"Surprised as I am. It's an honor getting a call from you, Shi Lian" the creepy man says. 

"You said you know the secrets. I want to know them" she demands. Shi Lian has thought carefully before giving him a call. She at first thought the man is lying but sensing the surety from his tone, she guesses maybe he does know something. 

He replies with a sneer, "You finally realized it. Well then, what do you want to know?" 

Shi Lian rolls her eyes, "Secrets that you know about us, Mo family."

"You must know information don't come in free."

"What's the price? How much do you want? Name it" she offers. Money isn't a problem for her, whatever and how much he demands, she can provide him. 

The man on the other line laughs making Shi Lian confuse. Why is he laughing like that? She thinks to herself. 

"Money isn't what I want" he states. 

Shi Lian sighs in annoyance. "What do you want then? "

"The 4-Era Ring."

Shi Lian has never heard of the name before. She thinks the man must be mistaking something or is too drunk to even know what he is saying. 

"I don't know what that is."

"The 4-Era Ring is the Mo family heirloom" he explains.

What is he talking about? What heirloom? It's the first time she is hearing that her family even has an heirloom. She does not believe what he says. "Are you drunk?"

He laughs again which makes her annoying. "I just told you a secret you didn't know before. Shouldn't you thank me?"

Shi Lian scoffs, "What makes you think I'll believe you?"

"You won't believe me but you will believe your mother" he sneers giving her shivers. 

"What did you say?" she implores, her tone loud. This man came out of nowhere and now he is saying there's an heirloom which her mother knows about. This is insane. 

"I don't think you have a hearing aid, Shi Lian" he mocks. "Ask your mother and when you find where the ring is, be sure to parcel it to me if you want to know the secrets" he adds. 

"But—" 

The call ends. Before she asks he ends the call. "Dammit! " she grumbles and throws her phone on the bed with a force. Why did she even call him? 

The 4-Era Ring. Is it even real? She is having a hard time believing what he said but what if it's true. He told her mother knows about it. Should she ask her? 

She wants to know the secrets and he already told her one of them. Is the man believable? She has to find out. She gets up and marches to her mother's room. 

**

Reaching outside her mother's room, she knocks on the door as she nervously waits. 

Sha Sha opens the door, surprised to see Shi Lian at her door. "Shi, anything the matter?" she asks. 

Shi Lian forces a smile, "No. I need to ask something." Sha Sha gives a quizzical look to her but quickly puts on a smile. 

"Come in!"

Shi Lian enters in, looking around the room. The room appears bigger when her father is not around. Sha Sha gestures her to sit on the bed and she sits beside her as well. "Now, what do you want to ask?"

Shi Lian debates internally whether to tell her about the heirloom thing or not. Sha Sha notices her finger fidgeting and she guesses she is nervous. 

To assure her, she puts a hand in her nervous fingers. "Tell me."

Shi Lian takes a deep breath before asking, "What is the 4-Era Ring?"

Sha Sha's eyes go wide in horror and her face pales hearing the question. "H-how did you know about that?" she shutters, still in shock.

Shi Lian isn't expecting that look from her. She almost thought the man is lying but seeing her mother's reaction, she is not sure now. "Is that true then? The ring is real?"

Sha Sha says nothing and gets up to fill her with a glass of water. She pours the water from the jug into the glass hastily which makes Shi Lian question that. 

"Mother, what is the 4-Era Ring? Why am I not aware of that?" she asks. 

Sha Sha slowly turns to face her and says, "The 4-Era Ring is our Mo family heirloom."

Holy shit, it's true then! 

"Why did you never tell me?" she questions rising from the bed. Yet again, her parents hid something from her. She wouldn't be hurt if it wasn't about something this big. For 24 years, she never knew there is an heirloom in the family. People would laugh at this. Being the daughter of Mo daughter, she has no idea about the heirloom. 

Sha Sha gives her an apologetic look. "Because we thought it wasn't necessary for you to know. We thought this would never come up."

"Why do you think it's not worth telling me about anything?" she bellows. It's the first time she has raised her voice at her mother. "Why do you always keep secrets from me?"

Sha Sha startles by the way Shi Lian's tone has risen. She knows she shouldn't have kept this from her daughter but she was forced not to disclose anything. Seeing how to hurt Shi Lian, she feels guilty. 

"Do you think I am too fragile that I cannot handle the truths? Or you think I am not allowed to know?" Shi Lian goes on. 

"No, Shi, that's not what you think. We just want to protect you. We don't want to put you through any danger" Sha Sha expresses but Shi Lian isn't going that. 

"Protect me?" she scoffs, "How does keeping the secrets from me does my protection? Mother, I am tired of you saying that you are protecting me. I can protect myself and even you."

Sha Sha reaches for her hands and squeezes them gently. "I know. I know you can are capable of protecting yourself. I do feel guilty about not telling you but you have to understand it's for your good."

Shi Lian can see her mother's eyes glistening. She grits her teeth and asks her, "When will you tell me?"

Sha Sha does not know what to say. She is not sure if she should tell her about the heirloom or not. She misses Mo ZhengYuan. He should be here to handle this. Sha Sha isn't good at talking about stressful things. 

"I want to know, now" Shi Lian demands, looking straight at her mother's face. 

"Shi, I—"

Shi Lian cuts her mother's words fiercely demanding, "Now, mother."

Sha Sha sighs heavily. She bites her lips, debating what to do. The more she waits, the more Shi Lian grows impatient. 

"Mother, please, tell me. I beg you."

"Fine. I'll tell you" Sha Sha says finally what Shi Lian wants to hear. "First, promise me not to mention this in front of your father."

Shi Lian is hesitant but she promises to keep it between them. "I promise."