ã€ŠThe Dragon Beside Meã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The Promise

    The small house in the middle of an apple orchard brightened with lights. In the backyard, a big family was enjoying the barbecue. The sounds of chattering and laughing voices could be heard clearly.

    As the adults were chatting together, a group of small children was seen playing around. But no matter how far they ran around, none of them dared to run farther into the orchard where it was too dark for them to see anything.

    At this time, one of the children suggested playing hide and seek. After drawing with a stick, it was decided for the young boy to be the first seeker. As the boy began to count, the other children began to scatter as they tried to find a safe place to hide.

    Some of them entered the house and some of them decided to hide around the backyard.

    At this time, the five years old Su Ruan stood around in panic. Her cousins had run too quickly to hide and left her alone. She tilted her head up to look at her father to ask for his help, but he was too busy discussing some business matter with her uncle.

    A small frown appeared on her face as the others were not paying attention to her.

    Su Ruan then spun around to look at the best place to hide before her cousin would finish his count. However, the good spots around the backyard were already taken by others. Su Ruan then turned around and decided to hide inside the house.

    Her steps suddenly halted as she was about to enter through the back door. Su Ruan turned around to stare into the darkness of the orchard.

    She could have sworn that she had heard something coming from the direction.

    Su Ruan stood at the backdoor until she heard the voice again. The noise sounded like a whisper and Su Ruan was sure that the voice was calling out her name.

    Slowly, Su Ruan took a cautious step into the dark. "Hey," she whispered back. "Who are you?"

    "Hey," the voice whispered back. "Come on over. It''s me."

    The little girl''s eyes widened and glistened with joy upon recognizing the familiar voice. She ran into the orchard with her short legs and stopped when her eyes could no longer see anything in front of her.

    "Big brother!" Su Ruan whispered. "Where are you?"

    "To your right," the voice whispered back. "Come on over."

    The little girl hesitated. She turned her head towards her house and wonder if she should go back. But seconds later, Su Ruan decided to walk further into the dark. Clenching at the hem of her blue skirt, Su Ruan turned to her right and walked.

    A gasp came out of her mouth when she felt that someone was tugging at her hand and her eyes widened in surprise. Before a scream of help escaped her mouth, Su Ruan finally see the boy she was looking for.

    Instantly, her expression softened. "You scared me."

    "Sorry," the boy retracted his arms.

    Su Ruan studied the tall boy beside her and smiled when she saw the pitiful look on the boy''s face. "It''s alright. I''m fine."

    Long Fei let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that the girl was not angry with him. He stared at the little girl''s petite face and suddenly felt more at ease.

    "What are you doing here in the dark." Su Ruan asked. Because the boy was taller than her, she had to tilt her head up to look at him. Once she met his gaze, Su Ruan found that she could not look away.

    "I came here to see you," Long Fei said. "Didn''t you tell me that you were going to go back to the city tomorrow?"

    "You can come to the door," Su Ruan said. "Why do you have to call me out here?"

    Long Fei hesitated for a moment. "My parents. They did not allow me to come out. I have to sneak out to see you. I don''t want them to know that I came here to find you."

    Su Ruan stood on tiptoed to pat on his thick hair, to console him when she saw the sad look on his face. But their height difference only allowed her to touch his cheek. "Don''t be sad. The next time I came back here, we can always play together."

    His brown eyes shone brightly. "You have to promise."

    "Hmm," Su Ruan nodded. "I promise."

    "Promise me that you will come back and look for me."

    "I promise." The little girl stretched her hand with her little pinkie out. The two kids made their promise and smiled happily.

    "What were you doing before you came here?"

    "We were playing hide and seek." Su Ruan let out a gasp when she realized that she was supposed to hide from her cousin. "I was supposed to hide!"

    "Stay here for a while," Long Fei spoke. His hand gripped on the little girl''s as he tried to stop her from going back to the house. "Play with me."

    "But the others will be looking for me."

    "You are supposed to be hiding, aren''t you?"

    Her lips curled into a smile. "You''re right. But what are we going to play?"

    The boy pondered for a moment before he tugged at the girl''s hand. "Come with me. I have something to show you." Long Fei started to run in a direction as he pulled at the girl''s hand.

    Suddenly, Long Fei felt a tug on his hand and a short cry. He stopped abruptly and saw that the girl sat down on the ground. It was at this time that he realized that he had pulled too hard and the girl had tripped as she tried to catch up with him with her short legs.

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan brushed at her painful knees as she bit on her lips, trying to bear with the pain. "I''m alright."

    Long Fei looked at the girl with worry. He finally crouched down beside her to inspect the injury on her knees. His heart was feeling uncomfortable upon seeing the red spot. Fortunately, the girl did not cry.

    "What am I going to do?" Su Ruan''s attention was on her bruised knees. It was not very painful but at this time she was worried about what she should tell her parents once they noticed this injury. They will definitely scold her for running around.

    A thought came to his mind. Long Fei leaned forward and stuck out his tongue to lick the injury.

    Just like that, the blood stopped and the bruise was healing slowly.

    However, the look on Long Fei''s face does not seem right.

    "What''s wrong with you? Big brother?" Su Ruan quickly noticed the change in him.

    The boy tried to stand up straight when he heard her voice. However, when his gaze met with hers, Long Fei had to take a few steps back. He knew the look in her eyes well.

    Su Ruan was afraid of him.

    The girl trembled as she realized that the boy was no longer the boy she knew.

    His body does not resemble a human. It seemed that he had grown taller. No. Bigger. His face¡­ was full of scales. Then, there was a pair of something that resembled a horn that popped out from his head.

    Su Ruan''s scream was loud and shrill.

 Chapter 2 - Blurry Image

    Twenty-five years later¡­

    The temperature in Capital City was turning colder.

    Su Ruan tapped her pen on the table as she looked out the window and looked at the festivity atmosphere around her. The color was vibrant and the lights were fascinating. In a week, it would be Christmas, and everywhere around her was decorated to celebrate this festivity.

    Her gaze darted towards the cafe across the street. The staff from Coffee Sanctuary was busy handing over some brochures of their latest promotion for Christmas. Su Ruan stared at the boy for a long time and became fascinated with the costume he wore.

    Sensing that someone was approaching, Su Ruan finally turned around. Her friend, Lin Qing, set a tray of hot coffee on the table and took a seat in front of her.

    "Sugar?" Lin Qing raised a brow.

    "Just one." She watched as her friend dropped one cube of sugar into her coffee and stirred it well.

    Lin Qing pushed the cup of hot coffee across the table and peeked at the drawing on her friend''s notebook. It was filled with some doodles that she could not understand. "What are you thinking about?"

    Su Ruan took a sip from her coffee and frowned. It was a little too hot. Her head turned to look at the boy in that costume across the street again. "Do you think that a human could grow horns?"

    There was a brief silence between them.

    "What nonsense are you sprouting?" Lin Qing did not know whether this was supposed to be a joke or what. She followed Su Ruan''s gaze and saw that the man who was passing the brochure was wearing a dear antler''s headpiece. Lin Qing decided that her friend was infected by the festivity mood that her mind started to think strangely.

    Su Ruan turned to her friend again. "I have never told anyone about this but ever since I was a little girl, I often had this dream where a boy had suddenly grown horns."

    The blurry image of a young boy with scales on his face and a short horn on his head reappeared on her head.

    Now that she thought about it carefully, the horn was not a reindeer''s.

    The corner of Lin Qing''s lips started to twitch. "Su Ruan, are you not awake yet? You should drink your coffee."

    A heavy sigh escaped her. Su Ruan was fully aware of what her friend was thinking about her. She drank a mouthful of coffee and shrugged. "I know that it was just a dream. But I can''t stop thinking about it."

    "You''re just too tired from work."

    "Maybe." A frown appeared on her face as Su Ruan thought about her unreasonable boss again. "I swear that my boss, Gao Leng was trying to make things difficult for me. Last night, he asked me to accompany him to a business dinner." Her mood turned sour as she thought about the group of old men who tried to push more drinks at her.

    Moreover, that Gao Leng¡­ It was not the first time that he had asked her to do something like that. Su Ruan was aware that her boss was interested in her. That man has been asking her out ever since she had entered the company. However, Su Ruan had rejected him and had made it clear to him that she was not interested.

    However, it did not seem as if that man understood her words. Gao Leng continued to pester her.

    If it was not for the fact that Gao Leng was related to the big boss in the company, Su Ruan would report his behavior to the higher-ups. Unfortunately, his identity has allowed him to get away with a lot of things.

    "He did not do something improper to you, right?"

    "Of course not. It''s not easy for him to get me drunk."

    "Maybe you should consider finding a new place to work."

    "I thought so too. However, I really like the company I''m working at. The atmosphere is good and my colleagues are great. Just that¡­ Gao Leng is the only problem."

    "My boss said she needed a new assistant. If you''re interested, you can always tell me."

    "Thank you. But I''m fine now."

    Lin Qing pursed her lips into a thin line. She knew well that Su Ruan was not going to quit her job no matter what she advised her. As long as Su Ruan knew her limit and could still handle everything, she should not worry too much, right?

    "Let''s just forget about work," Lin Qing said. "You did not come to my place to talk about work anyway."

    Su Ruan''s face turned grim. "Actually, they are related. I am supposed to remind your boss that we''re going to need a few new dresses for that photoshoot tomorrow."

    Lin Qing snorted. "Alright. I got it. I''ll tell my boss and let them send the dresses to your company tomorrow."

    A bright smile bloomed on her face. Su Ruan took out a letter and pushed it across the table. "Lin Qing, you are the best!"

    Lin Qing rolled her eyes. But if one sees it clearly, they would see the smile on her face. She took the letter and read it carefully. Once she was done, Lin Qing looked up again. "Then wait until my boss return. Let''s go out and have dinner together."

    Su Ruan naturally did not have an objection.

    As her friend, Lin Qing busied herself to look after the boutique, Su Ruan sat in the lounge while waiting for her friend to clock out from work. There was a lot of fashion magazine on the table. Su Ruan took a few of them and started to browse through them.

    Someone entered the boutique and Su Ruan raised her head and saw that Lin Qing''s boss, walked in. The two women exchanged a smile and a polite nod before Lin Qin''s boss walked into her boutique in a hurry.

    Just in time, the phone beside her buzzed. Su Ruan picked up her phone and her face brightened when she saw the name on it.

    "Su Ruan, I''m going back to Capital City in two days."

    Her best friend''s voice could be heard from the other line.

    "You''re coming back?" Her heartbeat accelerated as she thought of how she had not seen her best friend for more than a year when he was transferred to T Country for work.

    "Uh-huh." There was a hint of laziness in his voice. "Su Ruan, let''s meet up.. I have something important to tell you."

 Chapter 3 - Her One-Sided Love

    "You''re meeting Yu Zhi Yi this Christmas eve?"

    Su Ruan could sense her friend''s gaze as she spoke those words. She did not have to think much to figure out what was going on in Qin Ling''s mind at this time. However, Su Ruan was not going to let her friend spoil her good mood now that her best friend, Yu Zhi Yi is coming back to see her.

    "Uh-huh," Su Ruan affirmed. The smile on her face turned wider. She could not hide how happy she was at the thought of seeing Yu Zhi Yi again.

    There was a hint of displeasure on Qin Ling''s face. She had been friends with Su Ruan since high school and had heard about Su Ruan''s best friend in college for years.

    During this time, Qin Ling had met Yu Zhi Yi a few times. Although she could not see that there was anything wrong with Yu Zhi Yi, Qin Ling found that she did not like that man very much.

    It was probably because Lin Qing knew about Su Ruan''s feelings towards that man. As her friend, Lin Qing was biased. Although Yu Zhi Yi had not done anything wrong, Lin Qing did not like it as he had hurt Su Ruan.

    Su Ruan and Yu Zhi Yi met in college during a sports festival.

    Yu Zhi Yi majored in architecture and Su Ruan was in journalism. They both represented their faculty for the sports festival. Su Ruan was in a volleyball match and Yu Zhi Yi with his soccer.

    The first time Su Ruan set her eyes on Yu Zhi Yi, was during a soccer game where he competed against her faculty. It was love at first sight. Su Ruan fell for his handsome look and was attracted to Yu Zhi Yi''s energy and passion for the game.

    Later on, Su Ruan found herself cheering for Yu Zhi Yi instead of her own team.

    It wasn''t until the closing ceremony that she managed to talk to him. Su Ruan complimented him on his game and was surprised to learn that he had watched her during her volleyball match. They chatted a bit and instantly get along with each other. Later on, she found out that they shared a lot of similarities ¨C music, food, and the list go on.

    After interacting with him a few times, Su Ruan realized that she had fallen for him.

    It wasn''t like she never thought of telling him how she feels for him. She tried. A few times.

    The first time she tried to tell him about her feeling was during summer vacation ten years ago.

    Su Ruan had mustered every ounce of courage she had to confess. She had worn her best dress and applied some make-up on her face for that special occasion. She knew that Yu Zhi Yi was working part-time during summer vacation and decided to wait for him there.

    However, the moment she arrived, Su Ruan saw that Yu Zhi Yi was kissing some other girls from his faculty.

    It turned out that the two of them had started to date two days prior when the girl came and confessed to him.

    Su Ruan was only a few days late.

    She could not help but wonder if she was a little earlier, would her status beside Yu Zhi Yi change?

    From then on, Su Ruan stood beside Yu Zhi Yi as his best friend, while watching him dating and breaking up with a few girls. Their relationships remained the same. Yu Zhi Yi probably sees her as his friend and nothing more.

    However, Su Ruan continued to stay around, hoping that there would be a day where she would finally be together with the person she had liked for years.

    Yu Zhi Yi can date all the girls he wanted but in the end, Su Ruan was sure that he would finally realize that the person who was meant to be with him was right in front of him all along. And that person is her.

    Actually, there were countless attempts where she wanted to tell him that she''s in love with him.

    But each time, her plan would go down the drain. For example, there was that one time that she had met an accident and later, the mood does not feel right for her to confess. After failing to confess a few times, Su Ruan was beginning to believe that the universe did not want to let them be together.

    Of course, she then dismissed that crazy thought and decided to stay positive.

    Her last attempt to confess to Yu Zhi Yi was during their final year.

    Su Ruan went to his faculty to look for him. She saw him with his friends exiting the building and marched towards him. It was then that she overheard his friend''s question,

    "What''s your relationship with Su Ruan, then?"

    "What are you saying? Su Ruan is my best friend. There was no way that I would think about her that way." Yu Zhi Yi answered. "Xi Ning, if you''re interested in her, you should go ahead and tell her."

    Su Ruan took a deep breath and turned around.

    She could not hide her disappointment upon hearing his answer. He had even encouraged his friend to go after her.

    The next day, Yu Zhi Yi''s friend, Xi Ning had approached her and confessed his feelings. Because she was angry with Yu Zhi Yi, Su Ruan decided to agree.

    Because she was frustrated. Disappointed. And stupid.

    However, she thought that it was a good opportunity to test Yu Zhi Yi and make him jealous.

    But clearly, her plan was not working.

    Yu Zhi Yi did not seem to have much reaction when he found out that she had agreed to go out with Xi Ning. He had even wished them good luck with their relationship.

    It broke her heart.

    Knowing that she was using Xi Ning made her feel very guilty. She realized that she was making a big mistake to date a guy that she didn''t like.

    After dating Xi Ning for two months, Su Ruan decided to break up.

    From then on, Yu Zhi Yi remained as her best friend and her one-sided love.

 Chapter 4 - Flat Tire

    "Su Ruan, it has been what? Ten years?"

    "Eleven years," Su Ruan corrected her friend.

    Lin Qing rolled her eyes. She continued to focus on her driving and only glanced at her friend once in a while. "It has been that long. Are you sure you are not going to tell him what you feel?"

    Su Ruan heaved a long sigh. She propped her elbow on the window and looked at the scenery outside. "You know very well that each time I tried to confess, something would go wrong."

    "It must be a coincidence."

    "Is it?"

    Lin Qing no longer knew how she should talk to her friend. She could see how much Su Ruan like Yu Zhi Yi. However, after failing to confess a few times, the girl had given up.

    Su Ruan once told her that she wanted to wait until Yu Zhi Yi realized his feelings and confess to her instead. Of course, Lin Qing thought that her thought was absurd.

    Since she liked that man, she should either bravely confess her feelings or give up properly. What Su Ruan was doing at this moment would only hurt herself.

    "Right. Why did he want to see you on Christmas eve?"

    "He said he had something important to tell me." Su Ruan turned to her friend again and smiled. "Lin Qing, do you think that this time, my dream would finally come true?"

    Lin Qing did not answer. She knew well that Su Ruan was waiting for Yu Zhi Yi to realize his feelings and confess. However, Lin Qing did not want to give her friend false hope.

    It has been years¡­ If Yu Zhi Yi was not that stupid, he would have confessed to Su Ruan long ago. Lin Qing was convinced that the guy probably did not share the same feeling as Su Ruan''s.

    "I''m here!" Su Ruan pointed her hand towards a building in front of her.

    The vehicle finally pulled over in front of the building. Su Ruan alighted from the car and went to grab her belongings in the back seat. Because she was in a hurry, Su Ruan accidentally touched something sharp.

    "Ouch!" Su Ruan looked at her fingers and saw that the tip of her forefinger was bleeding.

    "What happened?"

    Su Ruan quickly put the finger in her mouth and coated the blood with her saliva. Just like that, the spot has stopped bleeding. "Nothing serious. Just a minor incident." She glanced at her watch and realized that she was late. "Lin Qing, I''ll have to go."

    "Alright. I know. Be careful!" Lin Qing watched her friend gather her belongings and finally entered the company''s building.

    A deep sigh escaped her as she thought about her friend''s situation again. She did not want Su Ruan to have a heartbreak.

    Lin Qing signaled and turned her car to leave the area.

    After driving for a while, she began to notice that there was something wrong with her car. After ensuring that her area was safe, Lin Qing controlled the car well and parked at the side. She turned on the emergency flashers and alighted.

    Lin Qing walked around the car only to find that a flat tire.

    "Damn it!" Lin Qing turned around to look at her surrounding to find anyone to help her and find none.

    It was not a busy street and there was not any car passing by.

    Lin Qing took out her phone, wanting to call someone. However, she had called her workshop twice but no one was picking up her call. With a frown, Lin Qing bent down to study the flat tire. After hesitating for a while, Lin Qing opened the trunk and took out the necessary equipment to change the tire. However, she soon found out that she did not know how to use any of the things to change her tire.

    As she was still in deep thought, a vehicle suddenly blew its horns at her. "What the hell?"

    "Do you need any help?"

    Lin Qing stared at the man and blinked. Her gaze fell on the man''s luxury SUV and a look of surprise appeared on her face. Lin Qing shifted her eyes towards the man again and held her phone tightly. Although this man was dressed in an expensive suit and driving an expensive car, she should not lower her guard. Appearance can be deceiving.

    "What''s wrong with your car?" The man lowered his gaze and frowned when he found the problem. "You have a flat tire."

    "I tried to change the tire, but it seems that I''m really terrible at the job. I can''t use that thing," Lin Qing said as she pointed towards the jack under her car. "And I can''t understand the manual on how to change the tire. It''s complicated."

    The man hesitated before he spoke. "My name is Long Yu Heng." He took out his card and handed it over to Lin Qing. "I can help you."

    Lin Qing studied his name card for a few seconds and nodded. "Thank you."

    Long Yu Heng crouched down and studied the tire and poked at the jack for a while before he stood up, holding a jack in his hand. "It seems like there''s a nail stuck in your tire. And I think your jack is broken."

    Lin Qing cocked a brow. "My jack?"

    "This thing is called a jack," Long Yu Heng waved the item in his hand.

    "Oh," Lin Qing smiled sheepishly. "I didn''t know that that thing had a name."

    Long Yu Heng smiled. He placed the jack on the floor and turned to Lin Qing. "Maybe you should call your workshop."

    "Right," Lin Qing chuckled. "Except that they are not picking up my call."

    "That''s alright. I''ll call someone." Long Yu Heng reached for his cell phone in his pocket and excused himself as he was on the phone. After a while, he returned to Lin Qing''s side and spoke, "He said that he''ll be here in five minutes," Long Yu Heng said as he walked towards them.

    "Thank you," Lin Qing sighed in relief, happy to hear the good news. "Thank you so much!"

    At this time, the passenger''s door to the SUV opened and a man dressed in a black suit and tie alighted.

    Lin Qing looked at the newcomers and thought that she could feel the suppressing air around this man.

 Chapter 5 - Her Scent

    A few minutes earlier¡­

    Long Fei closed his eyes as the vehicle cruised on the road. The temperature around Capital City during the winter might be cold but it was still making him uncomfortable.

    If it was not because he needed to attend the meeting with the boards of directors, there was no way that Long Fei was willing to leave their hometown.

    Long Yu Heng tightened his grip on the steering as he concentrated on his driving. Once in a while, he would glance at the rearview mirror to look at Long Fei. His expression grew tense as he sensed Long Fei''s discomfort. Subconsciously, his leg pressed on the accelerator pedal to speed up.

    A while ago, he had accompanied Long Fei to face the bunch of old men. As usual, they were unreasonable and wanted to create trouble. However, Long Fei was quick to stop them from creating a scene.

    "Yu Heng."

    His gaze flickered when he heard his name. Long Yu Heng looked at the rearview mirror and saw that Long Fei was staring at him.

    "I''m fine," Long Fei finally spoke after staying silent for a long time. "We''re not in a hurry. Just take your time. I only need a quick nap."

    A breath of relief escaped him. Long Yu Heng released his feet slowly from the pedal. He glanced at the mirror again and spoke, "Long Fei, just drink more water. You will feel better."

    The man frowned. However, he then sat up straight to reach the bottle. Once he had emptied the water, Long Fei went back to his previous position and continued to close his eyes. Just as Long Yu Heng had said, he did feel a little better after drinking more water.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Long Fei frowned when he heard that sound. "What?"

    "There''s a car stopping at the side road up ahead," Long Yu Heng spoke. "There are not many cars around this place at this time. Long Fei, I''m going to stop the car and help."

    He looked up and saw that a woman was standing in front of her car. Thinking that it would be dangerous for a woman to be alone at this time and place, Long Fei quickly gave his permission. "Go ahead."

    The vehicle pulled over at the side and Long Yu Heng walked out to help the girl.

    Long Fei stayed in the SUV while waiting for his cousin to help and settle the girl''s problem. He continued to close his eyes, wanting to take a nap. However, after staying too long in the car, Long Fei was beginning to feel suffocated.

    He reached to loosen his necktie but that too did not help with his situation. Irritated with the air around him, Long Fei lowered his window.

    The cold wind blew from the outside.

    Just as he was about to close his eyes again, Long Fei''s nose picked up the scent of something very familiar.

    He sat up straight and tightened his grip on the armrest. A deep frown appeared on his face as he continued to sit still. His throat rolled the moment he recognized the scent again.

    "It''s her." There was a hint of puzzlement on his face.

    Long Fei glanced at the woman that his cousin was talking to and frowned. After a brief hesitation, Long Fei finally stepped out of the car. His expression darkened upon realizing that the scent did not come from the woman in front of him.

    He could not but think that the situation was rather strange. He was very sure that he could detect the scent but this scent does not seem as if it belonged to this woman.

    Long Yu Heng coughed upon sensing his cousin''s displeasure. He did not know what was going on with his cousin recently but it seemed that his mood was getting worst. "Long Fei, this miss got a flat tire. I have already called the workshop. They should come over with help in a while."

    Long Fei continued to look at the woman in front of him. Then, his gaze shifted towards her car.

    He could sense that the scent was stronger and this scent was coming from the woman''s car. However, the person that he was looking for was not around.

    A few thoughts came to his mind and Long Fei quickly moved his gaze away.

    "Mister Long, you have already helped me to call the workshop to help me," Lin Qing spoke, forcing a smile at Long Yu Heng. "You don''t have to wait. I will be fine."

    "It''s alright." Long Fei answered. "This area is quiet and there are not a lot of cars passing by." He shifted his gaze to his cousin again and spoke. "You should wait until help arrived."

    Before Long Yu Heng could answer, Long Fei had already slipped into his car.

    Long Yu Heng touched the tip of his nose before he flashed a smile towards the woman again.

    As he sat in the car, Long Fei pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and glanced at the woman''s plate number.

    The phone call was connected in a few seconds. "Chairman Long." There was a hint of puzzlement in the man''s voice. The man had left the office just a while ago and he was not expecting to get this call.

    "Fu Xing, help me to investigate a few things for me," Long Fei spoke as he heard his assistant''s voice. He read the woman''s plate number and continued, "Find out about the owner of the car and the person who is driving the car at this moment. I want to know all about this person and the people around her."

    His conversation with his assistant was very short. After giving him the key point, Long Fei ended the call quickly.

    He lowered the window again to let the air from the outside into the car. As his nose picked up the familiar scent again, Long Fei began to relax.

    It seemed that the initial headache from earlier had disappeared as well.

    His lips curled into a faint smile at the thought that he might finally meet the person he has been searching for for years.

 Chapter 6 - Warning

    Long Yu Heng waited until the mechanics arrived. He watched the whole process until the woman safely drove away. Only then did he slide into the driver''s seat. Long Yu Heng glanced through the rearview mirror and noted the change in Long Fei''s expression.

    "You''re feeling better now?"

    "Hmm¡­" Long Fei continued to look out the window. The slight smile on his face was evident.

    Long Yu Heng was startled at the man''s reply. Just a while ago, his face was very pale and it doesn''t seem as if he was in a good mood. However, something changed in that short time he had left. "You seem to be in a good mood. What happened?"

    A chuckle escaped him. "Yu Heng, we might find her soon."

    His eyes lit up. "That girl you have been looking for? How?"

    Long Yu Heng has been by his cousin''s side for years and knew that their family has been searching for a girl that Long Fei had met twenty-five years ago. Initially, he had thought that everyone was looking for this girl because she had seen something that she should not.

    However, Long Yu Heng later learned that the reason they were looking for this girl was that¡­ something had happened between Long Fei and that girl. From then on, their fate was sealed.

    At the thought that their search would finally be over, Long Yu Heng could not hide his excitement.

    "That girl just now," Long Fei spoke slowly. "It seemed that she is related to the person we are looking for."

    "How are you sure?"

    Long Fei lowered his head. "I can smell it. Her blood. Her scent. It''s hers. It must be her." He was sure that the girl was in that vehicle a few minutes ago.

    The look on Long Yu Heng''s face turned serious. If Long Fei could really sense her, then this must be the truth. This time, they are really close to finding that woman.

    Although he should not be doubting Long Fei''s intuition, Long Yu Heng could not help but wonder what would happen if he was wrong. He... did not want Long Fei to be disappointed.

    "Fu Xing is already running an investigation," Long Fei continued. "It would not be long before we figure out her whereabouts."

    Long Fei began to imagine their meeting after a long time.

    He seemed to remember that adorable girl who would always come to find him. That time, the little girl had promised him that she would return to the small town to look for him again. However, she seemed to have forgotten about her promise.

    His eyes turned darker and his lips curled into a dangerous smile. It seemed that he will have to punish her for failing to keep her promise.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan tapped her pen on her notebook as she watched the stylist work on the model. All of a sudden, cold wind brushed her body, making her shiver. Her heart skipped a beat as if it was warning her that something bad was going to happen.

    She raised her head and started to look around. However, she could not see anything strange around.

    All sorts of thought came to her mind and she realized that she was probably scaring herself. There''s no ghost in this world, right?

    Su Ruan quickly brushed those thoughts off her mind.

    As she turned around to look at the model again, her phone on the table started to buzz.

    Her eyes lit up when she saw the name on her screen. It was her maternal grandfather, Ma Hao Dong. Seeing that it will take time before the model was going to get ready, Su Ruan took her phone and leave the room.

    She entered the emergency staircase and swiped her finger on the screen. "Grandpa." Her voice turned softer as she spoke.

    The old man laughed happily. "Su Ruan, are you at work?"

    "Mhm¡­ but it''s fine. I''m not very busy at the moment. The others are still setting up the set. I can talk. Grandpa, how are you?"

    "I''m doing fine. It''s just that¡­ Grandpa missed you very much."

    Her lips curled into a faint smile. "Grandpa, I missed you too."

    Su Ruan felt a little guilty as she said those words.

    After her parents had divorced, she haven''t been visiting her maternal grandparents as much as she wanted to.

    Her Grandpa would often tell her to visit him but her father would prevent her to go the small town. According to her father, while she was still a little girl, she had seen something in the woods and fainted.

    Later, each time that her parents bring her back to the small town, Su Ruan would have an episode. It seemed that the town scares her.

    After that, her parents had never taken her back to the small town.

    However, Su Ruan did not have any memories regarding what her parents had told her. She could not remember if she was afraid of anything or what would happen to her whenever she came to the place.

    Su Ruan only remembered the orchard and the apple trees lining up outside her Grandpa''s place.

    Now that she had grown up, Su Ruan would often plan to visit her maternal grandparents in that small town again. However, these days, she has been busy with work. It was hard for her to take a long off-day.

    Moreover, her mother would often bring her maternal grandparents over to the city. She could still meet them without heading over to the small town.

    "Come over and visit me when you''re free. The apples are not in season at this time but the scenery around this place is the best. If you come over, I will take you to look around. The lake view is especially beautiful. These days, more tourists were coming over to stay at this town."

    Her guilt deepened. "Grandpa, I will think about it."

    "How about coming over to celebrate Chinese New Year with me this time?"

    Su Ruan began to hesitate. "Grandpa, you know that I always celebrate New Year with my paternal grandparents."

    Her paternal grandparents only had her as their grandchild. Meanwhile, her maternal grandparents had a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren. If she decided to head to the small town to celebrate New Year, then, her paternal grandparents'' place would be very¡­ lonely.

    Su Ruan could almost imagine her Grandpa''s disappointment as she said those words. Taking a deep breath, she then spoke, "Then, how about after the new year? Grandpa, this time, I will surely take time to visit you, alright?"

    "Alright. Then, I will wait for you to return." Ma Hao Dong knew that his granddaughter was only coaxing him as she made her promise.. However, there was nothing else that he could do other than believe that one day, his granddaughter, Su Ruan would visit them in D Town.

 Chapter 7 - Investigation Report

    As Su Ruan walked into the room, the stylist was helping the model with the final touch. After ensuring that everything was perfect, Su Ruan exchanged a few words with the photographer and oversee the process.

    Her fingers continued to tap on her notebook.

    Watching the model posing in front of the camera made her wonder if she should continue this job. With a boss like Gao Leng, she should really reconsider whether she should stay.

    A few hours ago, she was in another heated argument with her boss. Even if she liked the job and the people she was working with, Su Ruan wondered whether everything was worth it.

    Last month, she had pitched an idea to her boss. It was an article that she wanted to write about and she had done a lot of homework on this topic.

    However, that perverted Gao Leng had passed the topic that she wanted to write about to her colleague, Yan Xi.

    It made her furious! The topic that she had been working hard on was going to be passed to another person! On what basis should she hand over something that she has been working so hard with to another?

    However, Gao Leng had convinced her that she should give in as Yan Xi is her senior. It would sound more credible if Yan Xi was the one who write that article.

    Su Ruan was younger and she will get her chance another time.

    To compensate for her loss, Gao Leng had arranged for her to work on another article and send her to work with this model.

    The healthy Su Ruan almost had high blood pressure due to anger. Yan Xi was only a few months older than she is and had joined the company a couple of months earlier.

    What senior?

    Fortunately, a colleague happen to be around and had pulled her away before she could beat her superior.

    Su Ruan was really close to quitting her job. If it was not because she still need money to pay her rent and bills, she would leave the company very soon. In the end, she could only take a few deep breaths and told herself that she should give in.

    She really did not understand how could she be so patient.

    A shadow loomed over her. Su Ruan looked up and saw that it was her colleague, Jiang Tian. The girl put a mug of hot coffee on the table and spoke, "Su Ruan, are you still upset? Don''t be so mad. Here, have a drink first."

    Su Ruan flashed her a smile and took a sip of the hot coffee. The taste calmed her nerve a little bit. She thanked her friend and watched as the girl slid into the seat beside her.

    "You know that Gao Leng was only doing those to piss you off. That man has been trying to get under your pants for a while now. Handing over your job to Yan Xi is only his way of revenge."

    Hearing her friend''s words, Su Ruan''s anger rose again.

    Jiang Tian inched closer and whispered, "Everyone knew that the Yan Xi and Gao Leng has been sleeping together anyway."

    Su Ruan heaved a long sigh. She also knew about this gossip. This was precisely why it was unfair for Yan Xi to get the credit for something that she has not worked hard for.

    "If it continues like this, someday this company will flop." Su Ruan clicked her tongue.

    With such a boss and staff, the magazine will not be able to hold on for too long. If the management continued to let Gao Leng do whatever he wanted, sooner or later, this company will no longer exist.

    Jiang Tian took out her phone and flashed the screen to Su Ruan. "Look at this. Blue Media Group is recruiting. I''m thinking of trying my luck with this company. Su Ruan, you should also try and send your resume."

    Su Ruan''s gaze was on her friend''s phone and studied the recruitment advertisement.

    ¡­

    The Orchid Hotel, Capital City.

    Long Fei walked out of the bathroom without drying his body and hair properly. At this time, there was only a white towel around his waist area.

    A droplet of water dripped down from the end of his hair to his shoulder. The water droplet slid on his skin towards his sturdy abs before it suddenly disappeared.

    In just a minute, the water on his body and hair had suddenly dried out. It was as if he did not come out of the bathroom after a long shower.

    After taking a long shower, Long Fei was starting to feel comfortable. The headache had disappeared and he was able to think clearly. He walked over to the wardrobe and put on a white, plain t-shirt. Then, he walked over to the study and began to look at a few documents that his assistant had forwarded to him earlier.

    As he was reading the company''s report, his phone on the table buzzed. He looked away from his laptop and clicked on the new email that his assistant had sent to him.

    His eyes flickered upon noticing that this was the result of the investigation.

    Long Fei began to read the documents carefully. He did not want to miss any important details on the person that he has been looking for.

    After going through the email for a while, Long Fei was beginning to get impatient. The report that his assistant, Fu Xing had sent to him was mostly on that woman that he had met on the street, Lin Qing. The woman''s family, job, and childhood experience were all written on the documents.

    All of the sudden, his movement halted.

    Long Fei stared at the picture that Fu Xing had attached along in the email for a long time. His mood began to change again and the corner of his lips tilted up into a smile.

    With one glance, Long Fei was able to recognize this person. This was the girl that he has been looking for for years. This was the girl who had promised that she will come to look for him but later, forgotten about her promise.

    Su Ruan.

 Chapter 8 - Im Getting Married

    These days, the temperature in Capital City getting colder.

    Standing on the side of the road as she waited for her turn to cross, Su Ruan rubbed her hands together and blew some air to help her hand feel warm.

    Every ten seconds, the girl was seen lifting her hand to check on the time. Then, a faint smile curled on her lips as she looked at her surroundings.

    It was Christmas eve and all around her, Su Ruan could see couples walking around with big smiles on their faces. The mall was decorated with Christmas decorations and everyone seemed as if they were affected by this cheerful festivity.

    Thinking about her best friend that she hasn''t seen in a while, Su Ruan wished that the light would turn green a little faster so that she would arrive at the caf¨¦ sooner.

    All of the sudden, the smile on her face disappeared.

    Su Ruan looked up in urgency and she began to scan her surroundings with worry. Her instinct was telling her that she was being watched. However, after looking around for a while, she could not find out anything wrong.

    That feeling gradually disappeared.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan quickly dismissed her wild thoughts. There were too many people around the city center. Perhaps, she had made a mistake. Perhaps, everything might be her imagination.

    As the light turned green, Su Ruan jogged to cross the street.

    She quickly arrived at the cafe where she was supposed to meet her best friend, Yu Zhi Yi. Entering the caf¨¦, the staff quickly led her inside. As she was planning to catch up with Yu Zhi Yi, Su Ruan chose the inner seat away from the crowd.

    Su Ruan ordered herself a cup of latte. She took out her phone to text Yu Zhi Yi that she had arrived and waited for the man to show up.

    How many years since the last time that she had seen Yu Zhi Yi face to face?

    Although they often talked on the phone and social media, Su Ruan was still missing this man a lot. Chatting through the phone and face to face was very different.

    When he called her a while ago, Yu Zhi Yi had told her that he had an important announcement to make. Her heartbeat accelerated as she wondered just what kind of announcement he would tell her today.

    Judging from the tone he used to speak to her, Su Ruan could sense that it was happy news.

    She wondered if this news would be related to her.

    As the thought came to her mind, Su Ruan patted her cheek as she reminded herself not to get carried away.

    This was not the first time that she had hoped for Yu Zhi Yi to say confess to her. From the moment she realized her feelings towards Yu Zhi Yi, Su Ruan has been daydreaming about this scene.

    For once, she hoped that the two of them would be in sync. For once, she hoped that Yu Zhi Yi would realize that the two of them made a good couple.

    However, each time that she had daydreamed about this scene, she would only be disappointed.

    The phone on her table buzzed. Su Ruan quickly reached for her phone, thinking that it was Yu Zhi Yi. A disappointed sigh escaped her when she saw Qin Ling''s name.

    She swiped her finger on the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. "Qin Ling."

    The moment the call was connected, Qin Ling began to complain about how her parents made her go on blind dates.

    They were now at the end of their twenties and their parents were eager to see them get settle down, get married, and have kids.

    The two friends continued to chat about Qin Ling''s dreadful blind date when Su Ruan noticed a familiar face entering the coffee shop. She watched as the man scanned all over the restaurant before their gaze met. Su Ruan waved her hand at him and watched him walk over.

    As Qin Ling continued to vent her frustration, Su Ruan let out a cough to stop her. "Qing Lian, listen I have to go."

    "What are you up to?"

    "Zhi Yi is here."

    There was a brief silence before Qin Ling spoke again. "Right. I almost forgot that you are meeting him today."

    Su Ruan smiled as she watched her friend, Yu Zhi Yi approached the table.

    "It was a rare occasion for the two of you to be together during Christmas Eve. The two of you have been friends for years and I know how much you like him. Su Ruan, why don''t you take this chance to tell him how you feel?"

    Su Ruan watched as Yu Zhi Yi pulled a chair and sat down across her.

    Noticing that she was still on the phone, Yu Zhi Yi smiled before he waved his hand to the server and ordered a cup of black coffee."

    Su Ruan turned to her left and whispered. "Can we discuss this matter later? This is really an inappropriate time to discuss this."

    Once Qin Ling started to speak, it would be difficult to stop her.

    "Right." Qin Ling sighed. "I''m sure that it would be difficult to speak about this when the subject in question is sitting right in front of you, huh?" Qin Ling laughed. "Alright. I got it. We''ll talk later. But don''t think that you can escape this conversation, Su Ruan."

    Su Ruan ended the call and turned to look at the handsome man in front of her. "Sorry." She flashed him an apologetic look.

    "Was that Qin Ling?"

    Su Ruan nodded. "Zhi Yi, I haven''t seen you for a long time. It seemed that you have gotten taller and handsome."

    The man laughed.

    The waiter came to deliver his cup of coffee before she walked away. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

    Su Ruan shook her head. "Not really. I only got here a few minutes before you. See. My coffee is still hot."

    The two friends chatted and catch up with their latest news on each other.

    Yu Zhi Yi was telling her about his life abroad when all of the sudden, Su Ruan raised her head and looked out the glass window.

    Her eyes were scanning her surroundings.

    Their table was a bit farther from the window but Su Ruan''s instinct told her that someone was watching her. It was the same feeling as she had felt earlier.

    "Su Ruan? What''s wrong?"

    She snapped out of her thoughts and turned o Yu Zhi Yi with a smile. "Nothing." Lifting her cup, Su Ruan took a mouthful of her drinks. "Right. Zhi I, you said that you have something to announce. It sounded important. What is it?"

    His lips slowly bloomed into a smile, causing her heart to skip a beat. Su Ruan thought that she had never seen Yu Zhi Yi smiling so beautifully at her as he was now.

    "Su Ruan." Yu Zhi Yi''s paused.. "I''m getting married."

 Chapter 9 - A Little Unhappy

    Her movement halted and the smile on her face froze.

    Su Ruan had never thought that after meeting the man that she had loved for years again, he would suddenly drop such a massive bomb at her.

    She did not know how to respond.

    Her mind went blank and everything around her seemed to fade away. Su Ruan could see that Yu Zhi Yi was still speaking to her. However, at this moment, she could not listen. In her ears, Yu Zhi Yi was speaking some gibberish.

    Su Ruan had imagined various scenes and possibilities of what her friend was going to tell her. However, she had never thought that this man was going to announce that he was going to get married.

    Yu Zhi Yi is getting married?

    Su Ruan realized that once he was really married, she would have no chance to be with him.

    Her heart was breaking and her body numbed.

    "Su Ruan?"

    It was not until Yu Zhi Yi had nudged on her hand did Su Ruan finally snapped out of her trance. Her mind finally regained its focus.

    "What are you thinking?" Yu Zhi Yi asked. "Why are you in such a daze? Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan quickly composed her mind and flashed a smile at him. "I''m fine." She lowered her head and took a sip of coffee. When she looked up again, the panic had long disappeared. "I was just too shocked. Zhi Yi, I did not expect that you would get married so soon."

    His lips curled into a smile, turning his expression soft and dazzling. "Un. I did not expect that I would get married this soon either."

    Her heart shattered.

    She had known Yu Zhi Yi for years and had watched as he dated a few girls. Su Ruan had never seen him smile like this before. Just from his expression alone, Su Ruan was able to sense just how much Yu Zhi Yi had feelings for that girl.

    This time would be different. This time, Su Ruan was finally convinced that she will no longer have a chance with him.

    "Shen Yue is such a good girl." Yu Zhi Yi leaned over with an excited look on his face. "Next week, when she comes to Capital City, I will introduce you to her. Su Ruan, I think you''re going to like her too."

    "I''m looking forward to meeting her as well. The girl who wins your heart should be a great person, right?"

    Yu Zhi Yi laughed happily at her words.

    Worried that he might see the look on her face and noticed that something was not right, Su Ruan lowered her head and drank her coffee again. Her long hair curtained her small face.

    "The girl''s name is Shen Yue?" Su Ruan asked. "I''ve never heard you mention her before."

    Yu Zhi Yi laughed. His face was radiating with happiness. "Well, we might not know each other for too long but the moment I saw her, I know that she is the one."

    Her eyes and nose stung but Su Ruan told herself not to cry. If she exposed her feeling at this time, she would be the one who would be embarrassed.

    As she continued to listen to Yu Zhi Yi telling her about how he got to know Miss Shen Yue, Su Ruan wished that she could run away. However, she could only listen to him with that plastic smile on her face.

    "Su Ruan, I have a request."

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance. "What is it?"

    "You are my best friend. I want you to be at my wedding."

    Her hand under the table clenched into a fist. "Of course. If you didn''t invite me to your wedding, it will be the end of our friendship." Su Ruan tried to lighten her mood by making a joke. However, she thought that her words only sounded pathetic.

    "What I''m trying to say is," Yu Zhi Yi paused as if the words he wanted to say next were a little difficult. "Su Ruan, I wanted you to be my best woman."

    ...

    Su Ruan did not know how did she spend the rest of her meal with Yu Zhi Yi. When they parted, the smile that she had tried so hard to maintain finally faltered.

    Her body grew weak. If she did not lean on the wall, Su Ruan would definitely fall to the ground.

    Her heart was in so much pain. She wanted to cry so badly. However, she still considered that she was in public and she wanted to protect her dignity.

    Yu Zhi Yi''s request hurt her so much.

    She could not accept or reject him. In the end, she could only say that she will think about it later.

    Taking a few deep breaths, Su Ruan began to walk. She needed to go back home before she could finally let go of her feelings.

    However, because she had her head low, Su Ruan did not notice the person in front of her and had run straight into him.

    Su Ruan raised her head briefly only to see a tall man in front of her.

    "Sorry." She continued to lower her head and hoped that the person would not make a lot of trouble for her. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, the man had already grabbed her wrist.

    Her eyes widened. Su Ruan raised her head again, wanting to ask what he was trying to do when their gaze met.

    The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat.

    The man was tall and handsome.

    Su Ruan could not help but feel as if the man''s eyes were a little familiar. She had seen them before. However, she quickly shook off that feeling. After all, she was very sure that she had never seen someone as handsome as this person.

    "Are you alright?" Deep creases appeared between his brows. "You don''t look so well."

    The man''s voice snapped her out of her trance. Seeing that the man was looking at her in concern, Su Ruan flashed him a smile. "I''m fine."

    The man continued to observe her for a while before he finally nodded. "Miss, you need to be more careful."

    "I know. Thank you." With that, Su Ruan quickly made a run.

    However, after running for a few steps, something cold and wet fell on her head. The people around her started to run around, looking for a place to hide from the rain.

    Su Ruan looked up at the sky. The sun was out but it was raining. As a few more droplets touched her skin, Su Ruan began to run to hide.

    ...

    Long Fei finally retracted his gaze from that woman when he noticed that Long Yu Heng was running over to his side with a black umbrella in his hand.

    "Long Fei, what''s wrong?"

    He immediately knew that his cousin was referring to the weather. "Nothing."

    "You made it rain for nothing?"

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. "I''m a little unhappy."

    Long Yu Heng stared back at him in surprise.

    Without bothering to explain, Long Fei walked over to their car which was parked at the side of the road. "Yu Heng... Come on.. Let''s go back."

 Chapter 10 - To Observe And Decide

    On the television, the news was reporting a strange incident where the pool at a nearby center had suddenly dried up.

    According to the eyewitness, the pool water had suddenly disappeared when he turned around. Some were quick to conclude that paranormal activities were going on. Some had said that the pool staff was draining the water to clean up the pool but failed to inform the others.

    Long Yu Heng watched as the reporter interviewed a few eyewitnesses and rubbed the space between his brow.

    Fortunately, he had managed to stop the major news from reporting such news and only a small station dared to pick up this story.

    Long Yu Heng glanced at the station''s logo and decided that he should not be worried too much. After all, the station did not have many audiences and the news they had reported in the past was not very credible.

    He should not pay too much attention to this news, right?

    The most important thing was for Long Fei to control himself. If he continued to use his power recklessly like this, sooner or later, they would only be in trouble.

    At this time, Long Yu Heng wished that they could stay in D Town where it would be safer for Long Fei. However, when he thought about the girl that Long Fei has been looking for, Long Yu Heng knew that they could not return now. That girl was too important. For both Long Fei and the future of their family.

    The phone on the table rang loudly.

    Long Yu Heng quickly grabbed his phone and walked out of the room. Once he was sure that he had not disturbed Long Fei''s sleep, he shifted his gaze to his phone again.

    However, his movement halted when he saw the name on the screen.

    Long Yu Heng weighted the decision whether he should be answering this call or not. Knowing that he would not be at peace if he ignored this call, Long Yu Heng swiped his finger on the screen to accept the call.

    "Grandpa." His tone was soft and cautious.

    "What took you so long to answer the call?" Long Yuan''s voice boomed through the phone.

    Long Yu Heng grimaced as he pulled a certain distance between his ear and the phone. "Grandpa, I was looking after Long Fei."

    "How is his condition?" Long Yuan''s voice softened the moment he heard his reason. He realized that he has been impatient.

    However, when he heard the news about the sunshower and the news that the pool water had suddenly evaporated, Long Yuan could not suppress his worry.

    His eldest grandson''s condition was very special and he did not want something to go wrong.

    "Grandpa, rest assured. Long Fei is fine. He''s resting at the moment," Long Yu Heng quickly reported.

    "What happened? Why did he suddenly make it rain? Didn''t he know that it''s too dangerous for him to use his power?"

    Long Yu Heng had a headache. He also did not know why Long Fei would suddenly absorb the water from the nearby local pool and make it rain.

    "Grandpa, I don''t know either. Long Fei said he was feeling a little unhappy." He could already imagine that he would have to listen to his grandfather''s nagging for hours for something that Long Fei had done.

    "Unhappy?" Long Yuan stroked his beard as he listened to his grandson''s words.

    The only reason Long Fei would do something so reckless was that something was affecting his mood. His eyes narrowed as Long Yuan began to wonder if it was because of something that Long Fei could not control well.

    "Yu Heng, tell me. What happened?"

    Long Yu Heng heaved a sigh. "Long Fei did not say too much. Grandpa, you should ask him about this matter."

    A deep frown appeared on his face. Long Yuan thought about it for a moment and decided that it would be useless to ask this grandson. Although Long Yu Heng and Long Fei were close and had spent a lot of time together, Long Fei was someone who like to keep things to himself.

    "When are you going to return with that girl?" Long Yuan asked. He finally remembered that he had received a report that Long Fei had finally found that girl. "You should know staying in D Town is better for someone like Long Fei."

    "Grandpa, I think it might take time before we could return with this girl," Long Yu Heng reported. "Long Fei¡­ it seemed that he has his plan. He wanted to observe the girl a little more before he decide whether he wanted to bring her back or not."

    Long Yuan''s anger rose. "Observe and decide?" His voice rose again. "He still wanted to observe and decide? Didn''t he know that he cannot do without this girl?"

    A long sigh escaped him. "Grandpa, the girl had her own life. Long Fei was reluctant to disturb her life by taking her back to the town. This is why he said that he wanted to observe and decide."

    In the past few days, Long Yu Heng has been following his cousin to check on Su Ruan. However, he still could not guess what Long Fei was planning to do.

    "That stupid boy!" Long Yuan was frustrated. "If it was not for that thing he does when he was younger, would things turn this way? Tell him to immediately return to D Town!"

    Long Yu Heng chose to stay silent. He knew that it was no use to say anything when his grandfather was still angry.

    His gaze shifted to the room where Long Fei was still asleep. He wondered if Long Fei would choose to give up and return to D Town immediately.

    ¡­

    On another side of the city¡­

    Lin Qing stared at her friend with worry.

    Su Ruan had returned home after meeting Yu Zhi Yi and she had thought that Su Ruan would return home with a bright smile on her face.

    She had never thought that the moment Su Ruan entered the door, she would slide down to the floor and start to cry.

    Her clothes were wet by the rain and she was crying aggrievedly.

    It took Lin Qing a while before she could coax her friend. When she finally heard what had happened during the meeting, Lin Qing could not help but sympathize with Su Ruan.

    The man he had loved for years is getting married soon. Moreover¡­ that man had invited her to be his best woman.

    To stand by the person you loved and watch as he marries another woman¡­ Lin Qing could not imagine what Su Ruan was feeling at this moment.

    Nothing she said could ease her pain. At this time, the only thing Lin Qing could do was to let Su Ruan vent her feelings.

    Only after venting and letting go of her feelings would Su Ruan be able to come back and stand up stronger.

 Chapter 11 - Giving Up

    Lin Qing pursed her lips into a thin line as she watched Su Ruan come out of the room. As their gazes met, Lin Qing quickly looked away from her.

    "Do I look that bad?"

    "Do you want my honest opinion?"

    Su Ruan does not have to wait for Lin Qing''s answer to know that her face looked like a mess at this time. She entered the bathroom and her body froze as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

    Her eyes were too swollen that it was impossible for her to go to work and meet people today. This was the outcome after she had cried her heart out for a few days.

    Su Ruan massaged the area around her eyes in hope that the swelling would go away. However, no matter what she do, the swelling would not go away.

    "I think you should take a day off today."

    Su Ruan sighed, thinking that she will have to listen to Lin Qing''s suggestion. However, as she thought about her work and her boss, Su Ruan knew that taking a day off would be impossible.

    "Forget it. I still have a lot of work to do," Su Ruan said. She turned to Lin Qing and saw her friend''s concerned look. "I''ll just wear a sunglass or something. If anyone asks, I''ll tell them that I cried too much after watching a drama."

    It was the end of the year and there was a lot of works for her to do. If she took a day off, tomorrow, her work would be doubled.

    Since her body was well enough to go to work, it was best to settle her work quickly.

    Seeing that Su Ruan was determined, Lin Qing decided not to say a word. After all, she was familiar with how demanding Su Ruan''s boss and company would be.

    "I''ll get you some ice," Lin Qing said. "Try to apply them on your eyes before you head to work. Perhaps this method would work."

    Su Ruan forced a smile. "Lin Qing, thank you."

    Lin Qing heaved a sigh. She turned to the kitchen to grab some ice before she returned to Su Ruan''s side. "Su Ruan."

    "Hmm?"

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan was in the middle of applying some ice when she heard the question. Instantly, her movement halted. She met Lin Qing''s eyes through the mirror and flashed a weak smile. "I''m fine. I''ll be alright."

    Lin Qing felt her heart heavy upon seeing her friend''s expression. "You don''t have to force yourself to be okay."

    "No. But I''ll get over it." Su Ruan lowered her head. "It''s not as if I am not used to it. I''ve watched him dating a few women before. I''ll be fine."

    Lin Qing knew that Su Ruan only said those words to comfort herself. She knew how much Su Ruan liked Yu Zhi Yi and how long she had kept her feelings.

    However, this was also a good thing.

    Su Ruan has delayed speaking about her feelings for a long time.

    It was best that Yu Zhi Yi made her give up a little earlier. At least, Su Ruan would wake up a little earlier and get back to her life.

    When she was no longer thinking about Yu Zhi Yi, perhaps, Su Ruan would be able to meet the person who would love and cherish her most.

    Su Ruan entered the bathroom and came out again after a few seconds.

    Lin Qing naturally noticed her friend''s hesitance. "What''s wrong?"

    "Next week, Yu Zhi Yi was going to introduce me to his fiance."

    Her eyes widened. Lin Qing had not expected that Yu Zhi Yi would want to let Su Ruan meet her fiance. Wasn''t this almost the same as rubbing salt into Su Ruan''s wound?

    "I hope that you can accompany me to this meeting," Su Ruan spoke. Her voice was low and weak. "I just thought that I would need someone as my support."

    "I''ll be there," Lin Qing answered quickly. "Just tell me the date and time. I''ll be there."

    "Thank you, Lin Qing."

    Lin Qing saw the weak smile on her friend''s face and hesitated. "Su Ruan, are you sure you can give up on him?"

    Meeting the person that Yu Zhi Yi was going to marry was the same as giving up her feelings, right? Lin Qing did not think that Su Ruan would come and cause trouble for Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance.

    "Otherwise, what can I do?" Su Ruan heaved a sigh. "Don''t worry. I''ve already vented enough when I cried for days. Since he had chosen to be with someone else, as his friend, I can only wish for his happiness."

    ¡­

    Long Yu Heng was seated on the sofa, arranging a few documents on the table when Long Fei had suddenly come out of the room. He gave his cousin a look over and asked, "Are you alright?"

    In the past few days, Long Fei has been in a terrible mood and no one dared to disturb him. As Long Fei''s cousin, Long Yu Heng had to be the one to stay beside him. After all, as a member of the Long family, he was familiar with Long Fei''s condition the most.

    Long Fei rubbed his chest before he lowered his gaze again. "Hmm¡­" He walked over to the coffee table and grabbed a bottle of drinking water. In a blink of an eye, Long Fei drank the water until it was emptied.

    "Grandpa has been calling to check up on you," Long Yu Heng said. He continued to observe his cousin for a few seconds longer. His stiff shoulder finally dropped once he was sure that Long Fei was alright. "He said that once you are well enough, you should give him a call."

    "I know." Long Fei nodded. "I''ll give him a call later."

    Long Yu Heng picked up the documents on the table, wanting to continue his job. However, he then noticed that Long Fei was dressed in his suit and tie.

    "Are you heading to the company?"

    Long Fei adjusted his cufflink before he turned to Long Yu Heng and nodded. "There are a few people that I have to meet." He took a step and stop again. "Right. Last time, didn''t Fu Xing say that a certain magazine wanted to interview me?"

    It took Long Yu Heng a few seconds to figure out what his cousin was talking about. "That fashion magazine? Fu Xing had already rejected that interview."

    "I changed my mind. Tell them that I am willing to be interviewed."

    "But that''s a fashion magazine."

    "I know. Just arrange it as I said."

    Long Yu Heng was a little startled that Long Fei was willing to be interviewed by a mere fashion magazine.. It took him a while to realize that a certain someone was working in that company.

 Chapter 12 - An Assignment

    The moment Jiang Tian saw Su Ruan walking into the office, she could see that there was something wrong with her friend. It took her a while to find out that Su Ruan was wearing sunglasses inside the building.

    Jiang Tian was about to speak when Su Ruan took off her sunglasses. Seeing her friend''s swollen eyes, Jiang Tian suddenly became speechless. There were ten seconds of silence before Jiang Tian finally spoke, "My God, Su Ruan! What happened to you?"

    Su Ruan put her bag on the table and sighed. "I cried after watching a costume drama," she said. Fearing that her friend would not believe her, Su Ruan quickly added, "The couple clearly loved each other but they could not be together. In the end, the female lead chose to end his life after her beloved died."

    Her lips curled into a mocking smile.

    At least the leads in this drama she mentioned loved each other. Meanwhile, her love for that person has always been one-sided.

    Su Ruan thought that her love life was quite pathetic.

    "Ah! I know that drama." Jiang Tian suddenly became excited. "I watched that one and cried my eyes out. You''re right. That drama is full of tragedy. I couldn''t move on for weeks."

    The corner of her lips started to twitch. She only gave a little hint on the ending. Su Ruan had not expected that Jiang Tian would know about this drama too.

    The two of them suddenly chatted about the drama with Jiang Tian mostly fangirling about the lead''s sweet moments before the tragedy happened.

    It was not until someone called to say that Gao Leng called for a meeting did the two of them stopped discussing the drama.

    Su Ruan gathered her notebook and stationery before she walked into the meeting room with the others. The meeting started and Gao Leng began to divide some tasks and assignments for their upcoming issue.

    Everyone could not help but to shoot a dissatisfied look at Yan Xi when that girl was chosen to do write some important articles as usual. They wanted to complain but even their editor-in-chief was unable to do anything with Gao Leng''s intervention. He was related to their big boss. No matter how much they complain, no one was going to do anything to Gao Leng.

    Although they were not satisfied, they still had to stay in this job as they still need their salary.

    After her last fight with Gao Leng regarding her article, Su Ruan was no longer in the mood to fight with them. For the rest of the meeting, Su Ruan chose not to say anything.

    The meeting ended and everyone went back to their station. Their boss had played obvious favoritism and everyone was not in a good mood to work.

    Su Ru Ruan opened her notebook and started to work on her job. Just then, their Editor-in-Chief called her to enter the office. After switching off her laptop, Su Ruan went into her editor''s office to discuss a few wok matters.

    Their Editor-in-Chief, Ji Fan Yin as a stylish woman in her late forties. She had short hair and always had bright red lipstick on her lips.

    Su Ruan greeted her editor before she took a seat.

    "I have an assignment for you." Ji Fan Yin leaned over and smiled. "Su Ruan, you know that there is a column in our magazine that always focused on successful male leaders in the country."

    Su Ruan nodded.

    Their magazine''s readers were mostly women. This column was always popular among their readers as they get to feast their eyes on good-looking men.

    "You should have heard about Blue Media Group, right? Just now, someone contacted me and said that their Chairman, Long Fei is willing to be interviewed."

    Her mouth gaped open at this news. Blue Media was the biggest media company in the country. "Why would someone like him agree to be interviewed by this small fashion magazine?"

    Ji Fan Yin laughed. "Who knows what the rich people like him were thinking? However, it was rare for Chairman Long Fei to accept an interview. If our magazine did a good job, there was a chance that we might boost our sales. Su Ruan, I am thinking of letting you interview Chairman Long Fei."

    Su Ruan finally left the editor''s office with a dazed look on her face.

    When she returned to her station, Su Ruan continued to stare at her laptop screen, not knowing what she should feel regarding this news.

    She was excited. However, she was a little worried that it was too early for her to celebrate. Moreover, her Editor-in-Chief had already mentioned that she should keep this matter a secret before that Chairman come to their office.

    After a while, Su Ruan finally regained her composure. She slapped her cheek softly with both her hands and started to do her homework on Long Fei.

    ¡­

    The Orchid Hotel, Capital City.

    Long Yu Heng stared at her phone for a while before he finally turned to the master bedroom. He rapped his knuckles twice and entered once he heard Long Fei''s voice.

    However, the moment he entered the bedroom, Long Fei was nowhere to be seen. His ears picked up the sounds of water that came from the bathroom. Long Yu Heng knocked on the door and entered the bathroom.

    A frown appeared on his face upon finding that Long Fei was soaking in the bathtub with his clothes fully on.

    It was cold in winter. However, this person still had to soak in water due to his special condition.

    As the eldest male in their generation, Long Fei was born special. The moment he was born he was already determined as their leader. He had the power and wealth. However, his condition made him have to stay close to water all the time.

    Anyone would be jealous of what Long Fei has. However, Long Yu Heng thought that Long Fei was quite pitiful.

    "How is it? Did you contact them?"

    Long Yu Heng nodded. "They already set the date for you to come over to their office. Your interview is set to come out for the magazine''s New Year''s edition."

    "Alright. You can leave now." Long Fei did not care about such details. He was only willing to be interviewed because that girl happened to work there. He only wanted to learn more about her and try to get close to her.

    Before he found Su Ruan, Long Fei thought that he was ready to let her go.

    However, there was something inside his body that keep calling him, wanting him to get close to her. Long Fei could only blame the decision he made while he was still a little boy. If he did not meet Su Ruan that night, his body would not react this badly.

    His eyes narrowed as he thought about his next meeting with Su Ruan.

 Chapter 13 - Shen Yue

    On the weekend, Su Ruan went out to meet Yu Zhi Yi with Lin Qing accompanying her. Today, Yu Zhi Yi was going to introduce his fiance to her and a few other friends.

    Yu Zhi Yi had booked a private hall in the Orchid Hotel in Capital City to gather everyone. The man was willing to spend a lot of money on his fiance. Su Ruan could not help thinking of how much Yu Zhi Yi loved this girl.

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan turned to her side and saw that her friend Lin Qing was staring back at her with an unmasked worry.

    Among Su Ruan''s friends, Lin Qing was the one who knew how much she had loved Yu Zhi Yi for years. She has always been Su Ruan''s advisor and support system. Just like Su Ruan, Lin Qing could not believe that this day would come.

    Lin Qing could not help but feel a little sad for Su Ruan.

    Although she had always nagged her friend to confess or let Yu Zhi Yi go, in the end, Lin Qing wanted her friend to be happy with the person she loved.

    However, the love that Su Ruan had for years had ended. Thinking about how she had watched Su Ruan cry for days about this unrequited love made Lin Qing sad as well.

    "I''m fine." Su Ruan forced a smile. "I have already decided to let him go. Lin Qing, as long as he is happy, then, I would be happy as well."

    Lin Qing heaved a sigh, thinking that this friend of hers was a little silly.

    "Come on. Let''s go in and eat something delicious." Su Ruan grabbed Lin Qing in the arms and led her into the hotel''s building. "I heard that the food in this hotel, especially their dessert is the best in Capital City."

    "You''re exaggerating." Lin Qing rolled her eyes.

    Su Ruan laughed. "Well first, we have to taste their food before we can judge them, right?"

    The two friends went inside and found the private hall that Yu Zhi Yi had mentioned before. The moment they entered the private hall, Yu Zhi Yi was standing not far away from the entrance as he chatted with a few friends.

    Yu Zhi Yi turned around and a light lit up in his eyes the moment he saw his friend, Su Ruan. He excused himself from his friends and walked over.

    "You''re here." Yu Zhi Yi gave Su Ruan a look over and smiled. "You look good today."

    Su Ruan flashed a smile. "Thank you. You look very dashing as well in that suit and tie." She looked around the hall before her gaze found Yu Zhi Yi again. "I thought we had entered the wrong hall and crashed someone else''s wedding reception. Zhi Yi, it couldn''t be that you are tricking us to attend your secret wedding reception, right?"

    Yu Zhi Yi laughed happily. "That seemed like a good idea. If we could get someone to officiate our wedding, I wouldn''t mind turning this gathering into a wedding reception."

    It seemed that he was too impatient to marry that girl.

    The smile on her face stiffened. Although Su Ruan had already made her decision to let her love for a few years go, it still hurt her to see him very happy like this.

    Su Ruan quickly looked away and pulled Lin Qing closer. "I hope that you wouldn''t mind that I took Lin Qing with me. The two of us needed to head elsewhere after this. I told her to accompany me to this gathering."

    "Of course I wouldn''t mind. Su Ruan, any friend of yours is also a friend of mine." Yu Zhi Yi shifted his gaze to Lin Qing and smiled. "Hello, Miss Lin. It has been a while since we saw each other."

    "It has been a while indeed. The last time I saw you, it was during the gathering before you moved away to another country."

    Su Ruan watched as they shook their hands before she looked around the hall. "Right. Where is the lucky girl? Zhi Yi, how long are you going to hide your fiance away from me? Come, introduce her to me."

    The smile on his face was very warm. "Shen Yue will come over in a while. She would not come out to meet anyone until she was sure that her dress and makeup are perfect."

    Yu Zhi Yi might seem as if he was complaining. However, Su Ruan did not miss the doting look in his eyes.

    At this time, Su Ruan wondered if coming over to this gathering was a good idea. Letting go was really hard. Seeing Yu Zhi Yi talking about his fiance was enough to make her heart hurt.

    Su Ruan could not imagine just how it would feel when she see Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance standing side by side.

    At this time, a hotel staff walked in and speak something to Yu Zhi Yi in a low voice.

    Su Ruan quickly took this chance to get away from him. "Alright, Zhi Yi, you go ahead and do what you have to do. I''ll go around with Lin Qing to meet a few of our friends."

    Yu Zhi Yi nodded. "Go ahead. The hotel had prepared some light bites before we can eat. Go ahead and try their strawberry shortcake. I''ve tried them. They are to die for."

    Su Ruan laughed. "Then, I will listen to your recommendation."

    Once Yu Zhi Yi had walked away, Lin Qing held her friend''s hand and looked at her with worry. "Are you alright?" She had stood beside Su Ruan''s side and noticed her friend''s change of expression.

    Su Ruan might not show it but Lin Qing knew that her friend was hurting.

    "I''m fine." Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. "Lin Qing, you have to stay beside me, alright?"

    She was afraid that the pain would be too much and she would start to cry. Now that Yu Zhi Yi is going to marry, Su Ruan was determined not to let him know about her feelings. She would bury that feeling inside her forever.

    Lin Qing patted her hand. "Let''s go and grab that cake. I heard that sweet stuff could lift your mood."

    The two friends walked over to the buffet table to grab something light. Once in a while, a few friends stopped over to exchange a few words.

    After waiting for almost ten minutes, Yu Zhi Yi finally walked up to the front and announced that his fiance was going to make her appearance.

    Soon, everyone''s attention moved to the entrance. The door swung open and a lady in an elegant midnight blue dress walked in with a bright smile on her face.

    Yu Zhi Yi stretched his hand and the girl walked over to his side.

    "Everyone, let me introduce¡­ This is Shen Yue, my fiance."

 Chapter 14 - Treated Him As A Friend

    Su Ruan raised a glass and took a sip as she watched Yu Zhi Yi bring his fiance around the tall and introduce her to his friends.

    Her gaze lowered until they stopped at his hand that was resting around the girl''s waist. Su Ruan quickly moved her gaze away. Her eyes stared at the contents in her glasses with a dazed expression.

    No one knew what was going on in her mind.

    She continued to be a trance until Lin Qing nudged her on the waist. Turning to her friend, Su Ruan saw that Lin Qin was gesturing in a direction.

    Her eyes changed when she understood what Lin Qing was trying to say. When she looked up again, Su Ruan saw that both Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue were walking in her direction.

    Su Ruan flashed a bright smile at the couple.

    Yu Zhi Yi opened his mouth and spoke, "Shen Yue, this is my best friend."

    The girl raised a brow and smiled. "Let me guess¡­ this should be Miss Su Ruan." When the man smiled, Shen Yue knew that she had guessed correctly. She stretched her arms and spoke, "Hello Miss Su, I''m Shen Yue. It''s an honor to finally meet you."

    Su Ruan shook hands with her before she turned to Yu Zhi Yi with a puzzled look.

    Shen Yue put a hand over her lips and laughed softly. Her movement was seemed very smooth and elegant. "Zhi Yi had always mentioned you to me. "

    Su Ruan glanced at Yu Zhi Yi again.

    A tinge of happiness appeared in her heart upon knowing that Yu Zhi Yi had mentioned her to his fiance. However, a strange feeling came over very quickly. Su Ruan realized that Yu Zhi Yi had never mentioned his fiance until a few weeks ago.

    "So it''s like that." Su Ruan lowered her head to think as Yu Zhi Yi introduced Qin Ling to his fiance. When the couple turned to her again, Su Ruan spoke, "I heard from Yu Zhi Yi that the two of you are planning to get married soon. Miss Shen, congratulations."

    Shen Yue smiled amiably. "Thank you. Miss Su, we should go and hang out together sometimes. Since you and Zhi Yi are good friends, naturally, I wanted to get along with you as well."

    The two of them speak briefly before Yu Zhi Yi took his fiance to meet his other friends.

    As soon as the couple was out of their eyesight, Qin Ling went over to her friend and looked at her with concern. Seeing that Su Ruan was not very affected by meeting Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance, Qin Ling finally let out a breath in relief.

    "Qin Ling."

    "Ah?"

    "Let''s head back after we finish drinking," Su Ruan said. "I''ll treat you to lunch. What do you think about hot pot?"

    "I''ll listen to you." Her friend was still upset and Qin Ling did not have any objection.

    After drinking a little bit, Su Ruan and Qin Ling walked over to Yu Zhi Yi to excuse themselves.

    "You''re leaving now?" Yu Zhi Yi stared back at his friend in surprise. "But you haven''t eaten anything yet. Just stay for a while until the food is served."

    "It''s fine." Su Ruan turned to Qin Ling and tugged at her sleeve gently. "Qin Ling had somewhere to go. I already promised her that I will accompany her."

    Yu Zhi Yi shifted his gaze between the two girls. In the end, he heaved a disappointed sigh. "Alright then. Su Ruan, let''s schedule another date. Next time, we''ll hang out with just the three of u."

    Su Ruan forced herself to smile. It was not difficult to guess that the third person will be his fiance.

    Meeting Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance among their friends was alright for her. However, Su Ruan was afraid that if she had to spend her time with just the couple, someone might figure out her secret.

    "Well then, let''s arrange to meet another day," Su Ruan said. She looked around and asked, "Where''s your fiance? I should say goodbye and congratulate her."

    "She said she wanted to go and fix her makeup," Yu Zhi Yi said. "Since you are in a hurry, you don''t have to wait for her. Afterward, I will tell her that you have left."

    The two friends continued to exchange a few words before Su Ruan finally left the hall. Once the door was closed behind her, Su Ruan could finally feel as if her shoulder was no longer as tense. Her eyes were staring ahead with a dazed expression.

    "Qin Ling, I''ll head over to the restroom first," Su Ruan said. "Do you want to come along?"

    "No. It''s fine." Qin Ling waved his hand. "I''ll wait for you in the lobby."

    Su Ruan nodded before she turned around and headed to the restroom.

    After finishing her business, Su Ruan stood in front of the mirror and heaved a sigh.

    Her heart was still aching as she recalled how Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance stood side by side. However, she was relieved that this meeting has gone as well as she wanted. The most important thing was that she had managed to control her emotion well.

    At this time, someone came out of one of the booths.

    Su Ruan raised her head and was surprised upon meeting Shen Yue''s eyes. The woman flashed her a smile before she walked over and stood at the basin sink beside her. Su Ruan contemplated whether she should strike a conversation.

    Although Yu Zhi Yi had introduced them, Su Ruan still found it awkward to be around Shen Yue.

    The sound of water stopped. Shen Yue straightened her posture and turned to Su Ruan. "Miss Su, I have always heard my fiance talked about you."

    "I hope that he did not say anything bad about me."

    "Of course, not." Her smile faded as she gave Su Ruan a look over. "But from the way that he talked about you, I can see that the two of you are very close and cared for each other."

    Hearing her words, Su Ruan quickly found out that something does not seem right. "We are friends with some similar interest." Su Ruan forced herself to calm down.

    A soft chuckle escaped her. "Miss Su, actually, I am someone who does not believe that a man and a woman can be best friends."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line before she spoke again, "Miss Shen, what are you trying to say?"

    "I heard that you are single. Zhi Yi might not be interested in you, but Miss Su, we are both women. Towards Zhi Yi¡­ I can tell that way you looked at him was a little different."

    Her heart skipped a beat. Su Ruan forced herself to calm down. Although it was true that she harbored a romantic feeling towards Yu Zhi Yi, Su Ruan was someone who did not want to be the third party.

    "Miss Shen... Yu Zhi Yi and I are only friends and nothing more than that. We have known each other for years. If I had some feelings for him, don''t you think that I would have taken an action earlier?" Su Ruan forced a smile. "You don''t have to worry about it. For Yu Zhi Yi and I to be together¡­ it''s already impossible.. I only treated him as a friend and nothing more than that."

 Chapter 15 - He Cannot Let Her Go

    When Qin Ling saw her friends walk over to the lobby, she immediately noticed that there was something wrong with Su Ruan''s expression.

    Picking up her purse, Qin Ling walked over to Su Ruan with a concerned look on her face. "What''s wrong?"

    Su Ruan shook her head. "It''s nothing."

    Qin Ling frowned. She could see that Su Ruan''s paled face. How can it simply be nothing? She turned to look in the direction where Su Ruan had just come out and noticed Yu Zhi Yi''s fiance walking out. Instantly, Qin Ling guessed what was going on.

    She held Qin Ling''s hand tightly and spoke, "Come on, let''s go back." Turning around, Su Ruan walked over to the entrance.

    A man in suit and tie passed by.

    Qin Ling glanced at the man once before she looked at her friend again. "Did she make trouble for you?"

    Su Ruan shook her head again. "No. Qin Ling, don''t think too much."

    A light sigh escaped her. Qin Ling could sense that her friend was not in a good mood and decided not to ask. She followed Su Ruan to head out and halted. A light frown appeared on her face.

    Qin Ling turned around again to look for that man in suit and tie, but could not find him again.

    She had a feeling that she had seen that man before, but could not remember the time and place.

    Seeing that Su Ruan had walked farther, Qin Ling decided not to ponder about that man and focused on her friend instead.

    ¡­

    Long Yu Heng walked around the hotel''s lobby with worry. Just a while ago, Long Fei was sitting behind his desk, looking at some documents while he was on a video call meeting. All of a sudden, he stood up and walked out of the room without explaining.

    It was Long Yu Heng who had to explain to their business partner that Long Fei had an emergency.

    When he followed the man out, Long Fei was nowhere to be seen.

    Long Yu Heng decided to come down and look for the man downstairs.

    As he recalled the strange way Long Fei has been acting these past few days, Long Yu Heng could not help but worry.

    After searching around the place for a few minutes, Long Yu Heng finally saw his cousin standing in the hotel''s lobby with a dazed look on his face. He let out a breath of relief and walked over. "What''s wrong with you? Why did you suddenly rush out of the room?"

    "She was here a while ago."

    "Who was here a while ago?" A thought came to his mind and Long Yu Heng followed his Long Fei''s line of gaze. However, he was disappointed when he noticed that Long Fei was staring at the closed door of a function room.

    These days, the person that could make Long Fei act this way was that girl.

    Long Yu Heng narrowed his eyes, wondering if that person would still be here. "Do you want to go inside?"

    "No. She already left." Long Fei retracted his gaze. He turned around to leave but hesitated again. Long Fei turned to his cousin and spoke, "Can you help and find out why she would appear at this hotel?"

    "Alright." Long Yu Heng nodded and left to investigate.

    Long Fei heaved a long sigh as he released his hand that was balled into a tight fist. He did not understand himself.

    He was usually a calm person. Why was it that when it comes to that girl, he would act like this ¨C wanting to be close to Su Ruan and finding out more about her. Long Fei thought that his action was almost the same as a stalker.

    Didn''t he already decide that he did not want to care about her?

    He took a deep breath to calm down.

    Long Fei realized that each time he was close to Su Ruan, his body would feel different. It was as if he was his source of¡­ energy. Each time that he got closer, he would feel refreshed.

    The thing about his body was that he could not leave the water for too long. Or else he would be irritated and his body would weaken. This was why he would often stay around the lake in D Town a lot.

    However, with Su Ruan around, everything seemed to be different. That woman was like his source of water.

    In the past, when his grandfather had told him that it was important for him to find that girl again, Long Fei had thought that his grandfather was overreacting.

    He spent a long time, years, trying to prove to his grandfather that he did not need her. He wanted to prove that he would be fine living without her. This was also the reason he decided to pursue his study in C Country.

    His grandfather had called it a gift but Long Fei had always thought that he was cursed with this body.

    He had thought that he would be able to break this chain. However, his stubbornness almost cost him his life.

    Fortunately, there was a huge lake around that place where he could turn into his other self and swum around under the water. Or else, perhaps he would die and the Long family prestige would end with him.

    Now that he had met Su Ruan, Long Fei began to understand why his grandfather had said that Su Ruan is very important.

    Even though he hated to admit it, Long Fei knew that he needed Su Ruan to stay by his side.

    He cannot let her go.

    But, what could he do to make her stay with him?

    Kidnap her? Force her to stay around?

    Although he was very capable to do so, these were things that he did not want to do. Long Fei wanted her to stay beside him out of her free will.

    "Long Fei."

    He finally snapped out of his thought when he heard Long Yu Heng''s voice.

    "The hotel said that someone booked that room to hold a welcome back party," Long Fei spoke. "Miss Su attended this party as Mr. Yu''s guests."

    "Mr. Yu?"

    "His name is Yu Zhi Yi. He only returned to Capital City a few weeks ago."

    "Who is he?"

    "I believe that Miss Su and Mr.. Yu went to the same university."

 Chapter 16 - Troublesome Group

    After leaving the hotel, Su Ruan and Qin Ling headed to their favorite restaurant downtown to have a hotpot. Su Ruan swirled a piece of meat in the dipping sauce and looked at her friend.

    "Qin Ling, you always said that the way I look at Zhi Yi would give away my feelings. Tell me, everyone seemed to know that I like him but why can''t he see it himself?"

    Qin Ling listened to her words and frowned as something came to her mind. "It couldn''t be that Miss Shen knew something about it?"

    Su Ruan flashed her a weak smile.

    "Just now in the restroom¡­"

    "Mhm¡­ She suspected something but I quickly denied it."

    Her eyes widened in surprise. Qin Ling looked at her friend with worry. She wanted to give some consolation words but looking at Su Ruan''s expression, Qin Ling found that she could not find the right word to say.

    "Don''t look at me that way. I told you that I will stop harboring any feelings towards him. I meant what I said."

    "You''ll find someone else soon," Qin Ling spoke. "Someone who you love and reciprocate your feelings."

    Qin Ling knew that these words would have no effect on Su Ruan, but in the end, these were the only consolation words that Qin Ling could think of.

    Even though Su Ruan might not want to hear these words, Qin Ling sincerely prayed that Su Ruan would find someone better.

    Su Ruan laughed. "Thank you. But I decided that I''m going to stop thinking about love matters. Right now, I''m going to focus on my career. Let me tell you a secret. My editor assigned me to interview a big shot for the upcoming issue. If I do it well, perhaps I could get a raise or something. I''m thinking that once I made my name, I can get a new job at a new place as well."

    Qin Ling pursed her lips as she listened to Su Ruan telling her about her job. Qin Ling knew well that Su Ruan was only trying to cheer herself up but the sadness in her eyes was unmaskable.

    Although Su Ruan had said that she was alright, Qin Ling could not help but worry.

    ¡­

    The Orchid Hotel.

    Long Yu Heng entered the room and found Long Fei seated behind his desk. Sensing his appearance, the man tore his gaze away from the documents to look at him.

    "I have investigated Miss Su and Mr. Yu''s relationship," Long Yu Heng announced. He walked over to his desk and placed the documents on Long Fei''s table.

    The man merely glanced at the documents before he nodded. "Un. Thank you. You can leave it here. I''ll look at it later."

    His attitude was the same as if he did not care about it.

    However, Long Fei soon realized that his cousin had not left but instead, continued to stand where he was.

    "Do you have something you wanted to say?"

    Long Yu Heng hesitated before he spoke, "Long Fei, we received news that that troublesome group was now in Capital City."

    A frown deepened on his face. Long Fei was about to ask about this person when a thought came to his mind.

    In this world, there were strange creatures like him, although not many. Some people believed in the existence of creatures like him and had wanted to look for them.

    Those groups of people were hunting creatures like him in the name of research.

    The Long family had long known of their existence and had always avoided them like plague.

    "What are they doing here?" Long Fei''s expression turned darker as he recalled running into one member of their team in the past.

    His father had especially warned him to be careful around those people. If his secret was out in the open, then their whole family will have to suffer.

    "It was said that they were here for a personal matter. One of their group members seemed to be someone from this city."

    Long Fei tapped his finger on the desk a few times. Then, he stopped abruptly and looked at Long Yu Heng again. "Continue to monitor them but don''t get too close. Those people are quite sensitive. We don''t want to do anything that will alert them."

    "I know." Long Yu Heng turned around to leave. But a few seconds later, he paused to look at his cousin again. "Long Fei, you have to be careful."

    What Long Yu Heng was worried about the most was for Long Fei to use his power and let the others notice his presence.

    Not too long ago, Long Fei had made it rain using the water from the nearby pool.

    If this kind of incident happened again... If Long Fei accidentally used his power again... those people might know that someone like Long Fei existed in Capital City. If he was hunted and caught¡­

    Long Yu Heng did not dare to think of the consequences.

    It would be best if they could settle with everything in Capital City and head back to D Town soon. However, everything will be up to Long Fei to decide.

    Long Fei sat in his office silently for a long time.

    When he finally moved, the sky outside had long turned dark.

    Long Fei grabbed the phone on his desk and saw that there were a few messages from his cousin. He was too preoccupied with his mind to notice Long Yu Heng knocking on his door a few times to remind him about dinner.

    In the end, Long Yu Heng left after leaving him a few messages.

    Long Fei replied to a few messages and his gaze shifted to the brown envelope that Long Yu Heng had delivered. He took the envelope and took out its contents.

    As he read what was written on the documents, Long Fei''s expression gradually turned solemn.

    Su Ruan and that Yu Zhi Yi''s relationship was not just friends from the same university. According to what Long Yu Heng had found out, the two of them were very close. They were best friends.

    His eyes darted at a sentence on the report.

    Su Ruan was reportedly had romantic feelings towards this man for years.

    He raised his hand and clenched at his chest area.

    Long Fei did not know why but his heart was aching at this time.

 Chapter 17 - Shocking Announcement

    In the past few days, Su Ruan has been burying herself with work. Her editor-in-chief had assigned her to an important interview and Su Ruan has been doing her research on Blue Media Group and the president of the company, Long Fei.

    Su Ruan read the man''s biodata that she had obtained from the internet and looked at the man''s photograph.

    After looking around for a while, Su Ruan realized that there were not many photos of him that she could find online. The photograph that she found was something that she had obtained from Blue Media''s official website. Moreover, this photograph was from three years ago.

    Although he gave off a cold air around him, Su Ruan could not deny that Long Fei was really good-looking. These days, many women were into this type of man, right?

    Once her magazine had interviewed him and published a few photographs of him, it was expected that there would be a lot of people who wanted to buy their magazine.

    However, Su Ruan could not help but think that there was something wrong with this situation.

    There were many big magazines and media companies that wanted to interview him. They were popular business and financial publications. However, this man had chosen to be interviewed by their magazine.

    Did he make a mistake?

    Or could it be that his assistant had made a mistake?

    ''Upcoming'' was a small magazine catered for the ladies. Why would he want to be interviewed by this small magazine?

    Her hand moved to tap the table with her pen softly. Su Ruan leaned forward to look at the man''s photo and clicked her tongue.

    "Why do I think that this person looked familiar?" Su Ruan mumbled.

    The more she looked at his face, the more that she felt as if she knew him for a long time.

    Su Ruan shook her head and quickly dismissed this thought.

    Who was she and who was Long Fei? The two of them live in two different worlds. There was no way that she would know someone like him.

    "Su Ruan, what are you up to?"

    Su Ruan tapped her finger on the mouse and shifted the tab to another report the moment she heard Yan Xi''s voice.

    Turning around, Su Ruan found Yan Xi carrying a carrier with a few takeout coffees in her hand.

    "Director Gao is treating everyone a cup of coffee." Yan Xi said. She took out a cup from the carrier and placed it on Su Ruan''s table. "Your favorite is Caramel Latte, right?"

    The corner of her lips twitched as she looked at the cup of coffee. She did not doubt that this person had come to her worktable to peek at what she was doing. After all, this would not be the first time that Yan Xi had done this.

    Most of the staff in their department knew of Yan Xi''s tactic and had tried to avoid her. However, some wanted to get in Yan Xi''s side because of her good relationship with Gao Leng

    The last time Yan Xi had come to her seat, Su Ruan found that Director Guo had handed him over the article that she was supposed to work on the next day.

    "Thank you." She raised her brow and asked, "Do you need anything else from me?"

    Yan Xi flashed her an awkward smile. "It''s nothing." She peeked at Su Ruan''s computer screen and saw that the font was too small for her to read anything. "What are you working on?"

    Su Ruan heaved a sigh. "What can I possibly be working on? Director Guo handed over the report that I was supposed to be working on, right? Thanks to you, I won''t have anything to do."

    Yan Xi''s expression turned uglier. "What do you mean by that? It was just that Director Guo had thought that I am more experienced to work on this article. Su Ruan, if you are not satisfied, you can speak with Director Guo and tell him what you think."

    Su Ruan shrugged. "Hey, when did I say anything like that? Didn''t I just thank you for taking over my workload? Now, I can sit around and still got my paycheck by the end of the month. I''m living the dream."

    Yan Xi could see that Su Ruan has been sarcastic towards her. However, she could not come out with an intelligent comeback. Her face turned uglier. In the end, she could only take a step back and leave in dissatisfaction.

    The corner of her lips tugged into a sneer as she watched the person turn around to leave. Once Yan Xi was no longer in her eyesight, Su Ruan quickly saved her documents in her Pendrive and closed the window.

    This interview with President Long Fei belonged to her. Su Ruan was not going to let Yan Xi steal this task away from her again.

    However, Su Ruan had not expected that Yan Xi would be very shameless and full of tricks. Even though Su Ruan and Editor Ji Fan Yin had worked hard to conceal this matter, Yan Xi still found out about this interview.

    The next day that Su RUan showed up in the meeting, Guo Leng announced a shocking announcement.

    Su Ruan exchanged a look with her editor-in-chief, Ji Fan Yin, both were looking at each other in disbelief.

    From the look of it, it did not seem as if her editor knew anything about this news as well.

    Su Ruan shifted her gaze to Yan Xi and saw her gloating smile. The girl stood beside Director Gao proudly. She was like a peacock, showing off her feather.

    Her hand clenched into a tight fist. Su Ruan was suppressing her urge to punch Yan Xi right on her face.

    Ji Fan Yin slapped her hand on the table, causing everyone to jump. "Director Guo, what do you mean by letting Yan Xi work on this interview. I have already assigned Su Ruan to this interview."

    "Editor Ji, let''s face it. President Long Fei had agreed to let our magazine interview him. Su Ruan is not experienced enough to handle this interview. I think President Long would be satisfied with Yan Xi''s professionalism."

    "Yan Xi already had a few interviews in her hand. She cannot do it," Editor Ji rebuked.

    Gao Leng waved his hand. "I''ll let the others work on the assignment. Yan Xi will be focusing on this interview alone."

    "Director Guo!"

    "Editor Ji, I have already made my decision. Yan Xi will be interviewing President Long Fei in two days." Guo Leng spoke.. "If you''re not happy with it, you can bring this matter over to the higher-up."

 Chapter 18 - Interview Materials

    Su Ruan returned to her table with her stomach full of anger.

    Although she managed to conceal her expression well, everyone was aware of her mood. Just like Su Ruan, the others were angry at Gao Leng''s favoritism. However, they chose not to say a word.

    The atmosphere in the department turned quiet and tense. No one dared to speak loudly. Everyone was focusing on their work as they waited for the day to be over.

    A while later, the click clack of a pair of high heels could be heard walking around in the department.

    Yan Xi walked over to Su Ruan''s table with a smug look on her face while the others continued to watch this scene with worry. Everyone was afraid that Yan Xi had come to provoke Su Ruan and wondered if the two of them were going to start a fight.

    Their eyes were looking at the computer screen but they were observing the situation quietly. They have decided that once something happened, they will have to step forward stop them.

    Yan Xi stopped beside the table and rolled her eyes upon seeing that Su Ruan had not raised her head up. She let out a sigh and knocked on Su Ruan''s table a few times. "Hey."

    However, Su Ruan was determined to ignore her.

    Yan Xi scoffed. "Are you going to continue and ignore me? Su Ruan, don''t you know that you are being childish?"

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan finally turned in her swiveling chair to look at Yan Xi.

    "What do you want?" Surprisingly, Su Ruan was able to conceal her anger as she spoke. Her tone was languid and it doesn''t seem as if she cared about whatever happened in the meeting room.

    "I''m here to get those important documents from you," Yan Xi said. "You heard what Director Gao Leng said. I''m the one who will be interviewing President Long Fei. Su Ruan, just hand over the materials you have to me."

    Su Ruan sneered. "According to Director Guo, you were assigned to this interview because you are capable. Yan Xi, if you are so capable, why don''t you find whatever materials you need yourself?"

    Yan Xi flashed a smile that did not reach to her eyes. "Since you have collected the materials, let''s not waste your effort. How about handing them over to me?" Su Ruan, let''s not forget that we are a team. What''s wrong with helping each other."

    "You want the materials I gathered?"

    "Isn''t that what I just said?"

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. Then slowly, the corner of her lips tilted up to a smile. "Well, that''s too bad for you. I already deleted whatever materials I have gathered. Everything that I have gathered previously is all gone."

    "Su Ruan, you!" Yan Xi pointed a finger at her. "You''re lying!"

    "Why would I lie about this?" Su Ruan crossed her arms on her chest. Seeing Yan Xi this angry gave her a satisfaction. "If you don''t believe me, you can go on and check my computer. I''ll let you bring someone over to check my computer. I can assure you that you won''t be able to find anything."

    The interview with President Long Fei is important. There was no way that she was going to let Yan Xi take credit for her work this time.

    Yan Xi''s face turned red. She stared at Su Ruan''s face for a long time and knew well that Su Ruan was telling her the truth. The girl was too furious after Director Guo let her be in charge of the interview that she had deleted everything from her computer.

    A look of satisfaction appeared on her face. "If I were you, I would go ahead and start to work," Su Ruan said. "Don''t forget. Yan Xi, you only have less than twenty-four hours to gather everything you need. It was rare for President Long Fei to agree to be interviewed by any magazine. Yan Xi, don''t embarrass us. Since Director Gao believed in you, you shouldn''t let him down. Anyway, everyone in this department is looking forward to your work."

    Turning around, Yan Xi found that everyone in the department was looking at her.

    None of them were going to take her side.

    Clenching her hand into a tight fist, Yan Xi turned around and planned to meet up with Gao Leng to complain.

    Once Yan Xi had left, everyone began to heave with relief. Seeing Yan Xi this angry made them very happy. A few of them turned to Su Ruan and gave her a thumb up.

    This was the first time that Su Ruan had retaliated to this extend. It was no wonder that Yan Xi would be this angry.

    Jiang Tian slid in her swiveling chair to her friend''s table. "Su Ruan, are you not afraid that Yan Xi would tell Director Guo?"

    "She can tell him if she want. What can he do about it?" Su Ruan sneered. "He had taken away this job from me. It can''t be that he still want me to take help Yan Xi, right? Since he think that Yan Xi was that capable, then he should trust hat she would do a good job."

    Jiang Tian let out a sigh. Although she was glad that Su Ruan had retaliated, Jiang Tian was still a little worried that Gao Leng was going to do something.

    As everyone was seated in their cubicles and busied themselves with their job, Gao Leng''s secretary walked over to Su Ruan''s table and announced that Gao Leng wanted to see her.

    The surroundings were quiet and everyone could hear loud and clear the secretary''s words. Their gaze shifted to Su Ruan worriedly.

    Su Ruan nodded. "Alright. Tell Director Gao that I will come to his office shortly."

    The secretary turned around and left after sweeping her gaze around the department once.

    "Will you be alright?" Jiang Tian asked as she reached her side again.

    "Its fine. What can he do to me?" Su Ruan stood up and flashed an assuring smile to her friend. "If things get worst, I can just quit. Anyway, with a boss like Gao Leng, there was no way that we could have a bright future."

    The others were in a deep thought as the heard Su Ruan''s words.. As they watched Su Ruan walked over to Gao Leng''s office, everyone began to consider their future in the company.

 Chapter 19 - A Stubborn Woman

    Her steps halted as she reached the door. Su Ruan hesitated for a brief second before she knocked on the door.

    The moment she heard Gao Leng''s voice, Su Ruan pushed the door and entered. The man stared at her face for a few seconds before a smile gradually appeared on his face.

    His smile was lecherous and disgusting.

    Looking at Gao Leng''s face made her want to lurch forward and scratch his face. However, she took a deep breath to calm down.

    "Su Ruan." Gao Leng leaned over and chuckled. "I heard that you were uncooperative. I already let Yan Xi interview, President Long. As her colleague, how can you not help her and pass over the materials that you have gathered?"

    His words only added oil into the fire. Su Raun''s anger reached another point as she faced this man.

    "Then, what should I do? The moment you said that Yan Xi will handle the interview, I have thought that she would do her homework and had her materials ready. After all, you always complimented Yan Xi as someone very capable. Why would she need the materials I gathered?"

    Gao Leng let heaved a sigh. "Alright. I know you''re angry. But Su Ruan, I have already assigned Yan Xi to do this interview. How about this? I''ll compensate you with something else. All you need to do is to hand over the materials."

    Slowly, the corner of her lips stretched up into a mocking smile. "That''s too bad, Director Gao. Just as I have told Yan Xi, I have deleted those materials from my computer and formatted my pen drive the moment you let Yan Xi take over the task."

    Gao Leng narrowed his eyes and shot her a dangerous look. "I don''t believe that you did not keep the materials somewhere else."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. It took her a few seconds before she spoke again. "Director Gao is not wrong. I do keep the materials somewhere else."

    His expression changed. It could be seen that Gao Leng was delighted upon hearing Su Ruan''s words. Even though he could sense that there was something wrong with Su Ruan''s attitude, Gao Leng did not ponder about it for too long.

    The most important thing at this moment was the information that Su Ruan had gathered.

    "Then, quickly and hand it over to me. Don''t delay time. Let Yan Xi prepare before the interview tomorrow. When this issue is sold well, naturally, everyone would get their bonus."

    Bonus?

    At this time, Su Ruan did not care much about money.

    When she thought about Yan Xi, gloating to everyone that she was the reason that their magazine was sold well because of her, Su Ruan felt as if she wanted to vomit.

    Again and again, Yan Xi had taken the credits of someone else''s works due to Gao Leng''s favoritism. Everyone in the department was merely Yan Xi''s underlings who were tasked to collect materials for her to write good articles.

    This time, Su Ruan could no longer be patient.

    "All the materials I gathered are stored here." Su Ruan pointed at her head. "Director Gao, if you wanted it, you can only let someone drill my head."

    Su Ruan has been preparing for this interview for a long time.

    She had suspected that something like this would happen and had memorized everything she could about Long Fei. The information that Yan Xi wanted so much was stored in her head.

    If the company still thinks that this interview is important, then they should know what to do.

    Gao Leng''s face turned red with anger. However, he realized that there was nothing he could do. He could not possibly let someone drill Su Ruan''s head, could he?

    From the very beginning, Gao Leng had always known that Su Ruan was a stubborn woman.

    When Yan Xi came to complain to him about Su Ruan''s uncooperativeness, Gao Leng had long prepared that it would be difficult to get what Yan Xi wanted. However, he did not think that this time, Su Ruan would be very unreasonable.

    Taking a deep breath, Gao Leng finally calmed down. He moved his shoulder to relax his tensed muscle and smiled.

    Su Ruan narrowed her eyes when she saw that disgusting smile again.

    "Actually... It is not impossible if you want this assignment," Gao Leng said. "Su Ruan, you should know that I look up to you more than Yan Xi. You are a capable woman."

    Her heart pounded wildly. Su Ruan felt a little uneasy with Gao Leng''s speech.

    "Just tell me what you want." Su Ruan gritted her teeth.

    Gao Leng leaned on his swiveling chair. After a while, he stood up and walked over to Su Ruan with the same lecherous smile on his face. Heat build up in his body as he raked his eyes all over her curves. As he got closer to Su Ruan, Gao Leng could smell her sweet womanly scent on her. He grew excited.

    Su Ruan took a step back as the man approached her. Her body was warning her that this man had a bad intention. However, this was the office. They were still at the company. Gao Leng would not dare to do anything to her, right?

    After a while, Gao Leng looked up again to meet her gaze. "I can return this interview to you and promise that Yan Xi would not make trouble with you. But of course, nothing in this world is free. I have only one condition."

    "What?"

    "Sleep with me."

    His voice was a whisper, but Su Ruan could hear him loud and clear.

    Her eyes widened as the words echoed in her head.

    Gao Leng seemed to enjoy the look on Su Ruan''s face. Seeing her dumbfounded face, Gao Leng took this advantage to lean over and spoke, "If you sleep with me, then I will give everything to you. Su Ruan, what do you say? Hmm?" His hand stretched up to touch her arms.

    His move snapped her out of her trance. Su Ruan stepped back and glared at Gao Leng. Then, a loud sound reverberated in the room.

    SMACK!

    Gao Leng poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue.. The taste of blood in his mouth made him unhappy.

 Chapter 20 - Youre Fired

    "Su Ruan, do you want to die?" Gao Leng stared back at her with a dangerous look in his eyes.

    Seeing the light in his eyes, Su Ruan subconsciously took a step back. Her eyes darted around and stopped at the door behind her.

    She needed to escape. She needed to get out of this place.

    Gao Leng followed her line of gaze and guessed at what she planned to do. The corner of his lips turned up. He lurched forward and caught the woman''s hand in his. Then, with another hand, Gao Leng covered Su Ruan''s mouth before she could scream for help.

    However, Su Ruan took this chance to bite his hand hard.

    "Argh!" Gao Leng released his hand and took a step back. Before he knew it, there was a sharp pain in his stomach, causing the air to knock out of him. He hold his stomach and pointed to Su Ruan angrily. "You dare to hit me?"

    "Director Gao, if you continue to disrespect me like this, I will not hesitate to hit you again."

    His eyes widened in anger. Perhaps, he had taken Su Ruan''s warning as a joke. Gao Leng stepped closer to Su Ruan again, wanting to grab her. However, another kick landed on his stomach.

    Gao Leng groaned in pain. It took him a few seconds to compose himself. This time, the way he looked at Su Ruan was full of hatred. "Su Ruan! You are fired!"

    Her hands clenched into a tight fist. If it was not because of his identity, Su Ruan would really like to beat this man into a pulp. "I was going to resign anyway." Su Ruan spoke through her gritted teeth.

    Seeing that the man was in so much pain that he could not make a move, Su Ruan quickly run to the door and never look back.

    Jiang Tian was waiting for her friend just around the corner. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Su Ruan and her worry quickly disappeared. "Su Ruan¡­"

    Her words were left unfinished. Jiang Tian watched as Su Ruan walked past her with her face reddened.

    Instead of heading back to the cubicle, Su Ruan walked over to the fire exit and disappeared.

    A deep frown appeared on her face. Jiang Tian shifted her gaze between the Gao Leng''s office and the fire exit.

    Jiang Tian had a bad feeling. Although she did not know what was going on in Gao Leng''s office, she could still hear him screaming.

    What happened?

    ¡­

    Long Fei was in the middle of a meeting when he suddenly had a bad feeling. Without saying a word to the others, he stood up and left the room. The directors and managers looked at each other with a puzzled looks.

    Although their big boss was a little eccentric, he had never left without saying a word like this. In the end, all eyes darted towards the president''s assistant, Fu Xing.

    Fu Xing was on the verge of tears upon seeing that everyone was looking at him as if demanding an answer. After making an excuse for his boss, Fu Xing ran out to chase after Long Fei. However, no matter where he look, Fu Xing could not find him.

    He took out his phone and dialed Long Yu Heng''s number. The man merely said that he would help to find Long Fei before he disconnected the call.

    After learning the situation from Fu Xing, Long Yu Heng quickly called Long Fei''s number. However, the man was not picking up his phone call.

    A face came to his mind.

    Long Yu Heng could only think of one reason for Long Fei to act this strangely: Su Ruan.

    This was not the first time that Long Fei had done this. Moreover, each time that he leave without saying a word, it was all because of Su Ruan.

    Long Yu Heng glanced at the time. Then, he picked up his key and headed out.

    After driving for half an hour, Long Yu Heng finally found Long Fei. Just as he had thought, the man was watching Su Ruan''s office from across the street.

    He walked over to Long Fei and asked, "What happened?"

    "I don''t know." Long Fei placed a hand on his heart. "Something happened to her. It feels... like she was in danger."

    "What?" Long Yu Heng''s eyes widened in surprise. He wanted to go in and check but before he could leave, Long Fei had stopped him.

    "It''s fine. She''s safe now." Long Fei said. He stared at the building for a while and turned to his cousin. "The interview is tomorrow, right?"

    "Yes."

    Long Fei narrowed his eyes. He did not know what had happened to Su Ruan a while ago but, as he was going to her company tomorrow, he decided to find out what had happened.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan took a few deep breaths to calm down.

    She had long left the office but still, her hands were still shaking non-stop. This was not the first time that Gao Leng had hinted that he wanted her to sleep with him. However, it was the first time that he had acted.

    As she recalled how Gao Leng had pinned her to the wall and tried to shut her up, Su Ruan could not stop from shivering.

    If she was not quick enough to escape, there was a chance that she would become his victim.

    Su Ruan buried her head between her hands and took a few deep breaths to calm down.

    "Su Ruan."

