Chapter Text
To some people, luck comes just so easy, but for Xie Lian, to say that luck is something magical is no understatement.
When she was young, luck came as easy as breathing; so easy that she took it for granted, never really knowing how to cherish anything. She was born into an extremely wealthy family with doting parents, who always agreed to all of her whims. As an only daughter of a prestigious household, with a long and profound history behind her back, she was respected and treated the same way as one to a royal princess. Xie Lian was said to have everything in her little palm; her rich and loving family, her incomparable angelic beauty, her unbeatable smart brain. Everyone adored her and named her the little princess of prosperity and happiness; the beloved child of heaven.
Everything came to her effortlessly. All was taken away just the same way. In a span of a single week, all was out of her grasp. It was her seventeen birthday gift, from heaven or hell no one in her bloodlines lived to tell the tale. Only her, the sole heir and survival, is the one bearing all the consequences of the great house’s downfall.
The heavenly golden phoenix, one that belonged to the vast azure sky, got its wings clipped and came rolling in the mud. Its golden feathers were plucked one by one shedding the most alluring being into an unrecognisable random being. It couldn’t even burn itself to ashes. All that was left was the endless suffering roaming alone in a familiar, yet, unfamiliar world; the kind, yet, cruel world. That’s the thing about fairytales. All ends in the dark.
💮
*sigh* [I know that my luck is extremely awful, but I never expect it to be so extreme today.]
Staring at the stack of advertising papers in her hands, which hasn't decreased since she took hold of them, Xie Lian wants to cry. She has been introduced to this part-time job by her popular friend since she knows Xie Lian needs money. Xie Lian eagerly came to the new hot-pot restaurant located in the crowded square, asking for this part-time, easy money job. No matter how little she makes out of it, it’s much better than nothing. Not to mention, she needs to wear the maggot costume that completely covers her whole body while handing out posters so Xie Lian has nothing to reject this job. It's not that she's embarrassed doing this kind of job but Xie Lian is sure that her face would surely bring her more trouble than luck. Only if her luck is better, that is.
People would find it funny if they find out how she and luck have never been on the same side. No one depends on that in this modern time. No one, but Xie Lian.
Ever since her family collapsed, Xie Lian’s good luck also crumbled with the wind. What follows her is all the bad vibes, and it follows her like a curse. By now, Xie Lian has learned to live with it, to make do, to roll in the mud.
Yet again, Xie Lian does find herself in such a desperate situation. She takes this job because she’s in need of money for her monthly rent, or else she’ll have to live on the street. Staring at the stack of papers once more, while taking a short rest after standing for half an hour with no luck, Xie Lian feels her eyes stink. She wants to cry, to complain but it’s no use so Xie Lian tilts her head up blocking her tears while taking a sip of her coffee which has gone cold long ago.
She finishes her last sip and gets back to work when someone stops right in front of her with their hand out. She tilts her head slightly before handing a poster to the stranger. She jumps a little when she feels her wrist being caught. Wearing the maggot’s big head, Xie Lian is having difficulty tilting her head up. All she can see is the person’s chest which means this person is much, much taller than her who’s five feet six.
[Flat chest, a man…but why is he holding my wrist like this?]
Xie Lian was trained to protect herself when she was young. Plus the years of suffering the wind and rain, her instinct also grows but she doesn’t sense any ill-giving from the man in front of her. That doesn’t mean she allows herself to be touched randomly. As she’s about to tug her wrist back while her leg’s preparing to launch itself upwards, the person retreats back his hand along with the posters.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Xie Lian gathers herself after the shock and tries snatching back her work, he dodges her hand and walks away.
“Hey. That’s mine.”
Xie Lian, exasperated, takes off the maggot’s head running towards the posters thief. He seems unfazed as he hands out the posters in which people immediately take them. Some start asking for info and Xie Lian stands looking like a foolish rabbit maggot as she's staring at that broad back of a stranger who stole her job before she gets pulled forward.
“Jiejie, this couple wants the info about the place. That’s Jiejie’s job, isn’t it?”
[You nosy brat. Stole my job and now you’re dragging me around?!]
Xie Lian, however, restrains her expression and instantly launches her advertising skill towards the couple before waving them inside the restaurant. She glares at the person beside her, confronting him only to halt her words. Xie Lian feels her heart skip a beat coming face to face with her poster thief.
Her seventeen years of luxurious life, Xie Lian has pretty much seen and talked to people who shamelessly called themselve high-caliber beauty and flaunted it like a peacock. She never really understands what high-caliber actually means. But, staring at that sharp defined jaw, that small curved up thin lips, that straight nose with slight pointed tip, that peach blossom eye with playfulness swimming in it; his right one was covered with his long messy bang but that only adds points up; eyebrows that does nothing to hide the extreme wild and untamed air, and that widow peaked; Xie Lian can say she finally knows what a true high-caliber beauty really means. This man is wickedly beautiful.
