It was a hot summers day in late July 1937.

The sun felt as if it where whipping the backs of everyone under it.

Unlike everyone else who where suffering Li Hua was shielded by her best friend and maid with an umbrella, as they conversed in their favorite garden. Filled to the brim with exotic flowers and plants such as Li Hua’s Favorite flower the azaleas.

Li Hua was an eighteen year old lad girl who lived we up to her name meaning “beautiful flower”. She was in deed a gorgeous sight too see, and all the men in town can attest to that.

Li Hua single handedly had all the boys in town simultaneously fall madly in love over with her (looks).

Li Hua was disinterested in them though, because she new the truth. Which was that all of them only appreciated her appearance and not her for who she was. So Li Hua thought they were all vulgar for only loveing someone based of their looks.

Li Hua came from the wealthiest family in town. Which meant that she would most likely be bound by a forced arranged marriage. That was the last thing Li wanted so as she came from notoriously sharp witted business man. She devised a contract with her parents saying that if she couldn’t find a man she wanted yes to marry by her 19th birthday her parents could betroth here to whom ever of their liking.

This frightened her we parents because the contractact also said she could pick whoever she wanted despite their family background. But, knowing their daughters particular pickiness they singed the contract. Which made Li smile from ear to ear.

Li had always been like a doll to her parents or a bargaining chip at their disposalosal. This was the first time me in her entire life she felt some sense off control. And in Li’s perspective active it was as though best thinking she had ever experienced.

That was months ago though on Li’s eighteenth birthday, which meant that her birthday on August 9th was just around the corner. So naturallyurally Li was amidst a crisis thinking off all the desperate push overs who weree on love with her that might’ve work.

She just couldn’t even bring herself to entertain just the thought off spending the rest of her like with any other them. Which left here at

a great loss, because the man her parents wanted her to marry was worse in tenfold.

Xiao Lu an arrogant and selfish man who went to study abroad and thinks he is a big shot now that at he got to study all k we the world becaus his family is “loaded” as he says. Butt he had a good face and a good sense of acting so all the elders thought he was an angel. Only his “friends” from school knew his true persona. It just isn’t so happens that Li was one of those lucky few who gotta to enjoy his true nature.

Li wasn’t afraid of him though, she was afraid of her fair after marriage with him.

“Miss ,miss”? A voice rang out. Li’s best friend and maid Abby who had been calling her for the past two minutes what felt like two years to her. “Sorry Abs I spaced out for a second there”. Li replied still in bit of a daze.

“Are you worried about our you’r marriage again”, Abby said with that knowing look she always had when she was certain she was right. That was Li Hua’s favoritee part about her friend. “What about Thomas”,Abby added. Making Li recoil at the thought. “He is good looking” Abby started to blush furiously and she was looking towards the he grounding in her best attempts to hide it. This little show made Li start giggling as she said “I couldn’t dream off stealingng your man Abs”.

Even if most people had the impression that rich girls are disloyal and will do anything for money or a man. Which sadly was the cases for some other friends of Li.Li was the polar opposite though valuing her friendships over all. Li was the type to do anything in even kill for the people she cared about. Some people found this trait to intense,Abby didn’t career though she found it reassuring to know now she had a badass killer on her side. With remarkable connections so she could get just about anybody to look the other way.

“Urrrgh can we go take a walk around town we have been cooped up like me animals all day”Abby pleaded. “Hmmm I was thinking the same exact act thing, let’s go”.

Both girls were adventurous at heart, such a shame me the lifestyle chosen fore them was the exact opposite. That only made them want freedom more.

As they strolled down the street that made there eyes burn from the smoked of others cooking. Admiring the countesses treasures they were sure to find among the vendors.

Just then a flash off black brushed past Li accidentally knocking into Li sending her toppling over.

“OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY!” The beggar apologized aware that the fault was on him.

He gave her a hand and lifted her up. As her did so she received her first slow-mo.

This man although he was a bit rough around us the edges had sleek black hair fair skin green eyes and a thin pair of crimson lips that runes white from fear.

“No…worries”

Abby almost remedially caught on and nudged Li whispering “Ask him his name, NOW”. Abby insisted knowing this was the young lady’s crush she couldn’t resist assisting her in her moment off need.

“Huh oh right sorry what’s your name”. Li extend a soft perfectlyy manicured hand and said. “I’m Li Hua pleased to meet you”.

The mystery man was taken back by this considering he just tackled her like a wrestler. He responded either way though “Hi miss my name if Fang Xiang”, he returned the gesture and extended his hand as well they shook hands.

And stood there in silence for a minute until Li worked up the guts to invite him back for tea. He accepted the invitation.

And they walked in silence back to Li’s mansion, with the tiniest little snicker from Abby every 5 minutes. Until they reached the house and Abby ran away to break into a full laughter.

While she was a gossiper naturally the fist thing she did was as tell everyone in a ten mile radius, what their afternoon had been like.

All the maids lived off of the gossip since they had nothing else to entertain themselves with other than laundry.

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Meanwhile in the garden accompanied by some flowers tea Li and Xiang as they go by in the book. Sat and started introducing themselves.

“Ok let’s do favoritete color, favorite food, and dreams” Li said with a worried smile, Li had never done this before fore so she didn’t really know now how to.

“Ok I’ll go first blue, har gow, and I think an epic love story to last a century”, Xiang said enthusiastically. Lucky fore Li Xiang had never done this with the so he played along happily like me a clueless kid.

Li was shocked by hiss responses as she thoughtught it would be something basic like wealth or power. Instead it was something as simple as a love story. Which mad Li blush a little.

“Ok my turn blue, ice cream, and marrying before my 19th birthday to save myself from a sad marriage”,Li responded.

Xiang was naturally curious as to what she had to save herself from. So just pried a little,

“what do you have to save yourself from?”

“Arranged marraige” Li replied coolly sipping her tea with a stare to freeze overer hell as she thoughtught of it.

Even though Xiang and Li had only just it’s met Li had a good feeling about Xiang. What scared her was the fact that her heart was beating a mile a minute whenever he looked at her.