Zhao Jing turned to the direction in which Zhao Lifei was staring. If the Devil was a human, it would be the fearsome man approaching them. The tall, impressive figure with lethal air surrounding him, informed Zhao Jing of who this man was — Zhao Lifei’s trump card, President Yang Feng himself. He did not look happy.

"You’re here," Zhao Lifei’s tired eyes brightened, turning the dark chocolate into the color of autumn. She was in a neutral, polite mood before their conversation. The sight of her husband was enough to lift her mood. "Why didn’t you tell me you were going to pick me up?"

historical

Yang Feng’s gaze skimmed over her for a brief second, lingering on her unarmed stomach before lifting it to stare into her eyes. A lot of willpower was utilized to ensure he wasn’t hypnotized by the folds of gold.

"I wanted to surprise you." He gruffly answered, shrugging off the coat hanging on his shoulder and securely slipping it onto her slender body. He tugged the zipper upwards and adjusted the buttons.

Zhao Lifei felt tiny in his coat. It fitted him snuggly and would hug his body in the right places. For her though, it hung off her shoulders, loose and too large, like a dress that reached her knees. "Aw, you shouldn’t have." Touched by his actions, her lips curled into a happy smile. She played with his sleeves, finding it amusing that her fingertips were barely poking out of the ends.

Zhao Xingxing thought she would only be able to see President Yang in magazines. If she was lucky, maybe from afar at any of the social dinners or banquets which he rarely attended. He was frequently invited to places. To everyone’s disappointment, he rarely showed up. Though, it wasn’t surprising; since it has consistently occurred in the past. For the fortunate ones, a rejection letter would arrive at their door, but to the random CEOs who wished to ride off of his tailcoat, they received nothing — not even a speck of dust.

Zhao Xingxing thought her cousin had practically won the lottery when the news was announced of her relationship with Yang Feng. For a brief moment, she, like many other socialites, had the same, foolish dream to end up in his arms. Fortunately, she had long forgotten about this foolish crush as she grew older and realized the important qualities of a man shouldn’t depend entirely on his wallet and reputation — though, her parents would highly disagree.

"I wanted to." Yang Feng murmured, easing her hair out of the heavy collars of his coat so that she would be more comfortable. He adjusted her hair and ignored the desire to play with the ends. It wasn’t a surprise that her hair was this soft, given the extensive amount of products she used.

Zhao Jing exchanged glances with Zhao Xingxing who shared a similar idea: it would be in their best interest to become acquainted with their dear cousin’s boyfriend.

Zhao Lifei realized there was an audience. She cleared her throat and began the introduction. "Yang Feng, these are my cousins from my grandfather’s side. This man is my eldest cousin, Zhao Jing and the woman is Zhao Xingxing."

Yang Feng’s eyes skimmed over their faces, glanced down at her hopeful expression, then decided an uninterested expression wasn’t the best idea. He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, President Yang." Zhao Jing stuck his hand out in a handshake at which Yang Feng stared for a second and shook it.

"Likewise."

Zhao Jing wasn’t offended by the curt replies and distant gestures. He heard this was pretty common for the ruthless President. It wasn’t every day that anyone could be in his presence. This alone was enough to reassure him that maybe it wasn’t so bad taking Zhao Lifei’s side in the end. His mother and father had consistently reprimanded him for not betraying her in the past, but he continued to reassure them that it was better to remain neutral than to take sides. Indeed, tonight it was paying off.

"Thank you for always looking out for my cousin." Zhao Xingxing revealed an adoring smile that reached her eyes and brought out the best features of her delicate face. "I appreciate it."

Yang Feng nodded his head and glanced towards Zhao Lifei who was staring up at him with a pointed look. It seemed she wanted him to behave like a person and not a robot. "Don’t worry, she will be safe with me."

Zhao Xingxing’s eyes lit up at his long reply. She wanted to rub it all into Zhao Jing’s face. Gloating to herself, her smile deepened. "I’m glad she has you." Her eyes shifted to Zhao Lifei, "Please continue to take care of her. I mean it." She grabbed her cousin’s hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Zhao Jing felt his phone buzz. He glanced around and took it out of his pocket. "Xiao Xing, we have to head upstairs now. It’s getting very late."

Zhao Xingxing’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. She had just run into Zhao Lifei after such a long time and they barely had a conversation. "Alright then."

"I’ll see you next time?" She hopefully asked, waiting for Zhao Lifei’s reply.

"See you later, little one." Zhao Jing nodded his head.

"Of course." Zhao Lifei smiled a bit, waving while the two rushed past her and into the elevator while maintaining their grace and dignity. Once they were out of sight, Yang Feng said, "I’ll look into them."

Zhao Lifei blinked at his words, a bit taken aback by his plan. She wasn’t the biggest fan of the idea but wasn’t opposed to it too. She knew they were on the neutral side but the scale could easily tip to malice. Given the fact that Zhao Jing is Zhao Moyao’s top candidate and on the same standing as her, she had always been very cautious of him. Zhao Xingxing was always a wild-card. It was hard to tell what she was thinking or what she wanted. Sometimes she pretended to be a slow-thinking ditz, but her actions and behavior proved just the opposite. That girl was smart and she knew how to use her charm.

"That’s not a bad idea." Zhao Lifei said, dodging the hand that was reaching for her back.

His eyes darkened a bit at her actions. Was she angry? The thought dispersed when she slipped her tiny hands into his large ones, presenting him with a shy smile. He released her hands, watching her small shoulders sag, her smile dropping. Then he entwined their fingers, locking them together.

He kissed her knuckles, "Now you know how I feel." He whispered, tugging her in the direction of the entrance where a black Maybach was already waiting for them.

- - - - -

After heading home and taking a fresh shower, Zhao Lifei sat by the vanity with newly dried hair. She was applying on her nightly skincare products when Yang Feng emerged from the bathroom in all of his glory, displaying his defined body for her eyes to feast on. "You should return the favor." He teased her, stepping to her and watching her pat her face with serum.

"What favor?" She confusedly asked, placing the bottle down and then grabbing the moisturizer. Sometimes she wished she didn’t invest herself in this eight-step routine. It was tiring to do and she was quite a lazy person. Sadly, she wasn’t getting any younger and it was better to start doing this now than in her later years.

"You had the perfect view of my body, I believe I should receive the same present." His fingers brushed onto the side of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Slowly, they eased themselves onto the collars of her black bathrobe. It used to smell exactly like him, but because she stole it so many times, her floral scent had mingled with the woody pine and citrus orange.

Feeling bold and courageous, Zhao Lifei said, "How about I show you in bed?" His eyes dilated, his fingers slowly easing the black robes off her shoulders, revealing the beautiful valley of her breasts. He could see her reflection in the vanity mirror perfectly. The only thing separating them was his towel and her robe.

"Are you sure about that, my love?" He huskily asked, bending his neck, his lips brushing onto her skin. She could feel the ghost of it linger wherever he touched. Her skin heated a bit as he teased her with his lips. She could feel her muscles clench when he pressed open-mouthed kisses down to her shoulders. His hands tugged her bathrobe lower and lower until it pooled at her stomach.

"You already know the answer to that." She whispered, her restrained voice surprising her. She didn’t realize she was waiting in anticipation with a tense body until his hands reached her shoulder blades and slowly kneaded the skin, undoing the knots of her muscles.

"Then I hope you’ve recovered from last night." He husked, picking her up and carrying her towards the bed.