Ten Years of Yearning. My Love, Let Me Protect You.

Then, suddenly, Luo Lixi's legs gave away as she began to fall on the ground. Sheng Ruming immediately caught her soft body and placed her on the bed. He became anxious as he looked at her shaking body.

"Hey, don't cry." He said as he wiped her black tears away.

Luo Lixi stopped crying as she said in a weak voice. "Ruming, back then, I was really a bad woman. I let you down. I feel a little ashamed whenever I look at you." She frowned as she faced him.

"You're wrong." He said as he sat down on the bed beside her. He smirked, "You were a bad girl back then, not a woman. Stop crying. Your makeup has been ruined." He said as he chuckled and touched at her face. He used his right forefinger and showed it to her.

Earlier, Luo Lixi used mascara to enhance her eyelashes a little. Due to her crying, her eyes became smudged with mascara while she looked quite scary. She touched her face with her both hands to the area beside her eyes and brought them before her eyes. When she saw the black substance, she was infuriated. Her eyes had widened into perfect circles and she raised her deep black eyes to shoot him a fierce look.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She said as she hastily began to rub her eyes.

"I think it was unnecessary. Your eyes resemble a cute panda." He spoke up but his eyebrows knitted as he frowned at her actions; rubbing forcefully at her face. "Stop it already." He was displeased as he noticed her face was turning a deep shade of scarlet. He turned behind him and took a wooden tissue box from the little table. He took out several tissues from it and handed those to her. "Wipe your face with these. Don't rub so hard. Your skin will become bruised."

Luo Lixi wiped her face but it became even for messy. Sheng Ruming had a hard time containing his laughter. She swept a glance towards him and immediately knew what was wrong. She almost sprinted towards the washroom.  

When she saw her ghost-like appearance on the mirror, she was shocked beyond words as she hastily opened the water tap of the basin and splashed water on her face. Afterwards, she used a cleaning face wash and scrubbed her face without leaving behind any spot.

She grimaced in sorrow as she looked at her face. She was both angry and frustrated as she walked to a side of the room and took the mascara from the dressing table. She examined it and noticed it wasn't waterproof. 'Heh! This thing is from a big brand yet it isn't waterproofed. It's a relief that only Ruming saw me in that pathetic state. What if others...?! Argh!' She shouted in her mind. 

Afterwards, she only applied a skincare lotion  on her slightly red face and applied a light pink lipstick. She didn't remain in the washroom any longer and exited it. Sheng Ruming wasn't there. She focused on the window and saw the rain was much more light from before. She guessed he would have probably gone to his room to get ready.

Luo Lixi wore a pair of black, simple long strips sandals. She waited for him outside of his room. Luo Lixi hadn't seen his room before as she thought it was inappropriate for an unmarried woman to enter a grown-up man's room. Though she promised him to stay beside him forever, deep down she knew, she had to go to settle the matters at the 'Luo Corporation'. She couldn't abandon her own family and her future plans. Though she also likes him, she would try her best to keep her promise to him.

... ...

While waiting in Luo Lixi's room, Sheng Ruming heard his phone was ringing. He went back to his room. When he saw who it was, he cut the line. That person called him. He cut it without a second. When the phone rang the third time, he received it with irritation.

"What is it?!" He bellowed in the phone.

"Aiya! Sheng Ming, slowly my boy, slowly!  You'll make your bro deaf one day. My precious eardrums are hurting, you know!" The person didn't hold back and bellowed back at him but there was a trace of mockery in his voice.

"Why did you call me?" This time, he asked the person in a relatively low voice

"Ah?! Why did I call you...? I seem to have forgotten it. Wait..." He turned towards another person and asked shamelessly, "Hey Luhan! Why did I call him?" 

The person named Luhan shot him a mocking smile. Though they are used to his 'forget anything easily' character, sometimes they think as if he is doing that on purpose. 

Nonetheless, Yan Luhan took the phone from his hand and spoke up normally, "Sheng Ming, we heard you are going abroad for a long time. So, we brothers decided to hold a party for you." 

"I'm busy. I can't come." He said as he placed the phone on the loudspeaker and began to dress up for the outgoing. He searched his closet and picked a rather simple white shirt with blue stripes pattern and a black pant.

"It won't do. You will have to come tonight no matter what!" Yan Luhan said in a rather loud voice.

"I'm very busy. Don't arrange a party. Let's arrange for a get-together. I'm short of time." He said as he was wearing his shirt.

"Okay. At 7 pm. in my farmhouse, the one we always used to go. I'll tell the other bros to come." 

"Hmm. Bye."

"Remember to come. I'll again call you in case you forget like that fool." He said while abruptly disconnecting the line.

... ...

"Hey, who are you calling a fool?" Mu Jiang asked angrily as he snatched his phone from his hand and glared at Yan Luhan.

"Nobody. Heh!" He answered as he gave Mu Jiang a cheeky smile.