grandfather, master of the family Leng, and his entourage. She had already experienced so many harsh words. Just by being present it seemed she irritated his mood. Her stepmother glared her way, not bothering to conceal her dislike when in the presence of her husband and her sister sneered at her for her chosen outfit. "You couldn't have dressed up and made an effort? Are you trying to make us look poor?" her nasty tone fell over TangShi, igniting no response, because she refused to engage. Biting on her lower lip and turning her chin down as she looked over her clean and pressed dress. She had learned over the years to never talk back, never defend herself. It would pass quickly if she submitted to silence and let them say w
TangShi looked at the reflection before her and stopped to wipe the single tear which made its way down her face. Tonight, had been a blur of so much going on that she had not even a moment to catch her breath, to process what was happening, and now her heart was finally allowing itself to catch up. Sad for her situation, and bitter that there was no way out. Her dreams of returning to California were now dead for another two years. She stood alone in the spacious suite of YuZhi Leng, her legal husband, and yet she had never felt so alone in her life, or so unworthy. She had been swept away, dressed, tugged, pulled, and pushed by a stylist in an expensive boutique before being thrust into a car to her doom. Prettied up like a fancy cake about to be served at a feast. She had been led to a room where her father and lawyers sat, signed the papers that sold her soul to the devil and made to digest all the details once more about what was expected of he
YuZhi surprised TangShi by pulling her close in a threatening manner, her body rammed up against hard masculine muscle that she found hard to ignore, and then ungracefully pushing her away with a harsh shove. Her breathing labored from the sudden assault, it sent her rolling away by a foot, with a squeal, and she had to grasp the sheets to save herself from toppling right off the bed. He was juvenile and merely wanted to scare her while exerting his dominance on what he viewed as a pitiful creature."I don't think so. I'm not in the mood. You definitely don’t do it for me either." It was a sulky retort, fury seeping out from all over him in his stiff and gruff manner and TangShi blanched in shock. She wasn't exactly rooting to have relations with him after today, but she was still surprised he was refusing her. Especially in such a young petulant boy and tantrummy kind of manner. She was sure she had felt his arousal so this made no sense to her. After all
TangShi stretched out and yawned, balling a fist in her sleepy eyes, forgetting her predicament for a second, and sighed with just how exhausted she was. It was a fitful night of unrest, given her not being used to sharing a bed with a warm body, and the lingering anger which had made her toss and turn most of the night away. YuZhi seemed to sleep soundly, oblivious to her presence and not phased at all that she was in his bed and hating on him so venomously. It only served to anger her on a whole other level and the result was fatigue, and dark circles under her normally bright eyes. She felt muggy and heavy, and her mood was already low. He was clearly no stranger to sharing his bed with a warm blooded female. There was a rapid chap on her door that gave her the distinct impression someone was in a hurry and turned to see if
TangShi was sitting in the black stretched-out Rolls Royce with it's tinted out windows, beside Xiaosu's small and cheerful frame and staring ahead at the cold tailored women facing her. She had tried to be polite. Warm even. When sincerely greeting this assistant on entering but had been met with an icy stone-faced response of dislike. Xiaosu had greeted her with an almost fearful expression. As if this was a woman she already did not like, making it clear this wouldn't be a pleasant ride. The atmosphere was tense, conversation nonexistent as they awaited Rhea outside her home, so it was clear the women in this car had been forced together. Lang Je was Aunt RuiZi's personal assistant; a sour faced mature woman in her thirties, who wore perfectly fitted and severe business attire at all hours of the day. She was used to running errands all day long for the surprisingly productive Aunt, who ran a successful and famous fashion magazine that employed Rhea as
"So, you really liked her?" Linlin expressed her confusion on the phone, while talking to her lifelong best friend now she had a moment's peace. A little astounded at this strange turn of events. It seems her good-hearted, honorary sister, from another mother, had been befriended by her new husband's ex-girlfriend. Linlin thought this was beyond weird, ridiculous even, and didn't have as much compassion or understanding as TangShi in this situation. She had always been more of a protector of this girl, and this baffled her, that TangShi was so willing to get on with Rhea. In Linlin's mind, Rhea was the enemy. "Yes, I guess. She spent the day guiding me, helping me. We picked out enough clothes to last a year; she has such classy taste, and she was so patient and gentle and kept that horrid Ling Je away from me. I truly think she's not as bad as I was expecting." TangShi smiled, genuine affection gracing her pretty face, because she was speaking from the heart. Re
YuZhi sat behind his huge, real walnut wood desk, alone in his spacious, modern, top floor office, which overlooked the curve of the Huangpu River, and was a spectacular sight when the sun set every evening. The oriental Pearl tower in his line of vison and acted as a sundial for times of the day as shadows moved around it against the skyscrapers beside it. He chose this particular side of their foreboding spike tower in the sky to savor this every day and remind him of how small humans were in comparison to the city around him with its ever-changing energy. He often worked late and felt it was the most comforting sight, when red sky kissed Lujiazui in such a fiery way and made all the buildings around somehow glow with an ethereal kind of magical light. He loved his city, loved the contrast of old and new, and the history contained within the fiber of this bustling place. It made him feel his most content when stood up here overseeing it all.