The man doesn’t miss Xie Lian’s stare as he perks his lips up making Xie Lian’s eyes wide. She averts her gaze, staring to the side awkwardly failing to realize her exposed red earlobe. She tries snatching the posters but this time the man holds his hand up high. Xie Lian jumps up only to be pulled down by that heavy butt of the rabbit costume. She doesn’t give up as she jumps a few more times then she hears laughter from all around. That’s when she realizes she must’ve looked like a joke to others. Her face reddens in embarrassment but unexpectedly, the guy takes the rabbit head and covers her up.
People, then, start coming towards them asking for posters. It doesn’t take long when the posters are all gone and Xie Lian does nothing but stands beside the guy. She then takes off the rabbit head and goes straight toward the restaurant staff who comes to check her out. She tells him what happened and starts taking off the costume before handing it back to the staff. When she is handed the money she was supposed to get for completing her job, Xie Lian shakes her head pointing toward the man in black clothes who’s making his way to them as well.
“He’s the one who hands them all out. The money’s his to take so I won’t take it.”
The man halts, obviously he hears the anger hidden in Xie Lian’s tone.
“Jiejie, I don’t need the money. I just want to help you out.”
Xie Lian whips her head, staring at him quietly before she takes the money from the staff and pushes it into his hand forcefully. Her face is blank without any emotion when she looks him in the eyes.
“I don’t know you. I never ask for your help. It was not me who handed all those posters. Like it or not, the money’s yours. If you don’t need it, throw it away because I don’t need your little pity.”
Xie Lian turns to the staff once again.
“Are there any more posters to give away? I didn’t do it back then, can I do it now?”
The staff looks a bit perplexed, clearly stressed seeing the strange argument but goes inside and comes back with more posters. She receives them and starts her job right away neglecting that stupid rabbit costume.
As she walks around handing out posters, that stupid rabbit suddenly comes to life and starts running towards her.
[It’s……huge.]
She knows without asking who is inside. She ignores him as she continues on her job.
“Jiejie. Jiejie. Jiejie.”
He keeps calling her while sticking to her side. Xie Lian wants to scream in his face but she can’t when many people are surrounding them now. There are several children who happily yelp when the rabbit holds them high up. He even takes photos with them. From time to time, the rabbit sticks his face toward Xie Lian, trying to act cute. Then the kids start asking for a photo with the rabbit and pretty Jiejie. Xie Lian, who’s fond of children, cannot refuse so they end up taking photos together.
There are many people entering the restaurant by now. Yet, the posters don’t decrease due to the staff always coming running with more in his hands. And so, for two hours straight, Xie Lian and the stupid rabbit are stuck walking around handing all the posters.
Feeling her legs and hands sore, Xie Lian is extremely grateful that they give her extra for her hard work. Not only that, they even have hot-pot prepared for her and the guy whom Xie Lian isn’t interested enough to ask for his name. Xie Lian, at first, refuses their offer because she feels that they have already given enough but the staff insists on this despite all else. She obviously has no idea that the selling points reach its maximum thanks to her and the guy’s outstanding beauty. Xie Lian ends up sitting in front of a medium sized hot-pot with the nosy guy, who’s taken upon himself preparing the food. He diligently puts things in while starts talking with Xie Lian who’s staring blankly outside the glass window.
“Jiejie, are you still angry?”
Xie Lian glances at him, but she doesn’t reply.
“You’re still angry, I see. *sigh* I’m sorry, alright? I really just wanted to help Jiejie out. Really. Never thought I’d upset you like this.”
Xie Lian looks at the plate pushed to her, filled with meat.
“Eat while they’re still hot, Jiejie. I’ll cook more for you.”
Xie Lian doesn’t look at him, doesn’t reply but she picks up the chopsticks and starts eating. After years of suffering in rain and storm, Xie Lian learns to never refuse food. Besides, she hasn’t had a proper meal since yesterday’s evening.
“Actually, I was sitting in the cafe across the street. I was dumped by my date, you see…so when I saw you sitting down so discouragingly… I just want to help you out…”
Xie Lian looks up hearing he was dumped by his date. The expression on his face is quite unbelievable. He doesn’t look all that sad being dumped. The guy seems to get the hint as he smiles and continues.
“It’s the first time I go on a date and I get dumped, I don’t know how to react, alright? I’m not that sad because I never want this date. Anyway, it was arranged purely for business purposes.”
Xie Lian pauses, thinking whether this guy is foolish or he just doesn’t care when he mentions the business part.
“Oh, my name’s Hua Cheng. Jiejie can just call me San Lang. What’s Jiejie’s name?”
