Family Curse.

"I think I will take my leave now," Liwei spoke, this time his voice was no longer easy-going or coarse but cold.

"That would be better." Shao Jinhai retorted, going back to where he was formerly sitting. Liwei dressed in his suit jacket, still trying to gather his leftover pride that Shao Jinhai was able to shatter.

Liwei bowed and left, not looking behind him while Shao Jinhai looked away with so much contempt.

Meanwhile,

Chan Juan was still trying to escape from that bizarre encounter, but it was all futile as she continued draining her leftover energy hoping for some miracle.

Felt the cold and rough palm run over her cheek. other than freaking out or possibly passing out. Surprisingly, Chan Juan felt at ease, like she knew her for a long time. Gazing deep into those dilated pupils of the murky and lonely-looking creature didn't give her goosebumps but a rather paved way to Chan Juan's emotions for some odd reasons.

Chan Juan figured it was trying to speak, but was nowhere near audible. Her dry and cracked lips kept moving in the same pattern, again and again. Chan Juan was trying to read out what those silent words meant,

"H-help me, help me. Pl-please save me."

This time, with every word it spoke, it began to disappear into the dark mist, until there was nothing left.

Chan Juan held her throat as she coughed so bad as a result of choking from her saliva, she was very pressured and passed out on the spot. Luckily, she was found by some of the servants and they took her to her room to be attended to instantly.

Meanwhile, Liwei was succumbing to resentment, passing out his anguish on the objects lying inanimately on the side table.

"I swear, even if it takes the last drop of my blood. I will make sure to destroy the Shao Family." He seethes, seconds later; his lips curved slightly reflecting his evil motives.

In Master Shao's study,

"Chan Juan passed out again," Lan Shang muttered, Master Shao who was engrossed in whatever he was doing paused and looked over to his wife who sat on the sofa like she was being sandwiched.

"I know you're doing this for the family line, but have you ever wondered what will happen after all this? What about Shao Jinhai? I am his mother and I have noticed how he looks at Chan Juan. If there's any other way..."

"There's no other way!" Master Shao exclaimed, cutting Lan Shang off unexpectedly which caused her to flinch slightly.

"Tough decisions must be taken to prevent regrets. You're too sentimental to understand that." Master Shao spoke with so much coldness resuming back to what he was doing. Lan Shang could only stare at him in disbelief, not been able to take in his indifferent attitude and left in fury.

News got to Shao Jinhai about what happened to Chan Juan. He was hesitant at first to go see her but he gathered the courage to. He got to her room and gently knocked on the door to Chan Juan's room, he was filled with guilt at the momentt as different thoughts rummaged him. He realized the door was open and he went in to see her sleep peacefully, she was so beautiful. Why didn't he notice?

He thought to himself as he strode further towards her and to get the perfect view of her face.

Perhaps, he was too self-absorbed and inattentive to not realize, as so he believed, he was feeling abashed as to why he was having strange thoughts about her beauty, he shook his head fervently.

In the full moonlight, the warm light from her bed side lamp lit her face into it's full glory, he couldn't deny the fact that she was a "sleeping beauty". He thought as he made to run his hands over her hair, but he retreated immediately.

It was at that moment it dawned on him that he has been observing her sleep for a while now. He saw that she was still sound asleep and decided to take his leave. As he walked down the hallway, he couldn't stop jabbing his chest;

"What's wrong with you?" He furrowed his brows questioning himself.

Liwei's mansion,

"Family curse huh?"

"What do you plan on doing sir?" His assistant asked inquisitively but rather in a careful manner, he wouldn't want to get on the bad side of his boss.

Liwei turned to face him, curling his lips and swaying the champagne glass in his hand. He knew that there was something dark that the Shao family has been keeping away from the public, judging from how well known the family is, they must have taken serious measures to make sure the flash marriage doesn't leak out.

Liwei knew instantly, that if he dug deeper to get a valid reason, he could bring the Shao's to extinction. A wider smile appeared on his face and turned to his assistant.

"Moxiu, get me information on Chan Juan," Liwei ordered.

"Okay sir," Moxiu replied almost immediately and left to get to work.

It would be easier going through Chan Juan, going directly into the Shao family is going to be a meaningless scheme, so did Liwei thought.

The next day, Shao's ancestral mansion. Chan Juan sat next to the mullioned window, watching the quiet scenery before her. Recollecting on how her life became so complicated in just few weeks, she pressed her temple slightly in an attempt to recall what occurred before she blacked out but to no avail.

"Is something wrong with me or did this just start to happen immediately after I got into this family? Ah! There were always strange rumors about the Shao's, is there any possibility that it might be true? I can not think straight! When did I start to get interested in rumors?" Chan Juan began talking to herself, unaware of Shao Jinhai's presence.

"Ahem," Shao Jinhai coughed. Chan Juan flinched, and turned around to see his tall figure standing before her. She wondered how he got in and she didn't even realize, on the other hand, how much of her bantering did he hear? Chan Juan sighed inwardly, knowing fully well she's been cornered.

That was less of Shao Jinhai's worries, he strolled towards her, while Chan Juan could only gulp hard. He finally reached where she was and did what he never thought he would do.

Chan Juan felt his manly hand pat her head gently, and her eyes widened astonishingly, looking up as their eyes met, Shao Jinhai felt embarrassed immediately and took his hand off her head.

"Ahem," he coughed again and continued,

"I hope you're all better?" He asked Chan Juan who only replied with a nod because she was out of words to say.

"Okay, I'll take my leave then,"

"Wait!" Chan Juan exclaimed, Shao Jinhai turned around immediately,

"Can I come to complete my vase later?" She asked plainly,

"Okay, whenever you're ready." Shao Jinhai replied with a shrug and headed for the door while fighting the urge to look at her one more time. Walking down the hallway, he held his chest,

"What's this funny feeling?" He asked himself, as he felt his cheeks heating up. He shook his head severally, before retreating to his room.