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"That is sweet, little Zimo, but I am interested in someone else, so I cannot accept your feelings."
After dropping those shocking words, Leah ignored Wang Zimo and proceeded to get busy by opening and typing on Zed's laptop.
The other three people next to Leah stopped what they were doing and thinking.
Zed had gotten over his shock earlier and continued cooking. His eyes showed nothing, as he was getting better at hiding his emotions and intentions.
Zhou Chun looked between the two people in front of her, especially Wang Zimo. She quickly recovered from the shock and then enjoyed the obvious heartache showing in Wang Zimo's gaze. She followed Leah's lead and worked like nothing had happened on her laptop.
Wang Zimo suddenly laughed and then calmed down. "I knew you would not accept me, but who knew you would lie like that?"
Without looking at him, Leah answered, "I am telling the truth. Whether you believe me or not is up to you."
"But you were clearly... Don't tell me you still have feelings for Wang Haoran even after what he did to you?"
"Not Wang Haoran, but someone else."
"Someone else? You were clearly head over heels for him a few days ago! To the point of not caring that he kept his ex-girlfriend by his side since they got together two months ago until she became pregnant."
"Wang Zimo!" Zhou Chun got up and pointed at Wang Zimo, her face reflecting her anger.
Wang Zimo ignored Zhou Chun, while Leah did not even flinch.
Leah sighed and looked at Zhou Chun. "Chun Chun, I am fine. Wang Haoran does not affect me anymore."
Zhou Chun examined Leah worriedly but noticed her calm demeanor and relaxed posture. She bowed and apologized again. "I understand. I am sorry for shouting." She sat down and resumed what she was doing. The anxiety in her eyes reduced as she trusted Leah's words.
"You really are well-informed, little Zimo." Leah did not look at Wang Zimo while answering but kept her eyes on the laptop after reassuring Zhou Chun.
Wang Zimo stopped talking, knowing this conversation was not going anywhere. He could only wait and gather more information about who the heck this 'someone' his beloved was currently interested in. While waiting, he decided to stick by Leah's side by hook or by crook, just to prevent that 'someone' from getting any closer to her.
He got up and made a phone call outside the pavilion, out of the other three's hearing distance.
Ring– Ring–
"Boss!" An over-enthusiastic voice came from Wang Zimo's phone.
"Resume all surveillance for 'L' and add more so that I know even when they snore and for how long they snore," Wang Zimo commanded.
"Understood, Boss!"
Beep–
As soon as he heard his subordinate's confirmation, Wang Zimo ended the call. He accessed something on his phone, and it took a while before he turned around to return to his seat. The table was set, and dinner was ready.
He frowned when he noticed someone else sitting on Leah's right side—the seat he had vacated to make the call.
"Sit if you want to eat dinner," Leah said when she noticed him standing and looking at Zed's head discontentedly.
Sigh–
Wang Zimo walked to the seat facing Leah while sighing. He walked with a defeated look, planning to find all the information about this man who kept getting in his way since he entered Leah's villa as soon as he got home.
Everyone's attention was on Leah as they waited for the house owner to start eating first before moving any utensils.
"Let's eat." After Leah said these words, Zed served her, and after she swallowed the first bite, everyone started serving themselves.
Dinner was uneventful. There was no sound except for chopsticks and serving utensils hitting plates and bowls.
The meal was about to end, and without caring for the two, Zed asked Leah's opinion about the food. "How was today's menu?" He looked at the woman in front of him with a disguised countenance. His emotion could only be read by Leah as she looked up at him in the eyes.
Leah smiled. "You are getting better at masking."
She meant that Zed was learning and demonstrating how to hide his feelings and thoughts.
"Is it?" Zed was unaware that even though he could feel emotions now and was much more expressive, his previously unreadable appearance and mood before meeting Leah were returning.
"Yes, it's a good thing. Do not worry about it. The menu today was not bad, by the way," Leah said in one breath, noting the slight worry in Zed's eyes when she mentioned his unreadable expression.
"Hmm, I gathered that you are satisfied today?" Zed asked again in a serious tone.
"Yes."
When dinner was finished, Zhou Chun got up to clear the table while Zed, who looked more animated after Leah's "Yes," dealt with the dishes with Leah's help.
Wang Zimo, on the other hand, was sitting flabbergasted at how synchronized the three had been. He realized that there were no cooks or attendants in the vicinity. The Liu Leah he knew was always surrounded by attendants at home or in her own company, to the point that she seemed like she did not have to lift a finger at all.
