・・・☆・ Fifty One ・・・☆・

"I can't believe it, the first day back after our honeymoon and you're leaving me to go into work.." Ximen whined that morning as he tried to convinced Yingyue to not go into the office. He was trying his hardest and she had to give him credit for the extent he was willing to go. He had so far managed to successfully hide the hairbrush, her work ID badge and her lucky bracelet. And now he was refusing to let go of her clinging to her as she tried to make her way to the front door. 

"Come on babe, Xi you know if I could chose to spend forever at home with you I would. But my dad has demanded I go into work. I don't want to leave you any more than you want me to leave." Yingyue tried to prove her point by submitting to the affection he was showing her by wrapping her arms around his shoulders considering his arms were around her own waist and his head was buried into her chest. 

"Can't you just ask him for one more day holiday?" Ximen's voice still held the whininess to it much as if he was a child trying to fight for his mother to not go to work. Not a man asking his wife to stay behind. 

"You know how he is, but you'll be fine. Hasn't Shancai invited everyone round hers this afternoon? Go with the other guys and have some fun. I'll call you during my lunch break." Yingyue offered a solution but was met with a pout. Had this been any other person Yingyue would have rolled her eyes at them and continued on with her day as though it had no effect on her. But this wasn't just any person this was her person. The one that made her forget that they were both in their twenties nearly all the time. But she knew she had to leave.

"Promise?"

"Yes Xi, I promise. Now please tell me where you hid my ID badge, the security guard is really scary every time I leave it behind." Yingyue considered it a kind of compromise when in reality she knew she had just gotten her way. The only thing left to do now was actually leave the house and count the hours down until she would be returned home. 

・・・☆・

It would turn out that going to Shancai's house with the rest of his friends, was worth it to Ximen. First of all he just watched Shancai completely tear down any attempts of intimidation from Si's mother. Then he got to plot out exactly how the group were going to get the woman off Shancai's back and he could play matchmaker whilst he was at it. It was better than lying on the couch wasting away and counting the hours until Yingyue came home. 

"As long as Si likes you, confrontations like this are inevitable." As Lei gave the final bit of insight into what Shancai was going to face Ximen had an idea. He should have thought of it a good couple minutes ago instead of just now.

Si's mother was a strong business woman, with enough power to do whatever she so wished. And she was set in the old fashioned ways of considering someones social background before them. They just needed to level the battlefield. Bring someone with some of the same kind of characteristics as the Daoming Matriarch, and he had the perfect person.

"We need to level the playing field." He spoke out watching as the group drew their attention back to him. Ximen smiled as he waited for the others to start to see where he was heading. Of course little Shancai not always the fastest in getting to where they were all thinking continued to give him a puzzled look.

"Level the playing field? What are you suggesting don't say have a baby again." Shancai seemed to not have a clue where Ximen was heading and he let out a little sigh.

"He means add another person to our team who can think like Si's mother." Lei elaborated.

"Who?" Shancai truly didn't know and Ximen chuckled he really couldn't see what his friends saw in this girl. How did two of them find her attractive, he was sure she would just infuriate whomever she was in a romantic relationship with. 

"Yingyue, we need Yingyue." Meizuo finally gave the girl the answer only she was not aware of. 

"Do you think she'd be willing to help? I didn't think she would want to go up against Daoming Company." Shancai obviously didn't have much faith in the older girl and Ximen had to pause and control himself before snapping at the other girl. Rather he sent a message to his wife wondering how long it would take for her to get back to him, considering he had no idea how busy her day was actually going to be. 

"They might be business partners but Yingyue has never been really fond of Si's mother. She's not really impressed with the way his mother treats Si." Ximen explained trying to keep as calm as possible rather keeping his gaze focused on his phone whilst he spoke waiting both for a reply and staring at his lockscreen which had recently been changed to a photo of the pair on their wedding day. 

"Really?" Shancai didn't seem convinced still and Ximen was about to jump in and question just what her problem was with the older girl but it would appear someone beat him to it.

"Do you have a problem with Yeye Shancai? If so we won't ask for her help." Meizuo's words had an irritated tone to them as it appeared he too had picked up on the younger girls hostility towards the older one and he was not impressed with it.

"Not really, she just doesn't seem overly friendly and a little hostile at times. She's nowhere near as open with me as you guys are." Shancai tried to stumble out a response which wasn't going to end up with her in some serious trouble. 

"Yingyue is just protective, she's seen many a girls try to destroy us in the past just for the fame and money attached to our names. In Si's case especially, and considering how his mother treats him more as a trophy than a son she took over a role much like a surrogate mother to him whilst we were growing up. She's just looking out for Si, don't take any real offence." Lei was the one to reply knowing he was going to be the most tame about the response in relation to the others currently sat at the table. Before any more could be said, the ringing of a phone caused the conversation to come to a halt. It was none other than Yingyue calling the group. 

Ximen almost rushed to answer the phone scared to miss her call. He received a little nudge from Meizuo for his actions as the man went to put it on speaker phone so the rest could hear what the older girl had to say. 

