"I’ll leave you two some space so you could talk." Doctor Lee stood up from his seat and exited the room.

  Xiu Mei looked at the folded paper in her hand in a daze. Somehow, she was scared to unfold this paper and see the sketch.

  Lu Chen rubbed her hand while waiting for her to move. He didn’t push her to open it now. Sitting beside her, he patiently waited for her to open that paper on her own. He sat by her side silently, while holding her free hand.

  "If I open this…… maybe I’ll remember it?" She murmured. The possibility of her remembering their conversation was high once she unfolds this paper. After all, this person was the main person they talked about while she was still under hypnosis.

  Lu Chen cupped her face making her look at him. "Think about it first. If you’re really sure that you’re ready to see it, then open it. You know I’ll always be on your side whichever choice you make."

  With his response, her heart seemed to feel lighter. His comforting smile assured her, lessening the nervousness and fear within her. Inhaling deeply, she gathered her courage to open and see the drawing on the other side of the paper.

  Lu Chen watched her unfold the paper slowly before her eyes.

  "This person……" Xiu Mei was stunned.

  "Is it really this person?" She couldn’t believe what she was seeing on the paper.

  Isn’t this person one of her grandfather’s cousins?

  Seeing that familiar face etched on the paper, that sharp eyes and tall nose, and that wound on the side of his left cheek. Judging by the familiar scar, she was almost sure that it was the same man that she used to meet back when she was younger during the Xiu family reunion parties held once a year.

  "Do you know him?" Lu Chen peeked at the paper and saw the drawing.

  "Yes, I think so. If I remember it correctly, this man is one of my grandfather’s cousins. Though it’s been years since I last saw this person. Now that I remember it, I really haven’t seen this person once after my kidnapping incident back then. That’s weird."

  Xiu Mei wasn’t very familiar with this person since she thought he looked very scary when she was little. She would often avoid him but she could vaguely remember that she saw this person with a scar in one of their previous gatherings.

  If she had met this person in the Yu family parties, she would’ve brushed it off easily since it was pretty normal for soldiers to get scars and wounds in different parts of their bodies. But the Xiu family is more focused on politics, while some of them did go to different paths, it wasn’t a common sight to see at all.

  But to think that he was the person who helped her get inside the funeral back then……what’s his motive?

  "Even after seeing this drawing, I still can’t remember the face of the person back then but if it is really this person then……" Her face darkened a little. Her tone turned somber as she finished her sentence, "……my kidnapping is probably more complicated than we thought it was."

  If a member of the Xiu family is really involved in her kidnapping, then it’s not something to joke about. Once her father hears about it, she’s afraid that the Xiu family will undergo an intense changes.

  Lu Chen agreed on her statement. After reading the case file that Xiu Mei shared with him, and knowing that the man who helped her got in back then was a distant relative of the Xiu family, he realized that everything did turn more complicated.

  It’s a different thing if the person who targeted Xiu Mei is an outsider, but if it was masterminded by a member of her family, then chaos is unavoidable.

  After that revelation, Doctor Lee made her undergo some further tests just in case before letting her go.

  "Then I’ll see you next time, Little princess." Doctor Lee uttered, giving her one last hug before she leaves.

  "Me too. Let’s hang out with my brothers next time."

  Doctor Lee didn’t forget Lu Chen too. He placed his hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. Since his body is heavily trained in the army, Lu Chen endured and could only suppress the slight pain that he was feeling.

  "Take good care of her." He lowered his voice and scowled at him.

  After that, the two of them finally left the barracks. Since it was a little late already, the two of them decided to stay at a hotel for the night.

  Xiu Mei plopped down on the couch as soon as they got inside the presidential suite.

  "I’m so tired." She grumbled, throwing her purse on the carpeted floor without a care. She laid her head on the soft and fluffy couch pillow and closed her eyes.

  On the other hand, Lu Chen fixed their shoes by the entrance and grabbed the menu. He walked to the couch where his wife is sitting and sat beside her. He grabbed her shoulders and made her lie down on his lip startling her.

