Something Beautiful and Wicked

It fell under the annual work party Yuan Shun usually hosts to celebrate his employees by providing free drinks, special bonuses, and prizes.     

Shi Yen wore her best evening gown, showing up with Yuan Shun, arm and arm, surprising guests with their neutrality.     

Some people who worked for Yuan Shun had always suspected that Shi Yen was planning something, anything to take Shi Group back into her own hands. However, their unity displayed a different idea—an equal partnership levelled to take on the companies together. It was a statement.     

Shi Yen could see Yuan Shun's grandfather, looking as malevolent and formidable as always, surrounded by some of his intimidating friends. But she didn't feel an ounce of fear or regard for him. She was confident that she and Yuan Shun were doing the right thing.     

Yuan Shun went around to greet guests, and Shi Yen joined him, seeing some familiar faces and meeting new people. They also invited friends and other business owners to join them, as they wanted as many people present as possible.     

Shi Yen could see Mr. Long from a distance with his wife and son. She approached them with Yuan Shun and said, "Mr. Long, it's nice to see you again."     

"It's great to see you, Miss Shi and Mr. Yuan," he replied. He then gently tucked his wife to his side. "This is my wife, Song Luli and our son, Long Yat-sen."     

Shi Yen smiled, and shook one of Song Luli's hands, as she carried their child to her side in one arm. He looked about twelve months old. Yuan Shun shook Mrs. Long's hand before he left to have a chat with Mr. Long.     

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Long. Your husband is a very generous and hardworking man. Yuan Shun and I are very grateful to be working with him," Shi Yen said.     

Song Luli flushed. "Yes," she replied with a smile. "I'm fortunate to have him and thank you for inviting us. We haven't gone out to anything this extravagant in a long time," she said, gesturing to their child.     

Shi Yen grinned. "Well, then, I hope you enjoy this evening."     

"It's already been fantastic," she replied, glancing around, searching for her husband, who was with Yuan Shun. Song Luli turned to her. "I'm sorry, Miss Shi, I need to fix the zipper on the side of my dress. Can you carry my son?" she asked.     

Shi Yen's lips parted slightly. "I—" she began. But Song Luli had already placed the child in her arms as she took a seat to start picking at her zipper.     

Shi Yen had dealt with children before, but older children who wanted to learn how to kick ass, not older infants.      

Shi Yen caught a glance of Song Luli's arm that was concealed when she carried the child. Song Luli had the tattoo of a dragon coiled around her forearm. It was beautifully detailed, and Shi Yen knew that it was tradition for the spouse of a leader to get the same tattoo as their significant other, marking them together. And Mr. Long was the prince of the dragon organization, which made Song Luli his consort.     

The child Shi Yen carried had begun to curl his finger around her unbound hair. Shi Yen turned to face the child, who smiled at her with his dimples. She was taken aback. What the hell? She thought. Why is this child so adorable?     

Shi Yen looked back at him with a stern and cold expression, trying not to show any sincerity towards him. The child looked at her and laughed. It stunned her.     

Shi Yen began to wiggle her brows and make faces, and the child kept laughing.     

"Oh my god," she said. "You're so cute. All right, you win, kid."     

The child kept playing with her hair, looking at it curiously.     

"You know," Shi Yen began to whisper. "You have your father's eyes. Have you heard of the Azure dragon?" she asked, not expecting an answer. He only kept smiling, and Shi Yen continued to entertain young Long Yat-sen, even after Song Luli had finished fixing her zipper.     

She gently lifted him up and down the air, and then she caught a glimpse of Yuan Shun, looking at her fondly with a wry smile. When their eyes met, he looked away, and her heart began to swell.     

Shi Yen remembered that having children wasn't something that she or Yuan Shun considered; they couldn't allow themselves to consider it. It'd be too cruel.     

Mr. Long had come to their direction, and Shi Yen returned Long Yat-sen to his mother. She then said to them, "Enjoy the rest of your evening."     

Shi Yen left to join Yuan Shun's side when she noticed that Shi Ailin, Fang Qi, and all the rest finally arrived.     

…     

Shi Ailin had gone to the Yuan-Shi work party with Fang Qi, Yuan Xinyi and her mother. She wished to have shown up with Luo Wanting, but not many people knew about what's between them, including some of their friends. Shi Ailin wasn't entirely sure herself, but she did know that her feelings for him were profoundly incessant.     

It seems that Luo Wanting managed to succeed. He had her thinking about him constantly. He had her yearning for his touch and comfort, and yet there were still obstacles that had come between them when they found each other.     

When the four of them stepped inside, she saw Luo Wanting instantly. It was strange that the one single person you continuously think of can stand out in a crowded hall like a beacon.      

Luo Wanting wore his best grey suit that fitted his form. His ash-blonde hair fell over his eyes angelically, but his expression appeared to be miserable and bleak.      

Shi Ailin took a step forward when she saw a woman step in front of him, straightening out the lapels of his suit with familiarity.     

She clenched her fingers into fists, and her heart squeezed and tightened.     

The woman with him was Li Biyu.     

Shi Ailin gritted her teeth, and her expression twisted when she heard her sister ask, "Are you okay?"     

Shi Ailin faced her older sister, and she calmed down instantly, anchoring back. She needed to be calm. She couldn't look at Li Biyu with resentment as if she had already won.     

When she looked into Shi Yen's eyes, her sister seemed to have noticed and read everything. Shi Yen didn't say anything, but her eyes told her to keep her cool, to not show any powerlessness. Shi Ailin looked back at Shi Yen as if to tell her that she understood the message.