She knocked before entering.

Father Xue tried to calm his demeanor even just a little bit. One could call it bias, but Father Xue was always trying to be mild towards their princess.

"Xu-er, what brought you here? Is anything wrong at your end? What's the matter?"

"Guangxi." She said curtly, her forehead dominated with horizontal lines. "I've heard a little, and I'm worried. I want to get involved, Father."

Xue Mingli and Zhao Feiyan exchanged looks. Father Xue's countenance was so red with fury.

"Father, please calm down some more. Are you this furious over some rumors? He hasn't even been named yet." Xue Jinxu argued.

"It's not just about the rumors that are going around!" Master Xue was getting worked up again. "It's what's happening inside the company! Some people want your brother out! Some want to impeach your brother! That punk! And he still chooses to play around at a time like this!"

"Calm down, Father. I thought it's better that Guangxi's not here, with all the gossips afloat. Just imagine the damage that it would bring him mentally and emotionally.

"You still treat him like a baby! He should toughen up! This world is harsh and cruel, and life will not adjust to him! He should adjust to what life throws at him! You protect him too much!"

"He will be eighteen soon. Once he turns eighteen, I wouldn't know what else would come his way to challenge him. We will never be here for him forever. He has to learn to s.h.i.+eld himself!"

"But where is he? Somewhere abroad playing around! I bet he still doesn't know what's happening! Even in the company!"

"Regarding the company, Father, if they have concerns about his leaders.h.i.+p, that would say about me, too. After all, he's just the front, but I'm still behind everything. I think they're just finding fault at him. Most probably they're using his young age, his very weakness, against him. But I doubt they could find fault in his competency. I can a.s.sure that because that's really me overseeing everything."

Father Xue calms down some more. He pondered on what their princess had shared. "That's true. You're still behind him. He hasn't taken the role solely. However, only us family members know about that setup. People inside the company don't know it. Which means, someone is trying to frame him."

At this point, Butler Lee interrupted the discussion. "Sir, the management at Xue s.h.i.+pping together with the stakeholders would like to seek an audience with the Young Master. They said they want to raise their issues with him as the President. They added, that perhaps he's the only president that is not seen working inside the company. They were claiming the employees are demoralized, having a president, and a management that's not really hands-on into making the company flourish. They were also claiming that the Xue Family seems taking the management positions a joke, with their decision to put a seventeen-year-old university student – young blood still too green for any action or battlefield – as the COO, the leader. They said it was an insult to them who are serving the company for decades."

"So now, they're after the young master." Father Xue concluded, immensely annoyed. "Truly, when it rains it pours [1]."

"That's something we also need to discuss, Father… Mother… It's about Minhe-ge's pa.s.sing. Shouldn't we announce it already? It's been six years. If outsiders uncover it on their own, we will be put in an even tighter spot."

"At this point, it's not ideal. The timing is too bad. We have to fix Guangxi's situation first. He has to establish good impression and credibility first if we want our company to survive."

"This isn't for me or for our generation anymore. It's all for you and Guangxi! It's all for that brat's future, more than yours. But it seems that he's not even interested!"

Xue Jinxu sighed. 'Seems we're going into circles here. Always going back to Guangxi not being here.'

"Father, let's try to untangle each problem one knot at a time. Let's list all the concerns that we have to address."

"First, the rumors. Second, the issue with the company's management and their request to meet Minhe-ge. If we are able to address the latter, I guess, we would be able to at least suppress the people who want to frame Guangxi. Do you want me to cross-dress and meet them as brother?" Xue Jinxu suggested.

"Just like before." She added. "As for the rumors, we can initiate even bigger news, and consequently it will die down on its own."

"Will it be fine, Jinxu? Do you know I'm always worried sick whenever you do it, princess? You're exposing yourself into too much risk. If you're caught, it's your credibility that would be damaged, beyond repair, even."

Xue Jinxu clung on her father's arms, and sweetly rested her head on his shoulder. "I have been doing it for years, Father. Besides, it seems we do not have much choice, either. Unless we find an alternative, it's the best option that we currently have."

"There's another one." Mother Xue spoke for the first time. "Why don't we announce Minhe's demise, and then appoint Xu-er as the president, or better yet, her husband, Chen Linyun. I believe he's extremely capable of it. He already has his own companies so I presume he's qualified for the position."

"That's a great idea, Mother… But you know the situation... Grampa…" Jinxu relayed slowly. Mother Xue seems to be forgetting that crucial information.

"We'll discuss this with him. Yes, we have another choice – your husband." Father Xue agreed with his wife. "It's better if you stay out of it, princess. You've helped us a lot already. This time you have a husband to rely on."

"Uhm…" Xue Jinxu got even more worried. She knew how challenging the position is, with all the vultures hovering around it, wanting it for themselves. Although Chen Linyun was triumphant in his own conquests for fame and success, he wasn't into managing firms, rather he's only into acquiring them. He had maintained the previous management in the companies he conquered.

"What's the problem? You've recently made up with each other, right? You're back into living harmoniously together?"

"Well, uhm, sort of… But, it's too big of a responsibility for him… It's normal to get nervous for him, right?"

"Don't you trust your husband?" Mother Xue coaxed the princess.

"I do…" She answered slowly. 'He's not even here to defend himself.'

[1] a proverb describing that when misfortune or a blessing arrives, it usually comes in rapid succession, and in turn becomes excessive