Am I that Handsome?

Evening was drawing near, the sun set, creating a beautiful gradation of deep orange in the clouds. Chan Juan was partially sleeping, but was still a little bit aware of her surrounding, she slept in a kind of way, as if bones were absent in her body; such flexibility.

She moaned outwardly to her beguiling fantasy as she daydreamed, she saw herself; dressed in a royal-blue ball gown.

Standing alone on the golden tiled, and crystal-clear floor of a beautiful ballroom.

"Hello, young lady!" The voice behind her sounded deep and masculine, sending cold chills down her spine. Chan Juan turned around slowly, and saw him; whom she never had expected to see.

"Shao Jinhai?"

Chan Juan furrowed her brows, and watched the man before her move closer and closer until he was able to take her fragile hands into his big and rough palm.

"Can I have this dance?" Chan Juan smiled and soon they began to dance.

The dance was slow and romantic, so as the music. The man before her was so handsome, every detailed areas of his well carved face was an etherealing sight to behold. Chan Juan wished for it not to end, suddenly; she felt a banging pain in her head; she rose up her head to see Shao Jinhai's face moving closer and closer; as if he wanted to kiss her.

Chan Juan widened her doe eyes and reflexively slapped his face away. Then, she sprang up in a daze. She rolled her eyes along her lower eyelids, her head inclined a little to the right; brows twitching and expression, puzzled.

Wait, I didn't just daydream about... Chan Juan's thoughts trailed off.

She shook her head at her pitiful self, certainly she will be the one to regret what Eu Meh is putting her through. Just a day, she was already seeing things and fantasising about Shao Jinhai; who was supposed to be her stepsister's husband anyway.

Shades of guilt and sadness began to lurk around her, like darkness; eating her up little by little until there's nothing left.

Guo Daiyu have always referred to Chan Juan as "stupid" and the "Family's puppet"; hurtful words, but she couldn't do nothing. She wasn't so rich or famous like Guo Daiyu, she was just an illegitimate, without any right to anything, anything at all. After graduating from University, suddenly, she felt she was all alone, except Guo Qiang who was always by her side and never made her feel lonely despite the taunts.

Guo Zhiqiang, who was supposed to care as a Father, wasn't doing the necessary things, just locking her up inside like she was a prisoner. Since then, Eu Meh have always been the one controlling things; Guo Zhiqiang accepting to her nonchalant idea of Chan Juan getting married to Shao Jinhai was enough for an answer, that she really had no place.

Chan Juan shrugged it off, the thoughts were killing her already; all she needed to do was to plan ahead. Since Shao Jinhai doesn't like her, that's her first jackpot. There was a knock on the door, Chan Juan looked at the direction of the door from the corner of her eyes. She could only groan, as she lazily carried her perturbed self to the door.

She swiftly opened it, badly wanting to scream on the face of whoever it may be, but she actually couldn't. The servant bowed, her brown hair falling to the front.

"It's time for dinner." Chan Juan turned her head to look at the azure sky through the mullioned window, and fixed her gaze back on the female servant.

"Okay, thank you." Chan Juan replied curtly but in a polite manner.

The servant bowed again and walked away. Chan Juan shut the door and rested on it, heaving a long and deep sigh.

At the dinner table, the entire dining room was decorated extravagantly in varying shades of gold. The wallpaper was dark gold, and even the European-style tables and chairs were gilded. Everything glittered in the light of the crystal chandelier.. The sight of the table was rich and mouth-watering.

While Chan Juan walked towards the dinning area, she began to noticed some few things she didn't before, maybe because she wasn't in a right frame of mind, earlier in the morning; she would have noticed all the exotic gold shadings.

She put on a natural smile, as she bowed and greeted her in-laws.

Master Shao cleared his throat, and replied with a nod, Lan Shang smiled and beckoned Chan Juan to sit.

Chan Juan noticed Shao Jinhai wasn't at the table; seems like it wasn't her alone. Master Shao kept peeping through the corner of his eyes to see if his son was anywhere around.

Then, he voiced out with a stiffened expression,

"Where's Shao Jinhai? Is he supposed to be absent from a family dinner?" Master Shao asked in his tightened-up masculine voice, facing Lan Shang.

