Realizations
"Zhi Ruo!"Huang Zi Tao called out to a frightened Zhi Ruo,he came closer to hold her back,but she couldn't be controlled,her father was lifeless in his own pool of blood.
"Zhi Wu"her stepmother dramatically said,she ran to him,and touched his neck,she smirked,but Immediately rubbed off her smile.
"Help him! Please"her stepmum yelled,Zhi Ruo was on the floor,she was covered in her father's blood.
"Father! Father!"she yelled,her voice was lost from all the screaming,not even Zi Tao's embrace could soothe the pain.
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DAYS LATER
The funeral was short,not many people were granted access to it, everyone was on white.
Zhi Ruo wanted to die,her father's ashes were carried home,and placed next to her mother's.
Zi Tao couldn't find any opportunity to comfort his lover,she was dying,but he had to stay with his family and Ru Shi.
Zhi Ruo and Zi Tao passed glances,but the clutches of Ru Shi,made Zhi Ruo cry even more.
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Three days had past,and life became unbearable,so much hurt,Zhi Ruo was caged,she felt so much pain and couldn't share it with anyone.
Her stepmum was handling the business,and the will with her family lawyers.
Her Zi Tao was away,he and his father went out of the country for a business deal.She couldn't even see her lover before he left,she felt so empty and alone.
Zhi Ruo ate no food, so she was weak,but decided to starve herself till death.Frankly speaking her stepmum could care less.Her parents and her brother,Yeye(a nickname),all died on the same day!.
"Come"she heard,she looked behind and saw her stepmum,she didn't have the courage to leave,her legs were weak,and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach.
"I said come"she said.
Zhi Ruo,sat down,she had told herself she would not leave till she sees Zi Tao,the last person who loved her.
"So...you will be stubborn?Very well,you will not eat anything,and you will not leave this house either"she said and slammed the door hard.
"Father...."she said under her breath and started to cry.
She walked to her closet she stared at the gift,she picked it up,and broke down her door.
Her stepmum was a bit frightened,she never realized how strong Zhi Ruo was.
"You insolent...."Zhi Ruo walked past her,not giving a damn.
"What's come over that child?"She thought to herself, as she watched the child walk into her training room.
She bowed down,drew out her sword and wiped her tear from her eye.She trained all day,she vented out her anger the only way she could,she firmly held the sword for every lunge, every backflip,every strike,she fiercely held unto the sword.
But a sharp pain in her stomach made her fall and the sword dropped from her hands.
"Aaah"she screamed in agony,but no one dared to step in,no one had ever met an angry Zhi Ruo.
"Aaaaagh!"she yelled,panthing, sweating all over, a strand of hair was clouding her view.
She stayed on her knees, crying,not crying,she had lost her voice,it was more of an animal like Yelp,or sob.
The blood on her face,she could not get it off her mind,"I killed him"she thought.
"Am unlucky,am evil"she thought.
"No, you're not"she heard back,she looked and saw her mother.
"Mother..."she said under her breath,maybe it was real,a trick of the mind,or hunger.
"Get up"she said,Zhi Ruo nodded negatively,tears flooding the room.
"I ca.. can't"she said weakly,hitting her hands on the floor.
"You can...please my love,do it for your brother"her mother said.
Zhi Ruo cried more,she couldn't contain herself.
"Do it for your father"Zhi Lee said.
Zhi Ruo looked at the sword.
Through truth and transparency we thrive.
"I can't"
"Do it,do it for me"
"Mother,you are all gone...you are all together without me"Zhi Ruo lamented.
"Don't let our deaths stop you from living your life"Zhi Lee said.
"Mother,what am I supposed to do with my life?"Zhi Ruo asked.
"You have Zi Tao to look after,you will do that won't you,even Ru Shi,although you two don't get along"
Zhi Ruo was slowly starting to calm down and her breathing restored.
"And for your unborn child"Zhi Lee said,Zhi Ruo's eyes almost fell out of the socket, she placed her hand on her stomach,and looked up but Zhi Lee had disappeared,like it was all a dream.
She blacked out.
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Zhi Ruo opened her eyes,the room was dark,her stepmother hated the light.
"Zhi Ruo tell me something"her stepmum said.
Zhi Ruo was still trying to recollect her conversation with Zhi Lee.
She quickly placed her hand on her stomach and sat upright,a maid brought in a bowl of soup,which she quickly drank greedily from.
"Are you pregnant?"her stepmother said,almost making Zhi Ruo choke on her soup,she took water and drank taking huge gulps.
"Who is the father?Is it Jin Yong?"her step mother inquired.
"Am I actually pregnant?Did I meet Mother?"Zhi Ruo wondered.
She asked herself,she looked into the bowl of soup,she hated this soup,it made her puke,but here she was.
"I asked you a question!"her stepmother said,with force in her voice,she was starting to loose her patience and composure.
"It's Zi Tao"she said, pregnant or not,he was her lover and she would not keep quiet any longer.
"Get dressed"her stepmum said,while getting up.
"Why?"she asked,her stepmum walked towards the door,and replied without turning back.
"We are going to pay the Huang's a surprise visit"she said.
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"I hope you are not lying to me"Her stepmother said while they walked into the house.
