“Mom… Mom!”
Her cries grew weaker and weaker, and Xia Bingxin collapsed onto the cold floor, her eyes glistening with tears like morning dew. She watched in agony as the hospital bed, with doctors pushing it, was wheeled away until it disappeared from sight.
Even now, she couldn't bring herself to believe that her gentle mother had departed from this world.
Her heart felt as if something was squeezing it tight, as if tens of thousands of knives were piercing through her very soul.
From now on, she was an orphan, without father or mother.
From now on, she would no longer hear her mother sing, no longer see her mother smile, nor could she nestle into her mother's embrace whenever she felt tired.
A middle-aged woman hurried forward and embraced Xia Bingxin tightly. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her voice was choked with emotion.
“Bingxin, your mother entrusted you to our family, so from now on, the Han family will be your family.”
Though unspoken, she understood clearly in her heart that from now on, she would become a dependent parasite, living off another family.
Whether she wanted it or not, she would have to endure such a life, because it was her mother's last wish, and she could not go against it.
After her mother's funeral concluded, Xia Bingxin packed her belongings from the old rented house and officially stepped through the threshold of the Han family residence.
Before her eyes stood a colossal, gold-plated gate. Looking deeper inside, there was a vast garden, and further still, a grand villa, one of the most prominent in Xinhai.
She walked slowly across the lush green lawn towards the luxurious villa, her sorrowful eyes absently taking in everything. Her body trembled as if a cold current was seeping into every pore of her skin.
Everything was unfamiliar. The aristocracy and power made her feel uneasy.
The butler approached her from the opposite direction. He carefully took her suitcase and said:
“The Madam has been waiting for you for a long time.”
She tiptoed after the butler into the vast villa, her tear-filled eyes scanning her surroundings before settling on a framed photograph on the wall.
It was Old Master Han – Han Zhongzheng, the man whose life was sustained by her mother's beating heart.
Before her passing from the terrible cancer, her mother had agreed to donate her heart to save Han Zhongzheng's life. Because she was worried about Xia Bingxin, she made only one condition: that the Han family must take responsibility for her.
Even if it meant being labeled pragmatic or a dependent hanger-on, Xia Bingxin still didn't want to make her mother uneasy.
“Bingxin, you've arrived?”
Jiang Baihe said cheerfully as she descended the stairs.
“Hello, Auntie…”
“Don't be so formal. From now on, this will be your home.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Jiang Baihe stepped forward and pulled Xia Bingxin to sit on the sofa.
As soon as she caught sight of Han Luoshen at the top of the stairs, Jiang Baihe called out loudly.
“Luoshen, come here for a moment.”
When Han Luoshen saw Xia Bingxin, he scowled.
His gaze was as cold as the Arctic, making her feel chilled to the bone.
“I'm busy. Mom, if you have something to say, say it quickly.”
Jiang Baihe's lips curved into a smile, as if to ease some of the tension between the two young people. She said slowly:
“After all, Bingxin can't just move into our house without a reason. Therefore… I've decided… for the two of you to get married.”
Both of them were stunned by Jiang Baihe's announcement, their voices, one male and one female, blending together.
“Get married…”
“Impossible.”
Jiang Baihe glared at Han Luoshen, and gritted her teeth as she spoke:
“That's also your father's wish. If you don't want to, I'll tell your father. Let's see if your little company can still exist then, shall we?”
Although a storm raged in his heart, Han Luochen still had to force a smile through gritted teeth:
“Please, Mom, we can discuss anything.”
“Alright, let’s settle on that.”
Everything was gradually veering off track, leaving Xia Bingxin utterly bewildered.
She, a wanderer from the streets, had entered the Han family home, and now she was about to marry Han Luochen.
Rumor had it that Han Luochen was an "ice-cold freak," especially towards women.
Living with him was like being right next to a tiger's mouth; just one small slip-up, and she was certain she wouldn't escape unscathed. What would become of her in the future?
Startled, she snapped out of her terrifying thoughts. Xia Bingxin had just looked up when Han Luochen's piercing gaze frightened her, making her shrink back.
At that moment, she was like a little hedgehog instinctively bristling its quills before an enemy.
Seeing this, Jiang Baihe immediately stroked Xia Bingxin's hair to comfort her:
“Don’t be afraid. If he does anything to you, just tell your auntie.”
“Yes…” Xia Bingxin nodded softly.
“Butler Han, take Bingxin up to her room to rest.”
Before the words had even finished, Butler Han had already appeared beside Xia Bingxin, causing her to freeze slightly.
Perhaps because she wasn't used to a life with servants, she felt a little startled.
Her room was on the third floor, right next to the stairs; the interior was like a miniature home.
It was even more comfortable than the old rental room she used to live in.
“Miss, if you need anything, just call me.”
“Yes, thank you, Uncle.”
When he was done, the butler also left, leaving Xia Bingxin feeling lost and alone.
She wasn't used to this place, and certainly not to the life of luxury.
She didn't want to marry that cold-faced man, but she couldn't disobey her mother.
She slowly sat down on the bed, her pensive gaze fixed on the window outside.
The sky today was as gray as her heart, and the withered autumn plants truly mirrored her mood.
To a sorrowful person's eyes, every scene appeared desolate.
She desperately wanted to cry but couldn't shed a single tear. Occasionally, she felt a sharp pain, as if someone's hand was squeezing her heart.
Throughout the long day, Xia Bingxin merely locked herself in her room, not eating, not drinking, not speaking to anyone.
She sat with her knees hugged to her chest by the window, staring blankly out at the vast, boundless world.
The sky was dark, without moon or stars. As the headlights shining outside the main gate gradually turned into the villa, Xia Bingxin knew the cold-faced man had returned. Every time she remembered his emotionless gaze, an uncontrollable fear would rise within her.
Han Luochen walked confidently, hands in his pockets. When he saw Jiang Baihe sighing on the sofa, he paused and asked.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
“Sigh… My Bingxin hasn’t eaten anything all day. What should I do?”
Han Luochen was speechless, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his mother to genuinely treat a stranger so well.
“Mom… there are plenty of ways to repay a kindness. In my opinion, just throw her a wad of cash and send her away.”
Those words infuriated Jiang Baihe to the point of nearly spitting blood. She swung her hand, hitting her son's shoulder repeatedly:
“What kind of talk is that? No matter the cost, this marriage must happen. Quick… now go up and coax that girl to eat for me.”
“I’m not going.” Han Luochen refused.
Jiang Baihe’s eyes widened, her voice urgent and hurried:
“Go… Or else…”
Han Luochen helplessly got up:
“Fine, I’ll go…”