pure imagination || jing yuan, blade, & dan heng ✓

eight

warnings | brief mentions and thoughts of shitty parents & their shitty parenting

Thursday morning. She dreaded coming to work today, and it didn't help with the fact that she didn't get a good night's sleep either. Not to mention she still hasn't figured out what to do about her money situation on Friday. She has to pay rent, she has to pay Sampo, and she has to get food on the table somehow. She's already gone two days without a proper meal in order to scrape some cash together in a final last ditch effort for crying out loud!

Well, whatever. The important thing is that Dan Heng will be here today to pick up his coat and pay the bill.

Maybe I can use half of that money to go towards my debt to Sampo while the rest can go to my rent? No, I can't do that... I still need to pay for electricity bill for this place along with other fees and bills that require a store to keep running and...

Her thoughts trailed off. Her eyes started to blur and she honestly felt defeated. Oh God, am I really about to start crying?

She shut her eyes tight, but she could already imagine what would happen if she even dared to go to her family for help.

"A good for nothing. You honestly thought you could make it out there in the real world didn't you? Well look at you now. Crawling back to us without a fucking penny to your name!"

She could practically feel as her mother would reach for her, her nails wrapping into y/n's hair and dragging her inside.

"Now you expect us to pay your fucking debt. How useless can you be?! Your older sister would never-"

Her eyes snapped open when she felt a soft cloth press to her cheek. The fabric catching the tears that threatened to cascade and paint her face like a tragic portrait waiting to be judged with the most heaviest of critiques.

"I'm sorry, Miss y/n. You didn't hear me come in, and, well," the man before her was the same smooth talker from a few days ago. She never got his name, and now she was too embarrassed to ask...

"No, no- I'm sorry sir. I shouldn't be acting like this on the work place," her words were rushed as she panicked. Her fingers politely taking the cloth from him as she gently wiped away her remaining tears, "please forgive me for such unprofessional behavior. I swear, that the jobs and work I do are never interrupted with such-"

"Miss y/n," he effectively cut her off, "you don't need to say all of those things. I mean, its natural to be overwhelmed with life at times, no?"

She felt her face grow hot as she looked away from him, "y- yeah, you're right, s- sir."

She finally smiled which made his eyes narrow just a tiny bit before he moved the topic along.

"Alright then, can you atleast tell me me why such a pretty woman is crying?"

He held out his hand to which she took the cue of giving him his handkerchief back. Though, she kind of felt bad since her tears practically soaked it.

"Well- it's just," she bit her lip. The last thing i need to do is trauma dump on a handsome stranger, "it's nothing."

She tried to keep her smile, but it was more tense now.

"Oh? So, you cry for fun," his mused at his own question as he gazed down at her. His golden eyes seeming to peirce her very soul and seek for the truth himself.

"N- no, Aeons no. Besides, how can I tell you when I don't even know you, much less know your name-"

The front door's bell rang as someone entered, "his name is Jing Yuan."

Heavy footsteps echoed within the shop as Dan Heng finally made an appearance. His gaze was narrowed and his stance had a violent aura surrounding him.

The two men stared each other down. But, to y/n, she was just happy to see Dan Heng again because it meant she was finally going to get paid-