Unexpected Visitor

Evergreen Hot Spring and Resort

It was Sunday and it was supposed to be a happy day but Xu Jia Li felt like it was no more than an ordinary day that would pass by like the rest. With all of the things that happened in the last few days, she was really beginning to believe that her life must be tied to a series of unfortunate events the moment her mother died. It looked like she won't get to receive the box of candied plums on her apartment today.

She sighed deeply when she remembered her conversation with Tang Xie. It seemed like there were more to the surface that what she thought.

With a crushed and dampened spirit, Xu Jia Li stared at the white ceiling on top. Trying to make sense of everything… as if it could give her the answers she very much needed.

Since her mother died, she resorted to getting her revenge but… why did it seem to be so far away… hard for her to reach? She had met her asshole of a father, his two faced mistress and his thick-faced daughter… but why couldn't she do something to get even?

Tears suddenly streamed down her delicate cheeks. She was overpowered by all the schemes around her. She was only human after all, bound to feel pain just like anyone else.

It was her birthday… but why did she feel empty?

The revenge that once fueled her to enter the entertainment industry disgusted her… the embers were fluttering… like a firefly losing its light.

Her emotions were in turmoil and she felt exhausted…

"What will I do now, mom? Can you please help me? I need you right now. I feel so lost… please… just come back…"

The tears continued to fall but they couldn't drown the pain away…

****

"Li-jie, happy birthday!" Shen Linqin had a small rice cake on her hands.

Xu Jia Li just got out of the bathroom when she saw the doe-like eyes of Shen Linqin gazing at her. She smiled gently before she said, "Thank you!"

She was startled when Shen Linqin suddenly hugged her. Suddenly, she was touched when she heard her say in between sob, "Li-jie… thank you for treating me nicely… even though most of the time… I'm being a total nuisance… You're the best, Li-jie…"

She patted Shen Linqin's back while she replied gently, "You know how I treat you like my own sister, Linqin. Stop crying. You know I can always tolerate your 'nuisance'."

Shen Linqin pouted but the happiness in her eyes was evident, "Sorry for all the troubles I caused you, Li-jie."

"You've always been a nice girl… just a little bit nosy when it comes to Yun-ge."

****

Xu Jia Li asked Shen Linqin to come to her apartment to see if someone left a package for her. Since it was Sunday, she stayed inside her room, waiting for her plan to materialize. She knew that it would happen soon.

After a while, Li Yun arrived in front of her room, leaving the huge bouquet of ninety nine red roses on her door. He wanted to give it to her personally but he knew that she would refuse it again. He left with a forlorn look in his eyes.

Xu Jia Li was about to call someone when the doorbell rang, she saw in the door cam that it was Wang Guo. She opened it and she was amazed to see lots and lots of tulips and roses arranged in beautiful boxes held by almost twenty men.

With mouth agape, she was greeted by the sweet smell of the flowers.

"Young Madam, happy birthday! CEO Si greets you with these."

Upon Wang Guo's instruction, the men took the flowers inside her room which made the whole space looked like a garden. Her eyes were misty as she appreciated the beauties in front of her.

The bouquet of roses from Li Yun was accidentally stepped on by the men. It left a mess in front of her door which she failed to notice.

Once Wang Guo left, she inhaled the fresh, wonderful scents of the flowers. They were so colorful that she felt like the time when she visited Amsterdam. Her heart was filled with warmth.

Remembering that she had the most eligible and sought- after bachelor as her boyfriend, she thought that her life wasn't all that bad after all. She managed to flash a gentle smile on her face.

****

"Miss Xu, I told you. It was all Tang Xie's doing! She uploaded all those nasty articles about you. Even the pictures are hers. She's manipulative and wicked, Miss Xu!"

Xu Jia Li's icy cold glare focused on Jian Ran. It was already half past five in the evening when Jian Ran came to her room.

After all the incidents that happened, she needed to make her actions now. Everything depended on the result of her plan tonight.

"Really, Miss Jian? Then, how would you explain this?" Xu Jia Li had a laptop on the table. In a flash, a video played on it.

Jian Ran's face lost its color when she saw her footage lurking outside Xu Jia Li's room, the night Si Weimin came over.

"Did the cat get your tongue, Miss Jian?"

"H-how did y-you get that?" Jian Ran whispered in disbelief. Seeing Xu Jia Li's scrutinizing glare, she yelled, "It's not me, Miss Xu! Someone must have edited that. It's not me!"

Xu Jia Li sneered when she flashed another video of Jian Ran lurking around to take videos of her and Li Yun, another one from the café and at the university where they had their shooting.

"Then, are all these videos edited as well, Miss Jian?"

****

A/N: Show some love and encouragement by voting, dear readers… <3