Time quickly pa.s.s by with the wind as the day of the meeting with the underworld arrives.
In the early morning of the day, Lu Tian had to make a trip to Lu Corps to take care of some meetings. He had been working from home since his wife was discharged from the hospital. However, he knows he can"t continue to push all the meetings back.
He was reluctant to leave, but knowing that Liu Shan, Lin Hui and Qi Li were at the house with his wife, he felt more at ease.
The three men along with his a.s.sistant had been staying with them as they kept watch for Chu Li Xiang.
While the man of the house was not inside, the lady of the house was also not inside. Of course, she didn"t leave the property.
In a steady pace, Yue Ling and Inu jogged around the house. From the back courtyard to the front courtyard, the human and Samoyed kept at a speed equivalent to one another.
Since she could not leave the house without Lu Tian, she decided to do this to strengthen her body.
"Boss!!"
Just as Yue Ling and Inu reached the back courtyard again, Liu Shan"s voice can be heard as his figure runs out from the house.
He was still in his brown pajamas with white bears and he didn"t care about his appearance since it was still early in the morning.
Slowing down to a stop, Yue Ling turns to look at her a.s.sistant. She takes a step toward his direction, but before she could, the white fluff ball next to her already made his move.
"Wroof—! Wroof—!"
Inu runs towards the a.s.sistant at full speed. He had kept a slow pace with his favorite human but seeing the person he had not gotten his revenge on, he decides to use this chance to do so.
Seeing the Samoyed run towards him head on, Liu Shan sighs inside.
Since Yue Ling could not leave the house and Chu Li Xiang was still out there somewhere, he and the other three men were ordered to stay at the house.
It was more a slumber party for them that lasts a few days.
Shaking his head, Liu Shan doesn"t run away from the little guy. He (Inu) had already gotten his revenge on Lin Hui, Xu Long and Qi Li. However, each time when it was his (Liu Shan) turn, he was always able to smoothly dodge the little fluff ball.
As the two nears one another, Inu"s tail wags wildly and he leaps off the ground like a tiger attacking his prey.
"Ha—"
Liu Shan stops in his tracks with his legs slightly spread almost in a horse stance. Both his arms spread out and he doesn"t hesitate to catch the little heavy guy.
"Wroof—!"
Trapped within the man"s arms, Inu doesn"t put up a fight like he used to. Instead, his tail continue to wag side to side with his tongue playfully out and he licks the a.s.sistant"s face.
Yue Ling leisurely followed behind. When she saw Inu"s att.i.tude towards Liu Shan, she arch a brow. Liu Shan was carrying Inu like he was baby and to her surprise, Inu was not against it.
"You and Inu are getting along pretty well now."
Hearing her words, Liu Shan smiles a smile that reach his eyes. He doesn"t put the Samoyed down but walks over to his boss. Stopping in front of her, he finally puts the Samoyed down.
"Took us a while, but…"
He looks down at Inu and he smiles proudly.
"We"re like buddies now."
Like he understood the a.s.sistant, Inu looks up at the man before turning away. However, taking two steps behind the man, he turns back around, and kicks off the ground.
"Wahh!!"
Liu Shan exclaimed as he stumbles forward. He was caught off guard by Inu"s sudden jump kick on his back. Steadying himself, he looks at the little guy with his mouth widely open in disbelief.
He was so surprised and shock that every word in his brain somehow disappeared into thin air.
What happened? Weren"t they buddies?
Inu flung his head away with att.i.tude and an expression as if saying, "who said we"re buddies, stupid human."
Yue Ling was also in disbelief at what she was seeing, but unable to hold herself back, she burst into laughter without a shred of sympathy for her a.s.sistant.
"Yea, you two are really buddies now."
She sarcastically tease him and walks towards the house with Inu in the lead. They had been running for two hours and she needed to prepare breakfast.
Without stopping in her steps, her voice sounds again.
"What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"
Shaking his head at how Inu treated him, Liu Shan felt like he was betrayed by his best friend. However, hearing his boss, he quickly brush it away and runs after her.
"Uncle Zhi wanted me to inform you that your cars have arrived at Imperial"s port. He and Manager Luo are transporting them here."
Yue Ling slows down to a stop as she reach the steps to the patio deck. Turning to look at Liu Shan, her expression was as calm as ever, but one can see a flash of excitement in her bluish green eyes.
"Perfect timing."
Though it was quick, Liu Shan was able to see the look in her eyes. He couldn"t help but struggle a very hard gulp and feel a s.h.i.+ver crawl down his spine.
The last time he was in the same car with her and she was the driver, he swore his soul had left his body and he saw his life flash before his eyes.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Yue Ling looks at him. She doesn"t know why, but something inside her is telling her that despite his normal behavior, something is deeply bothering the man.
Maybe it"s because he"s been by her side for so long that she can read him like the back of her hand.
Thinking this, she decides to ask him.
"What"s wrong?"
"Huh?"
Liu Shan was suddenly baffled by her question. He knows that she already saw through him, but he force a smile and chuckles.
"Heh heh, nothing is wrong."
Not wanting to talk about the thing that is bothering him, he stride pa.s.s Yue Ling and steps onto the patio deck to go inside the house.
"Shan."
From behind, Yue Ling calls after him. However, her tone of voice was not that of a superior to her subordinate, but that of a sister to her brother.
Liu Shan stops in his steps. His fists slowly curl into tight fists. He doesn"t want to talk about how Ling Ni led him on and suddenly threw him in the gutter.
He had been going around flaunting his one-sided love for the woman, when the truth was, he was only a fool wearing a green hat.
Or maybe, she never even liked him.
His eyes slowly close as he inhales a deep breath that slightly shook his body.
"I know you of all people can see through me, but please don"t ask me to tell you. I don"t want to talk about it."
Yue Ling stares at the man"s back for a long second. Before, he was always cheerful, but for the past few days, she noticed that if no one speaks to him, he will immerse deeply in his thoughts.
Even when he was sitting in front of his laptop, he would often doze off. She and everyone else would have to call his name a few times before they could get his attention.
Lifting her leg, she takes a step forward then another and another. As she brush pa.s.s him, she pause to say something before continuing on inside the house.
"I won"t ask you to tell me, but whatever it is that is bothering you, you should seek closure."
She doesn"t know what is bothering Liu Shan so much, but she can already guess what it might be. Even if he doesn"t want to talk about it to others, he should at least know the reason why.
Watching her slender figure enter the house, Liu Shan stood unmoving from his spot.
She is right.
He had been ignoring all of Ling Ni"s phone calls and messages because he didn"t want to think about her or the pain inflicted on him. However, he can"t keep running away.
Even if what she did was despicable, he should at least listen to her reason.
Maybe after hearing, he can move on without having his heart broken and the questions he want to ask her can finally be answer.
Thinking this, he walks towards the house. Once the situation with Chu Li Xiang is dealt with, he will call Ling Ni.
As a human being, he selfishly thought about his feelings only.
Everything that happened came from his point of view, the least he can do is listen to her point of view and try to understand why she is doing what she is.