Sheng Aiyi

Sheng Aiyi studied the young woman that stood next to her beloved grandson.

The young lady wasn't exactly a beauty but she could understand the appeal. Such a fresh baby-faced girl, who seemed to exude a mixture of innocence and sweetness. Yet, there was a steely gaze in her eyes that seemed to hint at something else.

"Grandma!" Kai said loudly with a smile.

"Humph," the Matriarch replied, her lips facing downwards in a frown.

Unperturbed, Kai took Lianne's hand and said, "Grandma, this is Lianne, my beloved. Lianne, that's Grandma."

Sheng Aiyi stared at Lianne, looking at her from top to bottom as Lianne bowed her head down slightly in respect, saying, "Nice meeting you, Matriarch Aiyi."

She learned from Kai regarding the customs in the Shengs with regards to what name she should refer to his grandmother.

'Grandma', of course, was out of the question, as was 'Grandma Sheng'. However, Mrs Sheng would not be appropriate either as all the wives in the Sheng Family would be 'Mrs Sheng'.

Thus, the only appropriate address would be using what non-families with no connection to the Sheng's use: Matriarch Aiyi.

Although she was Kai's girlfriend, she had absolutely no connection to the Matriarch, and being all too familiar with her would only bite her back in the butt.

Seeing the flash of approval in the Matriarch eyes that was gone in a second told Lianne that her choice had been right.

"Humph," the Matriarch responded, "I don't know if it really is nice meeting you."

"Grandma!" Kai said, frowning a bit at that.

She looked at him and snorted, "What? I can't tell the truth now? You've been with her what? One week? And you're already being rebellious?"

Kai let go of Lianne's hand and went over to his grandmother. He went down on his knees and looked up at her, saying, "It's not that, and you know it."

Lianne walked nearer, and patted Kai's shoulder, saying, "Matriarch Aiyi is right. I may be glad to meet her because she's your grandmother, but she may not like meeting me because I'm stealing you away from her."

Sheng Aiyi's eyebrow raised a bit at that.

Lianne smiled as sweetly as she could at the Matriarch, saying, "I'm not here to steal him, Matriarch Aiyi. I just want to be by his side. He'll always be your grandson, and the pillar of the Shengs."

Sheng Aiyi's eyes narrowed at that and she glared at Lianne, who was unperturbed.

"Be by his side to bask in all the glory of the Shengs?"

Lianne couldn't resist the eye roll and she looked away quickly but Sheng Aiyi saw that.

After she managed to get her expression back to normal, Lianne pursed her lips and said frankly, "The Sheng is great and powerful, rich in tradition and well-known. If I am with Kai, isn't it only natural that I, too, will bask in its glory?"

"But that doesn't mean that I am with him because of it, or to obtain it," Lianne went on, sighing, "In fact, it would be better if he wasn't a Sheng."

"What?!" Sheng Aiyi roared, her eyes almost bulging out.

Kai quickly stood in front of Lianne, who then pushed him aside, "You know better than me how rotten the Sheng's have become. Internal fighting, scheming, back-stabbing. If it wasn't for Kai coming in and resolving most of it, the Sheng's would have faced it's doom already."

"You - you," Sheng Aiyi stammered, too angry to say much.

Kai was getting worried about where this was heading, but he would stand by Lianne's side. Though he did not know the purpose of her saying such provocative words, he would not let anything happen to her.

"So, yes," Lianne said firmly, "If he wasn't a Sheng, he would live a peaceful life. A normal life. That would have been better for him."

Then, Lianne looked at Kai, and said with a tilt of her head, "But he chose the Shengs. It rose up with his blood, sweat, and tears. If this is where he wants to be, this is where I will be as well."

Kai smiled, taking her hand in his, knowing and understanding what she was saying.

She liked him, for him.

Not because he was a Sheng.

She was saying that even though she didn't like the Shengs, she knew it was important to him and she would stay by his side.

Sheng Aiyi understood what she meant as well.

Her eyes narrowed into slits as she stared at the young chit of a girl.

On the one hand, she had been completely incensed by her words but on the other hand …

Sheng Aiyi sighed inwardly.

Unlike the many women that had come to try and gain favour with her, or the families that tried to 'sell' their daughters to her, Lianne was honest.

She wasn't being coquettish nor trying to curry favour by giving superfluous and insincere words. Sheng Aiyi had had enough of all of that.

Sheng Aiyi found that after decades of hearing all the flowery words and statements that were just pleasing to hear but never meant, was starting to annoy her. She didn't believe them, and she didn't get comfort from them anymore.

Empty flattery.

Why did they think, as she got older, she would be easier to flatter and manipulate?

Did she really look like such a senile fool?

But …

Although she found this woman's honesty refreshing, she felt it was a thorn.

Such a clear and honest person.

How can she survive in the Shengs?

Sheng Aiyi looked at the completely besotted grandson of hers.

She knew that he was long gone.

So, the only way for her to get her beloved grandson a better wife that would be able to contend with the Shengs … is to get this one to leave her grandson by her own choice.

She would need to do it subtly, though. After all, the way this girl was so honest and open, she would most likely tell Sheng Wenyu about anything that she would tell her.

Sheng Aiyi wasn't really worried though.

She was the Matriarch for a reason.

She schemed with the best of them and emerged at the top.

So, getting rid of this woman would be easy.

With that thought, Sheng Aiyi felt better.