    Hearing her name, Su Ruan quickly snapped out of her trance. She looked up and found that her friend, Lin Qing was looking at her in worry. In her hand, she was holding a glass of water.

    "Have a drink first," Lin Qing said. "At least you will be more at ease."

    Su Ruan took the glass of water with shaky hands. She took a few sips of the warm water and finally felt more relaxed. "Thank you." She shot Lin Qing a grateful look.

    Lin Qing heaved a long, heavy sigh. She sat down beside Su Ruan and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "It''s okay. You already escaped him. Su Ruan, you''re a brave woman."

    "Mmm¡­" Su Ruan lowered her head but could not say a thing.

    Was she really a brave woman? Su Ruan did not think so. What she did back in Gao Leng''s office was because she was too scared.

    Su Ruan did not remember just how long did she stayed in silence. When she looked up again, her stomach was grumbling. She took her phone and finally noticed the countless messages from Jiang Tian and a few of her colleagues.

    Everyone was asking about her whereabouts and her well-being. It seemed that Gao Leng had already informed everyone that she was fired.

    Initially, Su Ruan did not want to reply to their messages. However, she still remembered that her belongings were still in the office.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan dialed Jiang Tian''s number.

 Chapter 21 - The Interview

    Long Fei tugged at his collar as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His gaze stopped at necktie and a deep frown appeared on his face.

    With one quick move, Long Fei took off the necktie around his neck and tossed it behind his shoulder.

    The black necktie flew and hit Fu Xing right on his face. He quickly grabbed the necktie before it could fall on the floor. As he looked at his boss again, Fu Xing saw that Long Fei continued to browse through the neckties.

    The corner of his lips twitched. Fu Xing did not know what was going on.

    Earlier this morning, his boss had called and asked him to call some people that could help him with his clothes.

    The suits were all almost the same style but Long Fei spent almost an hour choosing them.

    Just when Fu Xing had thought that his boss was done with choosing his outfit, his boss began to look at the necktie and he was having difficulties choosing which one did he like best.

    Fu Xing watched as his boss picked up a few neckties and threw them over his shoulders. The corner of his lips began to twitch.

    His boss had never acted like this before.

    If he did not know his boss any better, Fu Xing would think that his boss was being this picky as he was going on a date.

    Someone knocked on the door and the door was pushed open before anyone would say a word.

    Fu Xing did not have to look up to know that the person was Long Yu Heng. A breath of relief escaped him. Now that Long Yu Heng was around, Fu Xing could be more at ease.

    Long Yu Heng raised his hand and Fu Xing took that as his signal to leave.

    "Yu Heng," Long Fei turned around with an emerald necktie on his hand. "What do you think about this?"

    A breath of frustration escaped him. Long Yu Heng looked around the room and started to massage his head when he saw the number of neckties on the floor. After a while, he picked up a dark blue necktie and handed it to his cousin.

    "I think this one looks better on you," Long Yu Heng said. "I think this color suits you the best."

    Long Fei stared at the necktie and thought that his cousin''s words make sense. He picked up the tie from Long Yu Heng, tie it around his neck, and stared at his reflection again.

    He had to agree that Long Yu Heng was right. The color really does make him look better.

    Seeing that his cousin was no longer tossing the neckties around, Long Yu Heng finally heaved in relief. "You are only going to be interviewed by that small magazine. Do you really have to be this meticulous?"

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. He actually did not care about the interview. However, when he thought about meeting that woman later, Long Fei grew anxious. He thought that he should look his best when he sees her today.

    Although he had previously run into Su Ruan a few times, Long Fei thought that he should make himself look good in front of her.

    He had often told himself that he would not force Su Ruan to accept him. However, each time that he tried to keep himself away, Long Fei found that he could not resist wanting to get close to Su Ruan.

    Perhaps, this was his curse.

    "You don''t understand," Long Fei muttered under his breath. Once he was satisfied with the way he dressed, Long Fei finally looked at his wristwatch.

    A light flashed in his eyes as he realized the time, "I''m going to be late. We have to go now."

    Long Yu Heng nodded.

    After giving a few reminders to his assistant, Fu Xing, Long Fei finally left the office. Long Yu Heng took the task as the driver and the two of them headed to the company.

    When they arrived, a bunch of the company''s higher-ups was already waiting for them in the lobby.

    Once they heard that the President of the Blue Media Group had arrived, the higher-ups led by the president of the company, lined up, wanting to welcome this big shot''s presence in the company.

    Yan Xi stood beside Director Gao Leng with a big smile on her face. Seeing the handsome face of President Long Fei made her heartbeat accelerate.

    From the corner of her eyes, Yan Xi could see his colleagues'' jealous gaze directed at her.

    Thinking that she was going to be interviewing this hotshot made her excited. It was a rare chance for someone like her to be meeting an influential person like President Long Fei. Yan Xi was planning to take this chance to please this man.

    Her gaze shifted to Director Gao Leng.

    It was Gao Leng who had let her have this opportunity to meet someone like President Long Fei. However, if she was to compare the two men, of course, she would choose President Long Fei. The moment that man showed his interest in her, Yan Xi would leave Gao Leng''s side without hesitation.

    The president of the company exchanged a few words with Long Fei. After a while, he raised his head and looked at Yan Xi.

    Seeing her boss''s gaze, Yan Xi''s eyes lit up. With her boss''s encouragement, Yan Xi walked over to President Long Fei with a friendly smile on her face.

    Long Fei''s expression changed when he saw this stranger. However, Yan Xi did not seem to notice the man''s change of mood.

    "Hello President Long, welcome to our company. Thank you for agreeing to this interview," Yan Xi spoke. She stretched her hand for a handshake. However, Long Fei merely glance at her hand before he turned to the president of the company again.

    Director Gao Leng cleared his throat to get their attention. "President Long, let me introduce you. This is Miss Yan Xi. She will be interviewing you today."

    The air around the room turned gloomy and oppressive but none of them spoke a word.

    Long Fei looked at the woman in front of him with a dark look on his face. "Yu Heng, what happened?"

    Long Yu Heng looked around and frowned. His gaze finally stopped at the familiar woman across him. "Editor Ji, what happened? We have agreed. The person who will be interviewing President Long Fei is Miss Su Ruan."

    Gao Leng let out an anxious laugh. "I''m sorry President Long, but Miss Su will not be interviewing you today. She made a mistake and was fired yesterday."

    "She''s what?" Long Fei''s expression darkened.

    Long Yu Heng sucked in a deep breath. His eyes widened.. He was aware that if he did not stop Long Fei, something bad was going to happen.

 Chapter 22 - Bring Back Miss Su

    Long Yu Heng stretched his hand to pull Long Fei''s. Whatever it was, the most important thing was to let Long Fei calm down.

    If Long Fei accidentally used his power, he might attract some unwanted attention.

    Long Fei took a deep breath when he felt his cousin''s squeezing his arms.

    Gao Leng quickly noticed that something doesn''t seem right with President Long''s expression. He flashed an amiable smile and tried to suppress that uncomfortable feeling inside his heart.

    "President Long," Gao Leng called as he clasped his hands tightly. "Miss Yan is one of the senior writers with Upcoming. She is experienced and will be able to handle this interview well."

    Hearing her name, Yan Xi flashed another smile at President Long.

    "No." Long Fei shot a look at Gao Leng. "The only reason I agreed to this interview was because of Miss Su. If it is not Miss Su, then, I will not accept this interview."

    The smile on both Gao Leng and Yan Xi''s faces became stiff. They both did not expect that there was a reason that President Long Fei had agreed to be interviewed.

    Upcoming was a small magazine.

    Initially, it was a little strange that someone like President Long Fei would agree to be interviewed by their magazine.

    However, none of them had expected that it was because of Su Ruan.

    Yan Xi''s expression distorted.

    What does it mean?

    Why would President Long Fei agree to this interview because of Su Ruan?

    It couldn''t be that the two of them had some kind of relationship?

    It''s not possible, isn''t it?

    If Su Ruan had any sort of relationship with President Long Fei, then, she should mention this matter to them earlier.

    Yan Xi was having a hard time accepting this matter.

    Meanwhile, Gao Leng shifted his gaze to Editor Ji. Previously, Editor Ji Fan Yin had brought up this matter to him. However, Gao Leng had thought that Editor Ji was talking rubbish. He had thought that it was not a big matter for anyone to interview President Long Fei.

    Gao Leng tried to hint Editor Ji to say something. However, that woman was pretending that she did not see anything.

    "Director Gao, what is going on?" The president looked at him with a frown.

    "This¡­" Gao Leng swallowed. His mind whirled as he tried to think of an excuse. However, he could not come out with anything to say.

    Seeing the angry look on their president''s face, Gao Leng knew that he would be in trouble if President Long rejected their interview and leave. Their magazine had already bragged to their competitors that President Long Fei had agreed to be interviewed by them.

    If they failed to get this interview, then it would be embarrassing for them.

    Gao Leng realized that even his relationship with his uncle would not be able to help him keep his job in the company.

    The realization was beginning to make him afraid.

    "President Huang," Long Fei narrowed his eyes as he looked at the president of the company. "I will give you a day to give me a proper explanation. If Miss Su did not return to take this job, then, I will not agree to this interview."

    Gao Leng''s face was sweating as he tried to bear President Long Fei''s suppressing aura.

    In the end, everyone could only watch as the man leave their company. When President Long Fei finally left, all eyes were on both Gao Leng and Yan Xi.

    They could almost guess what was going on between the two of them and Su Ruan.

    "Director Gao!" President Huang looked at the man with a dark look on his face. "You better bring back Miss Su to the company before tomorrow. Or else, you don''t have to come back to the company!"

    Gao Leng''s hand clenched into a tight fist. The smile on his face has long disappeared. "President Huang, don''t worry, I will make this right."

    The frown on his face deepened. Gao Leng did not know how he should coax Su Ruan to return. Moreover, Yan Xi had already told him that Su Ruan had cleared out her desk after everyone get off work last evening.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan rolled around on her bed and frowned.

    She did not know what was going on but Su Ruan thought that her surroundings were too noisy and it was giving her a headache.

    It took her a while to realize that the noise was no other than her phone.

    She stretched her hand and tried to look for her phone with her eyes closed. She finally touched her phone but just as she was about to pick it up, the phone fell to the ground with a thud.

    The ringing sound finally stopped.

    Just when she had thought that she would finally be able to continue her sleep, her phone started to ring again.

    Su Ruan whimpered as she tried to reach for her phone again.

    At this time, she was regretting her decision to drink a little too much. However, she was fired from her job yesterday and she needed to do something to ease that pain.

    But that decision gave her a terrible headache in the morning.

    Su Ruan finally get off her bed and reached to take her phone. Her eyes opened to a slit. She was having a hard time looking at the bright light from her phone screen.

    However, once she saw the name on her phone screen, Su Ruan sat up quickly. A deep frown appeared on her face as the headache attacked her again.

    Su Ruan looked at her phone screen again and suddenly, she became a little sober.

    Why would Gao Leng call her at this time?

    Su Ruan hesitated for a few seconds before she slid her finger across the screen to pick up the phone call.

    "Su Ruan, where are you?" Gao Leng asked the moment the phone call was connected. "Come into the company quickly."

    Hearing his words, Su Ruan began to wonder if she was still dreaming. However, the headache convinced her that she was not.

    "Did you forget about your interview with President Long?"

    "Gao Leng, don''t forget that you have fired me yesterday. Why would I come to the office and do this interview?"

    "Su Ruan, don''t be like this."

    Gao Leng''s coaxing tone made Su Ruan shiver. The feeling was a little disgusting.

    "We can discuss this properly. I promise you that if you come back, I will let you take Yan Xi''s job," Gao Leng spoke. "Whatever it is that you want, I will let you have it. An increment in your salary? A promotion? You name your condition."

    Su Ruan was tempted by this offer. However, when she thought about the suffering she faced in the company, she could only steel her heart. "I do have a condition."

    "What is it?" Gao Leng asked. "As long as you return to the company, I will let you have it."

    "I want you and Miss Yan Xi out of the company."

    "What?" Gao Leng''s expression changed.

    "That is my only condition.. Or else, I am not going to return."

 Chapter 23 - Worried Of Her Safety

    "Are you sure that you did not want to return to Upcoming?" Lin Qing asked as she placed their cups of coffee on the table. She slid into the sofa and watch her friend with worry.

    Su Ruan took a sip on the drink and finally felt as if her head was no longer as painful.

    "You could get a promotion. Perhaps this time, you could finally get a breakthrough and write what you wanted," Lin Qing said.

    Just a while ago, Su Ruan had told her that Gao Leng had called and asked her to return to the company. Lin Qing could not hide her surprise when Gao Leng had mentioned the generous perks.

    Lin Qing had thought that Su Ruan was going to accept that job. However, to her surprise, Su Ruan said that she was only going to accept if both Gao Leng and Yan Xi leave the company.

    Of course, Gao Leng would not agree.

    It was not easy for Gao Leng to get his position. This job allowed him to do what he want and still got a high salary.

    Gao Leng was not going to leave the company anytime soon.

    His uncle was still one of the investors in the company. Gao Leng was confident that even if he had made a mistake, surely, President Huang was not going to fire him.

    "I might be able to write what I want, sure," Su Ruan shrugged. "However, with Gao Leng and Yan Xi around the company, I''m sure that the two of them will continue to make things difficult for me. I''m not crazy enough to stay and let them bully me around."

    Lin Qing could not deny that Su Ruan''s words made a lot of sense.

    If she returned, both Gao Leng and Yan Xi would want revenge.

    Who could say that Gao Leng was still going to keep his promise once Su Ruan had completed her task with the interview? She was done with the company''s treatment. It was time for her to look for something better.

    "Moreover¡­" Su Ruan leaned back on the sofa and sighed. "I''ve worked with Upcoming long enough. Perhaps, it was time for me to find a job at a place where my boss was going to value me for my work."

    Of course, what Su Ruan was worried about the most was her safety.

    Each time that she remembered how Gao Leng had tried to attack him in the office, Su Ruan would shiver in fear. In front of Lin Qing, Su Ruan would pretend that she was strong enough. However, only she knew how terrified she was, staying in the same room with Gao Leng.

    She could not stop thinking that if she was a little late to retaliate, perhaps, that disgusting man would have done something to her.

    ¡­

    Gao Leng smashed his phone on the floor when he failed to reach Su Ruan again.

    After that one time that he managed to talk to Su Ruan, that girl has not picked up his phone call again.

    Gao Leng glanced at the clock. It was almost time to clock off but he still failed to get Su Ruan to return to the company.

    At this time, Gao Leng was silently regretting his decision to listen to Yan Xi.

    If it was not for that woman, he would not have been in this position. It was Yan Xi who had convinced him to steal that job from Su Ruan and handed it over to her.

    Editor Ji Fan Yin had tried to warn him but he was not willing to listen.

    A loud knock came on his door.

    Gao Leng was about to lash out in anger when someone was rude enough to enter his office without his permission. However, his expression changed again when Gao Leng saw that the person who entered his room was no other than the company''s president.

    He stood up straight and dabbed the sweat on his forehead. "President Huang."

    The deep frown on the man''s face did not ease up a little bit. "Have you talked to Miss Su? What''s her condition? As long as she agreed to return, I would agree to anything."

    Gao Leng thought about the conversation he had with Su Ruan in the morning. He already decided that he was not going to consider her condition.

    That girl wanted him to quit the company. How could he even agree to that? He was not going to lose his job for anyone.

    "President Huang, I have talked to Miss Su earlier but she was determined to quit," Gao Leng said. "She said there was nothing that we could do to change her opinion."

    "In short, you have failed to convince her to return to the company?"

    Gao Leng realized that there was something wrong with the way President Huang was looking at him.

    "Gao Leng, I have already warned you that if you failed to get Miss Su to return to the company, then you don''t have to return to the company anymore."

    The man''s expression turned pale. "President Huang, are you joking?" Gao Leng had thought that President Huang was only saying it when he told him that he should not appear at the company again.

    His uncle was still in the company. Surely, President Huang will not be able to fire him just like this.

    "Do I look like I am joking?" President Huang spoke. "You have lost the opportunity to interview President Long Fei of Blue Media company. Do you realize how embarrassing this would be for our company?"

    He had talked to his friends about this interview. They were going to laugh when they saw that the interview was none existence.

    Previously, President Huang has heard a few complaints about Director Gao Leng. However, he had always let it slide, considering his relationship with his uncle.

    However, now that Gao Leng had messed up big time, President Huang did not think that he could accept his behavior again. Next time, who knew how else this man was going to ruin his company.

    "I have already made my decision." President Huang spoke with his face dark. "Gao Leng, you don''t have to show up at the company tomorrow. You''re fired."

    His face paled upon hearing President Huang''s words. President Huang was so resolute that he could not say a word.. Gao Leng clenched his hand into a fist as he suppressed his anger and humiliation in his heart.

 Chapter 24 - This Time, You Cannot Escape

    Su Ruan was looking at the job-seeking webpage when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and raised a brow as she saw Jiang Tian''s name.

    Swiftly, she swiped her finger on the green button and pressed her phone to her ear.

    The two friends exchanged a brief pleasantry before Jiang Tian spoke again. "Su Ruan, are you not going to come back to Upcoming? Director Gao Leng is no longer working here."

    A deep frown appeared on her face. Su Ruan could not help but wonder if Gao Leng had really quit his job because of her request.

    "What happened? Su Ruan asked.

    "I''m not very sure what was going on as well but Director Gao has not come to work for a week," Jiang Tian said. Her voice was a whisper. "We only knew that he has been fired during a meeting this morning."

    "He''s fired?"

    Su Ruan''s heart skipped a beat.

    Last time, she had told Gao Leng to resign if he wanted her to return to the company. She did not expect that Gao Leng would be fired.

    "Rumors said that President Huang was so angry that Director Gao Leng had ruined that interview. That was why he was fired."

    Su Ruan listened to Jiang Tian''s gossips in silence. The two of them exchanged a few more words and Su Ruan promised Jiang Tian that she would think about returning to the company.

    After the call ended, Su Ruan slumped on the sofa. Her mind whirled as she thought about her conversation with Jiang Tian.

    It seemed that Gao Leng was no longer at the company. However, Yan Xi was still around. In fact, a few days after Gao Leng left the company, Yan Xi had a promotion and had a higher position.

    Although Yan Xi no longer had her back up, Yan Xi could make trouble for Su Ruan.

    After resigning from the company, Su Ruan realized that the company''s working environment was a little toxic. If she stayed, it would someday ruin her.

    It would be better if she find a new workplace.

    After looking at her computer for a while, Su Ruan finally stood up and stretch up. Seeing that it was past lunch hour, Su Ruan decided that it was better to go out and grab something to eat.

    She was too lazy to cook and she could really need some fresh air.

    After walking around for a while, Su Ruan decided to dine in her favorite restaurant. She ordered a protein dish, two vegetables, and a soup for lunch.

    As she walked back home, Su Ruan stopped by her favorite milk tea shop and bought a plum tea with some rainbow jelly.

    It seemed that it has been a long time since she had walked around leisurely like his. Now that she was not rushing off to somewhere else, Su Ruan realized that there were shops and cafes that she had never seen before.

    Su Ruan has been living around this area for a while but this was the first time that she had discovered a few interesting places.

    Once her legs were tired, Su Ruan decided to head back to her apartment. She decided to use the shortcut through an alley.

    It was the working hours and the alley was a little quiet as most of the people around were at work.

    All of sudden, Su Ruan had a feeling as if she was being followed.

    Her heartbeat accelerated. Su Ruan halted and pretended to be checking her shoes.

    She could not see anyone but still, her heart told her that she should not be at ease.

    Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Su Ruan continued to walk and hastened her pace. Just as she was about to turn into a corner and enter the main street, someone grabbed her shoulder.

    Her body was pulled backward and then, it was slammed to the wall behind her.

    "Ugh." Su Ruan groaned at the pain. She opened her eyes and was about to shout out loud when she saw the person in front of her was no other than Gao Leng.

    Gao Leng quickly placed his hand to cover her mouth.

    Her eyes widened, wondering what was this man planning to do with her. Their gazes met and the look on Gao Leng''s eyes told her that his intention was nothing good.

    "Su Ruan, I have been waiting to see you for days," Gao Leng spoke. His eyes raked on Su Ruan''s body for a long time. "If it was not because of you, I might not lose my job. If you had listened to me and returned, all of this might not happen."

    Su Ruan tried to struggle out. She lifted her legs, wanting to kick the man. However, Gao Leng seemed as if he knew what she wanted to do and had blocked her move with ease.

    The smile on Gao Leng''s lips turned sinister. "I knew you would do just that." Swiftly, he bent down and buried his face in Su Ruan''s neck. A cursing word escaped his lips. "I always wanted to do this. Su Ruan, this time, you cannot escape me."

    Her breathing became erratic. Su Ruan continued to struggle and her body grew colder as Gao Leng''s hands started to touch her body.

    Tears pooled in her eyes, wondering if she could escape this situation. She prayed that someone would come over and save her.

    All of a sudden, Gao Leng groaned and stepped away from her.

    Her body slumped on the ground. Su Ruan adjusted her clothing and drew her legs closer to her body into a fetal position.

    After what had happened, her body grew weak and she could not stand up.

    Su Ruan raised her head to look at what was in front of her. All she could see was a bright light in front of her before she passed out.

    "What the hell are you doing? Who do you think you are?" Gao Leng raised his head as he rubbed his neck. His eyes widened when he saw the person in front of him.

    "Mister Gao, how courageous of you..."

    Gao Leng realized that he had seen this man before. It took him a few seconds to realize that this person was no other than President Long Fei.

    "You¡­ President Long, what are you doing here?"

 Chapter 25 - Looking For Death

    Gao Leng''s face turned paler as he recalled the reason he was fired from the company.

    President Long Fei had insisted that he would only be interviewed by Su Ruan. Gao Leng should have noticed that Su Ruan had some kind of relationship with President Long. However, his mind was not thinking straight.

    Gao Leng was wandering the street earlier when he saw Su Ruan. Seeing that the woman was walking around leisurely made his heart boil in anger.

    It was because of Su Ruan that he had lost his job.

    Moreover, his uncle that he had depended on was very angry that he had lost the interview. Gao Leng had pleaded with his uncle but that man refused to listen to him.

    Because of this incident, his uncle seemed as if he wanted to break all ties with him. His parents were so angry and his wife had given him a cold shoulder.

    Gao Leng was so scared that he did not know what he should do.

    When he saw that Su Ruan was alone, Gao Leng thought that he should get his revenge.

    Since he had lost everything because of Su Ruan, Gao Leng thought that he should let Su Ruan suffer some losses as well.

    This woman has been working for him for years. Gao Leng had tried to get Su Ruan to his side for a long time, but she had always been persistent.

    Now that he no longer have anything else to lose, Gao Leng decided that he should take this chance to do what he always wanted to do to Su Ruan.

    He had almost succeeded. However, Gao Leng did not expect that President Long Fei would suddenly show up and disrupt his plan.

    Long Fei stepped cautiously towards Gao Leng. His gaze shifted to Su Ruan who had passed out on the ground. Seeing her disheveled dress, Long Fei''s expression grew darker.

    This was the woman that he himself did not dare to get close to. But this disgusting old man dared to have a bad intention towards Su Ruan.

    No words could describe the feeling in Long Fei''s heart at this time.

    If it was not because he could detect that there was something wrong with Su Ruan, perhaps he would not know anything.

    Just at the thought of what might happen if he came too late¡­

    Long Fei clenched his hand into a tight fist, causing the veins on his hands to pop up.

    Gao Leng naturally noticed that there was something wrong with Long Fei. The air around him seemed to get colder and Gao Leng was having a hard time breathing.

    "President Long, I think there should be a misunderstanding between us two," Gao Leng spoke. "There''s nothing happened between Su Ruan and me. I did not touch her."

    "Don''t lie. I saw what happened."

    Gao Leng tried to look away from Long Fei but his eyes would not shift away.

    A few seconds passed and Gao Leng noticed how Long Fei''s eyes turned¡­ His pupils turned into a vertical slit.

    Gao Leng realized that this¡­ was not something that a human could do.

    His eyes widened and his breath stuck in his throat. Gao Leng wanted to run away but his legs would not move no matter how much he wanted to run.

    In just seconds, his hair turned all white and his body froze as if he had turned into a stone. Gao Leng was still breathing but his body could no longer move.

    "Long Fei!"

    Hearing his name, Long Fei snapped out of his anger and retracted his power. When he shifted his gaze to Su Ruan again, his pupil had turned normal.

    The sounds of footsteps behind him got closer and soon, Long Yu Heng appeared by his side.

    Long Fei could not help but to shoot a displeased look at his cousin. If it was not because of him, Gao Leng would cease to exist.

    Long Yu Heng''s steps halted the moment he came closer. He sucked in a deep breath as his eyes were on the petrified Gao Leng. It took him a few seconds to remember that this man was the Director of Upcoming, the magazine where Su Ruan used to work with.

    Looking at the condition Gao Leng was in, Long Yu Heng realized that he had come a little too late.

    "What have you done?" Long Yu Heng turned to his cousin, sending him an inquiring look.

    Ten minutes ago, the two of them were still in Long Fei''s office. The man was busy looking at a few documents as Fu Xing was reminding him about an important business banquet.

    Long Fei had suddenly sat up straight and dashed out the door.

    If it was not because they were in this big city, Long Yu Heng did not doubt that Long Fei would change his form to rush to wherever he wanted to go.

    Long Yu Heng did not know what was going on but his instinct told him that he had to go after Long Fei or else, this man would definitely get into a troublesome situation.

    He did not expect that once he caught up with Long Fei, he would find a petrified Gao Leng along with him.

    In the end, he was still too late to stop Long Fei.

    "He deserved it." Long Fei spoke in a cold tone.

    "What?" Long Yu Heng watched as his cousin walked in a direction and crouched down. It was now that he realized that there was another person at this place. His eyes widened in surprise when he finally recognized Su Ruan.

    "Don''t look."

    Hearing his warning, Long Yu Heng quickly looked away. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Long Fei adjusting Su Ruan''s clothing and covering up her body. His gaze shifted to Gao Leng and he finally understood what was going on.

    Long Fei was right.

    Gao Leng definitely deserved what happened to him. He dared to touch the woman that could save the entire Long family. He was definitely looking for death.

    However¡­ Long Yu Heng suddenly had a headache as he thought of how he should clean up this mess.

    The troublesome group who was keen on investigating people like Long Fei was still in Capital City. They would definitely hear of what happened here.

    Long Yu Heng heaved a heavy sigh and spoke to his cousin. "You go ahead. I''ll handle this matter."

    "Un." Long Fei nodded.. "Thank you."

 Chapter 26 - What Did She Forget?

    "Su Ruan, you''re awake!"

    A deep frown appeared on her face. Each time that she tried to move, her head would be in so much pain. It felt as if her head had hit on something hard.

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan let out a groan as she tried to figure out what had happened to her. "Lin¡­ Qing?"

    A breath of relief showed on her face. "Hold on. I will go and call the doctor."

    The door slid open and Qin Ling ran out to look for a doctor. A few seconds later, she dragged man in a white lab coat into the room.

    "Doctor, please give my friend a check-up." Qin Ling shifted her gaze to Su Ruan. She could not help but worry about her friend''s condition.

    Su Ruan adjusted her eyes against the white light and finally saw her friend, Qin Ling staring back at her. Beside the bed, the doctor was scanning the report in his hand.

    Scanning her surroundings, Su Ruan realized that she was now at the hospital. A confused look flashed in her eyes.

    What happened? Why was she in the hospital?

    The doctor walked over to her and started to give her an examination. He asked her a few questions which Su Ruan answered with mostly a nod or a shake of her head.

    The doctor explained that there shouldn''t be a problem with Su Ruan at this time. However, they will still need to let her stay for a night at the hospital for observation.

    Once the doctor gave a few reminders to Lin Qing, he finally left the room, leaving the friends alone.

    "Su Ruan, are you really alright?" Lin Qing walked over and started to inspect the area on Su Ruan''s head.

    "What happened to me?" Su Ruan asked. "Why am I in the hospital?"

    Lin Qing gave her a puzzled look. "You don''t remember?"

    Su Ruan tried to recall her memories, but nothing came up.

    A light sigh escaped her. Judging from Su Ruan''s expression, she could guess that her friend had not remembered anything.

    "Someone found you passed out in an alley near our house," Lin Qing said. "He brought you to the hospital. The money in your purse was missing. The police think that someone had attacked you and stole your money."

    Su Ruan frowned as she tried to recall what had happened. She could remember walking into an alley after walking around after lunch. Then, someone tugged at her hand and her head hit the wall.

    And then¡­ she could not remember anything else.

    Perhaps she had passed out afterward.

    "You don''t know how worried I am when I heard that you were in the hospital," Lin Qing said. "I was going to call you and ask about dinner. Then, a strange man answered your phone and told me that you were in the hospital. Fortunately, that thief had not taken your phone as well."

    Su Ruan continued to listen to Lin Qing telling her about how she was lucky that a good person had found her.

    A thought came to her mind.

    Su Ruan could not help but think that there was something wrong with the situation. Although Lin Qing said she was robbed, Su Ruan had a feeling that that was not what had happened.

    What did she forget?

    Her mind was telling her to remember an important thing but no matter how she tried to recall that memory, she could not remember it. Each time that she forced herself to remember, it only gave her a headache. The pain was too much and it would only go away when she told herself not to think about it.

    Outside the ward, Long Fei stood up straight as he peeked through the small opening between the door. Seeing that Su Ruan was awake made him feel relieved.

    "Are you sure that this is a good thing?"

    Hearing the question, Long Fei finally looked away from Su Ruan and walked away.

    A helpless sigh escaped him when Long Fei did not answer. Long Yu Heng could only give his cousin a chase and keep up with his pace.

    "You have done so much for her," Long Yu Heng pointed out. "You could use this chance to get close to her but you didn''t. Long Fei, why did you erase her memory?"

    His steps halted. Long Fei stared up straight for a while before he looked at his cousin. "Do you think it''s a good idea to let her remember what happened?"

    "She¡­ didn''t witness what happened to Mister Gao, did she?" Long Yu Heng hesitated. His voice was almost a whisper. This was a matter that they could not let anyone know about.

    "No."

    "Then, why?"

    "Do you think it''s a good thing for a woman to remember how she was almost molested?"

    A trace of surprise flashed in Long Yu Heng''s eyes. He certainly did not expect that the reason Long Fei would erase part of Su Ruan''s memory was because of this.

    "If she remembers how that bastard had touched her, it would only break her," Long Fei said. "It''s better for her to think that she was robbed."

    "You could tell her that you are the person who had found her in the alley."

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. "I''m worried that the moment she saw me, it will trigger her memory again. Don''t worry." Long Fei gave a gentle pat on his cousin''s shoulder. "I will find my chance soon."

    Long Yu Heng had a complicated look on his face. He knew well that the reason Long Fei had done everything was for Su Ruan''s sake. However, he thought that it would be better if Long Fei took this chance to get close to her.

    Wasn''t it for Long Fei as well?

    Without Su Ruan by his side, how long could Long Fei hold on?

    If the two of them did not meet during their childhood, it might be a little different.

    But they could not change the past.

    Long Fei continued to walk and entered the elevator. He lowered his head and asked in a whisper, "What happened to that person?"

    "Tomorrow morning, someone was going to find his body and report it to the authorities," Long Yu Heng said. "But don''t have to worry.. No one was going to link him to us."

 Chapter 27 - His Karma

    Early morning, Lin Qing walked into the ward while carrying a bag of food. She peeked into the slightly opened door and saw that Su Ruan was awake.

    Lin Qing knocked on the door and smiled. "Hey." She lifted the paper bag in her hand and spoke, "I brought you breakfast."

    "Come on in." Su Ruan waved her hand. "I''m starving."

    Hearing her words, Lin Qing quickly took out the food container and placed it on the table.

    Su Ruan took a sip from the warm soy milk drink and heaved a satisfied sigh. She watched as her friend set up the table for her and asked, "Are you not going to work today?"

    "I took a half-day leave to help you with the discharge procedure." Lin Qing raised a brow. "What is it? Are you touched? How about treating me to a good meal later?"

    Su Ruan let out a chuckle. "Sure. You pick up the restaurant. Just don''t choose anything expensive. Don''t forget that I''m currently unemployed."

    Lin Qing handed the utensils to Su Ruan and switched on the television. Seeing that the advertisements were currently on air, Lin Qing turned to her friend again. "How are you feeling?"

    Su Ruan swallowed the porridge in her mouth and answered, "Definitely better than yesterday."

    Lin Qing stood up and inspected the injury around Su Ruan''s head. Seeing that the wound had stopped bleeding, she finally let out a breath of relief.

    "A while ago, the police came over and ask about the robbery," Su Ruan said. "I told them I don''t remember a thing."

    "Mmm¡­ Unfortunately, there was no surveillance camera around that area as well. And the one from the shop facing the alley was malfunctioning. It seems that catching the thief might be quite difficult."

    "Fortunately, I did not bring a lot of money with me."

    "Fortunately, that thief did not do anything to you." Lin Qing poked on her friend''s arms. "I heard a lot of stories how a thief would do something nasty when they did not get the amount of money they expected to get."

    Su Ruan''s expression changed slightly. Her brain was telling her that she had forgotten something again, but she did not know what it was.

    As she did not want her friend to worry, Su Ruan quickly composed herself and continued to chat with Lin Qing.

    The advertisement on the television ended and soon, a handsome man appeared on the screen to read the morning news.

    Su Ruan and Lin Qing glanced at the television briefly as the newscaster was reading news about some political situation in another country. The two of them were discussing their lunch plan when the newscaster mentioned something that happened in Capital City.

    Her heart skipped a beat as Su Ruan heard a name that she was familiar with.

    Gao Leng?

    On the screen, there was a video of Gao Leng with his hair turned white and his body turned frozen.

    The newscaster reported that no one seem to know what happened or how did he turn out this way. A trucker was stopping by a secluded rest area and found Gao Leng in this condition in the restroom.

    The trucker thought he had died and called the police.

    However, they soon found that he was still alive despite his condition.

    Right now, the police were still investigating this matter and had asked anyone who had any information regarding what happened to step forward and report it to them. Any information would be helpful.

    The news channel featured a famous professor who commented on what might happen to Gao Leng. He thought that Gao Leng might have seen something so terrifying that it had made his hair turn white and his body froze.

    Although he was still alive, there was no telling if he could turn normal and live life as he used to be.

    Both Su Ruan and Lin Qing were quiet for a long time. The newscaster had changed the news but both of them were still processing what had happened to Gao Leng.

    Su Ruan turned to look at Lin Qing and saw that she had the same disbelieving look on her face.

    "This¡­" Lin Qing spoke but did not finish what she wanted to say.

    Both of them could not understand what was going on with Gao Leng and how he had turned like that.

    "I did not think that he would turn this way," Su Ruan spoke softly. The last time she saw Gao Leng, it was on the day she had left the company. Afterward, he had called and asked her to return, but Su Ruan no longer wanted anything to do with the company and the magazine.

    Or was it?

    Lin Qin pursed her lips into a thin line. "Do you really think that a person could be so terrified that his hair would turn white overnight?"

    Su Ruan shook her head. "I don''t know. Probably. I''ve heard stories like this in the past. I thought it was just a myth. But it happened in real life."

    "I wonder what did he saw that made him turn like that?" Lin Qing muttered.

    A deep frown appeared on her face. For some reason, Su Ruan had a feeling that something was off.

    But, what was it?

    The headache returned the more she thought about Gao Leng''s strange condition.

    Su Ruan closed her eyes and pulled at her hair, trying to stop the pain.

    "Hey? Su Ruan?"

    She snapped out of her thought and looked at Lin Qing again. Her headache miraculously stopped.

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan flashed her a faint smile. "I''m fine. Just thought that what happened to Gao Leng was a bit disturbing."

    "You are right. It was indeed disturbing." Lin Qing nodded. "What happened to him was bad but I think he got his karma back. I don''t think we should feel sorry for him. He probably provoked something he should not have provoked."

    Su Ruan thought about that day she was alone in Gao Leng''s office and pursed her lips into a thin line. Perhaps Lin Qing was right.. Gao Leng simply got his karma.

 Chapter 28 - Job Interview

    Fu Xing checked on the documents in his hands for the umpteenth time before he was finally satisfied. As he gave a last look at the documents, he couldn''t help but wonder what was his boss up to.

    Usually, it was the Human Resources Department who was supposed to deal with recruitment. However, this time President Long Fei wanted him to manage this personally.

    Two days ago, he was instructed to put up a recruitment advertisement on the company''s webpage and closed the application after the advertisement has been there for half a day.

    It was too strange.

    Fu Xing was puzzled. But as President Long Fei''s assistant, he could only follow his boss''s instructions and do his best until that man was satisfied.

    Taking a deep breath, Fu Xing finally knocked on the door and waited for his boss to let him enter. Once he heard President Long Fei''s voice, Fu Xing pushed the door and walked up straight until he was close enough to the desk.

    Seeing that his boss was still typing something on his computer, Fu Xing decided to wait.

    The click-clacking sound of the keyboard finally stopped.

    "What''s the matter?" Long Fei finally raised his head to look at his assistant. Then, he grabbed the drinking water bottle on his table and drank a lot of water.

    "President Long, the matter you asked me to do is completed," Fu Xing said. He took the documents in his hand and placed them on the desk.

    Long Fei grabbed the documents and realized that Su Ruan''s resume was among the documents that Fu Xing had handed to him.

    His heart skipped a beat as he read her name again and again. However, the look on his face remained cool. It was as if he was not affected at all.

    He could still remember the last time he saw Su Ruan was a couple of days ago. That day, Su Ruan was discharged from the hospital and watched as she leave with her friend. He could only be at ease once he had checked with the doctor to know that she was well enough.

    His heartbeat grew erratic at the thought of seeing her face again. He wanted to be closer to her. He needed to be closer to her.

    "These were all the candidates who will be coming to the interview today?" Long Fei raised his brow.

    "Yes, President Long." Fu Xing continued to observe his boss''s face and still could not understand what was he planning to do.

    He flipped through the documents and finally pulled out Su Ruan''s resume. "Just let her pass."

    A look of surprise flashed on his face. Fu Xing picked up the resume and tried to remember the name and face. Then, he looked up again. "And the rest of them?"

    Long Fei rapped his fingers into a thin line pursed his lips into a thin line. "We only going to employ this woman."

    Fu Xing quickly understood what his boss wanted to do. "I understand."

    It seemed that his boss had set his eyes to employ only Su Ruan. The others who attended this interview will only act as the supporting actor.

    He suddenly wondered if his boss had made him post the recruitment advertisement for this woman.

    He gathered his thought and was about to turn around when his boss called his name again.

    "Yes, President Long?"

    "Tell me when that person arrives."

    Fu Xing nodded again. "Yes, President Long."

    At this time, Fu Xing was convinced that this woman called Su Ruan was special. His boss had never shown interest in a woman. This was the first time.

    Fu Xing decided that once this woman showed up, he should do his best to win her heart.

    However¡­ Fu Xing couldn''t understand why his boss would want to hire Miss Su as a senior journalist in their company. If he liked this woman, shouldn''t he give her a higher position? Perhaps to a place where he could watch her closely?

    After thinking about it for a while, Fu Xing decided not to think too much and do his job as he was instructed.

    ¡­

    "Su Ruan," Lin Qing''s voice could be heard on the other line. "Are you sure you''re healthy enough to attend this interview? It has been two days since you are discharged from the hospital. Perhaps it would be better if you stay home and recuperate."

    "I''m fine." Su Ruan chuckled. She touched the back of her head with her hand and spoke, "It was just a bump in my head and the swelling has disappeared. I''m healthy enough to attend this interview."

    Lin Qing sighed. Clearly, she was still very worried about her friend''s condition.

    "Besides," Su Ruan continued. "It was a rare chance for me to attend an interview at Blue Media Group. You know how hard it is to be shortlisted."

    Lin Qing could not deny that Su Ruan was right. She still thought that it was a miracle for Su Ruan to be shortlisted.

    Su Ruan saw the recruitment advertisement in her email on the day she was discharged from the hospital and decided to try her luck. They did not think that they would succeed.

    Blue Media Group only gave a few days to prepare for the interview before Su Ruan was called to attend the interview.

    "Lin Qing, you should wish me luck." Her lips curled into a bright smile.

    Lin Qing laughed. "Alright. Su Ruan, good luck with your interview. Remember to treat me to a good meal when you succeed."

    "Un, I know. Lin Qing, you are my biggest supporter. How can I not treat you to a good meal? I''ll buy you a box of pastries from the Orchid Hotel to celebrate."

    Lin Qing muttered a cursing word. She knew well that the pastries from Orchid Hotel were expensive, but the taste was amazing. She had used her first salary to try a slice of tiramisu in the past and later, she had to skip a few meals because she was too broke.

    "So generous?"

    "Heh. If I get a job with Blue Media, of course, my salary would double," Su Ruan said "Buying a box of pastries for once should not be a problem."

    The two friends continued to chat until Su Ruan arrived in front of the building. She raised her head and stared at the signboard for a long time.

    With a deep breath, Su Ruan entered the building.

 Chapter 29 - Ran Off And Left

    Fu Xing has been standing at the side as he waited for the person to show up. A few candidates had shown up but the person his boss was waiting for had not appeared.

    His fingers drummed against his thigh.

    He was starting to suspect that the person would not show up.

    However, Fu Xing soon started to worry about how his boss was going to react when the girl he was waiting for did not show up. Judging from the way he had acted these past few days, Fu Xing could guess that his boss would not be happy.

    Just as he was starting to think of how he should break this news to his boss, the glass door was pushed open from the outside and a familiar face walked in.

    Fu Xing did a double-take and his gaze stuck on the woman. He checked at the clock and chuckled, realizing that there were only five minutes left before the interview will begin.

    As the woman walked to the receptionist''s desk to register, Fu Xing pulled out his phone to inform President Long Fei that the woman had arrived.

    However, before he could press the call button, Fu Xing realized that the woman''s expression turned paler. A few seconds later, the woman ran off and left the building.

    The hand that was holding the phone halted.

    Fu Xing did not know what had happened to the woman that caused her to run away. His gaze shifted to the receptionist and he walked over.

    "Assistant Fu." The two receptionists stood up to greet him.

    Fu Xing glanced at the door before he looked at one of the receptionists. "The woman just now¡­ If I''m not mistaken, she should be a candidate for an interview."

    The short-haired receptionist nodded. "That''s right. She came to attend the interview."

    "Then, why did she suddenly run out?" Fu Xing glanced at his wristwatch. There isn''t much time and he did not know whether she would be able to return on time.

    The receptionists turned to look at each other. Then, the short-haired receptionist spoke again, "I don''t know what happened, but I don''t think that she would be joining the interview this time. Someone called her while she was waiting for us to verify her ID. Her face paled after picking up the phone. I think it should be an emergency. I heard that she mentioned the word, hospital."

    Fu Xing looked at the receptionists and rapped his fingers on the table. After thanking the receptionists, he then turned around and headed to the elevator with a worried look on his face.

    In just seconds, Fu Xing finally arrived at the president''s floor. He walked out with a deep frown on his face as he was thinking of how he should be breaking the news to his boss.

    After a brief hesitation, F Xing clicked on the door and entered.

    When he walked in, President Long Fei''s cousin, Long Yu Heng was already in the room. Judging from the look on their face, it seemed that they were discussing something important.

    "What''s wrong?" Long Fei raised a brow at his assistant. "Have the interview begin? What about Miss Su?"

    "President Long. Miss Su showed up at our company five minutes before the interview began," Fu Xing said.

    "There should be no problem with that. She''s right on time."

    Even if Su Ruan was five minutes late, Long Fei had already decided to let her pass. The only reason he planned this interview was for Su Ruan. He wanted to get close to her slowly like this.

    "President Long, while registering her ID with the receptionist, someone called her and broke a news. The receptionist said that they overheard something about a hospital."

    Long Fei''s expression turned darker, scaring Fu Xing who came to deliver the news.

    "Un. I know," Long Fei said. "You go out and continue to keep your eyes. If she comes back, just let her attend the interview. Don''t make things difficult for her."

    "Yes, President Long." With a nod, Fu Xing walked out of the room. A breath of relief escaped him as his boss had not made things difficult for him.

    Once Fu Xing had left and closed the door behind him, Long Fei turned to look at his cousin again.

    "Yu Heng, go and investigate this for me," Long Fei spoke. "She shouldn''t have left for too long. Go and catch up with her. If she''s in some sort of trouble, just help her secretly."

    Long Yu Heng naturally knew how important Su Ruan is to Long Fei. After exchanging a few words, he then left the room.

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan ran to catch up with the bus. Seeing that there were two minutes left before the next bus was going to arrive, Su Ruan decided to call her friend, Lin Qing first.

    "Su Ruan?" Lin Qing''s voice contained a hint of surprise as she picked up the phone. "What''s wrong?"

    It was a few minutes ago that they have talked. Lin Qing knew that Su Ruan was on her way to Blue Media Group to attend an interview. Su Ruan shouldn''t be calling her at this time.

    "Lin Qing, I''m heading back home to pack up," Su Ruan spoke quickly. Her voice had a hint of anxiousness.

    "What?"

    "My father called just now and told me that my grandfather was in an accident," Su Ruan spoke. "Could you¡­ Could you help me to check when is the earliest flight to F City?"

    Hearing her words, Lin Qing quickly agreed. "Alright. Su Ruan, calm down. I''ll help you to get your flight tickets." As she was seated in front of the computer, Lin Qing quickly tapped her fingers on the keyboard. "There''s a flight to F City two hours from now. Is that alright?"

    "I''ll take it."

    "Just text me your details. I''ll help you to book the flight."

    Su Ruan heaved a breath of relief. "Alright. Lin Qing, thank you."

    The bus finally arrived as she finished tapping her details and sent the information that Lin Qing might need to book a ticket for her.

    Su Ruan climbed up the bus and found a seat.

    In a distance away, Long Yu Heng watched as she climbed up the bus and frowned.. His breathing labored as he has been running for a while.

 Chapter 30 - Wait For Her Return

    When Long Fei learned about Su Ruan''s departure to F City, it was already nighttime and the girl was already on her flight.

    Long Yu Heng stood in front of Long Fei and felt as if the air around him had turned heavier. He was well aware that this time it was his fault.

    He caught up with her too late and by the time he had arrived at her apartment, Su Ruan had already left for the airport. It took time for him to figure out where she had gone to and her next destination.

    The man finally let out a long breath. Long Fei slumped into his seat and rubbed the space between his brows.

    The phone in Long Yu Heng''s pocket buzzed. He read the message and his expression changed. He looked at his cousin again and spoke, "I received news that she went back to F City to visit her paternal grandfather. He had an accident and was hospitalized. I received news that his condition was now stabilized."

    Long Fei was finally at ease upon hearing the news.

    He had thought that something bad had happened. Fortunately, her grandfather was alright.

    This way, Su Ruan would not worry too much, right?

    He could still remember the report from Long Yu Heng given him earlier. Long Fei knew well that Su Ruan was closer to her paternal family due to her parents'' divorce.

    After that time Su Ruan had seen him transforming into another shape, she was so scared and traumatized. Later, she had never visited her maternal grandparents'' place in D Town.

    "Long Fei, do you want me to book you a flight to F City?" Long Yu Heng spoke cautiously. "You could go and visit her. I know that you will be more at ease when you are near her."

    A deep frown appeared on his face as he thought about Long Yu Heng''s words. After a while, he exhaled loudly and shook his head. "Forget it. Even if I go after her, what can I do? We don''t know each other and have no relation with each other."

    Long Yu Heng had thought that Long Fei would be satisfied as long as he could see her from afar. As long as he could see that she was alright, Long Fei''s condition would stabilize.

    "She should return to Capital City once her grandfather is well enough," Long Fei said. "I will just wait for her return here."

    "You are right." Long Yu Heng nodded.

    Long Fei turned around and looked at the beautiful garden scenery out the window. He pondered for a while and spoke again, "Yu Heng, help me to keep an eye on her. When she returns, tell me. We''ll arrange for another interview and let her come to Blue Media Group again."

    "Understood."

    However, both Long Fei and Long Yu Heng did not think that after Su Ruan headed to F City to see her grandfather, she later made the decision not to return to Capital City again.

    Two weeks have passed after Su Ruan headed to F City.

    At this time, Long Yu Heng had assigned someone to keep an eye on Su Ruan''s apartment.

    On that evening, he received news that the movers came to the apartment and had taken out everything. After a brief hesitation, Long Yu Heng decided to head over and look for it himself.

    Long Yu Heng could not hide his shock upon seeing a few burly men carrying the furniture out. Without thinking too much, Long Yu Heng walked over and spoke to the movers to find out the situation. However, the movers told him to speak to the owners.

    "Excuse me, can I help you?"

    Long Yu Heng stood up straight when he heard the voice. He steadied himself and turned around only to find Lin Qing behind him.

    "It''s you?" Lin Qing narrowed his eyes. A puzzled look appeared on her face

    "Do¡­ we know each other?" Long Yu Heng decided to play pretend.

    Lin Qing blinked and realized that perhaps this man had not remembered her. "Not too long ago, you helped me with a flat tire, remember?"

    Long Yu Heng studied her face for a long time and pretended to be surprised. "I think I remember. The one with that broken jack, right?"

    Lin Qing laughed. "Un. That''s me." The smile on her face quickly disappeared and she was looking at Long Yu Heng cautiously. "But, what are you doing here?"

    Seeing the look on Lin Qing''s face, Long Yu Heng began to suspect that this girl had thought of him as a pervert.

    He let out a cough and took out his card. "Hello, I''m Long Yu Heng from Blue Media Group."

    Lin Qing took the card and realized that this man had given her the same card to her during their first meeting. However, she had never seen that card again afterward.

    Her eyes lit up when she saw the company''s name. Not too long ago, Su Ruan had bagged herself an interview with this big company.

    "I''m looking for Miss Su Ruan," Long Yu Heng continued. "May I know if she''s around?"

    "Why are you looking for Su Ruan?"

    "It''s like this¡­ a while ago, Miss Su Ruan was supposed to attend an interview with our company," Long Yu Heng said. "However, she had not shown up. My boss saw her resume again and thought that it was too bad that she could not make it to the interview. He''s willing to give her another chance."

    Lin Qing looked at him in surprise. She gave the man a lookover and thought that he did not seem to be a liar. Lin Qing heaved a sigh and spoke, "I''m sorry. But I think you are too late. Su Ruan had decided to move to F City."

    The smile on Long Yu Heng''s face froze. "She''s not planning to return?"

    Lin Qing was not planning to tell this stranger about Su Ruan''s personal matter. "I''m sorry. I don''t know about that. Perhaps she will return, perhaps she won''t. The last time we talked, she said that she''s planning to take a few months'' breaks from work. She had started working for her previous company straight after graduation. She said it''s time for her to take a few months break to rest her mind and figure out what she wanted to do next."

    Hearing her words, Long Yu Heng was suddenly at loss.

    What was he supposed to do now?

    Long Fei would be unhappy when he heard this news.

 Chapter 31 - Scales

    Long Yu Heng stood still on the spot for a long time.

    After he had broken the news about Su Ruan leaving Capital City and had no plan to return for a while, Long Fei has been sitting on his chair and looked out the window with a dazed look on his face.

    No one knew what was going on in his mind and Long Yu Heng did not dare to disturb him in this situation.

    Almost ten minutes have passed. Long Fei finally heaved a breath and turned around to look at his cousin again. "If she''s not planning to return, then let her."

    Long Yu Heng observed his face cautiously. "Are you planning to head over to F City and find her? You could¡­ work on the branch over in F City."

    "No."

    His expression froze. Long Yu Heng certainly did not expect him to decline. "Do you have any other plan?"

    Long Fei has been looking for Su Ruan for years. It has not been easy for them to finally find her and figure out her identity.

    For the past few weeks, Long Yu Heng has been observing Long Fei''s condition.

    Usually, Long Fei would not be able to stay in Capital City or somewhere away from D Town where there was a large source of clean water.

    However, this time, Long Fei was able to stay in Capital City because Su Ruan was in the same city. Long Yu Heng watched as Long Fei leave to look at Su Ruan and each time that he returned, his body condition would be at his best.

    Initially, when their grandfather had brought up this matter, they had refused to believe that Su Ruan''s presence beside Long Fei would be very helpful to him.

    But now that he had seen things for himself, Long Yu Heng knew that Su Ruan was someone that Long Fei had to get close with.

    Long Fei exhaled loudly and spoke. "Yu Heng, I have already done everything to get close to her. But she only moved farther away. Perhaps, the two of us are not meant to be."

    His body grew cold upon hearing Long Fei''s words. "No. I refused to let you give up." He took a few steps closer, wanting to get close to Long Fei, and convinced him to rethink his decision.

    However, Long Fei raised his hand, motioning his cousin to stop. "No. I have already made up my decision."

    "No. You have to think again." Long Yu Heng walked closer. "Don''t forget that the elders had said¡­" His words were left unfinished as he suddenly realized that there was something different about his cousin.

    Long Yu Heng lowered his gaze and was surprised to see the scale that had started to form on the man''s arms. "Long Fei, you¡­"

    It was at this time that he recalled that it has been two weeks since Su Ruan had left Capital City.

    Perhaps, he was starting to get used to seeing Long Fei living like an ordinary person that he had momentarily forgotten that Long Fei has not been close to Su Ruan for a long time.

    They were so confident that the girl would return to Capital City and things would be normal for Long Fei again.

    It has been two weeks! Just how did Long Fei had forced himself to bear with his condition.

    Quickly, Long Yu Heng turned around and grabbed several drinking water bottles in his arms. "Long Fei, drink this."

    Long Fei looked at the bottles and frowned. Then, he saw the scale on his arms and quickly understood Long Yu Heng''s movement. Long Fei forced himself to calm down. He grabbed the bottle and emptied it within seconds.

    "This cannot do. Long Fei, we are returning to D Town as soon as possible," Long Yu Heng said. He took out his phone and began to make several calls.

    Knowing that his condition was not at its best, Long Fei decided not to say a word and let Long Yu Heng handle everything.

    ¡­

    F City.

    Su Ruan walked along the small path while accompanying an elder who was sitting in a wheelchair. There was a smile on her face and she was humming a melody. The gentle breeze swept on her face, messing up her hair a little bit.

    Su Ruan tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears and continued to push the wheelchair until they arrived under a big, shady tree.

    She adjusted the wheelchair and finally looked at the old man. "Grandfather, how is it, are you comfortable?"

    The old man heaved a satisfied sigh. "Un. It''s good."

    Su Ruan smiled happily and sat on the garden chair beside her grandfather''s wheelchair. "If you like it, how about I accompany you here for a while longer?"

    "This girl¡­ I already told you that I''ll be fine. What are you staying in this small town longer for? Quickly return to the big city and do what you like."

    "Does that mean that you don''t like me staying by your side anymore?"

    The look on Su Yan''s face stiffened. He looked at his granddaughter again and his expression turned softer. "You know that I don''t mean it like that. Grandfather likes having you by my side the most."

    The smile on Su Ruan''s face widened. "Un¡­ I like Grandfather the most too."

    Su Yan heaved another sigh. "I know that at this time, you should be busy building up your career. Grandfather just did not want to hold you back. Don''t worry about me. I still have your father to look after me."

    Su Ruan thought about how she had lost her job with the previous company. Later, Blue Media had called her for a job interview but she could not make it to attend the interview.

    Thinking about everything that had happened around here the past few months made her feel that she should take a break for a while.

    "Moreover, your grandmother and I were worried that you would be uncomfortable." Su Yan''s gentle voice was heard again. "How long are you planning to stay in F City this time?"

    Su Ruan knew what her paternal grandparents were worried about.

    After her parents were divorced, she had followed her father to F City. A while later, her father had remarried and had his own family. The wife he was married to had brought along a son and a daughter from her previous marriage. Since they were both younger, her father doted on them a lot.

    Su Ruan mostly stayed around with her grandparents.

    Seeing her stepsiblings made her feel uncomfortable. Although her father had always loved her, Su Ruan had always thought that her steps siblings were stealing her father from her.

    Later, she chose to study in a university farther away and chose to work in Capital City so that she would not see them.

    Su Ruan looked at her grandfather again and forced a smile. She knew that her grandfather was mostly worried about her. "Grandfather, don''t worry. I''m only staying around to celebrate the new year with you.. Once the holiday ended, I''ll head back to work."

 Chapter 32 - I Wont Let Myself Suffer

    D Town was always a quiet and peaceful place.

    It was a small town surrounded by orchards as well as nature. Living in this town was always very relaxing. The people woke up early to work and went back to their homes early to rest with their families.

    At night, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the gentle breeze, the rustling of leaves, the rippling of water as well as the singing of insects.

    However, on this particular night, there was something very different.

    The usually quiet night turned a little lively, especially nearby Long''s family residence. A few people went out to look at what was going on but no one could find out what was going on. In the end, the town''s residents could only go back home empty-handed.

    The Long family was an old family in D Town. Their land was so large and there was a rumor that said that the lake behind their house also belonged to the family.

    However, many had thought that this rumor was nothing but merely a rumor.

    The Long family was rich but no one would think that they were so rich that they would own a lake.

    Inside the hall of the main building, the elders of the Long family sat down with a worried look on their faces. Their eyes were glued to the partition wall at the corner of the room.

    Long Yuan, the patriarch of the family were seated at the front of the hall. His head lowered in solemn. By his side, his grandson, Long Yu Heng stood up straight as he gave his report of what was going on during their journey back to the town.

    Hearing about everything that Long Fei had to suffer made his heart ache.

    As the firstborn male during his generation, Long Yuan was someone who had experienced what Long Fei had experienced. Naturally, he knew best how painful it would be once the scales started to appear on his body.

    However, the generations before Long Fei had always stayed in D Town before they were married. Long Fei was the only one who had left the town frequently.

    In the past, Long Yuan had reminded this grandson that he should not go out too frequently. However, the boy refused to listen to him.

    When Long Fei told him that he was leaving D Town to search for that young girl, Long Yuan and the elders in the family had no other choice but to let him leave.

    Long Fei has been coming and leaving D Town for years but this was the first time that they finally had news about that young girl.

    Just as they had thought that they could make the girl stay close to Long Fei, the girl had left Capital City and went somewhere farther.

    Long Yuan closed his eyes as he tried to figure out what they should do next. He looked at Long Yu Heng again and spoke in a low voice, "If nothing works out, it''s not too bad for us to bring the girl to this town forcefully."

    "Grandfather, I''m afraid that this is something that Long Fei would not agree to do," Long Yu Heng said. "He already said that he is not going to force the girl to stay beside him. If she is not willing to stay, then it was just not fated between them."

    "Nonsense!" Long Yuan hit the armrest hard.

    The hall shook with his loud voice.

    "Now that things are at this phase and he still wanted to do things as he pleased? Is he planning to die and end our Long family?"

    "Grandfather."

    Hearing the voice, everyone turned their head to look at the man who came out from behind the partition wall.

    "You don''t have to force that girl to come over to this place," Long Fei said. "It''s fine if I stay in D Town, right? As long as I dipped into the lake every day, I will not change, right? I won''t let myself suffer."

    "You might not have to suffer if you stay but Ah Fei, the lineage will end with you."

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. He had always thought that he wanted this line to end with him. If he had a child, his descendant will continue to suffer from this blood inside of them. He did not want that to happen.

    However, Long Fei did not dare to mention this idea out loud. The last time he had told his grandfather about his idea, his grandfather had locked him in the ancestral hall and made him reflect on his mistake.

    Long Fei did not think that he was making any mistake but he could only pretend to repent to get out of that punishment.

    "I am aware of how important that girl is to myself," Long Fei said. "However, I hope that you could let me do this my way. Grandfather, I know what I am doing."

    Long Yuan studied his grandson''s expression for a long time. Once he detected that Long Fei was not lying to him, Long Yuan flicked his sleeves and looked away.

    However, Long Yun did not know that Long Fei has been lying to him a lot of times that he was starting to get used to it. These days, it was not difficult for Long Fei to hide things from his grandfather.

    A breath of relief escaped him.

    For now, Long Fei knew that his grandfather had agreed with him. He could only buy time with this method.

    "Physician Yang, how is he?" Long Yuan turned his attention to the old physician who came out from behind the partition wall with Long Fei earlier.

    "Old man, you don''t have to worry." The physician glanced at Long Fei and continued, "Long Fei''s body has stabilized. Fortunately, Yu Heng was around to assist him when he started to show some changes on his body."

    Long Fei glanced at the elders who were listening to the physician''s report worriedly. He wondered just how many of them were genuinely worried about him and how many were worried that the family might crumble because of him.

    He turned around and head out the hall without waiting for the physician to finish.

    Long Yu Heng saw that he was leaving and started to chase after him. "Long Fei, where are you going?"

    "Swimming.. With my condition, isn''t it better for me to swim in the lake?" He looked at his cousin and raised a brow. "Do you want to come?"

 Chapter 33 - Their King

    Long Yu Heng followed his cousin to the lake and watched as he stripped off his shirt.

    It was nighttime and the water was too dark.

    At a time like this, usually, the town''s residents would not dare to enter the water. However, it was different for the Long Fei and the other first-born male in the family.

    It was during this time that he could swim in the water peacefully.

    Long Fei''s toes touched the water and he slowly entered. As he dived into the water, he could no longer see the man''s body.

    The rippling of the water suggested that there was a large creature inside the water. From where he stood, Long Yu Heng could almost see the glitter in the water. Then, the tip of the tail came out, and with a whip, the water splashed into his face.

    Long Yu Heng screamed and cursed as he wiped the droplets on his face. "Long Fei!"

    That man was doing this on purpose!

    Long Yu Heng looked at his wet shirt and regretted that he decided to follow this man to the lake.

    "Are you not going into the water?"

    The voice came to his mind.

    This was something that Long Fei could do when he had shifted into another form.

    Long Yu Heng hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to take off his wet shirt and enter the water. Unlike Long Fei or his grandfather, Long Yu Heng''s body would not shift to another form.

    As he dived into the water, he saw Long Fei''s blue and glistering scales underwater. His body was big and long. His scales were the shade of blue and purple. If anyone saw Long Fei in this form, that person would probably die in shock.

    No one would believe that a dragon really exists in this world.

    Long Fei continued to swim around him, leading him further into the lake water. The fishes saw the dragon and quickly parted to make way for him. They did not dare to get close to him but at the same time, they longed to get close to him.

    As the dragon of the lake, Long Fei had certain power that would make the creature in the water look up to him.

    To them, he was their king.

    The longer he swam in the water, Long Yu Heng could feel his tiredness gradually swept away.

    This was the power of the lake.

    The lake was so pure that it could heal and made one feel very refreshed, especially when they were swimming alongside Long Fei.

    A few minutes later, Long Yu Heng had no other choice but to swim up to breathe. He looked at the creature underneath his feet and felt slightly jealous that the man did not have to swim up to take a breath.

    However, when he thought of everything that Long Fei had to suffer, Long Yu Heng thought that being born without the ability to shift was actually a good thing.

    Their grandfather had always said that the blood in their body was a blessing. But after spending his time with Long Fei ever since he was a little kid, Long Yu Heng was starting to believe that this was more of a curse.

    Long Fei might have a certain ability that most people did not have but to have that, he could not live life like a normal person.

    After swimming around for a while, the cousins swam back to the shore.

    The moment Long Fei came out of the water, the scale on his body had disappeared. Looking at him now, anyone would think of him as a normal person.

    Long Yu Heng grabbed the towel which was prepared at the side cabin and threw it to Long Fei. He watched as the man wiped the water from his hair and asked, "Are you feeling better now."

    "Hmm¡­" Each time that he entered the lake water, every discomfort on his body would immediately disappear.

    However, Long Fe did not like it that he was too reliant on this lake.

    Long Yu Heng chuckled. After spending a long time beside Long Fei, how could he not understand what was going on in Long Fei''s mind?

    The two of them sat at the wooden platform as they watched the calm lake water as well as the twinkling stars in the sky.

    "Will you blame me if the blood ended with me and the family might not be able to enjoy as much wealth as we did now?" Long Fei spoke after a long silence between them.

    "Of course, not." Long Yu Heng looked at his cousin and sighed. "You know very well that I don''t mind the wealth. What we have now is enough to last for a few generations."

    "But not everyone had the same thinking like you."

    Long Fei trusted his cousin, Long Yu Heng a lot.

    To him, this cousin was different than the rest of his family members. This was the reason why he had chosen Long Yu Heng as the person who would assist him in this life.

    Long Fei thought about how the elders would look at him. They were always so respectful towards him, the junior. However, Long Fei knew that there was a reason for it.

    Behind his back, most of them thought of him as a freak.

    If only this power was something that could be transferred over, Long Fei did not doubt that the member of his family would try to do something to take this power away from him.

    Unfortunately, this power was something that he was born with and would disappear once he died.

    The elders and the rest of his family members could only protect his life because they do not want what they have to disappear.

    "Are you sure that this is what you want?" Long Yu Heng asked, snapping Long Fei out of his thought. "You have spent a while being close to her. You know very well how she could make you feel. You don''t have to rely on the lake as much with Miss Su by your side."

    Long Fei let out a long breath. "Yu Heng, don''t try to persuade me anymore. I have already made my decision. Perhaps, the two of us are really not meant to be. Perhaps, I am destined to live alone in this life."

    A deep frown appeared on Long Yu Heng''s face. He did not like the words that Long Fei had spoken.

    "Don''t think too much of it.. If we are really fated, then the two of us will surely meet again."

 Chapter 34 - New Year

    The atmosphere in the Su''s old residence was especially lively.

    It was the New Year and everyone especially wore something nice and festive. The sounds of laughter and chatting were heard from their neighborhood as well.

    Su Ruan walked over to join their family for breakfast. Her stepmother, Xia Ru Yan greeted her and motioned her to sit down.

    The family had their New Year''s breakfast together. Su Ruan ate her food quietly while observing the happy atmosphere between the family members.

    Her stepsiblings were chatting happily with her father about their school and her stepmother would speak and inserted a few words to praise her kids.

    Su Ruan''s gaze shifted to her father. She could also see the proud look on his face as he continued to listen to his stepchildren''s achievements.

    The four of them looked like a complete family. Meanwhile, she could only watch everything from the side.

    Su Ruan could only coax herself that her stepsiblings were still young and they had a lot to tell. However, it could not stop her from feeling like an outsider. It made her feel lonely.

    If it was not for her paternal grandparents, Su Ruan thought that she would not be brave enough to join them for a meal.

    Her father was not a bad parent. Her relationship with her father had always been good ever since she was a little child. This was one of the reasons why she had willingly followed her father after the divorce.

    Her father, Su Yu, was a good father. However, after he was remarried, whenever he was with his stepchildren, his attention would always focus on them.

    Su Ruan lowered her head to hide her disappointment. A second later, she looked up again when her grandmother placed her favorite dish on her bowl.

    The two exchanged a look and Su Ruan could only force a smile to assure her grandparents that she would be alright.

    After having her breakfast, Su Ruan escaped by taking her grandfather in the garden for a walk. She finally stopped as they reached the small fish pond.

    Su Ruan grabbed the small bottle on the shelf and watched as her grandfather feed the koi fishes.

    The fishes rushed over to eat and suddenly, Su Ruan found herself lost as she watched the ripple of the water.

    "Su Ruan."

    Her grandfather''s soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Su Ruan flashed him a smile and helped her grandfather to clean his hand with a wet tissue.

    She turned around to throw the used tissue into the wastepaper basket and when she looked at her grandfather again, the old man was holding a red packet in his hand.

    "Quickly take it before the others would see it," Su Yan urged.

    Su Ruan took the red packet and was surprised to find that it was thick. She hide the red packet in her pocket and leaned over to kiss him. "Grandfather, thank you."

    "Un." The old man nodded in satisfaction. "Don''t let the other know about this."

    The two of them continued to chat a little bit and Su Yan asked, "When are you planning to head back to Capital City?"

    The smile on her face stiffened. Su Ruan had not told her grandparents that she no longer had a job in Capital City. Her grandfather was still recovering after he had fallen down the stairs a few weeks ago. She did not want them to worry.

    "I''ll stay around for a few more days," Su Ruan said. "Grandfather, even if I went back to Capital City this early, the department I was working at would still be closed. Everyone was taking a long break for this festivity."

    A soft sigh escaped him. Since his granddaughter would often take a long break for the New Year holiday, Su Yan did not find anything strange when he heard her words.

    However, he was still worried over this one granddaughter.

    It was not as if he did not notice the look on Su Ruan''s face during breakfast.

    Each time that Su Ruan comes back, she would only force herself to be strong as she watched the family of four. However, there was nothing that he could do about it. Su Yan had reminded his son to never neglect Su Ruan. But Su Yu had always thought that Su Ruan was a good daughter and grown enough to look after herself.

    Su Yan thought that he could only compensate Su Ruan by giving her endless love. However, how can a grandparents'' love be the same as parents''?

    "Just tell me when you are heading back," Su Yu said. "I will let your grandmother prepare a lot of your favorite food for you. Take them back to your apartment and share them with your friends.

    Su Ruan smiled and hugged her grandfather. "Thank you. I know that you and grandmother loved me the best."

    After taking a short walk, the two of them went back into the house.

    The stepsiblings were in the living room, playing games on their phones.

    Su Ruan went into the kitchen to take a drink before she pulled out her phone.

    There were a few messages from her friends, all wishing her a happy new year.

    Su Ruan replied to them one by one and later, her eyes stayed on Yu Zhi Yi''s name for a long time. She had gotten his message last night but she still hasn''t replied to him.

    As she thought of the scene and the words that Yu Zhi Yi''s fiance had said to her, Su Ruan knew that she needed to distance herself from this man.

    They¡­ could no longer be as close as they used to be. Su Ruan finally clicked on his message and replied to him.

    Before she could slide her phone back into her pocket, the notification rang, signaling that there was a new message.

    It was Yu Zhi Yi again.

    "It took you long enough to reply."

    "Sorry. My phone was out of battery."

    "Your family did not make you sad again, right?"

    In the past, Su Ruan was used to telling Yu Zhi Yi about her family relationship and how they would make her feel each time they gathered for the New Year. However, this time, she did not feel like doing so.

    "It''s the same. But I am already used to it." Su Ruan included a few smiling faces.

    "How long are you going to stay in F City? When you get back, we should hang out together again."

    Su Ruan reread the message over and over again and finally replied, "I''m planning to stay here longer. I''m not sure when I will return to Capital City."

    After she sent that message, Su Ruan slid her phone into her pocket and heaved a long sigh. Her mood plummeted after this brief conversation with Yu Zhi Yi.

    Su Ruan walked out, intending to join the others to watch the television. Just then, her phone started to ring. A deep frown appeared on her face as she wondered why was Yu Zhi Yi this persistent when she had finally decided to move on.

    However, the caller ID told her that it was not the person she had expected to be.

 Chapter 35 - A Change Of Air

    Su Ruan walked out to the garden again before she answered the phone call. "Grandpa, happy new year!"

    The person who called her at this time was her maternal grandfather, Ma Hao Dong.

    The old man laughed happily as he heard his granddaughter''s voice. "Su Ruan, happy new year."

    "Grandpa, I was planning to call you a while later," Su Ruan said. "I didn''t expect that you would call me first."

    "Are you sure it''s not that you have forgotten to call me?" Ma Hao Dong joked.

    "Grandpa, that''s not true. I was busy helping around my grandmother earlier," Su Ruan said.

    "I know. Grandpa was only joking." Ma Hao Dong laughed happily and the two of them began to chat happily about their new year activity.

    Her grandpa mentioned that the house was full of his young grandchildren that he decided to find a quiet place to relax. This was how he had found a chance to call Su Ruan.

    "How''s my mother? I haven''t got the chance to call her yet." Su Ruan held her phone tighter as she recalled her mother.

    "She''s fine. She''s busy helping your grandma to entertain the guests," Ma Hao Dong said. "You know how it is¡­ D Town is a small place. Our neighbors are very close. Just now, a few of them come over to play mahjong."

    "You''re not playing with them?"

    "Your grandma keeps saying that I am going to lose a lot of money. She won''t let me play."

    Su Ruan laughed as she imagined her grandma scolding her grandpa and how her grandpa would pull that pitiful puppy look on his face.

    "Is your grandfather getting better?" Ma Hao Dong asked.

    A while ago, Su Ruan had mentioned that her paternal grandfather fell down the stairs and had to stay home to recuperate.

    "Mmm¡­ His condition is getting better," Su Ruan said. "The doctor said that he needs a lot of rest to fully recover."

    "That''s good. That''s good."

    Ma Hao Dong heaved a sigh. It seemed that he had something to say but was reluctant to say them out loud.

    "Grandpa, what is it? Is there something you wanted to say to me?"

    Ma Hao Dong pursed his lips into a thin line. "Grandpa just missed you too much."

    He wanted to ask again when would she be willing to come to D Town and visit him and her grandmother. However, Ma Hao Dong did not want to pressure his granddaughter too much.

    If he kept asking, perhaps, Su Ruan would find him annoying.

    Later, it would be difficult for him to see her again.

    Ma Hao Dong and his wife had many grandchildren and they loved Su Ruan all the same. But because Su Ruan''s parents were divorced, Ma Hao Dong would try to pay more attention to Su Ruan.

    He would always worry about her and wanted her to live life happily.

    However, it was hard for him to find out if Su Ruan was happy as she live far away when she decided to stay with her father. Moreover, this girl was very good at hiding her feelings and she was too considerate of the people around her.

    Sometimes, Ma Hao Dong really wished that Su Ruan would be a little selfish and throw some tantrums to get her parents'' attention.

    "Grandpa, I missed you and grandma a lot as well." Her voice was soft as she spoke.

    At this moment, Su Ruan suddenly thought about the dilemma that she has been having for the past few days.

    Her grandpa had often asked her to come and visit him in D Town. Then, she would often give her excuse, telling him that she was too busy with work.

    However, she had now lost her job and had her heart broken by that man that she had loved for years.

    Capital City gave her bad memories that she was not willing to return to that place at this time.

    After she returned to F City to visit her paternal grandfather, Su Ruan had decided to take a break and figure out what she wanted to do next.

    However, she couldn''t stay in F City. First, she did not want her paternal grandparents to worry. Second, she found that seeing her stepmother and stepsiblings made her feel a little uncomfortable.

    Since her grandpa had often asked her to visit D Town, perhaps, this would be a good time¡­ right?

    Su Ruan cleared her throat and spoke, "Grandpa, you often invited me to visit you and grandma in D Town. Is that invitation still valid?"

    Ma Hao Dong''s expression froze. For a few seconds, he had thought that he had misheard things. Su Ruan would always give him excuses whenever he asked her to come over.

    But this time, it was her who had mentioned this matter?

    "What invitation?" Ma Hao Dong finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. His voice contained a hint of excitement as he spoke. "Su Ruan, you are welcome to come over to my place whenever you want to. Your grandma and I will always welcome you."

    Her lips tilted up into a smile. Su Ruan had not thought that her grandpa would be this happy when she mentioned this matter to him.

    "Then, how about I visit you and stay there for a while?"

    "Of course. Of course. We would be happy to see you. Just tell me when are you coming. I will ask your grandmother to prepare some of your favorite food."

    Su Ruan laughed happily as she listened to her grandpa''s enthusiasm. At the same time, she was relieved that she finally found a place where she could escape.

    She had always lived in the city. Perhaps a change of air is what she needed and staying with her maternal grandparents in D Town would be a good thing for her.

    "Then, I will come over and visit you after the festivity is over, is that alright with you?"

    "That''s good. At that time, your cousins had all returned to their homes. There will be only me and your grandma. It''s good that we will have you to accompany us," Ma Hao Dong could not hide his excitement.. "Later, I will show you around. Su Ruan, I think you are going to love this town"

 Chapter 36 - Had No Memories Of That Incident

    After talking with her grandpa for almost an hour, Su Ruan stood up, wanting to return to the house. When she looked up, her father was already standing in front of her.

    A hint of surprise crossed her face. Su Ruan kept her calm and flashed a smile. "Dad, when did you get here? Are you looking for me?"

    "Mhm¡­" Su Yu looked at her daughter for a few seconds longer. "Were you talking to your mom earlier?"

    He saw his daughter walk out of the house to answer the call. His instinct told him that Su Ruan''s mother called and she went out as it would be awkward to talk to her mother with him and the others still around.

    "No. It''s Grandpa." The smile on her face stretched up when she saw the surprised look on her father''s face.

    Her father had never prevented her from contacting her mother or the maternal family members. However, her father was aware that her grandpa often called to check on her.

    Although her parents were divorced, Su Ruan thought that she was quite lucky to have both sides of her grandparents to dote on her.

    "Grandpa¡­ He invited me over to his place," Su Ruan told him.

    Su Yu pursed his lips into a thin line. "What did you tell him?"

    "I told him that I will visit him soon," Su Ruan said. "Dad, I''m planning to spend some time with my grandpa and grandma in D Town after the festivity."

    There was a hesitant look on Su Yu''s face. His lips moved as if he was reluctant to say something. "What about your work? Aren''t you going back to Capital City?"

    Su Ruan remembered that she haven''t told any of her family members the news that she was now unemployed.

    Previously, everyone had thought that she had returned to F City to accompany her grandfather after the accident. Then, she told everyone that she will be staying until the festivity. No one had suspected anything.

    Moreover, Su Ruan had not brought up this matter as she did not want her grandparents to worry. The most important thing was for her grandfather to recuperate.

    Su Ruan lowered her head and stared at her shoes. "Dad, there''s something that I haven''t told you yet."

    "What is it?" Su Yu looked at his daughter with worry.

    He might not spend a lot of his time with his daughter but that did not mean that he did not care about her.

    "Dad, I quit my job." Su Ruan looked at her father''s face, wanting to look at his reaction. "I didn''t tell you or anyone before because I did not want everyone to worry. Especially Grandfather and Grandmother."

    "I thought you liked working for that company."

    "Initially I do." She raised her shoulders and sighed. "Eventually, the environment was not for me," Su Ruan said. She had no plan to elaborate on Gao Leng''s harassment and how she was bullied at work.

    Su Yu thought about her words for a while. "It''s fine if you quit your job if you think that it''s not for you." He stretched his hand to pat at her shoulder. "I''m still here to support you and we are not lacking money."

    "Thank you, Dad."

    "What are you planning to do now?" Su Yu asked after a few seconds of silence between them.

    "I think going back to my maternal grandparents'' place would be a good idea," Su Ruan said. "I just wanted to take a short break and figure out what I wanted to do next."

    Su Yu frowned. From the way Su Ruan had phrased it, he could guess that Su Ruan''s stay in D Town would not be a one or two days visit.

    Thinking of what had happened to Su Ruan when she was still a little girl made him a little hesitant.

    A long time has passed since the last time Su Ruan had visited D Town. Su Yu did not know whether his daughter would react the same way again when she came to her maternal grandparents'' place.

    "Did your mom know about this?" Su Yu asked.

    "I haven''t talked to her about it."

    "It''s not that I wanted to stop your visit to your maternal grandparent''s place. They are also your grandparents and as their granddaughter, of course, you should visit them," Su Yu spoke. "However, Su Ruan, I am a little worried."

    Su Ruan shot her father an inquiring look. "Why?"

    A helpless sigh escaped him. "You might not remember this, but when you were four, five years old, your mom and I brought you back to D Town. Your cousins were all there and everyone gathered around for a small barbecue party."

    Su Ruan listened to her father attentively. However, she had no memories of that incident. Perhaps, it was because she was too young.

    "That night, your cousins wanted to play hide and seek. No one expected you to head into your grandfathers'' orchard and hide in there." Su Yu paused. He looked at his daughter worriedly and wondered if she was going to remember something unpleasant. "Later, everyone heard your scream. No one knew what happened to you but we found you on the ground, passed out. When you woke up, you don''t remember anything but each time you look at your grandpa''s orchard, you would scream out hysterically."

    "I don''t remember any of this. But mom often told me that the reason we never go back to D Town was that I would be traumatized each time we stepped into grandpa''s place."

    "I''m worried if something would happen to you again if you went back to that town," Su Yu admitted.

    Su Ruan chuckled. "Dad, this incident happened more than twenty years ago. Perhaps I would be fine now. Besides, I was still a little girl when that incident happened. Perhaps, m cousins told me some horror story and my imagination ran wild when I went into the orchard to hide."

    Su Yu thought that her daughter was taking things too lightly about this.

    Of course, she did not know how badly she would react when she saw the orchard.

    She stretched her hand and patted at her father''s arm. "Dad, I''ll be fine. I promise. Grandpa is around too. If something happened to me, he will quickly bring me out of the town."

    Seeing the stubborn look in Su Ruan''s eyes, Su Yu could only heave a long sigh. "Fine. I don''t want to stop you from seeing your maternal family as well.. But Su Ruan, you have to promise that you will leave once you feel uncomfortable." He hesitated for a while and added, "Talk to your mom before you head back, alright?"

 Chapter 37 - Welcome To D Town

    After the festivity period ended, Su Ruan packed her bag and headed to D Town. Her flight landed on time and Su Ruan walked to the arrival hall only to find a petit girl, holding a placard with her name written on it.

    The girl was dressed yellow dress and blue cropped jacket matched with black sneakers. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, giving her a little height.

    The moment their gazes met, the girl''s eyes lit up. She walked over to Su Ruan with a smile and spoke, "Cousin Su Ruan?"

    Su Ruan gave the girl a look over and nodded.

    "It''s me. Ma Yu Xi." She tilted her head to one side and smiled brightly. "Don''t you remember me?"

    Her eyes narrowed. Su Ruan looked at the girl''s smile again and realized that she seemed a little familiar. "It''s you? God! You''ve grown up and taller! Back then, you were only as high as my arms. Now you''re at my ears."

    "Sister Ruan, it has been five years since the last time we saw each other. Of course, I grew taller." Ma Yu Xi giggled happily.

    The two of them were three years apart and Ma Yu Xi would always address Su Ruan as Sister Ruan. They rarely saw each other but whenever they met, Ma Yu Xi liked to stay close to Su Ruan.

    "I''m glad that you still remember me," Ma Yu Xi said.

    Su Ruan looked around and her gaze went back to Ma Yu Xi. "Did you come here alone?"

    "Uh-huh." Ma Yu Xi nodded. "Grandpa send me over to pick you up. Initially, it was my dad who was supposed to come. However, a buyer decided to stop by and they were discussing some business. I''m the only one who is available."

    The Ma family had lived in D Town for years and they had a large fruit orchard. As her grandpa was older, it was Ma Yu Xi''s father, who was usually in charge of the orchard. The Ma family was big but most of its members lived in a bigger city in pursuit of a better life.

    Su Ruan looked at her cousin suspiciously. If she was not mistaken, five years ago, this girl was still in high school. How old was this girl again?

    "Don''t look at me like that." Ma Yu Xi chuckled. "I promise you that I will bring you back to Grandpa''s orchard safely."

    "You can drive?"

    Ma Yu Xi let out a dramatic sigh. "I have had my license for two years already!"

    Su Ruan was doubting her answer and was considering checking on the girl''s identification card. However, that doesn''t sound very appropriate.

    Although Ma Yu Xi is her cousin, Su Ruan was not very familiar with her.

    "Do you need me to drive?" Su Ruan suggested.

    Ma Yu Xi flashed her a mysterious smile. "Don''t worry, I got this." She grabbed the trolley from Su Ruan and waved her hand. "Come on. I''m sure that everyone is excited to see you."

    With no other choice, Su Ruan followed her cousin and headed to the parking lot together. The moment she saw the large pickup truck in front of her, Su Ruan began to doubt whether she should climb up the vehicle or not.

    As she was still contemplating this problem, Ma Yu Xi had already put her luggage in the car. She helped Su Ruan with the door and laughed. "Come in."

    Should she trust this girl with her life?

    He gave her cousin another look and almost could not believe that she would be able to drive this pickup truck. However, if Ma Yu Xi had asked her to drive, Su Ruan too did not know if she could do it. She had never driven a pickup truck before.

    Even if she wanted to give it a try, Su Ruan was unfamiliar with the road.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan finally climbed up the truck. The moment Ma Yu Xi started to drive off and leave the airport, Su Ruan could not help but pray for her life.

    Surprisingly, Ma Yu Xi could drive very well. This girl¡­ would even drive with one hand in such a languid manner.

    In the beginning, Su Ruan was afraid to ride with this cousin. However, after a while, Su Ruan began to look up to Ma Yu Xi''s driving skills.

    As Ma Yu Xi drive the pickup truck to D Town, the cousins continued to chat and catch up with their life.

    Ma Yu Xi had now finished college and was now helping her father in the orchard while looking for a job. However, their orchard was doing very well and Ma Yu Xi was considering staying and helping to expand their business.

    After an hour of driving, they finally left the city and entered a slightly smaller road. Su Ruan watched as Ma Yu Xi took over a few long trucks and thought that she would probably lose a few years of her life due to fear.

    Then, they finally entered an area surrounded by tall green trees on their left and right.

    Ma Yu Xi rolled down the windows slightly and drove a little slower to let Su Ruan enjoy the scenery.

    The wind blew to her face and the air was very clean and refreshing. Su Ruan took a deep breath and thought as if her whole body was energized.

    "Sister Ruan." Ma Yu Xi flashed her a smile. "Welcome to D Town."

    Su Ruan laughed happily at her words. Somehow, she had this feeling that coming back to D Town was a good move. Perhaps, she could really relax and heal her broken heart. Perhaps, she would be able to figure out what she wanted to do after this.

    Something glittering from far away blinded her eyes. Su Run narrowed her eyes to adjust the light and finally saw the lake. The water was so blue and clear. It was the most beautiful lake she had ever seen.

    Her breath stuck in her chest. She had often heard her Grandpa mention this lake but Su Ruan did not think that the view would be this breathtaking.

    "How is it? Beautiful, right?"

    Su Ruan nodded enthusiastically.

    "In a few days, I will bring you around the lake and play around," Ma Yu Xi said.. "I''ll take you to our town and let you enjoy your stay here."

 Chapter 38 - The Ma Family

    They entered a smaller path.

    Su Ruan continued to look around and thought that the scenery around this place was a little familiar. She had this feeling that she had visited this place before.

    Suddenly, her thoughts went back to her conversation with her father a few days earlier. Her father had warned her that the moment she felt uncomfortable, she should leave the place immediately.

    Su Ruan placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

    The feeling she had at this time was only anticipation and not any uncomfortable feeling like her father had mentioned to her before.

    At least, she was not experiencing shortening of breath and the world was not spinning around.

    "Sister Ruan, are you alright?" Ma Yu Xi asked.

    The moment they entered the path, Ma Yu Xi had already noticed her cousin''s expression. Before she headed out to pick up Su Ruan, her grandpa had already told her to be cautious of her cousin''s mood.

    If Su Ruan was feeling uncomfortable, she should turn the car around and get farther away.

    Ma Yu Xi did not understand why but later, her father explained that Su Ruan had once got lost in the orchard while they were playing hide and seek. It was dark at night and this event had traumatized her.

    This was also the reason why Su Ruan had never returned to D Town.

    Until now.

    Su Ruan flashed an assuring smile. "I''m fine. Just a little excited about meeting Grandpa and Grandma. It has been a while since I came here."

    Ma Yu Xi pursed her lips as she pondered on something. "Grandpa said if you are feeling uncomfortable, I should turn around and send you to the town instead."

    "Did Grandpa tell you why?"

    Ma Yu Xi shook her head. "But my dad mentioned a little bit about it."

    Su Ruan let out a sigh. "It happened when I was still a little kid. Actually, I don''t remember much about it. But my mom mentioned it a few times. They said that I might have seen something scary. But perhaps, they were only shadows that I have seen at night."

    "Uh-huh." Ma Yu Xi nodded. "It is a bit dark in the orchard during nighttime. Perhaps now that you are grown up, you are no longer afraid."

    "Mhmm¡­ I hope so."

    Soon the familiar mansion came into view. Su Ruan looked at the view in front of her with her eyes unblinking. In the past, she could only see her grandparents'' house in the picture. But now, the house was right in front of her.

    It was beautiful and gave off warm feelings. It felt as if she was finally at home.

    Her mother had once mentioned that the house was smaller in the past but her grandparents had done some renovation so that his grandchildren would be more comfortable when they come to visit this place.

    As the car approached closer, a few men and women came out with an expectant look on their faces.

    From the distance, Su Ruan could recognize that they were her grandparents and her mother.

    "Sister Ruan, welcome back." Ma Yu Xi spoke as she pulled over at a parking spot. She looked at the group of people who were waiting at the side and laughed. "You see, everyone is excited to see you." She pushed the door open and paused. "Sister Ruan, go ahead and meet everyone. I''ll help you unload your luggage."

    Su Ruan climbed down from the pickup truck and looked at the family who was waiting for her. Seeing the look on their faces made her heart warm. Her eyes were stinging and the tears pooled in her eyes.

    She blinked and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She picked up her steps to get closer to them.

    It was her mother, Ma Zheng Zheng who rushed over to her side first. "Su Ruan, you''re here." She gave her daughter a look over and finally breathe in relief when she could not sense anything wrong with her expression. "How was your flight?"

    "It was good." Su Ruan

    "Are you feeling any discomfort?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked worriedly.

    The day that Su Ruan called to say that she was planning to visit her grandparents, Ma Zheng Zheng could not hide her shock. She recalled the last two times they brought her to the house and each time, Su Ruan would scream out as if she was about to lose her mind.

    When she heard that it was her father who had invited Su Ruan over, Ma Zheng Zheng had a few days fight with her father.

    However, Su Ruan had already made up her mind and there was nothing she could say to convince the girl to stay away.

    Seeing that her daughter standing here, Ma Zheng Zheng tried to block her eyes away from the house she worried that Su Ruan would be traumatized again.

    "Mom, I''m fine." Su Ruan laughed. "If I started to feel uncomfortable, I will tell you, alright?"

    Ma Zheng Zheng hesitated before she moved away.

    Su Ruan lifted her head again and this time, her gazes met with her Grandpa. The joy on his face was transparent. Her Grandpa had invited her to come over to the town over and over again. This was the only time that she had agreed to come. Naturally, Ma Hao Dong could not hide his joy.

    He spread his arms and watched as Su Ruan walked over into his embrace. "Su Ruan, welcome home. I''m glad that you can make it to my place this time."

    She looked up and giggled happily. "Grandpa, thank you."

    "Alright, quickly let me hug my granddaughter next."

    Su Ruan turned to the right and saw her grandma, Lan Shi, looking at her with a warm look on her face. She stepped back from her grandpa and walked into his grandma''s embrace. "Grandma, I miss you so much."

    Lan Shi patted her on the head a few times. "Un. Grandma misses you a lot too. Come inside. Grandma had cooked all your favorite food."

    "Mhm¡­ your grandma has been cooped up in the kitchen since early morning to prepare a feast for you," Ma Hao Dong said. "Go and take a rest first. When the food is ready, let''s eat together."

    Su Ruan nodded. She followed everyone into the house and texted her father that she had safely arrived and that everything was alright.

    The moment Su Yu got her message, he gave his daughter a call. It was only when he heard that Su Ruan was no longer feeling uncomfortable around the house that Su Yu felt relieved.

    Su Ruan sighed helplessly as everyone around her seemed to be worried about her condition. However, she was also aware that they were concerned about her.

    The father and daughter spoke for a while. When she ended the call, her cousin, Ma Yu Xi was standing beside her.

    "Sister Ruan, let me show you to your room."

 Chapter 39 - Long Familys Land

    Su Ruan grabbed one of her luggage and followed Ma Yu Xi to her assigned bedroom. They went to the second floor and Ma Yu Xi began to talk to her a little bit about the house. As they walked around the house, Su Ruan could not help but look around.

    Her grandparents'' place was big and clean. There was a small garden in the middle of the courtyard which Su Ruan thought was pretty interesting. The sounds of water from the manmade pond were relaxing. Just staying here for a few minutes had already made her feel rejuvenated.

    After walking for a while, Ma Yu Xi finally stopped in front of the door. She turned around and smiled. "Sister Ruan, this is your room." She pointed to the closed door on the right and said. "This one is second aunt''s bedroom. She especially wanted you to stay closer to her."

    Ma Yu Xi pushed the door open and went in. She placed the luggage on the floor and said. "What do you think?"

    Su Ruan stepped into the room with her mouth slightly agape.

    The furniture and decoration in the room were mostly made of sturdy wood. There was a double bed in the center, a large wardrobe as well as a desk. A potted tree was put on the corner of the room, bringing a little color and life.

    "It''s beautiful." Su Ruan said after a while.

    Ma Yu Xi laughed happily. "I''m glad that you like it. Once Grandma heard that you were coming to visit, she began to busy herself to make you comfortable. I helped her to choose the bedding."

    Su Ruan shifted her gaze to the soft green and blue bedding. "It''s beautiful."

    Ma Yu Xi watched as her cousin checked out the room and finally found the bathroom. She walked over to the window and waved her hand at Su Ruan. "If you think that this room is beautiful, then you should look at the scenery."

    Su Ruan came out of the bathroom and walked over to her cousin''s side.

    Her breath stuck in her throat the moment she saw the scenery outside the window.

    They were on the second floor and had a wider view of everything outside.

    From where she stood, Su Ruan could see the tall trees ahead. In the orchard, a few workers were busy tending after the trees. A little farther ahead was the lake that she had seen earlier.

    The sounds of the birds chirping were melodious. The wind blew gently to her face. Su Ruan thought that if she stood in front of the window for a long time, she might as well fall asleep.

    For a moment, she almost could not believe that she could witness such a beautiful scene before her. Su Ruan started to wonder just why did she wait for too long to return to this beautiful place.

    Su Ruan continued to look around the place while Ma Yu Xi told her a little bit about the place and the orchard.

    As she looked around, Su Ruan''s gaze fell on a building on top of the hill not too far away from them. She pointed towards that area and asked, "What is that place?"

    Ma Yu Xi followed her line of gaze and smiled. "That¡­ is the Long family''s old residence." She pointed towards the hill area and continued. "Actually, that whole area was a part of the Long family''s residence. You see that fence over there?"

    Su Ruan looked at the fence that separated her grandfather''s orchard and the forest area. "Uh-huh." She nodded.

    "That is the divider that separated Grandpa''s orchard from the Long family''s land."

    "And we''re not supposed to walk past the fence and trespass?" Su Ruan guessed.

    Ma Yu Xi laughed. "That''s not what I was going to say. It''s fine if you walked over that area. The Long did not mind it and there were a few spots in the woods that was very pretty. As long as we don''t go up to the residential area, it''s fine."

    Su Ruan raised her brow as if she could not believe her cousin''s words.

    "Of course, I would not suggest you enter that area alone," Ma Yu Xi said. "I don''t want you to get lost in the woods. If you wanted to look around, I will bring you another day." She began to make plans for both of them. "Later, I will take you to the lake to swim. Sister Ruan, you can swim, right?"

    Su Ruan was about to reply when her mother appeared at the door.

    "Su Ruan, how do you like your room?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked.

    "Mom, it''s beautiful. I like it very much."

    "I''m glad." The smile on Ma Zheng Zheng''s face widened. She snapped out of her thoughts as she remember the reason she came to find her daughter. "Lunch is already prepared. Let''s go and eat together. Your Grandma and Grandpa are waiting."

    The three of them walked together to the dining area.

    When they arrived, Su Ruan recognized that there were a few more familiar faces in front of her. Ma Zheng Zheng quickly introduced them as her eldest uncle, Ma Xin Yu, and his wife, Lu Yi.

    Su Ruan greeted her uncle and aunt and took a seat around the table.

    An older auntie walked into the room to help her grandma serve some food. Soon, the feast began and the family began to eat happily.

    Ma Zheng Zheng picked her daughter''s favorite vegetable dish and placed it in her bowl. "Come, eat a little bit more. You are too skinny."

    Su Ruan had gained a little weight after eating too much during the festivity but seeing that everyone was in a good mood, she began to eat a little bit more.

    "That''s right, Su Ruan, you haven''t told us how long are you planning to stay in this town," Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. "It''s rare for you to return. At least, stay around for a week."

    Su Ruan bit at her lips and hesitated. "Then, would you mind if I stay longer?"

    "Of course, not!" Ma Hao Dong spoke. "This is also your house. You can stay for as long as you wanted to. Grandpa and Grandma would be happy to have you around."

    "Thank you, Grandpa."

    "But what about your work?" Ma Zheng Zheng finally noticed another problem. "Would your boss not mind if you take a long vacation?"

    Her hand tightened around the chopsticks. "Actually, I quit my job before the New Year." Su Ruan explained a little bit about her job but did not get into too much detail.

    Everyone around the table looked at her in surprise. They turned to look at each other but in the end, no one asked more about this matter.

    "That''s fine too." Ma Zheng Zheng said. "Then, you can stay here and accompany us.. Just take your time."

 Chapter 40 - Further Into The Orchard

    After lunch, Ma Yu Xi went back to her house with her father and mother. Before she left, Ma Yu Xi made a plan to come over the next morning and bring Su Ruan to town to look around.

    As Su Ruan had just arrived a while ago, her grandparents did not hold her for too long and let her return to her room to rest.

    Su Ruan stood at the window to watch the beautiful scenery in front of her and sighed. Thinking of how she would be able to watch this scene for the next few weeks made her feel very happy.

    Turning around, Su Ruan began to unpack her belongings. Once everything was set, she lay down on the mattress and eventually fell asleep.

    As she took this nap, Su Ruan had a recurring dream.

    In this dream, she watched as a boy suddenly grew scales on his body and short horns at both sides of his head. His blue eyes were piercing. The boy''s sudden change scare her so much and she started to scream.

    However, this time, Su Ruan realized that she could see something in the boy''s eyes.

    Just like her, the boy was also afraid of this change as well as how she had reacted.

    A loud ring woke her up.

    Su Ruan sat on the bed and panted. She combed her long hair with her hands and buried her face between the knees.

    Her phone on the table continued to ring but Su Ruan did not move to pick it up.

    The frown on her face deepened as she recalled that dream. It seemed that it has been a few months since the last time she had this dream.

    The boy''s face continued to be blurry but this time, she could see his eyes well. In her dream, she could see how afraid the boy must have been.

    Su Ruan took a few deep breaths to calm down and realized that her body was sweating all over.

    As she was still thinking about that dream, the phone on her table rang again. Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and finally reached to pick up her phone.

    A puzzled look appear on her face as she saw the name on her phone.

    It was Yu Zhi Yi.

    After the last time they wished each other on New Year, Su Ruan had not talked to Yu Zhi Yi again. The call was disconnected again as she had not picked it up for a long time.

    She tapped her fingers on the phone and saw that there were three missed calls from Yu Zhi Yi.

    Her brow rose, wondering why was she looking for her.

    Su Ruan went into the bathroom to wash her face and changed her clothes. When she came out of the bathroom, her phone started to ring again. Su Ruan slid her finger on the screen and pressed the phone to her ear.

    "Hello, Su Ruan?" Yu Zhi Yi''s voice was heard on the other side of the phone. "What are you doing? Busy?"

    "Sorry. I was taking a nap earlier," Su Ruan said. She walked around the room and finally stood in front of the window to watch the beautiful scenery before her. "What''s up?"

    "Nothing. I just realized that we haven''t talked as much as we used to," Yu Zhi Yi said. "Where are you? I went to your house just now and your neighbor said that you were no longer staying there. Did you move out?"

    Su Ruan rubbed the space between her brow, wondering just how was she going to break the news that she had quit her job and was planning to stay somewhere else.

    "Uh-huh. I moved out a few weeks ago."

    "Hello? What did you say? Su Ruan, I can''t hear you."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips. She looked at her phone screen and saw that the signal was not that good. "Hold on. The line isn''t that good over here. I''ll call you back in a few minutes."

    Before Yu Zhi Yi could say a word, Su Ruan had already hung up.

    She picked up her jacket and walked out of her room to look for a place with a better signal.

    "Su Ruan, where are you going?"

    The voice startled her. Su Ruan turned around and saw that it was her grandma, Lan Shi. "Grandma, The line isn''t very clear in my room. I''m going to look for a better place to speak to my friend."

    Lan Shi nodded. "Just don''t get too far."

    Su Ruan waved her hand at her grandmother. Then, she raised the phone in her hand to find a better signal.

    Without realizing it, Su Ruan had walked further into the orchard.

    A light flashed in her eyes as she finally saw the signal bar goes up. Su Ruan dialed Yu Zhi Yi''s number back and the call was picked up almost immediately.

    "Su Ruan?" Yu Zhi Yi spoke.

    "Mhm¡­ Sorry. The line over here was not so good. I have to walk around to find a better place."

    Yu Zhi Yi immediately noticed there was something strange from her words. "Su Ruan, where are you?"

    It was supposed to be a working hour but this girl was taking a nap and was out of the signal area.

    "I''m at my maternal grandparents'' place."

    "You''re still on holiday?"

    "No. I quit my job." After telling a few people this news, Su Ruan realized that it became easier to tell others that she was currently unemployed.

    There was a long silence on Yu Zhi Yi''s part. "Why? What happened?"

    "You know that I always wanted to quit my job. The working environment was not that good."

    Yu Zhi Yi heaved a long sigh. "So, that was why your neighbor said that you have moved away. Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Sorry." Su Ruan heaved a sigh. "There were too many things happening lately and I was having a hard time coping with everything."

    "Are you¡­ alright?"

    "Uh-huh." Su Ruan bit her lips before she spoke again. "Zhi Yi, I don''t know when I will return to Capital City or if I will return to Capital City again. I think I wanted to stay with my grandparents for a while and figure out what I wanted to do later."

    The two of them chatted and catch up with each other''s life for a while. As they talked, Su Ruan continued to walk further and further into the orchard until she reached the lake.

    After talking for half an hour, the two friends finally said goodbye.

    Su Ruan slid her phone into her pocket and crouched down to wash her hand in the water.

    "Su Ruan?"

    Su Ruan immediately looked up when she heard her name. However, there was no one around when she looked up. She was only surrounded by the trees and the lake.

    Her heartbeat accelerated and Su Ruan decided to leave the place as soon as possible.

