Unfortunate Encounter
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The first thing on her list of things to do was to get cleaned up. She stank of dried sweat and the feeling of dirt on her was uncomfortable. Hopping into the shower, she cleaned herself with much more ease than before. Now, she used shampoo, conditioner, and body soap separately. Although it was more work, the feeling of her silky hair afterwards and the fruity fragrance of her body started to grow on her. Maybe it wasn’t so pointless after all…

When she finished showering, she wrung out her hair with the towel and put on the bathrobe. Looking around at the oversized and lonely suite, Xuemei felt some boredom come over her. There really was not much for her to do while waiting by herself. She did not know anyone in this area, either. She decided to go to the living room area and turn on the T.V. Flipping through the channels, she came across all sorts of different shows, but none of them really caught her interest. From the beginning, she was not someone really interested in watching T.V. shows. She would much rather spend her time going out and having fun. Feeling too bored to continue trying to find something and too energetic to just sleep, Xuemei made up her mind to go out and have some fun. Who said one could not go out and have fun by yourself?

Running over to her room, she opened up the closet with her clothes that she unpacked earlier. Once again frustrated by the choices, she added “shopping for clothes” to the list of things to do when she goes out. Since fate allowed her to be reborn into a rich family, she should allow herself to spend a little more freely. Anyways, my parents seem to be getting antsy since I’m not spending money like I used to. They keep reading into my behavior too much and think that everything is a sign of depression. Finally relenting, she picked out the blue dress since that was her favorite color and tan flat sandals that matched well. It was a baby blue dress with flowy sleeves, a deep V-cut that showed off her chest, and a ribbon tied around the waist to accentuate its thinness. After checking herself out, Xuemei felt like she was drooling over her own body. 

“Mama Tang knows her business, she managed to pick such a flattering dress. It still goes down to my knees so I do not feel uncomfortable either. I’m such a hottie, aren’t I?” Xuemei whistled as she eyed herself in satisfaction. “I guess only I can be this narcissistic without actually being crazy, right?” 

Tying the sandals on, she finished her preparations by grabbing her phone and wallet. Noticing that she did not have any pockets, Xuemei had no choice but to go searching for a bag. The normal ones would slip down and get annoying, so she chose the cross body one. It was better for safety against robberies, as well. Going over and making sure she had everything, Xuemei speedily made her way to the lobby once more. Since this hotel was right in the center of the city, she decided to forego taking a taxi and just pulled out her phone to find the nearest mall. Luckily, it was only around a 15-minute walk away. 

“Today’s weather is perfect for a walk, anyways!” Breathing in the fresh air, Xuemei enjoyed the slight breeze that kissed her face gently. Her long locks of hair billowed with the wind and carried a sweet hint of vanilla fragrance from her conditioner. Only pausing for a moment, she soon opened her eyes and began following the app’s directions. Little did she know that she caught the attention of the one of the women going into the hotel. 

“That’s…” The woman’s eyes widened in shock before filling with disdain. She thought about approaching for a moment, before turning back around thinking the girl was not worth her time. However, she did not forget to send out a message in the family group chat.

“Hey, hey, it seems that girl woke up.” Very soon, answers started popping up.

“That girl?”

“Mom, who are you talking about?”

“A-Zhen, do you mean that disgrace?”

“Of course, who else could I be talking about?” The woman sneered and replied back.

“Disgrace? Mom, Aunt, why don’t you guys talk clearly?!”

“Stupid son, of course, it’s your Second Uncle’s daughter.”

“Tang Xuemei?! Didn’t she commit suicide?”

“She was in a coma last I heard. A-Zhen, did she wake up?”

“I’m almost positive I just saw her. She was definitely older, but I wouldn’t forget her face.”

“Well she always was beautiful, if only she weren’t so useless.”

“I can’t believe that they did not let us know. We are still family! We even visited the hospital a couple times.”

