Chapter 1, Chapter One: Marriage
When Xia Li was born, her mother had high hopes for her. Unfortunately, like most people, she lived an ordinary life and had no ambition to break the monotony.
If there's anything outstanding about Xia Li, it's undoubtedly her appearance. As a child, Xia Li was thin and small, wrinkled, and not very recognizable. However, as she grew older, her features gradually matured, and everyone praised her for her beautiful appearance.
However, Xia Li's birth also led to criticism of the mother and daughter.
The main reason has to do with her mother.
Her mother, Xia Qingqing, was once someone's mistress.
In her youth, taking advantage of her exceptional beauty, she got together with the second son of the He family, who was quite well-off in a neighboring city. Later, she became pregnant and gave birth to the child under He Er's coaxing. However, not long after, she received news that He Er was getting engaged.
Xia Li thought that Xia Qingqing named her "Li" because she hoped that He Er would divorce his first wife as soon as possible.
The character “离” sounds bad no matter how it's combined.
Coincidentally, they did get divorced later. When Xia Li was twelve years old, her mother finally got her wish and married into the He family. No one dared to talk about it to her face anymore.
But to Xia Li, everything about the He family was a persistent evil spirit, relentlessly following her. She tried desperately to escape, but was still caught up with until she graduated and left the neighboring city.
Six years later, at the coffee shop.
Even though she was in a spacious and bright environment with a clean and tidy desk in front of her, Xia Li still felt uncomfortable. Her brows were furrowed and her palms were sweaty.
"Marry Ji Ling."
The first words spoken by the mother and daughter after many years of separation were simple and straightforward.
Xia Li's eyes went unfocused, and her gaze turned to the contract on the table with the four large characters "Marriage Agreement" printed on it. After a moment of stunned silence, she said bluntly, "I don't quite understand."
"You've signed the contract, married Ji Ling, and received 15 million in compensation. Is there anything else you don't understand?"
Xia Qingqing took out a cigarette case from her bag, ran her fingertips along the crumpled foil twice, paused, and then quietly put it back.
Xia Li watched her movements quietly, sighed softly, and felt a little helpless.
Xia Qingqing loved smoking. So much so that when Xia Li was little, she once thought that cigarettes smelled good. Until one day, while Xia Qingqing was on a date with He Er, she secretly climbed onto the counter, picked up a lighter, and lit a cigarette... cough, cough, it was spicy and numbing, and it made her throat hurt.
Not everyone likes the same thing.
Xia Qingqing had approached her twice about marriage.
The first time was when she was nineteen. She was asked to get engaged to a man ten years her senior. She made a huge scene, ran away from the neighboring city, and refused with her actions. She never came back and never regretted her decision.
The second time is now.
Now that I'm twenty-five, this sudden notification feels like a joke.
She is like an inconspicuous bottle of mineral water. Even though the clean water inside has long been sucked dry by greedy people, leaving not a single drop, when needed, they can still pick up the worn-out bottle, clean it, fill it with muddy water, and send it to the wolf's mouth as a bargaining chip again.
Moreover, the wolf's mouth belongs to Ji Ling, which is simply absurd.
Xia Qingqing was unaware of her past with Ji Ling and didn't know that they had long since lost contact.
She had thought that things should be more dignified between them.
Xia Li closed her eyes and shook her head weakly, pushing the contract on the table back untouched. She calmly said, "I don't understand it. I have no interest. Mrs. He, you should find someone else."
Displeased at not receiving a satisfactory reply, Xia Qingqing tightened her grip on the cigarette pack and squinted her eyes in a warning, "I'll give you one more chance. I can pretend I didn't hear you. Xia Li, answer me again."
After she finished speaking, Xia Li gently lifted her eyes to look at the person in front of her, her emotions extremely complicated. She wondered who Xia Qingqing was begging for this time, setting aside her proud demeanor.
She took a breath and slowly exhaled, raising her voice and gritting her teeth to repeat each word clearly, afraid that Xia Qingqing might not hear her: "Ms. Xia, I have the right to refuse. Please find someone else."
After saying that, he got up and left, but before he had gone far, Xia Qingqing's voice came from behind him.
"Linshi is located on the coast. Older residents of Linshi would divide the city into two areas: one is called the island, and the rest is collectively called the island outside. You grew up in Linshi, so you must know this, right?"
Xia Li paused.
One side of the island is a coastal tourist destination, while the other side is surrounded by land and is a financial center.
A small hill rises slightly in the center, forming a staggered mountain range. The surrounding area along the lake is dotted with villas built against the mountain, and the residents are mostly wealthy people.
It wasn't until she was twelve years old, when Xia Qingqing got married and moved into He Er's house next to the villa complex, that she had the opportunity to see the beauty of the coastal city.
The sunset over the sea at night is no longer obscured by dilapidated old buildings or fragmented by tangled power lines; it is a vast expanse of rosy pink.
It's just unclear what Xia Qingqing meant by bringing up such an unimportant topic.
"You..." Xia Li began in confusion, but before she could finish her sentence, it was cut off.
“I’ve investigated you. Don’t forget, even though we haven’t seen each other for six years, you are still my daughter.”
"What do you mean?" Xia Li was sweating profusely.
"What do you mean?" Xia Qingqing smiled deeply, but her eyes were cold. "You work as a photographer in a studio outside the island."
