《Married to his secret crush》


 Chapter 1 - She Is Dead

    "You¡­ What exactly do you people want?" The woman retreated a few steps as she looked at the men standing in front of her, d in ck suits with their faces fully covered. There were four of them pointing their guns at her.


    As she lowered her head, her gazended on eight men lying on the ground, not unconscious, but dead.


    She somehow managed to deal with them. But in the end, she was still outnumbered. It was out of her calctions that they had brought back up with them.


    She nced at a bike parked beside her from the corner of her eyes, she could see the keys were still there. She wondered who parked the bike here, in the middle of nowhere in this road, with the vast endless forest expanded on both sides. That person must have run away after seeing the situation.


    Anyways, it has got nothing to with her. She was sure that once the bike started, even the ghosts would not be able to catch up to her, let alone humans. But how was she supposed to distract them?


    Confusion marred her beautiful face as her red lips pursed in displeasure. Han Mei stroked the watch on her right hand, a habit she had developed over years.


    The watch had a tracker and she was sure he would be on his way toing here already, she just has to go through this for a few more minutes.


    A gust of wind swept by swaying her high ponytail, her straight hair swayed while the bangs lying above her eyshes slightly shifted, revealing her starry eyes even more clearly.


    She bit her lower lip slightly, her white teeth were aplete contrast to those soft lips painted red.


    A sight that could even make a demon gasp, let alone some ordinary men. The assassins were awestruck as they looked at her, a woman as beautiful as her was indeed capable of bringing men to their knees.


    Dressed in that red top that was ending right above her navel and ck skinny jeans, she stood straight sporting those five-inch high heels, she seemed to be looking straight into the eyes of her death fearlessly. A sight that not everyone could forget.


    Han Mei curled her hands into a fist as she took a small step back, her heels seemed to be stepping on air as there was not even a small sound as she tried to retreat carefully.


    But somewhere deep within her mind, there was a voice in her mind telling her how impossible her n was.


    From the moment the backup team of assassins arrived, she was on the losing side because of the gun pointed at her head from distance, a single wrong step and she would be done for.


    ''What kind of fucking action scene is this? Why did I even step out of home today?'' She thought to herself before taking another small step back.


    "Stop right there.''''


    Her eyes widened as she turned around only to find a swarm of ck behind her, there were approximately twenty men.


    As she looked around, there was neither a car nor any other vehicle. That had her eyes narrowed almost instantly, it meant they were toying with her from the very first beginning.


    They have covered the whole area. As she nced at the dense force, a mocking smile appeared on her face, who knew if there were more mercenaries hidden in the shadows.


    She sighed and her starry eyes turned tranquil as she nced at the man who warned her to stop. Since he was standing in front of everyone, he must be their captain.


    "So, why me?" she asked,ing straight to the point.


    She did not provoke some big shot that would send an army of mercenaries to get her head.


    The man chuckled, "Because, it is you. Being a Han was your biggest fault, you see," he said.


    Han Mei froze. Han? She had yet to find something rted to her birth, the truth of her existence. But the situation has alreadye to this.


    "It''s a pity for a woman like you to die, though," The man nced at her with a lustful gaze but one could see the admiration in those eyes.


    A woman who could deal with eight of his men barehanded, unprepared was certainly not someone ordinary. A pity he had to kill her.


    "You.."


    ''Bang!''


    "Ahh," The bullet pierced through her chest as her body jerked backward by the sudden force before she fell backward. The sudden pain made her body shake.


    "Boss, look at her..."


    The thin strap of her red top somehow got torn in the process revealing more of her milky white skin, her tops barely covered her breasts but her cleavage was fully exposed.


    She could feel those lusty gazes resting upon her body. Disgust coursed through her nerves.


    The Hans... she had never provoked them. She never went to them neither they had the slightest bit of enmity between them.


    Whoever these Hans were, they better note in front of her, or else even if she turned into a ghost, she would haunt them forever for this miserable day that she had to face.


    Just as she raised her left hand to cover her exposed skin, another bang resounded, this time the bullet pierced through her wrist, seemingly pinning her hand to the ground.


    She sucked in a breath of cold air.


    The man, precisely the captain of the mercenaries walked closer to her and squatted beside her.


    He raised his hand as his finger touched the skin just a few inches above her left breast as he observed the tiny crimson mark, what seemed more like a birthmark there.


    It was in the shape of a crescent, his sharp eyes slightly glowed with interest, he couldn''t help but marvel over the fact that how mysterious the woman was. Pity though, she is meant to meet her death today.


    Han Mei pursed her lips, trying to keep her breathing in control, she was sure that the bullet did not pierce through her heart, or else she would have died in an instant. She just had to hold on and everything will be fine the moment hees.


    The mercenaries couldn''t help but drool as they nced at their boss touching her supple skin. They were trained fighters though, but in matters like this, they were all crude and lusty men. "Boss, ca..can I touch her once?" A man finally gathered his courage to ask.


    The man''s hand that was stroking her birthmark paused for a split second before he stood up. "That party has paid us to make her die in pain. You can torture her however you want. Touch her, tease her or shoot her. Do whatever you want," he said immediately attracting everyone''s attention.


    Hatred was burning in her half-lidded starry eyes as she looked at the men approaching her. The first one, then the second, the third one also seemed to have gotten his courage as he walked towards her.


    Their lusty gazes made her feel disgusted. "Don''t do this," she said, her eyes revealing a desperate look as the multiple pair of hands were extended towards her skin.


    "Boss, she seems dead¡­" One of the men spoke up when he noticed her body jerking abnormally before her chest seemed to have rise and fall as sheid motionless.


    The man, who happened to be their boss, frowned as he walked closer to her, to inspect the woman clearly, his ck mask shone as the sunraysnded on the man, a strange light shed through his eyes as he noticed her finger twitch.


    "She is dead," He confirmed after checking her breathing, he thought it must be his illusion that she moved.


    But they had to make sure she died. With that thought in mind, he pointed his gun at her forehead but before he could pull the trigger¡­

 Chapter 2 - It’s Your Birthday

    "Run and hide well¡­" The manmanded coldly as the sounds of rotating des appeared?closer and closer until they spotted helicopters hovering above the forest.


    One could not even spot them as their shadows shed, they were as nimble as ninjas while disappearing into the vast forest without ncing back at the woman, who was supposedly dead ording to them.


    A few seconds passed by and the road was all clean, no one would believe something so dangerous happened in the ce if not for the dead bodies of the eight mercenaries and the woman lying on the ground.


    "Ahh¡­" Han Mei''s chest rose as she gasped inhaling as much air as she could.


    She knew how dangerous it was for her to hold her breath, to pretend dead when her life was hanging by a thread.


    As she looked at private helicopters hovering above the forest, her lips tilted up into a smile.


    He saved her dignity by arriving at the right time.


    If it was not for him, they would have already picked on her pretense.


    "Ah Mei¡­" Her attention snapped towards the voice as she looked at the helicopter moving downwards, he jumped out even before it couldnd.


    The man brought a sense of security in her heart as he always had, her vision was turning blurry yet she persisted, waiting for him to approach her.


    The man''s face darkened, a deadly aura emanated from him when he looked at her disheveled dress, her red clothes though hid the color of the blood but the road was dyed red, the adorably glowing cheeks that he loved to pinch were deathly pale.


    The man removed the coat from his muscr body before draping it around her. "Ah-Mei.." He knelt on the road before moving her head to hisp, "You...You must hold on. I''ll make sure to get you treated in the best hospital. Just hold on¡­Everything will be alright, okay?"


    "Stop.." Just as the man tried to stand up, he heard her hoarse voice. She tried to raise her left hand instinctively to grab the man but pain coursed through her body, "Ssss.." She sucked in a cold breath.


    Han Jian Yu''s attention was diverted towards her hand which was ruthlessly shot, seemingly nailed to the ground by one bullet. He could see through that delicate wrist of her which had a hole now. He clenched his fist as he tried topose himself.


    "I...I don''t have much time left.." The woman in his arms muttered, "I knew you woulde."


    She knew he woulde which is why she tried to fight with her consciousness that seemed to be slipping away with every passing second.


    The man frowned, "No¡­ It will be fine. You will be alright¡­"


    "I...I won''t," The woman interrupted him, her breathing became uneven, she knew she did not have much time left.


    Maybe it was true that people would always feel it when death approached as all she could feel her senses slowly slipping away from her body, "T...Thank you, you have been the best brother despite¡­" She abruptly stopped, unable to finish her sentence, her fingers clenched, her body jerked upwards.


    This time, there was no pretense. She was dead, she was gone forever.


    "Ah Mei.." He shook her body.


    No response.


    "Ah Mei..." The rims of his eyes turned red, "Stop fooling me, already. It''s your birthday today. I have prepared a grand party for you. Everything is just like how you prefer it. Today, all my time is reserved for you...I have dismissed all my work. We-We will talk about anything you want and...Let''s go to the hospital first okay? Stop pretending..." A lone tear dropped from the corner of his eyes when there was still no response.


    Silence.


    After what seemed like a long silence, the man chuckled mirthlessly, "Brother? What kind of brother fails to protect his sister?"


    His eyes turned red as an insane light shed in those depths when he looked at the dead bodies of the eight dead mercenaries. "Find them, search for the power behind. Kill if it is one and if they are more than one¡­" The man paused, for a second but that insanity in his eyes further intensified, he looked like a grim reaper, who was out for the destruction of the whole world, "Then, annihte them."


    Annihte them!


    The phrase made the trusted subordinates of the man shudder. They rarely got to see him acting so crazily but it was expected this time. As they nced at their Young Miss lying dead, their hearts wrenched up.


    It was only today morning when the woman was teasing them by asking for her birthday presents. How fast fate turned tables really did not sit well with anyone.


    Their eyes suddenly widened in shock as they looked at the man.

 Chapter 3 - She Is Awake

    "Arrrgh¡­" Han Jian Yu felt a splitting headache as a searing pain started up in his head.


    "Boss.."


    "What should we do?"


    "I don''t know what''s happening. Let''s take him to the hospital first.."


    "You¡­What about the culprits behind this? Boss ordered us to search for them. How can we go against his orders?"


    "Half of us stay here and the rest will take the boss to the hospital. You both, take Young Miss''s body.."


    "Hurry¡­"


    ¡­


    The darkness seemed to be never-ending as she walked.


    Everything seemed so surreal, she tried to open her mouth, she wanted to shout out loud but it seemed like her mouth couldn''t move, it was painful the moment she moved her lips.


    It has been a long time she was walking like this, a very long time.


    It was not until she saw a tiny ray of light that she felt there was a way out of this ce.


    Her racing heart seemed to have calmed down as she followed the white ray, the ray that brought her hope.


    She followed behind it until the brightness intensified. Every inch of her body ached yet she dragged herself towards the source of light.


    "N..No¡­I mus..t leave.."


    She wanted to escape the ce desperately, it gave her a terrifying feeling as if it would cage her forever the moment she gave up.


    After what seemed like a long time, she stood there in front of ring lights. She was blinded by its intensity which caused her to cover her face with both her hands. There was a sh and¡­


    ''Bang'' The girl lying on the king-sized bed sat up in a sh, the syringe attached to her hand dragged the rest of the pieces of equipment down with it.


    Her eyes widened as she panted, her long hair covered her face "I..I.." she stuttered, "A-Alive.." a whisper left her mouth.


    Her throat was parched, it hurt her to speak a single word but she ignored everything, no pain mattered as long as she was not dead.


    She did not want to die. There were many things she wanted to do. Moreover, she did not want to part from her loved ones.


    Amidst her thoughts, she noticed her surrounding which seemed to be a part of some fairytale.


    Pink wall, pink ceiling, pink bed, pink bedsheets, it seemed someone has dyed everything pink.


    She pursed her lips, the color somewhat did not sit well with her.


    An ufortable feeling rose in her heart.


    "Who...Who are you?" Her gazended on the nurse standing in the corner, looking at her in disbelief as if she had seen some ghost.


    The nurse was stunned as she looked at the girl in front of her. There was no difference between her and a dead person a moment ago, she was surviving entirely because of the advanced life-supporting system. Her breathing was weak to the point of being negligible.


    "Steward Gu...Steward Gu.." The young woman screamed excitedly as she ran out of the room without looking back, "Steward Gu, Miss Yu is awake." Han Mei could still hear her shouting and yelling as her voice got slowly distant.


    Han Mei helplessly nced in the direction of the door. Why did she run without exining the situation to her? Just who exactly saved her? And where is her brother? How long has she been unconscious? She must thank her savior and¡­wait!


    "M-Miss Yu?" Her calmed heart raced yet again as her eyes turned wide.


    ¡­


    "What?" Steward Gu was stunned as he heard the news, "Miss Yu is awake?" he asked as if trying to confirm that there were no problems with his hearing.


    It has been one month since her ident, her condition seemed to be worsening every second as every medical institution confirmed that she won''t be able to make it.


    "Yes, she is awake,'''' The nurse replied, much to his astonishment.


    The man took a few seconds topose himself as he turned around to look at the female servants standing behind him, "You...Go and inform Master about it right now."


    The female servant''s face scrunched up, "Master doesn''t care.."


    Stewards Gu coldly interrupted her, "It is not our business. No matter what, she is his legally wedded wife."


    The servant girl frowned as a disgusted look appeared in her eyes, "But.."


    "Do what you are told to," the man warned the servant.


    The other female servant asked, "Shall we inform Madam and Miss Yu''s family about it?"


    Steward Gu contemted it for a few seconds before shaking his head, "We should wait for Master''s order."


    "Yes," Both the maids retreated as Steward Gu nced at the nurse, "You know what to do," he said.


    The nurse meekly nodded her head. She knew how to deal with the information she came to know by chance.


    It should be buried as the deepest secret in her mind or else she won''t be spared from being buried underground in therge space around the grand mansion.


    "Is Miss Yu all alone by herself in the room? Or have you asked the servants to take care of her?" Steward Gu was suddenly reminded of it as he asked the question.


    The nurse swallowed her saliva, "No...She is all alone¡­I left in a hurry."


    Steward Gu frowned before walking upstairs, ignoring the terrified nurse who followed behind him.


    ¡­


    "Mi...Miss Yu?" Han Mei stopped her thoughts from running wild as she shook her head, "She must have confused me for somebody else. Yeah, that must be it."


    She pulled the pink duvets off her body while trying to stand up from the bed, but the moment her feet touched the ground, she staggered before falling back on the bed. Damn! Why did her body feel so heavy?


    Although it was painful everywhere, but what was the weird feeling that came along with it?


    "Ahh.." she cried out in pain before looking at her hand, it was a bloody mess caused to the syringe being tugged wrongly.


    But what she noticed was not the blood, nor it was her pain that grabbed her attention.

 Chapter 4 - Give Me A Mirror

    She nced at the hand that was supposed to be hers but how did it turn out to be like this? The hand was fair, so fair that it was a shade lighter than what she remembered her skin tone to be.


    She did not mind getting more fair and gorgeous, though.


    Wait¡­That was not the main point here. The hand was so fat that she doubted it was almost equal to thrice her size.


    "Miss Yu, why did you scream? Are you fine?" Steward Gu furrowed his brows as he looked at the girl ncing at her hand with disbelief written all over her face.


    He wondered if she has lost her mind in the ident and be a retard.


    "You...Who are you? Tell me, whose ce is this, and why am I here?" She believed she would go insane if she did not sort this out. "How the heck has my hand gotten so fat? Answer me for god''s sake," she yelled when there was no reply from the other side.


    The man who seemed to be in his early thirties looked a bit confused as he looked at her behaving that way.


    Just as he was contemting, a sudden realization struck him, he nced at the girl speechlessly for a few seconds before speaking up, "Miss Yu, you should stop pretending this way. Master already knows about everything you were intending to do. If you keep lying like this, you only further incur his wrath,"


    The man did not seem to be sure if he should pity this girl or detest her.


    She looked at him,pletely bbergasted, "Master? What kind of bird is that?" she was helpless, speechless and god knows what.


    Here she had enough of queries revolving in her head yet a Master popped out from nowhere.


    Steward Gu looked at the girl in horror. Was she even aware of what she was saying? He nced around only to find the nurse standing dumbstruck by what she heard.


    The man eyed her coldly to which she awkwardly pursed her lips indicating that she would not open her mouth about how the great-god was addressed by his wife.


    Steward Gu sighed helplessly before looking back at the girl sitting on the bed. Did she know she was going overboard with her acting? She would be digging her own grave if someone identally leaked her words.


    Han Mei, who was truly unaware of the tragic assumptions going on in the Steward''s head got impatient, "Are you going to exin this situation? And what''s up with this Miss Yu? Stop calling me that even if you don''t know my real name¡­cough..." she was agitated and it was painful, every bone in her body seemed to be breaking apart, but she did not seem to care.


    She thought they were assuming her as someone else. They must have not known her real name, which is why they seemed to be confused.


    Although the exnation in her head felt somewhat strange, she did not mind it a bit. Rather than going crazy, she tried to console herself with it for the moment.


    Steward Gu was stunned. Did she really not remember her name or was she just acting? Because if she was really acting, then she deserved to get the title of Queen of Entertainment Industry.


    "Are you mute or what? Where is Jian Yu? Will you tell me?" She has rarely lost her calm even though she has a bad temper, she would never snap out at people without a proper reason.


    But at this moment, she felt anxious, deste, lost, angry, and overallplicated.


    She still remembered that Han Jian Yu has been stroking her head trying to make her believe that everything will be alright.


    But she denied it and thanked him for being the best brother that he was. She remembered everything.


    But why did it turn out this way? What happened to her brother? Why was she lying in this strange kind of pink bedroom?


    All the questions revolved around in her mind making her re at Steward Gu who shivered for a moment.


    Her deadly stare made him feel a sense of dread. It shocked him when he thought about it.


    Since when did the brainless girl sitting in front of him could frighten him as such? Was he getting old or what?


    Wait¡­"Miss Yu, who is this Jian Yu you are talking about?" The man asked.


    She tucked her hair strands resting in front of her shoulder behind her ear but just as she opened her mouth to exin, her gazended on her hand, to be more precise, she looked at her ''fat hand''.


    "I''m the one asking questions here, got it?" she narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man standing motionless. "Fine, don''t speak¡­cough.."


    Her throat was parched, it hurt whenever she uttered a single word but to hell with, she was not going to give a damn about it, "Get me a mirror," shemanded but the man stayed still without any intentions of moving and it got her more frustrated, "I said get me a mirror, right now¡­cough cough.." Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to calm down but it was all for naught.


    Gu Chen''s brows bumped together as he hurriedly tried to appease her, "I''ll get right now. Miss Yu, please calm down."


    "If you call me Miss Yu once again, then the consequences won''t be good," Han Mei coldly said, refusing to ept the conjectures going through her mind as she watched the man walking towards the wall right in front of her bed.


    He pressed a switch and a grand wardrobe appeared in front of her. A mirror whose length reached till the high ceiling slowly twisted around automatically. Time seemed to have frozen as the reflection of the girl sitting on the bed appeared on it.


    Han Mei stared at the face which was supposed to be hers in utter shock.


    "Not¡­Not me.."

 Chapter 5 - Mysterious Flash

    Han Mei stared at the face which was supposed to be hers in utter shock.


    "Not¡­Not me.." She mumbled under her breath.


    The girl in the reflection would be almost triple her size, skin as fair as jade but her face seemed to have all kinds of blemishes, pimples, and e marks making her appear somewhat hideous.


    Long hair that reached her waist and a pink night suit making her appear like a big circle, or more like an enormous rice cake.


    Eyes that seemed as innocent as a doe yet dull while her lip seemed to be somewhat pale, due to the weakness.


    Han Mei raised her left hand towards her cheek, her fingers shivered, she wondered if it was because of the cold or shock.


    Her fingers slowly stroked her cheeks, but the feeling was not smooth, the skin felt bumpy.


    She knew it. It was not her but then why¡­


    Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a splitting headache. Everything seemed to be blurred in an instant.


    "Miss Yu. Are you fine?"


    "She needs some rest since she just woke up..."


    Han Mei could hear those voices but she barely had any strength left as she was still holding onto her head.


    The pain seemed to be never-ending as various strange memories drifted towards her mind leading to an onught of memories in an instant.


    Unbeknownst to her, there was a tiny sh right above her chest.


    It was barely noticeable, like an illusion but it was far from that as it did something strange to her.


    Her currently ordinary-looking eyes turned starry, just as Han Mei''s real eyes.


    "Miss Yu¡­"


    The voices seemed to be slowly shutting themselves in the background.


    She fell into a deep slumber before anyone could notice her abnormal changes.


    ¡­


    Sunlight peeked through the window of the grand princess room, the sun rays seemed to be stroking the girl sleeping on the bed as she squinted.


    Her long eyshes fluttered open as she covered her eyes trying to adjust to the ring brightness of the surroundings.


    Suddenly reminded of something, she opened her eyes and nced at the room. Everything was pink, in loud shades.


    "So, it was not a dream after all," Han Mei, now Yu Mei Zhen softly as she tried to get up from the bed but gods seemed to be teasing her as she bounced back like a rice dumpling, her head hitting the pillow.


    She speechlessly nced at the ceiling before raising her hands which could be mistaken as a person''s leg.


    Is there a reset button?


    She suddenly thought if she could get to select her body for transmigration.


    Sigh...In the end, it was just her wishful thought.


    She supported her body with her elbow pressed on the pillow as she dragged herself out of the bed.


    Her steps staggered due to weakness yet she persisted as she held onto the bedside table before picking up the ss of water and gulped it down. Her parched throat seemed to be relieved in an instant.


    Therge mirror was still in the same ce as yesterday, and itpelled her to walk towards it.


    "Yu Mei Zhen¡­" she murmured the name which was now hers.


    Compared to yesterday when she snapped at the Steward for calling her name wrongly, she seemed to have regained herposure.


    Yu Mei Zhen was the illegitimate daughter of the Yu Family. Being the daughter of an upper-ss family required her to be a top socialite despite her status in the family.


    But Yu Mei Zhen was exactly the opposite of that. Being fat, ugly, and zero when it came to studies, she was frowned upon by society which led her to disgrace the Yu Family, again and again, ultimately incurring her father''s wrath.


    But the girl was stubborn, she stubbornly craved for the family''s affection, for which she was ready to go to any extent.


    She despised her biological mother for being a mistress, sided with the legal wife of her father, who happened to be her stepmother.


    She ignored her biological brother while trying to get closer to her half-siblings.


    Everything seemed to be going well until her mother passed away a year ago from a brain stroke and the reality of the p seemed to be too harsh when Yu Mei Zhen came to know the truth of her so-called beloved family.


    They never cared for her.


    But she somehow did not hate them even after everything they did.


    But it was another thing that they refused to ept her after getting what they wanted and she was thrown out of the house.


    "Miss Yu, you are awake," Yu Mei turned around to look at the female servant standing at the door. She was so lost in her thoughts that she somehow did not notice her presence.


    "Is there anything?" she asked softly noticing the woman''s hesitation.


    She could feel that the servant wasn''t that particrly polite towards her but she did not point it out.


    It wasn''t like she was going to stay in this vi for long.


    "Erm¡­Master is waiting for you downstairs. You should hurry up and¡­"


    "When did hee?" Yu Mei interrupted the girl from speaking any further.


    Like yesterday, she did not seem to be confused upon hearing the mention of this so-called Master.


    But her eyes seemed to a little eagerness and curiosity at the mention of his name, it was as if she was meeting an old acquaintance.

 Chapter 6 - Shocked

    From the previous owner''s memories, she had already seen her husband''s face.


    She was genuinely interested in knowing as to why that man would let himself to get trapped in a marriage with this abandoned socialite.


    "We couldn''t contact him when you woke up due to somework issues so we had to drop a message for him. He reached the mansion somewhere around midnight," the maid answered, inwardly wondering why Miss Yu seemed to have changed overnight.


    That same ugly face, a bulging figure yet there was something different about her.


    "Alright, you can go," Yu Mei said before turning around to look at the mirror once again, "I''lle after taking a shower."


    The maid''s eyes widened in astonishment. If it was before, then she would have run away to meet him without caring about her disheveled looks, but right now, she indirectly said, it would take some time for her to go down, is there truly something wrong with Miss Yu?


    Furthermore, how could she make Master wait like that?


    Her astonished expression turned to a horrified one in an instant.


    "But.."


    "You can leave," Yu Mei interrupted her coldly, she was not in the mood to talk with anyone right now.


    The servant girl was taken aback by the cold aura emanating from her, she scurried out of the room without further contemtion.


    Yu Mei coldly stared at the reflection but her eyes widened at a certain realization. Her eyes¡­They seemed to be different.


    They were just like her real eyes, deep and starry,pletely different from the previous Yu Mei Zhen''s.


    It shocked her to the core, she lost everything, there was nothingmon between Yu Mei Zhen and Han Mei except for the name ''Mei''.


    Then, how did it happen? Why did this pair of eyes change?


    "Rebirth¡­Transmigration¡­Just what the heck is this?" She bit her plump lips until her eyes teared up due to pain. Ever since she realized her voice was different, her mind was already wandering off to certain bizarre thoughts but she refused to ept all that.


    Yesterday, when she noticed her hand, which was abnormally fat, her mind went nk.


    She knew it was not supposed to be real, such things only happen in fantasy novels but she was forced to ept it the moment she saw her reflection in the mirror.


    As if it was not enough, she was burdened with a heap of foreign memories.


    ¡­


    Yu Mei walked out of the washroom with nothing but an extrarge-sized bathrobe that barely covered her body.


    She pressed a switch ording to her memories, immediately revealing therge walk-in wardrobe.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that the wardrobe was filled with all kinds of expensive shy outfits, but they were gaudy to the point that she felt nauseous.


    Thatz girl, Yu Mei Zhen surely had some hard feelings for pink color.


    She found a simple ck flowy dress that ended just below her knees before putting it on.


    It was a contrast to her fair skin tone but she did not look like a gorgeous woman who came out of some fantasy novel or anything as such.


    "It would have been much better that way¡­" She liked looking around those novels once in a while.


    She has read all those things, poor to rich, an overnight transformation kind of dramatic concepts.


    But when ites to her, she did not gain a single penny but instead lost her pampered life, wealthy status, beautiful looks, hourss perfect figure, and her beloved brother.


    She wanted to curse but nothing came out of her mouth. All she could do was tie her hair in a simple ponytail before walking out of the bedroom.


    Her bedroom was situated on the first floor.


    She followed the path ording to her memories and walked towards the staircase which led to the grand living room.


    Just as stepped down thest stair, her gaze scanned across the enormous living room, thevishness of it making her gasp for a moment.


    Her reaction seemed to havested for a split-second as her expressions turned back to normal.


    No riches in the world could make her stop and stare. Han Jian Yu, her brother had raised her that way.


    She was pampered to bits by him, to the point that if she liked the color of some diamond, he would get it converted to threads to sew it up in a dress.


    At the thought of him, her expressions softened in an instant.


    "Miss Yu¡­"

 Chapter 7 - Familiar Stranger

    ''''Miss Yu¡­"


    Yu Mei nced towards the man standing in front of the dining table.


    She remembered him. It was the same man who came to her roomst night along with the nurse appointed to take care of her.


    "Yes?" She asked indifferently while making her way towards the dining table.


    It would not be an exaggeration if she said that she was dragging herself to walk further ahead. She never imagined walking would be so tough one day.


    "You...You arete.." Steward Gu awkwardly said while walking towards the left, giving her the full view of an enviably sexy back that was hidden behind his frame earlier.


    He wondered what kind of tragic day was it that Master was home yet Miss Yu did not seem to have any interest to meet him.


    All he could think was she was just trying to avoid the consequences of her wrongdoings.


    Yu Mei''s steps paused for a moment. Because of the angle, she was unable to see someone sitting there before.


    Master¡­It was supposedly how the servants in the mansion addressed him and the only thing the previous Yu Mei Zhen knew about the man who happened to be her husband was that he was powerful.


    After Yu Mei Zhen was abandoned by the Yu Family, she was sheltered by her paternal grandmother. The girl tried up every bit of her scheming and plotting to get back to the Yu Family but she failed at it continuously.


    But just as she got hope, when her stepbrother returned from abroad, a stranger showed up at her grandmother''s ce, offering her a deal, a deal of getting married to a rich man.


    The previous Yu Mei Zhen could be the most na?ve and innocent girl for her family but to the outside world, she was a schemer.


    Someone as smart as her denied the marriage proposal. She believed it to be a fraud.


    But things turned out differently when she was shown the picture of the man and was told that this arranged marriage proposal was rted to herte mother, her father''s mistress, Li Na.


    The girl being an infamous idiotic man-chaser epted the proposal when she was offered a huge sum of money.


    She moved into this mansion after getting married but till then she never once saw her supposed husband.


    But Yu Mei Zhen, who believed to have fallen in love at first sight with the mysterious man after seeing his picture tried various schemes to attract his attention, which included ''self-harm''.


    "Cough¡­"


    Yu Mei snapped out of her thoughts as she nced at Steward Gu who wore a desperate expression.


    She took a seat, never once ncing at the man sitting right in front of her.


    The atmosphere around the 10-foot long table was tense as the two people sat on the chair at each end.


    ''Thud''


    The loud sound of something banging on the table caught her attention. She was startled for a moment before looking up, only to find a pair of eyes gazing at her.


    For a moment, the intensity of the gaze made her feel like she has been seen through.


    She averted her gaze for a moment before looking back at him, this time, not into his eyes, but his face.


    And she would be lying if she said her breathing did not hitch for a moment.


    She never felt the concept of attraction or love that interesting after her 18th birthday. So, as Han Mei, she died at the age of 23 with ''single'' rtionship status.


    It was not like she has never seen handsome men. Her university friends, her brother''s subordinates, her brother, most of the men she knew were top-notch, any girl would die to have a glimpse.


    Even if she ignored her family and talked about the elite businessmen and big shots across the globe, the man, supposedly her husband, would be in an entire another league.


    ''He still looks the same, as handsome as ever,'' she thought to herself as she nced at his handsome face but somehow he was too cold and indifferent, aplete contrast to the personality that she remembered.


    He was familiar to her yet his attitude was not. At this moment, he was more like a familiar stranger.


    A strange light flickered in her eyes but she masked her expressions before anyone could notice it.


    With a look that could split heavens, with the features that seemed to be highlighting god''s partiality while carving him, he sat there quietly, unbothered by everything else.


    No wonder Yu Mei Zhen fell in love at first sight, just with a look at his picture.


    An item like him¡­cough¡­a man like him is indeed rare.


    "Seen enough?" His voice was deep, alluring, andpatible with his fascinating looks but it was cold, to the point that his tone seemed to beced with icy thorns, making the temperature drop.


    "Nope..Ah...Yes, were you saying something?" she blinked,ing back to her senses as she casually threw the question.


    It was not intentional but she wondered if he said something while she was absent-minded.


    Steward Gu, for the second time in his life, felt that the girl was quite pitiful.


    He gritted his teeth before moving towards the back slowly, he sneakily raised his hand and waved at her, trying to get her attention.


    Yu Mei curiously nced at the man, "Erm...Steward Gu, do you want to say something?" Luckily, she got the girl''s memories and got to know how this man was addressed by her.


    Before she sorted everything out, these memories will help her survive in between the circle of these strangers.


    "_" Was it necessary to do this? I was trying to help you.


    Gu Chen immediately shut his mouth up the moment he felt his Master''s dark aura.


    He put lowered his finger which was pointing towards the iPad kept on the dining table.


    He knew it was against his work ethics to interrupt his Master''s job but he just felt pity for the poor Miss Yu, who was soon going to suffer from his wrath.

 Chapter 8 - Let’s Get Divorced

    Jun Zixuan tapped his fingers on the table bringing Yu Mei''s attention.


    She was not astonished by this sort of behavior. After their marriage, they had very few interactions, but he began to loathe Yu Mei Zhen over time, because of her actions.


    She had nothing to say on it though.


    Even she herself was starting to dislike the previous owner of the body just based on the memories, for every nning and plotting she did against people who were kind to her.


    She nced at the iPad lying on the dining table, the sound that startled her before must have been caused due to it being mmed on the table.


    "y it," The man said to which Steward Gu immediately responded by tapping the y option.


    The video recording yed immediately revealing a girl standing in the middle of the quiet abandoned road, smirking at the few vehiclesing her way.


    Yu Mei obviously recognized the girl in the video, it was none other than her, which means the former owner of her body, Yu Mei Zhen.


    Only a blind person would be able to recognize her considering her body figure.


    Although getting fat or chubby was not something bad or umon, but she still wondered just how in the world she resembled a baby elephant at the tender age of 21 years.


    She did not suffer from any disease ording to her memory but all she did was eating all kinds of unhealthy food all day long and¡­


    Wait... she could not be sure about the disease thing as the girl has never bothered to go to a hospital.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted the girl walking in front of a car daringly with a vicious smile on her face but before the car could approach her, she was hit by a truck that wasing her way in full speed, causing her body to fly away like a broken kite.


    Right then, the video recording stopped.


    Silence...


    The whole living room was silent.


    The two servant girls who just arrived were struck with disbelief while Steward Gu who was already aware of the truth while retrieving the CCTV footage, looked at the scene calmly, despite feeling a little ufortable.


    He was trying to protect Miss Yu when she was the one who was wrong in the first ce.


    Yu Mei was speechless at the current situation, she wanted to scream and tell that it was not her in this video. She is a new soul residing in this body but who would believe that?


    Even she felt goosebumps when the 21-year-old girl gave that creepy smile before walking in front of the car.


    ording to her memories, it was Yu Mei Zhen''s brand new scheme to get her husband''s attention.


    She wanted to be hit by the car but the girl loved her life dearly, so she decided to dodge it at thest moment but the truck did not give her the chance to slide away.


    Yu Mei felt like she was sitting on thorns as she fidgeted in her chair but the chair produced a ''creak'' sound, indicating that it would give up on its life if she kept moving around.


    Her cheeks turned crimson in slight embarrassment as she looked at her bulging belly before sitting still.


    "Exin," A single word from the man sitting on the chair at the other end of the table broke the depressing silence in the room.


    Her face turned cold at his tone, "Let''s get divorced¡­"


    The man was more beautiful than women yet he did not look feminine, manly, charming, mysterious, everything a woman would hope for, in her dream Prince Charming.


    His eyes were in the shade of chestnut brown with gold flecks, cold and full of intensity. His pale skin looked just so... right. As if God has molded him just to spoil these eyes.


    He was still the same she remembered him to be.


    Unfortunately, she was not a Cindere, she never was!


    Neither was she the real Yu Mei Zhen, whose legs turned weak at the sight of every handsome man.


    She was far from that.


    "Let''s get divorced¡­" Yu Mei indifferently repeated as she looked into his eyes.


    "_"


    The servants had their eyes almost popping out in disbelief as they nced at her. Was it the same woman who used to slit her wrist just to have one nce of their Master?


    Steward Gu swallowed his saliva.


    Is Miss Yu possessed?


    First, she did not recognize him yesterday but he was fine with that. But now, she did not seem to remember her life goal, which is weird.


    Hasn''t it always been her intention to cling onto Master for the lifetime, then what kind of situation is this?


    Jun Zixuan on the other hand did not seem to have that much of a reaction, except that he paused his movements for a moment before he picked up a napkin and elegantly wiped his mouth.


    "Divorce?" He enunciated the word as he nced at her, his piercing stare could make a person''s heart turn cold.


    ...


    NOTES: Leavements to tell your opinion and do vote if you like it.

 Chapter 9 - Manipulative Bitch

    "Divorce?" He enunciated the word as he nced at her, his piercing stare could make a person''s heart turn cold.


    "What? Do you love me that much that you can''t bear to part ways with me?" She batted her eyshes at him but it did not look like acting coy at all.


    If it was her previous looks, any man would have been turned on in an instant but unfortunately, right now, she looked like an enormous rice ball.


    Her cheeks were bulging to the point that her eyes look extremely small.


    The man did not speak anything but there was raging hostility in his eyes, his terrifying aura was enough to prove how much he loathed the girl in front of him.


    Steward Gu was on the verge of begging her to stop provoking him.


    Yu Mei smiled, a cold light shed through her eyes. Was he trying to scare her? Unfortunately, she was not Yu Mei Zhen.


    "Mr. J..cough..cough...Young Master, you know the reason behind the marriage very well," she sighed in relief inwardly, she almost blurted out his real name, which Yu Mei Zhen was not aware of. It would have been a blunder.


    Calling him Master would make her seem like his servant and it was degrading for her. She would never call someone her master.


    Since their marital rtionship was not that amicable, she could not call him ''hubby'' or ''darling''.


    So, she opted for ''Young Master'', it was polite and distant and it did not make her look like his mistress or servant.


    She continued, "So, as long as your mother wants, we can pretend to be married while you should try to change her mind about our marriage."


    The man looked into her eyes, they seemed to be shining like the brightest stars, there was a different kind of rity in them which he had never noticed before.


    "How so?" The man asked.


    "You must be muddleheaded to not understand the meaning when I exined everything so clearly."


    Muddleheaded? Is Miss Yu taking drugs? If not, how did she dare tomit a sphemy as using such words for Master?


    The temperature in the room dropped making the servants shiver, "Get lost," The man said. Steward Gu and the rest of the servants immediately fled away, giving the ''couple'' some private space.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her, his eyes dangerously narrowed, hatred burning within them.


    Yu Mei sighed. Anyone would hate a girl who would manipte his mother, do self-harm tricks to get his attention, and would n and plot to cling onto him for more time.


    The previous Yu Mei Zhen wanted this man all for herself, she did not want him to divorce her. When they got married, she did not know about his reasons for marrying her.


    Butter she got to know that, it was his mother for whom he agreed to marry her without any qualms. She met his mother only once in thest two years yet she manipted thedy into thinking that she was not treated well.


    It led to many disturbances between Jun Zixuan and his mother. As if it was not enough, she would attempt to slit her wrist to get close to him.


    After staying at the mansion which was ten timesrger than Yu''s household, she got to know that her husband was richer than them.


    She performed many self-harming acts, like starving herself, drinking poison to get him to help Yu''s Family in investments and on a financial basis. She still wanted to get close to her family.


    The man did not live with her but she knew Steward Gu updated him about her activities.


    But Jun Zixuan was not the kind of man who would be easily threatened. So, she used up her emotional act and manipted his mother on a phone call who happened to be the best friend of herte biological mother, Li Na.


    Since he wanted to know how could he convince his mother, the gears in her mind worked up as she sat there silently, in deep thought.


    This led to the mother-son rtionship drifting further apart while Jun Zixuan''s hate for her started reaching its limit.


    On the other hand, the family she was trying to get close to the thought that she has be an old man''s mistress. They were disgusted by her yet they did not want to let the golden opportunity go.


    So, they tried everything to get more benefits from her.


    She sighed. No matter how surreal it sounded, she was transmigrated. Then, why was she provided such a body where the previous owner has left everything in a mess before dying?


    "Convince your mother about how much of a maniptive bitch I am," She said calmly, there was not a single frown on herrge round face, which was filled with e spots and pimples.

 Chapter 10 - Tell Me Your Conditions

    "Fine," Jun Zixuan said as he leaned back on his chair.


    "Thank you," she said softly, grateful that he agreed to the divorce. He has always been a gentleman and she knew that.


    At this point, it would have been the best idea to leech off to him until she made some money to survive. But she was neither a fool nor as greedy as the previous owner of this body.


    Yu Mei would rather starve herself than getting trapped in this sort of rtionship. She did not want to deal with Jun Zixuan, who was already frustrated with the girl''s toxic ways neither did she want to go around giving exnations for everything she has done, like what was shown in the CCTV footage.


    She had things to do, goals to achieve, she must talk to her brother and tell him that she was still alive, there was her revenge waiting for her.


    She had to get her hourss figure first, to make it convenient for her to move around.


    Although this face was ugly and scar-ridden, Yu Mei did not care about that.


    A person''s beauty was never seen by their face.


    She must be independent for everything she wanted to achieve, she did not wantplications. She wanted to get rid of this marriage in the first ce since it would be best for both parties.


    At this point, the woman would never have thought that fate had some other ns for her.


    Yu Mei frowned as she looked at her breakfast. Deep-fried chicken wings?


    "Steward Gu," she called out for the man, knowing that he was somewhere nearby.


    Although, they were going to get a divorce now but before that, she could take a little teeny-tiny bit of advantage of her husband''s wealth and status. "Get me a ss of fresh orange juice," she said.


    Steward Gu looked at her in disbelief. Orange juice? She did not like fruits before, what happened now?


    "And yes, since you are responsible for my meals, don''t throw such garbage in front of me as food. I''ll give you the diet chartter, prepare the food ordingly till I''m living here," she said as she looked at the maid who seemed to be ring at her with an irritated gaze.


    The female servant coyly nced at the Master, hoping for somefort after being scolded or at least wanting him to reprimand Yu Mei but the man remained expressionless as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "Alright, Madam," the servant named Lisa addressed her intentionally as such and nced at the man sitting on the head chair of the dining table.


    His eyes darkened when she was addressed with that title, and the Lisa inwardly cheered.


    It worked, it has always worked and it would always work. This woman would never be epted as the mistress of this ce.


    Now Master would snap at this idiotic woman, she thought to herself.


    When she got married and moved into the Ren Pce, Yu Mei Zhen demanded to be addressed as ''Madam''. And she purposely addressed her that way in front of Jun Zixuan, which led to a blunder when the man got provoked.


    Steward Gu who brought over the orange juice coldly red at the woman. He knew she was doing it on purpose, to make Yu Mei look bad while she gets Master''s attention, it seems like he has been lenient with the people under him.


    "It''s Miss Yu for you," Yu Mei spoke up before anyone could say anything.


    She was not afraid of anyone or anything, it was just the title ''Madam or mistress'' that seemed like a burden to her little heart.


    She was not mistress of this ce neither did she want to be.


    Lisa gritted her teeth as she looked at Jun Zixuan whose expressions slightly shifted before he looked back at his phone. ''Ugly pig, you just wait,'' she cursed under her breathe while ring at the woman sitting nonchntly.


    Yu Mei stood up from the chair before walking towards the staircase. She did not feel like eating or drinking anything at all. For the first time in life, walking felt like a struggle.


    "Tell me your conditions."


    The maic voice stopped her in her tracks as she turned around to look at Jun Zixuan who was sitting with his back facing towards her.


    He was still as aloof as she remembered him to be.


    She knew that she probably had nothing at this point. She lost the identity of Han Mei, she lost her life once.


    And now, as Yu Mei Zhen, she was left as an abandoned heiress, that too an illegitimate child who was a good-for-nothing. She neither was good-looking nor had a penny with her.


    All that she has got was a husband. She had to admit that Yu Mei Zhen was given every privilege in the mansion except for being epted as the Mistress. One would notice it just with one look at her pink-themed princess-style bedroom.


    She was provided with anything she wanted which led Yu Mei Zhen to live a carefree life without worries, the girl did not even bother to go to the university.


    Shezed around in the mansion, kept eating like a glutton, and tried every scheme to get close to her husband who she had barely seen four to five times or something as such.

 Chapter 11 - Fifty Million, It Is!

    But she was not interested in anything. In between the time it takes to finish the divorce procedures, she would find a job to make a living, or else she could opt for her previous profession too.


    She did not want to depend on someone, neither did she liked being answerable for the previous Yu Mei Zhen''s actions.


    That girl used to inflict pain upon herself to get her husband''s attention, she did not want to be held ountable for that.


    As much as she knew, Jun Zixuan is an influential man, she did not want to be involved in a mess lest it gets moreplicated.


    She''d rather get her freedom first by getting rid of this enigma of a husband.


    Yu Mei sighed. "I don''t need anything from you except for divorce," she said in a soft voice.


    "Bring the cheque book," The man did not seem to have taken her words seriously as he spoke to the Steward.


    Steward Gu bowed before walking off to the direction of the huge cab.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow. Did he not hear what she said?


    Steward Gu came back with a chequebook and pen in his hand which he passed to the man.


    He knew why his Master was doing it. Today Miss Yu was asking for a divorce, tomorrow she would put up some conditions or do some drama.


    In order to eliminate the problems, they should be uprooted from their very roots.


    "Five million dors?" Jun Zixuan asked as he twirled the fountain pen in his hand.


    "I don''t want¡­"


    "Fifteen million dors?"


    "I said I don''t want.."


    "Fifty million dors," the man interrupted her yet again, but he did not even raise his head to look at her, as if she was not worthy of it. He impatiently tapped the pen on the table.


    The servants: "_"


    A cold light shed through her starry eyes as her lips tilted up, "Fifty million, it is," she said calmly.


    Everyone looked at her in disbelief.


    Steward Gu was astounded. Here he thought that Miss Yu has changed for good. But she is still the same, she just changed her ways. Anyhow, the bribe amount was too good to be ignored.


    She would never get the Master''s love, at least she could have a luxurious life with this money.


    The man seemed to have already expected it as the pen in his hand that was tapping on the table paused for a split second before he signed the check, marking the amount she was sold for.


    He passed the check to Steward Gu who walked towards Yu Mei after receiving it.


    Yu Mei calmly took the cheque from his hand as she looked at the cheque, "But this is not the right ce for it¡­" she murmured before continuing, "This cheque... It is not supposed to be in my hand."


    Right ce?


    Steward Gu and the rest of the servants looked at the girl in confusion. What did she mean by the cheque is not in its right ce?


    But Jun Zixuan did not seem to have much of an expression on his cold face.


    Yu Mei chuckled mirthlessly.


    If it had been her past looks, she would have looked seductive but unfortunately, as Yu Mei, she just looked like an evil baby elephant while smiling.


    Anyways, she did not care about her looks as her temper has worked up.


    She walked straight towards the dining table as she raised the cheque in her hand and¡­


    ''Rip..''


    In no time, the ''fifty million'' thing was torn to shreds.


    As if that was not enough, she picked up the ss of orange juice kept in front of the man and threw the torn paper pieces inside that juice.


    She smirked evilly before pouring out the entire content on his head.


    The orange juice dripped down from the man''s head to his face, down his throat, soaking his expensive ck tuxedo.


    "You seem to be sleeping when I said I did not want anything from you except for divorce," she coldly said as she looked at the man who was seemingly frozen in his ce.


    She did not want to do this to him, which is why she was taming her anger again and again. But what else could she do when the man behaved like a jerk?


    His tycoon ways won''t work on her as she wasn''t his wife. That woman was long dead.


    She wondered if he was possessed or if there was some other soul in his body. Because as much she knew him, she could say that this current behavior of his was so unlike him.


    Jun Zixuan was looking at his phone,pletely avoiding her actions when he felt a somewhat wet sensation on his head, the orange juice dripped down his golden-ash blonde bangs, before sliding down his pale face.


    The temperature in the room suddenly dropped as the man emitted a dangerous aura.


    The servants in the room seemed to have their eyes popping out in shock. Has thisdy gone mad? Did she just drench the Master with orange juice?


    "Miss Yu, how could you do this¡­.ahhh¡­"

 Chapter 12 - Prostitute

    "Miss Yu, how could you do this¡­.ahhh¡­" The white lotus servant, Lisa tried to y her cards at this moment but Yu Mei hurled the empty ss at her.


    She narrowly dodged the ss which smashed on the ground and shattered into pieces.


    "Get lost," Yu Mei coldly said. She was not in the mood to entertain a bitch at this moment.


    Steward Gu felt as if he was standing on thorns. He nced at his Master who did not seem to have any intentions of stopping him, he bowed before retreating without looking back. Only heavens could save Miss Yu at this moment.


    The rest of the servants also left, leaving the ''couple'' all alone in the enormous living room.


    The tremendous pressure in the living room had the ability to bring people to their knees but Yu Mei did not seem to care.


    Jun Zixuan finally stood up from the chair as he walked closer to her, but he stopped at a distance, "How dare you!" He coldly spoke, his voice was low yet danger could be traced from his tone.


    "What now? Are you going to hit me?" Yu Mei calmly said, without even flinching. It was the first time she has seen the man up so close, his eyes were a shade of chestnut brown, they were captivating.


    His eyes narrowed dangerously but before he could say anything, she coldly spoke up, "Zi¡­.This Young Master here, you should know when to stop. If I really wanted anything from you, I would''ve asked for it."


    She paused before adding, "Do you take me as your prostitute that you are getting rid of by throwing money on my face?" Huh, so what if she was acting calm, did that mean she did not have a temper?


    And that made him pause in his steps.


    Zi? Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes. To this day, he was sure that she never got to know about his identity then how did she¡­?


    "What did you call me just now?"


    Yu Mei did not flinch at the coldness of his tone. She understood what was he speaking of.


    In anger, shepletely forgot that she was not Han Mei anymore. She was Yu Mei. She was not supposed to call him that.


    Luckily, she stopped herself in time.


    "Nothing," she calmly said, before continuing, "Whatever happened before this, consider it as the past. From this moment, you have got no right to boss me around and whatever I do has got nothing rted to you."


    She felt somewhat bad for treating him as such but she wanted to make things clear and draw a line as Yu Mei, who was his wife.


    Her actions or hurtful words did not seem to bother the man as he stared at her with an emotionless face, his handsome face was still wet by the orange juice poured on him, but that only seemed to enhance his sexiness.


    He nced at the girl who would desperately cling to him until he was furious. Normally, there would be fear in her eyes.


    But somehow, he could sense that something about her has changed, like those dark starry eyes. That pair of eyes¡­has it always been like that?


    He wondered if she was always this gutsy and was just disguising herself. But then again, she has always been a scheming girl.


    A person who could go to the extent of harming herself to get his attention, what could she not do?


    "Fine," he muttered.


    Yu Mei did not spare another nce as she turned around and walked upstairs, her each step seemed to be exuding confidence.


    She was probably the first person who walked out unharmed of the demon''sir after provoking him.


    She did not know that her slight slip of the tongue when she said ''Zi'' was what saved her today.


    s...If worse came to worst, she too would have fought him to death since she was not a person who would back down easily.


    Jun Zixuan had his gaze on her retreating back but the profoundness in his eyes was hard to decipher.


    ...


    Yu Meizily rolled to the other side of the bed, disturbed by the loud noise of the rm clock.


    She grabbed it from the bedside table before throwing it away in frustration. The poor pink-colored rm clock finally lost its life after colliding with the wall.


    She opened her eyes and sat upon the bed, distressed. Her hair resembled a bird''s nest which onlycked a few eggs toplete the look.


    She picked up her(Yu Mei''s) cellphone that was kept beside her pillow before looking at the time. It was almost 5 a.m.


    She looked out of the huge window only to find the sky turning light.


    "Sigh...It''s time... Damn you, Yu Mei! Who told you to eat so much?" She cursed the previous owner of the body before getting out of the bed.

 Chapter 13 - Six Months Pregnant

    It has been six days since her transmigration. After the day she asked for a divorce, she did not see Jun Zixuan again. She did not know where was he, neither did she bother to ask anyone about that.


    But the kind Steward Gu informed her that her husband away for work-rted matters.


    Yu Mei had no objections regarding that but instead, it was a relief to her. She did not want to fight with the man who has always been kind to her.


    But the way he behaved so arrogantly that day made her blood boil in anger. She knew that his words were not meant for her yet how could she control her temper?


    Moreover, that cold and detached side of him was something that she has never seen.


    She wondered if he was always like this or this girl Yu Mei poked his inverse scales, causing him to behave that way.


    She shook her head. It had nothing to do with her, anyway.


    She got out of the bed before walking inside the washroom. After freshening up, she walked out wearing somefortable sportswear.


    She nced at herself in the mirror for a few seconds before her gaze traveled down to her bulging belly.


    "If I did not have Yu Mei''s memories and I had not known that she has never slept with anyone, I would have thought that she is six months pregnant¡­" she murmured to herself in frustration before walking out of the room.


    She entered the gym. Looking around, she felt d that there was a gym in this vi.


    The vi was so enormous and extravagant yet in her memories, she did not remember anything except a few rooms and living room and kitchen.


    After asking Steward Gu, she got to know that there is indeed a well-equipped gym inside the vi and there is a swimming pool too.


    So, her weight-loss mission started smoothly.


    "Ahh¡­Darn¡­" Just as she finished her twenty-fifth squat, she fell back on the floor.


    Yu Mei helplessly looked at her body before starting up again. This time no more squats, she shifted to crunches.


    "One¡­Two¡­Three...Ah...Four... I can do it¡­Five¡­Six¡­Han Mei, think about your hourss...ahh..figure...Yes¡­ eight... nine.."


    And just like that, a woman who did not open her eyes before 10 a.m., someone who needed her bed tea before anything started struggling over squats, crunches, and numerous exercises for the sake of losing a few pounds.


    ¡­


    "Hey, what''s up with this gloomy atmosphere?" A man with reddish-brown hair entered the luxurious private room of the high-ss infinity nightclub, with two women in both his arms.


    Another man sitting on a ck couch snuck a nce at the demon king sitting on the high white-wing chair before looking up at the man who just entered, "Mu Shen, why did you bring them here?" he gritted his teeth as he asked the man.


    Couldn''t he saw the gloomy clouds hovering over the Third brother? Did he have a death wish by doing this?


    The man name Mu Shen smiled showing his canine teeth, his handsome face mesmerized both the models in his embrace, "Oh~ they are here to apany me," he said as he pinched both their waists at the same time making them gasp.


    The woman on his right side poked his chest shyly, "Young Maser Mu~ you''re getting naughty," she rubbed her head on his shoulder as if she was a pet seeking its master''s warmth.


    "When have I not been naughty? Let''s go to the bedroom, I''ll show you how naughty I can be," the man mischievously said as he winked at her, he could see the woman''s blushing face under the dim lightings.


    Jun Boyan felt like hitting the man''s head to stop his flirtatious ways. "Mu Shen, stop it¡­" He said in order to stop the man in time.


    "Why do you sound so worked up?'''' Mu Shen furrowed his brows as he nced towards the man but he could only make out his silhouette in the darkness.


    Jun Boyan searched for the remote but he could not find it. He was reminded of something as he stood up from the couch before running his hand across the soft leather and just as he guessed, the remote was stuck at one corner of the couch.


    He once again sat back down before turning the lights on.


    Jun Zixuan was sitting on the high wing chair with one of his legs above another while his forehead was resting on his palm as he looked at the loud party atmosphere on the ground floor.


    The man was surrounded with a majestic aura but one could sense a chill around him.


    Mu Shen gulped as he nced at Jun Boyan before making some signal with his hands. ''What is up with him?'' he mouthed.


    Jun Boyan who did not know how to read lips simply pointed his thumb at his Third Brother before raising his chin towards both the woman in Mu Shen''s arms.


    He was trying to tell him to throw them out lest he provokes Third Brother intentionally or unintentionally.


    But s¡­Mu Shen was not that smart to get the cue. He misunderstood the poor boy''s meaning, ''What? I have to sacrifice my women to Xuan to alleviate his mood?'' His good mood dropped as he sighed to himself, ''One would make some sacrifices for his best friend. Third Young Master, you must have saved a country in your past life to have gotten me as your best friend who would readily give up on his flings for you,'' he thought to himself.


    Aye~ the disaster we brought upon ourselves because of foolishness!

 Chapter 14 - Drenched Whom?

    Mu Shen nced at both the woman before pointing his finger towards the man sitting in the corner.


    The models who were swooning over his looks turned around to nce towards that direction, reluctantly but their eyes glittered when they saw the man.


    If Mu Shen was handsome, this man would be unparalleled. One side of his face was hidden in shadows yet his striking sharp features made them swoon. They could feel wet down there just with one look, that''s how charming the man was.


    Getting the cue from their film emperor, both the models strutted towards Jun Zixuan.


    "Stay away," His cold voice rang in the grand room sending shivers down one spine.


    "_"


    Mu Shen suddenly felt like he misunderstood the situation again. Like always, his best friend did not seem to be in the mood to y with women.


    Jun Boyan was gaping at the scene in disbelief. He red at Mu Shen. You fucking psycho! Do you have a death wish?


    One of the models flinched at the cold aura of the man but the other was daring. She pounced straight onto the man''sp. Who would want to let such fresh meat go?


    Even if she did not know his identity, but his authoritative aura made her wonder if the man was royalty.


    Silence.


    Pin-drop silence.


    "Get off," He closed his eyes, his voice sounded calm but it was far from that.


    But the model decided to take one more risk. She has seduced countless men with her tricks, how could she fail with this one?


    With that thought, she rubbed her breasts on his body and puckered her lips as she moved towards his mouth.


    In no time, the man gripped the woman by her neck as he said, "I said stay away from me," his voice was barely above a whisper and shended on the floor on her butt in the next second.


    Mu Shen flinched at the sound. Cough¡­He realized something was amiss. Did he misunderstand things?


    He did not spare another nce to the women who were looking at him with those puppy eyes as he took a seat beside Jun Boyan.


    ''Girls, let me save my ass first.''


    Both the models scurried out of the room with their tails tucked between their legs when the atmosphere in the room turned colder.


    Mu Shen poked Jun Boyan''s shoulder, "Fourth Young Master, could you please borate?"


    He wanted to know as to why his best friend seems to be in a bad mood.


    Well, it was not something new since Jun Zixuan always had this kind of mood...from the day he got married to that fatty.


    But still, this time, it seems terrible.


    Jun Boyan sneaked a nce at his third brother who has gone into silent mode, "Orange juice¡­'''' He softly murmured.


    "Orange juice?"


    "Someone drenched him with orange juice," He borated a little further.


    Err...This sudden feeling of Antarctica numbed their senses as the temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.


    "Oh...Wait...Drenched whom?!'''' His eyes almost popped out in disbelief when Jun Boyan summarized the whole event that he had heard from the servants in his brother''s mansion.


    Mu Shen was speechless. Did that fatty has a death wish by doing so?


    He nced at Jun Zixuan who was silently looking at the party lights as if he was not the person they were talking about.


    In thest one year, the man has be colder and unapproachable than he already was.


    The lights casting a dim glow on his face. His features looked ethereal as he quietly sat there, like the fallen angel who was most favored by the gods.


    Mu Shen leaned towards Jun Boyan before whispering in his ear, "If your brother was not a man, I would have married him."


    Jun Boyan nced at his elder brother, who was sitting silently, aloof to the surroundings. He indeed looked like he hase out of an exquisite painting.


    He made a disgusted face as he looked at him as if he was an old lecher, "As long as you''re not afraid of death," he whispered back in his ear before sitting straight.


    "Xuan, why don''t you get a divorce? That fatty and you are ipatible anyway, you can try to coax your mother," Mu Shen suggested after thinking about it for a few minutes.


    Jun Zixuan turned around to look at the man at this point, "She asked for a divorce.''''


    "What?!" Mu Shen felt as if he was hallucinating. That little devil who kept clinging to his best friend for thest twelve months asked for a divorce? Wait.


    "Xuan, you don''t know much about women. Let me tell you, she must be trying to y hard to get to attract your attention.."


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, "She is serious about divorce."


    He did not know if she was scheming something or not but the thing that he was sure of was that she wanted a divorce. That day, he saw that desperation in her eyes.


    Mu Shen rolled his eyes, "She is fooling you¡­ Anyways, when did this happen?"


    "Last week¡­" The man replied.


    Mu Shen nodded his head in understanding. He knew his best friend must have been busy with work and had time to catch up with them today only.


    He wondered how badly did that evil woman drench him with orange juice that the man was still so angry even after seven days.


    He opened his mouth to speak up, "Then, where are you living¡­"


    Jun Zixuan''s phone went off at this moment, interrupting his words.


    He immediately answered the call after looking at the caller ID, "Mom.."


    "Xiao Xuan, I''m waiting for you at your ce," Thedy on the other side hung up as soon as she finished talking.


    "Brother, was it mom?" Jun Boyan asked.


    Jun Zixuan nodded as he stood up, "She wants to meet me," He said in a soft voice before leaving the suite.


    ...


    NOTE: If you like it, then do vote andment.

 Chapter 15 - Crescent Birthmark

    As soon as Jun Zixuan left, Mu Shen turned to look at Jun Boyan, "Don''t you find him a little weird today?" He asked.


    "Eh¡­Weird? Third brother has always been like that. Moreover, who told you to provoke him by sending your women to him?" Jun Boyan red at him.


    Mu Shen pursed his lips, "I misunderstood the situation okay?" He thought his friend was grumpy because his sex drive acted up so he kindly offered his women.


    "Aren''t you the film emperor? Shouldn''t you care about your reputation? Why are you hanging out with new women daily?" Jun Boyan curiously asked.


    "Eh¡­Fourth Young Master, stop talking like a teenager. Who is hanging out with them? We just try fitting every day," Mu Shen shrugged.


    "Eh?"


    "I give them the 207th bone that their body desperately needs while we y Tetris all night long, with me trying to fit and blend it inside perfectly," As Mu Shen spoke, Jun Boyan was blinking in confusion.


    The human body has 206 bones. Where did this another onee from? Tetris? Fit¡­ All night long¡­


    "_" All night long¡­


    As realization sunk in, he red at the man in disbelief as his face scrunched up, "You''re gross," Not wanting to stay here for another second, he strode out of the suite elegantly.


    Mu Shenughed, "Go if you want. I''ll not tell you what is going on with your brother."


    "There is nothing wrong with him," Jun Boyan shouted before closing the door.


    "Nothing wrong? Someone drenched him with orange juice yet he spared that person and instead sulked by himself How could nothing be wrong with him?" He muttered to himself.


    ¡­


    In the penthouse:


    "Mom.." Jun Zixuan greeted the woman as soon as he entered inside.


    "Ah Xuan, you''re here," As thedy spoke, her voice was soft and gentle. She kept the magazine on the coffee table as she looked up at her son.


    Donned in a graceful qipao, Shen Lihua was sitting there with both her hands on herp. Her hair was tied in a low bun and there was a small smile on her face. Despite being in her forties, she would pass off as a woman in her thirties.


    "Did you wait for long?" Jun Zixuan sat on the single couch opposite his mother.


    "No, I just arrived here. I was trying my luck, who could''ve thought that your pin is still the same as it was when you were a bachelor," Shen Lihua smiled at him, her expression was tranquil, "I know that you used to like someone in your university days. Mu Shen told me that all your pins and passwords are rted to her. So, what is it? Her birthday or the day you fell in love with her."


    Jun Zixuan stiffened, "Don''t bring her up in all these," He coldly said.


    "Oh?" Shen Lihua shook her head gently, "Let''s talk about something else. When I called you earlier, I had mentioned that I''m at ''your ce''. And you came rushing here."


    The man pursed his lips, not liking where she was going with all this.


    "As a married man, wherever your wife is should be your ce," She softly muttered, "You have left her alone there in that vi and you''re living here. Things have alreadye to this, her life is hanging by a thread, who knows when she will¡­.Ah Xuan, will you get peace once she dies?"


    "She is awake," He said.


    "What?" Shen Lihua was stunned, the gentle smile on her face faded a little.


    "I''m not joking. She recovered from hera a week ago."


    "But, how is it possible? Didn''t the doctors say that¡­"


    Jun Zixuan interrupted her, "Cockroaches never die, Mom."


    "She is your wife," Shen Lihua narrowed her eyes, "I know this is unfair to you but that kid has already suffered a lot. After her mother''s death¡­.those people have been cruel to her. Sometimes, it takespanionship, understanding and a good friendship to make a rtionship work. Ah Xuan, marriage that is solely based on love doesn''t have to work necessarily. Look at me and your father and you wil understand."


    "Mom¡­ I¡­" He wanted to say something but in the end, his eyes softened, "I understand."


    Shen Lihua smiled, "Come, let''s eat. I have prepared your favorite food for you."


    "You said you didn''t wait for long."


    "I didn''t. It took you thirty minutes toe back and I prepared the dinner at that time. Do you have wine here?"


    Jun Zixuan nodded as he walked towards the cer to get the wine.


    A glint shed across the woman''s eye as she looked at her son''s back.


    Back in the Ren pce, Yu Mei just came back after taking a shower. She stood in front of the mirror before looking at herself. She has lost only a few pounds after all that strenuous exercises and it irked her. But in these seven days, her face has changed a bit.


    Because she maintained a proper diet and her bnced her calorie intake properly, there were no new pimples on her face. She made sure to drink a lot of water and her skin was clearer than before. There were e marks and scars on her face but she believed it would go away with time.


    As for her figure, she wanted to slim up a little because it was really troublesome for her to move around with such a humongous body.


    There was something else that was bothering her. She loosened the belt of her bathrobe and found a small crimson dot right above her chest.


    Lately, she had been feeling a prickling pain at that spot whenever she worked out. Though the pain was simr to that of an ant-bite but what bothered her was that mark.


    On her body, there was a crimson crescent birthmark right above her chest.


    But why was this mark appearing on her current body? Yu Mei was bewildered at that. Although, there was currently a small dot there but whenever she felt that prickling pain, she found that there were changes in her body.


    Like the first time when she felt that sensation, her eyes changed. And now, her straight eyebrows changed.


    Whenever she looked at her eyes and eyebrows in the mirror, she felt like she looking at her past self but this round body managed to break her illusion.

 Chapter 16 - If You Behave, We Can Be Friends

    Sighing to herself, Yu Mei tightened the bathrobe around her body before walking towards the bed. Taking out herptop, she typed ''Han Jian Yu'' and entered search but there was the same old news, it has many days since her death yet there was no new update about him. How could it be possible? Did he not attend any activities recently?


    Frustrated, she pushed theptop away and slumped back on the bed.


    Rebirth¡­Something like that sounds unbelievable no matter how she heard it.


    Suddenly, there were hurried knocks on the door.


    Yu Mei frowned. Who woulde to disturb her at this hour? Ever since she started exercising, she has been avoiding those maids so that they would not affect her positive mental health. She even started having her meals in the bedroom.


    The knocks were louder this time when she did not make any movements.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips before propping her body on both her elbows first, then she tightened her legs and finally she pushed her upper body so that she was sitting on the bed without bouncing back. This was the most effective solution she came up with after considering her rice ball figure.


    After getting out of the bed, she walked towards the door.


    ''Click.''


    As soon as the door was unlocked, the person outside pushed it open. And before it could bump on her face, she retreated a few steps back only to have her feet entangled with the plush carpet.


    She closed her instinctively and braced herself to take the ugly fall but the expected pain did note. She felt a warm arm wrapping around her waist while a palm supported the back of her head.


    She let out a sigh of relief, "Thank¡­."


    Before she could finish her words of gratitude, the person who was supporting her body in his arms staggered and both of them ended up falling on the bed.


    "Ah¡­" She shouted with


    Jun Zixuan propped himself on his hands as he red at the woman under him. "Y-You are a ji..nx¡­" he muttered somewhat incoherently.


    Yu Mei opened her eyes as she looked at the man nkly. His face was flushed and his gaze wasn''t steady. "Are you drunk?" She asked, concerned.


    No matter how bad he was for his wife, for Han Mei, he has always been a good friend since their university days. In those days¡­.he was like a ray of sunshine in her bleak life.


    He blinked, "I¡­am not."


    "And pigs fly," she rolled her eyes, "Can you get off me first? I''ll ask the servant to get some medicines first."


    But the man seemed to be veryfortable in this position. If not because of her figure and ugly face, she would have thought he had some intentions towards her.


    Jun Zixuan nkly stared at her face. After what seemed like a long time, he raised his hand and stroked her hair. Looking straight into her starry eyes, he mumbled, "I-I miss you¡­" His eyelids kept dropping but the man shook his head to stay awake.


    Yu Mei froze. Somehow she knew that those words were not meant for her. He was looking for someone else in her.


    There was desperation on his face and a hint of pity appeared in her eyes. She felt sad for him. The man was bound to a loveless marriage while his heart was seeking another woman. How tragic!


    All her frustrations towards him slowly disappeared as she patted his head, "You too are a pitiful thing like me," I died on my birthday and I am suddenly reborn in another body. I am penniless, fat, ugly and I am unable to find ways to contact my brother. She sighed, "As long as you behave, we can be friends."


    She did not mind having him back as her friend again. They can share their joys and sorrows like before.


    But the man did not seem to register her words in his mind as his face approached closer and closer until their lips were inches apart.


    The intensity of his gaze made her squirm. His gazended on her delectable lips and that sent danger rms in her mind.


    Has he gone crazy? Fuck, was he hallucinating his first love in her?


    Man, look clearly. I am very ugly and fat right now. There is no way I could hold a candle to the woman in your heart. Stay away!


    Her palm turned sweaty and her heart raced because of the close proximity. And just as his lips were about to touch hers, she knocked him out by striking his neck with her hand.


    The man slumped on her body with his lips pressed on her neck.


    She could feel her heart beating furiously inside her chest. Luckily¡­Luckily, she topped him in time. How awkward it was going to be for her if she was kissed by the man who has always been a nice friend to her? The thought of it made her shake her head.


    Sighing to herself, she struggled to push the man off her body.


    "You so lean yet why are you so heavy?" She panted before pushing the man with all her limbs in full force. As soon as she managed to put him on the other side of the king-size bed, she sat on the bed before taking a few deep breathes to calm her nerves.


    Just as she was about to move to the couch to get a night of good sleep, she felt a prickling pain in her chest. It started as an ufortably itchy feeling.


    She scratched the spot above her breast a few times but the more she touched it, the itchier it became. She scratched it until her skin became red and suddenly the itchy feeling disappeared¡­.only to be reced by pain.


    She broke out in cold sweat as her trembling fingers gently stroked the spot to soothe the pain but it only became unbearable with each passing second. She bit her lips to bear the pain until it bled.


    Not being able to withstand it anymore, she passed out on the bed.

 Chapter 17 - A Toast To Your Perseverance

    While the couple was inside the bedroom, a person had his ear stuck to the door to sense some movement from inside.


    Steward Gu sighed helplessly when he could not hear anything. Before he could think of any other ways to do so, the phone in his pocket began ringing.


    He quickly dashed away from the door before the couple could sense his presence. Walking down the stairs, he swiftly entered his room before closing the door behind.


    After ensuring that it was all safe, he pulled out the phone from his pocket before picking up the call.


    Back in Jun Zixuan''s condominium, Shen Lihua crossed one leg above another as she leaned back on the couch with her gaze on the phone. The moment the call was connected, she brought it closer to her ear, "Gu Chen, how was it?" Her voice was gentle, so gentle that it made one feel the tranquility in the air.


    "Madam, the room''s soundproofing is very good¡­My ears can''t get past to know what is transpiring behind the hidden doors," The man sounded apologetic.


    Shen Lihua closed her eyes, "You mean to say that it did not work?"


    Steward Gu hurriedly exined, "Although I can''t hear anything but Master''s alcohol tolerance can be relied on for the sess of your n. And as for Miss Yu, she is obsessed with him. Although recently, she has been avoiding him like some dirty disease but I believe it is this generation''stest weapon to get their lover''s attention."


    "Oh, what weapon is it?" Shen Lihua asked softly.


    Steward Gu coughed feeling a little embarrassed, "It''s called ying hard-to-get."


    The woman sighed, "I am not holding it against you that you did not bother to tell me when she woke up from thea. But, there is no next time." She hung up as soon as she finished talking.


    A soft smile graced her lips as she mumbled, "With my weak and drunk son there, I hope Yu Mei takes the initiative to leap on him."


    The next morning, Yu Mei''s rm clock kept ringing at its usual time. And it frustrated her to no end.


    Her body was feeling like a truck has run over it. She felt so tired to move, let alone exercise. She tried to open her eyes but it felt like someone has sealed them shut with a potent glue. It won''t open however she tried. Her mind felt so fuzzy, she was so sleepy¡­. She wanted to sleep for a few days.


    "Uhh¡­" Just as she was about to move to afortable position, she felt something wet on her cheeks. Then, she felt sleek and wet tongue roaming on it. "Max¡­.it''s so itchy," she mumbled only to wince when she felt a slight pain.


    "Stop it, Max," She shouted pushing away the weight off her body with her knees but her eyes snapped open a secondter and realization dawned upon her. She immediately pushed herself to sit on the bed.


    "Arghh¡­" One second Jun Jixuan was eating the jelly cake prepared by his mother and in the other second, someone shouted near his ear again and again before finally pushing him away.


    ''Stop it, Max?''


    His eyes snapped open and the first thing that came to his view was a round face staring at him with wide eyes.


    Yu Mei was sitting with her elbows pressed on her thighs while her face was ced in her palms. She stared at the man with a little confusion and a lot of appreciation.


    Perfect creatures will always be perfect. His golden ash blonde hair was all messy, his shirt was crumpled with the top few buttons left unbuttoned giving her the view of his tanned chest.


    The sunlight shining on him made him appear like a painter''s most exquisite art.


    Those long eyshes¡­.as a woman, even hers were not that long.


    Just as she was observing his face intently, the man opened his eyes leaving her stunned. Those eyes were of the chestnut shade with flecks of gold in them¡­they shone as the sunrays grazed past them.


    "Awake? Do you have a hangover?" She asked as he pushed himself to sit on the king-sized bed before leaning back on the headrest.


    Jun Zixuan looked at her nkly as the memories of the previous night shed in his mind.


    *shback*


    "Mom, here is the wine," He brought the bottle to the round dining table before passing it to her.


    "Ah Xuan,e here, sit beside me," Shen Lihua pointed to the chair beside her, "See, I''ve made all your favorite food, there is also this jelly cake that you have liked since you were a kid."


    Jun Zixuan looked at her, "You didn''t have to do all this," he said.


    "I did this for my precious, what is wrong with that?" She picked up the wine bottle and poured a little in her ss before taking his ss.


    Precious? Jun Zixuan frowned. Why was there a feeling of foreboding?


    Shen Lihua poured the wine until his ss was filled to the brim. She passed it to him.


    He held the ss before looking at her "My alcohol tole¡­"


    She interrupted him, "When I asked you to marry Mei, you could''ve rejected it but you didn''t," she said.


    "That was because¡­"


    "I know your reason. You don''t need to tell me because I won''t feel guilty about it. I never forced it on you, you could have backed out from it," she softly murmured before looking at him. A softly smile yed on her lips, "But you are my precious. And I am touched by the fact that you did it for me. How could I be angry with you? Let''s toast to your perseverance."


    Knowing that there was no way out of this, he raised the nce before gulping all the contents in one go.


    Shen Lihua elegantly raised her ss before sipping the little wine that she had poured in it.

 Chapter 18 - Something Unusual About Her

    Shen Lihua poured a little amount of wine in her ss before filling her son''s ss to the brim, "You think I''m such a narrow minded person? It''s been a long time since you married my ''friend''s daughter'', yet you never treated her as a wife. But I don''t hold a grudge against you," She raised her ss towards him, "Here, let me drink another toast to you. I''ll finish it first."


    After finishing the contents in her ss, she looked at her son, "You don''t want to drink?" The gentle smile on her face slipped a little.


    "I''ll finish it," Jun Zixuan raised his ss to his mouth before finishing its content despite the burning sensation in his throat.


    His vision was blurry and he was dizzy after the second ss but his mother was not done yet.


    She poured yet another ss for him, "Marriage is a huge responsibility. Since you have married her, I believe my precious would not hurt Yu Mei anymore," She finished her drink before looking at him with a gentle smile, "Don''t you want to drink it, Ah Xuan?"


    ''''I-I will¡­" With that he emptied the ss.


    It went on for a few times until he could not think things clearly.


    Shen Lihua looked at him, "Look at you, still not used to alcohol," She shook her head before calling her driver, "Pick him up from here and drop him at Ren Mansion." She then looked at her son who was blinking again and again trying to clear the effects of the wine, "As a married man, you are supposed to live with your wife. I hope you don''t forget that, son."


    Jun Zixuan looked at his mother nkly trying toprehend what she was trying to say.


    Shen Lihua smiled gently before patting his head, "Go ahead, I wish you good luck for tonight."


    *shback ended*


    Yu Mei waved her hand in front of him and the man snapped out of his daze as he looked at her face with furrowed brows. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out of his mouth.


    Looking at his strange expressions, she raised her hands to touch her cheeks. Did something happen to her face when she was asleep?


    Her eyes and eyebrow changed whenever she felt that pain in her chest, andst night the pain was so intense to the point that she passed out. Does that means¡­.?


    The direction of her thoughts made her heart beat rapidly in her chest. No¡­ It can''t be..


    She hurriedly looked around and picked up a small white square device from her bedside table before pressing the switch on it.


    Therge pink wardrobe immediately turned around before revealing a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror.


    As she looked at her face in the mirror, she inwardly sighed in relief. When Jun Zixuan looked at her with that strange gaze, she thought her face changed to how she looked as Han Mei. It would''ve been terrible that way, she did not want to be seen as a monster whose face changed overnight.


    Feeling a hard stare on her, she tilted her head to the side, "I have been dieting in thest week. With a lots of fruits and water, I am trying to regain my lost beauty," The scars and e marks in her face was all gone overnight.


    Jun Zixuan did notment on her statement much to her relief. Seems like he did not remember much from yesterday or else he would''ve known that she still had that bumpy and ugly facest night. Since he has not seen her recently, he won''t find her exnation weird, right?


    Yu Mei looked at the man who was staring at her nkly for a few good minutes already. Before he could me her about anything, she spoke up, "Look, it was not intentional. I didn''t want to sleep with you. I.." Darn! How was she going to exin what happened to her yesterday?


    There was no way she could say ''Hey, I''ve recently transmigrated and my soul is unable to fit inside your wife''s body properly which is why I am having some trouble apanied with asional chest pains.''


    Jun Zixuan looked at her defensively, "What did you do to mest night?" His voice sounded a bit hoarse but his usatory gaze sessfully got onto her nerves.


    Why was he looking at her like she raped him? "What do you mean by what did I do?" she asked, frustrated.


    The man narrowed his eyes dangerously, "Speak. What happened between usst night?" Although there were a few things he wanted to ask, but this one was most important.


    "Am I obliged to say it?" Didn''t she make it clear already? She looked at him, "I am being polite. That doesn''t means you can order me around."


    The man nced at her for a long time until she couldn''t take it anymore. She pushed her heavy body out of the bed before speaking, "Looking at me like that, you are making me very shy. Or should I think that you have fallen for me?"


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the bed, "You are delusional," He muttered before buttoning his shirt and adjusting his cor. Without looking back at her, he walked out of her room.


    Yu Mei let out a sigh of relief before walking towards the bathroom. Seems like he did not doubt her words.


    In the Master bedroom.


    Jun Zixuan was sitting on the couch with Steward Gu standing in front of him with his head bowed.


    "Master, is there something wrong?" Steward Gu asked, feeling the tense atmosphere in the room.


    "Tell me about her," He spoke up after a long time.


    "About Miss Yu?" Steward Gu asked.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, "Yes, tell me if you have noticed something unusual about her after she woke up from thea," He said.


    "Unusual?" Steward Gu looked at the man in confusion but after sometime, he spoke up, "In fact, there are a few things I find weird."

 Chapter 19 - Miss Yu Has Changed

    NOTE: If you like this book, then vote with power stones at the end of the chapter. As the rankings go up, I''ll start uploading 2chs/day.


    ...


    "In fact, there are a few things I find weird about Miss Yu recently," Steward Gu said after hesitating for a few seconds. Initially, he did not want to mention it but since Jun Zixuan mentioned it by himself, there was no way he would keep anything a secret.


    "Weird?" Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. He leaned back on the couch before closing his eyes. Raising his left hand, he gently massaged his forehead, trying to soothe the splitting headache.


    "Yes, the day when she woke up from thea, she acted very strangely. I did not mention it to you because I thought she was just pretending so that she could evade the consequences of her actions. Butter, when she asked you for divorce and poured the orange juice on¡­ cough¡­only then did I realize that she was not pretending that day," Steward Gu felt the temperature drop inside the bedroom.


    "Continue," His fingers tapped on the arm of the couch.


    ¡­


    Yu Mei picked up the ss of orange juice with her left hand while she managed her fruit sd with the other. But her movements were a little stiff. Since she was a lefty originally, her right hand was not that active.


    As Han Mei, she had practiced and trained so that she could make both her hands equally efficient. But all her previous efforts were in vain right now.


    Maybe it was because of her figure or because of this whole transmigration thing but she found it awkward to use her right hand while writing or eating.


    But Yu Mei was originally right-handed and it would arouse doubt if she started using her left hand. So, she decided to train properly.


    She looked at the grapes in her fruit bowl. Her brows bumped together as she looked around. "Could you peel these for me?" she asked Steward Gu.


    Steward Gu snapped out of his daze. He was still in shock like the rest of the servants in the house. In thest week, she had her meals inside her room and she only came out of the room in the first two days but after that, they never got to saw her until now.


    The face which was filled with e and ugly marks was now free of all blemishes. Her figure hasn''t changed much as she still had that bulging figure but her skin looked translucent. But with her enormous figure, she looked like a big fat white rice ball.


    "Steward Gu?" Yu Mei called out again.


    "Ah¡­Miss Yu?" Steward Gu walked towards the dining table.


    "Could you please peel these grapes for me?" She repeated. If she did not finish the fruit bowl, she would be hungry after a few hours again and then her diet routine will go out of the window.


    It was beneath his status to do such trivial things but looking at her pleading eyes, Steward Gu could not bring himself to deny. He picked up the gloves from the side before peeling the grapes.


    "Thank you," Yu Mei mumbled as her lips slightly curved down, a hint of mncholy appeared in her deep starry eyes.


    Whenever she would try to peel a grape, she would end up smashing it. It was Jian Yu who would do such things for her.


    Jun Zixuan took a bite of his sandwich as he observed the scene. That sad smile on her face¡­ he has never seen such expressions on her face before.


    ''When we mentioned about you, her reaction was nk. There was no adoration in her eyes like always. She did not recognize me at first and she was hyper when we addressed her as Miss Yu. She¡­.She even asked about someone named Jian Yu. She was so desperate. She passed out after seeing her face in the mirror. After that night, she was normal but a few things have changed like her eating and sleeping habits. And¡­ she is always trying to draw a line between you both. Miss Yu has changed in many ways.''


    Steward Gu''s words rang in his mind. In his drunken stupor, he barged inside her room to chastise her but he did not expect to pass out there.


    He did not forget the events that transpired yesterday. He remembered her face was not like how it is right now but since his memories were blurry, he couldn''t be sure.


    As Yu Mei ate her peeled grapes, she felt a piercing gaze on her. She tilted her head, "Looking at me like that, have you fallen in love with me or you are in the middle of the process?" She stuffed pressed the fork down before stuffing three grapes in her mouth at once.


    Steward Gu nearly choked on his saliva. Miss Yu, you are daring. He quickly retreated a few steps back.


    There were no other servants nearby or else they would have taken their hats off to the woman''s bravery.


    Jun Zixuan appeared unaffected by her statement. He picked up a napkin before wiping his mouth and then he looked at her, "Delusions are good," He took a pause before adding, "Until they take you to hospital."


    "Cough¡­Cough¡­" She choked her grapes, the dark-colored juice sttered out of her mouth staining her pale skin before dripping down towards her white chiffon dress.


    She picked up a napkin before wiping herself properly. She patted her chest to calm her rapid heartbeat before looking at the man.


    "You are mean," she muttered before picking up a ss of water.


    But he nonchntly nced at her, lookingpletely unbothered by her messy condition, "Jian Yu¡­" He muttered.


    ''Bang.''


    The ss in her hand fell on the floor along with the sound of the ttering of cutleries as she stood up from her seat. The chair fell back with a loud sound.


    Steward Gu closed his eyes thinking of the disaster that must be on its way. Why would you show such a big reaction after hearing another man''s name unless he is special to you? They knew all about Yu''s Family and her friends but there was no such person as Jian Yu. Miss Yu, do you know the consequences of making our Master wear a green hat?

 Chapter 20 - Extra Luggage

    Yu Mei nced at the man, "Whose name did you just say?" she was pretty sure that her hearing was not defective.


    Given that, did her brother somehow got to know that she is alive? Did hee here to find her? The conjectures in her mind were pretty impossible since she never once stepped out of this vi after being reborn.


    But she still wanted to believe them. She was harboring these thoughts despite knowing that they could not be true.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at the woman who ncing at him with a hopeful gaze. "I said Jian Yu.'''' The expression on her face somehow irked him.


    Her hopeful gaze turned into a happy one. She did not mishear it. As she opened her mouth to speak, he interrupted her, "I don''t care about your private life or the men you are involved with. But as long as we are not divorced, infidelity should be out of your options. If you fail to control yourself, then there will be consequences," He casually said but his voice was firm.


    Yu Mei nked out for a second before her expressions became calm.


    She walked toward the man, "Oh? Seems like you care about the rules of marriage and your reputation very much. But I am young and active, my hormones are overflowing. My adoration for you is deeper than the sea and higher than the sky but you don''t care about me. So, I prefer those red spot districts and take those male prostitutes as your substitute. Ah yes, about your green hat, you should hide it properly yeah?" She said standing right in front of him.


    No matter how she tried to be nice to him, he always tested her limits again and again intentionally or unintentionally.


    And she came to terms with the fact that he was no longer that sweet, shy, and gentle Jun Zixuan from her university days.


    "_" Her words left Steward Gu stunned yet again. Adoration? Where is your adoration for him? Why am I not able to see it?


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the chair before turning around to look at her. Steward Gu immediately picked up the ck suit jacket from the chair before assisting the man to wear it.


    A man in ck, especially one with the otherworldly looks like Jun Zixuan was a sight to see. Those specks of gold in his chestnut brown eyes would glow with the reflection of lights.


    He took a step closer to her before speaking, "Go ahead, do your thing. If you end up in police station, I won''t bail you out," His gaze then traveled down from her face to neck then below her waist. In a split second, his gaze was back to her face.


    "In case there are infections or cervical cancer or such STDs, make sure you can afford the medical bills," His voice was like that of a caring and gentle husband but those words couldn''t be more vicious.


    Yu Mei could feel the heat rising her neck. "You¡­You¡­" Speechless!


    "Jian Yu, Max and if there is someone else too, put them on your waiting list for now. Go find them after the divorce."


    So, in the morning, he did hear that when she mentioned Max, "I.." As she took a step towards him, she lost her footing.


    Another time to curse her fat body. But her legs slipped so fast that she couldn''t even curse properly. Her eyes snapped shut as she waited for the pain toe.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    But the expected pain never came as a strong arm wrapped around her waist.


    She opened one of her eyes followed by another only to find Jun Zixuan holding her. Although his hand couldn''t encircle her thick waist but she could say he was pretty strong given how he managed to bnce her heavy body with one hand only.


    Despite their dissonance and conflicts, he helped her.


    Touched, she opened her mouth, "Thank¡­"


    ''Thud.''


    The words of gratitude had yet to escape her mouth when she fell on the floor on her butt. "Ssss¡­" The splitting pain down almost brought tears in her eyes.


    Jun Zixuan nonchntly took out his phone before scrolling through some documents.


    Steward Gu was standing there pretending to be a decoration. Since he was not ordered to leave, he could only suck it up and stay here. Looks like the couple has not united as Madam wanted.


    One was like the hottest fire while the other was the coldest ice. The effects were equally deadly, burning and numbing one''s senses.


    Looking at the pitiful sight of Yu Mei, he walked towards her before extending a hand.


    "Thank you," she smiled at him before cing her palm in his hand.


    Steward Gu dragged her up, "It''s nothing, Miss Yu."


    She nodded at him. She never thought she was going to feel so pathetic in her life that she needed support to stand up.


    She walked towards Jun Zixuan before patting his shoulder lightly. The man turned around to look at her.


    "Acting all high and mighty right now, did I tell you that you professed your longing to me yesterday? Thinking that I am your first love, you couldn''t stop clinging to me," she coldly said, "This morning, you were licking my cheeks like you just tasted the most delicious delicacy. I was sleepy and muddle-headed, would you me me for mistaking you as the Irish wolfhound I once had? Ah, I had named it Max."


    "_"


    Jun Zixuan walked towards her, "Did you justpare me to a dog?" his voice dangerously calm.


    "Was that the only thing you heard?" she retorted.


    "Don''t overestimate your worth just because I mistook you for someone else under the influence of alcohol," He narrowed his eyes.


    She scoffed.


    "Master, we are gettingte," Steward Gu interrupted before a world war could start.


    "Let''s go," Jun Zixuan nodded at him.


    Yu Mei turned around to look at the Steward Gu with pleading eyes, "Could you please drop me somewhere?" she asked.


    Steward Gu was speechless. Did she put him on spot on purpose?


    She continued speaking, "I don''t have money right now¡­I can''t afford cabs. Just drop me for this once," She has been focusing on working-out and diets to lose weight and had yet to open up a source of money for herself.


    "What about the card I gave?" Jun Zixuan coldly looked at her.


    "It fell in the trash identally," She replied without looking at him.


    He indeed gave a gold card to the previous owner but the stupid girl handed it to her family. He must''ve known it already.


    Before the man could say something, Steward Gu looked at him, "Master, can we please take Miss Yu?"


    Jun Zixuan turned around before walking towards the door. Just as they thought that he rejected it, the man paused and said without turning back, "Only this time," he added, "I don''t like extra luggage," he murmured before walking out.


    Yu Mei was speechless. Who are you calling extra luggage?

 Chapter 21 - Friend Turned Enemy

    NOTE: Do vote with power stones at the end of the chapter if you are liking this story so far.


    ...


    "Steward Gu, are you married?" Yu Mei asked the man sitting in the driver''s seat.


    The man in his early thirties cleared his throat, "I am single, Miss Yu," he replied politely, looking at the rearview mirror only to find the woman nodding.


    "You have good prospects. You are kind and gentle, I can introduce you to some good women in the future," Yu Mei softly, "You''d definitely be a good husband."


    I''m happy as long as you don''t go around provoking Master, the man thought. "Thank you, Miss Yu," He said.


    "Take a right turn from here," Yu Mei pointed towards the right but her fingers seemed to graze past someone''s cheek. Dumbstruck, she tilted her head to the side only to find Jun Zixuan looking at her with a darkening face.


    "I¡­It was an ident," she pursed her lips when he didn''t respond.


    "Are you that desperate to touch me?"


    "Mentally challenged¡­" she muttered under her breath.


    "You¡­"


    "Ah, Steward Gu, park the car here," She quickly spoke interrupting the man in the process.


    "Yes," As Steward Gu looked outside, a furrow formed between his brows, "Miss Yu, are you sick?"


    "I am fine."


    Jun Zixuan looked outside at the high building with ''Sunshine Hospital'' written on the top, "Why''d youe here then?" He nced at her with a doubtful gaze.


    "I have a few womanly issues which is why I want to consult the gynecologist," She nonchntly said, "Do you want to apany me as my husband?"


    "Get out," He coldly spat and she pushed open the door before stepping out without hesitation.


    As soon as she was out of the car, Jun Zixuan spoke up, "Make sure that she is not up to some new scheme."


    Steward Gu nodded. The current Miss Yu seems to have turned over a new leaf but, in the end, she is still the same person who would inflict self-harm to pester Master, who knows what she is up to by going to the hospital?


    Inside the hospital.


    "You can''t barge in like this. Wait in the queue if you can''t wait¡­" A middle-aged woman pushed the young girl aside.


    "I¡­ Dr. Shi knows me. It''s important for me to find her right now. Don''t block my way," The girl had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Dressed in a simple pair of tops and jeans, she looked at them with an icy glint in her eyes.


    "We all are queueing up in the to meet her. Why would you try to barge inside just like that?" Another person stood up from the waiting chair, "Do you think we would believe that Dr. Shi would know a in jane like you?"


    Without bothering to exin, the girl tried to make her way through the crowd only to be pushed back once.


    "Ah¡­" She lost her bnce but just as she was about to fall back on the floor, her hand was grabbed by someone and


    she was pulled back from the crowd.


    "Thank¡­" She turned around to look at the person who saved her but the rest of her words were stuck in her throat.


    Yu Mei looked at the girl, "Be careful."


    "Oh? Are you expecting me to speak words of gratitude?"


    Yu Mei tilted her head to look at the person she just saved, "Although it is basic manners to do so but I don''t have high


    expectations for rude people." She nonchntly said.


    Don''t say than you if you don''t want to. What''s up with the rude tone? I owe you nothing.


    "Holidays aren''t over yet but you have updated your skills. That face of yours¡­how did you get it cleaned? stic surgery?"


    The girl''s harsh tonepelled Yu Mei to take a clear look at her. Seems like the person knows her. Looking around in her


    memory, she did remember something, "You are Li Shuang," She murmured as she looked at her.


    This Li Shuang was once the previous owner''s friend during high school. They even entered the same university. Although, Yu Mei was a scheming person, she treated this friend rather well.


    She had no idea about Li Shuang''s family background, her likes or dislikes but since the girl did not judge her based on her body shape and her illegitimate status in the family, she was pretty close to her.


    But things changed between them when Li Shuang got in a rtionship with her ssmate. The previous owner had to be a certified man chaser who had her eyes for the same pretty man. What happenedter was when she was confessing to him, the whole thing was witnessed by Li Shuang who pped her right that instant.


    Yu Mei sighed her head. What a mess! As to how Li Shuang recognized her right now was because in the school days the previous was fat but her face was not scarred by e and pimples. When she began over-indulging herself in fast food and all, things started to get ugly for her face.


    "Oh? You don''t recognize me now?" Li Shuang indifferently nced at her, "Don''t try to act kind with me. I am not buying your act."


    After saying that, she turned around to walk towards Dr. Shi''s office only to be blocked by the rest of the people once again.


    "Hey girl, Dr. Shies to our country only once a month and she is only avable at this hospital on this day. Do you know how long we have traveled to and waited for our turn? You are mannerless to barge in just like that. Make the appointment and wait for your turn." An old man spoke up in a stern voice.


    The corridor filled with what looked like twenty to thirty people was silent for a moment before murmurs of agreement shot through.


    Li Shuang pursed her lips, "But¡­"


    "Go on. Argue with them if you want them to go all out on you," Yu Mei indifferently said as she crossed her hands in front of her chest. Her overwhelming belly bulging out a little more with her little action.


    "You don''t have to tell me what should I do," Li Shuang said without looking at her.


    "What''s going on here?"

 Chapter 22 - Useless Thank You

    "What''s going on here?" The door of the office room opened as a woman in her mid-twenties walked out.


    Short hair tied in a messy braid as her bangs rested above her eyebrow, beautiful almond-shaped round eyes hidden behind round sses. Dressed in a short in pink dress, the woman was very simple yet charismatic in her own way.


    The old man who rebuked Li Shuang''s action earlier stood up, "Dr. Shi, we''ve all made appointments to get to see you but this girl here tries to barge in again and again."


    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at the girl they were talking about, "Miss Lan," She nodded at her.


    The rest of the crowd was shocked. Seems like Dr. Shi really knows her.


    Li Shuang sighed in relief, "Dr. Shi, I¡­"


    Shi Luo cut her off before she could continue, "Rules are rules. You should make an appointment and wait in the queue rather than making a ruckus. Last time was a special situation but that should not make you forget the rules," She indifferently said.


    "But they only allow thirty people to make appointments. I missed it. You onlye once a month. What was I supposed to do?" Li Shuang helplessly said.


    Shi Luo shook her head, "Whatever it is, you should try other ways rather than making a ruckus here. This is a hospital, there are other patients here. You are too inconsiderate, aren''t you?"


    Li Shuang had a desperate expression on her face as she begged the woman with her eyes but thetter ignored her.


    "Talk to her," Yu Mei, who was silent till this point spoke up.


    "Excuse me?" Shi Luo adjusted her sses as she looked at the girl who talked to her in amanding tone.


    A fat girl donned in a long whitecy dress came to her view. Her skin didn''t have a single spot on it. She stood folding her arms across her chest.


    "Miss mole on the cheek, you should talk to her," Yu Mei softly said as she looked at the woman.


    Shi Luo stiffened. ''''You¡­." Her eyes widened as she took a step back in disbelief.


    What did she call her? Miss mole on the cheek? Isn''t that...


    The rest of the people waiting in the corridor nced at the doctor''s face trying to search for a mole on her cheek but there was none. They were here to see the doctor but the current situation seemed to be going out of theirprehension.


    Shi Luo kept looking at Yu Mei as if she was trying to search for something in her.


    Yu Mei took a step towards her, "Friday is ours. Won''t you do as I say?" She softly asked.


    ''Those eyes..'' Shi Luo sucked in a deep breath before looking at the patients queuing up in the corridor, "Everyone, I deeply apologize but I will not be avable for today.


    The patients looked at each other, puzzled. Who is this fat girl? What was she saying?


    They were all dissatisfied after what Shi Luo said. They made great efforts just to make an appointment in time to get to see the world-famous dermatologist but everything was in vain.


    Looking at their expressions, Shi Luo, "I''ll be avable for another day at Sunshine Hospital. So, your appointments will not be void. You all cane tomorrow."


    "Thank you, Dr. Shi," They thanked her in unison before leaving one by one.


    Shi Luo nced at Yu Mei who was leaning against the wall, "Wait for me inside the office."


    Yu Mei nodded, "Come fast after talking to her," She said pointing at Li Shuang.


    Li Shuang looked at her coldly, "I won''t be thanking you for this."


    "Your thank you is pretty useless for me," Yu Mei waved her hand before entering the office.


    Li Shuang averted her gaze as she looked at Shi Luo who was looking towards the closed door. "Dr. Shi¡­" She called out.


    Inside the office room.


    Yu Mei fiddled with the paperweight on the ss desk as she leaned back on the swivel chair. She made some proper excuses in front of Jun Zixuan but did he believe her? Or would he keep doubting her intentions? The previous owner''s self-harming and scheming actions have always kept the man on guard with her.


    Regardless, as long as he didn''t act like a possessive caveman investigating her whereabouts or trailing after her activities, she was fine with him staying cautious of her.


    ''Bang.''


    The door opened and mmed shut with a loud sound startling her in the process. She snapped out of her daze before turning her chair around only to find Shi Luo walking towards her with a strange expression on her face.


    The woman stood in front of her. Grabbing the arms of the chair in both her hands, Shi Luo lowered herself to Yu Mei''s level before observing her from a close distance. Her gaze lingered on the spotless translucent fluffy round face for a few seconds before she looked straight into her starry eyes.


    Those striking pair of eyes¡­they reminded her of that person. But how is this possible?


    Shi Luo lowered her body even further before sniffing Yu Mei''s neck.


    The door opened once again as Li Shuang entered inside, "Dr. Shi, I forgot to give you the thank you¡­. gift.." Her jaw dropped when she saw the scenarios inside the office room.


    Yu Mei''s bulging body was settled on the swivel chair while Shi Luo had her face pressed closer to her neck. The suggestive position¡­


    Shi Luo stood up in an instant before straightening her body.


    "I didn''t mean to interrupt," Li Shuang awkwardly said. The next moment, she thought of something before looking at Shi Luo, "You should be careful of people around you. There are scheming bitches everywhere," She spared Yu Mei a fleeting re before walking out of the office room.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    I was the innocent one here, right?


    ...


    Note: Drop some votes to show your support.

 Chapter 23 - The Sister Of President Of Amaranthine

    As soon as Li Shuang left the room, Yu Mei and Shi Luo were alone once again.


    "Stop sniffing me like a dog, Luoluo," Yu Mei said as she leaned back on the swivel chair.


    Aplicated expression appeared on the woman''s face as she adjusted her round sses, "This is impossible. It is unscientific, I don''t believe this. You don''t smell like her. She will never use any other perfume than pristine."


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "I am penniless right now. How can I afford pristine perfume right now? Moreover, when did I say that I am Han Mei? You are thinking in that direction because you know there are things that nobody else knows," She calmly said.


    Right now, she could not even afford an ordinary perfume so she had to make do with the previous owner''s wardrobe for now which was filled with everything pink.


    Shi Luo pursed her lips before leaning back on her desk. She picked up the ss of water before gulping a few mouthfuls.


    "Nobody except Han Mei and your mother knows that you have a mole on your left butt cheek. We have been together since we were four. Luoluo, believe me when I say that''s what happened to me. I am back from the dead, aren''t I cool?" She smiled at Shi Luo.


    "What king of motherf*cking plot is this?! I don''t believe you?" All her calmness copsed as Shi Luo began biting her nails in anxiety.


    On one hand, she did not want to believe it but on the other hand, nobody except her mother and Han Mei knew about her mole.


    "Language, girl. If your precious patients who worship you hear you cursing like this, their beliefs will shatter," Yu Meiughed.


    "Tell me about your family," Shi Luo looked straight into the pair of starry eyes.


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched. Very nice, here is the day when she will have to prove her identity by answering the questions. Why don''t you give me a questionnaire? Could it have been more ridiculous?


    "Orphan. My brother and I are orphans. We have no one apart from each other as family," She answered.


    Shi Luo could feel her toes curling in anticipation as her eyes glistened with tears, "Who is your brother? Tell me his identity."


    This one question will prove her real identity, she thought. There were only a few trusted people who knew about her best friend''s rtionship with that man.


    Yu Mei stood up from the swivel chair before taking a step closer to Shi Luo, "The President of one of the most powerful countries, Amaranthine, is my brother. I am the sister of Han Jian Yu. Do you believe me now?" She looked at her questioningly.


    Tears rained from Shi Luo''s eyes as she pounced on Yu Mei, sobbing uncontrobly. "Th-They said you¡­you are dead¡­Bohooo¡­"


    Yu Mei felt suffocated because of her fat body and the tight hug but she still patted her back, "Shhh¡­Calm down, I am fine, okay?"


    It took her some time to calm her down as both of them seated themselves on the couch. Grabbing a few tissues from the coffee table, Shi Luo dabbed it on her face to clean the tear stains.


    Shi Luo looked at her, "That day, I waited for a long time at your favorite club but you never came. Initially, I did not want to call you because I thought you must be driving but when a few hours passed and my texts were all unseen, I dialed your number but Danny answered it. When I asked him about you, his reply was ''She is dead''. More than two weeks passed and I still couldn''t contact you. I know that Danny wouldn''t lie to me but how could I believe that?"


    "I didn''t expect it either. I was ambushed on the way to the club. When brother reached there, I was half-dead," Yu Mei sighed, "Let''s not discuss that. Danny is one of my brother''s most trusted men. He knows about our rtionship which is why he revealed the truth to you."


    Shi Luo nodded. Her eyes had a strange expression as she nced at her from head to toe, "We''ve read a lot of fantasy novels together but I never imagined that you¡­." She could not find any words to describe it.


    "Want some drama?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow.


    "There is more?" Shi Luo was stunned. It was already too much for her to digest that her best friend has died and reborn in another body.


    "I am married."


    "You¡­You¡­What?" She stood up from the couch in disbelief.


    "Let''s add some spices to the plot. I am married to Jun Zixuan," Yu Mei said in amusement.


    She still could not believe that the world was so small that she ended up as his wife.


    "W-Who?" Shi Luo''s disbelief transformed to shock in an instant, "The one who used to hover around you in college?"


    "What do you mean by hover? He used to help me like the kind guy he was. But that''s the same person we are talking about. All that time, we thought of him as a kind, aloof and gentle guy. Would believe me if I said he is a devil in an angel''s disguise?" Yu Mei looked at her seriously.


    Shi Luo nodded. Of course, I would believe that. It was only you who got fooled by his kind and gentle attitude back then. Nobody else bought his act.


    Yu Mei sighed, "Let''s not talk about that headache. I''m having trouble with this body right now. It has been so long and my work-out schedule and diet have always been on point but I barely lose a few pounds. Help me with this. I don''t think I can survive with this body. Even walking a few steps makes me exhausted."


    "Maybe it''s rted to the genes," Shi Luo stroked her chin as she contemted about it.


    Yu Mei shook her head, "The people in Yu Family are all slim, graceful, and pretty. The biological mother of the previous owner of this body was also beautiful, the reason for her ending up as the mistress, I guess."


    "Biological mother of the previous owner of the body? Don''t talk like that. Since you have taken over her daughter''s body in some bizarre way, you should be responsible for her and call her mother."


    "Whatever," Yu Mei waved her hand dismissively. Terms like ''mother'' and ''father'' were very foreign to her ears.


    Shi Luo sighed, "The gynecologist here is my friend. I''ll make the appointment for you personally and inform you of the time. He will be avable the day after tomorrow. Make sure your schedule is free for that day."


    "What schedule? I''m an idler right now. I roam around the extravagant mansion all day long."


    "Mansion? Is he very rich?"


    Yu Mei sighed, "He is filthy rich, he offered me fifty million dors for thepensation of divorce."


    "Seems like we didn''t know him that well before. Did you ept his money?" Shi Luo asked curiously.


    Although his mannerisms and all were like that of a person with a noble identity but they didn''t know much about him or his background.


    "Of course not. Did he take me as a beggar? I''d rather starve to death than epting the money being thrown at my face," Yu Mei folded her arms across her chest as she narrowed her eyes.


    "You¡­Babe, you have a backbone," Shi Luo patted her shoulder before adjusting her round sses.


    "Er¡­Luoluo, lend me a few dors. I can''t afford a taxi¡­"


    Shi Luo: "_''''

 Chapter 24 - Steal The Stem Before Divorce

    It was already past 7:00 pm when Yu Mei reached Ren mansion. Because of the ce being a highly restricted residential area, the taxi was stopped by the security guards at the entrance.


    "Miss, I can''t go any further. It''s already dark. You should call your rtive so that he can pick you up," the middle-aged man spoke in a kind voice.


    Although the driver did not recognize her but living in Ren Mansion was not something ordinary wealthy people can afford.


    "I¡­ don''t have rtives," She passed him the money before getting out of the taxi and entering the gate.


    "Sigh¡­What a pitiful girl," A few simple words from her made the driver feel sentimental. No matter how rich a person is, some things can''t be bought with money after all.


    As Yu Mei walked on the cobblestone path, the feeling of loneliness almost gobbled her up. Usually, her brother would prepare bed tea for her. Before she could step down from the bed, he would put the shoes under her feet.


    Such things would usually be done by the servants but he did everything by himself. When she had her first menstrual period, the 18-year-old Han Jian Yu personally taught her about those things after doing his research on it.


    Whenever she had a fever, he will end up sleeping on the floor while taking care of her.


    Those were very small things. Things that she never paid much attention to. Because somewhere, in her heart, she knew that he will always do that for her.


    You realize how much those small things matter only when that person is not there around you anymore.


    "If I had known I''ll end up like this¡­ then maybe I would have cherished you more¡­" She murmured to herself.


    The mansion was at a distance of about 500 meters from the main entrance. As she walked further ahead, she felt a strong and sweet fragrance in the air.


    The cool air of the evening grazing past her soft cheeks. She rubbed her hands together before cing them on her cheeks.


    Entranced by the sweet fragrance, she looked around. There were streetlights and wooden benches ced on either side of the cobblestone path while long pine trees covered the further view.


    She stepped on the gap between two trees trying to trail after the sweet fragrance and she would be lying if she said that she was not mesmerized by the beautiful sight.


    Thousands of magenta-purple roses were shining under the dim fairy-lights in the garden.


    As she stepped closer to them, her eyes brightened. She loved roses but these were the most beautiful roses she has ever seen.


    She plucked a flower carefully before stroking its petals with gentle touches. "Beautiful¡­" The inner purple petals of the rose had hints of white-colored spider-web-like patterns. So rare¡­ she has never seen such flowers.


    "What are you doing?"


    The deep maic voice startled her. Her grip on the rose tightened and the thorns pricked her palm in the process.


    "Sssss¡­" She sucked in a breath of cold air. "Are you a ghost?" She patted her chest as she red at the man.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the rose in her hand and his eyes narrowed slightly, "Give it back."


    She looked at him in disbelief, "Do you have to be so stingy? It''s only one rose¡­ there are thousands of them here."


    But the determination in his eyes did not waver as he looked at her with a stubborn gaze. It seemed like he was ready to fight her to death for the rose.


    She did not know if there will be a third life and second husband waiting for her after her death.


    It was not worth it, she thought to herself. She looked at the surroundings onest time before walking towards him.


    "Here, take this," She extended her hand towards him holding the rose in between her thumb and index figures.


    The man snatched the flower from her hand without hesitation before looking at her coldly, "Don''t do this again," He left without looking back at her.


    Her lips twitched. Do you have to be like this just because of a flower?


    Seems like he caught her sneaking around and followed after her to see what she is up to.


    "I''ll be careful next time and get the stem of these rose nts before our divorce," She decided to buy a vi with a huge garden so that she can nt it.


    She suddenly felt a dull pain in her thighs. That is when she remembered that she has been standing here for a long time and her body was thoroughly exhausted.


    Dragging her fat body, she walked out of the garden. A ck Bentley was parked on the cobblestone path. Knowing that it was that devil''s car, she swiftly avoided it and walked ahead.


    The car drove on her side as the ss panes rolled down and Steward Gu''s head peeked out, "Miss Yu, get in."


    "I am fine. I can walk," She immediately refused but the man insisted again.


    Sighing, she walked towards the car and opened the front door before settling herself on the shotgun seat.


    Luckily the car was spacious and her body could properly rx without feeling congested.


    "Miss Yu, you should sit behind¡­" Steward Gu awkwardly pointed his chin towards the backseat.


    "I like thepany of kind and gentle guys. You happen to be one of them," She nonchntly said while looking ahead.


    Steward Gu was speechless. Is this something you should talk about in front of your husband?


    She pulled out a handkerchief from her pink purse before dabbing it on her sweaty face. Walking such a long distance was such a hassle. And she would not be meeting kind people like Steward Gu every other day.


    Should she buy a bicycle? But would it support her body?


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts, Steward Gu extended the first-aid kit towards her.


    She identally hurt her hand with the thorns of the rose.


    She looked at him gratefully but before she could say something, he spoke up first, "It was Master who ordered me to give this to you."

 Chapter 25 - I Don’t Give A Damn About Him

    She frowned. Tilting her head towards the side, she nced at the man who was sitting with the purple rose on hisp. His face was propped up on his hand as he looked out of the window.


    So, he did notice that she was injured and even asked Steward Gu to give her the first-aid kit.


    "Thank¡­"


    The man interrupted her, "Don''t bother. Mom will be upset if you die from an infection." The man even stroked the rose that he stole from her.


    "You¡­" He must be riling her up on purpose. Speechlessly, she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath.


    It''s fine. It''s fine. The world is still beautiful after all. I should not lose my temper.


    When they stepped inside the mansion, Yu Mei found herself rooted to the spot as she looked at the luggage being carried inside along with expensive furniture. She stopped the first man who was carrying two suitcases with him along with arge trolley.


    "What''s going on? Whose luggage is this¡­?" No¡­No¡­This can''t be happening. No. Never!


    The servant politely answered "This is Master''s luggage. He is moving i. from today onwards."


    She opened her mouth and closed it, "Do you live at Ren Mansion?" The question blurted out of her mouth.


    "I don''t live here," The man politely answered, "I have a small house nearby. I live with my wife and children there."


    "Is there a vacant room?" She asked.


    "Ah?" The man was confused.


    "Is there?" She asked again to which the man finally nodded his head.


    The guest room in his house was vacant but why was the Master''s wife asking about it?


    "How much is the rent? I''ll pay it by cash," The old man''s confused expression morphed into shock while she added, "When would you live? I''ll get ready and pack my luggage."


    The old man was speechless. What in the world are you talking about?


    His gazended on the man standing behind her and he frantically shook his head, "Miss Yu, that¡­my house is very dirty. You would not be able to adjust there."


    "I''ll clean your house," She said in utmost seriousness.


    The old man was dumbstruck.


    Jun Zixuan coldly looked at the back of her head.


    Only if looks could kill, it would have been time for her second death already.


    Frightened by his aura, the man in his early sixties ended up stuttering, "M-Miss Yu¡­I¡­My wife is pregnant. We are preparing that room for our youngest child."


    Her starry eyes dimmed slightly.


    With a soft sigh, she looked at him, "Congrats. I wish you a lot of happiness with the arrival of the new member in the family." With that, she walked upstairs without looking back.


    Looking at her genuine expressions and heartfelt wishes, the old man felt very guilty but given her identity as Master''s wife, he would never dare to take her in as a tenant.


    He nced towards his Master to observe his expression but the man walked past him with a nonchnt expression on his.


    "_" Steward Gu found himself speechless for a few good minutes.


    "Go, do your job properly," He ordered the old man who nodded and left.


    After freshening up and changing intofortable cotton pajamas, Yu Mei walked towards the mirror.


    Her face was clear of every e and pimple marks she once had. There was not even a single blemish on her skin but her weight¡­It was a huge burden on her.


    Even walking a few steps was making her feel numb.


    The day after tomorrow, she was going to meet the gynecologist rmended by Shi Luo to ensure that she was not suffering from some disease that was making her fat.


    Even after all this workout, she barely lost a few pounds and since the previous owner have never done a body checkup, it bothered her a little.


    After that, she will go see a nutritionist.


    Everything was fine but¡­ "Maybe I should move in with Luoluo¡­." She murmured but then she remembered that her friendes to Beijing once a month.


    As she looked at her reflection, she raised her hand to gently stroke her cheeks. Was her face going to transform just like her eyes? She thought to herself.


    But she snapped out of her daze when a red liquid flowed down her cheek. Her eyes widened when the thin line of blood became suspiciously thick.


    Her fingers trembled slightly as she looked at her hand.


    The gauze that was wrapped around her palm was soaking with blood as it slowly dripped on the floor.


    Stepping inside the walk-in closet, she hurriedly removed the gauze from her hand before.


    The spots where her hand got pricked by the thorns were bleeding profusely.


    She pulled out a thick baby pink towel from the rack before pressing it on her hand.


    She closed her eyes to calm her racing heart.


    She walked out of the walk-in closet before sitting on the king-sized bed with the towel tightly wrapped around her palm.


    ''Knock knock.''


    "Who is it?" She asked calmly despite breaking out in cold sweat inwardly.


    "Miss Yu, it''s me. May Ie in?" Steward Gu''s asked as he slowly pushed the door.


    "No, don''t¡­" She took a deep breath before speaking calmly, "Don''te in, I am changing right now."


    Steward Gu turned around and cleared his throat, "Miss Yu, it''s time for dinner."


    "I won''t be eating. I am not hungry," She looked at the door, hoping that the man would go back.


    "But Master¡­"


    She interrupted him, "Master this Master that¡­I don''t give a damn about him. Do I not have the freedom to decide whether I want to eat or not? Just get lost!" Her cold voice resounded in the whole room.


    "I apologize for it. Just let me know when you are hungry," As soon as she heard the sound of retreating footsteps, she quickly stood up from the bed and locked the door.


    The thick towel waspletely soaked with her blood. She suddenly felt so weak to move. She leaned back on the door for support but her body swayed and she weakly slid down lying on the floor.


    She could barely open her eyes. Drowsiness overwhelmed her senses as she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 26 - I Am Han Mei

    In the Master''s bedroom.


    Jun Zixuan looked at the purple rose that he was holding in his hand as if he was looking at someone through it.


    Letting out a soft sigh, he stood up from the king-sized bed and brought over a few tissue papers. Dipping it in the ss of water, he cleaned the dried blood stains from the stem of the rose before looking at it.


    But something strange caught his eyes. Earlier the purple rose had a few white web-like patterns on it. But right now, on the white pattern, there were some red strokes.


    They were beautiful but strange.


    ''Knock knock.''


    ''''Enter."


    Steward Gu stepped inside before bowing in front of him, "Master, it''s time for dinner," he said.


    Jun Zixuan looked at him, "Have you checked it?"


    Steward Gu looked at him for a few minutes before nodding, "I have checked it up. Miss Yu met Dr. Shi today, a world-famous dermatologist. I thought she knew Dr. Shi before which is why her face is cured but this was the first time they met. And¡­."


    "And?"


    "Dr. Shi canceled all her work for the day and Miss Yu was allowed inside her office without an appointment. They spent more than seven hours inside the office room¡­And Dr. Shi even walked her out of the hospital¡­"


    "Dr. Shi? Is it Shi Luo you are talking about¡­?" Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at Steward Gu.


    Steward Gu nodded, "Your friend from Crystal University."


    "Is¡­.Is she here too¡­?" His long eyshes cast a shadow over his chestnut eyes as he softly whispered.


    "I..can investigate about her if you want to," Steward Gu spoke up after hesitating for a few seconds.


    "No need, you can leave. Close the door."


    "But, Master, you should have your dinner. You have not eaten anything after the breakfast," Steward Gu looked at the man worriedly.


    "Just leave," Jun Zixuan murmured.


    Steward Gu bowed before leaving the room.


    As he closed the door, a soft sigh escaped his lips. Maybe things would have been different if Madam had not been so stubborn for this marriage, he thought to himself before walking downstairs.


    As Steward Gu left the room, Jun Zixuan stared at nothing in particr. Putting the rose in the flower vase, he leaned back on the bed thinking back to that fateful day 2 years ago.


    <i>*shback*</i>


    Crystal University.


    "What do they mean by they will send aint letter to my family? Is it even legit? I''m already weak in Chinese subjects and their teaching appears like a big egg to me. Is it my fault that I dozed off in the ss¡­?" The 21-year-old girl grumbled to herself while sitting on the branch of the lone tree on the campus.


    Her legs dangling off the tree as she licked a lollipop, watching the basketball match going on the huge field in front of her. The team she was rooting for lost while the winning team''s captain immediately ran towards a girl sitting in the audience.


    A pink bubble formed around them as they shared a French kiss.


    "They seem to be another happily ever after story," She clicked her tongue.


    "You sound jealous," A deep maic voice spoke up.


    "Who is jealous? I was just¡­" Realization dawned on her as she looked around. Was there someone else on the tree? As she looked towards the left branch, a ck shadow came to her view, "Ahh¡­." The lollipop fell from her mouth. She lost her bnce, directly slipping off the branch.


    As she started falling down the tree, a hand gripped her wrist tightly before pulling her up. In the next moment, she was sitting atop the man''sp whose half face was hidden behind the ck hoodie that he was wearing above his white shirt.


    "That was scary¡­" She patted her chest, "Are you that ugly?" She was scared to death because of his getup.


    A few broken bones were a must if she hadnded on the concrete ground.


    Jun Zixuan loosened his hoodie with one hand and it fell back revealing golden ash-blond hair. The bangs had covered his eyes.


    "Am I?" His thin lips parted slightly as he asked as he tilted his head upwards, revealing his chestnut shaded eyes which had gold flecks in them.


    "Ah?" Her starry eyes widened as she looked at him in a daze.


    "Am I ugly?" His lips curved up at a beautiful angle. This was the third time he saw her and this time, she was within his reach, sitting on hisp.


    "You are not," Looking at a handsome face as such, she did not regret eating her own words, "I recognize you. You¡­.Aren''t you the transfer student those girls were chasing after? Ahh¡­The prince charming of Crystal University¡­you are Jun Zixuan right?"


    "You know me?" He raised an eyebrow at her.


    "You are a hot topic in the university. Handsome looks, top student, Prince charming and what not¡­" She paused before looking at the arm wrapped around her waist, "Put me down first¡­" The position was rather intimate.


    "I want to put you down but I am afraid you would fall¡­" He blinked innocently.


    Taken in by his innocent look, she nodded her head gratefully, "You are too considerate. Thanks."


    "My friend was about toe here in a few minutes. We''ll get down by then."


    As she looked around, the branch they were sitting on was very thick but small. Two people wouldn''t fit on it. Feeling touched, she nodded again.


    Jun Zixuan smiled. Initially, he just wanted some privacy which is why he climbed the tree but just when he closed his eyes, her voice woke him up.


    He was annoyed with her thinking that she was one of those who stalked after him. But the least he expected was that it was her.


    "Since you know me already, shouldn''t you introduce yourself?" He asked.


    She looked at the man with her unblinking starry eyes, "Han Mei. I am Han Mei."


    <i>*shback ends*</i>


    <i>...</i>


    Note: Do vote and drop reviews if you are liking it so far.

 Chapter 27 - Previous Owner, You Left Me In A Pickle

    The next morning, Steward Gu looked at the time before heaving a deep sigh. It was almost 9 am and given how punctual his master was, he must being downstairs at any moment.


    Before hees down for breakfast, the man decided to call Yu Mei first so that the couple won''t start another war over something. The less they sh, the better it was for the rest of the organisms in the house.


    As he walked upstairs, he knocked on the door to her room, "Miss Yu¡­" he called out but there was no response.


    "Miss Yu¡­" He knocked again, considering whether he should open the door or not.


    But just as he was about to push the door open, he hesitated at thest moment... After all, how could he, as a man, enter a girl''s bedroom without her permission?


    So, he knocked again.


    Inside the room.


    The constant knocking on the door woke her up. She grunted before pressing her palm on her ear.


    "Stop it¡­" She whispered in frustration.


    "Miss Yu¡­It''s 9 am. Are you not awake yet?"


    "It''s only 9 am. What are you shouting for¡­" She mumbled softly, "Wait¡­What is the time?" As the realization struck her mind, she opened her eyes hurriedly only to find herself sleeping on the floor.


    Her body has gone limp with her rigid sleeping posture. There were two consecutive knocks on the door again and she realized that the door was soundproof.


    She squinted slightly to adjust her vision to the ring sunlight. As she looked at the time, her eyes widened.


    She stood up from the floor with the support of the wall. But just as she was about to open the door, something caught her attention.


    The thick stench of blood in the room.


    The white floor was a bloody mess. Even when she was sleeping near the door, there was a lot of dried blood near the bed.


    As she looked down at her pajama, the left side of her body was drenched with blood, sticking closer to her body.


    How did she not die after bleeding this much? It was the first question that came to her mind.


    She raised her palm to look at her wound but her palm was crystal clear with no hint of injuries.


    ''Knock Knock.''


    Taking a deep breath she opened the door but only half of her face was visible outside.


    "Don''t disturb me right now. I need some space," she calmly said.


    Steward Gu was confused, "Miss Yu, why do you look so pale?" His nose twitched when it caught a stench that invaded his nostrils.


    "I have not slept properly," She closed the door on his face, not letting him interrogate her further.


    As she heard the sound of retreating footsteps, she leaned back on the door only to feel an obstruction.


    Her brows furrowed and she slowly extended her hand toward the back of her waist. As her hand came in contact with the thing on her back, she could feel the soft and furry sensation on her palm.


    She tugged at it trying to remove the thing that was clinging to her night suit but it only bounced back clinging closer to her body.


    She unbuttoned her shirt hastily before holding it in her hand.


    As she looked at the little creature sticking to her shirt, she staggered a few steps back.


    As Jun Zixuan sat on the head chair of the dining table, Steward Gu walked towards the man.


    "She didn''te?"


    Steward Gu shook his head, "Miss Yu seems to be very unhappy about you moving in here. She even asked a servant to take her in as a tenant. She refuses to eat anything."


    "Let her starve then. This is my house, anyways," Jun Zixuan said nonchntly, feeling a little awkward at being treated like a virus for the first time in his life.


    And that too, by the same woman who would do anything to get his attention.


    "But Master, she didn''t have her dinner yesterday¡­"


    "Why?"


    Steward Gu cleared his throat, "She said she doesn''t give a damn about you. So, I think¡­.she hates to see you. Master, I¡­I think I smelt blood in her room. But I am not sure¡­"


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the chair, "Blood?" True enough, this woman would never spare her tricks.


    He immediately made his way upstairs. He knocked on the door, "Yu Mei Zhen, open the door," His cold voice rang out on the first floor making all the servants curious.


    But everybody continued doing their works rather than gathering there. Who knows if they will incur the man''s wrath.


    When there was no response from inside, Jun Zixuan kicked the door open before stepping inside the room.


    Yu Mei was sitting on the bed with her head leaning against the bed rest as she casually read aic book. This was the scene that greeted him.


    The pleasant scent of Chanel perfume in the room could not be any more obvious.


    He looked around but there was nothing amiss other than her deathly pale face.


    She raised her head to look at him, "You seem to becking manners given that you barge inside a woman''s room like that."


    "I knocked," He narrowed his eyes, "You did not respond."


    She closed theic book before keeping it on the bedside table. Pushing the nket a little higher, she looked at him, "Am I supposed to open the door when you want me to?" She smirked derisively, "Your voice makes me so sick that I''d rather not see your face and vomit to death."


    He red at the woman before taking a few steps towards her, "The sight of me makes you sick? You didn''t say that when you were inclined to self-harming just to get my attention and affection."


    She choked. Previous owner, previous owner, you left me in a pickle here!


    "My eyes were pretty defective back then," She blinked her starry eyes at him, "I went to the ophthalmologist recently and my view of the world is clearing up right now.''''


    "You¡­"

 Chapter 28 - Fellow Concubines Of The Same King

    As Jun Zixuan gaze turned colder at her words, she smiled at him, "Wanna strangle me? You will hurt your mother if you do that. After all, I am her favored daughter-inw," Although she said that, she could not help but wonder how would a mother be so cruel to her own son.


    Why would she want him to marry an ugly, fat, and scheming girl like the previous owner?


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "She won''t like it if you try tomit suicide again?"


    "Commit suicide?" She repeated in disdain, "For you? Do you think you are worth it?"


    Narrowing his eyes, he looked at theic book lying on the table, "Seducing my bossy husband in bed¡­Aren''t you learning tricks from here? It won''t work."


    Her lips twitched slightly. She casually picked up the book to act normal. Little did she know it would turn out to be so controversial.


    "After our divorce, I am nning to get married to one of my old mes," She sighed, "But, a long time has passed. I don''t know if he still feels the same for me. So I''d try to seduce him by learning these."


    And is it something you should be discussing with your current husband?


    Jun Zixuan took a breath to control the urge of strangling her right there, "Why is the floor wet?" He asked coldly.


    "I identally stepped on a cockroach so had to clean the whole floor."


    He took a few steps towards her before looking straight into her eyes, "Why is your face so pale?"


    She averted her gaze, "At thought of living under the same roof with you, I could not sleep for the whole night."


    "I''m not interested in living with you. So, you should bother yourself with your nonsensical imaginations," When she didn''t look at him, he lowered his body to her height and pinched her chin tilting her head upwards, "Between us, nothing will ever happen. Our rtionship will always be an illusion to the outsiders. When they see us as a happily married couple, it will be nothing more than a¡­pretense."


    Her starry eyes looked at the man deeply.


    ''Thump!'' His heart skipped a beat.


    That pair of eyes.


    He loosened his grip on her chin before standing straight.


    Her gaze was intense as she spoke, "Whatever you said today, do remember it well."


    "I will."


    "What about our divorce?" She asked coldly.


    "We''ll talk about that after having breakfast," With that he turned around and starting walking towards the door.


    "Lock the door," Her voice made him pause but he didn''t turn around.


    Without speaking a word, he locked the door and left the room.


    As soon as he left, Yu Mei leaned back on the headrest of the bed weakly for a few minutes before pushing herself out of the bed.


    She opened the drawers of the bedside table and took out the wet towels that she used to wipe the floor. She even used the perfume to cover the blood stench.


    She removed the silk robe from her body, revealing the blood-soaked pajamas.


    Her body felt numb all over but she let out a sigh in relief.


    The moment Steward Gu left, she already knew the situation might turn out to be like this and the man did prove her right.


    But luckily Jun Zixuan had the decency to not check her room or else she would have been done for.


    She walked towards the mirror and looked at the reflection. Her face was deathly pale but even with this amount of blood loss, she did not suffer any extreme consequences except for a little weakness.


    Any normal person would die after bleeding for one whole night. She nced at her palm, there were no thorn pricks from yesterday.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and entered the walk-in closet before picking up a pink trench coat. She dug her hands inside the pocket and took something out.


    She intently looked at the thing.


    In her palm, there was a small silver thing that resembled a furball but the face was long. It had a tail that was a littlerger than its body, somewhat like a fox. The tips of the silver tail were crimson red.


    There was a tiny red lotus mark on its forehead.


    But foxes can''t be this tiny¡­she thought to herself.


    Moreover, where did ite from?


    "My condition¡­has it got something to do with you?" She murmured and poked its furry but the creature''s eyes remained closed.


    ¡­


    ''Beijing issues a rare blizzard alert, which is the lowest in the capital''s four-tier warning system.?The snow which began hitting southwest Beijing at around 4 am is predicted to cover the whole city at around midnight ording to Beijing Meteorological service¡­.''


    The news headlines caught her attention as she descended the stairs. She nced at the television in the living room before walking towards the dining table.


    While Jun Zixuan sat on the head chair of the table, she walked towards the other end before taking a seat.


    She sipped her orange juice before ncing around the mansion, "Where is Steward Gu?" she casually asked.


    Jun Zixuan paused his movements but did not reply. He chewed his food properly and picked up the ss of water before drinking a few sips.


    Compared to his ever so elegant actions, she kept on stuffing the food inside her mouth. Shi Luo has said that her overweight might be rted to other health conditions.


    So, thest few days of starving herself were all in vain. Right now, she was feeling somewhat weak and extremely hungry so she didn''t want to y along with her own rules anymore.


    "I heard you were dieting?" The man who was silent till this moment, spoke up at this point just as she stuffed another piece of butter-spread bread in her mouth.


    She choked on it before breaking out in coughing fits...


    She forcefully gulped it down before drinking water, "You¡­Were we fellow concubines of the same king in our previous lives? Why would you always pick on me?" She red at him.

 Chapter 29 - How Could You Sleep With Him?

    Jun Zixuan picked up a silk napkin before wiping his mouth but he didn''t argue with her further.


    "Where is Steward Gu?" She asked trying to calm herself down.


    "He asked for leave," Jun Zixuan casually replied.


    He picked up the ss of juice and sipped it elegantly while watching the news.


    "Where are the rest of the servants?" Usually, whenever she will step out of her room, she will see many people engaged in different tasks.


    But when she came downstairs today, she did not see anyone on the way. While they were having their breakfast, there was no one to serve them.


    Even the female servants who treated her like their eternal enemies were nowhere to be seen.


    Now that their Master is here, shouldn''t they hover around him like bees? Then, what went wrong?


    "Because of the weather report, mom asked me to give them a day off," He indifferently replied.


    "What weather? It was not like the blizzard was going to hit them inside this mansion," Her lips twitched, "Your mother wants to create opportunities between us. In fact, she just wants to unite us from mind, soul and body."


    He tilted his head to the side and looked at her, "And it will never happen. Things will always remain this way unless you seduce me."


    "If I seduce you, you are willing to sleep with me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.


    This man couldn''t be thinking of discovering warmth with her body on this snowy day, could he?


    "If you try to seduce me, I''ll kick you out of the mansion," He coldly said before putting his ss down and standing up from the chair.


    With his hand tucked inside his pocket, the man walked upstairs without looking back at her.


    "_"


    So, what he meant was no matter what, things won''t change between them. She can continue living in his mansion until she behaves. If she somehow seduced him or angered him, he will throw her out at his will.


    As she looked at his retreating back, she wondered how would she survive the days ahead with him.


    Wait¡­ They were supposed to discuss their divorce. What happened to it?


    She wanted to remind him about it but the man was out of her sight already.


    In the Master bedroom.


    Jun Zixuan picked up hisptop from the couch and put it on the bed. Removing his suit jacket, he walked inside the walk-in closet to get changed.


    He picked up a white round-neck T-shirt with casual blue denim jeans.


    When he was getting ready to go to work, his mother called him and informed him about the blizzard.


    Although it was not that worse yet and he could have easily gone to the office but she didn''t pay any heeds to his opinions and asked him to stay at home.


    She even gave a day off to all the servants, leaving him alone with that woman.


    But now that the weather has worsened, he didn''t have any other option than to stay at home.


    He walked towards the bed before taking a sit. Leaning back on the bolster pillow at his back, he was about to put theptop on hisp when something caught his attention from the corner of his eyes.


    He picked up the rose from the flower vase before looking at it intently. He stroked the petals gently with his fingers.


    It has been more than 12 hours since this flower was plucked but it remained fresh as ever.


    A strange expression flitted across his eyes.


    ¡­


    "Little thing, wake up," Yu Mei poked the little creature''s head but it kept sleeping. If not because of its light snores, she would have taken it to be dead.


    She sighed. With all the things happening around her, she didn''t think she would be able to get a good night''s sleep without nightmares.


    She put the small thing on the bed and covered its body with the nket. But the thing twitched slightly and she hesitated.


    What if it got suffocated to death?


    She lowered the nket only covering half of its body to give its some space to breathe. She ced two fluffy pillows on either side.


    "You won''t fall now¡­" She murmured in satisfaction but her brows furrowed in the next moment.


    Why did this creature appear beside her suddenly? Where did ite from?


    Whatever it was¡­.she had a feeling that it was not normal. But then again, will this small thing be a friend or a foe?


    Unpredictable things as such bothered her. Neither could she throw it nor did it seem safe to keep it with her.


    Sighing, she slumped on the couch tiredly.


    Just as she was about to close her eyes, her phone went off.


    Picking it up, she checked the caller Id before answering the call.


    "Luoluo," Shezily muttered.


    "What''s wrong with you? Why do you sound so exhausted?" Shi Luo shouted so loudly that Yu Mei had to distance the phone from her ear.


    "Speak slowly. I am not deaf¡­"


    "What the goddamned fuck are you up to?" One could hear the disbelief in Shi Luo''s voice, "I understand you somehow ended up bing his wife. But you¡­how could you not keep your sexual urges in check? I admit his hormones can even invite an alien to sleep with him but you¡­you can''t do that. Not when you are nning to divorce him."


    Her eyes widened slightly before her expression turned to normal, "Luoluo, why would I sleep with him? What are you even thinking about? And what''s up with yournguage? You need to keep it in check. If Auntie hears this then you will be done for."


    "Don''t worry, Mom is not here. Anyways, you really didn''t sleep with him?"


    "No. Moreover, looking at my current figure, which sane man in the world would have the urge to sleep with me? Let alone this Prince Charming of a husband of mine¡­" Yu Mei muttered.


    "You mean¡­"

 Chapter 30 - Leanne, The CEO Of Rosette

    "You mean¡­" Shi Luo paused, "You mean you will sleep with him if you are slim? You can''t¡­"


    "Are you crazy?" Yu Mei coldly interrupted, "To me, he has always been a good friend. But now, we are more like enemies. But whatever happens, we will never be involved in any sort of romantic or physical rtionship."


    Even after all his rude behaviour and their fights she still had a soft corner for him considering their past friendship. But that did not mean she had feelings for him.


    Shi Luo cleared her throat, "I hope you will not eat your words actively in the future."


    "Do I look like someone who would eat her words?" She scoffed.


    You do. Shi Luo rolled her eyes feeling lucky that the woman could not see her.


    "I guess I''ll be going to the hospital tomorrow. So, is there something for which you called me now?"


    "Can''t I call you for no reason?" came Shi Luo''s indignant reply. There was a pause after which she soon added in a soft voice, "In fact, there is a reason for which I called you¡­"


    "I am listening. Go on¡­" Yu Mei closed her eyes covering them with the back of her hand.


    "Go back to Amaranthine."


    "What are talking about...? Luoluo... you know my situation very well. Right now, I don''t even know how to contact Jian Yu. There are no updates about his situation. What should I do by going back?"


    Shi Luo sighed, "Rosette will go bankrupt if you don''t go back. The rivalpanies¡­.they won''t spare it¡­"


    The woman sleeping on the couch opened her eyes in an instant. The calm expression on her face slightly wavered but her voice remained nonchnt, "What has it got to do with me?"


    "You¡­.How can you even speak like this?" Shi Luo coldly spoke, "I don''t think your Brother would watch on the side when yourpany is crumbling down. There must be some issues on his side. But how could you be so unaffected by it? Xiao Mei, this is Rosette we are talking about.... You... You are the CEO and chief designer, they can''t go on without you."


    ''''I am Yu Mei Zhen right now and anything rted to all this has nothing to do with me,'''' Yu Mei hung up as soon as she finished speaking.


    She pushed herself to sit on the couch before getting herptop from the bedside table. Putting it on the bed, she checked the small creature tucked inside herfy nkets first. It was still sleeping soundly.


    She sat on the bed before opening herptop and typed ''Rosette''.


    Soon, the search results showed up.


    ''The world-renowned designer and the CEO of the giant Rosette and co. vanishes overnight, leaving thepany in a plight.''


    ''Rosette stock plunges 19 percent after the disappearance of the legend of designing, Leanne.''


    ''The high-end luxury jewelry brand Rosette faces great pressure from the rivals.''


    ''The headquarters of the world''s top jewelry brand Rosette situated in Amaranthine faces the ire of the news reporters. The staff members and higher-ups refuse to make any statements.''


    ''Bam.''


    She closed theptop with a loud sound before sighing.


    She checked the time. It was 2 pm already and she was very hungry. She stood up from the bed before walking out of the room.


    She locked the door properly.


    There was a guestroom beside her bedroom. The room next to the guestroom was the Master''s bedroom.


    The guestroom was like a line between her and Jun Zixuan''s room.


    The line which will always exist between them till their divorce, she thought to herself.


    Just as she walked past the guestroom, the door of the Master''s bedroom opened almost banging on her face if not for her fast reflexes.


    Although the fat body made it impossible for her to move around a lot but at least, she still retained some of her fighting skills that could be used in emergency situations.


    She narrowed her eyes as the man walked out of the room, "Do you want to kill me?" She pointed her chin at the door.


    The man nced at her expressionlessly, "I prefer to keep my hands clean."


    Killing you will get my hands dirty.


    She understood the underlying meaning in his words.


    Without bothering herself to bicker with him, she descended the stairs and the man followed after she took five steps. He ensured to keep a proper distance between them.


    And hell these discriminations¡­ She was sure that even in the olden times, nobody would have treated the untouchables in such a way.


    As they made their way to the kitchen, none of them bothered to talk to each other.


    She walked towards the fridge before pulling open the door. But to her dismay, there was no ready-made food inside.


    There were eggs, raw milk, fruits, vegetable, and all other ingredients but nothing that she could eat instantly.


    There were different kinds of juices but she would be crazy if she drank it on this cold snowy day.


    Sighing to herself, she nced at the man from the corner of her eye.


    Jun Zixuan was putting on a ck apron atop his white round-neck T-shirt.


    She has never seen him dressed like that.


    During the university, he would always be in the dress code of Crystal university.


    Whereas after her rebirth, she always got to see him in dark-colored suits.


    The white T-shirtbined with the denim jeans enhanced his long and muscr legs. As he tied the apron around his body, his back muscles flexed.


    He ran his fingers through his golden ash-blonde bangs with his washed hands setting them smoothly to keep them from falling on his forehead.


    A few water droplets dripped down his face.


    "Like what you see?"


    His aloof voice snapped her out of her daze. She blinked twice before replying, "At first nce, I thought you look like pretty gigolos. So, I was just ensuring if I saw it right."


    Inwardly, she chastised herself for looking at him like that. It was not like she saw this handsome creature for the first time, how could she look at him in a daze?


    He turned around to look at her, his jaw visibly twitched but his voice remained indifferent, "I thought you were looking at the food I am making. Who knew you had your eyes set on me?"


    She was speechless. So, she just exposed herself.


    So what if I looked at you? Will you charge me for it? She wanted to speak it aloud... Being thick-skinned once won''t hurt, will it?


    In the end, she said, "Why would I look at your food when I can cook better than you?" She coldly retorted.


    Her inner voice replied ''But girl, you don''t know how to cook.''


    And just then, Yu Mei realized how impulsive people bring disaster upon themselves.

 Chapter 31 - The Destruction Of Eggs

    The previous Yu Mei Zhen was a scheming and unruly girl, but she was very dedicated to one thing. Her goal was very distinct and transparent. And that was to make the Yu Family ept her and like her.


    But the requirements and sacrifices to achieve the goal were very tough.


    They needed graceful, beautiful, and intelligent daughters to nurture the future of their family by marrying them off. As for sons, there were no requirements. As long as the gender was male, anything goes.


    But s, Yu Mei Zhen was born with a ''fe'' before the term ''male''.


    And herees the tragedy, she didn''t have any ounce of grace in her. Everytime she saw handsome men, she would fall in love. In one month, she would chase at least ten men.


    Beautiful was a term that would be ashamed to be associated with her. Ugly and fat, she was toozy to be bothered by her looks. She could not sacrifice her fried chicken wings for the breakfast neither did she ever go to a nutritionist or doctor.


    And intelligence¡­ her IQ was negative.


    But she never spared her efforts in trying to impress her family.


    And she took some cooking lessons secretly to impress them with her culinary skills like a virtuous daughter.


    ''A pity she wasted her efforts on wrong people¡­'' Yu Mei thought to herself as she picked up a frying pan and kept it on the kitchen counter. As she looked into the memories of the previous owner, she realized that cooking was not that tough.


    Especially when you make the easiest dish, like an omelette.


    Happily, she picked up the egg carton and kept it beside the fan. Finding all the necessary ingredients and utensils, she stepped on the battlefield alongside Jun Zixuan who was busy cutting vegetables.


    She held the frying pan in her left hand before looking at the five-burner gas stove in confusion. It looked more advanced and different than what was there in her memory.


    ''What kind of strange thing is this¡­? It''s better to burn wood and make food on it¡­'' She thought to herself while trying to twist the ck circle-like thing but it won''t budge even after all her efforts.


    "Cough¡­That¡­" She awkwardly cleared her throat but the man continued to cut his vegetables without looking at her.


    "You¡­" She sighed, "I think this ck thing on your gas stove is damaged. How are you nning to cook?"


    "The control knob is alright," The man emotionlessly replied without looking at her.


    Control knob? So, this little thing is called a control knob. "So, do you know how to twist it? I¡­ This gas stove is a bit different from the ones I have used before," She softly muttered but the man did not reply.


    "This Young Master here¡­. Could you ''PLEASE'' tell me how to use twist this ck¡­cough¡­control knob?" She spoke through gritted teeth, emphasizing the term ''Please''.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head upwards before grabbing a carrot. His slender fingers kept it in ce while the other hand held the knife swiftly as he cut it into even cubes. Even if she brought a ruler to measure it, all the cubes of carrots will turn out to be of the same length and breadth.


    "Press it lightly before twisting it to the right," came his reply.


    She did as he instructed and the auto-ignition gas stove was on just like that. "That was easy. I could have done that without your help," She put the frying pan on it before pouring some oil, "But still thanks."


    Her stomach growled in hunger and without wasting another second she picked up an egg in one hand and a knife in another.


    Standing at a distance from the gas stove, she tried to crack the egg like a little expert chef.


    ''''Ah¡­" But in reality, things weren''t as beautiful as they were in her memory.


    Instead of cracking the egg a little, she ended up smashing it.


    It sshed everywhere on the kitchen counter except for her frying pan.


    Jun Zixuan raised his head to look at the mess before looking at her.


    ''Is he going to help me? I will owe him one then¡­Whatever, I can''t reject his help at this point¡­'' She sighed to herself before speaking up, ''''I don''t mind if you want to help¡­.'''' The rest of the words were stuck in a throat when the man dragged his veggies a little away before continuing to cut them gracefully.


    She smiled wryly. This crazy man¡­ Wait¡­ She was crazier than him. How narcissistic of her to think that he will help her with it.


    Sighing to herself, she picked up another egg but the situation was worse than before.


    The egg white smashed on her face while the yolk went missing.


    Third egg dead.


    Fourth egg lost.


    The fifth egg was annihted.


    The sixth egg turned to juice.


    Seventh egg¡­ She did break it almost perfectly. She excitedly waited for it tond on the oil.


    ''Swish.''


    Before she could see the process of omelette making, an arm wrapped around her waist dragging her away from the gas stove.


    With both his hands wrapped around her waist, her body was stuck to his. Her face was resting on his chest.


    His arm couldn''t encircle itself fully around her thick waist but it did grip her tightly keeping her in ce.


    He was leaning back on the modern L-shaped kitchen counter with her being squished in his embrace.


    Her arms were dangling at the side while he held her without giving her the space to move.


    She tilted her head to look at him questioningly, "What do you think you are doing?" With her eyebrows furrowed slightly, she asked him in a stern tone.


    He lowered his head to look at the woman whose head reached his chest. A pair of dark starry eyes looked at him usingly.


    He didn''t reply.


    Just when she was about to say something, the sttering sounds behind her back caught her attention.


    ...


    Note: If you''re liking it so far, then do take some time out to leave a review.

 Chapter 32 - Suitors Lining Up Till Eiffel Tower

    She tilted her head to the side and from the corner of her eyes, she looked at the mess she created.


    The oil¡­she had almost forgotten than the oil was already hot by the time she poured the seventh egg on it.


    And because she dropped it from a height, the oil sttered everywhere.


    If she was still standing there¡­. she would have burnt herself by now with blisters being the bonus.


    She was speechless. How could she lose her sense of science just because of a few eggs? Did she really think that the egg wouldnd itself on the frying pan in slow motion, all the while going against the concept of gravity?


    As the sizzling sound of the oil decreased, the man''s grip on her body loosened.


    But their bodies were still as close, sticking together.


    Behind him was a small window and she could see a nket of snow all around the ce till the distance.


    As he tilted his head downwards to look at her, the gold flecks in his chestnut-shaded eyes shined under the warm lighting of the kitchen.


    ''Seems like I misunderstood him. He is not that cruel afterall¡­.''


    Her thoughts were interrupted when the man opened his mouth, "Who knows if you will file a case of domestic violence."


    "_'''' So, he thought I''ll file a case against him after burning myself in the kitchen and make them believe that it was him who did it.


    She took a few steps away from him in disbelief.


    Was she that immoral?


    Although, right now, the idea didn''t seem that bad. Sending this arrogant man behind the bars¡­ tsk¡­how satisfying would it be!


    She caressed her stomach which growled in hunger.


    But cooking¡­didn''t seem to like her that much.


    She nced at the man who has already started his cooking on the neat side of the kitchen.


    Should she¡­. No, she would rather drink water to fill her stomach than begging him for food.


    Her stomach growled in protest.


    She gulped.


    "You¡­ Can you share your meal with me?" Closing her eyes, she braced herself for it.


    The man didn''t respond.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips before washing her face with cold water, cleaning the egg white sticking to her face.


    As she turned the faucet off, she stroked her bulging belly. Dear, you have to go on a diet today. Please bear with it.


    Sighing to herself, she dragged her body to walk out of the kitchen.


    "Didn''t you say you are a cooking expert?" The man''s voice stopped her in her tracks.


    "My skills got a little rusty," Her lips twitched at her lie, "Anyway, since you won''t be sharing your food with me, don''t talk to me."


    Just as she was about to take a step, he spoke up again, "I¡­ can share it with you."


    Excitedly, she turned around to look at him, "You are that kind?" she asked.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips as he raised his head to look at the woman coldly.


    She cleared her throat, "I mean¡­.Will you really share it with me? Did you just say that?"


    "Yes, I did. But I think I should take-"


    She grabbed his shoulder stopping him from speaking any further, "Nope!" She said, "You said it¡­No take-backs now!"


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the chubby hand holding his shoulder tightly. A pair of sparkling eyes looked at him enthusiastically.


    Her smile faded when she found him staring at her in a daze. She touched her cheek, "Is there something wrong with my face?" she asked him.


    He snapped out of his daze. Averting his gaze back to the mess on the kitchen counter, he said, "I was just wondering how can someone be so ugly."


    Her hand slid off his shoulder. "My beauty is hidden just because I am fat right now," And it was the truth, her facial features were not bad at all.


    Her skin was as fair as jade and especially after all her scars and blemishes were removed, her skin became wless. Even her dull eyes got transformed back to her old ones.


    "My suitors will be lining up till Eiffel tower after I lose weight. You''re going to regret your words by then," She leaned back on the kitchen which was just cleaned by him.


    He rolled his eyes at her bragging.


    "Hey, did you just roll your eyes at me?" She squinted. This ice cube seemed to be having some variations in his expressions.


    "You''re hallucinating."


    "Why would I? I''m not on drugs¡­"


    ¡­


    "I never knew you cook so well," She smacked her lips in satisfaction and leaned back on the chair to stroke her round belly, "I owe you one¡­cough.." Her throat felt a little painful as she spoke.


    "Wash the dishes," The man spoke up just as she stood up from her chair.


    Her lips twitched slightly, "I.." don''t know how to do that.


    "What? You don''t want to?" Jun Zixuan wiped his lips with the napkin before leaning back, "Did you think I fed you because I can''t bear to see you starve?"


    "When did I think that?" She scoffed, "You fed me because your mother will hold you responsible if I starve to death."


    "Seems like you are not a fool," Propping his chin on his palm, he coldly spoke, "Did you think that just anyone could eat the food made by me? Since you have eaten it, stop being ungrateful and wash the dishes."


    She looked at him helplessly before looking at the watch on her wrist. It was already 5:00 pm and she was exhausted.


    After losing so much blood yesterday and getting to know about the current situation of Rosette, her body and mind were pretty messed up. She just wanted to take a good rest.


    But looking at the man''s stern gaze seems like she could not get out of this.


    Picking up the tes, she walked inside the kitchen.


    He looked at her retreating for a few minutes before walking towards the couch ced in the middle of the living room. Taking a seat, he grabbed the remote control before turning on the T.V.


    ...


    Note: Thanks for the love and support you''ve been showing. Keep voting.

 Chapter 33 - The Awkwardness After Hug

    6:30 pm


    Jun Zixuan nced at the time before looking towards the kitchen. She has been washing the dishes for more than one hour already.


    He nced at the headlines regarding worsening weather conditions before switching off the T.V.


    He nced towards the kitchen, thinking whether he should go to check on her or not.


    He turned around walked towards the staircase but he paused in his tracks¡­


    In the end, he made his way towards the kitchen.


    "You¡­." He stood rooted to the spot as he looked at the scene that greeted him.


    Yu Mei was lying on the floor, motionless.


    She was holding her phone in her left hand while her right hand was covered in soapther.


    He squatted beside her before holding her arm, "Hey, what happened to you?" He shook her a little but there was no response except for her heavy breathing.


    Her face was slightly red.


    Frowning, he put his hand on her forehead and he could feel his hand burning under her body temperature.


    Without wasting another second, he pulled her closer before carrying her in a princess carry.


    As he ascended the staircase, he walked towards her room but there a pin required for the door to open.


    "I''m not carrying you again¡­Fatty," He murmured before walking towards his room.


    "Uhh¡­No¡­Don''t.." The woman''s hoarse voice sounded beside his ear as he put her on his bed.


    "You''re awake¡­" He paused as he nced at her face.


    The woman was talking unconsciously.


    He tried to call his doctor but the call didn''t go through.


    Looking at the weather conditions, no hospitals would be avable at this time.


    He brought a wet towel from the bathroom before sitting beside her. He wiped her face and neck with it.


    Her mouth parted slightly as she tried to speak something¡­


    "Do you need something?" He patted her cheek.


    "Ji¡­" As the woman spoke some gibberish, he lowered his trying to listen to what was she trying to say, "Ji-Jian Yu, where are you¡­?"


    He pursed his lips and threw the towel to the floor. A leopard will change its spot but this woman won''t.


    He must be crazy to be concerned about her.


    He stood up from the bed but just as he took a step, she grabbed his fingers, lightly tugging them.


    He turned around to look at her. Her face was stained with tears as she sobbed silently. Not even a single noise escaped her lips but her breathing was uneven.


    "Do you want to die?" He flicked her forehead before sitting beside her.


    But the woman tightened her grip around his hand as she cried loudly while mumbling some incoherent words.


    Is she having a nightmare? He patted her head, "You¡­It''s fine... Stop crying," His tone was a little awkward as he tried to coax her.


    As he kept patting her head, she slowly stopped crying but still, tears spilled from the corner of her eyes.


    Her mouth was moving as she mumbled something and he lowered his head again¡­"It¡­It is so tough.. I don''t want to be here¡­." She muttered while constantly shaking her head, "Jun Zixuan, y-you bully¡­you''re a devil¡­"


    He stilled before looking at the woman''s face with narrowed eyes.


    When he sent her the marriage offer through his people and even after their marriage, he never once talked to her.


    And he made sure that she never got to know about his name or identity. But it seems like he did not mishear itst time. She knew his name¡­


    His gazended on the phone that she was tightly gripping in her hand.


    ¡­.


    "Ahhh¡­." She groaned as she opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache.


    The surroundings were so dark that she could not see anything around her. She raised her hand but it was not visible to her.


    When she died for the first time, she had found herself standing in the same kind of dark ce.


    "No¡­No¡­It''s impossible¡­right..this can''t be¡­" There was a tremble in her voice as she clenched her fists. Right. She remembered she was with him¡­Where was he¡­? "Zixuan¡­.Zixuan¡­where are you?" Tears stung her eyes as she desperately reached out her hand to look out for me.


    She felt so exhausted, her head was fuzzy but she did not stop shouting even until her voice became hoarse.


    "What are you shouting for?" Jun Zixuan entered the room with a candle stand in his hand.


    She stiffened. Slowly sitting up on the bed, she tried to blink away her tears, she nced at him, wanting to take a good look at the man.


    Setting the candle stand on the coffee table near the couch, he walked towards the bed, "Are you alright? Did you¡­"


    Not giving him a chance to finish, she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly burrowing her face in his body. Stifled sobs escaped from her mouth as she continued hugging as if her life depended on it, "Zi-Zixuan..I thought¡­"


    An unreadable expression in his eyes as he raised his hand to pat her head. "It''s fine. I am here¡­" he coaxed.


    After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and the realization dawned on her. She was hugging him. She was hugging Jun Zixuan.


    She sniffed. Her grip on his slowly loosened as she distanced herself from him.


    She nced at the ceiling and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I... I am sorry. I didn''t mean to do that¡­" Her hoarse voice sounded a bit awkward.


    When she woke up, she was muddleheaded for whatever reasons. And finding herself in the dark room, the first thought that came to her mind was that she was dead.


    The thought of it scared her. Before she was reborn in this body, she remembered wandering around in that dark ce. Even taking a step was difficult there¡­


    But finding Jun Zixuan standing in front of her brought relief to her heart.


    The same man whom she didn''t want to see suddenly made her feel so safe and protected. She could barely contain her emotions when she pounced but right now, she only felt one thing.


    Awkward.


    A hell lot of awkwardness.


    Just imagine yourself pouncing on the same person with whom you are fighting all day long¡­ Yu Mei sighed. What did she do to deserve such a messy life?

 Chapter 34 - I Am Not Yu Mei Zhen

    "You can sit here," She pointed towards the bed before sliding a little towards the side, giving him more space.


    The man raised an eyebrow before sitting on the bed.


    The polite smile on her face faded a little. Since when did he be so obedient? Did he have to sit here just because she said that? "Cough¡­so I did not mean to do that¡­"?She raised both her hands before sticking them together, trying to imitate their hug position from earlier.


    "Oh, that?" Amusement flickered in his eyes.


    She could feel the heat rising her neck, "I¡­I am just afraid of dark¡­ So.." Herees a bad lie!


    He pressed the back of his hand on her forehead, "Your fever is gone¡­"


    She blinked, "That¡­T-thank¡­" For god''s sake, stop stammering, will you? She cursed herself in her heart before taking a deep breath, "Thank you for taking care of me and sorry for being a burden."


    "The way you were shouting my name¡­." The man indifferently looked at her, "It felt like some old lover is calling out to me."


    She choked, "Cough¡­ Who is your old lover? Don''t talk nonsense."


    "Didn''t expect you to know my name," The man said looking straight into her dark eyes.


    She froze.


    Her mind went nk.


    Dammit! How could she forget that?!


    Seems like the fever made her muddle-headed. Now, what was she going to do?


    Tell the truth? Will he believe her? What if he didn''t?


    The man did not speak a single word as he watched the myriad of emotions shing on her face. He was trying to gauge out the truth from her face.


    She closed her eyes to take a deep breath. The moment she opened them, they had regained their usual calmness, "One day after I woke up from thea, I got to know your name," She was not lying here. The day when she woke up, she didn''t have a single memory of the previous owner.


    It was only the next day when she got all the information. Once she saw his face in her memory, she recognized him as her friend even when the original owner didn''t know his name.


    His cold eyes were looking through every small detail and she was sure of that.


    ''''How did you know?" He asked.


    She raised an eyebrow, "I am not Yu Mei Zhen," She softly said looking at him with an unwavering gaze.


    "That''s impossible," He replied without missing a beat.


    And this concludes the end of the discussion, she thought to herself.


    "Whatever it is doesn''t concern you. You should remember that our rtionship is nothing but an illusion. We are no real husband and wife who are supposed to share everything," She pulled the nket towards her waist before leaning back on the headrest of the bed.


    Looking at him with a serious gaze, she continued, "I have my secrets. I won''t be lying about that. But that doesn''t mean I want to share them with you. Moreover, you have your secrets too. Although I know your name, I don''t know what you do neither do I have any idea about your family. Living in a ce like this, you must be pretty rich."


    What she did not know was that living in Ren Mansion was not just a matter of being wealthy. Just anyone with money would not be able to afford it.


    One must be powerful and influential to be living in this ce.


    Even the previous owner was unaware of it and took it as a piece of expensive property which is why she could not get any information from her memory.


    Unaware of this, Yu Mei continued, "We will be divorced soon. The less we get entangled with each other, the better it is.... Your wealth or your identity, I am not interested in any of this. As for your name, it''s good that I know it. And it''s even better you know that I know it. Addressing you as ''this Young Master'' was pretty tiring," After speaking, she looked at his face.


    He chuckled.


    "What''s there tough about?" Her brows furrowed slightly.


    "I don''t mind you addressing me as ''this Young Master'' forever¡­" He paused feeling something amiss with his words.


    She looked at his face in amusement. It has been a long time since she saw him smiling like this. "You should smile more. You look more charming like this," She genuinely said as an involuntary smile formed on her face.


    He froze and his face turned to normal within a split second.


    "Wait¡­" She frowned, "What do you mean by forever?''''


    He cleared his throat, "Till our divorce."


    She nodded, "Your definition of forever is a bit weird. I almost thought you feel something for me."


    "You wish," He nced at her coldly.


    Sheughed, "Can you get me some water?"


    The man stood up from the bed before getting the ss of water from the bedside table. "Don''t expect me to serve you ever again," He softly said as he sat beside her.


    She finished it in a few big gulps before passing it to him, "Yes, yes, I''ll never do that." It was already a big deal that this cranky old man took care of her today, maybe out of pity or because of his mother.


    Whatever the reason was, she wouldn''t expect it from him again.


    She looked around the room, trying to see the weather outside the window but it was so dark that she could barely see anything except for his face under the dim candlelight, "Why is it so dark in the room?" She looked at the man.


    "There was a short circuit."


    "Oh? So what''s the time right now?"


    "It''s past midnight already," He replied.


    Did she sleep for that long? She sighed. Seems like the blood loss from yesterday was notpletely harmless at all. The whole day, she had been feeling weak but she thought it will be fine soon.


    She never expected was that she would faint in the kitchen.


    In fact, when she was washing the dishes, Shi Luo called her again, informing her about the situation of Rosette and trying to convince her to take some action.


    And it had an effect on her sickly body.


    Overthinking surely leads to trouble...but...


    Wait¡­ Where is her phone?


    She pushed her pillow aside before trying to check under her nket but she could barely see anything in the dark¡­


    "Are you looking for this?''''

 Chapter 35 - Miss Yu Is Good At Cooking

    "Are you looking for this?" Jun Zixuan pointed at the phone in his hand.


    "Why do you have that?" Her eyes widened.


    He raised an eyebrow, "I got interested in your recent searches."


    She snatched the phone from him before using her fingerprint to unlock it.


    ''How to wash dishes properly?'' The recent search results popped out and she pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed.


    "You didn''t need to lie about it," The man pointed out and she had the sudden urge to find a suitable hole to hide inside.


    She would have told the truth that she did not know how to do all these household works but the previous owner knew how to do all these. And that bothered her. Wouldn''t he think that she was lying so that she wouldn''t have to do it?


    Well¡­ Let it be¡­ She can''t reverse what has already happened so it''s better to continue acting cool.


    Moreover, even though her screen lock was her fingerprint, she felt d that she had installed a separate app lock for contacts, call logs, and texts.


    Or else it would have been troublesome to exin her rtionship with Shi Luo given their one-hour-long conversations that must be there in the call records.


    "You are invading my privacy. How can you check my phone when I am asleep?" She diverted the topic.


    "Just take it as thepensation for my shirt."


    She looked at his white shirt and a portion of it near his abdomen was a little wet. She was reminded of how she pounced on him and cried.


    Her fair cheeks turned red in an instant.


    She quickly dragged her body out of the bed. Her legs were a bit numb as she tried to stand up with the help of the headrest, "You''ve been taking care of me. You should take a rest now. I''m leaving."


    Just as she took a step, a hand grabbed her wrist tightly.


    "Stay," The man whispered.


    She froze before turning around to look at him. Holding his cheeks in both her hand, she lowered her head till their faces were inches apart.


    His heart skipped a beat as he watched her faceing closer and closer until she pressed her forehead onto his.


    "What are you doing?" He asked in a husky voice.


    "I was just checking if you have a fever," she mumbled in a soft voice.


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Heard that they speak gibberish when the temperature is high. Fever makes people muddleheaded. Why else would you ask me to stay?" She stood straight before looking at him in confusion.


    He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman coldly, "You''re still sick. Nobody will get to know if you end up dying in your room."


    She pursed her lips. Does it cost money if you speak a few nice words? Heartless creature!


    She quickly slid inside the nket, "If you insist, I''ll dlyply. Your bed is veryfortable," She sighed in satisfaction.


    "Who said you''re sleeping on the bed?" The man nced at her coldly.


    Yu Mei sat up on the bed before looking at him confusingly.


    He pointed towards the couch.


    She was speechless, "You¡­I am not sleeping there¡­I''ll better go back to my room," She quickly walked towards the door.


    But his cold voice stopped her in her tracks, "I own this ce. If you don''t want to make a snow house outside, then better sleep on the couch."


    "Jun Zixuan, you crazy moody man, are you on your period?" She snarled at him but unbothered by her outburst, the man removed his white T-shirt revealing his muscr chest and those rock-hard abs that had a golden sheen on them under the candle lights.


    Looking at his face, she couldn''t tell if he will really kick her out of the house if she didn''t sleep on the couch.


    She walked towards the couch before settling her body on it. The couch was very big andfortable but for her enormous body, the space was insufficient.


    She moved around a little trying to fit properly but there were some movements in her stomach, "Hey, are you asleep?" she nced at the man sleeping on the bed.


    "Yes," He replied without opening his eyes.


    Her lips twitched, "I¡­ Can you cook something for me? I am very hungry."


    The man opened his eyes before looking at her nkly.


    ¡­


    "Ugh¡­. Who drew the curtains open¡­?" Yu Mei rolled around in the bed as she squinted adjusting to the brightness.


    Sitting on the king-sized bed, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand before looking at her surroundings.


    Wasn''t she sleeping on the couch? She scratched the back of her neck.


    After having the super tasty porridge made by the master chef Jun Zixuan, she remembered dozing off on the couch. Did he carry her to the bed?


    She blinked, "No wonder he has such a nice body. He can even carry a sack like me," She mumbled before getting off the bed.


    Maybe he isn''t that cold-hearted as she painted him to be or else why would he bother with her?


    She decided to thank himter.


    At the breakfast table:


    "Master, the weather is a lot better today. Will you go to work?" Steward Gu asked, standing beside Jun Zixuan.


    The man nodded while spreading butter on the bread.


    "The Mayor is trying to make an appointment for one month. Shall we deny him ess inside thepany?"


    He paused his movements, "Fix it today, I''ll meet him but keep the time short."


    "Is thirty minutes fine?"


    "Ten minutes."


    The Steward was speechless. Master, he is the Mayor after all, shouldn''t you give him some face?


    He cleared his throat, "I apologize for what happened yesterday. If not for an emergency, I would not have asked for a leave," If it was not Madam''s order to leave you both alone in the mansion, we all would have stayed here, he added in his thoughts.


    "It was mom, wasn''t it?" Jun Zixuan asked without raising his head.


    Steward Gu stilled but nodded in the end, "In fact, one of us could have stayed here to serve you but since Miss Yu is good at cooking and other household works¡­"

 Chapter 36 - Is He Doting On His Wife?

    "One of us could have stayed back to serve you but since Miss Yu is good at cooking and other household works, Madam ordered us to leave you both alone so that you both could cultivate feelings," Steward Gu said getting himself prepared for his punishment.


    The man paused, "Is she good at cooking?" He asked thinking back to the blunder in the kitchen.


    Steward Gu nodded, "Even though she doesn''t look like that but Miss Yu is good at cooking and all the household works. When I had collected the report about her, I got to know that she learned all these things so that she could get close to her family and win their heart but even after working as a servant for them, those people cast her away like dirt."


    The Steward could not help but feel pity for the young girl.


    Jun Zixuan remained silent as he contemted it.


    "Steward Gu, you are back," A cheery voice resounded in the living room as Yu Mei made her way towards the dining table.


    "Miss Yu," Steward Gu bowed to her.


    "I missed you so much yesterday," She smiled at him. At least, this man could be considered her saviorpared to the other servants who red at her as if she was a witch, "By the way, I apologize for my behavior. I wasn''t feeling well and I snapped at you," She said, referring to the incident where she didn''t let him enter her room and spoke rudely. If not because of the ''bloody'' mess inside her room, she wouldn''t have done that.


    "That''s fine,'''' Steward Gu smiled. He didn''t expect her to apologize to him. Seems like she is changing her old ways.


    As she took a seat, Steward Gu spoke up again, "Miss Yu, why does your face seem a little different today?" Ever since her scars and e marks had disappeared, he was curious about it but never asked it, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.


    But since she was approachable today, he decided to ask her.


    Jun Zixuan raised his head to look at her face.


    She stiffened.


    Raising her hands, she gently touched her cheeks.


    After she went back to her bathroom, that strange pain near her chest acted up once again. But this time, she didn''t let her consciousness fade. Enduring the pain, she stood in front of the mirror only to find a light enveloping her chest.


    And this time, somehow, she did not faint nor did the painsted as long as usual. The pain disappeared within fifteen minutes.


    And somehow the contour of her face was a bit changed and she found her body agile than before.


    "Seems like you don''t want to answer?" Jun Zixuan asked.


    She snapped out of her daze, "I just did a special massage before taking the bath. Maybe, that''s why you feel like that¡­" She said, gently touching her face.


    After breakfast, Jun Zixuan grabbed his suit jacket from the chair before taking out his phone from his pocket.


    "Hey¡­" Yu Mei called out to him but the man didn''t respond.


    "Well, if you don''t want to talk to me, it''s fine, I just wanted to thank you for yesterday," Seems like he is back to his ''I am an ice cube, do not approach me'' self, she thought to herself before looking at Steward Gu, "Can you please drop me outside the mansion gates? I''ll take a taxi from there."


    Steward Gu''s lips twitched as he looked at the man standing beside him.


    Jun Zixuan walked away without looking at them.


    That was counted as a yes¡­ right?


    Outside the mansion.


    As Jun Zixuan looked at the woman getting inside the taxi and disappearing from his view, he could not help but think about what she said.


    ''I have my secrets.''


    What secrets could she have?


    Steward Gu cleared his throat, "Master, thest time, Miss Yu could not afford a taxi but right now¡­.it seems like she has money. Do you want me to investigate it?"


    "No need," The man propped his face on his index and middle finger as he continued, "We''re getting divorced soon. It''s good if we don''t get entangled with each other."


    Steward Gu looked at him through the rearview mirror in disbelief. Seems like Madam has no idea about it.


    "The one who you are working for is not my mom. You should keep that in my mind."


    A chill ran down his spine as the man nodded. He felt guilty for siding with Shen Lihua.


    Although Miss Yu was pitiful, but she did not deserve this man. A man like his Master was someone everyone looks up to. Being one of the most influential figures in the world, the woman standing beside him cannot be useless and ordinary.


    "Didn''t the Mayor want to meet me?"


    "Yes, he is very eager to meet you," Steward Gu responded before stepping on the elerator.


    "Tell him to make the Yu Familynd in a messy situation for a while. If I like his ways, I''ll meet him," Jun Zixuan nonchntly said.


    Steward Gu lost bnce causing the car to be swerved towards the right.


    He stepped on the emergency brake, "Master, you said you should not be entangled with her," He kindly reminded the man. Didn''t he say that they will get divorced soon? What is this then?


    When he mentioned how the Yu Family treated her in the past, he didn''t have much of a reaction but right now¡­ Why did it seem like he was avenging her?


    "The Yu Family¡­is quite ugly to look at," Jun Zixuan murmured, "Besides, we are not divorced as of now."


    They are a family at the top of the food chain in this country and you want them to be in a mess just because you find them ugly?


    So wilful!


    So arrogant!


    "Got some problems?"


    Steward Gu cleared his throat before stepping on the elerator.


    How can I have problems?


    You are the ultimate boss here.


    Doting on your wife in this way, are you sure that you didn''t misread the definition of divorce? The Steward could feel those words rolling at the tips of his tongue.


    In the end, he did not dare to spit them out.

 Chapter 37 - Rich CEO Turned Beggar

    Sunshine Hospital:


    "Do you think it''s something serious?" As they walked towards Shi Luo''s office, Yu Mei could not help but ask.


    They were doubting there must be something wrong with this body which is why she could not lose weight and that is why Shi Luo rmended several tests and a gynecologist for her.


    But after looking at the solemn expressions on the doctor''s face during the tests, she could not help but wonder if her condition was something severe.


    Shi Luo patted her back, "You don''t need to be scared. Whatever it is, it can be cured," Her colleague''s expression was bothering her but she did not need to lie to her friend for that.


    It''s better to be mentally prepared for the worst.


    Yu Mei slumped on the couch before picking up the ss of water from the coffee table. After drinking a few mouthfuls, she shook her head, "Not scared. As long as I won''t die, I''m fine with everything."


    Shi Luo looked at her in a daze.


    There was a nonchnt expression on her face but what exactly did she go through to speak something like this? Why did it sound so sad?


    "What happened?"


    Shi Luo shook her head, "You should happy that you''re two years younger now. Which woman doesn''t dream of bing young overnight?" She smiled.


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "When will you go back to Amaranthine?"


    "My mom has been asking me to move back to Beijing to live with her but since you were there and my work was all good, I kept on refusing her. But now, I am thinking I should stay here for some time or permanently move over."


    "What about your work? Many hospitals are offering you the position of director or chief skin specialist. You can always opt for them and settle down¡­" Yu Mei suggested as she leaned back on the couch and folded her legs atop it.


    Shi Luo scoffed, "What do you know? These sly people just want to tie me down with these duties. It''d be tiring for me."


    Right now, she didn''t have to sit on a chair all the time waiting for her patients. Out of seven days in a week, she was avable for three days in different hospitals to see the patients.


    Even though the work schedule would be hectic on these particr days, but she was content with her work.


    "And I earn decently too. I am satisfied with this," She waved her hand.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. What decently? This woman was a millionaire. Don''t go on her cute and bubbly looks.


    Sighing, she took out a gold card from her purse, "Here, take your card back," Thest time she didn''t realize when this woman put a gold card in her bag.


    "What are you being formal for? Keep it."


    "I''m penniless right now. Don''tinter when you get your bills in millions."


    Shi Luo chuckled before patting her head, "Previously, it was always you who would dote on me and take me out on shopping. Now it''s my turn to pamper my rich CEO friend who has be a beggar now."


    Yu Mei stood up from the couch before looking at the woman with narrowed eyes, "Luoluo, get that straight. Who did you call a beggar?"


    "Not you, of course. How could you be a beggar when your husband is a rich tycoon?"


    "He is not my husband!"


    "You guys are married."


    "I am not epting him as my husband."


    "Who can be sure of the future?" Shi Luo sneakily slid towards the door.


    "Not now. Not ever. He is nothing but a friend.''''


    "Yes, Yes, a friend who will activate your hormones and make your panties wet. Let''s wait and see how long you can see him as a friend."


    "Shi Luo!!"


    It was already past 4:00 pm when Yu Mei reached Ren Mansion after having a sumptuous lunch with Shi Luo.


    Because of the heavy snowfall yesterday, the weather was cool and she didn''t feel that tired after walking to the mansion.


    A soft gasp escaped her lips when she saw the scene in the living room.


    A huge entourage of men dressed in ck was standing at the entrance. They were bodyguards and she was sure of that after looking at their postures and uniforms.


    Why were they here though?


    She nced around the living room to find Jun Zixuan standing in front of the teal wooden Victorian-style sofa.


    Someone was sitting there but from her angle, she could only see the woman''s back.


    Who is it? She thought to herself before making her way towards them.


    At the sound of her approaching footsteps, thedy turned around to look at her, "Xiao Mei¡­" She softly called out.


    She froze. Looking into her memories, she recognized thedy as her mother-inw, Shen Lihua.


    As a mother-inw, she was not the evil witch that they disyed in television dramas. Rather, she was pretty caring and considerate towards the previous owner.


    But the girl didn''t cherish it. She deliberately tricked thedy into believing that her son was not treating her well.


    Although Jun Zixuan didn''t love her but he didn''t treat her that badly initially.


    But she was not satisfied with that and deliberately ruined the rtionship between the mother and son again and again.


    She thought that to keep his mother''s heart, Jun Zixuan will ept her.


    But despite their marriage, nothing happened between them.


    And her ident anda were thest snap on the mother and son''s rtionship.


    From what she heard from the servants, his mother stopped visiting him and talking to him after she fell intoa.


    Maybe she med it on her son?


    ...


    Note: If you''re liking the story so far, do vote and leave reviews to show support.

 Chapter 38 - Not Interested In Your Prince

    "Mei''er¡­"


    Yu Mei looked at the woman indifferently, "Yes?" She asked, her voiceing off as somewhat rude.


    Shen Lihua smiled at her, "You seem to have changed a lot from thest time I saw you," She said, looking at her face, "Come here, let mom have a good look at you¡­"


    "I don''t remember having a second mother," She coldly said before walking upstairs.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at her retreating back.


    Before he could go after her, Shen Lihua spoke up, "Stop right there. Looking at her behavior, she must be traumatized by you. I''ll go talk to her."


    "Mom¡­"


    She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him, "Ah Xuan, you are taking her along with you on this business trip. That''s final."


    "But¡­"


    "No buts," She turned around and walked upstairs.


    As soon as Yu Mei entered her bedroom, she walked towards her bedside table before pulling open the drawer.


    Although she had set a pin code to her room but this was Jun Zixuan''s vi. If he wanted, he would find ways to enter her room.


    She gently took out the white little creature from the drawer before putting it on the bed.


    It was still sleeping.


    She stroked the little red lotus mark on its tiny head.


    Although this furry thing looked cute and harmless but she was not naive enough to buy that.


    It was her first time seeing such a thing and it had mysterious origins.


    She did now want anyone to find out about it¡­yet.


    ''Knock Knock.''


    She tucked it under the nket before folding her legs on the bed, "Come in."


    Shen Lihua pushed open the door before walking inside, "Mei''er, you didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk to me," She gently said.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Since you noticed that I don''t want to talk to you, what''s the meaning ofing here?"


    "You are good at acting? How about I help you enter the entertainment industry?" The woman''s voice was still as gentle as ever as she took a seat on the couch, folding her legs gracefully.


    She stiffened, "Excuse me?" What the heck!?


    "You want to pretend to be an evil woman so that I would keep you away from my son," Shen Lihua smiled, "Better luck next time, girl. Even if you were truly evil, I would have found some ways to set you straight."


    She knows.


    Yu Mei frowned. How could she know about their conversation? She had suggested to Jun Zixuan that she will pretend to be a bitch so that his mother would despise her.


    But how could she know about that?


    And why was she so stubborn about her? Neither was she beautiful nor virtuous, who would choose her to be the wife of a man Jun Zixuan who reeked of royalty and elegance from head to toe?


    "You think I am not evil? All this time, I have been harming myself, slitting my wrist and all to get your son''s attention. I even used you. Although he didn''t love me, he never treated me wrong but I deliberately manipted you so that you will force him to spend more time with me," This was all that the previous owner did.


    And after knowing the truth, thedy might hate her but that''s better.


    First of all, she will realize that she misunderstood her son for someone''s lies and maybe regret it.


    Secondly, Yu Mei didn''t want an ever-extending family tree.


    One husband was difficult enough to deal with. She would be done for if she got a clingy mother-inw.


    Shen Lihua stood up before shaking her head. Even that small action of hers was elegant.


    Jun Zixuan must have gotten his elegance from his mother, Yu Mei concluded in her heart.


    "Girl, your confession came way toote. Do you think I don''t know about your little games?" She Lihua smiled again.


    Yu Mei looked at her in disbelief, "Then why¡­?"


    "Then why did I reprimand my son? Or do you want to ask why I scolded him and refused to talk to him?" Looking at the curiosity on her face, Shen Lihua continued, "That''s because he wasn''t fulfilling his duties as a husband. I never forced him to marry you but since he did that, he should act as a proper husband know? He never spends quality time with you despite being married to you. Do you think I fell for your childish schemes? How na?ve!"


    Yu Mei could feel her head spinning at the revtion. Was the previous owner really na?ve or this mother-inw is just too smart?


    "Anyways, Ah Xuan is going on a business trip¡­"


    Yu Mei snapped out of her daze, "That''s good¡­."


    "And you are going with him," Shen Lihua added interrupting her.


    Yu Mei almost fell down the bed. What the f¡­ "I am not going with him," Looking straight at the woman''s face, she added, "I am not interested in your prince so you better not tie us together again and again."


    Shen Lihua frowned, "How can you say that? 99% out of 100% women go crazy at the sight of him but you are the lucky one he married¡­"


    "OH¡­Sorry, Ie in the 1% category," Yu Mei coldly interrupted the woman.


    "If you don''t like something about him, we can get it changed. How about that?" Shen Lihua twirled the loose strands of hair with her index finger.


    "_"He is your son¡­not a room design. How can you get him changed?


    "I will never be interested in him no matter what you do¡­" After all, there is a line between friendship and love.

 Chapter 39 - The Little Creature Can Talk

    Shen Lihua sighed, "I can''t match the pace of you youngsters. Only you can understand what you''re thinking. Just go with him on this business trip, alright?"


    "Why would I?"


    "What a defiant daughter-inw," The woman sneered, "Not bad. Either you go with him to the business trip where he would stay busy with his work or else I can make him cancel his work and send the servants on a holiday. You both can spend some quality time alone in this mansion. The choice is yours."


    She waved at her before walking out of the room only to be met with her son who was standing with a cold expression on his face, "Let her go with you." She said before walking away.


    Yu Mei sat there frozen in her spot as she thought about what her dear mother-inw just said.


    "The woman is a she-devil¡­" She murmured to herself, "So¡­Zixuan is a businessman¡­"


    What business is he doing?


    She shook her head.


    Tsk...It has nothing to do with her.


    Rather than staying alone with him in this mansion, it was better to apany him on the business trip. At least, he will be busy with work.


    ''Bang''


    She was startled by the sudden noise and looked up.


    "Do you want to break the door?" She looked at the man in disbelief, "Anyways, I don''t want to see you now. You can just leave¡­"


    The man did not respond to her as walked straight towards her before grabbing her jaw in one hand, "You are not talking to her like that ever again," He enunciated each word in a low yet dangerous voice.


    Her eyes teared up at the amount of pressure his fingers applied on her cheeks.


    She grabbed his wrist tightly trying to remove his hand off her face.


    But he seemed to have be someone else.


    She was confident about her physical strength but the man didn''t even flinch. She was well trained in martial arts and she knew there were not many men who couldpare to her.


    But in front of him, her strength seemed negligible.


    A lone teardrop escaped from the corner of her eyes as it slid down her cheeks beforending on his hand.


    As he felt the wet sensation on his fingers, he blinked before looking into her eyes.


    Those inky ck eyes had a ssy shine in them.


    The sight of tears in her eyes¡­made him ufortable.


    His grip on her cheeks loosened and she pushed him away right that instant.


    ''Pak!''


    She stood up from the bed before giving him a tight p.


    "I think I never knew you before. Or I just misunderstood your true nature," Her words sounded like a whisper, "Jun Zixuan¡­ You are a devil¡­" She mumbled before running out of the room.


    Jun Zixuan stood there rooted to his spot as he raised his hand towards his cheek.


    He was pped.


    But the thing that bothered him was the tears in her eyes and that redness on her translucent skin.


    He was worried whether it was painful to her while she was the one who misbehaved with his mother and pped him.


    Strange, isn''t it?


    Yu Mei did not pay attention to anyone as she ran out of the mansion.


    Without looking back at anyone or thinking about anything, she went to the rose garden that she enteredst time.


    She walked towards thergest pine tree in her view before sitting under its shade. She leaned back on its girth while her fingers drew circles on theyer of snow that covered the ground.


    Whatever happened today¡­she would just take it as a reminder to stay away from Jun Zixuan in the future.


    She misbehaved with his mother because they had already discussed that she will pretend to be a bitch in front of her. She thought he agreed to her n at that time. Then why did he treat her as such¡­?


    The university will be reopening soon as the blizzard was over and she will be able toplete the final year within a few months. She decided to shift back to the dormitory.


    She would be receiving a detailed health checkup report very soon which might solve her overweight issues.


    Amidst all this, their divorce will be processed. Everything would be fine as long as she didn''t get entangled with this dangerously mysterious man.


    Sometimes, life is just too unfair. First of all, she had to die on her birthday. Secondly, she was reborn in the body of an illegitimate young miss who is the wife of this tyrant.


    Couldn''t she be reborn in some peaceful middle-ss family so that she could aplish her goals without hassles?


    "Stop being greedy, you foolish human," A childish voice spoke.


    She was startled.


    "Who is it? Where are you?" She furrowed her brows. As much as she knew there were no children in this mansion, then where did this kide from?


    And what''s up with this rude voice?


    "Who are you calling a kid, you moron?!"


    Yu Mei paled. That was something she thought inside her mind, how could someone know her thoughts?


    ''''It''s suffocating here¡­Get me outside of your pocket if you do not want me to kill you¡­"


    P-Pocket?


    Disbelief was written all over her face as she extended her trembling fingers towards the pocket of the trench coat she was wearing.


    She took the little furry thing out of her pocket, "I-Is it you who is talking to me?" Earlier when Jun Zixuan''s mother was talking to her, she had put it in her pocket sneakily so that she wouldn''t see it.


    "Is there someone else here?"


    Yu Mei closed her eyes before taking a deep breath, "So, what are you?" she calmly asked looking at the palm-sized creature in her hand.


    The little thing snorted as it looked at her with its round hazel eyes, ''''Why are you not shocked?"


    "I am alive right now¡­this has got something to do with you, isn''t it?"


    The creature''s round eyes visibly widened as it bit her finger with its sharp teeth beforending on the ground elegantly.


    "Sss¡­" She sucked in a cold breath and red at the thing whose color matched with that of the snow there.


    "I am not telling you about anything. You should?be grateful that you are alive right now, how dare you ask for a better life?" The creature scoffed at her in disdain.


    She nced at it coldly, "What kind of thing are you?"


    "I don''t find it necessary to share that with you¡­"


    The woman lowered her head in disappointment, appearing somewhat pitiful, ''''I feel like I am all alone in this world¡­" She softly mumbled, her words giving off the vibes of loneliness.


    The little thing''srge ears twitched slightly as he looked at her pitiful face. It opened its mouth to speak, "I am a¡­."

 Chapter 40 - Living Together In The Presidential Suite

    "I am a fox," The small thing mumbled and looked at Yu Mei''s face only to find a ghost of a smile resting on her face, "You¡­You¡­ You tricked me¡­.Why can''t I read your thoughts?" It red at her.


    She shrugged, "If I don''t think anything, you won''t know anything."


    The fox was stunned.


    To be able to control her thought process¡­this girl is not gullible. It squinted its eyes, "Do you know I can kill you right this instant for ying such games with me?" A powerful aura burst forth and she gritted her teeth to endure the pain that made her feel like her bones were being shattered.


    Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth as she looked at the small creature in disdain, "I would not have been alive till this day if you could have killed me¡­"


    The pressure in the air dissipated in an instant and she could feel the pain in her body slowly disappearing.


    She wiped the blood from her mouth before speaking up, "Killing me will be harmful to you too, isn''t it? How about I kill myself then?"


    "You won''t do that," The fox looked at her with a doubtful gaze.


    "After dying once, I don''t fear death anymore," she said looking straight into its eyes.


    "What do you want?" Psychopath! Absolute psychopath. This human was crazy and right now, it was not good to take risks so it decided to negotiate with her.


    "First, cut off your connection with my mind or whatever you are doing. I don''t want my thoughts to be read by others," She coldly said.


    The fox looked at her with a doubtful re. If it didn''t do that, will she really kill herself?


    "You can try me," She muttered as if she could read his mind.


    The fox fell speechless. Closing its eyes, it mumbled something, "It''s done," It said stroking its face with its paws.


    "You''re ugly," Yu Mei murmured.


    "What did you say?" Rage burst forth from the small creature and she could feel the pine tree behind her shaking.


    "I was joking¡­" She smiled at it despite the pain coursing through her body.


    The pressure disappeared in an instant.


    I was serious, you are truly ugly, she thought to herself but this time there was no reaction from it.


    She let out a sigh inwardly. Seems like her intuition was not wrong. For some reason, this fox cannot kill her and she noticed that it seemed to be very proud of its beauty.


    She knew better than to trust a fox which is why she used this way to test if it has really stopped reading her mind.


    The shock regarding this fox finally started sinking inside her mind.


    "So, are you a male or female?"


    "Female," The fox muttered.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "No, you can give me one if you want but it must be powerful and domineering," It grumpily walked towards her before jumping on herp.


    Seems like the fox has no sense of the name. She squinted trying hard toe up with a proper name. And finally, something clicked in her mind, "I''ll call you Mia from now."


    The fox blinked, "Sounds fine to me. What does it mean?"


    "It''s a powerful name for someone cold, dark, unapproachable, and extremely powerful," She smiled at it kindly.


    The fox nodded, seemingly pleased, "What a perfect name!"


    As Yu Mei looked at the proud little creature, her lips tugged up at an angle she could not see.


    ''Mia'' means bright, friendly, and darling.


    Didn''t it bite her on their first meet?


    Little one, here is my return gift for you.


    "It''s time for me to rest. See youter," Mia said.


    She looked at it with aplicated gaze as it disappeared into thin air.


    She let out a deep sigh before leaning back on the pine tree. Was there no other solution to it? Keeping a time bomb beside her, she was sure everything will get more difficult from now on.


    Two days have passed in a sh since the couple came to Shanghai for Jun Zixuan''s business trip.


    Yu Mei kept the man at an arm''s length ever since thest incident and luckily for her, she didn''t see him much aftering here. As his mother said, he must be busy with his work.


    But she found it nice that way because she didn''t have to face that devil. On the other hand, China was a whole new world for her.


    In the past, she used toe to Beijing once in a while to visit Shi Luo''s mother so she knew about that ce a little.


    Buting to Shanghai was an entirely different experience.


    It has been two days since they came here but she was already enjoying it to her fullest.


    In the Presidential suite of Trident Resorts, Shanghai.


    Yu Mei entered the suite after exploring the best sights nearby. She walked towards the King-sized bed before letting her bodynd on it in a free-fall motion.


    Coming here was not as bad as she thought. She was feeling a lot more refreshed than before.


    Moreover, Jun Zixuan was busy with his work. He woulde to the room after she fell asleep and would leave before she woke up.


    He slept on the couch while she slept on the bed. At least, the man had some conscience left in him.


    The day when they checked into this resort, they were informed that they had to live together in this suite.


    The credit belongs to the person who arranged this¡­ her seemingly gentle mother-inw.


    After their face-off in the garden, the fox did not show up again and it gave her the time to process these weird things in her mind before her brain could malfunction.


    She stood up from the bed before walking towards the mirror on the opposite wall. Although she was still fat as before, but her skin was as fair and smooth as a jade right now.


    After the change in her contours, her facial features didn''t change that much but her face was much more pleasing than before. She could be counted as a cute little beauty right now.


    Dark sparkling eyes, ruddy pomegranate shaded lips, a small forehead, gorgeous long dark hair, and prominent facial features¡­ As long as she lost weight, she believed she would look pretty decent.


    She decided to take a shower first before getting in for a good night''s sleep.


    "I should lock the main door first¡­" She mumbled to herself.


    She didn''t want to be bothered by any hotel staff and Jun Zixuan had the keycard with him so it was only right for her to lock the before she went to take a shower.


    ...


    Spoiler Alert: Some sweet stuff in the next chapter.


    Note: *Hoping for your reviews*


    We''ve reached 40 chapters. Although I can''t reply to all yourments since I have another book to take care of but trust me when I say that I read all of them before sleeping every night.


    To all my readers and also those who like ghost reading withoutmenting or anything, your every word motivates us writers to keep writing and to not drop the book. I hope it isn''t much of me to ask for your votes,ments, and reviews. 3 more reviews and I''ll be giving a small mass release of 2 chaps. Enough of my rant. Good night! ^?^

 Chapter 41 - You Don’t Talk To Me Like Before

    As she twisted the doorknob to lock the door, it was pulled from the other side and she lost her footing with it.


    "Ah.." Her nose bumped into a rigid surface as she felt an arm wrapping around her waist.


    "Are you alright?" A cool tone resounded from above her head.


    She took a few steps back keeping a proper distance between them before rubbing her nose gently.


    Jun Zixuan stared at the woman who was treating him like some contagious disease. Her attitude towards him didn''t change over the past two days.


    If he joined her at the breakfast table, she would leave without eating anything. If he stood in front of her, she would change her path. They came to Shanghai on his private jet but throughout the whole journey, she kept herself at a distance and didn''t even look at him in the eye.


    When they checked-in in the resorts and were informed about their stay in one suite, the look of horror on her face was genuine.


    He tried to talk to her a few times on the first day but she slipped away every time.


    So, in the end, he avoideding to the room to not make her ufortable. He only came back after she was asleep and left before she woke up.


    And she seemed to be veryfortable with this kind of arrangement. She treated him like air. And that irked him. Was he that hateful?


    It has been only recently that they started living together but he was used to her fighting with him over small things. He didn''t even realize when he started bickering with her. It was so unlike of him to be so petty towards someone or to spare his words on people who don''t matter to him.


    But now that she was not talking, something felt empty inside. Maybe, he was just not used to it, or maybe he was not used to a silent, prim, and proper Yu Mei.


    He looked at the woman who was rubbing her nose until it turned red. Her dark eyes red at him but she didn''t speak a single word and turned around to walk away.


    Without thinking about anything, he grabbed her hand.


    She paused for a moment before struggling; she twisted her wrist trying to escape from his grip but he didn''t let go.


    She turned around to look at him but didn''t speak a single word.


    He also looked at her without saying anything.


    As the stifling silence in the air became unbearable, she opened her mouth to speak, "Is there anything you want from me?" She coldly asked, not trying to struggle anymore. The man was much more powerful than her.


    "You are ignoring me.." He took a step towards her and she retreated a step back.


    The door behind them was locked with a small ''click''.


    He walked towards her and she kept backing away. It went on until her back collided against the wall.


    She blinked.


    What was he trying to do?


    As his face approached closer, she gulped, "Stay away from me," She softly said, reminding him to keep a proper distance between them before they talk.


    Who knew if he was provoked somehow and ended up pinching her cheeks again like that day?


    But the man didn''t pay attention to her words as he did not budge from his position neither did he loosened his grip on her wrist. He looked at her with a deep gaze.


    His masculine smell drifted off to her nose.


    She lowered her eyes a little, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.


    The man was wearing a navy blue tuxedo with tie loosened around his neck, the sleeves of his suit jacket were folded giving her the view of the veins near his wrist and his gorgeous well-toned arm.


    She looked back at his face only to be met with his chestnut eyes, she could make out the slight flecks of gold in them.


    His usuallybed hair was in a mess giving off an unruly vibe.


    That handsome face, that jawline¡­no wonder, he was the Prince Charming of the Crystal university. The man was in another league if shepared him to all the men she has met in her life¡­


    ''Given that you are lusting over your husband, how did you have the audacity toin about this life that day?'' A childish voice rang out in her mind and her eyes widened slightly.


    ''Didn''t you promise to not read my thoughts?'' She thought.


    ''Oh¡­That¡­Your hormones were so strong that your thoughts were automatically unlocked,'' Mia spoke up without an ounce of hesitation.


    Yu Mei closed her eyes trying to soothe her anger. When did she ever lust over her husband? She was just appreciating the art that he was. That''s it!


    ''Shut it out, Mia. Right, this instant. Or else, you know the consequence. I won''t care about anything before ending my life. I don''t think you will be happy with that.''


    ''Crazy maniac¡­bully,'' The childish voice cursed her a little longer before falling silent and with that, she knew that Mia was gone.


    She let out a sigh of relief inwardly. She has observed that the fox was pretty concerned about her life so right now, she could only threaten it with her life.


    Or else it would have been pretty tough to control it.


    The man looked at her face with interest. Her expression changed from a mild shock to anger and finally relief.


    What was she thinking about?


    "Or if you have nothing to say, then goodbye," She tried to walk away but the man pressed his hand on the wall next to her face while his grip on her other hand tightened slightly, but not enough to hurt her.


    "You don''t talk to me like before, you keep yourself at a distance..."


    She interrupted him, "Isn''t that what you have always wanted? Didn''t you always detest me? Didn''t you want me to stay away from you? Right now when I''m doing that, why are not satisfied with it? Moreover, what do you mean by I don''t talk to you like before? When have we ever had a proper conversation between us?" Her confusion was genuine about these things.

 Chapter 42 - Beautiful Setup

    "Isn''t that what you have always wanted? Didn''t you always detest me? Didn''t you want me to stay away from you? Right now when I''m doing that, why are not satisfied with it? Moreover, what do you mean by I don''t talk to you like before? When have we ever had a proper conversation between us?" Her confusion was genuine about these things.


    All this time, he always stayed away from his wife. Although he married her, but there was no interaction between the couple.


    Even after she took over this body, all he did was bicker with her. So, what is he talking about right now? Moreover, why won''t he just go against his mother''s words?


    Yu Mei was curious about it. Be it the Jun Zixuan during the university times or the one standing in front of her, the man has changed a lot but one thing that never changed about him was that he was still that proud man. He had an arrogance that he seemed to be born with. The man would never bow to anyone.


    Then why would he give in to his mother all this time?


    She understood that he loved his mother but he was not the type of person who would do anything ording to someone''s will. Was there something she was not aware of?


    "Yes, I have always wanted you to stay away from but it''s all in the past," He said without taking his eyes off her.


    All in the past?


    The way he behaved with her was worsepared to the way he behaved with the original owner. Then why did he say this?


    "What changed now?" She asked tilting her chin upwards.


    "You did," He replied.


    She blinked in surprise.


    Although he didn''t mean it that way, but she has literally changed. Or more like she has switched with his real wife.


    Looking at theirpromising position, she sighed, "It''s good that we are alone here, or else we would have been mistaken as a couple making out here."


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat before loosening his grip from her hand and taking a step back, "You seem pretty concerned about what they say."


    She smiled, "Of course, I have a future ahead. After our divorce, I''ll find a decent man for myself. So it''s better to keep myself clean of these rumors."


    In reality, she wanted to say that she would stay single for her whole life or just wait for the right person but these words will be very contradictory to the previous owner''s man-chasing personality.


    The man frowned but didn''tment any further.


    "After the way you treated me that day, I don''t feel like talking to you anymore," She walked towards the bathroom.


    "I¡­ Will you listen to me first?" He asked in a soft voice.


    She paused before turning around to look at him. Looking at his face, she couldn''t bring herself to deny, "Just this once," She said.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, "Alright, just this once." He replied.


    She smiled, "I''ll take a shower first. Wait for me on the resort terrace."


    He nodded.


    ¡­


    On the rooftop.


    After taking a shower and getting dressed in a pair offy pajamas, Yu Mei went to the terrace as they had decided but there was no one around in the enormous ce. And because it was dark, she didn''t wander around that much.


    She walked towards the edge of the roof and stood there watching the citylights of Shanghai. "So beautiful¡­" She whispered, looking at the glittering lights everywhere. There was a pleasant scent in the air.


    Standing at the peak of 270 meters above sea level, the open-air rooftop in this ce could not get any better.


    The moment the words left her mouth, the whole terrace lit up.


    She gasped before turning around.


    Earlier she was thinking why was it so dark on the terrace of the five-star resort. But looking at the beauty of the ce now, she could not help but be amazed.


    As she looked around, she could see all kinds of orchids everywhere. No wonder there was a sweet and pleasant scent in the air.


    The twinkling fairy lights in the middle of the round terrace were giving off a dreamy vibe. There was a lone table along with two chairs ced under the lights. There were two wine sses and a wine bottle ced in the middle along with a huge spread of delicious dishes on the round table.


    But what made her raise an eyebrow was the theme color of the setup seemed to be pink. The color which she found to be an eyesore now.


    In her previous life, her feelings were neutral towards pink. Neither did she like it nor did she hate it.


    But after being reborn in this body, she didn''t like the sight of this color.


    The previous owner was so obsessed with pink that even the color of her shampoo, shower gel, and even her panties were pink.


    Anyways¡­


    Did she interrupt someone''s date?


    Since Jun Zixuan is not here anyway, she decided to leave before theye here.


    Just as she took a step towards her, a hand grabbed her wrist from behind.


    She was startled but just as she prepared her fist in a punching position, a voice came from behind.


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    She turned around to look at the man in exasperation, "When will you stop scaring me?" She patted her chest.


    "Who told you to be a scaredy-cat?" The man spoke nonchntly.


    She pursed her lips.


    Earlier, he was asking why she was not talking to him. But with a poisonous tongue as such, did he really expect her to talk to him?


    Humph! In his dreams.


    Jun Zixuan looked at the woman who was pouting slightly. Her smooth round cheeks were puffed up and her dark eyes appearedrger than usual.


    He found her adorable.


    Tilting his head to the side, he snickered.


    Her brows twitched in annoyance, "What are youughing for?"

 Chapter 43 - She Is Suffering From Leukemia

    "You look like a panda," The man chuckled again.


    She swatted away his hand, "Did you invite me toe here for another fight? If yes, then I''ll leave now."


    Her weight was bing her sore spottely. Why did he have to poke it like that?


    He grabbed her hand firmly, "Pretend like I didn''t say anything."


    She followed his gaze, "You prepared this?" She did not expect him to do something like that.


    The man shook his head seriously, "The hotel staff did it ording to my ideas.''''


    "What I meant is I was surprised that you will n something like this," She smiled at him. She initially thought it was the date night preparation for some other couple.


    "Let''s have dinner first, shall we?"


    Looking at the extravagant spread of dishes before her, she could barely control herself from drooling.


    She had had all types of snacks during sightseeing but now that there was dinner in front of her, she was hungry.


    But keeping thest thread of self-control in check, she looked at him, "Fine, I''ll eat your food but that doesn''t mean I have forgiven you."


    He sighed helplessly, "Fine."


    She wanted to drink wine but the man didn''t let her touch it which made her wonder whether he had put it on the table for just show.


    After their dinner, they sat on therge porch swing bed ced in the middle of the terrace. On both their sides, there were cushions and she sat at an appropriate distance from him.


    The swing was like a big couch but the only difference was that it was not ced on the floor as it swayed along with their small movements.


    The sweet fragrance of orchids lingered in the air drifting around them with the soft breeze of midnight.


    Yu Mei asked him to turn off the fairy lights and the ce was back to being dark again.


    "You don''t like light?" He looked at the girl''s reflection under the moonlight. She kept gazing at the citylights with so much excitement as if she has never seen them before.


    "I don''t hate light particrly. But to be honest, I prefer dark nights over the brightest days," She softly said looking, "I find sce in the darkness. I don''t have anything to pretend about."


    He nced at her in a daze.


    ''Are you a vampire? Why do you look so pale?''


    ''I overworked yesterday. By the way, I might turn out to be a vampire. I do find sce in the darkness just like them,'' The distant reply of the girl rang in his mind.


    "What are you thinking about?" Yu Mei snapped her fingers in front of his face.


    Jun Zixuan shook his head slightly.


    "So¡­what did you want to talk about?" She asked as she dangled her legs off the swing before swaying them back and forth.


    He looked at her for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak, "I wanted to apologize for my behavior."


    She paused her movements. She took off her shoes and folded her legs on the swing. Picking up the cushion from the side, she put it on herp and propped her chin on both her palms, "You mustpensate me for the emotional distress and mental shock."


    He nodded without hesitation, "Alright, what do you want?"


    "For now, I want a rose from your garden and in the future, you will give me a stem of the nt. Okay?" She tilted her to the side to look at him.


    His lips twitched slightly, "You can ask for anything except that."


    Looking at his expression, she frowned, "You are so stingy. I just asked for one rose and a stem in exchange for my forgiveness. What are you hesitating about? Where is your sincerity?" She scoffed before looking ahead.


    "Alright," He relented.


    Her eyes sparkled and her lips tilted up at an angle where he could not see. Silly, did you think I will make do with one flower? I am going to pack up your whole garden for divorce alimony?


    "Despite thepensation, I am still indignant. What did you pinch my cheeks for? Do you know it was red for one whole day? Moreover, we already discussed the thing regarding me pretending to be a bitch in front of your mother, didn''t we? Why did you have to react like that?" When it came to that, she found it very unfair.


    Just because you have strength, you will apply it to me? Humph!


    After that incident, she decided to strengthen her body fast.


    "You were pretending that time?" He looked at her questioning.


    She nced back at him, "What do you think?"


    In fact, rather than getting angry at him, she is more upset about their situation.


    Who would not doubt her real intentions? The previous owner was a scheming person and she was often rude to others so it didn''te off as a surprise when he took her act for real.


    He sighed, "She is suffering from Leukemia for two years."


    She stilled for a moment before looking at him. It took her a few moments to realize that he was talking about his mother.


    She didn''t interrupt him as the man continued, "Back then, she refused to cooperate with the treatment process and chemotherapy which resulted in our marriage."


    So, this was the reason why an outstanding man like him was married to a girl like Yu Mei Zhen who was a nobody¡­she thought to herself.


    "How is her condition right now?" She asked him.


    Looking at her cool mother-inw, she never once thought that something was wrong with her.


    "Her condition is improving but she is on her medications. The doctors suggested her to live in a good environment and not pressurize herself with anything. At this time, agitation and all won''t do good for her recovery¡­"


    Although his expressions remained indifferent, but she could feel the dejection around him.


    "I hope she will be better soon," She patted his shoulder, not knowing what else to say at a time like this.

 Chapter 44 - Waking Up In His Arms

    Somehow, her heart ached for him. Because of his love for his mother, he had to sacrifice his happiness to marry a girl he didn''t know or loved.


    But it didn''t stop with that. To ensure that his mother was in a happy mood, he went along with anything she wanted and didn''t oppose her decisions.


    For a proud and arrogant man like him to be so helpless, it could be said that he loved his mother very much to do something like that.


    And from what she observed, his mother also loved him as such.


    But there seemed to be an invisible barrier between both of them.


    A man like him seemed to be the kind of person who would rule his destiny and keep others in control. For Jun Zixuan, it must be frustrating being controlled like that.


    As for Shen Lihua, she must be feeling guilty for the previous owner''s mother.


    ording to her memories, Yu Mei Zhen''s biological mother Li Na was somehow rted to Jun Zixuan''s mother for which they ended up getting married. As such, the rtionship between thedies must have run deep.


    So after the marriage, Shen Lihua expected her son to give Yu Mei the rights of a wife which never happened.


    Despite giving in to her all the time, Jun Zixuan was stubborn in certain aspects. He never once tried to cultivate feelings with his wife and kept her at a distance. Hell, he didn''t even live in the same mansion with her.


    s, Yu Mei''s suicide attempt and the ident thatnded her in aa must have affected Shen Lihua a lot for her to avoid her son for a long time.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    His voice brought her back from her thoughts. "Nothing.." She yawned. It was not her ce to discuss all this with him.


    Whatever was going on between the mother and son duo would be eventually sorted out by them. As a temporary guest in their lives, it was not her ce to interfere.


    She looked at him before extending her hand towards, "Fighting with you is very tiring. And I''m kindazy these days. Let''s just be friends, okay?" Let''s be friends again, she added in her mind.


    He nced at her extended hand before looking back at her sparkling eyes. Maybe it was because of the moonlight, her dark eyes were shining brighter than ever.


    "What? You don''t want to ept it?"


    Just as she was about to retract her hand, he grabbed it before shaking it lightly, "Okay. Friends!" He replied to which she smiled.


    The corner of his lips tilted up as he looked at her yawningzily. He didn''t know when it started but he didn''t find her that unbearable anymore.


    Sitting with her on the rooftop at 2:00 am, gazing at the stars as they talked about life didn''t seem to be that bad.


    "If you are sleepy, let''s go back to the suite then," He suggested when she curled up inside the nket.


    "You can go back," She mumbled, "I just want to stay here and look at this all night long," She pointed towards the starry sky and bright citylights.


    "You can see this anytime."


    "Something¡­so beautiful¡­ I''ve never seen something so beautiful before." She softly mumbled adjusting her head in a beautiful position before closing her eyes.


    His brows bumped together. "What is extraordinary about it?"


    She wrylyughed, "What do you know¡­? I''ve never taken the time to sit and admire such views¡­. The ce where Ie from is¡­"


    Her voice became lower and he leaned closer to hear what she was saying.


    ''''is very busy¡­'''' were herst words before she dozed off.


    The ce where she came from?


    Before he could contemte further, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Tilting his head to the side, he watched as she slept peacefully with her head resting on his shoulder.


    He stiffened for a moment before raising his hand in an attempt to push her away but she snuggled closer to him and rubbed her cheeks on his arm.


    Up so close, he noticed that her skin was just like a small baby''s¡­soft and supple.


    Curious, he gently poked her bulging cheek and it bounced back.


    Chuckling to himself, he looked at the deep skies before eventually falling asleep.


    ¡­


    "Umph¡­.Stupid people, why do you have to draw the curtains open all the time¡­?" She grumbled before snuggling closer to the warm bolster she thought she was holding.


    It smelt so nice that she even sniffed a few times before rubbing her nose on it.


    "Morning¡­" A deep and husky voice sounded above her head that had her eyes open in an instant.


    The sight that greeted her was a perfect manly neck with his Adam''s apple popping up and down ever so seductively.


    She had her hand resting his chest while she slept on his shoulder with her face burrowed in his chest as they slept under the same nket.


    She could feel his arm resting on her back, supporting her body.


    She straightened her body ever so slightly before looking at the man''s face, "Good morning."


    Under the morning light, his messy golden ash-blonde hair seemed to be shining. The golden flecks in his dark eyes were more apparent.


    What a handsome man!


    She smiled brightly before sitting straight. Therge roof of the swing protected them from sunlight so she was in no hurry to protect herself from tanning.


    "You smell so nice. What perfume do you use?" She casually asked before removing the nket off her body.


    His lips twitched. Is this the first thing thates to your mind after waking up in a man''s arms?


    Looking at her reaction, she frowned, "What''s wrong? Didn''t you sleep well?"


    "I did¡­" He blurted out bitterly.


    With a woman syed over his body, cuddling with him while asionally sniffing and licking his neck, he did sleep well. Very well!


    She smiled brightly. Her mood was surprisingly very good today for a few reasons.

 Chapter 45 - A New Design

    First of all, they were no longer enemies. Secondly, she watched the beautiful view of Shanghai from the rooftop, had good food, and a night of veryfortable sleep as well.


    Life was all too good.


    ''Hypocrite! Sometimes, you say life is tough and sometimes you find it good.'' A childish voice rang out in her mind.


    "_"


    ''Cut the connection right this instant,'' And in a second, everything was back to normal once again.


    This sneaky Fox is always snooping around her thoughts.


    "I also slept well," Yu Mei smiled at him, "Your arms are prettyfortable and warm."


    He sighed before rubbing his temple, "Did you forget that I am a man?"


    She blinked, "What''s wrong with you? Of course, I know that you are a man," What kind of joke is this? Did she look dumb to him?


    "Then, you are not bothered by sleeping with me?"


    "OH¡­You are talking about that?''''


    Look at her ''I am enlightened'' expressions, he nodded.


    "You are a fussy man¡­" She stood up from the swing before adjusting her dress a little.


    He raised an eyebrow.


    She sighed helplessly, "We just slept under the same nket, hugging each other. What''s there to be bothered about? Isn''t this something friends are allowed to do?"


    "You do this with all your friends?"


    "Yes," She often slept with Shi Luo.


    She never had many friends in the first ce. There was only Shi Luo whom she could call her friend during high school and university. When Jun Zixuan came into her life, they became friends, andter, he even introduced her to his friend circle.


    "Then don''t make friends from now on¡­" He mumbled under his breath.


    "Eh¡­? Did you say something?" She could not catch onto what he said earlier.


    He shook his head before standing up from the swing.


    The man raked his fingers through his hair setting it perfectly.


    Looking at his tense face, she was speechless for a moment, "You can just chill alright?" She patted his shoulder and as he looked at her, she continued speaking, "It''s normal between friends, like holding hands or sleeping together. We are more like bros. Don''t worry though. When you get yourself a woman in the future, I won''t reveal all this to spoil your image in front of her."


    She waved her hand before dragging herzy ass towards the elevator.


    Friendzone Alert!


    Unaware of the danger signs that might affect his happy future, Jun Zixuan looked at the woman''s back as she walked away without a care of anything.


    "Should I be grateful to have such an understanding wife¡­?" He narrowed his eyes slightly before walking after her.


    ¡­


    After they had their breakfast together, Jun Zixuan left for work while Yu Mei explored the ce a little before going back to the Presidential Suite.


    Since she had nothing to do, she called the room service to get her a sketchbook with some shading pencils and colors. And their attitudes towards her were so pleasant that she could not help but wonder if Jun Zixuan owned this resort.


    It has been a long time since she designed something so she ended up spending more than four hours designing a pendant.


    "A beautiful one indeed¡­." she mumbled to herself. She has never been so satisfied with any of her creations.


    She was not narcissistic but when it came to designing and her creativity, she could not help but be proud of herself.


    As small as the pendant was, she made it so that every intricateyer of strokes on it was highlighted. A spherical crystal pendant that reflected the petals of a beautiful magenta-purple rose from inside.


    She even added a white spiderweb-like structure at one corner of the petal demonstrating the gorgeous flower that has imprinted itself in her mind.


    Looking at it, her eyes sparkled with excitement. As much as she was mesmerized by it, she has never tried a fusion concept like this before.


    Feeling some movements in her stomach, she got out from the king-sized bed and picked up the fruit sd bowl from the bedside before stuffing herself hurriedly.


    Dammit! She was so engrossed in designing that she did not realize when she was starving.


    Sitting back on the bed, she picked up her phone with her right hand and continued eating with the other.


    As usual, she went back to her recent searches to look for any news about her brother. But to her disappointment there was none. And it confused her.


    As the President of Amaranthine, Jian Yu was one of the most influential men in the world and even if he overslept for one day, it would make it to the hot headlines of the tabloids.


    Then what was going on now? Why was there no news about him?


    Did her death affect him so negatively that he decided to retreat from the public''s eyes to get over the grief? It might be possible, she thought to herself.


    Maybe, he was giving himself some space to ept the truth. But how would she contact him then? Even his phone was turned off¡­


    Before she could dwell on it any longer, two notifications popped up on her phone screen immediately getting her attention.


    Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

 Chapter 46 - Bankruptcy Issue

    As Yu Mei scrolled down the chat, the links sent by Shi Luo irked her.


    The stock price of Rosette keeps on plummeting. While the higher-ups are keeping their mouths shut regarding the disappearance of their CEO, thepany is facing the ire of the rivalpanies and one could not say how long it will be able to withstand the pressure.


    If things go on like this, Rosette might go bankrupt within a few weeks? That fast? She contemted it.


    It has been more than one month since her death and thest designs she prepared were all in her drafts.


    Even if other designs were introduced in thest month but none of them belonged to her and this attracted the attention of media and news reporters.


    Because everyone knew that CEO and chief designer of Rosette, Leanne would design at least one piece of jewelry every month.


    Leanne was her English name and she was the CEO of the leading jewelry brand Rosette.


    Standing at the sidelines while watching her ownpany getting destroyed left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    Yu Mei was sure that Shi Luo was provoking her on purpose so that she would take some action.


    But she had her concerns.


    Those people killed her just because she was a Han and they seemed to know everything about her past and present. What if they knew that she was the CEO of Rosette?


    If she emerged all of a sudden to take over the position of CEO with a n, what if they send more people to kill her?


    Nobody would believe in something like transmigration or rebirth, but her face was slowly changing back to her past face. Although the resemnces were few and not everyone will link her to Han Mei but what about those murderers?


    What if her facepletely transformed back to her past looks after she loses weight?


    Those people have seen the crimson crescent birthmark on her chest which was nowing back with every change in her facial features.


    The Hans were so paranoid that they sent a?hundred mercenaries to kill her even when she didn''t do anything, and she believed they would repeat that to kill ''Yu Mei Zhen'' even if they had 0.01% doubt regarding her.


    Unfortunately, right now she was powerless to face it all. She didn''t have her brother''s backing nor her own influence.


    As for Jun Zixuan, though he seemed to be very influential and powerful but she didn''t want to ask him for help.


    ''''If it was before when he was just a trophy husband, I could have tricked him into helping me. But now that we are friends, I don''t want to take advantage of him¡­" She mumbled to herself before slumping on the bed before covering her face with the pillow.


    Was there no way to do this without implicating herself?


    Suddenly, something clicked in her mind.


    Yes...She could try that.


    She sat up on the bed in an instant. "Damn...my waist..." How could she forget her current weight and do these stunts?! She cursed herself.


    Letting out a deep sigh, she clicked the picture of the outline of the pendant she designed today.


    After getting a good picture, she downloaded Instagram and set up an ount with the username ''Mei_Zhen''.


    She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath and typing ''Old man Xiang'' but to her dismay, there were no search results.


    "Dammit¡­Why is it like this?" She remembered that was what the staff members called him. What was his full name again?


    She regretted not interacting with her staff members in a better way.


    She frowned hard trying to remember the man''s full name.


    Suddenly reminded of the name she read while interviewing him, she opened her eyes before typing ''Xiang Le'' and this time there were search results.


    The third ount caught her attention. The profile picture was that of a 50-year old man with a stern countenance and properly trimmed beard.


    "Woah¡­Old Man Xiang is rocking it¡­" She sighed in relief before sending him the picture she clicked along with a short message.


    It waster that afternoon when Jun Zixuan came back.


    He looked at the woman who was sleeping on the bed peacefully with a mess around her. There was an empty bowl near her head while she held what looked like a notebook in her arms.


    Her cellphone was lying on the crook of her neck. Her long dark hair was in a mess as it framed her round chubby face.


    He was speechless. "She looks like she survived a disaster¡­." He murmured to himself before walking towards the bed and sitting beside her.


    Somehow she did not feel like the same woman who used to inflict self-harm to get his attention, the one who would always scheme against others and the one he used to loathe.


    But she was Yu Mei Zhen, undoubtedly.


    If anyone would have told him that there would be a day when he would watch her sleeping face, then he would haveughed at them, worse, he could have pped them to smack some senses in their head.


    But here he was, doing something that was so unlike of him.


    He gently removed the phone from her neck and put it on the bedside table. She must be using it when she fell asleep and itnded straight at her.


    He chuckled imagining that hrious scene. What a cartoon!


    Looking at her smooth round cheeks, he raised his hand on an impulse and poked her cheek with his index finger.


    It bounced back like a fluffy jelly cake.


    He bit his bottom lip before doing it again and it wiggled a little this time.


    The corner of his lips tilted up as he poked it twice, thrice and it kept on repeating until she grabbed his finger before putting it in her mouth.


    He stilled.


    Her sketchbook fell to the side while she ced her other hand on his wrist, keeping his arm in ce.


    Just as he tried to take his finger out of her mouth, she pressed her teeth on it keeping it in ce as he felt her tongue swirling around the tip of his finger, licking and sucking it.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. He suddenly felt a bit hot.


    As he looked at her lips, so naturally red and soft and¡­tempting¡­ what the¡­. He closed his eyes. What was he thinking about?


    Loosening his cor with the other hand, he tried to remove his finger from her mouth without waking her up.


    If she woke up when they were in this position, she might casually say ''This is normal between friends.''


    And it would only embarrass him further given the direction of his thoughts.


    He sighed unaware of the fact that if she woke up at a time like this, she too would be pretty much embarrassed about this situation.


    Even though she said that sleeping with friends is normal, the only friend she slept with was Shi Luo. He came in the second number and she was not awkward or embarrassed about it because as Han Mei, they were close friends.


    So, she genuinely did not find anything wrong with sleeping with him under the same nket without doing anything and just gazing and the moon and stars. ording to her, that was what friends do, don''t they?


    ...


    Instagram: @auroraaa_wn


    I''mtely active in insta so if you''re there too then let''s get to know each other better, my precious readers. ^ ^

 Chapter 47 - You Are My Wife Right Now

    "This is the oldest and biggest templeplex in Shanghai known for its long history of over 1700 years¡­" Jun Zixuan watched in amusement as the woman looked around Longhua temple like it was the seventh wonder of the world.


    "Woah¡­That long¡­" Yu Mei the grand temple in amazement. To her pleasant surprise, when she woke up after taking an afternoon nap, Jun Zixuan was back in the suite doing some work.


    Since she wanted toe out to explore this ce, he offered herpany which stunned her for a few good minutes. A workaholic like him wanted toe out to y with her?!


    From the university days, she has known Jun Zixuan to be a busy person, he would always be engaged with one thing or another. And after bing his wife, she got to know that he was a low-key business tycoon.


    In one month, he has gone on two business trips, and from the day he moved back to Ren mansion, she barely saw him. He was either in his room or at his work.


    An offer to explore Shanghai with him wasn''t that bad after all so she epted.


    And here they were, currently looking around the Longhua temple that was not far away from the resort they were staying in.


    "What''s that? I want to go inside," Her eyes glittered as she looked at the tall building.


    He followed her gaze, "That''s the Longhua Pagoda. This seven-storied building used to be the tallest building until modern times. The sound of bells around this cees from the corner of these octagonal eaves."


    The building was all made of red brick and wood structure and it looked like a delicate Song-era pagoda you will find in history books or ancient dramas.


    "Let''s go inside¡­"


    "We can''t," He interrupted her.


    She frowned, "Why?"


    ''''It''s an old building so it is not open for the visitors due to its age and fragility," His lips tugged up as she grumbled about it.


    Just as they were standing there admiring the view of the lovely pagoda, a pair of mother and daughter passed by while stealing nces at them.


    Although their voice was low, Yu Mei could hear their discussion in the silence of the quiet evening since there were not many visitors in the temple at this time for some reason.


    "Mommy~ Look there, the older brother is so handsome," The girl''s loud voice caught her attention.


    Her mother shushed her, "Speak in a low voice."


    Despite that, Yu Mei could hear her voice since they were standing a few steps away from them.


    The girl once again ogled at Jun Zixuan, "Mommy, older brother looks like the most beautiful angel. Can I marry him when I grow up? This fat aunty looks ugly beside angel brother¡­"


    Her mother stifled herughter, "Baby, that''s rude. You are just thirteen this year, don''t think about all this." She dragged her daughter away before she could make trouble.


    Yu Mei: " _" You aunty... Your whole family aunty and all your ancestors aunties.


    She red at the woman''s retreating back, "If you find it rude, shouldn''t you discipline her instead ofughing? Hypocrite!" She scoffed before looking at the little one standing beside her mother, "Come to me after I lose weight. See who is the real beauty here."


    Soon, she will be receiving her medical reports and it will confirm whether she has some health issues or it''s just her calories speaking. After that, she can start her workout schedule again.


    Hopefully, things will go smoothly this time.


    A burst of deep masculineughter sounded beside her. She tilted her head to the side to look at the man.


    Noticing her hard re, Jun Zixuan covered his mouth with the back of his hand but he ended up chuckling once again.


    She pinched his arm, "Do you find it that funny, hmm?"


    Her pinch was just like a tickle to him but he froze for a split second. His eyes darkened slightly at the reminder of what happened in the afternoon, the way she sucked his finger. Luckily, he was able to get his finger out of her mouth without waking her up.


    The erotic sight of her tongue circling his finger was imprinted in his mind.


    What the heck was he thinking about? He closed his eyes.


    His lips were set in a thin line.


    "Did I hurt you?" She stopped pinching his arm after looking at his tense expression. She even gently caressed the spot she just pinched.


    He hurriedly grabbed her hand putting a stop to her wayward actions before his thoughts could run further wild.


    She sighed, "Are you angry? I''m sorry for pinching you. I just get touchy regarding this weight topic. The day I lose weight, that will be my day," This heavy body was being a burden to her.


    "I''m not angry," He let go of her hand before pinching her cheeks, "You don''t need to lose weight. You look fine just like this." Fluffy and soft, like a jelly cake and as cute as a baby.


    She was wearing a long white dress that reached below her knees matched with a pair of baby pink sneakers. And although she appeared like a round dumpling from afar but she was pretty cute when you look closely.


    "You are blind," She swatted away his hand, "After our divorce, you can marry anyone but her," She said, referring to that girl from earlier.


    He raised an eyebrow, "What are you thinking about? She is a kid."


    "She is barely 10 to 12 years younger than you. When you will be in your thirties, she will be in her early twenties. And it''s trending for older man and a younger woman, " She calmly stated her point, "So angel brother, if you dare to marry her, I, Ha...cough¡­Yu Mei Zhen, as your friend will not attend your wedding."


    He was speechless at her hypothesis. "You are my wife right now. Stop thinking about the future," He spoke in a deep voice.


    She sighed, "Whatever."

 Chapter 48 - Unable To Restrain Herself With A Beauty In Front Of Her

    After praying in the temple, they looked around in the four halls.


    She was looking at the golden sculptures closely while admiring the crafts in her heart. She was getting more and more designing inspirations in this ce.


    If things went as she has nned in her mind, then she would be taking Rosette to a new height.


    While she was thinking about it, something went inside her left eye, "AHH¡­" she rubbed it hurriedly.


    "What happened¡­?" Jun Zixuan immediately walked towards the woman. "Stop rubbing it," He grabbed her wrists when she didn''t listen to him.


    "It''s burning¡­ Leave my hand¡­"


    "Wait¡­" He held her hand above her head to stop her from moving around.


    He walked closer to her before looking into her eyes, "There is nothing," Their bodies were inches apart, "Is it painful?" He asked, concerned about her.


    "Ahhh¡­.Just let me rub it¡­" She tried to wiggle her hand out of his grasp, "What are you doing? It''s so itchy."


    "Stop shouting first," He coldly said, his brows tugged together in frustration. As he noticed the corner of her eyes slightly reddening, he added, "I''ll blow it."


    "Do it fast then. What are you waiting for?" She snarled at him and blinked rapidly.


    The corner of his lips twitched slightly. But soon he blew air gently to soothe her pain¡­


    "You''re so good¡­How rxing~" She whispered in delight, "Go on¡­Yes there."


    He was speechless. Can you not speak such suggestive words?


    "You¡­You¡­You¡­What are you doing here?" An angry voice sounded in the hall which made them pause.


    The old priest who just entered the hall scanned Yu Mei from head to toe. Sweaty face, teary eyes, hands pinned above head, the obvious screams, and the intimate position¡­


    "Amitabha Amitabha¡­"


    Yu Mei got her hands out of the man''s grip before rubbing her eyes.


    "Don''t rub it¡­''''


    "It''s so itchy¡­" She sighed in relief as it felt a bit better.


    The old priest looked at the Buddha sculptures around them, "You young people¡­Can''t you restrain yourselves in these ces? Where is your self-control?"


    She blinked at him, "How can I restrain myself with such beauty in front of me?" She was just infatuated with the beautiful halls and sculptures, why did the old man have to reprimand her like this?


    Jun Zixuan: "_" Does she knows what is she talking about?


    "You... You¡­" The old priest was speechless as he nced at Jun Zixuan. And he was dumbstruck for a few seconds. What a beauty, indeed.


    He shook his head before ring at the woman who was shameless and resembled a dumpling in his opinion "Girls should be a bit more restrained. I understand your appreciation for beauty but you should restrain yourself till you''re home and in bed. It''s very immoral to appreciate the beauty in front of Buddha. Amitabha Amitabha!"


    A certain shameless dumpling: "_"


    "Pfft¡­"


    "Stopughing," Yu Mei red at the man, "That bald old man¡­Who made him the priest? How can he call me immoral when he has a colorful mind? ying an X-rated movie in his head and ming it on me?" A blush crept onto her cheeks at the reminder of what happened a few minutes ago.


    "How can I restrain myself in front of such beauty?" He repeated the exact line that she said earlier in amusement, "How could you not understand what he was insinuating? So dumb!"


    She was speechless. Her cheeks reddened further. She thought that the old man was referring to restraining herself when she is looking around the ce rather than jumping around in excitement. She was not dumb¡­she just understood it a littlete.


    As they walked out of the temple, Jun Zixuan made a small sign with his index finger and a few shadows surrounding the temple disappeared in an instant.


    He held the door of the passenger seat for her and the moment she stepped inside, he walked towards the other side before getting inside the car.


    As soon the low-key ck Bentley was out of sight, the temple which was tranquil a few moments ago was hustling with all the visitors who were queuing near the second entrance.


    "So¡­" Jun Zixuan held the door as she stepped out of the car, "Did you like it?"


    She smiled at him, "Yeah, although I was humiliated and embarrassed twice because of our dear angel brother but I really liked it," The beautiful sculpture and the ancient architecture of the temple were really something worth watching.


    Satisfied by her answer, he asked, "Do you want to go somewhere else?"


    "En."


    "Where?"


    "I¡­" After two exhausting months at work, she had made ns with Shi Luo to go out for clubbing on her birthday but s...Why did she not get a notification that death was waiting for her on the way?


    ''You are asking for too much,'' A childish voice spoke up in her mind.


    She stiffened. ''Get lost, Mia,'' She coldly said and the voice went quiet.


    This crazy fox¡­Why must it peep in her thoughts all the time?


    No matter how calm she pretended to be, there was an instinctive fear in her heart towards this mystical creature that appeared out of nowhere.


    The fox was so powerful that it scared her sometimes. One wrong step and if she ended up as its enemy, then her brother might not be able to collect her dead body in one piece this time.


    "Yes?" The man''s deep voice snapped her out of her daze.


    She tilted her head to look at his face. Those dense and longshes, striking jaws, perfect-shaped thin lips, a straight nose, and the chestnut shaded dark eyes. Everything about him was so otherworldly.


    A man so perfect¡­must have been god''s favorite creation.


    Dressed in a casual ck T-shirt that highlighted his muscles which flexed with his slightest movement and a ck leather jacket which was paired with denim jeans along with ankle-length boots. His golden ash blonde hair was a contrast to his dark outfit.


    All in all, it was only then did she realized that he indeed looked so handsome in this outfit. How did she not notice it before? So handsome that even she was mesmerized for a split-second.


    "This outfit suits you well," She shed him a gorgeous smile. In fact, everything he wore became a backdrop to his beauty.


    "Thank you," His lips slightly tugged up when she smiled, his gaze wandering to her lips once¡­ twice, a lot more than it should.


    He immediately averted his gaze and cleared his throat, "Where do you want to go?''''


    "I want to enjoy the nightlife in Shanghai," She spoke up. I am going to drink out my sorrows tonight. With that thought, she added, "Yes, you can arrange a few things first. A private room, vodka, and Shanghainese cuisine. As for the men or male strippers¡­."


    "Enough," He coldly interrupted her. Give her an inch and she will take a mile.

 Chapter 49 - Because I Can’t Drink

    "I want to enjoy the nightlife in Shanghai," Yu Mei spoke up. I am going to drink out my sorrows tonight. With that thought, she added, "Yes, you can arrange a few things first. A private room, vodka, and Shanghainese cuisine. As for the men or male strippers¡­." Just keep them away from me. I need privacy.


    Lost were the rest of her words as he coldly interrupted her, "Enough," Give her an inch and she will take a mile, ''''We are not going anywhere," With that said, he walked towards the entrance of the resort they were currently residing in.


    Asking for male strippers¡­ did she forget that she was still his legally married wife? Tsk.


    She was speechless. He was fine a moment ago. What went wrong. Split personality?


    "Don''t go if you don''t want to. I can go alone," She was sure that once she returned to Beijing, she will get busier every day. Not to mention that she was currently stuck with the final year of university.


    To be a graduate, she will have to lick all thosenguage subjects all over again. Amidst all this, when will she have the chance to go clubbing and chill by herself?


    "You are not going anywhere."


    She paused before turning around to look at him, "Why?" She narrowed her eyes.


    Yes¡­ Why? He asked himself as he walked towards her. "Because I can''t drink? I..have low alcohol tolerance," Yes, that sounded fine, he thought to himself.


    She frowned. It was true. She has witnessed it before. The drunk Jun Zixuan is nowhere as prim and proper and elegant as this one standing in front of her.


    But what has it got to with her?


    "You can just drink lemon juice and watch me getting drunk. How about that?" She suggested after some thought.


    His lips twitched, "It will be embarrassing for me."


    Men and their 10 feet long ego. How troublesome!


    But looking at his pitiful face, she could not bring herself to reject him, "Fine, fine, we are not going."


    The corner of his lips curved up ever so slightly but the smile disappeared before she could notice it.


    As they walked towards the entrance together, a ck Audi stopped in front of them and a man in his 20s stepped out of the car before walking towards Jun Zixuan.


    The man''s get-up was pretty casual but his looks and facial features made him look like a member of the boy band group. He wore square sses and with his properlybed hair, he gave off professional vibes.


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes the moment she recognized him.


    She was reminded of the nerdy boy from her university days. It was her final year at Crystal university when two transfer students became the hot headlines because of their gorgeous looks.


    By their behavior and attitude, one could say that they preferred to stay low-key but given Jun Zixuan''s divine appearance and aura, he was bound to be in the spotlight along with the ''cute boy-next door'' type guy, Minmin.


    Yes, the nerdy guy from back then is the same man standing in front of her right now.


    She didn''t know his full name but everyone called him ''Xiao Min'' or ''Minmin''.


    Although they were in the same ss, their sections were different because of the majors. But she was a bit curious about Jun Zixuan when he got crowned as the Prince Charming after two days.


    Girls would queue up in the halls and corridors to catch a glimpse of him.


    A guy who could stir up the Crystal University within two days of his joining piqued her interest.


    And the first time she saw him was when¡­.


    "What are you thinking about?" Jun Zixuan poked her cheeks twice and she snapped out of her thoughts.


    Before he could poke it for the third time, she swatted away his indecent finger.


    He chuckled.


    "This is¡­" The other man adjusted his sses as he looked at Yu Mei. Although he could guess who she was, he still asked to make sure.


    ording to what his brother said and gathering what he knew, the interaction between Jun Zixuan and his wife was never harmonious. So, is it still his wife?


    Given her figure, she should be. He squinted.


    "This is Yu Mei Zhen, my wife," Jun Zixuan introduced her to him before looking at Yu Mei, "He is Gu Min, my friend."


    Gu Min blinked twice before nodding politely at her, "And I''m his secretary too. Miss Yu, nice to meet you."


    Secretary? Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Nice to meet you too,''''?She nodded at him expressionlessly, "Are you rted to Steward Gu?" Noticing his familiar features and surname, she asked.


    Gu Min replied, "He is my elder brother."


    She nodded at him before looking at Jun Zixuan, "You guys can talk, I''ll go back to the suite."


    "Alright."


    As soon as he replied, she left the ce giving both the men some space.

 Chapter 50 - Is It A Luxury Party?

    "Brother Xuan, I heard lots of rumors about you and your wife. I never asked you about it so that I would not end up rubbing salt on your wound but seems like rumors are just rumors after all. They can''t be trusted. You both look quite happy together¡­" Gu Min spoke up looking at Yu Mei''s retreating back.


    "What did you hear?"


    "You both have a very bad rtionship. You don''t like to see your wife''s face and you¡­"


    "Steward Gu seems to be fond of gossiping," Jun Zixuan coldly interrupted him.


    Gu Min choked on the rest of his words. Sorry, bro.


    Back in Beijing, Steward Gu who was supervising the servants sneezed.


    "So, is it not true?" Gu Min asked.


    Jun Zixuan did not reply.


    Were those rumors true? They were.


    He didn''t like the sight of that woman from the very first day he saw her. It was not because she was ugly or fat.


    The day when they got married, he went to the mansion to have a proper conversation with her regarding this contractual marriage. He wanted to let her know it was nothing but a rtionship for the convenience of both parties so that she wouldn''t expect anything more than that in the future.


    But she looked at him with those dor signs in her eyes and that lusty expression. That disgusting face and expression were still imprinted in his mind.


    From that day onwards, she clung to him desperately while he was adamant about keeping that annoying fly away from himself.


    Why was he so concerned about her when she fainted in the kitchen? And why could he not take it when she didn''t talk or squabble with him for two days?


    What changed now?


    Was it him or is it her?


    Back in the Presidential Suite.


    Yu Mei sat on the bed while dangling her legs back and forth as she checked her Instagram ount. But there were no updates from Xiang Le. It seems like the old man hasn''t seen her text yet.


    She threw the phone to the side before picking up a pillow and putting it on herp.


    So, Gu Min is Steward Gu''s younger brother and also Jun Zixuan''s secretary? "I know nothing about him¡­"


    Despite her curiosity, she did not want to know anything about him because there were many secrets of her own that she would never share with him despite their friendship.


    And it will only make her ufortable when she could not share anything about herself while knowing everything about him.


    ''Knock knock..''


    "Come in.''''


    Jun Zixuan pushed opened the door and entered the room.


    She raised an eyebrow when she saw his reflection in the mirror on the wall in front of her, "You don''t need to knock before entering your own room, do you?" What a gentleman, she thought to herself.


    The man cleared his throat, "Are you interested in parties?"


    She excitedly stood up from the bed, so much so that her pillow fell on the floor, "Who is partying? Where is the party?"


    His lips twitched. Looking at her sparkling eyes, he didn''t need an answer to know whether she liked parties.


    "There is a party nearby. Wanna join me?"


    She walked towards him, "Is it a luxury party? As in¡­a high-end event?"


    He leaned on the wall before raking his fingers through his hair, "ording to what Gu Min said, it should be," Since he was not that interested in all these events or parties so he didn''t have much idea about it, "Why do you ask?"


    "I was just making sure that they have good food and wine," She replied nonchntly. Only God knows when she will have to start dieting again. She could at least enjoy her life while there is a chance.


    He was speechless. This woman sounded like he was not feeding her.


    "I''ll ask the staff to send your outfit to you. The makeup team will be here too¡­"


    "Just send the outfit. I''ll be fine without the makeup team," She interrupted him.


    "Are you sure?" He stood straight.


    She nodded.


    "Fine," He turned around to leave the room.


    "Wait¡­" She grabbed his hand.


    He tilted his face to the side to look at the woman who walked towards him.


    Under his questioning nce, she stood right in front of him, "You''re not afraid I''ll embarrass you?" She asked with a bit of hesitation on her face.


    His brows bumped together, "Why would you think so?'''' He asked the woman who was looking at him with a concerned face.


    "You seem to be a big shot," The man had his private jet, he lived in an extravagant ce like Ren Mansion so he is no ordinary person, she thought to herself. Yu Mei sighed, "Look¡­ As long as you are not blind, you can see that right now, neither do I have looks nor status. Not to mention that there are tags of an illegitimate daughter, man-chaser ugly woman, and scheming bitch hanging above my head."


    He flicked her forehead.


    "Ouch¡­Brute... What was that for?" She rubbed the spot which instantly turned red.


    "Why are you badmouthing yourself? Shouldn''t you be a bit confident in yourself?"


    Hell, I was badmouthing the previous owner. She squinted. She is a confident woman all over but the truth is truth. Looking at her current bulging figure in the mirror everyday, she did not have the heart to console herself.


    Things will not remain like this for long but right now¡­


    He poked her cheeks, "To tell you the truth, you do resemble a panda."


    She swatted away his hand. Did he think he can help her gain confidence by saying such things?


    Looking at her using eyes, he chuckled, "Even if you are a panda, that makes you a national treasure. Moreover, I find pandas cute. So shouldn''t you be a little positive about things?"


    "Are you calling me cute?" Her lips tugged up slightly, "I am just worried that taking me as a female partner will drag your reputation in the mud."


    He walked backward, keeping his gaze on her all the while. Just as his hand reached the doorknob, he smiled at her, "When did I say that I am taking you as a female partner? You are just extra luggage."


    "_"


    Her eyes widened, "Jun Zixuan, you¡­ you are despicable," She grabbed the first thing that came to her hand before throwing it at him.


    His deep masculineughter resounded in the suite as the man easily dodged the flying object. He pulled open the door and walked out leaving her fuming all alone.

 Chapter 51 - Still Look Like A Panda

    "What are you thinking about?" Mia appeared on the fluffy bed swishing her thick foxtail in the clockwise direction.


    Yu Mei looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing the dress that she was holding in her hand. If she was not wrong, it was thetest design from Vienne which was yet to be released a month ago.


    The beautiful gown was the deep gemstone color of Sapphire blue and since it was from the designer Triffin, its price ranging somewhere in billions.


    "You care about him that much?"


    "He could have gone there without me. I just don''t to drag him down since he invited me," She nced at her bulging figure. No matter how beautiful the dress was, she truly looked like a pregnantdy.


    Not to mention her thick arms and legs.


    Luckily, the scar and e marks from her face were gone.


    "Come here."


    Yu Mei looked at the fox who was sleeping on her bed like a queen. She walked towards it letting out an irritated sigh, "What is it?"


    "I''ll help you," Mia snorted before standing up elegantly from the curled-up position. Without giving her a chance to speak, he raised his front paw towards her, and in an instant, a white ray shot towards her body.


    "AHH¡­." She gripped the bed rest until her knuckles turned white.


    Sweat droplets appeared on her already paled face.


    After a few minutes, sheid on the bed, panting.


    Her chest heaved up and down as she took deeper breathes to calm herself down.


    Wiping the sweat off her face with the back of her hand, she red at the silver who was sitting silently while watching her suffer in pain.


    "Do you want popcorns?" She coldly said.


    Mia stroked her face with her paws, "You can give me if it is good."


    Yu Mei closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. Push her body to sit, she red at the silver fox, "Do you know how painful that was? What did you do to me?"


    "I was just helping you. What are you yelling for? That''s not elegant," Mia blinked twice.


    Help? Yu Mei stood up from the bed before walking towards the mirror. Surprisingly, she did not feel any pain in her body.


    A gasp escaped her lips as she stood in front of the mirror.


    Although she was still fat, but wearing this short-sleeved gown, her flesh was not bulging from here and there.


    The change was not that noticeable but she found herself looking manageable. At least, she would not be ufortable in this outfit now.


    But still, she would rather stay fat than enduring such tortures again.


    She turned around to look at Mia, "Thank¡­"


    "In exchange for this great favor by me, you are letting me read your thoughts for two days without threatening me," After saying that, the vixen elegantly swished her tail in the air and vanished in the next second.


    Yu Mei: "_" Sure enough, why would a fox do her a favor without any hidden intentions?


    In front of the resort entrance, Jun Zixuan was leaning on his ck Bentley while looking at his phone.


    "Are you waiting for me?"


    He tilted his head upwards to look at the woman as she descended the stairs and walked past the fountain.


    A conflicting emotion appeared in his eyes as he nced. She was wearing the outfit he prepared for her. Her long hair was let loose and the softly curled tresses covered a part of her face when she looked down.


    There was no hint of makeup on her face except for red lipstick. But her face seemed to be glowing under the moonlight.


    "Hey¡­What are you thinking about?" She snapped her fingers in front of him.


    "I was thinking¡­" He extended his hand towards her face and tucked the unruly lock of hair behind her ear, "That you still look like a panda."


    Her lips twitched. She coldly red at the man, "You better not talk to me for a few days."


    With that, she walked towards the other side but before she could open the car door, someone else did it for her.


    She gazed at Jun Zixuan as he held the car door for her like a gentleman.


    Dressed in a white tuxedo, the man had a sapphire-colored handkerchief in his front pocket which matched with her gown. With the looks of an evildoer, he undoubtedly looked like a prince.


    With one hand tucked inside his pocket, the man gazed at her intently waiting for her to get inside the car.


    She let out a ''humph'' when she was reminded of his words. A gentleman and him? It must be her illusion.


    At a seven-star hotel in Shanghai.


    A magnificent ballroom had been meticulously set up for the high-ss event organized for the evening.


    Therge crystal chandeliers dangling off the ceiling provided sparkling shine from one corner to another, giving the essence of the starry sky inside the room.


    This party seemed to be a well-off disy of the people''s wealth and standards are given the extravagance of the arrangements and venue.


    Not to mention, the gold-ted flowers settled on every corner, the gold cutleries, round tables decorated with royal blue motifs, and champagne-colored roses.


    In one of the furthest corners of the room, Yu Mei sat there holding a few food tes in front of her as she looked at the guests entering the venue one by one.


    She put a pastry in her mouth as she spotted the thirteenth guest that she recognized. The middle-aged man who just entered with a young woman in his arm was none other than the President of one of the neighboring countries of Amaranthine.


    Hope lit up in her heart. Possibly, her brother would be here too?


    Amidst the thousands of high-profile guests, there were actors, businessmen, politicians, directors, singers, people from the fashion industry and there were some high-ranking people from the military too.

 Chapter 52 - Shi Luo, Let’s Talk

    Yu Mei didn''t recognize everyone given that she was not interested in movies or politics that much. Not to mention that she never followed up on news regarding China while living in Amaranthine.


    The only thirteen people she could recognize were of extremely high standing and influence in the world. And secondly, she might have not known them if she had not seen them with her brother in the past. Even the Mayor was hovering around him like a fly.


    Coincidentally, all these big shots walked up to a certain man she was keen on ignoring today.


    It was none other than Jun Zixuan.


    She licked the fork in her mouth before stabbing it on the next pastry in her te which was waiting on the queue to be embraced by her tongue, all the while, not removing her gaze off the man who was standing amidst these bigshots with a nonchnt face.


    It has been fifteen minutes since they reached the party venue and staying true to her words, she pushed Jun Zixuan away from her and settled in the darkest corner of the hall with a te full of delicacies.


    As she watched the show from a distance, her world view was almost turned upside down. She has certainly watched these people bootlicking Jian Yu in the past but watching them hovering around Jun Zixuan like bees, she was astounded at theirck of shame.


    Just as she was chastising them in her mind, her phone went off.


    She picked it up before swiping the answer option. Since there was only soft music ying in the background, she didn''t have to bother to walk out of here to talk.


    "Babe~ Where are you?" Shi Luo''s energetic voice resounded over the phone.


    "Shanghai," Yu Mei calmly replied taking another bite of her pastry.


    "Duh, I know that. Didn''t you text me about going to a party? Tell me your exact spot."


    She straightened her back, "Why do you sound like you are here too?"


    "I came here for some work purposes and was nning to leave after meeting you. But you texted me that you are going to a party. Coincidentally, I had the invite too so here I am¡­ Quick, tell me where are you?"


    Yu Mei nodded in understanding. No wonder Shi Luo had asked about her location. At that time, she did not understand what was going on. She looked around the grand hall trying to spot her friend but s¡­ "Did you just enter?" She asked.


    "Yes¡­" Shi Luo replied from the other side.


    "Alright. Look at the middle of the hall. Under the biggest blue crystal chandelier, there is a group of oldies brown-nosing Jun Zixuan. Just stand beside them and I''ll go to you," She hung after she finished talking.


    Standing at the entrance of the grand hall, Shi Luo nced at her phone in a daze. Was it charging her dors that she hung up the call in such a hurry?


    Sighing to herself, she looked around the ce and it didn''t take her long to spot the crowd standing under the blue crystal chandelier.


    She could barely make out Jun Zixuan''s tall figure which was surrounded by the oldies.


    Holding the front of her gown in one hand while her clutch and phone in the other, she quickly walked towards that ce.


    Standing beside them, she curiously nced at Jun Zixuan but his back was facing towards her.


    Disappointed, she pursed her lips and looked around the ce trying to spot Yu Mei.


    "Shi Luo¡­?"


    Jun Zixuan called out while looking at the woman''s side profile.


    Shi Luo turned around to look at him, herrge almond-shaped eyes widening a little in the process. She did not expect him to notice her in this crowd.


    "Chief, she is¡­?" One of the men surrounding Jun Zixuan asked him while looking at Shi Luo with a doubtful gaze.


    Jun Zixuan did not reply causing the people to think that he got the wrong person.


    The middle-aged man whom Yu Mei had earlier recognized as the President of the neighboring country of Amaranthine spoke up, "Chief, here is a toast to our possible future cooperation." Saying that, he emptied the contents in his ss.


    Jun Zixuan didn''t bother to look at him nor did he take a sip of the from his wine nce. With one of his hands tucked inside his pockets, the other was holding the wine ss, asionally swirling the scarlet liquid inside.


    His ss was still full from the very beginning. Despite everyone offering him toasts, he didn''t take a sip of the wine.


    It was a sign of utter disrespect and all the giants standing over there might have felt offended if it would have been any other person instead of him.


    "You can leave," Jun Zixuan said, not bothering to look at any of them.


    "Chief¡­"


    He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes, "Leave," A voice as tranquil as ake yet nobody opposed the man.


    They politely nodded at him before walking away, leaving Jun Zixuan and Shi Luo alone.


    "Hey there, long time no see," She walked towards him.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "Let''s talk somewhere else."


    Shi Luo looked around to find Yu Mei but she was nowhere to be seen.


    She was sure that the woman would curse herter when she could not find her in the ballroom. Anyway, looking at Jun Zixuan''s solemn face, she could not bring herself to reject him.

 Chapter 53 - How Is Mei?

    Shi Luo could feel countless gazes on them now that they were standing under the middle of the hall. Given Jun Zixuan''s face, they were bound to be in limelight.


    Not to mention that now even his status seem to be¡­.extraordinary. She thought to herself before opening her mouth, "Let''s go then."


    Jun Zixuan nodded before pointing his chin towards the quiet hallway connected to the grand ballroom.


    As they walked past the dance floor, Yu Mei stood at the ce they were standing earlier as she watched at their retreating backs.


    "Are they catching up with each other?" She raised an eyebrow.


    Earlier she received a notification from Instagram after talking to Shi Luo. Thinking that Old man Xiang has finally seen the text she sent him, she hurriedly checked it only to be betrayed by the inte connection.


    She was so focused on it that she did not notice when Shi Luo entered.


    s, it was just a notification indicating that someone liked her profile picture. She had randomly clicked the picture of her fox and saved it toplete the profile process.


    When she finally noticed Shi Luo, both of them were already walking away.


    She contemted whether to go after them or not but atst, she decided to have one more pastry.


    She looked at their backs before tilting her head to the side and ncing at the pastries, "I''ll go thereter¡­"


    The grand ballroom had a round-shaped structure along with a dance floor in the middle. There were two hallways in the front and two in the back. While the entry and exit were on both sides with a red carpet connecting them end to end.


    Walking down one of the narrow hallways, Jun Zixuan and Shi Luo were led to a beautiful balcony setup.


    Sitting on the throne chairs on the 69th floor of the 7-star hotel, Terav, they could see the wonderful night view of Shanghai through the floor-to-ceiling transparent ss.


    "How have you been?" Jun Zixuan asked looking at the ss in his hand, swirling the wine slowly.


    Shi Luo folded her legs before leaning back on the chair. Adjusting her round ss, she replied to his question, "As amazing as ever."


    Silence.


    The ce once again drowned in the quietness of the night.


    Even though Jun Zixuan was not especially a chatterbox but conversing with him has never been so awkward. What happened to him? Shi Luo adjusted her round sses again, focusing her sharp gaze on his face.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes before tilting his head to look at the woman, "Seen enough?"


    She didn''t feel the least bit bothered or embarrassed being caught, "So¡­I bet you didn''t invite me here to ask about my well-being. What is it?"


    "How is Mei?"


    She choked on her saliva.


    "Cough¡­Cough¡­." She is your wife, you should know that better than me!


    Patting her chest lightly, she let the gears in her mind run fast.


    ''How is Mei?''


    ording to the question and his tone, it sounds like he has no updates about her.


    Secondly, after graduation, she had changed her contact number so possibly, Jun Zixuan doesn''t have her number.


    Possibly, he is less influential than Han Jian Yu which is why he failed to get any information about Mei.


    But if he is not influential, why would those big shots wag their tails in front of him like dogs? Never mind, it''s not the main point here.


    Coming back to the point, if she answered this casually then he might ask her for Han Mei''s contact number or address given that he was very close to her during university days.


    Taking two plus two equals four¡­if she didn''t handle this properly, that would lead to a whole heap of problems.


    "Is it that difficult to answer?" His cold voice reverberated in the empty space snapping her out of her daze.


    Eliminate the problem from its very root.


    She finally came to a decision.


    "Now that you mentioned her, I¡­I just suddenly missed her. It has been two years after our graduation and trust me when I never got to meet her after that," We just spent all the Fridays on clubbing, partying and movies, she added in her heart before continuing, "Earlier, she at least used to text or call me once in a week but soon those weeks turned into years."


    "Why? What happened?"


    "She was working as a waitress at a local bar so she was always busy."


    "Waitress?'''' The hand holding the wine ss trembled a bit before his grip on it tightened, "Didn''t she want to pursue a career in designing? She has always been interested in that."


    "She entered Crystal University because of a schrship and her outfits and perfumes used to be financed by me, I forced her to use them. Designing? She could not afford those. And her self-respect never allowed to ask me for help," Babe, I am praising you to the heavens here. The corner of her lips slightly tugged up, "As for you, you used to be so close to her that she tried to contact you for help but you were never there for her. I got to know that muchter."


    She has heard from Mu Shen that Jun Zixuan changed his contact number so this shall go with her lies.


    He nced at her distressed face before asking, "How is she now?"


    "She is very happy now. She fell in love with a waiter at that bar and they married within a month. She is a housewife now. She informed me over a phone call about her condition. They are busy in their lives since they are nning for their second child already."


    He froze feeling a throbbing pain in his heart.


    "Tsk¡­ Back then, we all used to think that you both will be together given your extra sweet attitude towards her.'''' In fact, it was true. They all used to think like that but things never proceeded in that direction between them and Jun Zixuan even left without bidding her proper farewell on the graduation day.

 Chapter 54 - Stop Clinging To Me

    "She would always say that you both are just friends but I never believed it. Now that I think about it, she was not lying," Shi Luo stood up from the chair before adjusting a ck backless gown.


    He nced at her doubtfully, "Why should I believe you?"


    Yes, why? She herself did not believe the nonsense she was spouting but things could be manipted in her favor. A strong man has his weak spots too.


    She nced at him indifferently, "Because I have no reasons to lie to you. She has no parents, you know that too," She just has a brother who is ready to bring the world to her feet.


    The man did not say anything. He knew that she didn''t have parents but¡­ he never thought she was an orphan.


    Given her lifestyle and preferences, he assumed she had a family even though she never mentioned them.


    "Anyways, don''t try to contact her or anything like that. It might traumatize her. As you see, she is no longer the campus belle nor the beautiful goddess of Crystal university. Her current status is way below ours. She even refuses to meet me. So, don''t embarrass her by trying to meet her. She is currently very happy with her life," Shi Luo grabbed her clutch from the coffee table before looking at the man who had yet to speak a single word, "I''ve to go to the washroom first. See youter."


    If she had known he would ask all this, she would have asked the detailed story between Mei and him and prepared herself mentally first.


    It was better to leave this ce before he could interrogate her further. One more lie and her web of lies would be busted for sure.


    After she left the ce, Jun Zixuan stood up from the throne chair and he looked at the dark sky.


    ''What do you want to do in the future?'' He had once asked her.


    ''I am interested in designing. I''ve already started doing some preparations from now on. I want to have my brand, a luxury jewelry brand whose name will spread all over the world. When people talk about jewelry, the name of my brand woulde to their mind.''


    ''So, shall I start calling you Miss CEO from now on?''


    ''Why not?!'' Came her confident reply.


    Shi Luo is her best friend and she had no reason to lie to him. Then¡­


    ''She was working as a waitress.''


    ''She is happily married to a waiter. They are preparing for their second child.''


    Shi Luo''s words continued ringing in his mind again and again.


    ''She tried to contact you for help but you were never there for her.''


    His grip on the ss tightened.


    ''Crack'' The wine ss that he was holding broke into pieces.


    One could not say whether the red liquid dripping down his palm was the wine or his blood.


    Unaffected by it, he curled his fingers into a fist before raising it towards the floor-to-ceiling ss.


    "Ahh¡­" She winced as the ss behind her hand cracked, piercing through her skin in the process.


    She was holding Jun Zixuan''s fist tightly with both hands yet the pressure on her palm made her clench her teeth.


    The man froze for a split second, "What are you doing here?" His voice didn''t have a hint of its usual yfulness.


    His tone reminded her of the time when he hated the sight of her.


    What was she doing here?


    When she came here, Shi Luo was not there. And he was standing there looking at the distance nkly. Only his back was visible to her and somehow he appeared very lonely.


    Initially, she wanted to approach him and talk about what was bothering him.


    But he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn''t even realize that she was standing behind him.


    So, she decided to give him some space and leave the ce.


    But just as she turned around, her gazended on the floor.


    There broken ss shards and red liquid around them.


    When she raised her gaze towards his hand, she could see blood dripping down from the gap between his fingers.


    Unable to react for a second, she stood there rooted to her spot.


    He raised his hand to punch the thick ss wall, her legs moved on their own and before she knew it, she was shielding his hand out of instinct.


    But even when she grabbed his fist with both her hands, her strength was notparable to him which caused the back of her palm to smash on the ss.


    Coming back to the present, Yu Mei didn''t respond to his question and grabbed his hand.


    She could see some broken ss shards pierced inside his palm. Blood gushed out from his wounds.


    "Get lost. I don''t want to see you," He pushed her away from himself before taking a few steps back. The piece of ss turned into powder under his shoes as he distanced himself from her.


    "But you¡­"


    "Enough. Stop clinging to me!''''


    Her brows bumped together as she looked at the cold expression on his face.

 Chapter 55 - Proper Outfit Of Superman

    Without speaking anything, she held the front of her gown before walking away.


    Looking at her retreating back, his jaws clenched. He raked his fingers through his hair. What the heck did he do?


    He sat on the throne chair. His forehead rested on his left palm while the other hand was ced on the arm of the chair, a thin trail of blood dripping from it.


    The ''clicking'' sound of heels on the floor made him raise his head.


    The woman who he thought already left walked towards him holding a first-aid box in her hand.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I had to grab the waiter and walk around a lot to get this," She scoffed before walking towards him.


    She put the first-aid kit on hisp before dragging the other chair and taking a seat in front of him.


    She put on gloves and grabbed his hand.


    He took it back, "Didn''t you leave?"


    "What''s up with this hot and cold attitude of yours?" Sometimes, he treated her so well that she was touched and in the next moment, they were back to square one. When he didn''t reply, she raised her hand.


    Pinching his chin, she looked into his eyes, "You want me to leave that badly?" She asked in a breathy voice.


    He narrowed his eyes before swatting away her indecent hand.


    Sheughed, "Fine, I''ll leave if you don''t want to see me. Why would I cling to you? Are you a glue?! Just let me treat your wound first."


    Without giving him a chance to speak, she grabbed his hand before removing the small ss shards one by one.


    "Why are you doing this?" He asked looking at her careful actions.


    "Because I''m very loyal to my friends even if the other party is mean, selfish, arrogant, rude, and very very cruel¡­" She replied in a nonchnt voice.


    His face darkened.


    "Zixuan¡­"


    "Mm?"


    "Don''t wear these suits anymore," she whispered.


    Jun Zixuan lowered his head to look at the white tuxedo he was wearing. Was it ugly?


    "Start wearing underwear above your outfit instead," she said, looking at him with a serious gaze.


    The corner of his lips twitched, "What?"


    "What what? That''s the proper outfit of superman," Her tone wasced in sarcasm, "Weren''t you trying to be one?"


    "_"


    "Cherish your life while you can. Any moment might be yourst. Don''t do things like this no matter how angry you are," After dying on her birthday, she realized how fragile life can be.


    "Says the person who jumps in front of a running vehicle and slits her wrist. Ugh.."


    She poked his wound. That was the previous owner, not her, alright?!


    She cleaned his hand properly.


    "Sss¡­ I¡­I''ll do it gently, don''t worry."


    Looking at her tightly shut eyes as she disinfected his wound, he was amused.


    "Why are you wincing when I''m injured?"


    She opened her eyes to look at him, "I am a gentle and peace-loving person. The sight of blood scares me."


    ''I remember you are the same person who killed eight of those bulky men barehanded before you died," Mia''s childish voice rang out in her mind.


    ''It was a life and death situation at that time.''


    ''Whatever it is, you should be ashamed before proiming that you are a peace-loving person.'' The fox taunted her before going quiet.


    Yu Mei regretted letting this vixen read her mind for two days. Why did it even ask for such a thing?


    ''Mind your own business,'' Came the voice that had her purse her lips.


    "Here, it''s done," She looked at his hand, satisfied.


    He stared at the gauze weirdly wrapped around his hand in a shape that resembled a cloverleaf somehow, "It''s ugly."


    "You don''t have fashion sense."


    Just as she was about to take the first-aid kid from hisp, he noticed a few scratches on the back of her hand.


    He grabbed her wrist before taking out the ointment.


    "Thank you," He said, without looking at her.


    "I am not interested in your thanks. Why don''t you tell me what''s wrong with you? Why would you do something so crazy?" She asked.


    "It''s done," He looked at her hand onest time before handing her the first-aid box.


    She looked at his face nkly for a few seconds before taking it from his hand. "I''ll go inside then," She said, standing up from the chair.


    He was dodging the topic so it was better to not force it.


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    Since he wanted his space, she decided not to linger around anymore.


    She passed the first-aid box to a waiter before taking out her phone.


    "Hey, I''m here¡­" Shi Luo appeared from her back.


    "I was looking for you," Yu Mei turned around to look at the woman, "You look super hot tonight," she smiled at her.


    Shi Luo was wearing a backless ck gown highlighting her curvy figure, with a long slit that started from her thigh. Her big round eyes were hidden behind herrge round sses while her short hair was arranged in a messy braid. Her makeup was on point.


    Usually, such contrasting styles don''t go well but somehow it made her appear sexier.


    Both thedies hugged each other as Shi Luo looked at her from head to toe, "You too¡­.look cute." Shemented.


    Yu Mei was speechless. Looking cute? She was missing her hourss figure at times like this.


    "This outfit¡­I have been seeing it in various magazines over the past few days. Is it the same one?" Shi Luo while getting dragged by Yu Mei towards the farthest table in the darkest corner, far away from the spotlight.


    "Yes.''''


    "What was its name again?" Shi Luo tried hard to remember but shecked in the fashion department.


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "How did you even get a medical degree with such a poor memory? It''s from Vienne¡­"


    "Yeah, I remember now," As she took a seat, Yu Mei dragged her chair closer to her before sitting beside her.


    Suddenly, Shi Luo''s eyes widened in shock, "Wait..."

 Chapter 56 - Getting Rid Of Yu Mei Zhen

    "Its price is somewhere near tens of billions,'''' Shi Luo said, looking at the gown in admiration and shock. Her face stiffened suddenly, ''''Didn''t you say that you are penniless? Wait¡­Don''t tell me you purchased it with my credit card?" As Yu Mei nodded, she was left staring at her in disbelief.


    "Why? Didn''t you say that you would pamper me now that I''m poor?" Yu Mei blinked.


    Shi Luo sighed, "Of course, I said that. It''s just a dress with a wide price tag. I earn a lot but spend less. You can spend my money as you wish. By the way, you look slim in this dress."


    Even though the hefty amount will leave a huge hole in her bank bnce. It was fine with her as long as her friend was happy.


    With that, she took a sip from the ss of water.


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched. I look slim because Mia did some magic. But she didn''t tell her about that. If this worrywart came to know about the existence of the fox, she would be more worried about her.


    ''The moment you tell about my existence to someone, the consequences will not be good,'' Mia spoke up in her mind.


    Yu Mei was speechless, "Zixuan got this for me," She said, looking at Shi Luo.


    "Pff¡­" Water sttered out of the woman''s mouth. She picked up a few tissues before cleaning her face and dress. "Where the hell did your ''Jun'' go to? I remember a few days ago, you were treating him like an enemy. How did you guys be so intimate? And¡­Why would he give you this dress? How could I forget¡­Why did he even bring you to this high-profile party?'''' Shi Luo bombarded her with questions.


    "Eh...Because we are friends again¡­?'''' Looking at her exaggerated expressions, Yu Mei spoke softly.


    "En," Shi Luo rubbed her head, "Mei, I believe that even if you are having sex with him, you will say ''We had it because we are friends'', isn''t it?"


    Yu Mei frowned, "Enough. What are you talking about?'''' She looked at the woman coldly.


    Shi Luo was unbothered by her res, "Let''s talk about anything else then," As long as you can resist the temptation of a man like Jun Zixuan, I''ll take my hats off to you.


    "Why did you say that this is a high-profile party?" Yu Mei asked.


    "Didn''t you see the guests?"


    Yu Mei nodded, "I recognized a few of them."


    "Only a few?" Shi Luo clicked her tongue, "You don''t know much about this ce. So, let me tell you, all these people present here are the aces in their fields. Let it be industrialists, actors, people from medical field or military."


    "Is it so?" Yu Mei frowned, "I saw some Presidents of distant countries too. Why are they even here?"


    Shi Luo picked up a wine ss before taking a sip elegantly, "It''s rumored that the people of Eminence group andpanies will be here. They are saying that the CEO of Eminence is also here in Shanghai."


    Yu Mei''s eyes widened, "Eminence as in¡­."


    "Yes, that''s the same we are talking about. The business empire which has been ruling the business world for the past 8 years. Apart from the business sector, it is said that the CEO of Eminence has enormous influence in politics and the military. He is one of the most powerful figures in the world," Shi Luo exined.


    Yu Mei listened attentively. She was aware of this enigma''s existence whose power and influence wasn''t less than her brother''s; possibly a notch higher than him.


    "Who this person? Even Jian Yu does not know anything about him."


    "Mei¡­" Shi Luo hesitated for a bit.


    "What?"


    "Do you think Jun Zixuan¡­er¡­"


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "What about him?"


    "ording to what I saw, those big shots were hovering around him like a fly, constantly bootlicking him while he didn''t even respond to them. Nobody else is getting such importance in this party. I..think he is the CEO of Eminence," The more she spoke, the more Shi Luo was confident her guess could be true.


    Yu Mei nced at her.


    Back to the balcony.


    Jun Zixuan kept looking at the picture on his phone. The girl was holding his hand, urging him to smile while he looked at the camera not being able to go against her aggressive persuasion. Contrary to his forced smile, she was smiling ever so brightly.


    After his marriage, he changed his number. He thought that after his mother''splete treatment, he will get rid of Yu Mei Zhen. He never once stayed in a close space with her despite their rtionship.


    He thought he could finally go back to Han Mei after his divorce but he could not even save her from her sufferings.


    "Brother Xuan."


    He locked the phone, the screen turned pitch ck in an instant.


    "What is it?'''' Jun Zixuan nced at Gu Min.


    "The Chairman of World bank is here and the rest of the guests are looking for you," Gu Min walked towards the man.


    "Send them back. I''m not meeting anyone."


    "What?!" Gu Min was stunned, "They all are here for you, is it fine to shun them away like this?"


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, "Did I stutter?"


    The young secretary gulped, "I got it. I''ll do as you say."


    Just as he turned around to leave, Jun Zixuan spoke up, "How is mom?"


    "Elder brother said Madam is taking her medicationstely. Although her condition is not improving that much but it is not worsening like before. So, the doctors are optimistic about it."


    "Alright, you can leave."


    "Yes."


    In the main hall.


    "That''s impossible," Yu Mei shook her head, "Zixuan can''t be the CEO of Eminence group ofpanies."


    Shi Luo frowned, "And why are you so sure?"


    "Eminence is ruling over the business world for 8 years already. Not to mention the CEO of the enormous empire has been unifying all business throughout this period¡­.

 Chapter 57 - I Trust Him

    "Eminence is ruling over the business world for 8 years already. Not to mention that the CEO of the enormous empire has been unifying all business throughout this period. It has ventured into the medical field, industrial sector and entertainment industry and if I am not wrong, then Eminence will soon be coborating with the fashion industry," Yu Mei continued in a low voice, "Zixuan is around our age. He is just 23."


    Shi Luo sighed, "Despite being 23, you can be the CEO of Rosette, the leadingpany in fashion industry and the most trusted luxury jewellery brand. While I can be a world famous skin specialist at the age of 23. Then, why can''t he be the CEO of Eminence?"


    "I am seriously doubting the authenticity of your medical degree," Yu Mei was frustrated. She picked up the wine ss.


    Shi Luo pped her hand, "You are not allowed to drink¡­atleast not until your medical reports are out."


    She bit her bottom lips. She couldn''t even drink now. Wow¡­it''s just wow. Anyways¡­"Your had to crack the medical exam while I had been establishing Rosette since university days and I had my brother''s back. You think that Zixuan is the CEO of Eminence. Does that means the grand business empire was established by a teenager? 8 years back, he was just a 15-year old guy."


    Shi Luo shook her head, "It was just my intuition. Now that you say it like that, I think you are right."


    Yu Mei nodded before taking a bite of her strawberry pastry. She was suddenly reminded of something. "Luoluo."


    "Mm? Why are you looking at me like that?" Under her stern gaze, Shi Luo suddenly felt fidgety.


    "What did you both talk about in that balcony? What did you say to Zixuan?" Thinking about it, Jun Zixuan alright when he was here. But when she saw himter, there was something wrong with him for sure. Why else would he act so violently?


    So, joining the dots, she reached the conclusion that it had something to do with Shi Luo.


    "About that¡­" Without hesitation, Shi Luo narrated the whole incident to her.


    Yu Mei looked at her in disbelief, "How could you do that? It is so cruel for you to guilt-trap him with such lies."


    Shi Luo shrugged, "What did you expect me to do? Should I have said ''You are asking about Han Mei? She has transmigrated into your wife''s body'' or something more ear-catching like ''Your university friend is now your wife?"


    Yu Mei pped her shoulder before looking around. Luckily, there was no one around the isted ce they have selected to gossip.


    ''''Keep your voice down, Luoluo."


    "Fine¡­Honestly, this was the only way we won''t have to bother about him investigating you in future. If he truly saw you as a friend, he won''t try to contact you," Shi Luo sighed, "Back then, he was a mysterious transfer student who came to Crystal University and overnight, the girls were all crazy over him. And right now, I find him more dangerous than before. It''s best for us to stay cautious and y safe."


    ''''I trust him," She didn''t know how it started but somehow, she didn''t feel the need to stay cautious of him.


    Shi Luo pped her forehead.


    But before she could say something, her phone went off.


    "Mom," She said, answering the call, "Yes¡­I am here¡­Hello...Mom... Are you there..? Mom!!"


    She quickly stood up from the chair before grabbing her clutch, "Mei, I''ll have to leave. I think something happened to her."


    Yu Mei frowned as she grabbed Shi Luo''s hand, stopping her from leaving, concern apparent in her dark eyes, "Call someone and ask them to check on aunty. Be careful on your way."


    "I''ll call my assistant and take the first flight," In her panicked state, it didn''te her mind that she should call someone to check on her mother. She looked at Yu Mei gratefully, "Thanks¡­you don''t worry. Take care and don''t touch alcohol. I''ll leave now."


    "What a dumb woman!" Muttered Yu Mei as she looked at her retreating back. Even at a time like this, she had to act like a mother hen.


    "I hope Aunty is alright," She sat back on the chair and contemted on how she should deal with Jun Zixuan now.


    ording to her memories, the previous owner got Jun Zixuan''s contact number from her mother-inw and pestered the man endlessly. Since he could not bother to argue with his mother, he simply changed his number and it was not shared with his mother for a few months.


    Now that Shi Luo bbered such nonsense in front of him, the man must be feeling guilty for not being able to help Han Mei, his friend at her difficult times. Even if she was at his ce, she might have felt the same.


    As much as she felt bad for him, at the same time, she was worried their newfound friendship won''tst long like this. If he med his wife for all this, then all his wrath will now be directed at her.


    Yu Mei felt a headache at the thought of it. Things just started to get better recently, will everything between them be back to square one where they could not even bear the sight of each other?


    Just as she was thinking about it, she realized¡­. her abdomen was aching. This familiar pain¡­ No. It was not the weird pain she felt when her face gets transformed.


    It was the pain that every girl would be familiar with.


    Especially a girl like her who used to suffer almost every month from it. She never had a painless period experience.


    Was her periodsing?


    She fisted her the cloth of her gown tightly in her hands before standing up from the chair.


    The pain intensified the moment she stood up. She gasped softly. ''Mia¡­Mia¡­Are you there?'' She called out to the fox but there was no response.


    This stinky fox will be there to eavesdrop on her gossiping with her friend. But now that she needed her help, she just went on silent mode.


    ''''I¡­ Can you tell me where the washroom is?"

 Chapter 58 - The Unbearable Pain

    ''''I¡­ Can you tell me where the washroom is?" Yu Mei asked the first person who came to her sight.


    She had to check if there were stains on her dress since she was already starting to feel ufortable. Even Jun Zixuan is nowhere to be seen.


    "Walk straight past the bar counter then left." Thedy kindly pointed out the direction.


    "Thanks¡­" Struggling to endure the pain, she walked towards the bar counter.


    Just as she was about to take a left turn, the person sitting on the bar stool stood up and turned back all of a sudden, bumping into her in the process.


    The drink in her ss sttered on her sapphire gown drenching a portion near her waist.


    Her face turned pale at the sudden cool sensation near her abdomen. She clenched her fist tightly as she took a deep breath before walking away trying to soothe her pain.


    "Hey, you¡­ Where do you think you are going?"


    Yu Mei paused as she turned around to look at the woman who seemed to be somewhere around in her early 30s.


    "What can I do for yo-you?" She tried to keep her tone normal but it came out trembling instead.


    Her abdomen was hurting like someone was cutting out her flesh and even her limbs were beginning to ache.


    She never expected that even with a new body, the first day of her period was still as painful as ever. And even more painful than before.


    "Apologize."


    The woman tilted her chin arrogantly before walking towards her.


    She pursed her lips as she looked at the woman, "Apologize? It was you who bumped into me¡­you ruined my dress and you want me to apologize to you?!"


    The other two young girls who were sitting on the barstool stood up before pushing her away from her shoulder.


    Yu Mei staggered a few steps back and she held the edge of the counter for support. She closed her eyes because of pain. Are these people crazy?


    "Fatty, do you know who you are talking to? She is the Mayor''s daughter," One of the girls filled her with information while poking her shoulder.


    The so-called Mayor''s daughter walked towards her before looking at her in disgust, "Wearing a counterfeit of a gown from Vienne, you aren''t worried about ending up in jail."


    Yu Mei took a few deep breathes, "I need to go," She stood up straight.


    The woman grabbed her wrist, applying pressure on her hand, "Apologize right now. Do you think just anyone is allowed to leave after messing with me?"


    "Exactly when did I mess with you?" Yu Mei looked at them in frustration, "It is you and yourckeys testing my patience."


    "You¡­ Who are you callingckies?" One of thoseckey girls raised her hand to p her.


    Yu Mei grabbed her wrist before twisting it ruthlessly, "I called you ackey¡­. Ahh¡­"


    A gasp escaped her mouth when the woman fisted her hair from behind. Her eyes turned red. She grabbed the woman''s hand and twisted it as hard as she could.


    A fistful of her hair fell on the floor when she managed to get her hair out of the woman''s tight grip.


    "Ah¡­How dare you!!" The woman red at Yu Mei. She was the Mayor''s only child. When has she ever been treated like this? People always feared her and wagged their tales in front of her like a dog.


    At this time the guests nearby had their attention on themotion going on between thedies.


    "You want me toapologizee?" Yu Mei calmly looked at her. Her lower body was turning numb because of the unbearable pain.


    The womanughed derisively, ''''Yes.''''


    "Very well then," Yu Mei picked up the bottle of champagne from the bar counter and uncorked it while aiming it at the woman.


    There was a ''pop'' sound before champagne sprayed straight at the woman''s body drenching her from head to toe.


    The woman stood there rooted to her spot, unable toprehend what happened.


    Gasps and murmurs shot through the crowd as Yu Mei emptied the contents of the entire bottle on her head.


    As if it was not enough, she picked up another wine bottle and walked towards the woman.


    Standing next to her, Yu Mei appeared short because of her figure but her aura did not diminish a bit.


    "You can''t afford my apology. Make do with mypensation instead," She said, pointing towards the small wet patch near her waist.


    The onlookers: "_" Cough¡­ Yourpensation is more unaffordable.


    With that, she poured the entire bottle of wine on the woman''s head.


    Keeping the bottle on the countertop, Yu Mei turned around to leave. Things could have gone smoothly if her period was not on the way, yet they had to choose a time like this to mess with her.


    "Stop right there. Who allowed you to leave?" The woman nced at the two girls who were looking at her in shock standing at the corner, "Go and call daddy. What are you still doing here?" Tears of fury and humiliation flowed down her eyes. This bitch¡­.!


    "Y-Yes¡­" One of the girls quickly left to call the mayor while the other grabbed Yu Mei''s hand stopping her in ce.


    "p her until this white skin of hers is painted red," The woman ordered looking at Yu Mei''s fair cheeks.


    At this moment, all the onlookers understood what was going on here. It was just the Mayor''s daughter showing off her authority from the very beginning.


    But none of them were interested in interfering in the matter or standing up for Yu Mei.


    ording to them, since she couldn''t protect herself, she should have just stayed silent and apologized. The matter would have been over.


    "Bitch," The girl red at her before raising her hand to p her.


    Before Yu Mei could resist, the pain in her abdomen intensified causing her to wrap an arm around her body.


    ''Dammit¡­'' Her eyes closed instinctively.


    It was toote to dodge.


    She will pay it back a hundred foldster.


    She mentally prepared herself for the first p in both her lives.


    ''Crack''


    ??

 Chapter 59 - My Knight In Shining Armor

    ''Crack''


    ??


    Eh¡­ That''s not how a p sounds like, does it?


    Moreover, she did not feel any pain at all.


    When she felt the girl''s grip on her hand loosening, she opened her eyes to find out what was going on.


    The girl who was about to p her a moment ago had her face stained with tears, her makeup was already destroyed as she winced in pain.


    The hand that was raised to p her was held by Jun Zixuan. He was holding the girl''s wrist with one hand while his other hand was tucked inside his pocket, a nonchnt expression remained on his face.


    His chestnut-shaded eyes were covered with a sheen of coldness.


    ''My knight in shining armor'' was the first phrase that came to her mind as she suddenly felt so touched to see him here.


    Everything seemed normal except for the ''crack'' sounds.


    Was her bone disced?


    Yu Mei blinked. She has witnessed his abnormal strength before.


    "Ahhhhh¡­." The girl''s miserable shriek reverberated in the grand hall.


    But just like nobody walked out to defend her before, they watched this view from the sidelines too, without bothering to interfere.


    In the next second, the girl was thrown to the floor while the man walked towards her. Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped his hand properly before throwing it aside.


    "Are you fine?" He asked concernedly, looking at her pale face.


    She blinked again, "I¡­"


    "Who the hell are you? Her gigolo? p her. I''ll pay you more if youe to my side. I''m the Mayor''s daughter," The woman who was watching the scene quietly, now walked towards him.


    Jun Zixuan didn''t spare her a nce neither did he look offended as he nced at Yu Mei, "Did they bully you?"


    "They did," She said pointing her chin towards the wet patch near the waistline of her dress, "She drenched me with alcohol," She softly said. She was just going to the washroom, why did they have to stop her from doing that?


    She leaned closer to Jun Zixuan as her legs were aching all over.


    "_" The mayor''s daughter nearly lost her footing. You call that being drenched? Did you take a proper look at me?


    "_" Even the crowd felt that the victim was a bit shameless.


    The man followed her gaze, his gaze slightly darkening when he noticed a few hair strands on the floor and her messy hairstyle.


    Feeling her leaning onto him, he stilled for a moment, "Why is your hand so cold?" He asked when his hand came in contact with hers.


    He pressed the back of his hand on her forehead only to realize that her body was going cold.


    He immediately removed the suit jacket before wrapping it around her body.


    Given her weight, it didn''t fit.


    He hugged her tightly keeping it in ce, "Mei¡­ Are you feeling better now?"


    She nodded, "I¡­I''m fine. Just¡­Let''s go back to the resort," She said leaning her head against his chest.


    "Fine," Holding her in his arms, he walked towards the exit.


    "Wait right there¡­" The Mayor''s daughter shouted, stopping them in their tracks. Nor did she once cared about the girl who was her friend, currently sitting on the floor with tears and mucus all over her face. "Daddy~ Bohoooo.."


    "What? How audacious of these nobodies to treat my baby daughter like this?" The Mayor shouted in fury after his daughter described the whole incident to him. She even described how they bumped, and how Yu Mei should''ve apologized for bumping into her.


    And the Mayor did not find anything wrong with that.


    He looked at the onlookers who just watched the drama standing at the side. Anger burned in his eyes but they were all people he did not want to make enemies with, be it those politicians or those Presidents.


    He aimed his wrath at both the people whose back was facing the crowd. His daughter said that they were the ones responsible for this.


    "Do you know who I am? After what you did to my daughter, do you think I''ll easily let you go after this?" Although he found the man''s back a bit familiar but given that Jun Zixuan had removed his suit jacket, he could not pinpoint it exactly if he knew him.


    "It was her who bumped into me and she wanted me to apologize to her," Yu Mei''s soft voice reverberated in the quiet corner of the hall.


    The slow music had long been turned off because of themotion. The massive crowd was gathered all around them to find out what will all of this lead to.


    "Daddy¡­.Boohoo¡­" The woman cried, clinging to her father''s arm.


    The Mayor patted her head, "Don''t cry, baby¡­." He turned to look at Yu Mei''s back, "She is my daughter, the Mayor''s daughter. So what if she wrong? Do you think apologizing is enough? Kneel on the ground and rub your nose. The consequences of messing with my baby daughter¡­Is it something people like you can afford? I can crush an ant-like you with a snap of my fingers."


    "Is it so?" Jun Zixuan turned around, still having Yu Mei in his embrace.


    "C-Chief?" The Mayor retreated a few steps.


    ''''From this day onwards, you don''t need to fulfill the responsibilities of the Mayor anymore. It has been keeping you busy. Sit at home and raise your baby daughter," Jun Zixuan said, his voice low and casual.


    The Mayor closed his eyes in desperation but he didn''t say a word to oppose the man.


    The crowd was astonished. Except for a few people who recognized Jun Zixuan, the rest did not understand what was going on here? This person eliminated the Mayor just like that?


    "Daddy, what¡­"


    "Shut up," The Mayor red at his foolish daughter, "It''s all over¡­Over¡­" He murmured to himself before walking away.


    Out of all the people he gave her the right to provoke, she had to mess with this man.


    Looking at her father''s retreating back, the woman''s eyes shone with indignation and hatred. She red at Yu Mei before focusing her gaze on Jun Zixuan, "She poured two bottles of alcohol on me. She¡­" She pointed at her drenched body, "It was her who did this to me. She is acting innocent in front of you. It was her who started everything. What gives her the right to do so?" She cried, appearing as pitiful as she can.


    A few words from this man and her father''s position was gone. The man who was supposed to be a handsome gigolo was much more than she had imagined.

 Chapter 60 - Medicines For ’every’ Cramp

    After witnessing how influential Jun Zixuan was, the Mayor''s daughter changed her tactics and tried to y the pity card.


    Jun Zixuan sneered. His lips curling up in disdain, "I gave her the right. So what if she did it?"


    ''''Let''s go.." Holding the woman close to her, he turned around.


    Despite his low and casual voice, nobody in the hall dared to take his words lightly. Especially not after what they witnessed. Arrogant words? It was anything but that. He was challenging them to provoke his authority, to test his patience.


    Despite knowing that it was the mayor''s daughter, no one from the crowd stepped out to support her. So what if her father was Mayor? Even their own influence was not something to be underestimated.


    But the person in front of them was an enigma. They didn''t know the extent of his powers. A man who could make the Mayor willingly give up his position with a few words¡­.how could he be simple?


    It would be an unpredictable risk on their part to provoke him.


    The Mayor''s daughter could not believe that her approach didn''t work on the man. She realized how desperate her situation is.


    "You bitch¡­.I''ll kill you...I''ll kill you slut¡­You will die a horrible death¡­A horrible death¡­"


    Death? Yu Mei stiffened.


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes turned cold at those words. He could feel the woman in his arms stiffening slightly.


    He paused before tilting his head to the side to look at the woman who was cursing his wife, ''''Two bottles weren''t enough for you?''''


    He spoke in a low voice before looking at the crowd who were still as silent, "All those who watched the show from sidelines. Pay for the tickets. Empty the content in your wine sses at its proper ce."


    After saying that, he picked Yu Mei in his arms before leaving the ce.


    "_"


    Nobody dared to go against him. Not when they didn''t know who was with man and what was they capable of. They didn''t have it in them to wake up with losing everything they had.


    They looked at the Mayor''s daughter who was bbering nonsense before walking towards her.


    "Ah¡­No...Don''te near me¡­NO¡­Stay away¡­I''ll kill that bitch.."


    Inside the car.


    "Take this¡­" Yu Mei removed his white suit jacket from her body before passing it to him.


    He wrapped it around her tightly before fastening the seatbelt around her. "Just keep it with you, your body is cold." He increased the temperature in the car before stepping on the elerator.


    "But it will get dirty," She wrapped her arms tightly around her abdomen and closed her eyes because of pain, ''''I am on my period."


    ''Screech''


    The man stepped on the emergency brakes and the car came to a halt in the middle of the road.


    "I thought you were just not feeling well and needed rest¡­" He furrowed her brows looking at her deathly pale face, "Let''s go to the hospital."


    She grabbed his hand resting on the steering wheel, making him pause.


    Sweat trickled down from her forehead, her body was shivering slightly.


    He immediately hugged her without thinking about anything. He stroked her back gently, "Are you feeling better like this?"


    "Mm..."


    ''''Fine, let me drive.."


    "No, we aren''t going to the hospital."


    "Stop shouting near my ear."


    She pushed him away breaking the hug. "No hospital," she repeated.


    "Hospital," He stepped on the elerator.


    She adamantly shook her head, "No hospital. If you take me to hospital, I..I''ll jump out of the car." She pointed at the car door.


    He stepped at the brakes before ring at her, his gaze darkened, "And why can''t you go to the hospital?"


    She sighed, "Should I be like ''Hello Doctor, I have my period here. Can you do the surgery, pretty please?'' She paused before continuing weakly, "By then, I won''t be able to find a suitable hole to hide in. It is too shameful."


    "You are in pain..'''' Do women have their brains in their knees? People would go to the hospital when there is an issue with their health, what is there to be ashamed of?


    She leaned back on the seat in a morefortable position, "The first day has always been this painful for me," She sighed. Was it a rule? Along with her soul, all the banes of her past life transmigrated too. Why else would she feel the same pain with a new body?


    His gaze softened, "Let''s go to the drugstore then. Or will it also make you shy?"


    "Can you not mock me at a time like this?" Her lips twitched. She leaned back on the seat and stroked her abdomen.


    He put his hand on the back of her head before approaching closer to her.


    "What are you¡­" She asked when their faces were inches away. Her eyes slightly widened at their proximity.


    ''Click''


    The seat lowered and heid her head on it, "Close your eyes and take deep breathes," We will be there within 5 minutes.


    The corner of her lips twitched. She felt a sense of foreboding after hearing his words.


    Later at the drugstore.


    The owner of the drugstore had his chin propped up in his palm as he dozed off.


    ''Knock'' Jun Zixuan knocked his fist on the front desk.


    ''Bam.'' His facended straight at the table, his round sses falling off in the process, "Are you blind¡­." He paused looking at the blurry silhouette of the man.


    He could smell the rich scent of money in the air.


    To confirm his doubts, he immediately wore his sses, his face bloomed like a sunflower when as he nced at his outfit, his watch, and his prominent looks.


    "Do you have medicine for menstrual cramps?" Jun Zixuan asked.


    The middle-aged man nodded, "Yes, sir. We have medicines for every cramp," He said suggestively, "Who do you want it for? It would be better if you can tell their age."


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched. What double-meaning nonsense is this man spouting?

 Chapter 61 - I Owed You In Past Life

    "My wife is 21 years old."


    "Here it is," The man brought over a file of medicine and passed it to him, "She needs to take this two times a day until she feels better.


    "Sanitary napkins," Jun Zixuan said, holding the medicine in his hand.


    "Sir, which one do you want?"


    "Get me two from all the best brands you have.," He paused. It should be enough right, "Wait¡­Make it three."


    "Yes, your wife will be pleased." So rich, so wilful! The owner inwardly cheered ready to embrace the dor signs.


    The man nodded his head, satisfied.


    "And she is carsick."


    "We have medicines for that too."


    "And¡­"


    ¡­


    ''rgh¡­.''


    Holding a water bottle in her hand, Yu Mei was squatting on the side of the road as she puked her guts out.


    For the umpteenth time, she regretted not checking her horoscope before stepping out of the resort today. She did not believe in these things but her current situation was telling her that her stars were all maligned and scattered here and there, not moving anymore.


    They have be stagnant causing her life to be so miserable.


    Another wave of nausea hit her and she lowered her head once again.


    ''rgh''


    The loose locks of hair fell in front of her shoulder but she did not have the power to hold them.


    Right at this moment, a hand patted her back.


    ''''Ah¡­.'''' She was startled.


    Despite her weakness, her hand moved at reflex to grab the person''s wrist.


    "It''s me¡­"


    The man''s deep voice set her at ease.


    She could not help it. After being assassinated in the middle of a forest, she dreaded these empty highways most.


    Especially when right at this moment, the streetlights on either side of the road were not working.


    Since the drugstore was inside a small alley, the car could not go inside. Moreover, moving around too much might just stain her dress by her discharge. So, she told me that she would be sitting in the car.


    But how ironic it was that she did not even have the privilege to do that.


    ''rgh'' Yet another wave of nausea.


    "Dammit¡­" She closed her eyes feeling the pain in her throat.


    Jun Zixuan collected her hair in his fist while his other palm kept rubbing her back.


    After onest round, she finally felt a lot better. Cleaning her mouth with water, she leaned back into the man''s embrace. "Jun Zixuan, I must have owed you something in myst life,'''' She weakly muttered, "For which you''re taking revenge right now. Yes, that must be it." But then again, she remembered not owing him anything in her past life.


    "Talking about past life, we must be nemesis at that time," He said before carrying her in his arms, "."


    Despite her current condition, sheughed evilly, ''Nemesis? You wish! We were friends.''


    ''''What are youughing for?" He narrowed his eyes looking at the woman''s face under the shlight of her phone.


    ''''Thought about a joke."


    "Take your medicine right now," Jun Zixuan folded his arm across his chest as he red at the woman who was backing off at the sight of the pills in his hand.


    When she didn''t listen to him, he grabbed her cheeks in one hand and her mouth opened like a koi fish in the next moment.


    "Mmm..mm..jwarrrrkkk¡­..h¡­atles¡­"


    Despite her resistance, he popped the pills in her mouth before pouring water into her mouth.


    She drank it in a few gulps and he loosened his grip on her.


    "Cough...Cough¡­" She red at him, "I am a delicate woman. How could you treat me like this?"


    ''Delicate? Woman? Cheh~ Where is she? Why can''t I see her?'' A mocking voice rang in her mind setting her eyes on fire in an instant.


    ''When I was asking for help, you were nowhere to be seen. Now that it is time to mock me, you''re standing first in the queue?''


    ''Heh~'' Another wave of mockingughter and the fox disappeared again.


    Yu Mei closed her eyes, taking deep breathes to calm her down only to feel a warm palm stroking her cheeks.


    Her eyes opened in an instant. She looked at Jun Zixuan nkly as he gently stroked her cheeks, "You¡­"


    "It turned red so I was helping you," He cleared his throat.


    Her lips twitched as she swatted away his hand, ''''Didn''t you hear me? I am delicate. Who told you to grab my cheeks like that?"


    "Who told you to not take the medicine?"


    "Does that mean you will force it down my throat?" She stroked her lower abdomen "Stop fighting with me. I''m in this half-dead condition partially because of you. Where is your guilt?"


    The car was parked in the middle of the road, the lights inside the car were turned on while they were having a face-off.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze softened, "You never told me that you are carsick. How do you expect me to know that?"


    "That''s not called being carsick. You can''t expect me to enjoy the ride in this condition when you are driving the car in a flying spur," This is the exact reason why she preferred bikes over cars. Moreover, the way he drove, she got the vibes of being on a race track.


    This was a fucking Bentley, not a well-equipped sports car on a race track. She could feel the insides in her body hurting till now.


    "You were in pain. I had to drive faster."


    Looking at his innocent face, she felt guilty. Fine, fine, my fault then.


    Later that night.


    After soaking in warm water for half an hour, Yu Mei felt a bitfortable. The medicine was quite effective as her pain was reduced almost instantly.


    Wrapping a towel around her head, she walked out of the bathroom wearing her cute pink-bunny night pajamas.


    Whatever magic that fox did to make her look a bit in shape also disappeared and she was back to her round looks.


    For the sake of two hours of a bit shapely figure, she had to allow that little thing to read her mind for two whole days. What a loss!


    Looking like a fluffy dumpling, she dragged herzy ass towards the bed before slumping on it.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head from theptop and nced at her, "You look different than before¡­''''

 Chapter 62 - Are You Blushing? How Cute!

    Jun Zixuan tilted his head from theptop and nced at the woman who slumped on the bed, "You look different..." He asked with furrowed brows.


    She stilled, "I was looking slim because of the gown you brought for me." Mia''s special slimming effect is gone, of course, I''ll look different now.


    He narrowed his eyes.


    She gulped looking at his face. Did he realize she is lying?


    "When did you look slim?" He asked seriously.


    She was speechless. It was obvious I was a bit slim, were you blind or what? But she didn''t argue with him. It was better if he thought that way.


    "Do you feel better now?"


    "Much better."


    "Here take this,'''' He picked up a ss from the bedside table before extending his hand towards her.


    ''''This is¡­?"


    "Ginger tea with brown sugar."


    "Wow, thanks," She rolled to his side before getting it from him, "Never expected they keep this here."


    Little did she know that the man did his own research on the inte before ordering the Michelin chef to prepare a cup of ginger tea in the middle of the night for his wife who was suffering from period cramps.


    Her gazended on what looked like arge sac of sanitary napkins ced on the couch, "That drugstore owner did this to swindle you out of your money. How can you be such a fool? Who needs so many of them for 5 days?"


    The bag was opaque and the packets were not visible outside or else when he carried her inside the resort while holding this sac-like bag filled with sanitary napkins, the staff members of the resorts would have surely thought that they were doing sanitary napkin business.


    Not that she cared but cough¡­ she would have just felt a bit embarrassed.


    "How would I know about that?" He furrowed his brows as he nced at her.


    When he asked the owner to get him these, the man had happilyplied without informing him that so many packs are unnecessary. Because of the emergency, he did not get the chance to check the information on his phone.


    "One or two would have been for me. This much willst can be used for m years. If it is expired, it can''t be used anymore. What a waste!" She shook her head regrettably before keeping the ss on the bedside table.


    His lips twitched. So, was he seriously acquiring knowledge regarding ''period, sanitary napkins and their uses'' from this woman around midnight?


    "Then, I will¡­"


    Just as she started speaking, he interrupted her, "What will it take for you to stop discussing this?"


    She opened her mouth and tilted her to the side, "Hey, the tip of your ears are red¡­You¡­Are you blushing? How cute¡­" She pinched his cheeks.


    He swatted away that pair of indecent hands, "Shut up."


    "What''s there to be shy about? It''s normal. Every woman has to go through it and a chapter of our biology book is dedicated to menstruation. It''s just part of nature. Don''t tell me you get shy when you pee?"


    Sheughed, looking at his face reddening because of herst sentence.


    The man masked his expression immediately.


    The corner of his sleep tugged up as he nced at her mockingly, "Since it is a part of nature, why was Miss Yu embarrassed to go to the hospital?"


    The woman who was rolling around inughter choked.?She broke into coughing fits.


    Shaking his head, Jun Zixuan patted her back, "Dumb woman," Muttered the man under his breath.


    "I feel sleepy," She said after she felt better, clearly wanting to change the topic.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the bed holding theptop in his hand, "I''ll go to the couch," Looking at her pale face, he added, "Rest well, you will feel better by tomorrow."


    Just as he took a few steps towards the couch, she grabbed his hand.


    He turned around to look at her questioningly.


    She rolled to the other side of the bed before patting the free space next to her, "Since you helped and we are friends now, I''ll feel guilty if you sleep there ufortably," She said, pointing towards the couch.


    "I''ll be fine."


    "Just sleep here," She looked at him stubbornly.


    He raised an eyebrow at her.


    She raised three fingers before speaking up, "I swear I don''t snore and I sleep very elegantly. I also don''t move around too much. Comee~"


    The next morning.


    Jun Zixuan was lying on his side of the bed while the person who imed to have elegant sleeping manners was lying on top of him, her limbs coiled around him while her face was buried on his neck.


    She sniffed his neck asionally rubbing her nose on it.


    And the ticklish sensation caused the man to wake up.


    He speechlessly looked at the woman sticking to him like an octopus.


    He stiffened when he felt a wet tongue roaming on his neck.


    In the next moment, the woman opened her mouth wide and bit his neck.


    "Sss¡­" The piercing pain made him suck a breath of cold air, "Yu Mei Zhen, are you a vampire?" He snarled.


    The woman sat up on the bed in a sh before looking around in panic, "What happened? Who died?"


    Jun Zixuan: "_"


    Despite starting the day on a wrong note, the two made up on the breakfast table after which Gu Min came to the resort regarding some work matters.


    Before both the men left for work, she asked Jun Zixuan to leave his car behind along with a driver. Although she could drive but she did not have a driving license so it was better to have someone else do it.


    And, Jun Zixuan left in Gu Min''s car.


    It was already evening when Jun Zixuan was on his way back to the resort. He called Yu Mei to know what she was up to but the woman did not answer his call.

 Chapter 63 - Protective Of Her, Ruthless To Others

    Left with no choice, he called the bodyguard he left for her to drive the car.


    The man answered the call on the second ring.


    "Where is she?" Jun Zixuan asked, loosening the cor around his neck.?The reply from the other side made his face darken.


    He hung up the call before ncing at Gu Min who was driving the car, "Take a turn. Drive to the Central slum area."


    Gu Min frowned, "What is Miss Yu doing at a ce like that?'''' Since he overheard their conversation, he could not help but be curious as to why a woman like Yu Mei Zhen would want to go to dirty ces like slums.


    "I don''t know."


    "Well, Brother Xuan, I got the recordings from yesterday''s party," He passed his phone to Jun Zixuan and continued, "It seems like Miss Yu was lying about being bullied. She really poured the wine on the Mayor''s daughter."


    Jun Zixuan did not speak a single word as he watched the full video.


    His brows tugged together.


    Gu Min, who was ncing at the man''s reaction from the rearview mirror shook his head in pity. He truly pitied Yu Mei at this point but who told her to lie to a man like Jun Zixuan? Did she think he would never know?


    "When did she lie? They bullied her," Jun Zixuan said nonchntly as he passed the phone to him, "That woman bumped into her. Instead of apologizing, she demanded an apology and tugged her hair. And she made attempts to beat her. Mei just paid them back for everything."


    Gu Min was speechless. Looking from his point of view, it seemed true. But was Brother just being logical or is he blindly supporting his wife? He wondered to himself.


    "Did you investigate them?"


    Gu Min nodded, "The Mayor''s daughter was a drug addict. The drink that identally got sshed on Miss Yu had the drug in it which is why that woman''s reaction was extreme after it got wasted. As for the rest of the things, we are sure that no one is connecting you to the CEO of Eminence because of your age. So, you can rest assured that news regarding this matter will not reach Amaranthine. All of them will keep their mouths shut."


    "Make that woman bald and take care of thoseckeys," He coldly said.


    It didn''t take long for Gu Min to realize that he was talking about the Mayor''s daughter. She just tugged a few strands of hair from Miss Yu''s head, do you really have to be so ruthless?


    And who said the couple''s rtionship was not good. If their rtionship was not good, why would the man be so protective towards his wife?


    Jun Zixuan looked outside the window. The sky was turning dark already. "Drive fast," He said.


    Going to such a dangerous ce alone, what was that woman thinking of?


    ...


    Yu Mei walked out of the slum area only to see Jun Zixuan getting out of Gu Min''s car. She walked towards him, "Why are you here?"


    ''''What are you doing here?" The man asked looking at her round face filled with sweat, her chest heaved up and down and her face was flushed.


    He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket before throwing it at her.


    She grabbed it and blinked at him before extending her hand towards, "Why don''t you wipe it instead?" She asked him, pointing at her forehead.


    He pursed his lips before putting one of his hands inside his pocket, "Do it yourself."


    She shoved the handkerchief in his other hand, "I have worked too hard. Can''t you see I don''t have the energy for this?"


    He was speechless.


    "But you have the energy to argue with me," He rubbed his temples before dabbing the handkerchief on her face. Her fluffy cheeks bounced with his touch. "You''re so spoiled," He sighed.


    ''''_" Gu Min and the bodyguard who was assigned to drive Yu Mei were standing behind them. At this point, they were quite stunned. Which bastard spread the rumors that the couple doesn''t go along well?


    Although they were fighting, but it was more like a couple''s bickering. No hard feelings are involved.


    Yu Mei shrugged. She had her own work and responsibilities to look after but when it came to such small things, her brother would never leave the chance to pamper her and she was very used to it.


    Her eyes flickered. She expected to see Jian Yu at the party yesterday but her hopes were all crushed.


    "Ouch¡­" She red at the man who flicked her forehead harshly.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes. The lost expression on her face¡­it was as if¡­whatever it was, he did not like the sight of it.


    "What were you doing here?" He repeated his question looking at the slum areas.


    With the foul stench, stray dogs and cats, dirty kids covered in mud, broken houses, the locality was not an ideal ce for looking around or sightseeing. Then, what was she doing here?


    "I''ll tell youter," She averted her gaze, looking at the two men standing behind him.


    "Now," He said with a stern gaze, not giving her a chance to retaliate.


    She raised an eyebrow. Fine then, don''t me meter. She opened her mouth to speak, ''''Yesterday, the things you got for me¡­as in the sanitary¡­mmm¡­"


    He pressed his hand on her mouth, stopping her from speaking further.


    As she opened her mouth to bit his hand, the man instinctively retracted it from her mouth, "What? You don''t want to know anymore?" She smirked.


    He cleared his throat, "Let''s discuss itter."


    "No, I want to discuss it now."


    He held the back of her cor before dragging the woman towards his car.


    He paused in his tracks and turned around to look at his bodyguard and Gu Min, "Enjoying the movie?" He asked in a toneced with sarcasm.


    Gu Min dazedly nodded only toe back to his senses, "Not like that..."


    "You both can leave together," He said coldly before dragging the woman with him.


    "Wait Wait!" Yu Mei resisted while getting inside the car.


    He loosened his grip on the cor of her blue dress, "What now?"


    ''''I''ll drive," She said, pointing towards the driver''s seat.


    "Moreover, do you even know how to drive?"


    "Although I don''t have a driving license, I can drive. Moreover, aren''t you there with me? It should be fine. After you drove yesterday, I don''t have it in myself to sit beside you," She shook her head helplessly before opening the door of the shotgun seat for him.


    He sighed before getting inside the car, "I drove like that because we had to get medicines for you."


    Sheughed, ''''I know but just give me some time to forget yesterday''s ''nightmarish'' ride." She felt like vomiting just at the reminder of how fast he drove.


    As she entered the driver''s seat, he nced at her side profile, "So, you were here for?"


    She nced at him for a moment before focusing on the road. Just when he thought she will not reply, she opened her mouth to speak.


    ''''Thest time when we came to the temple, I had noticed this ce. After searching¡­."

 Chapter 64 - His Heart Skipped A Beat

    "Thest time when we came to the temple, I had noticed this area. After searching about this slum locality on my phone, I got to know how underdeveloped this ce is. Further research concluded that nearly one hundred and thirty women have died in the past few years because of health issues and hygiene-rted problems. I could not do anything for them right now so I distributed all the sanitary napkins amongst them."


    She did not expect the poption here to be so high that all those packs fell short. Sheter used Shi Luo''s gold card to buy more packs and distribute amongst all those women and girls who never knew that such things even existed.


    As she stepped on the elerator, she thought back to the expressions of worship that they had in their eyes for such a small thing she did for them.


    ''''I never expected you to do something like this," He nced at her side profile with aplicated light in his eyes, ''''You have always been disgusted with the servants."


    She nced at his face from the corner of her eyes, his expressions were unreadable.


    An old memory yed itself in her mind.


    When he came back to Ren Mansion for the second time after their marriage, he encountered her harassing an old servant working in the mansion. The previous owner''s extreme disgust towards that olddy was genuine at that time.


    "Maybe a near-death experience changed my views. I find myself looking at things more clearly," She paused for a moment to observe him but he remained expressionless as ever.


    "I did not know how to cherish the things and people I had so I lost them," If she stayed under the protective shield that her brother made for her, or if she had taken some protective measures while going out that day then maybe she would not have died.


    Whatever happens, it happens for a reason so she did not regret anything. She just regretted not cherishing the things she had.


    Jun Zixuan slightly narrowed his eyes. He could see that sad look on her face again and it somehow made him ufortable.


    Yu Mei sighed, "But when I saw those kids struggling for a loaf of bread, I realized life is not that unfair to me after all. The women were using old clothes during their period. They don''t have medicines, nofort of brown sugar, they have to go through all that raw pain. Those men were doing odd works to feed their family¡­ I¡­ might not be able to do anything for them right now, but one day, I will change their fates."


    She kept her gaze on the road, not knowing how his heart skipped a beat because of the determined stubborn intent in her dark eyes.


    Suddenly, he found himself looking at apletely different side of her.


    ¡­.


    After going back to the resort, Yu Mei took a shower first and changed into afortable loose-fitted dress.


    When Jun Zixuan was taking a shower, she left a note for him in the suite before going for a walk on the beach.


    Since it was evening time, the tourists were busy with the activities arranged inside the grand resort. There were a few people on the beach. Looking at the gradually darkening sky, she walked away from the crowd.


    Finally finding a peaceful spot, she removed her shoes and sat there.


    After contemting for a bit, she took out her phone to call Shi Luo.


    She had called her in the morning but she had not answered it.


    Right now, she hoped that the woman would answer her call. She sighed in relief as the call got connected on thest ring, "Luoluo, how is aunty?"


    "Mom is fine. There was awork issue in our locality yesterday because of which the call got disconnected. I thought Mom was not fine," The woman replied from the other side.


    Yu Mei chuckled, "You should just stop acting like a mother hen all the time and everything will be fine."


    "Aye~ Enough of teasing me. I was busy with some work in the morning so I didn''t see your call. I was just about to call you now but you called me."


    Yu Mei could hear the sound of shuffling of papers in the background, "Are you working?"


    "It''s almost done. By the way¡­Mei, are you still angry that I lied to Jun Zixuan about you?" Shi Luo asked.


    "I was never angry. I just don''t want him to drown himself in self-me as my friend," She sighed before tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked around to see if anyone was there before continuing, "Regarding my situation, I don''t want to tell him. He is not the type of man who will trust all these bizarre things. We are friends right now but I don''t how will it turn out to be if I blurted such unbelievable things like transmigration in front of me.''''


    "That''s true. I''ve grown up with you but I still did not believe it when you told me. Jun Zixuan knew you for a few months, who can guarantee he will believe that?" Shi Luo spoke up, "Except for his name and status, we don''t know anything about him. I could have told him you are dead but that too would be risky. Like this, he will avoid investigating you if he has a conscience. Mei¡­I''ll call youter. Someone is looking for me."


    As Shi Luo hung up the call, Yu Mei found herself staring into the distant skies.


    ''''You humans are tooplicated. You trust him but you can''t tell him," The little fox, Mia, appeared on herp before sitting elegantly.


    Yu Mei nced at it. This fox still had more than 12 hours left to read her mind. Troublesome!


    "I am not troublesome. You humans are. Why don''t you go tell him about your identity?"


    A fox is calling a human troublesome. How ironic!

 Chapter 65 - I Believed You’d Protect Me

    She scoffed, "Don''t think I don''t know what''s going on in your mind. You just want some entertainment."


    Mia swished her thick tail elegantly before batting her eyshes. This woman is too smart! Sensing another presence, she disappeared immediately.


    Yu Meiughed derisively, "You cunning fox, did you think I''ll fall into your trap? Now that I caught you, you just ran away. Huh¡­"


    "Who are you talking to?" A familiar voice sounded beside her.


    She stiffened and turned around to find Jun Zixuan walking towards her.


    He removed his shoes and sat beside her.


    ''''I was just trying a dialogue from a book."


    "Which one?"


    "You don''t read novels so you won''t know," She said, looking at his face under the moonlight.


    He kept his phone beside him and nced at her silently.


    Under his probing gaze, she hesitantly opened her mouth to ask, "Is there something you want to ask?"


    "You knew she was the Mayor''s daughter. Weren''t you afraid of getting yourself in trouble?" He asked.


    She smiled at his question. "Maybe because I instinctively believed you''d protect me as you did."


    I believed you''d protect me.


    Something inside his heart stirred at that moment as he looked at her confident smile.


    If she was still Han Mei, she would have been reckless without a care of the world because she was powerful enough to deal with the mess she created.


    But as Yu Mei, she did not have the luxury to be like that. She would have relied on her wits to get out of that situation.


    When things went overboard and that woman tried to beat her, she was already losing her temper. Her period cramps were more than enough for her to lose her reason.


    Yu Mei was sure that she would not have taken that risk if he was not there.


    She trusted him a little more than she should and it surprised her to some extent.


    ''''But given your attitude yesterday, I thought we would be back to being enemies again," She grabbed his injured hand before looking at theyers of gauze wrapped around his palm, "Is it better now?"


    Her heart ached thinking that she was indirectly responsible for it.


    "It''s fine," He hurriedly retracted his hand.


    "Why are you so shy?" Sheughed.


    Jun Zixuan averted his gaze.


    What she said was not wrong. After what Shi Luo told him about Han Mei, he somehow med Yu Mei Zhen for everything in his heart. If not for her constant pestering two years ago, he would not have changed his number.


    In fact, if she had not been in his life, then nothing would have gone wrong with Han Mei.


    He wanted to investigate Han Mei, to get to know more about her current situation, and try to help her somehow but Shi Luo''s constant reminder of not contacting her bothered him.


    He did not want to embarrass her or make her sad.


    Amidst his contemtion, Gu Min came back and informed him about the conflict between Yu Mei and the Mayor.


    The next thing he remembered he was already going to the ballroom to protect her, while being constantly concerned about the woman whom he was ming earlier in his head.


    She snapped his fingers in front of his face, "Knock Knock¡­You there?"


    He snapped out of his daze.


    She chuckled, "What were you thinking about?"


    "I wish I could change some things in the past," He said, looking at the moon.


    "Do you take yourself as omnipotent?" She pped his shoulder, understanding what he was referring to, "Don''t burden yourself with the past. No matter how powerful you are, some situations would always spiral out of your control. That''s life, isn''t it?"


    He nodded, "It is."


    She yawned.


    Leaning her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes, "I walked so far away from the crowd to sit here alone. But, now, I don''t want to walk back to the resort. Can you get the car here?"


    "You are sozy," Putting his fingers on her forehead, he pushed her away.


    "Lazy sounds ugly. That''s called selective participation," She red at him before leaning onto him yet again, "As in¡­I want to mango but don''t wanna remove the seed and skin."


    He was speechless at her choice of example.


    He nced at the woman who can easily pass of as thebination of a human ko and panda.


    Shaking his head, he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and the other near her waist before standing up, holding her in a princess carry.


    She was stunned. How could he carry her so easily?


    She eagerly pinched his biceps, "Damn, you''re so strong¡­" Her other hand took a feel of his pectoral muscles, "Woah¡­So hard.."


    His face darkened. Did this woman forget his gender?


    "If you don''t stop doing that, then I''ll throw you into the sea."


    "You won''t do that," She said hesitantly.


    "Try me."


    "_"


    She removed her hand from his private assets.


    "Wait¡­my shoes.."


    "You have many of them."


    Fine, you are the boss.


    It was theirst day in Shanghai, she sighed thinking that the small vacation will be over tomorrow. They were enemies when they came here. Who could have thought they will end up as friends before they return?


    She chuckled.


    "What are youughing for?"


    "Nothing," She leaned closer to him feeling the cold breeze graze past her body.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Beijing


    As they disembarked from the private jet, Yu Mei kept ncing at Jun Zixuan with a probing gaze.


    She found herself at a loss again.


    "Stop looking at me like a creep," The man coldly said without looking at her.


    She cleared her throat before averting her gaze.


    "Chief¡­'''' A man called out in English.


    Both of them paused in their tracks and a man in his mid-thirties walked out of them.


    And this person was the exact reason behind Yu Mei''s shock. This person was their pilot.


    "Alex," Jun Zixuan nodded at the man.


    Alex was not only a licensed pilot but also the Director of Operations of Royal Jets, one of thergest private jetpanies.


    And she came to know that the man was working under Jun Zixuan.


    So, basically, this guy did not have a single jet. He was the owner of the wholepany.


    The days when they came to Shanghai, she did not get to see the man. So, it came as a shock at the moment.

 Chapter 66 - Staying At His Penthouse

    Alex took out a Cerulean-colored small card from his pocket before extending it towards her, "Miss, this is what Chief asked me to prepare for you before you. With this, you can board the jets from mypany anytime you want and I''ll be at your service," He spoke in fluent English.


    Jun Zixuan opened his mouth to exin it to her given that he knew the woman was not well versed in English.


    But before he could say anything, the woman spoke up in fluent English, "Director Alex, are you sure you don''t have a misunderstanding? Did he really ask you to give it to me?'''' She asked, with both her eyebrows raised in doubt.


    Jun Zixuan looked at her nkly. A few days ago, he read the investigation reports given by Steward Gu. ording to it, Yu Mei should know how to cook, she only knew her mother tongue and was weak in her studies. The first and second ones turned out to be theplete opposite of what was said while the third remained unknown.


    "You know me?" Alex nced at her in surprise. He was a very low-key person so he did not expect to be recognized by her.


    She stilled. She had traveled a few times with him in the past but she forgot that she was not supposed to know him as Yu Mei, "Well, my husband told me¡­" She casually said before taking the card from his hand.


    A certain husband pursed his lips in displeasure. Why did she have to shove her lies onto his shoulder anyways?


    Alex nodded, "Nice to meet you, Miss Yu,'''' The man nodded at Jun Zixuan before walking away.


    "When did I tell you about him?" Jun Zixuan crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    "Err¡­" They walked towards the car that parked in front, "Well, I lied.."


    Jun Zixuan opened the door to the passenger seat for and she quickly got inside.


    Steward Gu walked out of the car and held the door of the other side for Jun Zixuan.


    "Hey, Steward Gu. Long time no see,'''' Yu Mei excitedly started the conversation, all the while avoiding Jun Zixuan''s gaze.


    "Yes, Miss Yu. How was your trip?" He nced at the over-enthusiastic person from the rear-view mirror.


    She smiled, "I was alright.."


    "Raise the partition," Jun Zixuan coldly said.


    Steward Gu froze for a split second beforeplying with the man''s orders.


    Yu Mei calmly nced at Jun Zixuan, trying to hide her nervousness.


    "You didn''t know English and you are supposed to be good at cooking. Will you exin what is going on?"


    "I already told you," She closed her eyes before speaking in one breathe, "I am not Yu Mei Zhen."


    "Do you think I''d believe such illogical nonsense? It''s just the after-effects of reading those fantasy novels all the time."


    She rolled her eyes, "Whatever suits you. I''m telling you this once. Don''t judge me based on your investigations, you would get nothing. They are all not right," As right as it, it is not about me anyway, "I have always been hiding my true potential all this time.''''


    "Why is that?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "Well¡­My step-mother would have tortured me otherwise. I was very afraid of Yu Family," As evil as that family was, she still a bit guilty for using them as cannon fodder.


    Criminals won''t mind one more little false usation on their head, would they?


    Jun Zixuan''s face darkened.


    Just as he was about to speak, he noticed something. Pulling the partition down, he nced at Steward Gu, "Why are you driving this way?"


    "Master, hasn''t Madam told you yet?" The Steward asked in confusion.


    Jun Zixuan frowned, "Mom has not told me about¡­?"


    "Well, there is renovation going on in the Ren Mansion ording to her taste since she found the current architecture quite old-fashioned. So, till the renovations are over, she wants you both to stay at your penthouse," Steward Gu answered him.


    "Drive to the vi in West," Jun Zixuanmanded.


    "But Madam is staying there currently."


    "The condominium in the east."


    "Madam thinks that locality is not suitable for you both."


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, "Then, buy a new house."


    Steward Gu pursed his lips, "Madam wants you both to stay at your penthouse. She said that''s final."


    What is this she-devil nning? Looking at Jun Zixuan''s distressed face, she was a bit confused.


    He was ready to live anywhere but the penthouse. Is something wrong at that ce?


    Despite her curiosity, she did not ask anything.


    By the time they reached the ce, Yu Mei was fast asleep in the car.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Steward Gu, "Give the Yu Family some more problems, especially the step-mother.


    Steward Gu nodded, a bit stunned. Seems like the Yu Family''s stars are moving in the wrong direction.


    Jun Zixuan walked out of the car and walked to the other side before opening the door. He carried the woman in his arms and nced at the man, "Bring the luggage." He ordered before walking away.


    Steward Gu looked at the scene with his eyes popping out in shock. He still remembered the day when his Master threw Miss Yu to the floor.


    Then what is going on?


    His brother had told him about all this but he did not believe it. Miss Yu and his Master were like the sides of the same coin, how would they get along well?


    But looking at the current scene, it seems the couple has progressed a lot in their rtionship.


    9:00 pm


    Yu Meizily rolled on therge king-sized bed as she opened her eyes, to find herself at an unfamiliar ce. She could see her reflection in therge mirror-styled ceiling. A beautiful crystal chandelier was hanging in the middle reflecting warm hues inside the white and gray-colored room.


    The luxury room appeared to be no less than a Presidential suite.


    She blinked once¡­ twice¡­ thrice before sitting up on the bed in a sh.


    "Where am I¡­" She mumbled to herself before rubbing her eyes.


    "At my penthouse," A deep voice replied.


    She turned around to nce at the man who was leaning against the door.


    Relief washed over her in the next moment. She was still not used to waking up in new ces.

 Chapter 67 - A Stolen Kiss

    "How long did I sleep?" She got out of the bed and walked towards him.


    "9 hours," He said looking at the watch on his wrist.


    She nced at herself only to realize that she was still wearing the dress she had put on in the morning. Luckily, she had taken a shower before they checked out of the resort early in the morning.


    ''Rumble''


    She stroked her stomach before looking at him with puppy eyes, "I am hungry. You will feed me till we are here, right?"


    She did not know how long they would be staying here and given his mother''s character, she will never arrange servants to let them stay alone and cultivate feelings. And her cooking was a blunder. So, it was better to grab Jun Zixuan''s strong thigh at times like this.


    Without replying to her, the man stood straight, turned around, and walked out of the room.


    "Wow¡­" She looked at the dinner spread on the dining table and her eyes lit up. Quickly taking a seat, she picked up the fluffy dumplings first before gobbling it down, "Xoo¡­gwud.."


    He frowned, "Can you eat like a human?"


    She hurriedly chewed the dumpling and gulped it down, "I said that was good," She smiled before continuing to eat, ignoring his words.


    After they had their dinner, Jun Zixuan washed the dishes while she sat on the couch dangling her legs back and forth.


    Right at this moment, her phone started ringing getting her attention in an instant.


    She stood up from the couch before looking around, "Where have you kept my phone?" She asked looking at the man''s back.


    "On the bedside table," The man replied without turning around.


    She quickly walked towards the Master''s bedroom and grabbed the phone from the bedside table before answering the call.


    "Mei, are you free tomorrow?" Came Shi Luo''s anxious voice from the other side.


    "Yes, I have nothing to do? Is everything fine?" Yu Mei sat on the bed before leaning back on the headrest.


    "You have toe to the hospital to collect your reports by 11:00 am."


    "Alright, I''ll be there," Yu Mei sighed, "I am not dying, Luoluo. Don''t be so nervous about it. Let''s meet tomorrow. Bye," With that, she hung up.


    A few days ago when she was worried about it, Shi Luo was busy convincing her that everything will be fine then why did her positive attitude change all of a sudden?


    Yu Mei wondered if her condition was serious.


    She stood up from the bed and took out the sketchbook from the suitcase along with the shading pencils.


    She then walked back to the bed before adjusting the pillows in a vertical position and sat there, leaning back on it.


    Putting the sketchbook on her slightly elevated knees, she started sketching out the mechanism behind the pendant she designed back in Shanghai.


    Since the living room was nearer to the bedroom and the door was also not soundproof was not soundproof, she could hear the tapping sounds of the keyboard.


    "What a workaholic¡­" She mumbled to herself.


    He just came back from a business trip and was already busy with work again.


    It''s still better than being penniless like me, she thought to herself. It was not like she did not work hard enough, just the transmigration think was not included in her ns.


    Had she known it, she had made some money for herself in Beijing beforehand.


    It was past midnight when Jun Zixuan closed hisptop and picked up the coffee mug from the table.


    Taking thest sip of it, he ced it back on the table and stood up from the couch before stretching his body. His ck shirt got tugged upwards in the process, revealing his prominent V line.


    He raked his fingers through his messy hair before looking at the half-closed door of the Master''s bedroom.


    The light in the room was not out yet. The woman inside was not a peaceful creature to begin with then why was she so quiet?


    He walked towards the room and pushed open the door before ncing towards the bed.


    Yu Mei was sleeping while hugging a bolster tightly and one of her legs was tightly wrapped over it. The edge of the nket was lying on the bed while the rest of it was not visible.


