Chapter 18 - Challanging him

Jing Lihua placed her hand against the wall, fighting off the dizziness that was adamant to make her give up. At that point, she heard a quiet knock.

"Who is it?"

Jing Lihya was wary of Jing Tian's next move; she was reluctant to open the door. Jing Tian had no limits. She could fall to any level to reach her motives. Because today Jing Lihua failed all of Jing Tian's schemes, she was even more sure that her sister would take extreme measures to get back to her.

There was no answer. Only another knock.

After much contemplation, Jing Lihua decided to open the door. Because even if she didn't open the door, if Jing Tian wanted, she could easily get access to her room with the master key.

"Mr. Su...?" She was surprised. "What are you doing here at this time?"

Instead of answering her, he walked in and closed the door behind him. Before Jing Lihua could say anything in objection, he asked.

"Why didn't you finish your tea?"

"I was feeling nauseated... I explained it back then... Is there anything Mr. Su?"

He didn't walk all the way to here to ask her that?

"How much of it did you drink?"

Did he somehow learn that the tea was spiked? Could it be that it was not only Jing Tian, but Su Liwei who tried to drug her? A lot of bad possibilities rushed through her muddled mind.

"I don't remember correctly. A few sips I assume..." Jing Lihua's eyes lingered at the bedside table where her cell rested.

If it was true that they both had planned something together, then she had to inform Zhao Liying or Mo Liang at least.

But before she could make a move, Su Liwei noticed her intentions, grabbed her arm making her face him, forcing her to meet his calm, unfathomable eyes.

"Answer me correctly. How much of it did you drink?" His voice was smooth yet it held an extreme sense of strength and power. One couldn't simply refuse to answer his question.

"Half cup" Her heart was beating loudly. She was alone with him in the room. She didn't even bring her bodyguard with her.

Su Liwei let go of her wrist, slowly.

"If that was all you wanted to ask, you can leave now."

"I didn't come here to leave"

"What do you mean"

"We are a married couple. It is a natural thing that we share a room"

Jing Lihua: "..."

"Our marriage was..."

"Was only due to the pressure by elders?" Su Liwei finished her words with a hint of scoffing."You have already said that once. Whatever the reason for which we got married, it is still a marriage. We signed those papers. We made our vows in front of Gods. We are a married couple in the eyes of the whole world and of course in the eyes of your very family. So the only right thing to do is that I stayed the night with you to prevent any more irritating rumors."

Since when he cared about rumors? Jing Lihua knew that there were some ulterior motives behind his actions.

"I don't care about rumors, not enough to share a room with a stranger and I expect you wouldn't too." Something flicked in Su Liwei's eyes once he heard the word 'stranger' but, like always, it disappeared before any emotion could make its appearance on his face. "So you are free to leave"

Silence.

"If you wouldn't leave. I'll." Jing Lihua picked up her cell and coat and opened the door. Su Liwei pushed it close with a loud thud. Jing Lihua stared at him, astonished.

"Don't defy me. I said you would stay the night with me in this room. So you will."

Was it a threat?

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Su. I'm a master of my own choices." Jing Lihua's voice was composed and serene. "And I don't follow other's orders"

"I don't care whatever you do and whatever you don't. But, you will not step out of this room tonight"

If it was someone else, he would immediately relent to his order. Who he was? The great Su Liwei! The heir of the Su Empire. But it was Jing Lihua, who challenged his fierce warning gaze with her equally unrelenting one.

Why was he so bent to not let her leave?

"I would like to see how do you plan on stopping me."

"Don't... tempt me, Jing Lihua... You'll regret it"

Jing Lihua couldn't tolerate being ordered around by him; not after what she had endured in her last life. In her last life, she had always feared him. But in this life, she wanted to challenge him, to show him that she wasn't the same weakling that he could oppress. She challenged him with her resolute eyes, never looking away and turned the knob. Or... she tried to because she had just reached the door when a strong arm grabbed her and pushed her against the door. Her coat slipped from her hands and noiselessly landed on the floor.

"Mr. Su, you wouldn't..."

Before she could complete her sentence, warm, wet lips covered hers.