novel
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Translated by CatMeme6
Jia Shao's Quote It is said that at the beginning of time, men and women were originally back to back. After being separated, they looked for each other in the sea of people. If I had known it was destined that I would find you, then I would rather not be separated in the first place. At least, I can face you with my ass for the rest of my life instead of looking at your face.
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In the most prosperous part of the city center, there is an exquisite and elegant ladies' only photo studio. In this busy area, the studio is noticeably peaceful and quiet but it is not due to lack of business, instead, this photo studio conducts its business based on appointments. Every day, only people with an appointment will come to the studio and even then, one of the most popular photographers is still deluged with appointments. In this photographer's appointment register, a booking for a photoshoot can only be slotted for half a year later.
And this especially favored person is leisurely lounging in a chair at the moment, with her chin propped up by one of her hands. Her index finger on her other hand was tapping on the glass tabletop making crisp sounds. Her slender legs were propped up on the opposite stool without a care to her image. Her soft and fluffy short hair seemed to be more unruly and vivacious with her disorganized movements.
The top two buttons of her silky white shirt were undone revealing a beautiful collarbone. Her black pants outlined the contours of her slender, long legs and with a glance, she looked like the French aristocrats of the 18th Century. If she were to be paired with a sword, then she would look exactly like a handsome young boy straight out of an oil painting.
"Ai......." The sigh sounded helpless in the hoarse voice which destroyed the perfect image. A pair of clear eyes narrowed, displaying a look of resentment and the sound of gnashing teeth could be heard.
A woman with a cool appearance sashayed as she walked over in her long skirt fluttering in the air and in her hand, she was holding a box of throat lozenges. She put the box on the table and pushed it over."What is the matter? You have a sore throat again? Didn't you have a proper rest yesterday?"
A lazy hand stretched out to grab the box of throat lozenges unceremoniously and dug out a piece. She put it into her mouth, cleared her throat but her voice was still hoarse.
"Yesterday my Mom called me and said she is coming to pay me a visit from a thousand miles away." Her hoarse voice spurted out the few words through her teeth."She wanted to check on me to see how I'm living!"
"So you were worried and did not sleep well. Is it because the heat* had risen and you have a sore throat?" Her pearly-white nails stopped in mid-air and Fan Qing Kui laughed."Or is it because you're thinking about staying with that person, so now you're listless? And it also caused you to sigh so early in the morning?"
(Heat - In Chinese Traditional Medicine the body is governed by the 'Yin' and 'Yang' energies (Darkness vs Brightness). When 'Yin' and 'Yang' is balanced, the body will be healthy but when the 'Yang' (Brightness) is too strong, internal heat in the body will rise up causing discomfort, sore throats, fever, headaches, etc. )
"Who said I am listless?!" Someone instantly bounced off the chair and in a hoarse voice, she said fiercely."I'm just thinking about how I can give that person a punch and not make the sickly person land up in the hospital."
Fang Qing Kui had an eccentric smile on her face and her eyes looked outside through the brown glass door."Isn't that person in the hospital across the street? If you really want to beat up that person, you can go over in less than two minutes. Can it be that you can't bear to do it?"
A fisted hand stopped right in front of Fang Qing Kui's face."Fang-Qing-Kui! Don't-arouse-my-anger!"
Casually, Fang Qing Kui placed a finger on the fist and shook her head."I really can't understand the both of you. Since both of you are like enemies for the last 18 generations*, why do you still bother to keep both sets of parents in the dark? Why do both of you still have to pretend to have deep feelings for each other? Why don't you forget about everything and just break up, then henceforth have nothing to do with each other?"
(Enemies for the last 18 generations mean that their hate for each other is deep rooted and does not mean it lasted through the generations. )
The pretty face suddenly distorted."That time, his mother had tearfully requested that I take care of him. If there is to be a breakup, then it has to be him not me!"
Fang Qing Kui felt helpless."Is this considered a reason?"