Lan Shang put down her spoon and inhaled briefly before speaking,

"He has been in his pottery studio all day, perhaps he's busy with something."

Master Shao's expression became sour and grim.

"What interests him in moulding stupid ceramics or the company?" His skepticism was accompanied with a furious facial.

All through, Chan Juan pretended like she didn't hear a thing and just focused on her meal.

"I will go get him." Lan Shang said and stood up to fetch Shao Jinhai.

About ten minutes later, Lan Shang returned to the table looking wearied. She sat down, she could see from the corner of her eyes; Master Shao's questioning face.

"He isn't coming for dinner, I tried persuading him but..." Lan Shang trailed off, and sighed sadly.

Master Shao narrowed his slanty eyes, curling his hand on the table into a strong fist. Chan Juan didn't know how to react, so she scratched her hair to ease the tension inside of her and around her.

Master Shao wanted to say something, but the ringing of his cellphone interrupted.

He picked the cell up from the table and checked the caller's identity, it was his Manager, Feng Tian. He cleared his throat and stood up, while answering the call, leaving only the two women at the table.

Chan Juan was about to excuse herself too,

"Guo Daiyu!" Lan Shang called, Chan Juan paused and bit on her lower lip hardly.

"Yes." Chan Juan replied with a natural smile.

"Can you do me a favor? Perhaps, if you convince him to eat, he will adhere to you. He has been like that for days and I'm worried about him." Lan Shang spoke in a monotonic tone.

Instantly, Chan Juan wished Lan Shang she could take back her statement. She has been thankful that she and Shao Jinhai never crossed path. Well, that was inevitable, and Chan Juan couldn't say no.

Lan Shang gave Chan Juan a hot bowl of hotpot from the dishes on the table and put it on a tray.

"Here, tell him to have this, if he still insists on coming dinner. He likes it a lot so he wouldn't refuse it." Lan Shang explained and smiled.

"Okay." Chan Juan said and collected the tray.

"He's in the third room on the left, in the hallway."

Chan Juan nodded and left, as she went, she couldn't help but think, why a major like Shao Jinhai, who must have tasted all the good and wealthy dishes of elite like himself, would like a commoner's soup, absurd.

She got to the hallway, and looked it like it was her first time being there; but she felt she has been here before.

Images from the previous night flashed in her head, but it wasn't so clear.

She got to the third door, and stood before it; preparing herself and her defenses. Funny, she was getting nervous and wouldn't want to embarrass herself in his presence.

Give him the soup and get out! Chan Juan exclaimed innerly as she breathed out. She knocked on the door twice,

"Come in..." She heard his voice, and her armpits began to itch.

She shook her head and opened the door, and was dumbfounded by what she saw. The studio was 2x bigger than the living room in Dexin Villa; so much beautiful art piece, he is really an art genius, Chan Juan thought innerly and walked further until she saw Shao Jinhai.

Chan Juan's emotions betrayed her, as she couldn't help but stare at the thirty two year old before her. No wonder females are drooling over him so much on media; Chan Juan felt her stomach flutter.

She stared at him for a while, Shao Jinhai arched his brow as he watched her stare admiringly.

"Am I that handsome?" He teased, in his bass-baritone voice. Chan Juan fluttered her lashes, when she realized she had gone a long way to letting her guard down. Her face flushed red of embarrassment, but she managed to cover it up with a scoff, in a way showing that she actually didn't care.

"Here is your dinner, I'm leaving."

Chan Juan dropped the tray on a wooden table with a thud, and swiftly turned around to leave, then her hand hit a vase next to her by mistake and it fell from the table to the floor; shattering into pieces. Chan Juan paused, she could feel cold breeze blow over her back, causing her to stiffen.

She managed to turn around and saw the shattered piece of the beautiful vase on the floor.

Chan Juan raised up her head to see Shao Jinhai, his face was blank and lips pursed, the worst was that he wasn't showing any sign of anger, just directly gazing at her. There and then, Chan Juan knew she was in for it, as she etched her face into a nervous smile.