He was in a daze and brought back to the present by Leah, who suggested that he go home as the night was getting late. "Wang Zimo, I am tired and need to get my beauty sleep. We will walk you to the entrance."
Leah turned and started walking away before Wang Zimo could refute her, followed by Zed on her right and Zhou Chun on her left.
Leah's words meant that Wang Zimo should stop bothering her and leave. He had already been allowed to drop by, and he was overextending his stay. He should also be grateful that the house's owner would escort him out.
Wang Zimo understood all this but did not care and wanted to use the desserts he brought to stay longer and then use the lateness of the night as an excuse to sleep over.
He walked closer to Leah but could not get close because of the other two. He wanted to speak but could not exert his presence when the other two kept preoccupying Leah's attention.
"Leah, I–" Wang Zimo finally managed to get an opportunity. He opened his mouth but was cut off by the person he eagerly wanted to converse with.
"We've reached the end of the path. These two guards will walk you out from here on out," Leah said while facing Wang Zimo with a smile that allowed no rebuttal, pointing at the two guards near the front gate.
"Have a good night," she added, then turned and walked quickly without looking back.
Wang Zimo was again hit by a new side of Leah and was stunned a second time. Before he could say or do anything, the two guards next to the front gate, who just received a silent command from their team leader via his gaze, to remove the unwelcome guest immediately, or else they would suffer the consequences.
They were amazed at themselves for understanding the received command through Zed's gaze without him opening his mouth. The two guards looked at each other and immediately executed the commands as if their lives depended on it.
They couldn't believe that their team leader, often nicknamed 'robot' or 'machine,' could convey his desires through his eyes. They were equally shocked that they could easily read his gaze's intent.
After successfully removing the man from the villa's perimeter, the two guards sighed. They locked the gates and continued to monitor Wang Zimo's car from inside.
"I thought we would have to fight him before removing him, but he cooperated. Based on our information about him, we wouldn't be able to defeat him if it were just the two of us against him."
"Did you see him? Wang Zimo looked like he wasn't in his right state of mind. He seemed shocked by something and didn't have time to refuse. I also heard him sigh like he gave up on something before he got into his car."
"Wang Zimo did look like he was in a daze. Then he snapped out of it when he was already in front of his car. He might have wanted to rush back inside the villa but gave up almost instantly. I heard he liked our employer before–"
"Shhh–"
"Oops, thanks for stopping me."
The two guards almost gossiped about their employer, which was prohibited in their unit under Yang Zed. They knew their team leader was not nearby, but they were still afraid. Their team leader always had a way of figuring out if they engaged in prohibited activities and would punish them if they broke the rules he set up.
"Be careful next time. I suffered twice, and not just me but almost all members did. Those who were not careful or overestimated themselves were especially severely punished. After receiving the punishment, we cannot let others know what we received, or we will get an upgraded version of the same punishment, which is much worse. Much worse."
"I understand and will be careful next time."
The youngest guard, who had yet to experience the hell from breaking Yang Zed's rules, shuddered as he recounted all the gloom and doom his colleagues expressed while briefly mentioning the punishments they could not describe in detail.
While the two guards were chattering, Wang Zimo started his car and left feeling unsatisfied but still hopeful. The worst he imagined did not happen.
"Have a good night and sleep well tonight," he muttered under his breath.
Back in the villa, Leah reached the main door and opened it. "Chun Chun, stay for the night. Zed will show you to the guest room. I am tired and want to hit Dreamland early. Have a good night, both of you." Leah looked at Zhou Chun and then at Zed. She waited for their affirmation that they heard her, then went straight to her room.
Both looked at Leah until they heard her bedroom door close.
"Your room is at the end of the hall to the right side on the main floor," Zed said in a hurried tone, pointing in the direction of the first and second guest rooms' hallway. "There are two guest rooms there. Pick whichever you want," he added.
He was about to take a step in the direction of Leah's room but was stopped by Zhou Chun. "Can you show it to me? I am bad at directions. What about toiletries?"
He looked at her and refuted her. "You inspected this place before presenting it to Leah, and now you don't remember which room I am talking about? You know the ins and outs of this place more or less than I do. Toiletries and directions? Really?"
They knew and understood each other's intentions but remained civil for Leah's sake.
"I've meant to say this, but you are being rude to your employer by addressing the Young Miss by her first name. Even I, who have served her since she was in grade school, cannot use her first name to address her."
"She allowed it," Zed shut her down with three words.
"Sigh... I have two copies of the Young Miss's one-year-old picture. Now show me my room and toiletries," Zhou Chun gave up but again stood her ground, returning a more destructive comeback: Leah's baby pictures.
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