Baiyu

[ PERSONALITY ]

“Don't believe the lies they tell you, there are in fact very stupid questions and they result in extremely stupid answers.”

~Strict, taciturn and done with your nonsense already~

Passionate

Practical

Responsible

Aloof

Intelligent

Stubborn

Reticent

Situationally Awkward

Judgemental

Childish

Words used to describe Baiyu are various, but the first one you will likely notice is her intensity. She isn't a loud person, or even boisterous, but she is focused and passionate about whatever it is she's doing. And since most of what she does is connected to her family's business, she's always a smoldering fire. Her earnest wish to fulfill her parent's dream of being the perfect daughter and safeguarding their business is what keeps her going. It is what defines her. It is what has defined her since they took her into their home and gave her this life. A life for a life.

The first portion of her childhood was spent living below her means in an orphanage. She understands the frugality of not spending more than one needs and this sort of practical take on life is how she views things. Everyday choices and decisions are dealt with in the same no nonsense manner leaving little room for frilly ideas and half baked concepts. This leaves her bedside manner lacking but she is trying to remember the human element when at work.

As an adopted only child, raised to take over a family business responsibility is hard wired into her being. She was raised to solve problems, deal with customers and administer medicine. Her childhood was never fully realized due to her life of poverty and the swap to a life of excess only forced her to grow up faster. She pushes down her own wants and needs, keeping them neatly locked away along with her less than acceptable thoughts and ideas. Her parents had demands and has risen to answer them. If something is getting out of control, she’s likely to step forward and take command if she feels adequately prepared for the situation.

Because Baiyu is so in charge of her emotions, holding them hostage to avoid an outburst, she often comes off as aloof. She treats everyone the same so it's often hard to deduce where you stand with her. She's always in business mode. When it comes to getting her way or getting things done she's hopelessly stubborn. She knows what's best and she simply won't hear otherwise. She doesn’t deal well with change either and becomes even more reclusive when dealing with it. It’s a part of life but she absolutely hates it. She takes great pride in her intelligence, to the point that she at times comes off as condescending. But it is an asset as it has allowed her to achieve what she has so far. It does though make her sometimes treat people who lack general intelligence with some notable disdain.

Due to the often cold nature of her childhood, Baiyu is a bit reticent. She has learned to deal with her emotions on her own and thus doesn't often broadcast it to others, even when she should. If she's upset or sad she buries it, happy or frustrated, it barely shows on the surface. She does have cues though, that one can learn if they get to know her. Mostly though she's very private, preferring to keep her inner thoughts and feelings to herself.

Because of how guarded she is, she's also sometimes placed in situations where there are unknown variables. Where she's situationally awkward. In these instances her mask slips and the more unpolished side of her is briefly visible. Frantic, short-tempered, scattered and frazzled. It's not a thing most get to witness but for those who see her on a regular basis it is quite a shock when she sputters or her stoic expression melts into a look of complete shock.

Judgemental and observant not much passes her critical eye. Being as hard as she is on those around her to perform to the best of their abilities she is doubly hard on herself. Her work is important, the healing of pain and illness is her career and she takes it seriously, her passionate nature exacerbating it. But this also means she's sometimes harsh on those who don't take their health seriously and her words often bite and maim when dealing out judgment. She feels that if she and others are striving to make someone better, they should in turn try hard too.

Past the perfectly crafted veneer she lives behind is a childish girl who just wants what she wants. To have fun and make cute meals for her loved ones and make her parents proud. If you've witnessed her awkward moments you also get to likely see her childish candor where she honestly and petulantly expresses herself. It's a part of her that rarely sees the light of day. Her inner thoughts sometimes sit in opposition to her callous words.

[ BACKGROUND ]  Adopted to fulfill a role in the lives of her parents but at the cost of her own dreams.

Before Baiyu’s life got flip, turned upside down, she was an orphan. Her life before her parents died in an accident is fuzzy but she still recalls the smell of dumplings, noodles and grilled rice balls that permeated her first three years of existence. After she was placed in the foster system she lived in a small room, packed with other girls where they fought, played and lived their lives. When she turned 8 some years later a couple came by. She and several others they had picked were given tests. An aptitude test for skills and intelligence as well as a crime coefficient test. This one choice which she had little to do with has framed much of her existence. Out of a sea of other children her demeanor and intelligence were enough to make her a viable child for adoption. The aging parents had lost their three sons to the violence and substance abuse that had grown rampant. Either lost to crime or wasted by chemical stimulants.

Now too old to conceive a child safely they’ve opted to adopt, and instead of just adopting anyone they set out to make sure the same mistakes weren't made. Instead they would make changes. Ones that would hopefully ensure they secured an heir to their fortune. They would raise this new child differently, properly. Everything was riding on this decision.

She was signed away to them with the expectation that she would grow up and take over their lucrative medical business. For Baiyu they spared no expense and she went from fighting for scraps with her peers to having her meals prepared by a private chef. Fine clothes, a room that was all her own and just about anything she could think to ask for. It had an effect on her and she promised to fulfill their wishes. She wanted very much to repay them for their kindness and be the daughter they wanted.

But it wasn’t always easy, as while they viewed her mental acuity and intelligence as boons, they had no real emotional attachment to her. And so she grew up with her sole focus being to repay her parents for their generosity by adhering to their wishes. Her studies came first before anything else. She attended seminars, medical lessons and retreats where she'd be trained up in the ways of their practice. Anything they asked she did, unquestioningly. They were strict and firm, but never unkind.

While she had all her physical needs fulfilled, what she had always wanted still was out of reach. The warmth and love only parents could give her. Sometimes she'd glimpse something softer in their gazes, but it was never spoken and never felt outside of a few rare moments. Emotionally broken by their three sons, the couple feared repeating the same mistake so they kept her at arm's length, assuming that giving her everything else would be enough.

And it was. She excelled in her studies, met each task with determination and came out on the other end, shimmering

sharply like the white jade stones she was named after. Cold, beautiful and efficient. The only area of her life where she has found true joy was cooking. Surprising but not too much considering her parents had owned a restaurant. Making meals, cooking and baking, they relieve the stress of life and ground her. It’s her own, personal little escape. The end results of her exploits are often shared with others. Usually people in the medical practice she’s learning to helm.

Already she has shown promise and is being weaved into the framework of the business. But there is another factor that has inevitably crept out of the shadows to quietly pursue her waking thoughts.

An arranged marriage. While her parents don't want to demand who she marries, they have been setting her up on dates with men they think are good matches. Their high social status and affluent lifestyle has garnered quite the attention much to Baiyu's dismay. She's been given space for now, but time is ticking and if she doesn't find someone by a certain time she will find herself with whoever they feel fits the bill best.

It's an experience she was wholly unprepared for. Dealing with patients and clients is one thing but having to look into the eyes of a stranger and say ‘I do’ is the equivalent of walking a tightrope across a bottomless cavern. She’s used to doing whatever they ask, but this is the first time she finds herself wanting to resist. In truth, the one dream she's had, ever since she could think coherently, was to reopen her parents' restaurant in some form. It's not an option but her heart wants it all the same.

She’s always moved forward with purpose almond confidence but now she’s stumbling, unsure of which road is best. Will she ever make a decision or will life find a way to fill in the blanks for her in a way she could never expect?