"You do like Mr Luo right?" Joreen asked her mother as they prepared to leave the house to go hang out with him and his daughter.

The question took Cixi aback.

"That...was quite...an unexpected question."

"But you like him right?" Joreen pried.

"Well... We could... say that" Cixi tried to focus on wearing her earring instead of the startling question Joreen was asking her.

"I think he likes you too. Reen told me on the phone that he always spoke about you at home."

"Oh...she did?" Cixi tried not to sound interested but it did not work because she turned to face Joreen.

"She did. Reen told me she likes you. I also like Mr Luo."

"She's a sweet girl" Cixi said before standing up from the chair she was sitting on.

"You both been having fun gossiping us?"

"Yes. You sounded happy when you spoke with him on the phone earlier. You also looked happy when you danced with him on big sis' wedding two days ago."

"Well...Mr Luo is a nice man. Let's leave."

Joreen stood there looking at her mother's face without any intention of moving.

"I want you to be happy mummy. If Mr Luo is that happiness, I'll do everything to make sure you both work out. Don't try to hold back."

"Woah! That's...." Her words faltered in her throat.

She did not know why her daughter always acted so mature despite her tender age of eight.

"Thank you my princess" Cixi pulled her into a hug.

******

"You'll be okay" Changyu pulled the dull looking Sara into a hug immediately she entered the house.

Sara took a deep breath when she felt her mother's hands wrapped around her.

She saw her father's sad face looking at the both of them and cracked a tiny smile to assure him she was okay.

They knew Weiyoung's death must have shocked her.

Jianjun had also felt sad because he treated Weiyoung like his daughter.

"I'm okay. Thanks mum"

"You still look too dull. Do you want to go abroad to cool off for a while. It'll help you recover quickly." Changyu offered but Sara shook her head.

"I'm good. It was just shocking since I was there when she...you know.."

Changyu led Sara by her hand to go sit on the couch.

"Where is Aunt and Joreen?" Sara asked since she did not see any sign of the two of them at home.

"They took a stroll out a few minutes before you arrived here. How's your husband?" Changyu asked.

Ever since she realised Sara was her daughter, Jianjun had a slimmer chance of communicating with Sara because she was always at the forefront.

"Had some things to handle. He sent his greeting."

"Things to handle? Aren't you both supposed to still be in your honeymoon?" Changyu asked with an unimpressed look.

"It's in regards to his grandmother. You know she's still sick. I'd be joining him there immediately I leave here."

"Oh, Good. Does he treat you well? He doesn't yell at you or anything like that right?" Changyu probed.

Sara laughed dryly. "Not at all. He treats me really well."

"Good. Let him know my warning is still valid"

Changyu said in relief.

She wanted him to always remember it would be quite easy to ruin the Lis if they ever wronged Sara.

"What about you? Does he treat you well?" Sara was referring to her father.

Jianjun thought Changyu was going to nod, but to his shock, she scoffed and shook her head.

"He doesn't"

"What? Why?" Sara looked at her father accusingly.

"Wh..en.. When did I not treat you well?" He asked Changyu in disbelief.

Before Sara knew it, they began to banter back and forth.

Their banter caused her to laugh. It was nice watching them behave like teenagers.

******

"Over here!" Jaime waved a hand to get the attention of the two people he had been waiting for in the almost crowded park.

"You both look stunning" He said to Cixi and Joreen when they got closer to them.

It wasn't long before Joreen and Reen began to chatter away.

"They get along pretty well"

Jaime said as he watched the little girls use the merry-go-round.

"Yea. Jo always talks about her." Cixi added with a smile.

The conversation went on for a while before Jaime digressed.

"You've never mentioned anything about her father. Was it a divorce?"

Jaime thought it was time to know more about her. If he was ready to let go of his past grudge with himself, he wanted her to at least be open to him also. But it was not like she was entitled to tell him anything right?

Cixi finally moved her eyes away from the kids to look at him.

"No. Never been married. Just a fling."

Jaime was obviously shocked to hear that a gorgeous woman as herself had never been married.

"Didn't know what I was thinking. I mean, I'm a Doctor, I should have been smart enough to avoid it or at least, use some kind of protection. But was too broken back then."

