Xiaoxiao stared at the tea set on the table from the corners of her eyes, smiling, “Madam, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to endeavor to meet your standard. Please don’t measure me with that. Your admission has nothing to do with me. Yet…I respect you as a senior. Making tea for you is what I as a junior should do.” Finishing, she gets down in a preparing poise, taking out the tea, measuring quantity, testing water temperature, all completed in exact proper manner. Finally, she uses one palm to carry the teacup from the bottom and thumb and index finger of the other hand to stabilize it, and then presents to her with due respect.
There is change in Hong Xuemei’s expression. She finds it uneasy to make this Mu Xiaoxiao to surrender. The tea ceremony she just performed is perfect. Let alone there isn’t any mistake, the woman has stated beforehand to prevent her from finding faults. She takes over the tea, takes a sip. The temperature is just right. Hehe, no wander she’s so confident. Excellent tea.
In the living room in the dusk by the dim light, the atmosphere between these two people becomes very depressing…
At this time, Maomao scoots downstairs with the Persian cat in his arms.
At the sight of her son, Xiaoxiao instantly breathes a long sigh in relief. Finally the intense atmosphere can be relaxed. Hong Xuemei’s gaze also gets softer at the sight of her grandson.
“Mommy, unc…daddy let me ask you if you want to take a shower with him.” For a second, he, not used to the new addressing term, almost calls him wrong. Luckily, he is quick to realize it.
Boom!
One mere sentence through her son’s mouth almost throws Xiaoxiao into a bottomless abyss. Her nice cute son should say something like this before Xuanyuan Lie’s mother. There is no way for her to refuse.
She takes a glance at Hong Xuemei, and then at her “helpful” son.
“Oh yes. I just begin to feel tired. It’s time to take a good shower. Lie is so nice. Madam…if you pardon me, I have to go now.” Then, she turns to go upstairs. Anyway, she wouldn’t know whether she really takes a shower or not afterwards.
With this in her mind, she comes to the second floor. “Miss, lord is waiting for me, follow me this way please.” A maid says to her loudly. How loudly is it? At least Hong Xuemei in the living room can hear it.
Then…
She is dragged by the maid to the bathroom. The stiff body is stuffed into the bathroom. Puffs of warm steam greet her right in the face.
“Are you nervous? Your body is so stiff.” Amidst the steam, his voice still sounds cold.
Xiaoxiao collets her thought, “What are you doing? I kindly play the part for you. Why are you getting me into this?” She has every reason to believe that Xuanyuan Lie let Maomao carry the news to her deliberately at that exact time. She’s also convinced that the reason why the maid shouted loudly is to let Hong Xuemei hear from downstairs.
A touch of curve plays on his mouth, “Shouldn’t we continue the drama to the end?”
She frowns as he approaches and quickly raises a fist to put against his chest to keep the distance between them, “I helped you. You should respect me too. At least, the drama doesn’t have to be real. Otherwise, I’ll tell your mother the truth.”
Xuanyuan Lie isn’t eager. It seems he has predicted that she would respond in this way. This woman, who he tried to eat for many times, manages to escape timely. Haha…
He just smiles and doesn’t reply.
Xiaoxiao regards his reaction as a yes and asks curiously, “Right. I’m curious why did your mother suddenly believe your words because she didn’t want to believe at all at the beginning?”
She just can’t think straight. Earlier his mother was so determined not to trust the lie, but…after she saw Maomao, she believed it at once. Why? Her attitudes changed incredibly fast.
Hearing her question, Xuanyuan Lie lifts her jaw with one finger, looking around, “You gave birth to that child. You ask me? How can I know?” His dark eyes become freezing.
Xiaoxiao isn’t angry. She gently moves away Xuanyuan Lie’s finger, “You mean…you mother believed the lie because of my Maomao?” She looks away and decides to give up. Why should she probe into this? Anyway, all is settled. She should think about how to get through.
“Is there any other reason?” He says and raises his hand, resting on the collar around her chest and exerting strength. Before Xiaoxiao could make a reaction, he jumps into the big bath holding her in his arms.
“Ah…”
She suddenly chokes with a mouthful of water, almost dead of it. The head merges from the water to face his impassive face, “Do you wish to kill me?”
“Kill you? You are now my most important chess piece. How can I be willing to kill you?” A ghost of cunningness fleets by in his eyes. Then the big hand brushes Xiaoxiao’s head.
Xiaoxiao doesn’t mind Xuanyuan Lie describing her as a chess piece, because for him, she is indeed a chess piece which can help him dodge the undesired marriage. Likewise, if she wants to find out the one and fulfill her revenge, she must cooperatively perform her part as a chess piece. It’s a fair deal.
“We just agreed to respect each other…” As she speaks, her eyes rest on Xuanyuan Lie whose clothes are soaked. The cloth clings to his skin to reveal his chest muscles…
Swish…
Her face flushes, and she can’t help replaying in her mind what happened last night.
“You’re heated, woman. Your gaze says you want me.” Xuanyuan Lie says coldly, his fingers gently brushing over her water-dipped fair-skinned neck onto her collarbone.
“Take your hands away.” Angry, she wants to stand up when her shoulders are locked and pressed downward by him, “Xuanyuan Lie, you…”
The thin lips moving, he’s about to speak.
There are sudden knocks at the door.
The sculptured eyebrows furrow. He ignores them.
The knocks get louder and louder.
Xuanyuan Lie doesn’t seem to pay attention to them, but Xiaoxiao’s eyes roll. It’s a good opportunity to run. She immediately shouts, “Who is that? Come in.”
The knocks stop. But no one enters inside.
“Lord, old madam passes out.”
Outside rings the voice of a maid. Xiaoxiao pauses. Old madam? Xuanyuan Lie’s mother passed out? Then she looks at Xuanyuan Lie who springs out of water at once, taking the bathrobe to put on and rushing out.
Xiaoxiao, staying in the water, comes back to earth in a few seconds. Just now she was fine. How could she pass out so sudden? Is she faking it just to stop her from taking a bath with Xuanyuan Lie? That can’t be greater…
She stands up and hauls the wet clothes going back to her room to change. But there are only men’s clothes left here.
Without binding her breast, the normal white shirt makes her look different. After everything gets done, she also dashes to the room where Hong Xuemei stays temporarily.
Next to the big bed stand a group of maids, each and every of who are lowering the heads. Maomao leans on the bed side while Xuanyuan Lie’s face looks colder.
She steps forward and finds Hong Xuemei is lying on the bed, her lips trembling slightly.