The person standing in front glared at her."Is this not considered a reason?"
"Does this count?"
"Does this not count?"
The two women stared at each other and stupidly insisted on their own opinions.
Fang Qing Kui was too lazy to dispute further."Today, you have at least three appointments. How can you still have the time to squabble with me? Why have you not started work yet?"
The hoarse voice had no intention of letting her go off."Fang Qing Kui, you'd better tell me clearly. What is the problem with my reason?!"
The helpless little gentle lady made a gesture that did not conform to her appearance. She looked upwards at the sky and rolled her eyes."Can you pretend that I did not say anything?"
"Can-not!!!"
She already knew that as long as she gets entangled into a relationship with that person, all the people in front of her would become abnormally weird, diligently study this insignificant problem, and....... .
Seeing those beautiful eyes flashing from time to time, the terrible depression before the eruption of the volcano, Fang Qing Kui only hoped that these few days, no one would provoke this violent person otherwise, she was afraid that those people within 5 meters of her would turn into ash.
But it seems God did not hear her prayers.......
*Dong!* The tempered glass door was pushed opened so hard that it slammed against the wall and bounced back, making a loud noise that jarred the ears.
The two women who were facing each other turned around simultaneously. In front of the door, stood a man with both arms crossed in front of him. His strong muscles visible through his tight-fitting shirt showing the two big muscles in front of his chest which Fang Qing Kui conservatively estimated to be B-cup.
"Who is the Boss?!" A roar sounded and the tempered glass door which had stopped shaking, started to shake once again."I heard you have a famous photographer here who is very handsome. Where is he? I want to see him!"
Fang Qing Kui threw a glance at the person in front of her and swallowed her saliva. Putting on her usual gentle and warm smile, she said."This gentleman, our place here is a ladies' only photo studio and males are not welcomed. If you want your photos to be taken, you can go out and turn left. Twenty steps down the street, there is a wedding photography studio and a men's photography studio."
The man's big eyes showed his fury and his whole body exuded a flame-like momentum. The distorted expression on his face clearly stated that no living creature should get close. His eyes swept passed Fang Qing Kui and landed directly on the handsome young face beside her."If males are not welcomed then what is he doing here?!"
Fang Qing Kui's smile stiffened."This...... this...... let's go out and talk. Otherwise, if my customers come out to change their dresses, they will be scared by you."
The expression on the man's face turned a little better and he turned his head slowly. He had not even started to walk when he suddenly turned back and stared at the young person's chest....... oh....... the name tag that was hanging on the chest. Instantly, the man's voice pitch increased by one octave."Huh? Photographer......."
"This......" Before Fang Qing Kui could speak, the huge man suddenly stiffened and the veins on his fists popped up."Well, it's you! The little bastard I am looking for...... is you!"
His roar shook the room and a huge fist was fiercely flung out."You seduced my girlfriend and made her swooned over you the whole day! She even stripped off her clothes for you to take photos! I'm going to kill you today!"
Fang Qing Kui's face with delicate makeup suddenly changed color and held up both her hands to cover her eyes. At the same time, she screamed."Don't!"
*Dong!*
*Boom!*
*Huala!*
A series of sounds echoed in the small room and there was a feeling as if a Magnitude 5 earthquake had struck. Quickly, the beautifully renovated reception hall had transformed into another look.
*Dong!* It was the pitiful sound of a fist landing on a body.
*Boom!* It was the tragic sound of a body landing on the floor which resulted in a Magnitude 5 earthquake.
*Huala!* It was the sound of the tempered glass table top shattering into pieces when a foot landed on it and the shattered pieces of glass covered the body of the man. The painting was hanging askew on the wall and the chair was lying at the corner of the wall.
Fang Qing Kui slowly parted her fingers to peek between them and saw the scene in front of her. She no longer considered her dignified image, let out a big scream and began to swear.