    In a hurry, she twisted her ankle and lose her balance.

    Her eyes widened as she fell into the lake.

 Chapter 41 - This Time, You Cannot Leave

    Su Ruan fell backward with a loud splash. She did not expect that she would fall into the water and hence, it took her a while to figure out what was going on to her.

    Her slow reaction made her swallow some water into her lung.

    Su Ruan started to panic and flailed her hand around. However, no matter how hard she wanted to swim up, her body fell further and further into the water.

    It was strange.

    Su Ruan could have sworn that the water was not very deep. How could she fall so deep?

    Her body grew tired and soon, Su Ruan stopped struggling. Her eyelids grew heavier. A few seconds she closed her eyes, Su Ruan saw the large animal with bluish, purple scales approaching her. His long body encircled her. Then, his head large head became visible.

    As soon as their gazes met, Su Ruan lost consciousness.

    Long Fei caught the girl with his tail before she would fall further. A look of surprise crossed his face as he got a closer look at her face.

    When Su Ruan had touched the lake water, Long Fei could recognize her immediately. However, he had thought that perhaps, his mind was playing a trick on him.

    He did not expect¡­ that he would scare her when he called her name. It made her fall into the water and almost drowned.

    Long Fei looked at the unconscious woman wrapped around his long body.

    Sensing that her life was in danger, Long Fei quickly made a barrier around her body so that Su Ruan would be able to breathe well.

    His shape changed. This time, Long Fei was holding her with his arms.

    His eyes were still on her and he was unable to look away. Long Fei was worried that the moment he blinked, the person in his hand would disappear.

    But¡­ what is she doing here?

    Isn''t she supposed to be in F City?

    Long Fei snapped out of his trance, noticing that the person in his arms was not breathing. Panic surged through him and Long Fei swam up and brought her over to his territory.

    He placed her on the wooden plank and turned her body sideways. Then, he patted her on her back to let the water out of her lung.

    Su Ruan coughed heavily and opened her eyes to a slit before she passed out again.

    Seeing that the girl was breathing normally, Long Fei breathed out in relief.

    The sounds of footsteps approached them. Long Fei pulled the towel from the rack and covered her body with it. His arms were holding onto her tightly.

    "Long Fei? Are you alright?'' Long Yu Heng appeared by his side and finally noticed the person in his embrace. The light in her eyes shifted the moment he recognized Su Ruan. "Is that?"

    Long Yu Heng was keeping an eye on the lake as Long Fei took a swim under the lake when he noticed that there was not right. He saw Long Fei swum up before the time is up and thought that there was something wrong underwater.

    He certainly did not expect that Long Fei would come up with Su Ruan in his arms.

    "How did she get here?" Long Yu Heng asked.

    "I don''t know."

    "She should be here to visit her family." His expression froze as he recalled something more. "Didn''t you say that Miss Su Ruan had not returned to D Town for years? Wasn''t it because her relationship with her maternal family is not that good?"

    "I don''t know." Long Fei shook his head. "Yu Heng, we''re going back to the house. Don''t tell the elders about this."

    Long Yu Heng snapped out of his trance and followed Long Fei to leave the lake area.

    Because Long Fei did not want the others to know about Su Ruan, he could not bring her to the main house and instead, brought her over to one of the guests'' quarters.

    Long Yu Heng helped to call an auntie who they could trust to help look for Su Ruan. Then, a doctor in a white coat walked in to give Su Ruan a proper body check.

    Once he heard that there was nothing wrong with Su Ruan, Long Fei finally let out a breath of relief.

    When they walked into the room, Su Ruan was still asleep and her clothes has been changed. Long Yu Heng glanced at his cousin and raised a brow. "Is it fine to keep her here? What if her family has been looking for her?"

    Long Fei rubbed the space between his brow and spoke, "Help me to tell them." He pondered for a while and spoke. "Just tell them that we saw someone from their orchard fall into the water."

    They were not supposed to know Su Ruan''s identity and Long Yu Heng could not tell the old Ma couple that they have found their granddaughter in the lake.

    After discussing this matter for a while, Long Yu Heng finally left the guest''s house to find the Ma family.

    Long Fei instructed the auntie to prepare a ginger drink for Su Ruan. Then, he continued to stay by her side and waited for her to wake up.

    He continued to stare at her for a long time, unblinking.

    This was the first time that Long Fei has been this close to Su Ruan. The feeling was indescribable. Long Fei realized that the raging blood in his body had gradually calmed down.

    Previously, he could only be around Su Ruan for a short period of time. This was the first time that he get to stay closer and longer with her.

    Being with her made him feel relaxed. He wanted to stay with her like this for a while longer.

    Long Fei began to understand why her grandfather had always told him to find her and get closer to her. It turned out that Su Ruan''s presence around him was enough to make him feel at ease.

    A few weeks ago, Long Fei was ready to let her go.

    Su Ruan chose to move farther away from him and Long Fei was going to accept that the two of them were not fated.

    He did not expect that a few weeks later he would find her in his territory.

    Since she was the one who chose to return to this town, there was no way that he would let her go again.

    His eyes narrowed and his pupil turned vertical as excitement build inside of him.

    Su Ruan, this time, you cannot leave.

 Chapter 42 - She Recognized Him

    Su Ruan woke up and notice the strange surroundings. Although she did not know much about the interior, Su Ruan could still tell that the place was expensive.

    Su Ruan did not dare to make a sudden move and chose to stay still and think.

    Since she was in an unfamiliar place, she needed to be cautious. The thing she was worried about the most was that she would run into some bad person who wanted to take advantage of her.

    This was an unfamiliar surrounding.

    What if she was kidnapped?

    Su Ruan tried to recall what had happened to her earlier and remembered how she had fallen into the lake. Then, she saw something.

    As the image played in her mind, Su Ruan breathed in quickly and realized that her throat was aching. She sat up and started to cough heavily.

    The light in front of her was blocked. Su Ruan raised her head and saw the tall man, walking towards her.

    As their gazes met, Su Ruan could not help but thought that the man was somewhat familiar. However, she was very sure that she would not know anyone with this man''s temperament.

    "You''re awake." The man finally spoke.

    She was not familiar with this place and had no idea who this man is. Su Ruan''s instinct told her that she needed to be cautious.

    Su Ruan brought her hands to her chest and spoke, "Who are you? Where is this place?" Her brow furrowed at the pain around her throat area. Then, she noticed that she was wearing different clothes. Her eyes widened and she was staring at Long Fei suspiciously. "You¡­"

    "Don''t worry. An elderly lady helped you to change your clothes," Long Fei said before she could ask. He pointed at the side table and continued, "Your belongings are at the side. I''m afraid that your phone could no longer be used."

    Realizing that she was keeping her guard against him, Long Fei deliberately kept a distance between them.

    "My name is Long Fei. This¡­ is my place," Long Fei said. "I saw you fall into the lake earlier. Fortunately, I rescued you in time."

    The image she saw under the water popped up in her mind again. The scales, the long body as well as the strange head.

    Su Ruan opened her mouth, wanting to ask this man about the creature she had seen under the water when someone had knocked on the door.

    Long Fei gave the person permission to enter and soon, the old auntie walked in with a tray in her hand. The scent of ginger filled the room.

    "Young Master," the auntie bowed slightly.

    Long Fei took a step back and motioned the auntie to approach Su Ruan.

    The moment she saw the auntie, Su Ruan began to relax.

    This, should be the auntie who had helped her to change her clothes, right? The old lady had a kind look on her face. Looking at her made Su Ruan feel more at ease.

    A puzzled look appeared on her face again as she recalled the way the auntie had called this man.

    The auntie walked over to Su Ruan''s side and placed the tray on the table. She picked up a bowl of ginger water and handed it to her.

    "Young miss, you fell into the lake just now. you should drink this to help warm your body," the auntie'' said. "I have also made some porridge if you are hungry."

    "Thank you. This is enough. I am not hungry." Su Ruan drank the ginger water and felt her body grow warmer. She lowered her eyes and drank softly as she tried to buy time. Her mind whirled, thinking about what she should do in this situation.

    When she looked up again, the auntie had already left the room, leaving her both and Long Fei in the room. Instinctively, her grip on the glass tightened.

    She didn''t feel comfortable being in the same room with this strange man. Moreover¡­ she kept having this feeling as if this man was watching her every move.

    Su Ruan did not know why but her instinct told her that she needed to be cautious around this man. There was something in his eyes that she did not know how to explain.

    "Then, Miss¡­"

    "Su Ruan. My name is Su Ruan."

    "Miss Su Ruan." There was a hint of a smile on Long Fei''s lips as he spoke her name. "How did you fall into the water?"

    Her expression changed slightly. Su Ruan thought about the voice that she had heard before she fell into the water and shivered.

    She could have sworn that she had heard someone call out her name before she tripped and fell into the water. However, there was no one around the place.

    Could it be that she was imagining things?

    "I misstep and fell into the water." She tried to move her legs and winced at the pain around her ankle. She lifted the blanket slightly and saw that the painful ankle was already wrapped in a bandage.

    "I saw you fell around the Ma family''s Orchard," Long Fei spoke. "I have never seen you around this town before. Are you¡­ a member of their family?"

    Long Fei already knew about Su Ruan''s identity. However, he could only pretend that he did not know anything about her.

    Since he had already decided to keep her close to him, he could only pretend so that he would not scare her. If she runs away to another place, then, it will only be troublesome for him to chase her again.

    Su Ruan nodded. "Ma Hao Dong is my grandfather."

    "So, you are Old Man Ma''s granddaughter."

    "You know my grandfather?"

    Long Fei flashed her a smile. "How can I not? We are neighbors after all."

    It was then that Su Ruan remember that her cousin, Ma Yu Xi had mentioned Long Family earlier that day.

    From her window, she could see Long''s residence on top of the hill. When she had seen the mansion earlier that day, Su Ruan had was already admiring the magnificent building.

    She did not expect that a few hours later, she would arrive at their place.

    Su Ruan could guess that the Long was very rich.

    A sudden thought came to her mind. Su Ruan looked at the man again and this time, her eyes widened when she recognized him.

    Long Fei¡­

    This man in front of her¡­ wasn''t he the person she was supposed to interview before she quit her job?

    Her breath was stuck in her throat.

    No wonder she found that this man seemed a little familiar!

    The person who was in front of her was President Long Fei of Blue Media Group.

 Chapter 43 - Grandpas Worry

    Long Fei noticed the change in her eyes and wondered what was going on in her mind.

    She seemed so surprised.

    Could it be that she had figured out who he is? Suddenly, he was curious to see her reaction. He couldn''t help thinking that Su Ruan was an interesting person.

    Before any of them could speak a word, someone had come to knock on the door.

    Su Ruan heaved a breath of relief. Staying in the same room with Long Fei for a long time made her feel anxious. Moreover... she did not expect that the person who had saved her in the water was the same President Long Fei of Blue Media Group.

    Su Ruan was afraid that if she mentioned this matter to her friends, no one would believe her words.

    The auntie walked into the room again and at the same time, Su Ruan could hear her grandpa''s voice outside the room.

    "Young Master, Young Miss Su Ruan''s family members are here."

    Su Ruan grew anxious. She tried to get off the bed to find her grandpa, but the pain around her ankle stopped her from moving recklessly.

    "Miss Su Ruan, you are still injured," Long Fei pointed out. "Don''t be anxious. Just stay here. Your grandfather will be here soon."

    Just as he finished his words, a man appeared at the door. Su Ruan looked at this man and noticed his resemblance with Long Fei. Behind that man was her grandpa.

    Ma Hao Dong followed Long Yu Heng into the room with an anxious look on his face. The moment he saw his granddaughter, Ma Hao Dong heaved with relief.

    "Su Ruan!" Ma Hao Dong rushed over to hug his granddaughter. He took a step back to check on his granddaughter with a frown. "Are you injured? I heard that you fell into the water? Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan looked at her grandpa helplessly. This was the first time that she had seen her grandpa this anxious and she did not know what she should do. She opened her mouth to answer, but her grandpa continued to speak, expressing his worry.

    "You don''t know how worried I was when that person came to the house and said someone from my house fell into the lake and almost drowned," Ma Hao Don continued. "We look for you everywhere and your Grandma said you went into the orchard. I tried to call you but I couldn''t get through. It was only then that I decided to come to check. Fortunately, we found you."

    Su Ruan had fallen into the water and guessed that her phone could no longer be used.

    "Old Man Ma, your granddaughter is fine," Long Fei spoke after listening to Su Ruan''s grandpa talking for a long time. "Other than her injured ankle, she is in a good health."

    Ma Hao Dong finally noticed that there was someone else in this room. His expression changed the moment he realized that the person is Long Fei. "Young Master Long."

    A puzzled look appeared on her face as Su Ruan watched this scene. It seemed that her grandpa knew Long Fei and he was very respectful towards this man.

    Long Fei waved his hand. "Let''s not be too polite. I am your junior. Just call me Ah Fei or Long Fei."

    Long Yu Heng watched his cousin speechlessly. This was the first time he had seen Long Fei being this polite to elders other than their grandfather.

    His gaze fell on Su Ruan who sat on the bed and quickly understood something.

    This man was trying to win Su Ruan''s family''s heart.

    Just a few weeks ago, he had said that he was willing to let Su Ruan go. It seemed that Long Fei had changed his mind.

    Long Yu Heng stood at the side and wondered if he should report this development to their grandfather. However, he quickly decided against it.

    It was still too early to report anything to their grandfather. It would be bad if their grandfather got excited and ruined Long Fei''s plan.

    They should take things slowly.

    Ma Hao Dong hesitated. He did not know if someone like him was worthy to call this young master intimately like this. If other people heard him, he would be criticized!

    The Long family was such a prominent figure in D Town. After all, this town could be considered theirs.

    If one visited the town center, they would notice that most of the businesses in this town belonged to the family. Their name was everywhere on the signboard.

    Ma Hao Dong did not have the intention to call this young man and pretend that they were very close. His gaze shifted when he noticed that someone was pulling at his shirt. He turned to look at his granddaughter and realized something.

    "Young Master Long, are you the one who rescued my granddaughter?"

    Long Fei nodded. "I was close by when I saw her fell into the water."

    "Young Master Long, thank you." Ma Hao Dong walked closer to Long Fei. His hand stretched up, wanting to touch the man. However, once he remember Long Fei''s identity, Ma Hao Dong quickly retracted his hand.

    "I wouldn''t know what would I do if something bad happened to Su Ruan," Ma Hao Dong continued.

    He was the one who had convinced Su Ruan to visit them in D City despite the other''s objection. If something really happened, then, Su Ruan''s mother would be furious.

    Su Ruan felt bad when she heard her grandpa''s words. "Grandpa, it was an accident. I played too close to the water and slipped. Don''t blame yourself. Next time, I won''t get too close to the water."

    Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan and narrowed his eyes.

    Staying away from the water? That''s impossible.

    Long Fei decided that he would tempt Su Ruan to get close to the water.

    "Young Master Long, if there''s anything that I can do for you, you must tell me," Ma Hao Dong spoke again. "If it is something I can do, then I will do it for you."

    Long Yu Heng waited at the side with bated breath. He wondered if Long Fei was going to request Old Man Ma to give his granddaughter. It would definitely be interesting if that happened.

    "Forget it." Long Fei smiled. "Old Man Ma, we are neighbors.. Looking for each other is what we should do."

 Chapter 44 - Make Her Stay Willingly

    Long Yu Heng walked over to his cousin as he watched the pickup truck leave their territory.

    Although they had not alerted their grandfather when they found Su Ruan, Long Yu Heng had a feeling that their grandfather would soon hear the news.

    After all, Old Man Ma had come to their territory to pick up his granddaughter. When his pickup truck drove past the main gate, someone would notify this news to that old man.

    As the patriarch, how could their grandfather not know of these things?

    Once the vehicle could no longer be seen, he turned to Long Fei and saw that the man was still looking in the direction where the car had left.

    He really could not tell what was going on in Long Fei''s mind at this moment.

    When he saw Long Fei''s respectable attitude towards Su Ruan''s grandfather, Long Yu Heng had thought that this man was going to win the old man''s heart.

    He had thought that Long Fei would at least come up with a reason to stop Su Ruan from leaving so soon.

    "Are you going to let her go just like this?" Long Yu Heng asked, wanting to know about this man''s plan. He thought about Long Fei''s previous attitude and said, "Don''t say things like the two of you are not fated. Ah Fei, the girl finally came to D Town. You shouldn''t let her leave easily."

    Long Fei continued to stay silent and this was starting to make him worry.

    "Grandfather should have heard about Old Man Ma''s visit," Long Yu Heng continued. "If you didn''t take any action, perhaps Grandfather would do something."

    His words finally caught Long Fei''s attention. "Who said that I was going to let her go easily."

    "You''re not?" Long Yu Heng raised his brow. "Then, what are you planning to do?"

    Long Fei snickered. "What''s with you? Why are you panicking when I don''t feel such pressure?"

    If it was not because of Long Fei''s position, Long Yu Feng would really want to beat this man.

    How can he not panic? Didn''t everyone know how important Su Ruan is for Long Fei?

    The elders¡­ once they found out about Su Ruan, they would start to be anxious as well.

    Long Fei patted at his cousin''s shoulder and smiled. "That girl isn''t going to leave D Town soon. Yu Heng, I am not going to force her to stay by my side. The only thing I could do is to make her stay beside me willingly. Don''t you have confidence in me?" He raised a brow. "Don''t worry. I know what I am doing."

    ¡­

    Su Ruan sat at the back passenger''s seat while watching the scenery outside the window. At the front, her eldest uncle was driving and her grandpa was riding shotgun.

    Once in a while, Su Ruan could feel her grandpa''s gaze on her. However, he did not take the initiative to speak to him.

    Her mind was still on that man who had rescued her earlier.

    Su Ruan was still having a hard time believing that she had met President Long Fei of Blue Media company face to face.

    She did not expect that the man would be much more good-looking in real life. Moreover¡­ Long Fei in that photograph as well as in real life was very different. Judging from the photos that she had seen previously, Long Fei seemed like a cold and unapproachable person.

    Surprisingly, the man was friendly in real life.

    Could it be that the rumors she had heard about him were all false?

    At this time, Su Ruan had put the matters that she had seen in the lake to the back of her mind. All she could think of was Long Fei and how he happened to be her grandpa''s neighbor.

    "Su Ruan," Ma Hao Dong called. He watched as his granddaughter finally look at him and smiled. "Are you alright? If you are still feeling uncomfortable, we can head over to the hospital."

    His granddaughter has been staying in silence after he came to pick her up. This made Ma Hao Dong worry.

    It hasn''t been a day since Su Ruan arrived in D Town. Ma Hao Dong was afraid that this accident was going to make her mood turn sour and she would ask to return to the city soon.

    He hasn''t taken her around the town and shown her around. Ma Hao Dong was not willing to see her leave so soon.

    "Grandpa, I''m fine." Su Ruan flashed an assuring smile at him. "Mister Long had called a doctor to check on me. You see¡­" Su Ruan raised her injured ankle. "Even the pain around my ankle is all gone."

    Su Ruan remembered how she had twisted her ankle and fell into the lake. She had thought that her ankle would be black and blue. However, when she check at them just now, she found that it was not as bad as she had expected.

    Hearing her granddaughter''s words, Ma Hao Dong could only stay quiet. However, he was still worried.

    "I did not expect that you and President Long Fei are neighbors," Su Ruan spoke, wanting to divert her grandpa''s attention to another topic.

    Su Ruan''s eldest uncle, Ma Xin Yu laughed. He looked through the rear mirror and spoke, "Su Ruan, are you interested in that young master? Hmm¡­ this isn''t strange. After all, that Young Master Long is very good-looking."

    "Eldest Uncle, I''m not interested in him in that way," Su Ruan said. "Just that, before I quit my job, I was assigned to interview him. You know that it was not easy for him to accept any interview."

    "That''s true." Ma Xin Yu nodded.

    "Once I have applied to work at his company," Su Ruan continued. "I got the interview invitation but later, I could not attend the interview and failed."

    "His company? That Blue Media Group?" Ma Hao Dong asked.

    "Mhm¡­" Su Ruan nodded.

    Ma Hao Dong sighed. "If you did not mention that company, we would almost forget that the group belonged to the Long family as well."

    Su Ruan tilted her head to one side and looked at her grandpa with a puzzled expression. "Grandpa, what do you mean?"

    The Blue Media Group was very famous and everyone knew that the top media company belonged to them. There were saying that the Long was very influential that they could control the media in the country.

    However, Su Ruan did not know whether this was true or not.

    "The people in this town did not know much about that big company," Ma Hao Dong said. "Everyone here knew the Long as the owner of this town."

    Su Ruan gasped loudly. "The owner?"

    Ma Hao Dong smiled. "Most of the business, as well as the land in this town, belonged to the family."

    Her eyes went wide. Previously, she had done her homework on Long Fei but this piece of information was not in her knowledge.

    "How about this," Ma Hao Dong spoke, Tomorrow morning, I will let your cousin take you to the town center and show you around."

 Chapter 45 - Going To The Town Center

    Su Ruan woke up in the morning and headed over to the dining room after washing up a little bit. When she arrived, her mother and grandparents were already seated around the table, having their breakfast.

    Ma Zheng Zheng was the first to notice her daughter''s presence. She flashed her a warm smile and motioned her to sit down.

    Su Ruan greeted them with good morning and sat down next to her mother.

    "How was your first night here?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked. The hint of worry still had not disappeared from her expression. "Did you sleep well?"

    After more than ten years, Su Ruan finally returned to D Town to visit her grandparents. The most thing that Ma Zheng Zheng was worried about did not happen, but later, her daughter fell into the lake water and was almost drowned.

    Fortunately, someone had seen her and rescued her.

    Thinking of the scene where her father, Ma Hao Dong entered the house and shouted that Su Ruan fell into the lake still gave her fright.

    "It''s fine," Su Ruan flashed them a smile. "I had a good sleep. The room is very comfortable. I did not expect that it would be very cold in the night."

    She had regained her spirit and was no longer thinking of yesterday''s event after a good sleep.

    The elders looked at each other and finally heaved a sigh. Hearing that Su Ruan had a good sleep makes them feel more at ease.

    Ma Zheng Zheng was especially worried that her granddaughter would be having a nightmare and recalled the trauma from when she was a little girl.

    If Su Ruan no longer remembered them, then, that is for the better.

    "Mmm¡­ the temperature in D Town is colder during nighttime," Lan Shi said. "Later, Grandma will put in a few more blankets for you to use. Just tell us if you have anything you need."

    An auntie walked over and handed Su Ruan a bowl of porridge at this moment. Su Ruan thanked the elder woman and took a deep breath, sniffing the aroma of delicious food in front of her.

    "That''s right, I have asked Yu Xi to bring you over to the town," Ma Hao Dong spoke. "If you need to buy anything, just tell to your cousin. Although this town is not as big as the city, I''m sure that we have almost everything here."

    Su Ruan nodded. "I know. I''ll let Yu Xi know."

    "Alright. Don''t just talk. Hurry up and eat," Lan Shi said. She turned to his husband and patted him on the shoulder. "Didn''t you say that you''re going to look at the orchard?"

    Hearing his wife''s reminder, Ma Hao Dong ate his food quickly.

    Just as her grandpa left with a few workers and headed to the orchard, a familiar pickup truck parked in front of her.

    A few seconds later, her younger cousin, Ma Yu Xi peeked her head out the window and waved. "Sister Ruan!" The girl jumped down from the high truck and walked over.

    Su Ruan watched her cousin and noted that Ma Yu Xi is someone who liked to dress in bold, bright colors. This time, she was wearing jeans and a bright green shirt. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and there was a bow hairpin in her hair.

    "Sister Ruan, I heard from my father that you fell into the lake water yesterday." Ma Yu Xin gave Su Ruan a lookover. "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan chuckled upon seeing the girl''s worried face. "I''m fine."

    "How can you fall in the water? No. What are you doing at the orchard?"

    "I was on the phone with a friend. The line reception is better around that area," Su Ruan said, pointing in the direction she had gone to yesterday. "Perhaps I was too close to the water. I slipped and fell. Fortunately, someone saw me and saved me."

    "My dad said, it was Young Master Long who saved you from the water."

    "Mhm¡­"

    All of a sudden, there was a hint of excitement on her face. "Sister Ruan, you met Young Master Long on your first day back to this town. How lucky. Tell me! How good-looking is he?"

    Su Ruan stared at her cousin speechlessly. "You live in this town all your life. Why are you asking me this question?"

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh. "Sister Ruan, you might not know this¡­ but it was not easy for anyone to meet Young Master Long. Whenever he''s in D Town, he would often stay in their residence and only came out during a festivity. Even so, it would be impossible for someone like me to see him up-close."

    "Is it really hard to see him?"

    "Uh-huh." Ma Yu Xi nodded. "You might not know this but yesterday, it was the second time that my dad get to be so close to him. He came back last night and could not stop talking about how anxious he was when Young Master Long stood in front of him."

    Su Ruan laughed. She could not imagine this scene. She did not think that her Eldest Uncle looked anxious yesterday.

    Their grandma, Lan Shi came out of the house when she heard the commotion and smiled when she saw her granddaughter. "Yu Xi, have you had your breakfast? Come inside and eat a little bit."

    "Grandma, it''s fine. I already ate before coming over," Ma Yu Xi said. "Besides, I already told Grandpa that I am going to bring Sister Ruan to the town center. I''m thinking about letting her try the pastries at the bakery."

    Lan Shi clicked her tongue. Her lips curled into a teasing smile. "Don''t think that I don''t know that you are going there to look at that boy."

    "Grandma~" Ma Yu Xi alternated her gaze between her grandma and her cousin.

    Seeing their exchange, Su Ruan finally understood what was going on. She turned to her cousin and smiled. "What boy?"

    "Sister Ruan, don''t listen to Grandma. She''s speaking nonsense."

    The smile on her face widened. If Grandma was speaking nonsense, this girl would not react like this.

    Su Ruan exchange a glance with her Grandma and winked. She already made a plan to look at this boy that her cousin had fancied secretly.

    After saying a few words with her Grandma, Su Ruan went to get her bag and went out with Ma Yu Xi. The girl sat behind the wheels and drive through the town with one hand.

    "Actually, I wanted to take you to the city center by boat," Ma Yu Xi said. She glanced at Su Ruan and sigh. "But my dad said, you might still be traumatized after yesterday''s event."

    "It''s fine. There''s always next time."

    "Mhmm¡­ But it would save us half an hour of traveling if we take the boat. Plus the scenery is very beautiful."

    Su Ruan continued to listen to her cousin as she showed her around.

    After an hour of driving, the two of them finally arrived at the town center.. Ma Yu Xi pulled the pickup truck at the parking spot and jumped down.

 Chapter 46 - Miss, You Are Very Lucky

    Su Ruan took a deep breath, enjoying the cool, fresh air around her. From where she stood, Su Ruan could hear the sounds of the birds chirping happily.

    She looked at the scenery in front of her and thought of how relaxing it was to stay in this town. It has only been a day but she was starting to love this town more and more.

    "Sister Ruan, let''s go."

    Hearing her voice, Su Ruan turned to her cousin and halted. She stared at the girl beside her and couldn''t help but think that there was something different about her.

    "Yu Xi, you''ve grown taller."

    Ma Yu Xi rolled her eyes. "Sister Ruan, I''m wearing a high heel."

    Su Ruan shifted her gaze and finally noticed that the sneakers that Ma Yu Xi wore a while ago were now switched into a pair of high heels.

    "I didn''t wear them just now because I was driving," Ma Yu Xi explained. She grabbed Su Ruan''s arms and giggled happily. "Come on, I''ll take you around this place."

    Su Ruan raised her brow. "You mean, you''re going to take me to that bakery?"

    "Sister Ruan, don''t tease me. Grandma was joking. Don''t listen to her words." Ma Yu Xi pouted. "I only wanted you to try their chocolate rolls. They''re delicious."

    "Alright." Su Ruan laughed. "I believe you."

    The two of them walked along the sidewalk beside the lake water and Ma Yu Xi continued to show her around the place.

    It was a small town but there were all kinds of shops around the place. Su Ruan looked at the shop lot lining along the street and finally understood what did her grandpa meant by this town belonged to the Long family.

    The signboard already told her that the shops belonged to their family. From the convenience store to the workshop¡­ each and every one of them had the name ''Long'' on the signboard.

    Su Ruan continued to look around the town and suddenly felt as if she was being watched.

    Her steps halted. Su Ruan turned to scan her surroundings but could not find anything suspicious.

    The people around her continued to go on their way. No one was looking at her or acting suspiciously. The frown on her face deepened. Su Ruan could not help but feel as if this feeling was very familiar¡­

    "Sister Ruan, what''s wrong?" Noticing that her cousin had suddenly stopped, Ma Yu Xi began to worry.

    "Nothing." Su Ruan flashed a smile, deciding to discard that feeling.

    It was the first time she came and visit this town. Perhaps the local here was curious to see her, an outsider walking around and taking a few glances at her.

    She shouldn''t be thinking too much.

    Ma Yu Xi stared at her cousin''s expression for a few seconds longer. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, Ma Yu Xi began to relax.

    After listening to her grandpa about how her cousin''s traumatized experience, Ma Yu Xi was a little worried that Su Ruan would suddenly recall that awful memory and started to behave strangely.

    "That''s right¡­ didn''t you tell me that you''re going to take me to the shop to repair my phone?" Su Ruan said.

    Yesterday, she fell into the water along with her phone. Su Ruan waited for the whole night and wait for her phone to dry. This morning, she tried to switch it on but it was not working.

    Since they were visiting the town center, Su Ruan was planning to look if they could repair her phone. Or else, she might need to buy a new phone.

    She did not care much about her phone but the most important thing is her sim card. As long as it was still working, she would be very thankful.

    Or else, they might need to head to the nearest city to get a replacement card.

    Ma Yu Xi slapped herself on her forehead. "That''s right. I almost forgot." She pointed in a direction and spoke, "The shop is just around the corner."

    Su Ruan followed her cousin to the shop and looked around.

    A young man with shoulder-length hair approached and Su Ruan a look over. Then, he shifted his gaze to Ma Yu Xi and smiled. "Ma Yu Xi, why are you here?" He glanced at Su Ruan and asked, "Who is this?"

    "Chu Jin, this is my elder cousin, Su Ruan," Ma Yu Xi introduced. "She''s Auntie Zheng Zheng''s daughter. Sister Ruan, this is Chu Jin. He was my classmate in high school."

    The two of them exchanged polite greetings.

    "What brings you here?" Chu Jin asked.

    Su Ruan took out her phone and explained her problem. Chu Jin took her phone and brought it over to the counter.

    "Let me look at it first and see if it can be fixed." Chu Jin flashed a smile. "It will only take a while."

    "Alright." Su Ruan nodded. While the boy was looking at her phone, Su Ruan took the chance to look around the shop. It was then that she noticed that this shop too had the name ''Long'' on its signboard.

    "I''m sorry, it doesn''t look as if this phone is repairable," Chu Jin spoke, gaining Su Ruan''s attention again.

    Su Ruan looked at her phone on the counter and sighed. "Then, what about the sim card? Can it still be used?"

    Chu Jin moved to take a phone under the counter to test the sim card.

    The smile on his face told Su Ruan that it was still working.

    "Then, I''ll just buy a new phone. What type of model do you have here?"

    Chu Jin moved quickly and took out a few latest models from their shop. He began to explain each of the phone''s features and recommended two models.

    "Chu Jin, this is my cousin, remember to give her a big discount," Ma Yu Xi reminded him.

    Chu Jin scoffed. "I know. This is the first time that your cousin came to this town. Of course, I will give her a good discount." He looked at Su Ruan again and smiled. "Miss Su, which one did you like best?"

    After comparing the two models that Chu Jin recommended, Su Ruan finally made her decision. She took out her card and sighed thinking of the amount of money she had to spend when she was still jobless.

    Chu Jin was bout to take her card when the landline phone rang. He asked Su Ruan to wait and pick up the phone call.

    Su Ruan did not know what was going on, but she could see that Chu Jin''s expression changed slightly as he answered the phone call.

    The call only took him a minute. Chu Jin came back to the register and settled with Su Ruan''s payment.

    Just as she was about to pay, Su Ruan noticed that the total she had to pay was different than what they had agreed on.

    "Are you sure you have keyed in the right amount?"

    "Uh-huh." Chu Jin nodded. "My boss called just now and said to give this discount to the first customer today.. Miss, you are very lucky."

 Chapter 47 - Where Did These People Come From?

    Once the phone was all set up, the cousins left the shop together with a brand new phone in Su Ruan''s hand.

    "Sister Ruan, you''re really lucky."

    Su Ruan heaved a sigh. "If only I knew that they were going to give such a generous discount, I would have chosen the other model."

    Ma Yu Xi paused. Then, she burst into laughter.

    The cousins continued to walk on the path and finally arrived at the bakery.

    Su Ruan tilted her head to look at the signboard and saw the ''Long'' name written on the signboard again. This bakery should belong to the family as well.

    It made her wonder just how many businesses in this town belonged to the family.

    Ma Yu Xi pulled her into the bakery. The moment they entered, Su Ruan scanned the room to look for the boy that her cousin had fancied.

    Seeing that Ma Yu Xi was choosing a few pastries while glancing at the man behind the glass window, Su Ruan quickly guessed that this should be the boy her grandma had mentioned.

    "Is that him?" Su Ruan pointed to the person who was kneading some dough in the kitchen.

    Ma Yu Xi gave a startle before she went back to choose a few loaves of bread and pastries. "Sister Ruan, I don''t understand what you''re talking about." She picked up a chocolate loaf in front of her and smiled. "How about this one? I think this is pretty delicious."

    Su Ruan narrowed her eyes. Seeing that this cousin was not willing to speak about the person, she could only play along with her.

    The two of them walked to the cashier and Su Ruan ordered two cups of coffee. "Yu Xi, let''s sit around for a while. I''m a bit tired after walking around for a while."

    Ma Yu Xi snapped out of her trance and turned to Su Ruan with her eyes widened. "That''s right. My dad mentioned that you hurt your ankle. Don''t tell me that it''s hurting again?"

    "My ankle is fine," Su Ruan said quickly to stop her cousin from worrying. "Just that, the weather is good. I''m thinking about enjoying a cup of coffee with the lake view."

    Ma Yu Xi pondered about this idea and quickly agreed. Anyway, she could use this chance to look at the person she liked.

    The two of them chose a seat close to the lake and sat down.

    Su Ruan watched the scenery in front of her and finally, her gaze stopped at her cousin again.

    The bakery had glass walls all around, making it easier for her to peek at the boy again.

    "Alright. Are you not going to tell me about this boy? For example, what is his name?"

    Hearing her question, Ma Yu Xi quickly tore her gaze away. She hesitated, wanting to continue and play dumb. But in the end, Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh and looked at Su Ruan warningly. "Sister Ruan, you mustn''t tell anyone about this."

    Su Ruan nodded and make a zipping motion to her lips.

    "He''s Sun Cheng. A senior from high school," Ma Yu Xi said. "I liked him for a few years already."

    "Then, why didn''t you tell him?"

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh. "No. I don''t think I would be prepared to be rejected. It''s best if I could look at him secretly like this."

    Su Ruan raised a brow. She wanted to say something as encouragement but decided against it as she saw the look on Ma Yu Xi''s face.

    It seemed that there were stories behind it?

    The cousins continued to drink their coffee in silence.

    Su Ruan was looking at the lake view when she noticed that a shadow was looming over. She looked up and was surprised to see that Long Fei was standing in front of her.

    At the side, Ma Yu Xi let out a loud gasp.

    Suddenly, her surroundings became a little noisier.

    It was rare for Long Fei to come out from the residence and take a walk around the town center. Now that he had suddenly appeared, the townspeople were very surprised. They could not stop wondering whether their eyes were playing tricks on them.

    A lot of them wanted to get close to him but none of them dared to step closer. They were afraid of offending him.

    "Miss Su, hello." Long Fei smiled as he greeted her. He lowered his gaze until it reached her ankle. "How is your ankle? I hope you are feeling better today."

    Ma Yu Xi stared at the man in shock. This was the first time that she had seen Young Master Long in this close distance. The man''s presence alone had stunned her.

    "I''m fine. Thank you Mr. Long for your concern." Su Ruan flashed him a smile. Suddenly, she had this feeling as if everyone around her was looking her way. It made her a little uncomfortable.

    Of course, Su Ruan was not aware that there were a few jealous eyes on her.

    The moment Long Fei came to talk to Su Ruan, she had become the envy of other girls.

    Ma Yu Xi finally snapped out of her trance. She looked at Long Fei with the same dazed look on her face while poking Su Ruan with her elbow.

    Long Fei naturally noticed her small movement. He turned to Ma Yu Xi and flashed an amiable smile. "Hello. I heard that Miss Su is coming to this town to visit her family. You must be her relatives, then."

    Ma Yu Xi nodded. Her face turned a little red as the handsome man was speaking to her. "H-hello." She began to stutter. "I''m Su Ruan''s cousin. Ma Yu Xi."

    Long Fei touched his chin as if he was thinking of something. "Are you Mr. Ma Xin Yu''s daughter?"

    "That''s right." Her body turned cold with excitement. This was the first time she came this close to this young master. Ma Yu Xi thought that she would only be allowed to look at him. Who would have thought that this man would talk to her?

    She had even told him her name!

    Ma Yu Xi was going crazy at this thought.

    "Miss Su, Miss Ma, do you mind if I joine your table?" Long Fei asked. "I was planning to sit around for a cup of coffee but this place is already full. Miss Su, you''re the only person I know around this place."

    Su Ruan frowned. She seemed to remember that there were a few empty seats available. However, when she turned around, Su Ruan realized that those seats were all occupied.

    Where did these people come from?

    "It would only take a while," Long Fei tried to convince them. "I will leave once my cousin showed up."

    "Young Master Long, please, have a seat," Ma Yu Xi spoke quickly.

 Chapter 48 - A Legend About A Dragon

    Just a few minutes ago, Su Ruan and Ma Yu Xi could still chat freely. However, with Long Fei sitting at the same table with them, the cousins did not think that they could speak as freely.

    Ma Yu Xi looked at the man in front of her with a dazed look on her face.

    To think that she would be sitting at the same table as this man¡­ It was an incredible thing. She wanted to take out her phone and sneak a few photos of Long Fei and use them to brag at her friends. However, she was too scared to even move her finger.

    A waiter walked over and placed a cup of coffee on the table. After stealing a few glances at Long Fei, the waiter then left,

    Su Ruan watched as the man drank his coffee from the corner of her eyes. Unlike her cousin, Ma Yu Xi, Su Ruan was used to meeting and interviewing some small celebrities.

    Although Long Fei''s presence was making her nervous, her reaction was still not as bad as her cousin''s.

    Su Ruan was mulling over the idea to start a conversation with Long Fei but after watching the man continuously stare at the lake water for a long time, Su Ruan decided to keep quiet.

    Perhaps, this man was merely looking for a place to sit and drink his coffee while waiting for his cousin.

    Since he did not want to be disturbed, then, she should let him be.

    However, it did not stop the awkward feeling to have him sitting with them. Su Ruan lowered her head and threw her gaze elsewhere.

    "Miss Su, what do you think about this town?"

    Su Ruan lifted her head and meet Long Fei''s gaze. It took her a few seconds to register that this man was talking to her.

    "It''s beautiful."

    His lips curled into a faint smile. "I wonder if Miss Su and Miss Ma have heard of a legend about this town."

    Su Ruan glanced at her cousin. She looked at Long Fei again, wondering if he was going to talk about how most of the business in this town belonged to the Long family. "What legend?"

    "A legend about a dragon."

    Her expression changed upon hearing his words. Her thought went back to the creature that she had seen underwater yesterday.

    Su Ruan had tried her best to forget what she had seen and pretended that the creature she had seen did not exist.

    However, this man had suddenly brought up this topic. Su Ruan could not help but wonder if what she had seen under the water was real.

    Could it be that the creature she had seen yesterday was a dragon?

    It couldn''t be, right? A dragon was merely a mystical creature. They don''t exist.

    "I have probably heard a little bit about it," Ma Yu Xi said. "Our Grandpa had mentioned this matter once when we were still a child."

    Long Fei chuckled.

    In the past, the townspeople would often talk about the dragon and its legend. However, most people had moved out and the elders no longer talk about this legend to their children.

    The youngsters were not interested in such matters and would rather play with their phones or tablet.

    Long Fei turned to Ma Yu Xi and asked, "What do you remember about this legend?"

    Ma Yu Xi''s face turned red. She lowered her head shyly and admitted. "Nothing much. But Grandpa said that hundred years ago, there was a dragon in this lake. It was a long time ago. I don''t remember much about it."

    Su Ruan''s heart skipped a beat. She turned to her cousin and later looked away. Her hands were sweating. The memory of what she had seen under the water was still hazy.

    Could it be that this creature was real?

    "Young Master Long, do you know anything about this legend?" Ma Yu Xi asked.

    "Mhm¡­ It was just as what your grandfather had told you when you were younger. It was said that hundreds of years ago, there was indeed a dragon living in this lake." Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan, watching her every reaction as he told them this story.

    His eyes narrowed as he saw her pale face.

    The smile on his face widened but it did not reach his eyes. Long Fei placed his hand on the table and tapped his fingers a few times, signaling Long Yu Heng to come over to him in a few minutes.

    "It was said that this dragon was the protector of this town," Long Fei continued. "It helped the townspeople to defeat those who tried to conquer their land. Hundred of years ago, this dragon and the townspeople live harmoniously together. Because of this dragon, the town was very peaceful for years."

    Su Ruan could not stop thinking about the creature she saw but continued to force herself to listen to this man''s story.

    "However, some people got greedy. They knew that this dragon''s body was very valuable and wanted to sell it. One dragon''s scale was enough to turn them into rich men overnight. Can you imagine what it would be if they sell the dragon''s body?" Long Fei chuckled. "One day, a man managed to lure this dragon out of the water. The dragon did not suspect anything and followed after the man. However, this dragon was imprisoned in a place without water. He struggled but without water, his body grew weaker and he could no longer fight those humans."

    Ma Yu Xi stared at the man with her eyes wide. "No! That''s a terrible thing to do!"

    Long Fei raised a brow. "Don''t you think that the dragon is quite pitiful?"

    Ma Yu Xi nodded. "Then what happened to this dragon? Did someone rescue him?"

    "Hmm¡­" Long Fei tilted his head to one side. "Perhaps he did not manage to survive or perhaps he managed to escape. Who knows? It was called a legend. Who knows if this story is real or not."

    Hearing his words, Su Ruan looked up and meet the man''s gaze again. There was something in his eyes that made her heartbeat escalate.

    She could not help but wonder why was he telling them this story.

    "Ladies, I have to thank you for letting me join your table today." Long Fei flashed them a smile. Then, he turned his head to look at the man who was standing not too far away from them. "It seemed that my cousin is here." He stood up and grabbed his cup of coffee.. "It''s time for me to go."

 Chapter 49 - Preparing Her

    Long Yu Heng watch as his cousin stood up and walked over to him.

    A while ago, Long Fei had suddenly come back from his swim around the lake and announced that they would be heading to the town center.

    He had thought that Long Fei had an important matter when he asked him to gather a few men with them. It was not until he had seen Su Ruan from a distance away did Long Yu Heng understood the reason they came to this place.

    However, Long Yu Heng was puzzled again when Long Fei instructed their men to sit around the bakery and occupy every table.

    It was only when he saw Long Fei walk to Su Ruan''s table did Long Yu Heng realized that his cousin was trying to get close to Su Ruan.

    Long Fei''s change of mind was making him happier.

    At least he would no longer have to watch the girl like a creepy stalker like he used to be, and finally had his reason to appear by Su Ruan''s side.

    However, Long Yu Heng quickly thought that something was wrong.

    From a distance, it might seem as if Long Fei was chatting with the girls. However, the look on Su Ruan''s face was too strange.

    This cousin of his¡­ it couldn''t be that he did not know how to pick up girls, right?

    Or else, why would Su Ruan''s face turned pale?

    Long Yu Heng straightened his posture as Long Fei came closer. Sensing that Su Ruan and her cousin were still looking in his direction, Long Yu Heng decided not to be anxious and wait.

    "What did you tell her?" Long Yu Heng asked the moment Long Fei walked to his side. "Miss Su''s face was too pale."

    The corner of his lips turned up. "Nothing much. I was just telling them a story."

    "What story?" Long Yu Heng''s intuition told him that this story shouldn''t be anything good.

    Long Fei took a sip at his coffee leisurely. "Just an old legend about this town."

    His expression turned aghast. "You told them your secret?"

    "No. Just that old legend and nothing else." Long Fei saw the puzzled look on his cousin''s face and smiled.

    Long Yu Heng seemed to have forgotten that when he was soaking in the lake water yesterday, he had shifted into his other form. Therefore, he did not understand why Long Fei had told Su Ruan that legend.

    Of course, Long Fei only wanted to test Su Ruan''s reaction.

    He had thought that Su Ruan had passed out from swallowing too much water. It was only after Su Ruan had turned home that Long Fei suddenly remember this important matter.

    After all, Su Ruan had been quite relaxed about it.

    He did not expect that Su Ruan had seen him in that form. That was the reason her face turned pale when he had mentioned a dragon.

    It seemed that she had not even mentioned this matter to anyone in her family.

    The smile on his face widened as he thought about Su Ruanl''s easygoing attitude and how she had tried to put this matter in the back of her mind.

    Su Ruan is definitely an interesting girl.

    Meanwhile, Long Yu Heng had another opinion about his cousin. "Ah Fei, didn''t you say that you wanted to make Miss Su stay beside you willingly? Why are you telling her that old legend? Do you know how to pick up girls?"

    "I was preparing her. Sooner or later she will have to know about the story. About us," Long Fei said.

    Long Yu Heng pondered over his words.

    It was decided from their childhood that Long Fei could only be with Su Ruan and no one else. Since that was the case, Su Ruan will have to learn about their family secret sooner or later.

    It was not a bad move to let her prepare for it.

    At least, when she found out the truth, Su Ruan would not be as surprised

    "Besides, Miss Su and I were still unfamiliar with each other. Under that circumstance, how do you think I should start a conversation with them?"

    Long Yu Heng pondered over his words and thought that Long Fei''s words made sense. However, it was still a little too strange to bring up that old story. Long Yu Heng had an uncomfortable feeling but he did not know what it was.

    "Anyway, what do you know about picking up girls?" Long Fei glanced at his cousin in disdain. "As long as I could remember, you are someone who never had a date before." His brow rose. "And now, you are planning to teach me how to pick up girls?"

    Long Yu Heng stared at Long Fei unhappily. "I spend most of my time around you. How am I supposed to have a girlfriend if I was babysitting you most of the time?"

    "I didn''t ask you to babysit me." Noticing that they were standing too close to each other, Long Fei took a step back and looked at his cousin in disdain. "Don''t get too close to me. I don''t want people to misunderstand our relationship."

    His eyes widened as Long Yu Heng stared back in disbelief. ''Hey, what does that mean? Long Fei!"

    From where she sat, Su Ruan continued to watch Long Fei as he leave with his cousin. Her brow furrowed as she thought about the story that Long Fei had mentioned.

    Could it be that he know something?

    "Sister Ruan, what''s wrong with you? Ma Yu Xi asked. "Why do you look a little pale? Are you feeling unwell?"

    Su Ruan snapped out of her thought and flashed an amiable smile at her cousin. "Am I?" She raised her hands to touch her cheek. "Perhaps, it was a little cold."

    "That''s right. I forgot that you are not used to the temperature around here," Ma Yu Xi sat up straight and look at her with a serious look on her face. "Then, should we go back to Grandpa''s place?"

    "That would be a good idea too. Let''s come over to the town center another day." Su Ruan was not in a good mood after Long Fei had told them the story. Naturally, she had no objection when her cousin suggested they leave.

    The girls picked up their belongings and returned to the pickup truck.

    "Yu Xi, why do you think that Mr. Long suddenly brought up that story?" Su Ruan asked as they reached the parking lot.

    "Ah?" Ma Yu Xi pondered about the reason and spoke, "Maybe he was just finding a topic to talk to us?"

    Really?

    Su Ruan had a feeling that things weren''t this simple.. Her instinct told her that it was not a coincidence for Long Fei to suddenly brought up the dragon.

 Chapter 50 - Dont Be Scared

    Perhaps, she was affected by the story that Long Fei had told them. For the next few nights, Su Ruan had the same dreams over and over again.

    In these dreams, she would see the same boy that he had dreamed about for the past few years.

    This time, the boy in her dream was no longer as hazy as it used to be.

    Although she still could not see his face, Su Ruan could see the horns on both sides of his head. The horns that she had thought belonged to a reindeer were not what she had thought. Now that she could get a closer look, Su Ruan realized that they were dragon''s horns.

    The boy''s body slowly turned bigger. His hands turned into claws and his body stretched up long like a snake.

    In this dream, Su Ruan saw herself getting scared. She wanted to scream but each time she opened her mouth, her voice would not come out.

    The scales on the boy''s body were blueish purple. Under the moonlight, his scale looked as if they were sparkling.

    Su Ruan soon realized that the creature in front of her was the same dragon she had seen under the water a few days ago.

    The dragon was big and he was towering over her. It was too scary.

    Her legs shook. Su Ruan found that she could not run away.

    The dragon approached her slowly. He stretched his claws grabbed her easily. He lifted her up high until their gazes met.

    Surprisingly, his eyes were not as scary as his looks. Su Ruan found that the longer she looked into that eyes, the more she felt at ease. She actually felt safer with him.

    "Su Ruan, don''t be scared."

    Even though the dragon did not speak, Su Ruan could hear his voice in her head. His voice was soft as if he was trying to coax her.

    Her eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

    "I will not hurt you."

    She did not know why but when she heard his words, Su Ruan felt as if she could believe his words. There was a feeling deep inside that told her that as long as she stayed close to this dragon, he will protect her from any harm.

    It made her feel comfortable.

    "Who are you? Do I know you?"

    The dragon did not move but Su Ruan could feel as if he was smiling at her.

    It did not make any sense. Can a dragon smile?

    Just as she had asked those questions, Su Ruan would wake up from her dream. Unlike the last time she had dreamed about this dragon, Su Ruan found that she was no longer panting and sweating as much.

    Each time that she woke up from this dream, Su Ruan would sit on her bed for a long time. She tried to recall every detail that she had seen in that dream but could not find any clues.

    Who was that boy and how did he turn into a dragon?

    Why would she have this dream repeatedly?

    Does a dragon really exist?

    Su Ruan had too many questions but she could not find the answer to any of them.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan climbed out of her bed and walked over to the window. The air was cold but she decided to stay there and let the air cool her mind.

    The night view of this town was as beautiful as the day view.

    She could see the moon shining brightly in the sky and the stars were glittering. The atmosphere was quiet and the only sound she could hear was the singing of the crickets.

    After standing there for a long time, Su Ruan moved to close the window. Her movement halted when she saw Long''s residence in the distance.

    Her brow furrowed as she thought of the young master of that family.

    Long Fei¡­

    It has been a few days since the last time she ran into him in the town center. Each time that she had this strange dream, Su Ruan would think of the story that Long Fei had told them a few days ago.

    She could not help but wonder if this story was related to her dream.

    Could it be that it was the same dragon?

    The cold breeze blew to her face and Su Ruan decided to discard that thought.

    Perhaps, she should stop thinking about this matter. The more she tried to think of it, the more it will make her confused.

    ¡­

    In the morning, Su Ruan headed to the dining area after washing up.

    After greeting the elders, Su Ruan sat down and peek at the breakfast items that her grandmother had prepared.

    Because she was planning to stay with them for a while, the breakfast in the house was a little luxurious.

    Su Ruan took a sip of the hot milk and looked at the bowl of porridge in front of her.

    "Su Ruan, do you have anything planned for today?" Ma Hao Dong asked as he looked at his granddaughter with a smile.

    After that day she had visited the town center, Su Ruan had not left the house again. The past few days, she would spend her days leisurely accompanying her mother.

    After her parents were divorced, Su Ruan decided to follow her father. It was a rare chance to see her mother. Now that she was staying in the town, Su Ruan decided to spend more time with her mother.

    "I don''t have anything planned," Su Ruan said. "I thought I was going to read some books and walk around."

    "Then, do you want to come with me and look around at the orchard?" Ma Hao Dong asked. "It has been a few days since you come here. The last time, I told you that I will bring you around to look at the trees I planted. Your cousin, Yu Xi will be there as well."

    Su Ruan thought about her grandpa''s idea and agreed. "Alright. I have nothing to do at the house anyway."

    Since she had come to her grandpa''s place, it would be a waste not to walk around the orchard.. The last time, her grandpa had said that he would bring her to pick up some fruits together.

 Chapter 51 - The Orchard

    Su Ruan followed her grandpa to the orchard and was introduced to everyone they ran into as his granddaughter. Initially, Su Ruan had not thought too much about it. However, after being introduced for the fifth time, Su Ruan began to feel as if her grandpa wanted to show her around to everyone.

    She was already this old and it was making Su Ruan slightly embarrassed.

    After a while, Su Ruan told her grandpa that she wanted to look around and walked away. A breath of relief escaped her once she got farther into the orchard. Su Ruan looked around and thought that the cherry on the trees was looking especially delicious.

    She wanted to go ahead and pluck them. However, Su Ruan did not know whether that was something she could do.

    The view in front of her was beautiful. After looking around for a while, Su Ruan took out her phone, snapped a few pictures, and posted them on her social media.

    In just seconds, Lin Qing had commented on her photo. "So pretty! Su Ruan, is this the one from your grandpa''s orchard?"

    A few days before she headed to D Town, Su Ruan had informed her best friend, Lin Qing that she would be heading to D Town to visit her grandparents.

    In the beginning, Lin Qing was shocked by Su Ruan''s sudden decision to take a long break. However, as she recalled everything that Su Ruan had gone through the past few months, Lin Qing thought that it would be a good idea for Su Ruan to take this break.

    Perhaps, once she came back from this break, Su Ruan would cheer up a bit more.

    "Mhm¡­ What do you think? Pretty, right?" Su Ruan typed back.

    When Lin Qing did not reply to her messages again, Su Ruan decided to continue walking around and enjoying the breeze. However, a couple of minutes later, Lin Qing called her.

    "Su Ruan, are you having fun?" Lin Qing asked as soon as the phone was connected.

    Su Ruan laughed happily when she heard her question. "Well, it''s relaxing and fun over here. Do you want to come over and play?"

    "I wanted to. However, the boutique will be busy recently. I don''t know when will I have time to come and play."

    A faint smile curled on her lips as she heard Lin Qing''s disappointed sigh.

    "Looking at those cherries dangling on the trees was enough to make me jealous. Su Ruan, sent me over a box of those cherries to help me cheer up."

    Su Ruan began to laugh. "Alright. I''ll ask around. If it is something that I can do, I''ll send you a box of it."

    Lin Qing''s eyes lit up. "Really? Su Ruan, you''re the best. Do you know how much I love you?"

    Su Ruan merely rolled her eyes at her friend''s exaggerating words.

    "How long are you planning to stay there? Are you planning to return to Capital City soon?"

    There was a brief silence on Su Ruan''s part when she heard the questions. "I don''t know. I haven''t made any decision yet. Staying in this town is pretty relaxing. Perhaps, I would stay longer here."

    "You''re not planning to head back to work?"

    Su Ruan raised both shoulders into a shrug. "I don''t know. Perhaps, I would be looking into a few freelance writing in the time being. Did you miss me?"

    "Of course, I miss you. My life is pretty dull without having you around."

    Su Ruan laughed again. She pursed her lips into a thin line and spoke, "I will return to Capital City in a few months. After all, I have already promised Yu Zhi Yi that I would attend his wedding as his best woman."

    Lin Qing heaved a sigh when she heard that name. She still could not believe that Su Ruan would accept Yu Zhi Yi''s request to be his best woman. Sometimes, she wondered if Su Ruan was a fool?

    The person that Su Ruan had loved for years was finally getting married but Su Ruan had to attend this wedding and stay close to witness this union up close.

    What can be more heartbreaking than that?

    Sometimes, Lin Qing thought that Yu Zhi Yi can be quite cruel. But then, she remember that Yu Zhi Yi had no idea of Lin Qing''s feelings towards him.

    The two friends chatted for a bit before Lin Qing had to get back to work.

    Su Ruan looked up and realized that she had walked too far into the orchard. When she remembered the last time she had fallen into the lake, Su Ruan decided to turn around.

    "Sister Ruan, there you are."

    Just as she had almost reached back to the spot where she had parted with her grandpa, Su Ruan ran into her cousin, Ma Yu Xi.

    As she was working in the orchard, Ma Yu Xi was not wearing the bold clothes on her body this time. The girl was dressed in faded jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt. Her hair was styled into the same ponytail to give her some height.

    "I''ve been looking all around for you," Ma Yu Xi said once she reached Su Ruan''s side. "Grandpa said that you decided to come and look around."

    "Mhm¡­ the scenery over there is quite pretty. I took some pictures to show around to my friends."

    Su Ruan noticed the way her cousin was looking at her and knew that the girl was worried that she would get lost in the orchard.

    Ma Yu Xi heaved with relief when saw that her cousin was not injured in any way. "Do you want to taste the cherries? We just plucked a few of them from that other side." Ma Yu Xi pointed her finger in a direction.

    Her eyes lit up. A while ago, Su Ruan was still thinking about eating those cherries. Now that her cousin had offered her to taste a few of them, Su Ruan was not going to decline.

    She followed her cousin to a small shed ad saw a few baskets of them.

    Ma Yu Xi helped to clean up a few cherries before she was allowed to taste them.

    A contented sigh escaped her once Su Ruan take a bite at the fruit. It tasted very sweet and juicy.

    "Yu Xi, is it possible if I wanted to send a small box to my friend?"

    Ma Yu Xi laughed. "Of course. Sister Ruan, when you send a box to your friend, remember to let her write a review and help us advertise our fruits to her friends. These days, we are trying to sell the fruits online."

    The cousins continued to chat a little bit about this website for a while.

    "Sister Ruan, tomorrow is my off day. What do you think about hiking and watching the sunrise together?"

 Chapter 52 - Impatient Elders

    Long Yu Heng was on his way to Long Fei''s room when an elder man stopped him on his track. Once he realized who was that person, the look on Long Yu Heng''s face turned gentler. "Dad."

    The man with salt and pepper hair nodded at him. "Where are you rushing to?"

    "Of course, I''m going to find Long Fei." Long Yu Heng coughed. "Dad, is something the matter?"

    "These days, you have been spending more time with him." Long Lan''s expression turned serious as he spoke to his son.

    "Dad, Grandfather had let me stay by Long Fei''s side to assist him. If I didn''t spend my time with him, who else should I stay with?"

    "Your Grandfather said you and Long Fei both have been running around after you returned from Capital City. What are you two up to?"

    Long Yu Heng smiled. "What else can we do? Now that Long Fei decided to stay in D Town to recuperate from the last incident, there are a lot of matters that I have to help him with. Dad, the companies under the family is large. It won''t be easy for us to manage it from here."

    Long Yu Heng was someone who had been spending beside Long Fei for a long time. The moment their grandfather let him stay beside Long Fei as his right-hand man, Long Yu Heng had pledged his loyalty to Long Fei.

    As his right-hand man, it was usual for him to deal with the elders who wanted to find out what was Long Fei up to.

    But now¡­ Even as he faced his father, Long Yu Heng''s expression would not change much. It would be difficult for his father to find out anything from him.

    Long Lan thought that his son''s words made sense and decided not to think too much about it. He looked around as if to ensure that his surroundings were safe and turned to his son again.

    "That girl that Long Fei has been looking for¡­ did he find her yet?"

    "Dad, you know that once Long Fei had found her, he would announce it to the elders. After all, this matter concerned the whole family."

    Long Lan let out a long sigh. "If it was not because of what Long Fei had done, this matter would not be this difficult. And that Long Fei¡­ he would not tell us anything about that girl. Or else, we could help him."

    "Dad, that incident happened a long time ago. He was too young. He did not know her name or remember her face." Long Yu Heng flashed a weak smile. "This time, he could only depend on his instinct as well as her scent to find her. There are millions of people in this world. It won''t be easy to look for her."

    Long Lan let out another disappointed sigh. However, he knew well that his son was right. There was nothing that they could do other than to let Long Fei manage everything himself.

    If only Long Fei did not meet that girl when they were young¡­ perhaps they could introduce her to another girl and let them marry. It would be convenient to their family if Long Fei was married to a woman from a family that understood their history.

    Unfortunately¡­

    Long Yu Heng glanced at his father and decided that it was time for him to escape. "Dad, if there''s nothing else, I should go to Long Fei''s side first."

    Long Lan snapped out of his thought and finally waved his hand, allowing Long Yu Heng to leave.

    The moment he got farther away from his father, Long Yu Heng released a breath of relief.

    It seemed that the elders were getting impatient. Unfortunately for them, Long Fei''s fate has long been sealed when he met Su Ruan. Otherwise, Long Fei would have to face the elders and deal with their matchmaking.

    "What took you so long?" Long Fei asked when his cousin entered his room.

    Long Yu Heng scratched his neck and spoke, "I ran into my father. It seemed that the elders were urging him to find news about you through me. They were especially curious about that girl."

    His brow rose. Long Fei put down the pen in his hand and leaned on his chair. "And? What did you tell him?"

    "What else can I tell him? Of course, I have to lie."

    "Very good. Now is not a suitable time to tell them any news about Miss Su," Long Fei said. "I''m afraid that if the elders found out her identity, they would make it difficult for her." The expression on his face turned serious. "I''m afraid that the reason Miss Su Ruan had not returned to this town to visit her maternal family had something to do with me."

    Long Yu Heng frowned. "What do you mean?"

    Long Fei frowned.

    In the past few days, he has been observing Su Ruan from afar.

    When he recalled Su Ruan''s expression when he had mentioned the legend, Long Fei realized that the girl was not only rattled because she had accidentally seen his other form under the water. She was really afraid of him.

    His instinct told him that it has something to do with their childhood. After that night when he had transformed right before her eyes, Su Ruan had stopped appearing in the orchard.

    For a young girl to see something so scary¡­ perhaps she was traumatized.

    She was so afraid that she would still have nightmares about it.

    This was the reason he had to hide Su Ruan from the rest of his family until she was ready for the truth.

    If the elders found her and told her about the family matters, Su Ruan might not handle it well. She might be traumatized again.

    He did not want to scare her.

    Long Yu Heng watched his cousin and sighed. He knew well that if it was a matter that Long Fei did not want to say, Long Fei would not say it no matter how much he had coaxed him into it.

    "Whatever you do, just remember to avoid the elders if you can."

    Long Fei snapped out of his trance and looked at his cousin in puzzlement. "Why?"

    "Your look¡­ now that you have the chance to get close to Miss Su every day, the look on your face, as well as your temperament, had clearly changed. You''re radiating."

    Long Fei picked up his phone and turned on the camera to check on his reflection. However, he could not sense anything different.

    "If you wanted to keep Miss Su a secret for a while, it would be wise for you to avoid them," Long Yu Heng said. "The elders are not fools.. If they see you now, they would know that you have found her and had spent your time being close to her."

 Chapter 53 - Climb Up

    Su Ruan sat on the bed as she woke up, thinking about the recurring dreams she had. Just like in the previous dreams, Su Ruan would still see that boy transformed into a dragon.

    However, these days, she would also dream about how the dragon would try to talk to her, telling her that he was not going to hurt her.

    Her brow furrowed as she wondered why was she having these dreams and what it was trying to tell her.

    After thinking about the dream for a while, Su Ruan stood up and walked over to the window.

    Habitually, she would open the window to look at the scenery while allowing the cold air to help her clear her mind.

    She took a deep breath and paused. Su Ruan scanned around her surroundings but could not find anything strange.

    The frown on her face deepened.

    Somehow, she had this feeling as if someone was watching her.

    However, Su Ruan quickly discard that thought away. It was still dark outside and she was on the second floor. There was no way that someone would be watching her. Everything should be her imagination, right?

    Just then, her phone on the table rang. Su Ruan turned off the alarm and remembered that she had promised her cousin, Ma Yu Xi that they would go hiking on the hills.

    The girl had persuaded her to go and watch the sunrise together.

    Su Ruan turned around and went into the bathroom. After she had cleaned up a little bit, Su Ruan went downstairs and ran into her grandpa.

    Ma Hao Dong was organizing some documents in the living room when he saw his granddaughter. He looked at her in surprise and spoke, "You''re up early."

    "Mhm¡­Yu Xi said that she will take me hiking and watch the sunrise."

    Ma Hao Dong was finally at ease upon hearing her words. The look on his face turned gentler. "The sunrise scenery is one of the best. It''s good that the two of you can get together to watch them. Just be careful when you climb up. Don''t force yourself if you are too tired."

    Su Ruan smiled. "Grandpa, have you been on the mountain before?"

    "Of course, I have." Ma Hao Dong laughed happily. "When I was younger, I used to climb up the mountain with my friends. Back then, I could climb until the third peak without any problem."

    Su Ruan stayed to listen to her grandpa talking about his experience in hiking as she waited for her cousin to show up.

    When Ma Yu Xi finally showed up, she was surprised to find a fresh-looking Su Ruan chatting with their grandpa in the living room.

    "Hey, I thought I was early. I didn''t expect that you would wake up earlier and got ready."

    Su Ruan smiled. "Didn''t you say we would go and look at the sunrise? I didn''t know how difficult it would be to climb up. Of course, I have to wake up earlier to get ready."

    The cousins exchanged a few words with their grandpa. Once everything was ready, Su Ruan hopped on the pickup truck and ride shotgun as her cousin drove to the entrance.

    The journey took them almost ten minutes. When they arrived, there were a few vehicles parked in the parking space.

    Su Ruan jumped down from the vehicle and felt the cold air blow on her face. At this time, she was glad that she was wearing thick clothes. There was no doubt that the air on the mountain would be colder.

    Ma Yu Xi watched as her cousin jumped around to keep warm and chuckled. "Don''t worry. You will feel warmer once we climb up."

    "I hope you are right." She grabbed her bag and looked at Ma Yu Xi in puzzlement. "Are we not going up?"

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at her watch. "Let''s wait until another group shows up. It would be safer to go with another group."

    Su Ruan was not familiar with hiking. Naturally, she would agree to whatever her cousin said.

    After waiting for five minutes, a sedan parked beside them, and a group of three boys and one girl came out. The moment they saw Ma Yu Xi, their eyes the group started to greet Ma Yu Xi and exchanged a few words.

    It turned out that the group was Ma Yu Xi''s ex-schoolmates. Seeing that her cousin knew the group, Su Ruan began to feel more at ease.

    Su Ruan looked at the group of boys and thought that one of them seemed a little familiar. After pondering about it for a while, Su Ruan recalled that she had seen this boy at the bakery caf¨¦.

    Wasn''t this the boy that her cousin had a crush on?

    It seemed that Ma Yu Xi had another intention when she invited her to go hiking!

    Ma Yu Xi introduced her to the group and after making some preparation, the cousins followed the group to climb up.

    Su Ruan poked her cousin with her elbow and sent her a knowing look.

    "Sister Ruan, don''t look at me like that," Ma Yu Xi whispered "I wasn''t aware that they would be the group to show up."

    Su Ruan clicked her tongue. "I won''t believe your words."

    Ma Yu Xi laughed. "Don''t be like this. How about I treat you to a nice breakfast after we come down the mountain?"

    Her eyes narrowed. "Look at you, trying to bribe me." She rolled her eyes and spoke, "Don''t worry, I won''t say a word to our family about it."

    "Sister Ruan, you''re the best!"

    The cousin continued to climb up with the group.

    Fortunately, the trail was not that difficult or steep. Since she was someone who was not used to hiking, Su Ruan found that this trail was quite good for a beginner like her.

    It took them almost forty minutes to reach the first peak.

    By the time they arrived, Su Ruan was already gasping for air. However, the moment she saw the scenery before her, the tiredness disappeared. Su Ruan thought that it was worth it for her to wake up early and brave the morning cold to watch the scenery before her.

    The group was planning to stay on the first peak to watch the sunrise.

    Su Ruan sat at a clean spot to watch the scenery before her.

    Her head turned when she heard some movement coming from another side of the mountain. Soon, a few hikers appeared and one of them was a face that she recognized.

    It was Long Fei.

 Chapter 54 - Sunrise

    Su Ruan was not the only person to notice Long Fei and his people''s arrival.

    "Young Master Long," Ma Yu Xi gasped.

    Initially, the others had not recognized him as it was still a little dark. However, once they heard Ma Yu Xi''s voice, they quickly stood up with an anxious look on their faces.

    No one had expected that they would run into this big shot here and therefore, they did not know how to react.

    Long Fei scanned the faces on the mountain and finally, his gaze stopped at Su Ruan and her cousin. "Miss Ma, Miss Su, good morning."

    The others started to whisper among themselves. They were suddenly reminded of the news they heard the other day. It was said that this Young Master had shared a table with Ma Yu Xi and her cousin.

    "G-good morning," Ma Yu Xi stuttered. "Are you here to watch the sunrise as well?"

    "Mhm¡­ Mind if I join you guys as well?" His gaze shifted to Su Ruan.

    Seeing that the man was looking at her, Su Ruan had no other choice but to speak, "Please."

    Long Fei flashed a smile. But instead of sitting close to her as Su Ruan was expecting him to do, Long Fei brought his friends to sit at a distance away. Then, he started to speak a few words with his friends, ignoring the others'' curious gaze.

    For the others, even though they wanted the chance to get close with this young master, no one dared to move carelessly. They have lived in this town long enough to know that they should not do anything that would make Long Fei unhappy.

    Long Yu Heng glanced at the person beside him anxiously before he stole a glance at Su Ruan. "Is it fine like this? Long Fei, are you sure you''re not going over there to create a chance?"

    Long Fei chuckled when he heard his cousin''s words. "Didn''t you warn me that I should be careful? There are too many people around here. It''s easy to create rumors and alerted the elders. Yu Heng, don''t be too anxious."

    Hearing his words, Long Yu Heng could only suppress his urge to curse.

    Who was that person who had snuck out in the middle of the night to get close to the woman? His move was too dangerous. If the elders knew what he was doing or where he was heading to, wouldn''t it be dangerous for Miss Su as well?

    Who was the anxious one?

    Moreover¡­ if he did not have the intention to get close to Miss Su, then why was he forced to wake up early in the morning to hike?

    "What are you two talking about?"

    Fu Xing was out of breath. He had arrived at the residence last night with a few important documents for his boss. He merely got three hours sleep before his boss woke him up and told him that they were going hiking to watch the sunrise.

    He wanted to decline but could not say anything to his big boss.

    Unlike the trail that Su Ruan and the others had used as the entrance, Long Fei began to walk from the residence. The trail was long and they had to walk for more than an hour.

    "Nothing much." Long Yu Heng smiled. "Fu Xing, if you''re tired, just take a rest. " He glanced at his watch and spoke, "The sunrise should start in a few minutes."

    Fu Xing looked at the two men and decided not to speak too much. He took out his flask and drank the hot tea. A sigh escaped him as his body warmed up.

    Long Fei was secretly watching over Su Ruan when a thought came to his mind. "That''s right, we''re expecting a guest this weekend. Yu Heng, help me to look after him."

    It was rare for the Long Fei to receive a guest. Hearing that Long Fei wanted him to entertain a guest, Long Yu Heng became curious. "Who is it?"

    "It''s that boy." Long Fei looked away, avoiding his cousin''s eyes. "Lu Xun''s brother-in-law, Song Wei."

    "You want me to babysit?" Long Yu Heng felt an incoming headache.

    It would not be the first time for Song Wei to visit this town, but that boy was such a fanboy that he would follow Long Fei anywhere he went to. Long Yu Heng really could not understand what was so good about following Long Fei around.

    "It shouldn''t be too hard. Just don''t let him run into trouble."

    "But he''s coming to this town to see you."

    Long Fei raised a brow. "Didn''t you say that I should hurry and bring home a wife? I need to work harder before the elders found out about her first."

    Long Yu Heng narrowed his eyes when he could not find any words to refute. It was really not easy for him as Long Fei''s right-hand man.

    Fu Xing overheard this important conversation and stared at his boss with his eyes wide.

    President Long Fei is looking for a wife? Did he already have his target?

    Fu Xing thought of how hard it was for him to work for Long Fei. Suddenly, he started to pity the woman that his boss had set his eyes on. It would not be easy for her to deal with President Long Fei''s constantly changing mood.

    Soon, the surroundings around them started to get brighter.

    At the side, Su Ruan took out her phone just like everyone else to record this beautiful sunrise.

    The chattering voice became livelier, but still, the group did not dare to talk too loud and make the young masters from Long''s family unhappy.

    After recording a few videos and taking a few pictures, Su Ruan posted them to her social media and slid her phone back into her pocket.

    A water flask appeared in front of her and the smell of coffee wafted around her.

    "Sister Ruan, have a drink. It will help you to warm up a little."

    Su Ruan took the flask and took a couple of sips. Then, she glanced at the boy who Ma Yu Xi fancied. "I saw the two of you chatting earlier. Did you make any progress?"

    "What progress? He was only asking if I was familiar with Young Master Long."

    "You fool. Since he took the initiative to speak to you, then you should take this chance to continue the conversation."

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a long sigh. "Then what am I supposed to do? The moment I saw him up close, I got so scared to talk to him."

    Su Ruan chuckled at her cousin''s reaction. Why didn''t she realize that Ma Yu Xi was this adorable?

    At this time, one of the people from the group suggested that they should prepare to head back.. Su Ruan drank her coffee and finally packed up.

 Chapter 55 - Separated

    Following the group, Su Ruan began to climb down the mountain while listening to her cousin talking to her about their breakfast spot.

    Su Ruan had thought that Ma Yu Xi was going to take her to that bakery caf¨¦ again but as the boy she fancied was on his day off, Ma Yu Xi did not see any point to visit that place.

    It turned out that the girl was really visiting that bakery to spy on that boy.

    Su Ruan watched the boy from the corner of her eyes and thought her cousin really had good taste. The boy was really good-looking.

    Someone from the group approached Ma Yu Xi and began to chat with her about their orchard.

    Su Ruan took this chance to snap a few photos and planned to upload them to her social media when she got back.

    But perhaps, the morning was a bit cold and the trail that they used was filled with fogs. When Su Ruan looked up again, she realized that she has been separated from the group and could no longer hear their voices.

    A few cursing words escaped her. Su Ruan stood still at her position and wondered what she was supposed to do next.

    Taking a deep breath, she told herself not to panic ad observe her surroundings first. Fortunately, the fog was not so thick and she could still see everything around her.

    Finding that the trail seemed a little familiar, Su Ruan began to contemplate whether she should head down on her own, or wait on the spot for a while.

    If she was not mistaken, there were a few small groups that decided to stay around the peak to take some pictures. Perhaps, if she waited, she would run into them, and then she could follow them down.

    Her movement halted the moment she heard a little movement coming from her east. Her heartbeat accelerated, wondering if she might stumble into some animals.

    "Miss Su?"

    Hearing that familiar voice, Su Ruan did not know whether she should be relieved or worried. Turning around, Su Ruan could see Long Fei and his friends walking over to her.

    "Why are you here alone?" Long Fei asked. "Why aren''t you with your group?"

    Her gaze shifted towards the two men that were walking with Long Fei. If she was not mistaken, one of them was Long Fei''s cousin and the other was his assistant.

    "I didn''t pay attention and got separated from them," Su Ruan answered.

    A light flashed in Long Fei''s eyes, but it disappeared quickly before anyone could notice them.

    Long Fei certainly did not expect that he would have this fate to run into Su Ruan. Initially, he only planned to make his presence when he decided to show up in the mountain.

    He wanted to get closer to Su Ruan slowly until she began to trust that he had no bad intention towards her.

    "If you don''t mind, we can lead you down," Long Fei said.

    Long Fei was very familiar with the mountain and knew that Su Ruan and the others should enter the mountain through the entrance gate.

    Su Ruan heaved in relief. "Thank you, President Long. This is my first time coming to the mountain. I''m not very familiar with the trail here."

    "It''s fine." Long Fei waved his hand. "Just call me Long Fei. Hearing you addressing me as President Long made me think that I am back in Capital City."

    Su Ruan smiled but did not answer. The last time, her grandpa had mentioned that everyone in this town would call him Young Master Long. She wondered if she should address him as such as well. After all, Long Fei¡­ seemed a little inappropriate.

    Her gaze then fell on Long Fei''s assistant. Su Ruan could not help but shiver at the thought that she get to be close to this big shot as well.

    While she was doing her homework to prepare for that interview, Su Ruan had learned a few things about Long Fei''s assistant, Fu Xing as well.

    It was said that whenever President Long Fei was not around in Capital City, Fu Xing would control Blue Media Group and help his boss to make a few decisions.

    In the business world, a lot of people respected Fu Xing as well.

    "Right, let me introduce you to my companions," Long Fei spoke when he noticed that Su Ruan was looking at them. "Miss Su, you might still remember my cousin, Long Yu Heng."

    "Hello, Miss Su." A bright smile curled on his lips. Long Yu Heng had thought that he would have to stand at the side and pretended that he did not exist. He did not expect that Long Fei would introduce him to Su Ruan.

    These days, Long Yu Heng found that it was getting hard trying to understand Long Fei''s mind.

    "And this is my assistant, Fu Xing," Long Fei continued. "Fu Xing, this is Miss Su Ruan."

    "Hello, Miss Su." Fu Xing went over to shake his hand with the girl. It was then that he realized that the person in front of him seemed familiar.

    Miss Su Ruan? Wasn''t she''s the one that his boss wanted to employ? Previously, his boss had set up an interview just to hire her.

    Back then, Fu Xing was arranged to wait for her arrival downstairs and had seen her picture. However, the last time he had seen her, Su Ruan was wearing makeup. Now that she was on the mountain with no makeup on, Fu Xing almost did not recognize her.

    His mouth opened to say something but after meeting his boss''s penetrating gaze, Fu Xing quickly took a step back and swallowed the questions he wanted to ask.

    Fu Xing''s thought went back to his boss''s conversation with Long Yu Heng on the peak just now. Suddenly, Fu Xing was looking at Su Ruan in a different light.

    Just then, Su Ruan''s phone started to ring.

    Su Ruan accepted the phone call and heard Ma Yu Xi''s anxious tone.

    "Sister Ruan! Where are you? I turned around for one second and you are no longer behind us. Tell me your location. I''ll go and find you right away."

    Ma Yu Xi was scared. If something happened to Su Ruan, then she would not have the courage to face her family. After all, it was her idea to come up the mountain to hike.

    "Yu Xi, relax."

    Ma Yu Xi wanted to cry. How can she relax in this situation?

    "I ran into that Young Master Long and his group," Su Ruan explained.

    "Ah?" Ma Yu Xi was shocked.

    "He said he will help me to get down."

    "Miss Su, just tell your cousin that you will meet her at the parking lot," Long Fei said.

    On the other line, Ma Yu Xi heard the man''s voice and was finally at ease that her cousin was not alone.

    "Yu Xi, just stay with that group first. I''ll meet you at the parking lot, alright?"

 Chapter 56 - Not A Dangerous Man

    After exchanging a few words with her cousin and ensuring her that she was alright, Su Ruan followed Long Fei to climb down the mountain.

    The man was leading her while his cousin and assistant were walking at the back.

    Fu Xing watched Su Ruan and finally turned to Long Yu Heng. They have walked around the mountain for a while and he could no longer suppress his curiosity.

    "Yu Heng, tell me¡­ Is President Long is wooing Miss Su?" Fu Xing whispered once he was sure that they were far enough to be heard.

    Long Yu Heng glanced at the two people who were walking in front of them but did not say anything.

    "Are you not going to tell me anything?" Fu Xing asked again. "I overheard your conversation with President Long earlier. Were you guys talking about Miss Su?"

    "Fu Xing, there are certain things that you cannot say out loud." Long Yu Heng continued to look at Long Fei, wondering if this sharp-eared man was listening to their conversation.

    Fu Xing heaved a sigh and decided to ask again when the two of them were alone. Meanwhile, his gaze was still on Su Ruan. His intuition was telling him that he had made the right guess.

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan continued to be wary around Long Fei.

    Although this man had saved her from drowning once, Su Ruan thought that she needed to be cautious around this man after he had mentioned the story about the lake''s dragon. She couldn''t help but think that Long Fei was not a simple person.

    Of course, Long Fei was aware that someone was watching him. Su Ruan''s gaze was too penetrating and he couldn''t ignore her.

    However, her attitude towards him had confirmed his suspicion. Su Ruan was indeed a little afraid of him. He thought about the dreams she had been having the past few days and frowned.

    Long Fei had never thought that the reason Su Ruan had never shown up in D Town again was that she had seen him shift during their childhood.

    Back then, she had promised that she would come back to visit him again.

    The young him would often sneak into the orchard just to find her. However, he had never seen her again. Later, he began to suspect that perhaps, the girl he was looking for was not related to the Ma family.

    Because of that, finding her got more difficult. He had almost given up until he pick up the scent of her blood in her friend''s car.

    "This isn''t the trail that we use to climb up." Su Ruan broke up the silence between them.

    She has been keeping her eyes on Long Fei for a long time and finally realized that the trail that Long Fei had used was different.

    Long Fei turned around and smiled. "There are a few trails that would lead you to the peak. I''m not sure which trail did you and our friends had taken when you climbed up earlier. But rest assured, this trail will also lead you to see your cousin."

    Su Ruan smiled. She hoped that this young master would not misunderstand that she had thought of him as a trafficker.

    "Actually, this was the easiest trail to climb down from this mountain. The trail is not that steep and this will save a lot of time for us to climb down."

    Since Su Ruan had spoken, Long Fei wanted to use this chance to continue to speak with her. Perhaps, he could prove to her that he was not a dangerous man.

    Long Fei slowed down to let Su Ruan catch up so that the two of them would be able to walk closer. His lips curled into a smile when Su Ruan got closer to him. The blood in his body grew warmer as he felt her presence.

    "Miss Su, you have been in this town for a few days now. Have you visited a lot of places?"

    "Not really. These past few days, I have been accompanying my mother and grandparents," Su Ruan answered.

    Initially, she did not want to engage in any conversation with Long Fei. However, this man was helping her and she did not want to be seen as rude.

    Saying a few words would not do her any harm, right?

    "Then, I hope that you are planning to stay in this town longer. There are a lot of interesting places in this town. It would be a shame if you did not visit them all."

    "Mhmm¡­ I''ve heard my cousin and grandpa mentioned a few attraction places. I will surely visit them before I leave."

    Long Fei pondered for a while and spoke "If you need someone as a tour guide, you can always ask me. I know a lot of good spots to visit and activities to do."

    From the corner of his eyes, Long Fei could see that Long Yu Heng was trying to sneak and listen to their conversation. He shot him a warning glance and Long Yu Heng quickly gave up on his idea.

    That busybody...

    "I shouldn''t trouble you."

    "It''s not a trouble. After all, I''m on holiday and did not have many things to do."

    Su Ruan was finding his words hard to believe. How could a big boss such as Long Fei had not many things to do.

    "We will see." Su Ruan did not want to make a promise.

    The two of them continued to walk down the mountain. Long Fei lowered his head to hide his smile. It seemed that he needed to think of something to trick Su Ruan to go out with him.

    Otherwise, how else could the two of them get closer?

    After walking for almost twenty minutes, the group finally arrived at the parking lot where Ma Yu Xi had parked her pickup truck.

    The moment Ma Yu Xi saw her cousin, she quickly lurched forward and pulled Su Ruan into a tight hug. She was still feeling guilty that she had lost Su Ruan in the mountain.

    It was Su Ruan who had to help Ma Yu Xi to calm down.

    Just as they were planning to leave the place, Ma Yu Xi realized that there was another problem.

    Since Long Fei and his group had accompanied Su Ruan down, it would be difficult for them to return to their residence. After all, Long Fei and his group had climbed up the mountain through the trail closer to his place.

    After thinking for a while, Ma Yu Xi decided to offer the men a lift with her pickup truck.

 Chapter 57 - Have Breakfast Together

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at the rearview mirror and felt a surge of exhilaration upon seeing the three handsome men sitting in her pickup truck.

    She couldn''t help thinking how her days had gotten a lot stranger after her cousin, Su Ruan had returned to this town.

    It was strange enough for her to be sitting at the same table as this young master and now, she was giving him a lift.

    The atmosphere in the car was quiet. Ma Yu Xi wanted to break the silence but was afraid that she was going to make the young master upset. After all, she had often heard from the others that Young Master Long''s temperance was not that good.

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at her cousin beside her but the girl was busy with something on her phone.

    "Miss Ma, if it''s convenience, you can drop us over at the town center," Long Fei spoke as the pickup truck made a turn.

    "Ah? The town center?" Ma Yu Xi snapped out of her thought and looked into the rear mirror again to watch the man nod. "Alright. Coincidentally, my cousin and I are heading in the same direction."

    Long Fei rubbed his fingers together and smiled. "That''s good. We won''t be causing too much trouble for you, then."

    "It''s not a trouble at all. Young Master Long, you and your friends had helped my cousin down the mountain. If it''s not because of you, I really did not know what I should do." An idea suddenly came to her mind. "If you don''t mind, how about joining us for breakfast?"

    Su Ruan turned her head to her cousin and stared at her with her eyes wide, wondering what she was up to. Why would this girl suddenly invite the men for breakfast?

    But of course, Ma Yu Xi did not notice her cousin''s look.

    "It will be my treat. It''s the least I can do to thank you for your help," Ma Yu Xi continued. However, the moment she finished her words, Ma Yu Xi began to reflect whether inviting the men for breakfast together would be a good idea.

    Someone like Young Master Long Fei would not possibly want to join them for breakfast, right?

    "Alright."

    Long Fei''s answer surprised everyone in the vehicle.

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at the man again, wondering if she had misheard his answer.

    "If you don''t mind, I would like to recommend a place," Long Fei said. Since Su Ruan''s cousin had given him this chance, it would be too foolish for him to throw it away.

    A light flashed in Ma Yu Xi''s eyes upon hearing the man''s words. It seemed that she really did not mishear his words. This young master had agreed to have breakfast together.

    With Long Fei''s direction, the pickup truck finally stopped at the west part of the town center.

    Perhaps, the day was still early and there were not a lot of people around. Therefore, no one saw Long Fei come out from Ma Yu Xi''s pickup truck.

    Ma Yu Xi scanned her surroundings and began to wonder if there would be an open restaurant around this area.

    Just then, Su Ruan appeared at her side and poked her on the waist. "What are you thinking?"

    Ma Yu Xi blinked. "Sister Ruan, what do you mean?"

    "Why would you suddenly ask them to have breakfast together?"

    "They have helped you on the mountain. Of course, we will have to be polite." Ma Yu Xi shot a puzzled look at her cousin.

    Seeing the girl''s pure and innocent look, Su Ruan could only heave a sigh. She still thought that it was a dangerous thing to follow Long Fei and be around him.

    If it was Long Fei who had suggested they have breakfast together, Su Ruan would most definitely think that this man bore an intention. However, the person who suggested for them to have breakfast together was Ma Yu Xi.

    Meanwhile, Long Yu Heng and Fu Xing were both dumbfounded when Long Fei had suddenly suggested Ma Yu Xi drop them at the town center.

    They both understood that this man had a certain agenda but why did he have to drag them along to pick up his wife?

    "Ah Fei, how are we going to return to the residence after this?" Long Yu Heng asked.

    This was his main concern. After all, the town center was quite far from the residence. It was a fifteen minutes drive from the residence to arrive at this part of the town.

    Could it be that Long Fei was planning to ask Miss Ma Yu Xi to send them back to the residence after he got his chance to have breakfast with Miss Su Ruan together?

    "What''s wrong?" Long Fei raised a brow. "We can just swim back to the residence."

    Long Yu Heng''s expression stiffened upon hearing his answer.

    Not everyone is a good swimmer like Long Fei. The distance was quite far. Long Yu Heng was sure that he could only swim halfway back. Moreover, they still have Fu Xing around. It couldn''t be that Long Fei was planning to reveal his other form to this poor assistant?

    Fu Xing would definitely pass out from fear.

    Long Fei saw the look on the two men''s faces and chuckled. "I''m joking with you. We can take a boat to head back after this."

    The corner of Long Yu Her''s mouth started to twitch.

    When did Long Fei know how to pull a joke? It seemed that Long Fei''s temperament had indeed changed after spending too much time being around Su Ruan.

    Long Yu Heng started to scan around their surroundings. He could only hope that they won''t run into anyone from the family today. With Long Fei''s change these days it would be hard to continue keeping his secret.

    Long Fei led them to a restaurant just beside the lake.

    The restaurant was empty when they walked in. Aside from an old man, reading his newspaper at the counter, there was no one else in there.

    Su Ruan looked inside and wondered if this place was really open for business.

    The old man looked up from his newspaper with a frown. However, the look on his face quickly changed the moment he saw Long Fei.

    "Young Master Long," the old man greeted.

    "Uncle Liang," Long Fei nodded politely.

    The old man glanced at the people who came with Long Fei together.. He flashed them an amiable smile and led them to a table enough to fit five people together.

 Chapter 58 - You Know Me Best

    Su Ruan hesitated for a brief second before she finally took a seat at the round table.

    Fortunately, the old man came over with the menu quickly. Su Ruan heaved, feeling relieved that she could avoid an awkward conversation with the men.

    She lowered her head and read the menu seriously, avoiding others'' gazes.

    Ma Yu Xi was different than her. In just a few minutes, the girl was already conversing with Long Fei''s cousin as if they had known each other for a long time.

    The corner of her lips started to twitch as Ma Yu Xi and Long Yu Heng were discussing a few scenic places in the town.

    Why did she have this feeling as if they were tricked?

    The group started to order their food and Su Ruan felt a little at loss having nothing for her to keep her distracted.

    Long Fei naturally noticed her mood. He lowered his head and a faint smile curled on his lips. Just how was he supposed to make Su Ruan more at ease and lower her guard towards him.

    Most importantly, why was Su Ruan this scared of him?

    It couldn''t be that the story he had told her the last time had left a scar? Long Fei began to wonder if his approach was wrong from the very beginning.

    Of course, as someone who had no experience in dating and such, it was not strange for Long Fei to make a mistake.

    He grew up knowing that he could not be with another woman other than the girl he had seen in the orchard. Later, when he saw that he could not find her, Long Fei began to focus on the family and growing their business.

    He was prepared from the beginning that he was going to stay single. Where did he have the chance to date or learn how to pick up girls.

    He often told Long Yu Heng that he knew what he was doing, but he was only pretending. No matter what, he did not want his cousin to know about his love life. It would be too embarrassing for him.

    The sound of a phone snapped him out of his thought.

    Long Fei looked up and saw Su Ruan excusing herself to answer the phone call. He watched her through the glass and was in deep thought.

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan heaved in relief when her phone started to ring. Without looking at the caller ID, she excused herself to answer the call.

    A breath of relief escaped her the moment she stepped outside the place.

    However once she saw the name on the caller ID, Su Ruan''s face began to change again.

    She did not want to pick up this phone call, but she had already stepped outside. After hesitating for a few seconds, Su Ruan finally accepted the phone call.

    "Su Ruan," Yu Zhi Yi''s voice was heard on the other line. "I saw the picture you posted on your moments. Are you still in D Town?"

    "Mhm¡­ My cousin took me around this place and said that the sunrise scenery in this town is quite lovely."

    "You made me want to visit you in your hometown as well."

    Su Ruan smiled but the smile did not reach her eyes. "Aren''t you busy with your wedding preparation? Why would you still have time to visit me?"

    Yu Zhi Yi heaved a long sigh but did not say anything for a long time. "Su Ruan, I miss you."

    Her heartbeat accelerated and her mind went blank for a few seconds. However, Su Ruan quickly composed herself, telling her not to harbor any hope that she would have a future with Yu Zhi Yi.

    When she came to Yu Zhi Yi''s party, Su Ruan had decided to let him go. Yu Zhi Yi can only be her best friend and nothing else.

    "What''s wrong?" Su Ruan asked. "Something happened?"

    Yu Zhi Yi laughed. "It was always you who know me best."

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Yu Zhi Yi was always good with his words. Otherwise, how could she ever fall for him and wait for him for years? It was his words that always give her the confidence that someday, he would choose her.

    "Recently, Shen Yue has been busy with her works and research," Yu Zhi Yi said. "You could say that I''m bored having no one to hang around with me in Capital City."

    She walked closer to the lake and leaned on the rails. "You weren''t married yet but you are already very clingy?" Su Ruan teased him to lighten the mood.

    "Su Ruan, do you think that I have made the right decision when I decided to marry Shen Yue?"

    Her expression froze. Never in million years would Su Ruan think that she would hear her friend say something like this.

    She took a deep breath and spoke, "Yu Zhi Yi, you have already made your decision. Why are you suddenly asking me this question?"

    "Do you think it''s a wedding jittery?"

    Su Ruan pursed her lips and finally sighed. "I don''t know. But Yu Zhi Yi, I have been friends with you for years and watched you date many types of girls. The beauty, the smart, the funny ones. However, I have never seen you with that infatuated expression on your face whenever you talked about Miss Shen."

    "You think I''m infatuated?"

    "Otherwise?" Su Ruan raised a brow. "At least I can see that you are very in love with your fiance. If you have any issues with her, you should sit down and talk. Stop thinking too much. If your fiance knew what was on your mind, she would be unhappy."

    "You are right."

    The friends continued to chat for a few minutes and Su Ruan finally hung up the phone call. She turned around, wanting to return to the restaurant, and saw that Long Fei was leaning on the wall, watching her.

    This man, was he waiting for her?

    The moments their gazes met, Long Fei flashed her a smile and walked over.

    "President Long, why are you here?"

    Long Fei stared at her face and spoke, "Miss Su, are you afraid of me?"

    Su Ruan was taken aback upon hearing his question. "No. Why would you think this way?"

    "I had this feeling as if you are avoiding me."

    "Then you are wrong." Su Ruan clenched her phone a little tighter as she lied.

    Long Fei narrowed his eyes and looked at the lake again. "Miss Su, what do you think about this lake?"

    He was changing the subject, making her confused. "It''s pretty."

    Suddenly, the smile on his face widened. "It''s good that you think you think it''s pretty." Long Fei opened his mouth as if to say something but in the end, he stopped himself. "Let''s get back in the restaurant. I came out to tell you that the food has arrived."

    Su Ruan watched the man''s back with a puzzled look on her face.

    This person.... just what was he trying to do and say?

 Chapter 59 - Hes Interested In You

    When Su Ruan returned to her seat, she found that the table was full of food, and her cousin, Ma Yu Xi was still talking to Long Fei''s cousin about a few scenic places in the town.

    Hearing her footsteps, Ma Yu Xi turned around and looked up with a smile. "Sister Ruan, come over. We were just talking about a few fishing spots in this town and Mr. Long said he knew a good place and invited us to come over with them."

    Su Ruan looked at her cousin with a dazed expression. She had merely left the room a while ago and this group was already making plans to go fishing?

    When did Ma Yu Xi and these guys become this close?

    Meanwhile, Long Fei lowered his head to hide the smile on his face. He was still thinking of a plan to draw Su Ruan closer to him.

    Just now, he was about to find an opportunity to ask Su Ruan out when he overheard the conversation between Long Yu Heng and Ma Yu Xi.

    His gaze shifted to his cousin and Long Fei was secretly thankful for this person''s unintentional help.

    "Your cousin was mentioning about a few fishing spots she had frequently go to," Long Yu Heng said. "I mentioned my favorite spot and Miss Ma said she has never visited them before."

    Ma Yu Xi stared at her cousin and blinked. "Sister Ruan, let''s go."

    The corner of her lips started to twitch. How could Ma Yu Xi easily accept a stranger''s invitation?

    "Why didn''t I know that you like fishing?" Su Ruan asked.

    "After working at the orchard for the whole day, going fishing can be very relaxing," Ma Yu Xi said. "In the past, I always followed my father around during our off day.."

    Su Ruan had only returned to the town for a few days. There were a lot of things that she was not very familiar with about her mother''s side of the family.

    "Sister Ruan, I haven''t taken you around the lake on a boat, right? We can use this opportunity to bring you sightseeing around this lake."

    Su Ruan saw the pleading look on her cousin''s face and suddenly had an incoming headache. Ma Yu Xi continued to look at her expectantly and after a few seconds, her resolve began to move.

    "Alright," Su Ruan finally gave in. "You know this place best. I''ll follow whatever arrangement you have for me."

    Anyway, Su Ruan did not think that she would be able to let her cousin go with the guys alone. It would be better if she followed and keep her eyes on her cousin.

    Hearing her answer, Ma Yu Xi started to smile happily.

    Su Ruan sat down and ate her breakfast. At the side, Ma Yu Xi continued to make plans with Long Yu Heng regarding their fishing trip together.

    After their breakfast ended, Ma Yu Xi was surprised that Long Fei had already settled their bills.

    Initially, she planned to treat them breakfast as Long Fei and the others had helped Su Ruan to come down the mountain safely. She did not think that Long Fei would be the one to treat their breakfast instead.

    "How much is the meal? I''ll pay you back." Ma Yu Xi looked at Long Fei anxiously.

    Although she was able to get along with Long Yu Heng and Fu Xing well, she still found that Long Fei was a little difficult to get along with. Long Fei was the young master of the Long family and Ma Yu Xi did not dream to be close to someone like him.

    "Miss Ma, it''s fine." Long Fei flashed an amiable smile at them. "I wouldn''t feel at ease to let the lady pay for the meal."

    Ma Yu Xi''s cheek was tinted pink. "This¡­ wouldn''t do. After all, I was the one who invited you to have breakfast together."

    "It''s fine." Long Fei pondered for a while and spoke, "How about this, if you wanted to thank me, then how about sending over a box of cherries to my place?"

    Hearing his words, Ma Yu Xi''s expression began to light up. "Then, it''s settled. I will ask someone to deliver a box of cherries to you later."

    Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan and smiled.

    It seemed that to get closer to Su Ruan, he might have to get closer to her family members first. Ma Yu Xi seemed a very good place for him to start. Ma Yu Xi might be a little reserved around him but unlike Su Ruan, she did not have her guards up all the time.

    After exchanging a few words, the group finally parted.

    As Long Fei and his men had some business in the town center, Su Ruan and Ma Yu XI did not ask much and turned around to leave.

    The window rolled down and Su Ruan leaned in her seat while watching the scenery outside. At the side, Ma Yu Xi was singing along to the song on the radio.

    Feeling slightly cold, Su Ruan rolled the windows up and turned to her cousin. Sensing her gaze, Ma Yu Xi turned down the radio and smiled.

    "Sister Ruan, what did you and Young Master Long talk about when the two of you were outside?"

    Su Ruan recalled turning around after the phone call with Yu Zhi Yi and finding Long Fei waiting for her outside the restaurant. "Nothing much. He said he came out only to inform me that the food has arrived."

    Su Ruan definitely did not want to tell her cousin about her strange conversation with Long Fei earlier. She still did not understand why Long Fei would ask her those questions.

    "Oh." Ma Yu Xi sighed. There was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

    "What''s wrong?" Su Ruan laughed. "Why do you look disappointed?"

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at her cousin. After giving a few thoughts, the smile on her face widened. "Sister Ruan, what do you think about Young Master Long Fei?"

    Her eyes narrowed. "Ma Yu Xi, don''t tell me that you are interested in him?" A teasing smile curled on her lips.

    "No way! Sister Ruan, it''s not like that." Ma Yu Xi looked at Su Ruan with her eyes wide before she focused on the road again. "I have no interest in him. However, I do think that he is interested in you."

    The smile on her face quickly faded away. After a few seconds, Su Ruan began to laugh. "How is that possible? Don''t joke around with me."

    "I''m not. You didn''t know this, but after you leave the restaurant to answer the call, Young Master Long''s eyes were on you all the time. From the look at it, I think that he''s interested in you. Otherwise, how can he be so kind to treat us for a meal?"

    "You''re thinking too much. He was being courteous." Su Ruan rolled her eyes, too lazy to listen to her cousin''s nonsense.. A few seconds later, she began to ponder about Ma Yu Xi''s words again, and then, she quickly dismissed that thought.

 Chapter 60 - Buying Fruits

    For the next few days, Su Ruan has been accompanying her grandpa and the others in the orchard.

    Other than picking up the fruits, there was also a space beside the orchard where a few workers were processing those fruits and turning them into other products. This way, they could prevent the fruit from spoilage.

    Su Ruan took a sip of the cherry juice and smacked her lips.

    "How was it? Delicious, right?"

    She raised her head and saw that her grandpa was looking at her expectantly. The corner of her lips tilted up into a smile. "Un. They are delicious."

    "Then, you should drink a little more." Ma Hao Dong turned around and picked up the bottle of juice at the side.

    Su Ruan looked at her grandpa and felt as if she was being pampered as if she was a little child. These days, her grandparents have been feeding her a lot of food that she started to feel that she ad gained some weight.

    However, the food that her grandparents prepared was too good that she could not say no to them.

    "Alright, dad, stop feeding her, or else, she might not be able to eat for dinner." Ma Zheng Zheng appeared at the side and heaved helplessly as she looked at her daughter.

    "One more glass wouldn''t hurt," Su Ruan said. She winked at her grandpa and watched as he helped her to pour another glass of drinks.

    The family was having a good time when they heard a little commotion from the outside.

    Ma Hao Dong frowned. He turned around and decided to check on what was going on.

    Su Ruan exchanged a look with her mother and decided to follow her grandpa to look at what was going on.

    When they came out, Su Ruan was surprised to see a group of people gathering around someone familiar.  Su Ruan had thought that she would only see Long Fei again this soon. After all, she was going to see him again in a few days as her cousin had already accepted his invitation to go fishing together.

    But, what was this person doing here?

    The workers started to make room to let Ma Hao Dong and the others come forward.

    "Young Master Long," Ma Hao Dong stepped forward to greet him. "Why are you here?"

    "Old Man Ma." Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan who was among the crowd before he looked at Ma Hao Dong again. "I''m sorry. I should have informed you earlier that I am coming to visit."

