To Protect Others

After Shi Yen had washed up and changed, fully refreshed, Master Wong stopped her before she left.

"Is there something more I need to know about your relationship with Mr. Yuan?" he asked, arching a brow.

Shi Yen tilted her head, wondering what he meant.

Master Wong sighed. "You haven't spoken to me about him. Is he one of your—"

"Ploys?" she finished the question for him. "No. It's not what you think."

Master Wong smiled grimly. "I'm sorry for making that assumption, Yenni. You're so much like your father. I couldn't help but think that you may be using him to get what you want."

Shi Yen sighed. "It doesn't upset me that'd you think that, Grandmaster. It started like that. I planned to seduce Yuan Shun, make him fall in love with me so I could break his heart and take back what's rightfully mine. I wanted to destroy him," she said coldly. "But…"

"You love him?"

Shi Yen gave him a sidelong glance. "I do," she admitted. "But he doesn't know that."

"What's stopping you from telling him?"

Shi Yen didn't answer.

Master Wong sighed. "Yen. As someone that thinks of you as my daughter, I can say that I don't like this, not that I disapprove. I just worry," he said. "Does he even know who YOU are?"

She shook her head.

"I see," he replied, taking a few steps backward. He looked at her dead-set in the eye. "I find it amusing that people often keep secrets for the sake of protecting the other person. But remember, Yen, that everyone has secrets. If Mr. Yuan loves you too, then he'd have to accept all of you."

"Have you met Yuan Shun before?" Shi Yen questioned. "You speak of him as if you know him well."

"Only by crossing paths, nothing deep or familiar," he replied.

Shi Yen looked at him curiously. "And do you accept him?"

Master Wong chuckled. "If he makes you happy. Why not?"

Shi Yen lowered her lashes with a small smile, but beneath it held guilt.

"Now, I see it clearly. You feel guilty," Master Wong continued. "If your parents were still here, Yenni, I am very positive that they would like him."

Her eyes widened. "You're just saying that to make me feeling better."

Master Wong grinned. "Not at all. I'm being honest."

"How would you know?" she asked eagerly. "My failures would have pissed off my father, and he would have hated Yuan Shun by taking advantage of my defeat."

"That's all speaking out of assumption," he countered gently. "And I am certain that your father would have liked Yuan Shun because of his ambition and capabilities. What he proved is that he's headstrong. When your father was still alive, he was impressed by what a young man like Yuan Shun had done to him."

Shi Yen smiled small. "Are you sure? Wasn't he upset?"

"Oh, no, he definitely was. But even Shi Yan had to acknowledge Mr. Yuan's brilliance."

Shi Yen gave him a long, contemplative look. "I don't know what I should do," she said.

Master Wong gave out a friendly smile. "There should be no problem as long as he loves you too." He looked at her deeply. "Remember, again, that honesty is best. But even lovers keep secrets to protect the other—and I understand why you keep yours from Mr. Yuan."

Shi Yen grinned at him before she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Grandmaster Wong."

Master Wong smiled, the crow's feet around his eyes creased happily. "Go on, Yenni. I don't want to make you late."

Shi Yen smiled wide. She waved him good-bye and left, heading out with light shoulders. She went straight to Shi Group after she dismissed her students, spending the rest of her morning with her tasks that required many visits to different departments. She sighed heavily, still wondering how she would get used to this position, even if she spent five years preparing for it.

She invited Fang Qi over to her office for lunch.

Fang Qi slurped on his noodles exaggeratedly, grinding Shi Yen's ears. She glared at him. "Can't you be quieter?"

He kept slurping.

Shi Yen narrowed her eyes. "What's bothering you?" she caved in.

Fang Qi sighed. "It's an issue regarding your future sister-in-law."

Shi Yen rolled her eyes at his comment. "What issue?"

He stirred his noodles aggressively. "It's not really an issue," he said. "She's been dating a lot recently, and when I confronted her about not being careful, she scolded me. I couldn't even be mad at her because of how hypocritical I sounded."

Shi Yen grinned. "Are you jealous?"

Fang Qi scoffed. "No—No," he replied. "She's Yuan Shun's sister. I have spent every moment since I met her to protect her. She's precious, and she needs to be protected by every danger, including men."

Shi Yen looked at him intently. "You'll suffocate her if you do that."

"I know," he replied. "Which is why I'm not stopping her. I'm allowing her to do whatever she wants without reporting it to Yuan Shun."

"Why would Yuan Shun want to know?"

"He doesn't care if his sister is screwing around. He cares that she's home at night, safe in her home."

"Why would she be in danger?" she questioned him.

Fang Qi paused. He ate some more of his food, awkwardly smiling. "Uh, because she's a Yuan? The explosion attack that took their brother was no accident. Yuan Shun is worried about his family."

Shi Yen titled her head. "Shun didn't tell me any of this."

Fang Qi chuckled awkwardly. "I, well," he muttered, glancing at his watch. "Look at the time. Lunch is over. I got to go!" he said, taking his stuff and leaving without another word.

Shi Yen sat back, sighing deeply, appalled. She glanced across the street from the window at the towering building of Yuan Bank's main branch. What has Yuan Shun got himself into? What wasn't he telling her? And why was she upset when she had no right to be?