    He walked towards the bed and picked up the nket from the floor before covering her body properly.


    He turned all the lights off only leaving the bedside light. Just as he turned around to leave, the woman kicked away the nket again before sleeping on her back facing the ceiling.


    He covered her again dragging it till her neck, pausing for a moment when he noticed her small movements.


    Therge window in the room was left open causing the slow breeze to caress her skin. A few strands of hair fell on her face. Her tongue slowly peeked out of her mouth, gliding across her bottom lips.


    His gaze darkened as he leaned closer to her. He tucked her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering there for a moment while his gaze remained on her wet lips as he leaned closer to her until their faces were inches apart.


    ''Because I believed you''d protect me'' The words she uttered on the beach kept ringing in his mind, giving him a strange feeling all over in his heart.


    He cupped her cheek in his palm while his other hand rested on her side, trapping her in his arms. Tilting his head a little lower, he closed the gap between them, softly cing his lips on hers.


    His heart skipped a beat as their lips touched, starting a small fire somewhere deep in his heart.


    Suddenly, the woman moved.


    ''''Mmmph¡­" Mumbling something incoherently, she gently licked his lips, snapping him out of his trance immediately.


    He stood up from the bed and raked his fingers through golden ash-blonde hair. Disbelief marred his face as the realization of what he just did start sinking in.

 Chapter 68 - In Love

    It was already 9o'' clock in the morning when Yu Mei woke up. Yawningzily, she rolled around in the bed for a few minutes before pushing herself out of the bed.


    After freshening up and taking a?shower, she wore a casual knee-length white dress that hung loosely around her body. As in as it was, it was the dress she has been wearing almost every day because of the ''pink collection'' left by the previous owner.


    Yesterday when she was sketching the mechanism of the pendant, she suddenly felt sleepy again. Despite sleeping for 9 hours in the day, she could not keep her eyes open anymore. And she concluded it was also rted to her obese body.


    As pampered as she was, she was not never aszy as a pig.


    Walking towards the bed, she grabbed her sketchbook and shading pencils from beneath her pillow before putting them inside her suitcase.


    Since she did not know how long are they going to stay here, she did not unpack her luggage till now.


    ''Tap Tap Tap''


    She could hear rapid typing soundsing from the living room.


    ''Is he still working?'' She thought to herself before walking out of the room.


    ''''Why would I have the urge to kiss a girl?"


    Yu Mei read out aloud the title of the recent search visible on theptop.


    Jun Zixuan stiffened, hearing her soft voice beside his ear.


    He closed theptop in a sh and turned around to look at the girl whose head was near his shoulder.


    While the man was leaning against the arm of therge plush couch, she had her elbows propped upon it as she bent her body lower to look at what thing has made him so absent-minded that he did not notice her presence.


    The man could feel her hot breath grazing across the nape of his neck.


    As he nced at he, his gaze lingered on her lips, getting reminded of what happened yesterday.


    He shook his head.


    "Why do you have dark circles? Are you sick?" She leaned closer to him before putting the back of her palm on his forehead.


    Despite the air conditioner, a strange heat spread through his body at her careless actions.


    "I am fine," He stood up from the couch, standing at a distance.


    "Why would you search for something like that?" She asked folding her arms across her chest. Her dark hair was tied in a voluminous braid, a few strands of her hair framed her round face. Her dark starry eyes ncing at him in doubt.


    She was beautiful.


    Jun Zixuan averted his gaze almost immediately as the thought crossed his mind. Without replying to her, he walked towards the kitchen.


    She trailed after him, "I mean¡­You don''t need to google it. Even I can exin the causes to you."


    The man paused for a moment as he nced at her.


    She took it as a hint to continue, "Look. If you have the urge to kiss a girl, it proved that you are a straight man," The corner of his lips twitched while she continued, "First, you are lusting over her sexiness and desirable body which makes you want to kiss her and take things furtherter. Second¡­"


    She took a brief pause looking at the man who was making omelette while having his ears perked up to take in her words. She raised her hand showing him two fingers, "Second and most possible cause is that you like her. Wanting to kiss her will nothing weird if you have feelings for her¡­"


    "Impossible," His head snapped so fast that she was worried he must have gotten whish.


    She sighed with a grave look on her face before patting his shoulder, "Rece the like with love¡­.Yes, you are in love."


    "You¡­"


    She pointed at the omelette before it could turn into charcoal.


    As he brought it onto the te, she spoke up, "Observation is the first stage of love where the wave of emotions and insanity starts. You notice her for the first time then you suddenly find yourself looking at her more and more, trying to etch her features and personality in your mind. The second stage is denial in which you are residing currently¡­"


    "Enough!" He interrupted her, "That''s not true.''''


    Under usatory gaze, she waved her hands, "Don''t look at me like that. Even though I am your wife, I am fine with you loving someone else. You don''t need to deny your love because of our rtionship which will be over soon," She patted his shoulder, "You have my full support. Just go for it. Ask me if you need any help to pursue her."


    With that, she picked up the te before walking towards the dining table.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, taking a few deep breathes to control the urge to strangle this woman.


    After their breakfast, Yu Mei asked him to drop her at the Sunshine Hospital. He asked her if she was not well. Since she had lied to him before, she did not feel the need to change her lies and she went along with the excuse of ''women''s issues''.


    The man offered her money given that she could not afford a taxi a few days back but she rejected it with a few excuses.


    After that, the ride to the hospital was damn ufortable as he suddenly went on his silent mode again.


    She was the one on period but the man was having mood swings.


    But given that her mind was wandering off to her test reports, she did not try to talk to him. He dropped her at the hospital and left while she inhaled a deep breath, bracing herself for what was about toe.


    Sunshine Hospital.


    "Mei, don''t worry it should be fine," Shi Luo continued consoling her.


    "Yeah, it should be fine," Yu Mei nced at the woman who was sweating all over, "But why would the doctor call us here?"

 Chapter 69 - Manless

    "I don''t know. He just texted me asking you to wait here," Shi Luo nced at Yu Mei worriedly.


    They were currently standing in front of the newborn baby nursery in the hospital. Through the transparent section of the door, they could see the kids sleeping in their cribs. A few of them were crying their lungs out


    Yu Mei clicked her tongue, "Out of all the ces, why would he ask us to wait here?"


    "It looks like Miss Yu is not fond of kids."


    Both the women turned around to nce at the man who spoke.


    "Dr. Tony," Shi Luo greeted the man while Yu Mei simply nodded at him.


    The doctor was a man somewhere around in his early thirties fitting perfectly in the ''tall, dark, handsome and gentle'' category. The man adjusted his sses before looking at them, "Follow me,dies¡­"


    Yu Mei and Shi Luo exchanged nces before following after him.


    As they entered his office, he offered them seats before walking to the other side.


    Taking a seat, Dr. Tony nced at Yu Mei, "I asked you to wait there because I wanted to know your opinion about kids."


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow.


    "So, Miss Yu, what do you think about them?"


    "Troublesome," Yu Mei propped her face on her arms before continuing, "You can y with them for an hour at two if that''s what we are talking about."


    "What about having your own child?"


    She frowned. Why were they even talking about that?


    ''''I can''t reproduce asexually. I need a man to mate with but I''m manless. So, having a kid is out of the question," She shrugged.


    Dr. Tony: "_"


    Shi Luo pped her forehead. Why is she so cranky today?


    Dr. Tony cleared his throat, "It''s a hypothesis, Miss Yu. I am just asking your honest opinion about having kids."


    "The idea of a little devil clinging to me, puking on me, peeing and pooping on my bed or in my wardrobe terrifies. Thanks but no thanks, I don''t want a kid or a man in my life,'''' Yu Mei shook her head.


    As a child, she was the most troublesome one. While growing up, Jian Yu has always treated her tenderly like a warm father. She was sure that if there was someone else in his ce, they would have thrown her out of the window.


    "Dr. Tony, it will be better if you just talk about my condition rather than going around in circles," Yu Mei spoke up looking at the man''s solemn expressions.


    "Miss Yu, you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome."


    Shi Luo stilled.


    Looking at Yu Mei''s nonchnt expressions, the doctor continued, "It is basically a hormonal disorder causing¡­"


    She stopped him, "I am not an expert with medical terms, you should exin the negative effects and treatment instead."


    Dr. Tony nodded, "This condition is found in nearly 5 out of 100 women. Treatments can help but the condition can''t be cured, it willst for years or life long. As for its negative effects on you¡­it leads to menstrual irregrity, e, and obesity."


    Yu Mei nodded. That exins why this body is in such a condition, ''''So, what can be done about my current condition?" She asked, pointing her finger towards her obese body.


    Dr. Tony shook his head, "You don''t need to worry about that. If you take care of a few things, this condition won''t be a threat to you. I''ll prescribe some medicines. Just make sure to take them regrly and you need to work out at least once a day. Apanied with the medicines, if you work out properly, you should be able to lose weight with a proper diet."


    Her expression stiffened at thest sentence.


    ''''You don''t have to starve yourself. Just make sure you are following a healthy diet routine. Once you''ve recovered, you can opt for any kind of food but you can never drop your workout schedule."


    After writing a few medications with instructions, he passed them to her.


    "Thank you," She looked at him gratefully before standing up from her chair.


    "Wait, Miss Yu. There is one more thing¡­"


    After talking to the Doctor, Shi Luo wanted toe with her but she wanted some space.


    As Yu Mei sat on the wooden bench in the hospital garden, Mia appeared on herp striking an elegant pose.


    "You don''t like children¡­" The fox said after reading her thoughts, "Then are you sad when you can''t have one?"


    Yu Mei recalled the doctor''s words, "Your current condition is more severe than the other women suffering from PCOS. It will be difficult for you to get pregnant and even if you are pregnant, there will be an increased risk ofplications. By any chance, if you develop preempsia during pregnancy, then it might be life-threatening to both you and your children. It''d be best for you to not try to have kids in the future."


    "There is a difference between I don''t want to and I can''t have kids,'''' Yu Mei picked up the fox in her arms before stroking the crimson lotus imprint on its forehead, "Besides, I am not sad. I was just at a loss¡­"


    Mia opened her mouth, showing her canine teeth, ready to bite the woman''s unruly finger but she stopped at thest moment. Somehow, she did not want to hurt this woman.


    It was strange. It has been two days since she was reading this woman''s mind but she still could not understand her at all. She wanted to know what kind of person could easily bind her to a contract and be her master.


    But even for a fox like her, Yu Mei was difficult toprehend.


    The woman might look bubbly and happy all the time but her mind is like a dark abyss. Despite having the warmest smile, she has a heart made of ice. Often dumb about little things, but her lethal brain could bring nations down.


    An extremely ruthless woman.


    Mia squinted. Having a Master like this, she did not know whether it was a boon or a bane.


    "It seems like you don''t want to hurt me anymore?" Yu Mei chuckled looking at the fox''s reluctant expression as it retracted its canines.


    ''''HUMPH!!" Two suspicious red patches appeared on the silver fox''s cheeks.


    "How cute!!"


    "I am a mighty existence. Don''t use such disgusting words for me¡­" The fox disappeared.


    ...


    Reminder: This is fictional work and I''m not a doctor.

 Chapter 70 - Make Me The CEO

    Since Shi Luo had an appointment, Yu Mei decided to take a cab but as she walked out of the hospital, she found Steward Gu standing in front of a car.


    She walked towards him, "Is Zixuan here too?"


    The Steward was stunned for a moment. He was still not used to the woman talking about in his Master in such a soft and affectionate tone.


    He cleared his throat, "Master is still busy with work. He sent me to drop you at the apartment." With that said, he opened the car door for her.


    She nodded before getting inside.


    When they reached the apartment building, Steward Gu walked towards her.


    "Is there something?"


    The man nodded before passing her a document and a key, "Master has sent it for you."


    "A driving license?" She frowned. She did not remember taking a driving test.


    Wait¡­She did drive the car once in his presence. So, did he get it made for her¡­.?


    "You don''t need to take the driving test with Master," The man said, reading her thoughts before pointing his hand behind her.


    She turned around to find a ck Sedan parked there, "He got this for me?" It was thetest model.


    Steward Gu nodded. "I shall take my leave now," The man bowed.


    Yu Mei nodded back as she watched him leave.


    Putting the car key and driving license inside her bag, she entered the elevator but just as the door was getting closed, someone stuck a foot in between.


    "Ah¡­Sorry, I waste," Came an old panting voice.


    She tilted her head upwards to look at the man and her eyes widened the moment she recognized the ma


    It was none other than, Xiang Le, the most influential director in Rosette.


    Suddenly, her mood swings from earlier vanished in an instant as she regained rity of mind. Children? Man? She was not the person to run after all those things.


    There is herpany which is already in shambles at this point, her employees are in a worse state in the absence of their CEO. It is not time for her to lose focus.


    She tilted her and looked at the old man resolutely. Just as the door to the elevator was about to close, she stuck her feet in between.


    The old man tilted his head upwards to look at the fat girl blocking his path while stopping the elevator with her foot, "Lass, you need something?"


    ''Lass?'' Yu Mei was speechless. When has someone addressed her like this?


    Other than the first day of the interview, she had a few formal interactions with this man on some asions. And he was one of the handfuls of people who have seen the face of the CEO of Rosette.


    But the man has always been reserved and polite to her and they have never interacted that much.


    But one thing that was a fact was that, after her, the CEO of the Jewellery brand, the man who had the most say was this old man standing in front of her.


    And he had never once disappointed her or made her regret putting him on a high pedestal.


    She sighed, "Can we talk?"


    The old man stroked his beard, "Girl, did you get the wrong person? Don''t waste my time, I have things to do and ces to be."


    "Old Man Xiang or should I say Director Xiang? Let''s have a talk," Yu Mei said. The corner of her lips tugged up when she saw the man''s expression, "There is a caf¨¦ in this apartment block.


    At the caf¨¦.


    "Lass, what do you want to talk about?" Xiang Le picked up his coffee mug before taking a sip from it.


    He was not a public figure neither was he a celebrity that every single person would recognize him. Not to mention that not everyone knew that his colleagues addressed him as ''Old Man Xiang''.


    "Let''s talk about Rosette," Yu Mei started.


    "There is nothing for us to talk about," This girl is possibly a reporter out to get some news about thepany. There have been many such people hovering around thepanytely. She possibly got some information about him from somewhere.


    Just as the old man stood up, Yu Mei opened her mouth to speak, "Leanne would not being back. Are you sure that you are letting thepany be destroyed in front of your eyes?"


    The old man paused, "How are you sure about that?"


    "Take a seat, Director Xiang. I am not a serial killer."


    She was a young girl. Normally he would not have paid attention to her words, but there was a confidence in her eyes that stopped him.


    He took a seat opposite her.


    "You''re here for the inspection of the branchpany of Rosette," She calmly said, "But the current situation at the headquarters back in Amaranthine is not hidden to you.''''


    The old man looked at her in astonishment, "How do you know that¡­?"


    "That''s not important. It''s important to get thepany back on track right now."


    "If CEO Leanne does notes back, the situations will keep on worsening like this," The old man shook his head, stroking his properly trimmed beard.


    "It''s not thatplicated," Yu Mei spoke up, taking a sip of hertte.


    "You have an idea?" The old man nced at her in doubt. What could a young girl like her suggest anyways?


    Her lips tugged up in a beautiful curve, revealing her pearly white teeth in the process, "Make me the CEO."


    "Pfft¡­Cough¡­" The old man choked on his coffee. Looking at her smiling face, he burst out inughter, "Hahahahahaha¡­Lass, you are¡­hahahahaha¡­you are so funny¡­Hahaha¡­"


    Her lips twitched. Did she crack a joke? The smile on her face disappeared in an instant, "I am serious."


    The old man paused, wiping the tear from the corner of his eyes, "You think you can be Leanne?" he asked.


    She raised an eyebrow.

 Chapter 71 - Her Strange Thoughts

    I am Leanne! As much as she wanted to shout that but waking up in the asylum did not sound good to her. So, she twisted her words, "Leanne is my Master. I don''t want her hard work to go down with Rosette."


    The old man paused. "And why do you think I''d believe that?"


    "Check your Instagram ount," She shrugged before leaning back on the chair.


    He doubtfully opened his Instagram ount, only to be shocked a momentter, "This¡­This is designed by¡­"


    "This is designed by me," Yu Mei interrupted him, "I have the drafts with me. It is up to you whether you want to believe me or now. CEO Leanne won''t being back while I''m thest thread of hope you can hold onto to save Rosette from its trials." She grabbed a tissue paper and took out a pen from her purse before writing her number and passing it to him.


    "Make the decision soon," With that, she stood up from the chair before turning around to leave.


    "Why do you tell all this to me?"


    She paused, "Because, after the CEO, you have a say in thepany and you are loyal. I believe you don''t want it to be destroyed in front of your eyes."


    As he looked at her retreating back, the old man fell into contemtion. What she said was true. He could not bear to see Rosette getting destroyed in front of his eyes.


    He nced at the design of the pendant she has sent him as a private message on Instagram. At first nce, he misunderstood it as a design made by their CEO.


    ¡­


    When she was in 1st standard, there was a poem writingpetition in their high school. She spent hours paintingrge white canvas with light shading colors and then wrote the poem in ck color to make it look beautiful. But the next day, two hours before the submission, a kid sshed water on it by mistake.


    She started crying holding the wet canvas and someone informed her brother who was in 6th standard at that time. He came rushing into her ssroom when he got the news and found her in a crying and defeated mess.


    The words he uttered on that day, she still remembered them.


    ''Things will never go perfect in life, Mei. Especially not for both of us, who have no one other than each other. There will be countless failures,'' The 12-year-old boy held her hand before putting the paintbrush in it. He picked up the watercolor box from the desk and guided her hand towards it, ''Failures are not the end. A destroyed thing is never ugly. A broken color still colors the same. It''s up to us if we know how to go on without giving up. It''s up to you if you know how to hold the broken pencil.''


    With that, he poured the ck color on the light canvas turning it dark followed by yellow, white and all the light shaded colors.


    And that was the day, Leanne created her first design.


    Determination shone in her eyes as she stepped out of the elevator before walking towards the penthouse.


    It might have taken her 3 years to establish Rosette but it contained a whole youth of dreams and ambitions in it.


    If things with Xiang Le did not work out, she would find some other way. But she would not allow anyone to bring herpany down.


    As Yu Mei stood in front of the door, she let out an annoyed sigh before leaning onto the door when she was reminded of the long procedure she had to follow to enter inside.


    Jun Zixuan could''ve given her the simple pin to go inside but instead, the man made her go through this information ess system. First iris scan, then fingerprint, thenes the security question.


    ''''Sigh¡­"


    ''Click.''


    Suddenly the door opened from inside and she lost bnce. Her forehead which was leaning against the door was now pressed against a sturdy chest.


    A manly scent invaded her nostrils and she nked out for a moment feeling his naked upper body against her cheeks. Water dripped down his chest, stroking her cheeks.


    It was not the first time they hugged but some¡­somehow she felt heat rising her neck.


    The man cleared his throat and she immediately stood up straight. Her gaze wandered to his naked upper body. Those perfectly tanned abdominal muscles, those rock-hard eight packs... those abs, one would have the urge to glide their hands down it, to take the feel of his prominent V-line that was revealed because of the towel wrapped around his lower body.


    It seems like he just took a shower.


    She gulped at the sight of his long, well-toned legs. Even though she has never seen him doing that but she was sure that man was a regrly working-out kinda person.


    Her gaze wandered upwards, lingering on his shoulder. Shoulders so broad and strong that¡­that¡­she always felt secured when he hugged her.


    As she tilted her face slightly upwards, her eyesnded on his thin lips. Lips so perfect and ki¡­kissable¡­?


    Her eyes widened as the realization dawned on her?


    She took a few steps back in shock.


    Jun Zixuan immediately stepped closer to her. He had a concerned expression on his face, "Are you sick again? Do you feel pain?"


    "I¡­ I am fine.." She waved her hand, distancing herself from, "I''ll go wash up first," She quickly ran to her bedroom.


    Raking his hands through his wet hair, he nced at her retreating back with narrowed eyes. First, she stood rooted to her spot in a daze, and now her face was going red like a lobster. How can she be fine like this? Is she feeling embarrassed to go to the hospital again?


    Yu Mei ran inside the bathroom and closed the door with a ''bang''.


    Twisting the faucet, she sshed cold water on her face until her fair cheeks turned crimson red. She looked at her reflection in the mirror in confusion and disbelief.


    What''s wrong with me? She thought to herself. It was so unlike of her to have such thoughts¡­even for a moment.

 Chapter 72 - When Are We Getting Divorced?

    She did not have had any alcoholic drinks neither was thette she had in the caf¨¦ drugged or anything like that. Then, why did she suddenly had such wayward thoughts?


    How could she harbor such lusty and dirty thoughts for him? Like hell, he was even concerned about her health and that made her guiltier.


    ''''He is my friend for god''s sake¡­'''' She sshed more water on her face. Was it because she saw him naked? But why does it matters? He has always been so handsome and she never thought of something like this before.


    "It must be the body¡­Yes¡­" The original owner of the body was head over heels for him so it must be some lingering affections that she left behind. Yes. She convinced herself. That must be it.


    That was the only possible exnation to her!


    She walked out of the bathroom only to find Jun Zixuan standing in front of the wardrobe, still with that towel wrapped around his waist. Water dripped down from his hairnding on his shoulder before gliding across his rock-hard chest and then¡­


    She closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she got her focus back onto his face, "What are you doing here?"


    He turned around to nce at her before raising his hand to show the T-shirt and pair of shorts he was holding in his hand, "To get this."


    She frowned, "Why did you not keep it in your room?"


    "This is the only room here," The man replied, much to her shock. She remembered how reluctant he was to live in this penthouse when Steward Gu mentioned it.


    No wonder, he was sitting on the couch when she woke up this morning. She had slept all day and all night long yesterday so she did not notice anything amiss.


    "Wait¡­Is this a penthouse or a 1 BHK t?" What kind of penthouse has only room inside it? "I say¡­they must have fooled you with this property to extort money from you."


    He chuckled. The sound of his deep and maicughter made her freeze for a split second. She gazed at his canine teeth slightly peeking out of the corner. It made him appear sexier.


    When the man stoppedughing, he noticed her solemn face, "I had renovated the n and converted the other bedrooms in this ce to study, library, movie theatre and many such."


    She shook her head in disbelief, "Why would you do that? What if someone visited you?"


    "No onees to this ce except Mom but she never lives here," Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he continued, "No guests either. And you were not included in my ns," Even though he was already married to her when he renovated this ce, but he never thought to bring her to this ce.


    She pouted.


    His gaze wandered to her plump lips forming a pout, reminding him of how soft they were against his lips.


    He immediately turned around to leave.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    The man paused, "Come to have your dinner after you''re ready," He said before leaving the room.


    What''s with that cold voice again? She walked towards the king-sized bed before slumping on it. Looking at her reflection in the mirrored ceiling, she decided it was time to change some things. The things that were never meant to be. Time for action!


    After taking a shower and getting changed, she joined Jun Zixuan at the dining table.


    The man was back to his aloof self once again. He did not pay attention to her and kept eating his food.


    ''''Back in the resort, you told me that you will start the divorce procedures as soon as your mom is not around us," She started, without touching the food in front of her.


    Since his mother could not be given shocks or disappointments to not affect her health condition negatively, they had discussed that they will get divorced and if the situation asks for it, they will pretend to be a couple in front of her. Given that his mother is not hovering around them like a queen bee right now, this was the best time to go for it.


    Jun Zixuan paused.


    "So, when are we getting divorced?" She asked calmly, not wanting to deal with a moody husband anymore.


    She just wanted to find her brother and live a carefree life like before.


    The man''s face replied, "The procedure is going on," He replied in a cold voice that made her lose her appetite in an instant.


    She stood up from her chair without touching her food. "Thanks for the food," Grabbing an apple from the fruit basket, she walked inside the room.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head down to continue eating but somehow the food on the te looked unappetizing.


    He pursed his lips and grabbed the silk napkin to wipe his mouth.


    He stood up from his chair and walked towards the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he grabbed the bottle of fresh fruit juice before twisting the lid.


    Just then, the door to the Master''s bedroom opened again and Yu Mei walked out, eating the apple.


    Dressed in a bunny printed pink pajama, her thick hair was tied in a messy braid. She looked like a chubby porcin doll.


    Her tongue peeked out to lick her bottom lips every time she took a bite of the fruit.


    Lub dub!


    So cute. He swallowed hard.


    She extended her hand towards him.


    He raised an eyebrow before tilting his head down to look at her closed fist.


    She opened her fist revealing the car keys.


    Holding his left hand, she put it on his palm and wrapped his fingers around it.


    His face darkened.


    "Thank you for being so considerate but you really don''t need to do this. I''m fine without a car," She will be fine without it for a few days. After some time, she will get herself a car. Till then, she will have to make do with the cab.


    "You can keep it."


    She shook her head before opening her mouth.

 Chapter 73 - Intertwined Tongues?

    She shook her head, "You''ve already given me special ess cards to your jet. It''s more than enough. I don''t want to take advantage of you."


    When he did not say anything, she continued, "I''ll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in the bedroom."


    "I''m sleeping on the couch."


    She frowned, "No. It''s your ce. Although your friend, I am still a guest. You don''t need to be so formal."


    The woman patted his shoulder before walking towards the couch.


    He nced at the bottle of mango juice in his hand. As he drank a gulp of it, it left a foul taste in his mouth.


    Frowning, he ced it on the kitchen counter. He threw the car keys in the dustbin before walking towards the Master bedroom.


    ''Bang''


    Yu Mei was startled by the loud noise. She blinked. Couldn''t he close the door a bit slowly?


    She closed her eyes. Just as she was dozing off after a few minutes, the bedroom door was once again mmed again.


    She almost slipped off the couch by the loud noise.


    Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the couch only to find the man walking towards the main door. He was dressed in an expensive ck suit with his hormones oozing out of here and there.


    She opened her mouth to ask him where he was going.


    ''Bang'' The main door was mmed hard again.


    She flinched. Patting her chest, she nced at the closed door. What''s up with these door ms?


    She even sacrificed the bed because his long legs would not fit on the couch. Shouldn''t he be touched? Then, why is he so cold to her?


    She gritted her teeth.


    Which legend said that women areplicated? Can someone tell her their address? She was going to drag them here to meet this moody and cranky man.


    Maybe they will change their statement after meeting this ''unique product piece''.


    "Whatever¡­Men are out of myprehension level. I''ll just sleep," Since Shi Luo has gotten her the membership card, she had to join the gym from tomorrow onwards.


    In the private room of Infinity nightclub.


    "Why are you looking like this?" Mu Shen leaned back on the couch as he observed the man sitting on the throne chair with a few dark clouds hovering above his head. Who provoked him this time?


    Jun Zixuan did not pay attention to him.


    Mu Shen sighed, ''''Xuan, I came here sacrificing my orgasm for you. Can you do me the honor and let me know what''s exactly bothering you?"


    A vein on his forehead throbbed.


    "You¡­" Jun Zixuan pursed his lips for a moment before looking at the man, "What do you think about lips?"


    Mu Shen raised his finger to touch his lips, "You''re talking about this?" he asked doubtfully.


    The man nodded.


    "Mine is gorgeous and yours¡­." Mu Shen paused, observing the man''s lips from every angle, "Hmm...Average¡­ Yours are passable."


    Jun Zixuan squinted.


    "Cough¡­I was kidding.." Mu Shen waved his hand.


    "I''m talking about a woman''s lips," The man said.


    Mu Shen paused, "Luscious. But I don''t like the taste of lipstick on them. Why are you so stuck on the lips anyway? You can opt for their bouncy peaks, juicy valleys, and¡­."


    "Enough," Jun Zixuan interrupted the man coldly.


    Mu Shen cleared his throat. Since he had to stop his oing orgasm tonight and join this young master here, his mind was wandering off to those things.


    "Well¡­Are you desiring someone''s lips?" He asked the man cautiously. And looking at the man''s stiffening face, he continued, "Like seriously!? Who is she? Do you like her?"


    "I don''t," Came his quick reply.


    "Then, are you lusting over her?"


    "No!" Jun Zixuan paused. He picked up the ss of water before gulping it down, "I think I have a fetish with lips."


    The day after which he kissed her in trance, his gaze would always wander to her lips whenever she talked. He would always get nervous around her which never happened before and to mask it off, he acted coldly. Stealing nces at her, caring for her, looking after her, these are not the things that were supposed to exist in their fake marriage.


    "Fetish? Hmm," Mu Shen stroked his chin, "Let me help you with it."


    The film emperor took the responsibility of helping his friend onto his shoulders.


    After 10 minutes.


    "Xuan, look at them," Mu Shen nced at the three women who entered the private room from head to toe in satisfaction, "They are Tany, Many, and Danny. I had asked the manager to get me the girls with the most beautiful lips."


    Jun Zixuan did not spare a single nce in that direction.


    "I am not asking you to take them here," Mu Shen gritted his teeth, "Just take a look at them. See if your lips fetish works up. Ask your inner self if you have the urge to have your tongue intertwined with theirs. Try once. If I don''t know your disease, how will I treat you?"


    "You are not a doctor."


    Mu Shen choked, "I wanted to be a doctor when I was a kid but then I saw those thick books and epted my destiny." Sighing, he turned to look at the women, "Lovelies, will you pleasee closer so that my friend can look at you?"


    "Yes, Young Master Mu," The three women walked closer to them.


    Mu Shen picked up the remote before switching on the dim lightings in the room.


    The three women gasped when theyid their eyes on Jun Zixuan. They have seen countless men in their lives but this man was in a whole different league. There was not even a single imperfection on those god-like features.


    "Xuan, quick¡­" Mu Shen urged the man.


    Jun Zixuan reluctantly tilted his head to look at the women''s lips. "Ugly¡­" He softly muttered before averting his gaze. The image of his wife''s lips floated in his mind. So red and plump. Truly luscious.


    "_"


    ...


    Note: 1 k votes- 1 bonus chapter


    1.5 k votes- 2 bonus chapters

 Chapter 74 - Please, Your Highness

    The women standing there had their faces turning pitch ck in an instant. They have never been insulted as such. Nobody had ever called them ugly.


    Mu Shen cleared his throat, "Ladies, my friend here suffers from short-sightedness. I hope you are not offended?"


    "That''s fine, Young Master Mu," Their deted egos were back to track again, along with Mu Shen''s exnation.


    Sashaying their hips, they left the room.


    Mu Shen tilted his head to the side.


    Mu Shen red at the man who was sitting like a male god, "What kind of beauty bewitched you? Do you realize that all your actions are pointing towards love?" Picking up his wine ss, he gulped down the contents and poured himself another one.


    "It''s impossible."


    Mu Shen paused, "And I don''t have a pen*s," He showed him his middle finger before emptying the contents from the other ss. It has been a long time since he saw his friend sparing a few minutes to think about a woman and her lips, how could it be that simple?


    "Stop being so vulgar," Jun Zixuan looked at him in disgust.


    Under the man''s cold re, Mu Shen coughed slightly, "Don''t go on my words. See the point here," He put his wine ss down on the table, "Do you know you look like a teenager who can''t get his crush off his mind? Even if you are sitting here, I can see your mind is not here."


    The man did not reply.


    "I was talking to Shi Luo yesterday. She told me what happened at the party back in Shanghai," Mu Shen said in a serious tonecking his usual yfulness, "Han Mei has a family, a new life now. Things have alreadye to this point and they can''t be changed. She¡­Anyways, let''s not talk about it. If you feel for someone, don''t hold back just because of the past. First of all, divorce that fatty and throw her out of the mansion. Then, go to your true love. After all, a woman needs to be cherished and loved. Give her yourmitment, respect, and loyalty¡­"


    His phone went off right at this moment. ncing at the caller ID, he immediately answered the call, "Yeah babe¡­No, not today. Well, tomorrow, it''s a private night with blondie. The day after tomorrow¡­umm¡­.have ns with Anna... Well then, make an appointment with my manager for next week. Don''te before 11:00 pm, I''ll be busy with work," He added in a hoarse voice, "As you wish. Since you want it on the kitchen cab, we''ll have it right there¡­Mwah~"


    Hanging up on the call, he nced at Jun Zixuan, "So, where were we?"


    "At ''loyalty''," The man expressionlessly replied.


    Mu Shen: "_" *chokes* cough cough


    ¡­


    At the gym.


    "Ahh¡­" Sweat dripped down her body as she maintained her squatting position. Every inch of her body was aching like hell but she gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as much as she can.


    "Yes, like that¡­.6 seconds more," Het trainer said looking at the timer in his hand, "6¡­.5¡­.4¡­.3¡­"


    The burn in her thighs intensified with the countdown but she persisted. Given her current figure, slimming will be tough if she becamezy at times like this. So, it was better to endure the pain and go through it. She steeled her mind.


    "¡­2¡­.1¡­"


    "Hah¡­" She exhaled the breath she did not know she was holding in. Her legs trembled and she slumped on the floor on her knees, not being able to find the strength in her body.


    The trainer nced at her, "You''ve done very well for a beginner. It''s 45 minutes already. We''ll be stopping here today to let you get used to it," The man extended his hand towards him.


    She nced at him. Feelingzy to raise her hand, she shook her head, "That''s fine¡­ Just let me sit here for some time¡­"


    The man nodded before walking off to the other members.


    Yu Mei sucked in deep breathe before shifting in her position. Shefortably sat with her legs crossed before picking up her water bottle and gulping mouthfuls at once.


    Shi Luo has gotten her the membership in one of the best gyms in Beijing, Trailwalker. And even though it was her first day here, she could say that this ce here really lived up to its name. The environment, the conditions, and the trainers were all so cooperative.


    She dragged her legs upwards before burying her face in her knees. It was her brother who trained her usually. How she wished it was still him doing it right now!


    "Baby¡­."


    She raised her voice at the familiar voice, "Luoluo?" She nced at the woman who walked towards her, waving her hand.


    "What are you sitting here for? I have made ns for the whole day. Let''s go," She dragged the woman by her arms but could not move Yu Mei by an inch.


    "Alright don''t touch me. I am smelly and dirty," Yu Meiughed, pushing her away from her. She stood up from the floor, "Don''t you have work today?"


    "Didn''t I say I only work four days a week?" Shi Luo hooked her hand around her arm.


    "Hey, I haven''t even taken a bath yet," Yu Mei distanced herself from the woman, "Why are we going like this?" She nced at the sports outfit she was wearing.


    "Let''s go to my apartment first. Tell me your size, I''ll get some decent dresses for you," They walked out of the gym.


    Shi Luo opened the door of her car and held it for her, "Please, your highness," She spoke like a gentleman pointing one of her hands inside the car while the other was behind her back.


    Yu Meiughed as she got inside the car, "You are crazy¡­"


    Shi Luo shrugged before walking to the other side. Although Yu Mei did not tell her anything about her feelings but she wanted to make sure that her friend was not upset about her test results.


    However calm she was about it, she wanted to make sure that her medical reports haven''t affected her that much.

 Chapter 75 - That Guy Has Been Acting Weird

    Later that evening.


    "Luoluo, I feel so rxed right now," Yu Mei stretched her body as they walked out of the spa. After working out after such a long time and with her current body, she knew that today she would not be able to move because of the ache in every part of her body.


    Buting with Shi Luo turned out to be a good idea.


    After having breakfast together, they went shopping, then movie, then lunch, and finally spa.


    After getting a full body massage, she felt refreshed. Her limbs were properly working right now.


    Shi Luo smiled, "So, did you enjoy the date with me?"


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Of course, I did¡­If you pamper me like this, I won''t feel like working anymore. I''ll just hug your golden thigh so that you can feed me forever."


    Shi Luo rolled her eyes, "Rather than doing that, you can cling to your husband''s 500-carat diamond thigh."


    "Eh¡­Are you talking about Zixuan?"


    As they got inside the car, Shi Luo red at her, "Who else? Do you have more husbands?"


    "That guy¡­" Yu Mei sighed as she leaned back on her seat.


    "What happened?"


    "I don''t know. He has been acting weirdtely. I mean sometimes he treats me well and at other times¡­well he acts cold," She sighed again, before shaking her head.


    "Why do you even care?" Shi Luo red at her, "Since you are already nning to divorce him, it should not matter to you¡­Or are you caving his attention¡­more like in love?"


    Under the girl''s doubtful gaze, Yu Mei was speechless, "Say¡­when will you stop fantasizing about all these things? There is nothing between us. I treat him as a friend and he won''t be as crazy as to fall for me?" She said pointing at her figure.


    "If you were as hot and sexy as before, any man would have the urge to take you in every position," Yu Mei''s eyes widened at her words. Shi Luo continued speaking while driving, "But now that you''re like this, you''re still as charming as before. Who knows if a big bad wolf like Jun Zixuan is not already trying to gobble you up?!"


    Yu Mei scoffed, "Just stop talking nonsense already. First, look at my current appearance, he won''t have a wild taste. Second, he is not a man like you''re describing him to be¡­"


    "See¡­You''re defending him already?!" Shi Luo pointed out.


    Yu Mei shook her head in disbelief before ncing out of the window.


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone went off.


    "Where is my phone?" She looked around.


    "You forgot it in your bag," Shi Luo pointed at the backseat.


    Yu Mei lowered her seat before grabbing her bag.


    ''''Why would he call me¡­?" She frowned, ncing at the caller ID.


    "Steward Gu," She answered the call.


    "Miss Yu¡­Where are you¡­?"


    Yu Mei could hear the panic and nervousness in the man''s voice, "What happened? Is everything alright with Zixuan?"


    Shi Luo who had her gaze stuck to the road raised both her eyebrows. "It''s just a ''friend''s'' concern for another ''friend''¡­." She muttered under her breath before snorting. As if!


    The woman beside her was so lost in the conversations that she didn''t hear her words. Luckily. Shi Luo sighed before putting her focus back on the road.


    "Miss Yu¡­Master¡­.he¡­he¡­"


    "Stop stuttering, Steward Gu," Yu Mei coldly said, "What happened to him? Can you speak clearly?"


    Shi Luo''s eyebrows raised an inch higher. She bit her lips, stopping herself from making any unnecessaryments that might infuriate her.


    "Cough... Miss Yu, Master has turned the whole city upside down while searching for you. 15 members of the security team have been fired. Themissioner might lose his seat in the next¡­next ten minutes¡­"


    She was speechless, "Has he lost his mind? Steward Gu, please inform him I''m on my way back."


    She could hear the man sighing in relief, "A-Alright. Pleasee fast."


    "I don''t have wings. I can''t fly," She pursed her lips.


    "Miss Yu, shall I arrange a chopper?"


    She was speechless, "No need." She hung up.


    Her gazended on the call logs. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. 97 missed calls from Jun Zixuan?


    She pinched the space between her brows.


    "What happened?" Shi Luo could not help but ask, looking at her friend''s distressed face.


    "Luoluo¡­I¡­I don''t know what''s wrong with him. I informed him that I was going to the gym in the morning but he said he wasn''t interested in knowing my whereabouts. Now, he is searching all over the city for me." The man explicitly told her that ''Wherever you go has nothing to do with me. You don''t need to tell me about it.'' So what now?


    Yu Mei sighed, "Is it split-personality or is he just this moody?"


    "Neither," Shi Luo replied, "I can provide you my theory."


    She nced at her, "No need. Your theories are up to no good."


    Shi Luo cleared her throat, embarrassed at being caught like that. "So, where are we going from here?"


    She tried to remember the name of the ce they were currently residing at, "West¡­Yeah¡­Westside Apartment."


    Shi Luo nodded and took a right turn. Given how rich Jun Zixuan was, she was not surprised that they were living in a luxurious ce like that.


    But she inwardly chastised herself for thinking that he was the man behind Eminence. An existence as powerful as that would only live in exclusive private properties such as Glory House or Ren Mansion.


    s, little did she know that Jun Zixuan was the owner of both those private properties.


    ¡­


    Yu Mei shed her ess card to the security, who opened the gates, letting her inside the residential area.


    Her footsteps came to a halt all of a sudden as she nced at her front.


    Jun Zixuan was leaning on his Bentley with his hands tucked inside his pocket. His golden ash-blonde bangs rested above his eyebrows in a mess. One of his feet kept tapping the ground as the man had gloomy vibes surrounding him.


    She walked towards him.


    He tilted his head upwards.

 Chapter 76 - Lucky To Marry A Man Like Him

    The ''clicking'' sounds caused by her heels got his attention. The man tilted his head before scanning her from head to toe.


    The sky had already turned dark and under the streetlights, she could see his gradually darkening face. She paused where she was "Did I make you worried?" She softly asked. Reminded of his ''97'' missed calls, she continued, "I¡­"


    "If something happened to you, I would not know how to exin to mom regarding her daughter-inw''s frivolous ways," The man spoke coldly, his voiceced with ayer of sarcasm.


    "Fr-Frivolous?" She pointed her index fingers towards herself, disbelief written all over her face. In 23 years of her life, never once had she been called ''frivolous''. What the¡­!


    "Baby, you forgot this¡­" Shi Luo''s loud voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    She turned around immediately, only to find the woman being stopped by the security.


    "Miss, is she with you?" The security guards nced at her.


    Yu Mei nodded absent-mindedly.


    The security guards let her in.


    At this moment, Shi Luo''s brain had already stopped working. Holding the shopping bag in her hands, she stood rooted to her spot ncing at Jun Zixuan standing beside shock.


    Earlier when she called Yu Mei, she did not notice Jun Zixuan standing beside her because of the angle. She never expected him to stand here waiting for his wife or else she wouldn''t havee here.


    ''Fuck¡­'' She cursed in her mind and turned around to leave.


    ''''Miss, where are you going?"


    "I¡­My house is on fire...I have to go now,'''' In these guards were not letting her in and now they were not letting her go.


    What do you people want? Just let me go before the devil recognizes me and interrogates me.


    Just as she has taken a few steps sneakily, a cold voice stopped her in the tracks, "Shi Luo?"


    She stiffened. Your Highness Prince Jun, do you have a cat''s eye? How could you recognize me from there?


    The ce she was standing at was especially dark and she had even turned around the moment she noticed his presence.


    "Cough¡­" She straightened her back and entered the gate with confidence, keeping her gaze straight. Do you think I am afraid of you? Humph!


    "You both know each other?" came the man''s question.


    ''Sssss..''


    Shi Luo''s balloon-shaped confidence was poked with a needle.


    "Jun Zixuan? I didn''t recognize you because of the dark. What are you doing here with my friend?" Shi Luo grabbed Yu Mei''s hand and nced at the man as if she just noticed him.


    "Then why were you running away?" Jun Zixuan folded his arms across his chest before leaning back on his ck Bentley.


    "Who ran away? I just thought I left something in my car," Shi Luo calmly said, "You didn''t answer my question."


    "Neither did you," Came his cold reply.


    "Oh my god¡­" Shi Luo nced at Yu Mei as if she just realized something, "Baby, don''t tell me he is the best husband of yours about whom you always bragged about?"


    Jun Zixuan''s expression changed in a moment. Did she brag about him? His cold gaze gradually softened as he nced at the woman with an expectant gaze waiting for her answer.


    Yu Mei: "_" Why did I be a part of the conversation?


    She nced at Jun Zixuan who was strangely giving off the vibes of spring and then looked at Shi Luo who looked like she will murder her if she uttered the wrong dialogue.


    Damn, someone give me the script. What am I supposed to say?


    Whatever she said might end her up in trouble. She has always been fighting and bickering with Jun Zixuan in person so if she agreed to what Shi Luo said, then she mighte off as ying hard-to-get. Given the previous owner''s scheming nature, Jun Zixuan will think that she was pretending all the time.


    If she denied it, then Shi Luo''s lies would be busted.


    She regretted not giving her friend some details of the backstory. Like what kind of person Yu Mei Zhen was. If she had known, things wouldn''t havee to this.


    Shi Luo patted Yu Mei''s back, "Why don''t you tell Jun Zixuan how you told me that you''re very lucky to marry a man like him?"


    Yu Mei held back the urge to p her. This woman¡­ Is she really her friend¡­?


    When there was no reply from her, Jun Zixuan''s face darkened.


    Shi Luo gulped and pinched Yu Mei''s fleshy waist as hard as she could.


    "Ssss¡­" She sucked in a breath of cold air, "There are mosquitoes here¡­" She pped away the woman''s hand from her back. Only then did she notice the gloomy clouds hovering above Jun Zixuan''s head. Did he already misunderstand her?


    "I did say that I am married and I have a nice husband," She started, clearing her throat. It was better toe clean before he charges her guilty of scheming against him.


    Just as Jun Zixuan''s face was turning to normal, the heartless woman shot an invisible arrow aimed at him, "But I never bragged about him. Why would I do so?''''


    Shi Luo, who noticed the right pattern in Jun Zixuan''s mood change inwardly facepalmed herself. Instead of coaxing him, her friend obviously provoked him further.


    ''Tsk tsk. Poor Mei~'' She clicked her tongue.


    ¡­


    ''''Cough...Cough¡­." Yu Mei walked around the living room, trying to initiate a conversation with the man who seemed to be keen on ignoring her.


    Things were already very awkward between them and Shi Luo had to pour some oil in the fire.


    Jun Zixuan, who was sitting on the couch, treated her like air. She deliberately walked closer to him before letting out two louder coughs. But the heartless man simply picked up two earplugs from the coffee table before putting them inside his ear.


    After which, he continued working on hisptop once again without paying attention to her.


    ...


    Warning from your caring author: Don''t pull such stunts to get your lover''s attention. You might end up hurting your throat tissues.

 Chapter 77 - Still Angry?

    Her face crumpled knowing that her efforts were in vain. If it goes on like this, the tissues in her throat will get inmed but the man just won''t pay attention to her.


    Her shoulders slumped as she walked towards the room.


    The man nced at her retreating back and pursed his lips.


    Closing the door behind her, she slumped on the bed. Since she had already freshened up and was wearing her night suit right now, she decided to sleep.


    Everything else can be left on tomorrow.


    She took a deep breath before closing her eyes.


    1 second.


    Twist.


    2 seconds.


    Turn.


    3 seconds.


    Twist.


    "Ah¡­Why can''t I sleep?" She sat up on the bed before tugging her hair with both her hands.


    A burst of disdainfulughter rang from behind her.


    Mia scoffed, "Because you slept in the afternoon. Don''t act like you''re in love," came her sarcastic voice that had her lips twitch.


    She turned to find the silver fox gracefully sitting on the maroon silk pillow cover.


    She did take a nap in the spa during the massage session but when did she act like she was in love?


    Since the 48 hours were over and she was not allowed to read her thoughts anymore, Mia carefully nced at the woman''s expression trying to understand her better.


    The more she understood this woman, the easier it would be for her to get rid of her in the future. As reluctant as she was to harm this woman, but things can''t go on like this.


    She would not be enved by this lowly human being for twenty more years again. Mia thought to herself.


    But she could read nothing looking at the woman''s nk face. ''This woman is the bane of my life. Sooner orter, I''ll deal with you,'' She cursed her in her heart for the umpteenth time before disappearing into thin air.


    Yu Mei hurriedly checked the surroundings making sure that the fox was gone. She rubbed her arms soothing out the goosebumps she got under Mia''s deadly stares.


    ''Growl''


    She rubbed her empty stomach, puckering her lips slightly. After having dinner, she had yet to eat anything.


    Her gaze shed. Steward Gu said that Jun Zixuan was searching for all over the city. And after they came back to the penthouse, he just took a shower and changed his clothes before going back to work.


    ''Has he eaten anything?'' She furrowed her brows and got out of the bed.


    ''''Why do I feel like I''m babysitting a moody big baby¡­.?" She muttered to herself before pulling open the door.


    And as expected, the man was still sitting on the couch with theptop on hisp. Why did his mother even search for a bride for him? She should just have married him off with hisptop.


    "Hey," She poked his shoulder, trying to get his attention.


    The man nced at her disinterestedly before looking back at hisptop.


    The corner of her lips twitched. She walked to him in the middle of the night to ask him if he has eaten anything or if he was hungry, but why did he have to give her that damn attitude?


    Don''t eat. Just starve yourself. I''m not gonna care anyway.


    ''''Humph,'''' She arrogantly lifted her chin before walking inside the kitchen.


    Opening the refrigerator, she grabbed a piece of pastry. Her doctor has asked her to avoid junk food so but pastry couldn''t be counted as junk food right?


    Just as she was about to take a bite, her gazended on the man. She shook her head. No, I shouldn''t pity him. Whether he has eaten or not doesn''t matter.


    Just as she took the spoon near her mouth, a little white angel hovered above her head ''He searched for you the whole day. Not to mention that he cooks for you every day no matter how busy he is. You''re so cruel to eat without asking him.''


    Yu Mei paused. She did go to ask him if he has eaten, didn''t she? But he treated her coldly.


    ''He must be tired after looking for you everywhere. Humph!'' The angel disappeared.


    She put the pastry aside before looking around for the pan. Whatever. She would just cook some decent food for him so that her conscience will not get pricked like this.


    She grabbed the pan and turned the gas stove on just like he had taught her a few days ago. "That''s easy¡­" She mumbled before grabbing the oil and spoon, "But what if he refused to eat¡­?"


    She poured some oil with the help of the spoon before getting the eggs. "Whatever, I''ll just stuff it into his mouth¡­"


    Since she is the one cooking food here, the other party has to eat no matter if he likes it or not.


    It was only then did she noticed she had left the spoon on the pan and it was almost going inside the oil. She hurriedly grabbed the tip of the spoon that was outside the pan but it had already heated up.


    "Ahh¡­." The spoon fell on the floor as she held her fingers tightly, blowing air on it.


    Tears formed in her eyes as her hand started burning. She thought she already learned to make an omelette but she was still a zero in the kitchen.


    "Are you crazy?" Jun Zixuan grabbed the woman''s hand who was holding her hand and standing at one ce like a dumb person. He turned off the gas stove with his other hand.


    She sniffed, "It''s burning¡­" Dammit. Why was she always so panicky while cooking?


    He dragged her towards the sink before letting the cold water run over her fingers, "Did you expect it to taste like sweets?" he red at the woman.


    She blinked before rubbing her teary eyes on his shirt.


    After a few minutes, the burn in the tips of her finger gradually got a bit better¡­


    She sighed in relief. Even taking the bullets was less painful than this.


    "Still angry?"

 Chapter 78 - Don’t Waste Food

    Only now did she tilt her head upwards to look at the man who was looking at her hand in concern, "You''re still angry?" she asked.


    The man left her hand before averting his gaze. Before he could go anywhere, she blocked his path.


    He continued ignoring her.


    She poked his cheeks, "Alright, that''s enough. Stop acting like a baby.''''


    He turned his face to the side.


    She pouted.


    She pinched his chin, "You''re so spoiled. Come here, lemme pat you," She tried to drag his face down but the man swatted away her hand.


    "Disgusting," He coldly muttered.


    She raised an eyebrow. Whenever her brother was angry, she just had to act a little cute and he would give in to her. This man is really a tough nut to crack.


    ''So what? There are plenty of ways to crack a nut.''


    "Ah¡­" She winced grabbing her fingers with the other hand.


    "What happened?" He held her hand immediately.


    "My hand¡­it''s still hurting¡­" She blinked pitifully.


    "Wait here. I''ll get the first-aid box right now."


    As she watched him walking inside the room hastily, her pitiful expression was immediately reced with nonchnce. Her lips crept up in an evil smile.


    Soon, he brought the ointment and grabbed her hand, "Couldn''t you tell me if you are hungry? Why did you have to pull such stunts?"


    She was aggrieved. She was fine with eating a pastry but¡­ "Stop scolding me. I was just worried that you haven''t eaten anything¡­" She red at him. What an ungrateful man.


    He paused.


    Tilting his head, he nced at her.


    She squirmed under his intense gaze, "What is it?" she asked awkwardly.


    "You were cooking for me?" He asked in a low voice.


    Either it was her illusion, or those gold flecks in his dark eyes were sparkling under the dim lightings.


    "No, I was cooking for the neighbor," She whispered in a slightly sarcastic voice before pushing away his hand.


    He pursed his lips.


    "Didn''t you tell me that you don''t want to know my whereabouts?'''' She spoke up, "So I didn''t inform you about it then why would you be so angry? I simply don''t know what''s going on in your mind."


    He remained silent. An undecipherable glint shed through his eyes, "You mentioned divorce yesterday¡­"


    "What''s wrong with that?" Her eyes widened. So was he angry about that? "Do you think we''ll not be friends anymore? Let me tell you that nothing will ever change between us even after our divorce.''''


    The woman still didn''t get his point. He opened his mouth to speak something but he could not find words to describe what he wanted to say.


    "Zixuan, we don''t have to be married to be friends. Marriage is not solely based on friendship. Love is the most important factor and ours is a loveless marriage," She sighed and gazed at him, "You tell me, do you love me?"


    Love? Did he love her? He did not reply.


    Looking at the nk expressions on his face, she smiled, "You don''t right? I don''t love you too. And I''m sure you will always be my friend."


    Friendzone alert 2!


    As right as her words sounded, but he felt something was amiss. He was just not able to pinpoint it.


    Shrugging it off, he nced at her ''''I''ll cook something for dinner¡­"


    She nodded.


    While he cut the vegetables, she picked up the scraps to throw them in the dustbin. But her eyes widened when she saw the thing inside it.


    Lying atop a juice can was the car keys that she had returned him yesterday.


    She picked it up and washed it before looking at it nkly. Yeah, it was the same one. She wasn''t seeing things wrong.


    "What are you doing?" The man asked, not hearing any movements behind him.


    She walked towards him, "Why did you throw it in the dustbin?"


    He nced at the keys in her hand, "Either you take the car or throw it in the trash," He nonchntly said and continued cooking.


    She was speechless. She rejected the car because she did not take advantage of him. But she never expected him to be so stubborn. And even if he wanted her to ept the car, why can''t he say it nicely.


    ''Either you take the car or throw it in the trash'' Why must he be so domineering? She mmed the keys on the kitchen counter, "Do whatever you want," She coldly said before walking inside the room without looking back at him.


    She threw her slippers away before folding her legs on the bed. What does he take her for? Did he think she will do anything he wants? If he threatens her by saying that he will throw away the car keys, will she be swayed to pick them up?


    Moreover, he can''t even keep his poisonous tongue in check. If he is stubborn, then she can be more stubborn than him. Did he take her as his greedy wife who will get swayed by every shining object and treat it like gold? She has seen countless cars in her life to be caring about this one.


    ''''You want to throw the keys in the trash, do it then. Your car, your money¡­.you can continue your phndering ways. Why would I care?" As rich as she was, she was never so reckless. Humph!


    The man cleared his throat making his presence known.


    She stiffened. Did he hear what she said? Whatever. It''s not like she said something wrong. She rxed at that thought.


    Jun Zixuan walked towards her holding the tray in his hand with two bowls of noodles on it. He put the tray on the bed before passing one bowl to her.


    She nced at it. Today''s wastage is tomorrow''s shortage. One shouldn''t waste food.


    Deciding to not vent her anger on food, she grabbed the bowl from his hand before eating the noodles with ''slurping'' sounds. She was already starving before but¡­

 Chapter 79 - A Gift That Would Shock The World

    She was already starving but arguing with this man took up herst bits of energy.


    "Not elegant at all," The man muttered looking at the unruly woman.


    She was eating like she had not eaten anything for a few days.


    She paused and tilted her head to look at him. Licking the soup dripping from the corner of her mouth, she turned her face to the other side and continued eating.


    She ate the way she liked it, what has it got to do with him. Wasn''t he asking for another fight by nitpicking such small things? Was he obsessed with provoking her? The more she spent time with him, the more his image of ''gentle and aloof'' guy in her mind crumbled down.


    Sigh¡­It''s better to not waste my breath on him. She thought to herself.


    But the man didn''t seem to have the intention to let her eat in peace.


    He poked her shoulder but she didn''t respond.


    A while ago when she was trying all the tricks to get his attention, he continued sitting on the couch like a buddha statue. Roles changed right now.


    Since she didn''t respond to him, he poked her cheeks with his index finger, "Miss Mei Lan, will you at least listen to me?"


    She turned around so fast that she could have gotten whish at that moment. "Will you die if you don''t irk me like this? Who are you calling Mei Lan?"


    Mei Lan was a famous chubby and fat damn ''panda''.


    And even if she was fat, for god''s sake, her pride was crushed when she was connected with a panda.


    "Mei Lan is cute, though," He sat beside her, "But I called you like that to get your attention."


    She scoffed.


    "If you don''t like this car, you can have mine too. Or if you like some other car, tell me the brand name, I''ll get it for you," He said.


    Looking at his sincere expressions, a part of her anger deflected, "It''s not that I don''t like this car. But you are too stubborn and bossy," She made a face at him indicating how annoyed she was.


    "Would I have thrown it in the dustbin if you had epted it?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "But I don''t want to take advantage of you. I already owe you a lot," Ever since transmigrating in this body, he has always taken care of her even though they bickered all the time.


    He even gave her ess to his private jets and prepared the driving license for her. No matter what, she felt very ufortable at the thought of taking more expensive things from when she was not even the real Yu Mei Zhen. Despite their friendships, there were countless secrets between them for which she did not want to overstep her boundaries.


    "Ouch¡­" She winced when he flicked her forehead.


    "You owe me nothing and since you always say that we are friends, just ept this car," He paused for a moment before continuing, "Your university vacation will be over soon and you''re going to gym now. I can''t be there to drop you or pick you up. Steward Gu is also busy¡­"


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t even think about that," He interrupted her, ''''Cabs are not safe these days. Don''t you follow the news?"


    "But¡­"


    "No more buts¡­" Thinking about it for a bit, he added, "ept the car for now and in the future, you can give me a return gift. I''ll ept it no matter how expensive it is. How about it?"


    She paused for a moment before nodding. This seems feasible, "Quick. Eat your noodles. It won''t taste well after getting cold,'''' With that, she resumed eating.


    At this time, he had said it casually to coax her into epting his gift. But he would have never expected that in the future, she would gift him something so expensive that would shock the whole world.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he picked up his bowl, "By the way, how do you know Shi Luo?''''


    "Cough¡­She treated my face."


    "Oh¡­" He might not admit that but he was a tad bit disappointed that she didn''t ask him about how he knew her. Weren''t wives supposed to keep track of their husbands'' rtions with other women?


    But then again, did this she even think of him as a husband?


    He pursed his lips and shook off such thoughts from his mind.


    ¡­


    The next few days passed in a sh. Having a car made it much easier for her to go back and forth to the gym without worries. She was working out regrly and started taking her medications regrly which led her to be more active. She didn''t feel aszy as before.


    And maybe it was her illusion, or it was because of the medicine, but she really felt herself losing weight. Though it was not visible, her body was just not as heavy as before. She did not check her weight since she had decided to do so after 4 weeks of joining the gym and there were still three weeks left.


    True to his words, Jun Zixuan started getting busier with his work and she rarely saw him at the penthouse.


    They had breakfast together every day. As for the rest of her meals, he would prepare them for her and keep them in the fridge before leaving for work. She told him that she could order something for herself but her word always fell into deaf ears. No matter how busy he was, he took some time out to cook for her.


    And she could swear that she was getting addicted to his food. He did not prepare some sort of extravagant or high-calorie dishes for her given that she was going to the gym. It had to be a simple omelette or sd or steamed dumplings, anything he made tasted heavenly. Let alone food, she was even addicted to the morning coffee that made for her.


    ...


    Note: Mei Lan is a famous panda currently living Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.

 Chapter 80 - Sleepcrawl

    After the gym, she spent her days designing and watching one or two movies a day. Life has never been so leisurely for her before.


    Jun Zixuan would usuallye back after she fell asleep.


    Buttely, she was starting to feel there was something amiss.


    Yu Mei squinted her eyes trying to adjust to the brightness invading the room through the ss windows.


    Just as she was about to roll around on the bed, she found that she could not move. Only then did she notice that she was tightly locked in a warm embrace and her face was buried in the man''s chest. Her eyes widened as the realization dawned upon her.


    She tilted her face slowly upwards only to realize the intimate position they were in. Jun Zixuan had one of his hands wrapped around her waist as she slept on his other arm. Their bodies were sticking together like mas. He was hugging her like she was his private bolster.


    As she looked at the man''s sleeping face, she had to admit that he was truly the most beautiful man she had everid her eyes on. One would mistake him for a beautiful angel while he slept. But the moment he woke up and put on his cold and livid expressions, he was back to the devilishly handsome bossy man she was getting to knowtely.


    She blinked. That was not the point here now, was it? How the hell did they end up in such positions every morning?


    A few days ago, she invited him to sleep with her on the bed since the penthouse has only one bedroom. She told him that she would sleep on the couch but he did not agree to it. In, the end both of them slept together.


    Because of her bad sleeping habits, she made sure to put up a high pillow wall between them. But somehow, they would wake up in such intimate positions every day.


    And the pillows mysteriously disappeared too.


    She frowned and poked his cheeks, contemting about the matter. Unlike her fluffy ones, his cheeks weren''t fleshy at all. A perfect jawline, straight nose¡­the man was perfect by every angle.


    Just as she was about to poke his cheek again, he grabbed her hand before opening his eyes. Those dark eyes red at her, "What do you think you are doing?"


    She squinted, ''''I was just thinking why would we¡­" end up sleeping in this position every day?


    He interrupted her before she could finish speaking, "And why are we sleeping like this again? You said putting a pillow wall will help you in nothing moving around here and there. What happened to it?"


    Looking at his serious face, her lips twitched. She was sleeping on his side of the bed. And the pillows were all thrown on the other side. She pushed herself to sit on the bed and distanced herself from him.


    ''''It seems like I sleepcrawled to your side," She smiled at him apologetically before adjusting the cor of her nightdress. She could easily remember everything when she was drunk but during the time she slept, anything happening to her or around her simply did not register in her mind.


    "Sleepcrawl?" He raised an eyebrow and propped his head on an elbow.


    "Well, I can''t be sleepwalking on the bed¡­so sleepcrawl," She stood up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom while mumbling curses to herself.


    As she disappeared from his view, his gazended on the pillows thrown on the other side of the king-sized bed. The corner of his lips tugged up.


    After Yu Mei returned from the gym, it was past 8:30 am, and as usual Jun Zixuan finished his usual workout routine in the gym inside the penthouse. The man was wearing a simple sports attire, the top letting his strong abdominal musclese into view, his muscles flexed with the slightest movements.


    As she slumped on the couch, he walked towards her, "Tired?" He asked looking at her red face.


    She sighed, "Just not used to it," More like this body is not used to working out ever since birth.


    "Alright, just sit here. I''ll make the breakfast after taking a shower," With that, he stood up before walking inside the bedroom.


    She sighed. It was really nice to have him around, though. She could not help but wonder to herself about how she would survive without his food after their divorce.


    Later on the breakfast table, she smacked her lips in satisfaction after eating the sandwich he made for her.


    She smiled at him.


    "What?" He tilted his head from his te feeling an intense gaze fixated on him.


    "I was just thinking. Given your looks and culinary skills, you will be a Michelin star chef. Anything you make turns out to be so delicious after all. Say, where did you learn cooking from?" In the future, she will just join the same sses to make food as good as him.


    "Self-taught,'''' He replied taking a small bite of sandwich.


    "As if I''d believe you," She couldn''t even learn how to turn on the gas stove by herself.


    "My parents separated when I was young and after that, we started living with my grandparents. But soon after, they passed away in a traffic ident. Mom was very listless after all those things. So, I had to look after them," He nonchntly said, taking a sip of the juice from his ss.


    Did it really not matter to him or he was just pretending? "Them?" She asked softly.


    "I have a younger brother too.''''


    "Oh¡­" Just like she initially thought, there is no father figure in his life. But¡­"I thought¡­" She paused, hesitating to talk discuss this further. Although he was looking like he was not bothered by all this, but everyone who smiles isn''t necessarily happy. What if deep down, he is hurting too?


    "You can ask," He asked noticing her hesitation. He was inwardly amused by how careful she was so that she would not end up hurting him.

 Chapter 81 - Get Me A Bed, Will You?

    Curiosity got the best of her, "Given how rich you are, I initially thought you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth." Since he said that his parents separated when he was young, then that means his maternal grandparents must have been wealthy, or else how could he even afford to study in a ce like Crystal University?


    Even if you take a schoarship in consideration, Amaranthine is after all a high maintenance ce to survive in.


    "My grandfather was a high-school teacher and grandmother was a housewife. Mom was their only daughter," He replied, understanding what she was trying to imply, "Overall, a normal family."


    Her eyes visibly widened. She looked at the man who picked up his sandwich and resumed eating.


    Many questions were swirling at the tip of her tongue but she gulped them down. It was not good to know everything about him when he did not anything about her. Once her curiosity is satiated by his answers, there will be overwhelming guilt in her. It''s better like this.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    She tilted her head¡­


    Right at this moment, his phone went off.


    Jun Zixuan answered the call.


    He did not speak for a few seconds and listened to what the other party was saying before opening his mouth, ''''Alright," he replied before hanging up.


    He then nced at her, "The renovations are over. We can move back to Ren Mansion now."


    She shrugged, "Let''s go then. I''ve not unpacked my luggage at all," Since she knew they will be going back to the mansion soon, she did not unpack her luggage only to pack it once again.


    She found this cefortable than the mansion because there were no servants here who will nce at her with their prying eyes the moment she stepped out of the room. Okay, although it was because of their curiosity towards her, she still found it ufortable.


    When she was living with her brother in the past, their servants were all so friendly since Jian Yu handpicked them all by himself. After school, she got admitted to Crystal University and moved to another city where she lived all alone in her condominium with her brother visiting her once thrice a month.


    So, she was just not used to all these things.


    As much as she liked this penthouse, it had only one room. Only one bed on top of that.


    Being the kind person that she was, she could not bear to see Jun Zixuan adjusting himself on the couch. And her sleepcrawling habits always made it awkward for her to face him every morning.


    So, it was better to get back to the mansion before she did something immoral to him in her sleep.


    ¡­


    Ren Mansion.


    While Yu Mei left to check the interior designs in her room, Jun Zixuan entered the Master bedroom. His previous grey-shaded room was now pristine white with a grand chandelier enhancing its beauty.


    The dull room was now modern and elegant with pendant lights spreading warmth from above. Nice bedding sets matching with the cool wallpapers. Everything looked fine except for the picture of a baby hanging right above the headboard of his bed.


    He turned around and nced at the wall behind him which was on the opposite side of the bed. The corner of his lips twitched when he saw the painting on the wall. The tips of his ears turned red as his eyes took in the details of the painting. What kind of renovation is this?


    He quickly averted his gaze ready to call Steward Gu to remove this painting from here before someone saw it.


    But something caught his attention. He walked towards the bedside table and nced at the flower vase. All kinds of rare flowers were settled inside therge crystal vase but the one that caught his attention was a small magenta rose tucked in a lone corner. He pulled out the flower from the vase before looking at it with narrowed eyes.


    Nobody was allowed to pluck them from his rose garden. On the corner of the stem of the rose, he noticed something.


    He twisted it around before looking at it closely. There was dried blood.


    He was reminded of the day when Yu Mei plucked a rose from the garden getting her finger pricked by the thorn in the process. Later, he had taken the rose from her and put it into the flower vase.


    Weeks have passed since that incident. He frowned. How could this rose still be fresh?


    While he was lost in his thoughts, Yu Mei kicked the door open and stepped inside his room. Her eyes ring in anger, "Say, is it difficult for your mom to let me have some peace?"


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head upwards to look at her, "What happened?" He asked, pinching the space between his brows.


    She grabbed his right hand before shoving a baby pink letter in his hand.


    ''Dear Mei, I know you love me the most. I, your mother-inw love you a lot too. Taking your affections into consideration, I had prepared the gift for you. I hope you like it


    Yours loving


    Mother-inw''


    After reading the content on the note, he nced at her, "What gift did she prepare?"


    "I don''t have a bed in the room¡­'''' She pursed her lips ring at the letter in his hand, "Read the note she has left on the back."


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat and turned the page.


    ''You can sleep in the Master bedroom, on my son''s bed, above him, below him, or beside him. But if you don''t prefer my son, I think the floor in your room should be fine for you.''


    Jun Zixuan was speechless. He could not believe his mother wrote something like this but then, he recognized her handwriting pretty well.


    He nced at Yu Mei who was pouting and fuming.


    "Well¡­"


    She nced at him, "Get me a bed, will you?"


    Listening about Shen Lihua''s past and her current health condition had invoked a sense of sympathy in her heart but she realized the pitiful one here was her to have gotten this she-devil as her mother-inw.


    He gazed at her for a moment before opening his mouth, "You can sleep¡­"

 Chapter 82 - 100 Sex Positions

    "You can sleep¡­"


    "No, I am not sleeping on your bed. No further discussions on that," She interrupted him before he could finish speaking. She would rather sleep on the floor than sleeping with him. Who knows what position they will wake up in the morning?


    "Fine,'''' He relented.


    When he folded the letter, it was only then did she noticed the rose he was holding on in his other hand.


    "Did you get it for me?" She grabbed it from his hand. When she was angry, he had promised her to give her this rose aspensation, "I didn''t expect you to remember it."


    His gaze turned serious,?"Do you remember you once plucked a rose from the garden?"


    She tilted her head upwards before nodding, "How could I forget? Being the stingy man you are¡­You snatched it away from me. But, why are you asking about that?"


    He gazed at her confused expressions for a moment before looking at the rose in her hand.


    "Would you believe me if I said that this is the same rose you plucked that day?" He asked her.


    Noticing the tremble in her finger, he nced at her face only to find her expressions turning into shock.


    "How is that even possible?" She looked at the rose in disbelief while trying tomunicate with the fox in her mind, ''Mia¡­Mia¡­Are you there?''


    ''Ah¡­You immoral human. You sleep like a pig all day but when I''m sleeping, you have to shout as someone died,'' The fox''s annoyed voice rang in her mind.


    ''The rose I plucked days ago is still fresh. Is it because of you?''


    Silence.


    There was no reply in her mind and just when she thought she wouldn''t get an answer, Mia replied, ''Partially,'' And then the fox simply cut off the connection.


    What does she mean by partially?


    Under Jun Zixuan''s probing gaze, she cleared her throat andposed herself before speaking, "Do you think you got this wrong? Which rose will remain fresh for weeks? I think someone must have plucked it."


    "No one will dare to pluck flowers from the garden¡­except you," He narrowed his eyes.


    She froze for a split second beforeughing, "You can''t joke around with me like that. For a moment, I thought that there is magic in the 21st century."


    The stem had bloodstains but since she did not believe him, he didn''t dwell on it any further.


    She sighed in relief. She was as shocked as him but it was better to not show it on her face. She fiddled with the rose in her hand absentmindedly.


    "Anything else?"


    She tilted her head to look at him before shaking her head, "Just get me a bed, okay?"


    He nodded, "I''ll ask Steward Gu to get it arranged."


    "Make sure he won''t be a tattletaleter," Back when Shen Lihua knew that she was acting like a bitch on purpose to make the woman hate her, it really shocked her. Butter, she got to know that it was Steward Gu who passed their information to that she-devil.


    ''''He won''t," Jun Zixuan reassured her.


    She nodded at him and turned around to leave, her gazended on the opposite wall.


    A gasp escaped from her mouth as she stood there rooted to her spot looking at the expensive painting on the wall. Her eyes grazed past the details of the exquisite art as she gulped.


    Suddenly her vision turned dark. She struggled to get Jun Zixuan''s hand off her eyes but the man''s palm did not budge.


    "Don''t look at it," His deep voice sounded beside her ear. She did not know why it came off as so erotic that goosebumps rose on her hands.


    "Hey, remove your hand," She softly said.


    He did so. "I''ll ask Steward Gu to remove it from here¡­"


    Not sparing him a nce, she kept her gaze stuck on the sex position illustration art hanging on the wall, ''''Or you can keep it for future use. There are more than a hundred positions here."


    "You¡­" The tips of his ears reddened as he looked at her nonchnt expression with his mouth agape, "You are shameless."


    She turned around to look at him, "And how did you conclude that?" She turned around to look at him, "I just suggested that you can try out these positions with your future wife since your mom has made efforts to hang it here."


    He narrowed his eyes, "Future wife?"


    "The one you will marry after our divorce," Looking at his frigid expression, she was a bit taken aback, "Don''t tell me you''re nning to be a monk in the future¡­''''


    The man picked up his suit jacket from the bed and walked out of the room without looking back at her.


    ''Bang'' The door was mmed so harshly that she flinched by the loud sound.


    He was normal a moment ago but now he seems to be angry.


    What a moody man!


    Childish! Say if you have some problem with me. Why attack on the door?


    She shrugged and turned around to look at the new interior of his room. Her gazended at the baby picture hanging above the headboard of his bed.


    Below the bed is the sex position art and above the bed is the picture of a baby. Combined with the fact that there was no bed in her room, it did not require much brains to understand how all these things were corrted.


    The she-devil of a mother-inw had everything nned for her and Jun Zixuan. But s, the woman did not know that they were nning to get divorced right under her nose. All these efforts of hers could only be reserved for her future daughter-inw.


    Sometimes, she wondered why must Shen Lihua be so adamant about setting Yu Mei Zhen with a man like Jun Zixuan?


    But just like she could never understand what was going on in Jun Zixuan''s mind, she did not have an inkling of Shen Lihua''s thought process.


    Her phone went off while she was contemting these things.


    Looking at the caller ID, the corner of her lips tugged up and she answered the call but soon her face darkened.

 Chapter 83 - Stab! Stab! Stab!

    She walked back to her room and kept the rose on the bedside table before grabbing the car keys.


    As she walked downstairs, Steward Gu greeted her, "Miss Yu."


    She nodded at him, "I''ve something to do. I''ll be back by evening. Inform Zixuan if?he asks about my whereabouts."


    Steward Gu nodded in a daze as he looked at the woman''s retreating back. Hearing his Master being addressed so intimately by a woman sounded like music to his ears.


    Were they¡­finally getting a young mistress?


    While Steward Gu was imagining a holiday trip to Seychelle in the future, he did not notice a shadow hovering behind the pir ncing at Yu Mei''s back with animosity.


    It was the same servant who addressed Yu Mei as ''Madam'' on purpose to make Jun Zixuan lose his temper on her. But Yu Mei was quick to retort back then.


    Lisa gritted her teeth. A few days ago, Master did not want to see the woman''s face. Then what happened on the trip that they are so close to each other now? He even gave her a car.


    And why did this ugly bitch look a bit different?


    "Lass, why did you call me to a ce like this?" Xiang Le asked as he peered at his surroundings. They were sitting on a bench in front of a roadside bubble tea stall in an abandoned alley. The road was quieter than the busy streets of Beijing but there were still a few people scattered here and there.


    "Director Xiang, you can call me Miss Yu," She felt very awkward being addressed as ss'' by her employee.


    The old man stroked his beard, "Okay,ss.''''


    "_"


    Yu Mei adjusted her shades before ncing at the old man, "I called you here so that we won''t be recognized," She changed the topic.


    "I am not a celebrity,'''' The old man shrugged, "As for you¡­."


    "I am Yu Mei Zhen, the illegitimate daughter of Yu Family," She introduced herself.


    "Yu Family?" The old man furrowed his brows in contemtion, "The one who owns the leadingpany in the entertainment industry?"


    She nodded, "The current President of Dream Entertainment is my father." The previous owner was not famous like her step-sister who was an inte celebrity.


    But Yu Mei had her own reasons for calling the man to this abandoned ce. The university holidays would soon be over and there were rumors everywhere regarding her being a mistress to an old man and keeping boy toys. After all, the world can be small so she wanted to avoid bumping into any ssmates or the Yu Family members right now.


    "You are that man-chaser?"


    The corner of her lips twitched. As she expected. Her face was not that exposed media to not ruin the glory of Yu Family but they made sure to tarnish her name properly.


    She sighed. It could not be called tarnishing her name since the previous owner really liked to chase beautiful men.


    Anyways...


    "That''s not the reason why you called me today, is it?" She nced at the old maning straight to the point.


    Xiang Le cleared his throat. This girl seemed very different from rumors. They called her ugly, fat, and a man-chaser. But none of them mentioned about her exceptional designing talents. And other than being a bit fat, thess was not ugly at all.


    After going through the details of the pendant design she sketched and hearing the opinion of the experts, he believed that she may not be lying about being Leanne''s disciple.


    "I''ve decided¡­" He started speaking. Looking at her nonchnt expression, he continued, ''''You can take over the position of the CEO in Rosette. Only a few higher-ups have met President Leanne in person. It might be a bit tricky to convince them but it is not impossible for me¡­."


    "Why?" She interrupted him.


    He stroked his beard and nced at her, not understanding what she meant. But yet again, he could not read anything from her face. He could not help but wonder if all the youngsters these days are so poker-faced and professional. How weird. He snorted at the thought.


    Looking at his nk face, she sighed, "Why are you agreeing to this?" She made her question clear.


    Like she remembered, a few days ago when they met at the caf¨¦ in the Westside Residential area, the man was very reluctant to let her take the position despite all her ways to change his mind.


    Then, why did he call her out of nowhere and asked her to take over the position of CEO?


    "I won''t hide anything from you since you are the one who approached me a few days ago. Back then, I was not even considering your offer. Getting an impostor to be the recement of our President Leanne is a very immoral thing to do."


    ''Stab!''


    Imposter¡­Recement¡­Immoral¡­?


    "Moreover, how could I believe the words of an immature youngss with a dumpling-like appearance? I truly found you very unreliable."


    Another ''Stab!''


    Dumpling-like? She bit her bottom lip from under her scarf that was covering her face.


    The old man did not seem to have finished speaking yet as he continued, "After knowing that you are the illegitimate and infamous man-chaser of Yu Family¡­."


    "Enough,'''' She interrupted the man before he could stab her sore spots any further, "Director Xiang, why did you change your mind?''''


    The old man sighed helplessly before shaking his head, "Rosette might not survive past three weeks if President Leanne is not back to her position. Having you to rece her might not work out but a dying person will hold onto every possible straw.''''


    A hint of surprise appeared in her dark starry eyes hidden beneath the shades. She knew how professional he was but his immense loyalty to herpany still came off as a surprise.


    "I won''t disappoint you."


    The old man nodded, "Lass, since you are taking this step, you will have to prepare yourself. Rosette is in a dire situation, only your design won''t suffice. This time the media and rivalpanies won''t back off until they see the real Leanne. So, we, the higher-ups will have to introduce you to them.."


    "I haven''t stated my conditions yet," She interrupted him.


    The old man froze.

 Chapter 84 - I’ll Take Back The Life I Gave You

    Considering the current situation of Rosette, Yu Mei was sure that matters can''t be suppressed only by releasing the designs like before.


    This time, the public will demand to see the face of the person behind the high-end Jewellery brand. They will want to see the CEO of the world-famouspany who disappeared for months. If she stepped out right now ording to ns, then herpany will be back under her control easily.


    But she knew this was not the time to be impulsive. Especially not when her enemies were still lurking in the dark. The Han Family, whoever they were, they were capable of dispatching countless mercenaries to have her dead.


    That means, they must have known more about her, including her identity as Leanne.


    If she stepped out as the CEO of Rosette now, even if they had 1 percent of doubt about her identity, they would still kill ''Yu Mei Zhen'' to eliminate the threat from roots. Although they might not know about her transmigration, but still they won''t let her live if they thought she had some connection with Han Mei. Those people were simply insane!


    And this was why she had already nned everything before she decided to save herpany.


    She gave Xiang Le 3 conditions in exchange for saving thepany from this trial. Even if he had rejected it, she couldn''t possibly abandon herpany. But she acted as though she will only save thepany if epts her conditions.


    First, he will introduce another person as Leanne which didn''t sit well with the old man. ording to him, he was already taking an impostor to rece their CEO but now he had to find an impostor for the impostor.


    But since she was adamant about it, and he was desperate to save thepany, he gave in to her.


    Her second condition was that even when an impostor would be sitting on the CEO''s chair, all the power will be in her hands and she will be working from home to which the old man agreed without hesitation. ording to him, as long as she can save thepany from its current state, the power will ultimately end up in her hands until the real ''Leanne'' was back.


    Her third condition almost gave the man a heart attack. After resolving the current issues, she wanted the headquarters of Rosette in Amaranthine to be moved to Beijing. Despite his extreme reluctance, he agreed in the end to save thepany.


    As Yu Mei walked past the empty alley, she sighed helplessly. She was not being unreasonable on purpose. She had her own reasons.


    Even though Jun Zixuan and her will get divorced, she had decided to stay beside him until his mother recoverspletely so that they could pretend to be a couple whenever the situation demanded for it.


    She was not obliged to do that but Jun Zixuan was her friend and she was not an ungrateful bitch who will leave him alone to deal with his problems. So, she was dead set on her decision.


    Furthermore, she will not step her feet on thends of Amaranthine until she got some news about her brother.


    "Ahh¡­."


    Yu Mei''s footsteps came to a halt as Mia appeared out of nowhere clinging to the hem of her long ir dress.


    She bent down and held the fox''s body before separating it from her dress. Its canine teeth left two ring holes near the edge of her dress.


    Not caring about her dress, she looked at the fox in her embrace, "Mia, are you alright?" She gently stroked its back. Looking at the expressions on the little fox''s face, one could say that she was in pain.


    "Mia¡­What''s wrong with you?" She panicked, not knowing how to help the fox. She could not even take it to the vet given its''s extraordinary identity, "Mia¡­" She kept stroking the fox''s back as she increased her pace towards the highway where her car was parked.


    Even though this was an abandoned alley, she did not want to take the risk of Mia being spotted by someone.


    "Ahhh¡­." Yu Mei yelped as she felt a sharp pain in her wrist. She looked at the fox in disbelief who had his teeth sinking in her flesh.


    She gritted her teeth, "What are you doing?" She tried to separate its teeth from her wrist, but the pain was like that of her flesh being torn apart.


    She hissed.


    Mia finally removed her teeth from her flesh and tilted its head upwards to look at the woman.


    It was only then did she noticed that the fox was staring at her with immense displeasure.


    "Why would you do that?" She could still feel the pain in her hand but the fox did something to let the wound recover without a scar.


    "You low-born disgusting human! If it wasn''t because of you, would I have been reduced to such a state? If it was not for you, I would never have to go through this excruciating pain. Once this is over, there is no going back. I''ll take back the life you got from me and kill you. Ahh¡­."


    "Mia¡­" Yu Mei stroked its back as she walked faster.


    ''''Fuck,'''' The brash tone of a man was heard as she bumped into him at the turning.


    The fox in her embrace fell on the ground and she stumbled a few steps back because of the force.


    "Are you blind? Can''t you see where you are going?" The man snarled.


    ''''Boss, look here¡­"


    Yu Mei tilted her upwards only to find the four to five hooligans eyeing the silver fox on the ground. "Don''t touch it," She yelled but the men blocked her path, not letting her go closer to Mia.


    Two of them walked closer to the fox who was lying limp on the ground but its eyes were wide open, "Boss, I think it looks like a fox. We will make money from it¡­" He kicked its tail again. It was very rare for them to see a fox on the road considering how expensive and rare they were, especially the domesticated ones. And the one lying on the ground seemed was whiter than the snow. One nce at it was enough to know that it will be sold off at a high price.


    "Girl, you can leave. Since you bumped into me¡­"

 Chapter 85 - A Perfect Master

    "Girl, you can leave. Since you bumped into me, I''m keeping your pet aspensation," said the bearded man who was supposedly their boss.


    Although she heard it, she did not pay attention to him.


    ''Mia¡­Mia¡­are you fine¡­?'' She tried tomunicate with the fox in her mind without moving an inch from her spot.


    Not what is going on will make you helpless. And that''s how she felt right now. She knew the fox was in pain, but she did not its cause nor could she think of any way to help her.


    ''I don''t need your sympathy. I''ll kill you the moment I recover. So, run away and save your life. I can..ugh¡­manage myself.'' As arrogant as her voice was, Mia sounded weak.


    Yu Mei furrowed her brows as she looked at the men surrounding the fox. While she was thinking of a way to get out of this situation. The tip of a sharp knife was pressed on the back of her neck.


    "Since you are reluctant to leave, we can take you with us¡­." While the man had his knife on her neck, their boss walked towards her and removed the scarf and shades that were covering her face, "You are fat but this face is not ugly. Selling you off will not be a bad idea. But since you can afford a fox, you must be from a rich family. That will also get us some money."


    Her lips twitched. These hooligans are very money-minded.


    "What do you say, girl?" The man looked at her with a greedy expression on his face.


    She cleared her throat, "You have good prospects in business." She said, without moving too much as the tip of the knife was still pressed on the back of her neck.


    "What?" The goons were stunned.


    "You see¡­you found multiple ways of making money within five minutes. You can have a bright future in the business field," She blinked, "How about you let me go first? I''ll give you a position in the financial department of mypany. You will earn a lot."


    ''''Who wants to earn by working? That''s not our style. And do you think we would believe that a young girl like you owns apany?" The man snorted before looking at the fox, "Grab the animal," He ordered his people.


    ''Swish''


    With one swift movement, Yu Mei twisted the upper half of her body and grabbed the knife that was pointed at the back of her neck.


    Before their boss could turn his head around to nce at her, he was caught off guard when she grabbed his shoulder pressed the knife on his neck with force.


    ''''AHHHH!''''


    Since you didn''t take my offer, don''t me me for being ruthless then,'''' She coldly said pressing the knife harder.


    "W-What do you want?" The boss shivered as blood oozed out of his neck.


    Yu Mei looked at the guys working under him, "Go¡­.Stand at the end of the road.''''


    "Go!" The man ordered his boys when she pressed the knife on his delicate skin. They immediately ran away towards the end of the road, "W-What now?"


    She wordlessly dragged him towards where Mia was lying on the road. "Squat," she coldly said and the man squatted down along with her.


    While her right hand was holding the knife on his neck, she extended another hand towards the little fox, ''Hop on¡­'' She said to it in her mind.


    "Don''t move," She pressed the knife on his neck when he tried to struggle.


    Mia tilted her head and look at the woman with limpid eyes. But under the woman''s stern, she eventually crawled towards her hand.


    Yu Mei carefully wrapped her around the fox. "Stand up¡­" She said to the man.


    She walked backward until they reached her car which was parked on the highway.


    "AHHH!''''


    She hit the man''s head with the back of the knife and kicked him to the ground.


    ''''Boss!!"


    "Stop her¡­"


    Sounds wereing from behind but she ran away from there without looking back even once. Holding the fox in her embrace, she got inside her car and stepped on the elerator, driving straight ahead.


    Aftering to a distance, she lowered the ss panes and looked back. There was no one after them.


    She was capable of fighting with them given they were five to six people, but this body restricted her movements in many ways and they could harm Mia if anything goes wrong. So, she could only resort to such tricks.


    Luckily, those people were local thugs and they didn''t have a gun with them or else her life part 2 would have been over by now.


    She nced at the silver fox on herp which had its body curled up because of pain.


    "Are you fine?" She gently asked stroking its back.


    Mia blinked her round hazel eyes, "Y-You¡­.Why didn''t you go back when I asked you to? A-Are you not afraid of being killed by me?"


    Yu Mei looked at it for a few seconds. Her concerned gaze turning serious, "I''ll give you one chance to kill me."


    "W-What?" The fox was astonished. Did this woman know what she was talking about?


    "Did I stutter?" Yu Mei nced at it coldly.


    "You...You¡­You¡­.."


    "I know, Mia. If you hadn''t been there, I would not have gotten this second life. I know all of this is somehow rted to you. For some reason, you aren''t able to kill me. But, today, I am giving you the chance. I''ll do whatever it takes for you to kill me," She paused and narrowed her eyes, "But if you let me go today, don''t eye my life in the future."


    Mia nkly stared at the woman as she spoke. This was the exact reason why she thought that Yu Mei possssed a veryplicated mind. Nobody would be ready to embrace death so eagerly. The woman was dangerous and destructive.


    But her Master¡­.should be like that.


    Mia''s eyes lit up, "You saved me today. So, you don''t owe me anything now."


    "What if you regret it?"

 Chapter 86 - Wife Is Acting Like A Thief

    "What if you regret it?"


    "I won''t."


    The corner of her lips tugged up as Yu Mei looked at the fox, "I say...You better not regret your words in the future," Nobody wants to die so why would she? But she got this second life because of Mia and she was very clear about that.


    Mia nodded, "AHH!!"


    "What happened to you today? Why are you in so much pain?" She patted her back gently.


    "I¡­I¡­" The fox turned fidgety.


    Yu Mei frowned, "Why are you acting like a bride on her wedding night? What''s there to be shy about?"


    "I¡­am¡­."


    "Oh¡­Are you pregnant?" Yu Mei''s eyes widened, "But when did you copte? You''ve been living inside my body all this while. Wait¡­Don''t tell me your male partner is inside my body too? Is your whole family here? Am¡­Am I a den of foxes¡­?"


    "No¡­It''s nothing like that," Mia interrupted her, "I am not pregnant. I haven''t done that with anyone yet¡­I¡­"


    "Then, what''s wrong with you?" She furrowed her brows.


    "I am¡­hungry."


    ''''Oh. That''s how it is," Yu Mei nodded her head in understanding but something struck her, "You what¡­?"


    ¡­


    Ren Mansion.


    "Master, the Yu Family is currently in distress as they have lost two of their recent projects. But they are capable enough to deal with that," Steward Gu observed the man''s expression before continuing, "Shall we continue giving troubles to them?"


    "Yes," Jun Zixuan nonchntly said loosening his cor.


    "Master, the President of Dream Entertainment is your father-inw after all. And we all know how much Miss Yu adores her family. What if she ends up hating you?" Steward Gu noticed how the man''s expression changed slightly.


    "Don''t continue," The man said before ncing towards her room upstairs, "Have you arranged the bed in her room?"


    "Yes."


    Jun Zixuan looked at the servant who was passing by, "Wait¡­"


    Lisa, who was deliberately walking slower, immediately paused. She turned around and bowed to the man, deliberately exposing her cleavage in the process, ''''Yes, Master?" She raised her head only to find the man looking somewhere else.


    As she followed his gaze, it turned out that he was looking at the closed door of Yu Mei''s room. She clenched her fists. Why has their rtionship changed so much from before?


    "Has she eaten anything?" Jun Zixuan averted his gaze to look at the servant.


    "Miss Yu has eaten all the meat we had in the mansion," All rich men have some desires from their women. Other than a good body and face, they would want their women to be prim and proper. So, how would Master take it if he knew how uncultured his wife was, "S-She¡­." Lisa hesitated, her fingers fiddling with her clothes as if she was afraid.


    Jun Zixuan frowned, "You can continue," He did not understand why most of the women will stutter and fidget like this. Did they think it appeared cute? He has seen some of them acting like this even in thepany.


    It was simply disgusting. But he did not think it was necessary to tell that on their face. After all, it was their life, their choice.


    Whether they want to shy away like shament or live life like a gangster had nothing to do with him.


    The woman who was trying to act delicately did not know that the man she was seducing has already given her act ''disgusting''bel. She meekly said, "She even reprimanded us when the meat was over. Miss Yu¡­threw tantrums and¡­"


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes and without listening to her any further, walked upstairs.


    Lisa cheered inwardly. Seems like Master is already provoked and is going to deal with the woman.


    The way she was trying to seduce Jun Zixuan and incite a fight between the couple didn''t go unnoticed by Steward Gu, ''''Lisa, if I did not think about your sick mother, you would have lost your job till now. Don''t go around provoking Master. When he takes things to his hand, there is neither pity nor sympathy,"


    "But...What did I do, Steward Gu?" Lisa innocently blinked at the man.


    "Ask yourself," He didn''t spare her a nce before walking away.


    Lisa looked at the man''s retreating back. Wait till I be the Mistress of this house. Then you will bow to me and clean my shoes.


    If this Yu Mei Zhen had note into the picture, then Master would have been hers by now.


    In Yu Mei''s bedroom.


    She covered Mia in the nket before patting her head, "How is it?"


    Mia burped, "I am¡­still hungry," she said in her girly voice.


    "Can you make do with veg? There is no meat," As much as she felt guilty for making the cook work so hard, she was truly worried about this little one. Moreover, Mia was probably the first fox who wanted to eat properly cooked food like humans.


    ''''I want meat¡­"


    Yu Mei flicked the little thing''s forehead, "Give you an inch and you will take a mile. You were so shy about asking for food a few hours ago that I thought there is something seriously wrong with you that can be resolved only if I die. And now, you don''t have an ounce of embarrassment left in you?" Looking at Mia''s, sheughed, "Are you feeling better now?"


    "I¡­" Mia hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I think I¡­"


    ''Knock Knock''


    Yu Mei nced towards the door, "Mia, wait here. I''ll see who it is."


    He fox nodded obediently.


    ''''You look cuter when you are like this," She pinched her cheeks before standing up and walking towards the door.


    She opened the door only wide enough to let her head peek out.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he nced at his wife who was acting as a thief.


    "Hey," She smiled at him, "You want something?"


    He nodded, "I¡­"


    "What''s that¡­?" She nced behind him with a shocked face.


    The man followed her gaze and turned around to look a the floor.


    ...


    Shament1: Also known as touch me not. Thepound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, defending themselves from harm, and re-open a few minutester.


    A/N: Sweeties, my wrist is not working anymore. It has turned numb because of unbearable pain. Gimme some home remedies! SOS!

 Chapter 87 - True Form

    Taking advantage of the chance, Yu Mei sneaked out of the room and closed the door behind her.


    He narrowed his eyes when he turned around only to find her standing outside the room with a wide grin stered on her face. After these few days of knowing her, he knew that smile of hers was spelled as trouble. Either she was up to some sort of tricks and mischief or she was hiding something.


    "I think it''s gone¡­"


    "And what was it?"


    "Cockroach? Yeah cockroach," She cleared her throat before looking at him, "By the way, you came at the right time,'''' Saying that she walked ahead.


    "Right time for what?" He followed after her.


    She paused and turned around to look at him, "Well, Zixuan, will you go out on a walk with me?"


    He poked her cheek with his index finger, "Such sophistry. I almost thought you were asking me out on a date."


    She pursed her lips, "Not a bad idea, we can go out on a date someday," She smiled at him.


    He paused, his gaze remained fixated on her as he asked, "Can we?"


    "Yeah, Friend''s dates are trending these days."


    His lips twitched and he pinched her cheek.


    "Oww¡­what was that for¡­?"


    "Humph!" He let go of her cheeks, "Don''t you want to go on a walk? Let''s go."


    As they walked on the cobblestone path under warm hues of the dim streetlights, he nced at her side profile, "Mei¡­"


    "Hmm?" She turned her head to the side and nced at him.


    I hope you don''t keep so many secrets from me. I wish to know you better. He wanted to say that but those words did note out of his mouth.


    Maybe because she had drawn a clear line between them and told him that they could not step on it and at that time he agreed too. So, right now, either he was not willing to go back on his words and make her ufortable or he was not sure about what he wanted anymore.


    "Why did you want to take a walk?" He asked instead, looking at her curious eyes.


    "Well¡­Can''t I?"


    "You are azy one," He poked her cheeks.


    She rubbed her cheeks and red at him, "Do you have a thing with my cheeks? Always poking and pinching them!"


    "Doing that is fun," He chuckled.


    "So, why did youe to my room? Did you have something to say?"


    He nodded, "I heard that you ate a lot of meat today and even scolded the servants when it ended."


    "So, are you here to reprimand me for that?" Her fox was literally going crazy for food. When would she get the leisure to scold the servants?


    They are just your fangirls treating my like theirmon enemy.


    He shook his head, "I wanted to ask if you''re ufortable or sick after eating so much."


    She paused, "I was just craving meat and ended up eating a lot," They walked towards the rose garden and she sighed, "I felt bloated after that which is why I wanted to take a walk."


    He did not say anything while he kept looking at her side profile.


    Feeling his hard stare, she turned around to nce at him. And the look in his eyes made her feel like he could see through her lies.


    She opened her mouth to say something but he spoke up first, "All the universities are reopening soon. I don''t see you ever holding a book. Do you n to fail in the finals?"


    He asked casually and that look in his eyes had long disappeared as if it was just her illusion.


    "My intelligence is boundless. Of course, I am going to pass with flying colors."


    Heughed. Wrapping an arm around her neck, he pulled her closer to himself, "I never knew my little darling is narcissistic."


    Thump...


    The atmosphere was cold a moment ago. Why did she feel so warm all of a sudden? This proximity was making her fidgety.


    Must be the previous owner''s lingering feeling. Yes, that must be it.


    She softly pushed him away and averted her gaze. Her cheeks felt a bit hot and it was quite stuffy around.


    "Is there something wrong?" The man''s concerned face zoomed in closer to her. He cupped his cheeks and pressed his forehead against hers, "Not feeling well?" He whispered, his mouth was inches away from hers.


    She immediately distanced herself from him, "I¡­" She gulped and looked everywhere but him, "I-I am fine."


    A few strands of her unruly hair fell over her face.


    He tucked it beside her ear before letting his fingers linger there for a little longer.


    She froze. It literally felt someone was giving her electric shocks.


    "I-I need to go¡­"


    He held her wrist before she could walk further away from him, "Where are you going?" came the innocent question in his deep voice.


    "T-To brush my mind¡­" Realizing what she said, she immediately corrected herself, "To brush my teeth." With that, she shook off his hand and walked away.


    As he nced at her retreating back, the innocent look on his face disappeared. A cunning light flitted across his eyes. The corner of his lips tugged up, "Yu Mei Zhen, you are damn adorable when you act like this!" said the same man who found his maid disgusting for acting shy and stuttering a while ago.


    Yu Mei ran upstairs in a blushing mess. She did not dwell on what happened earlier. It was better to take such distracting thoughts off her mind.


    She entered the pin on the door and walked inside the room only to find the fox turning and twisting on the bed.


    She cradled it in her arms, "Mia¡­"


    The fox opened her eyes.


    "Since you are unable to go back to my body for the time being, can I tell Zixuan about you? We don''t have to mention your powers, I''ll just say you''re an ordinary fox. I don''t want to lie to him...."


    About her transmigrations and all, he was unaware of that and she didn''t have to say it. But about the other things, she wanted to be a bit honest with him.


    "No, you can''t," Mia jumped off her body andnded on the floor, "I think I aming in my real form. You¡­can''t tell him anything."


    "What?!"

 Chapter 88 - Whether He Wants To Flirt Or Date

    "You¡­What?" Yu Mei stood up from the bed. "Isn''t this your true form? Aren''t you a fox? You¡­"


    Before she could continue speaking, she saw the lotus mark on the silver fox''s forehead started shining. And her thick foxtail swished in the air. Like an illusion, new tails started appearing one after another.


    Her eyes widened. Pointing her fingers towards it, she excitedly counted the tails, "Woah¡­nine tails.."


    Suddenly, the glow around the fox''s forehead intensified as its size expanded.


    The ring red lighting from the silver fox made Yu Mei cover her eyes with the back of her hand.


    After what seemed like a long time, she slowly put down her hand only to find the light in the room has disappeared.


    She tilted her head down to look at the fox but what she saw caught her off guard.


    "You¡­You¡­" Her eyes widened in shock looking at the naked little girl standing in front of her. Long silver hair that reached till her thighs, round hazel eyes, and adorable features. She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly a pain started up in her chest.


    It was pain she could not be more familiar with. Whenever this pain urred, her facial features had changed one by one.


    She clenched her fist near her chest to ease the pain but it only worsened further. She slumped on the bed weakly as sweat started forming on her body.


    The naked girl walked towards her before climbing on the bed. She folded one of her legs above another and sat elegantly.


    Twirling the tips of her long silver hair in her small fingers, she looked at the unconscious figure on the bed, "What a silly woman." Mia clicked her tongue, "Don''t you know that you will feel this pain whenever your emotions fluctuate?"


    There was no reply from the other side as expected.


    Mia crawled closer to Yu Mei before unbuttoning her shirt. She nced at the crescent birthmark above her left breast that waspletely formed.


    "It''s done," The fox, who was now a small girl smiled, making two dimples appear on either side of her cheeks.


    The next morning.


    "Uhh¡­" Yu Mei squinted, letting her vision adjust to the morning brightness.


    "Awake?"


    She turned her head around to look at the girl sitting near the headboard.


    Yu Mei sat up on the bed in a sh, ''''So, it was not a dream?'''' She nced at Mia who was sitting in a somewhat sexy position living up to her title of vixen but because of her age, the girl simply looked too cute.


    Mia nodded her head, ''''How are you feeling now?"


    It was only then did Yu Mei realized that her body was much more flexible than before, ''''I am much better than before. But why did that pain suddenly started yesterday?''''


    "Because your emotions were unstable,dy,'''' Mia paused for a moment before pointing towards her chest, "When you will feel extremely sad, happy, shocked, disturbed, angry or any feelings in extreme, you will feel this pain."


    Yu Mei thought about it for a moment. She was indeed very shocked yesterday. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Mia to turn into a baby like that.


    "Doesn''t that means I can''t even express my feelings now? How should I keep my emotions in check?" Whenever she felt this excruciating pain, she found it unbearable even though her body felt energeticter.


    Mia shook her head, "This was thest time. This won''t happen again. The birthmark isplete."


    "What?!" She stood up from the bed, "Does that means my current facepletely reverted to my old face?"


    Without thinking about anything, she ran inside the bathroom.


    "No elegance, no grace,'''' Mia elegantly propped her chin on her fist as she looked at the woman''s retreating back.


    On the dining table.


    "Xuan, why aren''t we eating yet?" Mu Shen nced at the man who was busy with his iPad.


    Jun Zixuan did not spare the man a nce.


    "Mu Shen, why do you seem to be so happy today? You are glowing," Jun Boyan doubtfully eyed the man.


    The man in question smiled at the devil''s younger brother, "Spending a night with blondie''s legs wrapped around your¡­."


    "Mu Shen!" Jun Zixuan coldly eyed the man as if warning him to not ruin his brother''s innocent mind.


    "Do you think our fourth young Master has nothing up his sleeves?" Mu Shen elbowed Jun Boyan as he continued, "This guy here is the current Prince Charming of Crystal university. Even though he could not surpass you in fan following, but there are still girls hovering around his dormitory all the time. He must have learned the art of seduction."


    The young boy lowered his head in shame hoping that the ground could swallow him. When has he learned how to seduce someone? This bastard, Mu Shen is obviously embarrassing him and also provoking his brother in the process.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    Mu Shen rubbed his palms in satisfaction. Seems like the devil is provoked. It would be fun. Both the brothers are always finding faults with him. It will be fun to see them locking horns.


    But Jun Zixuan''s reply burst his excitement bubble, "Boyan is already 20. It''s up to him whether he wants to date or flirt with a woman."


    "You don''t have any problems? Really?" This man liked to keep everything under his control then what happened now? Such brotherly affection wasn''t well-received for Mu Shen.


    "Of course," Jun Zixuan put his iPad on the table before propping his chin on his palm. The man had a small smile ying across his lips as he said, "Boyan knows his limits as a man. He can have as much fun as he desires but he should know when to stop and take responsibility," His eyes then narrowed ever so slightly as he focused his gaze on Mu Shen, "You, on the other hand, don''t need to give him the story of your everynight X-rated short films. Got that?"


    ''''You¡­" Mu Shen was simply speechless. How did he end up getting insulted in the end?


    Jun Boyan couldn''t control hisughter anymore, "Pfffft¡­" He pped Mu Shen''s shoulder, "Serves you right for trying to sow discord between us. Hahaha¡­"


    The man red at the brothers resentfully.


    "Mu Shen?" A crystal clear soft voice sounded that had all of them turn their faces towards the source of the sound.


    ''Gasp''


    ...


    PLEASE RATE THE BOOK IF YOU ARE LIKING IT SO FAR :)

 Chapter 89 - Sob Sob Sob Sooooob~

    "Mu Shen?"


    Everyone turned around to look at the woman who was descending the stairs.


    ''Gasp!''


    Both Mu Shen and Jun Boyan gasped simultaneously.


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes. After she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized although her face haspletely reverted to her previous one but because she was still chubby and round, her features were not that distinct¡­as in people might find her a bit simr to Han Mei but they won''t think she was the carbon copy.


    And for the first time since her second life started, she felt d that she was fat. It would have been a blunder if her face transformed overnight.


    At this moment, her chubby cheeks were her greatest advantage as they did cover up her features.


    She has been going to the gym very regrly well¡­except for Saturdays. It was her cheat day. And the medications were effective. If she continued working out regrly, she believed it will take her a few weeks to look decently fit, even if she could not go back to her hourss figure soon.


    After losing weight, looking simr to Han Mei can be counted as a coincidence. Much better than this freaky overnight transformation.


    ''ng''


    Yu Mei focused her gaze on Mu Shen who was looking at her with his mouth hung open.


    Why was he so shocked? Did her face change once again? She raised her hand towards her cheeks. While she was contemting whether to run back to her room to check her face again, the shocked man finally opened his mouth, "Fatty? Since when did you be a cutie?"


    She bit her bottom lips to refrain herself from saying some harsh words, "Yu Mei. You can call me Yu Mei instead."


    Mu Shen walked around the long dining table before walking towards the woman standing on the staircase. Dressed in ripped jeans that showed off the front of his muscr thighs along with a casual round-neck T-shirt, the man shed her his signature smile, not letting the mour of his superstar title fade a bit.


    "Oh my god, fatty. What am I seeing? You''ve lost weight."


    "Yu Mei," She repeated, refraining herself from pping his ugly mouth. She did lose some weight. Her arms were no longer bby as before and her flesh was not bulging from her waistline.


    "Fatty, you lost a good amount of weight. Your face has changed too. Where are those poke marks of yours? Are you nning to seduce my friend?"


    As true as his words were and as fat as she was, it was an unspoken rule that one should neverment about a woman''s age or weight, or looks. Didn''t someone teach him that?


    She took a few deep breaths. No¡­No¡­Anger only brings destruction to the world. Calm down. Calm down.


    "Fatty, what are you thinking about?"


    "Bohooooo," She covered her face with both her hands and turned around facing the opposite direction, "I...Sob¡­I know¡­I am fat and¡­sob¡­and ugly¡­You don''t need to say that¡­on my face¡­sob sob sob¡­."


    "_"


    Mu Shen panicked. What the fuck! Why was this woman crying? After Jun Zixuan married this woman, he usually lived in his penthouse,ing here very few times.


    Thest time when Jun Zixuan came to Ren Mansion, he also apanied the man. While Jun Zixuan was in his room, he had talked to Yu Mei who was wandering around in the corridor. At that time, she had gotten her hands on Jun Zixuan''s number and was constantly pestering him so he had suggested her to stop doing so lest she angered his friend.


    But the woman went on insulting him and calling him an entertainer and whatnot. This time, he was just taking revenge.


    What was she bawling for?


    "Sob Sob Sob Sob Sooooob~"


    Mu Shen was speechless. Are you crying or singing a song?


    "Sooob Sooob~" The woman went on.


    Not noticing a certain someone''s darkening face, Mu Shen opened his mouth again, "Hey, fatty, I didn''t.."


    "Enough," Mu Shen flinched at his friend''s cold tone. More to his disbelief, Jun Zixuan stood up from his seat and walked towards. More like walking towards a certain fatty who was crying.


    Mu Shen rubbed his eyes making sure he was not seeing this. Jun Zixuan climbed a step higher than the woman and stood facing her before¡­before¡­what the damned fuc¡­cough cough..before extending his hands to wipe the woman''s tears.


    While Jun Zixuan was a transfer student who joined the Crystal University in their final year, Mu Shen was there from the very beginning. Shi Luo and Mu Shen were like bros despite one of them being in medical major and the other in arts major.


    Shi Luo had once introduced her to Mu Shen and they kept bumping each other here and there. She liked his lively personality. But she rarely attended the ss or socialized so he was soon forgotten by her. It went on until she befriended Jun Zixuan muchter and he introduced her to his friend circle where Mu Shen turned out to be their mutual friend.


    So, Yu Mei was just pretending like that to make Mu Shen guilty. As outspoken as he was, she knew how soft his heart could be.


    But she never expected Jun Zixuan toe here. He held her palms before removing them off her face. She pursed her lips, trying hard to think of an exnation for her tearless face. She was just faking sobs, how could she squeeze artificial tears? She did not have experience in that branch.


    "I¡­"


    The man cupped her cheek making her blink at him. She forgot what she was trying to say.


    ''''Not ugly," He said looking straight into her dark eyes.


    She froze.


    "Xuan¡­you¡­you¡­" Mu Shen had yet toe out of his shock. Did his friend just cupped a woman''s cheek and muttered sweet nothings? The woman is none other than the same antagonist who ruined his chances of being with his crush. It was that same damned Yu Mei Zhen whom Jun Zixuan loathed the most.


    Where did the tornado ur? Why is there a butterfly effect here?

 Chapter 90 - Adorable Brother-in-law

    "Fatty, what spell did you cast on him? Tell me, did you do ck magic on him?''''


    Jun Zixuan''s face darkened.


    But before he could say something, Jun Boyan pped the man''s shoulder, "Mu Shen, stop addressing sister-inw like that. She is so cute already."


    Mu Shen nearly had a heart attack. This woman almost fooled him with crocodile tears.?From which angle is she cute?


    Yu Mei turned around to look at the young boy who defended her. So, this was the younger brother that Jun Zixuan was talking about? Well, it doesn''t seem too bad to have such a sweet brother-inw.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, she did not realize how readily she was epting her ''brother-inw'' when she had ns regarding divorce.


    On the other hand, just as Mu Shen was about to say something, his phone went off. ring at the trio, he answered the call before putting the phone near his ear. What he heard certainly made him happy as his face bloomed like a fresh flower. "Yep, wait for me on the dining table," He whispered before hanging up.


    "You have ns for breakfast?" Yu Mei asked, curious about his sudden change in mood.


    "A delicious and intense breakfast,'''' The man replied, leaving her confused.


    Jun brothers'' lips twitched realizing the man''s intense ns.


    Mu Shen red at them, "And you both were in cahoots in defending this fatty. Better forget that you have a friend named Shen," He red usingly at Jun Zixuan, hoping for the man to coax him.


    "Mr. Mu, it''s better if you change your way of addressing her lest your scandals float on the headlines tomorrow," Jun Zixuan indifferently said, the corner of his lips slightly tilted up.


    A certain film Emperor looked at him in disbelief written all over his face. "Humph!" Was this man possessed? He thought to himself before storming out of the mansion.


    "Don''t mind him, sister-inw.''''


    Yu Mei turned around to look at the sweet brother-inw of hers.


    Jun Boyan smiled sheepishly, "I am Jun Boyan, your younger brother-inw," Despite knowing a lot about her, it was his first time meeting her.


    He was equally shocked as Mu Shen upon seeing his elder brother''s attitude towards her but she was nothing like she was rumored to be. In fact, his sister-inw was so cute. His brother must have realized thiste.


    She smiled at the shy guy, "Hey Boyan. I am Yu Mei Zhen. You can call me Sister Mei too," She patted his head. Such adorable guys are rare to pass by.


    Jun Boyan blushed, "Sister¡­"


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips and grabbed the hand that was patting his brother''s head.


    ''''What''s wrong?" She nced at him.


    "I thought there was something on your hand."


    She looked at her hand, "Oh¡­"


    Jun Boyan cleared his throat noticing something amiss, "Sister-inw is cool too," He smiled at her.


    She blinked. What an adorable smile. She raised her hand to pinch his cheeks only for her hand to be grabbed by a certain husband.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t you want to eat anything?" Jun Zixuan frowned, "You have lost so much weight. Let''s go and have breakfast first."


    She did lose some weight but why was he talking as if her bones were visible?


    "Hey, I¡­"


    "So noisy.''''


    "But I¡­"


    ''''Breakfast."


    Sigh. "Okay. Let''s eat then."


    Jun Boyan left after they the three of them had breakfast together leaving the couple alone.


    In the Master bedroom.


    "You are not going to work today?" Yu Mei asked as she folded her arms across her chest and nced at the man who was walking around with an iPad in his hand.


    "No, I am going to meet Mom. I''ll be staying there for a few days."


    "Oh¡­" She nodded at him. He should spend some time with his mother, ''''What about Boyan? Will he go with you?"


    "He will be going back to the university. He has already skipped enough sses."


    "Which university is he studying in?" She knew the guy was a sophomore considering he was 20 but she forgot to ask which university he was in.


    "Crystal University."


    Her eyes widened. Why would he study so far in Amaranthine when his family is here? She wanted to ask the question swirling at the tip of her tongue but she refrained herself from doing so.


    "Will you go with me?" The man asked, tilting his head from the iPad and looking at her.


    "No, I can''t,'''' She had her babysitting duties. She simply could not abandon Mia neither could she take her along given that she could not revert back to her fox form.


    "Why?" He frowned at how fast her rejection came.


    "Well¡­Today is Saturday so I am not going to the gym but tomorrow, I''ll have to go. Can''t mess up the schedule," She presented the excuse with utmost seriousness.


    "There is a gym in that vi. You can work out there. I''ll help you with it," He replied.


    "But¡­ my holidays will be over soon¡­I''ll have to go to the sses."


    He ced his iPad on the bed and walked towards her, "What''s the problem? Can''t I send you to the university?"


    "You can but¡­" But I have a baby fox to look after¡­"I just don''t want to go.."


    "Oh.."


    She blinked. Looking at his dejected face, words came out of her mouth before her brain could function them, "Alright, I''ll think about it¡­" As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled the door and walked out of his room regretting following him after the breakfast.


    As soon as she was out of sight, a certain man''s dejected expression disappeared. The corner of his lips tugged up as he sat on the bed with amusement flickering in his eyes.


    If Yu Mei had seen the current expression on the man''s face, she might have cursed her rotten luck to be entangled with different species of foxes.


    She entered her room only to find Mia sitting with her legs crossed in what looked like a meditation position.

 Chapter 91 - Begged On The Streets

    The three-year young girl was wearing a pink crop top that she had taken out of her wardrobe. The crop top appeared more like a long nightgown but surprisingly it fits the young girl.


    That top was sorge that six to seven girls like Mia would be fitted inside but the fox had some magic tricks up her sleeve using through which she managed to transform the outlook of the casual pink top.


    Her thigh-long silver hair was tied in a thick braid, falling in front of her shoulder. Despite being in the human form, the small red lotus mark on her forehead remained on her forehead.


    What a beautiful sight!


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" The little girl tilted her head to the side and smiled.


    Looking at the charming smile on her face, she once again realized that this girl was a vixen indeed.


    Yu Mei walked towards her before sitting on the bed, "Mia, listen to the big sister here. You can''t smile so randomly if we go out okay?" She carefully considered it before continuing, "If young boys started hovering around this mansion¡­.given the previous owner''s debauchery, Zixuan will think that I did not even spare kids. That''d be very embarrassing."


    "I''m older than you. You should call me big sister," Mia twirled the tip of her braid in her finger.


    Yu Mei was awestruck. Was it a crime to think that this 3-year old girl looked sexy while doing such things? A vixen is a vixen, big or small! "Wait¡­Did you just say you''re older than me?" The little girl nodded and Yu Mei looked at her from top to bottom studying her teeny tiny body, "From which angle?"


    Mia scoffed, "I am like this because of you. You don''t have an ounce of spiritual power in your body but you managed to contract me back then. My powers have all be reduced to 1% of my original; powers."


    Yu Mei was speechless. This 1% of her powers were enough to kill her within a second then won''t the 100% will be capable of destroying the city or the country¡­possibly the world?


    "When did I contract you exactly?" Why didn''t she remember signing a contract with her? Was she drunk or did she have amnesia?


    Realizing the direction of her thoughts, Mia exined "You were 3 years old at that time. It was a blood contract."


    When she was 3, Jian Yu was 9 years old. Thinking about that time, it was a chaotic year for them. They had some ident that year and when he woke up, they were in an underground sewer of Amaranthine.


    "You don''t know anything," Mia remarked.


    "When will you stop peeking in my thoughts?"


    "Maybe in the future?"


    Yu Mei sighed, "Anyways, what were you talking about? What do I not know?"


    "Han Jian Yu was in a half-dead condition when he woke up while you were protected in his arms," The little girl recalled the incident from the past.


    Yu Mei frowned, "He never told me about it¡­"


    "I treated him out of pity or else he would have died," Mia said, "Later, he wandered on the streets begging around for money so that he can feed you."


    Yu Mei''s lowered her head. Jian Yu is such a prideful man. He¡­begged on the streets for her? She blinked rapidly in an attempt to dissolve the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.


    "Later, Jian Yu found an orphanage which could be our shelter," Yu Mei said, recalling what she was told by her brother.


    Mia nodded, "He did find such a ce. But those people told him that one of you could be adopted anytime and he did not like that. He wandered on the streets aimlessly while carrying you with him. Nobody paid attention to you both since you looked like beggars until he bumped into Shi Luo''s mother who offered him some money," The young girl looked at the woman sitting in front of her, as she reyed the memories from years ago in her mind, ''''Han Jian Yu rejected it. He made a¡­."


    "What?" Yu Mei frowned when Mia stopped talking, "He made what?"


    "Whatever that was which you made with Old Man Xiang. Put conditions and then¡­"


    "You mean deal?"


    Mia nodded, "He made a deal with her and asked her to give you both shelter. In return, he will pay her back with a lot more than she gave which he did yearster. But Shi Luo''s mother was not a greedy person, she never took advantage of him neither did she take you in because of your brother''s enticing offer."


    "And how''d you know that?"


    "I had read her mind at that time. She is a soft-hearted woman and was sympathetic to you both. After taking you in, she loved you both like her own kids."


    Yu Mei remained silent. Of course, she knew all this but she was never informed about the details.


    In fact, she also knew that Jian Yu lost his memories of the past but he had a jade bracelet with him which had ''Han'' imprinted on it hence their names Han Jian Yu and Han Mei like he named her.


    "Amidst all this, when and how did I contract you? I was just a baby at that time."


    "It was when you were still in Han Family," Mia answered, a solemn expression appearing on her cute little face.


    Yu Mei nced at her with a raised eyebrow, "You know about them? Tell me more."


    "No."


    "Why?"


    A smile appeared on Mia''s face, a typical vixen smile that can charm people of any age, "Because you are impulsive. You will be inviting your own death if I give you the ounts of their heinous deeds. Wait for the right time."


    "But¡­"


    "If you have nothing else, you can leave."


    This fox was only gentle and obedient when she was hungry. She was back to being a tyrant now.


    "Hey, this is my room," She sighed, ''''Zixuan is inviting me to visit his mom. Can you revert back to a fox so that I can take you with me?"


    "I''ve lost control over my powers for being contracted with a weak human for decades. For the time being, I will stay with like this. You can go. I''ll be cultivating here."


    Yu Mei nkly nced at the little girl. Weak human? Why is everyone trying to trample over her female egotely?

 Chapter 92 - Over-enthusiastic Women

    "Wait¡­" Yu Mei was suddenly reminded of something, ''''If I leave, who will give you food?"


    "I don''t need food when I am cultivating," Mia shook her head, "Moreover, we can stillmunicate in mind. Just go with your man."


    Her man? She weirdly eyed the little girl, "You know we have no such rtions."


    "Whatever. Let him possess your body and pop your flower, you will stop saying this by then," Mia smiled at her provocatively.


    She stood up from the bed in a sh and looked at the girl in disbelief, "You are just 3 years old. Can you speak like your age?"


    What''s wrong with people nowadays? Why can''t a man and woman be just friends? Must they roll under sheets?! She is shouting from day 1 that Jun Zixuan and her were just friends but why was everyone doubting it?


    Mia shook her head helplessly, "You''re speaking as if you don''t have a thing for him."


    Her jaws dropped open. She pinched the space between her brows, "You know what¡­.?" She narrowed her eyes and spoke with further determination, "I''ll be a dog if I ever fall in love again.''''


    "What about falling for the beauty you''re married to?"


    "I''ll be a bigger dog if I fall for the man who is my friend,'''' Yu Mei said sternly.


    "I''ll prepare the chain for you," The little fox turned baby girl nodded her head eagerly.


    "Why would you help Jian Yu years ago? Why did you heal him?" Yu Mei smirked, "Don''t tell me you have a thing for my brother?"


    "He was a beauty," Mia responded, "And I can''t resist beauties."


    "Back then, I was beautiful too. Why didn''t you save me when I was assassinated?"


    Mia stood up from the bed and folded her arms across her chest, "You''re a woman. And I''m interested in beautiful men. After I regain my original form, I don''t mind bedding your brother ''once'' if I am given a chance."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    God knows what would have happened if Jian Yu had heard this! Either one of them would have been dead.


    ...


    A few days are left for her idling around. Once the university reopens from Monday, she would be having packed schedules. Gym, designing, sses and not to mention the dire situation herpany was in.


    Until and unless, they found a proper impostor as an alibi to Leanne, she could be relieved about it.


    So, it should be okay to ck off a little.


    After talking to Mia, she had no reason to deny Jun Zixuan''s offer of apanying him.


    Surprisingly, the man''s mood was like spring today and he was not having any kind of mood swings.


    "Why is Steward Gu not driving us there?" She asked as she looked at his side profile.


    "He is busy," The man replied.


    "What about your chauffeur?"


    ''''On a day off."


    "Oh," She leaned back on the seat and nced out of the car window. Her thoughts wandering back to what Mia told her today.


    Being the President of a powerful country like Amaranthine from the age of 18 was something people would never dream of but her brother achieved it.


    She thought she knew all the hardships he went through but it seems like she only knew what he wanted her to know about.


    "Mei¡­Mei¡­"


    She snapped out of her daze, "Yeah?"


    ''''I called you so many times. What were you thinking about?" Jun Zixuan asked the woman.


    She blinked, ''''I''ll be graduated after a few months. I-I was just thinking about the final exams."


    He narrowed his eyes for the split second when she didn''t meet his gaze. But he nodded in the end, "You don''t have to be nervous. I can help you with your studies.


    She smiled.


    For some reason, the news was not publicized at that time but Jun Zixuan was the country topper with his perfect scores in every subject but he did not even attend the graduation ceremony and she didn''t get the chance to congratte him.


    Compared to his 1st rank, hers was 8th. Back then, if he hadn''t helped her withnguage subjects, then there was no chance she would get such a good ranking. So, she did not doubt his capabilities to be her teacher.


    "Well, I''ll be honored then," Being taught by the country topper, won''t she be invincible?


    It took them 3 hours to drive to the vi in the west where Shen Lihua was currently living. The ce was very isted with no neighborhood residences.


    Although the vi was not as grand as Ren Mansion but itsvish European-styled exterior was a highlight as if the vi was screaming ''I am owned by a filthy rich man''.


    Jun Zixuan pressed the doorbell while Yu Mei nced around the gardens surrounding the vi in the middle.


    It didn''t take long for the door to open.


    She tilted her head to find the elegant woman standing there. Dressed in a long peach dress that reached below her knees, Shen Lihua appeared like Jun Zixuan''s older sister.


    ''''Mom," Jun Zixuan greeted the woman.


    Shen Lihua hugged her son, her usual gentle smile remained on her face. As they parted, thedy nced at him from head to toe, "Ah Xuan, you have lost weight."


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched, "Having a mother like you who will threaten him all day long to sleep with a woman he doesn''t love, how could he not lose weight because of stress?" She mumbled under her breath, getting the attention of thedy who had keen ears.


    "Mei''er," Her smile became wider.


    ''Not good''


    Did she hear it?


    Yu Mei''s lips stretched into arge smile, "My dear mother-inw~ I missed you."


    Shen Lihua walked towards her, "How much did you miss me, daughter-inw?"


    Yu Mei pounced on her hugging her tightly, "I missed you like a fat kid on a diet misses a cake."


    "Oh, baby," Shen Lihua stroked her back before whispering in her ear, "Don''t tell me that fat kid is you?"


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched. The smile on her face faltered. This woman was truly a ''she-devil''!


    "Heh~ How can it be?" she whispered back.


    "_" Jun Zixuan nced at both the women hugging over-enthusiastically. Thest time he remembered they were cutting each other with their poisonous words?


    How did he miss their rtionship development?!

 Chapter 93 - Mother-in-law VS Daughter-in-law

    "Mei''er, why don''t you make some tea?" Shen Lihua smiled gently at her as they sat on therge couch.


    Yu Mei could feel the goosebumps popping up on her skin. She rubbed her arms, "Well, I¡­" Asking me to make tea, do you not want your kitchen anymore.


    "I''ll make it," Jun Zixuan said but before he could stand up, his mother held his wrist. He raised an eyebrow.


    "You''ve never tasted her cooking, have you? Let me tell you¡­our girl''s culinary skills are brilliant."


    Yu Mei was speechless. Brilliant skills? It is already a miracle that I can turn on the gas stove.


    She nced at Jun Zixuan asking for help with her eyes.


    The man blinked, reassuring her.


    This little interaction did not escape Shen Lihua''s notice as her eyes twinkled in delight.


    "Mom, she is not feeling well. I''ll make tea for you."


    Shen Lihua stood up from the couch before patting Jun Zixuan''s shoulders, "I''ll be helping her, don''t worry."


    Just as Jun Zixuan opened his mouth to say something, Yu Mei silently shook her head at him and followed Shen Lihua inside the kitchen.


    "You took so many cooking sses in the past to impress your family members. But I have yet to taste the food made by my daughter-inw."


    Yu Mei was speechless. Your daughter-inw is gone. I am another soul who wandered into her body. You want me to cook for you? I''ll end up burning the kitchen down. She shouted in her heart.


    "Making tea is a very simple process¡­."


    "Mother-inw~'''' She interrupted her.


    Shen Lihua put the jug of water aside before looking at her, "Yes, daughter-inw?"


    "Let''s shed off the pretense of cordiality, shall we?" Yu Mei smiled at her.


    Shen Lihua nodded, "Why not?" The gentle expression fell from her face in an instant reced by a solemn look.


    That kind smile was giving her chills. This is much better. Yu Mei thought to herself.


    "So, did you like the new interior of Ren Mansion?"


    Before she could reply, Shen Lihua continued, "Are you sleeping with my son in his room?"


    "I¡­" Yu Mei frowned. After all the rounding off, this was her main concern in the end.


    "Still not sleeping together?" The woman frowned, "I thought your rtionship has improved after this business trip. It has been two years since you both have married yet it seems like there is no progress between you at all. What will it take you both to¡­.?"


    "What will it take us to have sex?" Yu Mei folded her arms across her chest as she looked at the woman''s expression shifting at her bold words.


    She did not think there was anything was wrong with her wordings.


    Rather than beating around the bush, it was best to speak in crystal clear words so the other party gets your point.


    She was not a person who has ever been meek or obedient in all her life.


    Bodies may have changed but her soul was still the same.


    "How impudent!" Shen Lihua''s voice raised a pitch higher.


    "Stop shouting lest you get your son''s attention," Initially, Yu Mei has prepared herself to bear with anything considering the woman''s poor health. But, she realized that some things need to be talked about. "What kind of mother are you? Does it not hurts your heart when you manipte him emotionally to do the things he never wanted to do? Look at me¡­I am neither beautiful nor rich or I don''t even possess any qualities. Does it not pricks your conscience to have me standing beside Jun Zixuan who is perfect in all aspects?"


    These questions were revolving in her mind for a long time. Other than the Yu Family, the previous Yu Mei Zhen did not care about anyone. Not only was she ugly, but she was also scheming and extremely selfish. Which mother would want such a girl for their son.


    "Girl, I never forced Ah Xuan to marry you."


    "You didn''t? Then did you stop him from marrying me?" Yu Mei nced at the woman seriously, "You didn''t do that and he married me after which you were regr with your medications and treatments. You should know that your son is a stubborn and proud man but he put his pride aside for you and married me, an illegitimate daughter, a girl with the worst reputation in Beijing.''''


    Although Jun Zixuan did not tell her the details but she figured out things by joining the dots. Even she felt distressed when she thought about how he had stayed with another woman despite loving someone else. Her heart ached for him.


    Shen Lihua was surprised. She did not expect Jun Zixuan to tell Yu Mei regarding her medical condition.


    "I owe your mother a life. Fulfilling herst wish was the least I could do," She said.


    Yu Mei paused for a split-second before speaking in a softer tone, "What about your son? You owe him more. Zixuan doesn''t love me neither do I."


    Jun Zixuan who was standing outside the kitchen closed his eyes for a second. Letting out a soft sigh, he tucked his hands inside his pocket and walked back to the living room.


    "Love?" Shen Lihua smiled, but it was different from her perfunctory smiles. There was a hint of mocking in it, "I did marry for love. A destination wedding, a dream lover, a perfect man, I got everything when I chased after the ''true love''. But now when I''m in this half-dead condition, surviving through my disease, my love is nowhere to be seen," She stroked her head, "Mei''er, don''t chase after love. It won''t get you anywhere."


    Yu Mei was stunned. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out of her mouth. Those words were said so casually but were they just as simple?


    "You¡­.are making me look like an evil antagonist here," She spoke after a?long time.


    Shen Lihuaughed, "Do you want to be a kind protagonist then?"


    "Whatever!"

 Chapter 94 - Friends Can Do This

    Yu Mei roamed around the beautiful gardens surrounding the vi, taking in the breathtaking sight of the variety of flowers that seemed to have been woven together. Unlike the gardens in Ren Mansion which were dominated by roses, here she could find all types of flowers. She still preferred the roses over it, though!


    She walked towards a bench before taking a seat.


    On one hand, Shen Lihua did not seem the ''she-devil'' that she assumed her to be. She had her reasons for doing everything she was doing. On the other hand, I was also unfair to Jun Zixuan and her.


    She folded her legs on the wooden bench and gently massaged her forehead.


    "Thank you," The familiar deep voice sounded beside her ear, startling her for a moment.


    She tilted her face to the side to find his face right in front of hers, "What for?" Her voice came out as a whisper, surprising herself inwardly.


    He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, "For being considerate about my feelings?"


    She swatted his hand away and immediately stood up from the bench, getting away from his touch immediately ''''Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" She asked him.


    Jun Zixuan walked around the bench beforeing up to stand in front of her, "Ladies are not especially quiet when they argue."


    Sheughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck. She raised her voice a few times. He was in the living room so it must have caught his attention. "I find it unfair to you. Don''t you feel angry about it?" Even she was feeling angry on his behalf then how could he be so nonchnt about the whole thing?


    Initially, he was very angry. One of the reasons he loathed Yu Mei Zhen was exactly because she was the one his mother wanted him to marry. Even when she was in aa after her ident, he did not have an ounce of sympathy for the woman.


    But watching her standing up for him and defending him today seemed to have made his years of grievances disappear.


    "What are you thinking about?" She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.


    "I was thinking¡­" He nced at her curious eyes, noticing how her eyebrows subtly raised waiting for him to continue speaking, "Thinking that I find your eyes beautiful."


    She blinked. A blush crept up her cheeks. It was just apliment but she felt awkward all of a sudden.


    She cleared her throat, "Let''s go inside," she said but just as she took a step ahead, he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.


    ''Thump!'' Her heart skipped a beat.


    Turning around, she red at him, ''''What are you doing?" Why was he getting handsy with hertely?


    "Friends should hold hands more often, shouldn''t they?" He nced at her and asked the question seriously.


    She felt a bit guilty, "They should," She replied chastising herself for fussing over such a small thing.


    He nodded, his expressions remained ever so innocent.


    She smiled and nced at the vi as they walked ahead.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, a glint flitted across his brown eyes.


    The next day went on smoothly and Yu Mei found herself morefortable with Shen Lihua. Working out with Jun Zixuan was more thrilling than ever as he was stricter than her trainer. Moreover, she got to see his¡­uhm¡­drool-worthy body and could not help but admire it.


    After spending more time with the mother and son, her previous awkwardness also disappeared.


    And just like that, the weekend was over. Even a marshmallow doesn''t melt in the mouth so fast. She grumbled about it and made a pillow wall on the bed. Since they were staying with her mother-inw, it was a big no-no for them to sleep separately in different rooms. She slumped on her side of the bed.


    The next morning.


    ''''Mei, open your eyes. We are gettingte," Feeling a poke on her cheeks, she hugged the bolster tighter and buried her face in it.


    "Brother, let me sleep a little longer~" She mumbledzily cuddling with the bolster. It was abnormally warm today, ''''Mmm~"


    ''''Addressing your husband as brother¡­Mei, I did not know you have such kinks.''''


    ''Husband?''


    Her eyes opened in a sh as the realization dawned on her. Tragically, the warm bolster she was hugging turned out to be a man, and her face was buried in his chest.


    She slowly distanced herself and tilted her head to look at Jun Zixuan. Those perfect chestnut shade of brown orbs were shining slightly as the morning rays danced in the room. His morning face could not be more stunning.


    "Will you believe me if I say I have no such kinks?" She asked, clearing her throat.


    "I will," He nodded seriously.


    "And¡­" She paused for a moment before continuing, "I didn''t sleepcrawl to your side on purpose. Will you believe me on that too?"


    "Of course, I will."


    "Thank you." She slowly removed her hand that was wrapped around his waist and pushed herself out of the bed, "I''ll go take a shower.''''


    ''God, will you get some heritage if I embarrass myself in front of him repeatedly?'' Sheined in her heart and walked inside the bathroom.


    "Pfft.." Jun Zixuan chuckled the moment her depressed back disappeared from his view, "Why so cute?!"


    Imperial University.


    It could not bepared with Crystal University which was the most prestigious university in the whole world but Imperial University could be considered as one of the top universities in China.


    In Crystal University, around 2% of international students who apply get enrolled while in Imperial university, it is 20%.


    Even though the sess rates of getting enrolled here were easypared to Crystal University but still it was impossible for Yu Mei Zhen to get here considering her grades.


    ording to her memory, the previous owner had received an admission letter which made it possible for her to study here despite her terrible marks in entrance examinations.


    She sighed knowing that it must be Shen Lihua who forced Jun Zixuan to do this.


    "You don''t want to go?


    Yu Mei who was ncing outside the window turned around to look at the man who had his hands propped up on the steering wheel supporting his forehead on it, while his face was tilted to the side facing towards her.


    Still a bit embarrassed about the morning''s event, she cleared her throat, "I''ll leave now."


    ''''Wait¡­" He grabbed her hand.


    She raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"


    She froze when he raised her hand towards his mouth and pressed a kiss on the back of her palm, "A friend is supposed to wish good day like this,'''' He innocently said.


    She nodded dazedly before getting out of the car.


    Standing rooted to her spot, she watched until he drove off and then raised her hand, looking at the back of her palm.


    The spot where his lips touched was still burning.


    A friend''s good day wish?


    Then, will he kiss her on the cheek, tomorrow?


    ''''Maybe their culture is pretty open about these things," Actually such things were prettymon in Amaranthine too. It was just that she did not have ''male'' friends to experience all that.


    And Jun Zixuan from her past life was not so¡­.cough¡­active.

 Chapter 95 - She Is Not Yu Mei Zhen

    "Who is she?"


    "I don''t know. It seems I''m seeing her for the first time in the ss.''''


    "But then, why do I find her familiar?"


    ''''Me too. I think I have seen her too."


    Her lips twitched as she heard thements of the fellow ssmates. But without paying much attention to any of it, Yu Mei walked towards the desk that was supposed to be hers ording to her memory.


    She kept her bag on the desk before taking a seat.


    The sound of discussions rose a pitch higher this time.


    "Why is she sitting on the man chaser''s seat?"


    ''''Are they rted?"


    ''''I think she must be a new student or else why would she sit on that ugly bitch''s seat?"


    "Yeah, that''s possible."


    Not even for a moment did someone think she was the same ugly bitch they were talking about. Although such reactions were a bit unexpected, but Yu Mei was not surprised. Two months have passed since she took over this body.


    And her face that was scar-ridden have turned crystal clear because of her special body conditions, the healthy eating habits and her habit of drinking plenty of water. It has been weeks since she joined the gym and started her medications.


    Even though she was not slim yet but her belly was not bulging a few inches out neither was her flesh jiggling from her arms or thighs like before. Especially after her birthmark fully appeared on her chest, she found herself losing weight faster than before. The changes would not be visible for those who saw her everyday but those who have not seen Yu Mei Zhen since months will notice the changes in her.


    But it was still a bit over the top that these fellow ssmates failed to recognize her.


    Right at this moment, ady in herte 40s entered the ssroom.


    "Good Afternoon, students," She greeted and the students greeted her back.


    Thedy was usually addressed by the students as Professor Zhang. Not only she was their Chinese professor, she was the associate professor of their ss too. And Yu Mei did not have that much of a good feeling about It.


    Professor Zhang adjusted her round sses lying atop her nose. She put the register and books in her hand on therge table and walked towards the front desk.


    "Stand up!" She coldly said to the girl sitting in the front.


    The girl stood up, a bit frightened.


    "Get out of the ss right now."


    "Pr-Prof¡­.''''The girl stuttered.


    "Get out," Professor Zhang mmed one of her hands on the table.


    ''Ouch¡­that must have hurt,''Yu Mei looked at the poor hand in pity. It''s fine if you are angry, why harm yourself?


    Just as the girl took a few steps, Professor Zhang''s cold voice rang behind her, "This is my ss, not a fashion show. Unless you trim your nails properly, don''te here again."


    As the girl walked out of the ssroom, Professor Zhang''s gaze roamed around the ss, "I have said it many times but in case you forgot about it, let me repeat it for you. When I step inside this ss, I don''t want to see superstars from entertainment industry. Girls, no makeup, no lipstick, properly trimmed nails. And boys," She pointed at one guy from the back, "Get out of my ss. You cane back after you change your rainbow hair colour."


    There were some rustling sounds in the background and Yu Mei turned around to find a girl hiding under the table biting her nails with all her mind.? There was another girl in the second row rubbing her lips on her bag to get the matte lipstick off them.


    She shook her head in pity. s, she wanted to offer handkerchief to her but it was not possible anyway.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. Maybe military people would give a little leeway.


    "So, ss. The vacations were extended because of the unexpected blizzard that hit Beijing by the unanimous decision of the board. But I hope you remember the rules of my ss. Let''s take the attendance first,'''' She brought the register from her desk before calling the students, "Roll no 1..''''


    "Present.''


    "Roll No 49¡­Roll No 50¡­..Roll No 81¡­"


    No response.


    "Roll No 81?" Still, there was no response. Professor Zhang adjusted her sses as she read the name of the student, "Roll No 81, Yu Mei Zhen?"


    "Present,'''' Yu Mei who was sitting in her seatfortably immediately shot up. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn''t realize that her Roll no was 81.


    ''How careless of me!'' She sighed in her mind.


    It was only then she noticed the eerily hushed surroundings.


    "Yu Mei Zhen?" Professor Zhang repeated lowering her sses, rubbing her eyes a little.


    Yu Mei nodded, "Present Prof.''''


    Whispers and murmurs shot up in the ssroom as the students nced at the girl iming to be Yu Mei Zhen.


    She was dressed in a lightvender coloured dress that reached below her thighs and it was paired with an expensive white sneakers. Her long dark hair was tied in a thick beautiful braid as it fell in front of her shoulder. A few loose strands of her hair framed her doll-like round face. Those cheeks were as soft and smooth as baby''s, milky white in colour.


    Though chubby, but the girl was no where near the extremely fat and ugly Yu Mei Zhen.


    She could feel the gazes of the students and even the professor on her. Yu Mei lowered her head to look at her outfit which was prepared by Jun Zixuan. Both the mother and son yed dress-up with her for 1 hour before she came to university. In fact, Jun Zixuan had prepared more than 30 outfits for her.


    Looking at the exaggerated preparations and excitement for the mother-son duo to doll her up, one would think that they were marrying off their daughter in some distant countries instead of sending her to university.


    "Professor Zhang, I have something to say," A girl raised her hand.


    Professor Zhang nced at her, ''''Speak."


    "She is not Yu Mei Zhen.''''

 Chapter 96 - Extremely Charming But Not Narcissistic

    "She is not Yu Mei Zhen," A girl said pointing at her.


    ''Yes, I am not,'' Yu Mei wanted to nod but refrained herself from doing so.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "We all know Yu Mei Zhen is an unscrupulous person. She must have sent an impostor in her ce as final exams are nearing. How could she change in a few months like that?"


    Professor Zhang frowned, "You should not speak about things so casually."


    "But she will have to prove her identity then," The girl protested. How could Yu Mei Zhen look like an angel all of a sudden? Even though she was chubby, but she was no longer fat as before and her face was as pure as jade. She looked charming despite being overweight.


    The rest of the ssmates agreed with her as they knew that Yu Mei Zhen never followed rules. A scheming girl like her could do such kinds of things as letting an impostore to the university in her ce.


    "She is Yu Mei Zhen," Before Professor Huang could say something, a crystal clear voice resounded in the ssroom as the girl sitting in the first row spoke up.


    Yu Mei nced at the girl''s back. She recognized her. It was the same person she helped when she went to meet Shi Luo for the first time after her rebirth.


    The girl who spoke up was the previous owner''s childhood friend until they parted on a bitter note fighting over the same guy.


    "How are you sure about it, Li Shuang?" Professor Zhang looked at the girl.


    Li Shuang stood up and tilted her head to look at the rest of the ss, "I met Miss Yu a few days back and I can attest that it is her. No impostor," she said, sweeping her icy gaze around the ssroom.


    One of the guys immediately stood up to back her up, "If Campus Belle says that, we don''t doubt it anymore."


    The rest of the students echoed the same words.


    ''It''s over just like that?'' Yu Mei softly sighed. She thought there was going to be some drama but it''s so nice that it ended just like this.


    The rest of the sses went smoothly if you ignore the shocking gasps and interrogations of the professors in every second ss. But, she did not mind reintroducing herself all over again.


    It was fine as long as nobody bothered her with some catfights or intentional insults.


    All three sses were over before 2 pm. As the students were leaving the room, Yu Mei held her bag and nced at Li Shuang who was packing her bag.


    "Li Shuang,'''' She called out to her before she could walk away.


    The youngdy stopped in her tracks when she heard her voice.


    A few students who had yet to leave the ssroom nced at them curiously. In fact, they were all curious as to why their ice princess will stand up for the infamous man-chaser and bastard of the Yu Family.


    Other than her boyfriend, Li Shuang rarely interacted with anyone in the university. So, it came off as a surprise when she helped Yu Mei in the morning.


    As Yu Mei walked towards her, Li Shuang spoke up, "No need to thank me. I did that because I do not want the sses to be on hold because of some nuisance."


    The girls who were eagerly watching the drama unfoldughed out loud, "The bitch went to bootlick Li Shuang."


    "Who does she think she is?"


    Yu Mei could hear thosements in the background. Even though their voices were low but the ssroom was empty after all.


    She sighed and looked at Li Shuang, "Where do you get that confidence from?"


    "What do you mean?" Li Shuang coldly asked.


    "I stopped you to say that we both don''t owe each other anything from now on but you thought I was going to thank you," Yu Mei smiled at her, "See¡­As charming as I am, at least I don''t have this disease of yours called narcissism." She yed with the tip of her long thick braid and walked out of the ssroom.


    Li Shuang owed Yu Mei for letting her meet Dr. Shi even without an appointment. People make appointments for months to see the renowned skin specialist but she was allowed to do so within a few words from Yu Mei.


    The eavesdropping bees: "_" You call yourself charming so confidently, how is it that not being narcissistic?


    Li Shuang narrowed her eyes as she looked at Yu Mei''s retreating back.


    ¡­


    At the cafeteria.


    Yu Mei spat the bite of the sandwich she just ate on the te before drinking mouthfuls of water. She nced around and noticed that the other students were eating the food withoutints but why did it taste so bad to her?


    She would not survive if she started eating this food in the cafeteria. The food made by Jun Zixuan was still the best, she concluded.


    And maybe after eating the food made by him, her taste buds have upgraded by a few levels.


    Just as she was thinking about it, her phone went off. She wiped her hands properly before answering the call, "What''s up?"


    "Are the sses over?" The man asked.


    "Yeah," She replied. Standing up from the chair, she grabbed her bag.


    "Alright,e outside," Jun Zixuan replied before adding, "I am waiting for you at the exit."


    "Don''t¡­" The man hung up before she could finish speaking. Don''t you have work to do? That was what she wanted to ask.


    She walked towards the exit and spotted the low-key Bentley parked on the other side of the road before making her way towards it.


    ncing to her left and right, she pulled open the car door and got inside.


    It would be usually Jun Zixuan who would open the car door for but she had asked him to not do so to stay low-profile lest he gets mistaken as a boy-toy of hers considering her bad reputation.


    "Don''t you have work today?"


    "I''ve wrapped it up beforehand," The man replied.


    "Oh.."


    "How was your day?" Jun Zixuan asked as he nced at the woman who lowered the seat andid back on itfortably.

 Chapter 97 - Second Life Absorbed From Mia

    "How was your day?" Asked Jun Zixuan.


    Yu Mei lowered her seat as she leaned back in afortable position, "It was fine," After all she did not bump into anyone from the Yu Family and there was no extended unnecessary drama for her, "But I hate the food in the cafeteria."


    He stepped on the elerator driving out of the ce, "Why?" He asked, ncing at her from the rearview mirror. He noticed how her face scrunched up in disgust and his lips slightly curved up.


    ''''Not to mention that it wasn''t good as the food made by you, it was also not edible to me," Sheined. She wasn''t being picky but that sandwich really tasted weird and also smelled bad. She patted the man''s shoulder, "Feed me well in the future. I''ll depend on you for that."


    The man chuckled.


    "Is that a yes?" She smiled.


    "Can I say no?" He raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Of course¡­" She narrowed her eyes dangerously, "You can''t. Humph!" Who knows how long they will be staying together?


    It was better to take a little advantage of him and eat more of the heavenly food made by Michelin Star Chef Jun Zixuan.


    "Silly," The man mumbled under his breath.


    "En?" She nced at him, "Did you say something?"


    "Are you hungry?"


    Before she could say something, her stomach rumbled in protest. She shrugged, ''''I guess I am.''''


    ¡­


    "What is this ce?" Yu Mei nced at the small restaurant in front of them. It was not like a hut but inparison to the five-star restaurants, it appeared very small.


    "Aren''t you hungry? Let''s go,'''' he held her hand and dragged her inside the restaurant.


    As they sat on a table in a silent corner, he ced the order while her gaze roamed around the ce.


    The ce was small and there were many people inside making the space look congested but there was a cozy feeling in the air.


    It didn''t take long for the waiter toe back and serve the food. There was no over-the-top food, it was just a simple set of three to four dishes including rice, steamed dumplings, hot and sour soup, chicken, and broli.


    After eating the sandwich in the cafeteria, she was not very eager to experiment with new food again.


    "Try it," said Jun Zixuan, noticing the hesitation on her face.


    She pursed her lips before taking a bite of the dumpling. ''''Mmm¡­" She licked her bottom lip, "This is good.''''


    "It is,'''' He nodded, noticing how she started stuffing her food without hesitation anymore.


    Ren Mansion.


    "The food was so satisfying." She yed with the tip of her braid as they walked upstairs, "Do you often eat there?'' She was surprised a rich guy like him would go to such ces for lunch. It wasn''t quite befitting of his status.


    "I haven''t gone there for years."


    Does that mean he used to go there before? She did not ask the question even though it came to her mind.


    They paused in front of the Master bedroom, ''''Are youing inside?"


    "I ate a bit too much and I feel veryzy right now. Gonna take a nap in my room.''''


    He nodded before getting inside the room and closing the door behind him.


    Stretching her body a bit, Yu Mei walked towards her room. She nced at the left and right before entering the pin and unlocking the door.


    As she entered her room, she did not notice a shadow hovering behind the distant pir. It was the maid Lisa who has been going against her from the very first day.


    "Why did the bitch look around before going inside the room?" Lisa muttered to herself, "Is she hiding something inside? Is she¡­Is she provably keeping a man?" She was noticing from a few days how cautiously the woman locked her bedroom door. She even installed a pin there.


    Yu Mei Zhen''s promiscuous past was not hidden from anyone even if they were the servants in the mansion.


    The more she thought like that, the more Lisa believed her intuition to be true. How could a slutty woman like her live without a man?


    ''''Even though Master is caring for hertely but that doesn''t mean he will sleep with an obese woman like her. Did she hide a man in her room to get fucked?" Lisa fell in contemtion. But how did she bring inside a man with Ren Mansion''s tight security system?


    No matter what, she will have to do something to go inside the room. Only then will she be able to find the truth.


    Unaware of the trouble brewing outside, Yu Mei slumped on the king-sized bed.


    Propping her forehead on the palm, she curiously looked at the cutie pie who was sitting in a meditating position. What was that called? Ah, cultivation!


    Her piercing stare caused Mia to open her eyes, "Why are you looking at me like that?" The girl smiled, it was a typical vixen smile capable of charming anyone.


    "I want to know more about you," Yu Mei said as she sat up on the bed.


    "As long as it is not about your family. I will tell you everything."


    "And why can''t you tell about them?" Putting a pillow on herp, Yu Mei folded her arms atop it as she questioned Mia.


    ''''I''ve been there with you for two decades. I know what kind of person you are," The little girl looked at her with a disgusted gaze as she stroked her face with her index finger.


    Yu Mei stayed silent as she observed Mia''s expression. Her eyelids twitched slightly as she gritted her teeth, "As kind as I am, I don''t like such undisguised insults."


    "Oh? You want disguised ones?" The disgusted expression disappeared from her face as Mia smiled sweetly, "I know what you are," She rolled her eyes skywards before asking, "Is this disguised enough?"


    "Mia!!"


    Mia sighed, "You are impulsive. I don''t want you to waste the second life you absorbed from me."


    "We are not talking about Hans. I said I want to know more about you. Like your origin..and why are you here? I don''t think there are magical creatures like you in the 21st century¡­" She eyed the fox who was now a baby girl, "Moreover, what do you mean by I absorbed a life from you?"


    "I am¡­"


    ...


    A/N: Next chapter will be out within an hour. Guys, we have 2k collections right now at 110 chapters. Shoutout to all of you for being there till now and showing constant support to ''MeiXuan''. <3

 Chapter 98 - Were You Tempted By Me?

    "Do you know about the nine-tailed fox?"


    Yu Mei nodded, "I''ve read a lot about the legends and the legendary nine-tailed fox in the past¡­So, are you¡­?"


    "No, I am her daughter," Mia interrupted her, "My mother was an immortal but she was eventually cursed to death while I was captured by the same evil man centuries ago. Although I killed him but I was cursed too. I was cursed to be in that Han Family for eternity. I was not immortal like my mother¡­"


    "Why?" Yu Mei frowned, "Isn''t immortality supposed to be gic?"


    "Ge-Ge¡­What?" Mia look at her, a bit baffled.


    "Well, gic as in¡­why didn''t you mother pass of the immortality to you? It''s such a good thing to share," The more Yu Mei thought about it, the more she found it feasible.


    Imagine if she had immortality, she will find some ways to share it with Han Jian Yu so that together they can rule the whole world.


    "It is immortality, not a piece of meat," Mia scoffed looking at the evil smirk on the woman''s face. She shook her head, "My Father was a human, unlike my mother. So, with their union, I possessed both their qualities. Even when I am a nine-tailed fox and I have nine lives, I am not an immortal."


    Yu Mei stroked her chin in contemtion. Father was human and mother was a legendary nine-tailed fox. No matter how she thought about it, it must have something tragic involved in it. "And which life is this?" She asked seriously, "You said you have nine lives so which one is this?"


    "This myst life," Mia said, much to her shock. The little girl went on, "My nine tails represent my nine lives and I spent my seven lives wandering in that family in form of a cursed fox spirit. After a few years when my eigth life started, you came along and contracted me by ident when no one could see me."


    Last life? Yu Mei pursed her lips. Maybe one of her lifests more than hundreds of years like she has read, unlike the human life. "Am I that powerful?" How could she contract such a powerful being identally?


    "You''re a weakling," Mia smiled showing her canines.


    "You said¡­I absorbed a life from you¡­How is that possible? Moreover, since I contracted you in your eight life, what about thest life? Did I...Why is there a life gap, ya~?"


    "I need to cultivate my powers now. That''s enough for today," As Yu Mei opened her mouth to speak, Mia continued, "I am creating a barrier around me. No matter how much you scream, I won''t be able to sense anything outside until I get hold of my powers.''''


    "How long will take for you to do that?"


    "One day... Two days... or more. I am not sure. I have never been bound to a weak human before. This is my first time," Ignoring the woman''s re, Mia went on, "Get me a new robe."


    "Will you take a shower?" asked Yu Mei, "Well, you should take a shower lest you be a stinky fox," She added.


    Mia pointed and the crop top she was wearing, "I want this."


    "Oh,'''' After she got a new shirt, Mia changed into it in front of her without hesitation and threw the crop top which she was previously wearing to her.


    ''''Don''t let anyone inside your chamber," said Mia.


    Chamber? An ancient fox, indeed. Yu Mei stifled herughter.


    Instead of sitting in her usual mediation position, the girl this time slept on the bed and closed her eyes.


    ''''Mia?" Yu Mei called out after a few seconds.


    But there was no response.


    ''She must have really created a barrier around her,'' Sighing to herself, she threw the crop top in a basket and undressed herself before throwing her outfit in the same basket.


    As normal as she acted, her mind was somewhat upied by all the revtions made by Mia. But she was afraid if she dwelled on it any further, she would go crazy.


    A nine-tailed fox? Like for real?!


    ''''I need a cold shower even if I freeze to death¡­" She mumbled to herself before walking inside the bathroom. So much ofplicated things will damage her brain altogether.


    In the evening.


    After taking a nap, she felt a lot better than before. She walked towards the Master Bedroom and knocked on the door twice.


    ''''Enter.''''


    She paused for a moment. Twisting the doorknob, she stepped inside the room and spotted the man sitting on the couch wearing nothing but a bathrobe.


    His ash-blonde hair was syed over his eyes as the water dripped down from the tips gliding down his jaws and gradually over his neck.


    She stopped her gaze from wandering further down and fixed it back on his face, "Why are you sitting like a tempter?" She asked as she walked towards him before sitting on the single couch.


    He raised his head from theptop he was working on when he heard her voice. ''''What are you doing here?" He asked, ncing at the woman.


    "Well, I was pretty bored so came over to take a look. So, were you expecting someone else dressed like this? Did I interrupt something?" She asked, eyeing him teasingly, openly pointing out how all the female workers in the mansion were head over heels for him.


    "Will it kill you if don''t pick up a fight with me?" He narrowed his eyes at her.


    She stifled herughter.


    "You called me a tempter," Jun Zixuan spoke up, raking his finger through his wet fringes, he nced at her deeply, "So, Miss Yu, were you tempted by me?" He asked, the corner of his lips slightly tugging up.


    She nked out for a moment looking into his deep brown eyes. The gold flecks in them flickered whenever he faced light making her wonder how could a pair of eyes be so perfectly artistic¡­


    ''''Yeah?" His deep maic voice sounded again.


    "What are you talking about?" Sheughed it off before averting her gaze to the papers lying on the coffee table. Something amongst the pile of papers caught her attention.


    She picked it up before reading through, "Hey¡­This¡­" The frown on her face deepened.


    "What happened?"

 Chapter 99 - Living In The Dorms? Impossible!

    "What is it?" He asked noticing her weird expressions.


    "Nothing, there are many errors in this," She pointed to the papers in her hand.


    He was surprised, "You know French?" he asked.


    She paused for a bit before nodding. If it was before, she would have been afraid of exposing herself but now that she has given him the proper excuse that she was hiding her real capabilities to protect herself from her stepmother, she did not mind letting him know more about the real her.


    She did not like pretending to be someone else anyway.


    ''''I can speak it well too," She smiled folding her legs on the single couch, "Why are there so many errors in it?" She has only read around one paragraph and nearly every sentence had something wrong in it.


    "This is the part of the draft. These will be finalized soon," answered Jun Zixuan.


    ''''Oh," She put down the papers back on the coffee table without reading it any further.


    Little did she know that if she had continued reading it and turned the page, she would have known the man''s identity.


    "Oh no!" She stood up from the couch, suddenly reminded about something, "I''ll go back to my room. I forgot something."


    "What now?" His brows tugged up looking at the urgency on her face.


    She nced at him, "I need to pay for the dorm this semester before midnight. The Professor had told us about it but it almost slipped off my mind¡­"


    Just as she took a step, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "Sit there," He pointed at the single couch she was earlier sitting on.


    "But, I''ll forget it again¡­" She wanted to argue but looking at his face, it did not seem like he will listen to her. Sighing to herself, she sat back there and removed her hand from his grip, "What is it?" She asked.


    ''''You''re not staying in the dorm."


    "And who the heck are you to decide that for me? You crazy possessive freak!! Humph!"


    "Hey, Zixuan¡­" Yu Mei snapped her fingers in front of the man who was ncing at her in a daze.


    The man broke out of his trance as he cleared his throat.


    "You wanted to say something?" She asked again noticing that this man wasn''t acting like himselftely.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "You''re not¡­." He paused for a moment before speaking, "Mei, can you stay in the dorms?" He asked in a solemn tone.


    She was taken aback by the look of pity in his eyes, "Why can''t I?'''' She asked, her brows slightly tugged together in confusion.


    "First, imagine sharing a room with others. You are way too pampered to do that, aren''t you?" She looked at him seriously considering his words.


    The corner of her lips twitched slightly but she couldn''t refute his words, "As true as it, but you have to lose something if you want to gain something. It''s more convenient for me to attend sses on time if I live in there.''''


    The man''s expectant expression fell slightly but a light flitted across his eyes, "Imagine if your roommate wants to be a DJ in the future or is interested in the music industry then you can''t even sleep properly because of the noise."


    She hesitated, "I''ll just sacrifice my sleep for a few months." No matter what, staying in a dormitory will be much better for her. She won''t have to drive to the university every morning.


    "You don''t like the food in the cafeteria, how will you eat there?" asked Jun Zixuan with a nonchnt expression on his face as if he did not care where she lived and he was just asking out of curiosity.


    Her expression changed. She was reminded of the sandwich she had in the morning.


    Yu Mei, who was very sure about living in the dormitory, changed her statement instantly, ''''I think living in Ren Mansion is still the best for me.''''


    "I told you so," Jun Zixuan nodded his head in satisfaction.


    "When?"


    "When you were thinking about something."


    She sighed, "I''ll go get something for myself to eat," She paused near the door and turned around to look at him, "You want something?" She asked.


    "Coffee will do.''''


    She nodded and walked out closing the door behind her.


    He leaned back on the couch thinking back to how she immediately changed her mind at the mention of food. His lips slightly curved up.


    As Yu Mei walked out of the Master Bedroom, her gazended on the person loitering outside her room,


    She walked towards her, "You''re called Lisa, right?''''


    The maid named Lisa immediately straightened up, ''''Yes, Miss Yu.''''


    Yu Mei had some impressions of this maid who had addressed her as ''Madam'' on purpose to start a fight between Jun Zixuan and her. "What are you doing here in front of my room?" She asked, slightly narrowing her eyes when the maid turned nervous at her question.


    "T-That¡­Your room is not cleaned since days and you have not given us the clothes that are to be washed today.''''


    "I have cleaned it. As for the clothes¡­I''ll get them. Wait here," As she entered the pin to her room, she stood at an angle so that the woman would not be able to peep on the code.


    She opened the door just enough to get inside and came back with aundry basket in her hand. She locked the door behind her and passed the basket to the maid.


    Lisa held the basket and walked away without looking back.


    Yu Mei nced at her retreating back and her gaze darkened. It seems like this woman is up to no good.


    This was one of the reasons she did not like living in this mansion. These servants are so nosy.


    Sighing to herself, she walked downstairs and asked someone to make coffee before grabbing an apple from the dining table and munching on it while waiting for the coffee to be prepared.

 Chapter 100 - Special Ocassion?

    Whatever Mia revealed to her kept revolving around her mind, messing up her system a bit. She was still baffled at all those things. And that fox did not evenplete the story. She simply changed her outfit and went to cultivate.


    Wait¡­what did she call the crop top? Robe... Yu Mei stifled herughter reminded of the fox''s antics.


    Suddenly the apple fell from her hand and her eyes widened. Dammit!


    She ran upstairs immediately without looking back.


    Steward Gu who was passing by noticed her strange behavior and chased after her. ''''Miss Yu,'''' He called out but either the woman could not hear him or she just ignored it.


    Yu Mei could hear Steward Gu''s voice from behind but she did not have the time to stop at the moment. Without thinking about anything, she ran towards theundry room and pushed open the door.


    Her chest heaved up and down as her heartbeat raced because of how fast she ran. Sweat droplets glistened on her forehead.


    "Miss Yu?"


    Yu Mei nced at the woman standing near the washing machine before looking around for herundry basket. She grabbed it from the floor as she panted.


    "Miss Yu, is everything alright?" Steward Gu, who had followed after her asked looking at the basket in her hand. Did she run all the way in a hurry to get the basket?


    Yu Mei nced at the man as she nodded, "I think I left something in this," She said pointing at the basket in her hand. "Zixuan had asked for coffee. Please get it for him after it is prepared," she added.


    "I''ll get it for Master," Steward Gu politely replied.


    She nodded again before walking back to her room.


    As soon she was out of sight, Steward Gu nced at Lisa, "Did you do something?" He asked doubtfully.


    Lisa shrugged, "What could I have done? I was here to wash the clothes."


    ''''You better not be up to something," warned the man before walking away.


    Lisa''s expression shifted when the man turned around. She gritted her teeth and red at his retreating back. Just you wait. I will get back to you soon!


    Yu Mei locked the door behind her and emptied the contents of theundry basket on the floor.


    A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she found the pink crop that Mia was wearing earlier.


    The crop top was of her size which did not fit Mia and the girl used her powers to make it fit for herself.


    One nce at it and one would know it was a kid''s cloth.


    She hadpletely forgotten that she had put it in this basket. Luckily, no one saw it.


    Or that was what she thought!


    The next two days were very uneventful as her routine went like usual, back and forth between gym to university then to the mansion.


    Amidst all this, Mia had yet to wake up from her sleep.


    Because of the barrier she ced around herself, even though Yu Mei could touch her easily but maybe her voice didn''t reach the fox because there was no response from her. It even bothered her a bit.


    She wondered if anything was wrong with Mia but she waspletely clueless regarding how she could help her or if she could even help her or not.


    After all, Mia was much more powerful than any ordinary person.


    On this particr day, Jun Zixuan was driving her to the university.


    "You don''t need to do this every day. I can drive myself," These were the same words that she had been repeating for thest two days but as usual, when did the man listen to her? He did what he wanted.


    ''''You don''t have any work to do?" After all, he was a billionaire. How could he have the leisure to drop her at university and pick her up every day.


    "I have finished one month''s work in advance," The man casually said.


    She was speechless, "Pass off some of your greatness to me, Master!" She had the urge to kowtow.


    Even one of her designs sometimes takes more than one month to bepleted. How could he finish one month''s works in advance so easily?


    Heughed and parked his car on the side of the road, "Here we are."


    She nodded and pushed open the car door before alighting.


    "Call me when your sses are over," He said.


    She nodded and shut the car door before crossing the road.


    She could be counted as lucky as the days in university were going smoothly without any unwanted troubles. More so peaceful because she had yet to bump into the people from Yu Family.


    ''As long as they love their life, they better not try to mess with me,'' She bit her bottom lips. Everything has been so peaceful that sometimes it seemed like a calm before storm.


    Just as she was walking towards her ssroom, her gazended on the basketball court in the distance.


    She checked the time on her wristwatch. It was time for her ss already. ''I''ll go there some other day,'' she thought to herself and entered the ss.


    Her fellow ''ssmates'' went quiet the moment she stepped inside. She could still hear some hushed voices in the background though.


    ''Were they badmouthing me?'' She thought to herself.


    Feeling their hard stares, she straightened her back.


    Do they want to look at her? Fine, she will give them a perfect ramp walk.


    She walked towards thest desk like an international model who was walking on the red carpet. Taking off her bag and putting it on her desk casually, she nced around the grand hall-like ssroom.


    Her gaze provocative as if she was asking ''Want more of my charm?''


    The students awkwardly averted her gazes.


    She let out two ''humph humph'' in her mind and flipped her hair before taking a seat.


    Right at this moment, Professor Zhang stepped inside the ssroom. After greeting the students, she nced at the ss President, "Submit the attendance to me."


    Yu Mei could see the confusion on the students'' faces.


    ''''Hey, why are all of them so surprised?" She poked the girl''s shoulder who was sitting in front of her.


    Getting poked by her, the girl acted as if she was carrying some virus and distanced herself.


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes.


    "Professor asks the ss President to submit the attendance only if there is some special asion. But how would you know when you don''t even attend ss regrly?" The girl scoffed.


    "TMI," Yu Mei waved her hand.


    "What is that?" The girl tilted her face to the side, seemingly confused.


    "Too much information," Yu Mei coldly said, "I asked you something. I did not ask for a free lecture from you.''''


    Taken aback by the coldness in her tone, the girl turned her face to the front.


    Why would she carry the me for anything she never did? Even though she understood that people did not know about the truth and who she was. But she was still a bit frustrated with all these things.


    Her brows tugged together as she looked at the Professor talking to the ss President. What kind of special asion could it be? She wondered.

 Chapter 101 - Surprise Test

    Subject: Chinese


    Question 1. Write two essays choosing from Section A and B (20 marks)


    Question 2. Prose. (15 Marks)


    Question 3¡­


    Yu Mei leaned back on her seat, thinking about her horoscope today.


    Why? Just why? She looked at the ceiling trying to bore her gaze to heaven and re at the god.


    Wasn''t I grateful enough? Yeah? Didn''t I thank you every morning for making my life peaceful?


    Why would you betray me?


    "Student Yu, do you have some issues?"


    I have. I really have. Yu Mei shook her head, "No issues, Prof." She said instead.


    Professor Zhang nodded her head, "Then focus on your question paper and answer sheet. The result of this surprise test will determine where you all will be sitting for the next few months."


    Looking at the pouting girl, Professor Zhang adjusted her ss, finding her cute.


    She had never interacted with Yu Mei Zhen in the past as the girl did not attend sses from the beginning of the semester since she became their associate Professor.


    She had been observing her for thest two days. She appeared to be very different from what the negative rumors said about her. But one couldn''t be judged by their looks. She thought to herself and sighed.


    Unaware of the Professor''s thoughts about her, Yu Mei nced at the question paper in her hand and then at the answer sheet, thinking whether leaving it nk will be rude or too shameful.


    If she knew there will be a surprise test today, then she would''ve stayed at home on sick leave.


    She pursed her lips. Whatever!


    ''A single question paper can''t define me. I am the Master of my own destiny'' Thinking as such, she picked up her pen and scribbled whatever came to her mind.


    Professor Zhang adjusted her sses and squinted. The student was looking like a dried flower a moment ago. Where did this sudden boost of energye from?


    ''''Ah¡­" Yu Mei slumped on the desk tiredly after all the tests were over.


    The previous owner had very confidently chosen the Science Major in the past but she would have never thought that a business major student had to write the papers in her ce.


    When the noises in the ss gradually diminished, she raised her head from the desk and nced around. The ss was empty.


    All the students had already left except for Li Shuang who was still sitting at the front desk writing her notes.


    Yu Mei stood up from her seat and picked up her bag before taking out her phone. She slung the bag across her shoulder.


    Just as she was about to walk past Li Shuang''s desk, a guy appeared at the entrance.


    Since humans are visual creatures, she took in his apperance first.


    Striking red hair with dark eyes, tall and sturdy stature, he could be considered as a nice piece of art.


    It was just that after looking at masterpieces like Jun Zixuan and Han Jian Yu every day, every man appeared like an average Joe to her. No offense though!


    "Ah Shuang¡­" The man called out to Li Shuang who was busy with her books.


    Yu Mei who had just taken a few paused as her head instinctively veered towards him.


    Her eyes widened slightly as his face shed in her memory. The person standing in front of her was Zhu Boqin, Li Shuang''s first boyfriend.


    Li Shuang and the previous owner had been very close friends since the high school days. Despite Yu Mei Zhen''s scheming nature and everything, Li Shuang had never once broken off their friendship.


    They even coincidentally ended up in the same university and same ss, making the cold girl, Li Shuang more so happy for having her friend with her.


    Later, Zhu Boqin pursued Li Shuang while Yu Mei Zhen was interested in him.


    Despite them being in a rtionship, Yu Mei Zhen called the guy to an isted ce and confessed to him, almost pouncing on him to get a kiss.


    But she never expected all of this to be witnessed by her only true friend, Li Shuang, who from then on acted cold with her like she was with others.


    Yu Mei sighed. What a tragic story of love, lust, and betrayal! And friendship too.


    But she had nothing to do with it neither did she share any sentiments with Li Shuang.


    She had Shi Luo and Jun Zixuan as her friends and they were more than enough for her.


    "Boqin, you''re here.." Li Shuang, the ever so cold girl smiled..a rare gentle smile it was.


    Yu Mei shook her head. This girl really loves her boyfriend. No wonder she hates her so much.


    Suddenly, her eyes widened. Since the previous owner pounced on this guy to kiss him, won''t it be very embarrassing for her right now?


    ''It''s better to leave now,'' She thought to herself and walked ahead, only for the other two people to notice her presence in an instant.


    "Yu Mei Zhen?" Zhu Boqin called out in doubt.


    Her footsteps came to a halt for a second before she walked ahead without stopping.


    "I know it is you. Why are you running away?''''


    "Am I supposed to stay here?" She turned around to look at him with narrowed eyes.


    "You¡­"


    "Do I know you?" Yu Mei then nced at Li Shuang, ''''Don''t paint me as an evil vamp when it is your boyfriend who is talking to me first."


    Li Shuang gazed at her coldly, "Acting so high and mighty, did you forget who was seducing other''s man first? Or are you forgetting how you tried to kiss¡­''''


    "What I did 3 years ago has nothing to do with who I am today," interrupted Yu Mei as she spoke in a low voice. She left the ssroom as soon she finished speaking.


    Zhu Boqin nced at her retreating back until she was out of sight. Something strange flitted across his deep eyes that did not escape Li Shuang''s gaze.


    She distanced herself from him, "Why would you talk to her?'''' She asked, her gaze remained cold even as she looked at him.

 Chapter 102 - Can I Hug You?

    Li Shuang distanced herself from him, "Why would you talk to her?'''' She asked, her gaze remained cold even as she looked at him.


    The man nced at her with deep affection in his eyes, ''''Because she is your childhood friend. She was the only person you were close to but I came in between you. You don''t know how much guilt I feel."


    Looking at the sincere expressions on his face, Li Shuang walked towards him before wrapping her arms around his waist, "It''s all in the past. We''re no longer friends. Don''t do that again."


    Zhu Boqin hugged her back tightly before cing a soft kiss on her head.


    On the other side, Yu Mei called Jun Zixuan to inform him that her sses were over after which she wandered on the campus, looking around the famous Imperial University of Beijing. She nced in the direction of the library, contemting whether she should go there or not.


    But since Jun Zixuan will be here soon, she decided against it.


    Just as she walking in the corridor, a voice stopped her in her tracks.


    "Elder Sister?"


    Yu Mei turned around to look at the person who called her. As her gazended on the delicately pretty girl standing in front of her, it did not take long for the pieces of information to be downloaded in her mind.


    The person standing in front of her was Yu Yan, the legitimate child of Father Yu and her stepsister.


    ''No need to see horoscope. I need a private fortune-teller or more so a prophet from tomorrow onwards,'' She thought to herself, "You got the wrong person,'''' She nonchntly said.


    "Elder sister, why are you ignoring me? Are you angry?" The girl ran towards her, clinging to her arms.


    "Let go," She pushed her away but Yu Mei could swear that the push was as light as ever then how did the girl fell on the floor as if she was hit by a bull?


    "Yanyan¡­"


    Yu Mei turned around only to find a man appearing from behind. He walked straight towards Yu Yan without ncing at her.


    She raised an eyebrow. No wonder this step-sister stumbled on the floor like that. She was trying to create a show.


    "Well, I have to go. You guys can continue~" She turned around to walk away.


    Yu Yan started sobbing, "Brother, see¡­I just told elder sister that stic surgery won''t do her any good, but she pushed me away like this¡­."


    Brother? Is it the Young Master of Yu Family? Although she was curious, but she continued walking without turning around.


    ''''Mei?"


    The voice caused her to stop in her tracks. Her heart clenched momentarily.


    Despite not wanting to do that, her legs seemed to have lost control as she could not resist turning around to look at him.


    Her mind felt so ufortable that she couldn''t express what she was feeling.


    Daniel Yu scanned her from head to toe, "You really have changed," He said, raising an eyebrow at her.


    "Brother.." Yu Yan called out pitifully.


    The man nced at his sister who was on the floor as he extended a hand towards her before helping her up. He then averted his gaze back to Yu Mei who stood rooted to her spot, "This is not the way how you should treat your sister." He said, shaking his head in disappointment.


    Yu Mei felt as if someone was squeezing her heart. Am I going to have a heart attack?


    Why was there no painless experience for her?


    Looking at her current condition, Yu Yan smirked. Wasn''t she being cocky a few moments ago? But in front of her brother, she will always be like this. No matter how she changed, she will still be that puppet under their control.


    "My mother did not give birth to a girl other than me so I don''t¡­remember having a sister," Contrary to Yu Yan''s expectations, Yu Mei coldly said this before walking away from there, her face turning slightly pale.


    The Yu siblings: "_"


    ¡­


    Yu Mei felt her pain disappearing within a few moments of walking away from there but she still felt very uneasy about it. Not only her body was exhausted, but even her mind was also tired after the day''s events.


    She did not remember how she walked out of the university gate before getting inside Jun Zixuan''s car which was parked on the other side of the road.


    She just leaned back on the passenger seat without saying anything.


    Jun Zixuan could sense something was wrong given how silent she was.


    "Is everything¡­"


    "Can I¡­"


    Both of them spoke up at the same moment.


    "Speak."


    "Speak."


    They once again said at the same time and ended upughing.


    Jun Zixuan stayed silent this time, waiting for her to speak.


    "Well¡­" Yu Mei nced at him. Licking her lower lips, she opened her mouth, "Can I¡­.hug you?" she asked.


    He froze for a split second but looking at her serious face, he lowered his seat slightly before extending his hand.


    Seeing how he did not seem to mind it, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.


    He stayed still in his position for a long time before raising his hand and gently stroking her back.


    Nobody said anything. She just quietly leaned into his embrace while he let her without asking for reasons or exnations.


    After a few minutes, she finally felt the stifling atmosphere in the car and loosened her grip on his waist. He stopped stroking her back and she sat back on the passenger seat before closing her eyes.


    Usually, the drive to Ren Mansion took no less than 20 minutes but Yu Mei could swear it felt like an eternity today.


    Despite the air conditioner in the car, she was sweating all over. Even keeping her eyes closed seemed to be difficult.


    "You can stop pretending to sleep," the man softly said, much to her shock.


    How would he know? She even kept her breathing in control.


    <i>But even if he knew it, did he have to say it on her face? </i>


    She pursed her lips and turned her face to the side but did not open her eyes.


    Jun Zixuan had to bit his bottom lip to restrain himself fromughing.

 Chapter 103 - Touch Her, Tease Her, Shoot Her

    Since she had afternoon sses today, the sky had already turned dark by the time they reached Ren Mansion.


    As soon as the car came to a halt, she opened her eyes and turned around to grab her bag from the back seat.


    At that time, Jun Zixuan alighted the car and walked to the other side before opening the car door for her.


    She grabbed her bag and stepped out, her gaze identally wandered to his face. His lips stretched into a charming smile.


    She averted her gaze and entered the mansion without looking back at him.


    But the man had long legs and it did not take him much effort to catch up to her, "Aren''t you hungry?" He asked when she walked towards the staircase.


    She paused and turned around to walk towards the dining table. Grabbing a te, she picked up a few strawberries and an apple from the three-tier fruit stand and ced it on the te. "I¡­I am on a diet today," She said and walked upstairs without looking back at the man who was left smiling at her antics.


    The servants working around the ce nced at him with a strange gaze, thinking whether their Master was possessed by a ghost.


    Realizing how wide his smile was, he pursed his lips immediately and narrowed his eyes at them coldly.


    The poor servants ran away in an instant.


    The man cleared his throat before walking upstairs.


    "Can I hug you¡­Ahhh¡­ So cringy¡­" Yu Mei fell back on the king-sized bed as she grabbed a pillow and covered her face before rolling on the bed. ''''Hug him for what? Uhh¡­Why am I impulsive?"


    She sat up on the bed and sighed. She did not know why she had the impulse to hug him.


    Forget it! Embarrassing moments should never be pondered about.


    Her gaze shed and she turned around to look at Mia who was sleeping on the other side of the bed. She poked the girl here and there, ''''Mia, wake up already. We have a lot to discuss."


    But as usual, there was no response from the girl who was sleeping like an ethereal baby fairy.


    Yu Mei put the pillow back in its ce before slumping on the bed with her legs dangling out.


    She never expected to bump into Yu Yan so soon given that she was a student in Arts Major.


    ording to her memories, the princess of the Yu Family is a very famous inte celebrity and is currently preparing to be an international model in future, which had nothing to do with her.


    She was bothered about something else.


    It was her first time meeting the Yu siblings but she almost lost control of her emotions at that moment when she saw Daniel Yu.


    At that moment, she felt so sad and lost but she was sure those feelings were not hers at all. She was not such an emotional person in the first ce.


    She yawned, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.


    ¡­


    ''''Only if you weren''t born as a Han," The man walked closer to her.


    She took a few steps back, trying to run away but the ce was too dark for her to see the way.


    ''Bang''


    "AHH!" The bullet pierced through her chest, her body jerked backward as she fell to the ground.


    The strap of her top was torn in the process revealing her chest. She instinctively raised her hand to cover her body.


    ''Bang'' The man shot her wrist, almost pinning her to the ground.


    "AH!" Her body jerked upwards as she gasped.


    "Boss, can I touch her once?" A voice sounded in the dark ce.


    "Touch her, tease her, or shoot her. You can do whatever you want,'''' The man nonchntly said, and all of a sudden she saw countless hands extended towards her body.


    "No¡­Don''t.." She tried to move but it seemed like someone had nailed her body to the ground.


    She could not move an inch. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she shouted desperately.


    "No¡­"


    "NO!!!'''' Yu Mei sat up on the bed in a sh as her chest heaved up and down.


    Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes while she broke in a cold sweat.


    She ced the back of her hand on her mouth and tried to breathe properly.


    The room was so dark that she could barely see her hand.


    She nced around, "W-Who is here¡­?"


    There was no reply.


    She could hear the sound of a slow breeze passing by as her heart raced. Those images were still vivid in her mind.


    ''Swish''


    She got off the bed without thinking about anything and ran out of her bedroom without looking back.


    In the Master Bedroom.


    Jun Zixuan closed theptop and ced it on the coffee table before standing up from the couch.


    He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the couch before ncing at the time. It was past midnight already.


    Picking up a small remote, he pressed a switch, turning off all the bedroom lights. The room turned dark in an instant leaving the moonlight shine in the through the partially opened curtains of the windows.


    The man stretched his body, his abdominal muscles flexing with the slightest of his movements.


    He walked towards the bed and picked up the ss of water from the bedside table before drinking a few gulps.


    ''Knock Knock¡­Knock''


    The consecutive knocks on the door made him frown. Who woulde to his room at this time?


    He stood up from the bed and walked towards the door before opening it, only to find her standing there silently.


    "Mei?" Jun Zixuan paused.


    Because of the dark hallways, he could not see her face clearly but he could make out her silhouette, "Do you need anything? Come inside first," He said.


    Just as he turned around to walk inside the room, he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his waist.


    ''Bam''


    The door closed behind them with a loud sound confirming that it was not some sort of illusion.


    He could feel her soft face pressed on his naked back.

 Chapter 104 - Don’t Feel Like Sleeping

    Jun Zixuan stilled for a moment feeling the woman hugging him from behind until he heard the sounds of her muffled sobs did hee back to his senses. He could feel a wet sensation on his back.


    He ced his hand on her palm and removed her grip from his arms before turning around. He could make out the tears streaming down her face under the moonlight.


    He wiped those tears with his thumb and nced at her questioningly, "Hey, what happened? Did someone bully you in the mansion?"


    She shook her head but tears continued to roll down her cheeks.


    ''''Shhhh'''' He hugged her and pressed his hand on the back of her head pulling her closer to his chest.


    ''''Then¡­were you bullied in university?"


    Her cries gradually lessened, much to his relief, but she did not say anything, still keeping her face buried in his chest.


    Jun Zixuan clicked his tongue, ''''What a crybaby,'''' He muttered under his breath, gaining himself a punch from her instantly.


    She pushed him away and wiped her tears with the back of her head.


    "I lent you my body. Can you not be so cruel?" The man raised an eyebrow at her.


    ''''Th-That sounds so vulgar. Can you not speak such things?" She sighed and continued to rub her eyes.


    ''''That''s enough," He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the bed before making her sit there.


    "Here," He passed her the ss of water from the bedside table.


    She held the ss from his hand before taking a few sips when he spoke up, "You don''t mind drinking from the same ss with me, do you?"


    She choked "Pfft¡­'''' She spurted out the water from her mouth and coughed profusely.


    Jun Zixuan shook his head helplessly before patting her back, "Why are you so clumsy?" He asked as he sat beside her.


    ''''Because you say the wrong things at the wrong time," she said after calming down. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse as she spoke.


    ''''Well, I was being honest," The man said nonchntly.


    "I''m good now," She said, removing his hand that was patting her back gently.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed her jaw in one hand and turned her face towards him, "You look like a mess right now," He said, looking into her red, puffy eyes and messy hair.


    She tried to get her face out of his grip but he did not let her do it.


    Extending his hand towards her face, he tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, letting his finger smoothening out the locks.


    "All good now," He said, looking at her face in satisfaction.


    "Thank you.''''


    "So? Is anything bothering you? It is rare for you to bawl like a¡­crybaby?"


    She squinted, "Don''t call me that.''''


    ''''Or? Are you punching me again?" He casually shrugged but his muscles once again flexed getting her attention.


    She pursed her lips, letting her eyes feast on his delicious upper body before looking back at his face within a few seconds "It was just a nightmare," She softly said, not exining any further.


    Usually, she had developed the habit of sleeping with the lights on after her rebirth. But since she dozed off in the evening today, the lights in her room were all turned off while the curtains were also drawn close forbidding the moonlight from entering inside.


    And because of how tired she was, she almost confused her nightmare with reality, hallucinating for a moment.


    Looking at her stressed expressions, Jun Zixuan did not ask her anything about it.


    He stood up from the bed.


    "Where are you going?" She grabbed his hand.


    The man turned around to look at her, "Climb on to my bed," He said,pletely expressionless.


    "What?"


    "I said climb onto my bed,'''' He repeated. Getting his hand out of her grip, he walked towards the other side before getting on the bed. Leaning his upper body back on the headrest, he nced at her, "Like this.."


    Her lips twitched. He meant it like that but why did his words sound so indecent?


    Shaking her head, she climbed on the bed before moving a little closer to him.


    He adjusted the pillows behind her back, "Not sleeping anymore?" He asked to which she shook her head.


    "What about you?" She nced at him.


    "I don''t feel like sleeping," said the man.


    She remained quiet, looking out of the window.


    "Mei¡­"


    "Mm?" She tilted her head to the side to look at him.


    He nced at her face for a long time and opened his mouth to say something but what came out of his mouth was ''''Nothing..''''


    She raised an eyebrow and nodded eventually.


    "How was your day at University?'''' He asked, noticing how lost she seemed.


    She sighed, "Don''t remind me of it," She could feel a headacheing her way at the thought of the resultsing out by tomorrow, "They did surprise tests today.''''


    He chuckled, looking at her depressed expressions, "Are you failing? Or getting your marks in the negative?"


    Sheughed, ''''I''ll probably fail in Chinese."


    He froze while she continued, "I can speak well but when ites to those lengthy prose, poetry, and essays, they go parallel to me. Even I don''t remember what kind of answers I wrote," Sheughed.


    Being a student under Business Major, she found Scienceparatively a bit tough. Although she had to use a lot of brain cells, but she still did very well in all the subjects except for Chinese and English.


    She could speak both thenguages fluently as they were the nativenguages of Amaranthine but when ites to written tests, that poetry, and confusing phrases, she was a big fat zero, especially in Chinese. She still had the confidence to pass in English, despite not getting the best marks.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, she did notice Jun Zixuan''splicated gaze that was fixated on her all the while.

 Chapter 105 - Changing Seats

    "Physics¡­81 points¡­Chemistry¡­89 points¡­" Professor Zhang smiled before turning the page, "Mathematics¡­81 points¡­"


    ''''Campus Belle is a perfectionist¡­"


    ''''I can''t believe she scored so much in a surprise test.''''


    ''''We are ssmates for years. Don''t you know how intelligent she is?"


    "I know but still a bit amazed."


    ''''She is the ice princess of Imperial University after all. Capable of doing anything."


    ''''English¡­82 points and 94 points in Chinese, "Professor Zhang nced at Li Shuang who nodded politely, ''''Total 427 points out of 500 points. As usual, Li Shuang remains in the first ce. Well done!"


    The ss erupted with ps as most of the guys cheered for Li Shuang while the girl had an aloof expression on her face like nothing could faze her in the world.


    "Silence," Professor Zhang adjusted her sses, "You all are dancing like you are the one who got the marks. I''m really disappointed with your marks. Do you think you will be able to graduate if you keep on studying like this?"


    The ss immediately quietened down while she continued, "Those who are in bottom five positions areing to extra sses from the next week.."


    The student exchanged nces before fixating their gazes on Yu Mei and a few other students who are expected to be in thest position as usual.


    They knew they didn''t have to worry about extra sses as long as they had these fellow ssmates were there.


    Unaware of their expectant gazes on her, Yu Mei had her head lowered on the desk as she slept peacefully, her drool gathering at the corner of her mouth.


    "Next¡­Yu Mei Zhen¡­Chinese.." Professor Zhang paused noticing the weird silence in the ssroom. She tilted her head from the result sheets and followed the student''s gaze to look at a certain sleeping student, "Yu Mei Zhen¡­"


    The girl did not move an inch.


    "Student Yu..?" Professor Zhang threw a small piece of chalk towards her which perfectly hit the girl''s shoulder.


    "What will it take for you to let me sleep peacefully?" The girl tilted her upwards and mumbled in a hoarse voice without opening her eyes.


    The ss erupted inughter.


    ''''Student Yu, is this your bedroom?"


    Yu Mei opened her eyes in an instant. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she nced around only to find the students ncing at her with mocking gazes.


    She stood up, "I apologize, Professor. I was a bit tired and dozed off in the ssroom," She bowed slightly.


    Professor Zhang nodded her head, inwardly thinking that who started the rumor that Yu Mei Zhen was mannerless.


    Yu Mei sat back on her seat and sighed softly.


    Jun Zixuan and her stayed awake for the whole night yesterday, talking about random things and she did not feel sleepy at any moment. But the moment she stepped inside the ss, it was as if all the angels were lulling her to sleep.


    ''''So, let''s continue with your results¡­." Professor Zhang ncing at her.


    ''''Results?" She mumbled under her breath but it did not take her long to be reminded about the surprise test from yesterday.


    ''''Chinese¡­7 points¡­"


    The ss erupted inughter in an instant.


    ''''See...No matter how she changes, she is still that same piece of shit.."


    "What change? She has just be a bit thin and a little beautiful. She is still way below our campus belle."


    ''''Haven''t you heard that she has be an old man''s mistress now. Aren''t you afraid?"


    ''''Afraid my ass¡­"


    "I think that ugly old man must have sponsored her or else how could an illegitimate child like her afford to be dolled up yesterday?''''


    "Yes..Look at her scoring 7¡­She should just get a big fat zero."


    Since they were backbenchers, they did not keep their voices low letting Yu Mei listen to all their gossips.


    She rolled her eyes. 0 or 7, it will be her marks in the end. Why are they jumping like monkeys and acting like some country toppers?


    ''The ugly old man you are talking about will make all of you look like garbage if stood next to you,'' She thought to herself. After all, Jun Zixuan was a man who will have the spotlight on him no matter where he went.


    Humph! Calling him ugly¡­You should just get your dictionary updated first and look at yourselves.


    "I see my students are very eager for some punishments," Professor Zhang coldly said.


    The ss was back to its peace again and she turned the page before continuing, "Mathematics¡­1¡­" She adjusted her sses a bit and continued, "100 points.."


    "Did the professor pick up the wrong papers?"


    Gasps could be heard in the sses.


    "Physics¡­98 points¡­Chemistry 93 points¡­" Professor Zhang turned the page before continuing, ''''English..71 points... Total 370 points¡­ Yu Mei Zhen''s scores get the second position for the ss test."


    Yu Mei nodded slightly without much expression on her face.


    "I don''t believe this.."


    "Has Prof. read the wrong results?"


    "Do you think Prof. can make such mistakes?"


    "That''s impossible. She will not give anyone extra one point by mistake."


    "I refuse to believe this.."


    Professor Zhang nced at Yu Mei Zhen, "Well done. Your scores as excellent but you need improvement in my subject¡­"


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. She was sitting in the Chinese ss, was it not enough already? How was she supposed to improve in the subject she dreaded?


    "Since your scores are second to Li Shuang, you shoulde here and take a seat beside her.."


    Yu Mei paused for a moment before nodding. She picked up her bag and stood up before walking towards the 1st row under everyone''s shocking gazes.


    The guy sitting beside Li Shuang stood up giving her the space to move there. She ced her bag there and took a sit.


    ''''Next¡­"


    "Professor, can you please change my seat?" Li Shuang stood up.


    Professor Zhang nced at her, "You should know that sitting arrangements are always done ording to your results.''''

 Chapter 106 - You Like Her?

    Li Shuang''s face remained as cold as ever as she spoke "Professor, I have issues with the current arrangement. I don''t want to seat beside her. I know about the rules but can you please¡­.''''


    "Miss Li," Yu Mei interrupted the girl when she noticed where this was going, "I am not interested in sitting with you, either. Let''s not make it difficult for Prof."


    "You¡­I don''t want to sit beside you," Li Shuang coldly replied.


    "Do you see me dancing in happiness?" Yu Mei shook her head, "You can just score less marks in the next exams so that you can change seats.


    "You¡­You¡­"


    "What are you? A broken tape recorder?" Yu Mei rolled her eyes. Why are the people so exaggerated these days? They were just sitting on the same seat. Why did she have to act like she was a pervert who was out to take advantage of her?


    Professor Zhang cleared her throat and continued with the results.


    The day was less tiring as she had fewer sses. She walked out of the gate and spotted the car parked on the other side of the road.


    To her surprise, Steward Gu walked out of the car opened the door to the passenger seat for her.


    "I didn''t expect to see you here," She said as soon as they got inside the car, "Is Zixuan busy?"


    Steward Gu looked at her through the rear-view mirror, still getting used to the term ''Zixuan''ing out of her mouth.


    "Master had some work today so he could note. That''s why he sent me to pick you up."


    "Oh," She nodded, "Did he always stayed alone in the Ren Mansion?"


    "Yes?"


    "I mean¡­Before our marriage, did he always stay alone?" She did not know why she asked something like that. She just wanted to know it.


    Steward Gu thought about it for a moment before speaking, "Master has been staying alone since he was 13. At that time, he did not have Ren Mansion."


    "What about Boyan and his mother?" Her eyes widened slightly. Living alone all the time, won''t it be too lonely?


    "Well¡­Master used to visit them once in a while. Fourth Young Master thenter moved to his university dormitory while Madam has been living alone.''''


    Fourth Young Master? Since they addressed Jun Zixuan as Master then shouldn''t they address Jun Boyan as Second Master or something like that? What''s with this Fourth Young Master? She contemted but did not question it further.


    Glory Apartment.


    "Why are you standing? Take a sit," Mu Shen pointed at the couch, looking at Jun Zixuan, "This is your friend''s house after all. You don''t need to be so formal with me.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow at him before looking at the ck leather couch.


    Mu Shen followed his gaze only to find a bra stuck on the side. He quickly pulled out thecy bra and threw it away before smiling at Jun Zixuan, "You can sit now."


    The man walked towards the couch, far away from the spot where the bra was stuck earlier. "Why did you call me here so urgently?" Jun Zixuan asked.


    He was supposed to pick her up from her university but Mu Shen had to disturb him.


    "Why are your eyes so red? Did you not sleep?" Mu Shen nced at the man like a detective scanning every inch of his face. His then travelled towards his neck and the rest of the body once before he nced back at his face, "Third Young Master, be honest, did you spend your night with a woman in arms?"


    Jun Zixuan could feel an oing headache, "Seems like you called me here for gossips..."


    "You didn''t deny it," Mu Shen had his mouth wide open in an instant, "Damn.. Xuan, are you admitting that you slept with Yu Mei Zhen?"


    "How would you know that?" Jun Zixuan nced at him.


    Mu Shen nced at him quietly offering peace to his nk mind. "You¡­So my guess was not wrong after all¡­You were going crazy after her lips a few days ago, weren''t you?"


    Jun Zixuan remained quite.


    That means he was admitting to it right? Mu Shen clicked his tongue, "Finally, you got yourselfid in the end¡­" He murmured.


    "There is nothing like that.." Jun Zixuan said, What did you call me here for?"


    Mu Shen squinted. Since his friend was denying it, he would believe that they did not y tetris. But then¡­


    "I wanted to ask you something," he said, in a serious tone this time.


    "Stop beating around the bush."


    "Do you like her? Your wife, I mean.." Mu Shen did not miss the slight change in his friend''s aloof expressions.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch and walked towards the French window. Standing near the ss, he nced at the sky which was gradually turning dark.


    "Here take this¡­" Mu Shen offered him a wine ss.


    "I am not drinking.''''


    "This is grape juice," Mu Shen said,ughing a bit despite the tense atmosphere around them.


    Taking the ss from his hand, Jun Zixuan took a sip of the drink.


    "How is it? Does it tastes so good that you can''t put the ss down?"


    "Average," Jun Zixuan replied.


    Mu Shen red at him. You could have lied. He scoffed before following his friend''s gaze and looked into the distance.


    After what seemed like a long time, Mu Shen spoke up, "Did you think I wouldn''t notice?" He asked but there was no reply from the man, ''''As miniscule it is, I noticed it from the very first nce at her. Is this why you''re staying in the mansion?"


    "Yes," Jun Zixuan said.


    Mu Shen shook his head, "You can''t deny it now. Do you think I would be fooled by you? I¡­Wait¡­did you just say yes?"


    Jun Zixuan nced at him with a ''you''re a fool'' look on his face.


    "You don''t even bother denying it now? It has so deep?" Mu Shen speechless looked at the man who simply ignored him.


    "Wait, the point is¡­"

 Chapter 107 - Monday Is Monday And Friday Is Friday

    ''''You''re starting to have feelings for her,'''' stated Mu Shen. Looking at Jun Zixuan''s quiet countenance, he asked, "Are you sure about this? About her¡­?"


    But as expected, the man did not reply.


    Mu Shen sighed, "I noticed it. Somehow...she resembles her.."


    Jun Zixuan nced at him, "What are you trying to say?"


    "Yu Mei Zhen resembles Han Mei a bit after she has lost weight and her scars were gone. I''m not blind. I noticed it at the first nce. They even share amon name," Mu Shen paused for a moment, "But this is not a reason why you should be in a rtionship with her. She is not Han Mei. When you are together in the future, you might find that she doesn''t have the same habits as your crush or a part of her face doesn''t resemble Han Mei, or she doesn''t talk like her or acts like her¡­Since they are not the same person, there will be differences between them, what will you do then when you lose interest in her?"


    "She is not a recement,'''' Jun Zixuan softly said.


    ''''She is not and you need to understand it. That''s what I am trying to convince you with. She is not a recement so don''t treat her like one. As much as I dislike her, whatever you are doing is going to hurt you too so I don''t want you to get too involved in this," He shook his head, ''''Let me give you an example. I have sex with different women in a week. But I don''t confuse Monday with Friday or Tuesday with Wednesday.''''


    Jun Zixuan coldly red at the man.


    "Okay. I admit that I forget most of their names but still, Monday is Monday and Friday is Friday. No mistakes in recognizing them," Mu Shen paused for a moment and continued in a serious tone, ''''You''re not admitting it. Why don''t you think about it? Yu Mei Zhen is the girl you loathed the most. When and why did you start giving in to her? You are caring for her, staying with her, when did your feelings start to change? I think you should be sure of your feelings first before it is toote.''''


    Ren Mansion.


    ''''You''re back," Yu Mei smiled at the man who just walked inside.


    A maid walked towards Jun Zixuan taking his suit jacket from him. He walked towards her before sitting beside her on the couch, "You''re not in your room today?"


    "Well, I was waiting for you," She nced at him with a smug expression on her face.


    He chuckled. "What''s the matter with you? You look as proud as a peacock," he muttered.


    She raised an eyebrow and stood up from the couch, "I made something for you. You''re privileged one to eat the food made by me," She proudly dered before running towards the kitchen.


    "Did you cook? Do we need to renovate the kitchen again now?'''' He asked looking at her retreating back.


    "Are you starting a fight here?" She askeding back with a small ck te in her hand.


    ''''I was asking seriously.''''


    She sighed, "Nope, you don''t need to. I just made this fruit sd. Nothing sted in your kitchen. Don''t worry.''''


    He shook his head, "I''m worried you will st yourself someday. Don''t step inside the kitchen again," He said, holding the te from her.


    ''''Fine, I won''t," She rolled her eyes and sat next to him, "Try it now.''''


    He looked at the messily served fruit sd on the te and then at her excited expression before putting a strawberry in his mouth.


    "How is it?" She asked excitedly.


    ''''Delicious," replied the man who passed off his friend''s grape juice as average some time ago.


    "It''s that good?" Praisesing out of his mouth were extremely rare so he must have really liked it, "Let me taste a little then?" She said, looking at the te in his hand.


    "No, I can''t have enough of this," He said before stuffing the fruits in his mouth.


    Her lips twitched. Despite being denied to taste it, she was somewhat satisfied with this oue.


    ''How can I be so perfect? Randomly tried to make something and it is that good?'' She thought to herself with her nose in the air. ''''Don''t you think I have good prospects in the food industry?"


    "You do," He said before putting the clean te on the side, "Do you want to be a chef?"


    She shook her head, "I have other interests."


    He let out a sigh of relief inwardly.


    ''''How was your day?" she asked him.


    He nced at her.


    "Don''t give me that look. You always ask me about mine so I thought about asking you back today," Sheughed awkwardly.


    He poked her cheeks, "Well¡­It was fine. What about yours?"


    "Fine as well," She was suddenly reminded of something, "Can I change the interior of my roomter?" She asked.


    He nced at her, "You don''t like the current one? Mom told me she had got it in all shades of pink," He had yet to see her room since she kept it locked like she was keeping some treasure inside.


    "I don''t like loud colors for the room. Secondly, I don''t like pink at all.''''


    ''''You used to.''''


    She shook her head, "That''s in the past. Now, I don''t.''''


    ''''Then, what colors do you like?"


    "For the room, some light shades will do," She said before continuing, "As for my favorite color, it''s purple. Umm¡­.The shade of the roses in your garden, that''s the one I like the most.''''


    Complicated expressions appeared in his eyes which she missed noticing.


    ''When and why did you start to give in to her?'' Mu Shen''s question rang in his mind.


    He could see her eyes sparkling as she talked about the things she liked. The same eyes which made him give in to her every time.


    "Where are you going?" She asked when he stood up from the couch.


    "I have work."


    ''''Oh, alright," She pursed her lips. Did he think she would not know the reason behind his weird behavior?


    Humph, she knew it. The moment she mentioned roses, he was reminded of work. Did he think she was asking for roses? How stingy!


    "Steward Gu," She called out the man who was passing by.

 Chapter 108 - Flash Friend

    ''''Steward Gu.." She called out the man who was passing by.


    ''''Yes, Miss Yu?"


    "Follow me," She waved her hand and walked towards the kitchen.


    The man followed after her.


    "Here, this one is for you," She passed him another te of fruit sd.


    "Miss Yu, how can I have this?"


    "You don''t have to be so rigid all the time," She shoved the te in his hand, "Taste it."


    Steward Gu was delighted and touched at the same time. First, everyone knew how good were Yu Mei Zhen''s cooking skills. Second, he did not expect her to keep a share for him when she said she was making something for his Master.


    He struggled to gulp the spoonful of pomegranates in his mouth.


    "Miss Yu, did you use sour cream in it?" He asked, his face slightly scrunched despite him trying to keep his expressions neutral.


    "Cream is cream¡­which one is sour?" She frowned noticing the weird expression on his face?"Does it not tastes well?" she asked after hesitating a bit.


    She nced at another small bowl that she had kept for herself. She tasted a spoonful of it and her expression changed almost instantly. She spat it back in the bowl.


    Who spread rumors that Miss Yu had exceptional culinary skills? Steward Gu furrowed his brows, "You have to whip the cream and add sugar to it."


    ''''Damn," She muttered after drinking a ss of water, "How did Zixuan finish the whole te? This is disgusting!"


    Steward Gu: "_" Master is superhuman!


    Even though she said that, she was touched.


    He bickered with her all the day long like she was his mortal enemy but he ate the shit like food she made and evenplimented her cooking skills.


    Her lips stretched in a soft smile. What a cute man!


    Later that night, she made sure to switch on the bedside lights before sleeping beside Mia who still had her ''cultivation'' mode activated. Although Yu Mei was kind of worried about the fox but she could only suck it up and patiently wait for her to wake up.


    While she slept peacefully without nightmares, there was another person who was lost in his daydreams.


    Jun Zixuan found it hard to sleep.


    The Master Bedroom was enshrouded in darkness while the man sat in the middle of the king-sized bed leaning back on the headboard, looking at the moon through the ss windows.


    She is so simr to her.


    Those eyes were the reason whichpelled him to stay in the mansion longer than he should.


    The more he knew her¡­the more¡­


    Jun Zixuan closed his eyes.


    <i>*shback*</i>


    "Woah¡­finally, it''s over," Han Mei slumped back on the couch as she sighed, "Zixuan, you are an angel. Did someone ever tell you that?"


    "Someone did,'''' He nodded.


    "Who?" She smiled at him before sitting on the couch properly and folding her legs.


    "You," His reply made herugh.


    She pinched his cheeks, "Such a cutiepie."


    He froze for a split second at her sudden touch but she failed to notice it.


    She nced at the Chinese exercises notebooks on the coffee table, "If you were not here to help me with this, I would have been sure about failing in the subject."


    He chuckled, "You won''t. I''ll help you till you ace the exam."


    "Ace in this subject? Who are you kidding? I''m fine with passing scores," Han Mei shook her head before ncing at Jun Zixuan, "You know what?"


    "What?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "Well I am really surprised," she stated.


    "And why is that?"


    "This is the third time we are meeting and I''m already sitting at your apartment, being tutored by you," Han Mei shrugged, "I am generally very picky and stingy about making friends. It took me years to befriend Luoluo.''''


    Little did she know he had his eyes on her since the first time he saw her. And if he calcted, then this should be the fifth time they met. It was just that the first two times, it was only him who saw her.


    "So, you mean to say that we are friends?" Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen.


    "Are we not?" She followed after him.


    He tilted his head to the side to nce at her.


    She blinked her starry eyes, looking at him with an expectant gaze.


    "We are," He chuckled before asking her, "Tea, coffee, juice or anything else?"


    "Coffee," She answered.


    "And what would you like to eat?"


    ''''I''m not hungry¡­Wait¡­Do you know how to cook?" She raised an eyebrow.


    He nodded.


    "Your fangirls will be queuing here to marry you if they get to know that their Prince Charming can cook too," sheughed.


    He pursed his lips before getting the coffee mug.


    "You were hiding from them that day, weren''t you?" She teased him thinking of the first time they met on that tree. While she was bunking hernguage ss, he was wearing a hoodie and sitting on the tree branch.


    ''''Uh-huh," He nodded looking at her smiling face.


    Sheughed, "I knew it.''''


    After that incident, the second time they met was when she bumped into him in the library. They spent nearly more than one hour talking about each other andter, he even dragged her to introduce her to his friends when she said that she had only one friend.


    She got to know his friend Xiao Min, that famous cute nerd who had transferred to their university along with him and Mu Shen, whom she already knew because of Shi Luo.


    This was just the third time they were meeting and that was at his ce because when she told him she needed to improve in Chinese, he dragged her here to help.


    "You''re my sh friend," She patted his shoulder.


    "sh¡­Friend?"


    "sh Marriage is when two people click instantly and get married within a month," She paused for a moment and continued, "We are friends within a week so we should be sh friends.''''


    ''''I don''t mind adopting the concept of sh marriage though," The man mumbled.


    "Try?" She tilted her head to look at him.


    ...


    A/N: We''ll be walking down the memoryne with them for a short while. Be patient!

 Chapter 109 - I Only Want Her

    <i>*shback continued*</i>


    ''''I don''t mind adopting the concept of sh Marriage though,'''' Jun Zixuan mumbled.


    "Try?" She tilted her head to look at him, "Try what?"


    He passed her the coffee mug, "Try the coffee. See if it is good."


    "What if it isn''t?" She asked.


    "I can try to make it better next time," He spoke so seriously that had her smile in an instant causing a dimple to appear on her left cheek.


    She sipped the coffee and he could see those dark eyes sparkling like stars. Her tongue peeked out of her mouth licking her lower lips.


    He was focused on her every small movement, his gaze lingered on her lips a little longer for them to be just friends.


    "This is so good," She looked at him in awe, "Did you add something extra? Why does it taste like the best coffee I ever had?"


    "I can make it for you anytime you want."


    He grabbed the other coffee mug and pointed his chin towards the balcony, "Let''s go there," She nodded and walked with him as they sat on the lounge chairs ced in the huge balcony, giving them a beautiful view of the sunset.


    "You live alone?" This residential block was not one of the most luxurious ones in Amaranthine.


    But the interior designs and European-styled furniture inside his apartment were no lesspared to that of a Presidential room of a five-star resort. It left her in wonder.


    "No, Xiao Min also stays with me," He said.


    She nodded, immediately reminded of that cute nerd he introduced to her a few days ago. "Where is he, then?"


    "A date with his girlfriend," He replied with a straight face.


    "So, he has a girlfriend? His fans might be heartbroken if theye to know that," She muttered in amusement and nced around when her gazended on something, "You like roses?'''' She asked looking at red rose nts in the corner.


    "These were nted by him,'''' Gu Min had nted these nts here and there in the house saying that they will keep the atmosphere cheerful, "You like them?" He asked her.


    She sighed softly, "They are beautiful. But I would have loved it if they were in shades of purple," Sheughed, "It''s impossible though."


    "Purple roses exist.''''


    She nced at him, "They do. But they are very rare.''''


    He remained silent while she asked, "So, teacher Jun, when is our next ss?"


    He raised an eyebrow at her, "Whenever you want."


    ¡­


    Monthster:


    ''''Xuan, are you finally confessing to her today?" Mu Shen rolled his eyes as he nced at his friend who was sitting in the backseat, looking at a magenta rose in his hand.


    He did not reply causing Mu Shen to redirect his focus on Gu Min who was driving the car.


    "Brother Xuan has such ns," The guy said ncing at Mu Shen from the corner of his eyes.


    ''''What more?" Mu Shen narrowed his eyes, realizing that there seemed to be something more to all this fiasco.


    He nced at Jun Zixuan who was fiddling with the magenta rose in his hand. His striking golden ash-blonde hair wasbed to one side while his brown eyes remained on the rose in his hand. Dressed in an expensive ck tuxedo, the man looked like the epitome of Adonis.


    If Mu Shen was not wrong, the price of the tuxedo was somewhere around 10 figures. Wearing this to the university on their graduation day¡­.His eyes widened, "Xuan, don''t tell me you''re going to reveal your identity to her?"


    ''''I am," Jun Zixuan nodded with a soft smile ying across his lips, ''''Rtionship can''t be based on lies.''''


    His voice was so casual as if he was talking about the weather but Mu Shen almost got a heart attack, "Stop smiling first," He snarled. That soft smile that can make the women go wet in their panties was currently giving him goosebumps, "Which rtionship are you talking about? Han Mei is the goddess of Crystal University. That girl has an egorge than all our heightsbined. Do you think she will agree to date if you propose her?"


    ''''She doesn''t like to socialize. That''s not ego. And even if she has an ego, I am fine with it. What has it go to with you?" Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    "They call Brother Xuan the male god so it''s only right for them to be paired," Gu Min interjected while driving the car.


    It was as if there was a bloom of spring in the car as Jun Zixuan smiled, "Triple your bonus for five years.''''


    Gu Min nced at the man through the rearview mirror, "Thank you, Brother Xuan."


    Mu Shen almost vomited blood, "You both are not seeing the logic here. I have known Xuan had his eyes set on her from the day he transferred here but she sees you as a friend¡­"


    "Brother Shen, stop being pessimistic. She only talks to Brother Xuan in the whole university, there must be some soft corner in her heart. Not that Brother Xuan is proposing for marriage. They could start from dating."


    Mu Shen slumped on the seat, "Aish! Han Mei is way too mysterious to me. I just don''t want Xuan to be heartbrokenter. It''s all precautions."


    "You should get yourself a girlfriend rather than worrying about me," Jun Zixuan coldly said.


    "Girlfriend? What sort of thing is that? I only want nightfriends. N.I.G.H.T.F.R.I.E.N.D.S, you get that?" Mu Shen harrumphed.


    ''''We''re here," Gu Min announced, parking the car on the campus.


    The three of them got off the car as Jun Zixuan took a deep breath.


    "Nervous?" Mu Shen walked towards him.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Mu Shenughed, "Okay, only a little right? Don''t worry. You, my dear friend, are capable of getting millions of girls without doing anything.''''


    "I only want her," The man muttered looking at the rose in his hand yet again, ''''Let''s go."


    Both the men nodded.


    Just as they were about to walk towards the ceremony venue, Jun Zixuan''s phone went off.


    ...


    A/N: Can you buy the 1 coin privilege to support this book for WINWIN? ^?^

 Chapter 110 - I’ll Marry Her

    Jun Zixuan took out his phone and nced at the caller ID before answering the call.


    ''''Steward Gu."


    Mu Shen and Gu Min also paused as thetter wondered why his elder brother would call at this time.


    "Master¡­That...Madam¡­"


    "What happened to Mom?" Jun Zixuan''s grip on the phone tightened.


    "Her condition is very unstable. She keeps on refusing to go to the hospital but¡­I came here to see if she is doing alright but I got to know that she hasn''t been taking her medications for weeks. Madam!!" Jun Zixuan could hear some rustling sound in the background, ''''Master, she has been coughing up blood¡­"


    "Pass her the phone," His voice grew softer.


    "Okay¡­Madam, Master wants to talk to you.."


    "Ah Xuan," Shen Lihua''s hoarse voice sounded over the phone.


    "Go to the hospital, Mom."


    "I don''t.."


    "I''ll marry whoever you want me to," His voice came out as a whisper as his grip on the rose loosened causing it to fall on the ground.


    He hung up the call before walking towards the car.


    Gu Min immediately ran after him.


    "Xuan¡­What if she asks about you?" Mu Shen asked looking at the man''s retreating back.


    The man paused, ''''Tell her I left," He softly said and got inside the car without looking back.


    ''''What if you regret this¡­?" Mu Shen mumbled, standing rooted to his spot as he watched the Sedan disappearing from his view.


    <i>*End of the shback*</i>


    ''''This and this¡­" Shi Luo showed the girl the prescription, pointing at the top 2 names on the top, "You must continue these medications for 3 months. Apply it on your scars twice a day alternatively¡­"


    ''''Luoluo," Yu Mei pushed open the door to her office only to realize there was a patient inside. "I''ll wait outside¡­"


    Shi Luo shook her head and pointed her chin towards the couch, "Just take a seat here¡­"


    Yu Mei paused for a moment before walking towards the couch.


    Shi Luo stood up and nced at the teenage girl in front of her, "Do you remember the instructions well?"


    ''''I do," The girl stood up and took the prescription from her hand, "Thank you, Dr. Shi. You are so sweet."


    "Less than you," Shi Luo smiled like a ''kind elder sister'' as she watched the girl leave.


    "That''s enough. You look like someone pointed a gun at your head asking you to smile," Yu Meiughed.


    Shi Luo stopped smiling and massaged her cheeks before walking towards her.


    She paused all of a sudden when her gazended on the woman''s face, "You¡­What happened? How could you.."


    It has been a few days since theyst met so the little changes on Yu Mei''s face did not go unnoticed by her.


    "It just happened. My face is going to the way it used to be," As much as she wanted to discuss the matter regarding Mia with Shi Luo but Mia was strongly against it and on the other hand knowing that her friend will be dead worried if she came to know about all these things, Yu Mei decided to keep mum about it.


    "You look so cute," Shi Luo pinched her cheeks, "And you have slimmed up a bit. Darling, I can''t wait for you to regain your golden figure and that stunning face. Ah...I''m so excited."


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Why do you have dark circles?" She asked looking at Shi Luo''s exhausted face.


    "Well, didn''t I say I''ll be move over to Beijing?"


    Yu Mei nodded, "I remember. What about that?"


    "I''ll have to go to Amaranthine for some procedures and paperwork so I''m working overtime here to make up for the next week since I''ll be not avable," Shi Luo said, adjusting her round sses. While speaking, she noticed her bag, ''''You went to the university?''''


    "Yes, I came back after the sses were over.''''


    Shi Luoughed, "Who would''ve thought you would be graduating twice?"


    ''''Don''t tease me.."


    "Fine fine."


    Yu Mei''s phone went off. She nced at the caller ID and answered the call, "Hey¡­Well, I''m at the hospital¡­No. Nothing''s wrong with me. I came here to meet Shi Luo¡­Why are you asking? Oh...Okay."


    After hanging up the call, she nced at Shi Luo who was looking at her with a weird gaze. "What is it?"


    "Was it your husband?"


    Yu Mei nodded.


    Shi Luo covered her mouth with the back of her hand, ''''You don''t haveints about being called his wife now. You guys must have made some progress.."


    "Stop talking nonsense and exaggerating things," Yu Mei waved her hand.


    Since she had morning sses today, she had to leave for university early today but to her surprise, Jun Zixuan had yet to wake up at 8 am. Since they have slept a few times together in the past, she knew that he usually woke up before 7 am.


    While Steward Gu offered to drop her but she rejected it.


    Since she had a car and she could drive, she found it unnecessary to bother someone about such trivial things.


    After finishing the sses, she decided toe to meet Shi Luo.


    "Why did he call you?"


    Under her friend''s doubtful gaze, Yu Mei shook her head, "He was just asking about my whereabouts and whether I am fine. What''s there to be so suspicious about?"


    While they talked about random things, they lost track of time.


    But soon, Shi Luo felt something was amiss, "Mei, what''s bothering you?" She asked.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow while her index finger kept tapping her wrist.


    "You do that when you are tensed about something," Shi Luo paused for a moment before adding, "Are you missing your brother?"


    Yu Mei stood up from the couch and walked towards therge window inside Shi Luo''s office room.


    She leaned against the ss and lowered her head.


    Shi Luo walked towards her, "Mei, we will get some clues about him soon. He is a public figure. Matters regarding the President of Amaranthine will make it to headlines one day or other. And everything will go back to normal after you divorce Zixuan¡­" She paused noticing the slight shift in Yu Mei''s expression, "Are you reluctant to let go of him? What are you going to do when Jian Yues back?"


    Right at the moment, Shi Luo wanted to know what was going on in her mind so that she could help her.


    Looking at her expressions, she could say that Yu Mei was bothered about something? But about what? She could just try to guess.


    ...


    ''''Master, here we are," Steward Gu parked the car and opened the door for Jun Zixuan, "I have texted you Miss Shi''s office room directions."


    Jun Zixuan nodded at him before walking inside the hospital.


    Steward Gu couldn''t help but smile as he nced at his Master''s retreating back.


    It looks like he could not stop caring and worrying about his wife at all.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the office room number on his phone before walking towards thest room in the hallway.


    The door of the office was slightly ajar. He checked the namete on the door of the room before raising his hand to knock¡­


    ''''Don''tpare Jian Yu to anyone else¡­''''


    Jun Zixuan paused, hearing the familiar voice.

 Chapter 111 - Not Feeling Well?

    "Don''tpare Jian Yu to someone else when you know what he means to me¡­"


    Jun Zixuan paused, hearing the familiar voice.


    "If he was here now, I will divorce Zixuan right this instant."


    ''Miss Yu has been asking about someone called Jian Yu since she woke up from thea,'' He was reminded of what Steward Gu had told him back then.


    The man standing outside the door heard every single word she uttered.


    Tucking his hand inside his pocket, he turned around and walked towards the elevator with her words still ringing in his mind.


    Back in Shi Luo''s office.


    "If Jian Yu was here now, I will divorce Zixuan right this instant¡­" Yu Mei tilted her face to the side and nced at Shi Luo, "This is what I''d have said before."


    "What about now?"


    "If we get divorced, I''ll stay with him till he needs me with matters regarding his mother. I''ll be there with him as long as he needs my help," She said softly.


    "And you are saying this as¡­?"


    Yu Mei smiled, "As his friend. I realize he is pretty important to me, be it back in the university days or now. So, I am not going to be a jerk and leave him as soon as I get what I want.''''


    ''''Say, will that cold-hearted man be touched if heard this?" Shi Luo asked.


    "I don''t think he is cold-hearted. He has been so good to me all along. He is just a...uhm...a bit moody? Just don''t call him cold-hearted.''''


    Shi Luo: "_" Why do I feel like discreet dog food was thrown on my face?


    Both of them talked for a few minutes before Yu Mei left the hospital since Shi Luo still had a lot of work to do.


    After driving back to Ren Mansion, she went to her room and freshened up first before changing into a pair offortable pyjamas.


    ''Knock Knock''


    "Who is it?" She asked.


    "Miss Yu, it''s me. Dinner is ready, pleasee downstairs," Steward Gu''s voice rang from outside the room.


    "I''ll be there."


    She nced at Mia who was peacefully sleeping on the bed. Hearing the sound of retreating footsteps, she stood up and walked out of the room.


    After properly locking the door, she went downstairs.


    "Where is Zixuan?" She asked Steward Gu when she noticed the empty dining table. Usually, he would be the first toe downstairs and wait for her for dinner.


    "Master is in the study," Steward Gu answered.


    "Is he not having dinner?" she asked.


    "Well, he has already eaten," He felt guilty for lying to her but he had to follow his Master''s order.


    In fact, the man was in a pretty good mood when he went to pick up his wife but Steward Gu was curious about what happened in the hospital that had his Master surrounded in gloom since evening.


    Moreover, it seems like Miss Yu was fine, so the couple could not have possibly fought, could they?


    But as curious as he was, he knew not to overstep his boundaries.


    Yu Mei frowned but eventually nodded and sat on the chair to have her dinner.


    Lisa, who was eavesdropping on their conversation while cleaning the floor, smiled. ''It seems like Master is done with her. This is a good opportunity,'' She put the mop aside and walked inside the kitchen before taking out her phone to make a call, ''''Hello, yes doctor. This is Lisa¡­Please keep it ready. Yes, I''ll get it tomorrow¡­" She hung up as her lips curved up in a vicious smirk, ''Yu Mei Zhen, I''ll see how you cling to Master''s thigh after this.''


    The next morning, Yu Mei did not get to see Jun Zixuan aftering back from the gym or before she left for university.


    In fact, she wanted to check on him but Steward Gu told her that he was busy with his work.


    And on the other hand, she was already gettingte for her sses so she left in a hurry. Since she had only three sses that day, they were over in three.


    Having no interest in socializing, she drove back to the mansion as soon as her sses were over.


    She entered the mansion only to be weed by a depressing silence in the living room. Why was it so cold here? She pursed her lips and rubbed her arms before walking inside.


    Her footsteps came to a sudden halt when she noticed Jun Zixuan sitting on the couch holding some papers in his hand.


    On his right, Steward Gu nced at him worriedly while on his left stood the maid named Lisa.


    Although the rest of the servants continued doing their work, she could say that they had their focus on him.


    "Zixuan¡­" She called out to the man. As he tilted his head upwards to nce at her, her brows tugged together, "You...why do you have dark circles? Do you want me to get some face mask for you?" As handsome as he looked, but his dark circles were pretty obvious.


    Why did he have to work so much? Did he take himself for some robot?


    Lisa scoffed as she inwardly thought, ''Let''s see how long you can call him by his name. Humph!''


    Steward Gu worriedly nced at her.


    It was only then Yu Mei noticed something amiss, "Is something wrong?" She asked, looking at Jun Zixuan''s nk face.


    Without replying to her, he threw the papers in his hand on the coffee table, "Check it,'''' His voice sounded somewhat hoarse.


    "Are you not feeling well?" She asked in concern, swiftly avoiding his words.


    He pointed his chin towards the papers.


    She raised an eyebrow and stepped ahead before picking up the papers from the coffee table.


    Why did he have to act so mysterious?


    As she nced at the papers, her face darkened.


    Was he kidding her?


    DNA Test Results?


    Moreover, it was a match.


    "What is this? Whose test results are these and why would you show this to me?"

 Chapter 112 - I Can Sue You

    Lisa nced at her and spoke up in a righteous tone, "Miss Yu, we all can see that you love Master. But in love, two people¡­"


    "Stop," Yu Mei raised her hand before she could go any further, "Speak in normalnguage. I''m weak in philosophy. Gives me a headache.''''


    Lisa''s expression almost faltered as she refrained from cursing her, ''Is this bitch mocking me?'' She thought to herself, unaware of the fact that Yu Mei really didn''t like philosophy.


    She just wanted to be exined about the matter in a few simple words.


    Yu Mei nced at Steward Gu, "Please, exin.''''


    "Miss Yu, this¡­this is the DNA test report between you and your daughter," Steward Gu said to which Yu Mei nodded her head casually and nced at Lisa.


    "See, this is how you exin things within a few words. Like Steward Gu said this is a DNA test report between me and my¡­" She froze, her brain malfunctioningpletely as her head turned towards Steward Gu in a sh, "Me and my what? Who did you say was a match with me?" She nced at the man in disbelief.


    "Daughter¡­ This is a DNA test report between you and your daughter," Steward Gu repeated, thinking that the woman was probably misheard.


    Even the servants also stopped doing their work and observed the whole fiasco.


    ''''You...Which daughter are you talking about? I am still at the age to be someone else''s daughter. Where would I get one for myself?" She threw away the test reports, "You people are crazy to even think about something so bizarre."


    The previous owner was a man-chaser? Check! She like touching men and getting touched by them? Check! But did she lose virginity? No check!


    Given her looks and figure, where would she get a man who would willingly sleep with her? Moreover, she was just 21 this year and she married Jun Zixuan 2 years ago, does that means she gave birth to a child when she was 18?


    Since she has got the memories, it was undoubtedly true that the girl was a pure virgin.


    It''s impossible for her to have a child.


    Lisa frowned as she spoke up in a deliberately soft tone as if she was afraid, ''''Miss Yu, how can you keep lying to Master like this? Doesn''t your conscience hurts?"


    "It doesn''t," Yu Mei rolled her eyes as she nced at Jun Zixuan who was silent all this while as if he was thinking about something.


    Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Lisa extended her hand towards her showing her a transparent packet.


    As Yu Mei looked at it, she noticed two hair strands inside it, one was dark while the other was silver-colored.


    And the realization started sinking inside the moment sheid her eyes on the long silver hair strand.


    She snatched the packet from the maid''s hand.


    ''Can''t keep your fa?ade any longer?'' Lisa smirked inwardly as she looked at Jun Zixuan, "That day, Miss Yu had given me her clothes forundry but I found a kid''s dress in theundry basket.?It had this hair strand on it. For the past few days, Miss Yu has been very cautious about her room. She won''t even let us go inside to clean it. It was very suspicious. In the end, I did not want Master to be betrayed so went ahead with the DNA test without asking for anyone''s permission. I hope Master forgives me."


    "You.." Steward Gu narrowed his eyes at Lisa say but even he could not bring himself to say anything on Yu Mei''s behalf because he has seen how the woman reacted that day in theundry room like she was hiding something.q


    "I am indeed hiding someone in my room¡­" Yu Mei spoke up after a long time, making up her mind.


    Jun Zixuan finally tilted his head upwards to nce at her.


    She continued, "But¡­"


    "Move over to the dormitory," The man said, his face remained nonchnt.


    ''''What?" Yu Mei nced at the man in disbelief, "You won''t even listen to my exnation?"


    The man did not reply causing her to re up in an instant, "You can believe everyone but not me? I thought we were friends all this while?"


    "Miss Yu, calm down. Here, drink this water," Steward Gu picked up the ss of water from the coffee table and passed it to her.


    She took a deep breath and held the ss of water in her hand, "Just let me exin first¡­You can''t act like this just because of some doubts, right? I¡­"


    ''''Take whoever you''re hiding with you and move out,'''' The man indifferently said.


    Her chest heaved up and down as she curled her fingers into a fist and, the car keys she was holding got pressed onto the delicate skin of her palm but she did not seem to have felt the pain.


    She sshed the water on his face, "You really are a cold-hearted jerk," She coldly said and hurled the ss to the other side.


    ''Crash'' The ss broke into pieces as the woman tossed the car keys to the floor.


    ''''What do you people take me for? Who gave you the right to act like this? Just because I''m being nice all this while, you think I''m gullible?'''' Yu Mei coldly said looking at all the servants who were enjoying the show before ncing at Lisa, "Do you know it''s illegal to take someone''s DNA sample without their consent? I can sue you right now.''''


    Lisa''s face turned pale in an instant.


    "Don''t worry," Yu Mei chuckled, her smile was less sweet and scarier, "I won''t. I''ll let you go since you are his beloved maid whom he trusts,'''' She pointed her chin towards Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched at her sarcastic remark while the woman walked towards him and pinched his chin with two fingers and tilted his face towards her, "And you¡­." Looking into his brown eyes, she coldly spoke, "You better not show your face in front of me ever again. Send the divorce papers with thewyer.''''


    He grabbed her wrist, applying a bit of pressure on it but not hurting her as he distanced her hand from his face.


    She swatted away his hand and walked upstairs without looking back at him.

 Chapter 113 - Try Me!

    ''Gasp''


    ''''I can''t believe she was sullied even before she married Master. It is already enough that Master is not kicking her out of the house¡­''''


    ''''That child looks to be around 3-4 years old."


    "Doesn''t that means she gave birth to her when she was 17 or 18?"


    "Look, what a beautiful child.''''


    "She must have got her father''s genes."


    "Miss Yu is beautiful too. She is just fat¡­"


    "What are you calling her Miss for? She is an unwanted woman now¡­Humph!"


    As soft as their voices were, those whispers seemed to be echoing in the quiet living room. Yu Mei hugged Mia tightly in her arms while she had her bag on her shoulder. She could hear all those voices.


    But she walked out of the mansion without looking back.


    As he looked at the little girl she was holding so protectively, his gaze shed.


    Jun Zixuan closed his eyes for a moment before opening them.


    He nced at her retreating back before looking at the car keys thrown on the floor.


    Following his Master''s gaze, Steward Gu found himself speechless. Who told you to act like this if you are so worried about her?


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at him.


    Steward Gu nodded, understanding what the man meant as he walked to the side before making a call.


    Yu Mei kicked away the pebble that came in her path as she nced at the sun that was awfully bright today. Usually, the weather would not be this hot.


    She sighed and continued walking forward while holding Mia awkwardly.


    She wrapped an arm around the sleeping girl and searched for cabs on her phone using the other hand.


    It was past 4 pm and as expected, there was not a single cab avable at this location. After all, a person living in a mansion as expensive as this won''t need it.


    She wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand and walked out of the gates of the mansion before looking around. "Where will I find a cab?'''' She mumbled to herself.


    She decided to call Shi Luo for help but the call did not go through which reminded her that she might have already left for Amaranthine.


    She sighed and nced at the sky, ''You killed me in first life and I got nopensation. On top of that, my second life is so miserable. I want a refund.''


    ''''Miss, where would you like to go?"


    ''''Miss,e with me.''''


    ''''Why would she go with you?"


    Three cabs appeared out of nowhere, stopping in front of her, as they fought for her amongst themselves.


    Yu Mei looked at them for a moment before looking back at the sky, ''Usually, you don''t respond to my prayers.''


    ''''Miss,e here¡­''''


    Just as she was confused about which one would she take, a fourth cab came into her view. She raised an eyebrow before looking at the trio, "Sorry, I''m taking that one," She said and quickly walked towards the cab before getting inside.


    "Miss, where are we going?" The old man nced at her from the rearview mirror.


    "Uh¡­" Yu Mei slumped back on the seat, "Just go round and round until I find a suitable stop," She said since she could not possibly go to uni dorms anymore since she didn''t pay that day and thest date for dorm admission was long over.


    Shi Luo''s phone is switched off and she had no idea where she keeps her spare key in this new apartment.


    ''''Uncle, why are there so many cabs in this ce today?" She asked the old man curiously.


    The man cleared his throat, "Our association has meeting nearby in some time.''''


    ''''Oh," She nodded, not doubting his words.


    Back in the Ren mansion.


    ''''Master, it''s done," Steward Gu walked towards the man.


    Jun Zixuan nodded and stood up and turned around to leave.


    ''''Master, I know the truth might hurt you today. I feel guilty for bringing this to light in such a way. But I can''t see that woman cheating on you¡­"


    "You feel guilty?" Jun Zixuan turned around to look at the woman''s face.


    Lisa nodded, "I didn''t want to do this but that¡­''''


    "I don''t see an ounce of guilt on your face," The man raked his fingers through his golden ash blonde hair. The gold flecks in his dark brown eyes seemed to be shining under the crystal chandelier.


    Lisa gulped, looking at how handsome he looked. Dressed casually in a ck T-shirt and denim jeans, the man could make anyone go weak in legs.


    His T-shirt seemed to be clinging to his body tightly, enhancing his rigid muscles and strong body. The short sleeves showcased his muscr biceps.


    Since Yu Mei had sshed water on his face, it was still wet making him appear sexier.


    How will it feel to have her legs wrapped around his waist and feeling his muscles? Lisa''s heart raced as she forgot how to breathe for a moment.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, "You don''t want your eyes anymore?"


    ''''Ah¡­?"


    ''''Even I can not bring myself to go against her wishes, how dare you!" The man said coldly. "You are fired!''''


    Lisa finally came back to her senses at this moment, "W-What did I do?" She stuttered fearfully, retreating a few steps back under his cold gaze. Despite her slightly trembling body, she mustered her courage to speak, "S-She was keeping a child hidden in her room. I did all this because¡­Because I care for you. I revealed it to you so that you won''t be fooled by her innocent appearance. How could you¡­How could you do this to me? I did it all because of you¡­" She walked closer to the man, "Master... I will serve you well. Please don''t fire me.


    "I can be worse," The corner of his lips tugged up as he nced at her in disdain, "Try me."


    His cold voice made all the people shudder as a sense of dread crept up in their hearts.


    Jun Zixuan turned around and nced at Steward Gu.

 Chapter 114 - Done Cultivating?

    ''''Fire everyone who had a single opinion about her," Jun Zixuanmanded the man.


    ''Gasp''


    Before anyone could open their mouth, he turned around and walked upstairs.


    Steward Gu sighed, "You all can leave, except for you and you," He pointed his finger towards the cook and an olddy who had stayed silent all this time.


    After spending years beside the man, how could he not understand what his current mood was?


    From the moment these people talked about Miss Yu, his Master''s expression worsened as if it was him who was being humiliated. So, Steward Gu was not that shocked with these oues.


    ''''No, please let us apologize to Master.''''


    ''''Yes, he will understand. We''ve worked for him for years¡­''''


    ''Thump''


    Realizing what was going on, Lisa snapped out of her trance and knelt in front of Steward Gu.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks as she begged, ''''Please, don''t fire me, Steward Gu. Convince Master, please¡­I can''t afford to lose this job..''''


    ''''Didn''t I tell you that that don''t offend Master? I told you that he won''t show pity to anyone. But you went along and stole Miss Yu''s DNA sample¡­"


    "But she really is cheating on him. She even hid her child in the mansion¡­"


    "Do you think Master is a fool who can''t see anything?" Steward Gu shook his head.


    All the people in the room were taken aback. Does it mean he knew she had a child yet he was ready to ept her?


    Steward Gu scoffed, ''''Even though he knew she was hiding something, he never stepped inside her room neither did he overstep his boundaries. Do you think you will be forgiven for doing that? For trying to humiliate and mock her? Get out before your punishments be severe.''''


    Lisa bit her bottom lips until they bled as she stood up from her ce and went to the servant quarters to pack along with the rest. This was not the oue she expected, she clenched her fists.


    All of them knew it will be useless for them to stay here and beg. It might even infuriate their Master further.


    After making a few calls, Steward Gu turned around and walked upstairs before knocking on the door of the Master Bedroom.


    ''''Come in,'''' came the hoarse voice of the man.


    Steward Gu stepped inside the room only to find the man changing his shirt which was drenched by his wife.


    No matter what, he felt like apuding Miss Yu''s courage for doing something like this.


    ''''Is it done?" Jun Zixuan asked, picking up a white shirt from the bed.


    Steward Gu replied, "I''ve made all the necessary arrangements in the university. Miss Yu will be getting the call soon.''''


    The man nodded.


    "Master, you haven''t eaten anything sincest night. Shall I get the food here for you?" He asked, noticing the man''s tired face.


    He was already not in a good mood since they came back from the hospital yesterday and to top it off, the blunder happened today.


    Even Steward Gu could not understand how Yu Mei could bring a child into the Ren Mansion without anyone noticing.


    From her reactions, it did not seem like she did not know the child and she also did not bother to exin¡­.Wait she had tried to but his Master did not listen to her.


    Sigh¡­Soplicated.


    "I''m not hungry," Jun Zixuan said, folding the sleeves of his white shirt.


    How could you not be hungry after not eating for so long? "Master, are you going somewhere?"


    "To the office.."


    Steward Gu was speechless, "But you''ve already finished one month''s work in advance so that you can drop Miss Yu at her university¡­'''' He trailed off realizing where this was going.


    Jun Zixuan paused. His gaze shed slightly. Closing his eyes for a moment, he raked his fingers through his hair, ''''Prepone all the business trips of this year. Bring all of them forward. We are leaving today,'''' He said before stepping inside the walk-in closet leaving the poor Steward in a trance.


    "_" Master~ I''m still a human, alright?


    ¡­


    Yu Mei sat on the bench in a children''s park as she felt the evening breeze hit her face. Since it was getting dark, all the children ying in the park left one by one with their parents.


    She removed the bag from her shoulder and made Mia properly sit on herp as she wrapped an arm around her so that the sleeping girl would not fall off.


    She checked her phone to see if she has received any calls but to her dismay, her phone was switched off reminding her that she hadn''t gotten it charged today. Moreover, she also forgot to bring the charger with her.


    Letting out a soft sigh, she leaned back on the wooden bench and nced at the darkening sky. The events of the day started shing in her mind as her beautiful starry eyes sparkled with tears. She blinked them away and took a few deep breaths.


    ''''Uhhh¡­"


    Yu Mei sat up in a sh sensing the movements of the girl sitting on herp. "Mia, are you awake?" She turned the girl slightly so that Mia''s face was visible to her.


    The small crimson lotus mark on her forehead shone as the girl opened her hazel eyes. She looked around the ce filled with different kinds of trees, "What are we doing here in a forest?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth.


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Park...This is called a park," she said, cing the girl beside her on the bench.


    Mia''s short legs dangled on the wooden bench but they didn''t reach the ground. She pursed her lips, a bit ashamed of her current size.


    "Are you done cultivating?" Yu Mei asked.


    "I can revert to my fox form for the time being but I haven''t gotten all my powers," replied Mia.


    Yu Mei nodded as she continued gazing at the sky.


    Realizing how awfully quiet she was, Mia narrowed her eyes, "Did something happen? Why are we here?"


    "Nothing much. We''ll leave after some time," Yu Mei said, not looking at her.


    Mia blinked. Is this woman taking me as a fool?


    Closing her eyes, she formed a connection with Yu Mei and looked through her memories, looking for the cause behind her sullen mood.

 Chapter 115 - Glamour Nightlife

    The more Mia looked into Yu Mei''s recent memories, the more her frown got deeper. When she finished going looking through all the incidents, she opened her mouth to speak, "So, this happened because of me? Are you alright?" She asked.


    Yu Mei''s head snapped towards her in an instant, "How did you know?" Mia could read her thoughts but she was sure that she was not thinking about what happened in the afternoon right now.


    "I can look into your memories," came the casual reply of the fox-turned girl.


    Yu Mei was speechless, "Exactly how many powers do you have? Sigh¡­just don''t use them on me anymore.''''


    ''''You didn''t tell me so I had to do that," said Mia, as she sat elegantly, crossing one leg above another, "Do you want to go back and exin to him? I don''t mind if you reveal my identity¡­" Her voice got smaller towards the end.


    Yu Mei could see how ufortable she was, "Don''t worry, I am not exposing your identity to anyone.''''


    ''''Then, what about your man?"


    The corner of her lips twitched, "Firstly, he is not my man. He did not give me a chance to exin myself so right now, I''m not interested in doing so anymore.''''


    ''''Then why do you look upset?" asked Mia, looking at her face.


    ''''Just disappointed with him," She sighed softly, "We have no marital rtions except for what we have on papers so it is not like I cheated him. But I am disappointed that he did not believe me and asked me to leave,'''' She softly said.


    Mia went silent for a moment. After looking into her memories, she got to know how those measly peasants mocked.


    Being inside the woman''s body for more than two decades, she was aware of how pampered she was.


    Han Jian Yu had always kept her in the palm of his hands, treasuring her like she was the most precious thing in the world. He kept her away from all the storms.


    As strong as she was, could she take such humiliation well?


    If that fussy brother was here, none of those people who mocked would have gotten a peaceful life.


    "What are you thinking?'''' Yu Mei asked looking at the girl''s distressed face under the moonlight.


    "One could sleep with men but can''t stay with them,'''' replied Mia.


    Yu Mei was speechless, "You''re talking as if you had many men?''''


    "I had plenty of them serving me, waiting on me. While someone helped me bathe then someone will warm my bed," The fox who was now a little girl twirled her long silver hair seductively, "Those were some good days.''''


    Yu Mei: "_"


    ''''Exactly how old are you?" She asked the little girl.


    Mia stroked her chin, falling into contemtion, "I turned 261-year-oldst month.''''


    Yu Mei: "_"


    ''''You really mean you are 2¡­261?" Yu Mei asked finally after finding her voice, "Didn''t you say you''re not an immortal, Elder?"


    Mia raised her finger as a light danced on the tip. She stroked the light at Yu Mei.


    ''''Ouch.." The woman winced feeling like someone flicked her forehead.


    "Who are you calling an elder? Her highness is still in the prime of her youth," Mia said, arrogantly lifting her chin.


    ''''Her highness? Were you some princess before?" Looking at the little girl nodding, Yu Mei understood why she was afflicted with princess syndrome.


    No wonder she thought the world was at her feet, so she was a princess.


    As self-centered or arrogant or cocky she was, Yu Mei found the girl just extremely adorable and felt a unique bond with her.


    Maybe it was because of the contract they shared or it was because they were simr to each other in many aspects.


    "261-year-old youth?" Yu Mei awkwardly asked. As much as they say one shouldn''t go on age or looks, but she was still amused looking at the girl who looked no more than 3 years old.


    ''''10 years of my life equal to one of yours. Don''t give me that look," Mia clicked her tongue disdainfully.


    (Gentle reminder: This is a work of fiction including a ''fantasy'' tag. No facts INCLUDED. If you find superman wearing his underwear inside his pants, please don''t judge him or fuss about it. >.<)


    "So, that means you should be around 26¡­but you don''t look like that," As she spoke, she was in a state of wonderment.


    "When you were being assassinated, I could have saved you but I knew the only way to break our contract is to let you die. And I did not want to be enved by a weak human," Even though she did not say it aloud, Yu Mei could see the guilt on the girl''s face.


    She patted her head, "It was not your obligation to save me."


    Mia swatted away her hand, letting out a yawn, she continued to speak, "But I never expected you to suck the essence of myst tail which was supposed to be myst life. I''ve never heard of it before. Unless I give someone a life willingly, no one can suck my life essence. Our bond was stronger than before and my power drained over the next days causing me to be in this child''s body¡­."


    Her voice got smaller and smaller towards the end and the girl turned back to the small silver fox. Yu Mei cradled the baby fox in her arms, ''''Mia, what''s wrong?"


    ''''Tired...I want to sleep,'''' Mia mumbled softly and disappeared into thin air.


    Yu Mei looked around to check that no one has witnessed but then she was reminded that Mia could sense if there are any humans nearby.


    Since she came to her real form, she must have made sure that no one was there.


    Talking to Mia had distracted her mind a bit but once she disappeared, Yu Mei found herself feeling lost once again


    Sighing, she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder before walking out of the park.


    As she walked along the highway, something on the other side of the road caught her attention


    In bold neon-colored letters shone the name ''The mour nightlife''.

 Chapter 116 - Zixuan 1, Zixuan 2 And Zixuan 3

    ''''The whole bottle,'''' She pointed her chin towards the bottle of whiskey.


    The bartender who was refilling her ss for the tenth time, looked at her in amazement and a bit of concern, "Miss, can you take it?"


    "Of course, I can¡­" Yu Mei slurred. She picked up the bottle of drink and downed his contents in one go. As the burning sensation intensified in her throat, so did her feelings, "You¡­have escorts here?" She asked looking at the bartender who nodded, "Good. Get me the best material."


    The bartender was speechless but he still looked at his friend, "Go, tell them to send the best escort for the young miss here," Though the girl was chubby and looked worn out, but she reeked of wealth from head to toe in her expensive outfit.


    Not to mention, her beautiful doll-like face, one nce at her was enough to ensure that she belonged to some prominent family so he did not want to offend her.


    ''''Wait¡­" Yu Mei propped her chin on her palm, "Not one. I want three.'''' She muttered showing two fingers at the man.


    ''''Young Miss has heavy tastes¡­" The man mumbled before turning to look at the staff, "You heard her. Go get three of the best escorts," The other man nodded and left.


    ''''You''re obedient." With her face flushed slightly because of the alcohol, she blinked her starry eyes at the man.


    "Of course. Young Miss, do you want something else?" The man came over to bootlick his biggest customer of the day.


    "Most expensive Wine you got..." She replied almost immediately.


    The bartender could almost imagine a holy cash cow sitting in front of him. ''''Sure..'''' He got the bottle for her.


    She blinked and fumbled with her bag for a long time and took out a gold car before passing it to the man, "I like obedient people the most. Here, this is Luoluo''s card. Spend all the money and give me more wine¡­" She slurred and picked up the bottle, downing half its contents.


    Dor bills shed in the man''s eyes, "Miss Luoluo is so nice..''''


    Yu Mei couldn''t agree more, ''''Indeed.''''


    Soon, the escorts were presented to her.


    The man returned the gold card to her before asking, ''''Young Miss, these are the best ones we have here," The bartender asked ''''Shall I arrange the room?"


    At this point, a few people around them have been noticing the extravagant girl. It was nothing new for rich girls to seek escorts at a ce like this but a girl having three escorts at once was quite a sight to see.


    She shook her head and extended her legs towards the barstool in front of her as she observed the three men, "Hmm¡­They are good.." Shemented, satisfied.


    All the three men surrounded her looking at the gold in her hand.


    ''''You¡­You are Zixuan 1.." She said, pointing at the man standing towards her left. She then nced at the man standing near her leg, "Zixuan 2¡­and you are Zixuan 3¡­" She said, to the man on her right.


    ''''Young Miss, is it some roley? And shall we go to the room?'''' One of the escorts asked looking at his brothers.


    ''''My game, my rules. You y, I pay. Got it?'''' she asked to which they nodded eagerly looking at the shiny gold card in her hand.


    It seemed a very exciting and stimting kind of roley.


    Yu Mei smiled, downing the entire wine down her throat. Her brain turned fuzzy for a moment as the sweet taste dominated her?mouth as she looked at the bartender, "One more!'''' She said before looking at her Zixuans.


    Her vision was turning blurry because of the alcohol but she blinked, "Zixuan 1¡­''


    ''''Yes, Young Miss?" The man with brown hair immediately straightened up realizing that it was time to show his skills. He was surprised that a woman would want their service in public but he had no hesitation over that.


    Just as he started stripping himself, the woman spoke up again, "You will massage my legs," Not noticing their dumbstruck expressions, she continued, ''''Zixuan 2 will fill my ss, and?Zixuan 3 will massage my shoulders.''''


    ''''Start now! I don''t like disobedient people,'''' She coldly said and the men snapped out of their trance before getting to their jobs.


    They were however weeping in their hearts. Where is their dignity as the hottest male escorts?


    This time, Yu Mei sipped her drink from the ss slowly while enjoying their service, "Roses are red violets are blue¡­" She mumbled and looked at the man who was massaging her legs, "Zixuan 1¡­You¡­Repeat after me¡­''''


    ''''Roses are red, Violets are blue¡­" Zixuan 1 spoke up coyly.


    At this point. Some people nearby have already started to record the unusual scene ying out in the club.


    Yu Mei nodded, "Roses are red, Violets are blue. I have never seen a bigger jerk than you.''''


    ''''Roses are red, violets are blue. I have never seen a bigger jerk than you," The man repeated after her, massaging her legs a bit coquettishly this time.


    She kicked his hand away, "Are you calling me a jerk?''''


    The man wanted to cry for real, "Roses are red, violets are blue. I, Zixuan 1, have never seen a bigger jerk than me."


    An evil smile crept unto the woman''s lips, "Zixuan 2. Repeat after me."


    "Yes, young Miss.''''


    ''''Carrots are orange, apples are red. I, Jun Zixuan, am a big dumb head.''''


    The man obediently repeated the sentence.


    The woman giggled, extremely pleased with herself.


    ''''Young Miss, you left me," Zixuan 3 cried.?''''How could I?" Yu Mei waved her hand. Her vision was a bit blurry, she rubbed her eyes, ''''Grapes are green¡­Orange is o-orange,'''' She slurred.


    Zixuan 3 excitedly repeated, ''''Grapes are green, orange is orange¡­''''


    ''''I, Jun Zixuan, am mentally challenged!"


    The onlookers: "_"


    They felt sympathy for the person named Jun Zixuan even though they did not know him.


    Comrade, how did you provoke this devil?

 Chapter 117 - She Looked Like Young Miss

    Yu Mei was excited that she could vent her frustration by bullying Zixuan 1, 2, and 3 but they were so docile that she soon lost her interest. The original Jun Zixuan would never be this submissive so her revenge certainly did not taste sweet.


    After shooing the escorts away, she stood up from the barstool and walked towards the exit but she could not seem to figure out where the exit was. Her head was aching terribly as she staggered back and forth.


    ''''Ah¡­" She winced when she bumped into someone in the process.


    "Are you blind?" Rubbing her eyes harshly, she tried to clear her blurry vision as she tilted her head to look at the person who bumped into her, "B-Brother¡­?" was the first word that escaped her mouth looking at the man behind the silver mask which covered half of his face.


    She immediately hugged his shoulder, desperately clinging to him so that he won''t disappear.


    ''''Do you want to die?" The man''s cold voice sounded above her head.


    She grew up hearing that ever so familiar voice. It sounded like music to her ears.


    "I do¡­I do.." She nodded like a chicken before shaking her head frantically, "No..No..I don''t."


    ''''Stay away," The man who was talking on the phone pushed her away ruthlessly but she clung to his arm like a ko.


    A man came from behind, "Sir, I''ll deal with her¡­"


    The man nodded without ncing at the person who was reeking of alcohol, "Fast," Hemanded.


    ''''Yes¡­."


    "Brother...Why did youe sote?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she tilted her head to look at the man.


    It was only then did the person turn his head to look at her.


    ''''Stop,'''' He said when his man approached to take away the girl who was clinging to him.


    "Brother," She looked at him unblinkingly with a stubborn gaze that said ''I am your sister''.


    The man instinctively raised his hand towards her face but he quickly put it down when he realized what he was doing, ''''You got the wrong person,'''' he said, his voice was softer than before.


    "Brother¡­"


    Looking into those dark starry eyes, myriads of emotions shed on his face.


    Before he could say anything, he noticed that a few people were looking at them. He touched the mask on his face. It was still there then why were people looking their way?


    Little did he know that the person who was clinging to him was overnight fame in the club.


    Many people who had witnessed her fiasco could not help but look at her again and again.


    ''''Let go," He said but the woman hugged his arm even tighter.


    ''''Get the car," He said to the man standing beside him and walked towards the exit still with the woman clinging to him while holding his hand in a death grip.


    ''''Will you let go of me now?" He asked as soon as they were out of the ce as they stood under a tree.


    ''''I''ve been looking for you for weeks¡­Brother, where had you d-disappeared to?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "I suffered a lot. I don''t want to be here anymore. I-" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she loosened her grip on the man''s hand and hugged his waist burying her face in his chest, ''''I-I should have listened to you."


    Not knowing what to do, the man raised his hand to stroke her back.


    ''''Yu Mei Zhen?" A voice sounded from behind causing him to pause in his action, realizing that the person in his arms was mistaking him for someone else while he was seeing someone else through her.


    He distanced her from himself and turned around to look at the person who came, "You know her?" He asked.


    "My ssmate," Li Shuang answered, looking at the Yu Mei who could barely keep her eyes open but she did not have any intentions of leaving the man''s arm.


    The man nodded, "That''s better then," He tried to shake her off but the woman did not budge from her position, ''''I''ll drop you both. Is that fine?"


    Li Shuang hesitated as she looked at her phone. As she nced at Yu Mei''s current condition, she eventually nodded, ''''I''ll thank you then.''''


    As they sat in the backseat of the ck sedan, Li Shuang tried to pull Yu Mei towards herself but she was busy hugging the mysterious man who was sitting on the other side.


    As the car pulled off in front of her apartment, a frown settled on Li Shuang''s cold face as she looked at Yu Mei who had already fallen asleep in the man''s arms while the man sat straight like he did not care. Because of his mask, she could not see his expressions.


    ''''Mister, can you get someone to send her upstairs?" She asked straightforwardly. From the moment they got inside the car, she noticed there were many cars following after this one so it did not take her long to guess that they might be working under this man.


    She could not pick up a sack-like Yu Mei so the only option left was to ask for his help again.


    ''''Yes,'''' Said the man without looking at her. And as soon as he said that, the man who was sitting on the shotgun seat alighted the car and opened the door to the backseat before effortlessly carrying Yu Mei.


    ''''Thank you," Li Shuang nodded at the man sitting in the car before pointing the way for the person who was carrying Yu Mei, ''''This way, please¡­"


    The man removed the silver mask off his face revealing his devilishly handsome features.


    ''''Sir, she looked like young Miss¡­" The driver said, ncing at the man''s emotionless face.


    ''''She did."


    "If Young Miss was here, she would have gotten jealous that another girl called you brother," As much he knew the man, the driver was sure that he would not have let that girl approach him if not for her familiar face, let alone drop her here.

 Chapter 118 - Why Would She Call Me?

    A rare gentle expression appeared on the man''s face before disappearing like it was an illusion, ''''Are those people here?" he asked, his voiceced with ruthlessness.


    ''''Yes,'''' The driver replied, noticing the sudden change in his expressions.


    The man nced at his wristwatch before looking at the dark sky, "Their time is over. Drive," He said almost in a whisper.


    The next morning.


    ''''Ahh¡­.my head hurts," Yu Mei squeezed her eyes shut as she rolled on the bed, "Zixuan¡­get me coffee¡­" She shouted pressing the pillow on her face as fast as she could.


    ''''Who is he? Are you talking about the man from yesterday?" Li Shuang asked in an aloof tone as she stepped inside the room with a bowl of hangover soup in her hand.


    Yu Mei froze for a moment before throwing away her pillow. She opened her eyes and squinted adjusting her vision to the surroundings.


    The bed she was sleeping on was not her usual king-sized bed, neither was the room extravagant and gaudy pink themed. It was just an ordinary small room.


    ''''You¡­" It took her a moment toe to her senses as the memories of yesterday shed in her mind.


    Jun Zixuan, that scoundrel had kicked her out of the house.


    She gently massaged her throbbing temples thinking about how many drinks she had yesterday. She even dreamt of her brother¡­Wait¡­ "What do you mean by the man from yesterday? And what am I doing here?"


    It felt like someone has cut open her head.


    Li Shuang kept the bowl on the bedside table and helped her up.


    As Yu Mei leaned back on the headboard of the bed, she nced at her questioningly.


    ''''I had a date with my boyfriend yesterday but he could not be there so¡­"


    "He stood you up? Unmanly!" Yu Mei scoffed as she continued to massage her forehead.


    Li Shuang pursed her lips as she nced at the woman coldly, "When I was returning, I found you hugging a man in front of that club. Your condition looked unstable so I approached you. That man dropped us here. You were clinging to him all the way in the car.''''


    Yu Mei''s gaze shed slightly before she masked her expressions.


    ''''It had nothing to do with you. Why would you approach me?"


    Li Shuang appeared a bit ufortable with the question as she averted her gaze, "You were drunk. I was not aware of your rtionship with that man. I did not want you to be taken advantage of," She should''ve ignored her but at that moment, she knew she might regret it if anything happened to her, "Have the soup," She said, standing up from the bed and turning around to leave the room.


    ''''Wait!"


    She paused and turned around to look at Yu Mei.


    ''''Thank you," Yu Mei smiled a bit as she continued, "Li Shuang, I''ll be saying this only once. You can avoid it if you want to."


    Li Shuang nced at her with a hint of curiosity.


    ''''Towards your boyfriend, I have no feelings. So, I won''t mind it if you stop treating me like an enemy.''''


    "You almost kissed him," replied Li Shuang in a low voice.


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched, "It''s in the past. You shouldn''t think about it anymore. What has already happened won''t change anymore¡­Besides, I have someone I love,'''' she added thest sentence after contemting a bit.


    Lying was not good but she did not want to continue being at loggerheads with a nice person like Li Shuang for a man and the previous owner.


    Li Shuang nced at her, "I¡­"


    "Take your time. I am not asking you to be my friend. Let''s just stop acting like enemies," Yu Mei softly said, still massaging her head.


    ''''Have the soup. You will feel better," Li Shuang said, looking at her pale face.


    ''''How did he look like?" Yu Mei asked all of a sudden.


    "What?"


    "The man from yesterday¡­How did he look like?"


    Li Shuang shook her head, "He was wearing a mask¡­''''


    ''''A silver mask?" Yu Mei interrupted.


    Li Shuang nodded, "Yeah. But he was rich and mysterious. His car was luxurious and there were many such cars following after."


    "Got it," Yu Mei clenched the nket in her fist.


    "Have the soup and freshen up. I''ll make the breakfast," As soon as she walked out of the room, Yu Mei slumped on the bed feeling no motivation to move or whatsoever.


    She thought she was dreaming and in her dreams, she met her brother wearing that silver mask. But now that Li Shuang has confirmed that there was indeed a man involved in yesterday''s event, that made her wonder whether it was her brother or she mistook some else for him.


    But then again, what would Jian Yu do in Beijing?


    How would she confirm whether it was him?


    ''''Mia..Mia¡­''''


    Why does she have to hibernate all the time? Was she a fox or a bear?


    There was no reply from the fox indicating that she was still asleep which means she might not have seen anything.


    She was so drunk that she could not even remember what she did yesterday. Everything appeared blurry.


    Her alcohol tolerance was pretty high in her previous life. Whenever Shi Luo and her went clubbing, it would always be Shi Luo who got drunk fast. But she forgot that she had a new body now.


    ''Ring¡­Ring¡­''


    Just as she was recounting everything, the ringing sounds of her phone caught her attention. Following the ringing sounds, she nced at the other side of the bed where her phone was kept.


    She remembered it was switched off yesterday because of the low battery. Did Li Shuang get it charged for her?


    Reminding herself to thank herter, she grabbed the phone before looking at the caller ID.


    A string of unknown numbers was shing on her phone.


    Her brows furrowed slightly as she answered the call, "Who is this?" She asked.


    ''''Student Yu, I''m the Associate Professor of your ss.''''


    Yu Mei sat up on the bed, "Good morning, Professor Zhang. How may I help you?''''


    There was a pause on the other side before thedy spoke, "It''s afternoon right now.."


    She speechlessly nced at the time on her phone before replying, "Sorry. Good Afternoon.''''


    ''''That''s fine. I had something to discuss with you."


    ''''Yes, Prof. I am listening," she said, waiting for her to continue speaking while wondering why would the Professor call her?

 Chapter 119 - To Live The Last Life Properly

    In the cafeteria.


    Yu Mei stood in the queue waiting for her turn toe. As pathetic as it was, she was going to eat the same food she once despised.


    When her turn came, she simply paid the money and selected a decent set of meal for herself.


    ''''Excuse me?" She looked at the owner of the cafeteria who was ncing at her unblinkingly.


    ''''Miss, can you turn your face to the right?" The man asked.


    She turned her face to the right, "Is there something on it?"


    "A bit left please¡­"


    She raised an eyebrow but eventually turned her face to the left as there was no harm in it.


    Something seemed to have clicked in his mind as he immediately ran inside.


    ''Weird..'' She thought to herself and went to take a seat on the table while waiting for her order to be served.


    Yesterday was very uneventful as she spent the whole day in Li Shuang''s ce who left for a date with her boyfriend.


    Professor Zhang''s call was a surprise for her. And what she said turned out to be a very pleasant surprise at a moment like this.


    Mia had yet to wake up but she was not worried about the fox this time as it was still in her body and she could feel their mind connection, leading her to know that she was just sleeping and there was nothing wrong with her.


    While she was thinking about this, her food was served on the table, its aroma hovering around her nose.


    Maybe because she did not eat anything in the morning, she was so hungry that this unappetizing food also looked delicious to her.


    She thanked the waiter before digging in.


    And only one bite was enough to change her cloudy mood to rainbow. The food seemed likeing straight from a seven-star hotel.


    ''Maybe only their sandwich is bad and the rest of the food is good,'' she thought to herself and continued stuffing it in her mouth until a childish voice rang in her mind.


    ''I thought you were losing weight?''


    Yu Mei paused, ''Mia, are you awake?''


    ''Yes.''


    ''We have a lot of things to discuss,'' She said and quickly finished her food before walking out of the cafeteria.


    As soon as she entered the dorms, she quickly shut the door behind her. ''''Come out,'''' She said and in a sh, Mia appeared in front of her in her fox form before transforming to her human form immediately.


    ''''You¡­You look a bit taller," Yu Mei said after scanning the girl from head to toe.


    Mia nced around the ce they were in as she yed with her long silver hair, ''As I recover my powers, I''ll recover my real form along with it,'''' she answered before looking at her in confusion, ''''Where are we?"


    ''''Uni dorms," Yu Mei answered before exining it to her in detail.


    In fact, till yesterday, she was also sure that she would not get to stay in the dormitory considering that thest date for the admission process and fees payment was long over but she was taken aback when Professor Zhang informed her that the final dates are postponed and she can still live in dorms.


    What surprised her further was why would Professor Zhang call her personally to inform her about this to which the professor''s reply was, ''I am calling all my students who haven''t paid for dorms to inform about it personally.''


    And it did not seem over the top considering Professor Zhang''s antics.


    ''You can even invite your friends or bring someone to stay with you,'' Thedy further added before hanging up, leaving Yu Mei praising the university''s nice facilities.


    They really do care about their students.


    ''''Oh? So that''s how it is," Mia elegantly walked towards the bed and took a seat, "What did you want to talk about?"


    ''''I think I saw my brother but I was so drunk that I could not remember it properly. Sight...What to do now?"


    Mia nced at her, "I''ll check your memories,'''' As soon she said that, she closed her eyes and connected their minds, before looking through all the past memories in the two days she was asleep.


    As she opened her eyes, she nced at Yu Mei begrudgingly, "How could you have both men and wine alone?" was the first thing she asked, "I also want to go to that brothel."


    "B-Brothel?" Yu Mei was speechless. As soon as she asked that, her blurry memories gradually got clearer as it yed like a movie under Mia''s control.


    ''''It was really him¡­'''' Yu Mei said after a long time. A smile crept up her lips as she looked at Mia, "It was my brother."


    "He was wearing a mask," the little girl said, disinterestedly.


    ''''I can recognize him no matter how many masks he wears.''''


    "And why will you be so happy about it? You were wasted that night and you both could not reunite," Mia was curious about it. Shouldn''t she feel regretful instead of feeling happy?


    "At least, I''m sure that he is safe. It bothered me to see no updates about him in tabloids. But now that I am sure he is fine, I''ll find a way to contact him anyway," She felt regretful for sure but something was better than nothing. At least, her brother was fine.


    "T...Tab?"


    "Tabloids¡­.the ones which tell you about news or updates about famous people.."


    Mia nodded, "I want to learn all these things from you," She thought for a moment before continuing, "Since this is myst life, I want to see the world and live properly.''''


    Yu Mei paused, "I''ll teach you. But you must have a longer life than me. What are you worried about?" Even if she was not an immortal, she would still live past centuries, won''t she?


    Mia blinked for a moment before lowering her head as she looked at her small fingers.


    ''''Mia, there is one more thing."


    "What?'''' She tilted her head only to find the woman looking at her with a slightly nervous gaze and that made Mia curious about what the matter could be.

 Chapter 120 - Wreaking Havoc On Earth

    Yu Mei recounted the events of the day when she bumped into the Yu siblings and how her body felt uneasy at the sight of Daniel Yu.


    "Do you think the previous owner of this body is not dead yet and is sharing the same body with me?" She was horrified at the directions of her thoughts.


    Having another soul in the body means whole heap ofpromises. She preferred coffee but what if the other soul wanted tea?


    Till this day, she was living peacefully in this body without such hassles. So, if there was another soul, why didn''t it show up till now?


    "That''s impossible,'''' Mia shook her head.


    ''''How can you be sure?"


    "That''s because I know about every corner of your body,'''' Mia indifferently stated.


    Yu Mei was speechless, "Sounds indecent¡­"


    Miaughed softly before speaking, ''''It has nothing to do with having another soul in your body. It is just one of the girl''s resentment before she died.''''


    ''''Resentment?"


    The little girl nodded, "Only her regrets and resentment will make you feel like that. From what I can read, it is her feelings towards her brother that makes you so ufortable at the sight of him. I''ll help you get rid of it after a few days.''''


    Yu Mei remained silent as she contemted over it. In fact, from the memories, she was sure that the previous owner chased after every pretty man but her real feelings could not be read by simply having the memories. Since there was such intense reactions towards Daniel Yu, that means her feeling for him must be deep too.


    Not to forget that a few times, she found herself having weird and sometimes lusty thoughts regarding Jun Zixuan. Although it was not painful or extreme, but her heart had raced a few times. So, her guess at that time was not wrong. It was the previous owner''s feelings.


    ''''The matter regarding your man has nothing to do with anyone else''s regret. It is all your own feelings," Mia folded her arms in front of her chest, enjoying how the woman''s expression morphed from understanding to disbelief.


    ''''My feelings¡­?"


    "Yes.''''


    Two monthster.


    France.


    ''m''


    ''Bam''


    The people standing in front of the Presidential suite flinched when they heard the soundsing from inside.


    Gulping softly, all of them focused their attention on the man who was standing there with a frigid expression on his face.


    Steward Gu nced at them, "What?" He asked.


    "Why is it stormy today?"


    ''''What are you talking about?"


    "We are talking about Chief''s mood. Why is it unusually stormy today?" One of the directors quickly rified to which his colleagues nodded their heads, wanting to know the cause.


    As haughty, proud and aloof he was, their chief was not usually an unreasonably grumpy and short-tempered man. Despite his young age, his calmness and maturity was not something to be underestimated. But¡­


    The past two months have been like a ride to hell on daily basis. The devil was exceptionally moody during these months. One small mistake would be enough to tick him off.


    For example, take a recent example where their chief was signing some papers but the pen stopped working despite having ink in it. The next day, the century old pen brand met its end for producing ''faulty products''.


    This was the tip of iceberg. There were many such incidences.


    And today was exceptionally exceptional. Two employees have been fired and one has been dismissed for six months within fifteen minutes.


    Steward Gu pursed his lips. Of course, he knew the reason but they couldn''t be said out aloud.


    Soon a man walked out of the Presidential suite with his head lowered.


    ''''What happened? Fired?" His colleagues surrounded him.


    ''''Suspended for two months and bonus cancelled for a year. He said I shoulde back after learning the number system."


    ''''What did you do?" asked Steward Gu.


    The employee scratched the back of his neck, "Wrongly added an extra zero in the contract.''''


    "_"


    Soon, all the employees left the hotel while Steward Gu stood outside the Presidential suite contemting which would be the best approach to call the Master for dinner.


    While he was thinking about it, he noticed a shy neon colour from the corner of his eyes. Turning his head, he let out a sigh of relief, "Young Master Mu," He bowed.


    Mu Shen looked towards the left and right before removing his neon coloured cap and shades.


    "It''s better to stay safe. My superstar aura will gather bees and butterflies from all the corners of the world," He softly said still looking around to make sure that there was no one.


    Dressed in an all ck outfit with his ck jeans ripped here and there, the man looked more like a thief than a superstar but Steward Gu kept that information to himself. ''''It is a surprise to see you here,'''' A very pleasant one. He added in his mind.


    ''''Oh, I was shooting nearby so came over to meet Xuan," It was only then did he notice something amiss, "Steward Gu, you appear troubled.''''


    Steward Gu smiled wryly before reciting his sad tale that started over thest two months.


    His Master being a superhuman, worked for more than 16 hours while he being a human, contributed over 14 hours. But¡­No, he is notining about that. Not at all.


    All the business trips of the whole year were preponed and in these two months, they would travel to a new country within every five days. So much so that he was ne sick right now. But he was notining about that.


    Mu Shen frowned, "Then what exactly are youining about?''''


    Steward Gu nkly looked at the man for a moment. ''''Three men started pursuing Miss Yu today while Miss Yu had lunch with the captain of the Basketball team. I updated Master about it as usual but he lost his appetite in the afternoon and¡­" was wreaking havoc on Earth, firing and dismissing people.

 Chapter 121 - Am I Pretty Enough?

    ''''Three men started pursuing Miss Yu today while Miss Yu had lunch with the captain of the Basketball team. I updated Master about it as usual but he lost his appetite in the afternoon and¡­" was wreaking havoc on Earth, firing and dismissing people.


    The man even nitpicked that the curtains in his suite didn''t look good causing the manager to personally handpick new curtains.


    In fact, this was not new, in these two months, Jun Zixuan did not go to meet or see Yu Mei, but not a single piece of information about her escaped his ears. From the color of her dress to the height of her heels, he made sure to be updated about everything. but at the same time, he warned them to not spy on her. They were just ''gathering information''.


    With everything came the information of the guys who were pursuing her over this period. And whenever a new guy pursued her, the man?here will drown himself in tanks of vinegar and spit fire through his mouth thereafter.


    Mu Shenughed and continuedughing until tears spilled from the corner of his eyes, ''''Fatty is being pursued? Are those guys blind or what?''''


    Steward Gu opened his mouth to say something but a cold voice rang out from the Presidential suite, shocking both of them, ''''Mu Shen!!''''


    Soon, Mu Shen found himself standing in front of a certain block of ice while holding a bucket filled with water above his head.


    The block of ice folded his arms in front of his chest, "Will you repeat it?"


    "No..No.. I''ll never repeat."


    "Repeat what?" Jun Zixuan asked, his elbow rested on the arm of the European-styled sofa while he supported the side of his face on his fist.


    Mu Shen shrank under his piercing gaze, "I-I will never call her fatty again. I''ll call her Mei," He said trying to bring the bucket down only stop when the look in the man''s gaze intensified. "What now?" He asked in frustration.


    ''''You can call her Yu Mei or sister-inw.''''


    ''''I''ll stick to Yu Mei. I don''t have a brother like you," He let out two humphs before putting the bucket down and massaging his shoulders. He settled on the other side of the sofa as he nced at the man, ''''Since you left her, what''s wrong with her being pursued by others? Shouldn''t she move on and live her life well?" He asked.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man, "Who said I left her?"


    "Didn''t you?" Mu Shen nced at him in confusion, "You kicked her out of the house and didn''t go back to her in these days. Isn''t it the same as sending her to the cold pce after she lost your favor?''''


    ''''Noisy.''''


    Mu Shen was speechless.


    "I wanted to ensure my feelings," Jun Zixuan replied without looking at the man.


    His anger was fuelled by the conversation he overheard regarding divorce. He regretted asking her to get out of the mansion in the next second. But nothing could be done as she would not have stayed after he askd her to get lost.


    At that time, many thoughts were running in his mind leading to this decision in the end.


    ''''And what kind of way is this to ensure your feelings?" Mu Shen looked at him in disbelief, "You literally pushed her to those college hunks'' arms. God knows who will catch her? You should know that as a certified man chaser, Yu Mei Zhen is obsessed with pretty men. Then¡­"


    Jun Zixuan nced at him, raising an eyebrow, "Am I not pretty enough?"


    Mu Shen: "_"


    Is he thinking of selling his body to lure that woman?


    ''Knock Knock''


    ''''Come in."


    ''''Master, shall I bring the dinner now?" Steward Gu asked stepping inside the suite.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch. He loosened his tie with his left hand while his other hand was tucked inside his pocket as he walked towards therge French window in the suite and nced at the citylights.


    "Call Alex. It''s time to go back.''''


    To meet my wife.


    Imperial University, Beijing.


    A guy holding a pile of books walked towards the exit of the university but someone bumped into him, causing the book in his hands to fall. He gritted his teeth looking at the books on the ground, "Are you b¡­"lind¡­Thye rest of the words he was about to utter got stuck in his throat when his gazended on the person standing in front of him.


    Donned in a dark cyan-colored slim fit high neck top, enhancing her hourss figure which was paired with a white pencil skirt, she had the appearance of an enchantress. Her mid-length vulcanite-ck hair crashed over her shoulders. Her sherbet lips had the shade of a rosebud. Dark starry eyes that shone under the dim lightings.


    "Oh...I am sorry. I didn''t notice you," Her clear voice resounded snapping him out of his daze.


    Her crescent-shaped eyebrows inclined slightly noticing his weird behavior.


    His face flushed red, "S-Senior, it''s my fault for not noticing you¡­I.." The guy quickly picked up the books from the ground before running away without looking back at her.


    Yu Mei nced at his retreating back before tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. ''''Youngsters these days¡­are weird.'''' She muttered to herself while thinking about what happened to that guy.


    It was not like she was a ghost that he ran away like that.


    A cold gust of wind swept by causing her to shiver slightly. She rubbed her arms and quickly walked towards the dorms, inwardly chastising Mia to get her a sleeveless dress in such cold weather.


    As soon as she got inside the room, she removed her white stilettos and kept them on the shoe rack before walking towards Mia who was reading a book.


    ''''You''ve finished all these?" She asked the girl, who now looked like two years older than what she looked two months ago.


    Back then she appeared to be a three year old while right now she appeared to be around five.


    Mia followed her gaze and looked at the pile of books kept beside her, "Yes¡­This will be thest one for today."


    Yu Mei was speechless, "Mia, I''m really jealous. I wish I had a photographic memory like you."


    Unlike before, the girl was not confused about the usage of modern terms. She tilted her chin haughtily like the princess she was, "Not everyone is as talented as me."


    Yu Mei scoffed, "We need to do something about your arrogance.''''


    Mia chuckled, "Unfortunately, you''re still a weak human to deal with me."


    Yu Mei was speechless. This fox never left a chance to mock her.


    "How was your day?" Mia asked.

 Chapter 122 - Tradition?!

    "My day was all good," Yu Mei said casually leaning back on the bed as she looked at the light shaded room she was currently staying in.


    Surprisingly, her room was a bit different from the rest of the rooms but she preferred it like this.


    "Didn''t you go on a lunch date?" Mia asked, "Were you bothpatible?"


    Yu Mei nced at the girl before shaking her head. This girl was bing a pro in catching up to trends. It was only yesterday when she did not understand the meaning of tabloids but look at her now.


    ''''It was not a date, Mia. He is a junior. I helped him with a few cool basketball tricks that I have learned from my brother and he treated me to lunch. That''s it!"


    She has always enjoyed watching basketball matches so after moving into the dormitory, she''d usually got to the basketball court once in a where she saw the young captain of the Red Basketball team. While she was casually talking about his moves and ws with Li Shuang, the guy overheard it and asked her to teach him saying that he needed a breakthrough.


    Since he was polite with his request, she could not deny him and taught him and in return, he treated her to a meal.


    "There are so many beauties around you. I don''t know how you resist. If I''d been in my original form and not in this child''s body, I would have kept all of them for myself," Mia put the book aside and stood up from the bed as she stretched her body before cutting off their mind connection as she said, "I''m going to sleep. Don''t disturb me. See ya~'''' Transforming into her fox form, she immediately disappeared.


    Yu Mei pushed herself to her feet. Turning on her heels, she walked towards her study table and sat on the chair before getting her bag to herp. She pulled open a small zip and took out a rose from inside a small pouch.


    Putting her bag back on the table, she nced at the rose in her hand. The purple rose was still fresh as if it just plucked.


    It reminded her of many things...and of a certain person. The one who used to cook for her, sleep with her, tease her, bicker with her and dote on her. They used to spend nights talking to each other or gazing at the stars.


    Her fingers slightly trembled as a teardrop rolled down her cheeksnding on the petal of the rose.


    She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and scoffed, "I don''t want men. They are unreliable jerks," She murmured to herself before throwing the rose in the dustbin without hesitation.


    Standing up from the chair, she went to the bathroom and washed her face. As her gazended on her reflection in the mirror, she found herself raising her finger to touch her cheek.


    In the past two months, not only did she regrly work out and take her medicine, but she also had to take a small candy-like pill every week that Mia prepared for her. And it helped her lose her weight faster than before.


    Now that she was not fat anymore, her features were very prominent. Although she looked like her past self, but it was not like a carbon copy. In fact, her face had retained the best features of both Han Mei and Yu Mei Zhen.


    Yu Mei Zhen was not an ugly girl but because she did not take care of herself and ate all kind of unhealthy food,bined with her disease, her face was filled with e and scars.


    She removed her top revealing her ck strapless bra as she stood in front of the mirror, she paused looking at the crimson crescent birthmark right above her chest which wasplete now. Many changes in her body were because of this birthmark, ording to what Mia said.


    After taking a shower, Yu Mei got changed into a short nightdress and went to bed. Since exams were approaching, there were one or two extra sses every day and she was very exhaustedtely.


    As soon as her head hits the pillow, she will fall asleep.


    Or that was what she thought.


    Thirty minutes of twisting and turning, changing the position, hugging the bolster, counting the sheeps and she finally sat up on the bed, frustrated.


    Tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, she stood up from the bed and walked towards her study table before sitting on the chair.


    She grabbed a book first, flipping through the pages only to realize she was holding it upside down.


    Pursing her lips, she kept it back in its ce.


    From the corner of her eyes, she nced at the dustbin begrudgingly.


    Irritation, anger, and hatred appeared on her face as she kept ncing at the dustbin as if she was looking at a certain hateful scoundrel.


    But not being able to control herself anymore, she opened it and took out the rose. She grabbed a few wet tissues from the table and carefully holding the rose from its stem, she wiped it gently.


    ''''I hope you''re doing fine¡­" She softly mumbled and kept the flower back in its ce before going back to bed.


    This time, however, she had a very peaceful sleep, unaware of a certain octopus who was on his way back with his eight tentacles extended to cling to her tighter and forever this time.


    The next day.


    The students started whispering and discussing amongst themselves as soon as their Associate Professor finished announcing the matter of the Parents-Teacher meeting and walked out of the ss.


    ''''What are we? Five?"


    "Exactly, we are all adults. Why do they need to call our parents?"


    ''''It sounds like we are back to being kindergarten students when we must show our result sheets to our parents."


    ''''What are you all worried about? It''s the Imperial University''s tradition, anyways. We can''t do anything about it.''''


    "This tradition will get me out of my father''s assets, you know?"


    Imperial University was one of the most prestigious universities in China. Along with its high status came a ''weird yet firm'' set of traditions and rules that have never been broken ever since the University was established more than three decades ago.

 Chapter 123 - Familiar Indeed

    So, one of those traditions was the parents-teacher meeting. The legacy and headache of PTM should end with high schools but for the students of Imperial University, it was a never-ending disaster.


    A month before their final exams, the seniors must go through these hassles to get their parents/legal guardian to the university and there will be a never-ending discussion of the student''s achievements, failures, how the student slept in the ss, how the student bunked the ss, how the attendance fell short and h h.


    While the ss was in an uproar, the two goddesses sitting in the front row were rtively calm.


    Two months. Three ss tests. But Yu Mei still maintained her second position well and kept sitting beside their Ice Princess. And it sessfully changed a part of their opinions of her.


    The first time might be a coincidence? that she managed to score well but what about the second and third time? In the end, bit by bit, they started to see her in a new light. Not to mention that she was their goddess right now.


    From junior to senior, there was almost no one who did not admire her. That too¡­despite knowing her past reputation.


    "Who wille from your side?" Yu Mei nced at Li Shuang.


    Li Shuang shrugged, "No one.''''


    "Eh?"


    ''''Well, I am an orphan so¡­" The girl''s face remained aloof as she said that but Yu Mei was a bit taken aback.


    In fact, despite being friends, the previous owner did not know anything about Li Shuang. While she never asked about her background since she never mentioned it.


    ''''Well.."


    ''''No need to feel sorry,'''' Li Shuang said, looking at her expressions. Her lips curved up slightly. She has known Yu Mei Zhen since junior high but these two months felt like she was just getting to know her and for some reason, she felt much closer to her unlike before.


    "So, will your fathere?" Li Shuang asked her. After all, it was no secret that she was the illegitimate daughter of Yu Family.


    And what went in the Yu family was not hidden from Li Shuang who knew the girl from school days.


    ''''Which father you are talking about?'''' She clicked her tongue in disdain.


    Li Shuang was speechless. Yu Mei''s life used to revolve around her family before but right now the mention of Yu Family made her irritated.


    ''''I don''t think anyone from the Yu Family would be called."


    Since her admission in Imperial University was possible because of Jun Zixuan, then the information register must have taken him or Shen Lihua as her guardian since three years ago, the previous owner had yet to turn 18.


    Yu Mei was leaning towards the possibility of her mother-inw being called given that back then, it must have been her who forced her son to get Yu Mei into this university.


    While they talked amicably, their fellow ssmates were amazed. It was not a new sight to them, having these two goddesses amicably talking to each other in the past months but they were still surprised.


    They remembered how Li Shuang hadined about sitting beside Yu Mei during the first sitting arrangement of thest semester.


    How things changed fast between them was still a bit surprising.


    While they were discussing it, Zhu Boqin entered the ss as he walked towards them. His gaze lingered on Yu Mei a little longer than it should but he quickly nced at his girlfriend before anyone could notice it, "Ah Shuang¡­''''


    A small smile made its way on Li Shuang''s cold face as she stood up, ''''Boqin¡­"


    He stroked the top of her head for a moment before looking at the other person who has started to pack her bag from the time he entered, "Mei.." He called out to her.


    Yu Mei slung her bag over her shoulder as she stood up from her seat, ''''I''ll appreciate it if you don''t act familiar with me.'''' She then nced at Li Shuang, "See youter."


    Li Shuang nodded and she left the ssroom without looking back at them.


    As Yu Mei walked towards the cafeteria, Mia''s voice rang in her mind, "Since you and Li Shuang are friends now, why''d you ignore her boyfriend?" came her curious question.


    The fox has insisted to stay in her body and idle around today rather than following up on her studies.


    It was true that Li Shuang and her were kind of good friends now, after the incident where she took her to her apartment when she was drunk. But as close as they were¡­ "I''m notfortable around that guy,'''' She answered.


    The way that person looked at her gave her an urge to kick him in the face at times.


    "You''re onlyfortable around one guy. Humph!" Mia scoffed before cutting off their connection.


    Yu Mei paused in her tracks for a moment before she continued walking.


    As soon as walked inside the cafeteria, she noticed how busy the ce was. Probably, because of the PTM, the senior year students were in an uproar today, crowding everywhere.


    Not seeing a free table, she turned around to leave.


    ''''Senior, pleasee here.''''


    ''''ssmate, you can sit here in my ce.''''


    ''''I''m already done. Please take a seat here¡­"


    Yu Mei paused in her tracks and turned around to find the guys who were offering her their seats.


    ''''No need. I am fine. Thank you¡­" She did not know any one of them. These kids were kind enough to offer her a seat but she didn''t feel it was right to ept it.


    After all, there was a long queue here and after the thirty minutes interval is over, PTM will start and they won''t get a chance to eat.


    ''''Senior, please take a seat. We will feel bad if you stay hungry," They even cleared up a whole table for her since they have always seen her eating alone.


    Not being able to reject their kindness, she shook her head, "You guys are so sweet,'''' the corner of her lips tilted up as as dimples appeared on her cheeks.


    All of them blushed looking at her as they cleared the path. She quickly ordered her meal and surprisingly her food was served fast as usual.


    After filling up her stomach properly, she checked the time on her wristwatch.


    There were only 10 minutes left for the PTM to start. ording to Professor Zhang, all the parents and guardians have been called by the university staff and are asked to attend the meeting.


    She was more inclined to believe that Shen Lihua must have been her guardian in the documents, but given her health condition, she might note. While there were lesser chances of Jun Zixuan being her guardian logically but even if he was, he might note at all after what happened between them.


    Lost in her thoughts, she was walking towards the ssroom when her footsteps came to a sudden halt, noticing a familiar back.


    Hands tucked inside pocket, the ever so familiar impatient tapping of the leather boot on the floor. Slim-fit ck tuxedo highlighted his muscr back while the man''s attention was focused on his phone. His other hand was raised near his head as his slender finger weaved through his golden ash-blonde hair.


    A familiar back indeed!

 Chapter 124 - Sit With Your Guardian

    Hands tucked inside pocket, the ever so familiar impatient tapping of the leather boot on the floor. The slim-fit ck tuxedo that he wore was highlighting his muscr back.


    The man''s attention was focused on his phone while his other hand was near his head as his slender finger weaved through his golden ash-blonde hair.


    "Mei!!" Li Shuang called out to her and Yu Mei stilled for a moment when she saw the man put down his phone.


    Unknowingly, her heart raced in her chest as she watched him turn around.


    His face lit up at the sight of her as if he was here for her.


    Students and professors were walking through the corridor but for some reason, for a split second, she found herself ignoring everything around as her gaze remained fixated on him.


    He seemed to have be more handsome since thest time she saw him but even from a distance she could see the traces of dark circles under his eyes, but it did not reduce his charm a bit.


    His striking ash-blonde hair seemed to be in a mess as they rested above his eyebrows. He looked tired yet attractive.


    What surprised her was nothing changed about the way his chestnut brown eyes gazed at her.


    ''''Mei, what are you thinking about?" Li Shuang snapped her fingers in front of her, breaking her trance.


    ''''What were you saying?" she tilted her head to the side.


    "I''ve been calling you repeatedly but you weren''t responding," Li Shuang nonchntly said, "Anyways, you should go to the ss. It''s time for PTM."


    "And where would you go?" Yu Mei asked.


    "Well, I don''t have parents or any guardianing. I''ll go to the washroom first and then back to the dorm.''''


    Even though she had a small apartment, but she mostly lived in dorms, rarely going back to the small apartment.


    ''''I''ll apany you to the washroom.''''


    Li Shuang frowned, "But¡­"


    ''''Let''s go," She held her hand and dragged her away, not looking back at a certain husband.


    "You''re acting weird,'''' Li Shuang said, without much of an expression on her face.


    Just like Yu Mei had guessed, it was indeed Shen Lihua who wanted her future daughter-inw to graduate from the best university, following which Jun Zixuan fulfilled his mother''s wish. It was one year before their marriage.


    At that time, he did not have any kind of ridiculous ns to marry her. Considering his mother''s health and the girl''s reputation that screamed ''trouble'', he simply put himself as her guardian since there were some months for her to turn 18.


    As soon as the private jetnded in Beijing, he received a call from the Imperial university informing him about the PTM.


    And after freshening up in his penthouse, he drove over to the university without dy.


    But she was not in her ss and before he could go to look for her, Gu Min, his secretary called him to discuss some work-rted matters.


    Jun Zixuan impatiently spoke, "Yes, finalize the third deal and send it to Ren Mansion¡­No need. I will get the cruc¡­"


    "Mei!!"


    Someone called from behind and he froze for a split second. His brown eyes shed with an undecipherable light as he put his phone down and turned around.


    His heart stopped beating for a moment when he looked at her.


    Dressed in a short burgundy dress with her dark hair let down, with a face bare of any makeup, there she stood, amidst the crowd yet standing out from them.


    Not seeing her for two months and she has changed so much but those dark starry eyes of hers were still the same.


    She looked like Han Mei. True.


    But this time, he was not doubtful about his feelings. He could not exin a few things that he felt but he knew that the person standing in front of him was not a recement to him.


    He was very sure about it.


    She looked at him for the briefest moment before looking at her friend.


    Just as he took a step towards her, she turned around and¡­left.


    She simply left without looking back at him.


    The man sulked.


    ''Was she ignoring me?'' A thought popped up in his mind which was quickly denied by the following thought. ''No, she was just apanying her friend.''


    He convinced himself and walked inside the ssroom, knowing that she will eventuallye back here.


    When Li Shuang went back to the dorm, Yu Mei also walked towards the ssroom.


    ''''Prof. May Ie in?" She asked standing at the entrance.


    Professor Zhang checked the time on her wristwatch, "You''re 7 minuteste."


    ''''I apologize,'''' She blinked at the Professor, without paying attention to the chaos in the ssroom, "I don''t mind if you don''t let me inside the ss.''''


    Just as she turned around to leave, Professor Zhang spoke up, "Quicklye in. Don''t bete again."


    She turned around to look at her, "Prof, I really don''t mind punishment.''''


    Professor Zhang adjusted her sses as she looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Are youing in or not?" Though she said that, her expression was screaming ''No is not an option so I won''t take it as an answer.''


    Her heels produced soft ''click'' sounds as she entered the ssroom. Without looking at a certain expectant husband who was sitting on her seat, she walked ahead and removed her bag from her shoulder before sitting on an empty seat in the back.


    Prof. Zhang adjusted her sses, "You are supposed to sit with your guardian.''''


    The ss was in uproar immediately. All the students were sitting with their guardians and students like Li Shuang whose guardians did not attend the meeting were not present in the ss.


    The only people who were sitting alone at different desks were Yu Mei Zhen and the mysterious man who reeked of wealth and handsomeness.


    The girls had their gaze focused on Jun Zixuan from the moment he stepped inside the ss. From the man''s otherworldly charming appearance to his well-built figure which was highlighted in the expensive ck tuxedo he was sporting.


    Sleeves slightly rolled up revealing the limited edition Patek''s Phillipe watch on his wrist as his slender fingers tapped the desk with a hint of impatience. While he casually sat there, doing nothing, his presence was making therge ssroom appear so small. His aura overwhelming them beyond words.


    A man so perfect that they felt so drawn to him like moths near the fire.

 Chapter 125 - Mei’er~

    ''''You are supposed to sit on the same desk as your guardian," Professor Zhang frowned.


    ''''Prof. I caught the flu today so I don''t want to infect anyone," Yu Mei nonchntly answered.


    Voice normal? Check. Face normal? Check. Healthy appearance? Double-check.


    Moreover, she was sitting with Li Shuang on the same desk a few minutes ago.


    So, her sleek lie rendered the fellow students and the Professor speechless along with a certain man who had gray clouds hanging above his head.


    Professor Zhang appeared conflicted.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the front desk as his long legs leisurely made their way back to where she was sitting.


    Yu Mei did not bother to nce at him while the man took a seat beside her, "I don''t mind getting infected," Though his voice was low, it seemed to be reverberating in the eerily quiet ssroom.


    While the girls bit their handkerchief in jealousy, the guys were aggrieved as they watched a wild man flirting with their goddess.


    They could assume that both of them were siblings if they didn''t know the Yu''s Family chart. Moreover, the way they were interacting didn''t seem to be that of siblings.


    On the other hand, they could also have assumed that he was her rumored sugar daddy but after interacting with her for months, they couldn''t merge the image of Yu Mei and a mistress.


    Yu Mei stood up but Jun Zixuan quickly held her hand before she could leave the desk.


    The students gasped.


    ''''Since your guardian has no issues with your flu, we''ll go with the rules. Sit there," Professor Zhang cleared her throat.


    ''Aren''t you acting biased?'' She nced at the Prof. who immediately averted her gaze before looking at a certain guardian who shed her a charming smile.


    She swatted away his hand and sat on the desk, further away from him.


    Since the Prof. would discuss the mark sheets roll number wise, there was some time for her turn.


    While she kept sliding away, a certain some inched closer to her. She put her bag in between them creating a barrier, but the man''s hand sneaked to her side and held her hand as he intertwined their fingers.


    Her heart skipped a beat but she ignored it.


    ''''Leave my hand," She whispered.


    ''''I won''t,'''' He tightened his grip as if he was proving his point.


    She pursed her lips, "Let go of my hand or I don''t mind walking out of the ssroom right now," Her voice turning a degree colder.


    "Or we can walk out together?" He winked.


    The corner of her lips twitched.


    His hold on her remained firm while his thumb drew irregr shapes on her hand.


    It was so ticklish that her toes curled up while she fisted the corner of her dress in her other other hand but she refused to say anything.


    Jun Zixuan propped the side of his face on his fist as his gaze remained fixated on the person who was adamant about not looking at him.


    ''''Mei¡­"


    No response.


    "Mei.."


    No response once again.


    "Mei''er~"


    Her eyes widened slightly. How could he call her like that? But she did not look at him.


    ''''Ah Mei¡­" He called out in a voice filled with adoration, his tone going a pitch higher, getting the attention of the students and professor.


    Just when they thought Professor Zhang would reprimand them, she proved them wrong, acting as if that desk did not exist at all.


    While the students got reprimanded one by one by their guardians and professor, two people were immersed in a world of their own.


    Yu Mei pressed her finger on his mouth just when he was about to say something again.


    ''''What will take it for you to shut up?" Everyone''s attention was on them, that was not what she wanted.


    As she removed her finger from his lips, he paused for a moment, thinking about something while his grip on her hand did not loosen, "Mei¡­Are you angry?" His voice had a hint of indecisiveness as if he wasn''t sure whether he should ask it or not.


    A sarcastic smile made its way to her lips.


    ''''Was I supposed to hug you in happiness after being kicked out of your mansion?"


    "No. That''s not¡­"


    The mocking smile on her face disappeared as she interrupted him, "Or should I pretend it was nothing after being humiliated by your servants and being treated like a stray dog their Master has taken fancy to who was finally kicked out. I may not say it out but that doesn''t mean I am blind and can''t see anything."


    "I have¡­" He opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by her, ''''I don''t want to talk about anything anymore. The next roll no is mine. I''ll be d if you can properly y your ''guardian'' role.''''


    Professor Zhang walked towards them holding?the mark sheet in her hand. She nodded at Jun Zixuan and passed the mark sheet to him.


    Without letting go of her hand which he was holding under the desk, he grabbed the mark sheet with his other hand.


    His eyebrow raised subtly when his gazended on the marks of all the ss tests that have taken ce after the university had reopened.


    She was not good at studies before but he has long thrown away that old report about her. Since the day she woke up from thea, he knew he had to re-evaluate this woman and the reports might not help him in that.


    He then nced at the overall marks of all the ss tests.


    98 points in Physic, 91 in Chemistry, 99 in Mathematics, 81 points in English, and¡­


    23 marks in Chinese.


    The sight of her Chinese scores made him chuckle.


    The students nced at him weirdly. Did this guardian get a big shock after looking at their goddess'' almost perfect marks?


    On the other hand, only Professor Zhang and Yu Mei noticed the reason behind hisughter as his gaze was stuck to the Chinese result.

 Chapter 126 - Don’t Mind Introducing You As My Daughter

    Byughing at her Chinese marks, was he mocking her? She pursed her lips. This guy was definitely showing his true colors right now.


    He let go of her hand before raising his hand to stroke her head.


    Her eyes widened slightly.


    ''''You''ve done well," The man said before looking back at the mark sheet.


    ''''Mr. Jun," Professor Zhang adjusted her sses as she cleared her throat before calling the man, "She needs to improve in Chinese. Even though her marks in other subjects are excellent, but to graduate, she will have to get passing marks in Chinese which is 33."


    ''''I''ll teach her," Jun Zixuan said.


    ''''That will be much better. Since she doing exceptionally well in other subjects, I don''t have to worry about anything else.''''


    Yu Mei nced at thedy, "I can learn by myself," She said.


    "I gave you extra sses and your desk-mate Li Shuang have been trying to help you as well. But after being taught by us, you scored two points less," Professor Zhang gave her a look, "On that basis, you aren''t eligible to learn Chinese by yourself.''''


    Yu Mei averted her gaze, having no retort since it was true anyway.


    Graduating and getting good marks in Chinese for once was already more than enough for her. The second time was not what she had asked for.


    The PTM went on like that while Yu Mei left the ssroom followed by Jun Zixuan.


    She did not stop and walked straight towards the dorm.


    ''''Mei¡­" The man called out.


    ''''I''ll appreciate it if you stop following me around," She paused and spoke without turning back to look at him, "Makes me ufortable.''''


    In the dorm.


    "You look like your world has fallen apart," said Mia as she noticed the woman who was furiously sketching designs and tearing off the pages a secondter.


    The floor of the room was in a mess with torn pages of her sketchbook.


    Yu Mei did not reply.


    ''''Why do you have to ignore him?"


    She turned around to look at the girl, "You can''t be biased towards him just because he is good-looking."


    Mia pursed her lips, "A good-looking male.'''' She mumbled under her breath.


    ''''I heard that."


    Mia: "_"


    Yu Mei took out her phone before making a call. The call was answered within two rings.


    ''''President," The man on the other side answered the call.


    Yu Mei stood up from the chair, "Director Xiang, I want the financial and weekly strategic reports within an hour,'''' she said, satisfied that man was finally learning the proper way to address her.


    ''''Did someone provoke you,ss?" Old Man Xiang asked.


    Lass again. The corner of her lips twitched, "Thirty minutes."


    "You...Fine.''''


    "And yes, tell Lyra to behave properly. The news regarding her getting a new boyfriend after a week of her breakup is all over the news outlets. For the world, she is now President Leanne. I don''t care about her private life but she can''t drag Rosette down with her,'''' She said.


    "I''ll talk to her."


    ''''Yeah. Thanks," Yu Mei hung up the phone before walking towards the bed.


    She covered her face in her palms as she sat on the bed with her elbows on her thighs.


    The day after she moved to the dormitory, Old Man Xiang called her to inform her that he has found someone who is perfect to y the role of the CEO of Rosette.


    Lyra. The woman graduated with a good university major in fashion design, but she came from a middle-ss family. Although she was not eligible for business or to be a CEO, she had adequate knowledge of designing.


    She did not interfere with Xiang Le''s choice and let him go ahead with the woman he chose.


    Soon, Lyra was introduced as President Leanne to the world. And the news made it to the headlines for a few weeks.


    But a few higher-ups of thepany along with Xiang Le were well aware of the situation.


    In these months, she worked from behind the curtains and along with Leanne''s appearance, Rosette managed to get through the trial. She contacted the higher-ups and Director Xiang using the phone, without meeting them.


    Although Xiang Le has seen her, that was when she was still fat. After theirst meeting when she had stated her conditions to help Rosette, she had not met him.


    While Rosette was on rise, there was one thing she was waiting for. And that was for her brother to look for the current CEO who was an impostor.


    But to her disappointment, there has been no move from his side since Lyra was dered as the CEO.


    The world might be unaware of it but Han Jian Yu is well aware of who is Leanne.


    Right now, in his eyes, his sister was dead so how will he react when he knows an impostor has taken his sister''s position?


    He would not let it go lightly and might even go looking for the current CEO and that will turn out to be her perfect opportunity to reunite with him.


    The next morning, her daily routine continued. She went to the gym and aftering back to the dorms, she took a shower and went to the morning sses.


    Since the final exams were starting after a month, the sses have been reduced to give them time for self-study and revisions.


    ''''Will you go with me or stay in the dorms?" Yu Mei asked Mia.


    Mia shrugged, "I''ll be staying here. Who would want to go anywhere staying inside your body?"


    She sat beside the little girl, "Mia, give me some more time, alright?"


    Mia nced at the woman.


    Yu Mei let out a soft sigh, "I know that you want to be able to explore the world in your original form but I''m not able to take you anywhere with me," She paused for a moment before continuing, ''''I don''t mind introducing you as my daughter to everyone since our DNAs match already.''''

 Chapter 127 - Hot And Happening Old Man

    Mia shook her head, "Don''t be reckless. It will harm your reputation. Moreover, our DNA matches because I''m currently a fox spirit who is contracted to you. If I lose my powers and be a human or our contract is broken, then our DNA will not be a match,'''' she said.


    ''''What they think has got nothing to do with me. With being fat, ugly, and having bad scores, those peoplebeled me as a bitch and mistress. Now I look fine and have good marks, so I am their goddess," She was not holding any grudge against those students.


    ''''I am not mocking them but you should know that humans'' opinions are ever-changing. If I introduce you as my child, they will mock me, curse me, and probably gossip behind my back. But I am fine with it. I don''t care about reputation and all,'''' Yu Mei lowered her head, her finger fiddled with the diamond bracelet she had on her wrist, "When even your own people don''t trust you, what would you expect from outsiders?" her voiceing out as a whisper.


    Mia stood up from the bed before walking towards her, "Mei, you should talk to him. How long are you going to go on like this?" Her hazel eyes were ever so serious as she asked.


    Yu Mei chuckled, ''''This is the first time you call me like this. You sound like an elder sister.''''


    Mia yed with the loose strands of her silver hair as she raised her chin proudly, "I can be your elder sister."


    "Look at you looking like a four-year kid and talking like that. Who will take you as an elder sister?"


    Mia narrowed her eyes, "Wait till I regain my original form, you will see my strong elder sister aura."


    "We''ll see," Yu Mei stood up from the bed, "If it was not because of your superfast growth, I would have introduced you as my daughter but don''t worry, I will find some way to let you explore the world. You can''t stay in my body or the dormitory all the time.''''


    ''''I wantpensation," Mia raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Okay, elder sister, what do you want?"


    "A smartphone."


    Yu Mei blinked, ''''You¡­Your expression looks like you are up to no good.''''


    Mia smiled, her foxy eyes narrowed slightly as her smile turned wider, "I want to know pretty men."


    A vixen indeed.


    ''Trouble Alert!''


    Yu Mei cleared her throat, ''''You said you want to sleep with my brother. Shouldn''t you stay loyal and wait for him?'''' She uttered the first excuse that came to her mind.


    Mia walked towards the study table before sitting on the chair in front of it.


    She sat with her short milky legs one above another, and folded her arms in front of her chest, "Your brother is like a ghost now. You want me to be a monk until I meet him? Impossible!"


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. You currently look like a 4-year old girl. What will you do other than staying as a monk?


    Misunderstanding her expressions, Mia waved her hand as if she was doing her a favor while she spoke, "Don''t worry, I''ll treat your brother well. I can bed him for a night," As Yu Mei''s expression worsened, Mia sighed, "Okay fine. Since he is your brother, I''ll give him the privilege to be my kept," She then smiled, "See, I dote on you so much. Quickly thank this elder sister.''''


    ''''Thank you, sister," Yu Mei gulped as she walked out of the room, ''Bed my brother? To keep him as her kept man? But did you ask for Jian Yu''s permission yet?''


    She got goosebumps on her arms thinking what kind of reaction will her brother have if he had heard this.


    Han Jian Yu changed his women like clothes and here this fox was keen on bedding him and throwing him away like a discarded condom.


    No matter how she thought, it all sounded scary to Yu Mei.


    She rubbed her arms. It will be best to keep Mia and Jian Yu far away from each other in the future since when ice and fire sh, only one of them would live.


    If these both were left alone in a room, either one or two bodies were bound toe out.


    And she did not want to lose one of them.


    Yu Mei shook her head as she sat in her Lamborghini and drove out of the university campus under the student''s awestruck gazes.


    ''''Your sister is more like a celebrity right now in our university."


    ''''Yes, she is so beautiful and cool. What more? I''ve heard that she is even best at studies.''''


    As she heard her friends discussing about Yu Mei, a soft smile appeared on yed on Yu Yan''s lips, "My sister is really¡­perfect in everything. Only if¡­"


    "What is it?'''' Her friends nced at her, ''''Why are you hesitating?"


    ''''Ahh... nothing," Yu Yan hurriedly shook her head.


    "We are friends. You can share anything with us.''''


    ''''If you say it like that, I''ll just say it. Only if my sister wasn''t an old man''s mistress. Everyone in our family adores her so much but she has to spite our parents to stay with that old man. She even took a car from him¡­Shouldn''t a woman have her self-respect?"


    Both her friends exchanged nces before one of themughed, "Yan''er, your definition of an old man is rather twisted.''''


    "W-What?" Yu Yan looked at them in confusion.


    ''''Exactly. Do you mean to say a six feet tall hot and happening blond when you say old man?"


    "Or more like a young enigma who looks like an angel and reeks of wealth from head to toe."


    Her friendsughed but one could see the admiration in their eyes.


    "Y-you have seen him?"


    ''''Yes, you were absent yesterday but he came to the university as your sister''s guardian and waited for your sister in the corridor. A gentleman indeed."


    Yu Yan was in disbelief, "My sister is the mistress of a handsome man? Not... Not an old man?!"


    Their gazes turned weird, ''''Yan''er, why do you keep saying that she is his mistress? Her ssmates said that they were more like a loving couple. Moreover, other than being an illegitimate daughter and having a bad reputation in the past, there is no negative point about your sister. Every guy in the university adores her. Why would she reduce herself to be someone''s mistress? Shouldn''t you trust your sister more?"


    The other girl also nodded, "Your sister seemed to be angry and he followed after her like a lost puppy. I saw him looking at your sister''s back even when she went into her dorm. Which powerful man will act like that with his mistress? I don''t know what crappy things are you talking about,'''' She looked at the other girl, "Let''s go, we are gettingte for the ss.''''


    As she watched at their retreating backs, Yu Yan clenched her fist, "Yu Mei Zhen, no matter how much you change, you will always be an eyesore and a sore loser to me¡­" She muttered under her breath before making a call, "Mommy!!'''' She cried as soon as the other person answered the call.


    Today or tomorrow, I''ll show you your rightful ce.

 Chapter 128 - Wanna Fly~Wanna Blast~

    At Shi Luo''s apartment.


    ''''Li Shuang didn''te with you?'''' Shi Luo asked the woman who was sitting atop the dining table with her head hung low as she refilled her ss.


    ''''She didn''t,'''' Yu Mei shook her head vehemently taking a sip of the red wine.


    The three of them were pretty close after Yu Mei introduced Li Shuang to Shi Luo when she came back from Amaranthine.


    Although Shi Luo knew Li Shuang as a patient before, but she did not know her much on the personal front.


    She interacted with her first because she helped Yu Mei butter, she found that although Li Shuang was cold but she was a genuine person.


    Since they were not having many sses and Yu Mei and her always chilled out on Fridays, she had invited Li Shuang too.


    "Didn''t she agree toe together with you? What happened then?" Shi Luo asked.


    Yu Mei shrugged, "On a date with her man," She downed all the wine in the ss, feeling the sweet taste grazing past her tongue down to her throat.


    ''''And why do you look so forlorn?" Shi Luo stood up from the dining table and approached her friend who looked like a heartbroken teenager.


    ''''Who is forlorn?" Yu Mei refilled her ss.


    ''''After what happenedst time, you still dare to y a little drunkard yeah?" Shi Luo folded her arms in front of her chest ring at her like a strict parent.


    ''''Brother and Shuang were therest time and this time, you are here," Yu Meiughed, the world in front of her blurring a little as she spoke, "Luoluo, what are you worried of?"


    ''''Worried about you, of course," Shi Luo sighed.


    ''''Today, I just want to drink and drink and drink and then fly¡­" Yu Mei slurred, "Fly out o-of your window by rotating hands¡­"


    "What are you? Doraemon? Or a modern fairy?" Shi Luo rubbed her forehead.


    Although she heard it from Li Shuang about her drunken act, she found it hard to believe. After all, she had always had the best alcohol tolerance but looking at her now, it was not that unbelievable as before.


    ''''Mei, it''s past 8 pm let''s go. I''ll drop you at your dorm lest the curfew starts and you won''t be allowed to go inside," Shi Luo said, a small frown settled on her face when she noticed the woman who didn''t look she was budging from her position anytime soon, ''''I don''t mind keeping you here. But you will have to go to the gym and attend sses tomorrow. Let''s go, alright?"


    Yu Mei tilted her head upwards and finally nodded. Putting the ss there, she got off the dining table, staggering a bit in the process.


    ''''Careful,'''' Shi Luo quickly helped her.


    Yu Mei pointed her finger towards the window, "I wanna fly a-and get nuclear bombs.''''


    Shi Luo was speechless, ''''What would you do with a bomb?''''


    Her body swayed as she spoke, "I''ll st Ren Mansion¡­''''


    Why would you do that? What has she got to do with Ren mansion? Before Shi Luo could ask anything, Yu Mei continued.


    ''''A-And then st ck Bentleys.''''


    What??!


    "Then, I''ll st people with t-the su..rname Jun.."


    "_" Oh? She ising to the point. Shi Luo thought to herself.


    ''''Then, I''ll st that inhumane heartless cruel jerk.''''


    ''''Which jerk?" Shi Luo asked, despite knowing the answer that was on the way.


    Yu Meiughed as she walked towards the dining table and picked up her half-finished ss of wine, "Him.." She said, "I wanna st the guy named Jun Zixuan," With that, she smashed the ss on the floor and scoffed.


    Shi Luo: My shiny white floor ToT


    On the second alley near Shi Luo''s apartment, a ck Bentley was parked under the street lights.


    ''''Master, Miss Yu asks you to stay away from her. Wouldn''t she get angry when she finds out that you stalked her here?" Steward Gu nced at the man worriedly.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the man with a small frown between his brows, ''''You should never stalk a woman. Such creepy stuff will make her run away from you.''''


    Under his using gaze, Steward Gu shrank back. Master was talking like he was stalking women.


    ''''Moreover, why would I stalk Mei?" Jun Zixuan asked in confusion, "It''s just a coincidence that we are here."


    ''''A coincidence indeed," Steward Gu nodded.


    We are waiting here for 2 hours already. What a coincidence!


    "Master, the dormitory''s curfew time is nearing. They should be here anytime soon," Steward Gu said and right then, they noticed some lights from the back on the dark road.


    Jun Zixuan pushed open the car door and walked to the middle of the road before stopping at a distance from the car.


    ''Screech''


    The car came to a halt followed by a string of curses, "Are you fucking blind? Or justing after donating the pair of eyes?" She snarled and without looking at the person in front of the car, she looked at the woman in the backseat.


    ''''Mei, are you fine?"


    ''''Y-You¡­Luoluo..what happened to you?" Yu Mei pressed her palms on her forehead as she nced at her in astonishment, "You l-look two..no three.''''


    Shi Luo pursed her lips, "If you touch alcohol ever again, I''ll break your hands," She narrowed her eyes, "Put your finger on your lips," Yu Mei obediently did as she was told, "Good. Now sit there quietly while I go check who is this bloody bastard ying Romeo in the middle of the road."


    As soon as she got off the car and nced at the man standing leisurely in the shadows, her expression stiffened slightly, "Jun Zixuan¡­" Her brows tugged together, "Why are you standing in front of my car?''''


    ''''I was standing at a distance. You were breaking speed limits," The man casually said.


    Shi Luo sighed, "This is an empty road.''''


    ''''Does an empty road give you the right to breakws?" The man tucked his hand in his pocket.


    The corner of her lips twitched. Fine, I am not awful citizen like you

 Chapter 129 - Sleeping With Her

    As she watched him walking towards her car, Shi Luo asked, "What are you doing?"


    ''''Getting my wife," came his reply.


    Was it just her illusion or this guy had turned shameless since thest time she saw him? Shi Luo thought for a moment before speaking, "You can take her but don''t provoke her. She has been grumpytely. Might bite you when provoked.''''


    Jun Zixuan carried the woman who had fallen asleep with her finger on her lips. His nose picked up the lingering fragrance of wine around her. She was drunk.


    As he carried her and walked towards his car, he paused for a moment as he spoke without looking back, "She has lost so much weight. What kind of friend are you?" He disdainfully clicked his tongue and got inside his car while Steward held the car door for him.


    Shi Luo: "_"


    ''''You.." She opened her mouth and closed it, unable to utter a single word. How can one be so shameless? Where the hell were you, her rightful husband till this day?


    ''''Mei, I gave you a chance to st him. You better utilize it," Shi Luo smirked. I''ll see how long this guy can stay cocky.


    In the Penthouse.


    With a wet towel, Jun Zixuan carefully wiped her make-up as she slept on his bed. He then removed her heels and wiped her swollen feet even more gently before looking at the sleeping woman with slightly narrowed eyes.


    In the end, he stood up before raking his fingers through his hair. If he had known things would be like this between them, then¡­


    He let out a helpless sigh and tucked her in the nkets before dimming the lights in the room.


    While the man went to take a shower, the woman sleeping on the bed struggled after a few minutes.


    The alcohol in her system worked up as she twisted and turned before kicking the nket off her body.


    But it was still so hot.


    ''''Uhh¡­" She sat up on the bed with her eyes still closed and unbuttoned her shirt before throwing it on the floor. She struggled to remove her shorts but eventually, they ended up on the floor too as she slumped back on the bed only with her lingerie on her body.


    But soon, her body shivered slightly causing her to drag the nket with her feet and covering herself to her chin.


    Feeling muchfortable, her lips slightly curved up in satisfaction.


    After Jun Zixuan walked out of the shower, he did not turn the lights on just in case he''d disturb her sleep. So after changing into his sleepwear, he walked towards his side of the bed, and sitting there, he nced at the woman whose face was turned towards him.


    Under the dim lights, her messy hair was framing her small face as she slept peacefully, tucked inside the nket like a dumpling.


    He raised his hand towards her cheek and gently poked like he always used to do. s, she was not chubby as before so her cheeks did not bounce because of his actions. He let out a regretful sigh.


    But his gaze then traveled to her plump lips. He was reminded of the time when they were in Shanghai, how she licked his finger. Unconsciously, his finger slowly trailed down to her lips.


    Her tongue peeked out to lick her bottom lips, identally touching his finger in the process.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down as he retracted his fingers and got inside the nket before sliding his pillow and sneakily shifting closer to her.


    As usual, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him only to freeze a secondter.


    Her naked skin under his palm seemed to be burning, setting his whole body on fire. When did she remove her shirt? He slowly tried to remove his hand from her waist but she wrapped her limbs around him.


    One of her legs settled on his waist while she hugged him tightly burying her face in the crook of his neck, her hot breath caressing his skin.


    The sound of her even breaths and his racing heartbeat dominated the room.


    He realized he should have hugged her tighter and longer back then.


    Pressing a soft kiss on the top of her head, he tightened his grip on her waist and gently pushed his other hand beneath her head, and hugged her tighter.


    His heartbeats slowly calming down as he closed his eyes.


    The next morning, the nting rays of the sun had a golden tinge spreading inside the room through the white curtains.


    ''''Uhh¡­" She groaned feeling a prickling feeling in her forehead. She tried to raise her hand to massage her forehead but her hand did not seem to be moving at all.


    She tried to do it once again but¡­ the hand did not seem to budge an inch.


    Wait¡­why did her bolster feel unusually warm today.


    Her eyes opened in a sh as she woke up from her stupor. Realization of why her hand was not moving and why her bolster felt unusually warm struck her when she realized that¡­that she had her face buried in a person''s neck.


    What more¡­they were hugging each other so tightly. Her brain short-circuited so severely that she failed to notice the surroundings and kept ncing at the white sheets in a daze.


    No, I didn''t sleep with anyone. Not possible. I was with Luoluo so I can''t getid. No!! Her mind screamed as she curled her fingers into a fist and gulped, finally bracing herself to face it.


    She moved a bit, her position stiff. And her gaze caught a sh of that golden ash-blonde hair, her eyes widened slightly as she scanned her surroundings and noticed the mirrored ceilings.


    It was him!


    That was okay.


    Knowing that it was a Jun Zixuan and not anyone else, it was as if relief washed over as her body went limp for a moment.


    Wait, what was okay? Her jaw dropped slightly as she pushed away from the man and sat upon the bed in a sh.


    ''''Why are you working out in the bed early in the morning?"

 Chapter 130 - Always Beautiful

    "Why are you working out in bed early in the morning?" The man asked in a husky voice as he opened his eyes to look at her. His gaze darkened when he saw her.


    Long dark hair sprawled over her shoulder, she sat there wearing nothing on her upper body other than a champagne redcy bra, the nket was gathered around her waist while her starry eyes were filled with fury as they looked at him, her plump lips forming a small pout.


    ''Dammit.''


    His body was betraying him.


    Unaware of the man''s current condition, Yu Mei was busy ring at him until she felt a bit cold. She ignored the feeling and continued ring at him until it seemed like the cool air from the air conditioner was in direct contact with her body.


    She stiffened.


    Taking a deep breath, she slowly tilted her head down to look at her body. It was like she was struck by lightning the moment she looked at her half or more than a half-naked body. Her smooth skin and curvy upper body in full disy to a certain man who was shamelessly ogling at her without bothering to avert his gaze.


    She quickly pulled the nket upwards and wrapped herself like a dumpling and nced at the man usingly.


    Before she could say anything, Jun Zixuan spoke, "As much as you can''t resist me, it is not right for you to seduce me like this," He spoke with so much conviction that had her turn dumb for a moment.


    "You¡­Why am I like this?" She asked finally after finding her lost voice, "Wait¡­Why am I even here? I was with Shi Luo¡­" In all this stimtion, she almost forgot her headache.


    "I did not expect this from you," Jun Zixuan said, his brown eyes filled with grievances.


    "W-What?" Why was he looking at her like she was an inhumane monster?


    "Go take a shower first. I''ll tell you after that," He said nonchntly as he pushed himself to sit on the bed.


    "You can tell me now," She said.


    "You look ugly without freshening up. I don''t have the urge to talk to you."


    Her mouth opened wide like a koi fish but no words came out. Indignant, she wrapped herself tightly in the nket and got out of the bed before striding towards the bathroom.


    Looking at the woman who was walking like a duck wrapped in the thick nket, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand andughed to his heart''s content.


    Tell you what happened yesterday? So that you could dress up and run away as soon as I give you the details? Humph, you can just forget about it.


    Yu Mei threw away the nket as she nced at her reflection in the mirror. She raised her hand to touch her cheek as she nced at her messy hair that framed her face. Did she really look ugly?


    She quickly shook her head. Why do I even care about how I appear in his eyes? Humph!


    She snorted and decided to take a shower first.


    After taking a shower, she wore a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom, and nced at the man who was busy on his iPad.


    "You can tell me now.''''


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at her. He gulped softly but she missed it. Getting out of the bed, he got a towel and passed it to her, "Wipe your hair first. We''ll talk after I take a shower," With that, he strode towards the bathroom leaving her standing there gaping at him.


    ''''You wore my shirt," was the first thing the man said after walking out of the bathroom.


    Yu Mei who sitting on the bed tilted her head to look at him, "You want me to take it off?" She coldly asked.


    It was not like she was interested in wearing the shirt of the man who kicked her out of his house. Her shirt reeked of alcohol so she got his shirt and paired it with her shorts. She even had to make do with the lingerie from yesterday.


    ''''Of course not," Jun Zixuan cleared his throat as he walked towards the bed.


    His shirt was very loose on her and despite her attempts at rolling the sleeves and tucking it in the shorts, it still hung loosely on her body reveal her swan-like neck and her prominent corbone since she had her hair tied in a high bun.


    He quietly walked towards her and poked her bun with his index finger. The foundation of her bun being weak, it loosened and her hair was let free.


    "What are you doing?" She asked.


    He pinched her chin and tilted it slightly upwards, "Helping you look good in my shirt."


    With that, he loosened his grip on her chin and buttoned up the shirt till the neck before messing up her hair, making sure that her skin was not much visible.


    "Cough¡­Helping me or choking me to death?" She took a few deep breathes adjusting her neck a little.


    The man then nced at her long legs which were distinctly visible in her denim shorts, "How about you wear my jeans? It will be a good pair with my shirt," He suggested.


    "No thanks.''''


    She kicked away the man''s hands which were trying to drag her shorts.


    The man who was trying to cover more of her skin cleared his throat, "It''s not safe for women these days. I was making sure you will be fine if you bump into a pervert," He said.


    "Don''t worry, the pervert will not be interested in an ugly woman like me," Despite her intention to not talk to him, she ended up bickering with him pettily.


    She wanted to p herself but it was alreadyte.


    "Never knew you hold grudges," He cupped her cheeks before making her look at him, "You have always been beautiful," his tone serious and his brown eyes had all the honesty in them.


    ''Thump!''

 Chapter 131 - DEEPENING Relationship With Ex-friend

    "You''ve always been beautiful," His tone serious as he spoke without a hint of deception in his brown eyes.


    ''Thump''


    She bit her bottom lips feeling a little fuzzy in her mind and heart.


    Looking at the woman''s gradually reddening face, he gently stroked her cheek, "Are you fine?" he asked in concern.


    "It''s a bit stuffy," She said, "After effects of alcohol."


    He immediately let go of her cheeks, "I''ll make soup for you."


    She held his wrist, "No need. Tell me why I''m here now that we both have showered."


    ''''How about we have breakfast first?"


    "No!''''


    "Well, Shi Luo had some emergency at the hospital so she contacted me to pick you up," Jun Zixuan said as he sat beside her.


    She folded her legs on the bed and nced at him. If Shi Luo really contacted him, then it must be some emergency. But then again¡­"What am I doing here instead of being in the dormitory?"


