Trust

Shao Lin completed all her work for the day when she found Long Ken speaking with some of her representatives. He wore a hearty smile. He possessed a friendly demeanour, and she could have sworn some of her female colleagues were swooning over him.

Shao Lin rolled her eyes as she decided to find her assistant at the front desk. Her assistant appeared to be flush and struck, and Shao Lin followed her gaze, which landed on Long Ken.

"Li Liu?" Shao Lin called her.

"Mrs. Long—" Li Liu replied, clumsily dropping the folders she held, along with her sandwich. Li Liu bent down to quickly pick up her things, but the noise made Long Ken's attention snap toward them.

His features were hard and alert, the earlier friendliness fading as if he was prepared to step in for any danger, any battle. His face then softened when he came over, realizing that Li Liu had dropped her things and Shao Lin was not in any danger.

Long Ken bent down. "Let me help you," he said to Li Liu.

Li Liu shook her head, pinching the glasses on her face. "No…no, it's all right," her voice shook, from fear or embarrassment, Shao Lin didn't know. But Li Liu tried not to look at the man squatting next to her.

Shao Lin knew that expression very well, and the feeling too. It was often hard to look at any members of the Long family. Their beauty was so remarkable; it felt like you were staring at blinding lights when you looked at them.

"Here you go," Long Ken said, handing over her folders, trying to meet her eyes, but Li Liu avoided his gaze. She then muttered softly to him, "thank you."

Li Liu stood, looking at Shao Lin. "I will be putting these on your desk," she quickly said, scurrying off, getting as far away from them as possible.

Shao Lin stared at her retreating figure before facing her brother-in-law. "You could have waited outside. I swear your charms will be giving all the ladies in my office a heart attack."

He smiled wide. "I came in to escort you to the car personally."

"How charming," Shao Lin said sarcastically, but the grin on her face betrayed her amusement.

She then stepped past Long Ken as he followed, and Long Ken wasted no time taking her home, keeping small talk the entire way.

When she arrived home, her brother-in-law kept her company inside.

She was unsure if Long Yat-sen ate home meals or ate out, but she decided to cook something for dinner.

Shao Lin took out pots and pans and ingredients from the kitchen cupboards to make some Szechwan Chilli Chicken. She mixed the peppers, ginger, chicken, and other spices while steaming rice next to the other pot.

She was going to offer Long Ken some food when she finished, but he had disappeared by the time Long Yat-sen arrived. She was puzzled by how carless Long Ken appeared when she was not around and how serious he was when she was around. He took everything seriously about her, which meant he took protecting her as a duty like his brother.

Long Yat-sen took a seat across the dinner table as Shao Lin set up the table. He was silent until he took in the food, the plates, and the fine cutlery. "Did you make this?" he questioned her.

She gave him a thin smile. "Yes."

He looked at her with something like annoyance and something like pride. "You know you don't have to. You can call the cook or order take out."

"Yes, but I wanted to make something for you," she countered.

Long Yat-sen's eyes widened, and she flushed, realizing she could have said, 'I wanted to make something for us,' but instead, she said 'for you.'

Long Yat-sen didn't argue as he picked up his fork and dug into his meal.

Shao Lin ate by the seat near him, glancing at him nervously. She learned how to cook because her mother had taught her, but still, she was not accustomed to his tastes, and she feared he'd dislike it.

Long Yat-sen said nothing as he chewed, but his expression softened with each bite he took. "It's very delicious," he began. "Did your mother teach you?"

Shao Lin nodded, "Yes. She wanted me to learn because her mother taught her before she met my father. Mother thought it would be good if I learned, too."

Long Yat-sen smiled, and Shao Lin wondered what she could do to make him keep doing that. His teeth were straight and pearly white, and his grin revealed a small dimple that you'd miss unless he smiled.

Shao Lin looked away with a blush. "Why are you smiling?" she questioned.

He still wore a grin as he answered, "I find you interesting, and the thought of your mother teaching you to do something so… normal brings me comfort. There aren't many like you, Lin. I hope you never change."

Shao Lin's eyes gaped. Her heart fluttered into a heap of somersaults, pounding so fiercely she swore it'd stop beating. It was the first time he said her name without the formalities, without her maiden name. He said what she does brings him comfort. It made her feel warm all over, but Long Yat-sen's smile then turned sad, as if he was reminded of something.

Don't change, he told her. Did he fear she would? Why? What would change her? Who would change her?

Long Yat-sen said nothing more as he finished his meal.

When he finished, he stood to put on his jacket and said, "I will be going out, and I will be late tonight. Please don't wait for me. If you need anything, call me or see Xia." He kissed her head before he headed out.

Shao Lin frowned. It was not that he was not allowed to leave or do what he wanted after dark, but she wished he told her where he'd gone, whether it was safe or not. There was so much she didn't know about him, and she worried. Regardless of whether he did not love her, she was still his wife, and she felt that he should at least give her some assurance.

When Long Yat-sen had been long gone, Shao Lin found herself in the greenhouse, rearranging some of her things before she headed to Long Xia's apartment.

Her sister-in-law answered the door promptly. She had just finished a workout, answering in a sports bra and biker shorts, sweat glistening down her brow. Shao Lin was envious of her sister-in-law's toned body. Even drenched in sweat, Long Xia was beautiful, and she was everything Shao Lin wasn't.

Long Xia patted a towel down her face. She then scrunched her brows. "What did my brother do now?"

Shao Lin rolled her eyes. "Nothing. At least from what I know."

Long Xia stepped aside, giving her space to stalk inside her apartment. "He went out, and I wondered where he's gone," Shao Lin told her.

Long Xia chuckled, and Shao Lin wondered what was so funny. "Do you trust my brother?" she questioned her.

Shao Lin sucked in a breath. "Yes."

"Then trust that wherever he is, he'll be fine. You'll be fine."

Shao Lin's mouth was downturned. "But I would like for him to trust me enough to tell me."

Long Xia let out a breath. "Then tell him that, but what you're looking for, what you want to know of him, it's not pretty," she said, deadpanned.

"I knew what I was getting myself into when I married him," Shao Lin countered. "But I can also tell he thinks of me as this innocent thing he wants to shield, to protect when he doesn't need to."

Long Xia smiled. "I knew there was a fire in you," she replied. "Long's tend to be drawn to it, and I'm sure if you tell him what you told me, he'll cave and tell you everything you need to know."

Shao Lin grinned as Long Xia changed the topic, "Now help me with my crunches. I need to reach 100."

Shao Lin felt her insides twist from the number. "No wonder you have abs," she said to her, shocked. Her sister-in-law then shot her a winning smile before she positioned herself.