Xie Lian continues eating despite being asked her name. She has no obligation to answer his questions. She puts down her chopsticks before she looks up.
“I believe we aren't close enough for you to know my name.”
He smiles, before he pushes more food her way, “But it won’t do any harm to tell me your name, right? Besides, we can become closer in the future, can’t we?”
Xie Lian is silent for a beat.
“My name’s Xie Lian…" *click* She puts down her chopsticks and looks at him with her nonchalant expression. "And I don’t indulge myself in shallow friendships with a busybody.”
He laughs despite the obvious insult before flashing a lopsided mischievous smile. “Then, we could be more than friends. I don’t mind.”
Xie Lian picks up the water bottle, ignores the sake 🍶 before she gets up. She looks at Hua Cheng with a small, formal smile. “Then let’s just be strangers we are supposed to be. Thank you for the food.”
Completely turning away from the man, whose eyes are wide in shock for being rejected so bluntly, Xie Lian goes to the staff and restaurant manager thanking them for the hospitality which they shrug off, thanking her for her help instead. She moves to exit the place when someone suddenly bumps to her forcefully as she steps outside. Xie Lian tumbles back a few steps but she manages to stand her ground without falling down. A familiar voice, one she never expects and one she doesn’t want to be involved with, one which sounds like a shriek rings before her.
“Well, well, look what we got here. Isn’t this the high and mighty princess?! Pfft, Ah, I almost got it wrong. the high and mighty fallen princess. Right…Xie Lian?”
Xie Lian, still looking nonchalant, lifts her face up revealing the beautiful jade-like face. She doesn’t say anything but faces the person in front of her. Her silence must have hit his nerve as his face turns slightly green with her unresponsive state.
“What?! Have you gone deaf? Don’t you hear what I said? Or perhaps, you still think you’re the princess you were before. Tsk, how fun–”
A minute passes before she responds and her answer makes the bystanders muffling their laughter.
“Ah~ I was thinking who you might be, but it turns out to be you, Qi Rong. Long time no see.”
“What? Finally know who I am now, cousin sister?”
“You can’t blame me for that, you know. You’ve changed so much I have a hard time recognizing you. Well…” Xie Lian covers her mouth with her hand, the curve of her lips peek out still, “The only thing that remains is your drastically short height. Seems like you don’t get to grow at all for the last eight years we’re apart.”
Pfft~
Some onlookers can’t hold back and burst out laughing. Some politely cover their mouths coughing awkwardly, walking away from the pair.
Qi Rong’s face turns red while he glares at those around them before facing Xie Lian again.
“You think you’re that great?! You think you’re still that spoiled princess of luck? You unlucky b*tch!! you’re just a whore who sells her body all around~”
PAH
A crisp sound halts all movements. Qi Rong, whose face gets slapped, hits the ground with a thud. He whips his face up, shrieking at the one before him when he meets with the sharp eye looking at him murderously.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DO~”
“AH?!” A man in all black comes to stand behind Xie Lian, his eye looking down at Qi Rong as if he stares at some kind of disgusting creature, his voice cold and malicious, “Who do you think you are, dare talk back at me, trash?!”
It’s clear that Qi Rong’s scared stiff when he feels a clear killing intent directed at him. His face is slightly pale at the sight of the man who slapped him a moment ago. His eyes travel between Xie Lian and the man before he seems to come to some sort of conclusion. He then spits out the blood and laughs maniacally.
“So it’s like this, huh?! You get yourself a useless thigh to hold onto, huh?! My, my. To think the angel-like cousin of mine would go this far for money…AHAHAHA… you fell for his meager look, didn’t you? AHAHHAHA, YOU’RE REALLY A WHORE, XIE LIAN.”
Hua Cheng’s face turns grim. He’s reaching toward Qi Rong, who’s sprawling on the ground laughing crazily, but Xie Lian’s small delicate hand stops him. She shakes her head whispering softly that only he can hear. “Let me.”
Xie Lian turns to Qi Rong.
“Qi Rong.” and there’s the smile on her face and Qi Rong always hates the gentleness in that smile.
“What?!”
“I always know that you have a screw loose up there so I can’t really blame you.” with a look of pity on her face, Xie Lian seems very satisfied with the result. Qi Rong’s never fond of people looking at him with sympathy. His inferiority complex toward her has never changed, it seems. Xie Lian contemplates on how beneficial this is in this useless confrontation.
“Huh?! So you’re using me as your shield for your shameless acts now?!”
Xie Lian lets out a soft chuckle, looking down at him.
“DON’T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME LIKE I’M A PIECE OF SH*T!!!!!” A shriek so sharp it draws attention all around.
*shakes her head* “Qi Rong… even if I’ve rolled in the mud after the fall down doesn’t make my taste any lower than before.”
