"Don't flatter yourself," she retorted lightly. "Have you thought about what you want to do?" she asked quizzically.

  Yun Qing Yuan looked worried. "I decided to attend college like you asked me to. I still want to work at your company but what you said was correct. I don't know anything and won't learn if I don't go to school." He shrugged.

  "Have you decided what you want to major in?" she asked, crossing her hand over her chest.

  "I'm going to major in business application and follow dad around to get some know-how." Qian Meng nodded in understanding. "Dad expects me to take over the business when he retires so I need to learn early on."

  Qian Meng felt a pang of pity and jealousy. "You do know you can follow your own path, right?" she asked, her voice low. "You don't need to follow everyone's expectations and suppress your own."

  Qing Yuan sighed as he shook his head. "I really want to take over the business. I realize that part of it is because dad wanted me to do it… told me so since I was small. But also, sis, I'm not as strong as you. I can't stand fighting with mom and dad."

  Qian Meng winced. Strong. That was not a word she would use for herself.

  She sounded like a lost child most of the time she fought with her father. How was that strong?

  "Do as you please. Don't make me an exemplary example of something that I am not." She couldn't handle the pressure of one more thing to live up to.

  "I know you don't like mom… I understand… but she just wants you to be happy. One of her friends' daughter got married recently and she is a year younger than you. According to mom, the girl doesn't look as good as you and isn't smarter but she got a great husband. She keeps telling us how worried she is."

  Worried. Sure.

  Qian Meng didn't want to expose Jiang Xin in front of her son. This boy was too na?ve for someone his age and stature. He'd have to learn the hard way someday.

  "I'm not interested in marrying," she boldly declared. Qing Yuan startled as he looked at her face.

  "I'll support you no matter what you decide. But give them a fair chance. Apparently, Bai Ye Qing is a good fellow. His company will bring ours more profit, too." He looked happy with his words, Qian Meng thought very differently.

  "Qing Yuan, do you also think that I should sacrifice myself for everyone's sake?" her voice was low.

  Qing Yuan hung his head in guilt. "No," he whispered. "If he is a good man and takes care of Sister, I wouldn't mind. If you don't want to be with him, I'll fight with mom and dad. I'll even let you elope." He took a seat beside Qian Meng.

  "Thank you," she replied, patting his back fondly. Despite growing up in a male chauvinistic household, this boy hadn't turned out too bad. He hadn't asked her to kill herself over the wants of others. He hadn't asked her to hand over her company, he had simply wanted to learn from her.

  Indeed, it seemed, there was some good still left in the world.

  "Is getting married and giving birth the only thing women are good for?" she thought out loud. Qing Yuan looked up at her, horrified.

  "Don't think like that, sis!" he howled. "You have me. You don't have to resist in silence. You can act out if you want. I'll back you up no matter what you decide." The firmness in his words and the resolution in his eyes warmed her heart.

  "Good. Because I don't intend to marry Bai Ye Qing."

  Qing Yuan stared at her for a second before nodding. "I understand."

  Qian Meng sighed before standing up. "Let's go downstairs," she told him. "And please, clean." She gave him a small smile before leaving the room and heading down. Her anger had slightly diminished and the confirmation from her step-brother made her feel better.

  Though he had no power, the thought that she wasn't completely alone in this fight made her feel a lot stronger.

  Her father had calmed down by the time she reached the living room. Her step-mother was still busy in the kitchen, doing god knows what. Qian Meng silently sat until Qing Yuan hopped down the stairs and plopped down beside her on the couch.

  "Sis, I have to show you something," he said lightly. She looked at him curiously as he pulled out his cellphone and unlocked the screen. It was a picture of a man she had never seen before. Qian Meng looked up at him, confused. "What do you think of this?" he asked.

  The man in the picture was rather young, younger than her by a couple of years. "What do you want me to say?" she asked. It seemed that her step-brother wanted to set her up with someone. But his choice of people wasn't that refined.

  "Product," he said slyly. "Tell me which one you want to use. I'll make sure it reaches your doorstep." Qing Yuan surreptitiously looked at his father to make sure that he wasn't looking their way. As usual, Sui Bo looked unbothered. He didn't have an inkling of the plan his son had hatched.

  "I'm not interested in this genre of product," she remarked.

  "Take a closer look," Qing Yuan begged. Qian Meng sighed as she tapped on the screen. A caption flashed and she stared. The man was from a prominent family in the country and was still at university. She knew him despite never having seen him before. From how well his father's company was doing and the lack of attraction she felt towards men in general, she shook her head.

  "Won't look good on my hand," she claimed. She looked back at her phone and was about to reply to an email when Qing Yuan thrust the phone under her eyes. This time it was a slightly older gentleman.