The First Step-2

"So, we should set an announcement of engagement soon, and a wedding quickly after?" Ava gracefully smiled, fluttering her lashes and TangShi tried not to make it obvious she was falling into a glum depression as she listened without having any control over her own life. She stayed still, held herself upright and in good posture and concealed the sadness breaking her heart. She felt her sisters cold gaze eating her up and her smug smile aimed ruthlessly, and ignored her.

"I want them married immediately, privately. So they can begin consummating and creating a child. We can announce an engagement formally, keep it a secret and then later a wedding will appease the netziens who follow my grandson's fame. I don't want to delay." The grandfather had made his mind up and it seemed the only goal in his calculating mind, was that TangShi produce a child. Family was everything here, and future heirs were how a corporation survived.

There was rumor that the Leng family was short on living relatives after a disastrous plane crash killed several a few years ago and the remaining grandchildren were mostly female and had failed to produce any children recently. Old man was getting on in years and wanted the joy of great grandchildren before he passed. YuZhi was the known heir to take over as CEO, that meant his children would bear more importance than anyone else in his family.

YuZhi was the future of their company, the one set to inherit the majority shares when his grandfather stepped down in the next two years, hence their strict timeline. It seemed Grandfather Leng had found that Miss Cheng was not worthy of a union with his grandson for his first-born child, who would be set to inherit the future company after his father. Cheng was a name in fashion and design but was even lower than that of Lei Enterprise in terms of worth.

TangShi shyly looked up at the second man, assuming it was YuZhi's father and was met with a blank stare of a quiet and bored person. The other gentleman was more on the age line of grandfather which confused her, and she wondered if his father had been late in life when he had a son. She didn’t know the relation of these two other quiet men to YuZhi or his grandfather for certain, other than they looked alike.

TangShi couldn't help herself but be drawn back to YuZhi as the elders continued to talk and finalize the details of her life. Zoning out because she had no say and didn't want to listen anymore. It would all be written into a contract she would sign today, and she could read back at the worthlessness of her value when she was alone. She didn’t really want to digest it while unable to cry or react with how she really felt inside.

YuZhi was staring at his coffee, oblivious to the conversation and seemed disengaged and closed off. Lost in his own thoughts, even while managing to sit like a commanding emperor and looking devastating and devilish all at the same time. TangShi's heartbeat hastened rapidly, her palms becoming clammy and she looked away as the blush rose on her cheeks.

Despite knowing this man was cold and heartless he was still the type of male who could reduce her to a trembling mess. She had thought him beautiful even masked, but seeing him fully now, her heart tore a little and her eyes dampened with regret at ever having let him wound her. One encounter was enough to leave a lasting impression and she regretted it deeply.

She wished she could erase that night and meet him as a stranger. She felt it would be somewhat easier had she never tasted his lips and been eternally traumatized by his kissing her. It had ruined her to be ever being kissed by another and she had actively avoided dating men in the years following. Such was the crushing effect he had on her fragile heart by standing her up. Proving all his words had been lies. She wondered if her lack of self-worth and neediness to find love had been catalysts to how much it had affected her. If she had been someone like Juefeng maybe she would have brushed it off and forgotten him in a matter of days.

She had often felt herself weak and pitiful by being so broken over such a small episode in a long life, but seeing him again, she understood how he could devastate hearts so easily. He was like a god among men. She had basked in his light and been burned for eternity with unhealing wounds.

"So, she will leave with you today? So fast, I was not expecting it. We have not prepared her to leave just yet." Ava's words pulled TangShi back to the present and she froze as they seeped into her brain and sobered her melancholy.

Did they really just say she was being taken from here immediately? She thought this was just a meeting to agree to the pairing. To sign the documents.

"The license is easy to obtain, and we have means to make it happen tonight. We brought the dowry gifts and have transferred money to the account you gave us. We have the papers and lawyers waiting to put it all in motion if you would accompany us, Mr Lei. Their wedding night should be under the roof of Leng and I don't see reason to delay." The old man commanded, his voice booming as though someone dared to question his position and everyone present trembled internally.

TangShi shuddered as she saw her father recoil, intimated by old man Leng, and it was scary to witness. Someone who had bullied her for a lifetime, dragged her to despair and back for his pleasure, was afraid of these new men and that did not bode well for TangShi. She looked down at her clasped hands, held tightly, cold and white, and swallowed heavily. Trying to bring her heart rate to a normal level to ease the growing panic, before raising her chin with a gentle smile, forced to conceal her fear.