  "Wha-"

  Xiu Mei tried to sit up but was stopped when Lu Chen covered her eyes, pushing her back again on his lap.

  "Rest." He pressed, while his hand moving from her eyes towards her hair. He brushed the messy locks scattered on her forehead.

  She opened her eyes, staring at the view of Lu Chen’s chin and face in front of her. She slowly admired the his defined jawline and attractive face. Even if the barracks was a bit hot, she couldn’t smell any trace of sweat at all but instead, he was filled with the scent of mint.

  His familiar scent slowly calmed down her nerves, lowering her guard. She stared at him in a daze, watching him read the menu and pick up the phone to order the food.

  Lu Chen tried his best to ignore her gaze. He acted as if he didn’t notice her gaze on him but he was very distracted while ordering their dinner. Making up his mind, he looked down and met her gaze.

  Xiu Mei’s gaze quivered, but she didn’t look away.

  "What is it?"

  "……Nothing." She replied.

  "You must’ve been very tired. You don’t usually like this." He rubbed her head making her feel more comfortable.

  "Why? Do I act differently when I’m not tired?"

  "Somehow. But you usually can’t hold your gaze to me this long when you’re not reporting something work-related."

  "Is it?"

  "Uhuh."

  Xiu Mei playfully grinned at him and replied, "Then what do you feel right now?"

  "Right now? Mmm……" Lu Chen acted as if he was trying to think. Then he looked at her again and smirked. He lowered his head, stopping a few inches away from her. Xiu Mei froze a little when he suddenly got closer.

  "What’s running on my mind right now is that…… I want to kiss you."

  "……"

  "Can I?"

  Xiu Mei blinked. She fell silent after hearing that.

  She could feel her heart racing faster than usual and that familiar ticklish feeling in her chest and stomach. It was strange but this time, she didn’t feel too fl.u.s.tered. Instead, she felt very happy and excited after hearing that. And so, she did not run away.

  "Okay." She murmured.

  Instead of waiting for him to lower down his head, she slightly lifted her head to meet his lips. Lu Chen was in a daze for a few seconds before he started responding to her.

  Xiu Mei voluntarily opened her mouth, letting Lu Chen gain entrance. He didn’t hesitate to dive inside her mouth and savoured her carefully. His kisses were aggressive, as she felt their kisses getting deeper.

  Her hand flew at the back of his head while Lu Chen held hers. His other hand landed on her stomach, slowly making its way up her body. He moved away from his lips and started leaving trails of kisses from the corner of her mouth, to her cheeks, to her chin and then to her ears.

  He nibbled on her left ear, earning a m.o.a.n from her.

  The sounds she was making further encouraged him to do more. He kissed the back of her ears and slowly went down. He sucked her skin and left marks everywhere while his hand stopped on her chest.

  Feeling that softness, he threw out the remaining sanity in his mind and squeezed one of them.

  "Ah~!" Xiu Mei was startled from the contact but what came out of her mouth was a seductive m.o.a.n that encouraged him to do more naughty things to her.

  She was panting heavily by then, her mind in a mess not understanding whether she was being turned on by his kissing or by his touches. She grabbed a fistful of his hair unconsciously, trying to cling on whatever she could cling onto. The only thing she thought of was the she was going crazy.

  On the other hand, Lu Chen was falling further and further into the abyss. Yet, he still carefully observed and listened to Xiu Mei’s reactions. He was just about to move back on her lips to suck on it again when he finally noticed something wrong.

  He paused on his movements, pulling away a little bit to look at Xiu Mei’s face. The expression on her face was complete seduction but this time, he didn’t focus on that.

  What he noticed was the abnormal rhythm of her breathing. No, it wasn’t because she was panting.

  With his hand on her chest, he could feel the difference in her breathing. And right now, he knows that it wasn’t just some simple ragged breathing. Xiu Mei was clearly having a panic attack right now.