"If you want your son to not go down this path, I request you to publicize that your will is going to be enforced by the lawyer. If you die mysteriously, no one will get your money." She gave him a pointed look.

  Bai Yu stared at Qian Meng. "You are thorough. I'll think about it," he said quietly. Qian Meng knew in that moment that Bai Yu would never do anything of the sort.

  She had to frown. "Did you bring the signed copy?" she asked after a moment of silence.

  "I did." They went through the contract to make sure all the processes were done.

  "I'll have my lawyer contact yours. This should go through in no time. Please keep me in the loop with the processes and meeting alerts." That was all Qian Meng asked.

  And therein ended the conversation——

  The first lesson was scheduled for the next evening.

  Mo Qingchen accepted her proposal without much of a fuss. She negotiated as he relaxed on the bed. For each lesson he gave her, she would provide him dinner. To her surprise, he even agreed to let her choose the place.

  Mo Qingchen was in an excellent mood these days, so she could probably get him to agree to much more. Her mind was overridden by a list of favorite eating joins, places his snooty as would surely snub. She couldn't wait to expose his arrogant taste buds to how the other half lived.

  Maybe she could make him a home-cooked meal or two.

  Though, she would permanently scar Xiong Hua if she ever came to the house and saw Mo Qingchen eating whatever monstrosity Yun Qian Meng had cooked.

  At seven, Yun Qian Meng strutted down the hall in her ninja gear: the black sports bra with matching shorts. Her hair held up in a high ponytail. When she entered the training studio, she saw Mo Qingchen already waiting for her. His powerful presence filled the room. He gave her a quick once over before walking over to her.

  "We'll start with stretches." He pointed to the mat on the floor. "Get on your knees."

  Qian Meng's brow arched up at his choice of words, but after taking in his concentrated expression and demeanor, she let it slide.

  Actually, his training attitude startled her. She didn't plan on taking the lessons too seriously. She had figured that he would attempt to show her a few moves before getting aggravated and ask her to buy pepper spray.

  But Mo Qingchen had other plans.

  His jaw was set with determination as he explained the importance of knowing how to defend herself in a world full of vile and dangerous assailants. Not only did the man trust no one, but he also viewed people as a physical threat.

  Warped or not, Mo Qingchen's eagerness to teach her to protect herself from the evil he saw around him touched Qian Meng.

  No one would describe him as a patient man, but to her surprise, he guided her with great patience. He exposed a new side to her and she tried her best not to read too deeply into the matter.

  The new side she exposed to him surprised her even more. No one would describe her as an obedient woman. Yet, she found herself highly attentive, so much so that it bordered on obedience.

  That should have scared her, but it didn't.

  By the time he tossed her a pair of shiny red boxing gloves, she desperately wanted to learn everything he wanted to teach her.

  They spent over thirty minutes training before she threw her first real punch. Satisfied that she understood the basics, he put on something called focus pads. His eyes gripped hers intently as he held one up.

  "Alright, let's see what you can do." The devious look he gave her would have freaked out most people, but it made her smile.

  "Will I be punching and kicking those?" she asked mischievously.

  "Yes."

  "Can we put some music on?"

  "You don't need music," he dismissed quickly.

  "It will make me feel badass." Her feet remained firmly in the stance he had wanted her in.

  "If a homicidal psychopath approached you in a dark street, will you ask for music before defending yourself?" he questioned.

  "Of course not." She huffed at this ridiculousness. "This is just practice. You are not a homicidal psychopath."

  "Some would disagree." He grinned wickedly. "For the sake of this exercise, I am. You will view me as a dangerous threat to your life and try your best to protect yourself."

  "That isn't difficult," she agreed under her breath.

  And so it began.

  Mo Qingchen militantly gave commands for the jabs and kicks he had taught her. She struggled at first, which frustrated the hell out of her, but it didn't bother him in the least. He just stopped and took extra time to guide her until she got it right.

  Why did he consider her lessons so important? She didn't have any idea. But anyone could guess that he was worried out of his mind that Bai Ye Qing or some other crazy person would harm her physically. He needed her not only to be intelligent but physically strong enough.

  If a day came when she felt threatened by him, she should be able to beat him to a pulp. That was his attitude towards the lessons.

  Every time her glove landed on the pad, Qian Meng felt empowered. The brute sound of it echoing through the room pumped her up higher and higher until she worked herself into a frenzy.

  "Ninja blood runs through my veins!" she claimed during a short break. "Anyone can see that."

  Mo Qingchen scoffed. And it began once again.

  He never wavered, no matter how hard her blows pounded down on the large, cushioned pads he held out. He stood solid, unrelenting as a wall.

  Sweat covered her entire body, adrenaline flooded her system and yet, this man had barely exerted himself.