abyss

Seeing the warm glass of milk lying on the ground, Xu Wenqi's anger was reduced by more than half. The original aggrievement she felt disappeared and was replaced with a subtle happiness. The corner of her lips twitched slightly upward before she hurriedly pressed it down. She then frowned as if she was extremely displeased.

Pulling an old man's face, she looked disgusted as she said loudly to the empty hall, "Who wants to drink this milk? Hmmph."

Despite saying so, she gently picked up the glass and carried it into her room. As the door slowly closed shut, Shen Yue stepped out from the shadows of a hidden corner in the hall. While his noble, reserved temperament didn't diminish, the faint flicker of relief in his ink-black eyes brought forth a more humane feel to his otherwise ethereal aura. That evening, the ambiance of the hallway was much warmer than usual.

In that very same night, at the time when the world was at its stillest, Shen Yue was once again revisited by the demons of his past. Flashes of his childhood memory chased him endlessly. Swallowing him whole, the memories pushed him to the brink of the abyss of despair. He closed his eyes numbly and let himself fall off without any resistance. It was just before he hit the bottom that he saw her standing at the edge of the cliff. A vague outline of someone who was calling him desperately. Who? Who would call for him in such a worried manner? Before he could see her face clearly, she had jumped fearlessly down for him. He wanted to shout not to follow him and that it was dangerous but it was too late.

It was early morning when Shen Yue woke up. Gripping the sheets tightly, he took a moment to realize where he was. His harsh breathing and hazy eyes that had not yet abated revealed how much the nightmare had affected him.

___

Routinely sitting in his chair, Shen Yue looked particularly unperturbed sipping his morning black coffee. However, it was the glances at the time on his watch and the staircase every so often that Butler Wang knew his master was anxious for the miss's arrival. Eventually, Butler Wang couldn't take it anymore and went upstairs to call Xu Wenqi. After knocking for a while and receiving no response, Butler Wang was faintly worried in his heart. The empty room confirmed his suspicions and he went down to inform Shen Yue.

"Master, Ms. Xu isn't in her room! Where did she go so early in the morning?"

Almost immediately, the pristine white mug still in Shen Yue's hand shattered from force. Hot coffee dripped down his slender hand, turning it a pink color. Shen Yue didn't feel a single thing. He curled his lip contemptuously. Sure enough, he was wrong to place an ounce of trust in her. She had left cruelly and she would never return. The burning rage in Shen Yue's eyes made Butler Wang break out into a cold sweat. Butler Wang hadn't seen Shen Yue this angry in several years.

He hurriedly placated, "Master, don't worry, Ms. Xu most likely just went out to visit someone or meet friends. Otherwise, why else would she leave so early?"

Butler Wang's words were right. In fact, Xu Wenqi didn't want to go out so early in the morning either. But last night, the original owner's mother called to say that the Xu and Huo family would have breakfast together. Hearing this, she immediately wanted to protest and reject but it was to no avail. Clearly, the two busy families had something to say at this breakfast.

Arriving at the luxurious restaurant reported by Mother Xu, Xu Wenqi was led upstairs to a private room by a waiter. Seeing who was inside, her knees felt weak and seemingly lost support. Not only was Huo Lizheng there, but the elder generation of the Huo family was there too. She wanted nothing more than to bolt out the door without looking back.

Crying inside, Xu Wenqi smiled shyly as she greeted everyone before sitting in the only seat available, which was unfortunately next to the male lead.

"Grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, Chairman Huo, Mr. and Mrs. Huo, and A' Zheng, how is everyone?"

Old Man Huo frowned as he pretended to be angry.

"What Chairman Huo? Call grandpa!"

Xu Wenqi nodded and said obediently, "Grandpa Huo."

Old Man Huo chuckled and his smile stretched wider.

Hearing the happy conversation between Xu Wenqi and his grandfather, Huo Lizheng sneered inside.

'This b*tch sure loves to pretend,' thought Huo Lizheng disdainfully.

Mrs. Huo also joined in the conversation, praising, "It's only been a short while since we've seen A'Qi but she's getting more and more beautiful."

Mrs. Huo wasn't lying. Xu Wenqi's carefully chosen pale blue skirt paired with a simple white t-shirt gave her a sense of youthful vitality. Her jet-black hair was curled delicately in waves and her pale skin was highlighted even more with the color of the shirt. Additionally, when she smiled, her bent eyes and cute dimples provided the viewer with a refreshing feel. In contrast to the original owner's flashy style of dress, Xu Wenqi's lowkey style was much more pleasing to the eye. Thus, Mrs. Huo couldn't help but look more.