Chances

The world seems to stop, and then finally, a warm embrace made me woke up from the dark abyss I embedded myself into. Smiling at my pathetic self, I hold on to my source of light, the only person who loves me.

Ah, but there's still Grandma Zhao.

I remember her warm brown eyes looking down at my tiny hands, holding it tightly beneath her slightly wrinkled skin, the clean smell of earth still made me smile. Then she would call me her Ah-Xīng, her star.

I could still vividly remember her words, praising me for becoming a lovely young lady. When I was a child, she give me some candies and treats, hide me behind her lovely floral pattern skirts as we played hide-and-seek with Jie-Jie. The way her face turned more radiant, the smile in her mouth widen up and the tone she used made me smile brightly at her.

"My Ah-Xīng, how could you hurt yourself? Did it hurt? Oh! How foolish of me, of course it hurts, come, let Năinai (Paternal Grandmother) see it hmm?"

Then I would burst into tears after hearing her words, then I would point at my wound, my mouth formed into a pointy pout my sister would always tease me that I look like a puckering duck. Năinai would lecture her not to tease me, then I would tease Jie-Jie by showing my tongue in which Năinai would glared and lecture the both of us.

"I want to live"

Her hands were quick to hold me and spun me in her direction. Eyes wide like a saucer, she trembled in delight, as if the greatest gift in the world have finally landed on her feet.

"Wh-What did you.....you say?" Trembling, she ask once again to confirm my thoughts.

"I wanted to live" Speaking in a decided tone, my confidence grew once more when I look back to my Năinai's weary face and failing health due to old age.

"That's good, after all, the two of us know that we're just an investment to father for him to widen his company and connections, to mother, to show off his beautiful and successful daughter to the world. We're just tools to them, and we treat them as necessities, for us to live and be well, we still need them until we're old enough to fly on our own and build our own nest"

That's right.

Ying Li is a successful woman, 20 years of age and she had already built numerous Chain Hotels and restaurants here in Beijing, without father and mother's knowledge. Because of our family's business, she had contacted several people, each individuals have the same goal; to break free from their family's chains on them.

The Jiāng Western - Asian Fusion Golden Palace were built by several young a.d.u.l.ts wishing to be free from their family's traditions. They wanted to be on their own, not a merely puppet for their family and to flow freely like the Jiāng (River), no one to hold them and no one to ever bound them with chains in their feet.

"Remember our promise, our goal; to get out of this family and start anew"

"I will"

With my new found determination, I suddenly thought of the darkness in my mind, still fighting to reign my body but I continued to fought it. I still need to fight, still need to help my sister.

I can live with the Zhao family, but my sister can't. She is too bright, her future is full of opportunities and for her to be caged in that house, it will drove her mad.

So the only thing I can do was to marry, and eventually, have enough power and backing to fight against the incoming war towards our blood-related family.

And I have a certain person in mind.