Zhao Feng tried to prepare himself for Tang Zhelan's arrival, but the moment he saw her, he realized that he had been worrying too much. She was still the same woman he'd seen growing up from an insecure girl to an overbearing woman, albeit a little older this time.

  Oftentimes, his miss had been misunderstood by others, but she never made an effort to clear any of it. With a slight frown on her face, it was easy to misunderstand her expression.

  Tang Zhelan was too prideful to explain herself, which was why more people hadn't bothered to try to get along with her, that even her own parents didn't treat her well. It irked him that she was letting them treat her like that. For someone who grew up in a loving family, Zhao Feng couldn't understand the way of the Tang family.

  As they sat together for dinner, he noticed that she barely ate anything. He should have been used to it, since Tang Zhelan was very conscious of her weight and figure. It was something her mother had always nitpicked about her. Her mother was too tough on her— always had been.

  "Miss, don't you like the food? Is there something you want to eat?" he asked worriedly.

  "No, it's alright. I'm just a little tired from her long trip," Tang Zhelan said with a bitter laugh. Her upbringing was deeply engraved in her, and she knew it wouldn't be easy to break away from it.

  "Miss Lan shouldn't let them get to you…" he replied knowingly.

  The news about Tang Moyu's return had reached him, and he knew the implications of it on Tang Zhelan's life. Many people would assume that Tang Zhelan hated her cousin, but in Zhao Feng's eyes, he knew that his miss wanted to be like the empress in so many ways. The reason why Tang Zhelan wanted to compete on everything with Tang Moyu was for the latter to recognize her.

  These were the things Zhao Feng wouldn't dare to say in front of his miss because he knew Tang Zhelan would vehemently deny all of it. He kept the thought to himself. It was bad enough that Tang Zhelan had to run away like this to avoid the impending marriage arrangement her own parents wanted to impose on her.

  Maybe it had something to do with how cruel and loveless her family was towards Tang Zhelan that she needed to build up walls around her to protect herself from everyone. For the Tang family, her future husband should suit their criteria.

  He had to be a perfect husband material and should come from a good family. Most importantly, he should be rich and successful. A man's status was everything for the Tang family. His name and net worth should trump anything else about him.

  As if Tang Zhelan knew what he was thinking, she said, "Stop overthinking. It has nothing to do with them."

  It was a lie, Zhao Feng knew, but he wouldn't dare to say it for her sake, especially in front of his family. She was too skinny. Would it hurt her if she gained a few pounds? A woman needed to keep some meat on her. Zhao Feng really found it ridiculous how some women starved themselves to death and ate salad just to keep their figures.

  However, he couldn't blame her for this. He had known that Tang Zhelan's body required a careful diet and strict regimen of exercise to follow, just like what her mother insisted her to do. No matter how tasty the food he made in the past, Tang Zhelan would always hesitate to give it a taste without worrying about the high calorie it would give her.

  Tang Moyu might be smarter and more elegant than her, but when it came to face value, Tang Zhelan was quite confident with her appearance and certainly wouldn't fall behind the empress and Lu Tianxin.

  "The dishes must be too heavy for Miss Tang," Grandmother Zhao said with a smile. "Jing'er, try to help your uncle and ask the cook to prepare a light dish tomorrow for Miss Tang."

  "En! I'll make sure to help tomorrow!" the girl said cheerily. Tang Zhelan still couldn't comprehend why Zhao Jing was acting like this in front of her. She had never met a person who was so excited to meet her the first time.

  When dinner was done, Zhao Feng led her upstairs, to the part where the inn's guests were restricted to come. He opened the door to her room and Tang Zhelan saw that her luggage was already inside. They both stood at the entrance as Tang Zhelan's eyes glanced around.

  Standing next to each other, even if Tang Zhelan was wearing high-heeled shoes, she barely reached Zhao Feng's shoulder.

  "Your luggage is heavier than it looks," she heard the man next to her.

  Tang Zhelan nodded but didn't comment about it. She would have packed more if only her car had enough space to accommodate them. In the end, she decided to tightly pack her luggage and bring what she only needed for this trip.

  She took in the interior decor of the room she would be staying in for the next few days. It had hardwood flooring with very minimal furniture, which didn't bother her at all. There was also a huge painting hanging on the wall on her right.

  "I know it's not as grand as your room back in Shenzhen, but I hope you'll enjoy your stay here," Zhao Feng said. "The inn is divided into three parts. The first one is here. Grandmother and Jingjing are staying in the room across from you, while mine's at the end of the hallway." He gestured his hand outside.

  "The towels are in the bathroom, but if you need more, the closet on your left has more of it, as well as the shampoo and soap you needed," he added.

  "Thank you," Tang Zhelan said as she stepped inside. This room was definitely better than the one she had slept in for the past few days during her long drive.