Shi Lian moves straight for her room. Her shoulder slouches as she removes her handbag from her shoulder and holds it in her grip as she takes the steps. Her shoes tap on the stairs as she keeps on moving. She reaches her room, turns the light on, and throws the bag on the bed. she goes to the washroom, groaning because she is too tired. All she wants is a good hot bath and a peaceful sleep. 

After she is freshening up, she blows dries her, and changes into some comfortable ones. She feels refreshed now after the bath she took. The door of her room was slightly open and she hears a knock and with that a maid saying, "Young Miss, dinner is ready."

Shi Lian looks over her shoulder and nods to the maid. Continuing combing her hair, she sets the comb down and looking at herself for the last time before she leaves. 

Today the Mo house is unusually quiet. No, that it always is noisy, but today something is different. Normally, Shi Lian came home and found her mother in the kitchen or mainly in the living hall reading magazines to herself, or sometimes with her father discussing something. She hasn't seen her mother since she came home, maybe she is in her room. 

Stepping down from the stairs, she passes the hall, the kitchen, and entering the dining hall. Her father and her mother are already at the dinner table. when Sha Sha notices Shi Lian coming, she passes her a warm smile and gestures her to take her seat. Shi Lian smiles, feeling a little relieved, and takes the seat opposite Sha Sha and beside her father. "Good evening father" she greets, sliding the chair behind and sits on the chair. 

"Good evening dear" he greets back but something is off in his voice as if he is worried about something.

"Is anything the matter, father?" she asks flipping over her plate. She then turns her eyes to her mother but she remains quiet, smiling here and there. 

"You stayed with Fu Zichen the whole night?" he asks and his questions make her startle. Out of everything, she wasn't expecting this. how come her father knows about it? Of course, it must be her mother who told him about it. she knows her mother will not intentionally tell me anything unless he found out on his own or heard their conversation somehow. 

"Yes, but we discussed business most of the time" she lies. She can sense the atmosphere turning heavier. The cluttering of spoons and the footsteps of maids can be heard. 

Zheng Yuan looks at her, and she cannot figure whether he is angry or disappointed. "Daughter, don't get me wrong about what I am going to say. But keep your distance from Fu Zichen and the Fu's." 

She is shocked, she cannot put it together why her father would say something like this. "Why would you say like that, father?" she questions. 

He sighs, "Business deals are alright but do not cross the line, daughter. They aren't to be messed with. You may talk to him about business but other than that please keep distance." 

"Has he done something to you, father?" she implores. Her stomachs tighten because she has already crossed the line and not once, several times. Guilt seeps its way and she suddenly wants to puke. 

"No, they didn't but….you don't need to worry about that." He says shortly, without giving her any information. She starts digging into his food, telling her in a way that he will not answer any further questions. She looks over her mother instead, but she too gives her apologetic shrug. Now, her parents are being really creepy here and the fact to stay away from Zichen is not possible. 

After hearing this, she has lost her appetite and is in no mood to eat but she cannot leave the table as well. From her childhood, her mother taught her that no matter how much angry you are, you cannot vent it on food. Sucking in a deep breath, she cuts the chicken with the knife and takes the small bite of the meat with force. 

Questions are muddling inside her mind and she cannot keep her mind at ease until and unless she gets the answers. The thoughts are eating her brain and she needs to ask her father. "Father, I still don't understand. You were glad to that they are our partners but now.." she speaks, eagerly waiting for his answer. 

He wipes his mouth with the napkin and drops it on the plate. Looking at her, he shakes his head and sighs, "Yes, because I wasn't aware of something in the past. Now I do but I cannot just break the deal with them nor can you." He still isn't coming to the point. His twisted words are making her anxious and frustrated at the same point. "I am only worried about you, Shi. Just don't make any other relationship other than business partners" he adds. The knots on her stomach add on and a pang of guilt hits her. she is already in a relationship with him and she is not going to back away. Hopefully, she hasn't said anything about their relationship with her parents and after now, she doesn't think she will ever be. 

"Father, you are still not saying the actual reason" she presses. But before her father can speak, Sha Sha interrupts in between and says in a haste. 

"Shi, dear, your father only wants the best for you. He doesn't want to make you worry."

Her father nods. She wants to ask so many questions but she doesn't. she keeps her mouth shut, her grinding against each other and her fingers curl up into a fist under the table. why does everyone shut her up? They left her hanging in the middle without making everything clear. First, it was Zichen and it was her parents. She is so tired of all these. They should not open their mouth in the first place if they aren't going to explain any further. 

She hates it when they treat her like a fragile child who won't be able to be handle stress. She is already managing such a big company on her own and you talk about stress? She wants to laugh, laugh at them and cry at the time. She is screaming from inside to tell her the answers to her questions. 

After thinking for a while she finishes her dinner, she comes to a conclusion. If they won't give her answers, she will dig them out. 

**

She lays in her bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that has just happened. She joins the dots by how much information she knows by now. Her parents do not want her to get close with the Fu's, Zichen refuses to talk about his parents and him living alone on another side apart from his parents. She guesses her father must have to dig information about him from the past few days. It's not a surprise for her, because when she was in the States, her father did all the important digging that needed. She doesn't much about that but she sometimes wonders why her father has to do this? When she was 11 years old, she once saw her father going to the underground for his room, sneakingly. She was curious and she wanted to go but Zhang made her go from there and play somewhere else. She hasn't thought about the door since now. 

There's something dark about the Fu's and her father is trying to hide it from her as well as Zichen. A knock on the makes her wake from her thoughts and she reaches to open the door. Her mother stands outside the door in her nightwear. "Come in, mother" Shi Lian says. She assumes her mother must be here to tell her to not worry about what her father told her. Sha Sha locks the door from behind and moves to the bed, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "Mother, if you are here to tell me about not asking questions to father then-"

But Sha Sha cuts her off. "No, I am here to ask you some questions." She is calm and serious and Shi Lian thinks it must be important. 

"Alright."

"Firstly, I am sorry on behalf of your father for saying such things at the wrong moment. But Shi, do not wrong your father, he only ways something when he is hundred percent sure of the news." Sha Sha places her palm on Shi Lian's and gives it a light squeeze, assuring her. 

Shi Lian sighs as if she is tired of hearing all this. she is completely aware of this and she has no doubt her father will do anything harm to her. "I know mother. But why open the topic when you cannot give the answers related to that?"

Sha Sha opens her mouth but closes it. She cannot deny that her daughter is right and she should advise Zheng Yuan the same. She presses her lips together giving her a disappointing look. "You are right."

Changing the topic, she asks her mother what she wants to ask her. Sha Sha clears her throat and by the look on her face, it shows she is hesitant to say. "It's about last night." Hair on her skin rises and her eyes go wide which she didn't intend to. Shi Lian gulps softly, her heart thumping against her chest. Her mother didn't notice anything, did she? 

"You and Fu Zichen are together, yes?"