Tian Ruyi couldn't remember much of what happened last night especially when she got heavily drunk but she did remember Si Hongqi telling her pouring out his feelings for Lu Mengjie, crying for his broken heart.

"Then if I cook for you, will you throw it away?" She asked instead of digging deep into his past. She may be curious but she was not the type of person to force someone to open up to her.

​​

Si Hongqi finally faced her again, his eyes scrutinizing her expression as if trying to see through her. He gave her an obtrusive stare that sent shivers in her body.

"Well if you don't trust me then you can just watch me cook," she suggested with a small smile plastered on her lips.

"You're different," Si Hongqi stated before he took the remote to turn off the TV this time.

Thump! The sound of Tian Ruyi's heart suddenly pounding against her chest. It was a first for her.

She averted her gaze from him and decided to keep eating. She suddenly felt restless, not in a bad way.

"You seem to have a lot of free time in your hand." Si Hongqi's low voice was heard. He stood up from his seat, carrying the mug with him as he began striding towards the table.

"I'm on a break right now." She cleared her schedule just so she could have enough time for the plans she shared with Lu Mengjie. Tian Ruyi would always prioritize saving her friends than getting more fame by working. "And you?"

"I don't have anything scheduled today," he smoothly lied through his teeth as he sat on the chair opposite her's. He didn't want to leave a stranger alone in his place so he decided to take the day off.

After finishing her bowl of chicken noodle soup, Tian Ruyi stood and went to wash the dish in the sink. While doing so, she tried to inquire about his connection with Bai Zichen. Her plans last night were already ruined so she would have to try her luck this time. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Bai Zichen?"

"I met him at a business event a month before I went to see Mengjie in Japan. He was the one who approached me." It was not like he was hiding this fact from anyone.

She wiped her hands with a hand towel after washing the dishes before she finally turned to him and waited for him to continue.

"I knew that my brother had some connections in the Bai family so I didn't miss the chance to talk with Bai Zichen. He filled me in on the rest of the details I needed against my brother in return, he wanted me to help him in securing their family's business from his grandfather. I was one of the stockholders. He wanted to buy my share just so he could overthrow Bai Keran from his position as the Chairman. His grandfather trusted him so Bai Zichen knew about most of his grandfather's illegal business. He couldn't move openly since he didn't want his grandfather to doubt him so I had to help him from behind the scenes."

That was what Tian Ruyi was aiming for. She knew that Bai Zichen would surely have proof of Bai Keran's illegal activities. This was his advantage. Bai Jingye had been trying to dig on his grandfather's dirt but since Bai Keran was careful against the younger brother, Bai Jingye had a hard time looking for that dirt. Years ago, Bai Keran hired a genius hacker to erase evidence of his unlawful acts. From surveillance cameras of the places he visited to all traces of him meeting up with drug dealers. Even if one was to look up to his past, no one would be able to find anything against him.

"And about uncle Bai Kai?" She inquired.

"He's hiding another woman. Bai Zichen already knew of it. He also knew that Bai Keran is using Bai Kai's other family as blackmail," Si Hongqi explained.

Bai Jingye had once told her that his father never loved his mother. Their marriage was just another arrangement by Bai Keran, although they may have fallen in love with each other after they had their children. That other woman must be the person Bai Kai was dating before he got married to Xu Chen so there could be a possibility that they were still seeing each other and Bai Keran was able to find out about it.

"We really should tell Mengjie about this." Tian Ruyi sighed. She had contacted her about it yesterday and yet it seemed like she currently has other things in mind.

Si Hongqi stood from his seat and strode towards her. "You can just message me anytime."

"I surely will."

A faint smile appeared on the man's face as he stood in front of her. He began to sink into an elegant crouch directly to her level. Tian Ruyi felt her heart race as she subconsciously took a step back until she was cornered against the edge of the sink. Stunned.

"W-what?" She ended up stuttering.

Without saying a word, Si Hongqi remained unmoved from his position as he stared deeply into her eyes and as he did, something shifted in the air between them.

What was he doing? Tian Ruyi wondered. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he came near her. The man in front of her had an intimidating presence. His almond-colored hair framed his savagely gorgeous face. She quickly shut her eyes, her hands balled into fists as she thought that he was going to kiss her.

Seconds passed and her lips felt empty. Nothing happened so she slowly squinted her eyes open. Tian Ruyi regretted doing so.

"Breath," the man's sultry voice entered her ears.

Tian Ruyi ended up sucking the breath out of her lungs. She didn't realize that she was actually holding her breath when he came close to her. She was only inches away from his face which caused her to finally inhale his masculine scent.

Si Hongqi didn't break his eye contact with her as he finally placed his mug in the sink that was behind her.

Her eyes broke free from his gaze only to land them on his lips. She intuitively bit her lower lip as she got distracted by them. She began fantasizing about kissing those sexy-looking lips. How it tasted or how it would feel to have them touch her skin, how his body would feel against hers. She wondered how it would be when his rough hand caressed her body. The more she thought about it, the more aroused she became. She could stop her dark fantasies from expanding until…

"Tian Ruyi." Si Hongqi snapped her out. His gaze was dark, shrewd, and evaluating as it bore into her. He looked like he was about to consume her. A subtle smirk appeared on his lips before he finally pulled away from her, turning his back on her.

As her brain sputtered back into action, she suddenly felt embarrassed for having such thoughts on him. She melted on her knees as she tried to process what just happened. She had never felt so attracted to a man. Aside from that, she really thought that he would kiss her but he didn't… he was such a tease which only made her body yearn more for him.

She never had an experience when it came to being in a relationship or spending nights with men but that didn't mean she was clueless. She was someone who loved reading books as well as she loved watching movies and dramas. She never thought that she would experience a movie-like scene. Her heart was about to explode.

Tian Ruyi tried to regain her composure. She couldn't allow this to happen at all. Despite having such thoughts, she couldn't stop herself from aching for him after the first-ever sexual tension she felt in her life. She staggered as she stood but was able to regain her balance upon placing her hand on the edge of the sink.

"Calm down Ruyi…" she murmured to herself.

Si Hongqi must not be aware of what he was doing to her. He only placed the mug in the sink. It would be an embarrassing thing if she continued to have such feelings for him. She was confused about what she was feeling at the time especially when she never tried seeing him that way but… that single moment changed her view of him.

She placed a hand on her chest to calm herself after being turned on by the man who gave her a kabedon.

Tian Ruyi began walking back to the guest room. She wrinkled her nose, feeling irritated to herself. What has gotten into her? She had to get out of this place as soon as she could. She couldn't bring herself to face him again after being aware of the effect he had on her.