Chapter 158 - Four Days Only

Half the day she spends thinking about where the ring must be. Shi Lian bites her nail as she keeps on thinking about how she should get through the ring. 

Her phone rings at the moment. She glances at the screen and finds Evelyn's name on it. Tapping on the receive icon, she brings the phone close to her ear. "Hey."

"Have you forgotten me or something? Why don't you ever call me?" Evelyn complains. "And don't give me the crap saying you are with the company and all" she adds. 

"Sorry, I was really occupied with the company," she says instead. Even though she wants to share what she is going through, she fears if something might happen. 

Shi Lian hears Evelyn groaning. "I told you not to give me that crap. "

Shi Lian chuckles, relaxing her shoulders. "How are things for you?" she asks. 

"I want to go to America. God, there's so much work. The documents keep on piling. Even in my dreams, I think of documents and shit."

"Managing a company isn't easy. You can understand now" Shi Lian teases her. "Oh and what about your working with Fu International?" she asks, remembering it now. 

"I am thinking of canceling it" Evelyn answers, her voice appears firm and tight. 

Shi Lian makes a quizzical face, confused as to why she wants to cancel it. "But why?"

Evelyn sighs but asks her instead, "Tell me, what will you do if the person who is your business partner tries hard flirting with you and also forcefully pins you on the couch grabbing both of your hands together?"

It takes her a second to realize that Evelyn is talking about herself. "Did Zichen did that to you?" 

"What? No!" she denies, "It was the CEO, Song Junjie."

Shi Lian releases her breath which she held. So it is Junjie who tries to do that. She shakes her head because she thought that even though Junjie is annoying he is at least considerate but looking at the situation, she is bound to be wrong. 

"Why did you mention him?" Evelyn asks, curious. 

"Haven't you know yet? Fu Zichen is the Chairman of Fu International" Shi Lian informs. She can imagine, Evelyn's mouth forming an O and her eyes wide. 

"Holy hell! I didn't know that!" she grumbles as if realizing she did a big mistake. 

Shi Lian laughs under her breath, "Now you know."

"Why didn't you notify me earlier?" Evelyn grumbles. 

"I thought you would know it anyhow. You are his business partner after all" Shi Lian says as if it is obvious for Evelyn to know. "And about what you said earlier, did he really did that to you?" she asks, adding. 

Evelyn makes a sound that Shi Lian knows she has asked a stupid question to her. "Why would I lie?"

Shi Lian asks about the details which Evelyn with her narrative skills tells her. She tells her about her first meeting with him at the club and how he flirted. She does not tell her about her flirting as well. "So I don't want to have anything to do with him."

"I understand. What did your mother say? She agrees too?" Shi Lian isn't sure if Evelyn has even told her mother yet. 

"I will tell her today itself. Although she told me I can make decisions on my own about the company, I am not sure if I should do anything without her knowing. And the worst part is, I snapped on Ruth. God, I feel bad."

As she hears Evelyn, her phone starts to vibrate. She brings her phone to her front and finds the familiar number in her phone. It's that creepy man. 

She wants to comfort Evelyn but his call is more important to her now. She hates to lie to her but she has to. "Hey Eve, Sorry, but I need to pick another call. It's urgent."

She hears Evelyn groaning. "You are so—" she pauses and sighs. Taking a breath she continues, "Fine, go but next time you have to call me!"

Shi Lian smiles, "I will. " She hurriedly ends the call and dials the creepy man's number. 

Within few seconds, he picks up, sounding impatient. "I don't like to wait, Shi Lian. You must know this."

She ignores his warning and asks instead, "What's the reason for you call me now?" She knows very well for what reason he is calling her. The ring. He wants that ring. 

"Don't play the naive card here. You know very well for what reason I have called you" he says, his voice tight. "Did you find the ring?" 

"You said I have four days with me," she says, making an excuse. She does not want to tell him that she doesn't even know if that ring is in her house or not. She doubts if the ring is still on this planet. 

He laughs which gives her a shiver. "Very well. You have four days with you. If you fail to find the ring, I will disclose all the dirty secrets of your family to the world" he threatens her. 

That surely made her flinch. Keeping her voice firm, she replies, "I know. You don't need to say it all the damn time. If I give you the ring, you need to hand over all the secrets you know about Mo's family."

She hears him laughing. She winches hearing his annoying laugh. "No wonder you are the daughter of Mo Zheng Yuan."

She shouldn't be surprised hearing her father's name from his lips but she can't help but be protective about it. He knows each one of her family. 

"I agree to your deal and you agree to mine. Remember, four days. Then boom." With that, he hangs up the call. 

She exhales, her shoulders relaxing a little. He touches her forehead involuntarily realizing the dampness. 

She is starting to feel tense since she has no idea where to find the ring. She can't find the find on her own. 

His threats are making her unable to sleep. He even haunts her in her dreams. Yesterday, she heard him laughing and when she opened her eyes, she realized she was dreaming. She needs to find the ring soon. 

Tying her hair in a ponytail, she gets up from the bed, deciding on which she was debating for a long time. "I need to ask her" she mutters, determined to ask her mother. 

She leaves her room and makes her way straight to the master bedroom. Standing in front, she knocks on the door but no response comes. "Mother?" she calls but then too she got no response. She guesses maybe her mother isn't inside the room. 

Turning around she starts walking and goes downstairs, assuming if she is in the kitchen. 

When she reaches the door of the kitchen, she finds her mother cooking. Her heart instantly swells seeing her mother smiling and cooking. She knows how Sha Sha loves to cook. It's one of the things that make her happy, genuinely happy. 

Shi Lian continues observing her mother quietly but Nanny Zhang notices her. "Young Miss! Why are you standing there? Please come" she invites her warmly. 

Shi Lian walks to the kitchen counter and sits on one of the bar stools placed opposite where her mother is cooking. 

Shi Lian feels like a child when she used to sit here like this and watch her mother cooking. "What are you cooking?" she asks, inhaling the aroma that is floating all over the kitchen. 

Sha Sha looks at her, smiling, she answers, "Ginger soy fish and cream beans stir fry."

"I am already drooling just by its aroma" she expresses, closing her eyes and enjoying the scent. 

The purpose she came here for, looks like she needs to wait. She will ask her after dinner, that will be good timing to ask her. 

Wait for the right timing, she tells herself.