Chapter 34 - Monitored

Lee Yu An, but often called by Xiu Mei as Brother Lee, had brought her to a locale Szechuan Family Restaurant. Well aware of her favorites, Lee Yu An was able to quickly give their orders to the server. Xiu Mei who was still in the state of stupor just stared dazedly at him. Lee Yu An immediately realized her staring at him and he couldn't help but flash a smile at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lee Yu An teased her a little bit.

Xiu Mei blinked in surprise, realizing that she was being too straightforward at looking at him. Heck, she didn't even try to hide it! Damn it, one can't really forget their first love's huh.

"Nothing, just.... it looks like Brother Lee got a bit thinner." Xiu Mei spoke out. It sounded like she was lying, however that was what she had also thought when she first saw him at the hotel awhile ago.

The last time that she had met Lee Yu An was six months ago, and seeing him again right now, his weight loss was really noticeable. She was a bit worried whether he was working too much that he's forgetting to take good care of himself. However, Xiu Mei should really say the same thing to herself for being too workaholic.

"I just recently finished a harsh training camp, that's why."

Lee Yu An stated as he glanced down at his muscle-toned arms.

Xiu Mei's brows raised as she spoke. "Again?" She sighed.

"...I really don't understand why you and eldest brother are always so crazy with training camps."

Lee Yu An laughed at her obvious expression of confusion as to his fascination with training camps. He couldn't stop himself from pinching her nose just like he used to do ever since Xiu Mei was still a little kid. "I could say the same to you."

"Huh? What? Wait, let go!"

Xiu Mei tried pulling back herself from Lee Yu An's evil clutches but it was useless. She was just an ordinary commoner against to a soldier, how she even fight back from his bullying?

"Who was it who was so quick to come back to work right after recovering from being sick?"

Xiu Mei paused as her eyes widened in surprise from what she had heard. How did they know she just got sick?! She never informed her mom about it nor anyone other than Lu Chen and his subordinates should've known this fact. It was even more impossible for Lu Chen to tattle tale on her mom, they didn't even know each other!

In Xiu Mei's mind, it is already a proven fact that it was always her mother who would always update everyone in the family about her daily life. Her mother didn't uselessly study communications in college after all. She was so good at being a reporter to the family.

"How did I know?" Lee Yu An grinned as he spoke out what was in her mind. Xiu Mei quickly nodded, affirming his thoughts.

"It was Xiu Mo Ruo."

Xiu Mo Ruo? Her second brother?

Xiu Mei understood everything in an instant after discovering the culprit behind it.

"Second brother was monitoring me?!"

Lee Yu An didn't nod nor shook his head.

"All this time?!"

No response was heard from the person across her.

Xiu Mei held back her anger down, breathing deeply. After all, Xiu Mei was quite sure that her family was still monitoring over her. Maybe not as much as they did before but it was still irritating hearing that they were still monitoring her movements every day. She often felt pressure of being careful with her every movement yet, she knew that it couldn't be helped.

With what happened to her after that accident, her family was also on the edge by that time. And even after all those years, the pain that it left on her family remained and probably, monitoring her would is the only way for them to have a piece of mind.

After piecing those rational thoughts together, Xiu Mei's anger finally subsided. Fine, for the family.

While she was calming herself down, the foods were finally served in their table. Picking up the chopsticks from her side, she spoke.

"We are too busy this days. Missing too much work could cause some problems in some of our projects."

Lee Yu An easily understood her words and knew that Xiu Mei knew the reason why she was being monitored by her brother that was why she was not commenting on it after. He couldn't help but smile at the maturity this little princess of the family was showing.

Before, she was the complete image of an innocent and spoiled princess but after growing up, the little princess turned into a matured, rational and intelligent princess that everyone would be proud of. Lee Yu An suddenly felt nostalgic about those times when Xiu Mei would still innocently cling to him to ask for permission to fish on the lake. That has no fishes.

"Being too workaholic is bad for your body." Lee Yu An dropped a spoonful of mapo tofu on Xiu Mei's plate.

"Throwing that line back to you, Brother Lee." She retorted back.

"It's because I'm a soldier, so I'm required to train hard to not let myself get killed in the field. But you, you should stop pushing yourself too much."

"Business is kinda similar to war, Brother Lee. No one knows if someday, someone would suddenly shoot the company in the back that's why I also have to be alert and keep a tight reign on the overall situation of the Lu Corporation, you know." She paused to put a spoonful of rice and some mapo tofu on her mouth.

"Really? Is that the only reason?" Lee Yu An narrowed his eyes at Xiu Mei as his hand rested on his chin.

Xiu Mei showed a confused expression at him. "What other reason should I have?"

Lee Yu An flashed a teasing smile at her, like he knew some secret that Xiu Mei should be very concerned about. Xiu Mei suddenly dreaded the next the words that Brother Lee would say. That smile... is totally bad news.

"I quickly returned here right after training because of you, you know?"

Xiu Mei tilted her head as she got even more confused.

"Because our Princess is finally getting married."

Xiu Mei quickly choked, her hand flying to her mouth to stop herself from spilling the food from her mouth.

WHAT THE HELL WAS BROTHER LEE TALKING ABOUT?! HER GETTING MARRIED?!