LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 353 Dinner Together

Chenglei left her alone to take a bath and after changing to a comfortable royal blue dress, she realised that there were no maids or servants left in the courtyard and took a stroll around wondering what he might have planned.

As she got out of her room, she remembered the study she was prohibited to enter and as curious as she is, she got there and stood by the door that was closed and listened if Chenglei was inside. Sensing no movements inside she was about to open the door to take a peek inside that forbidden frontiers of her man.

But before she could open the door she felt someone closing in on her and her hand was grabbed by the familiar hands that have held her with utmost affection in the past and closed the door before she could take a peek.

"What are you doing, Miss Táng", Chenglei's deep magnetic voice laced with mockery, grazed her ears making her freeze. He smelt like food for some reason, her hand grabbed by his hand felt like it was burning and when Xing turned to look at him and the proximity of his face made her blush.

Why is he getting more handsome as he age?

"What are you keeping here Lord Li, that needs your personal protection?", she asked trying to open the door. The more he tried to keep her away, the more she wanted to look.

"You are not keeping a bunch of girls tied up there, are you?", she asked after failing to open the door against his strength. She couldn't accept the fact that he is hiding something from her.

Chenglei did want to hide something. This study is the one he uses whenever he wants to be alone and had no official business. The last time he was here, he tried to figure out the painting of the little girl playing with the tiger he had and then left it in the shelf here. He knew the moment this woman enters, she'd pick that painting up and would start to doubt him as someone who likes children, pervert and whatnot.

He had already hid that painting perfectly and it won't matter anymore but when he finished cooking and came here to get this woman, she was trying to sneak in that study and he could not help but want to tease her.

But who ended up getting blamed... Again?

This Woman!

"You...", Chenglei's dangerously deep voice made gooseb.u.mps appear in Xing's skin as he bent close to her holding her hand enveloping her with his warmth and licked her ear, "Whom do you take me as?", he bit her earlobe making her hiss.

But he didn't pull away from her as the alluring scent of her hair entered his nose and he buried his head in her neck planting small kisses trailing along her cheek.

"You are obviously a wolf... You even bite! ", Xing who's been attacked a lot by this dangerous man pushed him away turning to face him. She cannot be made to appear as an easy woman in his eyes although it might be a far-fetched wish now that he has figured that he can do anything to her without consequences.

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" You want to see?" he asked pressing her back to the door and his eyes had a glint in them as if they were trying to capture her in his eyes making her weak.

"Not anymore ", she tried to get away from him when he tightened his grip on her waist and with one hand lifted her up and pinned her on the door with her feet dangling midair.

Xing not expecting this sudden act, wrapped her arms around his shoulders instinctively and only then she noticed both of them are in the same eye level and her nose almost touched his and so did his long curled eyelashes.

Geez! Who'd look this good in this proximity.?

Xing sighed and her breath hot as his breath tickled him and his lips curved to a l.u.s.ty smirk. With her in his arm, carrying her like a child, he opened the door and brought her into the study and let her down.

"See... Nothing fishy here!", he looked at her like he was wronged making Xing uncomfortable.

Chenglei watched her looking around in his study in her soft silk robes made from the expensive silk and half her hair pulled up and fixed to a simple bun with a jade hairpin fixing it in place. Her waist long hair was smooth and he really liked the way it smelled. Even his hand that held her for sometime is smelling good.

No matter what, he wanted her!

"Lord Li, I wanted to talk to you about something important", Xing told pausing her steps. She wanted to tell him about the G.o.ds and not to get involved with them as he had forgotten all about them. She knew Zhu Rong might try something again.

Chenglei who was admiring her, felt his heart skip a beat.

What is she going to say? Will she tell me about her love?. Chenglei didn't want to listen to her anymore.

"Shall we have dinner first?", he tried to distract her.

It did distract her, "You cooked, didn't you?", Xing asked with her heart filled with joy. That's why he smelled like food.

How amazing is he!

"Come on! ", he didn't answer her and Xing didn't force him either. After all, men don't cook and Ladies don't cook either in their kingdom.

Xing happily ate the simple dishes he made and they were all in the recipes her mother used to make. She wondered if he remembered her mother or he just did it out of his muscle memory or something. She wanted to ask him about that a.s.sa.s.sination Attempt when he was twelve and her mother but she remembered how much pain he was in back in the pond and decided to skip that topic.

I've hurt him enough!

"Lord Li, I..."

"Call me by my name", he said with his eyes scrutinising her reactions. He was scared of what she might say.

"Your name?", Xing took a deep breath. "Li ChengNuo?", she knitted her brows. How many names should I call him with? Isn't Chenglei his real name?

"Nah! It doesn't feel good", she shook her head.

Chenglei also felt it to be not so comfortable enough. She called him Chenglei a couple of times before and that really felt good!

"Listen, Lord Li!", she looked at him, "I know your birthday is coming up in a couple of months and I've been notified that you always give autumn bonus to your workers. This year I actually turned the bonus money into winter wear for everyone in the family", she paused to look for his reactions and seeing him not so moved, she continued,

"With my workers, I've noticed that some men spend that money on gambling or in brothels than on their families and so I'd always give products as bonuses. For example if a man has little children, I'd give him winter clothes and if he has a marriageable daughter, I'd give red silk robes and if someone in the family is sick, I'll arrange for medical treatment and so on. It always worked well even though it is more work for me and I thought I'd implement it for your workers too. I've already instructed Lin Mubai to take care of it when I handed the accounts to him for our journey ", she paused again to get some reaction from him but he looked like she was talking about someone else's business.

" I've arranged everything regarding the merchants who'd supply the goods. I always buy everything from the Feng family merchants and I've arranged the Wei family merchants for your Manor. They provide quality goods at apt prices too. Why make only one family rich right? Let's help all! ", she smiled and seen him still nonchalant peeved her,

" Come on! Say something! ", she pouted. Could he be mad that I made changes to his way of doing things?

" You... Are very thoughtful! I really appreciate it and... I gave the authority to you so you can do whatever. I don't mind", he said blandly but Xing could see the pride in his eyes.

This woman!

I knew I'd only have to worry about her and she'd take care of everything else! Smart, caring and beautiful! What a combination for a wife! It would be utter foolishness to let this woman go!

"And your gardener surnamed Bai seemed to be meeting someone from the He family often. I know you'd have known about it too and I just wanted to....",

"I know", Chenglei interjected her. "I'm letting him pa.s.s misinformation to the He family. Bai Zhu is working for me, so it's fine ". He was actually surprised by her attentiveness. He asked her to take care of his accounts and here she is, taking care of it extremely well with a serious att.i.tude like how a wife should! And the conversation they are having, doesn't it look like a married couple's conversation about their household affairs.... How blissful!

"Oh, good then!", Xing nodded and resumed eating. Chenglei looked at her and she seemed more and more attractive in his eyes. It gave him a weird feeling. Happiness beyond measures and also a deep fear of rejection.

What if she returned to the one in her heart? How can I make her fall for me? How can I make her stay with me? I really don't want to miss her.