    "It was past the curfew time so I drove us here."


    She narrowed her eyes, "Then, why were we¡­?"


    He interrupted her, "I carried you upstairs and tucked you in the bed. But little did I expect¡­" He clicked his tongue looking at her begrudgingly.


    "What did I do?" She asked, clearing her throat.


    "You stripped and threw yourself at me," He said with a straight face while her eyes widened, "I tried to push you away and leave the room but you hugged me so tight and would not let go at all. I could only sacrifice my body and give in to you in the end."


    Strip?


    S-Sacrifice body?


    She found herself speechless for a moment. Alcohol was turning out to be a mortal enemy. It is better to cut it off. She thought to herself.


    How could she hug this scoundrel?


    "Thank you for yesterday, then. I''ll leave now," She stood up before looking walking towards the other side of the bed where she had seen her heels.


    She put them on calmly and strode towards the door but a gasp escaped her mouth when she was pulled backward all of a sudden as the man wrapped an arm around her waist while his other hand settled just below her neck.


    ''''Don''t go," The man whispered, enveloping her in his arms.


    She held his hand that was on her waist and tried to remove it, "What are you doing?" She asked, her voiceing off airy when he tightened the hug, their bodies stuck together not leaving an inch of distance between them.


    "Holding you before you run away?" He whispered right beside her ear, his hot breath grazing past the sensitive skin of her neck.


    This was all so weird. She was not used to this proactive Jun Zixuan.


    She gulped, "Are you drunk?"


    "No.''''


    "A fever?"


    He ced his chin on her shoulder before rubbing his face on her cheek, "What do you think?" he asked softly.


    "Uhh..N-No..No fever," she mumbled incoherently, "Can you let go of me?"


    "What if I say I can''t?"


    She closed her eyes trying to calm down.


    "Mei, after you left Ren Mansion, I was on business trips. I didn''t kick you out of the house. I was just giving us some space," He said, getting her attention in an instant.


    She opened her mouth to speak "Did I ask you for space? I even clung to you whole day¡­"


    "And at nights too," He interrupted, hugging her tighter like it was even possible.


    The corner of her lips twitched, "Whatever," Was he nning to crush her? "Anyways, what space are you talking about? You simply trusted your maid and kicked me out of the house after seeing the DNA test. Let''s not forget that you did not listen to my exnation and¡­"


    He loosened his arms around her and turned her around before wrapping his arms around her waist.


    She froze for a split second. "You are being handsy," She said pressing her fists on his chest to keep an appropriate distance between them.


    But her attempts at doing so turned out to be futile as he pulled her closer in one swift move having their bodies pressed together, "Friends should hug more often. DEEPENS their rtionship," He smiled.


    "Ex-friends. We are ex-friends so there is no need to DEEPEN our rtionship," She smiled back not so nicely.


    "Why would I want your exnation when I trust you?" He asked.


    Her head snapped towards him. ''If he said something like I trust you because I know you can''t do something like this, I''ll punch him on his dazzling face,'' she thought to herself.


    The reason for thinking so was that Jun Zixuan did not know the previous owner well. It was her he had always interacted with so if he showed immense trust without reasons, it will all be his lie or excuse made up to coax her for god knows what reasons.


    "I might not have known you since years or anything as such, I don''t know your past, which chocte you ate as you grew up, what you liked to y, who were your friends in high school, the guys you''ve dated or who you secretly admired, I don''t know all these things. I don''t even know whether you had a child with someone¡­" She missed the sourness in his tone while he uttered thest sentence.


    He paused for a moment and gently pinched the tip of her nose before continuing, "But I believe that the woman I''ve been knowing since the past four months won''t be so unfair to her child and keep her hidden from the world," said the man, not knowing that he just saved himself from a punch with his words.


    She blinked and nced at him.


    "You told me that you''ve your secrets, and I never once doubted it. You do have secrets. Many secrets," Although, it was another thing that he wished to know them all, to know everything about her.


    She was somewhere and somehow touched that he trusted her. And more so amused that he knew her well.


    It was true that if it was her kid, she would not have hidden her from the world for years even if she was born out of wedlock or anything as such that can ruin her reputation. Hell, she was even guilty for hiding Mia. If it was not because of her abnormal growth, she might have introduced her as her daughter already.


    "Then why did you kick me out of the house?'''' She asked,ing to the point.


    He paused, "I wanted to sort out my feelings and ended up acting impulsively.''''


    Her eyes widened at his words.

 Chapter 132 - Hope You Don’t Mind When I Kidnap You

    "I wanted to sort out my feelings," He said.


    Her eyes widened as the realization suddenly dawned on her, "Is it the same girl whom you had the urge to kiss?"


    Back when they were living in this penthouse, she recalled such an incident when he was searching for the topic ''Why would I have the urge to kiss a girl?''


    At that time, she had told him that probably he was in love.


    Looking at his face, it seemed like her guess was on point.


    "Yes, it''s her," Jun Zixuan did not deny it either as his gazended on her plump lips reminding him of the softness he felt when he had kissed her while she was asleep.


    But he averted his gaze before she could notice.


    She paused for a split-second as her eyes shed.


    "That girl I''m talking about is¡­."


    "Alright, I''ve to go to the university. I have already missed the gym and one ss. I want to be there before the second ss starts," She interrupted him.


    He paused for a moment before nodding as he walked towards the bed and grabbed the phone lying beside the pillow, ''''You forgot this."


    "Thanks," She took it from his hand.


    "I''ll drop you."


    Just when he thought she was going to reject it, surprisingly, she nodded at him and without speaking further turned around to walk out of the house, missing the soft smile ying on his lips.


    The drive to the university wasfortably quiet but there was tension lingering in the air. None of the two initiated a conversation on the whole ride.


    When they reached the university, Jun Zixuan got off the car and walked to the other side before opening the door for her.


    Back then, she was hesitant of letting him do it because of the rumors circling around. But after he came to the PTM as her guardian, everyone assumed they were a couple and he was back to his role of virtuous husband.


    She alighted the car and was about to walk away when he held her hand.


    She turned around to nce at him questioningly.


    "Can you make some time in the evening? I want to take you somewhere."


    "I''ll be busy so¡­" She spoke within a beat and removed his hand that was holding hers, "I can''t."


    She nodded at him and turned around to leave without looking back.


    As he looked at her retreating back, the man could only raise an eyebrow.


    He was being polite by asking her out but she rejected him outright without giving it a second thought.


    ''I hope you don''t mind when I kidnap you,'' The corner of his lips tilted up as he took out his phone and dialed Steward Gu''s number. The call was answered within two rings.


    "Make some preparations at the private ind,'''' He hung up as soon as the man replied affirmatively.


    Two months of not having her hover around him made him realize how important her existence was in his life. It took him every ounce of his self-control to not abandon his work toe back to her.


    Probably, it was time to let her know that he did not make female friends. The curve of his lips got more prominent at the thought.


    In the dorms.


    "You have added almost all the chilli. Is it still edible?" Mia tilted her head to the side and nced at the woman who kept on adding chilli to the noodles she just ordered.


    "Edible," Yu Mei nodded as she picked up the chopsticks and kept on slurping the noodles.


    A few days ago, Mia was watching a drama on Yu Mei''s iPad. It was the story of a girl who got entangled with a bossy CEO. The bossy CEO got herid, impregnated her but all this while, he could not take his mind off his childhood sweetheart. The poor female lead curled up in the corner of the room and cried her heart out when she realized it.


    Forehead covered with sweat, face turning red, eyes welling up with tears. Yu Mie''s current state reminded Mia of that pitiful female lead.


    "What did Jun Zixuan do?" Mia asked quickly recing the bossy CEO from the drama with the real deal.


    Yu Mei paused for a moment and added some more chilli sauce in her noodles, "I am just craving something spicy. What has it got to do with anyone else?" She continued eating without paying much attention to anything else.


    But when she could not take it anymore and every organ in her body seemed to be on fire, she quickly picked up a bottle of water and gulped it down.


    Mia scoffed as she folded her arms in front of her chest, "Or I can look into your memories," The girl suggested.


    Yu Mei red at her as she fanned her tongue with both her hands, "Y-You.. promised to not do that," She hurriedly spoke and continued fanning her mouth.


    Mia shook her head helplessly and snapped her fingers and in an instant, it was as if a cooling sensation filled Yu Mei''s mouth.


    "Thanks," She nced at Mia for a split-second and averted her gaze before fiddling with her fingers, "I''ve decided I''m not touching alcohol."


    Mia raised an eyebrow, "Suddenly enlightened?" she asked in amusement.


    Yu Mei sighed, "If thest time I was not drunk, I might have talked with my brother and let him know who I am. But I missed the chance. And yesterday¡­I ended up with Jun Zixuan."


    Mia nodded, "I thought something like that might have happened when you did note back to the dorms. But since there were no fluctuations in your emotions, I did not look for you. Tell me in detail."


    After Yu Mei described the whole situation to Mia, the girl looked at her with narrowed eyes as she scanned her from head to toe.


    "This is weird," Mia said.


    Yu Mei nced at her in confusion, "What''s weird in this?" she asked.


    Mia shrugged, "I think you did not want to eat chilli at all."


    What? Was she talking in beastnguage? Why couldn''t she understand anything? Yu Mei thought to herself as she looked at the girl.

 Chapter 133 - Revenge

    "Mei, I think you wanted to drink vinegar instead," Mia said shaking her head.


    "You think I''m being jealous?" As the realization dawned on and she understood what Mia was insinuating, she nced at the girl.


    "Are you not?" Mia countered.


    "Why would I be jealous of who he is with or who he has feelings for? I am just upset that he prioritized his feelings towards his love and kicked me out of the house. It is like hoes before bros."


    Mia''s gaze shed. She could bet all her nine tails on the fact that the woman Jun Zixuan was talking about was no one but her.


    But the vixen did not find it necessary to disclose it to the dumb woman who was in denial.


    "You remember when I told you that whatever you feel for Jun Zixuan has nothing to do with the previous owner and it is all your own feelings?"


    Yu Mei paused for a moment before she said, "Jun Zixuan is a handsome man," It was after a long time she used his full name while speaking, "He is hot too. So when hees in front of you after taking a shower, his muscles flexing and glistening water drops on his muscr body, any woman will be taken aback, shy for a split second, or embarrassed. So was I. Do you want to link it up with your weird conjectures of love or anything as such?" she asked softly.


    Mia chuckled before flipping her long silver hair to the back, "Her Highness is too bothered to impart knowledge to halfwits like you," The vixen winked as she walked towards her elegantly, "Are you ufortable because he prioritized his woman before his friend or are you upset because he has a woman whom he loves? Or more likely because the woman he loves is not you and can never be you? Consider it yourself."


    Looking at the woman''s worsening expressions, the corner of the girl''s lips tilted up in a sly smirk.


    Revenge is best served cold. Mia thought to herself. When she had asked for a domineering and mighty name, Yu Mei tricked her and named her with a girly name like Mia. Back then, she did not know the meaning of modern names but now that she was learning everything in this world, it did not take her long to figure out the meaning of Mia.


    Darling, beloved?


    ''Tricking Her Highness mighte off pretty expensive for you, dear,'' Her sly smirk disappeared as she said, "I''ll be cultivating for a few days. Don''t disturb me," With that, she disappeared leaving Yu Mei''s mind in a mess.


    In the end, Yu Mei stood up, "It is better to steer clear of that man before he makes me crazy," She did not dwell on it any further.


    As someone who has always been prioritized by her brother, probably she was upset about treated like a second option this time. Or more so, she was frustrated that he just did whatever he wanted without discussing anything with her. She concluded the matter in her head and nced at the watch.


    It was past 7 pm already. She decided to go on a walk to warm up before working out in her room.


    With that thought in her mind, she grabbed her phone and walked off to the university campus. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the ce rushed with students. Some girls were hovering near the cafeteria, probably gossiping.


    In the evening time, the university was most peaceful as there would not be many professors or students who don''t live in the dormitory will also not be standing here and there.


    Some people talked in groups of two while she spotted a few couples standing under the tree or walking in the direction of the library.


    Looking at all these reminded her of the days at Crystal University. Back then, whenever she did not feel like attending a ss, she would sneak away and climb on a tree before sitting on the highest branch and looking at all these epic scenes ying out in the university.


    She was reminded of the day when she was cursing thenguage subjects sitting on the tree, not knowing that there was another person there who was listening to her ramblings.


    It was the first time she met Jun Zixuan. When she turned around and looked at the guy who looked like a grim reaper covered in a ck hoodie, she almost fell off the tree but he held her hand and helped her up.


    A smile involuntarily crept up on her lips but it soon disappeared as well as she clicked her tongue, ''He was like an angel back then but now he is no less than a scoundrel. Humph!''


    "Senior," A voice called out to her causing her to turn her head to look at the guy walking towards her.


    He was the captain of the Juniors'' Basketball team of the university and he was the same person whom she had taught some games tricks who in turn treated her to lunch.


    "Junior," She nodded at him, her tone distant.


    The guy was pretty tall for his age and he seemed to be towering over when he walked closer to her, "Thank you for your help once again," He said with an innocently goofy smile on his face, "Do you know whom I defeated today in two moves?"


    That got her interest since he seemed to have gotten the world in his hand, "Whom?" She asked a bit curiously.


    "I defeated Senior Zhu¡­"


    "Senior Zhu as in Zhu Boqin?" Wasn''t that guy Li Shuang''s boyfriend??She did not know he yed basketball too but then again, he was rather famous in the university. As she watched him nod, she chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Good job," No matter what, that guy was an eyesore to him.


    Her phone started ringing at this moment. She nced at the caller ID and swiped the answer option after a few seconds.

 Chapter 134 - Vinegar Alert!!!

    Jun Zixuan stood near the entrance gates as he nced at the woman who was busy talking to someone.


    "Master, he is the captain of the Juniors'' Basketball team with whom Miss Yu went on a lunch," It might tick him off but it was his responsibility to inform him about everything in ''details'',?thought Steward Gu to himself.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the man.


    Steward Gu pursed his lips, confused by the look in his eyes.


    "Don''t call her Miss Yu anymore," he said, much to the Steward''s shock thatsted for a few seconds.


    He had already expected this day was on its way and now that the time is finally here, he felt like he was floating on clouds.


    Finally, there was an existence who could tame his Master and he could go on a world tour.


    "Young Madam is talking to the captain of Juniors'' Basketball team with whom she went on a lunch date," He quickly corrected himself this time.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Do you think I am deaf?" He casually asked and took out his phone before dialing her number.


    "_" No, I am dumb.


    Steward Gu nced at the man, trying to gauge out his emotions. But nothing could be made out from hisid-back expressions. Even if he was jealous, he didn''t show it on his face.


    "Mei, are free right now?" He asked as soon as she answered the call, "I wanted to take you somewhere."


    "No, not free," She replied without missing a beat, "I can''t go anywhere today," She even dared to hang up the call before talking and continuedughing with that ugly junior guy.


    As Jun Zixuan nced at the scene of how she patted his shoulder, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    Looking at his Master''s face, it did not take long for Steward Gu to figure out that he was rejected by his wife. He tilted his head to the side and looked at the guy with whom Yu Mei was talking andughing.


    Even though his looks weren''t as perfect as his Master''s but the guy must be a heartthrob amongst the people around him. Seems like their Young Mistress was fond of young boystely.


    Jun Zixuan tucked his hands in his pocket and turned around, "Let''s go," He said.


    Steward Gu was speechless. He was ordered to decorate the whole ind but his Master did not even make efforts to convince his wife.


    But then again, considering how she outrightly refused to go with him while talking to that young chap, it must be pretty infuriating for someone like his Master who wasn''t used to be rejected.


    s, with his Master''s arrogance, this couple will surely have a knot in their rtionship from now on. He thought to himself before walking towards the car.


    Unaware of Jun Zixuan''s presence behind her, Yu Mei hung up the call and tilted her head to look at the guy standing in front of her.


    She patted his shoulder, "Good job. Keep defeating that guy."


    "Senior, you seem to have some sort of enmity with Senior Zhu."


    Yu Meiughed, "There is nothing like that. Alright, I''ll have to go back to the dorm. I have a lot of works to do."


    The guy nodded, "Senior, I''ll drop you at the dorms."


    "There is no need," She replied.


    But the guy was adamant, "Nearly every person in our university has their eyes on you. What if you bump into some pervert?"


    The pervert will lose his limbs. She wanted to say that but then it was not a good idea to scare the innocent junior.


    In the end, she nodded.


    Infinity Nightclub.


    Mu Shen poked Jun Boyan''s shoulder as he pointed his chin towards the man who was sitting there quietly with dark clouds hovering above his head.


    Jun Boyan red at him.


    "Go ask him what''s wrong," Mu Shen whispered.


    Jun Boyan grabbed the finger that was poking his shoulder and pushed it away, "Do you take me as a fool?"


    He came to Beijing yesterday to spend some quality time with his mother and today, she even made his favorite food for him but he could not eat properly because of Mu Shen''s continuous calls. In the end, he was tricked intoing here with some exaggerated excuses like ''I am sick and I''ll die'' from this shameless guy.


    As Jun Boyan looked at his brother who looked like a warrior who just came back from the battlefield with his bloodlust yet to fade, he gulped.


    No matter what, if he had known that this matter is rted to his brother and his brother is in a bad mood at the moment then he would have buried himself six feet under the garden of his mother''s house rather thaning here.


    "You are a scaredy cat, Fourth Young Master. Now watch me~'''' Mu Shen stood up from the couch like a male protagonist who was up for some action as he approached the man sitting on the throne chair with his wine ss in his hand, "Xuan¡­"


    "What?" His voice as soft as a whisper as Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at him, the golden flecks in dark brown eyes seemed to be shining in the dark.


    The wine ss fell from the man''s hand as he gulped.


    Jun Boyan propped his forehead on his fist as he nced at the man who had just called him scaredy-cat.


    Mu Shen was truly scared. First, because of his friend''s terrifying mood, and secondly, because he had a guilty conscience. Thetter caused him to be cautious as who knows when his friend wille for revenge.


    Back then, although he was speaking the truth regarding Yu Mei and Han Mei back then, but he should have said it in a better way.


    Jun Zixuan''s mind was already messed up after Shi Luo''s revtions that Han Mei was married and then hisplicated feelings for Yu Mei.


    Then his theory regarding ''recement love'' further confused the man, ultimately causing a rift between the couple while he left everything behind and went on a business trip.


    ...


    Note: 1.5k votes. Goal aplished. A mass release on its way within 2-3 days. Keep supporting like this ^ ^

 Chapter 135 - Brother, You Can’t Do This

    Not paying attention to Mu Shen, Jun Zixuan nced at the wine ss in front of him that was filled to the brim.


    Mu Shen''s eyes widened as he followed his gaze.


    Jun Boyan frowned, "Brother, we can sort the matter. You don''t need to¡­." The rest of his words remained in his throat as he watched his brother picking up the wine ss and downing it one go.


    Jun Zixuan closed his eyes as the sweet taste of the exquisite wine glide from his tongue down his throat. The image of her talking to that ''ugly'' guy shed in his mind.


    When he reached here, Jun Zixuan had sent Steward Gu back to the Ren Mansion so it meant he was going to drive by himself, Mu Shen thought.


    "Xuan, you can''t drive, you are drunk," He said, looking at the man who was walking towards the Bentley in the parking lot.


    Jun Zixuan paused and turned around. "Do I look like I am drunk?" He asked, pointing at his face.


    Unlike the time when his mother forced bottles of wine on him, he just drank one ss this time. How could he be drunk?


    Although his face was slightly flushed, he hadn''t drunk so much to be high instantly. "You don''t but¡­" Mu Shen paused, thinking of a way toe up with proper words.


    Jun Boyan shook his head. Who made this fool a film emperor? "Brother, your alcohol tolerance is not good. Even if you took one ss still it''s better to stay safe," He walked towards the man, "Tell me where you want to go. I''ll drive. How about that?"


    Considering how fast his brother came here, he doesn''t seem to be going back to his mansion.


    "You''ve grown up well," Jun Zixuan patted his head.


    The younger Jun blinked. His brother usually didn''t say such words. Maybe it was the little bit of alcohol in his system. But his lips tilted up.


    Mu Shen pursed his lips. He felt like going back to his parents and asking them to make a sibling for him. ''Or I can just gift them a honeymoon package. Dad will definitely do well,'' He thought to himself looking at the brotherly affection scene ying out in front of him.


    "Let''s go," Jun Zixuan said as he tucked his hand inside his pocket, "We''re going to meet your sister-inw. I feel she''s missing me."


    Mu Shen: "_"


    Jun Boyan: "_"


    Are you sure it''s not the other way around?


    In the dormitory.


    Although she was not used to working out outside the gym but since she missed out on the workout in the morning, she made up for it in the evening. Her body condition did not allow her to ck off even for one day.


    Moreover, she had no control over her eating habits which was more of a reason for her to burn some calories.


    It was already past 9 pm after she came out of the bathroom, wrapping a small towel around her body.


    Walking towards the wardrobe and sliding the door, she nced at the wide variety of outfits bulging from inside the small space.


    She has always been fond of beautiful dresses and outfits but after waking up in this body, she had restrained herself from going on shopping despite having Shi Luo''s card. She was determined to lose weight first.


    Along with losing weight, she was now back to her position in Rosette. Nothing could be better than that. She thought to herself and tried to smile but her lips just won''t lift up for some reason.


    Fine. She was not feeling like smiling.


    She grabbed a ck satince-trimmed robe. Removing the towel off her body, she wore the lingerie set that came along with it before putting on the robe.


    After blow-drying her wet hair, she walked towards the study table before settling on the chair.


    Her gazended on her bag that was on the table. Inside it remained the purple rose that she still treasured.


    And that reminded her of the man who called her today. She wasn''t lying when she told him that she was busy. She had to work out and make the secondyer shadings of her designs. There were many things on her te that made it impossible to get some time for him.


    But rejecting him made her¡­ufortable.


    She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, those conflicting emotions swirling in them disappeared. Maybe it was for better.


    Her rtionship with him is not like before. It is turningplicatedtely and she preferred to stay away fromplicating things. If staying away from him works, that''s better.


    That guy kicked her out of his mansion for whatever reason it was. That''s another thing to take into consideration.


    Sighing softly, she started looking through the Chinese Practice book that was given to her by Li Shuang.


    As thoseplicated things written in the book started revolving around her mind, her mind was soon diverted from the man who was iming all her thoughtstely.


    Outside the Dormitory.


    "Go...Stop him¡­What are you looking at?" Mu Shen red at the guy standing beside him.


    Jun Boyan covered his face in his palms as he looked at his brother from the gap between his fingers. The man who was climbing the wall of the girls'' dormitory was nothing like his brother whose every move reeked of loyalty. "Brother, you¡­can''t do this," He finally spoke after gathering his courage.


    But not paying attention to him, Jun Zixuan jumped on the wall in one swift move like an expert assassin before leaping off the wall as elegantly as a tiger.


    Knowing that his brother didn''t pay attention to his words, Jun Boyan trailed after him and looked at the high wall before looking back at Mu Shen, "Follow me."


    "I am the film Emperor. I won''t do things that could possibly ruin my image," He adjusted his shades.


    "Mu Shen, can you even see through them? Nobody would recognize you here in the dark," Jun Boyan said pointing at the man''srge ck shades, "Stay there if you aren''ting." Shaking his head, he struggled to get on the wall.

 Chapter 136 - It Might Take Them A Lifetime To Draft The Divorce Papers

    Jun Boyan''s posture was a bit ugly unlike his brother who climbed the wall elegantly but he still managed to climb in the end.


    Later, the Film Emperor was seen crawling and climbing on the wall like a lizard whose tail has fallen off. After rolling up and down for a few times, he finally managed to get up, "Catch me," He said to Jun Boyan before jumping down.


    Jun Boyan stepped to the side letting the man fall on his face in the mud. "Better this way. No one will recognize you," the guy said looking at his face which had a mud face mask on it.


    Mu Shen gritted his teeth as he stood up and nced at the man who was standing in front of the building quietly.


    "Third Young Master¡­My beloved best buddy, I swear I will never tease you. Juste back. This really isn''t the right thing to do, considering your noble identity," Mu Shen said, his voice soft enough to not wake up anyone.


    A certain someone did not seem to have heard anything as he barged inside the girls'' dormitory in the middle of the night.


    Since he was the one who had arranged the room and chosen the interior for her, he remembered it pretty well.


    One of his hands tucked inside his pockets, his suit jacket elegantly draped over his shoulders, his face remained indifferent but there was a slight flush on his cheeks.


    He stood right in front of the room she seemed to be staying in as he scanned the ce with his piercing stare, ignoring the two blockheads who were hiding behind the pir, begging him to return.


    But who could have expected the door to open suddenly and what greeted him was the sight of a gorgeous woman standing in front of him.


    Her eyes widened for a split second before her expressions turned to normal. "What are you doing here?" She coldly asked.


    She was going to meet Li Shuang and return the Chinese book to her as she couldn''t understand anything but when she turned the doorknob, the least she expected was to find him on the other side of the door.


    The man who was a demon a few moments ago seemed to have transformed into an adorable puppy, justcking a tail.


    He smiled, revealing the ever so charming dimple on his left cheek, "Uh¡­That¡­I was just passing by," he stated with all seriousness.


    "_"


    Passing by?


    You were just passing by the girl''s dormitory in the middle of the night.


    Such twisted logic!


    She pursed her lips and inhaled a deep breath. Folding her arms in front of her chest, she nced at him, "Where is our divorce paper?" she asked calmly.


    It was a good chance to bring it up now that he was already here. She had already steeled her heart for such decisions. Before things get any worse between them, it was better to cut off all rtionships with each other.


    His face darkened instantly. The smile ying across his lips faded little by little.


    When there was no reply from him, her eyes turned cold.


    "Jun Zixuan, where the heck is our divorce paper?" She finally lost her patience and snapped at him.


    He stepped closer to her and she retreated a few steps back. The door was blocked by his broad shoulder.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist before pulling her close, "Are you that eager to leave me?" Sadness flickered on his face despite the indifferent look.


    "Uh-huh."


    "Oh, so sad~" The man narrowed his eyes, his lips tilted up in a crafty smile as he continued, "Thewyers said that our case is aplicated one, it might take them a lifetime to draft the divorce papers."


    ''Bam''


    The door sealed shut behind them while she was pinned to it, trapped between his strong arms that were pressed on either side of her body.


    Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth to say something but without giving her a chance to react, he locked his lips with hers.


    She froze. Her mind going nk. Her heart stopped beating¡­literally. It felt like her body was electrocuted. Every nerve of her body was in shock.


    There were no movements from the man, he just had his lips pressed on hers and that''s it. That''s how simple it was but his hot breath caressed her skin, his thin cold lips stroking hers, those gentle strokes were like the glide of a soft feather across the most sensitive parts of her skin.


    "Breathe," He whispered, his teeth grazing past her bottom lips.


    ''Thump Thump Thump!''


    Her heart was back to its beating mode but the heartbeats were way too fast after her momentarypse.


    Her breathing wasbored as a dark curl of desire swirled inside her, bending and destroying all her rules. With thest bit of sanity hovering around her, she tried to pull back by turning her face to the side.


    "No," he said, bringing his hand towards her face, his fingers gliding down her jaws and holding her neck, he turned her face towards him, her lips were back near his.


    "We can''t¡­We-" A sound of protest, was it? It was more like an invitation to the man whose gaze was predatory at the moment.


    "We sure can," His hand snaked around her waist in a slithering motion. Hercy satin robe loosening under his powerful grip.


    She tilted her head to look at him. It was impulsive. Very impulsive on her part how her hand was raised towards his face, her finger caressing his jawline, gently tracing towards his ear. Her dark starry eyes were half-lidded having ayer of sheen as she looked at him.


    That was it.


    In the next second, his lips caught hers in a hard kiss, driving them apart with the seamless force. His grip around her waist tightened as he pulled her closer until there was no gap in between their bodies.


    The door rattled behind her back as he shifted towards the bed, kissing her not so gently all the while. It was the roughest kiss she ever had but so passionate were his touches that set every inch of her body on fire like never before. So weird was the kiss giving her the impulse to let itst forever.


    "S-Stop," She grabbed a fistful of his hair and murmured near his lips, her hot breath grazing past his skin.

 Chapter 137 - Revenge Never Tasted So Sweet

    "S-Stop¡­"


    He paused. Their lips parted slightly as they panted. Chests heaving up and down as their bodies were stuck together, basking in the warmth of each other''s embrace. Holding her tightly in his arms, he stood near the edge of the bed.


    It was impossible to recognize their heartbeats, the breaths that were intermingling together like they were one. His brown eyes never once stopped looking at her.


    His hand found its way back to her face as he held her jaw, stroking it ever so lightly with hisrge rough palm that seemed oddly warm to her.


    Just as he leaned in for another kiss, she pressed her palm on his mouth, "N-No, you can''t do this," She finally said, catching her breath.


    His brown eyes flickered, "Mei¡­" Was she regretting already?


    She looked into his eyes and her heart raced. Along with pink, brown was another color that she disliked the most.


    She hated the sight of brown but why would his eyes, despite falling in the brown category, never made her hate him? More like they were her favorites.


    She loved his eyes. They have always been the most artistic pair of eyes she had ever seen.


    She raised another hand and pressed her palm on his eyes while his hold on her waist continued tightening as if he wanted to meld her into him.


    "You don''t get to do this all the time," She whispered in a daze and removed her palm from his lips before grabbing his cor as she dragged him closer and stood up on her tiptoes.


    Despite his vision being blocked by her palm, his hold on her waist remained strong while his other hand found its way to the back of her thighs, handling her effortlessly.


    "You don''t get to control me all the time," She mumbled near his lips, "You even kicked me out of the mansion. It should be my turn for revenge¡­!" Her grip on his cor tightened while her other hand grabbed the back of his neck.


    With a slight tug, their lips were dancing together again. He smiled and pulled her lower lip between his teeth, drawing on it lightly.


    She closed her eyes feeling the sweetness of the wine invading her taste buds once again. She slid her hands under his jacket to press him closer as if they weren''t already close enough.


    As her tongue trace the outlines of his lips, he groaned. The low groan at the back of his throat, a small pleading voice that he made, setting every inch of her skin on fire. The barest tip of her tongue moved forward to tease his upper lips and he weed her as she explored every inch of his mouth until her breathing turnedbored.


    Their hearts racing. Her toes ached from standing on tiptoes for too long causing her to stumble forward.


    She gasped as both of them fell on the bed. "Ahh¡­" The top of her head bumped onto his chin causing her to wince. On top of that, something seemed to be poking her inner thighs. Still, in a daze, she grabbed the thing and twisted it so that it would stop poking her.


    "Uh¡­" He let out a stifled groan.


    She froze at the erotic sound that seemed to have some kind of weird effect on her. Her body was burning hotter than before. The ''poking'' thing in her hand twitched and the past 10 minutes of adventure and thrill shed in her mind like a movie.


    As she finally came back to her senses and realization dawned on her, her fuzzy brain finally started working and soon, she realized who was poking her from within his pants. Her hands trembled as she let it go.


    Her face was still buried in his throat as she murmured to herself, "God¡­No¡­"


    Embarrassment, shame, and every kind of awkward feeling filled her as she swiftly rolled off the man''s body with her eyes still closed.


    "I¡­Listen, I am¡­I did not mean to-" She paused when she opened her eyes and nced at the man who had his eyes closed. His chest falling and rising evenly.


    It was as if there was a flood of relief sweeping away the awkwardness from her heart. Luckily¡­ She closed her eyes and patted her chest.


    She quietly got off the bed and looked at him. After contemting for a moment, she removed the leather boots off his feet and then loosened the cor of his shirt before tucking him in the nket so that he would not be ufortable or cold.


    In the next moment, however, she suddenly found no strength in her legs. She sat on the floor and leaned back on the edge of the bed.


    1 second.


    2 seconds.


    3 seconds.


    When she could not take the silence any longer, she raised her hand and pped her face hard, wanting to smack some senses in her mind in the process.


    Was she crazy? How could she even do it? She ran her fingers through her hair and dragged her knees closer to her chest before banging her head on it again and again.


    "You kicked me out of your house¡­So, I want revenge. What revenge? A kiss?!" She muttered to herself in disbelief, "Dammit! Months of ''we are friends'' only to end up like this. What the hell did I do?" She hugged her knees closer to her body and buried her face in the hollow as she closed her eyes.


    What did he even think when he kissed her? Why would he do that? Was it because he was drunk? And¡­how can she grab his¡­Dammit¡­ Her face turned red. This is so humiliating. He will forget all of it tomorrow since he is drunk, won''t he? Not only did she allow him to kiss her, she even kissed him back!?


    "What kind of revenge includes kissing him like that?" she whispered.


    She could barely keep her eyes open after the long and exhausting day. Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize when she drifted off to sleep.


    As soon as her breathing was even and the room returned to its peace without her depressed mumblings, the man sleeping on the bed opened his eyes and nced at the woman who was sitting near his feet on the cold floor.


    Walking out of the bed, he gently carried her off the floor and put her on the bed before tucking her in the nket making sure to not look anywhere below her neckline which might torture him in countless ways.


    He removed his suit jacket and shirt before throwing them to her study chair as he joined her in the small bed. Small as it was, he did not mind it as long as she was beside him.


    As expected, once she was asleep, she would not budge an inch even if the universe was shaken. To not make her awkward, he pretended to sleep but little he expect that she will p herself like this.


    He propped his head on his palm and nced at her face as she slept. Her fair cheek which was turning slowly red because of her p did not go unnoticed by him. He ced his palm on her cheek and caressed her skin with the pad of his thumb.


    His gaze wandered to her beautiful lips that were swollen till now. His lips curved up slightly as he pressed a soft kiss on her lips and got inside the nket. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her closer to himself until her face was buried in his chest, "Revenge never tasted so sweet," He whispered and closed his eyes.


    You looked into my eyes for a little too long to ''not have any feelings for me''.

 Chapter 138 - Muddy Pervert

    While Yu Mei''s room was engulfed in the peace of a pink bubble, the situation outside was not that good.


    Hiding behind the pir, Jun Boyan and Mu Shen looked in disbelief as the couple entered the room and the door closed behind them. What happened after that was not difficult to guess for them.


    Mu Shen nced at Jun Boyan, "What now? Are we leaving or staying here waiting for them to finish their ''in and out''?"


    "What will it take for you to speak a few decent words?" Jun Boyan furrowed his brows, distancing himself from the pervert.


    "Right now, it will take me a hot woman, a big box of condoms, and a perfectly smooth surface to speak decent words," Mu Shen spoke in all seriousness.


    "You..."Jun Boyan simply averted his gaze, not wanting to look at him anymore.


    "Oyi~ Fourth Young Master, my life is prettyplicated right now. You don''t have to make such faces."


    "Is everything alright?" Jun Boyan looked at him when the man spoke so seriously.


    They were talking in whispers so that they would not catch anyone''s attention.


    Mu Shen shrugged, "How can anything be alright? I was busy with shoots for thest two days and today, your brother called me out. Three days of no sex. Can you imagine how painful it is? My member is throbbing so hard that I''ve decided I''ll put sex toys in my pocket from next time so that I can relieve myself anytime."


    The corner of his lips twitched. He should have expected something like this from him. Now that they were standing here, waiting for his brother toe out, Jun Boyan felt like having a proper conversation with Mu Shen.


    "Say...You are so addicted to sex," Jun Boyan paused for a moment before continuing, "What will you do if you fall in love one day? Will she ept you after knowing your colorful past?" He nced at the man whose face was covered in mud.


    Mu Shen scoffed, "Love? Love is directly proportional to having one woman for my whole life? How boring will that be! Damn. I want a brte for Monday, a blonde for Tuesday..."


    "Enough. I understood," Jun Boyan raised his hand to stop him from speaking any further, "Even an existence like my brother can fall in love. What kind of thing are you? There wille a day when you will fall in love but all the Tetris you are ying right now with your women wille back like a nightmare in your path to pursue your woman.''''


    Mu Shenughed derisively, "As if I have the patience to pursue women. How troublesome. I want them on my bed with their legs parted rather than tiring my legs by running after them," He paused for a moment and changed the topic, "Should we wait for Xuan or leave?" He asked ncing at the time on his wristwatch.


    "Won''t brother be in trouble if we leave?"


    "He is your brother. He won''t be in trouble even if he barged inside the girl''s washroom."


    "You..."


    Before they could walk out from behind the pir, whistles sounds rang around them as they heard sounds of approaching footsteps.


    "Are you sure about this?" The warden of the dormitory asked the security.


    "Yes, I heard some noises and went to the back to check if anyone''s there. There I found this man''s shoe covered in mud. Footsteps were trailing inside," The security answered politely as they walked towards the pir.


    Jun Boyan nced at Mu Shen''s feet before looking back at his face.


    "Run," Mu Shen whispered as he closed his eyes and ran forward in a swift motion before anyone could approach him.


    Jun Boyan pped his hand on his forehead as he looked at the man''s retreating back. This stupid man. The exit was in opposite direction. But he didn''t have enough time to stop Mu Shen as the warden was already approaching them.


    Letting out a drawn breath, he removed his boots and held them in his hand before running towards the exit, leaving Mu Shen to pay the price of his stupidly.


    In the room opposite Yu Mei''s room.


    "Boyan, I-I..." Mu Shen panted with one of his hands on his knee while he held the door with his other hand before walking inside, "I-I am never doing this again. It looks like we are perverts while the culprit responsible for our misery is having fun with his wife. What are you waiting for? Quicklye inside..."


    He paused, not hearing any movements from behind.


    As he turned around, he did not see any signs of Jun Boyan. This brat...! He quickly closed the door, hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps.


    While he was running, he already noticed that he came in the wrong direction. Now that he looked around, it seems like he entered a girl''s room.


    He looked at the dried mud on the one shoe that was in his left foot. It won''t leave footprints outside so no one can find him here.


    In today''s generation, which girl wasn''t obsessed over him? He ran his fingers through his hair with that thought.


    ''Click''


    The sound of the unlocking of the door suddenly made him panic.


    Without giving it another thought, he hid inside the closet.


    Li Shuang dried her hair with a towel as she walked towards the bed. She picked up her phone from the bedside table and walked towards the window before making a call.


    "Boqin," She spoke softly as soon as the person answered her call, "Oh? You are sleeping so soon? Okay...That''s alright. I was just going to bed," She swiftly hung up the call and nced at her blurry reflection on the ss pane. A hint of disappointment was apparent on her cold face.


    Her eyes shed suddenly as she grabbed the vase from the windowsill, "Come out," She coldly said before turning around to look at the closet.

 Chapter 139 - A Blissful Morning

    Mu Shen stepped out of the closet with his eyes closed as he raised his hands in surrender, ''''I''m not a pervert. I swear!"


    Li Shuang looked at the man who had mud all over his face. Ripped jeans, ck shirt, dark shades settled above his striking reddish-brown hair. "Get out," She coldly said with the vase in her hands pointed at the man.


    ''''I really am not a pervert."


    "Get out!"


    "Woman, you will regret this," Mu Shen opened his eyes as he looked at Li Shuang who had her back pressed against the ss pane as she nced at him coldly. A beautiful face indeed. Fresh, beautiful, and cold!


    The corner of his tugged up. Since he was already trapped here, it was better to make it worth his while.


    "Wait for me, darling," He quickly entered the bathroom with his self-confidence reaching the sky. He was sure as long as he washed his face, this cold girl will be a kitten ready to pounce on him.


    Li Shuang nced at his retreating back before looking at the vase in her hand, for once regretting not learning self-defense.


    It did not take long for Mu Shen toe out with his face properly cleaned as he stood near the door with a typical protagonist''s face with one of his hands extended towards Li Shuang. He was one hundred and one percent sure that she will be charmed within a second.


    "Get out," Her voice was still cold.


    "_"


    The next morning.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. Her back was pressed against the front of his body as her head was supported on his shoulder.


    He wrapped his other arm around her waist before snuggling closer to her as his index finger drew circles on her waist through her satin robe.


    "Uhh...." Yu Mei finally opened her eyes when her body clock worked up. Feeling ever sofortable, she moved closer to the source of warmth beside her and rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm.


    "Awake?" A hoarse yet deep voice sounded right beside her ear.


    She stiffened, Her palm that was rubbing her eyes froze in its ce as a weird shiver ran down her whole body. Her toes curled up as the memories ofst night came crashing on her like the tip of the mountain after andslide.


    She wanted to act dead but it was so...So damnte for it. He won''t remember it, will he? His alcohol tolerance was bad after all. Bracing herself for it, she reminded herself to think of the best and grabbed the hand that was wrapped around her waist before trying to remove it.


    "No, it''s better like this," He whispered beside her ear. She shivered and pressed her hand on her ear.


    It was one of her sensitive spots for god''s sake. Why did he have to speak there?


    He raised his arm that was below her head and with one swift move, the hand on her waist moved as he turned her around so that she was lying atop him with their faces inches away.


    Her dark eyes visibly widened as she rolled to the side and nced at him, ''''What are you doing?" She asked pulling the nket to her neck.


    She wasn''t shy because she was wearing a conservative robe, but she could not be sure whether some part of her thighs or above would be visible given her ugly sleeping postures. The least she wanted was to embarrass herself any further.


    "Morning," He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead as his hand sneaked inside the nket, settling on her waist and dragging her back closer to himself again.


    Her eyes widened. Every cell in her body screamed, jiggled like the bounciest jelly cake. She took a few breathes to calm herself down and nced at him with all seriousness.


    If he did remember anything about yesterday, then she would simply run away and ignore him forever rather than reminiscing the most embarrassing moments of her life at the sight of him again and again.


    It was a big mistake on her part. Maybe she had been single for way too long or she simply needed a man. But it was ridiculously impulsive on her part to kiss Jun Zixuan, the man who has been her best friend in both lives.


    He was drunk but she was not.


    "About yesterday...."


    "Did I cause some inconvenience to you yesterday? I was a bit drunk and I don''t remember much," He interrupted her almost instantly when he noticed the change of expression in her eyes.


    Trying to ignore me again? Impossible!


    He did not why but one nce at her will give him the hint of the direction of her thoughtstely. He was getting to know every fiber of her like the back of his hand and he would not prefer it any other way.


    "I..." He didn''t remember anything! Her eyes lit up as she quickly shook her head, "I wanted to ask... Why did youe here?"


    "I initially came to help you with your studies but I could barely control my alcohol from getting on my head."


    "And why were you drunk?"


    He hugged her tighter, burying his face in her neck, his lips grazing past her dark hair as his hold was almost melding their bodies in one, "It was because of Mu Shen. he asked me to drink," His hot breath slithering past the nape of her neck.


    She stiffened, "C-Can you let go of me first? We don''t have to talk like this," It was tough for her to get these words out but she did her best despite the rings of shocks flowing through her body.


    "I want to hug you, can''t I?" He whispered again.


    And it was like a cat was scratching her heart. Dammit. She pressed her palms on his chest and pushed him away, "Men and women should have a proper distance between them."


    His brown eyes stared at her intensely.

 Chapter 140 - You’ve Been There In Every Goddamned Though Of Mine

    "Men and women should have a proper distance between them," She pressed her palms on his chest and pushed him away.


    His brown eyes stared at her intensely, "But we are friends, aren''t we?" He asked, ever so innocently.


    She opened her mouth to speak something but no words came out of her mouth.


    "You said it''s fine for friends to sleep together and it''s perfectly normal. Remember?" He blinked.


    It certainly sounded like something she said. She bit her bottom lips and thought back to the time when they were in Shanghai for his business trip.


    Back then, they were not on speaking terms and he had taken the initiative to talk to her. They went to the terrace where he had informed her about his mother''s disease and they talked about a lot of things.


    They spent the whole night on the terrace, sharing the same nket and she did not realize when she dozed off while looking at the stars.


    The next morning when they woke up snuggled in each other''s embrace, she was pretty casual about it and she had even said that it''smon for friends to sleep together.


    "But-"


    "But what? Do you have something you want to say?" He raised an eyebrow and hugged her once again.


    But that was what I said before we shared that mind-crashing heart-stopping crazily hot kiss. That was not what we were supposed to do.


    She gulped her words looking into his curious eyes. It was better not to trigger his memories fromst night. It was saving her from all the embarrassment she might have felt.


    "It''s nothing."


    "So you agree with me, right? Friends should hug more often," Saying that, he once again stuffed her in his arms like a fluffy pillow.


    Not being able to budge him with her strength she bit his chest.


    Since he was not wearing a shirt, her teeth did work pretty well as his grip on her slightly loosened.


    Taking advantage of the moment, she sat up on the bed and moved away from him, "We are no longer friends. You should remember it first," she scoffed and turned around to get off the bed.


    A gasp escaped her lips when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him in one swift move. She ended up lying on top of him. Her hair fell over his shoulder framing their faces like a sheer curtain as sunlight passed through the gaps between her tresses making them have a good look at each other in the sprinkling golden rays.


    "Mei," He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and hugged her tightly before burying his face in her neck, "I have been living alone all this while...I don''t remember how long it has been. But I have never once felt empty all these years, unlike these two months which made me feel like I have dropped a part of me somewhere. It was not my intention to hurt you but I ended up doing it anyway..." He let out a drawn breath.


    She shivered at the sensation of his hot breath stroking the nape of her neck but for once, she did not struggle in his embrace.


    She let him hold her as he wanted. Afterall...


    It would be a big fat lie if she said she didn''t miss him during this time.


    She would be lying if she said she hadn''t scribbled his name on her study desk absent-mindedly. She would be lying if she said that she hasn''t missedining about every little bad thing that happened in her day to him and getting coaxed and pampered by himter.


    She was not a professional liar so she would not bother trying to lie about these things that anyone around her could see. She did miss him. Not a little. But a lot.


    "I wanted toe back to you within the first week itself but I had preponed all the work and I was stuck there. I''ve been thinking of you during the morning coffees, evening works," He let out another frustrated sigh, "Hell, you''ve been hovering on my every goddamned thought in between. I missed you so much. Forgive me this time, please?"


    She chuckled as her eyes slightly teared up. She blinked rapidly, "What if I don''t?" She sniffed near his shoulder de.


    He paused, "Mei, you can''t be so stingy. Just this once. Let''s go back to how we were, okay?" His deep voice had a hint of affection and doting in it.


    As he was raising his hand to stroke her back, his fingers grazed past her waist and the woman in his embrace burst outughing.


    "T-That tickles," She rolled down from his embrace.


    His gaze shed at the sudden discovery he made.


    She held the nket trying to cover her body properly but it had only reached her thighs when he quickly held both her hands before pinning them above her head.


    Her eyes widened as she looked through the evil intentions in his eyes, "You can''t be thinking of doing that," She muttered through gritted teeth.


    "Doing what?" Jun Zixuan smiled as his gaze roamed towards her curvy waist, His finger drew a straight line causing her body to arch up, "This?" He asked while his pace increased as he drew small irregrs shapes on her waist through the flimsy robe she had donned, "Or this?"


    "N-No...Hahaha..." Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as he continued tickling her, "Zi-Zixuan, you...Hahaha...Stop."


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he watched her smiling andughing like crazy.


    "Hahahaha...F-Fine...I.." She panted, "I forgive you-" She breathed out, and finally, the man stopped, getting what he wanted.


    Forgiving him was not difficult. Not after what she came to realize a few days ago.


    "You are crazy," She mumbled, sitting on the bed as she patted her chest and adjusted the sleeves of her satin robe, "And stubborn."


    He chuckled, pinching the tip of her nose, "Less than you."


    She swatted away his hand, wiping the tear from the corner of her eyes. Her stomach was still hurting from all that tickling.


    ''Knock Knock''

 Chapter 141 - Distant Relative

    ''Knock Knock''


    Yu Mei nced at the door before getting off the bed, "I''ll go check who is it," Her eyes slightly narrowed, "And you sit there quietly, without making a single noise. Barging inside the girls'' dormitory, you are asking for trouble for both of us," She folded her arms in front of her chest.


    He nodded.


    Looking at his obedient face, she felt like she was bullying a kindergarten kid. Letting out a soft sigh, she turned around to walk towards the door only to be dragged back to the bed by the man.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Shh." He pressed a finger on her lips before getting off the bed and walking towards the wardrobe. He slid the ss door and grabbed a long trench coat before walking back to the bed.


    Without saying anything, he let his hand glide beneath her arms as he pulled her up in one swift move. Her chest collided against his rock-hard abs as she instinctively wrapped an arm around his neck, "Can you stop giving me shocks like this?" She leaned closer to his ear since there was someone outside the door.


    ''Knock Knock Knock'' The constant knocks were avoided by him.


    "Does it scare you?" He wrapped the trench coat around her body as she got her hands inside the sleeve while he tightened it properly from the front.


    "I''m used to it," She stated looking at the man who was gazing at her from head to toe.


    Since the trench coat reached below her knees, he was satisfied with it. He adjusted her hair properly hiding her smooth neckline.


    "You don''t need to do this. This is a girls'' dormitory."


    "Precautions," He tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    "For what?" She raised an eyebrow. What was he acting like this for? Why did it seem like a typical boyfriend getting overprotective of his girlfriend?


    He cleared his throat, "What if there is a pervert outside? What if he falls for you at first sight? What if he starts stalking you-?"


    She pressed her palm on his mouth, "I got it," So, it was his genuine friendly concern. She poked his naked chest without averting her gaze from his face, "I think you should wear a shirt and hide all this before a female pervert gets obsessed over you."


    ''Knock Knock.''


    Ignoring the constant knocks, she grabbed the shirt from the chair, and standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped it around his body and tied the sleeves around his neck making him look like a modern superman, "Wear it properly and hide somewhere," She pushed him to the side before walking towards the door.


    The man leaned back on the study table looking at her back in amusement. How could he forget everything that happened after drinking a little wine? As low as his alcohol tolerance was, his memory was working just fine.


    But he was very sure if he had been honest about it, the woman would have ignored him with all her might. So, he decided to y safe and it seemed to be sitting well with her.


    As Yu Mei opened the door slightly and popped only half her body out, what greeted her was the sight of Li Shuang standing outside with a cold expression on her face.


    The girl was usually cold anyways but for some reason, she felt like some thousand-year-old iceberg today.


    Despite noticing her weird trench coat atopcy satin robe outfitbination, Li Shuang had the decency to not question it.


    "Morning, this is...?" Yu Mei nced at the person standing beside Li Shuang but since they were covered from head to toe in the nket, she could not make out who it was.


    Li Shuang turned to the side and raised the nket slightly just enough to show Mu Shen''s face, "Your rtive," She coldly said and turned around to leave. She could not sleep for the whole night because of his presence in her room.


    She wanted to send him back to Yu Mei when he informed her that he was her distant rtive and was here to meet her for some special reasons.


    But the warden and security had been hovering around the dorms for the whole night, only giving her a chance to take him out when it was dawn.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. It was all because of this duffer that...that...that kiss happened yesterday.


    It was good that Jun Zixuan did not remember anything otherwise she would have dug a hole beside the dorms''pound and got herself buried there.


    "Meimei~" Mu Shen averted his gaze from Li Shuang and nced at Yu Mei only to freeze in his ce.


    Every nerve in his body burned in disbelief as he felt the floor-sweeping past his feet in one swift move.


    Han Mei? Or Yu Mei Zhen? W-Who the damned fuck is this?


    s, unlike Jun Zixuan, he was not very calm about the goddess standing in front of him.


    ...


    After the thrilling night and adventurous morning, the rest of the day was going peacefully for Yu Mei.


    Since the students were in a rush for sses and all in the morning and the warden was not avable, she had found a perfect opportunity to send Jun Zixuan and Mu Shen out of the dorm through the back door.


    Thetter kept gazing at her unblinkingly like she was some monster until he retracted his gaze under Jun Zixuan''s intimidating re.


    After they left, she went to the gym. Since the gym was nearby the college, she went all the way running there. First, it was better for a warm-up, and secondly because she had left her car at Shi Luo''s ce thest time she went there and got drunk. And she had yet to retrieve her car.


    "You got ns after this?" Yu Mei leaned back on her desk when their third ss was finally over.


    Li Shuang shook her head, "I''ll just go back to the dorms and sleep."

 Chapter 142 - Step Back

    Yu Mei noticed how red her eyes were, "You didn''t sleep well?"


    "I could not," Li Shuang tapped her fingers on the desk, ''''When did you entangle yourself with that moronic rtive of yours?"


    "Well," Yu Mei cleared her throat. Luckily, Li Shuang didn''t see Jun Zixuan who was in her room, or else she would not have known how to answer her, "It''s a long story."


    Li Shuang nodded, "You should stay away from such people."


    "He is the Film Emperor, after all, you make him sound like a psycho," Yu Mei chuckled finding it a bit funny. A mboyant guy like Mu Shen would never have expected that he would be despised by a woman someday.


    "He was inviting me to sleep with him. Do you think it is normal?"


    While the students left the ssroom one by one, both Yu Mei and Li Shuang were left alone on their desks.


    Yu Mei could not help butugh looking at the woman''s cold face scrunching up in disgust, "He is fond of women and you happened to be a beautiful ice flower."


    Li Shuang shook her head, "Your guardian is the trending topic of the university now. They all are saying that he is your boyfriend. So, do I know him?"


    The corner of her lips twitched. This came too suddenly. How was she supposed to answer it now?


    "Ah Shuang," Zhu Boqin stepped inside the ssroom with a soft smile ying across his lips.


    Li Shuang tilted her head to the side before standing up, ''''You''re here."


    He nodded.


    "I''ll leave now," Yu Mei stood up.


    From her mother''s death to her marriage with Jun ZIxuan, Li Shuang was unaware of a lot of things because she was not on talking terms with the previous owner during that time. It was kind of better that her boyfriend came since she didn''t know how to exin the situation to her.


    Taking advantage of the chance, Yu Mei slung her bag across her shoulder but before she could walk away, Zhu Boqin grabbed her hand.


    "Mei."


    Her footsteps came to a halt as she turned around to nce at her hand that was being held by him. She opened her mouth to say something but refrained from doing so when her gazended on Li Shuang''s face.


    "Boqin, let go of her."


    Zhu Boqin paused for a moment, ''''I just wanted to talk to her and...."


    "Enough," Li Shuang coldly interrupted him as she tilted her head to look at him, "Let go of her."


    His grip on her wrist loosened and Yu Mei retracted her hand quickly as she nced at Li Shuang, "See youter."


    The corner of her lips slightly tugged up as Li Shuang nodded.


    As soon as Yu Mei left the ssroom, Zhu Boqin quickly exined himself, "Ah Shuang, I...I just wanted to clear up the misunderstandings with her so that you both can go back to how you were before. I..."


    "We are doing much better than before. You don''t have to help us," Li Shuang replied with a straight face looking at him coldly.


    "Are you doubting my intentions?" He asked, cupping her cheeks.


    "I''m not," She softly replied.


    "I knew you will always trust me," He lowered his head to her level, leaning in for a kiss. But just as their lips touched, she tilted her face to the side, "I''m tired. I''ll go back to the dorm and take a rest first."


    Zhu Boqin stood rooted to his spot even until her back disappeared from his view.


    ...


    As Yu Mei wandered in the corridor, she could not help but think back to what happened in the ssroom. That guy, Zhu Boqin did not deserve Li Shuang.


    Even though he had not done anything wrong or he is not bad at anything but it was just her instinct that he wasn''t the right one for her.


    s, she could do nothing about it. It was Li Shuang''s call in the end.


    She held her bag in her hand before taking out the rose from the inner corner. Putting the bag on her back, she looked at the rose in her hand and stroked its petal with her index finger, ''Your owner has invited me to his ce to help me with my studies. So? Shall I go or not?''


    While thinking about the said owner, she was unaware of how her lips stretched in a soft smile.


    "Ah...."


    While she was walking, she did not realize when someone bumped into her causing the rose in her hand to fall on the floor in the process.


    Without giving it a second thought, she bent her body to pick up the rose from the floor but just as her hand reached towards the flower, someone stepped on the back of her palm.


    She sucked in a cold breath and grabbed the rose with her other hand before it could be damaged while she tried to get her hand from under the stiletto.


    The person pressed the heel harder on her hand and she winced.


    "Oh my god. Sister, what are you doing?'' Yu Yan shouted getting the attention of the students passing by in the corridor. Some of them were already looking at the ongoing fiasco.


    "Yu Yan, step back," Yu Mei coldly said when she could not bear the pain anymore.


    "Sister, how can you talk like this with me. Do you think I did it on purpose?"


    "It seems like you want to keep stepping on my hand. That''s fine, you should not me me for being cruel then," Without giving her a chance to react, Yu Mei twisted her wrist in a swift motion, her finger pulled the heel of her stiletto as she stood up.


    "AHHHH!" Yu Yan screamed as she fell on the floor on her butt, "S-Sister, how could you do this?"


    "Stand up again, I''ll show you the demo of how I did this." Yu Mei put the rose in her bag as she took out a handkerchief to wipe her hand before throwing it away.


    "What''s going on here?"

 Chapter 143 - Neither Fond Of Angels Nor Bastards

    "What''s going on here?" The students immediately made way for Daniel Yu who walked past them.


    Whispers and gasps shot amongst them as nobody expected to see a rich family drama here. The illegitimate daughter VS legitimate daughter and now came the brother in the picture.


    Anyone who had eyes saw that it was Yu Yan who had stepped on Yu Mei''s hand andter started shouting instead of taking her heels off her palm.


    In fact, most of them wanted to see their goddess in action.


    But the said goddess was not in the mood for stunts. She nced at Yu Yan who was still lying on the floor on her butt. A hint of disdain appeared in her eyes as she shook her head before and walked past her.


    Before she could walk further, Daniel grabbed her wrist, "Where do you think you are going? You owe me an exnation," He snarled.


    She paused and turned around, her long hair falling over her shoulder with her fast movement.


    Daniel paused looking at the woman who had gotten more alluring than thest time he saw her. He has seen her countless times like this but he still found it difficult to believe that she was the same ugly, fat girl who used to hover around him like a disgusting fly.


    Yu Mei moved her hand, trying to get it out of his grip. Calm down. She recited in her mind over and over like a chant.


    Impulsiveness brings disaster.


    He tightened his hold on her, "Why do you have to bully your younger sister all the time? Why can''t you give in to her at times? She cares for you all this while but what you do is harm her again and again. She is an angel but you...Ah!" A muffled groan escaped his mouth when the seemingly harmless woman twisted his wrist with her other hand that produced a ''crack sound''.


    Yu Mei walked straight towards Yu Yan who was delicately standing up from the floor. She grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the end of the corridor where there was a window attached to an open roof.


    "Yu Mei Zhen, what do you think you are doing?" Daniel held his wrist and gritted his teeth as he walked after them followed by the students.


    With one swift move, she dragged her arm forward before throwing her off the roof.


    "AHHH!"


    Yu Yan grabbed the edge of the roof as her legs swayed in the air, tears rolling down her cheeks.


    "Angel, I pushed you off the fourth floor. Take your wings out. Fly now," Yu Mei coldly said.


    It could be said that she had pushed Yu Yan after looking at the ce. If she fell from there, she wouldnd straight in the university garden behind. Other than a few broken bones, she would not receive any other injury. But just as she expected, Yu Yan managed to not fall into such conditions.


    Yu Yan sobbed, "Sis-"


    "Shhh," Yu Mei shook her head, "Don''t go back to the sister script lest I step on this pretty hand of yours as you stepped on mine."


    Yu Yan immediately shut her mouth as her eyes widened in trepidation and fear. This woman was crazy. Who knows if she will really do it? If she did it, won''t she fall?


    Daniel immediately ran towards his sister and pulled her up swiftly. Yu Mei didn''t stop him from doing that.


    "Are you crazy? Do you know you can be kicked out by the university for this?" He red at Yu Mei.


    "Checking the authenticity of your ims," She shook her head, "Turns out your sister is not an angel after all. Who gave you such wrong information?"


    The students who were watching the drama could not help but snigger. In these months, the more they knew Yu Mei, the more they admired her and this was a whole new side of her which made them realize it was no wrong for her to be the person whom everyone worshipped.


    Her poprity was going a notch higher than Li Shuang and the inte celebrity Yu Yan who happened to be the legitimate daughter of the Yu Family.


    "I''ll sue you," Daniel squinted.


    "Don''t mess with me. I am neither fond of angels nor bastards," Yu Mei coldly said as she flipped the hair in front of her shoulder towards the back and turned around to leave. The group of students parted giving her the way.


    Daniel found himself staring at her even after she disappeared from his view. Something dark stirred in his eyes as his throat ran dry.


    "Brother..."


    He snapped out of his daze before tilting his face to the side as he nced at Yu Yan''s teary eyes, ''''I''ll deal with her."


    The students left the ce with mocking smiles stered on their faces. With Yu Mei Zhen being so cool, can you deal with her?


    Not to mention that their goddess had a powerful boyfriend backing her up.


    They had assumed Jun Zixuan to be her boyfriend after observing their interactions during PTM.


    Yu Yan sniffed.


    "Don''t cry," Daniel wiped her tears, "Yan''er, what happened today...Don''t mention it to our parents."


    "Why? Are you protecting her even after what she did?"


    His gaze shed slightly, "No, Mom and Dad will be worried about you. I don''t want that. They already have a lot on their te as there has been some trouble in thepanytely."


    Yu Yan nodded obediently, "I won''t tell them."


    He stroked her head, "Good girl."


    ...


    Yu Mei stroked her hand as she walked towards the dormitory, cursing the Yu siblings in her mind. The back of her hand was swollen because of how Yu Yan stomped on it. She could barely move her left hand.


    "You have bad luck today," She muttered looking at her hand before pursing her lips. First, her poor hand was grabbed by Zhu Boqin, then Yu Yan stomped on it andter it was held by Daniel Yu.


    ''Ring..Ring...Ring...''


    She took out her phone from the pocket of her jeans and answered the call immediately when she saw the caller ID, "Hey...Oh...Okay...I''ll go there..."


    As Jun Zixuan hung up the call, she nced at her phone. It had slipped off her mind that he had asked her to go to the Ren Mansion to help her with her studies.


    If he hadn''t reminded her, she would have forgotten it after all the fiasco that happened a few moments ago.


    She walked out of the university gate only to find a ck Sedan parked on the other side of the road. Soon, Steward Gu stepped out and bowed as she walked towards him.


    Since he was the one who was spying...cough...gathering information on her in these past months, he was not that shocked by how she looked as he had already seen her in the pictures, unlike his Master who was avoiding looking at her pictures?just in case he missed her more.


    ...


    A/N: Do vote if you are liking it so far. And drop somements to let me know your opinions<3

 Chapter 144 - What And Where Do You Wanna Learn?

    Steward Gu felt like he was seeing an angel incarnate in front of him. He was happy to the point that his eyes almost teared up. Finally, his torture was going to be over. He could have his beauty sleep without working his ass off now that his Master managed to coax his darling wife.


    "Steward Gu, long time no see," She smiled at him.


    "It has indeed been a very long time. I''m so happy to see you, Young Madam," A happy smile was stered on his face


    Yu Mei: "_" Come again? Which Madam? Her ears weren''t ringing, were they?


    Ren Mansion.


    "Young Madam, we are here," Steward Gu announced as alighted the car and opened the door for her.


    Yu Mei could feel a headache starting from every inch of her head, ''''Steward Gu, can you switch back to Miss Yu?" She asked, stepping out of the car.


    "Yes, Young Madam," The man replied politely.


    The corner of her lips twitched and she did not bother to speak to him anymore. She turned her head to look at the ce she hadn''t stepped foot in these past months. A hint of nostalgia appeared in her eyes forcing her to shake her head.


    She was not an emotional or poetic person. She was not used to such weird feelings.


    As she stepped inside the mansion, all the servants queued up in front of her.


    ''''Young Madam," They sang in unison before bowing to her at a ny-degree angle.


    Yu Mei took a step back as she awkwardly cleared her throat. There is only one Ren Mansion so she couldn''t possibly have entered the wrong house.


    Then, what''s wrong with them? Probably it was because they knew that their marriage was not real, and Jun Zixuan had someone else in his heart, that''s why the term ''Young Madam'' has been more like some taboo in this ce.


    Since the day she woke, she had noticed it. Everyone was careful about addressing her as ''Miss Yu'' and nothing else.


    As her gazended on a maid''s face, she paused for a moment. Her gaze then wandered to all of them and her brows tugged in confusion. All of them were unfamiliar faces to her.


    Although she did not remember the servants'' names, staying in the same ce, their faces had be familiar to her but right now she could barely recognize any of them.


    Following her gaze, Steward Gu opened his mouth to speak, "All of them who insulted Young Madam were fired by Master on that same day," He proudly dered hoping that she would be touched and pounce on his Master and he could take advantage of that chance to ask for a six months holiday from his Master.


    But s, he expected too much from the heartless woman who nonchntly nodded, "That was the least he could do for the emotional distress he caused me," She shrugged, ''''Where is he?"


    "_"


    "You can wait for him in the Master Bedroom. He will be there soon," Yu Mei nodded at him and the rest of the servants before walking upstairs.


    She stepped inside the Master Bedroom and threw her bag on the couch before picking up the notebook that was kept on the coffee table.


    Sample papers. It was what was written on the cover of the ne notebook.


    She picked them up and grabbed the pen with her other hand and walked towards the French window.


    cing the papers on the window sill, she turned the pages one by one, and surprisingly there were all Chinese sample papers. All were handwritten questions and she recognized the handwriting at one nce.


    Seems like Jun Zixuan was very serious about bing her tutor. She thought to herself.


    Biting the tip of her pen, she nced at the essay topics that seemed to be tooplicated. She could barelypose a simple essay, wasn''t he overestimating her capabilities?


    "What are you looking at with such focus?"


    The deep voice beside her ear made a shiver run down her spine.


    "When did youe? And where were you?" came out the questions she didn''t need to ask.


    What he did, where he went, why would she want to know that?


    "Just now," He wrapped his arms around her waist, "I came out after taking a shower," He replied, pressing his chin on the crook of her neck.


    Just showered? Yes, the scent of his shower gel did enthrall her for a moment. The water dripping down his hairnded on her neck when he leaned closer. The droplet glided down her cleavage through the ck blouse she had donned.


    Her toes curled up as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. She cleared her throat and removed his hand from her waist.


    "Okay, then start teaching me," She walked towards the bed holding the sample papers in her hand without looking back at him.


    "Or you can tell me what you want to learn and from where you want to learn," He said, his eyes shining meaningfully.


    She paused and turned around to look at him and realized what a big mistake it was on her part. It was crazy how attractive she found him.


    It has not been like this before. They even slept on the same bed but she had a level offort and peace. It was never this weird feeling of her heart wanting to escape the ribcage, neither was it her mind nking out at the sight of him.


    Panicky. Fidgety. Shy. Nervous. Self-conscious.


    All these foreign feelings seemed to be dominating every single vein inside her body. She was never like this around him. Never!


    Was it just the hormones or was it because of the kiss? Was she feeling awkward? Hell!


    Water gliding down those rock-hard abs as the prominent V-line that was visible in the small towel wrapped around his waist. Those long muscr legs...she gazed upwards...her gazending on his well built-body, what seemed like a honeyyered appealing chest.


    And finally his brown eyes. Those brown eyes seemed to be holding so many secrets within. "What would you like to teach?" Words escaped her mouth before she realized. She bit her bottom lips, her heart beating erratically within her chest with maybe a hint of anticipation?

 Chapter 145 - Friends? How Delusional!

    "What would you like to teach?" Words escaped her mouth before she realized it. And there she was, standing silently with her heart drumming inside her chest as she looked at him with a tinge of...maybe what seemed like a tinge of anticipation?


    He raised an eyebrow and stepped closer towards her. Every step was strong and powerful as his muscles flexed with the slightest of his movements.


    He raised his hand andbed his finger through his wet hair, setting them to the side. A small smile danced on his lips as his tongue slightly peeked out to y with the sharp tip of his canine teeth.


    ''Thump Thump Thump''


    She took a step back as he walked towards her. Was itte to take back her words?


    His deliberate and slow steps were freaking her out.


    Run away.


    The phrase shed in her mind.


    But where to?


    The door was far and he was almost in front of her. Jumping from the window will lead to a painful death or countless fractures.


    Moreover, will he let her go?


    She gulped as he halted in his track, leaving the gap of few inches in between them. One small movement and the gap between them will be closed. Her chest slightly heaved up and down as she looked at him causing her to avert her gaze.


    "L-Let''s-" Her legs bumped into the edge of the bed and a gasp escaped her lips as she grabbed his hand. His other hand snaked around her waist as they both ended up falling on the bed.


    She closed her eyes and clung to him wrapping an arm around his neck. His hot breath tickled the sensitive zone below her ear and she opened her eyes to look at him.


    "As I said. I can teach you whatever," He raised his hand, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, " And wherever you want."


    Pinned under the man, she could feel her body arching up slightly when his fingers drew circles on her waist through the fabric of her ck blouse.


    His touch was calcted, not enough to tickle her but just right to tease.


    Whatever and wherever you want?


    His words echoed in her mind causing her gaze to wander to his lips. Those thin lips were as cold as ice against hers but she was not cold. It was just yesterday, wasn''t it? Having those lips against hers with his tongue dancing inside her mouth, ravishing every corner, every inch.


    Perfect as his lips were, perfect was the kiss! Never had she ever experienced a kiss like that. So hungry, passionate yet ferociously gentle. So perfect that she had lost her mind in that moment, not knowing she was getting herself in trouble when she indulged herself in it.


    Kissing him back was a big mistake on her part. It was like willingly putting her feet in the quicksand and now she found herself sinking.


    Her thighs pressed together as a delicious shiver crept her spine, a knot forming in her lower abdomen.


    Her face inched closer without taking permission from her mind. Her hand that was around his neck tightened as her fingers raked through his ash blonde hair. Her lips dangerously near his, a few centimeters away from tasting that sinful kiss once again.


    His hot breath caressed her cheeks and she slightly closed her eyes, impulsively leaning in for another kiss until he pressed his forehead on hers and distanced their mouths, "Mei, do you have a fever? You''re acting weird," He said softly.


    And it was as if someone turned her upside down and tied her legs to the branch of a tree, before pping her cheeks hard twice, in the process smashing some senses into her head. The hell was she doing by trying to kiss him? Her eyes were a second away from popping out from their sockets.


    "I''m fine," She cleared her throat as a blush crept her cheeks.


    Luckily, he did not realize her intentions.


    Or that was what she thought.


    While she had her head turned to the side, Jun Zixuan stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb, "You are red," He said, gliding his hands down her neck, trailing it across her corbones that were visible because of the V-neck blouse she was wearing, "Red everywhere," He mumbled, his lips right against her chin, his hot breath grazed past her throat.


    She grabbed his finger, "I am fine. It''s just a bit hot here," Her voice came out airy, "Get off me. I''m thirsty," She said, trying to shift from the position but her thighs identally brushed across a wrong part and she immediately felt a poke near her thighs.


    Her face had the glow of a fresh cape lobster as she looked at him with her lips slightly parted. She shifted slightly under his body.


    Jun Zixuan propped his body on his elbows before getting off her.


    She quickly pushed herself to get out of the bed and kept ncing at the tent in his towel. She gulped, "That...You...You..." Gosh, was she having a speech disorder?


    He stood up from the bed and raised an eyebrow, "I''m a man, after all. If you knead or touch at wrong ces, I''ll be hard," He nonchntly said, "Why do you look so shocked?"


    "Well..."


    "Oh?" Looking at her face, he shook his head, "Did you think I was turned on by you? We are friends. That''s not possible. It was just a ''normal'' man''s ''normal'' reaction."


    His sentence hit her hard. Yes, they were friends. He was not turned on by her then why did she almost kissed him? How could she let her hormones go astray? She was breaking her own rules.


    "I''ll get some water from downstairs," She walked past him.


    He held her hand, "We have water here," He pointed his chin towards the bedside table.


    She bit her bottom lips, "Cold water. I like my water when it''s chilled.''''


    "Wait..."

 Chapter 146 - Divorce Papers?

    Letting go of her hand, he walked towards the front and adjusted the creases on her blouse before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling up her jeans, his fingers grazing past her perky bottom in the process.


    She bit the insides of her cheeks but refused to make any sound.


    "I''ll teach whatever you want to learn," He spoke beside her ear before standing straight and she found herself staring at his lips once again.


    He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes and she was out of her daze at the moment, "Composition, Poetry, Prose, or short questions. You choose one and I''ll teach," He said putting a full speed brake on her wildly running thoughts.


    Yu Mei: "_" He was thinking about her studies and she...Dammit!


    As he nced at her retreating back, his lips quirked up slightly.


    Friends? How delusional!


    ...


    "Pay attention to the topic first before starting the introduction. Keep your words concise and clear and avoid digression. The introduction of an essay should always be clean. Later, you move on the outline..."


    Sitting on the long couch inside the Master bedroom, Jun Zixuan had the sample papers in his hand as he exined to her the easier approach to writing the essay with a sample question.


    While the man was exining it to her, Yu Mei was sitting beside him with her legs folded on the couch and her chin her face propped up on both her palms as she noticed how he was holding a pen in his left hand. His slender fingers twirled it asionally.


    Her gazended on the protruding veins on his wrist and the expensive Patek Phillipe''s wristwatch that he was wearing. The man was sporting a casual white shirt paired with jeans. The sleeves of his shirt were folded adding another level of charm.


    ''How handsome,'' she thought to herself as she looked at his face.


    His deep voice was resonating well with her, reverberating inside her mind but his knowledgeable words went parallel to her head.


    Her gazended on his messy hair and she could swear he looked so hot even like that. Being so casual, he just had to sit there and he will be admired by all the women in the world. Hell, even men might bend at the sight of him


    ''It''s good that he is not some celebrity and is not active on any social media or else he would have gotten himself many crazy admirers with charms like these,'' Her face scrunched up slightly before the corner of her lips tugged up, ''I would''ve helped him get rid of them. How could they think about hovering around him? Humph!''


    Wait. Her thoughts sounded weird.


    She blinked repeatedly before brushing off the weird thoughts from her mind as she looked back at his face, "Zixuan, you have long and the most perfect eyshes," She said with a small smile ying on her lips.


    The man paused.


    Putting the papers on the ce beside him, he turned to look at the woman who was sitting in a position that screamed ''I didn''t hear a single word you said. I was busy looking at you''.


    The corner of his lips twitched as he leaned closer to the woman who had her elbows on her thighs, with her face propped up on her palms, "Are they?" He asked.


    She nodded, "They really are," She smiled.


    His lips involuntarily curved in a smile, "I''ll believe since you said so."


    She chuckled and sat straight before leaning back on the sofa on her side as she looked at him, "If I ask you something, will you be honest about it?"


    He raised an eyebrow but eventually nodded.


    "The day when you kicked me out of your mansion-"


    "I didn''t kick you out," He interrupted, his eyes slightly narrowed.


    His momentary anger and ego were the cause of this. A hint of regret appeared in his eyes. If he hadn''t heard her talking about another man and divorcing him, the hell he would have let this happen despite howplicated his feelings were. But now, he was determined to set things straight.


    Since that Mian Yu or Shian Yu, whoever that guy was, is no longer around her right now, it''s not bad to slowly tie her to his side.


    Everyone has pasts, don''t they? He didn''t mind hers.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips but eventually nodded, "The day I walked out of your mansion-"


    "Our," He interrupted her once again, "Our Mansion."


    Will he even let her finish what she was saying?


    He stood up from the couch before she could speak and she was left staring at his back while he walked towards the bedside table and pulled the drawer before taking out a file.


    He walked back to the couch and settled beside her.


    "What is it?" She pointed her chin towards the file.


    He passed it to her, "Check and sign it," He paused for a moment before adding, "I''ll call thewyer if you could not understand any term or if you have any doubts."


    Divorce Papers.


    That was what shed in her mind at the very first moment.


    Her fingers trembled slightly as the smile on her face slowly fell.


    Shaking her head slightly she opened the file and the unpleasant thoughts in her mind started disappearing one by one only to be reced by astonishment.


    ''Property Transfer Papers''


    The terms written on the top had her eyes widening a bit.


    She turned the page.


    The first few pages were the document for the Property Transfer of Ren Mansion and she could distinctively spot her name in the ''Transferee'' while his name was mentioned in the front of ''Transferor''.


    She turned the pages. Property Transfer of the vi in the South, the condominium, penthouse in the east.....and it just went on like that.


    In the end, when she didn''t feel like flipping it anymore, she closed the file and gazed at him, "What is this?" She asked in a few simple words, hoping for a simpler answer to hisplicated quirks.

 Chapter 147 - Teenager In Love

    "What is this?" Her expressions were stiff as she tilted her head to look at the man.


    Property Transfer Papers? It was like he was writing his will and she was his sole heir who was receiving all his assets.


    He chuckled looking at her weird expressions, "I sometimes lose control over my emotions," Only happens when the matter is rted to you. Skipping the second part, he continued, ''''And end up being a jerk."


    She nodded, "And a scoundrel too," She added with understanding eyes.


    The corner of his lips twitched. This woman....is going to be the death of him one day.


    Pursing his lips for a moment, he forced a smile on his face, "Yes, a jerk and a scoundrel too. So..."


    "No wait," She pointed her finger at him and looked at his face for a moment before speaking, "Heartless...A heartless jerk," she finally said after recalling the proper term.


    Jun Zixuan gritted his teeth, "Mei, are you looking for a fight?" He asked, with ever so gentle expressions on his face.


    She blinked, "Hey, I was just stating a fact. You don''t have to take it to your heart. You can continue," She waved her hand nonchntly.


    No, he was not taking it to heart.


    Being called a scoundrel and a heartless jerk on his face for the very first time in his life, he was not taking it to heart at all.


    Okay, this might not be the first time. This woman sitting in front of him had been calling him such names from the day she woke up from hera.


    Letting out a sigh, he poked her soft cheek before continuing, "My fault for acting like a scoundrel and a heartless jerk and asking you to go away-''''


    She interrupted, "Kicking me out of the house," She corrected him.


    He bit his bottom lips, "Yes. So, you can sign these and all my properties will be yours. The next time when we fight, you can kick me out of the house," He said, the corner of his lips tugged up.


    She froze, "Zixuan, you...you can''t joke about such things, you know?" She nced at the file in her hand.


    "Do I look like I am joking?"


    She nced at his face before shaking her head.


    He nodded, "I''m not joking, Mei. I want you to be the owner of all my assets."


    She raised an eyebrow before cing the file on hisp like it was some hot potato, "You''re asking for too much."


    Now that was not what he expected to hear. She was talking like he was demanding for her assets.


    He could feel a headache already.


    They both were stubborn and she was even more stubborn than him and that got him helpless every damn time.


    "Why?"


    "Because it makes me feel like I''m leeching off to you," she shrugged.


    "You can leech off to me," He softly mumbled.


    "Like a mistress does?" Sheughed looking at his darkening face, ''''Just kidding. I do like money and all but as long as it''s mine," Or my brother''s.


    "I can be yours," The man said so seriously like he was cracking some tough business deal, "Then, my money will be yours too."


    She choked on her saliva. Did he know what was he talking about?


    But then, looking at his face, it didn''t seem like there was an underlying meaning behind his words.


    Getting fooled by his fa?ade, she concluded that it was her mind which was spiraling further than necessary and there was nothing wrong with what he said.


    She said, "Keep it with yourself. When I feel like, I''ll sign it," It was not like they were going to stay together forever. It wasn''t right for her to ept all these things. So, it was better to coax him for now.


    He threw the file to the floor and pulled her towards him in one swift move, "Are you thinking about divorce?"


    "How do you know?"


    "Just a guess," He said as he pinched her chin tilting her face slightly upwards, "We are not divorcing. Not now, not ever," He smiled.


    She nked for a few seconds and quickly turned her face to the side.


    Looking at her awkward expressions, he restrained himself fromughing, "You''re acting weirdtely. Is there something up with you?" He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and nced at her side profile.


    "Something up?" She shook her head as she looked at him, ''''Nothing like that."


    She grabbed the water bottle from the coffee table and removed the lid before drinking a few gulps.


    "There is," He looked at her from head to toe, "You look like a teenager in love."


    "Cough...Cough..." The water spat out of her mouth as she coughed violently.


    "Clumsy," He patted her back and inched closer to her. As she calmed down, the evil man did not tease her further, "You were asking me about something. What was that?"


    She thought about it for a moment before looking at him, "Will you be honest?" She paused for a moment before adding, "No beating around the bush?"


    "Depends on the type of question you ask.''''


    She frowned, "Can''t you simply say that you will be honest?"


    "I can''t," He said, running his fingers through her hair, "I lie to you about a few things but they are all harmless. So yeah, I won''t say I''ve always been an honest or decent person or would ever be like that."


    She grabbed his hand just when he took his fingers away from her hair, "Continue. It feels good," She inched closer to him and pressed her head on his chest.


    It was good anyway. Rather than thinking about pointless things, she preferred to live in the moment.


    His eyes brightened slightly as his fingers weaved through her dark tresses.


    "Harmless lies? You mean how you said I can be a chef after eating my disgusting fruit sd?"


    He paused for a moment, "You know?"


    "I do," She leaned closer to him, slowly and sneakily, hoping that he didn''t notice it.


    Despite knowing it, he didn''t expose her little moves and wrapped his arm around her waist casually while his other hand was busy stroking her hair.


    "So, I was asking...."


    ...


    A/N: The 2nd chapter will be there by tomorrow. I''m exhausted today. Can''t write more. ToT

 Chapter 148 - A Kiss And A Handsome Man

    "So...That day, those taxis in front of the Ren Mansion..." Yu Mei paused while he continued stroking her hair, her head was still resting on his chest as she asked, "Were they all here because of you?"


    "Yes."


    "And I was allowed to stay in the dormitory. Moreover, my room was different from the rest. Was it also because of you?"


    He looked at the woman in his arms, "Yes."


    Noticing how intimate their position was, she held the hand that was stroking her hair before sitting straight.


    He immediately intertwined their fingers before she could take her hand back.


    She cleared her throat, "I didn''t like the cafeteria food before but now they serve me food which tastes as itnded straight from some five-star restaurant. Are you responsible for this?"


    He nodded.


    "And why does the owner of that ce looks at me so gratefully all the time?"


    "Because he likes money?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She was speechless for a second, "Tell me in detail. You won''t lie or dodge the topic."


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "I had Steward Gu pay them thrice their annual sry per week for doing a proper job."


    "_" Rich people are so wilful!


    No wonder they looked at her like she was a walking cash cow.


    She bit her bottom lips, "When we are on cold war, shouldn''t you continue treating me coldly? Why bother caring so much for me?"


    She was obviously not that stupid. From the very first day, she had a feeling that all of these were done by him but because of how angry she was, she chose not to believe it or subconsciously avoided thinking about it.


    "Cold war apart...I can''t bear to see my baby panda starving because of the bad food."


    The corner of her lips twitched. This man was surely looking for a fight. He should know that he shouldn''tment on a woman''s weight, especially not when the woman is her who was rather sensitive about ''weight'' topic after waking up in this body.


    She tried to get her hand out of his grip but he held it tighter.


    She sucked in a cold breath when his hand identally touched the spot where Yu Yan had pressed her heels.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze darkened, "How did this happen?"


    He caressed the swollen area on the back of her palm.


    "Nothing much. It was just an ident."


    He stood up from the couch and walked out of the room. She raised an eyebrow and followed after him.


    Jun Zixuan walked straight inside the kitchen before taking out an ice pack from the refrigerator. Just as he turned around, she bumped straight into his chest.


    The servants quickly left the kitchen to give the couple some privacy.


    "Ow..." She rubbed her forehead.


    He was speechless, "Why would you run after me like that?" He grabbed her hand and pressed the ice pack on the swollen area.


    Sheughed and leaned back on the kitchen counter, "When you act like this, I feel like..." She tilted her head to the side, looking at the man as he carefully applied the ice pack to her hand.


    "Feel like what?" He asked, without lifting his gaze from her hand.


    She leaned closer to his ear, ''''I feel like you care about me more than you should."


    "I do," He tilted his head and whispered beside her ear, ''''I can care for you more and more."


    The woman who was up to tease him ended up being teased by him. "After all, we are friends," She said, distancing her face from his.


    "Yes, friends," He nodded, still applying the ice pack to her hand.


    "They are addressing me as Young Madam. Why is that?" She asked, referring to the servants who were very persistent in addressing her as such.


    "Mom asked them to."


    "Oh," Yu Mei stood up straight, "Zixuan, it''ste now. I should go back to the dormitory."


    He nced at her, "You can stay back."


    She raised an eyebrow, "I did forgive you but it''s not easy to forget everything," She nonchntly said before turning around to leave, "It''s kind of traumatic you know? I won''t know when I''ll be kicked out again so I''ll better cling to my loyal dormitory,'''' She clicked her tongue.


    "Mei, you are holding grudges," He walked after her and a servant gave him the car keys.


    "Oh? Am I?" She chuckled without looking back at him.


    Jun Zixuan was speechless and helpless.


    ...


    The next day.


    "I heard that there was some ruckus yesterday," Li Shuang said, looking at the woman who had her chin propped on both her palms as she fantasized about something.


    "Hmm..." Yu Mei nodded her head, still in a daze.


    "So, what was it about?"


    "A kiss?" Yu Mei sighed dreamily.


    Li Shuang was speechless, "Kiss?"


    "And a handsome man," Yu Mei sighed yet again as she blinked her starry eyes, looking at nowhere in particr.


    Li Shuang snapped her fingers in front of her eyes.


    Yu Mei snapped out of her trance and nced at her, "Yeah?"


    "I was asking something," Li Shuang spoke up looking at her nk face, "I asked what happened yesterday and you went on about some kiss and handsome man."


    Yu Mei cleared her throat, "I was thinking about something," She paused for a moment before adding, "My step-sister was out to cause some trouble for me. Then, the step-brother came into the picture iming that his sister is an angel. So, I pushed her off the roof."


    "You will be trouble," Li Shuang''s gaze shed slightly but since Yu Mei was lost in her wondend, she did not notice it.


    "What kind of trouble?"


    Just as Li Shuang opened her mouth to say something, Professor Zhang entered the ssroom.


    All the students greeted her. "Good afternoon, everyone," She greeted them back before looking at Yu Mei, "Student Yu, you are called to the Dean''s office."


    Yu Mei nodded. She had already expected this. She picked up her bag and walked out of the ssroom.


    Li Shuang gazed at her retreating back with a hint of worry on her cold face while the ss erupted in chaos.


    "Is it because of what happened yesterday?"


    "It was that bitch''s fault but now they are causing trouble for Yu Mei."


    "Yes, our goddess just defended herself."


    "By pushing her off the roof?"


    "Well, she is so cool. It''s not her fault."


    "Yes, I don''t think the Yu Family will be able to trouble her. Not to forget her powerful boyfriend backing her up."

 Chapter 149 - Hotter When He Does That

    "She is not eligible to study in the Imperial University. Either you rusticate her or punish her severely so that she could learn the lesson for what she has done to my sister."


    Followed by that, Yu Yan''s sobs could be heard outside the Dean''s office.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow. These people can get started anywhere anytime.


    She raised her hand to knock at the door, "May Ie in?"


    "Come in," An aloof voice was heard.


    She pushed open the door and stepped inside the office room. The trio immediately set their gazes on her.


    She nced at the middle-aged man who was sitting on the office chair and bowed slightly, "Good Afternoon," Her voice remained polite as she greeted the dean whose expressions were morphing into shock.


    The middle-aged man had a thick beard and a big muscr body that was enhanced by the suit he was wearing. The man gaped at her in disbelief, "You..." He was trying to say something but he was too speechless to react.


    Yu Mei was not taken aback by his reactions. She had seen many such shocked expressions from the people when they saw her current looks and she was already used to it.


    But there was something peculiar about the Dean''s gaze that she could not put a finger on.


    "Dean Shuo, you should seek justice for me," Yu Yan cried, not noticing how her brother''s gaze was stuck on Yu Mei from the moment she stepped inside the room.


    The middle-aged man immediately schooled his expressions, "Student Yu, do you know the consequences of what you have done? You are a senior year student. How irresponsible is it for you to act so brazenly? You can be rusticated."


    Yu Mei smiled. Seems like it''s time for her to show one or two of her cards.


    "Rusticate?" A cold voice rang in the office room.


    Everyone turned to look towards the source of the voice.


    Yu Mei blinked as she nced at Steward Gu who held the door while Jun Zixuan stepped inside with his hands tucked inside his pocket. His expressions remained casual andid-back while his steps were powerful, his gaze was intimidating.


    The Dean stood up, "Mr. Jun," He greeted the man, his tone polite, neither overbearing nor servile.


    He was not aware of the man''s identity but he has been a major investor of their university for a few weeks and there have been many rumors regarding him being a big shot which could not be denied considering how he had investigated billions without batting an eyelid.


    Yu Mei was taken aback for a bit looking at aloof Dean acting like that but then, Jun Zixuan has always been treated like that by everyone.


    Jun Zixuan nodded at him indifferently before ncing at Yu Mei, "Are you fine?"


    "I am," She raised an eyebrow as if asking why was he here.


    He poked her cheek, "You should have told me yesterday that you were bullied."


    "Uhh..." She was speechless.


    It would be too much of a lie on her part. Moreover, she had expected this to happen and she could easily deal with it but she did not expect him toe.


    The rest of the people in the room: "_"


    Bullied? Who? Where?


    The Dean cleared his throat, "Mr. Jun, Student Yu was not bullied by anyone here. She was bullying others," He said.


    There were no cameras near the roof but many students have admitted that it was true and Yu Mei Zhen did push Yu Yan off the roof. Even though they were all standing up for Yu Mei, it was an undeniable truth that she resorted to violence in the university.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow before pulling a chair for her, ''''Sit here."


    She quietly settled on the chair before looking at the rest of the people who were standing in the room.


    "What did you do?" Jun Zixuan asked as he walked towards the front and leaned back on the table as he stood there facing her.


    "I pushed her off the roof," She bit her bottom lips looking at his expressionless face.


    From the moment Jun Zixuan stepped inside the office room, the Yu siblings had their gazes stuck on him. While Yu Yan was looking at him in awe,plicated thoughts were running through Daniel''s mind as he watched the couple''s interactions.


    "Why?" He nced at her hand for a split second before looking back at her face.


    "Felt like doing that," The corner of her lips tugged up. It''s rare for him to act like a stern parent, will he reprimand her now? She was a bit excited to provoke him and get him riled up.


    Usually, he would always give in to her and pamper her. So, now, is he going to do the same, or will he act righteously and discipline her?


    ''Interesting,'' She thought to herself.


    "Why would you do that?" Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes at her half-hearted reply.


    ''He is hotter when he does that,'' She blinked and did not say anything.


    ''Who will like a savage and insane woman like you? Men prefer delicate women,'' Yu Yan looked at Yu Mei in disgust before looking at Jun Zixuan''s cold face. Her heart raced at the sight of him. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that Yu Mei would seduce a man like this even with her filthy looks from the past.


    Just when everyone thought that Yu Mei was going to be scolded or more likely ''humiliated'' for her impulsiveness, the man raised his hand and stroked the top of her head, ''''Silly. Push them off the cliff when they provoke you, not the roof."


    Everyone: "_"


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Are you nning to send me to jail?"


    Jun Zixuan smiled at her before looking at the Yu siblings. He retracted his hand back to his pocket and stood straight. A hint of ruthlessness shed in his brown orbs, "I''ll deal with the dead bodies for you," The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped by a few degrees as the man coldly spoke, sending a chill down everyone''s spine except for a certain someone who was busy fangirling over her ''best friend''.


    ''So hot. So handsome,'' Yu Mei bit the tip of her index finger.

 Chapter 150 - Tie You To The Bed

    Yu Yan was suspended for two weeks just under Jun Zixuan''s cold gaze, without him lifting a finger.


    It could be said that she deserved it considering how she started everything and ended up using her.


    In fact, she would have been a bit more gentle with that girl if she did not provoke her time and time again. That day, she was already pissed because of Zhu Boqin and then the Yu Siblings came over to mess with her. It was not her intention to hurt Yu Yan but she wanted to make sure that the girl would see her as a monster the next time and think twice before approaching her.


    She thought she will be teaching the Yu siblings a lesson today but Jun Zixuan dealt with them on her behalf and she did not have to do anything.


    Everything was simplified because of his presence and now here they were walking in the corridor, hand in hand with their fingers intertwined.


    "I didn''t expect you to be here," She said, ncing at his side-profile.


    The man pursed his lips, refusing to say anything.


    "Are you angry?" He was fine inside but why is he ignoring her now? Is it his mood swings again?


    The man simply avoided looking at her.


    As they walked through the corridors, the students ''stopped and stared'' at the beautiful couple.


    Yu Mei was already their goddess, thus being famous in the university but now with Jun Zixuan''s ''rich and godly'' existence, both of them were seen as a power couple.


    As much as they were crazy over Yu Mei, one look at Jun Zixuan was enough to discourage all the hunks in the university. He was wealthy, handsome, had a hot body, and thest yet most important, Yu Mei was different around him. To others, she was still that aloof, cool yet kind goddess. But around her boyfriend, she wouldugh childishly, be petty, fight with him, and show all her sides that nobody of them has ever seen.


    "Hey, Zixuan, are you ignoring me?" She poked his cheeks but the man just won''t look at her.


    Utterly confused and disappointed, she loosened her grip on his hand but the man intertwined their fingers, tightening his hold on her hand.


    Her lips twitched into a soft smile that vanished as soon as it came. "Moody and grumpy old man..." she mumbled under her breath.


    "I''m 23," The man coldly said.


    She pinched his shoulder hard but he didn''t even wince, "I thought you were 3. Humph!"


    While they walked out of the corridor, Li Shuang stood at a distance looking at their retreating backs until they were out of her sight. ''Was he the guardian they all were talking about?'' A hint of confusion appeared on her cold face.


    After standing there for a few seconds, she turned around and walked towards the Dean''s office. She paused right in front of the door and looked around. After making sure there were no students, she pushed open the door and walked inside without bothering to knock.


    The Dean tilted his head upwards at the sound wondering who was it this time. When his gazended on the girl standing in front of him, he stood up and bowed slightly.


    Li Shuang nodded.


    The middle-aged man stood straight. Hesitating a bit, he opened his mouth to speak, "She...."


    "I know," Li Shuang interrupted, "Don''t report to him about it."


    "But..."


    "Don''t mention her to him. Not for now," She coldly said and left the office room, without looking back at the middle-aged man who was left standing there helplessly.


    ...


    In the Ren Mansion.


    "That''s it for today," Jun Zixuan closed the book before keeping it aside, "Try the questions from the sample paperter. Steward Gu will drop you back at the dormitory."


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch as soon as he finished speaking. Just as he turned around to leave the room, he felt a tug on the corner of his shirt.


    He paused.


    "Will you stop ignoring me like this? I thought we already made up but here you go again," Yu Mei red at his back begrudgingly, "You''re so petty."


    He turned around to nce at the woman, who had his shirt fisted in her hand as she stood in front of him.


    Her grip on his shirt loosened when he moved. As he stepped closer to her, she stepped back. He continued walking towards her while she kept retreating under his cold gaze.


    There was something different in his eyes. It reminded her of the day when he had barged inside the dormitory and had kissed her.


    He was dangerously closer to her at the moment causing her to take another step back but she felt an obstruction behind as her back collided against the wall. A soft gasp escaped her lips.


    She tried to walk to the side but he pressed his hand next to her face. When she turned to the other side, she noticed that there was no way out with the couch to her right and his hand on the left.


    Left with no choice, she nced at his face but immediately regretted her action the moment she felt his daunting gaze on her.


    There was a strange predatory flicker in his chestnut brown eyes as the gold flecks in them seemed to be shining under the dim lightings inside the room.


    "You call this being petty?" He asked, there was a dangerous edge to his tone.


    "Yes," She did call him petty because he is. Did he think he can intimidate her with his daunting gaze?


    He chuckled. As charming as ever was that smile as the man removed one of his hands from the wall and cupped her face. His thumb rested below her chin while his other fingers weaved inside her dark hair, resting right behind her ear, "I''ve long wanted to trap you in the mansion, lock you in the bedroom, tie you to the bed but did I do that, hmm?" His thumb stroked her chin gently as he leaned closer, "Yet, you had the nerve to call me petty."


    Her eyes widened at his words.

 Chapter 151 - I Can Be Your Nobody

    This time there was no confusion whether there was an underlying meaning behind his words.


    Looking at that expressive face, she was sure he meant what he was saying. "Do you know what you are talking about?" She tilted her face slightly upwards when his hand shifted, his thumb trailed down her throat.


    "I do," His deep masculine voice sounded beside her ear before he distanced himself to look into her eyes.


    She gulped, feeling a little fidgety under his searing gaze that seemed to be setting her on fire, "Why were you ignoring me?" She tried a hand at changing the topic.


    "Because you had problems I was unaware of," His eyes narrowed, "Or more likely because you didn''t bother to inform me about it."


    "I could deal with it. Why will I bother you with such trifles?" Her voice came out a bit breathy, a little inviting.


    His Adam''s Apple visibly bobbed up and down. There was a small shift in his expressions that quickly disappeared as he spoke, "I want you to be as idle as you can. Laze on the bed, do whatever you want, and rx. Trifles or not, anything that bothers you, just let me deal with it."


    It was good to be pampered by him like that but..."It''s not like we''ll be staying together forever like a pair of mandarin ducks. Eventually, there wille a day when I have to face my issues all by myself," That would be too tiresome by then. Ah, I''ll just rely on my brother for some help.


    Looking at her getting lost in her thoughts, he leaned closer until his lips grazed past her cheeks.


    She shivered at his touch, her body going rigid in an instant.


    "You seem to have some misunderstanding here," He said the moment her attention was back on him, "We are staying ''Forever Together'' like the ducks you mentioned. I prefer you closer to me than they could ever be."


    Her eyes widened, "Nobody stays forever," her tone had a hint of coldness in it.


    He looked into her eyes ever so intensely, his burning gaze making her turn her face to the side. He grabbed her jaws in one hand, his hold firm yet gentle as he turned her face making her look into his eyes yet again, "I can be your nobody then," His voice as domineering as usual but his words were like a holy vow reverberating through the darkest part of her soul.


    "I think you are not thinking straight-''''


    The rest of her words were drowned in his deep kiss that came so suddenly, without invitation.


    Her mind went nk in an instant as she felt him ying and fondling with her lips, her face turned red like a cooked lobster as she remained still in her ce, without moving an inch.


    Their lips parted, "I am thinking VERY. STRAIGHT," He said, emphasizing his point, his breath brushing past her wet lips causing them to tremble, "So, darling, breath this time," And in no time, his lips found hers again.


    No longer was it a gentle teasing as he ravished her soft lips so dominantly that had her legs a second away from turning into a puddle.


    Her gaze shed slightly as she hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him back, equally passionate were her touches, expressing her craving towards the kiss they shared that night.


    She could feel his lips curling up in victory against hers causing her to push him away by his chest as she turned to walk away.


    The next second, however, he grabbed her wrist as he sat on the couch causing her to stumble backward. He effortlessly caught her when she fell. One hand around her hips while the other rested on her upper back as she sat on hisp with one of her hands hooked around his neck.


    A curl of desire swept over her when she felt his finger stroking her skin through the fabrics of her clothes.


    His brown eyes looked at her with so much adoration that had her wonder whether she was hallucinating this. From the day they first kissed, her mind had been in illusion at times, fantasizing about him and his lips in such a way. Her gaze then wandered towards his lips which had been teasing her incessantly. She could not help but chuckle.


    He raised an eyebrow questioningly.


    "You have lipstick there," She pointed her chin towards his lips."


    "Got this from you," The corner of his lips tugged up when he nced at her smudged lipstick, ''''You shouldpensate, Mei."


    "C-Compensate?" It was him who ruined her lipstick but she had topensate?


    A profiteer.


    "Yes,pensate," The hand on her upper back glided upwards as he brought her long hair to the front of her shoulder. "Like this," His lipsnded on her neck like the caress of a soft petal, and her body arched as she moved closer to him.


    Her grip around his neck tightened when he nibbled the ce he just kissed before licking it ever so gently. A soft gasp escaped her lips, "S-Stop," She whispered, her voice soundingbored.


    "Alright," His hot breath once again grazed past the sensitive part of her neck causing her to shiver as the man moved away and nced at her face.


    He leaned his head back, stared at her expressions that were begging him to stop but then his gazended on those honest eyes, so honest that they revealed the real intentions of their owner every single time like right now how they were looking at him silently, demanding for more.


    He cupped the side of her face with one hand while his other remained on her hips, "Let''s continue here," As soon as his words fell, his lips crashed on hers.


    Passionate and intense was the way how his tongue glided inside her mouth, roving every nook of it. He sucked onto her bottom lips while his tongue entangled with hers,


    She moaned softly against his lips as her fingers raked inside his ash blonde hair, grabbing a fistful of it.

 Chapter 152 - I’ve Decided On You, For Now And Forever

    Her lips were betraying her mind and intentions as they moved along, matching the intensity of his pace.


    He took her upper lips between his, gently biting and tugging at it, causing her grip on his hair to tighten. Impatient, she licked his bottom lips before delving her tongue deeper inside the mouth, taking control of the fire he started and he let her.


    Her fingers stroked the back of his neck as she kissed him intensely at first but gentlyter, making it quite a torture for the man who couldn''t take it any longer and snatched the reins back into his hand.


    Long and demanding. The kiss seemed to besting forever, the graze of his lips, the stroke of his tongue, everything was imprinted straight inside her mind as they parted.


    She panted. He peppered her face with soft kisses. He kissed her cheeks, the tip of her nose, he softly pecked her lips once again before his lips glided down her throat.


    A weird sensation dominated her whole body as her lower abdomen clenched when he kissed her corbone. The man bit the spot.


    "Ah..." A soft moaned escaped her slightly parted lips as she leaned closer to him.


    But as if it was a sudden awakening to him, he immediately retreated.


    The moment his lips were away from her skin, she felt a sense of loss. Looking at her disgruntled expressions, he held the back of her neck and pulled her closer before pressing a kiss on her forehead.


    He then wrapped both his arms around her hips and buried his face in the crook of her neck, "I wish you knew what you''ve been doing to me," His deep voice had her eyes darken in an instant as her grip on his hair loosened. Both her hands fell to her sides for a moment before she raised them to hug him back, still in a daze with the hazy memories of what just happened between them.


    ''Poke Poke Poke''


    There was a deep, throbbing, and hard poke on her thigh. She froze. As soon as the moment of ecstasy and sizzles was gone, the reality check hit her too hard.


    They kissed.


    There was a twist this time. They were both sober. And he was...hard? As turned on as she was.


    She stood up from hisp in a sh.


    "Mei..."


    "I-I am gettingte," She took a deep breath, "They won''t allow me inside the dormitory past curfew," She said in one go before walking towards the door.


    "Wait..." The man stood up from the couch.


    Her movements paused as she stood near the door with her hand resting on the doorknob.


    Jun Zixuan walked towards her. He held her hand before twirling her around so that she was facing him, "Silly, are you going to walk out like this?"


    She lowered her head to look at herself. Her white top was thoroughly crumpled at weird ces while her jeans had also shifted a bit lower, refusing to stay at their initial position after their...cough...session.


    She blinked, not believing that she was going to walk out like this.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, trying his best to restrain hisughter. Without saying anything, he smoothened the creases on her white top, especially around her chest and waist. His touches making her shiver slightly again.


    She curled her fingers into a fist while he adjusted the jeans near her hips.


    Luckily, these touches did not lead to another session...and ended soon or else she would have turned jelly by the end.


    The ride to the dormitory was eerily quiet as none of them spoke.


    Yu Mei gazed out of the car''s window, trying to count the stars or see some moon goddess or a vampire or a werewolf. Anything would be fine as long as her gaze did not wander back to the man who was driving the car.


    As he parked the car in front of the university gates, she paused for a moment.


    Usually, he would walk out of the car and open the door for her. Since he was still sitting inside without any movements...did that mean he wanted to talk about something? Or...Or kiss her again?


    She gulped, ''''I''m not a girlfriend material," Usually, a kiss between a man and a woman will lead to ''Be my boyfriend/Be my girlfriend''. Last time he was drunk but this time, he was not so it was better to express her opinion first.


    "Oh?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he nced at her. His elbow rested on the steering wheel while the side of his face was propped on his slightly curled index finger, "I don''t remember asking you to be my girlfriend."


    Her head snapped towards him.


    "We are friends," He added.


    "Y-You," Her eyes widened, "I''m not that type of woman," She scoffed.


    "What kind?" He asked, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    "Those who prefer ''friends with benefits'' kinda concept," She pouted slightly, swatting away his hand that was lingering near her ear more than it should.


    "Pfft..." He chuckled, "We are husband and wife too," With that said, he got off the car and walked to the other side before opening the door for her with his hand extended towards her.


    She ced her palm in his before getting off the car, "I''m not a wife material either."


    It was past 10 pm and the road was dark and empty except for the streetlights at a uniform distance and the security guards who were on the other side of the road, sitting near the university gates inside the security room attached to the gates. He had parked his car near a tree in a distance where they would not be seen.


    She removed her palm from his grip and turned around to walk away.


    He held her wrist and pulled her such that her back collided against his chest, "That''s fine. You can be my sweetheart," He pressed a soft kiss on her neck, "You''re someone I want to dote on all the time. It doesn''t matter what you think about yourself. I''ve decided on you, for now, and forever."

 Chapter 153 - Big Handsome Mosquito

    When she heard Jun Zixuan saying those words, she was so lost to react. It felt kind offorting when he held her like that.


    She did not know how long has it been since she felt so calm. From the day she woke up in this body and found herself in the new ce surrounded by unfamiliar people, she had prepared for the worst. She knew she had lost everything. Her mind was in chaos even when she acted calmly.


    Her brother, her wealth, herpany, everything was gone in a sh. She was a nobody in a moment.


    But having him in the picture had overturned everything. She had felt inexplicable happiness and excitement when she came to know that she was going to meet Jun Zixuan who was always been like an angel in her life, back in those dull university days, he had been her sunshine.


    But the supposed angel acted like a devil with her. He treated her harshly, was cold and indifferent, and always spoke those bitter words that had her fume within a second.


    She had thought they would be back to being friends but they were more like enemies who fought with each other on every point.


    She got to know the sides of Jun Zixuan she never knew before.


    He was not the kind and gentle man she knew. He was stubborn, arrogant, cold and she could barely speak to him for a few words without wanting to punch him in the face.


    But despite all the fights, it was his embrace that had always given peace to her insecure heart.


    Be it that night in Shanghai when they slept on the swing wrapped in a nket or be it that night when she had run to his room after waking up from her nightmare.


    She realized that she never knew his true self. All she knew is what he was showing himself to be back in those university days.


    Jun Zixuan was not gentle at all. Grumpy, moody, petty...he never left an opportunity to pull her leg, to taunt her but he was the same person who would rather eat the disgusting food made by her than letting her know that it didn''t taste good so that she won''t be sad.


    He was sometimes approachable but sometimes he would have a big ''Don''te near me or you will be dead'' poster on his face. But when she burnt her hand, he immediately ran towards her, forgetting all his anger.


    Cunning and Complicated. The weird man kicked her out of his house in a fit of anger but would rather spend a hefty amount of money to have her eat good food and stay in a proper ce without even letting her know.


    Angel or Devil. Whatever he was, to her, he has always been that brightest ray of sunshine on winter days.


    The one you would wake up to with a soft smile on your face, hoping for your day ahead to go well.


    There was not a single day in these two months when she hadn''t taken that purple rose out to look at it and think about him.


    He would pamper her, listen to her unnecessary grumblings at times, dote on her like she was a treasure. How could she not realize it?


    She had to be blind to not only know that he treated her so differently from the rest. Whether she was ugly and fat or beautiful, the way he looked at her never changed. It was like she has been the prettiest woman he everid his eyes on.


    How could her heart not melt?


    She leaned closer to him as he hugged her from the back, his arms wrapped around her waist as he peppered soft kisses on her neck.


    "Mei?" The familiar voice caused Yu Mei to snap out of her daze.


    She stiffened.


    "Zixuan¡­"


    "Mm?" His mouth was beside her ear, causing a tingling sensation while he spoke.


    "Let go," He obviously heard the voice. Why was he still holding her like that?


    "I don''t feel like letting go," He nuzzled his nose on the nook of her neck.


    She could feel the goosebumps on her body in an instant, "Stop it. It''s ticklish," She spoke in a hushed voice.


    "I just realized that it''s so easy to tickle you," He chuckled softly.


    "Mei?"


    Yu Mei straightened her back, "Jun Zixuan, let go," she coldly said.


    Heaving a soft sigh, the man reluctantly let go of her before standing straight with his hand tucked inside his pocket as he leaned back on the car.


    Yu Mei turned around, "Hey, Luoluo," She smiled stiffly.


    Shi Luo smiled as she walked around the car before approaching Yu Mei, "I missed you so much. But I could not contact you because of my busy schedule. I have three days off now. Let''s hang out, okay?"


    "Okay."


    As Shi Luo hugged her, her nose twitched slightly taking in the manly scent, "You reek of him, I guess," She said, pointing her chin towards the man standing beside Yu Mei with dark clouds hovering above his head, "Must be the aftereffects of all the hugging and licking he did on you."


    Yu Mei choked on her saliva, "It''s nothing like that," she quickly said, her actions were a bit flustered.


    Shi Luoughed before shaking her head, "Your hickeys speak otherwise," She had recognized Jun Zixuan the moment she spotted his striking ash-blonde hair but he seemed to be holding someone in his arms that had her hesitate for a moment.


    But then she remembered that she was standing in front of the Imperial University and the realization hit her that this woman must be Yu Mei, around whom the man has been hoveringtely.


    Yu Mei put her palm on her neck, "I¡­" No wonder the servants, back in the mansion were looking at her like that, "It''s a mosquito bite," She inwardly cursed Jun Zixuan. This cunning man must have done this on purpose to tease her.


    Shi Luo nced at Jun Zixuan before nodding, "A big handsome mosquito for you. Nice indeed," She chuckled.

 Chapter 154 - Defense Mechanism

    Yu Mei closed her eyes, hoping that the ground would split open and swallow her up the whole.


    How many times had she thrown the ''we are friends'' tagline to Shi Luo? She had lost count of it.


    How embarrassing was it that the whole time she insisted Jun Zixuan and her were friends but now Shi Luo stumbled upon them in such a situation?


    "Why did youe here for?" She asked, in hopes of switching the topic.


    Shi Luo opened her mouth to speak but paused looking at Jun Zixuan, "Well, nothing much," Her tone remained casual.


    Yu Mei nodded, "I''m gettingte. I''ll leave now. Let''s talkter." It was better to sneak away before Shi Luo starts talking about Jun Zixuan and her, especially in his presence.


    "Mei¡­"


    The pitiful voice made her footstepse to a halt. She turned around to look at the man who walked towards her.


    "Good night," He held the back of her head before pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, "Dream about me."


    She could almost feel the steaming off her cheeks given how warm they felt.


    As the man took a step away from her, she retreated a bit, all the while not looking at him.


    "Mei, I thought you both were friends," Shi Luo fluttered closer to the couple, "Why do I smell love in the air?"


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes as she nced at the woman coldly, "You are smelling too much," But her red face was betraying theposure she faked.


    Without giving anyone a chance to tease her further, she flipped her hair and walked away from them.


    Shi Luo shook her head looking at her retreating back. What a sneaky woman! ''I''ll see where you will run off to when we meet alone. I am going to squeeze out all the juicy gossips from your mouth,'' She thought.


    "You both seemed to be very close," Jun Zixuan''s deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    Gone was that pitiful tone he used while talking to Yu Mei, he was back to his aloof mode. This man!!


    "We are," Shi Luo nced at him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, "On that basis, I''ll tell you something."


    Jun Zixuan nced at her as he raised an eyebrow, "And what is that?"


    Shi Luo smiled looking at Yu Mei who just walked past the university gates, "The people who pretend that they don''t have feelings always love the hardest. It''s just a defense mechanism," She paused for a moment before adding, "Especially in her case."


    ¡­


    The next days were pretty much like her usual schedule. Gym, sses, then extra sses at Ren Mansion.


    From that day, nobody mentioned the kiss. Although Yu Mei was initially awkward around Jun Zixuan but the man acted like nothing ever happened between.


    It was like a big gust of relief to her but it also caused a small ufortable feeling in her chest which was forcefully poked and tampered with by her.


    As the final examinations have started, she has shifted the majority of her focus towards her studies.


    Thepany was doing pretty well except for the fake CEO''s continuous scandals but she had decided to not interfere in for now.


    As Yu Mei entered the Ren Mansion, the servants all bowed to her at a ny-degree angle, "Young Mistress," they greeted in unison some birds singing in chorus.


    She had asked them to not greet her as such but they won''t budge. It seems like her mother-inw''s influence on them was strong.


    Sighing, she ascended the stairs and walked towards the Master Bedroom while stretching her body.


    Today was her English exam. All questions were fine to her except for the Essay. It was not like she couldn''t write an essay but her points arepletely logical without emotions involved which gets her marks deducted every single time. Then again, she was not trying to be the country topper. It should be fine as long as she passed.


    She raised her hand towards the doorknob but paused for a moment. Lowering her head, she looked at the short blue dress she was wearing.


    "Hey, wait¡­" She turned around hearing the sounds of some approaching footsteps.


    The young girl paused in her tracks and turned around before bowing, "Young Madam."


    "Uhh...Well...What''s your name?"


    "Kelly."


    Yu Mei smiled, "Kelly, can you tell me how I am looking today?" There was a hint of nervousness in her eyes that she wasn''t aware of.


    Kelly couldn''t help but smile, "You''re beautiful as always," The young girl said in her child-like voice. It was not a lie. To her, Yu Mei was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. And today, she was especially beautiful.


    It seemed like she had dolled up for?Master. The young servant thought to herself.


    Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, her face had light makeup and she was donned in a beautiful sleeveless blue dress that reached above her knees. As simple as her dress was, her stunning features and hourss body emphasized her beauty.


    Unknowingly, Yu Mei''s lips stretched in a wide smile as she patted the girl''s head, "Thank you, Kelly."


    Kelly smiled back as she bowed again.


    Yu Mei held her shoulder before helping her up, "You don''t need to do this. It makes me feel old," Sheughed, waving her hand.


    Kelly couldn''t help but giggle as she turned around to leave, all the while thinking how unique their Young Mistress was. She was nothing like the richdies she had met or worked for before.


    "What a cute girl¡­." Yu Mei sighed as she turned around to look at the closed door.


    She felt her heart beating faster all of a sudden and she had the sudden urge to p that thing or turn it off.


    But then again, second life was already rare. A third life would possibly be as extinct as dinosaurs.


    She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside, "Zixuan, today-" The rest of her words were stuck in her throat.

 Chapter 155 - Leaving Her Artwork On His Face

    She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside the room. "Zixuan, today-" The rest of her words were stuck in her throat as she nced at the man who was sleeping on the bed.


    The room was dark except for the moonlight invading inside through the open windows.


    She blinked before checking the time on her wristwatch. It was just 7 pm. Why was he asleep at this time?


    She walked closer towards the king-sized bed, still looking at the man who was fast asleep on the left side. His posture was very straight and proper unlike hers which was always in a mess.


    Sitting beside him, she raised her hand towards his face. Her fingers gently traced his long eyshes, the bridge of his nose before trailing down to those sinful lips. Her thumb lingered there for a moment.


    ''You can be my sweetheart. Someone on whom I can dote forever.''


    His words rang in her mind, shing with those kisses that they had shared.


    Without thinking about anything else, she cupped his face and leaned closer to the man. "Just this once¡­" She mumbled and closed her eyes before pressing her lips on his.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    The man''s lips moved slightly against hers, his tongue licked her upper lips along with a soft graze of his teeth across her soft skin.


    A shiver ran in her body snapping her out of her trance. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up on the bed. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth when she noticed that he was still asleep.


    "I''m done for," She pressed her palm on her lips.


    Did she just steal a kiss from him?


    She quickly stood up from the bed, deciding to leave right now.


    Just as she turned around, her hand was grabbed from the back and she was pulled to the bed.


    ''Thump''


    "Zixuan?" She slowly opened her eyes to look at the man but he still had his eyes closed.


    Letting out a soft sigh, she shifted a bit in his arms before settling in afortable position.


    Hesitating a bit, she once again stroked his face. Under the moonlight, she could spot those dark circles beneath his eyes.


    "You''re so silly," She murmured, inching closer to him as her head rested on his shoulder while his hand was wrapped around her waist.


    "You should take a rest if you''re tired," He has been going back and forth between work and her studies. No matter how she said, she will manage to pass the exams. He was adamant about teaching her well and following the revision process too.


    "You''re stubborn too," She narrowed her eyes and pinched his cheek until it turned red, "You''ve been looking at my lips once in a while. Were you teasing me on purpose, huh?" Leaning closer, she bit his lips, "Humph!" She scoffed.


    Now that he was sleeping, it was not a bad idea to vent all her frustrations on him, "I''m going to make you pay for it."


    She peppered soft kisses all over his face before looking at the spread of lipstick marks.


    It would be amazing when he wakes up and walks downstairs. Will he be embarrassed when everyone sees him with his face being like this?


    Her lips stretched in a satisfied grin only to fade the moment she realized what she did. Damn, if he saw the artwork on his face, won''t he know that it was done by her and that she kissed him? Then, the first one to be embarrassed will be her.


    Why was she bing an idiot day by day? Dammit!


    She bit her bottom lips as a frown graced her beautiful face, ''I am downright stupid,'' she thought, and grabbing the edge of the nket, she wiped the marks off his face, slowly and carefully.


    Luckily, it was a gloss lipstick and was easily removed.


    His hand on her waist moved slightly and she immediately closed her eyes hoping that he won''t wake up. And when he didn''t move again, she let out another sigh of relief.


    Her fingers weaved inside his ash blonde hair stroking them gently and she did not realize when she dozed off in his arms.


    As soon as her breathing was even, the room returned to its usual peace. And the supposedly asleep man opened his eyes.


    Those golden flecks in his brown eyes shimmered under the moonlight as he nced at the woman in his arms.


    He moved his arms slightly and shifted her position so that her face was in front of him.


    Leaning closer to her, he smothered her face with soft kisses, "Am I a panda like you who will still sleep when the world is overturned?"


    How could he fall asleep when he was being taken advantage of?


    "It will be better if you do that more often," He nced at smudged lipstick on her beautiful lips and smiled.


    He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, hugging her tighter than before.


    ¡­


    "Uhh¡­" Yu Mei groaned as her eyshes fluttered.


    "Awake?"


    Startled, she opened her eyes in an instant and turned her face towards the source of the voice.


    "Mhm.." Her body slowly rxed when she realized that it was Jun Zixuan.


    Her head was oftentimes muddleheaded when she woke up.


    Well...her reactions would have been a bit dramatic to find herself waking up in Jun Zixuan''s embrace. But then, they had done much more than just sleeping and hugging so it was certainly not something she should react to.


    Half of her body was sore by sleeping in one position for too long.


    She moved a bit and her hand touched his face identally. She froze, "You¡­" Her voice came out hoarse causing her to clear her throat, "You have a fever," She immediately sat up on the bed despite feeling the numbness in half of her body.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her panicked face and pursed his lips before pushing himself to sit on the bed, "I''m fine."


    Yu Mei paused for a moment, "I''ll get you a ss of milk and medicines," She stood up from the bed, "And food too...What would you like to eat?"


    "Anything you prefer."


    She nodded, "Where is the thermometer?"

 Chapter 156 - Mr. President’s Virtuous Wife

    Jun Zixuan pointed his chin towards the bedside drawers.


    She pulled open the drawer and grabbed the thermometer that was lying on the top.


    She grabbed a tissue paper from the table and wiped it clean before stuffing it into the man''s mouth.


    He raised an eyebrow.


    She nced at her wristwatch, "It''s past 10 pm right now. I''ll get you everything and leave for dorms," she said before walking out of the room.


    Jun Zixuan''s face darkened. He pressed his palm on his forehead and his face turned a few shades darker.


    He removed the thermometer from his mouth immediately.


    ''39¡ãC?''


    It did not take long for Yu Mei toe back with a huge tray in her hand as she staggered back and forth.


    "Zixuan," she whispered, her gaze still stuck to the tray in her hand, the ss of water slightly shifted as she slowly and carefully walked towards the bed.


    Her footsteps faltered and the man immediately pushed himself out of the bed to help her carry the tray.


    "Why are you doing this? Where are the servants?" He narrowed his eyes. Though his voice was a bit husky, the dominance in it didn''t diminish a bit.


    She bit her bottom lip, "I told them I can do this," She lowered her head. The embarrassment she felt could not be described in words.


    She had expertise in breaking and damaging things but a single household work could not be done by her.


    She med this on Han Jian Yu.


    Jun Zixuan stifled hisughter as he pinched her cheeks, "It''s more than enough that you didn''t stumble on your way till the room."


    "You¡­" She pped away his hand, "Wait, where is the thermometer?" She grabbed the thermometer from the bed before checking the temperature, "You removed it from your mouth?" She nced at him.


    He nodded.


    She narrowed her eyes and pushed him by his chest such that he was sitting on the bed as she stuffed it back in his mouth.


    He removed it once again.


    "Put it back."


    He shook his head.


    She raised an eyebrow.


    "Read me a book."


    Was he acting like this because of his fever? She blinked and asked a bit gently, "Which one?"


    "The ones you read."


    "Novels?" She frowned. She did not read them that much. It was the previous owner who had them in her room.


    He nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll get them from the other room," She nced at the thermometer in his hand, "Put it in your mouth."


    He did so immediately.


    As soon as she walked out of the room, Jun Zixuan removed the thermometer from his mouth before putting it in the ss of hot milk.


    Yu Mei nced around her room which she was entering after months. She hadn''t seen these gaudy pink walls for a long time.


    From how clean the room was, it could be determined that it has been well-maintained during this period.


    She walked towards the bedside table and looked at the piles of books.


    The first book had a cover with a man and woman kissing intimately with the title ''Sex with the CEO''.


    She blinked and pushed it away. The second book had the man biting a half-naked woman''s corbone with the title ''The Mafia Prince adores me''.


    This adoration...is too heavy. Yu Mei cleared her throat and pushed it aside.


    Her gazended on the third book. The man and woman were both sitting elegantly on a couch while holding hands. The title of the book was ''Mr. President''s Virtuous Wife''.


    Virtuous? Mmm... This must be a decent one. She grabbed the book and happily walked back to the Master Bedroom.


    Back in the Master Bedroom.


    Yu Mei ced the book on the bed as she walked towards the man, "I''ll leave after reading a few chapters," She grabbed the thermometer from his mouth before checking the temperature. Her eyes widened, "99¡ãC? Oh my God...Quickly, let''s go to the hospital."


    He blinked, "No. I''ll be fine after some time," His voice weak.


    "You¡­"


    "Stay with me for tonight," He grabbed her wrist, "Read that."


    She followed his gaze towards the novel and grabbed it before opening the book.


    She sighed. Of course, she will have to stay back to take care of him as this stubborn man won''t go to the hospital.


    With that thought, she turned the pages and started reading the book.


    ''Was it a rain?''


    After reading the opening line, she nced at the man for a moment, "Are you sure you are fine?"


    "Mmm...Continue."


    She sighed.


    ''Was it rain? Could it be called rain? A rain inside my body? His tongue delved deeper into my forbidden wetness and I writhed. Oh, I wished it was his cock buried deeper inside-''


    ''Bam''


    The novel fell from her hand as Yu Mei gulped. What happened to the virtuous wife?


    Initially, she was reading it absentmindedly but it was toote when she realized where it was going.


    She hesitantly nced at Jun Zixuan whose expressions were still as nonchnt but...the reddening tips of his ears betrayed him.


    She pressed both her palms on her face feeling the heat creeping up her neck.


    One should never judge a book by its cover.


    It was toote for her when she realized how true this saying was.


    The next morning.


    Yu Mei found herself alone in the bed when she woke up and there was a note beside her pillow.


    ''I have some important matters to take care of. See youter, sweetheart!''


    Thest term made her blush for a few good minutes causing her to roll around in bed. The embarrassment fromst night''s Virtuous wife novel was still very fresh in her mind.


    Wait...She froze when she was reminded about his health. How could he go to work with such a high fever?


    With that thought, she tried to call him but the call didn''t go through adding more to her worries.


    Left with no choice, she freshened up and walked downstairs.


    "Where is Steward Gu?" She asked one of the servants.


    "Young Mistress," The man bowed to her, "Steward Gu left with Master."


    "Oh.." She nodded and walked out of the mansion.


    Her gazended on her car reminding her of the day Shi Luo stumbled on Jun Zixuan and her kissing and hugging on the roadside.


    That day, Shi Luo was there to return her car but after what she witnessed, that woman has been pestering her incessantly to get some information.


    Yu Mei nced at the sky begrudgingly, ''Are you having fun ying with me?''


    She was no longer sure how to treat Jun Zixuan and what to do with him.

 Chapter 157 - Jie

    Yu Family Vi.


    Yu Mei sighed as she leaned back on her Lamborghini. Life was all good when you have money. Now that she was back in her position as the CEO of Rosette, she was regaining whatever she lost over time, be it her looks or money.


    She still remembered how much of a hassle it was a few weeks back to find taxis. She was not going for that struggle ever again.


    But then...before Jun Zixuan''s and her fight, he used to drop her and pick her up every time she went somewhere.


    "Baby, did you think we''d being here today?" She asked the car, waiting for its reply.


    The corner of her lips twitched when the car remained still in its position. Did she just talk to a car? Her expressions were unreadable.


    A secondter, she banged her head on the car ss panes once twice but hell the third time went a bit hard causing her to wince, "Zixuan, Zixuan, what have you done to me?" She whispered, rubbing her forehead, "Someone will send me to Asylum one day if I keep on like this."


    Whenever she thought about him, her brain would fly out of the window.


    No matter what she did, that man was dominating all her thoughtstely.


    What the hell is wrong with her?


    A servant walked out of the gates, "Madam has asked you to go inside," his tone rude as he red at her. Despite trying to act calm, the shock on his face was apparent.


    A soft smile yed on her lips, "Am I pretty?"


    "Y-Yes," The man in histe 20s stuttered as a blush crept his cheeks. Not only has she be beautiful, but she was also rich and he could say that by looking at her car. Nobody in the Yu Family had a car that looked as expensive as this.


    The smile on her face faded only to be reced by a cold look in her dark eyes, "Then, keep your manners alive while you talk to me," She took a step closer towards him, "Or else I also don''tck ways to set you straight."


    The aura she gave off had the man retreat in fear.


    She got inside her car and drove past the gates without looking back at him.


    "Stand right there."


    As soon as she stepped inside the vi, a cold voice rang out in the hall.


    Yu Mei paused in her tracks as she looked at the elegant woman who was walking towards her. Twisting her soft curls in her finger, the woman descended the stairs.


    As per her memory, she was this body''s stepmother, the legal wife of father Yu, and the mother of Daniel Yu and Yu Yan.


    The previous owner treated this woman like her biological mother while she was disdainful of her original mother. What a fool!


    This woman''s face was literally shouting ''I''m a green tea bitch''. How could a smart and scheming girl like Yu Mei Zhen be fooled by this family?


    "Why were youte?"


    Yu Mei nced at her wristwatch. This woman had called her at 9 am and she was here by noon.


    "I usually reach five hourste when I have to go somewhere," She tilted her head to look at the woman who was now standing in front of her, measuring her from head to toe, "You should be honored I came here two hours early," She chuckled, small dimples appeared on her cheeks.


    Mother Yu was taken aback. No matter how much she heard from her daughter, it was still impossible to believe that the woman standing in front of her was that same disgusting ugly pig who would do anything to impress them.


    "Can I have something to eat before we discuss anything?" Yu Mei sighed.


    After she left Ren Mansion, she went straight to the dormitory and took a shower before going to attend sses. Later, she had toe here and she had yet to eat something.


    Mother Yu''s gaze shed at her arrogant tone as she nced at the servant who bowed and left.


    While Yu Mei sat at the dining table, the food was soon served in front of her. Her nose scrunched looking at the leftover food served in front of her.


    She could see a victorious smile ying on the servant''s lips. She grabbed the te and threw all the food on the man''s face, "Is this how you treat the Young Miss of the house?" Her cold voice making the people in the hall flinch.


    It was not her intention to stake ims on her rights in Yu Family. These measly assets could not faze her at all.


    But she had only wanted to eat something first, did they have to drag the personal feud into the food?


    Couldn''t they fight peacefully after she ate her fill?


    "Sister, it''s shameless of you to call yourself the Young Miss of the Family," Yu Yan descended the stairs with an innocent smile on her face. She hugged her mother''s arms, "You''re but an illegitimate daughter, the daughter of a mistress."


    Yu Mei couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. This girl was finally showing her true colors.


    She sighed before standing up from the chair. These petty and stingy people didn''t even let her eat something. May their stinginess cause them to fall on the cow dung on their face. Humph!


    She flipped her hair, "Is it any of your business whose daughter I am? Especially when you, the daughter of the Madam of this family, is jealous of me, the daughter of a mistress."


    Yu Yan''s pupils dted. Yes, she was jealous of her and she could not hide it. How could this ugly woman be so beautiful all of a sudden?


    Wherever she went, all the people stopped in their tracks to look at her. Why? A bitch like her did not deserve all this attention at all.


    "Jie?"


    Yu Mei froze for a split second when she heard the child-like voice.

 Chapter 158 - My Man!

    She turned around to find a young boy standing in the distance. The face still had that child-like innocence as he blinked at her.


    This thirteen-year-old boy was the reason why she came to this ce in the first ce.


    Yu Jinhai. The biological brother of the previous owner was left all alone after the death of Li Na, who was their biological mother.


    His sister, the previous owner of this body treated her like shit.


    Today, Mother Yu called to inform her that her brother was missing her and it was only then did she remember about Yu Jinhai''s existence.


    Taking over this body had always made her feel a bit guilty towards Yu Mei Zhen''s mother. The poor woman fought till herst breath so that her kids could live peacefully.


    But one died because of her foolishness and the other was trapped amongst this bunch of monsters.


    For taking over her daughter''s body, the least she could do was save this little guy from these people.


    She walked towards Yu Jinhai who was still standing at his ce with his expressions morphing in shock.


    "J-Jie?"


    She nodded, "Yes," She softly mumbled before squatting in front of the boy.


    He raised his hand towards her face but hesitated for a moment when he was reminded of how his sister had pped him when he identally touched her hand.


    Yu Mei held his palm.


    He flinched.


    Her eyes shed slightly but she masked the coldness in her gaze before pressing her palm on her cheeks like what he was trying to do before.


    Not only Yu Jinhai, the Yu mother-daughter, and even the servants were shocked by this.


    Yu Mei Zhen had always been disgusted by her mother and her brother. She kept them at an arm''s length then how could she suddenly act so nice?


    And then, she had always been kind to Madam Yu but now she was acting so rudely. No matter how they thought about it, they were truly shocked.


    "Y-You are beautiful," He blinked his doe eyes rubbing his trembling palm on her cheeks.


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Ah Jin, will you go with me?"


    Yu Jinhai looked into her dark eyes that were looking at him with so much gentleness. His sister has never looked at him like that, "W-Will you sell me again?"


    Yu Mei''s eyes widened slightly as a piece of memory resurfaced in her mind at his words. The previous owner had taken her brother to child traffickers with the excuse of ''taking him somewhere out to y'' so that she could spite her biological mother.


    Everything was orchestrated by Mother Yu but in the end, it was Yu Mei Zhen who was severely punished and beaten by Father Yu who was enraged by her actions as he had always prioritized sons who will take his lineage further.


    Yu Mei could feel her heart aching at the sight of the boy''s innocent eyes, there was still hope in them that maybe his sister genuinely wants to take him out to y.


    She schooled her expressions and nced at him with a gentle smile ying on her lips, "I was really stupid back then," She extended her hand towards him, "Will you forgive me and give me another chance?"


    The boy looked into her eyes before looking at the hand extended towards him. He removed his trembling palm from her cheeks and ced it in her hand before nodding softly.


    She held his hand tightly and her lips stretched in a delightful smile as she stood up, "You can''t back out now. Let''s go."


    "I see that you''ve grown some wings after living with your powerful sponsor for some years," Mother Yu dropped her facade as she nced at her back.


    Without listening to the old goat''s words, Yu Mei kept walking holding Yu Jinhai''s hand but just as she reached the main door, two bodyguards blocked their path.


    The young boy standing beside her flinched, causing Yu Mei to frown. This guy was way too sensitive than he should be.


    She tightened her grip on his hand and walked forward.


    One of the bodyguards extended his hand to block her path, "You can''t go," Just like the rest of the servants, his tone was rude.


    ''Crack''


    She grabbed his wrist with her left hand and twisted his arm in one swift move, her movements were blurry to everyone''s eyes. Her right hand was still holding Yu Jinhai''s hand.


    "Ahh!!!" The man wailed like a pig being ughtered and her grip on his hand loosened.


    She nced at the bulky man sitting on the ground, holding his hand and wincing in pain.


    A hint of disdain appeared in her eyes before she looked at the other guard who flinched under her cold gaze, "You also want to try?"


    The man retreated. His brother was much stronger than him but he was defeated in one move. He didn''t want to risk losing his hands for this new job.


    Getting his answer from his actions, Yu Mei tilted her head to the side and nced at the Yu Mother-daughter pair from above her shoulder, "Since you know that my man is powerful, you should stop provoking me lest he shakes your foothold in the Entertainment Industry," With that, she turned around and left with Yu Jinhai, leaving both the women in stunned.


    Yu Yan nced at her mother who had yet to snap out of her trance, "Mommy~''''


    "She is just like that bitch," Mother Yu closed her eyes, "Yan''er, don''t worry. Let her fly as much as she wants. When the right timees, I''ll make sure to clip off her wings."


    After leaving the Yu Family Vi, Yu Mei took Yu Jinhai to a five-star restaurant to have lunch first. Her hunger was climbing to her head, making her unable to think properly.


    They had their lunch in silence as she had her mouth stuffed with food to speak a single word.


    And as soon as her tummy was satisfied, a realization struck her.

 Chapter 159 - May I?

    ''Since you know that my man is powerful, you should stop provoking me.''


    ''Since you know that my man is powerful....''


    ''Since you know that my man...''


    ''My man.''


    ''MY MAN!!!''


    As Yu Mei realized what she had just uttered in the Yu Mansion, her expressions were screaming horror.


    At that time, she was hungry and grumpy and she did not think what nonsense she was spouting but right now, as soon as the delicious food rolled down her throat, the reminder and realization came too fast.


    Yu Jinhai gulped, looking at his sister''s ever-changing expressions, "Jie, are y-you going to abandon me again?" He shrank back in his seat when her gaze snapped at him.


    Yu Mei blinked realizing that the poor guy was getting scared by her weird antics, "Why would you think like that?"


    "You looked angry.''''


    She picked up the ss of water, "Oh, I was angry about your brother-inw," She drank a gulp of water but ended up spatting it a secondter.


    B-Brother-inw?


    Why was her mouth working the wrong way?


    "Jie, will you introduce me to brother-inw?" He had heard a lot from the family about him.


    Yu Mei smiled, looking at his eager eyes but fearful countenance. "Of course, he is your brother-inw after all," Her smile got stiff towards the end.


    After having lunch with the little one, she took him to Shi Luo and spent a few hours there interacting with him.


    As Shi Luo was good with kids, in no time, Yu Jinhai was fond of his ''Luo Jie''.


    Yu Mei wanted to discuss his situation and how he was treated back in Yu Family but the boy was way too sensitive at the moment causing her to dodge such delicate topics.


    After she made sure that Yu Jinhai wasfortable there, she drove back to the dormitory before Shi Luo could get started with another heap of ''Jun Zixuan'' questions.


    As soon as she entered her room, she took out a silk night robe from her wardrobe and walked inside the bathroom.


    ''Mia?'' She called in her mind, standing in front of the mirror but there was no reply from the girl, determining that she was still cultivating.


    Letting out a soft sigh, she freshened up before getting changed to the robe. Her mind was still upied with a certain man''s thoughts by the time she walked out of the bathroom.


    Without bothering to turn the bedroom lights on, she walked towards therge window and sat on the window sill, her thoughts going in disarray as she tilted her upwards to look at the beautiful full moon.


    "You look lost," came a voice from behind that had her stiffen for a moment.


    ''Am I starting to hallucinate him now?'' Yu Mei shook her head as she continued to nce at the moon.


    "Mei, are you thinking about me?" She was twirled around as an arm wrapped around her waist, snapping her out of her wandering thoughts.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at his face under the moonlight, "What are you doing here?" She asked, raising her hand towards his face and poking his cheek with her index finger.


    She was still confused whether this was an illusion or she was just a bit exhausted.


    She couldn''t be med for thinking so when this man has forcefully invaded her thoughts for a few days.


    No matter what she did, where she went, it was his face, his name imprinted in her mind. It was as if this stubborn man was controlling her thought process, refusing to go away.


    He did not reply to her question.


    "You shouldn''t do this," She said, biting her bottom lips.


    "Shouldn''t do what?" He held the finger that was poking his cheeks a moment ago. Intertwining their fingers, he pulled her hand towards himself and ced a soft kiss on the back of her palm.


    She leaned closer to him, feelingforted, "Do what you just did. Or what you have been doingtely."


    "Mei," He called out to her, his deep voice carried a trace of gentleness that never existed when he talked to others.


    "Mm?" She nced at him.


    His hand glided off her waist as he raised it towards her face, grabbing her chin and tilting her face upwards.


    She gulped feeling the proximity between them. As his hot breath caressed her face, her fingers tightened gripped his hand tightly and he in turn drew small circles on the back of her palm.


    "I missed you," He whispered, his lips grazing past hers.


    Her lips parted slightly but the man created a bit of distance between them, leaving a few inches gap between their lips, "We were together yesterday."


    "But I left in the morning," He ced a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, "It''s been almost 12 hours without seeing you."


    "Y-You are talking like we see each other for 24 hours," She clutched his shirt in her fist as his lips grazed past her cheeks, his teeth softly and torturously nibbling her skin.


    He paused when he heard her words as he looked into her eyes that were shimmering under the moonlight, "Sleeping to your face and waking up with you in my arms. I''ve long liked the sound of it," His hand moved towards the back of her head, his fingers raking through her hair as he angled her face to have a better look at her.


    Dazed, red, and confused. That was not an expression this stubborn woman would usually show until and unless they were in this position, being this intimate.


    "I''ve been thinking about you all day," The words slipped out of her mouth sleekly.


    She didn''t know who to me, her mouth, her mind, or her heart. Lately, all of them have been betraying her in his presence.


    And that was all it took for his gaze to darken. His lips were dangerously closer to hers, "May I?"


    His deep voice was like a sip of mellow wine which can soothe your parched throat, leaving you to crave for more.


    ...


    The second chapter will be there in some time. ^.^

 Chapter 160 - Love?

    "D-Don''t you think it''s toote to ask for my permission? Especially when we have already kissed..." Twice. She added in her mind. No, it should be thrice. She had stolen a kiss from him when he was asleep. She lowered her head guiltily.


    His fingers weaved through her hair as he angled her head upwards such that they were looking into each other''s eyes, "Are you giving me the permission to kiss you?"


    The hand that was grabbing her hand moved as his grip loosened. He let go of her palm and wrapped his strong arm around her hips, pulling her closer such that her toes were ced on his feet.


    She stood on his feet feeling his strong arm holding her in his embrace. Her eyes widened slightly as heat spread through her neck. Was she really allowing him to kiss her?


    "I-"


    "Don''t bother denying it, love. Your eyes are still the most honest," Desirous mes danced through his brown orbs as he looked at her.


    "L-Lo..." Stuttering would be an understatement to describe her current speaking ability. She could feel her heart leaping into her throat, "Love?"


    "Mm."


    "But-"


    He cut her off with the hot searing kiss that came out of nowhere, drowning all her hesitation, all her words.


    His lips moved on hers gently at first, nibbling and sucking her softness until he twirled her around, their lips were still connected, moving together as he hoisted her up with an arm wrapped around her waist and in the next second, she found herself on the bed pinned under him.


    The silk robe she had donned raised to her thighs and she could feel one of his muscr thighs near her hot core.


    Her body arched as he proceeded to work on her lips, his tongue delved deeper inside causing her legs to go limp within a second.


    She encircled her arms around his neck as he kissed her hungrily. Her chest rose and fell, feeling his rigid muscles against them as their mouths barely parted for a second.


    He looked at her glistening lips for a moment before diving in for another hot kiss.


    Her toes curled up as she responded to him, trying to match his pace, her tongue tangling with his.


    "Ah-" She moaned inside his mouth when his thigh identally grazed past her entrance. Through the fabric of silks she was wearing, she could feel an electric wave running inside her body.


    Her fingers raked inside his golden ash blonde hair, grabbing a fistful of it when his kiss turned passionately intense.


    Her lower abdomen clenched as she felt a weird ache in her nipples, giving her an urge to rub her breasts against his rock-hard muscles and she did it, trying to be as discreet as possible.


    But the man was attentive to her slightest movements.


    Their lips parted and she panted hard, trying to deal with the waves of sinful urges rolling inside her body, demanding to have more of him in any and every way possible.


    His lips kissed her chin before trailing down her neck and she pressed herself closer to his body, letting him know what she wanted without speaking.


    He kissed her corbone before biting the spot he just kissed.


    She bit her bottom lips as her fingers raked through his hair, her knees raised a bit, letting the man between both her legs as his kisses trailed downwards, stopping right near her cleavage.


    He paused and tilted his head to nce at her.


    Perhaps it was his gaze that held her captive or the way one of his eyebrows tilted subtly, seemingly asking for her permission, she found herself nodding slowly, feeling her already aching nipples hardening painfully.


    And with a slight tug, the robe was undone, not entirely but just enough to give him the view of her whitece bralette and those voluminous breasts having the nipples hardening through them.


    He pressed a kiss on her cleavage as his tongue peeked out licking the spot gently.


    Too engrossed with the pleasure dominating her body, she arched her waist pulling him closer while her knees raised slightly, touching a wrong ce in the process.


    She felt a throb near her inner thighs and her eyes widened slightly, her senses returning to her body almost in an instant.


    The man could feel himself painfully aching the moment she touched his member. He let out a rough groan near her cleavage.


    And that voice too...gave her heavenly pleasure. Yu Mei did not know what was going on with her anymore. She knew she stop all this but she was craving for his touch more and more. She wanted him to touch her at every forbidden spot, every nook, and cranny of her body but...what if she regretted it the next moment?


    Although her mind was hazy from the pleasure they shared, but a little bit of sanity in her was shouting to push him away before things be irreversible and they couldn''t go back to how they were.


    Still, she found herself leaning towards his touch.


    In the next second, however, the man flipped their position such that she ended on top of him.


    A gasp escaped her lips by his sudden movement.


    Jun Zixuan sat up with his legs extended, feet kept on his heels while she straddled him with her legs on either side of his body.


    Under the moonlight, he could see her smooth skin shining like a divine sheen enshrouded with translucence.


    The sleeve of her silk robe hung loosely near her shoulder, giving him the view of those sexy corbones, deep cleavage, and further down those perfect curves.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down and he averted his gaze back to her face.


    Looking at her dark eyes blinking at him in confusion, his gaze darkened and he bit her lips.


    "What was that for?" She covered her lips and red at him.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed the nket with his left hand and spread it above her head before tucking her inside it properly from top to bottom, not letting an inch of her skine to his view.


    ...


    A/N: I''m not good at writing these scenes. Hope I didn''t make any of you awkward or ufortable. Haha, don''t bash me in thement section :-P

 Chapter 161 - The Surname ’Jun’

    All Yu Mei could see was darkness as the man covered her in a nket, without letaving a small gap as he held her in his arms tightly, "Are you trying to suffocate me to death?"


    She could swear that Jun Zixuan was the only person existing on the Earth who could do this to her. One moment, she was pinned under him, leaning closer to his body, craving for his touch, and in the next moment, she had the urge to strangle him.


    Jun Zixuan slowly raised the nket and tugged the edges of it near her neck, properly stuffing her inside like a dumpling only letting her head peeked out.


    He hugged her tightly, but the nket was enough of a barrier between them.


    As the weather was cold, she felt oddly warm andfortable like this.


    He bit the tip of her nose, "I''m trying to restrain myself from devouring every inch of you," His deeply sensuous voice sent shivers down her spine.


    She blinked at his shameless words. From the day he kissed her, she was finding him more and more brazen.


    "I.." She shifted a bit, finding their position slightly ufortable.


    He flipped her such that both of them were lying on the bed. He gently tugged the nket from her body and put it on his body before wrapping an around her waist.


    His other hand moved under her head as he pulled her closer to his body. Their faces were inches apart.


    She shifted a bit to create some more distance between them but he pulled her closer to himself and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, "Let''s just stay like this. I won''t bite, I promise!" His eyes glimmered towards the end.


    She suddenly leaned forwards so that their foreheads touched.


    He raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"


    "You had a fever yesterday and you disappeared in the morning. I was worried about you," She leaned back such that they were looking at each other''s face, "I had called you but there was no response," Mentioning the kiss or what was going on between them will only end up getting her embarrassed so she changed the topic swiftly.


    He tucked her hair behind her ear, "You''ve been worried about me?"


    She shook her head, "Shall I take my words back?"


    "No," He chuckled, the masculine sound of his deepughter made her feel a weird sensation in her chest.


    "Are youughing at me?" She punched his chest.


    He stoppedughing as he looked back at her face, "Yes, you are too cute," He smiled, "I usually don''t use phones during meetings. I had left the note in the bed."


    "But still..." She sighed, not speaking any further.


    "Who knew that my wife would call me? I would''ve hugged the phone to work."


    She pinched his cheek, "Who are you calling wife? Who exactly is your wife, hmm? I am not taking you as my husband," She made a face at him.


    He pecked her puckered lips, shutting her up in an instant.


    She cleared her throat, "When did youe?" When she went to the bathroom, she did not notice his presence at that time as she walked towards the wardrobe.


    "I was on your bed when you came," Heughed looking at her strange expressions.


    She sighed and sat upon the bed, removing his arm from her waist but the nket was still wrapped around her body, "Shouldn''t you go back now?"


    "I want to stay over,'''' He smiled.


    The corner of her lips twitched, "This is the girls'' dormitory, not your private vi. Just go back, okay?" She frowned.


    He grabbed her hand before pulling her back towards him, "But I am still sick."


    Her eyes widened, "But your fever is gone. Shall we go to the hospital? Where do you feel sick?"


    He brought her palm closer to his chest, putting it right above where his heart was, "Here. Right here."


    She was speechless, "You-"


    "Mei, let''s just hug each other to sleep, alright? I''ll not feel sick tomorrow," The man innocently said, hugging her tightly as he closed his eyes.


    This man...was such a white lotus! She blinked, looking at his sleeping face without a single wording out of her mouth.


    The next morning.


    ''Knock Knock''


    Yu Mei pushed herself out of the study chair. She nced at the bathroom for a moment before walking towards the door.


    Just as she twisted the doorknob, Li Shuang''s cold face greeted her.


    "Morning," Li Shuang stepped inside the room.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she nodded, "Good Morning. Is there anything you want?"


    "Yes. It''s our Chinese exam tomorrow," Li Shuang handed her a small notebook, ''''Take this. Try out these questions.''''


    "Will these be there on the question paper tomorrow?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow as she took the notebook from her hand before putting it on the study table.


    "You can try your luck," Li Shuang shrugged as she turned around to leave.


    Yu Mei let out a sigh of relief inwardly.


    "Mei, what would you-?" Jun Zixuan paused, noticing another presence in the room.


    Yu Mei: "_" Was it too fast to be relieved?


    Li Shuang paused in her tracks as she turned around to look at the man. She had seen this man once with Yu Mei. More specifically, he was that guardian the students were talking about.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she nced at the man who was dressed in casuals. She couldn''t believe that he came here with an extra pair of clothes. Did he think he was here for holiday?


    "He is?" Li Shuang nced at her.


    "He is Jun Zixuan. We''re just friends," The reply came within a beat that had the man''s gaze darkening slowly. She then nced at the man, "She is Li Shuang."


    Both of them nodded at each other


    Li Shuang''s expression said that she did not believe the ''friend'' part but she did notment about it. "I''ll leave now," She turned around and walked out of the room, wondering why this ''Jun'' surname sounded familiar to her.

 Chapter 162 - Just Friends Don’t Get Jealous Like This!

    Yu Mei closed the door quickly as she sighed. Li Shuang was not a nosy person, or else she would''ve had to start the story from the scratch. If it was Shi Luo here instead of Li Shuang here today, that woman might have gotten popcorns and settled on her couch till she did not spill all the beans.


    As she turned around, she was faced with Jun Zixuan''s dark face. She furrowed her brows.


    Was he upset? But for what?


    She leaned back on the door, "Is there something bothering you?"


    A glint shed across his eyes, "There is."


    "What?" She immediately straightened up on hearing that.


    "You remember the woman whom I''ve wanted to kiss again and again? You told me that I''ve been falling for her?" He asked taking a step towards her.


    She stiffened. A suffocating feeling rose in her chest at the reminder of that. Yeah, how could she forget? There was his true love in the picture. The first time when he was drunk and barged inside her room in the Ren Mansion, he even thought she was his lover under the influence of alcohol and said ''I miss you'' to her.


    At that time, she had sympathized with his situation. She, who had lost her identity and woke up in this new body actually found him simrly pitiful like her. She thought he was just like her, trapped in circumstances that he never asked for.


    But right now, there was not even a hint of pity in her heart. All she felt was a weird prickly feeling that got unbearable with each second. Her gaze shed when he came closer. She moved away from the door creating some distance between them.


    He grabbed her wrist and in the next moment, she was pulled to his embrace.


    He pinched her chin tilting her face so that she was looking at him, "Just friends huh?" His mocking tone made her frown, "Just friends don''t get jealous when the other one mentions someone else."


    "I-"


    He pressed his finger on her lips, "Just friends don''t steal secret nces at each other neither do they steal kisses."


    Her eyes widened. How did he know? Was he awake when she had kissed him?


    His lips descended on hers, taking her soft ones between his teeth, gently sucking on them and her hands slowly raised towards his chest. Just as the kiss deepened and she started to respond to his passionate lips, the man pulled back, "Just friends don''t do this," His voice deepened when she leaned closer to him.


    Yu Mei was too muddleheaded to think straight. First his words, then to his kiss, her legs were not functioning properly. It took her some time to stabilize herself on her feet.


    "Just friends? Yeah, right!" His grip on her waist loosened as he pulled back from her.


    She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes zing with the remnant of desires, her lips had ayer of sheen on them because of the kiss that they just shared.


    ''Twitch''


    And amidst all these serious conversations, his hardening member let out twitches of protest.


    He cursed it under his breath and stormed out of the room before he ended up doing something to her at the moment.


    ''Bam''


    The loud sound of the door banging made her snap out of her daze. She nced at the closed door and ced a hand on her racing heart, "I am indeed very jealous," She mumbled.


    As soon as Jun Zixuan walked out of Yu Mei''s room, the girls in the corridor all gasped. Their initial reaction would be to scream if they saw an intruder inside the dorm but when the intruder was such a hot mess, they found themselves standing frozen in their spots until the man was out of their sight.


    "Will hee back again?"


    "Who knows?"


    "I think I''m in love. Kya~"


    "He is Yu Mei Zhen''s boyfriend."


    "Yes, I remember. I have also seen him before."


    "She is so lucky. I wish I can have him."


    "Do you think you stand a chance against her?"


    "Duh!! You didn''t have to stab my heart like that."


    Unaware of the gossips he stirred inside the dormitory, Jun Zixuan walked out of the ce only to be stopped at the gates by the warden.


    "Do you know this is....?


    Her words were cut off when Jun Zixuan shed a card in front of her eyes that had a golden star on it with the logo of Imperial University.


    The warden froze for a moment before bowing in front of him, "Good day, sir."


    Jun Zixuan left without looking back.


    The security guard walked towards the warden in curiosity, "How could you let him go so easily? He barged inside the dormitory after all."


    The middle-ageddy nced at him, "He is not someone we can offend. Dean Shuo had informed me about this mysterious man who is also an investor of this university. Supposedly, he was here to meet his girlfriend."


    "Girlfriend?"


    "Yu Mei Zhen, the illegitimate daughter of Yu Family."


    The security guard was reminded of something, "Before she moved over to the dormitory, her room was renovated overnight."


    The warden nodded.


    As Jun Zixuan walked out of the university campus, he walked towards the Bentley parked on the other side of the road.


    Steward Gu quickly got off the car before opening the door for him, ''''Master," He greeted when the man stood in front of him.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he nced at his face which had red and swollen bumps everywhere, "What happened to your face?" He asked.


    "There were mosquitoes here all night," The man who was waiting for his Master toe back for the whole night replied grievously.


    "Who asked you to wait here?" Jun Zixuan frowned as he raked his fingers through his messy hair, stopping the girls who were crossing the road in their tracks...


    ''But you didn''t tell me to go back either. How would I know what''s in your mind?'' Steward Gu indignantly protested in his mind. Little did he expect his Master to spend the night in the girls'' dormitory.


    ''''Where will you get yourself a wife if you don''t pay attention to that face of yours?" Jun Zixuan nonchntly said before getting inside the car.


    Steward Gu: "_" Master, I won''t resort to hicallyying a beauty trap to lure my wife like you.

 Chapter 163 - Feelings Here, Feelings There, Feelings Everywhere~

    "Master, shall I drive over to the headquarters? The directors are be waiting for you," Steward Gu spoke up as soon as he got inside the car as he looked at the man through the rear-view mirror.


    Yesterday, his Master was reluctant when he left Ren Mansion while the Young Mistress still was sleeping. Then, the whole day, all the employees suffered from the man''s poisonous tongue whenever they made a mistake. While the third meeting of the day, he could not endure his lovesickness anymore and left halfway through the meeting.


    Jun Zixuan nced at his wristwatch, "Drive over there," He said after looking at the time.


    "Alright, Master."


    "Wait," His brows tugged together slightly, "Mei hasn''t had her breakfast yet. Ask them to deliver the food to her room."


    Steward Gu: "_" Master, with such privileged treatments, the other girls in the university might startpeting with Young Mistress for you.


    s, the poor him did not say anything and simply did as he was told.


    While a certain someone finally decided to spare his work a little bit of his attention, the certain someone''s wifeid on the bed, daydreaming about everything that was going on between them these days.


    Her fingers stroked her lips as she thought back to the way his lips sucked hers and her body turned hot at the mere thought of his touches.


    A blush crept up her cheeks as she rolled on the small bed before grabbing the pillow and burying her face in it. "I am done for...I am done for," She mumbled, realizing how she was getting trapped in the things she had decided to stay away from.


    ''Knock Knock''


    She stiffened for a moment and sat up on the bed. Her hair fell over her shoulders like a bird''s nest which had just survived a typhoon as she dumbly stared at the closed door and blinked.


    Is it him? She quickly jumped out of the bed and walked towards the door. He must have realized that he shouldn''t leave in a fit of anger and came back to have a proper conversation with her.


    She paused right in front of the door and quickly ran towards the mirror before adjusting her hair with her fingers and then smoothening the creases on her clothes.


    Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the door and twisted the doorknob.


    "I know that-" She paused, looking at the person standing in front of the door.


    She recognized the woman whom she had seen in the cafeteria many times.


    "Miss, your breakfast," Thedy staff politely handed her the takeout as she bowed and left.


    Unaware of the jealous gazes of the girls in the dorm, Yu Mei dazedly closed the door and walked inside the room holding the takeout in her hand.


    She kept the food on the study table and sat on the chair before covering her face in both her palms, "Ahhh...I''m so stupid, so dumb. This is the girls'' dormitory, not a garden, how can I expect him to go ande so freely?" She paused for a moment. Did he face any problems when he left? She hoped not.


    Amidst all these, she misunderstood a few things. First, Jun Zixuan left in a fit of anger. Second, the cafeteria staff was being responsible by delivering the breakfast as they were paid highly by Jun Zixuan.


    Later that afternoon.


    "Mei, stop stuffing yourself with food, That won''t solve any of your problems," Shi Luo sat atop the dining table with her legs dangling as she stroked the top of her friend''s head.


    Yu Mei put the spoon down and wiped her face with a napkin, "I was hungry. It doesn''t have anything to with problems, okay?"


    "But you''re this hungry when your mind is in a mess," Looking at the woman who was ready to protest, she shook her head and continued, "Don''t bother denying it, sweetie. I know you better than anyone else."


    Yu Mei nced at her for a moment and sighed as she exined everything to her.


    Shi Luo stroked her chin with her index finger in contemtion, "Mei, how can you call him your friend after all those steamy sessions between you both?" She pushed her messy braid to the back and jumped off the dining table before adjusting the oversized T-shirt she was wearing, "That was too cruel of you."


    Yu Mei pursed her lips, "I...I didn''t mean it like that. I mean I did not expect Li Shuang toe there suddenly. I just did not want to bother exining everything so I said whatever came to my mouth and sounded convenient."


    It was not that she was hiding anything from Li Shuang or she wanted to. It was just a long and messy story. From the previous owner''s mother''s death to her marriage to Jun Zixuan, everything was soplicated to exin that she just blurted out whatever sounded simple to her.


    Shi Luo shook her head as she took a seat beside her, "Who the fuck in this world smooches their friend? That cunning man is fooling you and you''re getting fooled by him. I told you....from the very first day, he had his gaze set on you."


    Yu Mei blinked, "You...It''s not like that. He has someone he loves," She twiddled with her fingers as she spoke.


    But the jealous streak in her words was like loud ringing of bells to Shi Luo who pursed her lips, "Two lives. This is your second life already but you''re still so stupid when matters revolve around Jun Zixuan," She paused for a moment looking at her friend''s ''I am confused'' expression before she added, "What do you think is the possibility that this so called love of his you?"


    "Zero," Yu Mei replied within a beat.


    "What if you''re wrong?"


    "I-"


    "Ssshhh," Shi Luo pressed a finger on her lips, "Keep your voice down. Jinhai is sleeping."


    Yu Mei paused for a moment. Oh, in all these things, she forgot that she had a younger brother now. Her lips tugged up in a soft smile at that but it soon disappeared, "I am sure it isn''t me."


    Shi Luo, who noticed how fast her expressions were changing simply shook her head. People in love are crazy.


    I''ll better stay away from such things, she thought to herself.


    "How are you so sure?"

 Chapter 164 - Beetroot Love

    "I have seen him missing his first love since the day I woke up in this body. At that time, we were more like enemies. Do you think he had bipr disorder that would make him love and hate the same person? Moreover, don''t forget how I looked back in those days," Yu Mei stood up from the chair and walked towards the couch in the living room before slumping on it as she ced her legs on the coffee table.


    Shi Luo sat beside the woman, "First of all, how you looked has nothing to do with all these. Especially when the man is Jun Zixuan. I don''t think your looks have ever been a barrier between you both."


    "Yes, he has always doted on me like this," Yu Mei sighed dreamily as she smiled, "He is an angel indeed. So cute and so nice."


    Shi Luo''s lips twitched. What exactly is your point here? One moment, you are anxious about who he loves and in the next moment, you are all about how nice he is.


    ''Angel and Jun Zixuan?'' Shi Luo pursed her lips. These two terms were like East and West which will never coincide.


    "Let''s forget about his love or his feelings," She said, after thinking for some time, "What about you? How long are you going to deny your feelings?"


    Yu Mei paused.


    "Mei, past is past. What happened when were teenagers shouldn''t be something that will hold you back right now. Do you get what I''m saying?"


    Yu Mei nodded wordlessly.


    Shi Luo sighed as she spoke up, "While we are talking about Jun Zixuan and you, do you realize that you''ve always had feelings for him? Even as Han Mei, you had feelings for him."


    "On what basis are you saying that?" She raised an eyebrow, "We were just friends back then."


    "I can bet my medical degree on the fact that he did not see you as a friend," Shi Luo countered.


    "We never kissed. We were never intimate. So, he did see me as a friend. You should go burn your degree."


    Shi Luoughed, "Remember when you said that you both are friends and I had said that there will be a day when you both will roll in the bed?" Yu Mei was speechless while she continued, "It hase true. No matter what you say, that man never had friendly intentions towards you, be it in the past life or your current life."


    "Nonsense,'''' Yu Mei waved her hand.


    But that didn''t discourage Shi Luo, "As for you...I don''t know whether you were in love with him or not but he has always been special to you. You might not see that but we all could. And at this moment, your feelings for him are like beetroot."


    "B-Beetroot?"


    Shi Luo nodded, "No matter how carefully you cut it while cooking, it will leave a pinkish tint on your palms which will be visible to everyone. Your feelings for him right now are visible to everyone around you."


    "_"


    ...


    The next day.


    Outside the Dean''s office:


    "What are you doing here?" Li Shuang coldly nced at the woman standing in front of her.


    The woman took off herrge shades as her dark red painted lips slightly curled up, "Just out on a trip and here to meet my fianc¨¦. Heard that he has been hovering around a womantely."


    Li Shuang frowned looking at the woman face''s which was buried underyers of makeup. As beautiful as that might appear to people, for some reason, to her, thoseyers of makeup and charming smile have always been ugly, "With a fianc¨¦e like you, which man wouldn''t go around finding other women?"


    The woman didn''t seem to be offended by her words as she smiled confidently, "We never got the chance to cultivate feelings. Now that I''m here, he will automatically get his mind off other women and put his focus on me."


    ''This woman still has that Princess Syndrome,'' Although she thought that, Li Shuang''s cold expressions did not reveal a single thought of hers.


    "Why don''t youe with me? I''ll introduce you to my future husband," She said, adjusting the short sleeves of her red bodycon dress.


    "I had Chinese exams today. I''m tired so I''ll go to the dorm and take a rest," Li Shuang spoke in an aloof tone, "You can go and catch up with your fianc¨¦," Li Shuang turned around and left as soon as she finished speaking.


    The woman simply rolled her eyes and walked out of the corridor, her straight posture, confident steps, and beautiful looks gave off a superstar aura getting everyone''s attention.


    In a ssroom.


    Yu Mei slumped on her desk as soon as the Professor collected her answer sheets. It was the day of her Chinese exam...The Chinese exam has been haunting her since her past life.


    But she did not even remember it.


    It was only in the morning when she went to Li Shuang''s room to talk to her and saw her holding the Chinese book, revising the questions did she remember that today was the Chinese exam. Her feelings at that moment were indescribable.


    Who was to me for this? It was none other than the man named Jun Zixuan who had imed all her thoughts and attention for himself, not leaving a gap for her to think about anything else.


    From the moment she came back from Shi Luo''s ce, she had been on her bed, thinking about him, his lips, his smile, his words, his...okay his everything. Everything rted to him has dominated all her mind and heart.


    All this while, Mia was on her cultivation mode. If she was awake, she would have reminded her about her exams but s...


    So, in the end, she did not remember what kind of answers she had written in the answer sheet because even during the exam, she was still thinking about him.


    She was not sure whether she would pass or fail.


    Not that she cared about her marks, but in the future, if her identity is revealed to the world, it might make it to the headlines.


    ''The President of Rosette, Leanne had failed in Chinese subject during her Senior year final exams.''


    She pursed her lips. That would be too detrimental for the image of herpany.

 Chapter 165 - His Darling Is Jealous

    Is he still angry because of what happened yesterday? Yu Mei pursed her lips as she walked out of the ssroom. After Jun Zixuan left, she didn''t see him again. How irresponsible! Shouldn''t he check whether his wife is fine or not? Or if her exams went well or not?


    Biting her bottom lips, she walked in the corridor, contemting whether she should go to Ren Mansion to coax him or wait for him toe to her. ''Umm...Maybe I should send him some cute little apology gift...but what?'' She had no idea about gifts, especially if the gift is to be given to a man.


    "Hey, Senior."


    Yu Mei snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at the girl standing in front of her, "Well, you are..?" Would it be rude if she said ''Sorry, I don''t recognize you''?


    "Ah, I''m your junior," The girl smiled, "I just wanted to inform you that your boyfriend is waiting for you near the conference hall for a long time already."


    Her eyes brightened immediately as her lips stretched in a small smile, "Thank you."


    "That''s fine," The girl smiled shyly, "Senior, your boyfriend is so handsome..."


    Yu Mei stiffened. Her face darkened slightly.


    "He is so perfect and-"


    "Of course, he is MINE after all," She interrupted the girl, not realizing how she was sounding like an oh so possessive girlfriend.


    "_"


    The girl embarrassedly nodded, "Yes."


    As Yu Mei walked towards the conference hall, she could feel her heart racing in her chest. Her stomach...it felt like butterflies were pping their wings inside it. She could barely wait to see him.


    ''Why is it so crowded here?'' Her footsteps came to a sudden halt when she noticed the groups of students crowding the corridor in front of the conference hall.


    ''''Do you think rumors were true?"


    "Now that the fianc¨¦e is in the picture, is the university goddess really a mistress?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? Our goddess will never stoop so low."


    "Exactly, there must be some misunderstanding here."


    "What misunderstanding? I heard this prettydy saying that she is his fianc¨¦e,"


    "Do you think this man is two-timing on our goddess?"


    "Who knows?!"


    "Sigh...they were such a perfect couple."


    As Yu Mei heard the murmurs and whispers of the crowd, she stood rooted to her spot, right behind the students as she nced at Jun Zixuan''s back. A woman was hugging his arm and they seemed to be in some deep discussion that had her take a step back.


    She couldn''t see his face but it was him. How could she not recognize that unique man in a crowd of people? His striking ash blonde hair, his perfect figure, everything about him was so damn different that it was impossible for her to mistake someone else for him.


    And he was talking to the woman. Considering Jun Zixuan''s nature, he would have simply turned around and left.


    ''Is she the one? His unforgettable first love?''


    The thought of it made her heart twist painfully. How ironic was it that she had promised herself that she will stay away from all theplications? How ironic was the fact that she was convincing herself they were friends all this time?


    On the other side.


    "Xuan, it has been years since thest time we saw each other," The woman yed with the shades in her hand while her other hand grabbed Jun Zixuan''s hand, "Umm, if I''m not wrong, we were high school students back then."


    "What are you doing here?" Jun Zixuan swatted away the hand that was holding his as he took out a handkerchief before wiping his wrist.


    A disappointed expression appeared on the woman''s face, "That''s not how you should greet your fiancee. Is it because of the woman you''re hanging around with?"


    "Don''t mess with her," Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes as a glint shed across them.


    The woman retreated a few steps back, "You should know that no matter how much you fool around, in the end, you can only marry me. That''s fixed. Moreover, a nobody won''t be epted by the Juns," The more she looked at Jun Zixuan, the more she found him perfect. No matter what, as long as he was a Jun, she will have to marry him despite everything she had heard about him.


    Jun Zixuan opened his mouth to say something only to be interrupted by another voice.


    "You know her?"?Yu Mei walked towards them as the crowd parted, making way for her.


    The woman, who was iming herself to be Jun Zixuan''s fianc¨¦e turned her head to look at the person who interrupted them. Her eyes widened as her expressions morphed into shock when her gazended on Yu Mei.


    "No," came the man''s reply to her question as his gaze scanned the woman from top to bottom.


    Dressed in a coral green colored short dress, she had her long hair tied in a high ponytail that swayed with every step she took towards him. There was not a hint of makeup on her face but she was just as gorgeous. Those soft supple cheeks, he had the urge to bite them right that instant. Slightly parted plump pink lips that seemed too inviting him to suck the moisture out of them.


    The soft clicking sounds produced by her heels made him snap out of his otherworldly daze as he looked into her dark starry eyes that had a hint of coldness within them and that only made her more so beautiful. That pair of eyes had always been so talkative and honest. ''Is she jealous?'' As the thought came to his mind, his lips stretched in a soft smile.


    She red at him with a look that said ''Take that smile off your face. I have yet to settle the scores with you.''


    And heplied with the wishes of his angry sweetheart.


    "Since you don''t know her, why would you talk to her?" She removed her bag off her shoulder and threw it to the spare chair in the corridor, without taking her eyes off him.

 Chapter 166 - Let’s Go Baby

    "I was just passing by. She came to me," Jun Zixuan innocently replied.


    "So, you have nothing to do with her?" Yu Mei folded her arms in front of her chest.


    "Absolutely nothing."


    "Any other woman you''re entangled with?" Her gaze remained fixated on him.


    "Other than you, none!" Came the immediate reply.


    The corner of her lips tugged up as she stepped closer to him and stood right in front of him, "Zixuan, let''s date," She said, looking straight into his eyes, despite feeling the heat rising up her neck.


    The crowd was astonished. So, was this rich and handsome hottie their goddess'' pursuer? Not her boyfriend?


    The guys all felt regretful. They had chances all this while but the opportunity was gone now.


    Jun Zixuan eyes glimmered, "Date? But sweetheart, we are-"


    The crowd gasped as they witnessed the scene ying out in front of them.


    The rest of his words were drowned in the kiss that came too suddenly as she stood with her arms wrapped around his neck. Before he could respond to her kiss, she pulled back and spoke near his ear, "This marriage doesn''t count. Let''s start from scratch," Her voice was low enough to be audible to only both of them.


    You married someone else, not me. Humph! Humph! Humph! This marriage doesn''t count at all. Her pettiest innermost self shouted in her heart.


    Yu Mei took a step back as she looked at the woman who was still in a daze. She held Jun Zixuan''s wrist and dragged him towards herself. Logically, she couldn''t drag him as her strength was nothing whenpared to him but the man allowed her to do anything she wanted so he let himself be dragged.


    "As a possessive girlfriend, I''ll appreciate it if you will keep a one-meter distance from my man," She coldly said, looking at the woman who seemed to being back to her senses.


    ''We will stay one kilometer away from women if it means having you as our girlfriend,'' Her poor admirers could feel themselves wailing in their hearts as they looked at their goddess. Even though the other woman gave off a superstar aura with her bold makeup and confident looks, Yu Mei Zhen''s aura waspletely in another league.


    "He is my fianc¨¦," The woman could feel everyone''s mocking gazes on her.


    "Are you?" Yu Mei blinked at Jun Zixuan.


    "No."


    "He is not," She smiled at the woman ''not so kindly'' and picked up her bag from the chair before grabbing Jun Zixuan''s arm, "Let''s go, baby."


    The baby in question was more than happy to trail after his darling who finally made a move on him.


    "They are so perfect together."


    "Yes, didn''t I say that my goddess won''t stoop down to be someone''s mistress?"


    "Who knew there was a bitch in the question?!"


    As the crowd started dispersing, the woman stood rooted to her spot. Her fingers curled into a fist as she took out her phone before making a call, ''''Book a ticket to Amaranthine... Yes, I''ll be going back today..." When has she, Han Jingyi, ever been humiliated like this? ''This bitch will pay for it.''


    In front of the dormitory.


    The walk from the conference hall to the dormitory gates was eerily quiet. Neither of them spoke a single word. Unlike the way the couple left the ce holding hands, there was some distance between them at the moment.


    Since it was evening time, the birds in the sky had already returned to their respective nests and Yu Mei was very regretful about it. She badly wanted to count them. She nced at the gradually darkening sky, the ground under her feet, the slightly swaying leaves of the oak tree behind the campus, and many such things. In short, she looked everywhere except for the man who was walking beside her.


    Their footsteps came to a halt in front of the dormitory gates. ''''I''ll go inside. See youter,'''' She nced at him but the intensity in those deep brown eyes made her avert her gaze almost immediately.


    ''''I''ll go with you," He said. Looking at her confused expressions, he added, "I''ll drop you inside."


    Yu Mei was bewildered. Drop me inside? Did he forget that this is the Girls'' dormitory? Does he want to climb the wall again?


    "Sir," The security guard immediately stood up and bowed as he nced at the couple standing in front of the gates, "Miss Yu."


    Yu Mei: "_" Am I that famous?


    Jun Zixuan nodded at him before looking at the woman who was in a daze, ''''Let''s go inside."


    She blinked and followed after him. Much to her shock, nobody stopped him from entering the girls'' dormitory. Is there a ce where this man doesn''t have so much influence?


    Since it was evening time, the corridor was almost empty. Especially as today their final exams were over, the students must have left for chilling out as she could barely see anyone around.


    ''''I''ll go...You should leave," She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside after nodding at him.


    Just as the door was about to close, the man grabbed it. Her eyes widened as her grip on the doorknob loosened.


    The man pushed open the door and stepped inside within a second and the next thing she knew she was pinned to the wall with his lips pressed on hers.


    ''Bam''


    The door closed with a loud sound but they were too engrossed in the kiss to move. His hand grabbed the back of her neck as he sucked her lips, tugging her tongue with his, dominantly iming the softness that had been enticing him for who knows how long.


    She encircled her arms around his neck and responded to his kisses with equal passion.


    One of his hands was on her neck angling it in such a way that his mouth could get enough ess in hers while his other hand snaked around her waist, hoisting her off the ground.


    She gasped against his lips at the sudden movement.

 Chapter 167 - The Woman I Love

    He hoisted her up in the air and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist while her arms encircled around his neck. One of his hands glided down her curvy waist before settling on her bottom while he grabbed the back of her neck with his other hand.


    Their lips parted slightly as they panted. He kissed the corner of her lips and she leaned closer to him, her teeth taking his bottom lips between them. A mischievous glint shed in his eyes as his palm gave her perky bottom a soft squeeze. A gasp escaped her lips and he took the opportunity to get his tongue sneak inside her mouth. His lips sucked hers as he kissed her not so gently all the while.


    Her lips moved against his as her hand shifted, her fingers trailed down his muscr back. He kissed her like there was no tomorrow and she could feel herself melting in his arms. It was soforting yet exhrating to be kissed by him like that, like there was nothing that mattered to him other than her.


    His gentle teasings, rough kisses set every inch of her skin on her fire, her heart...that little organ seemed to be flipping up and down in so much of excitement and nervousness.


    She knew it...From the very first day their lips had met, a part of her knew that there was no going back. There was no going back on him.


    She knew it despite denying it all this while.


    The sense of breathlessness hit her hard when their lips parted. She panted, gasping for air while she could feel his unsteady breathing stroking the nape of her neck where he buried his face.


    Her eyes flew open when she felt his hand shifting back to her waist as he ced her on a hard surface.?She looked around and found herself sitting on the study table. From the door to here, she did not know when they had shifted the locations.


    Her heart was still racing in her heart like a wild beast struggling to run out of the cage it was trapped in. She blinked and licked her bottom lips.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze darkened as he looked those swollen plump lips. He pressed both his palms on her knees and parted her legs before stranding between them.


    Her lips parted slightly as his hands shifted beneath thighs and in one swift move, she was pulled towards him such that her breasts collided against his rock-hard chest, their bodies crashing against each other.


    She licked her dried bottom lips as her fingers fiddled with the fabric of her dress.


    He grabbed her chin and tilted her face so that she was looking straight into his eyes, "Don''t do that. Or I can''t control myself."


    "Control yourself from what?" Her starry eyes twinkled as she looked at him provocatively.


    "From kissing the hell out of you," His hand slid down from her chin as he grabbed her neck, his fingers stroked her delicate skin, "Or doing something more that you might not like."


    She chuckled as she batted her eyshes, "How would you know whether I''ll like it or not?" A blush crept up her cheeks but that teasing intent in her tone did not diminishing.


    "Are you seducing me?" His gaze darkened.


    "Am I?" She looked at him with such ridiculously innocent eyes that had him shake his head.


    He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead before wrapping both his arms around her waist.


    "Mei."


    "Mm?" She smiled as she looked at his face. Whenever she heard him calling her name with so much adoration, she had always felt relieved that the previous owner''s first name was the same as hers.


    "Are you serious about dating me?"


    She raised an eyebrow, "Do I look like I was joking?"


    "Why?" He nced at her.


    She was confused, "What why?"


    "Till yesterday, you were still going on about us being ''just friends'', what made you change your mind?"


    The corner of her lips twitched, "Well, Friends can date. It''s trending these days."


    His face darkened as he pursed his lips. He loosened his grip around her waist and turned around to leave.


    She panicked, "Hey, wait!!" She hugged him from the back and wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him in her embrace.


    He paused, his lips tugged up in a small curve that she was unable to see as he had his back facing her.


    She pressed her forehead on his back, "You should answer me first."


    "About?" His emotionless tone did not reveal a single a emotion and that had her wonder what was going on in his mind.


    "Why did you kiss me?"


    He moved slightly and her grip on him loosened as he turned around such that he stood facing towards her. Her legs glided down a bit, settling near his thighs, she kept her heels crossed. He was a moody man so this might be effective to stop him if he tried to leave all of a sudden. Her arms wrapped around his muscr waist as she intertwined her fingers behind his back.


    "We have shared many kisses. Which one are you talking about?"


    She was speechless, "All of them. What I mean is why would you kiss me in the first ce? There must be something going on in your mind when you did that, right? It''s not like-"


    "This is the woman I love," He interrupted her with the words that had her freeze for a few good seconds.


    She blinked.


    "That was going on in my mind when I kissed you."


    Her lips parted but no words came out. That soft blush spread across her fair cheeks as he leaned closer to her, "The reason why I kissed you in the first ce," His voice was barely above a whisper, "Because I love you."


    The blush on her face was more prominent this time as she bit her bottom lips.

 Chapter 168 - Stick To That For Whole Life

    She lowered her head in attempt to hide her face that was a blushing mess. He grabbed her chin before tilting her face upwards so that she was looking straight into his eyes, "I have been loving you all this time," His deep tone made her gulp, "You were just dumb to not realize it."


    The second sentence earned him a punch in his stomach as she narrowed her eyes, ''''Are you confessing or looking for a fight with me?" Her shyness jumped under the table.


    "Confessing, of course," He chuckled.


    "Laughing like that...Don''t tell me you are making fun of me in your heart?" She pinched his cheeks when he continued tough. As handsome as he looked, she ended up pouting, "I hate you. Humph!"


    "Jokes apart...I do love you." He paused before adding, ''''More than a lot," his tone serious this time as a soft smile yed on his lips.


    She blinked, looking into that pair of deep eyes that intensified the depth of his confession. Without a warning, she buried her face in his chest. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, "So, will you tell me now?"


    "What?"


    "About why you want to date me?"


    "Didn''t I already tell you already?"


    He narrowed his eyes and pulled back from the hug as he looked at her face, "I''ll leave now. I have work to do."


    This petty man. Her limbs around his body coiled tighter.


    He raised an eyebrow.


    She cleared her throat, "Can''t you just decipher it by yourself?"


    "Unfortunately, I can''t read minds."


    She forced augh trying to ease the tension in the air, "Finally there is something you can''t do."


    He nced at her with those humorless intense eyes.


    "Do I have to say it aloud?" She asked, drawing circles on his chest with her index finger.


    "What do you think?" He pursed his lips.


    "Is there no other way?"


    "No!!" To her ears, his tone sounded like ''If you beat around the bush any longer, I''d throw tantrums and leave this ce in a fit of anger''.


    Letting out a soft sigh, she bit his lips, "You''re so stubborn. It''s going to be tough to deal with you."


    He hooked his arms around her waist, "The point here is...?" He drawled.


    Her fingers raked inside his hair as she pulled him closer and pressed a kiss on his lips. That typical soft fluttery butterfly kiss that had his heart throb within a moment, "The point here is...." She drawled it out just like him as she looked at his oh so eager eyes, "That I love you?"


    He narrowed his eyes for a moment before biting her left cheek, "Are you asking me or telling me?"


    She smiled yet there remained a soft blush on her face ,"So, yes, I love you too," She pecked his lips again.


    ''Thump!''


    The sound of his racing heart in his ears was betraying all his calm expressions.


    "Are you sure you love me?"


    The corner of her lips twitched as the smile disappeared slowly, "I was just joking," She red at him, "How can I love you? We are frien-"


    The rest of her words were taken away by the hard kiss that came out of nowhere. After a few minutes of intense kissing, he finally pulled back as they panted, their bodies leaning against each other''s.


    "Not friends at all," He immediately spoke up before she could think about ''friendzoning'' him once again, "You said that you love me. Stick to that for the whole life," His voice domineering as usual.


    "What if I don''t?" She narrowed her eyes.


    "Then I will..." His tone went a bit dangerous as his hands slightly shifted, "I will do this," The man said, his fingers stroking her curves with feathery touches.


    "Hahaha...Wait...S-Stop...That tickles...." Sheughed till her stomach heart. With no resorts left, she buried her face near the nape of his neck, "I''m not taking it back. I love you too. That''s final."


    And the petty man finally stopped tickling her as he hugged her back, cing his chin on the top of her head, "Hmm, took you long enough to realize that."


    "Are you starting a fight?" She bit his neck.


    He stroked her back, "I was just stating a fact."


    "Whatever Girlfriend says is right. So, you gotta be obedient to me from now on."


    "Alright."


    "No fighting."


    "Alright."


    "No mood swings."


    "Err...Alright."


    "Good!''''


    "Girlfriend, how about some kisses?"


    "Mmmp...What are you doing...? Oh...no...Not there...Ah~"


    "My darling didn''t mention rules regarding kiss so doesn''t that means I can do it however and wherever I want?!"


    ...


    After some intensive rounds of sucking, touching and kissing, the couple freshened up and changed into nightwear. Jun Zixuan''s clothes were delivered by Steward Gu inside the dorm that had Yu Mei wonder if it was still a Girls'' dormitory.


    Nevertheless, powerful people have their own ways. As theyid on the small bed cuddling with each other, Yu Mei yed with the diamond bracelet on her wrist.


    "Zixuan."


    "Mm?"


    "Nothing," She continued fiddling with the bracelet. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth again, "Zixuan."


    "Yes?"


    She let out a soft sigh, "Nothing."


    "Ask," He said, his fingers weaving through her hair.


    "Huh?" Her neck turned towards so fast that she could have gotten a whish.


    He could onlyugh at her antics, "You do that when you''re bothered," He said, pointing his chin towards her bracelet, "And it is written all over your face that you want to ask something."


    In fact, he too wanted to ask something. In the past days, he had noticed her car, her luxurious lifestyle, be it her bracelets or clothes but she did not take a single penny from him all this while which had him wonder what she was up to. He wanted to know but at the same time, he held himself back from asking it all this while.


    Even right now, he was firm on his decision of not asking her about all these things. She had already told him that she had her secrets and he will wait for the day when she will open up to him about all of them. He did not want to put her in a spot which might make her ufortable.


    "I do have something I want to ask," She admitted, snapping him out of his thoughts.

 Chapter 169 - There Was A Woman

    "Was she your fianc¨¦e? I mean...the woman you were talking to?" She asked.


    In fact, since her IQ wasn''t low, she could deduce a few things by herself. Even if that woman was his fiancee for real, then it must have something to do with his paternal family.


    "I don''t take her as my fianc¨¦e and I was not talking to her."


    Sheughed and ced a kiss on his jaw, "It was her who was clinging to you," She ended upughing once again looking at the satisfied expression on his face.


    How weird was that! This man could be upset over the tiniest things and would be coaxed with the simplest gestures. She used to see him like that ''perfect, calm andposed'' man who liked to have everything under his control, but as she got to know him day by day, she was kinda looking forward to their future. In fact, he was still perfect but that couldn''t be said about the rest.


    What she was not aware of was that to the world, he was exactly the type of man she thought him to be but around her, he was simply a man in love.


    Her doubts were confirmed with what he said.? If he had nothing to do with her and she was just a stranger, he would have said that he had nothing to do with her. But he said that he didn''t take her as his fiancee and that confirmed her doubts. Whoever that woman was and in whatever condition she became his fiance, it was all linked up with his paternal family in one way or another.


    And considering how audaciously the woman was going on shouting like ''he is my fiancee. He is my this, my that, h h h...'', she might not have known that her so-called fiance is already married under the arrangements of his mother.


    Probably, his paternal family was also unaware of his marriage.


    "What are you thinking about?" He stroked her cheeks, looking at her lost expressions.


    "Huh?" She snapped out of her daze as she blinked, "Who was the woman you wanted to kiss so badly?" She asked the first thing that came to her mind.


    If she had to be honest, she was pretty much stuck on this point since the day he confessed that he couldn''t get a woman''s lips off his mind. It has been hovering around in her mind even though she never admitted it.


    "Are you jealous?" This was the same woman who was pretending like there was nothing much between them just yesterday. What a good actress!


    "So what if I am?" She cleared her throat, ''''You got issues with that?"


    Heughed, "Of course not. I like to see you being jealous over me," Once or twice, he had noticed her sulking in the past, being jealous of herself but since he loved to see her like that, he did not tell who the woman he wanted to kiss was. Moreover, this woman was so persistent about, ''we''re friends'' so he did not feel guilty about doing it.


    "Since you like it when I am like this, does that means you will get new fiancees and women to make me jealous?" The corner of her lips twitched. No wonder love and rtionships are troublesome.


    Jun Zixuan: "_"


    "What nonsense goes on in that creative mind of yours?" He flicked her forehead, earning himself a re and bite from her.


    He ended up chuckling when she nibbled his neck once again, "I think I ended up provoking my baby panda," He muttered under his breath.


    "I heard that," She moved out of his embrace and sat upon the bed, still ring at the man''s face under the warm hues of the tablemp.


    He pushed himself up to sit on the bed but just as he extended his hand to hold hers, she swatted it away.


    "I''m not a panda. Get that clear first," She scoffed.


    "But baby pandas are cute."


    "Then go keep one. Don''t call me that. Humph! You can call me hot, sexy, beautiful, gorgeous but not a panda. No panda at all!" She pursed her lips.


    "Well," His gaze roamed around her body as she sat there donned in a silkce night robe, "You are indeed a seductress."


    His deep voice made her tilt her head to look at him and the look in his eyes made her gulp. But it soon disappeared as if it was just an illusion.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist and effortlessly pulled her onto hisp as he made her sat such that she was facing. "You''re always cute, especially when you are being jealous and that''s a fact."


    She sighed and put her head on his shoulder, "I just don''t feel like fighting with you today. So I''ll let it go this time."


    "Uh-huh. Thank you."


    "So, who was the woman you wanted to kiss, huh?"


    Seems like her mind was still stuck on that. His eyes twinkled, "There is a woman. Her lips were so beautiful that I couldn''t resist the temptation and I stole a kiss from her when she was asleep. The next I know, I could not get her lips off my mind. I wanted to try that over and over again."


    "_"


    Yu Mei nced at him speechlessly. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out of her mouth. She did not like the sound of what he said but what was she supposed to say?


    He chuckled, looking at her nk expressions.


    "Is there a joke written on my face?" It was practically the first day...On the first day of their rtionship, and she had already experienced a hell of a roller coaster ride of emotions. What more could the future hold? She sighed tiredly and buried her face in the nook of his neck.


    He hugged her tightly before falling back on the bed having her atop him, "Isn''t it the biggest joke in itself that you are so jealous of yourself?"


    ...


    Visit my profile and check the original work section. There is a surprise waiting for y''all <3

 Chapter 170 - Sly Man!

    The bright rays of sunshine invaded through the gap between the curtains illuminating the small yet cozy room. Her eyshes fluttered slowly like the pping of butterfly wings as she opened her eyes.


    Only then did she noticed the man sleeping beside holding her in his arms. The events ofst night shed in her mind and her face turned red.


    Embarrassing moments deserve to be forgotten fast but she could not forget it at all. How annoying was the fact that all this while, she was being jealous of herself? The woman who he had always wanted to kiss was her and no one else.


    While they were in Shanghai, he had kissed her while she was asleep. When he told her this, she found it entirely unbelievable but then again, she was sure he won''t lie to her about such things.


    Looking at him, she had the urge to punch the ridiculously handsome man. If he liked her for so long, why did he even pretend as he saw her as a friend? This sly man even threw away the pillow barriers she created every time they slept together. No wonder they always woke up in each other''s embrace the next morning. She wouldn''t have known it if he did not tell her. And he even kicked her out of the mansion to sort his feelings. He could have simply confessed to her.


    She bit his cheek. Humph!


    As his skin turned red, she raised her hand towards his cheek and stroked the spot she just bit with her thumb gently. This man was tricking her all this time but she still could not even get angry at him at all.


    If he had confessed to her at that time, then she might have packed her luggage and run away.


    Falling in love with him was never difficult but epting it was a tough long process. And now that she had epted that she was so in love with this man, she knew there was no going back.


    Her fingers traced down to his prominent jaws but in the next second her hand was grabbed by the man who she thought was sleeping.


    Jun Zixuan opened his eyes as he looked at her.


    "You''re awake?"


    The man nodded slowly.


    "Since when?"


    "From the time you bit me," He liked the current expression on her face. He had always liked it. That somewhere between ''I am embarrassed but I won''t show it'' expression which she will have on her face when she was around him.


    "So, what were you pretending to sleep for?" She leaned closer to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. She had craved his hugs from the first time they hugged but at that time she did not have the license. Now that they were official, she could hug him as she wanted without feeling shy about it.


    "Wanted to see how you will take advantage of me this time."


    Her eyes widened. This time? "Don''t tell me you were awake when I kissed you?" Her face turned red like a cooked lobster.


    He raised an eyebrow and nced at her teasingly, "It is rare for my wife to take such initiatives. How could I bear to miss it?"


    She buried her face in his chest. This was so embarrassing. Can the bed please crack? Can I please be buried under it?


    His deep masculineughter reverberated in the room as his chest rumbled, she could feel the vibrations against her cheeks and her heart raced unknowingly.


    He hugged her tightly and she made sure to not look at him at all. "Don''t you have to go back now?" She asked.


    He paused and distanced her from himself before looking at her face, "Mei..."


    "Yes?"


    "Will you go with me back to Ren Mansion now?"


    His hopeful gaze made her want to smile but she suppressed it all so well, "No."


    "But your final exams are over. You can''t stay here forever."


    She raised an eyebrow, "I''ll just go look for an apartment. I''ll not go with you."


    His expressions fell slightly as he sighed.


    "Pfft..." It was impossible to restrain herughter looking at his puppy face, "Alright, I''m going with you. Stop looking at me like that."


    His eyes lit up and in the next second, she found her lips captured by his.


    This opportunist!


    ...


    Ren Mansion.


    "Where are the staff?" Yu Mei was sitting atop the kitchen counter with her legs dangling back and forth as she watched him cooking for her.


    "I gave them a day off," The man replied without looking at her.


    "Oh," No wonder she did not see a single servant since the time they came here, "What about Steward Gu?"


    "He went on a holiday."


    She blinked. Didn''t that mean they were all alone in the mansion?


    "You don''t have to go to work?"


    "Working from home."


    "I am hungry," Sitting amidst the aroma of the delicious food he was cooking, she could barely wait to eat.


    He paused for a moment before grabbing a fork and getting a well-cooked tender piece of meat from the pan. He blew on it before taking it near her mouth, "Try it."


    She opened her mouth and eagerly took it in her mouth. Her eyes glittered as the vorful piece of meat almost melted in her mouth, "Ummm~So good..." She praised after gulping it down.


    "Want another one?"


    "Uh-huh.''''


    After having their lunch, the couple went to the theatre in the Mansion to watch a movie. The air conditioner had chilled the whole cending them under the same nket in each other''s arms as they sat on the high-density sponge double-seater recliner.


    While the husband....well... the boyfriend was very happy with the arrangement, the girlfriend was a bit frustrated because an indecent pair of hand kept sneaking here and there on her body.


    She red at him, "Are you here to watch the movie or take advantage of me?" She turned to the side so that she was properly facing him.


    The nket fell off her body gathering around her waist, revealing her curves through the small white crop top she had donned herself in.

 Chapter 171 - Melting The Cold Brother-in-law

    The corner of his lips tugged up as he leaned closer to her before settling his lips on her neck. She stiffened all of a sudden feeling his teeth grazing on her delicate skin. "Ah..." An unwanted moan escaped her lips when he bit the spot.


    "Taking advantage of you, of course," He pulled back and looked at her with those passionate eyes that have always had a weird effect on her.


    Cupping her cheeks, he lowered his head slightly, his lips hovered near hers with his hot breath fanning her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes, ready for the kiss that was going toe. His lips gently touched hers. Teasing the woman with his feathery kiss, his other hand grabbed her slim waist with his fingers caressing her skin.


    The direct contact of his fingers with her waist sent ripples through her body and she leaned closer to him. Their lips were inches away as he-


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    The constant ringing of her phone pricked their love bubble ruthlessly as she opened her eyes, "I''ll check who it is.''''


    It took every ounce of self-control in Jun Zixuan to not look for the caller and throw them in front of a beast in some lost forest. He smiled, "Yes."


    ''So understanding,'' She thought to herself as she grabbed her phone from the side.


    Her brows tugged together as she looked at the caller ID. Why would Shi Luo call her amidst her busy schedule? Did something happen to Yu Jinhai?


    ...


    As they waited in front of Shi Luo''s apartment standing near their car, Yu Mei noticed the man who was sulking beside her. "What''s with that face? You don''t like kids?" She couldn''t help but ask.


    The man who was still upset about the interrupted kiss, pettily replied, "I don''t," With that, he continued working on the iPad without looking at her.


    She sighed.


    Long story short, Shi Luo had to go to Shanghai for a few days and she had called her to ask whether she could keep Yu Jinhai with her for a few days. And Yu Mei didn''t have any objections with that, she had long wanted to interact with that little munchkin but because she was staying in the dorms, she had to leave him with Shi Luo.


    In fact, her initial thought was to leave Yu Jinhai with Jun Zixuan in the Ren Mansion but that day, he had disappeared for work and the calls didn''t go through so she went to Shi Luo''s ce. But given Jun Zixuan''s somber expressions right now, she was d that she didn''t leave that kid with him or else that poor littlemb might have been traumatized till now.


    Soon, Shi Luo walked out of the gates holding Yu Jinhai''s hand with a bag slung over her shoulder. She let go of the little boy''s hand and hugged Yu Mei before dragging her away from both the ''men'', "You''re glowing so much. Did something happen?" She spoke beside her ear.


    "We''re dating," She whispered back.


    The woman''s eyes started glowing as she opened her mouth to say something but then paused and nced at the time.


    Yu Meiughed, "Just go and do your work. I''ll tell you the details when you''re back," Shi Luo''s face was practically screaming, ''I want juicy spicy gossips'' but the work was holding her back so as a friend, she could only console her.


    "Promise?"


    She nodded.


    Shi Luo excitedly went to Yu Jinhai who was looking at Jun Zixuan in a daze and she smothered her face with wet kisses like a Momma hen who was parting from her chick. The guy''s cheeks turned pink at his enthusiastic Sister Luo''s loving kisses, "I''ll try my best toe back as soon as possible."


    After Shi Luo left, Yu Jinhai once again nced at Jun Zixuan who was seemingly busy with his iPad. He circled around him for a few times looking at him from head to toe and his actions got Yu Mei curious. Wasn''t he intimidated by Jun Zixuan''s cold expressions?


    ''What is he trying to do?'' She stood rooted to her spot and decided to observe where this was going.


    Finally, the little guy stopped pacing around the man and tugged at the corner of Jun Zixuan''s suit jacket, "Hello Brother-inw, I am Yu Jinhai. Nice to meet you."


    Jun Zixuan had long noticed the guy''s presence but he was curious as to what was going on in his mind so he waited for it until he heard the smooth ''brother-inw''ing out of his mouth. It sounded like music to his ears.


    The man who imed that he was not fond of kids raised his hand and ruffled the boy''s hair, "Nice to meet you too."


    "Brother-inw, you can call me Ah Jin," Yu Jinhai''s eyes brightened.


    "Alright, Ah Jin. Why were you circling around me?"


    "I''ve heard a lot about you. And I noticed that they were all true. You are so handsome, rich, and powerful. Perfect for my beautiful Jie."


    Without any further dy, Jun Zixuan carried the little one in his arms, "What do you like, video games or candies?... Leave... I''ll just get them all for you."


    Yu Mei: "_" Why do I feel like an outsider here?


    On their way to Ren Mansion, it went like even though she was sitting in the passenger seat but Yu Jinhai and Jun Zixuan kept talking about the things she was not interested in. Video games, technologies, this, that h h h. She felt like a flower vase sitting in the background.


    As they entered the mansion, she nced at two certain ''men'', one big and one small walking inside hand in hand, discussing gxies and universe and what not while she stood behind them holding the younger one''s luggage in her hand.


    She nced at Yu Jinhai''s back indignantly. This guy...wasn''t he her brother logically? Why wasn''t he acting like one then? She remembered how shy and fidgety he was around herst time but he was eager to talk to her at least but this time, all his attention was on his ''brother-inw''.


    She red at Jun Zixuan, suppressing the urge to strangle him. What happened to the boyfriend who was seeking her attention in the morning? What happened to his words that he didn''t like kids?


    Is she invisible?

 Chapter 172 - That Terrible Feeling Of Missing Him

    Was she invisible?


    Keeping the luggage there in the living room, she walked upstairs without looking at them.


    "What happened to Jie?"


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze shed slightly, "Your Jie falls on the jealous side."


    The young boy blinked in confusion.


    He ruffled his hair, "Didn''t you say you have lots of homework to do?" As Yu Jinhai nodded, Jun Zixuan got his luggage kept behind them, "Come, I''ll show you the room first and then go to check on your sister."


    "Okay, Brother-inw."


    Jun Zixuan paused.


    This ''brother-inw'' was turning out to be the second favorite music to his ears. Of course, the first favorite will always be whatever his darling called him. He didn''t mind if she had dozens of siblings who will hover around him singing ''brother-inw'' all day. That will only deepen their rtionship so much so that she won''t have any ideas on running away from him. His eyes twinkled.


    ...


    In the Master bedroom.


    Yu Mei closed the door behind her and walked towards therge window in the room as she drew the curtains open and sat on the windowsill, looking at the moon.


    "If Jian Yu was here, I would never have felt so ignored..." She grumbled under her breath but just the mere thought of the man made her upset.


    Initially, she was just irritated but right at this moment, she felt like crying. During all these days, she had been trying her best to not think about her brother. She thought he woulde back after he sees Rosette in the headlines along with the pictures of the fake CEO all over the tabloids but nothing like that happened. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of Earth.


    As much as she pretended it was okay, in her heart, she had regretted that night when she was drunk. She pulled her legs closer to her body and wrapped her arms around her knees as she lowered her head. Her soft sobs echoed inside the room. Had she not been so impulsive, she would not have died in the first ce. But still, she ended up repeating the same mistake. Just because of her moment of anger and frustrations, she ended up getting drunk and wasted in that nightclub.


    If only she was awake, there would have been no chance she would have let Han Jian Yu leave like that.


    It has been six months without him, without seeing him or without talking to him. She missed him so much.


    "Mei, what will you ea-"


    Jun Zixuan paused, holding the doorknob in his hand as he looked at the woman who had her face buried in her knees as she sat on the windowsill in the dark room. Her soft sobs pierced through his heart, rendering him motionless for a moment.


    She raised her head the moment she heard her voice, his feet moved on his own, and in the next moment, he pressed her head to his chest, holding her in his arms tightly. He did not know what it was that made her so sad but what he knew that was she needed to be held like that.


    And his intuition turned out to be true as she wrapped her arms around his waist and clutched his shirt in her fist, hugging him tightly. He could feel her tears drenching the fabric of his shirt and he just stood rooted to his spot, letting her crying her heart out, his hand glided up and down on her back as he tried to calm her down wordlessly.


    She knew she would have calmed down by herself within a few moments. But the second he came, she just couldn''t stop the tears from flowing. All her grievances shed in her mind. Maybe because she knew that Jun Zixuan was a blessing in this cursed episode of her life. Or maybe because she knew, he will lend her his shoulder to cry on without questioning or judging her.


    She missed her brother so much so that a mere thought of him was triggering her emotions. Everything was going back to the way it was but his absence in her life was starting to bother her. What if...she could never contact him?


    Jun Zixuan could no longer take it.


    He liked her locking horns with him all the time, he liked it when she fought with him, acted pettily or kindly at times, when she would be angry, when she cared for him, when she would be shy at his touches but would act like it''s nothing, he liked all of her sides except for the one where she would cry like this. Like she has lost everything. He hated the sight of tears in her eyes.


    He distanced her from himself as he sat on the windowsill beside her. Cupping her cheeks, he smothered her face with soft kisses.


    She sniffed and pressed her palm on his lips, "T-That''s...dirty." Her whole face was covered with tears. Didn''t he feel disgusted? She frowned.


    He licked her palm causing her to take it back. He raised her head slightly so that he could look into her eyes, the eyes that had turned red because of all the crying she did. His heart ached, "It''s indeed very dirty," His tone remained helpless.


    She nodded, "That''s what I''m saying. You can kiss me after I wash my face..."


    The man simply avoided her words and kissed her cheeks, chin, the tip of her nose before pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, "Because it is so dirty, I have to sanitize it like this,'''' He said, pressing his forehead on hers.


    She blinked. When will this man stop doing this to her heart?


    "Why were you crying?" came the question she hadn''t expected him to ask. He never did it before. If she cried, he would usually do something to change her mood.


    In fact, he would not have asked it but this time, he wanted to know what was the thing that was bothering her like this so that he could make sure that the same thing will never hurt her again.

 Chapter 173 - The Pendant

    "I-I..." Shall I tell him about everything? About who I am?


    She took a deep breath. Probably, it would be for the best if he knew it. Maybe, this was the right time for it. Who knows whether she could have the courage to tell him about this?!


    Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he spoke up first, "It''s fine. Don''t think about it," He could see the myriad of emotions shing on her face. If something made her so sad, then he preferred for her to not think about it, "Just don''t cry again or else I will throw you in the swimming pool."


    She blinked, not sure whether she was relieved or she wanted to tell him the truth. She was betting 50:50 on both. She wanted to let him know who she was but there might be some consequences she was afraid of.


    "Aye~I can swim like a fish," Better forget it for now.


    He chuckled, relieved that she back to full spirits again.


    "You just ignored me outside," She narrowed her eyes.


    "I knew you were jealous," Heughed, "I was nning for the future. Who said I was ignoring you?"


    "Future?"


    "You fight with me all the time. So, I was securing a little defender for myself."


    She punched his chest, "Zixuan, get that clear. Who fights with whom?"


    ...


    The next day.


    "This is how work is done? Lyra, tell me. Do you think your conduct is proper for someone sitting in your position?" Yu Mei threw away the towel to the bed as she sat in front of the dressing.


    Putting the phone on the speaker and keeping it on the side, she blow-dried her hair. A small frown persisted between her brows, "Have you gone mute now? It has been weeks since I''ve been warning you that don''t get Rosette in trouble because of your scandals? Can''t you settle such a simple thing in your head?" As much as she tried to be a bit soft with her words, it did not work.


    The woman on the other side spoke up after a few seconds of silence, "President, I did not expect the paparazzi to be there."


    "Do you expect them to send you a text to inform you beforehand!?" She put the blow dryer aside and grabbed her phone, "Remember that, to the public, you''re not Lyra, they know you as Leanne, the President of Rosette. Since you are in that position, you should know how to act decently. Or else I''m sure there will be many women dying to rece you in this task," She hung up without giving her a chance to speak.


    It was not like she was interested in the woman''s private life. She could do whatever she wanted and have as many boyfriends as she needed.


    Recently, the pendant she had designed back in Shanghai wasunched, and unexpectedly the purple rose concept of the pendant was getting attention from the whole world. At a time like this, the President was involved in countless scandals.


    Yu Mei did not know what will happen if it went on like this. Thest way she had in her mind was that she will step out to im her position. But she hoped she won''t have to resort to that...at least not for now.


    After her death and disappearance from Rosette, thepany had already dealt with enough losses. Although it was on rise right now, but it will take some more weeks to stabilize everything.


    In the headquarters of Eminence.


    The CEO''s office.


    "Here, I''ve signed these. Sort it out before preparing for the coboration," Jun Zixuan passed the files to Gu Min as he impatiently nced at the time on his wristwatch.


    It was past 5:00 pm. He had to pick Yu Jinhai from his school first and then go back home.


    It has already been eight hours of not seeing her.


    Gu Min received the files from him as he opened his mouth to say something but decided against it.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed a small remote from the ss and turned his swivel chair around. He pressed a switch and the lights in the office room turned dim, the opaque ss wall behind him turned transparent revealing the stretch of gradually darkening sky.


    "Brother Xuan, the meetings are all over, you can go back if you want," It was obvious from his face that he was already missing his wife.


    If he had not heard it from his elder brother, Gu Min had never believed that this man was really serious about Yu Mei.


    "Did you think I was going to stay here?" He pushed himself to his feet and picked up his suit jacket from the chair.


    Gu Min was speechless. Is this what they mean when they say ''men in love''?


    The man paused as his gazended on the cover of one of the magazines lying on the coffee table in front of the luxurious couch.


    He picked it up and nced at the purple pendant on disy on the cover page. In the ck background, the exquisite spherical-crystal pendant seemed to be illuminating the ss it was stored in. The intricate designs and color reminded him of the purple roses in the garden of Ren Mansion.


    Gu Min followed his gaze, "This is thetest designunched by Rosette."


    The name Rosette was not foreign to anyone, be it if the person is from the fashion industry or not.


    "Get this," Considering how fond Mei was of the purple roses, she will surely like this.


    Gu Min frowned, "There are already numerous people bidding for it. This design is in demand right now with its price has already crossed $62 million."


    "Buy it in $124 million then. If someone bids further, just double the value. I want this," With his verdict passed, the king walked out of the office without giving the eunuch a chance to protest.


    Purple Roses are rare but not extinct. People might not afford it but they can see it on the inte so Jun Zixuan did not have further thoughts about the design.


    ...


    A/N: One chapter in morning, one at night. I hope you don''t mind this arrangement. My study schedule keeps on shing with writing schedule so I opted for this. I missed WSAst year, I had to give it a try this time even though it''s tough writing 3 novels. So, I''ll appreciate your patience. Thank you for all you love and support~

 Chapter 174 - Flaming Desires

    While Jun Zixuan was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, two certain people sat on the couch.


    The elder onezily sat with her legs dangling back and forth while the younger one did his homework.


    Yu Mei propped the side of her face on her fist, "Ah Jin, how was your day in school?"


    The thirteen-year-old boy tilted his head upwards, his adorably round eyes sparkled, "It was good as usual. Jie, all the teachers love me. And I also have a lot of friends in school. I''ll introduce them to you and brother-inw someday."


    This munchkin was no longer apprehensive around her. Although he was a bit shy at times, he was not afraid of her anymore. Probably because he believed she would not abandon him or because he had Shi Luo and Jun Zixuan backing him up that gave him a sense of security.


    No matter what, she could feel him trusting her and she was content with it.


    For a boy of his age, it must be traumatizing to be sold off by his sister and being treated like trash. The previous owner had some screws loose in her head and it was already more than enough that Yu Jinhai was not treating her like a monster.


    Yu Mei ruffled his hair, "Alright," She paused for a moment before opening her mouth, "Did anyone from the Yu Familye to you in these days?"


    Yu Jinhai flinched at the mention of it, "J-Jie, Will you send me back to them?"


    His nervous voice made her heart ache, "Of course not," Looking at his expressions, she changed the topic, "Have you finished your homework?"


    He blinked, "Yes, I havepleted it. But there is one thing left."


    "What is it?"


    "The craft assignment."


    And after few seconds, Yu Mei was seen holding a blue colored paper folding it from various angles, "I am the best at papercrafts. Which animal do you want me to make?"


    "A swan."


    "Swan? I can even make a phoenix for you. What thing is this swan?!" Her confident voice made the boy''s eyes lit up in excitement.


    But after a few minutes, he nkly stared at the creature in his hand, "Jie..."


    "Isn''t it beautiful?" Yu Mei nced at him expectantly.


    "It is beautiful...A beautiful lizard but I wanted a swan," He muttered.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    "But this is a swan. Look carefully," She pointed at the thing in his hand.


    "This is a lizard," Yu Jinhai insisted. How could this be a swan?


    "What''s going on?" Jun Zixuan served the dinner on the dining table before walking towards the sibling sitting on the couch looking at something with utmost focus.


    He followed their gaze and nced at the weird blue-colored thing lying on the coffee table.


    Yu Mei''s eyes lit up, "Zixuan, see...isn''t a swan?" No matter how she looked at it, it was a swan, just a bit messy though.


    "But it looks like a lizard."


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "It is a swan. It has just woken up and hasn''t freshened up yet. It''s that kind of swan."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Yu Jinhai: *blink blink blink*


    ...


    Yu Mei ced the water bottle on the bedside table, "Sleep well," She tucked Yu Jinhai in the duvets.


    Since she had already moved to the Master Bedroom, Yu Jinhai was staying in her previous ridiculously gaudy pink room.


    "Good Night, Jie."


    She smiled at him, "Good Night."


    As she entered the Master Bedroom, she found Jun Zixuan sitting on the couch, dressed in a silk robe as he worked on his iPad.


    The water dripped down his hair before gliding across his neck to his muscr chest. He seemed to have walked out of the shower just now.


    She gulped. He was so hot.


    But- Her brows tugged together.


    "No wonder you were sick a few days ago," Her voice prompted him to raise his head to look at her. She went to the walk-in closet and grabbed a big fluffy towel beforeing back to him, "Can''t you just dry your hair before you do something?"


    "Why don''t you do it for me?" Came his teasing voice.


    Just when he thought she will throw the towel at him and say something like ''Do it by yourself'', she proved him wrong by standing between his legs and gently wiping his hair dry with the towel.


    His eyes lit up and he kissed her stomach through the ck satin robe she had donned.


    She pressed a finger on his forehead and pushed him away slightly before continuing to wipe his damp hair.


    He remained still for a moment but then his hand moved inside her robe, caressing her thighs.


    The sudden jolting sensation made the towel slip off her grip.


    The man pressed a kiss on her breast. Her eyes widened and in the next moment, she was pulled onto hisp as she sat there straddling him with her knees on either side of his body.


    His fingers tugged at the frontce of her robe, loosening it in the process, revealing a hint of her ck bralette and deep cleavage. His gaze hungrily devoured every inch of her body before looking straight into her eyes.


    He grabbed her waist and moved his body towards her, his hands shifting towards her bottom as he made her settle right atop his thighs, letting her feel his hardening member, allowing her to know the effect she had on him.


    A soft gasp escaped her lips feeling that hard throbbing against her heat through her panties.


    Her mind turned fuzzy as weird itchiness rose in her body, especially down there prompting her to grind her hips a bit.


    He gritted his teeth realizing what the woman was doing. He wanted to torture her but how was it possible that he was the one being tortured?


    She bit her lips feeling thefort it provided but in the next moment, the feeling intensified. She needed more...more of him, more of his touches.


    Under the dim lights, she nced at him with her slightly zed dark eyes, conveying the words her lips were embarrassed to say.

 Chapter 175 - Sleep With Your Fellow Peer

    His lips trailed on her silk robe moving towards her cleavage.


    "I-I.." A hint of hesitation remained in her voice but her actions were contradictory. Her fingers raked inside his hair as she arched her body.


    He bit her breast through the fabric of her bra causing a soft moan to spill from her lips.


    His lips moved towards the nook of her neck while his hand glided up her waist, his palm settling right below her breast and tongue licked her neck, taking in the fragrance of her body.


    She was intoxicating. As intoxicating as deadliest of things. The ones you are supposed to stay away from but they always manage to entice you.


    His thumb stroked her breast and she stiffened, her nipple hardening under his touch.


    She wrapped an around his neck feeling the movements of his thumb slightly fastening as his lips moved to her chin before hovering near hers, gently teasing, his teeth glided across her bottom lips as his brown eyes flickered with provocation, challenging her to back away while there was time.


    She leaned closer to him, instead. Probably because she had no such intentions.


    And in the next moment, he caught her lips in a roughly passionate kiss. She responded to him with equal intensity.


    His palm cupped her breast and a gasp escaped from her mouth. She panted as their lips parted.


    The next moment, his lips caught hers once again while his hand kneaded her mound. She breathlessly held onto him, feeling his hardness against her core. Her heart racing like never before.


    ''Knock Knock Knock''


    "W-Wait.." She distanced herself from him.


    He buried his face in her neck, "Heartless!" The man grumbled under his breath and pulled her closer letting her feel his hardness.


    He nced at her with a raised eyebrow as his fingers raked through his already messy hair parting it to the side.


    Her body turned hotter at the sudden unexpected attack from him.


    ''Knock Knock''


    She quickly got off his body, "It must be Ah Jin." There were no servants in the mansion at the moment so it could be only Yu Jinhai who woulde knocking at this moment, "I''ll go check..."


    He grabbed her hand.


    She turned around to look at him, "We can''t continue now."


    "You''re so eager to continue?" He smiled teasingly before adjusting her robe.


    Her face turned red when she realized what he was doing and what she thought he would do.


    She quickly walked towards the door and opened it. And it was not to her surprise when she saw Yu Jinhai standing at the door, rubbing his eyes and holding a pillow in his hand.


    "What''s wrong? You couldn''t sleep?" She ruffled his hair, letting hime inside.


    "I-I couldn''t sleep in that pink room. It was a bit..." The little guy couldn''t find words to exin it and she didn''t need him to. Moreover, he was also a little afraid of sleeping in new ces.


    Since she was living in that room before, she knew what he felt. Those heavybinations of hot pink and darker shades of pink made that room nauseating.


    "Alright, you can sleep here with us."


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes at her, ''What was that?''


    She shrugged, ''He is a kid!''


    While they conversed with their eyes, the boy spoke up, "But you are a couple, i-it is hical of me to sleep with you both."


    Jun Zixuan immediately nced at Yu Mei, ''See..you should learn something from him.''


    She was speechless, ''''How about I sleep with you?" She asked him.


    "I''m a man and you''re a woman. It''s improper," The little man looked at her before shaking his head.


    Yu Mei was speechless. Wasn''t she his sister?


    She walked towards the king-sized bed and grabbed her phone and pillow before looking at Jun Zixuan, "Man, do sleep with your fellow peer."


    She ignored the sour look on his face and patted Yu Jinhai''s head, "Sleep well," With that, she walked out of the room, not before sending a teasing wink in a sulking man''s direction.


    ...


    As Yu Meiid on the bed, her thoughts wandered back to what happened between them. She could still remember how and where he touched her.


    The mere thought of it made a blush creep up her cheeks and a weird sensation dominated her body. She grabbed a pillow from the side and rolled back and forth on the bed a few times before staying constant and letting out a drawled breath.


    Her fingers weaved through her messy hair removing them from her forehead as sheid there motionless, looking at the ceiling.


    Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stayed in that position for long thinking about him.


    In the end, she covered her face in both her palms, "I''m so screwed!"


    ''Ding''


    The notification on her phone prompted her to pick it up from the bedside table, diverting her attention.


    "It is sold?" She raised an eyebrow. Considering how high the price had gone, she thought it will take some time for the pendant to be sold.


    She checked the text sent by Director Xiang and a soft gasp escaped her mouth.


    ''The pendant was bought by the mysterious CEO of Eminence at the price of $124 million?''


    Yu Mei was left speechless. He must be buying it to impress his woman or else why would he raise the bid from $62 million to $124 million?


    He must be a romantic man.


    She locked her phone and threw it to the side. Whatever it was, Rosette will make it to the headlines again when the news was out.


    She just hoped that everything went well. Right now, she didn''t want to lock horns with some big shot considering the delicate situation of thepany. Not to mention messing with a giant like Eminence.


    The door creaked open snapping her out of her thoughts and she sat up on the bed looking at the man who walked inside the room.


    "What are you doing here?" She raised an eyebrow, "He will be afraid if he wakes up alone."

 Chapter 176 - Wanna Fuck You!

    "He is a man," Jun Zixuan casually said fiddling with the tie belt of his night robe.


    Gulping softly, she shrank back on the bed. Her heart raced in her chest looking into those darkening eyes, "H-He is a kid."


    He stood near the edge of the looking at the woman who was inching away from him, "I''ve left the lights on."


    Her body turned hot at the sight of his rigid chest muscles.


    She did not know what was she running away from. Whether it was his touch or her feelings, she did not know.


    One thing that she was sure of was that once they touched, she would lose control over all her senses and would be left at his mercy, craving more of his touch.


    It wasn''t something good, was it?


    "So, now that you''re left with no excuses to push me away, shall we continue?" He ran his hands in his hair, his eyes narrowing at the sight of her milky thighs that were visible as her satin robe tugged up. He looked into her eyes that were taking in the sight of his body.


    "C-Continue?" She looked at him and gulped once again sensing his predatory gaze.


    His voice deepened, "Let''s continue our session. The one which was interrupted," He grabbed both her ankles and in a swift move, she was pulled to him.


    His hand shifted below her bottom while the other went behind her back as he carried her up from the bed.


    Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and her bun loosened letting her long dark hair free as they fell over his shoulders like a curtain. She looked at him under the dim lights, her breathing turned uneven as her chest rose and fell, her breasts grazing up and down his rock-hard chest.


    Within an instant, she felt a poke on her inner thighs along with a clench in her lower abdomen. That same itchy needy feeling arose in her once again as her eyes turned misty, "Zixuan-"


    He pressed a kiss on her lips and in the next second, she found herself sitting on the bedside table as he sucked her lips. He pulled her closer to him, taking most of her weight on him and the tie belt of her robe was loosened in the process, letting her breastse into his view through her bralette.


    Their lips parted, "Don''t call me like that. It''s torturous!" His raspy voice beside her ears and his hot breath hitting her neck had her toes curl up and she tightly coiled her legs around him feeling his hardness right near her core.


    Her body arched slightly, "As if you are not torturing me," She whispered feeling him move slightly. His lips pressed searing kisses on her neck as his fingers glided down her back.


    "Am I?" He lowered his head, his lips stroked her cleavage. His teeth bit her breast through the fabric of her ckce bra.


    She closed her eyes and her fingers raked inside his hair, grabbing a fistful of it.


    With a gentle tug, the front of her robe parted giving him the view of those perfect curves.


    Never had she ever felt so self-conscious like now. She covered her breasts with her hands and tried to press her thighs together but the man parted her legs further and wrapped them around his waist. His index finger stroked her navel, his brown orbs fixed on her dark ones, taking in every expression of hers, from her slightly parted lips to her soft gasps, everything about her was so enticing, so addictive.


    His finger moved towards the front hook of her bra.


    It was so good. His touch was so good. She couldn''t bear to stop this. That passionate gaze fixed on her face had her face turn red. She tilted her face to the side.


    He grabbed her jaws, moving her face so that she was looking straight at him. His other hand fiddled with the hook of her bra, twisting it, showing more of her deep cleavage.


    The movements of her heart fastened as he chest rose and fell.


    Her eyes moistened as his every stroke every touch pleasured her.


    His finger moved on the hook, one moment away from removing her bralette when a silver fox popped up on his shoulder shocking the hell out of her.


    "Oh, did I miss something?" Mia''s nine tails swished in the air.


    Yu Mei froze. Her heart nearly leaped out of her throat as her eyes widened.


    Jun Zixuan paused, noticing her movements, "Anything wrong?"


    Yu Mei looked back and forth at him and then the fox sitting on his shoulder.


    Jun Zixuan followed her gaze and looked over his shoulder, "What is it?"


    Yu Mei nced at the pair of hazel eyes feasting on her body before looking at his worried eyes, "Washroom..." She pointed her chin behind his back, "I need to go to the washroom."


    "Must you go now?" He pressed a kiss on her jaw.


    "Don''t go now. I want to fuck you," Mia said, swishing her nine tails like helicopter des as she sat elegantly on Jun Zixuan''s shoulder.


    "You are red," Jun Zixuan remarked.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips, "I want to pee," She covered her body in the robe and got off the table.


    The man tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her war, "Are you doing this on purpose?"


    Yu Mei nced at Mia who immediately jumped to her shoulder, "It''s nature''s call. I did not receive a notification or I would have told you before," Her face turned red as she turned around and walked straight inside the washroom.


    Jun Zixuan looked at the tent on his robe before running his fingers through his hair.


    This woman was the definition of torment.


    ...


    The next day.


    "You got it?" Jun Zixuan propped his chin on his palm.


    Gu Min nodded. He took out a small box from his pocket before picking up the small remote from the ss desk.


    In the next moment, the office room turned dark as he opened the box.

 Chapter 177 - A Dog Leash

    A small purple sparkle started from the pendant kept on the ss desk as the intensity of the light increased slowly and steadily.


    Gu Min looked at it in amazement, "This diamond is said to be a rare one but President Leanne waited for months to get her hands on this. She rejected every other option and insisted on this. Not only this pendant was personally designed by her, but she also made its mechanism by herself-"


    "Mei will like it," Jun Zixuan nodded in appreciation, looking at the pendant, promptly interrupting the man.


    Gu Min: "_"


    Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the purple glow in the room gradually dimmed.


    A frown settled on Jun Zixuan''s face.


    "How can this happen?" Gu Min was at a loss for words as the pendant stopped glowing, "They won''t dare to give us a fake one," He said, picking up the remote and switching on the lights in the office.


    "Give them two hours to present a suitable exnation. If they are unable to do so..." Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes at the pendant, "Sue them."


    Gu Min froze, "Brother Xuan, isn''t it too much? Justpensation should be fine."


    "I haven''t gifted her this wed pendant yet or else Rosette might not get to see tomorrow."


    And that made the secretary realize that he once again underestimated Yu Mei Zhen''s importance in his heart.


    Back in the Ren Mansion.


    While Yu Jinhai was in school, Yu Mei and Mia were inside her room as they sat on the bed while the former exined everything in brief that happened in her absence.


    Mia swished her nine tails before they started disappearing one by one leaving only one tail for disy. Her hazel eyes focused on the woman who was sitting on the bed with a red face.


    "Will it be avable in the supermarket?" The vixen asked.


    Yu Mei noticed that Mia''s childish undertone in her voice was gone, reced by a smooth seductive voice. She raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"


    "A dog leash," Mia batted her eyshes, "You told me that you will be a dog if you fall in love again. And you also imed you will never fall for Jun Zixuan."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    "It just happened. Do you have to mock me like this?"


    "Happened? If this big sister did not wake up in time, you might have thrown nephews and nieces in a few months-"


    And that had both of them pause in an instant.


    ''How could I forget that she can''t have a child?'' Mia inwardly chastised herself before clearing her throat, "Didn''t he ask you about me? Your supposed child?"


    Yu Mei furrowed her brows, "No, he did not mention you even once. Either he doesn''t care or he trusts me so much."


    "Neither," Mia clicked her tongue, "I think he cares too much for you. And that''s why he holds back so that he won''t end up hurting you in any way."


    Yu Mei lowered her head as she fiddled with her fingers, "You think he does?"


    Mia rolled on the bed as sheughed, "It''s refreshing to see you getting shy."


    Yu Mei red at the fox, "Why don''t you get to your human form?"


    "So that you won''t be shocked but since you want to see me, I won''t reject," And in the next moment the fox swiftly transformed.


    Yu Mei gasped as she looked at the woman in front of her. With her head propped on her fist, there sheid on the bed with one of her legs slightly raised in a seductive posture. Her long silver hair fell to a side while her hazel eyes twinkled. Her bright red lips parted, "Surprised?" Her sonorous voice snapped Yu Mei out of her trance.


    "You''re Mia?" She looked at the woman dressed in a crimson ancient attire.


    The woman blinked, "I am her mother, the nine-tailed fox spirit."


    Yu Mei nodded in a daze, "Hello Aunty, nice to meet you."


    Mia sat up on the bed in exasperation. Her dress lowered slightly revealing a bit of her cleavage, as her slim waist sashayed, "Have you turned dumb after witnessing Her Highness''s beauty?"


    Yu Mei pinched the woman''s slim waist, "Oh my god, Mia. Is this really you?"


    "Who else if not me?" Mia red at the woman who was poking her breast looking at them in curiosity.


    "How did they grow so much in a few days?" Came her curious question.


    "I just regained my powers. What are you so shocked about?"


    Yu Mei retracted her hand and sat straight to note off as a pervert. "Say, is this the reason why Zixuan couldn''t see you?"


    Mia nodded, "As long as I don''t want to be seen, no one will see me."


    She was still a bit speechless.


    "Get me a pair of clothes, will you?" Mia said looking at her red attire, "These are the clothes I wore when I was cursed back then. Whenever my power is unstable, they will appear on my body."


    Yu Mei frowned, "You should keep your powers in control or else it will be an issue in the future," Since Mia has regained her body and she also looked like a woman in her mid-20s, she will surely find a way to let her out of her body now, "I think my clothes will fit you."


    Mia nodded, "Don''t worry too much. We will see what happens."


    Just as Yu Mei opened her mouth to say something, her phone started ringing.


    She picked it from the bedside table before answering the call, "Director Xiang?" As she heard what the old man said, a frown settled between her brows, "They want to file a case against us?.... How is that possible? I have double-checked the mechanism of the pendant and it also passed the production check before itsunching. How can there be a fault...." A sudden realization dawned on her as a cold glint shed across her eyes, "Meet me in Four Seasons hotel right within 30 minutes. Bring Lyra with you."

 Chapter 178 - Meeting The Man Behind Eminence

    Four Seasons Hotel.


    "Lass, you are here-" Director Xiang froze the moment he raised his head and his gazended on the woman who entered the private room, "President Leanne.." The name unconsciously escaped his mouth as he stood up from the chair.


    Yu Mei nodded at him, "You got it right. Because of my health issues, I lied to you back then about being Leanne''s disciple."


    "You are really President Leanne?" He couldn''t deny what his eyes were seeing.


    "Yes."


    Nobody knew her real name or family background. All they knew was her English name ''Leanne''.


    And those who haven''t known Yu Mei Zhen closely will assume that she is Han Mei based on her current looks.


    People like Jun Zixuan or Mu Shen who have seen both Han Mei and Yu Mei will see them as two distinct people with simr looks.


    But it couldn''t be said about everyone.


    Especially Director Xiang who had seen when she was ridiculously fat. Now that she had seventy percent of Han Mei''s features, she used it to her advantage.


    It was time for her to take over her identity.


    Director Xiang was still stumped for words but he somehow did not doubt her for a second. Who else other than Leanne could create those ingenious designs?


    Back then, he easily believed that she was Leanne''s disciple because of the designs she showed him.


    Not to mention that her aura has always reminded him of Leanne.


    And now, looking at the woman in front of him, he did not doubt her a bit.


    "Take a seat," She settled on the chair and looked at the old man who was standing on the opposite side of the round table, still in shock, "Where is she?"


    "She is on her way-"


    Right at this moment the door to the private room was pushed open as a woman in herte twenties stepped inside, "Director Xiang," She greeted the old man before looking at the woman who was on the other side of the round table. The woman visibly froze, her brows tugged together, "P-President Leanne?" This was her first time meeting this woman in person and she had to admit that she had never seen a woman so beautiful.


    "Take a seat," Yu Mei said without raising her head, her fingers tapped the table.


    Lyra gulped before taking a seat beside Director Xiang. For some reason, her palms sweated and her nervousness showed up on her face.


    Director Xiang shook his head inwardly. It looks like this woman was the real reason behind all this ruckus. Who knows whether she will survive past this day?


    "Was it you who made the modifications in the mechanism of thetest design?" Yu Mei tilted her head upwards as she came to the point without beating around the bush.


    "T-The pendant?"


    Yu Mei did not respond to the stupid question.


    Director Xiang frowned, "What else was ourtest design? Did you do it or not?" Although he asked that but the woman''s actions were speaking louder than her words.


    "I did..." Lyra lowered her head, "I thought their was an issue with the..."


    "You are fired," Yu Mei stood up from the chair getting the answer she needed, "I''ll leave since I have an appointment," She said, looking at Director Xiang.


    The old man nodded and she left without looking back at them. He knew she had to meet the CEO of Eminence before this matter gets dragged to the court.


    "Director Xiang..."


    He looked at the woman sitting beside him, "I had warned you many times to keep your actions in check. Not only you kept getting involved in scandals, but you also made changes to the design. Do you know how much of a big risk this is for thepany?" He stood up, "Although you have studied designing, you should not have tried to take her ce for real. You being the CEO was all a pretense we had set up and you were being paid well. Now you are just facing the consequences of your rash actions."


    While he left the room, Lyra was left sitting alone. Leanne was not only beautiful but also sessful and it was confusing that why she was asked to reced her but that did not matter.


    Since she was given a chance to sit in that position, she did not want to lose it like this. Her eyes shed slightly as she grabbed her phone before dialling a number, "Arrange a press conference," With that, she hung up the call and grabbed her bag before walking out of the room.


    ...


    As Yu Mei stood in front of the headquarters of Eminence, a frown graced her beautiful face. Standing tall and high, the mighty building seemed to be mocking her.


    It was only yesterday that she was wishing for everything to go fine without furtherplications and here she was, on her way to meet this giant who had his control all over the world, not only in business but also politics and military.


    If it was her previous life, she would not have cared but right now, she did not want another trouble in her barely smooth life.


    The person behind Eminence was not someone to be messed with. There was no such ce where he did not have influence.


    As much as she knew, the power in Amaranthine was divided in three categories five years ago.


    Her brother had 70% control while the Amaranthine Royalty held 30% power in their grasp.


    But the ratios changed when the Chief of Eminence came into the picture and it took him a few months to flip everything.


    The Amaranthine Royalty lost more than half their power and came down to holding 10% because of their blue blood while her brother and this mysterious man held 45% power each, not one percent less or not more if they consider it from all aspects.


    And it irked her to the core that the foolish woman Lyra had to mess with this man. As if her life wasn''t muddy already.


    Whatever. I''ll just take it as ites.


    Putting on her shades, she flipped her hair and stepped inside thepany before walking towards the reception desk.

 Chapter 179 Shocking Discovery

    Chapter 179 Shocking Discovery


    "I have an appointment with your Chief," Yu Mei nced at the receptionist who had his gaze set on her.


    "Cough...I''ll check," He lowered his head and looked through the schedule on his desktop, "I apologize Miss, but Chief has an appointment with President Leanne."


    Yu Mei shed a golden card with Rosette''s exclusive logo atop it.


    The receptionist paused for a moment, "You are here on behalf of her?"


    She did not respond and the man bowed slightly, "I''ll show you the way."


    They walked towards the elevator under the scrutinizing gazes of the employees. But although they looked at her, their gazes were subtle and polite.


    "Here is it," She was sure it took more than 10 minutes for the elevator to reach the destination, as in the office.


    Yu Mei looked at the stretch of ss that started from the moment they stepped out of the elevator but they couldn''t see anything inside because of the translucentyers.


    "Chief is in the office. I have informed him of your presence," The receptionist pressed his palm on a particr spot on the ss and it slid to the side, revealing an extravagant office room in the shades of white and grey.


    The receptionist bowed and left.


    She inhaled a deep breath and stepped inside.


    s, the office room was empty.


    ''Did that man scam me?'' She raised an eyebrow and stepped inside as the ss door closed behind her back, ''But why would he do that?''


    It was only then did she noticed the high ck leather swivel chair that was turned around giving her a view of the back, prohibiting her from looking at the person settled there.


    She looked at the ss, trying to gaze at the reflection but all she got was a blurry image of a wrist. The ck Rolex wristwatch looked familiar.


    She slightly moved towards the left to get a proper view and narrowed her eyes.


    Sigh...she couldn''t see anything and she realized it was impolite for her to sneak like this acting as a thief.


    on the man sitting on it.


    "Y-You-" Horrified was an understatement to what she felt.


    She cleared her throat but the person did not move, confirming that he was already aware of her presence in his office.


    Of course, the receptionist did call him in front of her.


    She was supposed to apologize, wasn''t she? She pursed her lips awkwardly trying to remember when and how did she apologize to someone properly?


    "I-" Hell, the sorry just did note out. She was not used to this, "The matter regarding the pendant was handled improperly by our side. And, I as the President of Rosette will make sure topensate you twice the amount-"


    ''Bam''


    Her phone and her bagnded on the floor as the swivel chair turned around and her gazended on the man sitting on it.


    "Y-You-" Horrified was an understatement to what she felt.


    It was like someone had pped her in the face. How strongly had she denied Shi Luo''s im that Jun Zixuan could be the CEO of Eminence?


    "Leanne?" Her name smoothly slid off his lips as he pushed himself to his feet and it sounded sexy for sure. There was a hint of surprise on his handsome face as he walked towards her.


    Yu Mei stood there in her spot, still shocked, "You are...?" Her gaze wandered around the office room, "You are the CEO of Eminence?"


    "Mm."


    She blinked and extended her hand towards him, "Pinch me!"


    He lowered his head and took her bottom lips between his teeth before sucking it hard.


    She pushed him away, "I had asked for a pinch."


    "Oh," He caressed her reddening lips with his thumb, "I thought it was better than a pinch, President Leanne," He tilted his face to the side.


    She was speechless. The gears in her mind turned in full speed.


    Jun Zixuan was the CEO of Eminence.


    Jun!


    A realization suddenly dawned on her. Was he, by any chance, rted to the Amaranthine Royalty? Wasn''t their surname Jun too?


    The more she thought, the more it sounded feasible. But doesn''t that means he is rted to....?


    The frown on her face got deeper...


    Jun Zixuan got the woman off the floor in one swift move as he carried her to the ss desk.


    "What are you doing?" She asked as he put her on the desk and parted her legs to stand between them.


    "You''re the CEO of Rosette?" There were many doubts in her mind regarding him, his identity, and how the heck could he be the CEO of Eminence but she did not think it was the time to interrogate him when she had a pile of secrets with her.


    "Uh-huh!"


    "But the person who appears in media-"


    "She was hired for this job. I was not prepared for a public appearance back then," When Rosette was established, Yu Mei Zhen had yet to turn 18. She hoped he would not go into further details.


    And luckily he didn''t.


    "So, you like designing?"


    "Very much."


    His gaze shed but it returned to normal before she could notice anything amiss.


    "Why did you buy that pendant?"


    He nced at her, "That was supposed to be a gift for you."


    Sheughed, "Yeah, gift my design to me. I can''t believe you doubled the amount for getting it!"


    "I didn''t think my wife would turn out to be Leanne," His hands yed with her sleeveless white dress, "How to open this?" He asked tugging at thece near her waist.


    She ended upughing once again, "This is..uhh...for decoration I guess."


    "So, where should I try?" His fingers glided below her breast.


    She bit his lips, "Stop that."


    "Stop what?"


    His hand lowered her short sleeve down her shoulder as he ced a kiss on her neck.


    "T-This...'''' Her fingers trembled.


    ''Ring Ring Ring..''


    "Zixuan..stop..."


    The man bit her chin, "One day, you will have topensate for all these stops and waits you have made me go through," His deep voice made her gulp.


    He grabbed her waist and put her down and she walked towards her phone that was abandoned on the floor.


    As she swiped the answer option and put the phone beside her ear, her face darkened the more she heard what the person on the other side said.


    She hung up the call and turned around to look at Jun Zixuan, "Can you pick Ah Jin from the school?"


    He raised an eyebrow.

 Chapter 180 - The Woman Who Reeked Of Headlines

    In the conference room of a five-star hotel.


    "What you mean to say is that dirty politics is going on inside Rosette?" The reporters waited for a response from the woman who had called for this press conference.


    Rosette has never been dragged into such messy situations and this news was bound to make it to the headlines.


    Lyra smirked slightly as she stood on the stage looking at the sh of cameras. Even if she was stepping down from the position, she will make sure to drag Rosette down.


    Losing this position and job won''t do her any good but at least gaining poprity will help her in one way or another.


    "What Miss Lyra means to say is that she is an impostor here, getting paid for pretending to be Leanne," The door to the conference room was pushed open as Yu Mei stepped inside holding a mic in her hand followed by some Directors and the Vice President of the Rosette.


    Her crystal clear voice causing a pin drop of silence in the ce.

 Chapter 181 - Hormonal Imbalance

    "We will choose our child. Probably take a few days off till our child is healthy," One of the reporters answered.


    "I would have done the same but I don''t have a child," Yu Mei nodded, "I do have apany which has been like that of my own child to me. So, that''s what I did. I had my issues at that moment but I had not abandoned my work. I could have managed to make it through it but you all wanted headlines and that got my employees andpany in a mess. Because of you, the clients demanded the President of Rosette to step out of the shadows and show her face even though nothing so ridiculous have happened since the day I had established thepany," She paused, "Oh well, you can sue me if you did not get proper headlines back then as I stopped your ruthlessness by cing an impostor in my ce. Let''s see who wins the case."


    The reporters were stunned by her outburst. Usually, people keep up a facade in front of the media members to not tarnish their reputations but this woman was one of a kind.


    "What? You have never been called out by anyone for your immorality?" Sheughed in disdain, "Mentally prepare yourself for this every time you approach me or Rosette from now on," Taking a brief pause, she nced at the two reporters who had berated her with terms like ''bitchy and hical'', "Expect mywyer at your doorsteps by tonight for running your mouths with insufficient ims to prove your point."


    With that, she threw the mic aside and flipped her hair before walking off the stage.


    Troublesome people. Since they wanted to be humiliated so desperately, she did not mind helping them out with that.


    The Directors and Vice President followed the woman as they walked out of the conference room leaving the reporters in a chaotic state of mind.


    "Get me every detailed production check report from thest month till this day," Yu Mei looked at the directors as they walked out of the hotel.


    "Yes," They bowed slightly and left.


    She was relieved that there were no unnecessary questions from their side as Director Xiang has exined the situation to them. Moreover, they had barely seen her once or twice in the past so she was sure they won''t have any doubts regarding her identity.


    The Vice President bowed slightly before he looked at her, "President, you have changed a bit," He said, looking at her face.


    Yu Mei paused for a moment, "I had some skin infection a few weeks ago." She did not borate further because this was expected.


    Unlike the Directors, she had a little more interactions with the Vice-President.


    The old man nodded and bowed again before he turned around and left.


    She let out a soft sigh and walked towards the parking lot. Luckily her features were almost the same as her old self and she has only be a bit fairer.


    The moment she stepped inside the underground parking lot, the lights went off.


    "What the-umm...." Her mouth was sealed with tape as she felt someone lifting her up.


    Her hands moved in a swift motion striking the person''s neck.


    ''Bam''


    The person fell to the ground as he groaned when shended on top of him.


    She pushed herself to her feet and stomped on the person digging her heels on his body causing him to groan in pain.


    Just as she raised a hand to remove the tape from her mouth, someone restrained her hands from the back.


    She moved one of her legs in an attempt to kick the person but in the next second, a cold metal was pressed against her forehead.


    She froze.


    ''Mia...'' She called for the woman again and again in her mind but there was no response.


    Is that awork issue? Yu Mei pursed her lips, ''Mia, are you there? What the heck are you doing? Can you hear me?''


    "I can hear you," Came Mia''s voice beside her ear and although Yu Mei could not see anything, she was sure that the fox was sitting on her shoulder, swishing her tail.


    ''Then help me out of this,'' she spoke in her mind. Nobody could hear Mia''s voice but hers will not go unheard as she had no special powers or abilities.


    "I am going through something serious. Can''t help you," Came the vixen''s charming voice.


    ''Going through what?''


    "Hormonal Imbnce," The vixen sighed. Even that sigh was seductive.


    But that was not where Yu Mei had her focus on. Hormonal Imbnce? Was she in heat? Did she need a man?


    Yu Mei was clueless about this whole situation, especially with a gun ced on her head, she did not know what to do.


    "Who paid you to act as the CEO of Rosette?"


    The moment she heard the voice, her brain went dead for a split second. This was not what she expected when she stepped inside this underground parking lot.


    "Speak," The man who was restraining her hands spoke coldly.


    Her eyes teared up. She opened her mouth to say something but she could barely say something as there was tape on her lips. She could only stand there frozen as her tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Probably, only then did someone realize that she had a tape on her mouth.


    The lights in the parking lot came back within an instant causing her to close her eyes instinctively.


    The person who was restraining her hands set them free as she felt a hand on her face.


    She opened her eyes and pushed away the hand before removing the tape off her mouth hurriedly.


    The sudden pain made her suck in a cold breath.


    She nced at the man standing in front of her begrudgingly.


    ''Bam.''


    The gun in the person''s handnded on the floor the moment his gaze settled on her face.


    "Jian Yu," Without a moment''s dy, she pounced on him and buried her face in his chest.


    Her sobs growing softer.


    Han Jian Yu froze.

 Chapter 182 - Alpha Males

    In the underground parking lot.


    The stifling atmosphere in the Rolls-Royce was getting further ufortable.


    "How can you be Young Miss? I have seen her dead body with my own eyes. We all have-"


    "Shut up, Danny," Amidst her sobs, Yu Mei snapped at the man who was sitting in the front.


    The man who was stomped on by the woman''s heels until his body was swollen turned his face away only to realize a secondter that the woman knew his name.


    Yu Mei nced at the Han Jian Yu who was looking at her nkly, "I-I really don''t know how this happened. By the time I woke up..." She held his hand, "I was already in this body. I tried many ways to contact you but nothing worked."


    There was no response from the man as he kept looking at her.


    "I-I.." That was what she was always afraid of. Nobody will believe something so bizarre. Something clicked in her mind, "I will show you my birthmark. Yes...It appeared on this body.."


    "Get out."

 Chapter 183 - Do Take Advantage Of Me

    "Brother, what''s wrong?"


    Han Jian Yu frowned as he scratched the back of his neck, "There is a prickling sensation here."


    "Let me see," As he tilted his head to the side, Yu Mei was stunned speechless as she looked at a certain little silver fox biting her brother with all her might. She held her by the neck before dragging her away from him.


    Mia clicked her tongue, "I was just biting him, he smells good. Not like I ate him up."


    Yu Mei smiled, "There was a bug. I got it off."


    "A bug in the car?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow but eventually nodded and stroked her head, "I''ll try to deal with the rest of the work ande back as soon as possible."


    She smiled and hugged him.


    He stroked her back, "I am d that you are alive."


    "Me too." I am happy that I got to meet you and know that you are fine too.


    ...


    "What were you doing there?" Yu Mei interrogated Mia who was sitting on the shotgun seat of her car dressed in a sexy low-cor sequin dress, her fingers twirled her long silver hair.


    "Haven''t seen him for a few months and your brother has turned more of an evildoer," Miazily muttered.


    Did she always keep an eye on Jian Yu while staying inside her body? Yu Mei gaped at the woman, "Don''t you say that you are like my elder sister?"


    "Oh, I can be your elder sister," The 26-year-old woman batted her eyshes, "Don''t I give off the vibes now?"


    "You look like an elder sister but you don''t act like one," Yu Mei waved her hands, "If you really want me to ept you as an elder sister, then you will have to stay away from my brother."


    Mia sighed before shrugging, "I just wanted to bed him once. Only once.''''


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes.


    "Fine, I won''t do it!" Mia turned into her fox form and disappeared and she stepped on the elerator.


    She had no qualms about this but Mia had an ego higher than the Eiffel tower and well, her brother was not a man who would deal with a woman ''carefully or delicately''. While both these people have always been nice to her, but that didn''t mean they will be nice to each other.


    Initially, Mia hated her so much that she had to face her wrath a lot of times. She did not want her brother who will never give a damn about women to mess with Mia in any possible way?


    If there came a day where she would have to take a side, she won''t know what to do. So, it was better to nip this thing in the bud.


    She slowed down the car the moment her gazended on the ck sedan on the opposite side of the road, Jun Zixuan was standing outside the car dressed in his casuals, looking all so perfect, "Is this man officially mine?" She smiled and parked the car on the side and pushed open the door before getting off.


    He crossed the road as soon as he spotted her.


    "What are you doing here?" She hugged him as soon as he approached her before pressing a soft kiss on his neck.


    He wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her around, "You werete so we came to pick you up."


    "We?" She nced at him as he put her down.


    "Ah Jin came with me but he fell asleep on the way," Jun Zixuan turned around and nodded at Steward Gu who got inside the car and drove away.


    Yu Mei yed with the sleeve of his overcoat "Are youing with me?"


    "Steward Gu went to drop Ah Jin at the mansion. I have nowhere to go. Won''t you give me a lift?"


    She smiled, "Sure. You drive and I''ll take the passenger''s seat."


    He nodded.


    Yu Mei kept her gaze set on the man while he buckled his seatbelt.


    Feeling her hot gaze on him, his movements paused as he tilted his head to look at her, "Anything you want to say?"


    "Wondering why I didn''t fall for you earlier," She lowered his seat and moved to hisp before pressing a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.


    To admit that she loved him was always difficult. She had always subconsciously denied it even though she knew it in her heart but once she epted it, there was always this thought in her mind.


    He was an amazing man. Was she blind back in the university days?


    He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, "Probably because I had someone else in my heart back then," He said, not knowing that she was not referring to the time after she woke up from hera.


    She paused. Was he talking about his true love? The first time when he got drunk, he had misunderstood her for that woman. "Who was she?"


    "She-"


    "Wait. Don''t tell me," She was an overthinker. Rather than messing up theirpletely new rtionship with her nonsensical thoughts, she preferred not to know it.


    Ignorance is bliss.


    She pressed a soft kiss on his lips, "Whatever. You are mine now."


    He held the back of her neck and pulled her closer, "You''re bolder today."


    "So, do take advantage of me. This might be your lucky chance," She winked at him and a blush crept her cheeks at her own words but that did not stop her from leaning closer to him. For some reason, she just felt like loving him more and more.


    He pressed a kiss on her chin, "I''ll take advantage of you when we reach home. Might not befortable for you here."


    She blushed harder at his insinuations as he looked at her so intensely.


    Jun Zixuan helped her put on the seat belt as she moved back to the passenger seat and she could feel his hot breath stroking her neck.


    She pressed a soft kiss on his neck and the man visibly stiffened, "Maybe one day, I will tell you all about myself," Probably when I have the courage that things won''t go wrong if I do that.

 Chapter 184 - Want Me To Stop?

    The whole day of exhaustion took over. Running back and forth in the Beijing, surprises, shocks, everything has been so damn tiring that she could barely keep her eyes open anymore.


    Jun Zixuan settled on the driver''s seat as he nced at his hand which had her fingers intertwined with him before looking back at the woman who was already sleeping with her mouth slightly open.


    He pressed a finger under her chin and closed it, "I''ll be waiting for that day," He brought her hands closer to his mouth before pressing soft kisses on her knuckles.


    She was worth the wait, wasn''t she?


    ...


    [Mature content ahead. 18+. Skip if you''re ufortable.]


    ...


    "Morning," Yu Mei leaned closer to the man who pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head.


    It was his kind of good morning.


    The curtains in the room were yet to be drawn open causing it to be enshrouded in darkness, but the sneaky sun rays hitting from the gaps made it easy for her to see him in the dark.


    And suddenly the man flipped his position as he pinned her to the bed.


    Her eyes widened.


    "You asked me to take advantage of you but your panda self kicked in and you slept for the whole night," He tugged at the small zipper in front of her white dress with his teeth revealing a hint of herce bra, "So, is the offer still valid?"


    She pressed her hands on his chest, distancing him from herself, "It was valid until you called me a panda."


    He raised an eyebrow, "You do sleep like a panda. You should be more epting of the truth."


    She pouted. Which woman would like to be called a panda?


    He took her lips in his as his fingers gripped her hair gently pulling her closer to him as his tongue slithered inside as he kissed her passionately, roughly sucking her and touching with those ever so gentle touches.


    Damn her resolve flew under the bed just like that and just as she raised her arms to encircle them around his neck, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, "Is it still a no? Or a yes?"


    "Y-You are doing this on purpose, aren''t you?" She said, biting her bottom lips.


    His gaze wandered off to that distracting sight for a split-second before he looked back into her zed eyes, "I''ll take that as a yes."


    And in the next moment, the front zipper of her dress was pulled till her waist as the sleeveless dress opened revealing her upper body while their lips tangled in another sinful kiss.


    Her entire body tingled as she felt his strong frame leaning against hers, his naked chest stroking her breasts as they kissed. He broke the kiss for a split-second as his fingers tugged the hook of her bra while he looked into her eyes for some sort of reluctance but when he didn''t, the pretty little clothing was gone from her upper body.


    She instinctively raised her hands to cover her chest but he held her wrists and pinned them above her head, cing a kiss on her cleavage, his index finger traced her soft skin removing the hair that was covering half of her body. He paused for a split second as his gazended on the crescent birthmark a few inches below her corbone. He traced it with his thumb causing her body to arch slightly.


    "You''re beautiful," He said, looking back into her eyes and he pulled her in, iming her mouth again, hungry and intense until her knees gave in.


    But he did not stop there. His mouth took one of her breasts while his hand kneaded the other.


    Her whole body turned hotter while a blush crept her cheeks as he licked her hardening nipple before sucking the hell out of them.


    Damn. She was embarrassed but hell she did not have a resist option to this endlessly gentle yet passionately rough man who had every nerve of her body under his control.


    He was well aware of how and where to turn her knobs and she was entirely turned on by that.


    She wrapped her legs around his broad back as his passionately wet kisses on her breasts kept setting her body on fire.


    His lips glided downwards on her waist and her lower abdomen clenched. She clutched the sheets in her hand when his finger touched her already wet panties.


    A soft gasp escaped her lips.


    "Want me to stop?"


    Yes. Her mind shouted.


    "No," Came the protest of her heart as she arched her body when he slid the white dress off her thighs along with her panties.


    His brown eyes wandered off to every inch of her body, appreciating the piece of art that she was.


    She pressed her thighs together. There was this sinking rush of multiple emotions yet again. She was shy but she wanted more.


    And that probably did not go unnoticed by the man as he parted her thighs and pressed his cold lips on her heated core.


    She froze, not at all expecting this. It was like blood rushed to her face when his lips licked her already wet entrance.


    "You''re wet," That teasing voice against her core had her toes curl, "You can stop me now."


    "No!" Fine. Her mouth was a betrayer. This had to stop but, ''''Help me-" Her whole body was aching like hell and she hoped he understood what she needed.


    And his gaze darkened at her words, his mouth ravishing her mouth as he drawled his tongue up and down before twirling near her entrance.


    One of his hands kneaded her breast, slowly and torturously which she could not endure any longer. She pressed her palm on his and squeezed it a bit, demanding him to do ''whatever the hell he was doing'' harder. And he did. His hand squeezed her breast harder.


    Every single emotion faded when shepared them to this desire she had towards him.


    The pace of his tongue increased and so did her soft moans that reverberated throughout the room.


    She raised one of her legs before settling the heel on the flexing muscles of his back.


    "AH-" She bit her lips to restrain herself from making these lewd noises but the man didn''t have the intention to let it slide as he let his teeth slide against her perking nub. He was torturously slow...


    "Z-Zixuan..Ah...Please...."


    And it finally worked on him as he increased the pace and she clutched sheets tighter than before as her eyes rolled back, her insides clenched and her body jerked forward as she came in his mouth.


    He gave her ast soft lick as he raised his head and locked his gaze with hers.


    She looked at his zing lips and the liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 185 - Did You Do Something Bad, Mei?

    His tongue peeked out licking those remains, all the while as he did not take his gaze off her, "Delicious.''''


    Her heart thundered in her chest and she gulped. Her dazed mind slowly cleared up as the realization of what they just did started sinking in.


    Oh no!


    Can the time reverse itself?


    She buried her face in both her palms but realized that she was naked. From top to bottom. Completely naked.


    And in a swift movement, she covered herself in the nket, such that a single toe was not peeking out, "Good Night,'''' came her soft voice.


    The man sat on the bed with his elbow resting on one of his knees. His face propped on his fist, "It''s morning, Love," His fingers raked inside his ash-blonde hair.


    There was no reply from the woman who realized she messed up the night with the day. Could she have further embarrassed herself?


    Jun Zixuan got off the bed.


    "Where are you going?" She asked slightly poking her head out of the nket, her dark hair framed her face.


    The man gulped as he felt his erection throbbing painfully. "To take a shower," A very cold one.


    It was too early to scare off her delicate heart with this. He thought, looking at his hardened length through his trousers.


    Later at the breakfast table.


    The atmosphere around the 10 feet long dining table was abnormally tense as Jun Zixuan sat on the head chair and on either side sat the Yu siblings.


    Yu Jinhai was happily engrossed with his food. To him, this was all so good. The first time he came here, he was amazed to see this enormous mansion that was 10 timesrger than his father''s vi. And his sister and brother-inw treated him so well that he could not ask for anything more.


    On the contrary, Yu Mei was pretty unsettled in her seat.


    No matter what she did, she ended up messing with it. She brought a spoonful of soup to her mouth but suddenly she felt a certain someone''s leather boots near her toes. The spoon in her hand trembled causing the soup to spill on the table.


    She held her te and pushed herself to her feet and she walked to the other side of the table before sitting beside Yu Jinhai.


    "Jie, did you do something bad?" A certain munchkin asked as he looked at his elder sister''s red face.


    "I-Why do you ask?"


    "My friend acts like this when he does something bad," The boy said, taking another bite of his omelette. His brother-inw cooked so good.


    Yu Mei''s face turned redder.


    Jun Zixuan wiped his face with a silk napkin, "Did you do something bad, Mei?" Those eyes shone in amusement as they remained fixated on her.


    She would be a hypocrite if she said that she did not like what they did. But he....he...kissed her there. So embarrassing. Every time she looked at his face, she would have a shback of how he licked her....dammit!


    She gulped before looking at Yu Jinhai, "You are already 13 but you look so frail and delicate. Where will you find a girlfriend in the future if you eat so less?" She could feel an intensely piercing gaze locked but she ignored it with all her might, "Look at your arms and body. Where are your muscles? Don''t you think...you should eat more?" She gulped once again as she watched the man standing up from his from the corner of her eyes.


    Yu Jinhai blinked. Lately, he was getting used to his sister''s sudden mood swings so he was not that frightened like the first time when she banged her head on the table out of nowhere. And why would he find a g-girlfriend? The boy blushed.


    "Jie, do you want me to have muscles like brother-inw?" He has seen his brother-inw''s strong body whenever he wore casual clothes at home.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    The brother-inw in question stood behind her chair and leaned forward as he spoke beside her ear, "Didn''t know you are so obsessed with them."


    She stood up from the chair in a sh and ended up losing her bnce as one of her feet bumped into the leg of the chair.


    She closed her eyes ready to fall on the floor on her face but she was embraced by a warm pair of arms.


    "T-Thank you." She tucked the loose strands of her hair beside her ear.


    "Be careful.."


    "Ahh..." Just as she tried to walk away, there was a sudden pain in her foot.


    Jun Zixuan frowned as he supported her again in his arms, "What happened?''''


    "Jie, are you fine?" Yu Jinhai, who was already done his breakfast quickly stood up from the chair.


    Yu Mei nodded, "I think I twisted my ankle."


    Jun Zixuan patted the boy''s head before adjusting the cor of his school uniform, "Go. Wait for us in the car."


    Yu Jinhai quickly picked up his school bag and ran out.


    Yu Mei felt her brows furrowing slightly "Hey, don''t run. You are a shortie and your legs are also thin. You will end up stumbling somewhere," s, kids these days don''t listen to anyone.


    "Oh, Miss tallie. What about you? Why do you keep stumbling here and there with such beautifully long legs?" The man wrapped an arm around her waist before hoisting her up and putting her on the dining table.


    She almost choked on her saliva at his sarcasm.


    The realization that both of them were alone in each other''s presence struck her once again and her face turned red, "W-What did you mean by us? I don''t think I am going anywhere.'''' Her tone came off a bit shy and she had the urge to cut off that tongue that uttered those words in such a disgustingly sweet way.


    "You are going to the hospital-"


    "I am not," Going to the hospital for a little sprain? Who was he kidding?


    He raised an eyebrow, "I knew that would be your answer. So, I am taking you to the office with me," Without giving her a chance to speak, he picked her up in a princess carry.


    "What are you doing? I have work to do."


    "I''ll get Steward Gu to pick up your work materials and deliver them."


    That was not the main point here. Now, the whole world knew her identity after yesterday''s press conference? Won''t it cause chaos if she made a public appearance with a man?


    But she doubted there was no one alive on this Earth who make Jun Zixuan bend or change his decisions.


    "Let me at least get dressed properly. Are you taking me out in these cotton pyjamas?"


    "You''re injured. This will befortable and looks decent too."


    Yu Mei: "_" Fine, you are the boss.

 Chapter 186 - A Certified Flirt?

    Chapter 186: A certified flirt?


    Eminence Headquarters.


    "I-Is that Chief?"


    "Who else? Are you blind?"


    "For fuck''s sake, he is carrying a woman. How could you not be shocked?"


    "He is a man. Although he hasn''t shown his face to the public, but only his status and wealth can get him the title of the Most Eligible Bachelor. What made you think that he will be single?"


    "Why are all desirable men taken?"


    "What are you guys talking about? The woman with him is the CEO of Rosette."


    "Her? But I have seen President Leanne. It''s not her, I think..."


    "You should check today''s headlines then."


    While the employees were busy discussing all these sorts of things currently going on in their heads, Yu Mei had another struggle going on.


    "They are all looking at us. Put me down, please," She buried her face in his chest.


    Jun Zixuan did not pay attention to her words as hugged her closer to him.


    "Hey, I can walk!"


    "You were limping a moment ago," The man coldly muttered.


    "Good Morning, Chief. Have a nice day," All the employees bowed and greeted the man as soon as he walked past the receptionist desk.


    Jun Zixuan paused in his tracks. His eyes slightly narrowed, "Is she invisible to you?"


    Their expressions turned awkward as they followed his gaze and nced at the woman in his arms, "Good Morning, President Leanne," They bowed once again.


    Left with no choice, she looked at them and forced a smile, "Morning everyone," Her grip around his neck tightened while she tried to strangle him.


    Unfazed, the man walked straight inside the elevator holding her firmly.


    As soon as he put her on the couch in his office, she red at him, "How could you take me out like this?" She asked, pointing at herself, "I don''t have my makeup on, I am wearing these baggy pyjamas, my hair is in a mess. What a woman dislikes the most is to look ugly. Don''t you know that?''''


    He walked towards the ss desk and picked up a small remote before pressing a switch on it. The translucent ss walls turned opaque with the surface being a mirror.


    He sat beside her and pulled her onto hisp, "See there," he pointed at the opposite wall.


    She raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze before looking at their reflection in the mirror.


    Bringing her hair to one side, he ced his chin on her neck, "Ugly, huh? The most beautiful people will shy away at your statement."


    She paused for a split second before leaning back on him, her gaze remained fixated on his reflection, "Beautiful indeed."


    "Flirting with me?" The corner of his lips tugged up.


    "I guess I am.''''


    "Not shy anymore?" He nibbled her earlobe.


    Her eyes widened slightly as another image of their morning workout shed in her mind. She buried her face in her palms and ignored the man. Did he have to remind her?


    He helped her sit on the couch as he stood up. One of his hands remained tucked inside his pocket while he stroked her hair with the other one, "We will not do it again if that makes you ufortable," She missed the twinkle in his eyes.


    As he turned around, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the couch, "Stop assuming things. I-I liked it but-"


    "But you''re shy again?" His deep teasing voice made her raise her head to look at him.


    "You...were acting on purpose," She punched his chest.


    Heughed before pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, "On a serious note, we will not do anything that you don''t want."


    She smiled and pressed a kiss on his lips, "Say, Zixuan, have you always been this good with women?"


    "Why do you think so?"


    "You look and talk like a certified flirt."


    "With you only."


    "What about your ex?'''' There was an undertone of jealousy in her words that even she did not realize.


    "She is not my ex. We-"


    "Knock Knock Knock.''''


    "Come in."


    Steward Gu stepped inside with a bag in his hand as he bowed, "Master, Young Mistress...'''' He passed the bag to Jun Zixuan, "I have got the things you wanted."


    "Thank you," Jun Zixuan nodded at the man.


    Steward Gu bowed again before looking at the couple. Although his holiday did notst long but as long as they are together, he was sure he will be getting more holidays. With a smile stered on his face, he walked out of the office room.


    Jun Zixuan held her legs and pulled them up slowly before putting them on hisp.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Preventing a swollen ankle," He pulled the front zipper and grabbed an ice pack from the bag before pressing it gently on her ankle.


    She pressed her hand on the couch and leaned back, swaying her body back and forth slowly, "Should I consider myself the luckiest woman to have a man like you?"


    "Try to fall like that once again and I will twist your ankle until you get a broken bone."


    The corner of her lips twitched, "You''re unromantic."


    "You want me to be romantic?" He raised an eyebrow at her.


    "That will be cringe," She made a face at him, "Moreover, I am too smart to be seduced by your romantic advances."


    "Is it?" His face had the expression of ''Try me now and see if I could seduce you''.


    She gulped, "It is."


    Heughed, "I won''t bother trying it then. My wife is cold-hearted."


    She pursed her lips, "Girlfriend. Not wife."


    "Whatever suits you."


    Later that day.


    Jun Zixuan closed theptop and leaned back on the swivel chair, "Mei, I am do-" He paused looking at the woman who was fast asleep on the couch.


    He entered the room attached to his office and grabbed a nket before walking towards her.


    He slowly removed the sketching pad lying on her chest and the pencil peeking out from her messy hair before tucking her properly in the nket.


    ''Ring Ring.''


    Jun Zixuan answered the call and walked towards the window, "Have you picked him up from the school?" The reply from the other side made his gaze darken.


    "Guard this ce. I''ll be there,'''' He hung up the call and grabbed his suit jacket from the swivel chair before striding towards the door.


    His footsteps halted and he took a swift turn before walking towards the couch. After cing a soft kiss on the sleeping beauty''s forehead, he left.

 Chapter 187 - Warning

    187 Warning


    Yu Family Vi.


    "Honey, do you think her employer woulde for revenge?" Mother Yu looked at her husband worriedly.


    "He won''t dare to mess with us over a woman," Father Yu at on the couch with an indifferent expression on his frigid face.


    "But Yan''er was saying that the man is influential."


    The middle aged man shook his head, ''''No one in the whole Beijing dares to provoke us."


    That soothed Mother Yu''s anxious heart, "Jinhai is this family''s child. They will be on losing terms if they started something against us," The woman sipped her tea elegantly, "I still can not believe that Mei''er has been hiding her identity from us for years. We treated her like a family but she did not let us know that she was Leanne. Did she think that we will take her wealth?"


    Father Yu scoffed, "She has forgotten the virtues of a woman. She must have achieved all this by improper means," His eyes shed with restrained fury.


    Mother Yu lowered her head as a soft smile made its way on her face.


    "Where is Daniel?"


    "He is out with his friends," She quickly replied, knowing how much importance her husband ced on her sons. The thought of it made her happier.


    That little bitch must be looking for her brother now. Although she did not understand how a woman like Yu Mei Zhen could start caring for her brother, but it has all ended now. She will never get her hands on Yu Jinhai and that would make her desperate.


    What angered her further was that she even ended up in such a high position. No matter how she thought, she could notprehend how Yu Mei became Leanne. Mother Yu had seen her growing up in front of her eyes.


    She did not even know how to draw a flower, how could she end up bing a world famous designer?


    No matter what, she was not happy with this.


    "Husband, Jinhai hasn''t eaten anything since 3 hours. He is crying and asking for his sister. He will end up falling sick if this goes on..."


    "We can afford hospitals,'''' The man nonchntly said, "As long as he learns to stay away from that disgraceful and filthy woman..."


    "You should be careful with your words lest you find yourself waking up without an tongue," The cold voice in the enormous living room startled the Yu Couple.


    "Who are you?" Father Yu stood from the couch, "How dare you trespass inside a private property?"


    The security guard quickly entered inside, "S-Sir, there...there..."


    "What?" Father Yu snapped at the man.


    But before the security guard could say anything, more than thirty men dressed in ck uniforms barged inside the ce.


    Mother Yu panicked as she stood up from the couch.


    Five men stood beside Jun Zixuan while the rest barged inside the vi, flipping over every certain spot.


    "Where is the security team?" Father Yu snarled at the security guard who cowered back in fear.


    "T-There are more men outside. The security team has been restrained by them."


    "You son of a b-"


    Before Father Yu couldplete his sentence, his throat was strangled by one of the men standing beside Jun Zixuan.


    "You should not get my mother involved," The man indifferently said as he walked towards them before settling on the couch "Let him go."


    The man loosened his grip on Father Yu''s neck as he came to stand beside Jun Zixuan who had his forehead propped on his index and middle finger as he nced at the couple who were fuming red.


    "Who are you?!" Father Yu kicked the coffee table with his feet, smashing the ss to pieces.


    But the man remained unfazed as he kept his head lowered, his ash-blonde hair and the dim lightings in the living room made it impossible for everyone to study his expressions.


    "B-Bother-inw..."


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at the boy who was running towards him with tears trailing down his face.


    The Yu couple froze in their spots. Brother-inw?


    Yu Mei Zhen is this man''s mistress?


    "Come here," He extended his hand towards the young boy who immediately pounced on him and sobbed pitifully.


    "I-I thought...I..."


    Jun Zixuan paused for a moment looking at the boy clinging to him desperately. After a few seconds, he raised his hand and patted his head but the boy still did not stopped crying.


    "If you keep crying like this, your sister''s words will be true," He whispered softly.


    And that had the boy pause. He huped, "W-Which words?" Sometimes, his Jie will speak so much that he would not understand what she is trying to say.


    "You will not get a girlfriend like this. Girls prefer strong men."


    And the trick worked as the boy who was crying a minute ago ended up blushing.


    Yu Jinhai blinked. He did not want a girlfriend at all. I-It did not sound good. A few girls are his friends but they are all like the evil step mother from Snow White story.


    "Take him to the car."


    One of the men walked towards the boy who was still looking at his brother-inw questioningly.


    "Go, I''ll be there," With Jun Zixuan''s assurance, Yu Jinhai turned around and walked with the ''uncle in ck'' without hesitation.


    "We are his parents. What you are doing is illegal," Mother Yu pointed her finger at the man, who did not look at her even once.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch and nced at Father Yu with an raised eyebrow, "This is our first meeting and you are her sperm donor so it won''t be appropriate to spill blood."


    "You bastard..." Father Yu extended his hand to p him but Jun Zixuan grabbed it and twisted it one swift move before setting it free as the man wailed in pain.


    "Filthy," Jun Zixuan said, sounding extremely disgusted and one of the men immediately came forward to wipe his hand with a handkerchief.


    Father Yu could feel his blood pressure hiking up.


    "Unless and until you want the Yu Family to be eliminated..." A cold glint shed across his eyes as he continued speaking, "You will stay away from her and the people around her.''''


    Without sparing a nce at them, he turned around and left, leaving the Yu Couple in shock and trepidation.

 Chapter 188 - Hug Your Work

    By the time, they drove over to Eminence headquarters, the ce was empty.


    Yu Jinhai marvelled at the sight of the huge building before as he hesitantly opened his mouth to speak, "B-Brother-inw, can we not tell Jie about this?"


    "Why?" Jun Zixuan paused in his tracks.


    "She will be mad¡­"


    The man patted his head as they walked towards the elevator, "She will be hurt if you keep things from her."


    "But Father is strong," If his sister tried to fight them, she will lose as he has seen everyone fearing his father.


    "Your sister is stronger."


    On the office floor.


    Yu Mei stretched her body as she walked outside only to be greeted by Steward Gu''s face.


    "Young Mistress," The man bowed politely.


    She blinked, "Steward Gu, I''ll really appreciate if you don''t bow to me like this," She held his shoulder, helping him up.


    "Master also says that."


    "But you still bow to us everytime we meet," She shook her head at him.


    The man smiled sheepishly, "I am used to that."


    Sheughed, "By the way, where is Zixuan? I didn''t see him in the office."


    "Uhh¡­Master¡­" Steward Gu hesitated. He was not sure whether he should bring it up or not.


    "What? Is he cheating on me?" She chuckled looking at the man''s solemn expressions.


    "When did I cheat on you?"


    She nced towards the source of the voice only to find Jun Zixuan and Yu Jinhai walking towards her.


    "It''s sote. Why are you still wearing the school uniform?'''' She walked towards them and ruffled the boy''s hair, "Did you cry?" Her brows tugged together as she looked at his red eyes.


    The boy pounced on her before crying his heart out.


    "Shhh," Yu Mei raised an eyebrow at Jun Zixuan who blinked reassuringly at her.


    She nodded, "Alright, Ah Jin. Stop crying, it looks ugly..."


    "Says the one who transforms into a crybaby at times," Jun Zixuan mumbled under his breath, earning himself a re from her.


    "Let''s go home first."


    Ren Mansion.


    "He fell asleep," Yu Mei sighed as she entered the Master Bedroom with a small tray in her hand, "After you changed the room''s color shades, he is much morefortable there."


    "That''s good," Jun Zixuan tilted his head from the iPad and nced, "What''s that?"


    "Milk. Can''t you see?" She raised an eyebrow at him.


    "I mean..I can see that is milk but are you drinking that?"


    She shook her head, "I don''t like it," She passed the ss of milk to him, "This is for you."


    "Me?"


    "Yeah, you are a workaholic. This will probably do you some good."


    He held the ss from her hand and kept it on the bedside table before holding her hand and pulling her towards him.


    "Drink it. I have heated it up in the microwave," She whispered sitting on hisp.


    "Is the kitchen alright? I didn''t hear any st."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    "You just don''t know how to cherish my kindness, do you?" She bit the finger that was stroking her face.


    He chuckled, getting the ss of milk from the table and drinking it one go.


    Satisfied, she pressed a soft kiss on his cheek, "Was it Yu Family?" That has been holding her curiosity since they came back.


    Jun Zixuan exined everything to her.


    Her face darkened for a split-second before her expressions turned normal.


    "You want me to do something?"


    She shook her head, "Let them be. Ah Jin is fine. I''ll see what to do if theye to mess with us again."


    In fact, she had already seen iting when she had taken Yu Jinhai from Yu Family Vi. The Master of Yu Family is obsessed with the idea of sons who will take his bloodline further so how could he let one of his sons slip from his grasp easily? But they did restrain themselves pretty well till this day. It must be because they thought that she was the mistress of a powerful man.


    But today when they saw the news about her being the CEO of Rosette, they could not restrain themselves anymore. As much as she judged those people after their first meet, they must have convinced themselves that she could not do anything to them and a man will never pay much attention to his mistress.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    "This family belongs to zoo," She scoffed.


    Any ways, it had nothing to do with her. She did not want to head over there and mess with Yu Family for whatever they did with the previous owner. For a scheming girl like her, it was too much of a foolish move that she sided with those people and casted her blood rtions aside, It was not her task to get revenge for the original Yu Mei Zhen.


    Since she had taken over this body, she got Yu Jinhai out of that den as a form ofpensation to this body''s biological mother who cherished her children. Although, she won''t deny that she liked this cute little shy guy from their first meeting.


    "Alright, stop thinking about them."


    She encircled her arms around his neck, "Who should I think about then?"


    "It has to be me," He pressed a soft kiss on her chin.


    She smiled, "Zixuan, there is some senior year party tomorrow. Will you join me?"


    "I have work."


    She buried her face in his neck, "Oh, alright."


    "Do you want me to be there?"


    "Nothing like that. I was just asking casually."


    "Then, why are you biting me?"


    "You smell good."


    He chuckled, "You say one thing and mean another."


    "Maybe, I''ll just take Ah Jin with me. It''s weekend already. He should go out."


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "I hate to burst your bubble but there will be no kids around his age. Will he like it there?"


    "I am there with him. He can get to know his elder sister. What''s wrong with that?" She rolled down hisp before shifting towards the other side of the bed, "Good night. I''m off to sleep."


    "Mei, you just woke up," He raised an eyebrow.


    She turned around to look at him, "Even if I am not sleeping, I don''t want to talk to you."


    "Then, you can let me hug you."


    She blinked twice and grabbed his iPad before handing it to him, "Hug your work."

 Chapter 189 - No Can Mean Yes Too

    "I am leaving," He pressed a kiss on her forehead and the sleeping beauty opened her eyes to look at him


    She rubbed her eyes a bit, ncing at the man hovering atop her, "Go, I am not stopping you."


    "You can stop me if you want," He kissed her lips.


    She covered her mouth, "I haven''t brushed."


    "We''ve gone farther without brushing. Don''t you think?"


    She cleared her throat, "Anyways, why would I stop you? Go do your work."


    He ced a kiss on her forehead, "As you wish," He paused near the door, ''''Breakfast is ready. Have it on time," With that, he turned around and left leaving the woman frozen in her spot.


    "How could you not understand a woman''s heart? Sometimes no means no while most of the times no means yes," She mumbled, sitting in her spot.


    "Especially a woman like you who says something and means something."


    "Ahh..." Yu Mei almost fell off the bed if not for Mia who caught her hand in time, "Can you stop scaring me?" She patted her chest.


    Mia yed with her long silver hair, "You are the most troublesome human I have ever met," She remarked.


    Yu Mei smiled, "Shall I take that as apliment, elder sister?"


    Mia shook her head, ''''You can."


    "Alright."


    "It is obvious from your face that you don''t want him to leave then why can''t you say that out?" Although Mia stops their mind connection most of the time but Yu Mei''s inner monologues and high-pitch wails often manage to reach her ears.


    "I guess that happens when you like someone. You won''t understand," Yu Mei waved her hand, "I want him to stay but he is a busy man. I can''t just bind him up 24/7 with me, right? So, I guess that''s my issue to deal with."


    "I don''t think he will mind being bound to you all the time. He just wants you to open up. Do you realize how many things you have been hiding from him?" Mia stood up from the bed, still fiddling with her long hair.


    "I...'''' Yu Mei paused, "It would have been better if I hadn''t met him in my previous life but we knew each other really well...I don''t think I can ever share it with him...about who I am..." Her brows together.


    Mia frowned, "Why?"


    "Because-Leave it. Mia, I have got something for you," She quickly got off the bed and found her bag before getting out a file from a hidden chain, "Here... This will help you temporarily.''''


    "These are?"


    "These are your identity proofs. I got them under your name. There is a gold card in it and the keys to your new apartment," Yu Mei smiled, "I know that you really want to explore the world after staying trapped for years."


    Mia lowered her head looking at the file that the woman shoved in her hands. Her hazel eyes slightly glistened.


    "Oh, is our princess crying?" She chuckled.


    "Her Highness doesn''t like such disgusting things as tears," The vixen elegantly murmured but her slightly teary eyes betrayed her.


    Yu Mei hugged the woman without any warning, "I won''t lie. I have seen you as an enemy from the very first day we met and you have attacked me countless times. But everything has changed over these months. First, you were like a good friend and now you are like an elder sister, a guardian who always protects me. But Mia, I don''t want you to waste your youth being my guardian. Although you''re contracted to me, I want you to have a life of your own."


    Mia nced at the ceilings, trying to avoid the words of this wretched woman who was insistent on making her elegant self cry today. "But-"


    "I know what you are going to say," Yu Mei interrupted her, "You don''t have to protect me, Mia. You truly don''t need to. I have to survive on my own as every other person does. They don''t have a beautiful and strong princess with them to protect themselves," She paused and they both ended up chuckling, "Whatever it is, I''ll have to live life as ites. Whatever is destined to be will eventually happen, won''t it? You have a long life ahead so just enjoy it well."


    Mia froze at herst sentence, "I... I don''t-"


    "What?''''


    Looking at the woman''s worried face, Mia paused and shook her head, "I will go and do what you said. Explore, I mean. But on one condition."


    "What is that?"


    "Whenever you are in a problem or you need me, just think of me and I''ll be there in your body."


    Yu Mei smiled, "Is that because of the contract?"


    Mia nodded.


    "Alright, your house is right next to Luoluo''s. When she is back from her trip, I''ll introduce her to you and I''ll also get Li Shuang over there someday."


    Mia smiled and the file in her hands disappeared in thin air while she transformed to her fox form.


    "Be careful, there are cameras outside...." Yu Mei paused when she remembered that Mia had got her powers back and no one can see her until she wants to be seen, "Walk straight out of the mansion gates and three allies ahead, there is a car for you. Your phone is in the car and I have saved my number in it."


    Mia''s tail swished up and down determining her happiness, "Thank you,'''' A blush crept up her face and she turned around and ran away without looking back.


    Yu Mei chuckled. It was rare to see this arrogant princess saying thank you to someone. Luckily everything turned out to be good for Mia in the end. Moreover, it seems Mia was well convinced that she had to stay away from Jian Yu. That''s the best thing she could hope for.


    s, if only the naive Yu Mei knew that a certain vixen was bound to pop up in her brother''s life, in one way or another!

 Chapter 190 - Insulted Again

    "Jie, where are we going?" Yu Jinhai tugged at her hands.


    Yu Mei tilted her head to look at him, "We''re here for a party. You like parties, right?"


    The boy nodded, "I do, but they don''t let mee out whenever there is a party in the house."


    The ''they'' here must be referring to the Yu Family members. Although everyone knew him as the second young master, but he was never allowed to step into the parties or functions. Yu Mei thought to herself but she did not delve deeper into it, "No worries, I can take you to a party whenever you want."


    "Let''s go," She walked out of the car and handed the keys to the valet before walking towards the other side. She opened the door and extended her hand towards the boy who immediately took it.


    "Jie, this should be done by men. Brother-inw does it for you," The boy embarrassedly muttered.


    She settled his properly gelled hair before adjusting the cor of his tuxedo, "You can do it for me when you grow up."


    The munchkin nodded eagerly.


    Just as they stepped towards the five-star restaurant, they were blocked by the reporters at the entrance, who were probably already waiting for her arrival.


    "President Leanne, is this your brother?"


    "Isn''t this boy the Young Master of Yu Family?"


    "What is your rtion with him?"


    "Are you here for some private asions?"


    "President Leanne, how do you feel after your identity is revealed."


    Yu Mei removed her shades before looking at the reporters with disinterest, "Don''t act like you don''t know I am the illegitimate daughter of Yu Family," She paused for a moment before adding, "This is a private party so yes, you are not weed here. I won''t say it was nice to see you."


    The reporters: "_"


    They could swear they have never been insulted like this.


    "Let''s go, Ah Jin," Holding the boy''s hand, she walked straight past them. Did they think she would not hold grudges?


    If not for them, had Rosette been on the verge of bankruptcy? The matter also would not have blown out of proportion.


    "Are you fine?" She asked the boy as they stepped inside the party hall, ''''Did they scare you?"


    "No, you were there with me," He held her hand tighter.


    This boy had a sweet mouth. She smiled, "Let''s go, you have already met Sister Luoluo. I''ll introduce you to another sister.''''


    He nodded.


    As soon as people noticed them, they started surrounding them. All the faces were familiar even though she did not remember the names of most.


    "Wee to the party, President Leanne."


    She blinked, "Guys, stop embarrassing me," She was not used to this kind of greetings from these people, "Here, meet him. This is Yu Jinhai, my younger brother. Ah Jin, they''re all my ssmates."


    "Aww¡­He is so cute," The girls immediately ran over to coddle the little munchkin as Yu Mei looked around.


    "Are you looking for me?" Came the voice from her back.


    She turned around and hugged her, "How are you?"


    Li Shuang hugged her back, "I am good. What about you?"


    "I am fine," Yu Mei smiled, "You are so hot today," Sheplimented, looking at the woman dressed in a royal blue bodycon dress."


    "And you''re dressed so casually."


    Yu Mei nced at her dark trench coat, "I just was just tired and feltzy," After Mia left, she felt a bit empty. After all, she was used to having her inside her body all the time. She worked out first. Later, she over-exhausted herself with work and did not get a blink of sleep in the afternoon. Not to mention that a certain man did not call her the whole day and that added to her miseries. By the evening, her system was dead tired so she just dressed Yu Jinhai properly.


    "Are you alright?" Li Shuang asked, looking at her tired face despite her makeup.


    Yu Mei nodded as she got Yu Jinhai out from the crowd, "Look, this is my younger brother, Yu Jinhai."


    Li Shuang paused as she looked at the boy. Conflicted expressions shed through her eyes though her face remained cold. She squatted, "Hey, you can call me Shuang Jie."


    The boy was still blushing aftering out from the crowd of the girls, he smiled, "Hello, Shuang Jie."


    "I''ll call you Ah Jin. Have you eaten something?" As the boy shook his head, Li Shuang grabbed his hand, "Let''s go, I''ll take you to eat something. Will you join us?"


    "Will your boyfriend be there?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Don''t look at me like that. I just don''t like him.''''


    In the end, under Li Shuang''s stern gaze, Yu Mei followed them there. While Li Shuang took Yu Jinhai to get his favorite food, Yu Mei selected a table in the darkest corner before settling on a chair. Putting her clutch on the table, she sighed, "Don''t tell me he is not missing me at all?" She clicked her tongue, "Legends are right. It''s all about the honeymoon period. Once men get their desired women, they forget to cherish them. When we were not in a rtionship, he would miss me even if we were apart for a few hours. But now, he left in the morning and it''s already night. Humph! Over...Over... Our honeymoon period is all over." She mumbled under her breath.


    "Mei¡­"


    She tilted her head to look at the man who was walking towards her, "We don''t know each other. Don''t call me with such intimacy." It''s creepy.


    She stood up from the chair.


    Zhu Boqin frowned, "You are Shuang''s friend so.."


    "Your rtionship has nothing to do with me. And us being friends has nothing to do with you. You should be clear about that."


    She grabbed her clutch from the table only to realize that she has left her phone in the car.


    "Mei, where are you going?"


    She turned around to look at Li Shuang who was walking towards her holding Yu Jinhai''s hand, "I left my phone in the car. Can you look after Ah Jin for me?"

 Chapter 191 - Comparison Between Cheapest Beer And Most Expensive Wine

    "Alright."


    As she looked at her retreating back, Li Shuang tilted her head to the side to look at her boyfriend.


    "What''s up, baby?"


    "Nothing," She shook her head, "Let''s go Ah Jin. We will get you some more food."


    ...


    "Can you please get my phone from the car? It''s in the back seat."


    The valet bowed and left.


    Yu Mei rubbed her arms and wandered around the ce, looking at the premises of the Grand Five Star hotel.


    ''Umm. This ce looks good. I''ll get Zixuan here on a dinner date someday,'' She smiled but the smile disappeared off her face within an instant, ''No, he can go on a dinner date with his work. Humph.''


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts, it started raining all of a sudden, drenching her within an instant. By the time she reached the entrance, she was thoroughly damp from top to bottom, in a quivering mess.


    She blew into her palms before pressing them on her cheeks. "Miss, are you alright?" The valet handed her the phone.


    "Yeah, I am fine. Thank you." She quickly walked back inside the party hall before finding Li Shuang.


    "What happened to you?"


    "It started raining suddenly. And I''m having a terrible headache."


    Li Shuang sighed, "I''ll arrange a room for you. Just go and take a rest."


    "Ah Jin, will you be fine with Shuang Jie?"


    Yu Jinhai nodded, ''''Take rest, Jie. You look pale."


    She patted his head, "Shuang, text me the room detail okay?"


    "Alright."


    Struggling to not faint anywhere, she got in the room, discarded her damp clothes, wore a robe provided by the hotel, and slept peacefully tucked in the nkets.


    By the time she woke up, her headache was gone.


    "What is the time?" The room was so dark that she could barely see anything.


    Sitting on the bed, she sighed feeling a little muddleheaded. She ran her fingers through her hair before roaming her hand on the bed, looking for her phone but her fingers grazed past against something else.


    She could hear a sigh of satisfaction.


    There was someone on her bed.


    Her brows tugged together as her eyes turned cold but suddenly a realization dawned on her and her gaze softened, "Zixuan, is that you?" After all, she remembered locking the door properly and no one can get inside without a key card. But he always had his ways for everything so who else could it be other than him?


    Her hand was grabbed suddenly as the person pressed a kiss on the back of her palm. Her expressions slightly faltered but she did not pay much attention to it.


    She switched their position and grabbed his hand instead, "I am still angry."


    There was no reply from him and she could feel him struggling to get his hand out of her grip. The smile on her face slowly faded.


    Jun Zixuan was much stronger than her.


    She searched for her phone with her other hand and as soon as she found it, she quickly turned on the shlight.


    The phone almost fell off her hand as her gazended on the half-naked man sleeping beside her trying to get his hand out of her grip, "Zhu Boqin?" Her tone was filled with disbelief and coldness.


    She pushed the man away and got off the bed. Grabbing the remote from the bedside table, she turned the lights on before looking at herself. The robe on her body was still intact and she felt fine everywhere.


    The man sat up on the bed as he raked his fingers through his red hair, "You loved me, didn''t you? Here''s the opportunity. You can have me however you want and Ah Shuang won''t know.''''


    "Where did you get this confidence from?" Despite the tense atmosphere, she could not resist rolling her eyes, "Have you seen my man? You should have seen him during PTM right? From head to toe, he looks like gods have showered him with all the love and adoration when they created him. A single term to describe him? Perfect. Looks like an immortal. Walks like a male protagonist. His voice¡­sexiest in the world. That body. That face. Those muscles. Everything so heavenly gorgeous," She sighed dreamily.


    Zhu Boqin clenched his fist, "I am richer than him."


    Yu Mei paused beforeughing a bit, "No offense though. I am richer than you so it''s already far off for you topare yourself with my man. Can you show the decency to get out of my room right now? I have to change."


    The man''s gaze roamed around her body for a moment as he stood up from the bed, "I can prove to be much better than him. I''ll break up with Ah Shuang. We can be together. I fell in love with you from the first day I saw you after the holidays were over. I can prove to be much better than any other man if you give me a chance."


    She sighed, "See, Zhu Boqin, I don''t want to hurt your male ego but now things havee to this. Will you please bother to tell me that who the fuck gives you this confidence? You know what, I''ll tell you. To me, he is like the most expensive wine, rich, mellow, everything that suits my taste. And you on the other hand are like a $2 beer that I will run away from. I hope that clears up your doubt. Get lost, now."


    "Why are you doing this?" His veins popped out as he clenched his fists harder. Everyone adored him but to her, he is just like a cheap beer, "You had once tried to kiss me, did you not? If not for Li Shuang, you would have seeded in kissing me."


    Oh dear! He dropped the ''Ah'' before Shuang and is suddenly formal. Seems like Li Shuang doesn''t hold much value in his heart. "Get out from here. Whatever happened here, I''ll not tell anyone. Giving you a few days so that you can break up with her," It will hurt Li Shuang if shees to know about all this. Although she looks cold, she does smiles at this jerk from her heart.


    "You are asking me to break up with her, doesn''t that means you are in love with me?"

 Chapter 192 - Rather Be A Monk Than Dating You

    As he stepped closer to her, she threw a kick on his abdomen and hended straight on his face on the floor. His lips cracked as blood oozed out in a trail down his chin.


    "Being delusional is a disease, I guess.''


    She grabbed her trench coat before putting it on her robe. This guy seemed to have gone crazy at this moment. It was better to get out of here before the authoritiese and collect a dead body. That will be very troublesome.


    She pressed a finger on her chin in contemtion. ording to her assumption, Jun Zixuan is probably a member of the Amaranthine Royalty, they might not ept a violent daughter-inw. Better just get out of here and protect her image.


    "Where are you going?" Without replying to the man, she massaged her forehead and stepped closer to the door.


    The rain, headache, and sleep left her mind in a bit of haze.


    Just as her hand touched the doorknob, her leg was pulled back all of a sudden. Her trench coatnded on the floor and her robe slightly loosened.


    She almost fell if not for her fast reflexes, "Are you that eager to die, hmm?" She grabbed his neck, squatting on the floor.


    Zhu Boqin was taken aback looking at the murderous intent in her eyes. He was seeing her like this for the very first time in his life. A chill crawled down his spine but his determination did not waver, "It was you who started everything between us and now you are not even reciprocating my feelings. Is it because you got a better man? If he was not there, would you fall for me?"


    She frowned. It was not that she did not want to do something extreme to this jerk but the thought of Li Shuang''s disappointed face stopped her. How would she feel if shees to know that her long-time loving boyfriend is now interested in her friend?


    "If he was not here, I''d rather climb some mountain and be a monk than dating you," She pursed her lips when he ogled at her cleavage. She tightened her grip around his neck, "Don''t force me to do something that might not settle well with my friend."


    "You can''t do anything to me," His voice came cracked because ofck of oxygen but that did not stop a sinister smile from spreading across his face which was so unlike of his gentle easy-going expressions.


    Her brows tugged together in confusion. This lunatic¡­What is he up to? Before she could say something, a sudden pain made her freeze in her spot. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she turned her face to look at her waist where the man had forcefully stabbed a syringe through the robe.


    The portion of the white fabric turned red because of his rough movement and in the next few seconds, her legs went a bit limp causing the grip on his neck to loosen. She took long deep breaths to keep herself in control while the man''s derisiveughter rang beside her ear.


    "Did you think I was unprepared? No, my dear. My n A was to be soft and take you down but n B was to force you into this. You can''t me me when it was you who dragged me in all of this. You''ve seduced me with every single smile, every single nce, every inch of your body," His red hair framed his face, his dark eyes boring straight into hers, "You''re talking about Li Shuang? She is nothingpared to you. You know what? I''m obsessed with the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you smile, the way you y with your hair, everything you do bes so fucking perfect to me. You''re fire, baby. I''ve been noticing you for months. How could I not know what you are?"


    She gritted her teeth enduring the hot sensations filling her body as she removed the syringe and threw it away before pressing a hand on her waist. Her body was going immobile. Noticing her for months? "N-No wonder, ''I am a jerk. Stay away from me'' was written all over your face causing me to be disgusted at the sight o-of you."


    His expressions shifted as his eyes burned with anger before he took a deep breath, "I love yet hate this about you. You have this control over me. But still, I love this more. The way, you are a naughty wild cat."


    Her breathing turned ragged, "Oh, I can be your death too," She pushed him away and in a swift moment, he was thrown back, the back of his head collided against the rough surface as blood oozed on the white floor.


    The man cursed under his breath but without paying attention to him, she pushed herself to her feet. Stabilizing her swaying body, she took a step towards the door.


    "Do you think I will let you go?" He pushed himself to his feet and dragged her by her hand before pushing her towards the bed.


    What is he made of? He is so weak then how could he take so many attacks yet still get to his feet?


    She held the bedside table for support before grabbing the flower vase atop it, "Y-Your desperation for death amuses me," In the next second, she mmed it at him and it injured his hand. He cursed under his breath before sauntering towards her.


    Her body was slowly losing strength. It was itchy and hot everywhere. She knew she could not deal with it anymore. This lunatic has caught her off guard today. She never expected a sneak attack from him considering the image he has always portrayed. She knew he was a jerk but he was such a high degree jerk, it was out of her expectations.


    As Mia and her had cut off their connection, the former wouldn''t be able to sense her danger. But as long as she called for her, Mia would be here.


    Just as Zhu Boqin towered over her, she closed her eyes, ''Mi-''


    ''Bam''


    Her eyes flew open.

 Chapter 193 - Farewell!

    Her eyes flew open as she looked at the man who stepped inside. A sense of relief washed over her and she let her guard down. Her body swayed slightly as she ended up falling on the bed, still struggling to keep her eyes open.


    When he finished all his work and came here to join her, he was informed that she was resting in the room but this was not the scene he expected to witness. If not because of her dyed response when he knocked on the door, he wouldn''t have broken it.


    Looking at her condition, his eyes narrowed slightly. And if he hadn''t barged inside the room, he did not want to think what would have happened to her.


    Zhu Boqin gritted his teeth. She had almost submitted to him if not for this untimely interruption, "You¡­"


    Before he could utter another word, a fist appeared in his vision, and just as it erged, he found himself flying back to the floor. The back of his head once again hit the rigid surface as he hissed.


    "Cough¡­" Blood oozed out of his mouth as he spat a broken tooth.


    "Z-Zixuan," She extended her hand towards him. Her body was burning hotter and her vision was a bit blurry. With all the chaos going on, she could barely see him.


    He removed his white suit jacket and draped it on her before carrying her up from the bed. "Sorry for beingte," He kissed her forehead.


    Despite being weak, she managed to bite his chest, "H-Humph! Go, Go to your work. Who am I? W-What am I to you?"


    The frown on his face disappeared as the ice in his eyes seemed to have melted in one second, "My darling, of course."


    A few men in ck uniform entered inside the room, "Shall we take him?" One of them asked.


    Just as Jun Zixuan was about to nod, his gazended on Li Shuang who was standing rooted to her spot near the entrance. He then nced at Yu Mei who was already looking at her friend in shock.


    "No need," Not for now. He mouthed before walking out of the room.


    "Shuang¡­" Yu Mei called out but the woman did not look at her as her gaze was fixated on the profusely bleeding man,ying in the middle of the room.


    Jun Zixuan also did not stop there.


    "A-Ah Jin?"


    He looked at the woman in his arms, "Can you stop worrying about everyone? Ah Jin has left with Steward Gu."


    She sighed in relief and snuggled closer to him before closing her eyes. Once she slept, the itchiness in her body will disappear. She would not feel hot. Yes, everything will be fine.


    While the couple left the hotel, Jun Zixuan''s men also followed after but Li Shuang still stood rooted to her spot. Her face remained indifferent as usual as she looked at the man writhing in pain.


    After a few seconds, she finally walked towards him.


    The ''click'' sounds produced by her heels caused him to raise his head, "A-Ah Shuang? I-I¡­"


    She extended her hand towards him, "Sit," Her tone neutral.


    The man put his palm in her hand, "Ah¡­" He forced himself to sit.


    She held his shoulder before helping him lean back on the edge of the bed before walking towards the bedside table. Pulling open the drawers, she grabbed the first aid kit and walked back to him.


    She squatted on the floor and cleaned the wounds on his face. He hissed. She cleaned the rest of his injuries with the same pace despite him flinching asionally. "Did it hurt?" Her emotionless eyes met his confused ones.


    He nodded, "A bit¡­"


    "A lot," The corner of her lips tugged up in a rare gentle smile, "It hurt me a lot."


    His gaze shed as an ufortable feeling rose in his chest. For some reason, this usually cold woman appeared pitiful today and it made him feel stuffy inside, "Ah Shuang, I¡­"


    Li Shuang stood up before smoothening the creases on her royal blue bodycon dress, "Farewell, Boqin."


    He froze and immediately grabbed her wrist, "A-Ah Shuang, it was a momentary mistake. It was her who has been taking initiatives all this while and I¡­I am a man. She would give me those inviting looks when I pass by. I was just swayed. It has been years since we are in a rtionship and I have never looked at anyone else. You know I love you, right? Don''t be stubborn."


    "Let go," She looked at the man sitting on the floor, her face emotionless.


    "I won''t. You have to listen to me¡­"


    "Come in," Li Shuang nced at the door and before Zhu Boqin could realize what was going on, three men stepped inside before bowing to her, "Young Miss."


    "Young Miss? Aren''t you orphan?" Zhu Boqin nced at her in disbelief while one of the men pried open his grip on her wrist.


    "Let him go. Don''t hurt him," Li Shuang paused near the door and nced at the man from above her shoulder, "I don''t want to see you. Ever again," With that, she left without sparing him another nce.


    Her face remained indifferent as she walked out of the hotel. Streaks of tears rolled down her cheeks getting melded in the raindrops. Thoroughly drenched, she did not know how long she walked on the road. She did not know where she was. She just kept going, wandering aimlessly.


    Her ankle twisted and she ended up falling on the ground, the mud sshed on her body as vehicles passed by. Burying her face in her knees, she sat on the road, for who knows how long.


    Her body quivered and her breathing turned ragged. Her small sobs got lost in the heavy downpour as her vision turned blurry.


    ''Screech.''


    ''Bam.''


    "Die if you want to. Don''te under my car. You ruined my whole car sex n. Do you realize how serious this is? I can sue you¡­"?Mu Shen paused when he noticed the long hair. A woman?

 Chapter 194 - Out Of Control

    Earlier when he was driving, he could not see properly because of the dark highway and heavy rain but now under the headlights of the car, he could see her clearly.


    "Cough¡­Miss, this is inappropriate on your part¡­" He paused when there was no response. Is it a crazy fan out to get his attention or a patient who ran away from the mental asylum? His gaze paused at her long legs. He shook his head. No, she could not be a patient. Such beautifully long legs.


    He cleared his throat before lowering his umbre and poking her shoulder, "Miss¡­? You there..? Can you hear me?" Can''t she recognize me, the film Emperor?


    This time, however, she finally raised her head and nced at him with her tear-filled eyes.


    Mu Shen was taken aback when he looked at her face, "Miss Li?" He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing wrong. Is it really that ice cube block from Yu Mei Zhen''s dormitory?


    After collecting his thoughts, he extended his hand towards her, "Come with me."


    He expected her to deny it but surprisingly, she ced her hand in his without saying anything. She was trying her best to keep a straight face but her tears did not stop streaming down and he noticed it as well.


    "You are hot," He remarked looking at her drenched body with mud sshes at ces that were being washed by the rain, "Laugh a bit. I was joking."


    But her face remained expressionless as she staggered a bit.


    He nced at her broken heel. "Hold this," He pushed the umbre to her hand before carrying her in his arms.


    Her hands instinctively encircled around his neck, "I can walk," Her voice came out hoarse.


    Mu Shen shook his head, "Don''t worry. I have no other intentions for you."


    "Young Master Mu, what''s wrong?" The door opened as a brte stepped out holding an umbre, "Who is she?"


    "An acquaintance of mine. I can''t leave her there in the middle of the road. That will be too improper and heartless of me. Baby, can you leave?"


    "I will manage myself," Li Shuang whispered looking at the woman''s constant re fixated on her.


    "But, it is raining, Young Master Mu. Where will I go?"


    Mu Shen helped Li Shuang inside before fastening her seatbelt as he nced at the woman, "Your bodyguards are following us, baby. You can go with them. Call meter, okay?"


    The woman stomped her feet and walked away.


    Mu Shen raised an eyebrow, "Or don''t call at all," He shrugged. The first rule of a happy life, stay away from troublesome women. And the one who left was just an epitome of troublesomeness.


    On the other side, Jun Zixuan was dealing with another torment.


    "Just sit there. We will reach the hospital soon," The woman who had her eyes closed when he carried her out of the hotel got hyperactive the moment they drove out of the ce.


    "I know what''s wrong with me. L-Let''s not go to hospital baby. You can help me with everything,'''' She unbuckled the seatbelt threw away the suit jacket that was draped on her body before moving from her seat and settling on hisp, "You can h-help every inch of my body," Her sensuous voice sounded near his ear as she licked his earlobe before fondling it between her teeth.


    The car swerved left and right before he finally managed to get control of the steering wheel. "What do you know? We need to see a doc-"


    "Shhh," She pressed her finger on his lips, her body swayed slightly as she inched closer to him, "I-I guess I''m drugged. The kind they show in novels. Aphre-? No¡­ Aphro...Aphrodisiac. I know the cure too."


    "What cure?" His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down as she peppered soft kisses down his neck.


    "Female Protagonist needs to have sex with the dominant CEO, in all positions, trying all vors of condoms," She tried to tug remove her robe but he firmly held her hand and she ground her bottom on his hardness, looking at him begrudgingly, "But we can¡­make love as we are dating. Drugs will be gone efficiently. Let''s have it now. Here," She batted her eyshes at him.


    "You know what you are talking about?" His voice deepened as he kept his focus on road.


    "The one on top gets it tough," She loosened his tie before unbuttoning his shirt, "So, you take that.''''


    She pressed a kiss on his chin and he stepped on the emergency brakes. As the car came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road, he grabbed her neck, and pulled her closer, molding her to his body at once, knocking her breath out of her lungs. Her back pressed against the steering wheel as he kissed her harder, his lips thoroughly sucking hers, as his tongue slithered inside. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as he bit her bottom lips before entangling with them passionately.


    As they parted, she panted, her breath stroked his neck. The desire in her body intensified as she leaned closer to him, trying to unbutton his shirt.


    He grabbed both her wrists in one hand before pinning them above her head. He removed his necktie with the other hand before tying it around her wrist, restraining her movements.


    She smiled with a dreamy expression on her face before biting her bottom lips, "Y-You are into BDSM?"


    He pressed a finger on her lips, "You are not going to parties ever again."


    "Handcuff?" She innocently blinked.


    "What?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "Get a handcuff. One side for you, the other for me. I''ll go wherever you go. We stick to each other all the time. I am good with that," She even emphasized her point by moving closer to him rubbing her breasts on his rock-hard chest.


    ...


    Do support this novel by voting at the end of the chapter.

 Chapter 195 - Suspicious Identity

    He could not resist the sound that slipped from the back of his throat. God Dammit, this woman was an agonizing curse someone spelled on him.


    He helped her settle on the passenger seat with her hands still tied. As he buckled her seatbelt, she writhed. Her body was unbearably hot.


    "We will be there in 5 minutes," He stroked her face.


    She nced at him, her face flushed red as her chest rose and fell rapidly, "You don''t want me?" The robe slightly loosened giving him a view of her milky white skin, her voluptuous breasts.


    His throat ran dry and he grabbed a water bottle before gulping the water in one go.


    The movements of his throat and the water trailing from the corner of her lips got her body more ufortable.


    "I do. I do want you," He stepped on the elerator without looking at the woman even once, "But not like this where I am not sure if you will even remember this."


    What mattered more was that he knew she was notpletely ready for the final step. It was the drug in her body shouting that she wanted it. He was sure that if she remembered everything she said today, she will ignore him out of embarrassment.


    Let alone if they have sex, god knows what will happen.


    He sighed, "Moreover, we don''t know what kind of drug is this and whether this will have a side effect on your body. So, it''s best to do get the proper treatment immediately," He tried to speak some sense into her.


    But in the next moment, he stiffened, feeling a pair of hands fiddling with his belt.


    His member throbbed and he chuckled wryly. Was there no way out of this torture?


    At the military Hospital.


    "The drug should start wearing off soon. Chief, you can rest assured that there won''t be any side effects. We injected the antidote on time. Meanwhile, the syringe was stabbed too harshly and it grazed past the sciatic nerve. It might ache and swell for a few days but with the medications, she will recover soon."


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes darkened slightly as he nodded, "When will she wake up?"


    "She will be awake by the morning."


    "Alright," The man muttered and the doctor left.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman sleeping on the hospital bed. It was good that this sector of the military hospital was nearby the hotel or else he would not have known how to endure the torture she inflicted on him.


    He held her hand and pressed soft kisses on her knuckles. His other hand went towards her waist before lifting her hospital shirt as he nced at the multiple bandages on a particr spot.


    ''Ring Ring''


    He walked towards the window before answering the call, "Did they talk?"


    "Yes. They did but Miss Li left the ce soon after. It looks like they broke up. Chief, we also got the waiter who was responsible for giving him the spare key to Miss Yu''s room. ording to his statement, Zhu Boqin nned to¡­rape her if things did not work out in his favor smoothly¡­" Came a man''s reply from the other side, "Shall we get him now?"


    Jun Zixuan made an affirmative sound, "Detain him in the prison for a few months. Every nerve, every tissue in his body should be thoroughly stabbed."


    There was a silence on the other side for a few seconds, "Alright¡­" After a small pause, the man added, "Miss Li had some bodyguards with her. Her identity is suspicious. Shall we get someone to investigate her?"


    Jun Zixuan paused as his brows tugged together slightly.


    He won''t appreciate it if anyone investigated the women in his life and in his opinion, it was quite disrespectful to investigate a woman without a proper cause, especially when she was her friend.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman sleeping on the hospital bed. But it concerned her safety. He sighed, "Don''t do anything for now," With that said, he hung up and walked towards the bed.


    Unbuttoning his shirt, he turned off the lights before climbing on the bed. He ced a pillow between them andid beside her, looking at her beautiful face under the moonlight. "Good Night," he ced a soft kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes.


    The next morning.


    "Ughh¡­" She groaned as her body ached with the slightest movements, "Did someone beat me up while I was sleeping?" She murmured with her eyes still closed.


    It seemed possible. She had already made a heap of enemies for herself.


    The next second, however, yesterday''s memories yed over in her mind like a movie. Her eyes opened in a sh as she sat up on the bed only to feel an excruciating pain in her waist. "Ahh¡­" She fell back and her headnded on the pillow.


    "Can you slow down your movements?"


    The voice had her pause. She tilted her head to the side, "I am not dreaming, am I?''''


    He leaned closer before biting her lips, "Not dreaming for sure."


    She slowly raised her hand to touch his face, "I was caught off guard yesterday," She whispered.


    "I know. It''s my fault for beingte," He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers before kissing her knuckles.


    She shook her head. "It''s my fault for not being a bit cautious," She never imagined that Zhu Boqin could be this vicious. She restrained herself from killing that man because she had Mia if things went out of her hand.


    When she remembered everything, she thought the part where he came to her rescue was just her hallucination and for a moment, she got a fright thinking if that bastard managed to have his way with her.


    "I was muddle-headed because of the headache and I thought it was you in my room," She nced at him with her brows slightly tugged together.


    She never imagined he will pull a syringe out of nowhere. He must have prepared well for it.


    He stroked her face, "Do you still have a headache?"


    She shook her head.


    "Alright, stop thinking about it. He will be dealt with," His thumb grazed past her cheeks. She flinched slightly.


    His gaze deepened, "Are you traumatized by it?"

 Chapter 196 - My Trouble

    "T-Traumatized?" She pointed a finger at herself, "Me?" She rolled her eyes when he nodded, "Come on! I''m better than that. My hair was stuck inside this shirt and it was itchy suddenly. That''s why I flinched."


    Why would she be traumatized? She had Mia. And if worse came to worst and she could not contact Mia for some reason, then she could have simply killed that man. Although, the Beijing Authorities were stricter, but nothing that she could not deal with.


    s, Jun Zixuan made a timely entrance. She smiled, "I think ying the damsel in distress once in a while is not bad if I can have you save me over and over again."


    He removed her hair from her shirt before bring them to one side, "That''s what I''ve always said. You should rely more on me."


    Sheughed, "I don''t mind relying on you now that we are officially dating."


    A dimple appeared on his cheek as he smiled as his fingers yed with her hair.


    She nked out for a moment taking in his handsomeness before finally recovering her senses, "And if therees a time, I''ll back you up with everything I have. We can always count on each other."


    "Alright."


    Although he said that, he would have never thought that she will stay true to her words somewhere in the future.


    She inched closer to him only to find a pillow between them, "What is this here for?"


    "You are injured."


    So, he was worried that he might end up worsening it? How can someone be so ridiculously caring?


    "Well, you don''t need to be worried about that. Your sleeping posture is not ugly, unlike me. We have slept together for so many times so I-" She paused when something dawned on her. If himing to save her was not an illusion then what happened after was also¡­not an illusion?


    ''Help every inch of my body?''


    ''Make love?''


    ''All positions? All vors of condoms?''


    Looking at the horror written over her face, it took him a few seconds toprehend the situation, "Your suggestion was not bad, by the way," The corner of his lips tugged up as he twirled her hair strands around his finger.


    Her face turned redder than a cooked lobster and she closed her eyes.


    "Shall we try it now, darling?" He leaned closer, his hot breath caressed her lips.


    She buried her face in her palms. How could she say these kinds of things to him?


    "You are obviously lusting over me, are you not?" His teeth grazed past her neck and she shivered.


    Her breathing system messed up within a moment. And before she could end up fainting, he retreated.


    She peeked at him through the gap between her fingers.


    He nced at her waist for a moment before looking back at her face, "I''ll get breakfast for you. And your bandages also need to be changed," He got off the bed and walked out of the room before it gets difficult to restrain himself.


    Yu Mei buried her face in the pillow, "Why do I always end up creating such embarrassing situations between us?"


    She was discharged from the hospitalter that day. Jun Zixuan carried her in a princess carry as he walked out of the hospital, "Is it hurting?"


    She sighed, "How many times are you going to ask this? You are holding me so carefully, why would it hurt? You sound like a nagging old man, you know?"


    "Can''t help it," He opened the car door for her before helping her settle on the shotgun seat. He lowered her seat and helped her feet up.


    She let him do as he pleased, "Where did you get this from?" She asked while pointed a finger at her panda-printed pyjama.


    "There was a shopping mall nearby."


    "Yeah, they must love pandas," She rolled her eyes.


    "I do too."


    "You can''t find peace unless you bicker with me?"


    Jun Zixuan chuckled as he walked around the car before settling on the driver''s seat.


    Thest night''s memories once again yed in her mind causing a blush to spread across her cheeks but even if she was embarrassed, she was not going to show it on her face. She cleared her throat, "What about Ah Jin?"


    "He is in school. Yesterday, he was asleep by the time everything happened. He was looking for us in the morning but Steward Gu told him that we are busy with work."


    She propped her chin on her fist as she looked at him.


    "What are you thinking?" He could feel her constant gaze settled on him even without looking at her.


    "You have everything under your control," She smiled. He brought her to the military hospital, took care of her, her brother, dealt with Zhu Boqin, and even shopped for her, "Once in a while, I will admit the truth. It is a shame for a perfect man like you to get entangled with someone as troublesome as me. I am like a ma that attracts every single problematic thing towards it. I am impulsive too¡­"


    He cut her off, "Even if you are trouble, you are my trouble."


    She blinked, "That sounds so sweet. I never knew you love me so much."


    "What to do? Since I''ve taken this upon myself, I''m going to suck up to it," The man shrugged.


    The smile on her face disappeared as she pinched his shoulder, "I just knew it. You have that in yourself to ruin my good mood. Humph!"


    Couldn''t he just say he loved her? Humph!


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips while trying his best to restrain hisughter so that he would not end up offending her further.


    ¡­


    At Mu Shen''s ce.


    "Thank you for yesterday," Li Shuang said as she stepped out of the guest room and nced at the man''s back.


    "That''s nothing," Mu Shen waved his hand as he turned around. He froze when his gazended on the woman standing in front of him.


    Li Shuang was wearing that short Royal Blue bodycon dress from yesterday with her hair tied in a messy high bun, her face was bare of any makeup. But unlike yesterday, her dress was properly cleaned of the mud.


    "Is there anything wrong, Mr. Mu?" Li Shuang followed his gaze and looked at herself.

 Chapter 197 - Am I Such A Violent Person In Your Eyes?

    Mu Shen cleared his throat, "No, I just noticed that you have washed the dress. It was dirty yesterday."


    Li Shuang paused for a moment before nodding, "Thank you for lending me your shirt. I have cleaned it."


    The man waved his hand, "No worries."


    "I apologize for interrupting your moment yesterday and thanks again for letting me stay here," Li Shuang said with a straight face.


    Mu Shen was reminded of how he had shouted at her for interrupting his soon to be done ''car sex''. But he failed to recognize her then as she had her head lowered. He suddenly felt ashamed about it for whatever reason it may be.


    The film emperor scratched the back of his neck, "Uhh¡­Miss Li, there is nothing like that. We were not about to have car sex¡­wait...I mean, don''t misunderstand me-"


    "There is nothing to misunderstand, Mr. Mu. That''s your private life we are talking about and it has nothing to do with me," Li Shuang raised an eyebrow and walked towards him.


    Mu Shen paused. Yes, what she said sounded legit. "Alright,e, have breakfast with me," He pulled a chair for her.


    Li Shuang shook her head, "No. I have already bothered you a lot. I was not myself yesterday and ended uping here with you. I''ll take my leave now."


    Mu Shen frowned, "Let me drop you."


    "Mr. Mu, we are strangers," She stated expressionlessly, "You don''t need to do all this for me."


    "We spent a night in one room. How are we strangers?" He blurted out whatever came to his mouth.


    Li Shang''s brow tugged together.


    "Cough¡­I mean that we have already met twice. We should be more than strangers, right?"


    The woman nodded nonchntly, "Maybe. But I don''t need you to drop me. I can go on my own."


    Mu Shen furrowed his brows, "You won''t get a cab here."


    "I''ll manage," She turned around and walked out of the door without looking back at him.


    His jaws dropped. This woman¡­Why was she so cold?


    It was very shocking for him to witness her sitting there on the roadside and crying like that. But after bringing her to his ce, he just made sure she wasfortable and there was no mention of what happened to her. They were not close in the first ce and it must have been tough for her as she did not look like a person who will whine at small things.


    s, he did not think tears suited her. She was much better with that ''I don''t give a fuck'' cold and unapproachable face. But once again, they were not that close for him to say that to her.


    He walked towards the mirror before looking at his face, "I''m still as handsome. How could she not talk to me softly? Weirdo!"


    Who knew that there are women who would not spare the film emperor a second nce?


    One alley away from the Glory Apartment.


    Li Shuang took out her phone before making a call, "Send the driver to the alley behind Glory Apartment," She hung up as soon as she finished speaking. She turned around to look at the high building, "Thank you," Her face remained as aloof as ever.


    ¡­


    "You don''t need to rest?"


    "Why are you looking at me like that? Focus on the road," She shrugged, "I really want to meet your mom. What''s wrong with that?" She asked the man who was looking at her with that weird gaze.


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat before looking ahead, "Mei, what are you nning?"


    "Haven''t fought with my mother-inw for a long time. So, I was just craving it."


    He pursed his lips.


    She rolled her eyes, "You really think I''m going to do that?"


    "Who knows?" He muttered under his breath.


    "Do you think I am such a violent person who will always look for quarrels and fights?" She narrowed her eyes.


    The corner of his lips twitched, "No, baby. How can that be? Calm down."


    She squinted, "We can stay there for a few days and you can work from home. Ask Steward Gu to drop Ah Jin there after school."


    "And why do you suddenly want to stay with Mom?"


    "Well, I don''t have much work and I am getting bored of staying at Ren Mansion all the time," She averted her gaze as the tips of her ears turned slightly red.


    The real reason behind it was that she knew that her mother-inw is sick and is still in the recovery stage.


    Shen Lihua always stayed alone at that vi and it has been concerning her for a long time but because she was busy with her work and a lot have happened during these months, she did not get the chance to contemte further about all this.


    Now that they had time, they could go there and spend some time with her.


    s, it was just a bit awkward to voice it out so she made up random excuses.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her side profile and his eyes twinkled slightly as he averted his gaze. Did she think he won''t know what was going on in her mind?


    In fact, he had been nning this too but since she was quite busy in the past few days, he decided to discuss it with her after she is done with everything.


    He never thought she will insist to go there now.


    "We''re here," He alighted the car and walked to the other side before opening the door for her.


    "I can walk," She quickly raised her hand defensively.


    He narrowed his eyes, "As if I am letting you step your feet on the ground," In the next second, she found herself in his arms.


    "We''re going to meet your Mom. Where would I put my face if we go there like this?"


    "She will be happy to see us like this."


    She frowned, "Uhh...Why are you so stubborn?"

 Chapter 198 - Freaked Out

    He paused, "How are you feeling now?" Asked the man as he swiftly dodged her question.


    "I''m good. Just a bit pain around the waist," When she woke up today, her whole body was aching terribly but it was much better nowparatively.


    He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, "It will go away within a few days."


    She nodded. Since he was holding her, she pressed the doorbell before hiding her face in his chest. It was awkward for her but this man had to be stubborn. Thest time they were here, they didn''t look at each other in the eye and she had told Shen Lihua that they will never go further than friends. How confidently she had imed that she will never fall for her prince?


    She regretted it already. Not to mention how she told Shi Luo that Jun Zixuan can never be CEO of Eminence. Everything that was happening was a hard p on her face.


    The door opened and Shen Lihua stepped out with a soft smile on her face which disappeared within a few seconds. She looked at her son before looking at the woman in his arms. She looked back at his face in exasperation, "Jun Zixuan, you unfilial son," Gone was the usual elegance from her voice, "I disown you right now."


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Mom-"


    "Who is you Mom? You all men are molded from the same molds. I knew that you kicked your wife out of your mansion but her words stopped me from interrupting in this. I thought you youngsters will solve it in your way. I even stopped taking informations about you both but this is what you give me in return," Shen Lihua nced at the sky, "Li Na¡­my dear friend, I don''t know how I will face you in afterlife.''''


    The corner of his lips twitched, "Mom, can you not talk like this-?"


    "This? How do you want me talk then? How audacious can you actually be? You not only got yourself another woman but you are carrying her to me to unt your affection when you know it well that Yu Mei was always my choice for you. Do you want me to die early?"


    Yu Mei blinked, realizing that the she-devil hasn''t seen her after her transformation. She tilted her face to the side but the Shen Lihua did not even look at her.


    "Mom, she¡­"


    "Mom again? I told you not to call me that anymore!"


    "Mom, what happened?" Jun Boyan walked towards the door, "Brother?" His gaze thennded on the woman in his arms before he nced back at the man, "How could you cheat on sister-inw? She is so adorable and you even went to her dormitory in the middle of the night¡­"


    "You did what?" Shen Lihua frowned, "You went to take advantage of her and still ended up with another woman? She is the daughter-inw I''ve chosen, how dare you do this to her?"


    Yu Mei couldn''t help but feel touched until she heard the woman''s subsequent words.


    "She might be as fat as a bear, evil, impulsive, loud, not-so-elegant¡­"


    Yu Mei: "_" What the hell!


    "¡­But she is still only daughter-inw I''ll recognize. Do you even know how she stood up for you and argued with me? What? You don''t have an answer now?"


    Jun Zixuan sighed helplessly. Women would never let you speak yetin that you didn''t speak!


    He nced at the woman in his arms who was having fun while watching the show, "She will speak."


    "_"


    Everyone''s direction of gaze slightly shifted as Shen Lihua and Jun Boyan wondered why this face appeared a bit familiar.


    "Hello everyone, I''m Yu Mei Zhen," She awkwardly smiled looking at the trio one by one, "Your daughter-inw, your sister-inw and his wife! Nice to meet you," She added when there was no response from them.


    ...


    "Cough¡­So¡­" Shen Lihua folded her legs as she nced at the couple before looking at her supposed ''daughter-inw'', ''''Is it true?"


    "It is. You don''t watch news?"


    "No, we have been spending time together, doing small activities. That''s why we missed it," Jun Boyan answered.


    Jun Zixuan leaned back on the couch as he sipped the juice from his ss without paying attention to their chit-chat. Their asional exaggerations were just enough to screw his mind.


    "So, you''re Leanne?" Shen Lihua nced at Yu Mei.


    "Uh-huh."


    "But you''re also Yu Mei Zhen?"


    "Umm..Yeah," She nodded again.


