Yuan Shun would rather be anywhere else. Hell, he wished Shi Yen were here, even if she were to curse and insult him.
Her bantering would be a mercy, not misery. He suddenly thought about her: her foul mouth, her transparency and vulnerability. Shi Yen was good at hiding her feelings, but there were moments where she brutally and wholly opened.
It was brutal because he was seeing different sides of her, honest sides. He couldn't tell if it's what Shi Yen wanted. Her greatest scheme could be to make him want her in more ways than physical. And if she won, then she'd indeed be the one in power, having power over him.
Thinking of her powerful strength, he asked his grandfather, "Is there a reason you invited us over?"
His grandfather glared at him. "Can't I invite my family over?" he snapped.
"Not when you're acting like an old piece of shit."
His sister and mother widened their eyes.
