3 A slave

Anger and hurt flashed through Li Xiaolu's eyes as she looked at the TV. She watched, crying as she saw the live broadcast of the wedding that was supposed to be for her. Li Roulan was walking down the beautiful aisle, holding the arms of her father in the wedding dress that Li Xiaolu had created for herself. She was going to wear that dress, not Li Roulan. 

A familiar tune sounded in the background as Li Roulan was walking down the aisle. It was the same tune of 'Forever in love with you ' that Li Xiaolu had specially composed for herself, to be played while she was going to walk down the aisle. She noticed the happy and so-in-love faces of Li Roulan and Chen Yufan, as they both said 'I do' to each other. She watched them kiss each other and then be declared as husband and wife.

Everything was just as she imagined. The only problem was that the bride was changed. Looking at everyone's happy faces on the TV, she felt as if someone was stabbing her heart again and again with a sharp dagger. It was heart-wrenching pain. 

After the wedding was done, the live broadcast stopped for a short break. Li Xiaolu didn't want to look at the screen any further because she knew what was going to come after. It was a small Q and A session with the news and media reporters. After the short break, the program continued. The couple came onto a small platform where the reporters quickly surrounded them.

By the hustle and bustle, Li Xiaolu could tell how excited these reporters were to take bites from the couples. After all, Li Roulan was the people's favorite 'Goddess Li', and Chen Ruyan was one of the most handsome bachelors in the city. 

Reporter 1: "Goddess Li, congratulations on your wedding. We wish you a very happy and blessed married life. Today, my eyes feel so blessed to see you walking down the aisle in that beautiful wedding gown. You were definitely the most beautiful brides we have seen in quite a while."

"Thank you," Li Xiaolu smiled politely.

Reporter 1" "So Goddess Li, it's not only me but everyone who's seen that dress wants to know. Who is the designer? Is it the mysterious person LX?"

Holding Chen Yufan's hand, Li Roulan nodded, "Yes, it is. "

Seeing the opportunity, Chen Ruyan stepped into the conversation. He glanced at the reporters and greeted them warmly. "I thank all of you for coming to our wedding. And, before you ask my loving wife any more questions about this mysterious person LX, I have a confession to make."

All the reported eyes widened when they heard the word 'confession'. They made sure their cameras were panned on Chen Yufan so that they wouldn't miss any words that he was going to say. At the same time, everyone focused their excited gazes on him to hear what he was going to say. 

Chen Rufan kissed Li Roulan's cheek making her blush. "Well, I know you all have been curious about knowing about the person who was behind this mysterious name LX. And, I will be glad to tell you all that this mysterious LX is none other than my beautiful wife.

Everybody gasped at the news.

"Woah!!! Really? I can't believe it. No wonder every best design made by LX was worn by Goddess Li. " One of them commented. 

"She is not only a good actress but also a very talented designer. "

"Only a man like Young Master Chen can be paired with our Goddess Li. "

Reporter 2: " Young Master Chen how do you feel getting married to our Goddess Li? "

Chen Yufan smiled embracing Roulan. He looked at her lovingly and kissed her cheek again. "She is everything that I was looking for in a life partner. Together, we are just perfect. I love her very much and I promise to love her even more now that she's my wife."

Li Roulan smiled. "I love you too, my dear husband."

Instantly, everyone began to click pictures one after another of the beautiful couple. After that, the couple answered a few more questions and left the scene. Meanwhile, the reporters began to question the bride and groom's parents about their thoughts on the wedding. One of the reporters about Mr. Li about his feelings regarding his daughter's wedding. 

Li Xiaolu looked at her father on the screen who was booming and smiling from ear to ear. She heard him say how proud he was to have a daughter like Li Roulan and how happy he was with Chen Yufan and his family. Hearing his words, all Li Xiaolu could feel was hurt and pain. 

Doesn't she have his blood going through her veins? 

Then why?

Why were they doing this to her?

