The Sixth Blood Orange

Mother Liao's ears perked up. It was true that the two men Liao Xue had previously been betrothed to had both died, but what did that have to do with today's wedding, or with Liao Xue?

Liao Xue remained in that listless, dead-eyed state, hearing nothing and wanting to say nothing.

Mother Liao's brows shot up and she raised a hand to strike. "What nonsense are you spouting? Our Liao Xue was only ever betrothed to your family. How can you curse your own son like that?"

The messenger may have been sent to deliver news, but he wasn't here to be bullied. At her words, his eyes bulged. "Your girl's got a heavy aura of misfortune; don't you know that yourself? And you still want her to marry into our family and ruin it? To hell with you!"

With that, he called over to the people who had come to watch the proceedings and turned to leave. Mother Liao, stunned by the spittle of curses, grabbed his sleeve. "Those two dying has nothing to do with our Liao Xue! Didn't Xiaohan like Liao Xue a lot? Why the sudden change of heart..."

The decorations and the guests had almost all been arranged by the groom's family. In an instant, the people were gone and the tea had gone cold. The courtyard that had looked so lively and festive returned to its usual stillness.

In the vast yard, Mother Liao stood under the gate, and Liao Xue stood under the gate too—two people, yet both utterly alone.

Mother Liao rubbed her eyes in disbelief. It was really all gone. The troublesome Liao Xue hadn't married away, the betrothal gifts that had been within reach had flown off, and nothing was left.

Suddenly, Mother Liao shoved Liao Xue hard. The slight girl, as fragile as a willow in the wind, toppled to the ground. "It's all your fault, you curse on this house! Can't even marry you off—and now your reputation as a jinx has spread; you're stuck on my hands! Why am I so unlucky? First I married your good-for-nothing father, then I gave birth to you, a worthless drain. You might as well have run off with that Shen boss..."

Liao Xue's heart stirred. Shen boss? Run off?

It was as if the reaper had snatched away her soul by mistake and then returned it. Could it be that Shen Qiancheng had done all this... she just had some things to deal with and hadn't had time to explain before leaving.

It must be so. It had to be so. It absolutely was so!

She would call Boss Shen and say thank you.

Liao Xue let out a long, slow breath. The boulder that had been crushing her chest finally settled. She adjusted her tone and dialed the number saved under the note "Boss Shen."

After a strong, melodic ringtone came a voicemail prompt. Clearly, no one had answered.

Not answering was fine. Boss Shen must be busy—busy handling things so she could come back and take Liao Xue home to Tang City.

Liao Xue pressed the phone to her heart and basked in the warm sunshine of the day, content.

When Mother Liao finished her screaming tirade, she saw that Liao Xue's face actually held a smile. Liao Xue could still smile? Right—she didn't have to get married now; she must be overjoyed.

She wouldn't let Liao Xue have it easy!

Mother Liao glared, seized Liao Xue's arm viciously, and dragged her toward the house. "So smug about not marrying, are you? You don't even know your own name. Since no one will have you, you don't need to eat either. You can just wait in there and die!"

Mother Liao's hands, hardened by years of farm work, were immensely strong. In the blink of an eye, she had hauled Liao Xue to the doorstep. Liao Xue's thin body, like a butterfly with a broken wing, drifted precariously to the threshold.

Liao Xue snapped back to her senses. Her eyes, fierce and savage, locked onto Mother Liao's, sending a chill up the older woman's scalp.

Was this still the Liao Xue she had beaten since childhood?

Bang!

Mother Liao was shoved aside, twisted her ankle, and crashed to the ground. The searing pain in her ankle reminded her—the Liao Xue before her still wore that passive, easy-to-push-around look, but inside, she was no longer the girl who had meekly accepted her fate.

This was not the Liao Xue she had raised under her fist.

Mother Liao lay sprawled on the ground, eyes darting around in shock. She had to admit it—she was a little afraid of Liao Xue now.

From Liao Xue's first runaway, to her cutting ties as mother and daughter outright, to her stalling attempt to escape...

Mother Liao was keenly aware that Liao Xue was not to be provoked anymore.

But the fact remained that Liao Xue could never marry again now. It was as galling as a real estate purchase that turned out to be a half-finished ruin. She'd only wanted to vent. Even with a hundred times the courage, she wouldn't dare actually kill someone.

Now her ankle was hurt, and Liao Xue stood before her completely unharmed. Mother Liao felt both fear and helplessness.

Liao Xue had nothing to say to Mother Liao. The woman before her had raised her, yes, but everything Mother Liao had done had already paid off any filial debt between them.

What was there to say to someone with whom she had no further ties?

All she needed to do was wait obediently for Boss Shen to come fetch her.

At the thought of Shen Qiancheng, the corners of Liao Xue's lips lifted involuntarily. She wished she could appear before Shen Qiancheng this very instant.

Mother Liao watched Liao Xue walk back to her room in silence, a faint smile on her face, and felt a pang of regret—why hadn't that Shen boss just taken the girl away after all?

No sooner had Liao Xue entered her room than the phone rang.

The two characters "Boss Shen" on the screen were a contact name Shen Qiancheng herself had taught Liao Xue to type in. Back then, Shen Qiancheng had thumped her chest and promised, "If anyone ever bullies you or makes you suffer, call me. I'll go beat them to death!"

A warmth spread through Liao Xue's chest. She answered naturally. "Are you still going to need some more time before you can come pick me up?"

It doesn't matter, Liao Xue thought. I can wait as long as it takes.

Over the line, Shen Qiancheng sounded as if she had just woken up—her voice lazy, hoarse, and carrying a hint of something seductive. "Don't call me anymore, okay?"

