Without saying a word, Zhang Liling came behind him and stretched her hands. Smiling, she pressed her fingers on his temples and started to move around it slowly.
"You look exhausted, let me help you to ease your stress a bit." She said with a affectionate smile.
The feeling of her soft slender fingers moving on his temples brought a bit of relief to Mr. Fang.
He could feel it, but his stubbornness did not allow him to express it. His brows were still furrowed, and the corner of his lips drew downwards.
"Did I give you the permission to touch me?"
His tone sounded offended, causing her to pause in her actions and continue the next second.
"Mr. Fang, you need to relax. You have been working for hours now, and you look like you didn't get a quality sleep last night."
"And how is that your business? Zhang Liling, are you not stepping out of line?" He asked as he immediately held her hand in place to restrict the motion of her fingers, before moving both hands over his shoulder, thereby drawing her to his side.
Zhang Liling didn't look happy as she stared at him with pouted lips. How could he reject her assistance when she meant well for him?
"Mr. Fang, your business is my business. Can't I be worried about you and offer a helping hand? I was merely helping you to relax your tensed nerves."
Fang Bingwen scoffed and averted his gaze from her. "I don't need your help. Go over there and sit, I can see that we need to establish some rules with you." He said while pointing at one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Zhang Liling grumbled before turning to heed to his instruction.
After she had settled on the seat in front of him, He leaned away from the backrest while placing his hands on the table.
"Zhang Liling, you can't get physical with me. You are still my domestic helper."
Those words hurt, but before Zhang Liling's face could show her displeasure, he added a statement that cooled her raging emotions.
"... What will others think of me if they see us getting physical? Wait till we are officially together before you start to render some kind of assistance to me."
Instantly, a dazzling smile spread across her face. She was happy now that he explained the reason for his earlier statement.
Mr. Fang sighed tiredly. Zhang Liling was a handful to handle.
Watching her smile because of what he said, made him wonder if she really liked being close to him that much.
Anyway, he was not interested in knowing. Gazing straight into her eyes, he said, "When we get together, don't get physical in public, I don't like PDA's."
Although Zhang Liling did not like the sound of that, she nodded in understanding as if she would obey him.
She only wanted to appear obedient for the time being. When they start dating, he would have no choice but to tolerate her.
How could he tell her not to be affectionate with him in public? She has been eyeing him since and finally When they are going to be together, he was telling her this?
No. She would make sure everyone knew he was her man, and that things were serious between them.
After speaking to her for s bit, he released her to go, and she didn't dare to come to his side again.
*******
At the Zhang Mansion...
Zhang Xiaoling was suddenly summoned to Zhang Renshu's study.
Looking at the maid that came to inform her about it, she asked curiously as she got off her bed, "Did he say why he sent for me?"
The servant shook her head in denial. "He didn't say anything, but he looked unhappy."
Since that day the entire family dined together at his private restaurant, he has been moody, and no one had dared to cross his path.
Even Shi Wenqian looked apprehensive around him, and didn't dare to talk back at him.
Zhang Xiaoling wasn't any different. She was so scared of meeting her stepfather alone and didn't even mind asking her mother for help.
For him to have sent for her, it meant that he had something serious to tell her.
'What could he want to talk about?' Zhang Xiaoling thought to herself and hurriedly followed the maid. But just when they got to hallway, a disturbing flashed throught her mind, making her to stop in her steps.
When the maid failed to hear her footsteps from behind, she immediately turned around and saw her standing there with a frantic gaze.
"Miss, is anything the matter?" The maid asked.
Zhang Xiaoling got an idea and stepped forward. "Go and tell my mum about this in passing."
The maid understood and left her side immediately.
Zhang Xiaoling had guessed that Zhang Renshu probably wanted to talk about marriage with her. And because she didn't want an arranged marriage with any other person apart from Mr. Fang, she needed her mother's help.
Also, she didn't want to directly ask her mother for help, hence she sent the servant to mention about this meeting with her stepfather in passing, so it wouldn't seem like she was asking for her assistance.
As the servant left, she took deep breaths and fixed her facial expression before continuing in her steps.
A minute later, she arrived in front of Zhang Renshu's study and knocked once before pushing the door open.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhang Renshu who was on a call with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, shifted his gaze to her.
Seeing her standing at the door without making any move, he motioned for her to go and stand in front of him.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she took silent steps towards him.
"... Minister, I will get back to you shortly, I didn't even need to think about it if not for your insistence." Zhang Renshu said with a loud chuckle escaping from his parted lips, while Zhang Xiaoling stood there wondering the kind of conversation he was having.
The person at the other end said something that made Zhang Renshu erupt in another series of laughter as his round belly moved in sync.
"Alright Minister, you will hear from me soon." Zhang Renshu said and waited for a few more seconds for the person to disconnect the call before putting his phone on his desk.
Glancing at his step daughter, the smile on his face slowly diminished. "Sit." He said.
Zhang Xiaoling went to sit on the chair in front of him while asking with a fake small smile playing at the corner of her lips in hopes that he wasn't going to be harsh on her.
She didn't even do anything wrong to him yet, and he had already stopped smiling as soon as his conversation over the phone ended.
"Dad, you asked for me?" She asked in a soft tone.
*****
Zhang Renshu nodded and let out a sigh. "Xiaoling, I have looked at things critically and decided to change my earlier decision concerning your marriage."
Zhang Xiaoling felt like cold water was poured over her head. Although her guess had truthfully played out in front of her, she was still overwhelmed by it.
Overlooking the distraughted expression on her face, he continued. "I can no longer allow you to stay single even till a year time, hence I am arranging someone for you."
*******
"Ma'am, would you like some desserts to be made just like Miss Xiaoling?" The maid asked as soon as she finished greeting Shi Wenqian after coming to her side.
This was the same servant that was with Zhang Xiaoling some minutes ago. It looks like she was really doing as she was ordered.
"Xiaoling ordered for desserts?" Shi Wenqian asked, shifting her gaze from her fashion magazine to the maid.
"Yes, she did, but Master asked for her just now, so she went to meet him in his study." The servant spilled.
Immediately Shi Wenqian heard that, she threw her magazine to the space next to her with furrowed brows. "... He sent for her? What does he want to talk about?"
The maid clutched her apron and replied with a grave expression on her face, "Sir did not make mention of the reason he summoned her, but his expression looked stern while giving out the order."
Instantly, Shi Wenqian rose to her feet without thinking and walked away without replying to the servant.
Walking straight to Zhang Renshu's study, she bent the door handle and pushed it open without knocking, surprising him in the process.
When Zhang Xiaoling glanced at the door to see that the intruder was her mother, a small smile appeared on her face, which she immediately hid away the next moment.
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