Cripple
666 Words
"Xia Qiao, the company is in dire straits. If we could acquire ten percent of the Dechuan Group's shares, we could turn things around. You'll have to make a sacrifice."
"Xia Qiao, your sister is the pride of the family and shouldn't marry that cripple. You marry him instead. This is your debt to her."
"Xia Qiao, as long as you do this, we will take good care of your grandmother in the nursing home."
These cold-hearted words echoed in her ears.
Xia Qiao's face was expressionless, her heart aching with a dull pain.
"Go in! The young master is inside," Butler Qin said, opening the door and pushing her in.
It was pitch black inside.
Xia Qiao nervously squeezed her fingers, standing still, not daring to move.
Rumor had it that Pei Lichuan, the eldest young master of the Pei family, was as cold as perennial frost. After a car accident left him crippled, he developed a severe temper, becoming volatile and difficult to get along with.
Thinking about the difficult life ahead, Xia Qiao's heart trembled even more.
She swallowed, mustered her courage, and raised her hand to find the light switch.
"Ah!"
In an instant, a hand from the darkness grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward.
With a thud, Xia Qiao knelt on the ground, her neck already gripped tightly.
The lights came on, revealing a stern face.
Pei Lichuan, as cold as frost, was also recognized as a handsome man. Standing at six feet one, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, his face was perfectly sculpted with sharp brows, a chiseled nose, and well-proportioned lips.
At this moment, he sat in a wheelchair, dressed in simple loungewear, with a thin blanket covering his legs. His phoenix eyes coldly assessed her.
"Let go..." Xia Qiao struggled to breathe, nearly choking.
Pei Lichuan tilted his head, squinting, his voice icy, "So you’re the one Grandpa bought to take care of me for the rest of my life—Xia Mo'er?"
Old Master Pei had used shares of Dechuan to secure Xia Mo'er as his granddaughter-in-law. But Xia Mo'er, unwilling to marry the crippled Pei Lichuan, had Xia Qiao take her place.
Seeing the disgust in his eyes, Xia Qiao, driven by survival instinct, nodded and forced out, "I am Xia Mo'er. Please let go of me!"
"Xia Mo'er, don’t think marrying me makes you Mrs. Pei. You’re just a servant Grandpa hired to look after me!"
Pei Lichuan's voice was frigid, each word striking her heart like icy needles, sending chills down her spine.
Pei Lichuan had already seen her information. She was a proud and confident princess, after all.
A princess and a cripple? She must be resentful, he thought.
"I understand," Xia Qiao responded more calmly and indifferently than he expected, "I will fulfill my duties."
Pei Lichuan opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
She accepted it so calmly?
His eyes, glinting coldly, fixed on her face. Her small, delicate face held a mixture of fear, hesitation, and occasional compromise beneath her tightly knit brows and amber eyes.
Indeed, who would willingly marry a cripple?
The lure of Dechuan’s shares must be too tempting, causing this woman to bow and scrape.
Deep wrinkles formed between Pei Lichuan's brows.
His eyes darkened as he abruptly let her go, "The eldest Miss Xia has quite some ability, willing to sacrifice her life for Dechuan's shares. Truly eye-opening."
His words were laced with thick sarcasm.
Xia Qiao touched her aching neck, lowered her head, and stared at her toes, remaining silent.
Her silence only irritated Pei Lichuan further.
"Come here!"
Xia Qiao obediently stepped forward.
With each step closer, the cold air around the man grew more intense, almost suffocating her.
"Is there... anything you need me to do?"
Xia Qiao tried to keep herself calm, but her trembling voice betrayed her.
Pei Lichuan's lips twitched slightly, his tone malicious, "On our wedding night, what do you think?"
- Writer