'Back then' referred to the time Sara was missing.

"I wasn't expecting much though. But I told him about it when I realised I was pregnant. I guess he wasn't ready to take up any responsiblity. Not like I wanted him to anyway, just felt it was necessary to tell the sperm donor."

'Sperm donor' That cracked him up.

"I guess everything turned out good. She's an angel"

Cixi turned to look at the girls again with a smile plastered on her face.

"Yea. I can't imagine my life without her."

"That was pretty easy for you to open up. Other women probably would have been embarrassed about it."

Cixi laughed. "I am proud of my daughter. I'll say it anywhere. 'I screwed an asshole and got screwed in return!'"

Jaime shook his head and laughed.

He had never met any woman who used vulgar words so carelessly.

"What about you, you said you hated Doctors?"

"I never said I hated Doctors. I just do not like going to the hospitals."

"Had something to do with your ex-wife?" She asked cautiously.

He nodded. "But other cases also. I've seen and heard too much to not believe in Doctors. Sorry, but that's just how it is for me"

There was a pause before he moved closer to whisper into her ear.

"But I do not mind going to the hospital if a pretty doctor like you is to attend to me."

Cixi blushed and looked at his face.

"I told you before to not seduce me"

He chuckled before burying his hands inside his pants pockets.

"I Just can't help it." He said in a deep voice.

"Sorry, but how old are you?" She finally asked the question that's been eating her up.

"Forty-two" He answered almost immediately.

Cixi was not surprised since she'd suspected that.

"Do you know I am older than you?"

"Of course, I saw your ID that day."

He didn't see any big deal since they were only three years apart.

"And...?"

"And your passport photograph looked pretty"

Cixi had been expecting him to tell her what he thought about their age difference. She had not expected him to joke and so she laughed.

"Do you have a problem with our ages?" He asked.

"I don't know...I...probably.. It's just—"

Before she could finish, she felt his large hands pull her closer and to her surprise, he dropped his lips on hers.

Cixi's eyes shot wide opened since she had not expected that.

He slowly pulled away but still left his lips only an inch away from hers.

"Do you still have a problem with our ages?"

Cixi did not know when she shook her head.

He smiled at her cute expression before meeting her lips with his. This time, she closed her eyes and participated actively.

As Reen and Joreen watched from afar, Reen used a hand to cover Joreen's eyes.

"Children are not supposed to see that."

Joreen quickly pushed her hand away and fixed her eyes on the adults.

"Children? You're only a year older than me!"

"You should always listen to your big sister" Reen lectured her.

******

"I have something to say to you both. Would have been nice if Aunt was here also." Sara said to her parents.

"Really? What is it?" Changyu asked curiously.

Sara slowly began to explain everything Muchen had told her about Mr Park, and how he had a hand in helping the Song elders to arrest Mr Wang and ruin DELIFOOD's reputation.

She had wanted to tell them earlier, but a lot of things had been coming up. She had the Blacks to handle, and her wedding came afterwards.

She thought it was best to tell them now since they deserved to know about it.

Jianjun remained quiet even after she finished talking.

Sara could clearly see the veins in his head and neck bulging out while his hands were fisted beside him.

Mr Park must really have a thick skin. To think he saw Jianjun and did not look a bit guilty.

He even dared to offer him a job in Delight? He must have probably wanted to use him since he did not have any new culinary ideas.

Changyu on the other hand was not one to control her anger.

She suddenly stood up and went to the room.

No one tried to stop her when they saw her come out from the room with a coat in hand.

"Are you both coming with me or not?" She asked with a straight face.

Both stood up and followed her out.

"I'll drive" Sara offered as she opened the back door of her Audi for her parents to go in.

"Thank you. I'll call your Aunt." Changyu said to her before going in.

All the while, Jianjun remained quiet.

He threw his head to the side to look out the window.

After Changyu got off the phone, she placed her hands on top of his.

He turned to look at her and saw her crack a tiny smile.

"Don't be surprised to see a ruthless Changyu later"

She warned him before hand.

"Let's just handle things legally" He pleaded with her.

Sara could not help thinking how soft her father was.

It was a good thing that he was there to control Changyu's temper for her.