9 His love and attention

"Grandfather met with her over lunch last week.", Xia Mengrui looked down at her food and gritted her teeth, trying to hide the jealousy that was scalding her heart. She was too vexed at her because her father had grounded her for a week because of that bitch.

Yang Lingyun was oblivious to her reactions as he prompted, "And what did he say to her?"

Xia Mengrui noticed that he was lost in deep thought as she bit out, "I don't know. I just know that they met because there were many Weibo posts about it."

"Looks like your grandfather does favor her a lot." Yang Lingyun snapped out of his trance and heaved a sigh. He looked at Mengrui's plate and asked, "Why haven't you eaten anything yet?"

Blinking, Xia Mengrui suddenly had a sullen look on her face. "Do you miss her?"

Yang Lingyun frowned, his eyes scrutinized her like an eagle. "No. Even if she disappeared for 10 years I won't miss her."

Under his intense stare, she rebutted, "You have been asking about her since we arrived here."

"Alright, I won't ask about her anymore." Yang Lingyun rubbed his hand over her face and run his fingers through her hair. Then he brought his hand down to hold her hand, aiming to ease the atmosphere a little and soften her anger.

Xia Mengrui was stunned at his unexpected gesture. Yang Lingyun was known to keep his distance from others, and even Xia Mengrui felt a sense of trepidation when being in close proximity to him. Yet, his casual touch had a profound effect on her, causing her heart to flutter with a mix of surprise and excitement.

"Yes, it's better for a girl like Lihua to stay away from Xia family." Mengrui's voice dropped low as she belittled Lihua. "She always drags Xia family's name down the mud. She didn't even apologise to her father. I hoped that she would care about us like we do for her." Her eyes became red and teary.

"You don't need to worry about her." Lingyun pulled his hand back and wiped it with a tissue. Mengrui's meticulously manicured hands looked appalling to him and he did not particularly enjoy the act of holding her hand. However, he felt a sense of obligation to do so as they were engaged.

Knowing that she had his love and attention, she smiled. "By the way, I'm thinking of joining an idol show."

Lingyun raised his brows slightly when he heard that. "Why?"

"I cannot continue being a soprano. You know after my disease, my vocal cords were damaged and I can't sing like before." Mengrui spoke with a vulnerable tone, tugging at the heartstrings of anyone who would listen.

Lingyun's gaze changed. He knew about her disease, but was still shocked to hear that she will quit being a soprano. "You can't sing anymore?"

"No, thankfully I can, but it's not as good as before like it was in junior high school.", Mengrui gulped. She scratched the nail paint of her index finger with her thumb, looking extremely distressed.

Lingyun pursed his lips, not wanting to probe Mengrui's sensitive spot further.

"I have to attend a banquet next week", she tired to change the subject. "Will you be my partner?"

"Hmm, sure." He suddenly felt that someone was gazing at them. His eyes darted at the table next to them and saw a petite girl sitting with a man, discussing something.

He was certain that she was staring at them, but was he mistaken?

The girl was wearing men's baseball cap that covered half of her small face, leaving only her rosy cheeks and lips, as vibrant as the red hue on a rose-breasted grosbeak, exposed for him to observe closely.

Probably sensing his attention on her, the girl instinctively tugged her cap further down her dainty nose. Her side profile was exquisite under the faint yellow lights.

She was wearing a sage green blouse with puffed sleeves looking like an elegant angel. There were few cola stains on her blouse and he recalled the commotion earlier.

[ "Please forgive me miss, we will compensate you." The waitress apologized for her misconduct.

"It's just few droplets, you don't have to compensate for it." The girl said in a sweet melodic voice. ]

Her hair fell around her frame like a curtain, covering her neck and shoulder. Lingyun couldn't help but notice how her jaw subtly moved when she spoke and couldn't help but wonder that she must have a pretty smile. He could hear her faint laugh which was akin to rose blooming in spring.

"Where are you looking? Is it someone you know?" Mengrui followed his line of sight and her lips trembled when her eyes fell on the girl. Even though she could only see her side profile it was undeniable fact that the girl was pretty. She couldn't help but feel jealous.

"I don't think so.", he answered.

Xia Mengrui pressed her lips. Why did the girl's figure remind her of Lihua?