To His Side (Failed) 3

The woman took her all the way until the fifth floor. From the second to the fourth floor, Ouyang Xueqing could only saw rows of closed doors which she guessed were the prostitutes' rooms. Contrary to that, the fifth floor only consisted of one large wooden double doors.

Gong Wan'er heaved a heavy sigh for climbing five floor had almost drained all her energy. Furthermore she had just served a rough and passionate customer the night before. But then, when she glanced at the boy and found out that he didn't even panted nor there was a bit of sweat on his forehead, her mood brightened considerably.

She drew closer and blew on Ouyang Xueqing's ear. "Little boy, how about considering me for your first experience, hmm?"

Ouyang Xueqing jumped further away and rubbed her tingling ear. Goosebumps crawled along her skin as her face felt like a boiling kettle with fuming steam. "M—Manager, please don't tease me!" She cried out helplessly but the woman only chuckled at her innocent and panic look.

"Such a pity~" She sighed. "I would love to taste you."

"Manager!" If only she knew that the boy she teased was a girl inside out, Ouyang Xueqing truly wondered what her reaction would be.

She truly couldn't bear Gong Wan'er's tease anymore. Her face was beet red and it spread to her ears until her neck. One could almost see steams fuming from her head. Gong Wan'er chuckled at the boy's pureness and snapped her fingers.

The maidservant that was always on standby came forward with a tray. On top of it were a ceramic teapot with a small cup. She could smell the rich fragrance and the freshness of herbal tea from it. "Take this to the young master." Gong Wan'er gestured for Ouyang Xueqing to take the tray. "He's inside."

Ouyang Xueqing clutched the tray tightly, her heart beating so fast that it could escape from her ribcage. Seeing her nervousness, Gong Wan'er smiled and winked. "Don't worry. Young Master is not an unreasonable person." Then she continued with a whisper. "Well, as long as you didn't make any mistake."

Ouyang Xueqing "…" I can hear it clearly, you know?!

Without giving her any time to prepare, Gong Wan'er knocked on the door. "Young master~" She called coyly. "Here's the new servant reporting."

Came a slightly gruff voice from inside. "Come in."

Ouyang Xueqing could swear that she almost stopped breathing. The voice, it sounded so familiar. She had always dreamed of his voice, the cool and even tone that soothed her fear and worries and saved her from the edge of despair. It was slightly deeper and lower than how she remembered it to be, but she couldn't have mistaken it!

She could hear her heart pounding on her ears as she nodded at Gong Wan'er and took a step inside.

At that exact moment, her gaze was instantly drawn to the person that was sitting behind the large desk and her whole world faded away.

Her pupils constricted as she stood frozen in place. The man in front of her was beautiful. No, beautiful was a total understatement. He didn't have the graceful and gentle air like Ren Yupei, nor the languid and dangerous aura like An Zhengnan. He was the other kind of beautiful which she couldn't put into words.

He reminded her of a calm ocean. A deep and serene water which flowed swiftly, firm and resolute, not disturbed by anything, but when you lowered your guard, you would find yourself being dragged by its force until you could no longer found your way out.

And that was exactly how Ouyang Xueqing felt.

He had thick eyebrows sheltering his pair of graceful eyelids, his eyelashes curled beautifully. Pointed nose and thin pale lips, high cheekbones and sharp jaw. When he raised his eyes, Ouyang Xueqing sucked in a sharp breath. The pair of eyes that was akin to obsidian stared back at her.

It was so black that Ouyang Xueqing felt like this was the first time she had ever seen the color black, It was even blacker than Imperial Father's highest grade black jade.

The sun shined from the window behind his back and Ouyang Xueqing suddenly got the impression that it was he who's shining instead of the sun.

Her ears were ringing and her head drew blank. Looking at the face in front of her, she recalled the three years she had spent imagining how he looked like beneath his mask. Her heart would flutter for the reason unbeknownst to her.

But then, what she felt now was a different kind of flutter.

If imagining it gave her a ticklish feeling like feather running across her skin, then right now she felt like she had just got punched on her chest. It hurt, but it was sweet at the same time. She suddenly felt the back of her eyes burn and her throat constricted.

When a frown was formed on his eyebrows, she snapped back to her senses.

She hurriedly lowered her gaze and bowed deeply. "F—Forgive me, Young Master!" She grimaced at her stupidity for being caught gawking at him. There goes my first impression, she thought woefully.

He clicked his tongue. "…Impudent."

His voice was akin to gentle breeze but the tone was giving her a chill. She bent her waist deeper. "Please forgive my insolence!" When she didn't get any answer, she broke out in cold sweat. Biting her lips, she decided to put the tray on the floor and kowtowed until her forehead touched the ground. "Please forgive me!"

She had seen many people kneeled and kowtowed before her Imperial Father, but this was the first time she had to do it to a stranger. Let alone kowtowing, she didn't even have to lower her head for anyone. She couldn't help but pat herself for her great acting.

She could hear footsteps approaching her and a pair of feet arrived right in front of her nose. But still she didn't dare to raise her head until the man commanded, "Raise your head."

Gulping, Ouyang Xueqing straightened her back, still kneeling on the floor. Mo Yujian stared down at her with his hawk eye. "You're the new guy?"

"Y—Yes!" Being stared at from such a close distance was really bad for her heart. She bit her tongue when she answered in slight panic. "My name is Ma Sheqing, Young Master!"

"Hmm." Mo Yujian pursed his thin lips. "Why have you come here?"

"I have come to report to you and bring you tea, Young Master."

Mo Yujian's gaze moved to the tray that she put on the floor. "You're from the countryside?"

"Yes, Young Master." She answered solemnly. "Even though I am young, I am an experienced servant!"

It seemed like an illusion, but she could catch a slight curl on his lips before it disappeared instantly and his usual deadpan expression remained. "An experienced servant?" He repeated. "Then do you know that an experienced servant never put his master's food on the floor even if it's just a cup of tea?"

Ouyang Xueqing's eyes widened at his words.