Granting You A Second Life

Apartment 5

Everyone had changed into comfortable attire as they sat around in the living room.

Li Xiuying sat in the middle of the sofa with her legs crossed. Her laptop was in the center of her coffee table and currently playing on it was the audio recording of tonight's events. There were packets of snacks strewn all over the table and on the sofa.

They all sat quietly in contemplation, snacking as the audio recording came to an end.

Ren Daiyu was sitting on Li Xiuying's right, she folded her legs underneath her and asked: "When did you even start recording? I didn't see you take your phone out once."

Li Xiuying: "I started recording as soon as they stood at our table." She then placed a black device on the table.

Yao ChangYing picked up the device and noticed there was a small camera.

Yao ChangYing was intrigued and surprised: "Is this a spy camera?"

It was quite an inconspicuous device. One end had a small camera and the other looked like some sort of small battery pack. The device was only about 20 cm in length and a third of its width was no wider than a little finger. The battery pack was understandably a little larger but no more than a little finger and a half.

Li Xiuying smiled.

Yao Changying handed the device over to Ren Daiyu to have a look: "YingYing why would you have something like this?" Both she and Yao Changying gave Li Xiuying questioning looks. They were confused as to why Li Xiuying would require such a thing.

Li Xiuying just shrugged one shoulder non-nonchalantly. Li Xiuying was well prepared for this evening. She had grasped what sort of man Chong Honghui was from the way Ren Daiyu had described him. Li Xiuying knew that Chong Honghui wouldn't be able to stomach being rejected by Ren Daiyu in such away and he would surely retaliate. She wasn't going to take any chances.

Li Xiuying: "I recorded the play from tonight as evidence." She knew more than anyone how rumors could destroy someone.

In such a situation where it was one persons words against another; the one who could act best would win. The majority of people would believe a lie told 1000 times than a truth told 1000 times. Why? Simply because a lie was usually much more juicy and gave them something more to talk about. What people loved more than anything was to see someone fall from grace. The thing that could destroy rumor, slander and a socialite channelling her inner actress? Irrefutable evidence.

Yao Changying: "Where did you even put the camera? I was on your side of the table so I saw you looking into your purse and fiddling with your phone once. Which must have been when you started recording right? Obviously you didn't hold the camera in plain view but I didn't see you position your purse in order to film."

Li Xiuying: "Collar of my dress and strapped around to the crease."

Ren Daiyu jokingly asked:"Were you trained to be a covert-op? Are you part of the secret service?! What's your code name?"

Yao ChangYing: "Her code name would probably be Scalpel."

Li Xiuying frowned: "Boring and obvious."

Ren Daiyu: "How about The sleeping Lion? Like the saying' she was a sleeping lion.'"

Yao Changying rolled her eyes: "Lion's are male and a sleeping animal doesn't exactly ensue terror."

Ren Daiyu: "It was better than your scalpel. That's like saying her code name should be 'The surgeon'." She made inverted commas with her hand as she said the surgeon.

Li Xiuying: "Death's Escape." She liked the nickname because it sounded really bold. In this life it was mostly the people from underworld who knew about this nickname of hers. She had operated on a few high profile individuals from the crime syndicates as arranged for her by Li Wang; they could pay exorbitant fees. Additionally, having a favor owed to you by a person who didn't blink when killing someone was always useful. Li Wang had built some of his empire by cashing in these favors.

Yao Changying and Ren Daiyu: "Oooooooh"

Yao ChangYing:"That's so cool!"

Yao Changying: "What do you think my code name would be?"

Li Xiuying thought for a moment: "The alpaca."

Ren Daiyu was confused: "Alpaca?" An Alpaca wasn't typically an animal you would associate with the characteristics of someone in the secret service. They were docile and from what remembered their fleece was hypoallergenic. Being described as hypoallergenic screams 'Hey I can destroy you with the softness of my silky alpaca fleece and I'm suitable for the most s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e of skin types."

Yao ChangYing didn't need to speak. She gestured to her earrings, her bracelet charms, her phone cover and background picture.

Ren Daiyu: "Ah The alpaca. What about me?!"

Yao ChangYing: "Honey Bee."

Ren Daiyu: "Why?"

Li Xiuying and Yao ChangYing both spoke at the same time: "They release a lot of pheromones." They looked at each other and then they both burst into laughter.

Ren Daiyu: "I will sue you both for defamation of character!" That stupid Xu Junjie had caused her to be mercilessly teased tonight.

Ren Daiyu changed the topic back to the recordings: "What will you do about the recordings?"

Li Xiuying finally finished laughing: "I'll edit both recordings to cut out Xǔ Junjie out. For the video I'll wait for the correct moment to release it. The audio recording I will first send to your father and then Chong Honghui."

Yao ChangYing: "Why would you send it to him and not his parents? Surely if we send it to his parents they can see what type of son they raised and it will also stop him from marrying that vapid little girl of his dreams right?"

Li Xiuying: "Psychological torment."

Ren Daiyu: "Ah, you want him to be constantly worried about what we're going to do with the recording right? I've heard about cases where a person being blackmailed has eventually killed their blackmailer because they couldn't take the mental anguish of not knowing when and if their secrets would be revealed."

Yao Changying: "Hmm the fear of the unknown, it can drive people insane. But won't that just make him target Ren Daiyu more though? He seems like a control freak and this may push him over the edge."

Li Xiuying: "Chong Honghui and Jia Kuai Hua will attack Daiyu regardless. "

Yao Changying sighed "That's true."

Li Xiuying: "We'll record his threats."

Yao Changying had a light bulb moment: "Oh I get it; he'll most likely call Daiyu and threaten her. Then we can send the recording to the police and report him to the bar; this will probably affect his career and teach him to keep his mouth shut and leave Daiyu alone. You are an evil genius!"

Li Xiuying shook her head.

Yao ChangYing: "No? What then?"

Li Xiuying briefly glanced at Ren Daiyu before looking back at Yao ChangYing: "He will get one chance. We'll send that recording to Chong Honghui's father to show him what his son has become. Chong Honghui's father and Daiyu's father are best friends." Li Xiuying knew that Ren Daiyu was soft hearted. Although she may have wanted to destroy Chong Honghui she knew that Daiyu was a person who dealt with things by avoiding them. Ren Daiyu didn't hurt anyone even when they had clearly wronged her.

Ren Daiyu: "Thank you YingYing." She disliked Chong Honghui and hated what happened today but the Chong's were always good to her and her family. She held a deep respect for uncle Chong and she didn't want to hurt him, if it could be avoided. Parents can't always be held responsible for how they're children turned out.

Yao ChangYing: "I'm glad I'm on team YingYing. You're like a tiny super villain. If I was your enemy I would probably be cannon fodder before I even knew what was happening."

Ren Daiyu laughed: "Team YingYing Unite."

Li Xiuying smiled at her weird friends.

...

Lài Residence

Lài Yongliang looked weary and there was sadness in his eyes as he knocked on the bedroom door before him.

Lài Yongliang: "Shi-on it's me." When he did not hear a refusal he entered the room.

Lài Yongliang sat on a random chair and looked at his brother who was on his laptop.

Lài Shi-on didn't look up from the computer screen: "What's up bro?"

Lài Yongliang: "I have something important to discuss with you."

Lài Shi-on put his laptop on his bed and spun around to face his brother.

Lài Shi-on teased: "Why are you so serious? Mom's not forcing you to go on another blind date is she? I don't think mom realizes that women don't tend to want to date a man that is better looking than them. You're long flowy hair doesn't help either Rapunzel. Women like men like me, ruggedly handsome and able to bench press them."

Lài Yongliang: "I've found her."