Song Ren was reviewing the labs within her company building wearing a lab coat and goggles, when Yang Minzhe stepped to her side suddenly, wearing protective gear.
"What is it?" she asked him in a whisper. She didn"t want to distract the employees with their conversation, so they stepped into a corner. Yang Minzhe appeared to be worried. "Your father. He"s here and wants to see you," he said.
Song Ren clenched her fingers around her clipboard. She nodded, trying to register what may come. "All right," she began, "but he has to wait for me. The company comes first, and he came without notice." Yang Minzhe hesitated because he was the one who was going to relay the message. He then scurried away from the lab, heading towards the primary office.
Song Ren proceeded to work, clipboard in hand, though, it was difficult to concentrate.
After she finished, a few hours pa.s.sed. She returned to her office, but Song Rui was not waiting there. A CEO would never wait for anyone.
Song Ren stepped into her office, paging Yang Minzhe to escort her father into the room. Shortly, Song Rui came in with Yang Minzhe, before her secretary excused himself quickly.
Song Ren gestured her father to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk. But, she didn"t sit in her chair, as she didn"t want to act like she was above him. Song Ren wasn"t. She always respected her father since she was a child, wanting to be like him, but now, things were different; she changed.
Song Ren leaned back to sit against her desk, folding her arms underneath her chest. She hadn"t seen him a while, and up close, his black hair was beginning to pepper with grey, silver streaks. His face worn, but still tight, despite his age. He had no laugh lines, no wrinkles. His gold-flecked eyes dimmed to a caramel brown.
Song Ren wasn"t sure what to say. "How was your visit to the company?" she began. Song Rui looked at her, calm and reserved. "It"s steady, some improvements, but I would say the risks you"re taking are rather amateur." Song Ren tried to maintain composure; she knew her father would critique her work; it"s been like that for years.
"Is there a reason you want to see me?" she asked.
"You haven"t been home," he began deeply, "Are you still seeing that boy?" he asked.
Song Ren wasn"t the type to lie. "Yes," she said.
Her father thought for a moment, "I see," he began. "Then I think it"s time to make new arrangements for the company"s leaders.h.i.+p and management."
"What?" she questioned, her eyes flashed surprised.
"I don"t think that you longer qualify as president or heir," Song Rui told her with an eery calmness.
"Then who would take my place?" she retorted, angrily.
"Jun," he said.
"He"s only eighteen," Song Ren"s voice rose, "He won"t know what to do. Plus his interests are still diverted. He may not even want a company position anymore."
"He will learn," Song Rui responded. "Just as you did."
Song Ren thought for a moment. "What do you want?" she asked.
"Mhm?" Song Rui questioned, slightly smug. Song Ren rolled her eyes, "Out with it, dad."
Song Rui looked at her as if he was going to win. "I want you to attend a marriage meeting."
"What?" Song Ren went rigid.
"You will attend the marriage meeting in a couple of days, or lose your position," he threatened. Song Ren tightened her hands around the edges of the desk, digging her fingernails into the wood.
"With who?" she asked.
"You"ll meet him soon, and he"s better than the Su Feng." He spoke as if he knew it all. Song Ren gritted her teeth. Before she could kick him out, Song Rui rose, straightening his jacket. Without saying good-bye, he left the room.
Song Ren exhaled deeply.
"You should go," Su Feng said to Song Ren over dinner. When she arrived at his house, she told him everything about seeing her father, about the marriage meeting. She only told him because she wasn"t planning on going.
"Why?" she asked him, puzzled.
"I think you should broaden your options," he said jokingly, but she wasn"t in the mood for humour.
"No," she said.
"Ren," he called out to her softly. He wore a sad smile on his face. His golden blonde hair neatly combed to the side of his head; he looked devastatingly handsome. "You should do as your father wishes, at least for now." Song Ren"s lips parted at what he said. She felt defeated.
"I will sabotage it," she began, "I"ll make sure he doesn"t like me." Su Feng smiled grimly at her, taking her word for it, but he was still sad.
After dinner, they went to bed together, just going to sleep. Some nights they made love, other"s they just slept peacefully, as much as they can try. Song Rui weighed heavily on their relations.h.i.+p. She only wished her father was more accepting. Song Ren held onto him, with her long black hair framing her as she looked into Su Feng"s eyes. His ice-blue eyes resembled a storm, sullen and grey.
The next morning, Song Ren went to search for Qian Meigui, by showing up at Song Mansion. She went to find Song Jun and Song Jinyi playing video games. "Where is Mei?" Song Ren asked them. The twins shrugged at the same time; their gazes remained on the television screen.
Feeling defeated, she went to her room, running into her mother. "Mom," she called out softly. Yang Rei face her. Her hair was still black, no silver yet, and her eyes were a deep rich brown.
Yang Rei couldn"t meet her eyes; she felt guilty. "Can you help me?" Song Ren asked her mother. "I"m sorry," she began. Song Ren"s shoulders slumped. "I"m sorry that your father is making you go through this," she continued. Yang Rei grabbed hold of her fingertips, looking into her golden-brown eyes. "He"s stubborn. But he"s trying to look out for you, for everyone in our family. Including Mei," she said with a sad smile.
A tear slipped from Song Ren"s eyes, but her face didn"t twist, it remained defiant. "I love you and father. But I can"t take it. It makes me unhappy that I can be with Su Feng," she said.
Yang Rei looked down. "Go to the meeting," she said. "Make sure the man you"re meeting does not take any interest in you. Observe him. The best way to break a marriage meeting is to ensure that the other man has no desire to marry you," she advised, her eyes full of warmth.
"How did you agree to marry dad, when your families arranged it?" she asked. Yang Rei smiled, "I fell in love with him," she said. "Just as you did with Su Feng," she held the tip of Song Ren"s fingers tightly, before letting go and walking away, without saying another word.
Song Ren"s heavy heart softened. She was determined that whoever this man was, she would convince him not to take her.