She lifted his chin, lowered her head and planted a soft kiss on his chin, ’’I bet... you will.’’
His breath hitched and his fingers which had been loosely clasped curled slightly.
Even till the girl moved away from him, the warmth on his chin lingered.
But when he looked up at her, all he saw was fire in her eyes. The same eyes that had seemed soulless a month ago burnt with a light that was all too familiar yet distant with him.
"If you don’t say anything, I will take your silence for consent...’’ Ella mumbled, inwardly holding her breath.
She burned up all her brain cells, exhausted her critical thinking and speech abilities and used all her tactics as of now.
But nothing worked out.
Considering the last time he had gotten her the phone and laptop after a small kiss, she decided to try this.
She doubted this would be effective but...
Hmm? Ella doubted her ears.
Her insides screamed. It worked. It really worked!
’’So, I can move to university right away?" Her eyes brightened, ’’This is the last year before my graduation but I have a lot of catching up to do. All this time, I haven’t studied anything and I am afraid I will be a complete failure and bring shame to you, my perfect husband! So, I have decided.’’
Ella stroked her chin with a huge smile on her face.
The dim lighting highlighted her rounded face, narrowed eyes and bulging cheeks and with the slyness on that face, she looked a tad bit evil.
"So, I have decided! I will work hard from here on and try to make you proud...’’
Adrian’s gaze had turned chilly at the first part of her sentence but the more she spoke, the further his eyes softened until all that was left was a gush of spring surrounding him.
’My perfect husband’—’My husband’—’My!!’
When did she ever say things like that before?
A phoenix... She wanted to be a phoenix...
Ji Yan was about to knock and announce his presence but two certain people, one with a puppy and one following the other like a puppy... cough... his second master... stepped out of the room.
Ji Yan felt like slapping his mind into a meat patty just for such blasphemous thoughts. How could his noble and formidable second master resemble a puppy?!
What a joke... but wait... he really did look like one at this moment... Ahh! No! Don’t go down that rabbit hole.
"Oh wait!" Ella suddenly spoke up and Adrian halted in his tracks, ’’I had two other reasons for my visit today.’’
Ji Yan’s eyelid twitched a little. Miss Yu, it better be good things, I am praying. He couldn’t tell what her first reason was but seeing that his second master looked like a bloomed hibiscus, he could only guess that it was something good.
’’I need you to help me with something,’’ Ella glanced at Adrian earnestly.
Seeing her round sparkly eyes, the glacier in his gaze seemed to melt bit by bit, ’’What is it?"
’’Help me name him!’’ She lifted the puppy in her arms.
’Woof woof’ The puppy remained docile in Ella’s arm, like a little brown soft toy.
Ji Yan glanced at the pile of files on the office desk and then at the small creature in Ella’s arms. And then he looked at his second master earnestly, hoping his eyes could convey his thoughts.
"I wanted to name him but I have always been told that I am very bad at naming. So, I think it’s a bad idea.’’
Hearing her words, Adrian paused and glanced at her like he was looking at someone else, a long lost memory of the past, ’’It’s not a bad idea.’’
’’Ah? You think so?" Ella stroked the puppy, unable to resist the softness. While doing so, she snuck a few peeks at Adrian’s hair which is equally soft, if not more, ’’How about we name him Riri? What do you all think?"
Ji Yan froze. Ri... Ri... Adr’ri’an. Why did this puppy’s name sound so borrowed from his second master’s name? There is no way he would approve of it...
In thinking so, he once again underestimated his second master’s tolerance of Ella.
’’It does?" Ella smiled, ’’Riri! Quickly, greet your daddy!"
’Woof’ the puppy swished its tail, seemingly happy.
D-Daddy? Ji Yan was feeling palpitations by this point? How come their first young master was... a stray puppy?
Will the second master acknowledge this too? There is no way right...
Ella’s smile became wider.
Suddenly a shadow hovered over her face.
She froze for a moment as Adrian’s palm landed on her head. The man stroked her hair, ’’His mommy did a good job.’’
Ella: "_" The acceptance... was a tad bit too fast, wasn’t it?
Ji Yan: "_" Must you... must you be so delusional just to have a connection with Miss Yu?
In the end, Ji Yan could no longer take it. Clearing his throat, he said, ’’Second master, there are a few documents you need to go through...’’
Ella looked in the direction where Ji Yan pointed and her jaws dropped as she glanced at the stack of files on desk.
’’Baby, you do your work and I will wait here,’’ Ella pointed at the couch, ’’After you are done, we can leave for home together.’’
Adrian’s dull gaze brightened at the word ’home’. The way Ella looked at him with sincerity made him halt in his tracks and soak in the moment, ’’Alright,’’ he uttered after a long time.
Ella had already settled on the couch by then.
’’Secretary Ji, don’t you have romance books around here?" she flipped through the magazines on the coffee table, a little dissatisfied.
’’Ah?" Romance books? How could there be romance books in the second master’s office?
Seeing his expressions, Ella was disappointed, ’’Forget it. I will make do with these then...’’ She released the puppy on the couch and picked up a magazine.
Just as she was about to flip a page, she paused and suddenly looked up at Adrian.