    Ma Hao Dong waved his hand. "It''s fine. Young Master Long, you are always welcome to our place whenever you want."

    This man was his granddaughter''s benefactor. Of course, Ma Hao Dong would be very polite to Long Fei.

    "Previously, your granddaughter sent a box of cherries to my place," Long Fei spoke.

    A few days ago, Ma Yu Xi had sent him a box of cherries to thank him for his help at the mountain. Long Fei had almost forgotten about this box of fruit until the auntie started to serve it to Song Wei to eat.

    An idea came to his mind and he decided to bring this boy to the orchard.

    Long Fei glanced at the boy beside him and smiled. "Coincidentally, we are having a guest at our place and he happened to like your fruits. Song Wei, didn''t you say that you wanted to bring some fruits for your sister?"

    Song Wei stared at the man beside him in puzzlement.

    He only came to the town to learn a few things from this young master. Suddenly this man dragged him over to this orchard and said that he had some business.

    Song Wei did not remember that he had said anything about buying cherries for his sister.

    However, when he saw the look on Long Fei''s face, Song Wei decided to go along with his words.

    "Yes. That''s right. I''ve tried your fruits and thought that they are too good," Song Wei played along. "I wanted to bring back a few of them for my family."

    Su Ruan watched the man suspiciously but she could not find anything wrong.

    Ma Hao Dong looked at this new customer and his expression lit up. "Then, let me help you to choose a few boxes of the fruits. How many boxes are you going to get?"

    "Five boxes will be enough," Long Fei answered for him.

    Song Wei stared back at Long Fei with a dazed look in his eyes.

    What was he supposed to do with that many boxes of fruits? How was he supposed to carry them to the airport?

    "Then, mister, please come with me," Ma Hao Dong said to Song Wei. "I''ll show you around this place. Other than the fruits, we also have other products. If you liked it, you could pack a few of them home. I will give you a huge discount."

    "Hmm¡­" Long Fei turned to Song Wei and nodded. "Go ahead and pick whatever you like. Don''t worry about the money. I''ll pay for everything."

    Song Wei''s eyes lit up. Since Long Fei was willing to pay for it, then, he shouldn''t be too polite. He followed Ma Hao Dong into the building and found that Long Fei did not come over with him. He was about to turn around and call his idol, but Ma Hao Dong had already ushered him into the warehouse.

    As Song Wei walked into the building, Long Fei took out his phone and dialed a number.

    Seeing that Long Fei was on the phone, the onlookers began to disperse to give him space.

    Long Fei watched Su Ruan from the corner of his eyes and finally hung out the phone call as he watched her turn around, heading into the room.

    "Miss Su," Long Fei called before she could leave. He watched as she turned to look at him and smiled. "Is it alright if I take a look around this orchard?"

    "Sure." Su Ruan scanned her surroundings, wanting to let one of the workers accompany Long Fei as he walked around. However, she soon found that the others had resumed their work.

    "Su Ruan, go ahead and accompany him," Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. "Mom is just afraid that Young Master Long would get lost in there. Just don''t go too far into the orchard."

    Su Ruan hesitated for a few seconds and finally nodded.

 Chapter 61 - A Loud Sound

    "It''s fine." Long Fei smiled at Su Ruan''s mother. "Auntie, I can be on my own."

    Su Ruan halted when she heard his words. Just as she think that it was better for her to leave Long Fei alone, her mother made a gesture to her to stay by Long Fei''s side.

    After all, this was her grandpa''s orchard. It wouldn''t look good for her to leave him alone without anyone around.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan continued to follow Long Fei at a certain distance. She watched as Long Fei walked leisurely, looking around the place as if he was going on sightseeing.

    She could not deny that walking around her grandpa''s orchard can be very relaxing. The wind was blowing softly and the rustling of the leaves could be heard.

    The surroundings in the orchard were too relaxing that she had fallen asleep under the shady trees while reading a book.

    She really liked staying around this place.

    After following him for a while, Su Ruan suddenly had this feeling as if Long Fei was quite familiar with the orchard.

    Just as she was thinking about this matter, Long Fei suddenly stopped on his track and stared at a certain tree on his left side.

    Seeing that he was in deep thought, Su Ruan followed his gaze and wonder what he was looking at. She really could not understand what was going on in his mind.

    Then, Long Fei turned and flinched, as if he had only noticed Su Ruan''s presence behind him. "Miss Su. Sorry, I only wanted to take a walk around this place. The surroundings around here are quite pleasing."

    "It''s fine." Su Ruan thought about his reaction when he saw her and immediately felt a little guilty that she was following him around without making a sound. After pondering for a while, Su Ruan decided to explain. "My mother was worried that you might get lost in this orchard. Once you get farther inside this orchard, everything around you might look all the same."

    Long Fei raised a brow. "Have you gotten lost in this orchard before?"

    "Only the first few times after I came over to this place. I think I''m getting familiar with the surroundings. It''s fine as long as I didn''t go too far."

    The orchard was quite large.

    Usually, Su Ruan did not dare to go further unless there was someone else with her. If she walked around absentmindedly, she might snap out of her trance without knowing how to return.

    Long Fei lowered his head to hide the smile on his face. He seemed to remember that the first time he saw Su Ruan, the girl had also got lost in the orchard after playing around with her cousins. At that time, he had snuck into Old Man Ma''s orchard as he was avoiding the lessons from the elders.

    Somehow, he ran into that crying girl and helped her to return to the house. He told her not to mention his presence in the orchard and the little girl had obediently agreed.

    "Miss Su, if you don''t mind me asking, what kind of work do you do?"

    Su Ruan hesitated to answer when she heard his question. "I used to be a journalist."

    "Used to?"

    Su Ruan flashed him a faint smile. "I quit my job due to some reasons."

    Long Fei lowered his head and did not speak for a long time. "Then, are you planning to stay in this town for a while?"

    Su Ruan heaved a breath of relief when he did not ask her further about her reason. "I guess so. After all, it wasn''t easy for me to accompany my grandparents."

    The two exchanged a look. Long Fei was the first to look away and spoke, "We should get back. Otherwise, that boy would start to panic when he did not see me."

    Su Ruan nodded and did not inquire about the young man who came with him. She walked slowly until she realized that they were walking side by side.

    Because of their closeness, Long Fei could smell Su Ruan''s scent as the wind blew over. His hand tightened into a fist as he thought of how much her presence could influent him.

    Perhaps, this was the reason that the elders were anxious to find her.

    If they could get Su Ruan to their side, then it would be easier for them to control him.

    A loud sound could be heard, coming from the mountain.

    Su Ruan and Long Fei turned around simultaneously to look for the source of that sound. However, both of them could not see anything.

    "What was that?" Su Ruan asked in panic.

    Long Fei continued to scan around his surrounding. After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed as he focused in a direction. "Illegal loggers."

    Su Ruan turned to the man beside her in shock. Then, the sounds that she had heard just now, was the sound of a tree falling to the ground?

    It should be a very large tree for it to produce such a loud sound.

    Moreover, judging from Long Fei''s tone of voice, this doesn''t seem to be the first time that such things happened.

    The two of them were not the only ones who had heard the sound. From a distance away, Su Ruan could hear the workers whispering among themselves, questioning what was that sound and where did it come from.

    She remembered seeing the trees in the mountain while hiking with her cousin a few days ago. Looking at the sizes of those trees, Su Ruan could guess that some of them have been around for perhaps hundreds of years. It would be sad if someone cut down those trees.

    The sound of his phone broke the silence. Long Fei accepted the phone call but did not say anything for a long time. After a while, he slid his phone back into his pocket and looked at Su Ruan apologetically. "I''m sorry, Miss Su, but I have to leave now."

    Her eyes flickered, thinking that she had never seen Long Fei with such a serious look on his face before. After meeting him in this town, she had often seen him with a gentle side. The man often had a smile on his face.

    Without waiting for her, Long Fei turned around and jogged back to his vehicle where Song Wei was waiting for him,

    After exchanging a few words with Ma Hao Dong, Long Fei and Song Wei finally left.

    Su Ruan turned to look in the direction where Long Fei was looking at before and frowned.

 Chapter 62 - Scare Them

    When he returned to the residence, Long Fei sent Song Wei to rest in the courtyard before he left. When he came out, Long Yu Heng was already waiting for him with a tablet in his hand.

    "Are you going to the mountain to check what was going on?" Long Yu Heng asked. "Otherwise, should we let them cut more trees in this area?"

    D Town has been around for hundreds of years and the Long family has been protecting this land for a long time. He cannot let those illegal loggers do just as they pleased, destroying the ecosystem in this land.

    Long Fei was about to leave again when Long Yu Heng grabbed him in the arms, stopping him.

    His brow furrowed and he looked very furious.

    "Ah Fei, this time, they are not illegal loggers," Long Yu Heng spoke quickly before Long Fei would get impatient.

    His expression changed. Long Fei narrowed his eyes, staring dangerously at his right-hand man. "What do you mean they are not illegal loggers? This land is sacred and protected."

    Long Yu Heng fumbled with the tablet in his hand and finally showed him what was on the screen. "This time, it seemed that the mayor had approved it."

    Long Fei grabbed the tablet from his cousin to read what was written on the document.

    "The mayor planned to develop the west part of the mountain and turn it into a tourism area," Long Yu Heng continued to explain what he knew about the situation.

    The more Long Fei read, the angrier he got. His hand gripped tightly on the tablet until there was a crack on it.

    Long Yu Heng quickly took away his tablet and heaved in relief upon seeing that it was not dead. He had lost count of just how many tablets Long Fei had accidentally destroyed because of his anger.

    "Mayor Ding Wei?" Long Fei frowned as he recalled meeting the bald mayor last year. "Didn''t he know that the Long family is in charge of this land? How dare he."

    When Mayor Ding was chosen as the mayor, they have thought of him as someone who could help them to protect this town. Who would have thought that this man had changed his mind? Or was that after being in the position for a few years, this man had gotten greedy?

    "What are you planning to do now?"

    "Yu Heng, tell Fu Xing to investigate Mayor Ding for me."

    Long Yu Heng nodded. He could already imagine how Mayor Ding''s career would end after this.

    Just as he was about to pick up his phone and dialed Fu Xing''s number, Long Yu Heng saw from the corner of his eyes that Long Fei was about to leave again.

    "Ah Fei, where are you going?"

    "I still need to stop the loggers before Fu Xing could get the information we need," Long Fei answered.

    It might take a day for Fu Xing to investigate. Meanwhile, he could not sit still and wait for the loggers to cut down a few more trees.

    If the mountains are dying, then, the lake will die too. The lake was very important not only to the residents in this town but for their families as well.

    Long Fei especially depended a lot on this lake. Someone with a strange body condition like him has to rely on the lake to live.

    Without the lake, how could he, and the rest of his family still live their life? This was why the Long family has been protecting this land for years.

    This time, Long Yu Heng could no longer stop Long Fei from leaving. He watched the man disappear from his eyesight and frowned.

    The sky was going to turn dark in a few hours.

    Long Yu Heng did not know what Long Fei was planning to do to stop the loggers.

    After pondering over this matter for a while, Long Yu Heng finally turned around to head to their grandfather''s courtyard.

    In a situation like this, it would be better to let their grandfather know of the situation.

    ¡­

    The sky had already turned dark.

    Long Fei jogged up the mountain until he could hear the voices from a distance away. Squinting his eyes, Long Fei began to hide behind a tree to cover his presence.

    This man has been running around for a few hours, climbing up the mountain. However, he did not show any hint of tiredness. His expression and breathing were calm as if he had just come back from a leisure walk.

    Long Fei snuck slowly until he reached closer to the place where the group of people was camping. From his hiding place, he could see them eating and drinking while laughing out happily.

    Seeing the scene in front of him made him furious.

    This was not the first time that he had to drive away from the unwanted guests from the mountain. The last time he had appeared, the illegal loggers were too scared that they never come back for their equipment.

    Some rumors spread and he thought that no one would dare to come again.

    Since then, it has been more than a year since the last time someone dared to intrude on the mountain.

    Long Fei continued to observe the situation. There were at least half a dozen men drinking around the campfire.

    His eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings but could only find another one who was inside the tent.

    After assessing the situation, Long Fei began to make a move.

    He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. In just a few seconds, his body began to change. The blue and purple scales began to appear on his skin and his hands turned into claws. Once he thought that his size was enough to scare them, Long Fei began to move.

    The group of people was still drinking and chatting happily. They thought about the amount of money they were going to receive after cutting down some trees in this mountain and could not stop laughing.

    Suddenly, one of them stopped abruptly. The smile on his face faded and he was looking at the dark woods with a pale look on his face. "Did you guys see that?"

    His friends turned in the direction where he was looking but could not see a thing.

    "Old Yu, don''t scare us like this. You have done this trick so many times. There is no way that we are going to believe you again," the man with the thin mustache spoke.

    "No. I''m not tricking you." Old Yu spoke. "Listen carefully."

    The group heaved a sigh. Seeing the anxious look on Old Yu''s face, they all decided to entertain him.

    The surroundings became quiet. Suddenly, everyone saw it. The movement in the woods. It was moving fast that they could not see clearly what it was.

    Their faces turned pale. Just when everyone had thought that their mind was playing tricks on them, they finally saw the creature.

    "S-snake! A giant snake!"

    Their screams reverberated in the mountain.

 Chapter 63 - Injured

    Su Ruan woke up with a jolt.

    Her forehead was sweating and her breathing was erratic. Su Ruan pulled both knees to her chest and buried her face into them.

    A deep frown appeared on her face as she tried to recall her dreams but she could not remember anything. All she knew was that this time, it was not the same dreams that she usually had.

    It took her a while to calm down. Su Ruan stretched her hand to grab her phone on the side table. A deep sigh escaped her when she saw the time.

    Ever since she came to this town, she would often get up from her sleep around the same time. Perhaps, her biological clock was getting used to waking up this early.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan climbed down her bed and walked over to the window.

    Each night that she woke up at a time like this, Su Ruan like to walk to the window and to feel the cold wind while watching the night scenery.

    She pushed the window and looked at the moon and stars. No matter how many times she had watched this scene, Su Ruan thought that she would never get tired of this view.

    It seemed that she had made the right decision when she decided to return to this town. After staying in the city for years, being in a small town like this made her feel more at peace.

    The scenery was good and the air was fresh. She no longer has to rush around to get to work or face her annoying boss.

    The cold wind blew to her face, making her shiver. Just as Su Ruan was about to close the window and return to the bed, her eyes caught sight of something in the sky.

    Su Ruan rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on what she was seeing.

    From a distance, Su Ruan could hear a soft puffing sound. And just like that, the shadow she saw in the sky plunged down.

    Su Ruan stood at the window for a long time, unable to react. She was still having a hard time believing what she had seen with her eyes.

    The thing that had fallen from the sky¡­ what was it?

    A lot of thought went into her mind but Su Ruan still could not guess what she had just seen.

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and closed the window. She went back to her bed, intending to get more sleep.

    However, as soon as she pulled the blanket over her body, Su Ruan had a nagging feeling that she should not be sleeping.

    Her mind kept on thinking about the scene she had seen just now.

    After pondering over this matter for a while, Su Ruan jumped out of her bed. Putting on a thick jacket and grabbing her phone, she then left her room quietly.

    "Su Ruan, are you sure that this is a good idea?" She mumbled to herself.

    Even though she knew well that it would be safer to stay inside the house, her instinct was telling her that she should go out and look at what happened.

    Taking a deep breath, she snuck out of the house and headed to the orchard, to the place where she had seen that thing fall.

    ¡­

    Long Fei groaned lowly in anger.

    His heart would not stop muttering some cursing words as he thought of how he had fallen for this trap.

    When he entered the mountain and encountered the group of people, Long Fei was only planning to scare them to leave the mountain and never come again. He and the others before him had pulled this trick quite a few times and they had always worked.

    It was dark at night and the others could not see anything clearly. The workers would think that they had encountered a giant snake and escaped.

    Then, they would ask someone to spread some superstitious story and convinced them that they had angered the mountain''s keeper.

    After witnessing the slithering creature coming at them, the workers would be convinced.

    However, Long Fei did not expect that this time, the group had brought along someone from that troublesome group.

    Ever since he was a little boy, Long Fei would often hear from his grandfather and parents that he needed to be careful not to reveal himself.

    There was a group outside who loved creatures like him and wanted to kill him for money. The elders often reminded him that if he was caught by this group, then he could only wait for his death.

    The moment he saw that old man, coming out from the tent, Long Fei knew that he had fallen for his trick. This was not the first time that they have met. Long Fei always knew that this old man was leading a group to catch creatures such as him.

    That vicious old man had brought along some equipment that would make it easier for them to hurt him and weakened him.

    Long Fei had no other choice but to escape. However, he should not panic and fly up. Because of that, he was shot and had suffered greatly. Because of his injury, he could not shift to another form.

    Initially, Long Fei was planning to return to the lake. The water had a magical power for the Long family and he could heal faster if he plunged into the water.

    But thinking that there would be a few people waiting for him to enter the water, Long Fei quickly made a turn.

    At this time, the only thing that could heal him was to get closer to Su Ruan. As the woman''s face appeared in his mind, Long Fei sneakily entered slithered into the orchard. But before he could reach closer to Su Ruan, his body was unable to take it anymore and he fell to the ground.

    Long Fei could only stay there and prayed that Long Yu Heng would come quickly to save him. Otherwise, if their enemy found him first, then everything would be chaotic.

    If the group knew who he was and get his family, then, everyone, whether they have this power or not, will be killed.

    Leaning on the shady tree behind him, Long Fei closed his eyes, to bear with the pain. Su Ruan''s image came to his mind. At a time like this, he was longing to see her.

    The sounds of footsteps snapped him out of his thought. Long Fei bare his teeth and looked in the direction where the sound had come from.

    If the old man or his apprentices came to catch him, then, he will fight them to death.

    However, as the sounds of footsteps got closer, Long Fei began to lower his guard. His nose picked up the scent of someone familiar.

    Just as he thought that it would be impossible for Su Ruan to appear at this place, the woman came out from behind the trees.

 Chapter 64 - A Dragon

    Su Ruan had thought that she had imagined things a while ago.

    When she walked into the orchard with nothing other than her phone, Su Ruan had thought that she would find nothing. She was ready to walk a little bit before she would turn around and leave before she got too further into the orchard.

    However, just as she was about to turn around, Su Ruan heard the soft rustling sound.

    Her heart was pounding loudly and she decided to go and check at what it was. Her hand gripped tightly on her phone. At the first sign of danger, she was ready to make a run for it.

    She turned into a corner and finally saw what she was looking for.

    Her body went rigid and she was too stunned to see what was in front of her.

    At this time, Su Ruan was wondering if perhaps, this was only a dream. After all, the creature in front of her resembled the creature that often showed up in her dream.

    Her hand covered her mouth and Su Ruan forced herself not to make a noise lest she would attract the creature''s attention. Her legs were a little wobbly but Su Ruan forced herself not to be weak.

    Under the moonlight, Su Ruan saw the blue purplish scale on the creature''s body. Although its body was long and resembled a snake, the small claws on its body were proof that this creature was not a snake.

    Su Ruan wanted to look away but accidentally met the creature''s eyes.

    It scare her so much that she started to whimper.

    She told herself to turn around and make a run for it. However, there was a voice in her mind that told her not to be afraid of this creature.

    The dream she used to have almost every night reappeared in her mind. In that dream, the dragon had told her not to be afraid of him and that he will never hurt her.

    As she looked into the creature''s eyes, Su Ruan knew that this creature will never do anything that would hurt her.

    However, why does she feel as if the creature''s eyes were a bit familiar?

    The creature continued to look at her as if guessing what she wanted to do next, now that she had seen him.

    Seeing that the creature continued to stay there without moving, Su Ruan slowly let her guard down. Su Ruan averted her eyes and took a step back.

    Then her gaze fell on the pool of blood under his abdomen.

    All of the sudden, the fear disappeared.

    Su Ruan took a small step toward the creature, wanting to take a good look at the injury, and noticed the creature''s discomfort. "You''re injured."

    The creature let out a low grunt before he lay his head on the ground.

    His action was telling her that she should not be concerned about him. When she took another step towards him, the creature raised his head again to look at her. He bared his teeth, telling her not to get too close to him.

    "Don''t be scared." It was not known whether Su Ruan was saying these words to the creature or to herself. She swallowed and took another step to him. "I will only take a look at you. If you promise not to harm me, then I won''t do anything to you."

    The creature huffed before he turned away, looking unconcerned with her presence.

    Su Ruan braved herself to get closer to him. Her eyes continued to look at his face, hoping that he would not make any sudden movements.

    A breath of relief escaped her when she finally reached his side. Su Ruan shifted her gaze towards the injury around the creature''s abdomen. She raised her hand and touched the injury softly.

    The creature flinched and snarled at her.

    Su Ruan raised both hands up, looking at the creature in panic. "I''m sorry. I was only trying to look."

    The creature narrowed his eyes at her.

    Su Ruan touched the injury again and noted that it was a gunshot injury. Her eyes widened in surprise, wondering just who was braved enough to harm such a creature as this.

    Her touch was much gentler this time. Seeing that the creature did not make a move, Su Ruan began to feel her hand around his body. A sense of amazement filled her.

    She had always thought that this creature was nothing but a myth. However, he had appeared in her dreams quite a few times and now, she was touching his body, feeling his scale on her finger.

    Soon, Su Ruan began to notice that the creature began to shrunk back He was not in pain but it seemed that her touch had made him¡­ uncomfortable. It was the first time that he had felt such feelings and it was making him embarrassed.

    "I will go and get someone to look at you." Su Ruan stood up and was about to leave. However, the creature caught the hem of her jacket with his claws.

    As their gazes met again, the creature bared his teeth at her.

    Surprisingly, Su Ruan could understand just what was he trying to say to her. "Alright. I know. I won''t tell anyone. I won''t leave. I''ll stay here to accompany you for a while. Is that alright?"

    The creature lay his head on the ground again, looking unbothered.

    Su Ruan heaved in relief. She looked at the creature and spoke, "You''re... a dragon, aren''t you?"

    The creature only replied to her with a huff.

    Su Ruan thought that it was amazing that this creature seemed to understand what she was saying to him.

    "Do you understand my words?"

    The dragon moved his head as if he was nodding at her.

    Su Ruan smiled. Cautiously, she moved to touch him again. "How did you get injured like this? Who hurt you?"

    Looking at the blood dripping from his body made her feel distressed. Su Ruan cupped per hand softly on the injury, wanting to stop the bleeding.

    However, she soon realized that something strange. Su Ruan retracted her hand quickly and stared at the injury for a long time. Then, her gaze shifted to her pair of hands.

    Was she imagining things or did his injury did not look as bad as it was after she had touched the spot?

    Su Ruan looked at the dragon''s face and saw that he too was looking back at her.

 Chapter 65 - Dig Out Bullet

    Long Fei had thought that Su Ruan would run away and scream the moment she saw him. It was unexpected that she would stay around and even dare enough to touch him.

    Other than his mother, it was the first time that another woman had touched him like that.

    Initially, Long Fei had thought that her touch was quite comfortable. However, after a while, he started to feel a little itch. It gave him the urge to push her away but yet, he wanted her to continue touching him.

    A heat spread all over his body, making him feel a little feverish.

    Long Fei was embarrassed by this feeling. However, he realized that the pain in his body gradually disappeared with Su Ruan close to him.

    Just as he had thought, being around Su Ruan would make him feel more at ease. Other than the lake water, Su Ruan was the only one that could make him feel better.

    Long Fei continued to watch Su Ruan from the corner of his eyes. A low chuckle escaped him as he watched Su Ruan cup her hand on his injury, wanting to stop his bleeding.

    However, both of them did not expect that the moment she did that, his bleeding would gradually stop.

    The two of them looked at each other in surprise. None of them had expected that such thin would happen.

    Long Fei huffed. He knew very well that the bullet that the old man had used was a little special.

    His scale was thick and it would be hard to injure him. However, that old man managed to do just that. Because of the bullet, it would take a while for the injury to heal.

    Therefore, he was surprised to see how it had slowly healed with Su Ruan''s touch.

    Even submerging under the lake water could not work this quickly.

    His thought went back to the words that his father had once told him when he was a little boy and Long Fei began to look at Su Ruan with a serious look on his face.

    This was the reason his grandfather had always reminded him that he could not be with another person other than Su Ruan. This was the reason his grandfather was too anxious for him to find her.

    A thought came to his mind.

    Perhaps, she would be able to help him.

    Long Fei wondered if he should make this gamble.

    Seeing that Su Ruan was still looking at him with a dazed look on her face, Long Fei stretched his claw to his injury. Using his sharp claw, he began to dig into the injury.

    The blood that had stopped a while ago began to drip on the ground again and this time, the wound was torn wider.

    Long Fei let out a low groan as the pain hit him. However, he could only bore with the pain and keep on going. The only thing that he wanted to do was to remove the bullet from his body.

    He did not know whether Long Yu Heng knew what was going on with him and could not wait until Long Yu Heng found out his whereabouts.

    "What are you doing?" Su Ruan grew anxious as she watched the blood gushing out of the dragon''s body. She stretched her arm, wanting to stop him.

    At this time, the fear she had for the creature had long gone.

    However, before she could touch him, Long Fei shrunk back and hissed at her.

    Her heartbeat accelerated and Su Ruan did not dare to get close to him. Her eyes continued to watch his action with worry.

    Everything was fine a few seconds ago. Why would this creature suddenly turn crazy?

    Su Ruan looked at him anxiously but she did not know what she could do to stop him.

    Just then, there was a soft ding on the ground.

    Su Ruan followed the direction of the sound and saw a bullet. She inhaled a deep breath and her bottom hit the ground. Her legs were too weak to stand up.

    It turned out that he wanted to dig out the bullet.

    But why does he have to be cruel to himself?

    Digging out the bullet with his own sharp claws... Su Ruan could not imagine just how painful it must be.

    She stretched her shaky hands, wanting to take a look at it. However, the dragon had stopped her movement with his claw.

    She raised both her hands up again, wondering what was this dragon wanted to do.

    Her breath stuck in her throat as she watched the creature moving his head closer to her. Just a while ago, Su Ruan had convinced herself that this dragon would not make any move to hurt her. But after seeing how he had hurt himself to dig out that bullet, Su Ruan was not too sure.

    "Relax. I won''t do anything that you did not like," Su Ruan tried to convince him. "I won''t touch the bullet if you won''t let me, alright?"

    Long Fei raised his head and noticed the fear in her eyes. He let out a huff and nudged her hand with his head.

    Su Ruan continued to watch his action with a puzzled look on her face. Her mind was blank and she could not understand what he wanted her to do.

    Seeing that the girl continued to stare back at him in a daze, Long Fei continued to nudge her hand again.

    Didn''t he just stop his bleeding and helped him heal a moment ago? Why wouldn''t she do the same this time?

    Long Fei stared at her anxiously, hoping that she would quickly heal his injury.

    However, Su Ruan was too scared and had thought that the dragon was acting aggressively and could not understand what he wanted her to do.

    Frustrated that she could not understand his words, Long Fei opened his mouth to complain but had accidentally bit at one of her fingers. A tiny drop of her blood touch his tongue and a strange sensation spread all over his body and the pain on his body gradually disappeared.

    Long Fei shrunk back, wondering what was this strange feeling.

    He looked at the injury on his body and watched as it slowly healed. The energy in his body had strangely returned.

    A light flashed in his eyes as he tried to understand what was going on.

    He did not notice that Su Ruan was staring back at him.

 Chapter 66 - Shrunken

    Her eyes winced in pain as the dragon bit her finger. She pulled her hand away, wanting to inspect the injury, however, she could not find any injury on her finger.

    Su Ruan frowned, wondering if it was only her imagination.

    She had thought that the dragon''s teeth were a little sharp and her fingers would bleed. Surprisingly, there was no sign of anything.

    Su Ruan turned to the dragon again, noticing that he had stopped making too much fuss. Her gaze fell on the injury on his body ad her lips parted as she watched how his injury had slowly healed by itself.

    This¡­ was too magical, right?

    Suddenly, Su Ruan was having a hard time believing everything that she had seen that night. If it was not for the slight pain on her finger, Su Ruan would believe that everything she experienced was nothing more than just a dream.

    In a few minutes, the wound on the dragon''s body had stopped bleeding. His skin was repaired and finally, it stopped, leaving only a deep scar.

    Long Fei glanced at this scar and huffed in frustration. Although it was merely a scar, Long Fei knew best that if he was to shift in his human form, the wound would show on his body.

    However, he could not deny that it was amazing that he could heal this much with a tiny drop of Su Ruan''s blood.

    This was why his grandfather had always pressed that it was important for him to find his partner. It was also the reason why his parents were inseparable after they were married.

    Satisfied with his recovery, Long Fei moved his head and nudged Su Ruan''s hand again. The way he was acting now was almost like a puppy.

    "You¡­ are healed." Su Ruan muttered softly.

    The dragon lifted his head to meet her eyes and blinked.

    A thought came to her mind and Su Ruan looked at the creature in puzzlement. "Are you¡­ thanking me?"

    The dragon nodded softly before he let out a huff.

    Su Ruan glanced at the injury spot on his body again and saw that other than a small scar, there was no other sign that hinted that he was injured before.

    She raised her hand hesitantly and patted at the dragon''s head. A thought came to her mind and she spoke again, "The last time I fell into the water¡­ I saw you, didn''t I?"

    Long Fei did not answer her this time but continued to watch her expression.

    He wondered if this girl would link this creature to Long Fei. If she found out, then how would she react? Would she think of him as a freak?

    "You are the legendary lake''s dragon, aren''t you? Now that you are healed, are you going back into the water?" Su Ruan asked.

    A light flashed in his eyes. Whatever he do now, he could not return to the water temporarily. That troublesome group was tricky. Who knew if they were already waiting by the water to keep their eye on him.

    If he wanted to heal properly, the only thing he could do now was to stay by Su Ruan''s side.

    With this thought in mind, Long Fei leaned over and put his head in Su Ruan''s lap.

    Seeing the scene in front of her, Su Ruan did not know whether she should be afraid of this dragon or not. His reaction was simply too adorable, right?

    "You¡­ want to stay with me?" Su Ruan asked.

    The dragon slithered closer to her and coiled his body around her. His head continued to rub against her hand.

    Su Ruan could not help but found that the situation was a little strange. The dragon''s fierce look did not seem to match his action.

    "I have to go back to the house before anyone would realize that I have gone missing," Su Ruan said with a helpless tone. "You can''t possibly stay with me like this." She braved herself to touch his head. "You should go back into the water. That is where your home, right?"

    Long Fei raised his head to look at her and realized that she was right.

    They both could not stay here for too long. Otherwise, someone might notice something.

    A thought came to his mind and Long Fei groaned. He really did not like this idea but it seemed that it was the only way for him to survive.

    Moreover, now that the bullet was extracted from his body, he could use his power back.

    Long Fei hesitated, wondering if this will be the right decision.

    Seeing the look on Su Ruan''s face, Long Fei finally made up his mind. Even though he hated doing this the most, it was the only way for him to stay close to her.

    Su Ruan was dumbfounded upon noticing that the dragon began to move away from her. She had thought that with the way he had acted around her, the dragon would want to continue to pester her, asking her to stay around.

    She could not help but feel a little disappointed.

    However, she soon noticed that there was a change in the dragon''s body.

    It seemed that his body had shrunken a little bit?

    Su Ruan continued to watch the creature with her mouth slightly agape.

    In just a few seconds, she had witnessed how the dragon''s body shrunken until he became very small. Once the shift was over, the dragon lay on her lap for a long time, as if he was too tired after that shift.

    A thought came to her mind and Su Ruan could not help but blurted it out. "Mu¡­ shu?" Su Ruan was reminded of the dragon character in that Disney movie, Mulan.

    Long Fei tilted his head up quickly and stared back at Su Ruan in anger when he heard that name. He huffed at her but the effect did not work as well as he had thought due to his small size.

    That stupid name! That stupid dragon!

    This was the reason he hated shifting into this size.

    Even though he was in danger, Long Fei would refuse to shift into this form. But it was also due to his stubbornness that the group of people was unaware that he still have this skill to adjust his body to any size that he liked.

    Now that she was no longer afraid of him, Su Ruan scooped the tiny dragon into her hand and gave him a look over. Suddenly, a smile curled on her lips.. "You''re adorable."

 Chapter 67 - Into Her Room

    Su Ruan could not understand why but when she looked at the creature in her hand, it felt as if he was throwing a tantrum.

    Her eyes were staring at him with a dazed expression.

    The more she looked at him, the more that she became unafraid of him. Moreover, he was in this pocket size. Suddenly, she had the urge to tease him.

    Long Fei naturally noticed the look in Su Ruan''s eyes. Suddenly, a bad feeling arose in his heart.

    A light flickered in her eyes and a smile gradually formed on her lips. "Do you want to come with me?"

    Hearing her question, Long Fei started to slither around her wrist. His action was as if she was refusing to let her go.

    Su Ruan giggled when she saw his action. The creature that she had thought was scary had now become very adorable. She really wanted to keep him in her pocket and never let go.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan did just that. She shoved him in her pocket and whispered, "Stay there and don''t make a move."

    Long Fei tried to adjust his position in her pocket. As Su Ruan stood up and leave the orchard, Long Fei peeked his head out of the pocket to look at the woman.

    He did not think that his plan would work so well and she had willingly agreed to bring him to her side.

    Long Fei lowered his head again to look at his small body. A look of disgust appeared on his face but he couldn''t help but wonder if Su Ruan liked this form well. It gave him a complicated feeling.

    When he snapped out of his trance again, Long Fei realized that he was already in her room.

    Su Ruan took him out of the pocket and placed him on the mattress. Then, she peeked her head out the door to ensure that no one had seen her enter the room.

    As she closed the door, the sound of pitter-patter could be heard outside.

    Su Ruan walked over to the window and saw that it was raining outside. She stretched her head out to look at the sky before closing the window and turning around.

    "This is strange. There were no clouds in the sky just now. Why does it rain suddenly? The weather is too unpredictable these days. Fortunately, we arrived in time. Otherwise, we would be stuck in the rain," Su Ruan mumbled to herself.

    Long Fei looked away from the window and narrowed his eyes. He hoped that the rain would be enough to remove the stain of blood on the ground.

    He made a note to himself to tell Long Yu Heng to check on everything before the others came to look for him at the orchard.

    He retracted his gaze and turned to look around the room. This was the first time that he had entered her room and gotten to take a look around.

    Previously, he could only stand outside her window and watch her from afar. It was the only way he knew so that he could stay close to her.

    Looking around the room would give one the feeling that Su Ruan''s stays in this town were temporary.

    The thought made his chest stuffed. Long Fei shifted his gaze and his expression stiffened.

    Seeing a few of her personal items hanging around the room made him feel shy.

    As he was still in deep thought, Su Ruan suddenly scooped him into her hands again. She brought him to her eye level and looked at him with an excited look on her face. However, the look on her face changed a second later.

    "What''s wrong with you? You don''t look too good. Is your injury hurting again?"

    Long Fei grunted and looked away. Then, he jumped out to the mattress before Su Ruan could run her hand all over his body.

    He could still remember how her hands would feel against his skin.

    If she started to touch him again, he did not know what he would do. Long Fei was worried that he would lose control and accidentally shift before her.

    She would definitely be scared, right?

    Su Ruan watched as the small dragon curled his body at one side of her bed. She could not understand what he was trying to do.

    "You''re not going to shift again into a bigger size, are you?" Su Ruan suddenly realized this important problem.

    She had seen him in his majestic form under the water. His size was bigger than the time she found him in the orchard.

    If he shifted in her room, perhaps, this house was going to collapse.

    Long Fei raised his head and moved it side to side.

    "Does that mean no?" Su Ruan tilted her head as she looked at him. "So you do understand my words?"

    This dragon was definitely an interesting creature. He was tame, obedient, and seemed to understand human words.

    With his size now, Su Ruan had this feeling that she wanted to keep him by her side for a long time.

    "It''s best if you can stay this size forever." She went closer to him and poked at his body. "You''re very cute like this."

    Long Fei grunted when he heard her words.

    Cute. This was not the way he wanted one to describe him.

    Too lazy to hear her saying nonsense things about his body, he then closed his eyes.

    He only needed to stay here and recover before the sun goes up. Then, he would leave.

    With Su Ruan close to him, Long Fei could feel his body gradually recovering. Feeling a little tired after running around in the mountain, he then fell asleep.

    It was half an hour later when Long Fei woke up. He scanned his surroundings and realized that he was in unfamiliar surroundings.

    As he finally remember that he had run into Su Ruan and followed her home, Long Fei jumped up. His eyes widened when he realized that he has been sleeping in the girl''s embrace.

    Long Fei took a few steps back and stared at the sleeping girl''s face with a complicated look on his face.

    Seeing that she was deep in sleep, Long Fei decided to sneak out of the house and leave.. There was a lot of work for him to do before the sunrise.

 Chapter 68 - Inscripted Bullet

    Long Residence.

    In the east courtyard, Long Yu Heng was seen walking back and forth. His face was pale and his palm was sweating.

    It has been a few hours since the last time he saw Long Fei. After that man had entered the mountain, the two of them had broken their communication.

    As he continued t pace back and forth, Long Yu Heng began to wonder if he should inform the elders of Long Fei''s disappearance.

    The only consolation he got was the rain.

    Seeing the pouring rain despite the clear sky a few minutes ago let him know that Long Fei was still alive.

    But, where was he?

    It was only a few hours ago that he had gone to visit their grandfather to inform that Long Fei had left. If he goes again and says that Long Fei had not returned, then, how will their grandfather react?

    Long Yu Heng closed his eyes as he began to ponder his decision.

    At this time, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard heading in their direction.

    An elderly man walked into the room with an anxious look on his face. Before Long Yu Heng could ask what was going on, the old man had spoken first, "Young Master Long had returned."

    His eyes widened and Long Yu Heng quickly turn ran over to the door. It was a few seconds later that he remember that he did not know where was his cousin. "Uncle Nian, Where is he?"

    "The Young Master went back to his room to change his clothes," the old man answered.

    Long Yu Heng changed the direction and headed to the bedroom. Without knocking, Long Yu Heng pushed the door open and saw the man''s hard abs in front of him. The sight stunned him and he continuously stared at the chest in front of him.

    "What are you doing?" Long Fei frowned. He put on his shirt and buttoned up. "Don''t you know how to knock?" His brow furrowed.

    Long Yu Heng snapped out of his trance and ignored the man''s unhappy gaze. He entered the room and walked around his cousin, scanning the man''s body from head to toe.

    "You''re not injured, are you?" Long Yu Heng heaved a breath when he did not see any sign of injury on the man''s body. "What happened. What took you so long to come back? I was going to call the elders and announce your disappearance if you come back a minute later."

    "I was injured."

    "What?" Long Yu Heng gave his cousin a look over. He was about to rip off Long Fei''s cloth to inspect the man''s body when he was stopped.

    "It''s fine now," Long Fei said. "Su Ruan healed me."

    "It''s good that you a fine." Long Yu Heng halted upon realizing that there was something wrong with his cousin''s words. His expression turned serious. "What did you say? Miss Su did what?"

    Long Fei did not answer his question. Turning around, he picked up something from his desk and threw it over to his cousin.

    Fortunately, Long Yu Heng was quick enough to receive the items. He looked at the bullet with a puzzled look on his face. "What is this?" His expression changed upon inspecting the bullet.

    The inscription on the bullet was quite familiar to him. They were thin and could not be seen clearly, but as a member of the Long family, Long Yu Heng was very familiar with it.

    He turned swiftly with an anxious look on his face. "Ah Fei, you¡­"

    "I''m fine."

    The frown on his face deepened. It was no doubt that Long Fei was shot with this bullet. But how did he recover so quickly? Long Yu Heng thought about Long Fei''s words earlier and spoke, "What happened?"

    "I ran into that old man in the mountain," Long Fei said. "I believe that a few of them are staying in this town."

    His heartbeat accelerated. Long Yu Heng understood well the severity of what will happen now that Long Fei had run into that man.

    Long Yu Heng made a note to let someone check on the nearby hotel for the identity of their guests and their purpose of visiting the town.

    "Yu Heng, help me to clean up," Long Fei said. His eyes narrowed. "We have to find a way to let them leave this town. They cannot stay for too long."

    "I understand. Don''t worry. I know what I should do."

    Long Fei nodded. He watched as his cousin turned around and frowned he was reminded of something else. "Yu Heng, wait a second."

    The man turned around with a puzzled look on his face.

    "Help me to look after Su Ruan," Long Fei said. "Now that I managed to escape, I have a feeling that the group was going to pay a visit to a few places in this town. Don''t let them find out anything."

    ¡­

    Su Ruan woke up later in the morning.

    The memories of what happened last night came to her mind as she stared at the ceiling. Swiftly, she got up from bed to look around.

    Her eyes were staring at her bed with a dazed expression.

    Last night, before she went to bed, she had pulled that tiny dragon into her arms. But now, that adorable creature was no longer around.

    Did he leave?

    Seeing that her bed was empty made her wonder if perhaps last night''s events were nothing but her imagination. But was it only her imagination?

    Su Ruan looked at her empty arms and blinked.

    Her feeling was telling her that everything that she had experienced last night was not a dream or her imagination.

    Last night, she had met the lake dragon and helped him with his injury. Then, she had brought him back to her room.

    As she recalled the incident, Su Ruan began to have a lot of questions in her mind. For example, how could her touch help to heal the dragon?

    Su Ruan stared at her hands with a dazed expression.

    The sound of someone knocking on her door snapped her out of her trance.

    "Su Ruan, are you awake?"

    It was her mother.

    "I''m awake!" Su Ruan shouted back. She came down from her bed and walked over to the door. Her mother''s worried face appeared as soon as she opened the door.

    "Are you feeling well?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked worriedly. She stretched her hand and placed it on her daughter''s forehead. A breath of relief escaped her at the normal temperature.

    "Mom, I''m fine." Su Ruan chuckled.

    "You usually woke up early," Ma Zheng Zheng said. "I was worried when I didn''t see you during breakfast."

    "It''s nothing. I couldn''t sleep well after eating too much last night." She lied.

    "Is your stomach hurting?"

    "It''s fine now." Su Ruan flashed an assuring smile. "Mom, what did you cook for breakfast? I''m hungry."

    "Look at you, all you think about is food." Ma Zheng Zheng looked at her daughter helplessly. "Didn''t you say that your stomach was unwell?"

    The mother and daughter exchanged a few words.. Once Su Ruan convinced her mother to leave, she closed the door again and stared at her empty bed in deep thought.

 Chapter 69 - Dead Creature

    After having her breakfast, Su Ruan walked out, wanting to look around the orchard.

    She still could not stop thinking about what had happened last night and was hoping that she could find some proof to let her know that he was not crazy.

    Following her instinct, Su Ruan walked slowly to the place where she had found that dragon. She finally found the tree where she had seen that creature but could not find anything that would prove that last night was not a dream.

    Her eyes were staring at the spot where she had found the dragon in a daze. Slowly, she approached the place and crouched on the ground, and touched the soil. Her brow furrowed as she could not find any blood spots.

    "Sister Ruan, what are you doing here?"

    Hearing her cousin''s voice, Su Ruan stood up quickly and flashed a smile. "Yu Xi. I was walking around and thought I saw something."

    Ma Yu Xi craned her neck to look at the spot where Su Rua has been looking at earlier. "Did you find anything?"

    "No. I think my eyes were playing tricks on me."

    Ma Yu Xi decided not to think too much about this matter and walked closer to her cousin. "Sister Ruan, are you ready?"

    Su Ruan raised a brow and shot a puzzled look. "Ready for what?"

    "Have you forgotten?" Ma Yu Xi inched closer and whispered, "We are supposed to join Young Master Long and his cousin fishing the day after tomorrow."

    A faint smile curled on her lips when she saw the expression on Ma Yu Xi''s face. "Are you excited about it?"

    "Of course." Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh. "Didn''t I mention it previously? It was hard for one to meet anyone from the family. But it seemed that after you returned to this town, I get a chance to meet the Young Master a few times."

    Su Ruan smiled as she continued to listen to Ma Yu Xi gushing about the trip.

    She lowered her head, thinking about going to meet the young master again. She suddenly thought about the story that Long Fei had told her at the bakery caf¨¦ not too long ago.

    Perhaps, the man would know something about the dragon?

    A loud commotion snapped her out of her trance.

    In a distance, a few workers from the orchard were seen running towards the lake. Even those who were working in the warehouse had come over to take a look.

    Su Ruan exchanged her gaze with her cousin and they were both wondering what was going on.

    "Sister Ruan, we should go and take a look too." Ma Yu Xi tugged at her hands and dragged her towards the lake.

    When the two arrived, there was already a large crowd gathering by the lake.

    Su Ruan craned her neck and followed everyone''s gaze, however, there were too many people and she could not see anything.

    "What''s going on?" Ma Yu Xi asked the person beside her.

    The young man turned and was surprised to see Ma Yu Xi. "Miss Ma. I heard that they found a dead, giant snake in the lake."

    "A giant snake?" Ma Yu Xi looked at him n shock. "Dead? How can there be a giant snake around this lake?"

    "Un." The young man nodded. "I heard that Old Man Xiao was on his boat when he saw the creature floating on the water. He thought that it was still alive and had called several men to catch it. However, when they got close, they found that the creature had already died."

    "That''s too scary!" One of the onlookers whispered. "I am never going to take a swim in the lake ever again."

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news. She could not stop thinking about the little friend she met yesterday and worried about him.

    That tiny creature had left before she woke up.

    Perhaps he decided to shift back to his original size and return to the lake.

    Could it be that someone saw him and killed him before he managed to return to the lake?

    Feeling a little anxious, Su Ruan started to push through the crowd to get closer to the lake. Her mind was filled with the image of the dragon, lying on the ground, unmoving.

    She did not know why but her heart was in so much pain upon thinking of the dragon''s death. She had only met him briefly but could already feel a certain connection with him. She would be very sad if he died.

    As she got closer to the water, Su Ruan saw a few boats on the lake water, working together to pull something out from the water.

    Because their orchard was the closest land, the men planned to drag the creature over so that they could figure out what to do with it.

    Su Ruan continued to watch the water anxiously. She could only pray that the snake was not the little friend that she had made last night.

    A group of men appeared from behind the crowd, instructing them to move aside as a crane was going to pass.

    It was said that the creature was too big that it would be difficult for them to drag it out to the land. Therefore, someone had suggested using the heavy machine to pull it out of the water.

    Ma Hao Dong appeared with the group with a serious look on his face. The creature was going to be dragged over to his orchard and he came to take a look at it lest the men would accidentally destroy his trees.

    Soon, the boats finally stopped at the lake and the crane came closer to drag the creature out.

    Su Ruan joined the others to watch the scene where the men would pull the creature out of the water. Her heartbeat accelerated and her hands balled into tight fists as she waited.

    Finally, she could see the creature in the water.

    Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus.

    Seeing the creature''s head, Su Ruan finally heaved in relief.

    It''s not him.

    Fortunately, the dead creature was not her dragon!

 Chapter 70 - Professor Chen

    As the group of men brought up the carcass to the land, more people who happen to hear the news came over to watch the excitement as well.

    At the entrance of the Ma family''s land, several vehicles were seen parked at the side of the road. The atmosphere was lively. It was as if there was a big event.

    Beside the lake, the crane finally lifted the big snake out of the water.

    Loud gasps and screams were heard all over the area as everyone witnessed the size of this snake.

    It was estimated the snake to be a few hundred kilograms. The size was enough to make one scared.

    The thought that this big creature was found in their lake makes the townspeople scared. Almost everyone was saying that they needed to be careful from now on.

    Since they had discovered this big snake, then, its family should be living around the mountains or lake around them.

    Suddenly, everyone was discussing whether anyone had lost their farm animals. Then, some parents reminded their kids not to go into the lake water until the authorities had confirmed that the water is safe.

    While everyone was focusing on the giant snake, a few vehicles arrived and parked outside the orchard. Soon, a few unfamiliar faces walked out, led by a man who was estimated to be in his late fifty.

    Upon seeing the way they were dressed, the crowd parted to make way for this new group.

    The old man walked until he finally arrived in front of the lake. His expression changed the moment he saw the snake. He waited for the workers to put down the snake on the ground before he instructed his group to approach and looked at the creature.

    "Hey! What are you doing? Who are you?" Ma Hao Dong saw the unfamiliar faces and stepped forward to stop them.

    The old man stepped forward, stopping Ma Hao Dong from approaching his apprentices. "I''m sorry, you are?"

    Ma Hao Dong''s expression turned uglier. "This is my orchard! Who are you, people? I have never seen any of you around this town before."

    The old man''s face changed again. "I''m sorry for my rudeness," the old man apologized. "My surname is Chen. I am a professor from a university in Capital City." He took out his card and handed it to Ma Hao Dong. "My students and I were on our break when we heard the news of this snake. We come over to take a look."

    Su Ruan glanced at the person who was talking to her grandpa. She did not know what did they talked about but her grandpa stepped aside and let the group is to look at the giant snake.

    "Sister Ruan, look at that, don''t you think it''s scary?" Ma Yu Xi asked. "This snake should be close to hundreds of years for it to grow this big, right?''

    "That''s true. I wonder where did this huge snake had hidden all this while?" Su Ruan whispered.

    "Don''t you remember?" A woman who stood beside Su Ruan whispered to her friend. "There''s the story about that mountain guardian that I used to hear about when I was a kid. Didn''t they say that the mountain''s guardian is a big snake? It couldn''t be that this snake is the mountain''s guardian, right?"

    Hearing their whisper, Su Ruan turned to look at the friends and continued to eavesdrop.

    She was not from this town and had only heard about the legendary lake dragon from Long Fei. This was the first time that she had heard about the mountain''s guardian.

    "I heard that too." The young man whispered. My grandfather used to say that the mountain''s guardian did not attack the town''s people and only go for those who tried to destroy the mountain."

    "Right. Didn''t you hear the rumor? I heard that there was a group of illegal loggers in the mountain. Someone ran into them while hiking yesterday morning."

    "Then, if the mountain''s guardian is dead, who was going to protect our mountain from now on?" Another girl whispered.

    A deep frown appeared on her face.

    Su Ruan did not want to believe the story about these mythical creatures. However, after running into the dragon last night¡­ she should be more open-minded.

    It was pitiful that the snake had died but Su Ruan was at least glad that it was not her little friend.

    A commotion near the lake area snapped her out of her trance again.

    One of the young men who came with the old man ran over and shouted, "Professor!"

    Su Ruan''s gaze followed the young man to look at what was going on.

    The young man''s face paled as he ran over to the old professor. He showed something in his palm and the professor''s expression gradually turned ugly.

    The professor lifted the item in the young man''s palm to inspect it.

    Because she was quite close, Su Run could see what the professor was holding. That thing in his hand¡­ was it not the bullet that the dragon had dug out of his body last night?

    Her heartbeat accelerated. Su Ruan could not look away from the bullet and wondered what would happen to that dragon if he did not take out the bullet last night.

    A disturbing thought came to her mind as she continued to look at the group of people.

    They seem to be very familiar with the bullet.

    It couldn''t be that it was this group of people who had harmed that dragon¡­

    Her expression turned darker as she thought of what these people came to do.

    Su Ruan could not hear the words that the old man had whispered to his student. After receiving his instruction, the young man ran over to his friends again and they continued to inspect the snake.

    "What''s going on here."

    The familiar voice made everyone turn.

    Long Yu Heng scanned the area and his eyes stopped at the old man for a few seconds. Then, he turned to Ma Hao Dong to greet him.

    "Mister Long." Ma Hao Dong greeted him with a smile. He was extremely polite towards the young man. "Are you here to look at the snake they found in the lake as well?"

    Long Yu Heng nodded. "Old Man Ma, sorry for my disturbance. I was in the town center when I heard people were talking about it. I got curious and decided to take a look."

    "Then, let me bring you over to get a closer look."

 Chapter 71 - Ugly Expression

    Long Yu Heng scanned the place with his eyes. His gaze fell on the professor who was standing nearby for a couple of seconds before he retracted his gaze.

    The corner of his lips tilted up slightly. The bullet in the old man''s hand and the ugly expression on his face made him feel slightly better.

    However, when he thought of the snake that had to sacrifice because of this situation, Long Yu Heng felt a little regretful.

    Following Ma Hao Dong, Long Yu Heng went closer to look at the snake. He listened to the other''s conversation and heard that someone will come to pick up the snake''s carcass for further inspection.

    Once he had looked enough, Long Yu Heng turned around to look for Su Ruan.

    He finally found her standing among the crowd and gave her a quick look over. A slight crease appeared on his face as he wondered what was going through Su Ruan''s mind at this time.

    A few hours ago, Long Fei had told him that Su Ruan had seen him in his other form.

    Long Fei was resting under the tree in the Ma''s orchard, wanting to get slightly closer to Su Ruan before he could regain his energy and return home.

    However, Su Ruan appeared in front of him and helped to heal his wound. Surprisingly, the girl did not seem to be afraid of him. Because of her presence, Long Fei managed to dig out the bullet and heal a little faster.

    Long Fei was a little worried that Su Ruan would get scared after experiencing last night''s event. He sent him over to the Old Ma''s orchard to look at the situation as well as to check on Su Ruan.

    Seeing that the girl seemed to be in a good condition, Long Yu Heng felt a little at ease.

    Their gazes met and Long Yu Heng walked over to greet the girls. "Miss Su, Miss Ma."

    "Mr. Long." Su Ruan nodded politely.

    "Hello, Mr. Long." Ma Yu Xi greeted politely.

    "Did you come over to join the fun as well?" Long Yu Heng asked.

    "What fun?" Ma Yu Xi gasped. "I got scared thinking of how this snake was found close to our orchard. I heard from the others that the snake should be around a hundred years. Some people were saying that we shouldn''t enter the water lest we would run into the snake''s family. Who knows how many of them were around this town?"

    After having a meal with Long Yu Heng previously, Ma Yu Xi had become quite friendly with this man and was no longer as afraid.

    "I think, someone must have disturbed the snake''s habitat for it to come out. Otherwise, it wouldn''t come out." Long Yu Heng glanced at Su Ruan. "You don''t have to be scared of getting into the water."

    "That''s what I thought too," Ma Yu Xi said. "The town''s people relied a lot on the lake for their daily life. It would be troublesome if we can''t get near the water."

    "Old Master Long had heard this incident and said that he will invite some expert to let everyone know that the lake water is safe," Long Yu Heng said. He lowered his head as if thinking about something and speak again, "I hope that this incident does not make you change your mind and cancel our plan to go fishing."

    "Of course not." Ma Yu Xi smiled brilliantly. "Mr. Long, we should still go."

    ¡­

    After spending almost an hour at the orchard to observe others'' reactions towards the snake, Long Yu Heng finally went back to the old residence. He went straight to Long Fei''s courtyard and found the man in his office, standing beside the window to look in a certain direction.

    "How was the situation?" Long Fei asked. He did not even look back to know that the person who had entered his office was no other than his cousin.

    "It''s pretty good." Long Yu Heng flashed a smile. "I arrived in time to witness that old man''s reaction after finding the bullet." He chuckled and continued, "I have never thought I would be very satisfied upon seeing the look on his face. It was too ugly."

    "Did they buy it?" Long Fei turned around and frowned.

    "I have done everything to make it believable," Long Yu Heng said. His expression turned serious. "Trust me on this."

    Long Fei let out a sigh. "I''m just a little worried. I was too careless last night. I did not expect that the old man would be hiding among the men to set a trap."

    "It''s not your fault. We have always known how tricky that old man and his group could be. This isn''t the first time that we have faced them." He lowered his head to think of something and spoke again, "Don''t worry. I will let someone divert their attention. Once they think that they have found a new lead, perhaps they would leave this place."

    "I hope so." Long Fei frowned. "Now that they have found the bullet and the snake, I hope that they will leave this town and stop showing up. And that mayor... we have to do something and pull him out from his position. Since he dared to touch this town, he should not be left unpunished."

    "I know. Fu Xing had already sent the mayor''s information. I will send someone to handle this matter."

    Hearing that Long Yu Heng had taken care of things made him feel more at ease.

    Long Fei walked over to his desk and tapped his fingers on the table twice. "What about Su Ruan? How is she? Did you see her?"

    Long Yu Heng stared at his cousin speechlessly. It seemed that Long Fei was more agitated to know about Su Ruan''s wellbeing.

    "Miss Su and her cousin were at the scene to look at the scene when I arrived," Long Yu Heng said. "I think that Miss Su looked pretty well. She was not scared or agitated. That reminds me, you still haven''t told me what was going on with you and Miss Su last night. That bullet... was not something ordinary. I still could not believe that you could heal faster by just staying close to her."

    "You are right. Staying closer shouldn''t be enough to help me heal that fast." Long Fei pondered about last night''s incident again. "Yu Heng, it was not staying close to her that made me heal that fast."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Last night.... it was a drop of her blood that helped me to heal."

 Chapter 72 - Rainy Night

    The Long''s old residence was especially lively with the finding of the snake.

    Those who were aware of their history knew that the only reason the snake had come out was to protect the family''s secret. To protect the young master of the family as well as the family''s wealth and reputation, the elders had to work together to stop Professor Chen from making trouble in the town.

    Long Fei stood beside the window and looked out with both hands behind his back.

    The sky had long turned dark. From the distance, he could see the dim light coming from Ma''s household.

    The sound of the knocking on the door snapped him out of his trance. Long Fei turned around and watched as Long Yu Heng entered his room with a tired look on his face.

    "I heard that the old man and the others are going to leave this town tomorrow morning," Long Yu Heng said as he walked in. "Most probably, they will return to Capital City."

    "It''s better as long as they stay away from this town." Long Fei walked over to his desk and sat down. "Still, tell the others not to be negligent. The old man is too cunning. It would be dangerous for us if he had a spy in this town somewhere."

    This was supposed to be the place where he could be at ease.

    Long Yu Heng nodded. "Rest assured. I already asked those who live around the town''s entrance to pay extra attention to visitors." He suddenly went silent and his expression turned a little complicated.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "When I returned to the residence a while ago, I seemed to notice one of the old man''s students in the driveway."

    Long Fei raised a brow. "Oh? They suspected something?"

    "Probably. Our family had a long history. It was not strange if they wanted to keep an eye on us."

    "Don''t worry. I will be more careful," Long Fei said. "The next mayor better be someone who knows how to behave."

    Long Yu Heng nodded. "The elders had already discussed a few candidates. Grandfather will look at the list himself."

    Long Fei finally let out a breath. He propped one hand on the table and started to massage his head.

    Although the bullet had left his body, the side effect from his injury had not fully gone. Last night, he only get a drop of Su Ruan''s blood and it was just enough to help to stop his bleeding and repaired his skin.

    It was still not enough.

    "Ah Fei, are you sure that you did not want to let grandfather know about your injury? He asked me about that bullet. I could only tell him that the old man missed and you have picked up the thing to be used later."

    Long Fei heaved a long breath. "Don''t tell him. I don''t want him to worry."

    "But what if there''s any effect afterward?"

    "Forget it. If he knew, Grandfather will start to ask how I healed. I still don''t think that it''s time to tell them about Miss Su."

    Long Yu Heng pursed his lips into a thin line.

    After what had happened last night, Long Yu Heng thought that it would be better to have someone like Su Ruan stay close to Long Fei. But Long Fei was determined that he did not want to force Su Ruan to stay.

    Looking at the situation now, Long Yu Heng did not know when will Long Fei be able to convince Su Ruan to stay by his side. It seemed that each time he saw her, Su Ruan seemed to be guarding against Long Fei.

    "Don''t think too much about it." Long Fei spoke. "I know what to do."

    The cousins exchanged a few more words before Long Yu Heng finally left the room.

    Long Fei stood up and was about to head back to his bedroom to rest. However, his steps halted as his gaze fell on the dim light at a certain distance.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan returned to her room after dinner.

    Today, Ma Yu Xi''s family had joined them for a meal and everyone was still talking about the snake. Su Ruan sat at the table while listening to everyone''s discussion in silence.

    As the snake was found close to their orchard, Ma Hao Dong decided to purchase some items that could scare the snakes away.

    Anyway, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    When Su Ruan entered her room, she took out her laptop to look at some news online.

    Just as she had thought, the news about the giant snake was reported by several major presses. The picture of the snake carcass being lifted up by the crane circulated online. The netizen started to discuss the snake and soon, a few experts came out to say their opinion as well.

    Su Ruan read their comments and finally thought that nothing was interesting in their discussion. After surfing the internet for a while, she finally logged out to get ready for bed.

    Just in time, the sound of knocking could be heard from her door.

    Su Ruan walked over and saw her mother standing outside with a gentle smile on her face.

    "Mom?"

    Ma Zheng Zheng thrust the small tray in her hand. "I was worried that you would feel uncomfortable after what happened this morning."

    Su Ruan flashed a warm smile as she took the tray away from her mother. "Mom, I''m fine. I''m not scared."

    "I know you''re not." Once her hands were free, Ma Zheng Zheng patted her daughter on her head. "My Su Ruan is already a big girl. I just made you a mug of hot milk so that you can sleep soundly tonight."

    Su Ruan looked at the mug of hot milk and smiled. She knew well that her mother was worried that her condition would worsen after seeing such a scary scene in the morning.

    "Un. I know. I''ll drink it before I go to bed." Su Ruan nodded. "Thank you, Mom."

    Ma Zheng Zheng hesitated. "If you have anything, just come over to my room, alright."

    The mother and daughter exchanged a few words. After saying their goodnight, Su Ruan closed the door and placed the tray on the table.

    Her body warmed after taking a few sips of the milk. She could taste a hint of honey in the milk. The taste was the same as the one her mother would prepare for her during her childhood.

    The sound of the rain pitter-pattering against the window snapped her out of her trance. Su Ruan placed the mug on the table and walked over to the window.

    It seemed that the weather in D Town was a little unpredictable. She was very sure that the sky was very clear a while ago.

    She pushed the window and looked up at the sky. There was only a thin layer of clouds. The rain would not last for a long time.

    Su Ruan stood by the window, enjoying the rainy night scene. She finished drinking her milk and planned to head to bead.. Just as she was about to close the window, her eyes caught the sight of the blue creature sitting by her window, looking back at her.

 Chapter 73 - Little Dragon

    Su Ruan stared back at the creature, wondering if perhaps she was worrying too much about her little friend that she had started to imagine things.

    She watched as the creature slithered towards her and wrapped his body around her hands.

    Her eyes finally focused and Su Ruan looked at the creature in her hand carefully. "Mushu!"

    The moment Long Fei heard that name, he started to bare his teeth in displeasure.

    It''s that stupid name again!

    However, even if Long Fei showed her that he was unhappy to be called with that name, Su Ruan does not seem as if she had noticed anything.

    At this moment, Su Ruan was just too happy to see that creature again.

    She held the creature with one hand and peeked outside the window. Once she was sure that there was nothing strange outside, Su Ruan brought the tiny dragon into her room and closed the window.

    She then placed the dragon on her desk and caressed his head with a finger. "Are you alright?" Su Ruan recalled his injury last night and lifted the dragon up to look at the injured spot.

    Long Fei struggled in her hands. To be lifted and handled like this by Su Ruan made him feel embarrassed.

    A sigh of relief escaped her upon seeing that he was not injured.

    "I was worried about you," Su Ruan said. Her brow furrowed. "You left without saying a word. I even thought that last night was nothing but my imagination."

    Long Fei looked up and saw the worry on her face. He felt slightly guilty that he had left while she was sleeping but there was nothing else he could do about it either.

    It was not possible for a dragon to leave a note to tell her not to worry about him, right?

    That would be too scary.

    "You don''t know how worried I am when I heard that they have found a snake carcass in the lake," Su Ruan continued. "I thought¡­ it was you. I thought something had happened to you. I thought someone had found you and killed you."

    Long Fei stared back at her in shock. He certainly did not think that Su Ruan would be this worried about him.

    His heart ached. He did not like the sad expression on her face.

    Long Fei climbed over her arms and patted her cheek with his tiny claw.

    Seeing this scene made Su Ruan stunned. She took him off her shoulder and stared at him for a long time. Gradually, a faint smile appeared on her face.

    "Mushu, are you trying to comfort me?"

    His movement halted when he heard that name.

    Long Fei grew frustrated, not knowing how he should tell her that his name was not Mushu and he really did not like that stupid dragon.

    First of all, he is a lake''s dragon and he could not spit fire through his mouth. However, he can control the water. Secondly, he was not as stupid as that fictional character. Long Fei also thought that he was more good-looking than that stupid dragon.

    Su Ruan seemed to notice that the creature did not look very happy. She tilted her head to one side and raised a brow. "You don''t seem to like this name."

    Long Fei stared back at her and bared his teeth again.

    His response shocked her.

    Last night, this dragon had responded to most of her questions as well. She had thought of him as an intelligent creature. Now that he had responded to her again, Su Ruan was sure that this tiny dragon could really understand human words.

    "Then, what do you like me to call you?" Su Ruan asked.

    Long Fei wished that he could tell her his name. However, Long Fei did not doubt that Su Ruan would throw his body out of the window once she find out who he is.

    A grownup man sneaking into a young maiden room¡­ Surely, that man''s intention could not be pure.

    However, Long Fei had no other option. He needed to be close to her and this was the only way he knew. His situation was too complicated. As a human, Su Ruan seemed to have her guards up. But with this form, Su Ruan would let him get close to her.

    "I don''t know how should I call you." A thought came to her mind and her lips curled into a faint smile. "Then, should I just call you Little Dragon?"

    Long Fei pondered over this nickname. He was not too happy with this name. However, anything is better than Mushu.

    Seeing that the dragon did not look unhappy, Su Ruan finally heaved in relief. "Then, I will call you Little Dragon from now on."

    Long Fei stared back at her with a complicated look on his face. In the end, he could only tell himself to bear with this name.

    "Little Dragon, I''m just glad that you are safe." Su Ruan scooped him in her hand again and brought him over to her bed. She placed him on the soft mattress and patted his head with her finger again. "From now on, you need to be careful."

    Su Ruan frowned again when she recalled the group of people who came to her grandpa''s orchard earlier that day. Her instinct was telling her that there was something wrong with that group of people led by that professor. However, Su Ruan could not figure out what it was.

    "Earlier today, there was a group of people from the city who came to look at the snake''s carcass. I saw the old professor holding a bullet that looked similar to the one you dig out from your body last night."

    Long Fei''s expression darkened, knowing that Su Ruan was talking about that old man and his group.

    "Little Dragon, could it be that the person who hunted you last night was the same person who killed the snake?"

    Long Fei hesitated to answer. He was worried that Su Ruan would be in danger if she knew a little too much. Before she agreed to stay by his side, it would be better if she knew less about him.

    Wanting to avoid her inquiring gaze, Long Fei moved to her pillow and coiled himself into a comfortable position.

    Anyway, the only reason he came to find Su Ruan was to heal a little faster.

    "Hey, are you not going to answer?"

    Long Fei feigned a yawn and closed his eyes.

    Seeing that the dragon was no longer in the mood to chat with her, Su Ruan could only sigh.

 Chapter 74 - Going To Fish

    When Su Ruan woke up again, the little friend was no longer around. This situation really made her wonder if the dragon came to her bedroom just to sleep.

    The thought made her a little speechless.

    She wondered if that little dragon was going to find her again when the sky turned dark. Suddenly, she was looking forward to meeting that little friend again.

    However, she would not expect that she would not be seeing the tiny dragon again for a long time.

    ¡­

    A few days later, Su Ruan walked into the dining area and found that her cousin, Ma Yu Xi was having her breakfast while chatting with their grandma.

    It took her a few seconds to remember that she had promised this cousin that she would accompany her to the lake with Long Fei and his cousin.

    She was not looking forward to meeting Long Fei. However, she remember that Ma Yu Xi had mentioned that there was a also good spot to swim nearby.

    Thinking about the little dragon that she had not seen for a few days, Su Ruan thought that this would be a good chance to check on him. If she comes along with them, perhaps she might get the chance to glance at the dragon later. She wondered if he would come out to say hi to her.

    "Su Ruan, come over and have your breakfast." Their grandma, Lan Shi, was the first to notice Su Ruan''s presence. "Have a seat. I''ll go and get your breakfast first."

    Su Ruan watched as her grandma went into the kitchen helplessly. The food on the table was plenty, but her grandma still wanted to bring in more food.

    "Sister Ruan! You''re up. I thought that I am going to your room if you did not come down in five minutes." Ma Yu Xi spoke in a cheerful tone.

    Su Ruan flashed her a smile. "You seem very excited."

    Ma Yu Xi grinned sheepishly. "Why wouldn''t I be excited? Brother Yu Heng said¡­"

    "Brother Yu Heng?" Su Ruan raised a brow and looked at her cousin suspiciously. "When did you get close to him?"

    The girl let out a cough. "We exchanged our contact the day we went on breakfast together so that it would be convenient for us to discuss this trip. Then, he told me to call him Brother Yu Heng. Mister Long is too confusing, right?"

    At this time, Lan Shi walked out from the kitchen carrying a tray of hot porridge. "Su Ruan, come and eat your breakfast." She placed the tray on the table and looked at her granddaughters. "That''s right, the two of you are going out today, right? Where are you going again?"

    "Grandma, I''m taking Sister Ruan to fish."

    Lan Shi''s expression turned anxious. "Will it be alright? It''s not too dangerous, is it?"

    The news about the giant snake was still a hot topic among the townspeople. Everyone was still afraid of the lake water and Lan Shi was one of them. Hearing that her granddaughters were going to the lake made her worry.

    "Grandma, don''t worry. There will be other people as well. Besides, this was not the first time that I have gone with a few friends on a fishing trip, right?" Ma Yu Xi glanced at Su Ruan and motioned her to eat her breakfast quickly so that they could leave faster.

    As Su Ruan was having her breakfast, Ma Yu Xi continued to reassure their grandma that they would be safe.

    Half an hour later, Su Ruan followed Ma Yu Xi to her pickup truck. "Where are we meeting them?"

    "We''re going to the town''s jetty," Ma Yu Xi said. "They will meet us there."

    Su Ruan nodded before she turned to look at the scenery out the window. Because of that, she failed to notice the playful smile on Ma Yu Xi''s face.

    ¡­

    "Are you sure she will be coming?" Long Fei asked as he looked at his cousin.

    "That girl said her Sister Ruan is coming. They should be on their way to the jetty," Long Yu Heng said. He leaned on the wall and raised a brow. "Are you going to leave the boat if she did not come along?"

    Long Fei chuckled. "What''s the use of me coming along if I could not see her?"

    Long Yu Heng narrowed his eyes. The phone in his hand buzzed and he quickly tapped his fingers on the screen to check on the message. After reading the messages for a while, his lips curled up into a smile.

    "What happened?"

    "Mayor Ding''s matters have been settled," Long Yu Heng said. He passed his phone to Long Fei and continued. "He won''t be able to stay in the political scene anymore. And that old and his apprentice seemed to be in trouble after they returned to Capital City. From the look of it, they would not be able to come over and make trouble for us."

    Long Fei read the messages before he passed the phone back. "That''s good." He hesitated for a while and spoke. "But this will only hold that old man for a while. We need to figure out a way to stop him from meddling in our life."

    "What do you suggest?" Long Yu Heng raised his brow. After pondering for a while, he raised his hand and pointed his thumb to his neck, making a throat-cutting gesture.

    "Don''t be ridiculous." Long Fei chuckled. "That old man is not someone without a background. If something happened to us, it will only bring us trouble."

    Long Yu Heng sighed. "That''s true."

    "I will talk to grandfather about this," Long Fei said. "This matter is concerning our family. The elders have been sitting around not doing anything and enjoying their life. We should give them some work and let them come up with something."

    From a distance, Ma Yu Xi''s pickup truck could be seen parked nearby the jetty.

    Long Fei turned to look in the direction. The corner of his lips curled up into a smile the moment he saw Su Ruan. The girl would often keep her guards against him and Long Fei did not expect that she would agree to come to this fishing trip.

    His thought went back to the night he had sneaked into her room just so he could stay closer to her.. Then, his expression turned slightly darker as he remember that Su Ruan seemed to like him more as that tiny dragon.

 Chapter 75 - First-timer

    Su Ruan walked around the pickup truck and helped Ma Yu Xi to pick up some equipment in the cargo space. She looked around the lake and finally, her gaze fell on the cabin cruiser not too far away from them.

    From the distance, she could see Long Fei, standing on the boat, looking in her direction.

    "Miss Su, Miss Ma, you''re here."

    Hearing the voice, Su Ruan retracted her gaze and saw Long Yu Heng walking over towards them. "Mr. Long, hello." Su Ruan greeted him politely.

    Long Yu Heng exchanged a brief greeting with her. Then, he looked at Ma Yu Xi. "Do you need any help?"

    Ma Yu Xi did not reject his offer. Long Yu Heng helped the girls to carry their belongings and led them towards their boat.

    As they approached the boat, Su Ruan realized that there was no one else other than the four of them. "It''s just us?" Su Ruan whispered to Ma Yu Xi.

    "Sister Ruan, we are going to head to a secret fishing spot. Of course, it would be better if there are not many people coming with us."

    Su Ruan glanced at her cousin and began to worry that the girl was going to fall for some bad guy''s trick. Despite saying that she had never had any interaction with the Long family members before, the girl was too trusting.

    "Miss Su, Miss Ma, good morning."

    Long Fei''s voice snapped her out of her thought. Su Ruan looked up and saw that Long Fei was extending his hand towards her. She shot him a puzzled look, wondering what he was up to.

    "Let me help you with your belongings."

    Su Ruan followed his gaze and finally realized that she was holding a few stuff in her hand. It would be a little troublesome for her to climb abroad with her hands full.

    She passed her stuff at him and was about to step on the boat when she noticed that Long Fei was holding her hand, pulling her up onto the boat. Before she could raise her head to look at him, the man had already pulled his hand away.

    At the side, Long Yu Heng began to show them around the boat.

    It was the first time that both Su Ruan and Ma Yu Xi had been on a cruise cabin and they could not help but look around. The cabin cruise was spacious enough for the four of them and was quite comfortable.

    "Here, put this on."

    Su Ruan turned to the voice and saw Long Fei handed her over a life jacket. She put the jacket on her body and adjusted her hair. "Thank you."

    "Miss Su, is this your first time on a boat?"

    "Uh-huh."

    "Do you know how to swim?"

    Su Ruan thought of the day she had fallen into the lake and was almost drowned. "I''m not a very good swimmer."

    Long Fei''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Then, you should stick closer to me. The ride might not be that smooth for a first-timer."

    Seeing that her cousin had followed Long Yu Heng to the other side of the boat, Su Ruan decided to follow Long Fei and sat in the cabin.

    The engine started and soon, the boat began to move on the water.

    Su Ruan watched the scenery around the lake in awe. In just a few minutes, she began to lower her guards as she became too fascinated with the view. She wanted to go out and look around but was too scared of falling in the water while the boat was still moving.

    This trip also made her realize that the lake was bigger than she had thought. With its size, it was not a strange thing for the dragon to live in the water and had never been found by anyone before.

    Half an hour later, the boat finally slowed down. Su Ruan turned to Long Fei and saw that the man was looking at her.

    "Miss Su, if you are feeling uncomfortable, you can tell me. I''m sure that we have some medicine in this place."

    "Thank you, President Long. But I think I''m good now."

    His lips curled into a helpless smile. "Just call me Long Fei. President Long made me feel as if I am still in my office."

    Seeing the way Long Fei was staring at her, Su Ruan began to hesitate before she called, "Long Fei."

    The corner of his lips stretched up and Long Fei began to look away.

    The boat finally came to a stop.

    Once her ground was no longer moving, Su Ruan finally stood up and tried to walk around slowly. However, she soon realized that the buoyancy made her legs feel a little shaky. Su Ruan could only hold the wall to stabilize herself.

    "Hold on to me first."

    Su Ruan turned and saw Long Fei''s strong arm. She looked up again and saw the man smiling at her.

    "This is the first time you''re on a boat. It will probably take time before you can get used to it," Long Fei said. "Don''t be afraid. I will help you."

    Su Ruan wanted to decline but thought that it would be better to have someone to help her rather than walking around, looking pathetic.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan finally held on to his arm. A strange feeling traveled through her body as her hand touched his skin. However, before she could pull her hand away, Long Fei had already walked and she had no choice but to follow him.

    The two of them finally arrived at the side of the boat and Su Ruan released her grip around Long Fei''s arm and hold the railing instead.

    A breath of relief escaped her. Su Ruan looked at the water and was surprised at how clear the water was. She could almost see the fish swimming around the boat.

    Her eyes lit up and Su Ruan began to wonder if she would be able to see her little friend.

    "You seemed fascinated by the water."

    Su Ruan looked at the man beside her and smiled to hide her thoughts. "I have never seen the water so clear. The lake is beautiful."

    Long Fei was about to say something when Ma Yu Xi''s voice could be heard from upstairs.

    "Sister Ruan, come up here. The view over here is prettier." Ma Yu Xi''s head popped out briefly before she disappeared again.

    Su Ruan looked up and wondered if it would be safe to sit upstairs. She was still trying to get used to walking around the boat.

    "Your cousin is a lively person," Long Fei said.

    Su Ran chuckled at his words. "Mhm.. you are right."

    "Since this is your first time on the boat, I take it that you have never gone fishing before," Long Fei raised a brow.

    "Yes."

    Long Fei stared at her face for a few seconds longer before he spoke again, "Come on.. I''ll teach you."

 Chapter 76 - Set Them Up

    With Long Fei''s help, Su Ruan went to the upper deck to meet up with Ma Yu Xi and Long Yu Heng. The moment she climb up, her cousin was in the middle of snapping some photos with her phone.

    Noticing the way Ma Yu Xi was whispering something with Long Yu Heng made her feel a little left out. This girl was the one who had asked her to go fishing but the moment they arrived on the boat, Ma Yu XI had left her alone.

    "What are you whispering about?" Su Ruan asked as she walked over. After walking around the boat for a few minutes, she began to get hold of it and was no longer staggering.

    "Nothing." There was a trace of panic in Ma Yu Xi''s eyes. "Brother Yu Heng was just telling me about the type of fishes that we can catch around here."

    Su Ruan raised a brow. Clearly, she was having a hard time believing this nonsense. Ma Yu Xi''s expression made her wonder what was this cousin planning to do.

    "Sister Ruan, you have to keep your voice low," Ma Yu Xi quickly tried to divert her attention. "Otherwise, the fishes would run away and we won''t be able to catch any fish."

    Long Yu Heng chuckled upon hearing her words. His gaze shifted to Long Fei and his lips tilted up.

    With Long Fei''s presence, would the fishes dare to run away?

    "Miss Su, I heard from your cousin that this is your first time fishing," Long Yu Hen spoke.

    "Mhm¡­" Su Ruan nodded. Her expression softened a little bit. She had always thought that Long Yu Heng was easier to get along with as compared to Long Fei.

    Otherwise, it wouldn''t be easy for Ma Yu Xi to get along with this man as well, right?

    "Then, you should stay close to my cousin," Long Yu Heng said. "He''s very good at fishing. If you stay close and learn from him, I''m sure that you will bring home a lot of fish as well."

    Su Ruan shifted her gaze between Long Yu Heng and Ma Yu Xi. Her instinct was telling her that there was something strange going on between the two. However, Su Ruan could not pinpoint what it was.

    Ma Yu Xi waved at her. "Sister Ruan, come over and look, You can see a lot of fishes from here."

    Su Ruan walked over to Ma Yu Xi''s side and held the railing tightly. Her breath hitched the moment she looked at the scenery before her. Again and again, she continued to fall in love with the scenery in this town.

    All of a sudden, Su Ruan wondered if it would be a good idea for her to settle down in this town. She could work freelancer and stay here in this town to accompany her mother and her grandparents.

    "Sister Ruan, let''s take a picture together." Ma Yu Xi stood closely and switched her camera to a selfie mode. Just like that, Ma Yu Xi pressed the button and the two of them made several poses.

    The scenery was great and they looked cute in the photos. Ma Yu Xi looked at the photos and smiled in satisfaction.

    Long Yu Heng walked over to their side and spoke, "Let me help you to take a few photos. I''ll make sure to include the scenery properly."

    Ma Yu Xi''s expression brightened up. "Ah? Really? Brother Yu Heng, thank you."She handed her phone to Long Yu Heng and pulled Su Ruan to her side.

    After doing a few poses, Long Yu Heng passed her phone back to her.

    The water behind them was clear and blue. The scenery was captured perfectly and still, they were both cute in the picture.

    "Yu Xi, send the photos to me."

    In just a few seconds, the photos were transferred to Su Ruan''s phone. Su Ruan chose a few photos and posted them to her moments.

    Her phone dinged as a notification popped up.

    "Su Ruan, it seemed that you are having so much fun in D Town."

    Yu Zhi Yi''s comment on her photos made her pause. Su Ruan stared at his name for a long time with an unreadable expression.

    Recently, it seemed as if Yu Zhi Yi had too much time in hand. He was always the first to comment each time that she had posted something on her social media.

    In the past, Su Ruan would be elated to see his name on her notification. But now that everything had changed, Su Ruan was not sure what she should feel towards this man.

    Why would he constantly show up when she had already chosen to give up? How was she supposed to move on like this?

    "Miss Su, Yu Xi, we should go and get ready now," Long Yu Heng called.

    Su Ruan decided not to look at her phone and followed Ma Yu Xi down.

    At the side, the two men were already setting up the fishing tools. Ma Yu Xi grabbed her fishing tools and chose to sit near Long Yu Heng, leaving Su Ruan speechlessly.

    "Miss Su, come over here."

    Su Ruan turned to the voice and saw Long Fei motioning her to come closer. Seeing the man holding the fishing rod in his hand, Su Ruan went to his side. Long Fei handed her the fishing rod and started to teach her a few things.

    Meanwhile, Ma Yu Xi adjusted her fishing rod and peeked at Su Ruan. Her eyes lit up as she watched Su Ruan was focusing on listening to Long Fei.

    Previously, Long Yu Heng had texted her and mentioned his intention to set up Young Master Long and her cousin together. Ma Yu Xi thought of the last time she saw Long Fei and Su Ruan together the last time they had breakfast together and had agreed.

    Anyway, the two of them were single and it would not do any harm to set them up.

    However, seeing the expression on Long Fei''s face made her start doubting whether she was doing the right thing.

    After watching them for a while, Ma Yu Xi leaned over to Long Yu Heng and whispered, "Brother Yu Heng, are you sure that Young Master Long is interested in my cousin?"

    Long Yu Heng glanced at the person behind them. "Ah Fei would not have the patience to teach your cousin how to fish if he was not interested in her."

    Ma Yu Xi sucked in some air through her teeth. "Young Master Long''s attitude is also very strange. It seemed as if he wanted to get close to my cousin but the look on his face wasn''t very convincing, isn''t it?"

    Long Yu Heng chuckled upon hearing her words. With Long Fei''s cold expression, it was no wonder why Su Ruan would try to avoid him.

    "Maybe you''re right. But this is the first time that my cousin had his interest in someone.. He just needed time to warm up."

 Chapter 77 - Helping Her Cheat

    Su Ruan held the railings and stared at the water with a dazed look on her face. She could see that there were a lot of fishes swimming around the boat but after waiting for a while, none of the fishes seemed interested in the bait she had thrown two minutes ago.

    A chuckle could be heard coming from her side.

    Su Ruan turned to the voice and saw that Long Fei was looking at her with a smile on his face. The thought that this man was laughing at her made her blush. She wondered if she was being too silly?

    "Miss Su, you need to be a little patient. It would probably be a while before the fish caught your bait."

    She had always known that fishing is more of a waiting game. But now that she could see the fish in the clear water, she became impatient. There were many of them swimming around but none of them wanted to take the bait. Why was it?

    Su Ruan turned to look at the water again and frown. "How long do you think I should wait?"

    "It depends on your luck," Long Fei said. "Sometimes, if you a lucky, you might catch a fish within a few minutes. Sometimes, you might have to wait for a few hours. And sometimes, you might come home empty-handed."

    His words made her a little unhappy. Although Su Ruan was not looking forward to this fishing trip, she had a little expectation as well. Especially after she saw the big fishes swimming in the lake water.

    She did not want to come home empty-ended.

    As if sensing his gaze, Su Ruan turned to Long Fei again. It was then that she realized that he had not cast out his fishing rod.

    "Are you not going to cast out your fishing rod as well?"

    There was a complicated look on his face when he heard her question. Long Fei was a little worried that once he cast out his fishing rod, the others on the boat might be suffering from low esteem. The moment he cast out, those fishes in the water would fight to take his bait.

    "It''s fine. I''ll keep an eye on you for a while."

    Su Ruan shot him a puzzled look. "Didn''t you say that it might be a while before I might catch one? President Long, you don''t have to keep an eye on me. I''ll call you when there''s a movement."

    The corner of his lips began to twitch.

    Just a while ago, this woman had obediently called his name but now, it was reverted back to President Long.

    "Long Fei," he corrected her.

    Su Ruan stared back at him for a few seconds before she realized what he wanted to tell her. She let out a cough and mumbled. "Long Fei."

    The corner of his lips tilted up into a faint smile. Seeing the impatient look on her face, Long Fei turned around and walked at the rear. He crouched down and touched the water as if he was washing his hand.

    However, Long Yu Heng saw what he was doing and rolled his eyes.

    It seemed that someone was trying to help Su Ruan cheat.

    Long Yu Heng was dissatisfied but there was no way that he could say anything about it.

    Long Fei returned to Su Ruan''s side and glanced at the fishing rod by Su Ruan''s side. After a few seconds, the fishing rod jerked.

    Su Ruan noticed the movement and began to panic. She turned to Long Fei with an expression screaming for his help.

    She has been looking forward to seeing some movement, but now that she had seen it, Su Ruan did not know what she should do.

    "You should pick up your fishing rod," Long Fei said. "Otherwise, it might fall into the water."

    "Oh!" Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and picked up the fishing rod as instructed. However, the moment she gripped the rod tightly, the fish started to pull hard.

    Su Ruan yelped and a trace of panic appeared on her face. The force was too big and she had almost let go of her rod.

    "Relax, I''ll help you."

    Long Fei''s voice came from behind her.

    Su Ruan turned her head quickly and realized that the man was standing close to her. Her back was leaning on his chest. However, she did not have much time to think about this strange position. At his time, Su Ruan was focusing on the fish that had caught her bait.

    "Miss Su, it seemed that you have caught a big fish." Long Fei clasped her hand on the fishing rod. "Hold it tight and don''t let go."

    On the other side, Ma Yu Xi seemed to notice the commotion and wanted to take a look. However, her movement halted when she saw how Long Fei and her cousin stood close together. Her eyes widened, realizing that this scene almost looked like a back hug.

    A while ago, the two of them were still very distant from each other but after a while, they were very close! Isn''t this development a little too fast?

    Suddenly, Ma Yu XI did not know whether she should step forward or not.

    She wanted to join in the fun and give Su Ruan her encouragement but at the same time, she was a little worried that she might ruin this moment.

    Su Ruan continued to scream in excitement. Her focus was all on the fishing rod.

    A while ago, she had thought that fishing was boring and had promised herself that this was only a one-time thing. But now that she was playing tug of war with the fish, Su Ruan began to think that fishing could give her this excitement.

    After working hard for more than five minutes, Su Ruan finally reeled the fish on the boat. Her eyes widened at the size of the fish. Su Ruan did not expect that she would catch a big fish. However, seeing the way the fish was struggling made her pity it for a bit.

    "Sister Ruan!" Ma Yu Xi could not hold her excitement. "What great luck! It was your first time and you already caught a big fish."

    Long Yu Heng could only laugh when he heard Ma Yu Xi''s words. What luck? Someone was helping her cheat, okay?

 Chapter 78 - Too Magical

    Now that the excitement was over, Su Ruan stared at the fish, moving around in the tank with a hint of pity. She began to wonder if perhaps she should release it back into the water.

    "Sister Ruan, let''s ask Grandma to steam this fish when we get back," Ma Yu Xi said. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the bass. Ma Yu Xi could almost imagine the taste of this fresh fish for their dinner later.

    Su Ruan looked at her cousin with a complicated look on her face. She looked at the fish again and could only sigh. It seemed that his poor fish would not be able to escape its fate.

    Ma Yu Xi helped Su Ruan to snap a few pictures of her and the fish together. After writing a short caption, Su Ruan posted the picture to her moments and quickly turned off the screen before she could see any notification pop up.

    The cousins exchanged a few more words before Ma Yu Xi decided to head back and guard her fishing rod. Seeing that Su Ruan had caught a fish made her fired up. As someone who had more experience, Ma Yu Xi did not want to lose.

    Su Ruan continued to look at the fish for a while before she turned around again. Seeing that Long Fei was fiddling with his fishing rod, Su Ruan decided to walk over. "Thank you for your help."

    Long Fei looked at her with a smile. "As your mentor, this is what I should do."

    Su Ruan chuckled at his response.

    "Are you not going to cast your fishing rod again?" Long Fei asked when he saw her sitting at the side to look at the scenery around them.

    A faint smile curled on her lips. "I didn''t think that fishing would be this tiring. Let me take a rest first."

    Perhaps, her opinion towards the man had changed a little bit. After Long Fei had helped her earlier, Su Ruan no longer feel awkward around Long Fei.

    Long Fei nodded. He went into the cabin and came back with a bottle of cold drink. "Have a drink. Otherwise, you might be dehydrated after staying under the sun for a long time."

    "Thank you." Su Ruan unscrewed the cap and took a few mouthfuls of drinks. A sigh escaped her as she felt the cold water enter her body. She did not realize that she was a little thirsty.

    Her gaze shifted to the water and she began to think of her little friend. It has been a few days since the last time he showed up at her room. Su Ruan was missing the dragon a little bit.

    However, on second thought, Su Ruan hoped that her little dragon would not show up around them. If someone saw him, perhaps, the little dragon would get himself into trouble.

    Her heart ached as she imagine her little dragon going through the same thing as the giant snake. The dragon was such an adorable creature. Su Ruan wished that nothing bad would happen to him.

    From the corner of her eyes, Su Ruan watched as Long Fei cast his fishing rod. He adjusted his rod and finally set it down.

    Just then Su Ruan saw his fishing rod start to shake. However, the man was not paying attention to it.

    Su Ruan let out a dry cough and waited for Long Fei to look at her. "I think a fish caught your bait." Su Ruan pointed at his fishing rod.

    The corner of his lips started to twitch. Long Fei followed Su Ruan''s eyes and saw the movement on his fishing rod. However, he did not rush to pick it up.

    "I just cast my fishing rod a while ago. It couldn''t be that some fish had taken the bait," Long Fei looked away to hide his expression. "Perhaps it caught some other things."

    "Really?" Su Ruan continued to stare at the fishing rod, unblinking. No matter what, she still think that a fish had caught his bait. "I really think that that''s not the case. Why don''t you take a look?"

    After a brief hesitation, Long Fei grabbed his fishing rod again. The fish that caught his bait was too strange. It did not even fight him and had surrendered willingly.

    Seeing that there was no other movement coming from the fishing rod, Su Ruan was almost convinced that it was probably something else that had caught his bait.

    However, the moment Long Fei reeled in the rod, there was suddenly a big fish caught on his bait.

    The size of the fish was slightly bigger than Su Ruan''s. The most important thing was that it did not even struggle to save his life. The fish only moved his body slightly as if to tell them that it was alive.

    It was simply too magical.

    Thinking that she had already seen a dragon and a giant snake these past few days, Su Ruan did not think that this matter was too strange.

    "You really caught a big one!" Su Ruan stared at the fish in awe.

    Ma Yu Xi turned around when she heard Su Ruan''s voice. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the fish in Long Fei''s hand.

    It was less than ten minutes ago since Su Ruan had caught fish. And now, Long Fei had caught one too. Meanwhile, she and Long Yu Heng had started earlier than those two. However, none of them had caught anything yet.

    "Could it be that the location over there is much better?" Ma Yu Xi thought to herself.

    Long Yu Heng chuckled when he heard her words.

    It really has nothing to do with location.

    Even if Ma Yu Xi switched places, she still would not be able to catch a fish easily.

    Seeing that Long Fei was trying to unhook the fish, Su Ruan walked over and spoke, "Let me help you."

    "Can you do it?" Long Fei shot her an inquiring look.

    "You taught me a while ago. It shouldn''t be too difficult, right?"

    Long Fei pondered over this matter and finally let Su Ruan handle the fish. He sat by her side while giving her his instruction.

    The fish was unhooked but a second later, Long Fei noticed that something was wrong.. There were a few red drops on the floor and the scent of blood stirred something deep in his body.

 Chapter 79 - Friend Request

    "You''re injured." Long Fei''s pupil constricted as he saw her injured finger.

    "This is nothing. It''s just a scratch." Su Ruan tried to brush it off. "It would get better after putting on a band-aid." Her eyes widened as Long Fei grabbed her wrist and put her injured finger into his mouth.

    Her heartbeat accelerated when she felt his tongue swirled against her finger. It startled her so much that she could not make any move.

    This person¡­ how could he grab her hand and lick at her wound? Wasn''t it dirty?

    It was Long Fei who realized that he had made a wrong move. He quickly moved away from Su Ruan and shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry. It was a reflex. I saw that you are bleeding and¡­" he lowered his gaze, not knowing how else he should be explaining his action.

    Long Fei thought that he would accept it if Su Ruan wanted to punish him in any way that she wanted. However, the girl continued to stare at him.

    Coughing dryly, Long Fei finally looked away. "Sorry. I''ll go and get the medical kit."

    Without waiting for Su Ruan to say a word, Long Fei stood up and head over to the cabin.

    Realizing that the man was no longer by her side, Su Ruan lifted her finger and stared at it with a dazed look on her face.

    Her face turned a shade redder as she recalled the way his tongue moved around her finger. Su Ruan quickly reminded herself not to think too much.

    After a while, Su Ruan realized that the place was no longer bleeding. Su Ruan squeezed her finger a few times but could not see any blood.

    Long Fei returned to her side a couple of minutes later with a medical kit in his hand.

    Seeing that he had started to spread out some medical ointment, Su Ruan quickly waved her hands to stop him.

    "I think that is no longer necessary. You see¡­" Su Ruan lifted her finger and showed it to him. "It''s no longer bleeding."

    Grabbing her hand, Long Fei looked at the spot where it was bleeding a while ago with a frown. "Still, it''s better to be more cautious."

    A minute later, Su Ruan was staring at the brown band-aid plaster wrapped around her finger with an unreadable expression.

    When she looked up at Long Fei again, the air around them turned awkward again.

    At this time, Ma Yu Xi''s cheering voice could be heard coming from the other side. Su Ruan found an excuse to run from him and stayed by Ma Yu Xi''s side to watch her reeled in her first fish.

    Long Fei watched as Su Ruan cheered for her cousin with a complicated look on his face.

    It felt as if the atmosphere around them had improved after he had taught her how to fish. However, everything changed because of him.

    His tongue swirled inside his mouth.

    Long Fei could still taste the faint hint of Su Ruan''s blood in his mouth. This taste should have made him feel a lot better. But watching as Su Ruan tried to keep her distance from him made his heart a little unhappy.

    ¡­

    The group headed back to the town center before lunch hour.

    The moment she get back home, Su Ruan had a light meal before she headed upstairs to clean up and take a nap.

    Obviously, she did not do anything much other than waiting for the fish to take her bait but Su Ruan thought that fishing could be very tiring.

    Su Ruan only woke up from her sleep two hours later.

    She grabbed her phone and saw that there was a few notifications on her phone. Su Ruan cleared out the unimportant ones and clicked on her social media.

    Earlier, she had posted a few pictures of her first fishing experiences. Several of her friends saw her posts and commented on the beautiful scenery behind her.

    She scrolled down the comments and finally saw Yu Zhi Yi''s comments again.

    This time, he was joining the others to compliment the scenery behind her. He also said praised her good luck to catch a big fish on her first fishing experience.

    Her eyes were staring at his name for a few seconds longer, wondering what she should do with this situation.

    She really did not want to go on another heartbreak¡­

    After adjusting her mood, Su Ruan replied to his comment and was about to exit the application when she noticed a friend request.

    Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the name.

    Long Fei.

    His profile picture was the same that he had chosen to post on the company''s website. Other than his name, the man did not write anything else on his profile.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan clicked to approve his friend request. Then, she put her phone aside and headed to the bathroom.

    When Su Ruan come out again, there was a message from Long Fei.

    "Miss Su Ruan, it''s me. Long Fei. Thank you for your approval."

    Su Ruan reread his message a few times and hesitated before she replied. "You''re welcome."

    "I got your ID from your cousin."

    The corner of her lips twitched. Su Ruan should have thought that it was Ma Yu Xi who had passed her ID to Long Fei. Recently, Ma Yu Xi seemed a little close to Long Fei''s cousin, Long Yu Heng.

    "Miss Su, I want to apologize if I had made you uncomfortable earlier. If there is any way that I can do to make it up to you¡­"

    "You don''t have to apologize." Su Ruan pondered for a moment before she typed again. "You don''t make me feel uncomfortable."

    There was a long silence on Long Fei''s side.

    Thinking that he had stopped feeling guilty about the strange incident on the boat earlier, Su Ruan finally heaved a sigh of relief.

    However, before she could put down her phone on the table, the notification tone rang again, telling her that there was a new message.

    It was Long Fei again.

    "If that was not the case, then I hope that Miss Su could accept my invitation to have a meal together. You can take it as my way to apologize. I wouldn''t be at ease if I cannot apologize to you properly."

    Su Ruan stared at this message for a long time. Somehow, she had this feeling that Long Fei would continue to pester her with his apology if she did not agree to have this meal.

    After pondering for a while, Su Ruan finally agreed.

 Chapter 80 - Tempting Offer

    In the morning, Su Ruan had her breakfast with her family members before following her grandpa to the orchard. A truck stopped by the side and an old man alighted from the driver''s seat.

    The old man was dressed in long black pants and a faded t-shirt. He was mostly bald with only a few white hairs.

    Su Ruan glanced at her grandpa and saw the bright smile on his face.

    "Old Huang, what are you doing here?" Ma Hao Dong greeted. He walked over to his friend and the two old friends hugged. Noticing that his granddaughter was with him, Ma Hao Dong pulled Su Ruan to his side and introduced him. "Old Huang, this is my granddaughter. Su Ruan. Su Ruan, this is my friend, Old Huang. He had an orchard on the east side of the town."

    Su Ruan greeted the old man politely. "Grandpa Huang. Hello."

    The old man''s expression brightened up. "Old Ma, this is Su Ruan, the granddaughter you often talked about? She is very pretty."

    There was a tinge of pink on her face as she listened to the old man''s praise.

    Old Huang laughed happily upon seeing Su Ruan''s reaction. "You didn''t know this, but after your grandpa heard that you would be visiting this town, he would not stop talking about you."

    Su Ruan lowered her gaze and glanced at her grandpa, wondering what did he say to his friends about her.

    "That''s right, are you still single?" Old Huang suddenly asked. "I have a grandson that I can introduce you to. He''s a banker. Next time that brat comes to visit, I can introduce you to him."

    Her lips were slightly parted. Su Ruan stared at the old man with a dazed look on her face. The old man''s question was too sudden and she did not know how to respond to it.

    "Alright, stop scaring my granddaughter," Ma Hao Dong patted his friend on the shoulder. "What if my granddaughter decided to leave quickly because of your words?"

    The two friends laughed happily as they continued to joke with each other.

    "That''s right, I came over to give you a little something." Old Huang walked to his truck and waved his hand, motioning his friend to come closer. "Come over."

    As soon as Ma Hao Dong walked to his side, Old Huang handed him a big watermelon to him.

    "There''s another one. Su Ruan, can you help to carry this?"

    Su Ruan walked over and two bags of watermelon were transferred to her hand.

    The two old friends exchanged a few words before Old Huang leave.

    "Su Ruan, come over." Ma Hao Dong led her to the back of the house and stopped once they reached a well. He put the fruits in the well before continuing to round his orchard.

    Su Ruan followed her grandpa closely while listening to him telling her a few things about the place. Even though she has been following her grandpa for few times, her grandfather seemed to have endless things to talk about the place.

    As they got further into the orchard, Su Ruan''s phone started to ring.

    Su Ruan''s eyes lit up when she saw the name on the caller ID.

    She told her grandpa that she was going to answer a call and walked further into the orchard to get a stronger signal.

    "Hello. Editor Ji?"

    "Su Ruan. It has been a while since the last time I heard from you," Ji Fan Yin spoke. "I hope that everything is well."

    It has been a while since the last time Su Ruan had talked to the editor. After she quit the previous company, Su Ruan had not any contact with Editor Ji Fan Yin. Thinking of how this editor had always looked after her while she was working at the company made her a little guilty.

    The two of them exchanged polite words before the editor expressed the reason for her call.

    "Su Ruan, I heard from Jiang Tian that you are still on vacation. Are you not planning to work at any company?"

    A faint smile curled on her lips. Su Ruan lowered her head and kicked at some pebbles. "Editor Ji, after what happened last time, I think I wanted to take a break and spend my time with my family."

    As she spoke, Su Ruan continued to walk further into the orchard.

    Well, I just wanted to ask if you would be interested in some freelancing works," Ji Fan Yin said. "A friend of mine was asking around and I immediately thought of you. I think you can take this job and do it while you are still on your break."

    Her eyes lit up upon hearing the editor''s words. Su Ruan could not deny that this sounded like a tempting offer.

    "If you are interested, I will send you the details."

    The two of them exchanged a few more words before they hang up.

    When she looked up again, Su Ruan realized that she had gone too far and she could not see anyone around her.

    It seemed that her mind was too preoccupied that she did not realize where she had headed to.

    Su Ruan bit at her lips, wondering which way should she head to and return to the house. If her grandpa realized that she has gone missing again, he would definitely worry.

    Her first instinct was to look up at the position of the sun to figure out the direction. Then she started to walk forward, following her instinct.

    However, her movement halted when she realized that perhaps she had made a wrong turn.

    Instead of finding the house or anyone that could help her, Su Ruan ran to the woods.

