บท 9: Fortune favors the bold (I)

So, you are Fu Yixiao? and you are only 15? I see that you have gone through a lot. We were both betrayed by the person we trust the most and as things have escalated to this, we were unable to enjoy the revenge we wanted.

At least, I was able to live happily with my family in the past but you, it must be lonely living alone on that island. Fu Yixiao, honestly, it was hard for me to accept that I was reincarnated inside your body for my last wish is to revenge on him. I wonder if this is a coincidence or fate playing its role?

Fu Ya's soul who was now residing in Fu Yixiao's body solemnly vowed "Today I Fu Ya, will live as Fu Yixiao. I will not let you down."

Fu Yixiao opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a man sitting next to her bed. She remembered him as one of the people that were in the room when she first awakened. She looked at her surrounding through the corner of her eyes, trying to digest the new information that rushed into her mind. So, this is the physician court in the twenty-first century? why was it named hospital?

She looked at the 'thing' on the left side of her bed. So, it wasn't a weapon but a heart monitor? This world has a lot of mysteries. She smiled as excitement was shown in her face. In the past, she loved to explore the world to increase her knowledge. She was flexible and adaptive. Hence, her worries had now turned to a frenzy.

It seemed that this world is quite challenging. I hope these memories of hers would help me survive. First, I need to make sure that 'Fu Yixiao' didn't change much. She was a quiet girl...hmmm...quiet and reserved...hmmm...oh no!

The current Fu Yixiao bit her lips as she remembered what she had done previously.

I gave myself away. She thought. Fu Yixiao never learned martial arts or any self-defense technique before. How am I supposed to explain that? on impulse? Yeah...let just say it was all reflexive.

Her mind was actively thinking of a solution when she felt a soft and warm cloth touched her lips. She glared at the man patting her lips. She was angry. A man dared to touch her!

"Who are you? What's your name?" She asked. She saw that the man had no intention of answering as he kept on laughing. She watched him laughed and inwardly praised the man for his handsome look. Then, she heard him say "You're a funny one."

She frowned. Impudent!

"I'm not," She answered bitterly. "Yes, you are." The man insisted. She was irritated.

"Is it funny to ask a person's name?" All she heard afterward was laughter and a thunderous answer.

"I'm Gui Jin. Your fiancee."

Fu Yixiao was dumbstruck. That was the least expected answer.

"Ridiculous! I never had a fiancee." She gave a questioning look. "You do now. Me." Gui Jin smiled.

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't have a fiance, neither do I need one."

Gui Jin looked at her as if looking at an idiotic person. "How about a boyfriend?" He asked.

"What's that?" She questioned. It was a strange word to her. Gui Jin thought that she was joking and said, "Well, how about a male companion?" Fu Yixiao felt a throbbing vein in her neck as she listened to his explanation. She felt an extreme urged to strangle him. She was only fifteen!

"I don't remember having one." She said closing her eyes.

"Tell me when you need one."

Fu Yixiao didn't say anything and pretended to be asleep and soon, she really fell asleep.

"Young miss,"

"Young miss, wake up."

She heard a woman voice was calling to her. She reluctantly opened her eyes. A warm hand helped her to get up and slowly letting her leaned against the pillow. She focused her two velvet black eyes to the woman's face. Her mind immediately told her who the woman was.

"Yun mama." She muttered.

Yun Xi froze. She looked up and lovingly nodded.

"Young miss, we have some matters to discuss." She said, her eyes dropped as her countenance looked uneasy. Then, she sat on one of the chairs next to her. "What's wrong, Yun mama?" Fu Yixiao queried as she noticed the woman's apprehensive manners.

"Xiao er," She saw an old, chubby man was looking at her passionately. She looked around and noticed that the man claiming to be her fiancee was not in the room. She sighed a sigh of relief.

"Xiao er," The man in his sixties called again. Fu Yixiao looked at Yun Xi, she had no recollection of who the man was, hence, she was hoping for some clarification from her.

"He is your grandfather, Lu Ting." Yun Xi clarified. Fu Yixiao nodded.

"Xiao er pays respect to grandfather." She said and clasped her hand, then, bowed. Realizing that she might have gone overboard with her greeting, she bit her bottom lip without thinking. Is this how people greet their elders in this world? She looked at Yun Xi who had been attentively watching her. She blinked and chuckled. "I'm afraid my estranged grandfather will not like me. That's why..." She said as she remembered that the previous Fu Yixiao never had any interaction with the elder of the Lu family.

"Xiao er, I'm sorry for neglecting you these past few years." Lu Ting said with a heavy voice. He knew he wasn't a good grandfather as he never, not even once fulfilled her role as one. He only knew of her granddaughter's existence and whereabouts after his sickness turned severe. He needed an heir and after investigating about Fu Yixiao's situation, he decided to pass all his wealth to her.

"I hope we can start anew. I would like you to live and stay at the Lu residence." He explained. His eyes hoping. "What for?" Fu Yixiao asked. "All these while, I have lived my life alone and I am happy for that. And I plan to continue my life as it is." She said. "Isn't it so, Yun mama?" She looked at Yun Xi, hoping that she would support her.

"Young miss, I... I'm sorry." Yun Xi said, turning her head as she was trying to avoid her gazed. Then, she looked at Lu Ting urging him to clarify. Fu Yixiao felt that something unappealing would be revealed when a distressing feeling surged in her stomach.

"Xiao er, Yun Xi is my second wife. She was your grandmother." The man explained as he passionately looked at Yun Xi who sat beside him. Fu Yixiao was shocked to hear the news, however, she didn't say anything making the two people stared at her nervously. The room was quiet as no one wanted to talk.

"I left the Lu family after knowing about your situation and brought you to Tu Island." Yun Xi finally spoke. This was the secret she always kept from Fu Yixiao. When she was born, she was waiting patiently for her stepdaughter to bring her granddaughter to the Lu residence. However, no matter how long she waited, her wish was never fulfilled. She gave the order to her men to look for information about her granddaughter and learned that she had been alienated by her own parents. She told Lu Ting about it but as he was working outside the city and they were in bad term at that time, she was given the cold shoulder. Hence, she took matters in her own hand and ran away with her granddaughter who was only seven years old.

"Young miss...err...Xiao er, your grandfather has heart disease and he has surgery two days later. I knew this request was our own selfishness, but we need you to come with us to the Lu's residence and learned how the business is handled." Yun Xi explained.

"Do you remember in Tu island, you have been learning all kind of survival skills and business management? I always believe that you will become the heir of the Lu family as well as its prominent business Lu Corporation." Yun Xi added. An overwhelming feeling rose in her when she uttered the word, grandma. Yun Xi loved her granddaughter but she knew she needed to help his husband to handle the Lu family and the Lu corporation. The family had many prominent figures however all of them either had no interest to run the business or too ambitious that they were willing to do anything to get the position. That's why she had decided to groom her granddaughter to be one of the heirs. Yun Xi nervously waited for her granddaughter's response when she heard a chuckling sound.

Fu Yixiao chuckled. She really wanted to applause for their so-called sincerity. There was only one conclusion from what they have explained. She was merely a tool. She laughed as tears started to well up at the corner of her eyes. She closed her eyes and a solemn tear fell down on her cheek. She looked calm but her thoughts and emotions were like a tangled box of yarn. Fu Yixiao, I pity you. All of these people regard you as important but they were just thinking of themselves. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at Lu Ting and Yun Xi. They were looking at her anxiously. They knew what they had revealed might be too heavy for her to understand.

"I'll go. I'll go back with you."

Lu Ting and Yun Xi looked at each other. A gleam of excitement flashed in their eyes.