"Yes, it is still my favorite.  Hehe.  Oh, how thoughtful of you." Teng Man Rui retorted from her rocking chair.  She had been knitting some cute baby clothes – some socks and overalls.  "But, the doctor said I should refrain from eating sweets, remember?"

"Don't worry, it's sugar-free.  There's a natural sweetener in it that's healthier and safer."

"Oh, really?  Wow, you really thought it through, huh?  I'm impressed."

Returning the lady's smiles, he humbly shrugged off the praise.  "It's nothing to be impressed about.  Here.  I figure you must be bored staying inside the house all day.  I just thought of something that would make your day.  Did it?"

"Hmm?"

"Did it make your day?  The oreo cheesecake."

"Of course!  Hmm, it's superb!  Delicious.  The baby likes it." Teng Man Rui's verdict went out in an explosion of goodness in her mouth as soon as she had a taste of the dessert.

"Good to know." 

At a glance, the Xue young master and his wife looked incredibly sweet at the balcony.  However, in closer inspection, they were no more than civil with each other.  They were not as lovey-dovey as the Xue Big Miss and her husband.

Some maids noticed it and gossiped about it at the start when the couple first arrived at the mansion, but Bulter Lee was quick to tame and discipline the household servants.

"Don't be too surprised, Man Rui, but you have guests." The Xue Young Master nonchalantly uttered while relaxing with a crossed leg on his rattan chair.

"Hmm?  Guests?  I don't know.  I don't have guests."

"Actually, there are two of them.  Across the street." He tilted his head slightly and ever so elegantly towards the direction he mentioned.

The lady, somewhat expectant, froze her actions.  A name, no two names, came to her mind – one she fully desired, the other, she did not intend to think about.  After a pause, she subconsciously hovered her right hand, loosely balled in a fist, close to her bosom.

"Both of them are here to see you.  That's right, whoever's on your mind must be them."

Alarm swept across Teng Man Rui's visage.  "I didn't mean to… I didn't know."

"Hush, Xiao Rui.  Relax.  All's well.  I'm not making a fuss over it.  I'm just letting you know.  They're here for you anyway.  I saw them when I drove this afternoon."

Teng Man Rui's eyes flickered as she lowered her gaze onto the floor.

"I've heightened the security just in case they're here to cause trouble.  But I would not recommend to let them in."

"Of course.  There's no reason to."

Xue Minhe stroked her gently on her crown.  "I'm sorry, Man Rui."

"Don't be.  Let's get inside.  The breeze is getting cooler."

"Okay." The Xue Young Master supported his pregnant wife by her elbows as they went inside their room.

That night, she lied wide awake, her thoughts drifted back to that afternoon.  'Both of them went here?'

'Zhu Li Qiang too?'

'And him?' She trembled, remembering all the pain and hurt she suffered.

Teng Man Rui gently ma.s.saged her belly.  'He's still your father.  He wants you, but I won't let him near you, I promise.'

'But Zhu Li Qiang… He has to move ahead with his life.  Why is he here?'

'Are they… Are they still outside?'

Since sleep wouldn't visit her as she tossed on her back listlessly, she stood up and took a peep at the window near the balcony which overlooked the terrain of the Xue mansion's courtyard and outside the gates where the streets are.

True enough she saw two pairs of headlights across the streets, from cars both parked at either side, diagonally facing each other.

It only took her two to three seconds, and as soon as her eyes landed on the familiar vehicles, she let out an audible gasp as she let the curtain flow back its place and covered the floor-to-ceiling.

Her heart almost jumped out of her rib cage when she heard someone - a guy's deep voice – reverberated behind her.

"What are you doing there?"

Then a warm blanket covered her back and shoulders.  She relaxed a bit, as she discerned who the owner of the voice was. "Can't sleep?  You shouldn't wander around at night.  Do you need anything?  You should have woken me up."

"N-Nothing.  Let's go back."

Xue Minhe gently nudged and guided Teng Man Rui back to the safe confinement of their bedroom.  Before he took a complete turn backward, he glanced at the distance and saw what the lady saw earlier.  He narrowed his eyes knowingly.

He tucked his pregnant wife first, and then he left for his study room and made a call.

"Butler Lee, I have to apologize to bother you at this late hour."

"It's alright, Young Master.  Anything I can do for you?  It must be urgent."

"I just want to check if you already receive any information from the investigator you hired?"

"Yes, Sir.  It arrived this evening.  I thought it's already late so I originally planned to give you a visit so we can discuss it in person.  I should have reported to you as soon as I got it."

"It's fine.  Just breeze through it.  I want to know now.  I'll drill through the details more tomorrow.  Just supply me with the important points."

"Well, how should I put it?  I'll just send you some photos and the list of his interactions in the past days.  I don't want to divulge any information that the investigator discovered because I might add my personal bias if I do so.  I believe it would be better if you'll know it through the neutral doc.u.ment.  Just hang on, Sir…" After a pause, Butler Lee added, "I've emailed the files, Sir.  You might want to take a look."

"Alright, I will check.  Stay on the line."

Xue Minhe, without dropping his call with Butler Lee, checked his smart phone's inbox and opened the file that Butler Lee had just sent.

His left brow twitched infinitesimally as he read the list.  His eyes scanned the list once then returned to one of the names in the middle.

'Kang Sola.' It read.

"Around midnight, huh?" Full of disbelief, he returned to his call with Butler Lee.

"At his home?"

"Yes, Sir.  I don't know what to make of it, Sir, so I decided to refrain from giving out my personal opinion.  Actually, I have none.  I'm trying to justify in my head what could be her reason, but I cannot think of one."

"She went there on her own accord, huh?  It doesn't appear as if she was forced or threatened to be there." Xue Minhe probed.

"Looks like that to me, too, Sir."

"Thanks, Butler Lee.  That's all for now.  Look into each person on the list.   Wait, Chen Linyun, too?  It was the eve of Guangxi's birthday party.  Expectedly, his features were full of tension.  Investigate more, please, Butler Lee.  The Chens must have been being threatened."

"Will do, Sir.  I'll report more in the morning."

"And Butler Lee?  Make sure there is security personnel around the vicinity of my home.  That b.a.s.t.a.r.d is still outside of my house."

"I guess that other guy, the young master Zhu, had been keeping him at bay." Seemingly thinking out loud, the Xue Young Master added. 

"Roger that, Sir.  I've hired top-notch security to keep you and the whole family safe tonight."

"Thank you, Butler Lee."

Across the street, the two men behind each of their respective cars' winds.h.i.+eld never stopped glaring at each other as the night progressed deeper.