Li Xiaolu cried at her fate, at her naiveness in not recognizing the malicious heart of these people. How could she be so blind? How could she miss all those red signals? She should have trusted her heart's judgment but instead, she trusted everyone else blindly. Oh! She was indeed a fool..... 

Li Xiaolu closed her eyes, not wanting to see the television anymore. She simply wanted to go back to the past when everything was good for her. She wished to get out of here and tell the whole world about what the Li family had done to her. But even if she did, who would believe her? Nobody knew about her existence.

Suddenly, she heard a sound. Her eyes flew open and saw the door open. She squinted her eyes in the dark to see three shadows walking toward her. Her heart began to race inside her chest and fear was starting to fill in her eyes. She was scared. She didn't know who was walking toward her and what they were going to do with her. Someone turned on the lights and it was then that he saw those three people clearly. 

Li Roulan smiled widely, her eyes relishing the scene in front of her eyes with joy. "Well, well, well, I hope my dearest sister is enjoying herself here in this beautiful room. And, I hope you were awake to see my wedding. You didn't let my arrangements go to waste now, my dear sister?"

Li Xiaolu scoffed. "If you are done, you can open my hands and let me go."

Hearing that, Li Roulan laughed. "Elder sister, did you really think that I was done with you? Oh! The things I have planned for you... By the way, let's about my wedding. How did you feel when you were seeing my wedding? Aren't you going to give me your blessing?"

"Of course," Li Xiaolu nodded. "Seeing your wedding I thought, a thief and a scum sure do make a lovely couple. I wish you live with him happily while he cheats with several women on you and you taste the same pain of betrayal and hurt."

Instantly, all three of them stopped smiling. "Li Xiaolu!!!" Chen Yufan roared. "How dare you!!! Mind your tongue"

"What?" Li Xiaolu looked at him with a smile. "Are you not happy with my blessing? Want to hear some more?" She couldn't believe that she was in love with this guy. Looks like, love can really make a person blind. And, it did make her blind to fall in love with such a scumbag. 

PAK!

Li Roulan slapped Li Xiaolu on her cheek. Li Xiaolu winced in pain but didn't scream. Seeing the defiant look on her face, Li Roulan's heart burned with anger. This was not the look she was dreaming to see on her face. She wanted Li Xiaolu to be broke, to be begging at her feet helplessly.  "For a mere slave..... you sure are bold to disgrace your master." she sneered grabbing Li Xiaolu's swollen cheeks. 

Li Xiaolu raised her brows, laughing. "Master and u? Not worth it. Li Roulan, do you see these shoes? These are the most inexpensive shoes I own. Your worth is right beneath them. And you know it. After all, what you have today is all because of me. Your name, your fame, your worth, your status are given to you because you begged me!!! That's right."

"YOU ARE A BEGGAR, LI ROULAN." Li Xiaolu yelled. 

"Shut up!" Li Roulan yelled back, her eyes flashing with anger. "I am not a beggar but a master who made her servant work for her. It's called being smart, Li Xiaolu. But, now everything ends here. What a foolish woman you are. You pretend to be so smart and yet, you are not aware of what position you are in right now."

"What do you mean?"

Meng Xuimin laughed, "How naive!! Xiaolu, how naive are you? Don't you know what's going to happen to you?"

"W-what?"

"What do you do to remove ants from your life?"

"You kill... No!" she gasped and looked at them in horror. "Y-you... No! You cannot do this to me. Let me go!!! Let me go!!!!" She gripped her chair, trying to move it, and struggled against the holds to open them but it wasn't doing anything for her. No! She did not want to die. 

How? How can they do this to her? No! No!

"You can't kill me. You need me. I still need to act as a substitute for you," she said, struggling against the ropes.

Li Roulan laughed. "Well, I don't. I have already achieved the title of being 'Goddess Li'. I don't need to act anymore so, no. I don't need you, my dear sister. It's time for you to rest in peace. And, trust me, I will remember you deeply, every single day of my life. "