    It was then that she remember that Ma Yu Xi had mentioned that the orchard was next to the Long family''s land and she should not go over.

    Su Ruan took a few deep breaths to calm down. Then, she turned around, figuring that if she continued to head in the opposite direction, she would eventually arrive at the house.

    All of the sudden, the sound of the rustling leaves and footsteps could be heard coming from behind her. Her hair stood and Su Ruan began to wonder if she should make a run for it.

    Then, something fell on her shoulder.

    Su Ruan shouted out loud, surprising everyone in a distance away who had heard her voice.

    "Miss Su, calm down. It''s me."

    The person pulled at her arms and forced her to look up.

    Her pupil constricted upon seeing a face that she recognized.

    It was Long Fei.

    "You... why are you here?"

 Chapter 81 - A Misunderstanding

    Long Fei stared back at Su Ruan with a faint smile on his face. "I was close by when I saw you staring at the woods in a daze. Miss Su, are you lost?"

    A tinge of red crept to her face as Su Ruan heard his words.

    To think that she would get lost in her grandpa''s orchard¡­ that sounded a little embarrassing, wasn''t it?

    Moreover, she did not expect that she would run into him so soon, especially after she had agreed to have a meal with him on the weekend.

    Su Ruan cleared her throat and spoke, "Well, I might have taken the wrong turn."

    "It''s understandable. After all, once you walk further into the orchard, everything around you might look all the same."

    A breath of relief escaped her once Su Ruan realized that Long Fei was not going to make fun of her.

    Long Fei thought about it for a moment and spoke, "I''ll accompany you back to your grandparent''s house."

    Su Ruan was about to reject his offer when she recalled that her grandpa might be worried if she went away for too long. "Do you mind?"

    "Of course, not." Long Fei gestured for her to walk first.

    The two of them were walking a certain distance when Su Ruan thought that the silence around them was too awkward. "Are you familiar with my grandpa''s orchard?"

    Long Fei laughed. "A little bit. I used to run around your grandpa''s orchard when I was younger to escape from studying." He secretly observed Su Ruan''s expression, wondering if his words might trigger something in her memory.

    A hint of disappointment came to him, realizing that Su Ruan might not remember anything regarding their childhood.

    Long Fei was suddenly reminded of Su Ruan''s promise to return to her grandpa''s orchard and play with him. He had waited for years. It was especially tormenting for him because of his body''s condition. He only found her again now that they were grownups.

    Su Ruan merely smiled upon hearing his words. "Fortunately. I was afraid that both of us might get lost together in my grandpa''s orchard."

    "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure that you will arrive at your grandparents'' place safely."

    Su Ruan glanced at the person beside her and asked, "What were you doing in the woods earlier?"

    "The woods are part of our family property," Long Fei said. "There are a few places that I need to check at occasionally."

    Long Fei did not elaborate and Su Ruan did not want to appear as a busybody. Since that land belonged to their family, probably they will have a few things to do as well.

    Long Fei was about to ask Su Ruan something when they both heard rapid footsteps coming in their direction.

    Su Ruan stood still and looked around, wondering what it was.

    A while later, she saw her grandpa with a few of his workers run over with some tools in their hands. Their posture was as if they were about to attack someone.

    "Su Ruan!" Ma Hao Dong called anxiously when he finally found her. He threw the rake in his hand on the ground and ran over to his granddaughter. Once he saw that his granddaughter was safe and sound, Ma Hao Dong finally breathe in relief.

    "Grandpa, what are you doing?" Su Ruan glanced at the men holding some tools if they were wielding a weapon.

    "I heard your scream earlier. I thought you were in danger and came over with the others," Ma Hao Dong said. He looked at Su Ruan and frowned. "That''s right. What are you doing here? A while ago, you were still answering your phone call not far away from me. I turned around a while later and found out that you were gone. I was scared when I heard your screaming."

    It was then that Su Ruan understood why did her grandfather come over with those tools in their hands.

    A shade of pink appeared on her face. Su Ruan was truly embarrassed. Suddenly, she did not know how to face anyone. This misunderstanding happened because of her.

    "I was walking around aimlessly and probably got lost," Su Ruan spoke. Her voice was a whisper. "I walked all the way to the woods and ran into Long Fei. He appeared suddenly and II thought that he was a ghost."

    Ma Hao Dong finally noticed that there was someone besides his granddaughter. When he realized who he was, Ma Hao Dong could not hide his surprise. "Young Master Long."

    "Old Man Ma, please, just call me Ah Fei."

    Ma Hao Dong hesitated. Although this was not the first time that Long Fei had asked him to address him as Ah Fei, Ma Hao Dong really could not bear to do it.

    "Grandpa, he was going to escort me back to the house." Su Ruan continued to explain.

    "So, it was a misunderstanding." Ma Hao Dong heaved a sigh. "I thought that you run into a dangerous situation. That''s why I asked the others to come with me." He turned around and dispersed his workers. Soon, there were only the three of them.

    "Grandpa, I promised not to walk around carelessly again." Su Ruan bit at her lips, hoping that her grandpa would not scold her later.

    Ma Hao Dong looked at his granddaughter helplessly. Then, he turned to Long Fei again, and spoke, "Young¡­" He stopped himself upon noticing the man''s unhappy expression and coughed. "Ah Fei, thank you for bringing Su Ruan over."

    "Old Man Ma, don''t be polite. After all, we are neighbors."

    "Now that I think about it, this was not the first time you have helped my granddaughter."

    Ma Hao Dong could still remember the day someone came to his place and said that his granddaughter had fallen into the lake and almost drown. It was Long Fei who had saved her.

    "Why don''t you come over to my place for a while?" Ma Hao Dong suggested. "We are not that far from the house. I won''t feel at ease if I let you return without thanking you properly. Otherwise, just stay for a cup of tea?"

    Hearing that the old man was insisting on him to stay, naturally, Long Fei was happy. He gets to spend his time with Su Ruan openly and tries to get closer to her.

    Still, Long Fei put on his hesitating face before he agreed.. "Then, just for a cup of tea."

 Chapter 82 - Watermelon

    In the end, Long Fei went back with Su Ruan and her grandpa to their house.

    Ma Hao Dong invited him in and asked his wife to prepare some snacks for this guest. He recalled that his friend had dropped over earlier with a few watermelons and took out the watermelon from the well.

    Su Ruan stared at the red watermelon in Long Fei''s hand and swallowed. She wanted to take one piece of that watermelon but the plate was too far away from her. Moreover, her grandpa was chatting with Long Fei and she did not want to disturb them.

    As if sensing her gaze, Long Fei raised his head in time to meet her gaze. However, before he could understand the look in her eyes, Su Ruan had already looked away.

    Long Fei spent almost an hour at the house with Su Ruan''s grandma constantly bringing over something for him to eat.

    When it was finally time for him to leave, Ma Hao Dong was worried that Long Fei will have to walk all the way to the residence and had offered to send him back.

    Surprisingly, Long Fei had already called his cousin and the man was waiting for him outside.

    Su Ruan was finally going to take a piece of the watermelon when her grandpa called her name. "Su Ruan, go and send him out."

    She eyed the watermelon with a heavy heart and walked with Long Fei to the car that was parked outside the house.

    The window rolled down and Long Yu Heng waved his hand at Su Ruan. Sensing Long Fei''s gaze, he quickly looked upfront and tried his best to minimize his presence as he waited for Long Fei to say a few words to Su Ruan.

    "Miss Su, I will come over and pick you up this Saturday," Long Fei said.

    Su Ruan''s mind went blank and she was staring at Long Fei as if she could not understand his words. At this time, she was still thinking that she wanted to go in quickly and eat the watermelon.

    Long Fei raised a brow upon noticing the look on Su Ruan''s face. "Don''t tell me that you don''t remember our date?"

    Her eyes widened. Su Ruan suddenly recalled that she had made an appointment with Long Fei. A few seconds later, she began to feel that there was something wrong with Long Fei''s words¡­

    What date?

    They arranged to have a meal together, but that could not be considered a date, right?

    "I remember."

    "Then, I''ll come over and pick you up before lunch, alright?" Long Fei smiled as he saw her staring back at him as if she had something to say to him. "Then, I will text you later."

    Su Ruan watched as Long Fei entered the car and waved his hand as he leave.

    A long sigh escaped her when she could no longer see the car.

    To think that she had a lunch appointment with Long Fei in a few days¡­ Su Ruan did not think that she was ready for it.

    A few months ago, she was still collecting information about him so that she could interview him. Who would know that after she returned to this town, she would have many chances to interact with Long Fei?

    Su Ruan went back into the house and noticed that the bowl of watermelon was no longer there. She turned to her grandpa who was sitting around the dining table and saw that he was eating the last piece of watermelon.

    Her heart sunk and Su Ruan could not hide her disappointment.

    ...

    Su Ruan head back to her room after dinner and switched on her laptop.

    She checked her e-mail and found the e-mail from Editor Ji Fan Yin''s friend. Su Ruan read the requirement carefully and found that it was indeed something that she can work with.

    These days, she would often spend her time doing nothing other than following other people around the orchard. It would be better if she could find something that she can work with and gain some income from it.

    A knocking sound came from the door as Su Ruan was busy writing back an email to editor Ji Fan Yin''s friend.

    Su Ruan opened the door and saw her mother in front of her. In her hand was a plate of watermelon.

    "It''s good that you haven''t slept yet," Ma Zheng Zheng smiled. "I remember you eying that plate of watermelon earlier and told your grandma to hide some for you. You haven''t tasted it yet, right?"

    Her eyes widened. Su Ruan looked at her mother shyly. She did not expect that her mother would notice that she was eying that plate of watermelon earlier "Mom!"

    Ma Zheng Zheng could only laugh at her daughter''s reaction. "Alright, alright. Go ahead and eat your watermelon." She peeked into the room and saw that Su Ruan''s laptop was on. "Don''t sleep too late."

    "Un. I know." Su Ruan took the plate from her mother and gave her a half hug. "Thanks, mom."

    After saying her goodnight to her mother, Su Ruan turned to her room and placed the plate of watermelon on her table. She took a piece of it and sighed happily as the sweetness of the watermelon filled her mouth.

    She walked over to the window and decided that this watermelon would be best to eat while enjoying the night''s scenery.

    It was then that she noticed a slight movement on her left. Su Ruan turned and saw the tiny dragon hanging on the wall, looking at her.

    The two of them were looking at each other for a few seconds longer. "Little Dragon?"

    The bluish-purple creature crawled over and slithered on Su Ruan''s hand.

    It was then that Su Ruan snapped out of her trance. She peeked outside the window and heaved in relief when she could not see anyone around.

    Quickly, she shut the window and brought the dragon to the table. She put him down and eyed him. "I haven''t seen you for a while. Where have you been?"

    The dragon blinked and Su Ruan realized that she was a fool to ask this question to this creature. However, seeing that the dragon was without injury, Su Ruan was finally at ease.

    She was worried that he was injured and that was why he had not shown up for days.

    What Su Ruan did not know was that this tiny dragon often hang around outside her window without her realizing anything.

    Long Fei walked over to her laptop and looked at her email. His eyes narrowed, noticing that she was applying to write freelance for a certain magazine.

    "What are you looking at?" Su Ruan followed his gaze and watched as he looked away.

    Long Fei''s gaze fell on the plate of watermelon. After standing around for a while, he decided to take a bite at the fruit.

    "Hey! That''s mine!"

    The dragon looked at Su Ruan and blinked. Then, he continued to eat his portion.

    "You are really strange." Su Ruan chuckled. "Can a dragon eat watermelon?" She watched as he ate one piece and carried him away from the plate. "You are accompanying me tonight, right?"

    Long Fei swallowed the remaining food in his mouth.. Fortunately, he was in his dragon form and Su Ruan could not see how his face had turned red.

 Chapter 83 - Going Out

    On Saturday morning, Su Ruan woke up in the morning and found a text message from Long Fei, reminding her that he will come over to pick her up for lunch.

    Su Ruan had planned to borrow her mother''s car and drive to the town center. However, when he recalled that she was still a little unfamiliar with the road in this town, she had reluctantly agreed.

    When she came down, Su Ruan found her mother sitting in the dining area with her laptop on. Hearing her movement, her mother looked up and gave her a lookover.

    "You''re going out?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked.

    Su Ruan hesitated. "Mhm¡­ I''m going to the town center for a bit."

    "With your cousin?"

    "No." Su Ruan pursed her lips, noticing the way her mother was looking at her and waiting for her answer. "It''s with our neighbor next door."

    Ma Zheng Zheng looked at her daughter strangely. The house was in the middle of an orchard. Where would this neighbor next door come from?

    Besides, she seemed to remember that Su Ruan had mostly stayed around the orchard and would only go out whenever Ma Yu Xi took her out. She did not know that her daughter had made some friends.

    "Which neighbor?"

    Su Ruan coughed, realizing that she had said things wrongly. "It''s that Young Master Long."

    Ma Zheng Zheng looked at her daughter in surprise. "You''re going out with Young Master Long? Su Ruan, you¡­"

    "Mom, stop thinking too much. He had helped me a few times," Su Ruan quickly interjected before her mother would think of anything else. "I''m having a meal to thank him for his help."

    "So, it''s like that." Ma Zheng Zheng breathed in relief. It was at this time that she remember how her daughter had gotten lost in the orchard a few days ago. It was that young master who had helped to escort her out. "Then, you have to thank him properly. Do you still have money on you? Go and get my purse in my room."

    Su Ruan looked at her mother speechlessly. Coming back to this town, Su Ruan often felt as if the elders would treat her as if she was still a little child.

    "Mom, I still have them. You don''t need to worry."

    Ma Zheng Zheng hesitated. Then, she remember that this town was different than the big city. There was no overly expensive restaurant around the place.

    Su Ruan glanced at her phone and spoke, "Mom, I have to go now. He''s already waiting for me outside."

    "Ah?" Ma Zheng Zheng quickly snapped out of her trance. "Then, you should quickly go."

    Su Ruan found an excuse to escape and quickly ran out before her mother was going to ask her anything. She wouldn''t know how to answer if her mother start asking questions about Long Fei anyway.

    The phone in her hand buzzed as Su Ruan walked out. She clicked on the message and saw that it was Long Fei, telling her that he had arrived.

    Lifting her head, Su Ruan saw the unfamiliar 4WD in front of her. After checking that there was no other vehicle around, she finally walked over. As she approached, Long Fei alighted from the driver''s seat and walked over to her side.

    "Miss Su, hello."

    Su Ruan stared at the person in front of her in a daze. His height was towering her as he approached.

    The man pulled open the door for her and smiled, "Please, get in."

    Su Ruan slid into the vehicle absentmindedly. The scent of a male filled her nose, snapping her out of her trance. It was at this time that Su Ruan realized that she was going out with Long Fei.

    Previously, there was always her cousin around. Now that there were only the two of them, Su Ruan could not help but feel more anxious.

    It does feel like going on a date, doesn''t it?

    Su Ruan quickly forced herself not to think too much about it. Although Ma Yu Xi had once mentioned that Long Fei seemed interested in her, Su Ruan thought that it was impossible.

    After putting on her seatbelt, the vehicle slowly moves to leave the area. The ride was too silent, making their atmosphere a little awkward. Su Ruan glanced at the man next to her and sighed, noticing that he does not seem to be bothered by the silence.

    Thinking that he probably wanted to concentrate on his driving, Su Ruan looked out the window to enjoy the scenery.

    After a while, the vehicle finally arrived in the town center.

    When Su Ruan snapped out of her trance again, she realized that they were parked near the jetty. She turned to Long Fei and shot him a puzzled look. "Where are we going?"

    "I told you that I know a good place for us to have lunch." Long Fei paused as if he was thinking of something. "But we will have to take the boat first to head to the next location. Do you mind?"

    "It''s alright."

    His lips gradually formed into a smile. "I was worried that you would be uncomfortable if we went to any of the eateries in this town center. The last time I sat with you and your cousin at that bakery, I seemed to notice a few people glancing at our way."

    Su Ruan nodded. "I understand that you are quite popular in this town."

    Long Fei chuckled when he heard her words.

    The two of them alighted from the vehicle and walked to the boat. Long Fei handed Su Ruan the life jacket and watched as she put it on before he started to steer the boat around the lake.

    "Is it going to be far?" Su Ruan asked. She had to shout a little bit as the noise was too loud.

    "We should be arriving in fifteen minutes." Long Fei smiled. "Don''t worry. I am not going to kidnap you."

    "Isn''t that what most kidnappers would say?" Su Ruan muttered, but her words were still heard by him.

    Long Fei laughed and shook his head.. He concentrated on steering the boat and finally, they arrived at a docking area.

 Chapter 84 - Dragon Statue

    Su Ruan followed Long Fei and walked up the stone stairs until they arrived at a place surrounded by the bamboo garden. She looked around the place and noticed the small house just beside the garden.

    Her brow furrowed. Su Ruan glanced at the person beside her, feeling that it was strange that he had brought her over to this place.

    "Are you sure that this is the place?" Su Ruan could not help but ask.

    "En." Long Fei nodded. "This is the place."

    Just then, a middle-aged woman came out of the house. The moment she saw Long Fei, her expression brightened.

    "Auntie Wang," Long Fei greeted. His hands moved as he spoke.

    Su Ruan looked at the middle-aged woman and finally noticed her hands movement. It was then that she realized that the two of them were speaking in sign language.

    Long Fei finally turned to Su Ruan and gestured her to come closer to him. "Miss Su, let me introduce you to Auntie Wang. She is my nanny."

    Su Ruan nodded and greeted the woman politely. Then, she turned to Long Fei with an inquiring look.

    "Auntie Wang is both mute and deaf," Long Fei said.

    Su Ruan pursed her lips. She had already guessed this when she saw the two of them communicating in sign language. Su Ruan could not help but notice the gentleness in Long Fei''s expression as he spoke to the older woman. She really could not figure out why would he bring her over to this place. Auntie Wang should be someone close to him. He was like his mother. Then, wasn''t this almost the same as seeing his family member?

    Auntie Wang''s gaze fell on Su Ruan and she started to move her hand again. "Is this the woman you have been looking for?"

    The corner of his lips turned up. "Yes."

    Auntie Wang''s expression turned brighter. She gave Su Ruan a look over, but her gaze did not stay on Su Ruan for a long time to make her uncomfortable. "She looked like a good lady. Ah Fei, you have a good vision."

    Long Fei chuckled and lowered his head. Then he spoke again, "Auntie Wang, I brought her over for lunch."

    The woman''s expression brightened again. She motioned Long Fei to wait before she ran into the house to prepare something.

    "Come on," Long Fei said as he turned to Su Ruan. "Let''s have a seat."

    "Why did you take me here?" Su Ruan asked.

    "I said that I will treat you to a meal. Coincidently, Auntie Wang is a great cook. I''m sure that you would like it here." Long Fei paused and pondered on something. "That''s right, are you allergic to any food?"

    "No. I don''t have any allergies."

    "That''s good." Long Fei smiled. He brought Su Ruan to the stone garden table and the two of them sat down.

    "What did you and Auntie Wang talk about earlier?"

    "Auntie Wang was curious about you and I told her that you came to this town to visit your grandparents," Long Fei said. "It was rare for anyone to come over this place. Auntie Wang was happy to receive a guest."

    Su Ruan stared at the man and could not find anything wrong with his words.

    "Miss Su, wait here for a while. I will go and check on Auntie Wang."

    Su Ruan nodded and watched as Long Fei walked into the house. Once the man was no longer within her vision, Su Ruan spent her time looking around the place.

    The bamboo garden was relaxing. The sound of the rustling leaves made her feel a little sleepy.

    A dragon statue at the side of the entrance made her pause. Su Ruan stared at the statue for a long time, finding that this dragon seemed similar to the tiny friend that often came to visit her room at night.

    Su Ruan stood up, wanting to get close to it.

    Her eyes widened, finding the similarities between the dragon. Su Ruan could not help but wonder if only this statue was painted with bluish-purple paint, perhaps it would really look similar to her tiny friend.

    The light was suddenly blocked from her view. Su Ruan looked up again and saw that Long Fei was beside her.

    "Are you interested in this statue, Miss Su?"

    Su Ruan quickly retracted her gaze and smiled. "I just thought that this statue looked alive. The sculpture is really good."

    Long Fei smiled. However, the smile on his face quickly disappeared when he heard the words that Su Ruan said next.

    "Don''t you think that this statue resembled Mushu, that dragon in Mulan animation?"

    That cursed name.

    Long Fei really hated to hear this name again. Even though he was in his human form, he was forced to hear this name again.

    Su Ruan saw the look on Long Fei''s face and thought that he had never seen that famous animation before. "You haven''t watched that movie before?"

    "I know that movie." Long Fei could only suppress his annoyance. "It was just that, our ancestors would not be too happy if they heard you compare them to that fictional dragon."

    Su Ruan quickly realized that something was wrong. She glanced at the dragon statue again and spoke, "This dragon¡­ Is there any story behind this dragon statue?"

    Long Fei stared at her for a long time before she spoke. "Do you remember the story that I have told you and your cousin at the bakery?"

    Su Ruan could feel her heartbeat run fast. "You mean the lake garden?"

    His lips turned up into a smile. "You remembered."

    "It was an interesting story and hard to forget," Su Ruan said. "Besides, it was only the second time I saw you in this town. You came over and told me and my cousin about the dragon. It was a little weird."

    Long Fe chuckled. "Was that the reason you would often avoid me when you see me afterward? You must think of me as a strange person."

    Su Ruan bit her lips but did not answer. However, she indeed thought of him as a strange person.

    His gaze shifted to the dragon statue again. He stretched his hand and touched the dragon''s head. "This statue is said to be the statue of the dragon that once resided in the lake. Auntie Wang liked it very much and had several of them around the house."

    Su Ruan looked away. She was suddenly reminded of Long Fei''s story again and hesitated. "The dragon in your story¡­ the last time, you told us that he was caught by the villagers. Then what happened to him? Was he saved?"

    "Are you curious?"

    Su Ruan nodded.

    "He was saved.. Someone among the villagers snuck into the place where he was imprisoned and helped him out."

 Chapter 85 - A Little Research

    Su Ruan did not manage to ask him more about the story of the lake dragon as Auntie Wang had already come out with a tray of dishes for them. She went over to offer her help but was declined.

    Auntie Wang moved her hands and Su Ruan glanced at Long Fei, asking for the translation.

    "She said, you''re a guest and should not trouble yourself with it," Long Fei said.

    Su Ruan sat down and looked at Long Fei again. "You are very capable. I did not expect that you would know sign language. It is said that you are fluent in a few languages, but the last time I did a little research on you, sign language was not among the language you are fluent with."

    Long Fei raised his brow and there was a faint smile on his face. "You did a little research on me?"

    It was then that Su Ruan realized that she had exposed things that she should not expose. She lowered her head, not knowing how to make things less awkward. Long Fei probably think that she was interested in him.

    Su Ruan let out a cough. "Don''t be misunderstood. Before I came to this town, I was working with a magazine. My editor wanted me to interview you and that''s why I had to do a little research on you."

    "I have only been interviewed by a few magazines but I don''t remember meeting you."

    Although Long Fei had already known this story, he pretended as if he knew nothing about it.

    "My memory isn''t that bad, I''m very sure that I would remember you if I had met you during an interview," Long Fei continued.

    Su Ruan flashed an awkward smile. "That''s probably because we have never met before."

    "Oh?"

    "Although the editor assigned me to interview you, in the end, the task fall to someone else," Su Ruan explained. "I heard that in the end, the interview did not happen."

    "What was the magazine''s name?" Long Fei continued to pretend.

    "It''s not a very popular magazine. So, I did not know if you would remember it. The magazine is called Upcoming."

    "Upcoming," the word rolled on his tongue. "I seem to remember this name." He pretended to ponder about this name and spoke again, "That''s right, it was my assistant who had arranged for this interview with this magazine."

    Su Ruan smiled. She did not expect that Long Fei would remember a small magazine like Upcoming.

    "The magazine had given us the name of the interviewer and my assistant had checked on her background. However, when we arrived, I was told that someone else would be interviewing me instead," Long Fei chose to mix in a little bit of truth and lie.

    "We don''t like this last-minute change and canceled the interview. I didn''t know that you were working with this magazine. Then, the person who was supposed to interview me was you?"

    Su Ruan nodded. "I guess that was me."

    The smile on his lips stretched up. "It is a very small world."

    Su Ruan laughed when she heard his words. "Actually, I was always curious why you would agree to be interviewed by this magazine. You should know that Upcoming is a magazine that was targeted for women."

    Long Fei cleared his throat as he tried to come up with a lie. "This is my assistant''s arrangement. He said that I would definitely attract a few more fans if I showed up in this magazine and helped the company''s reputation up."

    Su Ruan thought of the assistant that she had met on the mountain not too long ago. "Your assistant surely had a strange thinking."

    At this time, Auntie Wang came out to deliver a few more dishes. Seeing that the two of them had not moved their chopstick, she quickly urged them to eat before the food would get cold.

    Su Ruan picked up the chopstick and tried the eggplant dishes. Her eyes widened in surprise as the delicious taste spread in her mouth.

    "Then, Miss Su, are you still working for the magazine?" Long Fei asked after taking a few bites of the food.

    "No. I already quit from the company."

    "Why?" Realizing that he might sound like a busybody, Long Fei quickly added, "If you don mind me asking."

    Su Ruan lowered her head to hide her expression. When she thought about her previous company, Su Ruan could not help but feel a little disappointed. "The atmosphere did not suit me."

    Seeing that she did not care to elaborate, Long Fei did not ask her further. Anyway, it was not as if he did not know what had happened to her.

    "Then, are you working for any magazine at this time?"

    Su Ruan swallowed the food in her mouth and answered, "No. I just thought that I wanted to spend some time with my maternal family. After all, I haven''t visited them for a long time."

    "If you are interested, I can recommend you to send a resume to my company," Long Fei said. "We were always in need of a capable journalist. You should know about Blue Media Company, right?"

    "I know."

    "That''s right. You have done some research on me. You should know about this."

    Su Ruan smiled. "Actually, a few months ago, I have applied for a job at your company and was called to attend the interview. On the same day, I received news that my paternal grandfather fell and had to be hospitalized. I went back to see him and missed the appointment."

    "That''s too bad. But Miss Su, if you are still interested in working for my company, you could still send your resume over."

    "It''s fine." Su Ruan waved her hand. "Since I am here, I planned to stay in this town for a while longer and accompanied the elders. I just realized that my grandparents had gotten older. I wanted to spend more time with them."

    Long Fei was suddenly reminded of the e-mail that he had seen on Su Ruan''s laptop while he was visiting her room previously. He had thought that Su Ruan was looking for a job and wanted to help her. Rather than letting her work somewhere else, it would be better to let her stay close to him.

    He lowered his gaze, pondering that perhaps, Su Ruan was only interested to do some freelance.

    As the thought came to his mind, Long Fei made a note to talk to his assistant when he return.

 Chapter 86 - Long Chen

    After chatting with Long Fei for a while, Su Ruan began to feel more at ease again. The two of them began to joke around as they eat their lunch.

    It seemed that Long Fei was easier to talk to contrary to what she had expected.

    Auntie Wang smiled as she watched as the two chatted from afar. Thinking that the young master finally found his fated person, Auntie Wang could not be happier.

    Seeing that the two of them had almost done eating, Auntie Wang came over with two bowls of mango pudding.

    Su Ruan thought that she was already full after eating a lot of food but once she saw the soft and smooth mango pudding in front of her, Su Ruan thought that she could eat a little bit. Su Ruan took a spoonful of pudding and in less than a minute, the mango pudding in her bowl was gone.

    "Would you like to have another bowl?"

    Su Ruan stared at the empty bowl in front of her and then at Long Fei''s bowl. Although the pudding was really tempting, she should not eat more.

    "No. It''s fine. If I eat more, my stomach would burst."

    Long Fei smiled. He did not mention it again and continued to eat his portion.

    Auntie Wang looked at Long Fei and gestured with her hand. Then, Long Fei turned to Su Ruan and spoke, "Auntie Wang wanted to know what do you think of the food?"

    Her eyes lit up she turned to Auntie Wang. "Auntie Wang, the food you cooked was really delicious."

    Long Fei delivered Su Ruan''s words to Auntie Wang and the woman smiled happily. Auntie Wang told Long Fei to bring over Su Ruan to her place again before she went into the house to clean up.

    "Do you have any other place you wanted to stop by?"

    Su Ruan did not have to think for too long to answer. "No. Let''s just head home. I''m not really familiar with this place. Other than the places where my cousin had brought me over previously, I did not know any interesting place."

    Long Fei lowered his gaze as he made his further plan. "Since you are not familiar with this place, then, how about if I bring you around next time?"

    She stared at him for a while and smiled. "Aren''t you the president of Blue Media Group? How are you that free to bring me around for sightseeing?"

    Long Fei chuckled. "I already delegated most of my work to my subordinates. When I''m in this town, I try not to think too much about the company matters."

    "That''s true." Su Ruan propped her chin with her hand. "I used to hear that you would only stay in Capital City for a few months before you disappeared. I always thought you went overseas for business matters. But now, I''m starting to think that perhaps, you came back here to take a break."

    Long Fe laughed. He leaned over and looked at her, eye level. "Now, I''m curious to know what else do you know about me."

    Hearing his words, Su Ruan suddenly thought that perhaps she sounded like his little fan. The thought made her cheek turn a little red. Fortunately, she had already explained that she had made a little research on him to prepare for the interview. Otherwise, she really did not know how she would explain herself.

    "How long are you planning to stay in this town, Miss Su? Are you planning to return to Capital City soon?"

    Her expression changed and Long Fei did not miss the look on her face. His heart skipped a beat as he wondered if he had brought up something unpleasant. However, Long Fei did not think that there was anything wrong with his question. He could not figure out how this question would make her unhappy.

    "I will return to Capital City by the end of summer," Su Ruan answered after she had adjusted her mood. Thinking of the reason she had to head to Capital City made her heart ache.

    Long Fei subconsciously tightened his hand into a fist. Hearing that she planned to leave this town made him unhappy. He needed to find a way to make her stay close to him.

    "My best friend is getting married and I need to show up at the wedding and give my blessings."

    His mood changed again.

    The reason that she''s heading back to Capital City was to attend her friend''s wedding?

    "As for staying in this town¡­ I still haven''t made my decision about it," Su Ruan said with a sigh. "I like it here. It''s peaceful and the people in this town are friendly. Perhaps I will stay perhaps I would leave after finding a reason to leave."

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. He silently vowed to give her reasons to stay.

    After staying around the bamboo garden for a while, Su Ruan finally left with Long Fei. The man sent her back to her grandparents'' house and leave after convincing Su Ruan to come out with him to visit a few interesting places around the town.

    ¡­

    When Long Fei returned to his courtyard, he quickly noticed that the atmosphere around him was a little different. His eyes narrowed when he could not see anyone around. He went to his study and finally found that his staff was all there.

    Looking at the way the staff had their head lowered, Long Fei quickly guessed that someone had come to his place when he was not around. That person was unhappy and decided to punish his staff.

    He entered his study and found his father, Long Chen, inside. The man sat languidly on the chair while sipping his tea.

    Long Fei walked over and greeted, "Father. You are back."

    The man did not raise his head. He put down the cup of tea on the side table and slowly lifted his head. "Where have you been?"

    "Taking a walk along the lake," Long Fei answered. "Father, what are you doing to my staff? Why are you punishing them?"

    "They were supposed to look after their young master but they did not know where you have gone to. As your staff, they have failed to look after you. What''s wrong with punishing them?"

    "If you are unhappy, you could always tell me. I will handle the matters of my courtyard. As for my staff... I will be the one who will punish them if they did something wrong."

    Long Chen''s expression turned darker, and the father and son looked at each other unhappily.

 Chapter 87 - Looking For A Fight

    It was not known for how long the father and son has been staring at each other, both silently challenging each other to make the first move. But soon, they were forced to calm down when Long Fei''s grandfather, Long Yuan appeared.

    "Cut it out you two." Long Yuan stomp his cane on the floor twice to break the strange atmosphere in the study.

    The father and son looked away, and quickly adjusted their mood in front of their patriarch. Long Fei saw the figure of his butler behind his grandfather and guessed that he should be the one who notified the old man of the situation. With his grandfather''s arrival, Long Fei''s staff who were punished in front of his study had all dispersed.

    "You." Long Yuan pointed his cane to his son. "What is wrong with you? As soon as you came back, you came over, looking for a fight with your son."

    "Father" Long Chen called with a helpless tone in his voice. "I wasn''t looking for a fight. I was only concerned when I couldn''t see my son around his courtyard. Moreover, none of his subordinates knew where he was going. What if something happened to him?"

    "If you are worried, just tell him you are worried. Why do you have to interfere with his courtyard''s matter and make him angry?"

    Long Chen pursed his lips, unable to utter a word. He was already this old but his father would still scold him.

    Sensing his father''s angry stare at him, Long Chen finally heaved a sigh.

    "It was my mistake. I heard that Ah Fei had run into the group of hunters previously and worried that he might run into them again. Father, you know that old man well. If he started to suspect something, he would not let it go. I worry that Ah Fei might enter their trap. That is all."

    Hearing his son''s words, Long Yuan began to hesitate. He realized that his son''s worry was not baseless. However, his son was still in the wrong when he decided to punish Long Fei''s staff during his absence.

    "You are Ah Fei''s father. It''s fine if you are concerned about him but don''t be over-controlling," Long Yuan''s voice was not as fierce as the beginning. "Ah Fei is already an adult. He knows what he is doing." He heaved a sigh and spoke, "How can a father and son get into a fight the first thing they met? Are you not ashamed?"

    Long Chen lowered his gaze, knowing well that nothing he said at this moment would help him.

    After saying a few words to his son, Long Yuan looked at his grandson again. "Your father is also right. That person and his group would not stop pursuing us. He already tricked you once. Ah Fei, you need to be careful."

    "Grandfather, I know."

    Long Yuan nodded. Sensing that this matter is over, he was about to turn around before he recalled something else. "That''s right. Ah Fei, have you found any clue to find that person?"

    "I am still searching for her." Long Fei naturally knew that his grandfather was talking about Su Ruan.

    "Your health has been improving a lot the past few days," Long Yuan commented. "Since you are well enough, why don''t you head out and continue to look for her?"

    "Grandfather, I have my own arrangement. I will head back to Capital City to look for her but the time isn''t now," Long Fei said. His Su Ruan was still in this town. He had only reason to stay. Long Fei had already made his plan. The next time he leave this town, it would be to accompany Su Ruan.

    Long Yuan heaved another sigh. The last time Long Fei headed to Capital City he heard from Long Yu Heng that there might be some clue in finding that girl, but in the end, they lost her again.

    After saying a few words to Long Fei, Long Yuan finally left the courtyard, dragging his son away. He was afraid that if he let Long Chen stay, the father and son would start to fight again and make everyone suffer with them.

    ¡­

    The sky has long turned dark.

    Su Ruan focused on her laptop. The sound of click-clacking of her keyboard reverberated in her room as she continued to write her article. Ideas kept on pouring in and she could not stop.

    After a long time, the sound finally stopped. Su Ruan reread her article and edited a few errors. Once it was done, Su Ruan stretched up and looked at the clock.

    A look of surprise came to her face as she realized that it was almost midnight.

    Her gaze shifted to her slightly opened window. The cold wind blew in and she started to sneeze twice.

    Su Ruan looked at the window again and finally sighed.

    Earlier, she had deliberately opened the window slightly just so she could let her tiny friend in. However, it seemed that the little dragon was not going to visit her today.

    Feeling a little disappointed, Su Ruan decided to call it a day and head to bed earlier. She walked over to the window and was about to close it when a familiar figure finally appeared on her window.

    Instantly, her eyes lit up. "Little Dragon, you are late."

    Long Fei looked at Su Ruan in surprise. From Su Ruan''s words, it seemed that she has been waiting for him?

    He had not planned to come over and see Su Ruan this night. But after getting into a heated discussion with his father after dinner, Long Fei was in a very bad mood. He went out to take a walk and calm down. Subconsciously, he arrived at Su Ruan''s place.

    Seeing her face made him feel a little better. But after hearing her words, Long Fei felt guilty.

    Long Fei quickly made his way inside her room and look around. His gaze finally fell on her laptop before his tiny body was lifted up.

    Su Ruan patted his head with her finger and raised him up until her eye level. "Little Dragon, I miss you. Tonight, you will accompany me to sleep, alright?"

    His heart skipped a beat and soon his face heated up. This was not the first time they have slept on the same bed together but he was still very shy about it. Long Fei could not help but feel jealous of his own tiny form.

 Chapter 88 - Fever

    Just like the past few times, he stayed in Su Ruan''s room, Long Fei found himself waking up in the girl''s embrace. They were so close that he could inhale her scent and feel her body temperature. Thinking how Su Ruan had hugged him close to her chest made him feel embarrassed.

    However, this time, Long Fei did not have time to feel shy. The moment he woke up, Long Fei could feel that there was something wrong with Su Ruan.

    He slithered out of her embrace and looked at Su Ruan''s face. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing was heavy and her cheek was reddened. Even in her sleep, Su Ruan looked very restless.

    This time, it wasn''t the same as the time she had dreamed of their childhood and his form as a dragon.

    Long Fei touched her forehead and immediately took a step back.

    Her body temperature was higher than he had thought. He stared at her for a long time, wondering what he was supposed to do in this situation.

    Long Fei tried to wake her up but Su Ruan only curled her body into a fetal position and let out a whimper.

    Her head was aching and her eyes were heavy. No matter how Long Fei moved her, Su Ruan was unable to wake up.

    "Cold," Su Ruan whimpered. Even with the blanket on her body, Su Ruan still felt a little cold.

    Noticing that she was seemed uncomfortable, Long Fei used his claw to pull the blanket to cover her body. However, this still was not enough to help her get well.

    Long Fei scanned his eyes around the room and hesitated. After a while, Long Fei went into the corner and shifted into his human form.

    He grabbed the towel at the side to cover his lower body and walked towards the bed again. Stretching his hand, Long Fei placed a hand on Su Ruan''s forehead to test her temperature.

    Just as he had expected, Su Ruan was having a fever. Moreover, her temperature was higher than he had thought.

    His brow furrowed as he looked at her. She was still fine when he entered her room last night. When did she suddenly develop a fever?

    A while later, Long Fei recalled how Su Ruan had left her windows slightly open when he came to her bedroom. He quickly concluded that perhaps she had caught a fever due to the cold air.

    As the thought came to his mind, Long Fei felt a little guilty. He knew that Su Ruan had let her window open to let him in. It seemed that Su Ruan had caught a fever because she was waiting for him.

    A heavy breath escaped him. However, his lips curled into a helpless smile "You little fool." He stood up and stayed in her bedroom to look after her.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan woke up in the morning with a parched throat. The moment she moved to sit on her bed, her head started to throb. As the pain subsided, Su Ruan looked around the room with a dazed look on her face.

    It was then that she realized that her pajama was a little damp.

    It seemed that she had a fever last night and had sweated profusely.

    Su Ruan moved to the side table, wanting to pour herself a glass of water. After a few mouthfuls of drinks, Su Ruan felt a little better.

    Just as she had put the glass down, an image suddenly appeared on her head, making her face a little red.

    Why would she suddenly imagine a topless man sitting on her bed while wiping her face with a wet towel? Although the image was not very clear and she could not see his face, at least his abs were very good-looking.

    Su Ruan widened her eyes and quickly dispel that thought in her head.

    It seemed that her fever had started to make her imagine strange things. Or was it that she had not dated anyone years that she started to feel hungry?

    Su Ruan was surprised by her own thought. She slapped her face twice and finally stood up. She really needed to wash her face with cold water and wake up.

    After washing her face, Su Ruan headed downstairs and saw her mother wiping some cutlery in the dining room. She walked over to her mother and called, "Mom¡­" Su Ruan dragged her words, sounding coquettish. She hugged her mother from her back and placed her chin on her mother''s shoulder.

    Ma Zheng Zheng laughed. She tried to turn and look at her daughter but could not move that much. "What''s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly acting like a baby?"

    "Mom, I think I have a fever."

    "Ah?" Ma Zheng Zheng placed the cutlery on the table and turned around. Su Ruan''s pale lips scared her. She looked at her daughter worriedly and placed her hand on Su Ruan''s forehead.

    Feeling the temperature on her daughter''s forehead, Ma Zheng Zheng finally let out a breath of relief. Fortunately, her fever was not that high.

    "When did this happen? Have you eaten any medicine?"

    "No. I didn''t have any. I came to ask if you have any medicine."

    Ma Zheng Zheng quickly turned to look for medicine for her daughter. "That''s right. Sit down and have something to eat first. Then, go back to your room and rest."

    Su Ruan watched as her mother walked around worriedly. Now that she was having a fever, Su Ruan only wanted to act like a baby to her mother.

    Thinking about it, she had grown up mostly without her mother by her side. In the past, whenever she had a fever, it was her paternal grandmother who would often look after her.

    Suddenly, her nose stung and Su Ruan began to hug her mother again.

    Her movement surprised Ma Zheng Zheng. "What''s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

    Su Ruan put her chin on her mother''s shoulder again. Her mother''s scent entered her nose, making her feel calmer. "Mom, it''s really nice to have you around."

    Ma Zheng Zheng paused when she heard her words. Her lips gradually turned into a helpless smile. She hugged her daughter and patted Su Ruan on her back. Ma Zheng Zheng seemed to understand what her daughter was thinking about and felt distressed.

    As the mother, she always felt guilty that she had not spent a lot of time watching her daughter grow up. Fortunately, this girl had not blamed them for their divorce. The thought made her hug Su Ruan a little tighter.

    At this time Ma Zheng Zheng realized that after her daughter returned to this town, she had not spent much time accompanying her daughter.

 Chapter 89 - Expanding Her Social Circle

    In the next few days, Su Ruan stayed home to recuperate. As she was feeling unwell, her mother and grandparents has been spoiling her and allowing Su Ruan to act like a baby.

    During the nighttime, Ma Zheng Zheng offered to accompany her daughter to sleep. However, Su Ruan still remembered her tiny friend who would stop by her room to sleep. Therefore, she could only convince her mother that she would be alright to sleep alone.

    Su Ruan wanted to hide the little dragon a secret.

    If anyone saw him, perhaps, they would be scared¡­

    The little dragon would visit her just before it was time for her to sleep. Then, Su Ruan would carry him to her bed and use him as her body warmer.

    Of course, Su Ruan was unaware that once she fell deep into sleep, the tiny dragon would shift into his human form and stay to look after her.

    When she woke up, the image of a topless man with a beautiful mermaid line and abs would appear in her mind. Each time, this topless man would walk to her bed and caress her face. Meanwhile, she could only lay on the bed and stare at his abs.

    The man''s face was still hazy in her mind and all she could remember was the man''s pretty body.

    Su Ruan was really worried that something was wrong with herself.  Could it be that she was sexually frustrated? Or was this a sign that she should start thinking about dating?

    However, when she thought about the opposite gender in her social circle, Su Ruan began to feel disheartened. It seemed that for Yu Zhi Yi, he had purposely avoided entangling too close with another man.

    Look at how this ended up for her.

    Yu Zhi Yi was going to marry the woman he love while she will continue to stay single.

    Su Ruan pondered that perhaps she should reconsider expanding her social circle.

    When Su Ruan felt a little better, Ma Zheng Zheng took her daughter to the town center to spend time with her daughter. The mother and daughter planned to have breakfast together and walk around and shop.

    Her cousin, Ma Yu Xi had taken her to the town center a few times but Su Ruan did not have enough time to look around.

    Ma Zheng Zheng brought her to the bakery where Ma Yu Xi had brought her the last time for breakfast. After ordering their food, the mother and daughter sat down together and had a chat.

    When her mother asked her about her father''s family, Su Ruan only mentioned her paternal grandparents without mentioning her father that much.

    Su Ruan did not want to make her mother uncomfortable. After all, her father had remarried another woman while her mother stayed single.

    Sometimes, Su Ruan would wonder why didn''t her mother consider remarrying but her mother seemed comfortable with her current life.

    Ma Zheng Zheng took a bite at her custard tart and looked at her daughter. "You have been staying in this town for almost a month. Have you made any plans?"

    "Mmm¡­" Su Ruan stirred her coffee absentmindedly. "Recently, my ex-boss from the previous company had contacted me and suggested me to write some freelance article. I decided to take this job. The payment might not be much but perhaps after writing a few more articles, I could get a little more money."

    Ma Zheng Zheng''s eyes lit up. "Are you planning to stay here?"

    "This town is a beautiful place but I haven''t made any decision," Su Ruan said. She stared at her mother and asked, "Mom, what do you think if I decide to stay in this town and accompany you?"

    "Of course, I would be happy. Just that¡­ Living in this town isn''t the same as living in a big city. Mom is just afraid that you would not get used to it. As you can see, there was not a lot of entertainment for young people like you. This was probably why many youngsters chose to leave this town."

    Su Ruan laughed. "I don''t mind that. In the past, I am always busy with work. I did not have time to enjoy any sort of entertainment in the city."

    "You can stay with me and your grandparents for as long as you like. But Su Ruan, once you found something you like to do, you shouldn''t stop yourself to achieve what you wanted to do."

    "Mom, I know this. For now, let''s leave that for the future. This time, I only wanted to spend my time accompanying you and my grandparents."

    The mother and daughter chatted for a bit while having their breakfast.

    Afterward, Ma Zheng Zheng took Su Ruan around to the nursery garden to place some order of soil and fertilizer for the orchard.

    While her mother was discussing with the boss, Su Ruan took the chance to walk around the garden to look at the potted flowers sold. Su Ruan was admiring the orchid on the rack when she realized that there was someone standing beside her.

    Turning around, Su Ruan was surprised to see a familiar face. "President Long."

    The corner of his lips began to twitch.

    After she had not seen him for a few days, Su Ruan had reverted to calling him President Long again. He wondered if he needed to appear in front of her every day so that she would not forget about him.

    Thinking of how she had treated him and that tiny dragon differently make him upset.

    Long Fei decided to bring up this matter to her. "Miss Su, we haven''t seen each other for a few days and you went back to address me, President Long."

    Su Ruan touched the tip of her nose when she realized it. She let out a cough and spoke, "Each time that I saw you, you would have this special aura around you. I couldn''t help myself and have subconsciously addressed you, President Long."

    Long Fei decided not to pursue this matter. He shifted his gaze to the potted orchid and asked, "Are you interested in these orchids?"

    "They are pretty to look at, but very troublesome to look after." Su Ruan heaved a long sigh. "I can only admire them from afar. I''m afraid that once it fell into my hand, the orchid would die. Actually, I don''t think that I have green thumbs as the rest of the family."

    "It couldn''t be that bad?"

    Su Ruan only gave him a smile.

    At this time, Ma Zheng Zheng walked over, wanting to tell her daughter that she was done with her business. However, once she came closer, Ma Zheng Zheng realized that her daughter was with someone else.

    Once she recognized the man, Ma Zheng Zheng was unable to hide her surprise.. "Young Master Long."

 Chapter 90 - Lend Me Your Daughter

    Ma Zheng Zheng shifted her gaze between her daughter and this young master. Seeing the two of them standing side by side made her feel a little strange.

    "Auntie, hello." Long Fei nodded politely.

    "Hello. Ma Zheng Zheng turned to her daughter, silently asking her when did they were together with her eyes.

    Last time, her daughter had gone out with this young master for lunch. This time, she had seen the two of them standing side by side. Of course, Ma Zheng Zheng would have a strange thought.

    Worried that her mother might misunderstand something, Su Ruan leaned closer to her mother and whispered, "We ran into each other coincidentally."

    Su Ruan glanced at the man beside her and a thought suddenly came to her mind. It seemed that she had always run into this man whenever she visited the town center.

    "Young Master Long, are you here to buy some flowers as well?" Ma Zheng Zheng spoke.

    "I heard that they delivered a new batch of orchid today. I decided to casually look around."

    Hearing his words, Su Ruan recalled the words that Ma Yu Xi had told her previously. Most of the business in this town center belonged to the Long family.

    It wouldn''t be strange if this garden nursery belonged to the Long family as well.

    Ma Zheng Zheng turned to her daughter and spoke, "I have finished my business here. Su Ruan, if you don''t have any place you need to head to, then, we can head back."

    Long Fei glanced at the mother and daughter and spoke. "Auntie, I wonder if it will be convenient for you to lend me your daughter for a few hours?"

    Sensing that Ma Zheng Zheng was looking at him strangely, Long Fei decided to explain. "I heard that your daughter used to write for a magazine. Coincidentally, the company was looking for a freelance writer. Since we run into each other today, I thought that I wanted to discuss an offer with Miss Su."

    It was just this morning that Ma Zheng Zheng had discussed with her daughter what she was planning to do. Just now, Su Ruan had mentioned to her about doing some freelance writing. Thinking that Long Fei was going to present a good chance for Su Ruan, Ma Zheng Zheng naturally did not have anything against this idea.

    "This matter¡­ I should ask my daughter if she''s interested," Ma Zheng Zheng said. She looked at her daughter with an inquiring gaze.

    Long Fei turned to Su Ruan with an expecting gaze.

    Sensing that the two people were looking at her, Su Ruan suddenly felt a little awkward. However, Long Fei''s offer was indeed a little tempting.

    Blue Media Group was a big company. Their pay should be a little more generous, right?

    "Well, it does sound interesting," Su Ruan said.

    The smile on Long Fei''s lips stretched up.

    Su Ruan looked at her mother and said, "But mom, what about you? Don''t you need to head back for work?"

    "I don''t mind waiting for you," Ma Zheng Zheng said. "I can deal with work later. Your grandpa would not mind it."

    "If you don''t mind¡­" Long Fei spoke to get the mother and daughter''s attention. "I can send you back afterward, Miss Su." He turned to Ma Zheng Zheng and continued, "This way, Auntie, you don''t have to wait for your daughter. "

    "This¡­" Ma Zheng Zheng hesitated. "We shouldn''t trouble you."

    The man was the young master of the Long family. It doesn''t seem like a good idea to have him chauffeuring for her daughter back, right?

    "It''s not a trouble," Long Fei spoke quickly. "After all, I would pass by the Ma''s Orchard on my way back."

    Ma Zheng Zheng considered his suggestion and thought that his words make sense. However, everything seemed to depend on her daughter.

    "Then, I will have to thank you in advance," Su Run said.

    Hearing her answer, Long Fei could not help but heave in relief. Although he always spend his time together with Su Ruan, Long Fei wanted to be around her in his human form.

    Otherwise, Su Ruan''s relationship with the tiny dragon would improve, but she would treat him in his human form indifferently.

    After exchanging a few words with her mother, Su Ruan watched her mother leave and went to Long Fei''s side. "Where should we discuss this?"

    Long Fei chuckled. "I know a quiet place for us to talk."

    Su Ruan decided to trust him. Following him, Long Fei took her to a tea house that she had never thought would exist in the town.

    The moment they entered the shop, the waiter greeted them politely and ushered them to a private room. As they walked, Su Ruan continued to look around the place.

    She wondered how could this tea house survive when there seem to be no one coming to visit this place.

    "Miss Su, please, come in."

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and walked into the room. The waiter handed them a menu to them and waited at the side.

    "Please look at the menu and see what you like," Long Fei said. "Don''t worry, it will be my treat."

    Su Ruan browsed through the menu and finally decided to order a few cakes as per Long Fei''s recommendation.

    As there was no customer around, their order arrived very quickly. Long Fei poured them a cup of tea each and continued to observe Su Ruan quietly. Seeing that she seemed to enjoy the food and tea that he had chosen made him feel a little better.

    Su Ruan opened her mouth and closed them again. A faint smile appeared on her lips, realizing that she had almost called him President Long again. Su Ruan still thought that it was strange for her to address him by his name, but earlier, he had reminded her about this matter again¡­

    Su Ruan let out a cough and spoke, "Are you a foodie?" She watched as he raised his brow and explained, "It seemed to me that you always know a good place to eat."

    Each time that she followed him out for a meal, the food that Long Fei had let her taste had never disappointed her.

    Long Fei laughed. "You could say that."

    His smile stunned her for a few seconds. Su Ruan lowered her gaze and asked, "You mentioned earlier about freelance writing?"

 Chapter 91 - His Cold Look

    Long Fei took a sip of his tea to moisten his throat before he put down the cup. His movement was slow and graceful. As a woman, Su Ruan could not help but admire him.

    "After you mentioned your previous work experience, I went online and found a few articles you have written in the past," Long Fei said.

    Obviously, he had read them from the very beginning he knew that she was working for Upcoming magazine. However, Su Ruan did not need to know that details.

    "I think they were quite good," Long Fei smiled.

    Su Ruan was surprised to know that someone like Long Fei would be reading her articles. Upcoming was a magazine for women. Why would he spend his time reading those?

    "I showed them to the editor in Blue Media to ask for her opinion. She agreed that it would be a waste if we did not hire you," Long Fei said. "I mentioned your situation and she suggested hiring you to write freelance. For starters, we will you will only need to write one article weekly. Miss Su, what do you think? Of course, if you choose to accept, my company is willing to pay you handsomely."

    Su Ruan was immediately attracted to this offer. However, she still found this situation a little hard to believe. According to this situation, doesn''t this mean that she was recruited personally by this big boss?

    She could not help but feel as if there was something wrong with this situation. However, she could not pinpoint what it was.

    Seeing that Su Ruan had not given him an answer, Long Fei was worried that perhaps, Su Ruan did not like this offer and would reject him. "Miss Su, if you have any request, you can just tell me. I will try my best to help you."

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and smiled. "I think I need to speak with this editor first and understand what you are going to need me to write."

    His eyes flashed. "Of course. I will give your contact to the editor and let her email you. Then, you can discuss it with her."

    Long Fei quickly made a note to tell Fu Xing to arrange this matter for him. First, he needed to find this editor.

    Su Ruan gave him her email and the two of them continued to chat about the company and naturally, they moved on to another topic.

    After drinking too much tea, Su Ruan excused herself to the restroom. Following a waiter''s direction, Su Ruan went to find the restroom.

    As she was walking along the corridor, Su Ruan ran into a few waiters. Each time she walked past them, the waiter would give her a strange look. A young waitress had even given her a look over and sneered.

    Su Ruan could only think of one reason that these people would look at her this way. It should be related to Long Fei.

    Perhaps she had spent her time with Long Fei a lot than she had thought. Sometimes, she almost forgot Long Fei''s identity as the young master.

    Supposedly, he rarely showed himself in the town center and the people who get to meet him up close were not many.

    However, he had shown up at this teahouse with her. It was not strange if the townspeople would be curious about her.

    Su Ruan decided not to think too much of this matter and made her head hurt.

    After washing up, Su Ruan went back into the private room. When she pushed the door to enter the room, Su Ruan quickly noticed that there was a waitress inside the room. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled that she had run into the waitress on her way to the restroom.

    At this time, Su Ruan was facing the waitress''s back so she could not look at her expression. However, Su Ruan still noticed the cold look on Long Fei''s face.

    Her body shivered subconsciously.

    Su Ruan had never seen Long Fei wearing this expression on his face before. From the moment she met him in this town, Long Fei was always so warm unlike what her cousin, Ma Yu Xi had described to her.

    Noticing that Su Ruan had returned, Long Fei''s expression softened. The change was too fast that Su Ruan was almost convinced that her eyes were playing tricks on her.

    The waitress turned to leave the room hurriedly. As she walked past her, Su Ruan naturally noticed the pale look on the waitress''s face.

    Su Ruan walked into the room and raised a brow. "Is there any problem?"

    Long Fei flashed her a smile. "Nothing much. The waitress made a mistake and I reprimanded her a little bit."

    Noticing a wet spot on the table, Su Ruan immediately guessed that the waitress has been a little careless.

    The two had discussed what they wanted to discuss and spent a long time in the teahouse. Without realizing it, she had spent almost two hours chatting with Long Fei. "Should we go back now?" Su Ruan suggested.

    Long Fei nodded. The two of them leave the teahouse and Su Ruan followed Long Fei to the place he had parked his 4WD.

    Because Long Fei had parked somewhere farther, the two of them had to walk on the street together. As they passed by a square, a young girl suddenly stopped them to hand over a flyer. Su Ruan had just taken the flyer from the girl when she noticed the fear on her face.

    Turning around, the girl had quickly run away from where she had come from.

    Su Ruan looked around and could not find the reason for this girl to run away until her gaze finally fell on Long Fei.

    "Did you scare the young girl away?"

    Long Fei looked at Su Ruan helplessly. "Do I look like someone who could scare another person away?"

    Su Ruan pondered over his question seriously but in the end, she did not give him an answer lest she would give him an answer he did not like to hear. She looked at the flyer that the girl had given her earlier to avoid this topic.

    Her eyes lit up when she saw what was on the flyer.

    "A carnival?" Su Ruan muttered to herself.

    Long Fe leaned over to peek at the paper in her hand. "Mmm¡­ I seemed to remember that their townspeople would hold a carnival around this time of the year.''

    Su Ruan looked at the list of activities and smiled. "This looks pretty interesting." She could not remember when was the last time that she had joined something as fun as this. She wondered if her grandparents'' orchard would be joining the carnival as well. It seemed that a farmer''s market was listed as one of the attractions for the carnival.

    "Are you planning on going?" Long Fei asked.

    She looked at the date and thought that she should still be in this town during the carnival. "Perhaps."

    A light flashed in his eyes.. Long Fei thought that he should ask Su Ruan to attend this carnival with him.

 Chapter 92 - Get To Know You Better

    Long Fei continued to think about asking Su Ruan to this carnival but in the end, he failed to say a word about it.

    Without realizing it, they had arrived at his car. Su Ruan had to call his name twice for him to snap out of his trance.

    Seeing that she was looking at him strangely, Long Fei unlocked the door and quickly helped her to get in the passenger''s seat. His brow furrowed as he wondered why he had failed to say a word.

    It seemed that now would be a little too late to mention this matter.

    Of course, Long Fei had his own worry as well. He remember that his grandfather would be invited to join this festivity. Each year, he would stand on the stage to say a few words.

    Long Fei was worried that he would run into his family member in this carnival and they would wonder about Su Ruan''s identity.

    He still thought that this was not the right time for him to tell the others that Su Ruan was the girl that he has been looking for.

    However, he still wanted to ask her out. Perhaps if he could ask Long Yu Heng to cover, then it would not be so difficult¡­

    The atmosphere in the car was silent on their way back. Su Ruan did not mind it as she was busy looking out the window, enjoying the scenery in front of her.

    No matter how many times she had seen it, Su Ruan would never get tired of this view,

    She had really fallen for the town''s scenery.

    The car went past the lake. Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan and saw the look in her eyes as she was looking out the window. For a brief second, he was stunned.

    "You seemed to like the lake view." Long Fei gripped the steering wheel tightly and focused on the road.

    Su Ruan turned to Long Fei and smiled. "Mhmm¡­ the lake is very pretty. I heard that it is the number one attraction in this town."

    She could not tell him that she was thinking about her little friend. Even though it was Long Fei who had told her the story about the lake dragon, Su Ruan was still worried that the man would think that she was crazy if she mentioned that a dragon really does exist.

    They finally arrived at the Ma''s Orchard and Long Fei parked his 4WD outside. Before Su Ruan could say a word and get off of his vehicle, Long Fei had spoken again. "Miss Su, wait."

    Su Ruan had just picked her purse and slung the strap to her shoulder. Hearing his call, Su Ruan turned and looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

    Long Fei hesitated for a few seconds. "If you don''t mind, would you like to attend the carnival with me?"

    The look on her face froze. It seemed that she was having a hard time believing what she had heard. Su Ruan looked at the person behind the wheels with a complicated gaze.

    Seeing that the girl had not answered him, Long Fei began to worry that she would reject him. "You don''t want to go?"

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line as she thought of Long Fei''s invitation. She always thought that there was something wrong with her relationship with Long Fei.

    Initially, Su Ruan was worried that perhaps she was thinking too much. But now that he had invited her to this carnival, the thought had come to her mind again.

    After pondering about this matter for a while, Su Ruan decided to ask. "I''m sorry if this might sound a little awkward. But I still have to ask to be sure. Otherwise, I might continue to misunderstand."

    Long Fei glanced at her in puzzlement. "Please, just ask."

    "Perhaps, it was just me thinking too much. But," Su Ruan paused for a long time wondering how embarrassing it would be for her if she was mistaken. Seeing that Long Fei was waiting for her to speak patiently, Su Ruan finally took a deep breath and asked, "Long Fei, are you interested in me?"

    There were a few reasons that would lead Su Ruan to think this way.

    Previously, her cousin, Ma Yu Xi had mentioned that Long Fei was interested in her. However, she had only thought of it as Ma Yu Xi wanting to tease her.

    Now, she realized that Long Fei seemed to like to ask her out. Considering that they were not very close in the first place, she could not be blamed for thinking too much.

    Then, while walking with him in the town center earlier, Su Ruan realized that the way Long Fei would look at others was different than the way he looked at her.

    Su Ruan suddenly realized why Ma Yu Xi always thought of him as someone cold and hard to approach while she started to think otherwise¡­

    There was a hint of surprise on Long Fei''s face when he heard her question. He had not thought that Su Ruan would be very straightforward when she asked him the question.

    He had an awkward look on his face and Long Fei lowered his head to avoid her gaze.

    It was the first time that he had this feeling as if he was caught doing something embarrassing.

    The silence in the vehicle lasted for a full ten seconds. Then, Long Fei raised his head again and looked at Su Ruan with a serious look on his face. "You did not misunderstand."

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    "I am interested in you."

    Although she was the one who had initiated this conversation, after hearing his answer, Su Ruan suddenly did not know how to continue.

    "Why?" Su Ruan could not help but ask.

    It was not that she had low self-esteem or think that she did not have any charm to attract the opposite gender, but surely, Long Fei was someone out of her league, right?

    "Hmm¡­." Long Fei seemed to be considering this question.. "Perhaps I had a good feeling about you?" His lips turned into a faint smile, "Su Ruan, I would like to get to know you better."

 Chapter 93 - Their Relationship

    Towards his sudden confession, Su Ruan did not know how to respond. It seemed that she was not ready for Long Fei to admit that he was indeed interested in her. Perhaps, it would be better if she had misunderstood.

    Long Fei was amused upon seeing how Su Ruan''s expression continued to change.

    Since Su Ruan had brought up this matter, Long Fei thought that it would be better if he took this chance and speak to Su Ruan about this matter properly. Otherwise, who knew when will be the next time that he would have such a chance?

    Long Fei looked at her with a cautious look. "What do you think of getting to know each other?"

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Her mind was chaotic but other than a slightly stunned look on her face, there was not a lot of emotion on her face.

    It made him wonder what was going on in her mind.

    From the very beginning, Su Ruan would often try to maintain a distance from him. It was him who had always taken the initiative. Therefore, Long Fei did not know what did Su Ruan think about him.

    "You mean¡­ like dating?" Su Ruan spoke after a long silence between them.

    Long Fei nodded. But a second later, he added, "Or if you think that it''s too fast, we can just start to understand each other first and see if we are compatible. Su Ruan, what do you think?"

    Su Ruan took a few deep breaths to calm down.

    It seemed that she has been out of a relationship for a long time that she found it hard to deal with this matter.

    Thinking about the strange dreams about the topless man and her thoughts earlier this morning, Su Ruan thought that it would not be a bad thing to get to know him.

    She did say that she wanted to expand her social circle.

    As for her feelings¡­ Su Ruan found that he did not dislike Long Fei or had any special feelings towards him. But, through the few interactions they had recently, she did feel that he was not a bad person. At least, he was easy to communicate to and their views were not that different.

    Whether she will have romantic feelings towards him, she should take her time and see where the future will take them.

    Wasn''t that the purpose of getting to know each other?

    Once she had made up her mind, Su Ruan spoke, "Alright. Let''s... just get to know each other first."

    ¡­

    Su Ruan could not remember how did she walk from the car into the house.

    Thinking of her conversation with Long Fei in the car just now made her a little stunned. Now that she had time to think properly about this matter, Su Ruan felt as if everything that happened was her imagination.

    Long Fei told her that he was interested in her and wanted to get to know her better.

    She had agreed.

    Then, what was their relationship right now? Boyfriend and girlfriend?

    That''s not it, right?

    Then, friends who were preparing to be in a romantic relationship?

    After thinking too much, Su Ruan had a little headache. It seemed that their relationship was quite unclear.

    Just thinking about it made her a little crazy. Su Ruan could only scream internally.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you in a trance?" Ma Zheng Zheng was in her office, managing the product orders. Seeing that her cup was empty, Ma Zheng Zheng headed to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.

    However, she found her daughter in the living room with a dazed look on her face.

    Worried, Ma Zheng Zheng placed her palm on her daughter''s forehead. A few days ago, her daughter had a fever and Ma Zheng Zheng was worried that Su Ruan''s fever had returned.

    Ma Zheng Zheng recalled that it was a little windy today and Su Ruan was dressed thinly.

    Fortunately, her daughter was not having a fever.

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and saw her mother looking at her in worry. A helpless sigh escaped her. "Mom, I''m fine."

    "That''s good." Ma Zheng Zheng frowned. "Next time you go out, you must remember to dress a little more. D Town is not like Capital City or L City. It''s colder here."

    "Un. I know. I''ll remember it."

    Seeing her daughter''s smile, Ma Zheng Zheng decided not to worry that much. She recalled that she had left her daughter in the town center with that young master earlier and asked, "That''s right, how was your talk with Young Master Long?"

    Her heart skipped a beat. "Mom, what do you mean?" Su Ruan looked at her mother in shock. She wondered if her mother knew anything about her talk with Long Fei in his vehicle earlier.

    She had not said a word. Then, how did her mother know about this? It couldn''t be that as her mother, she had some kind of superpower, right?

    Ma Zheng Zheng shot a look at her daughter. She was only asking about her talk with that young master, why did her daughter look so scared?

    "Didn''t you stay back in the town center to discuss work opportunities?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked. "How did it go?"

    It was then that Su Ruan remember that the reason she had spent her time with Long Fei initially was to discuss that work opportunity. Long Fei had mentioned in front of her mother about that freelance writing.

    Meanwhile, she was scared that her mother would know about the matter that she had talked with Long Fei in his car...

    Su Ruan calmed down and answered, "Mmm¡­ They wanted me to write an article a week. Later, the editor will e-mail me to discuss it again."

    "Then, you have accepted it?"

    "I think it''s a good opportunity," Su Ruan said. "Blue Media Group is big. Once I have published one or two stories, it will be easier for me to grow. Later, I might be able to write more."

    "That''s good. That''s good." Ma Zheng Zheng did not know much about her daughter''s line of work. But hearing that she would be able to grow after this made her feel at relief.. As long as her daughter is happy, that was all that matters.

 Chapter 94 - Going Over

    Long Yu Heng stood at the brink of the water, watching the ripple with a serious look on his face.

    Just now, he was in the middle of an important discussion with Long Fei when that man decided that it was a good time to jump into the lake for a swim.

    Long Yu Heng did not know what was going on with Long Fei but he could sense that the man was happy. However, when he had asked him about this matter, the man only gave him a smile.

    Why does it feel as if Long Fei was hiding something important from him?

    Seeing that the ripples were moving closer, Long Yu Heng tacitly took a towel from the cabinet at the side.

    Soon, Long Fei came out of the water after shifting into his human form.

    Long Yu Heng handed the towel and continued to watch the man''s expression. The faint smile on Long Fei''s face made him feel a little uneasy.

    "Yu Heng." Long Fei threw the towel back at him after drying his hair. "Help and cover-up for me again this tonight."

    Long Yu Heng stared at the towel in his hand. Then, he looked at Long Fei in surprise. "You''re going over again?"

    It was not difficult for him to understand what Long Fei wanted him to do. In the past few days, Long Fei has been visiting Su Ruan''s room. His parents were now back in town. Worried that his family might find out his secret, Long Fei had asked to help him cover-up.

    "Mhm¡­" Long Fei turned and headed back to his courtyard.

    "You are still going over? Didn''t you say that she''s getting better?" Long Yu Heng mumbled to himself. A thought suddenly came to his mind, startling him. Long Yu Heng widened his eyes and spoke, "Wait a minute. What did you usually do when you headed to Miss Su''s place? You¡­ didn''t do anything inappropriate, right?"

    Long Fei noticed the look on his cousin''s face and quickly shot an annoyed look. "What do you think I could do to her? Do you think I''m such a person?" He quickly looked away and a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes.

    Fortunately, Long Yu Heng did not see the look.

    He thought about how Long Fei would appear in front of Su Ruan as the tiny dragon and thought that there shouldn''t be anything for that man to do.

    Previously, Long Fei had explained that other than watching Su Ruan closely, there was nothing that he could do. The innocent Long Yu Heng had believed his words.

    As the president of Blue Media Group, there were countless women who wanted to get close to Long Fei. But each time, didn''t Long Fei manage to avoid them well?

    Long Yu Heng also thought about Long Fei''s stand that he did not want to force Su Ruan into doing something that she did not want to do.

    After pondering about this matter for a while, Long Yu Heng decided that his cousin was really not such a man.

    Of course, Long Yu Heng was unaware of how close Long Fei would get when he was with Su Ruan. That man would spend each night in the girl''s embrace. Initially, he was a little shy. But recently, Long Fei began to enjoy sniffling her scent as he sleep.

    Seeing that a certain someone was getting ready to leave, Long Yu Heng quickly spoke, "Ah Fei, don''t forget that you still have to return to Capital City in a few days. Now that your condition is better, you might as well visit the company."

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. A few days ago, his assistant, Fu Xing had reminded him to do the same.

    There were a few important matters that you will need to personally handle. Otherwise, the elders will be anxious.

    Thinking that he was one step closer to Su Ruan but will have to part with her in a few days make him a little unhappy.

    "I know," Long Fei said. He picked up his phone and was reminded of the carnival that he had planned to go to with Su Ruan. "Just arrange the trip back to Capital City as usual." He hesitated again before adding, "This time¡­ let''s make this trip short."

    ¡­

    Su Ruan returned to her room after accompanying her grandparents watching some drama on the television. Seeing that it was quite late, Su Ruan excused herself as she still needed to work on the article for Editor Ji Fan Yin''s friend.

    Habitually, Su Ruan had left her window slightly open to allow her little friend to visit her.

    After tapping her fingers on the keyboard for a long time, Su Ruan finally leaned back on her chair and stretched up.

    She grabbed her phone on the table to check on the time and was surprised to see that there was a message notification. A light flashed in her eyes upon seeing Long Fei''s name. Then, a breath of relief escaped her when she read his message.

    It turned out that he was only texting her about the freelance article that he had mentioned earlier that day. She had thought that he was going to mention their talk earlier that day.

    After reading his message again, Su Ruan continued to stare at his name with a dazed look in her eyes.

    Thinking about their conversation again made her a little shy.

    The conversation repeated in her mind again and again. Su Ruan was in a trance and had not noticed that the little dragon had climbed up the wall and was looking at her at the window.

    As if remembering that a certain someone had only gotten better from her fever, Long Fei entered the room and closed the window.

    The sound startled her and Su Ruan turned around. A breath of relief escaped her once she saw that it was her little dragon. "You''re here." A gentle smile curled on her face. Su Ruan stretched her hand and let the dragon climb on her hand. Then, she patted him on the head before leaning over to kiss him on the head.

    Long Fei flushed as her wet lips touched his skin. He recalled the conversation he had with Long Yu Heng earlier and wondered how will this cousin view him once he knew what was going on in Su Ruan''s room each time he came to visit her.

    Long Fei quickly dispel that thought away from his mind. He then sat at her table and saw her phone screen.

    It turned out that Su Ruan was reading his message.

    Long Fei was suddenly curious to know what was on her mind as he recalled the way Su Ruan has been staring at her phone with a dazed expression earlier.

    Su Ruan''s phone on the table chimed, snapping him out of his thought. Because he was closer, Long Fei was able to see the name on the caller ID.

    A curious look appeared on his face when he saw the name.

    Yu Zhi Yi.

 Chapter 95 - Clingy Little Dragon

    The phone continued to ring but it doesn''t seem as if Su Ruan was planning to pick up her phone. Long Fei could not help but think that the situation was strange.

    He looked at Su Ruan and saw the complicated look on her face.

    A light flashed in his eyes as Long Fei wondered about this person. Su Ruan seemed to be bothered after seeing this person''s name.

    Moreover¡­ why did he think that this person''s name was a little familiar.

    Yu Zhi Yi?

    Long Fei put his claw under his chin as he tried to recall this name.

    Just a second before the call was about to enter the voicemail, Su Ruan finally picked up the phone call.

    "Su Ruan?" Yu Zhi Yi spoke as the phone was connected.

    "Un. It''s me."

    Yu Zhi Yi hesitated for a few seconds. "Why did it take you too long to answer? Are you busy?" He could not help but felt as if there was something strange with Su Ruan''s tone.

    "No. I was away from my phone." Su Ruan lowered her head and met the dragon''s eyes. Then, she quickly looked away. Su Run could not understand why she felt guilty upon seeing the way the dragon had looked at her.

    A breath of relief escaped him once Yu Zhi Yi heard her answer. "So, that''s it."

    "What''s wrong? Why did you call?"

    Yu Zhi Yi could not understand why he was feeling slightly disappointed with Su Ruan''s question. It felt as if their relationship was not as warm as it used to be.

    Yu Zhi Yi noticed the change in their relationship. However, he could not pinpoint what it was.

    All he knew was that the feeling was making him uncomfortable. It felt that his best friend has gone farther.

    "No. I just called to catch up with you," Yu Zhi Yi snapped out of his trance and said. "Su Ruan, I thought that I would be able to spend a lot of time hanging out with you when I return to the country. Who would have thought that you would get farther from me."

    At the side, Long Fei was watching Su Ruan with his eyes narrowed.

    His hearing was good and he could hear Yu Zhi Yi''s words loud and clear. Although he still could not remember this person, Long Fei''s intuition told him that there was something wrong with Yu Zhi Yi''s tone.

    As Su Ruan continued to chat with her friend, Long Fei stood at the side, playing with Su Ruan''s hand while listening to their conversation.

    The main reason for Yu Zhi Yi''s call was to complain about his fiance.

    Long Fei had already thought it was strange for a man to call another woman at a time like this to talk about his fiance who prioritize her work. As he eavesdropped further, Long Fei began to raise a red flag against this Yu Zhi Yi.

    However, from Su Ruan''s tone towards this man¡­ Long Fei was unable to decipher what was going on in her mind. At one second, Long Fei would feel as if Su Ruan did not care much about this man and his fiance''s problem. In another second, he could see a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

    It really made him wonder just how close this man was with Su Ruan.

    Moreover, why was he unaware of this?

    There was a long pause in Yu Zhi Yi''s part. "Su Ruan, do you think that I¡­" He suddenly stopped himself and laughed softly.

    Su ruan could hear the hesitation in his voice and guess what he wanted to ask. Usually, she would ask him to speak what was on his mind. However, she did not try to probe into it.

    "Never mind," Yu Zhi Yi heaved a faint sigh. "Su Ruan, when are you going to return to Capital City? You have agreed to be my best woman. Aren''t you going to come over and help?"

    Su Ruan chuckled. "You already have your buddies with you. What do I know about being your best woman? Don''t worry. I will return to Capital City a week before your wedding. I think¡­ that is not too late, right?"

    Long Fei recalled that Su Ruan had mentioned returning to Capital City to attend a wedding. So, she was talking about this man''s wedding?

    Feeling uneasy about this man, Long Fei made a mental note to let Fu Xing investigate this person.

    It would be better for him to understand the people around Su Ruan. Otherwise, he would not be at ease.

    ¡­

    The phone call ended after almost an hour.

    Long Fei stared at Su Ruan with an unhappy look in his eyes.

    As if noticing his unhappiness, Su Ruan looked at him and smiled. She lifted him with one hand and scratched his neck with a finger. "What is it? Are you unhappy that I have abandoned you?"

    Long Fei replied to her with a snort.

    Indeed, he was unhappy.

    He came over wanting to spend his time with her but she was talking to another guy.

    "Such a clingy little dragon." Su Ruan merely smiled at how the little dragon had behaved. After teasing him a little bit, Su Ruan continued to look at the article on her laptop. But in just a few seconds, her thoughts were wandering somewhere else.

    Su Ruan thought about Yu Zhi Yi and the slight disappointment in his tone as he spoke about his fiance.

    Feeling a slight pain around her finger, Su Ruan snapped out of her thoughts again and saw that the little dragon was nibbling at her fingers.

    Since she could no longer focus on her job, Su Ruan decided to switch off her laptop and head to bed earlier. Perhaps, once she gets a few hours of sleep, and clears her mind, she would be able to write better.

    Su Ruan carried the little dragon to her bed and let him wrap his body around her hand. She stared at the dragon and spoke, "Little Dragon, do you think I am making the right decision?"

    Long Fei looked at her inquiringly but the woman did not answer him.

    This situation was slowly making him frustrated. Although he was able to stay close to Su Ruan in this form, there was no way that the two of them could communicate.

    He really needed to step up his move.

 Chapter 96 - Are You Free?

    The next day, Su Ruan spent most of her time working on her article and discussing the freelance contract with the editor from Blue Media group.

    After writing for a while, Su Ruan finally took a break and looked at her phone. Surprisingly, there were a few unread notifications.

    Su Ruan scrolled through her notifications and paused when she saw the message from Long Fei. She quickly clicked on his message.

    "Are you free? Should we meet today?"

    Su Ruan stared at his message and hesitated. In the end, she recalled that she had agreed to get to know him yesterday and quickly replied that she would be free in the evening.

    "Then, I''ll pick you up in the evening."

    Su Ruan was about to agree when she remember the places that he had taken her to previously. A faint smile curled to her lips and Su Ruan typed, "Are you going to treat me to something delicious?"

    On the other line, Long Fei could not help but chuckle when he read her question. "Sure." Then, a few seconds later, the smile on her lips suddenly froze.

    Was this a date then?

    As the thought came to her mind, Su Ruan quickly shook that thought away. They had only agreed to get to know each other.

    It was still too early to call this a date, right?

    The two of them exchanged a few words and made their arrangement to meet tomorrow.

    Su Ruan looked at the time and suddenly recalled that she needed to inform her mother that she was going out later.

    After tidying up her desk, Su Ruan went out to look for her mother. She asked around and heard that her mother was in the warehouse to look at the stocks.

    When she arrived, Su Ruan saw that her cousin, Ma Yu Xi, and a group of the staff were arranging the boxes. She watched them work for a while before coming over.

    Ma Yu Xi''s expression lit up when she saw her cousin. "Sister Ruan!"

    Su Ruan peeked into the boxes and saw that there were a few bottles of processed cherries. "What are you guys up to? Why did it seem that everyone is busy? A big order is coming?"

    Ma Yu Xi laughed softly. "That''s not it. In a few weeks, there will be a carnival in the town center. Our orchard will take part and sell a few products at the farmer market."

    "Oh. That carnival."

    "Sister Ruan, do you know about the carnival?"

    Su Ruan recalled how she was walking in the street with Long Fei when a little girl came over and handed her the flyer.

    Later¡­ Long Fei had asked her to go to this carnival together with him and she had agreed.

    Thinking about this made her feel a little shy.

    Sensing Ma Yu Xi''s gaze on her face, Su Ruan quickly recovered her mood. "Mmm¡­ I accompanied my mom yesterday to the town center and a little girl gave me a flyer. It looks fun."

    Ma Yu Xi nodded enthusiastically. "Sister Ruan, you have to go. This carnival is once a year event in D Town. There will be a lot of fun activities and good food. That''s right."

    Su Ruan suddenly thought of something and a teasing smile curled on her lips. "Are you going to see that boy? Sun Cheng?"

    Her eyes widened upon hearing the name. Ma Yu Xi looked around the warehouse and finally breathed in relief when no one was paying attention to their conversation. "Sister Ruan, don''t speak loudly. I''ll be embarrassed."

    Su Ruan laughed. It seemed that this girl was planning to meet the boy she liked at the carnival. "What are you afraid of? There''s no one around."

    Ma Yu Xi suddenly heaved another breath. This time, there was a hint of disappointment in her sigh. "I heard that he will be on duty on that day."

    "That''s also fine, right? You can visit the bakery and find an excuse to talk to him."

    "Sister Ruan, you don''t understand. Each year, the bakery will offer a big discount on this day. He will be too busy in the kitchen to talk. Sister Ruan, when the time comes, you have to accompany me. I will take you to look around and introduce you to a few delicious things."

    Su Ruan smiled. She had already promised to go to this carnival with someone else. However, it would be too awkward to tell this to Ma Yu Xi now. "I''ll think about it." Seeing the girl pouted, Su Ruan could only laugh softly. "That''s right, have you seen my mother?"

    "Second Aunt? She should be in the back with grandpa." Ma Yu Xi glanced in a direction where she had last seen her aunt and grandpa.

    After exchanging a few words with Ma Yu Xi, Su Ruan went to look for her mother and saw that she was discussing some matters regarding the stocks with her grandpa.

    Not wanting to disturb them, Su Ruan stood at the door and waited for them to finish their discussion.

    However, a minute later, Ma Hao Dong looked up and meet her gaze. A wide smile curled on his lips when he saw his granddaughter. "Su Ruan!"

    Ma Zheng Zheng halted her report and followed her father''s line of eyesight. A hint of surprise flashed on her expression when she saw her daughter. "Su Ruan, why are you here? Didn''t you say you were going to work on your article?"

    "En. It''s done. I got bored and decided to look around," Su Ruan said. "I met my cousin, Ma Yu Xi and she said everyone is busy preparing for the carnival."

    "That''s right. I forgot to mention this carnival to you," Ma Hao Dong said. "On that day, almost everyone in this town will attend the carnival. You should go as well. I will ask your cousin to bring you around."

    Su Ruan listened to her grandpa talking about this carnival with much enthusiasm and smiled. A while later, a staff called her grandpa over to check on something. Once her grandpa was farther enough, Su Ruan turned to her mother and spoke, "Mom, I''m going out in the evening."

    "In the evening?"

    "I''ll probably be having dinner outside as well."

    Ma Zheng Zheng looked at her inquiringly. "With your cousin?"

    "No. With a friend."

    The frown on her face deepened. "Which friend?"

    Her daughter only arrived in this town not too long ago. Each time that she goes out, it would be with her cousin, Ma Yu Xi. Ma Zheng Zheng could not remember if Su Ruan had any friends here.

    "That¡­" Su Ruan hesitated. "It''s that young master¡­ Long Fei."

    "Is this related to your work?"

    Su Ruan was prepared to explain to her mother about her arrangement. But hearing her mother''s words, Su Ruan decided to go along with it. "Uh-huh." She did not dare to meet her mother''s gaze, afraid that her mother would notice her guilt.

    "Then, go ahead. Just remember to come back earlier. This town isn''t like the city.. It will be too dark in the night."

 Chapter 97 - A Picnic

    Su Ruan set to meet with Long Fei before her grandpa came home to avoid the others from asking questions. She heaved a breath in relief when she did not run into anyone as she headed out.

    However, when Su Ruan saw Long Fei''s vehicle parked outside the gate, she started to tense again.

    Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Su Ruan walked closer and watched as Long Fei alighted from the driver''s seat and walked around the vehicle.

    An awkward smile curled on her lips as their gaze met. In the end, Su Ruan suppressed that feeling and muttered. "Hi."

    Long Fei laughed softly as he saw the way she had reacted. Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, Long Fe decided not to tease her. "Hi." He pulled the door for her and gestured for her to come in.

    Su Ruan lowered her head and scolded herself for her awkward greeting. She slid into the passenger''s seat and tried to compose herself.

    Once Long Fei was behind the wheel, the awkward look on Su Ruan''s face had already disappeared. "Where are we going?"

    Su Ruan recalled that Long Fei had once mentioned that he did not like to appear in front of a larger crowd in the town as most people recognized him and would always stare at him.

    Then, he shouldn''t be taking her to one of the restaurants in the town center, right?

    "The town center."

    His answer surprised her. It seemed that his answer was different than what she had thought.

    The vehicle started to move and Su Ruan looked out the window to enjoy the town''s scenery. Finding that the silence between them was too awkward, Su Ruan decided to initiate a conversation.

    "The editor from Blue Media e-mailed me last night," Su Ruan began. "I forgot to mention this to you."

    Long Fei raised a brow. "How did the discussion go?" Although he was aware of Su Ruan''s exchange with the editor, Long Fei decided to pretend that he knew nothing about it.

    "It went well. The editor said that I can try and submit my first article next week." Su Ruan paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Your company is quite generous with the payment."

    Long Fei laughed. "Mmm¡­ I''m glad you think so."

    "It couldn''t be that you had to do something with it, right?" Su Ruan''s tone had a hint of teasing.

    "Of course, not. The moment you agreed, I handed everything to the editor. Since she had offered to pay you generously, then it should be because she thinks highly of you."

    Of course, these were all lies. Su Ruan''s contract with Blue Media was something that he had personally looked at. However, Long Fei did not want Su Ruan to feel uncomfortable and could only push everything to this unknown editor.

    Su Ruan smiled and did not think too much about this matter.

    Although Long Fei had said that he was interested in getting to know her, Su Ruan believed that Long Fei was someone who will not pull a few strings for her sake.

    After all, they only know each other briefly.

    "Long Fei, thank you."

    The man glanced at the person beside him and nodded. "You''re welcome."

    After a while, the two of them finally arrived in the town center.

    Su Ruan had thought that Long Fei was going to take her to one of the restaurants in the town center.

    However, she soon found that Long Fei had parked his vehicle near the jetty. The boat that she had boarded previously with her cousin has docked not too far away.

    "We''re taking the boat?"

    "Uh-huh."

    "Are we going to Auntie Wang''s place again?"

    "No." Long Fei saw the puzzled look in her eyes and asked, "What do you think about a picnic? Of course, I promise that there will still be delicious food."

    Su Ruan glanced at the boat and hesitated. The last time she had boarded this boat, she was with her cousin. But now that there will be only the two of them, Su Ruan was a little concerned.

    "I promised you that we won''t be doing anything other than sightseeing, eating, and chatting," Long Fei said.

    Su Ruan hesitated. In the end, she decided to trust him a little. "Alright. But I am still not that comfortable with boat riding."

    The two alighted from the car and headed to the boat. Once they get closer, an elder man came out of the cabin and exchanged a few words with Long Fei.

    After checking that everything was alright, the boat started to cruise on the lake slowly.

    Su Ruan sat at the same spot she had sat down the last time she got into the boat. As they get farther away, the orange sky slowly turned darker.

    Looking at the dark water scared her a little bit. Subconsciously, Su Ruan tightened her grip on the handle.

    After a while, the boat finally slow down. Su Ruan looked around and realized that they were in the middle of the lake. On her left and right were the trees and the mountains.

    "We''re here."

    Su Ruan raised a brow upon hearing his words. "This is the middle of the lake?"

    "Uh-huh." Long Fei nodded. He picked up a basket at the side with one hand and extended his free hand to Su Ruan. "Come on."

    "Where are we going?" Su Ruan looked at him in alarm.

    They were already in the middle of the lake. Where else was he thinking of taking her?

    Long Fei chuckled at her reaction. "Let''s go upstairs. Didn''t I tell you that we''re going to picnic? Don''t worry. It will be safe. I promise."

    Su Ruan could only tighten her grip around the safety jacket on her body. Then, slowly, she placed a hand in Long Fei''s and let him lead her to the stairs that headed up.

    Long Fei clicked on a switch and suddenly, the boat''s surroundings were dimly lighted.

    Now that she could see everything around her, Su Ruan finally breathe in relief.

    "Sit down." Long Fei motioned towards the picnic mat he had spread earlier.

    Once he took out the food from the basket, Su Ruan realized that he was serious about going for a picnic.

 Chapter 98 - Starry Night

    The two of them sat down on the picnic mat and chatted mostly about Su Ruan''s discussion with the editor earlier.

    Long Fei watched as Su Ruan took a bite at the dishes and looked up. His eyes glinted as he looked at the dark sky. Turning to Su Ruan again, there was a faint smile on her lips. "What do you think?"

    Su Ruan blinked upon hearing his sudden question. She glanced at the food in her hand and tilted her head to one side. "The food? They tasted good. The cook from your place is surely exceptional."

    The man chuckled at her words. "I''m glad you liked the food." He motioned her to look up and spoke, "What do you think?"

    Tilting her head up, Su Ruan inhaled deeply as she saw at the starry night sky.

    Just now, she was too focused on the food as well as the man beside her and failed to look all around her. Su Ruan did not think that the moment she looked up, there would be this beautiful scenery in front of her.

    All around her was dark. Therefore, the starry sky was especially bright and mesmerizing.

    For a while, Su Ruan could not find any word to say.

    Just like the stars, there were glitters in her eyes.

    "It''s beautiful," Su Ruan mumbled. It was then that she understood that Long Fei was asking her about the view.

    "I''m glad that you like it." His lips curled into a warm smile. Long Fei had thought properly of the place he wanted to bring Su Ruan. He had a few places in his mind but in the end, he decided to bring her here.

    This was the spot that he liked to swim to and looked at the stars. It was slightly farther than the town but this was the most relaxing spot for him.

    Long Fei simply wanted to share this special place with Su Ruan.

    "So, this was the reason you wanted to bring me here?" Su Ruan tilted her head to one side. "And here I am, worrying that you were thinking about selling me somewhere."

    Long Fei looked at her with an amusingly. "Do I look like such a person?"

    Su Ruan shrugged. "In my defense, I did not know much about you. As a woman, I should be cautious."

    His brow rose inquiringly. "But you still decided to come with me?"

    "I thought that I should trust you once." Her instinct told her that he would not do anything to harm her.

    A glint appeared in his eyes but Long Fei lowered his head quickly so that the girl was unable to look at his expression.

    As Su Ruan continued to look at the sky, a thought came to her mind. Su Ruan reached for her phone to look at the time. A breath of relief escaped her once she realized that it was still early.

    "Are you rushing off somewhere?"

    Su Ruan turned to Long Fei and shook her head. "No. Just that, I was reminded that I should head home before it''s too late. Otherwise, my grandparents would worry."

    Of course, the real reason was that Su Ruan was worried that her little dragon would come to find her. Just now, she had forgotten to let the window open.

    What if the little dragon came to find her and saw that the window was closed? Would he be disappointed?

    "Your grandparents worried about you a lot," Long Fei commented.

    "Mhm¡­ This was the first time that I came to this town after a long time." Su Ruan chuckled. "My grandparents were worried that something would happen to me?

    "After a long time?" Long Fei looked at her in puzzlement. "Why haven''t you returned for a long time? If you don''t mind me asking."

    This was the question that he wanted to ask for years.

    A certain someone promised that she was going to return to find him. But later, she left and had never come back until now.

    Although he had some suspicion as to why she had stopped coming to find him, Long Fei thought that he wanted to hear it from her.

    Su Ruan thought about Long Fei''s question and finally decided that there was no harm in telling him the truth.

    "I''m not quite sure about it myself," Su Ruan said. "But according to my parents, something happened to me when I was around four or five years old."

    Long Fei stayed in silence as he waited for her to continue.

    "I was playing hide and seek with my cousins and decided to hide between the trees in the orchard. I might have encountered something scary or shocking, and passed out." Su Ruan smiled. "But, I did not remember any of it."

    Su Ruan might not remember it, but Long Fei remembered that night well.

    Back then, after his body had shifted, the little girl was too scared that she had fainted. He tried to wake her up but when he heard the adult''s footsteps Long Fei had quickly hid behind the trees.

    He still remembered the elders'' words well.

    If he was found, then people are going to despise him and drive him away from the town as he was too abnormal.

    The little he was too scared. He liked the town so much and did not want to leave. Although he was still worried about his friend, Long Fei could only hide. Then, he watched as Su Ruan''s father took her away.

    Long Fei thought that the girl would come and find him again on the next day. But that was the last time he had seen her.

    "Later," Su Ruan continued. "My parents said that each time they brought me to this town, I would start to scream hysterically."

    A light in his eyes slowly dimmed. Just as he had thought, the reason Su Ruan had stopped coming to this town was because of him. His change had traumatized her.

    "They took me to see a doctor and he suggested that there might be something that traumatized me in this town. Then, they stopped bringing me to this town again." A faint smile curled on her lips. "But I don''t remember what it was. I wonder what made me so scared."

    There was a brief silence between them before Long Fei spoke again. "What about now? Are you still afraid?"

    Su Ruan shook her head. "No. I think after years have passed, I have forgotten all about it and was no longer afraid. I think¡­ I should be alright."

    ...

    After spending a few hours on the boat, the two of them went back to land.

    Knowing that Su Ruan''s grandparents would be worried about her, Long Fei did not try to hold her back.

    The vehicle stopped at the roadside and Long Fei was suddenly reminded of his trip to Capital City a few days later.

    "Su Ruan," Long Fei called her name before the girl could leave.

    The girl turned with an inquiringly at him.

    "Tomorrow, I will be going to Capital City for a few days," Long Fei said. "I will return before the carnival."

    It was dark inside the car but Su Ruan could still see the serious look in his eyes. The corner of her lips subconsciously turned into a smile.

    She had thought that he had something important to tell her but looking at his expression, Long Fei seemed to worry that he would not be able to attend this carnival.

    Why did she feel that this person is kind of cute?

    Surprisingly, President Long Fei from this big company had this side as well.

    Su Ruan found that she could not stop smiling.

    "Alright." She smiled. "I''ll wait for you to return. Then, we''ll go together."

    The two of them exchanged a few more words before Su Ruan headed inside.

    In the living room, her mother was sitting alone while watching the television. Ma Zheng Zheng heard the movement from the door and quickly looked up. Her gaze turned warmer when she saw her daughter at the door.

    "You''re back." Ma Zheng Zheng said. "Is everything going well?"

    Su Ruan remember that her mother had thought that she had gone out with Long Fei to discuss her work matter.

    "Mhm¡­ Everything is fine." Worried that her mother would ask about her meeting with Long Fei, Su Ruan quickly change the topic. "Mom, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?"

    Ma Zheng Zheng heaved a sigh but her expression was full of pampering. "Of course. I wouldn''t be able to sleep until I see you home. Have you eaten?"

    "Un. I''m full."

    "Then go to bed earlier." Ma Zheng Zheng patted her daughter''s shoulder. "I''ll make you a glass of warm milk."

    "Mom, that''s not necessary. I''m too full. I''ll head back to my room first. You should go and head to bed earlier."

    "Alright. Alright. You go ahead. I''ll go up after a while."

    As she went back to her room, the first thing she did was to open her window. Su Ruan looked around and was disappointed that she could not see the little dragon.

    After looking out the window for a while, Su Ruan finally heaved a sigh. If she knew that she would return later, then she would open her window and let the dragon wait for her inside.

    No.

    There was also this possibility that the dragon had not shown up yet, right?

    As the thought came to her mind, Su Ruan decided to head into the bathroom to wash up and let her window slightly open.

    However, when Su Ruan came out of the bathroom later, the dragon was still not around.. Her lips pursed into a thin line and Su Ruan could not hold her disappointment.

 Chapter 99 - It Is Impossible

    In the next few days, Su Ruan did not see her little friend visiting her room at night. After she had forgotten to leave her window open for the little dragon to come in, the dragon had no longer show up. She waited for him every day but, the little dragon did not appear.

    After two days, Su Ruan could not hide her disappointment.

    At the same time, Su Ruan was worried. Later, she began to suspect that the dragon did not visit her again because she did not leave the window open on the night she went out with Long Fei. Perhaps, her little friend was unhappy that she had locked her window.

    Of course, she was unaware that the reason was that the dragon was not in town.

    ¡­

    Long Fei went back to Capital City with his cousin, Long Yu Heng.

    The moment he was on the flight, Long Fei began to feel a little uncomfortable all over his body. As he get further and further from Su Ruan, this feeling only increased.

    It was irritating.

    At this time, Long Fei sort of understood why his father could not bear to be without his mother by his side. It turned out that the impact would be this big.

    Moreover, Long Fei was starting to get used to staying every night with Su Ruan.

    Feeling a little uncomfortable, Long Fei loosened the tie around his neck. Then, he reached for the drinking bottle on his table and drank its content in one go.

    At the side, Fu Xing was watching his boss in puzzlement.

    He was carrying a few documents in his hand into the room when he caught the sight of his boss drinking more water.

    It was just that¡­ a few minutes ago, his boss had emptied another drinking bottle.

    At this time, Fu Xing had lost count on just how much water his boss have drunk on this day.

    Was he really that thirsty?

    "Fu Xing."

    The voice snapped him out of his trance. Fu Xing walked to the desk and placed the documents in his hands.

    "President Long, these were the reports that you asked for."

    Long Fei pulled the stack of documents in front of him and browsed through them. His brow furrowed when he could not find what he wanted to see.

    "Fu Xing, have you found out anything from the investigation?" Long Fei asked.

    The man stared back at his boss in puzzlement.

    "Yu Zhi Yi," Long Fei reminded him.

    It was then that Fu Xing remember that his boss had asked him to investigate a certain man. "Yes." Fu Xing fumbled with his phone and spoke. "I already emailed you the report early this morning."

    Long Fei turned to the computer and finally saw the email that Fu Xing had mentioned.

    Sensing that his assistant was still standing beside his table, Long Fei looked away from the computer screen and spoke, "You should go out first. I''ll look at the document first and call you later."

    Fu Xing nodded and retreated.

    Once the door was shut, Long Fei clicked on the e-mail and read the information about Yu Zhi Yi. His brow furrowed upon noticing the long friendship between the man and Su Ruan.

    It turned out that Su Ruan and this person has known each other for years. Although it was said that Su Ruan and Yu Zhi Yi were best friends, Long Fei could not shake off this feeling inside him. It felt as if there were something more than that¡­

    He could still remember Su Ruan''s expression while talking to Yu Zhi Yi that night. It was a little strange¡­

    As he continued to read the report, Long Fei finally remember why was this man''s name a little familiar.

    The last time he was in Capital City, Long Fei had detected Su Ruan''s presence and found her in the same hotel as he was.

    When he finally saw her, Su Ruan was looking a little upset. He had asked someone to find out why was Su Ruan at the hotel and found out that she was attending a friend''s gathering or some sort. At that time, he had heard Yu Zhi Yi''s name.

    The sound of the door knocked resounded in the room. Long Fei looked up and found his cousin, Long Yu Heng entered the room, carrying a few takeaway boxes.

    "I know you are busy and wanted to settle everything quickly. But Ah Fei, you still have to eat something," Long Yu Heng said. He placed the boxes on the coffee table and glanced at Long Fei again.

    However, Long Yu Heng''s expression halted the moment he saw the number of emptied bottles on Long Fei''s table.

    He swore that he had restocked them an hour ago. Why was everything gone in a short amount of time? He recalled that the weather was not that hot these past few days.

    "Ah Fei, are you that thirsty?" Long Yu Heng asked.

    Long Fei glanced at the bottles and was surprised to see them too. It seemed as if he was not expecting that he would drink that much.

    "Not really." Long Fei frowned. "Just that¡­ it was too uncomfortable."

    Long Yu Heng finally understood why his cousin drank too much water. It should have something to do with Miss Su Ruan.

    As Long Fei''s right-hand man, Long Yu Heng has heard how it would be uncomfortable for Long Fei to stay away from his other half.

    Wasn''t it like that when Su Ruan had left the town and never reappeared?

    Long Fei had suffered greatly as a child. They did not know anything about Su Ruan. Fortunately, his condition got better as he grew up. But Long Fei had to soak in the lake water for a long time to calm down.

    Everything has changed now that he had found Su Ruan again. But, in the past few days, this man had insisted on visiting Su Ruan at night and accompanying her until morning.

    Now that they were separated, of course, Long Fei would feel uncomfortable. For someone like Long Fei, being around his other half was like a drug. Without Su Ruan around, the feeling was suffocating.

    Only by drinking a lot of water would he feel more at ease.

    Long Yu Heng pursed his lips into a thin line as he looked at the situation. "Then, I will ask them to send more water for you."

    The drinking water for Long Fei was of course, not of those usual drinking mineral water.

    As Long Yu Heng turned to leave, Long Fei lowered his head to continue looking at his documents. Just in time, his gaze fell on a part of the documents. His eyes flashed.

    "Wait!"

    Long Yu Heng turned around, shooting an inquiring look at his cousin. Seeing the serious look in Long Fei''s eyes, Long Yu Heng was immediately alarmed.

    "Yu Heng, come over."

    As he approached closer, Long Yu Heng followed his cousin''s gaze and looked at the documents on the table. A puzzled look flashed in his eyes as he saw that Long Fei was not reading any work-related documents.

    Before Long Yu Heng could ask anything, Long Fei had spoken first.

    "Yu Heng, look at this." Long Fei pointed his finger at a name on the document. "Don''t you think that this name is quite familiar?"

    As Long Yu Heng looked at the name, he immediately understood the change in Long Fei''s eyes.

    "This person... wasn''t she a part of the troublesome group? Professor Chen''s granddaughter''s name is also Shen Yue."

    His eyes narrowed, thinking that he was not the only person who think that this Shen Yue was related to that old man.

    "Yu Heng, help me to investigate."

    Long Yu Heng nodded. "But, why did you suddenly investigate this person?" He looked at the document again and saw another familiar name on top. "Yu Zhi Yi? Why are you investigating him?"

    "Yu Zhi Yi is a friend of Su Ruan."

    It was then that he recalled that Long Fei had asked him to find out about this name at the hotel.

    "Then, this Miss Shen?"

    "She is Yu Zhi Yi''s fiance."

    A look of surprise appeared in Long Yu Heng''s eyes upon hearing their relationship. Then, the look quickly turned into something else. "Ah Fei, do you think that Miss Su is related to them?"

    "No!" Long Fei quickly answered. "Su Ruan shouldn''t have anything to do with that group."

    Long Yu Heng hesitated.

    Although Long Fei was convinced that Su Ruan was not related to that group, it doesn''t mean that Long Yu Heng would feel the same.

    Seeing the look in Long Yu Heng''s eyes, Long Fei quickly understood what was his cousin thinking about. "Let''s not forget that it was Su Ruan who had helped me to heal and escape when that old man chase me in the town. She is not related to them," Long Fei said. "It is impossible."