    Shen Lihua nodded in understanding, "Where did you do the stic surgery?" The woman asked elegantly.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Jun Boyan nced at her for a few seconds before speaking up, "I just realized that Mu Shen was not lying when he told me about this," The man exaggerated it so much that he did not believe him at all.


    That day, when they went to the Girl''s dormitory, they were standing behind a pir where it was difficult for them to see her. They could only see his brother''s back.


    While Jun Boyan escaped in time, Mu Shen got stuck there which is why he managed to meet Yu Mei the next day.


    "What are you doing here?" Jun Zixuan nced at his younger brother.


    "My exams are over so I''m here to live with Mom for a few days before the semester starts," Jun Boyan answered.


    "And what are you both doing here?" Shen Lihua nced at them.


    The Jun brothers exchanged nces realizing that their mother was back to her normal self.


    The way she was yelling outside was so unlike her calm and elegant character and it naturally freaked them out a bit.


    "Your daughter-inw was bored at the mansion so we are here on a holiday," Jun Zixuan said as he tucked some loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    Yu Mei cleared her throat.


    Shen Lihua noticed their interactions before raising an eyebrow, "Go to Mauritius, Paris or Greece if she is bored. Why do you have toe to this olddy''s humble abode?"


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she nced at the extravagant European styled living room. Humble abode? She then nced at thedy who could easily pass off as the Jun Brother''s elder sister, "How can that be? You are still in the prime of your youth," Yu Mei smiled.

 Chapter 199 - Love You

    "Why are you dressed like this?" Shen Lihua pointed her chin towards the panda-printed pyjama.


    Yu Mei: "_" Why did it feel like she was detained in a prison and the interrogation was just going on and on?


    Right at this moment, the doorbell rang saving her from this hell of a rapid-fire round.


    "Who can it be?" Shen Lihua frowned. She was used to living alone and having so many people around somewhat overwhelmed her.


    "It is my brother, Yu Jinhai," Yu Mei nced at the door as she tried to stand up only to be pulled back by Jun Zixuan.


    "Sit here. I''ll open the door."


    Their interaction did not escape Shen Lihua''s keen eyes who nced at her younger son meaningfully.


    Jun Boyan stood up, "I''ll go open the door, brother. You sit here."


    "Yu Jinhai? Li Na''s son?" Shen Lihua''s eyes shone with excitement.


    Yu Mei nodded.


    ...


    The next day, at the gazebo.


    ''''Pretty Aunt, I want donuts," Yu Jinhai tugged at the woman''s hand.


    Shen Lihua smiled, "Alright, baby. I''ll make everything for you."


    Yu Mei sat on the swing as she basked under the morning sunlight that touched the side of her face.


    Jun Zixuan propped his face on his fist as his elbow rested on the arm of the chair. His mesmerizing gaze was fixated on the woman as she yed with her hair.


    Shen Lihua stood up from the chair before looking at the ''daughter-inw'' who seemed to have walked straight out of a painting, "Anything else that you can do other than looking beautiful?"


    Yu Mei tilted her head to the side as she nced at the woman, "Oh, mother-inw, I can do many things. I''m a full package. Being beautiful is just a bonus."


    The Jun Brothers: "_"


    The mother-inw: "_"


    "Alright,e and cook with me."


    The corner of her lips twitched, "In fact cooking and I are like two parallel lines. Since I love food, we will always walk together. But the intersection point is quite invisible," Yu Mei exined with full logic, hoping that the woman would get her point.


    Shen Lihua narrowed her eyes, "There is a small kitchen in the garden. You will love that."


    Jun Zixuan nced at his wife then at his mother who was hell-bent on teaching her the art of cooking.


    "Mom, we haven''t cooked together for a long time. Let me help you today," He walked towards her while loosening the top two buttons of his shirt.


    "You are just saving your wife out of this, aren''t you?" Shen Lihua nced at her.


    "He is saving your little kitchen from a st," Yu Mei interjected.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips before holding his mother''s hand, "Let''s go, Mom."


    "Fine."


    Yu Mei''s eyes twinkled with mischief, "Zixuan baby~"


    Jun Zixuan paused as he turned around to look at her.


    "I love you," She sent a few flying kisses at him.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Do you?"


    Shen Lihua was sure that she would have gotten a heart attack if she wasn''t mentally strong. She tried all the ways to get them together over the past few years but her son won''t just looked at her no matter what she did. And now they were flirting with each other like there was no one around them. As happy as she was, it was still shocking.


    As the mother and son duo left, Yu Mei could not help but chuckle, "It''s so fun to tease them."


    Jun Boyan was speechless at his sister-inw''s antics.


    "Jie, is pretty Grandma really our mom''s friend?"


    Jun Boyan dragged the boy to hisp while Yu Mei nodded, "You don''t believe it?" She asked.


    "Mom never mentioned her to me," The boy softly replied before getting busy with the iPad his brother-inw has given him to y video games.


    Yu Mei paused. In fact, Yu Jinhai and Li Na were closer to each other, unlike Yu Mei Zhen who treated the duo like allergies.


    Moreover, she has noticed that despite his young age, Yu Jinhai was very mature at times and no matter how small an incident was, he will always remember it. Although the guy wasn''t abused in the Yu Family but they have impacted him psychologically and emotionally in one way or another to properly train him to be a ''heir''.


    Yu Mei Zhen detested her mother so much that she avoided the woman even during her death. Yu Jinhai, on the other hand, was prohibited from meeting her for thest time, to talk to his mother for thest time.


    And the two years went difficult for the boy who created walls around him. After all, it was his mother whom he loved the most in the world.


    Li Na wasn''t even given a proper burial neither did the world know much about her existence. She just remained an unknown mistress of the Yu Family having nobody knowing whether she was alive or not.


    Now that Yu Mei thought about it, what Yu Jinhai said sounded logical. But then, Li Na had a status lower than the servants in the Yu Family. Amidst all the power struggle, where would she find the time to sit somewhere and reminisce the old days and friends?


    "Sister-inw, what are you thinking about?"


    Yu Mei nced at the man, "Nothing much. Will you be staying here for now?"


    Jun Boyan nodded, "Until the semester starts."


    "What do you n to do after that?"


    "I''ve always wanted to be a Chef. Now I''m doing extra courses for it and if everything goes well, I''ll end up being a professional Chef."


    "That''s cool," Yu Mei didn''t expect that. He looked like someone to be interested in business or physics, "I will be getting free food. The more, the better," She smiled.


    Jun Boyan nodded, "Of course."


    "And what about your girlfriend? Do I have a sister-inw?"


    "No," Jun Boyan scratched the back of his neck, "I''m not interested."


    Yu Mei could not help butugh when she looked at the tips of his ears turning red.


    "What a liar you are, huh? Fourth Young Master, you feel no shame when you lie like that? You have women hovering around you like bees. It''s just taking you some time to take them to bed for god knows what reason," A loud boisterous voice interrupted their conversation.

 Chapter 200 - Distracting Luoluo

    Yu Mei and Jun Boyan turned to look at Mu Shen who stepped inside the gazebo before taking a seat. "Who is this little munchkin?" Mu Shen pinched the boy''s cheek.


    The boy raised his head from the iPad as he blinked while letting his eyes adjust to the bright-colored man sitting in front of him, "I am Yu Jinhai, brother-inw calls me Ah Jin."


    Yu Mei pursed her lips. Don''t I call him Ah Jin too? Shouldn''t he introduce himself as her brother? This guy''s logic was really something.


    "Oh, a Yu fe? Your brother-inw must be my friend then," Mu Shenughed before adjusting the cor of his neon-colored shirt but the boy was back to ying games.


    "What are you doing here?" Jun Boyan nced at the man.


    Mu Shen pinched his chin, "I missed Fourth Young Master so I''m here."


    Jun Boyan pped away the unruly hand as he pursed his lips in displeasure.


    Mu Shen pretended like he was hurt, "Both the Jun Brothers are so cruel."


    Yu Mei shook her head at his antics as she tilted her head to the side. Her gazended on a woman near the entrance of the garden, "Is she your girlfriend?" Since no one can randomlye over here, then she must be here with Mu Shen.


    As only half of her body was hidden behind the tree, Yu Mei couldn''t properly see the woman''s face.


    "Bah...Girlfriend and her? I don''t want an early death," Mu Shen shivered, "She is an old friend. I went to the airport to see someone off and bumped into her. We talked and I got to know that she knows you too. So, since I was alreadying here, I dragged her with me."


    "Your old friend who knows me too?" Yu Mei''s brows tugged together for a moment, "Luoluo?"


    Mu Shen nodded, "It''s her."


    "Sister Luo?" Yu Jinhai nced at Yu Mei questioningly who nodded at him.


    Jun Boyan, not knowing anything about the person in discussion yed with Yu Jinhai as he rubbed his nose on the boy''s soft hair making him giggle


    "What is she doing there?" Yu Mei asked.


    "Taking an important call," Mu Shen shrugged, "Back then, I had suggested her to be an actress with me. She has got that face and body. But that duffer had to be a doctor. Now, look how much trouble it is."


    "Mu Shen, are you badmouthing my profession?"


    The hair at the back of his neck stood up. When did shee here? He red at Yu Mei usingly for not informing him.


    She shrugged.


    "No, No, when did I?"


    Shi Luo scoffed, "You are a pig," She then nced at Yu Jinhai who was staring at her with doe eyes, "Oh, my baby, Ah Jin, Sister Luo missed you so much," Her lips puckered up as she closed her eyes and ran towards the boy, ready to smooch that cute face off.


    Looking at his over-enthusiastic Sister Luo, Yu Jinhai panicked and jumped off Jun Boyan''sp.


    Jun Boyan''s eyes widened when he saw her face zooming in his vision. By the time, he raised his hand to stop her, the kiss meant for Yu Jinhai''s forehead ended upnding on his lips as the woman cupped his cheeks.


    Jun Boyan froze as his brain cells short-circuited.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Mu Shen: "_"


    Yu Jinhai: *blink blink* Did something happen?


    "Baby, why is your face big than thest...Ahhh..." Shi Luo flinched as soon as she opened her eyes. Her heel slipped causing her to lose her bnce and she closed her eyes, ready to fall on her back.


    "Careful.." Jun Boyan grabbed her wrist and pulled her in one swift move such that the woman ended up falling on him with her hair slung over his shoulder as his face remained near her neck, one of her knees rested on her thighs while her arms encircled around his neck.


    ''Silence''


    ''Pin-drop silence''


    Everyone''s expression was strange except for Yu Jinhai who was busy ying with the iPad. It''s not every day he will get to y with his brother-inw''s iPad.


    "Luoluo...Are you fine?" Yu Mei hesitantly asked as she stood up from the swing.


    Shi Luo immediately got off Jun Boyan''sp only to stumble once again. He grabbed her wrist before she could fall.


    She took a deep breath, "Thank you, I''m fine."


    Jun Boyan nodded and hurriedly removed his grip from her hand.


    "You look tired. Let''s go to the room first. Come with me."


    Shi Luo was d that Yu Mei came to her rescue, "Yeah, let''s go."


    Mu Shen nced at Jun Boyan, "You didn''t even spare her from your charms. Now, you should drop your innocence facade."


    Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow, ''''Where am I involved in this?" He pulled the little boy towards him, "This one here is the real culprit."


    Yu Jinhai blinked softly, "Did I do something?"


    Faced with such cuteness, both the men shook their heads.


    In the bedroom.


    "This is too awkward. How did it end up like this?"


    Yu Mei stifled herughter as she hugged the woman to console her, "Ah Jin moved away too fast. What could you have done?"


    "This is way too embarrassing," Shi Luo sighed as she fell back on the bed.


    Yu Meiughed


    ''Who was he?"


    "Zixuan''s younger brother," Yu Mei nced as the woman''s expressions morphed into horror.


    "Even Mu Shen witnessed it. This is so fucking embarrassing."


    Looking at her distraught face, Yu Mei as a fellowrade in experiencing all embarrassments found herself helpless. "Luoluo..."


    "Mm? What is it?"


    "Jun Zixuan is the CEO of Eminence."


    "Oh, that''s good," Shi Luo nodded as she sat up, "Wait, what?" Her head snapped at her.


    Yu Mei sighed. Well, seems like it was enough of a distraction for the woman.


    "Are you kidding me? Jun Zixuan is the CEO of Eminence?" Shi Luo''s eyes were a second away from popping out from their sockets.


    "Umm...Yes.."


    "Well, where do you guys live?"


    "At Ren Mansion."


    Shi Luo: "_"


    "And as you know, we are currently dating already."


    Shi Luo: "_"


    "And, I met brother too."


    Shi Luo: "_"


    "He believed that I was Han Mei."


    "_"


    "And..."


    "Enough!!" Shi Luo inhaled a deep breath.

 Chapter 201 - Friend Turned Mistress

    "What''s going on?" Jun Zixuan nced at both the men who settled on their respective chairs.


    "Your brother got assaulted..."


    "Mu Shen!" Jun Boyan gritted his teeth as he kicked the man from under the table.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow. Who in this house will assault him?


    Just as Mu Shen opened his mouth to say something, Shen Lihua walked towards the dining table before passing the sd to Mu Shen who immediately arranged it on the table.


    "Where is Mei''er?" She asked.


    "I forgot to tell you. I brought a mutual friend of ours together with me. So, the girls are gossipping in the room," Mu Shen answered.


    Shen Lihua nodded, ''''I''ll go and call them. You all take your seats."


    "Pretty Aunt, shall Ie with you?" Yu Jinhai offered.


    "No, dear. Sit with your big brothers. We will be back soon."


    "Is it Shi Luo?" Jun Zixuan nced at Mu Shen while pulling out a chair for his wife.


    "Yes, I was not aware of their friendship all these years. Did you know?"


    "No," Jun Zixuan paused for a moment as he looked at his younger brother, ''''Is she the assaulter?" He spoke in a low voice because of Yu Jinhai''s presence.


    Mu Shen nodded, "You should have seen it. It was better than the movies. The way they-"


    "Enough,'''' Jun Boyan narrowed his eyes at Mu Shen warning the man to shut up before it''ste. He then nced at Jun Zixuan, "He is exaggerating it again. It was an ident. Ah Jin suddenly got off myp and she-"


    "What did I do?" Yu Jinhai''s ears perked up when he heard the mention of his name.


    Jun Boyan pursed his lips before ruffling his hair, "What can you do? You are such a good boy."


    Mu Shen nced at Jun Zixuan, ''His first kiss is gone,'' The man mouthed.


    Jun Zixuan''s brows tugged together, ''What has it got to do with you?''


    ''Are you really taking Shi Luo as your sister-inw?''


    ''Stop being dramatic.''


    Back in the room.


    "...So, this is all that happened," Yu Mei concluded the story-telling of everything that has happened during this period.


    Shi Luo sighed, "This is all too shocking. But I''m happy you reunited with Brother Yu," She paused for a moment before adding, "About Jun Zixuan being the CEO of Eminence, how many times had I insisted on that? Yet you brainwashed me against it."


    "What brainwashed? His age doesn''t coincide with the time when Eminence was established and since I didn''t know much about his background, I never believed it."


    "So, do you know his background now?" Shi Luo asked.


    "I''m not sure but he is probably a member of the Amaranthine Royalty," Yu Mei spoke in a lower voice.


    Shi Luo''s eyes widened slightly.


    "May Ie in?"


    They nced in the direction of the voice only to find Shen Lihua standing near the door.


    ''How much did she hear?'' was the first thought that came to their minds as they stood up.


    "Please," Yu Mei nodded at her.


    As Shen Lihua''s gazended on Shi Luo''s face, her brows furrowed slightly, "You look familiar...?"


    Shi Luo raised an eyebrow. It was her first time meeting this elegantdy who was possibly her friend''s mother-inw and she was pretty sure of that. "Hello, Madam. I''m Shi Luo," She bowed slightly.


    "Shi...?" Shen Lihua''s gaze shed, "Is your mother''s name Shi Qing by any chance?"


    "You know my mom?"


    "Of course," Shen Lihua stepped closer to her, "I even held you when you were born. You were so small at that time. Time passed too fast. You both are grown up now," She said looking at both Shi Luo and Yu Mei, "Come, give me a hug, dear."


    Shi Luo nodded as she leaned in for a hug.


    Shen Lihua patted her back, ''''You can call me Aunt."


    As they parted, Shi Luo nced at her, "I was not aware of it. Mom never mentioned you."


    Shen Lihua stroked her cheeks as a soft smile made its way to her face., "Li Na, Shi Qing, and I were best friends. Your mother and I married at the same time and we were even pregnant around the same time. At one point, we were nning to have you betrothed to Ah Xuan.''''


    Yu Mei, who was listening to everything quietly, taking as much as information she could found herself choking on her saliva when she heard thest line. She broke into coughing fits as the piece of information got too heavy for her taste.


    Shi Luo patted her back, "Don''t worry. There will not be a friend turned Mistress trope here, I don''t have such hard taste. With a man like him, I will lose all my brain cells and wake up with grey hairs," She whispered. Other than Han Mei who is now Yu Mei, to everyone, Jun Zixuan is a devil incarnate and Shi Luo was not as naive to see him as an angel.


    Yu Mei red at her.


    Shen Lihua nced at her beloved daughter-inw, "You are acting like they were betrothed. I was saying that we nned that initially but then you came into the picture, your mom was persistent on having you marry Ah Xuan. And we went with that."


    "Her mother?" Shi Luo was confused.


    "Li Na. The third friend in the picture," Yu Mei answered nonchntly.


    Shen Lihua pped her shoulder, "Is this the proper way to talk about your mother?"


    "Ah...Mother-inw, this is domestic violence," Yu Mei rubbed her shoulder.


    Shi Luo paused for a moment, "If you all were so close, then why-?"


    "Then, why we lost connection with each other?" Shen Lihua finished the sentence for her and as Shi Luo nodded, she continued speaking, "We all got a life, challenges that were too hard to ovee, we all got stuck in different struggles and schemes that were tough to get rid of. By the time I was away from all that, Li Na was no more and your mother...sigh...I never got the proper chance to reunite with them."


    Yu Mei and Shi Luo exchanged nces. They could hear the sadness in the woman''s voice.


    "Can you tell me more about Li...my mom?"

 Chapter 202 - A Special Child

    While all of them had lunch, Yu Mei could not help but think back to Shen Lihua''s words.


    ''We don''t know much about Li Na. She was a transfer student and because of how nice she was, it didn''t take much time for the three of us to be friends. She had helped me a lot. All I know is she came from a rich family but we never knew anything in detail. The next time we met, she was your father''s mistress and was pregnant with you. I..had asked her to leave that man but she said she was happy. But I knew she was not so we argued that day before I left. We did not meet each other for years as a lot was going on in my life. But when Zixuan was a few months away from turning 21, I received a letter from her reminding me of the betrothal. A few dayster, she was no more.''


    If she was rich, then why would she be a mistress?


    The next day, Shi Luo left the vi along with Yu Jinhai who insisted on going with her. Mu Shen and Jun Boyan stayed with Shen Lihua. Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan too left as thetter had some unfinished work while the former wanted to meet Li Shuang.


    "That way¡­" Yu Mei showed him the way to Li Shuang''s apartment.


    Jun Zixuan paused, "What''s wrong?"


    "What?" She blinked.


    "You have something that is bothering you."


    She gazed at his side profile quietly.


    *shback*


    Yu Mei walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe as she grabbed a dress from the wardrobe since they had to leave in 30 minutes.


    ''Knock Knock.''


    "Come in," She raised an eyebrow. Who could it be? Jun Zixuan will never knock before stepping inside the room. On the contrary, the man would suddenly pop from behind and hug her, scaring her at times.


    "Are you ready?" Shen Lihua stepped inside.


    "I¡­"


    "I have something I want to talk about. You can dress up after that."


    Yu Mei nodded under her solemn gaze.


    As they sat on the bed while facing each other, Shen Lihua was initially quiet before she spoke up, "Ah Xuan is indeed a member of the Amaranthine Royalty."


    "You overheard our conversation?" Yu Mei''s eyes widened. Did she hear everything¡­?


    "I just heard thest sentence," Thedy softly said.


    Yu Mei inwardly let out a sigh of relief. They had discussed a lot about her previous life and luckily, she did not overhear all that. She med it on herself for not locking the door properly. "Wait, did you just say he is from the Amaranthine Royal Family?"


    "Did you hit your head as a kid? Why are you so slow?"


    "_"


    "Mother-inw, can you not insult me all the time?" Yu Mei was speechless.


    Shen Lihua shook her head, "He is the son of the current head."


    Yu Mei was stunned. She took a deep breath, "So, Eminence belongs to them and he as the heir is the current CEO?"


    Shen Lihua was a bit surprised that she knew about his identity. But then considering the progress in their rtionship, this was normal. "No, he did not take a single penny from them. Everything he has belongs solely to him."


    "How could that be?" Her jaws dropped in disbelief, "Eminence has been ruling the business world for 8 years and Zixuan is just 23. Back then, he must be around 15¡­"


    "Be it his IQ or wits, no one around his age could bepared to him. He started working in apany as an advisor when he was 11. But he knew he would not be taken seriously because of his age so he always worked from the shadows, never showing his face. Two yearster, Eminence was established and by the time he was 15, Eminence had risen to fame, growing constantly with no looking back."


    Yu Mei did not know what to feel. It was something she should be proud about but for some reason, she just felt sad. 11 years is the age for a kid to y with toys, isn''t it? She has seen her brother going all through the struggles to possess at that President''s throne. Was Jun Zixuan''s childhood equally rough as well?


    "Why?"


    She remained quiet for some time before opening her mouth, "It''s my fault. I tried to fit somewhere I never belonged to. Ie from a middle-ss family but I married into royalty when their Prince pursued me," There was a hint of mncholy in her tone as she lowered her head, "But everything was like a sandcastle. Dreamy yet fragile. It was all over within a few years."


    "You regret it?" Yu Mei frowned. She was not aware of the details but given howplicated the royal families can be, it was not too tough to guess.


    "I have got both my sons. There is nothing to regret," She took a deep breath before holding Yu Mei''s palm, "I''ve always felt guilty towards my elder son. No matter what I do, I cannot redeem myself. I''ve been a bad mother who only made him suffer one way or another."


    Yu Mei did not know why she was saying all this to her but she wanted to know more about it.


    "I should have left the Jun Family when he was young, when everything started. But I was stupid to think that everything will be fine. As a three year child, my son wasbeled as trash, a bastard. To them, I slept with another man and conceived him," The usual elegance in her tone remained but Yu Mei could feel that pain in her eyes.


    "Did he¡­not believe you? Your husband?" She softly asked.


    "He did," Shen Lihua nodded, "And that was enough to hold me back. I thought we could go through this but everything worsened as time passed by. Ah Xuan was always a special child. He did not speak a single word as years passed by. He would always stay silent and look around. I took him to a doctor and although the reports were fine but that family called him a lunatic, a mute¡­."

 Chapter 203 - Past

    "Enough," Yu Mei stopped the woman. Something about all this made her blood boil and even though Shen Lihua was speaking so casually, Yu Mei could feel her heart trembling at the thought of him going through something so horrible.


    "¡­He was bullied again and again and I as a mother could do nothing. One day, a servant pushed him off the stairs using him of stealing something.."


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she felt the grip on her hand tightening slightly.


    "And that family believed her while my son wasbeled as a thief. The man who was supposedly his father stood at the sidelines, watching everything quietly. I took the boys and came back to Beijing to my family. My parents passed away soon after and I went into depression. It was only then did the boy speak for the first time. He told me that he will handle everything.." Shen Lihua stared at nowhere in particr as she reminisced that day, "I took it as a joke but he did not exin anything further. He even took care of his younger brother. Boyan is closer to Ah Xuan than he is to me. Over the years, I watched him slowly taking over everything he deserved."


    "I-" Yu Mei did not know what to say. Her heart ached for him.


    "Let me finish, Mei''er. I¡­I am a horrible mother," Tears rolled down her eyes, "I forced him to marry you using my health as a bait when I knew he deeply loved someone else back then."


    Yu Mei froze. Is it that woman he could never forget?


    "But because of everything I owed to your mother, I never backed out from my decision. I was ruthless to him and he might have detested me in his heart¡­" Her chest heaved up and down as she coughed.


    Yu Mei stood up before stroking her back, "I don''t think he ever detested you. He must be upset, yes. What you did was ruthless but you had your reasons and he understands. I don''t think your son is the kind of man who will hold grudges against his loved ones. He is powerful enough to deal with his issues so you should not be worried about him. Take care of your health. Moreover, I am always there with him."


    Shen Lihua''s eyes teared up once again, "I''m so d to see you both getting closer. Just never doubt his feelings towards you. Unlike his father, my boy will never hurt the woman in his life. He will always be faithful. Don''t dwell on his past. Just remember that you are his present and future."


    Yu Mei paused for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, "Alright, mother-inw, can you not talk so nicely with me? I''m getting goosebumps, already," She rubbed her arms.


    Shen Lihua pped her palm, "You are so childish."


    "By the way, do they know about this? I mean¡­the Jun Family¡­"


    "No, they don''t know anything. They are so influential and I had asked Ah Xuan to not provoke them."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Do you know that your son is more powerful than them?


    s, the conclusion of everything was that in order to not give Shen Lihua further stress, her son had just wrapped it up in the simplest way.


    He had his control not only on the business field but also the politics and military. While Shen Lihua was convinced that her son was a top business tycoon, the man on the other hand was already dominating the globe.


    Yu Mei ended up smiling.


    *shback ended*


    "We''re here, you are still lost in your thoughts," Jun Zixuan opened the door for her.


    She alighted the car taking his hand, "The young Zixuan must have been adorable," She stood on her tiptoes before pressing a soft kiss on his cheek.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist, "Probably not."


    "How could you say that? I wish I was your childhood sweetheart and we could''ve grown up together, shared lunch boxes, yed games and there are many such things we could have done together."


    Jun Zixuan chuckled, "Where''s the fun in that? As kids, you could have only kissed on my cheek. While now¡­" He pressed a kiss on her lips, "I can do this to you. We can share French Kisses, y blindfold, and grow together literally.''''


    Her face turned red at his insinuations, "Rogue."


    "Rogue or not, still yours."


    Sheughed, "Alright, I''ll go now."


    "Let''s go."


    "Where are youing?" Her brows furrowed.


    "With you."


    "But I''m going to meet Li Shuang. What will you do there?" She frowned as the man dragged her towards the lift.


    "I''ll back you up."


    "But I am not going on some war," Yu Mei was speechless at his antics.


    As the trio sat on the couch in the small living room, the atmosphere around was frustratingly awkward.


    Li Shuang remained quiet for a few seconds before opening her mouth, "How are you feeling now?"


    "I''m good. What about you?" Yu Mei inwardly cursed Zhu Boqin. That bad egg made everything so ufortable between her and Li Shuang.


    "I''m alright," She nodded, "What do you both want? Tea or coffee?"


    Yu Mei waved her hand, "Nothing. I¡­Shuang, are you angry?" In fact, she wanted to meet Li Shuang as soon as she was discharged from the hospital but she thought, the woman would want some time alone.


    "Why will I be angry?"


    "I did not know he was there in my room," Yu Mei did not know what to say at a time like this, "I don''t know how to make you feel good about this as everything that happened was too much¡­" The more she spoke, the more jumbled her words got and she was tongue-tied towards the end.


    Li Shuang lowered her head.


    "At least, you did not end up marrying him. You should see the positive side here."


    "_"


    Yu Mei red at Jun Zixuan. Is he consoling her or sprinkling salt on her wound?

 Chapter 204 - Princess Working For Peasants

    Li Shuang nced at Jun Zixuan.


    Yu Mei held his hand trying to remind him to keep his poisonous tongue in check. The poor woman just had a breakup in her years of rtionship, she might have a breakdown if he kept poking her wound.


    A cold expression settled on Jun Zixuan''s face matching Li Shuang''s, his aura overwhelmed the small space of the living room, "You should be d you discovered him before it waste. Or you didn''t want him to be discovered."


    Li Shuang''s expressions faltered, ''''What?"


    Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan before turning her head to look at Li Shuang''s confused face, "Are you hiding something from me?" It did not take her long to figure out the cause behind his actions.


    Usually, he was not a man who would talk to anyone about their personal lives or anything as such. Moreover, Li Shuang and him were not even that close. So, it looks like there is more to it.


    Li Shuang paused, "Even if I am hiding something from you, it has nothing to do with Boqin and my rtionship. I have lied to you about one thing. I-I am not an orphan."


    Her brows tugged together. Was it really necessary to that?


    "I-I¡­"


    "Alright, Shuang. You can tell me when you want. There is no need to force yourself about it. I trust you."


    Li Shuang nced at Jun Zixuan who had this ''I don''t trust you'' written all over his face.


    Yu Mei elbowed him.


    "Still your friend?" Li Shuang nced at her.


    Yu Mei cleared her throat, "Husband."


    "Wasn''t it boyfriend?" Jun Zixuan muttered beside her ear.


    "That''s between us no?"


    "You both are married?" Li Shuang nced at them.


    "Shuang, I could not find a proper chance to inform you about this. After my mother''s death, I got married-"


    "Your mother''s death?" Li Shuang stood up from the couch in a sh. Her usually indifferent expressions morphed into horror.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Indeed. She passed away two years ago," Since they were not on talking terms, the previous owner did not find it necessary to share it with her.


    As they walked towards the car, Yu Mei nced back at the small apartment building, "She reacted weirdly."


    "Her identity might not be that simple. That day in the hotel, she had guards to protect her," Jun Zixuan opened the door for her.


    She stepped inside as he walked around before settling on the driver''s seat, "I couldn''t guess." She sighed and leaned back on her seat.


    "Do you want me to investigate her?"


    Yu Mei shook her head as she closed her eyes, "There is no need to. Whoever she is, she is not an enemy. Let her get over the breakup first. When the timees, she will speak about it. If possible, you can investigate Li Na instead," She could have done that as well but it was all too troublesome and she would rather sleep more than wasting her brain cells on this.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    "Cough...I mean¡­Investigate my mother," She was still not used to having a mother all of a sudden.


    Later that night.


    "Young Mistress, do you need something?"


    Yu Mei nced at the man before shaking her head, "It''s past midnight already. You should take a rest."


    The servant bowed and left.


    She stood up from the couch before slumping on the bed. Jun Zixuan had to go over for a business trip all of a sudden and now that Yu Jinhai was also staying with Shi Luo, the mansion felt so empty.


    She missed Mia too.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    She grabbed the phone from the bedside table before looking at the caller ID. Mia was face-timing her?


    She swiped the answer option and soon the woman came to her view, sitting on the couch while wearing nothing but her undergarments, peeling grapes, and putting it in her mouth.


    Yu Mei nearly got a nosebleed.


    "Don''t look at me when you have the assets too," She muttered without looking at her.


    "Alright, do you have any ns tonight?" Yu Mei could not help but ask, "Did you invite a man home?"


    Mia nced at her with begrudging expressions, "While I was shopping today, I was trying to look for a man but they did not suit my taste."


    Yu Mei had an intuition about where this was going. The vixen might say that afterying her eyes on Han Jian Yu, no men were up to her standards. "Why are you dressed like this?" She quickly changed the topic.


    "There is a power outage here. It''s hot."


    No wonder there were candles everywhere. Mia always found it difficult to adjust to warm climatic conditions, "Why don''t youe over?"


    Mia sat up immediately popping another grape in her mouth. Her long silver hair fell over her shoulder gliding down her deep cleavage andying near her thighs, "I want toe over but I can''t."


    Yu Mei tried her best to not drop ament on that body lest the vixen got provoked, "Why is that?" She asked, loosening the cor of her night robe and scratching her neck softly.


    Mia''s eyes narrowed at the sight of the hickeys nted on the woman''s neck from top to bottom, "He will eat you up one day," She could not help but chuckle.


    Yu Mei nodded, "I don''t think it''s bad to be eaten by him," She blinked. As good as it was, when all was over, she will find herself a suitable hole and bury herself there.


    "Are you showing off that you have a man?" Mia squinted and eventually released a soft sigh, "Anyways, I can''t go because I have to go to work tomorrow.


    Yu Mei immediately sat up on the bed, "You have work?" She raised an eyebrow. This princess always considered it below her status to work for the peasant humans. Then, what work is she getting herself in?


    "While I was shopping today, I got the offer for that work. They asked¡­."

 Chapter 205 - Sick

    "...They asked me to be a part-time model for their products and they are willing to pay me as well."


    Yu Mei frowned. As a princess, Mia was that proper example of a prodigal spendthrift. She was more interested in exploring the world, going to bars, wine, men, and money. Work was not something that was ever avable in her ''to-do list''. "You know you don''t have to do this. I can give you all my money to squander and it will still not end," She stretched her neck feeling a slight ache in the back.


    "I have to set good examples for you as an elder sister,'''' Mia shrugged.


    "Do whatever makes you happy," Yu Mei chuckled. She was damn sure that Mia would soon get over this and be back to her carefree routine. Work andmitments were impossible for the woman but she did not find it necessary to stop her. There is nothing bad in experiencing everything.


    "You look tired. Go sleep."


    "How will you sleep?" Yu Mei frowned looking at the woman''s flushed and sweaty face.


    Mia swiftly transformed into her fox form before swishing her tail elegantly, "It is still cool inside the refrigerator."


    "_"


    The next day, Yu Mei had to go over to the headquarters of Rosette for a board meeting. Now that her identity was out, she took her own sweet time to know her employees by their CVs. She stayed in thepany for a few hours and sorted out the work piling up over thest few days,


    "President, are you leaving?" Director Xiang asked as he received the files from her hand.


    "Yes," She removed her shades and tilted her face to the side to look at him, ''''I''ll have to thank you for everything. iming my position would have been much difficult if it wasn''t because of you."


    "That''s nothing," The old manughed.


    She smiled, "You don''t need to address me so formally. I don''t mind if you call mess as usual," With that said, she turned around and left, leaving the old man stunned.


    In her previous life, she was way too ambitious about the sess of the Rosette that she did not pay attention to anything else. To her, they were just her employees and she was their employer. But this time, they felt like a family to her.


    It was probably because she got to see everything from a new perspective or because they stuck together through the tough times.


    She got inside the car before taking out her phone. A few notifications popped up directing her to another website. There was news about her brother, his current whereabouts, and everything else. There were a few pictures of him posted on social media too with girls swooning over the man in thement section. And finally, everything felt kind of normal to her.


    In the past few months, no matter how she tried she could not find anything about him on the tabloids or anywhere else. It looks like this was his way of assuring her that he was fine.


    She smiled and liked the picture.


    Her phone started ringing at the moment. She nced at the caller ID before answering the call, "Shuang?"


    "Mei, will you apany me somewhere? I want you to go with me to meet someone," Li Shuang spoke up from the other side.


    Yu Mei paused as she nced at the time on her wristwatch, "Alright then. I''m on my way to your apartment. "


    By the time they reached their destination, the sky was turning dark.


    "So, where is this ce?" Yu Mei asked as they stopped the car near an enormous mansion, "And who are we meeting?"


    Li Shuang nced at her, "My Grandfather. He is also the founder of our University."


    The founder of Imperial University? Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Any more bombs you n to drop on me?"


    Li Shuang hesitated in answering, rendering her speechless.


    "Alright, let''s go inside first."


    As they stepped inside, her gazended on the various proses and poetries hanging on the wall in a beautiful manner. She followed them towards the end. It was her first time seeing something so traditional and she could not help but be amazed by the wonderful calligraphies too.


    "You understanding their meaning?" A deep gruff voice asked.


    She shook her head without turning around, her gaze still stuck to poetry which was written on peach blossoms painting in the background, "They are pretty but out of myprehension," Passing in the Chinese exam was already difficult for her, let alone understanding theseplicated poetries and all.


    "Grandpa, she is my friend..."


    Hearing Li Shuang''s voice, Yu Mei snapped out of her daze and turned around only to find an old man standing near the firece holding a cane in his hand. His long beard gave him a domineering appearance and his eyes narrowed the moment their gaze locked.


    "I am Yu Mei Zhen," She bowed at the old man respectfully.


    A frown tugged at his face, wrinkling the space between his brows.


    The old man opened his mouth, "You are-?"


    His words were interrupted when her phone started ringing. She nced at the caller ID and rejected the call.


    ''Ring Ring.''


    Her phone started ringing again. Yu Mei wondered what was so important that Shi Luo was calling her like this.


    "Excuse me," She looked at Li Shuang and her Grandpa as both of them nodded at her, indicating her to take the call.


    "Luoluo?" She answered the call and her expressions shifted in the next moment.


    She hung up the call before looking at them, "I apologize but I have to leave now."


    "Is everything alright?" Li Shuang was concerned looking at her expressions.


    "Ah Jin is sick..."


    Li Shuang frowned, "What happened?"


    "I don''t know. I''ll have to go now," Yu Mei turned to look at the old man before bowing slightly, "It was nice to meet you. Hope we will meet again.''''


    The old man nodded and she walked out of the ce without looking back.


    Looking at her Grandpa''s meaningful gaze settled on Yu Mei''s back, Li Shuang spoke up, "Grandpa, let''s talk."


    "About..?"


    "It''s time for you to let go of all that. She is no more," As straightforward as she was, Li Shuang did not beat around the bush.


    "What?" The old man''s cane dropped as his expressions changed, "This is not possible."

 Chapter 206 - Stingy Luoluo

    "Did he sleep?"


    "Shh..." Yu Mei slowly stood up from the bed as she tucked Yu Jinhai in the nket before walking out of the room followed by Shi Luo, "Let him sleep more for today. Since he has exams tomorrow, inform his school that he will be there by the second half," Yu Mei settled on the couch.


    "What happened to him? He vomited everything he ate and suddenly started crying. Ah Jin is usually not like that. Even though he is not cheerful all the time, but he is never this chaotic. I panicked today."


    "It''s all my fault," Yu Mei rubbed her forehead, "Ipletely forgot that today is his mother''s death anniversary."


    "Logically, she should be your mother too."


    "I don''t know about that but as a woman, I do respect her a lot," She sighed, "Mistress or not, she did her best to protect her children from all the storms. She even arranged a betrothal between Yu Mei Zhen and Jun Zixuan so that her daughter would be safe under her friend''s wings if anything happens to her in the future. That''s a different thing that her daughter never appreciated her efforts. But to me, she was a strong and resilient woman who withered because of the circumstances."


    Shi Luo nodded, "That''s true. She must have her own struggles in that family."


    "Ah Jin has gone through a lot of torment. What hurt him more than the Yu Family was the attitude of his biological sister towards him. Sometimes, she would lock him in the darkroom. Hell, she once sold him off to a bunch of child traffickers. Although he is attached to me now, but there is still that deep fear instilled in him that one day I would not love him like before," Yu Mei leaned back on the couch as she nced at the ceiling.


    Usually, she did not judge the previous owner as she thought whatever she did must have some reason behind it, be it slitting her wrist for Jun Zixuan or scheming against everyone. But at times like this, Yu Meibeled her as a ''bitch'' in her heart. She detested her mother for being a mistress. That''s her opinion. But what did this innocent child do to deserve her hate? Why must he go through all these torments?


    Shi Luo inched closer to Yu Mei before patting her shoulder, "Leave it to time. I think Ah Jin will heal slowly. We just have to be patient with him and even though he won''t be able to forget those painful memories, we can at least create some good new ones."


    "You''re right."


    "Mei, do you think Li Na was murdered?"


    "You think the Yu Family killed her?" As Shi Luo nodded, Yu Mei shook her head, "I have the memories. She passed away from a brain stroke.''''


    Shi Luo sighed, "Anyways, I told Mom that I met her old best friend and she is now excited to reunite with your mother-inw."


    "That''s good. You can drive her there when you''re free. I''ll inform her."


    Shi Luo nodded, "Lately, Mom has been asking me about you. I don''t know how to answer her."


    "You have told her about me?"


    "No, I mean Han Mei," Shi Luo''s brows tugged together, "I can''t tell her that you''re dead, can I? Her reactions will be extreme."


    Yu Mei massaged her forehead, "You are giving me a headache."


    ''Ring...Ring..''


    She nced at her phone and the corner of her lips tugged up when she saw the caller ID.


    Shi Luo stood up, "Here is your pain reliever," She rolled her eyes, "I am off to sleep. You can also talk to him in your room." She waved her hand and walked away.


    Just as Yu Mei was about to swipe the answer option, the call got disconnected. She pouted. But in the next second, her phone started ringing again. And this time, it was not a voice call anymore but instead he was face timing her.


    She stood up from the couch in a sh, "I must be looking like a female witch right now," She dashed inside the room before standing in front of the mirror. She quickly adjusted her messy hair and nced at her reflection.


    Luckily, she looked decent.


    Adjusting her robe a little, she quickly answered the call only to be greeted by that handsome face staring at her with eyes full ofints.


    Jun Zixuan was sleeping on the bed with his ash-blonde hair in a mess. His upper body was naked till as much as she could see as the nket blocked her vision.


    It was illegal to be this hot! She shouted in her heart.


    And the phone was probably leaning against some pillow in front of him. "Hey," She instantly regretted greeting him this way. It was way too awkward when you are used to being around each other but suddenly you have to hold your conversation on the phone.


    "Why would you not answer my calls?" His deep voice made her toes curl.


    She gulped. "I just missed your first call and I answered the second one, didn''t I?" She turned off the lights only leaving the bedsidemps on. Switching on the air conditioner, she closed the door before climbing on the bed.


    "After so many rings. Don''t you think you are heartless towards me?" His deep eyes bored into hers, making her forget that there was a phone between them. For a split second, it was like he was right next to her.


    "I''ve never been heartless towards you," She blinked. Sometimes, she has been angry at him, fought with him, didn''t talk with him for days but that apart..."Your usations are baseless."


    "We will talk about that when you fight with me the next time," The man moved his arm towards the front and she could see his muscles flexing at the slightest movement.


    What kind of air conditioner is this? Why was she feeling so hot? This Shi Luo is too stingy. She earns so much but uses such low-quality appliances.


    "How was your day?" She changed the topic while reciting in her mind ''Think no evil, see no evil''.

 Chapter 207 - So In Love

    "It was dull, bleak, nk...anything but good."


    She raised an eyebrow, "Why is that?" She grabbed a pillow and ced it in front of her before putting the phone there such that it was leaning against the pillow for support.


    "My days are just so-so without you," The man sighed.


    His casual words tugged her heartstrings. The corner of her lips twitched into a small smile, "Is it so?"


    "Mm," Jun Zixuan nced at the ceiling letting her have a view of his side profile, "How was your day?"


    She blinked, "Exhausting. I went to the headquarters, then I apanied Li Shuang to meet her grandpa andter Ah Jin got sick so I am here at Luoluo''s ce."


    His brows tugged slightly as he turned his face towards the camera, "The guard informed me about your whereabouts so I knew you were at Shi Luo''s ce. But I didn''t expect it to be about Ah Jin."


    After the Zhu Boqin incident, Jun Zixuan assigned a secret guard for her who won''te out unless the situation was urgent and would always stay at a distance so as to not invade her privacy.


    She wanted to deny to this arrangement but...


    Once bitten twice shy.


    If she considered her brother''s advice and had not run away without her bodyguards, then she might not have died.


    Mia only had thest tail left so there will be no third life for her. And she already owed her a tail. A little more debt and she will be buried under the ground.


    So, this time it was better to stay out of risks.


    "Today is his...our mother''s death anniversary and since he was close to her so..." She sighed.


    "Were you not close to her?"


    She nced at him nkly. It was rare for him to ask anything about her past or anything like that. After their fight, he never once mentioned Mia who was presented to him as her supposed daughter. Sometimes, she could not help but wonder about it.


    Was it because she told him that she had her secrets? Or was it because he simply trusted her?


    But wasn''t he at least curious to know where did that daughter disappear to?


    "Mei...''''


    She snapped out of her daze, "Huh? Yeah...Actually, I was not that close to her. As you know, I was a bit mentally unstable in the past," She cleared her throat, "Only after the ident did I get to see the world with a new perspective. You won''t see me as someone crazy now, will you? Well, I Just-"


    "I miss you," He interrupted her.


    She blinked as her gazended on the empty side of the bed before she looked at him, "Me too..." She softly said as she grabbed the nket and tucked herself properly, "When will youe back?"


    "Within 2 days."


    She raised an eyebrow, "I thought this business trip was supposed tost around a week," Steward Gu did say something like that.


    "Any more than 48 hours, and my work efficiency will gradually decrease."


    "Just say it aloud that you can''t live without me," She tilted her chin, feeling a bit smug.


    "You are overestimating yourself. I just miss home."


    She froze for a split second as the man dragged her down from the seventh heaven, "You just can''t be nice to me, can you?"


    "Uh-huh,'''' Home is where you are.


    "Anyways, do you know today when I went to thepany, the employees were still shocked and they....."


    He nced at her face in concentration as she talked about her day while looking at the ceiling.


    "...and then I..." She yawned, "...went with S-Shuang..." She closed her eyes and licked her lips, her breathing turned even.


    Jun Zixuan propped himself on his elbow as he nced at his sleeping beauty, ''''Good Night, Love.''''


    ...


    As the sunrays invaded through the ss windows and danced in the room, she covered her face with the back of her hand but s the sun was too stubborn. It had to poke her eyes through the gaps. "Ughhh...Why can''t the nightst for 15 hours?"


    "Because sleeping that much will convert you to a real panda. It will break my heart to have everyone running after my national treasure."


    Her eyes snapped open in an instant as she sat up on the bed, "Zixuan, what are you doing here-?" She paused as she looked around the empty room.


    "Here."


    The voice made her turn her face to the side. "You didn''t disconnect the call?" She was stunned.


    "Waking up to your face is never a bad idea," Looking at the frown that graced her face, he added, "I did sleep. Just woke up earlier than you."


    "That''s better then," She sighed. She would have snapped at him if he had said that he did not sleep for the whole night. Her lips slowly curved up, "You are so in love with me, aren''t you?" She asked as she stretched her body.


    His gaze darkened as he nced at the silk robe that slipped off her shoulder getting him a view of her deep cleavage. Her high messy bun revealed her smooth neck. As she stretched her body, her robe tugged up slightly giving him the view of those milky thighs and those prominent curves through that flimsy fabric.


    "Are you seducing me on purpose?"


    She paused, not understanding what he was saying. She followed his gaze and nced at her half-naked body. "AH-" She quickly grabbed the nket and wrapped it around herself, "Where is your decency? Can''t you avert your gaze?"


    "Disconnect the call."


    "What?" She frowned. Can''t he do it?


    "I can''t bring myself to disconnect it and you are testing my patience right now," He removed the nket and got off the bed giving her a blurry view of his muscr back that was soon out of her vision perhaps because he walked away from the camera, "I''m wrapping up all the work as soon as I can. Y=When Ie back, you choose the location, I''ll choose the position."


    What position?


    What location?


    Was she bing dumb or he was simply too smart? She tried to connect the dots as she hung up the call.


    Seduce. Patience. Location. Position.


    The keywords encircled in her mind and soon the realization dawned on her. Her face turned red and her body was hot in an instant. She bit her bottom lips. It is just 7 a.m. What is he thinking about so early?

 Chapter 208 - Marks

    "Ah Jin, what did you like more? The Ferris wheel or the carousel?" Yu Mei excitedly nced at Yu Jinhai who was sitting on the shotgun seat while Shi Luo drove the car.


    Yu Jinhai turned around to look at the woman sitting in the backseat, "Both were good. But Jie, I loved your expressions when we were on the roller coaster ride."


    Yu Mei: "_"


    "Pfft," Shi Luo failed to contain herughter.


    "I was screaming because my hairstyle was ruined," Yu Mei cleared her throat as she red at Shi Luo.


    "Yes, Jie. I believe you," Though he said that, his expressions screamed ''You are lying''.


    "We''re here," Shi Luo announced as she parked the car in front of the boy''s school.


    Yu Mei alighted the car and walked towards the front before opening the door to the shotgun seat.


    "Wow...Look at that sister. She is so pretty."


    "Yes, she looks like a Disney princess."


    "Oh my god. See, is that Jinjin?"


    "Wow. He is so cute today."


    "Do you think he will agree to be my friend?"


    "Humph! You are too ugly to be his friend."


    Their gossips were not so quiet and it did not escape Yu Mei''s sharp ears, "Jinjin, huh? My brother is the school prince, after all," She adjusted his uniform''s cor and hair. It was a crazy idea to take him to the amusement park while he was in his school uniform but craziness always brought extra fun.


    Yu Jinhai blushed, "Jie, I don''t really know them."


    "Then, you should know them. Such little beauties. I can already feel my heart melting. How could not respond to their friend requests?"


    "Troublesome," The boy softly muttered.


    Yu Mei chuckled as she removed her shades.


    "Hey, isn''t that President Leanne?"


    "The CEO of Rosette?"


    "Now that I look at it, that boy is the illegitimate son of the Yu Family."


    "Yes, don''t you know? President Leanne is the illegitimate daughter of the Yu Family. Her other name is Yu Mei Zhen."


    "I know. I have seen it in news. I was shocked. After all, Yu Mei Zhen has a bad reputation..."


    "....Ugly reputation."


    "But who could have known her real identity? And she is so beautiful and perfect. Who called her fat and ugly? Moreover, look how she adores her brother. How can she be a bad person?"


    "These people know how to keep up the facade. Who knows what''s there in her heart?"


    While the children were infatuated by the beauty, the parents had their own opinions as they gossiped.


    Even though some of their words reached her ears, Yu Mei did not pay attention to them. She was very d that no reporters stalked her here. It seems like they learned their lessonst time.


    "Do well in your exams. Best of luck!"


    "But I am not that good at Geography subject. I won''t get good marks."


    "Who cares about good marks? Write whateveres to your mind," Yu Mei patted his shoulder.


    Shi Luo who just walked towards them almost stumbled when she heard the woman''s words. How could she influence this little munchkin to be as wilful as her? Write whatever you want? Which sister will teach something like this to their younger brother?


    Yu Jinhai blinked, not expecting to hear this, "Jie, I can''t score badly. The marks will be there on the report card and it will influence the overall percentage."


    Yu Mei squatted downing to his level as she held his hand, "Ah Jin, I am looking for an art teacher for you. I know you are interested in art," She has seen him scribbling and sketching randomly and they were all so beautiful, "As for your report card or percentage, who cares about the numbers. The marks won''t define you as a person. You don''t have to score well to be a good student," She smiled, "Not that I am motivating you to score bad but don''t pressure yourself. I want you to do the things you love, okay?"


    "Okay," The boy nodded, imprinting her words in his mind.


    She ced a soft kiss on his forehead, "Go now!"


    "Bye, Jie," The boy waved his hand as he walked away.


    She stood up before waving back at him.


    "Do you think he is fine?" Shi Luo nced at her.


    "He is pretending to be fine."


    "It will take him some time," Shi Luo sighed, "I agree with you about what you told him."


    "About studies?" Yu Mei asked, putting on her shades. As Shi Luo nodded, she sighed, "Ah Jin is too mature for his age. I want him to be more free instead. Moreover, we miss out on a lot of things focusing on these grades and all. You were busy being Miss bookworm in university days and missed out on the hot basketball coach who was damn interested in you," She spoke thest words with a teasing intent in her voice.


    Shi Luo was speechless, "You are looking for a fight, aren''t you?"


    "HAHA...I am serious," Yu Mei flipped her hair back and sashayed towards the other side of the car before getting inside the driver''s seat.


    Shi Luo shook her head and settled in the shotgun seat, "Where are we going now?"


    "Your ce. You have a day off today so you can chill while I''ll do my work. The mansion feels so empty without him. I am not going back."


    Shi Luo could not help but pat her chest, "My poor single soul can''t take this," With that said, she fiddled with her phone.


    Yu Mei stepped on her elerator.


    "What the fuck is this?!" Shi Luo let out a string of curses in a flow scaring the hell out of Yu Mei.


    She quickly stepped on the emergency brakes, "Luoluo, what''s wrong?" She patted her chest. What is up with such exaggerated expressions?


    "Bastard, bitch...mo...." Yu Mei pressed her hand on the woman''s mouth to stop her from cursing further.


    "How many times have I told you to keep this in check? Does it suits your image?"


    Shi Luo took a few deep breathes, "I overreacted," Just as Yu Mei was about to nod, Shi Luo snapped again, "Fuck my image. Look at this," She passed her phone to the woman.

 Chapter 209 - Cunning Yet Naive

    Yu Mei nced at the woman who was trying breathing exercises to calm down. She sighed before looking at the phone. Her eyes narrowed when her gazended on the content.


    ''President Leanne''s true face is about to reveal in a few minutes. Starting the countdown.''


    ''The CEO of Rosette is not just a beautiful face but also has a scheming soul. The family is out for revtion.''


    ''Yu Family''s dirtyundry soon to be out in open.''


    ''The Yus has been dominating the Entertainment Industry. But who could''ve thought that they have such entertainment within their household?''


    ''Stepmother''s revtions will be out as soon as the Press Conference start.''


    Yu Mei passed the phone to Shi Luo.


    "What are we going to do about it?" Shi Luo nced at her, "I think we should leave them alone. Who cares about what they speak?" The entertainment industry is a messy ce and since the Yu Family has established themselves there for so many years then it might be Yu Mei who will face theizen''s wrath.


    "Of course, why would I take action?" Yu Mei spoke through gritted teeth.


    Shi Luo rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps rising on them.


    "Let''s go and get changed first. We''ll then go over there to take a look."


    Shi Luo frowned, "Just a look?" Why couldn''t she bring herself to believe it?


    "Yes."


    "Mei, you are too impulsive."


    "I promise I won''t kill them."


    Shi Luo: "_" Is it assurance or threat?


    They went back to her apartment and Yu Mei changed her casual outfit first. Luckily, she had gotten over a few outfits from the mansion in the morning.


    She knocked on Shi Luo''s door, "Are you done?"


    "I have an urgent call. Give me 15 minutes."


    "Alright," Yu Mei nced at the time. Something popped up in her mind.


    She walked out of the ce before walking towards the door right in front of Shi Luo''s t. It did not take long for the person inside to respond when she knocked.


    "Hey, Littly~"


    "You sensed me, didn''t you? And what''s up with this littly?"


    "I had sensed your presence since yesterday. Littly means little. Since you are my little sister, I''ll call you that," Mia smiled as her eyes squinted in a seductive manner, "Who are you out to y?" She asked as her gaze roamed at the woman from top to bottom.


    "Nothing like that," Yu Mei walked inside followed by Mia who kept fumbling and stumbling. She held her arm to support her.


    Mia sighed dejectedly.


    Yu Mei nced at her casual pyjamas that were paired with six-inch-high stilettos, "What is this?"


    "They told me to practice wearing this. It is even extra high," Mia sighed helplessly. As she tried to walk forward, she ended up stumbling once again only to be supported by Yu Mei, ''''See, I can''t even walk properly with these things."


    Yu Mei stifled herughter, "I just realized you are a few inches shorter than me," Although they were wearing heels, the height difference was still somewhat apparent.


    "Are you calling me short?" Mia narrowed her eyes.


    "Well, your highness, I will help you," She flipped her hair before straightening the woman''s shoulder, "Here, look at me."


    Mia blinked, "As much as I adore beautiful things, I am not interested in women. You can be my little sister at most," Why would she look at her?


    "Mia!" Yu Mei pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Try to walk?"


    Mia nced at her heels as she hesitantly stepped forward. She had already gotten her ankles twisted for a good number of times to not be traumatized by the heels.


    Looking at the hesitation on her face, Yu Mei tilted her face to the side, "Don''t do it if you don''t want to. Why must you insist on being a model?"


    "Well..." She was just curious about this world, the systems here, the ie, the jobs, everything about this world was so new to her that one day she wanted to be a scientist, and the other day, she was leaning towards modeling.


    "Well, I have an idea."


    Mia nced at her questioningly.


    "You once told me that you have the ability to create illusions. Can''t you do that?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow.


    Mia''s hazel eyes glittered, "You mean I can show them that I am wearing heels when in reality I''ll be barefoot.''''


    "Exactly."


    Mia hugged her, "Thank you. How could I forget that? Mother always used to say that I lose my wits when I am nervous about anything."


    Yu Mei smiled, "I have something to deal with. I''ll go check whether Luoluo is ready."


    "Okay."


    Yu Mei paused near the door as she turned around, "Mia."


    "Mm?" The vixen discarded the troublesome heels before ncing at her.


    "Don''t trust someone easily. If required, use your powers to know what''s in their mind before you befriend them."


    Mia frowned but eventually nodded even though she was a little confused by it.


    As Yu Mei walked out of the house, she could not help but sigh. If she were to take advantage of Mia right now, the woman won''t even realize it. As cunning as she was, Mia was different.


    Once she let her guard down around somebody, there would be a hint of naivety and innocence in her character. Once she started trusting someone, she will do anything for them.


    This was a pattern that Yu Mei has noticed during the time they were together. From the day her rtionship with Mia started getting better, the woman trusted her blindly.


    Maybe it was because she was cursed and trapped in a ce for years that she failed to know the cruelty of the world. As sly as she was, she was somewhat pure from her heart.


    Compared to the foxes, the humans are the real epitome of ruthlessness.


    She hoped that Mia would note across anything like that.


    ...


    Inside the 7th hall of Moon Al Hotel.


    The entire hall could fit up to 700 people. After all, the press conference was arranged by the leading agency in the entertainment industry, Dream Entertainment. And the topic of this conference was Leanne, the world-famous chief designer and CEO of Rosette. So, the arrangements were certainly not to be underestimated.

 Chapter 210 - Allegations

    Within the luxurious hall, the media was already gathered. Since they knew they were getting their hands on a piece of top news, they could barely contain their excitement.


    3 pm. The press conference officially started as Mother Yu walked elegantly towards the stage and stood beside the podium. She slowly adjusted the microphone to a suitable height before speaking up, "I never thought I will be standing here one day to speak about my beloved daughter. But sometimes when things go out of your control, you will have to take necessary measures. And that''s why I am here today," She wiped the lone teardrop that rolled down her cheek, "My husband and I are helpless. So, we could onlye to you for the justice we are desperately seeking...."


    The camera shutters began snapping like crazy as the reporters did not want to let go of the smallest detail about Leanne.


    "Madam Yu, you don''t need to hesitate in front of us."


    "We will do our best to help you."


    "Yes!! You don''t need to fear anyone."


    Right at this moment, two women settled on the chairs around one of the round tables ced in a corner.


    "Why do I feel like I am a thief?" Shi Luo adjusted her round sses as she looked around.


    Yu Mei fiddled with the mask covering half of her face, "Nonsense. They are talking about me and we are here to be a good audience. It is that simple. What are you worried about?"


    "....So, this is all that happened all these years. She would act promiscuously around men, drink, smoke, she did everything to go against the family rules and even ran away to be someone else''s mistress..." There were gasps in the surroundings and Mother Yu tried her best to not smile, "She hid her real identity from us despite being loved and adored by the family. She never once listened to her biological mother''s pleas nor did she respect my words. And till now, she is still walking down that path but as a mother, I can''t bear to see this anymore. Everything has to be stopped either by coaxing or by force. She is my child, how can I bear to let her do all these things?" Her gentle voice resounded across the hall.


    Shi Luo and Yu Mei exchanged nces, "What is her skin made of?" The former asked curiously.


    Thetter shook her head, "It is so thick."


    "How can she do something like this?"


    Mother Yu lowered her head to hide that smirk on her face.


    "Why would she do something like this? President Leanne has got iparable status and wealth. Even the Dream Entertainment fades whenpared to the Empire of Rosette. Why would she stoop so low to be with a man? I don''t understand why would she be a mistress or hover around other men..."


    "Exactly my point."


    "Do you think they are defaming her after she rose to fame?"


    "They are her family."


    "There are many schemes in such rich families..."


    Mother Yu pursed her lips, "You think I will put false allegations against my daughter? If situations were not desperate, I would not have been here," She nced at Daniel and Yu Yan who were standing below the stage, "Show it."


    The reporters nced at the both of them, recognizing them as the Young Master and Young Miss of Yu Family.


    Did they have enough proof to support their ims?


    Everyone had this question in their minds.


    Daniel hesitated for a moment much to his mother''s and sister''s annoyance. Jun Zixuan''s face shed in his mind. He recalled the way they held hands in the Dean''s office. His hesitation gradually disappeared as he took out a remote from his pocket before pressing a switch.


    The lights in the hall turned off as the screen behind Mother Yu lit up revealing as a slideshow started up. Countless images shed one by one as Yu Mei Zhen''s unbearably scarred face and fat body came to the view. The picture was of her talking to various men, leaning against a man, there was a picture of her talking to what looked like a bunch of goons. As if it was not suggestive enough, there came another picture of the woman trying to kiss someone forcefully.


    It was Zhu Boqin. Yu Mei narrowed her eyes when recognized the man in the slightly blurry picture. But then her gazended on something else. A man was standing beside the tree in the background of the picture and it was not difficult to recognize him. She tilted her head and nced at Daniel''s back. Something dawned on her and her eyes shed.


    Many such pictures shed one by one and eventually came to her recent ones.


    There was a picture of her standing with a man. Even though only their backs were visible, Yu Mei and Shi Luo could recognize the man in the picture with one nce. That striking ash blonde hair. Who else could it be other than Jun Zixuan?


    Then there was a picture of her and a man who looked like he is in his early thirties. And one could see her blushing face in the picture and only the side profile of the decently handsome man was visible.


    "When was this taken?"


    Yu Mei frowned, "When I was going to Ren Mansion after two months of our fight. For Chinese sses from my baby..."


    Shi Luo rolled her eyes. Where did she get the urge to adore Jun Zixuan at this moment?


    "Now that I think about it, Zixuan was particrly handsome that day. Sigh...What a gorgeous man-"


    "Point, Mei!"


    The woman cleared her throat, "Well, Steward Gu was there to pick me up and he addressed me as Young Mistress all of a sudden. So, I was just...umm.."


    "Shy?" Shi Luo asked as she looked at the woman who was turning a tomato even in the dark.


    "Shut up!"


    Shi Luo coughed.


    Yu Mei patted her hot cheeks as the gears in her mind turned. It seemed like they had bribed some student to stalk her. And it seems like they have been doing it for years.


    They were cautious around the previous owner too.


    What a crazy bunch of people!

 Chapter 211 - Then I Am Not Han Mei

    "Who could have known she has such a dirty personal life?"


    "She never looked like that kind of person."


    "You should never judge a book by its cover. The CEO of Rosette is such a frivolous woman."


    "Look at how many men she is going out with. So slutty!


    The corner of her lips twitched as she heard the gossips of the reporters behind her. She adjusted her mask slightly. She thought they have learned their lesson when she did not them hovering around while she out with Yu Jinhai. But these reporters are like a dog''s tail. Even if you use a straightener, it will still be curvy.


    As the slideshow ended, the lights in the hall turned on.


    "See, I wasn''t lying to you," Mother Yu sobbed softly, earning herself pity from the crowd, "I feel ashamed to say all this but I hope she finds this embarrassing andes back to the right path. Since we havee this far, I won''t hide the truth. She...has feelings for my son. her half brother, Daniel..."


    Daniel''s eyes widened. He never knew this was included in their ns too. Nobody informed him about this.


    The reporters gasped, not expecting this sudden twist.


    "Incest?"


    ''''Just how disgusting can she be?"


    "...Please don''t judge my daughter. I just hope she realizes her mistake. That is why I am forced to do this. How can she have such thoughts about her brother? When I told her that, she mmed the te of food on my face."


    "Mei, what are you looking for?"


    "Isn''t there a buffet here?"


    Shi Luo frowned, "What?"


    "I want a te of food to m it on this old goat''s face. What the heck is she talking about?"


    This was a live press conference and if it went on like how it was going, Rosette''s stocks will plummet once again as it has just been stabilized and thepany was going through a delicate period. It won''t do any good if the CEO''s reputation has such a stain. And that bothered Shi Luo the most. But she remained quiet and did not remind Yu Mei about it.


    Shi Luo held her hand and stroked her palm trying to calm the woman down. If she got angry, the hall will be on fire.


    "...Even after she became someone''s mistress, she is still trying to seduce my son one way or another. How can Daniel see his sister like that? To him, she is just his little sister. And that angered Mei''er, she bullied my younger daughter again and again and even called her employer and faked a story. Yan''er was suspended from the university a few weeks ago which had a bad effect on her final examinations. Now that this is a live press conference, I know Mei must be hiding at home in fear. She tends to not face her mistakes and run away from them. But do you think I am wrong? Seducing your brother isn''t immoral?"


    "It is...It is very immoral."


    "You are so kind that you are trying to make her realize her mistakes. If it was my daughter, I would have broken her leg."


    "Such women are a taint on the society."


    "Frivolous women like this influence promiscuity."


    "Mei, where are you going? Sit here. Don''t be impulsive. There will be consequences..." Shi Luo tried her best to hold the woman back but her strength was no match for her friend.


    "Who the hell is hiding in her home? I have never once been a coward," Yu Mei mmed her phone on the round table, "Fuck consequences. If I don''t teach this old goat a lesson, then I am not Han Mei."


    Shi Luo''s eyes widened as she looked around in panic before letting out a sigh of relief as she noticed that nobody was nearby to hear them.


    "Please don''t talk about my daughter like that...I just want..."


    "Stepmom, quit the drama, will you? That old face of yours looks downright disgusting when you put on this white lotus act. Did nobody teach you to not speak behind someone''s back, yeah? How mannerless you are! Tsk!"


    ''Silence''


    ''Pindrop Silence''


    That velvety clear voice was loud enough to make everyone pause. They turned around to look at the woman who was walking straight on the path towards the podium.


    Dressed in a ck suit, she had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her V-neck zer slim-fit zer enhanced her hourss figure. Her stilettos produced sounds like small crackers bursting every time she ced a step forth. Her ck ankle-length pants revealed the diamond anklet sitting on her leg that shone under the light.


    The crowd immediately parted from the middle, giving way to her.


    Mother Yu panicked. How did shee inside when there were people arranged to stop her just in case she tried to barge. She calmed herself down and looked in a particr direction.


    "You Bitch!! You are a shame on the society!!" A reporter dashed towards her with a knife pointed at her neck.


    She grabbed the knife single-handedly. A few drops of blood dripped down the de but her face remained nonchnt as she snatched it from the man''s hand. Just as he tried to punch her, she grabbed his fist with her other hand.


    ''Crack''


    The man wailed in pain as he felt his wrist being twisted ruthlessly.


    Right at this moment, the bodyguard who was assigned by Jun Zixuan to protect her came to her side.


    She passed him the knife before looking at him, "Take this man out and check his identity. Investigate the real cause behind his attack."


    "But..." The bodyguard hesitated. Master had assigned him to protect her. How could he leave like that?


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Do you think I need help?" She raised an eyebrow. Unlike thest time, she was neither drugged nor muddle-headed by sleep.


    The man paused and eventually nodded. The woman''s moves were even swifter than most of his team members. She was worthy enough to be their Young Mistress. With that thought in his mind, he grabbed the reporter by his cor and dragged him out.

 Chapter 212 - Domineering

    Shi Luo who was already standing in fear that something will go wrong slumped on her chair. She felt like her heart would not survive past this day.


    Yu Mei raised her hand and flipped her hair back as she ascended the podium, her diamond bracelet sparkled under the bright lights. The glow encased her as if she was ethereal.


    Yu Mei grabbed the microphone from right in front of the woman, "Yes? You all are having fun gossipping behind my back?" She nced at the reporters who lowered their heads in shame.


    After being insulted by the woman twice in the past, they felt somewhat shy in front of her. They did not do anything wrong but they could not understand why they were feeling so ashamed.


    Yu Mei nced at the woman staring at her nkly.


    "Mei, I just...I just wanted to say what you have been doing all this while is wrong. You can''t try to seduce your brother and..." Mother Yu sobbed softly. Did this woman think she can''t tackle her? It was an open fact that she liked Daniel and that would be the biggest weapon to take her down. She smiled in her heart.


    "Your son, Daniel, is not my brother. I never take him as one."


    Daniel''s gaze shed.


    The reporters gasped while Mother Yuughed inwardly. This bitch was still a fool. Provoke her a little, and she is already wearing her heart on her sleeves.


    "President Leanne, is it true that you have feelings for your brother?"


    "Are you inciting incest in society?"


    "You have so many men already, isn''t it shameful to eye your brother?"


    The reporters mustered some courage to take the woman head-on. It was her who was in wrong. What right did she have to make them fearful? Humph!


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes dangerously, "You people never learn your lesson, do you? No worries," She nced at Mother Yu who was smug by this, "Brother, my foot! Your son can''tpare to my brother''s toenails. "


    The soft smile on the woman''s face disappeared. How dare this bitchpare her son to that bastard Yu Jinhai?


    If only she knew that there was an elder brother in the picture too.


    Yu Mei didn''t pay attention to the woman''s raging face as she nced at Daniel, "Why are you looking at my legs like that? I know they are beautiful but those lustful eyes of yours don''t match the brotherly affection that your mother described," She clicked her tongue.


    The man''s face turned red, not expecting to be called out like that. There was a day when she looked so disgusting and today, it felt like she was meant for all the limelight. And he could barely take his eyes off her. Her body, her smile, her aura, her figure, her voice...everything about the woman was so fucking enthralling.


    The focus of the cameras turned towards his direction as the reporters tried their best to capture every single expression on the man''s face.


    Yu Yan held her brother''s hand before tugging at it, "Brother, avert your gaze. Is this the time to lust over her beauty?" She gritted her teeth. Why did this bitch be so beautiful? Why could she have everyone''s attention?


    "Whether I am sleeping with countless men..." Yu Mei nced at reporters who focused their cameras on her, "Or I am in love with one. Who gives you the right to discuss my personal life, hmm? The hypocrisy of this society just never fails to astound me. It''s fine for a boy to hover around 4 girls, that''s cool. But when a girl is around 4 boys, she is a slut. Anyways, I won''t bother with exnations as I don''t give a fuck what you think about me. You all are here in masses, I am a helpless woman. I can''t fight against all of you," She blinked, "Just those who threw their opinions with insufficient evidence can expect mywyer at their ce."


    "_"


    Helpless woman? Can''t fight?


    Don''t you feel embarrassed when you talk like that?


    The reporters were on the verge of crying. They wanted to protest against this woman''s shameless words but they were too embarrassed to say something.


    Because what she said was true. They always took action after getting proper evidence but since the matter was rted to her this time, they hyped it up to make hot headlines. The pictures were insufficient to prove anything as the men in them could be her friends, employees, driver, or anyone like that.


    "But selling your brother to the human traffickers isn''t your personal life right? What exnations will you give about that?" Yu Yan yelled from below the stage.


    The crowd gasped.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow. This family came well prepared. It seems like she will have to take responsibility for the previous owner''s deeds.


    And after that, destroying Dream Entertainment did not seem like a bad idea to her.


    "I..."


    "Don''t bother denying it, you unfilial daughter!! Not only she sold her brother in the past, she even forcefully took him away from the family," Father Yu walked towards her;


    Yu Mei paused. She was just wondering where was the mastermind of all this and here hees. It was her first time meeting Father Yu. Her brows tugged together when her gazended on Yu Jinhai walking beside him.


    There was a guard assigned to protect him so if he is here, that means he came with this man by his own wish.


    Mother Yu smiled as she walked towards the boy and helped him up to the stage, "Jinhai will tell the truth to everyone."


    The reporters ced their microphones in front of the boy.


    "Is it true that your sister tried to sell you?"


    "Young Master Yu, did she forcefully take you away from your family?"


    "Don''t be afraid. Tell us whether she has treated you badly."


    Yu Jinhai nced at his elder sister who was standing at a distance from him.


    Yu Mei frowned as she brought the microphone to her mouth, "Ask him from a distance," She coldly said and the reporters awkwardly distanced themselves from the young boy.


    The Yu Family members exchanged weird nces. Since when and how did this bitch be so domineering and influential? They thought. After all, it was not every day that the reporters will be so tamed and obedient in front of someone.

 Chapter 213 - Family?

    Mother Yu nced at Yu Jinhai. This boy was their final hope and thest weapon to take Yu Mei down. Once she falls, it will be easy to stomp on her. And she believed nothing could go wrong in this. Yu Jinhai was an honest child. So honest that no matter what happened, he won''t utter a single lie from his mouth. He waspletely opposite from his crafty elder sister.


    Even though Yu Mei was treating him well now, in the past, she had raised her hand on him, sold him off, and treated him like shit. And Yu Jinhai who has never lied in his life won''t do it now, would he?


    Mother Yu smirked. Once he told everyone the truth, Yu Mei Zhen would be done for. Even when he will say that his sister treats him nicely now, the woman will have to go to jail as an attempt to sell off a young child is a punishable crime. With that, her career will be over. Her reputation will go down and the arrogant woman wille to her knees.


    Her employer will abandon her too. Who will want such a troublesome mistress for himself?


    Father Yu was also going through the same thoughts. He could still remember the way he was insulted by her employer at his own vi. Hispany has been going through countless ups and downs during this period, they lost big business deals and he realized muchter that this was all because of this immoral daughter of his who incited her powerful employer against him.


    This was the time to deal with this. Once and for all.


    Yu Mei nced at Yu Jinhai who was looking at her unblinkingly. There was something weird about his gaze. She noticed it since morning but she didn''t delve deeper into it back then.


    From the corner of her eyes, she saw Shi Luo approaching them. She slowly shook her head at the woman. It was better to not drag her in all this. She did not want to interrupt her friend''s peaceful life by all this media and reporters who might trail after her to get information.


    Shi Luo cursed under her breath but she stayed put in her ce because of the woman''s stern gaze.


    "Young Master Yu, did your sister really sell you off?" The reporters started getting impatient and crowded around the boy once again.


    Yu Mei frowned, "Distance."


    "_" The reporters pursed their lips as they quickly moved back from the boy.


    Yu Jinhai blinked, "She didn''t."


    There was a few seconds of silence that lingered in the hall before they bombarded the boy with another round of questions.


    The boy blinked, "My Jie has always been kind to me. She will never think of harming me."


    Yu Mei''s brows tugged together. One thing she has observed about him was that the boy never lied. He would be honest about everything, no matter big or small.


    "Father went to my school and told me that I will have toe here or else my Jie will be in danger. On our way to this ce, he convinced me to speak about all that," Yu Jinhai added.


    "You punk.." Master Yu grabbed the boy by his arm.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips but before she could move, a powerfully dominant voice boomed in the hall.


    "Jin Jitong, you dare!"


    Everyone''s gaze turned towards the source of the voice as they watched an old man making his way towards the stage. His powerful steps and cold countenance made the crowd part to give him the way.


    Yu Mei frowned when she recognized the old man. Wasn''t it Li Shuang''s grandfather? She turned around to look at Father Yu whose face has turned pale at this point.


    Jin Jitong?


    Who is that? Is there a new character in the scene? She did not expect it at all. How was she supposed to react?


    Li Shuang''s grandfather stopped right in front of her as he looked at her with a weird, almost emotional gaze.


    She blinked.


    "Girl, let me deal with this bunch of ingrates," The old man said, schooling his expressions.


    "With pleasure-cough cough..." She snapped out of her daze, "I mean sure."


    The old man nodded, "I hope you can spare Dream Entertainment," He stroked her head.


    Her brows tugged together but before she could say something, her hand was grabbed by someone. She turned around to look at Li Shuang who motioned her to get off the stage.


    She raised an eyebrow.


    "Come down, I''ll tell you everything."


    Yu Mei removed her grip from her hand and quickly got Yu Jinhai from the crowd. At this point, Shi Luo also walked towards them, "What''s going on?"


    Yu Mei shrugged, "Clueless," She muttered as they walked out of the hall but not before she gave the reporters a ''Don''t hover around me'' threat with her eyes.


    .,.


    "You mean that...?"


    "I mean that," Li Shuang nodded again as she nced at the strange expressions on Yu Mei''s face, "He is your Grandfather. Your mother was his daughter. His Biological daughter and my aunt too."


    Yu Mei blinked as she gazed at Yu Jinhai who blinked back at her, "Jie, we got a family," The boy smiled.


    She cleared her throat, "So, where was this family all these years?" Yu Mei asked Li Shuang who was rendered speechless for a few seconds.


    Shi Luo''s lips pinched together as she tried her best to stifle herughter. Yu Jinhai was a kid but this so-called sister of his was a tough nut to crack.


    "That-"


    "Mei!!!" Shi Luo interrupted Li Shuang as her gaze was stuck to the entrance of the hotel.


    "Wait, Luoluo. I am getting some updates on the current development. I need to know what''s going on here at this moment. Let me focus here."


    "Focus my ass," Shi Luo spoke through gritted teeth, "If you listen to the story now, then you will be a story tomorrow."


    "Ass?"


    The trio''s head snapped towards Yu Jinhai who was batting his eyshes.


    Yu Mei red at Shi Luo.


    "Ah Jin baby, what''s that you are talking about? I said masssssk. Face mask. Sister Luo has acquired quite a sun-tan so that''s why she needs beauty masks..."


    Yu Jinhai nodded as averted his gaze.

 Chapter 214 - Old Her Or New Her

    Shi Luo nced at Yu Mei as she pointed her head towards the entrance.


    "What are you doing?" Yu Mei speechlessly followed her line of sight.


    Her breathing hitched when her gazended on the man walking towards them. One of his hands tucked inside the pocket of his raven-ck tuxedo while he raked his fingers through his messy ash blonde hair.


    She could feel her heart racing, "Damn. He is so hot. A torture to mankind."


    Li Shuang and Shi Luo exchanged nces as the former spoke up, "As hot as he is, you should take a look at his expressions."


    "Eh?" Only then did Yu Mei averted her line of focus from his enticing body and hotness to his expressions.


    Eyes slightly narrowed and his handsome face dangerously dark.


    "Ah...Luoluo, is it toote to run away? He looks like he will put me in a frying pan..." She shivered.


    "It''ste," Shi Luo scoffed, "Go listen to the story. I was giving you hints for a long time but you didn''t listen to me."


    Yu Mei shrank back as the man was a few steps away from them.


    Shi Luo followed Jun Zixuan''s gaze that was scanning Yu Mei from top to bottom. She quickly pinched the woman''s arm.


    "What?" Yu Mei snapped at her. She was mentally stressed already. Why must she give her physical pain at a time like this?


    "Hide your injured hand. He will eat you alive if he sees that," Shi Luo whispered. The cut on her hand was just superficial as she had checked it but the present Jun Zixuan was no less than a devil who cherished even a single strand of hair of his precious treasure.


    Yu Mei immediately did that the moment Jun Zixuan stood in front of her.


    "H-Hey baby, how was your trip? Why are you back so early?" Her slightly trembling coy voice made Li Shuang and Shi Luo exchange nces yet again.


    Was it still the same woman who was so bossy inside the hall?


    Shi Luo couldn''t help but smirk inwardly. This served her right. Every time she will be impulsive or end up doing something wrong or risky, nobody could control her. She did not even fear her brother as she knew that she just had to act a little cute and Han Jian Yu will be coaxed. But it seems like it is pretty different in Jun Zixuan''s case.


    "You did not want me toe back?" His emotionless voice and cold eyes made her gulp.


    Yu Jinhai, who was not used to his angry brother-inw quickly ran to his Shi Luo and Li Shuang. His Jie must have done something to anger his calm and sweet brother-inw. He should stay away from responsibility and punishments.


    "I-" Yu Mei gulped, "I think I forgot my phone in the hall. Those reporters must have stolen it to get news on me."


    Shi Luo, who was standing behind Jun Zixuan, pointed at the phone in her hand.


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes dangerously at the woman who immediately put the phone in her pocket.


    Yu Mei sighed in relief "I''ll go get it first," Or more like I will run away from the other exit and hide in Rosette headquarters for a few days. Your anger must have subsided by the time Ie back. You would miss me a lot and probably smother me with kisses the moment you see me.


    s, ording to legends, daydreaming can be pretty bad at times.


    Her fantasies did notst long as the moment she turned around, the cor of her ck suit was grabbed by the man, "Where do you think you are going?"


    "You..." She was speechless, "Let go of my clothes first. If you dare to ruin them like this, I will not talk to you for the whole life."


    He let go of the cor and before she could let out a sigh of relief, the man encircled one of his arms around her hips before throwing her above his shoulder.


    "What are you doing?" Her eyes widened as she moved her legs in the full struggle but it was always a pity that she was not as strong as him.


    As she looked at their retreating backs, Shi Luo chuckled, "She is so stubborn and wilful. It is really fun to see her like this."


    Li Shuang frowned a bit, "She has changed a lot over these years. I have known her since we were kids but now she seems like apletely different person."


    "People mature with their age," Shi Luo cleared her throat, "Which Mei do you prefer? The old one or this new one?"


    "To be honest, I approached her in junior high school because I got to know that she is my cousin. I befriended her, stayed with her but there was a distance between us. We looked close but we were not that close. Andter..." Later that issue with Zhu Boqin ended their friendship. Li Shuang sighed, "When I interacted with her after our university reopened, I don''t know why I felt so attached to her,'''' Such contradicting feelings about the same person was very confusing to her too but she did not dwell on it.


    Shi Luo patted her shoulder, "Don''t dwell on the past. You both have a good friendship now. As much as I know, Mei truly adores you as a friend."


    A soft smile made its way on Li Shuang''s cold face, "It might sound weird but I am attached to the new her."


    Shi Luo coughed. It''s not weird at all. You are just attached to Han Mei, not your real cousin, Yu Mei Zhen.


    While they were having this discussion, both of them did not notice the strange expressions on Yu Jinhai''s face.


    "Are you leaving now?" Shi Luo nced at her.


    Li Shuang shook her head, "No, I am going to check on Grandpa. He is ill-tempered. We will have to get him out of their before he ends up killing one of them."


    "Alright, let''s go. I will apany you," Shi Luo held Yu Jinhai''s hand, "Stick closer to me, okay?"


    The little boy nodded.


    Li Shuang ruffled his hair as they walked back to the hall.

 Chapter 215 - Let’s Communicate

    Ren Mansion.


    "Ah-" She screamed as she was suddenly thrown to the bed and the fluffy mattress left her body bouncing twice, "Must you be so rough with me?" She sat up on the bed and gazed at the man begrudgingly.


    Jun Zixuan did not spare a nce in her direction as he walked towards the bedside table and pulled open the drawer. He got the first aid kit from inside and strode towards the bed before sitting beside her.


    "Hey, are you ignoring me?" She poked his shoulder after a little bit of hesitation.


    The man did not bother to reply to her and grabbed her hand looking at the cut on her palm.


    She shivered slightly as the temperature in the room dropped, "I-It''s just a shallow cut...Haha..." Sheughed awkwardly while trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere.


    He cleaned the dried blood slowly and carefully before applying antibacterial ointment on the cut.


    She winced, "You are doing this on purpose. I knew it. You were just bored with me," She sniffed, "You want a new girlfriend and that''s why you are trying to kill me from pain...Ahh..." She wailed, ring at the ruthless man who poked the skin around her wound truly on purpose this time.


    "Say that again and see what I do," He spoke in an emotionlessly cold voice.


    She pursed her lips and waited for him to finish wrapping a clean bandage around her palm.


    "You think I am afraid of you?" She spoke up as she watched him cleaning the ointment from his hand. Did he think he can still poke her wound and scare her with that little pain? Humph! "You won''t even talk to me properly. Where is themunication in a rtionship that the love legends spoke of? You just show me that cold face all the time. Go find a new girlfriend! I am not dealing with your mood swings, I have enough of them already," She waved her hand.


    "You wantmunication, huh?" He tossed the first aid box and tissues away before focusing his gaze on her.


    She gulped, "T-That''s the basic in a rtionship."


    His fingers fiddled with the cor of her ck suit jacket as he nodded, looking straight into her starry eyes, "Alright, let''smunicate."


    Before she could react properly, he pulled closer by her cor and grabbed the back of her neck.


    Her eyes widened, "What-"


    The rest of her words were drowned by the hot searing kiss that came out of nowhere driving her lips apart in full force. Her arms desperately encircled themselves around his neck as she tried to bnce herself on hisp.


    Her eyes were covered in ayer of sheen as she looked at him while he tugged at her lower lips with his teeth.


    He paused, "Close your eyes, will you?" He whispered against her lips.


    "W-Why?" She still had a bit of sanity left in her mind to ask the question.


    He raised an eyebrow before putting a palm over her eyes, "Because it will heighten your other senses," His hot breath stroked her cheeks and she felt her toes curling up in an instant, "We canmunicate better in that way. Don''t you think so?" In the next second, the man kissed the crook of her neck, and her body arched.


    He unbuttoned her V-neck zer while she tried to get a grip on herself with her eyes still closed. She could feel every inch of her body on fire under his smooth slithery touch. His index fingers glided across her throat, right down to her cleavage before dipping into her bralette. She was a step away from melting right in his warm embrace.


    In the next second, the man removed her zer and threw it away making her shiver from the sudden coldness. The next second, however, he pressed a kiss on her cleavage and she found herself burning under the touch of his lips.


    "I thought...you were angry," She whispered, leaning closer to him.


    The man paused as he straightened up and pinched her chin. "Who said I am not?" He bit her bottom lips.


    "But..."


    "You are too wilful. Too stubborn, You know that, right?"


    She opened her eyes to look at him, "Am I?" She wished she wasn''t like what he was describing her to be.


    "You''re way too spoiled," He kissed her chin, "And I hate it that I can''t bring myself to be angry at certain things you do."


    "Oh," She blinked, "But you are angry now."


    "I am trying my best but..." He kissed her cheek, "I would not have been doing this if I was angry."


    "So, you are not angry?" She batted her eyshes.


    "Seductress," He muttered under his breath.


    "Huh?"


    "I am not angry...if you give me a proper kiss."


    Her face turned red slightly, "It''s that simple?" When he nodded, she gulped before straddling him with her legs on either side of his thighs, "Easy. I think I can do that."


    He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear as she leaned closer to him, slowly and torturously, giving him those seductive nces, identally touching him at the wrong ces. "What you can do the best is torturing me," With that said, he flipped their positions such that both of them ended up lying on the bed with her pinned beneath him.


    In the next second, he caught her lips with his and kissed her passionately, sucking and biting her softness alternatively.


    "Ah..." She moaned when his kiss deepened.


    Closing her eyes, she responded to him with equal passion.


    "Don''t do that again," He mumbled as soon as they parted and he rolled to the side before pulling her into his arms.


    "Do what?" She asked, burying her face in his embrace.


    "You still don''t understand?" He flipped their positions yet again and this time she found herself lying atop him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.


    She followed his darkening gaze and nced at her cleavage. Her face turned red as she grabbed the nket with her right hand before covering their bodies properly, "Speak now. You are distracting me a bit."


    "Just a bit?"


    "A lot!" She pressed her chin on her chest.

 Chapter 216 - Give Me A Hug

    "Don''t act so recklessly again," Just as she opened her mouth to say something, he added, "I know you were not being impulsive. You stepped out because you were confident that you could deal with them. But take it as a selfish request from me. I just don''t want you to end up hurt in any way,"


    "Why do I feel like I am a spoiled brat who just gives others troubles and headaches?" She asked, moving her chin to afortable position on his chest.


    "You are way too spoiled, short-tempered, stubborn, insane at times-"


    She broke his flow by biting his neck.


    He chuckled, "Let me finish first."


    "Praise me."


    He raised an eyebrow, "To be honest, you are not a brat at all. You are beautiful the way you are. I like you just like this."


    She would just act angry when she was awkward about something, she can be the most stubborn person in the room and that was always her strength, she won''t let anyone speak otherwise if she was right about something.


    "Don''tpliment me like this. I feel so shy," She buried her face in his neck.


    "You sure you don''t want it?" He hugged her.


    "I don''t mind two more sentences or a paragraph or a short speech. I mean...you know...like how I am gorgeous, kind and soft-hearted, gentle, delicate, sweet and-"


    "Mei, are you talking about yourself?" He was somewhat speechless.


    She nced at his face, "Who else?"


    "And what about being cute?"


    "Uh...No..." She quickly sat up and moved away from him, "Don''t call me panda again. That won''t end without a fight."


    He stood up from the bed and extended his hands towards her, "Let''s fightter. Give me a hug first. We haven''t seen each other for more than 2 days. I missed you."


    She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, "And you still greeted me with that cold and scary face."


    "It was your fault. Admit it."


    "Eh...I am not hugging you."


    "It''s my fault, I should have been softer towards you."


    She blinked, "See, I was trying to make you understand this from who knows how long."


    Jun Zixuan sighed helplessly, "I don''t know what to do with you."


    "I am so loveable. You can love me all the time," She rubbed her face on his chest.


    "I won''t."


    "I know you will. You are just shy to admit it," She quickly distanced herself from him and nced at her half-naked body.


    His throat bobbed up and down as he quickly grabbed her zer before draping it over her body. He didn''t know whether he was bing a masochist to torture himself like this.


    "I thought you were noting back so soon?" She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the couch before pushing him onto it.


    He propped his face on his fist, "You want it here?" The man asked in amusement, rendering her speechless.


    "Hey, what is your mind filled with?"


    "Us," He tugged at both her hands such that she ended up falling on hisp.


    "I like the sound of it," She smiled, "Wait...Don''t distract me. So, I was asking why are you back so early? Not that I am not happy but why the sudden change in ns?"


    He nced at her without a word.


    "Is it because of me?" She pointed a finger at herself.


    "Who else?"


    "Err..." She scratched his chest slowly.


    ''''What are you doing?" He nced at the long nails that were scratching him.


    "I am thinking."


    "Then, shouldn''t you scratch yourself while thinking?"


    "My skin is delicate," She blinked.


    He grabbed her unruly hand before cing a kiss on the back of it, "You asked me to investigate your mom. You remember it right?"


    "Yeah. Did you get the investigation result?"


    "I did. It was quite disturbing. At the same time, I also saw the headlines about you," He pinched her waist towards the end.


    She gasped, ''''What was that?"


    "I am venting my anger," He nonchntly stated.


    She narrowed her eyes, "That''s called domestic violence. The violent husband beat his wife to death and it all started with a pinch."


    "You''re exaggerating it," He stroked the skin he just pinched as both of them ended upughing together.


    "I also don''t quite understand what happened today. I mean, one second I was ready to deal with the Yu Family once and for all, and in the next second, Li Shuang''s grandfather came into the picture."


    "He is your grandfather too."


    "You know about it?"


    He passed her a file, "Check it out."


    "Your grandfather is the Old Master of Yu Family and your mother''s full name was Yu Li Na."


    She turned the pages while he continued, ''''I never linked the prestigious Yu Family with your mother or father so it somewhat came as a surprise. Old Master Yu had four children, three of them were his biological children while there was one adopted son who was the eldest one. He was called Jin Jitong back then."


    "You''re talking about my sperm donor?"


    He cleared his throat, inwardly marveling how much their thoughts matched. He too hadbeled that man as her ''sperm donor'' when he went to the Yu Family Vi but he did not say it aloud to not hurt her feelings but little did he expect this response from her...


    "Yes, I am talking about him."


    "So. the Dream Entertainment...who does it belongs to? And who established thepany?"


    "Your uncle who was a few years younger than your father. Since the matter has passed for decades, it was buried properly, not leaving any shreds of evidence. At that time, Dream Entertainment was in its progressing period and was just building up so nobody knows much about all this."


    "My uncle?" She frowned.


    "Li Shuang''s father."


    "Where is he now?" Since Li Shuang had lied to her about being an orphan, wasn''t it possible for her parents to be alive?


    "Her parents passed away in an ident."

 Chapter 217 - Our Wedding Or Your Funeral

    She sat there quietly for a few seconds, trying to digest all this information that came out of nowhere.


    "Old Master Yu was against this showbiz business from the very beginning but after his son''s death, he did not want all his hard work to go in vain. And your mother took this responsibility into her hands. She studied business and took over the Dream Entertainment."


    "And all this while, there was a romantic rtionship between her and Jin Jitong?" She stood up from hisp and pressed her finger on her chin in contemtion.


    Jun Zixuan folded one of his legs on the other as he massaged his neck, "That''s right. Everyone was unaware of their rtionship except for her elder sister."


    "Li...My mother was the youngest amongst them?"


    "Your father, then your uncle, your aunt, and then your mother. When your grandfather came to know about their rtionship, he tried to split them apart but your mother insisted on staying with Jin Jitong and in the end, both of them were kicked out of the Yu Family. The shares of Dream Entertainment all belonged to your mother so she was still the legal owner of thepany. And your grandfather didn''t interfere with all that but he cut off all the rtions with them."


    She would never let her feelings sway for the people who are rted to the original owner. That was the rule she had made for herself when she found herself waking up in this body. But she broke her rules, again and again, be it for Li Shuang or Li Na or Yu Jinhai.


    Jun Zixuan was an exception though as she knew him since her previous life.


    She reminded herself that all of this has nothing to do with her. They are not her family. But in the end, she felt a bit ufortable about all this for who knows what reason.


    "And as time passed by, Jin Jitong became Yu Jitong while Yu Li Na was reduced to his mistress, Li Na, a woman of unknown origins? Is that it?" She put the files on the couch.


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    "Women should never lose their brains when they are in love. Why do they be so foolish?" She was starting to get more ufortable at the thought of it. She could not help but wonder...Was her heart aching for Li Na? She blinked.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow at her words, "What will you do if I end up doing something simr? Will you break up with me?"


    Her head snapped in his direction, "Simr? As in...you will get a new wife and reduce me to your mistress?"


    "I used ''if''," He reminded her just in case World War III broke out in the Ren Mansion.


    "You won''t do that."


    "You trust me that much?" The corner of his lips tugged up.


    I trust you much more. But she was not going to admit it lest it boosts his already high male ego, "I am just confident about myself. Look at my face, my body, my personality... A man has to be a fool to let go of me..." What she said was an undeniable fact though.


    The corner of his lips twitched.


    She removed her heels and threw them away before striding towards the couch and sitting beside him. One of her hands grabbed his cor while the other encircled around his neck. She leaned closer to him and nced at his enticing lips for a second before looking into his eyes, "I think I forgot to inform you about something when we started dating."


    "And what is that?" He kissed her earlobe.


    She leaned into his arms. Running her fingers in his hair, she pushed herself back such that they were looking back into each other''s eyes, "Once we start dating, there is no break-up. Either we prepare for our wedding, or I will make arrangements for your funeral."


    His eyes twinkled, "Have I gotten myself involved with a psycho?"


    "It''s toote to back out. Don''t you think so?"She smirked a bit evilly.


    "I''m embracing you with open arms. You think I want to back out?" He chuckled, ''''We are married. I''m yours and that''s a fact.''''


    "A fact indeed," She buried her face in his neck.


    ...


    "Zixuan, can we just run away? I don''t want to do all this," Yu Mei smiled awkwardly as she tugged at his sleeves.


    "He is your grandfather. Give him a chance, alright?" He nced at her as they sat on the sofa in the middle of the enormous traditional-styled living room.


    She pursed her lips. It was not about giving him a chance or not. "I''m just not used to family stuff," She hated to admit it but she was not a social butterfly. It has always been her brother and her and she was pretty much used to it. Then, Shi Luo was the only one in her circle until Jun Zixuan came into the picture.


    "You will have to start somewhere, no? Or you want to break the poor old man''s heart?"


    Her conscience pricked as she sat there quietly looking around. Unlike thest time she came here with Li Shuang, the ce gave off a different homely vibe this time.


    There were a few servants here and there who were well hospitable to them.


    After Yu Jinhai''s curiosity about the ce got satiated, he jumped off the couch before holding Yu Mei''s hand, "Jie, I am so excited. We have a family. Let''s spend a lot of family quality time together," The boy excitedly blinked his doe eyes.


    She raised an eyebrow, "Can''t you tamp down your excitement in your heart and act a little cool?"


    "Family is family. Why will I have to act cool? Jie, you are watching television dramas, aren''t you?"


    The corner of her lips twitched while Jun Zixuan had to stifle hisughter lest he ended up offending her.


    "Anyways," Yu Mei narrowed her eyes at Yu Jinhai, ''''I have something to discuss with you when we go home."


    "About what, Jie?" The boy asked innocently.


    "Regarding your lies," She smiled like a kind elder sister.


    The little munchkin visibly stiffened.

 Chapter 218 - Other Women In Husband’s Life

    While the brother and sister seemed to have been engaged in a staredown, Jun Zixuan stood up, ''''Old Master Yu,'''' He greeted the old man as soon as he stepped inside.


    "Ah Xuan?" The surprise was evident on Grandpa Yu''s face.


    "Yes," The man nodded.


    "Grandpa?" Yu Jinhai swiftly sneaked away from his scary sister as he dashed towards the Old Man who immediately hugged him.


    The corner of his eyes crinkled as heughed, ''''Yes, I am your Grandpa."


    Yu Mei followed the suit as she stood up, "Old Master Yu," She nodded slightly at the old man much to his disappointment. But she tried her best to ignore it as she nced at her man, "You both seem to know each other."


    Just as Jun Zixuan opened his mouth to say something, Li Shuang stepped inside the living room, "Grandpa, am Ite?"


    The old man nced at her before looking at his wristwatch, ''''3 minuteste."


    "Uh...'''' She was speechless at his aloof attitude. He just acquired two new grandchildren and her value seemed to be dropping.


    Yu Mei restrained the urge tough as she nced at the woman''s cold face slightly scrunching up.


    After they had their lunch, the newly reunited family sat in the living room. There remained a tension between Yu Mei and Grandpa Yu which was pretty much visible to all of them.


    Grandpa Yu sighed as he nced at Jun Zixuan, "What is your rtionship?"


    "He is my man," Yu Mei blurted out subconsciously only to go red in the face a secondter.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Her man," He repeated.


    She buried her face in her palms.


    Li Shuang who was ying rock paper scissors with Yu Jinhai patted her friend''s back to console her.


    Grandpa Yu frowned, "Ah Xuan, you shouldn''t be joking with me."


    "I am not," Jun Zixuan stated with equal seriousness.


    Yu Mei nced at them, trying to decipher something from their expressions but she could not understand anything. She had yet to know how they knew each other.


    A vein popped on the old man''s forehead, "You are engaged to Jingyi. Are you ying with both my granddaughters?"


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow at the sudden heap of information once again mmed at her face.


    Li Shuang nced at them, "Is he the cake face''s mysterious fiance?"


    "Is that how you talk about your cousin?" Grandpa Yu''s frown got deeper. He could not understand the way these youngsters'' brains were working.


    "They are my only cousins," Li Shuang indifferently said, pointing her chin at Yu Mei and Yu Jinhai.


    Yu Mei was suddenly reminded of the woman who had popped up in their university iming to be Jun Zixuan''s fianc¨¦e. They must be talking about her but how did she end up as Li Shuang''s cousin? Her brain worked, trying to connect the dots. Since Li Na did not have any other kids then it was only possible that this so-called Jingyi is either rted to Li Shuang''s maternal family to be her cousin.


    But that option is not feasible considering how the old man referred to her as ''his granddaughter'' and that means she must be the daughter of Li Na''s elder sister. She decided to confirm it with Jun Zixuanter on.


    Grandpa Yu tried his best to calm down lest his blood pressure plummeted suddenly. "Did you forget that you have a fianc¨¦e?" He averted his knife-like gaze towards Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan leaned back on the couch, "I don''t remember anything as such."


    "All the three families were present when you both were betrothed as kids," The old man spoke through gritted teeth, trying to knock some sense in his head.


    "Did you see me putting a ring on her finger or ever agreeing to all this nonsense?" Jun Zixuan nonchntly continued, "I have a wife, Grandpa. I''ll appreciate it if you don''t try to drive a wedge between us as my wife is a jealous person."


    Yu Mei nodded understandingly, "Very jealous," She muttered under her breath. She was already jealous of his mysterious first love. Then, there was Shi Luo who was supposed to be his original fiancee, and now came a Jingyi in the picture who was his fiancee from the paternal side. She fiddled with her fingers. Why can''t his first everything be her?


    As if he could sense her difort, he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, his thumb grazing on her skin asionally.


    And it seemed to have worked like magic as she instantly cheered up.


    Grandpa Yu pressed a palm on his chest, "Wife? You both are married?" Jun Zixuan gave him a ''We are indeed married'' look and the old man felt like he was a second away from having a heart attack, "You brat, why are you calling me Grandpa?"


    "My wife''s Grandpa is my Grandpa too," Jun Zixuan stated his point pretty smoothly.


    It was only then Yu Mei realized that he had addressed the old man as such. She was focused on the ''other women in husband''s life'' issue before so she missed it before.


    Grandpa Yu inhaled a deep breath as he nced at his granddaughter, ''''I would be much happier if your wife could also ept me in that way."


    Suddenly, everyone''s attention in the room was focused on her and she got goosebumps for a moment. "What did I do?" She blinked.


    The old man stood up from his seat as he walked towards her and held her hands in his.


    She pursed her lips and cleared her throat before looking at Jun Zixuan for help.


    The man gave her a ''You can do it'' look.


    She stood up from the couch left with no other choice.


    "Girl, I know you are angry at me for my past mistakes. I-" The old man paused as he tried toe up with proper words.


    "You have got some misunderstandings here," She spoke up, "I am not angry with you neither do I care about the past. Back then, I was not who I am today..."


    Yu Jinhai froze.

 Chapter 219 - A Family

    Herst sentence made Yu Jinhai freeze in his ce but he went back to normal before anyone could notice anything amiss with him.


    ".... I understand that you were angry but if you had not been so stubborn and tried to look for your daughter even once, then she or Ah Jin might not have suffered so much," She got her hands out of his grip, "As for me, family and all don''t really matter to me. I can survive all alone. I have made it through all this years like that and I can do so in future. So-"


    Her words came to a halt when she noticed the tears strolling down his wrinkled cheeks. And the way her heart ached left her confused and bothered. Why did she even feel so attached to all these people when they have nothing to do with her?


    She was saying all this based on her past life. She was not trying to hurt him but it all came out in a mess.


    She patted his shoulder, "In fact, I am not even judging you. Situations forced you to do this. It must have hurt you when your daughter choose a man before you who is her father..." Her words were a bit jumbled but she hoped the old man would understand her feelings and intentions.


    Grandpa Yu sniffed, ''''I realized my mistake but it is all toote at that time. I-"


    "Old Master Yu, I didn''t mean to be rude. Please don''t cry," She had seen this old man so strong and savage thest time that it was weird to see him crying like this. It felt so ufortable in her heart. She eyed Jun Zixuan who was sitting on the couch while watching the show calmly. She gritted her teeth and mouthed ''How to coax a crying old man?'' She mouthed.


    The man shrugged with a ''I have no idea'' look on his face.


    ''Google it'' She red at him.


    ''Probably you can try calling him Grandpa'' Jun Zixuan mouthed,


    ''Will that work?'' She raised an eyebrow.


    He shrugged again with a ''I don''t have any other solutions'' written all over his face.


    Jun Zixuan quickly took out his phone before starting up the video mode.


    She pursed her lips and looked at the old man who was sobbing softly. Her fingers curled into a fist as she gulped. "G-Gra...Cough..." Why was it so tough? The tips of her ears turned red, "Grandpa..."


    Jun Zixuan pressed the save option as his eyes twinkled. He knew she would look this cute while doing this. Awkward, shy and downright adorable.


    The old man paused as he hupped looking at her with his tear filled eyes.


    She sighed and raised her hand to wipe the tears off his face, "I really didn''t meant to be rude. And I think everything happens for a reason. Fate has got its own ns. Since we can''t do anything about the past, let us just focus on the future."


    A soft smile made its way on Jun Zixuan''s face. However childish she is, at the times like this, she could be the most mature person. She was just not used to be expressive about it.


    Grandpa Yu held the hand that was wiping his tears. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket? before cleaning her fingers, "Does that means you have forgiven me?"


    ''''I have no reasons to be angry. I was just trying to be logical," In the end, she ended up being emotional. Her logic of ''I am not the original owner and this newfound family is not mine'' simply jumped out of the window.


    The old man wiped his tears with the back of his hand as tried to keep a straight face, inwardly chastising himself for ruining his image in front of his granddaughter.


    "Grandpa, you look cute like this," Li Shuangplimented while Yu Jinhai who was sitting on hisp nodded quickly.


    Grandpa Yu narrowed his eyes at her, "Brat..." He murmured coldly but his face slowly turned red. He hesitantly nced at Yu Mei, ''''You won''t back out from your words, right?" Although his voice was stern, but there was a hint of pleading in them that she did not miss.


    Her lips stretched in a smile, "I won''t. I have never experienced how it feels to have a Grandpa either. So, let us be a family. Maybe, it will all turn out to be better."


    "Hahaha..." The corner of the old man''s eyes crinkled as heughed, his cheerfulughter echoed across the living as he hugged her, "That''s like my granddaughter. So what if you didn''t have family till now? You have got me now, there is your cousin too and this Jun boy is also there. We all can be a family. Just tell us if you get bullied."


    Yu Mei hugged the over-enthusiastic old man back.


    Maybe, it was not that bad to have such a sweet little family?


    She will fit her brother into this when he is back. She smiled at the thought.


    ...


    Ren Mansion.


    Jun Zixuan walked out of the bathroom as he nced at the woman who was still sitting on the couch busy with her ongoing conference meeting. She has been there ever since they came back from Grandpa Yu''s ce.


    "No, I want the proper statistics," A frown rested on her beautiful face as she folded her arms in front of her chest. He restrained the urge to y with the loose strands of her hair.


    "Well, then. Since you can''t do it. Prepare your resignation letter," She coldly said and his throat ran dry even at that.


    She would do nothing and just sit at one ce yet she had the ability to keep him under her spell and that made him helpless.


    He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath.


    She tilted her head when she noticed his presence and the cold expression disappeared as a soft smile made its way on her face.


    He pointed his thumb towards the bathroom, indicating for her to freshen up.


    ''Five minutes'' she mouthed before getting her attention back to theptop,


    His gaze wandered off to her sexy neckline and his gaze slightly darkened.


    "Mei," He called out while walking towards her.


    "Yes?" She tilted her head upwards.

 Chapter 220 - He Needs Space

    She tilted her head when he walked towards her, "Yes?"


    He grabbed the back of her neck and ced a soft kiss on her forehead, "Get over with it soon.''''


    ''''I will,'''' She smiled.


    Meanwhile, the higher-ups of Rosette: "_"


    They heard a man''s voice and could only see a sh of ash blonde hair. The sudden heap of dog food and their President''s obedient face left them somewhat stunned and speechless.


    As Jun Zixuan walked out of the Master Bedroom, Yu Mei got her attention back to the meeting, ''''So, what do you all think about it?"


    One of the directors snapped out of his trance, "Uh...About..?"


    She frowned, "About whether you want to resign or give me the proper data. What else?''''


    They shivered at her cold tone.


    Bohooo~ Mommy~


    Their President had a multi-personality disorder.


    Jun Zixuan descended the stairs before striding towards the kitchen.


    "Master," The servants bowed at him.


    He nodded at them and walked towards the refrigerator.


    The people around them exchanged nces, "Master, shall we help you with something?"


    "No need. You all can go," Jun Zixuan waved his hands at them as he got the fresh cream out before looking for the fruit basket.


    Since she was very fond of fruit sdtely, it wasn''t a bad idea to make a proper one for her to uplift her mood after the exhausting day and set of events that urred today.


    He was sure she still had many questions for him but they didn''t get the chance to discuss it yet as she had a conference meeting.


    He topped the fruit sd with cherries and looked at the bowl in satisfaction.


    "Master," Steward Gu walked towards him with a hesitant expression on his face.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''What is it? You look like you have done something sneaky."


    "Eh...Master, how could you think like that about me?" Steward Gu had the urge to rub his eyes. It was quite rare for his stoic Master to joke andugh like ordinary people but ever since their Young Mistress woke up from hera, everything has changed.


    The man initially fought and bickered with her like a petty kid then they became friends and now, their rtionship has seemed to be progressed further. No matter what it was, Steward Gu was more than pleased that his Master was more of a human now.


    His all-time ''calm and collected'' system has been imnted with the virus named Yu Mei Zhen. And now the man''s mood fluctuation was directly proportional to anything his wife did.


    "Your face says that,'''' Jun Zixuan said nonchntly, "So, what are you up to?" He asked.


    Steward Gu hesitated. His Master looked so happy. It didn''t feel right to spoil his mood at a time like this. But...it was his job and it would be improper to hide things from him.


    In the end, he inhaled a deep breath and extended his hand to show the thing he was holding. The silver crystal card lying atop his palm had a purple crown symbol on it.


    Jun Zixuan paused for a split second as his gaze shed. He picked up the card from the man''s palm and nced at him.


    "He sent your monthly allowance as usual," Steward Gu spoke up after hesitating a bit, "$50k this month."


    As expected, Jun Zixuan''s aura changed within an instant. His good mood from earlier seemed like an illusion to Steward as he found himself looking at the man whom he recognized very well. The one whom he had seen growing up in front of his eyes.


    There was not a hint of emotion in those brown eyes as his face was back to his usual aloofness.


    A chill lingered around him making Steward Gu ufortable. He knew the consequences of mentioning all of it will eventually lead to this but he had to do this anyway.


    "Master, I...." Steward Gu''s fingers curled into a fist as he tried not to stutter, "I did try to return the card to them as you wanted. But...he thought that y-you are not satisfied with the amount. So, he doubled your allowance from $25k to $50k and...and..."


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    "And he sent a message," Steward Gu gulped, "That you don''t deserve more than this so you shouldn''t expect more.''''


    Jun Zixuan nced at the card in his hand nkly.


    ...


    Yu Mei stretched her body as she walked out of the bathroom after freshening up. She got changed into a pair of shorts and a sleeveless white crop top before tying her hair in a high ponytail.


    What an adventurous day it was!


    She sighed and looked around the Master bedroom, "Why is he not back yet?"


    ''Knock Knock''


    Her brows tugged together, "Come in."


    Steward Gu pushed open the door and stepped inside, "Young Mistress, Master has prepared this for you."


    She nced at the tray he was holding. "Fruit sd?" Her eyes twinkled as she grabbed the bowl before stuffing a mouthful of the fruits, "Mhow...." She chewed it and gulped it down before speaking properly this time, "Wow. This is so good. I was just craving this.''''


    Steward Gu smiled, "Master knows you well."


    "He does," Just as she brought another spoonful of it to her mouth, she paused, "Where is he?"


    The man stiffened, "On the terrace."


    She raised an eyebrow before putting the bowl of fruit sd back on the tray that he was holding, "The terrace of the Ren Mansion?" As the man nodded, she grabbed her phone from the couch, "I haven''t seen it till now. Show me the way."


    Steward Gu was stunned, "But...Young Mistress, your fruit sd. Won''t you finish it?" He quickly followed after the woman who had already dashed out of the Master bedroom by this time.


    Why was their Young Mistress so hyperactive now?


    A few months ago, she was like a sloth who would not budge from her ce for hours. Even getting a ss of water was trouble for her.


    She paused at the mention of ''fruit sd'' and nced at the lonely bowl sitting on the tray, "But I want to see its creator first," She shrugged, "You can put it in the refrigerator. Don''t miss a single cherry. Since Zixuan has made it for me, I will have it slowly, cherishing every single slice of fruit inside it."


    Steward Gu: "_" Must you p dog food on my single face so ruthlessly?


    "This way right...?" She pointed her chin towards a particr direction that she has never ventured to while staying in the mansion.


    Steward Gu pursed his lips, "Young Mistress, please don''t go there."


    Her footsteps came to a halt. "What do you mean?" She nced at him. From the moment she spoke about going to the terrace, he was kind of finding excuses to stop her. Although she noticed it but she did not pay much attention to it, "Don''t tell me you are hiding dead bodies there?" She folded her arms in front of her chest.


    Steward Gu hurriedly shook his head, "Master wants to stay alone..."


    "Alone?"


    "Yes," The man nodded, "Please give him some space and wait for him toe back."


    She blinked.


    Steward Gu sighed in relief thinking that she was convinced.


    ...


    A/N: I''ve tested positive for Covid a few hours ago even though I was vinated recently.


    I have Asthma so let''s hope this doesn''t gets me hospitalized.


    So, I''m here to inform y''ll about this. Do expect irregr updates but I''ll try my best to update as many chapters as I can in all my books. And the grammar would be a little off probably because I would be using the phone instead of myptop to write for a few days.


    We are missing the Winwin this month >.<

 Chapter 221 - Confession

    On the terrace.


    Jun Zixuan sat on an armchair beside the swimming pool as he nced at the crystal card in his hand expressionlessly.


    "Baby~"


    He tilted his head upwards when he heard the voice.


    Yu Mei walked around the swimming pool carefully before standing in front of him.


    She folded her arms in front of her chest and nced at his face under the moonlight, "Steward Gu said you wanted space and I should note here."


    "What are you doing here then?" He asked softly.


    "Does that means you really want space?" When he did not reply, she frowned, "Unfortunately, I am not giving you that. I will cling to you till you arepletely frustrated."


    "Will you stop clinging to me after I am frustrated?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "No, I will cling even more until you get used to me," She blinked, "I am going to cling to you even after we be ghosts."


    He chuckled and extended an arm towards her.


    The moment she put her palm in his, he dragged her to hisp in one swift move. She grabbed the back of his neck and ced soft kisses on his cheek and earlobe before nuzzling her nose on his shoulder, "Don''t give off such gloomy vibe. It''s scary."


    "Did I scare you?" He nced at her face.


    She blinked, "It''s scary because I feel so helpless," She lowered her head for a moment before looking back into his eyes, "I feel like taking revenge against anything or anyone that upsets you. I don''t think it''s normal anymore. What have you done to me?"


    "Mei-"


    "No," She pressed her palms on his chest, "Let me speak. This is so weird to me. I have never been like this. I used to have everything sorted out in my mind," As Han Mei, whatever she would decide, she would do it at any costs but right now..."You know how many times I have broken my rules for you? At times, I can''t get you out of my head. When I see you smiling, I strangely feel happy too. Please don''tugh at me as I am not at all trying to be corny here. I am not a hopelessly romantic person but you-"


    He cut off her words with a sudden passionate kiss that came out of nowhere, knocking her breath out. She tried to respond to him with equal intensity but he seemed to be in another league of his own.


    His lips at hers for onest time before he sucked them gently as they parted. She panted while he wrapped an arm around her waist, "You are not the only one suffering," He spoke beside her ear.


    She gulped and distanced her face from him before looking around, "I-I think this terrace is quite beautiful. There is...a swimming pool and nts and..."


    "I will take that as a confession," He pinched her chin and turned her face such that she was looking straight at him once again.


    "I praised the terrace. Where is the confession in it?" She cleared her throat.


    "I believe you know what I mean," He raised an eyebrow.


    She buried her face in his chest. It was too embarrassing now. She ended up acting on impulse once again.


    But when saw his lonely back earlier...She just felt her mind going nk at that moment.


    She initially wanted to do something to make him happy but in the end, she ended up saying all her innermost feelings.


    "What happened to you? Why are you here alone?" She cupped the side of his face in her palm, "The fruit sd was tasty but I think I would have enjoyed it better if you were the one feeding me."


    "You are so spoiled," He whispered.


    "I know that will not stop you from spoiling me more, right?"


    "Right."


    "You didn''t answer me yet," She grabbed the crystal card from his hand when it came to her view. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the Amaranthine royalty symbol on it.


    "I have never told you about the ce I was born in."


    "Your family?" She nced at him.


    He pursed his lips, "Logically, yes."


    She sighed, "In fact, I know about them."


    He paused for a moment, "Did Mom tell you?"


    She nodded, "I was curious so she just told me but I want to know more about them, about every member in the Jun family," Her brows tugged together when he did not reply, "You won''t tell me?"


    He sighed, "Tomorrow."


    "Okay," She smiled.


    Initially, she had decided that she will try to know more about himself only when she told him about her. But since all her rules were broken already, she decided to throw the rest of them in the garbage.


    "Why is Li Shuang Li and not Yu?" She swiftly changed the topic.


    ''''Are you trying to distract me?" He looked at her.


    The corner of her lips twitched, "Must you be so smart? I..I just don''t want you to be sad."


    Heughed helplessly, "Do I look sad?"


    "Uhh...I thought you were."


    "I am not," he ced a soft kiss on her forehead, "They don''t really matter."


    She blinked, "But I am genuinely curious about the question I asked."


    "Li Shuang takes after herte mother''s surname. That''s why she is not Yu."


    "So, it''s like that," She nodded, "And who is Jingyi? Why is she your fiancee?" She fiddled with the buttons of his shirt.


    "Jealous?"


    "Uhh...A little."


    "She is the daughter of your Aunt."


    "Aunt...as in my mother''s elder sister?"


    "No, I am talking about your grandfather''s sister,'''' He flicked her forehead, "Of course your mother''s elder sister. Who else?"


    "Oww.." She rubbed the spot, "I am jealous, okay? You have so many women in your life before me. Why am I not your first? First everything."


    "You are myst," He kissed her lips softly, "Thest everything."


    "Smooth," She smiled, "You have a way with your words."


    "Do they work on you?"


    Sheughed, "I think they do. Because you are sincere and all these words only belong to me."

 Chapter 222 - Let Him Purify Himself First

    The engagement between Jun Zixuan and that ''whatever her name was'' was just a deal between the elders. The typical case of child betrothal.


    Yu Mei did not care much about it now that it was all concluded. It did bother her...a little bit as she could already guess how troublesome it was going to be in the future.


    But when you keep a flower like Jun Zixuan, there are bound to be some bees hovering around it.


    "But I am the butterfly here who gets to suck the nectar from the flower," She blew at her well-manicured nails as she propped her head on her palm.


    "Just look at you, Miss butterfly," ShI Luo settled on the couch beside her, "You are in love after so many years."


    Yu Mei stiffened, "Don''t phrase it like that."


    "Why can''t I? I have even thought of a proper headline," Shi Luo folded one of her legs on the other as she raised her hand exaggeratedly, "Ex-boyfriend turned brother-inw."


    "Shut up," The woman pped her thighs.


    Shi Luoughed, "I hope nothing and no onees between you and Jun Zixuan," She paused for a moment before adding, "What happened to Yu Family?"


    "The so-called Master Yu and Madam Yu had a few criminal records written in their part as they were involved in some illegal deals in the past. They are in detention for now. I don''t really care what happens to them."


    "The entertainment industry is rather messy," Shi Luo sighed.


    Yu Mei nodded, "The Dream Entertainment went back to the hands of its rightful owner."


    "Li Shuang, right?" Shi Luo has seen the news. There were lots of information in the media as this matter has left the entertainment industry shaken, "But she is a Science student. Can she deal with business?"


    "She can. She had chosen this major just to not upset Grandpa but she has been studying business in secret all this while. That''s where her interest lies and the old man also epted it," After his son''s death and betrayal from his adopted son and biological daughter, the old man was left heartbroken which caused him to stay withdrawn and detached from the society which is why he was unaware of many events including his daughter''s death.


    "All''s well that ends well," Shi Luo smiled. After all, it was Li Shuang''ste father''s dream to establish his foothold in the entertainment industry, and now his daughter was walking down the same path. It could give him peace and happiness wherever he was.


    "Uh-huh. That''s right."


    "Mu Shen is asking about Shuangtely. Do they know each other that well?"


    Yu Mei frowned before shaking her head, "They have only met once..." The time when Jun Zixuan barged inside the girls'' dormitory.


    "Don''t tell me he is having some other intentions towards her?" Shi Luoughed.


    "Ask him to stay away from her," Yu Mei narrowed her eyes, "Shuang is not just my friend, she is also my cousin. After a guy like Zhu Boqin, the least I can do is keep a guy like Mu Shen away from him."


    "Mu Shen is not that bad," Shi Luo defended her friend.


    "He is not a saint, either."


    "Do you think Jun Zixuan is a saint?" Shi Luo frowned, "His looks are capable ofnding any woman on his bed. And not to mention his wealth. Do you think it isn''t risky for you to be with him? Not only is he charming, but he is also the most desirable man across the globe even when he hasn''t shown his face. When one day, his identityes to light, he will be that male god every female will adore."


    Yu Mei sighed, "They can adore him all they want but he is mine to keep."


    "You are saying this because you know how much he loves you," Shi Luo smiled, "What if Mu Shen is serious?"


    "I think your ideas are far-fetched but if Mu Shen is really after Li Shuang, then he will have to go through the Nirvana fire to purify himself before he can have my cousin."


    Shi Luo blinked. Far fetched? It was rare for Mu Shen to be interested in talking about a woman yet not mentioning sleeping with her even once. Only time can tell where this is going.


    At this time, Yu Jinhai opened the door of his bedroom and stepped outside, "Jie, why didn''t you tell me that you are here?" He was surprised to see her.


    Yu Mei opened her arms and the boy immediately moved towards her for a hug. "Your Sister Luo said that you were doing your homework so I did not want to disturb you."


    "You will never disturb me," The boy smiled.


    "Sweet talker."


    "Brother-inw said that girls like sweet-talking."


    The corner of her lips twitched.


    Shi Luoughed as she stood up, "I have an appointment. I will leave now. You both can talk."


    As soon as the woman left, the atmosphere between the siblings turned a bit tense as they stared at each other until Yu Jinhai could not bear his sister''s piercing stare anymore and averted his gaze.


    She grabbed his hands, "Look at me."


    "Uh..." The boy guiltily lowered his head further.


    "I said look at me," Her tone was stern this time causing the boy to raise his head timidly.


    "Jie~" Yu Jinhai shrank back.


    "I don''t have a weak memory," She narrowed her eyes, "Did you think I will forget about it?"


    The boy gulped. He really thought so.


    "Now tell me Ah Jin, why did you lie back in the press conference that day? We both know that I did try to sell you to those people," If Jun Zixuan or Shi Luo were with him at that time, then she would have thought that they have convinced him to speak like that but the boy went there with Master Yu then why did he lie?


    "I-"


    "You are not fond of lying. You are always honest with every little thing. So, don''t bother denying it. I want to know what made you lie."


    "I didn''t lie," The boy yelled all of a sudden leaving her stunned.

 Chapter 223 - Knowing Those Creatures

    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow at his sudden outburst. She could feel his small palms sweating in her grip. She did not rush him either as she waited for him to speak.


    "I know you are not my sister," Yu Jinhai spoke after a long time as he lowered his head.


    "What do you mean by I am not your sister? Are you angry about something and this is your way of throwing tantrums?" She smiled as she was suddenly reminded of her childhood days. When she would be angry at Jian Yu, she will throw this exact line at him ''You are not my brother'' and that would be all for him to hover around her with his silly attempts in coaxing her.


    "No..." The boy shook his head vehemently as his bangs covered his eyes.


    Sheughed beforebing his hair with her fingers. This boy was too cute for his own good. What a littlemb!


    "I mean I know you are not...not my mother''s daughter," Yu Mei stiffened as the boy continued, "You are another person in my sister''s body."


    Her jaws dropped as she looked at the boy with widening eyes. Her grip on his hands loosened as she let go of him.


    But Yu Jinhai was quick to grab her palm and enveloping it in his small ones, "But that does not matters. You are the only Jie I have. You don''t have to be her to be my elder sister. She hated me but you love me so much."


    She nced at the ceiling to blink away her tears. What are these people going to get by ruining her image like this?


    She rubbed the tip of her nose, "How did you know that I am not her?"


    "That day...On mother''s death anniversary...I was not asleep. I overheard your conversation with Sister Luo," The boy guiltily muttered, ''''I apologize. I know that eavesdropping isn''t good. I won''t do it again."


    She ended upughing at how innocent he was. She ruffled his hair, "You really don''t care that I am not your biological sister and just another person in her body? Don''t you think of me as monster?" She was a bit taken aback at how calmly he epted the fact. Even though he overheard it, wasn''t he the least bit afraid of her? Which child would believe in something so bizarre without finding her scary?


    "You resemble angels," The boy smiled.


    At first, he was so confused when his elder sister who has always hated him started treating him so nicely. But he never disliked it. He liked spending time with her and unlike before, he was not scared of her.


    Only now did he realized that she was another person. He felt a bit sad that his own sister...is gone but he was so happy to have her and that left him a little conflicted.


    She pulled him closer for a hug, "Sweet talker,'''' She sighed.


    "I have learned it from brother-inw."


    Sheughed, "Brother-inw''s minion."


    Yu Jinhai smiled, "Jie..."


    "Huh?" She broke the hug before looking at him.


    "Thank you for treating me so well."


    "Didn''t you say that you see me as your sister?" As the boy nodded, she ruffled his hair, "Then what are you thanking me for? I just treated you the way a cute little younger brother should be treated."


    The boy pounced on her for another hug.


    Later that night in the Ren Mansion:


    "What are you thinking about?"


    She snapped out of her trance as she nced at the man "Nothing." she leaned back on the arm of the couch.


    "I called you twice but you did not respond," Jun Zixuan settled on the other end of the couch as he looked at her.


    "I was a bit distracted," She smiled, "How was your day?"


    "The day went as usual," He stated nonchntly, "As for the night, I will have to rely on you for the answer," He winked at her before raking his finger through his hair.


    Her breathing hitched while her face turned hot in an instant. She cleared her throat, "You promised to tell me about something today."


    "About the Jun Family?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She nodded.


    He grabbed the file on lying on the coffee table before putting it between them.


    "You have already prepared this..." She muttered to herself.


    She opened it and she was greeted with the picture of an old man on the first page. His stern and frigid countenance gave off a strong aura even though it was just a picture. She nced at the vague data about him on the right side.


    He was the Old Master of the Jun Family, Jun Zixuan''s grandfather, "How did he treat you back then?" She softly asked without raising her head to look at him.


    But a secondter, she realized that he was just around 3-4 years old at that then how he remember this? Moreover, there was his special health condition that his mother spoke of.


    "He locked me in the basement a few times and other than that, we don''t have much interactions," He spoke casually.


    Her head snapped in his direction, "You remember?"


    He paused for a moment, "My condition was special. I could not speak at that time but I remember everything clearly."


    She blinked. She''d rather he forgets such unpleasant memories.


    Anyways, she had to know these creatures anyway and she was very determined to do it today.


    Taking a deep breath, she turned the page. And this time the man in the picture resembled Jun Zixuan. While Jun Boyan got most of his features from his beautiful mother, Jun Zixuan did not resemble Shen Lihua that much. She realized from where he inherited his rare ash blonde hair from. "Is he your father?" She nced at his name that read ''Jun Zishen''.


    "Sperm donor," He corrected her.


    She pursed her lips, "So, how was his attitude back then?"


    "Pretty much neutral."


    Yu Mei scoffed. From what Shen Lihua had told her, she could predict the behaviour of this man. He remained neutral in all situations and never raised his voice against his parents even though they were wrong at times. And in the process, he kept hurting his own little family, be it intentionally or unintentionally.


    The next page had two pictures on it and she stiffened the moment her gazended on the second picture.

 Chapter 224 - Knowing Everything About Him

    He followed her gaze, ''''She is his ex-wife."


    She quickly nced at the woman''s picture at the top, "Your father''s ex-wife?"


    "Yes. She had a son too who should be older than all of us but he passed away due to health issues," He muttered before looking at the man''s picture towards the bottom, "He is my half brother, Jun Zihao."


    Her gaze shed slightly but she schooled her expressions before he could notice anything amiss, "Is he...her son? I mean your father''s ex wife''s...?"


    "No, he was born from a mistress.''''


    The corner of her lips twitched, "Handsome men can never be trusted," No matter what, Jun Zixuan''s father was so handsome that he can easily pass off as his elder brother. And now look at his history with women.


    He nced at her, "What do you mean?"


    She nced at him, ''''Don''t give me that innocent look. You better stay loyal to me."


    Jun Zixuan chuckled.


    She shook her head. So, this was the reason why Jun Boyan was addressed as Fourth Young Master by everyone. She had always been curious about it and only now did she get it. Jun Zishen had four sons. His first wife gave birth to his eldest son who passed away due to health issues. And the second son was born from a mistress while the third and fourth son were from his second wife, Shen Lihua.


    Given that there was no fifth child in the picture, probably the man''s affection for Shen LIhua were real.


    Sighing softly, she turned the page.


    Old Madam Jun.


    Proud and elegant. These were the words that came to her mind when she saw the picture of the olddy who was sitting on a throne chair beside her husband.


    So, she was their grandmother.


    "You saw everyon-"


    She interrupted him, "How did she treat you?"


    He paused, "Yes?"


    "How did she treat you back then?"


    "Why does it matters?"


    "I want to know," She replied while her gaze was still focused on the picture.


    "She used to dislike me a lot," Jun Zixuan sighed helplessly at how stubborn she was, "And since I had seen her raising her hand at mom quite a few times, I also didn''t have any good feelings for her. And when I couldn''t talk while growing up, she detested me over time," He casually said.


    What elegant? This old hag is a witch. Who would not adore a baby Zixuan? She could almost imagine him sitting in a ce, shining like an angel.


    "More."


    He was speechless. She seemed very interested in this. Left with no choice, he continued, "There was a time when I bumped into her and she ended up beating me with her cane until I passed out and by the time I woke, I was locked in the basement for ''not behaving properly'' by her husband. It has always been like-" He paused when she pounced on him all of a sudden, throwing the file away, "What''s wrong?"


    "Aren''t you the least bit affected by all that? How can you say it all so nonchntly? You...H-How could they..."


    "Hey, are you crying?" Jun Zixuan was stunned, "What happened? Why would you cry out of nowhere?"


    "What do you think?" She sniffed and rubbed her face on shoulder, properly staining his white shirt with her tears, "I can''t....watch a romantic movie without crying. How do you expect me to take this when you were treated so harshly?"


    "Why are you such a crybaby?" He helplessly stroked her back and hugged her tightly, still finding it difficult to believe that she was crying for him, "It isn''t that serious, you know?"


    "I don''t know anything," She buried her face in his neck, "It would have been good if I was there with you. I would have thrown stones at anyone who tried to bully you."


    Jun Zixuan could barely contain hisughter, "When I was 3 years old, you must be 1. How would you have done that? Silly!"


    ''That''s because when you were 3, I was also 3,'' She thought to herself as her gaze darkened.


    Perhaps because of what he went through, he became the man he was today.


    He had everything under his control.


    One snap of his fingers and anything he desired would be at his feet. The force of Eminence was certainly not to be underestimated.


    But...


    She paused, "And what was about that card yesterday?" Although she was aware of what it was but she was curious as to why and how did he get it.


    "First you ask me about all these unimportant things, then you start crying. What''s the benefit in it?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "I want to know everything about you," She rubbed her eyes, regretting the way she bawled earlier. But then, she was pretty much experienced in such embarrassing situations and that had made her thick skinned.


    He pressed a kiss on her forehead, "The crystal card is the type of ck card that is only availed to the Amaranthine Royalty. It was given to me by him.''''


    "Him? Your father?"


    "Yes. When I turned 10, I received that crystal card from his subordinate. It was given to me for allowances. I did not want to keep it but he might have gone to look for Mom and I did not want to upset her further after her parents'' death. That''s why I epted it. He used to sent me $25k every month...."


    "What happened now?"


    "...Well, I intended to return it to him but he thought I wanted more money so he doubled the amount saying that I didn''t deserve more than that."


    She pursed her lips. Jun Zixuan was richer than almost 10 such royal families.


    What exactly do they think of themselves?


    ...


    "There is full privacy here. How do you like it, Ma''am?"


    "It''s good. But what about that?" Mia pointed her chin towards the ss partition on the opposite side.

 Chapter 225 - Redemption

    "You don''t need to be worried about that. The owner has not visited here for more than a decade."


    She yed with her silver hair while contemting. "That''s good then," She spoke up after a few seconds, "I willplete the payment procedure. Give me the documents to this house."


    "Yes, they will be sent to your current address. When do you n to shift here, Miss?" The broker could barely keep his eyes off the beautiful woman standing in front of him. Her every move, her every word aimed an arrow right at his chest.


    Mia nced at both the ss house perched on the edge of a cliff at the Leven peak. The beautiful seaside view and the cool atmosphere, "I will move in within this month," A smile formed on her face as she flipped her silver hair back before getting inside her car and driving off leaving the man with his heart galloping like crazy.


    ...


    Yu Jinhai wanted to stay with his Grandpa since Shi Luo was busy with her work recently and the old man looked too pitiful and lonely to the boy so as a responsible elder sister, she threw him at the old man''s ce.


    While Yu Mei was driving back to the Ren Mansion, her mind wandered off to her discussion with Jun Zixuan from yesterday.


    They talked a lot about his past in the Jun family and the members of the Jun Family and in the end, she even managed dozed off on him.


    Back to the point, with his special health condition, he was able to recount most of the events from the point he started remembering things. While he waspletely nonchnt about it, it was self-torture on her part.


    She wondered if she had masochistic tendencies. On one hand, she was so curious about all of it yet the more she heard, the more her heart ached. But everything concluded that the hell of that Royal Family sessfully managed to get on her bad side.


    One can only wish that they don''t show up in her baby''s life or else this battle won''t end bloodless.


    Her car came to a screeching halt when an SUV stopped in front of it. She frowned before alighting the car.


    "You want to murder me now that your parents'' n of destroying my reputation did not work out?" She folded her arms and leaned back on the car as she watched the Yu siblings making their way towards her.


    The prince and princess of the Yu Family seemed to have lost the glow from their faces. Dark circles, tired and pale faces, and even their outfits were unkempt.


    Yu Yan still managed to re at her though.


    Yu Mei was a bit speechless. Thoroughly vanquished but still so full of airs.


    "You can mock us if you want. After all, we have nothing now. We are so below your status, President Leanne. Now, you have a powerful family to back you up and there is also your influential employer. Do mock us, insult us, and trample on us. Haven''t you always wanted to do that?" Yu Yan spoke through gritted teeth as she clenched her fists.


    "Yan''er," Daniel narrowed his eyes at his sister.


    "Have you lost a few screws from your brain or are you simply traumatized? Why are you so desperate to be insulted?" Yu Mei shook her head as she sighed disappointedly, "I could have done that but unfortunately...I am a fairy in this mortal world. I just can''t bring myself to be so mean."


    "You..." Yu Yan almost puked a mouthful of blood. She had the urge to strangle this shameless woman even though she might end up in prisonter.


    Fairy?


    With the character of a devil, she is calling herself a fairy? A fucking fairy? Where did she get that confidence from?


    "We are here to apologize for everything you went through. Mother and Father....there were many things that they hid from us and we got to know about all that recently. I..." Daniel''s usually arrogant and cool voice had humbled by a great degree, "Let us not get to that. We were here to apologize for our inappropriate behavior towards you for all these years. We had treated you like garbage but we have now reduced to our rightful ce, I guess," He tried tough but that came terrible.


    Yu Mei blinked. Your apology came toote as the one you treated so badly all these years has already passed away.


    "Whatever has happened can not be reversed. Don''t dwell on the past. Move on with your life," She said with a stoic expression on her face.


    Yu Yan and Dn were visibly surprised, "You are forgiving us so easily?" They could not believe their ears.


    "Well, there is nothing to forgive about,'''' Yu Mei nced at Yu Yan, "She stomped on my hand, I pushed her off the terrace. You guys schemed against me and your parents are behind the bars because of me. We don''t owe anything to each other." She never expected them toe here to apologize to her in the first ce.


    But if she looked into her memories, it was always Madam Yu who has been unfair to the previous owner, and as her kids, they also learned to do the same. But since they already realized their mistakes, she was not interested in dwelling on the past.


    Moreover, their sufferings were evident from their faces. After their parents were arrested, they obviously had to face countless trolls, the reporter''s wrath and as per the reports, they also went through countless investigations to prove that they were innocent and not involved in their parents'' illegal activities.


    Her words rendered the Yu siblings speechless.


    Yu Mei hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "In fact, I have something to ask you and I want you to tell me the truth."


    The Yu siblings exchanged nces, "You can ask," Daniel paused for a moment before adding, "If we know about it, then we will be honest," He spoke up after contemting a bit.


    "You should know about it I guess."


    * * *


    A/N: Thanks all for being patient with me. Keep voting. We need to rank up badly as we dropped off ranks coz of my irregr updates. And thanks for all your love and concern. I''m on my medications currently, hoping to recover soon. This COVID thing is no less than a witch''s curse. So, stay safe all of you. Lots of love <3

 Chapter 226 - Closure

    "What is it?"


    "Who was that paternal grandmother who took me in after I was kicked out of the Yu Family?" Yu Mei asked after thinking about it.


    Back when Li Na passed away, the Yu Family managed to get the 10% shares from the previous that were initially under her name, and then,ter on, she was kicked out of their vi. Suddenly, a kind paternal grandmother popped up in the picture and took her in.


    The previous owner stayed with that olddy and waited for Daniel to return from abroad so that he can help her get back on the good side of the family.


    But then, a man showed up at her doorstep with the offer of marriage and the deal of keeping it a secret.


    By then, the girl had lost hopes of getting back into her family and when she saw Jun Zixuan''s picture, she believed it to be love at first sight. He was handsome and rich. After some contemtion and knowing the involvement of herte mother in this marriage arrangement, she ended up agreeing to the offer while inwardly scheming to impress her family by using Jun Zixuan''s wealth and status to help them.


    Daniel stiffened, "She was hired to pretend as our paternal grandmother so that she can keep an eye on you."


    "I thought so," She sighed. It was certainly crazy that a schemer like Yu Mei Zhen got thoroughly schemed by this family.


    After she got the memories, she was wondering how the previous owner got her hands on 10% shares of Dream Entertainment.


    Master Yu was neither fond of daughters and to top it off, he despised this particr daughter who was born from his supposed ''mistress''.


    But now that Yu Mei got to know her identity, she realized the truth. It must have been Li Na, the original CEO of Dream Entertainment who gave the shares to her daughter when things were still under her control.


    But then, she got confused about this paternal grandmother after knowing that Master Yu was in fact an orphan named Jin Jitong who was adopted by the Yu Family.


    Daniel was a bit embarrassed about admitting it. He found it rather hard to ept that they were so cruel to her in the past. He awkwardly ran his fingers through his messy hair.


    Yu Mei tilted her head to the side as she nced at him unblinkingly.


    The man froze under her constant stare. Was she still not over himpletely? Was she attracted to him? "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, unconsciously as his hopes soared higher.


    "When Zixuan does that..." She thought back to the times when she has seen him raking his fingers through his messy hair and her heart skipped a beat, "He looks otherworldly. But other men...for example, you... look downright ugly. I was just wondering why..." Her face scrunched up slightly.


    Pfft.


    This time it was Daniel who restrained himself from vomiting a mouthful of blood.


    Yu Yan stifled herughter. Her brother has been a hunk all his life. When has he ever been called ugly by a woman? She must be taking revenge for all the times he had called her ugly in the past.


    What she did not know was that Yu Mei meant it. Literally. She was so obsessed with Jun Zixuan that all the men in the world looked like aliens to her.


    "Zixuan..." Yu Yan blinked at her.


    "My man," Yu Mei proudly dered before snatching her clutch from her hand.


    ''''What are you doing?" Yu Yan red at her. Why was this bitch so hateful?


    Yu Mei took out a gold card from it before throwing it back to the woman, "I am taking this," It was Jun Zixuan''s card that the previous owner gifted to Yu Yan in order to get closer to her.


    "Don''t act as if I stole it. You gave it to me by yourself," Yu Yan scoffed.


    "I realized I can''t leave my man''s belongings with other women. What if they did ck magic on it to seduce him? That would break my heart," She spoke dramatically.


    Yu Yan was one step away from pouncing the woman and ripping her hair off. This bitch will never change. She was a bitch in the past and she is a bigger bitch right now.


    Daniel patted his sister''s back who was already seething with rage at this point.


    Yu Mei walked towards her car, got something from inside before walking towards them. She grabbed Yu Yan''s hand and ced something on it, "Don''t bother me unless your world is falling apart," She waved her hand at them and turned around to walk away, "Don''t forget to pray for me. Ask God to give me a happy and peaceful life," With that said, she got inside the car and drove off leaving the Yu siblings standing rooted to their spots.


    "What a shameless woman!!" Yu Yan rolled her eyes.


    ''''What did she give you?" Daniel nced at his sister.


    "How would I know?" Yu Yan nced at the card in her hand which had the logo of Rosette on it. She was stunned.


    "She pretends to be so ruthless yet gives this to us..." Daniel was speechless, "Does this means she will help us if we are in need?"


    Yu Yan blinked, "Brother, she has changed so much."


    Daniel nced in the direction in which her car disappeared, "She is like a star now. So beautiful yet unreachable."


    "Brother, your philosophy is giving me goosebumps," Yu Yan red at the man, "She is still your half-sister though."


    "I like her. How am I supposed to hide it?"


    Yu Yan rolled her eyes, "You didn''t say that when she was crazily chasing you. When she was fat and ugly, you were disgusted with her."


    "I was not disgusted with her looks but her personality, her nature. She tried to kiss Zhu Boqin who was her friend''s boyfriend just because she knew I was there. She stooped so low to get my attention. She pretended to be innocent but schemed against everyone. And now, even though she acts like a bad bitch, I find her soft-hearted, I don''t know how she changed so much but she did."


    ''''And you are like a moth who can''t resist the temptation of fire," That was when Yu Yan realized how serious her brother was but just as he said, she was unreachable now. Yu Yan held his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts, "What are we going to do now?"


    "I have booked our tickets with whatever savings I was left with. We are going abroad. I will start a small business with the savings I am left with and you will pursue your further education.''''


    "What about mom and dad?"


    Daniel sighed, "Let''s meet them for thest time before our flight boarding time. But we cannot do anything about it. It''s not just about drugs and casting couch anymore, they are involved in the murder case now," It might be ruthless on his part but he has warned them countless times when things in thepany started going wrong yet they ended up getting involved in so many illegal activities.


    And now, they were left with nothing. He was sure the media won''t let them live peacefully if he stayed here and he had a younger sister to look after. Despite her age, she was young to him. It was not the time for him to let his emotions take control and make him weak.


    "Murder case? Is it rted to the actress who was found dead in her apartment a few months ago? But shemitted suicide out of depression."


    "No, our parents'' involvement is found along with evidence. I just hope they can realize their mistakes and redeem themselves this time."


    Yu Yan lowered her head, "Alright, let''s go."


    She never thought that their parents will keep them in dark about so many things. But there was no going back now.


    The Yu siblings did not know if they were disappointed, sad, broken-hearted, or simply angry at their parents'' act, at how well they pretended to be something else in front of them.


    On the other hand, it was kind of a bittersweet feeling that they got a proper closure with Yu Mei.


    As for the rest, they just hoped that everything will start to get better with time.

 Chapter 227 - White Lotus

    She slowly opened the door and peeked inside, looking at the man who was busy with his iPad. He had his back facing towards her.


    She swiftly removed her heels and stepped inside the Master Bedroom before closing the door behind her without making any noise. Intending to freak him out, she tiptoed and moved towards him before carefully climbing on the bed and inching closer to him.


    Striking a monster pose with her ws aimed at him, she was all set to scare him off until...


    ''''AHHH-'''' She screamed when the ''soon-to-be'' victim turned around all of a sudden, threw his iPad aside, encircled an arm around her waist, and pushed his weight on her such that both of them ended up falling on the bed.


    "Scaredy cat," He mumbled in disdain before iming her lips.


    Her eyes widened at the sudden attack that came out of nowhere. "Stop moving and let me kiss you," She blinked when he whispered against her lips.


    Not giving her a chance to respond, he raked his fingers through her hair before tightening his grip on the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, his lips sucked hers as hard as they could.


    His feathery touches on her waist set her body on fire as she writhed beneath him, taken aback by his passionately rough kiss.


    He let go of her lips only when she was in a breathless mess.


    She touched her lips with her index finger.


    Jun Zixuan looked at the enticing woman pinned beneath him. ssy eyes, and oh so beautiful swollen lips. Her every move seemed to be inviting him to eat her up.


    "W-What was that?" She asked in exasperation. A few nerves in her body were still dancing by the sudden thrill.


    "You want to try again?" He leaned closer to her.


    She bit his lips hard, "My revenge. Humph!" She pushed him away before sitting on the bed.


    He fell on his back. In the next second, he grabbed the woman''s wrist and pulled her towards him. She ended up lying atop him.


    "Your revenge is always sweet," He licked his bottom lips, the part where she just bit him.


    Her body turned hot when his brown eyes looked at her with such intensity, "Wait...What do you mean by always?" Her eyes widened all of a sudden as she punched his chest, "What the hell do you mean by that, hmm?"


    "I was not that drunk. Just a few sips of the wine. Did you expect me to suffer from amnesia the next day?"


    Her face turned red as she recalled the day when he barged inside her dormitory and they kissed for the first time, well only if they ignore his stolen kiss back in Shanghai then it would be counted as the first. And she said that she will have her revenge for the way he made her suffer for the past few months.


    But that revenge...that damn revenge ended up as another kiss. Andter, she even grabbed his...cough... his that thing. Hell!


    So, he was pretending to be unaware of everything the next day when in truth he remembered everything? He is such a white lotus!


    "I just hate you," She aimed a punch straight at his face.


    He grabbed her fist and flipped their positions such that she ended up pinned beneath him, once again.


    She tried to move her fist but his grip tightened as he brought it closer to his mouth before kissing it gently.


    "Don''t try to melt me with all that lips and eyes thing you are doing."


    "Are you butter, darling? Why would I want to melt you?" He raised an eyebrow ever so charmingly.


    She scoffed. "You are utilizing your beauty to seduce me?"


    "One should know how to use their assets to squeeze the maximum profit."


    "Bloodsucking capitalist, Profiteer.." She spoke through gritted teeth while trying to get her hand back to herself, "But I''m too smart to be seduced by you. I told you before."


    "Did you?" He pried open her fist before intertwining their fingers. He pressed a kiss on her corbone and her body arched beneath him. She bit her lips, refusing to make a noise, "But I can turn you on, isn''t it?"


    She grabbed the back of his neck with her other hand when he bit the spot he just kissed. Her fingers raked inside his hair as she gripped it tightly, "And I can rip your hair off your head. You won''t turn me on if you are bald," she whispered struggling to stop her legs from turning into jelly.


    "You like it wild?" He nced at her in surprise as if he hadn''t expected this from her, "We can get the handcuffs, blindfolds and-"


    She kissed him putting an emergency brake on the rest of his words.


    "Stop it already," She whispered after another round of intensive kissing. Their chests heaved up and down.


    No matter what she said, he always turned it into a weapon against her.


    Moreover, she admitted that she lost. She had countless embarrassing scenes written on her records. Be it the time when she undressed herself while she was drunk or be it when she tried to seduce him after she was drugged.


    Heughed and rolled to the side before wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her closer, "I pretended to not remember anything because you would have ignored me out of embarrassment if I didn''t do that."


    She settled her head on his shoulder, ''''You think I am not embarrassed now?"


    "Well, you are but not that much. We are a couple now, after all," He tucked her beside her ear.


    "Hmm, couple," She turned to look at him, "By the way, I met the Yu siblings today."


    "I know.''''


    She nodded. The man who is assigned to protect her must have informed him already. "They apologized to me.''''


    "You forgave them?"


    She shrugged.


    "Too kind-hearted" He clicked his tongue.


    ...


    A/N: Please drop reviews and votes if you like this book so far. Lots of love. Hope y''ll are doing well <3

 Chapter 228 - Myth VS Fact

    "You are blind if I look kind-hearted to you," Sheughed, "Did you want me to point a gun at their heads?"


    "You could have done that, you know? I don''t have objections."


    "Says the man who thinks I''m too spoiled," On one hand, he believes she is too spoiled and on other hand, he spoils her even more. Yu Mei chuckled, "By the way, you must have known about the contents of the press conference. Don''t you have anyments about my feelings towards my half-brother?"


    "Noments. I have questions," He nced at her with an expressionless face, "But I won''t ask you."


    "And why is that?"


    "Because this is not the only thing that I want to know. There are many more. If I start asking, then I might end up disappointed when you don''t answer," He tried to observe her expressions.


    She froze for a split second.


    As expected. He sighed softly.


    "I can tell you that I never had feelings for Daniel. No feelings at all. He is just another passerby in my life," She softly said, leaning closer to him. The previous owner had feelings for him. Not me. Not me at all.


    ''If Jian Yu was here, I would have divorced Zixuan right this instant.''


    That was something she said months ago.


    Who is he to you? Will you still leave me if hees into the picture?


    Not just this, he had many things that he wanted to know but he knew that if asked her, she won''t answer and things will get tense between them. He did not want to take the risk. Maybe, she just needed some more time.


    "Then who do you have feelings for?" He asked teasingly, wrapping an arm around her waist as he turned to the side so that he was facing her.


    "For our neighbor," She smiled when the grin on his face disappeared, "For you, to be honest," She buried her face in his chest and they both ended upughing together.


    "Don''t go back on your words in the future."


    She bit his chest, "Of course, my words are as precious as diamonds.''''


    At midnight.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    "Mei, can''t you put your phone on silent mode?" Jun Zixuan hugged the woman tighter as she snuggled closer to him, without responding to him.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    He bit her neck without bothering to open his eyes.


    The woman shrieked, "Ah-" Her eyes snapped open, "Were you a vampire in the past life?" She snarled at him.


    "I don''t know," He tightened his grip on her and buried his face in her neck, cuddling with her.


    "Why did you bite me?" She was wide awake at this point. Usually, she won''t wake up when she slept but the man had to bite her so hard.


    "Your phone..." He mumbled in a tired voice.


    She sighed. He has been really busy these days. First, he went on a business trip then the issue with Yu Family made him drop all his work ande back to her. He must be exhausted. "I''ll check who is it..." She carefully removed his arms from her waist and his face from her neck before rolling towards the bedside table.


    The instant loss of his darling pillow woke him up. He red at the woman''s back with eyes full ofints.


    Yu Mei, on the other hand, had all her focus on her phone.


    21 missed calls?


    Just as she was lost in thought, Shi Luo called her once again. She swiped the answer option before putting the phone on her ear. She yawned while rubbing her eyes, "It''s past midnight, Luoluo. Get yourself a man if you are bored."


    "Man my ass. You have got a man for yourself and I am having a headache looking at the troubles you are going through. I think I am having a phobia of men from now on," The woman spoke through gritted teeth.


    "I am very happy with my man. What troubles are you speaking of?"


    Jun Zixuan''s ears perked up at the mention of his name. He snuck closer to her before wrapping an arm around her waist. "Sounds so good," He whispered against her neck.


    ''''What?"


    "When you phrase it like that," The man licked her neck, "Like you know...my man. It sounds good."


    "What are you doing?" She stiffened, feeling his hand sneaking inside her nightshirt.


    "Can you both restrain yourself for a few minutes? For a few fucking minutes?" From Shi Luo''s voice, Yu Mei could tell that the woman''s patience was wearing thin.


    She quickly swatted away the indecent hand, "Calm down, Luoluo. You have a reputation to uphold. Don''t curse," The woman would opt to vulgarities only when there is some issue hovering over her head.


    "Check the links I have sent you," The woman said from the other side.


    Yu Mei couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow, "Why is it links again?"


    "You have to ask yourself about it. Why the heck do you keep getting in headlines? I feel like a paparazzi these days," Shi Luo mumbled before hanging up.


    She couldn''t help but sigh. What headline is it again? She disinterestedly clicked on the links Shi Luo had sent with half-lidded eyes.


    Sleep Goddess was refusing to leave her alone.


    Letting out another sad sigh, she let her eyes roam over the current trending news.


    ''Myth: President Leanne is someone''s mistress VS Fact: It goes vice versa. Check out the article for full details.''


    Then, a picture of her and Jun Zixuan came to her view followed by another string of headlines.


    ''A strong woman knows how to keep men at her service.''


    ''Why be a mistress when she can afford kept men?''


    ''The exclusive image of President Leanne''s kept man.''


    She sat up on the bed in a sh as her eyes widened in horror.


    Jun Zixuan, who was ruthlessly pushed away by the woman speechlessly looked at her back, ''''What''s wrong?" He asked while tugging at her shirt a bit forcefully such that she ended up falling atop him.

 Chapter 229 - Kept

    ''''Our pictures are circting online. These...weird news are trending now," She turned her phone towards him, "I got you in trouble, didn''t I?"?After all, he has never shown his face to the public neither has he revealed his identity but now, the media might hover around him 24/7.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed the phone from her hand before he pushed himself up to sit still having her on hisp.


    ''Is it that serious?'' She wondered to herself when a small frown graced his handsome face.


    "Their photography skillsck. They only captured my side profile," The man muttered after contemting a bit over it.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Was that the point here?


    ''''Did you read the headlines?"


    "No. I just looked at the pictures.''''


    She followed his gaze. They were the pictures when Jun Zixuan carried her outside the hotel on his shoulder and there was another picture of them which was initially presented by Madam Yu during the press conference.


    No wonder his reaction was neutral. She was a bit nervous at this point. Would he me her?


    No normal man will like it when someone pointed at them for being dependant on their woman financially. It hurts their male ego probably. And this issue was much serious than that.


    Jun Zixuan was a proud man. She was well aware of this fact from her previous life.


    He has always been kind and close to her but to the rest of the world, he has remained unreachable.


    And now he is rumored to be her kept man, she was not sure what will this lead to? But no matter what it was, it wasn''t going to be anything good.


    His eyebrow rose slightly as he read the headlines further.


    She closed her eyes, not mentally prepared for what was about toe. They just got into a rtionship and peace seemed to have said goodbye to them. And now this new trouble might as well incite a fight between them. She cursed the reporter who made up such things. They just never learn their lessons. Shameless! Immoral people.


    I curse you to stay awake at nights.


    I curse you tock condoms when you want to do that with your partner.


    I curse you to bump your toenail in the edge of the door.


    I...


    "Interesting."


    The strings of curses flowing in her mind halted when the man uttered this single word. "What?"


    The man turned her phone towards her, showing her the headlines, "I think they are interesting."


    It took her some time to recover her senses, "You aren''t offended?" She nced at the strange species of man in front of her.


    "Why would I be offended?" Jun Zixuan frowned, "I am very pleased. These reporters have done a pretty good job.''''


    "They called you my kept man. Someone whom I have been supporting financially. You sure you aren''t offended by that?" She nced at him doubtfully.


    He threw her phone to the other side of the bed before wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning closer to her such that the barest tips of their noses touched, "The world now knows me as your man. I don''t think I have anything to be offended about. I can''t be happier, you know?" He whispered against her lips, looking into her starry eyes.


    She blinked, "You are so different," Usually, men would be offended by such things. Even women don''t like to be called a mistress then which man would appreciate being called a woman''s kept?


    "One more reason for you to keep falling deeper for me, I guess," He suggested.


    She chuckled, "I will think about that."


    He was indeed different but only when it came to her. If he was interlinked with another woman in such a way then right at this moment, half of the world would have been on fire along with the woman in question.


    But because it was her, everything that was going on was fine to him.


    "It really won''t cause any trouble to you?" She asked with a hint of worry apparent in her eyes.


    "Uh-huh. Possibly not," She frowned slightly, "Don''t worry. Even if something happens, I''ll handle it," He reassured her.


    She bit her bottom lips, "Are we forgetting something important here?"


    Jun Zixuan looked at the woman who was biting her lips in contemtion, her slightly exposed cleavage, her long dark hair falling in front of her shoulder, "If you keep seducing me like that, who knows what will be left for me to remember," he muttered under his breath.


    "Mm? Did you say something?" She nced at him.


    He yed with her dark tresses, "I said you are beautiful."


    "I know that," She nodded in understanding, ''''Say something new," She spoke with a straight face before trying to recall what was she forgetting amidst all this.


    The corner of his lips twitched. "Narcissistic."


    "I was being honest, Zixuan."


    "Whatever. I would have appreciated it if you were this honest with everything else too."


    She coughed.


    ''Knock knock''


    The couple looked at each other.


    "Who is it at this time?" She clung tighter to him, looking at his face under the moonlight.


    "It''s not ghost for sure," Heughed, looking at the way she shivered, "You are such a scaredy-cat, you know?"


    She sighed. She would rather face death than facing ghosts.


    "Master, Young Mistress, it is me."


    Yu Mei got off the man''sp before walking towards the door and opening it only to be greeted with Steward Gu''s face. The man''s expression had a hint of urgency on it, "Come in..." She stepped to the side to give him the way before closing the door behind them.


    "What''s wrong?" Jun Zixuan got off the bed.


    "Master, that..." Steward Gu was not sure how to speak about it. Then again, he was reminded of the other presence in the room. He nced at Yu Mei and further hesitated to speak.


    Before Jun Zixuan could say something, Yu Mei spoke up excitedly, "Oh, I remember now."


    "What do you remember?" Jun Zixuan nced at her.


    "Didn''t I say I was forgetting something earlier?" As the man nodded, she spoke up again, ''''I remember it now."

 Chapter 230 - The Rare Condition

    "I was forgetting about your family," She exaggeratedly shook her head, "I mean...How can I forget something so important? These headlines are currently trending all over the world. Won''t theye to badger you now? That you ruined their reputation, their image, and that you are a dark spot on their blue blood," She clicked her tongue.


    Steward Gu was astonished. It seems like Young Mistress was aware of the Master''s family background. He should have expected this.


    Jun Zixuan could already feel a headache just at the mere thought of it, "They won''t be so dramatic, would they?"


    Yu Mei shrugged, "This usually happens in novels though. I don''t know if the Jun Family is equally melodramatic as well."


    "Unfortunately, they are," Steward Gu interrupted them.


    Both of them turned to look at the man, "Your father called a few minutes ago," The man continued.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    "He probably saw the news. So, he has summoned you to Amaranthine."


    "Tell him I am not going. If they still bother you about it, then give them some trouble. They are very idletely," Jun Zixuan sat on the bed before leaning back on the headboard.


    ''So handsome...So hot...'' Her inner self was already cheering for him with two glittery pom pom in her hands.


    Yu Mei couldn''t help butugh at his family in her heart. What will they feel when theye to know that the boy whom they havebeled as a mute, fool, and trash is the one who has snatched their influence from right under their nose and established himself in Amaranthine?


    What will they feel when they know that the idiot in their eyes is the ingenious CEO of Eminence to the world?


    "Alright, Master..."


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    Steward Gu speechlessly looked at the caller ID on his phone before answering the call. A few secondster, he hesitantly handed the phone to Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow before putting the phone on speaker.


    "Don''t bother trying to find excuses. Your grandparents want you back here within two days. I will make arrangements for your flight and everything else. If you still aren''t ready toe here, then I will send someone to your mother and ask her to convince you," An authoritative and cold voice spoke from the other side.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze darkened, "Don''t bother making flight arrangements. I''ll deal with it," He hung up the call without listening to the man any further.


    Yu Mei sighed. She grabbed the phone from his hand and passed it to Steward Gu.


    She waved her hand and the man bowed before he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.


    Since she never had parents, she was not aware of how it should be. But she was sure that this is not the way a father should treat his child. What''s so great about imposing your decisions like that? You didn''t even ask him how he was doing, whether he was sick or healthy, happy or not.


    But Jun Zixuan appeared very unbothered by that. As if he didn''t have any expectations from his father.


    "So, are you going there?" She sat beside him before holding his hand.


    He nodded, "I want to end this for once and for all."


    She blinked. That was the best option they had. The way his father mentioned ''sending someone to his mother'', it sounded more like a threat. Not something like a death threat, though. It was kind of emotional ckmailing.


    Shen Lihua was sensitive about matters rted to her husband and Jun Family and they seem to know how to make full use of that. But what they were not aware of was the fact that the woman was going through the treatment of Leukemia. She was on her medications.


    For her to have a proper recovery, she needed some peace and happiness and not stress. So, what Jun Zixuan decided was the most logical decision at a time like this.


    If he did not agree to go there today, then they will keep badgering him or his mother one way or another.


    "How do they treat Boyan?" She asked curiously.


    "They don''t like our mom so they obviously don''t like us. But, he is treated better than me."


    "So, Boyan visits them?" Since he is a student of Crystal University and it is situated in Amaranthine, he must be in contact with his family.


    "Rarely. Only when he is asked to go there.''''


    "Oh," It must be their bias because of what they thought regarding Jun Zixuan, about him being an abnormal child. They even doubted that he was not their blood.


    Jun Zishen, Jun Zixuan''s father looked like his elder brother. With resemnces like that, that family must be blind to think of such nonsense stuff.


    After Shen Lihua informed her about Jun Zixuan''s special condition during his childhood and his exceptionally high IQ, she did her own research on it with Shi Luo''s help. And their conclusion turned out to be the same as the doctor''s who had diagnosed little Zixuan back then.


    While speech dy in children is not that much of an issue, there can be severe underlying reasons at times.


    People assume thatnguage dy or speech disorder will have a long-term impact on a child''s ability to excel in school and beyond. But a lesser-known condition called Einstein syndrome proves this is not always the case.


    In this condition, the child experienceste onset ofnguage but demonstrates giftedness in other areas of analytical thinking. A child with Einstein syndrome eventually speaks with no issues as he or she grows up but remains ahead of the curve in other areas.


    This syndrome is named after the certified genius Albert Einstein and-ording to some biographers¡ª ate-talker who did not speak full sentences before the age of 5.


    Considering Jun Zixuan''s sharp memory where he did not forget many events of his childhood despite not being able to speak at that time and his abnormally high IQ, both these conditions are coinciding already.

 Chapter 231 - Men Are Jerks

    If that family had a little bit of eptance towards him, then they might have looked into the facts and realized that what a rare gem they were missing out on but their rusty mentalities were bound to old traditions and blind beliefs.


    They took him as a product of his mother''s bad karma, a cursed child, incapable, abnormal, weird, and even a good-for-nothing trash. She could feel her blood boiling just at the thought of it.


    "What are you fuming for?"


    Jun Zixuan snapped his fingers in front of her bringing her out of her reverie.


    "Huh? Nothing.." She shook her head.


    "I''m going to miss you," He hugged her.


    "Why would you miss me?"


    He nced at her, "I''m leaving tomorrow. You won''t miss me at all?"


    "Don''t act so sugary sweet. I am not used to it," Her lips curled in disgust, "Why would I miss you when I aming with you?"


    "You want toe with me?" His eyes shed.


    She nodded, "Of course. Didn''t I say that I will cling to you even after I''m a ghost?" I''m sticking to my words."


    He pressed a kiss on her forehead, "You are making it impossible for me to not love you more every day."


    She wrapped an arm around his neck before burying her face in his neck, ''''Then love me more. I know I''m so lovable," She mumbled as a smile made its way on her lips.


    "Narcissistic."


    "I heard that!!" She bit his neck. ''Why do I feel like I am forgetting something else too?'' she wondered.


    In an underground basement of Beijing.


    Han Jian Yu pressed the pistol on the man''s head who was half-dead by the point, "Speak. Where is your Captain?"


    He tried to bite his tongue but the man grabbed his neck.


    "I won''t..."


    "You won''t tell, huh?" Han Jian Yu off-handedly shot one of his knees.


    "AHHHH-" A heart-rending scream resounded in the dimly lit underground basement.


    "Tell me his location and you might get an easy death," His dark eyes narrowed slightly.


    Blood dripped from the corner of the man''s mouth, "B-Base 2, Central City, Beijing..." He mumbled weakly.


    "And which member of the Han Family had hired your services?" Han Jian Yu''s gaze darkened.


    "T-They.." His eyelids dropped before his head fell to the side.


    "Boss, he is dead," One of the men murmured while the other stepped forward, extending a handkerchief towards him.


    "Weak," Han Jian Yu''s lips curled down in disgust as he grabbed the handkerchief from the man before cleaning his fingers.


    "_"


    His subordinates were speechless.


    Boss, he survived 24 hours under your endless torture. Isn''t it a bit mean to call him weak?


    At this moment, Danny, the man''s most trusted subordinate man walked towards him.


    "What is it?" Han Jian Yu nced at him disinterestedly.


    "You all can leave," Danny nced at the rest of the men who immediately bowed and left.


    Other than Han Jian Yu, only Danny and his younger brother who had known the truth regarding Yu Mei''s identity stayed behind.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, "Is it something about Mei?"


    "Yes," Danny passed the phone to him.


    Han Jian Yu read the headlines before looking at the picture, "What is it?"


    "Boss, you don''t find anything wrong with this?"


    "She has hidden her identity as Leanne for way too long. Now that she had revealed it, there are bound to be rumors and gossips about her."


    "But they look intimate," Sunny, Danny''s younger brother spoke up looking at the picture where Jun Zixuan had thrown Yu Mei above his shoulder.


    "This might not be a simple rumor," Danny added, agreeing to his brother.


    "That''s much better," Han Jian Yu nodded as he passed the phone back to the man. He raked his fingers through his dark hair, "She is young. I don''t want her to miss out on all the fun in life, especially when she is given a second chance at life. She should go out with men, have fun, y around, and most importantly she should enjoy every day to its fullest..."


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces. Their expressions turning weirder with each passing second. Was it still the possessive siscon they knew? It looks like their boss has changed for good after everything that has happened in the past days.


    But the man''s next words shattered their hopes.


    "...As long as she is not getting herself involved in seriousmitments, I am fine with anything she does," The man said.


    Danny and Sunny: "_" We should have known this.


    "But Boss, Young Miss is an adult now," Not the toddler you used to carry around with you. Danny stepped forward to stand up for his Young Miss''s rights "She should be in a rtionship or get married if she wants to. Why do you want to stop her?"


    "Because men are all jerks."


    "Boss, you are a man too," Sunny chimed in.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and the tall-statured man cleared his throat. "Except for my sister, Luoluo, and her mother, I have been a jerk to all the women I havee across till this day," He spoke nonchntly as they walked out of the underground basement.


    Danny and Sunny, who had seen countless women bawling their eyes out, sobbing and begging their boss for another night, getting heartbroken and going through many such situations could not agree more on this point.


    "...Don''t forget the first time she got into a serious rtionship. I hadn''t stopped her that time. Andter, it turned into herst rtionship. She came crying to me when that Lihao guy hurt her.''''


    "Zihao...He was called Zihao," Danny corrected him. It was obvious that his Boss was still not over the fact that their Young Miss hid that man''s identity from him so that he would not avenge her. She even forbid him from investigating him.


    "Whatever," Han Jian Yu got inside the ck sedan, "Drive to the Base 2, Central City."


    ...


    A/N: Do vote andment if you are liking it so far. Help us rank up~

 Chapter 232 - Luoluo Got It Wrong This Time

    "Boss, you look tired. You can take a rest first."


    "No, let''s get over with this as soon as possible. I can''t leave a possible threat to her life," Han Jian Yu closed his eyes before leaning his head on the backseat.


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces.


    Now that their Young Miss was alive, things could not get any better. Something as bizarre as transmigration was still shocking to them. But since their boss has recognized her as his sister, they knew that it was the truth even when it was difficult to believe.


    But she hadpletely recovered her past looks, even though there are some minor changes, but she still resembled her previous self so much. And the faction that was assigned with the task to assassinate her was no ordinary one. Unless and until it was a sess, they won''t back out from the mission.


    After his sister''s death, their Boss got sick all of a sudden and went into aa. From the day he woke up, he was determined to annihte the whole faction. And he has already done so but the captain and a few of his trusted subordinates were still out in open.


    Now that the location of their captain was traced, they could only wish for this matter to be dealt with smoothly.


    ...


    "Oh, I finally remember..." Yu Mei spoke up as Jun Zixuan parked the car in front of the vi.


    "What do you remember now?" He alighted the car and walked to the other side before opening the door for her.


    "Uh...Nothing.." How did she end up saying it aloud? She ced her hand in his before getting off the car.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, ''''Liar. Just say that you don''t want to tell me."


    She cleared her throat. Is he a worm in her stomach?


    She has been initially bothered that she was forgetting something important and she thought about it for a long time yesterday before she ended up falling asleep.


    And now she finally remembered it. Along with the Jun Family, there was someone else who must have seen this news already.


    Her brother. Now that he was aware of her existence, Han Jian Yu must have known about this news rted to her. She was not sure about his reaction or opinion on this.


    She pressed the doorbell and soon, Mu Shen opened the door, "You both-"


    "Have you decided to quit the entertainment industry?" Jun Zixuan interrupted the man.


    Mu Shen scoffed, "Aye~ I am just spending some time with my darling Aunt. What has it got to do with you?"


    "She is my mom. I will naturally prefer her to stay away from noisy and annoying people," Jun Zixuan said with a straight face.


    Mu Shen: "_"


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she tried to stifle herughter.


    ''''Ah Xuan, Mei''er," Shen Lihua walked towards them as she hugged her son before hugging her daughter-inw.


    "Mother-inw, don''t act so lovey-dovey with me. I will have indigestion," Yu Mei mumbled beside her ear.


    "I will send medicines then," Shen Lihua whispered.


    "Medicine? Are you sure it''s not rat kill?" Yu Mei softly asked as they broke the hug.


    "Oh, darling, you have gotten so beautiful," Shen Lihua smiled brightly.


    Yu Mei blinked, "Still less than you. You are glowing just like a sunflower."


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow. They seemed to be getting along pretty well.


    Mu Shen and Jun Boyan were also taken aback by the lovely ambiance. They are such an inspiration for the mother-inw and daughter-inw rtionship. Both the men thought to themselves.


    The intention for visiting Shen Lihua was to inform her about their visit to the Jun Family without giving her much shock.


    Yu Mei left the mother-son alone to have a heart-to-heart talk while she dragged Mu Shen with her to the gazebo.


    "What is it?" Mu Shen asked looking at her serious face.


    "You are interested in Li Shuang?"


    "Ah?" Mu Shen nkly nced at her, "What gave you that idea?"


    "Tell me. Are you?"


    Mu Shen shook his head, "I find her unique. One of the most amazing and gorgeous women I have evere across. But I am not interested in her. Romantically, that is."


    "You sure?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "Damn sure!" Mu Shen shed her a handsome smile.


    She chuckled, "In fact, Li Shuang is not just my friend but she is also my cousin now."


    "Is she?"


    "Don''t you watch the news?" She nced at him.


    "I do. I was just acting curious," Mu Shenughed, "I think she will soon be taking over the Dream Entertainment as the CEO."


    "Yes. Luoluo told me that you seem to be interested in her. So, I couldn''t resist discussing this now that I saw you. She recently went through a messy breakup. I don''t want her to be involved with you, a certified casanova. You know we all are friends and how awkward it will be when things are over between you both," Yu Mei nced at him as she tried to gauge his expressions. Her acting was very convincing, she thought. Moreover, her dialogues were pretty much on point.


    The rest his reply will determine what he really thinks about Li Shuang.


    Mu Shenughed again, loudly this time. He raked his fingers through his reddish-brown hair, "What a caring cousin you are. Let me reassure you then that there is nothing between me and her. I do like her for the kind of woman she is but nothing more. She is just not my type. She has that pure good girl vibe that is just not my type again. You know me...I want one-night stands, thrill, and fun but she is the type of girl dedicated tomitments. We are pr opposites and neither am I interested in her nor is she in me. Romantically again."


    ''Seems like Luoluo got it wrong this time,'' She sighed as a smug smile appeared on her face.

 Chapter 233 - I Will Compromise

    Shi Luo was right about Jun Zixuan''s identity as the CEO of Eminence, she was right that one day they will be in love and she was right about many things that she had strongly disagreed with at that time.


    But this time, she could bet with her on this that there will be nothing between Mu Shen and Li Shuang.


    "Luoluo is such a bbermouth. I was just curious about Li Shuang. Did she have to gossip about it with you?" Mu Shen clicked his tongue.


    "She is my best friend. We share everything, from dresses to secrets," Yu Mei shrugged.


    Mu Shen froze as he nced at her side profile. Someone has said the same words to him once before. Is it some friend''s code or what?


    "Your face reminds me of someone I used to know," He said.


    She stiffened, "Eh? Who? It is said that seven people in the world look exactly like you. Are you talking about that doppelganger fact?"


    Mu Shenughed, "She was very arrogant and defiant. A truly scary woman to me."


    Yu Mei red at him. Who the hell are you describing like that?


    The man felt a shiver running down his spine. He rubbed his arms, "It''s cold here. Let''s go inside."


    Back inside her bedroom.


    "I can''t believe you both are going there," Shen Lihua made her sit on the bed as she paced around the room.


    "Chill, mother-inw," Yu Mei waved her hand.


    Jun Zixuan seemed to be very efficient at his job as Shen Lihua did not look like she had any intentions for stopping them from going to Amaranthine.


    "You don''t know them. They..." Shen Lihua sat beside her, "Ah Xuan said that you both will be fine but-"


    "No buts. Since your son has said that, you should believe it."


    "I saw the news and rumors about Ah Xuan being your ke..kept. I don''t know how they have reacted to that. They are powerful.?If they don''t like you, they will try to separate you both by any means," As they had yed with my marriage in the past. Shen Lihua promptly skipped the second part as she lowered her head.


    Yu Mei patted her shoulder, "Would you believe me if I said that your son is more powerful?"


    Confidential matters like the royal family''s declining influence were not known to many. But being the sister of the President of the country had its perks.


    She liked gossiping about the country affairs with her brother during their breakfast which is why she was pretty informative about all these.


    Shen Lihua nced at her nkly.


    Yu Meiughed. This she-devil too had her weak moments, "You just need to recover properly. Everything else will turn out to be fine," Or she hoped so.


    "I''ll arrange your outfit. It is still the best if they like and ept you," Or else those people will scheme against her to no end.


    "No need, I have already arranged the best outfit out there. They will surely love me in it," Yu Mei smiled like a kind daughter-inw.


    "Is it traditional?" Shen Lihua asked doubtfully.


    "So traditional that even a qipao will shy away at the sight of it."


    Shen Lihua nodded, "You both are leaving within one hour. It''s good that you have arranged it already," She stood up and patted her racing heart, "Be careful around them. And don''t provoke anyone there."


    Yu Mei shook her head, "Of course not. I will keep my head lowered and never mess with them no matter what they do."


    Shen Lihua nodded, "Yes,promise for a few days then you will be back to your usual life."


    "I. Will. Compromise. Well," Yu Mei shed that nice daughter-inw smile once again.


    Shen Lihua felt a bit weird but she didn''t delve deeper into it. "Alright, get ready first. And yes, put on some light and natural makeup and don''t wear heels. They are quite judgemental regarding all these things."


    "Thank you so much for letting me know about it," Yu Mei nodded.


    Shen Lihua walked out of the room before closing the door behind her, missing the glint that shed across her ''obedient daughter-inw''s'' eyes.


    In the living room.


    "Brother, how is Ah Jin?" Jun Boyan asked the man.


    "He is a busy little man now," Jun Zixuan chuckled in amusement.


    Mu Shen and Jun Boyan both raised their eyebrows.


    "Well, he is taking care of his Grandpa, he has got his responsibilities at the school as the newly appointed ss President and Mei got him an art teacher who is helping him hone his skills," Thest time they talked, the boy went on and on about how busy his schedule has be.


    This pair of brother and sisters are certainly the weirdest species yet the cutest ones.


    Mu Shen and Jun Boyanughed, "Let''s visit him someday," Thetter suggested.


    Mu Shen nodded, "We can also take Luoluo with us. I''ll ask Ah Jin to recreate the scenes from that day."


    "Mu Shen, your mind is malfunctioning because of theck of women around youtely," Jun Boyan frowned. What happened that day was just an ident but this man just won''t stop badgering him about it.


    Mu Shen shrugged. He still found it fun though. That precious look on Luoluo''s face. The way she blushed like a shy girl. He has never witnessed that stoic woman acting in such a way. He still hadn''t got the chance to tease her about it.


    "Is something going on between you both?" Jun Zixuan got a bit curious, "I mean...between you and Luoluo."


    "Brother, trust me. There is nothing. NOTHING. This man has just lost a few screws of his head," Jun Boyan nced at his brother before letting out a helpless sigh, "Brother, are you sure about going there?" He changed the topic.


    "Very sure," Jun Zixuan nodded.


    "Ah Xuan, is Mei''er ready?" Shen Lihua walked out of her room before striding towards them. She was feeling unusually nervous today.

 Chapter 234 - Other Intentions

    "Ah Xuan, is Mei''er ready?" Shen Lihua walked out of her room before striding towards them. She was feeling unusually nervous today.


    She didn''t even feel this nervous when she was getting married to Jun Zishen. The least she expected for that family was to not make her children suffer.


    Even if they don''t ept them, that''s fine. She just hoped they would not create troubles for both of them like they did to her back then.


    She had initially wanted to stop her son from going there but looking at how persistent he was, she could not do anything about it. Luckily, her daughter-inw was still sensible and rational about this situation.


    It seems like the usually stubborn and impulsive Yu Mei Zhen had finally matured a bit after everything she faced in the past days.


    From Li Na''s identity to every revtion that followed was still a shock to her. Shen Lihua missed Li Na but she could just hope that her friend was in peace wherever she was.


    "I am ready!!"


    Everyone''s head snapped in the direction of the calm voice and Shen Lihua''s jaws dropped in disbelief.


    Yu Mei descended the stairs wearing a sleeveless bodycon white dress that unted her hourss figure, the deep V-neck slightly revealed her cleavage. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail while her face was bare of any makeup, except for the ruby red lipstick on her lips.


    Her five-inch high stilettos produced ''click'' sounds with every step she took.


    Her sexy neckline. Her seductive curves. The slight smirk resting on the corner of her lips. A certain someone''s breathing hitched.


    Jun Zixuan picked up the ss of juice from the coffee table before gulping it in one go, his eyes remained fixated on the woman all the while. His throat was still running dry though.


    Mu Shen and Jun Boyan cheered for her while Shen Lihua pressed a hand on her chest.


    Sensible? Mature? What was she even thinking about earlier? This girl was adamant about giving her an early death.


    "Hello, everyone, how do I look?" She twirled around, unting her beautiful dress and gorgeous looks.


    "Sister-inw, you look like a goddess," Jun Boyanplimented.


    Mu Shen nodded, "Can''t agree more. As over-bearing, ill-tempered, arrogant you are...."


    Yu Mei''s eyes darkened, "Are you looking for death?" She red at him.


    ''''....Let me finish first," Mu Shen gulped, "As over-bearing, ill-tempered, arrogant you are, you have the got the looks that can overturn a nation."


    She flipped her ponytail, "Humph."


    "Don''t cast an evil eye on her," Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes at the Mu Shen.


    Yu Mei stuck a tongue out in his direction.


    Mu Shen: "_" No wonder they are a couple.


    Jun Boyan stifled hisughter.


    "You''re going to wear this?" Shen Lihua finally recovered her senses.


    Yu Mei smiled like a nice daughter-inw again but this time Shen Lihua was far from being fooled. She should have known this girl will be up to something like this.


    "Ah Xuan, tell her something. You know what kind of people they are..."


    "She looks stunning like this," Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet before striding towards his darling. He pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    She smiled.


    Shen Lihua was one step away from getting a heart attack.


    Yu Mei walked towards the woman before hugging her.


    "I believed your words and this is what I get in return? Do you think everything is a joke? I told you about their likes and dislikes but you dressed uppletely opposite. What were you thinking?" Shen Lihua sighed as she spoke softly.


    Yu Mei chuckled softly before she whispered beside her ear, "Did you think I am going there to impress them? More like I''m on my way to depress them."


    Shen Lihua gasped.


    ''What a dramatic mother-inw,'' Yu Mei rolled her eyes.


    "Did you say something?" Shen Lihua asked.


    "No," Yu Mei shook her head as she quickly ran back to her savior. This she-devil of a mother-inw can be quite scary at times. How could she hear something when she was speaking in her heart?


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing."


    The couple bid farewell to everyone before they left while Shen Lihua still stood rooted to her spot, looking worried.


    "Mom, they can handle everything. Don''t worry," Jun Boyan patted her back.


    "Ah Xuan is mature but Mei''er is still so impulsive and childish. I don''t know if she can really withstand it if anything goes wrong there," Shen Lihua frowned. She just prayed that there won''t be a rift in their rtionship.


    Mu Shenughed, "You think she is immature? Beauty, you should go out of the vi and see the real world. That woman is an epitome of a devil," He sniggered, "If Old Master Yu would not have interfered that day at the press conference, then your timid daughter-inw might have ended the Yu Family right in that hall," That''s a different thing that the old man didn''t have a better temper than his granddaughter either.


    Since he had known that his friend was out on a business trip at that time, he drove to the hotel to back her up as soon as he saw the headlines. But by the time he reached there, everything seemed to have sorted out as they were all standing in the lobby before Jun Zixuan picked his wife up and they left.


    So, he did not go there.


    He sighed.


    The term ''woman'' itself screams trouble.


    Mu Shen sighed again. Other than the times when he gets with them on the bed, he would stay away from them at all other times. That was for the best.


    On the other side.


    After they drove out of the vi, Yu Mei was very confused when Jun Zixuan parked the car on the side of the road. Muchter did she realize that he had other intentions for her. Some that kind of intentions. Bad ones.

 Chapter 235 - In Danger

    "Mmm...Ah..." She moaned as he nibbled on her lips onest time before pressing his lips near her cleavage, his tongue peeked out to lick the skin while his eyes were fixed on her face, gazing at her passionately, taking in her every single reaction.


    Her eyshes fluttered as her eyes became zed. She fisted the material of his shirt in her hand.


    His gaze darkened as he pulled back right at that moment. A small dissatisfied moan escaped her mouth. She quickly averted her gaze and nced out of the window. Her face turned red realizing the kind of sound she just made.


    He grabbed the back of her neck and turned her face towards himself before pressing another hard kiss on her lips, "You are going to be the death of me," He mumbled before biting her lips. He grabbed her waist.


    Her eyes widened, "What do you want to do?" They were in the middle of the road.


    "I want to rip off this little white dress of yours and make love to you until your voice goes hoarse by screaming my name," His voice was dangerously rough as he licked her neck causing her to stiffen in his arms, "But I will give you the time you want. And once you are ready, there will be no going back," With that said, he adjusted her dress properly smoothening the creases, and ced a soft kiss on her forehead before getting back to the driver''s seat. He stepped on the elerator while having his gaze focused on the road, without looking at the seductress beside him.


    She slumped back on her seat. Her face turning a shade of beetroot. Why was he so wicked with his words and his mouth? Her body started heating up just at the thought of where and how had he kissed her. She buried her face in her palms.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    She slowly removed her palm from her face and peeked at the man beside her but it seemed like he waspletely focused on driving. His private jet was waiting for them anyway. So, he might not tease her now. She let out a sigh of relief inwardly before taking her phone.


    ''''You are red, Mei.''''


    Oh, how wrong she was!


    ...


    In a studio.


    "Miss Mia, you can''t be stubborn about this. You need an assistant," The man frowned, "You are advertising for Xler brand which is enlisted in the trending. You can not afford to be stubborn about this. With your looks and skills and your debut in Xler, it is only a matter of time before you be a supermodel. You can''t go on without having an ass-"


    "That''s enough, manager," Mia yed with her silver hair as she nced at the plump man, "


    Whatever this brand is...It was them who approached me, not the other way around. Her Highness is doing them a favor by bing their model. If you upset me, it is a matter of time before I drop this ad halfway. They can just find themselves a new model who can match Her Highness'' aura. Unfortunately, such models haven''t been created in this world yet."


    The manager: "_" He could not bring himself to contradict Her highness''...cough...the woman''s words. As proud as they were, they were true.


    "Since today''s photoshoot is over, I''ll be leaving. You can mail me the new schedule as I won''t be getting an assistant," The least she wanted was a human hovering behind her like a tail. Humans wereplicated.


    Not everyone was as adorable as her Littly. She flipped her long hair and walked out of the studio before getting inside her car. Just as she was about to fasten her seatbelt, a sudden force made her body jerk forward. She grabbed the steering wheel for support as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.


    "Cough...Cough..." She spat another mouthful of blood. A frown tugged at her beautiful face as she grabbed her phone from the passenger seat.


    Thest time when Yu Mei and her met Han Jian Yu in the underground parking, she had looked into his memories only to realize that he was dealing with the faction that was assigned to assassinate his sister.


    She had climbed on his back and bitten his neck a few times here and there. She did it to take advantage of him but it had another purpose behind it too. She got a drop of his blood and merged in with hers which affected her body a little as it used up a lot of her powers but it had its benefit.


    Just in case, he was in danger, she would know and it will be easy for her to trace him with her powers.


    She didn''t do it for Han Jian Yu though. It was just because her Littly cared a lot for this elder brother of hers.


    She hadn''t informed Yu Mei about it as she would be worried in advance knowing that her brother''s life might be in danger but considering the current turbulence inside her body, the worse has happened already. He must be in a serious condition or she would not have felt so weird.


    She quickly dialed Yu Mei''s number, patiently waiting for her to pick up the call. It was during thest ring did the woman picked up her call.


    "I''m going to Amaranthine," was the first thing she said as soon as she answered the call.


    Mia frowned, "Are you with Zixuan?" She could guess this much given the way Yu Mei was talking.


    "Yes. What did you call me for? Is it something important?"


    "Your-" Mia paused, "No, there is nothing important. I just called to let you know that I have looked for a new house. The climatic conditions there are perfect for my body, unlike this hot apartment...." Blood dripped down from the corner of her mouth causing her to tighten her grip on the steering wheel but her tone didn''t change a bit from her usual one, "So, I will be spending your money-"


    "Don''t speak nonsense. It is yours..."


    Mia chuckled, ''''I knew you will say that. Alright, I have a shoot now. I have to be a supermodel soon," She quickly hung up the call before breaking into a coughing fit.

 Chapter 236 - A Connection

    "Base 2, Central City..." Mia wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a tissue before throwing it away. She wandered around in the abandoned alleyway following the connection between her and Han Jian Yu''s blood. Her footsteps came to a halt as she quickly hid behind the wall.


    "You never expected it to be me, did you?" A man said as he discarded the ck mask off his face.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, "You..."


    ''''Oh? The great President of Amaranthine doesn''t recognize me. I was a poor beggar after all. Back then, I had introduced you to that job so that you can get some money to feed your sweet little sister. But who would have known you would manage to climb thedders to the highest throne and end up bing the President of the country," A hint of envy appeared in his eyes before the manughed, "Who would have expected that after all these years I will be the one to be paid to kill your sister? She handled many of my men barehanded. But, I as the captain, was so reluctant to kill her. Oh man, what an item she was! She was the perfect material to be taken home and fuck I wanted to tie her to the bed and...ugh.."


    Han Jian Yu punched the man who spat a mouthful of blood. "Do you think I won''t kill you?"


    "Will you kill me?" The well-built man pointed his chin towards the back.


    Han Jian Yu followed his gaze and turned his face to the side looking at his men who were taken down by some people dressed in ck.


    "There was a mole in your men who informed me about your whereabouts and before you coulde here, I had alreadyid out the trap," The man punched his jaws with the muzzle of his pistol.


    Mia, who was hiding behind the wall spat another mouthful of blood as she pressed her palm on her mouth. She nced and Han Jian Yu''s bloodied face before looking at one of his knees where he was shot. No wonder it was so painful. She cursed in her heart. Merging the blood should not be this dangerous to her then why was it happening right now? Why was she feeling his pain?


    Mia frowned. This particr power was given to her by her mother which she could only use once in her whole life. Her mother had said that only when the other person is important to her should she allow their blood to merge with hers. But she never knew it would have such serious consequences. She merged Han Jian Yu''s blood with her out of impulse because she had seen how worried Yu Mei was when she could not find her brother. To not let the situation happen again, she decided to take it under her control but now...


    Mia yed with her long silver hair as her brows tugged together.


    "Since you came looking for your death, you should not me me. Moreover, there are bombs installed in this ce, you should not even try to escape. Let me send you to your sister," The man ced his pistol on Han Jian Yu''s forehead as his finger moved, one second away from pulling the trigger.


    "I haven''t bedded him even once. How would I let him die? You think you can kill the man Her Highness has set her eyes on?" She flipped her long hair. She raised her hand as mes danced on her fingertips. "Humph," She scoffed before aiming her fingers towards the ground.


    Han Jian Yu grabbed the pistol aimed at his forehead and twisted the man''s wrist. His gaze was slightly unfocused as he looked around.


    Suddenly, there was a loud st in the alleyway that caught him off guard.


    "AHHH!" The sound of the blood-curdling screams lingered in the air.


    After a few seconds, Han Jian Yu removed his hand that was covering his eyes as he emotionlessly nced at the gory sight that greeted him. The Captain of that mysterious factionid dead on the ground with his flesh torn and scattered everywhere. His men who had captured two of his subordinates earlier were also dead in the st.


    But he and his subordinates survived this. Miraculously? Or there was something else to it?


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.


    "Boss...." Danny and Sunny ran towards the man, "The bombs were already diffused by us..."


    "I know."


    Sunny, Danny, and the two other subordinates looked at each other. It was their boss''s n all along so they could get the mouse out of its hole. Along with the captain, they wanted to capture and finish every remaining member of that faction.


    Han Jian Yu knew it all along that there was a mole amongst his people and he took this opportunity to take things under his control. The bullet that he took on one of his legs and the superficial injuries were just the sacrifices made to get something more.


    The man nced at the dead bodies who were torn into more than two parts. A pity that he couldn''t know that which member of the Han Family had paid to get his princess killed.


    But the one who activated the bombs. Is it a friend or a foe?


    He raised his hand and nced around. A sh of silver besides the nearest wall caught his attention.


    A certain vixen swiftly finished her job and leaned on the wallzily, "I have promised Mei that I won''t have other intentions towards you. But my dear eye candy, can I pleasure my eyes a little more?" She sighed dreamily looking at the man, "I guess I am allowed to do that as I just saved your little life."


    His fur coat was covered in dust with his face stained with blood. His properlybed hair was now in a mess but he was a sight she couldn''t take her eyes off from.


    She froze the moment he looked in her direction.

 Chapter 237 - Touch Me

    The moment Han Jian Yu turned to look in her direction, Mia froze. It was toote to run away as the man was already making his way towards her. As much as she wanted to seduce him with her divine looks and take him as her kept man, she has promised his sister that she won''t have any other intentions towards him. With that thought in her mind, she quickly transformed into her fox form.


    Her body was getting a little exhausted by this point because of the pain she endured when he got injured. And the st that she did used up her powers too as she created protective shields around Han Jian Yu and his subordinates to protect them from the st while killing the rest. She was not as strong as her mother who was an immortal nine-tailed fox. She had enough powers to destroy this world but she was weak.


    She panicked when she heard the sounds of his approaching footsteps. At other times, they should not be able to see her if she did not want to be seen but right now her powers were in a disarray and she did not want to take a risk.


    She quickly closed her eyes trying to create a wall of invisibility around her. Her mother had once said that she would not be able to control her powers if she was not calm and unfortunately, that was what was going on with her at this moment.


    Usually, she would be unfazed no matter what happens. But handsome men were her weakness and if that handsome man is Han Jian Yu, then her hormones just spurt out, up and down in every direction.


    "This is...."


    The voice caused her to open her eyes. Her hazel eyes twinkled as she nced at the man squatting in front of her.


    He was the cause of her hormonal disbnce.


    Danny looked at the creature whose drool was gathering on the ground, "This..." He paused, "This is a cat?"


    Mia narrowed her eyes, ''You cat...your ancestors cat. Her Highness is a royal fox.''


    Han Jian Yu nced at the creature in front of him who had its sharp teeth bared at his subordinate, a pair of hazel eyes burning with fury. He grabbed it from the back of its neck before raising it off the ground.


    Mia''s eyes widened and she found her limbs swept off the ground as they swung back and forth. ''Handle me with care. I am fucking precious,'' She spewed a few profanities in her heart that she had recently learned from dramas and CEO novels.


    Han Jian Yu grabbed her tail that was swinging and she inwardly sighed in relief. Luckily, she hid her other eight tails in time, or else he might have sent her to a museum or worse for some experiment. Even though those tails have lost their powers and lives attached to them and she had only one life left along with herst tails, but as a descendant of the nine-tailed fox, she was bound to have them forever as they won''t disappear.


    "A fox," The man murmured looking at her fluffy bushy white tail and her ears. While one of his hands was grabbing the back of her, he grabbed her front paw with his other hand raising it slightly.


    Mia''s face flushed and two suspicious red patches appeared on her snow-white cheeks as she felt his hot breath near her sex. ''Molestation. This is molestation,'' She screamed in her heart as he parted her legs a bit more, ''You have to ask for my consent. Just because Her Highness likes your body, you can''t take advantage,'' She decided to teach him a lesson but just as she bared her teeth at him, her gaze traveled across that celestial face.


    Even when he was dirty, he was like a piece of art. ''Touch me... Touch me wherever you want,'' She gulped and raised her leg giving him more ess. The hair on her body stood up as her ears twitched when his finger identally glided past her sex.


    Han Jian Yu paused feeling a wetness on his palm. He nced at the fox who had some suspicious liquid dripping from its mouth.


    "Boss, is it male or female?"


    "Female," Han Jian Yu ced the fox down on the ground before standing up, "Let''s leave."


    Mia''s hazel eyes glittered slightly as she jumped on his legs, ''I saved you. Instead of giving me a thank you kiss, you threw me away.''


    "Boss, she seems to be attached with you," Sunny nced at her.


    Han Jian Yu ruthlessly shook off the little creature off his leg, "What has it got to do with me?"


    His subordinates, despite being grown up well-trained men found themselves melting at the sight of the adorable creature walking back to their boss before rubbing her face on his leg.


    Danny suddenly thought of something, "Boss, there is a forest nearby. She must have escaped from there."


    "So?" Han Jian Yu looked at the dirtied face of the baby fox before looking back at Danny, "What has it got to do with me again?"


    "Uhhh...I think she doesn''t have an owner."


    Mia, who was long lost in the man''s beauty, eagerly nodded, rubbing her face on his leg, ''Own me. I don''t have owner,'' Her hazel eyes glittered but the next second, she frowned a bit, ''No, let her highness own you.''


    Han Jian Yu frowned.


    "Boss, Young Miss has been fond of cute animals. She had a dog, you remember Max right?" Danny stepped closer to the man as he whispered.


    "Cute?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, "It was an Irish Wolfhound.''''


    "Boss, Young Miss would love this fox," He spoke softly, "We should not let it die here. Let us take it with us."


    Han Jian Yu contemted about it as he nced at the creature clinging to him incessantly, "Alright."


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces before looking at the fox.


    Mia froze feeling multiple gazes set on herself.


    It was only then did a certain Princess realize what happened just now. Take her with him?! Her hazel eyes widened.


    If that happened, how will she restrain herself from ripping his clothes and pushing him to the bed?


    And if she ended up getting himid, then how would she face Yu Meiter?

 Chapter 238 - Homeland

    Jun Manor, Amaranthine.


    Yu Mei nonchntly gazed at the Old Lady standing in front of her. Prim, proper and elegant, Old Madam Jun was exactly like what she appeared in her pictures. If only she was not an old witch who treated Jun Zixuan harshly back then.


    How long has been since shest stepped her foot on her homnd. Yu Mei could not describe her emotions at this moment. But before she could live in the moment, she had to inhale the polluted air of this grand mansion.


    "This is....?" Old Madam Jun frowned, not being able to hide the hint of disgust in her eyes as she looked at the indecently dressed woman standing in front of her.


    The servant beside her leaned closer to her before whispering something in her ear.


    The olddy''s expression changed slightly as she nced at Jun Zixuan, "She is not staying here."


    Yu Mei leaned her head on the man''s shoulder, "And who are you to decide that?"


    "Guards, send the guest out," Old Madam Jun nonchntly spoke as two guards stepped towards her.


    "I was asked toe here," Jun Zixuan wrapped an arm around her waist before pulling her closer to him, his gaze slightly narrowing at the guards approaching them.


    They paused in their tracks under the man''s daunting gaze. The Third Young Master was known to be a dimwit. Then why didn''t he resemble a moron at all? Why did he appear so formidable?


    Old Madam Jun paused. She did not keep much information about this grandson of hers in all these years. He looked just like her son as he did back when he was a child. But there seemed to be a huge change in his personality. She could not see the reflection of that mute and isted child from twenty years ago. "You were needed here..." She emotionlessly spoke up, "Not your employer."


    "She will be here if you want me here," Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes without bothering to refute her statement.


    Old Madam Jun frowned hard, not quite believing that the rumors were indeed true and this grandson of hers was indeed reduced to be someone''s kept. "You''re a disappointment," She sighed before looking at the servant beside her, "Show them their rooms," She decided to have her husband talk to him when hees back.


    "One room," Jun Zixuan spoke up as his fingers stroked the woman''s waist.


    Yu Mei yawned. She could barely keep her eyes open. All the way, she was so excited toe back to Amaranthine that she kept talking with Jun Zixuan. And now that she was finally here, she could not even announce a war on Jun Family like she had nned. Sleepes first.


    "You want to live in one room with her?" Old Madam Jun inhaled a deep breath as she patted her chest before sitting on the couch, "Have you forgotten your identity? For the sake of money, you sold yourself to a woman?"


    "He is my man. There must be something wrong with you trying to put us in different rooms. Heavens will curse you for trying to separate a pair of love birds," Yu Mei mutteredzily before rubbing her face on Jun Zixuan''s arm, "Baby, I want to sleep."


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman who could barely keep her eyes open. A panda is still a panda. The corner of his lips tugged up as he removed his ck suit jacket before tying it around her waist.


    In the next second, he pulled her up in his arms before picking her up in a princess carry. "Show me the room," He said, looking at one of the servants standing beside the olddy. His cold voice made his gentle actions from earlier look like an illusion.


    Old Madam Jun nodded at the servant who quickly bowed before ascending the stairs. As Jun Zixuan left with Yu Mei in his arms, the olddy kept ncing at his retreating back.


    "Third Young Master has changed," One of the maids, who was very close to her spoke up.


    "Why do you think so?" The Olddy nced at her.


    "He was so small back then when he left and he usually stayed isted. Away from everyone. He won''t talk," The old maid reminisced about the past, "But now, there is something different about him. His mannerisms, his aura, everything seems like that of Master..."


    "Don''tpare him to my son. He is nothing like Zishen," Old Madam Jun frowned, "The outfit he was wearing costed millions and he probably got it by leeching off to that rich woman. The way that woman was dressed, she did not look anything less than immoral. So what if he can talk now? Zixuan is still the trash from years ago. And this time, he has stooped even lower by reducing himself to be someone''s toy.''''


    The old maid pursed her lips without saying anything else. Working in Royal family, they witnessed a lot of things that they should not. And the maid knew where to stop her mouth so that she would not offend someone.


    The Old Madam was just refusing to ept the truth. The Third Young Master did not look like the trash he was called.


    "Zixuan..." Yu Mei blinked as the man put her on the bed before tucking her inside the nkets.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the maid who showed them the way to the room, "Leave."


    The girl snapped out of her daze and scurried away. Third Young Master was too handsome to not look at. She thought.


    "Yes?" The man turned around look at the woman who was struggling to keep her eyes open.


    "What''s the time?"


    "Almost midnight."


    "Come, sleep with me," She extended her hands towards him.


    And he could not deny that she looked like a clingy, needy, big baby. But he would be looking for a fight if he told her that. "What kind of sleep, love?" He whispered yfully as his fingers yed with her hair.

 Chapter 239 - Weird Little Thing

    She blushed and hooked her arms around his neck, "The literal one."


    He chuckled, "Let''s go freshen up first."


    "I don''t want to. Let''s just sleep, okay?"


    "Lazy..." He pulled her up in his arms once again, "Just clean up a bit. I can help you in changing into somethingfortable."


    She punched his chest, "I can do it by myself."


    Heughed as she buried her face in his chest.


    "Listen..."


    "Yes," He nced at her as they entered the bathroom.


    "I feel like we are in for some entertainment. A proper family drama," Her eyes glittered.


    He bit the tip of her nose, "Leave business okay? I will help you start a career in the entertainment industry. Li Shuang can guide you."


    Her eyes widened. Sleep flew out of the window. "You just want a fight, don''t you?" She pinched his neck, "Do you mean to say that I am an actress? Huh? Am I acting all day long?"


    "Gosh, you are exaggerating it," He sighed helplessly before putting her in the bathtub, "You crave entertainment. That''s why I said it."


    She scoffed, feeling the warm water filling the bathtub. "You...You said I will freshen up a little. Not this..." Horror was evident in her eyes, "I am not bathing. It''s so cold outside..."


    He pulled her straps down, "I will warm you up. What are you worried about?''''


    "_" You''re a big bad wolf, aren''t you?


    ...


    Beijing.


    "Boss, shall we get Young Miss''s current location? Do you want to go and meet her?" Danny asked the man who was holding the baby fox in his hand ncing at her with narrowed eyes and what was weirder in this scene was that some suspicious liquid from dripping from the little animal''s mouth with her ears twitching and face reddening.


    Han Jian Yu threw the fox to the other side of the couch before looking at his subordinate, "Yes, I want to..." He paused before letting out a sigh, "No need. First, investigate who was responsible for the st today. And about Ah Mei...just get me her contact number. That will do for now."


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces. How could they not know what was going in their Boss''s mind? He did not want to go meet her right now as there were still some unsolved questions like who was the mysterious person responsible for the st today. And how did they survived it? Why was it that only the selected people died? Is this person a friend or a foe? Whatever it was, their boss did not want to endanger his sister''s life...her miraculously gifted second life.


    Usually, they would never what was going on in his mind. But when it came to his sister, their boss''s innermost feelings will be written all over his face. Sometimes they wondered if their Young Miss will be this invincible man''s eventual doom.


    Sunny and Danny bowed, "Alright boss, we will get it done," The brothers said before leaving the penthouse.


    Han Jian Yu raked his fingers through his dark hair as he leaned back on the couch, looking at the ceilings. His thoughts spiraled further and further away before settling on his sister. There were things he had yet to tell her. He promised her that he will tell her about everything when they meet again but he did not want to endanger her life. Neither was he prepared for the confrontation which will probably change their rtionship forever.


    Mia snapped out of her daze. She quickly wiped the drool from her mouth with her fluffy tail before looking at the couch that was wet with her drool. She blinked twice and the dampness gradually disappeared. She dashed towards Han Jian Yu before and to his shoulder and nuzzling his neck with her mouth. ''Don''t frown, beauty. Don''t frown. I don''t want you to age faster,'' Her brows tugged together.


    She wanted to say that aloud but it will probably be a little strange. Humans are timid, fearful of everything, easily scared, and whatnot. What if her prey ran away from her?


    Han Jian Yu nced at the creature cozying up with him, "What a needy little thing..." She has been doing this all the way back to his ce. He grabbed the back of her neck before cing it on the couch, "I''m going to take a shower. Sit there quietly," He did not know why he was talking to an animal but it felt like she was understanding his words.


    Mia narrowed her eyes. Why was this man throwing her here and there? How disobedient!


    Han Jian Yu paused when he heard the noise she made. "Dirty," His brows tugged together looking at her thoroughly ckened fur and face. After all, she was nearby at the time of the st. How could she walk out clean?


    Mia blinked, ''Though handsome, you''re dirtier than me. Humph!'' She swished her tail.


    "I''m not an expert in understanding animalnguage," He frowned. What kind of burden has he imposed upon himself just to make his sister happy? "You want to take a bath with me?" was all he could conclude looking at the fox approaching him.


    Mia''s eyes widened. Bath with him? No!! The hair on the back of her neck stood up.


    "You''re that excited to take a bath?" The man raked his fingers through his hair a few times before picking up the palm-sized fox from the couch. It looks like she preferred cleanliness.


    Mia struggled in his grip. She was eager to sleep with him but bathing... was thest thing she wanted to do with him. She could not take a bath together with him. It was a sacred thing to do in their culture which was considered no less than a marriage.


    As the descendant of an ancient nine-tailed fox, she was not allowed to do this. She could only bath together with her mate, the man she would marry, be forever with. But such a man didn''t exist. She wanted men around her, not a single man.


    She nced at Han Jian Yu. The moment they saw each other naked, in their most vulnerable states, she will immediately turn back to her real self and he will be her man by the grace of her ancestors.


    And that will be no less than a blunder because a nine-tailed fox''smitment is bound tost for a lifetime, unlike the humans who get tired of their partners within months or a few years.


    Thest thing Mia ever wanted was restrictions on herself. Commitments weren''t her kind of thing.


    "Calm down. I''m taking you there. Be patient," Han Jian Yu frowned looking at the creature who could barely stay still. Weird little thing.

 Chapter 240 - Seducing Her Highness

    Will he now undress himself? Will he then be my husband? My forever one?


    These were the questions circting in Mia''s mind as Han Jian Yu ced her in the bathtub. Her hazel eyes appeared very conflicted as she sat there quietly looking at the man.


    On one hand, she badly wanted to see him naked and probably capture the heavenly sight in her mind. On other hand, she did not want to be restricted by a bond on her head. She did not want to be tied with one man forever.


    Everything would have been fine if she was in her human form but she was now in her original form. And that was the cause of all troubles. He can not stand naked in front of her when she was in this form. And especially not when their bodies are in contact with the water.


    Han Jian Yu nced at the little harmless-looking creature sitting in the bathtub blinking at him. He then looked at his hands that were filled with scratches and bite marks. He could feel a headache already.


    He turned the faucet and folded his sleeves.


    Mia straightened up. Is iting already?


    A few minutester.


    ''Heartless human, let me go. Let me go,'' Mia wanted to cry but shecked tears.


    "Stop moving," Han Jian Yu rubbed the fox''s butt with a sponge, "Look at you being so dirty. Aren''t you ashamed?"


    ''Ashamed my ass,'' A certain royal princess was losing herposure and grace. She must be a masochist because even at a time like this, she did not want to use her powers to stop him.


    Even when Her Highness was being humiliated like this, she wanted to protect this certain weak human being rather than attacking him with her powers.


    Unlike what she had imagined about them showering together, the reality was entirely different. The man was still fully dressed as he cleaned her thoroughly. She could feel the shampoo being poured on her once again. It was the fourth time already.


    And what came next was that she was about to be dipped in the warm water that was filled in the tub. Her hair stood up immediately as she bit his finger before desperately climbing onto his hand and settling on his neck. And the cooling sensation of his body soothed her. She sighed against his neck.


    Han Jian Yu stiffened before picking up the little thing from his neck, "If you want to live with me, then be clean first," He coldly said.


    Mia blinked. She has always been living in ''Han Mei''s'' body even though she showed herself only when Han Mei became Yu Mei. She knew many things about the sibling. For example, Han Jian Yu''s obsession with cleanliness. Back then, she did not know many things about this world but after getting trained by Yu Mei and looking through the books and learning everything, she now knew what Han Jian Yu''s condition was called. It was OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.


    It usually happens to the domineering CEOs like she has seen in the dramas but here the President of Amaranthine too suffered from it.


    Mia struggled again and the foam on her head went into her eyes. ''Ahh...What thing is it?'' She cried inwardly as her paw vigorously rubbed her eyes.


    Han Jian Yu sighed. How troublesome, He grabbed the handheld showerhead, and in the next second Mia felt a cool sensation on her body as the cold water trailed down her fur. The burning of her eyes gradually lessened as the man carefully washed her, his actions shockingly gentle this time.


    The man paused when she opened her hazel eyes and nced at him. It was weird. For a moment, he felt like...His thoughts trailed off when his gazended on the small crimson lotus on her forehead with a hint of purplish shade in it towards the edge of the petal. The rare color was reminding him of something but he could not pinpoint what it was.


    Earlier, the little animal was so dirty that the mark was hidden in her ckened fur but now that she was waspletely clean...Han Jian Yu found it weird. Which normal fox would have something like this?


    Later that night.


    Mia sat on the bed elegantly as her tails swished slowly, her hazel eyes not moving away from the man''s broad back while he talked on the phone.


    A pity that she could not see him showering but it felt surreal to have him this close. She had this urge to bite and scratch him all day long. Mia sighed dreamily. She was living with such an eye candy. What a happy life!


    "Boss, we have found a car near that location," Danny''s voice was heard from the other side.


    "Have you found the owner?" Han Jian Yu turned around before leaning back on the ss window. His eyes met a pair of sparkling hazel eyes.?But then, he realized that she wasn''t looking at his face. He followed the fox''s line of sight and nced at his slightly exposed chest.


    Feeling his gaze fixated on her, Mia averted her gaze and looked at his face before blinking innocently, her fox tailzily drew circles on the bed.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow.


    "We are investigating the owner of the car. The results will be out by tomorrow. I will send it to you along with Young Miss''s contact number."


    "Alright," Han Jian Yu hung up before walking towards the bed. He quietly looked at the fox for a few minutes before striding towards the walk-in closet.


    Mia nced at his retreating back curiously. Is he going to dress up to seduce me? But...I am already seduced by you. How more do you want to impress Her Highness? Shall I stop him?


    The string of her wild thoughts loosened when her tail came to her view. Only then did she remember that to him, she was just a fox now. Why would he seduce an animal unless he had...?


    ...


    A/N: I have tested negative ;) Although I am still recovering, this is a good feeling to be able to finally get out of it. And you all also stay safe. Believe me, home quarantine is not good, medications are not good, rapid weight loss/gain is not good, bitter health drinks are not good >.< In short, COVID is not good. Stay away from it and treat it as an ex of yours. Stay safe everyone.


    Thank you for all your good wishes, care, concern...I love y''all :''(


    Here''s an extra chapter.

 Chapter 241 - A Little Liar

    Mia paused. Her eyes slightly narrowed. What was that particr word that referred to as a person''s unusual sexual preference? The current generation uses it a lot.


    She regretted not reading that Sexopedia properly when she was learning the modern vocabry. At that time, she was in a child''s body and she usually stayed inside Yu Mei''s body with no man around her so she skipped the detailed terms to not let her hormones act up.


    Oh, how she wished she had the ability to teleport like her mother. She could have gone to Yu Mei and asked her about it. s, that was not going to happen. She could not go straight back to her body unless Yu Mei called her.


    ''Oh...It''s kink,'' Mia''s eyes glittered as she remembered the term, ''Is Han Jian Yu kinky? Does he want to do it with an animal? A baby-looking animal at that?'' She blinked, not expecting this sudden twist.


    Soon, Han Jian Yu came back but unlike her weird imaginations that involved handcuffs, blindfolds, he walked back with a thick nket.


    Mia sighed disappointedly as she watched himying the nket on the floor. He grabbed a pillow from the bed before putting it on the nket. It took another second for her to be a little touched and amazed.


    ''What a gentleman!'' She thought. He wants to sleep on the floor so that she could sleep on the bed. s...Human being, your efforts are working. Her Highness is impressed.


    Han Jian Yu grabbed the white little thing from the bed before putting her head on the pillow, "Good Night," He covered her body with the duvet and nced at the baby fox sleeping on the floor. Satisfied, he climbed atop the bed.


    Mia: "_" What?


    ...


    Yu Mei walked out of the bathroom as she nced at the man who was still sleeping on the king-sized bed. It was past 9 am. Time for him to take his breakfast.


    Jun Zixuan was naturally an early bird and he was punctual. He liked to have his schedule on time. Then what made himze in the bed longer?


    Did he sleepte? What was he doingst night? She pressed her finger on her chin as she contemted it. But it seems she could not remember anything after he took her to the bathroom for a bath. She ended up falling asleep in the bathtub.


    Blinking slowly, she climbed on the bed and nced at the man, admiring his heavenly beauty. She let out a dreamy sigh...What a handsome man. Mine. Only mine. All mine.


    A dropped of water dripped down her damp hair beforending on the man''s face.


    He wiped it with his hand and rolled to her side letting out a frustrated sigh.


    Her gaze shed as her lips slowly curved up in a mischievous smile. She was a virtuous wife. It was her duty to help her husband walk down the right path and to help him keep his schedules in check.


    With that thought in mind, she held her damp hair with one hand before moving it atop his face. The water sprinkled on his eyes before trailing past his lips and jaws.


    "Stop," The man muttered in a hoarse voice.


    She blinked, having no intentions to stop at all.


    All of a sudden, the man''s eyes flew open, a predatory look shed in those brown eyes, and in the next second, he grabbed her waist and swiftly turned her around such that she ended up pinned beneath him, "What exactly do you want, huh?"


    "To wake you up so that we won''t bete to greet your family," She innocently blinked, both her index fingers fiddling with each other.


    "Such a virtuous daughter-inw you are,'''' His voice held sarcasm in it.


    "Uh...A virtuous wife and a virtuous girlfriend too...and a...cough..." She cleared her throat when his eyes narrowed dangerously. Her starry eyes going in another ''innocent blinking'' episode.


    "Very virtuous indeed," He raised an eyebrow as he spoke through gritted teeth, "You won''t let me sleep in the night. You will wake me up like this in the morning. I can''t get enough of your virtuousness.''''


    ''''Uhh...What did I do?" She was innocent this time, "I was sleeping myself. Why wouldn''t I let you sleep in the night?"


    "What could you do? You are the epitome of innocence. First seduce me with hugs and kisses, then fall asleep in the bathtub, naked."


    She was wondering how she managed to wear her nightdress when she fell asleep in the bathtub. Naked. In front of him. Her cheeks turned red slightly as she fiddled with the button of his shirt. "You were the one who dressed me?"


    "No, a ghost did," Jun Zixuan smiled.


    His typical charming smile with a hint of evil in his eyes.


    "Compensate," His fingers fiddled with the front of her robe as his eyes gradually darkened.


    "Ah..." She gasped as his hand slid inside her robe caressing her thigh, "M-Morning...It''s still morning..."


    "We can continue till night," His fingers stroked her panties, drawing circles on her inner thighs. His predatory gaze fixated on her face.


    She grabbed his hand to stop him only to have it pinned above her head, "Y-You''re scary,'''' She murmured.


    "What are you scared of, love?" He smirked as his finger slid inside her panty, his thumb gliding across her wetness.


    "Y-You, of course," Her voice trembled towards the end.


    "Are you scared of me?" He leaned closer to her before whispering against her lips, "Darling, it''s more like you are scared of yourself. The way you scream under my touch and the way you crave and beg for more. And-"


    "N-No..." She closed her eyes feeling the pad of his thumb rolling near her forbidden spot.


    "Don''t be a little liar all the time."


    Her eyes became zed as she opened them to look at him.


    She was done for. It was only the morning and she was going to end up in an embarrassed, trembling, and quivering mess for the whole day.


    ...


    A/N: Try to write a review if you have time. We havee this far together. I would love to hear your thoughts :)

 Chapter 242 - Nosebleed

    His finger slid out of her panty slowly stroking her. She gasped, one step away from grabbing it to put it back there.


    This was the exact reason she avoided physical contact with this man as much as she desired it. He was dangerous.


    Dangerous for her body, soul, and heart and she was afraid that if things didn''t work out between them in the future or if they parted, then it will be the endgame for her because she was getting used to him so much so that...a few hours without him were enough to make her day dull.


    He grabbed her neck before pressing a kiss on her chin.


    ''Knock Knock''


    "S-Someone''s there..."


    "Let them be," His hot breath stroked her neck.


    "Third Young Master, everyone is waiting for you downstairs."


    "Ah..."


    "What''s wrong?" Jun Zixuan looked at her in concern.


    Yu Mei took advantage of his momentary distraction and rolled to the side getting out of the cage named ''Jun Zixuan''. "Third Young Master, we are gettingte," She stood up from the bed and nced at him, "I am a virtuous daughter-inw, can''t make them wait like this," With that said, she quickly adjusted her robe and ran inside the walk-in closet afraid that the man would pounce on her if she dyed any longer.


    Jun Zixuan slumped on the bed as he raked his fingers through his hair. As if yesterday''s two-hour-long cold shower was not enough.


    ''Knock Knock''


    "Get lost!'''' He snarled.


    At the Breakfast Table.


    As soon as the couple ascended the stairs, hand in hand, the stifling atmosphere in the enormous mansion got tense.


    Old Master Jun stood up from his chair followed by Old Madam Jun.


    "She is not weed here," The old man''s face remained straight as ever as he coldly said.


    Jun Zixuan pulled out a chair for Yu Mei without paying attention to his words.


    Unbothered by anything, Yu Mei sneaked a look at the old couple, "Heya, Grandma, Grandpa, why are y''ll boiling early in the morning?" She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket, "You should chill more. You know...old age is rather unpredictable. Who knows what will happen if you keep fuming like this?"


    The servants: "_"


    It was their first time witnessing such boldness in the Jun Manor.


    Old Master Jun did not bother to look at the indecent woman who is rumored to be his grandson''s employer but one could see his annoyance by the way he pursed his lips.


    Old Madam Jun however could not resist ring at the woman, "Are you cursing us to die?"


    Yu Mei feigned shock, "Do I look that kind of woman?" She shook her head, ''''That hurt me. Your angry attitude reminded me of an old woman I read about on the news. She acted like the world owed her and all her anger took a toll on her health. She passed away from cardiac arrest. I won''t want such things to happen with my inws."


    "You..." Old Madam Jun pointed her finger at her. This audacious woman!


    "Enough!" Old Master Jun interrupted the fiasco, his grip on his cane tightened, "Get out of here unless you want your career to be destroyed overnight.''''


    "I have been sessful all my life. It''s getting boring. Now I want to see how a destroyed career looks like," Yu Mei smiled like the innocent girl that she was, "That is...only if you can show me."


    Old Master Jun mmed his cane on the table, the cutlery setnded on the ground, smashing into pieces because of the huge amount of force applied on them.


    Old Madam Jun flinched.


    Yu Mei nced at the old man nonchntly. She has lost count of the number of times Jun Zixuan had mmed the door in anger, louder and harsher than this. She was not even scared of that, where did the old man get the confidence that he can scare her?


    "After knowing his identity as the Young Master of the Jun Family, you should know that you are unqualified to keep him," The Old Man said after taking a deep breath.


    "Umm...I know," Yu Mei munched on her apple as she nced at the man who was standing behind her, engrossed with his iPad. She made a mental note to ask him to marry that square thing.


    The old couple exchanged nces. The CEO of an Empire like Rosette would not be a fool or sure.


    Old Madam Mo opened her mouth, ''''So-"


    "I''m ineligible to keep him," Yu Mei blinked, "But I can be kept by him," Be kept as his darling forever. Ah, how good would that be?


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her side face, the corner of his lips unconsciously tugged upwards.


    Old Madam Jun pressed a palm on her chest. Were all youngsters this brazen now?


    Old Master Jun squinted, "My house, my rules. You should be gone-"


    "She stays," Jun Zixuan sat beside her before putting his iPad on the table.


    "You dare to talk back? Jun Zixuan, when did you became so audacious?" The Old Man narrowed his eyes dangerously as he stepped closer to the man. Years of not seeing him and he has gotten so bold, unlike the young boy who won''t make a sound despite being locked in a dark room for days.


    Jun Zixuan folded one of his legs on the other as he leaned back on the chair. His mirthless eyes nced at the old man, "I dare to do many things. Try me."


    A certain woman''s apple dropped on the floor as her inner self cheered for the man with two glittery pom-poms in her hand. She grabbed the tissues before wiping the blood off her nose.


    "What''s wrong?" The cold expression from his face was reced with a gentle and concerned one.


    ''You were too hot that I got a nosebleed'' It would be too shameful to admit it. Yu Mei lowered her head. She could not believe she was so easily seduced. "Nothing much..." she mumbled.


    Jun Zixuan sighed before getting to his feet, "Let''s go out for breakfast," He extended his hand towards her.


    She wiped her nose properly and hooked her index finger with his before standing up.


    Jun Zixuan nced at their hooked fingers in amusement. What a weirdo she was! A cute weirdo.

 Chapter 243 - Not Dirty By Default

    "...This and this....That''s it," She closed the menu and leaned back on the chair.


    "Alright, Ma''am. The order will be here in 15 minutes," The waiter spoke in fluent mandarin before he bowed and left the private room.


    Since Amaranthine is a neighboring country of Maind China, other than English, Mandarin remains the most widely spokennguage in the country.


    She nced in the direction of the door before checking the time on her watch. It''s past 10 am. That means it has been 10 minutes since Jun Zixuan left for attending his so-called important call.


    She snorted, "He should date his phone and marry his iPad. Why am I even needed?" She gulped the ss of warm water before ncing out of therge French-styled window.


    They were currently sitting in the private room of a small and cute restaurant. It was not extravagant or a five-star restaurant but it gave off homely vibes. As usual.


    When they were all kids and her brother had yet to be the President of the country, they couldn''t afford those expensive restaurants. At that time, they used to stay with Shi Luo and her mother. Their financial condition was not good too because of some issues regarding Shi Luo''s father. She remembered her brother used to do multiple part-time jobs to manage their school fees and still, he would somehow save some money and bring her and Shi Luo here every weekend.


    After they all grew up and got busy with their respective works, they still came here once a month. It was like an unsaid rule between them.


    Usually, she was not fond of foods in many restaurants but a few ces were exceptions.


    Yu Mei sighed. It seems like it has been a decade since shest came here.


    Today, she brought Jun Zixuan here when he said that they will have breakfast outside. He did ask her how she got to know about this ce but she came up with the excuse that she looked about Amaranthine beforeing here.


    She nced at her fingers in a daze, her mind drifting off towards some disturbing thoughts. Something that she has been trying to avoid for a long time.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    "Re-" She paused, "What are you doing here?" She narrowed her eyes.


    "I thought we were having breakfast together?" Jun Zixuan winked as he raked his fingers through his hair before taking a seat opposite to her.


    "Why? Your important call didn''t feed you?"


    "My girlfriend doesn''t feeds me either," Jun Zixuan retorted, "You call this being a virtuous wife?" He asked when she snatched the ss of water from his hand.


    "I am done ying virtuous wife. I might be a blood-sucking vampire now," She pursed her lips.


    "What''s wrong?" He grabbed the ss of water from her hand before taking a few gulps.


    "I am not talking to you."


    "Because we could not make out in the morning right?" Jun Zixuan sighed regretfully, "Don''t worry, we can do it in the night. No one will disturb us."


    "You...You..." This man. Her face reddened, "It''s not about that..." Why did he always think in that direction?


    "Then, why is my darling all riled up in the morning?" He grabbed her hand before pressing soft kisses on her knuckles.


    She gulped when her body turned hot in an instant. What was that? Is there a switch on her body that she is unaware of?


    "I-I...."


    "Mei, you have to speak fluently for me to understand your inner feelings," He said before licking her index finger. A secondter, he bit it slightly before sucking on it.


    She gasped. Speak fluently? How can she speak fluently when he is doing this, "W-What am I? A candy?" She bit her lips.


    He chuckled before letting her finger out of his mouth. His tongue licked his bottom lips, "My candy," He said, intertwining their fingers.


    A candy is eventually meant to be eaten. What did he mean by calling her a candy? And what''s with that licking lips gesture? Her face reddened at his insinuations.


    "You have a dirty mind, you know?" Jun Zixuan threw his head back as heughed.


    She lowered her head in shame. She was influenced by him and their regr activities. Her mind was not this dirty by default.


    "Now tell me, why were you angry?"


    "Ah, I almost forgot about it," She tilted her head upwards to look at him, "Say, Zixuan, don''t you think you always prioritize your phone and iPad over me? Your girlfriend was being bullied back in the Jun Manor, shouldn''t you act the hero saving the damsel-in-distress?"


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, "My damsel is the one who likes to give others distress. Am I wrong?"


    "Do you have to phrase it like that? Am I that bad?" She wiped her non-existent tears.


    "Alright love, that''s enough," Jun Zixuanughed.


    "Weird, you areughing too much today," She nced at him in confusion.


    "You are being funny and cute. What do you expect me to do?"


    She rolled her eyes.


    Soon. their food was served. Just as she had had a few sips of her coffee, her phone started ringing.


    She nced at the caller ID before answering the call, "Morning...Yeah, Yeah. have you checked over the documents already? Okay...wait what?" Her expressions changed slightly, "How is that even possible...? Are you sure?" She hung up the call and nced at Jun Zixuan with a weird gaze.


    "What is it?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Yu Mei pushed herself to her feet as she walked to the other side before standing beside him and massaging his shoulders without speaking anything.


    His brows rose further, "What''s wrong?"


    "Can''t I just dote on you without any reason?"


    Jun Zixuan grabbed her hand before moving his chair slightly backward and pulling her onto hisp.


    "Ah, why are you pulling stunts on me?" She red at him as her arms encircled around his neck.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "See, now this is your kind of doting. You will fight with me and re at me with those beautiful angry eyes even though I know you like to be pulled onto myp as much as I love to pull you."


    She smiled, "You exposed me."


    "I haven''t," He said, looking at her dress, "But I can expose you,'''' He whispered against her lips.


    Her face reddened, "Wait, I have something I have to ask you."


    He bit her lips, "Why do you have so many questions for me all the time?"


    She shrugged, "You are my encyclopedia."


    "I should be honored then. Ask now," He sighed helplessly.

 Chapter 244 - I Will H-help You

    [Mature Content. 18+]


    "Did you start that project in the Shanghai slums?" She asked after a long time.


    "Mm."


    She blinked, "Since when?" From the time they went to Shanghai together on his business trip, she badly wanted to invest in the development of those slum areas and help the people there but she could not do it at that time because she was even poorer than them.


    And after she regained her position in Rosette, that matter slipped off her mind because of the various issues she was facing at that time. From Jun Zixuan''s and her fight to her brother''s disappearance, there were many things in her head.


    Only recently did she remembered about it and she had made adequate arrangements too only to be informed by her people that someone else has started the development project of that area months ago.


    "Since the day you mentioned it."


    She recalled while driving back to the resort that day, she had casually mentioned to him that she was going to help them one day in the future. Little did she know that he will not only keep it in mind but he will also help her out with it.


    "Why?"


    "Because at that time, I did not know my wife is so rich. So, I decided to back her up and fulfill her wishes," He yed with her hair.


    "We are not married properly yet. Don''t call me wife. People will get the wrong idea.''''


    "You care about what people think?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She nodded in utmost seriousness, "Of course. I care about my reputation and image in the society."


    "Look at you lying so smoothly," Jun Zixuan pressed flicked her forehead, "You are bing a professional liar."


    "Ow.." She cleared her throat, "Anyways, it can''t go on like this. Are you nning to do anything that I say?"


    "Why not?"


    "What if I got you into some trouble one day?'''' She drew circles on his chest, "If you keep on doing whatever I want, won''t you suffer losses? I don''t know why but I attract lots of problems with myself. What if it rubbed on you?"


    A certain thing inside his pants was stirring awake the moment she started drawing circles on his chest.


    "At this moment, you are rubbing on me," His voice deepened as he nced at the woman sitting on hisp, shifting again and again, provoking him in ways she was not aware of.


    She raised her head to look at him and that predatory look in those chocty eyes made her gulp.


    He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her closer to himself, iming her mouth in one swift move. The taste of strong coffee filled his mouth as he increased the intensity, kissing her harder.


    She moaned with pleasure as he softly groaned into her mouth. Their lips opened and the restriction on their breathing began to dissipate. He kissed the corner of her mouth and she moaned in want.


    As they slowly moved back to give themselves a break, he grabbed her face once again taking her lips for another passionate kiss that had her toes curl. She gasped as his calloused palms went inside her top, stroking her waist as his lips moved on hers roughly, arousing every inch of her body.


    His teeth tugged at her lower lips as his mouth moved downwards grazing past her chin. Her body arched when he kissed her throat, all the way down to her neck where he bit her before sucking the spot. His palm went higher into her top as he kneaded her breasts through her bralette.


    Her chest rose and fell as she gripped his hair. As she felt his other hand reaching towards her skirt, she grabbed his hand, "N-No...Stop..." She stood up from hisp and walked towards the window in the private room as she nced at the distant skyscrapers, her chest rose and fell unevenly as she closed her eyes.


    Soon she felt a palm on her skin as Jun Zixuan stood behind her with one of his arms wrapping itself around her waist, "Why are you not as honest as your body?" He spoke beside her ear as his tongue yed with her earlobe. His kisses trailed down the back of her ear down to her neck. She leaned back on him as her body trembled under the soft touches of his cool lips.


    She felt the loss of his touch the moment he stood straight. Her eyes filled withints but in the next second the man twirled her around and pinned her to the wall beside the window. He grabbed her palm and ced it against his crotch. Her eyes widened as she felt him hard and throbbing against her palm even through theyer of clothes.


    Her heart raced as her face turned red in an instant. Her body was unusually hot and bothered at this point.


    The man let go of her hand, "Now you know what you have been doing to me all this time. You are a torture..." He whispered in a deeper voice. But her next move surprised him.


    He nced at the woman who was struggling to unbuckle his belt. And just the asional strokes of her finger on his torso had him grit his teeth, "What do you think you are doing?" His breathing turned uneven.


    "I-I want to help you," She was a bit taken aback when she looked at the sweat droplets forming on his forehead. So, did that mean that there were times when he too would lose control like her? Her eyes shed.


    "Stop before it''s toote," His voice had a dangerous edge to it as he pressed one of his hands on the wall next to her while the other remained on her waist pinning her to the wall.


    "I don''t want to stop. I will h-help you."


    He noticed how her face flushed even further at her own words but damn that adamance in her eyes! Fuck! He could feel himself hardening just under her casual touch and that stubborn yet shy gaze.


    If only she knew the effect she had on him.

 Chapter 245 - Damn!!!

    [Mature Content here. 18+]


    It took all his patience to not urge her to hurry up. His heart was beating so furiously that he could hear the sound of it in his ears. He watched as her dainty hand reached towards his bulge, hesitation, and nervousness apparent on her face. But this woman was stubborn and he was well aware of it. Since she said that she would do it, no matter how shy she was, she would suppress every emotion to go for it.


    And it amused him to quite some extent. She would usually taunt him about having a male ego and all but how the hell did anyone not tell her that she had a female ego higher than mountains?


    A painful groan escaped his mouth when she lowered his boxers and grabbed his hardened length.


    She flinched..."W-What happened to you?" She nced at his face, her face going red feeling a certain thing twitching and throbbing in her palm.


    "You happened!" The man spoke through gritted teeth as his eyes narrowed slightly.


    She gulped, at his words, at his gaze, and then at the sight of his erection...huge and thick. She gulped again. Her face was redder than a cooked lobster as he leaned closer to her. She molded her fingers over his length and a groan echoed in her ear.


    Her heart thumped rapidly. She had yet to do something but why did he sound like he was being tortured already? Was he doing this so she won''t feel bad? She wondered.


    ''''Overthinking again, huh?" He grabbed the back of her neck and tugged at her hair pulling her head higher before iming her lips. His other hand reached towards her palm, guiding it above his length.


    Her breathing turned chaotic and before she knew it, his hand was already hooked around her waist while her hand eased along with the hardness as she slowly and shyly stroked it. And his eyes darkened in pleasure.


    "Go on, love," He whispered against her mouth, giving her a few seconds to breathe before catching her lips in another roughly passionate kiss.


    Her hand slowly picked up its pace as his soft and deep groans seemed to be guiding her, letting her know how he felt, telling her that she had this control over him. As shy she was, she marveled at the sight of him losing control when she pleasured him just like he has always done to her and it prompted her to not stop. She wanted to go on to have more of this side of him. She loved it.


    "Uhh...yes," He buried his face in her neck, "Just like that, love..yes...there..." His fiery breath fanned her neck as he instructed her.


    She glided her hand over him, feeling herself getting hotter just at the sound of his hoarse voice. She sucked in a deep breath when the man bit her neck, her grip around his shaft tightened.


    "Faster love," He pulled away to look at her as a wicked glint shed in his eyes.


    She blushed as her breathing turned ragged. She was the one touching him but just one look from him was enough to have her in a mess. Her eyes filled withints yet she quickened her pace knowing what he needed.


    His breaths roughened as he tried to get control of this flood of desires he was drowning in. "Mei..." He uttered her name, his voice hoarse as he caught his lips with his teeth. She felt his erection jerking in her hand, he made a deep sound vibrated from deep inside her throat as he came in her hand.


    "Damn! You are a curse on my existence," He let out a shaky breath as he leaned his forehead against hers.


    She retracted her hand and nced at his face up so close, her heart was still beating rapidly because of the thrill but her brows tugged together at his words. Was that the beginning of another fight? Did he call her a curse? She knew she was a blessing.


    "The sweetest curse that ever existed!'''' He mumbled, looking at her deep eyes building up with rage in an instant. "I don''t mind if you are trouble attracting ma. I will help you with all of them. You are my trouble, after all," He pulled away and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead as his eyes shed with endless adoration for her.


    She bit her lips and lowered her head only to have her gazend on the enormous shaft of his that she was holding a moment ago. Her face flushed.


    "Did I tire your hand too much, hmm?" He teased, a roguish grin made its way on his face as he kissed her lips but he pulled back before it got toote and they were at it again, "Let''s get us cleaned."


    She blushed harder looking at the private room of the restaurant. Did they make out here? Oh gosh! What if someone came inside while they were still on it?


    Only if she knew that her man liked to be well-prepared for everything at any time.


    ...


    "Fuck!!'''' His eyes flew open when he felt something licking and crawling on his body, "What do you think you are doing?" He snarled, grabbing the white little thing from her neck.


    With overwhelming determination, Mia purred and escaped his grip before pouncing on him and smooching his neck.


    Han Jian Yu gritted his teeth as he grabbed her with both his hands and pushed himself up before sitting on the bed.


    The vixen opened her hazel eyes as she nced at the man in front of her, his cold palms on her body, a few fingers stayed in weird ces of her body making her feel stuffy and hot but she ignored it. Her focus on the man, ''The morning Han Jian Yu looks more delicious,'' Her drool gathered on his chest.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her weird antics in confusion, "Are you horny?" He was not an expert like his sister when it came to animals but this was all he concluded given the way she was being wild.


    Mia wiggled in his grip ufortably. Her hormones were not in her control because of this man. She felt like she had gotten herself a living trouble.

 Chapter 246 - A Small Model Named Mia

    Was that a yes or what? She looked like an intellectual animal to him because of her activities. He did not know why but he felt like she understood whatever he said. Han Jian Yu frowned, "Shall I get you a male fox?" Since he had adopted this little thing, he decided to be a little responsible for it.


    Urge to have sex is not something that should be restrained.


    She bit his fingers, piercing her teeth into it, ''You lowly human being, just because Her Highness favors you, you want to have me sleep with a fox? Does Her Highness looks like an ordinary fox to you?''


    His brows tugged together as he threw her to the other side of the bed. "I should have left you there," His expressions turned dark as he got off the bed looking at the teeth marks on his palm and a bit of blood here and there.


    The fox on the bed made a sound that had him pause in his tracks. He turned around to look at the little creature snuggling closer to the pillow with a pitiful expression on her face. He sighed before extending his hand towards her, "C''mere..."


    The knot between his brows disappeared as the baby fox pounced on him enthusiastically. He probably misunderstood her regarding wanting to have sex. He was not sure whether these baby vixens go in heat like the adults one.


    "Let''s go. I will get you something to eat," He stroked her silky fur, his gaze paused on the crimson lotus birthmark for a moment. Her birthmark reminded him of something but he could not pinpoint what it was.


    He made a mental note to have his men take her to a vet for vine and regr check-ups.


    Mia snuggled closer to him as a sly smile made its way on her face. Leave me there? Look at you, you are already obsessed with Her Highness. As if I would believe that you don''t like me. Humph.


    Later at the dining table.


    "Boss, these are the-" Danny paused as he nced at the weird expressions on his boss''s face. He followed the man''s gaze and looked at the baby fox sitting elegantly on the table and enjoying the soup. Her tongue delicately roamed over the soup, slurping it while a fork remained there in her right front paw. She would stop asionally and sit straight like a stuffed toy while her paw would move, stabbing the fork in chicken cubes and putting it in her mouth and the process would just go on like that.


    Danny nced at his Boss who was sitting with his jaws dropped with a spoon in his hand, probably to feed the fox. The rare expression on the man''s face made him want to capture this moment in a picture like he did.


    Han Jian Yu snapped out of his daze. "Let''s go to the study," He picked up the remote from the dining table and pressed a switch, locking all the doors and windows in the penthouse. Looking at a certain little thing for onest time, he heaved a sigh and walked away.


    Danny nced at the elegant fox having the urge to click some more pictures of it but he eventually followed the man lest the tyrant gets provoked. For some reason, his boss appeared unusually scary today. He was always this scary but today the degree of it seems to have intensified.


    Mia tilted her head, contemting whether she should follow them. But then, she looked at the bowl of chicken soup that was made by a certain human who was trying his best to impress her (in her imagination).


    She has already hurt him enough for today. First, she climbed on his bed while he was asleep, then she took advantage of him and she also bit him. She was a little guilty for torturing such a beautiful species of man. So, she decided to finish the soup first lest he was hurt.


    Inside the study.


    Han Jian Yu settled on his swivel chair with dark expressions hanging on his face.


    Danny gulped, "Boss...that...we..." He stammered as the man''s expression worsened further.


    "To the point," His cold voice boomed in the study as the man mmed his hand on the desk.


    ''Bam''


    ''Crash''


    A few things including the ss pen standnded on the floor.


    Danny gulped, "Boss, we found a car near that area where the st urred. You already know about this but I have looked further into that matter. It belongs to a woman," He paused to take a breath before continuing, "She is a neer in the entertainment industry, a small model. Mia."


    "Mia," The name rolled off the man''s tongue as his brows tugged together slightly.


    "Boss, shall I get you her picture?"


    "No need, get that woman."


    Danny nodded, understanding that the man would not spare the woman despite if she was a friend or a foe. If she was the one behind the st, then she was no ordinary model. She must have her team with her or else how did she manage to st that ce despite them diffusing the bombs. Not only were the enemies dead, but not a single man also died from their side.


    "This is Young Miss'' contact number," Danny passed his phone to him.


    The man''s expression softened as he nodded.


    "Is anything wrong, Boss?" He asked the man, referring to his bad mood from earlier.


    Han Jian Yu paused for a moment before massaging his head, "This fox is nothing but trouble," He never thought there would be a day when he would need to babysit a little creature whose mood swings were so worse than his baby sister. One second, she would be clinging to him and the other second, she would be all sort of wild baring her teeth and biting him. Not to mention, how weird it was that a fox had such impable table manners.


    "Uh...That..." Danny was speechless at this moment.


    "Take her to a vet."


    "Alright," Danny nodded, "Boss, it is Monday today. Shall I get someone toe over tonight?"

 Chapter 247 - Ten Kisses For Each Mail

    Han Jian Yu nodded, "36-24-36," He said, raking his fingers through his hair.


    Danny was not surprised though. The man''s Monday and Friday night schedule has been like this.


    He bowed and left the study. His footsteps came to a halt as he nced at a certain white little thing standing near the door with full attentiveness. He squatted to pat the baby fox''s head.


    Mia bared her teeth at him, her innocent hazel eyes turned fierce all of a sudden.


    Danny flinched as he closed his eyes. The next second, his head whipped in her direction but all he found was her round eyes blinking adorably.


    ''I guess I am working too hard these days,'' He stood up from the floor and waved his hands at Mia, "See you soon, cutie~'''' After all he had to take her to the vet pretty soon.


    Keeping a fox in this country was considered illegal, unlike in Amaranthine. He wanted to discuss it with Boss but then he remembered the identity of the man. Who would stop the President of Amaranthine from having what he wanted?


    Danny sighed in relief because he just dodged a bullet. Who knew if the tyrant would have broken a vase on his head if he angered him further?


    He did not notice how the vixen''s eyes turned malicious as soon as he turned around, ''Foolish human, you wanted to touch me? Her Highness would have taken your life if you weren''t my favored concubine''s subordinate. Humph!'' In Mia''s mind, there was a whole harem decorated having Han Jian Yu as one of her concubines. He was already smitten by her even though she was in her fox form. Once she showed her real self, he will be willing to serve her for her whole life. That was what she believed.


    And then, herst life could not get any better with all this.


    A sly smirk made its way on her face only to disappear a secondter. ''What is 36-24-26?'' She overheard Han Jian Yu saying this when she came here and it sounded a little familiar to her but she could not pinpoint where she has heard it.


    ...


    "Why is your father not here yet?" Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan questioningly.


    "Don''t know. Don''t care," The man shrugged as he wrapped an arm around her waist as they stepped inside the gardens of the Jun Manor.


    The corner of her lips twitched, "You only care about one thing, don''t you?" She leaned closer to him, "That is how to bed me."


    "How did you know?"


    She bit his chest, "I just realize you are a big bad wolf."


    "Be my innocentmb then," He wrapped both his arms around her waist as she ced her head on his chest.


    "You wish..." Her face reddened remembering what they did back in that restaurant.


    Her phone started ringing, snapping her out of her thoughts, "It''s Luoluo," She spoke after checking the caller ID.


    "Alright, let''s go back to the room first."


    "I want to stay here a little longer," She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Take my iPad from the car and send the mails in the draft."


    "No."


    "Please~" She pouted, drawing circles on his chest.


    He grabbed her naughty fingers, "Don''t do that unless you want to try things in the garden.''''


    Her face flushed, ''''You...Okay, will you please send the mails for me?''''


    "You have gottenzier," He narrowed his eyes, "But I can do it if you call me something nice."


    "Please, darling?" She batted her eyshes, aiming a few arrows at his chest in the process.


    "10 kisses for each mail," His eyes darkened as he pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    "10 kisses are too much," She would have her lips swollen by the end.


    "15, it is.''''


    "You.."


    "17."


    "Fine," She rolled her eyes. What a profiteer.


    He grabbed the back of her neck and imed her mouth, kissing her until she was breathless and shaking, "Mm...The advance tasted good," His lips curved up in a wicked smile.10


    She blushed.


    "Don''t stay here for too long and DO. NOT. BE. BULLIED," He spoke after a few seconds.


    Amusement flickered in her eyes, "And what if someone tried to bully me by hook or by crook?"


    "Then you can bully them by hook or by crook."


    She raised an eyebrow, "So that you can call me immature and impulsiveter."


    "I won''t," He spoke seriously, "Call me if you need. We will bully them together."


    She speechlessly nced at his retreating back. He did not look like he was joking either. For one second, the evil side of her was almost giving in to this temptation. How thrilling it will be to bully these evil people who treated him so badly years ago!


    Then again...didn''t he always say that she was spoiled? But wasn''t he spoiling her more like this?


    Understanding this man was more difficult than passing innguage subjects to her.


    ''''Ah, that reminded me that our exams results will be out soon..." She just hoped that she did not fail innguage subjects or else the media would have it printed in the headlines.


    Her phone started ringing once again, breaking her trail of thoughts. ''''Why is Luoluo calling me again and again...?" She paused when her gazended on the caller ID. It was not Shi Luo this time but an unknown number.


    ''''Don''t tell me someone got my number leaked? It must be the bloody reporters taking revenge on me," Yu Mei frowned.


    She knew she might be overthinking about it but this was the current situation of her life. Any small matter would turn into a volcano and erupt on her head the moment she took it lightly.


    Taking a deep breath, she answered the call, "Who are you looking for?" She asked while walking towards the gazebo, kicking the pebbles absentmindedly.


    "My sister."


    "Oh, I don''t think I have a brother. Wrong number-" She paused, her eyes widened suddenly.


    "Say that again," The man''s cold voice resounded from the other side of the phone.


    ...


    A/N: Hello, do you want 100 coins? More coins. More read. Yay!


    So, what do you have to do?


    1. Drop a review~ Be honest :)


    2. Comment with a heart or smile emoji in thement section after you have written the review.


    3. That''s it. I will reveal the winners after 48 hours.


    (No repetitions for those who have already reviewed. Don''t be a bad apple ¡ã^¡ã/ Haha)

 Chapter 248 - Serve Her

    She cleared her throat, "Brother~''''


    "And who are you calling brother? I thought you don''t have one?"


    Yu Meiughed awkwardly as she sauntered over to the gazebo, "I thought someone leaked my number and I was absent-minded a moment ago. That''s why I said that..."


    She could hear a long silence over the other side. "Brother, are you offended by that?" She asked when he did not say anything.


    "Here I thought that this rebirth or whatever it is did not have any side effects on you," The man clicked his tongue audibly.


    "Huh? It''s true though," Except for a fewplications, she really did not have any health issues.


    "I think you have turned dumber than you already were."


    "_"


    She looked at the sky ''Why have you filled this goddess''s life with such men? Why?''


    "Silly, you will never offend me. How are you doing?"


    She sighed, "I am good. But when are youing to meet me?"


    "Soon."


    Arge smile made its way on her face but it disappeared in the next second, "Brother, did you see the news about me?" Was that why he called her amidst all the work?


    "Mm. I did."


    "About that...." She knew how allergic her brother was towardsmitments... especially hermitments.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''m fine with it as long as you are happy."


    She was surprised. Seems like her brother''s eptance level has gone a level higher after her death and rebirth. He was willing to have hermitted to a man.


    "Moreover, I have a surprise for you," Han Jian Yu said after a brief pause.


    Yu Mei paused for a bit, her mind was focused on other things at the moment, "You easily epted it. I thought you were still angry about Jun Zihao..." She bit her tongue almost instantly. What was wrong with her today? She was uttering nonsense again and again.


    "I''m not...wait..what surname did you say?" The man''s voice audibly deepened.


    "Ah...Your voice is flying...Thework is unstable...I can''t hear anything...." She distanced the phone from her ear and turned her face to the side, "I''ll save your name and get back to you as soon as I get thework..."


    She quickly hung up the call and exhaled a sigh of relief.


    A burst of masculineughter sounded beside her.


    She stiffened.


    Her relieved sigh turned into a gasp as she turned around.


    ''Bam'' The phone in her handnded on the ground the moment her eyesnded on the person standing in front of her.


    "Mei?"


    ''JUN ZIHAO!!'' Red rms went off in her head as she wondered why she was not born with some magical ability that can make her disappear any time she wanted.


    While the sister was stuck in a sticky mess, the brother could not get his mind off something.


    "Jun Zihao..." Han Jian Yu pushed himself out of the bed before walking to the window. It should not be who he was thinking about. After contemting over it for a few seconds, he took his phone out to make a call.


    "Find out whether there was someone named Jun Zihao back in our high school," He instructed Sunny, "The man Mei was dating at that time. Investigate him. Check if this was the same person Jun Zihao, the illegitimate son of the Jun Family," With that said, he hung up the call.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes. She has been keeping his surname a secret for so many years. And it took her long enough to slip off this information.


    He promised her that he won''t interfere in it but it was her fault for mentioning her to him after such a long time. She should not me him.


    This royal family was more and more in a mess than he had calcted.


    The nerve of this guy to date his precious and making her cryter.


    Right at this moment, the doorbell started ringing snapping him out of his thoughts. He nced at the time on his wristwatch before sipping the wine from his ss.


    cing it on the bedside table, he walked out of the Master Bedroom only to be greeted by the sight of a certain little thing standing outside his door.


    "You were supposed to reflect on your actions inside your room," He frowned as how she seemed to be pouting.


    It was not his imagination anymore. This fox was nothing less than humans. He has been observing her for two days and he was confident about his observations.


    And she proved him right once again as her ears slightly dropped while she made her way back to her assigned room that was beside the Master Bedroom while taking baby steps.


    The doorbell rang once again.


    He massaged his forehead and walked towards the door without looking back at her.


    Mia paused as she nced at his retreating back. It seems like she hurt him in the morning while biting him. And he is now afraid of her, probably. How to coax him now?


    Her thoughts trailed off when the door opened and a beautiful woman stepped inside. Short blonde hair and golden figure.


    Golden figure.


    Mia''s eyes shed.


    ''36-24-36''


    She remembered its meaning now. When she was approached to be a model for the Xler brand, their menplimented her for having this golden figure.


    So, this means when Han Jian Yu ordered his man to bring over a ''36-24-36'', he meant this?


    The next scene that greeted her was the woman pouncing on Han Jian Yu.


    And her beloved concubine did not seem to have anyints as he effortlessly caught her with one of his hands right below the woman''s bottom.


    Mia blinked as she looked at how the man''s hard muscles flexed beneath his T-shirt.


    She gulped slightly before averting her gaze.


    "So, I was asked to serve this Young Master here...." The woman licked his ear before looking into his eyes, "I couldn''t help pouncing on you. You are too hot to resist-"


    The man shut her up with a rough kiss,pletely uninterested in her nonsense.


    Mia nced at them nkly.


    This woman just said that she was asked to serve this Young Master.


    But this Young Master here was supposed to serve her right?


    Mia blinked. A glint shed across her hazel eyes.

 Chapter 249 - I’m Yu Mei Zhen, Not Han Mei

    ''Bam''


    "Ahhh...Fire...Fire.....There is fire..." The woman plopped on the ground before rolling around as she pped her hands and thighs hard.


    Han Jian Yu nced at the scene nkly, his face gradually darkened as he made a phone call, "Take her out," He coldly said before hanging up.


    Soon, Danny and Sunny entered the penthouse through the main door. "Boss," They bowed and their gazesnded on the woman who was rolling on the floor in a mess. Astonishment marred their faces.


    "I did not ask you to get someone who is mentally challenged, did I?" His tone was low and dangerous as he spoke, his fingers running through the scratch marks on his cheek made by the woman''s long nails.


    Danny frowned. But she is the daughter of a reputed family and he had looked into her background before picking her up. "Boss, she is-"


    "I don''t fucking care," His menacing gaze made them flinch, "Take her and get lost," He snarled.


    Both the brothers exchanged nces before Sunny picked the woman from the floor and plopped her on her shoulder. He sucked in a cold breath when the seemingly crazy woman scratched his back with her knife-like nails. ring at his brother for making such a mistake, he walked out of the door.


    "Ah...Fire...there is fire..fireee...AHHHH!!!!" The woman''s shrill screams echoed inside the penthouse.


    Danny followed after his brother as he scratched the back of his neck in confusion. He has been doing this for a long time.


    From young to old, everyone in Amaranthine and out in the world adored and worshipped this man, one of the most eligible bachelors out there. But the god-like President of their country never once dated or gave in tomitments. He did not believe in love or one-woman life.


    As much as he stayed away from all that, he was a normal man in histe 20s. His intensive training and sex drive were always on point.


    Danny has been getting? proper women to satiate his Boss''s sexual needs for a long time but he never once made such a mistake. Then, what happened today?


    As the door mmed shut, Han Jian Yu closed his eyes before running his fingers through his dark hair. Releasing a deep breath, he turned around and walked towards the Master Bedroom. His footsteps came to a halt as he nced at the baby fox lying on the floor, shivering slightly.


    He squatted before picking her up in his arms, "Were you scared?" He asked, stroking her back.


    As hisrge palm caressed her silky fur, he felt her moving closer to him as she pounced on his body before snuggling her face on his neck. "Don''t worry, she is gone now," He mumbled.


    It was probably because of his sister''s second life that his eptance of weird things in the world has grown by leaps and bounds.


    Moreover, the fox''s activities and behavior have already made it clear to him that he was not overthinking. In fact, it is not that shocking because the existence of animals who are more intelligent than human beings is not that rare.


    And he happened to stumble across this little one.


    What he did not know was that the little one in question had the intentions of devouring him. As he walked towards the Master bedroom, Mia raised her head to look at the closed door. The innocent look on her face disappeared only to be reced by sheer slyness, ''I am not letting you have this man for now,'' She smugly thought.


    In fact, the blondie was not crazy at all because she did light the fire around that woman. Invisible fire. It will not cause pain, only temporary fear.


    Mia smirked. She had yet to sleep with Han Jian Yu. How could she let him be tainted?


    A certain vixen forgot the promise she made to Yu Mei about not having other intentions towards her brother.


    ...


    Yu Mei nced at the man standing in front of her in astonishment. Her eyes were a second away from popping out. She did all her research before she decided toe here with Jun Zixuan.


    She was sure that she will not bump into Jun Zihao who was currently abroad. What now?


    She nced at the sky nkly, ''Heavens, am I your personal punching bag? You just punch me whenever you have a bad mood?''''


    "You haven''t changed all these years," The man nced at her. The smile on his face disappeared as he switched back to his nonchnt expressions, "Acting like there is nowork when you just want to avoid the person on phone. And looking at the sky whenever something did not go as per your ns," The man raised an eyebrow, "But I have to admit that you have gotten more beautiful in five years, Miss Han Mei."


    "Han Mei? When you called me Mei, I thought you know me," She watched as his nonchnt expressions faltered. So what if things did not go ording to her ns? She will have it in her way. After all, she would have been a good actress if she was not interested in designing "I am Yu Mei Zhen. Not the Han Mei you addressed me as. Now if you can excuse me," She smiled and walked past him.


    But the man grabbed her hand before she could walk away.


    She frowned.


    "Which Yu Mei Zhen you are talking about? Do you think I won''t recognize you? Stop acting like we are strangers."


    "We are strangers," She nced at his hand, wondering whether she should get her hand out of his grip. If she did so with physical strength, he would have one more reason to not believe her new identity.


    The directors and higher-ups of Rosette believed that she was Leanne because of her looks. Her brother believed that she was Han Mei, his sister. But that was what she wanted.


    And this man here, he seems to be sure that she was Han Mei.


    But there was no way she would let him think that.


    Yu Mei lowered her head. Everything she was fearingtely wasing at her now.


    ''''It''s hurting. Let me go," She struggled, seemingly trying to get her hand out of his grip.


    The man frowned. Han Mei was someone who will break a man''s hand if he touched her without her consent. He was experienced with that. And the girl in front of him was struggling in pain indicating that she was not strong physically.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Yu Mei turned around to look at Jun Zixuan as he made his way towards the gazebo with a woman walking behind him.


    ...


    Review winners:


    1. Ps_Pp


    2. dhagaja


    3.Autumn_love14


    4.Annu_Sharma_06789


    5.naturalnidhs


    6. parthroongta756


    To im your 100 coins, dm me on discord-Auroraaa#6260 or Instagram @auroraaa_wn

 Chapter 250 - Tension Between The Brothers

    "Zihao, what are you doing?" The woman who was walking behind Jun Zixuan asked softly as she eyed their entangled hands.


    Yu Mei frowned. Even after being seen like this, the man did not bother to loosen his grip on her.


    Unlike the gentle and sweet-looking woman, Jun Zixuan was not up to any kind of talk or questions. He headed straight ahead towards them and wrapped an arm around her waist possessively while his other hand gripped Jun Zihao''s wrist, "Get your hands off her."


    "Who are you to tell me that?" Jun Zihao scoffed as he nced at the man coldly.


    Yu Mei snapped out of her ''admiring Jun Zixuan''s manly charm'' daze as she spoke up, "He has mistaken me for someone else," she said with a straight face, feeling Jun Zihao''s grip on her hand loosening at once.


    Her man is so powerful. Her inner self was dancing for Jun Zixuan with two poms poms in her hands.


    "Quit lying," Jun Zihao narrowed his eyes at the woman who was clinging to his brother, "You are-"


    "President Leanne," The woman who seemed to be somewhere around her mid-20s made her way towards them with a soft smile on her face.


    Yu Mei nced at her curiously, "You are...?"


    "Su Ning," She extended her hand towards.


    The name sounded familiar to her but she could not pinpoint where she heard it. Yu Mei took her hand before shaking it lightly, "Yu Mei Zhen."


    "Of course, I know you," Su Ning smiled, "I am a big fan of yours since Rosette was started."


    Yu Mei smiled, not knowing how to react to her genuinepliments.


    She was mostly meeting bitches and bastards in the past few days so this sweet and cutedy seemed refreshing to her.


    "I saw the news about Zixuan and you. You both are in a rtionship, aren''t you?"


    Zixuan? Yu Mei raised an eyebrow but she nodded.


    Su Ning''s lips curved up even more, "I knew it. Those reporters were exaggerating things to make headlines."


    "Ningning," Jun Zihao interrupted her.


    Su Ning nced at him as realization dawned on her, "You don''t recognize her?"


    Jun Zihao did not bother saying anything.


    And the woman took it as affirmative. "She is the CEO of Rosette," Su Ning nced at Yu Mei apologetically, "My fiance is not well informed about all these."


    ''So, they are engaged,'' Yu Mei was a bit surprised but she nodded slightly.


    "Ah, Zixuan, aren''t you going to introduce them to each other?" Su Ning nced at Jun Zixuan enthusiastically.


    "They know each other," The man nonchntly said.


    Yu Mei stiffened.


    "You have seen his picture," He spoke beside her ear.


    She sighed in relief, "Yes, I know him. Jun Zihao, my darling''s elder brother."


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as his fingers drew circles on her waist.


    She bit her lips. He must be doing it on purpose knowing how ticklish it was for her.


    "And you..." Jun Zixuan nced at Jun Zihao indifferently, "You should have heard about her already. So, stay away from her."


    Su Ning frowned, "Zixuan, there is some misunderstanding..."


    "I don''t care," Jun Zixuan interrupted her. Be it before or now, he was never close to this elder brother in name and he did not care if there were misunderstandings between them.


    Sensing the tension between the brothers, Yu Mei nced at Su Ning meaningfully before she grabbed Jun Zixuan''s hand, "Let''s go inside. I want to take a nap," She leaned onto him, acting a little spoiled.


    His face softened, "Let''s go," He picked her up in his arms.


    "Ah, I can walk."


    "What conversation takes so long? I was waiting for you in the room," Jun Zixuan nced at the woman in his arms, not having any intention to put her down.


    "Uh..." Yu Mei was speechless. She lost track of time while talking to her brother. She even forgot to call Shi Luo. Not knowing what to say, she buried her face in the man''s chest.


    "They look so perfect together," Su Ning smiled.


    Jun Zihao frowned as he nced at their retreating backs. Han Mei would never act spoiled or coy to get a man''s attention. So it is possible that they just look simr but they are too simr. And he was not convinced by it so easily.


    He would have to test it in his own way.


    ...


    In the absence of Old Madam Jun and Old Master Jun, they were not interrupted by anyone on their way to the room.


    As soon as Jun Zixuan ced her on the bed, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her.


    Not acting on his reflexes, he let himself fall beside her on the bed. "Are you trying to take initiative, hmm?" He asked as he slept properly while twirling her tresses in his fingers.


    She inched closer to him before settling her head on his shoulder, "No No...I don''t do such shameless things. I am an innocent person. Don''t use me of doing such things."


    The corner of his lips twitched, "How about we recreate the scene from the restaurant right here? Like how you innocently took the initiative to-"


    She pressed her palm on his mouth, "Hug me to sleep okay?"


    He licked her palm causing her to retract it immediately.


    "It''s ticklish," She bit his chest, "Just hug me. No touching here and there."


    "What am I? Your pillow?" Though he said that mockingly, he pulled her into his arms before dragging the nket with the other hand to cover their bodies.


    "Umm...So good," She sighed in satisfaction and within a few minutes, her breathing turned even.


    The moment she stopped moving, his gaze darkened slightly. He grabbed her hand before looking at her wrist that had turned red with the fingers imprint on it.


    He gently pushed her to the side and got off the bed. Soon, he walked back towards her with an ointment in his hands.


    Grabbing her palm, he gently applied it on the ring red marks around her wrist.


    After cleaning his fingers with tissue paper, he sat beside her and leaned back on the headrest. His fingers weaved through her silky locks as he nced at the ceiling, his gaze gradually darkening.


    Jun Zihao was usually a rational man. For him to act like this...Jun Zixuan wondered what could the reason be.


    Right at this moment, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and checked the text.


    ''Shi Luo: Zixuan, ask Mei to call me okay? Your wife is not responding to my calls and messages.''


    Jun Zixuan frowned as he nced at the woman who was inching closer to him despite already having her face on his thigh.


    "Uhh...mmmm...no..." She mumbled something incoherently.


    He leaned closer to her.


    "My darling is handsome..." He heard it loud and clear, "Zixuan~"


    Was she cheering for him? This woman can be so adorable at times. He sighed helplessly, not knowing what to do with her.


    His expressions softened as he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead before slowly shifting her head.


    Lying beside her with one arm around her waist and the other beneath her head, he kissed her lips, "Silly."


    ***


    ''I, Esmeray Reis, was reduced to an exiled, outcast, and dethroned princess until I met the stubborn man who was adamant on having me as his Queen.''


    __


    Aleister Daven, a self-obsessed and wicked Prince. Uninterested in most of the things until...


    (Continued in the author''s note)

 Chapter 251 - Identity Test

    The atmosphere around the wide dining table was tense to the point of being suffocating. Other than Yu Mei who was eating without any qualms and Jun Zixuan who looked busy with his iPad, everyone''s expressions looked unsettled in one way or another.


    Old Master Jun was sitting on the head chair, his expressions frigid. Next to him sat his wife, Old Madam Jun.


    Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei were next to the olddy.


    While on the left side of Old Master Jun, there was an empty chair and Jun Zihao and Su Ning were seated next to it.


    Jun Zihao''s gaze never once got off Yu Mei while Su Ning was looking at the man with a confused expression on her face.


    The Old couple were looking at their younger grandson who did not seem to be paying any attention to them.


    Their gazes thennded on the woman next to him who was dressed in a casual night suit as she ate without any care of the world.


    Old Madam Jun narrowed her eyes looking at the woman who seemed to have been starving since ages.


    ''The audacity of this illegitimate daughter to seduce a member of Jun Family and taking him as a kept,'' The olddy frowned. Even though Yu Family was influential and they were close to the Master of Yu Family, it could not be denied that Yu Mei Zhen was a product of incest if they saw it rtionship wise.


    And if they saw it from other point of view, then Yu Jitong was Jin Jitong in real. A nobody, an orphan who was picked up by Old Master Yu from the streets out of pity.


    No matter what, Yu Mei Zhen had filth in her blood.


    Unaware to everyone''s thoughts, Yu Mei continued eating despite feeling their gazes on her. A nap with Jun Zixuan worked like magic and the negativity around her diminished a little. She felt like despite their current situation, nothing will go wrong.


    After all Jun Zihao has no evidence that she is not Yu Mei Zhen. So, what could he possibly do?


    With that in her mind, she enjoyed the dinner calmly. She was missing the Amaranthine cuisine a lot and nostalgia was hitting her at this point which is why she couldn''t stop despite knowing that she might start to look like a burger again if she kept messing with her diet and workout n like this.


    Jun Zixuan ced his iPad on the table and raised his head. His brows tugged together as he noticed everyone''s gaze fixated on his wife. "I was not aware the purpose of the dinner was to look at her."


    His Mei was already prone to troubles all the time. He did not want her to get a stomach ache because of their intense stares.


    Old Master Jun nced at him. But before he could say anything, his elder grandson spoke up, "We are talking about our eyes here. So, it should be our choice where we want to look at," Jun Zihao coldly said, his gaze roaming all over Yu Mei, "What can you do about it?"


    "Gauge out the eyes," Jun Zixuan leaned back on the chair, a vague smile made its way on his face as a dangerous glint shed across his eyes, "Then, you don''t have any option left."


    Jun Zihao''s gaze snapped at his so called younger brother who he hasn''t seen for years. His brows tugged together as he nced at the man''s smiling face. But despite that casual look, he looked like he meant every word he said.


    A certain panda raised her head from the food as she nced at her man in sheer admiration, "...mmmmnn...Poweeint..."


    Jun Zixuan nced at her puffed up cheeks, "You mean I have a point?"


    She nodded quickly.


    "Alright, focus on eating," He poked her bulging cheeks and she took his words very seriously as she ced her focus back on the food.


    The corner of his lips tugged up. If only she was this obedient all the time. But then again, obedient was not something that should be associated anywhere around or with her. If she became obedient, then she won''t be her.


    Jun Zihao''s fingers curled around the ss of wine he was holding. His gaze darkened. He was not interested in watching their interaction. He did not like it.


    "Do you think you will do as you wish and we won''t be able to stop you?" Old Master Jun ced the knife and fork in his hand aside as he entangled his fingers before cing his chin on his palm, his gaze remained solemn.


    Jun Zixuan nced at him indifferently, "You want to threaten me with my mom?"


    "We can do that if you want us to do so," It was Old Madam Jun who spoke up, "It has been a long time since I saw her. It will not be an bad idea to have her here and discuss the old times in the basement."


    Yu Mei paused as she raised her head to look at the olddy, a glint shed across her eyes that was missed by the rest. After a few seconds, she lowered her head and continued eating.


    "You can try me," Jun Zixuan casually said as he started eating without looking at anyone.


    After everyone had their dinner, the servants came with ice cream bowls for dessert.


    As one of the servants walked towards Yu Mei to serve it to her, she frowned.


    "She can''t eat them. She is allergic to blueberries," Jun Zihao quickly said, attracting everybody''s attention on the dining table.


    The ce drowned in stifling silence.


    Realizing what he has done, he pursed his lips but his gaze was fixated on the servant.


    Understanding what the Second Young Master meant, the servant nodded but before he could leave, Yu Mei grabbed the bowl from his hand.


    "Who told you that?" Yu Mei nced at Jun Zihao, "I love blueberries."


    "You..." Jun Zihao frowned. Is she so adamant on hiding her identity that she is ready to harm her body? She can''t even take a drop of blueberry juice as it triggers her allergy.


    Just as he was about to say something, he stopped himself. His gaze shed. They had a team of doctors in their mansion so nothing will happen to her but on the other hand, this will prove her identity for sure.


    He nodded, "Yes, maybe I saw some wrong information about President Leanne on the news."

 Chapter 252 - Distance

    After eating a few spoonfuls of the blueberry ice cream, Yu Mei ced the bowl aside, "It''s good."


    Jun Zihao''sid-back expressions morphed into disbelief.


    Su Ning elbowed him, trying to understand why he was acting so weird all day long.


    Jun Zixuan''s face remained expressionless. One could not say what he was thinking about.


    Yu Mei wiped her face with a napkin before drinking water. Putting the ss down, she nced at Jun Zixuan, "Let''s go to the gardens."


    Jun Zixuan stood up and quietly extended his hand towards her.


    She held his hand and got to her feet before walking towards him, her gaze paused on Jun Zihao''s disappointed face for a split second before she grabbed Jun Zixuan''s iPad from the dining table and turned around.


    Old Master Jun''s brows tugged together but just as he was about to say something, his wife ced her palm on his.


    The Old Man paused.


    Old Madam Jun nced at her other grandson and his fiancee, "It''s gettingte. You both look exhausted by the long journey...."


    "Grandma, we will stay here with all of you," Jun Zihao interrupted her.


    Su Ning nced at him, not knowing when this change in the ns urred. They were supposed to stay at his private vi.


    A rare doting smile made its way on Old Madam Jun''s face, "Alright, go to your room then. Your father will be happy to see you here."


    Jun Zihao nodded as he stood up, "Goodnight Grandpa, Goodnight Grandma," He bowed as he turned around and walked upstairs.


    Su Ning, who was still taken aback by his attitude quickly stood up and followed the suit before chasing after him.


    "Are there any issues between them?" Old Master Jun nced at his wife.


    "They arepatible and they are engaged. Soon, they will marry. That is all that matters," Old Madam Jun said after some contemtion. Su Ning is the daughter of the governor of Amaranthine and it could get any better for them than to stabilize their declining influence in the country.


    "Why did you stop me?" The Old Man nced at her questioningly.


    "Jun Zixuan has changedpletely. We can''t approach him in our old ways. He is a rebel now," Old Madam Jun spoke after a few seconds.


    Old Master Jun nodded, "We should wait until Zishenes back."


    "He will know how to deal with this temperamental son of his..." Old Madam Jun paused as she turned her head to the side hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps.


    "Father, Mother," The man greeted as he walked towards them.


    "Zishen, you are back so early?" The old couple stood up as they nced at him in surprise.


    Jun Zishen nodded, "I got the news that Zixuan is here so I am back," A rare gentle expression shed across his aloof eyes but it disappeared before anyone could notice it.


    "Don''t take that unfilial boy''s name from your mouth," Old Madam Jun frowned.


    "What happened? What did he do?" Jun Zishen nced at them questioningly.


    In the gardens.


    Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan sat on one of the long wooden benches in the beautiful garden under the dim lightings.


    Even though they were sitting on the same bench, there seemed to be some kind of invisible distance between them.


    Like they were close yet far and she could feel it. He was not talking to her for some reason as he quietly gazed at the moon while she just looked at his side profile, for once not wanting to break the silence between them with her nonsense talks.


    Moreover, she was not feeling like bbering nonsense today.


    She knew he was aware of her gaze on him but he still did not speak. After quietly looking at him for some time, she handed him his iPad that she grabbed from the dining table before they walked out of there, "You forgot about it. You almost left it there."


    He nced at the iPad in her hand before taking it and cing it on the space between them, "I knew you would remember."


    His words managed to tickle her heart like usual but his tone sounded somewhat distant to her. Her eyes stung and she looked up at the sky before blinking softly, "I-I want to tell you some-"


    "Jun Zixuan!!" The cold voice interrupted her words.


    Yu Mei turned around to nce at the person who was walking towards them. The man in his mid-40s was a reflection of Jun Zixuan and his appearance made him look like Jun Zixuan''s elder brother.


    Yu Mei stood up when she recognized him. Jun Zishen. Jun Zixuan''s father.


    Unlike her, Jun Zixuan was still sitting on the bench even after he heard the man''s voice. He did not make any efforts to turn around or stand up.


    "I have some things to discuss with my son. I hope President Leanne could excuse us," The man said, without looking at her even once, his tone not leaving any room for discussion.


    Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan who was sitting with an indifferent expression on his face.


    She nodded slightly even though Jun Zishen did not spare a nce in her direction. She nced at Jun Zixuan for onest time and walked out of the garden.


    As Yu Mei ascended the stairs, her mind went back to what she was about to do just now if Jun Zixuan''s father had not interrupted her.


    She might have regretted it to no end had she told Jun Zixuan about everything out of impulse.


    What if he never saw her like before after she confessed everything? What if he found her weird or worse crazy? What if...There were many what ifs included in the situation that she did not want to think about.


    Still in the daze, she extended her hand to open the room door.


    A soft gasp escaped her mouth when someone grabbed her wrist before pushing her to the side.


    Her back hit the rigid surface as she found herself being pinned to the wall with two arms on either side of her body.


    "What do you think you are doing?"


    Her cold tone was ever so familiar to Jun Zihao''s ears. A smile graced his cold face, "Here I thought that you are not her."


    She frowned.

 Chapter 253 - Becoming A Monk

    "Does it matters who I am?" Yu Mei snapped at him, "You know what...? I don''t fucking care if you know or not. I was Han Mei in the past. I am Yu Mei Zhen now. So, what are you going to do about it?" She knew there was no way out of it. There will be many attempts like the blueberry ice cream to gauge out her real identity so it was better to end this all.


    She did not have the patience to y mind games with this man.


    Despite already knowing it, Jun Zihao could not hide the shock on his face, "So, your identity as Han Mei back in high school was just an alibi? You were Yu Mei Zhen all this time?" Jun Zihao leaned closer to her, his daunting gaze fixated on her fearless face, "You have been lying to me during our long-term rtionship."


    "Shut up, will you?" She narrowed her eyes, "Doesn''t matters what I did or who I am. And which rtionship are we talking about? Once we break up, you are non-existent to me."


    He grabbed her shoulders as he pinned her to the wall, his body towered over hers.


    ''CRACK''


    She grabbed his wrist and twisted it swiftly without a single change in her expression, "Did you think you are allowed to touch me wherever you want, huh?" She was only gullible in terms of physical strength in front of her brother or Jun Zixuan and nobody else to this date.


    "You.." Jun Zihao gritted his teeth, "So, is this the reason you are hooking up with my brother? To make me jealous? Or to get my attention?" He asked, massaging his wrists when she let it go.


    "I''m hooking up with Zixuan because he is my love," The corner of her lips tugged up, "As for you, why would you be jealous? Don''t tell me you can''t get over me? I know I am an irresistibly charming woman but not everyone can have me, you know? Why don''t you opt for hypnotism which can help you forget this goddess?"


    His jaws ticked and he grabbed her hand when she walked past him, "Would he still want to be with you after knowing how much of a liar you are? You kept your real identity hidden, you dated his brother, you..."


    "Shut the fuck up!" She spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Why? Because you can''t ept the truth?"


    "Zihao? What are you doing here?" Su Ning nced at their hands before looking at him in curiosity.


    Jun Zihao retracted his hand from her wrist.


    Yu Mei got inside the room and mmed the door behind her without looking at them. She switched off the lights. The room was enshrouded in darkness. She could hear the sound of the retreating footsteps from outside.


    She glided down the door before sitting on the floor. Hugging her knees closer to her body, she burrowed her face within them.


    The sound of her soft sobs echoed inside the room. She pressed a palm on her mouth just in case someone heard her.


    Her sobs cracked turning muffled by the pressure of her palm.


    At this point, she did not know what she was supposed to do. She did not dare to confront Jun Zixuan about her beingpletely another person in this body. She could not bring herself to do it.


    Back in the gardens, Jun Zishen sat on the bench beside his son, observing him quietly.


    "What do you want?" Jun Zixuan asked expressionlessly.


    "Are you doing it on purpose?" Jun Zishen frowned, "She is the woman rumored to be your employer. And you brought her over with you. Are you provoking your grandparents on purpose? Moreover, did you stoop so low to be a woman''s kept?"


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the man, "Why not? She is young, rich, and beautiful, I don''t mind," He said casually looking at the man.


    "You brat..." Jun Zishen pressed a palm on his chest wondering whether he would have a cardiac arrest with such a brazen son, "You look very proud for bing someone''s kept?"


    "Only if the someone is her."


    "You..." As much as Jun Zishen wanted to be angry, he just felt likeughing, "You are looking like a man in love."


    "Your point is?" Jun Zixuan was not the least bit interested in sitting with this man and discussing his feelings which were spiraling everywhere at this moment.


    "How is she?" Jun Zishen paused for a moment before sighing, "Your mom..."


    "Why do you care?" Jun Zixuan stood up as he took out the crystal card from his pocket before cing it beside the man, "The amount of money you''ve sent all these years."


    Jun Zishen was taken aback as he nced at his son.


    Jun Zixuan pulled out a ck card from his pocket before cing it atop the previous card, "And this is thepensation for being my and my brother''s sperm donor," He nonchntly said as he picked up his iPad. The sight of it reminded him of her at the moment, "Stay away from Mom. It won''t end well if I see you or any of my family members hovering around her. Since you called me over for an event, I am here. But this will be thest time. Before I leave, get my name removed from your registry."


    ...


    "I think the world is against me..." Yu Mei sighed for the umpteenth time as she nced at the ceiling. One of her legs was dangling off the bed as she swung it back and forth, "I will just run away from here, break off my love and attachment to worldly things and rtions and be a monk...But what if I missed Zixuan...or my brother or Luoluo...?''''


    Earlier she cried her heart out until she was breathless and now she felt even sadder. Who said that crying will make one feel better? Liars!


    Yu Mei sighed once again as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm.


    She might get dark circles if she kept crying like this.


    ''Click''


    As she heard the sound of the door opening, she quickly pulled her leg up and pushed it inside the nket before turning to the side.

 Chapter 254 - Gorgeous Hands

    She closed her eyes at the sound of approaching footsteps which silenced after a few seconds. The bedside lights turned off and the room drowned in darkness like before.


    After crying so much, she felt so depressed that she had turned a few lights on. Right now, her head was throbbing painfully.


    There was a dip on the other side of the bed and room immersed in silence.


    The King-sized bed felt sorge for the first time they came here as they were sleeping so far away from each other.


    She sighed softly before biting her nails. Realizing how childish it was, she stopped doing it and tapped her wrist thinking about how beautiful the world could have been if the exes never existed.


    "Are you asleep?" Jun Zixuan asked as he nced at the ceiling under the pale moonlight.


    "Mmm," Yu Mei pressed a palm on her mouth. Which sleeping person would respond to someone''s question?


    "So, you don''t want to talk to me?" He asked.


    She blinked. It was him who started the cold war between them, "Don''t you dare pick a fight with me. I am mentally and emotionally provoked already. I might bite you," Bite you? That sounded weird and inappropriate but s words could not be taken back. She pped her forehead.


    "Pandas are fond of biting, I guess" Jun Zixuan muttered under his breath expressionlessly.


    "I heard that," She turned around immediately before sitting on the bed and ring at his silhouette under the dim moonlight, "All you do is fight with me, don''t you? You...Ah-"


    He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him swiftly such that shended on him. With one hand around her waist and the other below her head, he turned to the side.


    And theyid side by side with her being tucked in his arms like a precious treasure.


    She had the urge to push him away but unwillingly, she snuggled closer to him. Unwillingly. Yes, very unwillingly. She was not at all craving to be hugged by him.


    "Call your family panda, I am a goddess. I''ll go find myself another man if you can''t appreciate my divine beauty," She snapped at him as she rubbed her face on his chest, taking in his manly scent.


    Her headache was getting better already. This man is such an addiction.


    "Try it," His voice deepened.


    "Try what?"


    "Try finding another man so that I don''t have a reason to hold back anymore. We will do it until you don''t have an ounce of energy left within you to think about anything else," His voice was serious without a hint of joke within it.


    She could feel her face turning hot and her fingers trembled slightly as his fingers glided up her her back, slowly and meaningfully. "I have a headache."


    "Sleep then. Don''t touch me here and there unless you want something else."


    Her finger that was drawing circles on his chest twitched slightly.


    His fingers weaved through her hair, "Close your eyes. You will feel better when you wake up."


    "Umm. I have already closed my eyes. You are distracting me by talking," She smiled.


    He pinched her waist, "I hate you, you know?"


    "Uh-huh," The curve of her lips got wider, "I hate you too," She closed her eyes.


    ...


    Mia walked out of the bathroom donned in a robe as she walked towards the bed before slumping on it.


    Today''s morning was no different than yesterday. She was dreaming about Han Jian Yu again but ended up biting him in real.


    And the man locked her in this room after the breakfast so that she could reflect on her actions.


    ''Click''


    She nced at the direction of the sound.


    The door to her room opened and she quickly switched to her fox form as she watched the man walking towards her with a te in his hand.


    "Did you reflect on your actions?" He asked, sitting beside her.


    Mia wagged her fluffy tail indicating a ''yes''. She could not help but ponder why she was even cajoling the man to this extent.


    Han Jian Yu nodded, pleased with her response, "Have your lunch then," He was d that she was capable of feeding herself without his help.


    Mia dly did as she was told. She was hungry. And one should never go against a handsome man''s words.


    Han Jian Yu quietly nced at her while she sat elegantly and ate her food on the bed. It was quite astounding to witness but he was getting used to it. The fox was certainly special and he wasing to ept it.


    He nced at the small crimson lotus birthmark on her forehead which was partially hidden beneath her fur. He extended his hand and grazed his thumb past her silky fur.


    Mia''s ears twitched as the man stroked her like that. She bared her teeth at him. How did he want her to keep eating while causing such distraction?


    Her Highness is cute but that doesn''t means you can touch her here and there as you wish. Mia turned her face to the side as she pouted, two suspicious red patches appeared on her cheeks.


    Han Jian Yu retracted his hand as he nced at the baby fox. Why did she look like a shy teenager? He massaged his forehead realizing that he must be very tired to merge the image of an animal with a human. "Keep eating till you are full. Don''t whine to me if you are hungry," Han Jian Yu stood up from the bed as he nced at the obedient looking little thing, "Stay here and reflect on your actions from the morning. You should know what you did wrong," With that said, he walked out of the room mming the door behind him.


    Mia swiftly transformed to her human form as she nced at the food. She didn''t really need to eat in order to survive now that she has regained her powers. But man''s adoration for her ran so deep that he made this food with his own two well-toned, sexy and gorgeous hands and she could not bring herself to break his heart by not eating it.

 Chapter 255 - Peeking In The Past

    Mia twirled her long silver hair with her fingers as she nced at the closed door. Even though he acts a little cruel, she must be holding a special spot in his heart which is why he is keeping her here and taking care of her even though she has been biting him in sleep and bothering him a little here and there.


    "But can I stay here forever?'''' Mia frowned. She had signed a contract for that ad and those people must be looking for her. On the other hand, she had to move back to the new house she brought.


    Even though this penthouse was good, the climate was still hot. She just wanted to hop over to her new seaside home sweet home.


    To top it off, her car was gone. Amidst all this, Mia was relieved about two things. First, Yu Mei was in Amaranthine busy at her inws'' house which is why she had not had the time to call her yet. And second, she got a chance to be with Han Jian Yu. The man also cares a lot about her.


    She just had to take advantage of him. Once. They need to sleep only once. And after that, a snap of her finger, a sprinkle of her magic and he will be in her harem willingly or unwillingly. Other than her, he would never want to look at any other woman.


    A sly smile made its way on her face as her hazel eyes sparkled.


    "Her Highness has always been this smart," She flipped her hair before looking at the food made with Han Jian Yu''s endless adoration for her. The te of food seemed to be lying on the bed, looking at her pitifully. Mia blinked, "Don''t worry. I will eat you. I am not going anywhere."


    Not far away from her room, Han Jian Yu was sitting in his study with his brows furrowed in contemtion, "Did you find that woman?"


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces and the former nced at the man, "Boss, you are talking about...?''


    "Mia," Han Jian Yu tilted his head.


    "Ah, Boss, are you talking about that model? We are looking for her but she is not at her ce right now. It will take some time to trace her."


    Han Jian Yu frowned but he eventually nodded, "What about Jun Zihao?"


    It was Sunny who spoke this time, "Boss, your intuition was on point. Jun Zihao is the Second Young Master of the Jun Family. He was Young Miss''s senior and your junior back when you all were in high school. The year when you joined university, Jun Zihao started dating Young Miss."


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes dangerously.


    Sunny gulped as he tried to look over his words. Did he say something that provoked the man?


    "The year when you joined university, Young Miss started dating him," Danny sighed in relief when the man''s expression improved.


    Sunny realized his fault when he heard his brother''s wordings. To their Boss, no man was worthy of dating his sister. It was just his sister who would date someone out of pity or anything. In any way, it was their young miss who dated someone and not the other way around.


    "Continue." Han Jian Yu''s fingers tapped the surface of the desk.


    Danny nodded, "Young Miss had turned 16 that year..."


    Han Jian Yu rarely attended sses when he was in school since he had multiple part-time jobs to take care of. And the rest of his leisure time went in catching up to the country''s politics as he had the goal to take over the position of the President of Amaranthine. As famous as he was in school, he only went to attend examinations.


    He also rarely met with his sister to not interrupt her normal school life by getting her followed by the girls cozying up to her for his information or contact which is why very few people other than the teachers were aware of their rtionship. By the time he finished his Higher Secondary Education and joined University, Yu Mei was in her 10th standard.


    As the school princess, Yu Mei naturally attracted everyone''s attention. She was in the limelight wherever she went with a huge list of pursuers looking for puppy love. But she was only seen with Shi Luo. Other than her, she rarely hung out with anyone until the day she met a senior whose identity was a secret at that time.


    But because of how handsome and aloof he was, he was very famous in the school. They bumped into each other quite a couple of times and one day, Yu Mei found a love letter snuck in her bag which had his name written beneath it. It followed on for quite a few days. Letters, choctes, flowers...It went on like that.


    As straightforward as she was, Yu Mei confronted Jun Zihao about it and the man told her that he was not aware of all that and it must have been done by his friends to tease him. The cold school princeter admitted that he was interested in her and they could date but his proposal was outrightly rejected.


    But under his persistent courting, she finally started looking at him differently. After a couple of months, they were officially a couple.


    Yu Mei confessed to Han Jian Yu that she was dating someone and she also requested him to let her make her decisions without looking into this matter. She asked him to not ask her who she is dating. At least not at that moment. Being someone who was used to spoiling his sister, Han Jian Yu gave in to her in the end.


    Their rtionship continued even after Jun Zihao finished his Higher Secondary Education and joined a reputable University in Amaranthine one yearter while Yu Mei was in her first year of Higher Secondary.


    They dated for three years.


    Han Jian Yu sighed listening to the intricately detailed love story of his sister which could be adapted into a movie given the way Danny summarized it. He massaged his forehead, "How did you manage to get it in such details?" He could not help but ask.


    Danny raised his cor, ''''Miss Shi Luo sold Young Miss off."


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, "That easily?"

 Chapter 256 - Third Person Plural Past Tense

    "No, I had some ckmailing material on her," Danny smiled, "I threatened her that I would tell Young Miss about how she wrote a letter to her school crush using Young Miss''s name. That crush of herster pestered Young Miss for two weeks until she asked for your help in it."


    Han Jian Yuughed, "Both of them were silly. Well, they are still silly,'''' He paused for a moment before asking, "Why did they break up?" His expressions turned solemn.


    "Uhh...Boss...When Young Miss was in her 2nd year of Higher Secondary, Jun Zihao suggested the breakup. Young Miss was shocked because there had been no issues in their rtionship and everything was going well between them. Miss Shi said that Young Miss was even considering introducing him to you as her boyfriend,'''' That was the year when Han Jian Yu skipped two whole semesters and directly sat in the final exams for graduation before he officially took over the position of the President of Amaranthine.


    Han Jian Yu tapped his fingers on the desk, impatience growing on his face.


    ''''That year, the Jun Family arranged an engagement between the governor''s daughter and Jun Zihao, leaving him with no other choice left than breaking up with Young Miss who was left heartbroken by his attitude."


    ''Bam''


    His hands glided up on the ss desk throwing all the files and theptop off to the floor, "Spineless Jerk!!" His cold voice thundered in the study.


    Danny and Sunny flinched slightly. No wonder their Young Miss asked the Boss to not look into his matter, she even made him make a promise that he won''t ask anything about her ex or what happened between them. She knew it that once the man got to know about his identity and the way he treated her, he would not hold back from destroying the royal family which was already on the decline at that time because of the man behind Eminence.


    Han Jian Yu massaged the space between his brows. That year, his usuallyzy sister transformed into a bookworm and begged him to teach her so that she could do better innguage subjects. Now, he understood the reason behind it.


    It was because she wanted to join Crystal University, the best University in Amaranthine where he graduated from and it was also one of the top universities in the world. The University Jun Zihao was in was the second-best in their country and she did not want to go to the same university as her ex. And she knew that he would not let her leave abroad. So, as someone who never settled for average things, she stubbornly persisted through 6 months of hellish revisions and studies under his tutge so that she could join the best university.


    And she was already blessed with an extraordinary IQ. With his guidance in thenguage subjects, she easily made it to Crystal University.


    He could not back to Amaranthine right now and it was not the right time to y with that crappy royal family. First, he had to deal with that model named Mia. Then, he had to meet his sister before she started whining about his negligence towards her. And after that, he would like to deal with that jerk who treated her like that in the past.


    ''''B-Boss, at that time, Young Miss insisted on knowing the reason behind the breakup, and Jun Zihao revealed his identity to her. He..."


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow. There was even more left to it?


    ''''He said that his family will never ept someone like her...."


    ''Bam!''


    Danny flinched while Sunny closed his eyes as a flower vasended on the floor, shattering to pieces.


    ...


    "When we broke up, you said that your family won''t ept someone like me. Now I am with your younger brother," Yu Mei flipped her hair as she nced at the man who was standing in front of her, "Is that hurting your male ego, huh?"


    Jun Zihao''s eyes shed as he looked at the woman who was sitting on the king-sized bed with her legs folded, her words pricking his chest like thorns.


    "Or you simply cannot forget me?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "There is nothing like that. You are exaggerating it," Jun Zihao spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Then, what are you doing in my room? Don''t give me the excuse that you are here to meet your brother because I know that you know that he has left the Jun Manor earlier this morning," Jun Zixuan had some important contracts to sign along with the board meeting. Because they were in Amaranthine, Jun Zixuan had Steward Gu make some arrangements in the branchpany of Eminence here so that he can handle all his work without wasting much of his time.


    After he left, she had her breakfast in the room and she dozed off a little more before taking a shower. Since Jun Zixuan was not there, there were no restrictions on her. She could sleep and eat and dawdle here and there as she wished without being taunted or without being calledzy.


    But little did she expect that she would be greeted by this man''s face the moment she stepped out of the bathroom.


    Jun Zihao pursed his lips. He did not know why he was here either. But after knowing that it was her...that she was Han Mei, he could not stop himself froming here.


    "See, I will speak very clearly," She nced at his cold face, "Let''s stay as far away as possible. I don''t want to have anything to do with you."


    "Why? Is it because of Su Ning?"


    She frowned, "There is nothing between us and it has nothing to do with your fianc¨¦e. She is a sweet girl. Hold onto her and don''t let her misunderstand you by all this whatever you are doing and acting like a creep."


    "Nothing?" Jun Zihao stepped closer to her, "We once dated. We were in a rtionship for 3 years. Three fucking years. Does that stands for nothing in your eyes?"


    She pushed herself to her feet and adjusted her short floral dress before looking at him uninterestedly, "Although I was a little weak innguage subjects, even I understand that ''we were'' goes in the third person plural past tense department. Past Tense, I repeat. Just get over it."


    "!!!"

 Chapter 257 - Guilty Luoluo

    "Did you think I am still in love with you?"


    "When did I say that??But you are indeed acting like a sick ex," She scoffed, "And don''t call it love. It was just puppy love. Humph! If I had been a bit mature, I would not have to face such troubles today," Her darling''s brother would also not have turned out to be her ex-boyfriend.


    ??


    The corner of his lips twitched. This woman is so hateful! Why did he even date her back then?


    He regretteding here. Massaging the spot between his brows, he turned around to leave.


    "Wait Wait..." She called out to him and his footsteps came to a halt.


    He immediately turned around to look at her, "Yes?"


    "Tell me, did you bully Zixuan?" She nced at him seriously, "Baby Zixuan, I mean."


    "What?" Jun Zihao felt like he was having hearing issues.


    "How was your rtionship with him when you were kids?" She changed the format of the question looking at his confused expressions.


    "We were like how brothers are supposed to be," He tucked one of his hands in his pocket as he answered her.


    "So, you shared hugs and toy cars?" She raised an eyebrow.


    He pursed his lips, "No."


    "You protected him from bad boys?"


    "No."


    "You used to share secrets?"


    "No."


    Then, how could he say that they were like normal brothers? She rolled her eyes, "So, did you bully him like other people?"


    "No, he used to be more aloof than he is now.''''


    "So, it was just your grandparents who bullied him?"


    Jun Zihao frowned, "What nonsense are you talking about?" His voice turned cold, "He was punished when he made mistakes. They are his grandparents too. Why would they bully him?"


    "Punishment? Which child is punished by being locked in the basement?" She narrowed her eyes.


    Jun Zihao sighed. Back then, he too used to wonder that why Jun Zixuan was treated so harshly. But as time passed by, he realized it was because his mother was never epted in the family which is why he too became the object of the elders'' wrath.


    Just as he turned around to leave, his footsteps came to a halt, "You care that much about him?"


    "Mmm. Yes, he is my boyfriend. Who should I care about if not him?" She replied without raising her head from her phone.


    ''Boyfriend?'' The word continued ringing in his mind even after he walked out of her room. The tabloids said that Jun Zixuan was her boy toy, someone she was fooling around with. But he knew that all of this was not so simple.


    And this half-brother of his who was called a trash by everyone was also not simple. Be it his aura or his personality, nothing was ordinary about him.


    When he first got to know that they were together, he thought she was using Jun Zixuan to enter the Jun Family to get his attention. But after what she confessed today, what was he supposed to believe?


    His footsteps came to a halt when he saw Su Ning running towards him, "Zihao, I was looking for you. The maid told me that she saw you going to Miss Yu''s room..."


    "So?" He interrupted her coldly, "Do you want me to give exnations of my whereabouts to you? Aren''t you overestimating your worth in my life?"


    The smile on her face died down as she extended her hand towards his arm, "Zihao, what are you talking about. I was just curious-"


    "Shut up," He swatted away her hand and walked away only to pause when he was a few steps ahead, "Stop hovering around me like a disgusting fly, would you?"


    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at his retreating back. It has been more than four years since they were engaged but will he never love her? What did she do to deserve his disgust and hatred?


    Su Ning covered her face in her palms for a few moments. She wiped her tears and raised her head before looking around. She let out a sigh of relief knowing that no one was around to witness what happened between them.


    Putting on her usual happy smile, she walked away.


    Later that day.


    On a certain tree in the garden, Yu Mei sat with one of her legs dangling off the branch while the other remained on it. One of her elbows remained on her knee supporting the phone near her ear.


    "Luoluo, why were you calling me yesterday?" Given the way Jun Zixuan was silent around her yesterday night, she thought he was angry at her for some reason. With all that in her mind, she forgot to call Shi Luo.


    Yu Mei sighed. Luckily, he was not angry and whatever cold war was going on between them was over before they slept.


    "Uhhhh...Mei, I...Nothing...I was just missing you," came Shi Luo''s voice from the other side of the phone.


    "You sound suspicious, you know?" Detective Mei blew a bubble with the chewing gum as she lowered the shades from her eyes before straightening up on the tree branch, "Your tone sounds like you are guilty. Say Luoluo, did you do something behind my back?"


    "O-Of course not," came Shi Luo''s instant reply, "How can it be? I just called to inform you that I''d being over to Amaranthine soon. We can meet. And yes, Mu Shen will also go with me."


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Why?"


    "What why? I have some health campaign rted meetings in our university and Mu Shen has to shoot a scene of his uing movie in the Leirin'' hills of Amaranthine."


    "That would be good. We can meet when you are here," Yu Mei smiled, "Why don''t you bring Li Shuang with you?"


    "Li Shuang is busy with thepany. She has just taken over the position of the CEO after all...."


    "Mmm...That''s true. I have a lot to discuss with you-" Yu Mei paused, something...More specifically someone caught her attention in the garden, "Luoluo, I''ll call youter okay?" She whispered before hanging up.


    "....Once she is here, I just have to drag her by her hair and m her head onto the wall so that she can realize her mistakes. That woman will just never learn," Old Madam Jun frowned as she talked to her trusted maid who was walking beside her, "I never wanted Shen Lihua to marry into our family but Zishen stubbornly insisted on marrying her. But look how that woman has raised the child of the Jun Family. Jun Zixuan is even willing to serve a woman. I am so disgusted," She pressed her palm on the tree as she panted softly after her evening walk.


    Sitting atop one of the high branches of that same dense tree, Yu Mei raised an eyebrow as she blew a bubble with her chewing.


    The current Shen Lihua is no less than a she-devil. Yu Mei was sure that her mother-inw won''t let herself be bullied by anyone. If only she was here, there would have been a good amount of drama.


    Yu Mei sighed regretfully. Anyways...


    Talking bad about her mother-inw? Only she was allowed to do that.


    She blinked innocently, looking at the olddy standing under the tree she was sitting on.

 Chapter 258 - Haircut

    "There you go! Checkmate!"


    "Hahahaha...That was a smart move..."


    ??


    Jun Zixuan''s footsteps came to a halt as he nced at the two people sitting on the couch in the living room with their legs folded atop it with a chessboard between them.


    "Yes, Miss Yu, that was a smart move on your part. Even I have never been able to defeat father to this day," Su Ning who was sitting on the coffee table quickly extended her hand for a high-five.


    Yu Mei pped her palm onto hers as she smiled, "Drop the formalities. Call me Mei or anything that suits you," She waved her hand but her gaze identallynded on the man who was standing at a distance looking at them nkly.


    She jumped off the couch and hopped over to him as she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Zixuan, you are back?"


    Jun Zixuan snapped out of his daze as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "Shall I go out once again ande inside to prove that to you?"


    With her arms still hooked around her neck, she raised her head to re at him, "You were supposed to say something like ''Yeah, baby, I''m back'' or ''back to you''. And your sense of humor sucks."


    "So does your re," He retorted.


    She frowned before stepping back from him, "Did you just indirectly called me ugly?"


    He raised an eyebrow, ''''Silly."


    "If you did not mean that, then what were you trying to say?"


    "I was saying that you are too happy to be angry today," It was very obvious on her face, "What are you up to?"


    She cleared her throat, "It''s nothing like that. I was just bonding with Father. That''s why I was happy," She pointed her finger at Jun Zishen who still had his focus on the chessboard.


    "Father?" Came the voice of three men in unison.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Jun Zihao who almost had his eyeballs popping out. He then nced at Jun Zishen who was equally stunned by her statement.


    "Girl, when did I be your father?"


    Yu Mei hooked one of her arms around Jun Zixuan''s, "We share everything. So, his father is my father," Today, she was so bored that when she got to know that her dear father-inw is good at chess, she literally bugged him to y with her. And in her opinion, the man was not the kind of evil or the frivolous man she imagined him to be before. On the contrary, she found him to be a really nice and genuine person inside that cold exterior.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow at her brazen statement.


    Su Ning and Jun Zishen exchanged nces before both of them ended upughing.


    Jun Zihao who was standing behind the couple nced at their interlocked hands nkly.


    "He calls me his sperm donor, not father," Jun Zishen smiled.


    Yu Mei blinked as she sensed the awkward atmosphere. It seems there is a lot of ice or a whole ice pool in between Jun Zixuan and his father.


    "Dad, where is Grandma?" Jun Zihao broke the silence in the living room as he walked towards his father, "I had something to discuss with her."


    "I don''t know, son. Even I have not seen her."


    Su Ning averted her gaze when Jun Zihao stepped closer to them but the man did not spare a nce in her direction.


    "Lydia," Jun Zishen called out to the trusted maid of his mother, "Where is the mother?"


    "Old Madam..." Lydia hesitated for a moment as she bowed to the man before speaking, "During our evening walk, something got stuck in her hair so she...."


    "Stuck in her hair?"


    Everyone nced at the maid,pletely astounded except for Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan.


    "What do you mean? What happened to her? Where is she?"


    "I am alright. Don''t worry," Everyone''s head snapped in the direction of Old Madam Jun who stepped inside through the main door.


    The living room drowned in silence until Yu Mei opened her mouth, "Look at you, Grandma. You look so cool. Grandpa will fall for you all over again..." She could not help but admit that the woman looked really youthful for her age.


    Su Ning also noddedthe, "She is right. You look really good, Grandma."


    "But Mother, why did you suddenly needed a haircut?" As much as Jun Zishen remembered, his mother was very stubborn about such things. After all these, he has never once seen his mother opting for such things.


    Both Jun Zixuan and Jun Zihao nced at Yu Mei who was standing at her spot like an innocent bunny.


    Old Madam Jun touched her short hair which was styled in a bob cut, her lips curled down in displeasure, "A chewing gum got stuck in my hair. I was forced to cut my hair. As much as I remember, it was not there during my walk andter I just stood beside a tree after that..."


    "Then, where did ite from?" Jun Zishen frowned, "It is not possible that a bird was passing by and it dropped a gum on your hair..." He paused when his gazended on both his sons who were looking at Yu Mei.


    Old Madam Jun followed her son''s gaze and her eyes widened slightly, "You wretched insolent indecent woman!!" Her loud voice boomed in the walls of the Jun Manor, "How dare you do this to me?"


    "I did it. So what?" Yu Mei walked towards her, "Usually, I am not this impolite to someone but you forced me to do this."


    "I forced you?" Old Madam Jun nced at her in disbelief, rage apparent on her face.


    "What makes you think that I would do nothing when you were merrily discussing about how you want to drag my mother-inw by her hair and m her head into the wall..."


    "You brat...." Old Madam Jun raised her hand to p her.


    Yu Mei grabbed her wrist, "Oh please. Do I look so gullible to you?"


    "You..." Old Madam Jun''s hand trembled as her face turned red, "Zishen, call your father. Ask him to drop all his meetings ande here...."


    "Grandpa will not be able toe back before tomorrow," Jun Zihao said.


    "Alright then. Tomorrow, it is. I will show you what are the consequences of messing with the Old Madam of the Jun Family," The olddy snarled.


    Yu Mei dropped her hand as Jun Zixuan nonchntly walked towards them, "We will be waiting. Let''s drop this family pretense," He grabbed her hand and they turned around before walking upstairs leaving the living room to drown in utter silence.

 Chapter 259 - Similarity

    At the branch headquarters of Eminence.


    Jun Zixuan sat on the swivel chair as he turned around and nced at the view of Amaranthine morning sky through the ss walls of the highest floor.


    ??


    The most unpredictable thing about this country is its weather. It has a reputation of experiencing up to three seasons in a day. In the morning, you might up with the ring sun above your head and by the afternoon, it will shift into heavy rainfall and towards the night, it would not be strange to find it snowing.


    The weather of Amaranthine was very simr to his girlfriend. Unpredictable!


    The corner of his lips tugged up at the thought of her.


    "Hey bro, did you miss me?"


    And within an instant, the smile disappeared as he turned around to look at the man who stepped inside his office.


    "What are you doing here?" Jun Zixuan frowned as he nced at him doubtfully.


    Mu Shen pressed a palm on his chest, "Don''t give me that look. I have abandoned my flings toe here to burn the Jun Manor."


    "Burn the Jun Manor?" The corner of his lips twitched.


    "Your wife said that, bro. Don''t give me that look even though I have to admit that I''m with her in this," The guts of that wretched family to bully his friend when he was a kid. Mu Shen was not able to find a proper way to bully them back but now under the guidance of Great Grandmaster Yu Mei, he was confident about avenging his friend.


    Jun Zixuan massaged his throbbing temples as he nced at the man who was excitedly rubbing his palms together, "Why are you guys so childish?" Even he was not holding grudges over the past but these two look quite serious about burning the mansion down.


    Mu Shen rolled his eyes, "Why are you so mature? Act your age. You are just 23. About to turn 24 in a few days. That reminds me. Happy Birthday in advance. I am wishing you by now just in case I forget your birthday or I am having some fun with any of my flings.''''


    Jun Zixuan was speechless. Where was his topic swerving so fast? "Anyways, what did she tell you?"


    "Well, I called your wife for some juicy gossips about your family the day before tomorrow," Mu Shen thought about their conversation that day, "She told me that I cane over and we will burn them together. I was contemting over it already butter I got to know I have to shoot one of my scenes here so I tagged along with Luoluo."


    "She is also here?"


    "Yes," Mu Shen paused for a moment before looking at Jun Zixuan, "Now that we all are here, don''t you think we should meet your first love?"


    Jun Zixuan''s expressions shifted slightly.


    "You¡­" Mu Shen''s eyes widened, "You still haven''t gotten over her, have you?" He could see that pretty apparent on his face, "You are clearly in love with Yu Mei but that expression of yours tells me that you have yet to move on from your first love¡­? What the fuck is going on? Are you two-timing on your feelings? How can-"


    "Shut up," Jun Zixuan interrupted him, his eyes turned cold.


    "I am your friend, for fuck''s sake. Tell me what is on your mind at least," Mu Shen mmed his palm on the ss desk. After all this time when there was so much progress between the couple, he never thought that his friend was still stuck on Han Mei, "Don''t tell me you treat your wife-"


    "She is not a recement to anyone," Jun Zixuan interrupted the man yet again before he could mess around more. He sighed, "It''s not about not moving on or two-timing."


    Looking at his conflicted expressions, Mu Shen shook his head, "Don''t force yourself. But sort it out before it iste," Although he was not very sure about his friend''s feelings but he knew how it was for the image of Han Mei and Yu Mei to sh given their identical looks. He stood up from the chair, "I''ve my shoot within few hours. I''m leaving now. Let''s meetter."


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    As soon as Mu Shen left the office, Jun Zixuan loosened his cor and leaned back on the swivel chair. He turned his swivel chair around and raked his fingers through his ash blonde hair, his gaze taking in the sight of raindrops smashing against ss panes.


    He just could not forget Han Mei. Not that he did not try but everything about Yu Mei reminded him of her. From the way she talked to the way she smiled, she was a spitting image of Han Mei or vice versa. Both of them can be equally childish yet mature at times.


    The only difference between them was that Han Mei was detached from everyone, she was aloof. She would not talk to anyone unless she was talked to. As for Yu Mei, she was like the morning sunshine, showering everyone with either curses or love.


    Here it goes again. Jun Zixuan pursed his lips. He once againpared both of them in his mind and the guilt on it was apparent on his face. His conflicting feelings were another reason for which he never took his rtionship with her to another level.


    Letting out a soft sigh, Jun Zixuan nkly stared at the phone in his hand.


    On the road opposite to the branch headquarters of Eminence.


    Inside a luxurious Rolls-Royce, Yu Mei sat on the driver''s seat with one of her legs folded onto the other as she nced at the iPad.


    "President, the design¡­will take another week to be reviewed," came a nervous voice followed by another.


    It was followed by another voice, "The design of the ring is a bitplicated toprehend that''s why it taking them some time."


    "My first design was more intricate than that," Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "It was submitted before time but right now, you all are finding your jobs too hard to handle."


    ...


    A/N: Do update your app as many to be able to get your hands on golden tickets if you spend coins. Quickly do so and support this books with golden tickets so that we can rank up quickly.

 Chapter 260 - A Surprise From Her

    There wasplete silence over the long conference table as all the directors and executives along with the management team nced at her with their throbbing nerves and sweating palms.


    Yu Mei pressed her elbow on the windshield of the car as she propped the side of her face on her fist, "Don''t take my silence as my ignorance. Just because I am noting to thepany on a regr basis does not mean I have forgotten to monitor the work pace and my employees. Today''s meeting was arranged to let you all know that either you pick up the pace and get the work done within the required time or mail me your resignationter before I fire each and everyone. Believe me, I won''t hesitate twice before doing that," She frowned.


    ??


    The employees all looked at each other with trepidation apparent in their eyes. They knew that she was not joking as they had seen many such scenes in the past.


    Right at this moment, her phone started ringing and her dimmed eyes lit up at the sight of the caller ID, a small smile made its way on her face.


    The employees: "_" May god bless this person.


    They wondered if it was their President''s high profile kept man who had once given them a glimpse of his blonde hair andter they saw him on headlines in one frame with her.


    "That''s it," Yu Mei turned to look at them, her smile died down, "Go back to work," She disconnected the call and threw her iPad to the shotgun seat before answering the call on her phone.


    "Where are you?" came his cool voice.


    "On the bed," Yu Mei looked around as she made sure that the windshields of the car were properly sealed shut. She lowered the seat before leaning back in afortable position.


    "Mei."


    "Mm?"


    "Who is your first love?"


    The phone almost slipped from her hand as she quickly straightened up, "W-W-W¡­" Fuck. Why was this tongue so unruly? Why was it stuttering like that? "What first love? Who first love¡­?" Did someone tell him that she used to date his brother? No, it was her soul only. Now she is Yu Mei Zhen. It won''t count probably.


    She rolled her eyes at her own stupid logic.


    "You are overreacting. Better forget about whoever that person was. You are mine."


    She could not deny the absolute butterflies she felt at hisst statement but at the same time, she was amused. This all time mature man can be a possessive territorial bad boy at times. Why did he even ask about her first love when he had to be jealous even before knowing her answer? Sheughed.


    She could hear him clearing his throat from the other side, "Are they causing troubles?"


    They here referred to his family and she pretty much understood it, "No, your grandfather is not back yet so there are no troubles from their side," By the time she left Jun Manor and drove over to Eminence Headquarters, there was peace in their though but she was sure that it was only peace before the storm. The olddy would do anything to avenge her lost long hair.


    Not that she cared. Who told her to talk about dragging Shen Lihua by her hair?


    "He will not be back before evening as he is out for a meeting with the Chairman of World Bank."


    I know that too. She thought but her response came different, "You have kept all of them under your watch, haven''t you?"


    There was a short silence over the other side before the man responded, "For your safety concerns."


    He could not see the smile that made its way on her face at his words. "About the Chairman of the world bank¡­I guess it is the same person who has been desperate about meeting you since a long time¡­''''


    "Have you kept me under your watch?"


    ''''I don''t have the power to keep the CEO of Eminence under my watch,'''' Sheughed, "When we went to Shanghai for your business trip, I was sitting in a corner and observing everything and everyone. I remember seeing the Chairman of world bank and I also heard that he was looking for you. Of course, at that time, I did not know your real identity just yet.''''


    ''''Well¡­" Jun Zixuan paused.


    Yu Mei could hear some rustling sounds from his side.


    "I''ll call youter."


    "Okay~" The corner of her lips tugged up as she hung up and nced at the entrance of the huge building where a man stepped inside followed by a bunch of bodyguards.


    The man was none other than the Chairman of World Bank.


    A few secondster, another batch of cars stopped in front of the building while the Chauffeur opened the car door and Old Master Jun stepped out along with Jun Zihao. Both of them looked around and Yu Mei was sure that they must be looking for the man who has already entered the building. After some discussion between them, both of them stepped inside the building.


    And more and more vehicles started gathering near the entrance as the media members and reporters started hovering around the ce with excitement apparent on their faces.


    I hope you like my surprise. She gazed at the highest floor of the magnificent building before taking an U turn.


    By the time she reached Jun Manor, the atmosphere was still eerie as before but this time she found the shock apparent on Old Madam Jun''s face as she sat on the couch with a woman beside her.


    Her footsteps came to a halt when she recognized the woman. The so called fianc¨¦e? The cake face makeup woman hade to their university before to im Jun Zixuan as her man if she did not remember it wrong.


    How could she forget that day?


    Her cheeks turned red slightly at the reminder of her confession to him but she soon schooled her expressions when the woman stood up and walked towards her.

 Chapter 261 - Father And Mother-in-law

    "Thest time we met, I could not have guessed that the campus belle of Imperial University is in fact the CEO of Rosette. Nice to meet you, President Leanne," She extended her hand towards her, "I am Han Jingyi."


    Her expressions faltered slightly. Han? Yu Mei nkly stared at her for a few moments before shaking her hand, "Miss Han, I was initially surprised to see you here," More surprised at theck of her cakey makeup, high heels, and that traditionally elegant long dress.


    ??


    "Huh? To be honest, I am very close to Grandma," Han Jingyi nced at the olddy sitting on the couch before looking back at Yu Mei, ''''Have you known it all this time?"


    "Know what?" Yu Mei asked knowingly. She noticed how this woman was showing off her close rtions with the Jun Family in front of her.


    "That¡­ Zixuan is the CEO of Eminence?" Han Jingyi could feel her nerves shaking just at the mention of it. The super-hot fianc¨¦ whom she thought is an useless trash is not just the most handsome man she has ever seen. He is now the most powerful man she could evere across.


    "Of course, I knew," Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "My baby never hides anything from me," With a not so gentle stab on Han Jingyi''s heart, Yu Mei walked upstairs sparing one nce in the direction of the fuming grandma with a super cool bob haircut.


    Han Jingyi''s face darkened slightly.


    "Jingyi,e here. You don''t need to approach such mannerless wild people," Old Madam Jun''s voice snapped her out of her reverie.


    Han Jingyi schooled her expressions before walking back to her.


    While Yu Mei was on her way to her room, she bumped into Jun Zishen who was seemingly pacing in front of the door.


    "Father?" She marveled at how easily it slipped off her mouth. Maybe she was obsessed with the idea of sharing things with Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zishen raised his head to look at her. His eyes widened slightly at the way she addressed him. Initially, he thought she was joking before but the girl now looks very serious about it. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to speak, "There is something I want to discuss with you."


    Yu Mei nodded, "Sure."


    "Let''s talk in my study."


    Yu Mei followed after him as he took her towards the elevator in the manor. She never really looked around this ce but given its extravagance, she was bound to miss a few things here and there.


    And when the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of huge bookshelves and the vast expanse of the library. Towards the ceiling, there was another hanging bookshelf that had books in it that resembled ancient books. It must be the Royal Family archives. She concluded.


    Even though the Royal Family was on its decline in the current days but they still had the blue blood running in their veins which was not something to be underestimated.


    There was a time when the whole Amaranthine was solely dominated by the power of the Royal Family. But there was a shift in the bnce of power when her brother took over the throne of the President of the country ten years ago.


    He did not show his face to the public but the people in power were all aware of almost everything about him, except for the fact that he had a younger sister. Due to him being very young at that time, he was not taken seriously by anyone but over the course of time, he was the one dominating the country while the royal family kept losing their influence.


    By the time they realized he was not to be taken as a joke anymore, her brother had strongly established his foothold in the country.


    Still, the Jun Family''s control over the country was not shaken that easily until Eminence came in the picture in the picture, sending the royalty on its decline.


    She watched as Jun Zishen removed a particr book from the third shelf and it glided upwards revealing the entrance to another room which she concluded was the study.


    Royalty do have a impable taste for things. She concluded, looking at the grand study with its borated exquisiteness. Even a flower vase was antique.


    Jun Zishen walked towards the other side of the Mahogany desk to take a seat while he pointed his palm towards the chair in front.


    Yu Mei nodded before taking a seat. "Is this discussion going to be about your son?"


    ''''Or more about his mother," came the man''s immediate reply.


    "Ah, about my dear mother-inw?" She raised an eyebrow, not expecting this plot twist.


    "Yes," Jun Zishen paused as his brows tugged together, "Since you call me Father, shouldn''t you address her as mother?"


    "No," Yu Mei waved her hand quickly, "She can only be a mother to her Prince. To me, she is that particr television soap vamp of a mother-inw with big eyes and a scheming smile," She could feel goosebumps just at the thought of it. She had been tricked by Shen Lihua too many times to think of her as a gentle and innocent woman, "Anyway, don''t be offended because I talked bad about your wif¡­ ex-wife," She smiled.


    "Wife," Jun Zishen''s face darkened as he ran his fingers through his ash blonde hair, "We have never divorced."


    He was frustrated and conflicted. She concluded given that Jun Zixuan usually did this at such times. Moreover, his expressions were pretty revealing.


    "Well, aren''t you surprised about your son''s identity?" She sleekly diverted the topic. Some great people have once said, when you don''t know how to deal with the situation, just pick up your gown and run away.


    Even though this so-called person might just be her.


    "No, I knew about it," Jun Zishen replied, much to her astonishment.


    "How?" She asked, thinking back to the time when she got to know about the Jun Family from Jun Zixuan. He told her that his father has sent him the Crystal Card in which he sends money every month for him.


    If he knew who he was, then what was the need of doing all that?


    Moreover, how did he know about it in the first ce?


    Her brows tugged together.

 Chapter 262 - Miserable Past

    Jun Zishen raised an eyebrow before he pulled open a drawer. Taking something out of it, he ced it on the table before pushing it towards her.


    Her expressions shifted slightly as she nced at the cards in front of her. One of them was the crystal card that was given to Jun Zixuan by Jun Zishen. And another was a ck card. She picked up the ck card before taking a closer look at it.


    ??


    It had Jun Zixuan''s name engraved in golden letters along with the logo of Eminence behind it. "Did he give this to you?" She nced at him. No wonder he was not surprised now that Jun Zixuan''s face was all over the headlines along with his identity in bold letters.


    "As apensation for being his sperm donor," Her brows tugged together slightly while the man continued, "That''s what he said that day. Anyways, don''t look at me with such pity. I deserve all of this," He massaged the spot between his brows.


    She concluded the day he was speaking about was the day when Jun Zixuan and her had a cold war. She did not know whether it could be called a cold war though given that they made up before sleeping.


    She controlled her mind which was spiraling towards wayward thoughts before settling her focus back on the point.


    "Well¡­'''' Yu Mei lowered her head slightly as she leaned back on the chair. Jun Zixuan was unfeeling towards his father and she did not me it on him.


    Had Jun Zishen stood up for his wife in the past, then Shen Lihua would not have had to go through all that humiliation or mental torture in this family. Jun Zixuan, given his gifted maturity, had observed everything at that age but he could not do anything. He did not have the power to fight this powerful family. So, he could just watch his mother getting mentally and emotionally abused in one way or another while he could not do anything.


    Maybe all that internal conflicts and unsaid struggle, those humiliations of having being called useless and abnormal, being treated unfairly¡­maybe all that made him the man he is today. Right now, he has the power to crush countless such royal families within a snap of his fingers.


    But towards this family and his father, he is detached and unfeeling.


    "You don''t have anything to say?" Jun ZIshen asked. He nced at the girl who has been with his son in recent days. He did not know her that well until she approached him¡­almost begged him to y chess with her. He wanted to reject it as he did but she confidently said that ''You are afraid to lose''. And sessfully, it awakened hispetitive spirit.


    And now, he would not deny his liking towards her. The more he knew her, the more he understood why his stoic was son was wrapped around her fingers.


    "Uh¡­I am not that good with all these," Yu Mei smiled awkwardly, "I even addressed Old Man Yu as my grandfather after..uh¡­after a lot of tears and threats. I tend to mess up the family thing so I won''t make anyment here," She quickly waved her hands. If she could solve their father-son issue by speaking, then she would have dly done so.


    But she knew that she might cause further damage to their rtionship if she spoke. She had that amount of confidence in her destructive abilities.


    Jun Zishenughed, finding the girl too adorable, "Back then, we really wanted a daughter like you," He thought back to the days when there were no issues between him and Shen Lihua. They thought their second child was a daughter but then Boyan came.


    "No No, you can''t have me as a daughter. Who wants to be Zixuan''s sister?'''' She nced at him with her wide eyes.


    Jun Zishen threw his head back as heughed, the sound of hisughter reverberating inside the huge study.


    She smiled. Even though she could not do anything regarding the father-son rtionship but it was not that difficult to make himugh.


    The man sighed. It has been a long time since heughed like this.


    "So, what is it that you want to talk about mother-inw?" Yu Mei asked.


    "Well¡­." Jun Zishen drawled as he raked his fingers through his ash blonde hair, "How is she?"


    "Just that?" The corner of her lips twitched.


    "What else?" Jun Zishen raised an eyebrow.


    If I wasn''t fooled by your son''s ''we are just friends'' act for so long, then I might have believed you.


    "Her son is the CEO of Eminence. How could she not be good? Mother-inw is drowning in a life full of luxury and bliss. Clubs in the mornings, pretty men in the night. Zixuan and I make sure that she doesn''t feel theck of anything in her life," She nonchntly said.


    "M-Men?" Jun Zishen stood up.


    "Ah, what is it? Don''t scare me, father. You wanted to know how she is so I told you¡­"


    "I want her back."


    Herees the point. The corner of her lips tugged up, "Why?"


    "You want me to go into details?"


    She could see the impatience on his face, "If you loved her that much, why did you let her go through all that in the first ce? And why did you have other women?"


    "Didn''t you say that you won''t speak in family matters?"


    "Well, this is love matter and I am pro at that," She smugly stated.


    Jun Zishen nced at her face quietly, "At the time when we married, I did not have power in my hands. I was helpless at times and just a puppet in my parents'' hands. I tried every way to have them ept her but it did not work. I thought it will be alright with time but everything worsened," He sighed, "Lihua would never leave me neither could I go against my parents. If I tried that at that time, then we might not have lived to this day. It continued over the years and I did everything to protect her but nothing worked. That day¡­.when Zixuan was med to have stolen something¡­.I knew it was not true but I stayed silent so that¡­.Lihua would give up on me. Over the years as I started umting power, I wanted to leave everything to go to them but¡­." He slumped on his swivel chair.

