The morning sun shone through the windows into the room, falling onto Qiao Xuan’s eyelids.
The temperature slowly rose, finally Qiao Xuan slowly stirred.
“What… It’s so heavy…” Qiao Xuan woke up from a beautiful dream, turning over she felt something pressing her down, so that she couldn’t move.
Qiao Xuan raised her head, and saw a thick arm across her waist.
Why? Whose arm is this?
She turned her neck around to see Ji Yu Heng’s sleeping face.
Ji Yu Heng! Oh, yeah.
Last night’s events suddenly flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t help but blame her traitorous heart.
The world could not possibly find a worst spy then her! From start to finish she hadn’t done one thing right. Sneaking into enemy camp but couldn’t steal anything, and now she’s slept with the supposed enemy.
To say she “lost” something seemed wrong though. Frankly speaking, last night she seemed to have earned something instead. Ji Yu Heng was handsome with a good figure, and really talented in making people feel ecstasy! Oh… G.o.d, it was intoxicating!
While Ji Yu Heng was asleep, Qiao Xuan tried to sneak out.
Gently lifting the quilt, she almost had her feet out of bed when at that moment Ji Yu Heng suddenly tightened his arm around her waist, encasing her within his bosom.
“Ah!” Qiao Xuan exclaimed loudly.
“Where are you going?” Yu Heng said into her neck.
“No, nowhere.” Qiao Xuan carefully responded. She gauged that he was either already awake or in a dream state.
She waited for a long time but when he didn’t say anything, she determined that he was just dreaming. She tried once again to get up, but when she was halfway out of bed, his strong arms once again held her back.
In order not to wake him, Qiao Xuan very gently reached out and pulled the covers up.
“How come you’re up?” She’d managed to pull the quilt halfway, when Yu Heng suddenly spoke.
“Because, because I have to put on clothes.” Qiao Xuan was embarra.s.sed to say.
The skunk, obviously he’d already woken up!
“Oh, I know you didn’t wear anything because I saw everything last night.” Yu Heng shifted his body, but still maintain to hug Qiao Xuan from behind.
“You…” Hateful, the smelly man, playing with her even now, “Since you’re awake, let me up, I have a business to run.”
Since all her plans have failed, she must think of another way to recoup.
“Business is it? Well, then you should answer me. Why did you seduce me last night?” One hand holding her waist, the other hand supporting his head, Yu Heng looked at her seriously.
“I, how did I seduce you, you seduced me.” Qiao Xuan quickly ducked her head under the covers.
“Still want to deny? Aren’t you afraid I’ll punish you? Huh?” Why was she trying to escape?
“What’s there to fear?” Qiao Xuan insisted on saying.
“Not afraid huh?” Yu Heng suddenly nodded. “Ah yes, from your reaction yesterday, I think, you aren’t afraid of the “punishment”, but rather liked it, am I right?”
“What, what, what nonsense!” She hadn’t expected to fall into his trap.
“Are you sure ah?” Yu Heng’s probing hand moved up her waist.
“Ah! What are you doing?!” Qiao Xuan cried out.
“Come on, what’s been your purpose? Why follow me to the orphanage? Why snoop around my desk? Also, why tempt me last night? If you don’t tell me today, I won’t let you leave this room!”
He refuses to continue this battle any longer. He must be strong and get to the bottom of this!
“I…” Faced with his determined att.i.tude, Qiao Xuan was a little frightened. If she was going to give him an explanation, might as well tell him the whole truth.
“Well, say it.” Qiao Xuan moved to sit up. “Alright, I admit I deliberately engineered to get close to you, and I purposefully came to Fu Hua to find something to threaten you with.”
Yu Heng remained silent, arching his brows, waiting for her to continue.
“But you can’t blame me, it’s not all my fault! Who told you not to buy our B & B? If you had bought it, we wouldn’t be in debt right now. So my Dad had the great idea for me to go into Fu Hua to find something to hold over you and force you to purchase the B & B.”
“Wait a minute…” She was speaking so fast, Yu Heng was confused. “You said this is your family’s B &B? So you mean, Lan Kwai Fong is your home, and Lan Kwai Fong boss is your Dad?”
“Yes, yesterday when I said this was my Great Aunt’s place, it was a lie. This small Lan Kwai Fong actually belongs my parents. I’ve lived here my entire life. I deliberately concealed my ident.i.ty so you wouldn’t discover the connection. Last night… In fact, I wanted to seduce you, I even had a hidden camera, only I didn’t expect this to happen.”
There, she has told him everything.
Yu Heng listened to her confession, while trying to suppress his emotions.
