After eating lunch with Robert Qu, Shen Liu took Yan Xiaoran to a high-rise condominium where Robert Qu had arranged for her to stay in the meantime.
She heard Shen Liu behind her saying: "My boss prepared this condo for you Miss Yan but didn't know what kind of interior design you're into, so we decided to just make it into a modern style."
Yan Xiaoran walked into her condo. She was left in awe as she saw how spacious and clean the whole place was.
"Just how long did you guys prepare for this?" She turned back to him and asked, "Did Mr. Qu buy this even before I was released?"
Shen Liu nodded his head.
She didn't say anything after hearing that.
Robert Qu was indeed a difficult man to understand. Even before she was released he already prepared a place for her to stay and frequently sent people to clean it hence, the whole place was dust-free.
Earlier, their conversation left Yan Xiaoran wondering what kind of fortune she had to deserve Robert Qu's favor? If it was only marrying his grandson, Robert Qu could find someone else to do that and the matter of having almost half of his wealth, anyone would also do.
However, he picked her among all odds and among all other people who were more suitable than her.
Was it really due to his pity and impulsiveness? Or were there other reasons?
Nevertheless, Yan Xiaoran was glad that Robert Qu chose her and waited for her.
Yan Xiaoran went to the living room after Shen Liu left.
The wide and tall window that showed the rooftops of the building in front of the Royal Complex was breathtaking. She could also see the mountain and the sea from her window.
Touching the smooth and cold surface of the window, Yan Xiaoran rested her forehead on it and closed her eyes.
…
The next day.
Yan Xiaoran looked at the people coming from and to her condo and massaged her forehead.
Early in the morning, Robert Qu sent a few designers and people who will look after her and the condominium. He wanted to make sure that her life from now on wouldn't be filled with hardship and didn't want her to even clean her own house, so he sent some few housekeepers who will start working as soon as possible.
The closet that was empty when she first arrived in the condo was now filled with expensive clothing. Not even Zhao Shuxin's closet was filled to the brim like this.
However, the designers that Robert Qu sent weren't satisfied and decided to make several customized outfits for Yan Xiaoran. They also asked Yan Xiaoran her 3-sizes and planned to customize her underwear.
Yan Xiaoran was grateful for everything that Robert Qu did for her.
But this is too much!
How could she have her own privacy if other people were inside her house? And besides, she stayed inside a prison and had to do menial duties, and thus, she didn't need three housekeepers to clean her house.
This wasn't the only reason why her head was hurting.
A card was on top of the glass coffee table.
She read it already earlier even before the people Robert Qu sent arrived and found it under the door to her condo.
'Meet you at the party.' Was written on it before she noticed the name of the sender -- Alexander Qu.
Yan Xiaoran didn't have to wrack her brains out to guess who it was. With the condition that Robert Qu has set for her to follow, Alexander must be the grandson and the man who will be her husband.
Thinking about it, Yan Xiaoran still didn't get why she must marry Robert Qu's grandson. She could understand it if Robert Qu wanted her as his mistress or work for him but marrying his grandson makes things even more complicated.
Not only does she not know his face, but Yan Xiaoran also couldn't believe that Robert Qu got his grandson, a wife who was an ex-convict and was just released from prison yesterday.
She doubted that the grandson would be too enthusiastic and happy to have an ex-convict as his wife.
Who would want an ex-convict as his wife, anyway? Yan Xiaoran sighed.
Things have escalated too fast that Yan Xiaoran was too tired to analyze and be critical with this matter. She wanted to get things over with and start her own real-life outside the steel bars confining her before.
As she massaged her head, the designer who was busy filling Yan Xiaoran's closet with clothes suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Miss Yan, what do you think of this one? It will look good on you with a high bun styled with a few pearls surrounding your hair." The designer, Stephanie said as she held an emerald green long dress.
Stephanie Choo was one of the designers Robert Qu sent to her as well as someone who will be her assistant. She was of the Filipino roots and very beautiful in an oriental way, her tanned skin was very eye-catching and looked really good on her that Yan Xiaoran even asked herself if she would also look good as Stephanie if she tanned her white skin.
Yan Xiaoran smiled at her and teased, "You know… If other people see you, they would assume you're the one who's going to the party."
Stephanie laughed at her and said, "Can't help it. It's the Majestic Ball! Who wouldn't be excited to attend such parties with all those yummy and hot looking celebrities and socialites!"
Right. Yan Xiaoran raised her eyebrows to her hairline as she nodded her head.
The party will happen on the day after tomorrow and will start at 8 pm in the evening, so there was no need to hurry.
However, Stephanie wanted to prepare and plan everything.
The Majestic Ball was a party that only wealthy and influential people both in the entertainment and business world would attend.
It was created as a social gathering and a place for business to be discussed while holding a champagne glass in their hands. It was also a party that most gossipers would attend to share the latest rumors they heard from everywhere to their peers.
In other words, the Majestic Ball was a hella fun party. Yan Xiaoran rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"Are you not excited at all?" Stephanie asked after seeing her rolling her eyes out.
"Well, I'm meeting my future husband at the party, why wouldn't I?" Yan Xiaoran bitterly said as she looked at the card on top of the glass coffee table and glared at the stranger's name written on it.