 Chapter 263 - Stay At My Friend’s

    "But you didn''t know how to face her and Boyan was aloof towards you. Zixuan was estranged towards you which is why you gave him money, taunted him in front of Steward Gu¡­.All of that was to evoke an emotion from him," Shepleted the sentence for him as she connected the dots in her mind.


    "Nothing worked. He was unfazed. He would never react whatever I say," Jun Zishen paused for a moment before adding, "About having other women, it was all before I met Lihua. Although I don''t regret having a son like Jun Zihao, I regret having other women.''''


    ??


    ''As much as I don''t regret living my previous life, I really regret dating Jun Zihao,'' Yu Mei thought, finding their situations way too simr. She sighed, sympathizing with the man, "But I don''t think it is toote to get back your lost love."


    Jun ZIshen''s dull expressions brightened slightly as he nced at her confident face, "As gentle as Lihua is, she is too headstrong. She won''t forgive me," His expression dulled again.


    Gentle? Yu Mei rolled her eyes. From which angle is that woman gentle? "Well, the determination can move mountains," She smiled at him before leaning closer and moving her fingers in a e hither'' motion.


    Jun Zishen leaned closer to her.


    "I will give you the master tips that will help you get everything in the control of your palms."


    "You sound like a swindler fortune teller," Jun Zishen nced at her doubtfully.


    "You have to believe me to achieve results."


    "Alright, speak. What do I have to do to get her back?" He gave in to her looking at her serious expressions.


    "First, take the first flight or use your private jet to fly to Beijing. I will you give you the address. Directlynd in her vi and cause havoc in her life¡­"


    "What?!!"


    She bit her tongue, "I-In her heart I mean. Persistence is the key to victory. The more she resists you, the more you cling to her. Be as shameless as you can. If nothing works, seduce her with your face."


    The tips of his ears turned red as Jun Zishen wondered whether all the children these days are so straightforward and open-minded.


    "Don''t dy. You should leave as soon as you can," Her words seemed to have worked like magic as the man stood up and walked out of the study without any dy.


    As soon as he was gone, she leaned back on her chair as a ghost of a smile rested on her face.


    ''''Mother-inw, Mother-inw, did you think I forgot all those days when I was brutally tortured by you? You even removed the bed from my room¡­" And that time, it was so awkward between Zixuan and her and she was forced into a corner again and again. Did the she-devil think that she will not avenge herself for all that?


    Yu Mei did not bother to tell Jun Zishen about Shen Lihua''s health condition as it was gradually improving and secondly, it depended on Shen Lihua whether she would tell him about it or not. She just handed her father-inw a golden key but whether he could open the lock or not, it depended on him.


    She quickly took out her phone and made few calls.


    Standing up from the chair, she stretched her body and walked out of the study.


    ''Brother-inw, do try to forgive me. I am doing all this for your parents,'' She sighed and stepped inside the elevator wondering how much burdens her little shoulders have been carryingtely.


    She needed a good amount of sleep to make up for it.


    After taking a long shower, she walked out of the bathroom, wearing a in oversized ck T-shirt paired with her denim shorts.?She settled on her bed before looking through the contacts in her phone. She dialed a number and setting the phone on speaker, she ced it on the pillows before wiping her hair.


    The call was answered within a few rings, "Sister-inw,'''' She was greeted with a sullen voice.


    ''''Why do you sound like this, Brother-inw?" She asked innocently.


    "Well, Mom and I had a fight and I was kicked out of her vi," Jun Boyan answered.


    "This soon¡­.Ah, I mean what happened?" It has been less than thirty minutes and her mother-inw had already kicked her son out of the vi? Yu Mei pursed her lips at how violent thedy is.


    "Well, she got to know from somewhere that I''ve been taking courses in culinary arts and this is thest year. Since she has always been against me bing a chef, she strongly denied it. Out of anger, I told her that she can''t always control our lives¡­''''


    Yu Mei winced inwardly. She had ordered her people to create a little trouble but they made such a big mess. Although she felt a little guilty, but it was all for the best. Since she got to know about it, Yu Mei believed that her mother-inw would ept it over time.


    "What happened then? Was she hurt by your words?" She asked hesitantly.


    "Uhh¡­" Jun Boyan paused, "She said that only brother is her biological son. I must be adopted."


    Her lips twitched. She should not have felt guilty at all. ''Anyways, mother-inw, I am doing it for your happy future,'' She sighed, "Boyan, where will you be living now?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t have friends here. Brother won''t let me live in Ren Mansion. I could have lived with Mu Shen but given his celebrity status and messy private life, if I start living with him, people would assume that the superstar is interested in the same sex too¡­''''


    ''''Pffft¡­" She could not stop herself fromughing, "Well, it is true. In fact, there is a ce where you can live."


    "Is there?"


    "Yeah, there is a friend of mine. I will send the address to you and you can find the keys from under the flower vase outside the door.''''


    "Well, thanks but do I have to live with them?"


    ''''No No, my friend is currently abroad. You can make yourselffortable there. I will send you the address.''''


    "Thanks again," Jun Boyan sighed, "By the way, I saw the news. Why did brother suddenly announce his identity? And that too in such a high profile way¡­I wanted to call him but I thought he must be busy."


    "In fact, I nned this,'''' She blinked, ''''Your family has some nerve to call him a trash again and again so I pped the reality on their faces," Jun Zixuan was unaffected by everything because he was already done with this family when he snatched the powers umted by them over the years. But that did not mean she would not be affected by everything.


    Even the servants talked bad behind his back. The audacity of this family. Not knowing anything, they refused to see the truth. They did not even try to find it out and persisted in the fact that Jun Zixuan was useless. All of it was just because of their bias towards him.


    She had to restrain the urge to strangle all of them. So, when she could not take it anymore, she decided on this in the end.


    There was no way in the world she would not let these people know what a genius their most unfavoured child was.

 Chapter 264 - In The Swimming Pool

    She noted the address before sending it over to Jun Boyan. Since she bought an apartment for Mia there, she remembered Shi Luo''s address as well. Of course, she could not let Jun Boyan live with Mia as he will be unsafe there so Shi Luo''s ce was the better option as she was currently in Amaranthine.


    Yu Mei made a mental note to give her a heads up before she goes back to Beijing.


    ??


    Well, now her father-inw and mother-inw have all the sufficient space for bonding. She hoped everything works out between them.


    Her gaze identallynded on the suit jacket on the other side of the bed. She stood up from the bed before looking around the room.


    "Zixuan, are you back?" She stepped inside the walk-in closet but there was no one inside.


    She walked out of the room before stopping a maid, "Have you seen Zixuan?"


    The maid nced at her nkly.


    She raised an eyebrow. Was there something on her face?


    The maid took a step back before bowing her at a 90 degree angle, "Third Young Mistress, Third Young Master returned 15 minutes ago and he is now inside the swimming pool."


    "Uhh¡­" Yu Mei was speechless. These people surely changed their colors pretty fast. Third Young Mistress, huh? She was liking the sound of it. "Well. Can you lead the way to swimming pool?" She asked. He came back 15 minutes ago that means she was in shower at that time. She hoped he didn''t here her singing like crazy inside the bathroom.


    The maid bowed once again, startling Yu Mei for a second before she turned around and walked like an army cadet, leading the way to swimming pool.


    It was only then did Yu Mei realized the impact of what she did. If the servants in this family are acting this way, then what about the rest of the world? How are they coping with the bomb that she dropped on them?


    Jun Zihao who was ascending the stairs paused in his tracks when his gazended on her retreating back. The embarrassment he and his Grandfather went through today was still rooted in his heart. While they were looking for the Chairman of the World bank, they bumped into Jun Zixuan inside the Eminence headquarters. His grandfather snapped at Jun Zixuan for being at such an important ce in front of all the people there but the man was nonchnt as usual.


    At that time, he felt something amiss when the employees of Eminence were looking at them with strange gazes but his grandfather was not in the mood to look around as he kept on venting his frustrations of the past few days on Jun Zixuan who did not speak a word to retort. A secondter, the person they were looking for¡­the Chairman of the World Bank ran to Jun Zixuan before bowing to the man subserviently, brown nosing the man.


    And only after the reporters barged inside the ce encircling Jun Zixuan did theye to know who he was.


    At that time, Jun Zihao joined all the dots together. Like how they easily managaed to get past the guards and step inside Eminence headquarter when it is said that not even a fly can get past that ce unless the CEO allowed them to.


    Jun Zihao realized that despite being called useless, disabled, abnormal, why this half brother of his has always appeared extraordinary to him.


    Now, the reputation of their family was gone as everyone knew that the Third Young Master Jun was infact the CEO of Eminence. His grandfather''s video was circting all over the news when he was continuously shouting at Jun Zixuan.


    But amidst all this, his attention was on something else.


    He nced at Yu Mei. Was that why she chose him? Because of his power and influence? His status and wealth?


    But then, during their rtionship, why did she hide her identity? During all those years, he knew practically nothing about Han Mei but he was always patient with her hoping that she would one day open up to him about herself. And that day came too when she wanted to take him to meet her brother.


    But that was the he day broke up with her when he got to know about his engagement arrangement and now suddenly she came back to his life. But this time with a new identity and as his half brother''s girlfriend.


    No matter how he tried, it was getting impossible for him to stay away from her.


    He walked in the direction in which she left.


    Near the swimming pool area.


    Yu Mei stepped inside as the door closed behind her. Her gaze remained fixated on the man in the water. His strong back muscles flexed when he ran his hands in his damp hair.


    "Standing for so long might affect your delicate legs," Jun Zixuan''s voice snapped her put of her reverie, "How about you sit in front of me and admire the view?'''' With that asked, he flipped around and effortlessly swam towards the edge before propping his elbows on the floor as he supported his body with them.


    His muscles, his abs, everything exposed to her view. She gulped before walking towards him, "Who is admiring you, huh?" She squatted in front of him as her eyes met his.


    "I said you were admiring the view but you just confessed that I am the view. Well then..." He sleekly responded much to her embarrassment and in the next second, he ced an arm right below her thighs and the other behind her back.


    "What are you doing?" Her eyes widened as he twirled her around before throwing her inside the water.


    "You have gotten so cheeky, President Leanne!" Jun Zixuan leaned back on the pooldder with both his elbow tilted backwards, being supported on it.


    She bnced herself before ring at him. Her anger was momentarily distracted at the sight of those glistening abs, that prominent V line. She gulped, "Y-You are the cheeky one,'''' She nced at his face, "I just showered and see what you did.''''

 Chapter 265 - I Fucking Still Love Her

    "Well, well. Apologies," He mumbled while swimming towards her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, "But I wanted you right here," He kissed her chin.


    She hooked her arms around his neck, "Why is that?"


    ??


    Not bothering to answer her question which had an obvious answer, he asked his own, "Why did you do it?" He looked into her eyes.


    "Were you surprised?" She smiled. The happiness of victory was apparent in her eyes.


    And that crushed his resolve to tell her that he knew her n before it was implemented. Steward Gu would never act without hismand. "Yes, I was really surprised," He watched as her lips tugged up higher, "Will you tell me now why you did it?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?''''


    "No."


    "You just want to hear it from my mouth?"


    "Yes."


    The corner of her lips twitched as she lowered her head, "Fine then. Let me tell you¡­'''' She softly mumbled, "I was really frustrated with them being so mean to you and talking bad about you all the time. It did not settle well with me. I wanted all of them to feel the p on their faces. What I did might be childish, impulsive, or a bit overprotectiveness on my part but I¡­don''t want anyone to insult you. Maybe I can do that¡­uhh a little bit and not harshly..only when we have a fight or you anger me in some way. But that apart, nobody else gets to point a finger at you. You don''t deserve that. I-I¡­See, I know you have all the power to crush them within a snap of your fingers and I am not as powerful as you as an individual but I don''t know what I want to say actually. Just I am sorry for not discussing it with you before working on it-''''


    He shut her bbering with a searing kiss that came out of nowhere, knocking the breath out of her lungs. One of his hands moved towards the back of her head while the other remained on her waist, mming her towards himself.


    "Mmm¡­."


    He let go of her lips only when she struggled, "I¡­" She panted, "Are you trying to kill me by theck of oxygen?"


    "Well," He smiled, "I''m not letting you die for sure. Moreover, you do owe me the kisses for the mails I sent on your behalf," He tugged her towards him once again.


    She pressed her hands on his chest, "Well, ten kisses for each mail is too much."


    "Twenty then?"


    "You¡­" She shook her head, "I am not a duck or a fish. I am not kissing you in this cold water."


    "Let''s get back to the room then. I will make sure to warm you up¡­"


    She blinked, "Are you that desperate to kiss me?"


    "I am more than desperate to do much other than kissing you but you are on your period," His eyes narrowed.


    She buried her face in his chest as her face flushed, "How can you say all that with a straight face, huh?"


    "Why not? You are my wife."


    "Girlfriend!"


    "Wife!!!"


    "No."


    "Yes.''''


    "I hate you.''''


    ''''I hate you too."


    While they were busy in their own pink bubble, there was another person near the door who although could not hear anything of the couple''s conversation but saw everything.


    Jun Zihao''s finger curled into a fist as he turned around, his grip on the knob of the opaque ss door loosened and the door closed behind him as he left without looking back.


    "Zihao?" Han Jingyi stood up from the couch when she saw the man walking downstairs.


    "Zihao, where are you going? Listen to grandma-'''' Old Madam Jun''s words came to a halt when her grandson walked past her.


    Jun Zihao could hear them but he was not in the mood to entertain anyone. The painful pricks in his chest made him nauseous, that weird clench of his heart had him captive. He has never felt so worse before like his world came crashing down leaving everything in ruins.


    Every part of his mind was nk while his heart, it ached terribly just thinking back to the sight he witnessed of those two people making out in the swimming pool. They looked like they were meant to be and he refused to ept it.


    How easily did she forget him? Was it that easy for her to move on from their 3 years rtionship when he, despite having a fianc¨¦e, woke up at nights after dreaming about her?


    Was it all his fault? It was!


    She was a proud woman. He knew she will never chase after him or bend in front of anyone for him. The day he broke up with her, he had seen those flickers of sadness, hurt, disbelief, and disappointment in her eyes when she asked him with a straight face ''Why? We were doing well, weren''t we?''


    And he had coldly replied ''Because my family will never ept someone like you.''


    And she smiled.


    No crying. No question.


    She just nodded at him and walked away as he stood there looking at her retreating back.


    She pped him hard after all these years when she came back into his life. But this time, she was with his brother. She came back as his brother''s woman.


    How ironic was that he said that his family won''t ept someone like her and she was now dating his younger brother.


    Jun Zihaoughed wryly as he alighted the car and nced at the nightclub.


    He thought he was irked because she was dating his brother, contradicting his statement.


    But no!


    It was all shit that he fed his own mind.


    He loved her.


    "I fucking still love her," He punched the ss of the car which broke and pierced into his knuckles but hell that did not stop the pain in his heart.


    He inhaled a deep breath and walked inside the nightclub.


    "Zihao¡­Zihao wait¡­" Su Ning shouted as she parked her car beside his but the man had already walked inside at this point.


    She frowned looking at the broken ss, "Was he angry because of everything that happened today?" Su Ning mumbled under her breath.


    But she could not deny that whatever happened was what it should have been like.

 Chapter 266 - Moody~

    Su Ning did not think there was anything wrong with whatever happened as she has always believed that Jun Zixuan was a special child. Since their families had close rtions, she used to visit them when she was a child and she still had some memories of how the younger Jun Zixuan was treated in this family. She always wondered why it was that way and what did he do to deserve this. There was a time when he was locked in the basement and after going home, she had asked her father to help him but he said that they cannot interfere in the matters of a royal family.


    There were many such incidents in the past which made her ufortable around Old Master Jun and Old Madam Jun till this day.


    ??


    She sighed as she looked at the nightclub. Is Jun Zihao so affected by all this?


    After all both the sides are his family, how could he stay unaffected?


    ''''I should go look for him before he does something reckless and his Grandparents me him for ruining the family reputation further¡­" She mumbled before going inside the nightclub.


    She talked to the manager and showed him Jun Zihao''s picture. He nodded and led the way for her.


    If it was anyone else, he would not have done it but it was the governor''s daughter, the Second Young Masters fianc¨¦e which is why he took her to the private room the man was in.


    As soon as she pushed open the door, Su Ning was stunned as she nced at the man sitting on the ground, leaning back on the couch with some empty bottles rolling on the floor while he held a can of beer in his hand and emptied it in one go before throwing it aside.


    She locked the door and walked towards him before squatting in front him, "Zihao, what have you done to yourself? We are lucky that there aren''t reporters around¡­." She looked at his flushed face and dazed eyes in disbelief. He was usually so cold faced that she never got to know that he had this side to him too.


    Was he that affected by today''s events?


    Jun Zihao raised his head to look at her, his vision was getting blurred as he nced at those enticing lips.


    "Zihao¡­Zihao, wake up¡­We need to get out of here-'''' Her words were interrupted when the man caught her lips in a hard kiss. He grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss when she struggled.


    They kissed until both of them were breathless. "We can''t do this here. Let''s go to our apartment first¡­" She whispered against his lips when they parted.


    "I want you," He mumbled as he nced at her passionately.


    She was taken aback by the intensity of his eyes. They had done it countless times before but¡­she wondered if he has ever looked at her like this¡­With eyes so full of love.


    The resistance in her heart faded. Nobody woulde to this VIP floor anyway.


    She hooked her arms around his neck and leaned closer to him.


    He pulled her closer before carrying her up. He ced her on the couch as theyer of clothesnded on the floor one by one while their bodies entwined in the mes of passion.


    His thrusts gradually grew rougher and rougher as they panted.


    Waves of ultimate pleasure and happiness encased both of them.


    He pressed a kiss on her neck as he closed his eyes. "Mei," He whispered as they climaxed.


    Su Ning stiffened. A teardrop rolled from the corner of her eyes followed by another as he continued kissing her neck whispering the name over and over like a chant to soothe his heart.


    ¡­


    "Zixuan¡­"


    "Mmm?"


    "I regret it," Yu Mei turned around to look at the man sitting in front of hisptop.


    Jun Zixuan closed hisptop and ced it on the bedside table before looking at her, "What do you regret?"


    "I should not have done all that. See, all the women out there in the world are fangirling over you," She threw her phone to his hand before covering herself in the nket till her head, "I am so angry,'''' To prove her point, she even flipped her hair and turned around facing her back towards him, "ce some pillows in between us when you sleep. We will keep some distance today."


    Jun Zixuan speechlessly nced at her. He did not need to start a countdown because he was sure she would turn within 10 seconds.


    And she did not disappoint him as she flipped once again and red at him with eyes full ofints. She kicked away the nkets and sat up on the bed with her hair resembling an elegant bird nest, "See, you did not coax me. You are now blinded by your current poprity amongst females. I just knew that the men change faster than this country''s climatic condition. You just don''t care about me at all. Humph!''''


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, "You are unreasonable.''''


    "You called me unreasonable?" Her jaws dropped as she pointed her finger at him


    He grabbed her index finger and bit it before kissing the tip.


    And in the next second, she was effortlessly pulled onto hisp, "Okay, stop being jealous now. Am I not with you right now?"


    She leaned closer to him, "Legends say men are fickle when ites to love. They stay with one, think about other and sleep with another."


    "And who are the legends that you speak of all the time? They have gotten some junk in your pretty little head," He sighed, "I will only stay with you, think about you and sleep with you. Don''t worry."


    Her face flushed slightly as she smiled. But a momentter, she hugged him before burying her face in his neck, "I feel moody. Jealous. Angry. Sad~''''


    "Because of your period?''''


    "No, because you have all the attention. Everyone is dying over you. There are even some men in thement section. What do I do? I just want to keep you to myself," She nced at him, "I swear this all happened because of your family. Neither would have they provoked me nor would I?have crazily done this.''''


    Jun Zixuanughed, ''''Do you see me jealous of your countless male fans, huh? Even a female superstar has not got so many of them.''''


    "You can be jealous. When have I ever stopped you?'''' She shrugged.


    "If I start getting jealous over all that, then you will find yourself locked in our bedroom,'''' came his nonchnt reply.


    "_"


    She did not doubt him on this though!

 Chapter 267 - A Date

    "But I''m really jealous," She hugged him again as she pouted, "I bet that if you walk into a cafe right now, then the waitress would look for a chance to put aphrodisiac in your coffee. If you go to a hotel, any random woman might just drag her dress down to get herself on your bed and¡­and we can''t even go on shopping in future. The staff at the shopping mall would surely give you those lovey-dovey looks¡­mmmm.''''


    He interrupted her with a soft kiss as he nibbled on her bottom lips, "How much do you talk hmm? What are you, a chatterbox? And what''s with this wild imagination of yours?" He sighed when her eyebrows tugged together, "Don''t you know that I am only interested in sleeping with you?''''


    ??


    She blushed, "But¡­but¡­I am still jealous."


    "Silly," He clicked his tongue as he shoved her phone back to her hands, "Have you forgotten that our pictures were released in the media a long time ago and I was your rumored kept man?"


    She was stunned, "I almost forgot. What about it?"


    "Check over thements."


    She curiously nced at thements once again.


    Baby_dolphin: Omo~The Chief of Eminence is a Prince Charming. How can he be so perfect?


    GoddessKiara: Look at that soft dimple when he talks. Can he be my man?


    Trisxx: I just want to rake my fingers through his exquisite ash blonde hair. Oh!!! My heart is going kya kya at the sight of this Greek god.


    She red at him, "Are you squeezing lemons in my mouth? Am I not jealous enough?"


    Heughed, "Stop looking there. Look at thements on the top."


    She scrolled it upwards and nced at thement with most likes.


    Amyraluvsbts: I remember he is the man in the picture with President Leanne. Are they both dating? I hope they are. They look so perfect together~


    Her lips curved up in a wide smile, "See, everyone should be as sweet as her.''''


    ''''Well," Jun Zixuan fell on the bed dragging her down with him as she fell on top of his body, "If it still doesn''t soothe your jealousy, we can go public anytime you want."


    "Who wants to go public with you?" She rolled her eyes, ''''Given the way you provoke me all day and fight with me, I can already imagine the day when we break up and I find myself a mountain to meditate on."


    "You dare to mention break up?" He narrowed his eyes and snatched the phone from her hand before throwing it away.


    "Duh. Are you deaf?" She stuck her tongue out, "You think I will be afraid of you? Humph, naive!"


    He raised an eyebrow, ''''You think I want to scare you? Stupid!"


    ''''What are gonna do?" She tried to back away under his intense gaze, "See¡­Zixuan, you have to be a gentleman, not a brute. I am on my period¡­"


    He flipped their positions, pinning her beneath him, "Not like we are going all the way right now. A date will be thepensation for mentioning breakup.''''


    "A date?" She hooked her arms around his neck, "When? Where?


    "Tomorrow. Location will be a surprise," He kissed the tip of her nose, "So Miss Yu Mei Zhen, will you go on an official date with me?"


    She stiffened slightly at the mention of the full name but she schooled her expressions before he noticed something amiss, "What are we going to do on the date?"


    "Eat, hug, kiss¡­" He paused as he looked at her blushing face, ''''And confess.''''


    "Confess? You are going to confess your undying love for me?" She felt butterflies in her stomach.


    ''''I will confess about something from my past and you will confess everything about your past. Your secrets."


    And the butterflies died with his instakill.


    The smile and blush on her face disappeared, ''''Can''t we just stay like this? What if everything changes between us after all of this confession?"


    He rolled to the side and pulled her into his arms, "I don''t know about what will happen after but secrets are not what any rtionship should be based on. Not ours, at least.''''


    ''''But-"


    "Mei, I hate this unpredictability of not knowing anything about you but you are so cute that I can''t even bring myself to stay angry with you. Let''s us just put an end to this and be honest to each other, alright?"


    She buried her face in his neck, ''''Will you believe in whatever I say?"


    "I will."


    But what if everything changed between them? She knew the day she was dreading wille to her sooner orter. What was she supposed to do now?


    ''Go ahead, you are a fighter anyways,'' She patted herself in her mind. It was better to deal with it once and for all without thinking about the consequences.


    ¡­


    The next morning.


    By the time Jun Zihao woke up, he was greeted by the sight of Su Ning sitting on an armchair in the distance.


    "Awake?" She nced at him with a soft smile and stood up before getting a bowl from the coffee table, "Here is the soup. It will help you with the hangover."


    He sat up on the couch as yesterday''s event shed across his eyes, "You know¡­" He mumbled, pressing his hand on his forehead.


    She ced the bowl on the table, "About what?"


    "Su Ning, you are pretentious,'''' Jun Zihao spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Well, is it about your love for Miss Yu? Or about how you took me as her recement when you were fucking me?" Her voice got a bit softer towards the end, "I might cry if I think about that. I really me Dad for pampering me so much that I have turned a crybaby now," She looked at the ceiling and blinked continuously.


    Jun Zihao nced at her emotionlessly.


    "I usually liked sports shoes and those cool T-shirts and jeans but I tried the pretty dresses and stilettos so that you would notice me. I won''t lie about it that I used to take a mirror in my school bag as a teenager and I would check myself from time to time so that I don''t look ugly in front of you even for a moment. Dad sent me abroad in the second semester of 9th standard. I cried a lot but you didn''t care so in the end, I thought I would go ande back after making a career for myself. By the time I was back, we were engaged. I practically felt like flying that day untilter on, your family said that I have to let go of my dream job and you did not say anything against it. I thought you also want that. So, I went ahead with it," She sighed, "I was an idiot. Well, let''s put an end to my idiocy. I am breaking up with you," She removed the engagement ring from her finger as tears rolled down her cheeks.


    She handed it to him and turned around to walk away only to pause near the door, "Miss Yu won''t ever leave Zixuan. Whenever I look at them, their love reminds me of fairytale love so don''t try things on her, you will invoke your brother''s wrath and things will not end well for you. Goodbye," She wiped her tears and walked away without looking at him.


    She had always known he loved someone else. It just took her a long time to ept it.


    Jun Zihao kicked the empty bottle on the ground and threw away the ring. He picked up his suit jacket and left the room.

 Chapter 268 - Tease

    Jun Zixuan sat on the bed as he nced at the woman dancing in front of the mirror as she styled her hair. Her little ck skirt swaying with every move of hers while she shed her prominent curves at him as her perky butt teased him little by little.


    His groin tightened as his throat ran dry, he loosened the tie around his neck


    ??


    She nced at his reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her crop top, his gaze wandered to that delicately curvy waist that had his hand itching to grab it. Unaware to his current situation, she continued looking at him for a few seconds before she opened her mouth to speak, "Don''t you have work?"


    His gaze roamed past every inch of her body as the tent in his pant tightened further, his gaze darkened, "I have a lot of work to do on every inch.''''


    "Hmm?'''' She turned around to look at him questioningly, ''''Anyways, let me help you with your tie. You look so messy," Although, she was not going to admit that the more disheveled he was, the more hot he looked.


    She walked towards him and loosened his tie properly. He parted his legs to let her stand between them. "It is stuck¡­" She leaned closer to him as she tried to get tie out of the cor.


    His gaze darkened as her luscious breasts grazed past his face. He grabbed her waist and bit her breast through that sheer crop top.


    "Ahh¡­" Her body turned hot in an instant as she gaped at him.


    "You were seducing me," He pointed his chin towards his hardness.


    "I did?" She nced at him questioningly.


    ''''Mmm.''''


    ''''Shall I help then?" She extended her hand towards his pant.


    He swallowed as he pushed himself to his feet. It took every nerve of his self restraint to not push her against the bedside table to part her legs, "No need.''''


    "I can help," She quickly said.


    He grabbed the back of her neck, "You look eager. You want to do it that badly?"


    "Well," She averted her gaze, "I-I just wanted to help you, can''t I?''''


    He arched her face slightly upwards and caught her lips in a hard and passionate kiss. He kissed her until she fell limp in his arms, ''''Your 10 minutes of help will be 24 hours of torture, you know?"


    ''''Is it?''''


    She panted as she nced at him teasingly.


    ''''What do you think?" He bit her lips.


    She smiled, ''''Is our date still on tonight?"


    "Yes," He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    "How am I supposed to go there? You didn''t even tell me the location,'''' She nced at him in confusion.


    ''''I''ll take you there.''''


    "And what should I wear?"


    "I prefer you naked," He watched as her face reddened.


    She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Is it fun to tease me like this all the time?" She mumbled.


    He chuckled, "But you can wear ck to our date. It suits you.''''


    "But I don''t have a ck dress. Let''s go shopping first,'''' she nced at him.


    "Liar,'''' He raised an eyebrow as he pointed his chin towards the walk-in closet, "Theynd on my feet when I step inside.''''


    "You just don''t want to go on shopping with me,'''' She poked his chest.


    He kissed her forehead, "We will shop as much as you want but not today. I have a lot of work to do and a hell lot of preparations for our date.''''


    "I can''t wait for it then,'''' She bit her bottom lips.


    His gaze darkened as his groin hardened again. He picked up his suit jacket and walked away before whatever self restraint he was left with disappeared and he turned into a brute to her.


    She nced at his retreating back before letting out a sigh.


    ''''Imagine someone giving you your favorite chocte pastry¡­" She mumbled before slumping on the bed, "But just when you are about to take a bite, you are told that it is poisoned. And at that point, you want to eat it but you can''t eat it,'''' She nced at the ceiling listlessly, "My life is perfectly resonating with this situation now.''''


    She desperately wanted to go on a date with her chocte pastry but the price that came along with it was no less than poison.


    ''''I will tell him the truth then he will look at me like I am some sort of crazy or a weird creature. It is better if I book myself some appointment in a mental asylum first," She rolled around on the bed as she whined.


    ¡­


    As Jun Zixuan walked downstairs, he paused for a moment looking at the man staggering towards the staircase.


    Jun Zihao raised his head to look at the man standing in front of him, displeasure shed across his eyes.


    Jun Zixuan adjusted his cor and walked past him but his footsteps came to a halt when Jun Zihao grabbed his arm.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed the fist thrust towards the face, "Have you lost your mind?" He frowned as he spoke in a low yet dangerous voice.


    Jun Zihaoughed derisively, "It won''t bete before ites to that. You ruined this family''s reputation, our power, our influence is all gone because of you. As if that was not enough, you snatched my woman from me."


    Jun Zixuan''s grip on his fist loosened as he stepped back "So, you know Mei?" He asked nonchntly. Although he already expected this, but still it was unexpected. ''His woman''...that phrase was more surprising to him, something that sounded ridiculous to his ears.


    "I know her?" Jun Zihaoughed mockingly, "I know every inch of her," His eyes shed when his aloof half brother looked fazed for the first time on his life, "Every inch. Every corner. Every nook of her body and heart. From the blush of her cheeks to the birthmark above her left br-"


    His words were interrupted when a punch came out of nowherending on his face.


    "Ah..'''' Jun Zihao spat the blood out of his mouth as he nced at his half-brother, "You were the one who asked the question but now you can''t even take the answer?"

 Chapter 269 - Apologize

    "I don''t remember giving you the permission to disrespect her,'''' He said coldly. Wiping his knuckles with a handkerchief, Jun Zixuan turned around and left without looking back at the man.


    Jun Zihao stood rooted to his spot with his palm pressed on his terribly aching jaw. He did not believe it. He would never believe neither ept that a man like Jun Zixuan, with such a high position and the title of one of the most desirable men, can''t get over a single woman in his life. That he was so hooked with Yu Mei Zhen or Han Mei or whatever her real identity was.


    Not that she was not worthy enough to stand beside him, but men are never this loyal. Even his father had additional affairs before he married Shen Lihua. Then, how could Jun Zixuan not have?women other than his girlfriend?


    He walked upstairs, not noticing a shadow behind a nearby pir.


    Han Jingyi frowned, ''''A birthmark?" It reminded her of something. Or more specifically someone.


    ¡­


    In the evening.


    ''''Zixuan, when will youe back?" Yu Mei asked the man over the phone as she checked her reflection in the mirror. The bodycon ck dress surely looked impressive. Will he find her beautiful? She smiled at the thought.


    "Soon."


    "What''s with that mysterious tone?" She asked.


    "Why should I tell you?"


    "Well. Don''t tell me then," She shrugged despite knowing that he won''t be able to see her.


    "Do you know Jun Zihao?"


    ''''Huh?" Her eyes widened.


    "On a personal level. Do you know him or did you used to know him?"


    "No, I don''t," The words escaped her mouth before she could contemte over it, "Someone''s calling me. See you on the date,'''' She exhaled a deep breath as soon as she hung up the call.


    She paced in front of the mirror. Logically, she did not lie. Yu Mei Zhen has nothing to do with Jun Zihao and since she had not told Jun Zixuan about her real identity yet, she could not go on telling him that she used to date his brother because Yu Mei Zhen''s life was limited to Beijing while Jun Zihao has stayed in Amaranthine during that time.


    All in all, it wasplicated.


    "Or I can just rify everything on our date,'''' Since she had decided toe clean, then she will have to do this anyway.


    With that thought, she applied some light makeup on her face and walked out of the room only to hear some chaotic whispers around her. "What''s going on?" She asked one of the servants.


    The man bowed, ''''Sorry for gossiping, Third Young Mistress.''''


    "You can gossip as much as you want about this family. Just don''t gossip about my baby," She walked towards the group of servants standing in a corner, "But I want to know¡­what were you gossiping about?" They were talking so passionately that it awakened her curiosity.


    "Master has left the manor," One of the servants quickly answered her after checking the surroundings, ''''Old Master and Old Madam argued with him and they threatened him to break off all their rtions but he still left without hesitation.''''


    ''''Oh?" Father-inw wrapped up his work in Amaranthine so fast? She was amused, "Thanks for letting me know,'''' She nodded at them and walked back to her room.


    Maybe, he was so desperate to see his wife that he could not dy it any longer and he did not even bother to meet her or his son before he left.


    She sat on the bed, swinging her legs while waiting for Jun Zixuan toe back.


    Shall I call him? She wondered as she picked up her phone from the bed.


    But something else caught her attention. There was a small printed note near the pillow, ''Come to the elevator. We have a lot to talk about.''


    She was speechless.


    He sure was eager to know about her. But she was not so eager to tell him about that. She wiped her sweaty palms on her bodycon dress as she walked towards the elevator while contemting whether their date was nned in this mansion.


    Her footsteps came to a halt as she stood in front of the elevator. Taking a deep breath, just as she was about to step inside, she felt something covering her vision.


    "What surprise exactly are you nning?" She could not help but smile as she felt a grip around her wrist while she was helped inside the elevator.


    She was taken to who knows where while she felt the grip on her wrist loosening as her fingers came in contact with his rough fingers. He raised her hand and twirled her around.


    "I am dizzy, Zixuan," She leaned closer to him for support as she pressed her face on his chest. Her brows tugged together slightly when the scent of the unfamiliar cologne hit her nose.


    She quickly stepped back from the man and removed the blindfold from her eyes. Her jaws dropped, "You¡­!!?" She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, ''''Why is it you?"


    "Were you expecting my brother?" Jun Zihao nced at her questioningly as he ran his thumb across his jaws.


    She nced at his half swollen face before looking around the beautifully decorated terrace. She walked past him without talking with him.


    He grabbed her hand and twirled her around. Her hair flipped with the sudden movement and she was caught off guard.


    But before she could do any damage to his wrist likest time, he let go of her hand and knelt in front of her.


    "What are you doing?" She nced at him in confusion as she retreated a few steps.


    ''''I want to apologize.''''


    "For what?"


    "For the way I treated you back then,'''' He nced at her with an earnest gaze.


    "It does not matter anymore and I don''t hold any grudge against you," She shook her head, "If that is it, I am leaving."


    ''''Wait!!"


    "What do you want now?" She was already nervous about her date with Jun Zixuan and now this man was wasting the energy that she had collected by meditating since morning.

 Chapter 270 - Since A Long Time

    "I was immature back then. I got scared when they suddenly told me that I was engaged to someone. I did not have the courage to go against my family¡­."


    "What are you talking about?'''' Her brows tugged together.


    ''''I will ept anything you want¡­however you want to punish me¡­.Let''s get back together. I''ll treat you just like the way I used to," When she opened her mouth to say something, he interrupted her as he stood up, "If you are going to mention my engagement then let me tell you that we have broken up this morning. I still love you. Let''s get back to the way we used to be¡­''''


    "But I don''t love you," She nced at him with utmost seriousness as she folded her arms in front of her chest, "Back then, our breakup impacted me in many ways. I was motivated to work harder and get in the best university of Amaranthine to avoid bumping into you but at the same time, I started detesting things like love and rtionship. My university years have been empty for me. A few friends and nothing else. No crush no love interest. I isted myself for so long that I forgot what it was like to be in thepany of people. It was all until he came. And suddenly, I started feeling for someone once again but the feelings were more intense than I have ever felt for you and so I subconsciously rejected it.''''


    "Is it Jun Zixuan?"


    She smiled as she nodded looking into the distance. Her eyes teared up slightly at those memories. She blinked, "I refused to ept everything and soon. he disappeared from my life. I thought that was for the good until something major happened that got me under his roof. And over the course of time, every feeling that I had always rejected came back rushing to me but this time, it was not in my control anymore,'''' She nced at him, "Unlike you, he is not going to leave me. And even if he did, I will resort to each and every way to get him back to my side," Sheughed, "Because, I am sure about him and there is no going back on it. Unlike our rtionship where you never risked anything for me and I never made efforts for you, I want to give him everything that I have. I can risk anything for him.''''


    "And what about him? What if he doesn''t loves you as much?" Jun Zihao nced at her face, "What if he had other women? Or a woman from his past? What makes you think he won''t cheat on you?"


    She lowered her head. The mention of his ex was a sore thumb to her because initially, he mistook her for his first love under the influence of alcohol. ''''I trust him," She sighed. Whatever and whoever gets between them, he won''t let her down and she was sure of it.


    Jun Zihaoughed, "It seems like I was being delusional.''''


    "It isn''t love," She patted his shoulder, "Had it been love, you would not have survived for years without looking for me even once. You are just obsessed with that idea, nothing else."


    He sighed, "You have matured regarding rtionships and all."


    "Of course," I have already transmigrated into another body. It will be weird if I still y dumb in my second life. She inwardly thought, "I don''t hold grudges against you. Neither I am a petty woman who will curse her ex. Rest assured. I have forgiven you," She waved her hand nonchntly.


    "Oh, your boyfriend saw us hugging just now."


    She nodded, "That''s fine. I will-'''' Her eyes widened, "Wait¡­what?"


    He pointed his chin at the mirrors in front of them before pointing his thumb towards the door behind, "I saw his reflection.''''


    Her jaws dropped, "I was blindfolded. I thought it was him...''''


    "He won''t know that since you had your face buried in my chest," Jun Zihao raised an eyebrow, "We had a fight when he was leaving for work. He asked me whether I know you and I told him that I even know about your birthmark¡­"


    She nced at his swollen jaw. No wonder. No wonder he asked her about it, "You¡­Ahh..'''' Her ankle got twisted the moment she retreated a step back. ''''Jun Zihao, you are a hell of a jaded scoundrel, jerk, bastard, an inhumane crazy psychopath¡­'''' She removed her heels and threw it at him before running away.


    He caught her heels in his hand before smiling at them, "And who told you that I have not looked for you over the years?" He closed his eyes.


    Perhaps, he deserved this for the way he treated Su Ning.


    ¡­


    Yu Mei nced at the empty room nkly. His absence made everything around her cold.


    It was not until now when she stood in front of Jun Zihao did she realize that Jun Zixuan has always been more than a friend to her. She was just too afraid to ept the fact.


    Her phone started ringing right at this moment. She nced at the caller ID before swiping the answer option, "Luoluo, he left me¡­" She mumbled without looking at the woman as she nced at the empty room.


    "What are you talking about?" Shi Luo whispered.


    Yu Mei sat on the floor before leaning back on the bed, "I don''t know¡­He saw me with Jun Zihao and misunderstood me. I¡­"


    "Who told you to speak so many lies?" Shi Luo reprimanded her in a soft voice, "You should have told him the truth-''''


    "Told him the truth... Told him the truth¡­ Is it that fucking easy?" She snapped at Shi Luo. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed, "How the hell should I have told him the truth knowing that it might change everything between us if he knows that his wife is not his wife and is another soul. And¡­.if he knows I am¡­"


    ''''Shhh¡­Speak slowly.''''


    ''''Why? You always taunt me to stop lying but now I am stating the truth, you don''t want to listen to me anymore?" She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, "I have deluded myself that we are just friends for a long time. What makes you sure that he won''t be conflicted about his feelings if hees to know that the person he loved was not the person he believed her to be. If he knows that I am Han Mei, everything between us will go back to square one-''''


    ''''Who did you say you were?!!"


    The phone almost fell from her hand as she tilted her head down to look at Mu Shen who had his face erged in front of the camera.


    ''''Give me back my phone¡­'''' Shi Luo shouted from the back.


    Mu Shen nced at Yu Mei''s pale face before looking at Shi Luo, ''''You are going to exin this to me. In details,'''' He said to her and? turned to look at Yu Mei, ''''And you¡­no wonder you resemble her so much. I don''t what is going on here but if you are Han Mei, then you have tortured my friend pretty well."


    "W-What do you mean?" Her eyes widened.


    ''''You want to know?" Mu Shen nced at her seriously,cking the usual mischief from his expressions.


    She nodded.


    ''''Then start with your side first. How the heck in the world Yu Mei Zhen and Han Mei could be the same person?"


    Yu Mei nced at Shi Luo before looking back at Mu Shen.


    ''''I died,'''' She said.

 Chapter 271 - Open The Door

    Inside a ss Vi situated in the distant inds of Amaranthine, Jun Zixuan sat on the barstool as he nced at the bottle of wine in his hand. The moonlight shone on his face through the ss walls around him.


    He raked his fingers through his hair, forbidding them from falling on his face but they were as stubborn as her.


    Just the mention of her in his mind was enough to give him a shback of all that happened.


    The decoration on the terrace, the way she had her arms wrapped around Jun Zihao''s waist, everything kept ying in his mind over and over again.


    It was not the doubt inside his head.


    He was sure about that. Neither was it his insecurity because he was sure about the kind of woman she was but everything about it felt wrong to him. Was he really that hard to trust?


    ''Crash''


    He tossed the bottle as the ss crashed to pieces, the red liquid staining the floor. He stood up from the barstool and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling ss wall as he nkly stared at the moon.


    Was it everything he deserved for the way he treated her in the beginning? For everything, he did to her, for all his cold remarks, and rude behavior, was this the punishment that she has decided for him? But he thought he made up for all his past mistakes.


    He leaned his forehead on the ss. His heart ached. The feeling of it was so terrible like someone had clenched that damn organ in their fist.


    The thought of her with another man¡­his eyes shed with rage and he closed them.


    "Hey, open the door. Where is the entrance? Why can''t I find it?"


    ''Am I so screwed that I have started hallucinating her now?'' He pursed his lips as he turned around before leaning back on the ss.


    ''Knock Knock''


    "Even if you love sshouse, shouldn''t you leave a normal door here? How am I supposed toe inside?"


    His eyes snapped open as he turned around to look at the woman who had her face pressed on the ss, eyes erged, nose tightly pressed on the ss, mouth forming a pout, she surely resembled a Disney character with a high degree of curiosity at the moment.


    Her eyes lit up the moment he turned around, ''''Is there a window I can climb inside from?" She blinked, "Or this ss wall will crack to let me in, huh?"


    His eyes flickered slightly as he nced at her emotionlessly.


    As he walked towards what looked like the living room, she sighed in relief. Looks like he is going to get the keys to open the door.


    Contrary to her high expectations, the man picked up a remote control from the coffee table, and in the next second, the curtains slid down from the ceiling as they draped over the ss walls on all four sides.


    Her jaws dropped as she stood there with her palms still pressed on the ss.


    Yu Mei knocked on the ss door, ''''Zixuan, open the door....or whatever the hell this is called,'''' She kicked the ss, "Had I been a rude person, I would have broken down these ss walls to barge inside but I have manners. You really should appreciate it,'''' She said while looking at the ground for some pebbles. One might not work but twenty-thirty of them would be enough to make arge hole to get inside.


    But it must be her rotten luck that she did not see a single pebble nearby as there were the pavements around the sshouse.


    When she was in the chopper, Steward Gu was exining the location to the pilot and she was in disbelief.


    She never knew that this extravagant sshouse and this isted ind belonged to Jun Zixuan. Everything about this ce was so dreamy, from the glowing fireflies to the beautiful flowers, the twinkling stars, and the bright moon but she was just not in a position to admire beauty right now.


    Not when he was not letting her inside his house.


    ''''Zixuan, you told mest time that I will be the one kicking you out the next time we fight. And¡­that what''s yours is also mine¡­" She rubbed her arms. In her hurry toe here, she forgot to bring her jacket and she was still wearing that short ck dress that she had chosen for their date.


    There was no response from him.


    "Are you going back on your words now?" She sat on the floor before leaning back on the ss. The curtains were so thick that she could not even get a glimpse of him. Who does such weird architecture? The corner of her lips twitched. They should have at least left a window or an open roof so that she could have climbed inside.


    "You did not sign the property papers so they still belong to me," His voice was emotionless and cold, reminding her of the time when they used to sh with each other about every single thing.


    Her eyes lit up. Something is better than nothing. At least, he responded. She thought he was going to give her that damn cold silent treatment forever.


    "I will sign. I will sign everything you want. Take me inside now. Pretty please~" She knocked on the ss again but this time there was no response once again, "Zixuan, it is so cold here¡­" She whined, inwardly cringing at her own coy tone.


    She blinked as she nced at the vast sea. Thought she was telling the truth but a little exaggeration will be alright, right? "I might freeze while sitting here. I am one second away from losing my breath..." She shivered ''audibly''.


    ''Click''


    The ss door opened and she almost fell back if not for the strong pair of legs behind her. She grabbed his palm and pushed herself to her feet, "Thank you,'''' Just as she leaned closer to kiss his lips, he tilted his face to the side causing the kiss tond on his cheek.


    ''''You can sit inside. I''ll get a helicopter for you,'''' He emotionlessly said as he turned around.


    She tightened her grip on his hand, "You won''t even talk to me now?'''' Her eyes zed as she blinked, "Are you that eager to send me back?''''


    He did not speak.


    "Zixuan, listen to me. Give me a chance to exin-''''


    "Exin?" He turned around, his eyes were menacingly dark.


    She flinched at the harshness of his tone.


    "You want to exin?" He stepped closer to her and she stepped back, her back collided against the wall while her grip on his hand gradually loosened.

 Chapter 272 - Who Are You?

    The coldness in his voice was not foreign to her. He used to talk like this before. At that time however, she did not give a damn about it but right now¡­it felt terrible.


    A wry smile made its way on her face as she lowered her head, ''''Looks like I''ve already frustrated you. I¡­won''t bother you more then," She nodded, her eyes teared up. These fucking tears. Why do theye uninvited and make her appear like a miserable person that she is not? She sniffed, "I will leave¡­.if that is what you want.''''


    "No exnations anymore?" His tone was still as cold as his rough fingers grazed past her tears that rolled down her cheeks.


    "You don''t want them¡­'''' She sobbed, grabbing the cor of his shirt with one of her hands.


    ''''I am afraid it will be another lie on your part," His tone softened when she looked at him with those teary eyes.


    "I-I won''t-''''


    "You won''t?" His gaze shed as he stepped back from her, "What makes you think I will believe it? Do you take me as a fool?"


    Her fingers curled into a fist as she lowered her head.


    "Everytime you lied to me, I knew it,'''' He pinched her chin before tilting her face upwards, ''''You were disgusted just at the sight of blueberry ice-cream even though you ate it to prove him wrong. Did you think I won''t notice it? Or did you think I will miss the way you looked at each other like you know each other since decades? Have I ever asked you about it, huh?"


    "I¡­''''


    "I never did. I wanted to give you the space that you want. You could have kept your secrets well but was there any reason for you to lie to me over and over again?'''' His gaze deepened, ''''You don''t trust me at all, do you?" Letting go of her chin, he stepped back from her.


    ''''Listen to me-''''


    "Leave before I do something that I''ll regretter," He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, raking his fingers through his hair.


    "I-''''


    ''''Leave.''''


    She pursed her lips, "Jun Zixuan, don''t you dare to turn your back on me¡­" Her voice turned cold when he turned around. Her eyes teared up, "Even my brother has never treated me like this. You truly are something," She grabbed his sleeves.


    He was stunned at her outburst. He turned around to look at her, "Brother?" Why would she drag Yu Jinhai in all this?


    "I''m not who you see me as¡­'''' She shook her head.


    "What do you mean?" His eyes narrowed.


    ''''Would you believe me if I say that I am not the real Yu Mei Zhen? I am not the original owner of this body. I am just another soul-''''


    "What the heck are you talking about?" He stepped back from her with disbelief written all over his face.


    ''''Indeed,'''' She closed her eyes, realizing that she should have done this much earlier without thinking of the consequences. Had she not been a coward all this time, she could have exined it to him in a better way rather than doing it in this do or die situation.


    But on the other hand, something that Mu Shen told her boosted her confidence, "Your wife¡­wait..I am your wife now¡­Let''s count her as ex-wife,'''' She pettily corrected herself, "Whatever¡­that doesn''t sounds good to me. Let''s just say that Yu Mei Zhen¡­the real one is no more.''''


    "Is it even making any sense to you?" Jun Zixuan spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowing at her, "Do you hear yourself?"


    ''''It is," She smiled as she walked towards him, her heels making soft ''click'' sounds with every step she took, "Since you wanted the truth. I''m giving it to you. Take your time epting it but I am not Yu Mei Zhen¡­I repeat. She died in that ident. And I took over this body since the day I woke froma. All this time, it was me¡­Not her," She folded her arms in front of her chest, looking at the astonishment on his face which soon disappeared.


    She quietly looked at him.


    He looked into her eyes. Whenever she lied to him, it was pretty apparent on her face as she has never been a good liar despite her trying to be one. But right now, there was no lie or joke in her eyes.


    Jun Zixuan thought back to their initial times when he found her doing things which weren''t recorded in what Steward Gu had investigated about her. She knew how to drive, she had helped him with his documents one even though Yu Mei Zhen was never proficient in manynguages, she excelled in studies and it was not the only thing that he found strange. Yu Mei Zhen was a good cook and the woman in front of him was capable of burning down the whole kitchen.


    But never had he once thought that¡­she was a different person even though everytime he looked at her, she reminded him of¡­


    "Who are you?"


    "You trust me?'''' Her eyes lit up as she walked towards him.


    He quietly nced at her. No matter whatever he concluded about her, it never included a bizarre thing like this. He never once doubted that she was another person. Such an impractical thing never crossed his mind before. But only an idiot would deny what wasid out before eyes.


    However shocked he was, he could trace the truth in her words but it still rendered him speechless. Everything was unbelievable.


    But as he looked at her face silently¡­something clicked in his mind.


    The way she knew his name even when she was not supposed to know it.


    The way she was so weak innguage subjects that she relied on him for help.


    Her confidence.


    Her adamance.


    Her face.


    Her smile.


    Her eyes.


    Everything about her had been so familiar to him even though he never knew Yu Mei Zhen. They never had a proper conversation before but all of a sudden, he found himself falling for her hopelessly.


    "You are¡­.''''


    "Your first love¡­" The corner of her lips tugged up as she stood in front of him, ''''¡­Han Mei.''''

 Chapter 273 - Magical

    As the silence between them extended, so did the difort in her heart. The confidence that she had when she confessed everything to him evaporated at a speed that science would not be able to exin its cause.


    Now, she was having second thoughts. What if Mu Shen lied to her? What if she was not the one he loved and they were truly ''just friends'' in his eyes at that time? What if he started having second thoughts about his feelings as she feared? What if he did not believe her in the first ce and thought that she was spouting nonsense?


    What was she going to do then?


    "I wanted to tell you about it much before but¡­I was scared. I thought you would be having second thoughts about our rtionship and¡­" She grabbed his palm as he nced at her expressionlessly but the shock in his eyes was not hidden from her, "And in all this, I messed up. I am not lying to you this time. Trust me.''''


    He did not respond to her.


    She blinked, "Zixuan, I-whatever you decide¡­just tell me about it," Maybe Mu Shen lied to her about it. She concluded in her mind, "Just know that I am Han Mei. The rest¡­I will leave it up to you,'''' Her shoulders slumped slightly as she lowered her head, "You can decide what you want to do with our rtionship. I will give you space-''''


    "I never wanted space," He twisted her hand, bringing it behind her back as he pulled her closer to himself.


    Her body collided against his as she tilted her head to look at him.


    He raked his fingers through her hair as he grabbed the back of her head, "I don''t believe in such things. Another soul. Another body. Such concepts are strange to me for I have never heard of anything like that.''''


    Her eyes dimmed. So, he did not believe her but it was expected.


    ''''But I trust you," He watched as the glow in her eyes returned within an instant, ''''You remember the confession I told you about? I said that I will tell you something on our date today?"


    She nodded as her eyes teared up. She blinked.


    ''''I wanted to confess that I am seeing someone else in you. Whenever I look at you, I get reminded of her. I was afraid how you would react to that as it is really improper but¡­in the end, I had decided to tell you the truth lest you feel betrayedter," He pressed his forehead on hers, "But I just realized that it is you. It has always been you.''''


    "You really don''t want space to think over it? Are you that sure?" She whispered against his lips,


    "I am sure that I don''t want space. I only want you," He tilted her face towards him, ''''I have wanted you since the first time I saw you,'''' His husky voice fazed her body in ways she could not exin.


    But his words¡­Those words pierced right through her mind and her heart, "You mean¡­" So, Mu Shen did not lie to her? ''''You mean that you-"


    And all of a sudden, without any warning, his mouth was on hers as he kissed her roughly. One of his hands was on the back of her head, his fingers gripping her hair, firm enough to keep her head in ce, just not enough to hurt her. His lips werepletely unyielding as he pressed her hand on her back with one of his arms possessively wrapped around her waist.


    He pulled back from when she did not respond.


    She nced at him through her denseshes as she leaned closer to him, her actions demanding what her mouth was unable to.


    His heart raced faster and faster as he watched her approaching him. It was like his heart was taking flips just at the sight of her.


    He fell in love twice. Both times, it was her.


    His guilt, his internal conflicts were non-existent at this point for now he knew who she was. Despite the doubts in his mind, he knew that it was her.


    Han Mei. The person who never got off his mind even after all these years.


    She was right in front of him. Not like a dream. Not like a fantasy. This time¡­.she was so real.


    He could sense her sweet scent lingering around him. As one of her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers stroked his skin.


    She was right in front of him. Not just as friends but with every recognition of what they meant to each other.


    He closed his eyes and in one swift move, he took control of her lips yet again, kissing her roughly as his tongue slid inside her mouth.


    She closed her eyes as he angled her head to a better position, taking more ess to her mouth. Their bodies leaning against each other which she felt d about. She was d that his powerful body was supporting hers effortlessly for she was weak in her knees.


    Would he let go of her, she was sure to drop down.


    The realization camete but at least it did.


    She tried to respond to his kiss with equal intensity but there was something different about the way he kissed her today, without any restraints, without any shackles.


    Something magical.


    They parted after a long hard kiss that rendered both of them breathless. She leaned her head against his chest but he stepped back from her.


    She lost bnce but before she could fall, he pulled her up in his arms in a Princess carry and walked towards the couch.


    As he took a seat, she settled on hisp with her arms around his neck and her face still buried in his chest. Her breathing was still irregr.


    His fingers grazed on her back, in gentle motions, "How?" He asked after a moment of silence.


    She tilted her head to look at him.


    Eyes covered in ayer of sheen, face flushed, swollen lips¡­.she incited him beyond anything. His gaze darkened as he bit her lips before kissing her gently.


    She leaned closer to him, tightly wounding her arms around his neck.


    ''''How could it happen?" No matter how he thought about it, the idea of everything that she told him sounded very far-fetched.


    Had it not been her who was telling him about this, he would have passed it off as a joke without a moment''s dy.

 Chapter 274 - Trust

    She nced at him quietly for a few seconds before letting out a softugh. Her eyes glimmered as she hugged him tightlyughing till her stomach hurt as tears threatened to spill from the corner of her eyes.


    ''''What''s so funny?" He asked, gently stroking her back.


    She calmed down after a long time, "Well¡­''''


    He raised an eyebrow.


    "I was wondering whether I am crazy or you are. I just casually told you that I am someone else and you seemed to have epted it without any qualms. Don''t you think your level of eptance is so high?" Even her brother was shocked for almost half an hour but she did not get to relish the expression of shock on Jun Zixuan''s face for more than 10 minutes.


    He rolled his eyes, ''''I got to have this high level of eptance or how am I going to cope with your madness?"


    She red at him, "That''s not how you treat your first love. Write poems for me, shower me with praises, look at me like I am your whole world¡­but you have masochistic tendencies. You provoke me all the time despite knowing that you will be starting a fight,''''


    He chuckled, "Jokes apart, you are an open book to me.''''


    She quickly sneaked a peek at her body.


    He threw his head back as heughed, ''''You have such a dirty mind.''''


    She punched his chest as her face flushed.


    He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer before giving her a peck on her lips as his tongue glided across her skin. He slowly bit her chin and her body arched. He ced a soft kiss on her neck before pulling back.


    Not only was she a distraction, she was a living torture to his self control.


    She quickly stood up from hisp before sitting beside him on the couch, "What did you mean by that then?" If she kept sitting on hisp, there will be no conclusion to their discussion given the way it was going.


    And for the very first time, he did not pull her back onto hisp as this was the most rational thing to do at this point. He could not keep his indecent hands and mouth off her and they still had a lot to catch up on.


    But that did not stop him from grabbing her hand. "What I meant is although I am not aware of what you are hiding from me but your face is an open book. I know when you are lying and when you are not,'''' He said, gently stroking her hand, "If I don''t remember it wrong, you previously told me that you are not Yu Mei Zhen.''''


    She nodded, "Yes but you did not believe me¡­''''


    "You passed it off as a joke and I did not trust you at that time.''''


    She red at him again, ''''In simple words¡­you were a jerk back then.''''


    He sighed as he could not bring himself to refute it either.


    "Does that means you knew it whenever I lied to you?" She asked hesitantly.


    ''''What do you think?"


    "Ehh¡­" The corner of her lips twitched as a glint shed across her eyes. Letting out a dramatic sigh, she plopped back on the couch like a dead fish, "That means I can''t check out guys in future¡­.''''


    He grabbed her thighs and pulled her up in one swift move.


    Her hair flipped in front of her shoulder as she fell on him. Her legs wrapped around his torso while her hands were grabbing onto his shoulders for support.


    ''''Just because I was unable to kick you out and you are here, sitting on myp, seducing me with whatever this thing you are doing¡­" Her finger which was drawing circles on his chest paused at his words while he continued, ''''Did you think I am not angry about it anymore?"


    "Unable to kick me out? Just say that my beauty melted you,'''' She stuck her tongue out.


    He pressed his lips on her neck and a gasp escaped her mouth. His teeth pierced onto her delicate skin as she clung to him for her dear life feeling a heat near her lower abdomen. Her body ached with need when he sucked the spot he just bit before kissing it again.


    Just as she leaned closer to him, feeling him more closely, the man ruthlessly pulled back, leaving her sanity hanging by a thread.


    Her breathing was uneven at this point as she watched him licking his bottom lips like he just tasted some delicacy.


    ''''Another man? Your eyes are all over me right now,'''' He whispered beside her ear snapping her out of her daze.


    She blushed before burying her face in the crook of his neck, ''''Evil..''''


    He smiled as he stroked her back once again, realizing that years ago, both of them were in a simr position, sitting on a couch but there was a distance between them unlike now when she is sitting on hisp, hugging him like this. At that time, it was not just the physical distance between them but also the emotional one.


    While he had feelings for her, she was closed off to such things. The mention of anything more than friends was just a taboo to her so he just decided to stay beside her, in whatever form she wanted, to support her, to be the shoulder she can lean on. He never made any attempts to woo her to avoid making her ufortable while she, never saw what he felt for her.


    And it felt like a dream to have this moment when they both were like this, in a new phase that they never expected.


    ''''I died¡­'''' She mumbled, getting all his undivided attention within an instant.


    His brows tugged together as he lowered his head, "You¡­?"


    She tilted her head to look at him, ''''Just like Yu Mei Zhen¡­I, Han Mei, also died. And by the time I woke up, I found myself in this body. One month had passed since my death,'''' She pursed her lips.

 Chapter 275 - The Real You

    ''''How is it possible?" A conflicted expression appeared in his eyes. No matter how high his eptance level was, whatever she was saying was still a bit unbelievable.


    She sighed, ''''Well, this is whatever it is regardless of how weird it is. I just died and woke up in this body.''''


    ''''You died¡­'''' His grip tightened on her as he pulled her closer to him.


    ''''Yu Mei Zhen passed away in that ident¡­''''


    He frowned, ''''After she woke from thea..''''


    ''''No, I told you. It was me, not her,'''' She shook her head, ''''When I woke up, I thought I was still alive and some kind person saved me. That''s why I lost control of my emotions when Steward Gu addressed me as Miss Yu and then I saw myself in the mirror.''''


    He stroked her back. Just listening to it from her mouth was making his heart ache. He did not know what she had to go through all this time. A part of him wished that he could have known about all this from the very beginning¡­.


    ''''Don''t think like that,'''' It did not take her much effort to know what he was thinking as she noticed his guilty expressions, ''''Had you known about all this, we would have been ''just friends'' till now¡­" She was very sure about that. Their rtionship would never havee to this if he had known who she was.


    Jun Zixuan was never rude around Han Mei just the way everyone wants to be perfect to their crush. He was understanding, caring, gentle, and an angel to Han Mei.


    But after she woke up in Yu Mei Zhen''s body did she realize that everything she has known about him was just a small part of him. He was not exactly an angel.


    His mood swings, his temper, his coldness¡­.the way he preferred his coffee served on the left, and every small detail that she missed out on in her previous life.


    She realized that there was more to him that she was unaware of. Usually calm and unfazed, but she was amused at how easily he was ticked off by her words, and how he never once hesitated to point a sword at her throat.


    Sometimes a jerk. Sometimes a devil.


    He was cunning. Sly.


    He tricked her at times, fought with her almost every day, was rude to her and they were no less than sworn enemies at that time.


    But s..wasn''t he the same man who became grumpy when she stopped talking to him?


    When she had her period during that party in Shanghai, he panicked like he was the one who contracted a terminal disease. However angry he was, he never once disrespected her even though at times¡­she would have to admit that she had been a teeeeeeny-tiny bit¡­just a tiny bit bitchy towards him.


    He was jealous, possessive, controlling but all in all, when has he ever restrained her from doing anything that she had wanted?


    He kicked her out of his mansion but renovated the university dorm for her.


    Even when she kept secrets from him, lied to him, he never pressed her for an answer.


    ''''Had you known I was Han Mei, how could I have seen the real you?" She sniffed as she rubbed the tip of her nose on his chest.


    He pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head, ''''Howe I never got to know that you are such a crybaby?"


    She red at him, "You have been with me for half a year. How could you not know? I still cry over the way Jack died in Titanic.''''


    Jun Zixuanughed, ''''Well, I''m talking about Han Mei. I never knew she was a crybaby. I just realized that I also have never known the real you,'''' He never knew she was an emotional person for she was always distant and reserved around everyone.


    She ended upughing, ''''So, something good happened that we got to know each other during this time. You should thank me that I lied to you.''''


    He pinched her waist, "You sound too smug for being a liar all this while?'''' He rubbed the spot when she winced over-dramatically, "Then, when did you ept everything? And you seem to know Yu Family well.''''


    ''''¡­That day when I fainted, I got the memories of the previous owner. Strangely enough, after that, whenever I saw someone rted to her, I will get shbacks yed inside my mind as those memories came in bits and pieces. It took me some time to ept it, to be honest. I was freaked out¡­''''


    Jun Zixuan sighed.


    ''''¡­But I was really happy and excited to know that I am going to meet you but you¡­'''' She sat up straight so she could re at him properly, ''''You offered me a cheque of millions. Humph!''''


    He raised an eyebrow, ''''Don''t act innocent. You poured orange juice on me,'''' He could still remember it crystal clear. That was the first time in his life that he experienced something that disgusting and worse, he could not even bring himself to teach her a lessonter when he looked into her eyes that reminded him of Han Mei.


    She cleared her throat, ''''Let''s not hold grudges over the past,'''' She leaned her face against his.


    He pecked the corner of her lips, ''''You are starting it.''''


    ''''Sorry~''''


    ''''How did you die?" came the question that he wanted to ask from the very beginning but he held back to let her finish what she was saying. He was curious about everything but the question that bugged his mind the most was how she died, ''''What happened to you?" His tone had a dangerous edge to it.


    "Han Family," She replied after thinking about it for a moment, ''''I and my brother have been alone by ourselves all this while. But we do have a family. There are many Han families in Amaranthine so I am not sure where we belong and we have never looked into it because we never really needed a family¡­''''


    ''''You have a brother?"


    She nodded.


    ''''Jian Yu?"


    She nodded again but her eyes widened, ''''How did you know?" She gasped.


    For the very first time in his life, he felt likeughing at himself.


    ''''All this while, I have been jealous of him¡­" He admitted after some time.


    She was speechless, "Wait¡­Do me a favor and please borate.''''

 Chapter 276 - Ex-boyfriend

    What did he mean by he was jealous of Han Jian Yu?


    ''''I overheard your conversation with Shi Luo¡­.'''' He paused, ''''She knows about it?" The realization dawned on him.


    ''''Yes, Luoluo knows.''''


    "And who else?"


    "Mu Shen also knows. He just came to know about it today and Ah Jin also knows about it.''''


    ''''Am I thest one then?" He narrowed his eyes.


    ''''Ah, that''s not the main point. Tell me when did you eavesdrop on Shi Luo and my conversation?" She stood up from hisp and removed the heels of her leg before slumping on the couch with her head on hisp.


    He yed with the loose strands of her hair, ''''Tired?"


    ''''Just a bit,'''' She blinked.


    ''''You can sleep then. I''ll make something for you to eat-''''


    ''''I''m not hungry neither sleepy. Let''s just talk. It''s been a long time since I wanted to discuss everything with you. I was just afraid of your reaction.''''


    He stroked her hair, ''''I did not eavesdrop. I just overheard your conversation in front of Shi Luo''s office when I went there to pick you up. It was some time before we fought and-''''


    ''''And before you kicked me out of Ren Mansion.''''


    ''''I didn''t ''KICK'' you out,'''' He sighed helplessly, ''''Do you want me to investigate about your family?"


    Yu Mei quietly nced at him, ''''Let''s think about itter. I don''t feel like talking about that unreasonable family who assassinated me in the middle of a forest without a valid reason and that too on my birthday. It''s good that I am alive or else the world might have lost a goddess.''''


    She nced at the stars through the ss ceiling, not noticing the way Jun Zixuan''s expressions deepened at her words. A glint of ruthlessness shed across his eyes. He closed his eyes andposed himself. Just the thought of it was making him lose control over his emotions.


    ''''So, Zixuan, you aren''t angry anymore right? I have been very honest.''''


    ''''You want me to praise you?" He nced at the woman who was looking at him curiously, wondering whether he was still angry at her.


    ''''I mean¡­it''s not a bad idea. Like where will you find someone as perfect as me? I just rarely lie because of circumstances otherwise I can be an idol for honesty,'''' She smugly said only to end up frowning a secondter, "¡­That went a bit overboard. Even I feel ashamed of the overpraise,'''' She mumbled under her breath.


    He pursed his lips to stifle hisughter, ''What about Jun Zihao?'''' He asked with a straight face.


    She choked on the rest of her words.


    ''''You know that he mentioned your birthmark to me?" This time, however, his tone deepened as his eyes narrowed.


    ''''That jerk-'''' She paused, ''''Baby, he is just starting fights between us. Can''t we forget about all that?'''' She sat up.


    ''''No,'''' He shed her a pointed stare.


    She gulped, ''''My ex-boyfriend,'''' She lowered her head, ''''I¡­.used to date him back in high school and we were in a rtionship for around 3 years,'''' She pressed her index fingers together while looking at him hesitantly and his scary expressions made her close her eyes. Out of 7 billion people in the world, why did she date Jun Zihao? Just to wait for this day when she would be sitting in front of his younger brother, exining things anding clean?


    ''''He knew about your birthmark," Jun Zixuan pulled her towards him as he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, ''''As a couple, you sure were intimate.''''


    ''''Are you jealous?" She asked, kissing his chin.


    The man nodded, "Jealous.''''


    ''''What if I say we kissed?"


    ''''Very jealous," His grip on her tightened.


    She blinked, "What if I say that we did everything that a couple does??Like we had sex and all..."


    ''''Enough,'''' His gaze darkened, "Makes me more jealous," Logically, he should not be. He epted her past as it made her the person she is today but that did not mean that he was not bitter about the fact that he was not there in the early phase of her life. That leech clung to her for 3 years. 3 damn years.


    She chuckled, weaving her fingers through his ash blonde hair, a yful smile appeared on her face, "If I say I lied? How would you feel if I say we were not that intimate and we didn''t share the connection that you and I share right now? That my feelings for him were shallow like how a kid is reluctant to let go of their favorite things. I was a teenager at that time."


    The corner of his lips tugged up as his eyes sparkled slightly, "Not that jealous...anymore."


    ''''Really?" It was in fact very rare for him to explicitly say that he is jealous. She could not help but tease him a bit.


    ''''Really."


    Somewhere he knew that it was not just her body and heart that made her, it was her soul that he craved. Had it not been like that, he would not have fallen in love with her again and again despite not knowing who she was.


    She ced her head on his shoulder, looking at his sharp jawline. She ran her fingers on it grazing slowly towards his chin.


    ''''I am sorry,'''' He said out of nowhere, startling her.


    ''''What are you sorry for?"


    ''''I¡­came here after seeing you both hug at the rooftop and I ended up ruining our date.''''


    ''''Yeah, you did that,'''' She rolled her eyes, ''''Do you not trust me? Or did you think I was cheating on you?"


    He flicked her forehead.


    ''''Oww¡­Jun Zixuan, this is domestic violence. You realize that, right?" She winced dramatically.


    ''''Overacting,'''' He scoffed at her but a soft kissnded on her forehead.


    She pouted.


    ''''What makes you think that I''d be insecure of him? A man who could not treat his woman properly and now is suddenly back, trying to ruin her present life. Is he even worthy to be called a man?'''' There was disdain in his tone. When Jun Zihao revealed about her birthmark to him, his intentions were clear to him. Since he can''t have her, he wanted to drive a clean wedge in their rtionship.


    Whether he did it out of impulse or anger or maniption, Jun Zixuan did not care but it was apparent that he was up to no good.


    Yu Mei frowned.

 Chapter 277 - Little Girl

    ''''Wait, what makes you think that he did not treat me properly?'''' She blinked. As proud as he was, she was sure that Jun Zixuan would not be insecure of any man. It was just not in his character. But she wondered how he got to know the nature of her and Jun Zihao''s rtionship, ''''It could be the other way around. Maybe I am the one who did not treat him properly.''''


    ''''You are not the type of person who takesmitments lightly,'''' Jun Zixuan spoke after a few seconds of silence. Even though he did not know the nature of their rtionship, when Jun Zihao snapped at him and revealed about her birthmark, it was pretty apparent to him what they were.


    His expressions turned sour.


    She blinked, trying to distance herself from him. Was he having mood swings again?


    He narrowed his eyes at her as he pulled her closer, ''''Where do you think you are going?"


    ''''Uh...You look scary.''''


    He rolled his eyes, ''''Are you that scared of me?"


    ''''Of course, I am a delicate woman with a faint heart,'''' She smugly tilted her chin.


    The corner of his lips twitched. Did she feel no sense of shame when she was proiming such things? "I also had such misconceptions about you a few years ago,'''' As mischievous as she was around him, most of the time she remained quiet and reserved around everyone else.


    ''''Well..'''' She bit her bottom lips embarrassedly, ''''You can''t insult me like this, or I won''t tell you anything else,'''' She red at him, trying to gain the upper hand. She was going through a breakup and heartbreak during that time which is why she was so reserved but did he have to say it like this? It sounded like she was a tyrant.


    ''''You don''t get an option,'''' He raised an eyebrow. His patience was already hanging by ast thin shred. He has been waiting for months, giving her space and keeping his questions to himself just in case they end up hurting her. But now, they had to be answered.


    ''''Grumpy old man.''''


    ''''That makes you an old woman.''''


    She red at him.


    ''''What? We both are 23. I was just stating a fact,'''' Although Yu Mei Zhen was 21, Han Mei is 23.


    ''''I am not as moody as you,'''' She stuck her tongue out at him.


    He imed it within a second, sucking it as hard as he could. He bit her bottom lips before leaning back, his tongue grazed on his lips, ''''Have you been eating choctes, love?" The corner of his lips tugged up as he watched her turning red, eyes wide in disbelief as she quickly slid her tongue inside her mouth, visibly afraid of a repetition of his stunt.


    ''''Y-You¡­''''


    ''''Mm? What about me?" He grabbed her hand before kissing her knuckles.


    She was speechless. ''''Couldn''t you give me a heads up?"


    "Heads up about what?" His other hand slid down her waist as he brought it to her knees, grazing it upwards on her thigh while sneaking inside her little ck dress. His palm kneaded her smooth skin as his teasing eyes watched her.


    It was good to tame this tsundere like this.


    Her body arched as she bit her bottom lips, closing her eyes while pressing her legs together but he had her legs between his and she was straddling him. As she arched her back further, her breasts grazed past his chin.


    His eyes darkened.


    He was supposed to tease her not the other way around.


    If it continued like this, they would do something much more than just talking.


    And right at this moment, this conversation was a priority. To both of them.


    ''''Ah, what are you doing?" She shrieked when he suddenly stood up from the couch. Her legs instinctively locked around his waist while she hooked her arms around his neck, clinging to him like a ko.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist before walking towards the kitchen. She noticed that the kitchen had opaque sses instead of the transparent ones in the whole sshouse. He ced her on the kitchen counter, "What would you like to eat, Miss Han?" His tone was low and seductive.


    She blushed, ''''You are getting into this pretty fast, aren''t you?" She covered her face in her palms, extremely embarrassed. She was still a little shy about how adamant she was on her ''we are just friends'' concept but now they havee to this when he¡­cough¡­but still, did he have to tease her like this?


    He chuckled, his deep masculineughter reverberated in the ce and she tilted her head to look at him hesitantly.


    Her breath was caught in her throat as she watched himughing so genuinely. He neverughed or smiled a few months ago as if the whole world owed him and now seeing him like this¡­It was worth it for her to carry such embarrassment if it made him smile.


    She stole a kiss from him, catching him off guard for a moment.


    ''''Zixuan¡­"


    ''''Mmm?"


    "I should have told you about all this much before. I am sorry,'''' While she was so lost in her issues that she never realized that her keeping secrets kept affecting him even though he never expressed it.


    He nced at her quietly for a few seconds before pressing a kiss on her forehead, ''''What do you want to eat?"


    Seeing that he has gotten over all of it, she smiled, ''''I am not hungry. Just coffee will do,'''' Moreover, she was on a diet right now as the past few days, she had been eating too much without any self-restraint. She did not mind bing a dumpling again but it would be too tough for her to move around.


    As he prepared the coffee, she sat there on the countertop swinging her legs back and forth, admiring his back view.


    ''''Well¡­'''' Jun Zixuan turned around only to be greeted by her burning stare on him, "Who was that little girl? Why did she never appear again after that day?"


    Yu Mei froze. This matter slipped off her mind. Now, how was she supposed to exin everything about Mia to him?.


    It was not like she did not want to but Mia was not mentally prepared for revealing herself. She rarely trusted anyone other than her and because of her past, she seems ufortable with revealing her truth to anyone.


    And without her permission, she did not find it right to disclose anything about her to Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan gazed at her hesitant face, ''''It''s fine-''''


    ''''No,'''' She interrupted him, ''''It''s not that I don''t want to tell you. I do want to. Just give me a few minutes,'''' It will be better to converse with Mia in her mind first.

 Chapter 278 - Nothing But A Trouble?

    "Good. Very good,'''' Han Jian Yu leaned back on the chair, a ghost of a smile rested on his face as he nced at the tabloids where the Jun Family was visibly in ruins.


    "Boss, sha-shall we contact Young Miss?" Sunny cleared his throat.


    ''''No need. You said she is in Amaranthine with her lover boy?"


    Danny nodded, ''''Yes.''''


    ''''Let her have fun then. I will meet her when she is back.''''


    Danny and Sunny exchanged nces, "Boss, do you have nothing to say about the lover boy''s identity?" The former asked, unable to hold his curiosity while thetter pinched his butt.


    Danny red at his brother.


    Sunny did not back down either. This foolish man¡­Didn''t he notice how scary their boss was actingtely? Who knows which question will tick him off?


    ''''Well, this lover boy has an interesting identity. But any less than that, he would not have been worthy to stand beside my Princess,'''' Han Jian Yu sighed. The shocking turn of events had also stunned him along with the rest of the people.


    First, the Chief of Eminence revealed his face after living the life of an enigma all these years. And much to his surprise, the man was just 23. A young genius indeed. Then, he is the son of the Amaranthine Royalty whom the Junsbelled as a trash. It was more satisfying for him to see those fools getting pped on their faces. And after all that, he was his sister''s man at this moment.


    Han Jian Yu stood up from the chair with and his expressions turned slightly gentle, ''''Mei has matured so much.''''


    ''''Why do you think so, Boss?" Danny asked in confusion, ''''Young Miss still waves at the CCTV cameras and eats lollipops,'''' He noticed this in the surveince of the hospital when Yu Mei went there to meet Shi Luo.


    Since he was trying to get his hands on some ckmailing material on Shi Luo so that she could reveal Yu Mei''s past, he had gone through all this but s, there was not much stuff on her. Luckily, he had one incident from their younger days and so, he gained the upper hand in getting the truth out of the woman''s mouth.


    ''''That''s a different thing,'''' Han Jian Yu shook his head.


    Sunny and Danny exchanged nces. Boss, you just want to find ways to praise young miss, nothing else.


    ''''You both don''t believe me?'''' Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow at them, "She is dating Jun Zixuan. He ex-boyfriend, Jun Zihao can''t bepared to that man''s toenail, be it in wealth or status or looks or whatever. So now, do you think she has matured enough now?"


    Sunny was quick to catch up, ''''Boss, you mean to say that Young Miss is dating him just to take revenge against Jun Zihao?''''


    "What else?" Before he could make a move, the deed was done already and that too by none other than his Princess.


    "Boss, you are right,'''' Sunny smiled, finally getting the point. He was initially astounded that their Young Miss is dating such a big shot who is on par with her brother but thenter he realized that their young miss is so perfect that no man can say no to her when timees. And now, the fact that she was just using Jun Zixuan. He had to apud her sharp mind and maniption.


    ''But they look like they are so in love,'' Danny wanted to say that aloud but he was afraid he could not deal with both these hard-headed men all by himself so he kept quiet about it.


    ''''Boss, what about Little White? How is she doing?" Danny asked.


    ''''Little white?" Han Jian Yu nced at the man.


    ''''Your fox,'''' Danny replied.


    A certain little white who was strutting around the living room had her keen ears perked up just at the mention of her name. She quickly ran towards the study before pressing her ear on the door, eager to hear some of her praises from Han Jian Yu''s mouth.


    Han Jian Yu''s expressions darkened almost instantly at the mention of that fox. He grabbed his iPad from the desk before handing it to Danny.


    ''''Boss, this¡­'''' Danny resumed the video on the front. A beautiful woman was seen sitting on the couch in the living room. He recognized the woman. He had sent her to his boss yesterday. Because thest one was mentally sick, he sent this one after a thorough background investigation on her. Was she also sick and they weren''t able to do the deed? And this woman was brutally rejected by their Boss?


    He watched as the woman folded one of her legs above another. Just a secondter, a fox came to his view swaying her long fluffy tail. She sat infront of the woman. The woman looked down at the little creature indifferently. The fox extended her paw towards the woman''s porcin like leg, shing her long nails.


    Out of pain and panic, the woman stood up on the couch but the baby fox also swiftly jumped onto the couch, continuing to scare the woman until she kicked the fox hard and the baby fox flew like a broken kite colliding against the wall.


    Right at this moment, Han Jian Yu walked to the living room and the fox acted pitifully, crying and wailing while holding his leg.


    The rest was history.


    ''''At that moment, I kicked that woman out of the house thinking that she had mistreated her only to find this footageter,'''' Han Jian Yu massaged his forehead. No wonder, these creatures are infamous for being so cunning. He could not understand what she was trying to do but it was pretty apparent from her expressions that she deliberately got kicked, ''''Bringing this wild fox here was nothing but a trouble that I bought upon myself. If Mei was not fond of all these, I would not have dealt with this thing till now.''''


    Mia, who was sitting in front of the door, blinked. Once. Twice. As his words started registering in her mind, her ears drooped down while her hazel eyes sparkled slightly. So, all this while, he was dealing with her because Mei liked animals and not because, he cared for her? And I am just an unwanted trouble to him.


    ''Mia¡­Mia..Listen to me¡­I have to talk about something¡­''


    As she heard a distant voice in her mind, her body started disappearing from the dark hallway in front of the study.

 Chapter 279 - Where Is Your Shock?

    "Boss, foxes naturally are intelligent creatures. But if you don''t like little white, you can give her to me,'''' Danny found that little creature way too cute, and who knows when their heartless boss would roast her out of anger.


    Han Jian Yu nced at him, his eyes narrowed, ''''Have you found that model named Mia?''''


    ''''Ah, Boss, she has not beening to shoot for a few days and even her house is empty. Shall I get you her picture?"


    "No, just find that woman. You are not able to find a woman for ages but you have some leisure to talk about ''MY'' fox,'''' Han Jian Yu spoke expressionlessly, ying with a paperweight in his hand.


    ''''But boss you said that you don''t like...Ahh...'''' Danny red at his brother who pinched his butt once again.


    ''Shut the fuck up,'' Sunny mouthed. Couldn''t this dumb man notice their Boss''s ''My fox is only my fox even if it is trouble'' attitude?


    When both the brothers left, Han Jian Yu checked the time before walking out of the study. He wondered what she was doing as he had made her face the wall in the living room in the evening.


    He frowned when he did not find her in the living room.


    He stepped inside her room but his frown got deeper, not finding her there as well. He nced at the untouched te of food on her bed.


    As the doors and windows of the ce were properly closed, she couldn''t escape.


    He stormed into his study room and picked up his iPad before signing in to the CCTV surveince of the living room.


    She was still sitting there, ying around. He fast-forwarded it.


    When she suddenly ran in a direction, he slowed it down. Wasn''t it the direction of the hallway that led it to study?


    But when he came here, she was nowhere in sight.


    ''''Dammit,'''' He banged his fist on the desk. There was no camera in this section.


    ...


    ''Mia...Mia...Are you listening to me? We have to discuss something,'' Yu Mei closed her eyes and tried to focus on their connection.


    She had forgotten Mia''s instructions on how they could talk in mind but she hoped it should be like this.


    ''''What is it, sweety? Why did you summon me?''''


    Yu Mei''s eyes snapped open as she nced at the little white fox sitting on Jun Zixuan''s shoulder.


    ''''W-What is this?" Jun Zixuan almost dropped the coffee mug at the sudden weight on his shoulder. His eyes narrowed in disbelief as he grabbed the fox by its tail and nced at Yu Mei with a ''What the fuck is this and where did ite from?'' expression on his face.


    "How can you see me?''''


    "How can you see her?"


    Mia swiftly jumped to the floor.


    "I am not blind,'''' Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow only to squint a momentter, "Did it just talk?!''''


    A few minutester in the living room.


    "You mean to say that she is that little girl?" Jun Zixuan nced at Yu Mei.


    ''''Well...Mia...''''


    Mia jumped off the couch before transforming to her real form, "Hey there," She waved at Jun Zixuan before taking a seat beside Yu Mei.


    Jun Zixuan''s frown went deeper as he nced at her long striking silver-colored hair, it was the same as he remembered the child had. And the fox that suddenly transformed into a woman...


    "Go on," Mia nodded at Yu Mei, permitting her to tell him about it. Initially, she did not trust any human other than Yu Mei. But over time, staying inside her body, she got to know Jun Zixuan as well. She trusted this man as much as she trusted Yu Mei.


    Yu Mei inhaled a deep breath before delving into the details about her rtionship with Mia and their blood contract. She told him about Mia''s history too about how in one of her previous lives, the ancestors of the Han Family had cursed the immortal nine-tailed fox leading to her ultimate demise while her baby, Mia was was cursed to stay in the Han Family for eternity under a spell which broke when Yu Mei contracted Mia. She also informed him that she had absorbed one of Mia''s nine lives which is why she was still living.


    ''''...At that time, her powers were sealed which is why she had that appearance. She is 26 years old,'''' Mia was 263 years old based on her fox age but their 10 years were equal to 1 human year so on that basis, she is 26, "...And this is herst life after I absorbed one of her lives,'''' No matter what, she felt guilty about it.


    Mia''s 6 lives were spent in a cage under that spell and her 7th life was all wasted while being contracted to her as she stayed inside her body all the time, then she absorbed the powers from her 8th tail while dying, snatching her 8th life.


    And now, she had only one life left with her.


    But at least, that should be equal to thousands of fox years which meant Mia will live for hundreds of human years. Yu Mei consoled herself with that.


    She leaned back on the couch, letting out an exhausted sigh as she nced at Jun Zixuan''s nk face, ''''Where is your shock, man?!" She sprang up.


    He raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Don''t give me that look," She speechlessly nced at him, "Even I was shocked when she appeared in front of me out of thin air for the first time, why are you not shocked at all? What''s with that nonchnt look?" She only witnessed a bit of shock on his face when she told him that she was Han Mei and after that, no matter what she told him, his expressions were like ''Oh?.... Is it?... Well...Okay... Mmm..''


    "What do you want me to do then?"


    "At least, pretend a little. Like you are shocked silly by my revtions-''''


    ''''Oh, he is not as childish as you,'''' Mia interrupted nonchntly as she yed with her long silver hair. She nced at Yu Mei, ''''Mmm, you look beautiful today," She winked.


    Mia had to admit that during her first life, if Yu Mei was there, then she would have been hailed as a rare beauty after her mother. "You both had some ns today?"

 Chapter 280 - Everything?

    ''''We had some ns'''' Yu Mei waved a hand, ''''But they all went down the drain," She narrated everything in short to Mia before slumping on the couch.


    Mia sighed, listening to the way the couple almost fought for nothing.


    ''''You mean to say that she used to stay in your body?" Jun Zixuan asked.


    Instead of Yu Mei who was yawning on the couch, it was Mia who answered, "Yes," As he raised an eyebrow, "Don''t worry. Our connection was off most of the time as I was cultivating so I didn''t see what''s going on the outside. Except for the times when you two fight and she wille bitching about you.''''


    Yu Mei choked on her yawn as she felt Jun Zixuan''s piercing stare on her.


    "¡­After I had ess to the headquarters of Rosette and I got my money and influence back, I used it to get some basic documents and identity proof for her and arranged an apartment so that she can enjoy her freedom and live herst life as she wishes,'''' Yu Mei switched the topic carefully.


    "But people still find my background questionable,'''' Mia could not help but bring it up, ''''It was fine when I was being idle in my ce but as I started modeling, there have been many people questioning about my family, whether I am an orphan, which orphanage I grew up in, my origin¡­" Showbiz was not a ce where a person''s privacy could be protected. Once the ad shoot was over, she was sure to rose to fame and so will her issues.


    "We will do something about it,'''' Yu Mei sighed, "Mia, why did youe here? I was only trying to converse with you in mind¡­''''


    ''''It''s not about what you are trying. It is about what you want. When you were calling me, you wanted to see me in front of you and kept calling me repeatedly by which you ended up summoning me here. Didn''t I tell you about it?" Mia rolled her eyes, ''''Moreover, you could have called me by phone.''''


    "I forgot,'''' Yu Mei blinked. It was true that she was quite desperate abouting clean to Jun Zixuan and amidst the chaos in her mind, she lost her sense of logic.


    ''''Dumb!" Both Mia and Jun Zixuan said at once.


    ''''Your whole family dumb!" She red at them, hugging a cushion in her arms.


    ''''That counts too. You are our family,'''' Mia smiled slyly.


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    ''''You¡­'''' Yu Mei closed her eyes. "But why could he see you now? He could not see you before¡­.''''


    "Lady, we share a blood contract. Sometimes, when your thoughts and will are as strong as today, it forms an effect on me and I have toply with it willingly or unwillingly¡­" Mia sighed. Even she realized it prettyte that Jun Zixuan was able to see her. She was initially shocked by the turn of events, "¡­I was asking you to be honest with him since ages ago but you had to do surgical strike on me¡­'''' Mia paused hearing the soft snoring sounds.


    She nced at the woman who was sleeping on the couch with her legs ced on herp.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet as he carried her from the couch and she rubbed her face on his chest, her mouth slightly parted like a fish. He smiled before carrying her upstairs in the way that led to the bedroom.


    Mia smiled as she nced at their retreating back. She stood up from the couch while looking around the ce, the stars that sparkled through the ss ceilings. She walked to the ss walls towards her left before taking a seat on the chaise lounge, ncing at the sparkling waves of the sea that crashed against the ind.


    Her hazel eyes sparkled as she nced at the distant sky.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Mia turned around to nce at Jun Zixuan who was walking towards her with two coffee mugs in his hand. He passed one to her before taking a seat on the other side of the chaise lounge.


    She was expecting his presence already, "Is it poisoned?" She eyed the coffee mug in her hand.


    "It could have been but she cares for you,'''' Jun Zixuan nonchntly said.


    Miaughed, "I know what you are thinking about but I can''t change the past.''''


    "You could have saved her,'''' Jun Zixuan coldly said, "¡­.With whatever these powers that you have.''''


    "I never wanted to be contracted to a human but she was my only way out of that spell. I did not y any tricks. I quietly stayed inside her body, waiting for the day she will die so that I can get my freedom. The day when she was assassinated, I could have saved her but I did not care whether she lived or died. And I thought that it is her fate whether she survives or not. But I did not expect her to be able to absorb my powers. She sucked myst life¡­.probably it was her will power or it was her desire to survive¡­that she managed to control our contract on her ord¡­.'''' Mia sighed, ''''I am quite amazed at how it has changed over the months. How wanting to kill her has switched to killing anyone for her,'''' The day Yu Mei risked her life to save her from those goons, Mia knew that she was a fool and before she knew it, she was equally protective of that fool.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman, ''''It is better that it switched,'''' He could not imagine losing her while being clueless about the cause of it.


    Mia sighed, ''''It''s already in the past like I said. Don''t look at me like I have murdered your woman,'''' Even she felt goosebumps under his cold gaze. She took a sip of the coffee, ''''Has she told you about herself?"


    "She did,'''' Jun Zixuan averted his gaze to look at the sea.


    ''''Everything?" Mia nced at him curiously.


    ''''Yes.''''


    ''''You should thank me,'''' Mia took another sip of the coffee, the velvety taste soothing her throat. This man''s skills were extraordinary for sure. She wondered if this was his ''thank you'' coffee for she could be counted as a reason for which Yu Mei was revived.


    ''''Thank you for what?"

 Chapter 281 - Morning, Love

    "Thank you for what?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Mia smiled mysteriously, ''''That''s a secret,'''' She believed everything that happened was fate. After all, it took Yu Mei one lifetime to realize her feelings for him.


    Even though she never showed up, she was always inside her body in first life and she observed everything that happened outside without any restraint.


    After staying in that dark room cast with spells for 7 lives, everything was new for her. She was very young when the little Mei had contracted her but with her memories of her previous lives, she had that mind of an adult so she looked at everything from distance.


    From the Han siblings relying on each other to Han Jian Yu''s struggles, they went to school, grew up, and so did she inside Yu Mei''s body. Jun Zihao dated the teenager Mei and it ended up with heartbreak for her, affecting her in ways that she was never able to show and leaving her in a vulnerable mess.


    Mia sighed as she nced at the waves crashing near the sshouse.


    "Something on mind?"


    "This ce reminds me of my mother and father,'''' Perhaps because she always heard from her mother that she met her father near a sea for the first time.


    Those 20 years of her life, growing up with their love and adoration, doing anything she wanted, those years are special for her. Staying in that dark ce for centuries, chained with a curse switched off her humanity, her heart, her mind, and she was only left with bloodlust in her mind until she killed that man, responsible for their misery, the ancestor of Hans. Still, the curse was not lifted off her, "Your wife is truly a blessing to me," It took her a long time to realize that.''''


    Jun Zixuan smiled as he sipped his coffee, ''''She is. You want to go back to your world?"


    "That world doesn''t exist anymore. It''s in the past. It has passed centuries ago. Now, you can barely find them in your history books," Mia whispered as she blinked rapidly, looking at the stars.


    ''''Stop that. My wife is badly influenced by people like you,'''' Jun Zixuan casually said.


    "I am not crying or whining,'''' Mia ced her coffee mug on the floor.


    "Oh, did I mention that?'' Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''You just admitted it.''''


    This sly fox. Mia nced at him with squinted eyes, only to realize that there was something wrong with her wording.


    ''''What?"


    ''''I was wondering whether my mother had an illegitimate son somewhere. You could be my long-lost brother,'''' this man was slyer than her.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, ''''Tell me about her brother.''''


    ''''He is very cute. You will love him,'''' She thought back to the times when Han Jian Yu will cook for her. A very cute man indeed.


    What happened today...she did not me him for it as it was her who was assuming things. Truth to be told, from the day he took her in, she had been creating troubles for him, in one way or another and she even messed with his women.


    So, it was better that she overheard his thought about her today. For one, she realized how childish she had been. For another thing, it gave her a reality check. She had promised Yu Mei to stay away from her brother but then, she ended up staying at his ce, wanting to take him as her concubine.


    She would rather not have a harem if it meant to hurt Yu Mei. She realized that she had strayed from the original path that she had nned for herself. Fun, freedom, and Money. That''s all she wanted in this life. Yes, that''s it.


    Jun Zixuan nodded. Well, initially, he was not that fond of kids but since Yu Jinhai is adorable, the same will go for her biological brother too.


    If only he knew that only beauty-obsessed people like Mia will call Han Jian Yu ''cute''.


    "I want to stay at Ren Mansion for a few days before I move out to my new house,'''' Mia spoke after some time.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her.


    ...


    ''''Ughh...'''' Yu Mei groaned as she rolled to the other side of the bed. Feeling the coldness on the other side, she opened her eyes only to find it empty. Her expressions morphed into horror. ''''What the heck!!"


    It was just a dream?!


    And now, Jun Zixuan has really left her?


    And she spent the whole night dreaming about how would her confession go? No wonder...No wonder his reaction was neutral.


    So, it was a dream.


    "Damn..." She gathered all her courage to confess to him but it only happened in her dream. From where would she gather the courage to confess everything to him in real?


    She sat up on the bed, terrified at thought of it, ''''I should just run away and be a monk. I am not dealing with this-" She paused as she looked around.


    The room was drastically different from the one in the Jun Manor. She slowly looked around the ce before getting off the bed.


    She grabbed the dark velvet curtains before pushing them to the side and sunlight invaded the partially dark room. The ss wall greeted her sight along with the vast sea, ''''Monk subscription cancel....'''' She sighed, pressing her forehead on the wall, relief washed over her entire body and heart.


    So, it was not a dream.


    Thank god.


    She tilted her head upwards. Even the ss ceiling was covered with ayer of velvet. She walked towards the bedside table and her gazended on the small remote. Quite doubtfully, she pressed the ''off'' switch and immediately, all the curtains were removed from the ss room and she was not able to see anything under the ring sunlight. She quickly pressed the ''on'' switch.


    "Zixuan...?" As she looked around the room, her gazended on a small note on the floor. It must have been pushed there by her.


    She squatted before picking it up.


    ''Morning, Love. Come downstairs after freshening up.''


    The corner of her lips tugged up.


    She giggled before kissing the note.


    Yu Mei paused, realizing her weird actions, ''''What am I, a teenager?" She sighed exasperatedly but ended up smiling at the sight of the cute little note again.

 Chapter 282 - Compatibility Issues

    While Jun Zixuan was on a phone call, he felt a sudden push from the back as a certain someone hugged him, tightly wrapping her arms around his body. A smile made its way on his lips as he hung up the call before turning around.


    She tiptoed before pressing a kiss on his lips, "I am starving,'''' She whispered.


    "Me too,'''' His gaze darkened as he grabbed the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, sucking her tongue. He nced at the woman who was wearing nothing other than his ck shirt, her cleavage, her skin, everything was left for his eyes to ravage on.


    ''''I am hungry. LITERALLY,'''' She mumbled when he let go of her lips.


    He raised an eyebrow, "That''s not surprising. You skipped dinner.''''


    Yu Mei looked around, ''''Where is Mia?"


    "She wanted to leave. She should be in Ren Mansion by now,'''' Jun Zixuan nced at the time on his wristwatch.


    ''''Ren Mansion?"


    ''''She wants to stay there for some time."


    "And you let her?" He did not even let Jun Boyan stay there.


    He raised an eyebrow, "What do you think?"


    She kissed his chin, ''''You are the best.''''


    As much as she wanted to stay there a little longer but they had to go back to Beijing today as Jun Zixuan had a board meeting to attend, while she had a lot of work waiting for her andter, Yu Jinhai mighte to meet them.


    After having breakfast together, they left for Jun Manor in his private jet.


    Unlike the first time they came here, Yu Mei felt like the ce was empty.


    She overheard the servants talking that Jun Zihao had gone abroad in the morning.


    Old Madam Jun and Old Master Jun were inside their room since they had a fall out with their son and with their deeds being publicized on the tabloids, they were left humiliated for the way they had treated Jun Zixuan in the past.


    Yu Mei was not even a little guilty for it, even though her heart ached a bit for them...Just a bit.


    You obsess over power all your life, try to control everything and everyone around you only to have it slip through the gap of fingers right in front of your eyes.


    This was an age for them to stay with their family, be happy but they were left alone, to lean on each other.


    When she took that step, she knew it would end up like this. But these were the consequences of their actions, one that they deserved. She might be ruthless for doing this but she did not regret it. After all, the young Jun Zixuan also never deserved that kind of horrible childhood.


    If she had not made this move, Old Madam Jun would have started her tricks. After all, she did bring Han Jingyi to the Jun Manor with such motives. Yu Mei was not a fool.


    Her mind was reeling from a few things over the past few days, like Jun Zihao''s matter to how to confess the truth to Jun Zixuan but that did mean that she won''t notice anything.


    Her EQ was a little messy but her IQ was normal.


    Yu Mei wondered why that cake face woman disappeared all of a sudden.


    "What are you thinking about?" Jun Zixuan stepped out of the walk-in closet, wearing a casual ck shirt paired with a pair of grey trousers.


    ''''Thinking about how hot you look in this,'''' She let her eyes roam on his body a little longer.


    He grabbed her waist, pulling her towards him, ''''How about you feel...." He nibbled on her ear, "...that how hot I am.''''


    ''''What do you mean?" Her neck arched slightly as he ced soft kisses on her skin.


    He grabbed her bottom, pulling her closer to himself and she felt something poking her even through theyer of clothes. Her breath hitched as her face burned. "If you know, you know.''''


    ''Knock''


    "Third Young Master, Third Young Mistress, the luggage has been settled in the car.''''


    Jun Zixuan nced at the closed door before looking at Yu Mei, "Shall we get going then?"


    "Go where?" She blinked.


    ''''What do you think?" He asked teasingly.


    She snapped out of her daze, ''''Y-Yes, let''s go.''''


    Heughed.


    She kicked him but he pulled her into a hug.


    "Zixuan..."


    "Mmm?"


    "Don''t you want to meet your father before we leave?"


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "I didn''t have a father for more than 2 decades of my life. I don''t need one now.''''


    She lowered her head.


    ''''Anything else you are hiding?"


    ''''Are you a worm in my stomach....?" She scratched her neck when he narrowed his eyes, ''''He is in Beijing right now, pursuing mother-inw to take him back.''''


    His lips thinned.


    She grabbed his hand, ''''It''s up to you whether you want to ept him or not. But this matter is between them. Let''s leave it up to mother-inw to decide. Stop being controlling.''''


    Jun Zixuan sighed as he massaged his forehead, "What am I going to do with you?"


    She smiled, ''''You are not angry?"


    He shed her a pointed stare. It would probably take him another life to be angry at her. Moreover, there was nothing wrong with what she said.


    As they walked out of Jun Manor, hand in hand, they bumped into Su Ning.


    ''''You both are leaving?" Su Ning walked towards them.


    ''''Yes,'''' Yu Mei smiled, "What are you doing here? And you look really different today."


    Su Ning tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear as she looked at herself, "Maybe it''s the outfit,'''' She was wearing a casual T-shirt and a pair of jeans, "I am here to meet Father... Uncle Zishen before I leave.''''


    Yu Mei''s gazended on her empty ring finger and she did not miss the way she addressed Jun Zishen.


    "You both broke up,'''' Jun Zixuan remarked, without beating around the bush.


    Su Ning shrugged, "Compatibility issues," She did not mention the real reason behind their breakup.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    Su Ning cleared her throat, not meeting his gaze.


    Yu Mei nced at Su Ning, "Whatever it is...you should be happy that you are single now. You can fool around, check out some hot guys, date one and talk with another-'''' She paused, feeling a piercing stare on her, "Of course, dating you is different, baby. No one is hotter than you,'''' She coddled him before things went in the wrong direction.


    ''''Humph!" He turned his face away.


    Su Ning was speechless. Was Jun Zixuan this iceberg throwing tantrums to be coaxed by Yu Mei?


    She held back the urge tough.


    ''''He is not here, by the way,'''' Jun Zixuan nced at her.


    ''''Uncle Zishen?"


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''Yes, he is in Beijing.''''


    "Oh,'''' Su Ning was a bit disappointed.


    "But where are you going?" Yu Mei asked.

 Chapter 283 - I Am Resigning

    "States. Rejoining my dream job. Anyways..." Su Ning hugged Yu Mei, "Happy journey.''''


    Yu Mei smiled, "To you too,''''


    Su Ning hugged Jun Zixuan, "Happy journey,'''' Perhaps it was for the best that she ced an end to that toxic rtionship. It was not easy to get over a man whom she adored all her youth but she found it easier to breathe at this moment and she believed it will be better with time.


    Jun Zixuan sighed as he patted her back, ''''Find yourself a better man this time. Don''t go around dating people blindly," His words targeted both the women.


    Su Ning rolled her eyes while Yu Mei continued ring at him until they got inside the car.


    ''''You taunted me there.''''


    He pinched her cheeks, ''''Did I?"


    "You did,'''' She swatted away his hand.


    Heughed, ''''I am curious.''''


    ''''About?"


    "You,'''' He nced at her.


    ''It won''t end well if you start getting curious about any other woman,'' She thought. "What are u curious about?" came her quick question.


    ''''How did Jun Zihao saw your birthmark?"


    ''''Uh... It gets pretty visible in such swimming suits and attires,'''' It was just kind of puppy love for her even though it left a deep impact on her teenager self but they had not gone that further.


    ''''Then he saw the birthmark on Han Mei''s body?" As she nodded, he smiled, ''''Very well.''''


    She blinked, cowering back in her seat. His smile at this moment was shouting ''I am one step away from sting but no...I won''t show it on my face. Never''.


    She gulped and quickly grabbed his shoulder, ''''Baby, how about we swim together someday? We have never done it before," She blinked her starry eyes.


    And the ice in his eyes melted. He loosened his cor, clearing his throat. ''''Sure.''''


    She smiled in victory.


    He sighed, knowing that it was her little scheme to divert his attention. Just how easy he was to be seduced?


    "Since he saw it on Han Mei, he should know you as Yu Mei Zhen...'''' Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, "How did he get to know that you both are the same person?''''


    Her lips twitched. What a tough man! He wasn''t going off-topic anytime soon, was he?


    He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to speak.


    ''''Uh...'''' She awkwardly tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, tilting her head downwards, ''''He was in the gray area, hovering near I could be Han Mei and I could also not be her. I confessed the truth and brought him to the white area.''''


    The corner of his lips twitched, "Had you been this honest with me, half of our problems would never have existed.''''


    She pouted slightly. She had her own struggles in mind.


    "And what did you tell him?" He was not going to melt this time. No. Even though his hands reached out to pull her in a hug.


    ''''Why should I tell you?" Her fingers drew circles on his chest.


    ''''Because....'''' His hand slid down her back as his fingers settled on her waist, "Two can y the game,'''' Before she couldprehend the meaning of his words, her body jolted as his fingers tickled her.


    This ruthless man..."Hahaha...S-Stop...I''ll t-tell..." She slumped into his arms, ''''I didn''t tell him anything. He just assumed that I was hiding my real identity from him during our rtionship. He thought that I am Yu Mei and I was pretending to be Han Mei when I was with him.''''


    ''''And what was the need for you to confess to him that you are his ex-girlfriend?" Thest term left a bitter taste in his mouth but he needed to understand how her brain processed so he would not be caught off guard by something else in the future.


    ''''Well, you weren''t talking to me that night after that ice cream incident. So, I snapped at him and revealed it.''''


    A vein on his forehead throbbed.


    "Don''t give me that look. Had you not ignored me, this would not have happened. I would not have told him about it. Basically, men are the root of allplications.''''


    "And women sure do know how to shift me. I was ignoring you because I could see it that you truly did not like blueberry ice cream as he said,'''' It was frustrating that another man knew her more than he did and he was not even aware of the kind of rtionship they had because she never told him.


    He understood it now that she told him everything but at that time, he felt conflicted at many points. Especially when Jun Zihao came into the picture. From the very first day in the garden, he noticed the unusual air between them as much as they masked it.


    She pressed a soft kiss on his jaws, "I am sorry,'''' She whispered, "...It was never my intention to make you feel like that. I just thought that you would not know and we will be fine like the way we were. But...I just realized that secrets don''t sit well in rtionships,'''' She sighed, "Don''t hold grudges anymore, okay?"


    ''''I was just curious...'''' and a bit jealous. He grabbed her hand before kissing her knuckles, ''''...I can never bring myself to hold grudges against you.''''


    ...


    Beijing.


    12 am, Sunshine Hospital.


    ''Bam''


    Shi Luo kicked the door of the Chairman''s office as she barged inside, ''''Here is my resignation,'''' She mmed the papers on the table.


    The middle-aged man adjusted his sses, ''''Manners, Dr. Shi.''''


    ''''Manners my foot, have you taken me for a cow who will work her ass off so that you can suck benefits for your hospital? I, Shi Luo, am not a woman whom an old fox like you can manipte.''''


    The man cleared his throat. It was true that he never left a chance to extort some benefits from her. After all, she was a world-famous skin specialist. Wealthy people from various nations have to queue up for an appointment. How could he not take little advantages when she became a doctor at his humble abode?


    "I. am. resigning," Shi Luo snarled, snapping him out of his daze.


    ''''You have signed a contract.''''

 Chapter 284 - Grudges(unedited)

    "So did you," Shi Lu rolled up the sleeves of her white suit jacket as she folded her arms in front of her chest, ''''The contract states that I only work for 3 days, at most 4 days. I was in Amaranthine yesterday when I got the call from the hospital that there is an emergency. I rushed here, taking the first flight, only to know that I was duped.''''


    The chairman flinched at her cold tone and with dark circles around her eyes, she looked no less than a zombie...A scary one.


    ''''There is no emergency. Just arge queue of normal patients who were told that Dr. Shi is avable today,'''' She did not mind working it out for it was her profession and her job but that did not mean she would tolerate the hospital''s poor work ethic.


    She did not get a wink of sleep since yesterday night.


    ''''Well, don''t me the hospital, Dr. Shi. We are helpless. You have offended a big shot.''''


    Shi Luo frowned, "And who did I offend?"


    "The Chief of Eminence, President Jun Zixuan,'''' The Chairman announced smugly, relishing the look of shock on her face. Dr. Shi is usually nothing less than a tigress for there were not many people who would mess with her so this was indeed exciting to witness.


    Shi Luo felt dizzy, her head took a few spins as she nced at the middle-aged man, ''''Which Zixuan did you say?"


    ''''It''s Jun... JUN ZIXUAN,'''' The Chairman was happy to clear her doubts. Even getting a call from that big shot''s assistant was something to be proud of for him.


    Shi Luo''s phone started ringing in her hand. She nced at the caller ID nkly before answering the call, "Mu Shen, Jun Zixuan is a jerk,'''' She spoke through gritted teeth as she broke a vase from the office desk before storming out.


    The smile on the Chairman''s face froze. W-What did she say? A-And why did it seem like she is familiar with the Chief of Eminence?


    Mu Shen...? Is it the film Emperor whoes from an influential family in Amaranthine?


    He could have denied his thoughts if it was any other person but then it was Shi Luo, she herself was a big shot.


    But he could believe about her knowing the film Emperor, but does she really know the Chief of Eminence?


    Whatever it was, he felt d that he has not offended her that much. He decided to treat this pearl, even more, better in the future.


    His gazended on his broken face, "My darling~" His heart broke. Why are these youngsters so hot-headed?


    Shi Luo summarized everything to Mu Shen as she walked out of the hospital.


    "What are you talking about? Is it true?"


    "What else? Am I lying?" She stepped inside her car before leaning back on the driver''s seat.


    ''''But yesterday, Mei should have gone to confess to him..." Mu Shen''s mind was still reeling on yesterday''s revtions. Han Mei Yu Mei...Yu Mei Han Mei... Mei and Mei. Both are the same people. He was still quite shaken about it and wondered how his friend reacted to it.


    Another realization that dawned on him was that Jun Zixuan was insane when it came to love. He loved twice and loved the same person.


    "So, Ah Xuan should be busy digesting all that. Where would he get the time and energy to mess with you?" He sighed. Yesterday, while Shi Luo was updating him on the whole story, she received a call from the hospital for an emergency and so he dropped her at the airport and she went to Beijing on the first flight while his whole night was spent on solving the Han Mei and Yu Mei equation. It was astonishing for he has never heard of anything this wild and fantastical.


    ''''How would I know?" Shi Luo banged her head on the steering wheel only to wince a secondter.


    ''''...Unless you have offended him like hell...''''


    ''''Why would I offend him? Are you nuts-'''' Shi Luo paused.


    ''Han Mei is very happy now. She fell in love with a waiter at a bar and they married within a month. She is a housewife now. They are busy in their lives since they are nning for their second child already....''


    Shi Luo flinched just recalling those words. Moreover, they were not the only things she told him, there were many exaggerations but hell, at that time, Yu Mei was sure about divorce. She med it on that woman who had to fall for Jun Zixuan after all her ''We are just friends. Just friend...Just friends...Yes, not more than that...JUST FRIEND.''


    Damn you girl! She swore she would not kill her off when she is back.


    ''''How could I forget those lies of yours that left him depressed for a couple of days?" Mu Shen sighed, as he listened to her. He could not help but pity her.


    So, in the end, it was only Yu Mei, against whom Jun Zixuan would not hold a grudge. The rest of the world had to suffer his wrath in one way or another.


    Shi Luo dragged her exhausted body to her apartment. She pressed her forehead on the door, entering the pin but she was so sleepy that she ended up entering the wrong pin. She pped her face before re-entering it.


    ''Ding''


    The door was unlocked and she stepped inside the dimly lit living room. By this time, she could already hear her bed calling her.


    She kicked away her shoes and threw away the car keys. She removed the suit jacket with her eyes still closed before removing the rest of her clothes, from her top to her jeans. Her body rxed. She dragged herself to the guest room instead of walking to her bedroom which was at a distance.


    Without bothering to wash herself up, she stumbled towards the bed in the dark before slumping on it.


    She covered herself with the nket before closing her eyes, relishing the feeling of peace.


    Working for almost 20 hours straight...she could barely set apart east from west. Her body was not even responding anymore.

 Chapter 285 - Not A Dream

    [Mature content in the chapter]


    "Wee home,'''' Mia uninterestedly waved a hand at the couple who were still very much in their pink bubble. She walked towards the dining table and grabbed an apple, munching on it.


    ''''Jie~ Brother-inw~" Yu Jinhai stood up from the couch before running towards them.


    Jun Zixuan ruffled his hair while Yu Mei squatted, poking his cheeks, "You have gotten taller.''''


    "As tall as Brother-inw.''''


    ''''Uh...No, less than him,'''' Yu Meiughed.


    Mia rolled her eyes, ''''You could have lied to him to keep his little heart.''''


    ''''Lies be the cause of my misery so I have taken an oath to not lie again," She sighed, "Moreover, you need to stop eating like a picky little bird or else how would you grow up?" She nced at Yu Jinhai.


    ''''Brother-inw~" The boy hugged Jun Zixuan''s thighs for protection.


    And Jun Zixuan had no issues with it.


    Yu Mei sighed exasperatedly before walking towards Mia, "How do you feel?"


    ''''I am good. Why do you ask?" Mia shrugged as she continued munching on her apple.


    ''''You were upset yesterday. Do you think I won''t notice? I did not ask to not make you ufortable.''''


    ''''I was only missing my parents. I told your husband about that.''''


    ''''When did you both be so close?" Yu Mei asked in surprise.


    "Well, he could be illegitimate brother. He is foxier than me,'''' Miaughed at her own joke.


    Yu Mei was speechless. This woman has probably been working on her sense of humortely.


    ''''I am going to cultivate a little to stabilize my powers. I wille out of the room after I am done,'''' Mia winked before waving at both the men, one big and one small, ''''See ya, brothers!" She walked upstairs.


    ''''Bye Sister Mia, I wille to see you again,'''' It was Yu Jinhai''s first time meeting her but he already liked this cool sister.


    "Master...Young Mistress,'''' Steward Gu bowed at them before looking at Yu Jinhai, ''''Young Master Yu, your driver is waiting outside.''''


    Yu Jinhai nced at his wristwatch, ''''It''s time for my art lessons.''''


    Looking at his reluctant expressions, Jun Zixuan patted his head, ''''Go ahead and attend your sses. You cane here whenever you want.''''


    Yu Mei averted her gaze from Mia''s retreating back before walking towards them, "And we will alsoe to meet you.''''


    ''''Promise?"


    "Of course,'''' Jun Zixuan smiled.


    As soon as she stepped inside the room, Yu Mei stretched her body. It was not just a small trip to Amaranthine. It felt like a world tour to her. "Ah..." A gasp escaped when she was suddenly twirled around.


    Jun Zixuan picked her up in his arms and her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.


    ''''Wh-''''


    He shut her up with a kiss that came out of nowhere, his lips moved roughly over hers as his hand settled below her bottom, pulling her closer to himself.


    It took her moment to adjust in the position. Despite her racing heart, she grabbed the back of his head, fisting his hair. .


    He single handedly ripped her flimsy shirt off and she gasped when he threw her onto the bed as she bounced on the soft mattress.


    He unbuttoned his shirt and her heart picked its pace. She looked at him, taking in the sight of him unabashedly. The sight of him was so enticing that she forgot that she was lying half naked.


    "Seen enough?"


    Her cheeks flushed as she sat up, her fingers tugging at his belt.


    His gaze darkened as he tilted her chin, "ying with a man''s belt, do you know what that means?"


    She slowly tugged the loose strands of her hair behind her ear as she nced at him. "It means what it means. You don''t understand?"


    His eyes narrowed as he lowered himself, "What got you so bold in bed?" He whispered beside her ear, biting her earlobe, trailing wet kisses to her.


    She grabbed his shoulder, biting his neck, "P-Probably you...'''' She softly mumbled.


    He chuckled as he grabbed the back of her neck, kissing her hard again.


    He pinned her to the bed. Grabbing her hands above her head, his lips trailed downwards, from her chin down to her cleavage. He bit her hardening nipple through her bra as her body arched, her lips turning dry as she clutched the sheets in her fist.


    ''Ring Ring''


    Her eyes snapped open, "T-There''s a call...''''? A gasp escaped her lips he kissed her cleavage, "Ignore it," He mumbled, his hot breath fanning her breasts.


    Her body turned hot as she tried to press her legs together, but one of his knees grazed past her legs parting them enough for her to shiver.


    She trembled when his rough palm stroked her inner thighs through her skirt as his lips peppered soft kisses over her neck.


    ''Ring Ring''


    She blinked.


    "20 seconds,'''' He grabbed her phone from beside the pillow before passing it to her.


    "20 seconds?" She looked at him questioningly.


    "To get done with the call.''''


    She speechlessly answered the call, "Speak," Her voice came out a bit hoarse as the man continued kissing her neck.


    Her fingers dug into his back, her toes curled. He unhooked her bra from the front and took one of her breasts in his mouth.


    "Ah...N-No...Continue speaking," She bit her lips, trying to sound as indifferent as possibly.


    His teeth tugged her hardening nipple and she suppressed another moan, "A-Alright," She hung up the call.


    "Done?" He nced at her, eyes shining as his tongue licked one of her breast, his palm kneading another.


    "Yes," Her breathing was uneven at this point. Hell, she wanted much more than this.


    "So, what was it for?'''' He asked, his thumb ying with her soft mounds.


    ''''W-Work schedule for tomorrow,'''' she was flustered, every inch of her body was aching in need.


    ''''Tomorrow?" He sat up and pulled her onto hisp.


    ''''Mmm. What''s wrong?"


    He nced at her quietly before wrapping the nket around her, covering her like a dumpling.


    "W-What''s this?"


    ''''A nket to ensure a good sleep," He carried her in his arms before cing her head on the pillow, ''''You have work tomorrow so go to sleep now.''''


    Her jaws dropped, ''''Zixuan..." She was speechless, ''''You...''


    ''''Yes?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She pointed a finger at herself, "You can''t leave me hanging,'''' Her whole body was almost on fire.


    "You have work, love, don''t you?" He turned around, "I''m going to a ''COLD SHOWER''. Do sleep tight.''''


    Yu Mei was speechless, ''''Tell me, what are you upset for?"


    No reply.


    She speechlessly slumped on the bed like a dead fish. She also needed a cold shower.


    What a torment of a man!


    ...


    6:50 am.


    Shi Luo poked Jun Boyan''s cheeks.


    ''''What are you doing in my dream huh?" Shezily mumbled looking at him through her half-lidded eyes, ''''Your brother is torturing me in really world and you are hovering in my dreand.''''


    Jun Boyan, who had yet toe out of his shock, nced at the woman stered to him. ''''Not a dream,'''' He managed to mutter, still in a daze.

 Chapter 286 - Special Occasion

    ''''You must be kidding,'''' Shi Luo froze all of a sudden as the realization dawned on her. This...was too vivid to be a dream. She sat up on the bed in a sh, pointing her finger at him, "What the fuc-" She pressed a palm on her mouth before it could vomit more profanities.


    Jun Boyan''s gaze trailed past her soft curves, her toned body which was sporting just her innerwear, the tips of his ears turned red as he immediately looked at her face, not letting his gaze travel lower.


    Goosebumps rose on her body at a gust of cold wind, she slowly nced at her body. Her eyes widening in horror. She nced back at him but the man had his eyes closed, and the tips of his ears were visibly red.


    She was speechless. She could not even call him a pervert. Where was she going the vent her frustration.


    ''''Sit there. Don''t look at me. I''ll be back,'''' She dashed inside the bathroom of the guest room and after putting on a robe, she came back to him. ''''Open now.''''


    Jun Boyan nced at her. Even though she was dressed better but his mind was still shing that picture of her. He cleared his throat before getting off the bed. ''''You are sister-inw''s friend.''''


    ''''I am but is there any reason to mention it, at this moment...." She stepped closer to him and he stepped back, ''''When you woke up in my house....my room...on my bed and in my arms-''''


    ''''In my arms,'''' He corrected her, ''''You woke up in my arms.''''


    Her face flushed, ''''That''s not the point...Ugh...'''' She lost her bnce in a moment of fluster but he quickly supported her before she could fall.


    Hands on her waist with that handsome face dangerously close.


    Shi Luo gasped, ''''Let go of me.''''


    ''Bam''


    She fell on her butt.


    ''''Ugh...I did not mean it literally.''''


    Jun Boyan raised a brow, ''''You should mean what you speak," He extended a hand towards her and she grabbed it as he pulled her up.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Jun Boyan narrated everything to her in details, "....She told me that you are abroad,'''' Only after he came here did he realize that the mentioned friend of Yu Mei was a girl because of the house interior so he did not venture inside the whole ce and settled in the first room, deciding to leave in a few days.


    Little did he know that this friend was Shi Luo. There was not even a picture of her in the living room.


    Shi Luo massaged her forehead. Yu Mei might have forgotten to tell her about this for the chaos in her own life and then her return to Beijing was also unexpected.


    ''''Luoluo....Luoluo...''''''


    ''''Mom?" Shi Luo''s eyes widened, "What is she doing here?"


    ''''Let''s go greet her...''''


    ''''You...Are you her son-inw that she would take your greeting well?" Shi Luo snapped at him as she spoke in a whisper, ''''My mom might panic seeing a wild man in my room.''''


    Jun Boyan nced at himself. Did he look like a wild man?


    She grabbed his hand and dragged him all around the room, "Where to hide you...?" She groaned. There must be something wrong with her stars as her luck was deterioratingtely.


    He nced at their interwined fingers nkly.


    Her eyes lit up, ''Get inside the wardrobe.''


    ''Gasp''


    The door was pushed open as Shi Luo''s mother stood there frozen.


    Shi Luo stiffened, ''''...Mom...It is not what you think it is.''''


    Jun Boyan did not know why he had the urge tough but he tamped it down under Shi Luo''s cold re.


    ....


    In the President suite of the the 7-star luxurious Crown.


    ''''You didn''t skip your lunch, did you?" Yu Mei asked.


    Jun Zixuan nced at his phone which was was on speaker, kept on the bedside table, ''''I didn''t. What about you?"


    ''''I ate a little here and there. I am not hungry.''''


    ''Knock''


    ''''Come in.''''


    Steward Gu stepped inside as he bowed to him.


    ''''Don''t overwork yourself,'''' Jun Zixuan buttoned his ck shirt before before picking up the phone from table. Turning the speaker off, he pressed the ced the phone beside his ear, "Mei, do you have timeter in the evening?"


    ''''Ah, now that you mention time, I just remember I have been working since 7 am in the morning and It''s already 6 pm. Damn, I idled around too much. They have left some departments in a mess,'''' She mumbled in an exhausted voice.


    ''''Today, I...I mean it is...''''


    She interrupted him, ''''I have three meetings scheduled in an hour. Let''s talkter, shall we?... Keep those files there and give me a list of employees in the PR department....Yes..." There were rustling sounds in the background, "Baby, I will call you backter,'''' She hung up.


    Jun Zixuan nced at his phone nkly for a few seconds before letting out a helpless sight.


    ''''Master, Young Mistress might not know about it. Shall I inform her that it is your birthday today?" Steward Gu frowned.


    He did not med it on Yu Mei for she was not even informed about his name during their marriage but right now, it was apparent that his Master was taking the initiative to tell her about it, but she probably did not listen. Looking at the man''s lonely back, he realized the importance of Yu Mei in his life was probably much more than what he shows.


    ''''No need,'''' Jun Zixuan tucked his hand in his pocket, ''''She is busy recently. Don''t bother too much,'''' She stayed up all night yesterday to finish her ongoing design and she was already exhausted when she left Ren Mansion, his heart ached for her.


    Had he not restrained himself, he might have restricted her from doing everything that was tiring but then again, she won''t like it so he knew when to stop.


    Steward Gu sighed, ''''Master, they are all here,'''' he said. Other than his Master''s birthday, there was another special asion today.

 Chapter 287 - Celebration Dinner

    Today was the corporate anniversary of Eminence, one of the grand events of the year that was followed by the celebration dinner. Every year, it has been the trending news but what was different this time that the man behind Eminence has been revealed to the public.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''You can leave.''''


    Steward Gu bowed before he turned around and left.


    Jun Zixuan sat on the bed, gazing at his phone nkly. It lit up suddenly and he nced at the caller ID for a few seconds before answering the call, ''''Mom.''''


    ''''Happy Birthday, Ah Xuan...'''' Shen Lihua sighed, ''''You are 24 so soon. I am still quite used to my chubby little Prince from the past. Look at you now, I can''t even pinch your cheeks.''''


    The corner of his lips twitched into a small smile.


    ''''I have been wanting to do this since a long time but I could not muster my courage. Ah Xuan, forgive mom for everything that I made you go through. I was weak when I was required to stand up for you. I should have walked out of that ce even before that family made you suffer...'''' Shen Lihua sobbed softly, ''''B-But I didn''t. And when it came to the time when I should have let you pursue your happiness, I stubbornly had you marry using my health-''''


    ''''Mom, it is all in the past. Let''s just get over that, shall we?" Jun Zixuan sighed, "You don''t need to apologize to me.''''


    Shen Lihua sighed, ''''I really should not get started about all this on such a big asion. Are youing here with Mei?"


    ''''Some other day. I am busy with the event today,'''' Jun Zixuan picked up the suit jacket from the bed, ''''Are you fine?"


    There was a pause on the other side of the phone, ''''Are you talking about him?"


    ''''Yes.''''


    "He came here yesterday. I did not let him in the house. He should be gone now.''''


    Jun Zixuan paused, ''''If he pesters you, make sure to tell me.''''


    Shen Lihuaughed, ''''Alright.''''


    ...


    Eminence''s celebration dinner was extravagant and iparable like every year.


    Soft music drifted in the air as the waiters and waitresses waived their way through the crowd, taking in the mour of the night.


    Under the luxurious chandelier, politicians, higher officials of military, the Presidents of various country and many other VIPs were holding wine sses and socializing.


    ''''I can see people from nations away gathered here.''''


    ''''It is the first time the Chief of Eminence is showing up in front of the public. How could there not be some flies to bootlick him?'''' A politician who knew Jun Zixuan personally,mented.


    ''''Sigh...this is bound to happen. The man had the world''s attention since the year Eminence came to limelight.''''


    While the men were immersed in such conversations, women that included many actresses, sisters or rtives of the men present there and their wives and other influential identities had their other rounds going on.


    "What do you think is the rtion between President Leanne and President Jun?"


    ''''Friends...?''''


    ''''Do you hear yourself? Their pictures that were released? inpromising positions where he was seen carrying her intimately revealed how much of friends they are.''''


    ''''Ah, the CEO of Rosette sure hit a jackpot. Who would not want to have President Jun for herself?''''


    ''''They might breakupter. What are you worrying about?"


    ''''Gasp...Is it the film Emperor?"


    The crowd of women nced in the direction of the entrance of the venue where Mu Shen stepped inside, dressed in a navy blue tuxedo.


    ''''Yes, but he rarelyes to such events.''''


    ''''Oh damn...We can''t have President Jun but atleast we can have a little try with the film emperor,'''' An actress squealed. After all, everyone knew about his messy private life. Once he got interested in her, one night with him and then fame was sure to follow.


    ''''It is not that easy to get his attention. Moreover, do you see the bodyguards around him?"


    ''''Did anyone notice that he is here without a date?"


    Mu Shen, however, for the first time, did not have his attention on women. He nced at the time on his wristwatch. His has been trying to contact Jun Zixuan since morning but the man is unavable.


    The star performers of the night presented their performances, entertaining the guests. There was a famous pianist invited especially for this event.


    But people were restless for the man of the night was yet to be seen.


    A little whileter... amotion started around the ce, particrly at the entrance as Jun Zixuan finally made his appearance.


    He carried a regal aura around him that was enough to intimidate anyone yet captivating them at the same time.


    Mu Shen approached the man as soon as he saw him, ''''Do you have any concern for me, a poor soul who is still reeling over your wife''s revtion?" Mu Shen hugged the man, whispering beside his ear.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips curled down, ''''You are disgusting.''''


    Mu Shen lips twitched, ''''No, would you only be hugged by your wife? It''s your birthday today. Happy Birthday! I am going to hug you even if you are reluctant about it.''''


    Cameras shed in their direction as the reporters who had decided to be civil today finally lost theirposure.


    ''''President Jun, you and the film Emperor...what kind of rtionship do you have?"


    ''''You appear rather close.''''


    Even the guests were surprised, except for a few influential people who were aware of the friendship between the Jun Zixuan and the son of Mu Family.


    ''''President Jun, what is the rtionship between you and President Lean-''''


    Jun Zixuan''s icy gazed trailed past them and they shrank back in fear. They had yet to mention the CEO of Rosette but they cowered.


    Mu Shen reluctantly let go of Jun Zixuan. His friend might spare but his tsundere wife will fry him up if rumours regarding both of them as a gay couple started spreading. "We are childhood friends,'''' He nonchntly answered them before ncing at Jun Zixuan ''Join meter'' he mouthed before walking towards the bar counter.


    Jun Zixuan''s bodyguard a mic to him.

 Chapter 288 - A Public Confession

    ''''I wee you here for the annual anniversary of Eminence. Enjoy yourself,'''' His words were precise and his tone was distant as he passed the mic to his bodyguard but the members of the media and the guests in the hall were sure enough to catch the hidden meaning.


    ''No extra questions''


    That''s what the man meant.


    And they knew that consequences of crossing the line won''t be light for them so they retreated, despite their burning curiosity about this matter.


    Jun Zixuan''s partner?


    Mu Shen VS Yu Mei Zhen.


    But all they could do was hold back.


    Mu Shen''s messy private life ensured that their is a possibility that the man might be slightly bent while Yu Mei Zhen was even more bizarre, no one would know what she would do.


    She was probably the only woman who would tantly snap at the media and humiliate them at times.


    Jun Zixuan walked towards Mu Shen, followed by his bodyguards, who blocked the guests froming after him.


    Mu Shen pushed a barstool for him as both the friends settled in darkest corner.


    ''''Is it true?" Mu Shen asked after the bartender left after serving them the drinks. ''''The Yu and Han thing...''''


    ''''What do you think?" Jun Zixuan grabbed a ss of wine.


    "Of course, I am believing it no matter how weird it is,'''' After all, even Shi Luo has confirmed the fact and he was not blind. The current Yu Mei and Han Mei were like a carbon copy. It''s just that previously he never made such a bizarre guess about it.? Mu Shen held his hand, ''''Your alcohol tolerance is low.''''


    The little exchange did not miss the reporters eyes but they pretended not to see it.


    Jun Zixuan ced the ss of wine aside, his expressions remained cold.


    Mu Shen gulped. Why was he so scary today? ''''Where is Yu Mei?" He asked after thinking over it a bit.


    Jun Zixuan nced at him expressionlessly.


    ''''By any chance, does she....'''' Mu Shen hesitated. ''''...Does she not remember your birthday?"


    Jun Zixuan''s aloof expression cracked slightly.


    Mu Shen gulped again. This was rather explosive. Even though the world is unaware that today not only it is Eminence''s annual anniversary, it is also the CEO''s birthday, but Yu Mei should know about it, especially since she is Han Mei.


    ''''Bro, I can feel you even though I don''t have a girlfriend...?"


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    Mu Shen immediately shut up.


    Suddenly, a gasp was heard from the entrance...


    ....And it was followed by another round of gasps as reporters dashed towards the ce.


    Mu Shen curiously nced at that direction of the red carpet but he could not see anything properly because of the crowd of reporters, ''''Which big shot are they haunting on?" He could see that whoever the person was, there were no bodyguards behind them.


    No wonder, these reporters had gotten the chance.


    Mu Shen sighed, looking at Jun Zixuan''s listless face. ''''How about I call her and remind her amount it? I will ask her to wish you.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''What are we, five? She will wish me and then I will blow candles after that? Your brain is not developing with your age?" His tone lowered dangerously towards the end.


    Mu Shen flinched as he patted his chest where his little heart was residing. This man... is so scary. But still, he appeared pretty immature at this moment, unlike his usual mature self.


    Mu Shen held back his urge tough before unless he provoked the man even more,


    ''''...Ladies and gentleman, you all know me already so I won''t bother with the introductions...''''


    The cool and soft voice drifted off in the premises of the vast hall.


    Mu Shen''s smile on his lips froze.


    Jun Zixuan stiffened.


    Both the men simultaneously raised their heads in the direction of the voice.


    And there she was.


    Dressed a long burgundy gown, she stood on the stage.


    Jun ZIxuan nced at his suit jacket which had a pocket square burgundy handkerchief that went along with her dress.


    This woman...


    She smiled.


    Hair tied in a high ponytail with slight makeup done...


    She looked ethereal.


    Yu Mei shifted the microphone to her left hand as she waved at them before looking at the crowd once again, ''''To be honest, I have had a little problem since a long time....'''' She sighed.


    Everyone was curious including the guests. After all, the woman in front of them was one of the richest women in the world. For her toe onto to the stage like this, her issue must be controversial.


    ''''President Leanne, what is bothering you?"


    ''''Is it something serious...?"


    ''''And why were youte for the celebration dinner?" They almost thought that she is not invited but then given her status, how could she not be? Moreover, her rtionship with the CEO of Eminence also did not appear ordinary.


    "It is something very serious...and pretty incurable,'''' She replied to the second question letting out a listless sigh.


    All the guests straightened up and more especially the women who could barely hold back their curiosity.


    The reporters were on the edge but some of them with hawk like eyes managed to notice the matching outfits of Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei although they did not point it out. It might be coincidence and the man had already given them a small warning. They had no intentions to offend him. So, they could only ce their focus on Yu Mei for the time being.


    ''''In fact, I had been crushing over someone since years,'''' Yu Mei sighed, ''''Only recently did I realize it....''''


    The crowd gasped as the cameras snapped furiously.


    Was it a public confession?


    A public confession was nothing new but the person doing it was the CEO of Rosette and that only made this extraordinary. Not to mention that she was doing it on the Celebration dinner of Eminence''s annual anniversary that meant the person must be here.


    ''''But things went a little up and down and I could not get the chance to confess my feelings so on this special asion of his birthday, I would like to do what I have been wanting to do since a long time...'''' Yu Mei smiled, ''''My special someone, will you please do me the honor ofing here?"

 Chapter 289 - Marry Me?

    While saying so, she nced at a particr dark corner where he was standing frozen looking at her nkly like he could notprehend anything.


    The guests and the reporters looked at each other, wondering who of them could be President Leanne''s ''special one''. Murmurs and whispers ensued until one person followed her gaze and spotted Jun Zixuan making his way towards the stage.


    Gasps echoed across the hall as the realization started sinking on them.


    Mu Shen almost stumbled from the barstool as he watched his friend''s retreating back. For the first time in his more than 2 decades of life, he has seen this shocked expression on Jun Zixuan''s face.


    Yu Mei could feel her heart racing in her chest as she watched him making his way towards her, his steps slow and powerful.


    Was he making her nervous on purpose?


    She wiped her sweaty palm on her gown. She has never done this before.


    As he stood in front of her and his lips parted slightly....


    The lights in the grand hall went off.


    The surroundings were dark leaving the spotlight on them.


    ''''I''ve liked you since a long time. Will you marry me?" Yu Mei went on her knees as she extended her hand towards him, holding a ring in her finger.


    There was a long speech she had prepared but at this moment, all of it slipped from her mind. All she knew was that she wanted to confess to him.


    It was only her and him. She felt like a teenager but she could not help it. She had waited for this way too long.


    The crowd gasped. While many people waited for Yu Mei to be humiliated for her boldness, some were curious about where this will lead to.


    The members of media were eager to get some juicy headline. Were this couple really official? Did Yu Mei really crush on him? They wondered.


    While their were some Meixuan couple stans who had been wanting to see them together ever since their pictures and Jun Zixuan''s real identity came to light.


    After a long time when Jun Zixuan did not move from his spot, Yu Mei brought the mic in her left hand closer to her mouth, ''''My knee is hurting. Are you sure you are not answering me?'''' She sighed, ''''I don''t think I can unlove you now that I am so in love with you. So, here...Let me ask you again. Will you please marry me?'''' She extended the mic towards him.


    But instead of grabbing the mic from her hand, it was her wrist that he grabbed and in one swift move, she was pulled up. Her body crashed against his as she grrabbed his shoulder, surprised by the sudden move, ''''You-''''


    He interrupted her words with a searing french kiss that came out of nowhere.


    The scent of his cologne invaded her nose while he wrapped an arm around her waist, deepening the kiss. She snapped out of her daze when he pulled back, leaving her entirely breathless.


    Cameras snapped furiously while gasps rose across the grand hall.


    But the two people under all the attention were lost in their own little bubble.


    ''''Of course, I will,'''' Jun Zixuan grabbed the back of her head, lightly enough to not mess her hairstyle, but firm enough to keep her head in ce, ''''I will marry you,'''' He said, cing a gentle peck on her lips.


    She smiled. Grabbing his hand, she ced the ring on his ring finger before kissing his lips, ''''You can''t go back on your words...'''' She held his cor and dragged it slightly downwards before speaking beside his ear, ''''...No matter how badly we fight, how much we bicker and how many times I burn the kitchen...In the end, you are sticking to us. Is that clear?"


    Jun Zixuan chuckled, a smile that had almost all the women go weak in knees. A smile that was never on his face since the beginning of the night.


    ''''Very clear,'''' He pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    ''''President Leanne, is that your rumoredtest design?" A reporter pointed at the ring, ''''The one with the carvings of the rarest purple gemstone...?''''


    ''''As you can see, it is,'''' Yu Mei nodded at them as Jun Zixuan lowered the mic to her mouth.


    ''''President Leanne, is true about what you said regarding having a crush on President Jun?"


    ''''Of course, do I look like a liar?''''


    One after another, all questions were directed at Yu Mei because everyone was intimidated by Jun Zixuan and for the very first time in life, Yu Mei was ''kind'' enough to answer the media. Of course, she did not go deep with her answers. She just touched the surface. Questions like where you met and how you met were cleanly dodged by Yu Mei.


    As another rounds of questions came, Jun Zixuan moved the mic towards his mouth, "That should be enough,'''' His tone surprisingly amicable unlike the icy one that they heard before, ''''Enjoy yourselves,'''' His guards received the mic from him while the couple descended the stage hand in hand.


    As amicable as he sounded, nobody dared to mess around any longer. They had adequate information on their hands for it to be trending headlines for weeks or months.


    But everyone''s gaze followed the couple.


    ''''Zixuan, wait...''''


    Jun Zixuan paused as he turned around to nce at her, ''''Grandpa is here...'''' She pointed her chin towards the entrance where Grandpa Yu walked inside holding Yu Jinhai''s hand followed by a trail of bodyguards.


    The little boy d in white tuxedo dashed straight towards Jun Zixuan, "Happy Birthday, Brother-inw.''''


    The guests: "_"


    The reporters: "_"


    How could they forget that Yu Mei mentioned it is her crush''s birthday. Doesn''t that means it President Jun''s birthday?


    Wait...What''s with young Master of Yu Family addressing the man in such way. It seems like they the couple were already set in stone and just had to make things official...

 Chapter 290 - Potential Boyfriend

    Everyone made way for Elder Yu who was the Master of the prestigious Yu Family. ''''Happy Birthday, my boy,'''' The old man patted Jun ZIxuan''s shoulder.


    ''''I am d that you are here,'''' Jun Zixuan''s lips tilted upwards.


    Grandpa Yuughed, ''''If you may take this little gentleman with you...'''' The old man pointed his chin at Yu Jinhai, ''''I have something I want to discuss with my granddaughter.''''


    Yu Mei nced at him questioningly.


    ''''Girl, how are you?" Grandpa Yu asked as soon as they reached a dark corner, away from the prying eyes of media.


    ''''Uhh...I am fine...'''' Why did this old man looked especially scary with those eyes burning with obvious curiosity?


    ''''No No...You must have had a fever,'''' Grandpa Yu sighed.


    Yu Mei shook her head, ''''Eh..No, I am really good. Is there something you want to say, Grandpa?"


    ''''Why did you confess to Jun Boy? It should be the other way around,'''' Grandpa Yu sighed. He was on his way when he heard this news from some little birdies. This little foolish granddaughter of his...


    ''''What''s wrong with me confessing to him?" Yu Mei was curious about what was going on in his mind.


    ''''You...It has to be like that. He is the man here. He should be the one doing it. You should let him do the chasing part. Men are all fond of it,'''' The old man whispered.


    "Aye~ Grandpa, you sure have some experience,'''' Yu Mei winked.


    ''''You little brat,'''' Grandpa Yu sighed, "You don''t understand what I''m saying-''''


    ''''I do, Grandpa. I understand,'''' Yu Mei smiled, ''''But for him, I am willing to break every norm of the society. Jun Zixuan has done much more for me, than anyone will ever know. I don''t have a proper gift for him on his birthday for he has everything in this world but I knew this gift of mine was sure to bring a smile on his face. So how could I not go for it?"


    ''''Haish...Silly girl, he is a lucky man...'''' Grandpa Yu shook his head.


    ''''I am the lucky one here...''''


    On the other side,


    ''''I bet they are gossiping about you,'''' Mu Shen clicked his tongue looking at the granddaughter-grandfather pair. He was still shocked at the public confession that came out of nowhere.


    "Let them gossip then,'''' Jun Zixuan replied with a constant smile on his face as his gaze remained fixated on her.


    Mu Shen was speechless. It was hard to believe that this man was like a wounded tiger some time ago.


    Yu Jinhai nced at Jun Zixuan curiously, ''''Brother-inw..."


    ''''Mhm?" Jun Zixuan nced at him.


    Mu Shen could swear that his voice sounded sweeter than honey and it was giving him goosebumps.


    ''''Are you really very happy today because it is your birthday?" the little boy asked.


    ''''Maybe or mayn''t be. Why do you ask?" Jun Zixuan ruffled his hair.


    ''''You look really happy,'''' Yu Jinhai blinked.


    ''''It''s not his birthday, it''s your sister,'''' Mu Shen mumbled under his breath, ''''Aye! What is there in love that makes everyone crazy? I prefer-'''' He paused, his breathe hitched while his words caught in his throat.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at him and Yu Jinhai did the same. Both of them followed his gaze and nced at the entrance.


    Li Shuang stepped on the red carpet dressed in a simple ck gown.


    The gown clung to her body, entuating her curves.


    Her long straight hair was let down as she stepped inside with her bodyguards behind her.


    Mu Shen exhaled the breath he did not know he was holding.


    As soon as she stepped inside, Yu Jinhai nced at her, ''''Brother-inw, can I go to Shuang Jie?"


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''Go slowly,'''' He waved at one of his bodyguards who immediately went after the little boy.


    ''''Who is that guy with her?'''' Mu Shen asked looking at the huge man walking beside Li Shuang, ''''Is it her boyfriend?" After all, he did not look like a bodyguard.


    Jun Zixuan nced at him, ''''Her partner for the night. Possibly her boyfriend too.''''


    ''''But hey, didn''t she recently break up with a jerk?''''


    ''''What has that got to do with you?"


    Mu Shen averted his gaze from Li Shuang before looking at Jun Zixuan who had his eyes narrowed, ''''Hey, it''s not like what you think...''''


    ''''How do you know what I am thinking?"


    ''''Well...'''' Mu Shen scratched the back of his neck, ''''She...Sigh... I was just curious about her.''''


    Li Shuang walked towards Jun Zixuan, holding Yu Jinhai''s hand , ''''Happy Birthday,''''? She passed him the gift.


    ''''You also know?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Of course,'''' A small smile settled on Li Shuang''s cold face, ''''Mei told me that I am not allowed toe empty-handed.''''


    Jun Zixuan smiled as he received the gift from her, ''''Thank you.''''


    Mu Shen nced at the small box curiously, ''''Can I keep it?"


    ''''But it''s not your birthday,'''' Li Shuang frowned.


    ''''Whatever gift you give me on my birthday, I will give it to him,'''' saying that, he snatched the box from Jun Zixuan''s hand.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow. Wasn''t he ''just curious''?


    ''''Is this your boyfriend?" Mu Shen pointed his chin towards the man behind her.


    Li Shuang shook her head, ''''He is the Vice President of Dream Entertainment, Edward...''''


    Mu Shen nodded at the man named Edward who nodded back at him.


    ''''...My potential boyfriend,'''' She continued expressionlessly.


    ''''My potential brother-inw?'''' Yu Jinhai asked curiously.


    ''''Yes,'''' Edward answered on her behalf, ''''I am pursuing your sister.''''


    Yu Jinhai nced at him nkly and so did Mu Shen.


    When Jun Zixuan spotted Elder Yu walking towards them, he simply stood up and walked out of the awkwardly tense atmosphere.


    ...


    ''''Ah Shuang is here...''''


    Yu Mei followed the old man''s gaze, ''''Who is that man with her?''''


    ''''Her potential boyfriend that she says....''''


    Yu Mei frowned. She has only recently gone through a breakup with that jerk of a man, Zhu Boqin then who is this new guy?


    Li Shuang has been with Zhu Boqin since a long time so it should not be possible for her to fall in love with someone else so fast or is it?

 Chapter 291 - Happy Birthday

    ''''I know what you are thinking,'''' Grandpa Yu shook his head, ''''I forced her to get herself a man.''''


    Her frown deepened.


    ''''Listen to me first before you start ming me,'''' Grandpa Yu sighed, ''''After her parents, she has no one else other than me. Before something happens to me, I want her to settle down-''''


    ''''She has us. And you are still strong and young. Moreover, Shuang is a strong woman. Now that she is the CEO of Dream Entertainment, she does not needs a man to rely on, does she?" Yu Mei interrupted him.


    ''''No matter how strong she shows herself to be, in the end, under that cold face, she is still naive and innocent. Easily broken and trampled on like that Zhu Boqin did with her,'''' He paused, ''''I knew he was not a decent man but that bastard tested his luck eyeing both my granddaughters...''''


    ''''It''s all in the past.''''


    ''''...I know but I still want her to find a shoulder to lean on so I gave her an ultimatum. Either she finds herself a boyfriend, or I will arrange a fianc¨¦ for her. Since this Edward guy was pursuing her, she decided to stick to him to satisfy me. Let''s see where it goes. If they arepatible, I will be happy or else, this time, I will look for a decent man for her...''''


    Yu Mei was speechless.


    As the old man left, her phone started ringing, ''''Luoluo...''''


    ''''Mei, why didn''t you tell me that Jun Boyan is here at my ce?'''' Shi Luo spoke through gritted teeth.


    Yu Mei walked towards a pir before leaning back on it, ''''It slipped off my mind. But what happened?"


    ''''My mom walked-''''


    Yu Mei nced at her phone. Her battery was dead. Just as she was contemting it, a hand grabbed her wrist pulling her away from the crowd and noise.


    ''''Where are you taking me?" She asked Jun ZIxuan, surprised by his sudden move but the man just dragged her until they were in the elevator.


    While they walked away, they did not notice an old man who was intently looking at their retreating backs. He pulled his cap down before walking out of the private exit.


    As the door closed, Jun Zixuan stepped towards her. ''''I thought you were busy...''''


    She retreated to the corner, ''''Of course, I was,'''' She shrugged.


    He lowered his head, cing his forehead against hers. Her alluring scent invaded his senses while she wrapped around his waist. He leaned closer to her, letting his lips graze past her cheek.


    Her neck arched to a side as his lips trailed down to her chin.


    ''''W-We are in the elevator,'''' She whispered, pressing her palms on his chest.


    He wrapped his arms around her waist, his thumb stroked her back through theyers of her gown, ''''Doesn''t matters...'''' He bit her chin.


    ''Ding''


    The elevator door opened and she quickly pushed him away as an old couple stepped inside, ''''See, it does matters,'''' She whispered teasingly.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze darkened, ''''I think we can try things here. More people. More exciting. What do you say?" He spoke softly enough that only she could hear him, ''''Hmm?" He pinned her hands behind her back.


    Her eyes widened as she nced at the old couple who had their back turned towards them.


    Without any warning, his lips descended on hers.


    This man...


    His manly scent lingered invaded her nose and her knees buckled as he deepened the kiss, sucking her tongue. Her lower body turned limp but he supported her, letting her fall on him as he kissed her passionately.


    She almost let out a moan when he bit her bottom lips but her moan was drowned in his kiss. Finally, when he let go of her, her head fell onto his chest as she waspletely breathless.


    She nced at the old couple who were standing still. Luckily...the ss was opaque so they could not have seen anything. Where else would she have buried her face?


    ...


    ''''Why is it dark here?" Jun Zixuan frowned as soon as he stepped inside the Presidential suite. It was alright when he left.


    Just as he was about to call Steward Gu, he felt a tug on his hand, ''''Come with me?"


    He raised an eyebrow. Has this got something to do with her? He let her drag himself towards without any objections.


    Yu Mei took him to the balcony of the Presidential suite. She pressed a key on her phone and the dim lightings in the huge ss balcony lit up as soft music drifted off around the ce.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the round table in the middle and his gaze settled on the small zed chocte cake, which looked only a bitrger than a cupcake.


    Yu Mei quickly dragged him towards the cake. She grabbed the candle from the table before cing it on the cake. She then picked up the lighter before lighting the candle, ''''Quick, blow the candle. I''ll sing the birthday song, okay?"


    ''''It''s childish,'''' The corner of his lips twitched as he turned his face to the side, the tips of his ears slowly turned red.


    She grabbed his arm, ''''Be it then. Still, you have to do it. Please~"


    Looking at her excited face, he could not bring himself to say no to her. In the end, he tucked his hand in his pocket before bending forward.


    Yu Mei grabbed her gown in one hand before stepping to the side. She quickly clicked some pictures while singing the birthday song like her over-enthusiastic self, ''''...Happy Happy happy Birthday to youuuuu~''''


    Jun Zixuan blew the lone candle on the cake. He grabbed a spoon from the table before taking a spoonful of cake and stuffing it her mouth...


    ''''Mmm.. Whapppie Bur--''''


    He licked the chocte cream off her lips and the rest of the birthday song died in her throat.


    ''''Enough happy birthday already,'''' He hooked his arms around her waist, ''''I thought you did not remember it?"


    ...


    A/N: I had to write 7 chapters today for my first book''spletion. And while I want to, but I can''t write the 2nd chapter here today. It is 10:50 pm here and I am very exhausted and sleep-deprived. And although I can fight that with coffee, it will affect the quality of the chapter. So, have some patience with me. Thank you.


    A little spoiler, Tomorrow''s chapters are going to make you really happy!

 Chapter 292 - Beautiful And Mine

    She gulped the cake, ''''How could I not remember it? You are six months older than me...I remember it very well,'''' She stepped back from him before getting him a spoonful of cake, ''''I even made this cake for you.''''


    He was surprised, ''''You made it?"


    She nodded while he ate the cake, ''''I wanted to make a big one but I was afraid I would ruin it with myck of skills so I settled for this small one. How is it?''''


    ''''Sweet,'''' He licked his bottom lips.


    She was distracted for a second as she looked at his lips, ''''Y-Yeah, should be sweet.''''


    ''''You surprised me,'''' He leaned his forehead on hers.


    ''''Well...'''' She mumbled as he ced an arm on her waist while their body swayed slowly to the soft music, ''''Did you like my surprise though?


    ''''What do you think?"


    She nced at his eyes that seemed to be shining, ''''I think...you like my surprise very much.''''


    ''''You once told me that you are going to gift me something really expensive when I gave you a car....''''


    She chuckled, ''''I remember. At that time, I did not know your identity or else I would not have said that so recklessly. Anything that I have, you can easily have it...''''


    ''''That day, I had not taken you that seriously even though you seemed to be pretty serious about it...'''' Jun Zixuan paused as he kissed the tip of her nose, ''''But you stuck to your words. Having you is like having the most precious gift in the world to me. Thank you.''''


    She was stunned for a moment, ''''Zixuan...''''


    ''''Mm?"


    ''''Have I ever told you that I really love you so much?" She tiptoed before pressing her lips on the corner of his mouth, ''''Like really so much.''''


    His eyes darkened as he grabbed her chin, ''''Kiss me,'''' he demanded.


    She tilted her face.


    She blinked slightly while leaning closer to him. Her lips hovered on his for a moment and he let it.


    She was slow and torturous much to his growing impatience. But he loved that. Her gentle strokes on his back and her feathery kiss on his lips. She enchanting, in ways she never knew.


    He moved his hand towards her bottom, lifting her off the floor.


    A soft gasp escaped her mouth as her heels slipped off her feet. Her arms tightly encircled around his neck as he pressed onto the ss pane.


    His fingers gently glided towards the back of her neck before removing the rubber band from her hair, letting her long hair fall free. Her body arched when he pressed soft kisses on her neck that glided up to her chin.


    She clutched his arms tightly as he nibbled her chin.


    His lips moved towards her lips, pausing at a distance, ''''You are beautiful tonight,'''' He whispered eyeing her with a wild hunger in his eyes.


    Her face burned hotter at hispliment, ''''I-I..You look good too,'''' She whispered.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he pulled her back from the ss pane with one of his hand on her bottom while his other hand grabbed the back of her neck. Her limbs coiled around his body as he walked inside the suite carrying her in his arms. The lightings of the balcony casted a soft glow inside.


    His fingers swiftly ripped of the gown from its exquisite zipper in the back as he ced her on the bedside table. Her dress slid off her body revealing her naked upper body. A soft blush crept off her cheeks as she tried to cover her body with an arm but he grabbed her wrist taking it behind her waist.


    ''''You are so fucking beautiful,'''' His rasp voice made a shiver run down her spine as grabbed her neck, ''''And mine,'''' And his lips crashed on hers without a warning, his fingers dug into her hips and she moaned in his mouth, a weird impulse of desire encased her as she grabbed his hair, deepening the kiss.


    Her inner thighs tingled while she felt an unavoidable ache in her her lower body. She pressed her legs together but he grabbed one knee, parting her legs further as he stood between them.


    He picked her up in one arm when her dress came in the way and the gown slid off her body,nding on the ground as he ced her back on the table.


    His palm glided off themp from the table and it crashed on the floor as he grabbed her hips once again, deepening the kiss. Her breasts grazed past his body as she felt her nipples tightening. Her grip on his hair tightened as she closed her eyes, kissing him back harder.


    He took her bottom lips between his teeth, tugging it and as she looked at him through her half lidded eyes, he sucked her lips roughly before pulling back from her.


    She felt the instant loss of warmth from her body and her arms curled on her body instinctively as her hair fell in front of her shoulder.


    He did not take his eyes off her all the while as he discarded his suit jacket. As she bit her lips, his gazed darkened and he stepped closer to her, capturing her lips once again, feeling her softness against him.


    His hand slid up the soft curve of her waist and she gasped against his lips. His palm settled on her breast as he sucked her tongue, like the only delicacy he ever wanted, savoring the taste of her intermingled with the taste of the chocte cake.


    A soft moan escaped her mouth when he kneaded her breast through her bra, a knot forming in her lower abdomen as her heart picked its pace.


    Her trembling fingers reached to unbutton his shirt while his wet kiss trailed towards her chin.


    He ripped the shirt off his body when her delicate fingers failed to unbutton them properly. She was trembling and aching. For him and it set every inch of his heart and body on fire.

 Chapter 293 - Don’t Stop!

    (Mature Content. 18+. Skip if ufortable)


    Jun Zixuan unhooked her bra slowly, as his fingers dug in her cleavage feeling her trembling under his touch. As her bra fell on the table, her breasts were exposed to his view.


    His dark eyes roamed around every delicate curve of her body while her chest rose and fell at the intensity of his gaze. She felt exposed, embarrassed, but there was nowhere did she wish to stop. Neither his gaze, nor his touch. She did not want a pause on any of that. She enjoyed it like crazy.


    She shuddered when his mouth suddenly mped on her breast. A gasp escaped her mouth as her breathing turned ragged. Her legs coiled around his muscr waist as her body arched giving him more ess to her aching breast.


    She closed her eyes feeling his mouth sucking at her breast, his teeth nipping at her gradually hardening nipples and her body clenched with desire. She felt his rough palm moving on her waist before it sped her other breast, giving it equal attention.


    ''''AHH!!" She moaned as her nails dug into his shoulder des, her breast thrust deeper into his mouth as a suffocating pleasure encased her. Her toes curled and just as her senses heightened, he pulled his mouth back before looking at her.


    His brown eyes were intense and full of hunger as they nced at her.


    She pressed her thighs together but he grabbed her knees before pulling her towards him. Her hands wrapped around his neck while her breasts grazed down his shoulder, her legs tangling around him.


    He kissed her chin, ''''I can''t wait.''''


    ''''I want you.''''


    They spoke at the same time and she watched as his eyes deepened further, a predatory glint shing across them.


    She cupped his face and pressed her lips on his, kissing him hard, as one of his hands on her waist tightened while the other went to knead her breast.


    She moaned against his lips and her head fell back as his kisses trailed down her neck.


    He ced soft kisses on her shoulder and the next moment she knew, she was thrown on the bed as she bounced on the soft mattress.


    Her eyes roamed on his body, those perfect well-toned arms to his tanned chest and rock-hard abs. He was glorious in any way she looked at him. She forgot that she was naked, lying on the bed just in her ck panties. She forgot about it, or did she?


    She was exposed to him but she did not care. She wanted him. Desperately. She liked the feeling of his lipspping over hers, sucking her breathless.


    ''Click''


    He unbuckled his belt, not taking his eyes off her all the while. Off the woman who was sprawled on the bed with her hair sprawled around her. She was enticing him, capturing his mind, and captivating his body. Was she aware of the effect she had on him?


    If not, he would let her know.


    As he stood in front of her in his boxers, she gulped taking in the sight of the apparent bulge in them.


    She sat up on the bed, ''''Do you need my help?" Her palm moved towards his hardened member.


    ''''How about you let me help you today?" He grabbed the back of her neck, kissing her deeply as he climbed on top of her, discarding thest shred of his clothing.


    He sat on the bed with his legs stretched, as he supported them on the heels of his feet while she was straddling him.


    She could feel his hardness through her panties and she clenched.


    All of a sudden, he flipped her around and pinned her under him. His mouth trailed down to her jaws before he bit her corbone, leaving a mark as he kissed her cleavage.


    She shuddered as she closed her eyes. She felt like he had countless mouths, that did not leave a part of her untouched. She could feel his teeth sinking in the fleshiest parts of her body and her need intensified, She could feel his full length in between her thighs, rubbing against her panties.


    His fingers fumbled with her panties, finally ripping them off as his warm palm mped on her sex.


    She shivered, ''''Zixuan....'''' She cried out his name as his fingers dipped inside.


    His eyes darkened when she mped around him, ''''You''re wet, love,'''' He mumbled as his middle finger stroked her folds, his fingertip slipped in between, gathering her wetness.


    And she bit her lips, ''''Please...D-Don''t stop..'''' He thrust his fingers inside her, fast and hard.


    She mped around his fingers when he increased the pace of the thrust, squirting herself in his fingers.


    He brought his fingers to his mouth, all the while not taking his eyes off her. His tongue glided over her juices as he grabbed her ankles cing her feet on his chest.


    Her face flushed as she slid her toes down his body, feeling his abs clenching under her touch.


    And all of a sudden he stood up, the sight of his hardened member had her gasp.


    Her eyes widened just at the sight of it. He wasrge and for one second she wondered if it would fit.


    He walked towards the bedside table and grabbed a condom from the drawer he had seen inside. Impatiently ripping it off, he slid it on with gritted teeth. She could have done it for him, he would have preferred that but every touch of her was dangerous and he had to get inside of her, rather thaning at the slightest of her touch.


    As soon as he thought that, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him down such that he was crushing her body.


    She preferred it that way, him molding her under his weight.


    He could feel all her lush curves under himself and his member throbbed at her entrance.


    ''''...Ahhhh...'''' Another pleasurable moan escaped her mouth when he rubbed the tip his length on her wetness. Her body arched as she clutched the sheets, her toes curled because of the intensified pleasure.


    As he leaned closer to her, she hugged his back and he imed her lips again, kissing her like he hadn''t done it in ages, roughly sucking her lips while biting her alternatively.

 Chapter 294 - I Love You

    (Mature Content. Skip it if ufortable)


    Veins appeared on his throbbing rod as he pressed it against her wetness, it glided up and down her sleek folds, her juices sliding past his member as he moved it up and down.


    ''''Z-Zixuan...'''' She cried out his name at the immense pleasure her body was reeling with. Every inch of her was on fire, desperate and needy.


    ''''Yes, love?" He kissed the corner of her lips. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he increased his pace slightly, moving against hers torturously as his hips thrust forward.


    ''''Ah...'''' She moaned, hugging him tightly, her breasts pressed against his muscr chest as she kissed his neck, ''''I-I want you...Please...I-I can''t...''''


    ''''You can''t what?" He pushed the tip of his thickness inside her wetness only to retract it within a second.


    Her breathing turned ragged as she grabbed his hand before cing it on her breast as she pressed her fingers above it, ''''I..can''t wait to have you inside...me..'''' She whispered, her face turning red at her unabashed words but her eyes reflected love... and lust for him.


    Thest bit of his self-restraint was on the verge of breaking. On one hand, he did not want to hurt her but at the same time, in the darkest part of his mind, he wanted to tie her up and make love to her until she fainted, until all that escaped her mouth was his name, intermingled with her earth-shattering moans.


    He liked the sight of her, writhing and crying under him, desperate and eager for him.


    She cupped his face, ''''I''ve wanted you for a long time...'''' She kissed his lips, her sex clenched against his thickness pulsating against it, ''''Was shy to admit it.''''


    ''''It will hurt. I will try to be gentle,'''' His eyes darkened at her words as his heart leapt, his already hardened rod twitched against her fold. Before she could respond to him, he grabbed the back of her neck and sped his lips on hers, sucking her bottom lips roughly as his tongue plundered inside her mouth, tasting her sweetness.


    It took her a moment to recover before she responded to him with equal passion, letting him kiss her as he meant it. His tongue slithered inside her mouth and she moaned against his lips before reaching out to grab his thickness.


    There was an unbearable ache between her inner thighs that grew with each passing second. Every one of his strokes, his touch, his roughness, his gaze, his words... Every damn single thing about him was setting her aze.


    She was breathless but his ruthless mouth did not let go of her while he grabbed her hand, stopping it from reaching out to his length. He pinned her hands above her head as his lips ovepped hers, he bit her bottom lips before sucking her tongue.


    She moaned, trying to press her thighs together, to control the unbearable itch down there but she ended up trapping his throbbing member inside her. He grabbed one of her knees before pushing it towards his waist, all the while as his lips were engaged in kissing her, roughly and passionately.


    One of her legs settled on his waist as her heel dug into his muscr back. He grabbed his pulsating rod and entered the tip in her entrance.


    Her lips trembled against his, ''''Deeper,'''' She managed to mumble in between her irregr breathing.


    But the man simply pulled it out causing her to let out a cry of protest.


    ''''Impatient, are we?" His husky voice held a teasing intent as he kissed her jaws.


    She wanted to say that he was equally as impatient and aching... for her but she was in a breathless mess. She simply arched her neck, giving him more ess to do whatever he wanted, however, he wanted to touch her.


    He let go of her wrists that he had pinned above her head as he grabbed her chin before turning his face towards him, ''''I love you...'''' He mumbled against her lips before iming their softness once again.


    She wrapped her arms around his shoulder. ''''Argh...'''' She bit his lips, crying against them as he thrust inside her all of a sudden. The sudden tearing pain made her go numb as she trembled in his arms.


    Their lips parted as he kissed the tears on the corner of her eyes, ''''It will be fine,'''' He mumbled, peppering soft kisses all over her face.


    Sweat droplets appeared on his forehead as he gritted his teeth, staying still inside her, letting her adjust to his thickness.


    Her fingers dug into his shoulder de while she fisted his hair in her other hand.


    One of her legs rested on his waist while his hardness was plundered in her depths.


    His hand shifted to her breasts as he kneaded it gently and her gasps gradually turned to moans as she moved against his erection.


    On the cue, he moved his hips, slowly at first but increasing the intensity as she adjusted to him.


    ''''Ah...God, Zixuan,'''' She fisted his hair tightly as he grabbed the back of her knees, raising her legs taking more ess inside her core.


    She closed her eyes, biting her lips to restrain herself from making the lewd noises.


    His gaze darkened, ''''Look at me,'''' He whispered, his voice low yet demanding as his hot breath stroked her chin and her eyes snapped open.


    Jun Zixuan took his entire length out of her before thrusting inside her once again.


    ''''Ahhh... Yes, harder...'''' Her hips moved in sync as she let him sink deeper inside her.


    He ced his lips on hers as his pace increased, he took his length out of her before mming it inside her, his gentle thrusts gradually turned rougher as his lips moved on hers.


    Halfway through, he sat up on the bed with his length still buried inside her as his heels dug on the nkets, legs wide apart while she sat on top of him, straddling him with her ankles crossed behind his back.


    He brought her hair to one side and his teeth dug into her neck with a wolf-like sharpness as he thrust inside her. She moaned, her back arched and he kissed her cleavage tightening his grip around her waist.


    His mouth took one of her breasts inside it, sucking and licking her hardening nipple and she moved on top of him, matching the pace of his thrusts. She fisted his hair yanking him closer to her aching breasts.


    ''''Ahh...'''' She cried out his name again and again until she found herself molded to his shape. As his erection hit a sweet spot inside her, he nibbled her earlobe, ''''Come for me, love...'''' He whispered beside her ear in his deep and husky voice and it was as if magic encased her as she trembled in his arms.


    ''''Zixuan...'''' Her eyes rolled back and her back arched, fireworks exploding in her blurred vision as she climaxed, clenching hard around him, squeezing his length.


    But he did not stop there as he thrust inside her, each of his thrusts was strong and rough. She moaned as he took his entire length out of her before thrusting harder, ''''Mei...'''' He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he came inside her, groaning, with every muscle of his going taut, ''''You''re mine,'''' He whispered, nipping her earlobe hugging her tighter to himself like he wanted to meld her inside him.


    ...


    A/N: Phew~ No dissing. I tried but I am not good at all this. I was nning to skip it but you all wanted details so here we go >.<

 Chapter 295 - Cuddle

    9 am.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman sleeping in his arms, the soft smile on her face tickled his heart. Her brows tugged together when the sun rays hit her face.


    He gently removed her head from his shoulder before turning to the side and grabbing the remote control from the bedside table. He pressed a switch and the ss of the balcony turned dark while a curtain draped over the sses, forbidding the sunlight.


    ''''Uhm...'''' She made a small noise inching closer to her source of warmth.


    Jun Zixuan threw the remote back to its ce before turning around towards her. He pushed his shoulder below her head and pulled her towards himself such that she was cocooned in his arms. His fingers raked inside her silky tresses as he pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head.


    She nudged her nose on his corbone.


    ''''Morning,'''' His fingers trailed up and down her back.


    ''''Mmm... Morning,'''' Her voice came out extremely hoarse and rasp, ''''How did you know I am awake..?"


    ''''Is there something that I don''t know about you?"


    She pulled back from his chest to look at his face. His morning face was still so perfect as his messy ash-blonde bangs rested above his forehead, his brown eyes shined as he nced at her. She ran her fingers on his sharp jawline, ''''I think you know me too well,'''' She smiled.


    His fingers drew small circles on her back as he kept looking at her intensely until she couldn''t take it anymore as she pressed her palm on his eyes, ''''I haven''t washed my face. I must be looking ugly,'''' She frowned, not thinking that she possessed the looks of a greek goddess and would be shining all the while like him.


    He grabbed her hand as he removed it from his hand before pressing a soft kiss on her wrist as he pulled her up such that their faces were inches apart, the nkets slightly slid off their bodies, revealing her cleavage. Her palm rested on his abdominal muscles while he kept stroking her back in gentle motions.


    He pressed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, ''''You are beautiful,'''' He said with his earnest eyes looking straight into hers. She was especially more beautiful at this moment as a soft blush stained her cheeks, while her dark eyes moved around, looking anywhere but him.


    Her long hair sprawled over her shoulders. His hand moved from her waist to her hair as his fingers yed with her tresses while they cuddled.


    ''''Zixuan...''''


    ''''Mmm?"


    She kissed his chin, ''''I''ll ask you something.''''


    ''''What is that?"


    ''''Why did you never confess to me before...I mean back in our university days?" She was always curious about this since she got to know that he liked her.


    He sighed, ''''You were allergic to the concept of rtiosnhips or dating. And I was sure that I did not want to freak you out,'''' He had always wondered why she was so detached.


    At times, he was inclined to investigate more about her but he did not want to disrespect her by intruding on her privacy. He wanted her to tell him more about herself but unfortunately, that time never came until recently when she told him everything and he realized that she was recovering from her breakup.


    ''''And why are you so good at hiding your feelings? You never tell me anything...'''' She frowned slightly, ''''Even if it hurts you, you don''t tell me...''''


    ''''I don''t wanna hurt you.''''


    She blinked, ''''You never hurt me,'''' She pressed a soft kiss on his lips and suddenly felt a poke near her lower abdomen. Her face turned red realizing what it was.


    They slept around 4 am, why was he still so energetic in the morning?


    ''''Since it is obsessed with you as much as I am,'''' He whispered in her ear as if he could read her thoughts.


    As he pulled back, she blushed harder looking at the devilish grin breaking on his lips.


    His hand went under the nket as he grabbed her knees moving her leg onto his muscr waist.


    As soon as the tip of his erection touched her down there, she hissed.


    ''''Are you in pain?" He frowned.


    ''''A bit,'''' It was a little more than a bit actually.


    Jun Zixuan sat up on the bed, the nket sliding off his body revealing his taut muscles that caused a momentary distraction for her.


    Just as her eyes were taking in the glorious sight of him, he pushed himself out of the bed and her breath hitched looking at his semi-hard erection. He was the sexiest man ever existing... Damn, her face flushed but she found it hard to avert her gaze as he went strode inside the bathroom. His perfect back, those tight back muscles were left exposed to her view.


    She patted her cheeks feeling a sudden tingle in her body.


    Living with an adonis had its own unsaid side effects.


    She nced in the direction of the bathroom, wondering why he was not back yet.


    As she sat up on the bed, a soft gasp escaped her mouth. Her lower body felt... numb.


    ''''It''s hurting that much?'''' Jun Zixuan stormed out of the bathroom donned in a ck satin robe as he tied the knob in the front, ''''Let''s go to the hospital.''''


    She panicked when he pulled her up in his arms, ''''It''s not that serious. The first time hurts...''''


    His gaze softened as he paused, ''''But we will go to the hospital if you don''t feel better in an hour.''''


    This man... ''''Were you nning to take me to the hospital like this?"


    He nced at her naked body as his eyes darkened, something stirring beneath his robe. ''''What a seductress...'''' He muttered under his breath before striding towards the bathroom.


    ''''Huh?'''' She nced at him confusingly. Did he say something?


    ''''I said that I was bringing you to the bathroom...'''' Even when her skin was not or slightly exposed, he felt insanely jealous at the way people looked at her. And this woman actually dared to think that he will take her out like this carelessly? How naive of her!

 Chapter 296 - May I?

    As he ced her in the bathtub, she found her body rxing at the contact of the warm water. She curled up, feeling a little exposed under his intense gaze that was fixated on her.


    He tugged at his robe and discarded it as he stepped inside the bathtub before sitting beside her. He pulled her onto him such that she was sitting on hisp.


    One of his arms curled around her waist, ''''You have seen everything and so did I...'''' He spoke beside her ear while his fingers drew circles on her breast, ''''What are you still shy of?"


    She shivered, feeling his hardness near her inner thighs.


    But in the end, nothing really happened during the bath other than both of them getting tortured endlessly.


    And the one to be in the most difficult position was Jun Zixuan who initiated the tease but ended up getting teased as his rock-hard member demanded to be inside her but since she was still sore, he restrained himself.


    Later, Jun Zixuan called the room service to get their breakfast served in their room while Yu Mei was getting dressed inside the walk-in closet.


    ''''I am going to take it back if you keep looking at it like that.''''


    He raised his head to nce at the woman walking towards him. There were usually some of his spare clothes in the Presidential Suite for this ce was closer to thepany and he stayed there most of the time before.


    And the sight of her... dressed in his ck shirt that reached her thighs had his eyes darken.


    She gave him a ''what'' expression.


    He quirked an eyebrow before raising his palm, shing the ring sitting on his finger, ''''I can''t take my eyes off it...'''' He said, looking at the ring with gentle eyes, ''''And no... I am not giving it back to you.''''


    She rolled her eyes as she stood in front of him, ''''You look like a kid,'''' she ruffled his hair. He certainly looked like an adorable little boy refusing to share his favorite remote control car with anyone.


    He parted his legs letting her stand between them as he wrapped an arm around her waist, ''''You certainly did not say that I look like a kid when you were pinned under me...'''' He ced a kiss on her abdomen, ''''...Begging for more,'''' He nced at her, his lips curving up as she turned red at his words.


    ''Knock Knock''


    ''''I''ll check...'''' She nodded and stepped back from him, looking at the gorgeous floor. Yeah, it certainly looked gorgeous at this moment, probably because of the embarrassment coursing through her.


    She could not even bring herself to deny what he said because that was the truth.


    She folded her arms in front of her chest as she leaned back on the bedside table, looking at the man who was fiddling with his phone in one hand while he pushed the food trolley in his other hand. He was wearing a casual white T-shirt that clung to his muscr body paired with jeans.


    She sighed.


    ''''Enjoying the view?''''


    ''''Uh-huh...What are you talking about?" She cleared her throat.


    He threw his phone onto the bed as he settled the trolley in front of the couch at a little distance before taking the tes off to the coffee table, ''''You know very well what I am talking about.''''


    She walked towards him, ''''I think I don''t know for sure...Ah..'''' She yelped when he grabbed her hand pulling her in front of him.


    ''''Of course, you do, love,'''' He ced a soft kiss on the back of her hand.


    ''''Fine, I was looking at you...'''' She admitted without beating around the bush, ''''What''s wrong with that? You are mine anyway.''''


    He chuckled, ''''When did I say that I am not?'''' His gazended on her empty finger, ''''I am getting a matching one customized for you,'''' He said as his thumb stroked the back of her palm.


    ''''There is no need for that...'''' She got her hand out of his grip and walked towards the bedside table. She picked up her clutch and took out a small box from it before walking back to him, ''''I got it designed together.''''


    He grabbed the box from her hand and as he opened it, he was greeted with the sight of a simr ring to his. His gazended on the character carved in the ring. ''Xuan''.


    He removed the ring from his finger before checking inside. There was ''Mei'' carved beneath it.


    He did not notice it yesterday in the rush.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''This was the best gift I could have asked for her,'''' He whispered, cing the ring back on his finger and she smiled, happy that he liked it.


    While his was designed as a band, hers had a small purple diamond sitting on the top.


    Purple diamonds were non-existent and there were no truly famous purple diamonds. Since purple is the color of royalty, purple diamonds are the ultimate regal gemstone. An 8-carat vivid purple diamond called Purple star does exist but its owner has been unknown all this time, ''''You had this?"


    ''''Purple star?" As he nodded, she nced at the ring in his hand, "Yes, I had gotten my hands on this for a long time but I did not get a proper idea on how to use it and that is until...''''


    He tilted his head when she paused, ''''Until?"


    She ced her palms in his and stood on her tiptoes, letting her lips linger on his as she looked into his eyes, ''''Until I realized how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you.''''


    His eyes deepened as he nced at her lips and she gulped softly. Her fingers trembled in his palm as he rubbed his lips against hers before taking her bottom lips between his teeth. He nipped it lightly before sucking it and his tongue slid inside her mouth as he deepened the kiss.


    She closed her eyes, moving in sync with him, letting him explore her mouth as he wanted. Their lips parted as she panted softly against his lips.


    He leaned his forehead against hers, ''''May I?" He raised her palm while holding the ring in his other hand.


    She nodded.


    He stepped back from her before getting on his knees, ''''Miss Han Mei, I am not letting you change your decision of being my wife ever.''''


    She bit her bottom lips, ''''I am not changing it,'''' She whispered, her tone trembled slightly as she blinked rapidly, feeling herself tearing up.


    ''''That''s for the best as even if you want, I won''t let you go,'''' He ced the ring on her finger.

 Chapter 297 - Dubious Intentions

    ''Once you are seduced by a man, you will be hooked to him until you get him or someone much much much better than him...''


    Mia blinked as she threw away her phone, the webnovel app closing on it. What the heck is this?


    She stretched her body before standing up from the bed. Her cultivation was over and she felt much more energetic after recovering her internal injuries that were caused by over exertion of powers when her bond with Han Jian Yu awakened and she caused that st.


    She walked towards the mirror beforebing her long silver hair. She snapped her fingers and her hair was immediately arranged in a long braid as it fell in front of her shoulder. She looked at her reflection in satisfaction but her expressions turned bitter at a little reminder of something.


    It has been a few days since she disappeared from Han Jian Yu''s ce. He must be looking for her...''''No, why would he? He called me troublesome,'''' She frowned, realizing that it was the best for her to stay far away from him.


    She did not me anything on him because she was in her fox form and she had been bothering him quite a bit so it was obvious that he would find her troublesome.


    ''''But still, when has Her Highness ever been called troublesome?" She shook her head, realizing that probably she was over reacting or her exhaustion has made her emotionally unstable.


    Mia sighed for the umpteenth time before walking towards the bed and grabbing her phone. Maybe, she should go and hover around the pair of love birds.


    As she walked downstairs while fiddling with her phone, she came across the trending news. There were pictures and videos of Yu Mei proposing Jun Zixuan, there was a video of them kissing each other and the fans who were shipping the couple were going crazy in thement section.


    Mia raised an eyebrow as she walked towards the couch, ''''Just how long did I go to miss such breaking news? You guys sure know how to drop some shock bombs....'''' Her words came to a halt the moment she tilted her head from her phone, her gazended on the man who was sitting on the couch with his back facing towards her. His dark hair, powerful presence...


    Han Jian Yu stood up from the couch as he turned around towards the source of voice. Dressed in a short ck floral dress with her long hair tied in a braid, she stood there, rooted to her spot. He noticed the shock in her hazel eyes and his brows tugged together.


    Mia nced at his stormy expressions. No, No, he won''t recognize you. She told herself and turned around to leave.


    For whatever reason it was, she did not want to have anything to do with him neither did she want him to know more about her and her contract with his sister.


    ''''Wait...''''


    His cold tone made her pause in her tracks.


    ''''Brother!'''' Mia turned to look at Yu Mei who dashed towards the man before hugging him.


    She inwardly sighed in relief only to feel a piercing stare on her a secondter.


    She nced at Jun Zixuan who had his eyes narrowed at her.


    ''I thought you said he is cute'' Jun Zixuan mouthed.


    Mia, who did not know how to read lips, activated her powers as she read his mind, ''He is cute...sometimes'' She moved her lips.


    Jun Zixuan''s face darkened. While they were on their way back to Ren Mansion, he received a call from Steward Gu who informed him that the President of Amaranthine was here here to meet him. And since there were no interactions between him and Han Jian Yu, he wondered why he should be here until it clicked in his mind?


    Jian Yu.


    Han.


    Han Jian Yu.


    And he would be lying if he said he was not in disbelief when Yu Mei confirmed his guess.


    While the pair of brother and sister were looking out for each other, Mia slid to Jun Zixuan''s side as she poked his arm, ''''Why? Were there any issues with me calling him cute?" She could not help but ask curiously.


    Jun Zixuan dusted off the sleeve of his suit jacket.


    Mia red at him. This man... She really wondered if he was some illegitimate brother from her past life.


    ''''I thought he was like Yu Jinhai,'''' Jun Zixuan mumbled under his breath.


    Mia pursed her lips, trying to stifle herughter, ''''But he was even cuter when he was of that age.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''Why do I think that you have some dubious intentions towards him?"


    Mia cleared her throat, ''''Truth to be told, I once had a crush on him.''''


    ''''What about now?"


    ''''I just want to stay away from him now,'''' She shrugged.


    ''''I was really surprised when I heard that you are here,'''' Yu Mei smiled.


    Han Jian Yu nodded, ''''I had toe...'''' He nced at the two people standing at a distance, whispering to each other. His gaze paused on Jun Zixuan for a split second before he looked at the woman standing beside him, ''''Who is she?"


    Jun Zixuan tucked a hand in his pocket as he stood there casually while Mia froze when she was mentioned.


    Yu Mei turned to look at them, her mouth parted slightly as she nced at Mia with a questioning gaze. ''You can trust my brother. Van I tell him?'' Since Mia was not hesitant about revealing it to Jun Zixuan, she believed that she would not hesitate when it came to Han Jian Yu.


    But much to her surprise, Mia''s words were different from her expectation, ''Don''t tell him. I don''t want anyone else to know about my origin,'' Mia replied in her mind. Moreover, she felt ufortable at the thought of letting Han Jian Yu know about her real self for whatever reason that she was not aware of.


    Yu Mei frowned. She respected her wishes but she could feel her brother''s gaze boring in to the back of her head. What was she supposed to say?


    She can''t bring herself to lie to him.

 Chapter 298 - Prenups Are Outdated

    Jun Zixuan, who was initially ying the observer opened his mouth, ''''She is my sister.''''


    Yu Mei sighed in relief. She did not want to lie to Han Jian Yu but she also was not going to go against Mia''s words. Luckily, he came to her rescue.


    Mia looked up at the man, her lips parted slightly. Sister? Even though she knew he was saying it for they were in this situation, but an unknown warmth seeped inside her frozen heart.? She nced at Yu Mei who was looking at her with a worried gaze and sighed. How long had it been since she had felt like she had a family?


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes, ''''You don''t have a sister.''''


    ''''She is adopted,'''' Jun Zixuan''s words were precise but everyone understood the meaning.


    Since she is adopted, her identity has been hidden to keep her protected.


    Han Jian Yu''s doubtful gaze was still focused on Jun Zixuan who looked at him nonchntly.


    When Mia felt his gaze shift to her, she took a few steps towards him, flipping her long hair back, ''''Seems like you are very interested in me,'''' She tilted her face slightly, her vixen smile made its way to her face, ''''Should I be honored?"


    Han Jian Yu averted his gaze while Mia smirked, inwardly chastising herself for losing herposure earlier.


    ''''I will be in my room upstairs,'''' Mia nced at Yu Mei, ''''Call me after the guest is gone,'''' Her lips curled in disgust as she nced at the man who called her troublesome. No matter how she tried to not to hold grudges about that, she could not help it. She has never been called that way.


    She turned around and walked upstairs, not before sneakily mouthing a ''Thank you'' in Jun Zixuan''s directions.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her retreating back as a glint shed across his eyes. When was thest time a woman ever talked to him in that disgusted tone?


    When he was young and poor.


    And where was that woman now?


    Dead.


    But, what made him amazed was that it was the first time he was meeting this woman but she seemed to be repelled at the sight of him. What mystery is this? He wondered.


    Yu Mei also nced at Jun Zixuan in confusion. It was the first time Mia and her brother were meeting. But why did she feel like there was ayer of ice between them?


    ''''Let''s have a talk,'''' Han Jian Yu nced at Jun Zixuan coldly.


    Jun Zixuan raked his fingers through his hair bringing them to one side, ''''Sure,'''' He emotionlessly said as he nodded at Yu Mei before walking upstairs. He could have behaved better but the obvious animosity from the man made him drop the formalities.


    Han Jian Yu also nodded at Yu Mei before following the man, a stormy expression on his face.


    Yu Mei speechlessly sat on the couch looking at the two certain Alpha Males who were walking upstairs. She wondered if it would be improper to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    By the time both of them came back back, 30 minutes had passed and Yu Mei was seen sitting on the dining table, swinging her legs back and forth as she ate strawberries.


    Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she jumped off the table with a strawberry in her hand. Her gazended on both the men whose clothes were unkempt, messy cor, bleeding lips, swollen jaws and sweaty faces. She raised an eyebrow, ''''Do you prefer an ambnce or you want me to drive you to hospital by my car?"


    Han Jian Yu cleared his throat before walking towards the couch and taking a seat.


    Jun Zixuan on the other hand walked towards her as he grabbed her wrist, eating the strawberry from her hand while his tongue discreetly rolled over her fingers. ''''I am healing already.''''


    Her face turned red slightly as she watched him walking towards the couch.


    Han Jian Yu''s lips curled in sheer disgust at the public disy of affection as he averted his gaze.


    Yu Mei grabbed her phone from the dining table. She walked towards them before settling on the opposite side ncing at both the men who were sitting on either side of therge couch, ''''It would not have hurt to hold a proper conversation,'''' She frowned slightly.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, ''''How would I have known if he is capable of protecting you?"


    ''''I can protect myself very well,'''' She sighed wondering why they had beaten each other ck and blue. Her brother was strong and Jun Zixuan was equally strong because she could not budge him at times despite her strength. ''''And I thought you epted him already,'''' Didn''t he tell her that when they talked over the phone?


    ''''I epted him as your temporary date back then not as a life partner,'''' The man rolled his sleeves as he leaned forward. Initially, he was not nning to reveal his identity as her brother because he was not sure how much Jun Zixuan knew about her. He was here with the intention to observe this man properly but when she ran towards to hug him, he realized that she has already spilled the beans regarding her transmigration to him and from the way they were interacting, it looked like everything was good for them.


    So, he decided to not hold back anymore. Luckily, he came with preparations.


    Moreover, he did not have any thoughts ofing to meet her before sorting the troubles but when he saw the news from yesterday where she was publicly confessing to him, he decided to meet them. He asked Danny to trace her address and unsurprisingly, she lived here with him.


    She noticed a paper in his hand, ''''What is it, a prenuptial agreement?" Yes, her brother is that dramatic when ites to her and he can''t be trusted.


    ''''Prenups are outdated.''''


    She grabbed the papers before flipping the pages until her gazended on one bizarre use.


    ''My sister won''t do household works''


    Before she could school her expressions, her gazended on another more bizarre use.


    ''Once my sister cries, your rtionship is NULLIFIED.''


    ''''What kind of contract is this? You know that end up crying over smallest of things, including the novels I read.''''


    ''''Well, it is what is is. He won''t make you cry and you will have have to stop those precious tears of yours,'''' Han Jian Yu stood up, ''''All in all, I don''t want to see you crying,'''' He snatched the papers from her, ''''I''ll send two copies to you both,'''' He patted her head before walking out of the Mansion.


    Yu Mei speechlessly nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''Is it hurting?" She asked pointing her chin towards his jaws which was swollen slightly.


    ''''Very much. A few kisses will do,'''' The corner of his lips tugged up.


    She almost fainted. These men will drive her insane!

 Chapter 299 - Like Repels

    During the dinner.


    ''''Why are you wearing that?" Mia pointed her spoon at Yu Mei''s high-neck sweater.


    ''''It''s trendy,'''' Yu Mei smiled awkwardly.


    ''''Very trendy, indeed,'''' Jun Zixuan said meaningfully as he started eating.


    Mia rolled her eyes, ''''I am feeling suffocated just by looking at you,'''' Even though it was cold outside, her body was very warm and she sought more cold climatic conditions, ''''I will be moving out tomorrow.''''


    ''''Where will you be going?''''


    ''''Didn''t I tell you about the new house that I have bought?''''


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''I remember.''''


    ''''Yes, I bought that house because of the cool climatic conditions there. It''s perfect for my body,'''' Mia said.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Yu Mei before looking at Mia, ''''Can you turn into a human...?" He paused for a moment before adding, ''''...Entirely transform, I mean.''''


    Yu Mei turned to look at him, ''''You mean...likepletely losing her powers and bing a human?"


    He nodded. Even though his eptance level was high, his mind was still reeling over these things. It did not take him long to ept that Yu Mei and Han Mei are the same person and that was because all this time, he has also felt it although he subconsciously denied it. But the rest... he wanted to know more about it.


    ''''I can be a human entirely but the chance is 1% and I don''t know how it is possible to shed off these powers,'''' Now in this world, she felt like she was out of ce but she did not care. Her life is more fun with these powers probably.


    ''''If you see facts, my father was a human and I was also born a human but as I grew up, I realized that I have inherited some of my mother''s powers,'''' Mia was not even 20% as powerful as her mother because she was more of a human like her father but her powers were more than enough to destroy this current world where not even a single person possessed magic.


    Yu Mei sighed, ''''I think you are you. That''s all that matters. Don''t think much about it. Moreover, I love your fox form. You are adorable like that.''''


    Mia rolled her eyes, ''''Do not call me adorable....'''' She nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''I told her to give me a powerful and domineering name but she gave me this name and because at that time, I was not proficient in thisnguage, I was in dark for a long time.''''


    Jun Zixuan nced at Yu Mei who guiltily lowered her gaze, ''''That''s because we were not on good terms at that time,'''' She mumbled.


    ''''Jokes apart, I think this name is fine. Suits you. Your fox form is indeed adorable,'''' Jun Zixuan said with a straight face.


    Yu Mei''s face lit up, ''''See? I told you I am good at giving names,'''' Her nose was in the air almost instantly.


    Mia almost puked a mouthful of blood. Adorable my ass!


    She sighed before looking at Jun Zixuan''s slightly swollen jaws, ''''I can''t you both did this to each other,'''' Even though she had not seen Han Jian Yu''s face, but Yu Mei told her that he was in fact more beaten.


    Yu Mei red at Jun Zixuan, ''''I wonder why they could not be civil.''''


    ''''He wanted to see my strength initially but it esctedter,'''' Jun Zixuan was unfazed though. Just a few paper cuts.


    Mia moved her fingers a bit and a slight glow appeared on Jun Zixuan''s face, healing his wound.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his face to the side, running the tip of his finger on his jawline as he felt a cooling sensation.


    ''''It has healed,'''' Yu Mei said. Powers can be cool at times.


    ''''Thank you but it was not needed,'''' Jun Zixuan nced at Mia.


    ''''Since you helped me conceal my identity, I had to do this...'''' Mia smiled.


    ''''Mia, tell me, why were you acting weird around brother?'''' Yu Mei was suddenly reminded about the scene from earlier where they were throwing daggers at each other, ''''You were acting like he is your...ex-''''


    ''Screech''


    ''''I think I really need some rest...'''' Mia stood up from the chair before quickly walking away from the dining table, ''''I haven''t been taking my afternoon beauty sleeptely. No wonder I feel so exhausted. My poor life~'''' She dashed upstairs without looking back.


    Yu Mei''s mouth parted in disbelief, ''''She does not needs sleep or food. Who the heck is she kidding?"


    ''''Tell me what are you worried about,'''' Jun Zixuan grabbed her hand.


    Yu Mei turned to look at him helplessly, ''''Mia has been crushing over my brother for a long time.''''


    ''''What''s the problem with that? Her identity?" He asked seriously.


    ''''Of course not. Her identity might beplicated but she is her own person and she is Mia to me, no matter what.''''


    ''''Then, what''s the issue?"


    Yu Mei leaned back on the chair as she crossed her legs before pressing her elbow on her knee as she propped her chin on her fist. She contemted over it for a moment before looking at him, ''''My brother is the best brother in this world but he is not a man a woman can settle with. And Mia...'''' She paused as she looked in the direction where the woman had disappeared, ''''She can be one of the most loyal friends. A perfect woman but then who can settle with a man. They are so alike and even science says that, Like repels.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    ''''They are adults and they should know what they are doing but at the end of the day, I don''t want to stand in a situation where I have to choose between one of them.''''


    He stroked her hand, ''''You have a point but I think you should stop thinking about it. The more you want something to not happen, the more are the chances that it will be happening. When the timees, we will see.''''


    She thought about it for a moment before nodding, ''''I agree.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded seriously, ''''On that note, how about you take off your sweater? I love seeing those marks on you,'''' he said unabashedly,


    Yu Mei almost choked on air. Did he not feel any shame while saying such things with a poker face?"

 Chapter 300 - I Want You

    (Mature Content. SKIP if ufortable)


    6:15 am.


    ''''Ah...'''' A soft moan escaped her mouth as her body arched slightly. As the intensity of the pleasure increased, she opened her eyes looking at the ceiling dazedly.


    "Morning, Love!" A deep and husky voice spoke beside her ear and Yu Mei tilted her head to the side as she nced at the man who had his head propped on his fist as he nced at her intently, while his rough palms cupped her breast through her satin robe, kneading it.


    Her breathing turned uneven when he flicked her nipple between his fingers, her toes curling inside the nket, ''''M-Morning..'''' she whispered as his palm softly kneaded her breasts, deliberately slow were his ministrations.


    Her heart raced and a soft pink glow made its way to her cheeks as she extended her hand before cing it on his palm, her delicate fingers curling over it. His eyes darkened as he leaned closer to her until he was hovering over her. In one swift move, he grabbed both her wrists pinning them above her head as he lowered his face until their lips were inches apart.


    One of his knees made its way between her legs parting them while his other hand remained on her breast, his fingers yed with her nipple as he looked into her zed eyes, she parted her lips that were wet and enticing.


    ''''Please...'''' Her voice came out rasp, ''''Harder....'''' Her face turned redder as if it was even possible but her voice was needy and desperate.


    It was inadvertently affecting him as he felt his semi-hard member stiffening all at once poking her thighs through his robe. ''''Please what?" It would be the thousandth time that she will tell it, but he would still want to hear it from her.


    ''''I...want you..''''


    She felt his palm kneading her breasts harder and she pressed her thighs together only to have his knee trapped between them. ''''Ahh...'''' Her hips raised slightly when he flicked her nipple, hard this time but just as she was at the peak of pleasure, he retracted his palm.


    A series ofints appeared in her eyes but before she could utter a word, she felt a wetness on her nipple as the tip of his tongue hovered above it. He took it in his mouth, sucking it hard, and in the next moment, his teeth tugged her robe lower such that her breast was exposed to his vision. Without any warning, his mouth took her breast inside, licking it and sucking it giving it all his undivided attention and her head rolled back, her wrists bound in his hand struggled.


    She wanted them freed. She wanted support, to grab his hair or grip his back. Anything would do but he was torturing her in his own sweet way.


    ''''Ahh...'''' She moaned, her eyes zing all over when his other hand went inside the nket, tugging at her robe which parted, giving him more ess inside her body.


    His palm cupped her sex through her panties and she felt herself throbbing in his hands. ''''Please...'''' Her toes curled as his fingers curled into a fist.


    He let go of her wrists while his mouth freed her breast which felt cold almost instantly. He kissed her neck, igniting soft sparks in the next second as his palm went inside her panties, his finger roaming over her sleek folds. She parted her legs, giving him more ess and his finger slid inside her wetness. She moaned again having his member harden more.


    ''''Harder...'''' Her hips moved on their own and he inserted another finger inside her, thrusting harder as he kissed her jaw.


    Her eyes rolled back and just as she clenched around his fingers, he took them out. She gasped softly, her hot breath stroked his hair and he tilted his face upwards looking into her eyes filled with desperation to have him inside her.


    His lips hovered on her lips and she trembled as he threw the nket aside. He sat up on the bed, right between her legs as he ripped her panties off. He untied his robe and grabbed her ankles parting them as he positioned his hardened member at her entrance, moving it up and down, rubbing against the wetness that spread across the tip of erection.


    She gripped the sheets as her breathing turning uneven, a delicious shiver ran down her body as soft pants escaped her mouth. Shyness flew under the bed as she moved her hips thrusting it towards his member, trying to cure that unbearable itch down there.


    Just as the tip of his throbbing rod entered her, he retracted it causing her to whine. Letting go of her ankles, he grabbed her inner thighs, parting her legs wider as she positioned them on the tips of her toes. He knelt between her thighs and grabbed his hardness, ayer of sweat appeared on his forehead and he rubbed his erection on her wet folds, up and down.


    She moaned, ''''Please, Z-Zixuan...I can''t...'''' Her tone contained a hint of begging.


    His eyes were shining as he nced at her, red in the face, bold in her movements, and writhing on his bed. Like always he had imagined her. His gaze darkened as she nced at him with those dewy eyes.


    He moved his hands to her waist and plunged himself deep inside her and she sucked in a cold breath but unlike the first time, she recovered fast as her hips moved slowly and he started thrusting inside her, hitting her core, deep and hard.


    ''''AHH...Please... Harder...''''


    He took his entire length went out of her as he thrust again.


    She clutched the edges of the pillow beneath her head as her body arched. He removed his hand from her waist and leaned forward, pinning her beneath him as he hovered on top of her. She pressed her palm on his jaw, while her other palm settled on the back of his neck, digging in his skin as he increased his pace, thrusting inside her, hitting her core roughly.


    She locked her ankles around his waist as he mmed into her. The sound of their uneven breathes and panting dominated the room. His lips hovered hers a moment as he nipped onto her bottom lips before his tongue plunged inside her mouth.


    He took his entire length out of her before mming himself inside her depth once again and her knees buckled, her body stiffened, her breasts crashed against his rock-hard chest as he kissed her, stealing her breath. Her eyes rolled back and her face tilted upwards, his lips glided down her chin to her neck.


    ''''Ahh....'''' She moaned his name and gripped his hair as she climaxed but he did not stop his movements, He kept thrusting until she felt him stiffening slightly. He buried his face in her neck, ''''Mei...'''' A soft whisper escaped his mouth as he took his length out of her, spurting his juices in her inner thighs.

 Chapter 301 - You’re A Beast

    Their sweats and scent intermingled as they nestled in each other''s arm and she slowly raised her hand, running her fingers down his back.


    He grabbed her hand before turning around such that she was now lying on top of him.? He wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her chin. Her robe fell beside his waist as their bodies remained in contact without a hint of fabric between them.


    ''''I can''t believe this...'''' He murmured.


    She kissed his lips softly, ''''Can''t believe what?" The corner of her lips tugged up in a soft smile.


    ''''That there is this woman who is understanding but bickers with me most of the time, with the most beautiful eyes and worst temper and I can''t take my mind off her. Neither can I keep my hands off her,'''' He kissed the corner of her lips, ''''I end up falling in love with her more and more with each passing second.''''


    She smiled as she ced her palms on his chest before propping her chin on top of it, ''''Then I also can''t believe it.''''


    ''''What?" He raised an eyebrow as he ced one of his hand beneath his head while his other hand remained near the side of her head, his fingers ying with her hair.


    ''''That there is this man whom I have been friendzoning all my life and here I am, lying on top of him, naked, letting go of all my inhibitions. What more? I don''t seem to regret any of this," She mumbled. her raspy voice worked on him like a kitten was scratching his heart.


    His lips tilted up, ''''I would never want you to regret it. Just look forward to more,'''' Mischief dripped his voice.


    She bit his chin as she felt him poking down there. Her face turned red slightly, ''''Just give me a heads-up if you had a woman before me or an ex girlfriend.''''


    His brows tugged together, ''''You are first.''''


    ''''How did you survive without sex then? We have been doing it since...cough..'''' She felt embarrassed even mentioning it. Both their bodies were covered with hickeys and they werepletely unpresentable to step out of the house. Her lower body was kind of numb and he...he was yet to be done with her.


    ''''Well, once you taste a forbidden fruit, you can''t help but crave more bites.''''


    Sheughed, ''''You...really are something,'''' She buried her face in his neck.


    Later that day.


    After the trio had their breakfast together, Mia left for her new house. Before she left, Jun Zixuan gave her a few papers ording which proved that she was his sister, legally.


    Mia dly epted it. She thought he must have prepared it because Han Jian Yu was not the kind of man who would be easily deceived.


    After she left, Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan suspiciously.


    ''''Don''t look at me like that,'''' He wrapped his arms around her waist, ''''I prepared the papers yesterday.''''


    ''''Because of my brother?"


    ''''Your crazy brot-'''' He cleared his throat when she shot him a re, ''''I mean your brother is just one of the reasons. He won''t believe in it so easily. Second, I think she is quite alone here in this world...'''' He paused when she kept nodding at him, ''''What?"


    ''''Go on, I am listening,'''' As he raised an eyebrow, she pressed her palm on his chest and pushed him away whileughing at him, ''''Your cold face is never in sync with your soft heart. Just admit that your are caring for her,'''' She looked at him in amusement as the tips of his ears that turned red.


    ''''I already have a brother. A sister won''t hurt,'''' Jun Zixuan shook his head, ''''She is just pitiful.''''


    ''''Okay, I believe you,'''' Sheughed. This man obviously had such a caring side but he would just never admit. She found him adorable though!


    Her phone buzzed at this moment. She checked the notification, ''''Mm...Our results are out. I almost forgot about it,'''' It has been weeks since her exams and it slipped off her mind.


    Jun Zixuan walked towards the couch before picking up his iPad an opening the website.


    ''''Let me get my roll number,'''' She muttered, sneaking a peek at the iPad.


    ''''I remember it,'''' He quickly entered the roll number, ''''You could have done better,'''' He said while looking at her results. Of course, her marks were great but he wondered why she didn''t do her best.


    ''''Don''t give me that look,'''' She grabbed the iPad from him before looking through her scores. She had almost perfect marks in all all subjects except for Chinese where she got 69 out of 100, ''''I was only hoping that I will pass. Luckily, I graduated sessfully. Moreover, it''s all your fault.''''


    ''''What''s my fault in this?'''' He grabbed the iPad from her hand and ced it on the couch. ''''I think I have been a very diligent teacher.''''


    As he stepped closer to her, she stepped back, ''''Diligent my ass. You..have been kissing me here and there sneakily at that time and I could not help but think about it crazily. Even in the exam, I was thinking about that,'''' She could clearly remember back then, he started to act weirdly around her, kissing and touching her and she was likepletely nk about his intentions.


    He grabbed the back of her neck before peppering her face with soft kisses, ''''Like this?"


    ''''No, like this,'''' She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him on his lips.


    Before he could deepen the kiss, she pulled back from. Ignoring the grumbling man, she smoothened the creases on her ck business suit, ''''I have to go to work.''''


    ''''How about taking a day off and staying in bed all day?'''' He seriously asked.


    She blinked as a blush crept up her cheeks, ''''No," She shook her head adamantly. "You are a beast. I am not staying with you," She quickly grabbed her bag from the edge of the couch before dashing towards the door just in case he pounced on her right then and there.


    Even the servants were on a day off. This man...was too much for her little heart.


    Jun Zixuan stood there speechlessly as he nced at her retreating back. "Going to work it is."

 Chapter 302 - Sister-in-law Shi Luo

    Yu Meipleted her work in thepany within three hours before she checked the finance reports.


    While she was contemting whether she should go to visit Jun Zixuan in thepany or go back to Ren Mansion, she received a call from Shi Luo who invited her out on coffee.


    She remembered that the day before yesterday, Shi Luo had called her to ask about Jun Boyan''s presence in her house. Then her battery died and they could not talk more after that.


    Yu Mei drove over to the cafe that Shi Luo mentioned and went inside the private room before any reporter could hover around her.


    After that celebration party, both Jun Zixuan and her were all over the tabloids and she already expected it but...


    "I saw the news," Shi Luo had apparent dark circles under her eyes and she looked nothing less than a depressed little duck.


    Yu Mei poked and pinched her cheeks a few times before taking a seat on the other side of the table. "You did...? It''s a bother now...Reporters are clinging like a leech and we are all over the news."


    "You didn''t expect that when you were crushing on him standing on that stage?" Shi Luo lifelessly asked as her head nodded off to the side.


    "You...Why do you look like that?" Yu Mei got chills just at the sight of her.


    "You didn''t answer me?"


    Yu Mei picked the ss of water before gulping it down, "I always wanted to confess to him properly. And after Jun Zihao''s ident, I don''t want any other ex to pop up out of nowhere and create misunderstandings between us. You can say that I have developed severe ex-boyfriend/girlfriend trauma."


    "You didn''t have other exes."


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "I had some pursuers here and there. Who knows if they wille in the picture someday? Moreover, Zixuan has crazy admirers everywhere so I had to stake my im."


    "Duh. You are possessive sick," Shi Luo rolled her eyes. Some pursuers? Yeah, like more than half of Crystal University.


    "Uhh...Luoluo, are you on drugs?"


    "I tell you, I am not talking to you," Yu Mei was rmed as the woman snapped at her all of a sudden.


    "What did I do?"


    "You dropped that Junior Jun in my peaceful nest and now my life is in chaos."


    "Boyan is so adorable. What can he possibly do to you?"


    "Adorable my ass," Shi Luo shouted, "Mom saw both of us together and she was so shocked that I also got speechless about how I should respond to her."


    "She saw you both together?" Yu Mei was speechless.


    "Yes, I barely managed to say that he is her best friend''s son and I also mentioned your mother-inw too. Mom was so excited after hearing it but.."


    "But?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow.


    "But she still wanted to know what kind of rtionship we have..."


    Yu Mei nodded, "Then?"


    "Then... Then Jun Boyan told her that we are in a rtionship and I could not sleep after that. Mom was more than happy and she said that we should marry soon."


    Yu Mei nodded again, "I see..."


    Shi Luo was speechless, "What ''I see''...?"


    "Luoluo, I bet you have turned dumb after seeing a stunning Jun in your dull house."


    "What do you mean?"


    Yu Mei sighed, "Let me exin this. He obviously did that to not make things much awkward."


    "He could have said we are like brother and sister."


    "Well. Probably, he said what came to his mind," Yu Mei shrugged, "Why are you overreacting unless you have a thing for him?" She teased but unexpectedly, Shi Luo turned red at her words, "Luoluo, you..."


    "You have gone crazy. I am going home. I want to sleep...''''


    ''''With Boyan?" Yu Mei''s eyes widened.


    ''''You..You...'''' Shi Luo''s face was one second away from sting, ''''What the hell are you talking about?''''


    ''''Uh...I mean you blushed and you said sleep so I...''''


    ''''I said sleep, not sex,'''' As she watched her friend scratching her neck awkwardly, Shi Luo was speechless, ''''Jun Zixuan has corrupted you,'''' She said.


    ''''Cough...''''


    ''''There is nothing between him and me. I will just take it as if I am taking a new tenant temporarily.''''


    "Whatever suits you. I think Boyan will move out soon then you can tell your mother that you both broke up," Yu Mei said after giving it some thought.


    Shi Luo nodded, a soft blush still remained fixated on her cheeks.


    ...


    "...So this is all that happened," Yu Mei recounted her conversation with Shi Luo, of course, skipping the ''sleeping'' part.


    Jun Zixuan ced his iPad on the coffee table as he raised his head to look at her, "I will arrange a ce for Boyan."


    Jun Boyan had an apartment in Amaranthine but he does not owns a house in Beijing as most of the time he was back, he lived in Shen Lihua''s vi.


    Yu Mei stroked her chin for a moment before shaking her head, "Let them stay together."


    Jun Zixuan eyebrow, "What are you scheming?"


    "I think Luoluo has a thing for Boyan. Let them stay together and see if sparks fly. What do you say?"


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched, "What a weird thing to have Shi Luo as sister-inw."


    Yu Mei inched closer to him, "Stop torturing her okay?"


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "What are you talking about?"


    Her eyes narrowed, "Stop acting innocent. Luoluo told me about it."


    Jun Zixuan pulled her onto hisp such that she was sitting on his thighs. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, "Back then, I was really disturbed by her lies..." He murmured as he hugged her.


    She ruffled his hair, "That was our fault. I ept. But at that time, I was nning to divorce you that''s why she lied though she exaggerated a bit."


    He tilted his head to look at her, the tips of their noses touched, "You are not bringing up divorce ever again."


    "U...I was just casually mentioning it.."


    He took her bottom lips in his teeth, before sucking it, "No casual mention."


    "Okay."


    Jun Zixuan''s phone buzzed.


    Yu Mei grabbed his phone from the coffee table, "What''s the password?"


    "Your birthday."


    She blinked at him, "Mine?"


    He nodded and she quickly entered her birthdate and month and she speechlessly nced at the phone which was unlocked.


    He poked her cheeks, "You look dumb blinking like that."


    She red at him before checking the message, "It''s from Steward Gu. He has sent you some pictures and a text...."

 Chapter 303 - I Waited

    ''Old Master Han was present there in the celebration party''


    That was the text which was sent to Jun Zixuan by Steward Gu.


    Following it were a trail of pictures in which Yu Mei could see an old man standing at a far distance from the crowd. One would not notice it if they did not see it closely.


    Jun Zixuan frowned.


    ''''I don''t have good feelings about people with surname,'''' Yu Mei handed the phone to Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the picture before looking at her quietly.


    ''''Who is he?" Yu Mei asked, shifting on hisp slightly such that she was leaning closer to him. She ran her fingers through his hair.


    ''''Han Jingyi''s grandfather.''''


    ''''Han Jingyi...Li Shuang''s cousin whom she calls cake face...Hmm, I remember her,'''' She blinked at him, ''''She is your fiancee arranged by the Jun Family.''''


    ''''It''s her,'''' Jun Zixuan nodded before he ced a soft kiss on her corbone, feeling her stiffen under the touch of his lips, ''''You are my darling. What are you sounding jealous for?''''


    ''''Sweet talker,'''' She poked his cheek, ''''I was wondering why no one choose me. Your paternal family chose Han Jingyi to be your future wife and mother-inw settled you with Yu Mei Zhen. I was thinking it would have been really good if I was your fiance.''''


    ''''What are you thinking about? I am with you. You are with me. It''s all that matters,'''' He bit her chin.


    ''''Ow-'''' She red at him and another bizarre thought came in her mind, ''''At times, I feel guilty about Yu Mei Zhen. The real one.''''


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, ''''Don''t. You didn''t kill her. She was attempting suicide and she seeded in it. That''s it.''''


    ''''You hate her...'''' She mumbled.


    ''''I despised her,'''' Jun Zixuan nced at her emotionless, there was not even a hint of pity in his eyes and his expressions were cold, ''''Initially when I married her, she only had to give her signature to Steward Gu. We never met neither did she know my name as Steward Gu hadpleted the procedures. I didn''t hate her initially. I had nothing to do with her. I let her stay in the Ren Mansion, handed her a card and told her to live her life like she wants without trying to y the wife or Young Mistress...''''


    Jun Zixuan was not used to disrespecting woman but he knew that he would end up doing it if he stayed with Yu Mei Zhen under one roof when she started her schemes on him. Everything started slow but in two days he found the intensity of her tactics increasing. In two days, she was all tantrums and bratty. Without saying anything, he moved over to his condominium but then she started threatening him with her life, slitting wrists, writing blood stained letters...


    ''''The day Mom called me back for marriage, I was going to propose you,'''' Jun Zixuan confessed and Yu Mei froze


    ''''On our graduation day?" She nced at him quietly.


    He nodded.


    ''''I...That day...'''' She hesitated.


    He nced at her, ''''Tell me what you are trying to say,'''' He cupped her face.


    ''''That day...I waited for 6 hours in the university for you. Mu Shen told me that you won''t being before he left but...'''' Yu Mei paused, ''''I thought...you wille. You promised me you will be there. After that day, I looked for you everywhere. I hired a private investigator without letting my brother know about all this.''''


    The graduation day was a disappointment to her as he did note but she thought he was in some problem. Mu Shen remained quiet about it.


    Days, weeks passed and months flew by but she never stopped looking for him until she saw Mu Shen''s wechat moments one day where he posted a picture of him and Jun Zixuan. And only then did she realized that, nothing really happened with him. He just disappeared from her life on his own ord and he probably did not want to see...her.


    For a long time, she wondered what went wrong exactly?


    ''''I am sorry,'''' Jun Zixuan cupped her face, ''''I will never leave you again,'''' He ced a soft kiss on her forehead, his heart ached at what she went through.


    He never expected her to go to such extents to look for him. He wanted to talk to her but he would not what to say. There was nothing left.


    She smiled, ''''Of course, you won''t. You can''t,'''' Her gaze flew back to the picture on his phone.


    He followed her gaze, ''''Are you thinking the same as me?"


    She nced at him, ''''Are they...rted to our family. Hans...?"


    ''''I will investigate if they are the same.''''


    ''''No,'''' Yu Mei shook her head, ''''As long as they don''te to me, let''s not do anything.''''


    ''''They killed you,'''' Jun Zixuan''s lips thinned.


    It did not matter if she did not want to taint her hands with blood. He will do the dirty job for her.


    ''''I wanted revenge initially,'''' Yu Mei frowned, ''''But...''''


    ''''What''s wrong?"


    ''''Brother had lost the memories from his childhood and I was too young to remember what happened back then. We just had a jade with us with ''Han'' carved on it and behind the jade, our names were carved ''Han Mei and Han Jian Yu''? and he named me after it but we had decided that we won''t look for them...'''' She paused for a moment, ''''After I woke up in this body, I tried to look for brother and when I found him, I realized that he has changed in some ways...''''


    Jun Zixuan''s brows tugged together, ''''And you are assuming that he has regained his memory.''''


    ''''I didn''t say it aloud. How do you know?'''' She nced at him doubtfully.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he tightened his grip around her before leaning closer to her, ''''That''s because. I quite seem to know how to read your body and your face,'''' He spoke beside her ear.

 Chapter 304 - Hiding Something

    ''''Cough..'''' She hugged him tightly before burying her face in his neck, trying to hide her blush. This man is the death of her. ''''Mm...It''s true though. I feel he has regained his memories."


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze darkened slightly, "And?"


    "And for some reason, I feel like he is keeping me away from all these things," Yu Mei straightened up.


    "He could be just protecting you," He stood up from the couch and carried her in his arms before walking towards the bed.


    He ced her on the bed and turned off the lights before sleeping beside her.


    She inched closer to him and ced her head on his shoulder as he slept while facing the ceiling, his fingers ran on her back gently.


    "He is trying to protect me. That''s true but other than that..."


    She paused and he tilted his head to the side, waiting for her to finish.


    "I think he is kind of keeping me away from everything. He never does that. He is always protective but we share our problems with each other. Most of the time but now it seems like he is all by himself. The mercenaries who were assigned to kill me...I think they should be dead by now. And he might be nning something against Han Family all by himself."


    Jun Zixuan sighed, "Shall I investigate his recent movements? Or we can keep him in the dark while investigating Han Family."


    She nced at him quietly for a few seconds before shaking her head, "I have never had a father or a mother. Han Jian Yu has been my first and only family for a long time. I don''t want to do something he doesn''t want me to be involved in," She paused for a moment before adding, "We will see what happens..."


    "Or let''s just find a chance to have a proper conversation with your brother," He said.


    She nced at him, "We can go for that only if you keep your fists in your pockets and don''t start fighting like wild-"


    "Wild word is quite provocative," He pinned her beneath him all of a sudden as he nced at her mischievously, his fingers tugging at her nightdress, "Mm...If that''s what you want."


    "Y-You..." Her eyes widened at his sudden attack. "Mmm..." The rest of her protests drowned in her moans when he kissed her neck.


    ...


    Inside the sshouse perched on the edge of a Leven cliff, Mia snapped her fingers arranging all her luggage properly inside the house. The couch and rest of the things appeared out of thin air, decorating the house while she did not have to do much.


    The ss of the house was at dark and opaque settings at the moment but it could be switched back to light and transparent with the remote she was provided with while buying the house.


    Looking at the well-decorated house in satisfaction, Mia quickly removed her dress and walked towards the window wearing only her undergarments. She slightly opened the window and the cold air hit her face, her long silver hair flew back, "This is so peaceful," She sighed in satisfaction, deciding to take a shower first.


    Just as she was about to walk upstairs, her gazended on the house opposite to hers which was only separated by a ss wall.


    There were only these two houses as this ce is private property. The broker told her that the other house is vacant most of the and the owner has note back in years.


    Didn''t that mean she is the owner of this whole ce?


    ''''Maybe I canplete the ad shoot tomorrow and just chill here after that,'''' Work and all was not her type for she was not a responsible person.


    Mia picked up the robe from the couch before she draped it over her body, tying it in front of her waist.


    Just as she turned around to walk upstairs, she paused in her tracks hearing some movements around her.


    ''''What do you mean by you still can''t find her? You can''t find a woman, you can''t find an animal...is there something you can do?" Han Jian Yu''s expressions were menacingly dark as entered the pin at the wooden door in front of the sshouse.


    ''''B-Boss, I am trying,'''' Danny''s trembling voice came from the other side of the phone.


    Han Jian Yu raked his fingers through his dark hair as he kicked the door before stepping inside, ''''I want results,'''' He coldly said before hanging up.


    His footsteps came to a halt when he felt someone''s gaze on him. He tilted his head and nced at the ss partition, his gazending on the woman standing at a distance, looking at him nkly, ''''You...?"


    Mia blinked. Once. Twice.


    ''''What do you think are you doing here?"


    Without responding to him, Mia walked towards the couch and she picked up her phone before turning around to walk upstairs.


    ''Knock Knock''


    Hearing the knock on the door, she tilted her head to look at the ss partition. As expected, Han Jian Yu was not there.


    Letting out a soft sigh, she stood up from the couch and walked towards the door. As soon as she opened the door, she was met with his cold gaze.


    ''''I asked what the heck you are doing here,'''' He stepped towards her and she took a few steps back, her back collided against the wall behind, ''''I don''t believe that you are his sister so you can drop the act. What are you doing here and what intentions do you have?" His voice was low and threatening, the scent of his cologne hit her nose as he took another step closer to her.


    Mia blinked. She...What was she thinking when she called him cute and said that he is a very nice person? Was she that infatuated by his beauty?


    ''''Answer!" He mmed a palm beside her on the wall as he nced at her. ''''Are you deaf?" No matter what, this woman appeared very suspicious to him.


    ''''I wonder whether the President of Amaranthine is blind,'''' Mia ced a finger on his chest as she stepped towards him.


    Han Jian Yu took a step back from her.

 Chapter 305 - His Sugar Baby

    ''''You think I am following you around? On what basis are you making that im, huh?" Mia pressed her index finger on his chest and stepped towards him. Han Jian Yu stepped back from her until his back was hitting the closed door.


    ''''It was the first time when we met yesterday at Ren Mansion,'''' He cleared his throat, ''''But you were looking at me like you know me since decades.''''


    Mia stiffened slightly but she schooled her expressions before he noticed something amiss, ''''You look desirable. Hot and handsome. Which woman would not want to take another look?"


    He raised an eyebrow, a hint of arrogance in his eyes as he looked at the woman up so close. She smelt of wild forests, her hazel eyes were deep and mysterious, the silky strands of her long silver hair falling over her shoulder were enhancing her beauty by lips and bounds. Beauty...Yes, he had to admit that she was beautiful.


    ''''On the second note, it was all about your looks until I noticed how jerky you were,'''' It was true. As a fox, he treated her well but she realized that she did not him well as a human. When she was in Han Mei''s body, she had always seen him when he was with Han Mei and he treated his sister like a precious pearl so she had wrong assumptions about him that he was just a loving brother and a gentle man.


    But damn...


    She was so wrong.


    His eyes darkened at her wordings, ''''There is no such term as jerky in the dictionary that could be describe a human being.''''


    ''''Then update your dictionary, daddy!" She scoffed.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''To be calling me daddy like that...what are you, my sugar baby?"


    The tips of her ears hidden behind the locks of her silver hair turned red but she did not let thate on her face, ''''I have a super rich friend, a super rich brother and I could have been a super rich woman if I was not thiszy for work and all. In a nutshell, you are not as necessary.''''


    She just called him daddy because she read in the webnovel that ''daddy'' can be quite domineering on the bed. Although she did not quite understand how... but probably some modern world thing which she could learn more about over the time. Even though there were not in bed, but in the living room, that should count too. Right?


    ''''By rich friend, you mean...my sister...?" He nced at her face.


    She tilted her head to look at him. She was quite tall but without wearing heels, her forehead just reached till his lips. She was not short. He was just too tall...too huge for all those muscles that seemed to be not staying tucked inside his ck shirt as she could see his muscr chest quite clearly. His smooth, tanned skin, she could see the parts of his tattoo, those dips and-


    ''''So much for a woman who was turned off by my ''JERKY'' attitude,'''' His deep voice contained hints of amusements as he nced at the woman who had her finger still pressed on his chest, while they were in a position where it seemed like she was pinning him to the wall.


    Mia snapped out of her daze, ''''I was thinking about your question.''''


    ''''Oh, where is my answer then? Is my sister whom you are calling your friend?"


    ''''Yes, it''s her. Who else?" Mia cleared her throat, ''''What are you doing in my house? There is a clear partition. Can''t you see that?"


    ''''I assume you are trailing behind me, while having some other intentions for me,'''' He raised his hand, slowly enough as it reached out to her lone finger sitting on his chest. He hooked his index finger in hers and tugged at it slowly such that she was pulled forward, her breasts collided against his hard chest, ''''After all, you could not take this delicate finger off my chest,'''' He said, while stroking her finger, slowly.


    Mia rolled her eyes. She was just feeling his abs a bit, what was he being so maniptive over? "There is nothing as such. When I was buying the house, I didn''t know that you are my mysterious neighbour who has not stepped his feet here since a long time," She nced at him, "Or else I would not have bought this house."


    Han Jian Yu looked at her quietly for a few seconds. What she was saying was true. He never came here because he rarely came to Beijing before for work and when he did, he stayed at his penthouse. It was empty but he was used to emptiness during the time he lost his sister for months.


    Then that small creature came into his life.


    But after that little fox''s disappearance, he could not bring himself to stay there...the penthouse just felt so empty. When he stepped inside, he got reminded of that adorable little thing eating her food elegantly, strutting around the house like a little queen, clinging to him and bothering the women that came there.


    Look at his nk face, Mia stepped back from him before getting her hand out of his grip.


    Han Jian Yu snapped out of his daze as he nced at his empty hand before looking at the delicate woman. How was she able to do it?


    How was she able to break his grip on her?


    Was she that powerful....?


    He paused. No, it must be because he was absent-minded.


    "Then, I could say that it was you who followed me here but I am the kind one here. I won''t say it," Mia said, "Let''s just stay in our respective houses and not intrude in the other''s like you did just not. Make sure to put a curtain over that partition," She folded her arms infront of her chest as she stepped back from him while folding her chin in front of her chest.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes. The audacity of this woman. When has someone ordered him like this?

 Chapter 306 - Going Somewhere

    The next day, as the rm clock kept ringing, the two people on the bed remained enclosed in their own little bubble as they cuddled with each other.


    ''''You obviously can''t wake up this early, then why do you set such rms?" Jun Zixuan mumbled in a hoarse voice as he turned towards her. One of his legs remained on her knees, locking her legs in ce while his hand was on her waist. His other hand was ced below her neck while he nestled her in his arms.


    Yu Mei opened her eyes slowly with a lot of struggle and she found him staring at her, ''''I had to wake up early, can''t I?'''' She stroked his chin.


    ''''You can. But why wake me up with you?'''' Jun Zixuan buried her face in the crook of her neck, ''''It''s barely 6 am,'''' He pulled back and nced at her with eyes full ofints.


    ''''You are my better half,'''' Sheughed as he made a weird face at her, ''''We should share happiness, sadness, and each other''s troubles....'''' Her face scrunched slightly as she paused, ''''That''s too cringe.''''


    He chuckled, the sound of his deep throatyughter tickled her heart.


    ''''...Let''s just say. Since I am waking up early, you also have to,'''' She stroked his chin.


    ''''Is itpulsory?"


    ''''Of course, it is,'''' She tried to sit up but the man pulled her into his arms as he spooned her.


    Jun Zixuan pulled her up such that their faces were inches apart, ''''Let''s stay like this then,'''' He yed with her hair, peppering soft kisses on her face.


    She closed her eyes, relishing in his touch as she leaned closer to him, cing her hand on his back.


    As his kisses turned a bit deeper, trailing towards her earlobe in a teasing manner, her body jolted slightly and she quickly sat up on the bed, ''''We can''t... right now. We have to go somewhere.''''


    ''''Where?" Jun Zixuan pushed himself up before sneaking a kiss from her lips.


    She ced a palm on her mouth but he caught her off guard as he bit the supple skin near her breast through her flimsy robe.


    ''''You...'''' She quickly covered her body, a blush creeping up her cheeks.


    ''''Which part of you have I not seen for you to be still so shy?'' He hooked his hands around her neck.


    She blushed harder but not before stealing a kiss from his lips, ''''We should be even now,'''' As he raised an eyebrow, she smiled, ''''Let''s go. Take a shower and get dressed up. We will be going somewhere.''''


    ''''Take a shower together?" His eyes visibly brightened.


    She was speechless, ''''You...look like a big bad wolf smacking his lips while awaiting his meal,'''' She backed away a little from him, tucking the nket till her neck, ''''Unfortunately, we can''t bete. We will shower separately.''''


    If she showered together with him, then her day will end in the bathroom and her to-do list for the day will go straight down the drain.


    Very reluctantly, Jun Zixuan dropped his hands hovering near her body before he went to shower.


    Yu Mei sighed as she patted her face which was feeling warm by now. This man is like a rare antique piece at times.


    She could not help butugh at her thoughts.


    ''''Are you thinking bad about me behind my back?'''' Came his deep voice from the walk-in closer.


    She stiffened, ''''Who is spreading such rumors about me? Humph!"


    After both of them were ready, they descended the stairs.


    ''''Master, Young Mistress,'''' Steward Gu bowed at them.


    Yu Mei smiled, ''''Drop these bows already. I have told you countless times to not do that,'''' She waved her hand, ''''Long time no see, Steward Gu.''''


    Steward Gu''s stoic expressions cracked a bit as he smiled, ''''Master gave me a few days off.''''


    The corner of her lips twitched. How could she forget that? He gave a few days off to all the servants and even his right-hand man, Steward Gu was not spared from it.


    ''''I think you should take more holidays,'''' Jun Zixuan said with a straight face after some contemtion, ''''I mean six month holidays in twice a year would be fine. You work too much.''''


    Steward Gu''s eyes lit up. He could almost imagine himself tanning in the sun, dipping in the sea, and ying with sharks.


    ''''No need. Steward Gu loves his work too much to leave it for long,'''' Yu Mei cleared her throat. Give him a 12 month holiday and what after that?


    His kinky side will wake up and then no ce will be left untouched including the kitchen cab, dining table, and...Her face flushed just at the thought of it.


    ''''Are you ufortable somewhere, Young Miss?" Steward Gu asked in concern.


    ''''Where are you ufortable, Mei? You should go back to ''SLEEP'' if that''s the case,'''' Jun Zixuan emphasized that particr word.


    ''''It''s just too warm here,'''' Yu Mei spoke through gritted teeth.


    Steward Gu nced outside the floor-to-ceiling windows where it was snowing. It was probably because of her clothes. He concluded as he nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''But Master, Young Mistress is right. I won''t befortable holidaying for too long. I am good here serving you both.''''


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched, ''''Fine then, all your holidays are canceled for 3 years,'''' With that said, he grabbed Yu Mei''s hand before pulling her into his arms as they walked out.


    Steward Gu: "_" Master, what did I do? I still want my short holiday. Wuwuwu~


    He just stayed rooted to his spot with a straight face despite his bleeding heart. Master is very unpredictable at times. Who knew if he canceled his holidays for 10 years straight?


    It''s better to just keep quiet at the moment.


    ''''Are we taking my car?" Yu Mei waved the car key at him.


    ''''No,'''' Jun Zixuan pressed his thumb on the opaque ss door and it parted revealing the entrance to the grand underground garage of the Ren Mansion, ''''We will get your fingerprint registered here after we are back.''''


    ''''Okay.''''

 Chapter 307 - Always Stay Happy

    Ignoring all the luxurious cars, he walked towards a low-key matte ck Bentley in the corner while holding her in his arms.


    Yu Mei recognized the car as one of the most expensive ones but the boon was that it wasn''t extremely shy and would attract less attention.


    ''''Where are we going?" He asked while holding the door for her.


    As Yu Mei settled inside, he carefully tucked the edge of her knee-length ck dress inside.


    ''''To Grandpa Yu''s Mansion first.''''


    He nced at her quietly for a few seconds before he nodded and closed the door.


    ''''Where is Grandpa?" Yu Mei asked the housekeeper as she got off the car.


    Yu Jinhai, who was standing beside the housekeeper smiled at her brightly and she ruffled his hair. He dashed towards the car before getting in the backseat, ''''Brother-inw~''''


    Yu Mei shook her head helplessly. This boy is a little minion of his brother-inw.


    The housekeeper also smiled as he bowed to Yu Mei, ''''Young Miss, Old Master went to bedte yesterday as he was ying chess with me so he has not woken up yet. When I received your call that you areing here, I wanted to wake him up but since you wereing here for Young Master, I didn''t disturb his sleep.''''


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''You did well. When he wakes up, tell him that Ah Jin is with me. I will meet him when we are back.''''


    ''''Alright, Young Miss,'''' Although he was curious, it was not his ce to ask where they were going early in the morning.


    ''''Where are we going, Jie?" Yu Jinhai averted his attention from his Brother-inw to his sister.


    Jun Zixuan also turned to look at her questioningly.


    ''''To visit your mother,'''' Yu Mei answered his question after a few seconds.


    Silence lingered in the air until Yu Jinhai''s small voice was heard, ''''But...t-they buried her in a mass grave,'''' At that time he did not understand what it meant, but he understood the meaning of it now as he grew up.


    A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified before burial. And the Yu Family threw his mother there like she was nothing.


    Yu Mei extended her hand towards his head as she ruffled his hair, ''''That''s why it took me a long time. I was looking for the exact location and got it from the old keeper of that ce. So, I have gotten that piece ofnd cleaned and well arranged. We can visit her now.''''


    Yu Jinhai''s eyes lit up, ''''Really?"


    ''''Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"


    The boy stood up as he craned his neck forward before cing a soft kiss on her cheek as he sat back on the seat.


    As Yu Mei turned around, she found Jun Zixuan looking at her intensely, a soft smile ying across his face.


    ''What?'' She mouthed, ''Something on my face?''


    He shook his head.


    She nodded.


    Jun Zixuan leaned closer to her as he extended his hand towards the seatbelt.


    She held her breath at his sudden movement.


    ''Click''


    She let out a soft sigh watching him retreat but in the next second, she was caught off guard as the man suddenly leaned closer to her before cing a soft kiss on her other cheek.


    Her face turned red as she watched him settling in his seat.


    She nced at Yu Jinhai through the rearview mirror. The boy looked pretty busy on Jun Zixuan''s iPad.


    Yu Mei cleared her throat, ''''Stop the car near the Florist shop.''''


    ''''We can''t say if it is open so early."


    "I had already talked with them yesterday," Yu Mei replied, "So, the shop near the cemetery should be open."


    He nodded.


    As they reached the location, Jun Zixuan alighted the car before walking towards the other side to open the door for her.


    As she got off the car, he opened the door for Yu Jinhai who immediately jumped down and grabbed his hand.


    Jun Zixuan ruffled his hair, ''''Let''s go inside.''''


    Yu Jinhai nced at the flowers in Yu Mei''s hand, ''''Lillies were her favorite flowers.''''


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''I know,'''' She had memories of the previous owner.


    She nced at the entrance of the ce. There was an old wooden arrow-shaped board hanging on the top with ''Heritage Cemetery'' written on the top.


    As they stepped inside, the guard bowed to them before leading the way.


    Their footsteps came to a halt in front of Yu Li Na''s grave.


    The guard left after showing them the ce.


    Yu Mei nced at the picture of the gentle woman on the headstone. Pure eyes, a soft smile... Their features were a bit simr if one looked closely.


    That family did not even get her surname registered before her name and it was only registered as Li Na. But, she got her surname mentioned when she came to know about it.


    Yu Mei sighed before handing the flower bouquet to Yu Jinhai. She opened the lid of the water bottle in her hand and cleaned the headstone with it.


    Jun Zixuan held the water bottle from her hand as he walked towards Yu Jinhai who was nkly looking at his mother''s picture, ''''ce the flowers there,'''' He patted his back, ''''...And then you can close your eyes to talk to her.


    Yu Jinhai obediently ced the flowers on the ground next to the headstone.


    He nced at Yu Mei who had her eyes closed with both her hands in pressed in the front of her body.


    He slowly moved his hand in the same position and closed his eyes, ''When you left me suddenly, I missed you a lot. Nobody cared for me in the family and my sister also used to beat me sometimes. Mother, I think you might have met with elder sister there by now. If she is with you, please try to convince her to not hate us anymore like she always did. Tell her that we have always cared for her. I still miss you and I also dream of you sometimes but I am not alone anymore. I have a new Jie with me. She cares a lot for me and loves me a lot. She never beats me. I also have a brother-inw. he lets me y with his iPad and always protects me and Jie.''


    He thought back to the times when Jun Zixuan shielded them from the media, ''I love them so much. You should not worry about me anymore. I also have many other sisters. I am living with Grandfather now. He misses you a lot and I have seen him looking at your pictures when you were younger. Ah Jin always loves you. Always stay happy, mother.''

 Chapter 308 - Why Is She Here?

    Yu Mei closed her eyes as she sped her hands in front of her body, ''I do not know how I should address you. Our rtionship should be quiteplicated given that you are the mother of the previous owner of the body which is mine now. I have no special feelings for Yu Mei Zhen but if I have to be honest, since the first day I got her memories, I have admired you for being the resilient person you were. And at times, I hated her for not cherishing a mother like. Not everyone has parents. She did. She had a mother who will fight against the world for her but...''


    She paused, breaking her trail of thoughts, ''I apologize for iming your daughter''s body. It was not my intention but it happened. But I can assure you that I will take care of Ah Jin. I have settled the ounts with Yu Family and I will also take care of your father. Rest in peace. It would have been better if I had the chance to meet you even once.''


    A lone teardrop rolled down her cheeks and she opened her eyes, looking at the picture of the woman in a daze. For some reason, her heart always ached for Yu Li Na.


    She was too kind for this cruel world. She deserved much better, a husband who loved her, children who understood her. She deserved a lot but she did not get them.


    Suddenly, she was pulled into a warm embrace, "Shhh..." Jun Zixuan stroked her back when her soft sobs sounded in the empty cemetery, piercing straight through his heart.


    He did not understand why she was attached to Yu Li Na to this extent when she has never met her. Initially, he just assumed it was because of Yu Jinhai but whatever it was, he understood her conflicted emotions.


    Waking up in a new body, getting the old memories of the previous owner...how could it not affect her?


    He realized that she has always wanted to stay away from this. She never went to Yu Family until she came to know that Yu Jinhai was in danger.


    And over time, she has gotten attached to the people who were unrted to her. Be it Yu Li Na, Yu Jinhai, Grandpa Yu, or Li Shuang.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Yu Li Na''s grave, ''Rest in peace.''


    He might be called ruthless over it but he did not have an ounce of remorse for the previous owner''s death.


    She was not underage neither she was mentally sick. As a 21-year-old adult, she should be responsible for her actions.


    Moreover, he felt relieved that Han Mei was resurrected in this body, no matter however it was possible but it happened.


    And that was all. Even if the world was on fire, he would still choose to embrace her if she was calling for him.


    When it came to her, he was just that irrational.


    His dark eyes turned back to normal when he felt a tug on his fingers.


    He looked at Yu Jinhai who was blinking at him. He patted his head gently.


    Noticing that Yu Mei had calmed down, he let go of her.


    "Jie..."


    Yu Mei rubbed her eyes as she nced at the little boy, "Yes?" Her voice was a little hoarse.


    "Don''t cry. Mother is happy wherever she is," He said that, not quite understanding why his Jie was crying when she was not even rted to his mother.


    Yu Mei nodded, "Mm, she should be," She nced at the sky taking in a deep breath.


    Although he coaxed his sister but Yu Jinhai felt a dull ache of emptiness around him. He leaned his head on Jun Zixuan thigh destely.


    Jun Zixuan patted his shoulder, "Let''s go home champ, Grandpa must be waiting for us."


    The boy cheered up at the mention of his Grandpa, "And Shuang Jie will also be there."


    Yu Mei''s dim eyes lit up, "Ah Shuang will be there?"


    The young boy nodded, "She promised she will be there today."


    Jun Zixuan inwardly let out a sigh of relief as he pulled both the humans, a little one and a grown-up one towards him, "Then, we should go back first."


    "Yes!" Both of them replied at the same time.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched. These two were like real siblings for sure.


    ...


    In the Ancestral Mansion.


    While Jun Zixuan and Yu Jinhai kept Grandpa Yupany, Yu Mei and Li Shuang were in thetter''s room.


    "How do you feel now?" Li Shuang asked while hanging a ss of water in front of Yu Mei''s lips.


    Her face scrunched slightly, "What are you doing?" This woman was holding a ss of water in front of her mouth from the moment she stepped inside her room.


    "Your husband told me that you cried for 15.02 seconds and that I should not let you be dehydrated."


    Yu Mei pressed her palm on her forehead, "Sigh...What''s going on with you and this potential boyfriend of yours?" She could not discuss it with her that day because she was really busy.


    But that did not mean Yu Mei forgot about it.


    Li Shuang thought about it for a few moments before she answered, "Grandpa wanted me to find myself a man. I am doing it. Edwards Looks like a suitable option, a proper man for me."


    "But.."


    Li Shuang grabbed Yu Mei''s hand as she interrupted her, "I did love once. It never got me anywhere. So, maybe I should try following Grandpa''s words this time."


    Yu Mei shook her head, "Don''t do that to yourself," She whispered, "And if you have to, then make sure this does not hurt youter."


    Just as Li Shuang was about to say something, some noises from outside grabbed their attention. Both of them stood up and walked out of the room only to be greeted by the sight of a person they never wanted to see.


    Li Shuang''s expressions turned into that of disgust while Yu Mei exchanged nced at Jun Zixuan ''What is she doing here?'' She mouthed.

 Chapter 309 - A Kiss In Public

    Jun Zixuan shrugged.


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched.


    Grandpa Yu nced at both Yu Mei and Yu Jinhai, ''''Come here, I will introduce you to your cousin.''''


    Yu Jinhai grabbed Jun Zixuan''s hand, ''''I will stay with Brother-inw.''''


    Han Jingyi narrowed her eyes for a moment before she schooled her expressions, ''''Come to big sister here,'''' Honey dripped from her voice.


    Yu Jinhai vehemently shook his head.


    Jun Zixuan patted Yu Jinhai''s head as he nced at Grandpa Yu, ''''Ah Jin has a weak heart. He is easily scared of strangers.''''


    Han Jingyi''s nails dug in the flesh of her palm. Was he calling her scary?


    Grandpa Yu nodded, ''''He is still young. He will get ustomed to it over time.''''


    ''''He won''t,'''' Li Shuang said with a straight face as she folded her arms in front of her chest, ''''He reads horror stories at night and in the morning, he sees ghosts in all weird people. So, it would be best to keep such people away from him who might scare him in any way.''''


    Yu Jinhai blinked his doe eyes. It is always past midnight by the time he finishes his homework and revisions. When did he read horror stories?


    Han Jingyi choked on her saliva, ''''You... Are you calling me scary?" Her voice raised slightly.


    ''''She just stated a fact but since you are taking it to heart, you must know yourself very well,'''' Jun Zixuan nonchntly said as he checked some mails on his phone.


    Han Jingyi''s face flushed in embarrassment but Jun Zixuan''s powerful aura left her tongue-tied.


    Grandpa Yu knew that there was a little friction between Han Jingyi and Jun ZIxuan and Li Shuang. As the former was engaged to her while thetter did not like this cousin of hers since they were kids. He cleared his throat before averting his gaze to Yu Mei, ''''Come here, Mei''er.''''


    ''''I have a weaker heart than Ah Jin,'''' Yu Mei blinked.


    Han Jingyi''s face changed colors. This bitch...''''Ah, Grandpa we know each other. Only recently did Ie to know that Sister Mei is my cousin.''''


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched. Sister Mei? Her lips curled in disgust. How is the man able to maintain such thick skin.


    ''''Grandpa, Zixuan has a meetingter. We will be leaving now,'''' She walked towards the old man before hugging me.


    ''''He didn''t tell me about it...''''


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow at Jun Zixuan who immediately came to her rescue, ''''Indeed, there is a meeting. It slipped off my mind.''''


    "What do you think was she doing there?'''' Yu Mei asked Jun Zixuan as soon as he parked the car in front of Eminence headquarters.


    "Grandpa Yu is her maternal grandfather," Han Jingyi was Li Na''s sister''s daughter so it would not be strange if she came to meet her grandfather.


    Yu Mei nced at him for a few seconds before she nodded, "Probably."


    "Are youing with me?"


    She shook her head, "I have some work in thepany. I wille to you by noon. Lend your car to me," She alighted the car before she walked to the other side and opened the door for him, "Come out."


    Jun Zixuan leaned back on the seat.


    She raised an eyebrow, "What?"


    "I am not lending you my car."


    "I am sure that you are not that stingy," She rolled her eyes and adjusted her shades as she looked around if there were reporters but luckily there were none in her view.


    "I am just that stingy," The man replied nonchntly.


    She sighed, "What do you want?"


    "A kiss as an exchange," The man raked his fingers through his hair while his other fingers tugged at the button of his shirt as he unbuttoned it, "Two kisses here and there with it will do better."


    Her face turned warm and her eyes widened under her shades, "You must be kidding me!"


    "Do I look like I am?"


    No, he looked very serious. "B-But we are on the middle of the road."


    "It''s the left side though," He stated nonchntly.


    Her lips twitched. Is that the point?


    "I don''t think the public minds a loving girlfriend kissing her boyfriend before he goes to work."


    But the loving girlfriend minds okay?


    Well aware that he won''t budge from his demands, she tucked her hair behind her ear and lowered her upper body as she took her head inside the car. She slowly looked out of the ss and ced her lips on his before retreating quickly, "It''s done. Quicklye out before we are spotted making out in the public. Oh, how embarrassing would that be!" Her face scrunched just at the thought of it, "We can''t!!" She quickly shook her head as soon as she imagined their kissing pictures all over the tabloids.


    He raised an eyebrow as he grabbed the back of her neck, his thumb stroked her earlobe as he leaned closer to her, "But I just want to make out with you right here..." He whispered as his hot breath blew into her ear, "...And right now."


    Her eyes widened as his other hand went behind her bottom and he pulled her inside, the door mmed shut as he spooned her body on hisp.


    He unfastened his seatbelt and pressed a switch. The driver''s seat was pulled back and angled such that Yu Mei was leaning onto him. Her hair fell on his shoulder.


    "No..." She shook her head.


    The corner of his lips twitched, "Your no is rather special. You are shaking your head but leaning closer to me. That counts as a yes, doesn''t it?"


    She gulped. Towards the unknown, there would always be anticipation and fear. "We will get spotted.." His intense gaze was already making her body tingle at ces. Where was she going to bring a ''No'' from?


    "No," He pressed a switch near the steering wheel and the sunlight no longer passed through the sses. They were opaque from outside. "Is it a Yes now?" He yed with the loose strands of her hair.


    She gulped once again as she hesitantly moved closer to him, "I can try," It''s just a kiss. She can do it for sure!

 Chapter 310 - Did You Like It?

    She ced her palm on his eyes, "Keep your eyes closed."


    He held her wrist and removed her palm from his eyes as he intertwined their finger. He tilted his head slightly as he nced at her.


    "I-I..." She blushed, "Don''t expect me to kiss when you are looking at me like that."


    "Like what?" He gently dusted off the snow from her shoulders which was melting on her trench coat. He ran his fingers on his neck but instead of feeling the coldness, she felt a trail of warmth at his touch.


    "L-Like..." A soft sigh escaped her mouth as his finger trailed towards her knee-length dress. His palm rested on her knees.


    "I''ve closed my eyes," He whispered and she nced at him.


    True to his words, he had indeed closed his eyes. She cupped his face and leaned closer to him. The scent of his cologne invaded her nostrils as her lips touched his lips slightly.


    She pulled back for a second before taking his upper lips between her teeth as her tongue slid inside his mouth. She sucked and bit his lips alternatively, feeling his heart beating faster against her chest.


    Just as she was deepening the kiss, he grabbed the back of her neck as he pulled back, "You are a good kisser. Have I told you that before?" His husky voice settled another hue of pink on her cheeks.


    "Am I?" She clutched the cor of his shirt in her palms.


    He nced at her quietly for a few seconds, their breaths intermingled. He pulled her closer to himself by her neck, "You sure are," With that said, he smooched her bottom lips before sucking hard on it as he shoved his tongue inside her mouth.


    A soft moan escaped her mouth only for it to drown in his mouth.


    One of his hands was holding her neck in ce while his other hand that was on her knee shifted inside her dress, stroking her thigh.


    She gasped against his lips when she felt his rough thumb grazing her inner thighs. Their lips parted and she arched her neck.


    He kissed her corbones as his other hand shifted from her neck. He grabbed her knee and parted her legs and she wrapped an arm around his neck, her fingers fisted his hair at the back of his head when his thumb caressed over her panties.


    Her eyes closed as her chest heaved up and down, her breathing turned irregr.


    "You are wet," He mumbled beside her ear and she stiffened when his teeth tugged at her earlobe. His palm slid inside her panties as it cupped her eager sex.


    Another gasp escaped her mouth when his finger yed with her clit. Her grip on his hair tightened as she pulled him closer to herself. She buried half of her face in the silky strands of his hair, feeling their softness on her cheeks.


    He kissed her cleavage through her dress and she moaned.


    His fingers that were ying with her nub shifted slightly as he entered his middle finger inside her sleek entrance.


    He angled his head and ced soft kisses on her neck.


    Her body stiffened slightly as she felt his finger thrusting inside her. Her eyes closed and she did not realize when her bottom shifted slightly, giving him more ess as she moved her waist. "A-Ahh..." Her repressed moans sounded inside the car as he thrust another finger inside her, thrusting harder this time.


    His teeth nipped on the supple skin below her neck before he sucked on the spot and her body trembled, his fingers thrust roughly inside her and her eyes rolled back, her grip on his hair tightened. She clenched around his fingers as she climaxed crying out his name right beside his ear.


    His finger slid out of her entrance as he brought his hand closer to his mouth. Looking into her zed eyes, he licked her juices while watching her turn redder than she already was.


    "That was..." She ced her forehead against his, "..much more than just a kiss," Her voice was a bit hoarse as she spoke softly.


    "Did you like it?" He asked, looking into her eyes as his lips caught her bottom lips between his teeth, nipping and sucking at them lightly before he let it go.


    She kissed his lips softly, without responding to his questions but her blushing cheeks spoke a lot.


    "Yes?" He slightly lowered his head to look into her eyes.


    "Yes," she whispered.


    The corner of his lips tugged up and he pulled her into his arms, "I feel reluctant to go..."


    She blinked. It was very rare for a workaholic like him to utter such words. But then she remembered the time when they were just friends and he had taken a finished a month of work in advance so that he could help her with her studies and stay with her. "I''lle to pick you up after I am done with my work," she replied.


    He pulled her head back slightly as he looked at her, "I thought the design for the month was already released?"


    "It is," As he nced at her with a ''Why are you still so busy'' gaze, she shook her head, "The employees have been reshuffled in thepany but I feel there is something wrong with the finance departmenttely. That''s why I need to be there."


    He stroked her hair, "Call me if you need any help, okay?"


    "I will manage it..." As his eyes darkened, she ruffled his hair, "..But I will call you if I need any help."


    He nodded, satisfied with her response. Suddenly, he tilted his face to the side with his neck stretched slightly.


    She blinked.


    As if he could sense her confusion, he said, "You didn''t kiss me there."


    "Y-You..." She poked his cheek before cing her lips on his neck. Just when thought she was going to back away, she nipped his skin, leaving a ring hickey on his neck.


    And he surprised her when he left the top two buttons unbuttoned as he helped her on the seat and stepped out of the car. Jun Zixuan walked towards the car trunk and got a bag before he walked towards the driver''s seat. "Get changed into this."


    Her eyebrows rose slightly as she received the bag from him before looking inside, "This..?" When did he ce this dress inside the car?

 Chapter 311 - Cabbage And Dog

    "It was snowing heavily when you were showering. So, I got this extra set of your clothes in the car just in case you need them," Butter when they set out from Ren Mansion, the snowfall gradually diminished.


    Yu Mei chuckled, feeling somewhat touched.


    And while she got changed in the clean dress inside the car, he leaned back on the door until she told him that she was done. Only then did he left.


    She was left smiling to herself, his small gestures have always made her feel special even at times when she did not realize it.


    While she left, Jun Zixuan garnered attention ten folds more than he usually did as he stepped inside the building with his crumpled shirt which was unbuttoned from the top as he unted the small hickey on his neck, his hair was in a mess and the wildly creative minds of the employees ran faster than galloping horses as they bowed and greeted him.


    While Yu Mei was on her way to Rosette Headquarters, she received a call from Han Jian Yu.


    Yu Mei parked the car on the side of the road before she answered the call.


    "Where are you?" Came the man''s quick question from the other side of the phone.


    "On my way to thepany," Yu Mei leaned her forehead on the steering wheel, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Jun Zixuan regarding Han Jian Yu.


    If she asked him straight away, there was no way he would answer her unless he wanted.


    "You sound disturbed. Did that jerk do something-"


    "He is not a jerk," The corner of her lips twitched as she interrupted the man.


    "You are defending him?" His tone went a notch deeper this time.


    She was speechless, "I thought you already epted him after you both had a face-off."


    The man scoffed, "I admitted that he is worthy enough for you but that does not means I have gotten over the fact that that con man conned you with his sweet talks and you even proposed to him."


    "He didn''t," She sighed, "We know each other for a long time. We were in the same university and he had liked me since then. I was just unaware of it."


    Han Jian Yu pinched the space between his brows, "Just because I didn''t keep an eye on you, you had kept your fair share of secrets from me."


    She paused for a moment, "Just because I have never asked you does not means that I don''t know that you are also keeping secrets from me."


    There was a silence over the phone for a few moments before Han Jian Yu sighed, "It''s a good thing that you have not married him till now. Take your time and think over it before you decide on something."


    He was avoiding the topic. Seeing that, she did not persist on it either, "I am sure about him."


    Han Jian Yu''s deep sigh was heard over the phone.


    "Brother, you are acting like a grumpy old man," Sheughed.


    "You won''t understand my feelings. Imagine growing a cabbage for more than two decades only for it to be stolen by a dog," His words were followed by another regretful sigh.


    She ced a palm over her stomach as she leaned back on the seat,ughing till her eyes teared up.


    "That''s enough of making fun of me," Han Jian Yu sternly said and she paused, caught somewhere in betweenughter and tears as he continued, "Go and do your work. I wille to meet you."


    "Alright, as long as you both don''t beat each other up," Sheughed when he hung up the phone after hearing her words.


    She threw her phone into the backseat and stepped on the elerator.


    All of a sudden, an old man rushed in front of the car out of nowhere.


    ''Screech''


    Before the car barely touched his body, she swerved the steering wheel towards the left and pressed her hand on her forehead when the car mmed into the sidewalk.


    "Dammit.." She pushed open the car door and walked towards the old man who was surrounded by a crowd.


    "Just because they are rich, they don''t care about ordinary lives."


    "Tsk...Why would they drive a car if they don''t know how to.."


    "Brother, catch her before she attempts to run away..."


    Yu Mei''s footsteps came to a halt as one of the men grabbed her hand while a few people surrounded her.


    Since she hadrge shades on her eyes and her long hair had gotten messy as they framed half of?her face, no one was able to recognize her.


    "Let go," Her cool voice had the crown quieten down.


    "Let go so that you can run away? I will call the police. Keep holding her. Does she takes us as fools?" One man amongst the crowd shouted and the rest echoed his words while the person holding her hand tightened his grip.


    She raised her other hand and grabbed his wrist.


    "Ahhhhhh..." The man was initially gutsy because she looked like a delicate woman. Who could have known she had such strength? His grip on her wrist loosened.


    "Anyone else wants to try?" Her clear voice resounded amongst the gasps and whispers, "Good," Without further ado, she walked towards the old man who was unconscious on the road.


    She noticed the mud on his face and his clothes, his hair looked rough and dry as heid there with his pale lips trembling slightly, "Help me take him inside the car," She grabbed his wrist to feel his pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when it was normal.


    The crowd who just witnessed her prowess could not help but shiver at her cold tone. But two of the men walked towards the old man before they picked him up.


    They initially thought that she would shirk away from her responsibility but they felt guilty looking at the current situation.


    Yu Mei did not say anything as she walked towards the passenger seat before opening the door for him.


    The public might have misunderstood her but she knew that the situation was not how it looked.


    She was not a noob driver. Although the old man came out of nowhere, she had still changed the direction of the car in time.

 Chapter 312 - Bossy Grandpa

    "How are you feeling now?" Yu Mei stepped inside the hospital after finishing her call with Jun Zixuan. She informed him about it beforehand lest he heard it from somewhere else and started worrying.


    The old man tilted his head to look at her, his expressions did not reveal much of what he was thinking.


    Yu Mei came to stand beside his bed as she looked at the disheveled man. Although the mud on him was cleaned, his white hair was in a mess and his eyes had heavy bags underneath, "The doctor said that your blood sugar levels have dropped. That''s why you fainted in front of my car. I have bought the prescribed medicines for you," She pointed her palm towards the bedside table.


    The old man nodded as he averted his gaze.


    The corner of her lips twitched. Was she that displeasing to look at? She sighed, "You should stay at the hospital until you feelpletely fine. I will get going if there is nothing else-"


    "Peel an apple," The old man interrupted her as he spoke in a hoarse voice.


    Her lips parted slightly as she pointed her finger at herself, "Me?"


    "Is there someone else here?" He asked coldly.


    She blinked, "Alright, I will do it," She picked up an apple from the fruit basket before sitting on the hospital chair. Since he was a patient, she would let him have the honor of eating an apple peeled by her precious hands.


    While peeling it, she did not realize when most of the apple got peeled only leaving a hollow structure towards the middle.


    She nced at the old man who was looking at the apple in her hand in focus.


    "Let''s have another try," She smiled awkwardly as she picked up another apple but it also got over peeled.


    At this point, she ced more focus on this, feeling a bit embarrassed. It was once in a blue moon kind of thing that a weak old man asked her to give him a peeled apple, she felt ashamed for not being able to do it.


    Even Yu Jinhai peeled better apples than her.


    Fifteen minutester, all the apples in her hand were rolling on the floor like someone had molested them and torn off their red peels and body flesh.


    "I will get a batch of new apples and ask the staff to do it for you," She smiled. As ashamed as she was, she was not good at this and the old man seems to be very hungry.


    "I don''t mind grapes," The old man spoke sternly as he stroked his thick beard, "Peel them by yourself."


    Her eyelids twitched. What is up with this overbearingness? Letting out a sigh in her heart, she picked up the grapes and grabbed a te from a table before diligently trying to peel them.


    But unlike the apple which was reduced to seeds, the grapes refused to be peeled by her.


    She missed Steward Gu at this point. That kind man always peeled grapes for her since the day she was reborn.


    She nced at the Old Man, "See bossy Grandpa, it''s not that I did not try. But asking me to do such things is like offering chocte to a dog. Since you are hungry, I will get someone over to-"


    "No," Bossy Grandpa? The Old Man''s beard trembled, having never been addressed in a bizarre way before, "You peel it."


    Yu Mei felt an oing headache. She nced at the grapes in her hand before looking at the old man who was prompting her with his eyes to work on them.


    "Old Master Han is rather idle to be entertaining my wife."


    Both the heads turned towards the source of the voice as they watched Jun Zixuan stepping inside the hospital room.


    With one of his hands tucked inside his pocket, he made his way towards Yu Mei and grabbed the te of grapes from herp before he ced it on the bedside table.


    "She is not your wife...yet," Old Master Han said as he nced at the Jun boy who was betrothed to his granddaughter Han Jingyi and thetter was very vocal about her feelings towards him.


    Yu Mei leaned back on the chair as she raised an eyebrow. Old Master Han, is it?


    Although she saw his picture from the Celebration night but she could not see his face because it was hidden by the cap he was wearing and the pictures were also quite blurry.


    "Your investigationgs," Jun Zixuan nced at the old man without a shift in his expressions, "She is my wife, legally," Although it was not true. His marriage with Yu Mei Zhen has been limited to some papers where she signed before Steward Gu brought them to him for his signature.


    So truth to be told, he has never rightfully married Han Mei but he would do so soon.


    And no one else has to know about this.


    Old Master Han frowned. This boy would never lie then what he said...


    Jun Zixuan extended his hand towards Yu Mei and she ced her palms on his as she pushed herself to her feet.


    His gazended on the disoriented apples on the floor, "Are you hurt?" He asked her seriously.


    She almost choked on the air. Even if she could not peel the apple properly, where would a poor apple find a way to hurt her?


    Old Master Han almost puked a mouthful of blood. Getting hurt by peeling fruits. It was something new to his ears.


    "I am fine," Yu Mei cleared her throat.


    "Let''s go then," Jun Zixuan turned around, still holding onto her hand. He paused for a moment and nced at the old man from above his shoulders, "You will get your peeled fruits within a few minutes and I will appreciate it if you stay away from my ''WIFE'' in the future.".


    With that said, he walked out of the hospital while still holding onto her.

 Chapter 313 - Miss Neighbor

    "The old man was looking at me quite begrudgingly," Yu Mei leaned back on the car seat as she spoke to Jun Zixuan, "Perhaps he thinks that I stole his granddaughter''s man?"


    He shook his head, "He should know that there is nothing between her and me."


    "But in his eyes, you were engaged," She said after some time. In reality, she did not care much about the matter as it was true that the old man fainted in the middle of the road and it was not staged.


    Although he appeared stern, there was no malicious intent in his eyes.


    As Jun Zixuan remained silent, she nced at his side profile, "I have thought it over..." As he nced at her, she continued, "Let''s look into this Han Family."


    Initially, she did not want to do so but their paths kept crossing with her. Be it Han Jingyi or Old Master Han.


    "You don''t think he will object to this?" He finally spoke.


    "Let''s not tell brother," Yu Mei said, "Since he has taken things into his hands, I know he will deal with this well. But I don''t want to be the one staying in the dark only to be caught off guardter."


    Initially, she did not mind it but right now, it would be for the best if they knew who they were up against.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "That''s what I wanted too."


    Sheughed, "How could I not know?" Moreover, it was better to get a gist of this situation. She did not want Han Jian Yu to go through all these dangers alone no matter how powerful he was. At least, in any case, if things went wrong then Jun Zixuan and her will be there to back him up.


    "I''ll ask my elites to get the data of the Han Family''s current situation," She said after some thought, "Meanwhile, you can get the hackers of your IT team to dig into their history."


    He nodded, "A good idea," The corner of his lips tugged up.


    ...


    After his conversation with his sister, Han Jian Yu felt weirdly grumpy, not quite believing that she is head over heels for that guy.


    As much as he hated to admit it, he was incredibly jealous.


    And that could be figured out by the way his fingers mmed and hit the keyboard of theptop as he worked while sitting on the couch of the living room.


    Suddenly reminded about something, he raised his head and nced at the ss partition. There was no particr noise or movement from his neighbor since morning.


    Mia returned to her house after finishing the rest of the ad shoot that was left out because of her sudden disappearance.


    She removed her trench coat and threw it to the couch. Just as she was about to unbutton her shirt, she paused and tilted her head to the side.


    Her eyebrows rose slightly as her eyesnded on the man who had his gaze fixed on her.


    If she did not remember wrong, the couch was initially faced to the opposite side. Since when was it kept facing towards her house?


    Mia walked towards the ss wall, all the while not taking her eyes off him.


    Han Jian Yu pushed himself to his feet as he walked towards her, ''''Is there something that you want to say...'''' He paused for a moment before adding, ''''...Dear Neighbor?"


    ''''Are you traumatized by something?"


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''Why do you think so?"


    Mia nced at him doubtfully but she did not say anything. This cold man was acting rather weirdtely as if he had taken the wrong pill. ''''Where is the curtain that I asked you to hang on this partition?"


    ''''This is a sshouse and this wall here is made of ss. Do you want me to drill a hole in it?'''' He nced at her questioningly.


    ''''Do you take me for a fool?'''' Mia raised an eyebrow, ''''You can drill a hole in the non-ss part ceiling.''''


    ''''And that will get my house dirty. Will you clean it for me?"


    Mia shook her head, ''''Her Highness never does odd jobs for anyone.''''


    ''''That''s some bursting confidence that you have,'''' Han Jian rolled his eyes.


    Mia frowned as she looked at him, ''''You are the President of Amaranthine. Don''t you need to go back to your country anymore? Don''t you have work?"


    ''''Of course not, my sister is staying here with a fox. So, I have to stay here just in case she needs me. My works can be done from here,'''' Except for the emergencies where he had to head back to Amaranthine for the speech and other meetings.


    Sigh... Even he thinks Jun Zixuan is a fox. Miaughed in her heart, ''''Foxes are cool.''''


    Han Jian Yu was reminded about the white fox that mysteriously appeared and disappeared from his life.


    Looking at the man who suddenly went quiet, Mia spoke up, ''''What I meant to say is you are a rich man. You can just find yourself a new house. Why bicker with me over this one?"


    ''''You have a rich friend, rich brother. Why don''t you find yourself a new house? I am staying here,'''' Han Jian Yu shrugged.


    Mia frowned, ''''You don''t want to hang curtain, you don''t want to change house, you have turned your couch in this direction...could it be possible that you want to keep ogling at Her Highness'' beauty day in and day out,'''' She winked at him naughtily, ''''Am I right?''''


    Han Jian shook his head with an expressionless face as he turned around to leave, ''''You are just so-so. I won''t ogle at you, Miss Neighbor.''''


    A certain Princess who was just being yful while teasing him almost spat a mouthful of blood. ''''Mia...I am called Mia,'''' She shouted as she nced at his retreating back. So-So? He said she was just so-so?


    Han Jian Yu paused for a moment before he continued heading upstairs. The tips of his ears turned red at an angle where she could not see it.

 Chapter 314 - Xiao Liuyue

    That night, as Miaid on the bed, facing the ceiling, she felt that the moon and the stars looked rather unpleasant. So, she flipped to the side and nced at the ss wall from where she could see the waves of water hitting the shore in the distance.


    But...


    Even the sea looked ugly.


    She brought her palm near her face and a glow appeared on the center, soon transforming into a mirror.


    Did she look just so-so?


    If shepared herself to the women with a golden figure that came over to his penthouse, she looked rather different from them.


    Although people got their hair dyed, but very few had naturally silver hair like her in this world. Even then, the shade of it won''t be this prominent as hers. Her mother''s hair was also silver but she looked divine...but what about her?


    Her eyes...hazel in color looked rather ordinarypared to her mother''s and father''s beautiful eyes.


    She slowly raised her hand and gently lifted her bangs, revealing the crimson lotus mark on her forehead.


    She let out a deep sigh and the mirror in her hand disappeared. She nced at the stars through the ceiling.


    ''''One sheep...two sheep...three sheep...'''' Perhaps this will help her sleep, a thing that she did not do usually after she turned into a fox spirit but she picked it from Yu Mei who slept like a panda most of the time. ''''...Ny-nine fox....hundred foxes...hundred and-'''' Her head nodded off to the side as her usual mischievous expressions washed off her face, her face reflected a childlike innocence as she slept.


    But a sleep after centuries did note as peaceful to her...


    In the Queen''s chamber of Royal pce.


    A young Mia stood beside the bed, looking at the woman who was curled up in the sheets.


    Face as white as paper, coughing rapidly.


    Tears kept flowing down her cheeks, ''''Mother, nothing will happen to you. You have been holding on for years. Father will find a way to break the curse this time...''''


    But there was no response, only her body jerked. Her lips turned purple, ''''M-My girl...'''' She opened her eyes. Deep purple eyes that once shone like stars were dull now.


    Mia sobbed hard, looking at the beautiful woman in front of her who now looked like a dried leaf.


    The woman raised her hand and ced it on her shoulder and Mia felt a weird warmth flowing inside her body. Suddenly, she felt something popping up on the side of her face. She touched the thing curiously and it felt furry to touch. Furry ears...like her mother?


    The womanughed. Her gentleughter sounded like that of soft bells crinkling but amidst this, she let out a series of coughs, spurting blood in her fist.


    ''''Mother,'''' Mia''s momentary curiosity disappeared as she held the woman''s hand, tear welled up in her hazel eyes.


    The woman pulled her daughter to the bed with her remaining strength as she stroked her back, ''''My Liuliu has never cried before so the...cough...cough...these tears don''t look good on you.''''


    Mia, Xiao Liuyue, cried harder when she heard her mother''s words. She hugged her tightly, ''''Don''t say that...Liuliu will be very obedient. I won''t go to brothels to flirt with handsome men and I won''t tease pretty men in the court too...'''' She sobbed, ''''I will always listen to you. I will not be so mischievous...''''


    The womanughed as some blood dripped near the corner of her mouth.


    Xiao Liuyue panicked.


    But the woman kept stroking her back softly as she closed her eyes, ''''I..Cough... You inherited a little of my powers when you were born. I gave some more of them to you so that you can live long and fulfill all your wishes with these powers...Cough...'''' Her voice was a little calm as she leaned in her daughter''s embrace, cing her head on herp ''''My Liuliu will find a man who adores her as her father adores me. My Princess will have children who would be as naughty as her...''''


    Xiao Liuyue blinked, trying to keep her tears at bay as she extended her trembling palm towards her mother''s head. She stroked her head.


    ''''When your..cough...''''


    ''''Don''t talk,'''' She begged.


    But the woman just smiled as she opened her eyes, ''''When your fatheres..cough... tell him that his subjects need him, some ministers are ying underhanded tricks in the royal court, tell him to deal with all this...'''' Her voice got lower towards the end, ''''Tell him that he is the best thing that happened in my immortal life. And thank him for bringing me you, a reflection of him, in my life....''''


    And just like that, the ever so beautifully speaking purple eyes fluttered before closing forever.


    Mia sat up on the bed with tears streaming down her cheeks. She nkly stared out of the ss wall and brought her palm to her face, wiping her tears.


    Her chest felt like it was squeezed in someone''s fist. She felt weirdly suffocated.


    Her throat ran dry.


    She got off the bed and walked downstairs before striding towards the dining table. She poured herself a ss of water before drinking it in a few gulps.


    Walking towards the staircase, she sat on a stair with her hands folded on her knees. She brought her knees towards her face and ced her chin on her hand.


    It has been a long time since she saw this dream. After being contracted, she stayed in Mei''s body as fox spirit most of the time but now that she regained her physical form...


    Mia leaned her head on the railings of the stairs, her heart was aching terribly. A feeling that was a rare urrence to her now after all these years.


    Her mother told her to tell those things to her father because she wanted him to be distracted and move on from his death with the burden of work and passage of time.


    Mia understood it.


    By the time her father was back from the other kingdom with a way to break the curse, her mother was no more.

 Chapter 315 - Anguish

    And looking at her father''s dazed expressions, Mia told him what her mother asked her to inform him.


    Unlike what she thought, her father''s condition was better than hers. He seemed to have regained hisposure in an instant as if nothing much had happened.


    In the whole world, only her mother knew her father, the Emperor well and transparently. And Xiao Liuyue assumed that probably what her mother said was indeed a way to distract her father temporarily.


    Her mother was the legendary immortal nine-tailed fox but that curse caused her death. By the time her father was there, her body had turned into golden ashes which disappeared in the air as if the person never existed.


    As heartbroken and lost as she was, Xiao Liuyue just locked herself in her room after her father left.


    She only came out around midnight wanting to check on her father. After she got a grip on her emotions, she realized that maybe he is putting on a tough front.


    But when she walked to his chamber, he was working.


    Looking at her, he stood up and walked towards her, "Are you feeling better now?" The man gently asked.


    He had always been this gentle to her. Hershes fluttered, "Mother..."


    "Shhhh...My precious," He pulled her into his arms and stroked her striking silver hair, "My Little Princess... When you were born, you were so tiny that my hands trembled when I first held you..."


    She pulled back from him and looked into his weary eyes that seemed to be looking into a distance.


    Her father was the most outstanding man in their Kingdom and around all neighboring kingdoms. Not only by looks but also by his abilities.


    But there was something wrong with him....today.


    The presence that would always be glowing like stars was dim even though it seemed like he was alright.


    "But once I held you... I knew my Liuliu was going to be my second favorite..."


    A teardrop rolled down her eyes as Xiao Liuyue smiled, "Mother is first..."


    The Emperor did not say anything. He just smiled, "Go. It''ste. Take some rest."


    Even if she caught amon cold, the whole pce would be in chaos given her parent''s overprotectiveness.


    She inhaled a deep breath and nced towards the wooden desk, "You should go to sleep too," Her voice came out hoarse.


    The Emperor nodded, "I was looking over the work that your mother had asked me to. It is done now so I will go to bed."


    Xiao Liuyue looked at her father with a strange expression. He was casually mentioning her...just like he used to do when she was alive...


    She held hisrge and rough palm, feeling a warmth sinking in her cold ones, "I won''t leave until Father is awake," She softly said and pulled him towards the bed.


    The Emperorughed, "My Liuliu has grown up. She does not go to chase pretty boys and spends her time with an old man instead.


    Xiao Liuyue walked behind him as she helped him take his robe off, " You are not an old man. No pretty boy can everpare to you," And it was not an exaggeration on her part.


    It was the truth.


    The Emperor removed his shoes and climbed on the bed as heid down, cing his head on the pillow.


    Xiao Liuyue pulled the sheets onto his chest as she sat beside him.


    The man turned his head to look at her with eyes filled with endless love.


    His gaze made her feel overwhelmed for some reason.


    "Close your eyes, father. You will get sick," He has been working endlessly for a long time.


    He held her hand and kissed her knuckles, "Liuliu..."


    "I am here," She mumbled as she watched the exhaustion taking over as his eyes slowly closed.


    "Father always loves you," His voice got lower towards the end.


    Xiao Liuyue smiled despite the tears welling up in her eyes, "Liuliu also loves you..." Her voice trembled.


    She stayed in the Emperor''s chamber for a long time and only after ensuring that he was breathing evenly, deep in his sleep, she removed his grip from her hand and walked back to her chamber.


    Her mother''sst words, her soft smile, her gentle caresses, her love, her beautiful face... Everything passed by her mind like a soft breeze as if it was lulling her to sleep.


    The next morning when she opened her eyes, the entire pce was drowned in silence.


    An eery silence.


    It was like... There was a pause in the space.


    There was nothing, and no one around her.


    She walked out of her chamber and her maidservants got to their knees, sobbing endlessly.


    Xiao Liuyue nced at them..."What happened?"


    One of the ministers who was walking towards her chamber stepped in front of her before falling on his knees, ''''Your Highness, the Emperor is no more."


    The Emperor went to sleep and never woke up.


    Xiao Liuyue felt like her blood was freezing. She moved a few steps back but her footsteps turned light, her head was airy and she slumped on the floor, looking at the wall nkly.


    "Your Highness!!"


    She just sat there in a daze, like her soul had left her body.


    And suddenly the corner of her lips tugged up in a mocking smile, "I should have known...." There was a desperation in her eyes.


    Her mother should have known too. How could he ever get over her death?


    How could that man ever get over her death?!


    ...


    Mia closed her eyes as the terrible feeling in her chest expanded as if it was about to burst.


    All this time, she thought she got rid of all her emotions with every new birth, that her heart was dead and cold.


    But the reminder of that misery left her anguished.


    Taking a deep breath, she stood up from the stairs and walked out of the house before striding down the stairs on the cliff that led to the sea.

 Chapter 316 - Seduced!

    Han Jian Yu walked out of the study room with his phone pressed in between his ear and shoulder while he flipped through the pages of the file in his hand, "You mean to say there have been movements from her side?"


    "Yes, Boss. She went to finish her shoot today but I was one stepte and now she seems to have disappeared into thin air again..."


    "Keep looking for her..." His footsteps came to a halt when he walked past the ss wall.


    Han Jian Yu hung up the call as he nced out of the ss. There seemed to be someone near the sea. He could see a shadow.


    His eyes sharpened for a moment. Nobody was aware of his current location then...


    His thoughts came to a halt when the person moved before from the blind spot and sunlight shone on her, highlighting her beautiful silver hair.


    "It''s her...?" He did not realize that for someone who did not care about other''s business, his tone was pretty probing.


    Before he could think about it, his feet were already making their way towards the door on their own.


    He paused for a moment and grabbed his suit jacket from the couch before walking out.


    While Mia was sitting on the seashore, feeling the cold wind pping her face, she suddenly felt a warmth on her shoulders followed by a disdainful voice, "Even if you want to freeze to death, it''s hical for you to do that here. It might affect my reputation considering that we had an argument in the morning over the curtains matter..." Han Jian Yu started off all logical and thatsted until she turned around to look at him.


    Her beautiful hazel eyes were sparkling with unshed tears as her face remained nk, free of her usual yful expressions.


    For some reason, it made him ufortable, "Did something happen?" Even though he held doubts initially, but it was apparent that Jun Zixuan really cared for this ''adopted sister'' of his. So, she should not be in any kind of problem as long as she is that man''s sister.


    She, on the other hand, was the kind to bully others. She was fierce and bold. For someone who was not afraid of him, it was impossible for her to be bullied.


    So, what''s wrong?


    He missed the concern in his eyes that didn''t get past Mia''s clear gaze.


    He sat beside her as he looked at the waves crashing at the shore, "If you have something on your mind, you can tell me," His tone was rather awkward.


    Mia blinked, the sadness in her eyes disappeared in a blink as if it was one''s illusion, "Is Mr. Han lending me his shoulder to cry on?" Her voice was hoarse.


    "I don''t mind-" Han Jian Yu paused, realizing the teasing intent in her tone. He turned to look at her.


    As expected, sheughed, "I am honored then."


    He cleared his throat and averted his gaze realizing what he just did.


    "Han Jian Yu..."


    He nced at her for this marked the first time she called him by his name, "Yes?"


    "Do you sometimes want to go to the past where things were all right? To the people who loved you?" She nced at him seriously.


    A light shed across his eyes and his expressions shifted. For some reason, it looked like she could see through him.


    Noticing his darkening expressions, Mia changed her serious tone to a yful, "It''s just a hypothesis. Do you ever feel that way?"


    He averted his gaze, "I don''t. Past is past. I have no intention or interest in dwelling on things that are now an illusion and only exist in my mind," He said casually, as if he was just putting himself in her hypothesis, "Present is much more important," He said expressionlessly.


    Mia nced at him quietly. His words calmed her ufortable heart. Her parents must have found their way together in heaven.


    But was Han Jian Yu really that unaffected about the past?


    For someone who knew a lot about the siblings, she was aware of more facts about them that even they were unaware of.


    Of course, it was not her ce to meddle.


    The Master-Servant contract between her and Yu Mei had countless ws and she had already messed it up when she got emotionally attached to Yu Mei.


    Now, at this point, if she meddled with their course of life, their decisions, secrets, or past then she did not know where it would lead to.


    That''s why she kept her mouth shut about their family in front of Yu Mei since the first day.


    Even though she was the firstborn of a legendary nine-tailed fox, she had her limitations, unlike her mother who was almost invincible.


    Mia knew one thing... The more she got herself attached to them, the more it will lead to her...


    "What are you thinking about?"


    She nced at him, "I was thinking about when you will hang the curtains."


    The corner of his lips twitched, "I don''t think you mind looking at me at regr intervals."


    Mia raised an eyebrow.


    "These were your words," He exined himself, "Y-You said that I was good to look at."


    Damn.


    What am I talking about?


    And what''s with this stammer?


    Mia''s lips curved up in her typical vixen smile and the suit jacket slid down her body as she knelt beside him in her satin ck robe, "Is Mr. Han shy around me?" Her words came as a whisper beside his ears.


    And blood rushed to a certain part of his.


    He must be crazy!


    "Or he just wants an excuse to look at me?" She ced her hand on his shoulder as she leaned down, her nail drew circles on his neck. Her long hair caressed his face as a soft breeze passed by, "Mm? What is it?" Her hot breath stroked his earlobe.


    He turned his face to the side as he looked at her face. His hands itched to move, towards ces that were pretty much forbidden.


    Her gaze was harmless but she must have been a born seductress as he waspletely seduced.


    He must be walking down the path of celibacy for too long.

 Chapter 317 - Inviting To Dinner

    He leaned closer to her as if a spell was activated.


    Just as their lips were inches apart, Mia stood up as she patted off the sand from her robe, "If Her Highness has been just so-so, why is Mr. Han leaning in for a kiss?" She eyed the man teasingly.


    A certain Mr. Han fumed inwardly, somewhat in disbelief. It was clearly her who... "Why would I kiss you? There was a something on your face," He pushed himself to his feet as he nced at her nonchntly.


    Mia''s lips twitched. It seems like he really... She let out a regretful sigh in her heart. A pity that such a handsome man has not got good taste.


    Han Jian Yu, on the other hand, was disdaining his previous actions in his mind. The hell he was doing, leaning in for a kiss.


    It has indeed been a long time since he gotid. Ever since he came to Beijing, he has been busy with works and the women that came to his penthouse were all scared shitless by...


    An adorable baby fox''s face shed in his mind.


    Noticing that he has gone silent, Mia snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, ''''What are you doing here at this time?" She found herself feeling rather suffocated after her dream and she came over here but what was he doing here at this hour?


    ''''I was here for whatever you were here,'''' He replied with a straight face.


    The corner of her lips tugged up, ''''I was sitting here, waiting for a shooting star so that I can wish for a few handsome men to fool around with. Were you having the same kind of thoughts?" She shook her head, letting out a deep sigh, ''''Mr. Han has got some heavy preferences.''''


    His eyes darkened. This woman... What material was she made of?


    Thinking about her emotional condition earlier when he came here, his lips thinned slightly. If he had not seen it, he would have believed her words from how serious she sounded.


    ''''Thank you.''''


    Mia was surprised, ''''For what?"


    ''''For helping my sister. Although I don''t know the details of how you helped her but I am still grateful to you,'''' While he was talking with Yu Mei today, he had casually mentioned Mia but his sister just casually told him how much she had helped her in the past.


    And he knew that she might hide things from him at times but whenever she told him something, she would never lie about it.


    Mia waved her hand, ''''Don''t mention,'''' How did she help her exactly? It was just both of them relying on each other at that time.


    Moreover, Yu Mei had done more than enough for her.


    He raised an eyebrow, ''''And I had to apologize to you.''''


    Mia''s eyes widened, disbelief apparent on her face. A-Apologize?


    She raised her hand and pinched his cheeks hard, ''''Tell me, are you an impostor?"


    Han Jian Yu''s face scrunched up as he swatted away the indecent hand tugging at his cheek, ''''Why would you say that?"


    ''''Han Jian Yu would never apologize to anyone,'''' Mia mumbled to herself as she shook her head. He is arrogant to bones.


    ''''You seem to know me very well?"


    She cleared her throat, ''''Heard it from your sister.''''


    He nced at her suspiciously. Why would his sister say something like that about him to a person who waspletely unrted to him?


    But then, women were rather undecipherable.


    ''''What were you apologizing for?" Mia asked while tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    ''''I was rather rude and unnecessarily suspicious when we met in Ren Mansion,'''' He tucked his hand in his pocket as he nced at her.


    Mia quietly looked into his eyes for a moment before turning around, ''''I don''t ept such half-hearted apologies.''''


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he walked after her, ''''What else do you want me to do then?"


    ''''Some good food would do. I am rather craving it...'''' It has been a long time since she ate the food he made.


    He raised an eyebrow, ''''How do you know that I can cook?"


    <i>I have eaten it countless times in my other form. ''</i>''Your sister always praises the food you make,'''' came her reply.?<i></i>


    ''''Well, then Miss Neighbor, I am inviting you to dinner tomorrow.''''


    ''''Mia,'''' She softly said, ''''You can call me Mia,'''' The corner of her lips tugged up as she ascended the stairs without looking at him.


    Han Jian Yu folded his arms in front of his chest as he nced at her retreating back, his lips tilted up.


    Suddenly, his brows tugged together. Mia?


    Her name coincided with the model''s name that he was looking for.


    Was it a coincidence or the world was just that small?


    His eyes narrowed into slits.


    ...


    Headquarters of Rosette.


    Yu Mei nced at the files syed on the coffee table before looking at the one in her hand, ''''I want a detailed report on this one,'''' She handed the file to an employee, ''''...In 30 minutes. You can leave now.''''


    The employee cried in his heart. 30 minutes? Are they even humans?


    But he did not dare to protest in fear. Lately, their President had been firing employees with her eyes closed. He did not want to be the next one to lose his job. He bowed as he turned around and left.


    Yu Mei closed her eyes as she leaned back on the swivel chair, her hand grabbed the paperweight as she slowly knocked it on the desk while her mind reeled with various thoughts.


    ''Knock Knock''


    ''''Come in.''''


    She opened her eyes and pushed herself to her feet, ''''Director Xiang.''''


    ''''President,'''' The old man nodded at her, ''''You seem quite disturbed.''''


    ''''It can''t get past your sharp gaze as usual,'''' The corner of her lips tugged up.


    ''''Of course not, Lass,'''' The old manughed.


    Her lips twitched. Initially, this old man changed the way of addressing her after knowing her identity. But when she told him to not be so formal, he was back to his ''Lass'' mode.


    ''''Is there something wrong?"


    She pointed her hand towards the chair, ''''Take a seat first.''''

 Chapter 318 - Open Your Mouth

    "Director Xiang, what are your thoughts about the current condition of thepany?" Yu Mei walked to the swivel chair as she took a seat, a calctive smile tugging at the corner of her lips.


    Director Xiang was initially stumped at the question. He could not think what she wanted to know and what should be the proper way to respond to this somewhat bizarre question.


    As something clicked in his mind, he opened his mouth, "During President''s disappearance, there were indeed some issues," The old man''s calm and happy tone from earlier had switched back to his usual professional one as he addressed her as ''President'' instead of calling herss.


    The corner of her lips tugged up, "Do borate," Interest shed in her eyes.


    The old man was confused but he sighed before continuing, "During your absence, thepany was in chaos even though to the public, Rosette appeared to be perfectly fine. There were inner conflicts."


    The entire power in Rosette was in CEO''s hands. Even all the shareholdersbined barely possessed 14 percent shares and hence her sudden disappearance made it unable for any of them to decide on her part.


    So when the media and rivalpanies started questioning Yu Mei''s absence, things took a dip.


    The scene was chaotic.


    Now that he thought about it, his memories took him back to the fat and dumpling-like girl whom he met in the elevator, whoter imed to be their CEO''s disciple.


    She was their only hope.


    Little did he know that she was their CEO herself.


    He was shocked to know that their CEO was suffering from some strange disease which caused her to be like that.


    Luckily, she has recovered and is all right now.


    Yu Mei nced at the man who was lost in his thoughts. She propped both her elbows on the table and ced her chin on her palm, "What about now?"


    It has to be said that before she died, she barely discussed things regarding thepany with anyone other than the Vice President.


    But at this moment, she was inclined to share her thoughts with Director Xiang perhaps because of the trust she had in him for a long time.


    Director Xiang snapped out of his thoughts as he nced at her, "After your appearance, everything seems calm."


    "Like a calm before a storm?" She moved back and lifted the paperweight in her hand, her eyes gradually darkened, "Director Xiang, something is amiss with thepany," She nced at him only to find him in shock.


    "What do you mean by that, President?"


    "What I mean is during my absence, arge amount of funds seemed to have disappeared into thin air but they were meticulously hidden in the records," A sharp glint shed across her eyes.


    Director Xiang was stunned.


    By the time Yu Mei drove over to Ren Mansion, she found the ce eerily quiet.


    There was nothing wrong with it given that Steward Gu was sent to Shanghai for some work-rted matters while the rest of the servants were dismissed by Yu Mei.


    But she saw Jun Zixuan''s car outside.


    Just as she was about to ascend the staircase, a heavenly scent lingered near her nose.


    She threw away her bag on the couch before drifting towards the kitchen.


    She leaned on the doorway looking at the man who was engrossed in cooking.


    "You''re back?" He asked without raising his head.


    She raised an eyebrow, "What do you think?"


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at her. He observed her face quietly for a few seconds.


    She stepped inside the kitchen before sliding up to the kitchen counter.


    "What''s wrong?" He asked after a few seconds.


    She swung her leg back and forth as she nced at him, "How do you know something is wrong?"


    "Because my IQ is higher than pandas?" He asked with a straight face as he busied himself with cooking.


    "_"


    <i>Fine, you have a high IQ.</i>


    But...


    She frowned, "You... Are you craving a fight?"


    He raised an eyebrow, "I don''t have peculiar preferences like you."


    The corner of her lips twitched and she rolled her eyes at him.


    He chuckled, "Tell me, is there something wrong?"


    "Just a few matters in thepany..." She fell quiet as she thought about it.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at her. Business and designing were her forte. Even when he did not know that Han Mei''s English name was Leanne and that she was the CEO of Rosette, he admired her quite a bit. For someone to get the luxury brand into the international market within a month, she was pretty capable.


    And even after he came to know about her identity, he rarely saw her frowning for work-rted matters.


    She was extremely meticulous in her work then... "Do you need my help?" He asked.


    "No," she shook her head without thinking much.


    His eyes darkened.


    Noticing the change in his expressions, sheughed, "Don''t think too much. If I have to rely on you with everything, I might as well be a national treasure and sleep all day..." As his expressions looked slightly better, she sighed, "..Leave these things to me. If I need, I will tell you."


    Be it as best friends like before or a couple like now, she did not have many restraints towards him.


    She believed they could tell each other anything and rely on each other at any time.


    It was just that...things that she could handle well, she didn''t want to trouble him with it.


    He picked up a fork before taking a piece of meat. After blowing on it, he brought it to her mouth, "Open your mouth."


    "Umm..." She moaned in delight as soon as juicy meet slipped on her tongue.


    To be honest, after baking a cake for him on his birthday, she believed that cooking was not that tough as long as one was a bit careful to not burn the kitchen.


    Since the cake was good, she could also give some talent in this section. It was just that she was addicted to the food he made and now, even the food made by most Michelin Chefs was not able to satiate her stomach and stimte her taste buds.


    She tried to get the fork from his hand, "I will feed you too," But he retracted his hand.


    He turned off the gas and stepped towards her.


    Hooking his hands around her neck, he stood between her legs. A mischievous glint danced in his eyes, "There are much better ways of feeding me," His lips lingered on hers for a few seconds.


    And she felt like she was sitting on thorns.


    When she could not take it anymore, she grabbed his cor and pulled him down for a kiss, catching him off guard in a moment.


    Her lips moved on his slowly, gradually increasing the intensity.


    Jun Zixuan quickly snapped back to his senses and suddenly the reign was in his control. He kissed her roughly until she was breathless and her lips were swollen.


    Looking at her enticing lips and dazed eyes, he could not help but kiss her slowly and gently this time, devouring the taste of the food off her mouth. More than it, her sweetness that was spreading inside his mouth!


    She slowly moved her mouth on his and kissed him back.


    As he broke the kiss, he pulled back from her and pressed an index finger below her chin before raising her face, "It was tasty!" He licked his lips, slowly and seductively.


    And she gulped. "Is it, huh?" Looking at the erection beneath through theyers of clothes, she ced a finger on his chest and slowly pushed him back, "Mr. Jun needs a good amount of self-control," She cleared her throat as she jumped off the cab, "Moreover, we have some things to discuss first."

 Chapter 319 - A Little Crush

    Although they had a few things to discuss, but the couple postponed them as they had a peaceful dinner together.


    After dinner, however, Jun Zixuan received a phone call and as he talked to the other person, his expressions visibly shifted slightly.


    Yu Mei frowned as she looked at him but her attention was shifted to the text she received.


    Upon looking at the contents, she could feel her head throbbing.


    She stood up from the bed before walking towards the couch as she took a seat on the coffee table, right in front of Jun Zixuan.


    Looking at her face, he could guess more or less what was going on.


    Yu Mei shoved her phone to his hand as she lowered her upper body before cing her head on his knees.


    "Your brother knows...." There was not much surprise in his tone.


    She raised her head to look at him, "As per the elites I had arranged to look into the Han Family''s current situation, they noticed the involvement of Brother..."


    "Same on my part," Jun Zixuan had already expected it though. Once and twice can be a coincidence but these Han Family members were constantly stumbling over in their lives one after another.


    Yu Mei frowned, "Initially, I was doubtful but it seems that this Han Family is the one we were looking for," There were many Han families but looking at the way her brother had his spies all around this family, it could not be apparent.


    ''Knock Knock''


    ''''Come in.''''


    Yu Mei nced at the person standing near the door. Surprisingly, it was Steward Gu.


    She did not expect him to be back so soon. He greeted them both before passing some documents over to Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan nced over at the details and his eyes darkened a bit.


    ''''We have to dy the investigations if we don''t want brother-inw to know about...''''


    <i>Brother-inw?</i>


    Amidst everything, Yu Mei could not help butugh as she saw the awkwardness on his face.


    ''''He told me to call him that,'''' He shrugged.


    ''''And you are that obedient?" She raised an eyebrow.


    Her heart ached at the pitiful look on his face. Her brother was too hard on him.


    While Han Jian Yu sneezed somewhere in the sshouse, Jun Zixuan was embraced by Yu Mei.


    The man''s eyes glimmered like stars.


    Steward Gu almost stumbled to the floor. What happened to our aloof Master? He...He is actually throwing a pity card to be coaxed and coddled by Young Mistress?


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow at him and the man immediately bowed before leaving.


    If he stayed here for one more second, he might as well as lose his mind.


    As the door closed, Yu Mei realized that she was hugging him in Steward Gu''s presence.


    She blushed.


    Looking at the sly smile on his face, she kicked his foot as the realization dawned on her.


    Only he would fool her like this.


    He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto hisp.


    She leaned her head onto his shoulder, ''''Let''s fix a time to have a proper discussion with brother.''''


    Initially, they were just having a simple assumption but given that Han Jian Yu had his eyes on the Han Family, Yu Mei believed everything was rted to them.


    Hiding things from him was a good n but then he will eventuallye to know about it. Rather than going through all of that, it would be better to talk with him.


    But how...?


    Jun Zixuan smoothened her frown, ''''That day when we both were in the study...''''


    Yu Mei nced at him quietly.


    "...I did mention your family but he dodged the topic repeatedly," Jun Zixuan could still remember Han Jian Yu''s weird expressions.


    It was certainly strange for a man like Han Jian Yu to lose hisposure over things.


    ...


    The next day, Yu Mei found herself unable to focus on work.


    She could not help but wonder what her brother was hiding.


    Didn''t he tell her that he will share everything with her when he is back?


    In the end, she decided to go to Shi Luo''s house with a conflicted heart.


    Shi Luo was surprised when she opened the door, "How are you here?"


    "Is Boyan inside?" Yu Mei stepped inside the house as she removed her shoes.


    Shi Luo shook her head, "He is out to meet his friend..." She cleared her throat when her friend nced at her nkly.


    "You are rather well-informed," Yu Mei raised an eyebrow at her as she walked inside.


    Shi Luo coughed, "That boy is rather obedient. I didn''t ask him. He just tells me whenever he goes out..." She paused, realizing that the more she spoke, the weirder it sounded.


    "Oh, so you are fond of obedient boys?" Yu Mei chuckled, "No wonder the bad boys pursuing you did not get your favor," As they stepped inside Shi Luo''s room, Yu Mei removed her suit jacket as she slumped on the bed.


    Shi Luo scoffed, "There is nothing of that sort..." Her voice got smaller towards the end.


    "Oh, really now Luoluo?"


    Shi Luo massaged her throbbing temples before sitting beside Yu Mei. She nced at the ceiling quietly and just when Yu Mei thought that she would not be getting an answer from her, she opened her mouth to speak, "I think... I have a crush on him," Shi Luo could feel her face burning as she continued, "...A little crush though."


    Despite expecting this, Yu Mei was momentarily stunned and more of that because she did not expect her friend to confess about it openly.


    Since Shi Luo was admitting it, then how could it be a little crush? "Why don''t you court him?"


    Shi Luo rolled her eyes before she removed her sses and threw them aside. She flipped her messy hair back as she slumped on the bed, "It sounds like an old cow eating tender grass."


    "Pfft," Yu Mei choked on air, "You are barely a few years older than him and even if the age difference is more than that, why does it matters?"


    Shi Luo shook her head, "It''s not just age difference. I have my own considerations," Logically, she did not think they werepatible in any way, "I have been away from men all my youth. Probably that''s why I am feeling like this at the first sight of a danger rm."


    "Liar!" Yu Mei straightened up, "We have always been together. There were many danger rms around us, not to mention Mu Shen and Jun Zixuan who we were close to. I never saw you falling for them."


    "_"


    Shi Luo''s lips twitched harshly, "That''s because..."

 Chapter 320 - Dinner Date

    "That''s naturally because Jun Zixuan is a devil,'''' <i>Duh. He might be sweet to you</i><i> but </i><i>the rest of the world feel like they are sitting on thorns in his presence.</i> Shi Luo felt goosebumps just at the thought of it. What love? Even being friends with Jun Zixuan was like stepping on fire.


    ''''I won''t say you don''t have a good taste since you like the Younger Jun but don''t call my man devil, alright?" Yu Mei was of course protective about her man''s precious reputation.


    ''''Tch. Just look at you~'''' Shi Luo shook her head as she sat up, ''''As for Mu Shen, we are more like siblings...You know that.''''


    ''''That''s my point. You barely had a crush when we were in high school and you never confessed to him...''''


    ''''I did, actually,'''' Shi Luo mumbled guiltily, ''''I wrote a letter to him in your name after which he pestered you. A few days ago, Danny threatened me with that to extract some information about Jun Zihao''s and your rtionship," She confessed in one breath.


    Yu Mei''s face was filled with ck lines. No wonder her brother was extra harsh towards Jun Zixuan and he even drew up a contract that was domineering yet silly.


    Don''t cook? Don''t cry?


    Hadn''t she gone through certain troubles during her rtionship with Jun Zihao?


    Like a foolish teenager, she tried things to make him happy.


    And her brother seemed to be ying it safe by making Jun Zixuan sign those papers.


    If Jun Family was not suffering already, her brother might have gone for their heads by this time.


    ''''Uhh...'''' Shi Luo awkwardly cleared her throat when she saw Yu Mei lost in her thoughts.


    ''''No wonder. You sold me out. Luoluo, you are really something.''''


    Shi Luo sighed, ''''Did it cause trouble?"


    ''''It didn''t,'''' Yu Mei poked her cheek, looking at her guilty face, ''''By the way, how is Aunt taking your rtionship now?" She switched the topic to Shi Luo''s mother swiftly so that she won''t keep feeling guilty.


    ''''She is very happy. She also wants to meet your mother-inw...'''' Shi Luo was very nervous about lying to her mother but they could only sort it out slowly. She decided to find a proper opportunity to let her mother know that Jun Boyan and her broke up and moved out.


    ''''Not possible for now,'''' Yu Mei shook her head, realizing that she did not have any idea how things were going on Jun Zishen''s side. She made a mental note to call himter.


    Shi Luo nodded as she knew that it had something to do between Shen Lihua and her husband as per what Yu Mei had told her.


    Her brows tugged together slightly as she thought about something, ''''Mother wants to meet you, who she thinks is my new friend and she also wants to see Han Mei who she has not seen for a long time..''''


    A conflicted expression appeared on Yu Mei''s face, ''''It has been a long time since Ist saw her but how am I supposed to let her know that both the person are me...'''' She decided to ce that conflict aside for the moment.


    Yu Mei was nning to meet Jun Boyan before but since he was not back yet, she decided to go back to Ren Mansion first.


    But Jun Zixuan was nowhere to be seen by the time she reached the mansion.


    Her brows tugged together in confusion.


    But just as she was about to call him, her phone buzzed. She nced at the text-


    Zixuan:?Since our date was interrupted, let''s have another one. I will be waiting for you.


    Following it was the address of a famous five-star restaurant.


    Yu Mei nced at the text for a few seconds before her lips curved up. A dinner date?


    ...


    Dressed in a knee-length bodycon white dress, Yu Mei stepped inside the Grand French restaurant. The manager personally came to pick her up and she was rather surprised, not expecting Jun Zixuan to be so high profile.


    She looked around and noticed that even though people had their gaze on her, it only lingered for a while before they diverted their attention quickly.


    It seems like more than just a dinner date. As Yu Mei was led to the innermost table Jun Zixuan was sitting at, her initial suspicions grew even further. He could have booked a room but what is his motive behind sitting here?


    Although countless gazes were fixated on the man, he sat there with an aloof expression on his face and a distinguishable aura. As soon as he spotted her making her way towards him, Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet as he walked towards the other side before pulling the chair for her.


    She smiled at him before taking a seat.


    The manager secretly wiped his sweat, ''''Mr. Jun, Mrs. Jun, kindly let me know if there is something you need,'''' Noticing the flowers blooming above the big shot''s head, the manager praised himself inwardly for being witty.


    As Jun Zixuan nodded slightly, the manager bowed and left.


    ''''You look quite happy,'''' Yu Mei said as soon as both of them were alone.


    ''''Do I?" Jun Zixuan smiled mysteriously.


    She nodded, ''''So? Do you have some other ns?"


    ''''It''s just a dinner date. Why do you think so much?" He asked rather innocently.


    ''''That''s because... you rather prefer our dates on the bed,'''' She whispered as her face reddened slightly. Embarrassed as she was, this was an undeniable fact.


    The corner of his lips tugged. As expected, only she knew him the best.


    Before she could question him further, the dinner was served.


    As they started eating, she could not help sneaking some nces in his direction.


    ''''Something on your mind?" Jun Zixuan propped the side of his face on his fist as nced at her.


    ''''I just realized that it has been quite some time since we had some peaceful time outside,'''' What was more was that they were able toe here without any reporter''s presence as this ce was highly restricted.


    But certain questions kept weaving inside her mouth.

 Chapter 321 - Aunt

    Instead of thinking about stressful things, she instead brought up an old topic.


    ''''You have never told me when you fell in love with me?" She asked him teasingly but she was indeed very curious about it.


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat before taking a sip of his coffee.


    ''''What? Are you shy now?" The first time they met was when she was sitting on a tree and bunking the ss. ''''Was it love at first sight on the tree?" She whispered.


    He shook his head.


    Her lips twitched, ''''Then when?" Looking at his face, he seemed to have no intention of mentioning it. ''''Don''t tell me then,'''' She grumbled before standing up, ''''I''ll go to washroom.''''


    He could obviously tell that she was curious about it but it would only end up embarrassing her if he told her when he really fell in love with her. So, he held it in and tried not tough at her pouting face.


    Yu Mei picked up her bag and followed the directions mentioned by the waiter that led to the washroom.


    She ced her bag aside and turned the faucet on before washing her hands.


    ''''President Leanne?"


    Yu Mei frowned when she heard a voice behind her. Although their dinner was arranged in a rather high-profile way but she did not expect someone to follow her over.


    She tilted her head upwards to nce at the mirror, ''''Who-'''' The rest of her words were stuck in her throat when she nced at the reflection of the elegant woman standing behind her, ''''Mrs. Suyin?" She turned around.


    The middle ageddy smiled slightly, ''''I was rather surprised to see you here. You have changed quiet a bit.''''


    Yu Mei stiffened. Of course she has changed. She was d that her current looks have merged with her previous looks otherwise, it would have been very troublesome to keep up her identity outside. ''''Same here...'''' The woman standing infront of her was her client in her previous life.


    The first time they met was when the woman wanted a watch that she could gift her husband on their anniversary. And she had requested her to be the one in charge of design.


    But since she never took clients like that, she had initially rejected it.


    However, the woman kept waiting for 4 hours and in the end, she could only give in to her harmless request.


    Later, there were a few encounters between them and she found this woman quite likeable.


    She did not expect to bump into her here in Beijing.


    But currently the woman was looking at her quiet differently. Yu Mei could not point a finger on what it was but there was something amiss.


    As if noticing it, Han Suyin schooled her expressions, ''''How about joining us for dinner?"


    Yu Mei frowned. They barely knew each other for her to join her for dinner... ''''My husband is waiting for me. Probably next time..'''' She replied.


    The woman did not look discouraged by her reply as she nced around the washroom, ''''This probably is not the appropriate ce to say this...'''' She paused for a bit before looking at Yu Mei, ''''I hope you can join your Aunt for dinner,'''' She changed her phrasing this time.


    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes.


    On the other side.


    Jun Zixuan sipped the coffee as he leaned back on the chair. Unlike Yu Mei, he was not that affected by the gazes on him.


    To him, it was rather good to have dinner with her in public.


    People who don''t watch television and those who are not fond of newspapers and tabloids also deserve to know that she is his.


    Contrary to his thoughts, the guards who were sitting on a distant table had different thoughts, ''''Do you think Chief is showing off?" One of the four men spoke up.


    ''''But he is not that kind of person.''''


    The rest agreed. Their Chief always cherished his privacy but after his wife came in the picture, his privacy has gone down in an instant as every morning, they will go trending on tabloids.


    ''''What ''not that kind of person''? He just needed a catalyst like Young Mistress to provoke this side of his. Now, look how he is going around showing her off...'''' If they had not known the kind of man their Chief was, they might have called him endearing and cute for his current actions.


    ''''Hey, what is this woman doing here?" One of the guards said and the rest followed his gaze.


    ''''Shall we do something?'''' They nced at the woman who was walking towards Jun Zixuan.


    ''''Xuan...'''' Han Jingyi called out as soon as she spotted Jun Zixuan. Her voice caught everyone''s attention as they nced at them in doubt.


    Is it a love triangle? Or a wife and a mistress? They thought.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips thinned.


    ''''Must you ignore me like this?" Han Jingyi frowned when the man did not even spare a nce at her.


    There was no response at all.


    Only she knew how many efforts she had made in order to get a glimpse of him but all of it was to no avail.


    Little did she expect that she will bump into him here today.


    The world was really small.


    Just as she was about to say something else, she noticed something from the corner of her eyes.


    Her pupils shrank as she tilted her head to the side only to find her Mother walking towards her with that... bitch.


    Yu Mei ignored the woman as she walked towards Jun Zixuan followed by Han Suiyin.


    Han Suiyin nced at her daughter who was standing beside Jun Zixuan with a weird expression on her face, "Is everything alright?"


    Han Jingyi schooled her expressions as she smiled and nodded, but her fingers curled into fists.


    "Zixuan, she is my Aunt..." Yu Mei nced at Han Suyin, "He is my husband, Jun Zixuan."


    Han Suiyin measured the man with her gaze.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips slightly tilted up as he pushed himself to his feet, "It''s an honor to meet Mrs. Han."


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow. He seems to have already predicted it. Did he already expect this?


    "Or you can call me Aunt," Han Suyin nodded at the man who was supposedly her daughter''s fiance but is now married to herte sister''s daughter.


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    "Do you mind joining us for dinner?" Han Suyin asked as she smiled elegantly.


    "Of course not," Jun Zixuan''s eyes shed.


    Since Han Jingyi had her head lowered, nobody saw her expressions.


    As they followed the mother and daughter duo, Yu Mei pulled Jun Zixuan''s hand....

 Chapter 322 - The Hans

    ''''Did you know about this beforehand?" Yu Mei whispered as the mother and daughter duo walked towards the private room.


    Jun Zixuan winked at her, a charming smile made its way on his lips as he leaned closer to her ear, ''''Since we can''t go to them, let''s make them approach us,'''' He whispered in a husky tone and moved away from her, not before nipping her earlobe.


    Yu Mei nced at him while rubbing her ear. Her face flushed slightly. This man was rather well-prepared.


    She never thought that this mysterious client from her previous life would turn out to be Han Suyin, Li Na''s biological sister, and Han Jingyi''s mother.


    ''''Here we are,'''' Han Suyin smiled at both of them as she opened the door.


    Han Jingyi nced at her mother''s gentle smile before looking over at the couple. Her gaze shifted to their intertwined fingers and she bit her bottom lips.


    As they stepped inside the private room, Yu Mei''s gaze went past the long dining table and the people sitting around it.


    There was an old man seated on the head chair whom she recognized as Old Master Han. hH was none other than the person who fainted in front of her car.


    On his left was a man in his 40s. Yu Mei was not sure but if her guess is right, then this man should be Han Suyin''s husband and Han Jingyi''s father.


    Feeling a cold gaze on her, she tilted her head to look at the man sitting beside Mr. Han...


    Jun Zixuan quietly observed the Han Family. They looked like that of apletely peaceful family but then, there was one missing piece of the puzzle.


    Where do Han Jian Yu and Han Mei fit amongst them?


    Old Master Han''s brows tugged together.


    Han Suyin cleared her throat, ''''Father, she is...''''


    ''''I know them,'''' The old man waved his hand, ''''She saved me.''''


    ''''Mei is the one who saved you?" Han Suyin asked in a surprised tone. Initially, everyone in their family knew Jun Zixuan because of him being the Jun Family''s son and Han Jingyi''s fiance but now his identity was much more prestigious than that.


    But it came as a surprise that her father-inw knew Yu Mei.


    Old Master Han nodded wordlessly.


    Han Jing stood up at the mention of this, ''''She is...''''


    ''''Li Na''s daughter, Yu Mei Zhen,'''' There was an undecipherable emotion in her tone as she took the name.


    Yu Mei Zhen.


    Han Jingyi clenched and unclenched her fist until her knuckles turned pale.


    ''''Mei Zhen...'''' Han Jing murmured in a daze.


    Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan exchanged nces.


    Old Master Han cleared his throat and Han Jing snapped out of his daze, ''''President Jun,'''' Han Jing nodded at the man.


    Jun Zixuan nodded back at him.


    Han Jing then focused his gaze on the woman standing next to him, ''''Comee...You both can join us for dinner,'''' His voice softened.


    Han Suyin nced at Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei, ''''He is my husband, Han Jing. You can call him Uncle,'''' She then averted her gaze to the man sitting beside Han Jing, ''''He is Han Liyun, Jingyi''s elder brother and your cousin. You should know father already...''''


    Yu Mei nodded but her gaze was focused on Han Liyun. He looked to be around her brother''s age as he sat there quietly with an aloof expression on her face without bothering to look at her.


    But there was something amiss with him.


    ''''Mom, you are taking too much time in introductions,'''' Han Jingyi said all of a sudden as she smiled sweetly, ''''It''s time for dinner. I will help Cousinter if she has any doubts...''''


    ''''Yes,'''' Han Suyin patted her back, feeling relieved that her daughter was sensible. She initially thought that Han Jingyi would not be able to take Yu Mei''s and Jun Zixuan''s rtionship well but it seems like she was overthinking.


    She was rather shocked that both of them are married but she decided to discuss it with Han Jingyiter to ensure that she really does not holds any hope.


    Jun Zixuan pulled a chair for Yu Mei and she took a seat. He then sat beside her.


    The little interaction between them was not missed by the Han Family''s keen gaze.


    Han Jingyi who was sitting beside her brother, Han Liyun lowered her head as she focused on her food.


    The dinner table was quiet to the point that it felt awkward but the couple who were their guests were quitefortable as they served the food for each other.


    Jun Zixuan carefully deshelled a shrimp as he ced it in Yu Mei''s bowl and she served him some greens.


    Old Master Han narrowed his eyes. This boy seems to really love his wife. He had known Jun Zixuan for years and has interacted with him quite a few times but he has never seen him being this attentive towards anyone. Even though those Juns called him a trash and unfeeling child but he was always sure that this boy was bound to soar one day.


    Han Jing dazedly stared at Yu Mei as her name resounded in his mind, again and again, an unbearable ache remained there in his chest.


    Han Suyin on the other hand nced at the couple as a hint of nostalgia appeared in her eyes. If Li Na was here, she would have been really happy to see her daughter being cherished and loved like this.


    Nobody could tell what Han Liyun was thinking as he nced and Han Jingyi and then and the couple before staying quiet.


    Everyone had different thoughts and the atmosphere during the dinner was eerily quiet.


    The silence was broke as Han Suyin cleared her throat.


    Yu Mei tilted her head to the side.


    ''''We still have to thank you for saving Father''s life,'''' She said.


    ''''It was what I got to do...'''' Yu Mei replied in a polite tone although nonchntly.


    There were rather some doubts in Han Suyin''s mind and she hesitated a bit before opening her mouth, ''''If you don''t mind, can I ask you something?"


    ''''Yes,'''' Yu Mei responded as she felt Jun Zixuan stroking the back of her palm reassuringly under the table.


    ''''You have been in Amaranthine for a long time but ording to what I know, you have been staying in the Yu Family all this while...''''


    Ah...Yu Mei did not need her toplete the sentence to understand what is going on. As expected, Han Suyin must have already investigated her when she got to know that she is her niece.


    Han Suyin had met Han Mei in Amaranthine a few times but Yu Mei was in Yu Family all this while.


    How can one person appear at both ces?


    A tricky question indeed.


    Han Jingyi''s fingers applied pressure on the chopsticks as she lowered her head even further, her expression was unreadable.


    The question got everyone''s attention in an instant and Yu Mei''s silence left them intrigued.


    Usually, Yu Mei would not talk to random people about her personal life but the Han Family was different... If she has to look for what happened back then, she can''t dodge their questions.


    They are treating her like family from the first day but in reality, aren''t they just testing waters?

 Chapter 323 - Where Are We Going?

    ''''My situation in the Yu Family was not very favorable so I had to use some alibi...'''' Yu Mei replied without revealing much.


    Han Jingyi suddenly spoke up, ''''Cousin, do you mean that cruel family was fooled by you? While they thought that you were an idiot, you were already the owner of an international luxury brand....''''


    Jun Zixuan shot her a warning re and Han Jingyi choked on the rest of her words when she felt his murderous aura. She pursed her lips, not knowing why she was suddenly afraid of him.


    But... he looked more handsome with this aloof air around him.


    While it looked like Han Jingyi was praising Yu Mei for her wits, her words were indirectly implying that she was a scheming person.


    Yu Meiughed, ''''Of course, I had to y smart, cousin...'''' She leaned back on the chair, ''''Imagine if I knock you out and throw you inside a forest filled with wild animals...'''' Her tone was quite serious as she said that.


    The people in the room nced at her.


    Han Liyun could not take it anymore, ''''What do you mean by saying such things to my sister?" He snarled.


    Han Jing frowned, ''''Liyun, mind your behavior,'''' He sternly said, with an authoritative aura around him.


    Han Liyun pursed his lips.


    Yu Mei smiled, back to her yful self, ''''I was just stating an example. If Cousin had encountered such a situation, she will learn to fight back. She can''t just stand there stagnantly, waiting to perish in the wild. Desperate time call for desperate measures...''''


    And her words cleared the bit of doubt that Han Jingyi incited. What she meant to say was staying with Yu Family and suffering every day, she learned a few tricks to deal with the dangers around her.


    Han Suyin''s heart ached for her. This poor child had gone through a lot.


    ...


    ''''I was caught off guard,'''' Yu Mei lowered the car seat as she leaned back, ''''I never expected to meet them here.''''


    ''''They even invited you again...'''' Jun Zixuan yfully said as he focused on the road instead of looking at the woman who had removed her heels as she ced her feet on hisp, ''''Aren''t you excited?"


    ''''What''s there to be excited about? The elders seem good yet mysterious to me, the younger generation is messy...'''' Yu Mei thought about the Han siblings. The brother was staring daggers at her throughout the dinner while the sister was saying poisonous words disguised in ayer of honey, ''''As long as they don''te for me, let''s put up a family fa?ade.''''


    Jun Zixuan handled the steering wheel with one hand while he ced his other hand on her milky white feet, slowly gliding it up and down.


    ''''That''s ticklish...'''' Sheughed a bit and his hand rested on her ankle obediently, caressing the redness caused by the straps of her heels, ''''If I am rted to Han Family or Han Suyin, then that means Yu Mei Zhen and I are also rted.''''


    Jun Zixuan remained quiet but his silence was like an affirmation.


    ''''She must have seen me and Ah Jin all over the news then why did she only approach me today in the restaurant...'''' She thought about it, ''''Moreover, although you made necessary preparations but from their side, it looked like a coincidence. She even addressed me formally but when I rejected her invitation for dinner, she seemed sad and in the end, she revealed her identity.''''


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat, ''''Old Master Han did not have a good impression of you since the beginning because of our rtionship. So, it must have something to do with it that she did not approach you before,'''' He initially heard that Old Master Han was rather angry about their rtionship but at that time, he had yet to know Yu Mei''s real identity so he did not consider it.


    ''''In clear words, he was aggrieved that you did not ce any importance on your engagement with Han Jingyi...'''' Yu Mei understood it immediately. The old man also did not look at her nicely when they first met in the hospital even though he was not that harsh on her today.


    Jun Zixuan parked the car on the side of the road, ''''Let''s not talk about unpleasant things.''''


    She nced at the ce that was enshrouded in darkness. The restaurant they went to was far away from the busy city and on their way back, the road was quieter at night. There was a forest on either side of the road.


    Her car was left for his bodyguards to drive back and they took his car.


    ''''Why did you stop the car here?" She nced at him curiously as she took her feet off hisp.


    He alighted the car before walking to the other side. He opened the door and stretched his hand towards her.


    ''''One second...'''' She grabbed her heels and ced them in front of her feet, ''''Let me wear them first...''''


    ''''There is no need,'''' And as soon as the words escaped his mouth, he pulled her into his arms before holding her in a Princess carry.


    She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, ''''Where are we going?" She asked as he stepped inside the expansion behind the road.


    ''''To save the world?" He asked seriously.


    She red at him before punching his chest. She paused in her movements as he stepped deeper inside the forest and walked behind the bushes, ''''Zixuan, you are not nning to kill and bury me here, are you?" She gulped looking at the dense trees.


    His brows scrunched, ''''What nonsense are you talking about!"


    Yu Meiughed awkwardly, ''''I am rather afraid of forests after the assassination. This ce reminds me of the ce where I encountered death...'''' Sheughed once again, looking at his darkening face.


    ''''What a coward!" His voice softened despite the insult that he threw at her.


    Yu Mei chuckled. She could have dealt with them back then if they were limited to 10 or 20 but there were hundreds of them and she was outnumbered. She tried till herst breath but it just happened.


    She smartly did not bring all that up knowing that it will make him upset even if he won''t show it on his face.


    ''''But I am curious...Where exactly are you taking me?"


    ''''Treasure hunt.''''


    "_" <i>Don''t tell me if you don''t want to!</i>

 Chapter 324 - First Time

    Jun Zixuan''s footsteps came to halt in front of a cave.


    ''''Did you forget the way?" She asked curiously when he did not move from his spot.


    He rolled his eyes at her, ''''Of course not.''''


    ''''Okay.''''


    Jun Zixuan stepped to the side and under the pale glow of the moonlight, Yu Mei noticed a path leading inside the cave.


    He stepped inside the cave, ''''It''s so dark here,'''' She clung to him.


    ''''Take my phone out,'''' He bit the tip of her nose.


    This man... He can even manage his shamelessness well in a dark ce. She hurriedly adjusted her position and took out his phone from his suit jacket before turning on the shlight.


    The path was instantly illuminated as he stepped forward while holding her.


    Yu Mei noticed that the cave was just like any other ordinary cave with withering rocks everywhere.


    As curious as she was, she stopped asking since he did not seem to have any intention of telling her.


    As Jun Zixuan walked to the very end of the cave, he lowered his head and stepped out of the ce.


    ''''Are we here...'''' Yu Mei''s words came to a halt as she turned her face away from him. Her lips parted slightly at the view that greeted her vision.


    There was a beautifulke and the water sparkled under the moonlight.


    Beside theke was a bonfire, the glow of the fire was lightening up the whole ce and at a distance, she saw a tent that came with built-in stargazing. One can open and close the fly without getting out of the bed.


    ''''Y-You prepared all this?'''' Her voice was filled with awe and disbelief.


    ''''Yes,'''' His tone was a bit awkward and she turned to look at him, ''''Do... you like it?"


    Although his face was nonchnt as usual, she traced the expectant expression in his eyes, ''''I love it,'''' She really did.


    Truth to be told, she was always fond of parties and all. But more than all that, she always liked a tranquil atmosphere like this. But her busy schedule was an issue.


    She barely got a little time free and she usually spent it with Shi Luo or her brother.


    ''''Are you lying?" He asked in a deeper tone as he nced at her sparkling eyes. Wasn''t she over-excited? It was a simple arrangement.


    ''''You...'''' Did she look like a liar? She was a little speechless, ''''When you prepared it, didn''t you already know whether I would like it or not?"


    He cleared his throat. He knew her preferences but he never expected her to like it this much.


    She smiled, ''''So, this is our actual date?'''' She thought that their date was just a cover and the n for the night was to get to know the Han Family.


    ''''Mmm...'''' He walked towards the tent while carrying her in his arms.


    She understood why he did note to pick her up today and asked her to drive over to the restaurant. So, this was the cause.


    ''''You can put me down now,'''' She ced her head on his chest, rubbing her head on it slowly.


    ''''For someone who wants to be put down, your actions are quite contradictory,'''' Jun Zixuan chuckled, the sound of his deepughter ticked her ears as she felt his chest rumbling against her face.


    She flipped her hair that was falling in front of her shoulder and her deep cleavage was instantly revealed to his view, ''''Contradictory? How?" She was not wearing an extreme low-cut or revealing dress but in the position she was in, with her body tilted up, he could see a lot.


    His gaze deepened as his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. This seductress!


    She was satisfied with his reaction. He ced her on the bed, inside the tent.


    He brought a pair of fluffy flip-flops from the side of the bed before cing them near her feet.


    She nced at it weirdly, ''''I am not wearing it,'''' She said while looking at the bunny ears on top of it but as she thought that he has prepared all this, she wore it begrudgingly.


    Jun Zixuanughed. The cute shoes did not go with her sexy bodycon dress but he loved her precious reaction.


    She rolled her eyes.


    He removed his zer and hung it on a hook before unbuttoning the upper buttons of his shirt. He then folded his sleeves and walked out of the tent.


    ''''Where are you going?"


    ''''You can peek from the window,'''' His voice came from outside.


    She nced at the window in the tent. Climbing atop the bed, she rolled the window and stuck her head out. ''''Barbeque?" Her eyes lit up at the sight of the barbeque grill and her stomach made a noise in sync.


    ''''Hungry?''''


    Yu Mei nodded pitifully, ''''I did not eat much there. They were all ogling at me and it killed my hunger.''''


    As she watched his smooth moves while he prepared the ingredients, she found him sexy. Her gaze darkened slightly.


    This man was caring and considerate... although a beast in bed, he was also extremely hot and super attractive. All in all, to her, he was a perfect species. A rare one at that! ''''Sigh...which country did I save in one of my previous lives to get you in this one?"


    ''''You must have saved the world,'''' Jun Zixuan said, not so-narcotically.


