After arriving in Nanyang, he had been busy with his affairs and dealing with all sorts of troubles these days, and had neglected her more than a little. Today, he had come to Lucao Island to finish talks with Mingdahai, and had managed to get half a day of free time. He was eager to rush back to the main island to take her out, never expecting that he would "come face to face" with her right here on Lucao Island.

  Of course he was overjoyed to see her, but when he heard about the scandal she had stirred up, it was impossible for his face not to turn pale.

  Why did she have to pick a fight with Danhua?

  She should know that he had no feelings for Lu Danhua, that all his romantic affection was given only to her. Yet she would never hold her tongue, deliberately saying things that made his heart ache. And he was too easily provoked; when she sighed softly, his left chest actually tightened painfully.

  Damn it!

  He cursed her, and he cursed himself too.

  "If I could really cut it out, the first thing I'd do is cut this damned flesh out of my heart and be done with it!" So he wouldn't keep thinking about her, fretting over her endlessly.

  Hearing his harsh words, Hua Duomei did not get angry but instead smiled.

  She could not help but reach out to touch his hard cheek, her soft hand caressing him as if soothing an enraged lion.

  The "lion" was still fuming, refusing to accept her pacification, his expression still stern.

  Hua Duomei's fingertips casually brushed the loose hair by his cheek. She tilted her head slightly, her beautiful eyes unconsciously glancing toward the slope not far away, where another pair of man and woman were also facing off—Sister Danhua and that fellow Barlow.

  They were too far away for her to hear what they were arguing about, but judging by the atmosphere... heh, it was definitely no better than here at the pavilion.

  Hua Duomei raised her delicate eyebrows and watched quietly, recalling what happened two quarters of an hour earlier: when her man had roughly pulled her away from Danhua, Barlow had rushed over just then, helped the frightened fair maiden up, and by the way given her a fierce glare. That glare was so savage, savage enough that she almost started a full-on fight with him right there—he completely ignored her status as the building master!

  Alright, she was willing to face what she had done; she had indeed bullied Danhua.

  She could understand that fellow Barlow being anxious to protect his woman. She actually liked that he was so protective, that was a good thing! The only problem was, she had always been narrow-minded and held grudges. If she got the chance, she would definitely get even for that fierce glare.

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  Taking a deep breath, she pulled her mind back and let her gaze fall on the man before her again.

  She stared at him for a long moment, something rippling gently in her clear pool-like eyes, and the faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

  "Leisalong... what can I do? This is just who I am, I'm afraid I'll never change. There are things I do what I want to do, regardless of what other people think. You get angry at me, annoyed with me because of this, I can't help it!" She spoke as if she was just making casual conversation. "The one good thing is, the commitment between us is just between the two of us. We said it with words, and we got together. If one day this commitment doesn't work anymore, we can just talk it out clearly with words too. No one else gets dragged into it. You let me go, I let you go, we each go our own way, live our own lives. That way it has a proper start and end."

  "What nonsense are you talking about?!" He exploded.

  The imposing, threatening figure suddenly straightened. Leisalong braced his arms on the stone table on either side of her, leaning his face in, staring into her eyes with a fierce glare.

  She was not scared at all. Smiling, she simply wrapped her soft arms around his thick, veined neck, and breathed softly against him.

  "I've wanted to tell you this for a long time, it's all from my heart, not nonsense at all! So, my good sir, if one day you really fall for some other girl, and treat her better than you treat me, this building master is not some clingy woman. I will definitely let go gracefully, walk far away, and stop claiming you as mine."

  She spoke so gently, yet her words carried full certainty: if he really fell for another woman, she would not only stop lingering around him, she would never see him again!

  Leisalong froze, his black brows furrowed tightly, confused how the conversation had ended up here.

  His jaw tightened, his entire face, shoulders, neck, arms and chest all pulled tight, even his throat was clenched as he ground the words out:

  "You still think I have feelings for Danhua..." He gritted his teeth. "You should know in your heart that I have no feelings for Danhua, and what she really wants is never me. Does he have to cut his heart out and put it on a platter for her to understand?

  Her eyes curved into a smile, and she held his handsome face in her gaze for another moment.

  Hua Duomei was the first to break the suffocating silence, but the man did not soften. The contours of his face were still as hard as stone, his lips pressed into a thin line, saying nothing.

  Unfazed by his cold look, her clear, soft voice sounded again, still in her carefree manner.

  "So your flagship is a Guanchuan warship. I heard about those small warships when I was in Jiangnan. They're built copying Japanese ships, with a long narrow hull and a sharp bow, good for cutting through wind and waves. Sir, after this would you let me go aboard and look around?" She chuckled, scratching her soft ear, looking half-shy and not half-shy. "Speaking of ships, you anchored your flagship in another area, with several men guarding it, so I didn't notice... uh, I just didn't see it earlier. If I'd known you were here, I would've run straight into your arms as soon as I got off the boat, I never would've done something outrageous and immoral in front of the islanders!"

  What a load of nonsense!

  The hand gripping her bare foot tightened sharply, as if it was going to crush her.

  But just then, she let out two slightly exaggerated cries of pain. Before she could even let out the third, the big hand that was punishing her suddenly loosened, not daring to keep pressing hard.

  She was sitting on the stone table, and he was sitting on the stone chair.