“Don’t be so fake, Biaomei1. You know we all visited once and you were the worst. You made fun of Xuemei while she was in a coma. Second Uncle and Aunt threw us out in a fit then told us not to show our faces around them anymore. I mean you’re pretty much the reason they cut ties with us. Just because it’s been three years doesn’t mean you should already forget.” 

“Lei-ge, why are you bringing this up now?! I already apologized back then. Plus, it’s not like I said anything wrong. Second Uncle and Aunt were just being too sensitive. They spoiled her rotten and were blind to her faults!”

“Enough! I just wanted to let you guys know. It seems she’s staying in G City for a little. I only mentioned because I thought if you saw someone we all thought was dead, you would be too shocked.” The woman ended the conversation and put her phone away. She took one last look at the girl dressed in blue before going about her business.

Little did Xuemei know that she could actually cross paths with her father’s side of the family here. Actually, her entire family had cut ties with the Main Tang Family three years ago, so all of them forgot that part of the family lived in G City. With her jumbled memories, she was the last person who would remember such details.

Unaware of the conversations about her ensuing, Xuemei decided to put in her earphones and listen to some music. She just leisurely walked along the sidewalk with a skip in her step while humming along to the music. No doubt her looks already turned heads and her pleasant attitude and smile caused the innocent passerby to blush. Although she was not oblivious towards the looks people were giving her, Xuemei decided to just ignore them. It was not like she was famous yet, so she should enjoy these days of anonymity while they lasted. Since her goal was to be famous in this life, then that meant she was giving up her ability to openly go places.

Getting there faster than expected, Xuemei soon walked through the doors of the mall. Other than being taller than the malls he was used to, the set-up was fairly similar.

“It seems malls are the same everywhere.” She muttered to herself. “But that just makes it easier for me to find things.” Was what she thought, but after walking around for just a minute she realized that she had never gone shopping for women’s clothes before! 

“Hmmm… what should I do?” She felt a little lost before noticing a brochure for the mall was available. Taking one for herself, she looked over the list of women’s apparel stores. Finding the one closest to herself, she decided to start there. If it was not the style she was looking for then she could just move on to the next. When she entered through the doors of the first shop, the attendants greeted her enthusiastically.

“Welcome, Miss. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?” This employee always prided herself on her eyes. The beautiful girl in front of her had the atmosphere and limited edition brand name clothes to match up with it. She was definitely from a rich family!

“Uh… no, that’s okay. I just want to look around.” Taken aback by the eagerness, Xuemei stuttered before rejecting her. Even she was not sure what she wanted to buy, how could she direct someone else to assist her?

“Alright, just let me know if there is someone that catches your eye. I can open up a fitting room for you.”

“Okay, thanks.” 

However, after looking through these clothes, they were all mostly formal and not suited for casual occasions. Plus, looking at the prices, it was definitely a brand name store. Frowning, Xuemei decided that this store was not right and moved on. She made sure to say goodbye to the friendly girl from before. The employee watched her leave with disappointment. It seems she would not get a large commission today.

Store by store was passed by. All of them are not really what Xuemei was searching for. Finally, she walked into one that was much more casual than the rest. Smiling for the first time, Xuemei started searching through the clothes. They were mostly solid colors or plainer designs, but the quality was nice and comfortable. The prices were also reasonable. Nodding in approval, she decided this would be the store. Picking out a couple casual shirts, shorts, and sneakers, she went to the dressing rooms to try everything on. With her tall and lean body, she realized the true meaning of a “clothes hanger” body. It seemed that everything looked good on her! The rest of the people waiting outside giving opinions were also impressed by Xuemei. One guy in particular walked up and tried to get her number. Although she felt uncomfortable on the inside, she knew that it would be unreasonable to react so oddly to an innocent guy. So, she rejected him as politely as possible. 

