BOOK ONE:
Xiao Zhan is a man on his late twenties who decided to move from a small town to a big city.
Having endured pain and loss, he is more than ready to start life anew. But what will happen when a handsome and mysterious man turns it upside d...
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YIBO POV
I showed Zhan most of the castle's best rooms, breathing easy as I saw him start to relax and enjoy the tour.
He seemed more interested in me, where I came from, my family, my beliefs...
I answered where I could, but this conversation unsettled me. I was used to people asking me questions about what I did for a living, how much money I had, places I've been to.
But this one was personal, and I would rather much not discuss it.
We were in my study when something caught his attention; I turned to see what it was. It was a family portrait of my parents and me taken when I was 9, a year before they died.
"You haven't changed a bit" he smiled, referring to the little boy grinning in the picture "Are those your parents?" he asked, turning his gaze to me.
"Yes," I said,
"Your mother is very beautiful, I see where you get your eyes" he added then blushed as though he said something he didn't want to.
I shrugged; I would've said that awhile back, I used to think my mother was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. But looking at Zhan now I would say it was a tie. I smiled to myself sorry mom I thought.
"Do they live here in Beijing?" his voice suddenly came through,
Taken by surprise
"No, they died a year after that picture was taken. Car accident" I simply lied. His expression turned remorseful,
"I'm sorry," he whispered softly.
"It was a long time ago," I offered, hoping he would let the topic drop.
My parents were murdered in front of me but he didn't need to know that. I suppressed a shudder at the memory that was clear as though it happened yesterday. Mari is the only person who knew how my parents' death really affected me, having served them when I was young. She's known me my whole life. Her and my parents were all I cared about growing up, I was loved and cherished; that's all one can ever ask for in life.
Loosing my parents the way I did left a huge scar in my soul, I was never the same since then... "Where are we exactly?" he asked, when we got to the roof of the castle
"We're just outside of Beijing, it's a 20 minute drive back to the city," I said looking at the stars that were slowly showing themselves in the sky.
I wondered what they would think of me now, but then again I guess I knew. This was not the life they would've wanted for me.
"So you just decided to build a castle in the middle of nowhere?" He asked, confusion in his voice.
"No, this is a family estate. I inherited it from my father" I said meeting his gaze