    "You''re right." Long Yu Heng exhaled lightly. The look on his face was no longer as hostile.. "I will go and investigate."

 Chapter 100 - His Sudden Phone Call

    Long Fei was looking at the documents on his desk when he suddenly felt a little thirsty. Stretching his hand, he grabbed the water bottle at his side and noticed that it was empty.

    His brow furrowed, finding that there were no more drinking bottles at his side.

    Turning to his side, there was only one last bottle of drinking water on the coffee table.

    It was then that he remembered Long Yu Heng had warned that he will have to slow down on drinking too much water as their stock was running low and they will only be able to restock his drinking water in the afternoon.

    It has been a few days since he had returned to Capital City. The stock they have in hand would usually be able to help him last for a week. But this time, his water consumption was a bit abnormal. It was all because he was feeling uncomfortable without having Su Ruan by his side.

    At this time, Long Fei was slightly regretting that he had not listened to Long Yu Heng''s words.

    He shouldn''t sneak into Su Ruan''s room and spend his night by her side. Now that he was unable to see her for a few days, Long Fei felt tormented.

    He really needed to do his work fast and return to D Town quickly where he can be the closest to Su Ruan.

    Taking a deep breath, Long Fei massaged the space between his brow. He grabbed his phone on the side and texted Long Yu Heng to remind him about his drinking water.

    After pondering for a while, Long Fei scrolled through his contact and finally stopped at Su Ruan''s name. He stared at her name for a few seconds longer, wondering what she was doing at this moment.

    A trace of helplessness appeared on his face.

    His heartfelt heavy now that she was not by his side. However, staring at her name like this would still give him a slight relief.

    Long Fei thought that his addiction to Su Ruan''s presence was getting worst.

    He wondered just how could he bring her to his side quickly. He really could not bear being away from her for too long.

    Subconsciously, his fingers moved towards the call button. When he finally snapped out of his trance, the call was already connected and he could hear Su Ruan''s voice on the other line.

    "Hello?"

    His eyes widened. Long Fei had not expected that Su Ruan would pick up his phone call this fast.

    "Long Fei?" Su Ruan spoke again when the man had not said a word.

    Clearing his throat, Long Fei finally pressed the phone to his ear and spoke, "Su Ruan.

    "Did you call me for something?"

    Her question made him halt. He was missing her and did not think too much when he pressed the call button. Long Fei found that he did not know how to answer this question.

    "Can''t I just call you?" Long Fei blurted out.

    There was a brief pause before Su Ruan''s soft laughter could be heard on the other line. "Of course, you can. It was just that, I didn''t hear anything from you after you leave for Capital City. I thought that you were preoccupied with work. I did not expect that you would call suddenly."

    Long Fei realized that he had made a mistake.

    He had told her that he wanted to get to know her but after he left, he had not tried to contact her. Of course, Su Ruan would think that it was strange for him to suddenly call.

    "Sorry. I was indeed a little busy," Long Fei said.

    The past few days, Long Fei was too busy looking at a few important documents and meeting some people to discuss work. He wanted to deal with his work quickly and return to the town before the festivity.

    Because of that, he did not think of getting in touch with her.

    Thinking about it made him feel a little guilty.

    However, because of his special circumstance, Long Fei had never been in a relationship and was unaware of what he should do.

    He met Su Ruan while they were still young and she had become his other half because of something that he had done.

    Because of that, Long Fei had never tried to get to know other women or learn anything about romance. He was still a newbie. There were a lot of things that he did not know he should do and he was too embarrassed to consult anyone about this.

    "But don''t worry. I will still make it back before the festivity," Long Fei quickly added. He was worried that Su Ruan would think that he would not come back because he was too busy.

    "It''s fine. Your work is more important."

    "No. I have promised that I will attend the carnival with you." His tone sounded firm.

    Su Ruan smiled. The man was busy with his work but he was still worried about the festivity. She could not help thinking that this side of him was cute.

    "Alright. Don''t push yourself to work too hard. Your health is more important."

    Her reminder warmed his heart. Without realizing it, his discomfort had gradually dissipated as he listened to her voice.

    "Un. I know." His lips turned up into a smile. "What are you up to this recently?"

    Su Ruan was helping the others to pack up some fruits that they were going to sell at the farmer''s market during the carnival when Long Fei had called. Sensing that this call would take a while, she quickly excused herself and walked out of the building.

    "My grandpa''s orchard will be selling some products. I was helping them to organize some stuff," Su Ruan said.

    The two of them chatted about their daily life with Su Ruan mostly telling him about her activity in the orchard. Long Fei thought that listening to her talking about food packing was more interesting than talking about his works in Capital City.

    Moreover, Su Ruan doesn''t seem as if she had run out of things to say. There was always something interesting for her to tell.

    A strange feeling filled his heart. Listening to Su Ruan''s voice made him feel slightly better but he found that he was missing her a lot. Long Fei suddenly had the urge to see her.

    "I should be able to return to town in a couple of days," Long Fei spoke after a while. He could only take a few deep breaths to suppress his longing. "That''s right. Is there anything you want me to bring back from Capital City?"

    Su Ruan thought for a moment and finally gave her answer, "Just bring me something delicious."

    "What would you like to have?"

    "Anything is fine. You seem very knowledgeable on where to find delicious food around," Su Ruan said. "Why don''t you surprise me?"

    As he placed his phone on the table, Long Fei could not stop thinking about Su Ruan''s request.

    It was fine if she had asked him to introduce some delicious food in D Town. He has been living in the place for years and knew the place best.

    However, he did not know much about good food in Capital City.

    Each time that he came to Capital City, he mostly had his meal in the hotel where he was staying or else, it would be Long Yu Heng who would bring him some takeout boxes.

    Long Fei had never really spent his time in Capital City to find a good place to eat.

    But he did not want to disappoint Su Ruan. After he had taken Su Ruan out to eat in D Town, the girl seemed to think that he was someone who know how to eat and appreciate good food.

    After pondering about this matter for a while, Long Fei finally decided to dial a number.

    The tone lasted for a few seconds before the other person finally picked up the phone. The moment the phone call was connected, Long Fei could hear a commotion on the other line. It was too noisy.

    "Hello? Lu Xun?" Long Fei spoke when the other party did not say a thing.

    "Sorry. I was a little busy with¡­ something," Lu Xun spoke.

    "Is this a bad time?"

    "No. It''s fine. I can handle this," Lu Xun said.

    "It seemed that your days are getting livelier with the two kids around," Long Fei commented.

    His best friend, Lu Xun had finally become a father of a twin a few months ago. The last time Long Fei had visited them, he had witnessed how the twin babies were very attached to their father. He had quickly figured out that Lu Xun was busy with the kids just now.

    "It''s not so bad," Lu Xun laughed. "I heard that you were in Capital City. Are you going coming to visit?"

    "Maybe next time," Long Fei chuckled. "I''m in a rush to return to D Town."

    "Something happened?"

    "There''s an event I need to attend," Long Fei said. "I''ll come and visit you again next time. That''s right. I called to ask for your advice."

    Hearing his words, Lu Xun''s expression turned serious. "What is it?"

    "Could you recommend me to delicious food in Capital City?" Long Fei coughed.. Before Lu Xun could ask him more about it, Long Fei had quickly explained, "A family member asked me to bring back something but I did not know much about it."

 Chapter 101 - Surprise Visit

    After working on a few articles with her former editor''s friend, Su Ruan was finally getting comfortable with writing as a freelance.

    Seeing the payment for her first article was in her account made her thrilled. Although the amount was not as much as her salary working full time, Su Ruan thought that this amount was good enough.

    Perhaps after writing a few more articles and making her name, she would get more money and could stop worrying about money.

    As the thought came to her mind, Su Ruan was feeling a little excited.

    She recalled seeing a few freelance websites and decided to register to look for future opportunities. Su Ruan was in the middle of browsing through the website when the phone on her table rang.

    A hint of surprise appeared in her mind upon seeing the name on the caller ID. Then, her lips turned into a smile and Su Ruan picked up the phone call.

    "Su Ruan?" The man spoke her name the moment the phone call was connected.

    "Hello."

    The frown on his face disappeared when he heard her voice. "I will be arriving at your grandpa''s orchard in ten minutes."

    "Ah?" Her eyes widened. Su Ruan was not expecting that Long Fei would call to tell her that he was coming to her grandfather''s orchard. "You''re back?"

    Long Fei chuckled at her reaction. "Uh-huh. Do you want to come out and see me?"

    Su Ruan looked out the window and saw a group of her grandpa''s workers who were busy carrying some boxes.

    There were a few of her family members who were in the orchard. As she thought of Long Fei running into any of her family members, Su Ruan began to panic.

    She still did not want them to run into her family members and figure out their relationship.

    Su Ruan snapped out of her thoughts.

    That''s right. What sort of relationship did she have with Long Fei?

    They were only friends!

    Still¡­ Su Ruan did not want to let anyone know that she was closer to Long Fei. She was not prepared to answer any questions from her family members.

    Was this considered a surprise visit?

    "Then, can you just park outside? I''ll come over to meet you," Su Ruan spoke. Worried that he might figure out something was wrong, Su Ruan quickly added, "Everyone in the orchard is busy with preparing for the carnival. It''s better if I meet you outside."

    "Then, I''ll wait for you outside," Long Fei said. "I''ll tell you when I arrived."

    Su Ruan heaved a sigh in relief. She was about to turn around and headed downstairs when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

    Because she was working alone in her bedroom, Su Ruan did not pay much attention to her appearance. It was only now that she realized that her hair was a mess and her face was a little pale.

    Swiftly, Su Ruan tidied up a little and patted her cheek to give her face a little color. Seeing that she looked presentable, Su Ruan quickly headed downstairs to wait for Long Fei.

    She had to tiptoe quietly as she was worried that she was going to run into someone.

    Just then, the phone in her hand buzzed,

    Her eyes widened in surprise, upon seeing Long Fei''s message that he had arrived outside her grandpa''s orchard.

    Just now, he told her that he was going to arrive in another ten minutes but it looked like he had arrived a little earlier than that.

    Worried that he will have to wait for a long time, Su Ruan hasten her pace. As she approached the black 4WD, Long Fei alighted with a frown on his face.

    "Why are you rushing out?" Long Fei asked as Su Ruan stopped in front of him.

    Su Ruan panted slightly. She had jogged over because she was worried that she was going to run into anyone. "I didn''t want to let you wait for a long time."

    Her answer made him feel a little warm. Perhaps, because she was running over, her cheek turned a little pink. Long Fei was slightly in a daze when he saw the look on her face.

    "I thought you were supposed to return in a few more days," Su Ruan said.

    Long Fei smiled. "My work ended earlier than planned."

    He realized that he could not be apart from Su Ruan for a long time and had worked hard to finish his job. Once he had settled everything important, Long Fei had handed his job over to his assistant just so he could return earlier.

    Now that Su Ruan was right in front of him where he could see and hear her clearly, his heart was finally at ease.

    He really could not be away from her for a long time.

    Long Fei made a note to himself to work on his relationship with Su Ruan before he have to travel elsewhere again. This way, he would have an excuse to bring her along with him.

    "Did you come over from the airport?" Su Ruan saw the suit and tie on his body and guessed that he had just returned from Capital City.

    He did not return home and came to look for her first?

    Long Fei answered her with a smile. "Do you want to come inside?" He pulled the door and motioned for the girl to enter.

    Su Ruan glanced inside his car and hesitated. "I haven''t told anyone that I''m coming to see you. I don''t want them to worry."

    "Don''t worry. We are not going anywhere." Long Fei glanced at the sky. "It''s a little hot today. Let''s continue and talk inside."

    "Then¡­ Alright." Su Ruan nodded. She slid into the car and Long Fei followed him after.

    Su Ruan glanced at the driver and nodded to him as her greeting. Then she turned to Long Fei who was seated beside her.

    Because they were seating too close, Su Ruan could smell the cologne on his body. She had always thought that the cologne on his body gave off a fresh smell.

    Long Fei turned around and grabbed a bag. He handed it over to Su Ruan and smiled. "For you."

    Su Ruan stared at the paper bag and a thought came to her mind. "Did you come over to give this to me?"

    "Uh-huh."

    Her lips turned into a smile. "What is this?" Su Ruan looked at the paper bag but could not guess at the content. However, her nose could pick up the smell of something sweet.

    "Why don''t you look at it first?"

 Chapter 102 - Famous Dessert

    Su Ruan watched the man beside her and blinked. She waited for him to tell her what was inside the bag or at least give her some clues. However, Long Fei remained silent.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan peeked inside the paper bag and pulled out a pastel pink box. Inside, there were selections of delicate desserts. Each of them looked appetizing. From the way they were presented, Su Ruan could tell that a skillful person had prepared them.

    Su Ruan raised her head and shot an inquiring look at Long Fei.

    "Didn''t you ask me to bring back something delicious?" Long Fei explained.

    It was then that Su Ruan recalled their conversation a few days ago. She had actually forgotten about the request for him to bring back something delicious.

    "I didn''t know what you like, but I heard that the desserts from The Orchid Hotel are considered the best," Long Fei said.

    "These were from The Orchid Hotel?"

    Long Fei looked at her expression and guessed that Su Ruan should have heard about the famous desserts as well. "You know about them."

    "Of course." Su Ruan nodded.

    She had always heard about The Orchid Hotel''s pastries and cakes. Back then, Su Ruan and her friend, Lin Qing had often said that they should save money to try the cakes from the hotel. However, the two of them never get the chance to try them.

    His eyes narrowed. "I guess the cakes are very famous."

    "They are." Su Ruan laughed. "Isn''t that why you bought them?"

    Long Fei flashed her a smile. It was actually Lu Xun who had recommended the cakes to him. Although Long Fei had frequently stayed in The Orchid Hotel each time he visited Capital City, he had never tried their cakes or heard about them.

    Seeing that Su Ruan continued to peek at the box of cakes with a pair of admiring gazes made him a little dumbfounded.

    It was only a box of cakes. Did she have to react this way?

    Still, Long Fei could not help but think that the expression on Su Ruan''s face at this time was quite adorable. At this time, he was glad that he had listened to Lu Xun''s recommendation.

    "Are you not going to try them?" Long Fei asked.

    Su Ruan tore her gaze away from the box and turned to Long Fei again. "Are you really giving this to me?"

    Long Fei chuckled. "Otherwise?"

    "But they are so expensive. One slice of these cakes would be enough for my three days meals. And now, there are nine of them."

    Su Ruan stared at the cakes with longing. She wanted to taste them but her conscience was telling her that she could not afford to accept something as expensive as this.

    His brow rose, finding that Su Ruan''s reaction was amusing. He did not expect that she would be worried about the price of the cakes.

    "I can still afford them."

    "But I don''t dare to accept them."

    A soft laugh escaped him. "The owner of the hotel is someone that I am familiar with. I didn''t have to pay a lot of money for them."

    Su Ruan still thought that she could not accept them.

    "Moreover, if you didn''t eat the cakes, then I will have to throw them away."

    "Ah?" Su Ruan stared at the man in shock.

    "There wouldn''t be anyone who wanted to eat them anyway."

    Su Ruan''s hand gripped the boxes a little tighter when she heard his words. Such pretty and delicate cakes. It would be a waste to throw them away. Her heart was aching just thinking about it.

    It seemed that she will have no choice but to accept them.

    But Su Ruan still hesitated. "Then, why don''t we share?"

    "It''s fine. I''m not really a fan of sweet stuff."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line as she pondered over what she should do. After a while, she opened the box and the sweet smell of the cakes filled the car.

    "Which one do you like best?"

    A trace of helplessness appeared on his face. Long Fei peeked into the box and finally pointed to the one that did not seem overly sweet. "This one."

    Su Ruan took out a slice of cake with its paper liner and brought it closer to him. However, what she did not expect was that Long Fei was going to lower his head and took a bite at the cheesecake from her hand.

    His movement was too sudden, making her unable to react.

    Once she finally snapped out of her trance, Su Ruan quickly lowered her head to hide her expression. A hint of a blush crept on her neck and ears. This action was too intimate and it reminded her of the last time he had put her finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding.

    "It actually tasted good and not overly sweet," Long Fei commented. He was unaware of the turbulence going through Su Ruan''s heart at this moment.

    "Then, you eat it." Su Ruan pushed the slice of cake in her hand into his.

    Long Fei was about to tell her that he did not want it anymore but noticing her red ears, he decided not to say anything.

    It would be wise not to tease her too much. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him if she run away. He had finally reunited with her again after years. Long Fei did not think that he could bear to have Su Ruan leaving him again.

    "Are you not going to taste them?" Long Fei asked.

    "The cakes are too pretty. I feel bad to eat them."

    Long Fei chuckled. He could not understand Su Ruan''s thinking. She was not going to eat the cakes just because they were pretty?

    "Then, you could take a photo first," Long Fei said. "If you don''t eat them, the cakes a going to spoil."

    Su Ruan heaved a sigh. She still think that it was a shame to eat such pretty cakes. After a while, she made up her mind and took out her phone to snap a few pictures.

    There was one empty spot as the cake was eaten by Long Fei, but using some angle, the empty spot was not that noticeable.

    Under Long Fei''s gaze, Su Ruan finally picked up one piece of the cake. She took a bite and heaved with satisfaction. The cakes really tasted good.

    A smile curled on his lips when he saw that Su Ruan seemed to enjoy the cakes. Seeing that she had finished the slice, Long Fei then asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

 Chapter 103 - The Continuation Of The Legend

    In the evening, Su Ruan switched off her laptop and quickly changed her clothes to get ready for her appointment with Long Fei.

    After applying a layer of lip balm, Su Ruan headed downstairs and ran into her mother who was working on the computer.

    Hearing that her daughter was going out with that young master again, Ma Zheng Zheng was not worried. Until this time, she still believed that her daughter was going to meet the young master to discuss work matters.

    Su Ruan heaved in relief when her mother did not ask her questions that she did not know how to answer.

    Su Ruan had thought that she was no longer in trouble but who would have thought that the moment she stepped outside, she would run into her cousin, Ma Yu Xi.

    The girl stared back at her with excitement written on her face. "Sister Ruan! Guess who I just saw outside?"

    Hearing her question, Su Ruan already had a premonition.

    "It''s Young Master Long Fei!" Ma Yu Xi exclaimed. There were twinkles in her eyes. "I wonder why did he come over to our orchard again?"

    Su Ruan pursed her lips, wondering how was she supposed to tell her cousin that the man came to pick her up.

    Until now, Su Ruan still did not know how she should explain her relationship with Long Fei. She was aware that the man was interested in her but they were not lovers.

    Su Ruan coughed as she tried to find an excuse to escape his situation.

    It was at this time that Ma Yu Xi sensed something from her cousin. "Sister Ruan, you are all dressed up. Are you going somewhere?" Her gaze fell on the pair of sneakers on Su Ruan''s feet.

    Su Ruan took a deep breath and decided to tell the truth. "That¡­ Young Master Long is here to pick me up."

    Ma Yu Xi stared at her cousin with her eyes wide. A thought came to her mind, and her mouth opened slightly. It seemed that she had something to say but did not know where to start.

    "Yu Xi, let''s talk about this later." Su Ruan stepped aside, preparing to make her escape. "I don''t want to make him wait."

    Before Ma Yu Xi could ask any question, Su Ruan had already escaped. Ma Yu Xi narrowed her eyes and planned to come over earlier to ask a few questions from her cousin.

    When Su Ruan almost reached Long Fei''s 4WD, the man stepped out of the vehicle and looked at her with a deep frown on his face. "Why are you running again?"

    "It''s nothing." Su Ruan laughed softly, not wanting to explain about her escaping from her cousin. "Where are we going?"

    At a time like this, it was better to change the subject.

    "The lake. I told you that I will take you to a few scenic places."

    "Alright." Su Ruan naturally did not have any objection.

    Long Fei helped her with the door and watched her as she slid into the passenger''s seat. Then, he walked around the car and climbed into the driver''s seat.

    As Long Fei started to drive, the two of them chatted about the article that Su Ruan was requested to write for Blue Media.

    In the past few days, Su Ruan has been exchanging some emails with the editor to talk about the articles that she was going to write. Since Long Fei is the top management of the company, Su Ruan thought that it would be better to get his opinion on some matters as well.

    After driving for a while, the vehicle finally pulled a stop.

    Su Ruan had thought that Long Fei was going to take her to the town center and the two of them were going to take the boat. But this time, Long Fei drove around the lake and finally stopped at a quiet spot.

    Looking around, Su Ruan saw that they were surrounded by nature. At the side was the tall mountain and a few meters ahead was the lake water.

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line, wondering why did Long Fei always brought her to a quiet place each time they go out.

    She wondered if she should start to be aware of her safety.

    "Come on. I promise you that this place is very safe."

    Su Ruan watched as Long Fei alighted from the driver''s seat and soon followed him out. After going out with Long Fei a few times, Su Ruan thought that he was someone that she could trust. Su Ruan believed that he would not do anything that will harm her.

    The two of them walked for a certain distance and finally stood at the side to watch the lake water.

    "Why did you bring me here?" Su Ruan looked around. Although she could not deny that the place had beautiful scenery, there were a few other spots with a prettier scene in this town.

    "I remember that you seemed interested in the legend in this town." Long Fei smiled as he observed her expression.

    "The lake dragon?"

    "Are you still curious to know the continuation of the legend?"

    Su Ruan nodded. The story was related to her little dragon. Of course, Su Ruan would want to know more.

    "Last time, I told you that someone had rescued the dragon after he was captured by a group of greedy villagers." Long Fei walked along the lake and finally stopped. "According to the legend, this was the place where the dragon was locked up."

    Her eyes widened when she heard his words. She looked around and tried to imagine where did those people had kept the dragon.

    "Did you see that place?" Long Fei pointed his finger to one spot where it was surrounded by tall trees. "There is an entrance to a cave behind those trees. Years ago, the dragon was dragged into the cave where he was not given any food or water. As a lake dragon, he grew weaker when he had to stay away from the water."

    Su Ruan imagined her little friend being captured by the hunters and had to experience the same thing. Her heart ached and Su Ruan found that it was a little difficult to breathe.

    "Do you think that the lake dragon really exists?"

 Chapter 104 - His Ancestor

    Long Fei turned slowly and his lips curled into a smile. "What do you think?"

    "I don''t know." Su Ruan naturally would not mention her meeting with that little dragon. "Since there was such a legend, perhaps the lake dragon really exists?"

    "I think so as well," Long Fei said. "Perhaps, hundreds or thousands of years before, a creature such as a dragon existed. Otherwise, how would people know about its existence?"

    There was a complicated look on Su Ruan''s face as she listened to Long Fei''s words.

    This was not the first time that Long Fei had mentioned the lake dragon. From the beginning, Su Ruan had suspected that Long Fe would know something about her little friend.

    Her heartbeat accelerated as she wonder if Long Fei knew of her connection with the dragon.

    "Do you find it strange that I continued to talk about the legend?" Long Fei saw the change in Su Ruan''s expression and worried that perhaps he had scared her again.

    Su Ruan shrugged. "Sort of." There was a sheepish smile on her face.

    Long Fei laughed. "You should remember that I have mentioned how someone among the villagers had snuck into the cage and helped the dragon to escape."

    Su Ruan nodded.

    "The person who had helped the dragon to escape... is said to be my ancestor."

    Her eyes widened in surprise. "That was why you often talked about the dragon."

    Long Fei smiled. "Uh-huh. This was perhaps the reason why our family flourished in this town. It was said that the dragon had blessed our family. In exchange, the Long family has to stay in this town and protect it from outsiders who wanted to disturb the lake."

    "Then, the first time you told me about the dragon, were you trying to warn me not to disturb the lake?" Su Ruan tilted her head and stared at him inquiringly. "After all, I am an outsider."

    "You are thinking too much." The look on his face turned gentler. "I was genuinely wanting to initiate a conversation with you."

    Seeing the carefree look on his face, Su Ruan decided to believe his words. "It was really a strange topic to talk about with the person you just met," Su Ruan mumbled to herself but her words were still audible to the man.

    Long Fei turned around suddenly and turned to Su Ruan. "I can''t help it. After all, I have never been in a relationship before or chased after anyone. You are the first."

    They were initially talking about the lake dragon but the topic had suddenly changed.

    Su Ruan stared back at Long Fei with a dazed look on her face. The thought that she was the first person that someone like Long Fei wanted to chase was shocking.

    As someone who had stayed in his position, surely, Long Fei had encountered a lot of good and talented women.

    Then, why would he be interested in her?

    She was not the prettiest or the most talented.

    Moreover... didn''t he tell her that he wanted to get to know her? When did it change to chasing after her?

    Her heartbeat accelerated and Su Ruan did not dare to look at Long Fei''s face at this time. She walked close to the lake and looked into the water, seemingly trying to enjoy the scenery.

    Initially, Su Ruan wanted to ask Long Fei a little bit more about the legend and find out if he knew anything about the little dragon. But she had forgotten everything she wanted to ask.

    In the end, the two of them continued to stay around the lake while enjoying the scenery. Their conversation now revolved around the scenery.

    Before the sky turned dark, Long Fei had taken Su Ruan to leave the place and the two of them headed to the town center. The two of them had their dinner at the restaurant where they once had breakfast together and left.

    After she returned to her room, Su Ruan stood in front of her window and let the cold air blow to her face. She waited for the little dragon to show up, but the little dragon did not show up as she had hoped for.

    Disappointed, Su Ruan closed the window and went to bed.

    ...

    The next morning, Su Ruan found that her cousin, Ma Yu Xi was already waiting for her at the dining table. Ma Yu Xi waited for Su Ruan to have her breakfast patiently. The moment Su Ruan put down her cutlery, Ma Yu Xi quickly dragged her to a quiet part in the orchard to talk.

    "Sister Ruan, tell me what is going on between you and Young Master Long?" Ma Yu Xi''s face was full of excitement. "My aunt said that the two of you were going out to discuss some work matter. Really?"

    After running into her cousin who was on her way out to meet Long Fei, Ma Yu Xi had tried to get the answer from Long Yu Heng, but the man told her that he did not know anything about them as he was currently not in town.

    Ma Yu Xi''s curiosity would not let her be at ease until she figured out the answer. Therefore, she came over to find her cousin first thing in the morning.

    Su Ruan let out a cough. "Well, my mom isn''t wrong. I am going out to discuss a few work matters with that young master."

    Ma Yu Xi narrowed her eyes. The look on her face told Su Ruan that she did not believe her words.

    "You should know that he owned a media company. Last time, he heard that I have previously worked for a magazine. He wanted to offer me to work at his company."

    "Ah? Sister Ruan, are you leaving D Town soon?"

    "No. It''s just freelance work. I can still write while staying here."

    Ma Yu Xi heaved in relief. It was not easy for Su Ruan to return to this town. She did not get to show her around as much as she liked. It would be too sad if Su Ruan had to leave soon.

    A few seconds later, Ma Yu Xi quickly noticed that there was something wrong.

    It seemed that a certain someone had deliberately tried to change the subject.

    Before that person could escape, Ma Yu Xi had grabbed her arms, stopping Su Ruan from leaving. Seeing the guilty look on Su Ruan''s face confirmed her suspicion. "Sister Ruan, what are you not telling me?"

    "Well, there is another thing..." Su Ruan laughed awkwardly. Her voice turned to whisper as she spoke, "We are sort of in the process of getting to know each other."

    Ma Yu Xi sucked in a deep breath upon hearing the news. What ''getting to know each other''? Wasn''t that the same as dating?

 Chapter 105 - The Carnival Begin

    Two days before the carnival began, Ma Yu Xi''s brother, Ma Wei returned to D Town to help out with the preparation.

    In the past few days, Su Ruan has been busy helping everyone around to set up their orchard''s booth. It was the first time that Su Ruan had joined such activities and she was excited about it.

    On the day of the carnival, the members of the Ma family woke up early in the morning to prepare their booth. Su Ruan took Ma Yu Xi''s pickup truck and the two headed to the town center with boxes of their orchard cherries.

    When they arrived at the center, the atmosphere around them was very lively as there were a lot of people coming to set up their booth.

    As Ma Yu Xi parked her pickup truck at the side, her brother, Ma Wei came over with a little trolley to carry the boxes. He peeked into the trunk and raised a brow at his sister. "Is this all?"

    Ma Yu Xi nodded. "This is all that left. I think it would be enough."

    Ma Wei nodded. He transferred the boxes onto the trolley and pushed them over to their booth. As the three cousins walked along the street, there were a few of the townspeople stopping by to greet them.

    Previously, they have heard that Old Man Ma''s granddaughter was visiting the town. Now that they finally get the chance to see her face to face, the townspeople could not help but to shoot a few glances at her.

    "Sister Ruan, I think you are quite popular today," Ma Yu Xi said as she poked Su Ruan on her waist.

    Su Ruan chuckled. "What popular? They were only curious because most of them have never seen me before."

    Ma Wei glanced at Su Ruan and spoke, "Su Ruan, I think it would be better if you stand at the counter today. If anyone tries to chat up with you, you can ask them to buy our products."

    Su Ruan laughed upon hearing her cousin''s words. "Cousin brother, are you trying to take advantage of me?"

    "Why not?" Ma Wei shrugged. "Perhaps, with you around, we might be able to sell everything we bring along."

    Ma Yu Xi rolled her eyes. "Brother, just admit it... You are only lazy to carry those boxes back to the orchard."

    Su Ruan watched as the siblings exchanged their banter and laughed.

    The smell of baked goods wafted in the air as they reached the bakery''s booth. Su Ruan glanced at Ma Yu Xi and smiled when the girl had suddenly turned silent.

    From the corner of her eyes, Su Ruan could see how Ma Yu Xi was glancing at her crush, Sun Cheng.

    Ma Yu Xi was usually very talkative but in front of the person she liked, the girl suddenly turned very quiet. Su Ruan could not help but think that this side of Ma Yu Xi was very cute as well.

    "Cousin brother, are you hungry?" Su Ruan asked. "I''m going to buy some bread. Would you like one?"

    Ma Wei glanced at the bakery''s booth and nodded. "Sure. Just grab anything for me. I''m not picky."

    Su Ruan grabbed Ma Yu Xi''s arms and the smile on her face widened. "Then, you go ahead first. We''ll come over soon."

    "Sister Ruan, what are you trying to do?" Ma Yu Xi looked at her with her eyes wide. She could guess what Su Ruan was planning to do and it was making her anxious.

    "I''m only going to buy some bread, why are you so anxious?" Su Ruan shot her an innocent look. Before Ma Yu Xi could escape, Su Ruan had already dragged her over to the booth.

    Coincidentally, Sun Cheng was arranging the bread from the cafe on the table. He looked up and was surprised to see the familiar faces in front of him. Sun Cheng quickly recovered and flashed a smile at Ma Yu Xi. "Good morning."

    "Good morning," Ma Yu Xi held Su Ruan''s hand tighter as she tried to calm down. "Brother Sun Cheng, I thought you were supposed to be in the bakery today?"

    "I only dropped by to deliver some fresh goods. Afterward, I still have to return to the bakery and continue to work on the dough," Sun Cheng said. "Would you like some bread? We are selling them at a slightly cheaper price today."

    Ma Yu Xi poked at Su Ruan''s waist. "Sister Ruan, quickly pick which one you like."

    "I haven''t seen you up in the mountain for a while," Sun Cheng said. "You''re not going up the mountain anymore?"

    "Mmm... After the discovery of that giant snake, I think it''s better to stop going up the mountain for a while."

    "It seemed that people had stopped climbing up the mountain after that. But I think it''s very safe up there."

    At the side, Su Ruan watched as the two chatted while choosing the bread slowly. Seeing that Ma Yu Xi was shooting her a look, Su Ruan finally handed her tray to the cashier.

    After paying for the bread, the cousin left the booth.

    "Why are you so shy? Last time we were on the mountain, I did not see you this shy." Su Ruan poked at cousin''s arm.

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh. "Sister Ruan, I was not prepared to meet him today. I needed at least a few minutes to prepare myself mentally before I can face the person I like."

    Su Ruan shook her head. She could not understand what was going on in Ma Yu Xi''s mind.

    "Sister Ruan, you laughed at me now. Later, when Young Master Long came to find you at the booth, let''s see how you will react," Ma Yu Xi whispered.

    Hearing her reminder, Su Ruan began to panic. She had agreed that she was going to meet up with Long Fei at the festival, but now, Su Ruan was worried about this meeting.

    Long Fei was considered a big celebrity in this town. If people saw them together, they would definitely talk about it.

    At this time, other than Ma Yu Xi, no one knew that she was close to Long Fei.. Su Ruan did not know how she should explain her relationship with the man to her family.

 Chapter 106 - Support Her Familys Business

    In the end, Su Ruan had to listen to Ma Wei''s suggestion and stay at the booth to promote their products. Just as he had expected, most of the people who visited the Ma''s Orchard''s booth came to look at Su Ruan.

    The men saw an unfamiliar girl selling cherries. Seeing that she was pretty, they came over, hoping to get to know her. They had thought that they might be able to get her number after buying a few products, but Su Ruan only laughed it off when they asked for her number.

    The elders have heard that Ma Hao Dong''s granddaughter had returned to the town and stopped by to look at her. Seeing that she was polite and well-behaved, some of them wanted to match her with someone in their family.

    In the end, Su Ruan had to tell them that she already had a boyfriend.

    Just like that, Su Ruan had become a small celebrity on the day.

    Ma Yu Xi watched as another young man left the booth with a disappointed look on his face before she walked over to her cousin, "Sister Ruan, I told you that you are going to be popular today. Look at the number of people who stopped by our booth."

    "You''re talking nonsense. Everyone stopped by to buy our product. It was not for me."

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a long sigh. "You didn''t know this but previously, our booth was not as popular as today. I''m telling you that the people came to see you. I think the sale this year would definitely top the previous year."

    Su Ruan could only shake her head and laughed it off.

    "Sister Ruan¡­" Ma Yu Xi looked around sneakily and whispered, "When are you going to meet up with that young master. My brother asked you to look after this booth. Would you still have time to walk around with him?"

    "We already decided to meet up in the evening," Su Ruan said. "I heard that the carnival will reach its peak when the sky turned dark."

    "That''s true." Ma Yu Xi nodded. Her eyes twinkled as she was looking forward to the fun activities at night. "There will be fireworks and I heard that the Old Master of the Long family will come over to give his speech."

    Su Ruan was suddenly curious about Long Fei''s grandfather. "Besides, he is too high profile. It would be troublesome if we walked together in the town center during the day."

    Ma Yu XI frowned. "Why does it sound as if you were having an underground relationship? Could it be that he is not willing to take you out to the public?"

    Young Master Long Fei is someone with high status. Hearing that the man wanted to hide from the crowd, Ma Yu Xi''s mind started to go wild. A lot of possibilities suddenly appeared in her mind.

    Su Ruan rolled her eyes. "You''re watching too much drama."

    "Who''s having an underground relationship?"

    The voice came over suddenly, scaring the two girls. Turning around, they found that Ma Wei walked over with another staff behind him. The two of them were carrying a box on their shoulders.

    "Nothing." Su Ruan flashed a smile. "We were discussing that recent drama."

    Ma Wei is not someone who had an interest in drama. Just like that, the subject was dropped off. He put the box on the shelf behind them and looked at the two girls.

    "If you run out of those jams, then, you should take it from here." Ma Wei patted at the box. He gave them a few more instructions before he walked away to do his job.

    Ma Yu Xi watched as his brother walked away and patted her chest. "This person. He really liked to walk around like a thief."

    "Alright, let''s stop talking." Su Ruan pointed to the incoming customer. "Someone is here."

    Ma Yu Xi looked up and was surprised to see her classmate, Chu Jin. "Chu Jin, why are you here?"

    A look of displeasure appeared on his face. "Aren''t you here to sell cherries? What do you think I''m here for?" He turned to Su Ruan and nodded as a greeting.

    The last time, Su Ruan had followed Ma Yu Xi to the town center to get a replacement of her phone after she had fallen into the lake. At that time, it was Chu Jin who had attended her. Naturally, Su Ruan could still remember that Ma Yu Xi had introduced Chu Jin as her classmate.

    Chu Jin looked at the products on the table and pointed at a few items. Then, he looked at Ma Yu Xi again. "Just these. Help me to pack it up."

    Ma Yu Xi grabbed the paper bag and placed the items into it. "You''re buying a lot. Are you sure that you can finish them all?"

    "You don''t need to worry about this." Chu Jin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ma Yu Xi. He came over to support her family''s business but this girl was asking him too many questions.

    As if sensing that someone was looking at him, Chu Jin turned and his gaze met with Su Ruan''s. A faint blush appeared on his face. Chu Jin could not help but feel as if Ma Yu Xi''s cousin could understand his thought at this moment.

    Chu Jin let out a cough and took out some money to pay for his stuff.

    "Since you''re buying a lot, then I will throw you an extra gift," Ma Yu Xi said.

    "What is it?"

    "Cherry oatmeal cookies." Ma Yu Xi smiled. "I made it with myself."

    Chu Jin stared at the small packet of cookies and raised a brow. "I wouldn''t get diarrhea after eating these cookies, right?"

    His words made Ma Yu Xi furious. "Chu Jin, just give it back if you didn''t want it."

    The man took a step back and successfully avoided Ma Yu Xi from snatching the cookies. He raised both hands and smiled. "I''m joking. Ma Yu Xi, thank you for your cookies."

    "This person only knows how to make me furious," Ma Yu Xi grumbled as she watched the man leave.

    Su Ruan stood at the side and tapped her fingers on her chin. She has been staring at Ma Yu Xi and Chu Jin''s interaction from the first time she entered the phone shop. Her instinct was telling her that something was going on between them.

    Before she could think much about this matter, a little commotion on the street snapped her out of her trance.

    Su Ruan lifted her head up and saw the figure of a few familiar faces walking along the street.

 Chapter 107 - Surprise Visit

    Seeing that her cousin was staring at a spot with a dazed look on her face, Ma Yu Xi followed her line of gaze and saw a group of people walking on the street.

    There were around four of them and each of them was unfamiliar faces to Ma Yu Xi.

    "I almost forgot. Although not many knew about this carnival, there would be a few tourists and people from the nearby town to join the carnival as well," Ma Yu Xi commented.

    Su Ruan frowned, but it doesn''t seem as if she was listening to Ma Yu Xi''s words. At this time, Su Ruan''s gaze was focused on the couple at the front.

    Although she had told herself that she had let go of her feelings, seeing both Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue together would still make her heart uncomfortable.

    She had thought that she would not see them until their wedding. Unexpectedly, Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue decided to come to this small town.

    Seeing that they had come closer, Su Ruan quickly turned around to avoid being seen. Unfortunately for her, Yu Zhi Yi had noticed her.

    His eyes flashed and Yu Zhi Yi pulled his fiance over to the Ma''s Orchard''s booth.

    "Su Ruan!"

    Her steps halted upon hearing his voice calling out her name. Su Ruan hesitated for a brief second but in the end, she inhaled a deep breath and turned around with a fake surprised look on her face. "Yu Zhi Yi?"

    At the side, Ma Yu Xi raised a brow when she realized that her cousin know this man. She thought of how Su Ruan has been staring at the man with a dazed look on her face just a few seconds ago.

    Her sixth sense was telling her that there was a story behind their relationship.

    "I knew that I would run into you here," Yu Zhi Yi said.

    Hearing his words, Shen Yue, who was beside him narrowed her eyes. Her gaze shifted towards both Su Ruan and Yu Zhi Yi. It was clear that she was unhappy at this unexpected meeting, but Shen Yue did not want to create a scene and cause trouble.

    "Miss Shen, hello," Su Ruan turned to the woman and greeted her politely. "What are you two doing here?"

    Yu Zhi Yi glanced at Shen Yue and spoke, "It has been a while since we go on a trip together. I saw on you posted about this carnival on your social media and decided to come and take a look. Su Ruan, I didn''t think that this town would be this pretty. So, this was why you wanted to stay in this town."

    The smile on her face turned stiff. Su Ruan was not expecting that Yu Zhi Yi would come to this town after seeing her posts.

    "Then, I hope that you will enjoy your stay here," Su Ruan smiled. "How long are you staying around."

    "Unfortunately, we will have to leave for Capital City the next morning," Yu Zhi Yi said. He tightened his arms around Shen Yue''s shoulder and continued, "It was not easy for me to bring Shen Yue out."

    Hearing that the couple was not going to stay for too long, Su Ruan heaved a breath of relief.

    "Su Ruan, you''re very familiar with this town. Why don''t you show us around this place? We can take this chance to catch up," Yu Zhi Yi suggested.

    "Zhi Yi, don''t make trouble." Shen Yue leaned her head on Yu Zhi Yui''s arms. "Miss Su is busy looking after her booth. She won''t have time to show us around the place." Then, she turned to Su Ruan and flashed a smile that did not reach her eyes. Her brow rose as if trying to provoke Su Ruan to say otherwise.

    "Your fiance is right. Unfortunately, you come at a bad time." Su Ruan flashed an apologetic smile. "I have to look after this booth. There are a lot of things to be done. I don''t think I will have the time to show you around the place."

    "Not even for a few minutes?"

    Su Ruan hesitated upon hearing his tone of voice. "I really can''t. I''m sorry. It was a busy day for me and everyone else in the orchard. Next time, you should have told me you were coming. Then, I could arrange for something."

    Yu Zhi Yi finally heaved a sigh. "You''re right. I just thought that we haven''t seen each other in a while and wanted to give you a surprise."

    "Well, this is fine too. The two of you could walk around and enjoy this carnival together. If I come with you, I''m afraid that I will only be a light bulb," Su Ruan smiled. "I don''t wish to be fed with dog food."

    Yu Zhi Yi laughed upon hearing her words. "Alright. I get it." His eyes swept on the products on the counter "What are you selling? I''ll buy some and bring them back to our friend in Capital City."

    Su Ruan introduced their products ad convinced her friend to buy a few more. Seeing that there were a few guests coming to their booth, she quickly made an excuse to escape.

    With Su Ruan busy looking after the booth, Yu Zhi Yi then left with his fiance.

    A breath of relief escaped her when the couple was no longer within her eyesight.

    "Sister Ruan, who are those people?" Ma Yu Xi asked.

    "Yu Zhi Yi is my best friend and we have known each other for years. That woman, Miss Shen is his fiance," Su Ruan explained.

    "Why do I feel as if there was something strange going on between the three of you?" Ma Yu Xi asked. "The way that woman was looking at you was a little strange. I don''t know what it is, but I don''t think she was being friendly with you." Her brow furrowed as Ma Yu Xi recalled the provocative look that Shen Yue had given to her cousin.

    "There was a bit of misunderstanding." Su Ruan chuckled. "Miss Shen seemed to think that I have feelings towards her fiance."

    Ma Yu Xi raised a brow. "Sister Ruan, you liked that guy?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous. Our relationship is not like that." Su Ruan rolled her eyes. "Alright. Let''s stop gossiping and continue to work." She quickly found a way to change the subject.. "If your brother comes over and found the counter empty, he''s going to nag for hours."

 Chapter 108 - Mission Accomplished

    By the end of the day, most of the items were sold out.

    Su Ruan watched as her cousin, Ma Wei, counted the money with a big smile on his face.

    A few minutes before the market was closed, a generous person had stopped by their booth and bought almost everything.

    Unfortunately, both Ma Yu Xi and her brother did not recognize this man. They could only conclude that this person came from the nearby town to buy their cherries products.

    "This is exciting. It was the first time that we have sold so much during the carnival," Ma Yu Xi could not stop smiling. "Sister Ruan, do you think that Grandpa will give us bonuses after this?"

    Su Ruan merely laughed as she continued to tidy up the empty boxes on the shelf.

    A few staff from the orchard came over to help them tidy up the place and packed up their stuff.

    Ma Wei put the money in his pocket and turned to the girls. "I''m heading back to send the money to Grandpa. Are you two going to stick around?"

    "Uh-huh." Ma Yu Xi nodded. She wrapped her arms around Su Ruan''s shoulder and smiled. "This was the first time that Sister Ruan will join the carnival. Big brother, I''m going to take Sister Ruan around this place."

    Ma Wei glanced at Su Ruan and frowned. "There''s going to be many people tonight."

    "Cousin brother, I know. I''ll be safe." Su Ruan chuckled, wondering why everyone was worried about her. "Besides, Yu Xi will be with me as well."

    The frown on Ma Wei''s face deepened. As he was a few years older, Ma Wei could still remember the incident where Su Ruan would go hysterical when she visited the town.

    Although their family members had said that Su Ruan was getting better now, Ma Wei could not be at ease.

    However, he also understood that Su Ruan was already an adult and he could not stop her from doing what she wanted to do.

    His gaze shifted to his sister. "Yu Xi, you have to keep an eye on your cousin sister. Don''t stay around too late. Remember to return earlier. If something happens, remember to call me. I''ll come over as soon as I can."

    "I know. I know." Ma Yu Xi rolled her eyes. "Big brother, you are starting to nag a lot. Don''t worry. I''ll get Sister Ruan back home safely."

    The three of them exchanged a few more words. Then, Su Ruan and Ma Yu Xi watched as Ma Wei left the side with a few staff, carrying a few boxes in their hands.

    Once they could no longer see Ma Wei''s figure, the cousins heaved a breath of relief.

    Ma Yu Xi turned to Su Ruan with a playful smile on her face. "Sister Ruan, I help you out this time. Remember to treat me something good."

    The corner of her lips began to twitch. However, Su Ruan was glad that she had told Ma Yu Xi about her relationship with Long Fei a few days ago.

    Otherwise, it would be hard for her to sneak around.

    She was planning to meet up with Long Fei when the sky turned dark and walk around the place. If Ma Yu Xi did not cover for her, it would be difficult for her to find a reason to go out.

    "Sister Ruan, where are you going to meet the young master?"

    Su Ruan glanced at her phone and sighed. "I will have to wait for him to text me first." She looked up and smiled. "Meanwhile, let''s go and walk around this place."

    Her eyes twinkled. Ma Yu Xi held Su Ruan''s hand and dragged her around the place.

    Just as Ma Wei had warned them earlier, the crowd began to build up. Everyone was gathering at the square as they waited for the Old Master Long to show up and for the performance to start.

    At the side, there was a funfair where the youngsters head over to have fun.

    The atmosphere was lively. After walking around in a bit, Su Ruan had put her meeting with Yu Zhi Yi earlier that day in the back of her mind. Her mood lifted up as she watched everyone around her having fun.

    The cousin stopped by a booth and bought some huge and colorful cotton candy.

    Just in time, Su Ruan''s phone chimed. However, the person who was excited to hear the notification tone was Ma Yu Xi.

    "Sister Ruan, quick. Let''s see if it was that young master."

    Su Ruan giggled at her cousin''s reaction. Her eyes flashed when she saw Long Fei''s message, telling her that he was waiting for her nearby a bridge.

    "Yu Xi, do you know where this bridge is?"

    Ma Yu Xi glanced at the phone and nodded. "I know where this is. Sister Ruan, I''ll lead you over to the place."

    After walking around for five minutes, the cousin finally arrived at the meeting spot. Seeing that there was no one around, Su Ruan took out her phone. However, before she could text him to ask for his whereabouts, Long Fei had suddenly appeared from behind a tree.

    "You''re here." Su Ruan looked at him in surprise. She was about to walk to his side when she realized that her cousin was with her. Suddenly, Su Ruan felt a little awkward.

    She was already an adult. But at this time, she had her cousin send her to meet her date. Su Ruan thought that this feeling was embarrassing. She suddenly felt like a child.

    "Su Ruan," Long Fei called her name softly. Then, he turned to her cousin and nodded. "Miss Ma. Hello."

    "Young Master Long, hello." Ma Yu Xi alternated her gaze between her cousin and the man. A playful smile appeared on her lips. "I heard that you are going with my cousin for a walk. Then, should I wait for her or will you be sending her home?"

    Long Fei glanced at Su Ruan. "I''ll send her back home later. Miss Ma, you don''t have to worry about it."

    "Then... Sister Ruan, since my mission is accomplished, I will leave first."

    Su Ruan looked at her cousin with a dumbfounded expression.

    What mission accomplished?

    Her face turned red and Su Ruan suddenly found out that she did not know how to face Long Fei at this time.

    Before Su Ruan could make a complaint, Ma Yu Xi had already escaped.

 Chapter 109 - Boyfriend

    Su Ruan watched her cousin''s retreating back with a dazed look on her face. It took her a while to remember that there were a few matters that she had not asked.

    Just in time, the phone in her hand chimed. Su Ruan tapped her fingers on the screen and saw Ma Yu Xi''s message.

    "Sister Ruan, don''t worry about me. I''m going to meet a few of my friends and hang around with them. Don''t forget to text me when you arrived home."

    Su Ruan stared at the message speechlessly. Sensing that something was blocking the light, Su Ruan looked up and the image of Long Fei standing with big cotton candy in his hand appeared.

    Just now, she was in a hurry to look at her phone. Su Ruan had not realized that she had passed the cotton candy to Long Fei.

    He was tall and he had a serious look on his face. The image of him holding the fluffy and colorful cotton candy was too adorable.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan stretched her hand spoke, "Let me take that from you."

    "Your cousin seemed like a very lively person."

    "Mhm¡­ Yu Xi is someone who you can easily get along with." Su Ruan pinched at the cotton candy and ate it slowly.

    The moment it entered her mouth, the sweetness spread into her mouth and the candy disappeared. As she tore another piece, Su Ruan finally remember the person next to her. She turned to Long Fei and asked, "Would you like some?"

    Long Fei was about to decline when his gaze fell on the small piece on her hand.

    The corner of his lips turned up.

    Without saying another word, Long Fei lowered his body and opened his mouth to bite the small piece of cotton candy in her hand.

    Su Ruan blinked as she watched the piece that she had torn earlier disappeared. A few seconds passed by and her face turned bright red.

    Fortunately for her, the surroundings were dark and there was no way for Long Fei to see the color on her face.

    "Well, it''s sweet." Long Fei flashed her a playful smile.

    Su Ruan lowered her head, wondering if Long Fei was addicted to eating food from her hand. After all, this was not the first time that he had done so.

    Seeing that a certain girl was shy, Long Fei decided to stop teasing her. "Where should we go first?"

    "I don''t know." Su Ruan tilted her head to one side as she looked at him and laughed softly. "Aren''t you a local? Shouldn''t you know where we should head over first?"

    Long Fei touched the tip of his nose and chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I have never properly attended the carnival before." He let out a cough and continued, "You might as well say that today is also the first time I''m attending the carnival."

    Su Ruan stared at him in disbelief. Previously, Ma Yu Xi had mentioned that Long Fei had never shown up at the carnival. But when Long Fei had invited her to this carnival, Su Ruan had thought that he would know the attractions around.

    "Let''s just explore this place together, alright?" Long Fei said.

    Su Ruan burst into laughter and nodded. "Alright." She had thought of texting her cousin and asking for her recommendation, but Long Fei''s idea to explore the festivity together sounded good as well.

    The two of them walked slowly. Their pace did not seem as if they were in a hurry to join in the carnival and have fun. They continued to chat and Su Ruan told Long Fei about her experience as she look after their orchard''s booth.

    Hearing Su Ruan mentioned that someone had shown up and bought almost everything from the booth made Long Fei smile.

    "From the sound of it, your booth is pretty popular," Long Fei pointed out.

    "It''s not that bad." Su Ruan shrugged. The cotton candy in her hand had long gone. Su Ruan threw the paper cone into the trash can as they walked around.

    "That''s right, I heard another interesting thing as well."

    Su Ruan raised a brow as she waited for Long Fei to continue.

    Long Fei stopped in the middle of the road and turned to face Su Ruan. At this time, they were still a distance away from the crowd. As everyone was busy enjoying themselves, none of them paid attention to both Long Fei and Su Ruan.

    "Earlier today, I overheard that you were telling the townspeople that you had a boyfriend."

    Su Ruan stared back at Long Fei, wondering what was going on.

    It took her a while to remember that she had told the elders who came to the booth that she was in a relationship.

    Su Ruan laughed as the memories came back. She cleared her throat and clarified, "Previously, a few elders came over to our booth wanting to match me with their grandsons. I didn''t know how to talk to them. That was why I told them that I had a boyfriend."

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line.

    Seeing that a certain man did not seem so happy, the smile on Su Ruan''s face gradually faded away.

    "Then what do you think about me?" Long Fei asked. He leaned closer to Su Ruan and spoke, "What do you think of me as your boyfriend?"

    Her eyes widened and her heartbeat accelerated. Su Ruan did not know how she should reply as she was facing Long Fei''s question at this time.

    ¡­

    On another side of the town, Yu Zhi Yi walked around the road with an unhappy look on his face.

    After walking around the town center with Shen Yue, the two of them had returned to the lodging to rest. But who would have thought that the moment he sat down, his fiance would question him on his relationship with Su Ruan?

    In the end, the two of them had argued for a long time. Yu Zhi Yi then decided to leave the lodging to calm down.

    He walked around the unfamiliar town to watch everyone around him laughing happily. As he was in a bad mood, Yu Zhi Yi decided to walk over to a quiet place.

    Just as was about to make a turn, his gaze finally landed on a familiar figure.

    Yu Zhi Yi stopped on his track.

    The surroundings were dark but he could still recognize her silhouette.

    He knew her so well.

    Yu Zhi Yi raised his hand, wanting to call her name. But he then realized that there was a tall man beside her. The two of them stood very close. From his position, Yu Zhi Yi could see that they were very intimate.

    The colorful light coming from the carnival would illuminate her face.. His expression stiffened upon seeing the smile on her face.

 Chapter 110 - Rejected

    Of course, Su Ruan was unaware that a certain someone was observing her from afar.

    At this time, she was still in a daze after hearing Long Fei''s question. Her mind whirled as his questions replayed in her mind over and over again. In the end, her CPU was overloaded and her mind turned blank.

    Su Ruan might have guessed the reason Long Fei would ask her such a question, but she was having a hard time believing it.

    "Hmm?" Long Fei lowered his body until they were on eye level. The corner of his lips tilted up to a smile as he saw that someone was in a daze, "Su Ruan?"

    Hearing her name, Su Ruan quickly snapped out of her trance. She lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze. "What do you mean? How would I know what to think of you as a boyfriend?" Her voice trembled.

    "It''s not that hard to find out the answer." Long Fei chuckled. "Would you like to try? Being in a relationship with me?"

    Her heartbeat accelerated. Her mouth opened and closed, wanting to give him an answer. But in the end, no words came out.

    His questions were making her dizzy. This man was deliberately teasing her!

    "Or could it be that you don''t like me?"

    "That''s not it," Su Ruan spoke quickly.

    The two of them were in a phase where they were trying to get to know each other. It hasn''t been a long time since that happened.

    Within the short time they had communicated, Su Ruan found that Long Fei was easy to get along with. She liked talking to him. He was mature, stable and he made her feel safe.

    Even though she did not know whether she liked him enough to further their relationship, Su Ruan could feel that being with Long Fei would not be so bad.

    Her feelings were telling her that he would not treat her badly.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan spoke, "I just thought that¨C "

    "Su Ruan!"

    Su Ruan did not manage to finish the words that she wanted to say. Hearing that someone was shouting her name, Su Ruan instinctively turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise when she finally saw the person.

    Yu Zhi Yi? What is he doing here?

    Meanwhile, Long Fei''s expression turned uglier when he recognized the person who called out Su Ruan''s name. Previously, he had looked into This man''s information, and naturally, he knew that Yu Zhi Yi was very close to Su Ruan.

    Although it was said that the two were best friends, his feelings were telling him that he needed to be guarded against this man.

    His eyes narrowed when he remember the identity of Yu Zhi Yi''s fiance.

    "Su Ruan," Yu Zhi Yi''s voice turned gentler as he stopped in front of her. "I didn''t expect that it was really you."

    "Yu Zhi Yi, why are you here?" Su Ruan asked. She looked around but could not see Shen Yue''s figure. "What about Miss Shen?"

    His expression changed as he recalled the argument in the hotel room earlier. "She went back to the hotel to rest. I came out to take a walk. I did not expect that I would be meeting you here. It seemed that you are not so busy now. Would you like to walk around together?"

    "Su Ruan, it has been a while since we sit down and chat," Yu Zhi Yi continued to coax her. "I have some matters to talk to you."

    The corner of Long Fei''s lips stretched into a sneer. It seemed that a certain man going to ignore his presence.

    His unhappiness turned the air around them colder. However, Long Fei could only suppress this unhappiness as he did not want to get himself into trouble.

    "I''m sorry." Su Ruan flashed him an apologetic smile. "I can''t. Not today. I have made a promise to someone that I''ll accompany him today."

    Long Fei was secretly making a plan for Yu Zhi Yi when he heard Su Ruan''s answer. Just like that, his unhappiness disappeared. He lowered his gaze and stared at Su Ruan, wondering if he was that someone she had mentioned.

    The smile on Yu Zhi Yi''s face stiffened.

    Yu Zhi Yi had left the hotel to calm down. When he saw Su Ruan, he had thought that the two of them could sit down, vent out and tell her about his argument with Shen Yue.

    Unexpectedly, Su Ruan would decline.

    It seemed that this was the first time that Su Ruan had rejected his invitation. In the past, Su Ruan would leave everything behind when he asked her out.

    His gaze shifted to the tall man behind Su Ruan for the first time. Yu Zhi Yi watched the man''s handsome face and thought that he seemed familiar.

    "I''m sorry, I forgot to introduce you two," Su Ruan chuckled. She noticed that her friend was looking at Long Fei inquiringly and realized that they haven''t been introduced. "Zhi Yi, this is Long Fei. He''s my¨C "

    "Boyfriend." Long Fei stretched his hand and flashed an amiable smile "Hello."

    Su Ruan turned to Long Fei with a surprised look in her eyes. She was still thinking about her relationship with this man when he had suddenly introduced himself as her boyfriend.

    Surprisingly, she was not angry that he had done as such.

    Yu Zhi Yi''s gaze flickered. He shook hand with Long Fei but his mind was blank.

    When he had seen them both together, Yu Zhi Yi would never think that this man would be Su Ruan''s boyfriend. He had watched the men that Su Ruan dated previously and had never thought that Su Ruan would date someone like Long Fei.

    Su Ruan coughed. When Yu Zhi Yi looked at her again, Su Ruan flashed him an awkward smile.

    Of course, from Yu Zhi Yi''s perspective, Su Ruan seemed a little shy.

    All of a sudden, Yu Zhi Yi could feel something heavy pressing at his chest, causing him to have breathing difficulties. Still, he could only smile.

    "It turned out that you are on a date. Su Ruan, you didn''t tell me that you are in a relationship."

    "It only happen recently. I didn''t have the time to mention this to you."

    "I guess, I shouldn''t interrupt you on your date." His heart was feeling uncomfortable. Yu Zhi Yi knew that he had to leave now. "Then, I''ll leave first.. Su Ruan, I''ll text you later."

 Chapter 111 - The Mood Had Disappeared

    After Yu Zhi Yi had left, Su Ruan could not help but feel awkward around Long Fei.

    She could tell that Yu Zhi Yi has been quite rude towards Long Fei but she did not know how to explain Yu Zhi Yi''s behavior.

    In fact, Su Ruan could not understand what was going on with her best friend. His action was very¡­ strange.

    "I''m sorry."

    Long Fei''s voice snapped her out of her trance.

    Su Ruan turned around and saw him flash an apologetic smile at her. Her brow rose as she wondered why was he apologizing to her.

    "I saw that the man was making you uncomfortable," Long Fei said. "I understand if you are angry that I have overstepped my border."

    It took her a while to understand what Long Fei was apologizing for. Previously, he had introduced himself to Yu Zhi Yi as her boyfriend.

    Her face turned warmer but Su Ruan quickly suppressed her feelings. "It''s fine. I¡­ don''t mind it."

    In fact, Su Ruan was relieved that Long Fei''s words had made Yu Zhi Yi leave.

    After seeing him with Shen Yue early that morning, Su Ruan had decided that she did not want to meet him until his wedding day.

    She did not want Shen Yue to misunderstand her relationship with Yu Zhi Yi. Since he had found the person that he loved and was going to marry, she should keep her distance from him.

    Long Fei stared at the woman in front of him with a mixed feeling. He wanted to continue their talk from earlier. However, it doesn''t seem like a good time to do so.

    The mood from earlier had already disappeared.

    That person¡­ had already ruined everything for them.

    Long Fei turned to the direction where Yu Zhi Yi had left earlier and asked, "That man¡­ is he an ex-boyfriend?"

    Hearing his question, Su Ruan turned and stared at him for a long time. After a while, she let out a laugh. "No. He''s not. He''s¡­ only a friend. It was just that¡­ I''m trying to keep my distance from him."

    Long Fei raised a brow at her words.

    "He''s getting married soon and his fiance did not seem to like that another woman was close to him," Su Ruan explained.

    "So, it is like that." Long Fei heaved a breath with relief upon knowing that Su Ruan and Yu Zhi Yi''s relationship was not as he had thought. A faint smile curled on his lips. Long Fei took a deep breath and spoke, "Should we continue and head to the square?"

    Su Ruan nodded. "Let''s go. Otherwise, we might not get a good spot to enjoy the performances."

    The two of them continued to walk towards the square. Long Fei lowered his head and put on a mask to cover half of his face. He glanced at Su Ruan and smiled. "I hope you did not mind me putting on a mask."

    "Mmm¡­ I heard that you are very popular in the town. I understand if you did not want to be recognized."

    Long Fei laughed. As they walked further toward the square, it was getting difficult for them to move around without bumping into another person.

    A few children were running around in the street. Noticing that one of them was about to bump into Su Ruan, Long Fei wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

    Her eyes widened in surprise and her heartbeat accelerated at his sudden action. Su Ruan bit her lower lips as his fresh and familiar scent entered her nose.

    However, a few seconds later, Long Fei had already released his grip around her shoulder.

    Su Ruan took a deep breath to calm down. However, the next moment, Long Fei had already clasped her hand in his. Su Ruan was starting to feel a little dizzy with everything that happened to her.

    Her heart was jumping around and she had no time to calm down.

    "There are many people around. Let''s walk like this. Otherwise, we might get separated."

    Su Ruan raised her head to look around. There were indeed a lot of people around. If they are not careful, they might get separated.

    She nodded and let Su Ruan hold her hand tightly.

    After walking for a certain distance, Su Ruan had finally gathered her thoughts and calmed down. They finally reached in front of the big stage where the townspeople gathered and waited for the Old Master Long to appear.

    Long Fei led her to a spot where they could get a clear view of the stage.

    The people around them were whispering and discussing the next events.

    Su Ruan turned to Long Fei and tried to initiate a conversation. "I heard from my cousin that Old Master Long will come over to give his speech."

    "My grandfather?"

    Su Ruan touched the tip of her nose and coughed.

    How could she forget that the person is Long Fei''s grandfather?

    "Are you curious about him?" Long Fei raised a brow.

    "Of course." Su Ruan laughed. "I heard from my cousin that he is someone who was loved by everyone in this town. Everyone in this town was looking forward to hearing his speech."

    Soon, the townspeople began to cheer and a group of four men was seen escorting an older man on stage.

    Seeing how everyone was treating the old man with respect, Su Ruan quickly made her guess that this man was no other than Long Fei''s grandfather.

    Although she was too far and could not get a clear look, Su Ruan could tell that Long Fei''s grandfather was someone who was very healthy. His hair was white but his body stood straight on the stage.

    Su Ruan glanced at the man beside her and noticed that the air around him seemed to change when he saw his grandfather on the stage.

    On the stage, Long Yuan watched the townspeople cheering and raised both hands, signaling them to keep their voice down.

    In just a few seconds, the lively square turned silent.. Long Yuan stood at the podium and began to give his speech.

 Chapter 112 - Jealous

    Yu Zhi Yi returned to the lodging as soon as he parted with Su Ruan.

    As he walked back, Yu Zhi Yi was unable to stop thinking about his meeting with Su Ruan. His heart was uncomfortable each time he thought about the man beside her.

    Su Ruan had a boyfriend?

    Why didn''t he know about it?

    The girl who would always tell him everything had suddenly kept a secret from him. It was not a pleasant feeling.

    When did things start to change between them?

    "You''re back."

    The familiar voice snapped him out of his trance. Yu Zhi Yi turned and saw that his fiance, Shen Yue was looking at him with her arms crossed on her chest. Still, she could not mask the trace of surprise in her eyes as she looked at him.

    Yu Zhi Yi had left the hotel not too long ago after their argument.

    However, Shen Yue did not expect that the man would return quickly.

    Shen Yue has been observing her fiance ever since he walked into the room. Seeing that his expression does not seem right, she could not help but wonder what had happened.

    When Yu Zhi Yi had left, Shen Yue had thought that the man would be looking for Su Ruan.

    However, looking at him now, Shen Yue began to doubt her instinct. If Yu Zhi Yi had gone to look for Su Ruan, he would not return this quickly.

    "Hmm¡­" Yu Zhi Yi lowered his gaze. "There were too many people outside. It was hard to walk around without bumping to anyone."

    Shen Yue hesitated. She walked to her fiance and spoke, "Zhi Yi, I''m sorry. I¡­ shouldn''t have said those words to you. I, shouldn''t doubt your feelings towards me."

    Yu Zhi Yi looked up when he heard her words. The uncomfortable feeling in his heart deepened.

    When he had argued with Shen Yue earlier, he had stressed that his relationship with Su Ruan was nothing more than a friend. He had told her that he did not have such feelings for Su Ruan.

    But why would his heart feel heavy after watching Su Ruan and that man?

    Yu Zhi Yi did not have much time to ponder on this strange feeling. When Shen Yue wrapped her slender arms around his body.

    "Zhi Yi, I shouldn''t doubt your love." Shen Yue inhaled a deep breath. "I know that you love me the most. It was just that¡­ when I see you getting closer to another woman, my heart starts to ache. I got jealous."

    His eyes flickered at her confession. "Shen Yue¡­"

    "I won''t feel that way anymore." She looked up to meet his gaze. "Zhi Yi, let''s not argue anymore alright?" As she tiptoed to kiss his lips, Yu Zhi Yi''s earlier thoughts began to scatter.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, thunderous applause echoed around the square as Long Yuan finished giving out his speech.

    Long Fei stood at the spot and watched his grandfather from afar. Looking at the way the townspeople were cheering on him, Long Fei could see just how much they adore his grandfather.

    "Your grandfather''s speech was pretty good," Su Ruan commented and watched Long Fei turn to look at her. "I can see that you have inherited his charisma."

    "Are you complimenting me?" His lips curled into a teasing smile.

    Su Ruan chuckled. She was complimenting his grandfather''s speech. When did she compliment this man?

    On the stage, a group of beautiful girls went up and started to dance after Long Yuan had left.

    The festivity atmosphere continued. Some stayed to enjoy the performance and some left to walk around the square.

    Su Ruan did not answer his question. "Would you like to stay around and watch the performance or walk around this place?"

    Long Fei looked in the direction where his grandfather had left earlier. "Let''s walk around the place. It''s the first time that we have both come to this carnival. It would be a waste if we did not walk around."

    Su Ruan quickly agreed. She stepped forward, wanting to leave the spot but stopped again when Long Fei had called her name.

    She gave him an inquiring gaze and noticed his stretched hand towards her.

    Su Ruan recalled that many people were attending the carnival and how she had bumped into a lot of people as they walked among the crowd. After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan put her hand in Long Fei''s and let him lead her.

    The corner of his lips tilted up into a smile as he let their hands intertwine.

    Perhaps, someone had come to ruin the moment between them earlier. However, this was also good. Long Fei believed that as long as he continued to be patient, Su Ruan would accept him sooner or later.

    The two of them walked around without saying a word. After a while, they finally reached a less crowded road. Still, Long Fei made no move to let her hand slip away from him.

    "Are you hungry?" Long Fei asked. "Should we go and get something to eat?"

    "Alright."

    Su Ruan recalled that her cousin had mentioned a few famous foods around the carnival. However, with Long Fei''s identity, it would not be safe if he appeared at a place where there would be a lot of people. It would be uncomfortable for them to have their meals.

    "Let''s just go to the place where there are lesser people. This way, we don''t have to wait for a long time," Su Ruan said. "Then, we could find a quiet place to watch the firework. My cousin said the firework display is the highlight of the night. We shouldn''t miss it."

    Long Fei nodded. "I will follow your arrangement."

    Su Ruan felt the heat creep up her face.

    Why does it feel as if there was something wrong with his words?

    As they walked past a few stalls, Su Ruan noticed one that was selling a lot of small figurines and sculptures. Noticing a familiar figurine on the table, Su Ruan quickly pulled Long Fei''s hands towards the stall.

    Her eyes twinkled as she watched the dragon sculptures. Many of them resembled her little dragon.

    "Miss are you interested in the sculpture?" The old man asked. He watched as Su Ruan looked up and noticed that she was not a local. "Actually, this town is very famous for its legend of lake dragon. However, as time passed by, the people have started to forget it."

    Su Ruan glanced at the person beside him and laughed. She could not help but recall the time she ran into him at the caf¨¦. It seemed that Long Fei had said the same words.

    Long Fei seemed to understand what was on her mind and began to laugh as well.. "If you like them, choose a few and bring them home as souvenirs."

 Chapter 113 - Caught

    Su Ruan was already planning to buy a few of the sculptures. Hearing his words, Su Ruan let go of his hand leaned over to look at the few sculptures on the table. Each one of them was too adorable that she did not know which one she should choose.

    At the side, Long Fei''s eyes grew warmer as he watched Su Ruan look at the dragon with a twinkle in her eyes. Seeing how she had touched the dragon with the tip of her fingers reminded him of the night he had spent with her.

    He always visited her room at night in his small form. Then, Su Ruan would touch him the same way she had touched the dragon''s sculpture.

    His eyes turned darker and he could feel his body turn warmer.

    A strange feeling rose and traveled all over his body. It was something that he had never experienced before and it was making him restless.

    However, he did not like these strange feelings.

    The feeling only made him want to get close to her.

    "What do you think of this one?"

    Her question snapped him out of his thought. Long Fei looked at the few sculptures that she had chosen and smiled. "Not bad."

    "I think so too." Su Ruan stood up straight and looked at the stall owner. "Boss, how much are these sculptures?"

    After paying for the items, the two of them left the stall and continued to look for a place to eat. Su Ruan looked at the small sculpture in her hand with a faint smile on her face.

    The more she looked at it, the more she missed her little dragon.

    She could not help but wonder what he was up to these days.

    "It seemed that you really liked the dragon''s sculpture," Long Fei commented. He glanced at Su Ruan''s hand and wondered how he could find the chance to hold her hand in his again.

    "Mmm¡­ perhaps, after listening to your story, I began to take interest in the story,"

    Long Fei laughed when heard her words. "Then, I''m glad."

    After walking around for a while the two of them finally arrived at the street where there were food stalls lining up.

    Because they did not want to let anyone recognize Long Fei, the two of them chose to buy a few snacks that they could eat while walking around.

    Following Long Fei''s lead, the two of them reached a higher part where they could get a clearer look at the firework show.

    Fortunately, there were not a lot of people around the place. The two of them sat down on the ground and began to eat the snacks they bought earlier.

    His gaze fell on her hand which was an inch away from his. If he move a little bit, their hands would be touching.

    Long Fei looked away and chuckled. He wondered when did he become this hopeless. To think that he would seem this desperate just to touch her hand¡­

    The longer he spent time with her, the more he would feel this way.

    He did not know whether getting close to her was a good thing or not.

    "Will this food be enough?" Long Fei asked. He needed to find another topic to divert his attention. "You didn''t get to have a proper meal because of me."

    "It''s fine. I had a heavy lunch earlier. It''s good to have something lighter. Besides¡­" Su Ruan flashed a smile. "Next time, you''re going to treat me to something delicious again, right?"

    "I''ll make up for it."

    Now that he has a reason to ask Su Ruan out again, Long Fei would not waste this chance.

    The firework show started almost midnight. The two of them watched the show that lasted for almost fifteen minutes and decided to leave the place before the crowd would build up.

    Long Fei send her back to her grandpa''s orchard afterward.

    Seeing that it was already late, Long Fei did not try to delay Su Ruan from returning home. After exchanging a few words, he then left.

    Su Ruan heaved a sigh of relief as walked into the house.

    Her face turned redder as she recalled how Long Fei had teased her about changing their relationship status. Calling him her boyfriend would be too much for her. Su Ruan did not think that she was ready for that change. After all, they did not know each other for a long time.

    Fortunately, he did not mention this matter after Yu Zhi Yi had appeared.

    Since she had made her decision to move forward and forget Yu Zhi Yi, Su Ruan wanted to keep things low and steady. She did not want to have any regret.

    The moment she entered the house, Su Ruan noticed that someone was sitting in the living room. Her movement halted when she realized that it was her grandpa.

    "You''re back." Ma Hao Dong looked at his granddaughter with a serious look on his face.

    Su Ruan had a premonition.

    Usually, her grandpa would already be in bed by this time.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Ruan walked over to her Grandpa''s side and spoke, "Grandpa, it''s getting late. Why are you not sleeping?"

    A deep frown appeared on his face. "You still know that it''s getting late."

    Su Ruan flashed him an awkward smile. "Grandpa, I was walking around the town center. It was the first time that I visited the carnival. I lost track of time."

    "Did you have fun?"

    "It was not that bad."

    Ma Hao Dong chuckled. His eyes grew stern as he looked at her. "I was at your eldest uncle''s place earlier to discuss a few matters about the orchard. And guess what? I ran into your cousin, Yu Xi. Apparently, the two of you were not together at the carnival. Your cousin returned earlier without you."

    Her scalp went numb. Su Ruan quickly figured out that her Grandpa had uncovered her plan with Ma Yu Xi.

    She had thought that she could hide that she had gone out with Long Fei. However, it seemed that her grandpa had found out the truth and she was caught.

    "Su Ruan, tell me¡­ who was that person that send you back just now?"

 Chapter 114 - Ma Hao Dong Was Suspicious

    Ma Hao Dong noticed the change in her granddaughter''s expression and realized that he might have sounded a little strict.

    He let out a cough and spoke, "Grandpa is not angry. I am just worried about you. It hasn''t been a long time since you came to this town. Other than your cousins, you did not know a lot of people in this town. Grandpa was worried that you might be tricked by some rascals." This time, his tone was gentler.

    Her heart warmed, knowing that her grandpa was only concerned about her.

    "What did my cousin tell you?" Su Ruan asked.

    Ma Hao Dong frowned when he recalled his conversation with Ma Yu Xi. "Nothing. Your cousin was really good to keep a secret from me."

    Su Ruan smiled. It was good to know that Ma Yu Xi was someone who can help her to keep a secret.

    "Grandpa, don''t be angry. I promise you that I am not getting tricked by some rascals."

    "You are not going to tell me about that person?"

    Su Ruan hesitated. "It''s not that I am not going to tell you. After all, that person is someone you know."

    Ma Hao Dong looked at his granddaughter inquiringly.

    "It''s your neighbor. Long Fei." Su Ruan held her breath as she waited for her grandpa''s reaction.

    It took Ma Hao Dong to process her granddaughter''s words. "When did the two of you get so close?"

    Ma Hao Dong was aware that their family came from a different background. The thought that his granddaughter was close to this young master made him worry.

    After all, Young Master Long Fei was someone he was not familiar with. The man often stay in the old mansion each time he was staying in D Town.

    There were not a lot of things that he know about Long Fei. There were a lot of people who look after him, but because he did not try to mix in with the townspeople like his grandfather or father, Ma Hao Dong had thought that Long Fei was a stuck-up child from a rich family.

    That was it until that man had saved his granddaughter from drowning.

    A thought came to his mind.

    Ma Hao Dong finally recalled that Long Fei had often visited his orchard and was seen with his granddaughter after that incident.

    "Well, we ran into each other previously. Then, he found out that I used to work with that magazine and helped me to get a writing job."

    These past few weeks, Ma Hao Dong has been busy with the matter of his orchard that he did not have time to look at what Su Ruan was doing.

    Of course, he was unaware that Su Ruan had gone out with Long Fei a few times under the pretense of discussing work matters.

    Still, Ma Hao Dong did not believe that the two of them would go out, enjoying their time together to attend the carnival to discuss work. Moreover, he had never heard that Long Fei had ever attended the carnival before.

    Ma Hao Dong was suspicious.

    That young master surely had some intention towards his granddaughter.

    However, seeing that Su Ruan did not want to mention her relationship with that young master, Ma Hao Dong decided not to ask.

    "Grandpa, I know what I am doing." Su Ruan held her grandpa''s arms and flashed a cute smile. "Don''t worry about me, alright?"

    It seemed that he had forgotten that his granddaughter was now a grownup. Perhaps, because Su Ruan often stayed with her father, Ma Hao Dong often thought of Su Ruan as a little child.

    He had not many chances to watch her grow up and now, she has already grown up this big.

    Ma Hao Dong looked at her and finally heaved a sigh. "Forget it. As long as you know what you are doing then it''s alright. Grandpa only wanted you to be more careful."

    "Un. I know." Su Ruan hugged her grandpa''s arms and smiled. "I know that you cared about me very much."

    Ma Hao Dong looked at her granddaughter helplessly when she started to act coquettishly with him. "It''s late. Go back to your room and get some rest."

    After saying a few more words with her grandpa, Su Ruan went back to her room. She took her phone and saw the message from Long Fei, telling her that he had reached home.

    Su Ruan quickly replied to his message, telling him to rest early.

    Her movement halted as she placed her phone on the side table. Her heart skipped a beat, thinking that their interactions that night were very similar to a couple.

    As the feeling came, Su Ruan quickly suppressed it. She needed to take things slow. She did not want to get hurt again.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, after sending a message to Su Ruan, Long Fei picked up his pace and headed to his study. Once he was sure that he was alone, he dialed a number and waited.

    "Hello? Ah Fei?" Long Yu Heng''s groggy voice came from the other line.

    Long Fei glanced at the clock and realized that it was past midnight. "You were sleeping? Sorry to disturb you."

    "It''s fine." Long Yu Heng coughed. "You wouldn''t call me unless it was something important. What happened?"

    According to his knowledge, Long Fei had gone to the carnival with Su Ruan. It couldn''t be that this man was calling him to brag about his date, right?

    "That old man''s granddaughter is here in D Town," Long Fei said.

    "That old man? Who is it? Professor Chen?"

    "Mhmm..."

    Hearing his words, Long Yu Heng sat up on his bed quickly. His sleepiness quickly disappeared. "What? What is she doing there?"

    "I don''t know." Long Fei''s expression turned darker.

    He only met Yu Zhi Yi briefly and heard that the girl, Shen Yue came to the town with him. Because he was accompanying Su Ruan around, he did not have the chance to investigate. Moreover, he still needed to be cautious, especially after that old man had almost caught him not too long ago.

    "Yu Heng, help me to check if they are making any suspicious movement."

    "Un. I know.. Ah Fei, you need to be careful."

 Chapter 115 - Su Ruan Is In A Relationship

    The next morning, Su Ruan went into the dining room for breakfast and was relieved when her grandfather had not said a word about last night.

    As soon as she finished eating, her cousin, Ma Yu Xi dragged her to a quiet corner. "Sister Ruan, how was it? What did Grandpa ask? Did he make trouble for you?"

    Su Ruan laughed, noticing the panic in Ma Yu Xi''s eyes.

    However, Ma Yu Xi was too anxious. "Sister Ruan!"

    "It''s alright. Grandpa did not make trouble for me." Her lips curled into an amused smile. "I''m already an adult. What do you think Grandpa was going to do to me?"

    Ma Yu Xi heard her words and thought that her words made sense.

    "But Yu Xi, I really would like to thank you. I heard from Grandpa that you haven''t mentioned anything to him."

    Ma Yu Xi sighed. "I can only tell him that you were going out with some friends and assure him that you would be safe. Sister Ruan, this is your private matter. How can I tell Grandpa anything without your green light."

    Su Ruan was really satisfied with this cousin. Previously, although they often make contact, they were not that close. But after she came to live with her grandparents, her relationship with this cousin had improved a lot.

    "Then, how did you explain to Grandpa?"

    Su Ruan coughed. "I only tell him that I went out with Long Fei. Grandpa did not ask much after he heard his name. I think this is good enough."

    "You didn''t tell him about your relationship?"

    "What relationship? We are only in the phase to get to know each other, right?"

    Ma Yu Xi rolled her eyes at the answer. She was almost convinced that this cousin was in denial. The two of them continued to chat for a while. Then, Su Ruan went back to her room to finish her article while Ma Yu Xi went to help their grandpa with the inventories.

    After yesterday''s farmer market, they would be busy rechecking their stock.

    When Su Ruan returned to her bedroom, her phone on the side table began to chime. She glanced at the caller ringtone and her expression changed the moment she saw Yu Zhi Yi''s name.

    The memories of their conversation yesterday evening came to her mind. Su Ruan was uncomfortable remembering how Yu Zhi Yi had acted.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan quickly picked up the phone call.

    "Su Ruan?" Yu Zhi Yi''s voice was almost like a whisper. "Are you there?"

    "Mhmm¡­" Su Ruan adjusted her mood and spoke, "Sorry, I just came in and saw your call. What''s up? Are you still in D Town?"

    Yu Zhi Yi chuckled. "Actually, I was planning to visit your grandparents'' orchard and look around. I saw your post on your social media and thought that the place was very beautiful."

    Su Ruan clenched on her the phone tightly. She was actually not ready to meet him again.

    "However," Yu Zhi Yi continued. "It seemed that I would not be able to visit this time. Shen Yue and I will have to return to Capital City. Shen Yue is still busy with her work. We can''t stay for too long."

    A breath of relief escaped her. Su Ruan was glad that Yu Zhi Yi will be leaving the town. Initially, the reason why she decided to come to this town was to escape him as well as to pull herself back up. However, with Yu Zhi Yi around, Su Ruan did not have the confidence that she could go on and forget him.

    It was better if she distances herself from him.

    "It''s fine. Maybe there is next time. Anyway, my Grandpa''s orchard is not going anywhere."

    Yu Zhi Yi chuckled at her answer. "Alright. Next time, I''ll definitely inform you when I came again."

    "Mmm¡­ By then, I''ll know this town better. Perhaps, I can be a better tour guide for you."

    "Su Ruan," Yu Zhi Yi spoke again. His voice softened. "Congratulations. You have to ask your boyfriend to attend my wedding as well. I will send him an invitation."

    "I will ask him. But I can''t promise that he will be able to attend. He''s¡­ a busy man."

    Yu Zhi Yi hesitated. He wanted to ask Su Ruan about her boyfriend and why did he seem very familiar. But then, he stopped himself. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Shen Yue walking out of the bathroom and smiling sweetly at him.

    Thinking of their argument last night, Yu Zhi Yi felt guilty that he was talking to Su Ruan. If Shen Yue knew that he was talking to his best friend, then, his fiance would be jealous again.

    "Hey, Su Ruan I have to go." He watched as Shen Yue approached him slowly and finally hung up without waiting for her reply.

    Shen Yu stopped in front of her fiance and tilted her head. The sweet smile on her face stayed. The memories of how he had coaxed her last night resurfaced in her mind. Her body tingled and Shen Yue wrapped her arms around his body. "Who are you talking to?"

    Yu Zhi Yi was going to tell her a lie, but he quickly stopped himself, knowing that Shen Yue could still check his caller history. After their argument last night, lying would only worsen their relationship.

    "Su Ruan."

    The moment she heard the name, Shen Yue''s expression shifted. However, it was only temporary. Shen Yue quickly recovered before Yu Zhi Yi could notice anything.

    Seeing that his fiance had not lashed out like she did yesterday, Yu Zhi Yi finally heaved a breath of relief.

    "I told her that we will be going back to Capital City," Yu Zhi Yi said. "We have to tell her that we are leaving. Otherwise, she would be worried."

    Shen Yue raised her hand and touched the man''s thin lips with her finger. "You don''t have to explain to me. Zhi Yi, I trust you." She suppressed the unhappiness in her heart and continued to smile.

    "I know." Yu Zhi Yi leaned over to peck on her lips. "Yue Yue, you don''t have to worry about my relationship with Su Ruan. Su Ruan, she¡­ is now in a relationship."

    Her eyes flashed. Shen Yue stared back at her fiance in shock. "Really?" Her woman''s instinct told her that Su Ruan had feelings for her fiance. Shen Yue did not believe that it would be easy for Su Ruan to change her mind and like someone else.

    "Mhm¡­" Yu Zhi Yi pursed his lips. He did not want to tell Shen Yue how he had run into Su Ruan and her boyfriend last night. His instinct told him that Shen Yue would not be too happy knowing that the reason he returned earlier to their room was because of Su Ruan.

    "I already invited her and his boyfriend to attend our wedding. Then, you don''t have to worry about our relationship Su Ruan and I are only¡­ friends.." There was a stabbing pain in his heart as he spoke those words.

 Chapter 116 - Planning To Return

    After the night that they walked around the carnival, Long Fei and Su Ruan had not met each other for more than a week.

    Long Fei informed her that he will be out of town for work and Su Ruan did not think much about it. With his big company and high position, Su Ruan had long expected that someone like Long Fei would be busy with his work.

    These days, Su Ruan spent her time working on her writing as well as helping around the orchard. Whenever she was not that busy, her cousin, Ma Yu Xi would drag her around the town and showed her a few scenic spots.

    However, Su Ruan had always thought that the scenic spot that Long Fei had shown to her was the best. As she thought about that man, Su Ruan realized that it has been days since the last time she had seen him.

    "Sister Ruan, what are you thinking about?" Ma Yu Xi was packing up some food that their grandmother had prepared when she noticed that her cousin has been staring into space.

    Hearing her cousin''s voice, Su Ruan quickly snapped out of her trance. "Nothing. I was just wondering if the weather is going to change soon?"

    "Ah?" Ma Yu Xi looked up and finally heaved in relief when she saw the bright sky. "Sister Ruan, don''t scare me. We already made a plan to go swimming in the evening. What would we do if it''s going to rain?"

    Su Ruan smiled as she listened to her cousin''s complaining.

    Ma Yu Xi had always wanted to bring her out to swim in the lake water. However, after the discovery of that giant snake, they have decided not to enter the water.

    Now that people began to forget that story, Ma Yu Xi thought that it would be a good idea to go swimming again. It has been a long time since the last time she went swimming. She was beginning to miss the lake water.

    Just then, Su Ruan''s phone at the side rang. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the name on the call ID. Then, she quickly picked up the phone call.

    "Hello, Su Ruan?" The woman''s gentle voice could be heard on the other line.

    "Editor Ji, hello." Su Ruan greeted and the two of them exchanged brief pleasantries.

    "Su Ruan, are you still on your vacation?" Editor Ji Fan Yin asked.

    Previously, Su Ruan had told the editor that she was taking a long break to spend her time with her grandparents. She had told her that she needed to calm down after the incident with Director Gao happened.

    Su Ruan''s relationship with Editor Ji Fan Yin had always been good while she was working for Upcoming Magazine. After the editor had helped her to get a freelance job, Su Ruan''s relationship with the editor had only turned better.

    The two of them would often text each other to catch up.

    "Mmm¡­ You can say that."

    "Are you planning to come to Capital City soon?" The Editor asked. "I have a few friends who are looking for a freelance writer as well. I saw that the job was not that difficult and wanted to recommend you. However, the company would require you to visit their headquarter to discuss this matter and sign the contract."

    Hearing that there was a potential new writing job, Su Ruan was definitely interested. "Editor Ji, what type of work is it?"

    The Editor briefed her about the new writing job. The more Su Ruan heard about it, the more she was interested in it. The company had several magazines and each one of them had a lot of readers.

    "I do have a plan to visit Capital City, but it was a month later," Su Ruan spoke.

    "That''s fine too. The company was not in a hurry," Editor Ji said. "The writer for that column will have two more months with the company before she quit to focus on her children. I think there should be no problem if you want to come in a month and discuss this matter. I''ll inform this matter to my friend and update you later."

    Su Ruan heaved in relief. "Thank you, Editor Ji."

    The two of them discussed this new writing job for a while.

    "That''s right. You said you are coming to Capital City. Su Ruan, are you planning to find a new job soon?"

    "No." Su Ruan chuckled. "Just that, a friend is getting married and I promised to stay longer and help with the preparation."

    "So, it was like that."

    Her lips pressed into a thin line as she recalled that Yu Zhi Yi would be getting married soon.

    These days, Su Ruan thought that she was beginning to let go of that feeling for him. However, she was still worried that her feelings would sway the moment she saw him with Shen Yue.

    It would not be that easy to attend the wedding of that person she had secretly loved for years. She was not confident that she was going to make it through.

    However, she could not miss his wedding. Yu Zhi Yi has been her best friend for years. Moreover, she had promised him that she would come as his best woman.

    Su Ruan continued to chat with the editor for a while before she finally hung up her phone.

    Once the call ended, Su Ruan clicked on her planner and tapped in the date where she was supposed to be meeting the new company and discussing the new writing job.

    Then, she stared at the calendar for a long time. Her focus was on the date when Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue would join hands to be married. A wry smile appeared on her lips as she thought of her job as Yu Zhi Yi''s best woman.

    It seemed that there was not a long time before she will have to return to Capital City and face everything.

    There was not a lot of time left but she still hasn''t made any preparation to return.. Su Ruan stared at her phone, wondering if she should crash at Lin Qing''s place while she was in Capital City to attend the wedding.

 Chapter 117 - Wanted To See You

    When Su Ruan came down in the evening, her cousins, Ma Wei and Ma Yu Xi were already waiting for her in the living room.

    Su Ruan gave Ma Wei a look over before she turned to Ma Yu Xi. "Is your brother coming along?"

    "Uh-huh. He heard that we are going swimming and wanted to tag along," Ma Yu Xi whispered. "Last time, my dad mentioned that you almost drowned in the lake water and now, my brother is worried that you wouldn''t be able to swim."

    Su Ruan laughed. She was someone who know how to swim. But perhaps she was too stunned and afraid when she fell into the lake water. The result was that her brain froze and she was unable to think what she should do next.

    Her lips pursed into a thin line as she recalled what she had seen in the water when she fell into the lake.

    Since they were going to swim in the lake, Su Ruan could not help but anticipate that she was going to meet her little friend.

    It seemed that after that night she went out with Long Fei and had forgotten to leave her window open, the little dragon had stopped showing up.

    After gathering everything they might need, Su Ruan tossed her small bag into the pickup truck.

    Just in time, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and was surprised to see the name. Long Fei.

    Seeing that her cousins were not paying attention to her, Su Ruan walked to a quiet corner to pick up the phone call.

    "Su Ruan," the man''s deep voice entered her ears the moment the phone call was connected.

    "Mmm¡­ Hello."

    Long Fei chuckled when he heard her voice. Somehow, he could already imagine that the girl was hiding in a quiet place to answer his phone call. According to his knowledge, Su Ruan had not mentioned anything about their relationship to anyone other than her cousin, Ma Yu Xi.

    "I haven''t heard from you for a while," Su Ruan said.

    "Sorry. Something happened and I have to make a trip overseas to look after some project," Long Fei said. He lowered his gaze and rubbed his fingers together. "It was too pressing and I did not have the chance to inform you."

    After the last time they went out together, Long Fei has been busying himself with some family matters.

    Shen Yue had suddenly visited D Town and his elders were worried that the group of people were up to something again. After discussing with his grandfather, Long Fei decided to make a trip overseas to throw tricks to that group.

    They have taken the bait and Long Fei hoped that they would not show up in D Town for a long time.

    "It''s alright. I know that you are busy with your work."

    Long Fei frowned as he made up his mind to make up to her. "What are you up to? Do you want to go out and have dinner together?"

    Su Ruan glanced at her cousins and lowered her head again. "I''ll have to pass. I''m going out with my cousins. We''re going swimming."

    "You''re going to the lake?"

    "Mhm¡­" Su Ruan nodded, even though she knew well that Long Fei would not be able to see her.

    Long Fei thought of the time he had watched her fall into the lake. "Can you swim?"

    "Of course. The last time you found me in the water, it was only because I fell into the water by accident and had swallowed a lot of water." Su Ruan pursed her lips, wondering if Long Fei was going to believe her words.

    "Anyway¡­" Su Ruan coughed. "My elder cousin will come along as well. They were familiar with the lake and are good swimmers. There shouldn''t be any trouble."

    Long Fei was not convinced. In his opinion, there was no one better at swimming other than him. "Where is your cousin taking you?"

    "I''m not sure." Even though her cousins told her about the spots, Su Ruan would not know anything about the place they were going to. After all, she was still unfamiliar with the town.

    "Then, send me the location when you arrived."

    Su Ruan was unable to hide her surprise when she heard his words. "Are you planning to come over?"

    "Can''t I?"

    Su Ruan found that she did not know how to answer this question. "It''s not that you can''t."

    It was fine if she was with Ma Yu Xi. However, this time, Ma Wei will be joining them as well. How was she supposed to explain Long Fei''s appearance?

    "Su Ruan¡­" His voice was a little hoarse. "I just wanted to see you."

    Her heart skipped a beat. Once she had processed his words, her heartbeat accelerated. It felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Her head was a little dizzy and she found that she did not have the heart to say no.

    Seeing that both Ma Yu Xi and Ma Wei were heading her way, Su Ruan quickly made a promise to Long Fei that she will tell him where they are heading to.

    Once everything was ready, Su Ruan climbed up the truck and lowered her gaze. She did not dare to look at her cousins for fear that they might notice anything.

    The vehicle arrived at its destination after five minutes of driving. As they arrived, Ma Yu Xi pulled her over to look at the lake water.

    The corner of her lips twitched upon noticing that the water around the area was not that deep. It was expected that the water will only reach her waist.

    "Sister Ruan, let''s go into the water." Ma Yu Xi was dressed in her shorts and t-shirt and was ready to jump into the water.

    Su Ruan let out a cough. "You go in first. I''m going to reply to a message from work first." Seeing that her cousin had walked over to the lake, Su Ruan took out her phone and send out her location to Long Fei.

    The man sent back his reply after a few seconds. "I''ll come over quickly."

    Su Ruan inhaled deeply when she saw his message.. Somehow, she was expecting to see him around.

 Chapter 118 - Fell Into The Water

    After changing her clothes, Su Ruan dipped her foot into the water and halted. She had not expected that the water would be cold.

    "Sister Ruan, come over quick." Ma Yu Xi waved her hands before she lay on the water, floating.

    Su Ruan did not make any move. At this time, she was still adjusting herself to the water temperature.

    "Don''t tell me that you are scared of the water?" Ma Wei asked as he appeared from behind her. He walked around the truck and finally pulled out a big donut floater. It was big and a little childish. Looking at it made her speechless.

    "Here." Ma Wei handed the floater to her. "This is for you."

    Su Ruan had thought that it was strange when Ma Wei was sneakily hiding behind the truck. She had thought that her cousin was changing his clothes. It turned out that he was pumping some air into the floaters.

    "I bought this from the town center after knowing that you cannot swim," Ma Wei continued.

    The corner of her lips twitched. Su Ruan did not know whether she should feel insulted after seeing this big floater.

    "Cousin Brother, you don''t have to worry about me. I know how to swim. The last time, it was an accident."

    "Just take this. For safety."

    In the end, Su Ruan grabbed the floater and entered the water. Although she could swim, playing with the floater was fun as well.

    After splashing waters with the cousin, Su Ruan began to forget that a certain someone had told her that he was going to come and see her.

    A familiar vehicle stopped not far away from Ma Yu Xi''s pickup truck and Long Fei and his cousin, Long Yu Heng alighted.

    Ma Yu Xi was the first to notice their presence. She wiped the water off her face and tugged at Su Ruan, who was sitting on top of the floater.

    But perhaps, her movement was too sudden and she had used too much strength. Because of that, the floater turned and Su Ruan fell into the lake.

    Su Ruan did not expect that she would fall into the water. Although the water was not that deep, Su Ruan inhaled some water into her mouth and grew panicked.

    Just as she had thought that she was going to drown again, someone had lifted her body out of the water. She coughed and struggled, but then, her body was pulled close into the person''s embrace.

    "Sister Ruan!" Ma Yu Xi looked at her cousin with her face paled. She did not think that her move would make her cousin fall into the water and almost drowned again.

    Just now, Ma Yu Xi was the closest to Su Ruan. However, before she could help her out, someone had moved quicker than she did.

    "Su Ruan!" Ma Wei was at a distance away from the girls. When he heard the loud splash, he quickly turned around and was shocked to find that Su Ruan was not on the floater.

    Ma Wei ran over to Su Ruan''s side to check on her. As he approached, he finally noticed the tall man beside his cousin. His eyes widened in surprise when he finally recognized that man. "Young Master Long?"

    "Hey, calm down and breathe."

    Su Ruan sucked in a deep breath and coughed again. Her throat was painful after swallowing some water. She listened to the man''s instruction to breathe slowly. As Long Fei patted her on her back, Su Ruan was finally able to breathe properly.

    "Su Ruan, are you alright?"

    Hearing the familiar voice, Su Ruan gradually calmed down. She looked up and was stunned to see the man in front of her.

    Her mind was a little dizzy, probably because of the lack of oxygen.

    It took her a while to convince herself that she was not dreaming. Realizing that she had almost drowned in the water again made her embarrassed.

    Just now, she had told him that she know how to swim. However, she fell into not-so-deep water and he had pulled her out.

    Who would have thought that she had shown an embarrassing side of her in front of Long Fei? Suddenly, Su Ruan had this urge to hide.

    "Let''s go out first," Long Fei said. His expression turned serious. It could be seen that he was worried about her.

    Su Ruan nodded. Before she could take a step, Long Fei had already carried her out of the water and she was too stunned to do anything.

    Long Yu Heng approached them and handed over a towel. He watched as Long Fei wrapped the towel around Su Ruan''s body and wondered just when did the two''s relationship had made a progress?

    He had a feeling that something had happened between them when he was away in Capital City. But what was it? Long Yu Heng was curious but could only suppress his curiosity in front of the others.

    Su Ruan hugged the towel around her body tightly. When she looked up again, both Ma Yu Xi and Ma Wei stood in front of her with worried looks on their faces.

    "Sister Ruan, I''m sorry. It was my fault," Ma Yu Xi apologized.

    If it was not for her sudden movement, Su Ruan would not fall into the water and almost drowned again.

    As she recalled what was about to happen, Ma Yu Xi was filled with guilt.

    "It''s alright. It wasn''t your fault. I should be careful as well," Su Ruan said.

    Ma Yu Xi bit her lower lips. Although Su Ruan did not blame her, Ma Yu Xi still felt guilty. However, other than apologizing, there was nothing else that she could do.

    "Young Master Long," Ma Wei spoke. It was the first time that he had spoken to the man face to face. Therefore, he was very polite. "I have to thank you for saving my cousin. I heard that the last time, it was you who had rescued my cousin when she fell into the water."

    "You don''t have to thank me. Coincidentally, I was around. I could not just watch when I see someone fell into the water."

    Ma Wei turned to his cousin and frowned. He grew frightened when he recalled how Su Ruan had fallen into the water again. "You are really careless.. Even with a floater, you can still fall into the water."

 Chapter 119 - What A Coincidence

    After Su Ruan had fallen into the water, no one was in the mood to play around anymore. Su Ruan had ensured them that she was alright, but her cousins were too worried.

    At the side, Long Fei was watching Su Ruan helplessly.

    He always wanted to bring Su Ruan close to the lake water so that one day he could introduce his world to her. However, seeing how she had fallen into the lake water twice made him worry.

    In this life, he couldn''t be anyone else other than Su Ruan. However, it seemed that his journey to bring her to his side would be very difficult.

    Taking the thermos from his cousin, Long Fei poured a cup of hot coffee and handed it over to Su Ruan. "Here. Have a drink. It will help you to warm up."

    Su Ruan thanked him before she took a sip. Her body warmed up but she was still too embarrassed to look up. Thinking of how she had fallen in front of Long Fei and everyone else was too embarrassing. She continued to stare at the spot where she had fallen and wonder how foolish she looked from falling into shallow water.

    "You said you can swim."

    The corner of her lips twitched. Su Ruan finally looked up and saw the teasing smile on Long Fei''s face.

    Her grip on the cup of hot coffee tightened. Su Ruan was too lazy to speak to this man.

    Long Fei chuckled, seeing that a certain someone was angry. However, he quite likes the look on her face like this.

    "Actually, this is not something to be embarrassed about. It was not rare for someone to get drowned in shallow water." Long Fei coughed. "This could happen to just anyone."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. When she looked at Long Fei again, she could see that he was suppressing his laugh.

    She finally let out a sigh of resignation.

    Forget it. If this happened to anyone else, she would think that this situation was funny.

    Su Ruan buried her head between her knees and muttered, "Actually, why do you have to be around each time I fell into the water?"

    "Isn''t it good that I''m around?" He looked at her in puzzlement. Otherwise, who knew what will happen to her?

    Long Fei could not help but wonder what was going on in her mind.

    They said that a woman''s mind was hard to figure out. Long Fei thought that this saying was true.

    "Su Ruan, how are you feeling now? Better?" Ma Wei asked as he walked over to his cousin. He glanced at a certain young master and gave him a look over.

    He stepped away for a while and suddenly found his cousin and this Young Master together. He could not help but wonder if anything was going on between them.

    As a man, Ma Wei thought that the way Long Fei was looking at Su Ruan was a little strange. As the elder brother, he suddenly had this feeling that he have to protect Su Ruan from Long Fei.

    "Cousin Brother, I''m fine."

    "Then, let''s go back first," Ma Wei suggested. "I''m sure that you have been quite a in shock today."

    Long Fei looked away to hide his disappointment. He came over to spend time with Su Ruan after being away. But it seemed that she was going to head home soon.

    Both Su Ruan and Ma Yu Xi looked at Ma Wei in shock. They did not expect that Ma Wei wanted to head back earlier. They have planned to play around and head back before the sky turned darker.

    Ma Yu Xi was not happy but she could only stay still. She was still feeling guilty about what had happened. If it was not for her, Su Ruan would not fall into the water.

    "Ah? No. Cousin Brother, I''m alright," Su Ruan spoke quickly before her cousin could turn around. "It was rare for us to come over and relax. I don''t want to go back just yet."

