7(Part 2)

Xie felt better at Isaac's words. He gingerly tasted the tea and carefully sipped out the hot drink.

Xie almost choked on his drink. So hot! His tongue is burning! That receptionist should make the tea's temperature more adjustable. How could he enjoy his tea when it almost made his heart stop for a brief moment because it was too hot?!

His pink tongue hastily swiped over his scorching lips as the scalding sensation almost numbed a part within his mouth. His eyes turned watery.

Xie quickly put the cup down. He covered his mouth, lamenting over his poor tongue.

Isaac attentively stared at Xie's subconscious reaction and his eyes considerably darkened. His eyes narrowed at the pink tongue that slid over Xie's lower lip fro and back in an attempt to moist the plump flesh and cool down the aftermath of the hot tea. Xie's luscious lips glistened due to the saliva, appearing even more seductive, and the dull color turned rosy pink. Isaac instantly shifted his eyes and cursed inwardly.

That person was only drinking his tea. He only drank the same tea as him. Why did he suddenly think the tea that Xie had was sweeter than the one he had just now? Isaac felt an unbearable thirst. His parched throat is seriously in need of water to soothe out the intolerable sweetness that exploded inside his mouth.

"What kind..." He coughed twice to clear his throat. "What kind of house do you need? Do you have a requirement?"

"Huh?" Xie obliviously smacked his lips. He blinked his eyes, and a drop of unshed tear is hanging on his thick and long eyelashes. Once the eyelashes fluttered, the tear dripped over his rosy cheek and streamlined towards his chin. Then, it vanished into the opened collar that barely exposed a patch of milky white skin of his chest.

Isaac greedily sucked in some air. He was unable to tear his gazes from Xie. His eyes particularly lingered around the exposed collar.

"Oh. An ordinary house is good enough. With basic furniture. There are only Alaric and me."

"Do you like the countryside or in the middle of a town?"

"Living in the countryside is more profitable. I wanted to try farming at least once in my life. It definitely will be a beautiful experience for me."

Isaac noticed that Xie's smile became wide, and his eyes glistened with excitement when he talked about farming. The emerald eyes sparkled with brilliant light.

A flash of realization flashed across his eyes.

He finally discerned the difference between the old Xie Winchester and the current him. He is more energetic, becomes less apathetic, and exudes genuine happiness. There's no fakeness in his attitude. He had discarded his gloomy aura that seemed stuck over his body like a sticky paste. The ear-to-ear smile is very pleasing to look at, and his eyes are brimming with natural affection.

Previously, he managed to sneak a chat with the man. His response is curt and terse. He seemed to force himself to smile even though he felt reluctant to do so. Fragility is apparent beneath those limpid eyes that slowly turned cloudy and dully swept his surrounding as he is tirelessly maintained the pretense of happiness. He accidentally caused people discomfort and awkwardness. He shrewdly drowned everyone else in his unhappiness.

Nevertheless, it is all in the past. The current Xie is a bit unruly, yet everything about him seemed natural.

"Can I ask something?" After a long silence, Isaac interrupted the tranquility of the background with his sudden question.

"What?" Xie tilted his head.

"Can I visit your house later?" Isaac nervously asked.

Would he find it weird for him, a stranger, to visit his client out of the blue? They are not even an acquaintance.

Xie blinked his eyes. He is slow in comprehending the sudden question.

Xie was confused and flabbergasted. The abrupt question seemed to startle him out.

"Uuh...okay...?" He is unsure. Should he allow it? What if-

Maybe this is a terrible idea. He should refuse.

"Really?!" Isaac leaned closer and sought out an affirmative answer. The eyes twinkled in expectation.

"Of course." Xie swallowed back his refusal. " Only you, right?" Ah, forget it. Mr. Killian is like his benefactor. At least he should maintain a good relationship with him for a better and unhindered future? If he could ask for Isaac's assistance in dealing with someone, wouldn't this relationship benefit him more? "If someone else tags along while you come to my place, then this whole idea of promoting secrecy will collapse."

Isaac showed him a rare gentle smile.

"Yes. Only me. Don't worry."

"Oh. I don't mind then."

"Also, I can help you if you ever encounter difficulty. Besides, cutting all of your relations is an unwise move. You need someone to back you up." The smile incorrigibly turned a bit sly. Actually, Isaac's purpose in mentioning this is to flourish his sense of presence in front of Xie's eyes.

Xie undoubtedly will experience a loss cause sooner or later. Then, he will be the knight in shining armor that majestically appeared beside him, pulling him out from the sticky situation. As the saying goes, kill two birds with one stone.

Whatever. As long as Issac can achieve his purpose, all is well.

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Alaric anxiously waited for his master inside the cafe.

Cocoa Milky Cafe. The cafe is owned by a middle-aged couple and has prosperous development. It was one of the famous attractions in this bustling city.

The decor inside is simple yet lavishly furnished.

The soft, white curtain is paired with an olive green veil and knotted with silver ornament. It gives off a serene and calming effect.

Humorous sayings were put in frames and hung on the wall as decoration.

The wooden, glossy rectangular table with two chairs of the same type is stacked in an orderly sequence with an appropriate distance between them.

On every table, there is a round white vase with fresh flowers. The flowers are changed every day to ensure their crispness. And due to this, the sweet and honeyed-like scent kept wafting around in the cafe.

The menus range from a simple breakfast to heavy, sumptuous lunch dishes. A variety of desserts such as cakes and flavored ice-blended drinks are the main attraction of this cafe.

Alaric's mouth watered as soon as his eyes laid on the menu in his hands. He is contemplating his choice, and for a brief moment, he forgot about Xie. As the waiter took his order with a beautiful smile on his face, Alaric once again wallowed in anxiousness.

Where is madam? Where did he go? It's been thirty minutes, and he is still not here? I felt worried and distressed!

Ting Ling! The bell on the front door chimed melodiously, and a young man in casual clothes briskly entered the cafe. He wore a pair of stylish sunglasses that covered his enchanting emerald eyes. Xie scanned his surroundings, and his eyes landed on the backside of Alaric's. He inexplicably smiled and trotted towards him in silence.

"Have you ordered?" His mellow voice whispered as he reached Alaric's ears. Warm breath grazed over the sensitive part of his nape.

The whisper's effect is beyond comprehension. Alaric was standing in panic, yelped, and almost cursed in shock. He pressed his itchy ears, and his face is instantly blushing. His nervous yet lovely appearance made Xie chuckled in amusement.

The onlookers inside the cafe were startled by such sudden movement of him, and all frowned in distaste.

Alaric immediately bowed to them for causing such a minor disturbance. Then, he threw a wronged look and pouted lips at Xie.

Xie's lips tugged into a teasing smirk.

"Haha. Sorry?" He gave him unsincere sorry. "You certainly could jump high enough, like a squirrel."

"Madam!" Alaric gnashed his teeth.