He bent his head down intentionally as he spoke, and their faces were barely ten centimetres apart, his special scent lingering between them.

He stared at her with his deep, black eyes. It seemed like there were thousands of stars blinking in them.

The way he looked at her unearthed her and Ning Meng did not dare to look at his eyes anymore. Her little heart was beating very fast, and she asked, "Why?"

The temperature of the room seemed to increase slightly. There was an ambiguous feeling between them.

Huo Beichen looked at her as she pretended to be calm. He lowered his eyes. "I couldn't get used to it...when you're not by my side." 

Ning Meng froze. She felt as though he was confessing his love for her.

She stole a glance at him and asked again, "How so?"

Huo Beichen remained quiet. 

His eyes darkened as he looked at the girl's smug face. He replied slowly, "Xiao Tiantian is grumpy."

Ning Meng was puzzled.

"It misses you."

Ning Meng was speechless. 

So, it was Xiao Tiantian who could not get used to it when she was not there.

Why had he not said that earlier? Why did he make it sound so strange? She thought that...

Wait a minute. What was she thinking about now? How could she think that this cruel and cold man could not get used to not having her around?

That single thought stunned her for a short while and she became slightly uncomfortable.

"Hmm?"

The man's deep voice seemed to be asking her. It felt like there was an unknown feeling in his heart. 

Ning Meng recovered her senses and she replied anxiously. "I... I'll think about it." 

Huo Beichen did not discuss that topic further and he retrieved his hand, grabbing his coat in one hand and letting the other hand fall beside his body. His simple action seemed quite elegant and graceful.

He said softly, "I'll be outstation for three days starting from tonight onward, the pa.s.sword of the mansion is still the same. I'll leave Xiao Tiantian to you." 

Ning Meng nodded her head. "Oh, fine."

Then, the man turned around and walked toward the lift.

Suddenly, he seemed to notice something, turning around just in time to see Ning Meng close the door as if she was frightened.

She leaned against the wall and stood on her tiptoes, peeking outside through the peephole at the man who was waiting for the lift. He put one of his hands in his pocket casually, and his facial features seemed rather exquisite from the side. 

Ding!

The lift was here.

Huo Beichen did not enter the lift immediately, instead, he tilted his head and looked toward where she was, his dark eyes filled with mixed feelings. 

Ning Meng did not get to decipher his meaning but soon, the man turned away and walked into the lift, disappearing from her sight. 

Ning Meng stood where she was and remained motionless for a long time. 

She pressed her beating heart. 

Unknowingly, a sense of sweetness came to her.

She remembered his hug after he had come back from his outstation trip. Moreover, he had come over that morning intentionally and had had breakfast with her.

She did not think about it too much. By the way, he was always away on business, so why did he suddenly ask her to take care of Xiao Tiantian?

Ning Meng went upstairs and threw herself on the bed. 

Suddenly, she covered her face with the blanket, hiding her smile. 

***

On the second day, Ning Meng packed up some of her stuff casually and went to the mansion. 

Xiao Tiantian threw itself at her when she opened the door, the crystal pendant on its neck swinging in front of it as it circled around Ning Meng excitedly.

Ning Meng went upstairs and put down her stuff.

Then, she fed Xiao Tiantian and played with it for a while before leaving.

Zhen Shaomei needed to go to the set as a common person that day which meant that Ning Meng needed to go and keep an eye out for her for fear that she would be bullied by the others given how naive and gullible she was.