In the depth of his heart, there was no anger or pain, but great ecstasy.
She really was the small Lan Kwai Fong boss’s daughter? That little girl?
Yu Heng suddenly understood why from the moment he met her, he couldn’t help be attracted to her. Why he was influenced by her words and deeds, and do things he normally wouldn’t do.
Because she was hidden in his heart, from the memories of his childhood.
She represented the most pure and authentic part of himself. The innocence he’d felt he’d lost as he grew into the role of General Manager.
“Why give up halfway then?” Yu Heng didn’t let her see his inner excitement. On the surface he was calm, doubting her words. He wasn’t going to let her off so easily.
“This…” Qiao Xuan was at a loss for words.
It wasn’t because she’d suddenly become softhearted, it’s because she didn’t want to implicate him.
But how to say that to him? She was already embarra.s.sed.
“Is it because you have feelings for me, love me, don’t want to hurt me?” Qiao Xuan hesitated before speaking, so Yu Heng simply answered for her.
“That, that’s not so!” Qiao Xuan suddenly flushed red. “I had a guilty conscious, it didn’t seem right, so I decided to leave. Even now, I have a guilty conscious. What feelings of love?!”
The usually cheerful and generous Qiao Xuan became very awkward.
“Oh…” Yu Heng couldn’t help but smile.
Having spent a considerable time around her, Yu Heng was well aware of her personality by now. From her reaction and quick denial, he was certain he was right.
She also loved him.
“You’re willing to throw away this big fat cow, what about your family debt?”
“I’ll find another way ah. I came home to have good discussion with my Dad. Who knew my Dad unexpectedly went abroad. Yesterday morning a bunch of men came and smashed things. I was afraid the guests would get implicated, so I sent them off. Then when I was at a loss, you showed up, so yesterday in the spur of the moment…”
“Oh, I see.” Yu Heng nodded.
Listening to her, he finally understood what led her to “seduce” him last night.
Suddenly, Yu Heng suddenly pulled her into his arms.
“Huh?” Yu Heng’s move made her dumbstruck.
Why is he holding her all of a sudden? It felt good being held like his most cherished possession, but was it an illusion?
“The money you owe, I’ll help you.” Yu Heng stroked said against her ear.
He felt the fate between Qiao Xuan and he was incredible.
In order to protect the Lan Kwai Fong, he deliberately avoided them, dismissing the acquisition. Who knew that Qiao Xuan would enter his life and also his heart. He also fell in love with her and followed her when she left, inadvertently returning to the first place they met, the Lan Kwai Fong.
Between the two of them was an invisible red tie, regardless of how long or how far they were apart, eventually they will still meet each other.
“You decided to buy the B & B?” Qiao Xuan was surprised.
“No, I’m not buying.” Yu Heng smiled and shook his head.
“So what did you mean?” Qiao Xuan pulled a disappointed look.
“I mean, I can immediately help you pay off the debt. I’ll lend you the money, and I won’t charge you interest. You can slowly repay me on your own.” Yu Heng patiently explained.
“No interest? For real?” Qiao Xuan hesitated, “And? There are no other conditions?”
She was suspicious because there is no such thing as a free lunch. He was offering this on a silver platter, it was really hard for her to believe.
“Ah… You’re wise, of course there is a condition.” Yu Heng pinched her chin in praise.
“I knew it, just say it.” Qiao Xuan waited.
“The condition… Is you.”
“Me!” Qiao Xuan stared at him with large eyes.
“Well, I want you to come back to Taipei with me.” Yu Heng was pleased with himself.
“Back to Taipei? You mean, you want me to go back to Fu Hua to work?” This would be alright, but is the hotel that short-staffed? They lacked enough people for her to go back to work?
“Work, of course, you’d want to work. I have no objection, but your most important task is to accompany me.” Yu Heng’s unconsciously smiled, he was already imagining their days together.
“Accompany you?” Qiao Xuan’s heart suddenly missed a beat.
What did he mean by that? Is he…
Looking at her shy expression, Yu Heng chose not to reveal anymore.
Qiao Xuan has played with him for so long, now the tables are turned.
“So do you agree or not?” He ignored her questioning look and pressed her.
“I… Well, as long as you’re willing to help us, then I agree with your condition.” His non-reaction left Qiao Xuan feeling a bit disappointed.
“Then it’s a deal. When everything is handled here, you can immediately move back to Taipei.”
“Wait, you said for me to accompany you, but you never mentioned to accompany you to do what?” This was a valid argument. What if he told her to accompany him to go on a business trip as his secretary, she wouldn’t know anything about that.
