Xia Lei felt more tired after a day of acting than a day of work. He did not forget what he’d promised Liang Si-Yao, however, and went to the supermarket for groceries when he left General Island in the afternoon. He went to the Liang household and prepared a sumptuous dinner. Liang Si-Yao arrived home when he was done with the preparations. 

“Where’s Master?” asked Xia Lei. 

“He won’t be home tonight; he’s staying overnight at the martial school to prepare for the martial arts seminar,” said Liang Si-Yao. Her eyes shone when she saw the table of good food. 

“I’d have made two dishes less if I’d known. We won’t be able to finish all of these with just us two,” said Xia Lei. 

“If we can’t finish it today I can still eat it tomorrow.” Liang Si-Yao giggled. “Oh, right, you said you were with Shentu Tian-Yin. What did you do?”

“Let’s eat first and I’ll tell you later,” said Xia Lei. 

Liang Si-Yao did not pursue the matter and cleared the table after they were done eating while Xia Lei went to the study to see what medical books Liang Zheng-Chun had in his collection. 

Liang Si-Yao came into the study a while later and looked at Xia Lei, all smiles. “Can you tell me now?”

“Me and her, it’s not…” Xia Lei tried to explain it but he didn’t know where to begin.

It was simple - Shentu Tian-Yin had asked him for help to pretend to be dating her. It really was just that but Xia Lei felt rather guilty towards Liang Si-Yao. He wasn’t a blockhead. He had not been aware of Liang Si-Yao’s feelings for him before because he had no experience but it had been quite some time now and though he had been slow to catch on, he knew that Liang Si-Yao liked him. It was because he knew she liked him that made it difficult for him to talk about it. 

“What is it?” Liang Si-Yao pouted. “Acting all shifty… Does she want to invest in our company?”

Xia Lei shook his head. “No, it’s…”

Liang Si-Yao walked behind Xia Lei and suddenly put him in a headlock while acting like a gangster. “Speak! I’ll strangle you if you don’t say it!”

She spoke fiercely and looked scary but used barely any strength in her arms. On the contrary, her pair of pillowy softness pressed against the back of Xia Lei’s head, moulding themselves to fit around his head. 

Xia Lei grew nervous immediately due to her actions. “Let me go and I’ll tell you,” he said hurriedly.

Liang Si-Yao loosened her grip but didn’t let him go. “Say it.” 

Xia Lei smiled wryly. “Before I tell you, you have to promise me that you won’t hit me or scold me.” 

“What the heck? What is it? Bloody secretiveness!” Liang Si-Yao lost her patience. 

“Shentu Tian-Yin is making me date her.” Xia Lei summarised it all.

“Huh?” Liang Si-Yao froze. Her heart felt like it had been pierced by a needle and it hurt so bad that her vision went blurry with tears. 

Xia Lei followed up with an explanation. “But it’s fake.” He then described the whole series of events to Liang Si-Yao.

She relaxed after hearing his tale but suddenly grabbed him by the throat without warning - and she used her strength this time.

Xia Lei gasped for air. “Are you trying to strangle me to death?” 

“You actually agreed to help her with something like that? How shameless is she to think of such a plan?!” said Liang Si-Yao angrily. 

Xia Lei gave a wry laugh. “She does have her difficulties. Her grandparents and the Shentu clan don’t want her to manage Vientaine Group and want to chase her out. Shentu Yi is her own Second Uncle and Shentu Tian-Feng her cousin but these two plotted to harm her. The female assassin at Far East Heavy Industries was most likely connected to them in some way. She has a glamourous life on the surface but she is quite the poor thing in reality.” 

“So you pitied her and agreed to be her boyfriend?” Liang Si-Yao was sour about it but she relaxed her hold on Xia Lei’s neck. 

“She helped me in my time of need. How can I just stand idly by when she is facing difficulties now?”

“There are other ways to help - must you help in this way? I’m not going to bother with you anymore!” Liang Si-Yao walked off with a toss of her head. 

Xia Lei was uneasy and he got up to pull her by the hand as he put on a smiling face. “Don’t be angry, Senior Disciple. It’s not real.” 

Liang Si-Yao spun back and said in a small voice, “Even if it’s true, what does it have to do with me?” 

Xia Lei had no words. That’s true - real or fake, it was his freedom to choose so what did it have to do with Liang Si-Yao?

