Lu Lian said nothing and averted her sight from him as she looked ahead too.
Ming Rusheng didn’t disturb Lu Lian for a while as he stood there silently with his one hand tucked in his pant’s pocket while the other hand held the umbrella to protect both of them from getting drenched in the rain.
Ming Rusheng knew Lu Lian was angry, and she needed time to calm down. If he forced her to get back inside the home, he was sure she would do the opposite.
Lu Lian didn’t feel it right as Ming Rusheng held the umbrella for her and finally spoke.
"No need to do this."
"The rain here is not good, and soon you will feel unbearable cold, so better to protect yourself," Ming Rusheng commented.
"I’ll be fine. I’m not weak," she countered.
"I know things here better than you."
She felt the care behind his cold words and could say nothing to oppose him. Also, her anger was gone long back.
She stood up, "Let’s go."
Ming Rusheng held the umbrella, not to let her drench in the rain. Sharing one umbrella seems awkward, so she tried to keep a bit of distance while walking, but Ming Rusheng put his hand around her shoulder and pulled her towards him.
"I hope you don’t want both of us to fall sick?" he commented, and Lu Lian obeyed what he did.
Ming Rusheng holding the umbrella in his left hand, and his right hand circled Lu Lian’s shoulder to hold her closer; both continued walking, avoiding the rain.
It was a normal act of care from him but was enough to shake Lu Lian’s heart.
Just as they reached the home inside the living room, Mr. Wong was there already. Looking at Lu Lian, who looked a bit drenched in the rain, Mr. Wong called for the caretaker.
"Prepare the guest room for Ms. Lu," Mr. Wong instructed.
The caretaker nodded and informed, "But all the rooms are under work."
Mr. Wong forgot that the entire day there was work going on in the home, which was yet to be completed and will last for a few more days.
Before Mr. Wong could suggest anything, Ming Rusheng spoke, "The room I’m using is not under the work. She can use that."
"No, I’m fine. I’m not that soaked, so I’ll be here in the living room," Lu Lian spoke, smiling lightly and feeling awkward inside.
"I won’t be going there. I have work to do in the workshop," Ming Rusheng insisted.
"You haven’t slept since yesterday. Are you planning not to sleep tonight too?" Mr. Wong added.
"I’m fine," Ming Rusheng said firmly and looked at Lu Lian, "Follow me."
The way Ming ordered it, it was hard not to obey it. Whenever he was in commanding mode, he had a different aura that made others not to argue with him.
The caretaker was about to say something, but Mr. Wong signaled her to keep quiet.
Once they left, the caretaker spoke, "Mr. Ming doesn’t like if someone enters his room and touch his things."
Mr. Wong smiled teasingly, "Isn’t it good as that’s the only room left for them to use."
The caretaker understood the meaning and smiled too. "Seems like Mr. Ming likes Ms. Lu."
Mr. Wong didn’t reply but just smiled; that was enough for the caretaker to understand it.
-----
Crossing a few rooms, Ming Rusheng and Lu Lian reached one room made in old Chinese style. It had a sliding door made of wooden in contrast with white.
Ming Rusheng opened the door and entered the room as Lu Lian followed him.
Ming Rusheng went towards the wooden wardrobe while Lu Lian looked around the room. It was not a big size room but the cozy one. From the things in the room, Lu Lian could see it belonged to Ming Rusheng especially.
Ming Rusheng pulled out the towel and the clothes from the wardrobe and looked at her to give it as he saw she was observing the room.
"This is my room for so long, and it’s the same though I don’t come here often," he informed, sensing what was in her mind.
She nodded lightly, and Ming Rusheng went to her, "We don’t have clothes here for you, so you can use it."
"I’m not that drenched. It will dry soon," she countered.
Ming Rusheng looked at her dress. It was wet on the sleeves, shoulder, and on the front of her thighs till the end.
He unfolded the towel in his hand and put it on her head as her hair was wet and held her hand as he put the clothes in her hand, "This is what we have, so don’t complain."
