The man was silent for a while before a smile slowly spread on his face, making him look devillishly seductive, it was a shame that the curtains made out of miniature jade beads partially obscured him.
"This One only wanted to make the acquaintance of the esteemed young miss of the Cong family. This One has heard a lot of things about you and you have honestly piqued my interest."
"Hmm? Is that so? This Young Miss is very flattered that Lord Owner would think so highly of me." Fan Zhu Xia replied with a charming laugh which trailed off when she saw the silhouette of the man stand up from the sofa and with a flick of his hand, a small trace of qi formed a gentle wave and parted the curtains as he walked through them to stand in front of her with smooth, elegant movements.
Seeing him come nearer, a strong sense of familiarity struck Fan Zhu Xia especially when she raised her gaze to meet his, she was amazed when his heartstopping countenance entered her eyes, with a strong chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, straight nose and surprisingly luscious-looking lips that contrasted with his sharp features yet it oddly suited him perfectly. Letting her eyes travel up, Fan Zhu Xia couldn't help but suck in a breath when their eyes collided and she saw his deep, fathomless yet magnetic amber gold eyes that was studying her with a complex look hidden behind an intricately carved mask that covered the upper half of his face, making Fan Zhu Xia feel somewhat overwhelmed.
Looking at the stunned Fan Zhu Xia who was quietly staring at him for several minutes already, the masked young man's lips tilted upwards to form an amused smirk as he looked at Fan Zhu Xia's adorable dazed expression.
"Is there something on this One's face?" he playfully drawled. His deep, husky voice sounded amazingly alluring yet it made Fan Zhu Xia realize that she had been staring unabashedly for quite some time and the realization made her blush with embarassment as her jade-white skin flushed to a beautiful vibrant red, as if blooming red roses amidst pristine snow.
The mere sight of her was incomparably enchanting, and seeing her in such a flustered state surprised yet delighted him, making his smile even more evident which in turn, flusters Fan Zhu Xia even more.
Who told the heavens to make this man so damn alluring?!
Each time he smiles and looks at her with those unfathomable eyes, Fan Zhu Xia's mind seems to take a hit and she just couldn't gather her composure in time, even making her stutter once she tried to reply!
"N-Nothing... Nothing at all! It was just that this Young Miss was just surprised is all! This miss never expected for the Lord Owner to be so young."
"Is that a problem?" the man queried while raising one of his sword-like brows in question.
"Of course not! This miss thinks it's great!" Fan Zhu Xia blurted out, then as if realizing what she said, she blushed a deeper shade of red, with even the tips of her ears which peeked out from underneath her hair was also a cute adorable shade of pink.
"Great? How so?" the man asked with a laugh, moving a step closer, making Fan Zhu Xia's breath hitch and throat dry as she smelled his distinctive smell as a man which was earthy and elegant at the same time. Like sandalwood with a hint of musk and herbs.
It was a scent that made Fan Zhu Xia's brows unconsciously furrow because it was unbelievably familliar, yet for the life of her, she just couldn't remember where she smelled it before.
Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't the only one affected by their close proximity. Even the masked man felt his control and composure waver the moment he stepped close. He could almost feel the body heat she exudes and her tantalizing scent of florals and medicinal herbs that always haunted his dreams remained the same that it took everything he had in him to take a step back before he lifted a hand and offered it to her.
Seeing his gesture, Fan Zhu Xia couldn't help but look at him questioningly to which the man chuckled as he answered her unvoiced question.
"Come, let me show you something."
Feeling shy all of a sudden, Fan Zhu Xia felt her already warm cheeks grow a tad bit hotter before she took a calming breath and composed herself while placing her small hand in his.
The moment she did that, his larger hand closed around hers while giving it a soft squeeze before pulling her along gently as he led her way to the back of the room, directly opposite the glass wall where a tall exquisite painting with a width of at least three people that portrayed a beautiful scene of lush verdant mountains and trees where coiling dragons could be seen rising while blazing phoenixes flew and dance about, looking particularly enchanting.
"It's beautiful!" Fan Zhu Xia exclaimed as she admired the painting.
Hearing her praise, the masked man couldn't help but smile as he replied, "Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I'll paint a smaller one then have Ho You send it over."
Surprised, Fan Zhu Xia's eyes widened as quickly faced him and excitedly asked, "Lord Owner painted this?"
"En."
Happiness spread all over her face before she nodded repeatedly while smiling, turning her eyes into charming crescents.
"Thank you so much, Lord Owner!"
"It's nothing. Just tell me if you need anything else."
Confused about the meaning and implication behind his words, Fan Zhu Xia had just opened her mouth to ask when he suddenly spoke and said, "Come on, this is not really what I wanted to show you."
With another gentle tug, Fan Zhu Xia fell silent as the masked man waved his hand towards the painting and a stream of qi flooded it before a soft yet audible click sounded as the painting shimmered slightly before it parted itself in the middle and swung open, revealing a hidden office inside to which the masked man pulled her in to before leading her to sit in one of the chairs in front of the huge desk.
"Sit here for a bit. This One will just get something."
Sitting down, Fan Zhu Xia studied the room she was in and noticed that almost all the furnishings were made of rare and high-quality materials ranging from Spirit Wood to Blood Jade which is a type of jade, imbued with concentrated spiritual energies that naturally convalesced to form the jade after the stone and it's surrounding grounds within at least five meters has been soaked with blood of countless high-levelled spirit beasts.
Just judging from the materials used in the room, Fan Zhu Xia could already tell that this room's value is already immeasurable.
Appearing beside her, the masked man placed two small jade chests and said, "Please accept this. One contains the Golden Crystal Spirit Fruit and the other is another rare herb that this One has personally come across with during my travels. Consider this as a token of good will."
Seeing her hesitate, the man pushed the two chests into her arms decisively, while giving her a insistent and determined look.
"B-But this is too much! This Young Miss can't possibly take advantage of the Lord Owner."
Smiling, the man just shook his head before gesturing for her to leave.
"Please, Young Miss is not taking advantage of this One. As I mentioned earlier, if you need anything, you only need ask. Now of you go." the masked man reiterated before waving her off.
"But-"
"No buts. It was I who insisted so there is no need to think otherwise, after all, this One still has your favor to claim."
Seeing her reluctant to leave, the man strode over and wrapped an arm over her shoulders, surprising her which made it easier for him to lead her out of the hidden office and nearer to the room's exit abd left with no choice, Fan Zhu Xia then nodded resignedly and said, "Then should Lord Owner need any help, please do let this Young Miss know."
"Of course."
Just as Fan Zhu Xia was about to leave the room, she stopped and let the hand that held on to the door fall before she turned back and tentatively asked, "Before this Young Miss goes, may I ask if I may know the Lord Owner's name?"
Seeing her stare up to him with the same uncertain look she had before with her big, icy blue eyes that always seemed to seek something from him yet at the same time calms and excites him, the little control he tightly held in check cracked and he couldn't help the actions he did next.
Sensing his swift movements, Fan Zhu Xia reflexively stepped backwards, her back hitting the door making her realize that there was no room to move and before she could do otherwise, the masked man's arms were planted against the door on either side of her head, trapping her effectively as the man lowered his head near hers, their noses nearly touching before he slowly, almost teasingly moved his face to the side to the point that each breath he exhaled brushed against her ear, making goosebumps erupt in her flesh as her face flushed an enchantingly alluring red, as her breathing lightly sped up.
"Please little one, no need to rush. We'll meet each other again and you'll know my name by then."