    Ma Wei frowned. "Su Ruan, your health is the most important."

    "Just now it was an accident. I didn''t sit properly and flipped into the water," Su Ruan said. "Actually, I was about to get up but Long Fei was too quick to pull me out."

    The frown on Ma Wei''s face deepened.

    Long Fei?

    By now, Ma Wei was convinced that his cousin was close to this young master. Otherwise, she would not address him as such.

    Ma Wei shifted his gaze between the two. He had a feeling that the reason Su Ruan wanted to stay around was that Long Fei was around.

    He pursed his lips into a thin line as he made his decision. "Alright. We''ll stay over for a while. But you have to tell us if you are feeling uncomfortable."

    "Mhmm¡­ I know." Su Ruan nodded obediently.

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a sigh in relief. She exchanged a glance with Su Ruan and smiled in excitement.

    Ma Wei turned to Long Fei and spoke, "Young Master Long, thank you again for your help. You don''t have to stay around with us. You should go ahead if you have an urgent matter to attend to."

    How can Long Fei not notice that Su Ruan''s cousin was subtly asking him to leave?

    Long Fei smiled. "Thank you for your concern. But my cousin and I are planning to swim around this area as well."

    Ma Wei chuckled. "What a coincidence."

    Seeing that her cousin had decided to stay, Su Ruan took off the towel around her body and entered the water again with the floater in her hand before Ma Wei would change his mind.

    She waved her hand at Ma Yu Xi, asking her to join her to play in the water.

    "Sister Ruan, I''m coming." Ma Yu Xi walked over to enter the lake again. However, her brother had gripped her arm, stopping her from moving forward. Ma Yu Xi looked at her brother inquiringly and spoke, "Brother, what''s wrong?"

    Ma Wei still had his gaze on Long Fei. "Yu Xi, tell me, what is going on between Cousin Su Ruan and that Young Master Long Fei?"

    Her heart skipped a beat, hearing her brother''s question. Ma Yu Xi swallowed and looked away from her brother. "Brother, what do you mean?"

    "Is Su Ruan close to that young master?"

    "I heard that Young Master Long helped Sister Ruan to get a few freelance writing jobs," Ma Yu Xi said. "It''s not strange if they are close, right?"

    "Really?" Ma Wei rubbed his chin.

    "I don''t know anything other than that. Brother, I should go and accompany Sister Ruan.." With that, Ma Yu Xi made her escape.

 Chapter 120 - Like What You See?

    Seeing that the cousins had entered the water again, Long Yu Heng walked over to Long Fei and spoke, "Ah Fei, what are you planning to do now?" He shifted his gaze to Ma Wei and smiled. "It seemed that Miss Su''s cousin did not like you very much. Ah Fei, it really isn''t easy for you to bring home a wife."

    Long Fei snorted and walked away.

    A certain someone thought that this situation was amusing and followed him around. "Are you still planning to play in the water?"

    "Otherwise?" Long Fei narrowed his eyes. "We already here. We cannot leave now."

    "Ah Fei, whatever you do, just be careful." Long Yu Heng smiled. "Don''t get too excited when you go into the lake water."

    "I know." Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line as he reminded himself not to shift into his other form and scare everyone else.

    After changing his clothes. Long Fei and Long Yu Heng both came from behind their 4WD in their shorts.

    Su Ruan was proving to her cousins that she could swim and finally looked up to catch her breath. The moment she turned around, the image of two shirtless men appeared.

    She sucked in a deep breath and coughed. This scene caught her off guard. Su Ruan was glad that she could stabilize herself in the water. Otherwise, she might fall in the water again and convinced everyone else that she really cannot swim.

    As a normal person, her gaze on Long Fei''s abs stayed for a long time. She could not help but admire his pretty body.

    Ma Yu Xi poked her on the waist, snapping her out of her trance. Su Ruan finally looked away with her cheek flushed.

    "Sister Ruan, stop drooling."

    Su Ruan shot a dagger look at her cousin. "I didn''t drool." Even as she said so, Su Ruan moved to wipe the corner of her lips with the back of her hand.

    Seeing this scene, Ma Yu Xi could only laugh. She looked around and saw that her brother was swimming towards the center of the lake. Ma Yu Xi let out a breath of relief before she whispered again, "Sister Ruan, did you tell Young Master Long that we came to swim here?"

    "He did ask our whereabouts," Su Ruan confirmed.

    Ma Yu Xi chuckled. "I thought that it was strange for him and Brother Yu Heng to appear here. Not many would come to this spot to swim. It turned out that it was you." She held the donut floater tightly and spoke again, "But Sister Ruan, what are you going to do?"

    Su Ruan shot her a puzzlement look.

    "Unless if you are going to let my brother know about your relationship with Young Master Long, it looks like you won''t be able to play around with him."

    "What play around? Yu Xi, don''t speak nonsense." Su Ruan turned to peek at the Long Fei who was swimming leisurely with his cousin.

    She thought that his swimming posture was very beautiful. Even after he had swum to a certain distance back and forth, Long Fei did not seem tired.

    "Actually, it wasn''t impossible if you want to have your date," Ma Yu Xi said. "Sister Ruan, do you want me to cover for you? I can distract my brother."

    "What are you going to do? Your brother isn''t an idiot." Just now, Su Ruan could see the strange way her cousin was looking at Long Fei.

    Her instinct was telling her that if she was not careful, Ma Wei would figure out something.

    "Sister Ruan, I''m returning your floater to you." Ma Yu Xi pushed the donut floater to Su Ruan.

    Before she could say anything, Ma Yu Xi had already turned around and left.

    "Hey! Yu XI!" Su Ruan gritted her teeth. However, she could only watch the water splashed as Ma Yu Xi swum over to her brother''s side. A helpless sigh escaped her. Su Ruan continued to hold the floater and wondered what she should do next.

    It was too awkward to play alone.

    As she was in a trance, Long Fei appeared by her side. Her eyes widened as she was not expecting to see him in front of her.

    Her eyes widened in surprise as she was not expecting Long Fei to appear so suddenly. The man had dived into the water and came to her side without her noticing anything.

    Because of their height difference, the first thing that Su Ruan noticed was the man''s hard chest in front of her. Then slowly, she raised her head to meet his gaze.

    Seeing his teasing smile made her cheek flush. "What are you doing?"

    "Well, I''m here to guard you." Long Fei smiled. "I worry that you would fall into the water again."

    Su Ruan shot a dangerous look at him. But Long Fei merely laughed it off.

    His brow rose upon noticing her glance at him. "Su Ruan, did you like what you see?"

    Her heart skipped a beat. However, Su Ruan was not going to admit that she has been checking him out from the moment Long Fei had entered the water. He was too¡­ good-looking.

    She quickly turned her head to look at the mountain surrounding them and spoke, "Hmm¡­ the scenery around here is very beautiful."

    Long Fei laughed when he heard her words.

    The girl was too shy and he did not want to continue to tease her.

    "I know a few good spots to swim around. Next time, I''ll take you there."

    Su Ruan narrowed her eyes. "You seem to know a lot of good spots for everything."

    Previously, she had followed him to a good spot to fish as well as a good spot to watch the stars in the night sky. This man also seemed to know some good spots to eat.

    "After all, I have lived in this town for years. You could say that I am one of the people who knows the lake best."

    "One of the people?"

    "The others would include my grandfather as well as a few elders in the family."

    Su Ruan knew that the Long family had a lot of business in the town. Moreover, his grandfather and the ancestor before him used to be famous politicians in the family.

    This town can be considered to be under Long family power and influence. It was not strange to say that they know the town best.

    "What are you doing tomorrow? Come out and have a meal with me.. I have something to discuss with you."

 Chapter 121 - Under The Water

    Ma Wei watched as his sister swim over to his side and frowned. From the corner of his eyes, he watched as a certain young master dive into the water and soon appeared by his cousin''s side.

    He could not hide his displeasure when he saw this scene.

    Just as he had thought. This young master was aiming for his cousin.

    "Why are you here?" Ma Wei asked when his sister reached his side.

    Ma Yu Xi coughed. "I was going to ask if you wanted to head to the town center before we went back. Sister Ruan said she wanted to drink some milk tea."

    His eyes narrowed. "Shouldn''t you stay by Su Ruan''s side?" Ma Wei asked. "What if she fell into the water again?"

    Ma Yu Xi stared at her brother speechlessly. She should have expected that her brother was not going to fall for her excuse. "Brother, Sister Ruan is no longer a child. Besides, haven''t you seen it? She can really swim."

    Moreover, the reason Su Ruan had fallen into the water just now was because of her. She had misjudged her strength and pulled at her cousin a little too hard. Because of that, the floater turned and her cousin fell into the water. As the elder brother, he should look after his cousin well.

    Ma Wei pursed his lips. Although he had seen how Su Ruan had swum around, he was still worried. Su Ruan seemed a little careless. Who knew if she might accidentally fall again.

    Ma Yu Xi heaved a heavy sigh, noticing that her brother was still keeping an eye on their cousin. She followed his gaze and saw that Long Fei and her cousin were talking.

    On the other side, Long Yu Heng was practicing his backstroke leisurely.

    It seemed that the Long cousins were really good at swimming.

    "Don''t worry about Sister Ruan," Ma Yu Xi said. "Young Master Long is around to look after her if something happened."

    Ma Wei turned to his sister and frowned. "Yu Xi, tell me. Something is going on between Su Ruan and that young master, right?"

    "Maybe."

    Ma Wei shot a displeased look at his sister.

    "So what if something is going on between them? Even if they are in a relationship, what are you going to do about it? Sister Ruan''s spring is finally here. Why do you want to stop her?"

    "I''m just worried."

    Ma Yu Xi rolled her eyes. "I have been by Sister Ruan''s side ever since she arrived in this town. She will be fine. Worrying is fine, but we should not interfere with her relationship with the people around her."

    Previously, the elders were worried that their cousin would be triggered by something in the town that will make her go crazy. However, after being around her, Ma Yu Xi hasn''t seen anything like that happen.

    Ma Wei wanted to go over to his cousin''s side. But after listening to his sister''s words, Ma Wei decided not to interfere.

    ¡­

    At the side, Long Fei continued to stay by Su Ruan''s side. The two of them continued to talk about a few beautiful spots around the town.

    Su Ruan was intrigued when she heard that she could see fireflies around the lake. When Long Fei promised to bring her to watch the fireflies another day, Su Ruan had quickly agreed.

    The corner of his lips turned up into a smile. Being in the water with Su Ruan was something else. His body and mind felt lighter.

    Long Fei thought that he was feeling high as if he was on a drug.

    If it was possible, he really wanted to be around her in the water for a long time. However, Long Fei was aware that he needed to be cautious as well. If he got too excited, his body might change.

    The last thing that he wanted to do was to scare her. If his scale suddenly appeared, perhaps Su Ruan would avoid him and leave the town again.

    But what should he do? He really wanted her to quickly be around him and let her be familiar with the lake water as well.

    Long Fei looked around and noticed that her cousin was not about to return to her side anytime soon. His gaze fell on Ma Yu Xi and he quickly guessed that she was helping him to be alone with Su Ruan.

    After all, it was not the first time that Ma Yu Xi had helped him.

    Long Fei glanced at the girl beside him. His eyes darkened upon seeing how she was biting at her lower lips.

    His heart skipped a beat.

    He really wanted to kiss her and feel what her lips would taste like.

    After pondering for a while, Long Fei finally called her name. "Su Ruan."

    Su Ruan tugged at the floater and was trying her best not to peek at a certain man''s abs. Hearing her name, she turned to look at him but her gaze fell on his chest again.

    After scolding herself, Su Ruan quickly met his gaze. "Huh?"

    "How long can you stay under the water?"

    "I don''t know." Su Ruan was a little surprised at this question. "Why are you asking me this?"

    "Come with me. I''m going to show you something."

    It was not hard for her to guess what he wanted to do. "I can probably last for a minute under the water."

    "That''s good enough." Long Fei took her hand which was resting on the floater and spoke, "Take a deep breath and hold it. Don''t worry. I will be by your side."

    Su Ruan hesitated. But after a while, she followed his instruction and dived into the water.

    Long Fei turned to look at the girl and nudged at her hand. Once he saw that Su Ruan had opened her eyes, Long Fei led her to the center where there was a group of fishes swimming around.

    The water was clean and clear. It was not hard for her to look around.

    Her eyes widened when she saw a group of fishes appear and surrounded by Long Fei''s side. The scene was too magical.

    Long Fei approached her and hold her both hands.

    Su Ruan watched him with a puzzled look in her eyes.. Then slowly, he moved closer to her and planted his lips on hers.

 Chapter 122 - Unexpected Kiss

    Su Ruan froze at the unexpected kiss. Her eyes widened, not knowing what she should do next.

    Although she had dated a few men before, Su Ruan had never kissed any of them before.

    That was one of the reasons why her relationship with those boys had never worked before. Each time that they had wanted to kiss her, Su Ruan would back away and she would tell them that she was not prepared to move to the next stage.

    Perhaps it was because she had always been sure that she was going to end up with Yu Zhi Yi. She wanted to remain pure and was disgusted at the thought of kissing another man.

    Now that Long Fei had suddenly kissed her, Su Ruan was at loss.

    However, Su Ruan soon felt that she did not despise or disgusted by his kiss.

    Long Fei''s kiss was very comfortable. It was like breathing underwater.

    His lips were softly moving against hers. A sort of tingling excitement slowly build up, awakening a feeling that she had never felt inside her.

    Before she could figure out what was that feeling, Long Fei had already pulled away. He then led her to swim up and the two of them resurfaced on the water.

    Su Ruan stared at a certain man with a dazed expression on her face. Seeing his lips slowly turned up into a smile, Su Ruan finally snapped out of her trance. "You¡­"

    "I''m sorry. But I couldn''t stop myself from wanting to kiss you."

    Su Ruan watched him in surprise, not expecting that he was going to be honest about it. She suddenly wondered if he had asked her to dive into the water just to kiss her.

    Of course, what she suspected was the truth.

    Long Fei was aware that the longer he spend time around Su Ruan, his needing for her had only increased. He was aware that her cousins were around and decided to tempt her into the water.

    Seeing that the girl had not spoken after a while, Long Fei was finally afraid that he had made a big mistake.

    It was the first time that he was attracted to someone. He had followed his heart and do as it guided him to do.

    "Su Ruan." His voice was a little shaky. "Are you¡­ angry?"

    Su Ruan bit her lower lips as she was still trying to compose herself after what had happened. However, the taste of his lips against hers was still lingering. It felt as if her lips were no longer hers.

    "I''m not." Su Ruan lowered her head. She wanted to touch her lips but realized that Long Fei was still holding her hands.

    Her face turned warmer and the tip of her ears turned red.

    Long Fei heaved a breath once he heard her reply. His grip on her hands tightened and his face turned brighter with happiness. He could not conceal his joy from her answer.

    His lips parted as if he wanted to say something again. However, the sounds of the water splashing closer make him looked up.

    At the side, Su Ruan''s cousins were swimming towards them.

    Long Fei narrowed his eyes, knowing that his time was up. It would be difficult to be alone with Su Ruan again.

    "Su Ruan!" Ma Wei gave her a look over when he reached her side. "Are you alright?"

    "Brother." Su Ruan smiled. "I''m fine. What''s wrong."

    "You suddenly went missing from the water," Ma Wei spoke. I was worried that something might happen to you again. What were you doing?"

    Her face warmed as she thought of what had happened under the water just now. "I just wanted to dive and look around. Sorry that I make you worry."

    Ma Wei shifted his gaze to Long Fei, silently observing his action. Seeing that there was nothing strange going on between them, Ma Wei was finally at ease. "Alright. It''s getting late. We should go back now if you wanted to drink that milk tea."

    Su Ruan stared back at her cousin with a puzzled expression. What milk tea? When did she say she wanted to drink milk tea?

    "Sister Ruan!" Ma Yu Xi called. There was a hint of panic in her expression. "Didn''t you say that you wanted to drink milk tea before we head back?"

    When did she say something like that?

    However, noticing Ma Yu Xi''s winking, Su Ruan quickly caught her signal to play along. "Uh-huh. It''s been a while since I drink milk tea."

    After saying a few words to Long Fei, Su Ruan finally left with her cousins.

    Meanwhile, Long Fei could only watch her swim back to the land with a helpless look in his eyes. The girl did not turn to look at him once, making him wonder if she was just shy or could it be that he had made her upset after stealing a kiss from her.

    It seemed that Long Yu Heng was right. It would not be easy for him to bring home his wife.

    Fortunately, he had made an appointment with her earlier. Tomorrow, Su Ruan had agreed to accompany him for a meal.

    Once Su Ruan entered the vehicle, Long Yu Heng finally swum over to his cousin''s side again. He followed Long Fei''s gaze and chuckled.

    "You should have seen yourself just now," Long Yu Heng said. "Ah Fei, if you are a dog, I''m sure that you would be wagging your tails when you are by Miss Su''s side."

    When Su Ruan was around, the happiness on his face was too obvious. Now that Su Ruan had left a certain someone looked as if he was abandoned.

    Long Fei shot a look of displeasure at his cousin. "What are you saying?"

    "Don''t think that I did not see what you were doing underwater." Long Yu Heng flashed a teasing smile at him.

    Long Fei turned around, too lazy to talk to his cousin.

    "Ah Fei, Miss Su had already left. Are you going to continue and swim around?"

    "You can take the car and go back by yourself. I''ll stay in the water for a while and return later," Long Fei said.. After what had happened, he needed to stay in the water for a while to calm down.

 Chapter 123 - Black Eyes

    After she came back from swimming at the lake with her cousins, Ma Zheng Zheng noticed that her daughter has been a little strange.

    Last night, during dinner, Su Ruan picked up a piece of eggplant with her chopstick with a dazed look on her face. The moment the food touched her lips, her movement halted and the girl let out a sigh.

    Ma Zheng Zheng was worried that something might have happened to her daughter while she went out with her cousin. She texted Ma Yu Xi, but the girl told her that there was nothing wrong with her daughter. Ma Yu Xi only told her that her cousin was probably thinking about work.

    Thinking that Ma Yu XI''s words made sense, Ma Zheng Zheng decided not to think too much about it.

    However, in the morning, Ma Zheng Zheng noticed that her daughter''s condition had worsened. The girl seemed as if she was in a trance. This time, there was a dark circle under her eyes.

    "Su Ruan," Ma Zheng Zheng called when she saw that her daughter continued to poke at the meat bun.

    "Ah?" Su Ruan finally looked up.

    Ma Zheng Zheng glanced at the meat bun on the plate and spoke, "Are you going to eat the meat bun or not? If you continue to poke at it, the meat bun will burst."

    Lowering her gaze, Su Ruan saw how the meat bun had almost lost its shape.

    What happened? How did this meat bun turn like this?

    Looking at the chopstick in her hand, Su Ruan finally realized what had happened. Clearing her throat, Su Ruan finally picked up the deformed meat bun and ate it slowly. But with the holes on the bun, the filling spilled out between her fingers.

    "What are you worrying about? Is it about work?" Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. "Mom knows that you are starting to pick up a few jobs, but Su Ruan, you have to remember to rest as well. Look at the black rim under your eyes. You''re resembling a panda."

    "Su Ruan looked at her mother in surprise as she touched her under eyes. "Mom, is it that bad?"

    "Why don''t you look at the mirror?" Ma Zheng Zheng sighed when he saw her daughter''s panicky look.

    Of course, the reason Su Ruan did not have enough sleep was not because of work. Last night, her mind was preoccupied with a certain man and the underwater kiss.

    Each time that she closed her eyes, the scene would be replayed in her mind.

    She only closed her eyes for ten minutes before her alarm rang. She did not want her family to worry and decided to come down and have breakfast.

    "Su Ruan, you should go back to your room and get some sleep after this. Otherwise, you might feel sick," Ma Zheng Zheng reminded her. "Work is important but your health is your priority. If you are unwell, how are you going to continue and work?"

    Su Ruan lowered her head as she listened to her mother''s advice. "Mmm¡­ Mom, I know. I''ll try to get some rest."

    Anyway, she had finished writing the important articles before she went out to play with her cousins.

    After having her breakfast, Su Ruan went back to her room to rest.

    The phone on the bedside table rang just as she lay down on the mattress. Instantly, her sleepiness disappeared. Su Ruan sat up on the bed quickly and gasped.

    Shit! She had totally forgotten that she was supposed to have a meal with Long Fei in the evening!

    ¡­

    Long family old mansion.

    Long Fei was sitting behind his desk with his phone in his hand. The corner of his lips tilted up to a smile after he had sent out a text to remind Su Ruan about their dinner.

    Her reply came over a minute after. Su Ruan only replied to him briefly but her response was enough for him. As long as she did not avoid him, Long Fe could be at ease. He was looking forward to meeting her again.

    Just in time, someone knocked on his door.

    Long Fei looked up and saw that it was the butler who was in charge of his courtyard.

    "Young Master," the older man greeted him. "The Old Master called for you. He said he will be waiting for you in his study."

    His brow furrowed when he heard the message. "Did he say why?"

    "His assistant did not say a word," the butler said. "But I heard that your father will be there as well."

    Long Fei narrowed his eyes as he pondered over the reason his grandfather had called for him. "What about Yu Heng?"

    "Master Yu Heng went out to the town center early this morning and had not returned yet," the butler answered.

    It was then that Long Fei remember that he had asked his cousin to run a few matters for him.

    "Mm. I know. I''ll go and find my grandfather soon."

    The butler nodded before he closed the door again.

    After he tidied up his table, Long Fei went to his grandfather''s courtyard. The moment he appeared, his grandfather''s assistant led him to the study. Long Fei entered the room and saw that his father was there to accompany the old man to play a game of chess.

    "Ah Fei, you''re here. Come on, sit down." Long Yuan smiled when he saw his grandson enter the room. He glanced at his assistant and asked him to prepare a cup of tea for him as well.

    Long Fei greeted the two men before he finally took a seat. Seeing that the two of them were still focusing on their game of chess, Long Fei decided to sit still and wait.

    His mind whirled as he thought of the reason why his grandfather had called for him.

    It did not seem as if there was any problem with their businesses. In fact, everything was going on well and it was reported that they were making a lot of profit.

    With his father''s appearance this time, the nature of discussion should be revolving around their ability or that troublesome group. However, both his grandfather and father seemed to be too laid-back to worry about such matters.. Long Fei had a lot of questions, but he could only wait until the two had finished their games.

 Chapter 124 - You Have A Choice

    Half an hour later, the game ended with his grandfather, Long Yuan winning.

    Long Fei watched as his father tidied up the chess set and finally noticed the strange way that his grandfather was looking at him. He let out a cough and spoke, "Grandfather, why are you looking at me that way?"

    Long Yuan merely smiled. He waited for his son to tidy up the chess set and the two of them sat together side by side.

    A strange feeling arose in his heart when Long Fei saw this scene.

    "Ah Fei, your complexion has turned better after staying in this town for a long time," Long Yuan said. "These days, I heard that you have been soaking in the lake water a lot."

    His heart skipped a beat upon hearing his grandfather mentioning the lake. He was starting to worry that perhaps, his grandfather had found out something about Su Ruan.

    Until now, the only person who knew about Su Ruan is his cousin, Long Yu Heng.

    Taking a deep breath to calm down, Long Fei then nodded. "Staying away from this town and trying to recover by drinking a lot of water is no longer working that much. I feel more comfortable staying around." His lips stretched up into a smile. "But, I don''t think that you called me to talk about the lake and my recovery."

    His father, Long Chen shot him a look while his grandfather only laughed.

    "You are right," Long Yuan said. "There is another reason why we called you over. Ah Fei, that woman, have you heard any news about her?"

    His hand subconsciously tightened into a fist when his grandfather mentioned Su Ruan.

    "Now that you are staying longer in D Town, are you planning to give up on your search?" Long Yuan asked.

    "Grandfather, I still haven''t given up on my search. With the technology these days, I don''t necessarily have to go out to continue my search."

    Long Chen who had always stayed quiet, suddenly looked up at his son and frowned. "Ah Fei, you are not getting any younger."

    Long Yuan coughed and shot a look at his son.

    Knowing that the father and son''s relationship had not been very good, Long Yuan had agreed to be the speaker while Long Chen should stay around and listen.

    Why was his son this impatient?

    Didn''t he know Long Fei''s temperament well?

    If he continued to provoke this boy, he would only retaliate? How were they going to continue this discussion?

    Just as Long Yuan had thought, his grandson''s expression turned darker upon hearing Long Chen''s words.

    "Father, what are you trying to say?"

    "Ah Fei, don''t be anxious," Long Yuan spoke to ease the tension that was starting to build up between the father and son. "We called you over to discuss the family matters. But your father is right. You are not getting younger. We only wanted to know what are you planning to do."

    "I will find that girl. I am not giving up." Long Fei narrowed his eyes as he looked at his father.

    "How much longer do you need? Are you planning to search for her forever?" Long Chen asked.

    "Even if it will take me forever, I will continue. After all, isn''t she''s my fated person?" Long Fei spoke. "Wasn''t it you who told me that I would not be able to be with anyone else other than her?"

    Long Chen exchanged a look with his father.

    "You might not be with anyone else, but Ah Fei, the family could not go on without an heir," Long Chen spoke.

    "What are you planning to do?" Long Fei asked.

    "I have already discussed it with your grandfather," Long Chen spoke. "If you still cannot find that person, we will arrange for you to marry someone else. Your child might not be able to inherit our power but at least it will help to stabilize the family. However, we might have to prepare that our future generation would not be as blessed as we are now." His voice was monotone. It was as if he was telling his son about his boring daily life.

    The longer Long Fei heard his father''s words, the angrier he got. The air around them darkened and his pupils turned into a vertical slit.

    "Is that what you always think about? Is the family and the elders are very important?" Long Fei''s voice shook as he spoke. He had tried his best to suppress his anger but it looked like he was having difficulties holding it down.

    When he was still a little boy, the family had told him that he would not be able to be with anyone else other than the little girl he met.

    However, his father was telling him that he can be with anyone as long as he will give the family an heir.

    In the past, Long Fei might have agreed to this. He always disliked this power and how it could turn him into a monster. He had hoped that the curse will end with him and that his descendant would not have to suffer as he did.

    However, now that he had met Su Ruan and spent a lot of time being around her, he could not accept the idea of being with anyone other than her.

    Just the thought of being with anyone other than his fated one would make him nauseous.

    "Everyone kept on telling me to do this and that," Long Fei continued. "Then what about me? Is my happiness not important?"

    "Ah Fei, calm down." Long Yuan spoke with a gentle voice. His gaze shifted to his grandson''s arms which were now covered by blue and purplish scales.

    Long Yuan was aware that if his grandson did not control his emotion well, he might shift into his other form.

    This is his courtyard. Shifting into that large dragon is not something appropriate at this place and time.

    Long Fei finally looked away from his father and took a deep breath. Slowly, the scales around his arms disappeared.

    "This is not what we meant," Long Yuan said. "Of course, we took consideration of your feelings and happiness. This is why we have thought of this. We just wanted to let you know that you have a choice."

    "I don''t need this choice."

    "Then, you need to find this girl faster," Long Chen spoke. "I will give you time. Ah Fei, if you still could not find her until your birthday, we will make another arrangement for you."

    Long Fei gritted his teeth. With the way that his father had spoken to him, even if he had found Su Ruan, Long Fei did not want to tell him about her.

    "I will find her.. Before my next birthday, I will bring her to you and the elders."

 Chapter 125 - The Father And Son Relationship

    Long Fei left the study in a hurry. As he walked out, he almost run into his mother.

    Perhaps because of the loud arguments between the men, Qin Ruo came over to persuade them. However, it seemed that she had come a little too late.

    Seeing the upset look on her son''s face made her upset. It was not hard for her to figure out what had happened between the father and son.

    "Ah Fei," Qin Ruo called her son, wanting to coax her son. But once she opened her mouth, Qin Ruo suddenly did not know what she should say.

    Long Fei exhaled a heavy breath. "Mom, I''ll go first."

    Qin Ruo could only watch her son walk away. Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching, Qin Ruo turned around. Her expression changed when she saw her husband. "What did you say to him?"

    There was a slight fluctuation on Long Chen''s face when he faced his wife. "It''s the matter that we have discussed previously. I only told him that he can make a choice but he was determined to continue and look for that girl."

    Her eyes narrowed. "Discussed? When did we discuss this matter? You told me what the elders wanted but had never discussed things with me." Her voice was a whisper but one could hear the anger in her voice.

    Qin Ruo opened her mouth to say something. But realizing that she was at her father-in-law''s courtyard, Qin Ruo could only hold her anger. The moment she turned around to leave, Long Chen quickly went after his wife.

    Long Chen knew that he will have to coax his wife soon. However, there were too many people around the place and he could not lose his face.

    He could only wait until they had returned to their courtyard before he could speak.

    Who would have thought that the moment his wife entered their bedroom, she would slam the door on his face and locked it?

    Long Chen touched the tip of his nose, wondering how he was supposed to coax his wife now.

    Turning around, Long Chen quickly instructed his men to find the secondary key to the bedroom.

    Someone finally brought the keyset five minutes later.

    Long Chen inserted the key and pushed the door. The moment he walked in, he was stunned to see that his wife was packing up her luggage.

    The two of them had only arrived home from their trip a couple of days ago. Why would his wife suddenly start packing?

    "Qin Ruo, what are you doing?" Long Chen''s voice softened as he spoke to his wife. "Why are you packing up?"

    "I''m leaving. You can stay here with your family."

    His expression changed. "Qin Ruo. You know that I cannot avoid this matter. The elders are getting anxious and¨C"

    "Don''t talk to me," Qin Ruo turned to look at her husband angrily. "Long Chen, it was always about your family and what the elders wanted. From the moment my son was born, he had to listen to the elder''s arrangements just because he was special. But have you ever asked him what he wanted to do?"

    Long Chen stretched his hand to touch his wife but his hand was quickly slapped away.

    "Don''t touch me." Qin Ruo''s breathing turned heavier as she looked at her husband. "Long Chen, tell me¡­ how much longer are you going to decide things for my son?"

    "I''m doing this for his own good."

    Qin Ruo sneered. Then, she turned around and continued to pack her stuff. "I have had enough of your family. Long Chen, when I chose to marry you, this is not what I have in mind."

    His body turned cold when he heard her words. Long Chen wanted to step forward but found that his body had refused to cooperate.

    "I understood that your family is important. But as a mother, my son is an important person for me." Taking a deep breath, she then continued. "I am leaving. Don''t come over and find me until you make it right with my son''s situation.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the moment Long Fei leave the courtyard, he went straight to his 4WD and slid into the driver''s seat. Each time that he had a conversation with his father, Long Fei would always leave angrily.

    From his childhood until he was now an adult. It seemed that nothing had changed between them.

    His father had never known how to talk properly with him.

    Each time, his father would side with the elders rather than think of what he really wanted.

    Actually, Long Fei could tell his father that he had found the girl. However, with the way the elders had always wanted to control his life, Long Fei was worried that once they know about Su Ruan, they would force her into doing something she did not want to do.

    He was worried that his family would be controlling her.

    The girl was happier with the freedom she had. He liked her very much. Putting her into a cage was not something that he wanted to do.

    Long Fei continued to drive without having a destination. His mind was preoccupied with a lot of things and his anger was still simmering.

    He did not know how long he has been driving but when he finally pulled over his car, Long Fei realized that he was parked outside the Ma family orchard.

    Long Fei was stunned, wondering what was he doing at this place. He looked up and stared at the house in front of him for a long time.

    This was not the first time that he had come over. Long Fei knew where Su Ruan''s bedroom was located and had been staring in that direction for a long time.

    The anger in his heart gradually disappeared and instead, a sense of longing came over. He wanted to see her. He needed to see her.

    If it was the nighttime, he could shift into that small dragon and sneak into her room but at this time, it was not convenient.

    As Long Fei continued to stare at the house, someone came over and knocked at his window.. Turning around, Long Fei found that it was Su Ruan''s grandfather, Ma Hao Dong.

 Chapter 126 - Gone Stupid

    Long Fei rolled down the window and looked at the man in front of him in puzzled. The look on his face showed that he was confused to find Su Ruan''s grandpa in front of him.

    "Young Master Long, what are you doing here?" Ma Hao Dong asked.

    Earlier, one of the staff from his orchard had mentioned seeing a vehicle parked outside the orchard for a long time.

    Ma Hao Dong was worried and decided to check. His pupil flickered upon recognizing the car. When Su Ruan fell into the water and was rescued by Long Fei, someone had picked him up and headed to Long''s residence using this car.

    He was suddenly reminded of the day Long Fei had taken his granddaughter to the carnival and returned late at night. As he thought of how this young master was pursuing his granddaughter, Ma Hao Dong became unhappy.

    After a brief hesitation, Ma Hao Dong decided to head over and knocked on his window. However, sensing that something does not seem right with this young master, Ma Hao Dong began to worry.

    "Young Master Long, would you like to go inside?" Ma Hao Dong coughed. "Come in and let''s have some tea."

    Long Fei was still a little confused as to why he had come over to this place after his argument with his father. However, once he heard Ma Hao Dong''s invitation, he immediately agreed.

    Long Fei drove into the orchard and parked. Then, he followed Ma Hao Dong into the house and sit down in the living room.

    Ma Hao Dong entered the kitchen to speak with his wife. Seeing that the guest in the living room was still staring into space, Ma Hao Dong began to worry again.

    "What do you think happened to him?" Ma Hao Dong whispered to his wife. "From the moment I found him outside, he has been staring into space for a long time."

    Lan Shi prepared some tea and followed her husband''s gaze ad peek into the living room. "Maybe he''s looking for Su Ruan. I heard from our daughter that the Young Master has been helping Su Ruan to look for some writing job."

    Ma Hao Dong rubbed his chin as he continued to worry.

    "If you are still worried, why don''t you go over and talk to him?" Lan Shi shot him a look.

    "You know very well that I''m not good at talking."

    "Then, why did you invite him inside?"

    "It doesn''t feel right to leave him outside our orchard. What are we supposed to do if something happened to him?" Ma Hao Dong said. "Besides, even when I asked him something, he would not reply. Do you think he has gone stupid?"

    Ma Hao Dong wanted to ask Long Fei about his intention of getting closer to his granddaughter. However, with the way Long Fei had reacted, Ma Hao Dong thought that it would be impossible to communicate with Long Fei.

    Lan Shi heaved a helpless sigh. She really could not understand what was going on in her husband''s mind. "Alright. You go ahead and do your work. I''ll go over and talk to him."

    Her husband was someone who has been working at the orchard for a long time. Lan Shi thought that her husband was better at talking with plants instead of talking to another human being.

    After sending her husband out and assuring him that she will look after this big guest, Lan Shi carried out the tray and brought it over to the living room. She glanced at the young man''s face and thought that her husband was exaggerating when he said that Long Fei was staring into space too much.

    This handsome young man still looked aware. How can her husband say that he looked stupid?

    Of course, Lan Shi did not know that Long Fei had begun to calm down and recovered after stepping into the house. Being close to Su Ruan would give him this effect.

    "Young Master Long, please, have a drink," Lan Shi said. "My husband went out to look at the orchard. He should be back soon."

    "Old Madam, thank you." Long Fei took the cup and drank his tea slowly. Then, he looked around the room and noticed that it was too quiet. "Is Su Ruan around?"

    "Did you come over to look for Su Ruan? She should be in her room working on her articles." Lan Shi hesitated for a while and continued, "If you are here to see her, you can go upstairs and look for her."

    Long Fei could not hide his surprise upon hearing words. "Is that alright?"

    "Mhm¡­ Just knock on the door before you enter." Lan Shi gave the direction to her granddaughter''s room and watched as the man leave. Once Long Fei was no longer within her eyesight, Lan Shi finally heaved a heavy sigh.

    Being around someone with Long Fei''s aura was not that easy.

    Meanwhile, it did not take a long time for Long Fei to find Su Ruan''s room.

    As he stood in front of her door, Long Fei could already feel her presence. The closeness made him relax and comfortable.

    He knocked on the door and heard her voice.

    "Who is it? Just come in. The door is unlocked."

    Long Fei stood still. He was worried that Su Ruan would be too shocked when she saw him entering her room and decided to wait.

    After a few seconds, Long Fei knocked on the door again. "Su Ruan."

    This time, Su Ruan did not speak.

    Long Fei heard the sound of her footsteps approaching and took a step back. Soon, the door was pulled from the inside and Su Ruan''s shocked face appeared at the door.

    "Long Fei?" Su Ruan blinked as if she was in disbelief that the person in front of her was indeed Long Fei.

    Just a while ago, she was still thinking about the kiss. Su Ruan was worried that she was thinking too much about it and had started to imagine things.

    "Mmm¡­ It''s me.." Long Fei flashed a smile. He peeked into her room and asked, "Can I come in?"

 Chapter 127 - Can I Hug You?

    Su Ruan starred at the man in front of her with a dazed expression. She was still in disbelief that Long Fei was standing before her. Still, she stepped aside and watched as he walked in.

    His scent wafted into her nose as he walked past by, Su Ruan finally realized that she was not imagining things. She snapped out of her trance and walked over. "Long Fei?"

    "Hmm?" He turned around to face her.

    "What are you doing here?" She knew that she was supposed to meet him. However, this was still too early before their appointment.

    Moreover¡­ he said that he was going to wait outside the orchard.

    Why was he in her room?

    "How did you get here?" Su Ruan asked.

    "Your grandpa invited me in. Then, your grandma let me come over. She said you were working on your article and I can find you in your room."

    Her eyes widened. She did not expect that her grandma would let Long Fei to her room. Could it be that her grandma now knew a little bit about her relationship with Long Fei? Otherwise, she would not let him come upstairs to her room, right?''

    This felt unreal. It couldn''t be that she was too sleepy that she was imagining things, right?

    Su Ruan walked over to him and stretched her hand to poke at his arm. Then, she quickly retracted her hand, finding that person is real.

    However, before she could pull her hand away, the man had already grabbed her hand. He looked at her with a pair of sad eyes and asked, "Su Ruan, can I hug you?"

    "Ah?" Su Ruan thought that she made a mistake by looking into his eyes. Without understanding why Su Ruan nodded.

    Just like that, she was pulled into his embrace. Because of their height difference, her nose was pressed against his chest. His fresh scent entered her nose and Su Ruan did not dare to move.

    Her cheek flushed. Su Ruan realized that this was the first time that she had faced a situation such as this. It seemed that she had never hugged anyone intimately like this. They were too close to each other.

    After a few seconds has passed but Long Fei made no move to let her go. Su Ruan seemed to recall that she did not close her door after Long Fei had walked in.

    If her mother or anyone from her family walked past by, then they would notice what was going on in the room.

    "Just a few more seconds."

    Long Fei spoke before she could make any move to pull out of his embrace. Su Ruan could only bite her lips he tightened his arms around her body. Her heart raced. She found that she did not dislike this hug. In fact, hugging like this felt comfortable.

    However, Su Ruan could not help but worry about him. She wondered what was going on with this man. He wasn''t like his usual self. He looked a little... fragile.

    From the first time she met him, Long Fei was someone who always kept his composure. She would never think that she would see him with that sad look on his face.

    A minute later. Long Fei finally loosened his hold around her waist. He took a step back and lowered his gaze as he adjusted his mood.

    Hugging Su Ruan made him feel a lot better. With how the way she could make him feel, how could Long Fei even consider the elders'' suggestions?

    What his father had given him was not a choice. He only wanted to please the elders without thinking of what he wanted.

    "Are you in a bad mood?"

    Su Ruan''s question snapped him out of his thought. Long Fei looked at the girl in front of her and wondered if she knew what he was feeling, just like how he would know whenever she was upset.

    The last time Su Ruan was upset, he had made it rain.

    Long Fei chuckled to ease up the mood. When he looked up again, his lips were stretched up into a teasing smile. "Well, I already felt better after hugging you."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line.

    Perhaps she was mistaken earlier.

    How can he be in a bad mood?

    Since this man could still flirt with her, his mood shouldn''t be that bad, right?

    However, as she recalled his sad eyes looking at her, Su Ruan decided not to mind this matter that much. He definitely wanted to hide his feelings. Since he is not willing to say it, then she shouldn''t be a busybody and ask.

    Su Ruan was about to invite him to sit down for a while when she noticed that her room was too messy. Moreover, because she was not expecting anyone to come over to her room, Su Ruan had let a few private items around the room. Her undergarments were hanging on the chair...

    Su Ruan sucked in a deep breath, wondering what she should do.

    Of course, she was unaware that Long Fei was used to seeing this scene. After all, he had entered her room and had even spent a few nights with her.

    Su Ruan began to look around in panic. It was too late to pick up everything. Long Fei would notice her movement and see what she do.

    Her body moves to cover the item from his gaze.

    Her gaze fell at her laptop on the table and spoke, "Do you want to go out earlier?"

    Long Fei pondered over her suggestion and quickly agreed. "Is that alright?"

    Su Ruan nodded. "It''s fine. I almost finished my writing anyway. Then..." Su Ruan pointed to the door. "Why don''t you head downstairs while I go and get change?"

    Long Fei looked at the girl and wondered if she was trying to drive him away. Looking at her expression, he decided not to bring up this matter.

    "Then, I will wait for you downstairs?"

    Su Ruan nodded enthusiastically. "Go ahead.. I will meet you downstairs as soon as I''m done changing."

 Chapter 128 - Long Feis Intention

    As he was heading downstairs, the look on Long Fei''s face was no longer as gloomy as it was before. Just spending a short time with Su Ruan would give him this effect.

    Long Fei was still thinking about Su Ruan''s dumbfounded expression as he had hugged her earlier when he suddenly heard a coughing voice.

    When he looked up, Long Fei found that Ma Hao Dong was waiting at the end of the stairs. The look on his face was clearly unhappy.

    Of course, Ma Hao Dong would be unhappy.

    Just now, he had lowered his guard after he had noticed that Long Fei''s mood does not seem right. He was kind enough to invite him in and let him have some tea.

    When he looked away for a while, this young master headed upstairs to look for his granddaughter. Judging from that look on Long Fei''s face, Ma Hao Dong could sense that his mood had turned better after seeing Su Ruan.

    Ma Hao Dong''s mood turned sour at the thought that this man had taken advantage of her granddaughter.

    "Young Master Long, why are you upstairs?"

    Long Fei quickly guessed why Ma Hao Dong had suddenly turned hostile. "Old Madam let me go upstairs to look for Su Ruan."

    Ma Hao Dong did not expect that the person who would let Long Fei upstairs would be his wife.

    Long Fei thought for a moment and spoke, "Su Ruan said she will come down in a few minutes."

    His eyes narrowed. "Then, come with me for a while. Let''s drink some tea and chat."

    Long Fei nodded before he followed the old man to the living room. The tea and snacks that Old Madam Ma had prepared for him earlier were still on the table.

    "Please, sit down," Ma Hao Dong motioned to the sofa. He watched as the young man took a seat before he sit down across from him.

    In the past, Ma Hao Dong did not dare to look at Long Fei this way. However, now that he could sense that this young master had an intention towards his granddaughter, Ma Hao Dong decided to be on guard against him.

    "Young Master Long, I have a few questions to ask you."

    His expression was calm. "Please, speak."

    "What is your intention towards my granddaughter, Su Ruan?" Ma Hao Dong straightforwardly asked. His eyes were sharp as he was watching Long Fei''s every move.

    "Old Man Ma, I won''t lie to you," Long Fei smiled. "I am currently pursuing Su Ruan."

    His answer only made Ma Hao Dong upset.

    Su Ruan had only returned to the town not too long ago. However, a certain pig had caught sight of her and was now eying his granddaughter, wanting to take her away.

    "Young Master Long, I am aware of the difference between our family," Ma Hao Dong said. "My Su Ruan is just a timid and innocent girl. I hope that you can spare my granddaughter from heartbreak."

    It was not hard for Long Fei to figure out what Su Ruan''s grandpa was trying to warn him. "Old Man Ma, I am sincere about her and had talked to Su Ruan about my intention as well. I don''t intend to play around. The moment I decided to pursue her, my intention was to make this relationship work. I wanted to date her with the intention to marry."

    Hearing these words, Ma Hao Dong''s expression changed again.

    His granddaughter knew that this man was pursuing her but she had told him that the last time they went out together, it was to discuss some work matter.

    Moreover¡­ what marry? It seemed that a certain young master was thinking too far.

    "At this time, Su Ruan had not agreed on anything."

    Ma Hao Dong''s mood was suddenly lifted up. As he had expected, his granddaughter is a smart person. She would not give in to any rascal easily.

    With this thought in his mind, Ma Hao Dong decided that he should give his granddaughter a talk. He had to warn her that she should not be swayed by any man''s words easily.

    In this society, it was the woman who always get the end of the stick.

    "But I can assure you," Long Fei continued. "Whatever happened between us in the future, I will always treat her well."

    For Long Fei, Su Ruan is the most important person.

    In the beginning, he only approached her because he knew how special her presence would mean to him. But after he had gotten closer to her, Long Fei began to realize that he might like her and this feeling was slowly spreading.

    He wanted to be with her but he could not say that Su Ruan had the same intention.

    Long Fei had decided that even if Su Ruan did not want to be with him in the end, he will always treat her well.

    "Your family will not agree to it," Ma Hao Dong reminded him.

    As a native of D Town, Ma Hao Dong was aware of the Long family''s prestige. The people who can get married into the family were not any ordinary people.

    Long Fei''s late grandmother came from an influential family. His mother too was someone from a good family. Ma Hao Dong has heard that Long Fei''s maternal grandfather was someone with a high rank in the police force.

    "The elders in my family will not mind my relationship," Long Fei said. "As long as it was with someone that I could get along with, they would not have any objection."

    Once he introduced to them that Su Ruan is the girl that he has been looking for, the elders would not dare to have any objection. After all, the most crucial matter for the family is an heir, born from the eldest son of the family with the person who had fed him with blood.

    That''s right.. From the moment that he had licked Su Ruan''s wound when they were still a child, Long Fei had sealed Su Ruan''s destiny to be his fated one.

 Chapter 129 - Shameless

    When Su Ruan came downstairs and entered the living room, she quickly found out that the atmosphere between her grandpa and Long Fei seemed a little wrong.

    Both men did not seem to realize that she had come down and was standing at the stairs, looking at them. Moreover, Su Ruan quickly realized that her grandpa was staring at Long Fei sharply.

    Her gaze shifted between the two men, wondering what they were talking about before she had appeared.

    "Grandpa?"

    Su Ruan''s voice snapped the tension between them. Ma Hao Dong blinked and the earlier look in his eyes quickly disappeared and instead, his gaze became warmer just the way he would often look at her. It made Su Ruan wonder if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

    Ma Hao Dong cleared his throat when he noticed that his granddaughter was scrutinizing him. "Su Ruan, when did you come over?"

    Just now, he was too busy intimidating a certain young master that he had failed to mind his surroundings. Ma Hao Dong was worried that his granddaughter might overhear their conversation.

    "I came over just now." Su Ruan flashed a smile. "What did the two of you talk about?"

    "Nothing much." Ma Hao Dong sent a look to Long Fei, signaling him not to say anything unnecessary. "Just something about the town."

    "Really?"

    The look on their faces was too serious to be talking about the town. Su Ruan definitely did not think that her grandpa was telling the truth.

    "Of course." Ma Hao Dong nodded but did not dare to meet his granddaughter''s eyes. He was not about to tell his granddaughter any details on his conversation with Long Fei.

    Although Long Fei had promised that he would treat Su Ruan right and will never do anything to hurt her, as Su Ruan''s grandfather, Ma Hao Dong decided to keep his guard against this young master.

    Long Fei might say that his elders would not mind his relationship, but Ma Hao Dong was not convinced.

    Ma Hao Dong simply did not want his granddaughter to suffer. After all, the girl had suffered enough as she grow up.

    Su Ruan raised a brow before she looked at Long Fei again. Clearly, she did not believe her grandpa''s words. However, she was not about to call out his bluff.

    Noticing that his granddaughter was dressed up nicely, Ma Hao Dong quickly finds this chance to change the subject. "You''re dressed up prettily today. Are you going out somewhere?"

    A faint blush appeared on her face.

    Su Ruan was worried that Long Fei would think that she had dressed up because the two of them were going out. Would he think that she was trying too hard?

    "Mmm¡­ I''m going out with Long Fei and we will have our dinner together."

    Ma Hao Dong''s expression changed upon hearing her words.

    "Grandpa, tell my mom that I won''t be having dinner at home."

    "Mmm¡­ I know. Just come back earlier. It''s not safe to be out there at night," Ma Hao Dong glanced at Long Fei, silently giving his warning.

    Although he was unhappy that his granddaughter would be going out with Long Fei, Ma Hao Dong knew that he could not stop his granddaughter.

    "Grandpa, I know. We won''t be going out for too long." Su Ruan chuckled. She turned to Long Fei and asked, "Should we go now?"

    "Alright." Long Fei stood up straight and flashed a polite smile. "Grandpa, don''t worry. I will look after Su Ruan well."

    Ma Hao Dong narrowed his eyes dangerously. When did he let this person call him ''Grandpa''? A few minutes ago, he was still addressing him as ''Old Man Ma''! Ma Hao Dong just realized that Long Fei was shameless!

    However, he did not get to vent his frustration and could only watch as his granddaughter leave with a certain rascal.

    It was amazing how his view towards a certain young master had changed. Before this, he was still being respectful towards Long Fei, knowing of his status in the town. However, everything seemed to change when he found out that this man was going after his precious granddaughter.

    His frustration towards Long Fei did not disappear even after he had left his house.

    When Lan Shi walked over, she was surprised to see the look on her husband''s face. "What''s wrong with you? Who made you so upset?"

    Ma Hao Dong finally found someone he could vent to. "It''s that boy. That young master. Do you know what he had said to me?"

    Lan Shi was still puzzled about what was going on. Just now, her husband had said that the young master''s mood seemed to be a little off and that he had gone stupid. What had he done to make her husband upset?

    "He told me that he''s going after our granddaughter!"

    "And then?" Lan Shi clearly did not think that there was any problem with this.

    "Aren''t you worried?"

    "Our granddaughter is already an adult and it was not a strange thing if she wanted to date anyone. Old Man, what are you worried about?"

    "You know that those rich people''s families are very complicated. We are only ordinary people. We cannot fight against them. I don''t want Su Ruan to suffer."

    Lan Shi chuckled. "Old Man, you are thinking too far ahead. Our granddaughter is only dating someone. It''s not like she was going to get married right away. How long did the two of them know each other?" She let out a sigh and continued, "Alright. Rather than worrying about this, maybe you should go out and look at the staff."

    Ma Hao Dong wanted to continue and discuss Su Ruan''s future, however, his wife had quickly driven him out of the kitchen and urged him to continue his work.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan was peeking at the man beside her as she sat in the passenger''s seat. She could not stop thinking about the strange mood between Long Fei and her grandpa. Su Ruan was curious to know what was the two of them had discussed and why did her grandpa seemed as if Long Fei had made him upset.

    "Miss Su, do you find it enjoyable to stare at me?"

    His question snapped her out of her trance. Su Ruan''s face turned red, realizing that she was caught staring at him.

    Su Ruan let out a cough. "I wasn''t staring. I was just thinking."

    "About me?" He turned at her for a brief second with a teasing smile on his face.

    Her eyes narrowed as she wondered if this man was trying to flirt with her again. "What were you talking about with my grandpa?"

    "Are you curious?"

 Chapter 130 - Lets... Date

    Su Ruan wondered if this was supposed to be a trick question. However, her curiosity made her nod. "Of course."

    "Your Grandpa¡­ he wanted to know what is my intention towards you," Long Fei did not try to hide his conversation with her grandpa.

    Her eyes flickered. Su Ruan certainly did not expect that they would be discussing this matter. Her thoughts went back to that night when her grandpa had caught her returning home late at night after she went to that carnival with Long Fei.

    She had explained that she went out with Long Fei to discuss work. But it seemed that her grandpa did not believe her words.

    "Do you want to know what was my answer?"

    Su Ruan had a premonition. This person wouldn''t say anything that would embarrass her, right?

    "What did you say to Grandpa?"

    His smile widened. "I told him that I am pursuing you."

    Her heart skipped a beat. She now understood why her grandpa''s expression was too dark when he looked at Long Fei.

    All of a sudden, Su Ruan was too embarrassed to return home and meet her grandpa.

    The car was pulled over at the side road and Long Fei put on the hazard light signal. Then, he turned to face her and put on a serious look on his face. "Su Ruan."

    "Huh?"

    Their gazes met and her heartbeat accelerated. His eyes were too intense. The moment she looked into his eyes, she was in a trance and had no chance to look away.

    "I am very serious and sincere. I like you."

    Something was somersaulting in her stomach, making her anxious.

    Although this was not the first time that he had said such words, her heart was touched. The feeling he gave was the same as the first time that he had said that he liked her.

    "Would you consider dating me with marriage in mind?"

    Marriage? It was not long ago that he told her that he wanted to get to know her. How did he suddenly think of marriage?

    Su Ruan thought if she allowed Long Fei to speak again, she might as well get a heart attack due to many stimulations.

    "You... you don''t think that it was too early to think of marriage?"

    Because she was too shy, her voice became softer, tickling the heart of the person in front of her.

    "If I planned to date you without considering marriage, then I would be a scum." Long Fei smiled. "Su Ruan, I have never dated before and have no experience in dating. However, now that I decided to take this step, I don''t want to do something that would waste your time."

    Her heart fluttered. It would be a lie to say that she was not touched.

    Thinking of her previous one-way feelings towards Yu Zhi Yi made her wonder just how much time she had wasted. It was indeed nice to have Long Fei speak out about his intention and goals.

    If they both know what they wanted and aimed for, they would not be wasting their time.

    Su Ruan pondered over his question seriously. His gaze was still on her as he was waiting for her to give her an answer.

    She was not sure just how much she liked him at this time but the thought of being together with him did not make her uncomfortable.

    "Okay."

    Her heart was telling her that she should take a chance and leap into this new relationship. She had decided to stop divulging into her relationship with Yu Zhi Yi that would never work and it was time to give her a chance to be happier.

    Since Long Fei wanted to be given this chance, then she should trust him.

    "Let''s... date." Su Ruan spoke again.

    Long Fei blinked. Even though he tried to suppress it, his lips could not stop stretching into a smile. He wanted to ask for her confirmation, to ask if she was sure of her answer. However, he was afraid that Su Ruan would reconsider and change her mind.

    His hand stretched out to hold hers. Then, he leaned over and planted a kiss on the back of her hand. A glint flashed in his eyes upon seeing her shy look.

    "You have said it. Su Ruan, you are not allowed to change your mind."

    "I know. What kind of person do you think I am? Since I have said it, I won''t take it back."

    Long Fei laughed. He stared at the person in front of him for a long time, suppressing the happiness that wanted to burst out. If it was not because he was afraid of scaring her, Long Fei would long pull her into his embrace again.

    Once he began to calm down, Long Fei turned around and continued to drive again.

    With Long Fei no longer staring at her, Su Ruan finally had time to take a deep breath and calm down.

    After giving out her answer, her heart was surprisingly calm. Everything felt right. Su Ruan thought that she had made the right decision.

    If Ma Hao Dong knew that his conversation with Long Fei had led his granddaughter to agree to date this man, he would definitely be furious.

    Su Ruan glanced at the person beside her and an amusing thought came to her mind.

    This person is now... her boyfriend.

    The realization made her smile. Su Ruan turned to look at the scenery outside the window to avoid meeting his gaze and let her thoughts be exposed.

    After a few seconds, she could not help but peek at him. Seeing the smile on his face made her laugh.

    It turned out that this person is kind of... cute.

    "What are you laughing at?"

    Su Ruan coughed. "Nothing." She immediately bit back the smile on her face. "Are you in a better mood now?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Just now, when you came to my place, you seemed to be in a bad mood," Su Ruan pointed out. "Are you feeling better?"

    "Mhm...." After meeting this girl and having her agree to go steady with him, how could he think of his argument with his father any more?

 Chapter 131 - A Fight Between Dragons

    After going out almost half a day with Su Ruan, Long Fei finally returned to the residence.

    There was a bright smile on his face and he was clearly in a very good mood after the girl had agreed to be in a relationship with him.

    However, contrary to his good mood, the residence seemed to be in chaos.

    When he finally showed up at his courtyard, his cousin, Long Yu Heng quickly walked over to him with an anxious look on his face.

    "Ah Fei, where did you go?" Long Yu Heng asked. "I have been looking for you for a while."

    Long Fei looked around and noticed that there were a few people around him. He let out a cough and spoke, "What''s wrong? Why are you looking for me?"

    Seeing his cousin''s carefree mood made him a little helpless. "Why are you in such a good mood?"

    "Why can''t I be in a good mood?" Long Fei looked at the man strangely.

    "I heard that you were arguing with your father again," Long Yu Heng pointed out. "I thought that you would be in a bad mood."

    As the person who has been staying by Long Fei''s side the longest, Long Yu Heng understood his cousin the most. Each time that Long Fei had an argument with his father, his bad mood would last for a few days.

    How can it be possible that he would return in a good mood after a few hours?

    Long Yu Heng was suddenly curious to know what had happened.

    "I went out and cleared my mind." He walked over to his room and poured himself some water. "I feel better after spending some time by the lake for a while."

    Long Yu Heng naturally did not believe this nonsense. However, this was not the time to think about this matter. "No. Ah Fei, something terrible had happened. Your mother left."

    "Where did she go to?"

    "She left," Long Yu Heng repeated urgently. "I heard that she had an argument with your father and left. This time, she said she is not going to return."

    Long Yu Heng was out to deal with a few matters. When he returned home, he saw that everyone in the house was in a panic.

    In the garden, the pot was scattered and broken. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed as if a big fight had broke in this place.

    However, this was Long''s mansion. Who would dare to fight in this place?

    Long Fei finally realized the seriousness of this matter.

    Now that his mother had left, his father''s condition would not be that good, right?

    As someone who had to be apart from his other half for years, Long Fei understood the feeling very well. The torturous feeling was something that Long Fei had experienced from his childhood. His father only had experienced this for a few hours. As he was used to having his mother around, his condition should be very bad.

    Long Fei was suddenly reminded of his grandfather''s condition the first few years after his grandmother had passed away. His grandfather had to live in the lake water for a few months and only came out once in a while. The people around them had thought that he had gone to another town for a vacation as he was too upset after his wife had left him.

    He could almost imagine his father''s irritation without his wife by his side. He wanted to say that his father deserved this. However, he was still worried¡­ especially for his mother.

    "Where is he? My father?"

    "He went to the lake to calm down." Long Yu Heng watched his cousin''s reaction anxiously. Seeing that Long Fei finally turned around, he finally heaved a breath of relief.

    Long Fei headed to the lake and stood at the wooden platform. After a while, he jumped in and swum deeply into the water.

    A large dragon almost the same size as he was swimming deep underwater. His movement was fast and sharp. It was not hard for Long Fei to figure out that his father was very upset. Even after swimming around for a while, he was still unable to calm down.

    Sensing his presence, the dragon finally stopped moving. Turning around, Long Chen then faced his son with an angry look on his face.

    Deep under the water, away from human''s eyes, the two dragons were looking at each other face to face. Their appearance and the scales on their body was almost very similar.

    "What are you doing here?" Long Chen asked.

    "Checking on you." Long Fei said.

    "I don''t need your concern." Long Chen swam away, wanting to get away from his son. Looking at his face would remind him of the reason his wife chose to leave.

    If it was not for defending this stinky brat, would his wife choose to leave?

    Checking on him?

    Long Chen snickered. This person definitely came over to laugh at him. How could he be so kind to check on him?

    "I heard that my mother had left and returned to her maternal family," Long Fei said.

    His expression turned darker. Just as he had thought. His son definitely came to laugh at him.

    "When are you going to bring my mother back?"

    He stopped on his track and turned to look at his son again. "Your mother would definitely return when she had enough fun outside."

    "Only you would think that my mother was going out to have fun," Long Fei sneered. "Don''t think I don''t know what..."

    Long Fei''s words were left unfinished.

    Long Chen suddenly grew impatient and swiped his tails and hit his son, causing him to be thrown away for a few meters.

    On the surface, Long Yu Heng watched as the water rippled with worry. Just looking at the movement of the water made him grow scared.

    Fortunately, it was nighttime and there was no one around the lake. It would be dangerous if any human was affected by their fight. A fight between dragons was something that a human like him would not be able to handle.

    Long Fei groaned as he bore with the pain. His eyes turned darker as he looked at his father again "With your bad temper, of course, my mother would leave you."

    "Long Fei!"

    "Initially, I came to offer my help and talk to my mother. But now, I have changed my mind." Long Fei chuckled..  "Father, you deserved this."

 Chapter 132 - The Elders Plan

    Seeing that Long Fei had come out of the water, Long Yu Heng followed him until they reached his courtyard. When they arrived at the courtyard, Long Yu Heng was surprised to see the huge bruise on his cousin''s body.

    Instantly, he was reminded of the big ripple on the water earlier. "Ah Fei, what''s wrong?"

    "Just help me to get some ointment. It will be fine."

    Turning around, Long Yu Heng walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out the medicine kit. He found the ointment and looked at the injury again.

    The wound was still fresh and it was looking very scary.

    Without saying a word, Long Fei began to massage the injury on his body. His brow furrowed as he bear with the pain.

    "Ah Fei, it seemed very bad. Perhaps if you go and see Miss Su¡­"

    "No." Long Fei quickly shot his cousin a warning look. "If I heal too quickly, my dad would notice something. I still wanted to keep Su Ruan a secret from them. Yu Heng, you cannot say anything about her to the elders."

    Long Yu Heng nodded. His gaze was still on the reddened bruise. The more he looked at it, the more he felt distressed. "Ah Fei, what happened down there?"

    "What else?" Long Fei sneered. "That old man was too stubborn to listen. I thought I was going to help him. But now, he has to coax my mother himself."

    His lips pursed into a thin line. After being around this cousin and watching how the father and son had interacted, Long Yu Heng believed that it was not solely his elder uncle''s fault.

    The father and son could not communicate well. Each time they saw each other, they would throw gunpowder at each other.

    Previously, his eldest aunt was around and could help them to calm down. But now that she had decided to return to her family¡­

    Long Yu Heng could imagine that the father and son''s relationship will only get worst.

    As the thought came to his mind, Long Yu Heng made a note to go and find the Old Master to discuss some matters. Someone will have to talk to the eldest aunt and coax her to come back.

    Otherwise, if the father and son continued to fight like this, perhaps they might lose a place to live in. Who knew how aggressive a fight between them can be.

    After helping Long Fei to apply some ointment, Long Yu Heng finally left the room.

    Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, Long Yu Heng was surprised to find his father already waiting for him.

    "How is Ah Fei?" Long Lan asked as he peeked into the room. "Is he alright?"

    Long Yu Heng let out a heavy breath. "Dad, someone needs to talk to Eldest Aunt and convince her to come back. Otherwise, the situation will only get worst. Just now, their fight was too intense and Ah Fei was injured."

    "It''s not that I don''t want to help. However your grandfather had given the order that we shouldn''t interfere with your Eldest Uncle''s matter," Long Lan said. "Your grandfather¡­ he wanted your uncle to learn from his mistake. After that fight earlier, I don''t think that your grandfather would be softhearted."

    Initially, it wouldn''t be so difficult to talk to the Old Master. But once he heard that the father and son were fighting underwater, the Old Master''s expression turned uglier. No one dared to get close and talk to him.

    A deep frown appeared on his face as he recalled overhearing the elders'' plan for Long Fei earlier. It seemed that it would be better if his eldest sister-in-law was not present. Otherwise, she would be furious as well.

    "Why are all the dragons are too hot-tempered and unreasonable?" Long Yu Heng could not help but mutter.

    "That girl. Ah Fei''s fated one¡­ is there any news about her?"

    "Dad, you also knew that the incident happened during his childhood," Long Yu Heng made an excuse. "It would be difficult to find her especially since we don''t have that much information about her."

    Long Lan heaved a heavy sigh. It would be better if Long Fei find the girl quickly. Otherwise, the elders would take advantage of this situation and this would only make Long Fei unhappy.

    Seeing that his son was about to turn around and leave, Long Lan hesitated for a few seconds before he spoke, "Yu Heng¡­ You have to stay around Ah Fei and help him to calm down."

    Long Yu Heng nodded. But soon, he began to feel that something does not feel right with his father''s words. "Dad, what''s going on?"

    "Nothing." Long Lan hesitated. "You should know the reason why your Eldest Uncle and Ah Fei got into an argument in the first place, right?"

    "I know." Long Yu Heng nodded.

    After he returned to the house, he had asked around and heard the nature of the father and son''s argument.

    The elders grew impatient after Long Fei had failed to bring back his fated one. Without an heir to continue the bloodline, the elders were worried about their future and wealth.

    They were thinking that, even if Long Fei could not find his fated one, he should be married to a girl from a reputable family. This way, even if they could no longer continue to have the dragon''s power, at least their family would still be well off.

    When Long Yu Heng heard those words, he too was angry.

    The elders were too controlling and his Eldest Uncle would listen to them.

    Sometimes, Long Yu Heng thought that Long Fei is too pitiful. Although he was said to be powerful, he still needed to listen to the elders well. The dragon''s power seemed to be useless and it only allow others to make use of him.

    Ah Fei was right. There was nothing good with this blood.

    "I really don''t know what was Grandfather and Eldest Uncle are thinking," Long Yu Heng said. "If only they told Ah Fei earlier that he have this choice, Ah Fei would not be this angry."

    Long Lan''s lips curled into a helpless sigh. "Yu Heng, this is a secret between us, but I heard that in a few days the elders are planning to introduce him to a few girls."

    Long Yu Heng looked at his father in surprise. "What?"

 Chapter 133 - Up To No Good

    "Ah Fei, are you not going to bring Miss Su to the house soon," Long Yu Heng spoke as he watched Long Fei read some documents on his tablet. "If you tell them that you have found the person, wouldn''t it be easier?"

    After his father had mentioned to him about the elder''s intention, Long Yu Heng was unable to sit still. In the past few days, Long Yu Heng has been worrying about this matter so much that he was starting to lose his sleep.

    However, a certain someone was too relaxed. While he was still worrying about the future, Long Fei continued to read his files as if there was nothing worth worrying about at all.

    This was making him frustrated. Long Yu Heng was starting to worry that sooner or later, he might be getting indigestion.

    "Why are you worrying too much?" Long Fei raised a brow and chuckled.

    "How can I not worry? You know very well what the elders wanted to do," Long Yu Heng pointed out.

    Moreover, according to his father, the elders were setting up a blind date for Long Fei and he could not throw him any hint.

    "As long as I don''t agree, do you think anything would happen?" Long Fei chuckled. "I am not like my father. I won''t blindly listen to their words. Besides, I have something else planned."

    Long Yu Heng was about to ask his plan when Long Fei''s phone on the table chimed. He watched as the man picked up the phone and read the message.

    He didn''t know what was written in the message but Long Yu Heng was dumbfounded upon seeing the bright smile on his cousin''s face.

    After pondering about this matter for a while, Long Yu Heng thought that there was only one person who could make Long Fei''s mood turn better.

    Recently, Long Yu Heng was too busy running around that he did not have time to ask Long Fei some important questions.

    "Ah Fei, how is your relationship with Miss Su? Did you make any further progress?"

    The last time they went for a swim, Long Yu Heng caught the sight of a certain someone taking advantage of the girl. Afterward, he had not heard anything else.

    Long Fei snorted. He put down the phone on the table with the screen facing down. "You don''t need to know this." Long Fei was not planning to tell his cousin that they were now dating. He leaned forward and pulled some documents. "Yu Heng, I need your help with something."

    Long Yu Heng rolled his eyes, wondering if this was Long Fei''s attempt to change the subject.

    However, as Long Fei pushed the documents to him, Long Yu Heng''s expression began to change again. The first few words on the documents caught his eyes. Quickly, he reached for the documents and read their contents carefully.

    The more he read, the more agitated he became. "Ah Fei, what is this?"

    Long Yu Heng knew what he was reading but still, the contents in the documents were too surprising for him that he was having a hard time reacting.

    "It is what you have read," Long Fei said. "I have told you earlier¡­ I won''t let the elders control my fate. I will take control of everything before they can do anything to me."

    Long Yu Heng looked at the documents again. His hands trembled slightly as he thought of what Long Fei was planning to do next.

    The elders wanted to take control of Long Fei''s life s that they can continue living in luxury. However, Long Fei was now planning to take what they wanted the most and take control of everything.

    "Yu Heng, I hope that I can trust you to keep the secret."

    His eyes flickered. Long Yu Heng stood up straight and looked at his cousin again with his resolute eyes. "Since I have decided to follow you, Ah Fei, I won''t betray your trust."

    Once he finished those words, Long Yu Heng realized that he was keeping some secret from Long Fei as well. Long Yu Heng hesitated, wondering if he should tell Long Fei about what the elders were planning to do.

    After weighing his decision for a while, Long Yu Heng decided to speak. "Ah Fei, actually, there''s something that I haven''t told you yet."

    "What is it?" Long Fei raised a brow.

    "I heard that the elders and your father are planning to arrange blind dates for you."

    His gaze flickered. He then shot a dangerous look at Long Yu Heng. "Blind dates?"

    Long Yu Heng noticed trembled when he noticed that Long Fei''s pupil had changed into a vertical slit. It was not hard to guess that Long Fei was now furious.

    He began to wonder if it was a good decision to tell Long Fei about the elders'' arrangement. Previously, his father had reminded him that he cannot let Long Fei know about this matter.

    There was a brief silence between them. However, Long Fei had suddenly laughed, scaring Long Yu Heng further.

    "Now I remember," Long Fei spoke after a while. "I heard that my father is planning to organize a banquet in a few days. This was not an ordinary banquet. He''s planning with the elders to set me up." A dry chuckle escaped him. "I have always thought that it was strange when my father had suddenly agreed to this banquet with my mother away. It turned out that he had his reason."

    "Ah Fei," Long Yu Heng hesitated again. Taking a deep breath, he then decided to tell what was on his mind. "I am afraid that if you don''t show up on that day, the elders will only make it difficult for you. This banquet is an event that you should attend."

    The corner of his lips turned into a smile. "Who said I was not going to show up? If this is what the elders want, then I have to attend."

    Long Yu Heng frowned. Just a while ago, someone was saying that he did not want to give in to the elders and follow blindly. What happened now?

    However, Long Yu Heng soon found out that Long Fei was not planning to be obedient after all.. Just looking at the glint in his eyes, Long Yu Heng could guess that his cousin was up to no good.

 Chapter 134 - Underground Relationship

    In the evening, Su Ruan hopped on her cousin''s pickup truck and headed to the town center. Ma Yu Xi parked nearby the teahouse that she had visited previously with Long Fei before and turned around, seemingly heading to another place.

    "Yu Xi, are you not going to come with me?" Su Ruan asked when she noticed that her cousin was not heading in the same direction.

    "Sister Ruan, you go ahead." Ma Yu XI flashed her a teasing smile. "I won''t come with you and be the third wheel."

    Su Ruan chuckled. "Are you sure?"

    "I''m going to the store to pick up something that my mom asked to get," Ma Yu Xi said. "Just call me when you''re done. I''ll come over and meet you here."

    Su Ruan did not try to convince her cousin again. Seeing that Ma Yu Xi had left, Su Ruan turned around and walked into the teashop.

    As her last visit, this time, the teashop was still as quiet as it was before. A staff greeted her at the entrance and led her to a private room once she gave her name.

    When she walked into the room, Long Fei was already waiting for her inside.

    Seeing the smile on his face made her blush. Su Ruan took off her jacket and sit down across him. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

    "No. I just arrived a couple of minutes before you." Long Fei picked up the teapot and poured her some tea. "Your cousin did not come over with you?"

    "Mmm¡­ She said she''s running a few errands." Su Ruan took a sip from the tea and instantly, the fresh and fragrant taste coated her mouth. When she looked up again, Long Fei was still watching her with a hot gaze, making her shy.

    The staff walked over and left the room after taking their order of food.

    Su Ruan cleared her throat and leaned over, "Mr. Long, why are we meeting secretly like this?"

    Previously, Long Fei would show up at the orchard to pick her up. But now that she had agreed to date him, Long Fei had asked to meet at the town center.

    Su Ruan did not mind much about this arrangement. But seeing the man''s face made her want to tease him a little bit.

    As she said those words, Su Ruan was suddenly reminded of Ma Yu Xi''s remark the other day. "Tell me, are you keeping me as an underground girlfriend?"

    Long Fei laughed. "Underground girlfriend? You really have too much imagination." He pretended to be in deep thought and continued, "These days, the elders from my family are keeping their eyes on me. Hmm¡­ You are probably right. I am trying to keep you a secret."

    Su Ruan did not know whether this man was joking or telling her the truth. After all, she did not understand much about his family. Su Ruan had only heard a little bit from her cousin that his family was quite complicated. But aren''t all rich families like that?

    "You don''t want your family to know about me?" Su Ruan decided to play along.

    The smile on his face widened. "The moment my family knows about your existence, I will be forced to bring you home. Su Ruan, are you ready to meet my elders and the rest of my family members?"

    Her heartbeat accelerated just at the thought of meeting his family members.

    They only went to a few dates previously. Of course, she was not ready to meet his family. Meeting his family would signify that they were ready to enter another stage of their relationship, right? At this time, she was still in the process of getting to know him.

    Su Ruan was still in disbelief that she was dating someone like Long Fei. After all, the two of them were living in a different world. How would she dare to face his elders?

    "If you agree, then, I will arrange a meeting with my elders," Long Fei continued. "After all, I am not getting younger and my elders are getting anxious."

    Su Ruan coughed. "It''s too early to be talking about this."

    Long Fei merely smiled as he was enjoying the shy look on her face.

    A while later, the staff returned with their order of food. The two of them continued to chat about various things as they ate their meal.

    Mostly, it was Long Fei who asked Su Ruan about her writing.

    The phone in Su Ruan''s bag chimed. Su Ruan picked up and looked at the messages that her friend, Lin Qing had sent to her. A frown appeared on her face when she recalled that she will need to head to Capital City again.

    The editor from the previous company that she had worked at had wanted to introduce her to another company. Even though it was a freelance writing job, the company wanted to meet her and discuss a few things.

    Later, she will have to attend Yu Zhi Yi''s wedding as his best woman.

    These past few days, Yu Zhi Yi had texted and reminded her that she needed to come over and choose her outfit.

    However, Su Ruan was still undecided about her living arrangement. Initially, she wanted to crash in at Lin Qing''s place. But on the day that she was heading to Capital City, Lin Qing would not be around as she was going outstation with her boss.

    "Is there a problem?" Long Fei asked upon noticing that the girl has been staring at her phone with a frown on her face for a long time.

    Su Ruan tapped her reply to Lin Qing and placed her phone on her side. Thinking that the person in front of her was her boyfriend, Su Ruan decided to tell him the truth. "It''s just that, I''m planning to head to Capital City in a few weeks."

    "You''re moving away from D Town?" Long Fei could not hide his surprise.

    "No. I''ll be going there for a few weeks. You remember my friend that we met at the carnival right?" She lowered her gaze to pick up a few dishes. "He''s getting married and I''m supposed to show up as his best woman."

    "His best woman?"

    Su Ruan shrugged. "Well, we have been friends for years. That''s right. He told me that I should bring my boyfriend to his wedding as my plus one."

    The last time they ran into Yu Zhi Yi at the carnival, Long Fei had introduced himself as her boyfriend. Yu Zhi Yi thought she was dating him and had invited him to his wedding as well.

    Su Ruan smiled. "Mr. Long, do you want to accompany me to this wedding?"

    "Alright. Just tell me when are you heading to Capital City. I''ll accompany you." He could always visit the company and deal with some work while meeting Su Ruan''s best friend as well.

    His eyes narrowed at the thought of meeting those troublesome people at the wedding.

    Long Fei looked up again.. "If you haven''t made any arrangement, then, I can arrange everything for you."

 Chapter 135 - Blind Date

    After discussing with Long Fei for a while, Su Ruan agreed to head to Capital City together with Long Fei. The man offered to book the flight and let her stay at the same hotel as his.

    Initially, Su Ruan was still reluctant to let Long Fei arrange everything for him. However, the man argued that he was now her boyfriend and Su Ruan had eventually agreed.

    Thinking that the two of them would be heading to Capital City together made her a little excited. It gave her a feeling of going on a trip with her boyfriend. Su Ruan had never done anything like this before.

    But once she thought about attending Yu Zhi Yi''s wedding, Su Ruan''s mood began to plummet again. She could not imagine how it was going to be if she was attending that wedding with Long Fei.

    Would Long Fei know what her secret?

    Fortunately, there will be some time before they would head to Capital City. Su Ruan decided to use this time to slowly prepare herself.

    The two of them stayed at the teahouse for a while to chat and eat. Seeing that it was almost time to go back, Su Ruan texted her cousin and gathered her belonging.

    "Su Ruan."

    Su Ruan stood up and was about to leave when she heard her name. She turned around and saw that the man was behind her. His eyes were staring back at her with his hot gaze. Her heartbeat accelerated as she wondered about what was about to happen next.

    They were dating and she had prepared herself that there was going to be some intimacy between them.

    "Tomorrow, I might be busy with work," Long Fei said. "I might not be able to look at the phone. But, I will contact you again once I''m done."

    Su Ruan exhaled and quickly combed her hair with her fingers, trying to stay calm. She could not help but scold herself for having some strange thought earlier.

    "I understand," Su Ruan lowered her gaze. "You''re a busy person. Just text me when you are free."

    Long Fei chuckled when he looked at her expression. He did not know what was going on in her mind, but the expression on her face was too adorable.

    "I should go now. My cousin should be waiting for me downstairs," Su Ruan flashed an awkward smile.

    She turned around again, but this time, she was stopped again when Long Fei had pulled her arms. Her body twirled until she was facing him. Before she figured out what was going on, the man''s lips fell on hers into a brief kiss.

    Long Fei smiled when he pulled away. "Well, don''t forget to text me when you arrive home."

    Su Ruan stared at the man in a daze before she nodded. When she turned around, Su Ruan clenched her hand on her bag and made her escape.

    Seeing the way Su Ruan was in a hurry to leave made him laugh. However, once the girl was no longer in his view, Long Fei''s expression began to change again.

    Thinking about the elders'' plan for him tomorrow made his gaze turn darker.

    ¡­.

    Early in the morning, the people in Long''s residence were busy running around back and forth to prepare a small banquet.

    It was said that they will be receiving an important guest from the city. Seeing that the elders were very enthusiastic to receive this guest, everyone in the house could only work hard to make sure that everything will be perfect.

    Standing beside the window in his room, Long Fei was watching everyone''s movement. The corner of his lips tilted into a sneer as he watched his father and a few elders were discussing some matter.

    Just outside his courtyard, a few men were standing on guard as per his father''s instruction.

    His father had told him that this banquet was held to welcome their future business partner.  However, he was still sending a few of his men to guard him to prevent him from escaping.

    It was just a blind date. Must the elders do this much to control him?

    Long Fei could not help but think that this situation was a little funny.

    A knock was heard coming from the door. Long Fei turned around and watched his cousin, Long Yu Heng entered his room with an anxious look on his face.

    "Have you found out what I asked you to do?" Long Fei asked.

    Long Yu Heng shut the door behind him and walked to the desk. He placed the document in his hand and spoke, "I heard from my father that the elders had invited the Chu family to join this banquet. The Chu family brought along their daughter, Chu Ying."

    As he listened to Long Yu Heng''s words, Long Fei took the documents on his table and read the information about his blind date.

    The Chu family was a very reputable family in the business industry. They had a long history and had stable growth in the business world.

    After the Old Master Chu passed away, Chu''s family''s business had deteriorated and Chu Ying''s father was working very hard to stabilize the business. However, it was not that easy as he had to face his siblings who were eyeing the top position in the company.

    To strengthen his position in the company, Chu Ying''s father was planning to use his daughter''s marriage to get someone with powerful backing to support him.

    It seemed that both the elders in his family and the Chu family were both planning to use each other.

    The Chu family was not that good.

    Long Fei''s eyes narrowed.

    It was not that hard to guess the elders'' intention. The only reason they were willing to work with them was that they were hoping to control him through this marriage.

    "Ah Fei, are you sure you wanted to attend this banquet?" Long Yu Heng asked when he notice that his cousin has been quiet for a long time.

    Long Fei stared at the photograph of the blind date that Long Yu Heng had brought for him and chuckled.. "Of course, I should go. If I didn''t go, how will I enjoy the fun?"

 Chapter 136 - The Chu Family

    Long Fei was browsing a few documents in his room when someone came to his door. His grandfather''s assistant arrived and announced that he should go to the main hall to welcome their guest.

    With a faint smile on his lips, Long Fei walked out of his room as if he was in a good mood.

    However, Long Yu Heng who has been spending years by his side knew best what was going on in this man''s mind right now. The gentle look on Lon Fei''s face was not gentle at all. In his opinion, the look on Long Fei''s face was as if he was preparing for a bloodbath.

    Once they arrived at the main hall, Long Fei looked around at the lively atmosphere. There were a few familiar faces in the hall but Long Fei knew that they were invited solely to trick him into attending this banquet.

    The moment he appeared, everyone in the room looked up and started to whisper. The atmosphere in the room turned livelier.

    Long Fei swept his gaze around and finally found his father at the corner with an older man. The two of them were chatting amiably.

    Because Long Yu Heng had already helped to investigate the Chu family, Long Fei quickly recognized the old man as Chu Xuan Yuan, his blind date''s father.

    His eyes narrowed as he gave the older man a look over.

    As if sensing his gaze, Chu Xuan Yuan looked up. His eyes flickered with joy when he saw Long Fei.

    At the same time, Long Chen was looking at his son with his scrutinizing gaze.

    He had thought that his son would cause a scene and it would take time to drag him over to this banquet. Seeing that this person had obediently shown up, Long Chen could not help but be suspicious.

    As he met his father''s gaze, Long Fei walked over and greeted him. "Father."

    Those who never knew about the father and son''s relationship would think that they were very close.

    His eyes narrowed. Long Chen wanted to ask his son what was he up to but with the guests around them, he could only hold back his temper. "You''re here." Sensing that someone was looking at him, Long Chen cleared his throat and spoke, "Ah Fei, let me introduce you. This is Chu Xuan Yuan, the chairman of Chu Industry. Chairman Chu, this is my son, Long Fei."

    Chu Xuan Yuan''s expression brightened. He stretched his hand and shook hand with Long Fei. Knowing the purpose of the banquet, Chu Yuan Xuan gave his potential son-in-law a look over and smiled. It seemed that he was very satisfied with the man''s appearance.

    "It''s an honor to finally meet you, President Long," Chu Xuan Yuan spoke. "I have always heard your father talked about you previously."

    Long Fei smiled before he shifted his gaze to his father. His brow shot up he wonder if his father has been having this idea of an arranged marriage for a long time now.

    "Father, I''m surprised to hear that you would be talking about me."

    Long Chen leaned over and whispered, "Ah Fei, don''t make trouble."

    "Isn''t this just a banquet to welcome your business partner? What sort of trouble do you think I can make." Long Fei chuckled. "Father, was your expectation towards me that low?"

    As if sensing the tension between the father and son, Long Yuan appeared at the side along with a few elders with him.

    "Ah Fei," Long Yuan looked at his grandson with worry. Seeing that he doesn''t seem to be in a bad mood, Long Yuan finally heaved in relief. "Since you are here, I will let them serve some food." He turned to his guest and spoke, "Chairman Chu, let''s go over to the dining room."

    "Alright," Chu Xuan Yuan quickly agreed.

    Long Yuan led the guest to the dining room.

    Once the group was farther enough, Long Chen turned to his son again. "What are you up to?"

    Long Fei chuckled. "Father, I don''t understand. This banquet was something that you and the elders had planned. That question¡­ was what I should be asking. Father, what are you up to."

    Seeing his son''s expression only makes his blood boil. Long Chen grew frustrated at the way his son was behaving but he had no way to talk to him at this time and place.

    "This banquet is very important to our family, " Long Chen said. "Whatever it is that you wanted to do or say, I would appreciate it if you could do it once the guest had gone back."

    Long Fei smiled but did not say anything.

    Soon, the father and son headed into the dining room as well.

    Long Fei stood at the entrance as he watched everyone''s movement. The elders quickly took a seat and soon, only one spot was left for him.

    His lips turned into a smile upon seeing the young lady seated at the table. Their gazes met and the girl lowered her eyes shyly.

    Her parents had mentioned that they were going to Long''s residence to set up her marriage with the Young Master of the Long family.

    Chu Ying had heard many things about Long Fei and was determined that the guy was not her taste. After all, it was widely known that Long Fei was a cold and boring person. Other than work and his company, the man did not have any other interests.

    However, now that she was seeing him face to face, Chu Ying began to change her mind. To be married to a handsome and rich man. How can it be a bad thing? As for their feelings, they can be slowly cultivated, right?

    "Ah Fei, what are you doing standing around?" One of the elders spoke. "Quickly take a seat. The food is about to be served soon."

    Long Fei shot the elder a look until his face turned pale. Then, he walked over to his seat and sit down.

    "Ah Fei, this young lady is called Chu Ying," Another elder introduced. "She is Chairman Chu''s daughter. I see that the two of you were around the same age and thought that there were a lot of things you can talk about together. After all, the two of you shared the same interest."

    Chu Ying lowered her head shyly. "President Long, hello."

    Long Fei glanced at the person beside him and smiled. "Really? My Miss Chu, my elders think that we shared the same interest. Then I supposed that you would like to discuss the current world economy with me."

    Instantly, the girl''s face turned paler. She was someone who liked to play around with her group of friends all day. What did she know about the world economy?

    "If that is not what you are interested in, then how about discussing which pub and club are the best in Capital City?"

    The atmosphere suddenly turned silent.

 Chapter 137 - Is He Still An Adult?

    Sensing his father''s gaze, Long Fei looked around and flashed a smile at the people around him. "What''s wrong? Why did everyone stop eating? Is there something wrong with this question?"

    Of course, from Long Yu Heng''s investigation, Long Fei had already learned that Miss Chu Ying was someone who liked to hang out with her friends and loved to spend her time partying too much. Each night, she would be visiting various nightclubs and pubs. It seemed that this was well-known information among the socialite in their city.

    Long Fei thought that it would be fun to tease everyone and looked at their reaction. Who would have thought that the elders would be making such a big reaction?

    "My grandfather used to say that I worked too much and I should take some time out to relax," Long Fei said. He turned to his grandfather and smiled. "Isn''t that right, grandfather?"

    Long Yuan coughed and looked away from meeting his grandson''s eyes.

    "I just thought that Miss Chu would be able to help me decide. The next time I came to visit your city, I planned to look at the clubs around to relax."

    Chu Xuan Yuan laughed to lighten up the mood around the dining room. "That''s right. President Long, when you come over to our city, my daughter will definitely bring you around to relax. She knows a lot of interesting places in the city."

    Hearing his words, everyone in the dining room began to laugh as well. The elders agreed with Chu Xuan Yuan''s words and urged Long Fei to contact Chu Ying again.

    However, Long Chen continued to send his son a warning gaze. As the father, Long Chen knew well that his question was never a coincidence. Someone had mentioned this blind date to him and he had investigated the Chu''s family.

    Worried that Long Fei was going to create chaos again, the elders decided not to say anything lest he would embarrass their guest.

    This time, the elders shifted their focus to Chu Xuan Yuan and his wife, trying their best to please them.

    After all, they needed to win his heart before they could match Long Fei with his daughter. As long as they had a good relationship with Chu Xuan Yuan, perhaps it would be easier for them to control Long Fei in the future.

    Long Fei watched everyone around the table with a delighted look on his face.

    These people were too busy pleasing each other with polite words. He could not help but wonder how will the elders reacted once they found out what he had planned for them.

    Just thinking about it made the smile on his face widen.

    As they were having their meal, a servant walked over and stopped by Long Chen''s side. He leaned over and whispered a few words. Soon, Long Chen''s expression began to change.

    Seeing how quickly his father''s face had changed drastically made him happier.

    Long Chen shot an angry look at his son. Then, without saying anything, he stood up and walked out of the dining room.

    Everyone around the table began to whisper upon seeing how the man had behaved.

    Just as Long Chen was about to arrive at the door, a familiar person appeared in front of him. His movement halted and his eyes flickered. "Qin Ruo, when did you get home?"

    Qin Ruo stood at the door while observing everyone in the dining room. The smile on her face widened the moment she saw the guests seated around the table.

    Long Chen cleared his throat. "Qin Ruo why are you here? Didn''t you say that you will be staying at your parents'' place for a few days?"

    Qin Ruo turned to her husband and flashed a bright smile at him. "Are you not happy that I decided to return?"

    "That is not what I meant."

    Qin Ruo shifted her gaze towards the people around the dining table. "What is this gathering for? Hubby, you invited guests to the house and you did not tell me about it? As your wife, how can I not know anything when you invited such an important guest?" She leaned forward and whispered, "Hubby, are you looking down on me?"

    Long Chen found that he was unable to say a word. The look on his wife''s face was just too scary.

    That brat! Long Fei should be the one who had called his mother.

    Is he still an adult? Why would be complaining to his mother?

    Long Chen turned to look at his son. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

    "Stop looking at your son like that. What are you trying to do?"

    Long Chen cleared his throat and watched his wife walk over to the dining table. The servant walked over and brought over another chair. Just before he was about to place it beside Long Chen''s, Qin Ruo had already asked them to place the chair beside her son.

    "Mrs. Long," Chu Xuan Yuan greeted. He nudged at his wife and let her greet the woman.

    Qin Ruo was someone from a reputable family as well. Seeing that the woman had suddenly appeared, Chu Xuan Yuan quickly saw his opportunity.

    Thinking that he would be able to make a connection with the Qin family as well after his daughter was married to Long Fei made him excited.

    Qin Ruo flashed a smile that did not reach her eyes to the guest. Because of her good upbringing, she could only suppress her anger towards the elders and sit down silently.

    Initially, she did not plan to return to the Long residence. However, once she heard from her son about this blind date that was arranged by her husband, Qin Ruo could no longer hold her anger.

    Before she had left the town, Qin Ruo had definitely warned her husband that he should repair his relationship with their son. However, what was this man doing? He was planning a blind date while she was not around.

    Just thinking about this made her angry.

    Qin Ruo shot her husband a look and planned to settle her score with them after the guest had gone back.

 Chapter 138 - Blue Media Group

    During the meal, the Chu family had tried to get along with Qin Rou. However, the woman continued to ignore them, making them feel embarrassed.

    The Long family''s elders were angry when they saw how she had behaved but none of them could say anything while facing this daughter-in-law. With Qin Rou''s identity and background, they could not afford to offend her.

    The look on the elders'' faces was not very pleasant.

    They had thought that their plan would go well with Qin Rou away from the residence. However, the woman decided to return at a time like this.

    In the end, the meal ended in an awkward atmosphere.

    The Chu family was embarrassed but could not show their face. They did not dare to stay longer and decided to leave earlier.

    Once the family had left, the atmosphere in the dining hall turned very quiet. It was as if no one dared to say a word.

    It was Long Yuan who had broken the silence first. "Qin Rou, why did you decide to return?"

    "I heard that the elders were setting up my son with a girl," Qin Rou said. "If I did not return in time, how was I going to find out about the person that my son is going to marry?"

    The elders'' expressions turned darker. Qin Rou was usually very obedient and did not talk too much. But whenever it was involved her son, Qin Rou was not afraid to cause trouble with them. She became very domineering and protective.

    Qin Rou had thought that it was enough to threaten her husband by moving out of the house. She only wanted her husband to treat her son well. However, the man had taken advantage of her absence. He still did not listen to her and still wanted to use her son this way.

    Her eyes were shooting a dagger at her husband. The elder dragon was always so aloof but with his wife, even Long Chen would be scared.

    He had thought that he would head over to his in-laws'' place and coax his wife after he had made this arrangement for his son. However, someone had broken this news to his wife instead.

    Long Chen was suddenly afraid of what his wife would do. He could not live without her.

    "Mom, be at ease." Long Fei stretched his hand to hold his mother''s. He flashed her an assuring smile and spoke, "Unless if I am willing to marry, no one can force me to do anything."

    "That''s ridiculous!" One of the elders in the family, called Long Xiao spoke. "Initially, we let you have your time to look for that woman but a long time has passed and you still could not find her. Long Fei, are you planning to spend the rest of your life without marrying? Don''t forget who you are and what kind of identity you have."

    "So what if I don''t marry? In the end, this bloodline will end and my descendant will not have to face what I have faced now. I think this is a very good idea."

    The elders'' faces blackened upon hearing his words.

    "The Long family has been around for hundreds of years. Are you saying that you are willing to see it end like this?"

    "Even without me, it would not be impossible for the Long family to survive," Long Fei said. "I still have many cousins. But I''m guessing that you guys were afraid of losing what my blood can do for you, isn''t that right."

    "Long Fei," Lon Chen stood up with an angry look on his face. "Stop being rude to your elders."

    "Long Chen, don''t you dare yell at my son!" Qin Ruo narrowed her eyes.

    Long Fei watched this scene and his expression turned uglier. He stood up beside his mother and turned to look at the elder''s face, one by one. The corner of his lips turned up into a smile that did not reach his eyes.

    Seeing how his pupils had turned into vertical slits, the elders around them began to worry that this younger dragon would suddenly go crazy.

    "I can listen to you and marry whoever you chose," Long Fei said.

    Everyone in the room gave a different reaction to his declaration. The elders were unable to hide the joy.

    However, both Long Yuan and Long Chen knew that something was about to happen. Long Fei would not give in that easily. This boy had a trick under his sleeve.

    "Ah Fei," Qin Ruo turned and held her son''s arms tightly. Among everyone in the room, the person who was worried the most was Qin Ruo.

    Long Fei gave his mother a gentle squeeze on her arms. Then, he spoke to the elders again. "But then, I will no longer contribute Blue Media Group''s profit into the family."

    His words caused a roar among the elders.

    "You cannot do that!" Long Xiao slapped his hand hard on the table. "Blue Media Group¡­"

    "Is my hard work," Long Fei spoke before the man could finish his words. "I build the company from scratch. Without the family''s money and influence to get to where it is now. I don''t need your approval if I no longer want to give you money."

    The elders became speechless upon hearing his words.

    The family had always enjoyed their wealth and reputation. However, Long Fei still leave home and build up Blue Media Group from scratch until the company got to where it was now. Even with his background, no one had said anything or lent him any help.

    When the company made a lot of money, he had put a percentage of profit into the family''s fund. The elders saw that much money that his company had made and become excited. The media group made a lot of money and had many influences.

    They could see the potential in the company and had wanted to let Long Fei let their children enter the company. However, other than Long Yu Heng, no one else was able to take a step into the company''s building.

    This was one of the reasons that the elders wanted to control Long Fei.

    "If you can agree with this, then, I will follow your arrangement," Long Fei said.

    The elders exchanged their glances. After a while, a servant walked over and whispered a few words to Long Xiao. Instantly, the old man''s face turned darker.. His eyes shifted to Long Fei with a pair of eyes that were full of resentment.

 Chapter 139 - A Rebel

    Long Fei had a carefree look on his face as he finally leave the dining hall.

    Behind him, Long Yu Heng was trailing him with an anxious look on his face. He watched Long Fei''s confronting the elders with a pale look on his face wondering if the man was going to lose against the elders.

    However, when he thought of how the elders were willing to listen to Long Fei''s arrangement because of the money they were going to receive, Long Yu Heng could not help but feel a little cold in his heart.

    The elders knew that Long Fei now controlled Blue Media Group. Now, Long Fei was also controlling the shops around the town. They were not willing to part with the source of money. This was the only reason they backed off.

    The family has been around for hundreds of years, but in the end, what matters for the elders were money and reputation.

    Long Yu Heng could not hide his disappointment, especially towards his grandfather, the old master of the family. Even the person with the highest authority in the family was actually helpless against the elders.

    Long Yuan might be the old master of the family but he could not do anything against the elders in the family. Being the master in the family is not a good thing at all. Long Yu Heng could understand why his cousin often wanted to leave the family.

    After following Long Fei for a while, Long Yu Heng was almost glad that the man was a rebel and would not listen to the elders'' arrangement.

    If another person chose to listen to the elders, sooner or later, the family would fall even with the dragon''s blood flowing in them.

    "Ah Fei."

    Hearing the voice, both men stopped in their tracks.

    Long Fei turned around and looked at his mother who was coming after him. Seeing the anxious look on her face turned his expression warmer. "Mother." His mother would usually not meddle in the Long family''s business. Long Fei had always thought that his mother was indifferent. However, the moment he asked for her help, she did not hesitate to return immediately to support him.

    "Where are you going?" Qin Ruo asked. "Why don''t you come with me and stay with your maternal grandparents for a while. Anything is better than staying at this house."

    "You know very well that I cannot leave this town for a long time."

    Qin Ruo had a reluctant look in her expression. She had learned the family''s secret not too long after she was married to Long Chen. She knew well that before her son found that girl, he will have to stay around the lake for a long time.

    Her parents'' house was in the middle of the city. There was no lake around or any source of water as clean as the lake in D Town. Long Fei was unable to stay there for a long period.

    "Then, I will return and accompany you," Qin Ruo said. "Anyway, I cannot let your father bully you like this."

    "Mother, I''ll be fine," Long Fei said. "Father would not be able to do anything to me. Anyway, I am not planning to stay in this residence."

    "Where are you going?"

    A faint smile curled on his lips. "I''m planning to stay with Auntie Wang in the bamboo garden for a few weeks. Later, I will head to Capital City for work matters."

    Although her son told her not to worry, Qin Ruo could not help but feel that way. She stretched out her hand and held his hand in hers. "Ah Fei, Mother is sorry for you. If only you were not born in this family, perhaps you would be able to have a smoother life."

    The family''s situation was complicated. As the mother, there were not a lot of things that she could do.

    If only her son did not have such that special blood in his body, then perhaps, he could fall in love normally and marry just anyone he liked.

    Thinking about her son''s marriage made her aggrieved again. "Ah Fei, are you really not planning to marry anyone?"

    Listening to his words about ending the family''s bloodline upset her.

    "Even if you are not planning to follow the elders'' arrangement, Mother still hopes that you will find someone. It is best if that person is someone you love and would love you back."

    As the mother, she still wished that her son would have someone by his side. A person to stay by his side and love him until he grows old.

    "Mother, don''t worry about me. I have my plan." Long Fei said. "You should go back and head to the airport before Father could catch you. Let Yu Heng send you over. Otherwise, it would be difficult for you to leave again."

    Qin Ruo looked at her son with an amused gaze. "Are you looking forward to us staying apart?"

    "That''s not it." Long Fei chuckled. "Whatever you decide to do is up to you. I will stand by your side. However, what Dad had done is a little too excessive. I do hope that he would suffer a little bit. Otherwise, he will continue to make trouble for me."

    Hearing his words, Qin Ruo''s expression turned better a little bit. She gave her son a slight squeeze on his arms and soon noticed that the expression on her son''s face was a little wrong. "What''s wrong with you?"

    "Nothing."

    She had only given him a gentle squeeze, but the look on his face showed that he was in terrible pain. How could Qin Ruo believe her son''s words?

    Qin Ruo moved quickly and pulled at her son''s sleeve. Her eyes widened when she saw the black and blue bruise in his arms. A loud gasp escaped her. Before her son could stop her, Qin Ruo had tugged at his shirt and looked at his abdomen. The look in her eyes changed when she saw the bruise again.

    This bruise was not normal. It was not hard for her to guess how did her son get this injury.

    Unless he was hit by his father, this injury would not last this long.

    Her jaw clenched. "Long Chen!"

    Qin Ruo turned around, wanting to look for the person who had hurt her son. However, before she could take another step, Long Fei had already stopped her.

    "Mother, don''t." Long Fei shook his head. "I''m fine."

    "He hit you?"

    "No." Long Fei lowered his gaze to hide from his mother. "We were in the lake. It was an accident." He looked up again and flashed her an assuring smile. "It''s not as painful as you think. The wound would heal soon after I soaked in the lake  for a week or so."

    Qin Ruo frowned.. It seemed that she did not believe in her son''s words.

 Chapter 140 - No Real Power

    After the mother and son had left the dining hall, both Long Yuan and Long Chen spent a long time there to pacify the elders. Once they were calmer, Long Chen helped his father to return to his courtyard.

    "Ah Chen," Long Yuan spoke as his son helped him to lay down on the bed. "I really did not expect that Ah Fei would be doing something like this."

    Long Chen stared at his father for a long time, trying to figure out his mood. "Father, are you angry?"

    The old man heaved a sigh. "In fact, I know that Ah Fei is rather disappointed with us. We were never able to protect him as he grew up. I am supposed to be the master of the family but I still have to listen to the elders'' arrangements. We have no real power and had to listen to the others'' words instead."

    Long Chen lowered his head as he listened to his father speaking.

    "In the past, the elders existed to protect the blood. When did everything start to change?" Long Yuan heaved a long, heavy sigh. "I am too old, weak, and useless. I can''t even protect my descendant from being bullied." He looked at his son and asked, "Ah Chen, are you disappointed in me as well?"

    "Father, I always know that you have done all your best. But the elders were threatening us with our secret. There are not many things that we can do about it."

    Long Yuan chuckled. "Ah Chen, do you know why did Elder Xiao''s face turn ugly after his man whispered something to him?"

    Long Chen shook his head. "Father, do you know anything?"

    "I heard that Ah Fei had acquired many of the family''s business. That boy had secretly bought the shares. Now, other than Blue Media Group, Ah Fei is also in control of many of our major businesses."

    Long Chen could not hide his surprise when he heard his father''s words.

    "If the elders wanted to set him up and force him to do something that he did not like, the elders can forget about the wealth they are enjoying now," Long Yuan spoke. "Moreover, if the elders were trying to mess up with him or pull any tricks, all those money will be gone and no one will be able to touch it."

    Judging from what his grandson had done, Long Yuan knew that the boy has been planning his move for a very long time. Long Yuan could not help but wonder when did his grandson had begun to make this plan?

    The frown on Long Chen''s face deepened. "I didn''t think that he would be this ruthless."

