Novel Bin Chapter 1: Three Years after the Divorce
"Sorry, but we don’t hire women over 30 here."
The restaurant manager told Xia Xinghe impatiently as he shooed her away.
As Xinghe walked away listlessly, she overheard the manager mumble under his breath, "Who would want to patronize my business if I have an old and ugly waitress?"
Xinghe frowned slightly. She had half a mind to turn around and tell the manager she was only 25!
However, she stopped herself when she saw her reflection in the window beside her.
Her face had lost its youthfulness and the twinkle that once decorated her eyes had long since dimmed.
Emaciated frame, dry hair, wrinkled face and outdated apparel had added at least 10 years to her appearance.
She realized she has grown into an old woman in the past few years...
Even though she was really only 25!
Xinghe smiled bitterly as hardships from the last few years swamped her mind. As she dragged her tired body away from the spot, she noticed a car pull up behind her.
The arrival of an expensive Maybach wasn’t lost on the restaurant manager.
"CEO Xi, welcome, welcome!" the manager said obsequiously. Xinghe abruptly stopped in her tracks.
"Mubai, can you accompany me to go clothes shopping after this? Today’s the new arrival date for the Chanel counter." Chu Tianxin said demurely as they descended from the car. Her hands were proprietarily wrapped around Xi Mubai’s arm.
Mubai glanced at her and answered with a succinct "En!"
The one syllable froze Xinghe to the ground!
Before she could stop herself, her head slowly turned...
And her eyes fell on Mubai’s handsome face!
It had to be him...
Xinghe couldn’t have predicted this was how they were going to meet after their divorce 3 years ago.
She was so haggard, so down on her lucks.
He was still his collected self, high above the ranks of commoners.
Tianxin beside him was also as elegant and dignified as she was 3 years ago.
The two of them did eventually end up together.
Then again, with her out of the picture, was it really any surprise?
"Xia Xinghe?" Mubai said when he saw her. Disbelief was plainly written in his eyes.
Tianxin’s expression changed slightly and gasped, "Oh my god, is that really you, Xia Xinghe? What happened to you?"
Xinghe snapped out of her daze. She quickly turned her head away, muttering, "You got the wrong person!"
Hastily, she turned to escape.
There was no way she was going to face the two of them today. No woman would be willing to face her rich ex-husband and her gorgeous ex-love rival in such an abject state.
Especially not after the two of them had gotten together!
The winner-and-loser comparison was simply too obvious.
Mubai caught up to the escaping Xinghe, yelling, "Xia Xinghe, stop right there!"
The moment his hand grabbed her arm, she screamed as if pricked by pins, "Let me go! I’m not Xia Xinghe, I’m really not!"
She was completely focused on her struggles to get away from Mubai that she didn’t notice a car was speeding down the road. Finally, she struggled free and raced across the road.
"Xinghe, be careful!" Mubai yelled but it was already too late. The car slammed into Xinghe.
Xinghe landed headfirst and was instantly knocked out.
She descended into a long dream...