"Miss Shi Lian! You finally came!" Fang Xiao exclaims and gestures Shi Lian to get inside the meeting room hurriedly. Shi Lian nods, mouthing her 'thank you before heading in.

Fang Xiao follows her, walking behind her. All the authorities get up from their seat seeing Shi Lian entering and walking to her seat at the center.

"Please have a seat," she says politely and takes her seat as well. Before she can release her breath, Yang Liu, one of the shareholders raises a question.

"Chairwoman, I suggest canceling the August collection."

Shi Lian scrutinizes, "Why, Mr. Yang? Any specific reason?"

"In the past, we did the November collection not the August collection so this time too, we should follow what's been going on from the past. "

"I also think that too. The August collection is irrelevant" Tong Xin, another shareholder puts his opinion.

Shi Lian thought that after the meeting day after yesterday, these old hags would broaden their way of seeing things but it seems like they haven't.

"Anyone else having the same issue? Please raise your hands if you have" she announces, her voice loud so the whole room can hear.

One by one more than twenty people raises their hands, glancing at each other. Shi Lian scans the room, noting the faces of those who are disagreeing. Surprisingly, her uncle isn't one of them.

Fang Xiao whispers, sitting beside her, "Miss, they are the same as last."

"Let's get things settled then" Shi Lian mutters. Her temper wouldn't rise all the time if not for these shareholders who keep on going against her.

"As you can see there are many who do not agree with your new idea, Chairwoman" Yang Liu says with a sneer on his face.

"You are just twenty people out of sixty-five. You are in the lower zone, Mr. Yang" she retorts back. "The August collection is something I have given much thinking before presenting the idea before you."

"But why the change, Chairwoman?"

"The company will go down if there's no change. I know some of you do not like changes but just think about the possibilities. After our Nova collection, people are demanding more from us. People are our resources in a way and what they want, we need to provide them that."

"But November collection is going on for 10 years almost. People never complained about that" Tong Xin asserts.

"Maybe because you have never really checked what's going on" she snaps, getting impatient. "The records of the past 10 years show that the sales degraded after the Spring collection. You people have been ignoring people's requests, their thoughts, and opinions as well."

They start whispering among themselves, mumbling among themselves about what Shi Lian said.

"Fang Xiao, show them the records please" she orders, and wasting no time, her secretary did what she asked her to.

"See the graph with careful eyes, especially you Mr. Yang" Shi Lian points to Yang Liu and the man gets embarrassed. "It's evident how casually you were taking your work."

Shi Lian gets headaches only because of them. The August collection would have been prepared by now if not for them. It's on hold because their opinions matter too.

"So you are indirectly saying that Mr. Mo, our ex-Chairman, and your father was not doing his work properly?" Yang Liu questions.

The room gets quiet all of a sudden. Shi Lian grits her teeth. Yang Liu is one of the fellows working for Mo Zheng Yi and he will do anything to oppose her. He has crossed his line this time. Getting her father involved is not what anyone in this company can do.

"I think you forgot your place, Mr. Yang. You should know to whom you are talking to" Shi Lian gripes, looking straight at him.

This meeting will take a longer time than she has predicted. The more passes, the atmosphere gets more tensed. The shareholders are not going to bend. She has tried a pleasant way, now she has to be a little rough.

"The August collection will be happening. Your opinions are going straight to the trash bin. If you don't like it, then go to the Human Resource Department." With that she rises from her seat snd giving one last look at them, she exits the room. The authorities let out their breath which they were holding for a while. Shi Lian is scary, scarier than her father when she is angry.

**

Zichen has suddenly asked her to meet her out of her company, inside his car. She asked for what reason but he hasn't told her that.

She is curious but anxious at the same time. He sounded cold and angry when he called her.

Reaching outside her company, she finds the black Porsche parked just some distance from the gate.

She walks, looking to her left and right, hoping that no one should notice her but it's not going to happen. She is the Chairman after all, and the staff of her company is going to notice her anyhow.

She stops at where the car is and opens the car door. Shutting the door as she gets inside, she turns her to see Zichen gawking at her.

She flinches because he looks like he is going to eat her right now. "Wh-hat is going on?" she stammers, gulping softly. She gets the feeling that the conversation they will be having right now will not be pleasant.

He says nothing and passes her some pictures. Confused, she looks at them and her eyes widen with horror. "You were stalking me?" she gapes, looking at home with unbelievable eyes.

"Who is that man? Why were you meeting him secretly?" he interrogates, ignoring her question. He is furious and it shows on her face.

Shi Lian can't believe he is asking such ridiculous questions. She thought he is mature enough to know that there are certain boundaries that you don't cross, like privacy. "You think I am seeing another man behind your back?" she asks, her tongue feels heavy and bitter.

"You tell me."

"You should be the one answering me why do you have these pictures!" she bellows, getting frustrated. First her father and then her boyfriend. She feels so pathetic that no one around her believes her. She thought he is her safe place but now, she doesn't even know what to think.

"First tell me who is this man, Shi Lian" he demands.

She sighs, her head is going to explode. "You are sick, Fu Zichen! So sick! Do you think I am cheating on you? No, I am not! If that's what you want to hear."

"Then who is the man?" he demands, seeming unaffected by Shi Lian's confession. He feels detached, so distant from her that even she tries to reach him, he fades away slowly.

"There is something called Privacy, Zichen. Respect my privacy, please." She does not want to fight with him because it will her in the end who will be depressed and sick.

"I know that, Shi Lian. But why are you not telling me who he is?" he asks, his eyebrows knit together.

She thought of keeping that a secret but if she does not tell him, he will dig that out by himself and that will be not good for her and her plan.

"He is an investigator I hired. I asked him to keep an eye on my uncle. That's it."

He gives her a quizzical look as if what she said was in another language. "For what? Is he trying to harm you?" he asks, more like demands.

Getting him involved is not something she wants. She knows how to fight her battles and she does not need anyone, not Zichen too.

"It's nothing," she says coldly and tries to open the car door. Zichen grabs her hand and stops her struggle.

"You are not going anywhere unless you answer my questions."

"What do you think I am, huh? Your slave? You think you can dominant me and I'll bend for you?" she latches onto him, giving him a look.

He flinches a little but regains his composure back. "That's not the case. Shi Lian, I never think of you like that."

"But it seems like that, Zichen" she snaps.

He grits his teeth, getting frustrated, "If you are going through any difficulty, you can tell me. Baby, you can depend on me" he says, his tone gentler than before.