This was Zhi Ruo's first time stepping into their house,it was the complete opposite of her house.
Her's belonged to her great grandfather,her father renovated it to match up with the mordern standards,but it still had it's ancestral design.
But...Zi Tao's mansion was sophisticated, classy,and so advanced,her jaw dropped at the design,she felt like she was in a different world.
"How will I ever get used to living here?"
They were met by Ru Shi,and Huang Yue,they were engrossed in some magazines,that featured Ru Shi.
Qing Shan Cleared her throat,and the attention of both ladies were immediately captured.
"What a surprise,I didn't expect to see you ever leave your house,Zhi Ruo"Ru Shi chirped.
"Hello Qing Shan..."Huang Yue said,then she eyed Zhi Ruo down.
"Am not here to oogle over Ru Shi,like a mindless scum...."Huang Yue almost took offence at Qing Shan said.
"Typical Stepmum"Zhi Ruo thought.
"Then what are you here for?"Huang Yue asked.
Qing Shan glared at Zhi Ruo,then at her stomach,then at Huang Yue.
"Zhi Ruo is pregnant"she said not mincing words.
Zhi Ruo breathed nervously,hoping for the best reply.
"So? Why are you telling me that?"Huang Yue asked, trying to wave off her shock,and kill the fear that it might be Zi Tao's child.
"The child is for Zi Tao...."Ru Shi didn't let Qing Shan finish talking,she rushed off to Zhi Ruo and slapped her.
"You slut!"she said.
"If you touch her again,I will break your wrist."her stepmum said.
Zhi Ruo looked at her stepmum,a warm sensation coursed through her.
"Ru Shi! Stand down!"Huang Yue said,Ru Shi spat at Zhi Ruo,before walking back to Huang Yue.
"Sorry for that,our Ru Shi can get very emotional,but she is right when she said that Zhi Ruo is a slut"
A tear fell from Zhi Ruo's eye.
"Do you believe that I would just accept her,that orphan...no offence Qing Shan,but I just can't leave a girl like Ru Shi for a slut like Zhi Ruo"Huang Yue said.
"But we both know how close Zhi Ruo and Zi Tao are,"Her stepmum said.
Zhi Ruo was fighting back the tears,she was trying not to get in her knees and plead.
"Let's imagine that maybe something sprung up between them,but tell me this,how would my Zi Tao leave his supermodel girlfriend for Zhi Ruo.I won't accept her"Huang Yue said.
"Whether you accept her or not is none of my business,as far as she is carrying the heir of this family,she will get the rights she and her chid deserves"Qing Shan said.
"Oh, that's what this is about,you just want a share in our wealth.I shouldn't have expected anything more from you,but sorry to burst your bubble,not a single penny will go to that child Am I understood?"Huang Yue said making her stand on the matter clear.
"That will be Zi Tao's decision"Qing Shan said sharply.
"Sugar cookie will not even give a damn about that child,he would never go against his father's wishes."Ru Shi said,covering her fear.
"Qing Shan what even makes you think that it's sugar cookie's child, huh?"Ru Shi asked,turning the tables around on Zhi Ruo.
"Come to think of it,Ru Shi has a point Qing Shan,what if the child belongs to someone else?"Huang Yue asked.
"No, it's Zi Tao's"Zhi Ruo finally said.
"This child would never lie to me"Qing Shan said .
"Ask her! I saw her and Jin Yong kissing at my engagement"Ru Shi said.
"That's not true"Zhi Ruo said.
"Yes it is,they were at the East wing,in a room, didn't you wonder where Zhi Ruo went,she was in his arms like a shameless slut!"Ru Shi claimed.
"Shut up!Make it stop!"Zhi Ruo thought to herself, crying.
"You're right Ru Shi, she was scarce at the engagement, and not to forget that she and Jin Yong were pretty cozy during the picture taking"Huang Yue said.
Now, Qing Shan had started getting suspicious.
"Ask her"Ru Shi growled.
"Child, who were you with in the East wing that day?"Qing Shan asked with all seriousness.
"You can't say it was Huang Zi Tao, he would be disgraced, it would be better not to disclose this secret.... it would bring shame on his family, but what do I do? My child needs a father...."her thoughts were disrupted by a slap to the face by Qing Shan.
"I asked you that day to go to Jin Yong, but did not tell you to bring shame on us!"
"That's...."Zhi Ruo tried to defend herself.
But another slap from Qing Shan shut her up.
"Be careful, you might hurt that child she's carrying,I advise you to take her home... and take her to the father of her child, maybe he will accept her and her sin"Huang Yue said.
"Let's go"Qing Shan said,she dragged Zhi Ruo away from the house into the car.
"Stepmo...."
"I asked you if you were lying, you disgrace! I should have....."she stopped talking,she almost said her plans to kill Zhi Ruo out in the open.
"If you make another movement from your mouth, I'll cut off your tongue"Qing Shan said.
"My child,is no disgrace,my child is not a sin!"Zhi Ruo thought.
But she had been rejected by her future family, she knew that no one would take her.
She just realised it for herself that she was an orphan now, a pregnant orphan!
"Zi Tao what have you done to me? Am ruined!"Zhi Ruo reflected on the bitter realization.
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