"But you need someone to take care of you," he announced.

  "Are you speaking about the bodyguard you wanted to hire?" she asked. "I am okay with that. I just thought you wanted me not to go… sorry." She paused. "I'm being too sensitive, aren't I?"

  "No. You are not. And yes, you need the bodyguard with you. I was going to ask them to join when you started going back to the office but now you will take him with you to Hong Kong."

  Qian Meng nodded. "Having someone protecting me will soften the burden of the situation. It's not a bad idea. I'll ask Li Min to book the flight and living arrangements for him. I need his details for that, though," she prompted readily.

  Everything Mo Qingchen was saying did make sense. She had no idea what to expect from the people who were trying to hurt her. The violent side of the world was still something she was not used to and she would never be. There was so much going on in her life that she really hadn't even begun to think about everything.

  "What if…" Mo Qingchen seemed hesitant as his eyes shifted back and for between her and the floor.

  "What if what?"

  "Well, I could go with you."

  Qian Meng was stumped for words. That was the last thing she was expecting him to say. Mo Qingchen was a creature of habit. He had a routine in Shanghai and he rarely went out of his way to do something different.

  He had built a life exactly the way he wanted it. Why would he be willing to disrupt all of that?

  "Why… would you come with me? I mean… why would you want to do that?"

  "Our relationship is working for me. I want this to continue." Qian Meng blushed as she looked at his eyes. "Therefore, I care about you and your wellbeing." He smiled slightly and scooted closer to her as he placed one of his hands on her thigh. "You're my partner in crime, Qian Meng. I don't want to see you hurting or struggling."

  She should know that already. But the smart Qian Meng was an idiot when it came to security in any sort of relationship. He had learned that. He was harsh at times, but on others, he tried his best to reassure her that he was all-in in this relationship.

  She unconsciously leaned towards him. When he touched her, she felt safer. She trusted this man. Her eyes filled with a fresh wave of tears at the realization that this man would be the most important person in her life.

  Her mother and father were still alive, but she seldom saw them or heard from them. And she didn't really care for them much. She was slowly realizing that her dependency was more than protection and that terrified her. What would happen if it ended?

  What would happen if the man who went to great lengths to protect her turned against her and wanted her gone?

  "What about your business obligations?" she asked. "How would you run your life like you usually do?"

  "I can do most of my work from anywhere with my phone and internet. And if I do need to be in the city, Hong Kong isn't that far."

  Qian Meng closed her eyes for a brief moment, a little taken aback by the offer.

  "I don't know… I'm just so overwhelmed right now. I don't think I have even processed all of this yet." She placed her hand over his on her thigh, trying to keep her tears at bay.

  "I understand. It's a lot to take in. That's why I want to be there."

  She looked at her husband sitting next to her and she felt gratitude for him. He could make her angry as hell at times, but he was really showing his loyalty. This was the toughest situation in her life, and he was there for her to lean on. She knew then that if she ever had the opportunity to do the same for him, she would.

  She stood up and placed herself on his lap to hug him. He seemed surprised at her affection, but he wrapped his arms around me without hesitation.

  "Thank you," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for your offer to come with me and thank you for what you did last night. It would have been a lot more difficult without you."

  She felt his forehead against her neck as he embraced her.

  "You're welcome," he whispered.

  There was an energy between them that she couldn't identify. It felt more intimate than she could remember ever feeling with him before, even during sex. Sex between them was… fucking. But this, this was true intimacy. It made her angsty.

  He pulled her body more tightly against his and she tightened her arms around his neck in response. Her fingers combed through his hair and he hummed softly. She smiled just a little, something a few hours ago she didn't think she would do willingly.

  His hum of satisfaction had provoked it. He couldn't resist making that noise when she ran her fingers through his hair. He loved it.

  "Do you want to take a shower with me?" he asked suddenly.

  She hesitated.

  "That sounded bad," he said quickly, pulling away a little to look at her. "I didn't mean it li—"

  "I know," she cut him off. "It's okay. I do. I just need to tell Li Min to book the flights. Send me the information on the bodyguard, please?"

  "Of course," he answered, looking relieved that she hadn't taken his suggestion the wrong way. "I'll see you in a bit?"

  "Yeah." She nodded, unwinding her arms from his neck as she stood up from his lap.

  She waited for the message to come in and looked through the information before forwarding it. She explained how many tickets and everything else before looking for Mo Qingchen.