Something Beautiful and Wicked

Dishevelled, he walked in, finding his sister and his mother who walked down the foyer. He approached them with his clothes tousled and rumpled. "Where is she?" he asked.     

"She's in the sunroom," his mother replied.     

Yuan Shun widened his eyes.     

Shi Yen was really here? He nearly stumbled. So she hadn't run away from him? Cruel and clever girl, he thought. He understood what her game was.     

"Thank you," he said, kissing his mother's cheek before he took steps towards the sunroom. He could see Shi Yen through the small transom window of the door. She was reading a book, propped against the armrest of the blue velvet settee, and her legs were sprawled and crossed over.     

Shi Yen swept her hair to the side, reading her book intently. Shizi was curled next to her, sleeping, and Shi Yen gently caressed her fur with one hand unconsciously.     

Her eyes then rose, locking with his gaze unexpectedly. She was surprised at first, shock overcoming her, but then her expression softened and her lips curved into a sly grin.     

Yuan Shun opened the door, and Shizi had immediately woken, running up to him as she wagged her tail frantically. She then escaped past him, running away. Yuan Shun shut the door after her, closing the blinds over the small transom window.     

He turned around, and Shi Yen was standing. Her chest rose and fell as she gently placed the book she held aside.     

Yuan Shun took slow steps towards her and she back away from him slightly.     

"Yenni," he breathed.     

"It took you long enough," she said, her mouth curving upwards.     

Yuan Shun approached her, and he swooped her in his arms. "Yenni," he breathed again, "don't believe whatever my grandfather told you. He twists the truth for his benefit."     

Shi Yen hugged him tighter. "I believe you," she replied.     

Yuan Shun was taken aback. "Really?" he questioned.     

She smiled. "Yes," she assured him.     

Yuan Shun then narrowed his eyes. "Then why weren't you at the house? I've spent the whole day looking for you! I thought…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.     

Shi Yen pouted. "I wasn't leaving you. I just wanted to see what'd you do. Besides, it gave me the chance to meet your mother."     

This girl, he thought.     

He took her face in his palms. "You're a crafty, wicked and impulsive demonic creature that only likes to make things difficult for me, but you're mine," he said, pressing his lips onto hers. Shi Yen gave herself into the kiss. She then pulled away to take a break. "Mind explaining to me why your grandfather is doing everything he can to get rid of me?"     

Yuan Shun nodded. He tucked a strand behind her ear, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I will explain everything, but I have to start by bringing up some stuff related to your father."     

Shi Yen looked at him, puzzled. She titled her head, wondering what her father had to with it.     

He took her hand. "Do you trust me?" he asked.     

She does. It was always difficult for her to trust anyone, but with Yuan Shun, she did. "Yes," she answered him.     

Yuan Shun smiled. He then led her towards the settee, sitting them down, preparing himself. "Your father saw me a couple of weeks before he passed. He told me about you and your sister's circumstances. I thought he had come to ask for mercy, but what he wanted to tell me was that people were framing him. Many people were tearing him down at such an escalated speed that it had gone out of his control. He was well aware of what was happening to him. Desperate, he came to ask me for help, thinking only about his family."     

Shi Yen's breath hitched. Yuan Shun then stood up. "Wait for me. I'll be back."     

Shi Yen took the time to collect her thoughts as Yuan Shun sprinted out of the room, and he returned a few minutes later, holding a large brown envelope.     

"I kept this in my old bedroom so that you wouldn't find it. Not that I wanted to keep it from you," Yuan Shun explained. "It is the original contract your father signed. It states clearly that you are the rightful successor of Shi Group on the condition that if it ever recovers without any costs. I agreed to return it to its owner once the company returns to its original state."     

Shi Yen opened the envelope slowly, with parted lips and watery eyes. Her gaze darted at the pages as she flipped through them, shocked. She found the authentic signatures of her father and Yuan Shun, dated six years before. "I still don't understand," she said. "Why were you going to merge Shi Group and Yuan Bank?"     

Yuan Shun smiled briefly. "I did sign the contract, but it was all for show. It can't be officiated until I have the other signature of none other than, Shi Yen of Shi Group herself. I let my grandfather figure it out," he said slyly. He then quickly changed his expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you before. Your father was adamant about not telling you the truth yet. He said he was afraid that people wouldn't stop at harming him and that you'd do something impulsive, like going against them on your own…but even so, I should have said something."     

Tears had spilled from her eyes, startling Yuan Shun. "Are you okay?" He asked worryingly.     

"You did this for me? For my family?" Shi Yen asked him, her eyes searching his.     

Yuan Shun nodded. "I made the proper investments using Shi Groups remaining resources. I obtained the trust of the team and shareholders, and I assured them that they would recover from their financial losses."     

Shi Yen's eyes widened. "If you invested in the company, then that means you must have spent a fortune. You took money from your own company just to save mines?"     

Yuan Shun didn't know why he felt embarrassed to admit it. "Yes," he replied. "I did."     

Shi Yen's lips parted. She looked at him directly in the eyes, not peering her gaze from him. She lifted a hand to caress his face. Her eyes darted all over him. She kissed him hard and fast before she let go, surprising him.     

Yuan Shun was breathless. "You aren't mad at me?"     

"How could I?" she responded, teary-eyed. "When you were trying to protect me."     

Relief washed over him. He released a breath, embracing Shi Yen tightly as if his shoulders had lifted, and he transcended into the sky for telling her the truth.     

"Shun, there's something I need to tell you," Shi Yen said against the crook of his neck.