Chapter 5  : Leave It Like This

On the way home, Xue Xi kept thinking about the strange happening today.

Her pale fingers gently pressed against her chest. She was usually expressionless, but now, she had a look of confusion. Her body had been feeling fine since the afternoon when she was at school.

However, the thought of the pain that she felt in the morning was still terrifying.

‘If you don’t fall in love, you’ll die’… Why did this happen?

Even when she arrived at home, she still could not make sense out of it. Just as she was absent-mindedly heading upstairs, she heard Xue Yao’s surprised voice coming from behind. “Uncle Fan, Auntie Fan!”

She paused in her footsteps and realized that there were guests at home.

The old lady smiled as she sat on the sofa in the living room while Ye Li sat beside her. The latter appeared to be battered out of her senses and her eyes were red. It was obvious that she had just cried.

Opposite the three people were a middle-aged man and woman. The woman smiled at Xue Yao before turning to look at Xue Xi. After sizing her up from head to toe, she pouted and made a flippant remark. “This is Xixi? She looks quite beautiful…”

Xue Xi was stunned, and before she could reply, the old lady harrumphed. “That’s right, she grew up in the orphanage since she was young and has had no upbringing. She doesn’t even know how to greet people and is slow-witted. She is unlike our family’s Yaoyao who has been sensible and hardworking since she was a child.”

“…”

Instantly, Xue Xi shut her mouth.

Xue Yao, on the other hand, smiled sweetly before running to sit beside her grandmother. She acted cutesy and hugged her grandmother’s hand before fawning on and asking, “Uncle and Auntie, what brings you guys here?”

The two immediately turned awkward and remained silent.

Instead, the old lady said casually, “They’re here to discuss the marriage arrangement between the two families! You’re turning 18 years old soon, and once your birthday is over, I’ll let you and the Fan family’s boy…”

“Mom!” Ye Li suddenly cut her off. “This marriage arrangement is for Xixi, you can’t do this!”

Old Lady Xue drooped her eyelids and said sternly, “The Fan family and ours are best friends. We’d set this marriage arrangement back then to ensure that both families can work together and get closer. If you insist on Xue Xi, aren’t you harming the Fan family? We won’t become united but will breed enmity then!”

Ye Li stood up all of a sudden and shouted with grievances, “Why will we be breeding enmity if Xixi marries him?”

She was upset that the daughter whom she’d recovered painstakingly was detested by others.

The old lady, however, did not think she went overboard. “Since you’re asking, let me put it across clearly. We all know how outstanding Fan Han is. He has always been the best at everything and has a promising future. But what about Xue Xi? How can a dimwit like her be worthy of Fan Han? Do they have a common language?

“Will she be able to answer when Fan Han discusses academic matters with her? When Fan Han attends banquets, can she dance? Does she know how to play the piano? She knows nothing at all! If they get together, they will be the butt of jokes!

“But our Yaoyao has always been excellent. Yaoyao and Fan Han being together will be a perfect match.”

Ye Li could no longer argue. She tried to open her mouth, but before she could say anything, the old lady left her with no chance. She turned to look at Xue Xi. “Xue Xi, what do you think?”

When the question was asked, everyone in the living room turned to look at her.

Looking at them sizing her up, feeling conceited or being worried, Xue Xi furrowed her brows.

Although she’d been back for only one day, she understood the situation of this family well.

A biased grandmother, a powerless yet sincere mother, that evil younger cousin, and the Fan parents who obviously looked down on her… How vexing are they?

As for that Fan Han, she noticed him during class today. However, he was nothing as outstanding as they said. Just his looks alone were way inferior compared to that of the man in the store.

A look of impatience flashed across her beautiful eyes and she said slowly, “Leave it like this.”

After saying that, she looked away aloofly and headed upstairs, leaving them staring at each other speechlessly in the living room.

Why does her attitude make it seem as though she couldn’t care less about Fan Han?

Madam Fan frowned and was slightly upset deep down.

After a while, the old lady laughed and said, “Since Xue Xi knows her own place, this matter is set! Let’s discuss the children’s engagement.”

The atmosphere lightened up instantly.

It was unsuitable for Xue Yao to stay on, so she stood up. “Please continue to chat. Cousin probably didn’t do too well in her papers today as she handed them in only after half an hour. I’ll go see if she needs help.”

Before heading upstairs shyly, she did not forget to tell tales about Xue Xi.

Ye Li gritted her teeth and shot a glance at Madam Fan. Indeed, there was a look of disdain in the latter’s eyes. She quickly explained, “The orphanage has only nine years of mandatory education and Xixi hasn’t attended high school. It’s normal if she doesn’t know things. I’m thinking of getting her a home tutor…”

Old Lady Xue sneered and cut her off. “Is there any use in hiring a home tutor? I think that’s just a waste of money and you should just spend it on getting Yaoyao more clothes… Our Xue family’s children are all very intelligent. This child is so slow-witted, and coupled with your family’s genes, she might even become mentally unsound in the future!”

Ye Li’s face turned crimson red from the embarrassment.

She balled up her fists as anger flashed across her eyes.

My family… My father was originally a university professor, but he suddenly had a mental disorder a few years back. Ever since then, the old lady, who is not fond of me to begin with, keeps being sarcastic to me.

Now that she is cursing my daughter…

She jumped out of her seat. “Mom, it doesn’t matter what you say about me, but you can’t speak of Xixi like this!”

Pak!

Although the old lady was old, she was not slow at all. She gave Ye Li a tight slap and interrupted her. “You’re revolting now! How dare you talk back to me in front of outsiders! We’re going to discuss Yaoyao’s marriage now and it’s none of your business. Scram and head upstairs, stop being an embarrassment here!”

Ye Li’s face burned as she looked at the old lady in disbelief.

Momentarily, she covered her face and ran upstairs.

…

Although the room that Xue Xi was staying in was not as beautifully renovated as the room that Ye Li had prepared, it was still spacious and bright.

She threw her school bag on the desk in a slipshod manner and lay on the bed. With her hands behind her head, she stared blankly at the purple curtains moving with the wind.

Perhaps because she grew up in an orphanage, she’d had no wild ambitions ever since she was young.

Her only hobby was studying.

She had a terrifying hunger for knowledge as though it had become a disease. However, all that she came across usually were too simple, and only advanced schools had more profound knowledge.

Therefore, her goal was to get into the best university.

Yet she still had to wait for another year.

Just as she was deep in her thoughts, she heard the commotion downstairs.

Realizing that Ye Li was still downstairs, she stood up and opened the door. It so happened that she saw Ye Li heading up.

Ye Li paused in her footsteps and instinctively turned her head away. She did not want her daughter to see her like this. However, when she walked past Xue Xi, the latter grabbed her hand. Her eyes looked sharp and her voice was icy. “What’s wrong with your face?”