Brother-in-law Liwei was many times better than this pompous man. Long Jinjing’s younger sister was so lucky to have a man like him. Brother-in-law Liwei was perfect husband material, unlike this Lu Zihao whose dominant presence was making her think of wicked, unladylike thoughts.
Long Jinjing shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. It seemed like her friends’ repeated teasing was finally getting to her. The naughty Dom and Meimei were the ones who put the word “yummylicious” inside her head to describe Lu Zihao. As a result, the embarrassing word kept popping inside her mind now that the man himself was right in front of her.
It was a miracle that she hadn’t called him “Mr. Yummylicious” by accident yet. How embarrassing would it be if she really did that?
She adored her friends but Dom and Meimei were sometimes such bad influence that she felt like she had been corrupted by them. Her best friend, Chen Fei, had a foul mouth but at least she wasn’t bawdy like the two.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of lightning and the crack of deafening thunder outside, causing her to almost spill her tea on her lap. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you’re not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It’s very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
“Oh no,” she said as she looked outside the window. “The storm is getting worse.”
Lu Zihao placed his empty teacup on the coffee table and stood up. “It’s getting late. I don’t want to intrude in your home for too long. I should get going.”
“What are you saying? Can’t you see that it’s pouring outside? It’s also very cold. You’ll get sick if you go out there right now.”
He shrugged, looking unconcerned. “Just lend me an umbrella and I’ll be fine.”
“It’s a storm! The umbrella will be useless. The wind will just wreck it. Where did you park your car?”
“Somewhere there,” he said, waving at a vague direction.
“Where?”
She wouldn’t stop asking him until he finally relented and gave her an address almost five towns away. It was a hip place teeming with an active nightlife.
“Don’t tell me you walked from there all the way here,” she said in disbelief. “That’s so far.”
“I needed some exercise.”
“You’re crazy,” she muttered.
His devilish smile appeared and its sinful brilliance almost blinded her into stupidity. She must’ve gawked at him like an idiot because her mind felt like it blanked out for a few seconds.
Indeed, this man was dangerous! Just a smile and her IQ felt like it plummeted to amoeba level.
“Be careful with your words and actions, Miss Long,” he said in a low, wicked voice. “I might assume that you don’t want me to leave tonight.”
Heat spread on her face and neck. Again.
“T-that’s not…what are you…I mean…no,” she stammered.
How embarrassing! It seemed like her IQ really crashed to amoeba level.
A demonic chuckle rumbled out of his wide chest. The sound tickled something inside her and made her want to shiver.
She inhaled long and hard and exhaled it in a harsh breath. It somehow helped regain a semblance of her composure which was quickly deteriorating into embarrassing tatters because of this man.
“Don’t think too much,” she said in a steadier voice. “I’m simply acting this way because my conscience won’t allow me to sleep tonight if I let you out in the storm. My younger sister cares a lot about you and treats you like an older brother. She might blame me if you become sick after getting drenched in the cold rain tonight.”
He tucked his hands inside the pockets of his pants. “So what do you suggest that I do, Miss Long? The storm looks like it’ll last until morning.”
She looked away and cleared her throat before speaking. “I have an extra bedroom. You can stay here for the night.”
“Heh~ Did I hear you correctly? Is Miss Long inviting me to sleep over and stay with you tonight?”
Her head snapped back and she glared at him. “Don’t say such misleading words, Mr. Lu!”
Another demonic chuckle from him teased her insides and spread the heat on her face and neck even further. She pretended to act annoyed and angry by huffing at him. But in truth, excitement fluttered in her stomach at how daring she was acting by inviting Mr. Yummy—cough cough—stop corrupting her maiden mind, Dom and Meimei!
Suddenly, the teasing glint in his eyes turned into something more intense that she couldn’t identify.
“Miss Long, are you sure you want to invite someone like me inside your home?” he asked in a serious tone.
She swallowed but still nodded.
“Last chance, Miss Long. Are you sure?”
“Y-yes.”
His voice dropped in volume until it was almost a whisper. “Alright. I’ll stay here tonight.”
Her now amoeba-level brain once again blanked out for a few seconds. Fortunately, another loud thunder cracked outside and roused her from the hunk-induced stupidity. After she regained her senses, her face heated again upon realizing that he was looking at her with amusement.
So embarrassing!
This was what she got for being caught unawares in the middle of the night! If she had been in a public setting during daylight, or better yet, in a business setting, she would’ve acted more like an independent career woman in front of him instead of a wide-eyed teenage girl like how she was acting right now.
“F-follow me. I’ll show you the guest bedroom.” She didn’t wait for his reply and walked ahead instead.
When she didn’t hear anything behind her, she thought that he hadn’t followed her. She turned around to call for him but bumped into a big and wide chest instead. He caught her before she fell backwards from the impact.
“Careful,” he said.
“Oh!” She grabbed on his arms to steady herself. “Why are you so silent? I didn’t know that you were directly behind me.”
He didn’t reply to what she said but instead asked her, “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.”
He released her when she looked steady enough on her feet.
She opened a door and showed him inside. “This is the guest bedroom.”
