"Mia are you okay?" Ivan looked down at her with worried sick eyes, those were the eyes that just somehow attracted her to this creature.
She immediately snapped out of her trance and quickly plastered a small smile revealing her cute dimples as she nodded.
Shortly after, Henry came out with a tissue in his hands, looking down at his pant as he wiped them one more time.
"Okay I think we'll be leaving now, it's getting pretty late," the middle-aged man took a glance at his watch and swept his gaze across everyone with a smile of satisfaction before standing up, with the woman beside him, even Tristan followed suit.
"Oh, brother-in-law, the night ended so soon," Lin Baozhai stood up pouting her lips like a little child then she turned to the woman standing next to him, "Sister make sure you come back soon, okay," Baozhai threw herself in for a tight hug with her.
"No problem dear," the woman had a charming smile and looked so much like Lin Baozhai. She did an 'okay' sign with her hand and hugged her one more time.
"Thanks for the dinner, aunty," Henry replied in a very polite, gentle tone that complemented his charming British accent.
"Yes aunt, it was simply delicious," Tristan who was standing next to Henry spoke next with his hands behind his back like a bodyguard.
Mia who just watched and heard everything that played before her, gasped in shock, 'Wait, what aunt? This stupid Tristan is related to the Qins?! Like what the hell?! I have so many enemies just from one family in a short period of time. Could it get any worse?'
They soon left after a few farewell comments then Xander immediately excused himself and went up to his room leaving Ivy, Xavier, Ava, Lin Baozhai, Ivan, and Mia in the dining hall.
Mia whose train of thought was running wild felt like slapping herself on all sides of her face. What was she thinking? stirring up a fight with almost all the males of this family and she just had to spill soup on one of them today!
Ivy looked intently at Mia and she immediately sensed it, she knew that look and it wasn't a good one, she already had enough drama for one day.
"I should probably get going too. It's getting late and I have a shoot tomorrow," she turned around and started heading out.
"Aren't you going to congratulate your friend," Ivy's voice was low and dangerous which echoed in the large, quiet dining room, and Mia paused in her tracks.
Mia cursed inwardly and approached Ivy trying as much as possible to keep her steps steady but her heels weren't helping one bit.
She stood behind the chair opposite Ivy and held it, clenching and unclenching it with every passing second that ticked by, chewing on her trembling lower lip. She's had enough embarrassment for one day and here was Ivy seeking someone to congratulate her? If she was joking it wasn't funny at least not to Mia.
Mia had planned to tease Ivy on the day of her wedding but it's so ironic how the tables turned around, there was no celebration, no party, no fixed date, and worst of all, she didn't even inform her! It was now she knew how unpredictable this Ivy of a friend really was.
Yes, she's good at twisting events but this is a marriage for crying out loud! A very unique bond.
"Mia, what's wrong?" Ivan snapped her out of her hazy thoughts.
She shook her head and smiled lightly at Ivan before returning her gaze to Ivy.
"Sorry and congratulations to you both," she immediately turned to leave but...
"Mia wait I'll drop you off," Ivan's voice made her heart skip a beat for a split second, then she nodded silently with a small smile.
As soon as they left, it was as if the god of silence had stopped by to say, 'hello' until Lin Baozhai interrupted it.
"So, V, I'm guessing that she was so beautiful that she bewitched you, right? That's why you couldn't help but marry her on such short notice. But..." she trailed off then looked at Ivy for a while before returning her gaze to Xavier before she continued. "Why didn't you have a ceremony and why are you dressed so formally dear?" she asked Ivy.
"Okayyy, this is getting kinda awkward, excuse me," Ava stood up and rushed towards the stairs before shouting, "Goodnight everyone!". How could they not have noticed that Ava had still been there the whole time? Sigh.
When Ava was gone, Lin Baozhai turned back once again with a questioning gaze that seemed more persistent this time.
"She didn't want any guests. I think it's because she loves me so much and she understood that I hate crowded places," Xavier was the one who spoke in his usual flat tone but Ivy could sense a streak of mischief lacing his voice especially when he said, "she loves me so much".
"Aww, so sweet, you guys make such a perfect match," Lin Baozhai replied with her eyes sparkling with adoration, "Come sit next to your wife," she pointed to the seat next to Ivy. Xavier wanted to roll his eyes but he resulted to sightly deeply before standing up to walk over to the seat beside her and sitting down.
Is he trying to get back at her for all the teasing she has been throwing at him? Well if this was his way, then not... cool. So many other thoughts traveled through Ivy's mind.
"So you guys went to the Civil Bureau of Affairs," it sounded more like a statement than a question and they both nodded simultaneously. "You guys could've at least informed me. I've never seen a love this strong that'll make you forget to inform your mother that you're getting married," she looked somewhat disdainfully at both of them.
Ivy took a sip of water, but what Lin Baozhai said made her choke nonstop. Love?! Strong?! Before she could process what she had heard, her coughing intensified.
"V! What are you looking at? Help her she's choking!" Lin Baozhai panicked and Ivy looked at Xavier, her eyes bloodshot.
Xavier rose his hand and reached out to pat her on the back, but it was merely inches away from her back before his fingers curled into a fist and he retracted his hand.
"Are you mad? Xavier Qin?! Does this look like some kind of play to you," she screamed at Xavier while she patted Ivy frantically on her back with a worried sick look written all over her face.
Ivy's cough soon died down and a lone tear that formed in her eyes fell onto her cheek.
"Are you okay dear?" Lin Baozhai looked down at Ivy who nodded her head and wiped the tear away from her cheek.
Lin Baozhai reached out to pour water into a glass before handing it over to her, Ivy nodded in gratitude as she took a sip of the water before keeping it back on the table.
"What were you thinking?!" she shot a glare that was a combination of annoyance, anger, and most of all, fear at Xavier who sat down and pretended like he didn't just hear what his mother had asked.
A long silence took over from there before he spoke, "Mom I know my wife better than you do," he looked straight at Lin Baozhai without a blink of an eyelid and she returned the gaze with a confused one.
He sighed, "What I mean is that this wife of mine, here is shy. So I'm trying as much as possible not to make her feel uncomfortable so she said I'm not allowed to touch her until she's ready no matter what the circumstances are and I'm just respecting her decision."