Mo Sha Sha and Nanny Zhang appear in the living room as the pair of father-daughter chat.
"Here's your distilled water, sir" nanny Zhang hands the glass of water to Mo Zheng Yuan. He drinks it fully and keeps it aside before asking for his daughter to sit beside him.
"When did you arrive?" he asks Shi Lian.
"A few hours ago" she answers him politely. Shi Lian observes her father's face and she frowns looking at the dark eye circles, gray hair, and stress written all over his body. Is he working all day? She thought to herself. Before she can ask any questions, her mother announces,
"Dinner is ready. Let's eat first." Both of them nod in unison and her father head to his room first to change his attire. Shi Lian walks with her mother to the dining hall and takes her seat. Mo Sha Sha asks nanny Zhang to bring the dishes as she takes her seat too. Nanny Zhang obeys her order and walks inside the kitchen. A few minutes, two housekeepers join nanny Zhang her holding the dishes in their hands. She places the dishes on the dining table neatly and tells the housekeeper to leave.
"Where's the father?" Shi Lian implores her mother.
"He takes time to freshen up. You can start eating first dear," her mother says with a tight smile. Shi Lian controls her mouth to not ask the further question; she just smiles at her. Nanny Zhang serves her the dish and Shi Lian thanks her.
"Let me know how it tastes," Mo Sha Sha asks, looking forward to knowing. She has made these dishes for a long time so she is not sure about the taste.
"It surely will be delicious just like its aroma" Shi Lian assures her, giving her a big smile. She takes a spoonful of rice in her mouth and chews taking pleasure with each bite she gets.
"Bravo!" Shi Lian exclaims.
"What?" Mo Sha Sha is confused. Her mother has never heard this phrase before nor did she have any idea about it.
"It's amazingly delicious mother!" she comprehends.
"It's an American phrase," she explains taking another spoonful of her fried rice.
"Oh, then it is fine" her mother chuckles.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
"Is Father not coming?" Shi Lian asks after waiting for 15 minutes. Her dinner was completed half an hour ago but she is waiting for her father.
"Yes…..he must be taking a shower," her mother says giving her an awkward smile.
"This long? He is been there for like half an hour." Shi Lian pushes her.
"He is much stressed lately so he is taking a long shower maybe. I will go and check on him," Sha Sha says, getting up from her seat and head upstairs. Shi Lian looks at Nanny Zhang for any answer but all she got is an apologetic smile.
There are thousands of question that she want to ask her parents and seeing the situation, she is more reluctant. Calming herself a bit, she waits for some time until her parents arrive.
20 minutes later, now her mother is stuck with her father. Anxiety grows inside her as time went by but all she can do is wait. Wait, wait, and wait. Now she had enough; she could no longer wait anymore. She got up from her seat and storm in the direction of her parent's room. She waited until her father can tell her why had he called her in a hurry but it is harder to neglect and wait for the right timing. Their room is opposite to Shi Lian's in the left chamber, the only room that is in use. Shi Lian reaches and opens the door without knocking.
"Father? Mother?" she asks as she enters. What she sees was not what she was expecting; well it was not the highest possibility. Her parents are distressed; her mother is weeping sitting beside her father; her father looks pale as if he will pass out any sooner.
"What is going on?" her heart clenches as she sees her parents upset, so upset. Mo Sha Sha is still weeping on Mo Zheng Yuan's shoulder and he tries to coax her.
"Shi, let's talk this out in my office" her father demands in a weak tone.
'He looks so pale and thin right now. What the hell happened to the company?' Shi Lian wonders. "Okay father" she agrees.
"Mother…..it is going to okay soon. Don't cry as this" Shi Lian walks to where her mother is sitting and calms her so that at least she can stop weeping.
"Yes, darling. Our Shi is right. You need to take care of yourself," Mo Zheng Yuan agrees with Shi Lian and they both try to calm Mo Sha Sha. Her mother nods meekly covering her face with her hands.
"Good."
"Is this related to the company?" Shi Lian asks her father as they reach his office. The office is still the same, same concrete floors, the same cherry wood table, and the same leather sofas. Nothing has changed, not even the lavender fragrance of this room.
"Yes" her father answers taking his seat behind the big table. He gestures to Shi Lian to sit on the sofa but Shi Lian is not in the mood to sit and talk calmly.
"What happened to the company, father?" Shi Lian implores loudly. Shi Lian does not know anything about the company; she never even visited it as far she remembers. She was never interested to take over the charge of Mo household or to be the representative of the Mo Company, she only wanted a stable and peaceful life where she can earn money on her own merits and live the life she wants.
"The company is in crisis," her father cries.
"I have been trying my best, investing my blood, sweat, and tears for the past six months but I don't think I can uphold it anymore. The position of the chairperson is fragile now that the company is going downhill. Your uncles are all-eying on the position and are doing every shady work with some of the people in our company to covet it. I started this company with all my hard work 30 years ago; the company is all that we have my daughter. I can't afford to lose it." Mo Zheng Yuan's voice comes as a whimper.
Looking at how her father is in such a weak state she wants to do something for him, anything to make him smile and healthy once again.
"Father, tell me what do I need to do" Shi Lian pleads and tries to calm her father.
"You know why I called you here?" he asks. "Yes, now I know" Shi Lian answers, looking at her father with concerning eyes.
"You are willing to do anything?" her father asks to make sure whatever next he will say, his daughter should be ready to do it.