Looking at the pa.s.sing lights of the city out of the car's window, Lei Xinyi smirked. The man was a paradoxical enigma.

He didn't take her there. He didn't trust her. Right now he just wanted to make sure that she wasn't restless in his golden cage or if she had some hidden cards up her feathers.

Lei Xinyi exhaled. The problem with Asian man, they were all f*cking male chauvinist.

Li Yuan for a matter of fact didn't want or need a loving or caring wife. He wanted a pretty-faced trophy to show the world how he tamed the fire-breathing dragon.

He wanted someone like his Mother and Grandmother.

They were both fierce, sharp, and charismatic woman who wielded immense power but lived under their husband's thumbs.

He could live in any illusion he liked, Lei Xinyi wasn't his stay-at-home b*tch, who he could come home to f*ck when he wanted, take to show-off when he wanted then dumped her when he wanted.

She wasn't an idiot. The first thing she noticed was that a tracker was planted in her phone and her calls were being traced after waking up.

Besides, she wasn't allowed to leave the Mansion without him knowing and nor was she blind to see that the Maids and Butler, in the pretext of a.s.sisting her were keeping an eye on her.

The wild birds that are born to soar high in the skies don't live in cages, they just survive there... and even the fanciest of jewels fade in contrast to freedom, in contrast to the rush of fast wind flowing through your hair.

The constant fake smiling, monitoring what leaves her mouth, the heavy jewels, sure she loved all the s.h.i.+ny stuff but right now they were suffocating her.

They were like a liability. She felt insulted, like Li Yuan was making her his trophy and showing her off with all the jewels and expensive things.

Yeah., she wasn't the most rightist person because she was herself doing fraud with him, but...

"What are you thinking so hard?" Lei Xinyi looked to see Li Yuan looking at the road from winds.h.i.+eld gla.s.s with a frown.

Lei Xinyi let out a deep breath. He was just so overbearing. He even wanted to control what she spoke, did, or even thought.

He wanted to occupy everything about the things or people he 'owned'.

He kept her around for his 'entertainment'. Because she was a new subject to dissect, to know all nooks and crannies of.

He liked her because she was unique to his world, something novel.

Lei Xinyi smiled sweetly, the hollowness in it only she could feel, "I was thinking...this isn't your Mansion where you live. Right?"

Li Yuan chuckled, his frown smoothening, "Yeah, it isn't, but I wanted that house to be our Matrimonial House and I am upgrading that Mansion for security and we needed a little renovating there before we get s.h.i.+fted there once we are married."

Marriage was something he was trying too. To know the perks of it. 

Lei Xinyi nodded and looked again out of the window, uninterested in conversations anymore. It would mean that she would never get to see the place.

She had heard the rumors of how magnificent and exotic the place is and was supercurious to see what the fuss is about.

And everyone knew how the place was literally a fortress. He was definitely just trying to keep her away from that place because he still thought of her as suspicious.

Lei Xinyi could see that Li Yuan's mood was getting sore because she wasn't holding a conversation with him or cooing him but she was too tired from the drama and needed a little silence.

"We are here." 

Lei Xinyi raised her brow at him, looking at the location. They were at the Li's Ancestral House. 

They were supposed to visit Master Lu and Madam Lu today. That's what he told her, anyway.

Why did he bring them to evil relative's threshold was beyond her. 

Li Yuan ignored her questioning gaze and came to her side and opened the door. Lei Xinyi looked at his extended hand and gave him a blank look.

"Weren't we supposed to visit my parents today?" 

Seeing as Lei Xinyi made no effort to take his hand, he forcefully grabbed her hand and brought her out.

"Yes, and we will. They are inside." He replied expressionlessly. 

Lei Xinyi felt like her anger couldn't reach anymore heights. No wonder he was dolling her up like that. He was showing her off in a family get together.

He doesn't take her opinion into consideration, that was one thing, but he didn't even think it was important to inform her of his plans.

Li Yuan was practically dragging her all the way. Lei Xinyi s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand from his hold, stopping him in his tracks too. 

Lei Xinyi glared at him with her cat eyes, "When were you going to tell me this?"

Li Yuan looked at the surrounding. The Blackguards were looking ahead, but he knew better they were all ears.

He was getting frustrated by her snappy mood. Heaving a calming breath, he held her by the elbow, "Let's talk about this when we get home."

Lei Xinyi broke free and pushed him away, "No! We talk about this now. When were you going to tell me?"

He clenched and unclenched his jaw. He was just a ticking bomb and Lei Xinyi was toying with his wires.

He held her forcibly by her arm and dragged her with him through the hallways. 

Of all the places she could have wanted to make a scene, she decided his Grandfather Cave to. These people here would grill her alive, knowing her even one nerve.

A wise woman would be measuring her steps among these wolves and here she was twirling to her own beats.

He liked her when she was cheery, attentive, and responsive to him, but the other version of her annoyed him. It was like she was always trying to create boundaries or distances.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, why are you getting so worked up?!" Li Yuan said in her ear through gritted teeth.