𝐅𝐞𝐢┃18+

┃30┃

The silence was so piercing that Fei had to open her eyes to see why the man suddenly stopped talking.

Her innocent and tearful eyes met his incomprehensible ones which gazed at her with a look of scrutiny and then something which she couldn't fathom as if he was entranced by an unbelievable clarity.

Her lips parted to take a soft breath and Yinghao felt his body stiffen when he heard the sound of it.

"You're hurting me," Fei woefully pleaded, wanting to be released. "Let me go, please?"

"Who are you?" His voice rasped as he took in her whole appearance and couldn't stop himself while doing so. Their faces just a few inches away while she tried to weakly resist the hold he'd on her hair.

It hurt a lot.

"Mmn~" She sobbed like a small pitiful animal and tried her best to free herself in a fruitless attempt. "Let me go, please?"

As though he was only able to hear her now, the hold on her hair loosen and she quickly backed away, distancing herself from him.

She hiccuped and hid herself behind a pillar again.

"What's your relation with my brother?" She heard him ask after a long silence.

Fei peeked from the pillar and quickly hid herself back when their eyes met again. Her actions one of a squirrel's on a tree.

"..." Yinghao.

Those actions certainly do not identify her the way he assumed what she'd be at first.

"I-I.. don't know your brother," She replied, sounding wronged as she pouted to herself. "You've misunderstood.. me, sir."

"Misunderstood you?" Yinghao eased the frown on his face and asked, this time much more relaxed. "Then what was he doing here?"

"He said you're after his head and couldn't leave." Fei tried to clearly recall those words. Yes, that's what his brother said.

"What?" Baffled and at the loss of words, he tried to approach her but then her scared voice sounded.

She was scared of him.
But then, why wouldn't she be?

"D-Don't come near me!" Fei held on to the pillar when she heard the sound of his approaching footsteps.

Yinghao stopped on his steps and heaved a deep sigh, growing more curious about the identity of this young maiden.

"Who are you? And what were you doing here?" He asked, now much composed after realizing that she had nothing to do with his brother.

The brat must've ran into her while she was here and with his playful nature, it wouldn't be a surprise to know that he tried to hit on this unknown girl too.

Plus, he couldn't deny that she was indeed a beautiful young maiden and he'd never seen someone like her before.

Fei touched her chin and winced in pain. It hurt a bit. What if her husband finds out about this?

Getting no reply from her end, Yinghao grew much more curious and stayed silent, in a dilemma if he should apologize for misunderstanding her.

"You-"

"Can-" They both grew awkward, getting interrupted like that and tried to speak up again.

"You-"

"You-"

Fei couldn't help but giggle and tease the man,"Do you want to apologize?" Her kind and gentle voice woke him up from his trance when he heard her innocent giggle.

She was a sweet maiden.

"Yes, I'd like to apologize for my harsh behavior towards you, it was a misunderstanding." He slightly lowered his gaze, feeling a sense of bitterness that he had hurt a fragile woman for no reason.

"I forgive you, it happens," Fei had never held a grudge for anyone. Even if she is wronged in some way, she'll always forgive people no matter how big their mistakes turn out to be.

"Misunderstandings happen," She mumbled softly, loud enough for him to hear.

Yinghao had never seen such a forgiving person and was taken aback by her sensible words. Now he felt more guilt rise up inside his heart.

"If there is any way.. I could sincerely apologize to you?" After seeing how humble she was, he didn't want to let his pride get in his way to sincerely apologize to her.

The earlier apology wasn't really meant from his heart because he hesitated due to his pride.

"Ummmm," He heard her ponder like a child for a moment and then he heard her words, which took him by surprise.

"You should treat your brother well, he helped me," Fei shyly requested. "A-And if you could please leave?"

Leave? That was new.

To Yinghao, those words weren't pretense but she meant it. If it were someone else, they would've clearly demanded for something in return - like a compensation and Yinghao preferred it much better.

He raised his eyebrows, growing skeptical but agreed with the conditions,"Okay, but may I at least know your name?"

Fei didn't want the man to be caught by her husband, so she answered without thinking. "My.. name is Fei, Lu Fei."

Lu Fei - she belonged to the Lu family. He wasn't really expecting that. She was too different to belong to that family. Their vile nature and her kindness was a huge difference.

Just a moment later when the silence enveloped the whole place, Fei peeked out behind the pillar, finding nobody there.

He was gone.

She breathed a sigh of relief and touched her chin which still ached a bit. She will need to hide it from her husband. If he were to find out..

Quite drained, she slid down whilst leaning against the pillar, tired from all the event. Her eyes drooped and she fell asleep on the floor just like that.

...

The sight of her body on the floor gave Yang a huge fright as he ran to her and picked her in his arms, thinking that she'd fainted due to exhaustion but then heard her soft snores.

She was just.. sleeping.

His body almost instantly went limp with her in his arms and he closed his eyes in relief, helplessly chuckling a moment later.

This little..

He ran his hand on her smooth face but then something caught his eyes; a bruise.

There was a slight bruise on her chin and it looked fresh. His eyes turned cold and he traced his index on it, feeling her squirm in his arms while he did so.

How did she get this?
Did she fell or..?

His eyes dangerously narrowed on her sleeping face and he didn't know whether to wake her up to question her.

"Mmh~" She was smiling in her sleep and his eyes softened watching that.

...