Li Chanying and Xu Hina headed to the study room. The air was tense, suffocating every fiber of Li Chanying's being. The Old Madam Xu looked delicate on the outside but made of steel on the inside. Not the type of person to mess up with.
As the two women sat opposite each other, the stillness of the room was disrupted.
"I am not the type to beat around the bush," Xu Hina started. "But I want to know what happened last night that resulted to my grandson declaring his engagement," she continued.
Li Chanying took a deep breath. Her back was straight against the back of the chair. "The Old Madam Li disowned me last night, saying that I am a bad influence to my cousin, Li Nuxie," she explained.
"But Madam, although I am adopted, I treated Xiexie as my real cousin. Heck, I even treat her as my sister. So I don't know how I did become a bad influence to my cousin."
Xu Hina continued to listen. "So, you don't know why that woman disowned you?"
Li Chanying nodded. "I swear, I don't know. The Second Young Master Xu and I arrived late. But I've heard that my grandmother fainted. As a granddaughter, I looked for her immediately."
Looking down, she grasped the hem of her shirt tightly, drawing her breath sharply. "Then, she started screaming at me. Like how I was an ungrateful wench. The Li Family gave me a name and she can always get it back."
Li Chanying raised her head and stared at Xu Hina's eyes. "That's when the Second Young Master Xu butt in, announcing that he can give me his name."
Xu Hina remained quiet. Whatever she was thinking, only her knew it. After a while, she spoke.
"Although the two of you were not in a relationship, it seems that what my grandson has announced last night was true," she said. "I can't say anything about that but you should know that the Xu Family is not in good terms with the Li Family," Xu Hina's lips formed a straight line.
Li Chanying nodded in understanding. It was an open secret in City S that the Lis and the Xus do not mingle with each other. They might see each other during gatherings but that ends there.
"Besides, I thought it is my elder grandson who would announce his engagement. What a sudden turn of events, indeed," Xu Hina shook her head.
Li Chanying didn't know how to respond. Even her, she was totally shocked. The plan was just to be Xu Ming's date. How come she became a fiancée suddenly? This was Xu Wei's fault. And where was he right now?
Xu Hina cleared her throat. Despite being disowned by the Li Matriarch, the woman in front of her was still successful in her own right. If her grandson was in love with Li Chanying, she would not meddle. However, she refused to accept this sham of an engagement. "I will give you two years, Miss Li."
Li Chanying drew her eyebrows together. "Two years, Madam?"
"Two years to get my grandson's affection. If within that two years, you cannot do it, you will be the one who will break the engagement."
Li Chanying opened her mouth to speak but no word came out. Her hands went clammy as her breath became irregular.
Did the Old Madam Xu think that she was in love with Xu Ming? Damn it, Xu Wei. Wait till I see you! I'm going to skin you alive! She screamed in her mind.
Xu Hina watched how Li Chanying's expression changed from shock to anger. Although she hid it perfectly, Xu Hina was adept to a person's emotions. She raised an eyebrow. "Can't do it?"
How can Li Chanying answer the question? She doesn't even like Xu Ming. Although the Second Young Master Xu was akin to a demigod, with those eyes that can melt someone's heart and lips that promised heaven, she cannot find in her heart to like him.
"Two years," she said finally. Although whatever that might mean, Li Chanying was the only one who knew.
The Old Madam Xu nodded. It was a good thing the woman in front of her was not hard to deal with.
=0=
The woman in the middle of the large bed moved her arms. Even without opening her eyes, lines appeared on her forehead. The white blanket barely covered her body, the slender legs were peeking out from under the white sheet. She moved around, the sheet slipping from her upper body, revealing the creamy chest area.
The man sitting at the other side of the room might have won a Guinness Book of Record on the highest number of gulping per hour. He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his lips. The veins on his neck has been slowly popping up.
The woman's eyelids fluttered. As she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the gray ceiling. Blinking, she thought it would return to white. However, it remained the same. Turning her head to the other side, her eyes almost popped out.
This is a nightmare! She sat up right, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. As she slowly removed her fingers from her eyes, the man was still staring at her. Before she can open her mouth to speak, the man stood up and strode towards her.
"Stop looking at me like that," he whispered, pulling the blanket higher and wrapping it around her body. "I might eat you alive," his breath brushed against the exposed skin of her shoulder.
Li Nuxie caught her breath. "W-What are you doing here?"
The man gazed at her, slightly touching her hair. "This is my room, babe. And you are my girlfriend. I'm ought to be here, right?"
The drowsiness she felt vanished completely. His room?! She glanced around. Although her vision was not clear just like when she wore eyeglasses, she can figure out the interior. The interior was manly, nothing like her room which was white and simple.
"Why am I here?" She happened to glance down at her lap which made her shriek. She was naked? Li Nuxie felt like a pail of cold water has been thrown on her. She looked up. Her eyes were sharp. "Did you undress me?" she asked, the voice was chilling enough for Xu Wei to straighten his back.
"I did. You know it yourself if I did something, right?" he said after a while.
Li Nuxie knew it. Other than the stiff arm which might have something to do with her position while sleeping, her body felt normal.
"So, you see me naked?"
Xu Wei raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Who sat up right so fast she didn't even feel the blanket went down?"
Grabbing a pillow while clutching on the hem of the sheet, Li Nuxie smashed it against Xu Wei's body.
"You're the number one pervert in City S!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
The man just shook his head. Good thing, the room was soundproof. If someone heard Li Nuxie shouting it, his reputation would surely suffer.
"And just the same, I'm only a pervert when it comes to you," he chuckled before heading towards the bathroom.
Li Nuxie was left with flushed face. How could she be so carefree? She screamed again, covering her face with her hands. A while later, Xu Wei emerged from the bathroom.
"Bath is ready. Go in. We have a lot of things to talk," he said as he leaned on the bathroom door frame.
"I don't want to," Li Nuxie turned her head away. She was aware that she was acting childish but somehow, it felt good.
"Okay. But don't blame me if something goes out of your control," Xu Wei took a step towards the door.
Li Nuxie inclined her head. What did he mean by that? "Are you hiding something?"
Xu Wei didn't turn around. He pulled the door open. "Take a bath first, then we'll talk," he turned his head to look at her. "Unless, you want me to bathe you? I don't mind," he said. His eyes were dancing with glee.
"You wish!"