“I….” A deep furrow formed between Long Jinjing’s brows as confusion filled her. “I’ve known Little Sister Xiulan since we were children and…uhm, well, let’s just say that she was very…different back then. It shocked me so much to learn that she’s actually a genius who’s enrolled to THE Cross Academy, but she’s my own sister so I’m also very proud of her. It’s just that…how do I say this? I know that she’s a genius but I guess that it hasn’t really registered completely to me yet just how much of a genius she is in reality. Am I making sense?”
Lu Zihao grunted.
“It seems that my sister is even more amazing than I thought,” she murmured.
This time, the silence that descended between the two of them felt more comfortable than the previous one. The car left the old, abandoned industrial zone and would soon enter the city. Brighter lights from the streets illuminated the interior of the car.
Long Jinjing turned her head and just stared at the man driving. A stupid-looking, shy smile played on her lips as she admired Lu Zihao.
“Woman, don’t tempt while I’m driving,” he growled low in his throat.
Her smile turned wider. “Do I have that much effect on you?”
“I feel like stopping this car by the roadside again and fucking you until daybreak. Now you tell me how much effect you have on me.”
She blushed, still unable to handle this much shameless teasing. In the end, she could only force herself to look away from him. Although she was tempted to take him up on his threat, her practical side managed to barely win over her foolishly and crazily in love side.
It was already past midnight. If they continued to mess around, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. No sleep meant that her work productivity would suffer tomorrow. She valued her work as Orchidia Beauty’s Chief Financial Officer and would never take it for granted. Even though she wanted to spend every moment with the man she loved, her career fulfillment was still very important to her. In short, she had to go to work tomorrow and function properly.
She didn’t notice that she had fallen asleep. Lu Zihao glanced at her and turned up the car’s heater.
“Bacon.”
It took almost half a minute before the black cat AI appeared on the dashboard monitor.
“Uncle Zihao, it’s now Bacon’s curfew. Please don’t get me into trouble with my parents. Bacon doesn’t want Father to ground me again.”
Lu Zihao rolled his eyes but became serious. He glanced at his sleeping woman again. “Look out for your Aunt Jinjing from now on.”
Bacon tilted his fluffy, little, black head to the side and blinked his sharp, golden eyes. “In what way should Bacon look out for Aunt Jinjing?”
“Standard protection from any potential dangers to her safety. Also look out for any traitors that might harm her from her circles and from mine. Anyone from Shadow Winds is a suspect. They now know that she’s my woman when I brought her to the headquarters earlier tonight. Potential traitors and my enemies will surely use her first to attack my weakness.”
“Understood, Uncle Zihao. Bacon will fulfill Uncle Zihao’s request regarding Aunt Jinjing’s safety but please pay Bacon’s overtime rate according to my original signed employment contract.”
“Tsk. Fine.”
“Bacon thanks Uncle Zihao in advance.”
“Also….”
Bacon tilted his fluffy, little, black head to the other side when Lu Zihao didn’t speak for a long time. “Also?”
Lu Zihao’s eyes flashed with bloodthirst. “Make sure no assholes flirt with your Aunt Jinjing when I’m not with her. If anyone dares to do so, report to me immediately and I’ll cut off the asshole’s dick so he won’t ever have a chance to use it for the rest of his life.”
“Bacon doesn’t want to be a part of Uncle Zihao’s jealous behaviours. It’s not classy.”
“What the fuck did you just say, you little—”
Bacon immediately played a recorded audio of what Lu Zihao said starting from the request to keep an eye on any men flirting with Long Jinjing. Lu Zihao’s vulgar words while talking to his AI nephew could be heard clear as day.
“If Uncle Zihao continues hurting Bacon’s feelings like this, I will play this audio not only to my parents but also to Aunt Jinjing. Then they will know all the sufferings that Bacon goes through in the hands of Uncle Zihao and that you’re not classy at all. Father will surely help Bacon demand a higher compensation for emotional distress than before.”
Did the little devil just blackmail him? He, Nikolai Vetrov, was being blackmailed by a fucking kitten? Fuck! Lu Zihao almost ripped the steering wheel off the car in his anger and frustration.
Knowing that he couldn’t win against the cunning little devil in a normal way, Lu Zihao reined in his violent temper. He glared at Bacon.
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Forget about looking out for assholes flirting with your Aunt Jinjing. Just do the standard protection for her safety.”
The black cat AI’s tail swished from side to side. “Understood, Uncle Zihao. Bacon knows that Uncle Zihao can be reasonable if you just try. Please don’t always act like a jealous scumbag. It’s not classy.”
Lu Zihao was impressed by his own tolerance towards the little poison-tongued smartass. It was because he didn’t want to disturb his woman’s sleep that he restrained himself from lashing out. Fortunately, Bacon left on his own accord because he didn’t want his older sister Ketchup to tattle on their dad that he secretly broke his curfew.
“Hah, good riddance,” Lu Zihao muttered under his breath.
He regained his calmness soon afterwards. Before he knew it, he had already gotten used to being on the receiving end of the annoying attacks from the poison-tongued Bacon and sometimes from the chatterbox Ketchup.
Glancing at the sleeping Long Jinjing, he knew that it wouldn’t only be his enemies who would learn one way or another that he now had a powerful weakness. Even those two little brats didn’t hold back at all in using their aunt against him. Damn hellions.
He didn’t notice that there was a smile on his face, and that for the first time ever, he felt something akin to contentment especially with his woman sleeping beside him.