"I told you 'Don't'! Ah!.... . My studio! Ah!...... My painting! Ah...... ah! My French style round table I just bought! Ah!.... . Ah!.... . Ah!!!......"
Long slender snow-white fingers brushed up the soft shining bangs that had fallen on the forehead and the hoarse voice rang out from the crowd of people that had gathered around."I'm going off to start work."
Fang Qing Kui caressed the 'corpse' and cried."I just bought this a week ago! You still have not paid me for the one that you broke the last time!"
That person had run off and did not hear her words at all. The pitiful woman immediately turned around and lashed her fury at the man who was still lying down on the floor.
"I told you not to fight! You don't even know the details and you recklessly start a fight! Do you know that your opponent is a talent who almost entered the national team that represented the country in the Olympic Games? A person who is fiercely courted by the Judo Team and Taekwondo Team in the country!!!"
The man on the ground slowly raised his face which showed a red mark in the middle of his face that was slowly changing into a purple color. He was cradling his stomach with one hand and he squeezed out his words with difficulty."Can you please help me to call for an ambulance?"
The beautiful woman regained her usual gentle smile."Of course!"
The man instantly fell back on the floor with a pained expression."Thank you."
"However, you have to pay me $2000 for this table first, $100 for causing me a shock, the cleaning fees will be $200 and in addition, 40 cents for the telephone fees." Her smile deepened. Her fingers flew over the keys of her calculator and then she shoved the calculator in front of the man."The total is $2, 300. 40 and the total rounded up to the nearest ten will come up to $2, 310. 00."
"Why should I be paying you?" The man said weakly as he hugged his stomach."Obviously, your staff beat me and he was the one who broke your things."
"So you're not willing to pay up, right?" Fang Qing Kui picked up a stool, brushed off the dust on it and sat down on it. Facing the man, she started to shake her small elegant leg."If you like, you don't have to pay. I will just simply let it be known that you, such a big man was actually put down by a woman with only just a punch which resulted to the point of calling for an ambulance for help. Looking at your appearance, you must be walking on certain paths* and I don't know what will happen if this news gets passed around....... ."
(Walking on certain paths here means he is a member of some secret societies, gangs or criminal organizations. )
She stopped talking and blinked at the man.
And the expression on the person who was lying down on the floor completely turned lifeless."You, what did you say....... . Jia...... Jia....... ."
"Jia Shao is a woman. Without knowing anything about her, you even dare to come here looking for trouble?" She stretched out her finger and poked the man's bare forehead."I get to see this kind of fights every one or two months and they happen on schedule. The timing of these fights is even better than a visit from the Elder Auntie*. You are also very unfortunate that you chose this particular time to look for her when she is in a foul mood. You deserve it!"
(A visit from the Elder Auntie is a discreet way of saying the girl is in her menstruation period. )
The expression on the man became bitter."So, she is a woman. In the first place, why didn't such a strong and brave woman enter the national team? It is wrong to let her loose outside to torment people."
Using her fingers to prop up her chin, Fang Qing Kui's eyes glanced in the direction which someone had walked away. She made sure that the figure had vanished from sight before she lowered her voice."It was because when she was in the Junior Team, she was chosen to enter the national team and a man pitted against her. As a result, she missed the opportunity."
The man's forehead was breaking out in cold sweat profusely. He opened his mouth wide and after a long while, he finally choked out a few words."Is that man still alive?"
She nodded her head hard."Yes, he's alive. He is living a very enriched life and he is very healthy."
In the distance, an ambulance came with the sirens blaring. Two expressionless paramedics walked in with a stretcher and strapped him up. The man held Fang Qing Kui's hand and was reluctant to let go."Tell me, who is that man....... I want to learn from this Master."
Fang Qing Kui's eyes followed the man on the stretcher as he was carried out and she waved to him. She looked at the luxurious hospital across the street and said sincerely and earnestly."You can rest assured....... you will see him soon! Remember, his name is Zhen Lang......."
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