    ''''Could be,'''' Both of them ended upughing but she stopped when she was reminded about something, ''''When did you fall in love with me? Did you see me before the day we met on the tree?'''' She asked all of a sudden, startling him with her sudden question.


    ''''You... really want to know?" He asked after thinking about it.


    As she nodded, he tilted his head down and preheated the gas grill. ''''I saw you for the first time in...'''' He paused as he raised his head to look at the burning curiosity in her eyes, ''''...in the Cafeteria of Crystal University.''''


    She blinked, ''''Why don''t I remember seeing you there?" If she met a man like him, won''t it be well imprinted in her mind? But she had no recollection of this incident.

 Chapter 325 - Seduction Tips And Tricks

    "One cappino please~''''


    ''''Right away, Miss Han,'''' The waitress bowed and left.


    Han Mei took out a rubber band from her bag as she tied her long hair in a high ponytail. She took out her phone before scrolling down the texts.


    It was a busy day today. She had to attend thest ss before rushing back to meet Han Jian Yu.


    She locked her phone and ced it aside, letting out a deep sigh.


    ''''Here it is...'''' The waitress was familiar with the beautifuldy in front of her. Not only is she the campus belle, but she is also a top student and since she is a regr visitor to the Cafeteria, she knew her well.


    ''''You are a sophomore, aren''t you?" Han Mei asked curiously.


    ''''You know me, Senior?"


    ''''I have seen you before,'''' Han Mei smiled, ''''You look very nervous,'''' She remarked.


    She was stunned. She did not expect Han Mei to notice it. ''''I... My idol should be here soon....''''


    ''''Idol? Is it some superstar?" Han Mei nced around curiously.


    ''''Speak slowly, Senior,'''' The girl panicked, ''''He''s not a superstar. I think he is a new student here but I only see him in the cafeteria. I have not seen him in sses till now.''''


    ''''How does he looks?"


    ''''Like a God...'''' Han Mei could see two hearts popping in her eyes as she continued, ''''He has ash-blonde hair and a deep voice....''''


    ''''Do you want him to notice you?" Han Mei interrupted her. She gulped the cold coffee in one go before standing up from the chair.


    ''''Uh...'''' The girl looked quite confused but she nodded. A little smile from his side will do. After all, an idol is an idol. Like a god, unapproachable and distant.


    Han Mei checked the time on her watch. She was runningte. Noticing that there weren''t many people in the cafeteria at this hour, she stepped closer to the girl, ''''Walk closer to him...Grab him by his cor and whisper in his ear...'''' She took another step closer to the girl, ''''We might be cocoa and marshmallows. You are ridiculously hot and I want to be on top of you.''''


    The girl blushed furiously as she heard Senior''s seductive voice and the flirty words... Even a straight girl like her was doubting her straightness.


    "He should understand your intention.." Han Mei stepped back from her as she winked at her, ''''Go for it!"


    She was dumbstruck. <i>Did Senior misunderstand? How can I have such thoughts about my idol? It is</i> <i>sphemy.</i>


    Unaware to them, a certain senior was sitting on the next table beside them in a low-key manner, wearing a casual ck hoodie paired with a cap.


    <i>''We might be cocoa and marshmallows. You are ridiculously hot and I want to be on top of you.''</i>


    That voice kept ringing in his mind.


    The campus belle is rather idle to be giving out seduction tips.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he leaned back on the chair. The days here won''t be as dull as he imagined.


    <i>*shback ends*</i>


    ''''How is it?"


    ''''The best,'''' She licked the sauce off her lips before passing the te to him, ''''Sigh...I am such a disgrace,'''' Sheughed in irritation.


    Jun Zixuan ced the te beside the bed.


    ''''You won''t eat?"


    He nced at her meaningfully.


    She blinked in confusion but in the end, she snuggled closer into his arms as they nced at the stars together, ''''Every time you saw me, I was messy, moody, disgraceful, not elegant or not beautiful enough...'''' She sighed in regret, recalling the other time when she was bunking ss and chanced upon him on the tree.


    Jun Zixuanughed as he nced at her aggrieved face. How could she not be beautiful?


    Yu Mei scoffed.


    ''''You really thought that I will be seduced by those words?"


    She tilted her head to the side, ''''First, I did not know you at that time. And second, most men like confident women who take initiative. She was gorgeous. Who would not spare her a second nce if she did that? Moreover, it is a good way to know whether her crush also has a crush on her,'''' As embarrassed as she was, she spoke very righteously.


    ''''Unfortunately, I only have a crush on you,'''' He nipped her earlobe, ''''Have you had your fill?" He whispered.


    She leaned closer to him, ''''Mmm... It was delicious. I have had my fill.''''


    ''''Then, it should be my turn now,'''' She squealed when he suddenly flipped her and pinned her under him.


    The tent had a gap wide gap on the top intended for stargazing and under the pale glow of the moonlight, she could see his dark eyes roaming past her eyes before shifting towards her lips.


    ''''What if someonees....''''


    ''''This ce is well guarded,'''' He interrupted her as he ced his lips on her chin.


    She grabbed his shoulder, her fingers dug in his shirt, ''''But...what if there are wild animals...'''' Even she felt the ridiculousness in her excuse. How could there be wild animals in an urban area like this?


    ''''Don''t worry. I will be the wildest one,'''' He unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pant.


    His palm sneaked inside her bodycon dress, lifting it up to her waist. He swiftly ripped off her panties and she felt his hardness in her inner thighs as he pulled her down.


    She gulped, looking at him up so close. Cupping his face with one hand, she grabbed his cor with the other and leaned closer to him. Their breaths intermingled as her lips rubbed past his.


    ''''What are you doing?" He whispered.


    ''''I was giving you a heads up....'''' The corner of her lips tilted up as a soft blush spread on her neck, creeping up to her cheeks, ''''That I am going to kiss you,'''' And without a moment''s dy, her lips were on his, moving slowly at first but gradually intensifying.


    The taste of the spicy sauce went into his mouth and he bit her lips, responding to her kiss with equal passion as one of his hands lifted up her knee before cing her leg on his back. The tip of his rod stroked her already wet entrance and she gasped against his mouth.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he thrust into her and kissed her harder this time.


    ''''Ahhh...'''' A stifled moan escaped her lips as his hips moved faster thrusting his length harder and harder into her, touching her core every time.


    She coiled her hands around his neck as he kissed her roughly while moving inside her, ''''I love you...'''' He whispered and gave one hard thrust and she felt her eyes tearing up, with a little pain and endless pleasure.


    Another moan escaped her lips as her eyes rolled back, and her neck arched. Her body trembled in his warm embrace as she climaxed.


    He kept thrusting inside her as he flipped around such that she was lying on top of him. Her name escaped his lips in a whisper beside her ear and she felt his lengthing out of her wetness as he came.


    Their heartbeats and soft pants echoed inside the small tent as theyid there snuggled in each other arms while being half-naked.


    He adjusted their clothes a bit and pulled her into his arms. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and his eyes glimmered when he saw the weariness in her eyes gradually disappearing.


    She ced her head on his chest, listening to his calm and steady heartbeat that made her rxed.


    ''''Had your fill yet?" Her voice was raspy.


    ''''The night is still so long,'''' He whispered as a devilish glint shed in his eyes.


    She bit his chest. What a beast!

 Chapter 326 - A Gift

    Mia nced at her reflection on the ss wall. She tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear before walking towards the door.


    She pressed the doorbell and soon the door opened.


    Han Jian Yu stood there wearing a in white shirt paired with trousers. He was wearing a ck apron atop it and there was a spat in his hand.


    Her gaze roamed past his bulging veins near the folded sleeves of his shirt. She could see his muscles being highlighted in that shirt as if they would rip the fabric any moment.


    Han Jian Yu quietly stood there as he watched her gawking at him. He felt a tingly sensation at the spot wherever her gaze lingered.


    Amusement flickered in his eyes as he noticed her frivolous eyes shifting towards his chest. ''''Miss Neighbor?"


    ''''A weird way to address Her Highness,'''' She said disdainfully as she did not avert her gaze from his chest, ''''Nice shirt. Even the sleeves are intricately designed,'''' She said after some time as she tilted her head to look at him.


    The corner of his lips twitched slightly but he schooled his expression. He nced at her from head to toe. She was dressed in a small red dress that reach barely below her thighs. It hugged her body in the right ces, highlighting her soft curves. Her long silver hair was let down and a few strands fell in front of her shoulder, caressing her corbones that were visible in her sweetheart neckline dress.


    Mia raised an eyebrow. Was he... checking her out?


    Feeling her gaze on him, he shifted his attention, ''''Nice dress. Perfect fit and exquisite fabric,'''' He said seriously.


    Her face darkened. She ced her palm on his chest and pushed him to the side before stepping inside, ''''You don''t make your guest stand outside like that. Bad manners,'''' Mia said righteously as she turned around only to find him leaning back on the ss wall.


    He nced at the box in her hand, ''''That is...?"


    ''''A gift for you,'''' She walked towards him and extended the box in her hands with a genuine expression on her face.


    ''''What''s the asion?" He took the gift from her hand. It was wrapped up in a beautiful olive green wrap. A color that he liked. What a coincidence it is that she chose this color.


    ''''You invited me over for dinner. It is only right for me to give you a gift,'''' Mia shrugged as if it was not a big matter.


    But it was the first time that she was gifting something to a man in truth.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her nonchnt face but her burning eyes gave away her top-notch acting. What does she want?


    Mia grabbed the spat from his hand, ''''See if you like it.''''


    He raised an eyebrow. Oh? So, she wants his opinion on her gift.


    ''''One second,'''' He walked towards the couch and ced the gift on the coffee table before going to the kitchen. After turning off the gas and ensuring that everything was in ce, he removed the ck apron, washed his hands before waking outside.


    Under her ''quickly see my gift'' gaze, he made his way towards the coffee table. He settled on the couch and brought the gift back to his hand. His fingers smoothly removed the ribbon and the gift wrapping paper without a single damage to it.


    ''''You are good at removing this,'''' Mia said as she ced the spat on the coffee table.


    ''''I have experience,'''' came his meaningful reply.


    ''''Of course, removing clothes is tougher so no wonder you manage this so well,'''' A foxy smile made its way to her lips as she spoke in a teasing tone.


    He paused and lifted his head to look at her. Her teasing voice did not match her fathomless eyes, ''''You seem to know a lot about me,'''' He remarked.


    ''''Just a guess. You look like a frivolous man,'''' Her lips stretched in azy smile and her expression turned yful.


    <i>Frivolous?</i> Han Jian Yu was rendered speechless. It was his first time being addressed in such a way. He shifted his focus to the box in his hand.


    He opened its cover and nced at the things lying inside. ''''What...am I supposed to do with this?" He picked up the crystal windchime.


    ''''Hang it somewhere in your bedroom. As long as you don''t think ill of me, it will ensure that you will have a good sleep,'''' She had infused a little bit of her powers in it. Mia smiled at his reaction. He must have liked it so much that he is dumbstruck.


    Han Jian Yu, on the other hand, did not take her words seriously, ''''Hang this?" The thing looked like an eyesore that the young girls interested in fairytales would usually prefer.


    Mia frowned, ''''You don''t want it?" She reached out her hand towards the windchime, ''''Give it back to me then,'''' This damned man did not have a good taste at all.


    Han Jian Yu pulled his hand back defensively, ''''Isn''t it improper to snatch something you just gifted to someone?"


    ''''Improper my ass,'''' She stepped closer to him.


    ''''Oh, you have a good one,'''' He said, tilting his head down slightly.


    Her lips parted, ''''Give it back to me.''''


    ''''No,'''' He leaned back on the couch, swinging his hand behind.


    ''''You were looking at it like it was ugly. Since you don''t like it, why not just give it back?"


    As she was busy focusing on the windchime, she did not notice when her toes tangled in the carpet. Mia lost her bnce and in the next moment she knew, she was straddling him with one of her knees in between his thighs.


    ''''I am not giving it back. What will you do about it?" He leaned closer to her such that their faces were a few inches apart, ''''Now, it belongs to me anyway,'''' He whispered.

 Chapter 327 - Got It Tattooed

    ''''You are annoying,'''' Mia nced at his lips, feeling the slight tension in the air. Just as he leaned a bit more closer to her, she pushed herself to her feet, ''''Just say that you liked my gift, why pretend otherwise?''''


    Han Jian Yu nced at her quietly, the scent of wilderness that she gave off was still lingering in the air, somewhere around him because of the earlier proximity between them.


    Under his intense stare, she averted her gaze, ''''Come, feed me.''''


    ''''Feed you...'''' He ced the windchime in the box and stood up, thrusting one of his hands inside his pocket, ''''With what?" Her words were rather meaningful to his ears.


    ''''The dinner you made?'''' Her brows tugged together.


    ''''Yeah," The corner of his lips tugged up as he walked inside the kitchen.


    Mia was bewildered. <i>What''s with this weird behavior?</i>


    As they sat at the dining table while having dinner together, Han Jian Yu noticed that she had no restraints in eating. She ate elegantly with her back straight but her eating quantity was rather huge...


    Having seen women taking small bites of food for reasons like diets, detox, botox, or whatever, he found her to be a refreshing sight.


    ''''Do you like it?"


    ''''You make good food,'''' Food so good that even a fox spirit like her is not able to resist it.


    As she was about to say something, his phone started ringing. Han Jian Yu picked up his phone from the dining table before answering the call.


    ''''Boss, I have sent you that model''s picture,'''' Danny said from the other side.


    Han Jian Yu hung up on the call before checking the text. His eyes darkened slightly as he nced at the first picture. It was the picture of her car which was found at that location.


    As he scrolled down further, his expressions turned chilly at the sight of the woman in the picture.


    ''''What''s wrong?"


    Han Jian Yu turned his phone towards her, ''''Is this your car?" He showed her the picture of the car that was found in that ce. As she nodded, he asked, ''''Base 2, Central City... Have you been there before?"


    Mia nced at him quietly for a few seconds. She picked up a silk napkin and cleaned her mouth. Her actions were slow, unhurried, and elegant, ''''I have been there a few days ago. There was something weird about that ce and my car was not working so I ran away from there and booked a cab when I was at a distance.''''


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes. She did not seem to be lying but... ''''Why would you go there?"


    ''''Because of my fox,'''' Mia said, ''''I was just passing by that ce and I parked my car on the roadside because of a phone call. But my pet disappeared. I thought it went into that alley so I looked for her but I could not find her at all,'''' She lied without batting an eyelid.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to the side. That white fox belonged to her?


    ''''It originally did not belong to me. I found it from somewhere...'''' She said.


    ''''I met it...'''' He recited the incident where he found that white fox but there was still some doubt in his heart. Everything she was saying seemed to be logical but there was something amiss in it and he could not quite put a finger on what it was.


    ''''You did?" Mia acted surprised. Of course, she saw the doubt in his eyes. She slowly lifted the silver bangs from her forehead, ''''See this...''''


    Han Jian Yu turned to look at her face. There was a crimson lotus mark on her forehead. His brows tugged together slightly. This familiar mark... He had seen it on the little fox before. Some thoughts shed in his mind but they were so fast that he could not get a grip on them.


    ''''Isn''t it cool? My pet had this birthmark on her head so I got it tattooed,'''' Mia said as she smiled.


    Thest bit of doubt in his heart vanished. She knew the fox''s gender and she even knew about this birthmark and her words were quite believable without a single w in them. ''''It''s good,'''' It looked good on her face.


    Mia was a bit stunned as she never expected him topliment it. Back in those times, birthmarks were taken as scars, and even if one had a minuscule scar on their face, they were mocked and ridiculed as it was taken to be inauspicious.


    Even as a Princess, her birthmark was talked about but once her father punished a woman for the offense, and after that nobody talked about it.


    ''''Aren''t you worried about your fox?" His curious voice snapped her out of her trance.


    ''''Didn''t you say she was with you?" Mia acted like she was unaware of it.


    ''''She ran away,'''' There was a hint of worry in his eyes.


    And she noticed it. The corner of her lips tugged up, ''''I am not worried for her because she is more intelligent than humans. Maybe she has found her real home or she has gotten herself a male fox to sleep with. What are you worried about?''''


    <i>Found a male fox to sleep with? </i>The corner of his lips twitched. It was true that she was extremely smart but...


    Han Jian Yu picked up the ss of wine before taking a few sips.


    Mia inwardly sighed in relief. It was not that she did not trust him but for some reason, she did not want to tell him her truth. She was ufortable just at the thought of it.


    What would he see her as?


    ''''Well, I should get going. It''s time for bed,'''' She stood up from the chair and stretched her hands.


    He noticed how her dress went a few inches higher, revealing her milky thighs. His gaze darkened slightly, ''''Isn''t it too early to sleep?" His words came out in a whisper.

 Chapter 328 - Getting Registered

    Mia raised an eyebrow, ''''Her Highness needs much more beauty sleep to deal with a troublesome neighbor like you,'''' She flipped her hair and turned to walk away.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her back as he leaned back on the chair. A sudden urge to stop her here rushed to his mind and he opened his mouth only to close it a secondter.


    He ced the ss of wine on the table and pushed himself to his feet before walking towards the coffee table. He nced at the crystal windchime lying inside the exquisite box quietly.


    Hearing the sounds from the other side, he raised his head and looked up in the direction of the ss partition.


    Mia ascended the staircase without looking back at him.


    ''This ingrate!'' His eyes darkened slightly.


    ...


    "Awake?"


    Yu Mei blinked twice as an affirmation and leaned closer to him before cing her head on his shoulder. Her fingers moved to his hair and she ran them there softly.


    Unlike the night before, the tent waspletely closed at the moment, letting the sun rays enter inside through the small gaps near the window.


    Her body was entirely numb as sheid in his arms like a dead fish but her fingers carefully yed with the strands of his hair.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her quietly as he moved his palm on her back.


    Her eyshes fluttered and she nced at him, "Let''s get married, shall we?"


    He was stunned for a moment.


    Her brows tugged together when he did not respond, "What?" Her voice was rather hoarse.


    "Now?"


    "Mmm..." She leaned closer to his and kissed his chin, "Just a simple one. Let''s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get registered."


    "Just like that?" Didn''t she want a high-profile wedding in the past?


    "I don''t like chaos anymore," Sheughed looking at his slow reactions. This old man rarely showed these cute antics of him so she cherished it a little longer before speaking, "Let''s get married officially. I don''t want a grand wedding where even the guests would be ogling at you. The reporters, crowd...Sigh... It would be very exhausting."


    "Lazy," He chuckled.


    She sat up from his arms and grabbed the nket before it could slide down her upper assets, "It''s just selective participation. I am notzy,'''' She defended herself.


    He nced at her quietly, ''''Are you sure?" He asked after some time.


    She nodded.


    Three hourster.


    The couple walked out of the Civil Affairs Office with two little red booklets in their hand.


    Yu Mei could still remember the astonished gazes of the staff. They must be wondering why someone will register for their marriage twice, and that too with the same person. But since it was Jun Zixuan, nobody spoke a word about it.


    ''''Hey,'''' She grabbed his arm.


    Jun Zixuan turned around to look at her, ''''Yes?"


    ''''We are officially married,'''' She threw her arms around his neck and pounced on him.


    Jun Zixuan staggered a few steps back because of her enthusiasm but he soon stabilized himself and caught her, ''''So, Mrs. Jun, today should be our ''Official wedding night''?" He whispered beside her ear.


    Yu Mei pulled back from him as she blinked.


    Jun Zixuan patiently waited for her response but all he got was a hard pinch on his wrist. He might be a masochist but even her pinch was pleasurable to him.


    His eyes darkened.


    ''''You only think about sleeping with me all the time. You just ruined my emotional moment,'''' She stomped on his foot before getting inside the car.


    "_"


    Jun Zixuan was speechless.


    She seemed rather normal a few seconds ago... why did her mood swing all of a sudden?


    Still a little bewildered, he stepped inside the car.


    Probably sensing the ice between the couple, Steward Gu promptly pulled up the partition. They were happily married for the second time but how did his Master end up provoking Young Mistress?


    Jun Zixuan nced at the woman who was not even facing him. She had her face turned towards the windshield as she looked outside.


    ''''Mei...'''' He tugged at her knee-length white dress.


    She swatted away his hand, ''''Humph!"


    "_"


    He poked her shoulder, ''''Love?"


    ''''Who is your Love?!" She turned around to look at him as she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    ''''It has to be you. Who else?'''' He nodded seriously at his own words.


    ''''I am on my period yet you are thinking of sleeping with me,'''' She nced at him usingly as if he was a monster.


    Jun Zixuan was taken aback, ''''When?"


    ''''In the morning. By the time we reached Ren Mansion.''''


    ''''You didn''t tell me. How would I know?"


    ''''Are you ming me now?" Her eyes widened.


    ''''Of course not, it''s all my fault in the end,'''' Jun Zixuan coaxed her as he pulled her into his arms before he ced her head on hisp.


    She nced at him quietly, ''''We are finally married,'''' Her anger slowly subsided.


    ''''Mm...''''


    ''''But I still hate you,'''' She mumbled as she leaned closer to him.


    ''''I hate you too,'''' He replied without missing a beat.


    She tilted her head to look at him, ''''Good,'''' She nodded seriously and within a few seconds, he could hear soft snores in the car.


    His eyes sparkled as he yed with her hair, gently enough to not wake her up.


    The kind of hate she spoke of where she would still hug him to sleep. How amusing was that!


    Because she was sleep-deprived the previous night and now she was on her period, Yu Mei ended up sleeping till 11 am.


    By the time she woke up, her mind was a little muddled. She nced around the Master Bedroom before getting off the bed quickly.


    As her gazended on the red booklets on the couch, she rubbed her eyes, ''''So it was not a dream,'''' She rubbed her eyes and a small smile involuntarily crept up her lips.

 Chapter 329 - Some Shameless Progress

    After freshening up, Yu Mei walked downstairs and her ears picked up some sounds from the kitchen.


    She walked towards the kitchen before leaning against the wall, ''''What are you doing?''''


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to look at the woman standing there dressed in a ck satin night suit, ''''How do you feel now?"


    ''''Much better,'''' She nced at the small chocte cake on the kitchen counter, ''''Is it for me?"


    ''''No, for our neighbor,'''' Jun Zixuan replied.


    The corner of her lips twitched and she straightened up before walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around his lean yet muscr waist and ced the side of her face on his back, ''''I am sorry for being rude,'''' Because of her period and sleep-deprived state, her emotional side was on the full rise.


    Jun Zixuan turned around and leaned back on the kitchen counter as he held her hands. His finger stroked her palm and he pulled her closer to himself.


    Her hands encircled around his neck and her body leaned against his.


    ''''I like your mood swings.''''


    "_"


    ''''...More than your beauty.''''


    ''''_"


    ''''You are a masochist,'''' She clicked her tongue.


    Heughed. ''''Of course not,'''' He nced at her with a deep gaze.


    To the world, she was cold and unapproachable despite wearing a smile most of the time. Only in front of him was she childish, moody, cranky, silly, and even dumb. Her IQ and EQ take a U-turn around him. How could he not like that side of her which was exclusively his?


    ''''I still hate you though,'''' He said.


    She nodded, ''''I hate you more. You are a sly old man, conning me in name of friendship for a long time.''''


    ''''Then you should be the old woman having wrong thoughts about her friend.''''


    Both of them ended upughing.


    ''''Master...'''' The Chef paused, realizing that he came at the wrong time.


    Yu Mei tilted her face to the side as she stepped back from him to look at the person standing at a distance.


    ''''You can get to work,'''' Jun Zixuan nodded at him. ''''Let''s go,'''' He held Yu Mei''s hand as they both walked out of the kitchen.


    As she nced at him curiously, he said, ''''Since we got officially married today, I invited everyone over for dinner.''''


    ''''By everyone you mean?''''


    ''''Just our friends,'''' Jun Zixuan pulled her into his arms, his mood was undeniably pleasant as one could sense the flowers of spring around him.


    ''''Well done. Have you invited brother?"


    ''''Yes.''''


    ''''Okay,'''' She nodded, ''''Is he shocked?"


    ''''He cursed me for 15 minutes straight,'''' Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''Don''t know if that counts as a shock.''''


    ''''Cough...'''' Yu Meiughed dryly, ''''My brother just has a little bad temper at times but otherwise, he is really cute.''''


    ''''Yeah, a little temper. Just like you. Only a little,'''' He nodded.


    Despite having thick skin, she was a bit embarrassed.


    While he went to the study to finish his work, Yu Mei checked the reports she received from the employee in the finance department. She double-checked it but found nothing wrong.


    Was I overthinking and there is nothing wrong with thepany?


    Letting out a soft sigh, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number.


    ''''Who is this?" A cool voice sounded from the other side.


    ''''Your gorgeous, multi-talented, super-awesome, and perfect daughter-inw here.''''


    Jun Zishen was caught betweenughter and tears when he heard that familiar voice. This level of narcissism! He hoped that his grandkids would inherit it and would be as adorable as his daughter rather than bing an ice cube like his son.


    ''''Where did you get my number from?" He asked.


    ''''I have my ways,'''' Yu Mei sat up on the bed with burning curiosity in her eyes, ''''Has mother-inw epted you yet? Is there any progress?"


    There seemed to be a pause on the other side before the man said, ''''She did not let me inside her house for one day and one night but now, I have managed to get a spot in her guest room. Does that counts as progress?'''' The usually aloof and mighty Master Jun was at his wits'' end facing the upgraded version of his once gentle and sweet wife.


    ''''Of course, that counts. The guest room is the narrow path leading to the bedroom. What are you worried about? How could she not fall for your charms?" Yu Mei motivated the man.


    And he seemed to be injected with a bottle of chicken blood as he immediately replied, ''''Of course, I will do my best.''''


    ''''That''s the spirit. But Father, how did she let you inside the guest room in one day and one night?" The she-devil was not that easy to deal with it. She expected at least 2 weeks from her.


    ''''I bribed her chef, the gardener, and the rest of the servants and proposed to her that I will do all the household works. Didn''t you tell me to be shameless and cling to her in every possible way?''''


    ''''Uhh... Well done,'''' Yu Mei was a little speechless.


    ''''She ising here. I will call youter...'''' He quickly hung up.


    Yu Meiughed. How cute!


    Jun Zishen might not have realized this but Shen Lihua still had a soft corner for him.


    Knowing her she-devil of a mother-inw, she would not have let him in the house just because shecked servants. It was pretty much obvious that heart might have softened at the sight of him waiting in front of her house for one day and one night straight.


    Yu Mei sighed in relief.


    She never thought that what Jun Zishen did was a crime or a sin. Yes, it was unforgivable but everyone deserves a second chance as long as their heart is pure and they really want to make up for it.


    Shen Lihua and the Jun brothers did not deserve that kind of past but Jun Zishen also has faced torment over the years.


    If he had gone against his parents at that time, then considering how ruthless the Jun Family is, they might have destroyed the whole family of four without a second thought.

 Chapter 330 - What Did We Miss?

    Jun Zishen was powerless at that time and he knew the nature of his parents so he did what he was capable of. He distanced his family from himself to protect them from dangers.


    And his method seemed to have worked as Jun Family did note after Shen Lihua or her kids.


    Yu Mei did not approve of Jun Zishen''s way of doing things but putting herself in his shoe, she realized that he did his best to protect his little family.


    Feeling a gaze on her, she flipped on the bed only to find Jun Zixuan leaning against the door.


    ''''W-When did youe?" She felt a little guilty without any reason. Wasn''t he in the study? Did he overhear her conversation with his father?


    ''''When you were ying the cupid,'''' He raked his fingers through his already messy hair before walking towards the couch as he picked up his file and turned around to leave.


    ''''Are you angry?" He paused at her words and Yu Mei got off the bed before she walked towards him.


    ''''Why do you think so?" He turned around to look at her.


    ''''You didn''t kiss me before you turned around to leave the room....'''' She was very sensitive to his words and his actions, ''''Even if you act a little different, I feel you don''t love me anymore,''''?She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck before pressing her forehead on his lips.


    The corner of his lips twitched. ''''Didn''t you say that I only think about sleeping with you all the time?" He pushed her buttons a little, ''''Don''t you think you are the one responsible for seducing me like this? As the saying goes, it all starts with a harmless touch.''''


    ''''Why have I not heard of such a saying?" Sheughed, ''''I don''t mind you sleeping with me though!" She smiled provocatively.


    This little troublemaker. He pursed his lips. Wasn''t she being all gutsy just because she is on her period?


    Yu Mei stood up properly before holding his hand, ''''You don''t me me for supporting father, do you?" She was pretty sure that he overheard their conversation.


    As he did not say anything, she went on, ''''In fact, considering the nature of Old Master Jun and Old Madam Jun, after you all left the Jun Manor, they might have arranged countless beauties for father in hopes of getting him married again. But Boyan remains the youngest child and as per my investigations, Father did not have entanglements with any woman after mother-inw. And just the mention of her brightens his cold face. Don''t you think he really loves her?"


    ''''He was a coward,'''' Jun Zixuan emotionlessly said.


    ''''And he got the punishment for his cowardice when he stayed away from his family, drowning himself in loneliness and spending the years in thepany of toxic people like his parents. Back then, he was weak whilepared to the great Jun Family but now he holds the most power and nobody in the family would be able to go against him. Do you know what that means?"


    He did not respond.


    ''''All this time, he wanted toe back to you all. It just took him a long time to...''''


    ''''Can we stop discussing him?" He ced a kiss on the tip of her nose, ''''Go to sleep if you are tired and you can have lunch when you are hungry. Your cake is in the refrigerator. I have some work to deal with. I will be going out after some time.''''


    She did not respond to him and he did not speak anything else as he turned around and left.


    Yu Mei blinked.


    She dragged herself to bed before she plopped on it like a boneless fish, ''''Go Go Go! You mother and son are so alike. You obviously don''t hate him as much as your face says,'''' She decided to not bring up Jun Zishen in any conversation in the future.


    Wait...


    Since her words make him so upset that he did not even bother to kiss her twice or thrice before leaving, she would rather not talk at all.


    ...


    In the night.


    Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei sat at the far ends of the couch while waiting for everyone toe.


    Yu Mei quietly read the magazine in her hand.


    Jun Zixuan stopped fiddling with his iPad as he ced it on the couch before inching closer to her, ''''Mei?"


    ''''Yes?" She replied without looking at him.


    ''''Your hair looks beautiful today,'''' He yed with the long strands of her dark hair.


    ''''They look beautiful 24X7,'''' She tilted her head and threw her magazine to the side. Rolling the sleeves of her ck hoodie, she turned to the side and folded her arms in front of her chest, ''''Are you trying to coax me though?''''


    Before he could respond, she shook her head, ''''I am not angry.''''


    He nced at her doubtfully, ''''For real?" As she nodded, he sighed, ''''I just don''t want to talk about him.'''' He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles.


    ''''I was also not trying to change your opinion about him. I was just stating my point,'''' She poked his chest, ''''But you are a weird man who ignores me when things don''t go your way.''''


    "I never ignored you. I really had some work," Heughed sheepishly but just as he was about to speak, something caught his attention.


    Yu Mei followed his gaze and her jaws dropped. ''''I... did I miss something?" She mumbled as she watched Mia and Han Jian Yu entering the mansion, talking andughing with each other.


    Jun Zixuan was a bit speechless, ''''I guess we did,'''' Interest shed in his eyes.


    And here he was thinking of how to tame this unruly brother-inw!


    Yu Mei noticed how Mia pped Han Jian Yu''s shoulder whileughing about something he whispered in his ear. She pushed herself to her feet, ready to protect Mia but surprisingly, her brother''s reaction was not violent like she had imagined. He did not seem to be offended.


    He just...ughed more and... and he tucked Mia''s hair behind her ear.


    Yu Mei turned to look at Jun Zixuan in disbelief. Her seven world views suddenly came crashing down. Is it still her brother?


    ''''He is still your brother,'''' Jun Zixuan whispered as if he could read her mind. He pushed himself to his feet ready to wee them.


    A cunning glint flickered in his eyes.

 Chapter 331 - Long Time No See

    "You both...." Yu Mei was a bit speechless as she nced at them. It has been only a few days since they had drawn swords at each other''s neck in the Ren Mansion and now they looked amicable.


    "We are neighbors," Mia cleared her throat noticing the shock on her face. Why is she looking at them as if they were inhumane beasts?


    "Neighbors?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow meaningfully.


    Mia elbowed Han Jian Yu, "Did I not tell the truth?"


    "We are indeed neighbors," The man nodded.


    Yu Mei was momentarily stunned. This... Initially when she heard that Mia had those kind of intention for her brother, she was worried that Mia will get bullied or they won''t work and she will be in a tough spot.


    But looking at the current situation, her brother seemed to be rather....


    She could not find a proper word.


    So, she grabbed Han Jian Yu''s hand and pulled him along with her.


    Jun Zixuan nced at their retreating back before looking at Mia from head to toe.


    Mia raised an eyebrow, "Are you thinking that I am on purpose?" Noticing the doubt in his eyes, she shook her head andughed, "It was a coincidence that he was my neighbor..." She narrated the whole story to him.


    While Jun Zixuan and Mia were having a little discussion on their side, the sibling were locked in an intense staring session.


    "You didn''t tell me Mia is your neighbor when you called," Yu Mei nced at the man with narrowed eyes.


    "Neither did you tell me that you n to marry him," Han Jian Yu leaned back on the wall as he thrust one of his hands inside his pocket.


    "You should have seen iting," Yu Mei coughed.


    "I am okay with it as long as you are happy, Princess," Han Jian Yu said after some time. His cold face slightly shifted, "As for Mia... Us being neighbors is not a big deal so I did not bother bringing it up."


    She smiled at his first sentence but frowned on the second one, "Brother,tely, do you have a shortage of women around you?"


    Used to his sister''s straightforwardness since decades, Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to rmend me one?"


    "Uhh... If you want, I can. Just not her..." She pointed her chin towards Mia when she was not looking in their direction.


    Han Jian Yu paused for a moment before he straightened up, "Why not?" His tone was casual as if he was talking about weather.


    And Yu Mei noticed that he did not seem to have any intentions towards Mia, "Because she is special. I don''t want her to be hurt," she said.


    Han Jian Yu did not say anything, "Does he bullies you?" He asked after some time.


    She easily understood who the ''he'' was. She seriously shook her head.


    "Are you lying?"


    She shook her head again.


    "Are you happy with him?"


    She nodded.


    "Are you insecure in this rtionship?"


    She shook her head.


    "Do you really like him?"


    She nodded.


    "Does Mia know that this is your second life?"


    She nodded once and paused a secondter.


    "_"


    Her eyes widened slightly but they turned to normal, "Like I told you before, she has helped me a lot and we are really close to each other. It would be weird if I did not tell her about it," <i>Is brother doubting something?</i>


    Han Jian Yu merely raised an eyebrow. He had this thought that Mia might know about this and his guess seemed to be right.


    As the brother and sister walked back towards the couch, the other two people immediately stopped talking.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.


    Yu Mei cleared her throat, "Mia~" She waved at her.


    Mia walked to her, "How are you these days?"


    "I am good. Did you finish the ad shoot?"


    "Yes, I did. I think the ad will be out in some time..."


    "Will you continue modelling?"


    "No, it''s troublesome..."


    Their voices got smaller and smaller as they walked away leaving two certain alpha males alone with each other.


    Jun Zixuan and Han Jian Yu had nothing to do or talk with each other so the air between them was exceptionally tense but they did not bother to break the silence as Jun Zixuan leaned back on the couch with his arms folded in front of his chest and Han Jian Yu stood with one of his hand inside his pocket, with his back facing towards the entrance.


    That was the scene that Mu Shen witnessed as he stepped inside the mansion with his superstar aura.


    He walked towards them and swung an arm around Han Jian Yu''s neck without much restraints as he nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''Who is this gentlem-'''' The rest of his words got stuck in his throat as his gazended on Han Jian Yu''s side profile.


    That handsome face was eerily dark as the pair of dark eyes looked at the indecent hand swung around his neck.


    Mu Shen''s prey instincts kicked in and he quickly retracted his hand, ''''Y-Y-You somewhat resemble the President of Amaranthine....'''' Unlike his Father who has met him in personal, he had only seen him in news and tabloids and the person in front of him really resembled...


    ''''Mu Shen, I am not parking your car ever again. You just gave me a lift. Do you have to be so petty about it...'''' Shi Luo''s words came to a halt as she nced at the familiar back, ''''Brother...?''''


    Han Jian Yu''s expression shifted slightly as he turned around.


    Shi Luo smiled, upon confirming that it was him, ''''Long time no see,'''' She walked towards them and hugged him.


    Han Jian Yu patted her back, ''''It has been a long time indeed.''''


    While the two of them talked, Mu Shen stood rooted to his spot as if he was struck by thunder. What the-


    He inched closer to Jun Zixuan, ''''Is he who I think he is?"

 Chapter 332 - Finally Married?

    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''You only realize it now?"


    Mu Shen pursed his lips. Not that he did not realize it, it was just that he was wondering why the President of Amaranthine would be here? ''''Luoluo had the guts to hide about this. Who could have thought she is this man''s sister?'''' He only knew about Shi Luo''s mother. She never told him about having a brother too.


    Jun Zixuan paused. Would it be too shocking for him if he cleared this misunderstanding?


    On the other side...


    "What''s going on between you and my brother?" Yu Mei asked.


    Miaughed, "There is nothing between us. Don''t worry. I like submissive men and recently I got to know that he is not submissive."


    Yu Mei was speechless. She recalled the earlier scene where they wereughing and talking and Mia even pped her brother''s shoulder without incurring his wrath. Suddenly, she had a weird thought, "Mia, I think it would be great if you can be my sister-inw...."


    Mia, who was ying with her hair seductively, choked on her saliva, "What are you talking about, Littly?" She flicked Yu Mei''s forehead in exasperation, "I don''t do rtionships. Commitment is impossible for me."


    Yu Mei found it a pity. Initially, she thought that these two would not get along but now that she saw it with her own two beautiful eyes... Sigh... "Alright, let''s go back to them. Mu Shen and Luoluo are here. When Ah Shuanges, I will introduce you to them."


    Yu Mei dragged the speechless Mia along with her.


    "Brother~"


    Mu Shen froze as he turned to look at his friend who looked quite nonchnt, "What''s going on?" He whispered.


    "Han Jian Yu and Han Mei are siblings."


    Mu Shen: "_"


    He did not quite expect that. He had yet toe to terms with the matter of rebirth and now this was another bomb that dropped on him.


    Mu Shen nced at Han Jian Yu who had walked off to a distance to attend a phone call.


    Han Mei is actually the sister of the President of Amaranthine?


    He got goosebumps.


    "Am Ite?" Li Shuang stepped inside, only to see a few unfamiliar faces.


    "No, you are not."


    Yu Mei then introduced Mia to everyone saying that she is her friend. Although there might not be a situation, but Jun Zixuan gave them a heads up about Mia being his adopted sister. Li Shuang and Shi Luo did not think much about it as they did not know anything about him. They were even unaware of his real identity initially.


    But Mu Shen was stunned. He grew up with this man. How was he unaware of this stunning elder sister?


    Jun Zixuan shot him a warning re.


    Mu Shen made a zipping motion on his lips. He understood there was something fishy going on so he decided to ask him about itter.


    And the girls, as in Li Shuang and Shi Luo hit it off with Mia pretty quickly because of her cool personality.


    When Han Jian Yu was back, Yu Mei introduced Han Jian Yu as her brother to Li Shuang and Mu Shen but she did not borate much. Surprisingly, Li Shuang also did not ask further but the man looked somewhat familiar to her.


    And it was Han Jian Yu who cleared her doubt as he told her that they had met previously in the nightclub when Yu Mei was drunk.


    He had given them a lift.


    Li Shuang remembered the man who was wearing a mask back then, realizing why he sounded familiar.


    But... A few doubts appeared in her mind.


    During the dinner.


    "Why don''t I see Boyan around?" Yu Mei asked Jun Zixuan.


    "He is busy with something..."


    Mu Shen interrupted Jun Zixuan, "I called him just now. He said he is on his way..."


    "What did you tell him?" Jun Zixuan asked.


    "I told him that I and Luoluo are here. Everyone is here. Then, I asked him how long it will take for him to reach here. That''s it..." Mu Shen recited it word by word, ''''He ising after dinner.''''


    Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei exchanged meaningful gazes.


    Han Jian Yu nced at Shi Luo with interest, "Is this Boyan you are speaking of is the Younger Jun?" He asked after some time.


    Shi Luo continued stuffing food in her mouth without raising her head.


    It was Mu Shen who answered, "Yes, it is him. Jun Boyan," After that first encounter, he found Han Jian Yu more approachable and less scary especially when he was around this silver-haired beauty.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Mu Shen meaningfully and thetter immediately texted Jun Boyan, briefing him about the situation with Mia.


    He realized that Han Jian Yu seemed to have been lied to about Mia''s identity. So it would be weird if Jun Boyan came over and did not recognize the said ''adopted sister'' of his.


    Han Jian Yu nodded and resumed eating without speaking any further about it.


    Shi Luo was relieved inwardly. She would not have known how to answer if he had asked her something about it.


    ''''All that apart, I am really happy that you both are finally married. Congrattions,'''' It was Mia who raised a ss of wine but just as she was about to drink it, Han Jian Yu grabbed her wrist. She frowned in displeasure, ''''What?"


    ''''I think you should have some grape juice,'''' He passed the ss of juice in front of him.


    Mia leaned back on the chair as she eyed the ss of juice in disdain, ''''I don''t drink all this while dinner.''''


    ''''Are you guys...'''' Shi Luo sounded a little surprised, ''''...dating each other?"


    Mia raised an eyebrow, ''''Why do you think so? We are neighbors.''''


    ''''Oh,'''' Shi Luo nodded, still finding it a little weird in her heart. Why did that earlier scene appear like a public disy of affection to her?


    ''''What do you mean by finally married?" Li Shuang''s expressions were a little amiss as she tilted her head to look at Mia, ''''They were already married, weren''t they?" She asked.

 Chapter 333 - Bees And Flowers

    ''''At that time, they got married because of a situation. But this time, they married each other willingly. That makes the difference,'''' Mu Shen exined kindly, realizing that Li Shuang was not aware of Yu Mei''s identity.


    Li Shuang nodded, ''''That makes the difference, indeed,'''' A small smile appeared on her cold face as she nced at Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan, ''''Congrattions.''''


    ''''Thanks...'''' Yu Mei smiled, ''''Why do you look like that?"


    Mu Shen followed Yu Mei''s gaze as he nced at Li Shuang''s face. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face was a bit pale.


    ''''It is a busy period in thepany,'''' Back-to-back meetings and settlements had left her in a weary state.


    After dinner, Mia, Li Shuang, and Shi Luo sat on the couch talking to each other. Even though Li Shuang and Shi Luo were meeting Mia for the first time, women being women nevercked topics.


    Moreover, both of them had a good impression of Mia, and the more they talked, the more they found themselves getting along well with her.


    ''''Have you dyed your hair?" Li Shuang asked curiously.


    Mia looked at her long hair that was tied in a low ponytail, ''''No, they are real. I am nning to get them dyed though,'''' She shrugged. She had waist-length hair after she trimmed them and it was too eye-catching with this color.


    Shi Luo shook her head, ''''Don''t. I think they look really beautiful. Suits you,'''' Not everyone can carry such a striking colored hair so well. ''''Like Zixuan''s ash blonde hair,'''' It was also a rare color but he was stunning with it.


    Li Shuang nodded, ''''Yes, it''s true.''''


    Mia smiled like the vixen that she was, ''''Drop the boring topic, girls,'''' She winked like a flirt before swinging her arms around both thedies'' neck who were sitting on her either side, ''''Tell me about your love life,'''' She whispered.


    Li Shuang paused before she blinked, ''''I don''t have a love life but my grandfather wants me to have one so I have found a potential boyfriend...''''


    ''''Why potential?" Shi Luo asked curiously.


    ''''That means he is not my boyfriend yet. Since he has been courting me, I will look into his background and decide after that,'''' Li Shuang was very straightforward. She rarely talked to people but once she warmed up to someone, she won''t hesitate to open up.


    Shi Luo frowned as she was reminded about the issue with Li Shuang''s ex-boyfriend. Yu Mei had briefed her about it but these matters seemed to have left an impact on Li Shuang.


    Mia, who was aware of the whole truth kept quiet, ''''I am not very fond of love and feelings but still unless you really want to, you don''t have to forcefully settle on any man,'''' She said after a long time but she did not speak further knowing that Li Shuang''s grandfather was involved in this matter and it makes it moreplicated. ''''What about you?" She nced at Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo looked rather awkward, ''''I don''t have one as of now.''''


    Mia nodded. When she was living next to Shi Luo''s apartment, she had never sensed another presence in that ce which meant she never brought a man home. ''''You girls are too innocent and pure. You should learn something from elder sister,'''' She removed her hands from their necks and sighed disappointedly.


    Shi Luo and Li Shuang exchanged nces, ''''Does that means you had some history?"


    ''''Of course, Her Highness has seen all kinds of bees and flowers,'''' Mia said mysteriously.


    Shi Luo and Li Shuang looked like two curious cats, wanting to know more but the woman kept her mouth shut.


    But the trio did not notice a certain man, standing behind them with a few dark clouds above his head. It was Han Jian Yu.


    ''''Is there something wrong, Brother-inw? Do you not feel well?" Jun Zixuan who had noticed the whole scene asked Han Jian Yu rather innocently.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, ''''Of course not,'''' He casually said before continuing the phone call without much of an expression on his face.


    Their discussion attracted the trio''s attention...


    Amusement flickered in Jun Zixuan''s eyes as he nced at his retreating back before approaching them, ''''Have you seen my wife, Ladies?"


    Mia and Li Shuang shook their heads while Shi Luo eyed the devil who was as usual disguised as an angel, ''''I won''t tell you even if I have...''''


    ''''You want to work overtime again?'''' Jun Zixuan nonchntly asked, his words made Mia and Li Shuang curious.


    Shi Luo was speechless, ''''You have the nerve to bring that up?"


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''Do you have the nerve to hold grudges after the nonsense you had made me believe in Shanghai?''''


    Shi Luo was tongue-tied, ''''I apologize for that. The situation called for it,'''' She shrugged, ''''Mei went to the bedroom.''''


    ''''Thanks,'''' Jun Zixuan turned around and left.


    Shi Luo sighed. Why is he not as cute as his brother?


    As Jun Zixuan ascended the staircase and made his way to the Master Bedroom, he found Mu Shen and Yu Mei whispering to each other, and even from the distance, he could see the horns on their heads.


    These two... What are they scheming now?


    ''''Ah Xuan...'''' Mu Shen ran to him as soon as he spotted him standing at a distance.


    Jun Zixuan disgustedly shook off his hand from his elbow.


    ''''Baby~" Yu Mei smiled at him coyly.


    ''''Fine...'''' The cier in his eyes melted, ''''Tell me.?What do you want?"


    ''''That''s not good,'''' Mu Shen pouted, ''''Hoes before bros.''''


    ''''Who are you calling a hoe?" Yu Mei stared daggers at him.


    ''''Not in the literal sense,'''' Mu Shen shivered. He changed the topic, ''''Tell him.''''


    Yu Mei nced downstairs and she could already spot Jun Boyan walking towards thedies, ''''We have a n.''''


    ''''And that is?" Jun Zixuan nced at them questioningly.


    ''''Since we all are here today......'''' Yu Mei told him what she and Mu Shen were discussing about.

 Chapter 334 - The More The Merrier

    ''''Since we all are here today....'''' Yu Mei told him what she and Mu Shen were discussing about, ''''Why don''t we y a game? As in... Truth and dare,''''


    How fun it would be to dig everyone''s deep secrets and wild side. Mu Shen and Yu Mei were burning with excitement.


    Jun Zixuan frowned before pouring some cold water on their sparks, ''''Your brother won''t agree,'''' He tilted his head to the side and nced at the man who was on a phone call, with a frigid expression on his face.


    ''''What are you here for?" Mu Shen chirped.


    Yu Mei nced at him with her starry eyes widened, resembling like that of puppy. She knew he would have a way with this.


    His eyes darkened and he ced his palm on her eyes, ''''I can try.''''


    Mu Shen gave Yu Mei a thumbs up in his heart. A woman who could get his friend at his wits'' end was no less than a goddess.


    ...


    ''''Have you had dinner yet?" Jun Boyan asked Shi Luo as soon as he entered the mansion.


    She nodded nonchntly, ''''What about you?"


    ''''I had,'''' Jun Boyan''s gaze shifted to thedy with silver hair. She must be the one Mu Shen texted him about, ''''Elder sister.''''


    Mia was still for a moment before she smiled, ''''Long time no see, Boyan,'''' Being the perceptive person that she was, she quickly caught the hint. He must have been informed about this fiasco before he came here.


    Although Han Jian Yu was at a little distance from them, his attention was fixated on a certain woman, how she talked, how she smiled, how sheughed... on everything that she did.


    Jun Boyan then turned to look at Li Shuang, ''''Miss Li,'''' He smiled.


    ''''You know me?" Li Shuang stood up.


    ''''Uh... You are thedy CEO of Dream Entertainment and sister-inw''s cousin. How would I not know you?" Truth to be told, he knew more about her only because of Mu Shen. That guy usually talks a lot about her.


    Li Shuang nodded.


    Jun Boyan shifted his attention back to Shi Luo, ''''Luoluo, have you seen my ck shir-''''


    ''''Call me Senior,'''' Shi Luo interrupted him as she stood up,pletely horrified. This man... Was he really taking himself as her boyfriend after pretending to be that in front of her mother?


    ''''Okay, senior,'''' Jun Boyan was obedient.


    ''''Senior?" Li Shuang asked. She never knew that Jun Boyan and Shi Luo are this close. They seem to know each other well.


    ''''He is studying in the same university I graduated from,'''' Shi Luo smiled rather awkwardly.


    Mia''s eyes glimmered. No love life? What a little liar!


    At this time, Jun Boyan noticed the people walking towards them, ''''Brother, Sister-inw... Congrats,'''' Although he did not understand why they remarried but he found it cool as he knew that the condition of their first marriage was rather rushed.


    Yu Mei smiled.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''Thought you were busy?"


    ''''It''s such a good asion. How can I miss?" Jun Boyan averted his gaze, not looking into brother''s eyes.


    Jun Zixuan did not persist on it either as he walked towards them.


    Mu Shen and Yu Mei exchanged confused looks. Wasn''t he supposed to convince Han Jian Yu?


    Jun Zixuan briefed them about the n of the night.


    Li Shuang checked the time, ''''I will have to inform Grandpa. Rest is fine with me.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    ''''I don''t have any ns for the night,'''' Shi Luo didn''t mind.


    Jun Boyan who had a few papers to write, paused, ''''Same here,'''' He said.


    Jun Zixuan then nced at Mia who was sitting on the couch with a nk expression on her face.


    Feeling his gaze on her, she raised an eyebrow and pushed herself to her feet, ''''Truth and dare?"


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    ''''What''s that?"


    "_"


    Other than Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei, the rest of the people were stunned.


    ''''You don''t know truth and dare?" Shi Luo asked after regaining herposure.


    ''''Uhh.. Should I know?" If it was such an important things, why was it not included in any of those books that she read about this world earlier?


    Knowing the situation with her, Yu Mei briefed her about the concept.


    Mia''s eyes lit up, ''''I am in,'''' It was sounding quite fun to her.


    At his time, Han Jian Yu hung up the call before walking towards them, ''''Time to go back,'''' He nced at Mia.


    ''''You can go back. I am staying here for now,'''' She waved her hand.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as Jun Zixuan said, ''''You can stay over for the night. I will have someone send you over tomorrow.''''


    Mia nodded, without thinking much of it.


    Han Jian Yu''s eyes narrowed, ''''The cause?" He asked Mia casually like he was talking about something unimportant.


    ''''Truth and dare. In fact, I think you can also join us,'''' Mia suddenly thought about it as she walked towards him, ''''As the saying goes, the more the merrier. What do you think?"


    Han Jian Yu paused, ''''A good idea, indeed,'''' He said after some time, ''''The more the merrier.''''


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Mu Shen: "_"


    Shi Luo: "_"


    Jun Zixuan smirked.


    Jun Boyan stood in his spot, more than a little shocked by the presence of this big shot here.


    ...


    While Mu Shen and Yu Mei were initially contemting over the venue of their game, Jun Zixuan told thetter about the underground library inside the Ren Mansion.


    The dark themed library reminded her of the libraries in the Victorian era novels that she had read about when she was younger. There was a firece at the corner.


    And since it was currently winter, the underground? atmosphere was really cool.


    Li Shuang, who was dressed in thin white dress could not help but rub her arms. Suddenly she felt a warmth on her.


    She tilted her head only to find a ck trench coat on her body.

 Chapter 335 - Truth Or Dare?

    ''''In exchange of the gift,'''' Mu Shen said, ''''I liked that watch. So, you can keep this in exchange.''''


    Li Shuang raised an eyebrow, ''''That watch was for my Cousin-inw. It was his birthday, not yours.''''


    ''''Didn''t I say that I will give him whatever you gift me on my birthday?"


    ''''You are a strange man,'''' Li Shuang said after some thought, ''''But I am really busy right now. I am not sure whether I will be able to attend your birthday party.''''


    ''''It might not necessarily be a party.''''


    Li Shuang did not believe it. This high-profile superstar would not throw a party on his birthday. It? would be strange.


    ''''Anyways, I will inform you before days. Will that do?"


    ''''Alright,'''' She nodded. ''''I''ll ask my assistant to make some time if I am busy.''''


    Mu Shen was a little amused.


    On the other side, while the servants made the arrangements in the library, Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan walked towards the further end of the bookshelves.


    ''''This is so beautiful,'''' Yu Mei mumbled while looking around the ce.


    ''''You like it?" Jun Zixuan found the ce quite dull. It was just an old rustic library and probably because he has been staying in Ren Mansion alone for a few years already, he was used to all of this.


    Yu Mei could tell it from his reactions. ''''This library is even grander than the library inside the Jun Manor,'''' She sighed.


    ''''You have been there before?"


    ''''Once only,'''' Jun Zishen was the one who took her there but since Jun Zishen''s topic was off charts, she changed the topic, ''''Why have you never told me about this ce?"


    Jun Zixuan could guess who took her to the royal library. He did not dwell on that topic either, ''''Ever since you appeared, there has been one blunder after another. When did we ever have the leisure to sit on the terrace with two coffee cups while discussing the architecture of Ren Mansion?''''


    Yu Meiughed awkwardly, ''''That sounds very right,'''' She bit her lips.


    His eyesnded on her plump lips and he stepped closer to her, slowly and deliberately trapping her in between his arms while she leaned back on the book shelf. ''''Would you mind a kiss?" His tone was smooth as a gentleman but dominant as ever.


    ''''Right here?" She looked to her left and right before looking back at him.


    ''''Right here,'''' He nodded.


    ''''A-Alright-'''' Before she could speak further, she found his lips capturing hers. His tongue ravaged her mouth hungrily as he wrapped an arm on her back, his fingers curling near her breasts as he kissed her passionately.


    It took her a moment to register his actions but soon, she fisted the material of his shirt as she slowly kissed him back, their lips danced together until both of them were breathless, and warm in the initially cold atmosphere.


    Jun Zixuan leaned his forehead on hers as their lips parted. He unbuttoned the upper buttons of his shirt with his other hand.


    ''''They might be looking for us¡­'''' She whispered against his lips.


    ''''Let them,'''' He mumbled, ''''We can y truth dare here, can''t we?"


    ''''How so?" She hooked her arms around his neck.


    ''''For truth¡­ you can ask me anything you want¡­'''' He paused and wrapped an arm around her waist before twirling her around such that he was leaning back on the shelf while her body was positioned to lie on his, ''''As for the dare¡­ I will dare you to go down on me in this position,'''' His husky voice sounded beside her ear and his cool lips fell on her neck.


    ''''A-And, that will be very unfair to me¡­'''' She pulled back from him and tugged at his hand, ''''I know almost everything about you.''''


    ''''Then do you want to dare me to do something to you?" He asked teasingly.


    She shrugged, ''''Could be,'''' A soft blush crept up to her cheeks.


    ''''Ah Xuan¡­ where did you disappear to?" A voice interrupted the sexual ambience between the couple.


    Yu Meiughed looking at his darkening face, ''''I say I would have thought Mu Shen is your girlfriend if I hadn''t known better.''''


    Jun Zixuan''s face was dark like the bottom of a pan.


    ¡­


    A huge round fluffy carpet wasid next to the firece and everyone sat on it in a circle. Jun Zixuan and Mu Shen sat next to each other.


    Li Shuang sat beside Mu Shen and Yu Mei sat beside Jun Zixuan. Next to Yu Mei, there was Shi Luo, then Jun Boyan, then Han Jian Yu and finally Mia.


    ''''It is so good here,'''' Mia whispered to Han Jian Yu, ''''So cold and sofortable,'''' She ced her elbow on his knee and propped her head on her fist.


    Han Jian Yu nced at the genuine happiness on her face before looking at the elbow propped on his knee, ''''As long as you like it,'''' He whispered.


    Mia tilted her head to the side, ''''You don''t like it?" Since they were sitting on the further side of the firece, it was colder.


    ''''It''s good,'''' Han Jian Yu smirked.


    ''''I know right,'''' She mumbled.


    ''''So, here we go,'''' Mu Shen''s voice attracted everyone''s attention as all of them turned to look at the bottle twirling in the smooth center of the carpet.


    As the bottle twirled, the anticipation rose and since Mu Shen had done it with a huge amount of force, it kept twirling for a long time before it came to a halt, the head of the bottle pointed towards¡­


    Everyone looked into the direction it was pointing at.


    Jun Boyan was stunned for a moment.


    ''''Say Fourth Young Master, truth or dare?" Mu Shen rubbed his palms together.


    Jun Boyan knew that he has offended this man quite a few times like the time when he fell on his face in the mud in front of the girl''s dormitory. So, he was sure that nothing would be good if he chose truth as the man looked ready to dig any embarrassing thing or incident from his life.


    So, in the end, he chose, ''''Dare¡­''''


    Mu Shen raised an eyebrow as heughed a little evilly.

 Chapter 336 - Kiss Someone!

    Looking at Mu Shen''s evil smile, Li Shuang asked, ''''Do you have any enmity with him?'''' Her voice was not low either.


    Mu Shen paused before he shook his head, ''''We are best of friends. Aren''t we, Fourth Young Master?"


    Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow. Since this man is not gutsy enough to mess with his elder brother, he was going to mess with him now.


    Shi Luo had her head propped on her fist as she drew circles on the carpet, waiting for Mu Shen to throw the dare.


    Mu Shen smirked, ''''I dare you to kiss any one of the women present over here. On the lips, of course,'''' He did not want to leave a loophole.


    He felt likeughing even more. Li Shuang, Yu Mei, and Mia were off the charts while a man who would dare to kiss Shi Luo was not even born yet. No matter where Jun Boyan went, a p was a must.


    This was the revenge for all the time when this guy incited his parents to look for a wife for him after his brother''s marriage.


    Shi Luo paused as she tilted her head to the side.


    Jun Boyan looked rather wronged like he has been bullied, ''''Can I take three shots of vodka instead¡­?"


    Mia interrupted him, ''''That is not included in the current rules. You have to do it.''''


    Yu Mei nced at the scene with interest. She could see where this was going.


    Jun Boyan tilted his head towards his left.


    Shi Luo stiffened under his intense stare.


    He leaned closer to her and cupped her cheeks.


    Mu Shen flinched as he awaited the sound of a tight p.


    As she watched his face erging in front of her eyes, Shi Luo opened her mouth to protest. Her eyes widened slightly when he ced his cheeks against hers and the rest of her words were stuck in her throat.


    ''''It will not be the first time we kissed,'''' He said beside her ear.


    Yes, the first time they met¡­ she was intending to kiss Yu Jinhai but ended up kissing him.


    ''''And we have done more than that.''''


    Shi Luo gulped. She slept naked with him.


    ''''Senior, Mei is my sister-inw, Mia is my sister and I am not that close to Miss Li. You would not mind if I kiss you right?" He whispered in a husky voice that sounded seductive to her. He then pulled back from her and looked into her eyes expectantly.


    Shi Luo gulped again without speaking as she looked at him in a daze, ''''Y-You can¡­'''' It was toote for her to gulp down her words as he leaned closer to her and imed her lips.


    His four fingers rested on her cheeks, hiding her face from others. His thumb remained on her lips, creating a small barrier in between their lips while he kissed her with a little trick.


    But despite the barrier, Shi Luo could feel her face burning as her fingers dug into his thigh. The intimacy had her toes curled as she held her breath so hard that she felt breathless.


    Just when her face flushed entirely red, Jun Boyan pulled back from her. ''''Breath senior,'''' He whispered before moving back to his usual ce.


    But Shi Luo felt a palm on her back, stroking it slowly.


    She recovered her senses and cleared her throat.


    ''''Is it done?" Jun Boyan nced at Mu Shen with one raised brow.


    Mu Shen who had his jaws dropped gasped. What just happened?


    Shi Luo ced her palm on her mouth as she coughed when she met Yu Mei''s teasing gaze.


    Li Shuang was a little stunned but she soon recovered herposure, unlike Mu Shen who still had his jaws dropped. ''''They look good together,'''' Mia whispered to Han Jian Yu.


    Han Jian Yu who was initially thinking about how these Jun brothers have seduced his sisters in all possible ways nced at her dazzling face, hesitated in his heart before nodding, ''''En, they look good together.''''


    Mia, who had her elbows on his thigh, shifted her face on her palm as she nced at him, ''''You have a good taste.''''


    For some reason, Han Jian Yu felt quite happy with the littlepliment.


    The bottle turned once again and this time, it came to stop at Han Jian Yu, ''''Truth,'''' He said without any hesitation having seen the level of the dares.


    Not that he did not dare to, but for some reason, he was not willing to ept any weird dares.


    ''''I will ask him,'''' Mia said before anyone coulde up with a question, ''''Later,'''' She added. She had some questions for a long time.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow. What did she want to know about him that could not be asked in front of everyone?


    Even though she said that they were not a couple, but everyone believed that they were. So, they thought it was something personal.


    Mu Shen felt relieved because he did not dare to ask this man a question. All in all, he might havee up with a question like his favorite color or favorite season.


    Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan looked at each other and saw the same thoughts in each other''s eyes.


    The bottle was twirled again. And with the ticking sounds of the clock in the library, it slowed down and the one under the spotlight this time was¡­


    Mu Shen.


    ''''Truth,'''' Mu Shen said without a second thought.


    ''''The truthful person that you are¡­'''' Shi Luo smirked at him.


    And Mu Shen saw red.


    He nced at Jun Zixuan for help.


    Jun Zixuan, who was sitting with his body angled slightly back and his wrist on his knee disinterestedly averted his gaze. Serves him right for interrupting his good time earlier.


    ''''So here is your question,'''' Shi Luo straightened her body as she pulled the sleeves of her jacket before massaging her wrist.


    The more Mu Shen looked at her, the more he thought she resembled a gangster.


    ''''How many women you have bedded and in how many positions?'''' Shi Luo asked in a clear voice.


    Mu Shen choked on his saliva. This woman¡­


    He never cared about his image before but for some reason, he felt highly embarrassed today.

 Chapter 337 - Bullied Mu Shen

    ''''I don''t remember the count. There were many,'''' Mu Shen spoke through gritted teeth as he lowered his head.


    Shi Luo clicked her tongue, ''''Our superstar has rather a long queue.''''


    Perhaps, it was Mu Shen''s bad luck as the bottle pointed at him once again, ''''Truth,'''' He spat bitterly.


    ''''How old were you when you lost your virginity?" It was Yu Mei who asked the question after getting a meaningful wink from Shi Luo.


    Mu Shen wanted to crawl inside the firece and burn himself down. Why the fuck did he feel ufortable about getting his private life highlighted today? He had been always proud of it. ''''17...'''' He mumbled without raising his head.


    ''''Tsk~ What a young flower!" Shi Luo clicked her tongue. To hell with Mu Shen. She was still feeling shivers all over her body because of the dare he gave Jun Boyan earlier.


    Not having the courage, Mu Shen passed the bottle to Li Shuang who was sitting beside him, ''''You do it,'''' He murmured without looking at her.


    Li Shuang''s lips twitched. He looked like a bullied kid. She twisted the bottle but unfortunately, luck was not on Mu Shen''s side once again.


    Mu Shen wanted to cry but hecked tears, ''''Truth,'''' He did not dare to pick dare.


    ''''Who did you share your first kiss with and where?'''' It was Jun Zixuan who asked the questionzily.


    Mu Shen''s eyes snapped open in disbelief. He obviously knew this. Did he ask this on purpose just because he interrupted their library romance earlier?


    Jun Zixuan''s face looked like ''Yes, you are right''.


    ''''With my ssmate. In the school washroom,'''' Mu Shen''s face was filled with ck lines.


    Of course, being the good friend that she was, Shi Luo understood it. Since the first time when Mu Shen mentioned Li Shuang to her without mentioning the terms like ''sex'', ''fuck'' or ''positions'' throughout the conversations, she had this doubt that he might have a genuine thing for her. She even told Yu Mei but thetter passed it off as a joke.


    It seems like her doubt might not be that wrong.


    It was Mia who could not control her excitement anymore, ''''It must have been fun in the school washroom,'''' She paused before adding, ''''Boy, I am so proud of you.''''


    Han Jian Yu: "_"


    Everyone: "_"


    This time, the bottle pointed at Li Shuang.


    ''''Truth or Dare?" Mu Shen asked.


    Since she did not have many secrets in her life and the truth would be dull, Li Shuang opted for ''''Dare.''''


    Before Mu Shen could speak, Jun Boyan said, ''''You have to unbutton the shirt of the person who is sitting next to you...'''' Taking a small pause, he added, ''''...with your teeth.''''


    Mu Shen''s face twitched harshly.


    Jun Zixuan, who was sitting beside Yu Mei like a beautiful painting shifted slightly, ''''How about you do this to me?" He whispered beside her ear.


    ''''Sure, why not?" She whispered back daringly. As expected, his eyes gradually darkened as he pulled back from her.


    She felt a little smug in her heart. Had she not been on period, they would have ended up in the Master Bedroom in 5 minutes.


    Li Shuang frowned as she nced at Mia who was sitting at her left, ''''But she is not wearing a shirt,'''' As she tilted her head to the right to look at Jun Boyan, her gazended on Mu Shen, ''''Oh, he is,'''' She seemed to be suddenly enlightened.


    Mia nodded, ''''Yes, he is wearing a shirt. Come on, remove it,'''' She wished there was truth and dare game back in ancient times. ''''Sigh~I like this concept,'''' She leaned her head on Han Jian Yu''s shoulder contentedly.


    Han Jian Yu''s lips twitched like he wanted to say something but he held it back inside.


    Mu Shen looked like his chastity was about to be stolen, ''''You can''t be thinking of...''''


    ''''What''s the matter? Stand up!" Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet as she nced at him emotionlessly, ''''You are dying my dare.''''


    Mu Shen helplessly stood up, ''''I think you can use hands instead. I don''t mind...''''


    Jun Boyan could not take it anymore, ''''Mu Shen, stop acting like a holy goddess. It''s not like the world has not seen your body,'''' Almost all his movies had those shy scenes where he would be half-naked.


    ''''He has a point,'''' Shi Luo unabashedly backed him up.


    Being someone who did not like to waste time, Li Shuang grabbed his wrist and stepped closer to him before leaning closer to him.


    Mu Shen froze, ''''Y-Y-You..'''' His eyes were as wide as saucers as he watched her unbutton the buttons of his shirt with her pearly teeth like an expert, her lips would asionally graze past his skin.


    Her face was serious as if she was doing an important task handed to her. Mu Shen, on the other hand, felt like ants were crawling on his body


    Perhaps, she had some inconvenience while unbuttoning the lower buttons that she ced her hands on his hips and was about to crouch down but Mu Shen caught her shoulders as he stepped back from her, ''''H-he did not say that you have to unbutton the whole,'''' He sounded like his throat has been parched since a long time, ''''Three buttons counts...''''


    Li Shuang nced at Jun Boyan, ''''Is it?"


    Thetter nodded, enjoying Mu Shen''s reaction.


    Mu Shen wiped the thinyer of sweat on his forehead, ''''I will be back... I have to make a call,'''' He said in quite a professional manner. As a servant was stepping inside the library with a food trolley filled with snacks, he grabbed the bottle of water and rushed out.


    Mu Shen''s acting skills were top-notch to the point that let alone the otherdies, even Mia believed that he went to make a phone call.


    But men being men understood the real cause.


    Mia suddenly nced at Han Jian Yu, ''''How much?"


    ''''What?"


    ''''How much do you charge for a smile?" She frowned, ''''More I look at you, more you look like a stern elder. Come on, give me a smile...''''


    That caught Yu Mei''s attention and she nced at them curiously, waiting for her brother''s reaction.


    Much to her shock, her brother shed a small smile at Mia.


    What the-


    There was something wrong with this world!


    These people are bing more and more unpredictable!!!


    ''''Next is...'''' Shi Luo paused after spinning the bottle, ''''It''s Mia,'''' She announced.


    Mia straightened up, excitement bubbling in her eyes, ''''I chose....''''

 Chapter 338 - What Went Wrong?

    ''''Dare,'''' Mia said.


    At this moment, Mu Shen also came back before getting back to his seat after exchanging a meaningful gaze with Jun Zixuan.


    ''''I will give you one,'''' Shi Luo winked at Yu Mei meaningfully before turning to look at Mia, ''''Take an intimate selfie with Brother.''''


    Unlike what she expected, Mia looked rather cool about it, ''''That easy?"


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched. Because of his identity, her brother never let anyone click pictures with him.


    Even Shi Luo was speechless. No woman will be able to take a picture with him. How was that easy?


    Mia grabbed her phone which was ced beside her. She flipped her ponytail towards the back and swiftly shifted to Han Jian Yu''sp.


    Han Jian Yu stiffened.


    Mia hooked her arm around his neck and her fingers raked inside his hair as she tugged his face towards hers while positioning the camera.


    Han Jian Yu looked into her eyes and Mia leaned closer to him. Her every move was graceful yet undeniably sexy that would make a man go weak in knees.


    And Han Jian Yu who was theb rat of this experiment was no exception.


    He only slept with women when he wanted to but he was immune to all this. To women''s attempts of seducing him. If he was that easy to be seduced, he would not have been able to run a country till now. But at this moment. he could hear his heart beating in his ears.


    ''Click''


    The sound of the picture getting clicked snapped everyone out of their reverie.


    The atmosphere was weirdly eerie and Mia shed the picture at Shi Luo, "Will this much intimate do? Or more intimate?" She tilted her head to the side as she spoke.


    "W-Will do," Damn, that picture looked so erotically perfect with these two godly creatures in the frame. But Shi Luo was curious how intimate is more intimate in Mia''s dictionary. No wonder she said this was easy for her.


    "Okay," Mia was of course happy to havepleted her dare even though she felt like it could have been more fun if it was a bit challenging. She sighed before looking at Han Jian Yu, "Thanks for the cooperation," She poked his cheek before getting off hisp while letting out another regretful sigh in her heart.


    This man was undeniably more gorgeous up so close. For a split second, she really wanted to take a little advantage of me.


    Yu Mei who had just popped popcorn in her mouth choked on it when she saw Mia poking her brother''s cheek. Jun Zixuan patted her back understanding where she wasing from.


    Han Jian Yu picked the water bottle beside him before gulping half of it in one go.


    Mu Shen felt rather grievous at this point, "Since you three are left, we will go at you one by one," He nced at Shi Luo, Yu Mei, and Jun Zixuan.


    He had to go thrice, why are they so lucky?


    Jun Zixuanzily raised an eyebrow at him, "Twisting the rules?"


    "Why? Are you afraid?" Mu Shen asked.


    Jun Zixuan shrugged casually. What was there to be afraid of?


    Mu Shen smirked, "Truth or dare?" He nced at Shi Luo.


    "Truth," She said, well aware of Mu Shen''s motives.


    Li Shuang tilted her head to the side, "What kind of men do you like, Luoluo?"


    Mu Shen gave her a thumbs up. After the scene with Jun Boyan, he too wanted to know.


    Shi Luo paused, "Dominant+obedient. My type," she said with a straight face, even though a blush crept up her neck.


    Jun Boyan tilted his head to the side, one could not say what he was thinking.


    Mu Shen eyed Shi Luo meaningfully before turning to look at Yu Mei.


    At this time, Han Jian Yu''s phone beeped and he checked the text he received. His eyes darkened.


    "Truth,'''' Yu Mei said.


    "Have you been doing things that you should not do?" Han Jian Yu asked, his words were vague.


    Yu Mei stiffened. Was he talking about the matter of investigating the Han Family? That was the first thought that came to her mind.


    The rest of the people in the room were confused but they did not say anything realizing that it might have been something between them.


    A sharp glint shed across Jun Zixuan''s eyes as he shifted from hiszy posture, before leaning towards her, his stance was protective.


    Brotger or Father, he would not let anyone mess with her.


    ''''I am doing what I think is right...''''


    ''''You think that is the right thing to do?" Han Jian Yu pushed himself to his feet, giving off a strong aura.


    Mia frowned. He was alright a moment ago. What went wrong all of a sudden? Sigh~ Humans and their mood swings. Even she did not have such terrible mood swings.


    Mia eyed Jun Zixuan meaningfully before standing up, ''''I think we should conclude the game here,'''' What a pity! She was enjoying it. Han Jian Yu is such a killjoy.


    Shi Luo could tell something was amiss from Han Jian Yu''s words. She eyed Jun Boyan meaningfully and both of them left the library.


    Mu Shen and Li Shuang also noticed the intensity of matter so they also followed after them.


    Under Han Jian Yu''s cold gaze, Yu Mei shook her head, ''''You don''t want to keep me in dark forever, do you?"


    ''''So, you went ahead to investigate them without thinking twice? Is it necessary for you to be involved in this? Can''t you leave this matter in my hands?" Despite Mia''s presence near him, he did not hide anything. It was a kind of trust that came from the heart even though he had not known her for more than a few days, ''''I don''t want you to be involved with the Han Family."


    ''''You have regained your memories and you have changed,'''' Yu Mei coldly said, unafraid of him, ''''Did you think I am blind? Even though the change is small, I have noticed it since the first day. You are so distant...'''' The more she spoke, the more it pricked her heart and tears welled up in her eyes. She kept ignoring all of this, convincing herself that it was her illusion.


    Jun Zixuan wrapped an arm around her waist without speaking anything.


    Yu Mei blinked, ''''You have changed...'''' She mumbled before averting her gaze. ''''No matter how much I try to act normal as before, I can sense it and I don''t know what went wrong.''''


    Han Jian Yu''s fingers curled into a fist, his knuckles turned pale as he nced at her emotionally, ''''No matter what, you will always be my sister,'''' He turned to look at Mia who was looking at him with aplicated gaze, ''''Let''s go.''''


    Mia nced at Yu Mei with a reassuring gaze before she followed him.


    ''''What did he mean by that?" Yu Mei tilted her head to look at Jun Zixuan who seemed to be in contemtion.

 Chapter 339 - Pitiful Old Man

    Jun Zixuan quietly nced at Yu Mei without responding to her question.


    When she could not process her brother''s thought process, how would he? She thought. "I want some space. Can you leave me alone here for some time?" She asked without looking at him.


    Hearing the sounds of retreating footsteps, Yu Mei tilted her head to the side and nced at his retreating back from the corner of her eyes.


    Stepping towards book shelves, she stopped infront of the long tables. She took a seat on the chair before cing her head on the table as she nced at the wall.


    When she came across Han Jian Yu for the first time after waking up in this body, she did not feel anything was amiss. But as time passed by, she started to notice a few things. Like he won''t tell her what''s going on and keep everything to himself unlike before when they discussed most of the things with each other.


    There were many such instances that she could feel but she could not exin them in words.


    When she was in Amaranthine, he did not contact her for a long time.


    She tamped down all these feelings in her heart because first, she thought she was overthinking, and second, she was afraid that her instincts were on point.


    At times, his behavior made her feel like an abandoned puppy.


    She sniffed.


    She paused as her gazended on the huge white ceramic cup in front of her eyes. She nced at the long slender fingers wrapped around it and tilted her head, ''''I thought I asked for space?" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm.


    ''''There was a time when I asked for some space...'''' He leaned back on the table and tilted his head down to look at her, ''''But someone told me that she won''t give me that. She said ''I will cling to you until you are frustrated and even after we be ghosts, I will keep clinging''....''''


    Those words sounded familiar. She kicked his feet, ''''Don''t take a dig at me in my vulnerable state.''''


    ''''Vulnerable?" He nced at the foot that just kicked him before rolling his eyes. ''''Take the hot chocte,'''' he patted her head.


    ''''I am not a dog.''''


    He chuckled before passing the white mug to her, ''''Drink it. And as for the rest of the things... It is better that he knows. We don''t have to y hide and seek anymore.''''


    She paused for a moment before taking it from his hand quietly.


    ...


    Han Jian Yu opened the car door and Mia alighted the car quietly. The ride to this ce was eerily quiet with neither of them speaking much with each other the whole way.


    As he turned around to leave, Mia grabbed his hand, ''''Come with me.''''


    Han Jian Yu nced at her questioningly but followed after her, ''''Aren''t you getting your beauty sleep today?" He asked.


    Mia sighed regretfully as they walked towards the seashore, ''''I wanted to but then I decided to apany a certain pitiful old man.''''


    The corner of his lips twitched. The previous thoughts in his minds somewhat dispersed as he tugged at her hand before twirling her around such she was facing him, ''''I am not that old,'''' Not to mention fact never in his has he been associated with the term pitiful, ''''Just three years older than you,'''' He added.


    She raised an eyebrow, ''''What has your age got to do with mine? You look like the world owes you something. That''s why Her Highness said that you are an old man.''''


    He nced at her quietly, ''''There was a question left. Truth. The one you did not ask me there and saved forter.''''


    Mia nodded, ''''I wanted to know about your childhood...''''


    He seemed to have been reminded of something as he remained silent. Was he still thinking about what happened?


    She could guess the direction of his thoughts so she opened her mouth to speak, ''''Zixuan treasures your sister a lot...'''' She paused for a moment before continuing, ''''But no matter what she going through, he will always throw a taunt at her rather than wiping her tears...''''


    ''''That bast-''''


    Mia pressed her index finger on his lips, ''''Let me finish first. Don''t curse him. He does that because he knows that she can stand up for herself, better and stronger even if he is there to back her up all the time. He won''t treat her as someone weak neither will he ever keep her in dark...''''


    He did not say anything as she turned around and continued walking, while still holding his hand like he was a wobbling toddler who might get lost if she let go of it.


    ''''It''s not just Mei, I am like that too. We don''t really need a man to tie us up, restrict us in any way, keep us in the dark, and think of us as helpless. We can make our own decisions and you just need to be there with us. That works,'''' She paused, ''''Be it a father, brother, husband or whatever, we don''t need to be controlled.''''


    She made countless mistakes but her father never restricted her freedom. He let her go, let her fall, let her get wounded. When she was back, he might treat her injuries or heal her emotions, but he will never restrict her.


    ''''Mei is a rebel. The more you control her about something, the more she will be adamant on doing that.''''


    Knowing that she was aware of his sister''s rebirth, Han Jian Yu did not hold back for some reason as he said, ''''I only want her to stay from that family. Is it too much to ask?" His voice was barely above a whisper.


    Mia paused. She had overheard their conversation when he asked Yu Mei whether she was aware of her rebirth or not.. Since he knew, she also did not hold back, ''''For someone who died once, you want her to close her eyes in front of the people who killed her? Why? So that she would die again without knowing the cause of her death?" She asked rather casually.

 Chapter 340 - Little Jian Yu

    Han Jian Yu went silent at her words, ''''It is not what you are thinking. I am not doing this because I think she won''t be able to handle it. I only don''t want her to know...'''' He paused.


    Mia''s gaze shed and she lowered her head, ''''Drop these thoughts for now,'''' She patted his shoulder before letting go of his hand.


    And he immediately felt the emptiness. He nced at his palm before looking at her face.


    Her solemn expression had long disappeared and she was back to her happy and yful self.


    ''''Since you chose truth back in the game, won''t you tell me about your childhood?"


    Han Jian Yu paused. A distant memory yed in his mind.


    ...


    ''''Stretch your hands out,'''' A middle-aged man snarled as he looked at the boy in front of him.


    The 9-year old Han Jian Yu tilted his head. He hesitated, ''''Father, I...''''


    ''''Hands,'''' The man sternly said, the scar beneath his right eye looked especially vicious in the glow of the fire crackling in the firece.


    Han Jian Yu hesitated for a moment before he stretched both his hands.


    ''Pak''


    ''Pak''


    ''Pak''


    The man took out the rod out from the fire. Its edge had turned red from the heat and he relentlessly mmed it on his palms.


    ''''Ah... '''' Tears rolled down the boy''s eyes as his skin shed, burning with every hit but the more he cried, the more the man kept beating him.


    It started with the palm but soon, his rod startednding on his back.


    ''Bam''


    Han Jian Yu fell on his knees, his body soaked in sweat while his wrist cracked, a chunk of flesh visible through it. But all the while, he did not beg for mercy as he knew that if he begged, then the whole night would pass just like that, with him being beaten that ruthlessly.


    Only then did the man stopped.


    ''''Who is she?"


    Han Jian Yu did not say anything, his pale lips trembled.


    ''''Who is she?" The man raised his rod again.


    ''''Young Miss,'''' An emotionless whisper left Han Jian Yu''s mouth as the young boy tilted his head down.


    ''''Good. Don''t forget your limits and don''t cross your boundaries again. Even if she willful, be sure to draw a line,'''' The man coldly said as he threw the rod away and leaned closer to the boy before pinching his jaws and forcefully raising his head, ''''We are servants. And you can not forget this like you did today. You won''t buy her choctes or toys, neither would you call her by her name. You are assigned to protect her, not to y with her. Han Jian Yu, don''t cross the line or I won''t go easy on you like today.''''


    Han Jian Yu felt like his chin was about to be crushed, ''''I understand,'''' He said expressionlessly.


    The man stood up from the chair before letting go of his chin, ''''Good,'''' His lips curled in satisfaction, ''''Keep that face when you interact with Young Miss,'''' He coldly said before he turned around and left.


    Han Jian Yu slumped on the floor for a few seconds, his breaths becamebored. Holding the leg of the chair, he stood up but his wrist was numb from pain. He ced his elbows on the chair and pushed himself up with gritted teeth, ''''Ugh...'''' A painful groan escaped his mouth.


    He sat on the chair and tried to remove his white shirt which was soaked in blood. ''''Ahh...'''' His dried lips parted as the shirt was stuck to the dried blood on his back.


    ''''Bwother~" <i>Brother.</i>


    Han Jian Yu''s head snapped in the direction of the door, ''''Princess?" He pushed himself to his feet, forgetting all his pain for the moment as he nced at the toddler whose lips were trembling as she looked at him.


    He ran towards the door and closed it, ''''You should not be here,'''' He coldly said.


    ''''Bwother~ Bohooo~" The 3-year-old girl cried before running to his bed, her pigtails shook behind her head.


    Han Jian Yu smiled helplessly, ''''Little pig, you really should not be here,'''' He walked towards her, trying to appear like his usual strong self but he was still limping.


    And that gave him away in front of the little girl, ''''I am sorry,'''' She said in her childish voice as she walked towards the bedside table, ''''I won''t be strawbon again...'''' She sobbed.


    Han Jian Yuughed but his cheeks hurt, ''''You mean stubborn, little one?'''' He asked as he raised his hand to wipe her tears only to retract it when he noticed the blood on it.


    She nodded, wiping the tears from her chubby cheeks. Her starry eyes sparkled as she forcefully pulled the drawer of the bedside table and took out the first aid box in it before walking to the bed.


    ''''Sit,'''' She pointed her palm towards the bed domineeringly.


    Han Jian Yu stifled hisughter. Her head reached just above his knees but look at that tone. It made her look adorable instead. But he sat on the bed obediently.


    The girl sloppily took off his shirt, her fingers trembled at the sight of blood.


    ''''Are you afraid of it..?" He asked.


    She shook her head and climbed on the bed before cing the first-aid box aside as she removed his shirt.


    Han Jian Yu gritted his teeth, making sure that not even a single voice escaped his throat.


    When he did not sense any movements from her, he turned around only to notice that herrge doe eyes were filled with tears again.


    ''''Shh.. Don''t cry,'''' He whispered but did not raise his hand to stroke her little face for his hands were bloodied, ''''They just look scary but they don''t hurt at all...''''


    The girl sobbed, ''''Bwother is a l-liar... A big fat liar,'''' She sobbed harder and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.


    ''''Brother is not fat at all,'''' Han Jian Yu sighed helplessly as he looked at the first aid box, ''''Come, little Mei, didn''t you want to treat brother''s injuries?"


    Little Mei nodded her head and sloppily did what she knew and what she had learned from the television and elders.


    Han Jian Yu pursed his lips, trying to hold back his wince as she treated his wound with trembling finger as if she was joining a delicate vase.


    <i>*shback ends*</i>

 Chapter 341 - Hug(unedited)

    The question was asked but there was no response from Han Jian Yu.


    ''''It was pretty good,'''' He said after a long time, without mentioning anything more.


    Mia walked towards him looking into his eyes deeply.


    For a split second, Han Jian Yu felt like there was something more to her gaze that he could notprehend. He has always been good at judging people, their thought processes from their faces. Being in politics had honed that skill of his but thisdy in front of him was... unreadable.


    And unpredictable.


    He added in his heart when Mia hugged him. One of her hands had settled on his muscr waist while the other went to wrap itself around his neck. ''''That''s great,'''' She whispered.


    ''Thump''


    He heard it loud and clear as his heart skipped a beat. And he wonder if she heard it too.


    He slowly raised his hand and moved it towards her back but she pulled back from him at this moment.


    ''''I-It''ste. I should leave,'''' Mia cleared her throat, turned around, and walked away.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her retreating back and his eyes slowly darkened.


    That night, Han Jian Yuid in his bed, facing the ceiling as he nced at the stars through the ceilings, something he never had the leisure or interest to do. Something intense swirled inside his usually nonchnt dark eyes.


    In the other house, Mia alsoid on the bed as she faced the ceiling. The stars looked especially beautiful today. The moon looked gorgeous. Han Jian Yu smelled so nice...


    She covered her eyes with the back of her palm.


    Even though she gave her word to Yu Mei that she would never do it, but still when Han Jian Yu looked so lost, she gave in to her heart and peeked into his thoughts. She had asked him about his childhood because before she contracted Mei, she had no idea of what he was like.


    Not that she was not aware of his existence but she had never paid attention to him. As a fox spirit who was trapped in the Han Family house, she had not been interested in anything.


    But when he casually said that his childhood was good, she could not restrain herself from hugging him.


    She hurriedly shook her head, ''''He just has to have the looks that melt me all the time,'''' Mia pushed herself out of the bed as she walked out of the room.


    She descended the stairs and walked towards the dining table before picking up the ss of water, wanting to divert her attention.


    Lately, she has not been using her powers as she tried to live like a human. And she found it interesting. She also found her neighbor interesting.


    Damn! Here it goes again. Mia was one step away from pping herself. This man was such a curse. He was living rent-free in her headtely.


    Taking a few gulps of water, she ced the ss aside and took a seat, and ced her legs on the dining table.


    Hearing some sounds from the other side, she tilted her head. And her eyes met with a pair of deep-set of eyes.


    Han Jian Yu was sitting there on his couch, looking at her quietly.


    She wondered if she should say ''Hello, what''s up?'' or ''You should go to bed. It is not good for your health to not sleep till now'' or ''Why are you awake?''


    All three phrases sounded weird inside her heart. The first one was very stiff.


    And the rest... Other than her father, she had never said such caring words to any male.


    ''Knock Knock''


    Mia snapped out of her daze hearing the sound of the constant knocks on the door.


    Her gaze instinctively went towards the ss partition and the couch was empty.


    She walked towards the entrance and opened the door, ''''You aren''t sleeping yet?" She asked him.


    ''''I am standing here in front of your door. So, you tell me, am I sleeping?" He asked her.


    ''''No...'''' Mia whispered, ''''Do you want toe in?"


    He raised an eyebrow but did not say anything when she stepped aside to let him in. He stepped inside before walking towards the dining table, ''''Why are you not sleeping yet?'' He asked, his tone was low and she caught his words before they dispersed in the air.


    ''''I had a few things on my mind,'''' She replied.


    ''''Oh,'''' He nodded.


    Then, the room went silent again. there was a stiffness between them that did not exist before and one could sense the tension inside the room.


    ''''Can I drink this?" He pointed his chin towards the water.


    She nodded, ''Sure.''''


    He picked up the ss before gulping down the entire content in three big gulps. His Adam''s Apple bobbed up and down slowly, while his skin seemed to be a little pale under the glow of the moonlight.


    A thin trail of water oozed from the corner of his mouth as it moved towards his chin. She could see his tanned, muscr chest through the ck satin robe that he had donned.


    Mia realized that he drank from the same ss as her. Back in ancient times, this was considered very intimate and was only done between husband and wife. In the current times, this is also considered as an indirect kiss between a couple.


    ''These facts are all exaggerated,'' She thought to herself.


    ''''It''s quitete. You should go to sleep,'''' She said when he ced the ss on the table.


    Han Jian Yu looked into her hazel eyes with a deep gaze. He stepped towards her and she took a step back from him.


    He took another few steps towards her and she kept retreating.


    Mia averted her gaze.


    ''''Alright,'''' He said as he took a step back from her and walked towards the door.


    She followed after him, ''''Mm,'''' was all she could utter.


    As he walked out of the door, she nodded at him, ''''Good Night,'''' she said.


    ''''Good Night,'''' He nced at her.


    Mia moved her hand to the doorknob to close the door and just as the gap between the wall and the door was almost closed, a hand pressed on the gap preventing the door from moving further.

 Chapter 342 - Say It

    (Mature Content ahead. Skip if ufortable!)


    Just as the door was about to close, Han Jian Yu grabbed it. His hand was almost trapped in between the door and the wall but he did not seem to care.


    Mia''s hand slipped from the doorknob and she took a step back.


    He pushed open the door and stepped inside. his gaze remained fixated on her as he locked it behind him.


    ''''What...?"


    He held her wrist and pulled her closer such that her body crushed into his, ''''Shhh...'''' He ced a finger on her plump lips, promptly shutting her up, ''''Let''s stop beating around the bush.''''


    For a moment, she was in a daze as she nced at his solemn face. His jaws remained taut and his usually emotionless eyes seemed to be glimmering with various emotions.


    ''''I am into you. You know that right?"


    She lowered her eyes.


    His index finger which was resting on her lips shifted below her chin and he lifted it up, causing her to look back into his eyes once again, ''''You know it, right?"


    She did not respond to him.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''Not only that...'''' He leaned closer to her and whispered beside her ear, ''''...You are into me as well.''''


    Her fingers that were resting on her sides fisted her nightdress tightly.


    The small distance between them diminished as he ced his face against hers. His jaws grazed past her cheeks. His fingers intertwined with hers.... ''''So...''''


    Mia got her hand quickly out of his grip even before he couldprehend how she did it.


    She turned around such that he could not see her face.


    She was strong. He knew that which is why he was not surprised.


    He tilted his head to the side and leaned against the wall, ''''Is this your way of saying that I am overthinking things between us?" As she did not respond to him, he nodded, ''''If that''s what you mean, say it. Say that when you get closer to me, you never try to remain like that position for a longer time. I will disappear from your sight and you won''t see me again if you say,'''' His tone was low and casual but one could see the solemn look in his eyes.


    As she did not move from her spot, he nced at her back and straightened up before he stepped towards the door but before his hand could reach the doorknob, his hand was grabbed by a delicate palm, ''''I am indeed quite attracted to you...'''' Her voice was neither hesitant nor shy. He turned to look at her and she stepped towards him before grabbing his cor, ''''Very much,'''' She stood on her tiptoes and grazed her lips near his.


    When he stood rooted to his spot in an unresponsive manner, she chuckled against his lips, ''''Kiss me, will you?"


    ''''Are you sure?" He whispered.


    ''''How do you want me to show my sincerity?"


    ''''Take the initiative,'''' He wrapped an arm around her waist while his other hand moved to her head as his fingers raked inside her silver hair.


    ''''As you wish,'''' She stepped on his feet and kissed the corner of her lips before shifting towards the center, it started slow and a little sloppy.


    Something throbbed in his lower body.


    His eyes darkened. She just had to touch her lips on his and he was hard. The fuck he was doing in the past 29 years of his existence.


    ''''Are you a bad kisser, sweetheart?" He whispered.


    ''''Not as experienced as you,'''' Mia sounded a bit awkward. She would die than to admit the truth.


    ''''Let me take the initiative. You follow the lead,'''' As he said that, she tilted her head to look at him. her hazel eyes were covered in ayer of sheen and his grip on her hair tightened, firm enough to angle her head but not enough to hurt her.


    His jaws clenched. He lowered his head and ced his lips on hers while his arm on her waist tightened.


    Mia felt a coldness sipping in her mouth as his thin lips moved, he sucked her bottom lips and a soft gasp escaped her mouth when his fingers dug in her waist. Her body arched and her hands moved to wrap themselves around his neck.


    As her lips parted, his tongue delved inside her mouth and he kissed her slowly at first, but the pace of his lips seemed to be increasing with each passing second.


    Heat thawed her chest. And it did not take long for her lips to move against his, with the equal intensity.


    His mouth and the way his hand was sliding down her thin nightdress, his fingers were grabbing her hair, locking her head in ce, it was good. And it was too much for her. But she did not want him to stop, not here, not anywhere.


    Perhaps he could read her mind as he kissed her harder and she closed her eyes he took her bottom lips between his teeth pulling it into into his mouth.


    She gasped, catching her breath for a moment and he was at it again, dominating her mouth with the faint scent tobo which was coupled with his cologne.


    Her fingers dug into the back of his neck and he grabbed her bottom, hoisting her up in the air as he stepped away from the wall.


    Her legs instinctively wrapped around his muscr waist and their lips parted. Their breaths intermingled and without giving her a chance to react, he kissed her chin, his lips trailed down to her neck.


    His teeth nipped at her supple skin and her body arched, her legs tightly coiled around his body and she could feel the heating from his torso.


    Mia ced her chin on his shoulder as she panted, he sucked the spot he just bit and a soft moan escaped her mouth.


    A coldness seeped in her body as he ced her on the ss dining table, his palm rested on her thighs slowly moving inwards, snapping her back to her senses, ''''Wait... Stop...'''' She whispered.


    And he kissed her neck softly before taking a step back from her, ''''Yes?" His voice was deep yet low.


    And she could see that lust in his eyes which reflected in her eyes as well.


    His hand rested on her waist while he grabbed her knee and parted her legs beforeing to stand between them standing between them.

 Chapter 343 - Take Me(Unedited)

    (Mature content ahead. 18+)


    "I don''t do love," Mia made a cross sign with her hand as he stood between her legs.


    "Neither do I," He said.


    "I don''t do rtionships," She wrapped her legs around his muscr waist and tilted her head to the side.


    "Me too."


    "I don''t like the concept ofmitments," Her long hair fell in front of her shoulders as she leaned forward and coiled her arms around his neck.


    Han Jian Yu had his one hand wrapped around her waist as he raised his hand to her face. His fingers paused for a moment before he tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, "I have never beenmitted to anyone either."


    She thought about something and her eyes lit up, "That''s good," A charming smile made its way to her face making him look like the vixen that she was, "I know you want me," She whispered.


    His gaze darkened as he ced his mouth on the crook of her neck, sucking her smooth skin.


    A soft gasp escaped her mouth as she hugged him tighter feeling the ridges of his chest against her breasts, "..And truth to be told, I have long wanted to sleep with you," She blew in his ear and he pulled back from her, the tips of his ears were slightly red.


    "Yes?" He asked.


    "Yes," She shed him a seductive smile that would make any mane on his knees.


    He grabbed the back of her neck and pressed a searing kiss on her mouth before tilting his head back.


    Grabbing the hem of her nightdress, he raised it and ced his hand on her thigh and her body arched slightly.


    She bit her bottom lips as his palm grazed inside her inner thighs.


    Her heart picked its pace and Mia closed her eyes, a heat spread through her entire body as she felt her lower body clenching.


    His other hand shifted from her waist to her knee as he parted it, loosening the grip of her legs around his waist.


    His palm cupped her most forbidden region and a moan spilled from her clenched teeth.


    As he felt her juices soaking his fingers through her panties, the corner of his lips curved up in a devious arc, "You have long been wet for me, haven''t you?"


    "Oh, shut the fuck up," She grabbed his robe and pulled him closer to her before iming his lips. Her hair slid forward hiding the redness creeping up her neck.


    He sucked her lips roughly before pulling back from her. He raked his fingers through her hair andid her on the dining table, her long silver syed around her head and her lips parted slightly.


    Before she could say anything, he ripped off her panties and she pressed her legs together, identally trapping his palm in between her thighs.


    "You are beautiful," He whispered and her upper body arched as he raised her dress, gathering it near her waist.


    His thumb drew circles on her nub and Mia grabbed the side of the ss table as weird heat started spreading inside her.


    One of his fingers went up and down on her wetness while his thumb flicked with her nub.


    "Ah..."?A seductive moan escaped her mouth and his membered stirred again.


    He gritted his teeth. What a temptation she was!


    "May I?" He lowered his head to her level.


    And she knew there was no going back when she nodded. Neither did she want one.


    "Ahh..." She trembled when his tongue licked her down there, moving up and down. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest.


    There was a little secret that nobody knew about her and at this moment, her body was almost revealing it, reacting to him like crazy.


    Hid tongue moved over her eager sex and she fisted his hair. While his tongue did his work on her, he did not take his eyes off her face.


    Mia could feel herself writhing and aching as his tongue ravaged her deepest parts. Her chest heaved up and down as she felt like her body was about to explode.


    "Ah... Yes... Uhh..." A dissatisfied grunt escaped her mouth when he pulled back from her raking his finger through his messy hair. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her closer before carrying her in his arms, "Let''s go to your room," She buried her face in his chest, wiggling her bottom against his body such that she was rubbing against him.


    "I can''t wait," She bit her lips until ring marks could be seen on his tanned skin.


    He grabbed that naughty bottom that was grinding against his member and gave it a hard squeeze, "You can have me all you want," He whispered and a delicious shiver ran in her body at the thought of what was about to happen.


    "To the left," As she told him the direction of the bedroom, she nibbled his earlobe.


    His self-restrained was on the verge of snapping. He wanted to push her against the wall and fuck her until she would be at his mercy, somewhere between begging him to continue or stop.


    As soon as he stepped inside the room, he threw her to the bed and she bounced on it, her legs pressed together and she extended her foot towards his body, untying the belt of his robe with her toes.


    He removed his robe and his huge length sprang up, "Is this what you wanted to see?" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, taking in her infatuated gaze in his eyes.


    Mia gulped. With clothes, he was the rare holy water. Without clothes, he was hellfire.


    And she was absolutely mesmerized. She raised her hand and ran her fingers on his muscles, taking it down to his thighs. Just as her curious fingers moved towards his thickness, he grabbed her hand.


    From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a ss of wine on the bedside table, "Have you been drinking it?"


    "Yes," The corner of her lips tugged as she unbuttoned the first button of her nightdress, revealing her deep cleavage, "What a pity that the one who intoxicated me was not it but you!"

 Chapter 344 - Liuyue

    Han Jian Yu''s lips curled up at her words and his length hardened further, standing at its full glory as his gaze shifted to her cleavage while she unbuttoned the rest of three buttons of her thin nightdress revealing her ck bralette.


    He grabbed the ss of wine from the bedside table before taking a small sip from it as he licked the corner of his lips, "Indeed sweet," All the while, his eyes remained fixated on her and he noticed how her legs pressed together.


    "Remove that," He pointed his chin towards her dress.


    And she raised an eyebrow. There was a small shift in her expressions before she brought her hair to one side, exposing her long neck to his view.


    But he did not move from his spot despite the hunger in his eyes. He waited patiently as she knelt on the bed, grabbed the hem of her dress, and shifted her bottom before getting that piece of cloth off her body leaving only the bralette on herself.


    He pinched her chin and tilted her face upwards before capturing her lips once again as he kissed her roughly and when she moved along with his face while leaning forward, a suppressed deep groan sounded at the back of her throat.


    Mia knelt a bit higher as her neck arched while he kissed her and she grabbed his hardened length boldly.


    "You are killing me," He whispered against her lips before shoving his tongue inside her mouth.


    Mia closed her eyes as she rubbed the tip of his hardness against her stomach, feeling it throbbing in her hand.


    At least, she was not the only one in a loss. She was not the only one who lost control. She convinced herself.


    He was equally aroused and even more than it. So, she who was obsessed with winning everything was not losing here.


    He thrust himself inside her curled fingers as he bit her lips before pulling back. His lips trailed down to her chin and he sucked it hard before taking his length out of the grip of her delicate fingers, afraid that he wille right there in a second if he let her touch him.


    It would be a disgrace for it has never happened before that he was losing control over himself just at a mere touch of her, just a stroke of her was driving him crazy.


    He pushed her onto the bed and she fell on the silken ck sheets, her silver hair syed around her head as he legs pressed together tightly, trying to soothe the itch down there.


    He grabbed one of her ankles with one hand and parted it, before getting in between her legs.


    His expert of a hand moved to her bralette as he unhooked it from the front before throwing it away.


    Her upper body arched up as his finger glided up her navel before moving between her breasts, his dark eyes ravaged the sight of her voluptuous mounds and her delicate curves.


    He raised his other hand which was holding the ss of wine, "Cheers," He whispered.


    And a hint of confusion appeared in her limpid eyes as she raised one of her ankles, pressing the heel of her foot on his back, digging it into his skin, "There are barely two sips in it. Do you want me to get another ss?" She asked.


    "You have had your share. Let me have mine now," He whispered, like a sinful promise that he was making.


    And despite not knowing what he wanted to do, she felt a shiver in her body as her toes curled up. Her instincts told her that it would be something that she will like and the anticipation was at its peak.


    Her heart kept beating heard, fluctuating like that organ would crush into pieces today.


    He lowered the ss, tilting it downwards as he trailed the wine on her breasts down to her stomach and she felt like it was him touching her.


    The wine trailed down to her navel where he poured it in the dip of it and she clutched the sheets in her hand when he lowered his head, sipping the wine from her milky-white skin, licking it from her navel as he sucked on it.


    His lips sucked on her skin as he moved upwards, his mouth hovered above her breasts and she felt her nipples hardening just by his scorching gaze and the inmed touch of his tongue dominated her body as he caught her nipple between his teeth before taking her breast inside his mouth as much as it could go in.


    He threw the wine ss in his hand whichnded in the corner of the room, smashing into pieces, but the sound of it seemed to be drowning in their gasps.


    He cupped her breast with his other hand and she fisted his hair, perking her breast higher inside his mouth.


    He bit her nipples hard and she moaned.


    Her legs wrapped around his muscr waist and she felt his length against her wetness.


    He rubbed it against hers while kneading her breast as he kissed her neck, "Do you like it?" He whispered and her neck was fanned by his hot breath.


    "...Yes," came her whisper intermingled with herbored breath.


    As the pressure of his palm on her breast decreased, she ced her hand above it and curled her fingers above his. "So, Miss Mia prefers it rough and hard?" He whispered beside her ear, taking her earlobe between his teeth.


    She opened her hazy eyes and kissed his shoulder before she said, "Call me Liuyue."


    "I will settle on Yue," His hot breath blew in her ear but he did not question her on it, assuming that she too had two names like his sister, one Chinese and another English.


    She ran her fingers towards his neck as his palm cupped her breast harder this time causing a gasp to spill from her lips, her heels dug into his back.


    Han Jian Yu shifted.

 Chapter 345 - It’s All Quite Fucked Up!

    She tilted her head and stretched her neck.


    And he made an admiring noise which sounded like a feral growl, "Fuck," His teeth nipped the skin of her neck, "You are so fucking beautiful," He groaned.


    "Please," She said a word that she would never utter from her mouth. She was indeed attracted to him, for a very long time, and lying with him on the bed, tangled up like this, her desires clouded all her rationality and she almost begged, "Please, I want you."


    He sucked her neck and kissed it deeply before extending his hand towards the edge of the bed and as he pressed a button on the corner, the headboard of the bed lowered revealing the floor to ceiling mirrored wall behind as a whole which reflected their image.


    "See there..."


    And she followed his gaze. A soft gasp escaped her mouth at the scandalous sight of them but it turned her on even more and she felt the tip of his rod stroking her throbbing entrance, "Ah..." She moaned and clutched his shoulders, feeling a knot in her lower abdomen.


    "So responsive, sweetheart," He bit her nipples, "Shall I make youe like this?"


    She was in a breathless mess, "Please... I want you," She mewled. She was really desperate for him.


    "What a vixen," He captured her lips in a deep kiss as he hovered above her and suddenly, in full force, he mmed inside her.


    "Arhh..." Her voice was painful and he stiffened, realizing something.


    "You..." Their lips parted as he watched her scrunched face, her teary eyes. He did not expect this. He thought...


    It took her a moment to recover from the pain. "Shut it," She grabbed the back of his neck and mmed her lips against his while moving her hips slowly.


    He recovered his senses, his rod stiffened at her clumsy yet bold moves and he gently moved his finger towards her sleek folds as he shifted his hardness slowly, watching the pain disappearing from her face.


    He kissed her jaw and moved inside and as she matched with his pace, he cursed inwardly. Damn her!


    Did she want to unman him? Did she even realize the effect she had on him?


    He flipped in the next moment and pulled her up to such that she was sitting on top of him, his length entirely buried inside her, "Move," Hemanded, curling his fingers on her jaw while his other palm cupped her breast.


    The corner of her lips tugged up and her eyes narrowed, "You don''t get to order me. You can beg instead," she whispered as she got on her knees and took his entire length out of her before plunging it inside again.


    Slow and torturous, her moves were driving him to the verge of insanity when she kept grinding against his length, her nails stroked his prominent V-line.


    He grabbed her hair firmly and pulled her closer to himself before nuzzling his face on her neck, "Fuck Mia," He uttered through gritted teeth as he grabbed her bottom.


    She told him her real name for she thought it would be better but it was not until this very moment did she realize how turned on she was when he called her like this, using this new name of hers.


    She throbbed against his length.


    He squeezed her bottom and thrust his entire length inside her, his hips moved faster as she moaned, wanting more. And she matched his pace. "Ahh..." Her pleasurable moans reverberated in the room.


    "Touch me..." He whispered dominantly and her hand raised on her own gliding across his prominent muscles.


    "Oh yes! You are magic," He kissed her lips thrusting harder inside her and her moans were buried inside his mouth.


    As she sunk in him deeper and deeper, her eyes rolled back and her neck arched as he ced a kiss on her jaw.


    And she exploded, clenching around his thickness as the pleasure reached its peak, "Jian Yu..." His name spilling from her mouth over and over again like a chant as she climaxed.


    He kissed her passionately and continued thrusting inside her and as he whispered her name beside her ear, she felt his length retreating her depth. He spilled his warmth near her entrance.


    He kissed her forehead.


    The next morning, at the first crack of dawn, Han Jian Yu opened his eyes just as the soft sun rays started dancing in the room.


    He stretched his hand towards the bedside table and grabbed the small remote before pressing a switch on it and the ss turned ck as curtains draped down.


    A few lights in the room were on, casting a warm glow inside the room and the air condition which was at the lowest temperature created a chilly atmosphere inside.


    He ced the remote aside and tilted his head to the side as he nced at the woman sleeping on his arm, her limbs were tightly coiled around his body.


    He raised his hand towards her face and slowly removed her long silver tresses that were falling on her cheeks as he tucked them beside her ear.


    He did not understand the concept of saving oneself for their special someone. Why would someone''s primal urges be restrained?


    He slept with women and after that, they went on different ways. They all were well aware of the rules yet some were quite clingy.


    But all in all, he did not remember how many women he had fucked in the past.


    But he remembered, it has never happened before that he would forget protection before getting on it. There was not a single woman whom he had tucked in his arms, who had given him the urge to look at her sleeping face, or the urge to arrange her messy hair.


    ''I don''t do rtionships. I don''t do love. I don''t domitments,'' Her words echoed loud and clear inside his mind as he nced at her face.


    He had responded with, ''Neither do I.''


    But why did it feel like it was all quite fucked up?


    He had this feeling since the moment since they first talked inside her house when she brought up the matter about hanging curtains.


    And with each passing second, this has been intensifying.


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes as he stroked her back gently.

 Chapter 346 - Favorite Black Dress

    At this time, Mia opened her eyes feeling a hand on her naked back as it moved up and down in gentle motions.


    Her eyshes fluttered as she nced at the man who had her in his arms while he looked at her so softly that she found it weird.


    She ced her palm on his eyes.


    "What''s wrong?" He asked and she slowly removed her hand from his eyes.


    His gaze was back to his usual aloof one and she sighed, "Earlier, you were looking at me like..." She thought about it, "How do I exin it?"


    "Like I am in love with you?" His tone was casual.


    Mia contemted over it before she nodded, "Almost in love."


    Heughed, "Are you that afraid that I will fall in love with you?"


    Her beautiful eyebrows scrunched up, "Her Highness is rather otherworldly. Didn''t you end up sleeping with me? Who knows if you will fall for me?" She tried to inch away from him.


    He pulled her closer to himself, "That''s impossible," He said.


    "Good."


    The corner of his lips twitched when she visibly sighed in relief, "What''s so bad about falling in love or beingmitted to anyone?" He asked.


    She thought he was being curious, "What''s good about it? Stick to a person for whole life? Who wears the same dress for 365 days?" She paused for a moment and spoke rather righteously, "Take it as if you are my beloved ck dress which I love the most but will I wear it for my whole life? Not at all."


    Clothes. His face darkened at theparison. He changed his women like clothes but who could have known there will be a day when he would bepared to a ck dress by the woman he slept with? Was it what they call Karma?


    "Moreover, falling in love is too hectic. Imagine one person dying while the other weeps. How tragic is that!" Her voice was a bit hoarse but that did not stop her from continuing. She ced her head properly on his arm and nced at the ceiling.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, "Everyone dies. That''s how it works. And you are only 26. Isn''t it useless for you to think about death and all?"


    She went quiet at his words. But after a few seconds, she turned around to look at him, "No matter what..." She propped her body on her elbows, her long hair fell all over his shoulder as she leaned closer to him before looking into her eyes, "Don''t romanticize me. Beautiful faces are not usually beautiful souls and things like feelings. I take them as trash and burden."


    He quietly looked into her hazel eyes.


    She continued, "We can be with each other like this. If you want anything else, then we will end it here. What do you say?"


    He paused and looked into her eyes as if he was trying to read her thoughts, "You are thinking too much. I of course don''t love you," Although he said that, the expression in his eyes was iprehensible, one would not know what he was thinking about.


    But Mia did not look too much into it as she thought he was just trying to know her thoughts.


    "You are just so-so. I won''t ogle at you, Miss Neighbor," Mia smiled, "Do you remember these lines?" Her finger drew circles on his chest as she looked at him seductively.


    Han Jian Yu acted like a person who was suffering from Amnesia, "What about it? Who said it?"


    She stroked his jawline and moved to the top of his body, "You said that. So, you might not have ogled at me. You ended up sleeping with me. Does your face hurts from the impact of p?"


    The corner of his lips twitched as the tips of his ears turned. He had said that on a whim. Who knew she would hold grudges?


    He was suddenly reminded about something, "When we were at Ren Mansion, I heard someone saying ''Her Highness has seen all kinds of bees and flowers'' but when we were on the bed-"


    She pressed her palm on his mouth, shooting a murderous re in his direction but for some reason, he found her flustered and adorable rather than finding her intimidating.


    Mia was a little speechless in her heart. Back then, she had a really bad reputation in their kingdoms, and across all the territories.


    At that time, women did not even look at men longer than necessary for it was found immoral. She, on the other hand, had lived a colorful life, visiting brothels to tease those delicate beauties and flirt with the ministers in the court.


    But she had never slept with anyone for she was never that interested in anyone. And secondly, even if she was, she would not have slept with them. No matter how unruly she was, she never wanted to let her parents down.


    Now that times have changed so much, she felt like losing face. "If you bring it up once again, I will kill you," She red at him as she removed her hand from his mouth.


    "Bring up what?" He asked, "That it was your first time yesterday..."


    "Han Jian Yu!!! Don''t you dare," She snarled at him through gritted teeth.


    "Yes, sweetheart. You got my name right," He winked at her.


    "Sweetheart my ass," She bit his neck, piercing her teeth into the skin.


    His gaze darkened, "You are so wildly active in the morning. Could it be that you were not satisfied yesterday?" He asked.


    She paused. Not satisfied? She would be embarrassed if she said that she almost fainted as he did not hold back on ravaging her at all.


    In her human form, she was more of a human as she won''t use her powers unless necessary.


    Despite her body''s special condition, she was still a little sore down there and certain parts were aching. "Not satisfied," She rolled her eyes, taking a dig at his male ego, "It was dull. Lackluster."


    Han Jian Yu did not seem to be offended but he instead looked apologetic.

 Chapter 347 - Making Breakfast For Him

    "No worries. Since I did not satisfy you yesterday, we can continue right now," He pinned her to the bed flipping their position as he grabbed both her wrists in his hand holding it above her head, "Is it still hurting?"


    She answered him by capturing his lips and wrapping her legs around his waist.


    His semi-hard member hardened in an instant as he rubbed it at her entrance before thrusting inside her hard, feeling her pulsating clench around him.


    And he kept thrusting inside her as she gasped in his mouth.


    It was still a long day for both of them as it seemed like they had stumbled upon something interesting, which they could not have enough of.


    They could not have enough of each other.


    ...


    In the Ren Mansion.


    By the time Jun Zixuan woke up, he found the other side of the bed empty.


    He nced at the note stuck on the headboard of the bed.


    ''Morning. I am making breakfast for you <3''


    It gave him goosebumps. He raked his fingers through his messy ash-blonde hair as he stood up from the bed before tying the front of his robe properly.


    He put on the shoes and walked downstairs with hurried footsteps.


    "Master," Steward Gu came to greet him but he was surprised by the man''s unkempt look.


    "Where is she?"


    "Young Madam is..."


    Even though he asked that, he did not let him finish as he walked inside the kitchen only to find Yu Mei standing there, mumbling nursery rhymes.


    Steward Gu smartly did not follow the couple. It was still early in the morning. He would rather starve than eating some dog food.


    Yu Mei nced at him, surprised, "Morning," She walked towards him, stood up on her tiptoes before cing a soft kiss on his lips.


    "I haven''t brushed yet," He ced his palm on her lips when she approached him for another kiss.


    She raised an eyebrow, "What have we not done without brushing? Don''t pretend to be a monk," Sheughed at her own audacity. Period gave her another level of confidence to provoke him. Looking at his unkempt hair, she found him sexy but she was curious, "Did you think I burnt the kitchen?"


    He sighed and walked towards her before wrapping his arms around her waist as he hugged her from the back, "Burning kitchen is fine. I am worried about you."


    She pointed her chin at the te, "I was spreading butter on the bread so you should stop worrying. Moreover, I can still manage to make decent coffee," She was not entirely an unknown flower in the kitchen, she just messed up things, like recing sugar with salt and such silly mistakes which always ruin her food.


    "Moreover, your brother might really pop up in Ren Mansion with divorce papers if he knows that I let you cook," Jun Zixuan said.


    Yu Mei paused at the mention of Han Jian Yu, "He is quite cute and gentle. He won''t do it as he loves me a lot."


    Cute and gentle? Was she talking about Han Jian Yu? Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "Didn''t you two fight yesterday?"


    "Does that means you can badmouth him?" She raised an eyebrow as he grabbed her hand and moved it slowly, spreading the butter on the bread.


    "Who is badmouthing?" He was just jealous of the attention he got from her. But he won''t admit it.


    Yu Mei chuckled, "Alright, go freshen up first."


    After Jun Zixuan freshened up, he wore a ck shirt paired with ck trousers as he walked downstairs.


    Yu Mei sighed. It was illegal to be so ridiculously hot. She walked towards him before messing his properly gelled ash-blonde hair but her brows tugged together noticing that he looked hotter like that.


    He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to himself as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "What are you doing?"


    "Making you ugly," She grumbled.


    "Silly," He held her hand as they walked towards the dining table, "Do you still have cramps?"


    "No, I am good now," Even though she was eating a lottely, but he kept her diet healthy all the time which is why her body condition had been nourished well andbined with workouts, she felt rather good. Her horrible period cramps had also reduced and she just felt pain during the initial two to three hours.


    "Will you go to thepany today?" He asked.


    "Yes, I have a few things to deal with so I will go."


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "I will drop you."


    Yu Mei shook her head, "I will drive myself. After I finish my work, I will visit you with a lunchbox."


    He raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to y wifey?" He emphasized thest term, dragging it.


    "Am I not your wifey?" She smiled.


    He chuckled, "Don''t be so sweet early in the morning."


    "Why?"


    "I feel as if you are up to no good."


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, "You don''t know how to tell good from the bad. Cherish this goddess while she is showering you with all her love and adoration."


    "Narcissistic."


    "Duh!"


    Even though the argument with Han Jian Yu had affected her quite a bit, Jun Zixuan noticed that she did not bring it up, and hence, he too avoided the matter.


    For the time being, he decided to let her have a moment thinking about that matter quietly.


    It was apparent that Han Jian Yu wanted her to stay away from Han Family which confirmed the fact that Han Family is indeed rted to Han Mei and Han Jian Yu.


    Jun Zixuan wondered how it was possible as there were no possible loopholes in the family chart where the siblings could fit but given Han Jian Yu''s reaction, it was obvious that things were much more than what they appeared on the surface.


    ...


    Headquarter of Rosette.


    "President, here is it," Yu Mei took the file from the Vice President as she flipped a few pages.


    "This is not detailed enough," She softly said before passing it back to him.


    "But...."

 Chapter 348 - Am I Always Wrong?

    "No buts. I want a financial report without loopholes," She nced at Director Xiang, "Please help the Vice President with this matter."


    The Vice President frowned disapprovingly, "President, you don''t trust me?"


    Yu Mei massaged her forehead, "It''s not about trust. Since I asked him to assist you, I want the work to be done more efficiently."


    "But..."


    Yu Mei raised her palm, "That''s enough."


    The Vice President pursed his lips as he bowed to her before he turned around and stormed out of the office.


    Yu Mei nced at his retreating back and then she turned to look at Director Xiang, "Keep an eye on him."


    Director Xiang was stunned, "President..?" He never thought she was doubting the Vice President.


    After all, she had always been close to him even though she rarely visited thepany before and the Vice President was like her right-hand man.


    He, on the other hand, was someone she got to know just a few months ago.


    Yu Mei did not say anything and the old man could only leave, feeling helpless and confused in his heart.


    The amount of money messed up with was in millions and even if it could be earned back with just a ring designed by her but she didn''t want to let go of that matter without getting her hands on some conclusive evidence about who did it.


    After half an hour, Yu Mei left thepany and drove over to Eminence headquarters.


    Her phone started ringing and she parked the car on the side before answering the call, "What''s up?"


    "Uh...How are you?" Shi Luo sounded a bit awkward.


    Yu Mei chuckled, "I am fine of course. You, on the other hand, Miss ''I like obedient+dominant'' don''t seem to be alright. Look at your guts admitting it in front of everyone."


    "Nobody knows who I was talking about," Although Shi Luo said that, Yu Mei could imagine her blushing face, "Moreover, I didn''t have a type of guy I like until I saw him so I just answered honestly."


    "Luoluo, you are too deep in it this time," Yu Mei said as she ced her forehead on the steering wheel.


    Shi Luo paused for a few seconds before speaking, "It''s just a moment where the dopamine fluctuated. Like how adrenaline works, I feel the same and it will go down in two days. Don''t worry about me."


    "Dr. Shi, we will see about that," She paused before adding, "Did you notice how daring Ah Shuang was? She unbuttoned Mu Shen''s shirt with her teeth without hesitation."


    "Yes, and she didn''t even have much of a reaction. But Mu Shen was blushing. I saw it."


    "I know right-"


    Shi Luo interrupted her, "Mei, don''t you dare change the topic," She sounded angry as she just realized what Yu Mei was doing.


    Yu Mei cleared her throat.


    "You know what I was talking about. What did you do to infuriate brother?"


    Yu Mei frowned, "Why do you think I would do something? Do you think I am always wrong?"


    "What else?" Shi Luo seemed quite confident about it as she continued, "You have always been a troublemaker. Our High school teachers used to call you ''Little devil''. Moreover, had you not done something, why would brother be that angry? There has to be some reason behind the way he reacted-"


    Yu Mei cut her words off as she said, "Alright, Luoluo, I am busy. I will call youter," She hung up the call and threw her phone to the backseat as she shifted her position and ced both her hands on the steering wheel before positioning her head on it.


    She nkly stared at her feet for a few minutes as her phone continued ringing in the backseat.


    After taking a few deep breathes, she closed her eyes and opened them before stepping on the elerator.


    At the Eminence Headquarters.


    Gasps and hushed murmurs resounded in the ce when Yu Mei stepped inside the ce.


    She greeted the receptionist who politely greeted her. She shed her entry card at the receptionist before walking towards the Private elevator.


    The male employees looked at her back in awe. Not only was she rich, but she was also insanely gorgeous. But a pity that she was taken and that too by a man they could not seem to offend.


    The female employees, on the other hand, were envious. Who was their Chief? He was a mighty existence and while working here, many of them had once dreamed of bing much more than just a regr employee but a pity that that man never looked at them.


    Yet, this woman was all his now and they were seen all over the tabloids. They could only bite their handkerchiefs to swallow the bitterness in their hearts and suppress their grievances.


    Unaware of the thoughts that she had provoked in their hearts, Yu Mei stepped inside the elevator.


    As the elevator came to a halt on the highest floor of the grand building, she stepped out before walking towards the President''s office.


    "Baby, see I bought you some loll-" She paused, noticing another presence in the office.


    It was Gu Min, Steward Gu''s younger brother.


    He bowed at her, "Young Mistress."


    "Long time no see," She smiled at him, "Where is Zixuan?"


    "President is in a meeting. Shall I inform him that you are here?" He asked her quietly. Indeed a long time has passed since theyst saw each other and she has changed even more. He still had a tough time believing that it was that fatty from the past whom all of them despised because of her disgusting actions.


    Yu Mei shook her head, "I will wait for him here."


    As Gu Min left the office room, Yu Mei nced at his back through the ss. He is so different from his brother. She concluded in her heart.


    While Steward Gu was usually calm andposed, one would know what he feels looking at his expression. In the past, he disliked the previous owner because of her strange antics but since she took over this body, she could sense the shift in his attitude over time.


    Gu Min, on the other hand, was a bit different. One would never know what was on his mind no matter how they tried to.


    Yu Mei walked towards the office desk and she ced her clutch on it before taking a seat on the swivel chair.


    She nced at his iPad which was lying on the desk.

 Chapter 349 - Will Take You Somewhere(unedited)

    6:00 pm


    Jun Zixuan stepped inside his office while checking some mails.


    He was about to call Yu Mei when he heard some noises. He tilted his head and his eyebrows rose slightly, "When did youe here?" He asked the woman who had her feet on his table while she sat on his chair, holding his iPad.


    Because the sses were in opaque mode, he could not see her from outside.


    Yu Mei tilted her head, "It has been around an hour," She said as she checked the time on her watch.


    Jun Zixuan frowned, "Nobody informed me-"


    "You were in a meeting," She shook her head, "I didn''t want to disturb you. You need to work hard and feed me. Fighting!" She struck a powerful pose with her other hand.


    His lips twitched, "What are you doing?" He asked, looking at his iPad which she was holding in her hand.


    "I am stealing your business secrets," She shifted her back to the iPad.


    As he stepped closer to her, he lowered himself to her height and ced one of his hands on the table before nuzzling his chin on her neck, "Aren''t these the games that Ah Jin ys?"


    Yu Mei ced the iPad on the desk as she hooked her arms around his neck before kissing his lips, "Yeah, I was bored so," She stood up from the chair.


    He wrapped his arms around her waist, "You could have told me that you are here. You will never disturb me."


    "I left my phone in the car."


    He ced a gentle kiss on her forehead as he cradled her in his arms.


    She ced her head on his chest, listening to his calm and steady heartbeats.


    He quietly looked at the reflection of her dejected back in the ss for a moment before speaking, "Let''s go, I will take you somewhere."


    She tilted her head to look at him, "Where?"


    He smiled mysteriously and grabbed her hand before taking her to the room inside his office.


    Yu Mei was puzzled, "By somewhere, you meant your room?


    "Why do you ask so many questions?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he dragged her towards the wardrobe.


    "Because you never answer," She leaned her head onto his arm like a dead fish.


    Looking at her listless face, Jun Zixuan frowned.


    If it was not because of how much she loved her brother, he would have punched that douchebag for sure. He sure has some way to hide things from her beforeing up to me her for trying to know the truth.


    Jun Zixuan closed his eyes. He loved her but at the end of the day, he would not want his love to mess up her other rtionships.


    It would not be too good of him.


    No. She will be really sad if she ended up without a brother.


    So, he calmed himself while restraining the urge to punch that man to death.


    "Why are you standing here with your eyes closed?" Yu Mei tilted her head to look at him, "Are you summoning a mythical creature from the wardrobe?" She joked but even the tone she used for her joke sounded sad to his ears.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched, "Don''t let Mia''s existence affect your brain too much. She is the only rare one," He chuckled as he stroked her back before pulling her into his arms.


    He took out a ck hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans from the wardrobe before handing it to her, "Hold this."


    Sheplied with him.


    Jun Zixuan took out an oversized ck hoodie this time and a pair of ck jeans.


    All the while as she was hugging him tightly, he closed the door with one hand, "Let go of me now?" He looked down at her head.


    She shook her head.


    "Be good," he said, "Wear this," He handed her the oversized ck hoodie and ck jeans before taking the other outfit from her hand.


    "They''re your clothes. They will not look good on me," She shook her head but still she stepped back from him and raised her hands high, "But if you insist, you can help me change."


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes darkened. Help her change? He did not have masochistic tendencies. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around before pulling her towards the washroom, "If you want to go with me, you will have to get changed first."


    She pouted but nodded in the end, "Okay... Wait a second. I will be back," He paused and she ran out of the room beforeing back in a few minutes with her clutch in her hand. She opened it and brought out a lollipop from inside, "I got this for you on my way," She handed it to him.


    His heart melted even though... "Why a lollipop?" He had never had such things but he still epted it from her hand when he noticed her enthusiastic eyes.


    "I thought I should get something for you," Since it was way past lunchtime, so she got this for him, "Wait here, I will get changed first."


    Jun Zixuan nced at her retreating back all before looking at the lollipop in his hand. The corner of his lips tugged up.


    ...


    Near the Campus of one of the Elite schools in Beijing, there was a crowded Cafe.


    In the table in a dimly lit corner, two people dressed in identical ck hoodies sat with two burgers in their hands.


    "I will fatten up if I eat this," She looked at the burger in her hand, the cheese slice was inviting her.


    Jun Zixuan who was sitting beside her, leaned closer to her as he whispered, "Once your period is over, we can sexercise."


    Yu Mei almost choked on her saliva, "You..." Her face flushed slightly.


    "It will surely burn calories. You have to trust me. And I promise to work hard so that you can be fit forever," He nodded at her righteously before taking a bite of the burger.


    She nced at his serious face quietly but in the end, she ended upughing at his shameless words.

 Chapter 350 - Obedient Or Disobedient

    As she took a bite of the burger, she noticed that the people who entered the caf¨¦ would look at them before going inside.


    She nced at Jun Zixuan. Dressed in the ck hoodie and blue jeans, his ash-blonde hair was lying messily on his forehead as it framed the upper half of his face but he looked hot from head to toe.


    He was a sight that made the women ''stop and stare''.


    She then looked at herself. She looked like a dumpling in his clothes. The jeans were loose and he had to fold them near the ankles. The hoodie was so oversized that it reached below her thighs and she had the hood on her head. Sitting beside this male god, she looked rather weird.


    "Sir, here is your other order," A waitress came to their table, cing a cup on it.


    Jun Zixuan ced some dor bills beneath the menu before he stood up.


    He nced at her meaningfully as extended his elbow towards her.


    She hooked her right hand around his elbow as she stood up.


    "Take that," He said.


    "Hot chocte?" Her eyes sparkled and she picked it up from the table with her left hand.


    She took a bite of her burger from her other hand as they walked out of the Caf¨¦, "This is much better," she said after eating it, "They were all idolizing you there."


    He chuckled as they walked on an empty road with trees on both sides.


    Yu Mei noticed some high school students were passing from beside them.


    "First, we did not have an outfit ready so I got this for you," He said, "Secondly, you are too eye-catching without this disguise and we don''t want anyone to recognize you, do we?"


    She shook her head, "You are right," The public won''t recognize him given his current appearance because they have only seen his blurred and angled pictures and very few people have seen him up so close to be able to recognize him when he looked like a university student.


    She, on the other hand, was very eye-catching because of her numerous interaction with media on several asions.


    "I have never worn your clothes before like this in public."


    He nodded, "You look good," She was adorable in this loose outfit.


    Only he would find her adorable in this when others were looking at her like she had escaped from the zoo. She sipped her hot chocte. "Have you been to this ce before?" She asked him.


    "Yes, I used to study here."


    "In this school?" Her eyes widened. This was one of the prestigious elite schools of Beijing from what she knew. Given that he had no backing of Jun Family at that time, it must have been difficult to get admission here.


    But then she remembered that Jun Zixuan was already creating Eminence in his teenage years. So, it would be the school''s honor to ept such a brilliant student.


    ''''Yes, my grandfather was a teacher here,'''' He replied.


    Yu Mei nodded. So, that''s how it is. Of course, she understood that from grandfather, he meant Mother''s father.


    He removed the hood from her head.


    ''''What are you doing? Someone will recognize...'''' He pulled her into his arms before she could finish her words.


    ''''No one will,'''' The campus was empty at this time and there were a few people on the ce they were walking.


    ''''Were you a naughty kid, Zixuan?" Yu Mei asked as she took another sip from her hot chocte.


    ''''Naughty kid?'''' He raised an eyebrow at her.


    ''''As in....'''' She took a bite of her burger before continuing to ask, ''''What kind of student were you? Obedient, disobedient, backbencher, naughty, troublesome, or the teacher''s pet?"


    Jun Zixuan ate his burger as he contemted about it. He responded after some time, ''''I was a first bencher all the time.''''


    She nodded in understanding. He has always been a genius. How could that little genius Zixuan from the past be a backbencher?


    ''''As for obedient or disobedient, I am not sure about that,'''' He paused and walked towards the dustbin before discarding the wax paper of the burger in it.


    Yu Mei took thest bite of her burger in her mouth before discarding hers, her cheek was bulged because of the huge bite.


    ''''You truly resemble a panda,'''' He quickly snapped a picture of her before putting his phone in his pocket even before she could react.


    Yu Mei red at him.


    He took out a few tissues from his pocket before cleaning her mouth as she gulped the food before pinching his face, ''''I hate you.''''


    ''''Did I say I love you?" He rolled his eyes at her before pulling her into his arms, ''''I hate you more.''''


    She punched him, ''''What do you mean by you don''t know whether you were obedient or disobedient?" She sipped her hot chocte.


    ''''What I mean is... I usually slept in the ss so I don''t know how the teachers perceived me as but since I scored decently, they did not say anything most of the time.''''


    She almost choked on it, ''''Take my bow, will you? Who dares to sleep in the first bench?" Moreover what decent...? His decent marks mean a perfect score in all subjects.


    ''''Well...'''' Jun Zixuan rubbed the nape of his neck a bit awkwardly, ''''I usually worked in the night and Boyan was very young at that time. I needed to take care of Mom and so all of it came to me in the morning and I ended up sleeping in the ssroom.''''


    She felt like her heart was pricked by something even though he said it so casually. After her parents passed away, Shen Lihua was in depression and Jun Zixuan had to shoulder all those responsibilities.


    She sighed, ''''Sometimes I really feel like it would have been better if I was your girlfriend at that time. I could have backed you up, helped you with things and we could have gone on a date.''''


    He poked her bubbling excitement, ''''I was around 11 or 12. What date are you talking about?"


    She chuckled, ''''A lollipop date.''''


    ''''I don''t like those,'''' he shook his head before asking her, ''''What kind of student were you?"


    ''''I was....'''' She thought about the time when she had thrown the chewing gum in the teacher''s hair who punished her unreasonably.

 Chapter 351 - To The Internet Cafe

    Children usually forget about their memories of 1st standard and 2nd standard because of their tender age. So did Yu Mei.


    But she still had a vague impression of one incident where a fat kid had bullied her on her first day in school andter she poured glue on his bench.


    Growing up, though she was the school princess for her looks and grades but she could bet that even the Principal wanted her to finish her studies sooner.


    Because she was a chaotic child.


    ''''Uhh...I was obedient,'''' <i>Gotta maintain my image in front of him.?</i>


    <i></i>Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow. ''''Your obedience must have a different definition in the dictionary.''''


    She cleared her throat, having been seen through him, ''''Do you want hot chocte? Thest sip?" As he shook his head, she shrugged before drinking it.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard, sucking her lips before he pulled back and licked the corner of his lips. Looking at the stunned woman, he said, ''''Never realized hot chocte is this good.''''


    Yu Mei stood like a statue with the cup still in her hand, near her waist and her eyes had widened like a deer caught in the headlights.


    He grabbed the cup from her hand and aimed it at the dustbin before throwing it inside.


    She blinked. ''''You...'''' She looked around the ce. The students had all returned to their dormitory and the road was rather empty with a few people in the distance.


    She pulled the hood to her head, grabbed his cor, and stood on her tiptoes before pressing her lips on his, her tongue was shoved inside his mouth as her teeth nipped at his bottom lips while kissing him passionately.


    Now, it was Jun Zixuan''s turn to be stunned.


    And just as he was about to kiss her back, she pulled back before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand like a swindler who ate some fat profits.


    Did she shed off all her shyness and restraints? Just when he thought she must be possessed, he saw the faint blush on her face. Yu Mei adjusted her cap before looking around, ''''We are such bad examples for the kids,'''' She grabbed his hand before pulling her with him, ''''Imagine if they see us kissing and get someone to kiss them? Sigh~''''


    He followed after her, letting her drag with him, ''''It''s way past their curfew time, and not every kid thinks weirdly as you. Like you see someone kissing and get yourself someone to kiss.''''


    ''''Duh. I have also never done that but still....'''' She nced at him helplessly, ''''Isn''t it immoral to kiss on a school campus? What if we are caught by the Professors?"


    Jun Zixuanughed. The sound of his deep masculineughter sounded in the empty road, making her pause. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, providing her more warmth in the cold atmosphere, ''''What am I going to do with you?" He was at his wits'' end with this ''all-time intelligent but at times slow'' wife of his.


    She bit his neck letting him hug her. The day has been another hectic one, she was dead tired. Her argument with Han Jian Yu had left a heaviness in her chest as it rarely happened before that they fought like that.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''I just realized that a panda can be a puppy too. All in one,'''' He teased and felt her biting him harder. But hell, the bite was quite thought-provoking to him.


    He quickly distanced her from himself and held her hand before intertwining their fingers, ''''Let''s go,'''' He said.


    ''''Where now? Haven''t you left your car on the other side?" She asked.


    ''''We are not going home right now.''''


    ''''Then?" She tilted her head to the side and nced at his side profile.


    He did not say anything and she could only smile helplessly, ''''Okay, am I not happy now? How more do you want to cheer me up?" She was amused when his face turned a bit awkward, ''''Did you think I am dumb? I was feeling down when I was in the office so I did not think much about it. But when you brought me over here and even ate a burger with me, I knew what was up.''''


    This man detested the sight of what hebeled as ''unhealthy'' food. Neither did he eat junk food nor did he let her touch it. So, didn''t he do all this to cheer her up?


    ''''Okay, now that you feel good, tell me... what do you n to do with your brother?" He asked as they approached the end of the road.


    Yu Mei was silent for a few seconds before she said, ''''Since he has been keeping me away from his matters, ignoring me, distancing me from himself, then I will dly do as he wishes. Let him have what he wants. I won''t talk to him anymore,'''' She frowned as she looked at her feet.


    Jun Zixuan quietly nced at her, ''''Let''s go there,'''' He said.


    She raised her head before following his gaze, ''''Inte Cafe?"


    He nodded. Just as he was about to say something, his phone started ringing. He took out his phone and nced at the caller ID for a few seconds before answering the call, ''''M-''''


    ''''If Mei is there with you, don''t take my name.''''


    Jun Zixuan paused as he nced at Yu Mei who was looking at the Inte Cafe. He took out his wallet before handing it to her, ''''Can you book a table first? I''ll just take this call,'''' He whispered.


    She nodded as she took his wallet from him.


    ''''Book the table in the corner where there are no other people. We will need some privacy,'''' He said.


    Her face flushed. Even though she knew he did not mean it in that way but for some reason, certain dirty thoughts ran on her mind, ''''I... You... Be there within 5 minutes,'''' She turned around and walked away without looking at him.


    <i>What happened to her?</i> He shook his head helplessly before putting the phone back to his ear.

 Chapter 352 - Hacking?

    ''''Mia?" Jun Zixuan said, ''''Why are you acting so sneaky?"


    ''''Who is sneaky? You have taken me as your adopted sister. I am three years older than you. And logically, I am a few lifetimes older than you. Where is your respect for me?" Compared to her usual tone, Mia sounded rather messed up as she presented her rant.


    Jun Zixuan uninterestedly said, ''''I shall hang up then.''''


    ''''Hey, you... Sigh... You are such a pain in the ass...''''


    ''''I am hanging up.''''


    ''''I want to ask something,'''' She said in one breath.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''Be quick. I''ll give you thirty seconds.''''


    ''''Why are you so weird...''''


    ''''Twenty-five seconds.''''


    Mia massaged her forehead before regaining herposure, ''''Fine. Tell me, how can I be sure that a person does not like me?"


    ''''Who taught you grammar?" Jun Zixuan asked, ''''...And this world''snguage?''''


    ''''It''s your wife. Why do you ask?''''


    ''''She struggles in those subjects,'''' Jun Zixuan said with a straight face before he continued, ''''So, do you mean to ask how to know if a person likes you?"


    ''''You...'''' Mia had the urge to p her forehead, ''''No, I meant how can I be sure that a person does not like me?"


    Jun Zixuan''s lips twitched, ''''That depends.''''


    ''''Depends on what?" Mia asked, barely controlling her curiosity to know more about it.


    ''''There are many factors which need to be taken into consideration,'''' Jun Zixuan said after some thought.


    ''''Give me a rough exnation. It doesn''t need to be perfect.''''


    ''''Apologies, I prefer perfection in things I do rather than leaving errors in them,'''' He replied with a straight face.


    She heaved a sigh before speaking, ''''Tell me when you are free. I will visit you,'''' When there was no reply from him, she took it as an affirmation as she added, ''''And don''t tell Mei anything about this.''''


    Jun Zixuan frowned, ''''Secrets are just the start of unhealthy rtionships. I don''t want my wife to demand a divorce,'''' He said before taking a brief pause as he added, ''''Moreover, what do I get in return?"


    Mia could swear that she was remembering her ancestors from her mother''s side. Even they, the creatures are known for their craftiness, aren''t as crafty as this man, ''''First of all, this matter concerns my private life so how is this keeping a secret from Mei? You are just helping your ''elder sister on papers'' with some matters. It is not like I shoved a woman into your arms and asked you to keep her as your mistress.''''


    His eyelids twitched.


    ''''Secondly, I can''t give you anything in return except for the truth in details. You know how poor I am, dear brother.''''


    ''''Alright,'''' Jun Zixuan said before he hung up. Sigh, it was certainly a big responsibility when you adopt a troublesome elder sister.


    He stepped inside the inte cafe and the shop owner looked up. Since it was quitete, most of the customers were gone except for a few here and there. ''''What do you want, sir?'''' The old man keenly nced at him as he found him a bit familiar but he could not put a finger on what he found familiar about him.


    Jun Zixuan raked his fingers through his hair as he removed them from his forehead before parting it to the side. ''''Mr. Lin,'''' He greeted the man politely as he tilted his face to the side, letting the dim light to fall on his face, illuminating his whole profile.


    ''''You...'''' The old shop owner''s eyes widened as he looked around before lowering his voice, ''''Is that you, Xiao Xuan?''''


    ''''Yes. Long time no see,'''' Jun Zixuan smiled, a small dimple appeared on his left cheek.


    ''''Hahaha... Been a long time indeed,'''' The old man chuckled, ''''Back then, your head reached just above my waist and now I have to raise my head to talk to you. You sure have grown up and also grown up well. I saw the news about your identity already,'''' He spoke in a small voice.


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    The old man sighed, ''''I have been getting on age which is why I forgot to ask how are you here today?"


    Jun Zixuan paused for a moment before he said, ''''I need three hours.''''


    ''''But your seat is taken up by a girl...''''


    ''''She is my wife,'''' Jun Zixuan interrupted the old man.


    ''''Is she? She is rather unique,'''' The old man said, thinking about the girl looking like a ck fluffball. He could not even see her face because of the cap hiding half of her face, ''''Don''t forget to introduce her to me before you leave.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded as he looked at the CCTV all around the ce. He nced at the old man, ''''If anyoneester...''''


    ''''I know what to do,'''' Old man Linughed meaningfully.


    There were floor-to-ceiling boxes inside the inte cafe. Nearly five feet of the box was made of elegant wooden ply, and the rest above it was made of ss.


    Inside one of the boxes, Yu Mei was sitting on the swivel chair, ''''Where is the Queen?" She mumbled to herself while looking at the setup of the cards on theputer screen.


    The door to the box was pulled open and she raised her head, ''''You are here?" She quickly stood up from the chair before offering the seat to him, ''''But what are we going to do?"


    He took a seat on the swivel chair and pulled her to hisp, ''''Something that we could not do before because of your brother.''''


    Yu Mei contemted over it, ''''And what is that something that you speak of?" She asked him in confusion.


    Jun Zixuan did not say anything as he ced his chin on her neck and shifted his hand towards her waist before settling his fingers on the keyboard.


    As his fingers flew across the keys, theputer screen turned dark all of a sudden.


    ''''You...'''' Yu Mei''s mind went nk within a moment, ''''What are you trying to hack?" It took her a few seconds to realize what was going on.. Though she was not a hacker or an expert in the IT field, but being the CEO of Rosette, she hade across such things before so it was nothing sort of new for her.

 Chapter 353 - Would You Mind A Kiss?

    As his fingers flew over the keyboard, she could still see his movements clearly but gradually it moved in a blur and a series of codes appeared on the initially ck screen.


    Yu Mei was a bit stunned but she was not shocked. It was just a genius being genius. Given his IQ, intelligence, and the way he perceived everything, he was a damn perfectionist. She would be more shocked if there was something that he could not do.


    She also had a rather high IQ but why was she not as good as him? Yu Mei shook her head inwardly. Sigh, theparison is toxic. It will make you feel bad.


    She picked up the bottle of mineral water without moving her body too much as she removed the lid before taking a few gulps.


    ''''We are hacking into the Han Family''s privately recorded data," He answered her question from earlier.


    ''''Pfft... Cough Cough Cough...'''' Yu Mei choked on the water as it sttered on the floor, her eyes teared up.


    Jun Zixuan stopped his movements as he wrapped his arms around her waist, gently rubbing her back, ''''What happened?"


    ''''Cough Cough...'''' He patted her head as she coughed.


    As she calmed down, she tried to stand up from hisp, ''''Don''t stop in the middle... Cough... It will alert them.''''


    He pulled her back into his arms and ced his chin on the crook of her neck, ''''Chill, why are you shocked?" He asked while stroking her fingers.


    ''''Isn''t it because of you? You didn''t even give me a heads-up.''''


    He smiled sheepishly before kissing her cheek, ''''I wanted to surprise you.''''


    ''''More like you shocked me,'''' She shook her head as she nced at the half-written codes that seemed to be fluctuating, ''''Get back to it before they are alerted,'''' She urged him to hurry up.


    Even though she was a noob, she had a rough idea of how this worked. And she was pretty sure that it was not a good idea to leave the process halfway.


    The atmosphere was rather cold for it was winter and she feltfortable when Jun Zixuan spooned her in his arms before getting back to it with aid-back expression on his face, ''''Don''t worry, we got this.''''


    ''''Mm, if it''s you, we got everything,'''' She pressed a kiss on his neck and closed her eyes.


    ''''Take a nap. I will call you when it''s done,'''' He whispered as he pressed a kiss on top of her head, ''''Or if you are tired, we can go back and do thister,'''' After all, she was on her period and he did not want to tire her out.


    Yu Mei left a fleeting kiss on his lips before cing her head back on his neck, ''''No need. I am not tired. Just a little sleepy. Go on...'''' She dozed off amidst speaking.


    He was speechless. That talent of sleeping anytime and anywhere will make many people envious of this national treasure of his.


    He nced at the ck screen and his eyes narrowed before he got back to it as his fingers moved across the keyboard in a blur.


    ...


    Mia sat at the dining table with one of her legs folded above the other as she munched on an apple while fiddling with the phone in her hand, ''''Mmm? Candy Crush?" It looked rather colorful, ''''Is it a good game?" She quickly checked over the ratings before installing it.


    Some sounds from the neighborhood attracted her attention and she jumped off the table before turning around, Her gaze met with Han Jian Yu''s who just entered his house.


    Just as Han Jian Yu threw his suit jacket to the couch, he felt a piercing gaze on him whichpelled him to raise his head in the opposite direction.


    Mia waved at him before pointing her fingers towards the floor of her house.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''You want me to go there?"


    ''''If you want,'''' She flipped her long hair towards her back.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow. The morning had ended with two more rounds and they had to part when he received a call. The reluctance in his heart to leave her ce was much more than the reluctance of a kid going to school for the first time.


    But she seemed pretty cool about it so he did not say anything neither did he try to show his true feelings when he left nonchntly.


    ''''Don''te if you don''t want to,'''' She waved her hand again.


    He turned around and stepped out of the door before walking towards the next door.


    Mia walked towards the door and she turned the doorknob before pulling it in.


    Just as the door was at a distance, she was lifted off the floor in a swift movement. And a gasp escaped her mouth when her upper back hit the wall. His strong arm curled around her bottom as he pulled her in and her legs wrapped around his muscr waist.


    Looking at the stunned expression on her usually ''The world might drown but I won''t care'' face, the corner of his lips tugged up as he leaned closer to her, ''''Would you mind a kiss?'''' Gripping her bottom in his palm, he raised his other hand and ced his fingers on her face before rubbing his thumb across her plump bottom lip, ''''Or would you like to have one?"


    Mia hooked her arms around his neck, ''''I would love to,'''' Without giving him the chance to react, she caught his bottom lips between her teeth, letting her canines nip onto the corner, and just as his lips parted slightly, she shoved her tongue inside his mouth.


    He weed that sleek and warm, sinful tongue to rove inside his as he sucked it, taking the reign back into his hand. Han Jian Yu moved his palm from her face before he raked his fingers through her hair and angled her head for better ess as he kissed her deeper, almost shoving her more closer to himself till her breasts pressed against his rock hard chest.


    His lips were tightly locked against hers, as if trying to destroy and tten that little mouth of hers and she pushed back, kissing him with equal intensity, hot and breathy yet moist.. Her toes curled up and he pulled back from her, leaning his forehead against hers as they panted softly against each other''s mouth.

 Chapter 354 - I Want You But Also Your Food

    Although the kiss was barely enough to satiate them, Han Jian Yu still ced her down when he noticed something, "Why are you eating it at this hour?" He pointed his chin towards the apple which had fallen on the floor when he picked her up earlier.


    Mia followed his gaze, "I just felt like it."


    What kind of answer was that? "Were you hungry?" He asked her.


    Mia casually leaned back on the wall as she seemed to be in contemtion. She was a fox spirit so she did not need food to survive but she was indeed craving some good food. "Well, kind of," she nodded. It could be counted as being hungry.


    Han Jian Yu thought about it for a moment before he said, "Let''s go. I will make dinner for both of us."


    Mia blinked as he started walking in the direction of the kitchen, "Hey, you..."


    Both their houses were separated by a ss wall and Mia''s house was a reflection of Han Jian Yu''s. From the architecture to the room directions and the special types of equipment... Almost everything provided in the house was the same.


    So, Han Jian Yu did not have any trouble finding the kitchen.


    But his footsteps came to a halt as soon as he stepped inside. His mouth parted as he nced at the deserted ce.


    Mia cleared her throat, "I just moved in so I don''t have many things here."


    Han Jian Yu did not say anything as he walked towards the refrigerator before opening it.


    There was nothing inside.


    "How did you n to survive here?" Han Jian Yu asked as he turned to look at her.


    "Takeouts," She nned to rely on takeouts if she felt like eating. Who would take the hassle to cook when she did not even need food to survive?


    He was speechless.


    "Let''s go to your ce," Mia suggested.


    Han Jian Yu nodded and they walked out of her house before entering his, "I will get changed first," He said before walking upstairs.


    Mia grabbed an orange from the fruit basket on the dining table before she walked inside the kitchen.


    She glided her body upwards before settling her bottom on the kitchen counter. Just as she was about to eat the orange, her gazended on the creases on her satin robe.


    The memory of that hot kiss near her door was still quite alive in her body and she touched her lips, her body slowly heated up as she pressed her thighs together.


    Her neck arched slightly and her long hair touched the kitchen counter.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, she tilted her head to the side, "You''re here," Her tone was tinted in ayer of seduction and her eyes narrowed.


    Han Jian Yu stepped towards her, "Yes," He said as he leaned closer to her.


    Hershes fluttered slightly and he ced his hand on her waist before tugging her forward, "It''s not even midnight yet. I don''t feel that hungry," Mia whispered as she ced the orange aside.


    Han Jian Yu''s gaze deepened and he leaned closer to her before cing his lips on her neck, biting the spot as he let his teeth sink onto her delicate skin.


    And she held his broad biceps feeling them flex beneath her palm as he sucked the spot that he just bit.


    He slowly moved his hand towards the front of her robe before tugging at it and it opened, revealing her full body.


    A predatory gaze shed in his eyes when he noticed that she was not wearing anything beneath that ck satin robe. Her curves were enhanced even further as she arched her body, provocatively and her hand moved to unbutton his white shirt, her fingers moved in a blur as she ripped that shirt off his body.


    "Your eagerness makes me..." He unbuckled his belt and opened his trousers before grabbing her hand and cing it above his throbbing length.


    "Hard?" She whispered, her heart raced like crazy even though her expressions were filled with confidence.


    It was not everyday that she grabbed a man''s thing.


    "Indeed," His warm palm moved on her thighs and he raised it upwards before pulling her towards himself as he positioned himself at her entrance.


    As he stroked the tip of his length over her sleek folds, she moaned as she pushed herself closer to him.


    "You are wet," He whispered and she ced her hands on his shoulder de, "I am," she replied, "I want you..." She added after a moment.


    He mmed himself inside her the moment he heard that. "Ahh..." A loud moan slipped from her mouth and she grabbed the back of his neck.


    He smashed his lips on hers moving it ever so roughly and she writhed beneath his body when he thrust inside her.


    Her lips opened wide letting him have ess inside her mouth and core.


    He took his entire length out of her before mming it back into her again as his finger kneaded her waist.


    As he stroked the tip of his length over her sleek folds, she moaned and pushed herself closer to him.


    The noises of their vigorous intimacy filled the kitchen.


    Half an hourter, Han Jian Yu carried the seductress in his arms before he walked out of the kitchen and threw her to plush couch.


    Her body bounced on it and her breasts jiggled, seemingly inviting him to take them in his mouth but he restrained all such urges and tied the front of her robe with a straight face.


    "Join me here, I don''t mind," She raised her finger and stroked his chin.


    "Stop seducing me," Han Jian Yu spoke through gritted teeth, "Be obedient and sit here patiently until I make the preparations to get you fed."


    "Oh," Sigh, she wanted to shout that she was not hungry for food but for him.


    He lowered his head and kissed her lips while taking her bottom lips between his teeth.


    "Mm..." She moaned in satisfaction and his palm gave her breast a soft squeeze before he pushed himself to his feet and towards the kitchen.


    Mia was left on the couch hanging somewhere between ''I want you but I also want your food''.

 Chapter 355 - Han Mei, You Brat!

    Mia smacked her lips rather cutely after cing a piece of saucy meat in her mouth.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her adorable face.


    Mia cringed a momentter, ''''You know what?"


    ''''What?"


    ''''I saw the protagonist of a drama doing this...'''' She smacked her lips cutely once again, ''''This... She looked pretty good while doing it but I got goosebumps right now,'''' She made disgusted face.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, ''''I think you looked good.''''


    ''''Oh, did I?" Mia seemed to be mulling over it for a moment as she nodded, ''''That''s possible too. I was born beautiful after all,'''' She flipped her hair, ''''But you really make decent food,'''' she said.


    ''''Decent?" Han Jian Yu frowned. Just decent?


    Mia nodded.


    Han Jian Yu ced his spoon down as he asked her, ''''Do you know someone who cooks better?"


    ''''Zixuan also cooks good. His skills are decent,'''' Mia said before eating another piece of meat.


    Han Jian Yu paused for a moment before he asked, ''''So, you haven''t eaten any food which is above decent level in your opinion?"


    ''''Well, my cooking skills are superior,'''' She said nonchntly.


    Han Jian Yu paused for a moment, ''''Speak something believable,'''' He sneered.


    ''''You don''t believe I can cook better than you?" Mia nced at him speechlessly.


    ''''Not only that, I feel you are a noob in it.''''


    ''''N-Noob? You... Did you take me as Mei who burns the kitchen everytime she steps there?'''' The words escaped her mouth even before she could contemte over it and it was toote to take them back as his face darkened.


    Sigh... Did his protective brother side awakened? She was pretty sure he thought that she was badmouthing his sister given that he did not know much about the kind of bond they shared.


    Her tone earlier was also quite bitchy but that''s just her natural tone and it is easy to be misunderstood.


    ''''I did not mean-''''


    ''''Don''t mention her,'''' Han Jian Yu said and Mia was momentarily shocked. Oop... That came unexpected, ''''I don''t have a sister,'''' he coldly said before he continued eating.


    Mia''s lips thinned, her hazel eyes were widened slightly and she forgot to chew her food.


    Han Jian Yu continued eating but he paused a momentter, ''''What?" He asked without raising his head. ''''You think I am wrong?"


    ''''How could it be?" Mia gulped the piece of meat as she inwardly rolled her eyes. This guy will flip on his words the moment his sister squeezed a tear out of her beautiful eyes.


    ''''You seem to like meat,'''' Han Jian Yumented when she elegantly stuffed a few more pieces in her mouth.


    ''''Of course, would I have slept with you if I didn''t?" Mia paused and licked the sauce off her lips as she nced at him, ''''I indeed like fresh meat,'''' She whispered.


    His eyes darkened and he pushed himself to his feet as he walked towards her. Their eyes were locked and with every step he took towards her, the tension between them grew. He ced his index finger below her chin and tilted her head upwards, ''''Since you have had yours, shall I have my fresh meat now?"


    Mia grabbed the edge of his shirt as she stood up, all the while putting another meat cube in her mouth. She shifted her hand to his cor and cupped his face with her other hand before standing on her tiptoes. Their lips touched briefly and she bit his bottom lips. As his lips parted, she shoved the meat cube into his mouth and her tongue peeked out as she licked sauce off his lips before leaning back on the dining table, ''''Here you go,'''' She tilted her head to the side and swiped her thumb across her bottom lips.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow as he chewed the meat in his mouth and tucked his hand inside his pocket before walking towards her.


    Mia pressed a finger on his chest, ''''You are too clingy, Mr. Han,'''' She paused for a moment before adding, ''''Her Highness doesn''t wants you to touch her right now.''''


    ''''Oh?" He grabbed her delicate finger, ''''Who asked Her Highness to pull stunts on me?"


    ''''Wasn''t I just being kind? You said you wanted meat... mmmm...''''


    He shut her up with a searing kiss that was hot yet fleeting and as their lips parted, he swiped his thumb across his bottom lips just the way she did it before, ''''Don''t act oblivious. You should know the kind of meat that I want.''''


    Just as Mia opened her mouth to say something, his phone started ringing, ''''Let me pick this up first,'''' He said.


    She folded one of her legs above the other, ''''What after that? Will we discuss the types of meat?" She picked up the bowl before she continued eating.


    He shrugged, ''''I don''t mind,'''' He said before picking up the call.


    While his head was tilted to the left side, Mia turned her body to the right side as she secretly patted her chest, her heart was still racing somewhat crazily. She was a bit of intermediate level yer in these thingspared to this advanced level yer.


    ''''What did you say?" His voice was so cold that it could make one freeze.


    Mia tilted her head to the side. Did something happen?


    As Han Jian Yu listened to his man''s report, his face gradually darkened, ''''No, don''t stop them. I will see what they find,'''' He hung up the call and mmed his phone on the dining table, ''''Han Mei, that brat!" His voice had a dangerous edge to it.


    <i>Volcano erupted.</i> Mia sighed.


    She blinked as she stuffed another piece of meat in her mouth, mentally checking the exclusive design of Yu Mei''s coffin.


    ...


    ''''Achooooo~'''' Yu Mei sat up drowsily after she sneezed. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm.


    ''''Did you catch a cold?" Jun Zixuan asked, pausing his movements a bit.


    She noticed she was still sitting on hisp, ''''No, I don''t feel any symptoms.. It must be some evil person cursing me behind my back,'''' She mumbled in a husky voice.

 Chapter 356 - Information

    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, ''''You suffered,'''' He stroked her back.


    She tried to stand up, ''''I am sleeping on you for so long. Your legs must be sore-''''


    Jun Zixuan chuckled, ''''Do you think I am delicate like you?'''' He adjusted her position and she sat facing theputer screen.


    ''''Is it done?" She nced at the codes that almost made her dizzy.


    ''''With how eager you are, aren''t you afraid that your brother will be upset when he finds out about this?" He asked as he ced his chin on her neck.


    ''''I don''t have a brother,'''' Yu Mei frowned as she said with a straight face, ''''Atleast, not one who ignores me instead of talking it out.''''


    Jun Zixuan sighed, ''''You seem angry,'''' He whispered to her while his fingers moved on the keyboard beforeing to a sudden halt.


    ''''I am not. I am just stating facts,'''' She picked his phone from the desk as the screen started loading.


    ''''It''s done,'''' He said as he locked his fingers in front of her waist and cracked his knuckles.


    ''''I can see,'''' The codes started disappearing and the page was loading, showing the family information in a queue. Yu Mei clicked a picture of the page without checking the contents, ''''Just in case it disappears all of a sudden...'''' She handed his phone to him. It was better to y safe as she was sure that the Han Family would be alerted with this move of theirs.


    ''''Even if it disappears, I can get it back,'''' Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow. Did she think he can''t do it twice?


    Yu Mei cupped his face before cing a kiss on his forehead, ''''Ohe on, I don''t wanna tire you out or waste our time on all this,'''' She smiled, ''''Knowing the truth might be important but to me, you are more important.''''


    His eyes shed and a small smile yed across his lips.


    She stretched her hands, ''''Let''s just check this out before we go home and sleep together,'''' She winked at him provocatively.


    He felt a stir in his pants, He grabbed the back of her neck and leaned closer to her, ''''I hope you keep all this guts safe till your period is over,'''' He whispered.


    She cleared her throat, ''''Of course, baby. I am sure we will make love until you can''t get it up,'''' She provocatively said as she stroked his chin before turning to look at theputer screen.


    His member was already hard at this point and the ruthless woman dared to grind on it slowly as she shifted her position. Jun Zixuan raked his fingers through his hair as frustration filled his heart, ''''We will see,'''' He mumbled before cing his chin on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist.


    As her eyesnded on theputer screen, Yu Mei''s gaze turned serious, ''''Zixuan, see this...'''' She zoomed the pictures, ''''Old Master Han and Old Madam Han,'''' While she had seen the former at the restaurant, thetter was a new face to but her gentle eyes made her look like a kind Grandma.


    ''''Han Jing and Han Suyin...'''' Jun Zixuan read the next names, ''''The Master and the Madam of the Han Family.''''


    ''''We have also met them,'''' She skipped them before looking at the next two, ''''Han Liyun. The Young Master of Han Family. 29 years old. What does he do?" She asked him, noticing that this information here was quite vague.


    ''''He is still gaining experience in their business,'''' Jun Zixuan asked, ''''Trying to understand the Han Family business.''''


    Yu Mei paused for a moment before she said, ''''He is almost 30. Still trying to understand their family business?" She paused for a moment before adding, ''''I am not age shaming him. It''s just that...'''' She has noticed that the proficient families usually ce their children on the throne since a young age and when they are not able to handle it well, those kids arebelled as useless or disappointments.


    ''''The Han siblings are not that exceptionally talented whenpared to their parents,'''' Jun Zixuan responded to her, ''''Old Master Han had handed several projects to him before but he was not able to take it. While Han Jingyi is better than her brother in business, but she shows not interest in it at the moment.''''


    ''''That exins a few things,'''' Yu Mei said as she looked back at the screen, ''''Han Jingyi. 24 years old. A world ss swimming champion...?" She paused as she turned to look at him.


    ''''That''s true,'''' Jun Zixuan said.


    She paused for a moment, seemingly in deep contemtion.


    When he expected she would bring up some serious doubt, she asked, ''''While looking through these information, did you see a picture of her in a swimming suit?" She asked as she tilted her head to look at him.


    The corner of his lips twitched. Was this the point here? ''''So what if I did?" He asked her seriously.


    She stuck her bottom lips out for a few seconds before saying, ''''Then I will show you my body with a swimsuit, okay? I look definitely hotter.''''


    He poked her forehead, ''''What nonsense do you think all the time? It was Steward Gu who got the information for me. I did not ask for anyone''s picture.''''


    Sheughed, ''''I just wanted to hear that,'''' She was pretty possessive about who he looked at but when you are served with a man like him on a golden tter, the universe will surely tease you with the bees and flowers around him. So, a little possessiveness works, doesn''t it?"


    Jun Zixuan shook his head.


    She brought her attention back to the screen, ''''Who is this?" She asked as she gazed at the man whose information was next to Han Jingyi''s, ''''I don''t think that Master Han has a brother? So, then who else is this?"


    Jun Zixuan followed her gaze as he looked at the picture.

 Chapter 357 - Time To Leave

    As Yu Mei had zoomed the screen, it disyed the picture of a middle-aged man with a stern face. It seemed like someone had forced him to sh an amicable expression at the camera because his smile appeared unnatural and stiff. There was a huge round burn-mark-like scar beneath his right eye that made him look somewhat scarybined with his furrowed brows.


    ''''He is Han Sheng.''''


    ''''How is he rted to the Han Family?" Yu Mei asked.


    ''''Old Madam Han had taken him in...''''


    ''''Adopted?" Yu Mei shook her head, ''''From what I found, Master Jing is the only son of Old Master Han and Old Madam Han,'''' Although she could not do an in-depth investigation but she knew a bit about them.


    Jun Zixuan paused, ''''He is not officially adopted but they did take him in and he had vowed to serve them for his entire life.. He takes after their surname under Old Madam Han''s insistence but he prefers to live like a butler."


    Yu Mei frowned as she quietly scrolled down but there were no more data on it, ''''Is that it...? Hasn''t?he got a family?'''' She asked.


    ''''As much as I know, his wife and son have passed away,'''' Jun Zixuan paused, ''''This data is updated in the recent years so we can''t be sure about the rest.''''


    The Han Family had a military background with a history of generals and it was only a decade ago that they started to venture into the business field.


    As a military family, they have always been low-key which is why they never attracted her attention but now, Yu Mei was somewhat torn between her thoughts.


    On one side, everything concluded that they might not be rted to her. After all, their family tree is quite straight forward and there was no ce for anyone else to fit inside.


    But on the other hand, her instincts were contradicting her thoughts.


    The screen started flickering at this point.


    ''''Someone is breaking through the firewall of the system,'''' Jun Zixuan casually said as he leaned back on the chair, ''''We have seven minutes.''''


    Yu Mei said, ''''It has to be Han Family. Who else?'''' She paused for a moment before adding, ''''Since we are done here, let''s leave...''''


    He ced a finger on her lips, ''''I think we still have six minutes and a few seconds,'''' And just as the realization of his words started sinking in her mind, he grabbed the back of her head and pressed his lips on hers, his lipspping over hers as gently as possible and she slowly raised her hand as she hooked them around his neck.


    She leaned back from him, ''''Are you sure that nobody will barge in here? As in... when I came here, the door to a few boxes was opened and I saw some students here and there-''''


    He leaned closer to her as his fingers stroked her waist, kneading it in between, ''''Let theme. Who cares?"


    She was speechless.


    ''''Something had to be done for them to be born. So, they should know about things,'''' He teased her, ''''Moreover, I guess we are all good here. When I was younger, I used toe here so the owner of this knows me quite well. We won''t be disturbed.''''


    She tilted her head to the side, ''''I guess we have 4.5 minutes left right now,'''' She whispered as she looked back into his eyes.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he leaned closer to her, letting his lips hover her chin. He ced a soft kiss on her chin as his fingers glided inside her hair while caressing her scalp. He peppered her face with gentle kisses,''''


    She arched her neck, ''''4 minutes,'''' She whispered in between her soft pants.


    ''''Alright, let''s get to the point then,'''' His voice was low yet deep as he moved his palm which was resting on the back of her head as he angled her face before capturing her lips.


    The corner of her lips tugged up and she surprised him by fisting his hair in her palm as she pressed her body closer to him while kissing him passionately.


    He shoved his tongue inside her mouth, assaulting her sleek tongue that ovepped with his within an instant. The kiss was gentle yet deliberately hot and she could feel her body tingling with his little touches.


    A soft moan escaped her mouth and just when his hand moved inside her sweatshirt, he retracted it and she made a soft noise that almost sounded like a whine.


    He leaned his forehead against hers as they calmed their irregr breathing, ''''You want more?" He whispered.


    She still had her hands wrapped around his neck which tightened at his meaningful words, ''''Yes...'''' She whispered, her eyes were zed.


    ''''But aren''t you on your period?" Jun Zixuan asked innocently, ''''Apologies, but we can''t continue.''''


    Yu Mei snapped out of her daze and she narrowed her eyes, ''''Are you holding grudges now?" She mumbled.


    He asked, ''''Didn''t you say this to me all this time? First, you seduce me all the way, then you throw this tagline. Then how could you paint me as the culprit?'' Jun Zixuan looked like he had suffered some real grievances.


    She was tongue-tied.


    Suddenly, there was a beep sound on theputer screen, and a red dot appeared on it, ''''Time to leave.''''


    Yu Mei pushed herself to her feet without questioning him further.


    ''''Let''s go,'''' He grabbed her hand and walked towards the door while holding her hand.


    ''''One second,'''' His footsteps came to a halt at her words


    She quickly typed something with her left hand.


    He looked at the words she left on theputer screen in amusement.


    She pulled the hood back to her head and winked at him, ''''Let''s go.''''


    Jun Zixuan exchanged a meaningful gaze with the Old man who was standing near the receptionist desk.


    The old man nodded and Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei stepped out of the inte cafe.


    Just a few seconds after they stepped out, another person entered.

 Chapter 358 - Tampered With

    As soon as Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan stepped out of the Inte Cafe, some ck cars came to a screeching halt in front of them.


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes narrowed, ''''Let''s kiss,'''' He mumbled.


    Yu Mei was quick to catch up after she looked around. She adjusted the cap on her head and stood on her tiptoes as she pressed her lips on his.


    Jun Zixuan wrapped his arms around her waist as he hoisted her body slightly up such that she was standing on his feet on her tippy toes.


    While the couple kissed, a middle-aged man stepped out from the car followed by a trail of bodyguards behind him. There was a huge burn-like scar beneath his right eyes and if Yu Mei had her face turned towards him, she would have recognized him as Han Sheng, the man whose information they just saw on theputer screen.


    Han Sheng walked towards the entrance of the Inte Cafe with hurried footsteps, his sharp gaze scanned the ce around him looking for any suspicious figures.


    His gaze paused on the two people dressed in all ck as they kissed in the middle of the road..


    One of the bodyguards standing behind him spoke up, ''''Sir, this ce lies around the Campus of a High school. They are probably some students.''''


    Han Sheng paused, ''''This should be past their curfew time,'''' He said as he nced at the time on his watch.


    The bodyguard nodded, ''''They look like some senior students. Given how they are dressed, it seems like they have escaped the dorms.''''


    Han Sheng nced at them. He could see the woman''s back and since she was standing on the man''s feet, from his angle, he could not see the man''s face. All he could see was the man''s striking ash blonde hair as half of his face was hidden in shadows.


    He frowned for a moment, ''''The school should be strict with such disobedient students,'''' He coldly said, his voice was loud enough for the couple to hear. Without wasting his time on them anymore, he walked ahead.


    After they left, Jun Zixuan let go of Yu Mei''s lips which were assaulted ruthlessly.


    She breathlessly slumped on him, gasping for air. She thought he would only y around with the angle. She did not expect him to kiss her this hard for real.


    ''''Did you like the kiss, Student Mei?" Jun Zixuan teased in a seductive tone.


    Yu Mei stepped down from his feet as she looked up at him. The man''s tongue peeked out as he licked his bottom lips.


    ''''It was alright, Student Xuan,'''' She nodded.


    ''''Just alright? How about we try again?" He stepped towards her, quite liking the way she called him.


    She stepped backward, ''''No no no...'''' She shook her head, ''''Not here at all,'''' She turned around and dashed towards the other way.


    He caught up with her in a fewrge strides and wrapped his arms around her waist as he hoisted her up in the air before twirling around.


    ''''Put me down,'''' Sheughed.


    ''''Are you running again?" He asked.


    ''''No,'''' She vehemently shook her head and he finally ced her down, ''''How did you know that they are here?" Yu Mei asked when they walked towards the ce where his car was parked.


    ''''I had been tracing their location before I started hacking into their documents,'''' Jun Zixuan told her, ''''The person who was here was Han Sheng.''''


    ''''A pity that I could not see him,'''' She had her back facing towards him.


    ''''For now, it''s better not to be seen,'''' When they walked out of the ce, he knew it was toote as the cars had stopped right in front of them so he kissed her to dodge their attention.


    ''''But I have to admit that you had a full proof n this time,'''' No wonder, he was so casual, ''''Although we did not get any special information from their data, at least we got some more details on them.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded. Since they could not stop his attack on their devices, they tracked the location of the system that he was using. He could not defend their attacks because he was busy getting his hands on the document. So, he had already expected them toe here to look for the person who hacked into their documents.


    ''''But why are they treating this as something very important?" Yu Mei asked, ''''There was nothing there except for the family members and some trivial data, or did we miss something?"


    ''''I don''t think we missed something,'''' Jun Zixuan frowned. What she said was right. Since there was nothing important in that piece of document, why were they protective of it? "Unless... There was something important in it.''''


    It did not take her long to catch on to his thoughts, ''''Do you mean someone essed that document before us and tampered with it?" As she spoke, an image appeared in her mind.


    Han Jian Yu. Jun Zixuan sighed. That man was keen on burying this matter in the depths of the Earth''s surface.


    ''''If he has regained his memories like what you told me, then unlike us, he is aware of everything,'''' Jun Zixuan paused before adding, ''''He probably destroyed it even before we started investigating this matter. And just like us, maybe the Han Family is also unaware of it.''''


    The mention of Han Jian Yu had her go silent.


    Jun Zixuan could almost see her puppy ears drooping down. She was visibly upset that he was not telling her about anything and keeping her in dark all the time.


    He pulled her into his arms without saying anything. Han Jian Yu might have his reasons behind this but Jun Zixuan did not like his way of doing things.


    He would have drawn a contract beforehand if he had known that there were such side effects of having a brother.


    He did not like seeing her like this but this matter could be sorted out by the brother and sister only.


    Yu Mei sighed after some time, ''''The owner of the Inte Cafe would not get in trouble, would he?"


    ''''No, Han Family is not unreasonable,'''' Jun Zixuan paused before he added, ''''And even if they are, they won''t show it to to the world.''''


    Yu Mei nodded. Since he has involved the owner here, he must have made sufficient arrangements to protect him just in case something happened. ''''There were CCTVs in that ce...Don''t tell me you have done something with them too?"

 Chapter 359 - In Black

    Jun Zixuan shook his head, ''''I didn''t. The owner of this ce knows me so everything will be dealt with.''''


    She nodded, ''''That''s good then. Let''s go home and sleep,'''' Suddenly reminded of something, she said, ''''I have left my phone inside my car in front of Eminence headquarters.''''


    ''''I will ask someone to get them back to Ren Mansion,'''' Jun Zixuan replied.


    ''''Great.''''


    Compared to the rxing ambiance around them, Han Sheng was rather tense as he answered the call, ''''Yes, Master. I have reached the ce. Let me look into what happened.''''


    ''''Alright,'''' Han Jing, Master of the Han Family replied as he hung up..


    Han Sheng ced his phone inside his pocket as he walked towards the old man who came to his view, ''''Are you the owner of this ce?"


    The old man whom Jun Zixuan addressed as Mr. Lin earlier, nodded, ''''Yes, how may I help you?" He asked calmly.


    Han Sheng looked around the CCTV cameras around the ce, ''''Can you show me the footage of thest 3 hours?''''


    Mr. Lin frowned, ''''Usually I don''t show the recordings to anyone...'''' He paused for a moment before adding, ''''But this looks urgent to you.''''


    Han Sheng nodded, ''''Indeed,'''' He took out a gold card from his pocket before cing it on the table, ''''0034 is the pin,'''' He said.


    The old man paused as he followed his gaze, a greedy expression appeared in his eyes.


    Han Sheng nced at him with a straight face as he waited for him to pick up the card.


    But contrary to his expectations, the old man seemed to be disappointed all of a sudden as he shook his head, ''''I want to help you. But the CCTV cameras aren''t working for 2 days,'''' He said while sighing regretfully.


    Han Sheng frowned.


    ''''You can check it,'''' He pointed his hand at the monitor.


    Han Sheng nced at one of his bodyguards who stepped out from behind before walking towards the monitor. He checked it for a few seconds before shaking his head.


    Han Sheng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the old man who was ncing at the gold card greedily, ''''You can keep it,''''


    ''''But let us look into the ce,'''' Han Sheng continued.


    Old Man Lin nced at him excitedly, ''''Yes, why not?"


    Han Sheng nodded, pleased with his reaction as he looked at his guards.


    His guards quickly looked into the boxes and Han Sheng followed after them as they checked every box one by one.


    ''''Sir, someone is inside,'''' One of the bodyguards stopped in front of arge box.


    ''''Check,'''' Han Sheng said and the man pushed open the door as he stepped inside, only to be greeted by the sight of a group of high-school students inside the room.


    ''''What are you all doing here?" The bodyguard asked with a stern voice and the group of boys was intimidated by their aura.


    One of the boys answered in a calm tone, ''''We arepleting our project,'''' He pointed at theputer screen.


    The burly-looking bodyguard nced at Han Sheng, waiting for further instructions.


    Han Sheng nced at theputer disy and noticed that they were indeed doing some project, ''''Isn''t it way past your curfew hour?" He asked them.


    ''''It is. That''s why we are in our school uniform,'''' The boy answered calmly, unlike his intimidated friends. They were doing their work, what was there to be afraid of?


    Han Sheng frowned but just as he was about something, a voice came from behind, ''''Sir, we found something here.''''


    Han Sheng turned around and walked into the opposite room without a moment''s dy. He nced at theputer screen and his face darkened.


    On the pitch-ck screen, a few bold words appeared.


    ''You arete. Better luck next time.''


    The words were arrogant and provoking at the same time.


    ''''Sir, shall we check...''''


    ''''No need, that person was here,'''' he turned around and walked to the opposite room, ''''Who was there in the room next to you?"


    The boys looked at each other in confusion. They have been here for a long time so they did not see anyone.


    But the calm boy from earlier contemted over it for a few seconds before he said, ''''I think on my way here I saw someone in a ck outfit entering inside,'''' Since he joined his group memberster, he had noticed that person. Plus given her baggy clothing and weird manner, he remembered her, ''''I think she was a girl because of her figure but I can''t be sure about it as I have not seen her face.''''


    Han Sheng frowned. Baggy ck outfit? His thoughts flew back to the two senior students whom they saw outside. But if they are students, how did theye out at this hour unlike this group of boys who are still in uniform?


    ''''Were there two of them dressed in ck?''''


    ''''No, it was only one.''''


    After Han Sheng and his men left, Old Man Lin nced at the gold card in his hand.


    His lips curled in disgust as he threw it in the dustbin, "Fools."


    ...


    ''''I bet they would be looking at us,'''' Yu Mei climbed on the bed before she slumped on Jun Zixuan.


    He grabbed her waist and shifted her position such that she was warmly spooned in his arms, ''''Let them,'''' He rubbed his nose against hers.


    She bit his lips, ''''Good Night,'''' Sheughed looking at his weird face, ''''Do you want me, love?''''


    He did not say anything.


    She batted hershes at him, ''''But you can''t have me right now,'''' She securely wrapped her arms around his body as she closed her eyes.


    And what awaited him was a night of torture.


    Was she taking revenge for all the times he tired her out?


    ...


    In a luxurious mansion in Beijing.


    Around midnight, Han Sheng returned to the ce followed by his bodyguards. He paused and waved his hand, ''''You all can leave,'''' His expression was menacingly dark.


    The bodyguards bowed and left.


    ''''You are back,'''' Han Jing descended the stairs as he walked towards him.


    ''''Yes,'''' Han Sheng bowed slightly before he looked at the man.


    Han Jing paused and he frowned a bit. He wanted to ask him to not do that but the man would never mend his ways.

 Chapter 360 - Jinx

    ''''Did you find the person who hacked into our private documents?" Han Jing asked.


    Han Sheng paused, ''''No, I was ipetent," He said.


    Han Jing shook his head, ''''I think you should let go of this matter because our family has barely any connections with the military right now. There was nothing highly confidential in that document too....''''


    ''''How can it not be confidential?" Han Sheng frowned as he interrupted him. ''''And from that document, two of our family member''s data is missing,'''' He coldly said before he turned around and left.


    Han Jing was taken aback by the change in his attitude, ''''Two of the family members'' data is missing?" He followed after the man as he walked towards his room.


    .


    When he reached Han Sheng''s room, he could hear the sound of faint sobs.


    ''''Ah Yu, father has failed you,'''' A muffled voice came from inside the room.


    And from the creak of the door, Han Jing noticed the usually cold-looking man crying while holding a photo frame in his hand.


    Han Jing sighed before he turned around and walked upstairs.


    As he entered the bedroom, his wife sat up on the bed.


    ''''Has the matter been resolved?" Han Suyin asked him.


    ''''Someone hacked into the documents that contained our family information but now, the information of a few family members is missing,'''' Han Jing sat on the bed.


    Han Suyin stiffened, ''''Whose information is missing?"


    Han Jing understood what his wife was thinking. He stroked her back and pulled her into his arms, ''''Don''t think too much about it,'''' He did not want her to get her hopes high only to be disappointedter, ''''Our family has made many enemies during the past decades and maybe, someone is just trying to poke our wounds.''''


    Han Suyin nodded, ''''Is Han Sheng fine?"


    ''''He was crying while holding that picture. I did not go to him,'''' Talking about it, Han Jing seemed to have aged a lot as he said, ''''Let''s go meet that girl someday. Mei Zhen...''''


    Han Suyin smiled through the tears in her eyes, ''''If Li Na was alive today, she would have been very happy. Father might have forgiven her because of Mei.''''


    ''''Yes, Mei''er is a good child,'''' Han Jing smiled, ''''Li Na stayed true to her words and she really named her daughter after our...'''' He paused, noticing the tears welling up in his wife''s eyes, ''''I am exhausted. Let''s go to bed early today,'''' He stroked her back.


    Han Suyin nodded as she closed her eyes.


    Han Jing nced out of the window while stroking her back, a lonely expression appeared in his eyes.


    Outside their room, Han Jingyi who had ear pressed to the door stepped back, a cold expression remained in her eyes as she walked inside the room and locked the door.


    She kicked the coffee table and the ss table smashed to pieces. She picked up the flower vase and threw it, the ss vase smashed against the wall.


    ''''Ah...'''' A piece of ss pierced through her delicate skin and she grabbed her bleeding hand before she slumped on the floor. She leaned back against the couch as she buried her face in her knees. Her shoulders trembled and she opened her eyes which had reddened at this point.


    Tears trailed down her cheeks, ''''What''s mine can only be mine...'''' She mumbled and walked towards the bedside table. She pulled open the drawer and took out an old picture. She nced at the beautiful woman in a daze.


    Long dark hair, starry eyes, a face that can make one''s heart catch pace. Han Mei, the campus belle of Crystal University. That''s how people would have recognized her.


    ''''You are a jinx,'''' Han Jingyi threw the picture to the floor as she stomped on it, ''''A vixen...'''' She stomped her heels on the picture until it was unrecognizable.


    Only then did her heart calm down.


    ...


    The next day.


    ''''You really don''t have work to do? If you want, I can stay back,'''' Yu Mei said.


    Jun Zixuan ced his hands on her shoulders and pushed her towards the entrance, ''''No need, she is justing to pick some of her stuff. I will help her out.''''


    ''''What stuff can Mia have?" Yu Mei was confused. ''''Probably it''s some dress... She is fond of those dresses.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''Indeed.''''


    Yu Mei turned to look at him with narrowed eyes, ''''But why are you staying back for such a small matter? You two are acting like a suspicious pair of siblings who are going to be mischievous and wreak havoc...''''


    Jun Zixuan chuckled, ''''You are overthinking,'''' He was sure about himself, but he could not take Mia''s guarantee.


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, ''''Anyways, if you make any good food, keep it for me. And if she shares some good gossip with you, save that for me too.''''


    ''''Alright,'''' Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''But what if it is some secret?"


    Yu Mei''s mouth dropped open in disbelief, ''''You... I feel so jealous all of a sudden. You only lied about you both being siblings. But now, you have gotten so involved in this that you both are even keeping secrets behind my back?'''' She scoffed. Everyone was keeping secrets from her, ''''I will just go to Luoluo and ask her to share some secrets with me,'''' She turned around.


    Jun Zixuan hugged her from the back and kissed her neck, ''''I will tell you anything and everything okay? Don''t be angry,'''' He whispered.


    She leaned back at him, ''''But...'''' She started with a sad tone, ''''I was joking,'''' She ended her words, catching him off guard.


    Jun Zixuan was speechless.


    She turned around and ced a soft kiss on his lips before she dashed away quickly.


    He nced at her retreating back. Has she gotten naughtier than before?


    He let out a deep sigh before he turned around to walk upstairs.


    ''''Hello, brother~"


    A voice made him pause in his tracks.

 Chapter 361 - Three Attacks

    Jun Zixuan turned around and crossed his arms infront of his chest as he nced at Mia, ''''You are here?" He checked the time. It was way too early. What in the world has gotten her this punctual?


    Thest time they talked, she was all about ''I want to rx and chill. Enjoy the weather, stay in my ss house h h...'' What happened now?


    ''''I was here half an hour ago. I was waiting for her to leave,'''' Mia sneakily said as she walked towards the couch before she slumped on it, throwing her head back.


    ''''You are acting like a thief,'''' Jun Zixuan said in disdain.


    At this moment, Steward Gu stepped inside the mansion, ''''Master,'''' He nodded at the man before turning to look at Mia who was drinking water, ''''Young Miss.''''


    .


    ''''Pfft.. Cough Cough Cough...'''' Mia sttered the water on the ss table not-so-elegantly as she turned to look at Steward Gu, ''''What did you call me?"


    ''''Young Miss,'''' Steward Gu bowed again as he repeated with a straight face.


    ''''You don''t have to call me that,'''' As Jun Zixuan''s right hand man, he must be somewhat aware of the situation but Mia was a bit overwhelmed.


    Her words fell on the deaf ears, ''''Okay, Young Miss,'''' Steward Gu said.


    If Yu Mei was here, she might have consoled Mia. Because in their initial days, when she and Jun Zixuan were not even together, Steward Gu started addressing her as ''Young Mistress'' and he won''t budge no matter how she told him not to call her that.


    ''''Would you like coffee?" Jun Zixuan asked Mia.


    Mia flipped her hair as she sighed, ''''I don''t mind. Anything is fine with me.''''


    He nodded as he nced at Steward Gu before both of them walked to his study.


    Mia sat on the swivel chair and Jun Zixuan walked to the other side of the desk before he took a seat, ''''So, are you exining it now?"


    ''''Well...'''' Mia grabbed a pen and a paper before drawing two clouds. Inside one cloud, she wrote ''Y'' and inside the other she wrote ''M'', ''''See this.''''


    ''''borate.''''


    ''''M and Y share a good rtionship, are friends, sleep together, eat together and all that. But M wants to be sure that Y does not likes M. So, how can M be sure of this?" Mia asked.


    Jun Zixuan leaned back on the chair as he grabbed a pen holding both it''s end with his index fingers, ''''Mia and Han Jian Yu are up for a lot of things and Mia wants to be sure that Han Jian Yu does not likes her. So that they can continue their no strings attached rtionship without her needing to fear aboutmitments. Did I get this right?"


    Mia''s jaws dropped, ''''You... How did you know?'''' She then remembered that he had an abnormally high IQ.


    ''''No, it''s not because of my IQ. Even a fool can tell that you are talking about Han Jian Yu,'''' Jun Zixuan paused as he twirled the pen with his fingers, ''''Good rtionship, friends, sleep together, eat together. Did you take me as dumb that I won''t realize it with the initials?''''


    Mia raised an eyebrow as she leaned back on the chair, ''''Sigh.... Help now since you know the details...''''


    ''Knock''


    ''''Come in,'''' Steward Gu stepped inside the study as he served the coffee before he left.


    Jun Zixuan nced at the slightly cracked ss in the corner of the study. It was yet to be reced with a knew one and the sight of it was reminding him of something.


    *shback*


    ''''3rd use... My sister has been raised like a Princess by me and I want it to stay the same. No matter what happens, I don''t need her to do any work here at your ce. I don''t see any servants here....''''


    ''''They are on a day off,'''' Jun Zixuan replied as he leaned back on the table, ''''Will be back soon.''''


    ''''She will only do what she likes...''''


    ''''I prefer it that way.''''


    ''''About your family, some inws can be stern and...''''


    ''''My mother and brother both love Mei,'''' Jun Zixuan interrupted the man.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''Alright, let''s move to the next part.''''


    ''''Sure,'''' Jun Zixuan said.


    ''''You will have to take my 3 attacks head on without attacking back. My sister is sometimes short-tempered and stubborn. I want to test your endurance level. If you endure my attacks, you can endure her temper as well.''''


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes for a brief moment before he acted hesitant.


    Han Jian Yu''s gaze shed. Finally, there is a way to crack this code named Jun Zixuan. No matter how intelligent he is, it looks like he is not strong physically. Even though the CEO of Eminence is associated with the military but that does not necessarily means that he is well versed in these abilities. Not to mention that he was raised outside the Jun Family which means he is probably not well-trained at all.


    ''''And after that, you can attack on me once so that I can get a glimpse of your skills,'''' As a man in politics, Han Jian Yu''s shrewdness was well masked within his eyes. You have to go through me before you try to date my Princess.


    Despite the unfairness, Jun Zixuan straightened up, ''''Sure,'''' He said.


    Han Jian Yu''s fingers curled into a fist which in the next moment was aimed at Jun Zixuan''s face.


    As the punchnded, Jun Zixuan''s face wheeled to the side and his lips cracked.


    Han Jian Yu was surprised that he did not even stagger. He punched him twice again, holding back just enough to not leave a mark that might make his sister worry.


    But his every punch was more powerful than his previous one.


    Jun Zixuan wiped the blood from the corner of his lips as his back collided against the thick ss, a single crack appeared on it. But there was no visible shift in his expression.


    Han Jian Yu was not satisfied with the oue, ''''Your turn,'''' He said, not for one second doubting that he would be injured as well.


    But, s, the oue was unexpected to him.


    *shback ends*

 Chapter 362 - Don’t Talk To Me

    Jun Zixuan picked up his coffee mug before he took a sip from it, ''''Of course, I will help you,'''' The corner of his lips tugged up. He had punched him once. What about the other two punches? They were not dealt with.


    Mia got goosebumps, ''''You...'''' He looked like a sly fox. Wait, that was her. She narrowed her eyes, ''''Are you nning to trick me, brother?"


    ''''My dear sister, I will help you with the ways to make sure that he does not likes you. The rest is up to you whether you want to take it or not,'''' Jun Zixuan said like he did not care, ''''After all, times have changed. And in the present times, you aregging behind in many matters.''''


    ''''I want your help, of course,'''' She wanted to stay away from aplicated life.. She understood a few things but she was a bit clueless in a few things.


    Like in the novels or dramas, a girl pins the boy to the wall and calls him ''daddy'', it bes domineering. When she tried it with Han Jian Yu, it was quite strange to her.


    Mia made a mental note to update her knowledge about this world a little faster.


    A glint shed across Jun Zixuan''s eyes, ''''First, tell me, do you have any feelings for him?"


    Mia paused for a few seconds before shaking her head.


    ''''Alright, try these tricks after a few days as I guess you guys have just started,'''' Jun Zixuan''s calm voice sounded nothing less than a calctive old fox.


    ''''Yeah,'''' Mia folded one of her legs above the other as she nodded.


    Sitting in the backseat of a ck sedan, Han Jian Yu sneezed.


    ...


    Later that day, Yu Mei finished her work earlier and she met Director Xiang on her way, ''''How is Vice President actingtely?" She asked him as they walked out of thepany.


    ''''He has been acting like his usual self,'''' Director Xiang answered her even though he was confused.


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''Alright, Director Xiang, I will bother you to keep an eye on him,'''' She said.


    Director Xiang nodded as he opened the car door for her.


    Yu Mei shook her head, ''''It''s fine this time but don''t do it again,'''' She smiled at him before getting inside the car.


    Director Xiang watched until the car disappeared from his sight. He felt like their President had changed.


    A few years ago, she won''t look at any staff or talk to them like this, let alone smile. She was not cold and if anyone asked her something, she will talk but unlike how friendly she was with him now, she used to be very distant.


    Sigh~ He still felt lucky that he bumped into her inside the elevator when she was fat and unrecognizable.


    If that did not happen, Rosette might have been ended by this time.


    ...


    ''''Is Boyan inside?'' Yu Mei asked as she stepped inside Shi Luo''s apartment.


    Shi Luo quietly followed after her without responding to her question.


    Yu Mei paused as she turned to look at Shi Luo, ''''Are you angry?" She asked.


    Shi Luo did not respond as she walked towards the couch before settling on it.


    Yu Mei followed after her and sat beside her as she ced her bag and phone on the coffee table, ''''I am sorry,'''' She poked her shoulder.


    Shi Luo let out two ''Humph Humph'' before she turned her face to the side.


    Yu Mei sighed, ''''I did not mean to hang up on you. I was just a bit disturbed,'''' Yesterday before she went to Eminence headquarters, she was quite not herself when she hung up Shi Luo''s call.


    Shi Luo turned to look at her, ''''What happened?"


    ''''Is Boyan here?''''


    ''''No, he has an exam today. He will be graduating this year.''''


    ''''Oh? Is he in Amaranthine then?" After all, he was also a student of Crystal University, ''''When will he be back?"


    ''''His next exam is after a few days so I guess he should be back around midnight or tomorrow morning ording to the time here,'''' Shi Luo said before looking at her questioningly.


    Yu Mei nced at her quietly for a few seconds before she spoke up. She paused for a moment before she narrated everything to her from the Han Family''s hand behind her assassination to how Han Jian Yu''s memories and his weird behavior.


    Skipping the part about Mia''s identity, Yu Meiid out all her cards in front of Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo was stunned, ''''I think I need to stop talking to you,'''' She coldly said.


    Yu Mei frowned.


    ''''Get out,'''' Shi Luo pointed her hand towards the door.


    Yu Mei tugged at the hem of Shi Luo''s shirt, ''''What are you talking about?"


    ''''Don''t act cute in front of me. I am not your man who would be easily hooked around your little finger when you do that...''''


    ''Stab''


    ''''The hell you are doing all this time. You call me your best friend but I am unaware of everything.''''


    ''Stab''


    ''''Okay, that''s enough,'''' Yu Mei could not take another stab so she quickly dragged Shi Luo back to the couch, ''''I wanted to tell you long ago but you know that there has been things going on.''''


    Shi Luo narrowed her eyes.


    Yu Mei said, ''''Waking up here was enough of trouble and I was focused on losing my weight first. It took me some time with all that. Then, find Jian Yu, handle the matter with Rosette...''''


    ''''Then fall in love with Jun Zixuan and neglect your best friend and keep things from her,'''' Shi Luo interrupted her not so kindly.


    Yu Mei frowned, ''''Can you not get him involved here?''''


    ''''Why can''t I? If it had been before then you would have bothered to tell me what''s going on in your life but now that you are with him...''''


    Yu Mei stood up as she grabbed her bag and phone from the coffee table, ''''There is no point talking with you,'''' She walked towards the door.


    ''''Don''t talk to me then,'''' Shi Luo threw a cushion which missed the target and crashed onto the wall before falling on the floor.

 Chapter 363 - Distracted In Exams

    Yu Mei halted in her tracks, ''''Alright, If that''s what you want,'''' With that said, she walked out of the house. Even if the whole world was not talking to her, she was going to survive anyway.


    She tilted her head upwards and blinked a few times before putting on her shades.


    As the elevator opened, she saw Jun Boyan standing inside, ''''You are back so soon?" She asked him.


    ''''I took the first flight,'''' Jun Boyan was not surprised to see here, ''''Do you have a cold?"


    ''''No, why do you ask?"


    ''''Your voice sounds like that,'''' Jun Boyan felt something was amiss but he could not point his finger on it, ''''Why are you wearing shades at this time?'' He asked.


    ''''I think I probably got an eye infection,'''' She hugged him, ''''Gotta go. I will see youter,'''' With that said, she stepped inside the elevator leaving Jun Boyan confused.


    Why did she not look like her usual enthusiastic self?


    .


    He quickly checked back on his words to think whether he said something that made her upset but thinking about it, there have been nothing as such.


    Sigh... His brother might have killed him if he did something to upset her for real.


    He wiped an invisibleyer of sweat from his forehead before walking towards Shi Luo''s apartment.


    ''''Luoluo, I am back,'''' He tested the waters as he knocked the door, despite having spare keys, pin code and everything else.


    Soon, the door was opened from inside, ''''Don''t call me that,'''' She said as she stepped inside the living room while tying her hair in a high messy bun.


    She seems to have eaten some gun powder. Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow, ''''Senior, I am making dinner. Will you join me?" He asked her.


    ''''I am not hungry...'''' Her stomach made a protesting noise even before she could finish her words properly.


    Jun Boyan smiled, ''''How about a little to give me somepany?'''' He asked, ''''I don''t feel good if I eat alone.''''


    ''''Since you are insisting so much, then alright,'''' She said with a straight face before walking towards the kitchen.


    Jun Boyan threw his bag and phone to the couch before he said, ''''Senior, you can wash the vegetables. I will be there in two minutes.''''


    ''''No worries, freshen up first,'''' Her emotionless voice came from inside.


    After freshening up, Jun Boyan rolled up the sleeves of his shirt as he entered the kitchen before putting on the apron.


    Shi Luo, who was leaning back on the kitchen counter looked at him as he chopped the vegetables with expertise, ''''How was your paper?"


    ''''I will pass,'''' He smiled at her, revealing his dimples.


    This littlemb. Shi Luo shook her head to regain her focus, ''''What do you mean by pass? Mu Shen told me that you are an outstanding student. By saying that you will get pass marks, are you trying to fool me?"


    Jun Boyan tilted his head to the side. Why was she easily provoked today? Did something happen between her and Yu Mei? But since the day he has known them, he has never seen them in an argument or anything like that.


    They are always in sync.


    ''''Of course not. If I am saying it to you, I am speaking the truth...'''' Jun Boyan took a step to his right before he leaned towards her.


    Shi Luo froze at the sudden proximity, ''''And why would you do bad in exam?" She asked when their faces were barely a few inches apart. Her back was entirely pressed on the kitchen counter and Jun Boyan ced one of his hands towards her right side.


    ''''It was my Mathematics paper today,'''' Jun Boyan whispered as he looked at her face up so close, he could see her denseshes fluttering through her sses.


    ''''So, you are weak at it?" Shi Luo whispered back while hepletely towered over her with his well-built body.


    There were only the both of them in the kitchen but for some reason, she could only whisper back at him instead of raising her voice.


    ''''No, I was distracted and got a few answers wrong,'''' He grabbed a tomato from behind her before stepping back.


    Shi Luo exhaled a breath she did not know she was holding, ''''Oh, why were you distracted?"


    ''''I was thinking about someone,'''' He said.


    ''''Girlfriend?" Shi Luo tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms in front of his chest.


    ''''Well....'''' Jun Boyan nced at the vegetables and meat, ''''Senior, are you interested in my private life?" He asked.


    Shi Luo paused before she slowly shook her head, ''''Just curious,'''' She straightened up, ''''I will be there in the living room. Tell me if you need any help.''''


    Her face grew warm as soon as she turned around. She felt a bit guilty for no reason.


    ...


    Yu Mei parked the car in front of Ren Mansion before she alighted the car.


    As soon as she entered the Mansion, a delicious aroma assaulted her senses making her halt in her tracks.


    She nced at Steward Gu who was standing in the living room, ''''Young Mistress,'''' He bowed.


    Yu Mei removed the shades from her eyes as she walked towards him, ''''Has Mia left?"


    ''''Young Miss and Master are cooking dinner,'''' Steward Gu said while looking at the kitchen.


    Young Miss? Yu Mei blinked, ''''Mia is cooking?"


    ''''Indeed.''''


    ''''Alright, I wille downstairs after freshening up. And you can go back to your room already,'''' She sighed, ''''You don''t need to stand here, waiting for me to greet me.''''


    Steward Gu felt embarrassed, ''''But that''s my job.''''


    Yu Mei patted his shoulder, ''''That''s not your job. Just go and have some rest,'''' Before he could say something, she added, ''''You have to value my words a little since you call me Young Mistress. Or else I will feel like I am not taken seriously at all,'''' She sighed dramatically.


    Steward Gu was speechless but he also felt a warmth in his heart, ''''Alright, Young Mistress,'''' He bowed before he turned to walk towards his room.

 Chapter 364 - I Am Leaving

    After freshening up, Yu Mei walked downstairs before entering the kitchen. She was surprised to see a widespread variety of dishes on the kitchen counter.


    And what surprised her more was that, Jun Zixuan was standing at the side, passing the spices while Mia was the one who cooked.


    Both of them looked at her when they noticed her presence.


    ''''I cooked for you. Do you now love me the most in the world?" Mia asked as she elegantly pointed the spat towards Yu Mei.


    Yu Mei: "_"


    Jun Zixuan frowned, ''''I have been cooking for her since a long time already.''''


    His words were precise but everyone understood what he meant to say was ''I have been cooking for her for so long so she has to love me the most.''


    .


    Yu Meiughed as she walked towards them, ''''Whatever it is, I am going to eat till I am bloated,'''' Even if she had to work out for two hours tomorrow.


    It all looked so delicious. All of it was traditional Chinese food and Yu Mei had not seen some of it before.


    As they sat on the dining table, Mia grabbed a bottle of wine for herself. Instead of pouring it in a ss, she gulped it from the bottle itself while Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei had dinner.


    ''''You really don''t want to eat?" Yu Mei asked.


    ''''No, I don''t feel like...''''


    ''''But it''s good,'''' Jun Zixuan said.


    Mia''s eyes sparkled, ''''Do you both like it?"


    Both of them nodded.


    ''''I learnt it from the royal chef of our pce. But I rarely cooked for anyone so I was afraid my skills are not as good as before.''''


    ''''It is really good,'''' Yu Mei said, ''''Why are you here till now?"


    ''''Thought to give you a little surprise,'''' Mia said.


    Yu Meiughed, ''''You look different today.''''


    ''''Oh, how?"


    ''''Like... I can''t put a finger on it but did something good happen?"


    Mia was quiet for a moment before she said, ''''The ad I was shooting for is out now. I am quite famous,'''' She sipped the wine and continued, ''''I am getting many calls for my future modelling career but I simply changed my number,'''' She smirked. She wanted to spend the rest of her time enjoying the luxuries of the world.


    Yu Mei felt like this was not the real reason why Mia wasughing and idling like a Chesire cat who has stolen something precious but she did not expose her thoughts.


    After the dinner, Mia left happily.


    Although Jun Zixuan offered her that he will get his driver to drive her back to her ce but she told him that she was fine and wine or alcohol don''t have any effect on her.


    First of all, she was a good drinker and second, she was not entirely a human.


    ''''How was your day?" Jun Zixuan held Yu Mei''s hand as he pulled her up from the couch.


    ''''It ended on a good note,'''' She hooked her arms around his neck, ''''But I think you and Mia?should have met much earlier. You get along well.''''


    ''''She is nice,'''' Jun Zixuan said after a little thought, ''''A little troublesome but I have some good affinity with troublemakers.''''


    Yu Mei said, ''''Was that a shade thrown at me?''''


    ''''It could have been Mu Shen but since you took this upon yourself.... you know yourself too well,'''' he added thetter part in a small teasing voice.


    ''''Anyways, you are in for it for a long time. You don''t have any rights toin,'''' She swayed her body along with him, ''''Wait, are we dancing?"


    ''''I was notining. You want to dance?" He asked.


    ''''No. Let''s just sleep,'''' She pushed him to the bed before climbing on top of him.


    Jun Zixuan was quiet for a few seconds before he said, ''''If it''s bothering you that much, why don''t you call him?" Although she was not saying it explicitly, he could sense that she was feeling down because of Han Jian Yu.


    She shook her, ''''I am not talking to anyone,'''' She sat up on the bed.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself up, ''''It''s about Shi Luo too, isn''t it?"


    She looked at him, ''''Are you a worm in my stomach?" She did not tell him about it till now.


    "You went to her apartment. You looked off when you came back even though you were acting fine," Jun Zixuan pinched her chin as he tilted her face upwards, "So stop pretending now."


    Yu Mei realized that one of his bodyguard is always there around her. He might be the one who reported to him about this.


    She hesitated before speaking, "She was upset that I didn''t tell her about anything but I did that because I did not want to worry her and I..."


    Jun Zixuan ced his finger on her lips, "Okay stop," She looked like she will cry if she spoke further, "You don''t need to exin anything to me."


    She shook her head and her shoulders shook slightly as she lowered her head, "I tried so hard to exin myself but they just don''t..." She sniffed, "I tried to call Brother today...."


    "I thought you said you didn''t have a brother?" Jun Zixuan said, earning a punch from her.


    She sobbed, "I-I tried to call him but he has blocked my number."


    Jun Zixuan''s face darkened as he watched her crying. He knew that she was holding back since the time Han Jian Yu argued with her.


    ...


    By the time Mia came back, she found the house empty.


    The lights of the other house were off.


    Is Han Jian Yu not at his ce?


    "Did you have dinner yet?"


    Mia turned towards the stairs as she nced at Han Jian Yu who was descending the stairs, "I am done with my dinner. But why are you here at my ce?"


    "I am leaving tomorrow," Han Jian Yu said.


    Mia walked towards him, "Where are you going?" She asked.


    "Back to Amaranthine," He said.

 Chapter 365 - Left

    She nodded, "For how long?" He was the President of Amaranthine. Staying here must have made it difficult for him to deal with his work.


    "It could be weeks or months or years," Han Jian Yu said as he wrapped an arm around her waist.


    Mia frowned. When he leaned closer to her, she turned her face to the side such that his lipsnded on her cheeks.


    It was a good thing that he was leaving but she was not happy to hear it, "Is it because of Mei?"


    Han Jian Yu paused, "Initially, I was here because of her so now that she is happy, I want to go back," He did not want Mei to insist on him again and again, to tell the truth, that he was reluctant to tell her...


    He felt ufortable whenever that matter was brought up.


    .


    It was not her he was angry on. He was angry at himself.


    Mia stepped back from him as she sat on the steps before patting the ce beside her, "Sit."


    He settled beside her, "So, what do you n to do after you go there?"


    "Work," He replied.


    "You do that here too. Anything else?"


    "Nothing much."


    Mia nodded, "Oh. But she will be disappointed," She whispered.


    Han Jian Yu knew Yu Mei would be disappointed. He was also angry about how she tried to look into this matter repeatedly despite him asking her to not do that.


    But in the end, she was right this time and it was him who was wrong.


    But he never wanted to let her know about their identities. He did not know what she will think about it and the uncertainty in this matter scared him even though he pretended not to be afraid of anything.


    He closed his eyes, clearing his thoughts, "What about you? Will you be disappointed if I leave?"


    Mia thought about it for a few seconds before she nodded, "I will miss you for 7-8 hours but then I will get over it as you are not the only fish in the sea. Although you are a premium one but I will get myself-"


    He grabbed the back of her neck and captured her lips, breaking the trail of her words.


    Mia kissed him back passionately.


    As their lips parted, she ced her palms on his chest while distancing him from her, "What was that? Were you being possessive or were you jealous that I will be with other men?" She asked without beating around the bush.


    ''''I was jealous...'''' He smirked, "Since I was leaving, there was no need to hold back. I don''t like the thought of other men around you. If possible, I''d keep you to myself. It''s not just about sleeping with you. You mean much more than that to me. It''s a few days things that we met but you matter.''''


    Mia was stunned. This was a checkmate to her and Jun Zixuan''s long-crafted ns because both of them would have never expected that Han Jian Yu will be this vocal about his feelings.


    And she never expected him to really have any kind of affections for her in the first ce. ''''You...''''


    Looking at the expression on her face, he asked, ''''How about youe with me?"


    Mia pushed herself to her feet as she distanced herself from him, ''''Your feelings mean nothing to me. The way you said it, you put me in a dilemma. You had me thinking how can someone be so deep in it just after sleeping with a woman for a few times,'''' Mia flipped her hair back as she said, ''''But well, I never-'''' She paused looking at his nk face.


    Han Jian Yu stood up as he stepped towards her, ''''So, all of it was just sleeping to you?"


    ''''I don''t want to make you feel bad but it''s true. I warned you to not romanticize me but you ruined everything,'''' She shrugged with a strange expression on her face.


    Han Jian Yuughed.


    Mia paused, ''''What?"


    ''''I was just kidding. What are you so serious about?"


    Mia paused before looking at hisughing face, ''''You were not serious?"


    ''''Of course not?" He grabbed the back of her head before cing a kiss on her forehead, ''''Go to bed early. I have a few meetings so I will leave...'''' He stepped back from her.


    ''''Meetings at this time?" Mia was confused.


    ''''They are scheduled ording to Amaranthine time zone,'''' He said as he turned around to leave.


    Mia grabbed his hand, ''''Wait.. what were you here for?"


    ''''I was here to tell you that I am leaving... Not to do anything else,'''' He paused and turned to look at her, ''''...Unless you want me to do something?"


    The corner of her lips tugged up as she let go of his hand, ''''Leave since you have work to do.''''


    ''''Sure,'''' He turned around and left.


    Mia waited until he entered his ce. She nced at him through the ss wall but he walked upstairs without looking at her. It looks like there was no need to confirm anything anymore because he was leaving and secondly, she believed he really did not like her.


    That was a relief. Mia thought as she looked up at the stars for a few seconds before walking upstairs.


    Han Jian Yu locked the door of his room as he sat on the bed. He raked his fingers through his hair and leaned back on the headboard of the bed. Closing his eyes, he inhaled a few deep breaths before he opened hisptop.


    ...


    The next morning when Mia walked downstairs, she put on her shoes before going to the adjacent house, wondering why he was not here, as usual, to call her for breakfast like he always did.


    Her footsteps came to a halt when she noticed the lock on the door.


    Did he leave already? She turned around and walked inside her house before settling on the couch.


    ''''He could have told me...'''' She mumbled before slumping on the couch.


    Inside a private jet.


    Han Jian Yu leaned back in his seat.


    A female staff came to serve him breakfast. Her fingers trembled slightly as she ced the food in front of him before she looked at the man


    ''''You can leave,'''' Han Jian Yu waved his hand.


    There was relief in her eyes as she straightened up.


    ''''Wait...'''' He said all of a sudden and she froze.

 Chapter 366 - What Happened?

    ''''Yes President?" She turned around and bowed to him.


    ''''Why have you put on a mask?" Han Jian Yu started eating his breakfast as he asked her.


    She said, ''''I think I have a flu so as the precautions. Is there an inconvenience?" Her voice was sounding hoarse.


    Han Jian Yu paused, ''''No. You can leave.''''


    The woman walked away and stood behind the curtains as she watched him drinking the juice.


    Soon after, he wiped his face and leaned back on the seat before closing his eyes.


    The woman smirked as she adjusted her mask before snapping her fingers.. At that, two other male staffs came over to her.


    ''''Is it done?" The one who was dressed like a cleaner asked while the other stood quietly.


    ''''Yes. Let''s go,'''' She stepped out of the curtains before strutting towards the man who was fast asleep.


    She bent down and lowered Han Jian Yu''s seat while the other two men behind her looked around.


    The woman stood up and extended her hand towards Han Jian Yu''s shoulder but all of a sudden, her hand was locked in an iron grip and the man who was sleeping till this point opened his dark hawk-like eyes.


    ''''Who are you?" He strangled her neck.


    ''''How did you know? When?" The woman asked.


    Han Jian Yu smirked, ''''My people call me Boss. And I recognize each one of them despite their upation. Speak now,'''' His cold gaze swept across the two men standing behind her with a straight face before he tightened his grip on her hand.


    ''''We wanted to make it painless for you but looks like we have to take the painful way,'''' Both the men nced at each other briefly before pouncing on Han Jian Yu. The woman managed to get herself out of his grip when her teammates took control of the situation.


    She gasped for air before lunging forward to punch Han Jian Yu.


    Han Jian Yu grabbed her while kicking the man who had lunged at him. And that split-second was enough for the other man to aim a punch at his jaw.


    Han Jian Yu easily dodged it as he turned his face to the side before pushing the woman down with a great amount of force.


    He caught hold of the other man''s cor before he punched his neck but a momentter, his brows tugged together, ''''Why are you holding back?" He coldly asked. He could sense that these people were much more capable than this but he could not understand why they were holding back from using their strength and facing him head-on.


    The man said with a straight face, ''''We are carrying out the order. Just y along with us, President Han. We will not make things difficult for you if youe along.''''


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow before he kicked the man, sending him off like a broken kite, ''''Even if you use your whole strength, it depends if you have the capabilities if you can make things difficult for me.''''


    ''''How about this?" The woman smirked as she raised her hand and pointed her finger in a particr direction.


    Han Jian Yu followed his gaze and nced in that direction. The pilot had a tape over his mouth while a pistol was pointed at his head while the one who was holding the pistol was none other than the co-pilot. But as the man raised his head, he looked unrecognizable to Han Jian Yu.


    He was not the co-pilot but someone else in disguise. Ayer of frost seemed to have covered him as Han Jian Yu tilted his head to the side.


    Two people moved like a dark shadow appearing behind the pilot and the co-pilot in a swift move as one of them grabbed the person by his neck while the other caught hold of the pistol in his hand. The jet was currently flying autonomously.


    ''''How...'''' The four people were stunned and the co-pilot asked, ''''How were they here? We did not trace them...'''' He trailed off.


    Sunny nced at him with a straight face while Dannyughed, ''''That''s why we are shadow guards,'''' He said.


    The co-pilot struggled and skillfully escaped from their clutches before running.


    Danny and Sunny exchanged meaningful nces before the former removed the tape from the pilot''s face. None of them seemed to look like they had any intentions to catch the man who was dashing towards their boss.


    This man could have been beaten up by them and still have retained his face but he chose to be the living sacrifice to the devil then so be it.


    Not everyone has the same taste.


    But what they witnessed next astonished them.


    The co-pilot shed his phone at Han Jian Yu, ''''President Han, take a look at this. It might help in changing your mind,'''' He said.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head and grabbed the phone from his hand before he scrolled down. The more he looked, the more his expressions darkened until his face was resembling the bottom of a pot.


    His expressions changed and he looked at the pilot before nodding.


    Danny and Sunny were stunned. What happened? What powerful thing could make this man change their mind within a split-second?


    Their astonishment could be seen on their faces.


    As the private jetnded on the helipad, Han Jian Yu stepped out of it followed by the four people who had hijacked the jet.


    Danny and Sunny walked behind the four people.


    All of sudden, a ck sedan stopped in front of them.


    Han Jian Yu''s footsteps came to a halt.


    The door of the driver''s seat opened and Steward Gu walked out before walking towards Han Jian Yu as he bowed, ''''President Han.''''


    Sunny and Danny looked at each other. Wasn''t this man....? Both of them recognized him. While looking out for the information on Ren Mansion, they came across this man and they were aware of who he worked for.

 Chapter 367 - Kidnapped

    Han Jian Yu coldly nced at Steward Gu. If gaze could kill, Steward Gu would not have been alive till now.


    Steward Gu was visibly unfazed as he straightened up, ''''President Han, this way...'''' He pointed his palm towards the backseat of the car before he went to open the door.


    ''''Hello, brother-inw,'''' Jun Zixuan tilted his head from his iPad as he tilted his head to look at Han Jian Yu.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.


    ''''My heart aches to see you like that,'''' Jun Zixuan said, azy smile hanging on his face as he nced at the man''s dishevelled hair, ''''Please get inside before my hands trip and something spills,'''' He waved his iPad.


    Danny and Sunny were speechless and somewhat shaken.. Was their boss being threatened by their Young Miss''s husband?


    But their expressions changed further when Han Jian Yu went inside the car docilely.


    ''''Smile brother-inw. I feel bad when you look at me like that,'''' Jun Zixuan leaned back on the seat as he fiddled with the iPad in his hand.


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes as he forced a smile on his face, ''''You should not feel bad. There is nothing for you to feel bad about,'''' He spoke through gritted teeth.


    ''''Your tone sounds rather harsh,'''' Jun Zixuan raked his fingers through his ash-blonde hair bringing them to the side.


    ''''What do you want?" Han Jian Yu''s fingers curled into a fist but he restrained himself.


    At this moment, Jun Zixuan''s casual expression finally shifted. His gaze turned serious as he turned to look at him.


    ...


    Ren Mansion.


    ''''What''s going on?" Yu Mei frowned when a maid led her to the study.


    ''''We are acting on Master''s order,'''' The maid said politely.


    Her frown got deeper. She was designing in the Master Bedroom when this maid came to told her that Jun Zixuan has summoned her to his study.


    And Yu Mei was speechless. Summon? Between her and Jun Zixuan, there has never been any usage of such words. That man can barge inside her dormitory when he wanted. So, for him to call her this solemnly, this matter has to be something serious.


    As she stepped inside the study, the door locked from inside and she was about to ask what was going on until her gazended on the man standing near the window.


    ''''Jian Yu?" His back was facing towards her so she could not make out his expressions.


    Han Jian Yu turned around to look at her.


    She blinked. Her throat was choked up with myriad of emotions. It has been a few days since they argued and it has never happened before but despite that, she maintained her stance, ''''What are you doing here?"


    Han Jian Yu looked at her expressionlessly, ''''Your man kidnapped me because I made you upset,'''' He leaned back, finding it rather ridiculous.


    Her lips parted in disbelief. She gawked at him like he was growing two heads, ''''What did he do?"


    ''''You heard me right.''''


    ''''And you let yourself be kidnapped?" It was Jun Zixuan''s way of doing things. He did what he wanted in any way that he liked, hook or by crook but what about Han Jian Yu? When did he be so gullible?


    At this point, one could easily see a sliver of embarrassment on Han Jian Yu''s face.


    Yu Mei was more curious about it.


    But Han Jian Yu did not seem to have any intention of mentioning it.


    After taking a deep breath, he walked towards her and held her hand before bringing her to the swivel chair. He made her sit on the chair before kneeling in front of her.


    Yu Mei was stunned, ''''What are you doing?"


    ''''Shh...'''' Han Jian Yu cupped her delicate palms in hisrge and scarred ones before he pressed his forehead on it, ''''I was leaving today.''''


    ''''Where were you going?" She asked, a little confused.


    ''''Back to Amaranthine.''''


    ''''Without telling me?"


    ''''I did not n to. I wanted to disappear until you are over you obsession of looking into the past matters.''''


    She pursed her lips, ''''Brother, you can''t do this to me. There is a line between protecting me and taking away my freedom.''''


    ''''I didn''t...''''


    ''''You did. I have every right to know the truth.''''


    ''''But...''''


    ''''Since I am alive, you areid back about it. But this second life did not came easily to me. There have been struggles and sacrifices behind it. Had it not been for Mi-'''' Yu Mei paused as she took a deep breath realizing what she almost blurted in a moment of frustration, ''''Had it not been for the miracle that happened, I would not have been alive till this day,'''' It was all a stroke of luck on her part but to Mia, it was a sacrifice.


    If Yu Mei was not this emotionally attached to Mia then she would have thought about paying back for what she owed her. But given their rtionship, she was never concerned about what to pay her or anything. What always bugged her was the fact that she snatched a life from Mia. A life that Mia had always desired.


    In her previous life, Mia had wanted Han Mei to die soon so that their contract would be over and then she can live the world on her own ord. But everything that happened trapped her forever to Yu Mei''s side.


    The amount of love she had for Mia was much more than the guilt in her heart and it burdened her at times.


    Yu Mei sighed, ''''Brother, I don''t want to die again,'''' She wanted to live, ''''I want to know the truth so that I know what ising at me. So that I won''t be caught off guard and assassinated in the middle of the forest,'''' Her palms trembled and she retracted her hand from his grip before stroking her wrist, an action she had not done in a long time.

 Chapter 368 - The Truth

    ''''You won''t die. I won''t let you,'''' Han Jian Yu said, there was an unmistakable depth in his dark eyes, ''''Not again,'''' He swore.


    Yu Mei found it harder to breathe and she looked up, ''''When I woke up in this body, I only pretended to be strong. But to be honest, I was clueless and I was scared,'''' her eyes welled up with tears. She hated herself for crying this easily all the time but it just happened. She was always this vulnerable in front of the people she loved. ''''I...'''' She wiped her eyes with the back of her palm before looking at him.


    Han Jian Yu grabbed her hands as he stroked her palm with his finger, making no moves to stand up.


    ''''I was not used to not having you around. I didn''t know where Luoluo was. Rosette was almost bankrupt and I even had thoughts about abandoning mypany...'''' Yu Mei paused before continuing, ''''Zixuan... When I saw him, I had a little hope in my heart. But he... I found that he was not like the person I knew before. He hated his wife. And I who had upied his wife''s body was also hated by him. It was not his fault..'''' She added before he could misunderstand Jun Zixuan, ''''Circumstances were like that but the thing is that everything left me hopeless at times.''''


    Han Jian Yu felt strange suffocation in his heart. It was as if someone was crushing it. He never knew she went through all these. When they first met, she told him with a smile that ''I have got it. I have handled everything well and it is all fine now'' and he did not doubt her.


    Did she mean this by saying it was easy?


    ''''I could not sleep at night thinking that someone is here in my room to assassinate me. There will be times when I wake up in the middle of the night and I will run to him to make sure that I am not waking up in a different ce. I was psychologically and mentally drained and shaken,'''' It was the first time she was confessing this to anyone and more probably, admitting it to herself too. Yu Mei looked at the dark wooden desk as if she could see those incidents shing in her mind.


    ''''How did you get over it then?" It took him some time to find his voice.


    ''''I persisted because of you. I thought that you would be sad without me and would drown yourself with your work without caring about your health. Danny and Sunny are too afraid to scold you so I had to be there.''''


    Han Jian Yuughed as he pressed a kiss on her palms, ''''Silly.''''


    ''''Everything got better. I found Luoluo, I handled thepany matters and... I and Zixuan started to understand each other. We went back to how we were in the past, back to being best friends-''''


    ''''You should have remained friends. Why did you have to marry that rascal?"


    The door to the study room opened and Jun Zixuan stepped inside, ''''Was I mentioned?"


    Han Jian Yu''s lips thinned. This sly man... ''''I was just praising you. Thinking why you didn''t marry each other before.''''


    Yu Mei: "_" What episode is this? Did I walk into another world?


    Yu Mei was rather not used to her brother being this docile and loving with Jun Zixuan. Did she miss anything?


    Taking a deep breath, she said, ''''But everything is finally settling in its right ce and it is good if it remains this peaceful,'''' She stood up from the chair and helped him up, ''''Brother, tell us the truth,'''' They could have gone to the Han Family to seek for answers but they held back from involving with them because of Han Jian Yu as he seemed to have enmity with them.


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes. For him, this so-called truth was like a Dragon''s inverse scales that he did not prefer to be poked but when he opened his eyes, a determined glint shed in them, ''''I can tell you but there is this one thing that you should know...''''


    Yu Mei nced at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.


    ''''After this, everything will be up to you and...'''' Han Jian Yu closed his eyes, stopping himself from speaking any further. He pulled her into his arms, ''''You can not...'''' He could not find proper words to exin his feelings.


    Yu Mei stepped back from him, there was a hint of confusion in her eyes as she looked at him before looking at Jun Zixuan who was sitting on the couch.


    Yu Mei said, ''''Brother, you have to know that no matter what happens, I won''t change neither will my perspective about anything will change. So, you can trust me with anything,'''' She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the couch.


    Looking at her applying so much strength to make him move, he finally budged from his ce, recalling the old days where she used to do the same. It was just him who won''t budge from his ce at that time.


    *shback*


    ''''From this day onwards, you will be looking over her and guard her,'''' Han Sheng patted his back.


    ''''Was I brought here for this father?" He had to leave his vige, his maternal grandma, and grandpa just to do this? ''''I am not going to babysit her,'''' As young as he was, there was a decisiveness in his tone.


    Han Sheng massaged his forehead, ''''You have to.''''


    ''''Just throw her in the wild,'''' Han Jian Yu coldly said, ayer of frost was there on his face, ''''She will learn to grow up surrounded by a pack of wolves or cubs. I survived in the vige for years so can she.. What does it have to be me babysitting her?" The boy adjusted the cor of his shirt while speaking as he frowned.

 Chapter 369 - A Little Trouble

    Han Sheng ced his palm on his mouth, ''''Don''t let anyone hear you. Since when did you be so disobedient?'''' He removed his palm from the boy''s mouth as he said, ''''Your grandparents want to stay here and do this as well. Your training will start soonbined with your education. Despite the fact if you want to do this or not, this is not an option given to you. You have to do it,'''' Han Sheng expressionlessly said as he turned around.


    ''''On what basis are you ordering me to do this?" Han Jian Yu asked, a little hesitance remained in his voice but more than that, he was cold and unfeeling.


    ''''I am your biological father. The man your maternal grandparents have taught you to obey,'''' Han Sheng looked at the boy from above his shoulder, ''''You are my only son and I love you. But, I don''t like those who are disobedient to me. You have to act on mymands regardless if you like it or not.''''


    The 7-year old Han Jian Yu nced at his retreating back before he walked towards the pink baby cradle. He lowered his head to look at the little girl lying in there. Dressed in a little white dress, she had her legs up in the air as she yed with her toes with her fingers.


    Han Jian Yu frowned. The reprimanding words that he had in his throat for her seemed to be stuck inside as he looked at her. ''''You are troublesome,'''' He still chastised her though, ''''If it was not because of you, I would not have to leave my grandparents toe here. You are so tiny but why do you need me to take care of you?" He realized he was being childish by talking to a 10 months old baby.


    So, he stopped talking and extended his hand towards her face. A little pinch should vent his frustration.


    As if she sensed his presence, the little girl nced at him with her doe-like starry eyes.


    The innocence in them was so bright that Han Jian Yu could not bear to pinch her face. In the end, he just poked her chubby cheeks and they bounced back like a sponge.


    Han Jian Yu''s eyes turned curious, ''''Kiddo, are you a fluffball?" He retracted his hand but as if she could understand him calling her chubby, she started wailing loudly.


    Han Jian Yu looked around the room, waiting for her nannies toe and coax her but he did not see anyone around. As she cried louder, he panicked and looked at her with a frown, ''''I just knew you were this troublesome. What do you need?" He poked her cheeks again as if he was looking for her ''Off'' button.


    The little girl stopped crying as she lifted her tiny fingers and grabbed his index finger.


    ''''Clingy,'''' Han Jian Yu muttered under his breath but she did not pay much attention to him as she fiddled with his finger as if she got a new toy to y with.


    ''''She likes you,'''' came a sweet voice near the door.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to look at the person who came.


    Han Suyin stepped inside the room. A soft smile made its way to her face as she looked at Han Jian Yu, ''''What''s your name dear?" She asked him, despite knowing it.


    ''''Han Jian Yu,'''' Han Jian Yu lowered his head.


    ''''Look at me,'''' Han Suyin said and the boy tilted his head upwards, ''''I heard everything you said.'''' Han Jian Yu paused, ''''It''s inappropriate to eavesdrop on other''s conversation.''''


    ''''Little gentleman, do you mean to say that you were conversing with this little girl?" Han Suyin pointed her finger towards the baby inside the cradle.


    ''''Kind of,'''' Han Jian Yu nodded. He was the one talking so she should be on the listening side.


    Han Suyinughed, ''''I apologize. I did not mean to eavesdrop. But I heard everything you said. If you don''t want, you can go back to your vige. Your father won''t force you and I will make sure of that. And if you are staying here, then you will get to meet your grandparents whenever you want.''''


    Han Jian Yu frowned. Undoubtedly, this was a good chance for him to go back to vige but he hesitated. Going back to the vige meant he won''t be able to study. If he did not study, his grandparents will have to struggle forever to make meet''s end.


    Within a few minutes of silence, he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.


    Han Suyin stood there quietly looking at the calctive look on the boy''s face. As young as he was, his maturity was reflected in his clean pair of eyes and her heart ached a bit as she looked at him. For someone of his age, did he mature too soon?


    ''''I will stay her but stick to your words, Madam Han,'''' He said as he tilted his head, ''''I will take care of your daughter but you have to take care of my grandparents. Let me meet them when I want. Do not restrict me.''''


    Han Suyin nodded, amazed by his decisiveness, ''''How do you know my identity?"


    ''''I have seen Master Han''s pictures before,'''' Han Jian Yu pointed at a photo frame in the bedroom, ''''You are there beside him so I only made a guess.''''


    Han Suyin smiled, ''''Smart,'''' She lowered her body to his level before cing a soft kiss on his forehead, ''''For some reason, I like you a lot. I will be happy if you call me Mom,'''' There was this affection towards him the moment sheid her eyes on him. It was probably because of his nature or because she found him adorable.


    Han Jian Yu was stunned at her actions but he maintained a straight face, ''''I had a mother,'''' he said, ''''She is dead.''''


    Han Suyin paused. Of course she knew and that''s why she wanted to be his mother. Even though she could not rece his biological mother, but as long as he was here, she could take care of him like her son. And she said this in an impulse because she really liked this boy. Afraid of hurting his feelings, she quickly said, ''''You can call me Aunt.''''


    ''''Will do,'''' Han Jian Yu said with a straight face but his expressions weren''t as guarded as before.

 Chapter 370 - I Will Avenge You

    Han Suyin walked towards a cradle as she picked the little girl from inside.


    Han Jian Yu felt the grip of the little fingers loosening on his index finger and he carefully removed the girl''s hand from his.


    ''''She can be your little sister,'''' Han Suyin turned the girl''s face towards him.


    Han Jian Yu looked at the girl who was like a sunflower, smiling and giggling to herself as she looked at him, ''''Is she your daughter?" Although he knew it but it was a guess so he decided to confirm it.


    ''''Yes,'''' Han Suyin replied as she continued, ''''She is Han Mei.''''


    ''''Mei,'''' Han Jian Yu said before nodding, ''''Suits her. She is delicate and beautiful like her name. And she even needs me to protect her. How weak...!'''' He stopped mumbling, realizing that the person he wasining to was the girl''s mother.


    Han Suyin burst intoughter, instead of being offended, ''''You can make her strong and teach her things. I will give that responsibility to you.''''


    Han Jian Yu seemed to be deep in thoughts as he contemted over it, ''''Will do,'''' He reluctantly said as he nced at the bright smile on the baby girl''s face. The faster he taught her things and made her independent, the more chance will be there for him to escape this babysitting job.


    He rubbed his palms together, hoping that she can grow up in a few days so that he can set her up for some hellish training.


    As if feeling his intentions and burning gaze on her, Little Han Mei shrunk back as she buried her face in her mother''s neck before wailing loudly.


    Han Suyin was left somewhere betweenughter and tears as she noticed the exchange between the pair.


    ''''She is perceptive. I was testing her perception skills,'''' Han Jian Yu stiffly said, suppressing his urge to re at the little girl. How loud and exaggerating was she!


    Han Suyin awkwardly nodded, ''''Uhh... she is a naughty girl,'''' She said to Han Mei, ''''Little Mei, should you not greet Brother Jian Yu?"


    Han Mei finally stopped wailing as she hupped before looking at the boy.


    Han Jian Yu did not know if it was his illusion but he felt like she smiled. It was a mocking smile. This little brat-


    The n was simple. To make her independent and strong and leave the Han Family.


    But Han Jian Yu''s simple n was filled with obstacles as the little girl was not as simple as she seemed.


    The naughtier she was, the colder he became but she was a clingy kid, barely letting him go at any given time.


    Han Mei liked this cold elder brother of hers and the first word that she learned to speak was ''Brother''.


    The Han Family members were all stunned but everyone was happy at their Little Princess'' achievement. They were more pleased that these two kids were getting along well.


    But unaware to them, that night, Han Jian Yu was locked in a room and beaten up for the whole night by a few servants, ''''What did I tell you? You are a servant. You have to serve her, be her guard and be her loyal dog. Not her elder brother,'''' Han Sheng pped him before he turned around to leave.


    At the time of dawn, Han Jian Yu sat on the corner of the dark room holding the picture of his grandparents, ''''I will make it here before Ie to you,'''' He whispered and a determination rose in his heart. He was not here to make rtions.


    Days changed to weeks and weeks changed to months. Little Mei finally started walking like the other kids her age and her words were more fluent. She learned to speak full sentences and everything was well but the elder brother was colder than before.


    Han Jian Yu was determined to not let her close but she was more determined to tear down the walls in his heart and despite everything, she would be clingier than the previous time.


    And in the end, Han Jian Yu was wrapped around this little devils'' pinky even before he realized it.


    A few times, his father would discover him calling her by her name, buying her candies and ying with her, interacting with her like an elder brother instead of a bodyguard.


    He would be beaten but that won''t change things between him and the little girl like it used to do in previous times.


    There were a few times when Little Han Mei witnessed the scene of Han Jian Yu getting beaten. She would thene to check on him whenever Han Sheng was in the mansion.


    She wanted toin to her parents but Han Jian Yu held her back knowing that it might worsen the situation. Other than her and her mother, he did not trust anyone in this family and the least he wanted was to cause them trouble.


    *shback ends*


    ''''I don''t *hup* *hup* want to hear *hup* anymore,'''' Yu Mei rubbed her face on Jun Zixuan''s shirt, wiping her tears and snot on his shirt.


    Jun Zixuan patted her back, ''''You mean that she is the daughter of Han Jing and Han Suyin?"


    ''''She is,'''' Han Jian Yu paused for a moment before adding, ''''I am not her biological brother but the bodyguard who was assigned to protect her," the words tasted bitter in his mouth.


    Yu Mei took a deep breath as she rubbed her eyes before standing up, ''''Come, let''s go,'''' She sniffed.


    ''''Where to?"? Both the men frowned.


    ''''To the Han Mansion,'''' she responded, ''''Nobody gets to beat you. Why don''t I remember any of it?''''


    ''''You were young when all of it started happening.''''


    ''''I don''t care. I will avenge you," She looked determined.


    There was a moment of silence and Han Jian Yu leaned back on the couch cing a palm on his face. The amount of insecurity and fear he felt before telling this to her was something only he was aware of.


    But at this moment, he felt like all of them were ridiculous. Amidst all the things that he told her, she only had her focus on him being beaten. Not on her identity, not on her parents, not on the further truth but on him.


    That was some weird feeling to him.

 Chapter 371 - Jerks Are Jerks

    ''''Brother,'''' She called him and he snapped out of his daze.


    ''''You can''t go there,'''' Han Jian Yu said but he paused. A hint of conflict appeared in his eyes, ''''Now that you know about this, it will be unfair if I stop you from going there. But if you go there, I will eventually head back too and everything will go back to how it was. I will no longer-''''


    ''''She does not want to let them know about her identity,'''' Jun Zixuan said, ''''Am I right?" He asked Yu Mei.


    She paused before nodding as she nced at Han Jian Yu, ''''I...'''' She felt conflicted knowing who her parents were and there were countless questions in her heart but at this moment, she could not bother to think about the things which had not existed for her all her life, ''''I need to vent for you,'''' She confessed.


    Han Jian Yuughed as he pushed himself to his feet, ''''It''s all in the past. Right now, you have two options. If you go back to them, in one way or another, today or tomorrow, they will know who you are. If you don''t want to go back to them, then we will stay away from the Han Family forever acting like they don''t exist. And no matter what you choose, I will back you up.''''


    Jun Zixuan sat on the couch, lost in his thoughts as he contemted over the things, giving both of them the space to discuss it.


    Yu Mei felt conflicted in her heart but she knew that going back to that family meant a line between her and Han Jian Yu. The fact that he was not her biological brother affected her but it did not affect her more than the fact that he was abused there.


    Her biological parents... The thought of that bubbly woman, Han Suyin, who asked her to call her Aunt shed in her mind. That gentle smile on Han Jing''s face as he looked at her, that stern yet cute old man who asked her to peel apples... they were all her family.


    ''''They are a happy family now-''''


    Jun Zixuan interrupted her, ''''Han Jingyi is adopted. Han Liyun is your biological brother,'''' he said as he saw the text that he just received on his phone. It was the result of the in-depth investigation that he had asked Steward Gu to do.


    Han Jian Yu nodded, ''''Han Jingyi was adopted the year after we disappeared from there.''''


    So, she was their adopted daughter. Yu Mei had more questions in her mind, ''''No matter what, I chose you,'''' She said before asking, ''''Brother, what about your grandparents? How are they now?"


    ''''Everyone thinks that both of us are dead. My grandfather passed away after getting this news as he had heart disease. My grandmother is still there.''''


    ''''You... Have you met her?"


    ''''No. She is living peacefully. If I go to meet her, things might turn chaotic for her in the end,'''' he said.


    She kept quiet about it. Probably the people who were after her might go to any extent to reach their goal. ''''When did you remember everything?"


    ''''The day when you were assassinated, I was in aatose state for weeks...''''


    No wonder. All of it started clicking in her mind. No wonder she was unable to find any updates on him during the period she woke up in this body.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet, ''''Why did you both leave the Han Mansion in the first ce? And why did they never get you back?''''


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''I need a coffee...'''' He had a headache recalling those days.


    ''''I will make you one,'''' Yu Mei clung to him as she helped him out of the study. The world was unfair to her. Why was he not her biological brother? Although it did not make much difference to her, ''''It''s a good thing that you don''t have another sister. Things would not have ended well by then.''''


    ''''You are my only sister,'''' Han Jian Yu said, ''''You can make coffee now?"


    ''''Brother, I have always been able to make it. Are you doubting my coffee-making capabilities?'''' She scoffed.


    Looking at their retreating backs, Jun Zixuan folded his arms in front of his chest. Was he treated as the backdrop just now?


    ...


    Compared to the chaos in Ren Mansion, Mia was drowning in the silence of the ss walls.


    She made herself some instant noodles with extra eggs and meat in them and ced the bowl on the dining table before taking a seat but as she nced at it, she did not feel like eating it.


    She pushed it away before cing her head on the table, ''''Jerks are jerks forever. Would it have charged him money if he informed me before leaving?" She nced at the ss partition, "Even if it did, he is rich enough to afford that."


    The house in the opposite was dark but she could picture the initial days of hers with Han Jian Yu when he would sit there on the couch, looking at her asionally.


    Mia lowered her head as she ced the tip of her nose on the table. It was a good thing that he left.


    She tapped her fingers on the table and tilted her face to the side, her gazended on the hickey on her wrist which was left by him yesterday. She nced at it nkly for a few seconds before closing her eyes.


    It should be a good thing that he left.


    ...


    Han Jian Yu sipped the coffee as he nodded, ''''Best coffee I ever had,'''' He said as he sat on the arm of the couch.


    ''''Isn''t it?" Yu Mei stroked the cor of her shirt proudly.


    But given the panda printed night suit she was wearing, she was too cute to be taken seriously. That''s what Jun Zixuan thought as he descended the stairs after hanging up the call but he felt a bit jealous as well.


    ''''Here is yours,'''' Yu Mei said when she noticed him.


    He nced at the coffee mug in her hand and opened his mouth, ''''Thanks,'''' he said, inwardly chastising himself a bit for being so childish a moment ago.

 Chapter 372 - One Day...

    He walked towards her and grabbed the back of her neck before cing a kiss on her lips, ''''But I would rather prefer you over the coffee,'''' He whispered and kissed her again before straightening up.


    Han Jian Yu, who tasted the overdose of dog food out of nowhere frowned. What''s with their casual PDA all the time?


    It would have been better with Mia around. Just as the thought of her crossed his mind, he got rid of it in an instant.


    ''''What''s wrong?" Yu Mei asked Han Jian Yu after handing the coffee to Jun Zixuan.


    ''''Just thought of someone,'''' Han Jian Yu said as he nced at his coffee.


    Jun Zixuan''s lips curled up slightly as he walked towards the other end of the couch before taking a seat, ''''Is it someone we know?"


    Han Jian Yu pursed his lips, ''''Probably,'''' His reply was concise.


    Yu Mei felt like something was going on between them and she was unaware of it at the moment.


    While sipping coffee, Han Jian Yu seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a few seconds before he said, ''''One day, after I came back after my training, you were nowhere to be found¡­.'''' He said.


    *shback*


    ''''Where is she?" Han Jian Yu asked Han Mei''s nanny.


    ''''Young Master, I have not seen Young Miss around for a long time,'''' The nanny said, somewhat intimidated by the boy''s cold expression. He was too young to be taken seriously but his presence was hard to be ignored, ''''I thought she was with you¡­''''


    The young Han Jian Yu pursed his lips, ''''I was in the training field. What would she do at a ce like that?" When she did not reply, he said, ''''You should prepare yourself to answer Master Han and Madam Han when they are back,'''' With that said, he turned around and left.


    The Han Mansion was huge and looking for that 3-year-old child was like finding a needle in the haystack, especially because the little child was a naughty one. If she decided to hide somewhere to trouble people, she would note out until half the house was wrecked and flipped.


    Han Jian Yu checked inside all the rooms one by one, including his room but she was nowhere to be seen. He went to check in the Gardens, her yhouse, drawing room but he did not find her anywhere.


    Han Jian Yu was already soaked with his sweat after he came from his training and after running around the whole mansion, he was panting as he ced his hands on his knees and bent his body forward, his hair stuck to his forehead.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, he raised his head, ''''Did you find her?" He asked her the two women standing in front of him. Both of them were his nannies.


    As they shook his head, he gritted his teeth. Almost all the servants were given a day off because of Christmas and the guards outside said that they did not see her.


    Han Jing and Han Suyin went out for some work and they will only be back before dinner time. Old Master Han and Old Madam Han were visiting their old-time friend.


    So, in the whole house, there was nobody left with whom Han Mei would go out.


    "What''s going on?"


    Hearing the voice, Han Jian Yu straightened up as he turned around to look at the man who was walking towards him, ''''Father, have you seen M¡­Young Miss?"


    ''''Young Miss was ying here some time ago. What happened?" Han Sheng frowned as he nced at her two nannies who had their heads lowered before he gazed at Han Jian Yu who was in a dishevelled condition and looking at him, it seemed like he had been involved in some fight, ''''What happened, son?"


    ''''She is nowhere to be found,'''' Han Jian Yu shook his head as he looked around somewhat desperately, hoping that she would run out from somewhere.


    ''''How could she not be found? Have you looked carefully?" As Han Jian Yu nodded, Han Sheng took out his phone before dialling a number, ''''Quickly check the CCTV around the mansion,'''' After hanging up, he looked at Han Jian Yu, ''''I will go outside and check it. You keep looking in the house.''''


    As he looked at the man''s retreating back, something clicked in Han Jian Yu''s mind. There was someone in the house who would probably know where Han Mei was.


    He turned around and ran upstairs. His footsteps came to a halt when he looked at the boy standing in front of him.


    ''''What happened?" Han Liyun, Han Mei''s biological brother looked at him in disdain.


    "We can''t find Young Miss,'''' Han Jian Yu said coldly, ''''Do you know where she is?"


    "How would I know? She is annoying,'''' He said but suddenly, he frowned, ''''I have seen her looking at the upper floor a few times.''''


    Han Jian Yu''s brows tugged together.


    The nannies were stunned when they heard that. The upper floor of the Han''s Ancestral Mansion was a forbidden ce. Nobody was allowed to go upstairs as it was said that that floor was a bad omen and since the day they worked here, they had not seen anyone going there to clean the ce even once.


    ''''Young Master, you can''t-'''' Even before she could finish her sentence, she saw Han Jian Yu rushing upstairs.


    ''''What did you call him?" Han Liyun nced at the middle-aged woman.


    ''''Y-Young Master¡­''''


    ''''I am the Young Master. He is only a servant¡­Only a servant,'''' He said angrily as he stood there without bothering to go upstairs. He did not know what was there but it would not be bad if that irritating girl disappeared.


    ''''Mei¡­'''' Han Jian Yu called out as he stepped on the upper floor. The lock of the door was so old that there was rust on it and it was hanging. He pushed the door and stepped inside. There were spider-webs everywhere and the ce was pitch-ck. He could not see anything properly.


    As he stepped forward, a small ray of light illuminated his path. He turned to the left and nced at the thick curtains. He pulled the curtain aside and the moonlight filtered inside from the floor-to-ceiling ss, illuminating the dark ce.


    Just as he was about to step forward, he heard some soft noise from a distance.

 Chapter 373 - Sorry

    He nced at the half-opened door and rushed inside. A relieved sigh escaped his mouth when he saw the little girl standing near the window. He walked towards her and carried her up in his arms. ''''Were you scared¡­? Why did youe here?''''


    ''''To y¡­'''' Little Han Mei said as she dangled her little arms around his neck, ''''Someone¡­here¡­'''' She whispered.


    ''''There is no one here¡­'''' Han Jian Yu replied after looking around the empty room, ''''You are noting here again,'''' he sternly said as he walked out while carrying her in his arms.


    Little Han Mei pouted but sensing that her elder brother was really angry at her, she obediently nodded.


    ''''Good girl,'''' Han Jian Yu smiled at her.


    ''''Come here again,'''' Han Mei quickly said as she smiled, showing her two little pearly teeth and round eyes.


    Han Jian Yu poked her chubby cheeks, ''''No¡­''''


    ''''Young Miss should not go there anymore,'''' Han Sheng said as they walked downstairs, ''''You did well,'''' He said to Han Jian Yu.


    Han Mei ignored him as she yed with the buttons of Han Jian Yu''s shirt.


    "Put her down,'''' Han Liyun said.


    ''''No¡­'''' Han Mei quickly wrapped her arms around Han Jian Yu''s neck.


    ''''I am your elder brother. You should listen to me,'''' Han Liyun stepped towards them.


    ''''No ugly bwothers, plweaseee~'''' Han Mei shook her pigtails quickly before she grabbed Han Jian Yu''s head with one of her hands on top of his head and the other below his chin, ''''My bwother¡­'''' She nted a kiss on his cheek.


    Han Liyun fumed. This devil called him ugly? He stomped his feet before leaving.


    Han Sheng''s face darkened.


    Han Jian Yu noticed everyone''s expression, ''''I will leave Young Miss in her room,'''' He said before leaving.


    After tucking her in her bed and making sure that she was asleep, Han Jian Yu walked out. Her parents will be back soon. His footsteps came to a halt as he felt something poking his neck.


    He extended his hand and took out the thing which was stuck to the cor of his shirt. It was her little pink butterfly hairclip¡­. Did she put it there when he was carrying her?


    Then she would be looking for it tomorrow. He turned around and walked back to the hallway which was leading to her room but from the corner of his eyes, he saw something and turned around.


    He nced at the woman''s back who was descending the stairs.


    That woman¡­ Isn''t she her nanny? What was she doing here¡­? Before he could contemte further, he saw her turning to the left.


    Han Jian Yu''s gazended on the child in her arms and his eyes widened.


    ''''Stop there¡­'''' He shouted but she started running when she heard his voice.


    Han Jian Yu followed after her but the woman was already at the entrance by the time he went down.


    He picked up a flower vase and aimed it at her head but just as he was about to throw it, he changed his mind and aimed it at her leg instead. She was holding Han Mei and he did not want to hurt her identally.


    He threw it lightly enough such that she would not fall but her steps faltered and he ran to her faster as he took out a small dagger from his waistband.


    But just as he was about to reach her, the woman started running again and she was faster this time. It was as if she was betting her life on this.


    She shifted the child up to her shoulder.


    Since Han Mei was tightly wrapped in a ck cloth, he could only see her face near the woman''s neck. She was still sleeping.


    The woman ran all the way out of the mansion and for some reason, he could not see a single guard all around.


    Han Jian Yu gritted his teeth when she rushed towards the highway all of a sudden. He aimed his knife at her leg and it shed past her knees from the side. His strength was not enough to make her fall but it was enough to make her stumble.


    At that small moment, he rushed towards her but the woman suddenly jumped in front of a speeding truck.


    His eyes widened, ''''Mei¡­''''


    *shback ends*


    ''''I don''t remember what happened after that. I rushed there as faster as I could and I managed to snatch you from her but the truck had already approached us by that time¡­'''' Han Jian Yu seemed to be recalling that old memory.


    ''''How could you not know?" Yu Mei was confused and she nced at him.


    ''''When we woke up, we were no longer there and I did not remember anything. I was injured and you were with me,'''' Since he did not have his memories, he never thought why would he wake up with Han Mei in the underground sewers of Amaranthine but it was a question that went on his mind ever since he regained his memories.


    Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan exchanged nces and they could see the same thoughts in each other''s eyes.


    Han Jian Yu sighed before he nced at Yu Mei, ''''It''s not that I did not want to tell you the truth. I was afraid that things won''t work out in my favor. I was momentarily selfish and wanted to keep you away from your family just so I could be your brother forever,'''' He stood up from the arm of the couch as he confessed his feelings about the matter, ''''All this time, I have not been ignoring you on purpose but I felt guilty about what I was doing and it was difficult to face you. But now, no matter what you decide, I will back you up.''''


    She hugged him before shaking her head, ''''You don''t need to feel guilty. In fact, I am sorry.. I was being unreasonable all this time and I never thought that you should have your reasons as well," she whispered.

 Chapter 374 - 2

    After staying around for a bit, Han Jian Yu left Han Mansion.


    In the Master bedroom.


    Yu Mei stood in front of the mirror as she moisturized her hands absent-mindedly. She nced at Jun Zixuan through the mirror before turning around and walking towards him.


    She climbed on the bed and sat next to him.


    ''''What''s on your mind?" He tilted his head from his phone to look at her.


    ''''I never thought that they will be my parents,'''' She blinked.


    He raised his hand and tucked the lose strands of her hair behind her ear, ''''You want to meet them?"


    She pursed her lips and after a few seconds, she shook her head, ''''No, if I go there and if any day theye to know of the truth, things will be veryplicated,'''' she firmly said. Even though there was no chance of them knowing the truth, but she still did not want to risk anything, ''''I don''t want Jian Yu to go through anything that makes him uneasy.''''


    What he thought was not wrong. Since his biological father is so adamant about the line between them, then no matter what, things will be awkward and strange. More than that, she did not want him to remember any of those unpleasant memories of the past.


    Somewhere, she wanted to know the family that she had but at some point, she was sure that her brother has been her whole family all her life. So inparison, she would always choose him.


    ''''Did you notice that Yu Mei Zhen and I were cousins and our mothers are sisters?'''' She changed the topic.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''Yes.''''


    Thinking about it left her in aplicated mood.


    ''''Don''t overthink. What happened to her was not your fault. Initially, I thought that she was mentally unstable and I even got doctors over for her but she was normal. She had this knack of being reckless to get anything she wanted. Even if it was self-harm, she won''t hesitate. If it was not because of the ident then it would have been any other incident. We can''t changed the past,'''' He paused, ''''What do you think about what your brother said?" He asked her.


    ''''About the ident?" As he nodded, she said, ''''I think all of this is rted to Mia. She was trapped in that upper floor if my guess was not wrong. So, if I am thinking right, I contracted her on that day when went inside. Andter, she should be the one who saved us from that ident.''''


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes. If it was a few days ago, he would not have believed in something so bizarre but Mia''s existence itself was bizarre so nothing could faze him more than that.


    He thought of something and looked at her seriously.


    ''''What is it?" She felt nervous under his solemn gaze.


    ''''Is your period over yet?" He asked.


    ''''Uh-'''' She blinked, ''''Yes¡­''''


    ''''Alright, we will discuss things some other day,'''' He said as he leaned closer to her.


    She bit her lips.


    ''''I want to do it too,'''' He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her closer such that she was leaning towards him. Just as her lips parted, he imed them as he took her bottom lips between his teeth and sucked it hard.


    His hand moved towards her breasts with expertise as he kneaded it through her satin robe and a moan escaped her mouth, giving him the perfect opportunity to shove his tongue inside.


    The faint taste of the ice cream that they had after dinner spilled inside her mouth and she shivered, tilting her face to the side as she kissed him back, slowly at first but gradually matching the intensity.


    Their robes fell off their bodies as he grabbed her waist and hoisted her up before pulling her on top of him. He was leaning back on the headboard while his legs were extended, feet on the heels.


    Her long hair fell over his shoulder like a sheer curtain and she hooked one of her legs around his back. He let go of her lips and hoisted her up slightly before taking one of her breasts inside his mouth, kissing and sucking her hardening nipples.


    She gasped and raked her fingers through his ash-blonde hair, her thumb moved over his ear while her other fingers clutched her hair.


    ''''Ah¡­'''' She moaned as he thrust inside her all of a sudden, without any warning and her body arch, her breast thrust inside his mouth as a roll of pleasure jerked inside her body.


    As he increased the pace of his thrust, she hooked her arms around his neck and moved her hips to match his face.


    The sound of their love-making bounced on the walls of the room.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her neck, ''''I missed this,'''' He whispered in his deep voice that had her clench.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' She moaned as he thrust harder. A shiver rolled in her body and her neck arched as she climaxed,


    He kept thrusting inside her as he felt her tightening around his length, ''''Mei..'''' He kissed the nape of her neck before biting her and she felt a his warm juices filling inside her.


    She ced her forehead on his shoulder.


    ¡­


    Han Jian Yu stepped inside his condominium and Sunny came over to greet him, ''''Boss, are you alright?"


    ''''Do I look like I am not?" He asked the man who locked the door and followed after him.


    ''''Boss, are we going back to Amaranthine?" Sunny asked the man.


    ''''No,'''' Han Jian Yu said, ''''I will be working from here for now. I will go over there for the monthly meetings on the 28th of every month.''''


    Sunny nodded, ''''I will make the arrangements for that,'''' He paused as he thought about something.


    ''''What is it?" Han Jian Yu asked, ''''Do you have anything to ask?"


    Sunny hesitated.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to look at him.

 Chapter 375 - Hello~

    "Boss, what did that person showed you that you agreed to go with him?" Sunny asked.


    Han Jian Yu paused.


    *shback*


    The co-pilot shed his phone at Han Jian Yu, ''''President Han, take a look at this. It might help in changing your mind.''''


    Han Jian Yu frowned, annoyed. He was about to say something when his gazended on something from the corner of his eyes. He snatched the phone from the man''s hand before scrolling down the pictures.


    There were pictures of the women he slept with in the past, in some of the pictures he was there, locked in intimate positions with them. In hotels, in his penthouse... Han Jian Yu''s gaze darkened the more he looked at them.


    This pictures were never out in public and they were buried by his men the moment they were clicked by any paparazzi or anyone.


    But he did not expect someone to dig it out from all the past matters.


    As the pictures were scrolled to the end, he saw a note there below. The short message read- ''I wonder whether my sister would like it~ Jun Zixuan''


    His expressions changed and he looked at the man before nodding.


    *shback ends*


    While Sunny patiently waited for the answer, it never came to him as Han Jian Yu tilted his head to look at him, ''''Where is your brother?"


    Was Boss changing the topic? Sunny wondered in heart as he said, ''''Boss, he is working. He said he is on a mission.''''


    That got Han Jian Yu''s attention, ''''Which mission?" He asked.


    ''''He did not tell me. He says he will ask you for reward once he is finished dealing with it,'''' Danny said.


    ...


    Mia adjusted the cap on her head as she nced at the hoardings on the road. It was the same Advertisement hoarding she had featured in.


    Since the XLER brand is a famous brand, she had been seeing this everywhere, ''''I am famous,'''' She raised an eyebrow before parking her car beside a park.


    She alighted the car and adjusted her cap once again before walking inside the park through the second entrance. Since it waste at night, the public park''s main gate was closed.


    She spotted the swing in the distance and walked towards it before taking a seat on it as she swung back and forth.


    Lately, she had not been feeling well and she wondered if she caught a flu like humans do and that''s why she has been feeling like this. But then, at that thought, the realization that she is not a human hit her.


    ''''Maybe it''s some kind of fox sickness,'''' Her head drooped low as she mumbled to herself. Her long hair covered her beautiful face as she tilted her head to lean on the side of the swing.


    Her eyebrows rose slightly when she sensed someone''s presence around her but she felt toozy to move from her spot.


    The sounds of footsteps were well disguised and if someone else was here, they might not have sensed the presence of another person around.


    Suddenly, her vision went dark as something covered her head.


    Mia raised an eyebrow before lifting her curling her fingers into a fist, a small glow forming inside it.


    She was in a bad mood. She was just sitting on the swing, swaying back and forth. She did not go around to provoke anyone yet people came to provoke her.


    Aren''t they looking for death?


    ''''Don''t move. You have escaped for a long time already.''''


    Mia paused, the power that she had gathered in her fist disappeared in thin air when she heard the familiar voice.


    ...


    Han Jian Yu sipped some wine from the ss in his hand as he sat on the window sill looking at the vast stretch of stars in the sky. Certain random thoughts floated in his mind.


    It felt good to be able to talk about this matter with his sister. It had been a burden to him since the day he regained his memories.


    And now, he felt like a burden was lifted off his chest after he saw her reaction about the whole thing.


    The sound of the doorbell ringing snapped him out of his thoughts and he nced at the time on the wall clock. It was past midnight. He wondered whose world was falling apart at this time.


    He walked out of the Master Bedroom before stepping towards the main door. As he opened the door, Han Jian Yu was stunned by the sight that greeted his view.


    ''''Hello,'''' Mia smiled at him seductively as she leaned back on the wall, her fox-sickness gradually fading away at the sight of him standing there with an astonished look in his eyes, ''''Long time no see.''''


    ''''It has been only one day,'''' Han Jian Yu said, his voice low and dangerous.


    ''''Boss, you both know each other?" Danny asked as he looked back and forth in between the two, ''''S-She is the model you were looking for. She finally came to my view today so I brought her here¡­'''' He trailed off noticing the exchange of nces in between the two people.


    Han Jian Yu gazed at the handcuffs around Mia''s wrist before looking at her nonchnt face which had azy smile drawled on it.


    ''''Boss, I-I remember that Sunny called me a few minutes ago and said that¡­ that something happened to him¡­ I have to visit him in the hospital,'''' What he was saying did not make sense to him but he did not care about it. Danny suddenly realized why his Boss did not seem to be looking for this woman anymore. Both of them seem to know each other already.


    He quickly dashed out of the ce before anything could go wrong.


    Mia straightened up as she stepped towards Han Jian Yu, ''''Thought you were going back to Amaranthine?" She asked.


    ''''Has it got anything to do with you?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She blinked, ''''I am curious.''''


    ''''I changed my mind,'''' he said.


    She nodded and stepped inside the house and he followed after her, ''''Then, why didn''t youe back to the vi? Why are you here?"


    ''''I believe you did not like my presence there and wanted me to hang curtains near the partition? Why the trouble when we can just stay like this? While you stay there in peace, I will be here,'''' He said.


    ''''Well I said that much before and you didn''t pay much attention to my words back then. What changed now?" She turned around and her hair flipped before falling in front of her shoulder as she nced at him.


    ''''You sound quite different today. What happened?" He asked.


    Mia walked towards him as she raised her handcuffed hands before cing it right above his head and bringing it down such that her hands were locked around his neck.


    ''''Nothing happened. I was being curious,'''' She looked at him as she spoke.


    He said nothing as he felt the graze of her warm breath against his lips, ''''What are you trying to do?"


    ''''Nothing much,'''' She removed her shoes with her feet before stepping on his feet and standing on her tiptoes.


    ''''You are seducing me,'''' He said as he tilted his head down to look at her while his hand remained on his sides without moving an inch to support her.


    She winced, ''''You are too much,'''' She whispered against his lips, letting her lips stroke the corner of his lips, ''''You can''t me me of things I didn''t do,'''' She tilted her head to the side and looked into his eyes.


    His eyes narrowed slightly when all of a sudden, she moved closer to him, iming his lips with full control as she kissed him passionately. She bit his lips and let her canines dug on it and just as his lips parted, she thrust her tongue inside his mouth, moving across every inch of him.


    Her hands resting behind his back moved and she dug her fingers in his neck, slowly moving them towards his hair which she clutched as he angled his head, giving her better ess inside his mouth.


    She pulled back after a long time and her breath was ragged as she pecked his lips once again before looking into his eyes, ''''I feel rather sad when people me me for something I haven''t done,'''' She mumbled, ''''Now I am seducing you. Are you seduced, hmm?" Her upper body leaned against? his.


    His gaze darkened further as he nced at the naughty smile ying across her lips, ''''You don''t hold back, do you?"


    ''''The sight of you is rather thought-provoking to me. Not that I don''t want to, I just can''t mmm-'''' He shut her up with a pulsating kiss that came out of nowhere, knocking her breath in one move.


    His hand moved towards her bottom and her hoisted her up in the air, her legs tangled around his waist while his other hand moved towards the back of her neck as he kissed her roughly while moving towards the huge floor to ceiling ss window opposite to the firece.


    He pinned her to the ss and her short pencil skirt was ripped in the next moment, falling off her body.


    As his hand moved towards her panties, her body arched and she took her handcuffed hands off his neck, her chest heaved up and down as she felt a finger thrusting inside her.


    Just as she extended her hands towards his chest, he grabbed the chain of the handcuff and pinned her hands above her head.

 Chapter 376 - Shopping

    Mature content ahead. Skip if you want~


    ...


    His finger moved out of her and she gasped against his mouth as he ripped off her panties.


    He swiftly undid his robe and he pressed his body against her, letting her feel him throbbing against her hot core.


    ''''Ah...'''' She moaned as he stroked the tip of his length against her, her breasts ached as the aching sensation shot through them.


    Her hands struggled to move, wanting to be all over him but she was handcuffed and he had her wrists pinned. Her body was warming up in a pool up of desire that encased them and she wanted him to stop torturing her like that.


    She could get that chain and handcuff thing off her wrists in a snap of her fingers but she was kind of enjoying this sweet little torture he was inflicting on her.


    ''''Ahh...'''' A gasp escaped her mouth and she tugged his bottom lips between hers as he thrust inside her all of a sudden.


    He caught her lips in his and kissed her passionately while lowering her handcuffed hands and encircling them around his neck.


    Her eyes were covered in ayer of sheen as she looked at him before closing them. He took his entire length out of her before thrusting harder this time.


    Her hair fell forward as he let go of her lips and she buried her face in the nook of his neck, her hot gasps stroked his nape, turning him on than he already was.


    His moved his hips, thrusting inside her, filling her with every bit of him and a soft moan escaped her mouth, her nails dug into his shoulder de as she climaxed.


    ''''Fuck, you are so good,'''' He whispered in a husky voice and took her earlobe between his teeth as he kept thrusting inside her.


    She bit his neck before sucking the spot she just bit and she felt him stiffening inside her. He took his rode out and pinned her to the wall as he kissed her roughly, spilling his warm juices on her thighs.


    As theyid on the King sized bed of the Master bedroom, Mia nced at his face before she raised her hand to stroked his jaws, ''''What are you thinking about?"


    Han Jian Yu moved his shoulder slowly letting her adjust her head on it before he grabbed her wrist, ''''Were you hurt?" He stroked her wrist with his thumb.


    Mia nced at her slightly reddened wrist, ''''No,'''' Can that toy hurt her? Sheughed in her heart.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow and moved her head to the pillow before pushing himself to his feet. He adjusted the front of his satin robe before he pulled open the bedside drawer and took out the first aid kit.


    Mia blinked as he came sat beside her and pulled the nket up to her neck leaving her head peeking out.


    Since it was winter, she did not mind it.


    He opened an ointment tube before grabbing her hand.


    ''''I am alright, really," Mia said.


    ''''Let''s not talk about that. You see this mark here?" He spotted to the red lines near her wrist which were caused by the handcuff.


    Mia sighed. It would have healed by now if she was not here with him.


    ''''So, I don''t think you are alright,'''' He gently applied the ointment on it as he said, ''''I am sorry for not being gentle,'''' He carefully rubbed it on the lines.


    Mia tilted her head to nce at him, His concerned eyes, the gentle swipe of his fingers, his tightly pursed lips made him look like he was dealing with something serious.


    Mia looked at him as if she was looking at him for the very first time.


    ''''You should have reminded me,'''' He reprimanded her in a somewhat gentle tone.


    She quietly looked at him.


    ''''I could have hurt you more,'''' As he nced at her swollen wrists, his heart ached.


    Mia sat up with the nket around her chest before she helped him wipe his hands with wet tissue.


    "But I am really not hurt," Mia said after a long time, not knowing whether tough or cry.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow and kept the first aid box down before he pulled her into his arms andid on the bed.


    He picked up the remote with his right hand and turned off the lights as he positioned his head on the pillow, "Good then, let''s sleep," He whispered and she moved her head on his chest, her fingers drawing circles on his chest.


    "I mean it literally," He spooned the seductress in his arms before she could get started with something.


    ...


    "Have you ever apanied me to shopping before?" Yu Mei asked Jun Zixuan as they entered the shopping mall without any disguise.


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, "You never asked."


    "You have to ask me ''Baby, do you wanna go shopping...?''..." Yu Mei pinched his arms before hooking her arm around his, "Dummy."


    "You are the dummy here," heughed.


    Jun Zixuan had made proper arrangements such that no paparazzi or reporters will be able to get inside. Although she felt people''s gazes on them, Yu Mei was cool with it.


    "I am getting you anything you want today,'''' She shed her ck card at him.


    ''''I thought you wanted to shop?" He raised an eyebrow at her.


    ''''Shop for you,'''' She winked at him.


    He chuckled.


    As they stepped inside the shop, Jun Zixuan went to answer a call while Yu Mei looked around.


    ''''...Cancel it...''''


    She paused when she heard the words.


    Yu Mei walked towards Jun Zixuan before getting the phone from his hand, ''''What is he asking you to cancel, Steward Gu?" she asked the man, ''''....Oh alright, he will be there,'''' She hung up the call before handing the phone back to Jun Zixuan who raised a brow at her.


    ''''You didn''t tell me about having a meeting.''''


    ''''It can be postponed," he replied to her.


    Yu Mei smiled and she kissed his cheeks, ''''Go ahead. You can apany me some other day. I have some work as well so I won''t be staying here for long.''''


    "But...''''


    She pressed her finger on his lips, ''''No buts. Just do your thing okay. We cane shopping together in future. You look like a teenager reluctant to let his crush go out of his sight.''''


    ''''I am indeed reluctant to let my crush move out of my sight,'''' He bit the tip of her finger.


    After Jun Zixuan left, Yu Mei looked around the ce and after getting many shirts and suits, shoes, ties, cufflinks and many other things for him, she finally went to the female''s section while the shop attendant arranged her things.


    ''''No mom, not this...'''' As she was looking through a dress, she heard a familiar voice.


    Han Jingyi? Her brows tugged together and she tilted her head to look at the direction of the voice.


    As expected, Han Jingyi was there and standing beside her was none other than Han Suyin.


    Unlike before, Yu Mei found herself looking at Han Suyin a little longer. She had always liked thisdy but knowing that she is her mother indeed made some difference to her.


    She felt a little conflicted in her heart, whether to go over to greet her or pretend like not seeing her.


    But in the end, it was Han Suyin who spotted her first. She waved at her before walking towards her, ''''Mei...''''


    Yu Mei smiled after looking at her nkly for a few seconds. She stepped forward and let thedy hug her, ''''Aunt...'''' She said after a few seconds of silence.


    At this time, Han Jingyi also walked towards them, ''''Cousin,'''' She greeted Yu Mei with a gentle smile on her face.


    Yu Mei nced at her nonchntly before she nodded.


    ''''Are you alone here?" Han Suyin asked.


    ''''No, Zixuan was here as well. He just left for some work,'''' Yu Mei replied to her softly.


    ''''Oh,'''' Han Suyin nodded as she kept looking at her in a daze.


    Han Jingyi held Han Suyin''s arm before leaning her head on her shoulder, ''''Mom, I can''t find a proper dress....'''' She whined like a kid.


    Han Suying stroked her bed, ''''Check here if you find any or if you can''t, we will get the designers toe to home.''''


    ''''Mom is the best,'''' Han Jingyi smiled.


    Yu Mei nced at the duo''s interaction quietly before she said, ''''Aunt, I have to try this and see if ites fit so I should leave now,'''' She smiled at her, ''''You can continue shopping.''''


    Han Suyin raised her hand and stroked her face affectionately, ''''Go ahead.''''


    While Han Suyin nced at Yu Mei''s retreating back with a gentle smile on her face, Han Jingyi''s gaze shed with undisguised hatred.


    Yu Mei entered the trial room and threw the dress to the side before sitting on the chair as she nced at her reflection in the mirror.

 Chapter 377 - I Don’t Care

    While Yu Mei was sitting on the couch inside the huge dressing room, looking at her reflection in the mirror, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside. She had not locked it, it was easily pushed.


    She tilted her head to the side before looking up, "Do you want something?" Yu Mei nced at Han Jingyi nonchntly.


    Han Jingyi nced at her nonchnt face and she stopped herself from saying anything.


    Yu Mei stood up from the couch, ''''Since there is nothing, get out.''''


    ''''Where does your arrogancees from?" She stepped towards Yu Mei before pinching her chin, ''''Is it because of this face? Or anything else?"


    Yu Mei frowned before she grabbed her wrist, ''''You are delicate, cousin. Let''s not mess things,'''' She softly said while looking at the pained expression on Han Jingyi''s face. Her fingers applied more strength on the woman''s wrist before she swatted it off and dusted off her hands.


    ''''You...''''


    Yu Mei grabbed her phone and walked out of the changing room.


    "Stop there...."


    ''Rip''


    Han Jingyi grabbed her shirt from the back and her flimsy chiffon short had a tear from the front.


    Yu Mei grabbed her shirt with one hand as she turned around.


    ''Pak''


    Han Jingyi''s face whipped to the side and she looked at her in disbelief.


    Yu Mei nced around the ce. Since they were standing in the hallway of the changing rooms, the ce was empty.


    "Jingyi, what are you doing here?"


    Both of them paused when they heard Han Suyin''s voice from the distance.


    "What''s going on?"


    As Yu Mei turned around, Han Jingyi grabbed her elbow forcefully, "Don''t go bitching about me," She whispered through gritted teeth.


    Yu Mei''s hand shifted slightly from her dress as the woman jerked her back. She narrowed her eyes and stepped back, her heels digging into Han Jingyi''s toes.


    Han Jingyi''s face turned pale at the sudden tremor shot into her toes and her grip on Yu Mei''s elbow loosened.


    "You..." Han Suyin gasped.


    Yu Mei turned to look at her, "What''s wrong-" She paused and followed the woman''s gaze as she nced below her corbone. A major part of her birthmark was visible through her torn shirt. She moved her hand to adjust it.


    "Mei..."


    Yu Mei raised her head and nced in the direction of the voice, "Luoluo..."


    Shi Luo stepped towards Yu Mei with a zer in her hand and she draped it around her shoulder.


    Yu Mei nced at Han Jingyi before looking at the silent Han Suyin, "Aunt, I had ns with my friend. I will be leaving now."


    She grabbed Shi Luo''s hand and adjusted her zer before she walked out of the ce, without waiting for her response.


    Han Jingyi''s fingers curled into a fist as she nced at her retreating back before walking towards Han Suyin, "Mom..." She called out but the woman stood rooted to her spot in a daze. "Mom," Han Jingyi held her hand before shaking her.


    Han Suyin snapped out of her trance, "Huh?"


    "What are you thinking about?" Han Jingyi asked.


    Han Suyin did not respond to her as she fell into a trance once again.


    "Luoluo, you aren''t angry anymore?" Yu Mei asked Shi Luo as they walked out of the shopping mall.


    "Humph," Shi Luo opened the car door for her.


    Yu Mei smiled as she got inside the car.


    Shi Luo walked to the other side before she got inside the driver''s seat, "It was my fault, anyway," She mumbled before stepping on the elerator, "I am sorry. I was just annoyed that you didn''t tell me about it."


    Yu Mei sighed, "Initially, I knew you will be worried about me so I held back."


    "What was going on there?" Shi Luo asked. She went there to shop there as well but she did not expect to witness this scene. After she saw Yu Mei going to the changing room, soon Han Jingyi followed after her and she witnessed everything that happened.


    "Actually, thedy there whom you saw..."


    "Who? The beautiful one or are you talking about that bitch?" Shi Luo did not held back while addressing Han Jingyi as a ''bitch''. After all, she had seen how she had torn Yu Mei''s shirt.


    Yu Meiughed, "No, not the bitch. We are talking about that beautiful one."


    "Hmm what about her?" Shi Luo took a left turn as she asked.


    "She... She is actually my biological mother," Yu Mei mumbled as she fiddled with her fingers.


    ''Screech''


    The car moved in a zig Zag manner beforeing to a halt.


    "Who did you say she was?" Shi Luo nced at her in disbelief.


    "Biological mother," Yu Mei blinked as she mumbled, narrating everything to her.


    ...


    "Hahaha..." Mia burst into aughter as she nced at the pot in Han Jian Yu''s hand. It was bumpy and weird with cracks all over, "That''s not how you do it," she said.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, "Do you know how to do it then?"


    They were at a local pottery shop a few blocks away from Han Jian Yu''s ce.


    "Of course," Mia tilted her chin, "Is there something her Highness can''t do?" She asked him smugly.


    Han Jian Yu extended his hand which was filled with mud as he said, "Alright, do it then."


    ''''But I don''t like doing it. It''s boring,'''' Mia shook her head as she nced at Han Jian Yu whose hand was filled well dipped inside the wet y.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes, ''''Then, why did you drag me here?"


    ''''Well, I don''t like it. That doesn''t means I won''t like to watch you doing it,'''' Mia shed a foxy smile in his direction.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''You are unreasonable,'''' He said before looking around the empty room.


    ''''Her Highness is a fairy, sweetheart,'''' Mia flipped her hair back before she leaned forward towards him.


    He looked into her bright hazel eyes.


    She ran her index finger on his palm before moving it to his face as she smeared the soft y on his face, ''''So pretty,'''' She said looking at his y-smeared face before standing straight.


    Han Jian Yu pushed himself to his feet, ''''Pretty huh?" He asked.


    She smirked, ''''Very pretty indeed,'''' Mia said, ''''To me, you are like an exotic flower.''''


    ''''Flower?" His face darkened.


    ''''A pretty exotic flower,'''' She nodded.


    He grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the wall behind them, ''''Which kind of flower? The one which is usually sucked, or the want who usually sucks?" He asked her all the while keeping his gaze fixated on her face.


    ''''Cough...'''' Mia nced at his hands which held her wrist tightly, ''''You are getting me dirtied.''''


    ''''You are the one who started this,'''' He moved his palm to her neck, smearing the y all over her neck.


    She arched her neck to the side as his rough palm? grazed on it, his thumb stroked her chin.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Mia pushed Han Jian Yu away, ''''Let''s go back. There are people here,'''' She took out her handkerchief from the clutch before helping him clean his hands.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''So, you are doing this for me....''''


    ''''I would have done this for any man I slept with," Mia cut him off mid-sentence.


    Han Jian Yu''s gaze darkened, his eyes turned cold.


    She grabbed the tissue box provided by the shop and wiped his hands properly before cleaning her neck.


    The drive back to the penthouse was quiet as Mia yed games on her phone while Han Jian Yu kept driving the car, appearing to be in deep contemtion.


    As they reached the penthouse, Han Jian Yu freshened up before walking towards his study.


    Mia grabbed his hand, ''''Are you not eating now?'''' She asked.


    Han Jian Yu paused, ''''What has it got to do with you?"


    Mia frowned, ''''It''s time for dinner....''''


    "But you are not my wife to be asking things like this. When I eat, when I sleep, has it got anything to do with you?'' His voice was cold as he turned around to look at her.


    Mia was stumped for words, ''''Why are you talking like this?" She asked after a long time.


    Han Jian Yu shook off her hand from his as he said, ''''Get this clear, Mia. Just because we are sleeping together doesn''t means you have got a say in my life. It is you-'''' He paused, noticing her zed eyes. Was... Was she about to cry?


    Mia punched his chest before stepping back from him. She nced at the ceiling before taking a deep breath. Things usually did not faze her this easily, but for some reason, she was affected by his words.'''' Starve yourself if that''s the case. I don''t care,'''' she mumbled.


    Han Jian Yu pursed his lips, ''''That''s exactly the problem here. You don''t care. You don''t give a damn,'''' He stepped back from her, ''''You never do.''''


    Her head snapped up as she looked at his face, his expressions beyond herprehension.

 Chapter 378 - Any Man

    "What do you mean?" Mia restrained herself from reading his thoughts but at the same time, she had the urge to do so.


    ''''What I mean is I am¡­'''' Han Jian stepped towards her, his well-built body towered over hers and she stepped back from him, for the first time cowering in front of him like never before. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her uncertain. Her legs tangled up in the carpet and she found herself falling but her hand was gripped by his warm palm and in the next moment he pulled her up, ''''It was not included in my ns initially. It was all temporary that I wanted.''''


    Mia could hear the sounds of her heart racing in her chest, ''''Come on, stop joking,'''' Sheughed to ease the tension in the atmosphere.


    ''''I am not joking today. Neither was I joking that day,'''' He pulled her up such that her body collided against his. Letting go of her hands, he caught hold of her waist.


    "T-That day?" Mia gulped.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to the side as he looked into her eyes, ''''When I say that I am falling for you, I mean it.''''


    Mia''s eyes widened slightly. She was quick to open her mouth, ''''But I don''t-''''


    "You don''t? Then why are you here?" Han Jian Yu asked, his voice low and deep, ''''You are an arrogant girl, Mia. I see you as someone who won''t lower herself for anyone. You are prideful, stubborn and so detached from everyone despite being close to them.''''


    Mia narrowed her eyes, ''''Have you been studying human psychology?" She asked, ignoring the beats of her heart which had picked the pace by this time.


    ''''It is not human psychology that I have been studying. It is you,'''' Han Jian Yu said as he looked at her.


    Mia opened her mouth to say something but she closed it not finding the proper words. To her, he was the kind of man who detested such things¡­ feelings and emotions, everything held no value to him. Perhaps, that had made it easier for her to approach him without worries.


    "The kind of person you are, would you lower yourself to go after a man who told you that he is leaving but when in truth he didn''t?" Han Jian Yu asked her, ''''I didn''t leave neither did I go back to you but this time, you are the one who came after me.''''


    Mia averted her gaze, not looking into his eyes this time, ''''It''s your man who brought me here. He kidnapped me.''''


    "Are you the kind of woman who would be kidnapped?" He raised an eyebrow.


    ''''He was strong,'''' Mia blinked as she looked back at him.


    ''''Did he hurt you?" Han Jian Yu asked. Danny was indeed strong.


    Mia looked into his cold eyes before shaking her head, "What I want to say is I didn''te here looking for you willingly.''''


    ''''But you stayed here willingly, didn''t you?" Han Jian Yu asked while looking at her expressionless face, ''''You could have left but you didn''t. Why?"


    ''''I didn''t leave. Does that means I have feelings for you?" Mia smiled at him, it was a sarcastic smile, ''''You fell so hard for me that you are finding excuses to make yourself believe that I love you as well? It''s pathetic.''''


    His grip on her waist loosened.


    ''''It should have ended as a one-night thing but we clicked so I stayed with you," Mia stepped back from him, ''''But do you think you are expecting more from me?" She asked.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her nkly, ''''So, you would do all this for any man you woulde across?"


    ''''Any man, trust me,'''' Mia nodded, ''''Any man I like or I prefer, I would do this for them. Caring for them and from staying with them to sleeping with them.''''


    There was a moment of silence between them. She did not get her eyes off him and he held her gaze as well. Her hazel eyes were clear, there was no hint of lie in her eyes. One would not be able to differentiate whether she was telling the truth or manipting a person with her faked words.


    ''''Get out,'''' Han Jian Yu said, his voice was low.


    Mia picked up her clutch and her phone from the coffee table, ''''Sure thing.''''


    The urge to control her powers snapped and as she reached the door, she heard the distant voice in his mind, ''Please don''t go¡­.''


    Her palm which was resting on the doorknob paused and she closed her eyes, "It was nice meeting you,'''' She said nonchntly and sealed her powers before stepping out of the ce.


    ''Bang''


    As the door closed, Han Jian Yu stood rooted to his spot looking at the closed door with a glint of hope in his eyes. But with each passing second, the hope died down.


    She, never came back.


    He closed his eyes and his finger curled into a fist, a hint of a mocking smile appeared on his face. Did he expect her toe back? He asked himself.


    He did. He expected her to not leave in the first ce.


    He was probably waiting for some words like ''No, I didn''t mean what I said'' or ''I was in a bad mood so spoke nonsense'' or ''I don''t like you now but we can get to know each other'' or perhaps ''I do have some feelings for you''¡­


    He had expected such replies from her when he finally decided toy his heart bare in front of her but her ''I would do this for any man. Caring for them, staying with them and sleeping with them'' came out of nowhere, hitting him hard.


    There was a restlessness that he felt in his heart, which he was unable to exin or bear. She left.. The thought of it fazed him more than he ever expected.

 Chapter 379 - Spitting Fire

    As Yu Mei exined the events of the day to Jun Zixuan, he frowned, ''''You did well,'''' She would have dealt with it better if Han Suyin was not in the picture.


    Even though she was not saying it, Jun Zixuan understood that she was affected by it. He could sense it.


    ''''What''s there to do in it? She has gone crazy,'''' Yu Mei shook her head, ''''I don''t understand from where her enmity towards mees from. Is it just because of you?''''


    Jun Zixuan frowned, ''''We were not that close.''''


    ''''I know but she is obsessed with you,'''' Yu Mei mumbled as she pinched his chin before tilting his face down, ''''Shall I just wrap you up like dumpling? Leaving only your eyes, nose and lips out for view¡­''''


    He raised a brow.


    She chuckled at his reaction, ''''I told Luoluo about it too.''''


    ''''So, your fight is over?"


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''When we were kids, we used to fight over a lot of things but it would be over in a few days as one of us would realize our mistakes before apologizing.''''


    ''''I see. I can imagine Luoluo apologizing,'''' He nodded seriously.


    ''''Why can''t I be the one?" She narrowed her eyes at him, even if he was telling the truth.


    He pressed a finger below her chin before tilting her face upwards, ''''I don''t see that streak in you.''''


    ''''You.. You mean to say I don''t apologize when I am wrong?" She red at him and he could almost see her sharpening her knife.


    ''''Of course you do. But you do that after a series of fight,'''' Jun Zixuan chuckled when she made a face at him.


    ''''It is raining,'''' Yu Mei mumbled as she nced outside the floor to ceiling ss.


    Later that night, the constant sounds of the doorbell ringing woke them up.


    Yu Mei cuddled with Jun Zixuan as she shifted inside the nket, properly wrapping her limbs around him, ''''You are unusually warm andfortable,'''' Shezily mumbled against his neck before nuzzling her nose there.


    ''''Am I?" Jun Zixuan opened his eyes, feeling the movement of the person beside him, ''''What do you think you are doing?" He asked


    ''''Sleeping,'''' She mumbled before nuzzling her face closer in his neck.


    The doorbell kept ringing and he sighed, ''''Someone is here.''''


    ''''Send them back¡­'''' Yu Mei paused before she opened her eyes in an instant, ''''It''s past midnight. Who will be here at this hour?" She sat up on the bed and as the nket slipped off her naked body, his eyes darkened.


    She cleared her throat and grabbed her fluffy robe before putting it on properly.


    ''''I will go check,'''' Jun Zixuan wore his T-shirt before adjusting it near his torso properly.


    ''''Coming with you,'''' Yu Mei stepped out of the bed.


    By the time they walked downstairs, Steward Gu had already opened the door and as they looked at the person standing outside, their brows tugged together, ''''Mia, what happened?" Mia was drenched from head to toe and one could see her standing there lifelessly as if she would be blown away by a gust of wind at any moment.


    As Yu Mei walked towards her, Mia wrapped her arms around her neck before cing her head on her shoulder, ''''I am tired,'''' she whispered.


    Since both the women were almost same in height and figure, one would not be able to guess their age and Yu Mei felt like she was the elder sister her. But then, it was not the time to think about all this.


    ''''What''s wrong? Why are you tired?" She stroked her back.


    ''''I am just tired¡­'''' Mia mumbled.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Steward Gu and theter bowed before leaving the ce.


    Sensing the disappearance of the extra presence, Mia shifted to her fox form before she disappeared in thin air.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes as he looked around.


    Yu Mei blinked.


    ''I will be cultivating. You can think like I don''t exist,'' came the voice from her mind and after that it was all silent.


    She turned around to look at Jun Zixuan, ''''She is in my body,'''' She said when she noticed his gaze looking for Mia.


    Jun Zixuan frowned but he did not say anything.


    The next few days were peaceful but in what sense, it was not clear. Either it was the calm before a storm or the peace after a storm.


    And Yu Mei forced herself to believe that it was thetter given the way. A lot of things had happenedtely so it had to be thetter. Or that''s what she would like to believe.


    Since that night, she hadn''t heard from Mia andtely, her brother had gotten busy with his work so they did not see him anymore.


    On this particr day, Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei were having breakfast when all of a sudden, she felt some fluctuations in her body. It was a feeling she was familiar with even though she had not felt it for a long time.


    She looked around making sure that there were no servants around and sure enough, soon Mia appeared on Jun Zixuan''s shoulder, ''''Done ying hide and seek?" He narrowed his eyes.


    And she rolled her eyes before jumping to the chair next to Yu Mei.


    Yu Mei nced at her in confusion, ''''Are you fine?" She asked.


    ''''What happened to me?'''' Mia did not revert back to her human self.


    ''''You¡­'''' Yu Mei was abit speechless, ''''Why are you like this?"


    ''''I am embracing my real self. What''s wrong with that?"


    ''''Uh¡­ You.. Aren''t you a human, taking after your father? That''s your real self as well,'''' Yu Mei said a bit cautiously.


    Mia replied, ''''I am this for now. Any problem?" She grabbed the ss of juice beside Yu Mei''s te before drinking it.


    Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan. Why did it seem like Mia was spitting fire for absolutely no reason?


    It reminded her of the days when she just discovered Mia.. Back then, she used to be like this. Always grumpy

 Chapter 380 - Unexpected Visit

    Just as Jun Zixuan was about to say something, he received a call from the security at the entrance of Ren Mansion, ''''Okay, let them in,'''' He said before looking at Yu Mei, ''''Han Family members.''''


    Yu Mei frowned before she looked at Mia who was in her fox form but was still sipping the juice with her cute little limbs. She was caught betweenughter and tears, ''''Are you not switching back to your human self?" She asked her.


    Mia clumsily ced the ss aside before shaking her head.


    ''''Okay, Your Highness, I hope you don''t hold grudges for this then,'''' She picked her up in her arms before patting her head elegantly.


    Mia was speechless, ''''Are you treating me as your pet now?"


    ''''I asked you. You didn''t take the chance. So, sit in my arms and be petted like this,'''' Yu Mei said while smiling not so kindly. It has been a long time since shest teased Mia.


    As he looked at their interaction, Jun Zixuan shook his head as he wiped his mouth with a napkin before he picked up another one and pushed himself to his feet. He walked towards the chair beside his before he cleaned Yu Mei''s mouth.


    She mouthed a ''Thank you'' as he pulled the chair and she stood up, ''''Why do you think they are here and which members?" She nced at him questioningly.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the entrance.


    She followed his gaze and saw an old couple walking inside. While the old man looked stern and indifferent, the olddy appeared kind and gentle.


    She recognized the old man as Old Master Han so the woman beside him should be Old Madam Han.


    Yu Mei smiled slightly at them.


    As all of them took a seat on the couch of the living room, Old Madam Han said, ''''All of them met you before. So, I decided toe here to meet you as well.''''


    Yu Mei stroked Mia who was lying on her way, ''''It''s good that you came over,'''' She nodded.


    Old Master Han was quiet for a few moments as he nced at Yu Mei before looking at Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow and the old man nced at him for a few seconds before averting his gaze to Yu Mei, ''''You cane to Han Mansion when you want,'''' He said, his gaze wandered off to the white animal in her hand which looked somewhat like a cat if not for its long fluffy tail, and earsrger than cats.


    Yu Mei nodded as she smiled, ''''I have been rather busy with work so I was unable to visit you. How have you been feelingtely, Old Master Han?" She asked.


    Old Madam Han frowned, ''''You can call us Grandpa and Grandma. There is no need for formalities.''''


    Yu Mei smiled slightly but she did not respond to them as she nodded. Initially, she used to be curious about them but after knowing that they were her grandparents, there was this wish in her heart to know them better. But she believed it was better to hold back on a few things.


    While Jun Zixuan and Grandpa Han sat in the living room discussing work matters or anymon interest, Yu Mei showed Grandma Han around the Ren Mansion.


    ''''I find it beautiful,'''' Grandma Han said, ''''I have always heard of this ce''s extravagance but have never been here.''''


    Yu Mei nodded. The Han Family was rich, influential and low-key. But Ren Mansion being an exclusive private property did not allow anyone on the premises.


    Initially, the Han Family were in Amaranthine as their ancestral mansion was there butter they came to Beijing and settled here after Han Jing''s military duty period was over.


    ''''Had your mother been here, she would have been happy seeing her daughter being cherished like a Princess,'''' The olddy said as she turned to look at Yu Mei.


    ''''You knew my mother?" She did not expect the Han Family to be this close to Yu Li Na, who in reality was not her mother but her biological Aunt.


    ''''I did. The Yu Family, Han Family and Jun Family have been old friends,'''' Grandma Han said, noticing her confusion, ''''Though we have not been in touch for many years, but the friendship remains. I saw your mother when she was a child. Sigh, that child suffered¡­''''


    Yu Mei pursed her lips.


    Is she thinking about her mother? Grandma Han felt sad that she reminded her of that unpleasant memory, ''''Seeing you¡­ reminds me of someone..''''


    Yu Mei stiffened, feeling her palm on her head, ''''Someone?"


    ''''My granddaughter, Han Mei Zhen,'''' The olddy said.


    That came to her as a bit of surprise. Han Mei Zhen? The names¡­ Yu Mei Zhen and her used to share the same names. But how¡­? "Han Mei Zhen?" She asked, looking quite unaware of it.


    The olddy seemed to have snapped out of her trance as she looked down before looking at her hand, ''''This¡­.'''' She pointed her finger towards the white little things in Yu Mei''s arms.


    ''''It''s a fennec,'''' Yu Mei answered.


    Mia scoffed inwardly before she elegantly turned in Yu Mei''s hand, gently swishing her tail.


    Afraid that the olddy would be tired, Yu Mei did not take her around further as they walked downstairs, ''''You shoulde here more often-'''' The rest of her words were stuck in her throat when her gazended on the person standing at the entrance.


    ''''Jingyi, you are here,'''' Grandma Han smiled warmly.


    Han Jingyi smiled as she pointed at the bodyguards behind her, ''''I have made sure to get the gifts from the car,'''' She said.


    Grandma Han nodded, ''''Keep them inside.''''


    Yu Mei looked at the gifts before looking back at the olddy, ''''There was no need for this.''''


    ''''It is our first timeing to visit you. How could there be no need?" She asked.


    ...


    A/N: Updates have been irregr this month and I have not been able to announce that. Initially, I had my exams butter some health issues cropped up and now I got my eyes checked because they have been painful for an extended period. So, I hope you all are patient with me.. I will aim for regr updates from the next month. Thank you, everyone for all your support and love <3

 Chapter 381 - Dark Circles

    As everyone sat in the living room, Han Jingyi''s attention shifted to the white little thing in Yu Mei''s hand. She pointed her fingers towards it, "It is...?" She asked curiously, pretending like there was no bad blood between both of them.


    Yu Mei wondered if she should ask Li Shuang to take this top actress in herpany. "A fennec," She replied, tugging at Mia''s fluffy ear.


    Mia red at Yu Mei, ''You are taking advantage of the chance,'' She conversed in mind.


    ''Who told you to worry me like that?'' Yu Mei smiled, not so kindly. It has been so many days and Mia did not tell her if something was wrong, she just herself in her body and kept quiet and Yu Mei could not even sense her presence.


    Mia jumped off Yu Mei''sp before elegantly sitting on the coffee table.


    Yu Mei''s lips twitched.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Han Jingyi was intrigued by the cute little pet that she assumed Mia to be and she raised her hand to pat Mia.


    By the time she realized, it was toote. Yu Mei closed her eyes and a shrill scream resounded in the grand living room of the Ren Mansion.


    Yu Mei opened her eyes and noticed the small w marks on the back of Han Jingyi''s palm. Even though the scratches were very thin but she could see how deep they were pierced.


    She nced at Han Jingyi who had gone pale. Old Master Han and Old Madam Han were in a state of shock.


    She then nced at Jun Zixuan who took out a handkerchief from his pocket.


    Han Jingyi''s eyes lit up as she waited for him to help her. ''I can cry and hug him when hees to help me....'' She thought, ''I will just act a little reluctant at first,'' She decided, given that her grandparents were here and she could not be too forward.


    But her expressions dropped and her face ckened when she saw Jun Zixuan using his handkerchief to clean the pet''s ws.


    She looked at the scratches on her hand. Though the wound was not bleeding, but the pain was unbearable.


    ''''Jingyi, let''s go to the hospital,'''' It was Grandma Han who spoke up as she snapped out of her daze.


    Han Jingyi nodded, forcing a small smile on her face as she stood up while holding her hand tightly.


    ''''Xiao Mei, we wille to see you again some other day,'''' Grandma Han said.


    Yu Mei smiled as she walked beside them, ''''She is a little unruly and she is not fond of people trying to touch her,'''' She said pointing her finger towards Mia.


    Grandma Han frowned, ''''Jingyi, you were reckless to me touching her like that...'''' She spoke in a reprimanding tone.


    Han Jingyi clenched her fist, ''''Yes, it is my fault, Grandma.''''


    ''''Let''s go. We need to go to the hospital,'''' It was Grandpa Han who spoke up at this moment.


    Han Jingyi lowered her head and nced at Yu Mei for a brief moment before ring at Mia from the corner of her eyes.


    Mia rolled her eyes.


    After they left, Mia finally turned to her human form.


    Yu Mei nced at her, ''''You...'''' She was speechless as she pointed her fingers towards her face.


    Mia stretched her body.


    "You have dark circles, Mia," Yu Mei looked at her like she was looking at some strange creature.


    Mia blinked as she nodded, "I was thinking about things." She still retained some of her human characteristics so this happened.


    Yu Mei blinked, "What were you thinking about? Wait, didn''t you say that you were cultivating your powers?"


    "Ahem..." Mia cleared her throat, "Thing along with that. I will go out today," She did not tell Yu Mei that when she was cultivating, she kept getting distracted and her powers became unstable. And at this moment, she felt like she needed some fresh air to escape the chaos in her body and her mind.


    "On a date?" Yu Mei teased. It has been a long since she heard the mention of harem or men from Mia''s mouth.


    "Her Highness isn''t interested in men or any kind of exotic flowers," Mia said with a straight face before turning around and walking out.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Yu Mei was speechless as she nced at the woman''s retreating back, "There is something up with her," she mumbled.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, "She will tell you when she wants," He stood up before pressing a kiss on her forehead, "Are you going to work?"


    Yu Mei nced at her wristwatch, "I amte," She did not expect anyone from the Han Family to visit them out of nowhere.


    Jun Zixuan chuckled, "Did you just realize it?"


    She stood on her tiptoes before pressing a kiss on his lips, "Do you think they were offended by what happened?"


    Without needing to mention it, Jun Zixuan understood that she was talking about Old Master Han and Old Madam Han, "They are not insensitive. Everyone saw whose fault it was. Their granddaughter was one trying things."


    After all, it was not some ordinary pet they were talking about. And no matter what the current situation was, Mia was a princess, she is proud to bones. There was no way she would let Han Jingyi pat her.


    Yu Mei sighed. The phrase ''their granddaughter'' was sounding strange to her. After all, situations were different from before and she should be their real granddaughter but she did not think much about it.


    "I don''t know what brother is up to..."


    Jun Zixuan remained quiet on this. It was indeed questionable what Mia and Han Jian Yu were up to. One was getting dark circles, and the other is not showing his face.


    ...


    "You mean something is going with Vice President?" Yu Mei asked Director Xiang in a soft voice as they walked out of Rosette headquarters.


    Director Xiang nodded, "I have been tracking his whereabouts," He initially thought that there was nothing wrong with the Vice-President.

 Chapter 382 - Tracking Location

    After all, he has been working in Rosette for so long. So, he thought that probably their President was overthinking it. But the more he looked into, the more suspicious he got.


    "Did you discover something?" Yu Mei asked.


    Director Xiang nodded as they walked towards her car, "After we shifted the headquarters of Rosette from Amaranthine to Beijing, the Vice-President''s family still remained there..."


    "But he is the type of man who is possessive about his family," Yu Mei frowned, "Why would he not bring then here together with him?"


    "I am unsure of it. Other than that, there is something else too..." Director Xiang paused.


    Yu Mei nced at him.


    "He has..." His words were interrupted by the constant ringing of his phone. He was about to reject the call when he noticed the Caller ID. A deep frown was etched on his face and he answered the call with a hint of urgency on his face, "Yes... Did you get it..? Alright, send it to me..." He hung up.


    Yu Mei looked at him as she raised an eyebrow, "Is everything alright, Director Xiang?"


    "Lass, I will exin it on the way," In a hurry, the old man reverted back to his previous way of addressing her, "Let''s go."


    Staying true to his words, Director Xiang exined everything to Yu Mei as he sat on the passenger''s seat while she drove the car.


    What made Director Xiang more suspicious about the Vice President was that the man''s call record that he acquired through some hical means.


    The Vice President had been in contact with a person ever since Rosette was almost on the verge of bankruptcy. That unknown number hsd been calling him multiple times over and over again. Andpared to his other call records whichsted between 1-10 minutes, the Vice President talked with this number for around 30 minutes and even one hour at times.


    On further investigation, Director Xiang discovered that this number was registered in Amaranthine.


    "Is this the ce?" Yu Mei stepped on the breaks as she looked out of the ss panes. It was an abandoned construction site...


    "Yes," Director Xiang handed his phone to her, "Here. If I am not wrong, the Vice President should be here to meet that person. He has been talking to them since one hour."


    Yu Mei nced at the live locationshing on the screen.


    "That private investigator got some of his men to install the tracking device in his car," Director Xiang said.


    Yu Mei looked around following the direction of the car and her gazended on the car in a distance. It was indeed the Vice President''s car. They could not be sure if he was here to meet that mysterious person he talked to or if that person was even rted to the fund embezzlement in thepany during the time between her death and transmigration.


    But since there was a small possibility.


    She transferred the live location to her phone before looking at Director Xiang, "You can take my car and go back," she said as she alighted the car. The bodyguard assigned by Jun Zixuan to protect her should be around.


    Director Xiang alighted the car, "President, give me a moment to get your bodyguards here."


    "No need," There was not much time and she did not want to alert the Vice-President. The man was someone she had trusted for years and if this doubt of hers was wrong then she did not want him to be disheartened by her distrust in him.


    But for a fact, Yu Mei knew that her instinct has always been on point.


    Director Xiang frowned, "Then let me apany you."


    "No-"


    "I am not leaving. We don''t know what might be there," Director Xiang was a stubborn old man and he was persistent about not leaving her alone here.


    And despite all her attempts to make him leave, he did not leave.


    As they walked inside the building which was under-construction, Yu Mei could not sense another presence around. There were some messy clothes, unfinished food, beer cans and she believed it belonged to the workers here.


    Since it was the time of sunset, their working hours were probably over.


    Taking a deep breath, she climbed up the stairs, "Director Xiang, you don''t have to..."


    "No, I will."


    "Uhh... Can you climb the stairs?" Although the old man looked healthy and fine for someone in his 60s but she did not know if he will manage it.


    "Lass, I do morning walk everyday," The old man smugly said.


    "_" That''s not what we are talking about, are we?


    Yu Mei speechlessly looked around and noticed open lifts which had railing and were connected to chains. They were open from all side and the ones that would be used by the workers to work efficiently.


    Director Xiang followed her gaze, "I am not taking those," He might drop from the railing, "I am fine with stairs."


    "Alright. Stop when you can''t do it anymore," With that said, Yu Mei swiftly skipped two steps as she dashed upwards.


    Director Xiang: "_" Hey hey, you said we will walk.


    Yu Mei checked the location on her phone after climbing to the fourth floor and the Vice President''s car was still around but she could not see anyone around. This area was pretty much empty and had nothing except for this abandoned building.


    Realizing something, she looked behind her. It seems like Director Xiang changed his mind. Just as she was about to sigh in relief, she spotted the man climbing the stairs, holding the rods for support as if he was climbing a mountain.


    "_"


    By the time they reached the fifth floor, Yu Mei could not see anyone and she did not know if she should be disappointed or relieved that there is a chance Vice President might not be betraying thepany and her.


    "President, I..." Director Xiang felt guilty for his unfinished information and as he was about to continue, Yu Mei shook her head all of a sudden.


    Noticing the serious look on her face, he followed her gaze and much to his shock, he noticed two shadows behind the wall in the distance.

 Chapter 383 - From Han Mei To Yu Mei

    "...I did everything the way you wanted me to buttely, she has been suspicious of me. How would you guarantee that she would not be able to find anything against me?"


    Yu Mei''s lips thinned. This familiar voice. It was him, the Vice President of Rosette.


    "I left my family in Amaranthine before I came here. I wanted to y safe about that but I never expected things to go this way. Who knew that she would really turn out to be our CEO and not someone Director Xiang brought over to pretend to save thepany?"


    So her doubt was not that wrong after all. This man was really upto something. Yu Mei pursed her lips.


    "I had full proof n to get you inside thepany in her absence so that you can take control of everything in time...."


    "But you failed in your ns, didn''t you? Your full proof n was nothing but a failure," Another voice cut him off.


    Yu Mei frowned, recognizing the voice within a moment. It was her, Han Jingyi.


    Director Xiang was speechless as the deeds of the Vice President, the person he has been working alongside for years came out in open like this. What exactly was the man thinking?


    "I did everything to get rid of that bitch but I don''t know how she came here from Amaranthine to Beijing with a new identity," Han Jingyi said, "I had indeed promised you a huge amount of shares from Rosette but things did not turn out the way we expected them to be. I never expected her to make aeback."


    While Director Xiang stood there confused, it did not take Yu Mei a long time to understand what was going on.


    After her death, Han Jingyi somehow brought over the Vice President''s loyalty with his greed for the shares. Then as things look, thetter promised to get her more control in thepany.


    But Han Jingyi never expected her to be back.


    Yu Mei frowned. In her previous life, not many people knew about her identity as the CEO then how did Han Jingyi know about it....Something clicked in her mind. She can"t know unless she is the one....


    The trail of her thoughts snapped when she heard a muffled scream from behind.


    Yu Mei turned around and her eyes widened when she witnessed the scene behind her.


    Director Xiang was thrown into that open manual elevator and there was a cloth stuffed inside his mouth.


    She had been distracted for five minutes and the man waa standing right behind her then... Realization dawned on her and she turned to look at the wall.


    As expected, Han Jingyi walked out of there with a smirk on her face.


    "You had it nned," Yu Mei mumbled.


    "nned what, cousin?" Han Jingyi asked innocently, "To corner you here like this? I indeed nned that."


    Yu Mei turned around hearing some rustling sounds and she noticed the chains of the elevator being snapped, a person was restricting Director Xiang''s legs with a rope.


    "You assume too much, Han Jingyi. No wonder you are single. With such horrible assumption skills, which man would take a look at you?" Yu Mei casually said, "Who knew if you start assuming things about them and go crazy out of nowhere?"


    "You..." Han Jingyi was annoyed. This matter was a wound in her heart. She was beautiful, talented, had a strong family background, Han Family backing but in the end she was single.


    And why..? It was not like men did not pursue her. But her heart was set on Jun Zixuan. Initially, she wanted to marry him just for the sake of marrying in Amaranthine Royalty. But right now, she was madly in love with that charismatic man who swept her off her feet everytime she looked at him.


    There was no going back on this for her. Han Jingyi was adamant on Jun Zixuan.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, it was toote by the time she noticed another presence at the ce. The man fought off with her guards single-handedly while holding the chain with the other hand, keeping the elevator from falling with a crash.


    Yu Mei sighed. She was certain that this guard was around her so when Director Xiang insisted oning here, she gave in.


    Han Jingyi stepped towards Yu Mei and the Vice President also followed her.


    Yu Mei nced at the man who was once her right-hand man. Someone she trusted a lot.


    "Don''t look at me like that, President," The middle-aged man said, "I have always wanted more power and not just be your dog."


    "I see. Go start your ownpany then. Why craving power in mine?" Yu Mei rolled her eyes.


    "You..."


    "You are a smart man, Mr. Hong, did you expect me to cry over your betrayal?" Yu Mei shook her head as she nced at the man, "I did trust you so I was disappointed. But I don''t really care. You betrayed, one more snake less. It''s better that way, isn''t it?" She sighed.


    Yu Mei was not the kind of boss who would y family with her employees though this changed a bit after she woke up in this body. But before, since she had always been around with Han Jian Yu, she liked to stay away from most of the people. It was like she had trust issues around strangers and despite being her employees, she had made sure to draw a line when needed.


    Unless the person is someone close to her heart, she will not go crazy over someone betraying her in any way. Things happen, people change. It was a fact that she had epted and trivial things like this did not faze her.


    "Tell me, cousin, how did you go from Han Mei to Yu Mei?" Han Jingyi asked straightforwardly, not caring about the Vice President''s strange expressions.. It was the man''s fault for selling his loyalty a few weeks after their CEO''s disappearance and she did not care if he was regretting it at this point.

 Chapter 384 - Let Him Go

    Yu Mei narrowed her eyes. As expected, she knew. She knew her real identity and she knew who she was.


    From the corner of her eyes, Yu Mei noticed that Director?Xiang was still in that elevator, struggling to remove the rope from his body while her guard was holding the chain with one hand to keep the elevator from falling while he fought with the men around.


    Han Jingyi made full preparation and had hidden her men around without a trace.


    Yu Mei wanted to go there to help but it would only endanger them further considering how chaotic the situation looked and Han Jingyi was distracted while talking or else one would not know what crazy thing she will do considering how psychotic she looked.


    "What has it got to do with you? Like who I am or what am I am or my identity...why does it matter?" Yu Mei was curious about this. Han Jingyi seemed to have known a lot about her.


    "How could it not?" Han Jingyi frowned, "I did everything to get rid of you but I never expected you toe back."


    Yu Mei was a bit stunned, despite already expecting it. As it turns out, Han Jingyi was the one responsible for her assassination all along.


    As if Han Jingyi got conscious with her words, she raised her hand and moved a finger. One of her men walked towards her and dragged the Vice President out of the ce. The man put a struggle but it was of no use as the other person was powerful.


    At this point, Yu Mei observed the situation behind. Jun Zixuan''s personal guard could deal with all these people with one hand so he was definitely strong. But him holding the chain with the other hand made the situation a bit sticky as there were almost 5-6 people he was dealing with.


    And Yu Mei noticed that there were some more at a distance too, behind Han Jingyi.


    Either this woman really hated her to the core or she wants to go to an asylum.


    Yu Mei turned to look at her, "So you are admitting that you are the one who was behind the assassination attempt?" She asked, using the word ''attempt'' for a reason.


    From Han Jingyi''s attitude, it seemed like she had no clue that Yu Mei Zhen and Han Mei were indeed two different people. And she wanted to keep it that way. Matters like how she woke up in this body and everything that followed were tooplicated for her to let it be publicized.


    Han Jingyi lowered her head.


    Yu Mei raised an eyebrow. Was this woman guilty out of nowhere or she was nning to pounce on her?


    She tilted her head and looked at her with her eyes narrowed, "You know, I have always hated you. Be it as Han Mei or be it as Yu Mei."


    "Let him go. We can discuss this after that," Yu Mei pointed her hand in Director Xiang''s direction.


    "No. How will I hold you here then, cousin?" There was sarcasm in the way she said cousin.


    Yu Mei frowned, "I will be here. You don''t have to hold him hostage for that. I want to get some answers as well and for them, I will be here."


    Han Jingyi chuckled before shaking her head, "Do you take me as a fool? I let him go and you leave after that with the help of this man who is obviously here to protect you?" She could see how strong this man was to be handling her men single-handedly while he supported the chain of the manual elevator with the other hand.


    With no restrictions, he will be able to y all her men effortlessly.


    "Han Jingyi, you have to be a fool if you think I care about his life," Yu Mei said out of nowhere.


    Han Jingyi was stunned for a moment before she nced at Director Xiang, "You heard her?" She said in a loud voice, "She said she doesn''t cares about your life. And you stay loyal to a person like that. Tsk."


    Yu Mei shook her head, "Vice President was my right-hand man. I did not care about him being bought by you, then why would I care about Director Xiang? He is someone I have known for a few months only."


    "Then, why do you want me to let him go?" Han Jingyi nced at her doubtfully.


    "Because I can''t get a murder written under my name. I am with Zixuan and I can do all I have to not ruin his reputation," She said seriously.


    Han Jingyi narrowed her eyes and a few thoughts shed in them before she nodded, "Help him out of there," Shemanded one of her men.


    Yu Mei, who saw through all the thoughts in her eyes sighed inwardly before nodding at her guard, to assure him to let the person in the open elevator.


    The man tightened his grip on the chain and soon Director Xiang was carried out of the elevator.


    Under Han Jingyi''smand, two chairs were arranged on the further corner of the room for Director Xiang and the bodyguard.


    As he walked across them, the guard looked at Yu Mei with a fleeting and meaningful gaze.


    And the corner of her lips tugged up in an angle Han Jingyi did not notice. Since Jun Zixuan knew about this, he should be on his way. This location is more on the abandoned site of the city but she believed he will be able toe here.


    Till then, she wanted to extract answers to all her questions from Han Jingyi.


    She wasn''t exactly burning with hatred but she sure was holding herself back from killing this woman. Although in this life, they are on the wrong note but in her previous, they did not even know each other then on what basis did she want her dead?

 Chapter 385 - We Did Meet Before

    Not only dead, but she also wanted her dead in the worst way possible. Yu Mei could never forget that pain of her wrist pinned to the road with a bullet, her dress being torn, those mening at her with lusty gazes... If she had not yed dead at the time, then she would have been...


    Yu Mei closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them.


    "How did you even shed off your real identity and became Yu Mei? That woman is long dead from my investigation," Han Jingyi stepped towards her, making sure that the other two men and her guards were at a distance while she talked to Yu Mei near the wall of the open floor while leaning back on the pir.


    Yu Mei sighed, "I just survived. The people you sent were not good enough."


    Han Jingyi held back from losing her temper, "How did you escape?"She asked through gritted teeth, "Those mercenaries were the top mercenaries in Amaranthine and now I can''t even contact them..."


    Han Jian Yu should have dealt with it a long time ago. Yu Mei tilted her chin as she stepped closer to Han Jingyi who was now standing instead of leaning back on the pir, "It does not matter why I am Yu Mei now. Tell me, cousin, why did you have to try to assassinate me back then?" After Jun Zixuan came to know of her identity, he made sure to manipte the data such that Han Mei and Yu Mei would appear to be one person if someone investigated it.


    "Don''t call me cousin," Han Jingyi was disgusted, "Keep up your pretence. I know that you know everything."


    "I know what?" Yu Mei blinked like she did not have an inkling of what Han Jingyi was talking about.


    Han Jingyi paused for a moment before speaking through gritted teeth, "You know about your identity. I know that."


    Yu Mei nodded, "I know. So?" At this point, she stopped getting surprised. Han Jingyi seemed to be much moreplicated than she thought.


    "I heard Han Sheng talking about this... two people who hacked into Han Family data. He had caught sight of strands of Ash-blonde hair and I knew it should be him and...you," Her voice was barely above a whisper and her eyes looked a little nk at this point.


    Han Sheng. Her brother''s biological father. Yu Mei frowned. It seemed like that the man only caught glimpse of Jun Zixuan''s hair and Han Jingyi easily believed it to be them.


    "I have hated you so much before. What did I not do to get rid of you since I discovered your existence..."


    "Why did you even hate me?" Yu Mei interrupted her. She has never crossed paths with this woman before for her to hate her so much.


    "Because you are their biological daughter, the Han Family''s real princess and I am not," Han Jingyi snarled, her voice rising slowly as she focused her piercing re at Yu Mei, "Ever since I was young, there was not even a single day I did not hear the mention of you in that house. Those people I call grandparents will sometimes sit in a corner, holding your childhood dresses while the people I call father and mother will keep looking at your pictures..."


    Yu Mei''s brows tugged together slightly.


    "I have grown up seeing all this. My brother... No, he is not mine as well. He is your biological brother. He did not care about the family-like me and it was me who always felt left out. Was it not because of you that I was treated as a recement?"


    "You are overthinking things," For Han Jingyi, Yu Mei did not have a bit of sympathy in her heart. No matter what she said, she was adored by the Han Family but she was blind enough to not notice that.


    "You know when was the first time I saw you?...." She seemed to be reminiscing an old memory as extended her hands, switching on the deep lights in the building as the sky was turning dark gradually.


    Yu Mei did not respond to her as she waited for her to speak.


    "It was during the time I was 13 years old that I stumbled into an old album in your mother''s room... Don''t look at me like that. I don''t take the Han Family as my family for a long time. I am there just for the backing I am provided it," Han Jingyi''s eyes did not hold a bit of remorse while she said that, "So, in that pink little album, I saw you, the one who has been the real one. Not a recement like me. The album''s cover page had ''Han Mei Zhen'' written above it. They were all detailed photos of you, from the time you smiled to the time you learned to speak, there was everything. Ah...I saw the pretty birthmark on your chest too. I grew up seeing them treasuring your pictures, the memories they had of you and the more I saw it, the more I will hate you every time."


    Yu Mei looked at the woman whose nonchnt expressions were morphing into sheer hatred.


    "Then, I thought you were dead and kept soothing myself with that thought. As I grew up, I regainedposure if someone mentioned about you rather than losing control like previous times. I was pleased to know I am engaged in the Amaranthine royalty. Even though at that time, they said Jun Zixuan was useless, I was fine with it. I wanted more power in my hands. But then one day, I came across you...."


    "We never met before," Yu Mei frowned.


    "We did. I watched you from distance, in the swimming area of Crystal University. I saw your birthmark too. I was in doubt if it was you or my eyes were ying games on me," Han Jingyi said before she continued, "I bribed the cleaning staff there to get me your hair sample.. Before I left the university, I saw you with Jun Zixuan in the cafeteria."

 Chapter 386 - Bravery Medal

    "How did you even shed off your real identity and became Yu Mei? That woman is long dead from my investigation, then...."


    Yu Mei Zhen dead but Jun Zixuan arranged the information in such a way that when looked closely, it will look like Han Mei and Yu Mei are the same person. But he did that after he came to know about her identity.


    From Han Jingyi''s words however, it seemed like she knew about this matter from long and it was possible that she investigated her when they met in her university.


    Yu Mei shook her head, "That''s not for you to know. Your men failed in killing and I survived. That''s the whole point," She softly sighed before she straightened. She adjusted her zers and nced Han Jingyi, "No matter what it was, what you felt, what you believed, you are a murderer so stop pulling this sympathy card," To a certain point, Yu Mei hated Han Jingyi but at the same time, she did not know what do with her.


    If she did something with her, then the Han Family members will be shaken. She would not have cared before but at this point, she had soft bonding with them and that made her a little conflicted about what she wanted to do and what she will have to do.


    "I am not afraid of you and you remember to not mess with me," She nced at Han Jingyi, "Things won''t end like this every time."


    Yu Mei nced at the bodyguard who was standing beside Director Xiang who still looked a bit muddleheaded by everything that happened.


    The bodyguard quickly stepped towards her and in the small moment, someone pushed the chair from beside the pir, out of the open wall, throwing Director Xiang out.


    Director Xiang was taken aback by the attack that came out of nowhere and out of reflex, he grabbed a rod as he hung from the edge of the floor, his legs swaying back and forth in the air, his other hand on the concrete.


    Yu Mei''s face turned nk for a moment but her bodyguard was quick toe back to his senses as he went to help Director Xiang.


    And surprisingly, Han Jingyi''s men did not stop him.


    Yu Mei slowly snapped out of her daze as she nced at Han Jingyi.


    Han Jingyi stepped back from her her as sheughed derisively, "Whatever happens, you have been careful about not affecting your image in front of Jun Zixuan. So why not ruin it properly? And does he even knows what kind of person you are? Will he detest you when he knows that you killed almost 8 of those people I send to assassinate you?"


    Yu Mei frowned, "You..." For a fact, she never told Jun Zixuan that she can do something like that, not on purpose bht ut never came up in between them.


    She nced at Director Xiang who was helped up and she sighed in relief before narrowing her eyes at Han Jingyi.


    Just as she was about to speak, she noticed something from the corner of her eyes. There were some movements of the huge metal poles in the corner and her gaze flickered as she stepped back but it was toote as the poles suddenly fell forward.


    Her eyes welled up with tears as the polended on her left shoulder. She grabbed the railings of the stairs and bit her lips.


    ''ng''


    The polended on the floor with arge impace and loud noise.


    "Madam!!"


    "President!"


    Both the guard and Director Xiang who was covered in injuries rushed towards her.


    Han Jingyu smirked as she watched Yu Mei staggering back, the pain was apparent on her face. "There was no way I was going to let you go unharmed. For all these years of torment I have gone through, I will take it from you bit by bit," There was a crazed look in her eyes.


    "Han Jingyi!"


    Yu Mei knew it was that small moment of conflict earlier that led to this....


    She felt like her consciousness was slipping when she heard that cold voice in distance.


    ...


    "Ugh..." She was greeted by the sight of the white walls the moment Yu Mei opened her eyes.


    "How do you feel?"


    As she turned her face to the source of the voice, she felt some restrictions on her neck.


    Jun Zixuan walked to the other side of the bed before sat beside her, "You got yourself a cast. The medal of your victory," His voice was filled with a thickyer of sarcasm as he stroked the cast in her neck.


    Yu Mei blinked as she she looked up at him, "You..." Her voice came out hoarse and it sounded weird to her ears so she stopped talking for a moment.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet before he helped her sit, got a small water bottle from the bedside table along with a straw.


    Removing the cap, he ced the straw inside and extended it near her mouth.


    Yu Mei nced at the bottle before slowly looking at him through her bangs. Her neck and shoulder felt too numb to move and she could only move her eyes around properly, "I...."


    "Drink," He cut her off with a ''Shut up. I don''t want to listen'' tone.


    Yu Mei blinked twice before she raised her hand and tugged at the corner of the sleeves of his shirt before she ced her mouth on the straw, sipping the water slowly.


    Jun Zixuan expressionlessly watched her while she sipped and as she pulled back, he ced the bottle on the bedside table before walking towards her.


    She raised her hand again and poked his watch, "Hey, are you angry?" She asked softly.


    "Huh?" Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Of course not. I am getting the medal of your bravery prepared."


    Yu Mei: "_''''


    " I...."


    "You have a cast right there," He cut her off as he pointed his finger at her neck before looking at her parted lips as she licked it slowly, "So I can''t grab your neck and kiss you to shut you up. So, you better keep that mouth shut!"


    "_"

 Chapter 387 - Did He Know?

    She pursed her lips and her face turned a little red.


    "Hey hey, do you have to be so violent?" She poked his wrist and blinked, her throat felt a bit constricted when she talked.


    "Violent?" He turned to look at her, "This is not me being violent, love," He poked her cheek, a little harshly.


    "Ow...You... It hurts..."


    "You know hurt? Very well," He poked her again.


    His tone was nowhere as soft as always and he was poking her. How was it not violent? But being the one being crushed under heaps of guilt, she lowered her head quietly.


    "I was in a hurry..." She mumbled, "And I didn''t know what the matter was. I realized it on the way and since I knew your bodyguard is around me, I believed he will make sure to inform you."


    Jun Zixuan red at her.