Walking out of the dressing rooms with all her clothes in tow, she noticed some nice looking ball caps as well. Picking out two that matched with her outfits, she brought everything to the counter to check out. Granted, she knew that it was a lot, but she really could not bear spending any more time in this mall. Buying everything she needed all at once felt more convenient. Glancing at the zeros in the price, her heart dropped a little. However, earlier when she was looking through the clothes, some of them still had their price tags on. The total sum of all these outfits was still less than one dress! Understanding in her head that she was not using too much was one thing, but actually handing over the card to pay was another. Her hesitation lasted only for a moment, and she quickly handed over her card. Before she knew it, the transaction was over and the clothes bags were in her hands as she walked out of the store. That was thousands of U.S. dollars by her calculations. She spent thousands of dollars just like that. She spent more than the majority’s monthly wages in just a couple minutes. It was a truly surreal experience.

Part of her felt guilty for spending so much of her parents’ money, but another part of her felt this thrill on the inside. This was what it was like to just buy whatever you liked in the stores! No deciding on your absolute favorite or whether things would be worth the money. A simple mantra of “if you like, buy!”


Still feeling a little spaced out, Xuemei wondered around the mall slowly pondering if she spent too much after all...

“Xuemei?” Someone approached from the side as they walked out of a store as well.

“I can’t believe I actually ran into you! Mom was just texting us today that she saw you. But, did you just come out of shopping from this store? Are Second Uncle and Aunt struggling financially lately?” Hearing a sharp, high tone that was laced with disdain, Xuemei broke out of her daze. Furrowing her brows, she glanced at the person speaking to her.

“Who are you?” She asked while combing through her dusty memories.

“Tang. Yue. Chan! Your cousin! Did the coma give you brain damage or something?” The girl answered while gritting her teeth. She felt frustrated as if her punches hit cotton.

As if triggering something, Xuemei was hit by a bunch of memories with this so-called cousin of hers. Unsurprisingly, they were mostly not happy ones. There was no overt violence, just constant belittling. Tang Yuechan was harsh with her words and did not hold anything back. But from what Xuemei could see from the memories, her cousin’s words cut deep but were not completely wrong. Calling Xuemei an idiot who was too coddled by her parents was a correct assessment. Yuechan, unlike the original Xuemei, was extremely intelligent and hardworking. She always worked to be the top of her class and even participated in national championships for traditional dance. The two were of similar age, but grew up in entirely different environments. From the original’s memories, Xuemei saw that her First Uncle and First Aunt had a very precarious relationship because of her uncle’s infidelity. Neither of them showed much affection to the children they bore together due to the mutual distaste they felt for each other. However, their marriage was a political one that brought together their families, so they could not get divorced so easily. Tang Yuechan and her younger brother, Tang Xia, both grew up watching their parents fight. Thus, watching Xuemei take her parents for granted infuriated Yuechan. At first, she still tried to treat Xuemei genuinely and push her towards a better attitude. Later, she could not help but grow jealous of the things that someone like Xuemei could receive just because of her luck. The situation deteriorated to the point that, anytime they met, Yuechan would pick at all of Xuemei’s faults. 

As an outsider looking in on this relationship, the current Xuemei could not put together any feelings of resentment towards the young girl in front of her.

“Have you grown mute from the fall? Well, if that were true, it would be a blessing for your family.” Yuechan sneered.

“Unfortunately, I have not grown mute. I was just thinking of some things. It’s true that my memories have not been organized since waking up. It took a while to remember you.” Xuemei responded calmly.

“Hmph, seeing as you are shopping here, Second Uncle and Aunt must have finally come to their senses and seen through you. Cutting down on your allowance was good of them. Maybe this time you will learn something about responsibility.”

Before Xuemei could answer back, another angered voice retorted back first.

“Whose allowance has been cut down? Our Xuemei can buy whatever she wants, since when did we limit her?”

Chills running down her spine, Xuemei looked over and, as expected, she found her older brother standing behind her. Smiling wryly, she knew that things would not end simply this time.

“Liang-ge! Are you here for work?” Yuechan looked shocked at first but soon calmed down.

