Her eyes widened as she realized what he was instigating. He was shrewd, the way he had turned the tables on her.

"No, thank you. I am not sticking around for this purpose." She finally spoke.

"Then why are you? Give me one good reason. I think you are unable to resist my charms and are falling in love with me." She jerked her head at his words trying to get her face free from his grasp and he let her go, seeing she was getting uncomfortable.

"I am not falling in love with you." She said with a bit of annoyance as her heartbeat began to elevate, contradicting her very own words.

"Why is your heartbeat going berserk? Did I say something to baffle you or did I speak some hidden truth?" He gave her a mischievous smile.

"You think too highly of yourself, try getting down that high horse once in a while." She smirked.

"I don’t need a horse when I have my wings to fly." The smile grew wider and wider and it made her happy that he was smiling again.

"I wanna see them, will you show me someday?" She changed the dangerous topic he was dwelling in.

"Sure, once you are better I will show you. But now it’s my turn to ask you my 10 questions." With these words, he pulled her back in his reach.

"Tell me the truth, Aselia. Why do you want to stay here?"

"I need money, I told you before." She replied flatly.

"I can give you money as much as you want. If that’s the only reason for your stay."

"I don’t want charity, I need to earn it. Besides, I don’t have anywhere else to go. I am an orphan so I never had a home, neither had siblings or friends. To be specific I am all alone in this world." She told a half-true half false story which she had practised as part of her mission. She kept a straight face and a steady heartbeat.

Xiran, on the other hand, was touched by her sad story and he understood why she was a bit socially awkward, mostly her manners were all over the place and she had no filters. He wanted to keep her with him, forever...

"You have me now." He declared.

"I do?"

"Yes, as long as you want me." He traced her face with his index finger and enjoyed how her body reacted to his every touch.

This was all very new for him too. He never got to do these small things with anyone else before. Most of the girls were too smitten by him and all they wanted to do was touch him and provide him with the pleasures he sought. No one had ever waited this long to get intimate with him. The ecstasies he provided made every girl desire him and were left reeling for more.

Aselia was different, his charms didn’t always work on her and even when they did she was able to say no to him. She was like a jigsaw puzzle, which he was unable to put together completely.

"Thank you for being there for me." She murmured while he offered her a warm smile.

"Second question, why didn’t you ever date or had a boyfriend?"

"I did try dating but I never found anyone worthy to pursue." In reality, she only went on two dates and both of the boys were too scared of her at the end of their dates, especially because of her intimidating aura and babbling mouth.

The fact that she broke the arm of a boy who dared to touch her when she was a teenager, didn’t help her case either.

"Anyone worthy? What qualities were you looking for?" Xiran asked curiously.

"Someone who could handle me." She replied with a knowing look. This made Xiran laugh out loud.

"I see, not everyone can handle your sassiness." Xiran gave her a knowing smile.

"Yeah,"

"What’s your favourite flower?" He asked her next.

"All are beautiful but plucked flowers just make me sad. They look better on their respective plants."

"Good point. What’s your favourite colour?"

"Aquamarine," she replied.

"Like your beautiful eyes," he smiled at her again.

"I like it because of the ocean, it’s the vastness of it that fascinates me," Aselia explained and Xiran nodded.

"What do you love to eat most?" A smile spread instantly on Aselia’s face at the mention of food.

"Everything, I love all kinds of food. Fast food, veggies, fruits, rice, meat, eggs, juices, and desserts. Give me anything, anytime." She explained with the excitement of a child and he watched her intently at how her hand moved and her lips mouthed those words.

"Still, what’s your favourite? One thing that’s to die for, in your opinion. Or you can say is your comfort food." Xiran asked, he could feel her joy and it melted his heart.

"Hmmm, that has to be any kind of barbecued meat. I love the smell and taste of meat being cooked on coal. That’s my favourite food." She beamed at him.

"Alright, get better soon so you can eat plenty of barbecued meat." He ruffled her hair playfully.

"I will," her excitement evident in her voice.

"You like jewellery?" This was his next question.

"Not really,"

"Why?" He was curious again. What kind of girl didn’t like wearing jewellery?

"I don’t see the appeal of spending a frivolous amount of money on something which has zero use to me."

"Not everything has a use, some things are done to fulfil the heart’s desires," Xiran told her calmly.

"Sadly I don’t have any desire for jewellery." She had a meh expression on her face which made Xiran chuckle again.

"Why did you start painting?" He glanced at the painting she had made of him and she followed in pursuit.

"I started painting to calm the raging storms inside of me. I was an angry child who couldn’t stabilise her emotions, painting helped me to channel them." She had a forlorn look in her eyes.

"Why? Because you were alone?" It made him sad that she was all alone for almost all her life.

"Yes, I guess. I was angry at the world. By the way, I never thought you would hang this in your room." She pointed to the painting.

"Why not? I love it, it shows your artistic side, your emotional side, it shows how you see me with your eyes and I find that extremely satisfying." She blushed at his words, damn the way this man affected her.

"The fact that you drew me in a robe showing my chest, I believe you find me sexy as well." He moved his face closer to her and had an evil grin on it.

"Chill out old man, it’s not my fault you are always wearing these robes around me, flaunting your chest like a supermodel." She face-palmed him and pushed him back, he laughed loudly at her words as well as her actions.

After laughing for a while he said: "It’s late and you should be resting now. I will ask one final question and then you should sleep."

"Ok,"

"Is there a slight chance that you can fall in love with someone like me?" Aselia’s heart fell into a bottomless pit at this question.