    "I could have dealt with Han Jingyi but I don''t know how to deal with her when she is rted to Han Family. All of them cherish her a lot and I didn''t know what I should do at this point. I was conflicted," She confessed.


    Jun Zixuan quietly nced at her.


    "And she... I didn''t expect her to mess around with the structures there. I was a littlete in reacting so that rod grazed past my shoulder to back," She blinked, not daring to imagine what would have happened if she had not moved back in time, "How is Director Xiang?"


    "He is fine," Jun Zixuan nced at her, "Don''t switch the topic."


    "Uh.. I was asking out of genuine concern but.." She blinked, "For how long did I sleep?" She asked as she nced out of the window.


    It was dark outside.


    "You slept for 3 hours," Han Jian Yu said, standing beside the door.


    Yu Mei turned to look towards the source of the voice, "Brother, you are here too?"


    Han Jian Yu nodded, "How do you feel?" He walked towards her.


    Yu Mei smiled awkwardly, "I don''t feel my neck anymore. What does it counts as?"


    Jun Zixuan flicked her forehead, "Of course it counts as something good."


    "Ow-" Yu Mei rubbed it as she winced.


    Han Jian Yu red at the audacity of the man.


    "Your contract did not mention that I can not flick," He said before turning his face.


    Yu Mei was speechless, "Alright, I am the one to be med in this. I did not expect it. The Han Family treats Han Jingyi so well and no matter how jealous she is or how much she hates me, she was aplete different person today..." Usually, Han Jingyi and her never got along well but today, the side she saw of her waspletely different. Han Jingyi looked like she had lost her mind, that creepy smile and that psychotic stare. Every bit of it was imprinted in her mind.


    Jun Zixuan inched closer to her before stroking her hair, "You got me worried."


    She leaned in to his touch, "I will make sure to not do that again."


    Han Jian Yu, not being able to take their PDA anymore, cleared his throat.


    Yu Mei turned to look at him while Jun Zixuan pursed his lips, "Brother, you..." she speechlessly nced at him.


    "Hmm?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow.


    "You have dark circles, you look pale... what have you been doing all this while?" She asked exasperatedly and almost moved her neck quickly but Jun Zixuan quickly pressed down on her shoulder gently.


    Han Jian Yu blinked slowly before shaking his head, "I..."


    "He has been lovesick," Jun Zixuan interrupted the man before he could finish his words.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.


    But Jun Zixuan did not seem to be a least bit affected by that gaze as he stroked Yu Mei''s shoulder.


    "Brother, are you in love?" Yu Mei blinked.


    Han Jian Yu opened his mouth to say something but at this moment, his phone buzzed. He checked the text before looking at Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan, "Han Jingyi was taken back by the Han Family."


    "I know," Jun Zixuan nodded.


    Yu Mei blinked, "As in... Do they know something?"


    "That''s possible," Both Han Jian Yu and Jun Zixuan replied in unison, leaving Yu Mei speechless. Since when have they been in sync?


    ...


    When Jun Zixuan came, Han Jingyi was caught off guard as she did not expect him to be here. She had made sure that he won''t being here anytime soon and even if he did, she had made sure to make the ce look like an abandoned construction site.


    Yu Mei''s car was dumped in the backside of the road and there was nothing which would make him suspicious.


    But the moment she noticed his presence, she realized that her n had ws.


    The moment Jun Zixuan nced at her, Han Jingyi knew that she got herself in a trouble... a big trouble this time. He had always been detached towards her but the coldness in his eyes today was different.


    But surprisingly Jun Zixuan did not spare her another nce before he carried Yu Mei in his arms and left the ce.


    Before she could sigh in relief, she saw a group of men stepping inside and her eyes widened. So, he was not sparing her....


    As she looked at the men approaching her, Han Jingyi found herself panicking. Dealing with Yu Mei, getting her isted and bringing her here was a challenge in itself, but how was she supposed to deal with Jun Zixuan?


    ''It''s all because of that bitch. Why would he do all this for her?


    Just as the gears in her mind started running, she spotted a group of men approaching Jun Zixuan''s men. She narrowed her eyes. They were Han Family guards. What were they doing here?


    Her gaze wandered around and amidst the crowd, she spotted someone she never expected to see here.


    It was Han Sheng. What is this old man doing here? She thought to herself.


    Her adopted father and Yu Mei''s biological father Han Jing treated Han Sheng like an elder brother but she did not have any good feelings towards this old man.


    "Tell your Master that the Han Family will give him an answer...'''' Han Sheng spoke to one of the guards from the group that had followed Jun Zixuan earlier.


    Han Jingyi frowned. He just arrived here, he could not have not known everything that transpired here.. A hint of dread rose in her heart.

 Chapter 388 - They Know

    "What are you doing?" Han Jingyi snarled when she was thrown inside the car by Han Sheng''s men, ''''Did you forget who I am?" Her dishevelled hair framed half of her face as she tilted her head to look at Han Sheng who was sitting on the passengers'' seat.


    ''''I didn''t forget who you are. You are the adopted....'''' He paused and Han Jingyi felt like the term ''adopted'' was emphasized on purpose to stab her where it hurt, ''''....daughter of Han Family,'''' Han Sheng spoke after a small pause.


    ''''Then, do you know that my mother and father would be upset if theye to know how their daughter was treated by your men?'''' She raised her hand, showing him the ring red marks on her wrists that she got while being dragged here.


    "How do you think would they feel when theye to know about their adopted daughter''s deeds?" Han Sheng said with a straight face while looking at her through the rear-view mirror.


    ''''W-What do you mean?" Han Jingyi gulped softly as she averted her gaze, not daring to look into his eyes, There was no way he could have known what transpired there. She had wanted to end Yu Mei today but Jun Zixuan''s presence was unexpected. She did not expect him to trace them here.


    What Han Jingyi did not know was that even without Jun Zixuaning there, she would not have been able to take Yu Mei down.


    If Jun Zixuan would not have been there, then Yu Mei would not have let her guard down when she closed her eyes. She had the backup ns up her sleeves.


    But Jun Zixuan''s presence allowed her to rx, knowing that he is there and will handle everything from then on.


    Nevertheless, unaware of all that, Han Jingyi was more bothered by Han Sheng''s frigid expressions at this moment. Did he know what she was up to? It was impossible. She had worked in dark, crafting her n and she had made sure that nobody knew of it then what happened?


    And what bothered her the most was even if he knew something, how much was that?


    She leaned back on the seat of the car and her gaze swept past the trees on the right side. She looked outside the window in a daze, the hatred for Yu Mei was growing stronger and stronger in her heart with each passing second.


    If that woman had not existed, then she would never have done any of this, neither would she be in this situation today.


    Just as she was about to close her eyes, her gaze wandered off to something in distance. Her eyes caught a sh of white behind the trees.


    Her eyes widened and she pressed her face closer to the ss, ''''Stop the car...'''' She said, ''''Stop!" She yelled when she recognized what it was.


    Han Sheng nced at her, ''''I am not falling for your pretence. It''s time to go home and answer everyone what you have been doing all these years.''''


    ...


    ''''It looks like they know everything,'''' Han Jian Yu stepped inside the VIP room as he nced at Yu Mei who was reading a magazine while sitting on the bed.


    Jun Zixuan, who was sitting beside her tilted his head to look at Han Jian Yu, ''''They do. Han Sheng, your biological father was there after we left.''''


    Han Jian Yu frowned, wondering whether Jun Zixuan was rubbing salt on purpose. That man was indeed his biological father but...they were nothing much like that. If it was not mentioned to him, he would forget that he had a father out there in the world.


    He sighed, ''''From what I found, it looks like he already knew about...''''


    ''''He...As in... Your father?" Yu Mei blinked.


    ''''Yes. So, Han Sheng was already aware that Han Jingyi is up to something. One of her guards betrayed her,'''' Han Jian Yu indifferently said, ''''And he had made some arrangements to find about her intentions.''''


    ''''Arrangements?" Yu Mei frowned.


    "Live recording. He knows about everything.''''


    After saying his piece, Han Jian Yu left the room and the ce drowned in silence for some time.


    After a few minutes, Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''You know...the one who assassinated me...It was Han Jingyi.''''


    Jun Zixuan''s brows tugged together, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ''''If it was live recording like what brother said then the Han Family will know about everything,'''' She shook her head, ''''Brother never wanted that. And...I don''t know how to deal with Han Jingyi for all she has done before.''''


    ''''Han Sheng told my guard that they will give me an answer,'''' Jun Zixuan said after some time as he nced at her, ''''And even if they didn''t, you don''t have to do anything. I will deal with Han Jingyi in my own way,'''' He whispered, ''''You are rted to Han Family, I am not.''''


    ''''Hey hey, you are the son-inw,'''' Yu Mei protested weakly.


    ''''They don''t even know that you are their daughter yet then how did I be the son-inw?" Jun Zixuan did not know whether tough or cry.


    ''''They should know by now,'''' Yu Mei blinked.


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, ''''Don''t think about anything. We will deal with it when the timees.''''


    At this moment, someone knocked on the door.


    ''''Come in,'''' Jun Zixuan said as he nced at the door.


    The door was pushed open and Steward Gu stepped inside, followed by a few men dressed in ck.


    Yu Mei recognized them to be from Jun Zixuan''s guards'' team with one nce. She was about to look at Jun Zixuan when her gazended on the food trolley they were pushing towards the hospital bed.


    ''''Master, Young Mistress,'''' Steward Gu bowed slightly to them.


    The bodyguards left the hospital room after settling the trolley beside the bed. Jun Zixuan stood up and arranged it properly while Yu Mei talked with Steward Gu, ''''You have been here all the time?"

 Chapter 389 - WHY?

    ''''Yes, Young Mistress. I came here after looking into the matter at that construction site where you went,'''' Steward Gu said.


    Yu Mei knew Jun Zixuan must have sent him there.


    ''''You want to say something else?" Yu Mei nced at him questioningly when she noticed him hesitating.


    ''''Young Miss is not back yet,'''' Steward Gu said.


    "_"


    "Mia... is not back to Ren Mansion?" Yu Mei nced at Steward Gu.


    Jun Zixuan also looked at the man when he heard this.


    Steward Gu nodded. He bowed to them again before leaving.


    ''''Do you think she wants to go into hiding again?" Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan.


    ''''It''s possible,'''' Jun Zixuan brought the trolley closer to the bed before shifting the food trays nearer.


    ''''So, what is she hiding from?" Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan, appearing quite curious.


    Jun Zixuan cleared his throat, ''''How would I know?"


    ''''Brother and her... they have got something going on, haven''t they?" She eyed him meaningfully.


    Jun Zixuan paused as he looked at her ''I know it all'' face. He sighed, ''''How do you know?"


    ''''Am I blind?" She rolled her eyes at him, ''''Mia has been crushing over brother since a long time. And the time we yed truth and dare at our ce, it was pretty obvious that he treated her differently. Not to mention the fact that they were neighbors during that time so I was certain that sparks would fly. I just did not expect things to get this intense.''''


    "Intense?" Jun Zixuan held the bowl of soup in his hand and picked up a spoonful of it. Blowing it twice, he brought it closer to her mouth.


    She sipped it slowly, feeling its warmth soothing her slightly aching throat, ''''What I mean is...'''' She picked up the fork and knife before arranging the te and feeding him.


    ''''I can eat by myself,'''' he said.


    ''''I know how to feed,'''' she replied, holding the spoon in front of his mouth.


    ''''I am not a child,'''' He frowned.


    She nced at the bowl of soup in his hand before looking at his face, ''''Then, do I look like 5?" Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she stuffed the food into his mouth. Since she was being fed, then she will feed him in his own way.


    Jun Zixuan did not know whether tough or cry.


    ''''So, what I mean is... I did not expect them to be at this stage.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow questioningly.


    Yu Mei nced at him, ''''If I am not wrong, they are responsible for each other''s dark circles and they are just running away from each other,'''' She paused before asking, ''''Say, did I get it right?"


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''I should have told you before,'''' He followed her gaze and noticed her looking at the chocte pastry on the tray.


    "It''s okay. I know Mia did not want to let me know about this and you did well. I would have been overthinking about it by now,'''' Her face scrunched up slightly.


    He picked up the te before bring a spoonful a pastry to her mouth, ''''I was about to say this but you noticed it beforehand.''''


    She shook her head, ''''They are adults. They will handle it.''''


    ''''They don''t seem to be doing well right now.''''


    ''''I can see that but I don''t want to interfere. I am worried I will be in a spot if one day if I have to choose one of them.''''


    ''''Now, you are overthinking. Here,'''' He shifted the spoon.


    She nced at the pastry with a weird expression on her face.


    "What happened?''''


    Her face turned pale slightly and she pushed herself to her feet, ''''I need...'''' She pointed her finger towards the washroom before quickly walking, almost running inside without moving her neck.


    Jun Zixuan''s brows tugged together and he strode towards the washroom without a moment''s dy.


    Han Mansion.


    ''Pak''


    Han Jingyi''s face whipped to the side as the moment the live recording came to an end as Han Jing pped her without holding back.


    The sound of the p seemed to be reverberating inside the quiet living room. There were the other members of the Han family but the expressions on their faces were notprehendible.


    Han Suyin was sitting on one corner of the long L-shaped couch with her palms covering her face, Han Sheng was standing behind her, his brows were tugged together.


    On the other side of the couch, Old Master Han and Old Madam Han were sitting. While thetter sobbed softly, the former stroked her back with a quiet expression on his face.


    "We don''t care for you?" Han Jing''s usually calm and gentle face was shing with undeniable wrath, ''''I named you after me, Han Jingyi and you hate us because we don''t care for you. You...'''' There was a shift of expressions in his eyes as a face shed in his mind, ''''You tried to.... to assassinate her,'''' Han Jing stepped back from her.


    Old Master Han pushed himself to his feet before he walked towards Han Jingyi. His old face seemed to have gotten more wrinkles in a little time, ''''Why would you do that?" He asked, his voice rose slightly.


    Han Jingyi pressed her palm harder on her cheeks, feeling the burn from the p. Her eyes welled with tears up as she bit her lips, her fingers curled into a fist. The hatred for Yu Mei was burning stronger in her heart with each passing second.


    For one, everyone in the family was aware that the beloved child that they have been yearning is not dead. She is alive and she is none other than Yu Mei Zhen. On the other hand, they knew that she had schemed against her for countless times. The live recording contained all the confessions that she had with Yu Mei.


    And Han Jingyi never realized that there was Han Sheng''s mole amongst her men.


    "What''s going on?" Han Liyun stepped inside.

 Chapter 390 - As Parents

    Han Jingyi''s eyes lit up and she turned to look at him, the tears in her eyes streamed down her cheeks. Han Liyun was the only person in this family who prioritized her and she believed he will understand her.


    Han Liyun looked at her questioningly. His heart ached when he saw the tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but his gazended on the ring red marks on her face, ''''What happened? Who did this to you...?"


    Han Sheng nced at Han Liyun quietly as he stood behind the couch.


    Han Jing, on the other hand, looked at Han Jingyi with mixed emotions before he averted his gaze to look at his son, ''''You should ask her about what she did and what she has been doing all this time,'''' He closed his eyes for a moment before walking towards his wife who was sitting on the couch, ''''Come Suyin...'''' He extended his hand towards her.


    Han Suyin finally removed her palm from her face before she looked at Han Jing, her eyes had turned red at some point.


    Han Jing''s lips thinned and he grabbed her hand before he ced his other hand on her back, supporting her slightly shivering body. He paused for a moment as he nodded at his father before walking upstairs.


    As soon as they reached their room, Han Suyin slumped on the floor as she broke down in tears. Han Jing sat beside her before he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as his eyes teared up.


    The room was drowned in silence except for Han Suyin''s muffled sobs.


    After what seemed like a long time, she finally calmed down a bit but Han Jing kept stroking her back.


    ''''She... O-Our daughter is alive,'''' Han Suyin said as she looked at him.


    "Yes, she is,'''' He nodded as he wiped the tears from her face, ''''S-She is indeed alive,'''' It was not something he ever expected himself to say.


    "I¡­'''' Han Suyin was about to say something but she paused, ''''How¡­ How is she pretending to be Li Na''s daughter? Where is Li Na''s daughter? Why did she hide it from us when she knew we were her parents? Do you think¡­'''' A hint of panic appeared on her face as she paused.


    Han Jing stroked her back, waiting for her to speak.


    "Do you think she hates us? How¡­How did she grow up all these years, Jing? Our princess has been alone all this time. We, her parents who wanted to shield her from all storms were not even around her¡­we don''t even know how she survived,'''' Han Suyin held Han Jing''s cor before she buried her face in his chest. Suddenly reminded of something, she slowly sat up and looked at him, ''''Is¡­Is Jian Yu alive too¡­ like our Princess?"


    Han Jing stroked her back as he pulled her closer, ''''She will tell us when we go to meet herter¡­We will go to meet her,'''' There was an undeniable hope and happiness in his eyes as he spoke.


    The first time he came across her in the restaurant, he looked at her only because of her name. But, there was something about her that made him like her more. He wanted to see her around, to invite her to Han Mansion. The more they talked, the more he had this urge to get to know that girl more but he held back, not knowing how to deal with it.


    He kept reminding himself that even though the names are same, she was not his daughter and it is not good if he tried to look for his daughter in her. But never once did he think¡­that she was indeed his daughter.


    "Suyin¡­'''' There was something else too that was on his mind at the moment.


    Han Suyin looked at him questioningly. His expressions looked no better than her and somehow she could see mixed expressions on his face. Happy, sad, anxious, excited, worried, confused¡­ Han Jing''s expressions wereplicated for her to decipher anything and she did not know what he was thinking.


    ''''We failed as parents¡­'''' Han Jing said after a long time, ''''We could not protect Mei properly, and now, we failed in raising Jingyi¡­''''


    The mention of Han Jingyi made Han Suyin go silent. What she witnessed today was like a stab to her. That was the daughter she prided over¡­The daughter who always had nothing but hate in her heart for them. And the same daughter who has¡­ hired people to assassinate her sister.


    A mocking smile appeared on Han Suyin''s face at that thought. Han Jingyi never once saw them as her family. How would she see Han Mei as her sister? Something clicked in her mind and a frown appeared on her face, "How is she right now?'''' She looked at her husband, ''''Shall we go to meet her now? Is she in the hospital?"


    Knowing that she was talking about their daughter, Han Jing nodded, ''''Brother Jing told me that she is in the hospital right now and she got a cast on her neck. Zixuan came there in time and handled it¡­'''' There was a fear in his heart which was reflected in his heart.


    Han Suyin also had the same fears. What if Jun Zixuan was not there in time? Would they have lost her? ''''Jing¡­'''' Han Suyin nced at Han Jing with a weary look in her eyes. She looked like she will breakdown at any given point.


    "Yes?'' Han Jing looked at her.


    ''''What do we do about Jingyi?'''' The mix emotions she had at the moment left a bitter taste in her mouth. To her, Han Jingyi was not an adopted child. She had raised her like her own, with proper care and love but she never knew she had nted the seeds of hatred in her heart. Somewhere, Han Suyin was confused about some things. Should she me herself for the way Han Jingyi was thinking?

 Chapter 391 - Test Reports

    Was it her fault that Han Jingyi hated Han Mei to the point that she did not hesitate frommitting crimes, to hire mercenaries, to plot a murder¡­.? ''''Is it all my fault?"


    Han Jing closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath before he nced at his wife, ''''It''s not your fault, Suyin. Any of this is not your fault. You, showing her the album of Mei was not your fault. If you never showed it to her, it would have been us treating her as an outsider or an adopted child. But it was because we treated her as ours did we introduced her to her sister who was not with us. I know it in my heart, I have never neglected Jingyi or Liyun neither did you. We loved them both equal¡­''''


    "But¡­''''


    Han Jing cut her off, ''''It was not until today did I realize that Jingyi was never content. To her, she did not care how much we loved her. She wanted to erase Mei from our minds. It is not possible, Suyin. My child, she is my flesh and blood¡­no matter what, in her absence, a part of our heart will always be hers,'''' As he noticed the tears in his wife''s eyes, he wiped them gently and continued speaking, ''''And we are not wrong for thinking that way. I don''t think we have been wrong but we just never realized that Jingyi had long drifted away from us. She never took us as her own. And she had drawn a line long ago.''''


    Han Suyin nodded as she moved closer to Han Jing, ''''We¡­We should talk to her.''''


    ''''I don''t know what we should talk to her about. What she did was a crime and the person she wanted to kill is my daughter,'''' Han Jing closed his eyes, ''''At this point¡­I don''t know what to do. I am just tired.''''


    Han Suyin refrained herself from crying when she heard that. Just like him, at this moment, other than meeting their daughter, she could not think about anything else or more like, she was trying to not think about anyone else. There was something else on her mind too which she was trying her best to avoid.


    ¡­


    5:45 am.


    Yu Mei opened her eyes and she looked at the white ceiling of the hospital. Finding her vision a bit blurry, she moved her hand to rub her eyes only to feel an obstruction. She slowly turned her head to the side and her brows tugged together when she saw Jun Zixuan sitting on the chair while holding her hand in between his palms and it looked like he had dozed off at some point.


    ''''Zixuan¡­'''' She slowly called him, her voice came out horse because she had puked her guts out after dinner.


    But even that small whisper was enough to wake him up, ''''You are awake? You need something? Water¡­'''' Jun Zixuan straightened up on the chair before looking around, ''''Or are you hungry? You didn''t eat much for dinner¡­''''


    She captured his lips with hers, interrupting the rest of his words. She kissed him softly for a few seconds before pulling back as she looked at the man who was blinking slowly, ''''Alright, I am head over heels for you. It''s illegal for you to do all these things and¡­'''' She paused and ran her index finger on his jaw before whispering, "¡­make me fall harder than I already have.''''


    "Cough¡­'''' The tip of his ears turned slightly red and he turned his face to the side, not expecting the sudden confession that dropped out of nowhere.


    ''''You don''t have to turn your face away like that, Xuan~ I had brushed before I slept,'''' Yu Mei teasingly said as she stroked his jaw with her thumb.


    Jun Zixuan turned to look at her quietly as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze roamed past her cast, down to her body before it went back to settle on her face, the look in his eyes was meaningful.


    ''''Cough¡­'''' It was her turn to burn red, ''''You see¡­'''' She drew circles on his jaws, trying toe up with a proper topic to break the tension in the air.


    ''''You see¡­'''' He leaned closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, dropping a feathery kiss on her corbone. As she jolted slightly, he whispered, ''''¡­Just because I am sitting quietly, it doesn''t mean that I don''t want to grab your wrists, pin them above your head, push you to the bed and make love to you until you can''t get hold of your senses,'''' his deep voice was dipped in desire.


    A shiver crept down her spine and her toes curled. She held her breath as his lips trailed lower, gliding down her corbone. She felt a warmth on her legs as his palm slid inside her hospital gown, moving up to her knees and then thighs. It seemed like her heartbeats took a flip and she closed her eyes, taking her lips in between her teeth when his fingers stroked her skin.


    A moan was about to spill from her lips when all of a sudden, every sensation she was feeling disappeared. Her muddled mind could notprehend what just happened and she opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she nced at him.


    "What?" He raised an eyebrow, ''''You see, love. No matter how much I want things, I won''t do that when you have got a cast on your neck.''''


    She blinked, her expressions morphed from confusion to disbelief, ''''T-Then¡­ why would you seduce me?"


    "Oh, that''s because you look way too hot in the hospital gown,'''' He winked.


    "_"


    She cleared her throat, "You didn''t get a wink of sleep, did you?" She asked softly.


    ''''I was worried you will need something,'''' He said, tucking a lose piece of hair behind her ear.


    ''''It''s just my neck which got a cast and not my whole body.. If I need something, I can take it,'''' She frowned.

 Chapter 392 - Smiling

    "You didn''t eat properly, vomited everything you ate. I was worried you will feel sick,'''' He stroked her hair.


    ''''I do feel a bit weak but it should be food poisoning or something like that. I didn''t eat properly yesterday, maybe that''s why I threw up after having a bit,'''' She blinked.


    Later after she threw up, the doctor had performed a few tests under Jun Zixuan''s freezing gaze. She sighed at the thought of it.


    ''''We will know when the blood test report is out,'''' he leaned closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.


    Yu Mei looked at him before she nodded, ''''But I am sure it''s nothing serious. I am not a sickly person for you to worry like this,'''' She ruffled his hair, ''''Go take a shower first. I will get our food arranged andter, we will get the reports.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded as he looked at her. He passed her the phone before walking inside the bathroom after getting his clothes from the bags on the couch.


    Looking at his retreating back, Yu Mei sighed in relief. She did not know what she would have done if he continued being stubborn.


    She sighed again. The worries that she had ced in the back of her head came rising again and her thoughts drifted off to Han Family. Do they know? Even if they do, they should not have heard the conversation between her and Han Jingyi right? While Han Jingyi was tantly admitting everything but she had only whispered a few sensitive things like how she had killed some of those mercenaries. So, they should not have heard anything about that.


    But do they know¡­that she was their daughter? Were they aware of it or the live recording was just a bluff?


    Many things upied her thoughts. On one hand, there was a tinge of anticipation in her heart but at the same time, she did not want them to know, knowing that her brother did not want to go back to the family and neither did she want a line between them.


    After having their breakfast together, Yu Mei went to get dressed properly. She was supposed to be discharged in some time and she could not wait to get rid of the hospital gown.


    Jun Zixuan went out of the room to make a call while Yu Mei was getting changed.


    "Chief,'''' A doctor called out as he made his way towards Jun Zixuan.


    Since this was the military hospital, the people here addressed Jun Zixuan as such.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to the side. He hung up the call noticing that it was Yu Mei''s attending doctor, ''''Is everything fine?" He asked, noticing the reports in her hand.


    ''''Chief, it is actually¡­'''' The doctor sighed.


    Jun Zixuan frowned.


    ¡­


    Later in the day by the time Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei were back to Ren Mansion, Yu Mei noticed some people going in and out of a room on the upper floor, ''''What''s going on?" She asked the man who held her hand and led her to the couch.


    ''''Some renovation,'''' Jun Zixuan answered, ''''You want to eat something?" He asked her.


    ''''Ice cream would do,'''' She softly said, stroking the cast on her neck, ''''Is Mia back yet?''''


    ''''No, perhaps she needs space. But I will send someone to look for her,'''' Jun Zixuan stroked her hair adjusting the sleeve of her dress before he smiled.


    Yu Mei looked at him with a weird gaze, ''''Why are you smiling?"


    ''''I can''t?"


    ''''Uh¡­ you can,'''' That smile was ultimately deadly to women, ''''Just smile for me and to me only.''''


    "Who else do you think I am smiling for?" He raised an eyebrow.


    She blinked. ''''Cough¡­ What I mean is¡­ You have been smiling all our way back to Ren Mansion¡­'''' And this mysterious smile of his was making her curious.


    Jun Zixuan paused, ''''That''s because¡­''''


    "Master,'''' Steward Gu walked towards them, ''''Apologies for interrupting but¡­'''' he hesitated.


    ''''Yes?" Both Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei nced at him questioningly.


    "Master Han and Madam Han are outside.''''


    Already having expected this, Jun Zixuan nodded at Steward Gu who turned bowed and left to wee them inside.


    Yu Mei''s expressions shifted slightly and she slumped on the couch.


    Jun Zixuan stroked her hair, ''''Don''t worry, it will be fine.''''


    ''''I feel nervous,'''' she grabbed his palm quietly, ''''And I don''t know how to¡­act and what to say.''''


    ''''You just have to be yourself. The rest will be fine,'''' Jun Zixuan said, "I will be there. Don''t worry.''''


    ¡­


    ''''I am fine¡­ I am not hurt¡­'''' Yu Mei coaxed the woman who was clinging to her hand, bawling her eyes out. That''s not what Yu Mei thought she would say or do when she heard that her biological parents were here but then, her life itself was into all sorts of unexpected things so she should have known better than assuming or expecting anything.


    ''''Why is there a cast then?" Han Suyin paused, looked at the cast on her neck quietly for some time as she sobbed softly but soon her eyes started tearing up again as she cried.


    Yu Mei was caught betweenughter and tears but she felt a warmth enveloping her heart because of the care in her eyes, ''''Maybe this is where I got my crybaby traits from,'''' She softly said as she hugged Han Suyin, stroking her back.


    Jun Zixuan leaned back on the desk on the study, a soft smile ying on his lips at her words. He was the one who called her a crybaby most of the time.


    Han Jing sat on the single couch, looking at the mother and daughter duo quietly.


    After some time, Han Suyin finally calmed down.


    Jun Zixuan picked up the box of tissues from the drawer before he walked towards them, handing her some tissues.


    Han Suyin smiled at him before taking a few tissues, feeling a little embarrassed for crying like that. It was her first time meeting her daughter and son-inw as a mother but she lost her calm.


    She was certain that she had not cried this much in years as much as she cried just in the past 48 hours but everything that she came to know had taken a toll on her mind and she could not hold it in despite trying to.

 Chapter 393 - A Talk With Parents

    Unlike Han Suyin, Han Jing looked calm as he sat on the single couch and Yu Mei could feel his gaze on her but she sat stiffly, not knowing what to say or what to do.


    Yu Mei looked at Jun Zixuan for help but the cruel man simply winked at her before walking back towards the centre of the study and leaning back on the desk.


    The corner of her lips twitched. She was going to hold this grudge for at least 6 hours.


    ''''Why didn''t youe to us?" Han Jing finally said something after a long time.


    Yu Mei straightened up on the couch while she turned to look at the man. Contrary to his usual gentle expressions that she hade across, he had a stern countenance today as he looked at her, "Since you already knew the truth, then why would you note to us?" This time, his voice had a pinch of hurt in it.


    And Yu Mei knew that telling them that she used to think that the Han Family wanted her dead would be a bad idea. Their emotions already look unstable after all these revtions and she did not want to hurt them further, ''''I came to know about this not long ago¡­'''' She said.


    "When we¡­"


    "Jing..'''' Han Suyin interrupted the man. It was the first time they were meeting their daughter as parents and at this rate, he will scare her away.


    Yu Mei nodded at Han Suyin, ''''I am fine. I don''t mind,'''' She softly said. These questions were after all bound toe sooner orter so she did not want to avoid them.


    Han Jing paused and looked at his wife with a reassuring gaze before he turned to look at Yu Mei, ''''When you got to know about this, why didn''t youe to us? And¡­ why did you pretend to be Li Na''s daughter?"


    ''''It was Han Jingyi who hired people to assassinate me, it would not make sense if I go to you, telling you that I am your daughter knowing that it wasn''t going to go anywhere.''''


    She did not tell him the fact that she did not trust the whole Han Family at that time, ''''I needed an identity. This was the most suitable one,'''' The topic of how she woke up in a new body was something that had always affected her in some way and she did not want to expose it to anyone, not even her biological parents. They believed her or not, no matter what, knowing this will also affect them psychologically so she believed it was better to keep it to herself.


    "Where is¡­she?" Han Suyin asked, ''''Li Na''s daughter¡­where is she? And how are you able to take her identity without making anyone suspicious?''''


    "She is dead,'''' Jun Zixuan straightened up as he exined it to them. He twisted the facts as needed, letting them know that the real Yu Mei Zhen was dead and because she rarely stepped out of the house and very few people had seen her, it was easy to manipte things in their way.


    Han Suyin''s chest felt heavy, knowing that not only her sister, even her sister''s daughter was dead.


    Yu Mei, who was lost in her thoughts, suddenly stiffened when Han Jing held her palm. A heavy silence lingered in the air and Han Suyin wiped her tears before she stood up, ''''Ah Xuan, won''t you show me around the Ren Mansion?"


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet as he nced at Yu Mei who nodded at him. He turned to look at Han Suyin with a small smile on his face as he extended his hand towards the door of the study, ''''Certainly, mother-inw.''''


    Yu Mei: "_"


    She had yet to address them as mother or father but he is already at it and he seemed to be doing very well too given how sleekly the term rolled out of his mouth.


    Han Suyin, on the other hand, smiled, finding her son-inw to be a gentleman.


    After both of them left, Yu Mei turned to look at Han Jing who did not seem to have noticed when Jun Zixuan and Han Suyin left the study as he held her palm carefully in his, looking at it in a daze.


    She could feel his finger trembling slightly even though his face looked calm, ''''Thest time I remember holding your hands¡­.it was the Christmas morning, you were in my arms, ying with my fingers but your mom and I had to go somewhere that the day so in the end, I had to interrupt your actions by holding your hand to stop you. I just never thought that¡­'''' He paused as he tilted his head to look into her eyes, ''''¡­That it will be myst time holding my Princess''s hands.''''


    Yu Mei felt a dull ache in her chest. She never spent much time with them. They just came across each other, once or twice or maybe thrice, she did not remember. There has always been a short exchange of words but she would be lying if she said that she did not feel attached to them in some way because she did and it was the truth.


    In the living room.


    "Ah Xuan¡­'''' Han Suyin paused, ''''Zixuan is too distant. Since you are married to my daughter, you don''t mind me calling you this right?"


    ''''I don''t,'''' Jun Zixuan said as he led her to the couch.


    "So, how long has it been since you both got married to each other?" Han Suyin asked him as she took a seat.


    ''''It has been some time since we got registered,'''' He replied, keeping the answer vague.


    Han Suyin did not find anything amiss as she continued asking, ''''How about the wedding?"


    ''''We have not nned it yet neither do we want anything high-profile,'''' Jun Zixuan answered.


    ''''Is it her decision? She is not into anything high-profile?" Han Suyin asked curiously, wanting to know more about her daughter.

 Chapter 394 - We Survived

    "She has always been low-key about her identity. Wedding and simr things, she would prefer them to be high-profile but with time, her preferences changed,'''' Jun Zixuan answered her patiently, noticing the curiosity in her eyes. In fact, it was not with time, it was because of her death that Yu Mei got clearer on many things and more importantly, what she wanted in her life and he was aware of that.


    ''''Since how long do you know her?"


    ''''It has been years¡­'''' Jun Zixuan thought about the first time he saw her and a small smile yed on his lips.


    Han Suyin did not miss the smile on his face and she asked, ''''Ah Xuan, tell me, how has her life been? Did she go through a lot¡­?''''


    ''''Not much. We survived.''''


    Both Jun Zixuan and Han Suyin turned towards the source of the voice.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow while Han Suyin was a bit confused looking at the person standing at the entrance. She recognized him with a single nce. He was the President of Amaranthine and it was not her first time seeing him. She had seen him in tabloids and news but it was her first time seeing him up so close in person. There was something familiar about him but at the same time, he waspletely unfamiliar to her.


    Han Jian Yu stood at the entrance for a few seconds before he thrust one of his hands in his pocket and walked towards them, ''''Long time no see, Aunt,'''' He nced at the woman who once asked him to call her Mom, who has always ever showered him with all the kindness and love that hecked.


    It was as if¡­ as if someone nailed Han Suyin to her ce. She could not move neither could she speak. She only stared at him nkly. Something stirred inside her heart and it took her a long time to recover her senses, ''''¡­J-Jian Yu?" The whisper left her mouth, her voice was uncertain.


    ''''It''s me,'''' Han Jian Yu smiled as he nodded.


    Han Suyin''s lips parted but no words came out of it. Whether Han Jian Yu was alive or not¡­.was a big question that she had, that she wanted to ask and to know. But she was afraid of the answer and it scared her if she wille to know that he¡­. Han Suyin closed her eyes for a moment before she stood up, ''''I never thought you were always in front of us,'''' After they moved to Beijing, the Han Family has rarely ever paid attention to the any matters in Amaranthine.


    ''''That''s because I didn''t want any of you to know¡­'''' Han Jian Yu replied with a straight face.


    Han Suyin''s did not mind this tone though but instead of offending her, that tone of his brought tears in her eyes. He had always talked to people in this tone, even when he was just 7. She was used to this, ''''I-I thought I¡­I have lost the both of you¡­'''' She ced her palm on his cheek, her fingers slightly trembled, ''''You have grown up well¡­ I missed you all these years,'''' Her voice was shaky.


    Han Jian Yu hugged her as he patted her back quietly, without saying anything else.


    Jun Zixuan quietly sat on the couch, a slightly suspicious look remained in his eyes. It was good that they reunited but given that Han Jian Yu had wanted to stay away from the Han Family, he did not have to show up here to meet them willingly unless¡­ he did not know that they were here when he came.


    If he didn''t know of that, what would hee here for? It took him a moment to get a hint of what Han Jian Yu was doing here.


    ¡­


    "No,'''' Yu Mei stood up from the couch as she moved her hand out of Han Jing''s.


    ''''You don''t want to go to Han Mansion?" Han Jing nced at her as he continued, ''''I¡­''''


    ''''I am not asking you to abandon Han Jingyi or anything as such. She is your daughter and I will leave this matter in your hands so can deal with her however you want. All this while, I have not done anything to her. She is the oneing at me, either to kill me, or y with mypany or harm me,'''' She continued speaking, ''''After everything, I don''t want to go there to y sister with her. I¡­ I can meet you all here or wherever you want me to but not there.''''


    ''''What she did was wrong¡­.''''


    ''''I killed some of those mercenaries she sent to kill me,'''' She expected him to be shocked but he looked unfazed. She wondered whether he was already aware of it, ''''And I know the Han family is not pure either, they too have blood on their hands. So, what Han Jingyi did, it can always be ignored but I won''t ever forget it neither can you expect me to try to forgive her.''''


    Han Jing stood up from the couch before he patted her head, ''''I didn''t expect that from you either. Give me some time¡­''''


    ''''You don''t have to do anything about it,'''' She said, noticing the reluctance in his eyes, ''''As long as she does not repeat whatever she tried in the past and she stays away from me, I will let it go for this once just for the sake of you all.''''


    Han Jing wanted to say something but Yu Mei''s expressions told him that she won''t listen it further so he just stood there quietly, looking at her until there was a knock on the door before the door opened and Han Jian Yu stepped inside, followed by Han Suyin.


    ''''You¡­''''


    Han Jing recognized the man at the first nce.


    ''''Jing, he¡­ he is Jian Yu, Brother Sheng''s son,'''' Han Suyin said, snapping the man out of his daze.


    His expressions shifted slightly and he stood rooted to the spot, unable toprehend what his wife told him.

 Chapter 395 - Something Happened

    Jian Yu¡­ Han Jian Yu¡­ The name was not a rare name and all this while, he never thought that the President of Amaranthine was none other than that young boy from the past. More than two decades passed and it was impossible to recognize him by his face.


    Unlike his wife, Han Jing had never been that close to Han Jian Yu because he was not around when Han Sheng brought Han Jian there. But he had fondness towards the boy after he met him.


    Han Jing and Han Suyin wanted to stay a little longer, to get to know Yu Mei and be around her while talking to Han Jian Yu about their childhood. But at the same time, the atmosphere was a bit tense after Han Jingyi was brought up.


    When asked about the past, Han Jian Yu did not hide anything as he confessed about how that nanny took Han Mei and dashed to the streets while he followed after them. Andter, the ident caused him to lose his memory and it was not until recently that he remembered everything.


    After both of them left, Han Jian Yu also did not stay around in the mansion for long.


    ''''Did you tell brother about this?" Yu Mei asked Jun Zixuan who shook his head.


    ''''He was here for her,'''' He said.


    ''''But Mia is not around. I wonder what happened between them and if they will ever sort it out properly,'''' She mumbled.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''He was here for that. If I am not wrong, he was here to talk it out with her,'''' he said to which Yu Mei nodded slowly. After a brief pause, he continued, ''''But it looks likes Mia doesn''t want to talk to him.''''


    ''''Mia once told me¡­that she is not the kind of person who will fall in love with someone. Do you think she is drawing a line for that? To not let brother be hurt in future?"


    Jun Zixuan did not think that Han Jian Yu was the kind of man who would fall for someone either but right at this moment, it looked like his feelings for Mia ran deep. Although he was not being vocal about anything, but him standing at a spot, looking around the mansion, spoke a lot.


    Jun Zixuan held Yu Mei''s hand before guiding her to the couch, ''''So, how was it? How did it go?"


    Yu Mei pulled back from him before she leaned back and lied down, cing her head on hisp, ''''When I heard they are here, I was excited and there was an anticipation in my heart about how this would go¡­'''' Having not many expectations from things like family or parents, she was surprised that they came to meet her as soon as they knew about it, ''''A little anxious when they said that they wanted to talk but I did not feel ufortable while talking with them,'''' She felt warmth around them.


    Jun Zixuan stroked her hair quietly as he listened to her describing everything.


    ''''After you both left the study, he told me about many things,'''' One of which that got her attention that the name ''Mei Zhen''. That name was hers. She was named Han Mei Zhen. After her disappearance, Li Na had named her daughter ''Yu Mei Zhen'' out of her love for her niece, as a remembrance. Both the sisters lost touch after Li Na married her adopted brother but they still kept contact with each other although it was very little, ''''There has always been a feeling of.., identity crisis whenever someone called me Yu Mei Zhen but now I feel a sense of familiarity around it.''''


    ''''I can see that.''''


    "You had something to say before¡­What was it?" She tilted her head to look at him and watched as a smile made it''s way on his face, ''''What?" She blinked.


    "I wanted to tell you about¡­'''' His words were cut off from the middle when his phone started ringing all of a sudden.


    Yu Mei sat up on the couch as she adjusted her hair. Jun Zixuan held her hand and stroked her palm, ''''Give me a moment,'''' He said while checking the caller ID.


    Yu Mei nodded as she nced at him curiously, ''''Who is it?"


    ''''It''s Boyan,'''' Jun Zixuan replied to her before he answered the call.


    Jun Boyan? Yu Mei was intrigued. This brother-inw of hers was usually busy with either his studies, his work and after he started living at Shi Luo''s ce, she rarely saw him at Ren Mansion.


    Jun Zixuan continued stroking her palm before he answered the call, ''''Bo-''''


    Yu Mei turned to look at him when the movement of his fingers on her palm paused while he stopped speaking.


    As she turned around to look at him, there was a nk look on his face. "Zixuan, what happened?" She frowned as she asked him the moment he hung up.


    But it was as if her voice was unable to reach to him as he sat there, looking at a distance.


    His grip on her hand had loosened at some point and his expressions were hard toprehend.


    She ced her palm on his shoulder, ''''Zixuan¡­''''


    He snapped out of his daze as he turned to look at her, "I¡­''''


    ''''What''s wrong?" She moved her palm from his shoulder to his face, ''''Tell me¡­'''' She stroked his face. There was nothing much that his face revealed but for some reason, it felt like he was vulnerable at the moment, unlike his usual self. It was a gut feeling.


    Before he could say something, Steward Gu stepped inside the mansion with a few files in his hand, ''''Master, these are regarding the recent project, the ones that you asked for. We need to look into these as soon as¡­'''' He paused, finding something amiss in the atmosphere.


    Yu Mei turned to look at Steward Gu before she nced at Jun Zixuan who did not seem to paying attention to the man''s words.


    ''''You need them right now?" She asked Steward Gu as she looked at the files.


    ''''Within an hour. Master had scheduled it for this time and now it will be improper for us to go back on our words,'''' He said.


    Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan quietly as she continued stroking his face.

 Chapter 396 - Past Regrets

    At Shen Lihua''s vi.


    The atmosphere around the dining table was stiff as usual as Shen Lihua quietly had her dinner on one side while Jun Zishen sat on the other end of the table.


    It has been days since Shen Lihua let Jun Zishen inside the house and he did his best as he persisted in trying to bring her walls down. He tried to cook good food for her, learning it from inte, he would get her flowers/gifts but they would usually end up in the trash. He will find random topics to start a conversation with her but she will chip it down with one-liners.


    As Jun Zishen quietly ate, certain thoughts kept upying his mind. Like Yu Mei told him, he was willing to persist, to go through anything if it meant to have Shen Lihua open up to him. But, there were these rare times when he wondered if he was toote and if he will ever be able to reach her.


    There was not even a glimpse of her past self in the current Shen Lihua. The person who used to be smiling andughing all day, rarely smiled now. She used to be the most talkative person in the room but now, she won''t speak a word unless she was spoken too.


    And it scared him. It scared him to think that he had done this to her.


    He ended up doing this to the person he has loved the most in his life.


    ''''Do you think we should talk?" The words left his mouth even before he could contemte over them.


    "What do you want to talk about?" Shen Lihua ced her fork down as she raised her head to look at him, "I am listening. Speak.''''


    The words that he had at the tip of his tongue rolled back, seemingly stuck in his throat as he quietly looked at her.


    They looked at each other for a long time. But under her emotionless gaze, it was Jun Zishen who averted his gaze first.


    "You have nothing to talk about,'''' Shen Lihua picked up the ss of water and took a few sips before cing it down. Elegantly wiping her mouth with a silk napkin, she stood up from the chair and turned to leave.


    "I want to talk about us,'''' came the voice from behind just as she reached the staircase.


    Shen Lihua''s footsteps came to a halt, ''''There is no us,'''' Her tone was clear and she spoke without any hesitation.


    Her words however were no less than rocks thrown at his heart. Jun Zishen could feel that she was detached, she was no longer the woman who would smile at the sight of him, who would hug him quietly when he was down. But it did not diminish the pain he felt when she phrased it that way.


    Without waiting for him to speak, Shen Lihua was about to walk upstairs when she felt a grip on her wrist and in the next moment, she was pulled back into a warm embrace.


    Unknowingly, Jun Zishen had already walked towards her while talking and the moment he saw her walking away from him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him in an impulse, ''''Must you do this to me?" His voice came out hoarse. He lowered his head such that his forehead was resting on her shoulder, his hair falling in front of her shoulder and his fingers gripping her wrist trembled slightly, ''''It has been years. I have missed you all these years, Li¡­''''


    Shen Lihua closed her eyes for a moment before shaking off his grip from her hand, ''''Jun Zishen, you are a good son to your parents but other than that, you have failed as a father, as a husband,'''' She turned around to look at him, ''''I never regretted falling in love with you, neither did I regret going against my parents to marry you. They always said that we are poor people and we could never match up to you but I trusted you. I trusted you with everything I had and I made them trust you. I told them that as long as Zishen is with me, I will never be sad and he will never let me down¡­.''''


    Shen Lihua stepped one stair up, creating some distance between them as she tilted her head down to look at him.


    Jun Zishen quietly looked at her. At this point, he was fine with it. Everything she said pricked his heart but this is the bitterness that she has lived with throughout these years and he did not mind it. Rather than her staying quiet, calm, and pretending like nothing mattered to her, he would rather have it this way where she at least vented her innermost feelings, said something. Even if her words felt like stabs to him, he would not mind it.


    ''''¡­But you know what I regretted the most in my life?"


    He quietly looked at her, his eyes losing their usual glow as he waited for her to continue, somewhat afraid somewhat worried about what she was about to say.


    "It was keeping up with it, believing that everything around would get better, that in that heartless family of yours, you would protect me, my children. I should have left the day it started,'''' As she spoke, her eyes teared up, ''''I kept lowering myself for you. My family was not rich like yours. My parents were ordinary people but they treated me like a princess with whatever they had. But your family¡­stepped on my self-esteem, my confidence, my pride and I kept all of it to myself. Why? Because I didn''t want you to be hurt or torn. I endured all those humiliations and gulped the shame that your mother made me feel¡­.''''


    Jun Zishen''s fingers curled into a fist as he quietly looked at her while she looked at everywhere but him.. Her eyes were filled with tears but she looked up, holding them in.

 Chapter 397 - Sick

    Shen Lihua refused to cry over this man once again. She has spent her whole youth doing that with unnecessary tears, hopes, wishes and none of it had ever worked for her.


    ''''I kept enduring all of it¡­.because of you. I somewhere knew that I was pathetic but I realized it sote. Before me, you had a wife, a mistress, you had women before me and I¡­closed my eyes on that too but your familypared me to them at every given chance. They made me feel worthlesspared to those ssy women their son had slept with,'''' More she spoke, more her eyes burned and tears rolled down her cheeks. She did not remember how long she had held onto these things in her heart but she never once thought that they would still effect her like this. She wiped her tears with the back of her palm as she looked at him before slowly shaking her head, ''''After all that I did¡­ You let my son to be trampled there in your family. You let them step on Zixuan over and over again.''''


    "I¡­''''


    "Don''t,'''' Shen Lihua held the railing before taking a step back, ''''I will never forgive you. To me, your existence means nothing. Go back to your family. They should be looking for you, waiting for you,'''' She turned around.


    ''''I left. I told them I am not going back to them,'''' He said.


    Shen Lihua paused in her tracks for a moment, ''''That is not something that concerns me,'''' She walked upstairs without stopping this time.


    Jun Zishen stared at her retreating back quietly until she disappeared from his view. He walked towards his room. Initially, she used to live downstairs too but after letting him in, she moved upstairs.


    Locking the door behind him, Jun Zishen sat on the floor as he leaned back on the door. He ced his hand on one of his knees while staring at the sky through the open window.


    Shen Lihua said her part but what she never knew was that he has always regretted marrying her. He regretted the time when he married her. If he had waited for a few years, maybe things would never havee to this.


    But back then, he was impulsive, and na?ve. He was scared that something or someone will get in between them, and he wanted to tie her to himself leaving no other way out for anyone. He was selfish¡­. Somewhere, deep within his heart, he was also aware that maybe it was a wrong decision to marry her at that time, especially when his parents were in the control of the whole family and they disliked her.


    But at that moment, he thought he would handle everything, convince everyone and he never delved into things until they reached the snapping point.


    He never let people step on his son. He has always protected him in his own way, from a distance but that would never make up for every mistake he had made which led to this. And with everything as it was, in the end, he decided to let go of them when things kept spiraling.


    Every night has been a struggle for him to get a wink of sleep. The thought of losing everyone he cherished the most, pained him but he did what he got to do. Rather than letting them be tortured there, he sent them away from him. He wanted to go to them as soon as his ns worked. But weeks turned to months and months flipped into years, it took him a long time to achieve what he wanted and a longer time to get the powers in Jun Family.


    Today, he was able to leave his parents ande here because they were aware of the power he held in the family and they knew they could not afford to sh with him.


    But if he left back then, then he would have taken everyone he loved down with him.


    Jun Zishen closed his eyes. Before her, he did have women in his life. But after her, it has only been her. He cherished her the most, he loved both Jun Zixuan and Jun Boyan even though he never got to be vocal about it¡­.


    Jun Zishen wondered¡­.if he was toote.


    Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet and opened the door before walking out of the room. His footsteps came to a halt near the staircase. He stopped there for some time before going upstairs.


    As he stood in front of Shen Lihua''s room, he closed his eyes and knocked on the door with the back of his palm, ''''About what happened today¡­ I will apologize for that. I won''t bring up such things in future.''''


    There was no response from inside.


    ''''If¡­If you want me to leave, I will do that too. Just don''t cry over that,'''' Still, there was no response from inside.


    It has been just 10 mins since she came to her room. Did she fall asleep so soon?


    ''''Say something at least instead of staying quiet like this,'''' He finally said, "Alright, if you want space, I will leave you alone for the moment¡­'''' Perhaps she was so angry and disappointed in him that she did not even want to see his face and he did not me her for that. His past deeds have been like that so it was only right if she treated him like this or even worse than this.


    Just as he was about to turn around to leave, he heard some faint coughing sound that made him pause in his tracks.


    Was she sick? Jun Zishen frowned.


    He knocked on the door, a bit impatiently this time and the door was pushed open as it was not locked properly.


    Just as he stepped inside the room, the sight that he witnessed made his mind go nk.


    "Lihua¡­'''' He stepped to the woman who was lying on the couch in a mess.. There were bloodstains all over the upper part of her peach nightdress.

 Chapter 398 - Scared

    ''Luoluo, how did Boyan know?'' Yu Mei texted Shi Luo while she hugged Jun Zixuan in the backseat of the car. He was barely speaking and it scared her to see him like this.


    ''I informed him'' Shi Luo''s reply came quick.


    Yu Mei ced her phone aside and wrapped her arms tightly around Jun Zixuan, stroking his back quietly. It slipped off her mind that Shi Luo worked at that hospital. Given what Shi Luo informed her, Shen Lihua''s surgery has started already.


    ''''Zixuan¡­she will be alright. We all are there for her, aren''t we?"


    Steward Gu nced at the couple from the rearview mirror as he slowly pulled up the partition between the seats, giving them some space.


    Both Jun Boyan and Jun Zixuan were attached to their mother having been grown up with her. While the former was vocal about how much he loved her, Jun Zixuan was on the quiet side.


    But¡­ given how he could marry a random girl just for the sake of Shen Lihua''s happiness, it was obvious how much he loved and cared for his mother.


    All these years, Jun Zixuan had made sure to get the best doctors for Shen Lihua to keep her health condition in check and control her Leukemia with medicines rather than opting for surgeries in the early stages which might be riskyter.


    And he has been sessful with that too. Shen Lihua''s healthy lifestyle, happy mood, less stressful atmosphere, medicines, everything altogether ensured that she was getting better in recent months.


    But for her health to deteriorate all of a sudden, Yu Mei did not have a good feeling about this.


    Jun Zixuan pulled back from her as he looked at her face, ''''She¡­'''' He seemed to be hesitating for a moment before he spoke, ''''She will get better, won''t she?"


    Yu Mei felt her eyes tearing up slightly because of his tone. He looked hopeful as he waited for her answer. She blinked and stroked his face, ''''Of course, she will,'''' She nodded a bit before sheughed, ''''I bet mother-inw can''t wait to fight and argue with me. We are there with her. What are you worried about?"


    Jun Zixuan pulled her into his arms for a hug before he buried his face in the nook of her neck.


    She stroked his back quietly.


    Sunshine Hospital.


    As soon as Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan walked out of the Director''s office after talking to him regarding Shen Lihua''s condition, they went straight to the VIP floor.


    Yu Mei''s footsteps slowed down when they stepped out of the elevator only to be greeted by the sight of Jun Zishen sitting in the hall with his palms covering his face.


    She nced at Jun Zixuan''s back before looking at the Jun Zishen who raised his head hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, her brows tugged together slightly.


    "Zixuan, I¡­ I had no idea about her condition until¡­'''' Jun Zishen pushed himself to his feet as he spoke, his voice was hoarse. One could see his haggard look as his face seemed to have lost its usual glow.


    "Zixuan,'''' Yu Mei''s eyes widened when Jun Zixuan grabbed Jun Zishen''s cor, aiming his fist at the man''s face.


    Without thinking anything, she rushed forward and grabbed his wrist to stop him. But his hand did not stop until the veryst moment when it was inches away from Jun Zishen''s face.


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips and waved his hand off and Yu Mei staggered a few steps back. Before she could stabilize herself on her feet, he came back to his senses and retracted his grip from Jun Zishen''s cor as he held her wrist before pulling her close to him.


    Yu Mei looked at his quiet face with a small frown settling between her brows. She knew that he did not mean what he did just now.


    "Are you hurt?" He cupped her face.


    ''''I¡­'''' She took a deep breath, ''''¡­am fine,'''' she finally said after some time. She was just caught off guard.


    Jun Zixuan looked at her from head to toe before he pulled her into his arms. He closed his eyes while mentally chastising himself for losing it a moment ago. The thought that he almost harmed her unknowingly made him feel terrible, ''''I am sorry¡­'''' He whispered.


    Yu Mei quietly stroked his back. She did not me him but seeing him like this made her heart ache. He was like a child¡­insecure, afraid and angry. He was scared of losing his mother and the anger and insecurity in his heart were very apparent to her. But even at a time like this, he did not forget to care for her.


    Somewhere, she did not know what to do and she could only feel this warmth in her heart but at the same time, seeing him like this made her heart ache, ''''It will be alright. She will be okay,'''' Yu Mei whispered.


    Jun Zishen, who was standing rooted to his spot till this moment snapped out of his daze as he quietly stepped back from them. He saw this deste expression on his son''s face for the very first time in so many years and he watched Yu Mei consoling him. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his heart which felt like it was bleeding. His wife''s life¡­ has been hanging by a thread all this while, all these years. She had Leukemia and he was unaware of that.


    The feeling of having his cor held by his son made him realize how much of a failure he has been.


    He slowly shifted on his feet and moved towards the operation theatre. His back remained hunched while he seemed to be upied in his thoughts as he walked forward in a daze.


    Yu Mei looked at his retreating back quietly before she pulled back from Jun Zixuan as she held his hand.


    "Brother¡­''''


    Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei turned to look at Jun Boyan who walked towards them with Shi Luo.

 Chapter 399 - Meeting

    The atmosphere in the hallway was quite tense as everyone waited in front for the doctors toe out.


    At this time, Steward Gu walked towards them with a look of urgency on his face. His footsteps paused and he nced in the direction of the operation theatre and worry etched on his face. All this time, Shen Lihua''s condition was improving constantly and there was no sign of her being this sick.


    Jun Zixuan was sitting quietly with a nk expression on his face. Yu Mei stood behind him with her hand ced on his shoulder.


    Noticing another presence around, she turned around to look at Steward Gu who was standing at a distance.


    She frowned slightly before walking towards the man.


    ''''Young Madam...'''' The man looked at her, ''''There is not much time left for the meeting to start. The other person is a prestigious identity with a strong military background and it would look improper to go back on words. But given the current condition, it''s not possible for Master to be there.''''


    Yu Mei looked at Jun Zixuan who was sitting quietly. It might not affect him or hispany that much if he did not attend the meeting, and they can also exin the cause to the other party but in recent days, many people are waiting for a chance to bring Jun Zixuan down. Especially ever since his face came to light, this has been many people''s objective.


    Just as he was about to say something, she noticed Jun Zixuan standing up and walking towards them.


    He cupped her face before cing a soft kiss on her forehead, ''''Go home and take a rest. The day has been hectic for you,'''' He whispered.


    "But...'''' Yu Mei paused for a moment before nodding, "Alright, I wille back soon.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded.


    Yu Mei grabbed his hand before dragging him towards the seat, ''''Sit here,'''' She pushed him towards the seat before cing her hands on his shoulder, ''''I will be back soon,'''' She stroked his face.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed her hand before kissing her knuckles quietly, ''''Mm, I will wait for you.''''


    Yu Mei looked at him for some time before she nodded. She nced at Jun Zishen who was standing in front of the opaque ss door before she turned to look at Jun Boyan who was sitting on the other side with his palms covering his face.


    Shi Luo, who was sitting beside Jun Boyan stood up before she approached Yu Mei.


    She nced at Jun Zixuan before grabbing Yu Mei''s hand and dragging her away from him, ''''Are you leaving?"


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''I will be back soon, Luoluo. Take care of... them,'''' She looked at Jun Zixuan for a few seconds before she averted her gaze, ''''Keep me updated. I will be back as soon as possible.''''


    Shi Luo nodded.


    ''''We have those files in the car, right?" Yu Mei asked as she approached Steward Gu.


    The man nodded, ''''Yes, it just needs to be rechecked once before the meeting starts...'''' Steward Gu paused, realizing something, ''''But Young Madam, you can''t...''''


    ''''I will take a look at the files and all the details of this partnership on our way back. I need at least 40 mins and at most 1 hour to understand it properly,'''' she said, ''''Switch the meeting mode and make it a video conference.''''


    ''''But..''''


    ''''I will be present there instead of Zixuan. I''ll deal with it,'''' She cut him off as she spoke in a reassuring tone before walking towards the elevator.


    Yu Mei paused near the elevator as she turned around. She looked at Jun Zixuan for a few seconds before stepping inside the elevator.


    2 hourster.


    ''''Alright, now that we are done with the discussion, we will finalize the rest of the things with Chief,'''' The man whose face was disyed on the screen spoke with a German ent.


    Yu Mei nodded as she replied to him, ''''Certainly, he will get back to you after everything is over,'''' She replied to him in fluent English.


    The man greeted her, with a small smile forming on his face. It was a pleasant surprise on his part. When he was told that the Chief''s wife will be taking over the meeting for the day, he did not expect much from it and was even ready to reject it but then it was ast moment decision to attend it just in case he ended up offending the man in the process. It would have been a loss for him.


    But Yu Mei''s attitude about the whole thing surprised him along with the rity that she had about it. He was not only impressed by her professionalism but also her knowledge. Meanwhile, he also recognized her as the CEO of Rosette. He was not aware of the rtionship between Jun Zixuan and Yu Mei, having not been paying attention to tabloids.


    And it made him more pleased with himself that he did not reject the meeting with her and gave it a chance. He had wanted to have a customized set of jewellery by Rosette designed for his wife and it would not have been good if he ended up on wrong terms with the CEO.


    Yu Mei greeted him back before she disconnected the video conference.


    Steward Gu who was standing beside her, noticed there was something wrong with her, "Young Miss, are you alright?'' He asked, still a bit surprised by her business skills. When she said that she will manage this, he only half believed her but now he realized how wrong he was, "You don''t look well.''''


    Yu Mei shook her head, ''''I am fine... Contact the hospital...''''


    ''''The treatment is going on... After that, they will follow the test procedures to ensure whether the leukaemia cells are cleared or not. It might take another hour before we get to know about Madam''s condition.''''


    Yu Mei nodded. The way the Director exined it to them, she got the crux of the whole thing. Leukaemia is barely curable by surgery but following all procedures, taken with bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, they would ensure to control the leukaemia cells.


    "Alright...'''' Yu Mei stood up, ''''We will leave now then.''''


    Steward Gu paused, ''''Master texted some time ago...''''


    ''''He did?"


    Steward Gu nodded.


    ''''What did he say?" She looked at him.


    "He texted on your number but since you didn''t check it, he asked me to let you know.''''


    "Alright, you can go.. I will see you in some time,'''' Steward Gu bowed and left and Yu Mei looked around for her phone.

 Chapter 400 - Come Alone

    ''Take a shower and eat something before you go to bed''


    This was the text that Jun Zixuan had sent to her while she was in the meeting.


    Yu Mei nced at the time. It was past 11 o'' clock. The day had been hectic. From Han Jingyi''s incident to her being admitted in hospital, then being dischargedter that day. After that, her parents came to meet her....for the first time, everything was emotionally overwhelming.


    At that time however, Yu Mei did not think that the night would be approaching on this note. She never expected Shen Lihua to be sick all of a sudden.


    Taking a deep breath, she stood up deciding to take a bath first before heading to hospital.


    Steward Gu, who was standing outside the slightly ajar door, heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing. He dropped a text to Jun Zixuan, informing him that Yu Mei changed her mind and is taking rest like he wanted.


    ''''Serve dinner in Young Mistress''s room before you close the door so she can take rest. Make sure ti not disturb her,'''' He spoke to one of the servants before heading back to his room.


    Around midnight.


    Yu Mei slowly opened her eyes, only to cover them with the back of her palm a secondter, unable to adjust to the ring lights. Her body felt cold and stiff.


    She rubbed her eyes before looking around as let them adjust to the lights.


    A soft sigh escaped her lips as she noticed that she ended up dozing off in the bathtub. Her back was aching so she had decided to soak in warm water but she did not realize when the exhaustion of the whole day took over.


    Her legs were numb and it took her some time to get out of the tub.


    Putting on a robe, she walked out of the bathroom.


    She picked up her phone from the bed to check if she got any texts from Jun Zixuan or Shi Luo regarding Shen Lihua''s condition while she dried her hair with the other hand.


    Before she could look through it, a few texts from an unknown number caught her attention.


    Curious, she clicked on the number before checking the texts that she received.


    ''Bam'' The hair dryernded on the floor and her expressions changed the moment she saw the pictures which had Mia in them, in bloodied and bruised condition.


    Her birthmark was visible in the pictures and she was in her fox form, curled up in a corner with cuts and bruises all over her body, her blood was soaking her snowy furs.


    Yu Mei''s lips trembled slightly and she felt her blood running cold. She took a step back before sitting on the bed.


    Putting her phone aside, she inhaled a deep breath while trying to think rationally. It should not be Mia.


    Mia is so powerful and there was no way someone can do this to her. She convinced herself with this again and again but still there was this nagging feeling in her heart that she was unable to shake off.


    Mia was not around since days...


    She closed her eyes trying to shake off the negative emotions consuming her mind, ''Mia... Mia... Where are you?''


    If Yu Mei did not remember it wrong, Mia''s body always appeared on its own whenever she called her name.


    Mia also told her once that she will appear whenever she called her.


    With a little bit of hope left in her heart, Yu Mei once again looked around the room but much to her disappointment, Mia was not around.


    Yu Mei checked the pictures once again and the rims of her eyes turned slightly red, ''''It shouldn''t be you...'''' She whispered as she scrolled down.


    Han Jingyi... the name came to her mind the moment she noticed an address at the end of the trail of pictures.


    Followed by the address, there was a note added.


    ''You are supposed toe alone if you want this thing breathing''


    Yu Mei closed her eyes for a moment before she pushed herself to her feet. She untied her robe and stepped inside the walk in closet to get dressed.


    After putting on her ck leather jacket, she opened the drawer lock by entering a pin code and looked at the guns lying in there.


    When she woke up in this body, she did not have any ess to these but after she regained her identity, she got them back just in case. She looked at them nkly for some time before she picked one up.


    Grabbing the bike keys, she walked downstairs and made her way inside the underground parking before looking for the bike that she saw thest time she came here with Jun Zixuan.


    At Amaranthine airport.


    ''''Did something happen?'''' Han Jian Yu removed the mask from his face as he nced at Danny who approached the car with a serious expression on his face.


    ''''Young Miss''s mother-inw is admitted in hospital,'''' Danny informed the man.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''Make arrangements. We will go back,'''' While speaking, he took out his phone to call Yu Mei but as he noticed the nk screen, he handed it to Danny, ''''Get it charged.''''


    ''''Boss... Are we going back?'''' Danny asked as he took the phone from the man''s hand.


    ''''Get the private jet ready. We will go back now.''''


    Danny wanted to say that they justnded and they had work left here but Han Jian Yu did not look like he would change his mind so he did not say anything else.


    Sunshine Hospital.


    ''''Her condition has been improving all this while but she should have been on her medications and not taken stress. We still find Leukemia cells in her body and her blood pressure is fluctuating, leading to hypertension. And even the heart... if her current condition persists, then I''m sorry to say that it might lead to heart failure....'''' The doctor paused talking as he felt a shiver running down his spine.

 Chapter 401 - Little Girl Like Mei

    The doctor adjusted his sses and looked at Jun Zixuan who had his eyes narrowed slightly while he sat there with one of his legs crossed above another, ''''...We can still handle her current condition if we keep it in check. But we will have to continue with chemotherapy rather than only relying on medication,'''' The doctor said, trying his best to keep his tone as light as possible.


    ''''Chemotherapy includes risks,'''' Jun Zixuan said, ''''There are chances of second cancers, thyroid dysfunction,'''' He tilted his head down slightly.


    The doctor was slightly surprised, not expecting Jun Zixuan to be aware of such details, ''''It does. But the patient''s condition has improved with medications and there is only a little to do in which Chemotherapy will be helpful which includes only 2-5% risk. There is still time for the patient to be nursed back to health if we let her recuperate properly. Please consider it and make a decision in time...''''


    "Doctor, can I see her?" Jun Zishen interrupted the man as he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse.


    The doctor nced at Jun Zixuan before looking at Jun Zishen, ''''The patient is unconscious at the moment but you can go inside to see her,'''' The doctor said before he left.


    ''''Stop right there,'''' Jun Zixuan emotionlessly said and Jun Zishen''s footsteps came to a halt.


    "I want to see her,'''' Jun Zishen said indifferently as he turned to look at Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet as he tilted his head, "I don''t allow you to.''''


    ''''She is still my legal wife. You can''t stop me,'''' Jun Zishen thrust one of his hands inside his pocket as he stared at his son whose face was like a reflection of his.


    ''''Try me,'''' Jun Zixuan held the man''s gaze.


    But Jun Zishen knew that it was only the face that was his reflection and his son was way more stubborn than him.


    ''''I...''''


    ''''Dad,'''' Jun Boyan, who was sitting quietly till this point stood up as he approachedthe man, ''''Your face doesn''t looks well. You need to freshen up and eat something.''''


    Jun Zishen turned to look at him.


    ''''I am tired as well. Let''s go. We will be back before Mom wakes up.''''


    Jun Zishen understood that his younger son was trying to keep him and his elder brother away from each other. Although he wanted to see Shen Lihua badly at this moment, but he understood where Jun Zixuan wasing from and somehow the guilt in his heart was overwhelming, ''''Alright, let''s go.''''


    After both of them left, Shi Luo who was standing quietly, trying to keep her presence blended in the background sighed softly, ''''Come Zixuan, time for you to eat something as well.''''


    Jun Zixuan turned to look at her as he raised an eyebrow.


    ''''I will call your wife and then you can see her dropping her sleep anding here to feed you,'''' Shi Luo flipped her slightly messy braid towards the back before she crossed her arms infront of her chest, ''''I don''t how you coaxed her to go back but do you think she would stay put if she knows what condition you are in?"


    Jun Zixuan pursed his lips.


    ''''Come, we can have our meal in my office while both of them eat in the hospital cafeteria,'''' As he looked towards the other direction, Shi Luo followed his gaze, ''''They will shift Auntie to the VIP room in some time and there are your guards around too so it will be alright. You should let her sleep peacefully right now.''''


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''Lead the way.''''


    While both of them left, they did not notice Jun Zixuan''s phone left on the chair, shing constantly.


    After they had their dinner, Shi Luo left the office room to get warm water.


    Jun Zixuan was sitting there quietly, lost in his thoughts when his something caught his attention.


    He picked up the magazine lying on the coffee table and nced at the cover quietly.


    ''''You seem to like kids?" Shi Luo asked as she stepped inside the office room. She handed him the cup of warm water before taking a seat beside him while she looked at the the magazine in his hand that read ''Pregnancy and newborn''.


    "Not particrly,'''' Jun Zixuan mumbled as he looked at the picture of the baby on the cover, ''''They used to appear troublesome but... now I think they are cute. A little girl like Mei would be the cutest...'''' He paused.


    Shi Luo nodded, ''''You know, when Mei was younger, she was the naughtiest child amongst all the kids around us,'''' Sheughed at the memories, ''''If only her health condition was not this way then I would have been the most excited one to hold your kids...''''


    ''''Health condition?" Jun Zixuan cut her off and he turned to look at her as he spoke in a soft voice.


    Shi Luo absent-mindedly took a sip of water from the cup as she nodded, ''''I am talking about her PCOS....''''


    ''''PCOS?''''Jun Zixuan''s voice went a tone deeper and this time Shi Luo finally snapped out of her daze, finding something was amiss.


    "You don''t know?" She nced at him.


    His lips thinned, ''''Tell me.''''


    Shi Luo was speechless. After all the revtions between the couple, thest thing she expected was for Jun Zixuan to not know about Yu Mei''s health condition.


    ''''Shi Luo,'''' Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes as he took her full name.


    And Shi Luo knew that there was no way out of this. Left with no choice, she exined everything to him about how this body''s shape was not because of obesity like Yu Mei had initially assumed but it was PCOS. She exined how Yu Mei was came here for check up and was prescribed with the medications for it.


    Along with it, she also briefed him about the condition, ''''So, basically, it''s tough for people with this condition to be pregnant and even if they are pregnant, it would be a risk for both mother and child. If... If the child survives too, the chances of the mother surviving is less.''''


    Jun Zixuan''s grip on the magazine tightened as his fingers curled over the edges.

 Chapter 402 - You Lost Your Chance

    In Ren Mansion.


    The atmosphere in the living room was tense as Jun Zixuan sat on the couch with his eyes closed.


    "Master...'''' Steward Gu''s fingers curled into a fist as he dropped to his knees, ''''I have not been doing my work properly...''''


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes opened and he looked at the man before looking at the rest of the servants standing in a queue,''''What about the rest?''''


    ''''Nobody was around when Young Mistress left the mansion. No one has seen her,'''' Steward Gu replied.


    ''''The CCTV footage of all the nearby ces and the security guards,'''' Jun Zixuan said, ''''You have 5 minutes. Get them here.''''


    Steward Gu nodded as he pushed himself to his feet.


    ''''And check if my phone is left at hospital,'''' Jun Zixuan stood up from the couch and a deep frown was etched between his brows.


    ...


    Yu Mei stopped the bike at a alleyway which was at a little distance from the given location. She removed the helmet before getting off the bike as she looked around the ce.


    There was a small house with a spaciouswn around it and she could see the outlines under the streetlights. Yu Mei ced the helmet on the bike before she checked her phone. She called Jun Zixuan and Han Jian Yu on her way but they did not pick up her call.


    She cursed under her breath when she noticed that thework was dead.


    Yu Mei wondered if they tried to call her back but could not reach because of the poorwork. But she was relieved that she dropped texts for them.


    The badwork connection here must have something to do with this ce.


    Yu Mei walked towards the house in the dark. She knew this was risky but there was 90% chance that it was Mia in those pictures and if it was true then she could not afford to take any risks. For Mia to be in that condition, something must have happened to her or else there was no way a human can harm her.


    And Yu Mei did not know exactly how vulnerable was Mia at this moment for her to be reduced to this condition. So despite the risks involved, she knew she can''t leave her alone there.


    She stood behind the wall as she looked at the gates at the entrance of the house. The metal gates were shining under the streetlights and the narrow road was empty.


    Yu Mei did not spot a single man patrolling and her brows furrowed. In the construction site, Han Jingyi had hidden her men in every floor and she almost missed it because her carelessness.


    Yu Mei turned around and walked towards the darker end of the alley, her footsteps were slow and steady as she made sure to not make any noise.


    There were no streetlights at the backside of the house and as she stood there, she could make out the structure of the high wall under the pale glow of the moonlight. She tilted her head to the side and spotted the tree that was attached to the wall.


    ''Bam''


    As Yu Mei steadied herself on her feet, she held in a breath. It has been a long time since shest climbed a tree and she thought she would fall on her face.


    She regretted letting Han Jingyi go after ever everything she did to her. At this point, Yu Mei only hoped that Mia was fine or else...


    She closed her eyes and took deeper breathes to calm herself, a tear drop rolled from the corner of her eyes as Mia''s image shed in her mind, where she was lying in a corner with her little body curled up and bloodied.


    ''Bang''


    She took out the gun from her waistband and pulled the trigger, shooting the man behind the bushes who fell forward in the next moment.


    The shiny metal of his gun had caught her attention the moment she had climbed on the tree.


    As soon as the ce returned to it''s silence, three men came out of different spots, charging at her.


    Yu Mei pursed her lips as she kicked one in the face while shooting the other person''s knee, ''''Is Han Jingyi the person behind this?" Such intricate nning... was Han Jingyi that desperate to kill her?


    The third man paused when he heard the question, ''''You don''t need to know it when you are dying,'''' He stopped at a distance and in a quick movement, he moved his gun before pulling the trigger.


    ''Bang''


    Yu Mei''s back collided against the wall as she stepped to the side. The moment he started talking, she had guessed that he had something like this in mind.


    ''Bang''


    ''Bang''


    She shot the man before shooting the man who was charging at her with a dagger in his hand, ''''You lost your chance,'''' Yu Mei whispered before she turned to look at the man lying on the ground, unconscious.


    Some rustling sounds in the distance caught her attention and she slowly stepped towards the window of the house, following the source of the noise.


    ''''And you lost yours...'''' came a whisper from the back and Yu Mei felt a sharp pain shooting through her neck while the cold metal of the gun was pressed against the back of her head.


    ''Bang''


    ''''Ugh.... Ahh..'''' A miserable shriek resounded in the emptywn as she twisted her wrist before shooting the man from back.


    ''Bam''


    ''''No, I didn''t,'''' She turned around to look at the person who fell on the ground.


    Her lips thinned as she slowly raised her hand towards her neck. Yu Mei closed her eyes before she grabbed the tip and pulled out the syringe that was stabbed on the back of her neck.


    ''''Ugh...'''' She bit her bottom lips, enduring the pain and the awfully tingling sensation on her neck.


    Throwing the syringe away, Yu Mei turned around and nced of the window.


    "You cane inside...'''' Came a baritone voice from the side, ''''...by the door.''''


    She already expected this.. With all this noise and gunshots, it would have been impossible for them to not know it.

 Chapter 403 - Please Wake Up

    Yu Mei tilted her head to the side and she was greeted by the sight of a 6 feet tall man standing there. Something shed in her mind but it went by so quickly that she could not catch onto it. The person''s face looked familiar to her but she could not remember where she saw him...


    As the man led Yu Mei inside, she quietly followed after him while observing the surroundings.


    The house looked small from outside and it was small from inside as well. There was only a living room and an open bedroom without any door.


    The man did not stop neither did he talk to her as he walked inside the bedroom before standing in front of the wall.


    Yu Mei quietly followed after him.


    He removed a painting from the wall and she noticed a 16 inch ck disy behind it.


    The man ced his palm on it and the ck screen lit up with a blue light.


    He stepped back from the wall and Yu Mei watched as the wall split open, sliding to the sides revealing a huge staircase that led underground.


    The lights on the either sides of the staircase lit up, lightening up the grand European styled living room.


    ''''I want to see Mia first.''''


    The man did not respond to her.


    Just as he was about to step forward, she pressed the tip of her gun on his neck, ''''Take me to her first.''''


    The man paused, ''''If I don''t?"


    The thought of something happening to Mia had left a numbing sensation on her heart.


    Unless she saw her with her own eyes, Yu Mei did not care about anything else. Either they take her to Mia, or all of them perish together...


    Just as the thought crossed her mind, Jun Zixuan''s face shed in front of her eyes.


    ''''Then you die,'''' She pulled the trigger, her tone was emotionless.


    ''Bang''


    The sound of the resounding gunshot reverberated in the air with Yu Mei''s hand in air, pointing towards the roof. The man had grabbed her wrist in time and changed the direction where the gun was pointing at.


    ''''You are being taken there, to meet your pet,'''' The middle-aged man said as he looked at her, his gaze meaningful, ''''Till then, you should be patient. If I die here, we won''t know if your pet is breathing.''''


    Her fingers curled tighter around the gun and her knuckles turned pale. ''''Let go of my hand,'''' She narrowed her eyes.


    The man''s grip on her wrist tightened and he snatched the gun from her hand.


    Yu Mei did not speak all the way as he led her inside what looked like an underground mansion. They walked past the living room and she observed the rooms on the side as they walked in the hallway.


    His footsteps came to a halt in front of the cornermost room that lied on the end of the hallway. Yu Mei noticed him putting his palm on the door before he looked at the ck screen in front of his face. The screen lit up as it scanned his irises.


    ''Click''


    The man pushed the door open before he stepped inside. Yu Mei quietly followed after him.


    ''''Here it is, your pet,'''' The man pointed his finger towards the dark corner in the room.


    Yu Mei looked over in the direction and her eyes slowly teared up as she witnessed Mia lying in the corner lifelessly, there was no movement from her and she was curled up like a small ball. Even in her fox form, Mia have always been like that proud and arrogant Princess, strutting around with her chin raised.


    Yu Mei bit her botttom lips as she she tried to hold her tears. But it was as if she had no control over them as they streamed down her cheeks.


    "It does looks expensive but is it worthy for you to risk your life?'''' The man said, almost in a mocking tone even though his face remained indifferent.


    Yu Mei stepped towards Mia without responding to him. There was nothing she could see or hear at this moment. Her mind stopped working the moment she saw Mia in this condition...


    ''''Mia... Mia, wake up...'''' Yu Mei cradled the white little fox in her arms but the body felt lifeless to her touch. It was so cold that she felt a freezing sensation on her palm and the blood soaking her furs had dried at some point but there was fresh blood oozing out from her paws.


    If she was not aware of the fact that Mia''s body temperature was naturally cold and it was even colder when she was in her fox form, then she would have thought Mia was dead taking her faint, almost non-existent breathing in consideration.


    But even so, Yu Mei could feel the fear creeping up in her heart... She has never seen Mia like this. She has always seen the woman iming that no human can hurt her, that they don''t hold the power to hurt her.


    "How pathetic,'''' The man mumbled under his breath looking at Yu Mei as he shook his head before walking out of the room.


    "Mia... Please wake up...'''' A sob escaped her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks, ''''I will always listen to you... You can do whatever you want, I won''t stop you. I won''t let brother hurt you too. You have always wanted to sleep with him, right? You can seduce him however you want. I won''t stop you. And you can cause chaos for the people whom you don''t like, I won''t stop you from that as well. Just don''t leave u-us....''''


    Yu Mei did not know what was going on or what the whole situation was but at this moment, she felt like something was terribly wrong with Mia.


    "Mia, what should I do so that you wake up?" Yu Mei hugged her, lightly enough to not tear open her cuts. Anger burned in her heart and tears rolled down her cheeks, ''''I won''t spare those who did this to you.... Please wake up,'''' She broke down while speaking to her.

 Chapter 404 - Mastermind

    Yu Mei leaned back on the wall as she sobbed while speaking, ''''You know... The first time when I saw you, you appeared out of thin air andter, even though I acted indifferent about it, I was intimidated by your presence. In my heart, I always treated you as an enemy until I realized the kind of person you are. It took me months to know the real you, little by little, I got to know the Mia who has her vulnerable sides, who has soft corner for me and Zixuan even though she pretended like she didn''t care...'''' She whispered softly while gently stroking Mia''s back, hoping that her voice reached the woman.


    ''''Mia... Your presence...it is indeed like that of an elder sister, one I can rely on with my eyes closed. Even though I don''t say it out most of the time, I have always seen you as an elder sister like you always wanted to be seen as. You are someone I can go to without a second thought...'''' Yu Mei paused as her eyes welled up with tears.


    There was no movement from her and Yu Mei could feel Mia''s breathing growing weaker, ''You always said no one can hurt you...'''' She lowered her head before closing her eyes, ''''What happened then? Howe... Howe you are like this...?''''


    Yu Mei stopped speaking as she heard the sound of the door opening.


    From the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimspse of a pair of ck leather boots.


    ''''You have grown up well but stupid,'''' Came a calm voice.


    Yu Mei raised her hand before she wiped her tears with the back of her hand as sheughed softly, ''''What makes you think I am stupid? And why would you make me wait for such a long time....'''' She tilted her head to look at the man who was standing near the door with one of his hands tucked inside his pocket, ''''...Mr. Han Sheng?''''


    Han Sheng''s brows tugged together and his face looked especially scary with the scar running down his cheek and his livid expressions, ''''When did you know?"


    Yu Mei carefully ced Mia on the carpet as she stood up, ''''Why should I tell you?"


    "You can demand for something in return,'''' Han Sheng raised an eyebrow as he looked at her like he was negotiating with her.


    Yu Mei stepped towards him, ''''Did you do this to her?" She pointed her finger towards Mia.


    ''''Yes, I did,'''' Han Sheng did not seem to be living in denial either as he nodded without any hesitation, ''''It was very effective to drag you out of your hole.''''


    ''''Then, you can cut off your fingers,'''' Yu Mei tilted her chin as she looked at the man indifferently.


    ''''I like that,'''' Han Shengughed, not seeming offended by her remark, ''''You are indeed my niece.''''


    ''''You are Han Family''s adopted son so basically I am not your niece by blood which is why you should not im me as one,'''' Yu Mei looked at him, ''''It disgusts me.''''


    And this time, Han Sheng''s expressions changed slightly, ''''What did you say?" He stepped towards her.


    ''''Was I wrong about it?" Yu Mei shook her head as she smiled mockingly, ''''I don''t think I was. Since you were so curious, I will let you know why I was not shocked to see you here. That''s because the moment I stepped inside this ce, I knew that the person who lured me here was not Han Jingyi, it was you...''''


    When they had hacked in the Han Family''s data inside the inte cafe, Han Sheng had arrived at that ce before they could leave. And to keep their identities disguised, Jun Zixuan had kissed her there.


    While Jun Zixuan''s back was facing towards Han Sheng, she could see the man clearly and even the people around. At that time she had caught a glimpse of the man''s face who had brought her inside earlier. Outside the house, it was dark and she could barely make out his features and she was only able to see half of his face and he appeared familiar to her.


    But as soon as they stepped inside, everything dawned on her all at once though she acted clueless and pretended like she did not know anything when in truth, she roughly had an idea on where it was all leading to.


    And she knew that the person behind this was not Han Jingyi.


    The mastermind was someone else. Someone the Han Family never would have thought will betray them.


    It was Han Sheng, their adopted son.


    And the fact also shocked her as the man was none other than Han Jian Yu''s biological father.


    By the time Yu Mei stopped exining it, Han Sheng could not help butugh, ''''I underestimated you. You just had a glimpse of my man and you managed to recognize him even after a long time has passed. You killed two of my men, and the other two are gravely injured. I can''t help but see you in the light of my niece.''''


    Yu Mei nced at him quietly, ''''You always worked like a servant in the Han Family and never epted any titles,'''' From what Han Jian Yu had told her, this man had beaten him countless times for she had called him brother, ''''Then why the sudden change? Why exactly are you calling me your niece when you don''t even want my biological father addressing you as brother?"


    ''''I don''t want him addressing me as brother... but the reason why I don''t want that is very...'''' Han Sheng paused as he emphasized on his words, ''''...very different from what you know.''''


    Yu Mei did not say anything as she looked at him quietly.


    Han Sheng smirked, ''''You know there is more to this, don''t you?"


    Yu Mei did not respond.


    Han Sheng raised his left hand and passed her the iPad that he was holding in it.


    Yu Mei nced at the screen that disyed 2 hour timer.

 Chapter 405 - Story

    ''''You miss your brother, right?" Han Sheng asked.


    Yu Mei averted her gaze from the timer as she looked at him quietly.


    ''''How about this? You can drop a text for him... You don''t want to?" He added thest line with a frown on his face when Yu Mei did not move from her spot. As she did not make any move to take the iPad from his hand, Han Sheng took his other hand out of his pocket before he snapped his fingers.


    In the next moment, the door was pushed open again as two men came inside, approaching Mia.


    ''Bang''


    Yu Mei pulled out another gun from her leather boot as she aimed it at Han Sheng''s hand before pulling the trigger.


    Han Sheng moved in time and shifted from his position, dodging the bullet sessfully but it grazed past his arm.


    The two men who were making their way towards Mia stopped in their tracks as they rushed to Han Sheng to support him.


    Yu Mei walked to the corner before she picked Mia up in her arms.


    At this time, the man who earlier guided Yu Mei to the room rushed there only to witness this scene. ''''You...'''' Given how naive she looked, he did not bother to recheck if she had more weapons on him at that time.


    Han Shengughed. With the blood flowing from his arm, and the scar on his face wrinkling up, hisughter seemed maniacal to a point.


    He handed his iPad to one of his men who ced it on the floor, ''''The countdown starts now,'''' Han Sheng whispered while looking at Yu Mei before he walked out of the room, the rest of his men followed after him.


    Yu Mei stroked Mia''s fur as she closed her eyes befor taking a deep breath.


    After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, feeling a little calm. She slowly scratched the back of her neck befoe she looked around the room.


    The room was very small and appeared cozy inparison with the extravagant mansion. There was a firece at a distance on the opposite wall. But other than that, Yu Mei did not even find a single window in the room.


    She quietly nced at the gun in her hand and her thoughts drifted off to what Han Sheng said. She killed two people.... It was not the first time that she did it. She had killed some of those assasins before but... her fingers trembled slightly and she looked at Mia, ''''Why won''t you wake up?" She whispered as brought her knees closer to her body.


    Feeling a strange itchiness on her back, she raised her hand and massaged her neck. Holding Mia in her hand, she tried to stand up, only to end up stumbling on the floor.


    ...


    ''''Ah...'''' Yu Mei winced as she opened her eyes, feeling a numbness on the back of her neck.


    She blinked slowly as she hugged her body, feeling a gust of cold air grazing past her skin. Her body curled up slightly. But suddenly, her eyes opened wide as she sat up, ''''Mia...'''' Yu Mei looked around only to be greeted by the sight of a huge swimming pool in front of her eyes.


    She scanned her surroundings.? She remembered being in that small room then how did she get here? Why did they bring her to the terrace?


    ''''You are awake,'''' came a voice from behind that had her alert within an instant.


    Yu Mei pushed herself to her feet as she turned around to look at the man who was sitting on an armchair with a coffee table in front of him.


    Her gaze wandered off to the chess board kept on it while Han Sheng yed the game by himself. ''''You want to join?" The man asked as he nced at her.


    ''''Where is Mia?" Her fingers curled into a fist.


    "Hmm... Mia... Who is Mia?" Han Sheng''s brows tugged together as he looked at her in confusion. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up, ''''Oh, are you talking about that fox?...Hmm, I wonder where it is..''''


    Yu Mei''s lips thinned.


    ''''Maybe it is swimming inside the pool?" Han Sheng asked as he nced at her.


    Her lips parted and Yu Mei turned to look at the pool. Because of the dim lighting in the terrace, she could not see anything other than the surface of the water.


    Just as she was about to step towards the swimming pool, Han Sheng spoke up once again. ''''I said maybe. Myabe it''s not there as well.''''


    ''''If anything happens to her...'''' Yu Mei nced at the man as she shook her head slightly, her tone was barely above a whisper, ''''...I won''t spare you.''''


    ''''10 minutes left,'''' Han Sheng moved in the chair casually as he spoke, acting like he was not just threatened a moment ago, ''''...I knew you missed your brother so I called him here. Should you thank your Uncle?"


    "Why are you doing this? Why do you even want him here?" Yu Mei nced at the man, ''''All this while, we have stayed far away from Han Family members and had nothing to do with them until the truth came to light. My brother.... He is your son too. Why must you do everthing to hurt or harm him?"


    Han Sheng smiled, ''''I wonder why? How about this, Lirttle Mei... You sit on the chair next to me and I tell you a story. I promise it will be short one,'''' There was a crazed look in his eyes.


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''I will listen to you but I need to make sure my fox is fine. Show her to me first.''''


    ''''You are a stubborn one,'''' Han Sheng clicked his tongue before pointing his hand in the other direction.


    Yu Mei followed the direction of his finger and she spotted a man standing with Mia in his arms at a distance from them.

 Chapter 406 - Let Her Go, Please

    ''''Now that you know your pet is alive and breathing, you can sit peacefully,'''' Han Sheng pointed his hand towards the chair opposite to his.


    Yu Mei nced at Mia a little longer. Then, she walked around the swimming pool before approaching Han Sheng. Taking a sit in front of him, she looked at him, ''''I am listening.''''


    Han Sheng''s face went back to his usual stern one as he looked at the sky.


    All this while, Yu Mei kept looking at Mia. She did not know what happened that she ended up sleeping but what she was aware of was the fact that she will have to get the gist of the whole story from Han Sheng if she wanted to leave this ce.


    ''''Once upon a time...'''' Han Sheng nced at her, ''''Is that how stories are supposed to start?''''


    Yu Mei looked at him without having any intentions to respond to him. There was something eerie about the man, about the way he spoke and the heughed.


    After Han Jian Yu had detailed their childhood to her, Yu Mei didn''t exactly have any sort of good impression of this man. She did not like him and somewhere in her heart, she hated him for hurting her brother.


    Be it from the pictures or be it the time when he came to the inte cafe, Yu Mei thought of him as a stern person. And most of the times, she tried to not think about him lest she got enraged after being reminded of everything that he has done to Han Jian Yu.


    But it was as if the person sitting in front of her was unrecognizable, and far away from the impression that she had on him.


    ''''So, niece won''t respond to me. I will tell you the story in my way then,'''' Han Sheng said with a straight face as he looked at the chessboard quietly for a few seconds before he picked up the ss of wine, ''''Once upon a time, there was a woman. She was gentle, kind and very sweet... Atleast, that''s how she was described to me by the diary of the person who loved her. He said that he liked her from the moment heid his eyes on her and he wanted to be her forever...''''


    Yu Mei looked at him while she waited for him to speak.


    ''''Both of them got together since they loved each other even though the girl''s family was unaware of it. Their daughter was engaged to another man while she was sleeping with someone else, how would they have felt about it?'''' Han Sheng shook his head, ''''So they were kept in dark about it and not to mention that their daughter was living and studying abroad so they never got to know what went on with her unless she told them. So, the girl in love got pregnant by the boy in love...'''' He paused as he burst intoughter.


    Yu Mei frowned but she refrained herself from speaking.


    ''''But 8 months down her pregnancy, an unforseen incident took ce. The boy in love lost his life in an ident, leaving the girl in love all by herself,'''' Han Sheng sipped the wine from his ss as he threw his head back beforeughing. After a few minutes he calmed himself down.


    Noticing a distracted look on his face, Yu Mei crossed one of her legs over the other as she slightly lowered her body towards the front, letting her hand reach her left leg. She roamed her fingers on her leather boot and just as she had expected.... A hint of disappointment shed across her eyes.


    ''''Oh, are you looking for your gun?'' Han Sheng asked, still looking at the sky. His voice was low and he seemed like a mellow elder with the calm look on his face.


    But Yu Mei knew more than to judge him by his looks. The way he spoke.... it did not calm her down, it instead scared her a bit for some reason.


    ''''Even though you are a brave one, my dear niece, I never like these disobedient people who don''t y by the rules. When you are asked to sit, you should sit quietly,'''' Han Sheng tilted his head to the side as he twirled the ss of wine twice.


    A glint shed on the ss because of the reflection caused by the lights and as Yu Mei nced at the side, the nonchnt look on her face faded bit by bit, only to be reced by sheer horror. ''''No,'''' She pushed herself to her feet but it was toote as the person holding Mia stabbed the dagger in her front paw.


    ''''NO!!" Her throat tightened as she noticed Mia''s ears twitching slightly but the small movement stopped and her small body stopped moving once again.


    Yu Mei watched as the man twisted the knife in her small paw and fresh blood oozed out of the the ce. It was as if a knot formed in her chest as she flipped the coffee table aside before grabbing Han Sheng''s cor as she aimed a punch right at his face.


    Instead of backing away however, Han Sheng smirked at her as if he was waiting for her to punch him.


    ''Kachk''


    Yu Mei''s grip on his cor loosened and she turned to look at Mia while the man removed the knife before stabbing it once again.


    Tears welled up in her eyes and her chest felt stuffy as she weakly stepped back, ''''L-Let her go... Please,'''' She whispered softly, not finding any strength to speak, ''''I won''t move. I will listen to you... Please, don''t harm her,'''' Her legs wobbled slightly and she grabbed the arm of the chair for support.


    ''''You should have been this obedient before instead of looking for your gun to shoot me,'''' Han Sheng said before he took another sip from the ss of wine.


    Han Sheng nced to his left and the person hoding Mia pulled out the knife from her paw in one swift move.


    Yu Mei''s fingers clenched the arm of the chair so tightly that her knuckles turned pale, her eyes turned red.


    ''''Don''t worry. It won''t die. The ce where she was stabbed was not deadly but your pet does looks delicate and we won;t know when it will die,'''' Heughed before taking a sip from the ss of the wine, ''''But then it would be a pity if it dies given how much you care about it, am I right?"


    Yu Mei stood rooted to her spot for some time before she quietly went to sit on the chair.


    After a moment of stillness in the air, she nced at him, ''''What happened then? After the man died and his lover, the soon-to-be mother of his child was left alive, what happened after that?" Her heart felt numb and it took every ounce of self control in her to not turn to look at Mia.


    Han Sheng nodded as he twirled the ss of wine in his hand, ''''Yes,ing back to that... So the boy in love died and he left the girl in love with the symbol of their love. How great it is that the girl even gave birth to it, that child but then again, 8 months is toote to kill it.''''


    ''''Why would she want to kill her child?'' Yu Mei asked him with a straight face, ''''No mother would ever want to kill her own child.''''


    Han Sheng scoffed, ''''She did give birth to the child, only to send the child to an orphanageter. Mother, it is.''''


    Yu Mei quietly looked at him while he continued speaking, ''''The child grew up in the orphanage, all by himself, adjusting in the ce, fighting for himself, struggling to make an identity for himself for not a day or week or a month, but for years. And after years, do you know who showed up?'''' He tilted his head to look at her, ''''She came, the girl in love and the mother that you spoke of. She was not any of those but she came as a richdy this time around, to pity the poor boy and pick him up as an adopted son. What she never knew was that... the boy long knew of the truth, the father that he once had and the mother who discarded him like dirt, the boy was aware of everything. And you know what was more ironic? She married her first love''s younger brother.''''


    Yu Mei did not say anything as she sat there with a straight expression on her face.


    ''''Nothing to say, niece?"


    ''''I have things to say,'''' Yu Mei replied.


    ''''Then you can say it out.''''


    ''''I am worried about my...pet.''''


    ''''Get people over to treat her wound,'''' Han Sheng said as he looked at the man who was holding Mia.


    Yu Mei inwardly sighed in relief. Even though she knew that these wounds are nothing to Mia but her condition was different today and.... there was no way she would let her stay this way.

 Chapter 407 - Hatred

    ''''Now that your pet is being treated, you can start speaking,'''' Han Sheng said, ''''Moreover, your pet seems to be a bit stronger than the rest and different. It survived through all cuts and stabs,'''' A small smile crept on his face, the kind of smile which can give a person goosebumps.


    And Yu Mei understood that kind of sadist smile. The way he was saying, it looked like he was taking pleasure in it and he won''t mind torturing Mia more than he already did if she persisted in her ways.


    Yu Mei restrained herself from showing any expressions on her face even as her fingers curled into a fist on her sides. It was a joke how lightly he was saying that Mia was being treated. If it was any normal fox instead of Mia, it would have died because of blood loss.


    ''''The boy was you,'''' Yu Mei said as her fists loosened slightly.


    Han Sheng gripped the ss of wine in his hand as he nodded, ''''Yes, it was me.''''


    Despite expecting this after the story, Yu Mei never thought that there would be such a matter buried in the Han Family.


    Grandma Han was indeed a kind and a gentle woman... But never in her wildest dreams Yu Mei thought that there would be so much history.


    From everything that Han Sheng described, Yu Mei got the gist of the whole matter. When she was studying abroad, Grandma Han fell in love with Grandpa Han''s elder brother andter got pregnant with his child. But after his iental death, she gave birth to their son but ended up sending him to orphanage.


    ''''Why did she marry Grandpa Han then?" Yu Mei asked Han Sheng. Since the man wanted to let her know about his story, she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Maybe everything that has happened to her all this time has more or less something to do with him. And her first priority at this moment was to get Mia out of this ce and to tackle a person like Han Sheng, she had to find a way to deal with him or maybe a weakness.


    ''''Money, power, influence. When one brother died, it is not necessary that she would reject the other''s offer especially not when he is madly in love with her,'''' Han Sheng replied casually as if he was just talking about the weather but only if the hatred in his tone was not so apparent.


    ''''Her parents... You said they were strict, so how did they agree to it?"


    ''''Unlike my biological father who just wanted to be together with her first before marrying her, my dear uncle was different. He wanted to marry her, he was head over heels for her and he did not bother hiding it while he courted her and asked for her hand from her parents. Them being poor little things, could not ask for more than having their daughter marry in the influential Han Family, especially to a man who would stop at nothing to shower her with his love,'''' Han Sheng twirled the ss of wine in his hand.


    ''''She left you at orphanage when you were born then when did you find out about everything....and how?" Yu Mei asked after a few seconds.


    ''''She made a mistake while abandoning her infant,'''' Han Sheng''s lips tugged up in a mocking smile, the scar on his face scrunched up, ''''She transfered the property deeds to my name and handed the papers to the orphanage, which I had ess to by the time I turned 18. It was the property deed of the house that she used to share with my biological father before he died. When I reached there, the house was empty like nobody ever lived there before. But one day, I found an old diary in the store room.... it belonged to him...''''


    Yu Mei quietly nced at him and he paused for a moment before he continued speaking, ''''He wrote in it even the day before his ident, about how... he wanted to see me, and how he wanted to ask her hand for marriage from her parents. After that, the pages were nk... but I did not stop looking for the truth until I found it. I found her identity and discovered about her marriage. I discovered my identity,'''' He sipped the wine, ''''Don''t judge me, my dear niece. Uncle did not do anything after finding it out.''''


    Yu Mei ced her palm on her hand as she gently stroked her wrist. As gentle as he was sounding, she could not shake off this edgy feeling while sitting in front of him.


    The revtions that he made had left her mind reeling with shock but she tried to not show much expressions on her face.


    ''''I was devastated, I felt betrayed and angry too but I did nothing. I decided to let her be, to let her live her happy life while I live mine. 18 years of my life, I had survived without a mother, I believed I would have survived the rest without one...'''' His grip on the ss tightened as he pinched his lips together, ''''But what happened then? My biological mother showed up at the orphanage, as a rich Young Mistress who was there to adopt a poor and pathetic child, to take him in and nourish him with a divident of their wealth,'''' He threw the ss of wine aside as he clutched Yu Mei''s jaw all of a sudden.


    She moved out of reflex but her jaw was already in his grip. The bone crushing strength made her wince but Yu Mei refused to make a single sound as she bit her bottom lips.


    ''''And you know who the chosen one was? You know who that poor and pathetic boy was who was chosen to be showered in their wealth?" His fingers applied more pressure on her jaws, ''''It was me, your uncle...''''


    "They took me in as an adopted child. The then Young Mistress of the Han Family adopted a poor boy from an orphanage. They had this golden glow on their heads while I kept tending to my bruised heart all alone. I didn''t say a word and left with them, watched as they grew their son, your father, with utmost care, I watched as my biological mother forgot the existence of her other child. And the hatred for her kept growing stronger in my heart. Unlike before when I held it in my heart and decided to not interrupt her happy life, my mind changed. With every passing second as I watched her being happy with her family, not even once thinking about the existence of her lover that died, the child she gave birth to, I hated her more...''''


    ''''Ugh...'''' Yu Mei winced as his fingers gripped her jaws harder to the point that she could feel the ache in her whole face as it made her unable to breath. She gripped the arm of the chair harder, resisting the urge to twist his hand.


    She could endure this much pain till she got a way out of this ce but there was no way she would put Mia in risk.


    ''''She adopted me and I acted like I was the servant of that house. Both of us knew the truth but she did not know that I knew it while I....knew everything.''''


    ''''And what did you get out of it?" Yu Mei nced at him, trying to hold back the disdain in her voice as spoke, ''''Your hatred for her over the years, where did that take you? Got inside the Han family when you were just 18 and now decades have passed, you are living with the same old hatred. If it bothers you, why don''t you talk to her? Instead of holding me here, confronting your biological mot...ah.. confronting her would be much more better,'''' A teardrop rolled down her cheeks when his fingers let go of her cheeks that felt numb.


    Han Shengughed, ''''What do you think I am doing right now?"


    Yu Mei tilted her head slightly as she slowly brought her palm to her face, stroking her cheeks with trembling fingers. As he turned his face to the side, she followed his gaze and spotted small cameras at almost every corner of the terrace.


    ''''Aren''t they all seeing it right now? The truth...'''' Han Shengughed derisively as he looked at the coffee table that was lying on the side, "That was my favourite one, my dear niece. Look what you did to it.''''


    ''''Why are you doing this?" Yu Mei turned to look at him, ''''What will you even get out of this?" As much as he wanted revenge but why her? Why was she the one whom he targetted? The question bugged her like nothing else. She never thought that the Han Family was seeing live footage at this time.


    ''''Hmm...'''' Han Sheng looked at his watch, ''''They are here even though they got dyed by 18 minutes. Smile now, dear niece.''''


    ''BANG''


    As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of resounding gunshots reverberated in the terrace as a few men dressed in ck uniforms entered the ce, taking down Han Sheng''s men who were standing at the door.


    Yu Mei froze for a moment but as she noticed the smile that yed on Han Sheng''s face, she looked at the entrance again, ''''Zixuan, brother.... No!!'''' She said as soon as she spotted both the men who had their guns pointed at Han Sheng.

 Chapter 408 - He Will Kill Her

    Both the men turned to look at her when she stopped them.


    Han Sheng slowly stood up from his chair as he nced at Han Jian Yu before he raised his hands to p, ''''It was not that I never doubted your identity but I got nothing on my hand against you. The whole world was not even aware of the fact that the great President of Amaranthine even has a sister. You yed well, Han Jian Yu.''''


    Yu Mei was beyond disgusted when she heard him using that tone to talk to Han Jian Yu. No matter what, he was still his biological son but then it would be too much if she expected him to hug Han Jian Yu.


    ''''And now you are standing in front of me, with your gun pointed at me, the man who is your biological father,'''' Han Sheng shook his head in disappoiuntment, ''''You really are something, my dear son...''''


    ''''Enough nonsense,'''' Han Jian Yu interrupted him, ''''You have something against your biological mother, go confront her. You dared to touch my sister and for that, I don''t mind shredding you to pieces and feeding you to wolves.''''


    When Yu Mei heard what Han Jian Yu said, she understood that the live recording going on was not only meant for the Han Family but everything was also witnessed by Jun Zixuan and him.


    Han Sheng paused.


    While the duo had their attention on each other, nobody noticed when Jun Zixuan, who had his gun pointed at Han Sheng''s head put it down while he looked in a particr direction.


    No one noticed, except for Yu Mei who had her gaze fixed on Jun Zixuan the moment he came there. She noticed him staring at Mia whose body was covered with blood while a man held her.


    And for a few seconds, Jun Zixuan was in a daze.


    His lips parted slightly as he turned to look at her and she noticed how his expression changed even more as he looked at her.


    She followed his gaze and slowly raised her hand to her face, her fingers stroked her cheeks and she could feel it aching like someone had stabbed it. Her eyes teared up as she looked into Jun Zixuan''s eyes. It was as if everything that she went through in the past few hours.... everything she tried to be so calm about, suddenly felt like too much for her.


    She felt like she had suffered a lot and there was nothing more that she wanted to do at the moment other than burying her face in his arms and crying her heart out. ''Mia...'' She mouthed as tears rolled down her cheeks ''I don''t know...if she is alive or dead.''


    Jun Zixuan, who was quietly looking at the bruises on her jaws, read her lips and he froze for a moment when he understood what she was saying.


    On the other hand, Han Sheng who was still stunned by Han Jian Yu''s words recovered from his initial shock. It was not like he did not know what kind of person he was when he was younger but the younger Han Jian Yu still knew something called fear.


    Though he talked back on his face but there was always that slight tremble to his tone, that would give him away and expose the fear that he was hiding inside his heart.


    But right now, Han Sheng did not trace a bit of fear in the man who was standing in front of him and after his momentary shock, the corner of his lips tugged up, ''''Very well,'''' He smirked, ''''Kill me. my dear son. Atleast, give it a try,'''' As he said so, he slowly raised his hand.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''Mei, get away from him,'''' His voice went cold as he watched the man''s hand moving towards Yu Mei.


    ''''Do you dare to, my dear niece?" Han Sheng asked.


    Yu Mei stood rooted to her spot, "Brother...put that down,'''' She looked at gun in Han Jian Yu''s hand, ''''Zixuan... No..'''' She whispered when she noticed his fingers tightening around the gun.


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''What has he told you for you to act like this...'''' He paused speaking when Han Sheng grabbed her neck, choking her.


    ''BANG''


    ''BANG''


    The sound of two consequent gunshots reverberated in the huge rooftop.


    Yu Mei closed her eyes as blood sttered on her face.


    Han Sheng hissed as two bullets grazed past his wrist.


    ''Kachk''


    Yu Mei''s eyes snapped open when she heard the familiar sound and the sight that she witnessed made her go numb once again. The man had stabbed Mia''s paw once again, the same one he had stabbed before and she could see fresh blood oozing out of the gauze that was wrapped around it.


    It was only at this moment did Han Jian Yu turn around to look that way. Initially, he was too upied with everything to notice it. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at what looked like a cotton ball with blood everywhere on it.


    It took him a moment to notice the birthmark on the forehead of the little thing. He looked at it for some time before his gaze roamed on her bloodied body... ''''It''s that fox...'''' The one who had escaped from him, and then he looked for her allover the ce.


    But he discovered it muchter that it was Mia''s pet...


    ''''Why is she here?" Han Jian Yu''s gazended on Yu Mei''s bruised jaws and teary eyes and his blood boiled, ''''Mei,e here.''''


    ''''No,'''' A whisper escaped her lips, ''''They will kill her... He will kill her,'''' She said softly.


    Han Jian Yu once again looked at the fox whose body was filled with bruises and there was no movement in it, ''''It...won''t survive,'''' He whispered, despite feeling a dull ache in his heart. Somewhere he knew that he was a bit attached to this little thing... He closed his eyes.. Despite everything, it was his sister who meant everything to him and there was no way he would let her risk her life, even if he was being ruthless doing this, he didn''t mind.

 Chapter 409 - Tea

    Yu Mei nced at him quietly for a few seconds before shaking her head, ''''No, she will survive, brother... She won''t die.''''


    Han Jian Yu gritted his teeth, ''''Why won''t you understand it? It''s not worth it for you to lose your life over an...animal,'''' He tamped down the hesitation in his heart while uttering such words as he steeled his heart, ''''If you want a fox, I will get you one, or two of any kind you want. Come here, as long as we are here, no one will harm you.''''


    ''''No... You don''t understand,'''' Yu Mei shook her head, ''''She is not just any fox. She can''t die. I won''t let her.''''


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes before he turned to look at Jun Zixuan who was standing with an iprehensible expression on his face, ''''Say something to her. What happened to you?" He asked, noticing something amiss with the man.


    ''''I wonder too...what''s so special about a fox that she will risk her life for it,'''' Han Sheng frowned, his face turned a bit curious and his eyes were confused as he nced at the fox before looking at Yu Mei, ''''But then, it''s not too bad this way. It would have been troublesome to get her here without weakness and it would have been more troublesome to get you both here without bringing my niece.''''


    Han Sheng tucked one of his hands inside his pocket, the blood from his wrist stained his trousers but he didn''t seem to care about it as he nced at Jun Zixuan, ''''President Jun, as much as an honour it is to meet you, it''s more honourable to have you as my nephew-inw,'''' He smirked, ''''Having two big shots...'''' He paused before ncing at Han Jian Yu, ''''Having three big shots at my humble abode, it is very improper of me to not have offered you tea till now.''''


    With that said, he snapped his fingers and a few men came forward, setting the coffee table that Yu Mei had flipped earlier before they arranged more chairs on both sides.


    Two other men walked towards Han Jian Yu and Jun Zixuan with two trays in their hands.


    Han Jian Yu nced at Yu Mei who didn''t have many expressions on her face, neither did she seem to be looking for a way out of the situation. He did not know if she was possessed by something to be so willing to risk her life for an animal.


    Jun Zixuan stood quietly for a few seconds before he picked up the cup that was offered to him with his left hand, his fingers twisting the gun in his right hand. He tilted his head slightly upwards and his eyes locked with Yu Mei for a moment.


    Yu Mei slowly nced at the cup of tea offered to her.


    ''''Take it, niece. I am hoping you will like this one. The ingredient is one of your favourites,'''' Han Sheng paused before shaking his head, ''''Or shall I say that the source of the ingredient is your favourite?"


    Yu Mei nced at the red tea confusingly before looking at him.


    ''''You can be slow at times. It''s made from your pet''s blood,'''' Han Shengughed, ''''I had my men save some its blood before you came here.''''


    Yu Mei''s grip on the teacup handle tightened and Jun Zixuan''s eyes narrowed briefly.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to the side as he nced at the fox from the corner of his eyes, thinking back to the times when she used to be around him, living at his ce. The way she used to cause chaos and how she would only eat the food that he cooked, sitting on the chair elegantly.


    He closed his eyes and his lips pinched together.


    All their guards were standing rooted to their ces, without making any movement given that Yu Mei was still with Han Sheng at the moment.


    Butpared to Han Jian Yu''s expressionless face, Jun Zixuan''s disturbed expressions were apparent and it had Han Sheng speak, ''''President Jun also seems to have some sort of attachment with this animal.''''


    ''Smash''


    "You... Ah...'''' Han Sheng was caught off guard when a sharp shard was pressed against his neck.


    When he was focused on Jun Zixuan, Yu Mei broke the teacup. When the man was serving her the tea, Jun Zixuan and her had briefly exchanged nces and he had pointed his eyes towards the cup.


    While waiting for a proper opportunity, Yu Mei finally found it when she spotted the tray in the man''s hand. So, the moment Han Sheng talked to Jun Zixuan, she took advantage of the chance to smash the cup before she ced a shard against his neck, catching him off guard.


    Yu Mei pressed it harder and blood oozed out of his neck while the man winced, all of his guards were on alert but nobody dared to move when they saw that Han Sheng was taken down.


    However, before Yu Mei could let out a sigh of relief, her expressions changed when the man who was wincing and writhing in pain, startedughing all of a sudden, slow at first but the sound of it turned maniacal with each passing second before he squinted and raised his hand to wipe the teardrop from the corner of his eyes, ''''You want to kill me? Go ahead,'''' Han Sheng said casually, ''''I will take your pet together with me.''''


    Jun Zixuan and Han Jian Yu were both somewhat taken aback by his response and so was Yu Mei.


    Did he lose his mind? He would rather die than release Mia? Yu Mei couldn''t help but think if it was a way to scare her but then given how unpredictable this man has been till this point, she did not know if she could take his words seriously.


    "You just had to try me....'''' Han Sheng whispered and just as Yu Mei saw the knife being pointed at Mia, she stepped back from the man quickly.

 Chapter 410 - Torture Me

    ''Pak''


    Yu Mei''s face whipped to the side when Han Sheng pped her, ''''I told you, niece, you should be more obedient.''''


    Jun Zixuan''s fingers curled into a fist and just as he raised his gun, Han Sheng looked at him and Han Jian Yu, ''''Enough ying. Now if I see you all being disobedient, I will let you kill me but with me, our dear Mei and her pet are also dying,'''' As he said so, more of his men surrounded Mia and Yu Mei.


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them to look at Han Sheng, ''''Take me instead.''''


    Yu Mei ced her palm on her cheeks as she nced at him quietly. Her throat was parched and her face was too numb to move as she shook his head.


    Han Jian Yu did not look at her.


    Han Sheng raised an eyebrow, ''''What do you want to say?"


    ''''You want someone to vent on and I agree to be that someone if you let go of her and her pet,'''' Han Jian Yu said with a straight face.


    He knew how skilled his sister was. She could have easily tackled Han Sheng or at least put up a fight by now but the current circumstances showed him that she didn''t want to do so. The fox''s life was more important to her than her own''s and at this point, all he could think of was saving her, getting her out of this ce, even if it meant putting himself in danger. Not to mention by what Jun Zixuan told him on the way.... right now, he could not think of anything or anyone else other than his sister.


    He let her die once and that memory has been haunting him since then. He could not bear to let anything harm her once again.


    Han Sheng smirked, ''''My son... Never thought President Han will be giving in to this peasant so easily,'''' Heughed as he walked back to his chair before taking a seat.


    He nced at the men who were surrounding Yu Mei, ''''Take my niece to her husband.''''


    Yu Mei shook her head while looking at Han Jian Yu but the man did not look at her as he walked straight towards his father.


    ''''Mei,e here,'''' Jun Zixuan''s deep voice snapped her out of her daze and she turned to look at him.


    Yu Mei nced at Mia who was held by Han Sheng''s man before she looked at her brother who was now standing in front of him.


    She looked at the scene in front of her for a few seconds before walking towards Jun Zixuan.


    Han Sheng''s men left her alone as soon as she was away from him, ''''I tried...'''' Yu Mei slowly whispered as she stood in front of Jun Zixuan while she raised her fingers to clutch the corner of his suit jacket.


    ''''I know you did,'''' Jun Zixuan pulled her into his arms as he kissed her shoulder while stroking her back with one hand.


    When Han Sheng sent them the live recording of Yu Mei entering his house by the backyard, Han Jian Yu and him were already on their way here and he saw how effortlessly she shot his men and tackled them.


    The video was cut short but it was enough for him to know how skilled she was, and how she could have handled this situation if Mia was not there in the picture.


    He never had an idea that she could handle guns so smoothly neither about her fighting skills, ''''Don''t me yourself,'''' He whispered into her ear, ''''If you didn''te here, they would have tortured Mia more just to lure you here,'''' He was angry and disappointed how she left everything behind toe here.


    But he knew no matter how impulsive she was, she was a sensible person so he assumed there must be some other reason and he was not wrong. Mia''s presence here answered all his questions.


    ''''But I couldn''t save her... She was tortured in front of me...'''' came her reply in a shaky voice.


    Jun Zixuan felt her body trembling in his arms and he tightened his grip on her, hugging her firmly, ''''She will be fine. She is strong,'''' He wasn''t sure if it was her or himself whom he was convincing, ''''How do you feel? Any difort?" He kept stroking her back.


    ''''No... I am alright,'''' Yu Mei replied. She paused for a moment before asking, ''''What do we do, Zixuan?"


    A glint shed across Jun Zixuan''s eyes as he nced at his men from the corner of his eyes before he kissed Yu Mei''s hair softly, ''''Nothing for now but something soon,'''' He whispered with his lips lingering on her hair and felt her body rxing in his arms.


    ''''How heart touching,'''' Han Sheng whispered while looking at the couple''s interaction, ''''Who would have guessed that this enigmatic existence is a doting husband? I wonder if his enemies andpetitorse to know this, how would they tackle him? By taking my niece as their hostage?"


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.


    Han Sheng waved his hand as he turned to look at him, ''''Don''t worry, I don''t think they can handle this girl. Not everyone is as smart as your father,'''' he picked up a ss of wine before sipping from it.


    ''''Let go of her pet too,'''' Han Jian Yu said, ''''I am sticking to my words, standing right in front of you.''''


    ''''No,'''' Han Sheng frowned, ''''Make do with your sister. The pet will stay, no matter if it is alive or dead.''''


    Han Jian Yu had already expected this. He knew how cunning this man was.


    By now Han Sheng has measured every angle and he should be aware of the fact that without holding the fox hostage, Yu Mei would not be so weak. Only with that pet will she turn herself in. And without Yu Mei, neither he nor Jun Zixuan will be defenceless against Han Sheng.


    Han Jian Yu was well aware of it but he still walked here because he was worried that the man will be provoked by something and stop Yu Mei here.


    More than anything, Han Jian Yu was only concerned about his sister right now.

 Chapter 411 - Weakness

    "So, what do you want?" Han Jian Yu nced at the man quietly.


    ''''Kneel!'''' The corner of Han Sheng''s lips tugged up as his voice reverberated in the huge terrace.


    Yu Mei froze but Jun Zixuan kept her locked in his arms, not letting her move,?''''Don''t look. It will be over soon,'''' He whispered as he stroked her back.


    ''''What exactly do you mean by over? This crazy man....'''' She inhaled a deep breath, ''''He hates brother. He won''t spare him...''''


    Jun Zixuan wordlessly kept stroking her back.


    Han Sheng nced at Han Jian Yu, ''''You want to go back on your word, President Han....or do I say my dear son?" He raised his hand to stroke the scar running down from the corner of his eyes while he nced in the other direction.


    Han Jian Yu followed his gaze and found him looking at the baby fox, his fingers curled into a fist. It would be lie if he said he didn''t feel his heart aching at the sight of that little thing tortured to this extent.


    And at this moment, he knew what Han Sheng was nning to do. If he didn''t give in to him, then he would torture that fox further and use it to control Yu Mei... And eventually, the same process will keep happening.


    ''Thump''


    Han Jian Yu loosened the tie around his neck as he came to his knees without speaking a single word.


    Han Shengughed, pleased at the little victory he felt. He took a sip from the ss of wine before he spoke, ''''Who could have known that this little pet would be this useful?" When he was taking Han Jingyi back to the Han Family from the construction site, Han Jingyi suddenly bbered about a white something in shock while pointing her fingers in the direction of the forest.


    Although he acted like he didn''t care, but he texted his men to trace the ce and much to his amusement, they found this small fox who was lying unconscious under a tree.


    Later he casually asked Han Jingyi about it and because of her state of mind, she did not think much before revealing it to him that the white fox was Yu Mei''s pet.


    While cursing Yu Mei, Han Jingyi revealed how that fox had scratched her when she tried to pat her head and also how Yu Mei was protective of her.


    Han Sheng took this risk, to use that fox whom he catured as a bait to lure Yu Mei and then to use Yu Mei to lure Han Jian Yu and Jun Zixuan.


    He was afraid at the thought of provoking Jun Zixuan or offending him. As powerful as Han Jian Yu was, Han Sheng was certain that Yu Mei was his biggest weakness.


    But who knew both these powerful and invincible men had a woman as their weakness. And this smart and witty woman had her pet as her weakness.


    So, all of them had a weakness and he moved the pawns ordingly, using their respective weakness to bring them down.


    ''''You know what, son? You ruined all my ns,'''' Han Sheng nced at Han Jian Yu disdainfully, ''''The day when my dear niece was being kidnapped by her nanny, there was no way I wanted you to follow after her. You should have been a good boy and stayed at the mansion while she died outside,'''' His words were as vicious as his tone.


    And Yu Mei felt Jun Zixuan''s arms tightening further around her body. She felt slightly breathless but she let him hug her like he wanted.


    She knew she would make them worry bying here but at that time, all she thought of was Mia and no one else. But now that she knew that her brother and Jun Zixuan saw live recording of everything that happened, she knew that there must be thousands of thoughts, anxiety, worry running through their minds when they were on their way to here.


    It was just like when she saw Mia''s pictures where she was all bruised and bloodied, she could not drive properly, thinking of what might have happened though the condition was not any better right now.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Yu Mei snapped out of her daze when she heard the sound... It reminded her of... of the crack of a whip.


    ''''Zixuan, let me go,'''' She struggled in his arms.


    ''''Stay like that,'''' Jun Zixuan replied, slightly loosening his grip on her but not enough for her to move.


    ''''Let me go,'''' She ced her hands on his chest as she struggled but her attempts to move away from him and turned around were all futile as the man didn''t even budge.


    Han Jian Yu''s expressions remained unchanged as a man flogged his back while he knelt in front of Han Sheng quietly.


    Han Sheng looked at the straight face. It was still the same. Though that face might have changed and matured with age, but that expression. That same straight face, fearless eyes, and unafraid expressions... the one which he detested the most.


    He downed the entire ss of wine before he pushed himself to his feet and walked towards Han Jian Yu. While looking into his emotionless eyes, he whispered, ''''Do you know that I have always hated you? Since the day you were born, all I ever felt for you is hate. That face of yours have always invoked my disgust. Always.''''


    Han Jian Yu''s expression shifted slightly as he tilted his face upwards, ''''Why?" He had always known it.


    Though this man will be amicable at times but Han Jian Yu have always felt the hatred directed at him. He just never understood what was the source. Why did he hate him so much?


    As blood oozed out from his back because of the whip, Han Jian Yu thought about it quietly.


    Amidst everything, nobody noticed a small movement from the fox which was held by Han Sheng''s man.


    Fresh blood started seeping out from Mia''s back, seeping through her fur which was already red because of the cuts and bruises on her.. A small frown formed near the crimson birthmark on her forehead.

 Chapter 412 - The Fox Died

    Han Sheng snatched the whip from the man while he nced at Han Jian Yu disdainfully, ''''You have always only ruined my ns...'''' He looked in the direction of the camera, ''''All my ns...''''


    As he said so, his eyes narrowed and a glint shed across them.


    Crack!


    The sound of the whip reverberated in the terrace as a cut appeared on Han Jian Yu''s dark suit, blood oozed out from his back.


    A small frown formed between his brows but he did not make a single sound as he closed his eyes.


    ''''Zixuan, let me go...''''


    Jun Zixuan held Yu Mei tightly in his arms as he nced at the scene in front of his eyes quietly, his eyes narrowed a? bit and he looked at the man standing on his left.


    The man looked back at him and blinked once.


    Jun Zixuan''s frown smoothened as he stroked Yu Mei''s back.


    ''Crack!''


    ''Crack!''


    ''Crack!''


    The consequent sounds of the whip echoed in the ce and blood kept seeping out from Han Jian Yu''s back, his shoulders had ring cuts through the dark coloured suit that he was wearing.


    Yu Mei could feel a knot forming in her heart as she heard those sounds. Soft sobs escaped her mouth as she weakly ced her face on Jun Zixuan''s chest. All her life, there have been times when she felt helpless but she had never once felt this helpless before.


    Han Sheng did not stop as he rolled up his sleeves, continuing to flog Han Jian Yu with all his strength. He did not seem to be holding back as the sound of every hit was sharper than before.


    Han Jian Yu''s dark coloured suit was filled with cuts as the fabric of his clothes were damaged by the whip. And through the cuts, one could see the rish cuts on his skin, flesh protruding through them.


    Han Sheng stoppedshing the man as he panted, trying to catch his breath. He lowered his body before he grabbed Han Jian Yu''s jaws, ''''You have not changed a bit. You have been just like this since you were a kid. You will die... but without making a sound,'''' As he said those words, his eyes seemed crazed and happy, ''''And that...makes me want more to kill you.''''


    As he said so, his fingers dug into his jaws.


    Han Jian Yu stared at him with an indifferent expression even as sweat droplets rolled down his face.


    Han Sheng let go of his face while he raised his hand,shing the whip right on Han Jian Yu''s shoulder.


    Han Jian Yu sucked in a cold breath as the whip hit the back of his neck.


    ''''Boss....''''


    A panicked cry shot up in the ce which was followed by some shocked gasps.


    Han Sheng stopped hitting Han Jian Yu as he frowned.


    Han Jian Yu lowered his head and his hair which were damp because of the sweat framed his face.


    ''''What happened?!" Displeasure for being interrupted was apparent on Han Sheng''s voice as he turned around.


    ''''B-Boss, something is happening... happening to this...'''' The man who was holding Mia said as he stepppd a few steps back, his hands were shaking as blood rolled down from his wrist down to his elbow.


    His hands shivered and the little fox dropped from his hands...


    Jun Zixuan''s grip on Yu Mei loosened and he nced at the man beside him as he nodded.


    The man nodded back and slowly retreated from the ce while everyone''s attention was on the other side.


    ''''Mia...'''' A whisper left Yu Mei''s mouth and it caught Jun Zixuan''s attention as he turned to look in the other direction.


    The sight that he witnessed...made him pause, his lips thinned and a murderous intent shed across his eyes. Mia was lying on the ground, like a ball of raw flesh. Her pristine fur was tainted with blood and there were cuts all over her body.


    Jun Zixuan supported Yu Mei''s shaky body as he closed his eyes, trying to control the chaotic emotions in his heart.


    He called her his adopted sister and Mia thought it was just a cover that he got to dupe Han Jian Yu into believing it but that all-time sly yet emotionally dumb woman never realized that he did see her as a sister that he never had.


    ''''You tortured it too much. Looks like it died,'''' Han Sheng spoke in a disgusted tone as he swung the whip,shing Han Jian Yu''s shoulder, ''''No worries...''''


    His words were yet to finish as the sounds of rotating helicopter des reverberated in the sky. The underground mansion had a huge forest area surrounding it and as more and more helicopters came, the trees started shaking, the pace of the wind flipped the tables and chairs on the terrace.


    ''''You want to kill me,'''' Han Sheng wrapped the whip around Han Jian Yu''s neck as he grabbed the whip before tightening it, ''''But I want to take you all down with me. The Han Family...will pay for what they have done,'''' Hatredced his voice as he kept tightening the whip around the man''s neck.


    After being flogged by him, Han Jian Yu''s body was numb and with the whip tightening around his neck, he could feel his breath turning shaky. He ced his thumb on his neck before he wrapped his other fingers around the whip as he held it. The whip grazed on his neck, cutting the sides of his neck, tearing open the skin.


    ''''Argh...'''' Han Jian Yu winced. After a long period of torment, a sound escaped his mouth and it was as if it poured in more pleasure for the man as he strangled him with whip harder than before.


    Han Sheng twisted the two ends of the whip to tighten in Han Jian Yu''s palm was shed by it.


    Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan who were still shaken by Mia''s condition...turned to look over when they heard Han Jian Yu wincing.


    ''''AHHHH!!'''' A shrill scream resounded in the ce getting everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 413 - Transformation

    As Han Sheng tilted his face to the side, his grip on the whip loosened. His jaws dropped and his lips trembled slightly, ''''W-What''s that?" He whispered.


    Han Jian Yu closed his eyes as he inhaled a shaky breath, his fingers slowly traced the wounds on his neck. He ced his other palm on his knee while he knelt quietly, numbing the pain his body felt, numbing the emotions that he had kept in himself since the day he reached an age where kids understand things.


    From the corner of his eyes, he saw something and he slowly tilted his face to look in that direction. A glint shed across his dark eyes as he saw the baby fox gradually increasing in size. It''s body which looked like a ball of mashed flesh gradually grew in size as it turned pristine white in colour.


    ''''Mia...'''' Yu Mei mouthed as she nced at the scene in front of her. Having never seen Mia in her original form before, she was shocked too. She had only ever seen Mia as a baby fox. But despite everything, the relief in her heart overshadowed every other feeling.


    The relief was however....short-lived.


    ''''She is fine,'''' Jun Zixuan softly said as he nced at Mia who was slowly growing in size.


    ''''Is she?" Yu Mei asked when she saw the white fox''s eyes opening. Those usual pretty hazel eyes were now crimson red, just like the birthmark on her forehead.


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow and was about to ask something when he saw a man aiming a gun at Mia. He raised the gun in his hand and was about to shoot when the fox who seemed to be inattentive till this point turned around before pouncing at the man.


    One of its paws dug deep inside the man''s skin and flesh and blood seeped out from the man''s neck. The gruesome sight was enough to make a person''s scalp go numb. But ever person present there was horrified by the fox standing in front of them.


    A chill crept down their spine when they saw the fox retracting it''s w which was bloodied by the person''s flesh and blood.


    The pair of crimson eyes swept past all of them as if waiting for them to step forward but no one dared to move.


    Han Sheng''s grip on the whip tightened unconsciously as he stepped back not believing what his eyes were witnessing.


    ''''Ugh..'''' The whip grazed past Han Jian Yu''s shoulder and a cut appeared on his neck.


    And before he couldprehend what was happening, Han Sheng noticed something bizarre. He saw a cut appearing near the neck of the fox who was staring at his men nkly.


    From the corner of his eyes, he nced at the man who was kneeling on the ground, looking at the fox with a nk expression on his face.


    Han Sheng knew that Han Jian Yu is a strong person, be it physically or mentally. He was strong as a child too and now decadester, he expected it from him. but today, he made sure to stab his sore points before he tortured him physically and he had yet to see the result before this anomaly happened...


    Han Sheng quietly nced at the fresh cut on Han Jian Yu''s shoulder before he turned to look at the cut on the fox''s body.


    He was not sure if he was overthinking or if he had a lot of wine earlier. He did not know how that palm sized thing turned into a bloodthirsty feral right in front of his eyes.


    As the fox turned to look at him, it was as if Han Sheng could see his death right in front of his eyes. He did not know if it was an illusion but he saw the fox''s gaze lingering on Han Jian Yu a little longer.... And it was as if the bloodthirst in those eyes diminished a bit, those ears flopped slightly.


    Han Sheng took a step back and the feral once again had its attention on him. The whip in his hand dropped and he quickly took out a pocket knife before stabbing Han Jian Yu who had yet toe out of his trance.


    ''''Ahh..'''' Han Jian Yu lowered his head and his damp hair stuck to his forehead as he a piercing pain on the back of his neck.


    And as expected, Han Sheng saw a wound appearing on the fox''s body and his eyes glowed menacingly when he realized what he discovered.


    He retracted the knife and aimed it at the back of his neck once again.


    ''BANG''


    A bullet went through his wrist and the dagger in his hand fell down.


    Jun Zixuan put the gun down before he looked at the man standing beside him, ''''Lock this ce. No one is allowed toe inside, and dont let anyone go out of here,'''' He said.


    The man who was still shocked by the events here, nodded his head in a daze as he nced at the white feral.


    Despite knowing his limits, he was chastising Yu Mei earlier for protecting a dead fox earlier and in turn putting his Boss''s and everyone''s life in danger. But the current turn of events left him in a shocked state.


    As if he could read the man''s thoughts, Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes and said, ''''Right now!"


    ''''On it, Boss,'''' The man snapped out of his daze as he walked towards the edge of the terrace tomunicate with the pilot.


    Yu Mei quickly ran to Han Jian Yu as soon as she snapped out of her daze. She knew something was wrong with Mia but at this moment, she was more relieved that at least she was breathing and alive. Everything else... they can find a solution for it.


    ''''You don''te here,'''' Han Sheng took out a gun from his waistband with his left hand and he pointed it at Yu Mei while holding it with trembling fingers.


    Yu Mei couldn''t bother to care about it as she moved closer to Han Jian Yu before holding his hands, ''''Brother....'''' Tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw his condition.

 Chapter 414 - Die Together

    Han Jian Yu still seemed to be in a daze but his eyes regained some rity when he heard Yu Mei''s worried voice.


    He slowly looked up at her before wiping her tears with the back of his hand, ''''S-Since when did you be such a crybaby?" His voice was hoarse.


    Jun Zixuan on the other hand frowned as he nced at Han Sheng who was now pointing the gun at the back of Han Jian Yu''s head.


    He was about to move when he saw a white sh from the corner of his eyes and all one could see was a sh while a figure struck at Han Sheng''s neck and he appeared like a shadow as both the fox and the human disappeared from the terrace.


    Jun Zixuan''s gaze followed the direction in which they went and he lifted his hand slightly.


    In the next moment, one of the choppers in the airnded beside the huge swimming pool.


    Jun Zixuan walked towards Han Jian Yu and Yu Mei before squatting beside them, ''''Let''s send him to the hospital first before I go to Mi...'''' He paused for a moment, realizing that Han Jian Yu was not aware of Mia''s identity, ''''Before I go to check on the situation first.''''


    Yu Mei nced at him before she stroked Han Jian Yu''s shoulder carefully, making sure to not touch any of his wounds, ''''Brother, you need to leave this ce.''''


    ''''Not you, both of you,'''' Jun Zixuan frowned, ''''I said I will check on the situation.''''


    ''''I don''t know. I am not leaving you alone here,'''' Yu Mei shook her head. She felt like her emotions were so unstable today. No matter how much she tried to calm herself, she was feeling panicky but whatever it was, she did not feelfortable with the idea of leaving him alone here and not to mention that Mia did not seem like herself today.


    ''''I am not asking you for your opinion, I was telling you that you are taking him with you and you both will go to the hospital,'''' Jun Zixuan nonchntly said.


    ''''Then don''t tell me. In any case, let''s just die together if anything goes wrong. I am not leaving you alone,'''' Yu Mei red at him.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, ''''Who wants to die together with you?"


    ''''You...'''' Yu Mei was speechless, ''''What do you mean that you don''t want to die with me? Am I not a goodpany to die with? You have someone else on your mind?" She forgot crying as she noticed the unconvinced look on his face.


    ''''No...''''


    ''''Shut up, you both. What are you, 5?" It took a moment for Han Jian Yu to regain hisposure as he pushed himself to his feet. He staggered a bit and both Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan quickly stood up to support him, ''''Continue your lovers'' quarrel at home. Nobody is going back right now,'''' His voice was back to normal as it seemed like he was calm after everything that transpired in the ce.


    Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, ''''You want to die so early?" He paused for a moment before adding, ''''If you die right now, no one will bother to send you flowers with that face of yours.''''


    Han Jian Yu red at him for a moment before he stepped back from them, ''''I am fine. You both don''t need to hold me like this. Let''s go...''''


    ''''Where?'''' Yu Mei nced at him.


    Han Jian Yu looked in the direction of the forest quietly for a few seconds before he said, ''''Let''s go...''''


    Yu Mei nced at Jun Zixuan.


    And he slowly shook his head understanding what she meant to ask. Even he did not know how Han Jian Yu was not shocked by everything that happened. The way Mia transformed to her real form, it would startle anyone.


    Contrary to their thoughts, Han Jian Yu was shocked too just like everyone else but he did not show it on his face. Everything that happened today was somewhat numbing his heart.


    Be it the fear of losing his sister again, or be it the pain of watching her being choked and pped and being unable to do anything, be it the reminder of how he has always been hated by the person who is his biological father, be it re-living those terrible childhood memories or be it... the strange incident where the baby fox who once lived with him turned into a huge feral right in front of his eyes.


    The howl of the fox reverberated in the stretch of the dark forest followed by a man''s blood-curdling screams.


    The sinister aura in the ce got denser and denser as Mia''s eyes turned redder than before, the birthmark on her forehead started shining and Han Sheng crawled away from her, very slowly and carefully.


    His palms grazed on the dried leaves and as they crushed, he could hear the sound of his rapid heartbeats ringing in his ears.


    ''''W-What do you want?" His voice was hoarse and his back hit the tree. The fear in his eyes kept growing as he saw the beast up so close to himself.


    He shivered when the fox stepped towards him, slowly and elegantly as if all the chaos were unrted to her.


    Mia stopped right in front of him as she nced at the human in disdain. Her sleep was way too peaceful for him to interrupt it.


    She cultivated her powers, cultivated till her body ended up snapping at her, unable to handle the outburst and she fainted in the forest, going into a state of deep slumber.


    She saw....her kingdom, the castle she once lived in, her mother was sipping her favourite tea in the royal gardens, her father was handling those troublesome ministers while she was sitting on hisp, ying with the crown on his head.. In her dreams, she was living the life which left her behind in the trail of time.

 Chapter 415 - Memories

    She was thinking of her parents who left her alone in this world, all by herself. She saw them dispersing into thin air while she stood there with one of her hands reaching for them.


    But unlike before, they did not pick her up and she was left standing there alone wondering if they didn''t want her anymore...


    And if this was her life from then on.


    But...


    But that was not the end of her dreams. She saw the time shing in front of her eyes, she saw the world changing gradually, she saw a small hand reaching out to her amidst the darkness.


    She saw herself following that tiny hand of the girrl and walking out of everything that was trapping her.


    She saw the girl growing up into a beautiful woman and Mia remembered everything as the realize started dawning on her in her dreams. The illusion faded and she recognized everyone, Yu Mei was there, Jun Zixuan was there....


    And she saw him, the person who quietly pulled her into his arms when she was sitting on the seashore, looking at the sky and crying quietly. The man who didn''t mind her cold words and uncaring tone, who took all her tantrums and made food for her, knowing how much she liked the food he cooked.


    She saw him holding her closer to him while he made love to her.... And she remembered him stroking her back when she slept in his arms.


    But the ce started shattering and all of a sudden, the world in front of her eyes changed. She found herself standing in an empty ce, walls filled with blood, cliffs surrounding her and every human she saw turned into a faraway image.


    And she was all alone once again, just like before when her parents left.


    All she felt was a numbness in her body and emptiness in her chest as she looked at the gradually darkening sky.


    She did not know how long she stood there for but she knew it was way too long and even when she tried to move, it was as if she was chained to the ce, unable to move, unable to walk away. She was just left there standing quietly, feeling a huge hole in her chest.


    And all of a sudden, there was a prickly sensation on her back. She tried to reach for her back but her hands did not move. With every passing second, her pain intensified but maybe it was because her body was numb, even though she felt the pain, she could not feel it that much.


    It was weird until she felt a burning sensation on her back and her breathing turned uneven, the pain this time felt so real that she could feel her fingers shaking.


    Just when she thought it was over, she felt another hit on her back which was followed by one more and it kept going on until she felt her skin being ripped. She bent forward, spatting a mouthful of blood.


    Mia slumped on the ground, realizing that she was suddenly able to move. The feeling of being chained disappeared as she moved on the ground weakly.


    Her body convulsed as she felt another hit on her and all of a sudden, she felt her insides burning. Somehow she recognized this familiar burn, it always happened to her whenever she was unable to control her powers or whenever she over exerted it.


    Her fingers curled into a fist and sweat droplets rolled down her forehead as she writhed in pain. The crimson birthmark on her forehead started growing and as she looked at the dark sky, her hazel eyes started to turn hazy as they changed colours.


    Her pain, her emptiness, her sadness, every emotion she felt turned clouded gradually and her eyes turned nonchnt.


    Her body convulsed for a few seconds before it calmed down as she lied on the ground, with her silver hair swed near her shoulder and as her body curled up slightly, she transformed into a baby fox.


    9 tails appeared on her body but 8 of them were almost looking transparent like illusions while 1 of them was real...


    And when she opened her eyes again, she was weed by the sight of humans... Some looked familiar, but she did not remember them, some unfamiliar but she did not like them. They touched her while she was asleep and the audacity they had to do it!


    Her blood voiled with rage and she ripped the man''s neck open for being audacious enough to try to approach her again....


    And everything that happenedter was dancing right in front of her eyes.


    As Han Sheng saw the fox staring at him quietly, he shivered. There was no expression in the pair of red eyes but somehow, it still sent a chill down his spine when he looked into them.


    ''''No!!'''' Han Sheng screamed when the fox extended one of its paw towards his hand.


    Mia nced at him in disgust before she looked at his palm which was stained with blood. The familiar blood.


    Along with the disgusting human''s blood, she sensed the presence of another kind of blood which she felt somewhat familiar with.


    She closed her eyes and a series of memories that belonged to Han Sheng started shing in her mind one after another. But amongst all those memories, two of them caught her attention because of a familiar looking face.


    She saw a boy lying bruised and bloodied on the floor while this man kept beating him with a whip again and again and in the next piece of memory too, she saw a simr scene. It was the scene from some time ago where Han Sheng was beating Han Jian Yu on the terrace, just like he did before,


    Mia''s brows tugged together and as she opened her eyes, her gaze was clearer than before, her red eyes gradually turned back to their original colours, hazel.

 Chapter 416 - Illusionary Realm

    Han Sheng stared at the scene, shell shocked as his body convulsed in fear. He did not know what this creature in front of him really was but all he knew was that it terrified him. Every inch of his body was shaking and he quickly raised his other hand towards his anxiously beating heart.


    ''''No... No... Stay away from me... S-Stay away..'''' He shouted but he did not dare to move while the fox had its paw settled on his other wrist.


    He had seen it ripping off his man''s neck with the very same paw and the fresh blood on that paw was the evidence that assured him that he was not hallucinating any of it.


    Even when Han Sheng was pushed off by the terrace by this feral, it was not a dream. None of this was a dream no matter how unreal it seemed. He did not know what it would do if he tried to move right now so all he could do was sit quietly, despite his shivering body.


    Mia quietly nced at him. Now that her mind had regained its rity, it slowly started registering everything that happened in this ce.


    Initially, she left Ren Mansion because she wanted to get her mind off from a few things. She fainted in the forest because she cultivated more powers than she could handle and then she fell into a state of deep slumber which took her to the illusionary realm. The illusionary realm was a ce that her mother had once talked to her about.


    It''s like and of dreams a fox spirit falls into if somehow they manage to hurt themselves while they are physically and emotionally vulnerable. And thatnd provoked the most vulnerable side in a fox''s mind, filling it with endless anguish.


    And the ce can trap a fox spirit inside forever.


    And it was true. Though her mother said that something like that has never happened to her but since Mia went through it, she was certain that everything she said was true.


    Being left alone, being abandoned by the people she loved, it was the fear that she had buried deep inside her heart and never once brought it up but today, she felt it. She lived through it and felt how it was.


    When Han Sheng tortured her, her body still refused to wake up from the slumber despite the physical pain she felt.


    Yu Mei''s sobs, her words, she heard everything and it broke her illusion for some time and left her muddleheaded but before she could wake uppletely, she once again ended up in her dream.


    But... But when Han Jian Yu was being tortured, the blood bond they shared acted up and it was like, she could feel it in her soul whenever he was being hit. The pain was so much that it clouded her ability to think properly and it managed to wake her up from her dreams.


    ''''You...'''' Han Sheng gulped when he noticed that the fox had stopped at a distance from him, ''''W-What do you want? I have nothing against y-you... Let go of me...'''' Left with no choice, he tried to negotiate with the feral as it looked like the thing had a consciousness of its own.


    At this moment, the sound of rotating helicopter des approached closer and from the corner of his eyes, Han Sheng saw the choppernding while three people came out of it. A scheming look flitted across his eyes as he said.


    ''''Y-You want to eat someone?" He gulped again as he asked. He could not think of any other thing that this creature would want from him. So, in the end, he assumed it was human flesh that he wanted to eat, ''''You eat them... I am old and I won''t t-taste good. You eat them. I will bring them to you,'''' He slowly pointed his fingers towards the three people who were walking towards them.


    Mia looked in the direction his finger was pointing at.


    Han Sheng''s gazended on the cut on the fox''s neck. He could not help but think back to the time when he injured Han Jian Yu but it was this fox who ended up being injured along with him. Was it just a coincidence?


    But how did a wound appear on her body in that exact ce, at that urate moment when he injured Han Jian Yu? He was confused about it but he did not have much time to contemte it, not when he was not sure if this strange monster in front of him would take the bait he had just thrown.


    ''''I-I will serve them to you, whoever you want to eat first, I will serve them to you... You can have them but just spare me,'''' Since it looked like it understood what he was talking about, Han Sheng kept negotiating.


    And as Mia did not move, it hyped up his confidence ''''You can eat them however you want to, if you want them minced, I will have them..minced for you. If you want them chopped, I will have them... AHHHHHH...''''


    His bloodcurdling scream reverberated in the forest as one of his arms was ruthlessly ripped off by Mia.


    Blood sshed on her face and as the arm fell to one side, Han Sheng''s body convulsed because of pain.


    It was unrestrained rage that was reflected in her hazel eyes. Her hatred for this man existed since the day she identally looked into Han Jian Yu''s memories where he was being beaten by this man. And every time she saw those scars on his body, her hatred for Han Sheng only kept increasing, bit by bit.


    And to this day, she never went looking for him but he had toe after her. He had to take her and torture her, use her to lure Yu Mei here and use Yu Mei to lure Jun Zixuan and Han Jian Yu over.


    Mia narrowed her eyes as she nced at the man who was crying and wailing like an animal being ughtered, her eyes remained nonchnt.

 Chapter 417 - Taking Your Son Down

    ''''It''s you who has sinned, you should not me me for being ruthless.''''


    Han Sheng did not know if it was his illusion or if it was his death nearing that he heard these words ringing in his ears. He looked at the fox with tear filled eyes and a terror-stricken look on it. Was it the one who spoke but how?


    The agony he was feeling in his body right now was unbearable and too much for him to think of anything.


    Jun Zixuan ced a palm over Yu Mei''s eyes as they saw that scene when they were nearing the ce.


    Yu Mei held his wrist before removing his hand, ''''It''s okay. I am fine,'''' She whispered even though she found it difficult to keep looking at the gruesome sight.


    She slowly turned to look at Han Jian Yu to take a glimpse his expressions, she did not know how he was feeling right now or what he was thinking. But under the pale glow of moonlight, she could see him standing with an expressionless face as if he was looking at somethingpletely unrted to him.


    Feeling everyone''s gaze on her, Mia slowly turned to look at them. The rage in her heart subsided a bit and she quietly looked at Yu Mei and blinked before she looked at Jun Zixuan and blinked again. Slowly, she turned her face a bit more and nced at the man who was standing beside Jun Zixuan.


    With one of his hands tucked inside his pocket, Han Jian Yu stood there with an apathetic look on his face. One could not decipher what he was thinking about as he looked at the man who was supposedly his biological father.


    The man had one off his limbs on the ground and fresh blood kept flowing from his wounded arm but Han Jian Yu looked?unfazed by it.


    Mia could spot the blood on his body and she could smell it too even though he was wearing a dark-coloured suit at the moment and it made her blood boil even more.


    As if he felt her gaze on him, he turned to look at her. Their eyes met for a moment and he stared into her eyes with the nonchnt gaze of his.


    Unable to hold his gaze any longer, Mia averted her her gaze and she nced at Han Sheng.


    It was all because of this man. She thought in her heart. Her eyes narrowed. All this time, she always controlled her powers and never once came in her real form... She despised this form of hers. Initially, to her, this form was powerful but after meeting Han Jian Yu, all she ever wanted was to shed off this form of her like a snake sheds off its skin.


    It was an impossible thing to do but she never once appeared in front of him in this form. She did not want him to see her like this. The thought of it made her ufortable.


    And now that he saw her like this, she hated this feeling that she had in her heart. It was like she wanted to hide herself somewhere far away from him.


    Suddenly, something shed in her eyes and she looked up.


    ''''D-Don''te closer to me,'''' Han Sheng was holding a small metallic remote in one of his hands which he raised and brought closer to his chest, ''''I have installed bombs everywhere. You want to kill me? Go ahead b-but I will take everyone down with me,'''' Despite being intinmidated by Mia, he still said it without a bit of hesitation.


    Since he was dying here anyway, he did not mind taking a few people with him, especially the people whom he have always ever hated only.


    Mia took a step back from him when she saw his finger pressing on the switch of the remote.


    A weak smirk appeared on his dishevelled face. As expected, this monster cared for these people here.


    Jun Zixuan who was observing everything till this point slowly walked towards Han Sheng.


    ''''You...'''' Han Sheng leaned on the tree to support his weak body as he panted, ''''Stay there or I will press this switch right this instant.''''


    ''''You can do that but you will be taking your son down with us,'''' Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow.


    Han Jian Yu frowned.


    Han Shengughed weakly, ''''You think I care about him? That bastard is the one I would want to kill by my own hands...''''


    ''Growl''


    Mia extended her paw towards his other hand and Han Sheng shrunk towards the tree in fear as he closed his eyes for a moment.


    But feeling the remote in his hand, he quickly calmed himself realizing that there is no need for him to be afraid, at least not in this moment. Since it is apparent that this beast obviously cares about these people, it won''te at him right now.


    Jun Zixuan nced at Mia before he blinked twice.


    Mia took a step back quietly. She wanted to rip this man off to pieces and feed him to scavengers.


    ''''But when did I say I am talking about my brother inw?" Jun Zixuan squatted near him and ced his wrist on his knee as he saw the sudden shift in his expression. He raised his hand and pointed his gun in the opposite direction, ''''We are talking about him,'''' A choppernded on the ground and soon a huge sack was thrown out of it.


    Two people walked out of the chopper before they untied the rope tied on the sack.


    As he saw the familiar face, Han Jian Yu''s brows tugged together slightly. He recognized the person. Han Liyun, the Young Master of Han Family and Yu Mei''s biological brother.


    Han Sheng''e expression morphed into horror when he saw Han Liyun.


    The corner of his lips tugged up as Jun Zixuan said, ''''How about now? You still don''t care that if you do this and there is this bomb st here, you will be taking your son down with us?"

 Chapter 418 - Following The Fox

    It was like a wave of silence hit the forest and all one could hear was the sound of leaves ruffling because of the rotating chopper des and the sound was apanied by Han Sheng''s heavy breathing.


    ''''You... You...'''' Han Sheng turned to look at Jun Zixuan.


    ''''How do I know about this?" Jun Zixuanughed, ''''You are so silly to be iming yuourself to be my uncle-inw. Let alone me, even your usually dummy niece knows how things are.''''


    Yu Mei red at him mentally. It was fine if he was talking to Han Sheng but was there a need to throw shade on her? Even if she had a lower IQ than him, how was she dummy?


    ''''The Young Master of Han Family, Han Jian Yu was reced with the adopted son of the Han family during birth,'''' Jun Zixuan looked nonchntly as the man''s expressions continued shifting.


    Han Jian Yu''s brows scrunched up slightly when he heard that.


    ''''The hospital was set on fire to bury the evidence but during that time, a few mishaps happened and one of them was Han Sheng''s mistress, the woman he loved being burned alive in the fire. And that is the reason for your heart to go cold towards Han Jian Yu. But keeping that hatred on bay, you fulfilled your mission first. You ced Han Liyun, your dear son as the Young Master of Han Family, to relish in the luxuries of the rich, to have the Han Family in his palms in the future. While Han Jian Yu, the real Young Master of the Family was sent to the vige, to grow up with his maternal grandparents, or more like Han Liyun''s maternal grandparents.''''


    As he saw the colour fading from his face little by little, Jun Zixuan continued, ''''During the time when Han Liyun was a few years older and he was admitted to hospital for a long time because of a throat infection, you took him abroad and sent Master and Madam Han to do their work while you stayed there with him. But that was not the throat infection that caused you to stay there, it was the stic surgery you were sending him through in a young age. The surgery was sessful and he came out with minor fix ups in his face that nobody noticed because he got discharged from the hospital muchter but as he grew up, everyone noticed the striking resemnces with Master Han,''''


    While Han Jian Yu did not resemble them that much, his dark eyes were like Han Suyin''s but those were not enough to give birth to a doubt in anyone''s heart.


    ''''H-How...'''' Han Sheng''s breathing was growing weaker, not only because of the bloodloss, but also because of the fact that everything that he has hidden so deep all these years, every deed he was hiding in his palm, all of it was known to this man squatting in front of him.


    As Jun Zixuan narrowed his eyes, he felt a chill running down his spine.


    There was nothing that he could think of right now.


    ''''Now, as you know, I have been looking into the Han Family for a long time. And I never had a memory loss like my brother-inw. I remembered every little thing I stumbled upon, even how you would personally go to visit Han Liyun to his High school abroad when his parents didn''t get the time to do so. All these things, I never looked deeper into it until I found the other half of the story from my brother-inw. Still, I didn''t think much of it...'''' Jun Zixuan paused for a moment before he added, ''''But then your dear niece told me about how a father treats his child and about how you treated yours and it was as if everything started dawning on me,'''' Moreover for a unfeeling person like him to care so much for Han Liyun, it was a wonder in itself.


    Yu Mei quietly walked to Han Jian Yu, ''''I just wanted to tell you after we were sure about this.''''


    Han Jian Yu pulled her into his arms,''''I don''t me you for it. It doesn''t matters whose son I am, what family I am from, I have always told you that you will be my sister no matter what it is. But it feels good to know...'''' He whispered as he stroked her back, ''''...It''s good to know that I am your biological brother.''''


    Having seen the wounds on his back, Yu Mei didn''t dare to hug him back as she stood there quietly with her hands hanging on her sides as she nodded, ''''Yes, it''s good to know that, brother. I always had this in my heart about why you were not my biological brother. Heavens favour me too much, you see.''''


    Han Jian Yu chuckled, ''''Yes, yes... You are heaven''s favoured child but you still need to tame your narcissism.''''


    Jun Zixuan rolled his eyes mentally. These two... Did they forget hiim? He narrowed his eyes. Even he did not get to hug his wife properly till now...


    ''''Look there,'''' He pointed his fingers in the other direction.


    And as Han Sheng looked into that direction, he saw a man pointing a gun at the unconscious Han Liyun.


    Han Sheng threw the remote aside as he tried to stand up only to end up failing at his attempts.


    Jun Zixuan looked at the remote before he picked it up and pushed himself to his feet.


    Soon, a few choppersnded around them and some men came out. He handed the remote to one while the rest went to pick Han Sheng and Han Liyun.


    Within a few minutes, the whole ce was cleared but scent of the blood lingering in the air made everyone believe that everything that transpired here was not an illusion.


    Mia, who was standing silently all this while, felt everyone''s focus on her and she slowly tilted her head.


    Yu Mei opened her mouth to say something but she heard a loud voice in her mind ''No, don''t speak'' It was Mia''s voice.


    Mia slowly took one step back and then another before she turned around and dashed inside the woods.


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes and he followed after her.


    ''''Brother....''''

 Chapter 419 - 8She Was Here

    ''''What are you brothering for?" Jun Zixuan grabbed her wrist before he pulled her into his arms.


    Yu Mei red at him, ''''You... Let me go. He is injured right now.''''


    ''''He is a man, he knows when to stop. Since he can run after a fox who is way faster than him, despite being in this rusty condition, then he wants a broken rib. Why do we care?"


    Yu Mei pushed him, ''''You are the bigger fox here. Of course, I care,'''' she narrowed her eyes.


    ''''Okay okay, Mia is there. She will deal with it if anything is wrong and she looks normal now,'''' He pulled closer to him as he wrapped his arms around his waist, ''''Come now, hug me.''''


    The corner of her lips twitched as she nced at him, ''''Why should I hug you? Am I not dummy? What if I rub my dumminess on you, huh?"


    ''''I don''t mind, you can rub it if you want,'''' He shrugged.


    She punched his chest, ''''Like it''s fine if you are dealing with him, is there a need for you to throw shade on me like that? From which angle am I dummy?''''


    ''''Let''s go back to the mansion first, I will tell you how you are a dummy,'''' Jun Zixuan smiled mysteriously.


    Yu Mei blinked, ''''Again...''''


    ''''Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.


    ''''You are giving me that mysterious smile once again,'''' She eyed him suspiciously, ''''What are you upto...Ahh...'''' A gasp escaped her mouth when he suddenly pulled her up in a Princess carry.


    ''''Come, let''s go home,'''' Jun Zixuan kissed her hair.


    ''''Brother and Mia are here...''''


    ''''You want to be a third wheel? Then, you stay here while I go back and sleep.''''


    As he motioned her like he was about to put her down, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.


    He smiled at an angle where she was unabvle to see it.


    ''''What third wheel? Brother doesn''t knows the truth yet... And Mia is so stubborn about this, she won''t tell him about it,'''' Yu Mei mumbled under her breath.


    ''''We will leave that up to them for now,'''' Jun Zixuan replied as he made his way towards the chopper.


    Suddenly reminded of something, Yu Mei looked at him, ''''There are bombs in this ce,'''' she said.


    ''''Oh? You just realized?"


    She nced at him unamusedly, ''''No, what I mean is, how are we supposed to leave them alone here? What if something happens?"


    Jun Zixuan shook his head, ''''Han Sheng has been very cautious about it. The bombs can only be diffused by the remote and he was sure that nothing can make him hand it over like that... so he did not keep any second option,'''' he paused for a moment before looking in a certain direction where a man waved at him from another chopper, ''''Okay, all the bombs in this area are diffused.''''


    Yu Mei sighed in relief as she leaned her head on his chest, ''''Zixuan...''''


    ''''Mm?"


    ''''Zixuan...'''' She stroked his jawline as she called his name softly.


    ''''Yes, love?" He looked at her.


    ''''I missed you so much...''''


    His grip on her gradually tightened as he pressed a kiss on her forehead, ''''You did?"


    ''''Mm..''''


    ''''Good, I missed you too.''''


    She smiled.


    ..


    On the other side of the woods, Han Jian Yu ced his palm on a tree to support his body as he panted.


    He was breathless at this point. He did not know what exactly was he doing, running like this after that fox. It was a dangerous creature and it might just end him right here in the middle of the forest.


    And given his current, there won''t be even 1% chance that he will escape safely but still, the moment he watched the fox running away, all he wanted was to follow and he did not know whatpelled him to do so.


    But since he hade so far, there was no going back on this. He raked his finger through his hair and stood up straight before running around.


    Initially, he was still able to see the white sh when he started following after it but it gradually increasing the speed and he eventually lost track of it.


    Han Jian Yu looked around the ce as he slowly stepped forwards. Moonlight filtered in the dark ce through the gap between the leaves and he could not even spot a single shadow around him.


    ''''Argh...'''' He cursed under his breath when his leg got entangled in a vine and he ended up falling. He pressed a palm on the ground to support his body as he pushed himself up but the wounds on his back got stretched by that movement and fresh blood started oozing out of it.


    Han Jian Yu sucked in a cold breath as he sat up straight on the ground before leaning back on the tree behind him. He ced his hand on his knee and closed his eyes, ''''I must have gone crazy when I came here,'''' he muttered under his breath.


    He did not even get to talk to his sister properly and with that sly man for hiding all this from him until now, but it seems like they would get to see him in his funeral after this.


    ''''Dammit,'''' He gritted his teeth when sudden tremors shot through the cuts formed by the whip.


    ''Rustle''


    There was some noise in the distance and Han Jian Yuughed at himself mockingly. Alright, his body stopped working and now he was hearing things too.


    He imed himself for acting on impulse. All his life, he had ever been impulsive only before, with that idiotic woman... Around her, he had turned an idiot time and time again.


    And now, he will be counting this incident too.


    Lost in his thoughts, he heard that sound again, the sound of dried leaves being stepped on.


    So, it was not an illusion.


    His eyes snapped open.

 Chapter 420 - Being Glared At

    Hearing the sound of someone stepping on the dried leaves, Han Jian Yu opened his eyes slowly.


    He was greeted by the sight of that white fox walking towards him.


    Han Jian Yu was not sure if it was his illusion or if the fox was really stepping towards him with slow and hesitant steps. If he had not seen her ripping off limb and neck in front of his own eyes, he would have seen it as a cat who is just slightly... bigger in size.


    ''''Stay there,'''' He said while eyeing it suspiciously. He was still unable toe in terms with the fact that this was the same small thing who was living under his roof since a long time.


    And not only that, there was some other thought which was circting in his mind and he was unable to grasp what it was.


    Mia stopped at a distance from him when he asked her to. She lowered her head and her ears flopped slowly, her hazel eyes sparkled under the moonlight as they welled up with tears. She found herself a little culnerable at this point, where she wanted to blink thise tears away but she was unable to.


    Her tail drooped and she turned around, deciding tiy was probably the best idea to leave at the moment. It was very ufortable for her to be seen by Han Jian Yu like this.


    She admitted that she hated this feeling...


    And somehow, there was this strange wish in her heart that she wanted to be a human, aplete human.


    ''''I didn''t ask you to leave,'''' Han Jian Yu whispered when he saw the fox walking away from him. Was it his illusion again? Or was it sad? ''''You can stay if you want to,'''' For some reason, he was not intimidated by it like others.


    Maybe it was because he had seen it when it was like a small thing, running and whining around him or maybe because he felt like it did not mean any harm. He could not decide what it was.


    Mia''s tail slightly swished as she turned around to look at him, her ears perked up and she nced at him.


    So... was he not despising her? She could not help but think over it as she slowly stepped towards him.


    This time, Han Jian Yu did not say anything as he let her approach him.


    Mia avoided looking into his eyes and focused on his body instead.


    She raised her paw towards his chest. Noticing that he did not seem to be afraid of her, she kept extending it but just as she was about to ce it on his chest, she saw something from the corner of her eyes.


    She tilted her head to the side and nced at the blood on her paw.


    ''''I don''t mind,'''' Han Jian Yu said as he followed her gaze. He knew that she was able toprehend what he was saying. It had been that way since the time she was living at his ce.


    Mia blinked before she ced her paw on his chest.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow. He was curious about what she was trying to do.


    Se grabbed the cor of his shirt before running her sharp nail down in a line from the center.


    ''Rip''


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow when he saw her staring at his chest quietly.


    Mia gulped. There were these humans who resembled immortals despite being in the mortal world.


    There was this one particr human, who could be bloodied and bruised, in almost a half-dead condition but will still be able to look like this.


    She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off such thoughts from her mind. It was not proper for her think of things like this at such a time.


    Han Jian Yu was speechless.


    Mia quietly tugged at his hand before stepping away from him.


    ''''You want me to take this off?" Han Jian Yu asked her doubtfully.


    Mia nced at him for a moment before she lowered her head and nodded slowly.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her quietly for a moment before he slowly leaned forward and took off his bsuit jacket. As he tried to remove his shirt, a frown formed on his face and his lips thinned as he found the material stuck to the wound on his back.


    Mia nced at him quietly for a few seconds before she stepped forward and blinked. In the next moment, his shirt dispersed into thin air.


    Han Jian Yu froze for a few moments. Despite having already witnessed it with his own eyes, he was still not ustomed to it. He has never heard of the existence of such things and if he had not seen it with his eyes then he would never have believed that something like this exists.


    Suddenly reminded about something, he narrowed his eyes as he tilted his head.


    Mia was speechless. Why was he ring at her? He was in pain and she helped him. Was there something he should re at her for?


    She paused for a moment before taking a peek inside his thoughts.


    ''Since it could have been done this easily, why was I put through the hassle?''


    Mia narrowed her eyes at him. Wasn''t it her being decent? And she did that so that she would not end up scaring him. Shouldn''t he be thankful instead of ring like this?


    But then again, she realized that he did not have any powers which can help him hear her thoughts like her.


    ''Hmph'' She harrumphed inwardly as she turned her face to the side.


    Han Jian Yu was speechless. He noticed this before when she was living with him but right now, he could feel it more that her antics were more like humans.


    Mia walked behind him and ced her paw on his back as she nudged him.


    Han Jian Yu quietly straightened up and stopped leaning on the tree.. He wondered what she was upto.

 Chapter 421 - Fluffball

    Mia nced at the wounds caused by the hits of the whip. A sh of red flickered in her hazel eyes. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before she opened them.


    Looking at the ring cuts on his back where his flesh was peeking out, she felt like going back to Han Sheng right now and shredding him to pieces. Since he was not Han Jian Yu''s biological father, that made everything easier.


    When she was looking into Han Sheng''s memories, she did see something like a fire but she did not pay much attention to it at that time. Little did she know that that was the beginning of all incidents.


    And somewhere, she med herself for everything that happened. If she had been careful, then nothing like this would have happened.


    Her ears flopped at the thought and she quietly grazed her paw on Han Jian Yu''s back.


    Hearing him inhaling a deep breath, she paused for a moment before slowly gliding it on his wounds.


    Han Jian Yu suddenly felt a cool sensation on his back and the burn and ache from earlier gradually started disappearing.


    He closed his eyes, letting her do what she wanted. By this time, he was certain that she wouldn''t harm him and after having been living with her baby form for a long time, he felt like he met an acquaintance when he saw her.


    That was another thing that the acquaintance turned out to be¡­something else than what he expected.


    There were a lot of things that he was still trying to digest and one of them was his real identity. It did not matter to him whose child he was but the information still came out of nowhere. And maybe because Han Sheng formed his mind that way, he never looked into such things, nor did he ever hold any such doubts against him.


    At that time, all he ever wanted was for his duties to be over so he could go back to his maternal grandparents¡­ Or so what he thought they were.


    ''''What exactly are you?" He whispered when he felt the cooling sensation on the back of his neck.


    Though he couldn''t see it, it did not take him much to understand that she was somehow¡­healing his wounds. He could feel the difort in his body slowly disappearing.


    Mia ignored his words as she quietly focused on the wounds on the back of his neck.


    ''''Don''t act like you don''t understand humannguage. It''s toote for that,'''' Han Jian Yu turned around when he felt her retracting her paw from his back.


    Mia stepped back from him quietly as she felt some weird changes in her body.


    ''No¡­ Not right now,'' She pressed her lips and turned around to dash away.


    Han Jian Yu frowned but before he could stand up and follow after her, he saw the huge feral shrinking in size.


    The corner of his lips twitched when he saw the huge powerful and scary fox from earlier turn into a small fluffball like baby fox who was trying to run away from him with those tiny legs barely covering a few inches.


    He grabbed her from the back of her neck before he picked her up, ''''Where do you think you are going, huh?" He asked as he brought her closer to his face.


    His eyes flickered slightly when he looked into her hazel eyes.


    Mia blinked cutely, inwardly chastising herself. When had she ever been this shameless, trying to buy a human over with her cuteness?


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes, ''''Tell me what kind of thing are you? What''s your origin? And what are you doing here?"


    Mia closed her eyes as she let her head nod off to one side. It was best to y dead in a situation like this. After all, he was not expecting her to talk to him, was he?


    "It''s toote to act dead and I know that you canprehend humannguage,'''' Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes and an indecipherable look shed in his eyes that Mia missed because she had closed her eyes at the moment.


    She was determined to y dead at the moment. He won''t be cruel enough to force open her eyes and she was certain of it. So, she decided to stay in that stale position till he got tired of this and decided to let her go.


    What confused her more was that why did he even follow and ran this far after her? Was it his curiosity regarding her? Did he not find her scary after everything that happened there?


    Han Jian Yu quietly nced at the little creature that he was holding in his hand.


    Mia''s eyes snapped open as she felt her paws being ced down on the ground. She tilted her head to look at Han Jian Yu.


    Han Jian Yu pushed himself to his feet, ''''I am grateful to you for¡­ healing my wounds¡­'''' He said as he picked up his half torn suit jacket from the ground. He looked around for the shirt that he was wearing but he could not see it anywhere and he remembered that earlier the shirt disappeared into thin air.


    Mia nced at him quietly. His messy hair was resting above his brows while his dark eyes were slightly narrowed, those dense eyshes casting a shadow on his cheeks.


    Under the pale glow of moonlight, he did not look much like his usual self. He was less aloof and more lonely.


    Mia had to tilt her headpletely upwards to get a proper look at his face.


    ''''Since you don''t want me to keep you here, you can leave,'''' Han Jian Yu said indifferently, ''''I was curious about you, I have never seen something like you before and maybe that sparked my curiosity and unknowingly I ended up following after you to feed my curiosity. To think that, you once lived with me under the same roof but I never noticed anything amiss. And I don''t n to keep you here against your will.. You are free to leave.''''

 Chapter 422 - This Is Who I Am

    Mia''s ears flopped slightly and she lowered her head, her fluffy tail dropped as she watched him wear his suit jacket. He folded his sleeves and since the front part of the suit jacket had a slit-like thing caused by her nail, he left it open like that and turned around to walk away.


    She quietly stood rooted to her spot as she watched him walking away from her.


    Mia slowly ran towards him but she stopped in her tracks. Her round hazel eyes sparkled as she watched him going away from her.


    When his back appeared like a distant view to her, Mia lowered her head and turned around to leave.


    There was nothing she would get by following him. And he was right. It was her who wanted to stay away from him then why was it that¡­ the moment he ced her down, all she felt was a deep sense of emptiness inside her heart?


    Was she expecting him to keep holding her like that? To take her back to his ce with himself?


    Shaking her head, she started walking away from the ce with her tiny legs covering a little distance with every step.


    ''''Mia¡­''''


    Her footsteps came to a halt and her head snapped in the direction of the voice almost on instinct.


    Mia froze for a moment when she spotted Han Jian Yu standing at a distance from her.


    Her eyes widened and her mind went nk as she stared at him, unable toprehend what just happened.


    All night, despite everything that happened, Han Jian Yu had been putting a nonchnt expression throughout. Even though a few things fazed him, but he did not show it that much and he was still able to take it in but right at the moment, he could not control his shock.


    His eyes met the pair of hazel eyes and the picture of this baby fox, that dangerous feral and a breathtakingly beautiful woman started blending in his mind.


    If it was a normal animal, then it would be like the animal looked in the direction of voice but this thing in front of him had its consciousness. And Han Jian Yu could see the myriads of expressions on her face that came because of the name he mention. It was obvious...


    ''''So, it''s really you¡­'''' His fingers curled into a fist before gradually loosening as the words left his mouth as a whisper.


    Noticing the disbelief on his face, Mia snapped out of her daze. This was something that she has always been afraid of. She never wanted him to know this¡­ Know about what she was or who she was.


    It brought over a whole heap of difort and insecurity in her heart whenever she thought about what he would think of her after knowing it. But he knew¡­. In the end, he knew.


    No matter how careful she has been, he already knew about this.


    Mia closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them with a flicker of determination. A soft glow encased her and she slowly transformed into her human form.


    Han Jian Yu''s lips parted slightly and his brows tugged together. Despite witnessing the scene with his own eyes, he could not help but wonder if it was a dream¡­ a long dream.


    ''''Yes, it''s me,'''' Mia opened her eyes as she looked at her body. She had the dress she was wearing when she left Ren Mansion on herself at the moment and Mia could see the scratches and wounds on her body.


    In her fox form, the blood was cleaned and the wound healed but notpletely. And those scratches and marks were hidden under her fur. But in her human form, they were very much visible.


    Not that she cared pretty much about it, she was just looking at herself to avoid the gaze of the person who was standing in front of her at a distance. She did not dare to look at him, knowing that she might not like what she saw in those eyes which usually held teasing intent or tenderness for her.


    As more time passed and Han Jian Yu did not say anything, Mia could hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears.


    She inhaled a deep breath before tilting her head to look at him. By this time, his expressions were unreadable and she did not know what was going on in his mind while looking at his stoic face.


    She wanted to peek into his thoughts but somewhere, she was afraid to know his unfiltered thoughts regarding her at this moment.


    Would he think of her as weird? Or¡­ a monster like what Han Sheng called her or maybe a dangerous beast¡­


    ''Even if he thinks of me like that, then¡­ it''s not like I can deny it,'' A wry smile appeared on her face as she opened her mouth, ''''This is who I am¡­'''' She said, slowly stepping towards him.


    Han Jian Yu wordlessly took a step back.


    Mia paused in her tracks when she noticed the small movement from him. She felt a dull ache in her chest despite expecting something like this.


    ''''I think you should leave now and I need to leave too,'''' Mia said quickly before she turned around to leave the ce. She was afraid she would make a fool of herself with every passing second that she stayed here.


    She did not me his reactions towards this. She expected much worse and she saw none but¡­but it did not help her with how she felt.


    She blinked rapidly, feeling a heaviness in her eyes. These tears¡­ Yu Mei must have rubbed off her crying nature on her.


    ''''Where do you think you are going?" came the voice of the man which had her stop in the tracks.


    ''''Back to Ren Mansion,'''' Mia answered without looking back before she continued walking.


    She could hear the sounds of approaching footsteps and her heart turned even more anxious than before.


    ''''Is it that good?" Han Jian Yu asked as he stopped right behind her.


    ''''What?" Mia was confused.


    ''''Ren Mansion¡­'''' Han Jian Yu nced at her back, ''''Is it that much of a good ce to live?"


    Mia was speechless.. Was it a proper time to talk about something like this? Still, she paused for a moment before nodding, ''''I think it is,'''' With that said, she once again continued walking.

 Chapter 423 - Will You Let Me?

    Han Jian Yu grabbed her hand before she could walk away from him, ''''Did I ask you to leave?"


    ''''Did I ask for your permission?" Mia replied, without turning around to look at him.


    ''''Why are you acting like this?" Han Jian Yu pursed his lips. From how calm Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan were, it was apparent that they were aware of this.


    Earlier when everyone was shocked by Mia''s transformation, he had also turned to look in that direction and he noticed his sister taking Mia''s name. Her voice was barely above a whisper but he could read her lips.


    Andter when he followed after her inside the woods, maybe it is because of this. This is whatpelled him toe after her.


    In his mind, he hadbelled it as a bizarre thought and put it aside, not overthinking about it. But this kept repeating in his head again and again. Whenever he looked into the pair of hazel eyes, that crimson birthmark on the baby fox''s forehead, or be it the striking silver fur¡­. It reminded him of the woman who was standing right in front of him at the moment.


    In the end, it was him who was kept in dark about everything and it was him who was lied to then what right did she have to talk to him in that distant tone? When did he ever wrong her for her to act that way around him?


    Mia turned around to look at him, ''''I just want to leave, can''t I? I need your permission for that?'''' She clenched and unclenched her fist inside the long sleeves of the dress she was wearing.


    Han Jian Yu let go of her hand as he quietly nced at her.


    Mia nodded at him before she turned around to leave, ''''Ah..'''' A gasp escaped her mouth when an arm wrapped around her waist and her back crashed against a muscr chest.


    Han Jian Yu wrapped the other arm around her waist as he hugged her from the back, cing his chin on her shoulder, ''''You already left me once because you wanted to. I didn''t stop you back then,'''' he closed his eyes as he spoke to her, ''''It should be me throwing you out of my sight for being kept in dark all this time but I can''t bear to¡­ I should be the one using you of lying to me since the very beginning but here I am, hugging you like this trying to keep you closer to me while you want to leave.''''


    ''''Ji-''''


    ''''Shhh¡­ Don''t speak,'''' Han Jian Yu pressed his chin a bit towards the nook of her neck while he nuzzled his nose in her hair, right behind her ear, ''''You shocked me today, do you know that?''''


    ''''I do.''''


    ''''I never expected that I will discover something like this, so unbelievable and unreal¡­'''' he paused for a moment before adding, ''''Everyone fears the unknown, people will stay away from what they don''t know about. Am I right?''''


    ''''You are,'''' Mia replied.


    Han Jian Yu opened his eyes and nced at her side profile as he slowly moved his face slightly before cing a soft kiss on her hair.


    Mia stiffened.


    ''''Then tell me, Mia, how is it possible that I want to hold it closer? The unknown¡­ I want to hug it tighter and I never want it to go out of my sight,'''' he whispered, ''''Will you tell me why I am hugging you right now when I have all valid reasons to push you away from me?''''


    She felt something stirring in the deepest corner of her heart. Her heart was racing at the moment and she could hear the sound of it ringing in her own ears, ''''I don''t know. You are a weird person and it''s hard to decipher your thoughts without using my powers.''''


    ''''Oh? You can read minds too?" He ced his lips on her neck and she could not bring herself to hate the way her neck arched, craving more of his touch.


    ''''I-I can¡­'''' Her voice came out a bit breathy, ''''But I never tried that on you, maybe a few times, like once or twice.''''


    ''''I don''t mind you reading my mind right now. You will find yourself there,'''' he said softly.


    ''''But I don''t want to read your mind,'''' she said after some time, ''''You can tell me what it is that you can''t push me away, despite having all right reasons to do that.''''


    Han Jian Yu stepped back from her and Mia immediately felt the emptiness weighing upon her until her hand was grabbed and she was twirled before being pulled into his arms.


    ''''I don''t know what you are. It shocked me and I¡­''''


    Mia pressed her palm on his mouth, ''''Don''t say anything. I know it was all strange for you but I don''t want to hear you talking about it,'''' She lowered her head.


    He pressed his index finger on her wrist before pushing her palm away from his mouth. He then shifted the finger below her chin before he tilted her face such that she was looking into his eyes, ''''It shocked me. I have nevere across an existence like yours and it very much shocked me. But it didn''t shock me enough to shed you off my life. And it made me realize no matter how things are and no matter what happens, in the end, it will eventually lead me to you. You wanted to leave earlier but I forbid you from leaving me.''''


    Mia was stunned, ''''You aren''t really affected? You don''t think of me as a monster? Or something very scary? Or you don''t find me disgusting?'''' She asked him.


    ''''For what?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow.


    ''''You know what I mean,'''' Mia punched his chest, annoyed at the guy for ying and talking in circles.


    ''''I don''t mind what you are, who you are or what ce you are from.. I will say it this one time, I am keeping you here. I am keeping you to myself, will you let me?"

 Chapter 424 - Are You Blushing, Love?

    A/N: Thank you for being patient with me like always. Although I had different ns, but I felt guilty about not finishing the stories. So, I am back. I hope you will be patient with me and tolerate the current chapters'' quality.


    ~Lots of love


    ...


    ''''I don''t mind what you are, who you are or what ce you are from. I will say it this one time that I am keeping you here. I am keeping you to myself, will you let me?''''


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    Mia opened her mouth to say something but no words came out of it and she pursed her lips.


    Han Jian Yu cupped the side of her face as he let his thumb run on her cheek, ''''Take your time thinking. I will give you all the time in the world so that you can decide whether you want to stay with me or not.''''


    ''''What if my answer is a no?" Mia asked, finding her lost voice.


    ''''This forest looks decent,'''' Han Jian Yu looked around before he nced at her, ''''We are staying here in this position till you make it a yes,'''' With that said, he tightened his grip on her waist before he pulled her closer.


    "Will you force me if it''s a no?" She asked.


    He nodded quietly.


    ''''I have powers,'''' Mia shrugged.


    ''''Can you bear to use them on me?" he blinked, ''''Did I not warm your bed properly?" he blinked again.


    Her jaws dropped as she found him looking at her with those puppy eyes and on top of that, those shameless words left her speechless.


    Han Jian Yu chuckled looking at her expressions and he ced his forehead against hers, ''''I missed you,'''' His grip on her unconsciously kept tightening and Mia held back from wincing because her internal wounds were yet to heal.


    ''''All this while, you have been there on my mind and I missed you so much,'''' He whispered as the tips of their nose touched.


    ''''Good to know that,'''' Mia looked into his eyes, ''''I missed you too.''''


    ''''You did?'''' As she nodded, he rolled his eyes, ''''I don''t buy it.''''


    Mia punched his chest lightly, ''''Why not?"


    ''''Why did you note back to me if you really missed me?"


    ''''Because¡­ I didn''t know. Like¡­ with what reason was I supposed to go back to you? So awkward,'''' She cleared her throat.


    ''''Are you blushing, love?" He teased.


    She red at him. ''''Who is blushing?''''


    Han Jian Yu chuckled.


    ''''You really don''t care?" Mia stepped back from him and his grip loosened on her waist, ''''You witnessed everything and you know how I am. It doesn''t affect you?"


    ''''I won''t say I was not fazed. It did affect me as I had never once expected for something like this to happen,'''' He frowned, ''''Though I had this doubt that it was you when we were in that terrace, but I was not sure. When I came after you, I did not know what I was expecting. In the end, when I called your name, I did not know what I was expecting at that time either¡­ I don''t know if I was making any sense right now,'''' Heughed at himself for jumbling over his words.


    Being a President, handling a country, thest thing he expected to mess up was his speech. But in front of this woman, he could not even think straight, let alone say anything.


    Mia blinked.


    ''''I will say this loud and clear, Mia, and you better pay attention,'''' he cupped her cheeks, ''''I miss you the moment you are out of my sight. And I will ept you, no matter in what form youe to me.''''


    Mia smiled as she yfully bit the tip of his nose, ''''You are so adorable at the moment, you know that, right?" She stepped back from him.


    Han Jian Yu pursed his lips. He did not remember being called adorable before and it certainly sounded very weird to his ears.


    ''''Well,'''' Mia flipped her hair as she shed a mischievous smile, ''''Look at you blushing, fumbling and fidgeting while you speak every word. Very adorable indeed. Her Highness is pleased.''''


    Han Jian Yu opened his mouth to say something but he paused, ''''When you say Her Highness, does it means that¡­?''''


    ''''I am royalty,'''' Mia answered, understanding what he meant to ask her, ''''I mean I was, centuries ago.''''


    ''''So, all this time when you referred to yourself as ''Her Highness'', you really meant it?'''' And here he thought, it was just a part of her yful traits.


    Miaughed, ''''I was a bit over-pampered so it has left some marks on me, I guess.''''


    A small smile formed on his lips, ''''Good to know that,'''' he paused for a moment before looking at her questioningly, ''''You said centuries¡­''''


    Mia nodded before she walked towards him and held his hand, ''''You are injured. I have not healed your wounds properly yet. Come, let us sit while I tell you more about myself.''''


    Han Jian Yu sat on the ground as he leaned back on the tree and just as Mia was about to sit next to him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto hisp.


    She gasped, ''''What are you doing?"


    ''''Letting Her Highness sit in her favourite ce,'''' the corner of his lips tugged up as he yed with her long hair.


    ''''You¡­. You are narcissistic,'''' she blinked before shifting to a morefortable position on hisp.


    ''''Learnt from the best,'''' came the quick reply that earned him a punch on his chest.


    ''''Have you ever heard of the legendary nine-tailed fox?" Mia asked as she ced her cheek on his shoulder while her hand moved on the side of his shoulder, slowly healing his wounds.


    ''''Exists in mythology¡­'''' Han Jian Yu paused.


    ''''Yes, my mother. She is the one,'''' Mia paused for a moment before adding, ''''She was, I mean.''''


    That was not something he expected. Han Jian Yu quietly stroked her back before kissing the top of her head.


    ''''My father was a prince when they met for the first time and at that time, my mother was in her human form. They had mutual attraction but their time was cut short and yearster, they met again but at that time, because of the circumstances, my father was already sitting on the throne, ruling the kingdom. They fell in love.''''


    Han Jian Yu''s brows tugged together slightly.

 Chapter 425 - Abducted

    ''''And did mother love him too?'''' Han Jian Yu asked.


    Mia sat up straight and she nced at his face, ''''Who are you calling mother?"


    ''''Your mother,'''' he blinked.


    She narrowed her eyes, ''''Why are you addressing my mother as yours?"


    ''''When did I?"


    ''''You¡­ You just did,'''' She was speechless. She had never been rendered speechless like this in a row before.


    ''''Oh, the you was silent,'''' He flicked his forehead, ''''Dummy.''''


    Mia''s mouth opened and closed and not a single word came out of it. Dummy¡­. He called her dummy. ''''You are dummy, your sister dummy,'''' She red at him.


    Han Jian Yu chuckled and pulled her back into his arms.


    ''''My mother was very powerful and very prideful¡­''''


    ''''So, you got this from her, my little fox?" He interrupted her while ying with her hair.


    Mia blinked before pinching his shoulder, ''''Do you think you are getting very much into this so quickly?'''' Just a few minutes passed since he came to know the truth, but she had yet to see a hint of shock on his face. Let alone shock, he even came up with something like ''little fox''.


    Han Jian Yu cleared his throat, ''''Continue, why are you getting distracted?''''


    Mia rolled her eyes. Wasn''t he the one who was distracting her?


    ''''When my mother discovered that she will have to leave her tribe, her ce, she stepped back on it. But both of them loved each other so eventually, things changed for them. My father married her, despite the ministers and other higher-ranking court officials opposing him to let a woman of unknown origins be the queen.''''


    ''''But the marriage between them still worked as they loved each other,'''' he guessed to which she nodded, ''''And then little Mia came,'''' Han Jian Yu teasingly said.


    ''''Uh¡­ yes,'''' Mia paused for a moment before adding, ''''My name was Liuyue. Xiao Liuyue.''''


    ''''Sounds very delicate to me¡­''''


    Mia smiled, ''''But over the years, things started going downhill when someone cursed my mother. In the initial years, we did not notice anything amiss because the curse did not show any signs and my mother''s health was always good. Once or twice, she did fall sick but my father did not look much into it because mother said it was normal because she is not used to be living with humans. Moreover, nobody in the kingdom was aware of my mother''s identity except my Father and me. I was 7 or 8 at that time.''''


    Han Jian Yu frowned, ''''What about you? Were you born with powers?"


    ''''I was more of a human but my powers started showing up in theter years and to make me more capable, mother taught me how to handle them.''''


    ''''Then why did they ce a curse on her?"


    ''''For someone who is now existing in legends, she was precious. Every fur of her tail, every sparkle of her power was something that people will hold greed for. At that time, in our kingdom, there was a Han Family too.''''


    That caught Han Jian Yu''s attention, ''''And?"


    ''''The family of generals and they were your ancestors. The man who caught hold of this information and shared it with evil people, he was your ancestor,'''' Han Jian Yu went quiet while Mia continued exining, ''''The day when my mother found that she was cursed, she did not hide it from my father because she knew how much he detested being kept in dark, especially when things were about her.''''


    ''''Comparatively, I am so understanding,'''' Han Jian Yu interrupted her as he said, ''''Look at me who was being kept in dark all this while but am I still not letting you sit on myp?"


    She was speechless again, ''''They were husband and wife.''''


    ''''We can be too¡­'''' The words slipped out of his mouth unconsciously and silence lingered in the air.


    Mia did not say anything and neither did Han Jian Yu as he tried to gauge her reaction but she had her face on his shoulder and he could not see her expressions.


    "From the day my father got to know about it, he started looking for a way to break the curse. But my mother realized that it was a very powerful ancient curse that grew stronger with time. Despite being an immortal, the curse inflicted a lot of pain on her and when she noticed that her power was being sucked by the curse, she started to send her powers into my body," As Mia continued speaking, Han Jian Yu noticed how effortlessly she dodged the topic and his words. It left a weird feeling in his chest but he did not dwell on it as he continued listening to her.


    ''''...By the time my father found the curse and came back to our kingdom after a long journey, my mother was no more. He was numb but he did not speak much about it and I knew it must be painful in his heart because I was in pain too,'''' Mia wrapped an arm around Han Jian Yu''s waist as she softly mumbled, ''''...He wanted to work more that night, to look into the court matters but I coaxed him to sleep. I said I will see him the next day¡­.'''' She closed her eyes, feeling a little warmth in them.


    Han Jian Yu quietly stroked her back as he waited for her to continue.


    ''''...But he never woke up.''''


    The movement of his palm paused for a moment before he continued stroking her back.


    ''''And I was told that he is gone¡­'''' Mia paused, ''''I lost control over my powers though I appeared calm from outside. Those people who instigated this did not get my mother''s power because she passed most of them to me and only a little bit of her powers was sucked by the curse. But I was her daughter and they abducted me in doubt.. Though there were all the royal guards and they were all outstanding soldiers but they did not win against ck magic and I was taken away. I don''t know what they did to me but I came into my original form right in front of their eyes¡­''''

 Chapter 426 - Took Pity

    His hand wrapped around her waist firmly and he pulled her closer into his arms, ''''If you don''t want to talk about it, then we can let it be,'''' He whispered, ''''You don''t need to recall all that.''''


    Miaughed. She moved her hand from his waist before cing it on his chest, ''''Is your heart aching for me?" She asked him teasingly, not expecting his reply to be, ''''It is.''''


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to look at her, ''''It is indeed aching for you. Do you have a cure?''''


    Mia tilted her head up and looked into his dark eyes for a few seconds before she cleared her throat, ''''Are you possessed today?"


    ''''By you, yes,'''' came his quick reply.


    She felt her cheeks turning slightly warm and she quickly buried her face in the nook of his neck, ''''I came in my fox form for a few seconds before turning into a human. It turned out I had seals on my power and my powers were not unleashed. They killed me and my first life ended there, they trapped my soul in a magical box and I was unable to transform into my human form. It was your ancestor who provided that box which had a crescent marking on it that provided the power to trap me there¡­''''


    Han Jian Yu''s brows were tugged together in a deep frown when he heard that, ''''Crescent mark¡­''''


    ''''Yes, the birthmark that Mei has. Centuries passed and the people who trapped me died, while I was reduced to a stale object in it. The Han Family kept me in their treasury but their descendants were never told about the box''s origin or what is inside because those old people wanted to keep their heinous deeds under wraps. My lives also kept passing inside the box¡­''''


    ''''Lives?"


    ''''I had 9 lives, my 9 tails represent 9 lives. This ability is something only my mother was supposed to have for she was an immortal but she wanted me to live more and see more of the world so she passed it to me on her deathbed,'''' Though it came with its banes, Mia was thankful for it. Had her mother not done that, she would have never met these people whom she came to cherish so much.


    ''''How many lives do you have now?" Han Jian Yu was curious, having never have known too much about things like these, let aloneing across them.


    From the very first time he met Mia, be it when she was in her fox form or human form, he always felt that she was unique and very rare. Little did he ever realize that she was not like them at all. She was different.


    ''''This is myst life,'''' Mia said and Han Jian Yu paused for a moment. She continued speaking, ''''My lives kept passing inside the box until the day Mei was born, she had that crescent birthmark which is not strange considering that she was a descendant of Hans but she just turned out to be the destined one, who had the ability to contract me, to control my powers. When she was born, my stale body finally had some fluctuations and your family was only aware that the box was passed by the ancestors, they did not know what was inside. Being orthodox with their thoughts, your grandfather shifted me to the upper floor where nobody else was allowed to go because they thought of the box as some evil omen¡­''''


    ''''But Mei went there once,'''' Han Jian Yu said as he thought about the time when Yu Mei was just learning to walk, it was the same day when everything happened and they went far away from the Han Family.


    ''''Yes, she did. And I was disgusted by the fact that it was a human, a child who got the whole control over my life just by a mere touch of hers,'''' Mia did not sugarcoat her words. There were things that she did not want to tell him but it is the truth. And even if he came to hate her for all that, all she could do was ept his hate.


    Han Jian Yu''s brows tugged together for a moment as he paused. He massaged the spot between his brows, ''''You spent ages inside a box, it is only right for you to have your pent up emotions, your anger and your frustration,'''' He did not know how one would feel, spending not a day or month, but years, decade or centuries inside a small closed up space. He had never faced that but all he could do was see things from her point of view. And his heart ached just at the thought of it.


    Mia was stunned for a moment as she lowered her eyes, ''''I thought you would be angry about this¡­''''


    ''''I am not. No matter what you are, be it human or be it a fox spirit, you have emotions too and Mei was just a stranger to you. It would be strange for you to love her as soon as youe out of your cage.''''


    Mia paused?and a momentary hesitation flickered in her eyes, ''''So, when you protected Mei from that woman and were about to get in the ident, I took you both away and you were unconscious so you did not remember anything about seeing me. That woman who kidnapped Mei saw me so I killed her. Mei was safe because you protected her well but you were injured all over and you lost your memories. I healed your external injuries out of pity but didn''t do anything about your memories and all. I just went inside Mei''s body because her birthmark allowed my spirit to rest inside her, it was just like how I was able to live inside the box.''''


    Han Jian Yuughed, ''''Look at you taking pity on me,'''' He pinched her waist.


    Mia was speechless, ''''You were quite adorable to not take pity on¡­''''


    ''''So years passed and I stayed inside Mei''s body, waiting for her¡­''''


    Her words were interrupted as the sounds of helicopter des resounded in the forest.

 Chapter 427 - Will You Disappear Again?

    Mia stood up from hisp and she looked at the sky as three choppersnded around them.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow and he pushed himself to his feet.


    ''''Oh, its him,'''' Mia recognized Danny as she knew him as Han Jian Yu''s right hand man.


    As he approached them, he nced at her for a few seconds in confusion. He could not understand what this model was doing here. They looked for her for a long time and when she was finally found, their boss looked at her like she was his acquaintance¡­of course, that kind of acquaintance.


    But then, he did not expect to bump into her here today.


    Mia stepped to the side quietly as she watched Danny approaching Han Jian Yu and the man whispered something into his ear. She noticed how thetter''s expressions changed quietly.


    After they finished talking, Danny looked at her once again before he turned around and walked back to the chopper.


    ''''You need to go?" Mia asked him.


    ''''No, it can wait,'''' Han Jian Yu held her hand, ''''Actually while you were speaking, I had a question in my mind.''''


    Mia nodded, ''''Mm, you can ask,'''' she nced at his fingers which were stroking her palm.


    "All these years, from the time you saved us to the time we started studying, and everything that followed, have you been there with us?"


    Mia nodded, ''''Yes, during the time I escaped the box, my current life had just started. In human years, I was 3 years younger than you but since I had my previous memories, I was mature than my age. Now, I am 26 in human years.''''


    Han Jian Yu cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his neck, ''''So¡­'''' He paused for a few seconds not knowing how to phrase it.


    ''''What?" Mia raised an eyebrow.


    He shook his head, ''''Ahem¡­nothing.''''


    ''''Do you want to ask if I have seen you with women before, changing them one after another?" Mia threw a wild guess but seeing his quiet countenance, it seemed she was right. Sheughed, "I did.''''


    Han Jian Yu pursed his lips, suddenly feeling a sense of shame for his not-so-clean past. ''''But I¡­''''


    Mia ced her palm on his head before she ruffled his hair, ''''Why are you so cute?" She never imagined this man who usually appears so detached, selfish and arrogant will have this side too. It waspletely unexpected for her.


    Han Jian Yu opened his mouth to say something but he closed it awkwardly not knowing what to say. He leaned in to her touch not noticing how his men were standing at a distance, looking at him like they just saw a rare sight.


    When had they ever witnessed their Boss being patted by a woman? She even ruffled his hair and he leaned in quietly like a puppy. How docile, how tame!


    Danny rubbed his arms, soothing the goosebumps rising on his skin. If only he did not know how this man was, then he would have really epted his puppy form.


    ''''Wait¡­'''' Han Jian Yu thought of something.


    ''''Hmm?" Mia smiled at him, unable to get enough of him.


    ''''Where were you the day when Mei was assassinated?"


    The smile on her face gradually faded and her lips parted slightly.


    ''''...You have powers and since you saved me once before, there is no way you would let her die right? Where were you at that time? Did something happen?" He asked her, his tone was concerned and that her feel even worse.


    Mia quietly looked at him.


    ''''Mia?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow.


    She let out a sigh before speaking, ''''To be honest, it''s not just the first day, I have always wanted to get rid of Mei so I can live my life without any shackles. I did save you once because of pity but I was not that much attached to either of you. When she was being assassinated, I was happy that I would get to live my life freely from then on but I never expected her to suck the life essence from my tail. I had one more life and she took it¡­'''' She looked at Han Jian Yu after she finished speaking but his expressions were unreadable and one could not gauge anything from it.


    ''''What about now¡­?" He looked at her, ''''You are not attached to either of us?"


    Mia smiled helplessly, ''''What do you think?"


    Han Jian let go of her hand before he stroked her head twice, ''''I need to handle this work. Come with me, I will drop you where you want to go right now,'''' he said.


    Even though everything seemed fine but his tone was a little distant. And Mia knew about this, she expected this when she told him the truth but she wanted toe clean to him all at once rather than leaving something under wraps which could affect him in future.


    Although his sister was alive right now, but her death and that period still left some trauma on him.


    ''''You can go deal with your work,'''' Mia''s brows tugged together as she felt some strange changes in her body. She recognized this feeling¡­.


    ''''What about you?'''' He asked, not noticing anything amiss with her, "I am not leaving you here.''''


    Mia raised her hand before showing her finger which was gradually disappearing, ''''I am faster than all your nes,'''' she whispered.


    The other people in the ce were not able to see anything because of the angle but Han Jian Yu saw it and he shook his head, ''''You won''t disappear likest time, right?"


    ''''I won''t,'''' Mia smiled. She did not know why Yu Mei calling her like this all of a sudden but she did not tell it to Han Jian Yu because it looked like he had something important to handle. No matter what it was, she could sort it out and he can know itter. Today was already too much for him and then, she wanted to escape the tense air here.


    He pressed a kiss on her forehead before walking towards the chopper.


    As Mia looked at the helicopters in the sky, she let go of her powers which were suppressing Yu Mei''s calls and her body disappeared from the ce within an instant.

 Chapter 428 - Wake Up

    Jun Zixuan cupped Yu Mei''s face before cing a kiss on the tip of her nose while she looked at the night sky from the chopper while it took off from Han Sheng''s underground mansion.


    ''''I can''t believe everything turned upside down so fast and that Han Liyun is really not my biological brother. It was just a wild guess that I made, but I never expected it to be true,'''' Yu Mei said as she looked at Jun Zixuan.


    Jun Zixuan nodded, ''''Han Sheng hid it too well.''''


    ''''But does Han Liyun know about it?" She nced at him curiously, ''''And when did you confirm this?''''


    ''''I believe he does,'''' Jun Zixuan tucked a lose piece of her hair behind her ear before he continued speaking, ''''I discovered it on my way and sent people to capture him but it was difficult to get hold of him.''''


    ''''And why didn''t you tell me about it when you came?"


    ''''I never added Mia in the equation,'''' When he came here, he was prepared to get Yu Mei out of here and everything would have been handled effortlessly but he never expected that Han Sheng would use Mia to lure Yu Mei here.


    But after finding Mia in that ce, everything made sense to him about how Yu Mei came here and what ensued after that.


    ''''How is mom?"


    ''''She is doing better now, they were about to do the follow up check-ups on her when I left the hospital. Boyan and Luoluo were there too so I am assured everything will be fine. She just needs to be taken care of.''''


    ''''Mmm¡­ Everything will be fine. You don''t be sad¡­'''' Yu Mei mumbled as she ced her head on his chest.


    Jun Zixuan stroked her back quietly and he leaned his head back on his seat, ''''Mei, do you think there is something you have yet to tell me?"


    Yu Mei yawned slowly and she raised her hand to draw circles on his chest withthe tip of her index finger, ''''Is there? I think I told you about everything.''''


    ''''Not about your health condition.''''


    "Mmm?'''' Yu Mei rubbed her eyes, ''''Oh yes, this body had PCOS. That''s the reason behind it being overweight but it''s fine now. I took proper medications, followed diet, worked out and kept it in bnce. Nothing to worry about¡­'''' She slurred and her hand slowly dropped from his chest which he grabbed quickly before it could fall.


    His eyes had aplicated look as he looked at the sky. Like she said, will everything be fine though? He could not help but wonder about it.


    He ced a soft kiss on her hair, ''''Wake up soon, love. We need to discuss things.''''


    Later that night when they reached Ren Mansion, Jun Zixuan carried Yu Mei in his arms before going to Master Bedroom.


    He ced her on the King-sized bed and went inside the walk-in closet before getting afortable nightdress for her. He ced it on the bedside table and brought over a wet towel from the bathroom.


    Jun Zixuan gently undressed her, careful enough to not wake her up as he wiped her body with the warm water before he wiped the water with a dry towel and helped her in the clean clothes.


    He sat beside her on the bed and held her palm in his while he stroked her hair with his other hand, ''''It has been a long day for you,'''' he whispered and his gazended on her swollen jaw. His eyes slightly narrowed and he pulled out his phone before making a phone call, ''''Keep torturing him for 24 hours,'''' He hung up after speaking.


    Jun Zixuan pulled open the drawer and took out the first-aid box before opening the ointment tube. He gently applied it on the swollen parts of her face and ced a soft kiss on her forehead, ''''Sleep tight, love,'''' He wiped his fingers with a tissue and walked to the other side of the bed before getting inside the nket.


    ¡­


    ''''Ah¡­ No.. No.. Mia¡­''''


    Jun Zixuan was stirred awake in his sleep and he turned the bedside lights on before he nced at Yu Mei whose face was covered with tears and sweat and she kept shaking her head and mumbling incoherent things.


    ''''Mei¡­'''' He removed the nket from her body before pulling her into his arms, ''''Wake up, everything''s fine, Mia is fine as well,'''' He whispered while stroking her back.


    Her cries toned down but she was still sweating and she did not respond to him.


    Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Jun Zixuan noticed the blood on the sheets.


    His gaze deepened.


    In the Sunshine Hospital.


    ''''What happened?" Shi Luo rushed to the VIP ward where Jun Zixuan was standing in front of the door.


    Jun Zixuan did not respond to her and she got even more worried as she looked at the closed door. Jun Boyan was with Shen Lihua in the VIP room just two floors down while she was working in her office when the Director came and mentioned that President Jun''s wife was brought here.


    Jun Zishen''s identity or rtion with Shen Lihua is not known to many people neither is he addressed as President so Shi Luo could only making this wild guess that he was talking about Yu Mei before she came here to check.


    ''''Zixuan, what-'''' Shi Luo stopped speaking when she heard the sounds of the approaching footsteps, ''''Mia, when did youe here?" She nced at the woman who appeared to be in a dishevelled condition.


    Mia waved at her before shing her usualzy smile, ''''Just now¡­''''


    Shi Luo frowned, ''''But the elevator¡­'''' she nced at the closed elevator.


    ''''I took the stairs,'''' Mia cut her off. Shi Luo nodded at her and turned to look at Jun Zixuan and Mia quickly looked at the CCTV cameras in the ce that she damaged the moment she stepped here.


    ''''What happened? Where is Mei?" Mia asked Jun Zixuan who was standing in a daze.


    Shi Luo nced at Mia before quietly shaking her head. It seemed like Jun Zixuan was not in the right mind frame at the moment.. He was not responding at all and she could not help but be more worried with every passing second.

 Chapter 429 - Aborting It

    Mia looked at Jun Zixuan who was standing rooted to his spot, looking at the closed door in a daze.


    ''''I felt like Mei was calling me,'''' She whispered.


    And it seemed to have got Jun Zixuan''s attention as he turned around to look at her, ''''She¡­ maybe she dreamt of you. She was calling your name on the way to hospital,'''' he whispered, his voice sounded hoarse.


    Shi Luo was initially confused by what Mia said but given that it extracted a reaction from Jun Zixuan, she did not look too much into it.


    ''''Zixuan, what happened to her?" Mia asked.


    Jun Zixuan shook his head quietly. He did not know what happened either. He asked her on their way back from the underground mansion if she was alright or if she felt any difort but she said she waspletely fine and he still decided to bring her to the hospital the next day.


    She was sleeping so peacefully like a baby and all of a sudden, she was in his arms, sweating, crying and shivering and all he could do was hold her in his arms while feeling a sinking rush of helplessness in his heart.


    ''''She is¡­'''' Jun Zixuan opened his mouth to say something but his words were interrupted as the door opened and the doctor walked out, ''''President Jun,'''' the middle-aged man greeted him politely.


    ''''How is she?'' Jun Zixuan asked.


    ''''The patient''s condition is not good because of the sedatives in her body. We extracted all the sedatives that she had consumed but it is still¡­'''' The man hesitated, not knowing how to say it.


    Jun Zixuan frowned. Sedatives¡­ Han Sheng! It has to be that man! "Still¡­?" He nced at the doctor questioningly and impatience reflected in his eyes.


    ''''Still, Mrs. Jun''s health condition is not good. Dr. Tony, her previous doctor recognized the patient when you came and he sent me her past records when I asked for it. Given how serious her PCOS was, it is already very difficult for her to be pregnant in the first ce. But even after she got pregnant, it is going to be a risk to her own life if she keeps the child. Her condition can be monitored but it will still include risks and even if something did not happen to the mother, the child might not¡­. Survive¡­''''


    ''''What''s her condition right now?" Jun Zixuan interrupted him and he spoke in a deeper voice.


    "The slow acting sedatives in her body has affected the child and if we take the risk to keep it, then the mother''s life might be in danger and there are chances that the child will die in the mother''s womb or will be born with disabilities,'''' As the doctor continued speaking, Jun Zixuan''s expressions shifted and his fingers curled into a fist.


    Meanwhile, Shi Luo and Mia were both stunned having been unaware of Yu Mei''s pregnancy. ''''Zixuan¡­ Mei is pregnant?" Shi Luo managed to utter after a long time.


    Jun Zixuan did not answer but his expressions were more than enough to answer it.


    ''''...We don''t have much time¡­'''' The doctor spoke even though he was intimidated by the man''s cold aura, ''''You need to make the decision fast whether you want to take this risk or not.''''


    With that said, he turned around to leave but paused a momentter, ''''President Jun, there will be zero chances of Mrs. Jun conceiving again in the future if this child is aborted.''''


    As the Doctor left, Jun Zixuan nced at the closed door.


    Shi Luo felt a bit numb. She never expected something like this to happen¡­, Everything started dawning on her. No wonder yesterday, Jun Zixuan was looking at a baby magazine while sitting in her office. She did not?give it much thought at that time but now everything made sense.


    But what she could not understand was why would Yu Mei take sedatives?


    She knew her friend very well to know that no matter what the situation might be, Yu Mei would not opt for things like this.


    And the only option left to consider was that someone injected it in her body or forced her to take it but who?


    As she contemted over it, a name quickly came to her mind. Hasn Jingyi. The Han Family. Yu Mei told her about her rtion with them before and given that Han Jingyi hated Yu Mei, it could be her¡­ or maybe someone else because the whole family was suspicious to Yu Mei at that time.


    Shi Luo stopped thinking about it as she nced at the hospital door which opened at this time.


    He stepped inside the room and Shi Luo looked at Mia who was standing rooted to her spot.


    ''''Let us give him some time with Mei,'''' Shi Luo said to Mia.


    Mia nodded absentmindedly as she walked to the chair on the side of the hall before taking a seat.


    Inside the hospital room.


    Jun Zixuan sat on the hospital bed while holding Yu Mei''s palm quietly.


    As the nurses left the room, Yu Mei shifted in her position. She slowly opened her eyes and he noticed how red her eyes were.


    She opened her mouth, ''''I..'''' Her voice was hoarse.


    Jun Zixuan stood up from the bed before he got the water bottle from table. He helped her sit up while leaning back to the pillow before he removed the cap and brought the bottle to her mouth.


    Yu Mei took a few sips and Jun Zixuan ced the bottle aside before he came to sit beside her.


    Nobody said anything and the room was drowned in silence until Yu Mei spoke up, ''''When did youe to know about it?'' she asked him.


    Jun Zixuan lowered his head, ''''Yesterday, when you were discharged from the hospital," He answered, knowing that she was asking when he came to know about her pregnancy.


    Yu Mei paused for a moment as she thought about the work going on inside Ren Mansion, ''''Those people¡­''''


    ''''They were there to renovate the room¡­'''' He answered before she could finish speaking as if he could understand what was going on in her mind. Jun Zixuan held her hand before he stroked her fingers with his thumb, ''''Baby room.''''


    Yu Mei felt like someone clenched her heart and twisted it hard, ''''I am sorry,'''' she lowered her head.


    Jun Zixuan tilted his chin to look at her and he tucked a lose piece of her hair?behind her ear, ''''For what? What are you sorry for?"


    ''''I don''t know,'''' Yu Mei whispered as she shook her head. What was she sorry for? Who was she sorry to? She did not know. She just felt a swirl ofplicated emotions in her heart. Why was it that everytime, there was a small ray of light in their life, there will be a bigger darkness following it?


    When she died, she was shown the way to this second life, but then her past troubles came up. Herpany was in dire situation, her current body was unstable, she could not find her brother. She worked on it, stabilized everything, then she fell in love with a man she never expected herself to but before she coulde in terms with her feelings, Jun Zixuan misunderstood her when he found out about Mia and asked her to leave. Though muchter, she realized that just like her, he was conflicted too, with his feelings and that''s why things happened that way.


    Then after they got back together, she was still unable to find her brother and after she found him, the Han family came in the picture.


    Every phase of this year has been about testing her and now¡­ There was a time when she did not care even a bit if she got pregnant or not but now she knew that she did.


    Earlier before she dozed off, she overheard the doctor talking about her condition and all she felt was a deep reluctance the moment she thought about removing the little life growing inside her.


    ''''Zixuan, no..'''' She shook her head slightly as she tightened her grip on his fingers, ''''Let us not do it.''''


    Jun Zixuan pulled her into his arms and stroked her back without saying anything.


    ''''We can take a risk¡­''''


    ''''We are aborting it,'''' Jun Zixuan interrupted her before she could finish speaking.


    Yu Mei shook her head, ''''No, I don''t want to and I know that you also don''t want to¡­''''


    ''''Enough,'''' Jun Zixuan let go of her as he stood up from the bed, ''''Take some rest, Mei. Let us talk about thister.''''


    She grabbed his hand when he turned around to leave, ''''Don''t go,'''' she mumbled.


    Jun Zixuan halted in his tracks and he turned around to look at her.

 Chapter 430 - No Other Choice

    ''''We are not aborting the baby,'''' Yu Mei let go of his hand.


    Jun Zixuan''s expression changed, ''''I am not letting you take the risk,'''' He narrowed his eyes and left the room without looking back at her.


    She nced at his retreating back before she ced her hand on her lower abdomen. Her eyes welled up with tears and she stubbornly blinked them away before turning her face towards the window.


    After some time, a nurse came inside the room with a food trolley and she was followed by Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo nced at Yu Mei who was sitting quietly on the bed with a nonchnt look on her face.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Yu Mei turned to look at Shi Luo, ''''Luoluo¡­''''


    ''''Mei..'''' Shi Luo paused and nced at the nurse who left the room after serving the food on the small table arranged on the bed.


    After the door closed, Shi Luo walked towards the bed before taking a seat beside Yu Mei, ''''Is it painful anywhere?" She asked concernedly after noticing her pale face.


    Yu Mei shook her head.


    ''''Mei, eat something first,'''' Shi Luo pointed her chin towards the food, ''''Don''t starve yourself. It''s breakfast time.''''


    Yu Mei was about to reject it but then she paused for a moment and after thinking about something, she picked up the bowl of porridge from the tray before eating it, ''''Did Zixuan eat anything?'''' she asked softly.


    ''''No, Mia is there with him outside.''''


    ''''Did you?"


    Shi Luo nodded, ''''I had my food before you came here.''''


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''Then you send them for breakfast.''''


    ''''Mei, he is doing this for your own good¡­'''' Shi Luo said and Yu Mei paused eating, ''''Do you think Zixuan doesn''t want the baby?"


    ''''He does. He wants the baby,'''' Yu Mei softly said as she ced the bowl down.


    Shi Luo nodded. Her brows tugged together slightly, ''''He was here with me yesterday, in my office, looking at a baby magazine with so much of adoration even though when I came, he masked his expressions and acted cool about it. I did not think much about it. But when I mentioned your body condition, he lost it. He left the hospital without further dy¡­''''


    But he could not find her when he went back to Ren Mansion. Yu Mei thought to herself.


    ''''In the end, it''s you who is a priority to him. Don''t be stubborn about this, you are hurting yourself and him while doing this,'''' Shi Luo whispered.


    Yu Mei looked at her quietly.


    5 pm, Sunshine Hospital.


    When Yu Mei woke up from her nap, she found Jun Zixuan sitting on the chair next to her hospital bed, he had his eyes closed and she could see the dark circles under them.


    She slowly sat up on the bed before extending her hand to touch his face but her wrist was grabbed the moment her fingers touched his skin.


    Noticing that it was her, he loosened his grip on her wrist and stroked it gently with his fingers, ''''How do you feel?" He asked.


    ''''I am alright,'''' She replied, ''''Comparatively, you look like an old man to me.''''


    Jun Zixuan raised an eyebrow and Yu Mei felt her heart skipping a beat because of how charming he was, ''''An ugly one? Ugly old man?" He asked.


    She nodded, ''''Ugly one at that. At this rate, I will just go look for young and fresh flower boys if you don''t work on getting those dark circles removed.''''


    ''''How to work on them?"


    ''''Take more care of yourself,'''' She replied. He let go of her wrist and she leaned back on the hospital bed.


    The air was silent once again and Yu Mei broke the silence, ''''Let us¡­ abort the baby,'''' she turned her face to the side as she nced out of the window.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her side profile for a few seconds before he stood up from the chair and took a step towards the bed. He pulled her into his arms. Yu Mei quietly wrapped her arms around his waist while he stroked her hair.


    ''''I don''t want to lose it either. But we don''t have any other choice, baby,'''' he whispered, ''''I can''t afford to lose you.''''


    Yu Mei did not say anything as she continued hugging him, her heart felt like it was being squeezed by something, making her feel breathless.


    Mia, who was standing near the door, nced at them quietly, her expressions were unreadable. She could feel Yu Mei''s pain, maybe it was the bond they shared but she could feel that stifling feeling in herself. And Jun Zixuan was hurt too¡­ it was apparent in those dark brown eyes that seemed to have lost their usual lustre.


    "Zixuan, where are you going?" Mia asked the man when she saw him walking out of the room.


    Jun Zixuan paused in his tracks and he turned to look at her, ''''Stay here with Mei. I will check if Luoluo is here with the doctor yet.''''


    Mia frowned, ''''Eat something, you look tired.''''


    ''''I am fine,'''' Jun Zixuan raked his fingers through his hair.


    Somewhere, the usual dominant air around him seemed to have been suppressed by the sadness in his eyes.


    ''''You stay here with Mei. She was looking for you, I will go check with Luoluo.'''' He said.


    ''''What about your mom? And Mei''s parents?"


    ''''The situation in the Han Family is not good right now and mom is not in a good condition either. Let us not tell anyone about it for now.''''


    Mia nodded, ''''Shall I inform Jian Yu?"


    Jun Zixuan paused for a moment before nodding. ''''Here, use my phone,'''' He passed her his phone noticing that she did not have one at the moment.


    Mia wanted to ask him to do it but at the same time, Jun Zixuan looked disturbed so she could not bring herself to do that. In the end, she took it upon herself.


    Even though it seemed normal but Han Jian Yu was a bit indifferent towards her when he left.

 Chapter 431 - A Woman With Him

    After she told him that she watched Yu Mei being assassinated without doing anything because she wanted her to die, she did notice the shift in his expression.


    Maybe he was now taking some time to digest it or he was disappointed in her, she did not know what it was.


    But Mia did not me Han Jian Yu for it. Whenever she thought about that day, she felt disappointed by her own actions.


    Living inside a box as a fox spirit for so long, she forgot that she was a human too. It was as if she had shed off her humanity at that moment when she watched Yu Mei dealing with all those men bare handed, andter after she was shot and pinned to the ground while those men tried to touch her inappropriately, she still continued watching the scene idly, waiting for her to die. Now that she thought back to that day, she felt like she sinned.


    Looking at Jun Zixuan''s retreating back, Mia walked to the chair in the hall before taking a seat. She looked at the phone in her hand which was unlocked. Her finger hovered above Han Jian Yu''s contact number for a few seconds before she called him.


    As the rings started, her heart raced and Mia shifted in her seat slightly. When she felt Yu Mei calling her, she never expected that the she was calling her name while sleeping.


    And since she wanted to escape the tense atmosphere in the forest, she came to Yu Mei without telling Han Jian Yu about that.


    Moreover, she never once thought that Yu Mei would be in any sort of danger given that she was with Jun Zixuan when she left. But her thoughts and assumptions were entirely different from the reality.


    Han Jian Yu did not pick up the call the first time and Mia? nced at the phone before calling him again. Although it looked like he left for some urgent matter but he is supposed to know this.


    She can only imagine what his reaction will be like if he came to know itter.


    The phone rang twice before the call was connected.


    ''''You don''t feel sense of shame calling me at this hour? I am busy,'''' came the casual voice of the man.


    Mia was speechless. So, he thought he is talking to Jun Zixuan but then again, this was his phone. Her hazel eyes narrowed slightly when she heard him panting lightly.


    Did something happen to him again? It was the first thought that crossed her mind but then, his tone sounded alright and what happened earlier was possible only because Yu Mewi was used to threaten him. Or else, it would not be easy for anyone to bring a man? like Han Jian Yu down.


    ''''No¡­'''' a delicate feminine voice was heard in the background.


    Mia who had just opened her mouth to say something, closed it.


    He was with a¡­ woman?


    She leaned back on the chair and her narrowed eyes closed, her grip on the phone loosened. Now, it made sense.


    Everything made sense, about why he was panting, why he was busy.


    ''''If there is nothing, then I am hanging¡­''''


    ''''It''s me,'''' Mia interrupted him as she gripped the phone in her hand, her tone was indifferent as she spoke to him, ''''I took Zixuan''s phone from him to inform you about something.''''


    There was a pause on the other side before Han Jian Yu spoke up, ''''Mia.''''


    ''''Mei is in hospital,'''' Mia said without beating around the bush. It took her a few minutes to detail everything to him.


    Han Jian Yu did not say anything for a long time but it was as if she could feel his terrifying aura from this side of the phone.


    ''''I will be there,'''' He hung up after he finished speaking.


    Mia ced the phone on the chair next to her before she cosed her eyes again covering her eyes with the back of her hand.


    In fact, it was not just Yu Mei''s condition that she wanted to talk to him about, there was something else too but she believed it was not needed anymore.


    There was no need for her to tell him about it.


    Mia removed her hand from her eyes before she stood up from the chair.


    She nced at the ceiling and blinked a few times as tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes. She wiped them with the back of her palm.


    At this time, a few nurses came and went inside Yu Mei''s room.


    Mia was about to follow them when she noticed Shi Luo following behind.


    ''''What''s going on?" Mia asked.


    Shi Luo sighed, ''''They are giving Mei some mild sedatives to keep her asleep during the procedure,'''' Her eyes turned red.


    ''''During abortion¡­" Mia nced at the room in a daze as she watched Yu Mei''s bed being pulled out of it.


    Mia nced at Yu Mei who had her beautiful dark eyes closed as she slept on the bed with a pale face.


    ''''Mia, are you alright?" Shi Luo patted her shoulder and Mia snapped out of her daze as she nodded slowly, ''''Come, let us go to operation theatre. Zixuan needs you.''''


    Not knowing about the truth, Shi Luo still believed that Mia was Jun Zixuan''s and Jun Boyan''s adopted sister but despite being adopted, it was obvious that Jun Zixuan cared a lot for her and vice versa. She believed he would listen to her.


    Mia nodded again as she stepped back from Shi Luo, ''''Yes, I will be there. I will go to the washroom beforeing there.''''


    Shi Luo nodded before she, ''''Come to the floor just below this one, we will be there,'''' she said before she turned around to leave.


    ''''Wait..''''


    Shi Luo paused before she turned around to look at Mia, ''''Yes?"


    ''''How much time is left before it starts?"


    ''''In 15 minutes, the doctor is not here yet.''''


    Mia nodded and Shi Luo left.


    She stood rooted to her spot for a few seconds before she grabbed Jun Zixuan''s phone from the chair and walked towards the washroom.

 Chapter 432 - Shocked Luoluo

    As Mia ran downstairs, she could hear the sounds of her heart racing in her ears. Earlier, she did not think it would take her so long in the washroom, she ended up closing eyes and she didn''t know how much time has passed or if the operation procedure started already.


    Even the elevator was not working. At times like this, she always wondered why she did not have the power to teleport on her own wish like her mother.


    As Mia descended the stairs, she ced her hand on her knees and inhaled a deep breath before standing up again.


    ''''Zixuan..'''' Her eyes lit up up when she noticed the light above the OT was not on yet which meant she was in time.


    Jun Zixuan who was standing in front of the operation theatre turned around when he heard the voice, ''''Mia?"


    ''''S-Stop this,'''' Mia smiled at him.


    Jun Zixuan frowned, ''''What?"


    ''''I have found a way,'''' Mia whispered as she caught her breath, ''''We don''t need to go through this. Stop it, I can save both of them.''''


    ''''What?" Shi Luo was bewildered, ''''Mia, it has started already and we can''t stop it right now. What way are you talking about?"


    ''''Get it stopped,'''' Jun Zixuan''s voice resounded in the empty corridor and two well-built men were seen walking towards the OT in the matter of few seconds.


    The door was kicked open and Shi Luo had yet to register anything in her mind when Jun Zixuan nced at her, ''''Take them out.''''


    ''''President Jun, what is going on¡­'''' The doctor walked out as he adjusted his sses while looking at Jun Zixuan. The procedure was yet to start but the door was suddenly kicked open just like that.


    Jun Zixuan turned around to look at him but his gaze went past him and itnded on Yu Mei who was lying on the hospital bed. He could only watch half her body because the other half of the door was still closed.


    ''''Empty the floor,'''' Jun Zixuanmanded to the bodyguards. He looked at the doctor, ''''We need to stop the procedure here.''''


    The doctor was displeased because in all his years of medical career, nothing like this has ever happened before but Jun Zixuan''s dangerous aura intimidated him and he could not bring himself to say anything. He gulped before he turned around and left, suppressing theints in his heart. The man was not someone they could afford to offend.


    When the whole floor was cleared, the two bodyguards also left leaving only Mia, Shi Luo and Jun Zixuan in the empty corridor while Yu Mei was still inside the OT, lying unconscious on the bed.


    Shi Luo pursed her lips. No matter what, her first concern at this moment was her best friend, who was more like a sister to her. She did not want anything bad to happen to Yu Mei again neither did she want to lose her after losing her once before.


    The month when she was unable to contact Yu Mei and she was told that Yu Mei was dead was the worst month in 23 years of her life. Having been grown up together, all Shi Luo ever wished for Yu Mei was happiness and not these uninvited troubles that she kept facing in her life.


    At this point, she was able to stay calm only because she was certain that Jun Zixuan would never let anything happen to Yu Mei. Otherwise, she could not decipher what was going on in Mia''s mind.


    ''''Can you guys tell me what''s going on?" Shi Luo was exasperated at this point.


    She massaged her forehead and nced at Mia questioningly.


    Mia who had caught her breathe by now, stood straight as she flipped her hair before batting eyshes at Shi Luo, ''''What? You can''t re at Zixuan so you are ring at me like this?" She asked casually.


    Shi Luo was rendered speechless because somewhere, it was the truth. She could not re at Jun Zixuan, and especially after the exaggerated story she had told him before about ''Han Mei'' marrying some random guy and having kids with him, and then when he came to know about the truth, he had made her work overnight till she was half-dead. After that incident¡­ she got PTSD by the sight of this man.


    She red at Mia, ''''You are telling me what''s going on here right now,'''' Shi Luo adjusted her sses before she crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    Mia raised her finger and a ray of light shot from the tip of her finger before it split into a number of rays and went at the CCTV cameras in all directions and all of it turned to dust within an instant.


    "This is the truth, not only the cameras but my powers can remove everything they ever recorded,'''' Mia casually said.


    Shi Luo was stunned. She stood rooted to her spot, looking at the woman who was standing there with an expression that appeared like she was talking about weather but her eyes were far from forgetting what they just witnessed, ''''You¡­'''' Shi Luo sucked in a deep breathe and she took a step back, ''''W-What are you?" Her brows tugged together and a hint of warioness etched between them.


    ''''Nothing for you to be scared of, Luoluo,'''' It was Jun Zixuan who spoke, ''''She means no harm.''''


    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at him, ''''You knew about this?" she asked and as he nodded,''''What about Mei? Was she aware of this too?"


    ''''Yes.''''


    Shi Luo closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down even though she was yet to get over the shock in her heart. Never had she ever seen anything like this. Before today, if someone told her she would witness something like this despite being in the 21st century, she would haveughed it off.


    Mia already expected some simr expression from Shi Luo. And she believed maybe in future, this woman would want to stay far away from her.


    She walked towards Shi Luo but contrary to what she expected, Shi Luo did not look intimidated although she appeared shocked, ''''You have been a good friend not only to me, also to me,'''' Mia whispered before she turned around and walked towards Jun Zixuan.

 Chapter 433 - Not Breathing

    Shi Luo tilted her head as she looked at Mia''s back quietly for a few seconds before she adjusted her sses. It has been a short time since they met and just like Yu Mei, both her and Li Shuang were close to Mia but¡­ why did she suddenly tell it to her like this?


    Mia walked towards Jun Zixuan handed him his phone which he had given her to call Han Jian Yu, ''''And keep this too,'''' she handed him a small red crystal ring.


    ''''What is this?" Jun Zixuan nced at the ring before looking at her.


    ''''I will use my powerster so you keep this with yourself, it has some of my powers in it. If I call for you, you can bring this inside and help me,'''' Mia paused for a moment before adding, ''''Trust me on this, Zixuan. I will save both Mei and your child. You don''t need to lose one to keep the other.''''


    Jun Zixuan nced at the ring before he nodded, ''''Alright, I will be there.''''


    Mia smiled, ''''Better. Now you wait for the good news.''''


    ''''Thank you,'''' he whispered.


    ''''You have been the best brother that I could ever ask for. Don''t thank me, this is what I should do,'''' she winked at him before walking inside the operation theatre.


    3 hourster.


    Han Jian Yu rushed out of the elevator while holding his suit jacket in his hand. His footsteps came to a halt as his gazended on Shi Luo was sitting on a lone chair in the corridor, he looked around but he was unable to find anyone else.


    ''''Luoluo,'''' He called out and Shi Luo raised her head to look at him, ''''What happened?'''' His brows tugged together in a deep frown when he saw her reddened eyes and the tears streaming down her cheeks.


    An ufortable feeling rose in his chest as he stepped closer to her, ''''Luoluo, tell me what happened? I am here now, everything will be fine.''''


    Shi Luo shook her head as she cried harder, ''''S-She is no more¡­'''' The words escaped her mouth as she tilted her head to look at the slightly ajar door of the operation theatre.


    Han Jian Yu''s footsteps faltered for a moment before he stabilized himself, ''''What nonsense are you speaking about?" His voice went a tone higher and before Shi Luo could say something, he strode towards the operation theatre before he pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    The atmosphere inside was more depressing and his footsteps slowed down when he saw a sh of ash blonde hair on the other side of the operation bed.


    He paused for a moment before he turned to look at Yu Mei who was lying on the bed with a peaceful expression on her face, her cheeks were rosy and he could see her chest falling and rising evenly as she breathed.


    A relieved sigh escaped his mouth and he walked towards the other side of the bed only to find Jun Zixuan kneeling on the floor quietly, ''''What happened to you¡­'''' The rest of his words were stuck in his throat when he spotted another person in front of the man.


    He stepped to the side before walking forward. His footsteps came to a halt as he nced at Mia who was lying on the floor in a curled up position. Her long silver hair framed her small face and her face was t\\\\urned to the side, ''''What happened to her?" He asked Jun Zixuan, ''''She was fine when she left but why is she like this right now?" He suppressed the ufortable feelings rising in his heart.


    Jun Zixuan did not respond and Han Jian Yi''s fingers curled into a fist, ''''I am asking you something,'''' He snarled.


    Jun Zixuan extended his hand towards Han Jian Yu.


    Han Jian Yu looked at the crystal ring that the man was holding in between his thumb and index finger, ''''What is this..?"


    ''''I don''t know,'''' Jun Zixuan spoke, his voice was low and hoarse, ''''This is something she left for me before¡­'''' he paused.


    Han Jian Yu did not take the ring from his hand and he walked to the other side before sitting beside Mia''s body. He carefully held her head and shifted it from the floor to hisp before removing her long hair that was covering her face, ''''Mia¡­'''' He stopped speaking when he noticed the blood near the corner of her mouth, her face was pale like a sheet of paper.


    ''''I think she needs water. Will you get it?" Han Jian Yu carefully stroked her hair andbed it with his fingers before tucking them beside her ear. Her body was so cold that he could feel his fingers getting numbed by it, ''''Warm water.''''


    Jun Zixuan did not say anything and he quietly watched as Han Jian Yu picked up his suit jacket from the floor before draping it over Mia''s body, ''''She is¡­''''


    Han Jian Yu interrupted him''''How long has it been since she is sleeping on the floor? And what are you doing, squatting beside her instead of picking her up from here? Her body is so cold now¡­''''


    ''''She is not breathing, goddamnit,'''' Jun Zixuan snapped at the man, ''''Her body is pale, cold and lifeless. Everything is right in front of you. Acting like you can''t see it won''t change it. It won''t bring her back to life.''''


    Han Jian Yu narrowed his eyes, ''''She is not an ordinary human. She is different. What makes you think that something will happen to her?"


    Silence ensued in the room after Han Jian Yu spoke.


    ''''It''s the words she said before she left,'''' Jun Zixuan said after a long time.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to look at him, the corner of his eyes were slightly red, ''''What¡­ do you mean? Who did she speak to and what was it about?"


    ''''To me, to Luoluo. All those words seemed fine till she was around¡­'''' Jun Zixuan''s palm dropped onto his knee as he tilted his head down to nce at Mia, ''''....But they seem like a farewell now that I look at her like this,'''' The difort and pain in his heart for Yu Mei and their unborn child was so much that it overwhelmed his senses and he did not find anything amiss with Mia.

 Chapter 434 - Dark Place

    ''''I don''t believe anything can happen to her,'''' Han Jian Yu said as he held Mia''s palm in his before warming it up.


    ''''You are refusing to ept¡­''''


    ''''Shut up!" All the emotions that he had suppressed in his heart came rushing to him all at once and all he could do was hold her palm tighter, refusing to let her go. He saw her finger disappearing when they were in the forest, what if it happened again? ''''You promised you won''t disappear from my life again, Mia and I don''t¡­ I don''t allow you to go back on your words," Han Jian Yu lowered his head and tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes before theynded on Mia''s face.


    Jun Zixuan''s eyes narrowed when he witnessed the scene in front of him. The man whom he has seen always standing proudly¡­watching him trembling and breaking down like this, it was not something that he ever expected to see.


    When Mia came inside, there were some noises but after one hour, the ce was entirely calm. And after waiting for a long time, Jun Zixuan looked at the ring in his hand before he walked inside the room, followed by Shi Luo.. And they were? greeted by the sight of Mia''s cold body lying on the floor while Yu Mei seemed to be doing better than before.


    Han Jian Yu gritted his teeth as he held the woman tightly in his arms, refusing to loosen his grip on her. His tears clouded his vision and the sight of her pale face was imprinted in his heart.


    Jun Zixuan closed his eyes, ''''She saved Mei and our child. She said that she can save them and I let her. She told me I have been the best brother to her, she told Luoluo that she has been a good friend to her¡­'''' His throat felt choked up with a myriad of emotions as he spoke, ''''...But we never realized that she was bidding farewell.''''


    Han Jian Yu lowered his head to look at the woman lying on hisp and his shoulders trembled as he slowly stroked her hair, ''''She will wake up, won''t she?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he asked the question..


    ''''Check what she left for you¡­''''


    The voice made both the men pause and they tilted their head to look at Yu Mei who was lying on the hospital bed.


    Jun Zixuan pushed himself to his feet and he looked at Yu Mei who had opened her eyes at some point, ''''When did you wake up?" He whispered.


    ''''A few minutes after brother came,'''' she replied. Her voice was hoarse.


    She tried to sit up on the bed but feeling a little weakness in her body, she found it difficult to move. Jun Zixuan extended his hand towards her and Yu Mei ced her hand in his. He carefully helped her up while looking at her face for any expressions only to find none. There was not even a single tear in her eyes and that bothered him more.


    ''''Mei¡­'''' At this time, Shi Luo stepped inside the room. Earlier, she came here with Jun Zixuan but she lost control over her emotions when she saw Mia''s cold body lying on the floor. It had been only some time she knew the woman but she was close to her and¡­ it pained her to find her like that.


    ''''Luoluo,'''' Yu Mei nced at Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo walked towards Yu Mei and hugged her. Unable to hold her tears any longer, she sobbed, ''''M-Mia is no more¡­'''' she mumbled incoherently in between her sobs, ''''I don''t feel her breathing,'''' No matter what powers Mia had, but she had always been breathing like a human and right now, it had stopped. There were no heartbeats either.


    The woman who always had that mischievous smile stered on her face was lying lifeless and Shi Luo did not have it in herself to look in that direction.


    Yu Mei did not respond to her and she quietly stroked her back.


    Shi Luo pulled back after some time before she wiped her tears with the back of her palm, ''''Mei, why aren''t you saying anything?" It has been only a few days since she got to know Mia but Yu Mei, on the other hand, knew her for a long time and Shi Luo did not know what was going through her mind. But her expressionless face was bothering her.


    ''''I don''t think anything happened to her¡­'''' Yu Mei quietly nced at Mia whom Han Jian Yu was holding in his arms. She shook her head, ''''I believe she will wake up.''''


    Jun Zixuan nced at her helplessly. Just like them, somewhere in his heart, he was holding that hope too that Mia will wake up.


    ''''I think she left it for you¡­'''' Yu Mei said.


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head and he followed her gaze. He looked at the red crystal ring that Jun Zixuan was holding in between his fingers.


    ''''I have the same thought,,'''' Jun Zixuan whispered before he extended his hand towards him.


    Han Jian Yu reached for the ring.


    As soon as his fingers came in contact with the ring, a soft glow encased the ce and in the next moment, Han Jian Yu found himself standing in a dark ce.


    All he could see was a stretch of endless darkness. If it was before, he would have been stunned or worried but at this very moment, he was expressionless. Suddenly appearing at a ce like this did not faze him, not when he knew that this ce was possibly rted to Mia.


    There was instead a glimmer of hope in his heart. Maybe he will find a way to bring her back, he thought.


    Han Jian Yu walked through the darkness. Despite not being able to see anything, he continued stepping forward until he saw a ray of light in the distance.


    "Jian Yu¡­''''

 Chapter 435 - Kept In Dark

    ''''Jian Yu¡­''''


    Han Jian Yu tilted his head to the left when he heard the voice ringing in the distance, ''''Mia..'''' It was as if someone breathed life in him when he saw her. Despite the darkness surrounding the ce, the ray of light casted a soft glow on her and he was able to see her, standing at a distance, wearing the same dress she wore before, ''''Where have you been? Why were you not responding to me and what is this ce?" he stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms without a moment''s dy.


    She looked into his dark eyes which were gleaming with unshed tears. She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing his eyes.


    His palm shifted from her face to her waist. Han Jian Yu wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling her closer to himself.


    ''''I love you,'''' she whispered before kissing the tip of his nose.


    His heart skipped a beat and his arms gradually tightened around her waist.


    ''''I lied to you,'''' Mia pulled back to create some distance between them as she looked into his eyes, ''''To me, you are not just any man I slept with. Caring for you, asking where you have been, when you will be back, whether you ate or not, all of it, I''d not do it for any other man. I have never done it for anyone either,'''' her fingers stroked his jaws gently with every word she uttered.


    Han Jian Yu looked into her hazel eyes, feeling his heart stirring by her words.


    She raked her fingers in his hair as she leaned closer before cing a gentle kiss on his lips, ''''I have loved you since a long time,'''' she tilted her head to the side as she chuckled, ''''Since the day I started thinking about you, it was never only lust. You have been there in my heart, maybe in some corner, covered in ayer of haze which couldn''t be seen. But I have always felt you.''''


    ''''And why did it take so long for you to tell me about it?" A soft smile yed on his face as he looked at her.


    ''''I refused to ept it. Falling for a human so easily¡­ I refused to ept it. But, I won''t deny all the times my heart skipped beats for you, all the times when I found myself smiling when you were smiling, all the times I had this urge to be held closer in your arms and all the times when all I ever wished was to stay with you, forever,'''' she shook her head,''''I won''t deny it anymore.''''


    He tilted his head slightly and the corner of his lips tugged up, ''''I''ve waited for this for so long, you know? For you to tell me what you really feel instead of putting walls between us. And there is something I need to tell you as well.''''


    Mia quietly nced at him.


    ''''Mia, I lo-''''


    ''''Shhh,'''' Mia ced her finger on his lips interrupting him before he could speak any further.


    Han Jian Yu nced at her and his brows tugged together in confusion.


    ''''You are able to see this ce and do you know what that means?'''' she asked.


    He looked around the dark ce once again before shaking his head. He didn''t know.


    ''''That means I am not alive,'''' she whispered.


    His grip on her waist loosened and he took a step back from her as he looked at her in disbelief, ''''What do you mean by not? alive?" He cupped her face before shaking his head, ''''What games are you ying, Mia? Don''t do this... to me..'''' His lips thinned.


    ''''Why do you think will I y games with you?" Mia took a step back from him.


    ''''You told me your mother was an immortal and she passed her powers to you. You have powers and there is no way that you can die like this. I don''t believe it,'''' he whispered, his tone wasced with disbelief, ''''What are you punishing me for?"


    ''''I told you my mother was an immortal and she died because of the curse. When did I tell you that I am an immortal?" she smiled helplessly as she nced at him, ''''She wanted me to live more, to see more of the world and she passed me this ability of having nine lives. But it was not a blessing for me like she expected during the time of her death. Because she was cursed back then, the blessing of nine lives was also a curse to me. Each life, I would only be able to live till 30 human years, not more than that.''''


    Han Jian Yu''s lips parted but no words came out of it and he just stared at her quietly.


    ''''When Mei absorbed the life essence from my tail, I thought she won''t live past 30 butter I realized that this curse is only effective on me because it was passed to me from my mother. Unlike me, Mei is safe and so is her baby.''''


    ''''You¡­''''


    Mia interrupted him, ''''I did not care for you, I did not care for her either and I watched her dying right in front my eyes. I know you were didsasppointed with me when I told you about this but the truth is, I care about you. At that time, I suppressed the soft corner I had for both of you but right now, you people are like a family¡­ a family that I was blessed with after ages ago.''''


    ''''Did you always n to do this?" his fingers curled into a fist and he took a step back from her, the corner of his eyes turned red as he watched her nod.


    ''''You called me and you did not mention anything about it? All this while, I am the one you kept in dark, about your identity, about your feelings, about your decisions, about your pain, about your sufferings, about your death and about every single thing that matters to me¡­'''' he stepped closer to her and grabbed her shoulders, ''''What gives you the right to do this to me every time? Have you ever been fair to me? You push me when you want and you pull me when you like and I let you do that to me only to know that all of this is nothing but an illusion," his fingers dug in her skin.

 Chapter 436 - Men Should Wait

    Mia quietly looked at the tears that rolled down his cheeks. She raised her hand and let her fingers glide on his cheeks, wiping his tears, ''''Why is it that everytime it is me who does things but it is also me who is the most hurt by my own actions?" she whispered, ''''But to tell you the truth, this time I am not hurt by my actions. The little life growing inside Mei¡­ I want it to see the world.''''


    He pressed his forehead against hers, ''''But you won''t be here to see¡­''''


    ''''You are right. I won''t be here,'''' Mia whispered, ''''I called you today to let you know about my decision.''''


    Han Jian Yu nced at her, ''''Then why didn''t you tell me?'''' He asked softly as he moved his hands from her shoulders to her face. He cupped her cheeks, '''' Why didn''t you tell me about it, Mia? You say you are not alive then how can I see you right in front of my eyes?"


    ''''This is a part of my soul where I put all my powers so that you can see me¡­ for thest time,'''' Mia tilted her head slightly, ''''I was a moment, Jian Yu. I was never meant to be your forever.''''


    ''''I want you to be my forever,'''' he whispered with tears in his eyes.


    ''''When I called you, you were with a woman. My heart was aching but in the end, this is what I want. I want you to live happily, have a family, have everything that you never had.''''


    ''''No, it''s not¡­'''' Han Jian Yu panicked when he saw her disappearing gradually.


    ''''Mia! Mia!'''' He hugged her tightly only to feel air in his arms, ''''Don''t go,'''' he came to his knees.


    Han Jian Yu buried his face in his palms, ''''Mia¡­ It has always been you, nobody else. Don''t leave me¡­'''' His shoulders trembled as he lowered his head, ''''Don''t go...I beg you,'''' a whisper escaped his lips only to be greeted with silence.


    Two monthster in Amaranthine.


    ''''Boss, those ministers have been very persistent on the batch of changes. They want things to go their way,'''' Danny said but getting no response from the man he was talking to, he turned to his left and nced at his brother.


    Sunny pursed his lips and stayed quiet. It was not like their Boss was a very amicable person in the first ce but in the past few months, his temper has been very unpredictable and one would never be able to know what will tick him off.


    ''''Then let them stick to their beliefs,'''' Han Jian Yu folded his sleeves and checked the time on his wristwatch before taking off his shades, ''''If they don''t ept things with kindness, then they can expect chaos,'''' he softly said but his tone had a dangerous edge to it and every guard and person present in the chopper who heard him speaking will know that the chaos he mentioned won''t be bloodless ones.


    After the private jetnded in Beijing, Han Jian Yu walked inside his car and sent the driver out before he drove off.


    Sunny and Danny nced at the car until it waspletely out of the sight.


    ''''How long has it been since he is like this?" Sunny asked.


    ''''Two months,'''' Danny replied, ''''And we have yet to get a clue about what happened to him.''''


    Sunny sighed, ''''He won''t even let us be around him, let alone telling us what happened.''''


    ''''Do you think Young Miss knows anything?"


    ''''Young Miss¡­'''' Sunny sighed helplessly, ''''I don''t think she is any better than him at this point.''''


    Han Jian Yu alighted the car and nced at the ss vi in front of his eyes. His gaze roamed around the ce, taking in the sight of the sea and the beautiful gardens.


    He stepped towards the vi but his footsteps came to a halt and his gazended on the house next to his which was separated by a single ss wall.


    He nced at the closed door quietly for a few seconds before he pressed his finger on his door. The door opened with a click and he stepped inside the house.


    Han Jian Yu unbuttoned his suit jacket and threw it onto the couch.


    Just as he was about to go upstairs, his phone started ringing.


    He looked at the caller ID before answering the call.


    ''''You are back,'''' came the aloof voice from the other side.


    Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow, ''''So?"


    ''''You should have called and greeted me, you know. We are talking about basic etiquettes,'''' Jun Zixuan clicked his tongue.


    The corner of his lips twitched and Han Jian Yu spoke through gritted teeth, ''''Hello, brother-inw. Care to wee me?"


    ''''But you arete for the greeting so don''t think I will bother epting it,'''' Jun Zixuan sighed, sounding very disappointed.


    Han Jian Yu massaged the spot between his brows, ''''How is Mei?"


    ''''I am waiting for her.''''


    ''''Where are you waiting?" Han Jian Yu raised an eyebrow.


    ''''In front of Rosette headquarters, where else?''''


    ''''Why don''t you go inside and check?"


    "Your sister said that my pretty face is a nothing but a distraction during work.''''


    ''''And you certainly sound very smug about it,'''' Han Jian Yu scoffed, ''''It''s good that you are waiting. Men should learn to wait.''''


    ''''Yes, I have learnt from the best,'''' There was a slight mocking intent in the the tone and Han Jian Yu''s jaw ticked but before he could say something, Jun Zixuan continued, ''''I have been waiting since 3 hours. Let me go check inside before your sister wreaks havoc here and you¡­ you can continue to wait,'''' with that said, the man hung up.


    Han Jian Yu nced at his phone quietly for a few seconds before throwing it to the couch. If it was not because of his little sister who was head over heels for this man, the intense urge to murder and bury this wolf was always high from his side.


    He rubbed the spot between his brows and nced upstairs.

 Chapter 437 - Did You Move?

    ''''Put me down, what are you doing?" Yu Mei gasped when Jun Zixuan lifted her in his arms as they walked out of her office.


    ''''I have waited for hours already, can you bear to let me wait more?" He looked at her, blinking slowly.


    Yu Mei closed her eyes, ''''You¡­ don''t look at me like that.''''


    ''''Then how am I supposed to look at you?"


    ''''Zixuan, put me down, people are watching us,'''' Yu Mei could hear the sound of collective gasps wherever they passed by from.


    ''''Let them watch. It should be a treat to their eyes no?"


    Yu Mei was speechless.


    As they stepped out of Rosette headquarters under the shocked gazes of the employees, Jun Zixuan walked towards his car. He ced her down before opening the door for her.


    Yu Mei nced at his innocent face before she quietly stepped inside the car.


    Jun Zixuan smiled and walked towards the other side before getting inside the driver''s seat.


    As he stepped on the elerator, he nced at her, ''''How do you feel today?"


    ''''I am alright, what''s going to happen to me?" she rolled her eyes.


    There was not even a single day when he spared her from questions like this. The day started from ''how you are feeling'' and the day ended with the same and the hours and minutes in between suffered from the same question.


    After some time, Yu Mei shifted in her seat and she turned to look at him, ''''Zixuan, what did I tell you?" she narrowed her eyes.


    ''''You tell me a lot of things on daily basis, which one are you talking about?" he raised an eyebrow charmingly.


    ''''I am talking about not driving the car like a snail,'''' As irresistible as his charms were, she felt the urge to re at him and kiss him at the same time.


    ''''I read that babies are delicate. Let us not hurt ours,'''' Jun Zixuan shrugged.


    ''''You¡­ It won''t be hurt if you drive faster. It takes us hours to reach Ren Mansion when you drive like this,'''' Yu Mei slumped in the passenger seat.


    ''''It''s okay, you can treat it as a long drive,'''' he said calmly.


    Long drive, my ass. Yu Mei rolled her eyes but did not argue with him further, knowing that he was not going to change his mind on this.


    In the end, she decided she was not going to wait for him to pick her up. It felt like a long journey and she had the urge to get a nket and sleep in the car. What a waste of time!


    ''''Is brother back?"


    Jun Zixuan tilted his head to the side when he heard her meek voice, ''''He is,'''' He replied softly and shifted his left hand from the steering wheel to her palm as he stroked her fingers.


    ''''Zixuan, has it been 2 months already?" She asked.


    ''''It has been 2 months indeed,'''' he answered, letting out a soft sigh.


    ''''I miss her,'''' Yu Mei nced out of the ss panes as she straightened up. The sparkling citylights in the nighttime reminded her of Mia''s excitement when she saw these for the first time, ''''When she appeared in front of me, she was amused by everything that she saw. She was surprised and excited by every little thing she saw even though she would act nonchnt but I knew she wanted me to describe those things to her, to tell her more about this world. And by the time she learned everything, I got jealous of her photographic memory.''''


    Jun Zixuan chuckled.


    ''''Don''tugh,'''' She red at him, ''''You both are good in things like this. If she was there in university time, I would have been very excited to see who is the topper amongst you two,'''' Her rankings and marks were decent as well butpared to these two who were monsters, she has been a human with high IQ.


    Jun Zixuanughed.


    ''''Zixuan, will shee back?" Yu Mei drew a small circle on the ss of the window.


    Jun Zixuan did not say anything, ''''Let us hope she does.''''


    ''''Let us hope¡­'''' Yu Mei mumbled as she closed her eyes, gradually drifting off to sleep.


    Jun Zixuan stopped the car before he got his suit jacket from the backseat. He draped it over her body and kissed her forehead.


    With one hand resting on the steering wheel, he looked into the distance. There was a small chance that Mia wille back but how?


    It was like a dream that all of them were having, thinking, and wanting something impossible but he could not bring himself to say his thoughts aloud to Yu Mei.


    As surreal as it was, all of them hoped for the same thing. And that was for her to wake up one day.


    At Han Jian Yu''s ce.


    After hanging up the call with Jun Zixuan, Han Jian Yu threw his phone to the couch before he walked upstairs.


    He pushed open the door of the bedroom and stood rooted to his spot, quietly looking at the woman who was sleeping on his bed.


    His throat was choked up with emotions and he closed his eyes for some time to calm down before he walked towards the bed.


    He sat beside Mia and held her palm quietly, ''''When will you wake up, love?" he whispered, looking at her beautiful face, ''''Hasn''t it been long enough already?" his tone was cracking towards the end.


    That day in the hospital, when she disappeared, almost all his hopes were crushed. But her physical body, it did not disappear., After he came out of that dark ce, her physical body was still there, and unlike before when there were no heartbeats, she was breathing and had faint heartbeats.


    The hopes in his heart that he thought were dead proved him wrong. He started believing that she will wake up and that she did not leave him.


    He brought her home and quietly took care of her, waiting for her to wake up, to speak to him but she never opened her eyes.


    Days turned to weeks and weeks turned into months and here she was, sleeping on his bed like a baby.


    Han Jian Yu sighed, ''''You know how beautiful you look when you sleep?" He asked her softly, tucking the loose piece of her hair behind her ear, ''''How would you know? Maybe I never told you about it. Mia, as beautiful as you look while sleeping, I like you talking to me more. Your voice ringing in my ears, when you direct your res at me, when you argue with me, when you push me by cing that delicate finger of yours on my chest, I love all of it.''''


    Two months was not a very long time. But for the very first time in the 30 years of his life, the two months were never-ending. It was as if time did was crawling by right in front of his eyes, very slowly.


    Or maybe it was her, the woman whose cold voice has once be a luby to him, and without it, he felt sleepless in the days and restless at night.


    Han Jian Yu let go of her hand before he walked inside the bathroom. He brought over a towel soaked in lukewarm water.


    Walking back to the bed, he held her in his arms and helped her lean back on the headboard before unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt that she was wearing.


    ''''It has been two months already. For how long will you continue your beauty sleep?" He whispered as he removed the shirt off her body before wiping her clean. He leaned closer and bit her neck, ''''What are you even punishing me for?"


    As usual, there was no response from the woman. He helped her wear a clean ck shirt of his, ''''I admit I have been a jerk but when have I ever been a jerk to you¡­?" Han Jian Yu paused talking as he suddenly felt something on his thigh.


    He nced at her palm which was lying on his thigh, ''''Did you move?" His eyes lit up as he nced at her hand but there was no movement from her.


    He stared at it for a long time before letting out a sigh.. Maybe he wanted her to wake up so badly that he was starting to hallucinate things.

 Chapter 438 - Running Away

    Somewhere, he was losing hope in his heart. The hope that her faint heartbeats brought to him. She might never wake up again.


    He quietly nced at her. Even so, he won''t give up on her. Even if she stayed like this for her whole life, then he will look after her for as long as he was alive.


    ''''You have to wake up Mia and I will not have it any other way,'''' His words were domineering as usual but just theck of Mia''s sarcastic reply pricked his heart.


    He helped her lie down on the bed, ''''I am going to Ren Mansion. Mei should know by now that I am back from the trip so I will go meet her and see how she is doing,'''' he stroked her hair and leaned closer to her before kissing her lips, ''''I will see you soon.''''


    With that said, he stood up and walked out of the room.


    Han Jian Yu locked the door and left the house unaware of something that happened after his departure.


    A pair of hazel eyes that has been closed for long opened slowly. Mia nced at the ceiling nkly for a long time before she tried to move, only to end up slumping on the king-sized bed once again.


    Her whole body was numb and she could barely feel anything except for feeling cold and an ache on her neck.


    She nced at the nket that was lying below her feet before she pulled it up with her toes. She draped the nket over her body. She curled up inside it.


    It has been 2 months and she never thought of this possibility. After shedding off herst life as a fox spirit, she thought she will die.


    But shepletely forgot that she was a human too and originally, she was born a human until her mother passed her powers to her.


    And these past days have been days of a painful transformation to her when she slowly changed back to her original self. The pain was so much that she thought she was dying, every bone in her body ached. But amidst all this, she could feel asional strokes and kisses on her body, the feeling of someone biting and nibbling her¡­


    Mia pursed her lips, ''''Beast,'''' he won''t even spare an almost dead woman.


    She remembered everything that happened during the time she was unconscious and a small smile made its way on her face when she thought about Yu Mei''s smooth pregnancy. She believed everything will go like that in the future too because of her powers which she used for both of them.


    ''''So, I am a human now,'''' the feeling was bittersweet.


    Mia slowly pulled her body up and leaned back on the headboard. She could feel the ache in her body, she could feel cold and somehow she could feel all her past shackles dispersing slowly, no longer continuing to hold her captive.


    She was used to her powerful self but right now, she felt stronger because she knew no more strange things will be happening to her. There will be no weird powers in her body which will be a threat. Everything will be in her control and that made her smile.


    Mia looked at the ck shirt she was wearing. It belonged to Han Jian Yu.


    It took her some time to recover her strength and knowing that he wasn''t there at home, she slipped out of the nket before going inside the bathroom with the support of the wall. With every step she took, her body felt more flexible and less numb even though she was still very weak.


    Mia first took a warm shower to calm her nerves and after that, she wore Han Jian Yu''s shirt which reached to her thighs.


    She walked into his kitchen and not finding any proper food, she ate some fruits. As desperate as this looked, she was starving and she could not help it.


    After eating, Mia opened the door. Although he had locked the door which meant one won''t be able to open it from outside without his fingerprint, it could be opened from inside.


    And she quickly sneaked inside her house which was adjacent to his. Mia was happy that everything was fine now. Although she wanted to meet Yu Mei but meeting her would be like meeting Han Jian Yu and there was no way he would let her leave.


    But she did not want to stay with him anymore. ''''Jerk!'''' Mia flipped the pillow on the bed before she walked towards the wardrobe and packed all her clothes in a suitcase. ''''If not for that pretty face, did he think I would sleep with him? Crazy jerk!'''' she threw her dresses inside the suitcase while cursing him.


    From now on, it would be her life. She would be the one in control of it. She nned to move somewhere far away and start anew. Maybe she could look for some interesting job, earn money and chill with hot dudes. Life won''t be that bad.


    As long as she got to stay away from this man. ''''Hypocrite,'''' she threw thest dress inside the suitcase before locking it properly.


    Mia quickly wore a pair of jeans, pairing it with Han Jian Yu''s ck shirt. She grabbed some choctes from the drawer and ate them as she walked out of her house.


    Her legs were shaking slightly after staying idle for the whole 2 months but it was not that bad.


    Mia stood in front of the door and booked a cab. Since her car was damaged before, she did not get to buy another one before everything happened so right now, she could only opt for a cab, ''''9 minutes to go and then I will disappear from the surface of the earth,'''' she mumbled under her breath.


    ''''And you want to disappear with my shirt?"


    She froze.. The sudden interruption to her future nning almost made her drop her phone but she was quick to stabilize her hand.

 Chapter 439 - Ruthless

    Mia tilted her chin. She nced at the man standing in front of her.


    The sky was gradually darkening but under the dim lights of themp post, she could see his face. One of his hands was tucked inside his pockets as he looked at her.


    She did not know if the lights were ying tricks on her or if he really looked a bit disheveled, unlike his usual proper President self. There were apparent dark circles under his eyes and his hair was in a mess. The top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned giving her a clear glimpse of his chest.


    Mia tried to avert her gaze but her gaze was stubborn, lingering there persistently and indecently taking in the sight until the man moved.


    The realization of being caught red-handed dawned on her and Mia immediately straightened up. Sheughed awkwardly, ''''You want your shirt?"


    Han Jian Yu noticed how hoarse her voice was, ''''What do you think?" He stepped closer towards her.


    Mia''s grip on her trolley loosened and she stepped back, ''''I think you can have it. Wait here and I will go change into something else,'''' she shed him an ''I got this'' smirk as she turned around.


    But before she could take another step, her wrist was grabbed and her body twirled. The next thing she knew she was pulled into his arms.


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    ''''Where do you think you are going?" one of his hands was wrapped around her waist while the other settled on her bottom.


    At the sound of his cold voice, Mia snapped back to her senses. Why was she even running away in the first ce? ''''I don''t want to stay with you anymore. Thanks for taking care of me for the past two months but that should be it. Let''s call it off here,'''' she raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear only for it to be grabbed by him.


    He held her wrist firmly, his thumb stroking circles on her skin, ''''Call it off?" he whispered, ''''Call what off, Mia?" he repeated looking straight into her hazel eyes, his tone was dangerous.


    ''''Whatever there was between us,'''' Mia replied within a beat.


    ''''And why?''''


    ''''What why?" she frowned.


    ''''Why are we calling it off?" he moved her hand as he locked both her wrists behind her back holding it with one hand, his other hand tightened around her waist.


    ''''We slept together, it was good andter we went through a few trials, faced the troubles together. Now that everything is over, we can end it here¡­''''


    ''''What if I don''t want to?" he interrupted her.


    Mia narrowed her eyes, "I want to end it.''''


    ''''I don''t want to,'''' he repeated.


    ''''Will you force me then?" she pursed her lips.


    ''''If the situation calls for it, it doesn''t sound like a bad idea,'''' the corner of his lips tugged up as he continued, ''''Tie you to the bed with ropes restraining both your wrists, we will make it satin ropes lest they hurt your delicate wrists.''''


    He was obviously talking about some toxic concept like stockholm syndrome, wasn''t he? But why the heck her imaginations were running amok? She could almost see herself being tied while he explored her body, his fingers ran on every inch of her skin and his mouth slid down her neck.


    Her throat ran dry and she gulped. Mia licked her bottom lips and opened her mouth, ''''I-I¡­'''' she tried to find her lost voice, ''''This is illegal.''''


    ''''You seducing me 24X7 was a legal thing to do, huh?"


    Mia was speechless.


    But before she could speak, he continued speaking, ''''Or was it the way you kept things from me, lied to me, kept me in the dark, left me once, and now you are leaving again after waking up? Trampling on my heart over and over again¡­ is it legal to you? Or is it the fact that at times you im that you love me but then we go back to people who just slept¡­your fluctuating emotions¡­ Is it even fair?" there was hurt in his voice and his fingers dug into her waist.


    Mia bit her bottom lips and her eyes welled up but she blinked her tears away, ''''Mistakes happen. I thought I was dying so seeing you standing in front of me, I felt like I love you. But now I am alive and everything that I felt at that time seems to be an illusion.''''


    ''''You are ruthless,'''' he loosened his grip on her before he stepped back from her.


    ''''Am I?" Mia nced at him, her lips tugged up in a mocking smile, ''''At least I didn''t go around sleeping with random men. What are you calling me ruthless for?" she grabbed her luggage when she saw the cab approaching the gates.


    Han Jian Yu was stunned. He stood rooted to his spot, unable toprehend what she just said. Sleeping with random men? The thought of it made him grit his teeth. As if he would not castrate them!


    When he saw her moving past him, his hand moved on instinct and he grabbed her wrist once again, ''''What do you mean by sleeping with men?"


    Mia nced at her trolley whichnded on the ground with a ''thud''.


    She red at Han Jian Yu, ''''I don''t mean anything. You can live the life you want, I will live the life I like. We go in our separate ways and¡­''''


    ''''Mia, don''t make me repeat myself,'''' he cupped her face.


    Mia narrowed her eyes, ''''I will exactly do that. What will you do?"


    ''''I will bite you,'''' he squished her cheeks.


    She stomped on his feet, ''''You are crazy.''''


    ''''Less than you,'''' Han Jian Yu did not budge despite her stomp, ''''What do you mean by that, Mia?"


    ''''The hell do I mean by that,'''' Mia snapped at him, unable to hold it any longer, ''''That day when I was calling you from the hospital, you were with a woman who was moaning behind you and I heard it.. Now, let go of me,'''' her eyes welled up tears and she tried to blink them away.

 Chapter 440 - I Don’t Like You

    At times like this, Mia felt like she should hate Han Jian Yu for this. He brought out the best and the worst in her. From worst, she meant worst.


    She was never so sensitive to the point of tears around anyone else. It has been him. Always him.


    Han Jian Yu was stunned. He blinked once, twice before he tilted his head to the side to look at the driver who was waving at her, probably noticing her luggage.


    Han Jian Yu shook his head and the man took the signal to leave.


    ''''You..'''' Mia struggled to move when she noticed him shooing away the driver, ''''Leave me. I need to go..''''


    ''''Shut up, Princess,'''' Han Jian Yu picked her up in a princess carry before he walked towards his house.


    At this very moment, Mia hoped she still had her powers so she can kick this man out of her sight. Annoying jerk! ''''Who do you think you are to order me around like this?"


    ''''Your future husband.''''


    ''''You¡­'''' She opened her mouth but no words came out of it.


    ''''But still, let me rephrase it. Will you please shut up, Princess?" This time, he sounded like he was pleading for it.


    Mia gaped at him.


    He ced his finger on the lock screen and unlocked the door. The door opened with a ''click'' and he walked inside the house.


    Han Jian Yu walked towards the luxurious couch in the living room. He took a seat before adjusting her position on hisp.


    His hand gently stroked her back. He leaned closer to her before kissing both her eyes, ''''For someone as smart as you, I feel like you are such a stupid little thing?"


    Mia frowned, "Who are you calling a stupid little thing?"


    ''''You, who else is here?" Han Jian Yu chuckled, ''''You know most of the things and you are smart in 99% of the things you do, calctive and sly, just like how I like it but why is it that the remaining 1% has to be me where you are the epitome of dumbness?''''


    Mia blinked. She thought he was praising her but then he had to add the other line, ''''It''s fine if you don''t like me. You don''t have to phrase it like this.''''


    For everything else, she had a definite answer or conclusion or a n but Han Jian Yu was like a maze with one entry and no exits. Once she got into him, all her wits have been tested and rebounded and she was left with nothing but a dawdling heart that didn''t know what it really wanted.


    ''''Yes, I don''t like you.''''


    Mia bit his lips hard, her canines piercing into his bottom lips and she didn''t let go of it until he hissed.


    Han Jian Yuughed at her nk face before he leaned closer to her, ''''I love you, Mia. I have loved you for a very long time. Maybe it was the pottery time or maybe way before that when you were trying to act cool with me all the while struggling to keep your eyes off my body. I had this thought multiple times that you are mine even though I kept ignoring that for as long as I could. But these past days without having you around, I knew what I always wanted and¡­''''


    He paused as he wiped her tears with his thumb. He gently stroked her cheeks, ''''...And how much of a fool I have been while trying to dodge my feelings which could not have been more obvious.''''


    ''''So..'''' Mia cleared her throat, ''''You mean everything you said?"


    Han Jian Yu nodded earnestly.


    ''So cute'' Mia gulped, ''''But I am not taking you in. After sleeping with Her Highness, you can''t sleep with another woman. That''s uneptable for me. Hmph!''''


    Han Jian Yuughed, ''''Well, after sleeping with Her Highness, the rest of the women look like vegetables to me.''''


    ''''But you already slept with a vegetable,'''' Mia red at him.


    ''''That vegetab¡­woman was one of Han Sheng''s people. I was talking to her about his past dealings and even Danny and Sunny were present there.''''


    Mia frowned. ''''But why was she making those erotic sounds in the background?" Did she misunderstand him?


    ''''She was scalded by the coffee,'''' Han Jian Yu stifled hisughter as he looked at her awkward face.


    ''''Don''tugh,'''' Mia red at him, ''''I was so jealous. Don''t you dareugh at me.''''


    He was amused, ''''Howe Miss Mia is jealous? We are just two people who slept with each other and went through trials together. What makes you jealous even if I am with some other woman?"


    ''''You can''t be with any other woman,'''' Mia ced her palm on his chest, her index finger drawing small circles on his skin.


    ''''Why not? Who was it who said they will live their life as they want and I can live mine as I wish?" Han Jian Yu seemed to be contemting over it.


    ''''I take it back. It doesn''t count,'''' Mia shook her head.


    Han Jian Yu frowned as he tucked a loose piece of her striking silver hair behind her ear, his eyes caught sight of theck of her birthmark on her forehead, ''''But I was seriously considering it.''''


    Mia pushed herself from hisp as she stood up straight. She would lose her rational thinking ability if she kept sitting on hisp, ''''Cough¡­'''' she took two steps back before she sat on the coffee table behind, ''''We did not start on the right note..''''


    ''''You are right. You were all after my body and she got bored of me once she had me in her bed,'''' Han Jian Yu made a face as if he has suffered many grievances.


    Her jaws dropped, ''''Don''t interrupt me when I am talking,'''' she flipped her hair before folding one of her legs above the other.


    ''''Alright, Princess,'''' he straightened up on the couch as if he was ready for negotiating with her.

 Chapter 441 - I Missed You

    ''''So, we started on a wrong note,'''' Mia paused to check if he would be interrupting her again but from the look on his face, he seemed pretty serious and obedient this time. So, she continued speaking, "I had a crush on you for a long time and all I wanted was for it to go away. Because during the phase I was trying modeling, I saw some handsome male models¡­'''' a gust of chilly wind passed by and she rubbed her arms.


    Han Jian Yu''s expressions remained stormy until she continued speaking, ''''But I could not stop thinking about you,'''' she added grumpily, ''''I had you on my mind so when the opportunity came, I gave in to it with the hopes that it will get me over my obsession for you.''''


    ''''Did it?" As she tilted her head to look at him, he asked, ''''Did it get you over your obsession for me?"


    Mia shook her head, ''''I started falling for you.''''


    ''''Why did you leave then?"


    ''''For the first time, I left because I knew I can only survive for 30 human years. The second time because I believed I would die. Transforming back to a human¡­ it was a difficult feat to achieve and I never thought I will be able to make it nor did I remember it until I fell into aa.''''


    Han Jian Yu was surprised, ''''You are a human now?"


    Mia pursed her lips, ''''You look very pleased with it.''''


    ''''Of course, I can tie you and you won''t be able to free yourself with your powers,'''' he joked and sheughed, ''''Is that why your birthmark is gone?"


    Mia nodded.


    ''''Are you upset?" Han Jian Yu held her hand as he stroked her fingers.


    ''''For what?"


    ''''You lost your powers¡­ you are a human now, for that.''''


    ''''I loved my powers but mainly, it was because they were a gift from my mother. She gave them to me before she passed away and that''s why I cherished them but it is now time to let go of the past. I kept those powers for centuries and I am now tired of all those chaos so I feel happy to be able to be a human now¡­'''' she lowered her head, ''''I don''t know if my mother would be disappointed with me because of this.''''


    Han Jian Yu shook his head before he kissed the back of her hand, ''''She would have loved you for who you are. She would not have been disappointed because of your decisions and I believe she would want you happy,'''' he paused for a moment, ''''Father-inw was a human too so it''s not that bad.''''


    Mia nodded but suddenly her eyes narrowed, ''''Who are you calling father-inw?"


    ''''You want me to call him father? That''s fine by me too¡­''''


    Mia tried to re at him but she ended upughing, ''''I love you too,'''' she said out of nowhere and his fingers which were stroking the back of her hand paused.


    He nced at her, ''''You do?" he raised an eyebrow charmingly.


    ''''I do and that''s the reason I would never want to see you with any other woman,'''' Mia said with utmost seriousness, ''''Her Highness is not fond of disloyal people,'''' she tilted her head.


    Han Jian Yu was amused, ''''And I have always been loyal to you, haven''t I?"


    Sheughed, ''''Yes, yes, it''s my fault for misunderstanding your intentions.''''


    He tugged at her hand and pulled her on top of hisp effortlessly, ''''On that note, what about you checking out other guys?''''


    ''''Well¡­''''


    ''''Not eptable.''''


    ''''But¡­''''


    ''''Non-negotiable.''''


    Mia acted like she suffered a grave loss and his eyes narrowed, ''''It seems like we need to work on us so hard that you won''t have the time and patience to think about other guys.''''


    ''''Ah..'''' she gasped when he flipped her and pinned her to the couch.


    His fingers unbuttoned her shirt with expertise and a small smile made its way to her face as she looked into his eyes.


    He kissed her chin, ''''I missed you so much.''''


    She hooked her arms around his neck, ''''Me too. I didn''t want to leave you.''''


    ''''And I hate it that even for a split-second, you thought that I slept with some other woman. I thought you should be aware of my feelings,'''' his eyes held a flicker of hurt in them as he spoke.


    Mia stroked his jawline, ''''I am sorry¡­''''


    The rest of her words were drowned by a hot searing kiss that came out of nowhere.


    It took her a moment to register what happened. She tightened her grip around his neck, taking his bottom lips between her teeth. His tongue glided inside her mouth and he sucked her tongue.


    She gasped against his mouth when his hand found its way down to her neck, going to settle on her breasts. He cupped one of her breasts in his rough palm while his other hand quickly removed her bra throwing it far away from them.


    A cold shiver ran down her body. But his warm and rough palm kneaded her breasts, cupping it as his thumb flicked her already hardened nipple and her body felt warm.


    A devious glint danced in his eyes as their lips parted.


    She bit her bottom lips, her fingerszily ying with his buttons as she unbuttoned them one by one.


    She ced her index finger on his chest, ''''Take it off, will you?"


    ''''As you wish, love,'''' he whispered and sucked her bottom lips hard before he sat up in between her legs, taking off his shirt.


    He unbuckled his belt while she admired the sight of his chiseled abs, his tanned chest, and his muscr body. Her heart raced and a myriad of entrancing thoughts shed in her mind putting her in a trance.


    She snapped out of her daze when he held her hips with one hand and pulled her jeans down with the other.

 Chapter 442 - Mental Asylum

    A/N: Mature content ahead. 18+


    His fingers yed with her white panties and a redness crept up her neck, her cheeks turned red.


    ''''You are blushing,'''' he remarked.


    ''''You are blind,'''' she whispered, biting her bottom lips as she felt his fingers y with the edge of her panties.


    ''''I bet I am not,'''' his palm slid inside her panties without any warning and her back arched, ''''You are wet,'''' he smirked.


    She closed her eyes, feeling his finger drawing circles on her clit. Her fingers curled into fists as she grasped the material of the couch in her hand even though it kept slipping from her grip, ''''Please¡­'''' she moaned.


    ''''Please what?" he teased her.


    ''''I want you,'''' she had zero resistance in front of this man and she admitted defeat. She couldn''t y hard to get when every inch of her body craved his touch.


    She couldn''t leave him when every part of her soul craved his existence.


    As she said that, one of his fingers slid inside her wet entrance while his thumb yed with her clit.


    Her breathing turned ragged and her neck arched. One of her hands gripped the arm of the couch and a gasp escaped her mouth when his left palm cupped her exposed breast, kneading and ying with it. The roughness of his skin was contrasting to her soft breast and it intensified the pleasure that she felt.


    He thrust another finger inside her entrance and she moaned, her insides clenching around his fingers.


    It felt like he had multiple hands, touching her at all her sensitive spots, pleasuring her in indescribable ways and all she could do was give in to the temptation.


    Her eyes rolled back and just as she felt like she was about toe, it was as if someone threw her down from the peak and a sudden emptiness greeted her body at theck of his touch.


    She nced at him, almost red at him because of the torture that he inflicted on her.


    ''''You thought you were going to have it easy after trying to run away from me?'''' His eyes were darkening with desire and his breathing was ragged as well¡­


    But hell, he was still holding a grudge, ''''I am sorry,'''' Mia pouted. She licked her bottom lips, ''''I was wrong.''''


    He gulped, restraining himself from taking her right there and then.


    He pushed himself to his feet, picking her up in his arms. Her hair came forward by the sudden movement, forming a curtain over his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.


    Han Jian Yu''s hand settled on her bottom while his other hand tucked her hair behind her ear. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before capturing her lips once again, sucking and biting her lips alternatively as he carried her upstairs.


    Mia panted, her breasts rubbed against his hard chest and she could feel his erection through theyers of his pant. She instinctively moved closer to him, rubbing herself against his hardness while he kissed her passionately.


    As they reached upstairs, he threw her onto the bed and stepped back, discarding his pants and she admired the sight of his toned legs before her gaze settled on his erection through which she could see through his boxers.


    ''''Maybe I can help you,'''' she suggested in a seductive tone and his eyes darkened further.


    ''''Not today,'''' he pulled open the drawer and grabbed the condom from it. Discarding his boxers, he rolled it on and her body felt warm at the sight of it.


    He grabbed her ankles and pulled her closer to his, hoisting her up in his arms.


    In one swift move, her panties were ripped and she felt her back against the cold wall.


    The cold sensation on her back was contrasting to the warmth that his body provided her. Her neck arched, her breasts hit his chest and he cupped her face, his thumb rested right below her chin as he looked at her.


    Mia nced at him with hazy eyes, ''''I love you,'''' a whispered left her mouth and that was all it took for him to capture her lips before he entered her with a rough thrust.


    She gasped against his lips and he caught her bottom lips between his teeth, licking and sucking it alternatively as he moved out of her before thrusting inside her once again.


    Her chest heaved up and down as he increased his pace. His lips roamed to her neck and he bit her skin before resting his forehead on her shoulder.


    Her fingers dug into his back with every thrust and her neck arched, her eyes rolled back as she moaned, taking his name in between her soft pants.


    ''''I love you too,'''' he uttered the words, thrusting into her once again and her body stiffened as she squeezed around him reaching her climax.


    He tilted his head and caught her lips onto his as he kept thrusting inside her.


    She yed with his earlobe, her breasts rubbing onto his chest until she heard him whispering her name against her lips as he climaxed.


    He pressed his lips on her forehead.


    ¡­


    ''''I thought you left to meet Mei¡­'''' Mia leaned closer to him, cing her head on his arm.


    Han Jian Yu adjusted the nket on her body as he turned to the side before pulling her into his arms, ''''I did.''''


    ''''Then why did youe back?"


    ''''I got some of her favorite choctes from Amaranthine so I came back to get those,'''' what he did not expect was he would be greeted by the sight of Mia standing in front of his door with her luggage beside her.


    Mia cleared her throat, ''''What about the Han Family? What happened to Han Sheng and Han Liyun?"


    Han Jian Yu red at her. Did she think he would not know that she is trying to change the topic? He leaned closer to her before biting her bottom lips, ''''Han Sheng is in a mental asylum.''''


    ''''What?" Mia was shocked.. Han Sheng was obviously not someone who would lose his mind that easily.

 Chapter 443 - 3 Months Old Baby

    ''''He lost an arm and the bloodloss would have killed him but Zixuan sent him to the hospital and got him treated¡­''''


    Mia''s expressions turned weirder. Jun Zixuan actually did that after everything?


    ''''...To torture him properly for everything he did,'''' And the level of torture was enough to drive him to insanity and it was his first time witnessing such a ruthless side of Jun Zixuan. But it was not that surprising given that at that point he almost lost his baby, Yu Mei was hospitalised, Mia''s life was hanging by a thread of weak heartbeats and all the time, he was numb so it was Jun Zixuan who took everything to his hands.


    Moreover, it would have been too easy if they let Han Sheng off the hook so easily. He deserved a punishment worse than death.


    ''''Old Madam Han¡­ she felt guilty for her past deeds and more so about hiding Han Sheng''s identity from everyone and even from him. She went abroad with Han Liyun and while Old Master Han is bitter about it, he did not me his wife but he did not stop her either.''''


    No matter how much you love them, some things in life are meant to be set free. The more you will hold onto them, the more you will hurt yourself.


    And that was the same thing that happened with Old Master Han and Old Madam Han. No matter how much they grew to love each other, the foundation of their rtionship was established on a lie and Old Madam Han''s past mistakes were irreversible. Staying together meant letting those thorns prick them over and over again so they let go of each other.


    Mia nodded quietly, ''''Will you let go of me too?"


    Han Jian Yu nced at her questioningly.


    ''''If I did something in future. You know I mess up everything when I am around you¡­'''' Usually, she knows how to deal with things but whenever she is around him, she would make mistakes and? often find herself dealing with evrything childishly which is so unlike her usual self.


    He stroked her back gently, running his fingers on her skin, ''''No,'''' his answer was firm.


    ''''No?"


    ''''I don''t think I can let go of you. We will make it work out no matter what happens but there is no letting go. Got it?" He was serious about it. All the ''letting each other go'' had given him PTSD at this point.


    She smiled, ''''I was just kidding. There is no way I will let things go too far.''''


    He red at her, ''''I am still holding a grudge though.''''


    ''''Mm?"


    ''''For trying to run away from me.''''


    ''''But I already apologized for it,'''' the corner of her lips twitched.


    ''''And you are going to make up for it too,'''' he flipped their positions, pinning her under him.


    Mia licked her lips sensing the impending doom hovering in air.


    The next morning.


    ''''Oh my god¡­ Oh my god¡­'''' Yu Mei excitedly pinched Jun Zixuan''s cheeks as they stood in front of the door, ''''I still can''t believe this.''''


    ''''Here you go. No reason left for you to not believe it,'''' Jun Zixuan said when the door opened and they were greeted by the sight of Mia standing on the other side.


    Mia smiled as she looked at both of them and Yu Mei''s eyes welled up with tears.


    ''''Such a crybaby,'''' Mia hugged her.


    Yu Meiughed through the tears in her eyes, ''''Must be the pregnancy hormones,'''' she winked at Han Jian Yu who was descending the stairs.


    Han Jian Yu shook his head helplessly.


    Mia hugged Jun Zixuan.


    ''''It''s so good to have you back,'''' Jun Zixuan stroked her back.


    She smiled, ''''Not that I enjoyed lying like a vegetable.''''


    While Han Jian Yu and Jun Zixuan were in the living room, Mia and Yu Mei walked towards the sea beach behind the ss house, ''''When I saw brother''s text early in the morning, I was so shocked¡­'''' Yu Mei stopped walking as she turned around to look at Mia who was a few steps behind, ''''You are so weak after bing a human. I never thought there will be a day when I will see you limping.''''


    Mia pursed her lips, ''''It''s not because I became a human¡­'''' she paused before speaking through gritted teeth, ''''It''s because your brother is not a human,'''' beast! She scoffed in her heart.


    He took a good revenge for all her past mistakes and misunderstandings.


    Yu Mei burst intoughter. She ced a hand on her stomach and threw her head back beforeughing harder.


    Mia''s eyes glimmered, ''''Mei¡­ how long before I can see the baby? I want to hold it.''''


    Yu Mei paused and she looked at the woman''s excited expressions. She blinked twice and before she realized, she ended upughing again.


    Mia''s lips twitched, ''''What''s so funny?"


    Yu Mei wiped the tear from the corner of her eyes, ''''Which woman can give birth to a baby in 3 months?"


    Mia''s lips thinned, ''''Okay, I will wait patiently,'''' she shook her head. It was such a pity that there was a long time left.


    ''''Or you can make babies in the meantime,'''' Yu Mei shrugged.


    Mia rolled her eyes,''''Is Zixuan''s mom doing good now?"


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''Mom and Dad are in the States right now and she is still recuperating.''''


    ''''They are together?" Mia was stunned.


    ''''Of course. I always knew that my mother-inw still had a soft corner for him and it started showing up during the period he took care of her. Although there is no explicit confession, but she is quietly letting him stay beside her. Isn''t that enough of a green sign?"


    Mia nodded, ''''And Zixuan didn''t oppose?"


    ''''He did but I reminded him that his mom is an adult and she can take her decisions,'''' They had a small argument on this before he eventually gave in to her on this but he still assigned his guards beside his mother just in case something happened or if somehow Jun Zishen triggered her.


    And Yu Mei found it appropriate.


    Mia nodded again, ''''Seems like I have missed out on a lot. What about Li Shuang and Shi Luo?" She remembered that she showed Shi Luo her real self in hospital that day.


    ''''Li Shuang is busy handling thepany. The position of CEO came out of nowhere and she is still adjusting to it and Shi Luo¡­'''' Yu Mei paused as she looked at her phone, ''''Let us surprise her, shall we?" A sly glint flitted in her eyes and Mia was quick to catch onto that.


    Mia smirked, ''''Why not?''''

 Chapter 444 - Jun Boyan X Shi Luo

    <strong>SYNOPSIS:</strong>


    Nobody says no to their best-friend.


    And the same goes with Shi Luo, a well known name in the medical field, a woman made of wits and sarcasm. When she decided to help her best friend, thest thing she expected was her best friend''s younger brother-inw standing at her doorstep.


    Hot from outside, warm from inside and with an edge of craftiness, Jun Boyan was a full package delivered at her humble abode.


    It''s okay¡­ It''s okay¡­ He was a temporary guest. That was what she coaxed herself with until the man became her boyfriend overnight.


    And by the daytime, he was already into the role as he made delicious meals for her, pampered her to bits. It was a pretense meant for her mother but she found herself falling for it.


    But¡­ What if things were not the same from his side?


    ¡­


    Shi Luo rolled to the other side of the bed, annoyed by the constant ringing of her phone, ''''What time is it?'''' she groaned, throwing the pillow to the floor in annoyance.


    She opened her eyes and nced at the watch on the wall, ''''10 am¡­? Who is so restless early in the morning?" Having done a night shift yesterday, she was not very pleased to be waking up to the constant ringing of her phone early in the morning.


    ''''Mei?" she picked up her phone and nced at the iing facetime request from Yu Mei.


    Shi Luo slumped back on the bed before answering the call, ''''Mei, what''s up?" she slurred.


    ''''Luoluo, I am up.''''


    Shi Luo stiffened. It was as if someone threw the rest of her sleepiness out of the window. She slowly moved her face from the pillow as she nced at her phone, ''''Mia¡­?" Disbelief was written all over her face as she nced at the woman smiling, probably because of her foolish expressions or messy appearance.


    Shi Luo sat up on the bed, ''''Oh my god, you are up. You woke up,'''' her voice went a pitch higher and she could barely control her excitement.


    Yu Meiughed, ''''We truly are best friends. My expressions were awfully simr.''''


    ''''That we are but will you tell me what just happeneid?" Shi Luo blinked.


    ''''I am a human now, what else?" Mia shrugged before narrating everything in short.


    Shi Luo nodded in understanding. She paused and nced in the direction of the door. Luckily, it was closed. If Jun Boyan overheard it, he mightbel them as crazy.


    It was not that they could not tell him about it but it was unnecessary at this point and rather than having everyone shocked by Mia''s real self, they kept it under wraps at that time because she was in aa. And now, she was a human so it was not important to share it with anyone.


    She only mentioned about it to Li Shuang who was shell shocked. The rest of the people were unaware of it.


    ''Knock Knock''


    ''''Girls,e to my ceter this night. Till then, see ya,'''' Shi Luo waved and hung up quickly, ignoring their weird expressions.


    She jumped off the bed and ran towards the mirror. She quicklybed her messy hair and adjusted the cor of her ck satin shirt before smoothening the creases on her shorts with the back of her palm.


    After looking at her reflection onest time and finding herself presentable enough, she walked towards the door.


    Shi Luo inhaled a deep breath before opening the door. She was greeted by the sight of Jun Boyan leaning against the doorframe with one of his hands raised in air and it seemed like he was about to knock again.


    "Morning," Jun Boyan smiled, lowering his head to look at her.


    The morning was made for him. Shi Luo concluded as she looked at his messy hair resting above his brows, his dark eyes were slightly narrowed and the rays of sunlight infiltrating her house seemed to highlight all his godly features.


    Those lips¡­ Shi Luo wanted to avert her gaze but she couldn''t take her eyes off those lips.


    It has been a long time since she let this man stay over at her house. He was supposed to a guest for a short period of time but the short period kept extending and now, her mind waspletely muddled.


    He didn''t have to be so charming, did he?


    "Luoluo¡­"


    Her name slipping off his mouth was like a soft feather tickling her. Shi Luo cursed herself for lusting after her best friend''s younger brother-inw. Maybe it was time she got herself a man.


    "Yeah?" she nced at him, something taking a few flips inside her stomach when he took a step closer to her, "Wait¡­" she pressed a palm on his chest, "What did I tell you about not calling me Luoluo?"


    "You want me to address you as senior," Jun Boyan nonchntly said, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. As she nodded, he asked, "Why?"


    "W-What why?" Shi Luo gulped, trying not to lean into his touch when he retracted his hand from her face, "It''s because it is a fact. I am your senior given that I studied in the same university where you are right now," and for a fact, the way you call me Luoluo gives me butterflies.


    But thest part of her sentence was left unsaid.


    Jun Boyan chuckled before he leaned closer to her, "Senior," he whispered beside her ear.


    And all of a sudden Shi Luo understood the meaning of a phrase from a romance novel that she read when she was young. In it, the girl said that her ears got pregnant and at that time, the medical student in her had rolled her eyes at the exaggeration but at this very point, she could feel the pregnancy right in her ears.


    "N-N-No¡­" Oh damn, Shi Luo. What an embarrassing stuttering mess you have be! Shi Luo cursed herself for the umpteenth time, "Luoluo is fine," she spoke through gritted teeth, feeling thatnkful that she did not stutter again.


    This senior term from his mouth...was giving her all kinds of indecent thoughts.


    "You are so fickle, Luoluo," Even though he said that, his gaze towards her was indulgent as he pulled back from her to look at her face.

 Chapter 445 - Want Me To Stay?

    ''''I think you need to go to Amaranthine soon,'''' Shi Luo said as she ate the fruit sd which seemed to be melting in her mouth the moment she took it inside. She was certain that Jun Boyan was going to be great chef in future. With a pair of magical hands like, he can do anything¡­ She ced sudden brakes on the trail of her thoughts that started swerving towards the indecent side.


    ''''You are red,'''' Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow, ''''Are you alright, Luoluo?"


    That gentle voice again¡­ Dammit. Shi Luo, get a hold on yourself. You are not a fucking teenager. Shi Luo picked up the ss of water, ''''It''s a bit stuffy,'''' she said in a soft voice before finishing all the water inrge gulps.


    Jun Boyan pushed himself to his feet. He walked around the dining table and approached her.


    Shi Luo held her breath when he stopped right beside her.


    She did not dare to look at him. And it is not the first time this is happening. The past months have been all the same and maybe it was because she had a guilty conscience. He came to stay at her ce under certain conditions and she was lusting after him. She did not have such a thick skin to face him unabashedly.


    All her thoughts flew out of the french window of her living room when she suddenly felt a warmth on her neck.


    Shi Luo stiffened when Jun Boyan ced his hand on the back of her neck. Her body was entirely frigid and she felt his fingers curl on the back of her neck before he turned her face to the side, angling it such that she was facing him.


    He leaned closer to her and as Shi Luo watched his face erging in front of her, she was too stunned to react. She took in the sight of his dark eyes, his longshes formed a shadow on his cheeks and his hair was still messy. His lips slightly parted and she closed her eyes, her tongue peeked out to lick her bottom lips when she felt his breath caressing her face.


    He pressed his forehead against hers, ''''You seem alright,'''' as he spoke, she could feel his warm breath on her lips.


    Shi Luo''s eyes snapped open and she stared at him like she had yet to decipher what was happening around them, ''''W-What are you doing?"


    Jun Boyan blinked, ''''Luoluo, I was checking if you have a fever. You seem so slow and sluggish today.''''


    ''''Maybe because I had a night shift and I did not get to finish my sleep,'''' she did not know how she managed to speak a sentence without being a stuttering mess.


    ''''Come, I will tuck you then,'''' he pulled back from her before he extended his hand towards her.


    ''''No¡­'''' Shi Luo awkwardly waved her hands. She slept enough. It was him who was making her sluggishtely but she could not confess it to this poor sheep that she was lusting after him, could she? ''''Oh, Mia is awake,'''' she swiftly changed the topic.


    ''''Yes, brother texted me about it,'''' he smiled, ''''It''s good that everything is fine now.''''


    While Mu Shen and Jun Boyan were unaware of Mia''s original identity, they were aware of her health condition. They knew that she was in aa.


    ''''Uh¡­'''' The air felt so heavy and Shi Luo could hear her own breathing which came in soft pants, ''''So, you didn''t answer me..'''' she pushed herself to her feet only to end up stumbling on her footsteps.


    ''''Careful,'''' Jun Boyan grabbed her elbow and pulled her towards himself and the chairnded on the floor with a ''thud''.


    Shi Luo flinched by the sound and she closed her eyes instinctively.


    ''''Are you fine?" he asked and she exhaled a breath she did not know she was holding in.


    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at him, ''''I am good,'''' he was tall and well built andpared to him, she was a bit small.


    When she wore her heels, she could barely reach till his nose but his body always seemed to be towering over her.


    She wondered what it would feel to be¡­ Shi Luo gulped, breaking the trail of her thoughts with an enormous hammer.


    ''''Are you sure?" he yed with the loose strands of her hair and she was once again dumstruck.


    ''''What do you want?'''' her voice was barely above a whisper.


    He was leaning back on the dining table while holding her in his arms.


    Their position was quite intimate for two people who got to know each other under certain weird circumstances. It was not supposed to be this way, was it?


    ''''Hm?"


    Shi Luo cleared her throat before she stepped back from him, ''''Boyan, when are you going to Amaranthine?" she switched the topic.


    Since his exams and all were all over, his graduation day should be around the corner.


    He raked his fingers through his hair, ''''I have a flight in 3 hours. Tomorrow is the graduation day.''''


    Shi Luo nodded, ''''I see. And when are you moving out?" she asked the question a bit hesitantly.


    ''''Soon,'''' came his crisp reply.


    Despite expecting it, Shi Luo felt a clench in her heart and maybe it was apparent on her face because he was quick to add, ''''You want me to stay?"


    ''''Huh? What for?" Of course I want you to stay.


    Her heart and mind were not in cooperation and Shi Luo uttered the nonsense that she did not mean at all.


    She nced at him but he did not seem to be offended by her statement.


    Shi Luo shook her head inwardly, ''''I''ll be in my room. Inform me before you leave,'''' Out of sight, out of mind. She quickly turned around to leave.


    Jun Boyan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms.. He cupped the side of her face, letting his thumb rest beneath her chin, ''''Are you sure you don''t want me to stay?" he asked as he leaned closer to her as if there was too much distance between them and he was unable to read her eyes and words properly earlier.

 Chapter 446 - Kiss

    Her breath was caught in her throat, ''''I¡­''''


    ''''Luoluo, if you are nning to say that you don''t want me to stay then prepare an exnation for why you looked sad when I said I will leave soon,'''' he cut her off, his words were crisp and his expressions were solemn unlike his usually obedient-cute self.


    Shi Luo licked her bottom lips and his gaze wandered from her eyes to her mouth, his eyes visibly ravaging the sight of her wet lips, ''''Did I ever tell you?" He tilted his head to the side, all the while not taking his eyes off her lips.


    ''''Tell me what?" Shi Luo finally found her lost voice and she asked him softly.


    ''''That whenever you lick your lips¡­'''' his thumb stroked the spot below her bottom lips and the other four fingers dug inside her hair. His gaze shifted from her lips and he looked straight into her eyes, ''''...I have the urge to do it too.''''


    ''''Do what¡­?" Shi Luo was not usually dumb but this moment was getting at her and she could feel it in the way her toes curled up inside her sliders.


    ''''Lick your lips, what else?" the corner of his lips tugged up and up so close, she could see the dimples forming on his cheeks.


    Shi Luo''s lips parted when he pulled her closer, ''''May I?" his low and deep voice made her skin tingle.


    She did not have it in her to say another word and she closed her eyes as a silent agreement. One kiss, wasn''t it? One kiss won''t hurt. It would satiate her mild interest in him and everything will be fine after the heat of the moment is over.


    One kiss never hurts.


    ''''Look at me, Luoluo,'''' his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    She opened her eyes to look at him.


    ''''I want to kiss you,'''' he whispered, looking straight into her eyes.


    ''''I don''t mind,'''' her reply sounded ridiculous to her own ears.


    What don''t mind? You have obviously been craving for it, you idiot. Came the mocking voice of her inner self.


    He chuckled, ''''It doesn''t works that way, sweetheart.''''


    She gripped his shirt in her hand and stepped closer to him, ''''What way is it then?''''


    ''''It''s either you tell me how much you want me to kiss you¡­'''' he paused and azy smile drawled on his face, ''''...or show me.''''


    She has never said words like this to a man before and she did not know if she can tell him how much she wanted him to kiss her without stuttering.


    But that did not mean she was letting this chance slip from her grasp. She has been crushing over this man since who knows how long and she was certain that he was leaving soon. She was well aware of the fact that they were highly ipatible and whatever it was, it was this moment.


    If not now, then it''s never. And she let the thought take control of her whole rationality as she took another step closer to him.


    Her fingers shifted from the edge of his shirt to his cor and Shi Luo removed her sliders before stepping on his feet. She stood on her tip-toes on his feet, ''''I''ll show,'''' biting her bottom lips, she looked into his eyes.


    He nodded and that was all it took for her confidence to boost as she captured his lips without second thought.


    The feeling of his cold lips against hers made her feel like diving more into this. Into whatever this was. She took his bottom lips between her teeth, nibbling on it slightly before she sucked it.


    Her grip on his shirt loosened and she slowly pulled back to look at him. Hesitance shed in her eyes, ''''Well¡­'''' she felt slightly awkward. How was she going to face him in the future?


    ''''Since you took the initiative to show your sincerity, it''s my turn to finish what you started,'''' his thumb grazed on her bottom lips.


    And Shi Luo nodded. Fine, for once only!


    The corner of his lips tugged up as he raked his fingers inside her hair letting his palm rest on the back of her head. His other hand tightly wrapped itself around her waist and he angled her head before capturing her lips with his.


    Unlike her butterfly kiss, he was passionate and not even a bit gentle but it did things to her. Her body turned hot all over when she felt his tongue gliding inside her mouth, entagling with her tongue while his lips molded her bottom lips.


    It took her a moment to register it in her mind and before she knew it, she wrapped both her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.


    They parted after a long time and he leaned his forehead against hers.


    Shi Luo panted softly but a gasp escaped her mouth when she was suddenly pulled up in a princess carry. Her grip around his neck tightened and she nced at him, mouth agape, ''''W-what are you doing?" she finally managed to utter when hr walked inside her bedroom before stopping in front of her bed.


    "You need rest," Jun Boyan said as he ced her on the bed.


    Her heart needed rest. Shi Luo nodded her head like a chicken while he pulled the nkets and tucked her properly.


    He left the room without looking at her again and when she heard the sound of the door closing, Shi Luo ducked her head inside the nket while screaming mentally.


    Kiss!


    They kissed!


    But he left without looking back at her. The reality of it snapped her to her senses and she quietly nced at the closed door, "Is he regretting it already?"


    The corner of her lips twitched. She kissed him because she had a crush on him while he kissed her... maybe on impulse. So, it was reasonable if he regretted it.


    But still...

 Chapter 447 - Which Boyan

    Shi Luo closed her eyes before shaking her head. There was no need to overthink it. It can''t be reversed anyway and not that she disliked it.


    She loved the kiss and her heart went racing just at the thought of it. It was good on her side.


    Contrary to Shi Luo''s assumptions, there was an entirely different scene around Jun Boyan.


    She did not notice how the tips of his ears had turned red when he walked out of the room, "Luoluo kissed me," he looked at his reflection in the mirror and ced the back of his palm on his lips, his face turning red in an instant.


    ¡­


    By the time Shi Luo woke up, the sky had turned dark. She nced at the night sky through the window quietly. She dreamt that Jun Boyan kissed her¡­


    Her hazy eyes gradually recovered their rity as the realization dawned on her. It was not a dream. They kissed for real.


    She quickly sat up on the bed and nced at the closed door.


    ''''How am I going to face him after this?" Shi Luo raked her fingers through her messy hair before she brought them to one side, ''''I can say I am drunk¡­'''' But that happened when she just woke up. Will she say that she got the alcohol by sleepwalking?


    Ugh...


    She shook her head and jumped off the bed.


    Shu Luo tiptoed out of the room as she moved to the living room.


    She never thought there woulde a day when she would have to act like a thief at her own ce but¡­ s.


    Her footsteps came to a halt when she saw the food served on the dining table. A sticky note at the edge of the ss dining table caught her attention.


    Shi Luo removed the blue sticky note before she looked at the beautiful cursive handwriting.


    ''Luoluo, you are sleeping so peacefully that I can''t bring myself to wake you up. Here''s the dinner, heat the food before you eat it. I''ll see you soon. Take care of yourself.


    ~Jun Boyan''


    It was only then that Shi Luo remembered that earlier, he told her that he had a flight in 3 hours.


    ''''Tomorrow is his graduation day,'''' Shi Luo sat on the chair, feeling a bit dispirited.


    Just a few minutes ago, she was trying to hide from him but now that she knew that he was not around, she felt weird.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' Shi Luo tugged her hair in annoyance, appearing messier than she already was, ''''At this rate, when he moves out of my house, I will end up drowning myself in lovesickness.''''


    The thought came out of nowhere, ''''...crushsickness,'''' she corrected herself.


    At this time, the doorbell started ringing and Shi Luo remembered that she had invited the girls over to her house.


    Li Shuang was the first to arrive. Then Mia and Yu Mei arrived at Shi Luo''s ce together.


    Li Shuang curiously squatted in front of Mia who was sitting on the couch.


    Mia''s lips twitched.


    ''''Howe?" Li Shuang''s straight face had a sliver of confusion, ''''You obviously look like a human.''''


    Yu Meiughed, ''''She is a human now. And even before, although she had powers but since she could shapeshift so you were unable to trace her real form.''''


    Li Shuang found it bizarre when Shi Luo shared it with her but now, she was somewhat able to digest the fact, ''''It''s good that you are alright now,'''' she squatted in Yu Mei''s direction, another sliver of confusion on her face, ''''Why are you still slim? How long will it take for the baby to grow?"


    ''''I know right,'''' Mia rolled her eyes, ''''Even I asked her about that.''''


    Shi Luo could not take their nuisance any longer. She adjusted her sses, ''''You both¡­ do you think she was supposed to be pregnant today and give birth tomorrow?"


    Yu Mei nodded, ''''They do think like that,'''' the corner of her lips twitched when she recalled how Jun Zixuan woke up at 3 am yesterday.


    And all out of nowhere, he wanted to feel their baby kicking him so he kept his ear pressed on her stomach, stroking it asionally to evoke a response. And it was so ticklish for her that she could not sleep properly.


    If she did not have a conscience, then she would not have hesitated twice before kicking him out of the Master Bedroom.


    ''''What''s up with you, Luoluo?" Yu Mei was not that blind to not notice her friend''s messy condition.


    Li Shuang sat on the couch before she turned to look at Shi Luo''s messy hair, ''''Are you inaugurating a nest for birds?" her face was still straight as ever.


    ''''Pfft,'''' Mia covered her mouth with the back of her hand, ''''Sorry,'''' It was obvious that Shi Luo had some trouble but she could not help it with Li Shuang''s cold face and the sarcasm.


    Shi Luo red at the trio, ''''I kissed Boyan,'''' she slumped on the couch before covering her face with the cushion.


    ''Silence''


    A few seconds passed and all she could hear wasplete silence.


    Shi Luo opened her eyes and nced at them. All of them were staring at her nkly.


    It was Mia who broke the silence in the living room, ''''Which Boyan are we talking about? Uh¡­ I have been in aa for around 2 months so I am quite slow I guess.''''


    ''''Umm¡­ Well, is it¡­'''' Li Shuang hesitated. She looked at Yu Mei before looking back at Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo speechlessly nced at Yu Mei.


    ''''You kissed my brother-inw?" Yu Mei raised an eyebrow.


    Shi Luo felt a little bit guilty. Even though she confessed to Yu Mei that she had a crush on him but this was a bit unexpected. She fiddled with her fingers, ''''Yes, we kissed.''''


    ''''Took you so long?" Yu Mei looked at her like she was staring at a weird creature.


    ''''Huh?" Li Shuang looked at her in disbelief. Her expression was reflecting Shi Luo''s expression as well.


    Mia, on the other hand, was already putting the pieces together in her mind.

 Chapter 448 - A Familiar Figure

    Yu Mei shrugged. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones but she was feeling bored already. ''''You both seemed to be interested in each other so I sent him over to you but it took you long enough to kiss him.''''


    ''''What..? You sent him to my ce because¡­''''


    ''''No,'''' Yu Mei interrupted her, ''''It was because I wanted my mother-inw and father-inw to have some space so that they can make up and she can stoping after my life,'''' But having a little matchmaking intention isn''t illegal, is it?


    Shi Luo slumped on the couch, ''''I feel weak.''''


    ''''Where?" Mia scanned her from head to toe.


    ''''Don''t give me that look. I feel weak in my heart,'''' Shi Luo covered her body with a cushion.


    ''''Let me contact the top cardiologist,'''' Li Shuang took out her phone. Matters like this can be pretty serious at times. She did not want her friend''s emotional distress to shape up as some sort of heart disease.


    Shi Luo''s jaws dropped. She quickly sat up on the couch before snatching the phone from her hand, ''''How are you going to get a boyfriend if you are this insensitive?"


    ''''Are you saying that you want to have Jun Boyan as your boyfriend?" Li Shuang tilted her head.


    Shi Luo scoffed, ''''What happened to your Vice-President?"


    ''''He is pursuing me. I will observe him for some time before we start dating. Then, I will pass the news to Grandpa. He will be pleased,'''' Li Shuang nodded.


    ''''Are you going to date or make a deal?" Mia raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Ah Shuang, don''t do things that you wille to regretter,'''' Yu Mei knew that her cousin was a sensible person. The past was tough and her ex-boyfriend was a jerk but that apart, it should not hinder her from living well her future.


    Relying on the heart entirely might go wrong but it will never go wrong if one found the bnce between heart and mind. Li Shuang''s perception of dating and romance at this point was quite twisted. As Mia said, it was more of a deal.


    Li Shuang went quiet for a few seconds before she nced at Shi Luo, ''''Your situation is easy.''''


    ''''How is that?" Shi Luo nced at her.


    ''''If you don''t like him, then tolerate this for a few days. You can enjoy the kisses and making out as a form of rent if you are physically attracted to each other,'''' As straightforward she was, she did not beat around the bush, "In that way, he will be leaving soon and it will be over between you both.''''


    Shi Luo nced at her, looking uninterested.


    ''''On the other hand, if you like him¡­''''


    Shi Luo''s eyes lit up for a split second as she straightened up.


    ''''...Then confess. Or if you want to go ording to norms, then ask him to confess to you,'''' Li Shuang nodded, pleased with her detailed gamen.


    Both Mia and Yu Mei nodded.


    Shi Luo felt the pressure under their burning gazes.


    ''''But I don''t know if he has any such feelings,'''' she said after a moment of hesitation.


    ''''If you won''t try, you won''t know,'''' Yu Mei said.


    ¡­


    At Amaranthine Airport.


    Shi Luo removed her shades before inhaling a deep breath. The prep talk by the girls boosted her confidence and she booked the tickets for the first flight to Amaranthine but now that she was here, she wanted to run away so bad.


    Shi Luo sighed and walked out of the airport. While she was looking around for her driver, someone standing in the distance caught her attention.


    She was not expecting to see that person here.


    She quickly took out her phone before calling Yu Mei. The call was answered on thest ring, ''''Did you check the time?" Jun Zixuan''s voice came from the other side.


    Shi Luo nced at her wristwatch. Since it was 9 am here then¡­ ''''It should be 3 am there.''''


    ''''Mei is sleeping. What''s up?"


    Shi Luo once again nced at the familiar figure who was standing near the exit. It seemed like she was talking on her phone, ''''I am in Amaranthine. And you won''t believe who I am looking at.''''


    ''''Who is it?"


    ''''Han Jingyi,'''' The reason Shi Luo was able to recognize the woman is that she had seen her once in Beijing before. It was the day Yu Mei was in the shopping mall and Han Jingyi had ripped her top. Later, Yu Mei had told her about Han Jingyi and her mother.


    As Shi Luo got inside her car, she reflected on what Jun Zixuan told her.


    It seems like the Han Family sent Han Jingyi abroad and she was no longer the adopted daughter of the Han Family.


    She tried to kill Yu Mei and there was no way that Jun Zixuan was going to let it go. But before he could do anything, Yu Mei requested him to let her go.


    Shi Luo understood where Yu Mei wasing from. Han Jingyi was raised by the Han Family for so long that if anything happened to her, her parents would be distressed.


    No matter how wrong she was or despite everything she did, parents will always have a soft spot for their kids. It would hurt them if any tragedy befalls their kid. And that was thest thing that Yu Mei as a daughter would do.


    It was already a big step from Han Family to disown Han Jingyi so Yu Mei decided to not take any action for the past grudges.


    ''''And Jun Zixuan, being the whipped husband that he is... he listened to her¡­'''' Shi Luo mumbled before shaking her head.


    But Jun Zixuan won''t be Jun Zixuan if he did not do things meticulously. So, he assigned some of his guards to keep an eye on Han Jingyi just in case. The moment she stepped into Beijing, they will take action.


    But it seems like Han Jingyi has already suffered a huge blow after being disowned by the family. Even though she saw Hans as an essory that she could unt anytime she wanted but it was still very unexpected to her that they cast her aside just like that. To top it off, the fact that she was used as a puppet by Han Sheng for years broke thest straw of her confidence.


    Shi Luo sighed as she pressed her face on the ss panes, looking at the bright sky outside.

 Chapter 449 - To Be Honest...

    Shi Luo pushed open the door and walked inside her apartment.


    The moment she stepped inside, her palm flew to cover her mouth.


    The ce was filled with dust since it has been around a year she moved to Beijing and she had not booked any caretakers for the ce.


    ''''Ugh¡­ How I wish I had a robot who would do this for me,'''' she inhaled a deep breath and kept her luggage aside.


    Shi Luo tied her long hair in a messy bun before folding the sleeves of her pleated beige shirt. Adjusting her sses, she looked at the broom lying in the corner.


    After 2 hours.


    ''''Hah¡­'''' Shi Luo slumped on the couch.


    The ce was so messy and it took her a long time to clean it.


    She checked the time on her wristwatch. It was past noon and she had to go to Crystal University to meet Jun Boyan.


    ''''He will be surprised,'''' she sat up on the couch, her heart racing with anticipation.


    ''Knock Knock''


    A series of knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts. She frowned. She ordered takeout just now but how did it reach so early?


    Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the main door. She pressed her eye closer to the peephole of the door but her jaws dropped when she saw who was standing outside.


    She opened the door quickly, ''''Mom, what are you doing here?'''' her eyes widened. She nced at the woman standing in front of her, ''''How did you even know that I am here?"


    ''''Your driver informed me,'''' The woman adjusted the long sleeve of her white dress before ring at her daughter, ''''Or else the way you are going, I won''t even know when I have a grandkid. Hmph!'''' she pushed Shi Luo aside before walking inside.


    Shi Luo stood rooted to her spot while holding the door. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to utter a single word.


    ''''Mom,'''' she followed the woman once she came back to her senses. You don''t even have a son-inw yet, which grandkid are you talking about?


    ''''What is it?" Shi Luo''s mother, Shi Xia flipped her hair as she tilted her head to look at her.


    The corner of her lips twitched. ''''Uh¡­ you look pretty,'''' Shi Luo tried to ease the tension in the air.


    ''''Tell me something I don''t know,'''' a frown graced the woman''s face.


    ''''Mom, are you angry?" Shi Luo walked towards the couch, intending to take a seat right next to her mother, ''''Is it because you are in your 40s now? Is that why you are having mood swings?" She did not remember offending her mothertely.


    ''''Stand there,'''' Shi Xia pointed her finger towards the coffee table in front of her.


    ''''W-What¡­'''' Shi Luo was startled but she quietly did what she was told.


    Her mother was a very kind and quiet person. The people who didn''t know her would say that.


    And those who know her will know that she is a stubborn and short-tempered person, understanding, mature and level-headed as well.


    When other kids used to look up to celebrities, Shi Luo and Yu Mei grew up looking up to Shi Xia as an idol. That was because she was exactly the kind of woman they show in anime. Vulnerable and delicate but with a streak of strength ingrained in bones.


    Shi Luo stood like a guilty child even though she had no idea what exactly she had done.


    ''''You say I am in my 40s?" Shi Xia nced at her daughter with her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.


    ''''M-Mom, youth is but an illusion¡­'''' Was she offended because I pointed out her age? Shi Luo cleared her throat, trying to console her, ''''As much as you want to stay evergreen, you can''t be young forever. Don''t be sad,'''' She extended her hand, intending to pat the woman''s shoulder.


    ''''Touch me if you want a broken bone,'''' Shi Xia said nonchntly.


    Shi Luo froze. She awkwardly retracted her hand.


    Shi Xia crossed one leg above the other before she raised her head to look at her daughter, ''''Is it me or you who looks like she is in her 40s?"


    ''''W-What?"


    ''''You don''t know how to speak?" Shi Xia crossed her arms in front of her chest, ''''Shall I consult a doctor for your stuttering?"


    Shi Luo wanted to cry but shecked tears, ''''Mom, what did I do?"


    ''''Look at yourself,'''' Shi Xia scanned her from head to toe.


    Shi Luo looked at herself before looking back at her mother confusingly.


    ''''Creases on the shirt, messy hair,ck of basic make-up skills, unnecessary stuttering, tired face¡­ are you sure you aren''t hitting your 40s?"


    ''''Mom, I was cleaning the house¡­'''' Shi Luo pouted slightly.


    ''''This is your getup for 365 days, not just today. And if we ignore this, I have something else to discuss with you as well.''''


    ''''What is it?" Who the fuck did she see when she woke up? Why was her day going so bad already?


    ''I saw my face after waking up,'' Shi Luo closed her eyes and cursed her ancestors. Why was life so tough on her?


    ''''I have been asking about the progress in your rtionship but you kept dodging the topic. Did you think I won''t notice it?"


    Shi Luo sighed helplessly. Her mother was not the kind of person who would ept a single man and a single woman living under the same roof. Especially not when they are not even dating.


    And at that when she saw Jun Boyan at her ce, she had no choice but to make an excuse that they were dating.


    Noticing that her daughter did not answer, Shi Xia spoke up once again, ''''Luoluo, is everything alright between you and Boyan?"


    Shi Luo noticed the worried look in her eyes and it stirred up the guilt in her heart. She bit her bottom lips before opening her mouth, ''''Mom, to be honest, I¡­''''

 Chapter 450 - Reverse Scales

    ''''Today¡­'''' Shi Xia interrupted Shi Luo, ''''I got another proposal for you.''''


    Shi Luo gulped her words when she heard that, ''''Is it a marriage proposal?"


    ''''What else can it be?" Shi Xia rolled her eyes, ''''It''s from our old neighbor, Aunty Wang. She showed me the picture of her nephew and tried to matchmake him with you.''''


    ''''Mom, what did you tell her?"


    ''''Of course, I told her that my daughter has a boyfriend,'''' Shi Xia smugly said, ''''Although this boy was a decent potential son-inw but the fact that Boyan is Lihua''s son alone makes him the best choice for me. And to top it off, he is a very nice man, someone who is suitable for my precious,'''' she held her daughter''s hand before stroking her palm gently.


    ''''Mom¡­'''' Shi Luo bit her bottom lips.


    ''''Mm? Do you have something to say to me?"


    Shi Luo shook her head.


    Shi Xia pushed herself to her feet before she raised her hand to pat Shi Luo''s head, ''''Your Aunty Lihua and I have been best friends. We once decided to have you get married to Zixuan¡­''''


    ''''I know¡­'''' Shi Luo still had goosebumps over this. If by any chance, she had ended up as Jun Zixuan''s wife, then nobody will know where her funeral was being held.


    What the hell were thesedies thinking when they came up with such a blundering idea?


    ''''But it''s okay if it is not Zixuan. Even Boyan is raised well and I like that boy. I am very happy that you chose him. Now Lihua and I will be a family and all I want is for you to get married, and have a lot of babies in the future, I want you to be happy.''''


    Shi Luo wordlessly hugged her mother, ''''I am older than him¡­''''''


    ''''Just a mere 2 year age gap. That''d make things exciting.''''


    Shi Luo: "_" What the heck are you talking about?


    ¡­


    Later that noon, both the mother and daughter had their lunch together.


    And after that, Shi Luo dressed up to visit Jun Boyan at his university. It was his graduation day and she was definitely going to surprise him with her sudden visit.


    Crystal University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world.


    As she parked the car, Shi Luo nced at the huge entrance of Crystal University. The memories of the past shed in front of her eyes.


    It seemed just like yesterday when Jun Zixuan used to act all innocent around Yu Mei. And Shi Luo remembered calling him a white lotus mentally. Mu Shen wouldugh at her expression.


    ''''And here I am¡­ing here to court his younger brother,'''' Shi Luo had the urge to bang her head on the university wall.


    Shi Luo wanted to go inside but it would be too high-profile since people will recognize her here so, in the end, she decided to wait outside.


    Earlier, she had texted Jun Boyan and casually asked him how long it will take him. He told her that he will be done in 1 hour.


    ''''30 minutes more,'''' Shi Luo leaned back on her car and adjusted the shades on her eyes.


    She had half an hour left to contemte about what action she was going to take when hees.


    ''Just grab his cor and pull him for a hot french kiss. He should take the cue from there,'' these were Mia''s exact words.


    Shi Luo shook her head. It was an effective way but the person executing it should be more courageous. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a coward in such matters.


    ''Take him to your house and offer him an enticing contract and ask him to be your boyfriend,'' this one was Li Shuang''s suggestion.


    ''''But I am trying to date him, not finalize a business deal,'''' Shi Luo rolled her eyes.


    ''Rather than all this hassle, you can just confess your feelings and ask him what he feels about you,'' Yu Mei was the one who suggested this.


    Shi Luo sighed. Rather than the other two over-aggressive measures, she preferred Yu Mei''s peaceful suggestion.


    ''''Confess¡­'''' Her brows furrowed, ''''Where? How? And what do I say¡­? Ugh..''''


    Shi Luo straightened up when she saw a familiar figure, ''''Is it over already?" Jun Boyan told her that there was time left then why is he walking towards the gates, ''''It''s better this way,'''' The more she waited, the more it made her nervous.


    Just as Shi Luo raised her hand to wave at him, her eyes caught sight of another figure beside him.


    The girl looked somewhere around Jun Boyan''s age. She was dressed in a white bodycon dress that enhanced her soft curves. Holding her jacket in one hand, she rushed towards him before grabbing his hand.


    Shi Luo saw red. Was her poor sheep being hit on? These girls¡­


    Her thoughts trailed off when she noticed Jun Boyan''s expression. He was smiling andughing, looking very casual and rxed.


    He let the girl hold his hand and he even wrapped an arm around her shoulder. From her angle, it sure looked intimate.


    Shi Luo quickly moved behind her car when they stepped out of the gates, ''''Dammit, why am I hiding?'''' she cursed herself mentally. It''s not like she did something wrong.


    She tilted her head and blinked a few times before looking back at them.


    Soon, a white Lamborghini stopped in front of Jun Boyan and a man in histe 40s stepped out.


    It must be his driver. Shi Luo concluded, noticing their interaction.


    The man opened the door to the driver''s seat for Jun Boyan.


    Jun Boyan on the other hand opened the door to the passenger seat for that ''youthful'' and pretty girl from earlier.


    Shi Luo bit the edge of her sleeves, ''''She looks 20 or 21. I am about to turn 24,'''' one could say that age was her reverse scaletely.


    It was quite provoking to her when the topic ''age'' came into a discussion.

 Chapter 451 - Distant Memories

    After she stepped inside the car, Jun Boyan walked towards the other side before getting in the driver''s seat.


    Shi Luo watched until the car disappeared from her vision. ''''Suspicious liquid..'''' she mumbled under her breath and wiped the ''suspicious liquid'' from the corner of her eyes before standing up.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' a shrill scream left her mouth when she felt a palm on her shoulder.


    She turned around in a split second and her jaws dropped when she saw the person who was standing in front of her.


    ''''I think you have some exining to do,'''' Shi Xia crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    Shi Luo gulped before lowering her head.


    ¡­


    ''''Mom, what were you doing there?" Shi Luo shifted in the single couch.


    ''''Had I not been there, I would not have known what''s going on. Don''t you think so?" Shi Xia ced a phone on the coffee table before she leaned back on the long L-shaped couch.


    ''''My phone¡­'''' Shi Luo recognized the phone. She remembered that after texting Jun Boyan, she forgot to take her phone when she left.


    And when her mother asked her where she was going, she had told the woman that she had something very important to tend to.


    Given that she had the habit of taking her phone everywhere, her mother must have been worried because she left it phone at home.


    It was just today she was strangely nervous and this happened.


    So, connecting the dots, her mother must have decided to deliver her phone to her, and then her driver turned into a tattletale.


    So, everything that she saw today was witnessed by her mother as well.


    ''''Shi Luo, this will be the only time I will ask you. What''s going on?''''


    Shi Luo winced. When was thest time her mother called her by her full name?


    She inhaled a deep breath before detailing her about everything, ''''Mom, Mei was the one who had asked me to take him in and I knew I was going to be scolded by you, so I decided to y along to what you assumed when you saw me and Jun Boyan together,'''' Shi Luo praised herself inwardly because she had told her mother about the Han Mei and Yu Mei matter, about how she died and woke up in another body.


    Shi Xia has been constantly asking her about Yu Mei and she was tired of dodging the topic. So, she decided toe clean a month ago. But what surprised Shi Luo was that unlike all of them who were shell-shocked by the revtion, her mother was rtively calm. She was relieved and happy that everything turned out to be well in the end.


    At this point, Shi Luo was d because of this. At least, she could unabashedly push the me to Yu Mei''s head right now.


    As expected, Shi Xia''s expressions softened, ''''That child..'''' she shook her head, lost in her thoughts. After some time, she red at her daughter, ''''But I believe she did not ask you to lie to your mother.''''


    Shi Luo was stumped for words.


    ''''When I came to know that you and Boyan are together, I was worried about many things. I was thinking about whether you both will bepatible or not, and whether you really love each other but when I saw you together, all my worries vanished. I was relieved but now it turns out you both were acting. Had I not witnessed it today, I might have not known the truth.''''


    ''''Mom¡­''''


    ''''Shi Luo, I am disappointed in you.''''


    Shi Luo lowered her head. It was toote by the time she realized that she had gotten herself into a mess. Her mother hated liars.


    ''''Your father was a liar. He took all my money, my house property papers, my jewelry, and mortgaged everything to pamper his mistress and we ended up on streets¡­'''' Shi Xiaughed mockingly, ''''Good that that bastard died or else I would have killed him by my bare hands for everything he did.''''


    Shi Luo''s eyes welled up with tears. She did not remember much but there was an impression of a happy family in her heart which now appeared meaningless. Her mother was a well-known designer back in the days but she fell in love with her secretary. And marrying him was the start of her downfall because happy days neversted long.


