My Husband is the Emperor : I Woke Up With a Husband

Pei Gu continued the count, calling Li Lian’s name before Mr. Xie’s for the fifth time. He opened the next card, calling out, "Miss Yue." And another one, "Miss Yue."

Only two card was left with Li Lian being in the lead. Mr. Xie was happy when his name called but now that Li Lian was on the lead with one vote over his, nervousness came over him and he gritted his teeth.

Pei Gu and the rest of the people in the room was also nervous and Li Lian was the only one who wasn’t. Compared to her father, she has less thing she could lose and she knew she won’t lose anything.

"Mr. Xie," Pei Gu called and that left the last paper.

Li Lian raised her hands to stop Pei Gu and Mr. Xie who was already wary of her narrowed his eyes at her action. "Are you fretting now?"

"Hardly," Li Lian mused, "Despite everything you are still my father, Mr. Xie and grandmother wish for me not to be too hard to you." She showed the man a small smile and some people believed her smile as one filled with sadness as though deep down Li Lian didn’t want to go against her father when in truth she had been waiting for this.

"And?" Mr. Xie questioned and Li Lian shrugged her shoulders,

"I was just letting you know that I hope despite whatever the last paper chose, that won’t change," she answered, "Though there will be limits," she added her words in whisper.

Pei Gu then took it as a cue to continue when Li Lian settled her hand down. Like a thread strained to the edge as it was pulled tightly on both sides, the intensity of the air in the room was similar to when one wait for a volcano to erupt. Pei Gu’s eyes widened when he saw the name written replying with, "Miss Yue. With all the vote we collected, today in front of all the shareholder a new CEO have been chose-"

A loud bang was headed in the room when Mr. Xie slammed his fist on the wooden table. "I won’t accept this!" The man yelled aloud, his eyes glared at Li Lian. "You!" Mr. Xie pointed his finger to her, "You must have rigged the vote!"

Li Lian knew this would happen the moment the last card was read. She had a calm look on her face and pulled a confused look in contrast to Mr. Xie’s accusing allegations, "The vote had been collected fairly, Mr. Xie. We conducted the vote in front of everyone where there is no possibilities of anyone to manipulate the vote. This is the answer, Mr. Xie."

"I will not believe this!" Mr. Xie was blinded by rage that he didn’t know creating a scene only put more negatives on him while Li Lian gain the positive for being a calm and rational person while facing the accusations. "How can you, who had just entered this building lesser than an hour gain the position of the CEO? Everyone knows how important CEO position is. One mistake they make would lead to this company’s doom. Do you people know what you have chosen and the mistake you did?"

"Personally I don’t think it is a mistake," said Elder Fu. Mr. Xie had been annoyed and further felt his temper raising with Elder Fu’s words. "How long have you’ve been working as a director of Xie Company, Mr. Xie?" Mr. Xie didn’t reply which was expected and Elder Du answered his own question, "You have been working here for more than twenty years but still we didn’t get the results you promised us when you were chosen as the director. More so, instead of raising the sales, we have been facing hurdles. Indeed Miss Yue came late and less than an hour which can’t be compared to how long you have worked here, but she brought us solution. Solution which you cannot provide."

"Thank you for your words, Elder Fu. I was taught personally by grandmother bout the company. I might not as experienced as Mr. Xie but I am confident with the knowledge my grandmother passed to me. I thank everyone who had chosen me and promise to work for the better sake of the company. My ambition is to make my grandmother proud of the role she had given to me and to do whatever I could for this company."

Once the shareholder left the room, knowing how Li Lian and her family needed a time of her own, Li Lian bowed to show her gratitude toward Elder Fu who smiled when their eyes met.

When everyone left, Mr. Xie’s anger knows no bound, "This is not your place. Do you think this is a game you could play as you wish. The consequences of your action today will not be small and I will make sure you suffer from it!"

"Is that the tone you should use to the CEO now, Mr Xie? I know you were not bright but you shouldn’t forget that it isn’t me but you who are below my position now." Li Lian answered, her smile had disappeared and her facade of a good daughter being blamed by her difficult family slipped off. "Have your forgot who handle the company now and who that could both give you a new position and rob you of it."

"How dare you threaten your own parents!" Mrs. Xie yelled, "Is this because we have kicked you out of the house?" Mrs. Xie saw Li Lian’s eyes narrow and the gesture fueled the woman to say more harsh words, "You deserve it. I don’t know which old wealthy man you live from to get your revenge on us but even with all your hard work being a dirty human, we will not regret what we do that day to you. Instead we are happy that was had successfully driven a woman like you out from our house."

"I don’t deny how dirty I am," Li Lian answered, and Mrs. Xie took her words as a reflection but then Li Lian’s smile raise higher than before, "I mean, I was born from two dirties human beings like you two, no question how I become dirty. But unlike you I can still be wash clean. While you, father and mother, is too dirty that even water gave up washing your grim."

Something snapped on Mrs. Xie’s head. She swung her hand across Li Lian’s cheek but the slap was too slow for her to quickly react and took a vice grip on her mother’s wrist. The distance they share shortened when Li Lian take a step forward. She looked back bleakly on her mother’s eyes raising to slap her back and Mrs. Xie immediately close her eyes, bracing to get slapped and chuckle left Li Lian’s lips. "You always make it obvious how you want to slap me. It’s almost boring that you cannot do anything other than slapping my face. Did the sight of me make you hurl, mother?"

"Don’t. Call. Me. Your. Mother!" Mrs. Xie annunciated each word she said, her eyes widening with anger and her nose flared.

"Being told not to do only does the opposite for me, mother," Li Lian answered nonchalantly. "You know when I was still living in the house I have always wondered why did you hate me and until now I still question it? Can you tell me why?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Mrs. Xie scoffed, her words only become sharper to wound Li Lian’s heart, without knowing how Li Lian had become numb over her harsh words, "Because you don’t deserve to be love. People like you should never be loved by others because you only know how to take it for granted."

"Is that so?" Li Lian asked looking confused and sad, "It’s better if you don’t lie, mother. When one lies too much they will forget which is the truth and lies. You won’t like it." and Li Lian took one step closer to speak next to Mrs. Xie’s ears. The woman tired to release her hand to no avail as Li Lian’s grip was tight on her wrist. "I didn’t question why you hate me because I wish to be loved. It’s purely how confused I am with your action. I mean if you think about it I am the only daughter of you two."

Mrs. Xie’s eyebrows twitched at what she said, and her eyes snapped quickly to meet Li Lian’s black ones that was almost too hollow like the depth of an abyss. "W-what are you saying?" And Li Lian’s smile widened further.

"I meant what I said mother. In this family, aren’t I the only child who have the rights of everything? Unlike my half sister who was born from an affair."

***

A/N: sorry for the very late update I was busy because of the vaccination. Enjoy^^~