A couple of hours later.

Hotel hall. ​​

"We almost thought you both would ditch us," Lara remarked.

Wrapping her arms around Chen's, Ziying smiled, "Of course not, we just got busy. Right honey?"

"Exactly." Looking at her, he smiled, "I'll go get something to eat for you."

"Sure, come back soon."

After George and Chen left, Lara took a sip of her coffee. "So Ziying, how did you and Chen meet?"

"Well, we met at the airport. It was a not so pleasant first meeting but we still managed to overcome all the boundaries and differences," Ziying answered.

Looking at the ring on her finger, Lara added, "That ring is really very nice but it doesn't look like something Chen would buy."

Examining her finger, Ziying smiled, "Chen's taste and preferences have changed overtime." Shoving the ring right on Lara's face, she asked, "Don't you think it has become much better?"

Giving her a weak smile, she nodded her head. "I don't know if you already know this but Chen and I used to date."

Pretending to think for a while, Ziying remarked, "Ah so you are his ex who left him for a rich man." Throwing her hand in her mouth, she gasped, "I am so sorry, I didn't—"

"I-It's okay, everyone says that but I didn't leave him for money," Lara explained.

Placing her hand on hers, Ziying smiled, "Well, whatever the reason is I should thank you for letting him go." Looking at Chen who was busy plating the food for her, she smiled, "Chen is a gem, I am glad that I found him."

"Indeed, he is a gem," Lara added before following her gaze.

Ziying frowned when she saw the way Lara was looking at Chen. It was evident that she still had feelings for him and for some odd reason it bothered her a lot.

"Here is your breakfast." Placing the plate right in front of Ziying, Chen sat beside her. "All your favourites."

"Where is your plate?" Ziying inquired.

"I'll go get mine."

Before he could get up, she caught his hand. "There is so much food here, we can share from the same plate."

With his heart leaping and bouncing in joy, he quickly sat down. "Okay." After they spent the whole night cuddling in each other's embrace, Chen could feel the difference in their relationship. Though he knew the whole engagement thing is an act which Ziying had started, he still couldn't help but feel giddy when she acted all cozy and cuddly with him.

Chen didn't care what Lara thought of him, in fact he had stopped bothering or thinking about her for years now but since Ziying wanted to play a small act and have fun, he did not think twice before acting along with her.

Looking at the strawberries in her plate, Lara scrunched her brows. "Why did you bring strawberries? I hate them."

"I am so sorry babe, it just slipped my mind. Just pass me this plate and I'll get you a new one," George apologized before walking away to get another plate.

Looking at Ziying and Chen who were enjoying their breakfast together, she pursed her lips.

…..

An hour later.

"I told you she is very bitchy," Ziying chuckled.

Placing their suitcase at the back of the car, Chen chuckled, "I assume that you found some evidence."

"She told me that she is your ex and the way she was looking at you—" Scrunching her brows, she pursed her lips. "Let's just say it wasn't a pure gaze."

"Okay so now there is a pure and impure gaze as well?" he curiously inquired.

"Of course."

"Will you please elaborate?"

Thinking for a while, she started explaining her theory. "Well, the way I look at a delicious piece of cooked chicken breast. Like when I see it, all I want to do is gnaw it, suck all its juice and ravish it until it vanishes from the plate. So the way I look at a deliciously cooked chicken breast is an impure gaze."

Raising his brows, he inquired, "So you are trying to say Lara thinks I am a chicken breast?"

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed, "Stupid, just forget what I said." Before she could step into the car, he grabbed her hand and pinned her against the car.

"I was just fooling around with you, I understood what you were trying to say. But I don't care about her, all I wanna know is how do you look at me? Is it a pure or an impure gaze?"

Biting her lower lip, she lowered her head. "I don't know."

Tapping the tip of her nose, he smiled, "If that is the case then you should find out first."

Smacking his chest, she pouted her lips, "Stop messing with me and pass me the car keys, I'll drive."

Without saying anything, he gave her the keys. "Okay, I'll rest today and you can drive us home."

"Don't worry, you can trust me with your car." Taking the keys from his hand, she rushed towards the driver's seat.

...

Mo base.

"I have called you both to talk about something important. The base in the island was attacked yesterday night—"

Widened their eyes in shock, Jason and Linhou shouted in unison. "What?"

"How did this happen?" Linhou panicked. Kiara's phone was not reachable since yesterday and he was already having a really bad feeling about it.

"What about the girls and grandpa Bai?" Jason panick strickenly inquired.

"We have no idea what exactly happened but everyone was rescued safely including grandpa Bai." Without waiting for anybody's reply, Yichan added, "Since grandpa Bai is already old, he needs to rest well and not get involved in all of this so we have mutually decided to combine both the teams. The girls will be staying here starting today and I hope you both will be nice to them."

Looking at Linhou, he instructed, "You and Kiara will be working together so I hope you will cooperate and not make things difficult for her. Don't think she is weak just because she is a woman, she is very strong."

"Of course boss, don't worry I will take good care of her," Linhou assured Yichan with a huge grin on his face.

"And Jason, I know you are much more sensible than Linhou so I hope you know what to do."

"Yes boss, rest assured everything is going to be okay," Jason answered.

"Good, I have already asked the helpers to clean the rooms. Linhou, you know what you're supposed to do with the new batch of men who will be joining us."

"Yes boss, I will take care of it."

Glancing at the watch, Yichan added, "Alright, I will take my leave now. I have to take Ning to the hospital for a round checkup. I know it's a Sunday and you both have plans but it's an emergency so I hope you both will understand and take the situation seriously."

"Of course boss, don't worry."

After Yichan left, Linhou silently beamed in excitement. "Oh my God, how can things be so damn perfect? Kiara and I will be living under the same roof, this is huge Jason."

Slumping on the couch, Jason sighed, "I don't know if I can say the same thing."

"Why not? Elizabeth is coming too, aren't you excited?"

"Well, I am happy that she is coming but also embarrassed. You know what happened the last time me talked over the phone. I mean, she didn't even receive my call after that. Don't you think she is mad at me?" Jason curiously inquired.

Shrugging his shoulders, Linhou answered, "I think she is equally embarrassed, I am sure everything is going to be okay after you both meet. Just talk to her and tell her it was my stupid idea, okay?"

"Hmm let's see what happens after they arrive." Getting up, Jason made his way out of the room. "I'll go check if everything is going on smoothly."

"And I'll quickly get some flowers to welcome the girls," Linhou added.

...

Ning and Yichan's place.

"When are you going to the hospital?" Nuying inquired.

"As soon as Yi arrives, he had something important to do so he stepped out for a while," Ning answered.

"I have to go to the hospital as well. Grandpa is home and he wants to meet Muchan so I'll pick him up first and take him home."

"You can come with us, we are going the same way," Ning suggested.

Raising her brows, Meili asked, "Did you girls see the picture Chen uploaded yesterday?" Passing Ning the phone, she added, "I think something happened between them."

Looking at the picture, Ning chuckled, "I think many things happened between them." Placing her hand on her chest, she sighed, "They look so good together."

"I wanna see too." Taking the phone from Ning's hand, Nuying grinned, "I knew they would be a thing one day or the other."

"Hey, won't Ziying be your sister-in-law if things work out for the two of them?"

Ning smiled and nodded her head, "Yes."

…..