Xiao Rufeng had returned home late at night, only to find her father still awake in his private study, his head hovering over the pile of documents that were stacked on his table. Seeing him like this, she wondered if their family business would be fine when he had no one to help him to manage the company anymore.
It had been fine when Xiao Yunyao was around to help him before, but now that her younger sister was gone, the burden fell on him. He lifted his head and smiled when he saw her at the doorway. Xiao Rufeng stepped inside and shed her outer coat before greeting her father.
"Is everything alright, Dad?" She asked as she took a seat across from her father, eyeing the messy table between them.
"Nothing that I can't manage, Feng'er. Although this would take a lot for me to finish."
Seeing the conflicted expression on her face, he continued.
"It's nothing to worry about, Feng'er. You do what you need to do. I'm not asking you to give up your acting career just to succeed me in the company. I realized that more than your sister and your stepmother, it was me who had hurt you the most for years. I'm really sorry, Feng'er. I should have listened to you."
"But wouldn't that be for the better?" She retorted. "Yunyao isn't here to lessen your workload now and it would be hard to hire a decent manager these days."
Xiao Rufeng then wondered if Yan Xiuchen would be able to help her to scout for one. If it would help to reduce the workload and pressure on her father, then she wouldn't mind being indebted to Yan Xiuchen.
Her father smiled at her suggestion, but eventually shook his head. He couldn't allow his eldest daughter to suffer more because of him. After all, it was his mistake that left them in this situation. If he hadn't been blinded by his other daughter's viciousness, Yan Xiuchen wouldn't have come knocking on their door, seeking vengeance on his Yaoyao.
"Rufeng, I have done all of these before. It's not like I'm helpless and clueless."
Xiao Rufeng frowned at her father's words. Indeed, her father had been able to make their family business flourish through hard work. However, at his current age, she believed that he should be enjoying his retirement rather than cleaning after the mess her younger sister left behind.
It wasn't like she felt guilty or took pity on Xiao Yunyao, because after everything that her younger sister had done to her, it only proved that they wouldn't be able to see each other as sisters. Xiao Yunyao had repeatedly crossed the line and eventually touched her bottomline. The more Xiao Rufeng thought about it, the more she understood Yan Xiuchen and Su Xiaofei's reasoning.
It was bad enough that even their father's marriage with Xiao Yunyao's mother had ended along with it, which only meant that he had no one else to rely on but Xiao Rufeng.
"That's true, Dad. But you have to remember that you aren't as strong and as healthy as before. It's different now. I don't want you to overwork. Can't we just hire someone to help you manage the company or someone trustworthy that we can promote? It would be better if we could delegate the work you have rather than doing everything on your own again."
Her father didn't respond immediately and considered her suggestion. While it was true that he can hire another to help him manage their company, he still wanted Xiao Rufeng to be involved with it.
"Do you plan on being an actress for the rest of your life?" He suddenly asked, catching his daughter off guard.
"I haven't given it a good thought." She admitted. "I didn't even think I'd make it this far."
Her father chuckled amusedly. It used to hurt looking at his eldest, but now, he noticed that Xiao Rufeng had grown up to be a beautiful woman he and his first wife could be proud of.
"You are just like your mother. Both of you are quite persistent when you decide to do something. I guess that's why I wasn't able to convince you to return home and manage the company with Yaoyao. Your mother would be proud of you if she was here with us."
Xiao Rufeng said nothing as she noticed how her father's face fell upon the mention of her deceased mother and Xiao Yunyao. She didn't need to ask to know that he was missing them, especially her mother.
"Have you and Yan Xiuchen talked about your plans for the future?" He asked curiously.
Ever since his eldest introduced Yan Xiuchen as her lover, he'd been curious about the said man.
Xiao Rufeng had no idea how to answer her father. She and Yan Xiuchen had only agreed to keep their relationship private according to his request. As for their plans for the future, neither of them had mentioned it. They were content with what they had now, enjoying each other's company.
"Tell me he's serious about you, Feng'er. The last thing I want for you is to have your heart broken by another man. I wouldn't be able to forgive Yan Xiuchen if he hurt you. I hope he's treating you better than I did."
"Dad. You are thinking too much!" She exclaimed, her cheeks feeling warm from her father's words. "He isn't like that and he's treating me very well. I trust him."
Thinking about it, being with Yan Xiuchen was far better than being with any of her exes in the past. Xiao Rufeng could truly be herself around Yan Xiuchen. He was also very patient with her and hadn't complained once, even when they could barely see each other due to her hectic filming schedule.
"That's good. I don't care if he's a business tycoon. If he makes you cry, I will make him pay for it." Her father replied, much to her irritation. Xiao Rufeng knew that he was just trying to rile her up by using Yan Xiuchen.
The next day, she woke up early and drove towards the Yan Mansion to visit Yan Xiuchen. She hadn't seen him since the Lu family's succession party and was eager to be with him after days of being apart from each other.
As soon as she parked her car and walked to the front door, Elder Meng appeared and welcomed her.
"Elder Meng, Good morning! Is Yan Xiuchen busy? Do I need to wait?" She asked with a warm smile. It suddenly felt like it's been too long since she had been here. Xiao Rufeng realized that it wasn't just Yan Xiuchen she was missing, but the days she used to spend here as well.
The older man laughed and politely let her inside before closing the double doors behind them. Xiao Rufeng was dressed casually in a plain white shirt, blue denim pants and white sneakers. The red jacket she was wearing earlier was draped over one arm, while a pair of dark sunglasses rested on the bridge of her nose.
"Master Yan is currently in a conference, but it shouldn't take long since he knows that you are arriving today." He replied, his eyes taking in her appearance and noticing the slight bruise on her arms. "Master wouldn't be impressed once he sees those bruises."
Xiao Rufeng shrugged and adjusted her sleeves, as if it was enough to cover the bruises she got yesterday during their filming.
"The last few scenes for the series were intense. I didn't even realize I had them until my assistant brought a lot of ice and medicine as soon as she saw them."
"Then you should be more careful in the future, Rufeng." Yan Xiuchen's voice startled her for a moment.
She turned her head to her right and saw him walking towards them. With a slight nod from Yan Xiuchen, Elder Meng excused himself and left the couple alone.
Yan Xiuchen pulled her arm gently and looked closely at her darkening bruise, his brows furrowing together as if the mark offended him greatly.
"I don't like you being hurt, Rufeng. It pains me to see your body marred with these."
"You are worrying too much." She sighed before cupping his scarred face, drawing him closer to her. "It will heal, but I've been careful enough to check the props just in case someone decides they've had enough of playing the side character."
"It doesn't matter if you have the lead role or not, because for me you'll be the only one."
Xiao Rufeng playfully smacked his shoulder and pouted, but her eyes were shining with happiness in them.
"You know how to flirt now? Who are you and what did you do to my darling?! I demand that you return him at once!"
He raised a slender brow at her and Xiao Rufeng's face turned beet red when he suddenly pulled her into his arms, her chest pressing against his strong form.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