"So what?" Xia Li swallowed hard, his stiff body stirred, his drooping knuckles trembled slightly, and he slowly moved forward, sitting back down awkwardly.
"Xia Li, you know what I'm going to say."
Xia Li clenched her fists silently. She could hardly think straight and wanted to leave without a care in the world, but the pull of reality wouldn't allow her to do so. She had to calm down.
Just as Xia Qingqing said, she has been working in the same studio for four years since graduating from university.
Since Xia Qingqing investigated her, she must know these things.
She believed that a marriage contract didn't need such elaborate arrangements. With a reward of fifteen million, Xia Qingqing, being so shrewd, could easily adopt an excellent and qualified girl, and have her adopted daughter, as a member of the He family, marry in her place.
Time ticked by, and she remained silent. Xia Qingqing grew impatient, tapping her knuckles on the table and asking coldly, "Do they know about your shameful deeds?"
Xia Li was stunned and lowered her eyes. She was speechless. So it was a "scandal." The "they" that Xia Qingqing mentioned were her studio partners.
The unfamiliar sobbing reached her ears, and the people around her kept cursing. Even though eight years had passed, her heart was still pierced almost instantly, and she couldn't help but feel depressed.
She raised her eyes, forcing a calm expression, as if she had anticipated Xia Qingqing's words, and coldly asked, "You've investigated me, so why are you asking me?"
Xia Qingqing waved her hand, her voice light and airy: "It's nothing, just catching up and checking in on you."
Xia Li turned her head, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, and said firmly, "It has nothing to do with you."
"No, you're wrong. Your decision not to marry him is my problem."
“…”
Xia Li remained silent.
Not long after, Xia Qingqing burst out laughing. The unlit cigarette she was holding slipped from her fingers and fell, rolling down the table and landing next to the contract.
"Xia Li, how come your memory isn't improving at such a young age? Let me help you recall how you categorized your friend's photography as your own, submitted it to a photography award, and even won it, only to have sharp-eyed netizens spot the deception. If your friend hadn't forgiven you, and if I hadn't covered it up for you, do you think you'd still have this opportunity? Would you still be able to continue working unscathed? You..."
"I didn't!" Xia Li
He interrupted her, then looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on her slightly parted lips, and repeated, "I didn't."
His tone was exceptionally firm.
She did not do those things.
"Alright, your words alone can't change the undeniable facts from back then. Listen to me, although this matter has been suppressed and won't affect you much, I can't guarantee that I won't do something if you reject me. Also, your studio has been established for almost ten years. Xia Li, I have high hopes for it."
Xia Li lowered her head, instantly understanding the meaning the moment Xia Qingqing uttered her last sentence. Her hands trembled as she picked up the contract from the table, flipping directly to the last page without even reading its contents.
"I'll sign."
"Sign this one." Xia Qingqing stopped her, took out two more contracts from her bag, and didn't intend to hide anything. "The one on the table, I had someone imitate your handwriting and make the decision for you. Now it's your turn to make the decision yourself, my good daughter."
How vicious.
But that was indeed the kind of behavior she remembered her mother to be—a living, breathing femme fatale. Even after so many years apart, it still sent chills down her spine, and her hand holding the pen trembled uncontrollably.
Seeing her like this, Xia Qingqing gently lifted her eyelids, a rare moment of tenderness between them today: "Don't be unwilling, it's all for your own good. Marrying Ji Ling is something others would love to do, and I won't touch you or your studio."
Xia Li gasped: "I told you, I didn't do those things."
It's a misunderstanding, or even a frame-up.
"Stop talking nonsense." Xia Qingqing said coldly, raising her chin to stare at the contract, signaling her to finish quickly.
Xia Li picked up her pen, signed the contract, and returned both copies. She glanced out the window at the people coming and going, then lowered her eyes and said softly, "He hasn't signed it yet."
It refers to Ji Ling.
Former friends and acquaintances have now gone their separate ways.
"You don't need to worry about that," Xia Qingqing replied, taking back the contract and biting on an unlit cigarette.
“He won’t agree,” Xia Li said with certainty.
“But Ji Ling agreed, and it was even his suggestion.”
A note from the author:
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Thank you for reading, my darlings! This is a single-character story; the male lead is pure of heart and mind, with no rivalry for female affections. The romance is slow-burning and bittersweet. The female lead's family and friendship relationships are due to misunderstandings, which will be resolved later. Enjoy!
My next book is called "Writing You into My Story". If you're interested, please add it to your favorites.
The year Zhong Yuxi first met Ren Fei, she had just finished her major exams.
To enrich her social experience, she went to rural towns to participate in teaching support activities.
Ren Fei is an outstanding graduate and is responsible for assisting them.
One afternoon, Zhong Yuxi, biting her pen, propped her chin up and tapped Ren Fei's college application form, saying, "This high school is near my school. Apply here, and I'll protect you when you get in."
She made a casual joke, but some people were foolish enough to take it seriously.
I traveled thousands of miles just to get closer to her.
Even as an observer.
But no one is willing to remain a bystander forever.
*The story of volunteering in rural areas is very short; it begins in the school and later moves to the city.
*The female lead attends an international school with an AI curriculum, while the male lead takes the national college entrance examination.
The male and female leads are the same age, both are top students, very hardworking, and very excellent.
*No intimate scenes between the male and female protagonists before they reach adulthood.
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