    "It''s good to be ruthless," Long Yuan said. "Ah Fei had done all this to protect himself. Otherwise, the elders will continue to bully him."

    Long Chen pursed his lips into a thin line. At this time, he was not too concerned about his child. He was more worried that he would not be able to catch up with his wife. It was the longest time that he has been apart from his wife. The feeling was torturing him. Now that Qin Ruo has returned, Long Chen planned to coax her to stay.

    "Ah Chen," Long Yuan spoke again. "If I plan to hand over this family to your son, would you have any rejection?"

    ¡­

    Long Chen did not expect his discussion with his father to last for an hour. When he finally have time to look for his wife, a servant announced that his wife had left an hour ago.

    Quickly, Long Chen asked someone to drive him over to the airport.

    According to his investigation, his wife''s flight will depart in two hours and he still had his chance to catch up with her.

    However, the moment he arrived at the airport, Long Chen was disappointed when he could not find his wife. He took out his phone and started to dial her number.

    Long Chen was sure that his wife will not be picking up his phone call but he still did not want to give up easily. To his surprise, Qin Ruo finally picked up his call after his third try.

    "Qin Ruo." Long Chen called her name anxiously. "Where are you?"

    "Where else? I''m on my way home."

    "I''m already at the airport. Come out and meet me. Let''s talk, alright?"

    Qin Ruo chuckled. Her heart burned in anger when she heard her husband''s words. "It''s too late. I''m not at the airport. Ah Fei had arranged for someone to drive me back.

    Long Chen gritted his teeth as he thought about his good son.

    "You wanted to talk, sure. But first, you have to fix your relationship with my son. I have already told you. Unless if you speak to Ah Fei properly, I will not return to your side."

    "Qin Ruo." Long Chen''s voice was pleading.

    "You don''t have to come over to my parents'' house," Qin Ruo continued. "I have already told everyone not to let you in."

    Qin Ruo hung up the phone before Long Chen could coax her. This time, when Long Chen tried to call her again, he found that his wife had already blocked his number.

    Long Chen could only return to the residence in anger. However, when he started to look for his son to settle their score, the servant informed him that his son had left and would not be returning to the residence.

    No one knew where he was going and how long will it take for him to return.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Long Fei was finally able to take a deep breath as he finally settled down in Auntie Wang''s bamboo courtyard. The elder woman came to his room and moved her hand, asking him what he wanted to eat for dinner.

    The smile on her face was apparent. Auntie Wang could not hide her joy upon knowing that Long Fei will be staying with her for a few weeks.

    Long Fei told Auntie Wang that he would be going out for dinner and the woman had teased him about Su Ruan.

    The two of them chatted for a while. Then, Long Fei headed to his boat and dialed Su Ruan''s number.

    "Su Ruan," Long Fei called her name the moment the phone call was connected.

    "Mmm¡­ Is your work settled?" Previously, Long Fei had told her that he will be busy with work and will only contact her once everything was settled.

    Long Fei laughed. "It''s settled.. Do you want to come out? Su Ruan, I miss you."

 Chapter 141 - Sneaking

    The sky had already turned dark. Su Ruan came out of her bedroom and sneaked out of the house. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, Su Ruan saw a shadow moving in the night.

    Su Ruan turned around and finally saw the person coming from the garden. Her hand rested on her mouth as she tied to suppress herself from shouting out loud.

    "Grandpa," Su Ruan narrowed her eyes and was finally able to get a clear look at the person. Se gave him a look over and saw that he was carrying a large cabbage in his arms. "What are you doing?"

    "I''m coming out to pick some cabbage," Ma Hao Dong pointed at the cabbage in his hand. "Your grandma said she''s going to use them to make some noodles for breakfast. You¡­" He gave his granddaughter a look over and noticed the way she was dressed. "Why are you dressed like this?

    Su Ruan coughed.

    "You''re going out?"

    Her hand on her bag tightened. Knowing that she could not escape this time, Su Ruan let out a long breath and nodded. "Grandpa, I''ll be going out for a while."

    Ma Hao Dong''s expression turned darker. "With that Young Master Long?"

    Su Ruan nodded again. "Oh."

    "You¡­"

    Su Ruan held her grandpa''s hand tightly before he could finish saying what he wanted to say. "Grandpa, It will only be for an hour." She held up two fingers and smiled brightly. "Ah, maybe two hours top."

    "It''s already this late," Ma Hao Dong reminded him.

    "I know. I''ll be back as soon as I can."

    Seeing the pleading in her eyes, the words that Ma Hao Dong wanted to say were suddenly stuck in his throat. His heart grew softer even though he did not like his granddaughter meeting a certain Young Master.

    "Alright. Just don''t forget to come back earlier," Ma Hao Dong said. "Otherwise, I would worry."

    Su Ruan''s lips stretched up into a wide smile. "Grandpa, thank you." She turned around to leave and stopped herself again. "Grandpa, if my mom asks, you will help me to explain, right?"

    Ma Hao Dong heaved a sigh. He suddenly wonder if he had spoiled this granddaughter a little too much.

    "I know." He waved his hand. "Go ahead. Otherwise, you won''t be able to come back in time."

    Su Ruan pecked at her grandfather''s cheek and leave.

    Ma Hao Dong watched his granddaughter and frowned. Although Su Ruan had not said anything, it was not hard for Ma Hao Dong to guess that hi granddaughter was romantically involved with Long Fei.

    After watching his granddaughter for a while, Ma Hao Dong began to realize that there was something strange about his granddaughter.

    The way to the entrance was on the left but his granddaughter was running straight into the orchard¡­

    Or could it be that he was too old that he had seen things wrongly?

    Ma Hao Dong rubbed his eyes before he finally decided to go back into the house.

    In fact, there was nothing wrong with Ma Hao Dong''s eyes. At this time, Su Ruan was indeed walking in the orchard. The further she walked into the orchard, the more that Su Ruan began to wonder why did she agree to meet Long Fei by the lake.

    The two of them were being very secretive that Su Ruan began to wonder if she was indeed in an underground relationship. However, sneaking around like this also gave her a sense of excitement.

    As she was nearing the lake, Su Ruan finally saw Long Fei''s boat by the lake. He saw her coming and waved his hand at her.

    Su Ruan looked at the lake water and wondered just how was she supposed to get across. Just then, the boat approached closer. Long Fei stretched his hand and pulled her onto the boat. The momentum caused her to lurch forward until she fell into the man''s embrace.

    His fresh scent filled her nose and her face turned bright red.

    Su Ruan pulled away and spoke, "Have you waited for a long time?"

    "Not too long." Long Fei smiled. In fact, he has been waiting for her nearby as soon as the sky had turned darker.

    Su Ruan turned to look at the lake water again. "Hey, how did your boat get closer? Isn''t the water a bit shallow over here?"

    "The water level increased in the nighttime." Long Fei coughed. He could not possibly tell her that he had controlled the water until it was high enough to reach her.

    "Really?" Su Ruan did not know much about these things and decided to believe in his words.

    "Mhm¡­" Long Fei nodded. He pointed up and smiled. "Let''s go up."

    After being on the boat a few times, Su Ruan began to get used to walking on the boat and would no longer get nauseous.

    She climbed up the ladder after Long Fei and took in a deep breath.

    The place was decorated with fairy lights, giving off a romantic vibe. At the center of the boat, Long Fei had spread out a picnic blanket. There were some snacks and a bottle of chilled wine.

    "What do you think?" Long Fei asked. "Do you like it?"

    "It looked nice." This man had decorated his boat for this date. It would be a lie to say that she was not touched.

    He sat down on the blanket and patted at the empty spot beside him. "Come on. Have a seat."

    As soon as she sat down, Long Fei pulled out a couple of glasses and poured the wine them. Long Fei passed a glass to her before he took a sip from his glass.

    "Are you sure it would be a good idea for you to drink?" Su Ruan asked. "How are you going to steer the boat back to your place? Mr. Long, drinking and driving is dangerous."

    "I won''t get drunk," Long Fei said. His body was special and it was easy for him to control his body.

    Su Ruan narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

    Seeing that she was worried about him, Long Fei finally put down his glass. "Alright. I won''t drink that much. Just one glass."

    Hearing his words, Su Ruan finally smiled.

 Chapter 142 - Preparing To Return

    The two of them sat on the boat, enjoying their snack while chatting about this and that.

    Earlier, Su Ruan was still too nervous to be around Long Fei. However, the man was a good talking partner and they could talk just about anything without feeling awkward.

    Su Ruan began to feel more at ease and gradually lowered her guard against him.

    "Is everything alright with your work?" Su Ruan asked. She saw him looking back at her with a puzzled look and explained, "Didn''t you say that you would be busy with work today?"

    Long Fei was reminded of the event that happened earlier in the morning. As he thought of the elders'' faces when he left the dining hall, his mood became a little better.

    Moreover, he had also heard that his father has been looking for him everywhere. He could picture how anxious his father would be when he could not find him.

    "Mmm¡­ it''s alright. The difficult part has now passed. I''m just waiting to see the result."

    "That''s good."

    Su Ruan could not help but worry when Long Fei told her that he had an important business to look after and would not contact her until it was resolved.

    Thus, when Long Fei asked to meet her, Su Ruan had agreed to come out as she was worried about him.

    Now that she can see that he was in a good mood, Su Ruan could finally breathe in relief.

    "Are you worried about me?"

    "Well, your voice doesn''t sound right when you mentioned that you would be busy." Noticing the way Long Fei was looking at her, Su Ruan cleared her throat and looked away. "After all, you are considered my employer. If something happened to your company, I will have to worry about my paycheck, right?"

    Long Fei laughed when he heard her words. He stretched his hand and messed with her hair. "I can assure you that you will have your paycheck as long as you work with my company. I have booked the flight to Capital City. When the time comes, I will pick you up and we will head to the airport together."

    Seeing that he had changed the subject, Su Ruan quickly figured that he did not want to probe further on his work matter.

    "That''s good. Otherwise, I can ask my cousin to send me over to the airport and I will meet you there?"

    "We are going in the same direction after all. Don''t waste your cousin''s gas money."

    Since he had said it that way, Su Ruan quickly agreed with his arrangement. However, she then started to worry about how she was going to explain this matter to her grandpa and her mother.

    ¡­

    In the past few weeks, Su Ruan has been busy with her writing. As she was going back to Capital City to attend Yu Zhi Yi''s wedding, Su Ruan decided to stock up her articles so that she would have relaxing days ahead.

    When her grandpa and mother heard that she was heading back to Capital City, the two of them began to worry.

    Su Ruan has been staying in D Town for a few months and they were starting to enjoy having her around. Their heart was heavy at the thought that Su Ruan would not return to D Town again after she left.

    When she saw that their expression did not seem right after her announcement, Su Ruan could immediately guess what was going on in their mind.

    "Grandpa, Mom," Su Ruan heaved helplessly. "I will be going back to Capital City for two weeks top. I promise I will come back after the wedding."

    "What kind of wedding require you to stay there for two weeks?" Ma Hao Dong asked.

    "Grandpa, Yu Zhi Yi is my good friend. I promised him that I will come earlier to help around," Su Ruan said. "The couple were going to have a western-style wedding. I heard that I will have to join some family gathering and stuff."

    Ma Hao Dong did not understand this stuff. However, seeing that Su Ruan had said that she will return to D Town after the wedding ended, Ma Hao Dong was more at ease.

    He was still not ready to watch Su Ruan leave the town.

    It was not easy for her to visit him. Naturally, Ma Hao Dong was a little selfish and wanted her to stay longer.

    After talking with her family for a while, Su Ruan headed back to her bedroom to pack up a few stuff.

    Just then, someone came and knocked on the door. As the door was wide open, Su Ruan could immediately see her mother.

    "Mom, what''s wrong?" Su Ruan picked up a shirt and placed it into her bag before she looked up and meet her mother''s gaze. Her mother''s worried eyes puzzled her.

    "Su Ruan, you did not tell me that Yu Zhi Yi is getting married," Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. She walked over to her daughter''s side and stared at her face for a long time.

    "Mmm¡­ Well, he returned to the country last year and told me that he''s getting married. I met his fiance. She seemed like a very nice person."

    Hearing her daughter''s words, the frown on Ma Zheng Zheng''s face deepened.

    As the mother, Ma Zheng Zheng often heard her daughter telling her about Yu Zhi Yi. When her daughter was in college, she would mention this boy each time that she called.

    It was not hard for Ma Zheng Zheng to figure out that her daughter had a crush on this boy. She liked him very much that her voice would turn softer each time that she talked about him.

    However, since her daughter had not said anything about it, Ma Zheng Zheng decided not to ask, lest Su Ruan would be shy.

    Ma Zheng Zheng had the opportunity to meet Yu Zhi Yi once. She could see that he was a good man and her daughter was deeply infatuated.

    But now that the boy was getting married to another girl, Ma Zheng Zheng could not stop worrying about her daughter.

    "I always thought that you like him."

    The smile on Su Ruan''s face froze.

    "I saw the way you look at him and the way you would talk about him," Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. "Mom is also a woman. I know how it is when you like someone."

    Su Ruan lowered her head. Lin Qing always said that her feelings were too transparent. It seemed that her mother could also notice this thing. "Hmm¡­ but it was all in the past. He did not like me that way." Su Ruan looked up again and forced a smile.

    "Are you¡­ alright?"

    "It hurt at the beginning. But I have already chosen to let it go." Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line when her mother came to hug her. "Mom, I''m fine. Really. The two of us are meant to stay as friends and I have long accepted that.. As long as he is happy, I will be happy too."

 Chapter 143 - Taking Advantage

    On the day that they were supposed to head to Capital City, Long Fei came over to the orchard to pick her up. While Su Ruan was still in her room to pack up her toiletries when Long Fei came into her room.

    Seeing the man standing at the door made her stunned. However, Su Ruan quickly adjusted herself and smiled. "When did you get here?" She looked at the luggage on her bed and continued, "There''s only a little bit for me to pack. I''ll come out quickly."

    "Take your time. I''ll help you to carry your luggage later."

    Su Ruan nodded. She glanced at the door and asked, "Did my grandmother let you come upstairs again?"

    Her grandfather was a little guarded around Long Fei and her mother still thought that the only reason she would meet Long Fei was to discuss work. The only person who would let him come to her room would be her grandmother.

    Long Fei chuckled at her answer.

    With Long Fei''s presence, Su Ruan quickened her pace and threw her toiletries into her luggage. Before the man would have the chance to peek at what was inside.

    Once everything was done, Long Fei helped to carry her luggage downstairs.

    Ma Zheng Zheng was about to call her daughter when she saw them together. Her eyes shifted to the luggage in Long Fei''s hand and a glint appeared in her eyes.

    It was only a few days ago that she had talked with her daughter about her love life. Seeing her daughter walking side by side with Long Fei surprised her. The air around them was a little different.

    Initially, Ma Zheng Zheng had thought that her daughter was lying when she said that she had moved on. But this¡­

    Ma Zheng Zheng thought that her daughter was telling the truth.

    "Mom," Su Ruan called.

    Ma Zheng Zheng looked at the person beside her daughter and nodded. "Young Master Long, hello." The two of them exchanged brief greetings. Then, Ma Zheng Zheng turned to her daughter again. "Are you leaving now?"

    "Mhm¡­" Su Ruan nodded. Noticing the way her mother was looking at Long Fei, Su Ruan cleared her throat, wondering how was she supposed to explain why did Long Fei come downstairs with her.

    "Then, go ahead," Ma Zheng Zheng said. "You still have to catch your flight."

    Su Ruan heaved a breath of relief upon hearing her mother''s words. However, when her mother whispered her next words, Su Ruan knew that she could not relax that much.

    "We will talk later once you return," Ma Zheng Zheng patted at her shoulder before urging her to leave.

    Su Ruan rubbed at the tip of her nose before she followed Long Fei out.

    A breath of relief escaped when she was able to leave. However, a few seconds later, Su Ruan began to fidget upon realizing that someone was sitting close to her.

    Knowing that the two of them were heading to Capital City together made her anxious. It really felt as if the two of them were going on a trip together.

    "What is your plan once you arrive in Capital City?"

    "Ah?" Su Ruan stared at him with a dazed look on her face. Her mind took a few seconds to process his question and came out with her answer. "Well, tomorrow, I''m going to meet an editor. Mmm¡­ I told you before about the editor who had introduced the freelance job to me earlier, right? This time she''s going to introduce me to a few writing jobs as well. "

    Long Fei smiled as he noticed that Su Ruan was finally at ease when she talked about her work.

    Although she had agreed to date him, Su Ruan always put on her guard each time that they met. It was the first time that she decided to take a step to move on from her one-sided crush and she was still at loss on what she should do.

    It would take her a while before she could adjust herself and get used to his presence.

    But once she started to talk about her writing, Su Ruan could talk for a long time. The look in her eyes turned brighter and she seemed to be enjoying her work very much.

    The girl had not even noticed that he has been staring at her face for a long time.

    His eyes narrowed as he continued to observe her.

    It was said that once he found the girl who had fed him with her blood, he would be able to move around with ease. As long as Su Ruan was by his side, he did not have to return to the lake frequently. Su Ruan would be able to make that thirst disappear.

    This would be the first time that they are traveling together. Long Fei wanted to use this chance to see just how long he would be to hold on being away from the lake.

    Time passed by quickly. Soon, they finally arrived at the airport. Su Ruan followed Long Fei to the departure hall and was surprised that she will be seated in the first class.

    "It felt as if I am taking advantage of you now."

    Long Fei chuckled. "Don''t be. If you''re troubled by this you can invite me to a meal. You have been staying in Capital City for a few years. You should know many good restaurants around."

    "I won''t lie to you," Su Ruan said. Previously, my boss was very demanding. I spend most of my time in the office, doing research, coordinating the photoshoots, and writing articles. I don''t know many good places to eat."

    "It seemed that your previous company''s treatment was not that good." Hearing Su Ruan talk about her company made his blood boil.

    If only he knew how much she had suffered in that company, he would not simply let go of this matter after punishing Director Gao. A lot of them had bullied Su Ruan. He should investigate and punish everyone involved.

    "It''s not that bad." Su Ruan shrugged. "The management and the higher-ups were terrible, but I''ve met a few good people like Editor Ji." She flashed him a smile and waved her phone at him. "Don''t worry about finding a place to eat.. Since there are still a few hours before we will reach Capital City, I will use this time to do my research."

 Chapter 144 - Everything Start To Change

    Su Ruan had thought that she was going to play with her phone and looked at a few good places to eat. However, after a few minutes of departure, she eventually fell asleep.

    When she woke up again, the flight had landed and the stewardess was giving instruction for the passenger to alight safely.

    Su Ruan watched the man beside her with a dazed expression before her brain finally figured out what was going on.

    She pulled out her mirror and heaved in relief, finding that she did not droll or anything. Then, she went out with Long Fei to retrieve her luggage.

    They were on their way out to the arrival hall when Long Fei suddenly received a call. Seeing that the man had a serious look on his face as he listened to the other party, Su Ruan gestured that she would be heading out with their trolley of luggage first.

    Su Ruan was finding a spot to wait for Long Fei when she suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out her name.

    Turning around, she found that Yu Zhi Yi was waving his hand with a big smile on her face.

    The man walked over and spoke, "You''re here."

    "Yu Zhi Yi?" Su Ruan shot him a puzzled look. "Why are you here?"

    "Didn''t you tell me that you would be arriving today?" Yu Zhi Yi said. "I knew that your flight would be arriving at this time and decided to come over and pick you up."

    It was then that Su Ruan recalled her last conversation with Yu Zhi Yi a couple of days ago. He had asked when she would be arriving in Capital City and she had reported her flight number to him.

    Su Ruan had thought that her friend was too worried about his wedding that he would not be at ease until he knew when she was going to arrive.

    She had never thought that Yu Zhi Yi would show up at the airport to pick her up.

    Yu Zhi Yi chuckled upon seeing that his friend had not spoken a word for a long time. "What? Are you surprised to see me?"

    "I thought you would be busy with your wedding preparation." Su Ruan frowned.

    "Su Ruan, you''re my best friend. No matter how busy I am, I should spend a little time to fetch you," Yu Zhi Yi said. "Especially since you came back especially to attend my wedding."

    Her lips pursed into a thin line.

    Su Ruan seemed to recall how she would often call Yu Zhi Yi to chat while he was overseas. However, the man was often busy until they both grew apart.

    Back then, she often had to comfort herself.

    She liked him way too much that she would make excuses for him.

    Why didn''t he think to spend time with her just to chat?

    "Where are you staying?" Yu Zhi Yi asked. "Let me send you to the hotel?"

    "No. You don''t have to." Su Ruan quickly declined. She came with Long Fei and the man had told her that he had made his arrangement.

    "You don''t need to be too polite with me," Yu Zhi Yi said. There was a trace of hurt in his expression.

    Recently, Yu Zhi Yi realized that the two of them had grown apart and did not like this situation. His heart would hurt each time that he recalled running into Su Ruan and that man in the small town.

    Now that Su Ruan was in Capital City, Yu Zhi Yi hoped that he could mend his relationship with his friend.

    "Actually, my parents knew that you would be in Capital City," Yu Zhi Yi continued. "They wanted me to invite you over and have a meal with them. Su Ruan, you know that my mom liked you the best."

    A faint smile curved on her lips.

    When they were studying, Su Ruan had met Yu Zhi Yi''s parents a few times. His mother was very nice to her and the two of them had a good relationship. Perhaps, this had given her the illusion that Yu Zhi Yi will someday be together with her. She had thought that with his parents'' favor, it would be easier to win his heart. Apparently, she was wrong.

    "I''ll go and visit your parents another day," Su Ruan said. "But, really. You don''t have to send me over to the hotel. I already made my arrangement"

    His heart was uncomfortable.

    In the past, Su Ruan would agree right away each time he invited her to meet with his parents.

    When did everything start to change?

    "Zhi Yi, I didn''t come alone this time. My boyfriend¡­"

    Just as she spoke, a tall shadow loomed over. Su Ruan turned around and saw that Long Fei was standing beside her.

    Long Fei had long noticed Su Ruan and Yu Zhi Yi the moment he walked out. His eyes narrowed as his heart was surrounded with an unhappy feeling.

    He walked over and overheard her words just in time. Suddenly, the unhappiness had dissipated. He lowered his head to look at Su Ruan and smiled

    "You are¡­" Yu Zhi Yi saw the way Su Ruan and the man exchanged their glances. His heart soured. Seeing his friend and this man standing too close together make him unhappy.

    "Hello." Long Fei turned to Yu Zhi Yi with an amiable smile on his face. "We meet again. You must be Mr. Yu. Thank you for inviting me to your wedding."

    His pupil shrunk. Yu Zhi Yi looked at Su Ruan again, as if asking for her explanation.

    "Zhi Yi, this is my boyfriend, Long Fei. You have met him before in D Town." Her cheek turned scarlet as this was the first time that she had introduced him as her boyfriend.

    However, in Yu Zhi Yi''s eyes, Su Ruan was acting bashful. When did Su Ruan know how to be meek?

    Long Fei stretched his hand for a handshake and the two men shook hands while giving each other a look over.

    The last time he saw Long Fei at the carnival, Yu Zhi Yi was unable to look at his face well as the surrounding was too dark.

    He could only figure out that the man was tall and had a good look. Yu Zhi Yi had always thought that the man beside Su Ruan that night seemed a little familiar.

    Now that he was able to get a close look at him, Yu Zhi Yi finally realized the man''s identity.. He was President Long Fei from Blue Media Group.

 Chapter 145 - Su Ruan And I

    "Long Fei¡­ Could it be that you are President Long Fei of Blue Media Group?" Yu Zhi Yi asked.

    "That''s right." Long Fei smiled.

    His heart jolted.

    Yu Zhi Yi looked at the couple back and forth with a complicated feeling in his heart.

    He really did not expect that Su Ruan would be dating someone like Long Fei. Deep in his heart, he did not want to believe that this was true.

    Su Ruan and Long Fei came from two different worlds. Someone from a prestigious family like Long Fei would not be dating an ordinary girl like Su Ruan, right?

    Could it be that Long Fei was playing with Su Ruan?

    It was a common thing for someone from a rich family like Long Fei to fool around with girls and dumped them once they found that it was getting boring.

    Once he fooled around with Su Ruan once or twice, will he hurt Su Ruan and dump her?

    As the thought came to his mind, Yu Zhi Yi started to view Long Fei differently.

    In his opinion, Su Ruan was an innocent woman who would easily be fooled. As her best friend, it was his job to warn Su Ruan about these things.

    However, with Long Fei''s presence at this time, it would be difficult for him to say a few words. Yu Zhi Yi made a note to himself to talk to Su Ruan again when Long Fei was not around.

    No. He have to keep his eyes on Long Fei to see what he was planning to do.

    Yu Zhi Yi decided to keep his calm. He turned to Su Ruan and spoke, "Su Ruan, I did not expect that President Long would be your boyfriend."

    "I know." Su Ruan glanced at Long Fei and chuckled. "I did not expect that he would be my boyfriend as well."

    She came to the small town, wanting to take a break from everything while visiting her grandparents as well. Su Ruan had never expected to run into Long Fei and the man would be interested in her.

    Long Fei raised his brow at Su Ruan. He looked at Yu Zhi Yi and spoke, "Mr. Yu, we would love to chat with you, but Su Ruan and I still have to check-in our hotel."

    Yu Zhi Yi''s heart would feel very uncomfortable when he heard those words, ''Su Ruan and I''.

    "Where are you staying? Since I''m already here, let me send you over to your hotel," Yu Zhi Yi offered.

    Su Ruan was about to reject his offer when she heard Long Fei speak again.

    "Won''t that be inconvenient?"

    Yu Zhi Yi shook his head. "It''s not. President Long, please come with me."

    "Since you a friend of Su Ruan, then, you don''t have to be very polite. Just call me Long Fei."

    The smile on his face turned awkward. Yu Zhi Yi turned around and led them to his car in the parking lot.

    Meanwhile, Long Fei took out his phone and texted his assistant, Fu Xing that he can go back to the company first. The poor assistant was already waiting outside the airport. He was too dumbfounded upon receiving his boss''s instruction.

    Yu Zhi Yi helped them both and stuffed their luggage in the cargo space.

    Just as he was about to ask Su Ruan to sit in front, the girl had already opened the back passenger''s door and instructed Long Fei to sit in front. Yu Zhi Yi could only purse his lips and suppressed his unhappiness.

    The journey to the hotel was a little awkward.

    Yu Zhi Yi had thought that he would be able to catch up with Su Ruan along the journey but with Long Fei sitting by his side, Yu Zhi Yi could only hold a conversation with him.

    Once in a while, Yu Zhi Yi would look at Su Ruan through the rear mirror. The girl did not even bother to join in the conversation and instead, continued to look out the window as if she was playing tourist in the city where she had lived for a few years.

    This was the first time that Su Ruan had returned to Capital City after being away for a few months.

    The city looked the same as the day she had left, but Su Ruan thought that the city had changed a lot. But perhaps, what had changed was probably the way she felt towards this city.

    When she came to Capital City a few years ago to study, she was very full of hope. She had a high expectation that she would achieve everything she had ever dreamed of. Meeting someone she loved, building her own family as well as having a career that she had always wanted.

    However, this city was not always kind to her. She had thought that it would be alright as long as she could achieve half of what she had dreamed about. Unfortunately, she had lost everything in this city.

    She faced a lot of hardship and later, she decided that it was time to leave.

    This was a beautiful city but unfortunately, it was not for her.

    It has been a few hours since she left the small town and she was beginning to miss the silence and the peace that the town could give her. The air was fresher and living there was relaxing.

    Because of the traffic, it took them almost an hour to arrive at the hotel where Long Fei had booked their stay.

    Su Ruan could not hide her surprise when the car pulled over in front of the building. Although she knew that Long Fei was very wealthy, she had never thought that the man would book their room in The Orchid Hotel.

    She knew well how expensive spending a night in the hotel could be and this time, she had planned to stay for two weeks to attend Yu Zhi Yi''s wedding.

    Thinking of how much money that Long Fei had to spend made her heart hurt.

    However, Su Ruan did not get to think about this matter for too long.

    While she was still in a daze, the bell boy had taken out their luggage from the cargo space and brought everything inside.

    Su Ruan followed after Long Fei and the man had quickly checked in and obtained their room keys.

    However, Su Ruan was quick to notice that something is wrong when Long Fei handed her the keys.

 Chapter 146 - Presidential Suite

    Noticing that Su Ruan was staring at the key card with a dazed look on her face, Long Fei went to her side and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

    "This¡­" Su Ruan looked up and suddenly did not know how she should voice her thought.

    Long Fei had said that he will arrange their accommodation. However, she had not thought that he would reserve one room.

    The two of them only got together for a while. Wasn''t it too early to skip a few levels and reached another stage?

    Although they were dating, they had never been that intimate. The time that they had shared a kiss can still be counted with one hand.

    It''s not possible to ask him to book another room for her, right? After all, spending a night in The Orchid Hotel was too expensive for someone like her. She wouldn''t be able to sit still to ask him and pay for her.

    Should she go and look for another hotel instead?

    "Su Ruan?"

    Su Ruan snapped out of her thought and looked at the man again. Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Su Ruan began to hesitate to talk to him about her dilemma.

    After a while, Su Ruan braved herself and whispered, "We''re¡­ staying in the same room?"

    It take him a few seconds to understand what was going on in Su Ruan''s mind. The corner of his lips tilted up. "It''s a suite with two bedrooms. I always have this room reserved for me each time that I come to Capital City. But if you are not comfortable with it, I can ask for another room."

    Hearing that it was a two-bedroom suite, Su Ruan was finally at ease.

    She did not mind being in the same room as him as long as they did not have to share a bedroom or sleep on the same bed.

    Anyway, she had a lot of plans and was going to be busy during this stay. Su Ruan only thought of this accommodation as a place where she can rest her head after a tiring day. They shouldn''t run into an awkward situation.

    Quickly, Su Ruan waved her hand. "No. It''s fine. I was just asking."

    Long Fei raised his head. "Are you sure?"

    "Mhmm¡­" Su Ruan nodded.

    Meanwhile, Yu Zhi Yi has been watching the couple''s interaction from afar.

    Just now, his fiance called to ask where he had gone to. Knowing that Shen Yue would easily get jealous, Yu Zhi Yi had told her that he was running an errand for their wedding.

    As he was talking to Shen Yue, Yu Zhi Yi continued to watch Su Ruan and Long Fei from a distance. Seeing them standing close and whispering made him feel irritated.

    After assuring his fiance that he would return soon, Yu Zhi Yi walked over to the couple again. He glanced at Long Fei before looking at Su Ruan.

    "Is everything settled?" Yu Zhi Yi asked.

    "Mmm¡­ Yu Zhi Yi, thank you for sending us over," Su Ruan said.

    "Don''t mention it. You came to Capital City to attend my wedding. This is what I should do." Yu Zhi Yi flashed a smile. "Will you be busy tonight? Why don''t we go out and have dinner?"

    "Tonight¡­ is not convenient."

    Yu Zhi Yi''s smile froze when he heard Su Ruan''s words.

    "It has been a while since I left Capital City, I already made plans to meet a few friends."

    Yu Zhi Yi felt a lot better at her excuse. "Then, let''s just meet again tomorrow. Su Ruan, my parents wanted to see you again."

    Su Ruan hesitated as she thought about Yu Zhi Yi''s parents. She did not have the heart to reject their invitation. After all, the couple has always been good to her.

    "I still have to meet my editor tomorrow." Su Ruan pursed her lips. "But I think I can make time for dinner tomorrow."

    His smile turned bright again. "Then, it''s settled. I''ll let my parents know. My mother would be thrilled to see you again."

    The two of them exchanged a few words before Yu Zhi Yi finally left. His fiance, Shen Yue continued to text him, urging him to find her as soon as possible.

    Once Yu Zhi Yi had left, Su Ruan went with Long Fei to walk around the hotel. As they would be staying in the hotel for more than a week, Long Fei wanted her to get used to the place and showed her the facilities provided.

    Su Ruan eyed the spa which was located on the fifth floor and wondered if she should give it a try and relax.

    When they finally arrived at their suite, Su Ruan could no longer hide her surprise.

    Long Fei had told her that they would be living in a two-bedroom suite, but she did not expect that the suite would be the presidential suite.

    Everything around her looked expensive. It felt as if she was going to stain this place if she sat down on the sofa.

    Just then, a young man in a suit and bowtie appeared at the door. After greeting them both politely, the young man stood at the corner as if waiting for the next instruction.

    "This room comes with a personal butler, but I don''t usually call them over," Long Fei explained.

    With his special body condition, it was not convenient to have someone to serve him. Usually, it would be his cousin, Long Yu Heng who came to stay with him.

    "But you can need anything, you can call them and they will do their best to assist you."

    "Oh." Su Ruan was too stunned by everything around her that it was hard for her to react.

    Long Fei turned to the young man again and instructed him to prepare their lunch. Once the young man left, he then turned to Su Ruan again. "My bedroom will be on the right and yours will be on the left. Is that alright?"

    "Of course." Su Ruan naturally did not have any complaints.

    The corner of his lips tilted into a faint smile. "Sometimes, my assistant would come over to deliver some documents from the office.. Don''t be surprised if you see him later."

 Chapter 147 - Make Plans Together

    After exchanging a few words with Long Fei, Su Ruan went into the bedroom to unpack. She looked at the bed in the middle of the room and hesitated.

    The bed looked very comfortable and inviting but Su Ruan did not know whether she could sit on this bed. Everything looked very expensive.

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan finally decided to sit down on the bed. Her eyes lit up upon feeling the mattress bounce. Su Ruan spread her hands and finally leaned back on the mattress.

    A long, heavy sigh escaped her lips.

    It felt as if once she sleep on this mattress, she would never want to leave this mattress. It was the first time that she had laid on the mattress this comfortable.

    Su Ruan took a few photos of her room and posted them over her moments. Then, she texted her mother and reported that she had arrived.

    Just in time, her phone buzzed. Su Ruan looked at the caller ID and saw that it was her friend, Lin Qing.

    Her lips curved into a smile. Su Ruan swiped her finger on the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. "Lin Qing, hello."

    "Su Ruan, you have reached Capital City? Where are you staying? Why is the hotel room look so pretty?"

    Su Ruan coughed. "Well, that¡­"

    "Don''t tell me that Yu Zhi Yi is kind enough to book you such a pretty place?"

    "Of course not. This¡­" Su Ruan really did not know how to explain to her friend about Long Fei. She had not mentioned that she had recently got herself into a relationship.

    Su Ruan took a deep breath and spoke, "Well then, I''ll tell you when we meet."

    Lin Qing clicked her tongue. "Su Ruan, we haven''t seen each other for a few days, but you''re getting meaner. You know that I''m not in around in Capital City and still wanted to keep a secret from me."

    "How long are you going to be away? I''m going to stay in Capital City for two weeks. You will be able to return to Capital City in time, right?"

    "Two weeks? You are going to stay that long?"

    "Un¡­ After Zhi Yi''s wedding, my former editor planned to introduce me to a few people."

    "Then, that''s great. Su Ruan, you wait for me. There are a lot of things I wanted to ask you. Don''t think that you can return to D Town before you answer all my questions."

    Su Ruan laughed. She could not help but wonder how would Lin Qing react once she introduced Long Fei to her later.

    The two of them chatted for a while before they disconnected.

    When Su Ruan looked at her phone again, she had already received a few notifications from her Moment''s post. A few friends liked her post and asked where she was staying.

    Su Ruan replied to them without disclosing her whereabouts before she put her phone aside.

    She stared at the ceiling and was about to fall asleep when someone knock on the door.

    Su Ruan stood up quickly and walked over to the door. As soon as she opened the door, Long Fei''s smiling face appeared in front of her.

    Although she already knew that Long Fei was staying next door, it was a little surprising to see him appear in front of her.

    Her heart skipped a beat. Su Ruan raised her hand awkwardly and started to wave at him. "Hi."

    The man chuckled at her reaction. "Have you finished unpacking? Lunch is ready. Do you want to eat?"

    Su Ruan was about to speak when her stomach grumbled, giving away her reply. Her cheek turned a little red and Su Ruan started to mutter a few silent curses.

    "Then, I''ll wait for you in the dining room."

    "Uh-huh." Su Ruan nodded. She watched as the man turned around and closed her door again. She leaned on the door and put both hands on her cheek. Her eyes were shut tightly as she bore with the embarrassment.

    It took her a while before she calm down. Su Ruan took a few deep breaths and headed out to the dining area. The space was quite big that it could fit around ten people at the same time.

    She peeked at the dishes on the table and started to salivate.

    "Come on, have a seat." Long Fei pulled the chair for her before he took the seat next to her.

    The two of them began to eat their meal and Long Fei eased the atmosphere between them by discussing their plans in Capital City.

    However, after discussing them for a while, Long Fei realized that Su Ruan really had her schedule packed. Other than acting as her friend''s best woman, she still has to meet a few friends and discuss her work matter.

    Su Ruan was in the middle of explaining her writing job when she noticed that Long Fei was staring at her with a strange gaze. She put down her cutlery and looked up. "What''s wrong?"

    Long Fei pursed his lips and give them a brief thought. "I just have this thought."

    "You say."

    "Su Ruan, we... are a couple, right?"

    She stared at him, with eyes unblinking. The word, ''couple'' made her heart flutter. "Right."

    "Then, since we are considered on our break, shouldn''t we make plans together? Going on a date and such."

    Su Ruan considered his words and thought that they make a lot of sense. While they were in D Town, they often sneak around to have a date.

    Now that they were in Capital City together, shouldn''t they take this advantage to date and get to know each other well? Didn''t she promise herself that she will give herself a chance and move on from Yu Zhi Yi? It can''t be that she''s planning to treat him to a meal and not do any couple activities together, right?

    She couldn''t stay in Capital City and busy herself with her matters and not care about him or their relationship.

    "Then¡­" Su Ruan bit her lips as she hesitated. "What do you think we should do? Do you have any place to go?"

    Long Fei smiled. "Then, how about I make some plan for us and tell you later? Su Ruan, will you be able to free your time and go on a date with me?"

    Su Ruan straightened her back. "I''ll definitely free my time."

    Long Fei chuckled at the way she acted. He watched as she picked up her cutlery again and started to nibble on her food.

    Her interaction with Yu Zhi Yi earlier suddenly came to his mind.

    Long Fei was curious about their relationship and wanted to ask her about it, but these were not something that he could ask at the moment.. In the end, he could only lower his gaze to suppress the curiosity.

 Chapter 148 - Is This A Bad Time?

    After sharing their meals together, both Long Fei and Su Ruan went back to their respective room.

    Knowing that Su Ruan was still trying to get used to having him around, Long Fei decided not to disturb her.

    Once he was seated behind the desk, Long Fei turned on his computer and began to busy himself with work. On his table, there were a few documents that Fu Xing had delivered to him a while ago.

    As Su Ruan was planning to meet her former editor the next morning, Long Fei decided to go to the office and called the directors and managers for a meeting.

    Long Fei was in the middle of looking at a few financial documents when someone knocked on his door.

    Habitually, he only raised his head and did not say a word.

    Usually, when Long Yu Heng came to find him, he will knock on his door and entered. As his right-hand man, Long Yu Heng had these privileges.

    However, after waiting for a while, the other person did not come in.

    His brow furrowed. "Come in." His deep voice reverberated in the room.

    After a while, the door opened to a small gap. The person he was expected to see did not show up. Instead, Su Ruan''s face popped up between the gap.

    The girl blinked her eyes and smiled. "Is it alright for me to come in?"

    "Su Ruan?" Long Fei finally snapped out of his thought. "Why are you here?"

    This was the first time that a woman had appeared in front of his door. Suddenly, he was at loss at what he should do.

    He was too preoccupied with work that he had forgotten that the two of them were in the same suite. He stood up abruptly and looked at her expectantly.

    Su Ruan noticed the documents on his table and flashed an awkward smile. "Is this a bad time?"

    "No. It''s fine." Long Fei cleared his throat. "Come in."

    Su Ruan stepped into the room and noticed that his room was bigger than hers. Looking at the computer set up in the room, Su Ruan was convinced that this suite has always been reserved for him.

    Long Fei continued to keep his eyes on Su Ruan. It was rare to see him looking for him and Long Fei was anticipating to hear what she wanted to tell him.

    Su Ruan glanced at her wristwatch and spoke. "It''s almost time for dinner. I was wondering if you would like to go out together." She let out a cough and continued. "After all, I did say that I will treat you to a meal."

    "Didn''t you already make plans with your friends?"

    Long Fei could still remember that Yu Zhi Yi had invited Su Ruan out for dinner. However, Su Ruan had declined his invitation and said that she had already made plans with her friends.

    Seeing that Su Ruan was staring at him with a puzzled look, Long Fei decided to explain, "I heard you tell your friend, Mr. Yu that you already make a plan earlier."

    Su Ruan laughed. "Mmm¡­ It''s true that I have already had a plan. But I was thinking of going out to have dinner with you. After all, I have promised."

    "You don''t have to be in a rush to treat me to a meal."

    "I know. But I already have this plan in mind before we make a plan to go on a date later." Su Ruan flashed him a smile. "But if you are busy with work¡­"

    "No. I''m not." Long Fei saw the way Su Ruan was peeking at his study and quickly explained. "I was just looking at the documents to pass time."

    "Then, should we go out?" Su Ruan tilted her head to one side. "I already make my research and found a few good restaurants to eat."

    Long Fei chuckled. "Well then, let me go and get ready first."

    Her eyes lit up. "Then, I''ll go and meet you in the living room in ten minutes?" She too needed to get ready and change her clothes.

    Long Fei watched as Su Ruan walked out of the room and smiled. Her steps seem light and she seemed very happy that he had agreed. Long Fei could not help but think that the look on her face was really adorable.

    He quickly snapped out of his thought and turned to look at the clothes in his wardrobe.

    A deep frown appeared on his face. It seemed that other than some suits, he really did not have any proper clothes. It seemed that it was time for him to rearrange his wardrobe.

    Previously, having these type of clothes were very convenient for him as he was often at work. But later, it would not be convenient. Later, if he wanted to go on a date, he cannot wear a suit all the time, right?

    Long Fei had thought that it would take him a few minutes to get ready. However, because he was busy looking for proper clothes to wear, he ended up coming to the living room a little later than Su Ruan. Noticing the way Su Ruan was giving him a look over made him a little embarrassed.

    "Where are we going to eat? Do we need to call for a car? I can call my assistant."

    Su Ruan held her bag tightly and spoke, "Mmm¡­ You don''t have to worry about it. I have already made my arrangement. Mr. Long, you only have to come with me."

    "Then, I will follow your arrangement."

    Su Ruan turned around and suddenly remember that she did not ask him the important matter. "Right. I forgot to ask. Will you be alright with anything? You don''t have any allergies, right?"

    "No. As for my preferences, I''m fine with anything."

    The two of them headed out and entered the taxi that Su Ruan had called for earlier.

    It was rare for Long Fei to ride a taxi but seeing the person beside him made him smile.. The two of them might still be awkward around each other but Long Fei really appreciated that she had taken the initiative to go out with him.

 Chapter 149 - Run Into Her Stepmother

    The vehicle stopped at the side road. Then, the two walked on foot for two minutes before they arrived in front of a restaurant.

    Su Ruan stopped in front of the restaurant and pointed one hand at the building. "Ta-da!" She flashed him a bright smile, but her smile froze when Su Ruan noticed that Long Fei has been staring at her with a pair of warm eyes.

    Heat traveled on her body, turning her face red from her neck to her ears.

    Su Ruan stared at him awkwardly and asked, "Why¡­ are you looking at me like that?"

    His lips turned into a smile. "Mmm¡­ nothing. I just thought that you''re cute."

    The redness on her cheek deepened. Su Ruan pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ears. "That¡­ we should get in quickly. Otherwise, we won''t get a seat."

    Long Fei finally raised his head to look at the place. It turned out to be a seafood restaurant.

    "The review said that this restaurant''s cooking is quite delicious. If we come any later, we might have to queue for a long time."

    Long Fei offered his hand and raised a brow at her. "Then, let''s go in."

    After a few seconds of hesitation, Su Ruan put her hand on his arms and the two of them walked into the restaurant together.

    The server led them to a table and handed them the menu.

    "Come on. Just order anything you want to eat. Whatever it is, it would be my treat."

    Long Fei chuckled. "Then, I won''t be polite." He first looked at the price of the food before he placed his order.

    "Will that be enough?" Su Ruan asked. "You can order a little more if you like."

    "I''ll order again if it''s not enough."

    "Alright." Su Ruan nodded and handed the menu back to the server. Once the server left, Su Ruan heaved a sigh and looked around.

    "I heard that this place had a good atmosphere. The decoration in the room really looked nice." Su Ruan glanced at the table across them and saw that the group was busy taking pictures of their food.

    "Mr. Long," Su Ruan turned to look at the man again and smiled. "You don''t mind that I brought you over to this restaurant, right?"

    "I''m not picky. As long as the food tastes good, then I would be satisfied."

    "Suddenly, I feel pressured." Su Ruan sighed. "What should I do if the food here is not up to your expectation?"

    Long Fei laughed. "I''m sure the food will taste good. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be a long line of customers wanting to dine here, right?" Long Fei glanced at the front entrance. "You see. There is already a line outside."

    Su Ruan followed his line of gaze and gasped. "You''re right. Fortunately, we were a few minutes earlier. Actually, I was worried that you would not be comfortable dining at a place like this."

    "Su Ruan, you don''t need to worry about these things. I am not someone who only dined in an expensive place," Long Fei said.

    "Aren''t you afraid of being recognized?"

    "Not many people recognized me. This is also the good thing about being low-profile."

    "That''s true. The last time I was supposed to prepare for your interview, I have to work hard to find information about you. I tried to find pictures of you on the internet but the best-looking one was the one on your company''s website. Finding information about you was really hard."

    Back then, she worked hard to find information about him. She had to use her connection to find reliable information on him. This was the reason Su Ruan was angry when Director Gao wanted to give away her job to Yan Xi.

    "Now that you are in front of me, why don''t you interview me?"

    "This matter was something from a few months ago. I have already forgotten what I''m supposed to ask."

    Some of the questions that she was supposed to ask were a little personal. Because ''Upcoming was a magazine focused on women, the question includes his dream woman. This was not something that she could ask at this moment. It would be too embarrassing.

    The two of them continued to chat and joked around.

    Just then, Su Ruan raised her head and saw a familiar person walking into the restaurant. Their gazes met, making them both startled.

    Su Ruan lowered her gaze, wanting to avoid her but her stepmother had already walked over to her table.

    "Su Ruan?" Xia Ru Yan flashed a smile as she came closer. "I did not expect that I would run into you here."

    "Mother." Su Ruan stood up. "Why are you in Capital City?"

    Su Ruan would never expect that she would run into her stepmother in this restaurant. She did not know how should she act around her.

    "I''m on a business trip with my colleagues," Xia Ru Yan spoke. She glanced at the group of people behind her and smiled. After exchanging a few words with them, Xia Ru Yan turned to her stepdaughter again. "I was about to contact you and ask you to have a meal together. Are you still living in your old apartment?"

    "No. I already moved out."

    "Tell me your new address later. I''ll come over and find you."

    Su Ruan lowered her head. She still had not told her father that she no longer stay in Capital City. No one seem to know that she had moved to D City.

    "Mmm¡­ I will." Of course, Su Ruan was only saying this now. She had no intention to send her address to her stepmother.

    Xia Ru Yan glanced at the person who was sitting across from her stepdaughter. "And this is? Your friend?"

    Su Ruan followed her eyes and spoke, "This is Long Fei. My boyfriend. Long Fei, this is my¡­ stepmother."

    Her eyes lit up. Xia Ru Yan began to look at the man in a different light. "Your boyfriend?" Her lips turned into a smile. She turned to Long Fei and spoke, "Hello."

    The two of them exchanged a brief greeting.

    "Then, Su Ruan, you have to invite your boyfriend home and introduce him to your father.. I''m sure that he would be happy knowing that you are now in a relationship."

 Chapter 150 - About Her Father

    After exchanging a few words with her stepmother, Su Ruan watched as Xia Ru Yan left to join her colleague for dinner. She sat down and found that Long Fei was looking at her.

    Her lips curled into a faint smile.

    Su Ruan knew well that Long Fei has been watching her interaction with her stepmother just now. Thinking about it, Su Ruan recalled that she had never mentioned her father to him before.

    Perhaps, he was also curious about her family.

    Just as she was about to speak, the server returned with their food order.

    "Let''s eat first," Long Fei smiled.

    Su Ruan nodded and the two of them ate their meal. From the corner of her eyes, Su Ruan could see that her stepmother was still in a deep conversation with her colleague.

    Seeing her around, Su Ruan thought of leaving the restaurant sooner. Otherwise, her stepmother would come to her table again and initiated a conversation with her. Su Ruan did not want to tell her that she had moved to D Town.

    Now that she had run into her stepmother, Su Ruan knew that her stepmother would definitely tell their encounter to her father. Regarding her move to D Town... she wanted to tell her father herself.

    The two ate their meal without mentioning her stepmother. Su Ruan made an excuse to head to the restroom to pay for their meal.

    Long Fei obviously saw her tactic but decided not to mention it.

    It seemed that Su Ruan was afraid that he was going to play some tricks and decided to pay for their meal first.

    Thinking about it, it was not the first time that Su Ruan had offered to pay for their meal. The last time she said she would pay, he ended up paying before her. Later, he tricked her into having more meals with him.

    Perhaps, Su Ruan could foresee what he wanted to do and chose to act first.

    The corner of his lips tilted into a smile. The more he spent his time with her, the more he thought that Su Ruan was such an adorable person.

    Perhaps, he might begin to like her a little bit.

    "Are you going to say a few words to your stepmother before we leave?" Long Fei asked.

    Su Ruan glanced at the table which was not far from them. Then she shook her head. "It''s fine. It''s better if I don''t disturb her. Long Fei, let''s go."

    The two of them walked out of the restaurant together. Once she was outside, Su Ruan finally heaved a long breath. The atmosphere around her was no longer stifling.

    Su Ruan twirled around and looked at the man with a bright smile on her face. "Would you like to go on a walk before returning to the hotel?"

    "Alright." Long Fei quickly agreed. "It''s good to take a walk after a meal."

    Su Ruan turned around and walked along the street with the man beside her. She waited until they arrived at a spot where there were lesser people before she turned to Long Fei again.

    Coincidentally, her eyes caught the glimpse of a milk tea shop across the street. She turned to Long Fei again and spoke, "Would you like to have some milk tea?"

    Sensing that the girl was trying to cheer herself up, Long Fei quickly agree. He casually held her hand and the two of them crossed the street together.

    Su Ruan was still staring at their intertwined hands together with a slightly dazed expression. When she looked up again, they have already arrived in front of the milk tea shop.

    "What would you like to drink?" Long Fei asked. "Since you have paid for our meal, then, I will buy you this drink."

    "Plum tea."

    "Then, have a seat first. I will go and buy the drinks first."

    "Alright." Su Ruan walked into the shop and found the empty seat deep inside. Lowering her head, she wondered if she should tell Long Fei about her family.

    Since they have decided to be in a relationship, it would be strange if he did not know much about herself and her family.

    As Su Ruan was still in her thought, Long Fei sat down across her with the plum tea that she wanted and a cup of iced americano for himself.

    "Come. Have a drink."

    Su Ruan took a sip from her drink and took a deep breath. "Are you not curious about my family?"

    "You can tell me if you want to. But I would also understand if you are not comfortable to speak about it," Long Fei said. "We have agreed to take things slowly. We still have a long time ahead. So, you can tell me whenever you are ready."

    Her heart was feeling warmer at his words. Although she was a little anxious around Long Fei, he would always find a way to make her feel at ease around him. "Hmm... It''s not a matter that I cannot speak about. My parents were divorced when I was still small. According to them, they no longer had a feeling towards each other. Afterward, I live with my father."

    "Is that the reason why you did not return to D Town to visit your maternal grandparents for years?"

    Su Ruan laughed. "That was part of the reason."

    She wondered... if she told him how she would go crazy each time she return to D Town, would Long Fei believe it? When her mother told her the reason they no longer take her back to D Town, even she would think that her mother was speaking nonsense.

    "Still, they both had a good relationship and would look after me well. As a child, I don''t feel that neglected," Su Ruan said. "Then, my dad remarried and my stepmother brought along her two children. Although we lived together, I was not that very close with her. My relationship with my stepmother was a little awkward. Seeing my dad with his new family... I just could not get used to it. Afterward, I decided to move out of the house and chose to study in Capital City. Even after I graduated, I didn''t want to return home."

    Su Ruan lowered her gaze.

    Her heart would go sour each time that she thought about this.. How her father''s attention was slowly taken away from her just because her two siblings were too young.

 Chapter 151 - Her Father Phone Call

    After walking around on the street for a while longer, both of them finally returned to their hotel. When they arrived at their suite, the two of them stared at each other awkwardly.

    Or actually, it was Su Ruan who found it awkward.

    While they were in D Town, Long Fei would send her back until they reach the front of her Grandpa''s orchard. But this time, Long Fei was sending her to her door.

    Su Ruan did not know how to react to this situation. Her hands were tugging at the hem of her shirt as she was thinking of what she should do.

    Just then, Long Fei leaned over and kissed her cheek, making her stunned. His lips curled into a smile. "Good night."

    Su Ruan touched the spot where he had kissed her and started to blush.

    "Go in and rest. Tomorrow, let''s have breakfast together before you head out to see your friends." Long Fei stretched his hand to push a few strands of hair behind her ear.

    Worried that he would scare her, Long Fei took a step back and turned around to head back to his room.

    Su Ruan took a deep breath as she watched his retreating back. "Long Fei."

    The man turned around looked at her questioningly.

    "I''ll see you tomorrow."

    Long Fei let out a chuckle and nodded. "I''ll see you tomorrow." He watched as she enter her room before he turned to his room.

    A faint smile appeared on his face when he thought about Su Ruan''s reddened face. However, the smile disappeared again when he thought about her childhood story.

    Although she had said that she did not mind what happened, Long Fei could tell that the girl was sad that her parents were divorced and she could not see her mother as much as she liked to.

    Her sadness was something that he too could feel.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan woke up early in the morning with a dazed look on her face. The mattress and pillow were very comfortable that she did not want to wake up. However, the phone on the side table continued to ring, urging her to wake up.

    It took her a while for her to realize that she was staying in the Presidential Suite of The Orchid Hotel. Once the realization came over, Su Ruan sat up quickly and gasped.

    Before she could sort out her mind, the phone that had stopped ringing a few seconds ago started to ring again.

    Su Ruan finally reached for her phone and stared at the caller ID with a complicated look on her face. Just before the phone stopped ringing, Su Ruan slid her finger on the screen and pressed the phone to her ear.

    "Su Ruan?" Her father''s voice was heard on the other line.

    "Dad, sorry. I was sleeping just now."

    "It''s already late." Su Yu reminded his daughter.

    "Mmm¡­ I know. I was busy with my work last night," Su Ruan said.

    There was a long silence on Su Yu''s side. "Your stepmother said she ran into you at the restaurant last night. You were with your boyfriend?"

    Last night, his wife had called and told him about this. Hearing that his daughter was now in a relationship made him anxious. Su Yu wanted to give her a call right away. However, it was already in the middle of the night.

    Su Yu forced himself to calm down and called her again in the morning.

    His worry caused him to lose his sleep. Su Yu waited until he had breakfast with the kids before she finally dialed his daughter''s number.

    Hearing that the girl had only woken up from her sleep, Su Yu''s mind began to wander. Of course, if Su Yu knew that his daughter was staying in the same suite with her boyfriend, he would definitely go crazy.

    Su Ruan heaved a breath when she heard her father''s words. The moment she saw her father''s name on the caller ID, she had already guessed at what her father wanted to ask.

    She had prepared herself for this conversation with her father.

    "Mmm¡­ Mother had already told you about it?"

    "If she did not run into you at the restaurant, are you going to keep this a secret from me?"

    "It''s not that," Su Ruan. "But we recently got together. I think I wanted to wait for a while before I can tell you about him."

    In the end, Su Ruan spent her morning talking to her father about her boyfriend. When the call ended, Su Ruan realized that she only have a little time before her appointment with her former editor.

    She ran into the bathroom to take a quick shower and came out. However, just as she was about to step out of the door, Su Ruan ran into a wall and had almost fell backward.

    A warm arm encircled her waist, preventing her from falling.

    When she looked up again, Su Ruan was surprised to see Long Fei''s face a few inches away from her. His eyes were watching him with concern.

    "Are you alright?"

    Su Ruan stared back at him with her eyes wide. Then, she slowly nodded. "I''m alright."

    "Can you stand up?"

    Su Ruan nodded again.

    With Long Fei''s help, Su Ruan stood up again. She lowered her head and adjusted her clothes.

    "Sorry. I was about to knock on your door when you suddenly came out," Long Fei explained. "I remember that you have an appointment with your former editor. I thought you were still sleeping and would be late for the meeting."

    It was then that she realized that the ''wall'' was actually Long Fei''s chest. "Thank you." Su Ruan bit her lower lips and pointed to the door. "I should go now."

    Before the girl could turn around and leave, Long Fei held her arms to stop her. "Go and have your breakfast first. It''s not good to begin your morning with an empty stomach."

    "But I''m already late." Su Ruan was still worried. She still needed to catch up with the bus to head over to the meeting location.

    "Don''t worry about it," Long Fei said. "I already arranged transportation for you. Someone will drive you over to your meeting location. For now, you should have your breakfast."

    After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan finally agreed.

 Chapter 152 - Not In A Hurry

    Su Ruan followed him to the dining room and saw that there was already food on the table. She sat down and the butler came to pour her a cup of hot coffee.

    "Eat."

    Picking up her cutlery, Su Ruan scabbed at the scrambled egg and took a bite.

    Now that she was sitting across Long Fei for breakfast, Su Ruan could not help but felt a little awkward again. Having breakfast together first thing in the morning¡­ gave off the feeling that they were living together, right?

    As she recalled her conversation with her father earlier, Su Ruan started to bite at her fork with a dazed expression. She did not expect her father was worried about her relationship. She''s a girl and her father worry that her boyfriend would take advantage of her.

    "What is it? The food is not to your palate? I can ask the butler to prepare something quick," Long Fei spoke. He looked up and was about to call the butler to prepare something new when Su Ruan had stopped him.

    "No. The food is fine." Seeing the worry on his face, Su Ruan quickly made an excuse. "Just that, I was thinking about my appointment."

    His lips finally formed a smile. "Worry that you will not arrive in time?"

    "My former editor wanted to introduce me to someone else. I worry whether I would be able to impress that person or not."

    Previously, Su Ruan had mentioned about her interview with this person that his former editor was going to introduce her to. "You will be fine," Long Fei said. "Hurry and eat. I promise that I will send you there after this."

    Su Ruan was about to speak when she saw that Long Fei had lowered his head to look at his phone. Thinking that he was a busy man and was dealing with his work matter, Su Ruan lowered her head again and ate her breakfast.

    The food that the butler had prepared was good. Su Ruan finished her breakfast and stood up at the same time as Long Fei. The man led her out until they arrived at the hotel''s entrance where a car was already waiting for them.

    As they approached, Fu Xing alighted and greeted his boss. However, his gaze halted again when he saw the person beside Long Fei.

    Fu Xing had thought that perhaps, he was still in the la la land.

    It was a couple of months ago since the last time he had seen his boss and Su Ruan together. Now, the two of them had come out of the hotel together.

    His boss who had never been in a relationship with another gender had actually come out of the hotel together. This was too unbelievable, right?

    Their progress was too fast!

    "Fu Xing, what are you doing?" Long Fei''s face darkened when he noticed that his assistant has been staring at his girlfriend.

    The assistant snapped out of his trance and helped to open the door. "Miss Su, please come in."

    Su Ruan gave him a quick nod before she slid into the vehicle. She was aware of Fu Xing''s identity as Long Fei''s assistant. However, the last time she saw him in D Town, the two of them barely had any interaction. Now that she had seen him again, she did not know how she should address him.

    As she was thinking about the assistant, Long Fei slid in and sat down beside her.

    "Am I not going to delay you?" Su Ruan asked. "It was rush hour. There might be slight traffic."

    She recalled how he was dealing with a few documents while having breakfast and worried that he might be late to head to his office.

    "Moreover, my meeting place is in the opposite direction of your office," Su Ruan reminded him. "You might be wasting a lot of time because of me. I could grab a taxi and head over."

    "It''s fine. I''m not in a hurry." Long Fei flashed her a smile. He raised the tablet in his hand and spoke, "Besides, I can use the time traveling to look at my documents. You won''t be delaying my work."

    Fu Xing had just entered the car when he heard his boss''s words.

    Didn''t he summon the directors and managers for a meeting? What did he mean by he was not in a hurry? It couldn''t be that his boss was trying to impress a girl, right?

    However, Fu Xing decided not to say anything. After all, this person was the president of the company. Even if he showed up a few hours late, no one was going to complain.

    Noticing that Fu Xing was glancing at them through the rear mirror, Long Fei decided to speak, "Su Ruan, this is my assistant. Fu Xing."

    Su Ruan nodded at him through the mirror. "Hello, Assistant Fu. Sorry to trouble you early in the morning."

    "Miss Su, please be at ease. It''s no trouble at all." Fu Xing waved his hands. He glanced at the couple on the back seat of the car and wondered what was their relationship at this time.

    They were together, but they did not seem very affectionate. Could it be that he had misjudged things? Or was it that his boss was still wooing the girl?

    Fu Xing thought that this idea seemed possible. After all, his boss had never been in a relationship before. How can he woo someone that fast?

    Fortunately for Fu Xing, his boss was unaware of his thought. Otherwise, he might get himself in trouble.

    "Mmm¡­ Su Ruan, later, I will give you my assistant number," Long Fei said. "If you can''t reach me, you can always call my assistant. Just call whenever you need anything."

    "Alright." Su Ruan nodded. After she had reported the address, Fu Xing started to concentrate on his driving. Su Ruan glanced at the person beside her and noticed that he was reading some report on his tablet.

    A faint sigh escaped her as she wondered if the man was not being truthful about being busy.

    He was the President of Blue Media Group after all. Now that he had come to Capital City, he should have had a lot of work to do. But he still wanted to send her over to her meeting place.

    Her lips curled up as she thought about this.

 Chapter 153 - In A Good Mood

    After sending Su Ruan to her meeting place, Long Fei headed straight to his office. When he arrived, his cousin, Long Yu Heng was already waiting for him at the entrance.

    Long Fei glanced at his cousin before walking into the elevator together.

    Once the door closed, Long Yu Heng turned to his cousin and asked, "I heard that you came to Capital City with Miss Su. What is your relationship right now?"

    Long Fei continued to look up ahead and answered, "She''s my girlfriend."

    Long Yu Heng looked at his cousin with his eyes wide. "When did this happen?"

    "Just a few weeks before we came here." Long Fei shot a warning gaze at his cousin. "Don''t tell the elders."

    "I know." Long Yu Heng heaved a long breath. "Regarding Miss Su, I won''t tell the elders anything."

    After what Long Fei had done at the old residence, the elders were busy looking for a way to retaliate. If they found out this information, who knew what the elders would do to Su Ruan.

    The elevator door slid open with a ding. The cousin walked out and headed to Long Fei''s office together.

    "Do you have something to tell me?" Long Fei asked.

    Long Yu Heng let out a cough. "My dad said your father is looking for you all over. It seemed that he was really in pain without Eldest Aunt around. Are you not planning to let them reunite soon?"

    "Do you want to speak on my father''s behalf?" Long Fei raised a brow.

    "My father was worried that your father would cause a ruckus when he could no longer hold on," Long Yu Heng said.

    Long Fei sneered. "He deserved it."

    Hearing this answer suddenly gave Long Yu Heng a headache. His father has been urging him. Last night, their grandfather had called to ask about the father and son''s situation as well. Meanwhile, Long Fei acted as if he was not a part of this.

    Being this man''s right-hand man was really not an easy thing.

    Long Yu Heng stared at his cousin for a long time and spoke, "Now that you have been staying around Miss Su, you should understand your father''s feelings as well. Tell me, when Miss Su was away from you did you really feel in pain?"

    Long Fei was looking at the documents in his hand when he heard this question. He gave it a long thought and spoke, "It felt as if you''re a fish out of the water. It feels as if you''re going to die."

    The corner of his lips twitched. "And you still want to let your parents separated." This person did not worry about his father at all.

    "My father still has a lake around him to swim around. The feeling might not be as good as having his wife around, but he''ll survive. If he wanted to see me, he can come and find me. Otherwise, he''ll have to wait until we returned to D Town."

    At this time, someone knocked on the door. Fu Xing entered the room and announced, "President Long, the others are waiting for you in the meeting room."

    Long Fei nodded. He sent a message to Su Ruan before he walked out to attend the meeting. Then, as if he had thought of something, Long Fei looked at his cousin again and spoke, "Yu Heng, help me to look up for something."

    Seeing the serious look on Long Fei''s face, Long Yu Heng had thought that his cousin was going to ask him to do something important, but Long Fei''s next words startle him so much that he thought he was going to pass out.

    "Yu Heng, help me to find a good place for me to have a date with my girlfriend."

    Long Yu Heng had thought that he had misheard his cousin''s words. "Ah Fei, you¡­ are you serious?"

    Long Fei stared back at his cousin with a serious look on her face.

    "I know." Long Yu Heng coughed. "Just that, can you be a little more specific? What kind of place are you planning to go to?

    "Any place that a girl would like to go to," Long Fei said. "It would be best if it was a place that could help us to cultivate our feelings."

    Long Yu Heng thought about it for a long time and decided to go to the forum and ask around.

    Meanwhile, Long Fei left to attend the meeting with his assistant.

    Perhaps, it was because he has been close to Su Ruan for more than twenty-four hours. His mood was especially great.

    The group of directors and managers were preparing themselves to spend long hours facing their boss''s anger. Surprisingly, the man seemed to be in a good mood.

    However, their president''s good mood was also very scary. They sent Assistant Fu Xing their stress signal, but the man continued to ignore them.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Su Ruan was in a deep conversation with her former editor, Ji Fan Yin. It has been months since the last time they saw each other and there was a lot for them to talk about.

    After Su Ruan had left the magazine, there seem to be a lot of changes in ''Upcoming''.

    Something strange happened to Director Guo. His body turned to stiff as a stone and it doesn''t look as if he was going to recover from that condition.

    With Director Guo no longer around, it was hard for Yan Xi to stay around. In the end, she found another golden thigh for her to hold on to and was transferred to another magazine.

    Her colleague did not like her very much, but Yan Xi stayed around and was enjoying being in a high position. Moreover, it seemed that there was something wrong with Yan Xi. She had a new golden thigh to hug and enjoyed being in a new position, however, she would return to ''Upcoming'' to mess around with the others.

    Su Ruan could sense that Editor Ji was not very happy with this situation as well.

    "Editor Ji, are you not planning to quit this company and look for new job opportunities?" Su Ruan asked. Her former editor has been looking over her and helping her to find freelance jobs. Naturally, Su Ruan worries about Ji Fan Yin as well.

    Ji Fan Yin took a sip from her drink. "I was planning to find new opportunities as well, but there are a lot of things for me to consider. When you are married like me, you will have a lot of responsibility as well."

    Just as they were chatting, a shadow loomed over her.

    Su Ruan looked up and was surprised to see that it was a face that she recognized.

    The person was Shen Yue, Yu Zhi Yi''s fiance.

 Chapter 154 - Do You Have Any Misunderstanding?

    Her lips parted to say something but before Su Ruan could say a word, Editor Ji had stood up. "Editor Fang, you''re here."

    Shifting her gaze to Ji Fan Yin, Su Ruan saw the woman stretch her hand to greet the person beside Shen Yue. It was only then that Su Ruan figured out that the two should have come over together.

    "Editor Ji, hello," Editor Fang greeted as they shook their hands. She glanced at Shen Yue and continued, "This is my friend, Miss Shen Yue. If you don''t mind, can she stay as well?"

    "Of course," Editor Ji quickly agreed. "Hello, Miss Shen." She greeted Shen Yue before turning to Su Ruan again. "Editor Fang, Miss Shen, let me introduce¡­ this is Miss Su Ruan, the writer that I have mentioned previously."

    Su Ruan stood up and exchanged her greetings with them both.

    "Su Ruan, I did not expect to see you here," Shen Yue spoke. "When did you return to Capital City?"

    "Yesterday," Su Ruan said.

    Instantly, Shen Yue''s expression changed. She thought about Yu Zhi Yi who claimed to be running a few errands to buy something for their wedding preparation. However, the man returned with an empty hand despite going out for hours.

    As the thought came to her mind, Shen Yue watched Su Ruan suspiciously.

    Editor Fang turned to her friend. "Shen Yue, you know each other?"

    "Mhm¡­" Shen Yue flashed a smile. "She''s Yu Zhi Yi''s friend that I have mentioned to you before."

    Instantly, Editor Fang''s expression changed.

    Su Ruan did not know what did Shen Yue had said about her, but she could guess that it shouldn''t be anything good. She could already foresee that this interview would not go as well as she had expected.

    But for the sake of Editor Ji, she still has to stay.

    The four of them sat together and they chatted. Editor Ji Yan Yin brought up the matter about her freelance writing job, but Editor Fang only spoke a little about it before she would change the subject.

    After being quiet for a while, Su Ruan finally excused herself to go to the restroom. The air around them was too stifling!

    Su Ruan washed her hand and stared back at her reflection in the mirror. She took a few deep breaths and readied herself to go out and made an excuse to leave.

    However, as she walked out of the restroom, Su Ruan ran into Shen Yue on the narrow path. Looking at Shen Yue''s eyes, Su Ruan could tell that Shen Yue has been waiting for her to come out.

    After giving this matter a thought, Su Ruan walked over and spoke, "You have something to say to me?"

    "Yesterday, did Zhi Yi pick you up from the airport?" Shen Yue asked.

    Su Ruan was unaware of Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue''s relationship and had thought that the two of them were a happy couple. After all, she could still remember Yu Zhi Yi''s expression when he talked about his fiance.

    "That''s right." Su Ruan answered without delay.

    However, hearing Su Ruan''s nonchalant answer, Shen Yue had thought that Su Ruan was showing up. Her anger boiled, at the thought that Su Ruan was trying to seduce her fiance. Yu Zhi Yi even dared to lie for Su Ruan''s sake!

    "Miss Su, I knew that you came to Capital City to attend my and Zhi Yi''s wedding. However, I would appreciate it if you could stop contacting my fiance after the wedding."

    "What?" Su Ruan was dumbfounded.

    "Actually, I didn''t want you to come to our wedding at all. But considering that you are his best friend, I guess I could not stop you from coming."

    Her relationship with Yu Zhi Yi was a little shaky at this moment. If Yu Zhi Yi knew that she had stopped Su Ruan from showing up at their wedding, the man would definitely fight her.

    What if Yu Zhi Yi decided to break up with her for the sake of his best friend?

    That was not what she want.

    Moreover, it would be best if Su Ruan attended their wedding and watch Yu Zhi Yi marry. Perhaps then, Su Ruan would stop being around Yu Zhi Yi.

    "Miss Shen, I have told you before. My relationship with Yu Zhi Yi was not like that," Su Ruan said. "The person that he loves is you. Besides, I already am in a relationship."

    Shen Yue narrowed her eyes as if she did not believe in Su Ruan''s words. "Since you have said it like that, then, it shouldn''t be hard for you not to show up around him after we got married, right?" The corner of her lips tilted into a sneer. Then, Shen Yue turned around and headed back to the table.

    Su Ruan tightened her hands into fists as she watched Shen Yue turn around and leave.

    An indescribable sadness surrounded her. She couldn''t help but felt wronged.

    Although she had explained things over and over again, Shen Yue did not believe her. Were her feelings towards Yu Zhi Yi that transparent?

    However, Su Ruan really did not have any intention to disturb Yu Zhi Yi''s relationship. If he was happy, then, she would be happy as well. This was what she had decided long ago.

    Su Ruan headed back to the table and found that both Shen Yue and Editor Fang had left. At the table, only Editor Ji Fan Yin was waiting for her.

    Hearing her footsteps, Ji Fan Yin looked up with a worried look on her face. "Su Ruan, what happened? Do you have any misunderstanding with Editor Fang?"

    Ji Fan Yin was not blind. She could see that Editor Fang did not like Su Ruan. Seeing the way Editor Fang has been ignoring Su Ruan earlier was enough. The situation was awkward. However, both sides were her friends and she did not want to take sides without knowing the situation.

    Ji Fan Yin was regretting her decision to introduce Su Ruan to her friend. If she was not insistent to introduce Su Ruan to her friend, this situation would not happen.

    "It was not Editor Fang. It was her friend, Miss Shen," Su Ruan said. "Her fiance is my best friend. However, she seemed to misunderstand our relationship and thought that I liked him more than friends. But it really wasn''t like that."

    Ji Fan Yin was surprised to hear this. She did not expect Editor Fang to treat Su Ruan coldly because of her friend. Even though she wanted to help her friend, this¡­ she was not professional at all. They came here to discuss work!

    Su Ruan''s phone on the table buzzed, breaking the silence.

    "That''s right. Your phone has been ringing since a few minutes ago." Ji Fan Yin pointed out.

    Su Ruan picked up her phone and stared at the caller ID with a dazed look on her face.

 Chapter 155 - Wait For Me

    Blue Media Group

    The directors and managers in the meeting room decided that they should be cautious. Even though their boss seemed to be in a good mood, none of them dared to take things lightly.

    To them, President Long Fei was too unpredictable. Everyone in the room was worried that President Long Fei''s good mood was nothing but a trap. Who knows that once they had their guard low and were not paying attention, this boss would turn things around and scold them to death?

    At this time, the manager from the marketing department was giving his presentation. While he was speaking in front of the crowd, the man continued to glance between the screen and President Long Fei alternately. He was examining his boss''s mood and was afraid that he might say something wrong to trigger this man''s bad mood.

    Initially, their president had a calm look on his face as he listened to his presentation.

    However, as time goes by, the marketing manager soon realized that something was wrong. His body started to tremble when he saw the look on President Long Fei''s face.

    An alarm sounded in his mind as he braced himself to be scolded by his boss in front of everyone else.

    The marketing manager recalled his presentation and was worried that perhaps he had said something wrong to upset the big boss.

    A few seconds ago, Long Fei was listening to the report when he suddenly felt his heart grow heavy and uncomfortable. He pressed a hand at his chest and frowned.

    This uncomfortable feeling¡­ he seemed to have experienced this several times before.

    As a thought came to his mind, Long Fei picked up his phone and stood up. "This meeting is adjourned."

    Before the others could react, their big boss had already left the meeting room. As they watched their boss disappear behind the wall, the group of directors and managers started to whisper among each other.

    Assistant Fu Xing saw that his boss had run out and quickly go after him. "President Long, what''s wrong?"

    Long Fei did not answer but he continued to tap his fingers on the phone. The frown on his face deepened when he heard the dial tone on the other line.

    However, he still did not give up. Long Fei tried again but the call was still left unanswered.

    His heart was feeling uncomfortable and Su Ruan still did not pick up his phone call.

    Noticing that his assistant was trailing after him, Long Fei then spoke, "Fu Xing, do you still remember the caf¨¦ that you have sent Miss Su to earlier?" He saw his assistant nod and spoke, "Send me there."

    Fu Xing''s eyes lit up. Thinking that his boss was anxious because something had happened to Su Ruan, Fu Xing picked up his pace and headed to the vehicle which was parked outside the company''s entrance.

    Meanwhile, Long Fei continued to dial Su Ruan''s number again. Just as he thought that perhaps the girl was not going to pick up the phone, the phone call was finally connected.

    For a second, he wondered whether he was imagining things, but once he heard Su Ruan''s voice on the other line, Long Fei finally calm down.

    "Long Fei?" Su Ruan called again when the man did not say a word.

    "Su Ruan, are you alright?"

    Su Ruan was a little surprised to hear his question. For a while, she was unable to react. "I''m fine. What''s wrong?"

    Long Fe placed a hand on his chest and frowned. He could tell that she was not feeling alright. "Are you still at the caf¨¦?"

    "Un." Su Ruan nodded. "What''s wrong?"

    "Then, wait for me. Don''t move around. I will come over to your side quickly."

    "Ah?" Before he could speak, Long Fei had already hung up the phone call. Su Ruan stared at her phone with a dazed look on her face, wondering if she had heard the right thing.

    Long Fei was coming to her side?

    Judging from his tone earlier, he sounded a little anxious. What happened?

    "Su Ruan, what''s wrong?"

    Hearing the voice, Su Ruan snapped out of her trance but continued to stare at her phone with the same dazed expression. "No. It''s nothing My boyfriend called."

    Ji Fan Yin''s eyes lit up. "Boyfriend? Then, why do you look so surprised?"

    "He told me to wait for him here," Su Ruan continued. As she was not looking at the editor''s face, Su Ruan did not see the editor''s expression.

    "SInce he''s on his way, then, you should wait for him here."

    Su Ruan sent a text to Long Fei and turned to look at the editor. Seeing the glint in the editor''s eyes made her startle. "Editor Ji, what''s wrong? Why... are you looking at me like that"

    "Your boyfriend?" Ji Fan Yin flashed a playful smile. "Since you already have a boyfriend, why would Miss Shen accuse you of liking her fiance?"

    Su Ruan lowered his gaze. "I don''t understand this as well. Even though I have explained my situation, Miss Shen did believe my word. Was it really impossible for a man and a woman to be just friends?"

    Ji Fan Yin let out a helpless sigh. "But Su Ruan, I''m sorry. If it was not for me, you would not be receiving this unfair treatment. I did not expect that my Editor Fang would act like this either."

    "Editor Ji, don''t say it. You were only helping me to get an opportunity." Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. "You did not plan for this to happen as well.

    Ji Fan Yin leaned over and stared at Su Ruan. "Alright. Let''s stop talking about this unhappy thing. Why don''t you tell me about your boyfriend? Previously, you are too busy with your work and did not have time to date. Did you meet him during your break?" As Su Ruan''s editor, she had watched how Yan Xi had bullied Su Ruan, causing the girl to work overtime almost every day.

    Su Ruan laughed. "You can say that."

    Suddenly, Su Ruan seemed to recall that Editor Ji Fan Yin was the one who had given her the task to interview Long Fei. If Editor Ji knew that she was dating Long Fei, would she be shocked?

 Chapter 156 - Its Their Loss

    Worried that the editor was going to think too much after meeting the person she was dating, Su Ruan went to settle for the bills and headed out to wait for the man outside the caf¨¦.

    She had thought that it would take Long Fei a while before he would arrive and this meeting would be avoided. However, just as they walked out of the cafe, they ran into Long Fei who was on his way to find Su Ruan.

    Long Fei recognized his girlfriend from a distance and stopped on his track. "Su Ruan?"

    Hearing the voice, both women turned their heads at the same time.

    Ji Fan Yin looked at the person in front of her and thought that he seemed very familiar. It took her a few seconds to recognize that the man was no other than President Long Fei of Blue Media Group.

    The last time she saw him, the man came to the company to be interviewed. However, once he figured out that the person who was going to interview him had changed to Yan Xi, he became furious and had threatened the company to change the interviewee back to Su Ruan. Otherwise, he would not agree to this interview.

    Director Gao had worked hard to persuade Su Ruan to return to the company, but Su Ruan refused.

    In the end, the magazine failed to get that interview and Long Fei had never rescheduled.

    But¡­

    Ji Fan Yin quickly figured out that there was something wrong with this situation.

    Last time, Su Ruan and President Long Fei did not meet. Then, why does it look like they have known each other?

    "You are here." Su Ruan looked at the man in surprise. Then, a second later, she realized that Editor Ji was still around and she was looking at her curiously. Su Ruan let out a cough before she spoke, "Long Fei, this is Editor Ji," she introduced. "Editor Ji, this is¡­"

    "Your boyfriend?" Ji Fan Yin flashed a teasing smile at her.

    The smile on Su Ruan''s lips turned awkward. She did not how she should answer this question.

    "You are Editor Ji?" Long Fei recalled that Su Ruan was going out to meet her Editor. Seeing the two women together, he quickly put up the puzzle together.

    Ji Fan Yin nodded. "President Long Fei, hello. I am Ji Fan Yin, Su Ruan''s former editor."

    The two of them shook hands briefly. Then, Ji Fan Yin turned to Su Ruan and spoke, "Su Ruan, I''ll have to go first. I will call you later."

    Seeing her former editor turn around and left, Su Ruan finally heaved in relief. She turned to Long Fei and asked, "Why are you here? Didn''t you say that you were going to your office?"

    Long Fei recalled the strange sensation he felt while he was in the meeting earlier. He gave Su Ruan a look over and was relieved upon finding that she was well.

    "Are you alright?" Long Fei asked. The look on his face showed that he was very anxious.

    "I''m fine," Su Ruan flashed a smile.

    Long Fei gave her a deep look. "But you don''t look very happy."

    The smile on her face stiffened. Su Run was indeed feeling unhappy after encountering Shen Yue. She did not expect that Long Fei would notice that she was hiding her feelings. She had thought that she had hidden it so well.

    Su Ruan lowered her head and chuckled. When she looked up again, the way she was looking at Long Fei had changed. "Thank you. But really, I''m fine."

    As the uncomfortable feeling gradually disappeared from his heart, Long Fei was finally at ease.

    "Just that, my meeting did not go as well as I thought," Su Ruan said.

    "Then, it''s their loss. Don''t worry. You will find a better opportunity," Long Fei said.

    Su Run laughed at his words. "Thank you." A smile remained on her lips. "Why are you looking for me?"

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. He had come to look for Su Ruan because he could sense that something was wrong with her. However, this was not something that he could say out loud. At least, not until she learned the truth about him and how she could affect him.

    "I thought that your meeting should end around this time," Long Fei came out with an excuse. "If you don''t have any other plan, would you like to go out on a date with me?"

    Su Ruan pondered over it for a while and nodded. "Alright."

    Turning around, Long Fei led Su Ruan to the parking spot where Fu Xing was still waiting for them. Long Fei watched as his assistant alighted from the car and spoke. "Fu Xing, give me the key. I''ll drive."

    The assistant glanced at Su Ruan and quickly understood what was going on. His boss was abandoning work to accompany a woman. However, these were not the words that he can say out loud.

    "Then, I''ll go back to the company first." Once he got the approval to leave, Fu Xing turned around and grabbed himself a cab to the company.

    Meanwhile, Long Fei helped his girlfriend with the door before he slid into the driver''s seat.

    "Where are we going?"

    Hearing the question, Long Fei finally realized that they haven''t decided on their destination. Earlier today, he had asked Long Yu Heng to help him find out places where he could take Su Ruan for a date.

    However, this meeting today was an unexpected one. He had not made any preparation for it.

    If they were in D Town, he could bring her around to many spots that others did not know about. However, now that they were in Capital City, Long Fei realized that he was clueless.

    "What do you want to do?" Long Fei asked. "Do you¡­ have any place you wanted to go?"

    Su Ruan stared back with a dazed look on her face. Then, she began to laugh when she saw the same clueless look on Long Fei''s face.. She took out her phone and spoke, "Let''s see if there''s an interesting place around that we could go to."

 Chapter 157 - A Walk At The Park

    After looking on the internet, the two of them finally decided to take a walk at the park since it was closer. According to the netizen, the view around the park was pretty and it was a popular spot for visitors to take pictures and posted them on their social media.

    When they arrived, they were surprised to see the number of vehicles in the parking lot. Upon walking around, they realized that there was a festival.

    The two of them walked around the park while discussing the booth around them. Su Ruan saw a small animal booth and decided to stop by upon seeing the fishes in the small aquarium at the entrance.

    Su Ruan stared at the fishes in the aquarium and thought that there was something strange going on. It seemed that the fishes were gathering close to the glass. It might be her imagination, but it seemed as if the fishes were staring back at her.

    "Don''t you think that the fishes were a little funny? Why does it seem as if they were here to look at us?" Su Ruan tapped her fingers on the glass to tease the fishes, but they seemed unafraid. The fishes continued to stay around for a long time.

    Long Fei narrowed his eyes at the fishes, and they swam away from the glasses as if to run away for their life. However, they soon realized that they could not escape too far as they were surrounded by glasses.

    The look on the big boss''s face was too terrifying!

    It was the first time that they have seen the big boss with their eyes. And they only wanted to glance at the person. Why do they have to look at them this fierce?

    The fishes in the aquariums were swimming around fast and some of them hit their head on the glass.

    "I think that the fishes have gone crazy." Su Ruan stood up and smiled at Long Fei.

    "I think you''re right." Long Fei retracted the fierce look on his face as Su Ruan was facing him. Once the girl had looked away from him, Long Fei sent another look at the fishes. Gradually, the fish stopped moving around too much.

    Su Ruan stood up straight and continued to walk. Then, Long Fei walked along beside her. "I have lived in Capital City for years, but I never thought that there would be a beautiful place like this. And to thin that this place is quite close to my old apartment."

    "Your old apartment?"

    "Mhmm¡­" Su Ruan pointed her finger in a direction. "My old apartment¡­ should be a ten-minute walking distance from here."

    As he had investigated her in the past, Long Fe naturally knew where she was staying previously.

    Su Ruan heaved a long sigh as she retracted her gaze. "Coming to this city again and seeing everything around me made me realize that I have been missing out a lot. You see, I didn''t even know a good restaurant around the city until I looked up them on the internet last night."

    Long Fei merely smiled when the girl looked up to meet his gaze. He could feel that she was upset earlier and thought that she wanted to vent her frustration.

    He did not know how to make the discomfort in her heart disappear. At this time, he could only stay with her and be a good listener.

    "Thinking about it, it seemed that I have been busying myself with work and did not have the chance to look up properly at what was around me," Su Ruan said.

    The smile on her face did not reach her eyes.

    Su Ruan thought about the days that she had stayed in this big city. When she first came, she had so much hope in her. She worked hard at university and then at the company. In the end¡­

    Noticing that the man was still looking at her, Su Ruan took a deep breath to compose herself.

    "Are you planning to return to Capital City and stay here?"

    Long Fei thought of what will happen if she wanted to stay in this city. Since he had to depend on her, he will have to follow her around and stay in the city as well.

    Su Ruan tilted her head to one side and flashed him a teasing smile. "Are you worried that I''m going to leave?" A laugh escaped her. "After staying in D Town for a few months, I think the town suited me very well. At least it was a lot more relaxing than staying in a big city."

    Long Fei approached her closer and smiled.

    Noticing the smile on his face made her laugh again. The glint in his eyes showed that he was very happy when she told him that she wanted to stay in his town.

    Her heart skipped a beat as they stared at each other for a while longer. Her breath seemed to be stuck in her throat, making the smile on her face stiffen. Su Ruan looked away and pointed her finger in a direction.

    "The shop over there seems interesting." Su Ruan coughed. "Let''s go over and grab something to eat."

    The corner of his lips tilted up and his eyes crinkled as he watched her walk away. He did not expect that it would be very easy for her to get shy.

    Long Fei catch up with her and held her hand.

    Su Ruan halted as she felt his warm skin touch against hers. She did not look up and continued to walk forward while holding hands with him.

    The two of them stopped at the food stall and Su Ruan quickly ordered some light snacks for both of them. As they were waiting for the old man to prepare their food, the phone in her bag suddenly rang.

    Su Ruan took out her phone from her bag and glanced at the caller ID. Instantly, her good mood seemed to have disappeared.

    "What''s wrong?" Long Fei asked when he saw that Su Ruan has been staring at her phone for a long time. His sharp eyes saw the name on the caller ID and his expression turned darker.

    Su Ruan snapped out of her trance and pursed her lips into a thin line. "Sorry.. I''ll go and answer this phone call first."

 Chapter 158 - A Date With My Boyfriend

    His eyes narrowed as he watched Su Ruan walk to a quiet spot to pick up the phone call.

    It was said that Yu Zhi Yi and Su Ruan are best friends. However, each time that he had seen Yu Zhi Yi, Long Fei could sense that the way he was looking at Su Ruan was a little strange.

    Moreover, each time that Su Ruan met this friend, she would become unhappy. Long Fei could not help but wonder what was going on between them.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan walked over under the shady tree and swiped her finger on the screen.

    In a beat, Yu Zhi Yi''s voice could be heard from the other line. "Su Ruan?"

    "Un. It''s me." Su Ruan lowered her head and wrapped a hand around her waist.

    "Are you done with your meeting?"

    "Mmm¡­ It ended a while ago."

    "Then, should we meet up? I''ll come over to your hotel and we can hang out at the hotel''s lounge. How does that sound?"

    "No. I can''t. Maybe not today."

    Yu Zhi Yi chuckled. "What are you busy with this time? Su Ruan, it has been a while since we catch up with each other. I have a lot of things to tell you."

    Su Ruan pursed her lips into a thin line. Her heart was feeling uncomfortable as she thought of her meeting with Shen Yue earlier today. She knew well that she have to distance herself from Yu Zhi Yi. Otherwise, his fiance might continue to misunderstand their relationship.

    She had decided that she will forget the feelings she had for Yu Zhi Yi and moved on.

    Besides¡­

    Su Ruan raised her head and peeked at Long Fei who was waiting for the cook to prepare their order.

    She was now in a relationship with Long Fei. They haven''t gotten together for a long time and were still in the process of getting to know each other. However, she could see that he had treated her really well.

    Just now, she was in a bad mood after hearing Shen Yue''s words.

    Long Fei had suddenly shown up by her side and asked her if she was alright. He saw that she was unhappy and wanted to cheer her up.

    She could not deny that this man was stirring something in her heart.

    Su Ruan lowered her head and smiled. "I''m on a date with my boyfriend."

    "Oh." Yu Zhi Yi could not hide his disappointment. His heart was uncomfortable as he heard that she was on a date. He could detect her smile judging from her light and happy tone.

    However, Yu Zhi Yi quickly suppressed that unhappy feeling. He told himself again and again that the reason he was this uncomfortable was that he was afraid of losing Su Ruan as a friend. Now that she was in a relationship, she won''t have time to talk to him.

    "It''s fine then." Yu Zhi Yi forced a smile. "But you will still come to see me tomorrow right? There are a few things that I''m going to need your help with."

    "Un. I know. I promised you that I''m going to help you. I''ll show up tomorrow."

    A breath of relief escaped him now that he heard her words. He was actually worried that Su Ruan was going to make an excuse to avoid him again.

    "Then, I''ll see you tomorrow." Yu Zhi Yi''s tone sounded cheery this time. "Should I go over and pick you up?"

    The two of them chatted for a bit before they hang up. When Su Ruan looked up again, Long Fei was walking over in her direction while carrying two servings of stuffed pancakes, and a tray of drinks.

    Seeing that he had his hands full, Su Ruan went to his side and grabbed the tray of drinks from his hand.

    "Why did you buy so many?"

    Long Fei smiled. He pointed towards a bench not too far away from them and spoke, "Let''s go and sit down while we eat."

    Su Ruan did not have an objection. The two of them sat down and Long Fei passed her a pancake.

    Her eyes lit up as the delicious smell of the food wafted to her nose. A soft sigh escaped her as she took a bite. The taste of the pancake was really good and the filling was generous.

    Long Fei took his chance to observe the girl as she eat.

    Just now, he could detect that she was unhappy but still put on a cheery look on her face. He did not know what did Su Ruan and her friend had talked about, but it worry him that the conversation made her unhappy.

    Fortunately, after taking a bite at her food, Long Fei could feel the unhappy feeling slowly disintegrate.

    His gaze fell on the food in his hand. Long Fei began to wonder if the taste of the pancake was really good and if it could lift up her mood.

    "Why aren''t you eating?" Su Ruan noticed that Long Fei has been watching her for a while. With his intense gaze, it was difficult for her to continue eating.

    "Is the pancake delicious?"

    Su Ruan nodded. "It''s really good." She took another bite at her pancake to show him that she really enjoyed the taste.

    The corner of his lips turned up. Long Fei stretched out his hand and touched the corner of her lips.

    "There''s some sauce over here," Long Fei explained when he saw the girl staring back at him with her eyes wide.

    Her gaze shifted to the tip of his finger where there was indeed some stain of sauces. Then, she watched as he licked the sauce from his finger.

    Something exploded in Su Ruan''s mind. Her heartbeat accelerated. It felt as if there was a group of deer running stampede in her heart.

    This¡­ Did he just lick the sauce that he wiped off from the corner of her lips?

    Su Ruan was screaming internally.

    "What''s wrong?" Long Fei watched her in puzzlement. He noticed her reddened ears and neck and finally understood that Su Ruan was shy again.

    "Nothing." Su Ruan lowered her head to avoid his gaze.. "You should eat quickly before the food gets cold."

 Chapter 159 - Have A Drink With Me

    Su Ruan and Long Fei walked around the park for a long time and only returned to their hotel after having their dinner outside.

    After taking a shower, Su Ruan turned on her laptop and started to work on her article. When she got tired, Su Ruan looked away from her laptop to stretch her body.

    Her gaze fell on her hands and a tinge of pink appeared on her cheek as she thought of how they were holding hands from the park until they reached the hotel room.

    A faint smile curled on her face as she thought of their date.

    She had thought that Long Fei should be busy with his work, as it was a rare chance for him to come to Capital City. She did not think that he would have time to spend time to go on a date with her. Especially as it was an unplanned one.

    Thinking about it, from the moment she had agreed to date him, the two of them had not done anything much other than sightseeing and talking about various things.

    Su Ruan began to consider if perhaps, the two of them could try other things as well.

    Just as she was making a plan in her mind, her phone on the table buzzed. The sound of it snapped her thoughts out of her mind. Su Ruan glanced at the notification and saw that it was Yu Zhi Yi, reminding her of their appointment in the morning

    A soft sigh escaped her.

    In the past, she would be looking forward to meeting Yu Zhi Yi. But she did not know when did things start to change. Recently, she was not looking forward to meeting him. In fact, what she wanted to do was to avoid him.

    Unfortunately, she had already promised that she would attend his wedding as his best woman. Otherwise, she would come up with an excuse to avoid meeting the couple.

    Perhaps, attending this wedding would also be a good thing.

    Perhaps, when she saw Yu Zhi Yi and Shen Yue holding hands as husband and wife, she would truly let go of her feelings.

    With Yu Zhi Yi''s message, Su Ruan found that she had lost her mood to write. She decided to head out to the kitchen and grabbed some drinks.

    However, when she peeked into the refrigerator, her gaze fell on the cans of beer inside. After a brief hesitation, Su Ruan took out one can and headed to the living room to drink while watching the television.

    After browsing through the channel for a while, Su Ruan finally decided to watch a drama. She lowered the volume as she was worrying that she would be disturbing Long Fei.

    Coincidentally, it was a campus drama. Su Ruan watched as the second lead female had stayed by the male lead''s side and watched him date several women made her remind her of her university life. The second female lead clearly had feelings for the male lead, but she stayed and helped the male lead to get the woman he liked.

    Now that she thought about it, how could she be so patient to wait for Yu Zhi Yi?

    Looking at the second female lead who was doing things that she had done previously made her feel stupid. It seemed that she had wasted her youth, chasing after someone that would never belong to her.

    If only she had let go of that feeling the moment Yu Zhi Yi had dated someone else, perhaps, she would be happier. Perhaps she would not be hurt so much.

    A large sigh escaped her and Su Ruan continued to take another mouthful of her drink.

    The drama on the television ended, but Su Ruan was staring at the screen with a dazed look on her face. No one knew what was in her mind. She did not even notice that Long Fei had come out of his room and was watching her for a long time.

    A tall shadow loomed over her. Su Ruan finally snapped out of her trance and looked up. Her pupil flickered the moment she saw Long Fei, standing in front of her.

    "How much did you drink?" Long Fei glanced at the cans on the table and frowned. Su Ruan''s body is not the same as his. If she drank too much, he worried that she would feel unwell the next morning.

    "Long Fei."

    "Hmm?"

    Su Ruan lifted the can in her hand and smiled. "Come on. Have a drink with me."

    "Are you drunk?"

    "I''m not. I don''t drink that much."

    Long Fei glanced at the cans and sighed. Although he did not want to encourage her to drink more, he could tell that Su Ruan was unhappy after her meeting with the editor earlier today. He didn''t know what had happened to her, but each time Su Ruan was feeling unhappy, he was unable to focus on his work well.

    After pondering over it for a while, Long Fei sat down and took a can for himself. He took a swig and turned to Su Ruan.

    "What''s wrong?" Long Fei asked. "Thinking about that interview earlier?"

    "Hmm¡­" Once he mentioned the interview, Su Ruan was reminded of her conversation with Shen Yue earlier. "You could say so."

    His brow furrowed. "Do you really want to work with the company?"

    Thinking that this might be the reason Su Ruan was unhappy, Long Fei had made a note to find out about the person that Su Ruan had met earlier. Then, he should make a move to help Su Ruan.

    Su Ruan chuckled at his question. "It''s not about the company." She took another swig from her drink and spoke, "Just that¡­ I ran into someone unpleasant during the interview."

    She looked at him for a long time as she pondered whether it would be a good time to tell Long Fei about Yu Zhi Yi.

    After all, he is her boyfriend and he will be attending the wedding with her. If he heard any unpleasant story from her friend about her relationship with Yu Zhi Yi, Long Fei would be unhappy, right? Would he think that she was using him to move on?

 Chapter 160 - My Fated Person

    Long Fei''s expression changed when he heard that Su Ruan was unhappy because she happened to meet someone unpleasant. "What happened?"

    He recalled them running into Su Ruan''s stepmother yesterday and thought that she had run into that person again. "Did you run into your stepmother again?"

    Su Ruan chuckled. "That''s not it." She placed her drink on the side table and looked at the person who was sitting beside her. After weighing her thoughts for a while Su Ruan finally spoke, "It was a crazy person who thought that I was trying to snatch her fiance."

    In the end, Su Ruan decided that she could not speak to Long Fei about Yu Zhi Yi. At least, not at this moment. She did not want to make Long Fei unhappy by mentioning another man out of the blue. She did not want him to misunderstand that she still have feelings for Yu Zhi Yi.

    The past¡­ was better left behind.

    Right now, she should be focusing on what''s in front of her instead.

    If Long Fei heard something about her and Yu Zhi Yi later, then, be it. When he asked about her later, then, she would explain.

    Long Fei raised his brow when he heard her words.

    "I have a good relationship with this fiance and the woman thought that I was trying to be a third party. No matter how I tried to explain that our relationship was not that way, that woman would not believe me."

    The man continued to observe her expression, trying to guess her mood. "The fiance you were talking about¡­ could it be the friend who came to pick us up at the airport yesterday?"

    Su Ruan watched him in surprise. After a while, she lowered her gaze and nodded. "Mr. Long Fei, you are really good at guessing."

    Long Fei chuckled before he took a swig at his drink. "You shouldn''t be unhappy because of someone else''s insecurity," Long Fei said.

    "I know."

    "Anyway, your boyfriend is someone rich and good-looking. With me as your boyfriend, why would you be interested in another man?"

    Su Ruan laughed when she heard his words. "I did not expect that you could be narcissistic. But you are right. I have you as my boyfriend."

    His lips curled into a smile, knowing that she was feeling better again.

    "Well, my good-looking boyfriend," Su Ruan leaned forward and smiled. "When the time comes, you have to help me to dispel that woman''s thought."

    Seeing her face so close to him, Long Fei could not help but stretch his hand and pinched her cheek. "I will definitely help you. Didn''t you have another appointment in the morning? You should go to bed earlier. Otherwise, you''re going to be late again."

    "Long Fei, why are you so nice to me?"

    His deep chuckle reverberated in the room. Long Fei looked at her pink cheek and wondered if she was drunk. "If I''m not nice to you, then, who should I be nice to?"

    "Such a rich and good-looking man¡­ why would you be interested in someone like me?" Su Ruan mumbled.

    Long Fei pursed his lips into a thin line. "Because you are my fated person." He watched as Su Ruan stared at him with a puzzlement look. Then, he stretched his hand to cover her eyes. When he finally removed his hand again, Su Ruan had fallen into a deep sleep.

    He stared at the person who was leaning on the sofa for a long time, thinking about the words she said.

    Although Su Ruan was no longer unhappy, he could sense that there were a lot of things in her mind.

    Moreover¡­ she seemed as if there was something that she wanted to tell him, but was unable to. Long Fei could not help but wonder if it was about her best friend, Yu Zhi Yi.

    A heavy sigh escaped him. Long Fei leaned over and picked her up in his arms. Then, he carried her into her bedroom and placed her on the bed. After tucking her in and ensuring that she was comfortable, Long Fei planted a kiss on her forehead and left the room.

    ¡­

    Su Ruan woke up the next morning with a headache.

    She looked around the room and tried to recall what had happened last night. She seems to remember having a drink in the living room. Then, Long Fei showed up and she began to tell him the reason she was unhappy.

    Su Ruan remembered mentioning Yu Zhi Yi and his fiance. Then, she had thought about telling Long Fei about Yu Zhi Yi. In the end, she could not remember whether she had said anything to Long Fei. She seemed to remember that Long Fei had told her something. But... What was it?

    Moreover¡­

    How did she get to her room? Did she return on her own or did Long Fei carry her back?

    Her face turned red as the picture of him carrying her in his arms appeared in her mind.

    Su Ruan patted her cheeks and get off the bed to get ready. She had made an appointment with Yu Zhi Yi and did not want to let that man wait for her for a long time.

    When she came out of her bedroom, the butler was preparing the dining table with their breakfast. Su Ruan glanced at Long Fei''s door and wondered if he was still around.

    "Miss Su, please, have a seat," the butler spoke as he helped to pull a chair for her. "Young Master will come out in a bit."

    "Thank you." Su Ruan sat down and peeked at the dishes on the table. There was a hint of surprise on her face as saw the bowl of noodles in front of her.

    "Miss Su, the Young Master asked me to prepare this for you," the butler said. "It will help you with your hangover."

    A tinge of pink appeared on her face. As she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching, Su Ruan raised her head again and saw Long Fei walking over.

    The man flashed her a smile.. "Good morning. Are you feeling better?"