Mandy Rong was having a scrumptious meal with her mother at the Pavilion over the man made lake at the Yang Manor.

"Mum, do you think daddy will come back today?" She questioned Lucille.

"I don't know, darling. He was home because Lina had just come back, but now that she seems to be adjusting well he's disappeared again." Lucille shook her head in dismay.

"Then what about my job at Yang group? He still hasn't given me an answer." Mandy frowned thinking of the multiple calls that went unanswered.

"Don't remind me of that! If only you had followed my plan, all this wouldn't have happened." Lucille spoke through gritted teeth.

The calm air around them suddenly turned cold with Lucille's anger.

As if God was saving her from her mother's wrath, Mandy's phone rang.

Picking up her phone, she got up from the table and walked a few steps before she answered it.

"Hey, girl!" She beamed.

"Hmmm.. Right now?" She turned to look at her mother who was still glaring at her.

"No, I'm not at all busy." Mandy heard her mother scoff at her statement.

'I'll do anything to avoid facing mum right now.' Mandy thought but the next statement she heard from the phone caused her to jump in excitement.

"Seriously? You want me to accompany you? Sure! I'll be there as soon as possible. Bye!!" She hurriedly hung up and walked back to her mom.

"Mum, I have some urgent work. I'll be back before dinner. Bye!" After informing her mother, she immediately ran away to change.

"Since when did following someone around become urgent work?" Lucille scoffed and continued with her lunch.

-----

Back at Cecilia's

It had already been 3 hours since Nico and Lina were inside Kira's private room.

Running out of patience, Kira decided to check up on how Lina was doing.

'I hope Nico wasn't too much of a jerk to her.' She peeped her head through the door.

What she saw inside made her mouth open wide.

"WOW! Nico baby! I love it!" Forgetting all about her covert operation, Kira exclaimed with a loud voice.

The two people inside just stared at the head that was visible and snorted.

Kira, who's plan had failed, stood straight and walked inside.

She saw Lina sitting in front of the mirror surrounded by the strands of hair on the floor that were cut off.

"I thought you just wanted to get your hair dyed?" Kira asked in confusion.

Lina's long hair that reached her butt was shortened and now it only reached half way down her back. Her hair now had multiple layers which added volume to her hair and made it look bouncy.

As Lina was reminded of the hair that got cut in Nico's hands, mourned for them once again.

"This monster convinced me to do it!" She pointed at him with a crying face.

Nico, who was blamed, fought back.

"That was all damaged anyway. Forget about them. Look at your colour job now!" Nico presented his handiwork proudly.

"You coloured it.. black?" Asked a confused Kira.

Lina and Nico just looked at each other and smiled.

"That's what you think." Said Lina with a mischievous smile.

Nico walked to the floor to ceiling curtains and pulled them aside to let the sunlight pour in.

Lina walked to the window and stood there.

"Now what colour are they?" She questioned Kira.

"Damn! They are blue. With hints of violet?" She faced Nico this time.

Lina's hair looked black under normal indoor lighting but once she set foot outdoors, her hair would turn a deep blue colour with hints of violet hidden in them.

"Bingo! She told me that she's gonna start working and wants to tone it down for work but out of the office she wants to be crazy." Nico talked about what they had spoken earlier.

Kira just thought that Lina was going to join Yang Group and did not ask any further questions about it.

"Smart move." She praised Lina, who smiled sweetly.

For a second there, both Kira and Nico paused. The new hair colour enhanced the gold in her eyes and made it look like her eyes just sparkled. The new hair cut made her look younger than what she already looked like.

"You look just like your mother when you smile." Complimented Kira.

"Thanks aunt. Thank you Nico. I loved it!" She praised Nico for his patient work.

"But you did not let me cut your bangs!" Whined Nico.

" I would like for you to be my personal stylist, if you stop convincing me to get my bangs cut." She proposed.

'I already look like a kid, I don't want to be treated as a child anymore!' Lina thought of how her face would look with bangs.

'Personal stylist? It's not like she's some celebrity that she needs one.' Nico just rolled his eyes and humoured her.

"Sure, your majesty. I'd be overjoyed to be your stylist." He bowed to her, playfully.

The three laughed at his gestures.

'This idiot thinks it's a joke. It'll be fun when he knows her real identity.' Kira did not clear his misunderstanding.

Lina soon bid goodbye to them and walked out the backdoor as suggested by Kira. She did not want Lina to meet that group of madams again, in case they ask her something.

----

Earlier, she had already texted Derek that it would take time for her in the salon and had asked him to take some rest.

When Lina got in her car, she asked him to drive her to someplace nice to have something to eat. She had rushed her breakfast earlier and skipped lunch so now she was extra hungry.

"Did you have lunch, Derek?" She questioned him.

"Yes, Miss. I always carry my lunch with me." He answered.

"Miss, can I say something?" He looked through the rearview mirror and asked.

"Sure." She looked up from her phone.

"A few minutes after you entered the salon, a young lady came outside. She looked pissed and I think she was talking to her father about you and the salon. Something about bankrupting the place." He told her of all the things he had heard. More like eavesdropped.

'I didn't know that Derek is such a gossipmonger! Fun!' She clapped her hands inwardly, then became serious when she heard what that Miss Liang was planning.

"Thanks, Derek. That was useful information." After he told her everything he knew, Lina called Kira to inform her of these things.

Kira assured her that they had a plan on how to deal with her, in case she caused any problems for the salon. Only then did Lina's worries subside.

By the time she finished her call, they had already reached the place that Derek told her about.

It looked like a normal cafe and she could see many university students in the area.

She looked at Derek with an inquisitive look.

"Miss, this is the place that my younger brother hangs out in. He studies in the university nearby and he always praises this place. You look like you are about his age. So.." He looked at her shyly and scratched his head.

'How sweet! He thought I would like spending my time with people my age. I appreciate that thought.' She nodded her head and smiled at him.

"Thank you, you can come with me if you want. We can hangout?" She offered, to which she received the same polite rejection.

She got out of the car and stood in front of the store. She could see a few groups of students inside. But the place wasn't crowded.

She walked in and observed the interior of the cafe. It was one of those library cafes where you can sit and read the books here while eating.

'Love the soothing calmness that this place has.' She found an empty seat by the window and picked up a book on philosophy.

Soon a cute waitress came up to take her order. She ordered for a chicken cheese grilled sandwich with a large lemonade.

The waitress looked at her with surprise when she ordered for extra cheese to be put on her sandwich.

"What's a sandwich without extra cheese?" She said, which received a cute giggle from the waitress who seemed like a student.

Lina got back to her book after placing her order. She could feel people watching her from the moment she entered the place but tried to concentrate on her book.

'Chill, Nana! Just keep reading, they must be staring because I seem new here.' Thinking this way, she did not look up from her book.

Among all the people watching her in the store, someone across the street was also watching everything that Lina did after entering the cafe.