Damn that guy! Shi Lian is so mad right now and at the same time, the fear is hovering over her. People saw them. Together. What will they think? Will everyone know about them? She panics the more she thinks. While she reaches the main Hall, Fang Xiao instantly sees her and walks up to her. 

Shi Lian takes lighter steps knowing people are watching her, their eyes boring into her. 

"Miss Shi Lian! Are you well? Do you want to leave?" she asks with concern. Shi Lian looks at her faintly and holds her hand tightly. 

She wants to leave so badly. If she stays here longer, the media will soon crowd her since news gets spread faster than light. 

She nods tightly, her head remains bowed down a little. She isn't going to look up, not now. She can't face them, their judgemental eyes are scary for her. Fang Xiao takes her out of the Hall. Shi Lian hears them whispering, gossiping when she leaves and she knew just how dangerous people can be. 

She tries to act tough but she knows she isn't. Fang Xiao takes her to her car. The driver sees her approaching and he goes to open the door for her. 

Shi Lian feels pathetic, helpless. She hates this feeling. 

"Miss Shi Lian, it's okay now. Calm yourself" Fang Xiao soothes her, her gentle voice making her calm. 

Shi Lian looks at her. "Xiaoxiao, you do think I am pathetic, right?" she let go of her hand and adjust her dress. 

"No, not at all. Whatever happened inside, it isn't your fault. It must be your first time, and I get it's not easy for you. If I was in your place, I would be panicking just like you. So, Miss Shi Lian, you don't need to feel depressed about it" she smiles and that sure made Shi Lian's heart lift. 

Shi Lian smiles and reaches to hold her hands again. "Thank you, Xiaoxiao. You are the best I ever had."

She smiles more brightly and helps her sit comfortably. She passes her clutch which Shi Lian left at the table. 

"Don't overthink, Miss Shi Lian. Take rest" she tells her and closes the car door shut. Shi Lian sighs and waves her goodbye as the car starts moving. 

**

She tries sleeping last night but she was too consumed by the thoughts of what will happen today or tomorrow or the future. 

She winces and opens her tense eyes. She was glad that her mother didn't ask anything last night. Well, she was asleep. 

She reaches to grab her phone from the nightstand and turns it on immediately. Did the news got leaked? Oh no, what did the media says? 

She goes to the web page and scrolls to find news about her and Zichen. There's none. She breathes a sigh of relief finding no news, yet. 

Turning it off, she gets down from her bed and goes to freshen up. She needs a hot shower. 

"Shi, is everything alright? Is anything bothering you?" Sha Sha asks, noticing her daughter scrutinizing. 

"No mother. Everything is well" Shi Lian forces a smile but her mother isn't satisfied with her answer. 

"Shi, you can always tell me if anything is bothering you" Sha Sha presses. Sha Sha knows Shi Lian will never tell about her problems to anyone. She sometimes worries when she says nothing of what she is facing. 

Shi Lian repeats the same line. Sha Sha sighs knowing she will not saying anything. 

Giving her a peck on her mother's cheek, Shi Lian leaves for work. 

At her company, when she reaches, she actually has to look if people are gossiping about her. She tries to ignore it and goes straight to her office. 

Fang Xiao greets her when Shi Lian passes by her desk. "Good morning, Miss Shi Lian. "

Shi Lian nods and enters the office in haste. Fang Xiao finds that odd but doesn't mind it much. 

A while later, Fang Xiao enters inside holding a cup of coffee for her. 

"Here's your coffee," she says, her voice cheery, and keeps the coffee on the desk. 

"Thank you," Shi Lian says without looking up. Her head is shoved inside the documents and she appears to be super busy. Is she really busy or is she just trying to hide? 

Fang Xiao notices her behavior and she finds it odd. Usually, Shi Lian is smiling and professional but today she appears tense snd a frenzy. She then remembers about last night and now she can guess why she is acting weird. 

"Miss Shi Lian, if you are still thinking about last night, then please stop," she says, her voice calm and steady. 

Shi Lian looks up in a shot. Fang Xiao knew Shi Lian is thinking about that. "You don't have to worry."

"Aren't you curious about my relationship with him?" Shi Lian asks out of nowhere making Xiaoxiao surprised. 

She is curious about their relationship but she dare not ask her. Her boss's private life is not something she is allowed to know. 

She sighs and decides to tell her instead. "Honestly I am but it's your call if you want to tell or not."

Fang Xiao isn't expecting Shi Lian to share but when Shi Lian says the first line, she is shocked. 

"He and I were kind of in a relationship you could say."

Fang Xiao did expect that the first time she saw the both of them interacting at the Hall. 

"Ups and downs, you might have guessed that," Shi Lian says, smiling faintly. 

"Is... Everything okay now?" she feels stupid asking this question but the words are already out of her mouth. 

Shi Lian sighs, looking sad. "I don't know. My mind is in a muddle. He never thinks anything before doing it. We agreed not to disclose anything in public yet he..." 

Fang Xiao feels sorry for her. She has been in relationships before and she knows just how the feeling is. "Sorry if I am going out of line but may I ask what really happened?"

"He lied to me. He hid things from me" she replies and that is enough for Fang Xiao to know what happened. Lying and hiding things in a relationship is a mistake that leads to disaster. 

"This man....he drives me crazy. Half of the time he gives me a headache."

Fang Xiao gives her an apologetic smile. "But you love him"

The sentence makes Shi Lian freeze. Love. She never thought about this topic. The word sounds heavy and for her, this feeling is something that makes her chest hurt. 

She likes him. A lot but Love, she doesn't know about it. 

Fang Xiao went on, "I am actually shocked to know that you and Fu Zichen are in a relationship. To be honest I can't imagine that man in love. He appears too cold to be in one. " 

Fang Xiao chuckles and Shi Lian too joins in. "Will you keep that a secret?" Shi Lian asks. 

Fang Xiao smiles, "My lips are sealed, Miss Shi Lian."

With that both of them get back to work, leaving that topic behind. Fang Xiao will keep her mouth shut, won't she?