She looked at the clothes in her hand. It was just a well-ironed white shirt and nothing else.
"How can I..." she tried to speak.
"I don’t want to spend one more day here if you fall sick, so do as I say."
Instructing, he left the room before Lu Lian could argue.
Just a while ago, he looked like he cared for her, but what he said now made it look like he was worried if he had to spend another day there for her sake.
She frowned and went to the bathroom in the room. Drying herself and changing clothes, she thought, ’Thank god my undergarments are not wet or....’
Wearing his shirt over just her undergarments, she was ready to step out of the bathroom, but before that, she peeked out through the bathroom door to check if he was there.
Not seeing him, she gave out a sigh of relief and stepped out.
Standing in front of the square-shaped long mirror set in the wooden stand that accommodates her entirely, she observed herself.
The long shirt was greatly oversized for her that covered her body like an any oversized dress. The shoulder part hung down, and under those sleeves, her hands were invisible. The shirt was long enough to cover her butt entirely, almost reaching half of her thighs, and she felt relieved that nothing was exposed.
But, she looked like wrapped in a loose white gunny bag that she wouldn’t dare to step out of this room ever.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Lu Lian held the towel in front to cover her exposed thighs.
"It’s me."
Informing, Ming Rusheng entered the room, and Lu Lian’s face turned red. She wanted to tell him to stay out but then realized it was his room.
Ming Rusheng looked like he was not affected by what was in front of him, a lady wearing his shirt. He remained unaffected and stepped inside the room, and Lu Lian could stand frozen as she corned herself to one place.
Ming Rusheng went to the small worktable in the room, opened the drawer, and pulled out one file. He was about to leave but then looked at Lu Lian, frozen as if the sky fell on her.
Something clicked in his mind, and he opened the other drawer only to get the stapler from it.
Putting the file back on the table, Ming Rusheng went to Lu Lian, and she stepped back in fright but had to stop because of the mirror behind her.
Before she could say a word, he held her at the shoulder and turned her around to face the mirror.
"Stay still," he ordered, and she gulped.
She tried to turn, "What are you..."
Before she could turn to look at him, he held her tightly at the shoulder and looked at her through the mirror, "I know other ways to keep you still."
His sight and his words were like a warning, so she stood still. Ming Rusheng stepped back a little and held the shirt sides on Lu Lian’s upper waist.
She exclaimed, "What the..."
"Don’t worry, I’m not interested in taking this shirt off of you," he commented, "Disturb me again, and I’ll ask you to return my shirt."
His words sounded serious, so she stayed still. Also, it didn’t seem like he had any bad intentions towards her.
Ming Rusheng held Lu Lian’s shirt on one side of the curvy part of her waist.
CLACK!!
"What’s that?" she asked, feeling puzzled.
Not answering her, he held the other side of the shirt on her curvy waist.
CLACK!!
Lu Lian wanted to know what he was doing, and she could guess from the sound what it must be. She looked in the mirror at the shirt she was wearing, and it took a closer shape of her body though it was not correctly fitted.
Before she could come out of the realization, Ming Rusheng held the corner of the shirt on the side of her right thigh.
CLACK!!
She saw it through the mirror, and again he held the side of the shirt on her left thigh.
CLACK!!
As she looked at him through the mirror, he looked serious about what he was doing.
That shirt on the lower side took the shape of her lower waist. It was not loose at the bottom, which might expose her butt if she acted carelessly.
That loose shirt looked better and comfortable like this, and she thought, ’Not bad.’
Ming Rushing turned her around and folded the sleeves till her elbow though they were still loose for her.
He turned and put the stapler back in the drawer, "Don’t worry about the pins. They are safe and won’t come out easily unless you pull out some stunts."
Lu Lian didn’t know what to think about it and what to say. She wished to say thank you but couldn’t come up to say it.
Ming Ruehng left the room even before she could do so.