3 3. Who are you?

"Well, you don't have to worry, because tonight you will have a painless death, and I am guaranteeing you that." Muchen rushed up to her when her steps quickened and dragged her along the shiny marbles on the ground to the backyard. He pushed her onto the ground, close to a pile of sand where her mother lay. "You will be like your mother very soon."

"Let go of me! Go!" Mingxia yelled, struggling to free his grasp on her neck. Gradually, she could feel her lungs gasping for air, and her heartbeats reduced to the extent that she did not feel them. Mingxia's eyes puffed out coldly, and with one more stare, she looked at him. "You are wrong! I might not be the owner of my certificates, but I have self-will. I will never stop being who I want to be. You stole my dream from me; you murdered my mother; in this life or next, I will make you pay for it!"

"Pay for it? You are no match for me!"

Two Years Later

Mingxia POV

The beeping monitor noise triggered my lashes to flutter open. I knew my weary and shriveled eyes would flutter open at once as my surroundings became visible. I heard chatter and calls, angry footsteps, and yells, but I still had no idea where I was. I was too weak to think of where I was! My head-aching, excruciating pain shifted to the majestic stature seated some distance away from where I was. The room was cloudy in my eyes, but I could see him—his glorious face.

Mingxia stretched out her hand to move herself up, then sensed it throbbing harshly and made it fall on the bed. Her entire body was sore, and at the same time, the pounding headache arose again. Her eyes shut tiredly, recalling what had happened. All she could remember was her father—her merciless father, who dragged her to the balcony and pushed her to her doom. Mingxia could feel her body dwindling through several floors of the 26-story skyscraper. It was still a nightmare up until now, all thanks to him. He hated her so much that he did not give her a second chance to live. He killed his daughter hard-heartedly!

Her weak teeth gritted, and her fist balled. She was going to have her revenge!

"Water," She called out, reaching for the unknown person, yet there was no movement. Her eyes squinted sharply so she could get a grasp of his face, but despite her effort, she did not see anything. Wait, there was something on his face. A black, shiny mask on his face. "Please,"

"Get her water." She heard his husky, thick, masculine voice and then footsteps rushing towards her. Her upper body was lifted, and water rushed down through her throat. "Get the doctor to check her."

Again, his commands were like flaming chaos as the same footstep went across the room and slammed the door. Her eyes were fully open, and she saw him. Wearing a tailored knee-length black coat, the man stood up and walked to her. Her heart thumping loudly, she shivered and did not know what to do. Mingxia had no idea who this man was, nor did she know where she was. She was between the blue sea and hell, wondering which would be best for her.

At once, her brain snapped back pulses and electricity to her body, recalling everything that had happened. Her body lingered with soreness, but her eyes were wide open. Mingxia could see every single part of the room but his face. His face had a black cover tied around it, and from his nostrils down to his jaw, it was covered in silky, sturdy material. She had no reason to fear him. Her heart shot a bolt, and she jolted in terror.

… He was scary! He had not said anything, even though he knew she had been staring at him all along. His body was firm against the clothing, and his aura exhibited power, richness, and lust. Instantly, Mingxia grew worried and forced her words out of her mouth. Although they were stammered words, soon enough for her, it got a lot better.

"Who are you, and where am I?" Mingxia's eyelids stayed the same way. Her body is regaining far more strength than before. "I do not know you." She spoke out and found the tall, slender figure walking out of the room. She stayed silent until a man wearing a white medical coat appeared. She heard some whispers between the scary man and the doctor as he strode back into the room, followed by her.

"She is diagnosed with spinal paralysis; her body could not take the crash." His friendly face turned sour, and he spoke in a low voice to the masked man. He then walked towards Mingxia, changed her drip needle, and took her vitals. Mingxia blinked as he softly grabbed her hands, plucked out the needle, and injected another one. His face was a bit chubbier, and he had an approachable gaze compared to the masked man.

That was correct; she did not even know who he was!

"Your body is recuperating more than I predicted. Your discharge session is very soon, in only a few hours. I bet you've been worn out from slumbering for two years," Scott said, and he laid her gently on the bed. "I know you might be shocked as to why you are here." He shifted his gaze to the masked man, gave a nod, and went ahead. "I am afraid you will not be able to walk. Your spinal nerves were badly damaged, although the surgery was able to fix some issues. However, I cannot guarantee that you will be able to walk for the rest of your life.

Bang!

The news came as a killer shock, stunning Mingxia to death. No wonder her body was sore in all areas! Her eyes swelled up in tears, yet they refused to drop. She was terrified to an extreme degree. Mingxia had lost her family and ended up with a stranger, and now she could not walk again! Must life be so hard on her?

"What?" Mingxia asked shakenly. She fought to get up, but her body refused. It lay vegetative on the bed. She was perfectly breathing fine, and her heart was okay, but then again, her body? She could not walk. "It is not possible. I cannot be crippled for the rest of my life."

… And when he was about to speak up, her sparkling white tears fell on her cheeks.

"I am sorry we did not help that much. The surgery was able to fix other things, but not the paralysis dysfunction. The main nerves were the ones that got damaged."

"I…" Mingxia's words lumped in her throat. Life was never going to be fair for her! Had she not suffered enough? "You, you, who are you? Why am I here? I want to go home."

"You have no home. Scott, have her discharged. The hospital is making me sick." His flawless heavenly voice awoke Mingxia from her sobbing moment, and seeing he was about to leave, she jerked down from the bed and came crashing into his strong arms. He was fast enough to catch her from doing more injuries to herself. "Do you want to die?"

His voice held so much worry as he lifted her and took her out of the room. Going down the stairs, he held her protectively, drawing her body closer to his chest. Her firm hands wrapped around his neck as his long legs took her to the blue Maybach car parked at the stairs. Instantly, the door automatically opened, and they were in. Protectively, he pulled out the seatbelt and pushed her back into her seat.

Once she sat down, he went over to the other door, climbed inside, and the car drove off.

"I want to know you and where you are taking me," Mingxia demanded, forcing herself to be relaxed in his presence. Something about him tugged at her heart painfully. Even though he still had that mask on his face, she wanted to be closer to him—closer to a stranger. She snapped back to her senses and became alert. "If you want to stay silent about your identity and where you are taking me, I would like to take my leave."

Was this a joke? The man puffed into a hefty laugh, waved his hands across the front view mirror, and the car came to an abrupt stop. He pressed some buttons, and promptly, the car's door flung open.

"You can take your leave if you can get up and walk." His cold voice pinched her to the core. Mingxia had not expected him to be this arrogant, and even she forgot her condition. What is she thinking of? She did not have any idea where she was! "Get back in the car and stop your whining," He replied, shutting the door.

The car fell into silence—a deep, deafening one. Only their breathing was heard, nothing else. Mingxia laid back on the chair and peeked at the man. She dared not lie about his looks. He had perfectly smooth skin and a fine, thin eyebrow. She bit her lip, lowered her head, and shut her mouth completely.

"I am Mu Lixin. You can call me Lixin, Mingxia." He began with a brief introduction. If they were to live together from now on, at least she would merit his name but not his face. "Your mother… Here, you can have it."

Lixin reached out for the blue envelope in the car file, brought it out, and handed it over to Mingxia. He supported her arm while she held it up to read. Mingxia's hands shook as she found familiar writing on the file. She pinched herself and urged herself to continue reading.

"My mother?"