"I've already made him a joke in front of everyone in our social circle, Mr. Yun. If you still want him as your son-in-law for some reason, I will have to think that you are desperate. Why are you desperate, Mr. Yun?"

  The sting on her cheeks surprised her. Her head turned to the side with the impact and she remained there, stunned.

  The weight of his hand and the sting had brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back and turned to him with a cold look.

  "Expect a retaliation," she forewarned.

  Yun Sui Bo chuckled, unamused. "There is no CCTV here, Yun Qian Meng. I know how much you love playing by the book, so I don't care." He waited for her words. "Now, go back and take that damned ring from him. Understood?"

  She remained stubborn. She snatched the cellphone from him and brushed past him. Her cheek burned and she was scared to look at the mirror.

  She rushed out and hoped that no one saw her. Her hand went to her hair and she undid it quickly, trying her hardest to untangle the dreaded mint green ribbon in her hair. Her hair cascaded down and she lowered her hair to let it hide her burning cheek.

  "Qian Meng," she heard the familiar voice.

  She didn't want to see him. She didn't want him to see her like this. Her pace quickened.

  "Qian Meng?" he called, confused and worried, suddenly. She heard his footsteps quicken and he was in front of her, blocking her way. "I have to talk to you," he said quickly.

  "What do you want to say?" she asked quietly, not raising her eyes to meet his.

  She saw the faint purse of his lips. "Let's talk about me."

  "Go ahead, talk about yourself all you want." She didn't know what else to say. He must have sensed something was wrong so he didn't say anything. "So, your life sucks because you're all alone and you're all alone because you don't allow anyone near you. Glad we have that established. Now, can we move on?"

  "Patience is not one of your virtues," he commented.

  "I don't have any virtues," she demanded aggressively. "We spoke about our woes a while ago. You saw what just happened and I am happy you didn't let me wallow in my own misery."

  "You're… upset." It wasn't a question: rather, it was a revelation.

  "I have problems and my life sucks. But I don't have the means to change it right now, so why does it matter?"

  He folded his arm in front of him and leaned towards her just slightly. Then he looked her dead on with calculating eyes, his voice low and serious.

  "It matters because I am a problem solver, Yun Qian Meng. We come from money, but we are both self-made. And we don't let anything stand in our way. Not even life."

  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice held such little confidence that it struck her. But Mo Qingchen didn't notice in his excited state.

  His demeanor had shifted from his usual personal prickly state to a cold businessman. "It means that I want something you have got."

  "What in the world could I have that you want? Is it my infuriating family?"

  She had nothing to offer him in a personal aspect, and if she was getting his meaning, it had something to do with that.

  "I want you, Qian Meng. You are my perfect match."

  "Okay, this is getting ridiculous." She stepped aside and moved away from him. "I don't know what is going on in that head of yours, Mo Qingchen. You just saw someone ambush me in front of everyone I know and force me into accepting their proposal. Do you think this is a good idea?"

  She was not walking away. Yet.

  "You are mistaken. I have nothing you offer your personally or romantically. And I don't know what the hell you are thinking." She was repeating. She couldn't think.

  He reached out and grabbed her wrist, although not in a forceful way. It was more an act to get her attention. But she was so tired.

  "Don't touch me."

  "Are you sure you want to leave, Qian Meng?" he asked. "Because if you do, then you can go back to fighting off for family and Bai Ye Qing. I won't stop you. All I am asking if that you relax and listen to what I have to say. At the end of our conversation, if you decide that it was a waste of time, we will go our separate ways and pretend this conversation never happened."

  She looked at him straight in the eye.

  "I am merely asking for your time. I am not making a pass at you. I just want you to see that we could have something great together."

  The way he said those words set something off inside her. Her back stiffened as she looked down at his hand wrapped around her wrist. Judging by the intense rage coursing through her, she was sure her eyes were flaming red.

  "Do not touch me without my permission," she spat the words at him. She removed his fingers forcefully from her wrist. "I may look like a pushover to you, but you do not own me. Nobody owns me," she seethed venomously.

  She had never been so angry in her life.

  His eyes softened and it flickered towards her cheek. "What happened to you?" He looked horrified. His newly free hand went up to cradle her cheek and the coolness of his touch against the heat of her cheek felt good, but nothing could soothe her at that moment.

  "I told you not to touch me." She slapped his hand away. She looked directly, still raging. Boldly, she said.

  "You know what? I am going to raise my standards. I am done with all of you taking advantage of me. I care about people and they throw it back at me. So, I am going to do just what you told me. I am going to raise my standards."