'Alexander Qu.'
In the Zhao Enterprise building.
'Pang!'
A loud clattering of folders and a stack of papers fell off on the floor as a beautiful woman angrily screamed.
"Why didn't you tell me that she was released!" Zhao Shuxin furiously asked the lawyer who was handling Yan Xiaoran's case.
Lawyer Yu evaded the folders thrown at him and calmly said, "I already notified you about this a year ago while you were in Canada, President Zhao. I even sent a few emails to your assistant and didn't receive a reply and thought you're letting things be."
Zhao Shuxin's brows knitted tightly together. She actually remembered her assistant constantly telling her that Lawyer Yu sent some emails to her, however, she was away and enjoying her honeymoon at that time that Zhao Shuxin was unable to put it in her mind and refused to be disturbed from both work and other things.
It was until she recently arrived in Mainland, China that she personally met Lawyer Yu and heard of this news.
She was confident that Yan Xiaoran would rot behind bars for 10 years but now, she's been released, Zhao Shuxin's good mood has gone and her face creased into a tense one.
"Do you have methods to bring her back to the prison?" Zhao Shuxin raised her head and looked hopefully towards Lawyer Yu.
Which Lawyer confidently said, "Of course."
Zhao Shuxin released a sigh of relief but it didn't last long as Lawyer Yu continued, "However, this time, it will be hard since there's someone backing Yan Xiaoran."
"What do you mean?"
"Three years ago, I heard from some colleague of mine that someone spoke to the judge to lessen the sentence of Yan Xiaoran to three years and it was only last year that the decision was finalized and passed to the court which was accepted soon after. You even bribed the court to make sure Yan Xiaoran wouldn't escape punishment so, you must know what I'm saying."
"Someone was doing something behind the scenes. Is what you want to say."
"Perhaps so, and this person has a very huge influence on the court that the large sum of money you sent to them wasn't enough to stop them from passing the order to lessen Yan Xiaoran's sentence."
As if she was struck with lightning, Zhao Shuxin plopped on her chair with a gloomy face, "What should I do?"
Zhao Shuxin worked hard to send Yan Xiaoran to the prison even knowing that in this lifetime, Yan Xiaoran didn't do anything to harm her at all. It was just that Zhao Shuxin wanted to get her revenge for what happened in her past life and thus, she ended up looking for every way that would block Yan Xiaoran's way to live a happy and secure life.
In her past life, Yan Xiaoran continued to get in her way and even tried to harm Zhao Shuxin countless times already and died once. However, in this life, her second life was meant to make Yan Xiaoran pay for her crimes in Zhao Shuxin's past life.
However, it was a difficult path since Yan Xiaoran became a completely different person from the Yan Xiaoran in her last life that Zhao Shuxin was unable to get any proof of her crimes.
Yan Xiaoran remained aloof to her taunts and didn't do things as she did in Zhao Shuxin's past life.
Fortunately, Zhao Shuxin found another way to make Yan Xiaoran pay and send her to prison. Zhao Shuxin fabricated all evidence and got someone to become the witnesses to the 'evilness' of Yan Xiaoran.
She made it appear in their perspective that Yan Xiaoran was a scheming bitch and a horrible woman.
Of course, Zhao Shuxin knew that Yan Xiaoran didn't plan to kill her and was coincidentally in the same place as Zhao Shuxin when someone attacked her.
However, how could Zhao Shuxin let that chance slip from her hands? Hence, she pretended and accused Zhao Shuxin of attempted murder and was victorious in the end.
But with Yan Xiaoran's release, Zhao Shuxin was sure that Yan Xiaoran wanted revenge and would strike back.
"Lawyer Yu, what should I do?" Zhao Shuxin was never the clever one. She was only able to outwit Yan Xiaoran with the use of her past life and memories, but without that, she didn't have any confidence that she would win against Yan Xiaoran.
Lawyer Yu was also having a hard time.
He didn't know who was behind Yan Xiaoran that even his team leader and colleagues told him to not mess with Yan Xiaoran or else he would lose everything.
With Lawyer Yu's hesitation being seen by Zhao Shuxin, she suddenly said, "I'll pay you 3 times the amount I gave you. Just do something and send that woman back to prison. If you're successful, I'll even give you 5 percent of shares in my company."
Hearing that, Lawyer Yu's hesitation vanished into thin air as his heart leaped and danced around, "President Zhao, do you really mean that?"
"Yes."
Lawyer Yu licked his lips and looked like he was thinking about something before he suddenly said, "There's one method that could surely send that woman back to the prison."
Zhao Shuxin looked up with a hopeful look, "What is it?"
"In the past, we fabricated the evidence and successfully sent that woman to the prison. But this time, Yan Xiaoran has a strong backing behind her and this will be a tough battle."
Zhao Shuxin nodded in agreement, "So, what do you think is the best thing to do, Lawyer Yu?"
"Yan Xiaoran was just recently released and if there was a perfect timing to do things, this is it. We don't need to fabricate anything. This time, we need to stage something… Like, an ex-convict triying to kill the president of the Zhao Enterprise in revenge. This headline will be all over the country."
"What do you think, President Zhao?" Lawyer Yu added before looking straight at the beautiful woman who also looked at him with a bright smile on her face.
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