Have No Fear, Hubby is Here! (Part 4)

It took her an eternity before she finally realized what he was saying. Her eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly's wings, her eyes went in and out of focus several times before she could sort out what she should feel. One thing was for sure, she was blushing madly again. 

"Hmph! Who would want you to be their father!" she teased, annoyed yet being playful at the same time. 

Qiao Yanli narrowed his eyes as they were fixated on those beautiful gems that were looking at him. He regained his composure, not playing around anymore, and eyed at his groin suggestively. 

"Well, Mrs Qiao has just crashed into my little treasure. It's really hurting now and I'm hoping Mrs Qiao would be so kind as to help me… massage it?" said the man as he guided her slender hand toward his manly parts. 

Xia Yanxi shrieked, not too loudly in fear of alerting others, but as an instinctive response from the notion of touching "that" place. 

How could such a man of elegance be portraying such a childish act that made it hard for one to deal with. Even so, it was not repulsive... 

The sting in her heart, the one she felt from before, had vanished with just a few words and a mildly annoying behavior. Feeling a little better, she bit her lower lip and smiled. The glint in her eyes returned, and she said, "Qiao Yanli, can you please behave?" 

Qiao Yanli was enjoying this scene; of her biting her lower lip, infuriated yet still smiling, the glint in her eyes, and the porcelain white face that was ever so slightly colored with her rose pink blush. She did not know how enticing this look of hers was for a man. 

He reached out his powerful yet slender arm toward her face and caressed her chin. His touch, rough yet gentle, was magical. It was as if his touch carried electricty, sending a jolt down her spine that spread out to every limb. The warmth that was hidden in the coldness of his glare was only visible to Xia Yanxi alone. With a low, caring tone, he asked, "Tell me, why do you want to work here?" 

His voice, the look in his eyes, the touch of his hands... It was all too comforting, longing even. Xia Yanxi caved in as she felt like she was in the middle of a summer breeze. 

She drew in a deep breath and reciprocated the caring look, telling him everything about her brother's illness. 

When she was done, she pricked his chest with her finger, warning him once more. 

"Yanli, remember our agreement. We might be officially married but I am independent. Please do not feel pity or sorry for me. I am already twenty years of age, no longer a child. I can work for a living and as sure as hell can take care of my own brother." 

"What about that man?" 

If it were under any other circumstances, Xia Yanxi would have never revealed anything about Bai Wenxuan to Qiao Yanli. However, he had shown his trustworthiness and caring side today, and for that, he deserved the truth. She had been keeping everything to herself for far too long, she needed someone who would listen to her woes. 

"He was my boyfriend and now he is engaged to my stepsister. It might just be a coincidence but he recognized me during the dance earlier and insulted me for it. He thinks that I am sullied and unclean, but I am not here to sell myself, it was purely for the sake of performance. I have never done any of the things he claimed that I did! Never have I ever done something that would bring shame on myself!" she vented vehemently. Her chest tightened a little when she brought up Bai Wenxuan. 

"Your husband trusts you." 

Qiao Yanli pulled Xia Yanxi close to his face. With his other hand, he gently stroke her back, to calm her trembling body. 

She could not explain it but when he said he trusted her, she felt calm from the warmth it gave her. 

The man with whom she shared her childhood, until she was an adolescent, trusted the words of her stepmother and stepsister instead of her own. Yet somehow, a man whom she had only met three times, trusted her words like it was a sacred scripture. 

"Thank you. Thank you, Qiao Yanli," she said. 

'Thank you for being the one who believes me.'

Qiao Yanli chuckled lightly. 

"Mrs Qiao, you have thanked me many times over. If you really want to show your gratitude, perhaps you could give your husband a well-deserved kiss?" 

Just how despicable could this man be!?

"No kiss for you yet. I'll treat you to a meal some other time instead!" said the girl as she crossed her arms with a certain zeal. 

Her legs were now fine and her heart was warmed. Perhaps if the two continued to remain in that position, it would be too warm… Perhaps everything that had happened was exhilarating, or perhaps it was something else. The girl got to her feet with a pout on her face and a tint of red blush on her cheeks. 

Xia Yanxi's slender figure was no longer touching his. Her long hair swayed along with her body, gently grazing the man's nose, gracing them with a gentle fragrance that was Xia Yanxi herself. It was a fragrance that he coveted for, the kind that lingered like the plumes of a flower bud. A clean, enticing smell that was very much suited to Xia Yanxi. He was, undoubtedly, infatuated.