Meet Your Groom-to-be!

"Mrs. Wang, how about we let the kids talk now?" Liu Rushi was grateful that her mother interrupted their conversation. Although her tone remained polite, she was getting a little tired of keeping up that smile on her face.

She was not a huge talker with people who she was unfamiliar with. Liu Rushi was the kind of person who would flash a small smile to end conversations after the matter of conversation was over with. However, there were exceptions to this practice of hers which mostly included her family.

The worst kinds of conversations, in her opinion, were small talks. She hated the whole 'Name- Place- Animal- Thing' game that people love to play. If you wanted a deep, philosophical conversation with her, she would be all over it but anything related to talking about herself was a big 'NO'.

"Oh, sure!" Replied Su Jiaying,

"Oh, my! I forgot to introduce him. You all must be so curious. He's Wang Qingshan, the second young master of our Wang family." Su Jiaying chuckled melodiously as she shook her head muttering about how forgetful she was getting with age.

"Haha, I'm sure you still must be quite young. We understand that you've so much to deal with every day. After all, you're 'The Madam Wang.' That position must come with a lot of responsibilities." Zhou Xiaohui joined in the conversation as she praised her 'to-be in-law.'

Liu Rushi lifted her eyes and turned her head towards Wang Qingshan at the same moment he did the same. It was the first time they'd looked at each other properly. Though Wang Qingshan had glimpsed at her earlier while she was walking down the stairs with her brother, he avoided staring at her to not be disrespectful.

Liu Rushi had the same thoughts as well. She didn't want to be caught openly staring at a man who was still a stranger to her so she averted her eyes quickly. However, she had to admit that he was quite a handsome man. The little stubble and a head full of dark messy hair gave him the ruggedly handsome vibe that she was quite pleasing to her eyes. His dressing style was more of a business casual look and judging by the way his clothes adorned his body, she knew that all the time this man must've spent in the gym, didn't certainly go to the bin.

Wang Qingshan stood up from his seat and she followed after him. However, she stopped after listening to the next words that came out of his mouth.

" I'll go, call Brother Rong. That way, isn't it?" He inquired about the directions from Zhou Xiaohui and walked away towards the backyard. Liu Rushi looked at her parents; her mother was busy engaging Madam Wang in some informal conversation so she averted her eyes towards her father who blinked his eyes in reassurance.

In a few seconds, Wang Qingshan returned with a man, supposedly his brother, in tow. She could make out a clear contrast between the two men. The older man was lightly bearded and sported a crew cut hairstyle which gave off a dark, serious vibe which was even more enhanced by the charcoal gray formal business suit he was wearing.

"Liu Rushi, this is my son, Wang Shenzhi, the first young master of the Wang family." Su Jiaying introduced him as she smiled dotingly at her son. Anyone with eyes could tell how much Su Jiaying loved her elder son. Her eyes seemed to light up when she talked about her son. For his mother to gaze at him with so much love and pride, Wang Shenzhi definitely must be a person with impressive abilities.

Liu Rushi alternated her gaze from Wang Shenzhi to Wang Qingshan, who was staring at her blankly and then back to the former. She then smiled and bowed her head a little in greeting before flashing him a small smile.

"Hello, I'm Liu Rushi" She initiated the conversation to which he replied with his introduction, a smirk plastered on his face all the while.

She extended her palm and motioned towards the patio. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Wang Shenzhi replied with yet another smirk as he pocketed his hands in his pockets.

The duo walked across the living room and stepped out of the double doors that led to the patio. It was similar in design and furniture to the interiors of the house. Next to the patio seating was a gravel pathway that led to other regions in the huge forested garden, all courtesy to Madam Liu's love for nature.

Motioning for him to sit across her, Liu Rushi occupied the seat in front of him.

"Would you like something, tea or coffee, perhaps?" She asked him.

"A cup of Oolong tea, thanks." Liu Rushi nodded and began brewing the hot beverage skillfully. Over the past few years, she'd mastered some important skills such as the traditional way of brewing tea, needlework, and playing the violin. Though she was already skilled in many aspects, she wanted to strive harder to be 'perfect'.

"So, how old are you?" He asked as he accepted the cup of hot tea from her hands, lightly brushing his fingers with hers in the process. Liu Rushi instantly retracted her hands while he smirked a little at her actions out of shyness.

"I'm twenty- four. How old are you?" She asked him his question while she fiddled with her fingers, not looking up at him.

"I just turned thirty." Wang Shenzhi replied as he sipped his tea.

'Six years!' Liu Rushi didn't realize that she just spoke out loud.

"Too old for you?" He joked, lifting one of his eyebrows.

"No, just curious." She hastily replied, in case he got offended by her thoughts.

Wang Shenzhi hmm-ed but didn't push her further on the topic. After a moment of silence, he posed another question, "I heard, you're a doctor?"

"Yeah. My specialization studies begin in two months, though." She explained.

"Oh, so you wish to continue your studies after marriage?" He questioned.