    Men would never ept their wives earning more or being more sessful than them. Correction. Weak men. Weak men would resent their wives earning more than them.


    And Shi Luo hated to admit that her biological father was exactly that kind of man. A weak man. He started seekingfort outside when her mother kept progressing in her career.


    He knocked her up and after she was pregnant, he started taking care of her work little by little.


    As her mother got busy after childbirth, her father was busy dealing with business and his mistress and it was not long before everything came to a halt. They ended up on the streets, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They were broke.


    Shi Xia then took her to her old apartment, it was small and dingy. Shi Luo could remember that ce very well since they lived there for a few years.


    She went into depression.


    Shi Luo sat on the windowsill of the huge French window in her room.


    Shi Xia left after talking to her and she could barely get rid of the thoughts that had been there on her mind after her departure.


    Her mother pawned the small ne that she had gifted her when she was born and they made through it for a few months. One day in the empty alleyway behind their ce, she met Han Jian Yu who was holding little Han Mei in his arms.


    And that was the day when things changed for them. Her mother took them in and in return, Han Jian Yu promised to get back everything that was theirs.


    Shi Xia once told Shi Luo, ''He was so young, looking like a little young master who should stay at home and y with toy airnes. He looked so immature to be making such promises or to be taken seriously. But I could not help it. A drowning person would hold on to a fragile straw to survive. And Han Jian Yu was that fragile straw to me at that time.''


    ...


    A/N: The current volumes will be short ones and the epilogue will be out after that because I intend to conclude everything in thest chapter. For those who want, you can skip the side stories and drop the book as the main story ispleted already.. But you will get to see the other leads in the epilogue.

 Chapter 452 - Is There Something Between Them?

    Shi Xia loved the Han siblings like her own kids and they all grew up together like biological siblings.


    Shi Luo nced at the ss of red wine in her hand.


    Before she left, Shi Xia said, ''''Whatever happened has already happened. I won''t hold it against you. All these years, you have been focused on your studies and career and I never forced you for anything. But you are not getting any younger anymore. I will set up a blind date with Aunt Wang''s nephew. I will text you the date, time, and venue. Don''t bete.''''


    ''''Yes.''''


    Shi Luo sighed thinking back to the pressure she felt at the time that made her agree to it.


    But she did not want to hurt her mother''s emotions.


    On Jun Boyan''s side, she indeed liked him and that''s the reason why she got so impulsive and drove over to his university to confess to him. But now she was back to square one.


    The reality pped some senses into her.


    She did not think things between them would go any further.


    Anyways, he will move out of her ce soon and she will be going on blind dates from now on.


    Intentionally or unintentionally, she hurt her mother and Shi Luo felt the guilt weighing her heart. She did not want to be the shadow of her father.


    Shi Luo gulped all the wine in the ss before she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.


    The constant ringing of her phone brought her out of her reverie.


    She jumped off the windowsill and walked towards the bed before picking up her phone.


    Looking at the caller ID, she frowned. She had already taken a few days off from work but why were the hospital staff still calling her?


    She cleared her throat before answering the call. ''''Yes?"


    ''''Dr. Shi, we have noticed another unusual missing data,'''' the man spoke up.


    This person, Robby, is the head of the IT department of Sunshine hospital. A few days ago, there were some missing data of the patients.


    Because the first patient whose data was hacked and destroyed was Shen Lihua. And the director of the hospital was dead scared of Jun Zixuan. So, he pushed this matter into her hands with the excuse that she knew them.


    Butter after Shen Lihua, a child''s information was destroyed and there was an elderly one too.


    ''''Whose data is it this time?" Shi Luo asked.


    ''''Last time, our staff managed to retain some of the information of that VVIP patient. It seems like the other side discovered this.''''


    Shi Luo frowned, ''''What''s the name of the patient?"


    ''''It is Shu¡­ no, it''s Shen... Yes, Shen Lihua.''''


    Shi Luo''s face darkened. ''''Alright, look into it and keep me updated,'''' It looks like she will have to alert Jun Zixuan about this matter if they did not find anything.


    ¡­


    Inside a ck sedan.


    ''''Oh my god, Lihua, you have gotten prettier again,'''' Shi Xia chirped as she nced at Shen Lihua.


    Shen Lihua smiled while sipping her juice, ''''You are shining as well.''''


    Once they met, both the friends have been staying in touch ever since.


    ''''Yesterday, you told me that you are going to visit Luoluo, did you go?"


    At the mention of her daughter, Shi Xia leaned back on the seat, ''''I did.''''


    ''''What happened?" Shen Lihua frowned, noticing her friend''s weird expression.


    Shi Xia inhaled a deep breath before she narrated everything to her.


    ''''These kids¡­'''' Shen Lihua sighed. When she got to know that Shi Luo and Jun Boyan were dating, she was already preparing names for future grandkids.


    Here Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan were going to be parents and on the other hand, she thought Jun Boyan and Shi Luo will get married soon in the future as well.


    ''''I will arrange a blind date for Luoluo,'''' Shi Xia said.


    ''''But Xia''er, it''s her life. You can suggest her but don''t force her into it. It''s good that Zixuan and Mei are so happy together or else I would have lived my life in guilt for forcing him into this marriage.''''


    ''''I don''t think I need to force her. Luoluo knows that I want the best for her,'''' Shi Xia said.


    ''''But what if there is something between Boyan and Luoluo? Your daughter is not the kind of person who will stay under the same roof with a man for so long. It''s not like Luoluo didn''t have other ces in Beijing. And my son¡­ it''s not like he didn''t have money to afford another ce. He doesn''t like sharing his space with anyone.''''


    ''''You are onlyplicating things, Lihua,'''' Shi Xia shook her head, ''''If there was something between them, then even if they were only pretending before, they should be dating by now.''''


    ''''Haish¡­'''' Shen Lihua sighed. Her friend was somewhat right about this.


    How could two hot-blooded young people stay under one roof in such a tonic way?


    Such a pity!


    ''''Boyan is a nice man but since they are not into each other, let us not force things. Maybe, we are not destined to be inws,'''' Shi Xia paused for a moment before looking out of the window, ''''I don''t want my daughter to end up with the wrong man like I did. So, I will take this matter into my hands.''''


    Shen Lihua opened her mouth to say something but she eventually nodded. Knowing her friend, since she had already decided on this, she won''t back out no matter what happened.


    And even she was disappointed by the way Jun Boyan and Shi Luo dealt with this.


    ...


    Inside a luxurious 5-star restaurant:


    "Come on now, keep that aside, will you?"


    If Shi Luo was here, then she would have recognized this girl as the one who got inside Jun Boyan''s car earlier.


    There was another girl and three guys around the round table.


    One of the guys spoke up, ''''Yes, it was supposed to be a celebration. Can you stop fooling around with that thing?"


    Jun Boyan frowned, ''''Stop being noisy.''''


    Amidst their protests, there was another guy who was wearing thick-rimmed sses. He had slightly curly hair. His keen eyes kept observing the scene for another few moments before he spoke up, ''''It looks like he has something important to deal with. Can you all stop bothering him already?"


    Jun Boyan tilted his head from hisptop to look at him.

 Chapter 453 - In A Local Bar

    "Is everything alright?" The man adjusted his thick-rimmed sses as they walked out of the restaurant.


    Jun Boyan threw hisptop at him.


    He was quick to catch it with his fast reflexes, ''''Jun Boyan, do you hate yourptop or do you hate me? Who do you want to kill?''''


    ''''What do you think?" Jun Boyan spared him a side-eye nce before he got inside the car.


    Yu Chen nced at the sky. What did I do in the past life that I have identally ended up befriending this cranky young master?


    ''''Do you want to keep standing there?" Jun Boyan nced at the man.


    Yu Chen sighed, ''''I will drive over to your ce. See you there.''''


    Inside Jun Boyan''s condominium:


    ''''Did you get the interior done?" Yu Chen marveled at the sight of the European decor.


    He was bad at such things but he had to admit that his friend''s taste was top-notch.


    The man nodded.


    Yu Chen sat on the couch before cing theptop on the coffee table, ''''What''s the matter? You looked worked up during the celebration lunch.''''


    Jun Boyan massaged his forehead, ''''They are trying to trail me.''''


    ''''Again?" Yu Chen frowned.


    Jun Boyan nodded and he then narrated everything to him.


    ''''So you are saying that they retained Auntie''s data thest time when you erased them?"


    He nodded again.


    Yu Chen contemted over it, ''''No wonder they areing after you. After all, Sunshine hospital is a well-reputable hospital in Beijing. It is known globally. Especially after Dr. Shi Luo started working there, it has been the talk of the town. So, with such a flourishing future, it would be dangerous for the hospital''s and director''s reputation if the words go out that their database is being hacked into and the patients'' information is being stolen.''''


    Jun Boyan did not say anything.


    ''''I understand that you had to erase your mom''s information because of her safety but what about the other patients? Why did you fool around with that child''s and that old man''s personal information? If you didn''t do that, things would not havee to this.''''


    ''''I did it because I had to.''''


    Yu Chen frowned, ''''You had to what? You had to ask for trouble?"


    ''''To protect her.''''


    ''''Huh? To protect whom? Your mom? But you just asked for trouble by doing this, didn''t you?"


    Jun Boyan opened theptop, ''''This can be sorted,'''' the corner of his lips tugged up.


    ¡­


    ''''You mean to say that you can''t trace that person anymore?"


    ''''Yes, we can''t.''''


    Shi Luo massaged her forehead, ''''I think you need to pass this information to the director. First of all, I have no idea about how things work in the IT department. I sucked at myputer ss that''s why I picked biology and decided to be in the medical field.''''


    There was silence over the other side and Shi Luo believed that she was making her point clear.


    ''''Secondly, all of this has nothing to do with me. It is not only Madam Shen whose reports went missing, there are other patients too. So, it will be best if you talk to the Director about this matter and ask him to take appropriate measures.''''


    ''''Y-Yes, Dr. Shi.''''


    ''''And¡­'''' Shi Luo spoke up again, ''''I am on a break so I don''t want another call from the hospital unless the matter is rted to a patient and it is an emergency.''''


    As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up.


    It looked like someone was just ying cat and mouse with the director or the IT department. This matter didn''t seem to have anything in particr with Shen Lihua.


    Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the mirror. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she frowned.


    ''''I look like a mess¡­'''' she raked her fingers through her hair, ''''Come on, Shi Luo, this was not a break-up nor was it a funeral for you to look like this.''''


    She pulled out a leather jacket before pairing it up with her sleeveless ck T-shirt and denim jeans, ''''Since I am here, I should enjoy my break properly,'''' she tied her hair in a high ponytail before applying nude lipstick.


    At this moment, she missed the girls. If they were here, things would have been easier.


    But Yu Mei was busy withpany matters and because of her pregnancy, Jun Zixuan won''t even let her go to business meetings outside Beijing, let alone travel abroad.


    Bing a CEO all of a sudden has been tough on Li Shuang and she was still adjusting to her position while dealing with her work.


    Mia, on the other hand, was tied in Beijing because of her karma. She has tried to run away from Han Jian Yu so many times that he has developed PTSD about letting her out of his sight for long. Not to mention the fact that she has just recovered, and being the worrywart he was, he was looking after her like a strict guardian.


    Shi Luoughed at the thought of it.


    "Perhaps I should go on a long drive?'''' she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while contemting over it.


    Before she could settle on a n, her phone started ringing.


    Shi Luo nced at the caller ID. ''''Mom,'''' she answered the call, ''''No, I was just going to get some fresh air¡­ Yes... Huh? Blind date? Tomorrow?.... Alright, I''ll be there.''''


    She hung up the call before throwing her phone to the back seat. This call came right on time. Suddenly, she had an idea about where she really wanted to go.


    3 hourster in a small local bar.


    ''''You¡­'''' Shi Luo nced at the man who was serving her another bottle of beer, ''''Tell me, are you m-married? Do you have a woman, huh?'''' she slurred.


    The man was stunned but he blinked, ''''I have a wife¡­'''' he blushed, ''''We got married a month ago.''''


    ''''Newlyweds, I see,'''' Shi Luo drank a mouthful of the beer before she looked at him again, ''''Before marriage, was she with another man?"


    ''''How can that be? We dated for 3 years,'''' The man whispered.


    ''''Then how was the first kiss?" Shi Luo mmed her palms on the table.


    At this point, themotion had already attracted everyone''s attention because the local bar was pretty much crowded.


    ''''Ah¡­''''

 Chapter 454 - Raise The Stakes

    The man was flustered, ''''It was good. French kiss. I grabbed her¡­''''


    ''''Shhh,'''' Shi Luo waved her hand before taking off her sses, ''''Did I ask for the detailed smut?''''


    ''''Then¡­'''' The man was confused. Thisdy seemed to be heartbroken and betrayed in love.


    ''''Haish¡­ do you think this pretty girl has lost her mind after some tragedy?" a man whispered to another.


    ''''It looks like that.''''


    The girl beside them sighed, ''''Most of the guys these days are jerks. Look at her getting all riled up by the details when she was the one who asked about the kiss in the first ce.''''


    ''''After your first kiss¡­ After your first kiss¡­'''' Shi Luo suddenly lowered her head, her eyes welling up with tears, ''''After your first kiss, did she hang out with another guy the next day?" she scratched the table before drinking another mouthful of beer.


    ''''Uh¡­ she didn''t,'''' the man quickly shook his head. He left when another customer called him.


    Shi Luo pressed her face on the table.


    ''''See, I told you,'''' The people started discussing again.


    ''''Yes, you were right. Some jerk surely broke her heart.''''


    ''''He fooled around with another girl after leading her on with a kiss.''''


    Shi Luo held the beer bottle in her hand, swinging it back and forth before taking a sip. A pair of brown leather boots caught her attention.


    She tilted her head only to be greeted by the sight of a drop-dead gorgeous man busy on his phone. ''''Gotta¡­ hup¡­ Gotta say that you are the most handsome man I saw in thest 24 hours,'''' she gulped the remaining beer before looking at his straight brown hair which was coiffed to perfection, his eyes turned to look at her.


    He ced his phone inside his pocket as he stared at her.


    ''''Can I ask you something?'''' Shi Luo blinked.


    ''''Was that some kind of trendy pickup line,dy?" The man chuckled.


    Shi Luo was about to nod but she ended up shaking her head as she hugged another beer bottle, ''''If I knew how to nail pickup lines, do you think I would be sitting here, all by myself, hugging my lifeless soulmate?" she nced at the beer bottle.


    ''''Pfft¡­'''' The man cleared his throat when she red at him, ''''Sorry, I was rude forughing like this.''''


    ''''Laugh¡­ugh¡­'''' Shi Luo rolled her eyes, ''''Every dog has its day,'''' she used tough at Yu Mei''s love miseries and look at her now. She is beingughed at.


    ''''Did you call me a dog?" The man was stunned.


    ''''What do you think?" Shi Luo ced her cheeks on the table again.


    The man was about to say something when the bodyguard behind him stepped forward and whispered something into his ear.


    He nced at the woman who was already at another bottle by now. ''''I am in a hurry right now. If fate decides, we will meet again,'''' with that said, he turned around and left.


    ''''H-Hey, my question¡­ I have yet to ask my question. Did the girl you kissed go to hang out with an..another guy the next day? What logic does it involve?" Shi Luo felt her medical degree can''t be used in stuff like this. Sigh¡­What a pity!


    The people in the bar shook their heads in pity. A young woman losing her sanity over a jerk. It sure is pitiful.


    ¡­


    ''''Have you seen her around?" Jun Boyan showed Shi Luo''s picture to a guard outside the bar.


    The man who had just gotten on his night shift shook his head.


    Jun Boyan rushed inside the bar to look for her. It was just half an hour ago when he called Shi Luo to talk to her.


    The day has been quite busy and he did not get the chance to call her earlier.


    But little did he expect her to start cursing over the phone. Whether those curses were meant for him or not, he had no idea but he could not stop worrying about her when he heard the noises in the background.


    After lots of coaxing, she finally revealed her current location.


    He was surprised to know that she was in Amaranthine. But he wondered why she did not tell him about it before.


    His eyes roamed over the ce and soon, he spotted the woman in a corner with her head on the table.


    Jun Boyan sighed in relief.


    He quickly approached her before patting her shoulder, ''''Luoluo¡­''''


    Shi Luo sighed before moving. ''''W-Who is it again?" she waved the beer bottle in her hand before looking in his direction, ''''Oh, it''s you. Jerk!'''' she scoffed before turning her head to the other side.


    Jun Boyan: "_" How am I a jerk?


    The people around heard it as well and they concluded that he is the bastard who broke her heart.


    Under their using res, Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow, ''''What makes me a jerk?"


    ''''Now, you don''t want to admit it?" Shi Luo looked like she would start crying anytime soon.


    Jun Boyan felt a headache, ''''Of course, I am a jerk. Who else is a jerk if not me?"


    ''''Good for you that you¡­you know it¡­'''' Shi Luo had a good alcohol tolerance but for some strange reason, she saw three Jun Boyan. It must be his jerky aura.


    ''''Alright, let us go home now,'''' He held her hand.


    Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet, her body swaying back and forth.


    Jun Boyan pulled her into his arms. His attention shifted to the empty bottles on the table, ''''Why did youe to a ce like this? And why would you drink so much?''''


    ''''You want to go home?" Shi Luo slurred in his arms without paying attention to his words.


    Jun Boyan cleared his throat, ''''Yes, let''s go home.''''


    ''''Raise the stakes¡­''''


    ''''Huh?"


    ''''You want to go to my ce then r-r-raise the stakes. Humph!''''


    He was stunned. What did she mean by her ce? And what stakes did he need to raise? ''''Alright, what do you want?"

 Chapter 455 - Breakfast

    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at his lips before she looked into his eyes. Her gaze asionally drifted to his lips as a bashful smile formed on her face.


    ''''Luoluo, you¡­'''' Jun Boyan coughed, ''''Such things aren''t decent enough to be done? public ces.''''


    ''''But I want it¡­'''' her face drooped down.


    ''''Now?"


    ''''Mmm. I want to punch your lips right now.''''


    His jaws dropped. Punch his lips?


    He imagined something else.


    Shi Luo pointed her finger at his lips and opened her mouth to say something but her vision blurred suddenly. She slumped into his arms.


    He sighed while stroking her back. After a few seconds, he picked her up in a Princess carry and walked out of the bar.


    ¡­


    ''''Argh¡­'''' Shi Luo covered her eyes with the back of her hand.


    Her head felt like it was going to burst anytime soon.


    After rolling around in the bed for some time, the memories ofst night started hitting her, ''''Oh my god¡­'''' she sat up on the bed all at once, her hair swinging towards the front of her shoulder.


    Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. The room looked more luxurious than that of a 5-star hotel.


    She looked at the huge crystal chandelier in the ceiling, inwardly wincing at the reminder of what she didst night.


    First of all, she drank beer to her heart''s content, informed Jun Boyan about her location, then cursed him recklessly, threw up in his car and he brought her to this ce. He helped her freshen up and offered her a change of clothes but she insisted on him helping her change it.


    As if all of it was not enough, she forced a kiss on him.


    Her memories were faint and blurry but she remembered that he tucked her and left the room, ''Did he kiss me back?''


    ''''Wait, that''s not the point here¡­'''' Shi Luo jumped off the bed before pacing back and forth in the room. She forced a kiss on him.


    He won''t remember it, will he?


    ''Neither was he drunk nor did he get amnesia'' her inner self mocked her.


    The bedroom door opened and Jun Boyan stepped inside,''''Did you have a good sleep?" he looked at her.


    His gaze darkened for a split-second when he saw her current appearance.


    She was wearing his shirt which reached till her thighs, her straight hair was unkempt as it fell in front of her shoulder, her face was bare of makeup and he could see the natural blush on her fair skin.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' Shi Luo closed her eyes as she pressed her palm on her forehead. This is the best way to ovee embarrassment at this point.


    So what if he remembered everything?? She can have one-night-amnesia.


    Jun Boyan quickly approached her with huge strides. He grabbed her hand and helped her sit on the bed, ''''Is it hurting somewhere? I have already prepared the hangover soup for you¡­''''


    ''''Boyan, what happened yesterday? My head is aching all over. Did I trouble you?" she interrupted him.


    ''''Nothing much. I just discovered a new side of you.''''


    Shi Luo looked at his face. He wasn''t ying along with the script. Shouldn''t he say something like ''You didn''t trouble me. You were drunk and dozed offter''?


    Jun Boyan leaned closer to her, ''''You were pretty wild yesterday, Luoluo. So unlike your usually ''I am your senior'' self,'''' he whispered in her ear, the corner of his lips tugging up.


    The hair on the back of her neck stood up and all she wanted was to dig a hole and bury herself inside it.


    He could have just yed along with her act. Why did he have to whisper such words?


    ''''Ahem¡­'''' Shi Luo cleared her throat, ''''I was not in the right mind yesterday so don''t think much about it.''''


    She was relieved when he did not bring up the topic in detail nor did he confront her about anything that happened.


    Perhaps, he was duped by her one-night-amnesia act.


    After taking a shower, Shi Luo wore a bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom.


    She was going to look for the clothes that she was wearing yesterday when something caught her attention.


    There was a peach colored dress kept on the bed.


    Shi Luo walked towards the bed before she picked it up and turned towards the mirror, ''''It looks pretty. Did he get this for me?'''' she paused, ''''Or maybe it belongs to that girl¡­ cough¡­''''


    Why did she sound like some jealous teenager?


    ¡­


    Jun Boyan tilted his head when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. His lips parted and his awestruck gaze settled on her, ''''You look beautiful,'''' he pushed himself to his feet.


    A faint blush crept up her cheeks at hispliment, ''''Thanks for the dress,'''' she said before walking towards the dining table.


    ''''It is worth it,'''' he pulled out a chair for her.


    Shi Luo blinked. Maybe this dress did not belong to another woman and he got it just for her? Her heart felt a little giddy at the thought but she was quick to shake off the feeling.


    ''''This is your house?" her gaze roamed around the transitional living room.


    ''''Yes,'''' he passed the dishes to her side, ''''I prepared a simple breakfast ording to your liking.''''


    Shi Luo nced at the wide spread of dishes on the table. She blinked, ''''You call this simple?" She picked up a cherry tomato from the sd before putting it inside her mouth.


    His gaze followed the movements of her fingers and he stared at her lips as they moved slowly, licking her fingers, ''''Do you like it?"


    Shi Luo paused before she nodded. After gulping it, she said, ''''I like everything you make. It''s simply delicious. I can see your future as a Michelin star chef,'''' a Michelin chef simply because of his talents, and a Michelin ''star'' chef because of his stunning face.


    He smiled slightly, lowering his head.


    Shi Luo chuckled. Was he shy? How cute!


    The breakfast was very peaceful because Shi Luo had everything sorted inside her mind before she stepped out of the room to eat with him.

 Chapter 456 - I Can Help You

    She decided to forget about everything that happened between them before and now that her mother is aware of it, she had no other choice.


    Jun Boyan and her¡­ the equation between them was justplicated between them, even moreplicated than before.


    There was no rtionship between them to begin with and eventually, he would move out of her house and work on his career. So, Shi Luo chose what was better and easy for both of them.


    ''''Luoluo,'''' Jun Boyan called the? woman who was working on herptop.


    ''''Mmm?" Shi Luo replied without looking at him.


    After a few minutes of silence when he did not say anything, she finally shifted her attention from herptop to him. She nced at him only to find his gaze on her.


    Shi Luo tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear, her fingers fiddled with the edge of her dress discreetly, ''''Is there anything that you want to say?''''


    ''''Are you here for work?"


    Shi Luo shifted her palms to herp, ''''To meet mom.'''' It was partially a lie because although she had intended to meet her mother before going back to Beijing, her main purpose ofing here was him.


    She missed him.


    ''''Then why didn''t you tell me that you areing?" he was frustrated that he got to know about it almost 10 hours after shended here.


    He was missing her as hell in the university andter in the celebration dinner. All he wanted to do was to finish everything quickly and rush back to Beijing at midnight.


    ''''I didn''t find it necessary.''''


    He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out of his mouth was, ''''I see.''''


    She nodded, ''''Do you have ns for the day?"


    He was quick to shake his head, ''''We can¡­'''' make ns.


    His words were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone.


    ''''Excuse me,'''' Shi Luo picked up her phone from the coffee table. She nced at the caller ID for some time before answering the call, ''''Mom.''''


    Jun Boyan straightened up even though thedy was not around. He could not help it. Her mother made him nervous.


    ''''Oh today?" Shi Luo nodded, ''''Alright, in 2 hours, right? Yes, I will be there¡­''''


    He frowned. It looks like the mother-daughter duo had some ns for the day.


    While talking to Shi Xia, Shi Luo was about to eat the cloud shaped cookies that Jun Boyan made for her but just as she was about to put it in her mouth, her mother''s voice rang on the other side, ''''And yes, make sure to cut sugar from your diet from now on. Don''t drink any sugary drinks or any desserts. You must be the perfect bride instead of struggling to breathe in your wedding dress,'''' she said with an indifferent voice before hanging up.


    Shi Luo looked at the cookie in her hand before looking at her phone a little bit dazedly.


    ''''What''s wrong?" Jun Boyan frowned.


    ''''N-Nothing¡­'''' Shi Luo ced the cookie back on the te before running inside the room.


    Jun Boyan nced at her retreating back.


    ¡­


    Shi Luo stood infront of the mirror, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing an emerald green dress that hugged her curves snugly, she had reced her round sses with lens today and her long hair was tied in a low-ponytail.


    She contacted the clothing store she used to visit and asked the manager to hand over a few nice dresses and heels to her driver, who made the payment and delivered it to her at this address.


    She warned him to not mention her whereabouts to her mother.


    A person can keep lying about one thing everytime and there wille a time when they will be honest, but their words won''t be taken seriously at that time.


    And she felt like she was standing at that point right now. Since she kept lying to her mother about Jun Boyan, now even if she told her honestly that she identally ended up crashing at his ce, Shi Xia won''t buy her words.


    Earlier while talking to her mother, she felt weirdly emotional for some reason. She felt like crying so she rushed inside the room to not let him see her like that. She hoped he didn''t misunderstand it.


    After pping cold water on her face for around 15 minutes, she felt better than before.


    Shi Luo turned around to nce at the closed door, ''''I wonder what he is doing right now..''''


    As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.


    The corner of her lips twitched. Is it some telepathy or what?


    Shi Luo walked towards the door before opening it.


    ''''Are you going somewhere? Shall I¡­'''' his words halted when he raised his head from his phone to look at her. His gaze roamed on her from head to toe before it settled on her face, ''''...drop you?" He finished his sentence.


    Shi Luo turned her face to the side. When he was looking at her like that, she did not know why she was expecting him to make ament about her looks.


    Now that he didn''t do it, she felt a bit awkward but it was good that he had no idea what was on her mind.


    ''''No, my driver is here,'''' Shi Luo walked towards the mirror before looking at herself once again.


    ''''Are you not sure about what to wear?'''' he removed his sliders and climbed on the bed before leaning back on the headboard.


    Shi Luo looked at him.


    ''''I can help you,'''' he spoke up again while looking at the pile of clothes on the bed.


    ''''Thanks,'''' she was not certain which dress looked proper for the asion.


    ''''Try this one,'''' he pointed his finger towards a white dress on the edge of the bed.


    Shi Luo picked it up and walked inside the bathroom.


    As soon as she was out of his sight, Jun Boyan straightened up on the bed.

 Chapter 457 - Blind Date

    He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and grabbed the water bottle from the bedside table before drinking mouthfuls in one go. She was so gorgeous.


    By the time Shi Luo walked out of the bathroom, she felt something was amiss but she could not point her finger on what it was.


    Jun Boyan was leaning back on the headboard of the bed and his hair was slightly messy, his shirt was not buttoned properly giving her a glimpse of his broad chest.


    ''''What do you think?" she asked, quickly averting her gaze the moment he looked at her.


    Jun Boyan nced at her from head to toe. This time, she was dressed in a full-sleeved bodycon white dress which reached a few inches above her knees.


    ''''What''s the asion?"


    ''''Lunch.''''


    ''''Sexy.''''


    ''''What?" Shi Luo looked at him.


    He pointed his chin at her, ''''You are way too sexy for a lunch,'''' he said with a straight face before throwing a blue dress at her.


    ''''Oh,'''' Shi Luo caught it in a daze. She turned around and ran inside the bathroom.


    As the bathroom door closed, Jun Boyan picked the water bottle before drinking two more gulps from it.


    Inside the bathroom, Shi Luo could not help but look at her reddening face. She shook her head to get rid of her wayward thoughts.


    When she walked out of the room, Jun Boyan gulped before he opened his mouth, ''''This is perfect,'''' he said, looking at the ir blue dress.


    It was a deep neckline dress, slightly exposing her cleavage but it looked elegant on her because of the way she carried it.


    Shi Luo nced at her reflection in the mirror.


    ''''Wait¡­''''


    She stiffened when he spoke beside her ear. She did not realize when he approached her, ''''Mm?`` She nced at his reflection in the mirror.


    He was standing behind her as his body towered over hers,, ''''I will help you with the hair.''''


    Shi Luo''s lips parted slightly when hebed his fingers in her straightened hair, the tips of his fingers stroked her scalp and her neck arched slightly.


    ''''Don''t move,'''' he whispered, his warm breath caressing her neck.


    Shi Luo pursed her lips, not letting the sound of her uneven breathing echo in the empty room, ''''You look experienced in this,'''' she said, trying to shift her focus from the tingling sensations that she felt because of his touch.


    He paused, ''''Of course.''''


    ''''Have you done this for someone before?'''' Even though she was more than curious about his answer, it was not apparent in her casual voice.


    ''''No,'''' he answered before looking at her reflection in the mirror, ''''Perfect. It''s done now.''''


    So, he has never done it for anyone else before? A smile formed on her face unconsciously but she wiped it off as soon as she realized it.


    Shi Luo tilted her head to the side. Her straightened hair was now tied in a high ponytail, which highlighted her neckline further. She had to admit that he was very good at this.


    ''''You look stunning,'''' he said, his gaze was still fixated on her reflection in the mirror.


    ''''Thanks to you,'''' she smiled.


    Jun Boyan chuckled. Of course, he had to help her with this. Even though he knew she could handle it, he was still worried. From what he observed with the minimal encounters with Shi Luo''s mother, she was a perfectionist.


    And since Shi Luo was going to have lunch with her, he would have been constantly worried about her mother nitpicking anything that might make her further upset.


    Although he had no idea why Shi Luo was drunk yesterday, he could conclude it had something to do with her work or her mom. Other people who could affect her were her friends but all of them were currently busy with this or that. His sister-inw was busy with her work and his uing nephew/niece.


    So, whatever made Shi Luo upset must be something rted to work or her mother. Since she did not mention it to him, he did not ask her either. He believed she would talk about it if she wanted to.


    Shi Luo cursed herself inwardly as she walked towards the main door. For whatever weird reasons, she was not that enthusiastic about this blind date. But still, it was going to be her fault for daydreaming and beingte when there would be a person waiting for her there.


    ''''Slow down,'''' Jun Boyan said when he noticed her shuffling through the heels in a hurry.


    ''''I am in a hurry,'''' Shi Luo quickly wore her stilettos before she turned to look at him, ''''My driver will collect all my stuff from your ce.''''


    His lips parted when he heard that, ''''Are you noting back?''''


    ''''Huh? No¡­'''' Shi Luo was about to say something but her phone started ringing, ''''Shit..'''' she hurriedly answered the call.


    ''''Mom.. No no¡­ I am on my way. It will take me 20 minutes. Bluestone right?... Alright, ask him to wait a bit if he arrives earlier than me,'''' she hung up.


    Jun Boyan''s eyes narrowed. ''''He?" he asked.


    Shi Luo turned to look at him while adjusting her heels, ''''I am going on a blind date.''''


    He frowned.


    Shi Luo realized that she had yet to tell him about everything, ''''Mom knows that we were only pretending to be dating at that time.''''


    The corner of his lips twitched when she fled out of his sight as soon as she finished speaking.


    Jun Boyan weakly leaned on the wall, ''''So, all this while, I was dressing her up for her to eat with another man?" he mumbled through gritted teeth, ''''Good. Very good¡­'''' he smiled in self-mockery.


    The door opened and Yu Chen stepped inside. ''''Whose car was that?" He pointed his finger towards the door, ''''Shall I expect a sister-inw soon?" He came here to check on him and see if the people from Sunshine hospital are still trying to track him down but he did not expect to see someone walking out of his ce. A woman at that.. He caught a glimpse of the woman''s back before she stepped inside her car.

 Chapter 458 - Unrequited Love

    Hotel Bluestone.


    ''''Hahaha¡­'''' Shi Luo threw her head back as sheughed.


    ''''This guy seems to have a good sense of humor,'''' Yu Chen nodded as he nced at Jun Boyan, ''''But why are we acting like stalkers?" He adjusted the pink cap on his head. He had to beg for this from a young boy outside.


    They were sitting one table away from Shi Luo and her supposed blind date and Shi Luo could not see them because her back was facing towards them.


    Jun Boyan pulled his ck hoodie cap to cover his head properly. He leaned back on the chair, adjusting his shades, ''''Will a good sense of humor feed her?" he mocked.


    ''''That guy is wearing a luxury brand tuxedo, looks handsome, it won''t be a surprise if he is a second generation heir,'''' Yu Chen stroked his chin with his thumb, ''''And the woman¡­ She is wearing branded clothes as well and the mannerism speaks for itself. Although I can''t see her face, it doesn''t look like she is the kind of woman who needs a man to feed her. Moreover, Hotel Bluestone is not a ce where just anyone cane and go around.''''


    There was no response from Jun Boyan.


    Yu Chen turned to look at him, his eyes narrowed, ''''What has it got to do with you anyway?"


    No response.


    ''''She can be well-fed or she can starve. Why the heck are we acting like some creepy stalkers for the past 15 minutes,'''' Yu Chen red at a certain moody young master.


    No response.


    He was about to speak again when something clicked in his mind. He nced at Shi Luo''s dress before looking back at Jun Boyan, ''''Wait¡­ Is she the woman whom I saw at your ce?" He failed to notice it earlier because of his friend''s weird antics.


    Jun Boyan finally moved, he removed his shades and his eyes narrowed dangerously, ''''That bastard¡­'''' he spoke through gritted teeth.


    Yu Chen pulled back from him. He knew that his friend was a weirdo but? he didn''t have to prove it like this again and again.


    He slowly followed Jun Boyan''s gaze and noticed that there was some movement on the other table. The man was patting the girl''s hand very gently.


    ''''That bastard dared to touch her in the first 15 minutes they met. Did she tell me that her blind date is this jerk, huh?" Jun Boyan pushed himself to his feet.


    Yu Chen almost fell down the chair. ''''Calm down,'''' he grabbed Jun Boyan''s hand, trying to pull him down to his chair but his attempts were futile as it looked like the man was not going to budge until he wreaked havoc at the other table, ''''Damn. Do you think she will be very impressed if you go at her like a caveman? She would probably run away thinking that you are some toxic jerk who is jerkier than her current blind date.''''


    Yu Chen concluded that his friend must have fallen in love with this woman in short notice. If he had a love life, then why was no one aware of it?


    But then, all? this time, he has been living with his mother in Beijing, taking care of her, so it was impossible for him to go out dating. And even if he did, why would that girl be here, sitting on a blind date? After all, in what aspect was Jun Boyancking. Name, fame, looks, money, everything was perfectly enticing about this guy.


    He is the current Prince Charming of Crystal University, taking over the position of his elder brother. And that fact only made numerous girls keep him under their radar.


    So, on what basis will a girl ignore him and sit on some blind dating session?


    Yu Chen knew what it was.


    This thing was usually described in two words which will go down in history books in golden letters.


    ''Unrequited love''


    His friend, Jun Boyan, was loving this dy in blue'' one-sidedly. His love was intense. So much so that he was willing to watch her sitting with another guy so that rate the guy on the basis of whether he was worthy of her or not.


    But meanwhile, he was unable to control his caveman instincts when hisdyloveughed at another man''s words and when another man touched her.


    Yu Chen removed his thick rimmed sses. He sighed before shaking his head. His friend was living through a love greater than what was exined in those antique looking historical romance genre-based books.


    Unaware of his friend''s wild imagination, Jun Boyan quietly took a seat. Half of what Yu Chen said made a point. If he crashed her blind date like this, what if Shi Luo saw him as some crazy stalker?


    ''''You have been indifferent to these worldly mirages all your life. Look at you now,'''' Yu Chen patted his shoulder, looking at the man in pity.


    Jun Boyan frowned, ''''Have you lost your mind?"


    ''''Sigh¡­ I understand where you areing from. You don''t need to be embarrassed.''''


    Jun Boyan was about to snap at him when he saw something from the corner of his eyes. He tilted his head to get a clear view of what was transpiring at the other table.


    Shi Luo''s date was holding her index finger, stroking the tip gently and she was letting him. Damn, she was sitting in such a rxed posture.


    Don''t tell me she knows this bastard well.


    Jun Boyan ced his clenched fists on the table, the veins on the back of his hand popped up.


    ''''Unrequited love, my friend, is just this¡­'''' Yu Chen nced at the ceiling of the grand French restaurant, letting out another deep sigh, ''''Bitter yet sweet, pain yet relief, tears yet smile¡­.Haish, shall I just be a writer? I think I have that in me,'''' he mumbled under his breath.


    The situation on the other table was pr opposite from what these two people had imagined.

 Chapter 459 - Childhood Friend

    15 minutes ago.


    Shi Luo rushed inside the restaurant as she looked around the ce, trying to find the man ording to her mother''s description.


    Brown hair, ck tuxedo, golden phoenix brooch, green eyes¡­. She looked around for any possible person.


    At this moment, she just wanted to go back to Jun Boyan''s ce and have the food he prepared before taking a nap on his King-sized bed in the room that he let her stay in.


    Dammit. Why must my mind chant his name over and over again?


    ''''She should have just sent me the picture instead¡­'''' Shi Luo muttered under her breath. As if the day could go any worse for her.


    ''''Maybe your mother wanted you to go through this thrill?" came a calm andposed voice from behind.


    Shi Luo turned around within an instant and her eyes locked with a pair of forest green eyes.


    Green eyes. Check.


    ck tuxedo. Check.


    A phoenix brooch. Check.


    Brown hair. Check.


    Shi Luo approached him, ''''Are you Aunt Wang''s nephew?"


    ''''Distant nephew, precisely,'''' the man stood up to help with the chair.


    Shi Luo waved her hand, ''''It''s fine. I will manage,'''' Jun Boyan is usually the one who does such things for her and she did not want to think of him at this moment so it was better to avoid such stuff altogether.


    The man raised an eyebrow before walking back to his seat.


    ''Shi Luo, you can do it,'' she just had to nail this blind date and her mother would be happy. It was easy, wasn''t it?


    Shi Luo nced at the man and she went in a daze the moment her gaze settled on his face.


    ''''How long do you intend to keep staring at me?" he picked up the ss of wine before taking a sip from it.


    ''''You look familiar,'''' Shi Luo frowned. His face was such a highlight. If she saw him before then why would she forget about it?


    And then it suddenly dawned on her. The memories ofst night circled in her mind.


    ''Gotta¡­ hup¡­ Gotta say that you are the most handsome man I saw in thest 24 hours.''


    Shi Luo had the urge to bang her head on the table. Wasn''t he the man whom she met at the bar?


    Who knew he would turn out to be her blind date.


    ''''You look embarrassed,'''' the man remarked.


    Shi Luo held back the urge to re at him. Even if she was embarrassed, it was not a gentleman''s quality to say it on her face, especially not when they literally met a few minutes ago, excluding yesterday''s drunken encounter.


    ''Boyan would never do it,'' As soon as the thought passed her mind, she chased it away.


    Why was she evenparing her date with him?


    The manughed, looking at theplicated expressions on her face. He could more or less guess what she was thinking about, ''''Well, this is not the first time we met¡­''''


    ''''I was drunk yesterday,'''' Shi Luo was bbergasted inwardly. How did he know what she was thinking? But then upon a closer look, the aura he gave off was anything but ordinary.


    ''''Yesterday was not our first encounter as well,'''' he swirled the wine in the ss, pretty much enjoying the look of confusion on her face.


    ''''Why don''t I remember it then?" Shi Luo looked at his face keenly, his skin was crystal clear, ''''Did you probably go under the knife?"


    ''''Huh?"


    ''''Why can''t I recognize you if we met before unless you got some stic surgery?'''' she eyed him suspiciously.


    The man was speechless. He coughed, ''''Well, it''s not like that,'''' he sighed, ''''I used to be your neighbor. Remember now?''''


    ''''I have changed many house countless times, had many neighbors, which one are you talking about?'''' Why didn''t she remember this pretty faced neighbor?


    ''''The one who had a flu and you ran after him with a long needle to inject him,'''' Just the memory of it was terrible to him. Needles have been quite scary to him and the sight of baby Shi Luo holding a needle and running after him with two swaying pigtails was scarier. He had nightmares for a few days.


    The realization dawned on Shi Luo, ''''You are¡­ Caleb?" Shi Luo remembered that pale-faced skinny 6 year old guy Yu Mei and her used to y with. Han Jian Yu would usually shoo him away from them but he would persistently bounce back.


    Caleb leaned back on his chair before taking another sip of his wine, ''''Indeed.''''


    As much as Shi Luo remembered, his English name was Caleb. His father was from the US if she remembered it correctly and his mother was from Amaranthine hence his unique features.


    ''''You have changed a lot," no wonder she could not recognize him. He looked entirely different from how he was back then. Not to mention that kids'' facial features change with age.Only the pair of forest green eyes were the same as before.


    ''''Same goes to you,'''' Caleb shrugged under her curious gaze, ''''I didn''t recognize you yesterday. It was not until I got to know the name of my date and saw your picture today? did I realize it.''''


    ''''Wait¡­'''' Shi Luo shed him a ''wtf'' look, ''''You came here despite knowing it was me? Are you¡­ serious about this blind date?'''' She asked this question because she did not know how serious she was about this date when she kept thinking of Jun Boyan all the while.


    Even though she took a step forward and decided to forget the sparks that flew briefly in between them, it was going to take some time.


    She has spent months under the same roof with Jun Boyan. Because of the kind of person he was, it was impossible for anyone to not have a soft corner for him. She was not a rock to not feel anything for him after all their time together.


    It was not that she has never encountered guys. She did. But Jun Boyan was the kind of man who was different from them all. He held her gaze every time he walked past her, he had her entire attention when he talked.


    She was attracted to him.


    ''''Yes,'''' Caleb nodded, breaking the trail of her thoughts.


    She looked at him, waiting for him to continue his words.

 Chapter 460 - He Knows You

    ''''I think my parents will like you,'''' Caleb said.


    Shi Luo''s jaws dropped, ''''You want to marry me because your parents will like me.''''


    ''''Let us not bring marriage in this equation for now¡­''''


    ''''Why would youe to a blind date if you don''t want to marry?'''' Shi Luo interrupted him. Did he lose a few screws in his head while growing up?


    Caleb pursed his lips. He did not remember thest time he talked so much in barely a few minutes, ''''I am sitting on this blind date mainly because of circumstances that need me to get married. Marrying you on the other hand, is another thing. We were friends back when we were young but now we can get to know each other. If we hit off, we can take the next step," he tilted his head to the side, cing his chin on his fist.


    Shi Luo leaned back on the chair. His words made sense but¡­


    Her phone vibrated in her hand. She looked at the text she received from her mother.


    Mom: Is the blind date going well?


    Shi Luo replied with a ''yes''.


    Mom: I forgot to tell you that he used toe to our ce when you all were young.


    Shi Luo: He just told me.


    Mom: Luoluo, I have looked into the information about him, I had asked Jian Yu to check about it. Caleb is a nice guy, with a great background. He is rich but is not arrogant. He treats his staff like family and is a very gentle person. I believe he is the perfect man for you.. Do not disappoint me. Now stop talking to me and focus on him.


    At this moment, Shi Luo felt a warmth on her hand that was resting on the table.


    She was startled for a moment when she saw Caleb''s palm on hers, ''''Did something happen?'''' she asked when she noticed the worried look on his face.


    ''''No, I called you but you were not responding. Are you fine?" when she nodded, he tapped the back of her palm twice before retracting his hand, ''''Where is the energetic Shi Luo who ran after me with a 1.5 inch needle?"


    ''''Who remembers the length of the needle?" Shi Luo was speechless.


    ''''Of course, it gave me nightmares for days.''''


    ''''Hahaha¡­'''' Shi Luo threw her head back as sheughed. Now that she thought about it, she was a bit scary that day.


    ''''Interesting,'''' Caleb whispered.


    ''''What?" Shi Luo stoppedughing.


    He shed his palm in front of her eyes, ''''Do you think my hand is so pretty that one can''t take their eyes off it?"


    Shi Luo looked at his hand, ''''It looks decent but why would anyone stare at it?" she rolled her eyes. Who will bother to stare at a hand?


    ''''Exactly. But the man who is sitting on the table behind us is doing exactly that.''''


    Shi Luo was about to turn around but he stopped her by grabbing her index finger.


    She turned to look at him.


    ''''Please allow me to hold your finger for 15 seconds,'''' he said.


    Shi Luo was speechless. She found it weird but since he asked so politely, she nodded.


    He stroked her finger and Jun Boyan stood up from his chair.


    Caleb chuckled before letting go of her finger, ''''As expected,'''' he whispered as he watched Yu Chen calming Jun Boyan.


    ''''Huh?" Shi Luo was a bit confused.


    ''''The table behind us¡­ I think one of the men sitting there knows you.''''


    ''''Oh?'''' Shi Luo turned around to look at the table where two men were sitting, dressed in ck outfits. She nced at the unfamiliar man who had curly hair. He was wearing thick rimmed sses, ''''I don''t think I know him.''''


    ''''Nope, not that one,'''' Caleb said, ''''The one who is sitting beside him, holding a magazine upside down in his hands.''''


    Shi Luo turned to look at the man. He was holding a magazine in his hand and all she could see was his ck hoodie but he looked familiar somehow.


    She stared at him for quite some time before turning around to talk to Caleb, ''''I don''t think¡­'''' she paused speaking mid-way and quickly turned around to look at that table.


    ¡­


    Yu Chen sighed in relief, ''''Finally, she turned around,'''' he nced at Jun Boyan, ''''Now you can put that magazine down.''''


    Jun Boyan ced his magazine on the table. He removed the cap from his head, and discarded his shades on the table before leaning back on the chair.


    ''''As painful as this is, I think we must leave now. They are suspicious. You don''t want the love of your life to give you a ''stalker'' tag, do you¡­?"


    He paused, noticing the slight change in Jun Boyan''s expressions. He could not be affected by his words that easily, right?


    But then, he felt something amiss.


    He followed Jun Boyan''s gaze and his jaws dropped when he saw that woman standing up and approaching them.


    How embarrassing was this. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself inside it. Wait¡­ why did she look familiar the more he looked at her?


    ''''Boyan, what are you doing here?" Shi Luo looked around the ce before looking at Jun Boyan. She wondered if he had some ns. But then, why was he hiding from her earlier?


    ''''Having lunch,'''' Jun Boyan answered her with a straight face, ''''This is Yu Chen, my friend.''''


    Yu Chen nodded, ''''Hello sis¡­ cough¡­ Miss?''''


    ''''Shi Luo,'''' she extended her hand towards him, ''''Nice to meet you.''''


    He held her hand before shaking it, ''''Nice to meet you too¡­'''' Yu Chen stopped speaking, ''''Shi Luo?! Are you Dr. Shi?" That famous top skin specialist?


    ''''Yes.''''


    Yu Chen felt like today was too much for him. First of all, his frigid friend has fallen for a girl. But his love is unrequited. Then, the girl he loves is on a blind date. Last but not the least, she is none other than Shi Luo.


    ''''I didn''t expect to bump into you both here,'''' came an excited voice from behind which got their attention.

 Chapter 461 - Punctured Tyre

    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at the person who was approaching them. It was that girl whom she saw getting inside Jun Boyan''s car yesterday. He even opened the door for her and he let her hold his hand.


    Yu Chen suddenly thought of something, ''''Dr. Shi, do you want to join us for lunch?"


    Before Shi Luo could say anything, Jun Boyan spoke up, ''''Her date is waiting for her. I''m worried she can''t join us.''''


    ''''Of course, I can''t. I don''t want to make him wait,'''' You were shooing me away when she came. Shi Luo masked her inner thoughts with a sweet smile. She turned around and walked back to the table where Caleb was.


    Caleb eyed all of them quietly.


    Yu Chen red at Jun Boyan, ''''I was creating an opportunity for you. Why did you have to ruin it?"


    Jun Boyan picked up the ss of wine and gulped it down. She sure seems excited about this blind date.


    ''''What opportunity?'''' The girl came to stand behind them. She looked at both of them curiously, ''''Who was she?" she nced at Shi Luo.


    Jun Boyan did not answer her, ''''What are you doing here?" he asked, without taking his gaze off Shi Luo.


    ''''I was here to meet some of my friends,'''' The girl answered, ''''I didn''t expect to meet you both here.''''


    Yu Chen looked at her and sighed in pity, ''''Your cousin is feeling his youth.''''


    ''''Huh?"


    ''''Go meet your friends,'''' Jun Boyan said.


    ''''Yes, I''ll see you guyster,'''' with that said, she left in a hurry.


    ''''Are we going to sit here?" Yu Chen frowned.


    Jun Boyan nced at Shi Luo for a few seconds before he pushed himself to his feet, ''''Let''s go.''''


    Coincidentally, Shi Luo had turned around to look at him at this moment. ''He left?'' she thought, looking at his retreating back. Didn''t he say he was here for lunch? Why did he leave?


    ''''I see there are things brewing here,'''' Caleb leaned back on his chair, eyeing Shi Luo meaningfully.


    Shi Luo turned to look at him. She thought about her mother''s words, ''''About what you said regarding marriage¡­. You want to get married because of certain circumstances, right?"


    The man nodded, ''''Don''t tell me you have already made a decision,'''' In fact, the matter of marriage was the only thing that he was not certain about in his life.


    ''''I have,'''' Shi Luo nced at him in determination.


    In the parking lot.


    ''''Dammit.''''


    As she was walking towards her car, Shi Luo was greeted by the sight of Jun Boyan kicking his car, frustration apparent on his face, ''''I thought you left already,'''' she approached the man.


    ''''I have been standing here for half an hour, the tyre has punctured somehow,'''' he pointed his finger towards his car.


    Shi Luo nced at the punctured tyre before looking at him, ''''You could have¡­''''


    ''''My phone is dead,'''' he interrupted her, ''''So, I can''t call the driver or book a cab.''''


    ''''What about your friend?"


    ''''I discovered this after he left.''''


    ''''I will drop you at your ce. How about this?"


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''That''s a good idea,'''' he grabbed the car key from her hand and walked towards her car.


    Shi Luo followed him, ncing at his back questioningly.


    ''''You were on a blind date. It must have tired you out. I will drive,'''' he smiled sweetly, shing his dimples. He walked to the other side of the car before opening the door for her.


    ''''But¡­''''


    ''''Why do you look so pale? Are you sleepy? Come, quickly get inside so I can take you home to rest,'''' he looked at her face.


    Shi Luo ced a palm on her face. She looked pale? Did she look ugly? It must be the alcohol from yesterday. She quietly entered the car without further arguments.


    The corner of his lips briefly tugged up.


    ¡­


    ''''So, you live here?"


    Shi Luo nodded, ''''Thanks for driving me home. Do you want toe inside for a cup of tea?" She was going to drop him at his ce. She still did not understand how it turned out the other way.


    ''''Sure, thanks,'''' Jun Boyan smiled, ''''I will need to charge my phone as well.''''


    ''''Yes,'''' Shi Luo opened the door with her fingerprint before she stepped inside, ''''This is where I used to live before I moved to Beijing.''''


    Jun Boyan looked around the ce. It was not very grand and the space was small as well but it felt cozy and warm.


    His ce was awfully cold even after he renovated it.


    After putting his phone on ''charge'', Jun Boyan ''suggested'' that since it was going to take some time he would make tea for them.


    Shi Luo showed him the way to the kitchen.


    As he prepared the tea, he casually asked, ''''So, how did the blind date go?"


    ''''It was nice,'''' Shi Luo answered, her gaze focused on his long slender fingers. In fact, she was very nervous about how it would turn out to be but surprisingly her date was that guy so it was pretty much casual and chill.


    He looked at her face, ''''You seem very happy,'''' he remarked.


    She nodded, ''''Because I am.''''


    His movements paused. Was she that happy because the blind date turned out to be good?


    ''''Oh, you know, he is actually my childhood friend. I didn''t know anything about it until he mentioned it to me. We used to be neighbors back then and Mei and I used to y with him. There was a time he caught a cold, and I ran after him with a needle to inject him,'''' sheughed at the reminder of it.


    At this point, Jun Boyan had stopped making tea. His attention was solely focused on her and his eyes visibly darkened when he heard her words.


    ''''He used to be so scared of needles that he got nightmares over it for days....''''

 Chapter 462 - An Apple Instead Of Flowers

    ''''He used to be so scared of needles that he got nightmares over it for days. He even remembers the length of the needle. Mmm.. Did he say it was 1.5 inch?'''' Shi Luoughed, ''''But on a serious note, he seems like a nice person¡­''''


    ''''Enough,'''' he interrupted her.


    Shi Luo blinked.


    He ced a palm on either side of the kitchen counter and stepped closer to her, ''''Enough of your blind date. Tell me your thoughts about our kiss¡­. Kisses I mean.''''


    Her eyes widened.


    ''''It seems you didn''t forget it at all.''''


    Shi Luo cleared her throat, ''''What are you talking about?" Her reaction earlier was a huge giveaway. It was toote to pretend that she had one-night-amnesia in which she forgot everything after getting drunk.


    ''''You kissed me yesterday,'''' he looked into her eyes, ''''What is that supposed to mean?'''' he asked.


    ''''I was drunk yesterday. idents happen,'''' she averted her gaze. Why was he talking about this all of a sudden? Didn''t they silently agree on keeping quiet on this matter?


    ''''Oh, is it?" He raised an eyebrow, ''''When I initiated the kiss back when we were in Beijing, you didn''t seem to dislike it. You kissed me back. Was that an ident too?"


    Shi Luo bit her bottom lips, ''''Yeah,'''' she mumbled, not daring ro looking at him.


    He pinched her chin, tilting her face towards him, ''''Luoluo, what do you take me as, huh? Do you think I am unaffected when you are gushing about another man right in front of me?"


    ''''I was not gushing about him. I was just telling you what kind of person he was¡­''''


    He shut her up with a fleeting kiss, ''''Mention him once again and I swear this won''t stop.''''


    Shi Luo pursed her lips.


    ''''You feel nothing for me?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted his other hand, his fingers removed the hairband with expertise, letting her hair fall freely.


    Shi Luo did not respond for a long time but his persistent gaze never wavered. ''''We are notpatible,'''' she whispered after a long time.


    ''''Do you have feelings for me?" he asked, ying with the tip of her hair.


    The corner of her lips twitched, ''''My mom will never agree to it.''''


    ''''Do you have feelings for me?" He tucked her hair behind her ear.


    Was he going to avoid her words till he got an answer? ''''I am not sure if it will work out or not and if you feel the same¡­''''


    ''''Yes or no,'''' he interrupted her and looked into her eyes seriously.


    Shi Luo gulped. After a few moments of silence between them, she spoke up, ''''Mild feelings. Yes.''''


    ''''I like you too,'''' he whispered against her lips.


    Shi Luo was stunned, ''''I said mild feelings. I didn''t confess to you,'''' What did he mean by ''too''?


    ''''Count it as me confessing then,'''' he said with a straight face even though his heart was racing with nervousness and anticipation, ''''I have liked you since a long time.''''


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    His arm loosened around her waist and he stepped back from her. He grabbed an apple from the fruit basket beforeing down on one of his knees. He extended his hand towards her, ''''Although I don''t have flowers at the moment but it''s not going to stop me from telling you that I like you a lot,'''' he tilted his head to look at her, ''''Will you be my girlfriend, Luoluo?"


    Her heart was racing wildly and she could hear the sound of her heartbeats loud and clear in her ears. ''''I¡­'''' she did not know what to say. She felt somewhat giddy.


    He waited patiently, looking into her eyes and still holding the apple in his hand.


    ''''But¡­ but¡­'''' Shi Luo pointed her finger at him, ''''What about that girl who was holding your hand? You even opened the car door for her¡­'''' she mumbled under her breath.


    Jun Boyan frowned, ''''Who¡­'''' he paused as the realization dawned on him, ''''I will tell you the truth but first, you need to answer me.''''


    ''''You are not going to scam me, are you?"


    ''''Ah, this apple sure is heavy,'''' Jun Boyan was about to retract his hand but Shi Luo quickly grabbed the apple from his hand.


    ''''I like you too,'''' she turned her face aside, a red tint creeping up to her cheeks.


    He pushed himself to his feet and the corner of his lips tugged up, ''''You need to take a bite of it since you have epted it,'''' he folded his arms in front of his chest as he nced at the apple.


    Shi Luo munched on the apple, biting it from one corner.


    He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.


    ''''What?'''' he asked as? her eyes widened by their sudden proximity, ''''Now, you need to share it as well,'''' he sucked her bottom lips.


    Shi Luo gulped the apple, her mind freezing and crashing for a few seconds.


    ''''How sweet,'''' he whispered against her lips, ''''I thought our third kiss was going to take a very long time. It sure as hell would have tested my patience. Good that you are mine now.''''


    She blushed. She did not understand how she ended up acting like a teenager around him all the time.


    Shi Luo wrapped her arms around his neck, ''''It didn''t take a long time,'''' she stood up on her tiptoes and leaned closer to him.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist to support her body.


    Just as their lips were about to touch, the doorbell started ringing.


    Shi Luo stiffened.


    ''Damn, this crazy doorbell,'' Jun Boyan tried his best to not let it affect him but a vein popped on his forehead.


    ''''I''ll check,'''' Shi Luo coughed twice.


    ''''Yes¡­'''' Jun Boyan nced at the kitchen cabs quietly.


    Shi Luo cleared her throat before running away.


    He folded his arms in front of his chest and turned to look at her retreating back.

 Chapter 463 - Did He Faint There?

    ''''Boyan,'''' Shi Luo dashed back towards him within a minute. She pressed her hands on the kitchen cab. Her hair fell in front of her shoulder in a mess as she lowered her head and panted softly.


    ''''Luoluo?" He blinked, tucking her hair behind her ear.


    ''''Mom is here,'''' she whispered.


    He nodded, ''''I shall greet her then. Come, I will open the door.''''


    She grabbed his hand.


    He nced at her with a questioning look on his face.


    ''''She knows that we were pretending.''''


    He sighed, ''''But we can tell her that we are dating now,'''' he tilted his head to the side. These words¡­ they tasted like honey in his mouth and sounded like music to his ears.


    Shi Luo let go of his hand, ''''No¡­ that¡­ I think she kind of dislikes you now.''''


    ''''Huh? What did I do?" he blinked, looking at her grievously.


    Shi Luo patted his head, ''''Remember, you initiated the lie at that time.''''


    When Shi Xia found him at Shi Luo''s ce and questioned her about why she was living with a man, it was Jun Boyan who told her that they were dating.


    ''''But that¡­ that was to help you out in that situation,'''' he whispered, ''''...And to stick around in your life with an excuse.''''


    How cute! Shi Luo kissed his cheek.


    ''Ring¡­ Ring.. Ring..''


    Shi Luo stiffened. She grabbed his wrist before dragging him to her bedroom.


    ''''Hey, what are you doing?"


    ''''Shhh,'''' Shi Luo pushed him inside, ''''Stay there quietly.''''


    Just as she was about to close the door, he thrust his foot forward, stopping the door from closing. He leaned towards her and sucked her bottom lips, taking them between his teeth, ''''Quietly, sure.''''


    Shi Luo could feel her face burning.


    ''''Mom,'''' Shi Luo opened the door and greeted the woman.


    ''''Why did it take you so long to open the door?'''' Shi Xia frowned. She has been waiting here for a long time already.


    ''''Uh¡­'''' Shi Luo blinked.


    ''''Are you sick, Luoluo?'''' Shi Xia interrupted her.


    ''''Huh?"


    ''''Your face is red.''''


    ''''Cough¡­Mom, don''t just stand there. Come inside,'''' Shi Luo changed the topic.


    ''''When did youe back?" Shi Xia asked as they stepped inside the house.


    Shi Luo closed the door behind her, ''''It has been half an hour. I was making some tea.''''


    ''''That''s great. I''d like a cup of tea as well,'''' Shi Xia entered the kitchen, ''''Hmm? Two cups? Do you have a guest?" she asked, after noticing the two cups kept on the kitchen counter.


    Shi Luo bit the insides of her cheeks. ''''I was kind of thirsty so I thought I should have 2-3 cups of tea,'''' it sounded absurd to her own ears.


    But luckily her mom did not question her further.


    As they walked back to the couch in the living room, holding the teacups, Shi Xia spoke up, ''''How did it go? Did you like him?"


    ''''Well, Mom. He said he sees me as a friend and not as woman.''''


    Shi Luo thought about heer conversation with Caleb.


    ''''About what you said regarding marriage¡­. You want to get married because of certain circumstances, right?" she asked him.


    ''''Don''t tell me you have already made a decision?''''


    ''''I have,'''' Shi Luo nced at him in determination, ''''I don''t think I am in for this marriage. Even for dating. I have someone I like at this moment so I don''t find it appropriate to give it a try with you. It''s an insult to my feelings for him and to you as well.''''


    Caleb quietly nced at her face.


    Shi Luo tapped her finger on the table. Was he offended? But she did not find anything wrong with what she said. Even though Jun Boyan and her were not dating and the future looked as bleak as it could, she can''t deny her feelings for him.


    Whether her feelings for him were fleeting or not, time will decide but at the moment, she felt ufortable with the idea of being with any other man when her mind was only thinking of him.


    ''''Good to know that,'''' Caleb said, interrupting her thoughts, ''''In fact, although I need to get married, but I don''t think I will be able to see you as anything other than a good friend. I don''t think it will work out between us.''''


    Shi Luo smiled. She was relieved. Because he was not a stranger and she knew him when she was kid, thatplicated things for her.


    She was not sure about how she was going to reject him without offending him.


    But things turned out pretty well in the end.


    ***


    Shi Xia massaged her forehead, ''''I didn''t consider it. My daughter is so perfect. I didn''t expect for you to be rejected by a man,'''' she sighed.


    Shi Luo lowered her head and took a sip of tea, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. She wished she could tell her mother how happy she was that this blind date did not work out but then she also did not want to disappoint her by doing that.


    Shi Xia absent-mindedly picked up the cup and it was angled in the process causing a little tea to spill on her dress.


    ''''Ah..'''' she ced the teacup on the table.


    Shi Luo quickly stood up, ''''Mom, are you alright?"


    Shi Xia nodded, ''''That''s fine. The tea had gone cold so I was not scalded by it.''''


    Shi Luo sighed in relief. She handed her a few tissue papers from the tissue box kept on the coffee table.


    She went to ce the cups in the kitchen and to get some water for Shi Xia.


    Shi Xia sighed, ''''I should just wash it,'''' her clothes were feeling sticky at the moment, ''''Luoluo, I am going to your room to wash up.''''


    ''''Yes¡­ huh?" Shi Luo froze. She stood rooted to her spot, staring at her retreating back.


    It was after a long time that she finally moved. She ran towards her room but her mother had already pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    ''''Mom,'''' Shi Luo screamed.


    Shi Xia turned around to nce at her, ''''What happened? Why are you being so loud?"


    ''''I¡­ I.. You¡­ Come out of my room,'''' she stood near the door, her gaze sneakily roaming past the bed and curtains. Where was Jun Boyan? Was he inside the bathroom?


    ''''But I need to wash up,'''' Shi Xia was speechless.


    ''''The pipes have burst so the bathroom is not working properly. How about you use the bathroom in the guest room?''''


    ''''Why didn''t you call the plumber?"


    ''''I forgot.''''


    Shi Xia nced at her peach colored dress, ''''I guess I will just put up with this. I should leave now.''''


    Shi Luo nodded, ''''Yes.''''


    ''''Haish¡­.'''' Shi Xia sighed. She wanted to spend some time with her daughter today but her usually calm andposed daughter appeared a bit unstable today.


    Maybe it was because of the rejection. No woman likes to be rejected by a man no matter how she sees him or despite the fact if she likes him or not.


    ''''Luoluo¡­'''' Shi Xia paused near the door.


    ''''Yes?'''' Shi Luo nced at her mother cutely with doe-eyes. Maybe acting cute would help in not being suspicious at this moment.


    ''''After everything that has happened, I hope you will stay away from Jun Boyan.''''


    Shi Luo stiffened, ''''Huh?"


    ''''You are smart, you should know what I mean.''''


    ''''Mom, do you not like him anymore?" Even though she had a hunch she still asked to be sure about it.


    ''''It''s not that I don''t like him. He is my friend''s son and he has grown up into a fine man. But if we are talking about a suitable partner for you, then I won''t consider him anymore. He initiated the lie that you both are dating, that fact alone makes him a bad option. Once a liar, always a liar. I am not calling him a liar as a person but I don''t like any kind of deception when ites to rtionships.''''


    ''''But¡­''''


    ''''No buts. Did I make my point clear or not?"


    ''''Yes.''''


    After Shi Xia left, Shi Luo locked the main door and went back to her bedroom. She slumped on the bed. Her mother''s words continued ringing in her head until she suddenly remembered something.


    Jun Boyan was supposed to be in her room too.


    She quickly sat up on the bed, ''''Boyan?"


    There was no response.


    She dashed inside the bathroom but there were no signs of him. Where did he go to hide when her mother entered the bedroom?


    Shi Luo checked behind the curtains. She even peeked from the window, wondering if he jumped off from such a height.


    ''''Boyan, where did you go?'''' Shi Luo looked around her room.. Her gaze stopped on the wardrobe. Did he hide there in a hurry but ended up fainting due to breathlessness? Was that why he was not responding to her?

 Chapter 464 - Cousin

    Shi Luo walked towards the wardrobe, ''''Boyan,'''' she called out again but there was no response from inside.


    Shi Luo hesitated before she took a step closer to open the wardrobe. ''''Ahh¡­'''' As soon as the door opened, she was pulled inside and a gasp left her mouth.


    She was now sitting on Jun Boyan''sp and she couldn''t help but feel shy. This was no an everyday urrence to her.


    ''''I called you so many times. Why didn''t you respond?" she asked softly.


    ''''Umm¡­ Maybe because I wanted to pull you here,'''' Jun Boyan tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, ''''That would not have been possible if I responded right?"


    ''''Right,'''' Shi Luo coughed.


    ''''Your mom dislikes me,'''' Jun Boyan sighed.


    ''''She does,'''' Shi Luo admitted. Even she could sense the change in her mother''s tone when Jun Boyan was mentioned, ''''She is intolerant of lies.''''


    Jun Boyan closed his eyes, there was a hint of regret in his heart, ''''In fact, I was quite impulsive back then but¡­ I regretted it the next day. I felt like I should not have lied. This is the first time I had such feelings and all I wanted was to stick to you,'''' He would have had to leave eventually but when her mother saw them together, he took it as a chance and impulsively introduced himself as her boyfriend.


    If he did not do that, he was certain that they would have gone in separate ways. And that was thest thing that he wanted at that moment. He wanted to stay with her, to spend more time with her.


    Maybe things would not have ended like this if he had a little experience. He was not going to admit that though.


    ''''Have you been crushing on me all this while?" Shi Luo asked, stunned.


    ''''Mmm..'''' His cheeks were slightly red.


    ''''Since when?" she blinked.


    ''''Since the day we met at mom''s vi. When you were pushed by Yu Jinhai and we identally kissed. It started there maybe,'''' he confessed.


    She thought back to the time and her lips parted, ''''It has been a long time since then. We all havee so far and a lot has happened during this period.''''


    He nodded.


    Shi Luo cleared her throat, ''''Why didn''t you confess? You acted like a friend all the time,'''' And here she kept ming herself for having all sorts of rated thoughts for him.


    He blinked, ''''I didn''t know how to.''''


    ''''Were you shy?" Shi Luo ended upughing.


    He pressed the tip of her nose, ''''How do I coax my future mother-inw?"


    ''''Who is your mother-inw? We just started dating. What makes you sure that we will marry each other? If anything, we might break up as well,'''' Shi Luo had a streat of pessimism in her when it came to rtionships and dating. She could not help her thoughts.


    He tilted her chin with his index finger and pulled her closer, ''''I don''t think so,'''' He was adamant on her and so was his heart. It had to be Shi Luo, no one else.


    Her heart skipped a beat under his intense gaze.


    Jun Boyan angled her head and leaned closer to her. Shi Luo instinctively closed her eyes as she let her hands rest on his chest.


    The moment their lips met, her heart skipped a beat. His finger shifted from her chin to the back of her head. His fingers raked inside her ear as he gently kissed her lips.


    She closed her eyes, feeling a strange warmth creeping up her body. She leaned closer to him and kissed him back, taking his bottom lips between her teeth.


    He increased the intensity of the kiss as his tongue thrust inside her mouth. He sucked and nibbled on her lips alternatively.


    Shi Luo moaned, her soft moan drowned in the sounds of their pants.


    Jun Boyan pulled back from her and leaned his forehead against hers.


    Shi Luo lowered her eyes, ''''Are you going to sit here all day?''''


    ''''Why not?"


    Her jaws dropped. He was not serious, was he?


    He chuckled. cing a hand on her upper back, he ced the other behind her knees and pulled her closer to himself before stepping out of the wardrobe.


    ''''It''s good that your wardrobe is huge or else I might have ended up suffering today,'''' he looked at her with a grievous look on his face.


    ''''Are you alright? Is it hurting somewhere?'''' Shi Luo was worried.


    Jun Boyanughed as he ced her on the bed.


    She paused for a moment before realizing that he was just pulling her leg. She red at him.


    ''''I can''t help it. You look too adorable,'''' he sat beside her on the bed.


    ''''Hmph!'''' Shi Luo turned her face to the side. But after a moment, she nced at him.


    ''''Hmm?" he could feel her gaze burning a hole through his face.


    ''''You said that you will tell me,'''' she paused for a moment before adding, ''''About that girl.''''


    ''''Why do you want to know?"


    ''''I am¡­ just curious,'''' she was going to sound petty if she said she did not like him doing such stuff for other girls, be it opening the car door or be it letting them hold his hand.


    ''''Oh? Curious?" As she nodded, he added, ''''Are you sure it''s not jealousy that we are talking about?"


    Shi Luo was inwardly embarrassed having been called out by him but she decided to be thick skinned this time, ''''It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me about her. You don''t have to go in circles.''''


    He held her hand, ''''She is my cousin.''''


    Shi Luo''s lips parted. She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself inside but s she could only think about it.


    ''''From the paternal side,'''' Jun Boyan said after some time, his tone was indifferent as if hecked affection for that side of the family, ''''Do you know Han Zihao?"


    ''''Oh, that jerk.. Of course, I know him. Isn''t he Mei''s ex boyfriend?"

 Chapter 465 - Who was that?

    ''''Sister-inw''s ex boyfriend?'''' It was Jun Boyan''s turn to be stunned.


    ''''You didn''t know about it?"


    He shook his head.


    ''''They used to date way back in the past and the time when Zixuan and Mei came to Amaranthine and lived in your family mansion, he started pestering her again.''''


    ''''How is that possible? Isn''t he engaged to Su Ning?''''


    ''''Sigh¡­ You are not updated about it,'''' Shi Luo shook her head, ''''His fiancee dumped him. I am not sure of the details about how she did that but from what Mei told me, they are over. It''s an obvious thing when he was try to chase Mei again. Why would she tolerate a man like him? And she left to focus on her career overseas.''''


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''I see.''''


    Shi Luo noticed one thing. It was not his style to be not well informed about matters. But since he was not aware of such a big thing happening in his family, it either meant that he was busy the past days or maybe he was not fond of his family, at least not to the point of paying heed to any of their matters.


    She did not contemte further on which option would be feasible, ''''Why did you mention Jun Zihao?"


    ''''That girl you asked about¡­ she is Jun Zihao''s cousin, Yang Shiyi. So, she is kind of my distant cousin and we grew up together,'''' he quickly added, ''''I treat her as a sister, nothing else.''''


    She had the urge tough at his cute face as he tried to assure her about it. So, things turned out to bepletely opposite of what she had assumed.


    Shi Luo was aware of the fact that Jun Zihao was Jun Zixuan''s and Jun Boyan''s half brother. So, it was obvious that the rtionship between them was quite sour.


    ''''How about your family? Are you close to them?" Shi Luo asked curiously.


    Jun Boyan stroked her hair, ''''Shall we go on a date tomorrow?'''' he asked.


    Did she overstep her boundaries?. It looked like he was notfortable when talking about his family.


    ''''Sure, let''s go on a date tomorrow,'''' she smiled at him.


    The next day.


    Shi Luo nced at the grand amusement park infront of them, "Do I look like a child?'''' She was speechless. Whoes to date in an amusement park?


    Jun Boyan blinked, ''''Are adults not allowed toe here?"


    ''''They can but I didn''t expect you to bring me here.''''


    He scratched the back of his neck, ''''I have never been to a ce like this so I got curious. This amusement park was inaugurated recently.''''


    Shi Luo tilted her to the side, ''''What do you mean by you have never been to an amusement park? This is not moon we are talking about¡­''''


    He held her hand and pulled her inside with him, "How about you? Do you like amusement parks?"


    ''''Of course, I love them,'''' Shi Luo let him pull her but her footsteps slowed down when she realized something, ''''Why does it feel so empty around here today?" Usually, amusement parks will be crowded on the weekends.


    Jun Boyan coughed, ''''Maybe because it is new.''''


    ''''That''s possible,'''' she nodded, ''''Then, tell me, what do you want to try?"


    ''''Hmm?" he nced at her meaningfully.


    Shi Luo averted her gaze, ''''I mean which ride do you want to try?" she asked.


    He intertwined his fingers with hers, ''''What do you think of that?" he pointed his finger in a certain direction.


    Shi Luo looked at his curious face before looking back at the e at me, I will kill you'' ride. Rollercoaster. She gulped, ''''S-Sure.''''


    ''''AHHHHHH!" Shi Luo closed her eyes and screamed till it felt like her lungs would pop right out of her mouth.


    Jun Boyan nced at her, ''''Luoluo, are you really enjoying it that much?" he shouted but it seemed like his words were drowned by the crazy wind that got intense as the ride descended in full force.


    Shi Luo held her forehead and leaned on Jun Boyan''s shoulder, ''''What''s next? Which one would you like to try?" she rubbed her face on his shirt, trying to warm up her cold cheeks.


    ''''That one?" Jun Boyan pointed his finger towards another ride, holding her tighter.


    Cannonball loop. Shi Luo closed her eyes for a few seconds before she straightened up, ''''Sure, let''s try that.''''


    She acted like she was very experienced in this amusement park thing. It was way toote to tell him that she was quite scared actually. Moreover, he seemed to be enjoying it and she did not want to be a killjoy.


    Shi Luo nced at the ride with burning eyes. It''s just a ride. I, Shi Luo, can do anything. Would I be afraid of a ride?


    It was at this moment that Jun Boyan gazed at her and he noticed her enthusiasm, ''''Luoluo, are you that excited?" he blinked.


    ''''Of course I am,'''' I am going to conquer my fear of heights today. With that determination set in her heart, Shi Luo dragged him with her.


    But it still ended with, "AHHHHHHHH!" By this time, Shi Luo realized why the legends said that one should not overestimate their capabilities.


    It was toote for the realization though because she could see seven gxies right above her head.


    ''''This is so scary,'''' she screamed.


    ''''Did you say something?" Jun Boyan turned to look at her, only to notice her teary eyes.


    He pulled her head into his chest, ''''Are you scared, Luoluo?" he spoke into her ear.


    Shi Luo jolted by his sudden action.


    After they descended the ride, Shi Luo was one step away from asking him to carry her. Her body felt boneless and she was going to turn into a puddle anytime soon.


    ''''Why didn''t you tell me that you were scared?" Jun Boyan massaged his forehead.


    ''''Uhh¡­. I thought I could handle this much,'''' she stumbled.


    He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. ''''Sit here,'''' he helped her sit on the bench behind them.


    At this moment, her phone started ringing. Shi Luo answered the call and her face darkened. ''''I told you to not contact me, didn''t I?" her voice was weak, perhaps the after-effects of all those scary rides.


    She hung up as soon as she finished speaking.


    ''''Who was that?" Jun Boyan nced at her questioningly.

 Chapter 466 - Part-time job

    "It was a call from the hospital. Some jerk is ying around with the hospital''s database and the director has been bugging me,'''' Shi Luo massaged her forehead.


    Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow. Why did this sound somewhat familiar? "ying around with data?"


    ''''Yeah, a few patients'' information has disappeared from the hospital records.''''


    Jun Boyan''s lips twitched. Wasn''t it him? He removed his mother''s information for her safety. But then he recalled that the director knew about Shi Luo''s connection with their family. Just in case he started bothering her about it, he removed other patients'' information randomly so that no one would paint this as a Jun Family matter. But it looks like the director still pushed it into Shi Luo''s hands.


    In fact, Jun Boyan''s calction was on point. After removing all that information from the database, the hospital could easily recollect the information about the other patients but it would be tough for them to find anything on Shen Lihua as she was already discharged. Secondly, the director also did not think that this matter was remotely rted to the Jun Family.


    But Jun Boyan made a small miscalction. He forgot the point that the director was hell scared of Jun Zixuan and since this matter involved Jun Zixuan''s mother, he would of course treat this matter like some hot potato and shift it to someone else.


    The person whom he would target would eventually be Shi Luo because he has seen her interacting with everyone in their family.


    He felt a headache now that he thought about it.


    ''''Cough¡­'''' He went to sit beside Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo tilted her head to look at him. Dark eyes that stared adorably at her, and his messy hair resting above his brows. How can he be so cute and hot at the same time?


    She couldn''t help but look at the sky. Heavens, did I save a country in the past life for you to bless me with this stunning man?


    ''''Luoluo, why are you looking at the sky?"


    ''''I just realized that I was a social worker in my previous life,'''' Shi Luo mumbled. Such eye candy waspensation for all the stress in her life.


    ''''Hmm?"


    She winked at him, ''''A secret.''''


    He was speechless. ''''By the way, what would you do if you found the person who messed around with the database?"


    ''''I will beat him to death. It''s not about the database anymore. He messed around with my peace as well,'''' she gritted her teeth but realizing how udylike it was, she ended up banging her head on the arm of the bench.


    Jun Boyan ced his palm on her forehead, ''''I see,'''' he gulped.


    As they left the amusement park, he opened the car door for her and she stepped inside. Jun Boyan walked to the other side of the car before stepping in.


    ''''This ce is quite beautiful,'''' Shi Luo said while looking around, "But the rides are quite scary.''''


    He chuckled.


    Shi Luo was about to say something but someone caught her attention. She nced at the woman who was standing on the roadside.


    Perhaps sensing her gaze, the woman tilted her head and their eyes met for the briefest moment before Jun Boyan drove past her.


    Shi Luo blinked, ''''Boyan¡­''''


    ''''What''s wrong?"


    ''''I just saw Han Jingyi.''''


    Jun Boyan frowned, ''''She has been sent to Amaranthine. Although I was never satisfied with how they did not punish her for all her heinous crimes, it can''t be helped. Sister-inw''s parents have raised her and they are attached to her. It is only right for her to care about them and spare Han Jingyi,'''' he and Mu Shen were not that well-informed about this matter until his elder brother discussed it with them.


    Shi Luo sighed, ''''Zixuan has sent people to keep her under watch so it should be fine.''''


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''Don''t think about her. I don''t think she can harm sister-inw again.''''


    ''''Let us hope so,'''' she raised an eyebrow when she noticed something, "This is not the way to my ce,'''' she said while looking at the road.


    ''''We are going to my ce,'''' Jun Boyan shed a smile at her.


    Shi Luo blinked, ''''Why?"


    ''''Because I don''t have my clothes at your ce so it would be troublesome. If you don''t like my ce then I can get my luggage and move over to your ce. Anything works with me.''''


    Shi Luo''s face turned red, ''''Are you suggesting for us to live together?"


    ''''It''s not going to be the first time anyway, is it?" He handled the steering wheel with one hand as he stole a kiss from her lips.


    ''''Y-You..'''' Shi Luo turned her face to the side, ''''Whatever.''''


    ¡­


    "Last time when I was here, I didn''t get to ask you about it. Do you own this ce?" Shi Luo looked around the luxurious condominium before turning her face towards him.


    Jun Boyan nodded.


    ''''Was it a gift from Zixuan or your mom?"


    ''''Why¡­ can''t it be mine?" Jun Boyan speechlessly nced at the woman who slumped on the couch.


    ''''Umm¡­ Because you are a poor university student? A fresh graduate, if I must say,'''' Shi Luo quirked a brow.


    Jun Boyan: "_"


    Yu Chen who just entered the house almost puked a mouthful of blood when he heard that. ''''Poor? Do you have some misconceptions?" he could not help but ask Shi Luo.


    Is this the reason why the rtionship between them did not work out? Because she thinks he is poor and is not worthy of her? Is that why his friend''s love story ended up in an unrequited phase?


    Shi Luo raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Our Boyan is not poor. He owns this house because he¡­''''


    ''''I own this house because I have my own part-time job that I picked up to be able to make a living,'''' he said to Shi Luo.


    Shi Luo was dumbstruck. What kind of part-time job made him so rich that he can afford a condo like this? It looks like even his luxurious cars had nothing to do with his mother or brother.


    She wondered what his ''part-time job'' actually was.

 Chapter 467 - Ill tempered Friend

    Shi Luo and Yu Chen sat on the couch in the living room while Jun Boyan went to the kitchen to make coffee for them.


    ''''Dr. Shi¡­''''


    ''''You can call me Shi Luo,'''' she waved her hand nonchntly. Perhaps it was her strange way of thinking, but she did not want Jun Boyan''s friends to address her so respectfully. That made her feel old. The crisis of age was real in her heart.


    ''''Uh¡­. I have heard a lot about you,'''' Yu Chen scratched the back of his neck shyly, ''''Who could have known that Boyan is¡­'''' he paused, realizing that he was about to let the cat out of the bag.


    ''''Boyan is?" Shi Luo blinked in confusion.


    ''''Sigh¡­ Although he might look like a conman with that face or a risky guy who would y around with many girls, he mighte off as rude, arrogant, ill-tempered, picky about many things and¡­''''


    ''''And?" Jun Boyan interrupted the man.


    Yu Chen''s jaws dropped. ''''Let me finish it first. Don''t misunderstand my intentions,'''' he quickly nced at Shi Luo, ''''He might be all that but as they say, you should never judge a book by its cover. You should go ahead and date him rather than letting him wither in his unrequited love for you. I can''t see my friend¡­''''


    ''''You¡­ Shut up!"


    ''''Don''t stop me. Today, I am going to say it out for your own sake. What happenedst time gave me insomnia,'''' Yu Chen red at him before he inched closer to Shi Luo, ''''He always had a bad temper buttely, it has gotten worse. He even stalked you on your blind date and I was turned into a stalker as well¡­.mmm.''''


    ''''What nonsense are you talking about?" Jun Boyan ced his palm tightly over his mouth to stop him from speaking any further.


    Shi Luo: "_"


    ''''You¡­ You were there to keep an eye on my blind date?" she looked at him in disbelief.


    Jun Boyan smiled sweetly at her, ''''How could it be¡­ugh¡­'''' he groaned when he felt something piercing his palm, ''''Why the heck would you bite me? Are you a dog?" he red at Yu Chen.


    Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet and walked towards Jun Boyan before holding his hand to stop him, ''''Can you just let him speak?


    ''''I am degraded to resort to this because of you. I have to do this because of you,'''' he turned to look at Shi Luo, ''''Miss Shi¡­ Shi Luo, you have to ept his love for you. On the way to the restaurant, he drove the car like there was no tomorrow. During the whole ride, I kept getting thoughts like this was myst day on earth or we are going to cause a traffic ident. In the restaurant, he kept ring at your date and those eyes were no less thansers, I swear. I was getting goosebumps while sitting next to him. But still, he went there to keep an eye on that guy to know if he was worthy of you or not. If this is not love, then what is? If you don''t ept him, my bad-tempered friend might really turn himself in prison one day or a mental asylum¡­ Ahhh¡­'''' a punchnded on his back out of nowhere, knocking the rest of his words.


    ¡­


    ''''Hahahahaha¡­.'''' Shi Luo held her stomach as she leaned back on the reclining chair,ughing her heart out.


    Jun Boyan''s lips twitched. ''''Are you done?" he leaned back on the railings of the balcony.


    ''''Yes¡­ Cough¡­'''' Shi Luo straightened up on the chair, trying to look serious but as soon as her gazended on his aggrieved face, she could not help but burst out inughter again.


    ''''You¡­''''


    ''''Stalker Boyan,'''' Shi Luo chuckled. She could not believe that she assumed he was out on a lunch date with other girls when he was there to keep an eye on her.


    ''''Is it that funny, huh?" Jun Boyan kicked the coffee table aside with his leg as he stepped towards her. He ced his hands on either arm of the chair and lowered his body to her level.


    Her breath hitched at the sudden proximity.


    ''''When I heard you were out on a blind date, I regretted not taking any action before. Although I had feelings for you for such a long time, I let things move at their own pace without doing anything just because I was worried you don''t feel the same. I kept feeding you all kinds of delicacies so you would get used to them. And when that timees, you will miss me.''''


    ''''You¡­ You were using my weakness for food¡­'''' she red at him.


    ''''I was trying to seduce you with whatever I had,'''' he sighed, ''''And guess how I felt. It was something like my little white cabbage being dug up by a pig.''''


    ''''You sound like an old man,'''' she tapped the tip of his nose.


    He licked the tip of her finger.


    Shi Luo pulled her hand back, her face turning red at his actions, ''''I have been meaning to ask this¡­''''


    He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up from the chair, ''''Hmm?''''


    She ced her hands on his shoulders, ''''What''s the part-time job that you mentioned?"


    He coughed, ''''It''s nothing important.''''


    ''''You can afford a ce and cars like those with a job which is ''nothing important''? Do you think I would buy that?" Shi Luo rolled her eyes, ''''It''s another thing if you don''t want to tell me about it.''''


    ''''There is nothing like that. It''s just some IT stuff,'''' he said vaguely, ''''They have a variety of tasks and I randomly pick the ones I like andplete them to get paid. It''s that simple,'''' Tasks like hacking the government database or acquiring the information of criminal organizations.


    Of course, he did not say thetter part aloud.


    Shi Luo''s lips parted, ''''That''s cool,'''' she blinked, ''''But you have always wanted to be a chef, haven''t you?"

 Chapter 468 - Long Time No See

    ''''That''s why this is a part-time job. In our initial days, it was a privilege for us to have dreams. My brother has worked hard to get to where he is now, and mother had depression so he had to take care of both of us. So, while I was looking forward to a career in the food industry, at the same time, I didn''t want to sit idly doing nothing so I studied these things. Luckily, they came in handy along the way.''''


    Shi Luo sighed, ''''Did I just remind you of bitter days?"


    Looking at her regretful expressions, he smiled and cupped her face, ''''I don''t think we can avoid the past. Moreover, I don''t mind if you are the one asking about it.''''


    Her face started heating up under his intense gaze.


    His arm tightened around her waist.


    She could feel his muscles flexing against her back.


    "Is something bothering you?" he asked while nuzzling the tip of his nose with hers.


    Shi Luo took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, ''''I am worried about Mom,'''' she confessed, ''''What will happen if shees to know that we are dating?"


    Jun Boyan frowned, ''''Aren''t we repeating the same mistake again? She is upset in the first ce just because we lied to her and we are doing it again. I will talk to her and she will understand our rtionship.''''


    ''''But I am not ready for it,'''' Shi Luo shook her head, ''''My mom is a stubborn person. Since she dislikes you now, she won''t change her mind till the very end. And she will want us to break up. I can''t say no to her. To me, she is the most important person in the world and I won''t let her down even if it means I am letting myself down in the process. And¡­ we just got together, I don''t want to leave you¡­.'''' She stopped speaking.


    ''''Why not?" Jun Boyan raised an eyebrow as he leaned closer to her, ''''Luoluo, you fell for me so hard?" he teased.


    Her face grew warm at his words.


    ''''Hmm?" He yed with her hair.


    ''''You know that I like you,'''' she looked into his eyes, ''''I don''t know how long our rtionship willst or whether we arepatible or not but we can at least date each other for now, can''t we?"


    Date? He was more than ready to marry her right this moment but she would be scared if he said that aloud, won''t she?


    He cleared his throat, ''''Mmm, dating, it is. But we can''t hide our rtionship forever. Your mom will eventually find out. What then? Will she p a cheque on my face and ask me to get lost from her daughter''s life?"


    The corner of her lips twitched, ''''My mom is not like your elder brother. She won''t throw a cheque. Humph!''''


    Jun Boyan did not know whether tough or cry. Cheque was quite his elder brother''s style. He had to admit that. Good that he won''t be cheque pped by his future mother inw.


    ''''...She might just throw a knife at you,'''' Shi Luo continued after a pause and the momentary relief that he felt jumped down the balcony.


    ''''Are you trying to scare me, huh?" He wrapped both his arms around her waist.


    Shi Luo blushed but she eventually raised her hands and wrapped them around his neck, ''''I was just stating facts,'''' she thought about it for a moment before speaking, ''''I think you should stop worrying about it. It''s a matter of the future. Who knows if we will still be together by then? Just in case we break up,, we would not have to worry about all this.''''


    Looking at her serious expressions as she spoke those words, his eyes darkened, ''''Shi Luo, did I not make myself clear?"


    ''''Huh?" She was stunned. It was rare for him to call her full name in such a solemn tone.


    ''''I see a future with you and I want to make it real. Living at your ce, making excuses to see you more, chasing you, kissing you¡­ none of them were done on an impulse. I meant everything. My feelings are not so shallow for you to mention breakup this easily,'''' his grip around her waist loosened.


    Shi Luo stepped back from him, "I was just saying it. I am not saying that we are necessarily breaking up but there are chances right?" she thought about it for a moment before adding, ''''Sparks fade quicker than they appear between two people. What you feel for me today, you might not feel it tomorrow. Things might change between us. I am saying just in case.''''


    ''''And did I not make myself clear earlier? Nothing will change the way I feel for you. I have never felt this for someone else before nor will I ever have the same feelings for any other person,'''' he grabbed her shoulders, not knowing how to assure her when he saw the obvious insecurity in her eyes, ''''I don''t like sharing my space with people. All this time, it has been only you. No matter what happens in future, I won''t change.''''


    ''''Don''t take it on a personal level, Boyan. I am just saying how the world works. It''s not meant to target you,'''' she ced her palm on his cheek, ''''I am not saying all this to hurt you. This is just my take on love and rtionships. No matter how much a person loves another person, things eventually change between them. Sometimes, the rtionship that started with all sparks ends up bing tonic, sometimes one of them grows out of love and seeks warmth in another person, sometimes circumstances keep them apart¡­. But nothing stays the same forever,'''' her father, the man whom she had never seen, changed as well despite telling her mother that he loved her the most.


    She was not categorizing Jun Boyan but all she meant was that the future is unpredictable. Sometimes, things happen.


    ''''I promise I won''t change,'''' he cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead.


    A small smile made its way to her lips at his words. ''''We''ll see that.''''


    ''''I will always love you the same. If anything,I''ll love you more,'''' he kissed the corner of her lips.


    Shi Luo stiffened when she heard the word ''love''ing out of his mouth. It was true that they started dating officially but his confession only included the word ''like'' not love.


    ''''Boyan, I¡­''''


    ''''You are not sure about your feelings,'''' he interrupted her, ''''I know that and I am not pressuring you into anything, love. Take your time.''''


    ''''No, I am certain that I like you,'''' she stood on her tiptoes and pecked his lips.


    Jun Boyan smiled at her sweetly, hiding his thoughts in his heart.


    Luoluo, it won''t be long before your like turns to love. Like, huh? As if I''ll ever be content with that. I''ll make all efforts so that you can open up to me and be mine without a shred of doubt in your heart.


    If Shi Luo knew what thoughts he was hiding behind an extremely innocent smile, then she would have called him a fox of the same family as his brother and adopted sister.


    He captured her lips the moment she was about to pull back.


    Shi Luo opened her mouth for him, letting his tongue delve inside.


    Both the figures melded into each other as they kissed each other passionately under the veil of night, unaware of what was waiting for them tomorrow.


    ¡­


    ''''Ma''am, how about this?... Ma''am¡­''''


    Shi Luo snapped out of her daze when the man called her repeatedly. She patted her cheeks to reduce the warmth as she handed him a pair of cufflinks, ''''Not that. Pack this one.''''


    The shop assistant bowed, ''''Sure thing,'''' he turned around and left.


    Yesterday was really something.


    She thought they were about to argue at the very beginning of their rtionship like old and experienced couples fight in theirte days. But who could have known they would make up with a kiss like kids do?


    Just that¡­. There was nothing kidding about that passionate kiss. It was hot and¡­


    Cough¡­ She was embarrassed at the direction of her thoughts.


    Since she will be staying here in the meantime, Shi Luo decided to do some shopping.


    She came to the shopping mall after Jun Boyan left to meet up with his friend.


    Shi Luo paid the bill and walked into the lift.


    She nced at the shopping bag with a huge smile hanging on her face. Initially, she was here to shop for herself but the pair of cufflinks caught her attention.


    ''''I hope he likes it though,'''' Shi Luo took out her phone as she walked inside the underground parking lot. She scrolled through her contact list before calling Yu Mei, ''''Mei¡­ No no, how could you think like that? I didn''t forget you. I was just held up by a few matters. Oh, I have something to tell you.''''


    Shi Luo decided to tell Yu Mei about Jun Boyan and her. They have shared everything with each other since they were younger and she did not want to bete in sharing this piece of news with her best friend.


    ''''You are busy?.... Alright, call meter,'''' As she hung up, Shi Luo shook her head, ''''What a pity.''''


    Even though Yu Mei said that she was held up in a meeting at the moment and would listen to herter, Shi Luo could already imagine the woman''s unreasonable re when she reveals that she is dating Jun Boyan.


    ''''She will be like ''How dare you not tell me sooner''?" Shi Luoughed to herself and opened the car door..


    Suddenly, the lights in the underground parking went out.


    ''''What¡­'''' Shi Luo stopped herself from cursing.


    She tried to look for her phone in her bag but she could barely see anything in the dark.


    ''''Long time no see.''''


    Shi Luo stiffened.

 Chapter 469 - Dead Meat

    "Ahh¡­'''' Shi Luo groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. All that greeted her vision was darkness. She wondered if it was because she was in a dream or probably because her thirst was giving her hallucinations, ''''Water¡­'''' she mumbled.


    Her body was so weak that she could barely lift her finger.


    She leaned back on the wall for a few seconds before mustering her courage to stand up but she felt a restraint on her wrists.


    ''''What the fuck is this?" Shi Luo stroked the thing on her wrist which felt like some kind of chains, ''''Handcuffs¡­.?"


    As her drowsiness started fading, she realized what happened to her before she lost consciousness.


    ''''I am kidnapped,'''' she muttered in horror.


    ''''Noisy¡­'''' came a female voice beside her.


    ''''Oh?'''' Shi Luo looked around in the dark, ''''Someone else is here too? Miss, who are you?"


    ''''Umm.. Let me sleep. Get lost.''''


    "_"


    ''''Generally, I respect everyone''s privacy and space but the thing is, this is not your bedroom. You are not sleeping, you were knocked out instead.''''


    The person did not reply to her after that and Shi Luo helplessly sighed believing that she was too much into dreand to realize the circumstances she was in.


    Just as she was contemting over? it, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.


    Soon a small bulb started flickering, lighting up the ce dimly.


    Shi Luo frowned. This ce looked like a prison cell.


    She nced at the person who was standing outside the cell, ''''Where is she?"


    The bulky man squatted on the floor and pushed two set of cup noodles inside by the gaps between the rods.


    ''''Even if I appreciate that she has a conscience, how am I supposed to eat that with this?" She raised her hand, shing the handcuffs at him.


    The man nonchntly stood up and turned around to leave but he seemed to have been reminded of something as he paused. He turned around to look at her, ''''Boss said that you should lick it like a dog.''''


    Shi Luo''s lips thinned. That bitch¡­. She inhaled a deep breath to calm herself.


    As soon as the man left, she lifelessly slumped back on the wall.


    ''''Oh¡­'''' She was reminded of the fact that she was not the only person here. There was someone else too who was currently immersed in her dreand. She tilted her head to the side only for her eyes to widen, ''''It''s you¡­.!" she eximed in astonishment.


    The woman who was rubbing her eyes after waking up turned to look back at her, confusion and shock apparent in her eyes.


    ¡­


    Shi Xia tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch as she looked through the pictures in her phone, ''''Mm¡­ This one here looks like my daughter''s type,'''' she nced at the man who had messy hair, a handsome face and lean yet muscr body, ''''I have also confirmed that he is 2 years younger than her. This date is going to be a sess.''''


    As a mother, she could clearly see that her daughter was too much into Jun Boyan but the initial image of that man was ruined in her mind. And she disapproved of their rtionship. If anything, she would prefer that man to stay far away from her precious daughter.


    Since the previous blind date with Caleb did not work out, she made sure to do some proper research this time. She found the exact type of man that Shi Luo preferred. This man shared simr physical qualities with Jun Boyan and other than that, he was an excellent man.


    Shi Xia believed that this blind date would be a sess, ''''I can''t wait Luoluo''s marriage already,'''' a soft smile made its way to her lips, ''''Who knows how long I will live? Maybe, it''s better if she has a family and lots of kids. That way, even if anything happens to me, I have nothing to worry about.''''


    She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and nced at the time on her watch, ''''Hmm? It''s past 10 pm already. Why is Luoluo not back yet?''''


    Shi Xia frowned. That silly girl came here after taking a few days off from her work but did she start working from here?


    ''''Love, what are you doing?"


    Shi Xia stiffened. Love?


    Her daughter¡­. Has kept a man at her ce?


    A secret lover?


    Or maybe a hidden husband?


    How long has it been since they are living together?


    Do they have kids?


    She pushed herself to her feet, hearing the sound of the door opening and closing. She turned around in that direction.


    All her bizarre thoughts came to a halt the moment her gazended on the man who was walking towards her.


    Jun Boyan froze with his eyes widening in disbelief.


    Earlier this day, Shi Luo told him that she would being to her ce to get her clothes and some work documents.


    So after finishing his work, he went back to his ce half an hour ago but he did not see her there when he reached.


    The guards told him that she was not back yet.


    So, he decided toe here to pick her up.


    Since the door was unlocked and he spotted a pair of stilettos outside, he concluded Shi Luo was here, not knowing that those heels belonged to his future mother-inw.


    A mini devil Jun Boyan appeared on his left shoulder, ''Are you kidding me? Mother-inw? She would be your other-inw if you stayed alive.''


    Jun Boyan gulped. Was it toote to run away?


    ''She is a kind and elegant person. Murder and all does not sems to be her kind of things. Maybe it won''t be that bad because I can say, she looks very reasonable,'' Angel Jun Boyan consoled him.


    ''Dead meat Jun Boyan,'' the devil scoffed.


    Jun Boyan shook them off his shoulder and walked towards Shi Xia, ''''Aunt, long time no see,'''' he bowed at her before standing straight.

 Chapter 470 - Calm Before The Storm

    ''Pak''


    His head whipped to the side as Shi Xia gave him a tight p, ''''How dare you?!"


    Jun Boyan froze. This was probably the very first time that he got pped in his life. His jaws clenched and his fingers curled into a fist.


    He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, ''It''s your fault, Jun Boyan. You lied to her and betrayed her trust in the first ce,'' With that thought in his mind, he raised his head to look at her.


    ''''How dare youe to hover around my daughter after everything you have done?" Shi Xia tried to calm herself, ''''You are Shen Lihua''s son and I see you as my own child. That is the reason why I wanted both of you to be together. But you lied to me about your rtionship and you broke my daughter''s heart. I still see you as my child. But do you know you are testing my patience right now?"


    ''''Testing your patience? By doing what?" Jun Boyan sighed.


    ''''By existing in my daughter''s life. She was heartbroken and you should leave her be rather than persisting in whatever you are doing. How can you two time my precious child?''''


    ''''I¡­ am two-timing?" Jun Boyan nced at thedy as if she was growing two horns on her head.


    Shi Xia frowned, ''''Are you still trying to hide it? Did you know how much Luoluo cried after she saw you holding hands with that girl in front of the University? Even I was there.''''


    Jun Boyan stood rooted to his spot as if he was thunderstruck. He could not quite believe where it proceeded. And after all this, Shii Luo was even suggesting for them to keep this a secret from her mother.


    For what? So that her misunderstandings about him could continue growing till they turn into a mountain and she detests the mention of his name?


    Jun Boyan could imagine himself kneeling in front of a stern-faced Shi Xia, asking for her daughter''s hand for marriage while she ignored him.


    He could not even imagine what would happen if she told his mother that he was two-timing with Shi Luo. His mother would probably skin him alive or roast him.


    ''''Aunt, there is a little misunderstanding here,'''' he nced at her pitifully.


    Shi Xia who was stern till this point nced at the man who suddenly appeared like an abandoned puppy, ''''What are you talking about?''''


    It worked on both mother and daughter. At least, she gave him a chance to state his point. He grinned inwardly.


    Jun Boyan continued looking at her innocently, ''''In fact, she is my cousin, Yang Shiyi. I already rified that to Luoluo.''''


    ''''What?!" Shi Xia was dumbstruck, ''''It was all a misunderstanding?" She could not believe she was so hyped up because of his cousin.


    ''''Yes,'''' Jun Boyan tilted his head to the side like a withered flower.


    Shi Xia''s heart ached but she was suddenly reminded of something, ''''No matter what it is, you lied to me that you both were dating when there was nothing between you both. Did you forget that?''''


    ''''Cough¡­ This time, we are really dating. I apologize for what happened before. Back then, there was nothing between us and I just wanted to stay with her more so¡­''''


    ''''So, you used me as an excuse? Everytime I visited there, you''d get a chance to y a couple with her? Wait¡­ what did you say? You are dating my daughter?"


    Jun Boyan nodded. He stood straight and earnestly looked into her eyes, ''''I can''t change what happened in the past. But I will keep her happy and I promise to not disappoint you ever again. Can you please give me one more chance?"


    Shi Xia frowned. She was about to speak when she realized something, ''''Where is Luoluo? Did she start working from here? I have been waiting for her since hours.''''


    ''''Maybe she went back to my ce,'''' he cleared his throat and avoided her re as he took out his phone to call Shi Luo. Before he could dial her number, there was an iing call on his phone. It was from Jun Zixuan. ''''Brother, is everything alright?'''' Why would his brother call him at this hour? He could hear his sister-inw''s crying voice in the background, ''''Is sister-inw alright? Did something happen to the baby?" he panicked, knowing that they almost lost the baby earlier.


    They finally survived all the tragedies. It was so peaceful then what happened again?


    Was it the calm before the storm all this time?


    Shi Xia was also worried by now. She was shocked when she discovered that Yu Mei and Han Mei were the same person but more than that, she was relieved that her daughter was fine. She had always seen Han Jian Yu and Han Mei as her own kids. And their sudden disappearance had left her in a state of shock.


    Bizarre things happen in the world and unlike the younger generation, she had more eptance towards it. All she wished for was for her children to stay happy but she could not understand why things were happening, one after another.


    ''''Brother, say something? Is sister-inw fine?"


    ''''Will you stop jinxing my wife first?" Jun Zixuan''s annoyed voice sounded from the other side.


    ''''But..''''


    ''''It''s Luoluo,'''' Jun Zixuan paused for a moment. ''''She has been kidnapped.''''


    ''''What do you mean by Luoluo is kidnapped?"" Jun Boyan''s voice rose in disbelief.


    ''''My Luoluo¡­'''' Shi Xia pressed a palm on her chest, feeling a sudden rush of breathlessness.


    Jun Boyan rushed to her and supported her body. He helped her sit on the couch and handed her the ss of water from the coffee table.


    Shi Xia took a few sips of the water as tears filled her eyes.


    ''''Nothing will happen to Luoluo. I will find her.''''


    ''''It''s Han Jingyi,'''' Jun Zixuan said from the other side.


    Jun Boyan froze.


    ''''I''ll call Jian Yu. He will help you in finding Luoluo,'''' Shi Xia said after calming down.


    ''''No, let''s not alert her for now,'''' Jun Zixuan said when he overheard Shi Xia''s voice.


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''I agree. Brother, I will get ess to her current location¡­''''


    ''''I will alert the men,'''' Jun Zixuan hung up after speaking.

 Chapter 471 - Send Her Boyfriend

    Shi Xia nced at Jun Boyan in disbelief, ''''What do you mean by not alerting Han Jingyi? How would we find Luoluo without Zixuan''s and Jian Yu''s help?''''


    ''''Brother will order his men to look for Luoluo discreetly. As for brother-inw¡­'''' Since the day he epted Mia as his adopted sister, the term ''brother-inw'' effortlessly slipped from his mouth for Han Jian Yu, ''''...he is busy with the monthly conference of ministers. His phone should be turned off. Brother will drop a text to him.''''


    ''''Boyan..'''' Shi Xia covered her face in her palms as she cried, ''''My Luoluo¡­''''


    ''''She will be fine,'''' Jun Boyan looked around.


    ''''What do you know? You are still young, that''s why you are talking so recklessly. How would you even find her current location?" she looked at him in disbelief.


    ''''I have my ways,'''' Jun Boyan dashed inside Shi Luo''s bedroom.


    Shi Xia bewilderedly nced at his retreating back.


    He soon came back to the living room with aptop in his hand.


    He walked towards the couch and ced theptop on the coffee table before taking a seat. His fingers moved on a keyboard in a blur.


    ''''You¡­ You¡­'''' Shi Xia was left staring at his fingers speechlessly.


    ¡­


    Shi Luo looked at the woman beside her in disbelief, ''''It''s you¡­''''


    The woman who was stirred awake by the noise around her nced at her in frustration, ''''Why the heck are you disturbing my beauty sleep?"


    ''''Beauty sleep? Do you have a kink for ces like this?" This was their first meeting but Shi Luo could not hold in her frustration as she spoke informally.


    Yang Shiyi nced at her, ''''You¡­'''' she rubbed her eyes, ''''You look familiar.''''


    Shi Luo did not say anything as she quietly continued looking at Jun Boyan''s distant cousin.


    ''''Oh, aren''t you dating Boyan? Yu Chen told me about it,'''' Yang Shiyi came to a realization, ''''But what are you doing at my home?''''


    Shi Luo''s lips thinned. How could one be so naive? ''''I am here to ask for some tea.''''


    ''''Wh¡­'''' Yang Shiyi seemed to have another realization as she looked around, ''''What the heck! This is not my house. Where am I?"


    Shi Luo nced at her, ''''Do you, by any chance, know a woman called Han Jingyi?"


    ''''Huh?" Yang Shiyi was stunned for a moment before she shook her head, ''''I don''t remember anyone by that name. What ce is this? My car tire punctured, then I booked a cab¡­ I should have reached home by now. But why am I here?"


    Shi Luo could see tears welling up in her eyes. She sighed inwardly while wondering how to crack the news that she was, in fact, kidnapped.


    As much as she could see, Yang Shiyi seemed like a simple-minded and innocent girl. She was already on the verge of tears by now. How would she take it if she were informed that she was kidnapped?


    ''''Noisy!''''


    Shi Luo raised her head when she heard the voice.


    Han Jingyi was walking towards the cell with a gun in her hand.


    Yang Shiyi tilted her head towards the source of the voice. Dressed in a ck trench coat, the woman had her open. Dark smokey eyesbined with her ruby red lips, made her look like a vampire. A scary one at that.


    ''''Why?" Shi Luo nced at her.


    Han Jingyi smiled subtly, ''''Long time no see, Luoluo.''''


    These were the exact words that Han Jingyi whispered to her in the underground parking before she stabbed some kind of injection in her neck. At that moment, Shi Luo deeply regretted not taking the martial arts lesson with Yu Mei.


    ''''You know I have hated you all this time,'''' Han Jingyi casually said as she twirled the pistol in her hand.


    ''''Han Jingyi, let''s get this straight. We see the world as we are. You are a hateful person so you unreasonably hate the world,'''' Shi Luo indifferently said.


    As much as she did not want to waste her breath on this woman but she was curious about all this.


    Logically, she did not do anything to Han Jingyi then why did she kidnap her? And other than that, how did she manage to do all this when Jun Zixuan''s men were keeping an eye on her? It remained a mystery in her mind no matter how she thought about it.


    And secondly, Han Jingyi was a crazy woman. Shi Luo knew that she had to stall for time so someone coulde to their rescue before anything happened to them.


    ''''I have a valid reason for hating you,'''' Han Jingyi nced at the pistol in her hand, ''''Do you remember the time when we bumped into each other in the shopping mall back in Beijing? You defended my dear sister and took her with you after she pped me. I was the one who had torn Yu Mei''s dress that day and she pped me. It was supposed to be between us. I wanted her to look bad in front of my mother. But your interference made me look ugly. For the first time in my life, my mother looked at me suspiciously and she even sounded somewhat angry. How could I not hate you?''''


    ''''Are you crazy?" Shi Luo was in disbelief, ''''You are holding a grudge against me because of that matter? Don''t you realize that you were wrong in it? No matter what schemes you make, your parents would eventuallye to Mei. As they say, blood runs thicker than water and whatever the circumstances are, she is their biological daughter in the end. They would not have ignored her because of your petty schemes.''''


    ''''Shh¡­'''' Han Jingyi looked annoyed, ''''Keep the preaching aside. Yu Mei, that woman whom I hate with everything I have is your best friend. That alone makes me hate you.''''


    Shi Luo turned her face to the side. This woman should have gone to a mental asylum.


    ''''Will anyone tell me what''s going on here? Miss. Vamp, this is our first meeting. Why did you kidnap me?" Yang Shiyi nced at both the women back and forth before speaking to Han Jingyi as she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.


    ''''Oh, that''s because you are Jun Boyan''s precious cousin. And recently, I discovered that she is his girlfriend,'''' she said thetter part while pointing her chin at Shi Luo.


    Yang Shiyi was both confused and scared. She sobbed slowly, ''''See, I¡­If you want money, I can give you as much as you want. Please let me go.''''


    Han Jingyi ignored her cries as she shifted her focus to Shi Luo, ''''Let''s have some fun, shall we?'''' She extended her hand and a man walked towards the cell while holding aptop in his hand.


    Shi Luo quietly observed the scene. She could not understand what Han Jingyi intended to do.


    For one, maybe she wanted to kill her because she could not vent her anger on Yu Mei. Or maybe, she intended to torture her and show it to Yu Mei because she was aware of their friendship. Han Jingyi should know that if anything happened to her then Yu Mei would me herself for her whole life.


    Or perhaps she wanted to do both. First, torture her and then kill her.


    Shi Luo gulped. She believed that her calctions should be on point as usual. Because at this point, Han Jingyi looked like a psycho, not a normal person.


    But what she could not understand was why did Han Jingyi kidnap Yang Shiyi?


    ''''Hello sister.''''


    Han Jingyi''s voice rang inside the empty cell getting everyone''s attention.


    Sister? Shi Luo nced at theptop. Could it be¡­?


    ''''Han Jingyi!''''


    Shi Luo closed her eyes when she heard the familiar voice. As expected, this madwoman had face-timed Yu Mei.


    ''''Oops,'''' Han Jingyi nced at Yu Mei with a soft smile on her face, ''''How are you coping with your pregnancy? I have heard it''s difficult, especially in the early days. But if you want, you cane here and swap ces with your best friend.''''


    ''''Luoluo has never harmed you. She has done nothing. Don''t involve her in this,'''' Yu Mei nced at her with tears in her eyes.


    ''''Sigh¡­ If I don''t harm her, how will I see you crying?'''' Han Jingyi paused for a moment before she spoke, ''''Moreover, this woman here has humiliated me before, how can I spare her? I can''t avenge myself for everything but I should never let go of any opportunities offered at my doorstep.''''


    ''Bang''


    ''''Ahhh¡­'''' Shi Luo gasped as a bullet grazed past her shoulder, blood oozing out of the wound.


    Yang Shiyi was so scared that she buried herself in the corner of the cell, bawling her eyes out.


    ''''Luoluo!"


    ''''Send her boyfriend¡­I mean Jun Boyan. Ask him to save her,'''' Han Jingyi said with a vicious glint in her eyes, and in the next moment, the call was disconnected, ''''Now now¡­'''' she nced at Shi Luo, ''''It''s your turn.''''


    Shi Luo tightly grabbed the ce where the bullet grazed but because of the handcuffs, she could not touch the spot properly as blood kept flowing out.


    ''''Don''t you want to know why your boyfriend gives so much importance to this girl when she is just a distant cousin?" Han Jingyi pointed her chin at Yang Shiyi.


    Shi Luo froze.

 Chapter 472 - Storytelling

    ''''Don''t you want to know why your boyfriend gives so much importance to this girl when she is just a distant cousin?" Han Jingyi pointed her chin at Yang Shiyi.


    Shi Luo froze.


    In fact, this was something that she was curious about for a long time.


    From what she heard about Jun Boyan from Mu Shen''s mouth, he was not the kind of person who is very friendly. He is somewhat aloof like his elder brother.


    She never found him to be a cold person after all the time they spent together but she could not ignore Mu Shen''s words.


    As it turned out, he was interested in her so it exins the reason why he treated her so well all this time but what about Yang Shiyi?


    Yang Shiyi was not his direct sibling and even as a cousin, she was a distant cousin. She was directly rted to Jun Zihao, the man who was Jun Zixuan''s and Jun Boyan''s half brother, and the rtionship between Jun Zihao and the Jun brothers was not very pleasant.


    So, what was the reason he treated Yang Shiyi so well?


    Shi Luo could not understand it but as curious as she was, she did not show it on her face.


    Her expressions were indifferent as she nced at Han Jingyi.


    Han Jingyi looked disappointed, ''''Aren''t you the least bit curious about it? Don''t you want to know?"


    ''''I don''t care,'''' Shi Luo did not want to give this crazy woman anything that she could take advantage of, ''''We are individuals. I also have people whom I prioritize in my life but I don''t go around exining it to him and the same goes with him as well. Boyan does not need to exin to me why he prioritizes anyone,'''' Curiosity apart, she believed in what she said.


    They were adults after all. It was pretty apparent that Jun Boyan was easily affected when the matter of his family came up so she did not think it was right for her to poke his old wounds again and again.


    Although she misunderstood him earlier when she saw him with Yang Shiyi in front of his university but that was it. That was a matter of the past now.


    And after they started dating, she never had any kind of misunderstanding regarding him. That was because she knew that both Jun Zixuan and Jun Boyan are men of principles.


    And secondly, she trusted him because she loved him.


    As the thought crossed her mind, Shi Luo leaned back on the wall. It was funny. Whenever they discussed their feelings, she never mentioned love. And now that she was sitting here, without knowing when she would end up dying at the hands of this madwoman, she was realizing that her feelings for him were not just limited to a short-term infatuation.


    She loved him.


    Shi Luo closed her eyes. ''If I make it out of here safely, I will make sure to tell you about my feelings,'' she thought.


    A flicker of annoyance shed in Han Jingyi''s eyes when she noticed how calm and unruffled Shi Luo looked. She masked her expressions and nced at Yang Shiyi who was trembling in fear, curled up in a corner, ''''Hey, you..'''' she pointed her gun at the woman.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' Yang Shiyi stiffened, ''''W-What? I did not do anything,'''' she cried.


    ''''Haish¡­ Did we pick up a child?" Han Jingyi nced at the man beside her in frustration, ''''How annoying!"


    Shi Luo opened her eyes and nced at Yang Shiyi who was sobbing loudly, ''''Will you stop being so loud?" she whispered.


    Yang Shiyi wiped her tears with her sleeves, ''''Why are you reprimanding me? I have never been kidnapped before,'''' she incoherently said in between her sobs.


    Shi Luo rolled her eyes, ''''It''s not my daily habit either, to be kidnapped like this. This is a first-time experience for me too,'''' she sighed, ''''Look, this woman here is crazy. Let''s not annoy her lest she ends up shooting you as well.''''


    Shi Luo slowly moved her shoulder, shing her wound towards Yang Shiyi, ''''You don''t want to end up like me, do you? At least, be grateful that she hasn''t put some handcuffs on you,'''' she mumbled looking at the woman''s bare hands.


    Yang Shiyi stopped crying as she nced at Shi Luo''s bleeding shoulder and the handcuffs around her wrist.


    ''''Much better,'''' Han Jingyi smiled, ''''I don''t like kids. They annoy me and I feel the urge to strangle them. Luckily, I have you, Shi Luo. Or else, I might have killed her¡­''''


    Yang Shiyi''s lips wobbled.


    Shi Luo sighed but she refused to speak to Han Jingyi.


    She quietly turned her face to the side and closed her eyes again.


    ''''Now, you¡­'''' Han Jingyi nced at Yang Shiyi, ''''What was the incident that brought you and Jun Boyan closer? Why does he spoil you? Come on, be quick, tell us!"


    ''''I¡­''''


    ''''Stutter once again and see if I don''t shoot you,'''' Han Jingyi nced at the bulky man standing beside her, ''''Get me a chair. Time for some storytelling.''''


    The man quietly retreated and came back with a chair in his hand. He opened the lock of the cell under Han Jingyi''smand and ced the chair in front of Yang Shiyi and Shi Luo.


    Han Jingyi took a seat on the chair and the man stood behind her like a mountain.


    ''''Now, start,'''' Han Jingyi nced at Yang Shiyi.


    ''''I¡­. It started when we were very young,'''' Yang Shiyi lowered her head as she avoided looking at Han Jingyi''s scary face. Not literally scary. She was a pretty woman but her aura was scary, ''''When we were young, me and my brother used to visit our cousin, Jun Zihao in the Jun Manor. That''s where I met Boyan. By that time, his mother and the Master of Jun Family were separated and they lived in different ces. The Jun Family detested their elder grandson but they kept demanding to see the younger one. They could not start any custody case because of Master Jun''s persistence.''''


    Shi Luo kept her eyes closed, pretending to not hear anything but her mind was fully attentive.


    ''''...So, a few times, Boyan came over to Jun Manor. Coincidentally, I was there because of my summer vacation. I didn''t know my cousin had a brother so I was very curious because he seemed special. He didn''t talk to anyone, he was all by himself all the time. I used to follow him around and he ignored me. It went on until one day, in winters, we all were ying with snow. There was a frozenke nearby and Boyan identally slipped inside it. He ended up falling inside theke.''''


    ''Sigh¡­ he should have been a bit more careful, no? Weren''t the adults around? How could they let him fall there?'' Shi Luo chastised the Jun family elders in her heart. Her heart ached at the thought of little Boyan''s fair cheeks turning red because of cold. ''But how did hee out of theke? Was he okay? Or did he get sick?''


    ''''What happened then?'''' Unaware of Shi Luo''s thoughts Han Jingyi nced at her expressionless face before she turned to look at Yang Shiyi, looking like she was waiting for the movie to continue after the interval.


    Yang Shiyi paused. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she thought back to that day. It was as if it happened just yesterday, ''''I jumped in theke to save him even though I didn''t know how to swim. Then, my cousin saw us. He held my hand and pulled me out of theke while I continued holding Boyan''s hand. So, in the end, all of us were saved. We had a fever for days and I was beside Boyan all that time. And when he woke up, he treated me differently. He was not as cold as before, he told me to take my medicines and he would even give me candies. He did not ignore me anymore. So, during his short stay there, we yed together. But¡­''''


    ''''Hmm? There is a but?" Han Jingyi raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Once he went back to Beijing, I did not see him again for years. His brother strictly denied letting hime over to the Jun Family. The elders in the Jun Family wanted to file for a custody case. But Master Jun was clearly against it. He¡­ told his parents that he did not want to see his kids as they reminded him of his messy past¡­''''


    Shi Luo was impressed. She could easily guess that Jun Zishen did this to protect his family. He was a good father and a good husband though he failed to handle matters properly. But mistakes happen by everyone when they are young.


    She could now understand why Yu Mei supported her father-inw even though Jun Zixuan and her ended up arguing because of that.


    Even she had a soft corner for that man now. He also suffered because of all this.


    ''''Later, we met when he came to Amaranthine for studies and he treated me well like he used to do back in the past. And all my childhood, I ended up hating Boyan''s brother. We became good friends but he had to be stubborn¡­'''' Yang Shiyi mumbled in displeasure.


    Shi Luo frowned, ''''What gives you the right to judge Zixuan when you don''t know him?"


    ''''I¡­ I just¡­''''


    ''''Enough! We''ve concluded already,'''' Han Jingyi smiled at Shi Luo, ''''So, now you know, this person beside you is your boyfriend''s savior. No wonder he treats her well, right?"


    Shi Luo nced at Han Jingyi, ''''What do you want?'''' She could not understand what was the point in saying all this.


    ''''It''s pretty simple actually,'''' Han Jingyi winked, ''''Should I tell you about my thoughts or not? Hmm, I wonder!''''

 Chapter 473 - Calculative Shi Luo

    ''''Han Jingyi, why are you doing all this?'''' Shi Luo couldn''t take it anymore. She nced at the woman who was sitting in front of her on a chair, ''''After everything that has happened to you, after you were abandoned by the people who once loved you the most, don''t you feel an ounce of hesitation before doing something like this again? Don''t you feel an ounce of guilt?''''


    ''''Guilt? Why would I feel that?" Han Jingyi''s expressions visibly shifted when she heard Shi Luo''s words, ''''Shi Luo, people like you who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth won''t know what it takes to grab and eat the leftovers from the trashcans. You would never know what it takes to climb the socialdder by trampling on human beings. It has been like a dog eat dog world for me.''''


    Shi Luo smiled mockingly, ''''A silver spoon? Exactly how much do you know about me for you to conclude that?"


    ''''Am I wrong though? You are a world-renowned doctor in your field, you have wealth, beauty, friends who are equally or more influential than you, they protect you, you have people who will back you up and whom you call family. Is there anything youck? How is that not a silver spoon?'''' Han Jingyi looked angry by the end.


    ''''And what do I have? A family who abandoned me as soon as I made a small mistake? But do you know to get acknowledged as a daughter of that family, I worked really hard. My real parents¡­. I don''t know which bastard and bitch gave birth to me but they seemed to have hated me for real. They abandoned me as soon as I was born. I grew up in the streets and a few beggars decided to take me in. Growing up, I was taught the skill of pickpocketing. I was taken into an orphanage but do you know how disgusting were those men who touched me all over my body just because I was pretty?'''' she grew quiet for some time as if she was thinking of those days.


    Han Jingyi smiled, it was a maniacal smile that made its way to her lips, ''''But I stabbed those men along the way. I did not spare any of them. Han Family chose another girl for adoption but I took her out to y with me and I knocked her out before burying her under the bog behind the orphanage. Nobody found her and finally I was chosen. Shi Luo, I was never born with a silver spoon in my mouth so I learned to lick it off the knives.''''


    Initially, Shi Luo did not want to provoke this crazy woman. But at this point, she couldn''t care less, ''''You know what Han Jingyi? People like you live a life of delusions where you paint yourself as a victim in your mind and the mind of others around you.''''


    ''''What do you mean? Didn''t I suffer enough? What the heck do you mean?'''' she yelled like a madwoman. Tears filled her eyes as her anger took over, ''''After all these years, Iid my eyes on Jun Zixuan and she was stolen by that bitch. That bitch even stole my family from me, she became the real heiress, and what was I? A fake princess who was unnecessary as soon as the real princess came into the picture? See how easily they discarded me¡­''''


    ''''In fact, I don''t want to waste my breath talking to you but still, I will tell you. A silver spoon? My biological father was making love with another woman, he was pampering her with my mother''s money and her assets when I was born. At that time, my mother could have killed both of them and buried them somewhere as you did. But she didn''t. She persisted through the period even in depression. She fed me even though she was struggling,'''' Shi Luo looked at the woman with bloodshot eyes. She had never once discussed these things with anyone, not even Yu Mei or Jun Boyan.


    Yu Mei knew about it but she heard it from Shi Xia because Shi Luo was ufortable discussing these things, ''''Han Jingyi, people like you who y victim card every time sometimes does not works your way are just downright pathetic.''''


    ''''Shut up!" Han Jingyi yelled at her.


    ''''All your life, you keep victimizing yourself to the point that you end up bing like this¡­'''' Shi Luo pointed her chin at the woman, ''''Unrecognizable, someone beyond repair, a person with a broken soul and a bleak heart. Insane.''''


    Han Jingyi''s breathing grew heavier as she gasped for air.


    But Shi Luo did not seem to be intending to stop, ''''A small mistake? You murdered Mei and you call it a small mistake? You feel like what the Han Family did to you was very unfair?"


    ''''She survived¡­ didn''t she?" Han Jingyi spoke as she panted.


    ''''She survived. Well, she did. But how did she survive? Do you know it? Do you have an idea of what she went through to get this survival that you spoke of?" If Mia was not there, then Yu Mei would have died that same day in that assassination, ''''Even if she survived, she didn''te to bother you, did she? You went after her again, you kidnapped her, you made a mess out of all our lives. After all this, do you think Jun Zixuan would have let go of you?"


    Han Jingyi nced at the Shi Luo. Her eyes turned red and her fingers curled around the gun, clenching the metal till her knuckles turned red.


    ''''Do you know why you are breathing till this day?" Shi Luo smiled mockingly, ''''It was because of those parents who are heartless in your eyes. Because they could not bear it if anything happened to you so Mei asked Zixuan to spare you. You lived your life for sympathy and pity of others, didn''t you? Then I must congratte you, this life of yours was an act of charity by my friend¡­''''


    ''''Shut up, you bitch!" Han Jingyi yelled. She nced at the man beside her, ''''Grab that bitch from hair and bring her to her knees at my feet.''''


    Yang Shiyi was so scared by the scene that she kept cowering back in the corner as she ced her palm on her mouth. Their conversations were shocking enough but now that Han Jingyi looked like she had gone crazy, it scared her.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' The man grabbed Shi Luo by her hair and pulled her up to her feet.


    Shi Luo closed her eyes to endure the pain but tears rolled down the corner of her eyes.


    The man dragged Shi Luo till she was standing in front of Han Jingyi.


    Shi Luo opened her eyes only to be greeted by the sight of Han Jingyi''s victorious smirk.


    ''''Why won''t you believe me?'''' Han Jingyi said with a pitiful look on her face, ''''I have really suffered a lot. The world has been unfair to me. Since you didn''t believe, it is only right for you to kneel at my feet and apologize, am I right¡­.ahhhhhhh¡­''''


    Shi Luo pressed her heels harder on the woman''s toes till she could hear the cracking sounds. Perhaps she should thank the heavens that she was wearing the stilettos and Han Jingyi was wearing those peep-toe heels on this particr day.


    She had this in mind since the moment Han Jingyi stepped inside the cell but she was just waiting for the right moment. She was unable to move properly because of the handcuffs around her wrist and the gunshot wound on her shoulder was a pain in the ass too so she waited for the right opportunity.


    True enough, Han Family was a sore spot in Han Jingyi''s heart. No matter how calm she looked initially but it was easy to ruffle her with the mention of her family.


    Shi Luo won''t deny that she got riled up along the conversation but in the end sheposed herself.


    Just like she wanted, Han Jingyi called her closer to herself.


    The pain of getting her hair grabbed so harshly was very intense but she endured it.


    The man behind Han Jingyi moved the moment Han Jingyi screamed but Shi Luo kicked the chair ruthlessly.


    ''Bam''


    Han Jingyi, who was in extreme pain because of the heel stompnded on the floor waspletely caught off guard.


    And sure enough, the man rushed to help Han Jingyi instead ofing to her.


    Shi Luo smirked. It was a part of her calction too because even after getting reduced to this state, Han Jingyi had this man with her which meant two things. He cared for her a lot more than his own life. Second, he wanted something from her.


    But what would he want from a person who had lost everything? So, she concluded it was the former.


    ''''Be fast,'''' Shi Luo nced at Yang Shiyi who was already on her feet by this point. She had winked at her before asking her to be ready for the run when the timees.. And luckily the woman understood it.

 Chapter 474 - Pathetic

    ''''I am so scared,'''' Yang Shiyi murmured as they ran out of the cell.


    Shi Luo nced at the dark hallway. It looked like the only way out of this ce, ''''Don''t worry. Let''s run first. They won''t catch us so easily. Don''t be nervous.''''


    Although she said that, her body was covered in a cold sweat. The gunshot wound seemed to be burning from inside and her handcuffed hands were restricting her from running properly.


    Shi Luo removed her heels and threw them aside as she looked at the woman who was running in front of her. She could see that Yang Shiyi was shaking in fear, ''''I told you to not be so nervous. You can even consider yourself lucky.''''


    ''''How?" Yang Shiyi asked without looking back at her.


    ''''You don''t have handcuffs or a wound like me. At times like this, you should consider yourself lucky for small things like this.''''


    ''''But¡­ But¡­ How did you know that that man won''te after us?''''


    ''''It''s pretty apparent that he cares for a lot more than he shows. Because Han Jingyi is already reduced to this state but he still stuck to her. And the way he looked at her, it was like a man would look at a woman so I was just making a bet. Luckily, it worked though.''''


    ''''Where are you?!"


    Both of them stiffened when they heard Han Jingyi''s voice from behind.


    ''''Get inside,'''' Shi Luo pushed Yang Shiyi inside one of the rooms in the dark hallway.


    After that, she quickly got inside as well.


    ''''I am scared,'''' Yang Shiyi shivered.


    Shi Luo looked around, ''''Calm down,'''' This ce looked like a dressing room, ''''Let us hide behind those dresses,'''' she whispered to the woman who was a sobbing mess by now.


    ''''But¡­ But¡­''''


    ''''Hurry up!''''


    ''''Shi Luo, you take yourself as very smart, don''t you?"


    Of course. Shi Luo rolled her eyes. How else I would have taken down both of you and escaped despite not knowing a single move?


    As the sounds of approaching footsteps got closer, Shi Luo held her breath and leaned back on the wall weakly.


    She has been feeling dizzy for some time but she knew she could not afford to lose consciousness at this moment.


    Yang Shiyi covered her face in her hands as she sobbed.


    Shi Luo''s head turned to the side within an instant, ''''Calm down, Yang Shiyi. Shhh¡­ She will hear us,'''' she patted the woman''s shoulder to reassure her but it was all to no avail.


    ''''Shi Luo,e out by yourself. Don''t let me find you. Or else I will chop you to pieces and feed you to dogs¡­''''


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' Yang Shiyi covered her ears with her palms.


    ''Bam'' The door was kicked open by Han Jingyi''s bodyguard as soon as they heard the sound.


    Shi Luo nced at the woman beside her helplessly.


    But Yang Shiyi did not seem to have realized what she has just done by shouting so loudly.


    ¡­


    ''''Ah¡­'''' Shi Luo felt a splitting headache. She remembered that Han Jingyi attacked her with a rod. Itnded on the back of her head and she ended up losing consciousness.


    ''''...So, who do you choose?"


    Shi Luo frowned. Choose? Who was Han Jingyi talking to?


    She slowly opened her eyes.


    Initially, everything was appearing blurry to her but as her vision cleared up, Shi Luo realized that she was tied by a rope. And she was lying on something like a stage.


    She moved and her gazended on the man who was standing below the stage. Jun Boyan?


    Her eyes lit up.


    ''I am not hallucinating, am I?'' she thought.


    ''''Be fast, Jun Boyan. Who do you want to save? Your savior or your lover? You get one choice and only one chance,'''' Han Jingyi decisively nced at Jun Boyan.


    Jun Boyan quietly looked at her.


    ''''What? Don''t tell me you have simr thoughts to your lover? Do you also think that I have gone crazy?" Han Jingyi chuckled, ''''I am just venting. It was hard to get rid of your brother''s men. But now that you are here, you should know that I escaped from the washroom inside the shopping mall. Your brother, your sister-inw, all of you havended me in such a terrible position in my life. I am in such a situation that I don''t want to live but if I die, I will be letting you off so easily. Someone has to apany me in my misery, don''t you think so?"


    Jun Boyan did not say anything.


    ''''Bo.. yan¡­'''' Shi Luo tried to call him but her throat was parched and her voice came out very feeble that it was not heard by anyone.


    She remembered that they were hiding inside a dressing room but Yang Shiyi suddenly screamed in fear after which Han Jingyi discovered where they were.


    Was Yang Shiyi fine? Shi Luo tilted her head and she could see the woman sitting on the other side of the stage with a rope tied around her wrists.


    Shi Luo sighed in relief. Unlike her, Yang Shiyi appeared unharmed.


    ''''Be fast, Jun Boyan,'''' Han Jingyi nced at the man standing behind her. He immediately pointed two guns at both the women lying on the stage, ''''I am letting you save one of them. The choice is yours to make. If you don''t save any one of them right now, they will both die in my hands.''''


    Shi Luo closed her eyes, feeling another wave of dizziness taking over. Am I going to die here today? She bit her tongue to keep herself awake.


    ''''Boyan, it''s hurting. I am scared. Save me¡­.''''?Yang Shiyi looked at Jun Boyan as tears welled up in her eyes.


    Jun Boyan continued standing in his ce with an emotionless face.


    ''''Kill both¡­''''


    ''''Leave her,'''' Jun Boyan interrupted Han Jingyi.


    Shi Luo opened her eyes slowly. She followed Jun Boyan''s gaze and her gazended on Yang Shiyi.


    ''''Her? Mention a name, Young Master Jun. Do you expect me to understand some sort of code words?" Han Jingyi scoffed.


    ''''Let go of Yang Shiyi,'''' Jun Boyan said, his words ringing clear in the empty hall.


    ''''Woah! So much for being in love with our Luoluo,'''' Han Jingyiughed in utmost glee. How nice!


    Shi Luo fell in a daze.


    ''And did I not make myself clear earlier? Nothing will change the way I feel for you. I have never felt this for someone else before nor will I ever have the same feelings for any other person. All this time, it has been only you. No matter what happens in the future, I won''t change.''


    ''I promise I won''t change.''


    ''I will always love you the same. If anything, I''ll love you more.''


    How many hours has it been since he said those words to her?


    Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes. She understood he had to save his cousin, he had to save the person who once saved him by almost sacrificing her own life. But what Shi Luo did not understand was¡­. Was it that easy to abandon her?


    All it took him was a few words and she felt abandoned within an instant. He did not even take a few minutes to think about her, he did not spare a nce in her direction.


    His cold and indifferent face¡­ why was she so unfamiliar to it? Why was she so used to the warmth that Jun Boyan gave her?


    Had she not been ustomed to his warmth, would this have hurt less?


    What was this stifling feeling inside? Why did she feel like her heart was being squeezed and twisted ruthlessly?


    Shi Luo''s lips parted as tears rolled down her cheeks. Is this the reason mom told me not to give my heart entirely to a man? Because if that man ever decides to turn his back on her, then her heart would feel like it was trampled on.


    She never understood that feeling before.


    But now that she was lying on the floor of the cold stage, tied in a rope, her body was screaming in pain because of the wounds she had, she understood how it felt. How it felt to have her heart trampled on.


    ''''Does it hurts?" Han Jingyi came and squatted in front of Shi Luo as her bodyguard released Yang Shiyi and handed her over to Jun Boyan, ''''Do you feel pathetic for loving such a man? Do you have the urge to kill both of them? That''s how I felt towards the Han Family.''''


    Shi Luo tilted her head and nced at the woman with her bloodshot eyes.


    ''''See, your arrogance is all gone, Shi Luo. You were curious about what I wanted to do by kidnapping both of you, right? Now you know it. Initially, I just wanted to vent my frustrations but who told you to provoke me? Now, I pped the reality on your face. No matter how much you love someone, there will be someone whom they love more. No matter how much I loved the Han Family, they loved Han Mei more. No matter how much you loved Jun Boyan, he cared for Yang Shiyi more.''''


    Han Jingyi gripped Shi Luo''s jaws, ''''You have no reasons to call me pathetic when you are the same as me.''''


    ''''Look at me, Han Jingyi. I might be hurt or I might be crying but unlike you, I am not eager to torture people. I don''t regret loving Jun Boyan nor do I hate Yang Shiyi. How could I be the same as you? No matter how miserable I am, I have confidence in myself. I will grow out of this unlike you who would be living her entire life holding a grudge against the world. You are the pathetic one, not me¡­.''''


    ''''You bitch¡­'''' Han Jingyi raised the pistol in her hand.


    ''Bang''


    Shi Luo closed her eyes.

 Chapter 475 - Show Your Sincerity

    There are times when you can''t let go of what hurts you because somewhere you know, it was the only thing that once used to heal you.


    But being abandoned is a terrible feeling, isn''t it?


    Shi Luo slowly opened her eyes only to be greeted by white in front of her eyes. Her eyes welled up with tears.


    Am I dead? She thought to herself.


    Is this my second life or what? Yu Mei and I must have been best friends to be able to be reborn like this.


    She could not be med for thinking that way because she remembered it very well that Han Jingyi had pointed her pistol at her.


    And because her body was feeling weak, she ended up losing consciousness but she had heard the gunshot loud and clear.


    ''''You are awake¡­''''


    The familiar voice¡­


    Shi Luo tilted her head to the side and she was greeted by the sight of Yu Mei standing at the door of the hospital room.


    ''''M¡­ Mei¡­'''' her throat was parched.


    Yu Mei quickly stepped towards the hospital bed and brought over the ss of water from the bedside table, ''''Luoluo¡­'''' her eyes welled up with tears.


    Shi Luo slowly sat up on the bed and Yu Mei helped her with one hand.


    Yu Mei brought the ss of water closer to her mouth, ''''Drink it.''''


    Shi Luo took a few sips of the water before she looked at her body. She was wearing a hospital gown, ''''I¡­ am not dead?''''


    ''''Do you think you are meeting me in heaven?" Yu Mei red at her.


    ''''How many hours has it been since I was unconscious? Why did youe to Amaranthine?"


    ''''How can I note? Do you think of me as so ruthless?" Tears rolled down her cheeks, ''''You are in this state because of me. You were unconscious for 9 hours. I came over with Zixuan in his private jet¡­'''' she sobbed, ''''Luoluo, I am sorry.''''


    Usually, Shi Luo would have smacked the woman''s head for being so childish but today, she could not stop her tears either, ''''Don''t speak nonsense. It has nothing to do with you. That woman has gone crazy and she has been holding a grudge against me for so long so we can''t help it anyways. But I was really scared. I really thought that I died¡­''''


    ''''Don''t say such things.''''


    Shi Luo leaned back on the hospital bed, ''''But¡­ there was a gunshot¡­''''


    Yu Mei lowered her head quietly.


    ''''Wh-What happened?" Shi Luo stiffened, ''''Is there something wrong¡­?"


    Then as if she was struck by lightning, Shi Luo froze suddenly.


    Everything that happened in the past few hours started registering in her mind and all of it suddenly made sense to her.


    She pressed her palm on her mouth, ''''Where is he?"


    Yu Mei did not say anything.


    ''''Where is Boyan?" Shi Luo yelled.


    Tears rolled down Yu Mei''s eyes, ''''Room 502.''''


    Shi Luo jumped off the bed as fast as she could, ''''Ahh¡­'''' she winced as soon as her feet touched the floor.


    ''''Luoluo¡­''''


    ''''I¡­ I need to see him,'''' Shi Luo paused near the door where Jun Zixuan was standing. She nodded at him briefly before rushing out.


    Jun Zixuan nced at her retreating back before he walked towards Yu Mei.


    Yu Mei wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and her lips tugged up.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''Mei, do you really not want a profession in the entertainment industry?"


    ''''I am just talented in everything I do. I can''t be a multipotentialite, can I?" she said smugly.


    Jun Zixuan blinked. He quietly stroked her small baby bump, ''''Baby, you can''t be as smug as your mom, alright?"


    ''''Jun Zixuan, are you looking for a fight?" Yu Mei red at him.


    He pecked her lips quickly, ''''Of course not.''''


    She smiled at him, ''''Much better.''''


    ¡­


    ''''Boyan¡­'''' Shi Luo''s lips trembled as she nced at the man whose face waspletely pale as heid on the hospital bed.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks and her feet moved on their own as she rushed to him. She held his hand quickly, ''''I am sorry¡­'''' her eyes reddened.


    Yu Mei cried at the mention of Jun Boyan''s name. Doesn''t it mean that his condition was serious?


    Shi Luo pressed her chin on her knuckles as she closed her eyes, ''''I am sorry,'''' she sobbed, ''''In the end, I misunderstood you again¡­''''


    Han Jingyi had nothing to do with Yang Shiyi. That woman hated Yu Mei and everyone around Yu Mei. After being abandoned by the Han Family, she wanted everyone to be as miserable as she was.


    And when she asked Jun Boyan to choose between Shi Luo and Yang Shiyi, there was no other way out for Jun Boyan. She wanted him to chose Yang Shiyi so that she could make Shi Luo feel terrible and trample on her to vent her frustrations.


    And if Jun Boyan had chosen to save Shi Luo instead of Yang Shiyi that woman would have killed both of them out of spite.


    But choosing Yang Shiyi gave Jun Boyan the right amount of time to execute the further n.


    As expected, Han Jingyi came to vent her frustration on Shi Luo.


    In the meantime, Jun Zixuan''s people infiltrated the ce.


    Shi Luo cried as her fingers tightened around Jun Boyan''s hand, ''''It''s all because of me,'''' she med herself for being a fool.


    She only needed to use her brains but at that time, she waspletely manipted by Han Jingyi''s words. She really thought that he did not consider her at all, she believed that it was easy for him to leave her behind.


    ''''I was being naive,'''' Shi Luo cupped Jun Boyan''s face, ''''I¡­ After what happened between my father and mother, it left a sense of distrust in me. No matter how much I said that I trusted you but when the time came, I went back on my words. I didn''t trust you. I thought your feelings for me were fake and I thought you did not care for me.''''


    She stroked his cheek, ''''Boyan, you know when I was there in that ce, I was not sure if I will make it alive out of there. I thought Han Jingyi will kill me,'''' she blinked away her tears, ''''But all I wanted was to see you. I¡­ realized how much I love you.''''


    ''''You won''t forgive me for misunderstanding you when you kept assuring me repeatedly that you won''t change. I just let my imagination run wild when I should have been patient. I should have tried to understand what you were doing¡­'''' she lowered her head, ''''I am sorry¡­ Please wake up¡­''''


    ''''I will forgive you if you say that again.''''


    Shi Luo stiffened. She nced at the man. Her vision was blurred because of her tears. She wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand as she nced at him. ''''You are awake¡­'''' A relieved expression appeared on her face.


    ''''Didn''t you apologize?'''' Jun Boyan nced at her with an aloof expression on his face.


    That expression¡­ She was not unfamiliar with it. She had seen this expression when he was conversing with Han Jingyi back in that ce. Was he that angry? Did he hate her now for misunderstanding his intentions repeatedly?


    ''''I did¡­'''' Shi Luo guiltily lowered her head.


    ''''So, I told you I will forgive you if you repeat what you said. Shouldn''t you hurry up?"


    Shi Luo blinked, ''''I said¡­. I am sorry and please wake up.''''


    ''''Before that,'''' he nced at her indifferently.


    Shi Luo felt slightly awkward with her hand on his face. It was still fine when he was sleeping but now that he was awake, it was a bit strange.


    She cleared her throat and tried to retract his hand.


    He grabbed her wrist, holding it in ce, ''''Hurry up!"


    She straightened up at his cold voice. What did she say before that? ''''I said that I know you won''t forgive me for this¡­''''


    ''''No, not that.''''


    Shi Luo frowned, ''''What else are you talking about? I said a lot of things. Can you be a bit specific?"


    ''''Something about love,'''' he nced at her meaningfully.


    ''''Oh, that. I said that I realized how much I love you....'''' Her words came to a screeching halt when she realized what she just confessed.


    Her cheeks started heating up at her own confession.


    ''''Oh, did you?" the corner of his lips tugged up.


    ''''Wait... Weren''t you shot and severely injured?"


    ''''Mmm... Was I?" He brought her palm closer to his mouth and licked it.


    She stiffened.


    He nipped on her palm and kissed the spot before sucking it.


    Shi Luo gulped, her throat running dry because of his actions.


    ''''Were you pretending, Jun Boyan?" She red at him, clinging to thest bit of restraint that she had.


    ''''Luoluo, I don''t remember saying anything about me being injured or shot. How did I pretend? You are misunderstanding me again, aren''t you?''''


    ''''I told you the first time was a mistake,'''' she mumbled, ''''Can you not hold a grudge?"


    ''''Depends on how sincere you are,'''' he winked.

 Chapter 476 - Sure About Us?

    As she opened the door to her apartment, Shi Luo could not help but turn around to re at Jun Boyan, ''''I can''t believe that you all fooled me like that.''''


    He cleared his throat, ''''You were the one who assumed that I was shot. I don''t remember saying anything as such.''''


    She was speechless.


    So, as it turned out, Han Jingyi was indeed aiming the pistol towards Shi Luo to shoot her but before she could do that, Jun Boyan shot her hand.


    And in the next moment, Jun Zixuan''s men captured Han Jingyi and his guard.


    ''''Hmm... so you know how to handle a gun,'''' Shi Luo nced at Jun Boyan as she took a seat on the long couch.


    When he approached her to sit beside her, she narrowed her eyes.


    He walked towards the single couch before taking a seat, ''''I have learned a bit here and there from brother.''''


    ''''A bit?" Shi Luo sat straight, gulping down her grievances, ''''What do you mean by ''a bit''? How could you shoot her wrist so urately if you knew just a bit?'''' As a woman who didn''t know the basic self-defense moves, this was a blow to her weak heart.


    He scratched the back of his neck, ''''I guess it just happened. Maybe I got lucky.''''


    ''''You...''''


    ''''Luoluo, don''t forget the words you said to me back in the hospital.''''


    ''''Which ones?"


    ''''Even though I didn''t take a bullet for you...''''


    The corner of her lips twitched. She assumed that Han Jingyi shot him but as it turns out he was resting in the hospital bed of the VIP room after keeping a watch on her for hours. And he wasn''t resting there out of his own will. Yu Mei was the one who asked him to rest.


    That sly woman... She must have nned this. Shi Luo sighed.


    ''''...but it is a fact that you didn''t trust me. I know the situation did not look right so I am not ming you but a little bit ofpensation is only fair, isn''t it?"


    Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet.


    Jun Boyan straightened up when he saw the serious look on her face.


    ''''Stand up,'''' she folded her arms in front of her chest.


    ''''Hmm?" he pushed himself to his feet, quietly raising a brow.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes, ''''I willpensate you with myself. What do you think?" she whispered in a seductive voice.


    His brow rose further, ''''Luoluo, are you possessed?" he asked.


    ''''Hmm... I guess I have been possessed for the past few days. I was acting unlike myself. I was quite bitchy at times, I kept being confused and indecisive but today was a wake-up call. This is the real me. I like to go for what I want and I decisively im it instead of going around in circles,'''' she felt her face heating up slightly as she tilted her face down, ''''So, you are the one I want.''''


    He ced a finger under her chin and tilted her face, ''''Are you shy...mmph!"


    She interrupted his words with a passionate kiss.


    Jun Boyan grabbed the back of her neck and took her bottom lips between his, taking control of the kiss as his tongue dominated her mouth.


    His hand slowly shifted back to her waist and his other hand found its way back to her bottom. He hoisted her up in the air, all the while not breaking the kiss.


    Shi Luo wrapped her legs around his waist as she pulled back. She cupped his face and nced at him. He was looking at her with an intense gaze that made her heart race.


    Suddenly, an old conversation with her mom shed in her mind.


    ''But mom, he is younger than me.''


    ''So what? If anything, that would make things interesting.''


    Shi Luo snapped out of her dreand when she felt his hand squeezing her bottom.


    ''''Ah...'''' A soft moan escaped her lips as she threw her head back, her body unconsciously shifting closer to him.


    He kissed her chin and his wet lips trailed down to her neck. He kissed her corbone.


    Shi Luo felt a gush of warmth near her lower abdomen and she clenched down there.


    ''''I...'''' she nced at him.


    He held the back of her head, slowly stroking her hair. His muscles flexed against her back and her back arched, ''''Luoluo, are you fine?"


    Her mind was racing with various thoughts when she felt his muscles flexing against her body but when he asked the question, she froze for a moment, ''''Hmm?"


    ''''I mean.... you were injured.''''


    ''''Oh that...'''' she blinked before quickly wrapping her arms around his neck, ''''They are minor scratches,'''' It was true. They were minor injuries and it has been hours since she was hospitalized so she felt somewhat better.


    Just the shoulder injury hurt a bit because it was caused when the bullet grazed past her shoulder but it was bearable. And she was not going to tell him that.


    There was no way she wanted to stop today.


    She did not know how she mustered her confidence to confess to him about how much she wanted him.


    Like what she imed, she was always a decisive person who didn''t like talking or going around in circles but what she did not tell him was that when it came to him, her EQ and IQ dropped drastically and things became tragic on her side.


    He brought out that immature, stupid, and teenagerish side in her.


    ''''There is no going back,'''' he whispered in her ear before biting her earlobe, ''''So, are you sure?"


    ''''Sure about what?" She nced at him as she bit her bottom lips.


    ''''About us?'''' his gaze took in the sight of her plump lips. Oh how much he wanted to capture them again and fondle and twist them with his lips.


    But he wanted her answer first.


    Even though she confessed today, there has been a lot of situations between them since the day they met.


    There were sparks since their very first meeting in his mother''s vi but for some reason, both of them never took a step towards each other.


    On his side, he never took the initiative because she acted like she did not have anything for him.


    So, thest thing he wanted her to regret was him.


    ''''Luoluo, I will continue only if you tell me you have no regrets,'''' he continued carrying her without showing a sign of tiredness.


    She could not help but steal a few nces at his muscr body. Even though he was wearing his clothes, but she marveled inwardly at the sight of him.


    As his words started registering in her mind, she clicked her tongue, not taking her gaze off his chest, ''''We''re already like this. What regrets do you think could I possibly have?" This male god was all hers after all.


    He chuckled, ''''So, I am taking your word for it,'''' he kissed her jaws.


    ''''Yes, as you should,'''' her neck arched as he nibbled on the spot he kissed.


    He tookrge strides towards the bedroom, all the while carrying her in his arms.

 Chapter 477: Stay the same

    Shi Luo did not realize when they made it to the bedroom. Thest thing she remembered was that he knocked her breath out with a passionate kiss and she had closed her eyes, immersing herself in it.


    But now that she was suddenly thrown on the bed, her hair syed above her head.


    As her body bounced on the soft mattress, she slowly opened her eyes and nced at the man who was standing near the edge of the bed.


    He was looking at her with a predatory gaze that was somewhat unfamiliar to her because she was used to his obedient face and puppy eyes which he used to deceive her or coax her for anything.


    Not that she disliked the way he looked at her right now. If anything, it gave her flutters all over.


    He unbuttoned his shirt, all the while not taking his gaze off her and as soon as his shirt dropped on the floor, her lips parted.


    She nced at his chiseled abs and toned body. The sight of his tanned chest made her throat run dry.


    Shi Luo clenched the sheets in her hand as she continued looking at his body.


    ''''Like what you see?'''' he asked as he walked towards the bed before sitting next to her waist.


    She tilted her head to meet his gaze, ''''I do,'''' she said and watched as the corner of his lips tugged up in a charming smile.


    Shi Luo sat up on the bed and continued looking at his face, ''''You know you look really pretty when you smile like that,'''' she whispered.


    ''''Pretty?'''' he raised an eyebrow, ''''Is that the right word for a man?"


    ''''Why not? Moreover, you are more like an art piece,'''' she ran her finger on his nose bridge, ''''I love your dimples,'''' she winked, speaking what she wanted to say to him since the very first day they met.


    ''''I love you.''''


    Her heart skipped a beat when she heard those words, her eyes met his heated gaze.


    He leaned closer to her all the while looking straight into her eyes, ''''I love everything about you.''''


    She did not avert her gaze either even though her breath was growing weaker and weaker with each passing second.


    ''''May I?" he whispered against her lips.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck in a response to his question and he captured her lips without wasting another second. His tongue ruthlessly assaulted her mouth as he licked her bottom lips alternatively, sucking and biting on them.


    His hand wrapped around her waist and he pulled her onto hisp such that she was sitting with her legs on either side of his body.


    She sat on her knees and cupped his face before kissing him back.


    His hand slowly glided up her waist and he pulled the zipper of her short white dress.


    The dressnded pooled around her thighs and his hand shifted to her bottom as he pulled her body close to his, leaving no gap in between them.


    ''''Ah....'''' A moan escaped her mouth when she felt his hardness against her core, a heat creeping up her neck.


    Her body was craving for him and she could feel it.


    She tightly grabbed his hair as their lips parted.


    He did not stop kissing her. He pecked her lips before his lips started trailing down her chin to her neck. He kissed her corbone before he bit the spot hard.


    ''''Sss...'''' she gasped in pleasure, her core clenching hard.


    He sucked the spot he just bit before cing a soft kiss on her cleavage.


    She moaned.


    He grabbed her waist and flipped their positions, pinning her to the bed.


    Her chest rose and fell as she panted.


    He pulled back to look at her, ''''You are beautiful,'''' he mumbled, kneeling in between her legs.


    She turned her face to the side, covering her upper body with an arm even though she could not hide anything. She was wearing nothing but a ck bra and a pair of ck panties. Rest, her whole body was bare.


    But it was not bad. She did not feel exposed like she used to think she would feel when she will be in bed with a man.


    If anything, she was turned on. ''''I want you,'''' the words escaped her mouth before she could contemte them.


    He unbuckled his belt before throwing it away.


    Shi Luo clenched the sheets in her palms and her body arched when he held her ankle and pulled her leg up.


    A moan escaped her mouth when he kissed her feet softly, his lips trailed up to her ankle and he trailed kisses till her knee.


    Jun Boyan paused and raised his head to look at her. She was looking at him with a passionate and almost pleading expression on her face and he could feel turned on, even more than before.


    People of their age might be fickle aboutmitments or work. But he was certain of what he wanted to do, who he wanted to be with. Maybe it had something to do with the way he was raised in those circumstances, but he never changed his mind easily.


    And just one look at her was enough to tell him that she was the woman he desired all his life.


    There was no going back on it unless she was the one to back off first.


    Shi Luo blinked when she saw him looking at her intently.


    ''''You better not back off in the future. You are mine. I am giving you no other option,'''' he said, looking straight into her eyes.


    ''''As long as you stay the same,'''' Shi Luo whispered.


    ''''I swear,'''' Jun Boyan winked, much to her amusement.


    Before she could say anything, he pulled her leg and ced it on his shoulder.


    Shi Luo bnced the heel of her foot on his broad back and a gasp escape her lips when his lipsnded on her inner thighs. She clenched inside her panties as the tip of his tongue licked the spot before kissing it.

 Chapter 478: Sharing a room?

    Her chest rose and fell as he dropped butterfly kisses on her inner thighs. His fingers moved to her panties, ''''You are wet,'''' he whispered, his finger drawing a line from top to bottom above her panties.


    She bit her bottom lips, her toes curling up as his thumb stroked her panties.


    His fingers moved to the side, stroking the edge of herce panties, "Why do I feel like you prepared for this?" He asked in a hoarse voice and it took him a moment to rip off her panties.


    A faint blush crept up her cheeks and she pressed her thighs together instinctively, "Everything happened in a rush and I didn''t have time to prepare a gift so I just wrapped myself up and turned it into a present. Happy Birthday!" She whispered, her gaze shifting to the clock as it struck 12.


    He was stunned.


    Looking at the man who was sitting frozen in his spot, she ended up chuckling, "What? Don''t tell me you forgot your own birthday."


    "I was dead worried about you, dummy. Where would I find the leisure to look at the date or time?" He clicked his tongue.


    It was her turn to be speechless.


    "But it''s good enough. I am very much loving my birthday present and I promise I will cherish it forever," As soon as his words dropped, his palms grabbed the back of her thighs as he parted them.


    Her heels dug into his shoulder des and he kissed her nub.


    It was as if her breath was knocked out of her chest. She never knew something like this really existed, that it wasn''t a myth shown in dramas and novels.


    His lips glided up to her lower abdomen, kissing all the way to her cleavage.


    He paused, looked into her eyes, and unsped her bra.


    He kissed her lips gently, sending a jolt through her body.


    She raked her hair through his dark hair, kissing him back. Her nipples hardened as her breasts rubbed against his hard chest.


    He pulled back from the kiss and lowered his head, taking one of her breasts inside his mouth, biting and sucking on her nipple while his hand worked on the other.


    "Ahh... Please..." She did not know she craved him like this. Not until now.


    She closed her eyes, feeling his hands exploring her entire body, fondling her in the right ces.


    "I need you," she whispered, slowly opening her eyes.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, he got off her body and discarded his pants and boxers.


    In the next moment, she felt his hard boner against her skin, stroking her inner thighs.


    He removed the hair from her neck, dropping soft kisses. His lips trailed to her corbones as he kissed her breasts. He kissed her nipple and as it hardened further against his touch, he kneaded it with his lips.


    "Ahh..." She shivered, her thighs pressed together only to have his rock-hard member between them.


    He grabbed one of her legs and wrapped it around his waist. The tip of his hardness rubbed against her core and her chest heaved up and down.


    "I... I want you. Please," she moaned almost begging.


    He leaned closer to her and kissed her earlobe.


    "Ah...."


    His hardness stroked her wet entrance, "You are impatient, aren''t you?"


    "I am..." She whispered against his lips.


    He kissed her ear and before she knew it, he was sliding inside her.


    "Ah..." A gasp escaped her mouth right beside his ear.


    The gasp of that very first thrust.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and bit his earlobe, feeling his length stiffening inside her.


    She bit her lips to endure the pain.


    He pulled back from her to look at her face. He kissed her eyes before capturing her lips with his. As their lips moved together in sync, he let himself slide in and out of her very gently.


    Sweat droplets sparkled on his forehead as he endured his urges, letting her adjust to his length.


    As the frown on her face loosened, he pulled back half his length before thrusting inside her once again.


    And suddenly their breaths became one as they gasped for air.


    He took his entire length out of her before thrusting inside her once again.


    She gripped the headboard of the bed as his movements became intense. Pleasure filled her body as she arched her neck, her breasts bouncing with every thrust.


    Their breathes intermingled, "I love you," he whispered against her lips before kissing her chin.


    It was as if his words worked like magic as she shuddered and clenched around his length. "Ahh..." She hugged him tightly as she climaxed.


    He did not stop there. He continued thrusting inside her.


    Shi Luo bit his earlobe, hugging him tightly and soon she felt him taking his length out of her.


    He did that before climaxing but she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, "I am on pills," she whispered, "We are safe."


    He kissed her lips as soon as her words finished and with onest thrust, he climaxed inside her.


    The next morning.


    Shi Luo rolled around the bed to find afortable position but she felt an obstruction on her waist.


    She opened her eyes and nced at the hand wrapped around her waist.


    And a certain man had his face buried in between her breasts.


    She stiffened. No wonder there was this ticklish feeling that woke her up.


    The memories ofst night came rushing to her and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.


    Shi Luo moved back ever so discreetly but she felt his grip tightening around her waist. He raised his head and kissed her neck, "Take responsibility for me. Don''t go."


    "_"


    This fox... That''s right. The whole family was a den of foxes. How did she think that this one will turn out to be innocent?


    Just when she was thinking about it, Jun Boyan raised his head to look at her as he blinked innocently.


    Shi Luo almost got a nosebleed by that look on his face. This seducer!


    She snuggled into his arms, "Yesterday, I was really scared... I thought I won''t make it out of there alive. I thought I would never get to see you again."


    Jun Boyan hugged her tightly, "It''s okay. Everything is fine now."


    "Mhmm... I can feel that," Except for that feeling, she could feel the soreness all over her body. Not to mention the embarrassment.


    She took the initiative and wrapped a ribbon around herself before presenting herself to him on a silver tter.


    Jun Boyan kissed her forehead as he looked into her eyes.


    "What?"


    "I am happy," he smiled.


    Shi Luo wrapped her arms around his waist before snuggling into his chest.


    Right at that moment, the doorbell started ringing.


    Shi Luo stiffened, "Oh no..."


    "What happened?"


    "Dammit..." Shi Luo sat up on the bed, wrapping the sheets around her body, "I was supposed to meet mom yesterday. She must be here. Boyan, you need to hide...."


    "Oh, that..."Jun Boyan nodded,"Luoluo, about that, you don''t need to worry about it..."


    "Shut up," Shi Luo pressed a finger on his lips, "I know this is unfair to you but please hide in the bathroom. I love you!" She kissed his cheeks before he could say something else.


    Jun Boyan was left speechless as he looked at her with two hearts popping out of his eyes.


    "Luoluo, at least listen to me...." he protested when she wrapped the sheets around his body and picked up the nket before wrapping it around her body. She pushed him into the bathroom.


    "Shhh..." Shi Luo whispered, "Stop speaking. We will talkter," With that said, she pushed him into the bathroom and locked the door, "Don''t make any noises."


    Shi Luo quickly got dressed and stepped out of the room.


    "Luoluo..."


    Shi Luo nced at her mother who called out to her while removing her shoes.


    Her eyes widened when she noticed Jun Boyan''s shoes were also there out on disy and her mother''s gaze had alreadynded on them before she could do anything about it.


    ''Think Shi Luo, think about how you are going to tackle this situation,'' Shi Luo made countless mental calctions in her mind before concluding, "Mom, you are seeing it right. I have a man."


    Shi Xia turned to look at her as she raised an eyebrow.


    Shi Luo tried her best to not cower back in fear, "I heard of the theory that says that we should get someone new to get over the old me. So, to get over Jun Boyan, I got myself a man. Unfortunately, he left just a few minutes before you arrived here or you could have met him. These are just his spare shoes."


    Shi Xia narrowed her eyes. Look at this girl lying on her face, "Where is Jun Boyan?"


    "He is in..." Shi Luo gulped, "What Jun Boyan? Who Jun Boyan? I have got nothing to do with him. Why are you asking me about that man? I hate him..." She bbered in one breath.


    "You have gotten better at lying. I know he is here and I know that you both are dating," Shi Xia spoke with a straight face.


    Shi Luo: "_"


    "Take him out if you don''t want me to throw you out of the house."


    "_"


    "In fact, I should disown you. I hate liars but my daughter seems to be in that profession."


    "_"


    "Mom, what are you talking about? This was a one-time thing. Haven''t I always been obedient and honest to you?"


    Shi Xia squinted.


    Shi Luo lowered her head and twiddled with both her index fingers, "He is in my room. I will bring him here..."


    "You... You both are sharing a room?"


    "Mom, you made us share a house before? What''s weird about sharing a room?" Shi Luo tilted her head to the side like a withered flower.

 Chapter 479: Sweet ache

    ''''Shi Luo!"


    ''''Mom, wait here. I''ll go get him,'''' Shi Luo dashed inside the room within a split second.


    ''''This girl....'''' Shi Xia was speechless.


    Shi Xia sat on the long couch while Jun Boyan and Shi Luo sat on the opposite single couches.


    "Mom... It was a one-time thing. We won''t see each other ever again. I don''t like him as you think..."


    Jun Boyan nced at her grievously.


    "Shut up!" Shi Xia snarled, "Shi Luo, do you take me for a fool?"


    ...


    After Shi Xia left, Shi Luo slumped in Jun Boyan''s arms weakly, "Why is my mom so scary?"


    "I think she is cute," Jun Boyan shrugged when she red at him.


    "Do you know her better than me?" Shi Luo rolled her eyes, "Why didn''t you tell me that mom knew about us?"


    "Did you give me the chance to speak?"


    Shi Luo was embarrassed, ''''But she seemed to be fine with our rtionship even though she was acting otherwise.''''


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''Maybe, what happened yesterday changed her mind.''''


    ''''Was mom aware of it?" Shi Luo was stunned.


    He nodded again, ''''She was here to meet you yesterday and I received a call from my brother at that time.''''


    ''''I was lying to her so tantly...''''


    Jun Boyan walked behind her as he hugged her from the back, ''''You didn''t want her to worry. There is nothing wrong with it.''''


    Shi Luo leaned back into his embrace, ''''So, we don''t need to hide our rtionship anymore?"


    Jun Boyan kissed her neck, ''''Of course. What''s there to hide?"


    Shi Luo smiled but her brows tugged together suddenly, ''''What about Zixuan and Mei?"


    ''''Sister-inw had a meeting so she left after I brought you home and Brother apanied her.''''


    ''''And...'''' She paused for a moment, ''''What about her...? Han Jingyi... I mean.''''


    ''''She.... is dead,'''' Jun Boyn said after a few seconds.


    Shi Luo was stunned. She turned around to look at him.


    What happened at that time was Han Jingyi intended to shoot Shi Luo but before she could do that, Jun Boyan shot her hand and the pistol slipped from her grip. Then, after that, Jun Zixuan''s men captured her and her bodyguard surrendered on his own will, in an attempt to save her.


    But Han Jingyi took his gun and shot herself in the dead.


    Shi Luo sighed before wrapping her arms around his waist, ''''She is gone,'''' She did not know what she felt about it.


    Life was indeed unfair to Han Jingyi but she could have made out of it victoriously. Instead, she chose to be greedy, she stole everything that belonged to others and decided to call it hers. Even after that, she did not want anyone to use her of being a thief.


    Maybe it was not the years of trauma, it was her own wrong decisions regarding all those incidents that led her to this point where she lost her sanity.


    After a few minutes of silence, Shi Luo spoke up again, ''''I am curious. How did you find out about our whereabouts?'''' After all Han Jingyi seemed to be pretty secretive about her location.


    Jun Boyan stiffened, ''''Luoluo...''''


    ''''Hmm?" Shi Luo looked into his eyes.


    ''''You remember that someone removed the patients'' database from the hospital records?''''


    ''''How can I forget about that? I was troubled for it for so long,'''' Shi Luo sighed but then she suddenly paused, ''''Why are you mentioning that though?"


    ''''Because I was the one who did it. I wanted to erase mom''s personal information but I knew the director would bug you to find out more about it because he knows you are close to the Jun Family. So, I removed some of the other patients'' data randomly but I did not expect you to be still implicated by it,'''' He said regretfully.


    ''''You hacked into the hospital database?'''' Shi Luo''s lips parted. She had no idea about how all that worked but she was certain all the members of the IT department were at their wits'' end because of this hacker who they could not get a hold of.


    ''''I did. The part-time job that I spoke of. It was this. I pick up A-grade tasks and aplish them,'''' he said.


    ''''So... Have you done illegal stuff?" Shi Luo nced at him.


    ''''I''ve hacked into the government database... does it counts?" Jun Boyan scratched the back of his neck.


    Shi Luo stepped back from him and crossed her arms in front of her chest, ''''What do you think?"


    ''''Cough... of course, I did it to find the corrupt officials who had secretly colluded with a criminal organization,'''' He smiled cheekily when she blinked.


    ''''But still, it''s dangerous,'''' Shi Luo pouted.


    Jun Boyan stepped closer to her and poked her cheeks, ''''How cute!'''' He kissed her forehead.


    Shi Luo nced at him for a few seconds before she kissed his chin.


    ''''Luoluo, when are we going back to Beijing? You came all the way to here for me and I am certain that you are extending your break.''''


    Shi Luo was quiet for a moment as she lowered her head, ''''Yes, I need to go back to work,'''' She thought she had been working for way too long and it was time for her to find some peace in a long holiday.


    She was satisfied by the results of this break because the misunderstandings between Jun Boyan and her were solved and she was no longer an ignorant fool who would start assuming things in this rtionship. She had learned her lessons already.


    And the next good thing that happened was... Han Jingyi no longer existed in their lives. Being happy about a person''s death might be morally inappropriate but Shi Luo had no regrets. From now on, they won''t have to live under a constant fear that something might happen to them or their close ones.


    The Han Family might be sad and heartbroken after their adopted daughter''s death but they will eventuallye around to the fact that Yu Mei gave her a chance and she was the one who did not cherish it.


    Now that Yu Mei was pregnant, there was no guarantee that that crazy woman would not have tried to harm her baby in the future as she did with all of them.


    But now, there was no reason left for them to worry about.


    Despite everything, Shi Luo was missing her work. She liked spending time with Jun Boyan here but she was missing the air of Beijing, ''''Let''s go back tonight. I''ll book the flight tickets,'''' she turned around and nced at Jun Boyan.


    He gazed at the bright smile on her face, ''''In fact....'''' he paused.


    ''''Hmm?" Shi Luo blinked.


    Jun Boyan shook his head. He pulled her closer to himself and stole a kiss from her lips, ''''Let''s go back tonight.''''


    Shi Luo smiled.


    ...


    At Amaranthine airport.


    As Jun Boyan was denied entry inside by security, he was speechless.


    Shi Luo turned around and smiled at him. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the side, ''''Where do you think you are going?"


    ''''I thought we were going back?" Jun Boyan blinked.


    ''''With just one ticket?" Shi Luo waved her phone, showing him the only ticket which had her name on it.


    ''''Didn''t you book it for me?"


    ''''Why would I?" Shi Luo chuckled when she noticed the stunned expressions on his face, ''''Boyan, when I was packing our clothes, I found this,'''' she waved the airline ticket in her hand.


    It was a ticket to Florence, Italy.


    ''''You intended to go to Italy to continue studying culinary arts.''''


    ''''That was a n from...''''


    ''''I don''t care when, why or how you made this n but I know how much you love it. There is no reason for you to change your ns.''''


    ''''I don''t want to leave you when we just got together,'''' the man confessed and tilted his face to the side, the tips of his ears turned red.


    Shi Luo ended up smiling. How adorable! She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, ''''It''s just one year. Even I don''t want to stay away from you....'''' she paused when he looked at her with glowing eyes, ''''But I noticed that you hesitated for a few seconds when I asked you toe back with me. That means, somewhere in your heart, you want to go to Italy and stick to your original n.


    I don''t want you to end up with regrets, Boyan.


    Jun Boyan wrapped an arm around her waist and quietly pulled her into his arms.


    Shi Luo kissed his shirt, ''''It''s not like I am running away. I am here. I believe 1 year will go by in a sh and soon, you will be right next to me. Meanwhile, I have never tried long-distance rtionships. I have heard that it''s quite cool. We can try it?"


    ''''Cool?'''' Jun Boyan pulled back to re at her, ''''Get me one person who will agree with you. Long-distance rtionships tend to end on a tragic note. How is that cool?"


    ''''Alright, alright, I was just saying that to coax you,'''' Shi Luo pouted, ''''But on a serious note, it''s not like we won''t be meeting each other. I have never been to Italy before so I can visit you on weekends.''''


    ''''That''d be too tiring for you. I wille to meet you.''''


    ''''Everything works. We can facetime each other.''''


    Jun Boyan nodded, ''''But I will miss you,'''' he said in a soft voice.


    ''''It''s just one year, Boyan,'''' She handed his ticket to him and stood on her tiptoes before capturing his lips.


    He cupped her face to hide it from people''s view as he kissed her back.


    As their lips parted, he pecked her lips gently before cing soft kisses all over his face.


    Shi Luo pulled back from him, ''''That''s enough kissing already. I will call you when I reach there,'''' As she said so, she stood on her tiptoes once again and kissed his chin.


    Without giving him the chance to respond, Shi Luo turned around and entered inside.


    Tears rolled down her eyes but she made no move to wipe them knowing that the man was still standing there, observing her every move. He would rush in right this moment and cancel all his ns if he saw her crying.


    He was just a few steps away and she was feeling nostalgic already.


    Is this the sweet ache of love? Is this how lovers feel when they part from each other.


    In the end, Shi Luo did not turn around to look at him. One more look and she will end up rushing into his arms, forgetting her determination.


    ''''It''s okay. Italy, it is... I''ll see the ce next week,'''' With that thought, a smile formed on her lips.


    Jun Boyan nced at her retreating back until he could not see her anymore. As soon as she was out of his sight, his heart felt heavy and it was as if he had to drag his body towards his car.


    ''''She just left and I already feel like a patient suffering from some terminal disease... Ah!" He leaned his head on the steering wheel, letting his hands hang lifelessly on the sides.


    ''''I wille to meet her every 5 days.... no, that''s too much, I will take the chopper ande every 3 days. That''s a better idea,'''' With that idea, his lips tilted up, forming a small smile, ''''Luoluo, don''t be shockedter when that happens,'''' he inhaled a deep breath and sat up straight.


    Just as he was about to step on the elerator, his phone started ringing. He nced at the unknown number before answering the call, ''''What? A scandal?!"


    Jun Boyan hung up the call and checked the hot searches.


    ''Infidelity at its peak: Superstar Mu Shen is caught two timing''


    ''The Film Emperor is still as quiet despite cheating on his girlfriend''

 Chapter 480: Mu Shen X Li Shuang

    Apany to handle, a legacy to protect and a husband to find, Li Shuang had enough on her te. Her grandfather gave her a deadline to find a man and she shortlisted some decent guys. She had to evaluate them and settle on the perfect husband all the while managing her responsibilities as the CEO of Dream Entertainment.


    But thest thing she expected was toe across a certain film emperor syed on her balcony, dead drunk, looking nothing less than a lost Prince.


    So, if you may ask, who was Mu Shen? The infamous Film Emperor who just moved in next door after a cheating scandal. Fame, money, and women. He had all in plenty. And he was used to that life of his until he came across this woman who won''t spare him a second nce. Cold and emotionless, Li Shuang was the kind of woman who was nothing less than a thrill, a conquest.


    She was dangerous to him and he knew it from all the times their eyes met before. Even though his heart slipped a few times, he was certain that he wanted to stay away from her but thest thing he expected was to end up as her neighbor.


    Eyes met and sparks flew... on his side of course. He knew the little tricks to wear her down, sexually and emotionally but oh, was he sure about it?


    Was the infamous yboy ever willing to be tied down? Or would the cold and emotionless CEO ept her ''feelings'', the thing that she detested the most?


    When both the people subconsciously rejected the idea of love, who will be the one to give in first? Or was it all bound to go down in mes?


    ...


    ''''Young Master, we need to release a statement. You can atleast detail me about what happened,'''' Manager Huang was on the verge of tears as he nced at the man through the rearview mirror.


    Mu Shen pulled down his shades and tilted his head down before winking at Manager Huang, ''''You need to chill, Manager Huang. Look at the fine lines on your face.''''


    ''''Young Master, did you really cheat on your girlfriend? Why did you keep me in dark about it? You should have told me beforehand. Your scandal is hitting every tabloid, and every newspaper. You should have told me that you were cheating on your girlfriend...''''


    ''''What then?" Mu Shen interrupted tha man, ''''Were you nning to bury the matter before the media finds out?"


    ''''I...'''' Manager Huang did not know how to answer the question because he would have indeed done that if he knew about it.


    Mu Shen massaged his brows, ''''How long has it been since you are around me?"


    ''''It has been more than two decades,'''' the middle aged man answered, ''''I used to be your caretaker but when you decided to join the entertainment industry, Master Mu asked me to be your manager since I was qualified for it and you rejected the idea of joining any entertainment industry.''''


    ''''Come on now. I didn''t ask for your bio-data,'''' Mu Shen crossed one leg above the other as he leaned back on the seat before looking out of the window, ''''What I meant to say is you know me long enough to know that I don''t do rtionships and I don''t do LOVE,'''' he emphasized on thest word.


    ''''Then the cheating scandal...''''


    ''''Do you think Ick women and I need to lie to one so that I can sleep with the other? Or do you believe I have so much of leisure on my hand?" He pressed his chin on his knuckles and nced at the man with narrowed eyes.


    Manager Huang gulped, ''''So, that means the ims made by that woman were false.... She is trying to frame you. Young Master, why did you keep quiet about this? We could have released a statement before this matter escted but now that things are like this, people are assuming that you are guilty.''''


    ''''A few months ago, do you remember the pregnantdy who imed in front of the media that the baby in her womb is mine? It''s nothing new for me to get involved in scandals. Until and unless my career is ending, don''t ask me to respond to them,'''' Mu Shen said in a bored voice.


    ''''But Young Master, Master and Madam are worried....''''


    Mu Shen paused when he heard that, ''''Alright, then wait for the right time. After that woman''s crocodile tears dry up and she stops her scripts, you can release the statement.''''


    ''''Yes, Young Master.''''


    ''''Is this neighborhood peaceful?" Mu Shen asked.


    Manager Huang nodded, ''''I have looked into the ce before. You will definitely like this neighborhood. Glory Apartment is filled with reporters so we can''t go there at this moment.''''


    ''''How troublesome!" Mu Shen leaned back on the seat before closing his eyes. Because of the scandal, reporters were flocking in front of his ce like birds so in the end, his manager decided to shift him to another neighborhood.


    ''''I''ve heard that the CEO of Dream Entertainment lives there.''''


    Mu Shen who was busy massaging his forehead, paused when he heard that. A beautiful face shed in his mind and he could see those icy expressions even in his imagination.


    ''''As much as you hate these entertainment agencies, and their CEOs, but Young Master you should restrain yourself from showing your hatred openly. We don''t want another scandal as of now because this person is not someone to be messed with. She is the granddaughter of the aristrocatic Yu Family in Beijing,'''' Manager Huang sighed.


    Ever since the Yu Family stepped down from their position and Li Shuang took over thepany, Dream Entertainment has been flourishing.


    ''''I see,'''' Mu Shen shook off her face from his mind before he closed his eyes.


    Manager Huang was a bit wary. He would have preferred if his Young Master winked orughed. This ''I see'' was scary. He wasn''t going to cause chaos, was he?

 Chapter 481: Cancel the date

    A/N: Read Chapter 480 before reading this one. It was posted wrongly ^^''


    ...


    ''''I heard that Luoluo ising back today,'''' Li Shuang twirled on the swivel chair and grabbed the file ced near the edge of the table.


    ''''You heard it from Mia?" Yu Mei''s voice could be heard from her phone which was on speaker.


    ''''Yes, you both did not tell me about what happened to her. Mei, I still can''t believe that Han Jingyi would be so crazy,'''' Li Shuang looked up from the file and sighed.


    ''''It''s in the past. She is not around anymore,'''' Yu Mei said.


    ''''So, there is no point discussing her,'''' Li Shuang nodded, ''''Let''s meet after Luoluo is back.''''


    ''''Yes, what are your ns for the day?"


    ''''I have finished my meetings. My secretary should have arranged a date with Edward. After the date, I will go back to my ce.''''


    There was a long pause on the other side and Li Shuang had to check her phone to know that Yu Mei had not disconnected the call.


    ''''You are still going out with that Vice-President of yourpany?"


    ''''Mhm.''''


    ''''You don''t like him.''''


    ''''There is no such thing as love in the world, Mei. Even if it is, for me, it doesn''t have a ce in my life. It''s either money or works for me,'''' Li Shuang continued after some thought, ''''And I''d like to count a warm bath in my bathtub and my soul food in it as well,'''' she added after some thought.


    ''''Pfft,'''' Yu Mei burst out inughter.


    Li Shuang blinked, ''''Did I crack a joke?'''' she asked and continued looking through the files.


    Yu Mei stoppedughing, ''''The thing is, love used to exist in your world too. You liked Zhu Boqin with all your heart and you were so sincere about him.''''


    Li Shuang''s fingers which were about to flip the page, paused, ''''It has been a long time since I heard his name.''''


    ''''I know.''''


    Both of them went quiet because this name only reminded them of the bad memories that they buried in their hearts.


    "Mei, I will hang up now. Let''s talkter," Li Shuang broke the awkward silence.


    Yu Mei sighed, "Ah Shuang, just remember that Zhu Boqin was not your whole world, and not every man is the same. Don''t do things that you will regret in the future. Rtionships, love, or feelings are not a deal that you can calcte and predict their profits and losses before settling on one," She hung up as soon as she finished speaking.


    Li Shuang was left staring at the phone in her hand, "I know they are not some deal but I just want to stay away from all that and Grandpa won''t let me do that so in the end, I resorted to this," It was not like she did not make her conditions and thoughts clear to Edward but the man said he was pursuing her with sincerity and her staying beside him was all that mattered to him.


    At this time, there was a knock on the door which snapped her out of her thoughts.


    "Come in."


    "President, here is your schedule for tomorrow," Her secretary, Lisa, stepped inside the office and ced a file on the desk.


    Li Shuang nced at the file before she nodded, "Lisa, how long has it been since you started working here?"


    "It has been almost 5-6 years," The woman in her mid-20s answered, "I joined around the same time as Vice President Edward."


    Lisa waspetent and she hadpletely no links with Yu Family. Li Shuang discovered it during the background check she did on the employees to fire the corrupt ones. But there were a few employees like Vice President Edward and Lisa who werepletely clean in all these matters.


    And she decided to keep them beside her and they did not prove her wrong given how they efficiently worked.


    "I see. It has been a long time. Thanks for your hard work," Li Shuang said with a straight face before she flipped through the pages.


    Lisa was flustered, "Uh... I will work harder in the future."


    Li Shuang nodded.


    "Well, President, the Vice President seems to have a meeting in some time. He asked if he should cancel it for your date..."


    "No," Li Shuang interrupted her as she frowned. Why would he think of canceling the meeting because of date? "Ask him to go ahead with the meeting. I''ll look through my schedules and arrange another date when I''m free."


    Lisa''s lips parted. When you''re free? She was speechless. Aren''t people supposed to make time for their partners?


    Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the ss wall behind her, ''''Why is it so crowded outside?" she frowned as she nced at the reporters standing floors below, near the parking.


    ''''You have been avoiding them since the day you took over the position of the CEO. Thest time when you attended President Jun''s birthday party, they swamped you at the entrance. But the public confession made by President Leanne stole all the limelight so you were able to breathe. But they have been swarming here since then.


    We''ve kept our security tight and they never let them in so you never saw them before because you use the private exit.''''


    Li Shuang frowned but she eventually nodded, ''''You did well. I am not some celebrity so I prefer it as much as I stay away from these people and their cameras,'''' She never liked the limelight, to begin with.


    ...


    Li Shuang scooped out some ice cream in a bowl and walked towards the couch. She ced the bowl on the coffee table and picked up her phone.


    After scrolling through her schedules, she went through the news.


    One certain headline caught her attention. She recognized the person involved very well.


    Mu Shen''s cheating scandal?


    Li Shuang thought back to the time when this man snatched the gift that she prepared for Jun Zixuan.


    Later, in the Ren Mansion, she got the dare to unbutton his shirt with her teeth.


    Before that, they met on the day when she broke up with Zhu Boqin. It was raining heavily that night and he sent his date back and took her to his ce. She spent the night there.


    The first time she met him was when Jun Zixuan broke into the girl''s hostel and this guy apanied his friend but ended up in her room.


    Other than that, she has seen him once or twice in passing. Cheating? Li Shuang ced her chin on her fist. He seemed quite cute when he was flustered while answering the truth questions regarding when he lost his virginity when he had his first kiss.


    She blinked and ced her phone aside and shook off her thoughts. Who knows?


    People these days usually have two faces, one which they keep to themselves and the other which they show to the world. Zhu Boqin was a living example of it. She knew him for so long and thest thing she expected was for him to force himself on a woman, let alone the fact that he forced himself on Yu Mei, her sister.


    The feeling of betrayal was still as fresh in her mind as if she felt it yesterday and it wasbined with disgust for that man and she was equally as disgusted with herself for falling for a man like that and treating him with all sincerity.


    So, it was not her ce to conclude anything given that she barely knew him.

 Chapter 482: Familiar

    Li Shuang shrugged off her thoughts. She picked up the bowl of icecream from the coffee table but before she could eat it, her phone started ringing.


    She nced at icecream and a frown appeared on her face. She ced it down on the table and checked the caller ID.


    She stiffened when she saw that it was a call from her grandpa.


    Li Shuang cleared her throat and quickly answered the call before it could be disconnected, ''''Grandpa,'''' she greeted the man.


    ''''What''s your rtionship status with that Edward guy?" The man did not bother with any greetings as he came straight to the point.


    Li Shuang distanced the phone from her face and she stared at it quietly for a few seconds. Generally, grandfathers are supposed to ask about the well beings of their granddaughters first.


    ''''Why are you silent?" Grandpa Yu asked impatiently.


    Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the terrace while looking at the gradually darkening sky, ''''Vice President had a meeting today so I cancelled our date. Things are going well between us and I believe we are verypatible.''''


    ''''Compatible, my ass.''''


    Li Shuang frowned when she heard a whisper around her.


    ''''I see, Ah Shuang, you just need to find yourself a man. Grandpa won''t ask for more....''''


    ''''Grandpa, I have some work to deal with. I will call youter,'''' she hung up without giving him a chance to respond.


    Li Shuang turned around and nced at the man lying near her swimming pool.


    She could not see his face but she could see there was a bottle of whiskey in his hand.


    ''''Drunkard, trespassor....'''' Pressing charges on him will work out in her favor, ''''Let me call the cops first,'''' she mumbled under her breath and swiped her contact list.


    But just as she was about to dial the number, she paused.


    She tilted her head to nce at the man once again. Li Shuang tilted her head to the side, ''''This shade of reddish hair...looks familiar,'''' she contemted it before walking towards him.


    Li Shuang paused and picked up a flower vase before walking closer to the man, ''''Hey...'''' she called out but there was no response from the man who seemed to be lying in a half-dead condition.


    She hestitated before gently kicking his back with her toes, ''''Hey, I am calling the cops if you don''t answer my questions.''''


    ''''Call cops... not reporters. I swear I will kill you,'''' the man turned around and looked at her with hazy eyes. His eyes widened as if realization dawned on him, ''''Oh, hey there, Miss Li, what''s up?!" Mu Shen excitedly waved the bottle of whiskey in his hand before he closed his eyes.


    Li Shuang: "_" It''s him?!


    She ced the flower vase aside and squatted on the floor, ''''Mr. Mu, wake up!"


    ''''Let me sleep,'''' Mu Shen grabbed her hand, ''''Be my pillow.''''


    ''''Are you confusing me for your girlfriend?" Li Shuang frowned, ''''I feel sorry for you. If you want, you can give me her contact number. I''ll call her over for you. Do you live here too?... Mr. Mu?"


    The man opened his eyes and nced at her, ''''Ah Shuang, were you always this talkative? Shh...'''' He pressed a finger on her lips.


    ''Badump''


    Her heart skipped a beat at his sudden touch and Li Shuang was stunned momentarily as she looked into his hazy eyes. His reddish brown hair was in a mess as it framed his face. She had never seen him up so close and this was the first time. It did not take her long to understand why this man was so famous in the entertainment industry.


    He looked nothing less than a lost Prince as he blinked at her innocently.


    Li Shuang massaged the spot between her brows before pulling her hand out of his grip. What''s up with this man addressing her formally in one moment and informally in the other?


    She extended her hand towards him, ''''Come, stand up first,'''' After all, he had taken her to his ce the night she broke up with Zhu Boqin so it was improper to leave him here out in the cold.


    He ced his hand on her palm and she helped him sit, stumbling a few times in the process.


    He ced the whiskey bottle aside and grabbed the railings of the swimming pool in the other hand and pushed himself to his feet.


    ''''Be careful..'''' Li Shuang helped.


    ''''I heard you...''''


    She paused, ''''Huh?" She held his hand carefully.


    ''''When you were talking... your date...'''' Mu Shen nced at her, his vision was blurry.


    ''''What about that?"


    ''''Is it that Vice President?" He asked.


    Li Shuang nodded. Since he was not a stranger and she had already told everyone in their circle about this matter on Jun Zixuan''s birthday, she did not think there was a need to pretend otherwise.


    Mu Shen''s mouth formed an ''O'' as if the realization just hit him, ''''Do you think you will get a man with how stiff you are?"


    Li Shuang''s tilted her head to the side, ''''Mr. Mu, you need to mind your own business.''''


    ''''Exactly my business. Look at that cold toneeee~" Mu Shen said exaggeratedly, ''''You don''t have a smile on your face, you never do and to top it off, that cold tone, those emotionless eyes, that bossy attitude.... are you sure you are not trying to scare guys off?"


    ''''Mu Shen! That''s enough,'''' Li Shuang inhaled a deep breath topose herself.


    ''''Truth pricks, CEO Li... I am just saying this as a friend. Women need to be delicate, gentle, like a ray of sunshine.... You need to level up... Ah!"


    ''Ssh''


    Li Shuang did not hold back in that kick she gave him, ''''A delicate woman won''t be able to handle jerks like you,'''' she nced at the man who was deep down inside the swimming pool, throwing his limbs in all directions.


    Bubbles appeared before he burst up to the top with all his might, ''''Li Shuang!''''


    Li Shuang flipped her hair and crossed her arms in front of her chest, ''''Hope you are awake now. If you are not awake yet, then I don''t mind helping you with some more kicks,'''' she said expressionlessly before walking inside the house.

 Chapter 483: Neighbor

    A/N: Read chapter 480 before reading this one. It was posted wrongly ^^''


    ...


    As the sunlight filtered through the windows, Mu Shen rolled to the other side of the bed, hugging the bolster tightly.


    But the sunlight kept bothering him from the window. He let out an annoyed sigh and opened his eyes.


    He sat up on the bed with a massive headache.


    Mu Shen raked his fingers in his hair before covering his face in his palm, ''''Argh... Why is it so troublesome?" He just had a couple of drinks, why were the after-effects so bad?


    He cursed the reporters and those women for making a big deal out of nothing and blowing things out of proportion.


    He removed his palms from his face and leaned back on the headboard of the bed before looking out of the window.


    Suddenly, something hit him.


    The unfamiliar surroundings.


    ''''Am... Am I kidnapped?" Mu Shen hurriedly pulled up the nkets to cover his body, ''''I knew I was desirable but these women... aren''t they going so far?" He took his bottom lips between his teeth, looking like he was about to cry.


    Then, suddenly another thought shed in his mind, ''''Is it those reporters...?''''


    ''''Who would be interested in kidnapping you? You don''t have anything to offer them except for your pretty face,'''' came a cold voice from the door.


    Mu Shen turned his head in that direction and his lips parted when he saw the woman who was walking towards him with a tray in her hand, ''''Li Shuang,'''' she was wearing an oversized white hoodie that barely covered her thighs and her long hair was tied in a high ponytail. She sure looked beautiful early in the morning without any makeup on her face.


    Li Shuang snapped her fingers in front of him and he snapped out of her daze, ''''Take responsibility for me, will you?" she asked.


    ''''Huh? What are you talking about....'''' Mu Shen paused and scanned her from head to toe. His expressions morphing into sheer horror, ''''We... Did we...?''''


    Li Shuang raised a finger, motioning him to stop speaking when she saw his pale face, ''''It was possible that if there was some other woman in my ce, she would have said that. It''s not like you have ack of scandals but you recklessly end up in a woman''s ce. If that woman had some ulterior motives, then how were you going to exin this situation?"


    Mu Shen''s shoulder rxed, ''''So nothing happened between us?"


    ''''Of course not,'''' Li Shuang raised an eyebrow at him, ''''You look quite relieved at the fact that you did not sleep with me.''''


    ''''Of course, I am relieved. Thest woman I want to sleep with is you...'''' Mu Shen mumbled under his breath but Li Shuang heard him anyway.


    She frowned, ''''Do you have some sort of enmity with me? You insulted me quite a few times in a row yesterday as well.''''


    Mu Shen''s jaw dropped.


    As if on cue, his mind started ying a few scenes and some of his dialogues in his head.


    ''Do you think you will get a man with how stiff you are?''


    ''You don''t have a smile on your face, you never do and to top it off, that cold tone, those emotionless eyes, that bossy attitude.... are you sure you are not trying to scare guys off?''


    ''Women need to be delicate, gentle, like a ray of sunshine... You need to level up.''


    ''''I...'''' Mu Shen closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, ''''...was just stating facts,'''' Since he said all that stuff, he had to own up to it.


    He opened his eyes when he heard some shuffling sounds.


    Li Shuang ced the tray in her hand on the bed as she lowered herself to his level, ''''So, is that all true?" she looked into his eyes curiously, ''''Do you really mean it?"


    Mu Shen gulped. He leaned back only to realize that he was trapped between the headboard and her, ''''I... Well, it''s nothing that you can''t work on,'''' he cleared his throat.


    ''''I believe you have depraved tastes,'''' Li Shuang said after giving a thought, ''''I am rich, I have good looks, a nice body, a decent reputation and I don''t keep boy toys unlike the other women like me. I am the best deal a man could ever get.''''


    Mu Shen''s brows tugged together and his lips tugged up in a mocking smile, ''''Deal? Is that what you take yourself for?" he paused and scanned her from head to toe, ''''Wealthy, beautiful, and everything else you mentioned...sure. But the way youpare yourself to a deal reveals the remarkable w in your personality.''''


    Li Shuang''s brows tugged together, ''''What''s with your tone?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    ''''Love is a deal, rtionships are deals and even you am a deal. Gosh, what''s wrong with women these days?" Mu Shen kicked his nket aside and got out of the bed, ''''Hey, what are you doing....?" he asked when Li Shuang grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him back to the bed, catching him off guard.


    ''''You are not a woman, neither pregnant nor on period. So, you can keep your mood swings at bay,'''' Li Shuang pointed her chin towards the tray on the bed, ''''Have that. Hangover soup. It will help you,'''' her words sounded nothing less than amand.


    And without waiting for his reply, she turned around and left his room.


    Mu Shen was left staring speechlessly at the soup and then back at the door. He raked his fingers in his hair in frustration.


    Initially, he was muddleheaded but he could now remember everything that happened yesterday. He had a lot of alcohol and he did not realize it when he ended uping to his next-door neighbor''s terrace which was attached to his.


    And everything that followed was a huge coincidence. Although he knew that Li Shuang lived in the same neighborhood, he never expected her to be his next-door neighbor.


    Thest thing he expected was that he would end up acting like a jerk to her which he usually didn''t do around other women, let alone her whom he has known for more than a year.


    He looked at the hangover soup before tilting his head to nce at the closed door.

 Chapter 484: Get laid

    Mu Shen took a shower before he walked out of the room.


    He saw Li Shuang p the dining table. She was busy on her iPad while she ate with her free hand.


    He cleared his throat to get her attention.


    Li Shuang ced her iPad aside before she tilted her head to look at him. He was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, ''''You are ready,'''' she looked at him from head to toe before nodding, ''''Come, join me for breakfast before you leave.''''


    Mu Shen felt guiltier. He could not believe that he said such harsh things to her and she was still asking him to join her for breakfast. He felt like a jerk...which he already was. But hey, feeling it in person is different!


    ''''In fact, yesterday...'''' he started.


    ''''Hmm?" Li Shuang raised her head from the food.


    He noticed there was some cream near her bottom lips. His index finger twitched all of a sudden god knows why. He forced it to stay still as he looked at her.


    She was wearing an elegant dark green business suit, her long hair was left open and he could see a few strands on her face whenever a gentle breeze went by.


    ''''I am sorry. I should not have said all that yesterday,'''' he lowered his head.


    Li Shuang paused for a moment.


    ''''Oh, there is some cream on your lips,'''' Mu Shen told her.


    Li Shuang frowned. She picked up the tissue before cleaning her lips, ''''Is it gone now?"


    He tilted his head to look at her and shook his head before pointing his chin towards the corner of her lips.


    She wiped it again and raised an eyebrow at him.


    He shook his head and grabbed a tissue before wiping the corner of her lips, ''''Done,'''' he whispered, looking at her lips.


    Li Shuang''s grip tightened on the fork in her hand when she realized there was a few inches gap between them and up so close, she found him more handsome. Was it a fangirl moment for her? She wondered.


    He must have gotten his huge fanbase because of such situations. She concluded.


    Unaware of the fact that his act of care and kindness was mistaken for a yboy move, Mu Shen leaned back on his chair after cing the tissue aside.


    ''''About yesterday...'''' Li Shuang started.


    Mu Shen stiffened.


    ''''I was quite angry initially but then I realized that I don''t have a reason to be angry,'''' A small frown tugged between her brows, ''''In fact, I guess you probably make a point.''''


    Mu Shen''s brows furrowed. Did she not realize that she was badmouthing herself by saying that he made a point?


    ''''I don''t care that much about stuff like feelings or romance,'''' Li Shuang tilted her chin down as she continued eating her food, ''''And no matter how twisted my personality is, I don''t think it is some tough feet to get a man, build a family and all that. As long as I put my mind to it, I can do anything.''''


    ''''You realize we are not talking about business, don''t you?'''' he raised an eyebrow.


    She nced at him questioningly, ''''I believe all of this is one kind of work too.''''


    Mu Shen leaned back on his seat and nced at her in amusement as if he was watching some rare antique carefully, ''''You really are one of a kind. So weird.''''


    Li Shuang frowned. She has never been called weird before.


    ''''But I like it,'''' he raised his hand, ''''High five.''''


    She nced at his hand indifferently.


    When he did not put it down, she raised her hand and gave him a high-five, ''''There you go.''''


    ''Her palm is soft,'' Mu Shen cleared his throat and pulled his hand back.


    ''''So, what happened yesterday?" Li Shuang asked, ''''How did you end up crashing at my ce?"


    ''''I didn''t know it was your ce. I was a bit disturbed yesterday...''''


    ''''By?" Looking at the nk expression on his face, she continued, ''''I deserve to know that much as the person who provided a roof above your head for one whole night,'''' she said.


    ''''Just... received some text from some unexpected person that I''d like to avoid at any costs,'''' he said with a soft sigh.


    Li Shuang nodded. It was not that she was curious about his private life but she just wanted to ensure that he had a valid reason for crashing at her ce. She would not ept such uninvited guests every day.


    Unaware of her thoughts, Mu Shen felt a bit shy. Was she caring for me? He stroked his hair mentally, his nose high up in the clouds.


    ''''Do you think we need to have some partitions in between our respective terraces?" She let it be like that before because there was no one next door.


    Mu Shen paused for a moment before he shrugged, ''''Up to you.''''


    Li Shuang carefully observed his reaction, ''''I guess we are good like this. As long as you don''t crash over on my side again,'''' she said after some thought.


    ''''Or maybe you will be the one crashing at my ce next,'''' he shrugged. But the nerves in his body rxed. ''What the fuck am I doing?'' he cursed himself in his heart.


    From what he studied to be his woman, she would have surely gotten a partition if he said that ''no, there is no need for any partition in between our terraces''. So, he acted like he was cool with or without any partition and as expected, she dropped the matter.


    And the relief that washed over his heart at that moment was no joke. Damn you, Mu Shen. Are you nning to crash at her ce once again?


    Was her bed soft? Do you want another hangover soup made by her? Was it the breakfast?


    ''...Or maybe the one who prepared the breakfast,'' came a voice in his head and he refrained himself from shaking his head.


    ''''What happened to you? You look so stiff,'''' Li Shuang frowned.


    ''''Nope, I am fine,'''' Mu Shen pushed himself to his feet, ''''I need to go. See youter,'''' he walked towards the door.


    ''''Alright, take care,'''' Li Shuang nodded as she nced at his retreating back even though she was bewildered.


    He looked just fine a few minutes ago. What happened now?


    As soon as Mu Shen walked out of her ce, he closed the door behind him and leaned back on the door, ''''No, not her,'''' he shook his head, raking his fingers through his hair, ''''Damn! No matter how stunning she is, she is off-limits,'''' he mumbled under his breath.


    There was no way things would get back to normal if he got under her skirt once. Moreover, she was seeing a guy. He even saw that guy during Jun Zixuan''s birthday party when he snatched the gift she prepared for his friend.


    And even if she was not seeing someone, he was not up for a rtionship. And even she was not interested in stuff like that.


    So basically, there is no match between both of them.


    It''s just downright impossible.


    The heck... Why am I thinking about rtionships? Am I freaking living through my adolescence again?


    Mu Shen had the urge to bang his head on her door. He walked towards his house and pressed his finger on the lock to get his fingerprint scanned, ''''I just need to getid,'''' He has been busy with work and all this scandal stuff that he was starting to forget what a woman looked like.


    Be it a blonde or brte, he was going to make it up to his mind and body tonight lest he ended up going crazy anytime soon.

 Chapter 485: Postpone the date

    ''''It''s all done. Here, see this,'''' Edward passed the files to her.


    Li Shuang flipped through the pages. Her fingers paused, ''''Please take a seat,'''' she told him when she realized that he was still standing. Her mind was preoocupied with some random thoughts and she forgot to ask him to sit.


    Edward chuckled, ''''I am tired of sitting all the time. That''s why I''m standing. We are going out anyway. Is there any need for you to be so formal?" he raised an eyebrow and ced both his hands on the desk.


    Li Shuang raised her head to look at him. Edward was a handsome man and he looked especially charming when he smiled but she.... did not feel any ''butterflies'' that her friends mentioned.


    In fact, Yu Mei, Shi Luo and Mia gave her multiple tips to upgrade her dating life and those tips eventually ended up bing ''101 ways to Spice Up your Love Life''.


    Even though she did not feel butterflies, she did not find anything wrong with it. After all, real life was not some fiction.


    In the fiction, the leads have their lives centered around each other but she refused to ept that in her life. Why would she prioritise a man over her work and everything else? They would be partners, she would support him, be there for him and that should be more than enough.


    ''''What are you thinking about?" Edward snapped his fingers in front of her.


    ''''I was thinking about romance,'''' she looked at him.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''Huh?"


    ''''Maybe I should do a research on it in my spare time, what do you think?''''


    ''''But why?" he was speechless.


    ''''You know why the deals work out perfectly when I work on them?" she asked.


    Edward shook his head.


    ''''Because I do my research on them. Simple,'''' She gave him a ''how can you not know it'' look as she continued, ''''Back in University, I used to do my sample papers thrice before I felt like I was ready for the exams.''''


    ''''That sounds like something you would do,'''' he said as he held her hand.


    Li Shuang instinctively pulled her hand back. It took her a moment to realize what she just did, ''''I didn''t...''''


    ''''It''s okay,'''' he smiled and shook his head, ''''You will get used to it over time.''''


    When she did not say anything, he spoke up again, ''''So, shall we go on a date tonight?"


    ''''Give me a moment,'''' Li Shuang checked her schedules before she called her secretary, ''''Postpone myst meeting.''''


    Edward was surprised, ''''Are you putting your work aside for me?"


    She nodded, ''''To make it up to you. I might''vee off as rude earlier,'''' It was only basic that there will be physical contacts while dating someone.


    Although they weren''t official yet but since she was going out with him on dates, she should try to be more sincere towards him.


    ''''I''ll pick you up in an hour,'''' Edward shed her his signature smile before he winked and walked out the office.


    Li Shuang leaned back on her swivel chair, ''''This is going to be fine,'''' she patted her chest.


    She did not realize when she started drifting off from dating, rtionships, physical contact...


    She massaged her forehead. It was still fine initially because she had decided that she would never let a man in her life.


    But now she changed her decision because of her grandpa and the only thing she hoped that she would not mess this up.


    She did not want to meet any guy arranged by her old man. Edward was someone she trusted and he was a decent friend. The perfect match.


    ...


    ''''How do I look?'''' Li Shuang twirled in front of the mirror before she looked at her phone which was leaning on therge mirror desk.


    Yu Mei nodded in appreciation, ''''You''ve got the best genes from Uncle and Aunt,'''' she said while looking at her sister who was dressed in an elegant navy blue ''BUSINESS SUIT'' for the date. It entuated her curves and her hair reached till her waist. She had soft makeup on her face, ''''But consider wearing something proper for a date."


    ''''They were both beautiful,'''' Li Shuang promptly ignored her second remark as she thought of her parents. It had been a long time since she had the leisure to reminisce the past properly.


    She missed them. When she aplished something, she wished they were here to watch her.


    Noticing her in a daze, Yu Mei cleared her throat and switched the topic, ''''Not that. Pick a dark shade of lipstick.''''


    ''''How about this?" Li Shuang shed a ruby red lipstick.


    ''''That looks pretty. Put that on.''''


    Li Shuang finished her makeup and looked at her reflection in the mirror, ''''Looks decent.''''


    Yu Mei rolled her eyes, ''''Put on a smile first. What''s with that poker face?"


    ''''Why does everyone asks me to keep smiling?'''' Li Shuang frowned, ''''I need a reason to smile. People will call me crazy if I keep smile baselessly.''''


    ''''What do you know? A smile is your weapon to nail anything,'''' Yu Mei rolled around in the bed.


    ''''Is it?'''' Li Shuang raised an eyebrow, ''''Mei, I''ll call youter. Edward is calling me. Maybe he is here already.''''


    ''''Go ahead but make sure to change into something decent for the date,'''' Yu Mei rolled her eyes before hanging up.


    Li Shuang nced at her reflection in the mirrow, ''''Where do I look indecent?" She made sure to check her body for any improper skin exposure.


    Not finding anything wrong with her outfit, she frowned, ''''Why is my cousin so picky?" she wondered as she took the phone and walked towards the terrace before answering it, ''''Hey.''''


    ''''It took you so long to answer the call.''''


    ''''Well, I was checking something,'''' Li Shuang ced her palm on the ss pane as she looked at the sky.


    ''''Actually, I am really sorry. I just realized that I have some urgent work pending. Shuang, can we postpone out date?"

 Chapter 486: Underage

    ''''Actually, I am really sorry. I just realized that I have some urgent work pending. Shuang, can we postpone our date?"


    Li Shuang paused for a moment before she spoke, ''''Of course, go ahead. Work is important. I''ll see you tomorrow,'''' she hung up as soon as she finished speaking and nced at her phone.


    Inhaling a deep breath, she tilted her head and continued looking at the side.


    ''Bam''


    The sounds from next door caught her attention.


    Earlier she still avoided the loud music because she was in a rush to get ready.


    But now that she was idle, she could not help but turn her head to the side.


    Much to her surprise, she saw something she was not expecting.


    She found Mu Shen holding a blonde in his arms. The door mmed behind them as they moved towards the terrace.


    Mu Shen was wearing a ck shirt that had its top few buttons unbuttoned giving her a proper view of his muscr chest. The sleeves of his shirt were folded and she could see his toned forearms.


    His long fingers were raking inside the woman''s blonde hair while he kissed her, holding her waist in a tight grip. He was arching the woman and she was arched. Literally arched.


    The woman was bent backward. Bent in what looked like a perfect 90-degree to the floor.


    The flexibility. Those bones. Li Shuang could give a standing ovation to her since she was already standing. Her body must be filled with fluids considering how effortless her ''I have no bones in my body pose'' looked.


    She would have admired her longer but her attention gradually flew back to Mu Shen.


    He held her attention longer than he usually did. There was something different about him today, at this particr moment.


    She watched as his copper hair framed his face and they swayed to the side as he stood straight, pulling up the woman as he pinned her to the mirrored wall.


    Li Shuang walked towards the chairs on the side. She removed her navy blue suit jacket and threw it onto the table. She unbuttoned the top few buttons of her shirt and raked her fingers through her hair, tying it into a high messy bun.


    She picked up the water bottle and unscrewed its cap before taking a few gulps. Her gaze flew back to Mu Shen once again and she noticed that he was whispering something to the woman who was trapped in between his arms and the mirrored wall behind them.


    Her gazended on his toned forearms briefly before Li Shuang averted her gaze and fiddled with her phone.


    ''''What''s wrong with me today? Why do I keep forgetting my manners?" Earlier, she pushed Edward''s hand quite rudely and now she was intruding in someone''s private moment.


    But... isn''t there a bedroom for things like this? Why did he have to do it on the terrace despite knowing that there is no partition between his terrace and mine?


    ''Why did you have to keep looking at him despite witnessing how both of them were engaged in their moment?'' Her inner angel whispered and Li Shuang''s conscience pricked.


    She pushed herself to her feet and entered her house.


    Li Shuang walked back to the terrace after changing into an oversized striped T-shirt paired with denim shorts.


    The clothes earlier made her feel ufortable.


    Even though she tried to not look to the side but her gaze flew there on instinct.


    And to her surprise, the woman was nowhere to be seen. Mu Shen was sitting on a single couch alone with a ss of red wine in his hand.


    She walked around the swimming pool before walking towards him, ''''Can I have that too?"


    ''''You look underaged,'''' Mu Shen said without looking at her.


    Li Shuang''s lips parted and she looked at herself. She... looked like anything but underaged. When she was barely 16, she already looked like she was 19 years old, let alone now when she was about to turn 24 soon.


    She wanted to argue but as she looked at his quiet countenance while he nced at the sky, she held back her words. He seemed to be wanting to stay alone at this moment.


    Was intruding in his personal space once again?


    ''''It''s fine if you don''t wantpany. We can drink together some other day,'''' she turned around to leave but her footsteps came to a halt as she felt a grip on her wrist.


    Mu Shen grabbed her wrist the moment she turned around and he pushed her to the single couch next to him, ''''I was just kidding, you know,'''' he let go of her hand before she could say something about it and he picked up the bottle of the wine from the coffee table before he poured it in another nce. He extended the ss towards her, ''''I''d love somepany. Especially yours.''''


    Her heart skipped a beat unconsciously and she found herself looking at him for an exnation for his words.


    He did not disappoint with it, ''''You are a weird one, you know?" he looked at her in amusement, ''''You have strange opinions regarding anything or everything. I enjoy those. I enjoy you...'''' he paused for a moment before adding, ''''...Yourpany, I mean.''''


    Li Shuang chuckled, ''''You are the first one to say that. People do find my thought process weird but nobody has told me that they enjoy it," Not like anyone ever dared to call her ''weird'' on her face. Except him.


    ''''That makes me an exception then,'''' Mu Shen said quite arrogantly.


    She did not deny it, ''''I guess it does,'''' she took a sip of wine.


    ''''So, you usually spend your evenings and nights at home? Yesterday, you were here after work and even today. No ns? Parties, friends or....'''' he sipped some wine, ''''...Dates?'''' he asked casually.


    ''''Oh, I had a date today,'''' She told him.


    He was about to take another sip of the wine and he paused. It was a brief pause before his movements continued, ''''Then, why are you here?" he asked casually.


    ''''He has work.''''


    ''''So, you were stood up,'''' he concluded, ''''Only a fool would do that.''''


    ''''Do what?" she raised an eyebrow.


    ''''Prioritize his work over such a beautifuldy,'''' he winked at her yfully.


    ''''I thought someone called me an underaged girl a few minutes ago?''''

 Chapter 487: His scandal

    ''''Who was that? I''m certain he did not refer to you...'''' his gaze scanned her from head to toe before he looked into her eyes.


    She held her breath unknowingly.


    ''''...Or maybe he was just kidding,'''' hepleted his words.


    ''''Maybe,'''' She ended upughing, ''''Look at those flirting skills. Is that how you rope women over?"


    ''''You smiled,'''' he said and she paused, ''''...Finally.''''


    She stoppedughing and nced at him with a straight face, ''''That was not an answer to my question.''''


    ''''Well, look at me, do you think I need to flirt with women to have them in my bed?" his statement sounded bold but then it was true. He had everything it took to make a woman go wet in the panties and give in to the temptation.


    He was rich, hot, handsome, and had those bad-boy vibes that gave butterflies to women.


    ''''And I wasn''t flirting with you,'''' he said and she looked at him.


    ''''No, I didn''t insinuate that you were flirting with me,'''' she said, afraid of being misunderstood, ''''I meant, as a joke...''''


    Her words were interrupted when he ced a finger on her lips, ''''I was just stating a fact. You are gorgeous. It''s his loss.''''


    Both of them looked at each other quietly for a moment and Mu Shen did not move his finger from her lips.


    Her lips parted slightly. The air felt heavy all of a sudden.


    ''''I...''''


    Just as Li Shuang started speaking, Mu Shen retracted his finger from her lips before he leaned back in his seat. ''''Hmm? You were saying?" he looked at her questioningly.


    It took her a moment to snap out of her daze. ''''I was asking about your scandal.''''


    ''''Oh? The cheating one? Are you curious about whether it''s true or not?"


    ''''No, why would I be interested in your private life?'''' Li Shuang asked him as if he just stated the impossible, ''''I was just asking when you will be resuming your work and all. Is your agency not nning to let the HR department do their work? How long will the rumors go around like this?''''


    Mu Shen raised an eyebrow, ''''I don''t have an agency. Just a manager.''''


    Li Shuang frowned. A superstar like him actually didn''t sign with some entertainment agency? Now that she thought about it, she had heard something regarding this in the past but she never paid much attention to it.


    ''''And my manager will freak out if hees to know that the CEO of Dream Entertainment is sitting beside me on my terrace,'''' heughed.


    ''''Freak out? Why?"


    ''''Well, I do have a tad bit of dislike towards entertainment agencies and their CEOs but it doesn''t count you.''''


    ''''Why do you dislike them?'''' she asked and his expression turned distant for a moment. Li Shuang realized that she might have overstepped her boundaries, ''''Then, I am d. We don''t have to go around being enemies.''''


    He chuckled, ''''So, what about you? Are you interested in what you are doing or is it some sort of convenience thing like your romantic rtionships and all?'''' He did not mention anything about her question.


    ''''Initially, I was not that interested in working in the entertainment industry,'''' Li Shuang leaned back on the chair, ''''But thispany belongs to my parents. I could not have abandoned it just like that so I decided to take over the position of CEO. And then, I was excited. I love seeing the innovative newbie artists taking one step at a time towards their goals.


    I like how the veteran artists find creative ways to deal with their scandals and stuff while trying to put all efforts to be in the limelight.''''


    ''''So Miss Li is interested in this industry?"


    ''''Not particrly. Like I would not prefer being thrown into the limelight,'''' Li Shuang said, ''''This is like a world of mour and these people I mentioned above are the stars. I like watching them from afar.''''


    ''''From afar?"


    She turned to look at him, ''''Umm... like standing on top of a cliff and watching and loving the citylights. Or for a better example, take when a student tops in their ss and the teacher feels proud. That''s me every time an artist signed under mypany nails an audition. Initially, I was not interested but gradually, I grew fond of this ce, this industry....''''


    She paused speaking when her hand identally grazed past his hand which was resting on the arm of the couch.


    She pushed herself to her feet and ced her wine ss on the coffee table, ''''I''ll go to bed now. Have a goodnight. And thank you for this,'''' she pointed her chin at the ss of wine.


    ''''No need of formalities,'''' Mu Shen took a sip of his wine as he crossed one of his legs above the other. He ced his elbow on the arm of the couch, his pectoral muscles flexing with his movement, ''''I enjoyed yourpany.''''


    ''''Same here,'''' Li Shuang turned around and left the ce without looking back at him.


    Mu Shen nced at her retreating back till she got inside her house.


    His gaze darkened for a moment before he sighed.


    That blonde... He literally felt like someone was forcing him to kiss her. She was so into the moment and he suddenly pulled back from her and told her that he was not feeling it and they could not go further.


    And it was only then he saw her reflection in the mirrored wall, standing at a distance in that navy blue business suit that looked he sexy.


    She was watching him and he did not know what to think or feel about it.


    The woman who was with him was both angry and disappointed by his words and she stormed out of his house, leaving him all by himself. But surprisingly, he felt so relieved as if someone took a burden off his chest.


    ...


    As Li Shuang stepped inside her office, her footsteps came to a halt as she found the ce waspletely dark.


    She reached out for her phone but before she could turn the shlights on, someone grabbed her hand.

 Chapter 488: The noise next door

    ''''You... Who are you?'''' she asked, her voice wary.


    The person''s rough fingers stroked her wrist as he twirled her and pinned her to the wall.


    Before she could say something, she felt a cool sensation on her neck. He licked her skin before sucking and biting the spot, ''''You like this, don''t you?" he asked.


    The voice sounded familiar to her ears but her focus was straying everywhere and she simply closed her eyes, clutching his shoulder des as tightly as she could.


    He kissed her between the valley of her breasts and her thighs pressed together as she felt a warm sensation on the spot.


    ''''And this too,'''' he whispered against her breasts before biting her skin gently.


    He pulled back from her and his lipsnded on her chin, kissing her gently until they reached higher, hovering above her lips.


    ''''Who are you?" Unlike her wary voice earlier, she sounded aroused now, her voice was breathy and desperate.


    He stepped back from her and she heard some shuffling sounds.


    He lit a lighter near his face and her eyes caught sight of strands of red hair.


    Her lips parted in shock and her eyes widened.


    ''''It''s you.''''


    ...


    Li Shuang''s eyes snapped open and she nced at the ceiling in disbelief.


    Her eyes slowly gained focus and she sat up on the bed, realizing that it was just a dream.


    She gulped, only to realize that her throat was dry. She could feel this warmth between her thighs.


    The tips of her ears turned red.


    She stepped out of the bed and walked towards the mirror, her gazending on her hardened nipples. Her body actually reacted to.... a wet dream?


    Li Shuang did not understand whether she should be relieved that her body was still normal and she could still be turned on by a man or whether she should be worried because of who turned her on, not to mention that it only happened in a dream.


    ''''What ''only happened in a dream''? I sound like I want it to happen in real,'''' she bit her bottom lips.


    ''Knock Knock''


    Li Shuang snapped out of her daze and she walked out of her room before ncing in the direction of the closed door. Who would be here at this hour?


    ''Knock''


    It was only then that she realized that the sound wasing from the opposite direction.


    She turned around to look at the ss doors near her terrace and she found Mu Shen standing there. He was wearing an apron above his ck T-shirt.


    She gulped softly, her thoughts flew back to her dream until he knocked again, ''''Neighbor,'''' he called out.


    Li Shuang unlocked the door, ''''What are you doing here early in the morning?"


    ''''I needed salt. Do you have it?" He scratched the back of his neck.


    Li Shuang nced at the spat in his hand and she folded her arms in front of her chest, unconsciously pushing her breasts upward.


    Mu Shen''s gaze traveled down for a moment. He could see that she was not wearing anything under her shirt. This woman... did she not need to be conscious while living next to a man?


    ''You sick pervert, stop looking there,'' Mu Shen jabbed himself in his head and tilted his head to look at her face, straight into her eyes. Oh, if anything, they were even more captivating.


    ''''Are you cooking?"


    ''''Yes, and you are invited for breakfast. Join me,'''' When he saw the hesitation on her face, he sighed, ''''Come on, don''t say no.''''


    Li Shuang nodded in the end, ''''Alright,'''' she said and pointed her fingers towards the kitchen, ''''You will find the salt jar on the kitchen counter.''''


    With that said, she turned around and walked inside the room before closing the door behind her.


    Mu Shen stood rooted to his spot, stunned. Was she angry or annoyed because he came uninvited?


    He blinked. But he thought she was just fine around him yesterday.


    Contrary to his thoughts, Li Shuang sat on the floor as soon as she closed the door, ''''Why did I never realize that I am this lusty?" her straight face had a flicker of confusion and embarrassment on it.


    Earlier, she could not keep her eyes off his body. She kept checking him out repeatedly.


    ...


    ''''How is it?" Mu Shen asked as he watched Li Shuang taking a few bites from everything he cooked.


    They were both eating at his ce and it was a very simple breakfast with some easy dishes that he learned from Jun Boyan.


    ''''Decent,'''' Li Shuang continued eating without raising her head to look at him.


    Her ''decent'' meant that the food was above average at least. Letting out a relieved sigh, Mu Shen started eating.


    ''''What do you think about having a girlfriend?"


    ''''Cough...'''' Mu Shen choked on his food.


    Li Shuang passed him the ss of water. After taking a few sips, he inhaled a deep breath and calmed himself.


    Li Shuang frowned, ''''I was just curious. Is it that hard to answer?" she was genuinely confused.


    Looking at her innocent face, he shook his head, ''''I just did not expect you to show interest in my private life...''''


    ''''We are neighbors, aren''t we?" Li Shuang continued when he nodded, ''''We even discussed life sitting on the rooftop past midnight. A little curiosity won''t be that much of a sin, I guess..''''


    He nced at her wordlessly.


    She hesitated when she realized that he was a celebrity, ''''I understand that you won''t share such things with people given the scandals surrounding you,'''' It must be hard for him to trust anyone when it came to his private matters. He would never know who would betray him and reveal things to the public, ''''Let''s drop the topic here...'''' she waved her hand.


    He grabbed her wrist and she paused. His palm cupped the back of her palm as he pushed her hand closer to her face. His index finger hooked around her index finger and he pressed it on her lips, ''''Are you an overthinker, or are you just doing it for fun?"


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    He was sitting at the head of the dining table and she was sitting right on the seat next to him. Even though the finger on her lips was hers, she felt like her lips were burning when he applied a bit of pressure on her index fingers.


    Doing it for fun? Doing what...?


    She opened her mouth to ask but the tip of her index finger slipped inside her mouth because of the pressure that his finger applied to it and the tip of his index finger grazed on her upper lips, sending jolts through her body.


    He was quick to remove his finger from her lips but she was slow to react as she kept sitting there with her index finger inside her mouth, her lips slightly parted.


    He nced at her quietly, his gaze traveled to her lips before settling on her face.


    Realizing her current position, Li Shuang elegantly took out her finger from her mouth. She grazed her index finger on the pastry, taking some of the icings on its tip before she gently ced it in her mouth, licking her finger.


    ''''I mean I was just curious, nothing else,'''' Li Shuang quietly picked up the silk napkin before she wiped her mouth.


    ''''Well, I don''t want to have a girlfriend. It''s too much of a hassle. What if she cries, and throws tantrums about this or that? It''d be annoying. My life is good right now,'''' Mu Shen smugly said before leaning back on his chair.


    ''''Good life, I see...By having cheating scandals?" Li Shuang threw a discreet jab at him before she pushed herself to her feet. She adjusted her dress, ''''I liked the breakfast. Thanks for inviting me,'''' she smiled and grabbed her clutch before making her way towards the door.


    ''''My pleasure,'''' Mu Shen mumbled as he looked at her retreating back.


    30 minutester.


    Mu Shen heard loud sounds from his neighbor''s ce. Unfortunately, the walls were not soundproofed, or fortunately maybe.


    He nced at his reflection in the mirror of the living room. Combing his hair a few times with his fingers, he grabbed his car keys and walked out of his ce before ringing the doorbell of the next door.

 Chapter 489: Regrets

    After a few minutes, the door opened and he saw a frustrated Li Shuang standing in front of him. Her hair was in a mess and her business suit was all crumpled.


    He tilted his head to the side and nced at the overturned couch in the living room. Everything was a huge mess.


    She exhaled loudly and he held back hisughter.


    ...


    After having breakfast made by a certain superstar and discussing life and love with him, Li Shuang went into the parking lot only to realize that she could not find her keys anywhere.


    To top it off, she could not remember where she kept it because her mind waspletely upied with her wet dream. So, in the end, she came back to check her house after informing Edward that she will bete.


    When the doorbell started ringing, she did not expect it to be Mu Shen, and now that they were looking at each other, standing face to face, she suddenly felt self-conscious.


    She was certain that she looked crazy.


    "What are you up to?" He asked her.


    "I lost my car keys," she shrugged before turning around to look at the current condition of her living room.


    "I can drop you," he suggested.


    Her head snapped in his direction, "Do you think I left it at your ce?"


    "That''s possible," he seemed to be contemting over it, "But you are gettingte already. We can look for itter on."


    "I will call my driver," she took one step back, putting a little distance between them.


    "I''m going in the same way," he stepped towards her.


    She stepped back again, "That''d be a hassle."


    "...Unless you don''t want toe with me?" He raised an eyebrow, taking another step towards her.


    Li Shuang frowned, "There is nothing like that," Yes, why was she hesitating to go with him anyway? It was just a dream and she saw it because she had witnessed his live erotica scene with that hot blonde. She has known him for months and it wasn''t like she had any feelings or any sort of soft corner for him. Or... Did she..?


    She shook her head. She just found him a bit cute. That''s it!


    ''''Take a seat,'''' she extended her hand towards the couch in her living room only to realize that it was overturned by her.


    She cleared her throat.


    Mu Shen stifled hisughter as he nced at her awkward face, ''''I am fine here,'''' he chuckled in the end when she did not look at him in the eyes.


    ''''I will quickly get changed and be back,'''' Li Shuang quickly dashed inside her room and the door closed with a bang.


    Mu Shenughed. How cute!


    He nced at the car keys in his hand before looking at the closed doors of his house. The sudden feeling of being a thief hit him and he coughed.


    ...


    ''''Take care. Have a nice day,'''' Mu Shen said as he opened the car door, extending his hand towards Li Shuang.


    Li Shuang nced at his extended hand before looking back at his face and her heart fluttered. She gulped, shaking off the feeling in her heart as she ced her hand in his.


    His fingers wrapped around hers and he stepped back as she alighted the car.


    Li Shuang nced at the man who had a ck mask, covering half of his face and ck shades on his eyes, ''''Be careful. We don''t want another scandal revolving around you,'''' she whispered, ''''And... thank you for today.''''


    ''''That''s my pleasure,'''' he smiled at her.


    Li Shuang''s lips parted. She gulped, ''''See youter,'''' she said before walking towards the VIP exit.


    Mu Shen stood there, leaning back on the car door and he watched her till she was out of his sight.


    He got inside his car and drove off after a few minutes.


    As Li Shuang stepped inside the VIP elevator, she was about to go to the CEO''s floor first but in the end, she changed her mind and decided to meet Edward first.


    He must be worried about her because she has never beente to work and secondly, she wanted to discuss about the veteran actor that he had chosen to sign in theirpany.


    As she stopped in front of his office, she raised her hand to knock on the door but her hand paused mid-way when she heard his voice.


    ''''Babe, she won''t be here anytime soon. Some issue has cropped up on her side and she texted me that she will bete so... we can take our sweet time.''''


    Li Shuang recognized Edward''s voice.


    It seemed like he was standing near the door since she could hear him loud and clear.


    ''''But how long can we go on like this?" A feminine voice sounded.


    And Li Shuang recognized it in 0.5 seconds.


    She heard this voice around her 24 X7. It would certainly be weird if she did not recognize her secretary''s voice. It was Lisa, the woman whom she trusted the most in thispany.


    ''''I don''t know but I will try to sort this out as soon as possible,'''' Edward said.


    ''''By pursuing her...?'''' Lisa asked.


    ''''I don''t like her. I did once. I was attracted to her at one point and I acted impulsively by confessing that I want to date her,'''' Edward replied, the regret was apparent in his voice, ''''But that''s it. The more I stay with her, the more I realize how wrong she is for me. Or for men out there. Who will want to go out with a woman who...


    who is so career-oriented that she won''t see the things around her? She treats feelings like a deal and her mind is damn robotic. No hurt, no sadness, no happiness... No emotions at all! You can never spot anything humane in her. She is arrogant because of her position, bossy and cold most of the time.


    I regret... going after her in the first ce.''''


    Li Shuang ced her hand down before stepping back from the door.


    ''''Regret?" Lisa asked.


    ''''Yes regret. Had she been an ordinary girl, I could have gone ahead pretending that it would not work out between us. But she is not ordinary, neither by her position nor by her identity. If I step back now, I''d be sacrificing the position that I worked so hard for in all these years so I can only suck up to it and go ahead with what I started.


    No man in his right mind would ever love someone like her.''''


    Lisa sighed, ''''Still... this feels so wrong.''''


    ''''It doesn''t. To me you are right,'''' Edward''s voice turned slightly husky, ''''Just a quickie, babe. What do you think of that?"


    Lisa chuckled, ''''Make do with a kiss instead. I have unfinished work waiting for me. I will get it done before shees back.''''


    There were a few rustling sounds and the door opened, ''''I miss you already,'''' Edward whispered and Lisa smiled at him before turning around.


    The smile slipped off her face and her happy expressions were reced with sheer horror as she watched the woman standing in front of the door ''''P-President...''''


    Edward, who was checking out Lisa''s short skirt, intending to ask her to wear something else instead, froze all at once. He tilted his head and nced at the woman who was standing right outside his office.


    There was no expression on her face. She looked just as indifferent as usual and it made him wonder if she heard anything or not.

 Chapter 490: Your pretty owner

    ''''Let''s break it off here,'''' she said and his fingers curled into fists.


    So, she heard it. She heard everything and still, there were no emotions on her face. He did not know why he was feeling bitter about it. Why was there no way to crack this woman''s heart? Was she just wearing that cold and indifferent mask or was it her real self? It was her real self, of course.


    He knew but still...


    As she turned around to leave, he panicked, ''''Wait...'''' she paused in her tracks and he rushed towards her, ''''I did not mean it. I... Let''s start it again. I am sorry for this. I will sort this out...''''


    Lisa who was still standing at the door was not worried about her job anymore because she was ruffled by his words. What did he mean by sort it out? Did he want to sort it out by discarding her?


    Li Shuang paused, ''''My Grandpa wanted me to get a man. Since I trusted you, I thought it''d be for the best,'''' she said without turning around to look at him, ''''But I am in the wrong too for not considering your feelings. We never got in a rtionship and that makes everything easier.


    I am sorry for being inconsiderate,'''' her tone was emotionless and it sounded like she was saying all these things just for the sake of it as if she was not even interested in discussing this topic.


    In all those words that came out of her mouth, what caught his attention was the word ''trusted''.


    Trusted.


    In the past tense.


    She did not trust him anymore.


    He should have seen iting when he realized that she heard everything that he said.


    But, still, it bothered him when it should not have. He did not like her and he was sure of it but... there was a dull ache in his chest.


    Li Shuang did not turn around to look at them. She stepped inside the elevator.


    Instead of going to the VIP exit, she ended up in the exit which was meant for the ordinary employees in thepany.


    She did not pay much attention to her surroundings and continued walking until the aggressive shes of the camera snapped her out of her reverie.


    Li Shuang covered her face with an arm as the reporters surrounded her.


    ''''President Li, is it true that the dream Entertainment belonged to your parents?"


    ''''If yes, then why did it end up in the Yu Family''s hands?''''


    ''''Is there a chance for them toe back and im their rights again?"


    The reporters have been waiting in front of thepany for months but they never caught a glimpse of her. The security around her has always been tight. Now that they got hold of Li Shuang, they believed they would get some decent scoop.


    ...


    Mu Shen was driving back to his ce after dropping her and he was just about to take a right turn but from his peripheral vision, something caught his attention.


    A phone was lying on the passenger seat and he happened to know the beautiful owner of the phone.


    He stepped on the brakes and picked up the phone from the passenger seat. ''''She sure has a thing for dropping her stuff with me,'''' he took his bottom lips between to hold back the smile that was making its way to his face, ''''In fact, I am very busy and I don''t care that much about you,'''' he poked the phone in his hand, ''''But let''s not make your pretty owner worried.


    As a neighbor, I should just force myself to go back and hand you over to her,'''' the corner of his lips tugged up as he threw his head back and raked his fingers through his hair, handling the steering wheel with one hand.


    Mu Shen''s car came to a screeching halt in front of thepany when he spotted the swarm of reporters, ''''Dammit. Did they stalk me here? These crazy peeps...'''' he clicked his tongue and he was about to take a U-turn but something caught his attention.


    More specifically, someone.


    He nced at Li Shuang who was stuck in between the reporters and they pushed her back and forth. Her face did not look that well and she seemed to be in a daze.


    ...


    Li Shuang did not realize when she ended up in the crowd of reporters and before she could register any of it in her mind, they were alreadying at her, throwing all kinds of questions about her family and her personal life that she had always avoided in the public.


    She wanted to run but there was no space. She could not move at all.


    Suddenly, her vision went ck as someone ced a jacket on her head.


    Li Shuang frowned. In the next moment, her legs swept off the road and she was carried by a strong pair of arms. Before she could struggle, she heard a whisper above her head, ''''It''s me,'''' she heard the familiar voice and her body rxed slightly.


    She could hear the chaotic noises behind her but the voice of the reporters gradually faded.


    Mu Shen tilted his head to the side and nced at the reporters who were restrained by Li Shuang''s bodyguards. Two of them rushed towards him and blocked his path.


    ''''President...''''


    As they called out, Mu Shen couldn''t help but nce at the woman in his arms who had her face covered in his jacket.


    Li Shuang stiffened for a moment. She slowly removed the jacket from her face and peeked at her bodyguards, ''''Uh... I am good. You don''t need to follow me,'''' she whispered and they bowed at her before leaving.


    Mu Shen had the urge to pinch her cheeks when he saw how they turned red gradually. Did she have any idea about how adorable she was?


    Li Shuang cleared her throat, ''''You can put me down now...''''


    Mu Shen did not say anything as he stepped towards his car and unlocked the door, still holding her in his arms.


    He ced her on the passenger seat and adjusted his jacket on her body before walking to the other side of the car.


    ...


    A/N: I have my semester-end exams so the updates were dyed. Sorry, I was unable to post an announcement. Btw, dearies, the book ising to an end. It makes me sad! ToT


    I will conclude it this week. Start the countdown~ *sobs*

 Chapter 491: Defense mechanism

    He got inside the driver''s seat and his gaze travelled towards her chest.


    Her lips parted, ''''You...'''' she covered her chest with both her arms.


    The corner of his lips twitched, ''''Dummy,'''' he leaned closer to her till there were a few inches gap between them.


    Li Shuang closed her eyes instinctively.


    ''Click''


    Her eyes snapped open and she found him back on his seat. She nced at the seatbelt buckled around her and her racing heartbeats calm down.


    ''What was I doing...?'' she pressed her face on the ss panes and nced out of the car as they drove past thepany.


    The adreline rush faded gradually and she was stuck with the thoughts that upied her mind earlier when she ran into those reporters.


    Mu Shen tilted his head to the side, asionally stealing nces.


    She was quite during the whole ride and he could not hold it anymore, ''''Is everything alright?"


    Li Shuang straightened up on her seat and she turned around to look at him, ''''Why were you back?" she asked, instead of answering his question.


    ''''You left your phone in my car,'''' he pointed his thumb towards the backseat.


    ''''I don''t want to go home,'''' Li Shuang said without bothering to look at her phone.


    He paused, ''''You don''t feel like it?"


    She shook her head.


    ''''Where do you want to go then?"


    ''''Anywhere,'''' she replied and leaned back on the seat before closing her eyes.


    The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''I know a ce like that,'''' With that said, he took an U turn.


    ''''Mhm.''''


    The car drowned in silence once again and Mu Shen was not sure about how to initiate the conversation this time.


    ''''Why did you do that?" Li Shuang asked, her eyes still closed.


    ''''What?" he nced at her.


    ''''That was risky,'''' Li Shuang opened her eyes and nced at him, ''''What if they recognized you at the spot? Or what if you ended up in another scandal? You didn''t have to rush in there to save me...'''' she nced at him, looking for something on his face.


    Li Shuang was not sure what she wanted to hear from him. What reason did he have for him to protect her in that situation when he detested the reporters and he would do anything to avoid them?


    ''''Would you like to eat something?" Mu Shen asked instead of answering her question.


    Li Shuang turned her face to the side, looking out of the ss panes.


    The rest of the ride was quiet and this time, both of them did not break the silence.


    It was not until they reached the destination that Mu Shen spoke up, ''''We are here,'''' he said.


    Li Shuang was wide awake but for some reason she did not feel like opening her eyes so she pretended to sleep.


    ''Click''


    Mu Shen stepped out of the car before he walked to the other side and opened the door for her, ''''Ah Shuang, we are here,'''' he lowered his body to her height such that his face was right next to hers.


    Li Shuang held her breath but she did not open her eyes.


    ''''I know that you are awake,'''' he whispered and when she still did not move, he continued, ''''Or do you want me to carry you again? I mean I don''t really mind it but you could have just said it instead of pretending to sleep...''''


    ''''I don''t want you to carry me," Li Shuang opened her eyes all at once. She pressed her palms on his chest and pushed him away from her before alighting the car with an indifferent exprression on her face.


    Her lips parted as she looked at the ce in front of her. They were standing in front of the sea.


    ''''I didn''t know where you''d like to go so I brough you here,'''' he said, looking at her back.


    ''''I like it here,'''' she said and walked towards the sea shore.


    ''''But we need to go back soon,'''' Mu Shen nced at the grey clouds in the sky, ''''I think it will start raining soon.''''


    Li Shuang did not respond to him and she continued walking forward, feeling the soft breeze caressing her face.


    ''''So what happened today?" Mu Shen asked, unable to hold back on the question anymore, ''''You look quite disturbed by it. Is everything fine?"


    ''''Edward is dating my secretary,'''' Li Shuang said after a few moments.


    Mu Shen''s brows tugged together, ''''That bastard...'''' he spoke through gritted teeth. Why did he have to go all the way to pursue her if he loved another woman?


    ''''And I heard him, I got to know what he really thinks of me,'''' she inhaled a deep breath and narrated everything word by word about what she heard.


    ''The more I stay with her, the more I realize how wrong she is for me. Or for men out there. Who will want to go out with a woman who... who is so career oriented that she won''t see the things around her? Her mind is damn robotic. No emotions, no feelings, no hurt, no sadness, no happiness...


    you can never spot anything humane on her. She is arrogant because of her position, bossy and cold most of the times. I regret... going after her in the first ce.''


    ''Had she been an ordinary girl, I could have went ahead pretending that it would not work out between us. But she is not ordinary, neither by her position nor by her identity. If I step back now, I''d be sacrificing the position that I worked so hard for in all these years so I can only suck up to it and go ahead with what I started. No man in his right mind would ever love someone like her.''


    She narrated everything wprd by word without a shift of her expression and turned around to look at him, ''''So that''s what he really thought of me.''''


    Mu Shen nced at her indifferent face and stepped closer to her, ''''You were not the wrong one for him. He just did not deserve you.''''


    He took another step closer to her and she looked into his eyes, ''''You being career oriented and your current position is not something a real man should be worried about.''''


    She blinked as her hair fell on her face.


    He raised his hand and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, ''''And when ites to your emotions...'''' he paused when she stepped back from him, ''''.. You are nowhere nearby to what he imed,'''' he smiled mysteriously.


    She was vulnerable too and he had seen that side of her. The day when she broke up with that jerk of a boyfriend of hers whom she was dating in university, she looked all nonchnt about it butter when he took her to his ce, he had heard those sobbing soundsing from the guest room.


    Just because someone did not show it does not mean they are not hurt.


    He detested it when his fans, or the media or anyone tried to dig in about his past, his family background. He tried his best to keep all his personal information under wraps. It was his defense mechanism.

 Chapter 492: Can I have you?

    Li Shuang just did not like to break down in front of anyone. Having lost her parents at a young age and growing up with her grandpa, she just created a strong exterior for herself which did not allow her to shed tears in front of anyone. She was the type of person who would thrust her face in the pillow and cry her heart out till she got over the grievances of the whole day.


    It was her defense mechanism.


    Mu Shen was not sure how he could understand her so well and he did not know why he wanted to know more, why he wanted to know everything about her. But he did not seek for an answer to that. Some things are better when left unknown.


    He knew he should have stepped back, putting a proper distance between them. He knew that he should not have raised his hand to cup her cheeks but that''s exactly what he did. There was still time to back off. He could have said that there was something on her face but he didn''t.


    He just nced at her stunned face, his expressions gradually softening, ''''No man in his right mind would love you? Did he say that?" he asked her.


    She nodded, still looking into his eyes.


    ''''Don''t buy that shit. That''s absurd,'''' he said in a serious tone. The corner of his lips tugged up, ''''You are strong, beautiful... way too magical for some random peasant like him. You are just way out of his league. Got it?"


    Before Mu Shen could get an affirmation from her, tears rolled down her eyes.


    He wiped them with his thumb, panic apparent on his face, ''''Hey, it''s just a man. I mean it when I tell you that he is not worthy of you. Stop crying already. You don''t need to be heartbroken over someone like him.''''


    ''''I''m not heartbroken over him,'''' she whispered with tears in her eyes.


    ''''Stop lying, will you?" He wiped her tears. If she was not in this condition, then he would have gone ahead to beat that asshole who made her cry, ''''And did you think I''d be fooled by your words?Why would you cry over someone who is not loyal to you?"


    ''''You are unreasonable,'''' she pushed him away from her. As he looked at her in dibelief, Li Shuang ended up blurting, ''''Edward and I were never in a rrtionship. I had no romantic feelings for him. And even if he got together with my secretary, I am no one to point my fingers at him given that my heart has been wavering for another man!"


    Mu Shen was stunned, ''''You like someone...?" he thrust his palm inside his pockets, his fingers curled up in a fist.


    ''''I guess so...'''' Li Shuang lowered her head.


    ''''As long as he is not another jerk...''''


    ''''Hees across as one...'''' she tilted her head to look at him, ''''...But he is not. I find him quite cute. He makes me curious about things.''''


    ''''If you are curious about anything, just ask him or google it. Don''t ask him out for just that,'''' Mu Shen whispered through gritted teeth.


    ''''I don''t know. I feel warm with him. I want to know him more,'''' she wiped her tears with the back of hand.


    Mu Shen nced at the sea, ''''It''s nice then. Anyway, I told you that you deserve someone bettter.''''


    Li Shuang did not say anything and the silence ensued between them.


    Mu Shen felt like he wanted to go home and break a few sses or get a good sleep, or eat till his abs disappeared or beat the shit out of her exes but he instead nced at the sky as a raindrop fell on his hand, ''''It''s raining. Let''s go,'''' he turned around to leave but his footsteps came to a halt when he felt a tight grip on his wrist.


    When Li Shuang watched him turning his back on her, her feet moved on their own and before she realized it, she was already holding his hand, ''''Mu Shen,'''' she whispered his name. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath before walking ahead, still holding his hand. She looked into his eyes as she stood in front of him, ''''I''m not sure about better. Can I have you instead?"


    It was raining heavily at this point but both of them stood rooted their spots, looking at each other.


    Li Shuang blinked and nced at him through her wetshes. She stood on her tiptoes and gazed at his lips before leaning closer to him.


    The moment their lips touched, Mu Shen stepped back from her.


    Li Shuang tilted her head, her grip on his hand loosening.


    ''''I don''t have any such feelings for you.''''


    ''''You are lying,'''' Li Shuang dodged feelings because they always made thingsplicated for her. At times, she was slow at all these things but in the end, she was not that dumb that she won''t see it, ''''You treat me differently. You''ve always treated me differently.''''


    Her words were like a tight p to him and his lips thinned, ''''I didn''t,'''' he stepped back from her.


    ''''As if,'''' Li Shuang chuckled, ''''When we were ying truth and dare in Ren Mansion and I got the dare to unbutton your shirt with my teeth...'''' she gazed at his lower body before looking back into his eyes, ''''...Your body reacted when you did that. You. were. hard,'''' she spoke through gritted teeth.


    ''''A normal reaction of a normal man,'''' Mu Shen averted his gaze.


    ''''What about casually draping your jacket on me all the time?"


    ''''You fall for a man if he puts his jacket on you? No wonder,'''' Mu Shen clicked his tongue, ''''I would have done it even if there was someone else in your ce.''''


    She stepped towards him and he took a step back, ''''When I broke up with my boyfriend, you didn''t need to take me to your ce... Let''s say you did it out of sympathy for a lonely girl on the streets but you definitely didn''t have to stand in front of my door while I could not stop crying...''''


    Mu Shen did not eat fish today but he definitely felt like something was stuck in his throat.


    "The next morning when I acted all arrogant, you didn''t have to act like you didn''t just see that pitful and pathetic side of me the day before.''''


    ''''You are not pathetic,'''' he interrupted her, his tone deeper and his gaze solemn.


    ''''See. You care way too much for someone who doesn''t have feelings for me,'''' Li Shuang shook her head.


    ''''Basic concern for a friend,'''' he said with a straight face.


    ''''You get hard for a friend,'''' Li Shuang crossed her arms in front of her chest, ''''You keep checking me out whenever we are together and then you pretend like you didn''t just do me with your eyes.''''


    Mu Shen literally choked on air or raindrops or he didn''t knoe on what. He... did that.....


    ''''You snatched the gift I gave to Zixuan on his birthday.''''


    ''''I was just curious about what you gifted him,'''' Mu Shen cleared his throat.


    ''''In the countless gifts that he received, you were curious about my gift. Why?"

 Chapter 493: Resignation letter

    Li Shuang took another step towards him, closing the distance between them, ''''Zixuan used to visit the girl''s dormitory once in a while to see the girl he loved. What about you? Why did you tag along? To be a cheerleader for him? But then... why did you have to end up in my room?


    Did you think I won''t know how you''de to me acting like you were just checking the dorms'' paint, doing this or that and that you just happened to bump into me?"


    Never in his wildest dreams did he think that she would notice all that stuff. She seemed to have an extremely low EQ all this time but he suddenly felt like this one was a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    ''''So don''t you dare ''I have no feelings for you'' me,'''' Li Shuang was domineering as usual.


    Bossy? Be it then! She was not going to change anything about her just because people found her qualities problematic.


    As for this gorgeous red-haired creature standing in front of her, the lost prince whom she found on her balcony, she has resisted his charms for months already. She could not resist him anymore and she was sure of it.


    Every little thing he did made her heart melt, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. He was it.


    Fuck the rules that she made. Fuck ''no dating, no love''. For him, she was willing to change them all.


    ''''You want the truth?" Mu Shen grabbed her hand, ''''I''ll give it to you.''''


    Li Shuang''s lips parted, her heart hanging in her throat. She has not felt this nervous during her exams or during the time she took over the position of CEO.


    ''''Do you remember the first time we met?"


    Li Shuang remembered it well. He had barged inside the dorms with Jun Zixuan and Jun Boyan. While Jun Zixuan ended up in Yu Mei''s room and Jun Boyan escaped in time, Mu Shen however came to her room covered in mud from head to toe, ''''I do,'''' she nodded.


    ''''You didn''t pay much attention to me at that time. It has never happened before that any woman would act so unaffected in my presence and it made me... well, interested. I wanted to...''''


    ''''Have me in your bed?" Li Shuang stepped back from him.


    ''''Sort of,'''' Mu Shen shrugged, ''''You are gorgeous. Which man wouldn''t want you?"


    ''''You are lying, right?" Li Shuang bit the insides of her cheeks.


    Mu Shen shook his head, ''''It''s in the past. We are friends now and everything is good between us so... let''s just forget all about that,'''' he nced at her drenched body, ''''You will catch a cold. Come, let''s go back,'''' he turned around and nced at the car parked in a distance.


    ''''I think you are right,'''' Li Shuang shouted just when he had taken a few steps ahead, ''''In fact, I think I acted on impulse today. I saw you making out with that woman yesterday and I was turned on so I guess I acted on my lust. I have no other feelings for you,'''' Tears pricked her eyes but she said all that anyway. She wanted to save her pride.


    For the first time in her life, she confessed to a guy. For the first time after the incident with Zhu Boqin, she decided to give herself another chance but it didn''t work out how she thought it would. It seems like she had misunderstood his intentions all along but it was not his fault.


    And she felt ashamed at this point.


    ''''I can understand that,'''' Mu Shen said without turning back, ''''And it''s fine. It happens. I am cool with it. Let''s just go back.''''


    ''''Yes,'''' Li Shuang looked at the sky, letting the rain wash away her tears.


    Maybe it was for the better.


    Yes, this was for the better.


    Feelings are just a distraction.


    She inhaled a deep breath and followed him to the car, all the while not taking her gaze off his back.


    Mu Shen dropped her at her ce and after that, she did not see him around anymore. It was not until 9 pm that there was a knock on her door.


    She looked into the peephole and opened the door when she saw that it was Mu Shen.


    ''''Your car keys,'''' he extended the keys in his hand towards her.


    ''''It was left at your ce...''''


    ''''Yes,'''' he nodded, ''''Did you have dinner?"


    Li Shuang looked at his face quietly for a few seconds before she straightened up, ''''I was about to go to bed. Good night,'''' she closed the door on his face without waiting for his response.


    Soon, she heard the sound of retreating footsteps.


    Li Shuang sat on the floor before leaning back on the door.


    It was no big deal. She convinced herself as she hugged her knees tightly.


    She got over Zhu Boqin despite being in a rtionship with him for so long. Mu Shen was just a crush whom she confessed to on an impulse... and got rejected.


    That''s it. Everything will be better soon.


    She will get over this tomorrow.


    With that thought, Li Shuang went to her bed only to end up pulling an all-nighter.


    She could not sleep no matter how she tried and after a long period of twisting and turning on the bed, she ended up burying herself in work.


    The next morning, however, it resulted in apparent dark circles.


    At thepany.


    The atmosphere in the CEO''s office was quite tense as Li Shuang worked on a few documents while Edward and Lisa stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak.


    Li Shuang ced her file down, sensing their presence, ''''Sorry, I was a bit distracted earlier,'''' she had called for them and in the meanwhile, she was looking at the files, not realizing when she zoned out.


    Edward and Lisa were stunned. She sounded off. After everything that happened yesterday, how can she still talk to them in a friendly tone?


    ''''I called you here to let you know that...'''' Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet, ''''You can hand in your resignation letter. I will approve it for you. I have a meeting in 35 minutes so you have to do it in 20 minutes.''''


    ''''Shuang...'''' Edward frowned.


    Blood drained from Lisa''s face.

 Chapter 494: To Yu Mansion

    Edward stepped towards Li Shuang, ''''I didn''t mean to...Can you...''''


    ''''Edward,'''' Li Shuang cut him off, ''''I don''t want an awkward working environment. I''d have preferred to leave such ces but thepany would not work without a CEO. Meanwhile, there are many recements avable for a Vice President and a secretary.''''


    Edward''s lips thinned, his fingers curling into a fist.


    ''''I have rmended you to these ces through my connections,'''' she handed them a few cards, ''''I believe you will do well.''''


    ''''You...'''' Both Lisa and Edward were stunned by her actions again.


    ''''And... Back when I joined thepany, I didn''t send you to the conference meetings in my ce because I was being bossy or establishing my position. I did that because I noticed that while you work efficiently, you are weak in front of a bunch of higher-ups,'''' Li Shuang shook her head before taking a seat, ''''Regarding firing you, I kept you in this position because I trusted you. Now I don''t.''''


    Veins popped up on Edward''s wrist but he did not say a word. He didn''t know what to say.


    Regret. He could feel it piling up on his chest.


    All this time, despite not having any feelings for him, she looked after him discreetly while he kept mistaking her intentions. He thought... she was just throwing a fit based on that position of hers.


    ''''And you both... keep it from grandpa. Tell him that I was the one who ended things with you or else you''d never find another job,'''' Li Shuang sighed. As she looked at their quiet countenance, she added, ''''Be fast.''''


    Edward wanted to say something but there were no words left in his mouth. At this moment, he could only focus on saving his career instead of all the feelings troubling his heart.


    Lisa quietly left the office room and he followed after her.


    As soon as they left, Li Shuang slumped on her desk. She ced her chin on the ss and nced at her phone.


    There were pictures of her and Mu Shen all over the inte. She nced at the picture where he was carrying her in his arms.


    In the initialments, people seemed to be trying to guess the identity of the man but in thetestments, there were pictures of her and Mu Shen from Jun Zixuan''s birthday party.


    And his fans even posted the close-up picture of his outfit, stating that there were only two of them in the whole world.


    Some people even went as far as investigating their addresses only to discover that they lived in the same ce.


    Li Shuang was about to ask the HR department to deal with it but something else caught her attention.


    Mu Shen''s manager released a statement rifying the rumors, saying that both of them were friends, sharing the same friend circle.


    ''''He didn''t even bother to rify his cheating scandal but he is so eager to rify his rtionship with me...'''' Li Shuang bit her bottom lips. She was only acting nonchnt when she got to know about his scandal that day. In her heart, she was curious about what happened and she did not think that he was the kind of man who would go as low as cheating on a woman.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, her phone beeped. She checked the new notification and found another statement from his manager.


    It was regarding his cheating scandal.


    The whole scandal was dissuaded by a few statements and there were shreds of evidence to back them up. As it turns out, both the women were working in cahoots to frame Mu Shen.


    Li Shuang leaned back on the swivel chair and closed her eyes.


    She thought that she will soon get over him and will be distracted by her work but here she was, still thinking about him.


    Two weeks passed in a sh with barely any interactions between Mu Shen and Li Shuang.


    He did not avoid her, he treated her just as usual.


    As Li Shuang parked the car in the underground parking of the apartment, she leaned her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. He treated her just the same.. like a good friend. It was only yesterday when they saw each other at the elevator and he greeted her.


    But the thing is, contrary to her expectations, she did not go back to treating him as a friend. Her heart still fluttered at the sight of him and the feelings in her heart have been intensifying every day.


    As Li Shuang entered the apartment, she closed the door behind her and walked towards the couch.


    She adjusted the cushion under her head and curled up on the couch looking at the wall in front of her.


    She was used to living alone since she was young but she has never felt this lonely before.


    ''Ring Ring Ring''


    Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and walked towards the terrace before answering the call.


    ''''Grandpa... Yes... I am sure about it,'''' she nced at the sky, ''''I want to move back to the Yu Mansion. Please make the necessary arrangements. I will be there in an hour.''''


    The old man told her that she did not need to go there today because it was past midnight already.


    ''''I''ll be fine, You don''t live too far anyway,'''' she hung up and walked inside the room, unaware of the fact that someone overheard her conversation.


    Mu Shen who was sitting on the next terrace leaned back on the reclining chair. He picked up the ss of wine before taking a sip from the ss.


    He nced at his phone screen quietly before scrolling through the contacts list. His fingers paused near one particr number. After contemting over it for a bit, he finally dialed the number. The call was answered on thest ring and a cheerful sound was heard from the other side, ''''Xiao Shen...''''

 Chapter 495: Fight for the chance

    ''''''Mom, I don''t think I can ever forgive her for what she did...''''


    There was a long pause from the other side of the phone and just when he thought that the woman would not make anyment on his statement, as usual, she spoke up, ''''And what good will it do you if you continue holding grudges against a person who is no longer there in this world? You tried to irk her with everything when she was alive.


    It has been two years since her death and you are still...'''' the woman sighed, ''''...you are still taking revenge for what she did. But is the revenge worth it? Are you just not ruining yourself in the process?"


    ''''I hate her,'''' he said within a beat, tears welled up in his eyes and he nced at the sky. He loved her and missed her too.


    ''''I know you do and somewhere I hated her too. Your father was in depression for years because of her. But don''t forget that she gave birth to you and somewhere, I can''t me her. For your mother, your father was not the one just like for me, my ex-husband was not the one. We meet many people in life, believing that they are the ones we will grow old with.


    But then we grow up, people change and we end up walking out of those rtionships because of betrayals, lies, or simply because it didn''t work out. Then we go through a phase where we are determined to stay away from love and rtionships. Yet eventually, we start craving all of it despite the walls in our hearts.


    At one point, you meet someone at the most unexpected time, in the most unexpected ce who stirs your heart and tears apart the walls you built around yourself. And eventually, you just know that you can never let them go.''''


    ''''Are you talking about how you fell for dad?" Mu Shen chuckled, ''''That was a long rant though.''''


    ''''Ugh... Tsk,'''' Heughed when she clicked her tongue, ''''But it''s true. It happened to me. I was in a loveless marriage though I married that man out of love. Before I met your dad, I had no faith in love anymore. But then my heart wavered.


    I knew I was a married woman and he was a married man but my feelings for him were pure. We were business partners. To avoid problems, I kept them in my heart till your mother revealed that she cheated on him... sigh...My boy, love is notplicated. When it happens, it happens and you know it. It feels neither forced nor wrong.


    You don''t fake yourughs and you can''t stop it at all. If you hurt them, it hurts you more. Maybe your mother''s way was wrong, but she found the right person for herself and she could not help it despite her circumstances.''''


    Mu Shen was not certain. Things could have been done in a better way if she had put some effort into them, ''''Or maybe not.''''


    ''''Xiao Shen, as long as you are sure that you won''t end up with regrets then do whatever you want. But always remember that regret leaves nothing in your life except for a huge hollow in your chest,'''' she hung up as soon as she finished speaking.


    Mu Shen nced at his phone nkly. Was it that difficult to converse with him? Why did she have to hang up...?


    He leaned back on the reclining chair and tilted his head to the side, looking at the terrace attached to his.


    ...


    Li Shuang locked the door and walk towards the elevator, dragging her suitcases with her.


    She had just taken a few steps when her footsteps came to a halt and she turned around to look at the door next to hers.


    She stood rooted to her spot and nced at the closed door for quite some time before stepping inside the elevator.


    After reaching the underground parking, she arranged her luggage in the car''s trunk before walking towards the front.


    After getting inside the car, she threw her phone and wallet into the passenger seat.


    Li Shuang let out a soft sigh before leaning her forehead against the steering wheel. Maybe this was for the better. She convinced herself again. He was... maybe just a crush.


    With that thought, she inhaled a deep breath and stepped on the elerator.


    ''''AHH!"


    ''Screech''


    Li Shuang stepped on the emergency breaks and the car came to a screeching halt.


    She nced at the man standing in front of her car, her lips parted in disbelief.


    ''''Do you want to die?" She opened the door and walked towards him.


    ''''I... swear I was not trying tomit suicide,'''' Mu Shen panted as he leaned forward, cing one hand on her car and the other on his knee.


    His hair was in a mess and his body was all sweaty which made his shirt cling to his body tightly.


    She hated how her throat ran dry at the sight of his current condition.


    ''''Wh-Why are you like this?"


    ''''Someone was there in the elevator. I had to run here before you leave...''''


    ''''You ran... all the way to here from the 18th floor?" As he nodded, she blinked, ''''Why...? And how did you know that I''m leaving,'''' she did not remember discussing it with him.


    ''''I overheard your conversation with your grandfather,'''' Mu Shen straightened up andbed his hair with fingers before he stepped towards her, ''''...But I swear I was not eavesdropping on purpose.''''


    ''''And you came all the way here to say goodbye? You know...'''' She stepped away from him and turned around to walk towards the car, ''''...There is no need for any such formality.''''


    He grabbed her hand and tugged at it and she ended up losing bnce. He wrapped his other arm around her waist to save her from the fall.


    Li Shuang''s heart sped up as she felt him hugging her from the back. But he was quick to let go of her and she realized that he was just saving her from the terrible fall that was about to happen.


    Mu Shen intertwined their fingers and twirled her around, looking into her eyes, ''''If I say that I lied earlier about my feelings, then will you give me another chance toe clean?"


    ''''You...'''' Li Shuang blinked, ''''What if I don''t?"


    ''''I will fight for the chance till you give it to me. How does that sound?"


    ''''Why would you even do that?" Li Shuang tried to move her hand from his grip and he let her go.


    She was disappointed for a moment but in the end, she did not show it on her face.


    ''''The first time when I saw you in the dormitory, I thought that you are the most beautiful woman I have seen in my entire life,'''' he said with an expression that highly resembled hers, ''''And every meeting that followed, I found myself stealing nces when you were not looking.


    I like the way your nose would scrunch up ever so slightly when you would eat something you don''t like and how your lips would twitch when you heard something funny. I admired the way you broke up with your long-time jerk of a boyfriend, without a shred of hesitation. I like the way you act unruffled by almost everything even when the tiniest thing bothers you easily.


    I like everything about you that you tend to hide, knowingly or unknowingly.''''


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    Li Shuang''s lips parted, ''''I...''''


    ''''Shhh...'''' He pressed his finger on her lips and looked at her with so much adoration that she felt herself melting, ''''You''re magic and I swear to god that you had me hooked around your fingers since who knows how long. But I never thought of myself as someone worthy of you. You are too pure, too precious for someone like me. That''s what I thought.


    I''ve always believed that you deserve someone better...''''


    Her bottom lips stuck out, forming a little pout and heughed. His hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers raked inside her hair as he stepped closer to her and pressed his forehead against hers.


    Everytime she tilted her head to look at him, he had the urge to do this. ''''...But look at the kind of guys you end up with. They are no better and it will break my heart to see you around them. So, in the end, I decided that I am going to make myself better for you.''''


    The corner of her lips twitched and she bit her bottom lips to hold back on the smile, ''''That sounds something like you are taking pity on me...''''


    Heughed when she stomped her heels on his shoe, ''''You''re mine now. No boyfriend, or suitor making a wall between us anymore. Not like I would let anyone do that. Not anymore.''''


    ''''So, you are saying....?" Li Shuang blinked innocently, acting unaware about where it was going.


    He stepped back from her and dropped to one of his knees, ''''Li Shuang, let''s date,'''' he extended his hand towards her.


    Her heart was showing no signs of calming down anytime soon. She nced at the red rose in his hand and her brows tugged together.


    ''''Uh... I had to rush here before you leave and had no time to arrange flowers so I plucked one when I was running down the staircase,'''' he cleared his throat.


    ''''You stole flowers from someone''s house?"


    ''''Well, they are keeping it out on disy and I had no other option.''''


    Li Shuang blinked, ''''There are CCTV cameras everywhere. What if you make it to headlines again?" she leaned back on the car andughed, throwing her head back, ''''I can even think of the headlines. ''Presenting the superstar as a flower thief'' or...''''


    ''''I don''t mind them as long as they mention who I stole the flower for,'''' he interrupted her.


    She stoppedughing and nced at his serious face, ''''Stand up first,'''' she whispered after a few minutes.


    He did as he was told.


    She nced at the rose in his hand, ''''Why did you reject me that day?"


    Mu Shen''s grip tightened on the rose.


    ''''Hmm?" she nced at his face.

 Chapter 496: Boyfriend

    ''''I was... not sure what you felt about me. I thought you were acting on impulse and if I gave in to it, there is no going back on it.''''


    ''''What changed now?" she asked, probing further.


    ''''When I heard that you are leaving... I felt suffocated just by the thought of not having you around. The past few days have been tough but I could still watch you from afar. I don''t want you to go away from me,'''' he whispered, his expressions almost pleading as he looked at her.


    She lowered her head, ''''I missed you. I thought we''d never talk normally again,'''' she said in a soft voice, ''''I started regretting my actions. Initially, I thought I just had a crush on you and I will get over it in time but the more time passed, the more I found myself on the edge.


    I kept walking around on the terrace just to catch a glimpse of you and whenever we met near the elevator, I felt happy even though we didn''t talk properly. Mu Shen, I like you more than I thought I do. I...''''


    He interrupted her words by capturing her lips. Both his arms wrapped around her waist and he hoisted her up in the air before cing her on the car.


    Li Shuang was stunned. It took her a moment to register it in her mind and before she realized it, she was already sitting on the car. She felt his grip on her knees and he parted her legs before standing between them as he kissed her, knocking out all the logic in her mind.


    ''''I am sorry. It has been tough on me,'''' Mu Shen whispered against her lips as he broke the kiss. He yed with the loose strands of her hair, ''''It''s hard to resist you....''''


    ''''Then don''t resist,'''' She grabbed his cor and captured his lips.


    He sucked on her lips, taking her bottom lips between his teeth while his finger stroked the pulse of her neck.


    As their lips parted, he kissed the corner of her lips before trailing gentle kisses down her jaws.


    ''''Wait...'''' Li Shuang whispered.


    Mu Shen pulled back from her and nced at her face concernedly, ''''I... I am sorry. I didn''t realize... Did I make you ufortable?"


    You jerk. Why did you have to act like a caveman so soon? What if she was scared by your over-enthusiasm and felt like she did not like you as before? His inner devil whispered.


    Mu Shen pouted in his heart. How was it his fault? He desired her for who knows how long and now that they hade to this stage, he ended up...


    ''''No, not that,'''' Li Shuang whispered as she jumped down from the car. She ced her hands on his chest and stepped closer to him, her gaze darting around, ''''I just realized that we are in the parking lot. What if you end up with another scandal?" She whispered.


    All the stress piled up on his heart disappeared all at once and he shooed away the devil sitting on his shoulder, ''''You are more worried about my scandals than my manager.''''


    ''''Of course, I am. You are always involved with this woman or that,'''' she nced at him.


    He wrapped both his arms around her waist, ''''Are you jealous?"


    ''''No?"


    ''''Was that a question or an answer?" Mu Shenughed. Looking at her expressionless face, he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, ''''Thest time I was with a woman was before the truth and dare game we yed at Ren Mansion. It has been months and I always had you in my mind. The current cheating scandal was nothing but a trap.


    I told you that you had me hooked around your finger for a long time and I guess I was left tormenting myself with the pain of unrequited love,'''' he pressed a fist on his chest.


    ''''That was dramatic,'''' Li Shuang rolled her eyes and both of themughed, ''''But... you are cute,'''' she kissed his cheek.


    He blinked twice. ''''Hold this,'''' he extended the rose towards her. As she epted it, he sighed, ''''So, are we going to your ce or mine?"


    Her face grew warm, ''''Anywhere,'''' she shrugged and quickly grabbed his hand.


    The corner of his lips tugged up and both of them ended up running towards the elevator.


    As soon as they entered inside, Li Shuang ced her palms on her knees as she panted, ''''What was that...?'''' she whispered.


    After catching her breath, she stood up straight and found him looking at her intensely. The elevator''s door closed and as he stepped towards her, she could feel butterflies bubbling up inside her heart.


    ''''What do you think?"


    He leaned closer to her and she stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck, ''''Give me a reason to ept you after you rejected me and....'''' his brows tugged together, ''''...friend-zoned me.''''


    ''''A reason...'''' he leaned closer to her and kissed her earlobe, his teeth gently nipping on it.


    Li Shuang felt like her body had turned into jelly. She hugged him tightly for support.


    ''''I know you want me as much as I want you. Is that reason enough?"


    ''''No...'''' she whispered, her breathy voice betraying her words.


    His hand moved to her waist and his palm settled on her hips, ''''I like it when I wake up to your face in the morning when I find you standing on the terrace next door but it would be better if I can wake up to your face right next to me,'''' his lips trailed on her cheekbones.


    ''''Just t-that?" she looked at the side of his face.


    ''''I love you,'''' he pulled back from her and looked into her eyes.


    Her eyes sparkled and her grip tightened around his neck.


    She leaned into his arms and nced at his lips before inching closer to him.


    Before their lips could touch, the elevator door opened.


    Li Shuang kicked him away from her in a sh.


    Mu Shen bumped into the corner, wondering if he had transformed into some meat patty already/


    Li Shuang looked at him apologetically.


    An old couple entered the elevator.


    ''''Youngsters these days... so weak...'''' the old man mumbled as he nced at Mu Shen pressed in a corner, ''''How do you tumble over in an elevator?"


    ''''He is a bit sick so...'''' Li Shuang defended him. After all, she did not realize how she ended up reacting so violently.


    But she did not know what else to do. It could have started another scandal if anyone witnessed them like that. Many people did not recognize her but his face was famous.


    ''''My head is spinning...'''' Mu Shen pressed his palm on his head.


    ''''Girl, hold your boyfriend. It looks like he is not feeling that well,'''' Then the old man''s wife said.


    Li Shuang nodded.


    Mu Shen bit his lips, trying to hold back his smile. Boyfriend? It sounded like music to his ears.


    As the old couple turned around and looked at the front, Li Shuang noticed that they were on the 8th floor.


    She walked towards Mu Shen and held his hand, ''''Are you fine?" she whispered.


    He grabbed her hand and wrapped another arm around her waist before pulling her closer to him. As her bottom touched his body, she felt something hard and her heart raced.


    ''''It has been more than 30 minutes... in fact, more than 6 months since you have been torturing me. Tell me, am I fine?" he spoke inside the shell of her ear and her body turned hot.


    Li Shuang could not help it. There were people in front of them. If they turned around then it will not look good at all. She should have stepped away from him. His hold was gentle on her, he was giving her the option to walk away the moment she wanted but she didn''t want to.


    Instead, she leaned closer to him, pressing her body further closer to his, feeling his erection through theyer of clothes between them.


    He kissed her neck before leaving wet kisses down to her shoulder des. But despite theyers of fabrics, her body turned hot.


    ''''Do you feel better now?"


    Li Shuang stepped to the side all at once, pressing her face to the elevator wall when the olddy turned around and spoke to Mu Shen.


    Mu Shen''s lips twitched, ''''Much better.''''


    ''''Why aren''t you holding him?" The olddy nodded at him before looking at Li Shuang.


    ''''Because you won''t let her hold...'''' Mu Shen mumbled under his breath.


    Li Shuang cleared her throat.


    The journey to the 17th floor felt never-ending but eventually, they reached there and the old couple left the elevator.


    Mu Shen and Li Shuang were all alone in the elevator, standing in two opposite corners quietly.


    For some reason, Li Shuang held her breath. And as he stepped closer, she stepped back from him, looking straight ahead.


    Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, she raised her head.


    ''''I''ll drop you at your ce,'''' he smiled at her, stopping one step away from her.


    Li Shuang blinked, disappointment blooming in her head. Drop her?


    The elevator stopped and both of them walked out, side by side.


    Their footsteps came to a halt in front of Li Shuang''s ce and both of them stopped.


    ''''It''ste. You should go to bed. I will bring back your luggage tomorrow.''''


    She nodded, ''''You should take some rest too.''''


    ''''Yes.''''


    ''''Go now,'''' she said.


    ''''I will watch you going inside.''''


    Li Shuang nodded at him and turned around, pressing her finger on the scanner.


    The door opened with a ''click''.


    She took one step towards the door but in the end, she turned around to look at him, ''''Didn''t you tell me that you know?" she asked.


    ''''Know about what?"


    ''''About what I want,'''' she stepped towards him, ''''I want you. Don''t leave me alone here..''''


    And before her words could finish, he had wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up in the air. Her legs wound up around his waist instinctively.

 Chapter 497: Promising plenty of experience

    ''''I thought you were not ready,'''' he whispered against her lips.


    ''''I didn''t want you to think that I am easy,'''' that''s why she hesitated a bit in the elevator.


    Easy? She made him crave her every gaze and every touch.


    ''''Ah Shuang...'''' he stepped inside her ce, carrying her in his arms. He kicked the door and it was locked with a ''click''.


    She looked at him, ''''Hmm?"


    ''''Do you know that I had once looked into Zhu Boqin...'''' The name made hershes tremble. Even though the reaction was fleeting, he noticed it and kissed her eyes, ''''...When I heard that you have a boyfriend, I could not help it. I wanted to know more about you... But there was something wrong with him.


    From what I discovered, he treated you so tonically for someone who imed to love you,'''' he could not understand how with a girlfriend like Li Shuang, he never spent time with her and never prioritized her.


    Even though it secretly made him happy but his heart ached too. It was aplicated feeling where he did not want her closer to any other guy nor did he want her to be sad or lonely. He wanted to make her happy with everything he had.


    ''''After you broke up with him, I wanted toe closer to you but before that, I wanted to let you heal and then you took over the position of the CEO, cing all your attention there. And somewhere along, I realized that neither did you have any feelings for me nor was I sure that you will ever like me. My past...


    I am responsible for it but since you came into the picture, I have been ashamed of many things I did. I felt like I was never worthy of you...''''


    She blocked the rest of his words with a passionate kiss by crashing her lips on his.


    ''''You are enough,'''' she whispered against his lips before kissing him again. She was clumsy at first but as their lips moved, she did not hold back.


    He was stunned, both by the kiss and her words. Yes, that''s what he decided today. If he was not worthy of her, then who?... Jerks like Zhu Boqin or Edward. They hurt her repeatedly and he... he loved her too much to hurt her.


    It was best to keep her by his side and pamper her forever than to let her end up with some other jerk and drowning in vinegar. It would have been way too disgraceful and heartbreaking. He had enough heartache in the past two weeks already


    Mu Shen grabbed the back of her head and pressed his lips harder on hers, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth.


    His other hand moved to her bottom and he squeezed it. She threw her head back, a moan escaped her lips.


    He ced his lips on her chin, before slowly gliding it down along his neck and kissing her corbone.


    When he stopped kissing her, she almost whined. Although she held back on the whine, a protesting sound left her mouth.


    He chuckled, ''''Not here,'''' he held kissed her forehead, and walked towards the room takingrge strides.


    ''''Why not?" she was genuinely curious.


    He stepped inside her bedroom and ced her on the King-sized bed, ''''Because this is our first time and I am going to...'''' his gaze scanned her from head to toe, ''''...eat you properly,'''' he whispered.


    She blushed, ''''You know...'''' she sat up on the bed, her long hair falling in front of her shoulder, ''''I am quite jealous.''''


    ''''Jealous?" he sat beside her, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.


    ''''Because... when I think what you are doing to me... you have done that with other women before, I feel jealous, somewhat upset and sad,'''' Li Shuang did not know how to deal with these feelings.


    In fact, she never knew she had this side to her.


    That day when she had witnessed him making out with that blonde, she was turned on by him but somewhere in her heart, she had felt this bitterness which she promptly ignored.


    Mu Shen looked at her side profile. Somewhere, he wished that he had met her earlier in life. Maybe as a ssmate back in high school. He could imagine her sitting next to him with a cold expression on her face and him clinging to her constantly till her mask slipped. Maybe, if he had met her earlier, he would not have walked down that path.


    Looking at the distant expression on his face, she cupped his face, ''''What happened?"


    ''''You are different, love...'''' he gazed at her, ''''...Not someone I am sleeping with. Not just a body I''m interested in. I''m going to do things with you that I have never done with someone before,'''' his fingers wrapped around her neck, his grip neither gentle nor rough.


    In life, he has messed up in quite a lot of things but he wanted to love her properly.


    Li Shuang pressed her legs together. Excitement bubbled in her heart at his words.


    His fingers twisted the buttons of her blouse with expertise and all the while, he looked at her face searching for any shred of hesitation on it but finding none of it, he threw her blouse, gently running his finger along her breastbone.


    Li Shuang bit her bottom lips to hold back the moan.


    His fingers removed the front hook of her bra and he threw it aside, admiring the sight of her. His gaze turned her on more than before.


    ''''AH...'''' She gasped as he took her breast in his mouth. The initial embarrassment flew out of the window and she grabbed his hair, thrusting her breast deeper inside his mouth.


    She rubbed her legs together as he bit her nipple, his other palm cupping her breast.


    His fingers roamed on her waist, gently caressing her skin. He paused when his hand reached her thighs.


    Mu Shen bit her nipple gently and she moaned. He kissed the dip between her breasts before looking at her, ''''Are you sure?"


    Li Shuang was not in the right mind to decipher his words and it took her moment to register them in her mind, ''''About?" she asked, extending her hand towards his face.


    As the tips of her fingers caressed his face, he tilted his head, leaning into her touch, ''''About us?" He did not want her to regret anything. If she wanted to wait, he would wait for her for years.


    ''''Are you not sure?" her finger stopped stroking his face and she retracted her hand.


    Looking at the solemn expression on her face, he panicked, ''''I''ve never been so sure about anything in life. Don''t misunderstand...''''


    She gripped his hair and supported herself on her elbow before interrupting his words with a passionate kiss.


    As he felt her lips curling up against his, he realized that she was just pulling his leg.


    This woman¡­ was going to be the death of him.


    He grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard, knocking her breath out of her lungs.


    As their lips parted, he pressed his forehead against hers and they panted.


    He lifted her skirt and his palm moved to her inner thigh. He cupped her between her legs and she gasped.


    His fingers stroked the edge of her panties. She gripped the sheets, closing her eyes.


    Mu Shen gently kissed her chin before he moved down.


    He removed her panties and grabbed her knees before parting them.


    Li Shuang''s back arched when she felt his warm breath on her inner thighs.


    ''''You are wet,'''' he whispered and warmth crept up her neck.


    In the next moment, she felt his mouth on her, his tongue licked her wetness and she clenched.


    His tongue flicked and yed with her clitoris and she raised a leg, cing the heel of her foot on his shoulder de.


    Just when she felt like her body was going the explode, he pulled back from her, throwing her from the peak.


    She looked at him in disbelief.


    ''''That''s what you get for teasing me,'''' he smirked.


    She pouted, ''''I am not doing this anymore,'''' she turned her face to the side and sat on the bed, pretending to look for her top.


    He sat behind her, kissing the back of her neck, his fingers drawing circles on her waist, ''''Really?" he whispered against her skin.


    She leaned back into his touch, ''''N-Not really,'''' she tilted her head to the side and looked at him with begging eyes, ''''I want you,'''' she nced at his lips before leaning closer to him and unbuttoning his shirt with her mouth.


    As her mouth grazed past his skin, he felt something stirring down there.


    When she unbuttoned thest button of his shirt, he grabbed her hand and ced it on his hardness through his pants, ''''Mutual feelings.''''


    Her lips parted, her finger twitching slightly, ''''Don''t mock meter though¡­'''' she whispered.


    He pulled her onto hisp, ''''Mock?"


    ''''I¡­'''' her lips puckered up slightly and she buried her face in his neck, ''''¡­have no experience!''''


    Mu Shen blinked, not knowing whether he should gush about her cuteness or about how this ''no experience'' person was seducing him by rubbing his hardness. He could even feel her lips grazing back and forth on his neck.


    A vein throbbed on his forehead, ''''Don''t worry. From now on, you will get plenty of it. I promise you that,'''' With that said, he flipped their bodies pinning her to the bed.


    He unbuckled his belt and removed his pants and she could see the apparent bulge in his boxers.


    Her gaze roamed on his rock-hard abs and she gulped. She had seen his body before, in his movies but watching them in person was another thing.


    She could feel the butterflies inside her chest.

 Chapter 498: Pathetic Past

    He discarded his boxers and she watched as his length sprang up.


    Her lips parted at the sight of it, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. He was big. She blinked. Would that...


    She shook her head to shake off her dirty thoughts.


    He enjoyed her expressions.


    Mu Shen pulled down her skirt before throwing it aside.


    His palm gripped both her knees and he parted her legs before sitting in between her thighs, his feet ced on either side of her shoulder, going just below her knees.


    His fingers stroked her waist gently and he grabbed his length with his other hand, moving the tip up and down her wetness.


    ''''Please,'''' she cried.


    He continued stroking her till she threw her head back, arching her body slightly.


    He entered inside her with one rough thrust.


    ''''Ah¡­'''' she cried.


    He kissed her knee and caressed her waist, this time his movements were slow and careful as he moved in and out of her till the pain on her face changed to pleasure and she adjusted to his length.


    He leaned closer to her and grabbed her wrists, pulling her up from the bed such that she was riding him now. Li Shuang moved her hips slowly and ced her hand on his shoulder des.


    Mu Shen took one of her breasts inside his mouth letting her take control. His one hand moved to her other breast as he cupped it, kneading it in his palm. His other hand moved to her back, gripping and squeezing her bottom.


    Just when Li Shuang felt like she was about to climax, he grabbed her hips and started thrusting inside her, his movements were not gentle anymore and the pleasure she was feeling earlier intensified by leaps and bounds.


    ''''Ahh¡­'''' she moaned as he bit her lips before pulling back and kissing her neck. He took his entire length out of her before thrusting inside her once again.


    Li Shuang threw her head back and she clenched. Her eyes rolled back as she climaxed.


    Mu Shen pulled back to look at her face. Her flushed face made him smile, ''''You are beautiful,'''' he whispered before capturing his lips. She fisted his hair in her hands and kissed him back.


    His movements picked up the pace and he took his length out of her, pressing it in her inner thighs and she felt a warm liquid spilling into her inner thighs.


    It was only then that Li Shuang realized that they just had unprotected sex and it seemed like Mu Shen also had the realization.


    ''''I am sorry,'''' he tilted his head to look at her.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck, ''''Are you always like this?"


    ''''Like what?" he hugged her waist.


    ''''Kind of silly? Easily flustered? And do you¡­'''' she blinked, ''''¡­usually forget to take precautions?"


    ''''I never once had unprotected sex in my entire life. It''s all because it''s you!" Now that it came to his chastity, Mu Shen was super defensive.


    He had never been careless with such things before but they were in such a rush that both of them forgot about it.


    Sheughed at how he red at her.


    Mu Shen bit her neck. As for being silly or being easily flustered and self-conscious, that too happened around this woman only.


    He wrapped her up in the nket and ced her on the bed before he started to dress up.


    ''''You are leaving?" Li Shuang blinked.


    Mu Shen adjusted the cor of his shirt before he turned to look at the woman on the bed.


    ''''Do you think I can do that, hmm?" He leaned closer to her before biting the tip of her nose, ''''I am going to the drugstore to get a pill for you and of course some decent protection for us,'''' he winked.


    The corner of her lips twitched.


    ''''Help me pack my luggage tomorrow. My ce feels so lonely. I will move in with you to give you somepany,'''' he shed a cheeky smile at her before walking out of the room.


    As the door closed, Li Shuang snapped out of her daze. Her lips tugged up in a huge smile as she covered her face in the nket, ''''AHH¡­ Why is he so cute?" she rolled around in the bed.


    ¡­


    The next day, 1 pm.


    Mu Shen nted a peck on Li Shuang''s lips before he adjusted the sleeves of the bathrobe she was wearing.


    Li Shuang looked up from herptop, ''''Shall I make breakfast?" she ced theptop aside and pushed herself to her feet.


    ''''It''s way past breakfast time,'''' Mu Shen chuckled.


    Li Shuang nced at the clock and realized that she forgot what time it was. They stayed in the bed till noon and after that¡­. He told her that they can shower together, to save water and stuff. And all those great talks ended up in another few rounds in the bathroom.


    And here she was, feeling dead exhausted, and there he was, standing in front of her, still as energetic as ever.


    As if he could read her mind, he smiled innocently, ''''Next time, I will be more careful,'''' he stroked her hair.


    Li Shuang had nothing to say. It''s not like she couldin about when she was moaning and begging for more. She liked it. She liked him.


    Mu Shen chuckled looking at her expressionless face. He knew he should have been gentle with her. But being with the woman he loved took a toll on his self-control. He could not help it at all.


    ''''I can make lunch,'''' Li Shuang pushed herself to her feet, ''''You have never tasted my food.''''


    ''''I tasted you. That counts too,'''' he ignored the look of disbelief on her face and held her hand before dragging her to the kitchen, ''''I will make the lunch. You sit here,'''' he carried her up in his arms before cing her on the kitchen counter.


    ''''Why am I sitting here if you are making the lunch?" Li Shuang grumbled.


    Mu Shen paused. He kissed her neck, ''''To motivate me with your beauty.''''


    Both of them ended upughing.


    Li Shuang''s phone beeped and as she checked the notification, her brows tugged together.


    Mu Shen, who was washing vegetables, paused, ''''Is everything alright?"


    ''''Before his resignation, Edward chose this actor to sign him up in thepany. I canceled most of the stuff he was dealing with except for a few important matters. Now, this actor''s manager is reaching out to my new secretary. She just texted me about it.''''


    ''''You can opt for not signing him if you don''t like the idea,'''' Mu Shen suggested while putting on the apron on his naked upper body.


    Li Shuang''s eyes roamed on his body. She gulped, ''''But the board of directors wants to add some veteran actors and this is necessary. I agree with them on this.''''


    ''''Take your time in deciding this.''''


    Li Shuang jumped off the kitchen counter, ''''What about you? Will you join thepany if I ask you to?'''' She had considered making this offer before but for some reason, Edward did not pick Mu Shen. The directors were kind of brainwashed and they told her that despite his fame, Mu Shen will be more of a trouble.


    Of course, Li Shuang was unconvinced by it. Mu Shen has bagged countless international awards since his debut 5 years ago. Despite his scandals and everything, his fanbase never staggered.


    Mu Shen paused. He ended upughing, ''''Are you going to manage me?"


    ''''I can,'''' Li Shuang frowned. Being a manager is not a tough job. She just needed to make a few tweaks to her schedule so that she can make time for him.


    ''''Having the CEO as my manager? Such a high-profile manager will end me in another pile of scandals. Don''t you think so?" Mu Shen shook his head.


    ''''It''s a golden opportunity. You should cling to it. Humph.''''


    Mu Shen did not say anything.


    Li Shuang nced at his quiet countenance.


    Later that night, Li Shuang walked to the terrace, holding a bottle of wine in her hand.


    She ced the wine on the coffee table and took a seat beside Mu Shen before pouring wine into both sses. She handed one to him.


    ''''Thank you,'''' Mu Shen grabbed the ss from her hand, ''''Is it my eyes or do you look especially more beautiful in the night?" he nted a kiss on her cheek.


    Li Shuang thought about it, ''''I was born beautiful,'''' she said after considering it.


    ''''I know right!'''' To him, the most attractive thing about a woman was when she knew her worth and Li Shuang was damn good at it, Mu Shen kissed her chin, ''''And adorable too.''''


    Li Shuang blinked. She pressed a finger on his chest, ''''Back off,'''' she pushed him away from her.


    ''''You didn''t say thatst night,'''' Mu Shen grumbled before taking a sip from the ss of wine.


    Li Shuang blushed.


    ''''Can I ask you something?" she asked after some time.


    ''''Go ahead.''''


    ''''Why do you hate entertainment agencies?" Li Shuang frowned. As an actor, he could have joined one for a smooth journey in his career but he didn''t.


    Since his debut, he never signed with any agency no matter how many of them tried to scout him.


    There was something about his expression earlier this day that she could not put a finger on but it bothered her.


    Mu Shen''s face darkened.


    Li Shuang''s brows tugged together. Did he not want to tell her about it?


    Before they could continue the discussion with him, her phone started ringing. She checked the caller ID. It was her new secretary.


    ''''Excuse me,'''' she pushed herself to her feet and took a few steps forward before talking to her.


    Mu Shen leaned back on his chair and he looked at her back. It was not that he did not want to tell her but he did not know how to. His past, his decisions, they made him miserable, and showing that side of himself to the woman he loved¡­ will that make him look pathetic? He did not know.

 Chapter 499: Healing from the past

    I don''t want to sign him and since I have already decided, I won''t change my mind no matter whose son he is or how famous her mother was. I have nothing to do with Kristen Marcil so just reject his manager,'''' Li Shuang hung up. She had nothing personal against this actor but she did not trust Edward anymore which led her to doubt all the decisions he made for thepany.


    ''''Did you say Kristen Marcil?"


    Li Shuang turned around to look at the man who had straightened up in his seat.


    ¡­


    ''''My mom started her career as an inte sensation and she met my Dad in the US where he went with my Grandpa for a business meeting. Dad fell in love with her at first sight and after he pursued her, she agreed to date him. Later, she fell in love with him but my grandfather was against their marriage.


    He did not think she could be a decent daughter-inw for the Mu family but my dad went against him. Grandfather had heart issues and one night he passed away in a cardiac arrest. Dad could not get over grandpa''s death and somewhere, he med himself for it. Mom apanied him throughout the period and 2 yearster they got married after she was pregnant with me¡­''''


    ''''My mom always wanted to be an actress but she came from an average family in America. Dad believed that she had the talent for it. He introduced her to his friend, the CEO of a top-tier international entertainment agency. By the time I was 7, Kristen Marcil was a name that everyone knew of. And when I was a teenager, she was already an academy-award-winning actress.


    Just like her, I wanted to act too since I was a kid. I looked up to her and wanted to be like her but she was always against it.''''


    Li Shuang did not know anything about his identity but she had no idea that his family background was special.


    From what he spoke about the ''Mu'' family, Li Shuang concluded that he was talking about the Mu Family in Amaranthine who has been on the Forbes list for over decades.


    The reason she concluded that was because first of all, it would exin how he got to know Jun Zixuan, and secondly, his grandfather did not ept his mother because of her status and it meant that their family had an extraordinary status.


    And if her memory served her right, then her grandfather had mentioned the Mu Family to her quite a few times when she was young. Just like the Han Family and Jun Family were close and Han Jingyi was betrothed to Jun Zixuan.


    Simrly, the Yus and Mus were close as well and her grandfather and Mu Shen''s grandfather were good friends. The same went for their fathers.


    Li Shuang''s lips twitched. God forbid she needed almonds because her memory was failing her but¡­ why did the term ''betrothal'' shed in her mind?


    Before she could speak to him about it, he continued.


    ''''That year, I was 17 years old. I returned to the main mansion after 6 months during summer vacation. I wanted to surprise my mom so instead of informing her, I asked Zixuan to let his driver drop me at our ce. Dad was out on some business trip and I could not find my mom or any servants in the house. In the end, I walked to my room only to hear some noises from inside. I was hesitant.


    I thought some thief has broke inside the mansion so I grabbed the nearby flower vase but when I heard my mom''s voice, I was stunned. The door was left half ajar and as I peeked, I found my mom having sex with my father''s friend¡­ on my bed¡­''''


    Li Shuang, who was quiet till this point, interrupted him, ''''You don''t need to talk about it,'''' she was shocked.


    As he said, Kristen Marcil was a famous name that probably everyone has heard of. She was the most popr academy-award-winning actress who passed away two years ago.


    But one could have never known that she was hiding such secrets behind her. To the world, she only had one son and that was the son of the CEO of the American entertainment agency whom she married after years of debuting from hispany.


    But it turns out that their son was the product of infidelity.


    Then what about Mu Shen? Li Shuang''s lips thinned. Wasn''t he her blood as well? Why did she have to hide one son while giving her name to the other? How was it justified?


    Mu Shen grabbed her hand and pulled her onto hisp, ''''Didn''t you want to know? Now that I am telling you, why are you asking me to stop?''''


    ''''It''s okay,'''' Although she wanted to know but she did not want him to be sad.


    Mu Shen chuckled, ''''Are you worried about me?"


    As straightforward as she was, Li Shuang nodded honestly.


    Mu Shen bit her cheeks, ''''I am fine.''''


    ''''So¡­ did you tell your dad about it?" Li Shuang asked him after a brief moment of hesitation.


    ''''No, I was scared that my family would break apart so I kept it a secret. Even my mom did not know that I had witnessed it. I went outside and rang the doorbell and both of them came all dressed, pretending to discuss work. It went on for a few months and my parents never fought so I was relieved. I thought everything was fine and I made the right decision.


    That was until my mom confessed to my dad about everything, she told him that she was just attracted to him because back then she was poor and did not see much of the world. She was attracted to his money, his looks, and his family background but she never loved him.


    She confessed that she had been cheating on him for over a decade and she could not carry on anymore because she had secretly given birth to that man''s child years ago and now that he was growing up, she wanted to be there for him.''''


    Li Shuang''s eyes pricked as she nced at his calm face. He seemed like a lost kid as he spoke about how broken and messed up his family was. About how sad his childhood was.


    She wanted to be there for her other son but then what about Mu Shen?!


    ''''My dad divorced her and she found her happily ever after with that man. With my dad and me, she never revealed her rtionship status to the public but after marrying him and having his child, she announced it to the whole world. Dad went into depression and as for me, I med myself. My dad spent more and more time at work and I permanently moved to the dorms.


    My mom tried to stay in touch with me, she showed concern at times and I believed she would eventuallye back. When I could not convince her with words, I started rebelling. I did everything she did not want me to do and she would pay me visits. I believed it was working¡­ Remember the truth and dare game where I mentioned that I lost my virginity at 18?"


    Li Shuang nodded quietly.


    ''''I love you,'''' his words calmed down the slight jealousy that was pawing her heart. It was not like she expected him to have no past or anything. She was never this childish.


    Even when she was with Zhu Boqin, she did not care which woman he was with before her. She disliked disloyalty but that did not mean she was jealous.


    When it came to Mu Shen, it came naturally. And now that she was listening about his past, she wondered why she was not there in his life earlier.


    He kissed her neck, cing his chin on her shoulder de, ''''That girl was the daughter of one of my mom''s friends. She was two years older than me and it was a one-night stand. Later, she wanted me to date her but I rejected her. First, I was not interested in dating nor did I like her and secondly, I knew that news would reach my mom soon. It did. And she came to me the next day.


    I was pped and when I told her that I would join the entertainment industry, she warned me to not do it... but I did exactly that.''''


    ''''You love your work, right?'''' She has seen his movies and it was pretty apparent how much he loved his work given the efforts he put into it.


    ''''I do,'''' he sighed, ''''But at that moment, all I wanted was her attention. Scandals and everything she hated, I got myself involved in it. But over time, I realized that she was never going toe back to us and I hated her with everything I had every time I saw my father in that condition. I begged her toe back but she never paid attention to me. And then my father met his current wife.


    She has been more of a mother to me but I never paid attention to her initially. Later on, my father got better and they are happy together now. I am happy for them.''''


    ''''Did you ept her now?"


    ''''Yes,'''' Mu Shen smiled at the thought of her, ''''All this time while I was trying to gain my biological mother''s attention, I did not realize that I was ruining my life in the process, disappointing my dad, mom, friends, fans¡­ people who really care for me,'''' There were times when Shi Luo and Jun Zixuan tried to talk to him, his father and step-mother also did but he never really opened up about it to anyone.


    He did not tell anyone that he witnessed them having sex. Li Shuang was the first person who knew this and maybe she was going to be thest one.


    ''''Hmm, I don''t really think so,'''' Li Shuang turned around and hugged him, nuzzling her nose in his neck, ''''People who love you won''t be disappointed with you. They might be worried or concerned or sad but not disappointed. Your family and friends know how much you care for them. Your fans know how much hard work and effort you have put to be where you are today.


    Your past makes you the person you are today.''''


    Mu Shen smiled, ''''Are you consoling me now?"


    Li Shuang frowned before kissing the corner of his lips, ''''I would have done this if I was nning to console you.''''


    His smile grew wider, ''''Then¡­?"


    ''''What then? I really mean it,'''' she straightened up on hisp, ''''Imagine if you ended up depressed back then¡­'''' Like which teenager would not be depressed or have anxiety issues after witnessing his mother cheating on his father, ''''If instead of being rebellious and stubborn, you ended up retreating inside a shell then it would have been difficult for you to reach where you are today.


    Your willfulness acted like a catalyst and you made it here without giving up. I''m not saying it is okay but you eventually snapped out of it, you realized what you did wrong so it makes everything fine.''''


    He healed from that terrible past. That''s all that matters.


    He nced at her.


    ''''If I was in your ce, I might have done the same, not wanting a broken family. But after that, maybe I would not have been courageous enough to step up. Maybe I would have gone somewhere to hide myself from the world to drown in my sorrows. So, don''t me yourself for what adults did,'''' she smiled at him, ''''I don''t want you to be burdened by the past.''''


    ''''To tell you the truth¡­'''' he leaned closer to her and pressed his forehead against hers, ''''I let go of the past the day I chased after you. Initially, I was worried to I''d end up like her. I didn''t want to hurt you knowingly or unknowingly but then when you were leaving, I realized how much I love you. And how wrong it is for me to live in her shadow, believing that I will be like her.''''


    She smiled, ''''And I am d that you chased after me.''''


    ''''We¡­'''' Mu Shen blinked.


    "Hmm?"


    ''''Can we continue this discussion in the bedroom?"


    "_"


    The next morning.


    ''''Exactly, what were you thinking?'''' Li Shuang rolled on the bed, pulling the nkets to cover her body as she nced at the 100cm long box of condoms near themp.


    ''''It''s a hassle going there again and again,'''' Mu Shen wrapped an arm around her waist before pulling her into his arms.


    She felt his hardness stroking the back of her thighs.


    Li Shuang turned around and bit his chest, ''''I am sore.''''


    ''''I know. I will help you soak in warm water,'''' Looking at her pleading face, he raised an eyebrow, ''''What? Did you think we were going for another round? Look at your dirty mind¡­''''


    ''''You¡­'''' her lips thinned, ''''I assumed that because you were hard.''''


    ''''That''s a natural reaction around you,'''' she could be at a 10m distance and he would still be hard.


    Both of them ended upughing.


    ''''Ah Shuang¡­''''


    ''''Hmm?" she looked at his face.


    ''''I am willing to join yourpany,'''' he whispered.


    Her face lit up, ''''I will be your manager,'''' Before he could say something, she continued, ''''I know you already have one and you can keep him. I won''t have enough time to deal with everything but I still want you as my artist. I will look over in the majority of matters.''''


    ''''So, having you as my manager¡­ don''t you think that''s quite high profile?" he teased.


    ''''Are you scared?" she raised n eyebrow.


    ''''Of course not, love,'''' he kissed her lips.


    To Li Shuang, nothing has ever felt so right in her whole life.


    She had spent years looking after Zhu Boqin, ensuring that their rtionship is perfect but she barely felt any excitement, any thrill, any love or romance, or even calmness.


    Her whole rtionship with him was chaotic and tense and in the end, he left her with a deep sense of betrayal seeping into her heart.


    With Mu Shen, it has barely been around a year since they know each other but had minimal interactions, a month since they started living next to each other, and two days since they got into a rtionship, but she felt like she knew him for who knows how long. She had never felt so treasured, safe and so loved.


    Somehow she could understand now why people said that time has got nothing to do with love. You can be in a rtionship for years and feel nothing but you know someone for a brief period and you live through a whole rollercoaster of feelings. Such a twisted concept it is!


    To Mu Shen, Li Shuang was off-limits. He never thought there would be a day they would end up together. Not like this. But now that they were here, there was no way he would ever let her go.


    ''''Do you know that our parents and grandparents were close?" Li Shuang asked out of nowhere.


    ''''They were?" Mu Shen asked, stunned.


    ''''Yes.''''


    Mu Shen frowned. He had no idea about that because he was barely there at home. And his grandparents passed away before he was born, then after that, he was more close to his biological mother than his father.


    ''''When I was young, I remember grandpa once mentioned that he and his friend once discussed about getting their children married but my Aunt¡­. Yu Mei''s mom had someone she loved and your father also married another person so, in the end, they decided to get us¡­ cough.. get their grandchildren married if one had a boy and other a girl.''''


    Mu Shen blinked, unable to digest the information.


    Sheughed, looking at his expression, ''''I''m certain because I don''t think there is any other famous Mu Family in Amaranthine, and of course, I remember your father once visited my grandpa in the Yu Mansion. I was around 11 years old at that time.


    You inherited this hair color from him, didn''t you?" she raked her fingers through his auburn hair, inwardly feeling d that she had a near-perfect memory.


    Mu Shen exhaled a breath, ''''So, it is really true. Betrothal huh?" he shook his head in disbelief.


    ''''You don''t look too happy?"


    ''''Who said that?" he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his body, ''''I was just wondering if we should go and get registered already. Don''t you think these are signs for us to get married and stay together forever?"


    ''''On the contrary, I think I should put you on some trial period,'''' she ced her cheek on his chest, ''''I still haven''t gotten over your rejection.''''


    Mu Shen kissed her hair, guilt apparent on his face,'''' I was being a jerk.''''


    ''''And an idiot too.''''


    ''''Yes. ''''


    She looked at him before kissing her chin.


    Right at this moment, both their phones beeped.


    Li Shuang rolled off his body and grabbed her phone from the bedside table while Mu Shen checked his.


    Her eyes widened, ''''How did I not know anything about this?!" she whispered.


    Mu Shen nced at her and the expression on her face made him curious, ''''What''s that?"


    ''''Check your phone,'''' Li Shuang whispered without taking her gaze off her phone.


    Mu Shen checked it and his lips parted slightly. It was a marriage invitation. Han Jian Yu and Mia were getting married tomorrow and that too in the royal castle of Amaranthine. The castle used to be the ce where the Amaranthine royalty, as in the ancestors of the Jun Family lived.


    The ce was situated at quite some distance from Jun Manor and even the members of the Jun Family were not allowed in that ce.


    But it looks like Han Jian Yu chose that exclusive ce for his wedding ns.


    While Mu Shen did not understand the reason, Li Shuang did. Jun Boyan and Mu Shen had no idea about Mia''s identity but she knew it. And from what she could decipher, Han Jian Yu has organized this fairytale wedding for Mia to make her feel like the princess that she always was.


    The corner of her lips tugged up, ''''I am happy for them.''''


    ''''We can make them happy for us too,'''' Mu Shen inched closer to her, ''''By getting married.''''


    ''''We will think about that,'''' she ced her head on hisp, ''''You need to meet my Grandpa first then coax me for marriage.''''


    Mu Shen got nervous at the thought of meeting her grandpa, ''''I can coax you first, what do you say?" He bit the tip of her nose.


    ''''That works too,'''' she puckered her lips.


    He kissed her twice, ''''I love you,'''' so much that I wonder what I would have done without you?


    She smiled, ''''I love you too.''''


    ...


    A/N: 1 more chapter to go *sniffs*


    Anyways, my dear readers, I have this new book ''The Siren''s Vengeance''. Do check it out and see if you like the synopsis. Let''s stay in touch after this book ends ;) Love you all and thank you for your constant support! <3

 Chapter 500: The End

    9 yearster.


    Ren Mansion.


    ''''Brother, I confessed to my crush about my feelings and he won''t talk to me anymore,'''' the little girl pressed her hand dramatically on her chest as if she was hurt by her crush''s indifference.


    Not getting a reply from her brother, she peeked at him through her longshes, her hazel eyes were full of fat tears.


    The boy had his focus on the magazine in his hands, his silver hair fell on his brows.


    As he raised his head, his hair fell to the side, revealing a pair of ebony eyes, ''''That indicates that he is not the one for you,'''' the 8-year old pulled his little sister towards him and made him sit beside her, ''''I tell you, Xiao Yue, I have seen that guy chit-chatting with other girls.''''


    Han Liuyue sniffed, ''''Really?"


    ''''Of course,'''' Jun Zehan shed a convincing dimpled smile at her, ''''Have you seen this new dollhouse that I got for you? And I have brought a pair of crystal shoes as well.''''


    ''''You did what?" The girl who was grieving over the loss of her first crush bolted up from the couch, her non-existent tears disappeared entirely.


    As he pointed his chin upstairs, she dashed towards the staircase without looking back.


    ''''Be careful,'''' As soon as she was out of his sight, Jun Zehan leaned back on the couch, ''''These guys must be sick of their lives¡­ seducing my little sister when she just changed schools. Did they think they have it easy?" The corner of his lips tugged up in a foxy smirk.


    If Han Liuyue was here, she would have found this smile awfully simr to her mother''s smile whenever she was up to something chaotic.


    ''''Young Master,'''' Steward Gu walked towards Jun Zehan, ''''They are here,'''' he bowed.


    ''''Escort them inside,'''' Jun Zehan smiled at the man but something¡­ especially someone caught his attention. It was the girl hiding behind Steward Gu''s back, ''''You¡­ Come out.''''


    ''''Go ahead, Ste. y with young Master. I will be back soon,'''' Steward Gu stepped to the side, revealing the girl who had short red hair and beautiful big eyes.


    She was his precious daughter. Now that Steward Gu looked at her, he found it quite funny how he thought he never wanted to get married or have a family.


    But from the very beginning, Yu Mei told him that she will find him a wife. He never took it seriously though.


    During thest few months of her pregnancy and till Jun Zehan was 6 months old, Yu Mei stayed mostly at home and Jun Zixuan also stopped going to thepany given the wife-doting husband that he was. He wanted to stay beside her and help her with everything so that she would not tire herself out from taking care of their son.


    Both of them worked from home and hence, the she-devil had the leisure to stick to her words. iming to be bored by the sight of him hovering around her all the time, she started setting him up for blind dates.


    But being the persistent person that he was, he rejected all thedies politely. And being the stubborn person that she was, Yu Mei kept doing it until he met his 31st blind date.


    The woman who initiated the rejection when he, on the contrary, found her interesting and wanted to know her more.


    The blind date did not end well but coincidentally, they met again in the supermarket.


    Things spiraled and they exchanged contacts and continued meeting, eventually falling in love.


    They got married and had Ste.


    It was like a strange game of fate.


    Now that he looked back, he was d that he went to all those tiresome blind dates diligently.


    When Steward Gu turned around and left, Jun Zehan looked at the little girl, ''''Is it necessary to hide from me all the time?" He never understood why Steward Gu''s daughter avoided him like a virus.


    He did not really care but be it the aunties, or girls in his school, they usually hovered around him like bees so Ste''s attitude was rather bizarrepared to them.


    The girl quietly took a seat.


    Jun Zehan rolled his eyes.


    ''''Baby Hanhan~''''


    Jun Zehan''s lips twitched and Ste giggled, although she hid it quickly but he heard it anyway.


    ''''That''s embarrassing, Aunt,'''' Jun Zehan mumbled but Shi Luo did not pay him any attention as she came to her knees before smothering his face with wet kisses, ''''Where is your Uncle?"


    ''''Did you look for me, babe?" Jun Boyan removed his apron and walked towards her before cing a gentle peck on her lips.


    Jun Zehan ced his palm on Ste''s eyes and he rolled his eyes looking at their public disy of affection. It went on 24X7.


    If it was not this pair of uncle and aunt then there were other pairs, including his mom and dad.


    Their house was just a love nest at times and they, the kids were unwanted stray birds stuck between these love birds.


    Shi Luo gulped as she looked at him. Sleeves folded, messy hair, a perfect dimpled signature smile that every Jun man had... He was just stunning, wasn''t he?


    9 years have passed and she could not believe how in love they still were. It was as if they fell in love just yesterday.


    Jun Boyan smiled before pecking her lips again, "You look silly and so in love with me..." He whispered beside her ear.


    ''''Where is Shuang Jie?" Another voice was heard from the kitchen.


    ''''Ah Jin, shouldn''t you greet me first?" Shi Luo frowned as she looked at the man who was in his early 20s.


    ''''Did you look for me? You looked for your husband first. What about the matchmaker? If I didn''t pull back that day and you both didn''t kiss each other identally, you would have moved at snail''s pace,'''' Yu Jinhai crossed his arms in front of his chest and pointed his chin at their intimate position, "And this would not have happened so easily."


    Shi Luo rolled her eyes, ''''Just look at you being so petty¡­'''' she ended upughing. She could not quite believe that he was the same little boy who used to hover around them, crying at the smallest things.


    Back when Yu Jinhai was a teenager, he was so small for his agepared to the other kids but now that he stood in front of her, all tall and well-built, Shi Luo couldn''t help but smile.


    Yu Jinhai stuck his tongue out at her before going back to the kitchen.


    ''''Where is Minsheng?" Jun Zehan asked, picking up the magazine.


    ''''He ising over with Ah Shuang and Mu Shen and¡­''''


    ''''Mom!"


    Shi Luo turned around to nce at the entrance. ''''Here you are,'''' she smiled at her son, Jun Minsheng.


    Shi Luo walked towards them. She patted Jun Minsheng''s head before hugging Li Shuang and Mu Shen.


    Her gaze then shifted to the pair of twins who barely reached above Mu Shen''s knees. One was a girl and the other was a boy.


    That year, after Han Jian Yu''s and Mia''s grand wedding, nobody expected another surprise¡­ no, more specifically a bomb to drop on them when Mu Shen publically announced and let his fans know that he was getting married. Of course, the identity of the bride was secret to his fans, and also to them.


    And when they got the invitation with Li Shuang''s name on it, all their faces were worth watching.


    That was because, initially, none of them took his wedding announcement seriously. They assumed it was some weird promotion for any movie or something like that.


    Shi Luo already expected that Mu Shen was interested in Li Shuang from the very beginning and she even told Yu Mei about it many times but thetter had always shrugged it off as a joke.


    What Shi Luo did not seeing was the marriage. She taunted Yu Mei for being short-sighted for 3-4 months and Yu Mei was left speechless because she truly didn''t see thising.


    But then... Shi Luo threw another jab at her. Her usual punchline.


    ''How could you see theming? You didn''t even see yourselfing with Zixuan,'' Her words contained double meaning and Yu Mei choked on air, ''What did you say? We are just friends? Look at you now! Just what kind of friends are you?''


    Mu Shen and Li Shuang had an intimate wedding and it was only after Li Shuang''s position was stabilized in thepany did they announce their rtionship to the public 2 yearster.


    And soon after Li Shuang gave birth to a pair of twins.


    The twins were closest to Han Jian Yu''s and Mia''s daughter, Han Liuyue, and as soon as they reached, they started looking for her.


    ''''She is ying upstairs with her dollhouse,'''' Jun Zehan said before he nced at Ste who was looking at him with sparkling eyes. He turned to look at Steward Gu, ''''Can you please escort the three of them upstairs?"


    Steward Gu smiled before he took the twins and Ste with him.


    Jun Minsheng came to sit beside Jun Zehan, ''''Brother, why don''t I see the birthday girl anywhere?''''


    ''''Nor do I see the birthday girl''s husband,'''' Li Shuang said, walking towards them.


    Meanwhile the birthday girl:


    ''''Baby, smile~" Mia clicked another picture of Han Jian Yu as he posed near the wall in that teacher''s costume.


    Han Jian Yu''s lips twitched when he watched her looking back and forth between the pilot''s unfirm and the military uniform.


    ''''Hmm? Which one would you like to try next?" Mia sighed, her fingers fiddling with her long silver hair.


    ''''I''d try you,'''' Han Jian Yu strode towards her and threw those uniforms aside before wrapping both his arms around her waist.


    Mia gasped, ''''This was supposed to be my birthday gift.''''


    ''''You have already dressed me up in countless outfits, from a stripper to a doctor, I have done enough role y already," Han Jian Yu pressed his forehead against hers, ''''Shouldn''t you ept the real birthday gift now?"


    ''''Real birthday gift?" Mia raised an eyebrow.


    That innocent fa?ade. Han Jian Yu scoffed. She understood every single insinuation in his words but she had to act like she didn''t, ''''Me. I am your real birthday gift. Don''t you think so?'''' With that said, he carried her up in his arms before walking towards the Master bedroom without giving her a chance to speak.


    Mia did not have anyints though.


    After living almost a decade as a human, Mia was starting to lose memories of her past lives. Neither she could remember what their kingdom looked like nor her parents'' appearance. In a way, it made her sad, and sometimes she missed her powers.


    But living life as an ordinary human was a dream that she thought would never be fulfilled so she never regretted anything.


    When she told Han Jian Yu about her fading memories, he asked her about her birthday. Before that, he never asked her about it because she once told him that her birthday used to be the happiest asion in their kingdom and her parents used to spend the whole day with her, leaving their work aside.


    He never brought up her birthday because he knew that she had memories attached to it that might make her sad. She was touched by his consideration. It was not until this year that they finally discussed it and she told him about it to which he hugged her and said that they are celebrating it this year.


    She could never bring herself to say ''no'' to this man. He filled her life with all the love and care, gently caressing the scars that she had received in her past lives.


    He made her forget all the torments that she went through.


    He had her whole heart.


    ''''Ah! Jian Yu, we will bete for sure. Have you ever heard of a birthday girl beingte to her own birthday party?" Mia hugged him as he pinned her against the wall before raising her skirt, ''''I can already imagine Zehan''s brooding face and your daughter will ask what we were up to.''''


    ''''We can handle them. Zehan is mature and Xiao Yue is considerate,'''' Their daughter was named after her. He chose her old name for their baby when he saw that it was a girl.


    He said that their daughter, Han Liuyue will have the life that she could never have as ''Xiao Liuyue''.


    Han Jian Yu unbuckled his belt and discarded his pants with one hand before entering inside her, ''''Moreover, don''t you dare act like you don''t want me,'''' he kissed her neck and tilted his head to look at her.


    The corner of her lips tugged up in a seductive smile and he hardened further as if it was even possible.


    She hooked her hands around his neck, ''''I dare not, Your Highness,'''' she captured his lips.


    ¡­


    ''''The birthday girl called me earlier saying that she wants to admire her husband''s pretty face in somendscape first,'''' Jun Zehan shrugged.


    Li Shuang''s lips twitched.


    ''''Baby, why don''t we go somewhere? I also want to admire your beauty," Mu Shen whispered to Li Shuang.


    Years ago, during their first time, Li Shuang had told him that she had no experience and he had promised that he will give her plenty of it.


    Mu Shen stuck to that promise.


    Li Shuang elbowed him, spotting the double meaning in his words.


    Although the kids could not hear what he said but Shi Luo who was standing right behind them heard everything.


    ''''Cringe,'''' she made a face at Mu Shen who stuck his tongue out at her. It was as if Mia''s dramatic self was not enough for them but Mu Shen also turned like her after falling in love.


    Haish, she missed Jun Boyan already. She turned around to walk towards the kitchen.


    ''''What about Zixuan and Mei?"


    ''''They are in Amaranthine, out for some business trip. Mei said that they will be back before night,'''' Shi Luo answered before running to her husband.


    ''''Mom and Dad are not out on some business trip,'''' Jun Zehan raised an eyebrow, ''''It''s their 617th honeymoon.''''


    Shi Luo, who was on her way to the kitchen, almost tripped.


    Everyone: "_"


    ¡­


    ''''Ah¡­ Why is it so difficult climbing here now? I used to be good at it,'''' Yu Mei pursed her lips as she stepped on the branch near her leg.


    Jun Zixuan grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, ''''I guess the tree got taller,'''' he said.


    She rolled her eyes, ''''Or you can just say that I have gained weight,'''' she adjusted her high ponytail, pushing it behind her shoulder, revealing her halter neck top.


    ''''I find you sexier,'''' he whispered beside her ear before biting her earlobe.


    The tips of her ears turned red. After giving birth to Jun Zehan, she gained weight. Her PCOS made it tough for her to lose weight but she kept up with her workout and Jun Zixuan handled her diet which helped her lose weight efficiently.


    Even then, she was a little curvier than before.


    Unaware of her thoughts, Jun Zixuan eyed her from head to toe, ''''Why did you have to wear it?'''' he said, looking at the halter neck top which was paired with jeans. Did she know how charming she looked? He had to block the views of those sophomores too.


    ''''What''s wrong with this?" she looked at herself.


    ''''It attracts flies,'''' They were in the Crystal University Campus, sitting on the tree where they first met and she asked him to not take the car inside to not attract attention.


    And walking all the way here, she was talking about all sorts of things, unaware of the attention she attracted.


    Jun Zixuan removed his ck leather jacket before draping it over her. He pulled her into his arms, ''''You will never know how much I want to hide you from the world.''''


    Yu Mei peeked at him through hershes. He was wearing a ck T-shirt that clung to his body, highlighting his perfect muscles, ''''Do you think I didn''t see the girls drooling over you?" He was 32 now, hotter than before, and sigh¡­ she could not get enough of him despite them being married for almost a decade, let alone the girls who were trying to do him with their eyes.


    ''''So, what do you suggest?" he bit her bottom lips.


    ''''Let''s hide each other,'''' Yu Mei suggested but soon after, she scrunched her nose, ''''That sounded toxic.''''


    Jun Zixuanughed.


    Yu Mei punched his chest.


    He grabbed her fist before kissing her knuckles.


    They were here for work but then they decided to stay over for some time. And today, she suggested him they should go to meet his parents.


    Jun Boyan and Shen Lihua forgave Jun Zishen and so did Jun Zixuan but his rtionship with his father was never mendedpletely. Everything was normal and Jun Zixuan''s temper did not re up around his father like it used to happen years ago but the scars that he had received in his childhood... the abuse he suffered in that house.


    Yu Mei knew that although the scars had faded, they were still there and somewhere in his subconscious, he refused to forget how his father was weak that time. He should have stood up for them but he didn''t. The adult Jun Zixuan might have forgiven his father but somewhere, the young boy didn''t.


    Initially, Yu Mei was ufortable with this observation of hers but then she realized that all of them have some scars.


    She also had a scar... named Han Jingyi. The woman was dead but she would still sometimes have nightmares and she would wake up in the middle of the night, calling Shi Luo in the middle of the night, asking her if she was fine or she checking if Jun Zehan was safely sleeping in his room.


    Jun Zixuan would gently hug her and kiss her, calming her by saying that it was all over.


    Eventually, she realized she should do the same. She should kiss his scars the same way he kissed her. She should shower him with so much love that it would rece the hate he grew up in.


    And then, there was no looking back.


    After Shen Lihua and Jun Zishen got together, they had a confrontation with Old Master Jun and Old Madam Jun. While Shen Lihua assumed they were there to drive a wedge between them, contrary to their assumptions, both of them apologized to her and their son.


    Old Madam Jun even apologized to Yu Mei.


    Shen Lihua never got over the scars that she had received in that house but still, she did not hold any grudges. She moved into Jun Manor with Jun Zishen.


    Jun Zixuan never talked with Old Master Jun and Old Madam Jun and Yu Mei did not want to see their faces at all. She hated those two oldies with a passion, no matter how much time has passed.


    If not for them, the little Zixuan would never have suffered.


    Yes, she was a petty woman who held grudges!


    ''''We should better go back before night. I can imagine my baby''s re on us,'''' Yu Mei shrugged off her distant thoughts.


    Jun Zixuan pulled her into his arms.


    ''''Zixuan¡­''''


    ''''Mmm?"


    ''''I never thought I will wake up as your wife one day,'''' she sighed at the thought of it, ''''Neither did I think I will marry you willingly after that.''''


    ''''And I never thought that I would barge inside the girls'' dormitory for someone.''''


    Both of them ended upughing at that.


    ''''Thank you...'''' When he raised an eyebrow, she continued, ''''For tolerating my disastrous cooking with that signature smile of yours, and for kissing me through all my tantrums and mood swings episodes. I know I have been handful...''''


    ''''And you have been mine...'''' he interrupted her, ''''Given a chance, I''d go back in time to start it all over again. I''ll happily suffer all that angst and pain if it meant for both of us to end up together forever.''''


    ''''Like right now?" she smiled when he nodded.


    ''''To tell you the truth, back then, I also loved you. It was never only just friendship between us,'''' When she was young, she always thought of him as a friend before she fell in love with him.


    But now after a decade, whenever she looked back to those days, she realized that Jun Zixuan was anything but a friend back in the university days.


    The pain, the disappointment, the sadness that she lived through when he disappeared from her life¡­ there was a sense of betrayal in it.


    She wanted him to reach out to her maybe after weeks or after months or years. But he never came and she was left heartbroken which she always disguised under an ''I don''t care'' fa?ade.


    Then waking up in the Ren Mansion, and falling for him all over again... It was not included in her ns but she was d that it happened.


    She was d that he happened to her.


    ''''To tell you the truth,'''' Jun Zixuan cupped her face, ''''¡­The happiest day for me was when I realized that the woman I love is none other than my first love, the one I hid from the entire world¡­ My secret crush,'''' he leaned closer to her before capturing her lips.


    She smiled against his lips, ''''I hate you,'''' she whispered when their lips parted.


    Heughed, panting softly as he pressed his forehead against her, ''''I hate you more,'''' he kissed the tip of her nose.


    Only they knew what it meant for them to hate each other.


    The end.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!