“Don’t call me so familiarly. Our family no longer has anything to do with the Tangs, you especially.” Xueliang snapped back while looking clearly disgusted. Yuechan bit her lip unhappily hearing his hurtful words.

“Liang-ge, I apologized that time, didn’t I? Why such a big fuss still? Isn’t Sister Xuemei alive and well right now?”

“Sorry, I guess I do not have Tangmei’s2 broad heart. I do not forget grudges so easily.” Xueliang retorted sarcastically.

“I did not truly want Sister Xuemei to suffer or die! I was just frustrated that Liang-ge, Second Uncle, and Second Aunt were too blind back then and would continue indulging her even though things had gotten to that point.” Huffing in anger, Yuechan truly felt unfairly accused. It’s true that she said mean things and the more superstitious could say she even cursed her cousin to die. But, really, she just felt bad for her relatives who seemed like such great people but were constantly suffering and losing face due to their incompetent daughter. Even now, she regretted her words so much that her intestines were green. A minimal error at the start now led to this wide divergence in the distance3.

“Alright, Brother, no need to make a big deal about nothing. Am I not fine? I don’t know what Cousin Yuechan said while I was unconscious, but she was right that I needed to reflect on my actions. Haven’t I been doing so lately? There is no need to hold any grudges. You’re a big man, anyways, how can you be so petty with a younger girl?” Xuemei surprisingly did not hide behind Xueliang and support him, instead she stepped out taking Yuechan’s side. Herself not included, Xuemei’s actions shocked the two of them to a standstill. Xueliang looked hurt that his beloved little sister was not taking his side, while Yuechan could not adapt to this new sensible Xuemei.

“See! Even Sister Xuemei can see it. Mei Mei, I’m glad that you have changed your ways. Looking at you now, you really feel different. I hope that this time you will learn to appreciate the right things and stop obsessing over boys and the like. You need to act like a proper lady of the Tang family!” Overjoyed by the turn of events, Yuechan gloated to Xueliang before turning to Xuemei to continue to lecture her. 

Xuemei just rolled her eyes inwardly. Alright, maybe this girl was pretty annoying. It seems the original’s dislike was not completely uncalled for. If someone the same age as you kept nagging you like an elder, who would not get at least a bit annoyed?

“Yes, yes~ whatever you say. Anyways, I’m done shopping now and am exhausted. I’m going to head back to the hotel.” Xuemei remarked leisurely before turning around and walking towards the exit.

“Mei Mei! Wait for you brother!” Xueliang chased after her tail. 

Yuechan wanted to stop them, but then realized there was nothing left to say. She just watched the two siblings with a queer expression on her face. Her cousin seemed to have really changed after her near-death experience. Plus, this change seems positive…

“I guess I should be happy about this.” She murmured to herself. This was exactly the change she had been hoping for, just... it came a little too suddenly! Yuechan had been nagging at her cousin for so long and their interactions normally turned into loud fights. Now that they could speak normally, she was not really sure what to say.


  1. If you are referring to a cousin on your mother's side, it starts with "biao-" and ends with any of the following "-mei (younger girl)", "-di (younger boy)", "-jie (older girl)", or "-ge (older boy)"
  2. If you are referring to a cousin on your father's side, it starts with "tang-" and can have the same endings as the stuff above.
  3. Pretty self-explanatory but just in case it's a Chinese saying that an issue or problem might start out small, but it can turn bigger and bigger with time.
Hey everyone! Sorry for the long break, I was having some personal issues with some COVID-19 changes going on. I made the dialogue colored so you guys could get a better idea of whose words went with which person. I know you don't know their names, but at least you know when the same person is talking. As a continuation from my note last time, I am releasing this chapter on here and there are two more chapters and a spoiler for the 3rd chapter on my Patreon page for my patrons to have access to. I will continue uploading chapters here while my Patreon page will stay two chapters ahead. Thus, if I release one on here that means I release a new one on the Patreon page. Go there to support me if you so desire~ Thanks for reading (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ

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