Mine

Reaching midnight, Bai Ruoxi's birthday party was finally coming to an end. The once festive and crowded resort started to die down as the guests left one by one.

Bai Ruoxi thanked every one of them by the main entrance and kept her smile to the point that her cheeks felt sore. All she wanted right now was to plant herself under the blanket and sleep like a pig.

"Seems like it has been a rough night for you."

The sudden voice brought her back to reality. Bai Ruoxi turned around and found Han Zexi leaning on the stair's railing, her hands were holding a glass of sparkling wine. The woman raised her glass to her with a smile before sipping it gracefully.

"I..." Bai Ruoxi halted her words. She found it hard to find the right words in front of Han Zexi, it was weird. "I find better peace in solitude."

"A shame that here is exactly where you belong. A lively place on the surface." Han Zexi smiled, "But if you were given a chance, would you escape?"

"Escape?"

Han Zexi stepped closer to Bai Ruoxi and raised her slender fingers to play with the strands of hair on the younger woman's face, "Yes, escape. Are you not--"

"Han Zexi."

Both of the women broke their eye contacts and shifted their focus to the source of the voice. There, they found Jun Yihan standing in his full glory. His red suit appeared to match the anger vivid in his eyes as he marched closer to them.

Han Zexi stepped away from Bai Ruoxi with both of her hands raised in the air. She flashed a timid smile and chuckled sheepishly, "I didn't do anything."

Jun Yihan narrowed his eyes slightly and gritted his teeth. "If you did you wouldn't still be standing here." He hissed lowly, not wanting Bai Ruoxi to hear any of it.

Bai Ruoxi tilted her head in confusion, but she chose not to poke her nose into any unwanted business. She waited until both of them were done talking and Han Zexi bid her goodbye. She thought Jun Yihan was going to leave with the woman, but he didn't...

Jun Yihan and Bai Ruoxi stood silently by the door with their backs facing each others'. The latter felt awkward and really wanted to leave, but she didn't dare to in fear of offending the man. Bai Ruoxi then realized that she should probably talk to him about something.

"Young Master Jun..."

"Yihan," Jun Yihan turned around and smiled faintly. "There's no need to be polite with me."

Black lines formed on Bai Ruoxi's forehead as she chuckled rigidly. She apprehended that Jun Yihan was quite persistent about this matter and really wanted her to call him by his first name. For god sake, she had just met him today. 'Why is he so overly friendly, please let me be courteous and leave me alone...'

Bai Ruoxi cleared her throat with a cough. "Yihan," she called. "How was the party?"

"Splendid." He stared into her eyes, "It was beautifully arranged."

When she heard his words, Bai Ruoxi felt a faint tug in her chest. She averted her eyes from him and stared at the floor as if it was the most interesting object ever. Bai Ruoxi then constantly reminded herself that he was talking about the party.

"Ruoxi." His voice rang along with the sound of his shoes treading against the floor.

Bai Ruoxi raised her head and returned his gaze, her eyes were flickering in puzzlement.

Just now, when Jun Yihan called her name, Bai Ruoxi felt a shot of adrenaline rushed through her. She didn't know why, but right at that moment, Bai Ruoxi didn't see him as Jun Yihan, but as Gu Yin.

The man in front of Bai Ruoxi was staring at her tenderly. His gaze was too gentle, almost agonizing. She couldn't comprehend it. Her lips started to tremble as hesitations filled her stares.

"Who are you?" Her question came out as a soft whisper. "Are you... are you somehow related to Gu Yin?"

She knew it was a dumb question, but Bai Ruoxi couldn't help it. She had seen Gu Yin from him not once, but twice. They had only met today and it was all too peculiar.

Could it be that her longing for Gu Yin had turned her insane and caused her to imagine some random man as her childhood lover?

"I don't know him." Jun Yihan replied, his eyes were unwavering.

It wasn't completely a lie. He had never met nor seen Gu Yin before. All that Jun Yihan knew about that boy came from a dream and papers, and now, Gu Yin was dead.

Lies, she thought. But Bai Ruoxi didn't dare to say it out loud. She couldn't understand it but she knew something was off. She just didn't know what it was.

"Are you scared of me?"

Bai Ruoxi bit her lips and looked away, ignoring his question. She sensed that the walls she'd built throughout the years seemed to be useless before Jun Yihan. She couldn't put up her fake honeyed smile and nonchalant expression. He was towering over her barrier like a titan. Bai Ruoxi hated it.

"Answer me."

Jun Yihan pressed both of his hands onto the door behind Bai Ruoxi, trapping her inside his arms. He moved his face forward and smirked inwardly when he noticed her flustered face.

"You do realize that this dress doesn't come free." Jun Yihan smiled seductively as something flickered in his eyes. His face was so close to hers that she could distinctly smell his minty breath.

Bai Ruoxi felt her heart thumping aggressively against her ribcage. She averted her eyes and wanted to run away, but with his hands were locked on the sides of her head, she was ultimately trapped.

"I... I will pay," she stuttered.

Jun Yihan chuckled to her answer. His soft voice was so heavenly that Bai Ruoxi grew even more flustered.

"I don't think the price is something you can offer."

Bai Ruoxi gulped nervously, "What do you want?"

"I want you to be mine, Bai Ruoxi." Jun Yihan's cold eyes flickered brightly as a glint of excitement passed through them.

"What? Ex-excuse me?"

He chuckled again, this time, with a hint of mischief. "I'll take that as a yes."