"I don't have many things to pack, father. I will do as asked and only need a moment to ready myself." She uttered quietly, that dignified tone that brought all eyes to her and YuZhi almost choked on his coffee. Spluttering into his cup and clearing his throat before hastily laying it down.

"You're the girl? I thought..." he glanced to Juefeng in alarm, back and force between the two women and frowned intensely. Obvious dislike appearing on that all too handsome face and TangShi's blush deepened in heat. This was as good as a rejection and another blow from this cruel man's heart. She wondered why she ever had to cross paths with this brute.

"This is our youngest, Juefeng. You will wed TangShi. She is twenty-four, in good health and very obedient. She will cause no troubles for your family." Ava interjected, hinting that Juefeng may be too headstrong and impulsive for such a deal, and YuZhi seemed to look right through her with obvious sarcasm.

"I thought she was an assistant, or a maid." he rudely retorted, throwing another narrowed glare TangShi's way. Snorting his distaste and making her melt into her seat in humiliation. She knew her attire probably suggested she was not of the wealthy Lei family, but she had always prided herself in her grace and poise that sometimes told people she was from a known lineage. She didn’t think it was that obvious that nothing on her body was overly expensive.

Despite her father's lack of love, she had still been educated well and had all the manners of a wealthy daughter. YuZhi seemed oblivious to her positive traits and only saw her plain dress, her simple hair, and lack of accessories. Things he had been attracted to that night of the ball. She guessed this was a shallow rich boy and not the same one who bought her street food they ate with their fingers, then walked barefoot in a waterfall in a poorer part of the city. That boy was either a good actor looking to gain a girl in his bed, or a plain liar.

"She likes to be modest, to show what a good girl she is." her father tried to cover with untrue excuses about his lack of ever giving her the means to dress appropriately for her title. YuZhi shrugged and turned to his grandfather. Seemingly bored and no longer caring which woman he was forced to be with. It didn't matter to him either way, as he didn't like either of them, or this situation and money could remedy what she wore.

"Can we go? She needs a dress if I am to be seen in public with her. Rhea would be disgusted if I was photographed with someone dressed like a commoner. She’s a fashion queen after all." YuZhi's nasty statement riled up TangShi's heart to instant fury, shame pushed aside, and she scowled his way. Suddenly angered at his rudeness and the nerve that he would insult her right in front of her face. Also, the mention of his girlfriend, which made no sense given what they were here for. Did he have no decorum or respect for her family?

Did he deliberately try to make it clear that even wed, he would continue with his mistress and still treat her as the Madame in this scenario? Was that a dig? TangShi found a piece of her that still contained fire and tried her hardest to simmer this alien emotion. Not used to erupting at any kind of conflict but her blood boiled, and her anger grew like an expanding balloon in her chest.

"YuZhi!" his grandfather snapped and seemed to remind him how inappropriate it was to say such things. Although there was no real malice in his scold, which suggested his grandson was the golden boy in his eye. A stubborn glaring of frowns aimed at one another before YuZhi relented with a bow of his head and muttered apology. The old man seemed to be satisfied with that, smiling warmly at YuZhi before turning to TangShi and smiled to cover the moment. No cares about her father’s shocked expression or Ava’s frown.

"We shall go take you to change into something appropriate for a daughter in law of Leng. Then we will get the license, and you will spend your night in YuZhi's rooms. Welcome to our family, please work hard to not disappoint and the rewards for being Leng will have no limits." The old man tried for a gentler approach, but his insincerity shone through the veiled attempt at caring, and TangShi had to swallow her dislike. The man only saw her as an object to get what he wanted most, and that was grandchildren. She was a vessel to carry a baby and would be discarded when she fulfilled her side of things. She wasn’t stupid enough to be drawn in by fake kindness.

"I will work my hardest to not displease you, Mr Leng." TangShi lowered her head appropriately, her heart dying a little inside and simmering that spike of rage and feeling shame for being so easy to conquer. Knowing she had nowhere to run and hide and not even time to get used to this. By midnight her life would change, her fate sealed.  By tomorrow even her innocence would be gone.

She glanced towards YuZhi from her bowed position and caught him staring right at her profile. A look on his face that sent shivers through her soul and made her tremble in wariness. He looked like he wished death on her and her entire family, for forcing him into a position that he obviously didn't want.

YuZhi snarled so slightly it was almost unseen, but TangShi saw it and a cold iciness moved into her soul and settled around her heart. Reminding her she was never to let her guard down around this man, for fear he would find ways to make her life worse than what it was already.