However, after going downstairs, she unexpectedly discovered that Shangguan Xiu, who hadn’t returned for a week, was actually sitting in the dining room at this moment.
Her steps abruptly halted, and she did not move forward.
Recalling the days she was monitored for the past week, thinking about how she hadn’t been able to go to school for a week, let alone visit Grandma, her heart harbored nothing but intense dissatisfaction towards Shangguan Xiu.
“Why are you standing there like an idiot?
Come over and sit down for dinner!” The man she was dissatisfied with suddenly turned his head to look at her and commanded impatiently.
Upon hearing this, An Xiaomian’s face stiffened for a moment before she moved her feet and walked into the dining room.
Seeing her enter, a maid took the initiative to pull out the chair next to Shangguan Xiu.
An Xiaomian knew that this meant she was expected to sit next to Shangguan Xiu, but she didn’t want to sit next to him at all.
She wished to keep as far away from him as possible.
Therefore, she reached out to pull out the chair closest to her and farthest from Shangguan Xiu.
“If you want to properly finish this meal, come sit over here!” Shangguan Xiu’s voice suddenly erupted, cold and brimming with irritation, “I’d best not have to tell you a second time.”
An Xiaomian’s hand paused, as frightening memories of the punishment he had meted out a week before flashed through her mind—he truly was a person who followed through on his words, a terrifying person.
Indeed, she did not dare provoke him lightly.
Thus, she reluctantly withdrew her hand, then stiffly walked toward him.
In the end, she sat down silently on the chair beside him.
Immediately, a maid served up the delicious and exquisite dinner.
However, there were two servings, with Shangguan Xiu eating a Western meal.
In front of An Xiaomian was a maternity meal suitable for pregnant women, which seemed more nutritious than his but was bland and tasteless.
Still, An Xiaomian didn’t care for these things.
She bowed her head, trying her best to ignore the man beside her, focusing solely on her food, wanting to finish quickly and leave the dining room.
She really didn’t want to stay with him any longer.
Since An Xiaomian had taken a seat beside him, Shangguan Xiu had been watching her closely.
She appeared much more obedient now than when she previously ran away.
Her demeanor as she quietly ate, head bowed, resembled that of a cute little bunny.
Especially when she was drinking her soup, she would unconsciously lick and lap at her lips, those pink and tender lip petals glistening—each time she licked them, she caught all of his attention.
His breathing unconsciously grew heavier.
His heart was growing hotter and hotter.
He suddenly realized why he was reacting this way.
His dark eyes grew deeper, as if about to devour someone, uncontrollably fixed on her.
An Xiaomian silently ate her dinner, thinking everything would be uneventful, but then she felt a scorching gaze intensely focused on her, making her somewhat uneasy all over.
She lifted her head and looked over, unsurprisingly seeing that Shangguan Xiu was watching her, his gaze dark and filled with an invasive hunger, as if he wanted to eat her.
Startled, her hand slipped, and the soup spoon fell into the bowl, splashing the warm soup onto the tabletop and, also, onto the man’s hand.
Her heart raced wildly, faintly sensing the atmosphere growing increasingly oppressive, increasingly suffocating.
Shangguan Xiu’s expression also became darker.
Indeed, Shangguan Xiu looked down at the soup on the back of his hand, and the next second, he yelled at her furiously, “Lick it clean!”