My head boomed, and the strings inside it snapped.
Zhao Mengxi's eyes were filled with rage as she hurried down the stairs, two steps at a time, and swung her hand to slap me.
Startled, I closed my eyes, but the anticipated pain didn't come. Instead, I heard Zhao Mengxi's displeased interrogation by my ear.
"Brother Yu, what's the meaning of this?"
Suddenly, I opened my eyes and saw that Zhao Mengxi's wrist had been caught, and her hand, poised to hit my face, was frozen mid-air.
And that man had the nerve to appear composed, not the least bit flustered by being caught in the act.
He must be insane!
My chest heaved violently, and my fingertips trembled uncontrollably. If he provoked a scene with Zhao Mengxi, it wouldn't take long before Master Zhao would be alerted.
I was nearly scared to death by him.
But what I hadn't anticipated was that, in the next moment, he suddenly extended his hand toward me.
"On Master Zhao's turf, no thief would dare stir up trouble. If you're so easily frightened, next time turn on the lights before you come downstairs. Had I reacted a moment later, this thing would've struck my head, and I would've had to attend next week's engagement party with a disfigured face."
I was taken aback and looked down to see that what he was passing to me was the bowl I had just placed on the shelf.
It suddenly dawned on me, and I immediately continued speaking.
"That's your own fault. Why would you come downstairs without turning on the lights, sneaking around like a thief? There are many confidential documents in Master Zhao's study upstairs. If someone with ill intentions were to break in and leak any critical information, Master Zhao would suspect me first. Naturally, I must be cautious!"
As I spoke, my face was sour, and my voice was far from friendly.
This wasn't an act; I genuinely could not stand this man.
Heaven knows that when Zhao Mengxi charged down, my heart almost stopped from fright. If he had been any slower to act, nothing we said would've mattered by now.
Zhao Mengxi was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at me, "Are you sick? Running downstairs in the middle of the night without lights, throwing things at people."
Although she was cursing, it was clear that much of the anger had dissipated from her face.
I replied expressionlessly, "Miss Zhao seems to have forgotten how your mother died. Master Zhao holds a high position, and many are watching him greedily from the shadows. What's wrong with me being cautious? If Miss Zhao thinks I'm making a fuss over nothing, you're welcome to not stay overnight here next time."
"You!"
Miss Zhao and I hadn't been on good terms to begin with, and naturally, I had no need to grovel or be overly concerned about her feelings. Doing so would only make her more suspicious.
With eyes bulging, Zhao Mengxi pointed at me, about to say something more, but at that moment, the man named Cheng Yu spoke up.
"Isn't there a dress fitting tomorrow? If you sleep any later and get dark circles, it won't look good trying on clothes." Mid-sentence, he paused and raised his eyes, sweeping a meaningful glance over me, "The stepmom was only considering dad's best interests, and she didn't really hurt me. There's no need to argue over this."
"Stepmom? My dad's had countless lovers; if we're talking about status, she wouldn't even know her number in line! Only if Chen Jiao had a bit more sense, she wouldn't have had the chance to live in this villa."
Zhao Mengxi appeared impatient, probably because her fiancé was present, refraining from continuing the argument with me.
But my expression darkened a notch.
Chen Jiao was another of Master Zhao's goddaughters, someone who commanded so much attention that even Secretary Yan had to bow and respectfully address her as Mrs. Zhao.
Master Zhao usually loathed women scheming against each other, but he was exceptionally indulgent with her.
She'd caused me countless obstacles, both openly and covertly. I had countered many of her moves, yet Master Zhao turned a blind eye.
Chen Jiao had become so brazen that she once arrived at my doorstep in a car, throwing a lace G-string out the window to hit me in the face.
Out of all Master Zhao's women, she was the one I got along with the least!
Without a backward glance, I went into the kitchen to put away the bowl. When I came out, that man had said something to soothe her; Zhao Mengxi's face was brimming with sweetness.
When she saw me, she scoffed and, taking Cheng Yu's arm, turned to go upstairs.
I let out a huge sigh of relief when they reached the corner—only then did I begin to follow them upstairs.
But what I never expected was that as I started up the stairs, that man suddenly looked back, casting a smirk my way.
I frowned, tried to look away, but then I saw his lips curve into a smile as he gestured with his fingertips.
The chandelier at the corner reflected a greenish sheen off the tips of his fingers.
My heart skipped a beat, and, instinctively, I reached for my right earlobe—only to be greeted by empty space. The earring was missing, and my heart that had just settled leaped to my throat!