330 Dowager's order

"Hmm…" she moaned happily after she swallowed them. So delicious. So good.

He reached for his glass of water and drank it hurriedly. He even adjusted his sitting position to ease the not so comfortable feeling.

Why was she using that sound? Didn't she know the effect it would bring to him?

Why was she torturing him like this?

Was it fun seeing him in misery?

She reached for her drink and sipped it slowly. Because she still needed to study afterwards, she did not drink any alcoholic drink. He too did not touch it because he still wanted to help her with her study. They were only served with hot tea to pair with delicious but spicy food.

"Do you need more water or tea?" she asked when she noticed he did not touch any food. She saw the empty glass and even the small porcelain cup was empty too. Did he only drink but not eating? "Are you okay, J?"

She finally noticed him, he thought sourly. Not once since the food arrived did she look at him. She made so many seductive voice when eating without caring how it would affect her. Now, once she was done eating then she noticed him.

How low could his position be in her heart?

Not knowing what inside his mind, she simply stood up and helped to pour another cup of tea for him. She sipped her tea with a satisfied sigh.

"This place is good. You should bring your family here too," she commented as she rubbed her full stomach.

He just drank his tea without another word.

She narrowed her eyes at him when she finally noticed how tense the atmosphere was. What was wrong with him today? Why was he acting so weird? He did not even touch his food!

"J, are you alright?" she repeated back her question.

He crossed his arms and sulked.

She sighed. Why did it feel like he was blaming her for his bad mood? What did she do wrong?

"Whatever," she muttered too lazy to break her head trying to coax this sulking man. He was no longer a kid, acting this childish.

She stood up and prepared to leave the room. There was no sign for her to come and acting all coy and loving toward Jeremy. In her mind was full of bed. She wanted to sleep now after her hunger was appeased.

"Wait, are you leaving me here?" he sputtered when he realized she had no thought of coming to coax him. He quickly stood up and walked to her hurriedly. "Ryn, why are you so heartless?"

"Am I?" she replied back, "Or are you being too childish?"

"You…" she sighed. She could see how tired he was and her expression softened. Slowly she reached out and wrapped around his neck, pulling him to lower his head.

"Better?" she asked after the kiss ended.

He blinked his eyes.

She smiled and took his hand. "Let's go home. I'm exhausted."

He could only follow her, still trying to understand what just happened. Did they just kiss just now? He blinked his eyes again.

~*~*~*~

Two days later…

She came out with a huge smile on her face. Finally, it was the end of her exam. No more study to do, no more all-nighter just to memorise the notes. And she could focus on her work while waiting for her industrial training to start. Oh yes, she needed to discuss this with Mei Li and adjusted back all her work schedules.

Right now, all she wanted was to go home. She wanted to spend the rest of the day sleeping, in order to recover back all those hours she spent studying for the papers. But first thing first, she needed to make sure she did not bump into another obstacle.

And the obstacle she meant was actually heading toward her. They kept trying to block her way these past days and she managed to get away from them. This time around, she was determined not to let them succeed cornering her. This would be their last time meeting each other until their graduation day and even until then, she still did not want to meet any of them. Hmm… maybe she should just skip the graduation ceremony and take her scroll directly at the office.

Hmm… maybe she should do just that.

She quickened her walk and headed to the spot where Jeremy said he would be waiting for her. Jeremy decided to change where he was parking the car in order to avoid others to recognize him. Of course, he also used a different car every day. All in order for him to be able to send and pick her up every day.

She switched her phone on and checked the messages. Apart from the usual message from Mei Li, Mika and her parents, Jeremy did not send a new message other than the one written 'Jia you. You can do it' before the exam started.

She frowned but did not call him. She simply walked toward the spot where he said he would be waiting. He must be busy reading more files. She felt sorry for him, seeing how busy he was. She wanted to help lessen his burden but she did not know what to do. All she could think of telling him not to send and pick her up every day but he refused. Then, she told him that he did not have to spend the day helping her with her revision but he treated her words like a song. In the end, all she could do was not to make any more request for his help. He could do whatever he wanted as long as he could do it and won't end up in the hospital.

To her surprise, there was no car there. She checked the time and remembered telling him her schedule.

"Maybe he's busy," she murmured and shrugged it off. She took out her phone and decided to call a cab instead. She did not want to disturb Jeremy just in case he was busy with his work.

However, before she could do just that, a quite familiar car approached her. She lowered her phone and smiled seeing it.

He was finally here.

"Have you been waiting for long?" he asked when she got into the car. "Sorry for making you wait."

"It's okay. I thought you're too busy and was about to call a cab," she replied, pulling the safety belt. Instead of putting her bag on her laps like usual, she placed her back on the passenger seat at the back. She frowned see a paper bag with a popular branded logo. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Why do you ask?" he asked her back.

"You went to Chanel to buy something?" she asked, pointing out the brand.

"Ah… that one…" he paused. Why did he put the bag on the passenger seat? He should keep them in the bonnet so as not to reveal it to her. It would not be a surprise anymore now. Oh well…

"We are going back to the mansion," he announced.

"Huh? Why?" she looked at him full of question. Why would she need to follow him back to the mansion? If he needed to go home, she could just go home in a cab. He did not have to come to pick her up first.

"What do you mean why?"

"If you need to return to the big house, why did you come to pick me up? I can go home via a cab," she explained.

"Babe, mom wants us to return. Today is your last day of exam so she wants to celebrate with you," he explained.

"But… isn't your grandma is still there?" she choked out.

"Hmm…" he nodded. Another reason why he refused to return to the mansion. Grandma started to nag at him whenever she saw him, asking him to hurry up to get married. It was tiring when he was already tired from work and when he returned to the big house, had to listen to the nag.

"I don't want to," she shook her head. She could face his parents. His mother was so cheerful and kind-hearted but the dowager of the Long… the elder woman was so frightening. She always pointed out whenever Ryn did not sit straight enough and eat polite enough. It was so tiring especially when she was forced to eat vegetables by the elders.

"You can't refuse. Mom and grandma are waiting for you," he stated.

"But… but…"

"I'm sorry, babe. Dowager orders for me to pick you up," he said as he patted her thigh.

"I'm going to remember this for a hundred years," she muttered unhappily. What else could she do when he also could not refuse the dowager's order.

"I know…"