Sometime later, Luo Jingyi was called to the study room. When she breezed inside the room, Aunt Alice and Aunt Eloisa were already seated.
Sinking onto the single sofa, Luo Jingyi speculated on the reasons the two wanted to discuss with her without the rest of the Lacroix.
"I've spoken to my mother's estate lawyer." Aunt Alice started.
Listening to the first sentence, Luo Jingyi sense a headache was coming. She groaned inside her head.
Aunt Alice's mother bequeathed a substantial amount of money and properties to Luo Jingyi when she was passed away a year ago. Her other children, Aunt Alice's older brothers questioned the deceased woman's decision so they contested the will which eventually led to falling out between the siblings.
Luo Jingyi repeatedly refused the inheritance but Aunt Alice insisted on it. One, she was never the type to accept things freely. Two, she didn't want the strain—the dispute between the siblings—overwhelm Aunt Alice. The woman was stressed all the time because of it. Thus, Luo Jingyi hired a lawyer to work on it. It was another thing she needed to sort out before leaving the city.
"There is no reason for you to disclaim the inheritance. Even before her death, she made me assure her that you will take them. So, could you take in my mother's heart into consideration?"
Sighing in her head, she deliberated carefully what to say in order not to hurt Aunt Alice.
"I'll think about." she simply said. But her mind was already set on this. She made a mental note to call the lawyer and discuss it further.
Unease passed on Aunt Alice's face. Then, it was replaced with an upward curve on her lips yet it barely touched her eyes. Aunt Eloisa patted her sister's back and threw Luo Jingyi an approving smile, winking at the same time. Luo Jingyi mouthed 'thank you.' She was thankful that she was with her on this matter.
Because they seldom see each other, Luo Jingyi was pulled to the entertainment room by one of the younger cousins the minute she left the study room, intending to go downstairs to check up on Yun Jinghan.
….
Downstairs, Aunt Robert and Aunt Eloisa ganged up on Yun Jinghan to test his drinking ability. So Uncle Robert towed Yun Jinghan out to the deck with the ruse of discussing business along with a bottle of scotch. Later, Aunt Eloisa joined them and brought out the wine.
Uncle Robert and Aunt Eloisa were both drinkers so they assumed Yun Jinghan was going to be knocked out first. But because they realized they were quickly getting drunk while Yun Jinghan was still sober, they changed tactic. While Uncle Robert was distracting Yun Jinghan, Aunt Eloisa was pouring his half-empty glass to the brim. The two would exchange a happy look every time Yun Jinghan chugged down his drink. Unknown to them, Yun Jinghan sensed of their ploy in the beginning so he did the same, swapping the glasses.
'Underestimating opponents had led to the fall of dynasties.' He mused.
Realizing she was no match against him, Aunt Eloisa gave up and went to her room, wobbling on her steps. Yun Jinghan and Uncle Robert continued drinking.
Convincing everyone that she was happy and her relationship with Yun Jinghan was real, Luo Jingyi escaped their further quizzing in search of Yun Jinghan. On her way downstairs, she saw Aunt Eloisa, curled up on the floor. She was drunk. Pursing her lips, she asked one of the maids to help her.
After tucking Aunt Eloisa on the bed, Luo Jingyi went to the deck. Uncle Robert was plopped on the wooden table, drunk too.
Falling onto the empty bottles strewn on the counter, her eyes went wild.
No wonder Uncle Robert and Aunt Eloisa were drunk despite their high alcohol tolerance.
Luo Jingyi suddenly recalled how she used to sneak into Robert's cellar and take his most prized liquor. When caught, they would share the bottle together, along with Aunt Eloisa. This would sometimes infuriate Aunt Alice. But her anger was always towards the two but not on Luo Jingyi.
Shaking the distant memories away, she ambled to the side where Yun Jinghan was. He was resting lazily on the chair with cross arms. Sensing her around, he looked up at her with hazy eyes. He gave a lop-sided grin.
"So you want to marry me tomorrow?"
"No!" Came her immediate refusal which made him frown.
"I am handsome. I have a house, a car, and money. Am I such a bad-catch?"
"Tch." Luo Jingyi smirked at him, inching closer at an arm's length and mumbled, "I will not marry you."
Unhappy of her answer, he reached for the bottle to give himself a drink but Jingyi grabbed it from his tight grasp. They played tug of war which resulted in the bottle plonking on the floor, shattering upon impact and spilling its content.
"You are like a kid." Jingyi sighed in exasperation.
Yun Jinghan uprooted himself from the chair and crossed the distance between them, staring at her intently.
"Then, what kind of man will be your husband?"
The question made her pause.
Husband? She seriously never pondered this in her head.
"None. I will not marry anyone." She stepped back as he walked closer. His expression was dark.
He kept moving forward till she was backed to the railings.
"What are you doing?" She glared and his movement stopped. He stood in front of her. He wasn't touching her but his closeness was making her very uncomfortable.
No. His gaze was affecting her. There's danger wrapped around it.
His mouth perked up slowly turning it into a grin. He propped each arm behind her, tilting his body closer. To her right ear, he whispered in a firm tone yet laced with playfulness, "Do you want to sleep with me?"
His deep voice was enchanting. Any woman would have fallen for it. But…
Recovering from being enthralled, she kneed him in the leg. It was light but enough to distract him so she could move away. Her brows raised when he fell on her, resting on her. His arms went limp.
"Stop pretending!" He pushed his face away because his lips were touching her nape. Luo Jingyi shoved him aside however, he wasn't moving. He appeared to have genuinely passed out.
Luo Jingyi had no choice but to put his arm on her shoulders to help him. As she was dragging him, she had a feeling the man was feigning his drunkenness because he wasn't putting his full body weight on her and his arm tightened on her waist. Thus, to test her theory, she nudged him aside. But when his body slid to the ground, it dispelled her original assumption. Defeated, she carried on with the task.
At the same time, the tingling sensation on her arms was slowing her down. Pushing her nails onto her skin, she steadied herself. Pulse racing, she redirected her thoughts as she hummed. Yet, she was struggling to concentrate because of nausea.
She was on the verge of dumping him on the floor when Frederick appeared and took Yun Jinghan. Holding onto the wall, Luo Jingyi calmed herself by counting backward starting from 10. When she caught up, Frederick was opening the guest room. He deposited him on the bed before he left.
Luo Jingyi hovered around him contemplating whether to change his clothes or not. In the end, she decided against it.
As she pulled a blanket over him, he tugged her wrist that resulted in her falling on his body. Her lips landed on him. Wide-eyed, she pushed herself up hastily, ready to get into the battle. But, she froze because there was no movement on the bed. He laid there, with eyes closed, sleeping as nothing happened at all.
Her hand flew to her lips, touching them briefly before she looked at the man again.
Not settled with the idea that he was dreaming when he pulled her down, she studied him closely. With her index finger, she poked him on his face. He let out moans of disapproval and turned on the other side. Luo Jingyi circled the bed, planning to check his eyes. When she bent forward, it came to mind she was doing something stupid.
'Maybe it was really an accident. Your suspiciousness is turning you into an idiot.'
Sighing to reign unhappy thoughts, she gave him a final glance and switched off the light, leaving the lamp on to illuminate the room. Pulling the door closed, she held onto the knob for a long time, ruminating on what happened tonight.
Upon hearing the sound of her footsteps getting farther and farther away, Yun Jinghan lifted his eyelids and a triumphant smile, tugged at the corner of his mouth.
====Extra====
Yun Jinghan: Damn Panic Attack! Aeris, why are being such a sadist?
Aeris: I am single! I don't want to be fed with dog food.