3 Li Qing

The woman who called out to Li Qing was upon her in seconds and hugged her tightly. Li Qing stiffened at first but relaxed after the woman held onto her for a while. She could understand that this woman, Lei Ju, was a loyal friend to the original, even when Li Qing was having many troubles and persons looked at her with ridicule, Lei Ju was the only one who stuck with her.

Lei Ju released Li Qing and looked her over closely trying to gauge her expression. She seemed to hesitate, wanting to reveal something yet afraid to see Li Qing's reaction. However, she worked up the courage, pulling in a deep breath and blurting in a soft mumble, "You lost the baby!"

Li Qing froze; her face blank for a few seconds before she broke out into crazed giggles. Lei Ju felt her hair stand at attention as she saw her friend laugh, yet she found the giggles to be on the fringes psychotic laughter.

Lei Ju lamented in her mind about her friends misfortunes and sighed. Li Qing had grown up in the countryside at an orphanage taking the name Wan Qing until she was fifteen years old as she was adopted by the Xuan family, due to her beautiful looks, to be a companion to their fifteen year old daughter Xuan Sanaa. However, Xuan Sanaa since young was spoilt rotten and treated Li Qing as a mere maid to wait upon her.

Coming from the countryside into the city, some persons wouldn't be very confident and Li Qing was already very apprehensive and with Xuan Sanaa treating her like a slave, she became even more withdrawn. However, when Li Qing met fourth young master Chu she became more outwardly happy and always spoke of him to Lei Ju, yet Xuan Sanaa since a fledgling had a crush on fourth young master Chu and treated Li Qing even worse.

It was only when the two had gone to a party at the age of nineteen had Li Qing happened upon Li Wen who, upon seeing her nearly had a heart attack; after all, Li Qing looked quite like Li Wen's daughter when she was alive. He immediately took Li Qing for blood tests to see that she was indeed related to him and he was beyond ecstatic. Li Wen invited her back to the Li family and changed her last name again, and began to teach Li Qing about high society.

However, who would have believed that just a year after returning to the Li family, Li Wen died of a stroke. Li Qing was distraught and by the time she looked left and right, her aunts and uncles had already carved up all the assets belonging to Li Wen.

Li Qing was left with nothing but the favor Li Wen had asked grandfather Chu, that is, Chu Vien. Chu Vien honored the promise he had made with Li Wen and got Li Qing and his fourth grandson, Chu An married. Li Qing was glad; she had finally gotten someone to lean upon. Sadly, though, even in her marriage she was oppressed.

Xuan Sanaa came back into her life and had her eyes set on Chu An, therefore, she always embarrassed Li Qing at gatherings and made her look foolish. Li Qing, who had only had a year of trying to integrate herself into high society was knocked right down as she had no experience and was withdrawn.

Of course, she sought aid from her husband, but Chu An was a very prideful man and was very embarrassed to be both married and seen with Li Qing and she sunk even more into despair. Li Qing had a moment of euphoria though, as she became pregnant from the second night of passion she ever had, though it was just a drunken night for Chu An on both occasions, but Li Qing was still relieved.

She believed that the baby would change things ,yet, all she got was the annoyed expression of her husband, the indifferent gaze of her father in law, the miffed gaze of her mother in law and the ridiculing gazes of others.

Of course, she had the support of Lei Ju and Chu Vien though, but Lei Ju is not part of the Chu family and could only do so much, while Chu Vien is old and extreme emotional changes can cause an affliction, so Li Qing would never bring such troubles to him.

She decided though, upon hearing that Chu An wanted to divorce her, she would live for her baby, as she promised Chu An to leave with her baby as soon as it was born. Certainly, the persons who heard they were going to divorce were ecstatic. Yet, it seems that Xuan Sanaa was impatient as she, while only Li Qing and the servants were at home pushed Li Qing down the stairs, the last thing the last owner of the body had seen was the vicious, victorious smile on Xuan Sanaa's face.

Lei Ju continued to watch Li Qing chuckle and saw that Li Qing's eyes were cold, not a hint of a smile. When Li Qing stopped giggling and observed Lei Ju some more, and Lei Ju returned her gaze surprised that she didn't break down in tears as Li Qing was really looking forward to having the baby. "You're..... You're okay?" Lei Ju found herself murmuring this question, but, she began to curse herself inwardly.

Nevertheless, Li Qing still replied, "Mmmmm, I'm fine, this way I can get the divorce earlier."