Qian Xi woke up to the shrill buzz of her alarm clock that pierced through the morning silence. She lazily removes her blanket from her face and stretched her hands to turn off the alarm. "Turn off that alarm! It's way too early for too much noise!" Liu Ruolan yelled from her room. "That's what I'm doing" Qian Xi said turning it off.
"I've told you so many times to throw away that stupid alarm clock, or better still let's sell it" Liu Ruolan said pushing Qian Xi's room's door wide open. "Good morning Liu Ruolan " Qian Xi said sarcastically, getting off her bed and stretching.
"You know we have lots of debt to be paid and we could make some quick cash if we sell that clock and that necklace on your neck" Liu Ruolan pointed out while pulling out a cigar and lit it up. "We...what do you mean by we, they're your debts not ours" Qian Xi snorted.
"And who do you think I incurred those debts for huh" Liu Ruolan shot back, her voice rising. She took small steps towards towards Qian Xi. "I used the fuckin money to take care of your sorry ass or have you suddenly lost your memory" she continued, breathing a puff of smoke on Qian Xi's face. Qian Xi inhaled the smoke and it made her choke making her cough.
She quickly opens her window to inhale a breath of fresh air. "I have told you so many times to stop doing that" she replied feeling relieved. "Uhm..don't forget the part where you gambled and incurred a debt that you can't pay" she shot back. Liu Ruolan gave her glare that could almost make a person pee on their pants but Qian Xi is so used to that glare. "Ungrateful brat" Liu Ruolan hissed.
"Listen I've been working part-time jobs and soon I'll pay the debts, just don't gamble anymore and about selling the clock and necklace it's out of the picture. We've sold almost everything in the house so no more" Qian Xi said in finality hoping this will get Liu Ruolan out of her hair. Liu Ruolan nodded but not without releasing a puff of smoke from her cigar and closing the door which made the house shook.
Qian Xi let out a sigh. She wished her life could be better than this. Qian Xi felt very unlucky, she was an orphan, she lived all her life without her parents, she lived in a ratty hole with a woman who knows nothing more than to get drunk and gamble, she also had to struggle to get money for her school fees. She wished that Liu peng(Liu Ruolan's father) had left her die alongside her late parents cause she was tired. Qian Xi glanced at her clock and realized she'll be late for school, she quickly showered and dressed up for school.
There was nothing much to do in school, she was about graduating from high school in about a month time. Her classmates chatter non-stop about the upcoming ceremony while Qian Xi focused on getting a full scholarship into a university. she knew her financial status couldn't afford for college and she also thought about asking Liu Ruolan once maybe she could be of help but as usual the lady told her off. She wondered how Liu Ruolan must have lived while she was young cause the lady dropped out during highschool saying she wants to find her path in society.
Well she found her path alright, a drunk gambler.
Qian Xi entered her school toilet to freshen up when a group of four girls who are very familiar to her walked in. "Did you bring the money I asked" their leader Li meixi Demanded approaching Qian Xi with slow steps.
"I don't have any money with me" Qian Xi replied plainly, taking a step backwards.
"What! How dare you stand here to tell me you didn't bring the money I asked for huh!" Li meixi yelled grabbing a fist full of Qian Xi's hair. Li Meixi's long nails dug into her hair making Qian Xi writh in pain. "You've grown wings to disobey me huh" she spat throwing Qian Xinyi to the floor.
"Hit me as much as you want you won't get a penny from me" Qian Xi said still sitting on the toilet floor, her face void of emotion.
"really, you have some nerve to talk back at me" Li meixi scoffed slapping her across the face. "I'll have to teach you a lesson for disobeying me" she smiled. she grabbed Qian Xi's hair again and dragged her towards the sink, she ordered one of her girls to open the water and she with her followers dipped Qian Xi's face into the water. Qian Xi struggled to break free but they held her tight. She struggled up to a minute before they remove her face from the water then Li meixi slapped her again making Qian Xi's lips to bleed before pushing her against the hard floor. LI MEIXI then kicked her on the tummy with her foot multiple times. "P-Please stop" Qian Xi begged weakly, spiting out a mouthful of blood. Li Meixi and her cohorts burst into laughter.
"Now that's what I want to hear, the sound of you begging makes me feel like I'm on top of the world...right girls" she laughed. She grabbed a fist full of Qian Xi's hair again "will you bring the money now" she asked. Qian Xi nodded weakly, clenching her stomach.
"Now you are behaving like an obedient puppy, do what I ask and I won't hurt you ok .....nice girl" Li Meixi said pushing her to the floor again before leaving the toilet with her friends. The only thing Qian Xi could hear was the faint laughter of the girls leaving the toilet before closing her eyes.
"And where the hell have you been!" Liu Ruolan asked with narrowed eyes when she noticed Qian Xi coming in, late in the night. "You wreak of alcohol" Qian Xi complained limping towards her room. Liu Ruolan took a good look at Qian Xi "did you get into a fight why do you have bruises all over?" She asked with raised eyebrows.
"It's nothing" Qian Xi replied noticing a bowl of noodles on the table. Her stomach growled, she hadn't eaten anything since morning, she didn't even have breakfast.
"Well I'm going to bed, if you're hungry help yourself there's a bowl of cold noodles on the table or better still go hungry like you usually do" Liu Ruolan snorted grabbing her bottle of alcohol and going to her room.
Qian Xi limped to her small room, she dropped her Backpack and broke open her piggy bank. She counted the money in her piggy bank and realized the money was far short from the amount her bullies asked from her. She heaved a sigh and left her room to go eat the noodles. She wondered what she could do. An idea came to her mind. She removed the necklace she had kept hidden on get neck. She stared deeply at the necklace and a sad Expression crept on her face, this necklace was the only thing connecting her to her past.
"I think I will have to sell it" she murmured, trailing her fingers on the edges.