It was phrased like a negotiation, but the tone was pure impatience. The last two syllables trailed off with a long drawl. Liao Xue could picture exactly the angle at which Shen Qiancheng's brow arched when she said it, and the furrow that creased her mind.

She knew Shen Qiancheng too well—so well that she could tell there was not a trace of pretense in the other woman's words.

Liao Xue's heart plummeted into the deep sea. The crushing pressure and suffocation stole her breath. She paused a full thirty seconds before forcing out, "Why... can't I call?"

Her old stammer, dormant for so long, had resurfaced. In her mind, she silently prayed that this was only a small, cruel prank by Shen Qiancheng.

Shen Qiancheng's voice dripped with impatience, even cruelty. "Liao Xue, the groom treated you well enough. I'm going back to my own life now. Let's part with some dignity, all right? Just pretend we never knew each other."

Liao Xue's face went paper-white in an instant. What did she mean, pretend they never knew each other?!

Shen Qiancheng went on. "I don't want to say anything too harsh. Don't take yourself so seriously. It was a mutual affair; don't get too caught up in it."

Liao Xue's whole body trembled, and her voice shook as she asked, "What do you mean... don't get caught up in it?"

Shen Qiancheng sighed on the other end. "Liao Xue, I'm not gay. I never expected that while I was wholeheartedly helping you, you'd have feelings like that. Your affection has given me a huge psychological scar. You make me feel physically disgusted."

Disgusted. She says I disgust her.

Liao Xue's mind was filled with the word "disgusted." Why would Boss Shen think of her that way?

Didn't being good to her mean she liked her?

Why would anyone stick their neck out for a complete stranger?

Had she been misreading all along?

If she didn't like her, why be so good to her—good enough that Liao Xue had misread it so completely?

And then what was this running off without a word supposed to mean!

Shen Qiancheng kept talking. "I'm the type to pay back every grudge. You stole a kiss from me, so I've paid you back with a god-awful marriage. How's that? Happy wedding, Liao Xue."

A bang—like fireworks exploding in Liao Xue's skull.

Hahaha. So it had all been fake. All of it.

And here she was, still making excuses for Shen Qiancheng's unannounced departure. A single reason that couldn't hold up under the slightest scrutiny, and she'd gone scampering eagerly into the trap Shen Qiancheng had set.

Liao Xue, how cheap are you?

A daughter who'd been pampered and spoiled all her life—why would she ever like you?

Liao Xue had no idea when Shen Qiancheng hung up. Her mind was reeling from the deluge of information, her whole being as if it had exploded.

She didn't understand. She really didn't understand.

Even if Shen Qiancheng didn't like her, why go this far?

Liao Xue's eyelids were heavy. The sleep she had sacrificed the night before in her excitement now crashed down on her in full force.

She didn't want to think about anything anymore. She just wanted to sleep—a good, complete, unresting sleep.

It really was a prank. A colossal, cruel prank.

One day, two days, three days.

Mother Liao watched the shut door. On one hand, she was glad Liao Xue wasn't eating and saving her money; on the other, she worried that Liao Xue might actually starve to death in there.

Finally, toward evening on the third day, Mother Liao took away her tenth untouched tray of food. Before turning away, she cast a long, significant look at the door.

Yesterday she had asked around—if someone starved to death at home, would the family face legal consequences?

The answer was that they would need to show they had taken action. So Mother Liao had taken to placing food outside Liao Xue's door with obvious ceremony and inviting others over to witness it.

But she was still a little afraid Liao Xue might actually starve. After all, she had raised her for so many years—it really hadn't been easy. What if some bold and reckless man with a hard life still wanted to marry Liao Xue?

She absolutely couldn't let Liao Xue starve to death.

At her wit's end, Mother Liao remembered that Liao Xue seemed to trust the Village Chief's family. She decided to ask them to come persuade her.

Mother Liao sighed and waved Liao Feiyu over to fetch the Village Chief. Seeing Little Feiyu tugging at her clothes and blinking up at her expectantly, she ruffled his hair, pulled a snack from her pocket, and said, "On the way back, stop by the shop and buy yourself something you like."

Liao Feiyu immediately broke into a delighted grin. Money in hand, he bounded off to find the Village Chief.

Mother Liao straightened up. The more pressing matter now was dragging Liao Xue out of that room.

Trying to get Liao Xue to open the door on her own was about as hopeless as teaching calculus to a husky.

Mother Liao fetched an axe from the storage shed. Though it hadn't been used in years, the blade still carried a glint of biting cold that sent a shiver down anyone's spine.

By the time the Village Chief arrived, Mother Liao was already swinging the axe with furious determination. The Village Chief cried out in alarm, "Shen-Jun's wife! Killing people is against the law!"

Mother Liao brought down the final blow, and the door flew open, revealing the room in its entirety.

In the otherwise tidy and clean room, the tousled double bed stood out starkly. On it sat Liao Xue, knees drawn up to her chest, head bowed low.

Below a stretch of pure white neck, her shoulders trembled faintly. Her ears were red. When she lifted her head to look at the doorway, her eyes were red too, her nose tinged pink, and two great pools of tears brimmed in her gaze.

The Village Chief's heart clenched. He had witnessed the friendship between Miss Shen and Xiao Xue. It was only natural that she'd be upset when her first real friend left without a word—but to cry for three days and nights, until her voice was hoarse and broken...

"You're here?" Liao Xue's voice came out rough and raspy.

The Village Chief's chest felt tight. He weighed his words for a moment, then pulled out his phone. The screen displayed a tabloid article. "Miss Shen was in a car accident in Tang City. She's unconscious now."

A rapid slideshow of their moments together flashed through Liao Xue's mind. She shot to her feet, tore herself free from everyone, and ran out the door.