While they were speaking, the door was knocked.
Si Yiyan looked at the people in the room before exclaiming calmly, “Come in!”
The door was then pushed open and Avrora entered together with Duke Moville and Duke Mo behind them.
Duke Moville appeared fierce and stern, with a cedar wood cane in his right hand. The carvings on the wood looked terrifying and menacing.
Wen Xinya could not help but sense a strong tension in the air, though she was unsure if it was just her hallucination.
The climax Si Yiyan mentioned was about to begin.
Avrora helped Duke Moville onto a seat that was on the same level as Si Yiyan. After handing his cane to Avrora, Duke Moville said, “I heard that Miss Bella got into a conflict with Avrora downstairs just now?”
Sensing that Avrora was staring at her in a provoking manner, Wen Xinya looked up at her, only to see that Avrora had a smug expression on her face with her brows raised.
Wen Xinya suddenly felt an ominous feeling.
At this moment, she heard Si Yiyan said smilingly, “It’s not something major, anyway. Duke Moville, I’m sure you know that the Chinese place great emphasis on rules and etiquettes. Hence, Bella is a little more stringent and anal about that.”
He was indirectly mocking Avrora for acting in an unruly manner and at the same time, tell them that Wen Xinya was well-mannered.
Avrora turned pale and grasped her dress tightly, staring at Si Yiyan intently with her beautiful gray eyes.
Of course, Wen Xinya noticed everything. Although Avrora did show that she carried a torch for Si Yiyan, she dared not express her feelings that openly in front of Duke Moville and Boris earlier on. However, she was now bold and unrestrained. She shifted her gaze onto Duke Moville.
Duke Moville’s face grew a little sullen because of Si Yiyan’s words, though he soon smiled and answered, “Hahaha! It’s normal for girls to express their jealousy and act inappropriately sometimes. Miss Bella, Rex, please don’t hold it against her.”
Si Yiyan looked down and sipped on some tea without answering him.
Wen Xinya’s eyelids began to twitch. First, it was Avrora openly admiring Si Yiyan and next, it was Duke Moville atrociously defending Avrora’s poor manners as an expression of her jealousy.
Just what did they have up their sleeves?
Duke Moville laughed and said, “No matter what, Avrora was the one being rude and offending Miss Bella. Here’s a little token of apology from me to Miss Bella.”
Duke Moville looked at Boris.
Boris placed a 2.2-feet-long embroidered woven box in front of Wen Xinya and said, “It’s nothing too special. Miss Bella, please don’t mind it.”
“Duke Moville…” murmured an astonished and surprised Wen Xinya.
He’s actually being so polite? However, he’s very mysterious and he’s obviously pinpointing me.
She looked at Avrora, who was much more puerile compared to the old and cunning Duke Moville and the conscientious Boris. If anything amiss was coming, she would be able to tell from Avrora’s body language.
At this moment, Avrora was gazing at Si Yiyan affectionately with her alluring pair of eyes.
Wen Xinya’s heart dropped and she glared daggers at Avrora. Or did it have something to do with Si Yiyan!?!
Si Yiyan silently retracted his hand while keeping a straight face. “Since Duke Moville is so sincere about apologizing, just accept it!”
Unable to guess what Si Yiyan was thinking, Wen Xinya looked at Duke Moville smilingly and said, “Duke Moville, you’re being too kind. I have no choice but to accept it.”
She accepted the gift graciously, thinking herself that his true colors would show sooner or later.
“Miss Bella, aren’t you going to open it?” Even Duke Moville was surprised to find out that Bella was not a simple girl. It seems Rex is right about her coming from a wealthy and prestigious family in China. Avrora really pales in comparison to her, especially in terms of grace and composure.
He’s requesting for me to open the gift that he gave me. What rules are those?
Wen Xinya immediately kept her guard up. She answered smilingly, “I’d like to see the gift that you gave me, Duke Moville. It must be extraordinary.”
Since they had presented her with the gift in front of Si Yiyan and the rest, it definitely wouldn’t be poor in quality.
Si Yiyan said, “Duke Moville has always been generous. His gift is definitely going to be extraordinary.”
Wen Xinya looked at the box on the table which was made of purplish-gray cedarwood. The embroidery was fine and detailed with varying designs. It was exquisite and fragrant, and she could tell that it was made of aged wood that was at least 200 years old.
Her heart skipped a beat, though she remained calm on the surface and opened the box.
The mild scent of perfume wafted up to Wen Xinya’s nose and she looked at the scroll inside.
It was an ancient painting made by poets and artists who had added musk to the ink, allowing the paper to be preserved and kept for a long time without decomposing.
Clearly, it was an exorbitant painting.
Wen Xinya picked it up carefully and unrolled it in front of everyone.
Her movements were fluid and graceful and she immediately exuded an ancient classiness that was absolutely mesmerizing. She also looked refined and scholarly.
Duke Moville’s pupils constricted. He initially thought that she was an uncouth and boorish bumpkin who only got to where she was because of her good looks. To his surprise… she actually had a hidden elegance and knowledge.
He reckoned that she must have been taught by a renowned Chinese scholar.
Although Russians looked down on the Chinese, they could not help but admit that the rich history and teachings passed along the generations were not to be belittled. He thought to himself, This woman is not simple!
She opened the scroll to reveal a painting of mountains with high peaks, cliffs with uneven terrains, flowing lakes, river villages, fishing boats, messy buildings, as well as people who were fishing, having a vacation, and taking a tour around the place.
The painting looked realistic, vibrant and full of life. It depicted nature and the mountains in a beautiful and magnificent manner.
