QT: Against My Will

269 5.12 – Keeping Us Alive – The Sleepless Elite’s Wife

Silika Lin’s parent’s relationship sprouted from an arranged marriage. Her father fell in love at first sight, while her beautiful mother was in love with her boyfriend. Her mother’s parents preferred a second rich generation (her father) over a poor school’s idol, around whom girls flocked like little chickens. Her mother, who came from a middle-class family, considered her future aspects.

Her father finally obtained the love of his life. The sad thing was, until this day, he was still trying to win over Silika’s mother’s love. Silika was a product born out of one parent’s love only, her father’s.

Now that both of their prosperous families were falling apart, how could her mother separate from her father and chase after her now, a successful idol? There were so many problems that came with a divorce. She wasn’t the youngest anymore, there was their family, friends, and the public eye. How would they look at her? They would shun her down.

Could Bing Shi blame her mother? Well, she could care less about both of them. They were adults with a child for god’s sake.

· · — · ???· — · ·

Checking her double eyelids in the compact mirror, and comparing them to her father’s monolids, Bing Shi could see why Silika made such a choice. Before the operation, her mother would always look at Silika with a scowl.

‘It’s fine not to have perfect parents.’

‘Life will raise you beautifully.’

‘~ So it could later offer you to Death.’

.....

‘~ Kids remember, the power of love overcomes everything.’

‘~ Note the sarcasm.’

‘~ Don’t forget to buy some protection.’

‘Xuan Mu said no touching.’

‘I don’t even know his size.’

‘~ Buy all sizes.’

‘~ Lube too.’

‘~ Don’t forget the lube.’

‘~ Lube is the most important.’

‘I will buy some in case Xuan Mu decides to appear.’

Grinning at the mirror, Bing Shi put on a face mask and pulled her ponytail through the little hole in the back of her baseball cap. Grabbing her backpack, she carried the heavy trash bags outside. Without the elevator, she had to run down the staircase from the fourth floor.

After throwing the trash away, she went to a nearby mall. Getting a notification, Lu Kai’s credit card issuer verified her phone’s validity. Inputting his credit card information into her phone manually, she was now ready to make payments with her phone. If her father got to know that her debit card received a great sum of money from an unknown source, he would start overthinking.

?Bing Shi:?Can I spend a lot?

?Lu Kai:?There should be no limit. Ask for anything, and the private personnel from the bank will try and get it for you. I saved 188000 dollars on this flight, try to spend that before I arrive.

?Bing Shi: ?Thank You! Do you want me to buy you something?

?Lu Kai: ?Call me after you buy yourself a pair of wireless earbuds and a power bank.

?Bing Shi:? Alright! [gif]

While waiting for Lu Kai’s arrival, Bing Shi first entered a tech store, buying everything that caught her interest, like a new laptop and camera. Next was the pharmacy, where she splurged a small fortune on skincare products.

A few moments later...

Currently wearing a fake designer grey hoodie and washed blue jeans, Bing Shi tried to hide her presence. But with her height of 5,8 feet (172cm), she was taller than most women in this mall. Silika grew up too fast, she couldn’t wear the designer clothes from the past anymore, she was forced to sell them. And as not to notify some of her richer classmates, she started to wear fake items.

· · — · ???· — · ·

Bing Shi changed into a pretty blue dress that reached her knees and an oversized black cardigan. Putting on a pair of white sneakers, she smiled at the youthful image of an eighteen years old girl inside the changing cabin.

She looked down at her occupied hands. She bought some non-expensive outfits, thinking whether or not she should buy some branded items from the street across. Deciding not to, she went to take a break inside a less crowded coffee, choosing a seat behind a privacy wall made out of potted plants. She took off her mask and baseball cap. Drops of perspiration appeared on her forehead, sticking a few strands of her hair together.

When her black drink arrived, she sipped on the iced coffee as she surfed through the internet, continuing her shopping spree for the past one and a half hours.

Her heart rate suddenly accelerated as she lifted her gaze at the tall man that appeared before her. Without any face cover, his cerulean eyes stared at her with a strong zeal, as if wanting to imprint her image into his mind, for eternity.

“Silika Lin?” Lu Kai sat in front of her seat, deciding to surprise her. When he appeared inside the coffee, he could locate her hiding spot immediately.

Bing Shi parted her lips, but no words passed through. Tears started to well up in her eyes. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from him. The nose shape and the little curve at the corner of his lips... Besides the blue eye color and his bone structure here and there, he looked so similar to Xuan Mu.

Lu Kai suddenly stood up, taking off his white coat, he covered head, “You’re staring too much.” He sat back and looked around for something to cool off his body. Rolling up his sleeves, he raised his hand to order some iced water. When the drink arrived, he took a gulp and studied the woman who still didn’t take his coat off. Getting a few curious gazes from the female customers, he leaned over the table and tugged at his coat.

The silent awkwardness was real. It was like a blind date where two parties suddenly decided to sign a fake marriage contract and move in together after a few hours of knowing each other.

Lu Kai didn’t dare touch this precious thing. Why was her guard around him so freakingly low?! He nudged her sneakers with his shoe. Woman! Wake up! He was this close away from throwing her over his shoulder and kidnap her into his car, “You’ll suffocate.”

“Mm... I will... From your handsomeness.”

“...” Lu Kai leaned against the chair, spreading his legs, he supported his chin with his palm, observing each of her movements, “People are looking...”

“At your handsomeness?” she asked, obliviously.

“No. At your silliness,” he said, his mouth in a half-smile.

“Do you feel embarrassed to be with me?” she asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t describe it as embarrassment...” Lu Kai tugged at his collar, the movement of his neck and Adam’s apple made a few women drool over this foreigner internally. “I’d pretty much prefer a place where the two of us could be alone.”

Those who could hear his subtle words would start to overthink, and even more so after her answer.

“Mm, there’s a hotel where they don’t ask for any ID.” After making herself presentable under his white coat, Bing Shi slid the cloak off and tapped his shoe back, “I just bought these sneakers a while ago. Pretty?”

“Pretty.” Lu Kai paid for the bill and put on a face mask. Standing up, he picked up her shopping bags and both of them walked outside the mall.

“Why do you wear a lab coat?” Bing Shi asked. She noticed how their presence caused others to turn their heads their way. Mainly his. She had to say that his white coat added an irresistible charm into his already effortless sexiness. The type where a man didn’t have to put any care into his visage and still look hot with messy bed hair. Similar to the firefighters who despite getting out from a burning building could still look cool with charred, black faces and dirty uniforms.

“Xue Bi was a scientist like me. According to her, people in uniform look important.” Lu Kai answered, “Important people are the kind of people most would trust, and want to talk to. Uniforms give us a certain type of credibility.”

“I can only agree,” Bing Shi nodded, proud of her past self.

· · — · ???· — · ·

When they arrived at the destination, Lu Kai hid his shock, deciding to follow Bing Shi into the building silently.

“You pick a room,” Bing Shi whispered and pointed at the screen, “Did you visit a love hotel before? They are fun, and the rooms are very clean. I may say, cleaner and more spacious than most hotels.”

Lu Kai shook his head, his eyes roaming through the available rooms with various themes. “I want to try all of these.” He pointed at four rooms: mirror labyrinth, prison break, space, and gym.

Bing Shi nodded her head. She picked the room from the picture board and pressed the button that was available, repeating the process four times. They went to a staff counter with a black tint screen.

When the staff asked if they would like to rest for a few hours or stay overnight, Bing Shi lifted her head at Lu Kai, asking when he was going to hold his meeting.

“Overnight,” Lu Kai paid for the rooms with cash and received the keys.