"We have to talk." She said, after placing the two sets of teacups and her newly brewed tea.

Chen Linyun, on the other hand, did not heed her call. "No, eat first. You only woke up today after sleeping for two days. Even before that, you haven't been eating." While blabbering, he was busy preparing the abalone porridge that he brought in the thermos. He transferred some to a bowl and handed it to her.

"Okay. We can talk while I'm eating."

"Okay." He agreed. He also could not wait to clarify the questions and concerns he had in his mind.

"Xue Jinxu.."

"Mhmm?" She was enjoying her hot abalone porridge. It gave her empty stomach a warm soothing sensation. She was blowing her spoon full of porridge.

"What am I to you?"

She froze.

"Am I just a neighbor or a friend to you? Aren't we close already? Are you this close to your other friends?"

He was referring to how she had been introduced to Grampa Xue a while back, and the abnormal closeness they shared. Wasn't it only a few hours ago when they were lying in bed together?

Xue Jinxu laid the bowl of porridge onto the table. She closed her eyes and ma.s.saged her temples.

"Chen Linyun. Between the two of us, who's the woman? You're acting like a woman right now, even worse than me. That's why we're having this talk – to clarify matters. But you first. What happened to your employment?" She returned the attack without answering.

"Uhm.." Chen Linyun was defeated and was shrugged off just like that. The ball was pa.s.sed on to him now.

"I tendered my resignation the other day. I'm officially jobless." He was so nervous in breaking this news to her.

"Why? What happened? Didn't you love your job?" Her voice was soft, worried. She found her heart aching for him, for losing something that he treasured.

"Conflict of interest. Plus I have bigger plans. It's time to move forward." He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's your turn now." He urged her.

"Can't you tell me more? What happened? What bigger plans? You said to Grampa that you plan to found your own company?"

"Yes. Well lately, I had been using my resources for my personal interests. I had been trying to manipulate the movement of stocks. I just find it unethical to continue working with Tiankong Investments."

Xue Jinxu seemed to have eureka moment. "Don't tell me you were the one who was cus.h.i.+oning the fall of our stocks?"

"Yes, it's me. Not only that. I also tried to influence the stocks of your compet.i.tors so that the difference of your stock's status from theirs is not that glaring. I made it appear that the fall was an industry-wide occurrence."

"I might have done something more negative to Zhu s.h.i.+pping Lines than to your other compet.i.tors." He was staring at the ceiling, scratching his head.

Zhu s.h.i.+pping Lines was the one who held their launch a day before MT Dragon Heart, with the exact same replica featuring the newest technology. They must have been conniving with the previous Marketing Director w.a.n.g Xi Fu.

'As long as I live, I will also do my best in protecting your company the best way I could.' He had made a resolve.

"That's the only thing that I could do for you now. That's why I decided to proceed with phase two of my plan. I will found my own company…"

"So that's basically it. Your turn."

She was bewildered. So this man, this ever so quiet man was indeed not only observing their demise, and supporting them emotionally, but also was proactively doing something on his own, with his own methods. It would be a lie if she would say that she was not moved at all.

Now, regarding her turn, she was hesitant to share any information. Wasn't it this very reason why she could not give an answer to him?

"What do you want to know?" She probed. She could only share tidbits of information. It will now depend on his questions.

"Engagement." Chen Linyun started with the most pressing concern.

"What about it?" She was staring at the ground. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"All of it. I want to know everything about it." He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. "Please let me know where I stand." He caressed their intertwined hands with his other free hand.

A few more minutes pa.s.sed without them saying a word. Every second that pa.s.sed caused excruciating pain to Chen Linyun. But he endured. He waited for her to be comfortable to share her underlying secret.

"My family arranged a convenient marriage for me… I'm already betrothed. I don't even know the man, I haven't met him yet." She looked at him and stared at his eyes. "I don't have any plans of proceeding with the marriage. I'm totally against it." She was staring at his eyes as if trying to convince him.

"That's it." She said.

Chen Linyun kissed the back of her hand, the one intertwined with his.

"So… where do I stand? Have you thought of the answer to my question?"

During his confession, he had asked her, "Can't you find it in your heart to love me too?"

She tore her gaze from him and looked down at the ground again. "I still don't know."

"Grampa did not only check on me a while ago. He was also here to remind me of the arrangement. He was trying to hasten it."

Chen Linyun felt that the world just collapsed, and he was beneath the rubble, wounded, trapped, but could not do anything.

"Honestly I don't know how to answer your question myself. It seems not important anymore whichever answer I give."

Chen Linyun's grip on her hand tightened.

"Not important?" He asked. He was really hurt with her words. His face showed a pained expression. It was twisted with grief.

"Is it because I am no match with whoever man your family chooses? Is it because I'm currently unemployed? Are you ashamed of me?"

Xue Jinxu hurriedly cuddled him in an embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. "No, no! I'm not ashamed of you. But… But... I admit... It's the truth. You won't be a good match."

She was crying now. She was sobbing hard. It was her who was sobbing at the truth. She was hurting too.

She buried her head deeper in the nook of his neck. His s.h.i.+rt's collar was drenched with her tears.

He cradled her head with his hand and twirled his finger with a lock of her jet-black hair. "Hush, hush. I'll find a way." He a.s.sured her, trying to appease her.

"There's no way!" She said.

"There is. Trust me. Do you trust me?" Chen Linyun tenderly asked her.

There was a movement from the bundle in his arms, which seemed to be a nod. "I do."