"Hi Xi, what have they done now, you sent the signal to say one of the boys have done something dumb again." Yingyue's voice was a little rushed as though she was out of breath from a sudden movement.

"Hey, so it's actually not one of the boys this time, but we still need your help." Ximen started seeing and trying to ignore the looks of his friends sat around the table as they were unaware the couple had a little system to indicate when things were going pear shaped. 

"Okay sure, what do you need, I finish in about 10 minutes I can meet you wherever." Yingyue let out a little sigh this was not what she thought her evening after work would go but she knew she was needed elsewhere and therefore had to make it over.

"I'll send you the address, I'll see you shortly, drive safe, I love you." 

"I love you more." Yingyue hung up at her words and Ximen now had to turn his attention back to his friends sat around the table and their questioning looks. 

"What did Yeye mean when she said that you sent the signal?" Meizuo was the first to question Ximen his gaze not harsh but more of intrigued.

"Well you guys are like a group of 6 year olds running around without parental permission. One of us had to take over the responsibility role for the group and as Yingyue is the head of the WAGS club she said we should probably take on that role." Ximen explained with no regret to his words.

"The WAGS?" Lei questioned

"Wives and girlfriends, you'll understand more when you're older." Ximen teased the boy ducking when he went to throw one of the wrapped sweets on the table towards the slightly shorter male. 

20 minutes later there was another knock at the door. Convinced this time it was Yingyue, Ximen went to the door to open it on her behalf. Also slightly scared that it was going to be Si's mother once again he decided it would be nicer for Shancai to not be the one to open the door if this was the case. Opening the door with enthusiasm he was met with the woman he expected to see. A rather tired Yingyue stood opposite him, the blazer jacket she had worn that morning was discarded elsewhere rather she stood just in a pale blue jumper tucked into a grey checked skirt. As soon as she had stepped over the threshold of the house she was in his arms her arms pressed into his chest as she hugged him tightly. This had alarmed Ximen slightly wondering if this was an indication that she had not had the best day at work considering she normally did not act like this after a normal work day, having since got used to the workload expected of her. 

"Are you alright baby?" His voice was low not much above a whisper as he tried to not draw attention to the not quite normal Yingyue. She let out a little hum at his words though her grip got tighter suggesting that everything wasn't quite okay. 

"Just hold me a little longer?" Were the words she chose to reply with and he too tightened his grip on the girl. 

"Always." 

The pair remained exactly as they were for maybe another minute or two before Yingyue reluctantly pulled away. She didn't want to leave his embrace, she didn't really want to be in this house sorting out another persons problem. She wanted to be at home wrapped up in the red fluffy blanket cuddled up and watching Grey's Anatomy forgetting about how she seemed completely incapable of satisfying anybody at work today. But she had promised her help and she didn't want to back peddle it. Even if it appeared the person who needed help was Shancai, the girl Yingyue still didn't want to be fond of, though was finding herself thinking of almost a younger sister. Like that younger sister you liked deep down but also wasn't the biggest fan of because she was able to play both parents off one another and always get away with it without any consequences. 

Walking her way to the table Yingyue took the seat she assumed was occupied by Ximen before her arrival. Her hands reached out to the glass placed in front of the chair as she took a large swig of its contents, not really caring for what was inside. She was surprised to find it was just apple juice expecting it to be a beer of some description. Not wanting to show her disappointment that it was not alcohol she turned her attention to the younger girl. Painting on a smile which did not really show her true emotions Yingyue just prayed it did not look like a grimace. 

"So what can I do to help?" Yingyue questioned her hands running their way around the glass which was actually squared trying to paint an interest in whatever was going on with the young girl.

"The others suggested you'd be able to help me with Si's mother." Shancai's words didn't really do anything to help with the description of what was going on. 

"Si's mother? What has Daoming Feng done now?" Yingyue's question was open to the whole group as she expected an answer though the boys were silent trying to encourage Shancai to tell the older girl exactly what had happened earlier. 

"She came for a visit asking how I had split Si and Xaiozi up. But I don't know what she meant. Then went on to accuse me of being a gold digger." Shancai tried to further her own explanation though was missing out other details. As she noticed the slightly confused face Yingyue was pulling even after her own explanation. 

"Shancai then went onto call Si's mother an old hag and banished her from the house." Meizuo exclaimed still rather excited about what had gone down prior. Yingyue did let out a slight giggle at this fact imagining the face of Si's mother at being called an old hag by a 20 year old girl. Though she quickly went back to the situation wanting to get it over with so she could head home. 

"Okay so you've managed to really piss off Si's mother. We can work with that, she's a bad mother anyways, overly controlling doesn't really seem to care for her son unless its something to do with the family business and she doesn't like anyone he cares about. It's time to bring her down a couple of pegs. I've always wanted to do this." Yingyue knew that shit would hit the fan for Daoming Feng and she was excited to be part of the cause.

Author's note:

Sorry to pop another one in I'm just trying out a few things over the next couple chapters in terms of layout so please don't think its weird if slightly different things pop up. I just want to branch out a little.