“Are you trying to explain things to me?” Liang Si-Yao seemed to be responding to a deeper layer of meaning. She looked straight into Xia Lei’s eyes, as if she wanted to see into his soul.

“I…” Xia Lei found it strange too. Why was he so anxious about Liang Si-Yao’s feelings, wanting to explain things to her and apologising to her?

This sort of situation only happened between couples. 

“You dummy. You should say it out loud - say it.” Liang Si-Yao’s cheeks were already red. She was nervous, excited, eager, expectant and anxious. 

“I....” Xia Lei’s tongue was like a knotted rope. 

Liang Si-Yao suddenly drew close…

“Give it to me, Si-Yao.” Xia Lei’s voice shivered with excitement. 

Liang Si-Yao bit his lips gently, her face flushed. Her eyes were full of blissful excitement. Xia Lei’s request made her nervous and afraid but she nodded. 

She was so breathtakingly beautiful.

“Si-Yao, how about dinner?” Liang Zheng-Chun’s voice suddenly came from the dining room.

Liang Zheng-Chun’s voice was like a cold wind, freezing them both in an instant.

“Si-Yao?” Liang Zheng-Chun’s voice grew louder. 

Xia Lei came to his senses and they both quickly straightened their clothing. Not one word was exchanged during the process but they cooperated well. 

After they put their clothing in order, they discovered that the study was a mess and looked like it had been turned upside-down. 

“What do we do?” Liang Si-Yao tapped her feet nervously but her voice was still quiet and only she and Xia Lei could hear. 

Xia Lei showed her open palms. “I don’t know either.”

“I’m dead, I’m dead and it’s all your fault. My dad’s smart - he’ll be able to tell. What do we do?” Liang Si-Yao glared at Xia Lei in shameful anger, full of lust and bashfulness at the same time. 

Xia Lei had an idea. “I got it!”

“You thought of something?”

Xia Lei whispered in Liang Si-Yao’s ear…

“Si-Yao?” Liang Zheng-Chun called again. 

“Dad! We’re in the study,” said Liang Si-Yao.

“Lei is here too?” Liang Zheng-Chun walked towards the study and reached out a hand to push the door open.

When the door opened, Liang Si-Yao suddenly shot a punch at Xia Lei’s lower abdomen. Xia Lei reached out a hand to block it and counterattacked with a punch. The two of them were instantly locked in a fiery battle. 

Liang Zheng-Chun gaped at the red-faced couple and the books, ink and so on strewn about the floor. He paused for half a beat before saying, “You rascals - are you really fighting?”

Liang Si-Yao and Xia Lei kicked at the same time and their legs connected in mid-air before they disengaged. 

Xia Lei wiped away some perspiration and chuckled. “Master, you’re home. You haven’t eaten, have you? I’ll heat up some food for you. I made many of your favourite dishes today.” He tried to slink away after speaking.

“Hold on.” Liang Zheng-Chun called Xia Lei to a stop. 

Xia Lei grew nervous and braced himself. “Is there anything else, Master?” 

“What were the two of you doing?” Liang Zheng-Chun seemed to have smelt a rat. 

“Dad, Xia Lei and I were just swapping pointers. We accidentally knocked over only one of your bottles of ink - I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow,” said Liang Si-Yao quickly. 

“Really?” Liang Zheng-Chun looked suspiciously at Xia Lei, then at Liang Si-Yao. 

“What would I lie to you for? Do we look like we were quarrelling?” said Liang Si-Yao. 

Liang Zheng-Chun shook his head. “No.” 

“Well, that’s good then. We get along well and don’t quarrel. I just felt like Xia Lei hadn’t been practicing much lately so I was helping him,” said Liang Si-Yao. 

Liang Zheng-Chun nodded. “Yes, you should practice more. But no more sparring matches in my study next time.” 

“Nn.” Xia Lei and Liang Si-Yao nodded. 

“I’ll go heat up the food for you, Master.” Xia Lei made to move out of the study again. 

“Hold on.” Liang Zheng-Chun called him to a stop again. 

Xia Lei felt like he was going to cry. “Is there something else, Master?” 

Liang Zheng-Chun pointed at Xia Lei’s crotch. “Your fly’s open.” 

Xia Lei was speechless.