Master Zhao squinted his eyes and swept them towards me; his sudden question scared the shit out of me.
The bastard seemed to do it on purpose, slowly and deliberately wiping his fingertips, "Not sure where I picked up this water."
Master Zhao picked up his teacup and took a sip, not asking anymore, but with this man by his side, I felt like I couldn't stay there for even a minute longer.
After making the tea, I took the excuse of preparing a fruit platter and bolted downstairs; normally I wouldn't have to do these chores, but as it happened today, Aunt Wu, who takes care of me, had taken the day off and I didn't know what time she'd be back in the evening.
I just got the fruit out of the fridge and was about to start cutting when suddenly the sound of the doorbell wafted from behind me.
I thought it was Aunt Wu returning, but when I opened the door, I was met by a ravishing face right outside.
The visitor turned out to be Master Zhao's daughter, Zhao Mengxi!
She was dressed to the nines, as if she had just come from some fancy banquet. I was about to ask what she wanted when she beat me to it and asked, "Where's my dad?"
I told her he was upstairs in the study, and no sooner had I finished talking than Zhao Mengxi breezed past me, not looking back as she marched upstairs.
We had run into each other a few times before and never exchanged greetings, but we both unmistakably understood each other's identities.
Outside, I call her dad 'godfather', but in reality, I'm just his mistress, so it's normal for a rich heiress like her to look down on someone like me. However, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was so important that she had to come running to Master Zhao's place.
I finished the fruit platter and took it upstairs.
But the moment I pushed open the door to the study, I froze.
Because at first glance, I saw Zhao Mengxi sitting beside that man, listening obediently like a tame cat to their conversation.
Master Zhao's legitimate wife had passed away early, leaving behind her as the only daughter. I've heard about her domineering and willful nature, but to have her subdued like this, that guy was definitely the first.
A sense of dread and an ominous premonition started to creep over me.
It was only after I put down the fruit platter that I saw Zhao Mengxi pass a slice of kiwi to the lips of that man, followed closely by Master Zhao's voice reaching my ears.
"You're not even married yet, and you're already clinging to the guy like that. What kind of decency is this for a young lady?" Master Zhao's words seemed scolding, but there wasn't a trace of harshness on his face, "All right, Cheng Yu still has errands to do for me."
"Dad! He's my fiancé, not your lackey, and it's already this late. You still want him to run errands? Even a bull can't keep working nonstop 24 hours a day," Zhao Mengxi replied with dissatisfaction on her face.
Their conversation struck me like a bolt of thunder, exploding in my ears.
My heart suddenly felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed and squeezed it tightly, making it difficult for me to breathe.
I had imagined countless possible identities for that man, but I never, ever, freaking expected him to be Zhao Mengxi's fiancé!
Even if he were just related to Master Zhao's business partners, I wouldn't be freaked out like this. But if he's Zhao Mengxi's man, and she finds out what I did with him, I'm truly fucked!
Forget whether Master Zhao would let me off the hook, that spoilt brat Zhao Mengxi would flay and eviscerate me.
My heart pounding, my head filled with thoughts of what to do next when suddenly I heard Zhao Mengxi say,
"Dad, look at the heavy rain outside. How about letting Cheng Yu and I stay here tonight?"
My fingers trembled, not caring about interrupting them, I hurriedly made my way over and clung to Master Zhao's arm.
"Master Zhao, if Miss Zhao and her fiancé stay here, wouldn't that be a bit inconvenient?" I hinted deliberately. That man was like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment. I'd avoid him at all costs and sure as hell didn't want him spending the night here.
Yet, after hearing this, Master Zhao simply patted my hand, "No inconvenience at all with seven or eight bedrooms. Aunt Wu isn't here today, go get them a couple of pajamas to change into."
I bit my lip, wanting to say that Mengxi's marriage wasn't fixed yet and it would be risky for her to live with a guy, but before I could say a word, Master Zhao had already turned his head and instructed Mengxi that they could stay, but before the engagement, they had to sleep in separate rooms.
Master Zhao's decision was final and Mengxi happily agreed, her face lighting up with joy.
Master Zhao hated when someone tried to influence his decisions. If I pushed any further, I'd be asking for trouble. I managed to force a smile, but when I looked up, I caught that man's gaze, penetrating as if he saw right through me, his eyebrows raised with significant intrigue.
His stare was too heated and too invasive. It almost gave me the feeling of being hunted, that at any misstep, I'd be ripped apart and devoured.
Anxious not to be noticed by Master Zhao and Mengxi, I met his eyes with a warning glance and quickly looked away.
I thought he would back off, but just as I cast my gaze down, his deep, magnetic voice echoed in my ears.
"Who is this?"