“What?”
*giggle* “You’re right. I was the spoiled princess who only received the best. Unlike you, who could sleep around with anybody just to get by, this spoiled princess can’t. *sigh* My taste has always been the best. Wasn’t that why you always followed me around calling /cousin sister this, cousin sister that/?”
Qi Rong’s face is changing colors: white, blue, green and now extremely dark. He grits his teeth making them screeching. Xie Lian doesn’t seem to have any intention of backing down. She suddenly reaches for Hua Cheng’s forearm, clinging onto it.
“Just because you yourself behave like that doesn’t make others behave the same way. Before the fall, despite the fact that you’re a man and the only male descendant of the clan, the position of the head of the family was mine.”
Xie Lian speaks softly and stares him straight in his eyes exerting invisible pressure making Qi Rong sit stiff and he cannot avoid eye contact.
“I was the heir. Not you. I was educated by the best. Be it my mindset, or my taste in men. Just so you know, just because you’re doing that to yourself doesn’t mean I choose to drop my integrity the same way as you. We are not of the same league, cousin.”
Xie Lian squeezes Hua Cheng’s arm while a coy smile is tugging her lips. “Just look at us, you’ll see how vast the difference between you and I is. See?! Isn’t he just perfect?! Oh I forgot. You can’t really tell the difference between real wealth and fake wealth…*sigh* That was why the clan leader and elders never took you to heart.”
Qi Rong shrieks like a mad cat dashing toward her. When he’s a few feet away, before Hua Cheng can shield her, Xie Lian swiftly kicks Qi Rong’s shin before she whips her hand, catching him by the bicep. A loud thud echoes as Qi Rong gets thrown onto the ground making the onlookers wince in pain for him. Xie Lian looks down at him, her eyes cold.
“Not only is your taste low, so is your IQ. I hope you haven’t forgotten I was a black belt since ten. Well, even if you forgot, let this serve as a reminder. Farewell, Qi Rong. I would love it if you never shove your face my way ever again since you're such a disgrace. You’ve always been.”
Qi Rong is in a lot of pain from the kick and throw. He’s never been in that great of a shape. He shudders seeing that cold glint in her eyes and could only watch on as Xie Lian's walking away. Her hand’s still tangling with her supposed man.
💮
When they turn a corner, out of Qi Rong’s sight, Xie Lian loosens her grip from Hua Cheng’s arm and bows toward him. Hua Cheng’s shocked before he instinctively holds her back from bowing.
“Jiejie, please don’t.”
Xie Lian looks down, hiding her ashamed expression.
“I’m very sorry for my rude behavior. You have been pulled into this mess because of me. I apologize.”
“Jiejie, please don’t. Even without you initiating, I would still undoubtedly step up for you.”
Xie Lian still can’t look up, biting at her lower lip, a bad habit she picks up after all the hardships she’s gone through. Hua Cheng notices that.
“Jiejie, won’t you look at me?”
He lifts her chin up gently making eye contacts with her honey-brown eyes which shines like gold as the light reflects in them. Hua Cheng lets a soft smile bloom on his lips as his thumb lightly brushes over her lower lip, smoothing it while whispering, “It’s okay, Jiejie. It’s okay.”
Looking at the obsidian orb, gentleness flowing in it, Xie Lian feels herself relax under the soft coaxing of the man, a stranger, an unlikely individual who chooses to show her kindness.
The world has never been kind to her after she lost everything so she learns to never expect any form of kindness. That’s why, to Xie Lian, Hua Cheng’s kindness is an unbelievable phenomenon, a miracle that should never happen to her. That’s why Xie Lian steeled herself so she wouldn’t get hurt from all her expectations.
And yet, feeling the roughness of another’s skin on her lip stroking it back and forth with such care, Xie Lian feels like a pit of fire burning inside her stomach. Xie Lian can’t really tell if she should be in joy from being caressed as if she’s the most treasured treasure, or if she should be sad that for the first time in her alone life, she finally receives genuine kindness from another human.
It hurts. In pain and in ecstasy, it hurts.
Hua Cheng watches Xie Lian, who’s once again avoiding his gaze, her eyelashes flutter like wings of butterflies in the soft autumn breeze. If Xie Lian is to look up, she would see the undeniable fondness and adoration in the man’s eyes gazing at his most beloved treasure.
This time, as Hua Cheng pulls her slightly forward, she shows no sign of retaliation. Even when she’s engulfed in his embrace.
[It’s warm.]
Even if it's just for a minute, even if this is just a mirage, even if it’s the same as the flowing sand in the wind, Xie Lian allows herself to be surrounded by the warmth she’s secretly craved for. Even if this is all but a lie…
[It’s okay. I’ll remember.]
The sensation. The scent. The warmth.
[I’ll remember.]