Shi Lian needs to mend her makeup before someone sees her. Black lines have made them on her cheeks and her eyes were back to red and puffy. How much has she cried?

In her office washroom, she fixes her make-up cautiously. It will take some time and in less than a half-hour, she had a meeting. She cannot let people see her in this condition, broke and pathetic and what's the reason? It's related to a man. Pathetic.

Fifteen minutes later, she is almost done with her makeup when Fang Xiao calls again. Shi Lian had to send her away from the outside when she came with the coffee in her hand. She told her to bring it later onwards.

Dabbing the powder one last time, she is ready. She steps out of the washroom and says, "Come in. " She hopes she doesn't look any different any now or she will have to face another bunch of questions which she has no interest in doing.

Fang Xiao pops her head first and then pushing the door with her arm, she enters holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She Lian tries to smile but her face hurts when she does.

"Here's your coffee" she places the cup and saucer on the desk and stands beside it.

Shi Lian thanks her and takes the coffee to make herself occupied. As she is sipping the coffee she cannot help but get uncomfortable when Fang Xiao is staring at her.

"Xiaoxiao, you want to ask something?" she asks, smiling, having enough of awkwardness.

"You look....different but I can't figure how," she says, trying to point the difference in her face. What Shi Lian was hoping not to happen, it is happening.

Hastily, she explains, "Oh, maybe because I applied a fresh layer of makeup."

To that Fang Xiao nods, understanding, but she does not appear to wholly accept it. For that, Shi Lian asks her about the meeting to divert the subject. "Did you prepared the presentation?"

"Yes, Miss Shi Lian. Both the presentations are ready."

"All the authorities are coming?"

"Yes."

"Alright...um...and what about the meeting with Mr. Ming?"

"He invited you to have the meeting with him at the Wellin place" she answers her questions without taking less than two seconds as if she has recited everything.

"Got it."

Shi Lian continues sipping her coffee and silence stretches between them. After she is done with the coffee, Fang Xiao takes it and leaves the room.

She sighs. Sometimes she thinks she is making Xiaoxiao work too hard but she tries to not think like that. She is her secretary and it's her job, there's nothing to feel sorry about.

Since the company is doing good now, more than good than she expected. The dresses are in great demand and it still is. They are getting out of stocks and more workers are needed. The profit has risen greatly and she is happy that her work paid off.

She does her leftover work, as a means to distract herself from the emotional crisis. She actually had thought that he would explain, something, anything but he didn't. He was silent and when she cannot take his silence anymore, she hung up. Then too, she had this little hope he would call her again and explain, but he didn't.

The faith she had in him, she doesn't know she has that now.

**

Shocked. Hurt. Whatever negative word in the dictionary, he is what right now. An hour ago, the call from Shi Lian had blown his mind. When she said, well disclosed the truth, about his other identity, he actually had a hard time processing what the fuck just happened. He couldn't even talk and he knows he should have said something but he wasn't in the state to do so.

Prince of Underworld is the identity only a few know and he has been very careful hiding his identity but how Shi Lian comes to know is a big mystery to him.

He knew she will see him differently when she finds out about it, and that's the reason he didn't intend to tell her. Now that she knows, what if she breaks ties with him? What if she says she hates him? He had a rough time these past days and if anything like this happens, he won't be able to handle himself.

Sitting in his office, he looks over the view outside and thinks about what he should do. He heard her sobbing and he hates that because of him she is crying. Never he thought that some other person will affect him this much, never he thought that a woman will meant so much to him.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he now regrets not explaining to her. Even if he calls her now, she will not pick his calls. And hell to that, that he cannot go meet her. Hell, he cannot even lay his eyes on her in public. He has this strong urge to destroy the media shit thing.

He was beaming like a child yesterday night but when in the morning he felt that she is ignoring him, his happiness started to fade. He thought everything between them is well now, but who knew another bomb was on its way to snatch away his happiness?

One of his staff members knocks on the door. He winches, he has no mood to deal with them. "Come in" he snaps.

Minzhi, the woman startles hearing him snapping and she gets the feeling, she will be having a nice scolding today. Why did she come at the moment? She thinks to herself.

"S-sir" she shutters, "Here is the third one. " she hands the document but he waves his hand at her, declining to take it.

"Check again," he says, without looking at her.

She panics. She checked the document twice already before bringing it to him.

"B-but sir, I have checked, twice." She argues but stops when Zichen gives her a piercing look.

"If I said again, then do it again" he demands. She shivers and nods continuously.

She leaves the office in a hurry and closes the door from her behind.

It's not the first time he has done this. In fact, whenever his mood is worse, which is often, he will make the staff suffer with him by giving piles of works. He heard the staff complaining but he never cared much about it. Since young, his father and grandfather used to taught him that "People working under you are people who should respect you, do everything that you say, obey you. And in return, they shouldn't expect anything more from you."

This has been sowed in his mind since young. He sometimes feels guilty, but that feeling dissipates soon.

If he keeps on thinking, his mind will blast. He needs to explain it to her. He does not ever wanted that she hate him. Anyone can hate him but not Shi Lian. He needs a plan but he is poor when it comes to that.

He gets up, buttons his jacket, and leaves his office. Only one can help him, and he needs to see him now.