Tang Xi let out a small laugh. "I'm not giving you any treat. I ordered all these dishes to irk that man, as he made me wait for thirty minutes." She said, before chewing a piece of Morel Mushrooms. The taste was really worth the price here.
Song Ah Lam jutted out her lips in a pout, she had truly thought this grand treat was Tang Xi's spoiling her. "Oh, I thought you were splurging on me."
"Well, I love you and I don't mind splurging money on you. However, I'm not capable for that yet." Tang Xi said with a tiny smile on her face, before lowering her head again, and continuing to eat.
"Anyway, I will enjoy your wedding like it's my last day on earth! Oh no, I have to go for shopping, so much to buy-new dresses, shoes, cosmetics, and jewelry!" Song Ah Lam spoke the first thought that came to her mind.
Nevertheless, suddenly, she quickly thought of something and her smile faded slowly.
"You are now transitioning to become a married woman. Will you pull back yourself from the way you are now? Xixi, you won't be able to hang out with me as much as now after your marriage!" She said agonizingly.
Tang Xi chuckled at her friend's silly questions, then broke the real news, "It's a contract marriage, not the real one. We will get divorced on the same day. So, nothing will change."
Tang Xi leaned back in her chair and stared out of the glass wall in front of her. She felt intermingled satisfaction and unknown restlessness. Satisfaction in the thought of causing a little emotional damage to her stepmother and her daughters, and restlessness for agreeing to this stupid deal?
Song Ah Lam's hand flew to her mouth, as her almond-shaped eyes grew round and wide. "What the fuck! Tell me that you are kidding,"
"Nope.." Tang Xi replied, still staring off absentmindedly.
"Did your grandfather force you into this?" Song Ah Lam couldn't help but ask suspiciously.
Tang Xi shook her head, "My grandpa will give me a ten storey building in the city centre on condition that I agree to this marriage; and I just found his offer quite lucrative. Moreover, Lu Yunsheng will give me two hundred million dollars for divorce compensation, and won't touch me in the mentioned period of time. I would be considered empty-headed, had I rejected this chance of a lifetime." As she spoke, Tang Xi took the fashion magazine from Song Ah Lam and started flipping through it.
Because Song Ah Lam had personally witnessed Tang Xi's past, and had grown up with her, she didn't believe the answer.
There was a period of time where Tang Xi's wrists were filled with cuts, her eyes dull, the hope long gone from her heart, and her entire body was filled with horrific marks. It would be hard to recognize the girl she had become now, if she wasn't with Tang Xi all this while
At that time, She and Gu Liang didn't know anything about Tang Xi's stepmother and her daughters. They simply thought Tang Xi was from a poor family background, as she would always wear old and torn clothes. And as for the new wounds on every single day, Tang Xi used to say that she got herself injured while playing. It was only after Tang Xi moved with her grandfather, did she tell them the truth.
Well, obviously Tang Xi was threatened by that serpent of a stepmother of hers not to reveal anything or else, she would be fed to the sharks.
Years ago Tang Xi was a bright eyed girl, pure and kind hearted. Years later, her eyes lost that naive luster, but thankfully she still retained her kind heart. Regardless of how cold Tang Xi was to everyone, she had always shown her unwavering kindness on her closed ones.
Song Ah Lam's impression of Tang Xi was so firm that it couldn't get shaken even at the entire world's cost.
"They can't cut you out of your grandfather's will. You will inherit everything from your grandfather anyway, why agree to this bullshit! Wait a second, your grandpa isn't aware that it will be a sham marriage, is he?"
Tang Xi didn't reply for a while and Song Ah Lam figured it was because her guess was correct. "Has it anything to do with that scumbag father of yours and his bitch wife and imps?" Her temper rose at the mention of those horrible people. That villainess trio of mother-daughters would surround Tang Xi from all the sides and abuse her on a daily basis. The despicable things they used to do to her were truly contemptible and obnoxious.
Tang Xi was quiet for a few seconds. Amidst the pin drop silence and her somber expression, she didn't know what to say. "I-I..." She stuttered, unable to say a word.
"I got it, no need to push yourself. However, have you thought it through?"
Tang Xi felt grateful for her friend's rare peaceful approach. For as long as she had known Song Ah Lam, she was never the type of girl to spare anyone from her questioning, had she suspected anything.
"Yeah,"
Could taking a decision within a few minutes be said 'thought it through'? Tang Xi pondered.
"Whom are you getting married to?" Song Ah Lam asked the most important question.
In her mind, she already started hatching plans to meet this contract guy and break this bullshit behind Tang Xi's back. She couldn't let her bestie jump into the pit of fire and ruin her life. Tang Xi deserved someone very rich and handsome, who would spoil her and give her all the love.
"Lu Yunsheng," Tang Xi replied without any expression on her face.
Song Ah Lam's eyes widened and stared harder, but before she could speak further, Tang Xi ascertained calmly, "The CEO of Lu Conglomerate."
Song Ah Lam could not hide her excitement and asked instantly, "Why divorce him? Xixi, you got the best candidate in the country! Don't divorce him! Not only is he very loaded, but also very spunky and hunky!"