“Good question. You’ll accompany me to do what? I’ll have to think about it.” Yu Heng gently kissed her and pulled her down on the bed.
Although Ji Yu Heng said to accompany him to do “something”, but it seems more to it than that.
That afternoon that men came again, but this time with Yu Heng around she was longer afraid as before.
Yu Heng wrote out a check for two million on the spot and promised the rest three days later. The group of men were satisfied and the crisis with Lan Kwai Fong was resolved.
Qiao Xuan spent the next few days renovating the B & B and asked Aunty to come back to manage it before arranging to return to Taipei.
She had originally planned to live in her old residence in Taipei, but Yu Heng wouldn’t allow it. He had insisted she stay with him at the presidential suite at the hotel. A few days after that, he informed her he had purchased a house and that they would be moving in together.
During the day she stayed home washing and cleaning. In the afternoon, she would go for a stroll, or go to the market to buy food. Before Yu Heng came home from work, she will have prepared a table of hot and steaming rich dishes, and they will have dinner together.
Although her “job” paid her no salary, but Yu Heng will give her a fixed sum for household supplements every month. In addition, he also gave her a credit card to spend as she liked, he never intervened.
In short, her role was somewhere between his maid and little wife. The lines were vague and a little blurred, leaving her a little sad, a little bitterness mixed with a sweet spot.
But this was not what distressed her the most.
Not long after the debt was paid off, her Dad finally came back home. Although Ji Yu Heng didn’t acquire the B & B, but he was relieved to hear that the debt was paid off.
Out of habit, he immediately contacted Qiao Xuan, wanting to know what happened.
Qiao Xuan found it difficult to tell her Dad the truth about how she paid off the debt and her current situation in Taipei. If she told him the truth, he’d probably rush to Taipei and kill Ji Yu Heng.
Therefore under much consideration, Qiao Xuan told her Dad during her period at Fu Hua, she befriended Ji Yu Heng. When he heard of her situation, he decided to help in the name of friendship.
Although the explanation sounded a bit far-fetched, but it was a reasonable one. She told her Dad she still worked at Fu Hua and could be promoted to several positions, just to add to the credibility.
Yu Rong Gui was still worried about his daughter and wanted to come to Taipei to see for himself her working environment and accommodation, but every time she would find an excuse to refuse and dismiss the call.
“Hmm… The clothes smell so good ah!” It was three o’clock in the afternoon, Qiao Xuan was on the balcony hanging clothes. She pressed her face in Yu Heng’s shirt, taking a deep breath, inhaling the smell of sun mixed with his scent.
Today the housework was almost finished, then she needed to start preparations for dinner.
For several days now she’s been personally preparing Yu Heng’s dinner. Today, she suddenly had in inspiration. She didn’t know what else to prepare for him, thinking for a moment, she finally decided to go to his favorite high-cla.s.s Chinese restaurant to buy their signature braised lion head as the main course today.
Making the trip out of the house, before long Qiao Xuan arrived at the elegant Chinese restaurant.
She went to the counter to wait for her order. Picking up a magazine, preparing to take a seat, she suddenly saw Yu Heng sitting in the restaurant.
Huh? Why is he here?
Qiao Xuan put down the magazine, with a little hesitation stepped forward to confirm.
From her position, she could only see him, but because of a screen block she couldn’t see who his guest was.
As she approached, she saw sitting opposite him, a beautiful woman with long hair.
Who was she?
Qiao Xuan suddenly felt her heart tighten a bit.
She unconsciously stroked the pain in her chest, telling her heart to calm down and not to speculate.
Maybe she’s just a friend, or business partner: Yeah, Yu Qiao Xuan, don’t jump to conclusions.
Qiao Xuan took a deep breath, nodded firmly, then decided to go greet him.
She wanted to trust her judgment that the beauty and Yu Heng had nothing going on, so she should stay confident, go forward and greet them.
As she approached, she caught a little of their conversation.
“Yu Heng, in fact, I am very happy that this date is you. I’m glad I didn’t refuse my Aunt’s kindness.” The long haired beauty said shyly.
“Well, uh, yes, I am also very happy.” Yu Heng polite responded to her, although a little stiffly.
Their conversation struck her like lightening, she felt her ears buzzing. Her head became blank, completely unable to think.
What did they say? A blind date?
Ji Yu Heng has been living with her, but was still dating other women?
What does this mean? They lived together, every day she cooked for him and did his laundry. At best, was she just his maid or his plaything?
Qiao Xuan sniffed, trying not to let the tears fall down.
What exactly was she to him?